~ The Wind Blows ~
The All-American Rejects

So this is my first fic ever. I've had the idea for a while but have never really gotten it written. This is sort of a prologue, so not everything is revealed. I hope you like it!

It had been two years since I had been here.

The ground was blanketed in ice crystals that glimmered in the sinking sun, throwing rainbows over the silent grounds of St. Vladmir's. It didn't look like it had changed much. I was the one who was changed – changed beyond what I could have ever expected, wanted, or hoped to be. Rose, the girl who had graduated here two and a half years ago, no longer existed.

I sighed, letting out a mouthful of frostbitten air that swirled around me, and rubbed the back of my neck, where my molnija and promise mark were tattooed across my skin. I hadn't had much use for them – I'd been on the run for two years and meeting a Strigoi, any Strigoi, meant death for me now.

But hopefully those days had passed – the school had promised me protection in return for me fulfilling my guardian duties to Lissa – she spent six months here, teaching spirit, and six months at Court, taking college classes and learning as much as she could about royal politics. Other than burst of emotion here or there, I hadn't seen my best friend, nor her boyfriend, since I left. But still I stalled outside, wondering how I would be received, how they had changed, how I would juggle my additional responsibilities.

"Mama?"

I smiled at the two-year-old boy tucked snugly into my arms. As always when I looked into his chocolate brown eyes and soft chestnut waves, I felt as though someone was stabbing my heart. Because despite the faint ring of maroon around the outside of my son's irises, he looked exactly like Dimitri used to in the pictures his family had shown me only a few months before his conception.

"Hmm?" I asked, running a hand through his soft, shining curls down to the delightfully chubby cheeks framing his angelic face.

"Cah we go 'side now? I's cold."

I chuckled at Chase's adorable attempt at correct grammar softly and hugged him tighter to me. We'd been in danger so many times, always running, hiding, escaping; I was glad to finally be able to give my son some stability. "Yeah, we can go inside now," I assured him and he wriggled excitedly in his footie pajamas, eyes trained on the glowing lights of the school.

My Uggs made crunching noises as I carried Chase through the snow, headed up towards entrance of the academy. Lissa was supposed to meet me, but I didn't know if the people at the gate had informed her of my arrival yet. The door was opened by a guardian I didn't recognize, and I stepped into the light and warmth, Chase humming happily in my arms, to be greeted by Kirova and Alberta.

"Miss Hathaway," Kirova said, with more respect than her voice used to carry. I juggled Chase to shake hands with her before turning to Alberta.

I shook hands with Alberta as well, although it was a much warmer handshake. She was the one who had advised me on how to stay safe, and her advice had proved golden for two years now. "How did it go?" she asked anxiously.

"It was tough," I sighed, "but we made it. I think that -"

I was interrupted by a screeching cry of "ROSE!" and before I knew it, Lissa had crashed into Chase and I and was effectively squeezing the air from our lungs. "Oh my God, I can't believe you're here! It's great to see you! And is this Chase? He's adorable, I can't believe how big he's gotten. You're looking a bit thin though, Rose, and those jeans are going to have to go …"

"It's nice to see you too, Lissa," I said, hugging her back tightly and squinting my eyes so the moisture wouldn't leak out. Lissa looked a little older, a little wiser, but mostly she glowed with happiness and contentment, despite the worry lines I could see etched in her brow. I knew those were mostly my fault.

"You squishin' me!" Chase protested, and Lissa released me, chuckling.

"Hey, Hathaway," a deeper, cooler voice said from my left, and I turned to see Christian approaching at a more relaxed pace than Lissa. I wasn't sure whether to hug him or shake his hand or what so he just ended up patting my shoulder awkwardly. I rolled my eyes at him and laughed, and he glared and joined in, and before long even Chase was laughing, although I could tell he didn't really know why.

My eyes sought out Adrian, albeit fruitlessly, and guilt curdled in my stomach as I pondered his absence. Sure, my having a child by another man spelled the end about as clearly as anything could, and Adrian had been amazingly gracious and supportive about it, but I knew he had felt relief at my absence. Still, guilt about Adrian couldn't erase the consuming ache in my chest that I felt for Dimitri – an ache that me and eventually my son would always feel, unless I could somehow piece together the clues I'd spent the last two years gathering.

