A/N: Holy Flash, Batman! Faster chapter I've ever typed out! Kind of boring, as there's no fighting. But I hope you like it anyway!

Disclaimer: Vampire Academy belongs to Richelle Mead.


Making my way out of the cave was easy; I'd taken care of most of the Strigoi there, and the ones who were still around seemed to be smart enough not to attack me. Even though I had learned something about Dimitri my mood was foul, and they could probably sense that. A P.O'd dhampir that just killed a Strigoi after promising not to do anything was a threat, no matter how small said dhampir was. And the fact that I was small made me more dangerous; I could easily slip out of their grasp before they could keep it firm around me.

I walked into open air after about an hour of walking through the maze of cave passages, looking around briefly before looking towards East, at the horizon. The sun was rising, purples and pinks and yellows. If I had been with Lissa, we would've gone under the shade of some trees and just watched that sun rise, smiling as the warmth hit our skin and covered us in its brilliant light. As I did not have Lissa with me, though, I just continued towards a dirt path that would take me into the closest town, where I could then buy a train ticket and book a trip to Berlin.

There was no one on the roads this early, not even truckers, so the silence gave me a lot of time to think—about everything. It was these quiet times of the day that I hated most; I wasn't fighting any Strigoi or learning anything about Dimitri. I was left alone with my thoughts, which weren't very pleasant because of some of the choices I had made so far. Like leaving behind the world I knew for something I didn't understand. And breaking away from the one person I was closest with, so close that I could feel even now in the back of my mind that she was miserable.

Even though there was a huge ocean in between us, the bond still seemed to connect us if only faintly. I couldn't fall into Lissa's mind anymore, nor could she telepathically talk to me. But I could still faintly, just faintly, feel the emotions she was feeling if they were particularly strong. And since I had left, there'd been constant depression and grief coming from her. It made me feel horrible and I almost wanted to at least write to her telling her I was fine, but I didn't know how she'd handle that. I mean, I'd just left her after having a huge argument with her and putting myself in front of her for once. If I was Lissa, I wouldn't want to talk to me that was for sure. I'd been such a bitch…

I still needed to do this, though. I at least owed it to Dimitri, if nothing else.

The sun was high in the sky when I finally reached a small town that had a train station, and before anything I went to the ticket box office and bought myself a first class ticket using the card I'd been given after finalizing my account in Missoula. Adrian had put in around 20 000 dollars into my account, which had so far been really useful to me when I needed to spend a night in a hotel and grab trains and planes and boats. I made a mental note to thank him again whenever—or if ever—I got back to the United States. I had about two hours before my train left, so I decided that I'd find some shops, get some clothes that weren't covered in dried blood and dirt and ditch my old clothes into some trash bin. I'd also try to rinse some blood out of my hair in a sink or something, just so I wouldn't have difficulty later on.

Walking through the town, I noted that it was very peaceful and that a lot of the people seemed common and friendly. This wasn't a big city with people flipping each other off whenever you crossed the street or something; this was a community where everyone pretty much knew everyone and if you were a visitor you were treated warmly. No matter what condition you came in, apparently, as I got a few smiles here and there and a couple of the kids ran around my legs as I waited to cross a street. It was a nice little community, some place where children could be raised safely…

I sighed softly, rubbing my arm as I walked into a clothing store. Too bad I couldn't stay here for a while longer. I didn't have that sort of time.

A bell rang as I opened the door, and the clerk at the counter looked up, eyes widening to see my state before she smiled kindly. "Guten Tag, Fräulein."

"Ich nein sprechen Sie Deutsch." I said it quickly, so that the woman wouldn't continue speaking in German. I only knew a few phrases from my travels through the country, but not enough to speak coherently. "Sorry."

"Oh, that is fine." She said, smiling politely. She sounded very kind, and seemed pleased that I had at least attempted to speak her native language, at least to tell her I couldn't speak it. I found out as I travelled through Europe that Europeans liked it when you attempted to speak to them in their own language, even if you couldn't. It showed that you respected their country and its traditions, and that you didn't want to insult anybody. Now, if you accidentally said 'Fuck your mom' when you meant to say 'Where is the bathroom', you might be in trouble. It was better to stick with simpler phrases, ones you could remember. Like, 'I don't know how to speak so-and-so language'. See? Makes sense. And I've gotten a lot of good hints and deals by doing this.

