thx for your awesome reviews... you guys are the best... made my day again^^
now be good readers and enjoy that part^^

(though i'm really sorry when Christians POV in this is totally crappy...
i wrote that part in about ten minutes cause
i totally forgot about the others reactions)

~chapter 3~

CPOV

After getting our food Adrian and I walked over to the table, where all of our friends were already seated. Liss looked up from her tray and into my eyes, giving me one of her most beautiful smiles. Not as beautiful as a certain Dhampir girl I know. Stupid inner voice! I took my seat next to my girl and lazily draped one arm around her waist. I was deep in my thoughts about you-know-who (AN are you as excited as i am about the new potter movie?) when Lissa turned to me and started to talk.

"A penny for your thoughts sweetie." First of all, don't call me sweetie. Second... okay there is no second point. But what should I tell her? Nothing cutie, I'm just thinking about your best friend and how her waist feels much nicer under my touch. Can't really do that right?

"Nothing important Liss. Just thinking about recent events." Oh, coming straight to the point without even thinking of it. Well, better tell them now then later.

"Which events? What happened?" Lissa's voice sounded worried. Stupid best friend thing – always worried. Although Lissa brings the word worry to a whole new level. No kidding.

"Don't worry Liss. It's alright. Everything's okay now." Her eyes widened in shock. Oops.

"What do you mean now everything is okay? Tell me what's going on! Is it about Rose? Has something happened to her?" See? Overreacting because of three words. Girls.

"Shh Liss. Listen. Calm down and I'll tell you. But what I tell you is not exactly... nice... but Rose is alive now." God! Bringing bad news to someone is not easy.

"Cut it Chris. Tell me what's going on! Just come to the point." When that's what she wants... who am I to keep her best friends death from her?

"Rose died in the attack, I healed her and now she is bonded to me, because I'm a spirit user like Ivashkov over here and she can feel what I feel and read my thoughts and other stuff we'll need to research." Unbelievable that that came out of my mouth without even inhaling once. Must be a new record for speaking without breathing. Inhaling deeply I registered the shocked expressions of my friends.

"What? She... she died? But... why didn't anyone tell me? She's my best friend and soon to be guardian. They should have told me! And what the hell do you mean 'you healed her cause you're a spirit user'? You element is fire, everyone knows that!"

"Trust me Liss, I couldn't believe it too. But Rose was dead, like no life in her eyes, no pulse and everything. She. Was. Dead." Maybe that will bring the message home. Or I might just buy some neon lights to highlight these words. "I healed her. An ability of Spirit is to heal people. So I did with Rose, but that created that weird bond between us. As I said before she can feel, what I feel and read my thoughts."

While I was still watching a shocked Lissa, Eddie spoke up.

"Man, you're so screwed. Hathaway already hates you. But with getting your emotions and reading your thoughts? She'll kill you without a warning." Certainly Eddie was taking it easy and with humor. One down, two to go.

"So, you say... Rose knows what you're feeling? Everything, no exceptions?" Mia looked at me waiting for my response. I simply nodded at her, keeping my eyes on Lissa. "Whoa, that's gross. I mean, when you and Lissa... that's disgusting." I couldn't help but smile over Mia's reaction. Actually I haven't thought about that point.

Slowly Lissa's look cleared and she stared at me. "You healed Rose?" Not knowing what it was what she wanted to hear I carefully nodded. That's when she tackled me off the bench and onto the ground, showering my face with kisses.

"You. Saved. My. Best. Friend. You. Saved. My. Family." Every word accentuated by a kiss until she finally kissed my lips. Totally lost in our own little world I just heard Adrian mumble something about keeping it a secret and Eddie and Mia agreeing to it in a small voice.

RPOV

Knocking on Dimitri's door for what seemed like an eternity I became impatient, when suddenly the door burst open revealing a cursing and very angry Russian in just his pyjama bottoms. Whoa, I certainly wasn't expecting that. I was just staring at his bare chest, when Dimitri placed his warm calloused hands on my shoulders and shook me lightly.

"Come on Rose. Look at me. What's going on?" The worry in his voice broke me out from my little trance. Wouldn't he be like my big brother – which by the way I never had – I sure as hell would drool at the sight in front of me. Heck I wasn't even sure if I wasn't drooling right now. Shaking my head to clear my mind again, I finally looked up in his eyes.

"Sorry, got a bit distracted down here, Comrade. Mind putting on a shirt or something," I said flashing him one of my famous man-eater-smiles. In return he smiled sheepishly and let me in.

"Sure. Make yourself comfortable. You want something to drink?"
"Uhm... you know. I really could use one of those special hot chocolates of yours. Like the one you gave me on Christmas after I took the little swim in the pond at Tasha's cabin."

He laughed at the memory and I couldn't even be angry at him.

~ flashback ~

It was really stupid of me to believe that one day, one fucking day, nothing would go wrong for me. Yeah right. It was Christmas and Tasha visited her nephew Christian at St. Vlad's. Lissa, Pyro and Tasha were ice-skating on the pond, down at her cabin. Later Dimitri and I joined them, 'cause he gave me one of his super famous Zen Life Lessons. So the Giant and I were ice-skating, too until the luck of Rosemarie Hathaway stroke and she broke through the ice. Everybody was laughing their asses off, including me after Tasha brought me back to a normal body heat.

~ end of flashback ~

After some silent minutes he returned to me with a cup of hot chocolate, still smiling. When he sat down his smile faded and he watched me carefully.

