Chapter 4
A gift from my love.

"Surprise!" yelled the whole bloody student body. I wonder how much Lissa paid them to act all joyful and actually turn up. I smiled and acted surprised which seemed to work because everyone seemed to think I was truly surprised, except that hunk standing in the corner. He just looked at me, completely unconvinced that I was surprised. He was smart and somehow knew everything and everyone. I gave Lissa a hug and then returned Lily's how was full of joy for whatever reason. The only person I wanted to hug was Dimitri and I think we would be able to pull it off without anyone really thinking it would be suspicious or a mentor to give their student a birthday hug.

"Do you like it Rose?" Lissa asked. The room was decorated beautifully with the best kind of music playing and a killer disco ball.

"Of course I do, Thank you." I said. I knew Lily had helped a lot with the room and a thank you would be appropriate but did I have too? "Um... thank you Lily." I painfully said.

"You're welcome." I nodded and then made my way to Dimitri.

"Hey you," I whispered at him.

"Happy birthday," He said giving me a little pat on the shoulder and then a wink. Great, I don't get hug but whatever.

"Thanks Dimitri." I noticed the table of presents on the side of the room. Wow, it was actually pretty full. Lissa must have pissed off a lot of people by telling them they had to spend their money on me. Most of them were probably make-up and perfume. "So, your present is over there I'm guessing. Hopefully you would have got me something decent." I smiled at him.

"We are spending too much time together." I looked at him. "I am going to turn in but enjoy yourself, will you?" Was he for real? I gave him a dirty look as he started to walk but stopped before he got past me. "Meet me at my room after the party. I'll be waiting, and so will your present." He shouldn't have said that because now I won't enjoy myself at all. I will be looking at the time until I could leave. It was going to be a long night.

"Who invited dumb and dumber?" I asked Lissa and referring to Ralf and Jesse obviously.

"I had to Rose. I invited everyone and not inviting them would be rude even though they don't deserve to be eating our food." They waved at us after noticing that we were talking about them.

"Hey Rose, how about a birthday kiss ay?" asked Jesse. I shook my head.

"Jesse, you're not even lucky enough to get that in your dreams." I threw at him. The night was full of dancing and laugher and of course a birthday cake. Lissa was taking photos and videos throughout the night which are probably going to come back and haunt me one day. I looked at the clock. Three hours to go.

"Well, if you ask me, I think Stan is one of the hottest guardians out there and trust me there are many to compete with." I had completely blacked out of the conversation and I didn't even know who said that. I was standing with Lissa and Lily and when Lissa replied, I figured Lily was the one behind that disgusting comment.

"Are you kidding?" Lissa replied. "Erk, no way in hell!"

"Why are we talking about our teachers?" I asked rudely. Lily looked at me and smiled.

"We are trying to have fun and it not necessarily teachers Rose. Its boys in general but me being a guardian myself, well I see a lot of pretty impressive guys out there." Lissa laughed and I did too but because of how stupid she was.

"What are your thoughts Lissa?" she asked. Lissa turned and then pointed at Christian.

"That guy right over there," she said. I rolled my eyes and to my surprise so did Lily.

"Ah, this is no fun with someone who already has a boyfriend. Of course they are going to think they are the hottest thing alive. Love does that to you. Ever heard of love is blind?" she said and then turned to me "How about you Rose? Who is the hottest?"

"You have got to be kidding me right?"

"Oh come on. I'm trying to be nice so we can have a good relationship, the least you can do is help me." She snapped. Wow, never expected that to come out of that pretty mouth of hers. I sighed too lazy to come up with a comeback.

"I don't know." I simply replied.

"I think I know who you fancy." She said to me with a smiled. I looked at her.

"You don't know me well enough to know anything about me so don't go thinking that you know me."

