Static from Axels walkie talkie hummed throughout the room and he rolled his eyes, unhooking it from his belt and holding it by his lips.

"Come in Red dog, this is your commander. Is the girl ready?" His eyes floated to mine, almost translucent like the sap on the bark of a tree.

"Trust me, okay?" I nodded but I felt terrified.

"Sir, we seem to share a difference of opinions with Miss Williams. She would very much like to proceed with her situation."

"Wow." I muttered once he took his thumb off the speaking button. "God, I thought you were this strong, brave man but you're really just going to sit back and let me take the heat for not wanting to abort our baby."

"Trust me." He told me softly, holding such surety in his eyes. "I got this, I'm not going to let anything happen to you or our baby."

"Bring her in red dog, I'd like to speak with her."

"On our way Sir."

The commander was pacing his office floor with his door wide open, expecting us. He demanded we close the door and take a seat. He halted his footsteps and peered directly into my soul, burning whatever was left of my innocence.

"So you've changed your mind? Enlighten me, how do you see that working out in your child's favour?" His tone was sharp and destructive.

"Well, first of all... he or she would be alive." I bit back, finding the sharpness of my own tongue.

"Harper." Axel interrupted, not appreciating my snarky tone. The commander raised his brows and peered at Axel.

"Harper?" He questioned. "Do you address all of the recruits with such informalities Lieutenant?"

"No sir." Axel answered respectfully, there was a pause before he continued talking, dropping the bombshell. "Only the ones I impregnate, Sir."

My mouth dropped open and my attention gravitated towards Axel who kept his eye contact locked on his father, unwavering and strong.

"What?" The harsh tone dropped from the commanders voice, replaced with one of higher pitch expressing his shock.

"I must confess Sir, Harper and I have been involved intimately and she is baring my child. Your grandchild Sir."

Silence fell upon the room, slowly I turned towards the commander, wanting to gauge his reaction. He just stared at his son blankly. Comprehending.

The exchange was so formal, like two strangers.

The commander finally shook his head and chuckled darkly to himself, unamused. "You fool." Axel stiffened, bracing himself for more of his fathers abuse and bullying.

"I don't believe even you are that stupid."

He looked down at me with disgrace, like he had just found out that his son had slept with a prostitute and got her pregnant.

"No, not the man I raised." He stood up dismissing the claims instantly. "Enough of this, take her back to quarantine. We're done here, for now."

"The baby is mine Sir and is very much wanted, by us both." The commander banged his fists down on the table in frustration and I flinched.

"How could you let his happen Axel? How could you bring shame upon me like this? You impregnate one of the criminals! Do you know what you've done? Do you know what you're risking by not getting rid of that thing?" He pointed at my stomach. "You! The Lieutenant, my son! You'll go to jail for this. They'll shut this whole establishment down. This is serious."

"I know, I understand Sir." Axel cast his eyes downwards.

"You seduced him." The commander pointed a finger in my face. "This is your fault."

"No, I initiated it." Axel defended.

The commander sunk down into his chair and squeezed the bridge of his nose. "Say no more Axel, not until we're talking privately. This is going to reflect really poorly on us. I knew you were incompetent but this has even surpassed my expectations of your failure. You should never have took the Lieutenant job, you were always one of them."

"That's not true!" I defended, standing out of my seat. "He's an amazing Lieutenant. He's actually too good. He manages all of the generals, all of the recruits, I see the pressure he's under to make sure they're up to your standards. He dishes punishments, he's professional—"

"Yes, real professional knocking up some whore!"

"Don't call her that!" Axel clenched his fists by his sides and I grabbed his arm, giving his bicep a little squeeze to let him know I was okay.

"This might not have happened if you were a real father to him, put his best interests at heart instead of locking him away and forcing him to live like he had already done wrong in your eyes. You submitted him to a lifetime of loneliness. He had no companions, no friends and no father to lean on. Axel has been alone his whole life so forgive him for finally seeking out some intimacy."

The commander arched a brow at me.

"You won't force her to kill that thing, how brainless of you Axel. Completely inefficient in every aspect of your life. Do you really think you can be a father?"

I could see the doubts rolling into his face, seeping through his whole belief system. I grabbed his hand, "don't listen to him Axel."

"I'm disappointed in you Axel. You really want your legacy to be part criminal? Look at the person you have chosen to mother your child. How do you know she's not lying?

How do you know she's not sleeping with every recruit and officer that will drop their pants for her? Wake up stupid boy, they're criminals. They lie. They cheat. They sleep around. You simply cannot trust any thing she says or does."

"Stop." Axel worded dangerously.

"Your mother was the same. Couldn't trust a word that came out of her whorish mouth either. I was foolish to knock her up. Young and foolish. I was a general, you're a Lieutenant. You should've have known better. Don't make my mistakes son, force her to get the abortion."

Axel looked at me, holding my gaze with deep emotion in his eyes. Silently communicating something with me that I didn't understand. He turned back to his father.

"You're right." He spoke to the commander.

I sucked in a breath and held it.

"I don't know if the baby is mine but Harper tells me that she's only slept with two people. I'm one of them."

"What are you—" I tried to ask but he cut me off.

"You're the other."

The commander laughed and shook his head but Axel sat straight and serious.

"That's absurd." His father sounded panicked and I was confused.

"My thoughts exactly Sir. Once the baby arrives, the DNA test will likely be inconclusive because you and I are very similarly matched in DNA. So, which one of us is likely to get longer jail time?"

"I've never slept with her, I never would."

"Harper, you slept with my dad, right?"

I smiled. "I distinctly remember how similar you two are, how you both grab—"

"That's too much." Axel stopped me and I pressed my lips closed. The commander sighed, looking defeated.

"What do you want Axel?" He asked stubbornly.

"She's to live with me, in my living quarters with access to the best medical care. She lives out her remaining sentence here without any risk of being sent away. We keep the pregnancy a secret for as long as possible from as many people as possible and we tell the recruits that's she's gone."

"You'll keep her locked in your quarters?" The commander looked amused by this.

Axel side glanced at me, wanting to gauge my reaction. "Not locked, just careful."

"And when the child is born?"

"When the child is born we shall raise him or her here until Harper has finished her sentence then I'm leaving."

"Leaving?" Both his father and I asked at the same time.

"Yes. I'm leaving the military. The child will be turning two by the time Harpers sentence is complete. I never wanted to raise a child here to point of not even wanting children. At two, my son or daughter would just be starting to become social. I'd rather encourage that than scream at people all day to march."

"The money Axel." The commander clearly didn't like his sons choice.

"I have a small fortune. I've worked practically my whole life and spent basically none of it. Two years Sir and I'm out. I never want to hear from you again."

"You're making a big mistake son. Starting a life with her, a family. She's a criminal."

"And yet she's shown me more compassion than my actual do-gooder father. Let's go Harper."