"He's not here, Rose, I'm sorry," Lissa whispered. "I mean he's around here somewhere, but …"

"It's okay, Lis. I understand how he must feel," I assured her, stifling a yawn.

"Sorry, you must be exhausted! You and Chase can sleep in my room tonight, we have one of those portable cribs set up and everything. And …"

I sleepily let Lissa talk as we headed up to her room, unable to summon enough brain power to think of the momentous task before me. Chase's warm breath tickled my neck, and I felt relief that he was finally safe. The last two years would have still been utterly terrifying if it was just me by myself, but me with a swaddled baby, the most important being in my life, tucked against my shoulder as I tried to outsmart my enemies and find the knowledge vital to saving his father? Made for a hellish two years, that was all I could say.

Lissa's room – or rooms, really, more of a suite that anything – were tastefully furnished, the cream decorations obviously expensive but not flamboyantly so. There was an obviously masculine presence to the settings – Christian spent his days at the Academy teaching students how to combine magic with fighting, something that the ruling royals disapproved of but didn't outright oppose.

I sunk into a chair while Lissa poured water for me and chocolate milk for Chase, but he was much to far gone to drink it, although he would have gulped it down happily if he was awake. I drained both cups as I watched Lissa and Christian tenderly bid each other farewell, I felt a little guilty as Lissa's hand lingered on his chest – they obviously didn't want to part, but Christian wanted to give Lissa and I some time alone. Finally, they detangled themselves and Christian opened the door.

"Sweet dreams, Rose," he called sarcastically. I found comfort in the fact that some things never change.

"Have fun with your hand tonight," I called after him, and for that split second the old Rose had control of my body. Not guardian Rose, or mommy Rose, but the person I had been before.

Lissa rolled her eyes and settled herself into the chair across from mine, her jade eyes studying me closely. "So," she said finally.

"So," I repeated wearily.

"I don't even know where to begin, Rose. You got back from Russia or Siberia or wherever the hell you went, and graduation was coming up and you were worried about Dimitri … and then next thing I know you're pregnant, having a baby at eighteen and then on the run before I've even gotten to see my godson a second time."

"I'm sorry, Lis," I said softly. "I really am. But remember when we ran away, to keep you safe? I had to do the same thing for Chase."

"Maybe we should start at the beginning," Lissa suggested.

The beginning. I sighed and shifted Chase in my arms, letting his head rest against the soft arm of the chair. I saw Lissa had procured a portable crib, but I was too tired to get up at the moment, and besides, I wanted Chase in my arms as I told the story of how he came to be.

"When I came back to the Academy," I started slowly, "I was sure that I had killed Dimitri. I was ready to let him go – ok, I wasn't," I admitted when Lissa raised her eyebrows. "But I was trying, okay? Anyway, I got this letter saying he was after me …"

I kept the letter tucked deep in my jeans pocket as I headed to my next class. The emerald grounds of the school were calm, but I couldn't help scanning them for a hint of a lithe form, stretching my senses for a drop of nausea. Still, nothing.

I sighed, feeling I was going to drown in worry. It was inconvenient considering I was now going to be training with Alberta, and my mother when she was unavailable, but when your turned-evil boyfriend is after you, it's kind of hard to get interested in other things.

Adrian was still working on his proverbial letter, something I was sure would make me feel happy and guilty at the same time, and Lissa and Christian were still on the outs. Also, I had some catching up to do in order to graduate. I still wanted more than anything to be Lissa's guardian and I was determined to be the best, no matter the cost.

And then there was Dimitri. Beautiful, entrancing, Fallen Dimitri. The love of my life. If there was even just the slightest sliver of chance that I could cure him – set him free from the life he hated – I was going to do it. Needless to say, it was going to be an interesting semester. I just didn't quite know how interesting yet.

So that's the first chapter everyone! I hope you liked it and please give me some feedback and tell me if I should continue!