"I saw you at training. The way you look at Belikov." My eyes widened as my mouth dropped. This can't be happening. Lissa looked at me with a puzzled face. That fucking bitch better shut her mouth.
"Hey, don't get mad. I don't blame you. He is amaz- Rose?" I blacked out. Horror rose to my face as the ghosts returned. My head was pounding hard and I just fell into darkness. What's new?

I woke up on the floor to the sight of Lily and Lissa looking down at me. My vision cleared and everything seemed to be back to normal. I tried to get up but was stopped by Lily.

"Uh ah, don't get up just yet. Let me just make sure you are fine."

"I am just let me get up. I just had too much of something or maybe had a spiked drink, I am fine." I lied. She looked at me unsure about my decision but helped me back on my feet.

"Rose, are you sure you are fine?" Lissa asked. I put my hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry." I said as I walked towards the drinks and got myself a glass of water. Everyone was staring at me but I just ignored them. Even though I felt fine now, the whole fainting incident was a perfect excuse to leave earlier and go see Dimitri. I smiled to myself and walked to Lissa.

"Liss, thank you for this great party but I'll go and rest just in case."

"Yes, definitely go." She said and then started pushing me out the door. I turned around to everyone.

"Please continue partying. You don't get many night when you are allowed to party and stay up late. Just continue and thank you." I said.

"Alright Rose, move it." Lissa pushed even harder.

"That goes for you too. Continue to enjoy yourself and don't feel that you need to come early to bed for me okay? I will be fine."

"Yeah okay, go!" She pushed and then closed the door on me. I smiled and then made my way to Dimitri's room. I was being cautious like always until I finally made it to his room. I took a deep breath and prepared myself for what was probably going to be a couple of hours of heavy kissing and love. Hell yes! I knocked on the door and Dimitri answered straight away.

"You're early, actually really early. Are you okay?" I wasn't about to tell him about the ghost and shit right now.

"Yeah I am fine. I just couldn't wait any longer so I told Liss that I was tied. Oh and heads up, Lily knows that I 'fancy' you." He laughed.

"She won't do anything. She is probably one of the people who would actually keep it a secret if she found out."

"Well she isn't going to find out. I don't trust her. There is something about her that makes me feel uncomfortable. Almost as uncomfortable as taking to you about this outside of your room when at any moment, someone can see us."

"Oh right," he said pulling me in and closing the door behind him.

"Birthday kiss?" I asked. He smiled and leaned in closer to me. His arms wrapped around my body and pulled me closer to his. I wrapped my arms around his chest and pulled him even closer still kissing him. He slowly closed his mouth and ended our kiss and then picked me up and laughed as he took me towards his bed. He untied my hair and let it flop down. I shook it out and he ran his fingers through it slowly, his eyes following his hand as it went through my hair. I lifted my hand up and caught his and pulled it to my face. I rested my head on his hand and closed my eyes. He moved his fingers along my cheek and then touched my mouth and pulled our hand down to make way for another passionate and wonderful kiss that always sends me into a trance. When we broke I put my head on his chest and heard his heart beating and once again, I closed my eyes. He sighed which caused me to look at him, worried.

"I need to tell you something." He said. He looked sadden by something.

"What's wrong?"I asked.

"Lately, I have been having these dreams of terrible, terrible things and I am behind it all. Many deaths that would be caused by me and I would be around evil all the time." I remembered my dream of Dimitri as a Strigoi. This couldn't mean anything. I was just a coincidence, right?

"I dreamt of you as Strigoi." I unconsciously blurted out which I regret. He was silent for while. I didn't say anything, mostly because I didn't know what I could say.

"I was worried," he said. "that it meant something and then I told myself that I was being stupid but Rose, you have links to the other side. What if this means that my time is coming? What about my fortune, I will lose what I value most?" I shook my head.

"Dimitri please, don't think like that. It's nothing I promise," I gave him a strong and powerful kiss and then hugged him so tightly. "You're not going anywhere. I won't let you leave." I promised him. He sighed again and then smiled.

"You're right. I'm a big doof." He said.

