Rose P.O.V.

Blankess.

Complete and utter darkness.

That's all I encountered when i slept. yes I knew that I was asleep, Lissa and Christian had had their fun together earlier and of course I was pulled into her head. Ergo, I was exhausted. But then I felt images beginning to form in my head. Goddamnit Adrian! I was in the garden and leaning against a statue was Adrian Ivashkov. I looked down and I was wearing all black.

"Well this certainly is a change in outfit, Adrian." I chuckled sarcastically.

"Rose." His face was sombre as he said my name, and I didn't like how he said it, almost pityingly.

"What's up Adrian? Your normally trying to kiss me by now." I wondered why he was acting so weird.

"I had to talk to you Rose, try and warn you."

"Warn me about what?" I asked, then I heard a knocking sound.

"That. Listen Rose, you need to be prepared. That's Belikov at your door and it's bad."

"What?" Dimitri?My soul soared at the thought of his name.

"Look Rose I--shit!" Adrian murmured and I awoke roughly.

I fell onto the floor as I woke up, I hurried to the door and opened it, seeing Dimitri. Well Adrian was right about one thing, this doesn't bode well.

"Dimitri!" I cried in surprise.

"Roza." My name rolled off of his lips as Russian graced his nickname for me. I couldn't help but wonder what brought him to me with his demeanor as it was. "It's Lissa."

"God! What happened? Is she okay?"

"Perhaps you should come with me." Even as Guardian Belikov he never acted like this.

"Alright." I said as I allowed him to escort me to Lissa's room, I saw Alberta and knew that something wa wrong. Then I saw Lissa, lying in a pool of her own blood. "No...no..." I whispered over and over again as I dropped to the floor beside of her and started to sob.

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Dimitri P.O.V.

I took her to Lissa's room hesitantly, I did not want her to see this, but she had to; better to see it now than hear viscious rumors of it later. When she saw Lissa she began to cry and yell 'No.' My heart broke at seeing her like that. Seh looked completely broken and lost.

"Rose." I whispered, my voice was very worried.

"No!!" She screamed and it broke my heart.

"Roza...come on." I knelt down by her and enveloped her in my arms. She shook and sobbed like her heart was being torn out and in some way it was. I shushed her gently and murmured softly in Russian. I knew that she wouldn't understand anything I was saying, but at the same time I knew that it would help to calm her. "Let's go Roza." I whispered and picked up her tiny frame into my arms. She said nothing, merely clung to me for all she was worth. I walked out of the room and stopped by Alberta.

"Belikov, take her away, calm her down, we'll come for you when we need you." Her voice was hushed and she looked sadly at my broken little Roza. I nodded my head and took Rose to my room. I tried to lay her in my bed but she became frantic and clung to me. "Rose, Rose, it's alright. I'm right here."

"Don't leave me. Please...Dimitri. Don't leave me." Rose sounded completely desperate, scared out of her mind, and that terrified me.

"Roza, I"m not going anywhere, but you need to sleep." I whispered and she started to calm down. She allowed me to lay her in the bed but didn't let go of my hand. I held hers gently until it became limp and she let go. I couldn't help but smile at it. She slept for three hours before she awoke again, she shot up out the bed and went to get up. I laid my hand on her chest, forgetting the feelings it stirred in me, and pressed her back to the bed. Her breathing was bordering on panting. "Roza, yo need to calm down." I whispered softly and watched her recognize me and calm down. She untensed and laid back, and although it didn't need to be anymore, my hand remained on her chest. "Bad dream?"

"Yeah." She whispered, almost breathless.

"Rose, I talked to Kirova, she said that you could be excused from classes this week."

"No." She whispered softly and I did a double-take.

"What?"

"I dont' want to stay cooped up all day. It'll just make me think about it even more." She averted her eyes and looked down at the sheet. This displeased me greatly. I lifted her chin up so she would look at me.

"Roza, you don't have to go through this alone, you have so many people that love you, don't push them away."

"Like you?" Her eyes gleamed hopeful and I let a small smile grace my face.

