Wow! I mean seriously wow! I can't believe that so many of you are now realign this story after only my first chapter! Thank you all so much!

And evan though it's my birthday today! I'm giving you all a present so enjoy!:)

Here's the Disclaimer and all that jazz;)

I can't believe that that slut had managed to screw Dimka's brains out enough to get his to agree to something as stupid and scandalous as this. But it was up to me to snap him out of it. And I knew just how to do it. I can't believe that it has come to this but desperate times call for desperate measures. And if this gamble paid off then not only would I have my Dimka by my side, but all the power that we will need to rule our world and the humans' as well.

RPOV

I woke up the next day to the smell of Olena's wonderful cooking and my stomach instantly started to rumble. I heard Dimitri chuckle behind me.

"Hungry already?" he asked in an amused tone of voice.

"Have you learned nothing in all the years we've been together? I'm always hungry!" I said and turned around for a not so innocent good morning kiss.

"Mmmm well one thing that I certainly have learned is that you're cranky and dangerous when you're hungry so I had better let you get up or you might take a bite out of me," Dimitri laughed as he loosened his arms from around my waist and let me get up.

"Mmmm not a bad idea," I said winking at him as I quickly got up and dressed. I was so excited to eat more of Olena's food that I was almost out the door before I remembered the news that we said we would tell the family about.

Dimitri, who had been watching me get ready on fast forward with a amused smile on his lips, read my body language right away and got out of bed to take me back into his arms.

"We need to tell them. They need to take extra care now that Tasha's loose. She may decide to go after one of them as blackmail," Dimitri said, always the logical one.

"Yeah I know. I'm just not looking forward to it. It seems like every time I come to your mum's home I drop a bomb shell on her head."

"True. But last time it was to tell her that I was alive and this time it was to tell her that you're alive and that we're getting married. So I think she forgave you for the time before that," Dimitri said pulling back and starting to get dressed.

"Well yeah, but if I keep this up I'm going to get banned from this house and that means no more of your mum's food!" I said truly worried that if I kept bringing all of this drama into the Belikov's lives that they would start to hate me for it. Dimitri just out right laughed at my fears.

"My mama would never cut you off from food. If anything she would try to feed you to death if she didn't like you. Though in your case that might not work."

"AH let's just get it over with! All this talk of food is making me even hungrier!" I said as I finished dragging a brush through my hair and opened the door.

As we walked downstairs, hand in hand, the smell only got better! I think I started to drool a bit as we walked into the kitchen!

"Good morning, did you two sleep alright?" Olena asked as she moved around the kitchen getting everything ready.

"Like a rock. But that's what jet lag does to you," I said with a smile as I sat down at the table and looked at the people sitting around it. Most of the family was already there; Vika was reading a magazine, Karolina was feeding Zoya, Sonya wasn't down yet, Yeva was looking at Dimitri and I like she already knew what we were about to tell the others, which she probably did. And Paul was playing with legos until he saw me come in the room and his whole face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Aunt Roza! Can we play cars after breakfast?" he asked with so much hope on his face that I had no chance of turning him down.

"Of course we can Paul," I said with a smile.

"Hey, after that do you want to hang out with me later? Vika asked looking up from her magazine with a smile that looked so much like Dimitri's that it is slightly warmed the chill in my chest that was building from having to tell them about Tasha.

"I know that you've already been here before, but it will be fun to show you around to all of my friends. After everything that's happened you're like a living legend. And you're marrying my brother! That makes me family to a legend," Vika said excitedly and I couldn't help but laugh.

"A living legend huh? Well what can I say to that?" I said with a smile as I dramatically flipped my hair over one shoulder.

"You had better stop it with compliments Vika. We wouldn't want Roza to-"

"If the next words out of your mouth have anything to do with me getting a big head then I swear I will cut you off for a month," I threatened in a low and deadly voice thet I usually save for Strigoi.

"Ooh you had better watch yourself there Dimka. You're not even married yet and she's already threatening to withhold sex!" Vika said laughing.

"You should be taking notes Vika, you've got to keep your man in line or they will think that they can get away with anything," I said with a proud smile. Vika just laughed at the look that Dimitri was giving me.

"So do you want to hang out with me or not?" Vika asked after she stopped laughing.

"No! She's playing cars with me!" Paul demanded looking worried that he wouldn't get a chance to play with me.

"Would you two give Roza a chance to breath? She only just woke up," Olena said as she put a big plate of food in front of me.

"Thanks mama!" I said and I happily dug in without another word. But I could definitely see how much Olena liked being called that.

"We can go shopping for a dress for the party," Vika said happily. Not bothering to ask me again if I wanted to hang out. She knew I would say yes.