"So, what can I help you with, Miss?" She asked then, coming from behind the counter and looking at me; she was eye-level with me, so that was nice.

"I need some new clothes; nothing fancy, just simple travelling clothes. Maybe a coat to keep the chill off." It was slighter colder in Germany than it was in Montana, and the coat that I had right now had definitely seen better days. Woe is the life of a traveller. "Is there anything like that here?"

"Plenty." She placed her hand on the small of my back, turning and leading me towards the back of the store. In the front was all the nicer clothes you'd wear to a reunion or something like that; in the back were the simple clothes like T-shirts, jeans and work boots. It was the 'convenient' side of the store, and since my travels this side of the store had been the only side I ever looked at. Dresses didn't even mean anything to me anymore. At least, not too much. Once in a while I felt the need to dress up, but then I'd remind myself that I was on a mission here and not vacation.

The woman helped me pick out pick out a good set of clothes for me to change into. There was a stretchy black shirt that was made out of some kind of thick material, so I'd stay warm, along with some simple faded grey jeans and a pair of hiking boots. She also got me a long grey coat, seeming to see the pattern that I wanted clothes that wouldn't make me look conspicuous. Dull colours seemed to do that pretty well. Once I put on the ensemble, I paid for it at the counter, ripped off the tags and pocketed them somewhere, before tossing my trashed clothes into the closest trash bin. I then asked if there was a bathroom in the store, but she said no. She pointed me to a restaurant just across the street though that did have a bathroom. I was about to say I didn't have time to eat, but my stomach growled then and she smiled knowingly. So I thanked her (in German, to which she beamed brightly), before leaving the store and walking across the street after looking both ways.

I entered the restaurant after a moment's hesitation, looking around to see it was dimly lit and that there were only a few people here. I saw some of the customers going through a back door that didn't look like the bathroom, which was a little suspicious but I didn't ask questions. Every town had their own quirks; maybe there was just some sort of buffet or something at the back.

A greeter came up then, smiling at me kindly. "Guten Tag,"

I quickly said the same phrase as before, to which the man simply nodded at, before looking around. "I was wondering if you had a bathroom I could use."

"Ah, yes we do. It's in the back, near the kitchens." His accent was heavy like the clothing store woman's voice, and that was to be expected. "Would you like me to get you a table ready for when you are finished?"

"Sure." I shrugged, knowing I might as well grab something to eat. I hadn't even burned an hour yet off of my time, so it wasn't like I was in some big rush or whatever. He nodded again, smiling and I walked to where he pointed, pushing open the door and stepping in.

The bathroom was your usual, stereotypical small restaurant bathroom. It was cleaner than most, but it still had its dirt from its common visitors. Thankfully, it was a one person bathroom with a lock, so when I closed the door I locked it as well, walking over to the sinks.

I turned the taps on then pulling up the tab to make sure the water didn't just rush down the drain and instead filled up like a mini-tub. Once the water was up high enough I turned off the taps, flipped my dirty hair over my head and dunked into the warm water, closing my eyes as I started scrubbing the drying blood out of the dark strands.

It took me about twenty minutes to get all the blood out of my hair, and I was pretty sure I'd missed a few spots anyhow, but I pulled out of the sink—the water now a murky brownish red colour—and rung my hair as dry as it could get, tying it up high on my hair to make sure it didn't drip onto my new clothes. I drained the sink, wiping up the red stains with a paper towel before cleaning up the rest of the mess I had made, throwing out the waded paper into the trash bin next to the sink. I then looked at myself in the mirror, sighing a little.

I still looked like Rose Hathaway, but there were difference in my face now. My skin was darker than before from all my time in the sun, my lips chapped from loosing my chap stick second week in travelling. Even though I had cleaned up my hair, it was a tangled mess, wet curls sticking to my forehead and around my ears. My eyes, though, were what had changed the most.

