i...have something to tell you[Rowan]

Ria was waiting, quite impatiently, for the poor little unsettled boy to bring Rowan back to her.

She had something very important to tell him, something that she was FURIOUS about.

"The nerve of some people!" she complained, out loud, to Kaelin. It wasn't his fault at all, really, but Ria never took the blame for anything.

It was taking forever for Rowan to come. FOREVER.

Rowan rushed down Theodore Lane. The unsettled boy he was following had told him that a girl had some kind of urgent emergency to tell him. A million scenarios went through his head as he finally approached her.

It was Ria. The girl he'd had a drunken bathroom one-night stand with. Actually it wasn't even a one night stand. More like a one ten-minute stand.

"What is it? What's wrong?" he asked, unable to imagine what it could possibly be.

I bet she gave you crabs, Nym said scathingly.

When Rowan arrived, Ria was about ready to kill him.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO ME?!" she screamed at him, "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT."

She didn't bother explaining what exactly he had done to her, but she didn't care. He was going to fucking pay.

Rowan jumped when she screamed at him out of nowhere. He was NOT expecting that. He suddenly had a terrible sense of foreboding, as if deep down he knew the horrifying thing Ria was going to tell him but was still clinging to a tiny shred of denial.

"What DID I do to you?" he asked her, afraid of the answer.

Oh please god don't be...

"I'M FUCKING PREGNANT, YOU BASTARD!" she shrieked in his face. The fucking prick wasn't going to get away with it. "YOU'LL FUCKING PAY!" And with that, Ria reached up and smacked the Dian Overloridian across the face with as much strength as she could muster.

Her hand hurt like hell, but she didn't even feel it she was so angry. Kaelin, on the other hand, whimpered in pain.

...
...
...

Rowan went numb. Just totally numb. He didn't even feel it when she slapped him. He hardly even noticed.

It couldn't be true. It just couldn't. Nothing about this made sense. He slowly faced Ria again, horrified.

"You're...but..." he said intelligently. "And I'm the...?"

At first Ria had thought exactly that. She would have rathered Avery or someone be the father. But there was no way possible. She hadn't had sex in so long before she was with Rowan. And she hadn't had sex since, either.

"NO, I FUCKING KNOW IT'S YOU. I'M GLAD, BECAUSE NOW I WONT FEEL BAD WHEN I KILL YOU."

Rowan was still dumbstruck. Him!? A father!? He wasn't ready for that! And...and...and he hardly even knew Ria! All he knew about her was her first name! AUGH THIS COULD NOT BE HAPPENING.

He finally realized that she was about to kill him.

"Whoa, calm down!" he exclaimed defensively. "We're in this TOGETHER, okay!? We'll...we'll figure SOMETHING out!"

This was insane. A minute ago he'd been a chronically depressed, alcoholic Overloridian. Now he was a chronically depressed, alcoholic Overloridian SOON TO BE FATHER. What was he gonna do!?!?

"IDON'TSEEYOUWITHAFUCKINGBABYINYOURUTERUS!" Ria screamed, incoherently. She would never admit it, but Ria was scared. She knew that guys wouldn't stick around, especially not guys that had no emotionally attachment to the mother. Plus she didn't really want to have to raise a kid. SHE WAS ONLY SEVENTEEN. Tears started to cloud her vision, this was not supposed to be happening. What the hell was she going to do?

Rowan...wasn't entirely sure what she just screamed at him, but he DID notice when she started to cry. Oh god.

"Hey, hey, it's gonna be okay!" he assured her, in a much gentler voice than before. He was kind of afraid to touch her, but he hesitantly reached out and put his hand on her arm. "I know this is insane and you're scared, I'm scared too. But you're not alone."

He couldn't believe how well he was handling this. This is something he would have been able to do months ago, before his burnout. Of course he was freaking out on the inside, but the fact that he was being strong on the outside was, well, pleasantly surprising.

But still...WHAT WERE THEY GOING TO DO????

She shouldn't trust him. He would leave, they all left. And Ria usually liked it that way. She liked sexing random guys and then being able to leave in the morning. She never felt bad or anything. And they didn't either. They left, just as she did, and went on with their lives. So why did she find herself believing this total-stranger? He seemed... caring? Eh, at least the baby had that going for it.

The baby.

Dear God, she had almost forgotten. THE BABY. This caused her to cry even more, which was strange because Ria didn't usually cry. She didn't do things she didn't like, and didn't care about things that didn't benefit her. Because of this, Ria didn't have many things to cry about. And even if she did, she probably wouldn't.

