Author's Note: Alright guys! Here is the next installment! Hope you all enjoy! I know Feefella and I have been enjoying all the feedback! So if you guys keep up the good work, so will we! :D

An Author's Note from Feefella: Sorry for the lateness of the DPoV. Blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol... and the work... and children (not mine but I take care of them) and friend drama, and WRITING MY BOOKS!

Disclaimer: The awesome VA Series is ALLL Richelle Meads!


Chapter 7

Rose's Point of View

I awoke the next morning to Lissa shaking me and calling my name. "Rose come on. Get up. You've slept half the day away."

"Mmhmm…" I grumbled.

"Really Rose. Get up. You have to get your molnija mark today." She informed me.

That got me to roll over and sit up. Every tattoo was just another reminder of someone that I'd killed. I knew that they were Strigoi and evil and needed to be killed, but they use to be either human, Moroi or Dhampir before they were turned.

"Good!" Lissa smiled. "Now that wasn't so hard was it?"

"Next to impossible." I yawned as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes.

Lissa just laughed. "Hurry up and take a shower. You have to be at the Guardian Headquarters in an hour."

"Liss! You're just telling me this now? You know it takes me an hour to take a shower!" I shrieked as I jumped out of bed and ran to my bathroom. All I heard was her giggle as she left my room and shut the door behind her.

I turned on the water while I stripped off my tank top and boy shorts and jumped in the shower before the water was even hot. It took my body a few seconds to get use to the temperature but soon enough the water was warm enough for my liking. I at once proceeded to take the most rapid shower of my life.

Once I was finished, I quickly blow dried my hair and dressed in the Guardian attire: black slacks, white button up blouse and a black jacket. When I looked at my clock, I saw that I had about fifteen minutes left. And it would probably take me ten minutes to get there.

I bounded down the stairs and into the living room to see everyone watching a movie. It must have been some chick flick because Lissa and Tasha were completely consumed while Eddie, Christian and Dimitri look bored out of their minds. It took all I had not to laugh at the expressions on their faces.

"Looks like you're having the time of your life Christian." I teased him as I walked to the refrigerator to get a water.

"Oh, you have no idea Rosie." He taunted back.

"Hey! I told you not to call me that." I said as I made my way towards the door.

"Shh!" Tasha and Lissa both hushed us at the same time.

"Sorry." I grumbled as I opened the door to leave.

"Rose, wait." Eddie said quietly trying not to interrupt the girls as he got up to walk out with me. But from the looks they gave him, he didn't do too great of a job.

"Movie boring?" I asked smiling as we continued walking away from the house.

He groaned and looked up at the grey overcast sky. "God yes."

I laughed. "Figures." I paused for a moment. "So how is Mia?" I asked curios as I recalled how they acted around each other the last time I saw them together.

A look of shock crossed his face as he looked at me.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" I demanded as I thought back over what I had said. All I asked was how Mia was doing…

Eddie shook his head. "No, no. Nothing's wrong. It's just… Is it really that easy to tell?"

"Is what easy to tell? That you like her?"

He nodded his head guiltily.

"Well to be honest, no. Not at all. I just assumed that you liked her by the way you two acted around each other." He looked as if a thousand pounds had been lifted from his shoulders. "But don't be ashamed to like her Eddie, or love even. We're lucky to even find love in this field of work." As I said that, Dimitri immediately came to my mind. We had come to a stop in front of the Guardian Headquarters and I decided to finish my speech. "If she's the one, don't let her slip through your fingers."

He nodded again and looked back at the Moroi housing.

"Well what are you waiting for?" I grinned. "Go see her."

Eddie laughed and gave me a hug. "Thanks for understanding Rose." He said before running off to see Mia.

"Oh, if you only knew how much I understood." I whispered under my breath.

I thought about what I told Eddie as I walked into the Guardian Headquarters to get my molnija mark. Guardian Ivey greeted me and lead me back to a room and sat me down in a chair while he went to work on the back of my neck. I ignored the rest of the tattoo procedure as I let my mind wander.

This was mostly about Dimitri.

I drifted back in time to when I first laid eyes on him, tall and mysterious, outside mine and Lissa's window when we had been living in Portland. He had seen me feeding Lissa. He had then captured Lissa and me on the streets later that night, while we were trying to escape him and the other Guardians that Kirova had sent after us. I recalled how he had saved my ass when Kirova threatened to expel me from the Academy and he agreed to take on extra training sessions with me. That's when we began to fall in love, but we both tried to ignore it because it was wrong in so many ways. Because of our age differences, our jobs, and most importantly, Lissa. Then came the trip to the mall when Lissa had bought me that little damn black dress which I'm sure only encouraged the lust spell that Victor, Lissa's so called uncle had charmed into my necklace to distract Dimitri and I while he kidnapped Lissa so she could heal him of his disease, and I had about lost my virginity to Dimitri. Not that I would have minded. But being Dimitri, he had figured it out right before we had 'done the deed' and pulled away. It wasn't too long after that that Tasha had shown up for Christmas and ruined everything…

"Congratulations Guardian Hathaway. Your mark is now complete." Guardian Ivey smiled at me breaking me out of my mental babble.