They looked older than I did, worn and tired of everything. They were the same eyes as my mother whenever she let down her guard, the same eyes that I had seen in every guardians' face after the attack on the Academy last month.

These eyes frightened me.

Looking away, I left the bathroom and found the table that I had been given; gratefully the greeter had given me a corner table booth, away from the other customers so that I could be alone with my thoughts, trying to think of my next move once I got to Berlin. If Dimitri wasn't there, I was going to have to find someone who knew where he'd be; I probably should've dragged that out of Tobias earlier before I'd killed him. Oh well, I hadn't thought that I'd need anything else from him after he told me where Dimitri was heading.

A waitress came to me then, giving me a menu and asking me what I'd like to drink. I asked for a tea with honey and sugar, watching briefly as she walked off to get that for me before glancing down at the menu, seeing it but not really.

That was when I sensed it.

Well, I didn't really sense it more than I saw it. A glimmer of silver, a reflecting light sort of, with washed-out colour. A ghost. I glanced over to where it stood, by a support beam, staring at me with soft, sad eyes. All the ghosts I'd met so far since leaving the Academy have looked so sad, and they only ever came to me when they had something they wanted to tell me; something that could help or a warning of what was coming at me in the near, five-minutes-to-go future.

This one was a young boy, with large brown eyes and soft brown hair. His skin was pale, and he looked very lost for a moment, before looking at me. He blinked, before pointing at me, as if asking if I was who he was looking for. Seeing as, as far as I knew, I was the only one who could see him, I nodded slowly, discreetly and he nodded, dropping his hand.

"…Do you have something to tell me?" I asked then, voice soft. The other customers weren't paying attention to me, but it was still dangerous to be talking to a ghost in large, public places like this. I preferred it if I was in some sort or wood; then I could talk as loudly as I wanted to and only the woodland creatures would think I was nuts. He nodded then, and I sighed a little. "Is it about Dimitri?"

He nodded again, and shock rushed through me; so this was a ghost trying to help me. There were a few of those; kind spirits that wanted to help me put Dimitri's soul to rest. I liked seeing them better than the other guys. They weren't all that pleasant.

"Is he in Berlin?" I asked then, watching him carefully. Slowly, the boy shook his head, and I sighed in frustration. "Is he near Berlin?" He shook his head again, and frustration hit me, stronger than usual. It was probably all the depression I was feeling from Lissa; her sadness was affecting me oddly, even from this far away. "Did he reach Berlin?"

The boy nodded, and I sighed. "So he's past Berlin?" He nodded again, and I frowned, thinking. "…Is he close to the border?"

He nodded once more, and I nodded a little, glancing at him. "I don't suppose you'd know the town?" He paused, as if thinking, before he nodded and I smiled a little, pulling out a map of Germany that I had bought once I'd crossed the border. I unfolded it, spreading it across the table, and the ghost boy drifted a little closer to me. I set it up so that he could see it, and he looked at it before putting his translucent finger to a small town just outside of Cottbus. That wasn't too far away from Berlin, and I could probably grab a bus there once I reached it. Though, Dimitri would've probably passed that town by the time I'd even get there. "Is he going to be leaving there once night hits?"

Again, the boy nodded and I sighed. "Will I ever reach him?" I asked, metaphorically but the boy nodded, very surely. I looked at him, surprised by his sureness before I smiled. "Thanks kid. This has helped me a lot." He nodded, looking at me before a tiny smile lifted his lips and he shimmered, disappearing just as my tea came.

"Would you like to order now?"


After walking around the town a little more, picking up some essentials (like a hairbrush, as my last one had been used as a defensive weapon against a random Strigoi attack. It had broken when I smashed it on the Strigoi's head), I headed to the train and got on, going into the first class compartment and finding an empty compartment room. I closed the door once I found one, placing my bag onto the rack above me before sitting down, stretching my legs across to rest on the seat opposite of me, slouching down and resting my hands on my stomach. I hadn't slept well in over three days, trying to find Tobias. It had been hard, since the informant who'd given me the tip hadn't been too clear which set of caves he had resided in, so I had gone through at least three before finding him. I'd cleared them all out pretty much, but it was still tiring.

