Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns Vampire Academy

A/N: Sorry this took me a while to get out, but I hope you enjoy. Wanted to get this out quickly for ya'll, so apologize for any typos. Please review and let me know what you think!


"Adrian!"

The Queen paused in the middle of the chaos that was Court at the sight of their dear friend rushing past with a duffle bag hanging off his shoulder.

"Lissa," he gasped, out of breath. His eyes looked frantic as the adrenaline coursed through his veins. Everyone was on edge. Lissa's guardians stood much closer than usual. As if just noticing her existence, his eyes darted over to Rose. "Rose."

Rose nodded back at him as the three of them held an unspoken conversation.

What had the world come to? Where were the people we loved most? What would happen next?

"You should come with us," Rose dared to say, her voice unwavering. He would be safest with them, and as someone she valued, she wanted him to be safe.

He seemed to consider what she said for a moment and then shook his head.

"Sydney..."

"Where is she?" Lissa interrupted frantically.

"She's in Maine," he rambled. It was almost difficult to understand him. "Declan's with her. I can't reach them, I was going to-"

"Your Majesty," one of Lissa's guardians interrupted. His eye was on the watch that wrapped around his wrist. "I'm sorry, but we must go. We are running out of time."

Before any of them had a chance to say another word, the hairs on the back of Rose's neck stood up.

A brute cry from behind Adrian rang out and she pushed him out of the way just in time to save him from being stabbed. The blade missed him and went right into her shoulder.

On the other end of the knife was a Moroi man, keyed up and drenched in sweat.

"Rose!" Lissa cried as the guardians formed a very tight circle around her. They had to move her now. People were getting testy, they had nothing to lose at this point, and that was enough to drive some people mad. It was a dangerous situation, especially for the Queen.

Rose cried out in pain from the violent intrusion as the man pulled the knife from her skin and tried to stab again. She caught his arm before he could get another one over her and gasped as he was unexpectedly pushed to the ground.

From the corner of her eye, she could see the Royal guardians forcibly leading Lissa in the direction of the underground bunker where she would be safe. It was protocol. They wouldn't help her, their mission was to protect the Queen at all costs, not each other. She wouldn't want it any other way.

"Little dhampir, get up," Adrian rushed, reaching his arm out to lift her. It had been him who had shoved the attacker. She got up and winced as blood started to stain her top. "We have to go."

The Moroi man was getting back to his feet as well, scrambling over to grab the knife again.

"Wait," she groaned, and nodded over to the man. They didn't know who he was, what he wanted, or who his target was. He had gone for Adrian initially, but was he just trying to eliminate him to get to the Queen?

Rose didn't know what he would do next, so she did what she had to at the expense of her own injury. She shifted her weight off of Adrian and engaged the man once again. Flashes of Eddie being locked away for killing a Moroi racked her brain. She didn't have time to worry about the consequences though. There were too many other things to worry about.

In a quick move, she took the knife from his grasp and turn it around on him, stabbing him right in the chest. It wasn't a direct hit to the heart, but she knew it would be enough to keep him down...probably for good.

Their eyes locked as he fell to the ground, grasping desperately at his chest.

The whole world went quiet as Rose stared down at what she had done.

"Rose, we have to go," Adrian urged, pulling her out of her thoughts. He grabbed her arm from her uninjured side and the two of them moved as fast as they could.

They had to catch up to Lissa and the Royal Guard in order to have a chance.

Over the wails of panicked vampires, Rose could hear Adrian's labored breaths loudly in her ear as he helped them get to safety. She didn't realize it then, but that sound would be something she'd remember for the rest of her life.


"You're awake,"

Rose's eyes fluttered open slowly as she tried to remember where she was. She felt a warm hand squeeze her own.

"Dimitri?"

"Sorry to disappoint, little dhampir," Adrian remarked somberly. He was seated at the edge of the bed, looking all kinds of exhausted. There were dark bags under his eyes and dried blood all over his shirt.

"Blood..." Rose gestured to his appearance and moved to sit up, but Adrian put his hand gently on her chest to force her back down. The stretching of the skin around her wound made her wince as she suddenly remembered everything.

She laid back down and looked around the room she was in. It looked very ordinary, very clean, very...cold. There was no warmth in this room. Nothing that would make it feel like home. Nothing that would bring her comfort.

"We made it," she said in a raspy voice. It was more of an observation than a question, but Adrian nodded anyway.

"Yes, we did," he offered. Rose could tell he was struggling to keep it together. He looked like hell. She wondered how long they had been down there. How long had she been passed out?

She could remember the two of them struggling to get to the bunker. The small amount of time she'd spent disarming the Moroi man was enough for Lissa and the guardians to disappear from their sight. The fact that Rose was struggling to stay upright was making the trip longer than it should've been. At that point, she could hardly keep her eyes open. She'd felt incredibly weak, physically and mentally.