"No, you're not. You are my big doof."

'How about I go get your present?" He asked. I nodded and crossed my legs on the bed as he went to one of his draws. He turned and looked at me with his hands buried in his clothes. "Close your eyes and put your hands out." I did as he asked but as I felt him get closer, I opened my eyes. "Now how did I know that was going to happen?" He had hidden the present in his pocket. Smart one. I laughed and then closed my eyes again. I felt something small and square being placed on my hand and then I realised what is what. Oh shit, no, not a proposal.

"Open." He said and I did. In my hand was a ring box. I sighed. How could he do this to me? "Before you worry, I am not proposing okay?" I let out a sigh of relief and then he opened the box. There was a ring in it though. It was a gold ring with a large ruby and diamonds around it. It was beautiful. "This ring... it's... it's a ring that I will make you a promise on." I looked at him. "Rose, you know we won't always be able to be together. Whether we want it or not, soon we will split because of Lissa or if something happens to us so I am giving you this with a promise. A promise that no matter what happens, I will always love you." Tears started rolling down my face as he took the ring out of the box and put it on my right third finger. "Happy Birthday," He said. I was left speechless and kissed him and this time, I wasn't going to let him go.

An hour later I forced myself out of his bed and got myself ready. We didn't have sex at all. Tonight was a night of lying together and holding each other until I had to leave. I tied my hair back up in a pony tail, kissed him goodbye and then made my way back to my room where I would instantly pretend to be sleeping. I got to my room and quickly changed into my most unattractive sleepwear and snuggled into bed. It wasn't as comfortable as Dimitri's bed. Of course he had a double bed and I had the most uncomfortable single bed possible. Plus I had no one to rest my head on. I closed my eyes and pretended to be sleeping until I actually did fall into sleep.

"Where the hell were you tonight? You missed an awesome party!" I said to Adrian. We were in a brown coloured room this time. Pretty plain, he probably didn't have the emery or something.

"Yeah, I heard it was so awesome that you couldn't bare it and fainted." He smiled.

"That was nothing."

"Yep, just I sign of weakness if you ask me."

"Weak?" I snorted. "I could take you down now! I don't have these marks on my neck for nothing." I pointed at my molnija marks. "But anyway, where were you?"

"Kirova made me hang out with a bunch of freaks again." He sighed. "Sorry I missed it. Happy birthday." He said leaning in to give me a hug.

"Thanks Adrian. We need to catch up outside of my dreams okay?"

"Yeah I know, but you are always too busy or pissed off." He laughed. I glared at him but it was true through. I'll give him that. "How is Lily going? Was she there tonight?"

"Oh yeah, making us talk about who we thought was the hottest guy out there. Then I was being a bitch and she snapped at me."

"Oh no," Adrian said sarcastically. "She didn't dare snap at Rosemarie Hathaway. Geez, I should have been there to see the fight." I looked at him.

"There was no fight. I backed off actually."

"Wow, seriously?" Adrian said trying not to laugh.

"Yeah seriously. I just couldn't be bothered." I lied. I don't know what stopped me. He burst out laughing.

"Alright Adrian, move your arse and get out of my dreams!"

"No you can't make me. Besides I am having fun laughing at you." He wasn't going to leave. Luckily I know how to get what I want. The room started turning and small figured appeared which then formed Dimitri's bedroom and Dimitri lying topless on the bed.

"Fuck!" Adrian yelled. "Stop doing that." I laughed as he faded away. It works every time.


Authors note:

Hey Everyone!

I am so incredibly sorry that this is so overdue. I was thinking about it tonight and I woke up and started writing this.

Please please please please please please please please please review my story just to let me know that you have read it and if you like it.
I am currently on school holidays which means two glorious weeks of writing so I am hoping to get the next few chapters up soon.

Thank you for your support and words of kindness. It means a lot.

Keep reading!

-x-Nancy-x-

P.S: Tell your friends and get them to read my stories too!