So, determined to at least get an hour's sleep in, I closed my eyes, sighing softly and relaxing. It took me a while, but I finally did fall asleep.

As I slept, I dreamed.

I was in the Academy's forest, punching Ralf Sarcozy in the face for what he had done to Lissa. Once I had been satisfied with his pain-filled moans, I looked over to see Jesse standing there, eyes wide and mouth slack-jawed. I remembered this night; this was the night Lissa had lost control. I looked over, seeing Lissa there staring at him and through the bond I felt those dark, wrong feelings deep within her.

"Lissa this isn't it," I said, though my voice sounded distant. She said something, but I couldn't hear her, then she looked over at me; she looked scared. I told her the same things I had that night; to give me all of her dark emotions. And then, just like that, all the black feelings within her were sucked out of her right into me, and I was suddenly filled with the rage she was.

I tried to lunge at Jesse, to start beating him, to kill him, when strong arms wrapped around me; these were, however, not Eddie's arms like that night. I stilled, and suddenly I wasn't in the forest anymore but with Dimitri, under him as I tried to wriggle away from him to go through with my murderous intentions.

"Rose this isn't you! This isn't you!"

"Let me go! This is—" I froze, and the hatred I had felt seeped out of my almost immediately. I was expecting the talk that we had had after my brief mental breakdown, but instead he just kissed me and I kissed him back, wrapping my arms around him and pulling him closer. We somehow managed to separate for a moment to get onto the bed, before our clothes started disappearing and our skin touched, just like that first time. I felt electricity shock down my spine, and I clung to him tighter as we joined, forgetting where I ended and he began. It was as if I was reliving that night over again; that glorious night when we had thrown away all thoughts of pretending this was nothing, living a lie like we had been for the past months. We came, reached heaven together, and fell on top of each other panting and sweating, limbs tangled together.

I snuggled into his chest, feeling safe, secure, warm, before looking up at his face to kiss him again and tell him I loved him. Yet, when he looked down at me, expression soft, lips curved into that smile I loved so much…

Red eyes stared down at me.

I woke up screaming, shaken by the train suddenly stopping. I looked around frantically, trying to find where I was again before I slumped against the seat, wiping a hand over my eyes. I glanced at the time; I'd been asleep for an hour at least. But I didn't feel the least bit rested.

Groaning, I hid my face in my hands before getting up, deciding a walk would calm down my frayed nerves. That and I was curious to see why the train had stopped. I peeked out of my compartment, looking around to see other boarders looking confused before I walked out into the hall, looking for someone who would know what was going on. I found the man who took the tickets, talking to a woman holding a child calmly as if reassuring her before looking over at me. He said something in German I didn't understand, and I held a hand up, saying the phrase I had earlier. He nodded, waiting for me to speak. "Can I ask what's going on exactly?"

"There's a problem with the engine, but it'll be fixed within the next half hour or sooner. Just go back to your compartment and wait; this won't be long." I frowned, worried about the delay; that was more time for Dimitri to get away. I looked out the window at the doors though and noted that it was still too bright for Dimitri to be walking right now. Unless the secret path really did take him straight to the border. In which case, I was falling way behind.

I went back to my compartment anyhow, knowing that if I tried to start walking now, I'd be way lost and would never find Dimitri. Staying on and waiting for the repairs was the safest bet. As I walked past a slightly opened compartment, I heard a 'psst' aimed at me. I paused, looking around with narrowed eyes; someone was trying to get my attention? But why would they? I didn't know anyone on this bus.

I heard the 'psst' noise again and sighed, looking over to the opened compartment to see a young man standing there, leaning against the door leisurely; he looked relaxed, but his posture was tensed and every once in a while his eyes would flash around the train. It was as if he were looking for danger…

"Nice tattoos," he said then in perfect English, his accent light and…Scottish, of all things. "I know molnija marks, but I don't recognize that star one. What's it mean?"

Holy crap, I was talking to a dhampir.

He was tall, with pale skin, freckles and red hair. In a way, he kind of reminded me of Mason, but Mason didn't sound Scottish. Mason had sounded American. And this guy was older than Mason had been before he had died. My stomach turned at that last thought; the memory of Mason dying still hurt me, but at least I knew he was at peace with himself now.

