Another performance, another country. The guys and I have been to almost every country in the world. I say almost, because I refuse to do shows near court or , where I could see someone from my past. Sometimes, I wonder why we even started this band. But then torturous memories rear their ugly head and I remember why... him and those soul crushing words he said. They run through my head even when I want to forget. "Love fades, mine has."

If you had told me four years ago those simple words could cause so much pain... I would have put you in a mental house. However, had it not been for the devastating declaration I wouldn't be here now, we had been a band for about two years. We met on my way to Russia, and really, we instantly became friends. About a year after I ran, my new friends heard me singing, and now I was the 'leader' of our little group.

At the moment, we were on my jet. Yes, I have a private jet; did I forget to mention that? Well, when your dad is a rich ass mobster, who missed eighteen years of your life, and wants to make it up, you get pretty awesome presents. I have been living with my dad since I left and he was awesome.

Normally, I would pay attention to where we were going, but when they told me, I was thinking about my darkness training. My regular "training"... the guys think is for defense. It is, but in another way, then there is my darkness training. Honestly, it is a pain in the ass, but is very helpful. I can keep most people safe at any time now.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts, we are about to begin the descent." Came a voice over the PA system.

It's hard for me to absorb the fact that we are famous, I had to remember we were about to be mobbed. I always forget, and today was no different. As soon as the thought was in my head, it was gone again because the mob assault converged upon us, almost as soon as we were off the plane. Before we even arrived at our destination, I signed so many autographs I lost count, making my hand and wrist hurt.

I swear when you're in the public eye everyone knows what you're doing at all times. Whether you're eating, going to the bathroom, or even having sex. Not me of course, I have only been with one man and I wasn't ready to change that yet.

"So what are we waiting for? Let's get going so we can go back home!" Anxiety was already weighing on me and we had just got here.

"Rose we have to wait for our ride." Josh responded looking at his watch. "They should be here to pick us up any minute."

I sighed looking around. My body tensed up as I realized where we were. We were dangerously close to court, an hour, or two tops. Please... don't be going to court, I begged a god I wasn't even sure existed. Really, I was almost sure he didn't. After everything that happened, you would think I would get some freedom from the pain. Some real happiness, but no. The pain was always present. Always.

I decided at least to find out where we are going. All I knew was, we had a few gigs all lined up with the same people.

"So where are we going?" I asked once again looking at Josh.

He was the one I normally asked when it came to stuff like this. Most of the time, it would be a manager you would ask, but I didn't like her. I knew... I was jealous about how easy her life was. Either that... or I was annoyed how she flirted with everything that had a dick. That includes my father. Josh always knew what was going on. He set up the gigs and kept our schedules so we were never late for anything. Well, the guys weren't. I hadn't changed that much, I was still late for almost everything.

"I'm not exactly sure. I was told we would be picked up and dropped off here." He said, not really paying attention to me.

Just then, a black SUV showed up and he sighed in relief. Josh climbed in the front with Nick, Ben, Drew, and I all in the back. As we loaded the equipment, I noticed the trunks, the last time I saw trunks that big they belonged to a guardian. That should have been my first clue. Pulling out of the parking lot we were told the drive would take around an hour.

Uncomfortable small talk lingered, but quickly turned into the guys and I laughing and making jokes. Daniel Smith was our driver. Where had I heard that name before? I couldn't remember, but how much could it matter? He looked to be a few years older than I was. We were only driving for about fifteen minutes when I caught sight of something that made my heart almost stop. The marks of a guardian. Fuck was the whole world against me?

"Please let him be a personal Guardian." I whispered forgetting he could hear me. Damn dhampir senses. He shot me a look through the mirror saying that he heard me, but must have heard me wrong. I'll take that as a no then. I knew where we were going and I didn't like it.

"Guys I know where we are going." I said grimly, expecting a reaction, but what I wasn't expecting was the Guardian to slam on the brakes and pull off the road. He turned to stare at me. He blinked a few times and must have realized I was a dhampir, but by the way his eyes burned a hole through me, maybe not.

"Josh can we switch seats please?" I asked more polite with him than I've been in a long time. But I knew my voice was shaking. Hell... my body was shaking at the thought of going back to that place. He nodded knowing I was serious. No matter how calm I seemed to the guys... I was terrified. None of them knew my story, but if we were going back to that place I would have to tell them. That was not what I was looking forward to.

Guardian Smith was still staring at me as we switched seats. I knew that I would have to identify myself to get him to get moving. I showed him my marks and his eyes widened, but he nodded and started driving again.

"Name?" He asked me wanting to clarify who I was.

"Rose Hathaway" I told him. He glanced at me in surprise again. We were speaking so low that the others couldn't hear us.

"Janine's daughter? The one that ran away?" Was this the way all the reactions were going to be? If so, we might as well turn around now. I was about to reply when we were interrupted by Nick.

"Hey Rosie, why does that guy have the same tatt's as you, but you wouldn't let us get any?" He was getting angry at me for something that was out of my control.