"Ugh, thanks." I said smiling weakly back at him. The tattoo stung a little, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle, hell, I killed Strigoi for a living.

He then continued to tell me how to care for my new molnija mark but I tuned him out because I already knew how to clean and take care of it. I quickly thanked him again and went on my way.

As I was walking out of the building I about walked smack into Adrian.

"Little Dhampir! Belikov said you'd be here." He said as he crushed me into a hug.

"Ugh, yeah. I was getting my tattoo." I managed to say due to the fact that I was smashed against his chest. It kind of surprised me though that he had talked to Dimitri and not Lissa. "Um, you can let me go now."

"I don't ever want to let you go Rose." He grinned his mischievous smile as he let all of me loose but my hand. "Anyway, I was going to ask you to dinner tonight."

"Adrian, I don't know-"

But he cut me off before I could finish my sentence. "Ah, Little Dhampir, you have already agreed to my plan, did you not?"

"Well, yeah." But I didn't think he would use it against me.

"Good. I'll walk you home and pick you up at four." He explained as he started walking with me in tow.

I tried to suppress a groan as we made our way back to the house.

Once we reached the house, he stopped at the front door and gave me this look that said 'play along'. "So I'll be back at four okay?" I'm sure confusion was all over my face.

"Okay. See you then." I replied in my sugary sweet voice.

"Good." He smiled and leaned down to kiss my cheek. And a little too close to my lips for my liking, before turning to leave.

As I went to open the door, I nearly knocked Lissa out onto the floor. "Lissa! What the hell?!" I now understood why Adrian had given me that look. Lissa and only God knows who else had been eavesdropping.

"Um, I was, uh… Sorry." She finally managed to say.

Christian, Tasha and Dimitri were standing in the kitchen and Christian started laughing at Lissa's response. "Liss, I hate to say it, but I told you so." He got out between his guffaws of laughter. Lissa just glared at him.

"Well since it is apparently killing you all to know what's going on in my personal life, I guess I'll go ahead and tell you." I was being a smart ass, but I couldn't help it. "Adrian is taking me out to dinner tonight. And as I guess you all heard, he's picking me up at four, though I don't know what time I'll be back. Or do I have a curfew?" I asked turning to Lissa.

A look of hurt crossed her face and I instantly felt bad, but it kind of pissed me off that she was listening into mine and Adrian's conversation; even if it was a fake one. "You don't have to ask for permission Rose. You can do whatever you want." She snapped. I don't know why she was the one getting snappy; I wasn't the one listening into her conversations, though I didn't have to at times, her emotions just pulled me in unwillingly.

So to keep myself from saying something to my best friend that I would regret later, I just clamped my lips together and nodded my head at everyone before I stomped off upstairs to get ready.

It was almost 3:30 now, and I didn't have to shower again since I took one earlier. Therefore all I had to do was change clothes. I went into my closet and started to rummage through my clothes. No doubt Adrian would take me somewhere nice, so I figured I'd have to dress up. Somewhat.

I finally settled on a long white, tight fitting tank top with a black sequined belt around the waist and a blue three-quarter sleeve button up shirt thrown over it with jeans and knee high black boots. I left my hair down in loose waves around me, though this would probably turn out to be problematic later due to the A&D ointment on the fresh Molnija mark.

I had just finished applying a minimal amount of make-up when Lissa came in and said with a scowl, "Your date is here." Before clomping off.

Yup. She was still pissed. But I didn't understand why she was so angry! She was the one that kept saying I should give Adrian a chance or at least start dating again, and here I was, doing both –even if it was pretend to make Dimitri jealous- and she still wasn't happy. I just didn't get it.

When I reached the bottom of the steps, I saw Adrian standing by the door in jeans and a dark green shirt that brought out the color of his eyes.

"Rose, you look absolutely beautiful." Adrian told me coming over to take my hand.

"Thanks." I replied smiling at him. I saw Christian trying to calm Lissa down in the corner of the kitchen while Dimitri was looking pointedly out of the window. Tasha seemed deep in thought sitting on the couch. Eddie still wasn't back yet. He was probably having the time of his life. Lucky him. "Well, we'll be back later I guess." I called to anyone who was listening.