"What party?" I asked confused as I looked over at Dimitri. He looked as clueless as me.

"Your engagement part DUR!" Vika said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. I glanced over at Dimitri. Normally I would be all for a party, especially one announcing our engagement. But I had a feeling that no one would be in a party mood after we told them about Tasha.

"Listen Vika, now may not be time for a party," I said cautiously.

"Why not? You're on holiday, you can even get drunk if you like. It's not like any big bad Strigoi are going to come after you anymore." Vika said completely oblivious to what was about to happen.

"Well you see...you all remember Tasha right?" I started off lamely. I mean it's not like they could forget!

"The bitch that killed the queen, framed you for the murder amd then shot you in the heart? Yeah, I think her name rings a bell," Vika said her voice dripping with so much sarcasm that you would think that we were related and not her and Dimitri.

"Well she escaped from prison last night," Dimitri said cutting straight to the point. Everyone around the table gasped. Well except for Paul who was too young to understand. And Yeva who probably saw it coming.

"Sh...she escaped! Wha...how?" Vika stammered.

"She used compulsion on the guards and she escaped Court with a guardian car. That's all we know so far, and that's why we had to cut our time here short. We need to get back to Court and make sure that Tasha doesn't make another attempt to murder the queen," Dimitri said in a calm but firm voice. I was instantly set on edge when he said that Tasha might try and hurt Lissa. But she was the one that wanted Lissa in power in the first place so I think that she was safe for now.

"So you can understand why now might not be the best time for a party. But we can still go out for the day," I said quickly to try and salvage our time here, I didn't want it all to be filled with thoughts of Tasha.

"Oh Dimka! That's just horrible! Do you think that she will come here?" Olena asked, instantly thinking of the safety of her family.

"We can't say for sure. But she can't possibly get over here so soon after breaking out of prison and we're leaving in two days. So I think that you should all be ok. But just to be on the safe side I'm going to ask a few of my friends from St. Bart's to come by and check on you," Dimitri said taking a charge like a true leader.

"Don't worry so much about us we will be fine. You just need to remember that you are her real target, I want you to take extra care. She may not be a Strigoi, but she's just as dangerous," Olena said always the worrying mother.

"Don't worry about us mama. Roza and I have handled much worse. I mean have you seen our food bill?" Dimitri asked with a smile that instantly defused the tension in the room.

"Well with her eating as much as you I can only imagine!" Vika said laughing and breakfast continued like normal.

The rest of our time in Russia went by quickly. I played with Paul. Shopped and spent time with Vika. Olena tried to teach me some of her recipes, with verging amounts of success. And I cuddled up to Dimitri at night as his family shared embarrassing stories about his past. I already knew the best one about his sisters making him marry there dolls, but that didn't mean that I knew the others. Like Dimitri and Ivan getting drunk one time and waking up spooning each other in bed!

And of course our trip wouldn't be complete without an ominous premonition from Yeva. She came to our door one night and it wasn't to wish us sweet dreams.

"Beware because hard times are coming your way. You will face great loss and danger. There may be great joy but it can also lead to great sorrow. Be careful which path you take." And with that she turned around and left.

"Well that was a nice catch up. We should do it again next time we come for a visit," I said sarcastically to Dimitri as I walked back over to the bed.

"Babushka means well, but sometimes her warnings can cause more trouble then they're worth," Dimitri said pulling me close on the bed.

"What do you think she meant by 'you will face great loss'?" I asked as I held onto him tighter. "You don't think she meant that I could lose you again? Or vice versa?" I had only just gotten him back! I wasn't ready to lose him again! I didn't think that I will ever be ready to lose him!

"I don't know, but it doesn't matter. Because nothing in the world is going to keep either of us apart, so there's nothing to worry about," Dimitri muttered into my hair. I took a deep breath, filling up my lungs with the smell of his aftershave and felt by body relax.

"Yeah, you're right. Goodnight Comrade."

"Good night Roza."

I know that time flies when you're having fun, but I had a feeling that this time it was because of what was awaiting us when we got home. And before we knew it, it was time to say our goodbyes. Everyone was crowded around the door giving last minute hugs and promises to stay in touch more.

"Now remember to eat at least one healthy meal a day to keep your strength up! And I want you to email Vika or call me the minute that you hear something about Tasha, and don't forget to dress warmly when you go out at night! I know that it's getting close to winter over where you live," Olena said going into 'over active mum mode' . But instead of teasing Dimitri, I just smiled. It was nice that she worried about him so much even though he was a grown man. It shows that she really loves him.

"Mama I'm Russian! I could walk around in shorts and no shirt and still handle it better than half of the Guardians in Court! And I know! I have been doing a very good job at keeping myself alive on my own for quite a few years now," Dimitri said in exasperation.