"Yes, like me." I pressed my lips to her forehead, fighting back the feelings that it stirred deep inside of me.

"I love you, too." She whispered and my smile grew. "I'd also like to continue with my practice sessions." ANd jus tlike that my smile fell.

"What?"

"I wish to continue our trainning. Vigilence is more important now that ever." Rose was so serious, so calm, that it worried me.

"Rose, you don't have to do this, especially not now."

"I see no time like the present. It was a Strigoi attack, was it not?"

"Yes, but--"

"If they have found soem way of getting around the wards we are in serious trouble!" Rose yelled, she sounded more like her fiery personality by the second.

"But you dont have to continously train. Everyone will understand if you want to take a break." I couldn't understand where this sudden need had come from.

"But I don't Dimitri, I don't." She pushed passed my hand and sat up. "Fighting is what I'm good at Dimitri, the only thing I'm good at. Through fighting and through you I find solace. I understand things I normaly wouldn't be able to. I'll see you for our first session later." Roza got up and walked out of my room. I watched my girl leave and couldn't hlep but marvel at the strength my Roza had.

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Rose P.O.V.

I walked away from Dimitri into the cold night air, classes were in full swing but I was not participating today. The rush of cold air hit me harshly, making me shiver. I wa sonly in boy cut shorts and a blank and red layered tank top. I took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh.

"Little Dhampir." The scent of cloaves let know exactly who it was.

"Adrian." I smiled a little despite myself.

"How are you?"

"Good." I said, I could feel Adrian right behind me and I was amazed at him. "What, no quip about my outfit today Adrian?" I teased.

"Rose." He said as he grabbed my arma nd turned me towards him. "You can't just act all Hathaway. I know your in pain." His eyes were concerned as he looked into mine.

"Adrian...don't..." I whispered softly. "Just don't." My eyes closed.

"Why not Rose? You need to talk about this." His grip tightened on my arm.

"Because I can't. Not Lissa."

"Lissa is dead Rose." Adrian said seriously and my eyes snapped open.

"No."

"Yes Rose, you have to deal with this." His gaze was hard and intense on me but the sincerity in his intentions were clear. He wanted to help me and this was the way he knew how.

"Don't talk about her like that!" I yelled as I pushed Adrian.

"Rose it's reality, one you ahve to deal with." He stepped closer to me.

"No!" My voice sounded muffled, like it was coming from far away.

"Little Dhampir..." Adrian said softly as he placed a hand on my cheek. "If only you could see your aura. Surrounded in complete darkness. But that intense blue that's spiking the edges of it. The silent suffering and intese desire. It's truly heartbreaking to see." Adrian said with fervor and I was shocked, he was never this way with me.

"Adrian, I can't do this, I cannot deal in this way." I told him seriously, tears were threatening my eyes, and he placed his hands on both my arms.

"You have to Rose, the normal Hathaway repression method won't work this time. You'll have a nervous breakdown first." He looked pointedly in my eyes.

"Adrian, you don't understand, I have to be the strong one. I'm the hope for others that everything can be right again. They need to see me that way and I have to be that way for them."

"Silly Little Dhampir, perpetually thinking about others before yourself. Will you not allow yourself a moment of weakness?"

"With you? Never." I whispered.

"Why?" He was curious.

"Because I've no clue what would happen."

"And your afraid of the uknown."

"Yes." I conceeded this to him.

"Why?"

"What is with you and asking why?" He was beginning to annoy me.

"Would you rather me tell you why?"

"Am I going to get away without you telling me?" I asked exasperated.

"No." He smiled devillishly at me.

"Fine then, whhy don't I like the unknown, all might Ivashkov?"

"Because you like being in control and if you go into the unknown, all control disappears. That postively terrifies you." Adrian chuckled and placed his hands on my hips.

"I gotta get going." I said as I left I thought i heard him call after me softly.

"Tread carefully, little Dhampir, I'll be watching over you." But Adrain would not have said that..it was just the days events.

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Hey guys...let me know what you think of the first chapter!

~Death~