RPOV

After three long hours and a countless number of tests, I still couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Dimitri was a Dhampir.

I was a Dhampir.

So how the hell could our son be a Moroi?

"I wish I had more answers, but for that I'll need more time. All I can say with total certainty is that Sebastian is a Moroi." Ophelia told us.

"But how can you be sure?" Dimitri asked her undeterred. "He only started showing symptoms just last week!"

"Believe it or not, he's on a fairly routine timeline. Even a normal Moroi child doesn't start craving blood until their fangs start coming in. Until then, they share a diet similar to that of Dhampirs."

A normal Moroi child…

What was that supposed to mean?

It meant my son was now the subject of constant scrutiny.

In our society being different wasn't something people tolerated very well. Dimitri and I both had the emotional scars to prove it. No one had reacted favorably when they learned of mine and Lissa's bond. And poor Dimitri had practically been chased around with pitchforks. It took a ridiculous number of experiments before their curiosity had been satisfied, and only then did they give him any peace.

Given half a chance I knew they'd do the same to Bash, and the realization suddenly had me seeing red.

Well not on my watch, or even as long as I was breathing. There was no way they'd get their judgmental hands on my son.

Up until this point I'd been too stunned to try and speak, but watching Dimitri and Ophelia go round and round was getting exhausting.

"Who cares how it happened! The how isn't what matters Comrade. The question now is what are we going to do about it? How the hell are we going to protect our son?"

When my voice cracked on the last word, Dimitri's brown eyes softened at me, and with three large steps he quickly crossed the room. He gazed tenderly down at me and our son before wrapping us in his embrace, and I closed my eyes, somewhat comforted by the contact.

"Shhh" Dimitri soothed as he gently stroked my hair. "I promise nothing bad is going to happen."

I wanted nothing more than to believe him, but I wasn't born naïve. I knew that was a promise he couldn't keep it.

"You say that now Comrade, but you don't know what's going to happen. What if we can't protect him when this comes out?"

Even I could hear just how hysterical I was starting to sound.

"Roza, there's nothing I wouldn't do to protect our family. Do you remember the day in the coffee shop, when the Royal Guard came for you?"

It wasn't a memory I was likely to ever forget.

It was the moment that I knew that he still loved me. That he was still in there and still capable of being loved. The way with which he fought for me, like it was the last thing he'd ever do. He'd never looked so beautiful or so deadly.

Even as a Strigoi he lacked that kind of fierce emotion; the kind that told me he would fight for me til his last breath.

Remembering the memory left me unexpectedly choked up, so I simply nodded my head yes as an answer.

"Good" he smiled kindly. "Then keep reminding yourself of that day, because the man that is still in here. I will never stop fighting for you Milaya; for our family and for our son. And I promise you that IS a promise that I will keep."

He words did help to soothe me; as did his familiar touch, and in that moment I decided to let myself believe him.

"Rose I know you're scared, but no one has to know about this. At least not until the two of you are ready." Ophelia added. "And in the mean time I can try to find more answers."

It was the last thing that I'd expected from Dimitri's ex-fiancé, but I was grateful for her kindness all the same. What she was offering couldn't be easy for a woman like Ophelia. She was a scientist who'd made one hell of a discovery. Surely she was eager to share her findings with her peers, but luckily for us her loyalty towards Dimitri eclipsed all that.

"You would do that?" Dimitri asked her, his brown eyes shining with gratitude. And if I hadn't felt so relieved, I would have been jealous.

"Of course" Ophelia answered; her tone sounding a bit offended. "I would never willingly put your family in jeopardy."

But the truth was we were in jeopardy all the same.

Even if we somehow kept this secret, there was still so much we didn't know. We didn't have a clue as to what his future would hold.

And just like that I was 16 again.

I started to relieve the pain and confusion from the bond that had formed between me and Lissa after the accident. I remembered the overwhelming fear that came from a lack of understanding, and how awful it felt not knowing what to expect. And then there had been Lissa with her crazy unnamed magic that left us both staring at an unknown future.

Oh what I wouldn't give to spare Bash from all of that…

"Thank you" I told her earnestly and she answered with a genuine smile.

Perhaps Olena had been wrong about this woman.

OPV

"Why don't the two of you take him home, and maybe try to get some rest. I'll get started analyzing these samples in my lab."

I could see that they were frightened, and unfortunately with good reason. News like this was bound to rock our world's foundation.

As far as anyone else knew, Bash was the only one of his kind.

There were no documented cases of any two Dhampirs who had conceived, and as a result no one could have known what to expect. I think the most logical expectation was that they'd create another Dhampir.

I doubt if anyone would have been able to predict this.

But the evidence had been irrefutable.

Further testing showed that Bash indeed had sprouted fangs, and he had taken to the blood with natural ease. Even his own blood sample had the genetic makings of a Moroi. But there were still so many questions left unanswered.

The most troubling part for me was his collection of unique abilities; like the ability to withstand time out in the sun.

It was a trait that no normal Moroi could carry.

There was also the looming question as to whether he could practice magic, but that was something we wouldn't know about for years.