"Maybe, if I return you." Adrian chimed in. I swear I saw Dimitri stifle a shudder out of the corner of my eye.

"Oh, you'll return me." I mumbled to Adrian from under my breath as we headed towards the door and out to his car.

"So are you ready for tonight?" Adrian asked once we were both in the vehicle.

"Whatever." I sighed leaning my head against the window. I wasn't in the mood for this tonight. From the side mirror, I could see Dimitri looking murderously out of the window at the car. "Let's just get this over with."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Adrian returned me a little after dawn. We had eaten dinner at a restaurant that I couldn't remember the name of, and then we went back to his apartment to watch some movie called The Fog. It was from the 70's and seemed pretty cheesy, you know, as horror movies go. So I wasn't really paying attention to the plot. The whole time the movie was playing, Adrian had his arm around me while I sat stiff and still like a statue. He finally gave up once the movie was over and took me home.

When I walked through the unlocked door, I was surprised to see a lamp on in the living room. I figured everyone would be asleep and in bed. Then I thought that maybe Lissa had gotten over her attitude and left a lamp on for me - even though the sun was coming up outside, we had dark, heavy curtains pulled over the windows during the day so the sun wouldn't bother the Moroi, so it was pretty dark inside. But when I went to turn the lamp off I about jumped out of my skin when I saw Dimitri lying on the couch reading one of his many western novels.

"Jeez, would it kill you to make a noise or flip a page or something to let somebody know you're here?" I inquired with my hand over my thudding heart.

He sat up, closed his book and ran a hand through his loose hair. "Sorry." He apologized.

"What are you still doing up anyway? I would have thought you'd be asleep." I said trying to get him to talk some more, I loved the sound of his voice.

Dimitri paused as if thinking of what to say. He sighed and finally answered. "I was making sure you got back alright."

His answer surprised me. He still cared. "Dimitri, you don't have to worry about me, I can take care of myself. You know that." I told him.

He stood up and walked over to where I was standing. "I know, but I had to make sure." He said reaching out to take one of my hands in his. His hand was so warm and strong around mine. Familiar. I missed his touch. I couldn't help but stare up into the dark depths of his brown eyes. I felt like I was looking into his soul, I felt like I could live there forever, I felt-

I cut my thoughts off and looked away to the book that he had thrown onto the cushion of the couch.

"Rose-" He started to say but was cut off by, of all people, Tasha.

"Dimitri?" She asked coming around the corner. "What are you still doing up? And who are you talking to?" She froze when she saw me. I was her answer.

I pulled my hand out of Dimitri's and stepped back. I had to think of an excuse and fast. "Um, Adrian had just dropped me off and I saw that Dimitri had fallen asleep on the couch, so I was just waking him up to go upstairs and go to bed." I lied to Tasha trying to cover for Dimitri. For what, I'm not sure, but I felt like I had too.

She nodded her head as she looked back and forth between us. I found it funny how I always ended up alone with these two. "Yeah, well. I guess I'll go to bed now." I said since no one else was saying anything. "Sooo, night." I finished as I gave Dimitri one last look before heading up the stairs. I could feel his eyes on my back as I left the room.

I don't know if Tasha bought my lie or not, but if she didn't, I hope Dimitri wouldn't get in too much trouble.

Dimitri's Point of View

I sat at the kitchen table looking at the stairs. She still wasn't up and I was starting to worry. If she didn't hurry-

"She's going to be late!" Lissa whined getting up from her seat next to Christian on the couch. Tasha looked up from where she sat in the chair close to her nephew and looked at me briefly before turning her attention back to Christian.

We hadn't spoken that much all morning. Besides the formal pleasantries, she was turning into a stranger. She wasn't as outgoing and bubbly as I knew her to be, but more reserved, like something was weighing on her mind.

Me.

It had to be me. I knew I wouldn't be able to hide my feelings for Rose once we got here. I wanted to say it wasn't my fault but I knew it was. This whole damn mess was entirely my fault.

"Well she's up, finally." Lissa said a hint of pride in her voice. It must have taken quite a bit of coaxing.

"Great." Tasha said with a cheery tone. "Let's do something!"

"Sounds good," Eddie said coming out of his room.

And after about half a minute of discussing we were all parked in front of the television, watching some sappy comedy about the inner workings of love. The plot was ridiculous and the acting was lacking any sort of depth but in a way I was slightly jealous of these two characters.

Sure everything seemed up in the air for them now, but in about an hour they would be professing their undying love for each other and end up living their happily ever after. It was so simple for these fictional characters, no real obstacles, no prior commitments… no problem with having to kill evil vampires for a living.