"Tell me Rose, it must be serious when you need a special chocolate. It's about yesterday, right." I nodded slightly, crossing my legs before looking at him again.

"You know what happened yesterday out there," I said pointing out the window. In response he just nodded and waited for me to continue. "You also know that Ivashkov is a spirit user. So... after the Strigoi staked me I died. Like really gone, never coming back. Anyways, Christian managed to heal me. All of us always thought he is a fire user, but he is like Adrian. He wields Spirit and has some special gifts. So he brought me back from... you know... the other side." I saw him flinch, when I talked about it in a way that seemed pretty carefree. Fortunately he knew me better than anyone else and saw that it really hurt for me to talk about it. "So, here I am and now I have some special... equipment added to my awesomeness." He raised one eyebrow at me, still not saying anything. Taking a deep breath, like earlier at Adrian's, I continued. "Since Chris brought me back from the dead, I'm now bonded to him. Means I feel what he feels, sometimes read his thoughts when his emotions are strong enough and... yeah... We don't know more, yet. But we'll have to do some research." Looking up at him I saw the confusion in his eyes.

"You mean... you have some sort of connection? One like Vladimir and Anna?" I nodded my head and watched him carefully. I mean it's not really easy to hear, that you best friend died, came back from the dead and now is somehow connected to a boy, who she sometimes really wants to kill.

"Uhm... okay... Then I'll help you figure that out. It's the least I can do for you."

We went silent for a few more moments, when suddenly I wasn't in his room any longer. »I was in the church's attic, with Lissa. Oh great. That can't be good, that IS so not good. I know what they're doing up there and I absolutely don't want to be a part or a witness from that. Concluding from that I must be in Pyro's head, a place I never wanted to be. I saw his hands tracing an imagined line from her hips up to her breasts. Get out, get out, get out. You don't want to sleep with Lissa so get out. His hands undid the buttons from her blouse and slid it off her shoulders. Get out for Christ's sake. That's when I heard Dimitri's voice in a distance.«Concentrating on it, the picture of Lissa's half-naked body faded and I was back in Dimitri's room.

"Whoa, that was... irgh."

"What's going on, Rose? You just stared at the wall, without even blinking. You got me nearly freaking out over here," he half joked. After blinking some more I finally answered.

"I was with Christian. Let me say, what he does in the church's attic is not meant for my eyes or anybody elses for that matter. And even less for children's eyes. I'll never be gay, that's for sure." I must have made a funny face, cause Dimitri chuckled at my side before breaking into laughter, when I looked at him.

"I assume, he was with Lissa then. Good to know, that you stay straight, then we can find you a proper boyfriend." What the...?

"Don't you dare couple me with one of your friends," I said somewhat exasperated. He just chuckled again. "Could you please stop to making fun of my situation? I don't want to feel and see how he sleeps with my best friend. That's disgusting."

We sat together for a little while longer talking about any stupid stuff that came to our minds. When he escorted me back to my room, 'cause it was already past curfew, he told me that the molnija ceremony would take place tomorrow.

"But I can't get twenty and more molnijas! My neck would look like abused after that. And think of all the time that they would just use for my neck. That would need hours." He chuckled a bit.

"Oh Rose. Think. You know our marks. You won't get normal molnijas. You'd get a battle star, meaning you fought in a battle and everybody lost count on your kills."

"Ooh, right. Maybe I should really listen better to my teachers."

"Who are you telling that? I tell you to listen better nearly every day and still you don't listen."

I laughed at that, when we finally arrived at my room.

"Hey Comrade. You think they would give Pyro a tattoo, too" I asked turning around to him once more. He looked at me a bit dumbfounded, but then smiled.

"I guess so, but we would've to talk to the Headmistress and Alberta first. They would have to give the permission for that. Tell you what. Before lunch tomorrow we'll go to Kirova and Alberta and ask them. Bring Christian. The ceremony starts an hour after lunch so take care, that he isn't in the attic again." With a smirk on his lips he left and I went to bed, only to wake up after some horrible nightmares.

CPOV

After telling the others what happened to Rose and me the other night, Lissa and I went to our attic and spent a wonderful evening. Then I went to see Rose, since she never came back from talking to Belikov, but found just an empty room. Figuring she must still be with the Russian, I went back to my own room and to bed.

My peaceful slumber was suddenly interrupted by a blood curling scream coming from the novice's dorms. And I had a very bad feeling who that scream belonged to, so I put on some sweatpants and a hoodie and made my way to Rose's room. At the bottom of the stairs I was met by Dimitri, who looked like he wanted to smash something or even punch someone. Looks like someone is getting Rose's attitude.

"You can't be here, Christian. It's way past curfew and just one hour til the sun is up. You should be in your room. Sleeping," he said in a stern voice. Waving him off I walked around him and upstairs.

"I know Belikov. But I think Rose told you what happened, so for God's sake, let me check on her. Bad enough, that she now has to deal with my emotions and what not, she has her own problems and nightmares to live with. I just want to be there for her. Besides, I think it would look much better, when I'm found in her room and not you." He let out a heavy sigh, realizing that I was right.

"Okay. You can stay here, if you need to. But make sure, that no one sees you, when you leave. Maybe you should ask her after her battle star, maybe that will calm her down a bit." I nodded at him and slowly opened her door, not knowing what I would find.

thx again for reading... now review and make me a happy author^^...

tell you something... the next chapter is already done... so give me 5 rev's as fast as possible and i'll update even faster :) (though i would love to know your opinions *hint hint*)

and i still only own the plot... but it's an awesome plot (YES i needed that right now^^)