It took quite a bit of persuasion, but they eventually agreed to leave on the condition I call them the minute I managed to find them any answers. There were also kind enough to leave me with some blood samples of their own and I quickly threw myself into the search.

It took several hours locked in my lab while getting familiar with my microscope, but I eventually emerged with a feasible answer.

Of course it probably wasn't the answer either one of them had been hoping for.

"So let me get this straight…" Rose said as she paced around the living room, while I diligently tried to ignore Olena's glare. She was standing in the doorway beside Dimitri and Sebastian, and she looked as angry as the last time I had seen her.

"What you're saying is that we created a super race?"

When she put it quite like that I knew it sounded a little bit crazy, but yes that was more or less the gist of it.

"It's what Sebastian's genetic makeup would suggest."

"But how can that be possible? We're just a couple of boring Dhampirs! Nothing about what you're telling us makes any sense!"

Rose's desperation to understand was clearly evident in her cry and I struggled for a better way to explain this.

"You and Dimitri are both Dhampirs, but you are far from ordinary. At least according to your own genetic makeup. The blood samples you both gave me contained a remarkable amount a spirit; so much so that it actually altered your own DNA. Both samples showed in an increase in Moroi genetic markers; a number significantly higher than that of a regular Dhampir. When you combine that with the amount of spirit you both have running through your veins, well I believe it was the reason you could conceive."

There was a look that passed between them suggesting that this bit was old news, and it seemed now it was my turn to be confused.

"Did you know about the spirit?" I asked looking between the both of them, and after a long pause Dimitri nodded and Rose sighed.

"Dimitri and I have a complicated history."

"In the year following my restoration, I was recruited to work on an experiment. It was to determine the lasting effects of being a Strigoi. The whole thing came about when it was brought to our attention that Strigoi restorations weren't as rare as we believed. Adrian Ivashkov came across a case while he was living in Palm Springs, and that's when we learned a restored Strigoi can never be re-turned. The project did have some success in the effort to create a Strigoi vaccine, but the amount of spirit infused blood required halted its progress." Dimitri told me. "Adrian's been searching for an alternative solution ever since."

The whole thing sounded so fanatical that I could barely even believe it. And if it had been anyone other than Dimitri saying this, I probably wouldn't have.

"Incredible" I murmured awestruck over the progress they'd been making. "How is it that I've never heard about this?"

In the scientific community, this news would spread around like wildfire. But in the four years that this had been happening, I'd heard nothing.

"Lissa wanted us to keep a lid on this." Rose added. "She thought it would have far reaching consequences. We learned at a young age with Victor Dashkov that there are a lot of fanatics out there. Knowing you could create a Strigoi vaccine by extracting restored blood would start a manhunt. And then every restored Strigoi out there would be fair game."

Her eyes darted in Dimitri's direction and I could guess what she was thinking. He'd spend the rest of his life looking his shoulder as well.

To be honest the chances of someone capturing him seemed less than probable, but that didn't guarantee the others out there were safe. In all likely hood there were hundreds out there who unlike Dimitri had no defense. Like the elderly, and the helpless and the Moroi.

And now their child.

Despite the summer air, I felt a chill straight to my bones.

There had to be some way we could protect him.

"If what you're telling me is true, then Bash's news can never come out. God only knows what kind of secrets his blood could unlock. A gift this rare and precious would set the whole Moroi world on fire. His secret has to be protected at all costs!"

I hadn't intended to alarm them, but that's exactly what I did. I could read the fear on both their faces as plain as day.

"I'm sorry" I started back peddling.

Me and my stupid mouth.

"I know that came out sounding harsh, but that doesn't make my words less true. It's imperative no one ever finds out about this."

"I think it's a little late for that." Olena added from her new spot next to the window. I hadn't even noticed her cross the room.

Dimitri was the closest to her and he quickly closed the gap, and once behind her I heard him curse under his breath.

"What's wrong?" Rose asked him frazzled. Her voice was on the brink of hysteria.

And the sight outside the window pushed her over.

"Shit!" She muttered frantically. "Shit shit shit shit shit!"

And after reaching the window myself, I understood why.

There was a hoard on people out on their lawn, along with a number of camera crews. There were even a few protesters that carried signs. It was fear and madness for as far as the eye could see.

How the hell had word about this gotten out?

The only other person who knew about this was the nurse.

"Dimitri" Rose whispered quietly as she gently pulled Sebastian closer. "What the hell are we supposed to do now?"

He looked away from the window with his face full of determination.

"Whatever we have to do Milaya. Whatever we have to do."

I don't know about you guys, but I'd feel pretty safe with Dimitri ; )

Any thoughts on what will happen next?

I know some people didn't love the idea of Bash being a Moroi, but to me it didn't seem right to just make him a dhampir. Rose and Dimitri had both been touched by large amounts of spirits, and surely that had to have had some sort of effect.

Plus this opens up a whole new world of possibilities.

Who knows what kind of talents little Sebastian may have!

What would you enjoy seeing from him?

Sound off in the reviews : )