The attacker must've nicked a major artery. She knew enough about the body to know that she should not have been bleeding as much as she was. She remembered feeling like she could not go any further.

It was getting quieter. They'd moved away from the bustling crowds of people. The only people they'd recently crossed paths with were stray guardians and Moroi who had seemed to have given up and accepted whatever fate had in store for them.

"Adrian," she had groaned, balling up his shirt in her fist as she limped forward.

"We have to keep moving," he muttered like a mantra, almost dragging her with him at this point.

"Adrian," she cried louder. She could feel tears rolling down her cheeks. She wished so bad that it was Dimitri beside her. It was tearing her apart not knowing if he was alive. The odds were not in his favor. She knew that.

She didn't want to exist in a world where he didn't. She knew what that had felt like once. She couldn't live through it a second time.

If Dimitri was gone, maybe it was okay if she was gone too... but Adrian still had Sydney. She was in Maine. Maybe that was far enough away. She wasn't the most informed when it came to nuclear weapons - vampires didn't fight that way - and even if she was, she was certain all ability to think clearly had left her along with the blood that had spewed out of her body.

"I'm slowing you down," she whimpered as they continued to inch forward. It was getting harder for her to not trip over her own feet.

Adrian ignored her.

"We're running out of time," she said dejectedly, "I've lost too much blood, and I can't be the reason you-"

"Rose!" Adrian yelled angrily, "I'm not leaving you behind. Now shut up and keep moving."

That was the last thing Rose could remember.

At her bedside, Adrian released her hand and stood. He walked over to a small fridge in one corner of the room that she hadn't noticed before. He reached in and grabbed a bottled water. He undid the cap and took a sip before offering it to her.

She hadn't realized it before, but her mouth was incredibly dry. She drank greedily before realizing she didn't know their situation. How much water did they have? How much water would they need? Had she just consumed a whole day's worth in five gulps?

Adrian could see the wheels turning in Rose's head, but frankly, he was too exhausted to answer any questions she might have. He hadn't slept an ounce since they'd made it to the bunker.

She was in and out of consciousness the last few minutes before they reached the safehouse. It had scared him half to death. The last time he'd seen her like this was when Natasha Ozera had gotten desperate and put a bullet in her chest.

He couldn't believe she thought she could convince him to leave her there. He would never do that, especially after she had just saved his own life. That blade was meant for him, but she'd sacrificed herself. They were in it together as far as he had been concerned.

Rose yawned, though she had just woken up, causing Adrian to do the same. Her body was recovering. She had so many things she wanted to ask, but it could wait. She could see he was struggling to stay awake. The two of them looked at each other and Rose patted the vacant half of the double bed she occupied.

Without speaking a word, Adrian took off his shoes and then laid on top of the blanket she was bundled underneath. He fell asleep almost instantly.

Rose found the sound of his even, peaceful breaths comforting.


Not long after Adrian fell asleep, there was a gentle knock on the door.

The door cracked open and she was met with a pair of eyes that looked equally as exhausted as Adrian's were.

"You're up," Lissa observed happily before eyeing Adrian's sleeping form resting beside Rose. The smile on her face didn't reach her eyes. The moment was bittersweet.

They were safe and in each other's company and they were lucky for that, but their missing halves were at the forefront of their minds. Lissa was happy that Rose was okay, but it was a tough situation. Rose understood that more than anyone. Hell, she'd been ready to give up herself.

It wasn't a proud moment for her. She was at a low. It was a mixture of the blood loss and the fear of losing Dimitri without warning that pushed her to give up. But she had to be strong. For Lissa, for Adrian, for Dimitri, for herself.

"How long was I out?" Rose whispered, not wanting to disturb Adrian.

"Two days," she answered, before she gestured over to Adrian. "He was at your side the whole time, kept saying he wouldn't leave you behind. Hasn't slept a wink...until now."

The corners of Rose's lips curved somberly.

"I'm grateful that you're safe," a few tears traveled down Lissa's cheek as she tried to keep it together. "I thought I'd lost you too. The last thing I was saw was the knife entering your body before they rushed me away," she sniffled a bit, struggling to get out the words. "And then Adrian wasn't there anymore so I didn't know what to think."

Rose reached out so Lissa could hold her hand.

"Hey," Rose comforted, "it takes more than a knife to bring me down. It's okay. I'm still here. Remember when I went up against a gun and won? "

"It's not funny, Rose," Lissa sniffled. She wiped at her wet face. "You were almost dead when Adrian got you here. You were unconscious. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to save you."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, I'm just trying to keep it together, Liss."

As Lissa continued to cry, she held onto Rose's hand like a lifeline. Adrian slept like the dead beside her, despite the growing volume of Lissa's sobs. Rose laid quietly and studied the ceiling. She couldn't bare to look at her friend as she wept or else she'd lose it.

Would this be her new normal?

God, she wished Dimitri was here to hold her.