Hello, FanFiction readers, and welcome to a new story!

Before reading, please note that this story begins in the court scene in Last Sacrifice.

Chapter One: Jealousy is a Bitch

I have never been one to claim that the life that I lead is always a pleasant one, but this is not what I had in mind, by any stretch of the imagination.

"So you just had to, didn't you?"

That voice brought me out my reverie. Tasha.

"You just had to take everything, didn't you? An Ivashkov lord wasn't enough for you? Plus your blessed little spirit princess. And according to all your precious friends, you might as well be a goddess. And yet, here you stand, wanting more. You had to take my Dimitri, too."

A wave of apprehension and confusion went through the crowd. Clearly Hans hadn't gone rambling off about my secret love life. A love life that would soon be great royal gossip. Lovely.

Dimitri was looking disgusted, staring at who used to be his dear friend. "You made your choices, I didn't kill someone out of complete jealousy. You set up my love to take the fall, just to get her out of the picture."

Never had I seen a woman so broken. Well, if you don't count the way I looked when Dimitri was a Strogoi. "Dimitri . . . you - you can't mean that - " Her eyes turned to me, and that sadness turned into complete and utter fury, with an edge of complete madness.

Her head tilted a little, adding onto the mad appearance. "Alright, Dimka, let's put your so called 'star-crossed love' to the test." As she pushed her way through the crowd, the royals moved out of her way out of fear, thus blocking the guardians from slowing her down. "You love your precious little Rose now, but will you still if she looks a little . . . wilted?"

A fire ball appeared in her hand, and her eyes burned as she stared me down. "You took my everything. My reason for living. And you deserve to pay."

Before I even knew what was happening, I was being pushed to the ground and was covered with another - much larger - body. A deep hiss of pain erupted from that body, followed by a long string of what I could guess was Russian swear words.

"Dimitri? Are you okay?" He moaned and slid past me and lay on his stomach beside me. That's when I saw the damage that had been done. "Oh, Dimitri . . ."

His entire back looked like someone went at it with a flame-thrower. In reality, that wasn't far from the truth. His skin was bright red and wrinkled up giving out its own silent cry of agony.

I looked up to Dimitri's face, brushing his hair out of his face. It was contorted in pain, but it eased slightly when he looked up at me.

A cry made me look up from my love's face. Tasha was being held down, her face covered in a look of complete disbelief, as if she was shocked that Dimitri would risk his life for mine.

Before I knew it, the entire hall had been emptied out of almost everyone. Only Hans, my family and a few extra guardians were left. Even the candidates had fled, except for Lissa. Christian stood beside her, a look of worry on his face as he stared down at Dimitri. He gave Lissa a nudge and shuffled her closer to his body.

"Roza?" His voice was weak, but loud enough to pick up with my strong hearing. "Are you okay? Did she get you?"

I stared at him in astonishment. "Did she get me? That's all you can say? She nearly scorches your skin completely off your body and your making sure I'm okay?" Tears were starting to well in my eyes. How could I have been so lucky to get this man?

I looked up at Lissa with a plea in my eyes. Without a word, she bent down on the other side of Dimitri and gently touched the burnt skin. Under her fingers, the skin began to heal and recuperate, until all that remained from Tasha's vicious attack was a light pink scar that stretched from his right shoulder down to his left hip.

I kissed it gently. "The question that should be asked is if you are okay. Are you? And don't lie to me." I tried to sound stern, but the tears in my eyes were making that very difficult.

Dimitri lifted his upper body off the floor and quickly pulled me to him. And that was when I broke down. Completely shattered into a million pieces. All this pent up energy needed a way to get out. And get out it did.

I had been so close to losing him so many times. When Tasha asked him to leave and guard her. When the strogoi attacked the academy. When he had convinced himself he was unworthy of any sort of love, especially from me. And now this. My mind had just reached its breaking point and the tears were forced out of my body in wrenching sobs. Adding my possible impending death, trying to find Lissa's lost sibling and killing Victor, I really should have been expecting this kind of a bomb to go off. Not fueled by spirit's madness, for once, but just my own emotions going into overload.

"Roza, it's okay now. We're safe now. Everything is going to be fine." Dimitri was slowly rocking me, hugging me close to his chest, so I could hide my tears from the rest of the world.

"Miss Hathaway?" I guess not everyone had left after all. The judge from my hearing knelt in front of me and Dimitri. She continued, "I think this goes without saying, but like most things in law, it must be said anyway." She smiled kindly at me. "Mi-Guardian Hathaway, you are hereby free of your charges and deemed innocent." She turned to Dimitri. "And if anyone ever questions your dhampir status again, you send them to me." She stood. "Anyone who shows that kind of courage to save the one they love is most certainly not strogoi." She winked. "I suggest you keep her around, young man, this one is a fighter, and being a damsel in distress in overrated. The world needs people like Guardian Hathaway. Strong, independent, and not afraid to prove people wrong." She turned back to me. "You are very fortunate to have such a strong man at your side. If what I've just seen is anything to go by, you two have already gone through very hard times. Now is the time for celebration, now that this war is finally over."

And without another word, she turned around and walked out the door.

"Well," Christian said, "That was quite the speech."

Dimitri's chest rumbled as he spoke. "It certainly was. And I intend to adhere to every word."

And with that, I became lost in his world with cherishing and loving kisses.

"Ahem . . ." A voice brought me out of my blissful state of joy. "Hmm . . ."

Hans looked far from impressed, but I could see quiet amusement in his eyes. "I'm sure the two of you would love to spend the rest of the day sitting here sucking each other's faces off, but would you be so kind as to take it somewhere I don't have to see it."

"I think we can all agree with that statement." That voice made the blush that had come to my face fade. Adrian.

He walked up and stared down at us, then turned to stare directly at Dimitri. "You ever, ever hurt her again, you'll have me to answer to, understood?"

Never in my life did I think Dimitri would look scared in front of a half-crazed, usually drunk moroi, but I suppose stranger things had happened. You know, today.

"Never again, Adrian. I promise."

He nodded, straightened up and walked away.

I sat on my couch, cuddled close to Dimitri. He sighed, full of contentment, just like I was. Finally, peace and quiet.

Though I really should have known that this wouldn't last that long.

Lissa burst through my apartment's front door, bringing in our little misfit gang with her, with my parents tagging along at the end.

I sighed. "You would think we would have earned a little peace and quiet, but apparently not."

Dimitri raised one of his eyebrows at me. "What did you expect, Roza, this is your family," he leaned closer to me and whispered the rest, "our family."

"Come on, Rose. We're going out for dinner." Lissa was practically bouncing with excitement.

"Now? Do we have to go?" I looked to Dimitri, hoping that he would stand up for me and let us stay here, in our lovely quiet space. But instead, he nudged me up and towards my room. "Come on, Rose, you have earned some fun."

"I thought I was having fun," I muttered to myself, and went off, defeated, to get dressed.

Hope you enjoyed the first chapter.

More to come. Until then, please review!