In my life plan babies had been the otherside of thirty. My plan had been to establish a successful career and find a suitable partner to settle down with before I even started to think about having children. Unfortunately for me, fate and I seemed to have two different ideas about where my life was going.

Pregnant! How could I be pregnant?

I had only slept with Luc a few times! Okay, I wasn't naive, I knew that it only takes one time to get pregnant but still, Luc and I hadn't been together very long. Dragging a kid into the equation, or rather this circus, was the worst thing that could of happen to us right now.

I stared at the metallic bottom of the waste paper basket Louis had given me and dry heaved again. Louis make sympathetic noises and began stroking my back gently.

"Now Mia, you mustn't be upset with me. I know you value your freedom but this is really for the safety of you and the child. I wouuld hate to see your distress affecting the health of the child negatively." Louis said.

I gripped on to the waste paper basket and said "You are delusional if you think I am going to sit here and let you hole me up in this room for the next nine months."

"Mia, I am not an unreasonable man. I know that together we can reach some kind of compromise. You have something that I want and I can give you something that you want." Louis explained.

"I don't understand." I replied.

"I know all about you Amelia Hayden. I know your hopes and dreams, and your life ambitions before you were turned into a vampire. I know that you were good girl who got good grades and one day you hoped that you would run your own business and own a pug... Do you remember that girl Amelia?" Louis asked.

I stared at him in stunned silence- how did he know so much about me?

Louis half smiled and continued, "You can still be that girl Mia, you can still have all of your dreams- all you have to do is give me that child once it is born and then I will grant your freedom."

"You want me to give up my baby?" I replied uncertainly.

"Yes and I know that may seem like asking a lot but I promise you that if you give me the baby and I will allow you to return back to the human world. This world isn't your world after all. You belong back with your people." Louis said.

"How can I go back? I am a vampire, there is no going back for me." I snapped.

Louis shook his head in disagreement, "That is not true Mia. Vampires can live in human society with some minor adaptions. Naturally you will need to consider some factors such as ageing and how you will obtain blood, but there are many vampires who live amongst humans very happily. Imagine you can go back to university and choose another husband and have your business and your little dog- you can have your life back... All you need to do is give me the child."

I closed my eyes and leaned my forehead against the cold rim of the metal basket. The thought of returning back home thrilled me more than I would like to admit. If I could live back in the human world, and away from other vampires then I would be safe. But there was the small matter or Luc and even bigger matter of could I just give up my baby and continue my life as if they never happened to me?

"Luc would never allow it." I finally replied.

"I will take care of Luc when the time comes." Louis said.

"How will you? All Nico ever told me was that I had been chosen to save Luc from himself and that without me Luc would end up going crazy like his uncle- now suddenly you have this plan/solution to deal with Luc!" I said.

"I said those things so you would get close to Luc. I wanted you to be receptive to him because I wanted you to conceive a child by him, and you did. So now that objective has been completed we can progress forward, and because you have pleased me I am going to give you this oppotunity to leave this world and return to your own world. I would like to remind you Mia that I do not have to make you this offer. I could easily have you locked up in the palace after you had the child just to amuse Luc for the rest of etenrnity, but I am not that type of person. I feel sorry Mia and I would hate to see you tied up to a man like my brother. He has so many problems which you alone cannot fix. So as a gesture of mercy I am offering you an oppotunity to escape this destiny and make your own life away from this court." Louis said.

I thought about Luc and I tried to imagine my life without him. In a world without vampires, or courts, or royalty, my life would make a lot more sense. I could imagine myself integrating back into the community and forgetting that all of this ever happened... I could go back to university, and run my own business and finally get that dog I had always wanted... I could... but I knew deep down that between Luc and I was an incredible bond. I did not like to admit that we had this bond but I knew it was there, and I knew if I was separated from Luc permenantly my heart would crack in two and never recover.

"I can't leave Luc," I replied dryly, "I think I love him."

Louis laughed, "Come on, you two don't exactly have a strong relationship. I mean, you did after all kick him out of your mind within the first couple of days marriage."

"That doesn't stop me from loving him...and I know I shouldn't, but I do and I could never leave him... or this baby we are having " I said wrapping my hands protectively around my tummy.

Louis' eyes hardened and he said, "That baby will be mine."

I shook my head, "This baby belongs to me and Luc- and it has nothing to do with you or this stupid court! I swear to god that I will protect it with my life from people like you who would try to use and manipulative it to your own advantage. There is no way I am ever letting you near my child!" I roared at him.

I had no idea where the maternal overprotectiveness came from, but it suddenly kicked in and I went mama bear on his ass. Grabbing the waste paper basket I threw it at Louis' head and watched him quickly dodge it. Louis jumped off the bed and yelled for help.

"Nurse! Bring the sedative!" Louis yelled.

I quickly scrambled to my feet as two nurse and a doctor appeared suddenly in my room. The doctor walked towards me drawing up an amber liquid from a glass vial into a syringe.

"Don't you dare come near me!" I warned.

"Your Highness, I only want to give you something that will help you relax." The doctor said walking towards me.

I backed myself into the corner of the room and watched as the medical staff drew closer. I thought that it was for sure the doctor would end up sticking that needle into me but then I heard loud footsteps thundering down the corridor and deep down I knew who it was.

Frightened for myself and my unborn child, I screamed at the top of my lungs' "LUC!!"

***********

Hi angels,

Sorry but I had to update on my ipad which has no spelling or grammar checker. I am currently away from home so I do not have access to my trusty laptop. I will be editing this chapter again when I get access to a computer but until then excuse the typos. Xxxxx