Summary: There are surprises around every corner. Takes place during Shadow Kissed. The attack on the school never happened, but Rose and Dimitri have already slept together.

~ Chapter 1 – Fear ~

I looked up into his chocolate brown eyes and feelings of contentment and love swept over me. I was truly happy for the first time in who knows how long. It's been two weeks since we gave into our love in the cabin and while Dimitri refuses to sleep with me again until after graduation, he doesn't completely limit our physical contact. I lifted my head, and his lips met mine half-way. I could feel him losing himself in the kiss and I pressed my advantage. I unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt. I could feel his hand spreading up my stomach, then he froze and pulled away.

"Two months Roza. That's not that long," Dimitri reminded me.

"Feels like forever," I muttered under my breath. I leaned up to kiss him again. I wasn't trying to get anything special out of the kiss, I knew that he had regained his senses and there was no chance of me cracking his control again. This kiss was a 'just because' kiss.

Our lips touched briefly, but then Dimitri pulled away and chuckled lightly. "I have work and you have class. We need to go," he reminded me gently. For all of his words, I could see that it was just as hard for him to stop as it was for me.

I sighed. I hated when he was right, which sucked because he usually was right. He pulled me close to him, getting in one final kiss before we returned to our student-mentor roles. Our arrangement kind of sucked, but at the same time, it doesn't. Not at all. Dimitri told me his original plan was to stay away from me until after graduation. We had tried that for a couple of days, but it ended up creating a sexual tension between us that was not only obvious to us, but we were afraid it would be obvious to other students or guardians. He suggested we try to avoid each other after that, which I immediately shot down. Given the fact that he was my mentor we really couldn't avoid each other. So we have resorted to sneaking out to the cabin twice a week. Even though we aren't having sex, spending the night wrapped in his arms was amazing. It wasn't enough, but it was something.

We walked out of the cabin, taking advantage of the trees as we held hands. He squeezed my hand and then he walked off in the opposite direction of me. I knew he was heading to the guardian's office. I headed off toward the novices' dorms. I sighed happily as I remembered our night together. There was nothing particularly spectacular about it, it was just like the other nights I had spent with him, but for some reason I was more euphoric that I had been previously. I headed off to my first class, barely aware of the people passing around me.

Hours later, I went back to my dorm and collapsed onto my bed. I was tired all of the time. I blamed it on the extra training I was doing to prepare for trials. Aside from field experience, which I was still on half time for, the trials were the most important thing to a novice.

The score meant everything. Especially with everyone thinking I was crazy for seeing ghosts, if I didn't get a high score, I would never be able to guard Lissa. The queen wouldn't allow someone that she believed was crazy AND incompetent to guard her. I knew that I could protect her, I just had to prove to everyone else that I could.

I wasn't aware of falling asleep. My dreams were strange and terrifying that night. I was almost grateful when something pulled me from my sleep. I was grateful until I felt the terror through the bond.

I tried to sort through the wild emotions that were overwhelming me. No matter what I tried, I was unable to figure out what was going on. Lissa's emotions were all over the place. I quickly got dressed and put on shoes. I couldn't tell what was wrong, but I knew Lissa needed me. That was all I really needed to know. Normally, I would have just gone over to Lissa's dorm and barged in there, but it was noon in the human world, which meant it was the middle of the night for Moroi. I ran up to Dimitri's room, knocking lightly on his door.

He opened his door, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He was standing there shirtless, only wearing pajama pants, much like he had been the last time I had to ask for his help – when Viktor put us under a lust spell. When he saw it was me, love and confusion lit up his features. "Rose, what's wrong?" He asked me. He knew I would not be here if it were not necessary.

I admired his bare chest for another moment before answering, "I need you to get me into the Moroi dorm, something's wrong with Lissa."

He was up in seconds, pulling on a shirt. He led the way to the Moroi dorms. We weren't asked many questions and when we were, Dimitri was able to provide an answer that wouldn't arouse suspicion. I didn't pay much attention, part of my mind was still with Lissa. I sensed in the bond that Lissa was in the bathroom. With a quick look from me, he knew I wanted him to stay out in the hallway while I entered the bathroom.

Please don't let her have cut herself again, please! I begged in my head.

"Liss?" I called out quietly.

"Over here," she called to me.

I found her sitting in the stall, tears had fallen down her cheek. She didn't look surprised to see me and I almost wondered if she had intentionally called out to me through the bond.

"Liss what's wrong?" I asked her concerned.

She held out her hand to me, a loud sob tearing out of her.

For the first time, I realized she was holding something. She handed it to me. That's not what I was expecting.