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I forgot to mention before that none of these characters are mine - they are Richelle Mead's creation... I'm just playing in her world.

The sun was just rising, so that means all the Moroi were getting to bed, but the Guardians will still be up.

"Hey Rose! How are you? How's Dimitri looking?" Stan called over to me as he walked away from a group of Guardians that were gathered around a suspicious looking lady.

"Hi Stan, Dimitri is finally up - Lissa came by to see him. And I'm fine. I was just headed to my dorm to clean up a little, but if you need me to do anything?" I looked off towards that group again. "Who is that?"

Stan looked over his shoulder and shifted to block my view from the lady. "It's no one."

"Oh, well I guess I will just let the idea drop and go about my life. Fat chance," I said to him them started walking over to the group.

Stan jumped to my side and sighed. "That is Emily Walters, and she is an Alchemist. I'm not sure if I should be telling you this, but you've been through this battle, so here is a Graduation lesson: When Guardians kill Strigoi out in the 'real world,' we call Alchemists to clean up the bodies. They are a part of the human world that knows about us, a kind of deal between our worlds. She came to help clean up the Academy's grounds. There is nothing for you to worry about."

I stopped walking and eyed this Emily before I decided to give up this stupid mission. I took Stan's word for it.

"Thanks for telling me. Normally, I would want to get into this a little more, but I'm tired and I want to go to my dorm. I'll be back in an hour," I turned and started toward my dorm again.

"See you later Rose," Stan said, and shook my hand. I must be gaining respect among the Guardians. A lot of unexpected things are happening to me recently: first Kirova and now Stan.

As I walked to my dorm building, there were random messes, sides of buildings were burned, and I had to advert my eyes from the Strigoi bodies yet to be collected. It was weird seeing them like that since they didn't look evil in death.

Inside, some fellow novices were collected in the lounge, but no one noticed me walk in. I didn't particularly want to talk to anyone, even though I saw Eddie was among them. I was glad he was safe, but I wanted to get to my room even more now. My chest was tightening for some reason.

Practically running up the stairs to my room, I unlocked it and slammed the door behind me. I was suddenly overcome with emotion and I couldn't stop the tears running down my face. There were so many lost and so many hurt and Dimitri was so close to being killed. There was so much luck and chance in that fight that I couldn't believe I was still alive myself. As I purged myself, I felt everything settle back down and my breathing calm down again. I honestly don't know where that came from, but it felt like it needed to be done.

Straightening up, I stripped my clothes off and got my shower running. It was probably the best shower I had ever taken in my life. It was like washing all the death and battle off my body and replacing it with a new start. I stood there for a while, just letting the hot water flow down my body and watched as it ran to the drain. I cleared my head and just focused on the water.

As my mind blanked and I calmed down, I began to feel the bond pulsing again. Lissa was asleep, but her mind was not. She had used Spirit again after she had met me and Dimitri, and the darkness was pushing against her dreams. With a sigh, I took the bad from her, and felt it flow into me. The bond was now pure again and Lissa calmed into a restful sleep. Glad I could help, but now I felt a little on edge. I needed to do something… now.

I stepped out of the shower and pulled on some working clothes since I knew I would be recruited to help with something. There was no way I was going to be able to sleep with these images in my head. I punched a pillow and argued with myself for a few minutes to try to dilute the anger in my head before I took it out on someone. Jesse's face swam in my vision, but there was no way I was going to act on it. I just reminded myself that this was going to pass and that I was better then what I was thinking of doing now. Dimitri had taught me that much; I had the strength to make it through this.

Taking deep breaths I collected myself and walked back downstairs. The group in the lounge was gone, but as I walked out, I saw they had been recruited too to help repair the school.

"Hey Rose! There you are, we were wondering about you," Eddie jogged over and gave me a tight hug. I hugged him close back, it felt so nice.

"I'm glad everyone is for the most part ok. We made it," I closed my eyes and blocked the random tears that were collecting again. Stupid emotions.

Eddie released the hug but kept an arm around my shoulder, guiding me to the other novices.

"We have been told to wash down the sides of the buildings and remove any broken chairs or branches. Kirova wants to try to make the school as normal as possible by tonight so when the Moroi parents and royals come to freak out, it won't look like a battle ground."

"But it was a battle ground."

"I know. And now it's time to move on and get back to as normal a life as we can get."

"I like that plan…" And I joined the others as we worked together to try to rebuild the school. We were kept from the deaths and concentrated on fixing the school. After an hour, Stan walked over to us and pulled me aside.

"Alberta wants to see you. She is with Dimitri in the Hospital Ward. Go ahead and meet with her and then if you want to get back here, come find me. We need some help with other things," Stan said as he walked me in the general direction as the Hospital Ward.

"Ok, thanks Stan," I said glancing over at him as he walked back to the other Guardians over by the Church.

I had forgotten Alberta had wanted to talk to me when Dimitri woke up. She better not bitch about that. It's been a long day for everyone.

I walked up the stairs to the Hospital Ward and stepped in.

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