A/N. I'm just saying that even if this doesn't seem to be about VA it is. Umm please review and I'm working on the first chapter now. Reviews are a good remedy for no chapter, *hint hint*. Thanks, Mel xxx

Sometimes I love my life. I love my adopted parents, their crazy friends and wacky world. I love the fact that their not like my real parents, who gave the responsibility of an adult but never let me choose my own life. My adoptive parents let me do, really, whatever I want, since they're only around half the time. To be honest their more like siblings than parents, but maybe that's why it's better, they don't remind me of my old parents at all. I don't like thinking of them at all.

But like every tapestry there's an underside, mine story as well as everyone else's has a dark side. I guess because I'm happier than most, the underside is worse I'm surrounded by love and protection, but outside all that, there are people who want me dead, people who have hurt me and want to hurt me more. But I guess that's what life is, letting the good in your life overcome the bad in it.

I guess I should start from the beginning, I wasn't a happy child. I'm the type of person, that if you say I should do something, I will do the complete opposite, but if you leave me I'll do t happily. My real parents never got that, the thought pushing me would work one day, but it never did. I'd do the thinks they asked but vowed that the day I turned eighteen I'd have nothing more to do with them. I don't think they ever even guess that though, I think they thought I just needing persuading sometimes.

Then, about a year ago, I had my chance, my chance to break away form that. I don't remember much of what happened, according to my therapist I should block out as much of it as I can, a person my age shouldn't have had to see that, but I did. One night, they came. They had chalky white skin and red eyes that seemed to glow in the moonlight. I remember that I was wrapping presents, that I was looking forward to Christmas. Then they came.

A few of them broke into the living room where we were, but others broke in through the various doors and windows around. I remember thinking that this was a dream; I don't think I would have moved even if I knew it wasn't a dream. I remembered seeing them stalk up to my mum, who was frozen in shock just like my dad and I. I remember the sickening noise her neck made as it broke; I remember seeing her eyes that I'd seen display so many emotions, go blank. Then I remember the sounds that have haunted me ever since, the sound of one of the biting down on her neck, and sucking all the blood out. I remember her falling down, and not getting back up. Her always rosy skin was the death pallor that the other people had. It scared me. It felt like barely seconds later my dad was just like that too, on the floor, dead.

They were coming for me next, I knew that. I had never re3ally thought about dying, I'd seen it in TV shows, I've known people who've died. But I never thought I'd die just yet. I wanted to scream, tell them I had a life to live, exams to pass, a true love to find, but I couldn't move my lips. I held my breath waiting for death to come, I closed my eyes.

But it never came, I was alive. I opened my eyes. There were other people there too, they looked more human, none of them had the same deathly colour as the ones before. I also noticed another thing; they were killing the white ones. I didn't know if I believed the whole my enemy's enemy is my friend, but I was safe for now. I just hoped they weren't going to kill me after they'd finished.

After they'd finished, they started to clear up my parent bodies. I knew one of them would notice me, curled up in the corner, before long. The one that found me was, even though he was way older than me, very good looking. He had tanned skin; brown eye's and brown hair. He smiled a smile and helped me to get up from where I was. He seemed nice, and started to call for them to get me a blanket or something. I couldn't really concentrate. He kept one arm around me. He sat me down on the sofa. I couldn't stop shaking and trembling after what I'd seen, I could tell he was trying to calm me down. I had no idea what was happening to me. I was so scared.

I remember him telling me it's going to be alright, he said I'll be fine. But how could I? I had no where to go? Where would I go?

I have no idea, even now how long it took for the people to clean up the house, make it look more like I remembered it. They'd picked up all the bits of glass and wood, tried to clean up all the rogue bit's of furniture that the other people had moved. The man stayed with me all that time. I was still so scared.

He had a quick talk with another person, and started to stand up, bringing me up with him. I can't remember whether I could speak then, or whether I just squealed, but I remember him telling me, in deep voice "Don't worry, we'll look after you."

Then before I knew it, I'd started my new life. I was no longer the plain, bookie girl I'd been all my life. I was no longer the girl who was in the crowd. I was now the survivor of a Strigoi attack, that's who the white people were. I was no longer Katie Steadman, the geek; I was now Phoenix Belikova, Strigoi-Survivor. I liked that sound of that.

Oh, if you want to know, the guy who'd helped me was called Dimitri, Dimitri Belikov. He's the best of the very best of the guardians, that's what the normal people were, and he's currently guarding the queen's boyfriend. He's also my official guardian in the adopted dad sense. He's funny, clever and a brilliant dad, as well as someone who can kick ass at half a seconds notice. In some ways he and my adopted mum are like male and female versions of each other. But then again, she's a lot more relaxed in some ways, such as when I failed Physics for the fourth time in a row. She's called Rose Hathaway, and she actually guards the Queen herself.

They're the best parents I could ever wish for, they also have good friends, and one's that don't mind hanging around with a human, because, well because they're all vampires. Or half vampires. Lissa, the queen, and Christian her boyfriend, are both vampires, and so are all the royals. Half vampires or dhampirs as they're more commonly known, are most guardians or stay at home to look after they're children. Most women do that, bring up children, but there are some like Rose and her mother who decided to be a guardian along with the boys.

So all that's my world, vampires, dhampirs and Court, now. I don't think if I had the choice I'd have it any other way really, even if it meant I wasn't constantly afraid of Strigoi coming to get me, let alone the people actually in the Court.

No, that wasn't a typo. There are people, in Court, who do want to hurt me. Adrian Ivashkov tops the list. In my defence I've never done anything to Adrian. Rose did. I guess I shouldn't point fingers because who ever it is to blame it wouldn't change anything he still would hate me. He's never actually done anything really bad. Just a few bruises here and there and one black eye. Rose was furious, Dimitri not so much.

He does care about me; it's just he kind of stole Rose away from Adrian a few weeks before I came along. He felt bad about it, but he and Rose were meant to be together, anyone with one eye can see that, everyone except Adrian I guess.

So that's the underside. But it's worth it. Anything would be. I don't mind all the tears and threats and bruises and falls because there's someone there to wipe away the tears, protect me just in case those threats are true and treat all the bruises I had. As long as I people who loved me I could do anything. I guess that's the strength of the Moroi and guardians, there's always someone there for you.

So in summary, I watched my real parents being murdered, I was adopted by the people who helped me recover, I had to change completely and now I live in the vampire courts and hang around with the Queen and her posse. Oh, and I'm also in training to be a guardians, odds are I'll actually have one but just in case. I'm also turning fifteen next summer so than put's me in my freshman year. Hey, no one said high school was easy.