He looked at me expectantly, raising an eyebrow. "Well lass? What does the star mean?"

"Why don't you make yourself a little quieter, and I might answer you." I hissed then, narrowing my eyes as some people started looking at us. He laughed lightly, before nodding and I grabbed his arm, dragging him to my empty compartment and sliding the door shut; it might not have been soundproof, but it gave me a more private feeling. I then turned to him, watching him warily. "You're a dhampir. Meaning you're probably a guardian. Since you're not with a family right now, as Moroi would usually have private jets or something, that means you're a guardian of something else." My eyes narrowed even more, and he watched me expectantly. "Is it Vladimir Academy? Did Kirova suddenly decide that she wanted me back after all even though I'm old enough to make my own decisions without having to consult my mother? That's it isn't it. Well then I refuse to go with you, so you can just screw off and be on your merry way."

The Scottish guardian blinked before he laughed lightly, sighing and shaking his head. "No, no, lass. Nothing like that. I am a guardian, but I am a guardian of a family. The Ozeras, actually. I'm just returning to them in Berlin after having taken a short break visiting some friends in Scotland." He smiled. "I was just surprised to see another dhampir like you, so I wanted to have a little chat. And I actually am curious about the new tattoo. I've really never seen anything like it."

"…Oh." Well I felt stupid now. I sighed, sitting in my seat and he sat on the seat across from me, looking at me curiously. "…My name's Rose Hathaway."

"Joseph O'Reily. A pleasure, Miss Hathaway." He smiled kindly and I nodded tiredly, rubbing my eyes.

"The star just means they couldn't count how many Strigoi that I took down. It was pretty much impossible to count how many I could've taken down, so they had to make up a new tattoo for the other guardians and myself." I looked at him, seeing awe in his eyes. "It's not a big deal. I was protecting my school at the time from a mass Strigoi attack."

"Vladimir Academy, I'm going to guess." He said, smiling a little as I rolled my eyes. "Yes, I heard about that attack. And the rescue mission that followed it." He frowned, looking down. "I hear you suffered losses."

"Minimal losses, compared to how many Strigoi we took care of but…Still. Yeah. We suffered losses." I felt like I had suffered the biggest loss of all, but this Joseph guy didn't need to know about that.

"So what made you leave the Academy, Miss Hathaway?" He asked then, leaning forward. "I'm going to guess you were a student there? Graduation isn't for another few months."

"It's personal." I answered immediately; that was the answer I'd given Adrian; the answer I'd given Lissa. It was an answer I was probably going to be repeating a lot over the next little while as I hunted Dimitri down. He nodded, accepting that easily; that was nice. He at least wasn't going to question my motives. Awesome change so far.

"Well, then I won't ask any more about it." He smiled, before looking out the window. "You seem awfully young to have fought so many Strigoi. Its scary thinking a child like you can take down those frightening monsters."

"I'm not a child; I'm eighteen, thanks much." I muttered foully, looking out the window again. "…You said you protected the Ozeras."

"Not the same family. A different family on that tree. They aren't very closely related to Christian Ozera or his immediate family." He looked at me with a grim look. "Most guardians wouldn't want to protect that family."

"They aren't like his parents." I muttered, scowling. "They're way different. Christian helped me take down a majority of the Strigoi I did." I sighed, shaking my head. "Doesn't matter though. Just thought maybe someone cared enough to protect them. Man, the Moroi are messed up."

"Yes, but it is our duty to protect them lass." He stood up just as the train started moving; I jolted only slightly, but steadied myself once it got moving. So the train had gotten fixed faster than expected. Either that or talking to Joseph had taken longer than expected. He looked down at me then, his eyes contemplating. "…I wish you luck on your personal journey." He said then, smiling a little. "I know your name. I knew your mother; strong woman. You look like her." He nodded. "Don't die on her and leave her alone, eh?"

I blinked, looking over at him but he was sliding the door closed after exiting. I frowned, eyebrows knitting together in confusion before I sighed, looking out the window again.

What the hell was that supposed to mean?