"Hey Nicky, How many times do I have to tell you not to call me Rosie? Do I have to show you again? I swear you don't want kids do you Nicky?" I responded in a sugary voice. He was getting on my nerves. He started to glare at me.

"That's what I thought." I laughed, but turned serious once more when I turned back to Guardian Smith.

"Ya that's me." I said still too low for human hearing.

"Do they know?" He asked seriously.

"Do you think I'm that stupid?" I shot back. "If we are going to court I'm going to have to tell them. I don't want them to end up as snacks. Let me rephrase that, I'm not having my band members end up as snacks."

"I'll call it in." He took out his phone and I thought about how I was going to tell them. Not ten minutes later I had my answer. We were only a few minutes from court so I had to explain it fast.

"Guys... I have something to tell you and you probably won't believe me." I started hoping against all odds that they wouldn't pull out pick forks and torches.

"Rose. You have the weirdest ideas ever. We have believed in them all. Remember last year when you wanted to break into the bank just to prove how easy it was? We were drunk and they still didn't catch us!" Drew said while laughing. His personality was so much like Mason's that it made me cry sometimes due to the memories it brought up.

It was true we had broken into a bank. We were at a party playing drinking games for a few hours and after we were trying to walk back to our hotel. We passed a bank and decided what the hell and broke in. We messed up all of the offices and wrote on the walls. From what I could actually remember from that night –which isn't very much- I wrote something along the lines of 'TAKE THAT BITCHES! I WIN! – GUARDIAN HATHAWAY!' That was only one of the few times I have called myself Guardian Hathaway since I left.

"Well this is worse. I'm not human." They all burst out laughing.

"Nice one Hathaway." Ben laughed.

"I'm not fucking kidding! Don't interrupt me this time! I'm not human. I am half human and half vampire. I'm called a dhampir, a guardian; you might call me a souped-up bodyguard. You see there are good and bad vampires, we protect the good ones –Moroi- and kill the bad ones –Strigoi- that was my job. The tattoos are kill marks. That's why I never let you get them. Before you ask, yes I have killed before." As I explained I was wondering what they would think of me. They could tell I was serious, but would they believe me or think I was pranking them?

"So you are a murderer?" Josh asked carefully as if I would kill him in an instant.

"In some people's eyes... yes." Hopefully not in theirs. I was so nervous; I had never told anybody this stuff before. God, what were they thinking?

"I said I knew where we were going because I have been there. We are going to Court where the Queen lives. I call her Queen Bitch, but don't tell her that. I just really don't like her." Shaking my head, I realized I was getting off topic here and I didn't have time to go down memory lane with Queen Bitch!

"Anyway... back at –My old school- I fell in love with my mentor. We had finally given into our love for the first time when the same night our school was attacked by Strigoi. We won that battle, but many of our fighters died or were taken. We staged a rescue mission and he was turned." I underestimated how much this story would affect me. My heart was pounding in my throat as I tried to swallow down the lump that had formed there.

"A week later, on my 18th birthday, I dropped out of school and hunted him down. He captured me and did some horrible things, but I forgave him immediately." Truthfully, I had forgiven him, but sadly, I could never forget the pain of living through such torture, only to end up not getting the love of my life back.

"I escaped and Lissa –My best friend- and I found a way to save him. He got turned back, but hated me." I could feel the tears pooling in my eyes even though I was desperately trying to hold them back.

"The reason... I left that life ...was he broke me with his next few words. These words still echo in my head all the time." Barely containing my composure, I could hardly bring myself to say the soul crushing words aloud.

"Love fades. Mine has."

"Less than thirty minutes later I was on a plane to Russia and you guys know the rest." Tears were dripping down my face as I finished my tale as fast as I could, hoping they would understand.

"What a douche bag! When I get my hands on him I'm gonna kill him." Drew shouted out. I knew then that they were on my side. I guess he thought he could actually hurt him, but I knew better, Drew would only end up hurt or killed.

We arrived and went through all the needed checks. You would think that we wouldn't have to be checked, due to Strigoi not being able to cross the wards, but whatever.

"No please don't. You will only end up hurt." I pleaded. I couldn't have anyone injured. They would have to stop me from hurting him myself. They reluctantly agreed to leave him alone. We were shown to our rooms and were allowed to relax before our show. We were going to meet the queen tomorrow. Or they were, I was going to try not to beat the shit out of Queen Bitch. I sat down on the bed trying to relax for a few minutes and ended up falling asleep.

XXXXXX

I woke up with only thirty minutes before the show. English and Turkish expletives were coming out of my mouth every couple of words. I rushed around the room and was ready in only fifteen minutes! A new personal record! I made it to the stage with ten minutes to spare and decided to talk to the guys to find out what I'm going to be singing. I got so many looks it was making me nervous. The people I didn't know, but knew me. I decided just to pay attention to what the guys were saying rather than the gossip around me. Ugh! Why did I come to Court again?

MANY THANKS TO DPOWER FOR BEING MY BETA! HOW AM I DOING GUYS? SHOULD I CONTINUE IT?