I just laughed at the mental picture that that gave me and hugged Vika goodbye.

"You need to catch that crazy bitch and beat it through her thick skull that she's never going to get her hands on my brother," Vika whispered into my ear as she hugged me one last time.

"Don't worry, I'll get her good," I said before I pulled away.

"Don't forget to talk to me when you call Aunt Roza," Paul said as he held onto me for dear life.

"Now how could I forget you Paul?" I said as I hugged him back.

"We will come back again after Tasha is caught, I promise," I said because I felt so bad for just showing up and then leaving so quickly after telling them that our lives were probably in imminent danger from a lethally skilled martial art and fire user. But hey, what family vacation is perfect?

"Good bye!" I called out once again before heading to the car. It was really nice to see the family again, but I can't say that I'm disappointed to be leaving so soon. The quicker that we're back at Court, the quicker that we can get started on finding Tasha.

Dimitri slipped into the driver seat and we were off.

The drive home was thankfully as uneventful as the flight after it and soon we were driving back through the gates of Court and being ushered into the Thrown room before we could even park the car. Lissa had ordered us to be delivered to her the minute that we set foot back in Court and apparently her loyal subjects were taking that order literally.

"ROSE!" Lissa cried as she threw herself into my arms. We were in her private chamber so she didn't have to worry about acting proper in front of anyone.

"Hey Liss, it's nice to see that you didn't get bored with us gone for a few days," I said as I looked at her desk that was overflowing with paperwork.

"It's Tasha's escape! It's all anyone talks about anymore! You would think that I would be the most worried about myself since Tasha was thrown into jail for murdering our last queen. But no! Half of the Moroi in Court cares more about their own safety while the other half are talking about making me nominate someone to rule in my place in case Tahsa succeeds in murdering another monarch!

"Did you know that there's even a word for that? Its called Regicide. I know that because that word has been thrown around Court so much lately that I have gone from learning of it's meaning to hating its existence in just three days!" Lissa said getting really worked up.

I wish that I could see if this was her darkness taking effect and that I could still do something about it. But sadly now that I'm not shadow kissed there's not really much that I can do about it.

"Where's firefly? Isn't he helping you deal with any of this?" I asked wanting to relive Lissa's stress a bit. If he wasn't doing anything to help her then I was seriously going to mess up his face this time.

"Oh he's helping me plenty. But right now he's making sure that his offensive magic students are working with Han's Guardians to better protect Court so that Tasha doesn't have a chance to commit Regicide...oh great! Now I'm using it!"

"Nothing is going to happen to you Lissa. Rose and I are back and you will be properly protected I guarantee it," Dimitri said instantly falling into the role of defensive guardian.

"Yeah don't worry about it Liss, we've dealt with worse than this before," I said with a cocky smile. Even though I wasn't quite as confident as I sounded, I was sure that Lissa was going to be ok. Because I was going to be watching her and everyone around her like a hawk till Tasha was back behind bars. Or better yet, dead.

"I'm just glad that you're back Rose, you too Dimitri. I told Hans that you would both report to him after I saw you so you had better head over if you're not to tired from the flight," Lissa said giving me a small smile.

"Not at all Liss. Don't worry about a thing. When has anything ever gone wrong when I'm around?" I asked and got stunned silence from the two people in the room.

"What? I'm not that much of a magnet for trouble am I?" I asked and once again I was met with silence.

"Ok fine you've made your point! But I promise you that I'm not going to let anyone hurt you and I've never broken my word when your safety's involved," I said and saw Lissa smile for real this time.

We went to Han's office and were let in right away.

"I hope that you two enjoyed your little vacation because it's going to be a while before you can take another," Hans said as he paced around his office looking at this file and that, piecing things together to try and predict what Tasha's next move might be.

"Now it doesn't take a genius to figure out what target Tasha is going to go after," he said looking at me with meaning.

"And that means that you can never be alone until Tasha is captured. Which shouldn't be a problem considering how much time you two spend together. But I'm really going to need Guardian Belikov's help with this one; no one knows Tasha moves better than he does," Hans said looking at Dimitri this time.

"And that means that I'm going to be stealing him from you for quite some time. So I'm giving you orders to never be alone, I don't want you being alone for one minute of the day is that clear?"

"I don't need a babysitter Hans. I'm more than capable of take on Tasha myself," I said and crossed my arms over my chest.

"I'm well aware of that. And I don't mean to come off as too blunt, but you're the bait that we need to set the trap with and we can't do that if you've already gone and gotten yourself captured. So I've assigned Guardian Castile to be your personal shadow. Whenever you're not with Guardian Belikov, guarding the Queen or with some other Guardian, then I want you to be with him."