Why did this guy hate her so much? The sex had been good, hadn't it? So why did he have to go and ruin her life?

"Whh--y, *sniff*, did you do this, *sniff* to meee?" she took a breath, trying to calm herself. It wasn't working so Ria reacted the only way she knew how. With anger. "I DIDN'T FUCKING DO ANYTHING TO YOU!"

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Last time he checked the sex had been CONSENSUAL. It took two to tango, after all.

"Please stop crying," Rowan said softly, increasingly surprised at his self-control. "I know this is partially my fault and I take partial responsibility. We both made a mistake and we both have to live with it. I know it's worse for you, but I'll do anything I can. I mean it."

She wanted to scream, she wanted to fight. IT JUST WASN'T FAIR. But she felt exhausted.

"I didn't do this, it has to be you! I've never gotten pregnant before, and I didn't do anything different this time. It must be your fault," she protested, tears still pouring from her eyes. He better fucking doing anything he can.

"Well I've never GOTTEN anyone pregnant before!" Rowan retorted. This raised an interesting question. He had made love plenty of times to girls he actually cared about, and none of them got pregnant. WHY did it have to be the random chick he hardly knew? Why?

"Whatever," she said, wiping water from her eyes, "what do you propose we do about this?"

Ria had no idea. She wasn't civilized in the least. Certainly not good material for a mother. Plus she didn't want this baby. Maybe they should kill it.

"Punch me in the stomach," she said, serious.

Rowan stared at her, horrified. "No!" he exclaimed. He understood that it was Ria's body and therefore her choice, there was no way in hell he was going to assist in the abortion in any way, shape or form.

But...he found himself really wanting her to keep it.

"Ria, please don't make such a rash decision. I can give you anything you need. Please reconsider."

"What the hell could you give me? You're just some trashy-drunk I met at a party. You probably don't have a dime to your name!" This guy was a joke. At least it would be easy to get rid of the problem. Why had she even freaked out in the first place? She was sure Avery would help her get rid of it, she'd just have to find him someplace...

Rowan frowned, but was granted the satisfaction of informing this girl just exactly who he was and what he could do.

"Ria, did I forget to mention I'm the Overloridian of Dian?" he asked her with a raised eyebrow.

Well, this certainly changed things.

"Really," Ria asked, her eyes lighting up, "It isn't often that I have sex with an Overloridian."

It was actually pretty cool.

"Um...okay," Rowan said slowly, a little confused. Did the fact that he was an Overloridian really make that big a different? Ria was suddenly completely calm. Happy, even. "Does that mean you want to go through with this?" he asked, just to be sure.

Rowan, are you sure YOU want to go through with this? Nym asked. This is huge. And you haven't been dealing with things very well lately.

I know...Nym, it's just... Rowan searched for words to explain. I mean, this is just until it's born...Then we'll put it up for adoption. I know this is huge, but...

Just as long as you're sure, Nym replied.

"Of course I want to go through with it. I mean, you want it alive don't you?" she asked, annoyed. Really, she could care less. As long as she was happy, who cares whether a new baby arrived or not.

"I'd need help though, you know. I don't really have anywhere to live..." Lay it on thick, Ria. If he want's this baby, he is going to have to earn it.

"You can stay with me," Rowan said quickly, ignoring Nym's protests (She's using you, Rowan!) "At least until I can find you an apartment. Does that sound okay?"

Nym groaned.

"Look, I promise I'll do anything for you," he promised her. Of course he added, "but only if you, in return, promise to do everything you can to ensure that the baby is born healthy."

"That sounds perfect," Ria chimed, "and of course I'll do anything to protect it. It's mine too, why wouldn't I?"

How hard could it be? She wouldn't need to scrounge for food anymore, she wouldn't have to do anything. Ria had finally struck the jackpot. And the only thing she had to do was relax. What could be better?

"So, I assume you live in Dian... how exactly am I supposed to get there?"

"I can take you," Rowan replied, as if that were the most obvious thing ever. Which it was. "Once you know where it is I'll tell the guards to always let you in."

He couldn't believe he was doing this. This was insane. He didn't know what he was thinking. But somehow it just felt right.

"Sounds like a plan," she replied, quietly. How had this all worked out? It was so strange... "This is so strange to me, I'm only seventeen. I'm not supposed to be doing this yet, you know?" She wondered absentmindedly how old he was, but didn't ask. It didn't really matter.

All that mattered was that soon, she would be living the good life.