I was really tempted to argue. But I realized that Hans had assigned Eddie to me on purpose so I wouldn't kick up a fuss. And he was right. I may be one of the best Guardians in Court, but even the best can get caught by surprise or overwhelmed. I flashed back to all of the bodies that I found when I went to do my qualifiers at Arthur Schoenberg's charges house.

I nodded. "I can live with that," I said.

"That's the idea," Hans said before getting back to the briefing.

"We made sure to freeze all of Tasha's assets when she was first arrested but we've renewed them in case she tried to make a grab at some of her money. But sadly for us she's far too smart to try that. Instead she's probably going to compel a human. Which means that by now she probably has all the money she needs to do whatever crazy scheme that she has un- doubtably cooked up while she was in prison. Which is where you come in," Hans said looking at Dimitri.

"You knew her best. What do you think her next move will be?"

Dimitri was quiet for a bit, looking deep in thought before answering. "I'm not sure if I can help you there, the Tasha that I knew is gone. She would have never thought of murdering the Queen or framing someone. I don't know what she's capable of anymore and I can't guess what she will do next."

"Well I need you to try. She may have snapped but people always fall back into their patterns eventually. What was hers?" Hans asked not letting this go. Again Dimitri went silent.

"Tasha was always smart and determined. When she set her mind on something she usually achieved it," Dimitri started off trying to get inside Tasha's head.

"And right now her goal is to get Guardian Hathaway. So how would she do it?" Hans asked taking notes.

Dimitri didn't look happy, but he did what he was told.

"She wants revenge on Rose," Dimitri said like it pained him and shot me a worried and pain filled glance. Like he was afraid that it was going to happen any second now.

"But I don't think that she will go after her directly. If she just wanted Rose dead then she would have shot her instead of Lissa when she was found out." Again he pause to look at me. "She wants Rose to suffer, like she did in prison. But she's not going to try and frame Rose again. She learns from her mistakes. No, she's going to find a way to make Rose suffer without putting herself in danger. So she's going to need help.

"You should keep an eye out for any rouge guardians that start acting suspiciously, any mercenaries too. I don't know what she has planned but it's going to need a bit of a distraction and a lot of man power if she wants to get to Rose," Dimitri said looking at me the entire time like I could disappear at any minute.

Hans just nodded. " I'll get my people right on it. I want you to run through any other ideas or plans that you might have with the others at our meeting tomorrow. Until then you are free to do what you like. I want you rested and ready for duty by 0600 tomorrow," Hans said before dismissing us.

We walked back to our apartment in silence. Our stuff was brought here by other Guardians when we got back to Court and were seeing Lissa. I just walked up to our room and through myself into our bed. Not wanting to ever move again.

"Ughhh what a welcome huh?" I asked as I buried my face in the pillows.

"It could have been worse. She could have killed someone when she escaped," Dimitri said laying down next to me.

"Yeah there is that. But I just hope that she doesn't kill too many people on her way to get to me," I said rolling over to look at the ceiling.

"I don't know what Tasha is capable of anymore. But I know one thing for certain. I'm not going to let her hurt you. No matter what Roza, I promise."

I smiled and instead of telling him how much that meant to me, I decided to just show him.

Tasha's POV

Got you, I thought as I pulled up outside of his house. It had taken me almost two days of solid driving and the help of a private investigator that I had...convinced...to help me track him down. But I had done it. And now it was time for the next phase of my plan. I didn't like it, but such sacrifices had to be made if I wanted to get rid of the whore that took my man and make him see that I was right for him all along. And this was the first one.

I got out of the car and rang the door bell. A minute later an older man answered the door. He was good looking for his age but I guess that I really shouldn't have expected anything less.

"Can I help you?" he asked as he checked me out. I guess some things never change.

"Yes, you can actually," I said smiling big enough to show off my fangs. I pushed him back in to the house and shut the door behind us. He may have once been strong, but now he was weak and didn't put up much of a fight.

"W..what are you doing?" he asked.

"Awwww don't like it when someone bigger than you picks on you?" I asked as I walked close to him. I saw recognition in his eyes as I got close.

"Tasha? W...why are you doing this?" he stammered as he moved back as much as he could while looking at me in fear.

"There are many ways that I could answer that question. But let's just say that paybacks a bitch and so am I." And with that I bite down in his neck and begin to suck.

AAAAA the cliff hanger queen is back at it again! Well yes I am! And if you want to see the next chapter then you had better give me some reviews!

So! Who did Tasha go to see?

What evil plan is she cooking up?

And what on earth am I going to do next chapter?

Well keep reading and reviewing and you will find out:)!

Also incase you didn't read my Disclaimer today is my birthday and I would really like a review as my present ;)