I was so busy glaring at the TV and wishing for a random murder scene in the movie, that I didn't notice Rose come into the room until she said, "Looks like you're having the time of your life Christian." She walked to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water.

"Oh, you have no idea Rosie." He taunted back.

"Hey! I told you not to call me that." She growled on her way to the door.

"Shh!" Tasha and Lissa both hushed them at the same time.

"Sorry." She opened the door and started to leave.

"Rose, wait." Eddie said quietly trying not to interrupt the girls as he got up to walk out with her. But from the looks they gave him, he didn't do too great of a job.

Once they were gone, I sighed and stood up. Tasha looked up at me questioningly. I motioned to the movie with an irritated gesture and she nodded understandingly. She knew I couldn't sit through these movies and was all but giving me permission to leave.

I headed to the door, ready to head after Eddie and Rose, but I stopped myself. What would I say? And why should I interrupt them? I wasn't a part of either of their lives. I sighed and grabbed my jacket, and walked out the door.

The crisp air was refreshing, like I had been suffocating until that very moment. As a gust of wind blew past me, I closed my eyes and turned my face toward the sky. The cold air reminded me of home, and of simpler times. I took a deep breath and that's when I smelt it. Clove cigarettes.

I opened my eyes and glared at the Moroi in front of me. He was standing with his hands shoved into his pockets and a smug grin on his face. "Guardian Belikov." He said with false politeness.

"She isn't here."

"Oh? And where might my darling girlfriend be?" His false sweetness was really starting to piss me off.

"Molnija mark." I didn't want to say more than I had to.

"Right, thanks." The "thanks" wasn't actually a "thank you". It was more like an "I know, you want Rose, but I have her so there". It was completely juvenile, exactly like Adrian Ivashkov.

He turned to leave and I felt my blood boil further. "Ivashkov." He turned back to look at me. "She isn't some conquest. Rose is…" I stopped myself. I wasn't about to lay out my feelings for Rose to this asshole.

"No," he said with a smirk. "She isn't a conquest, and this isn't a competition, Belikov. You had your chance and you chose Tasha. It was the right decision for you at the time. Settle down, start a family, all that sentimental stuff that seems great at the time. But when it comes to Rose, you had your chance. That ship has sailed, and sunk, and now lies next to the Titanic. So go back in there and cuddle up next to Tasha and realize that you made your bed, even if you don't want to sleep in it anymore." He turned and walked away, leaving me standing in the snow.

As much as I didn't like the guy, he was right. I had made my decision, and all my brooding was just causing more of a strain on mine and Tasha's relationship. I looked at the ground and sighed angrily, kicking a pile of snow, before heading back inside.

I had helped myself to the gym in the basement and was getting a bottle of water from the kitchen when I heard Lissa jump up from the table and say "Rose is back… with Adrian!"

Christian and Tasha came to stand in the kitchen next to me and both looked at Lissa with amused expressions. "So?" Christian said with a shrug.

"I wonder what they are talking about."

"Liss, don't. If you eavesdrop, it will just come back to bite you in the ass. It always does." Christian said shaking his head.

"She does it to me!"

"No, she doesn't. She can't control that! You can." He looked at her inching toward the door. "Well maybe you can't."

Lissa pressed her ear to the door and listened intently. "Okay he is talking about meeting her here at four. And she seems pretty into it."

She was caught by Rose moments later but I wasn't paying attention. I was thinking about what she had said. She seems pretty into it. Could Rose actually be falling for that alcoholic, prick?

No matter how hard I tried to just agree that she was gone and I was with Tasha now, I couldn't stop that part of me… that large part of me that needed Rose. I needed to be near her. I needed to hear her voice, to see those beautiful eyes looking back at me every day.

I saw Tasha talking to Christian. She looked up and smiled a little at me before turning her attention back to her nephew. I had to choose. No, I wouldn't end up with Rose, especially now that she was dating Adrian, but I could tell Tasha the truth and she could move on. I would be alone, but it wouldn't hurt as much as living this lie.

By the time Adrian arrived, I was beyond irritated. Staring out the window instead of looking at him was the best option. When Rose came down from her room, I felt my heart swell. She was the only person who could make a casual outfit look like art. She looked glorious. Then she was in Ivashkov's arms and I was reminded of the roles in this little drama. I was the past and Adrian was the future. As they left I felt my heart sinking further in my chest. Every inch of sanity was leaving me and I didn't like who I was becoming.

------------

Though the heavy shades were pulled around all the windows, I could tell that it was slightly past dawn. Everyone had gone to bed hours ago, and I had been reading the same page over and over again for the past hour and a half. I couldn't concentrate, knowing she was still out… with him.

I heard the doorknob turn slowly and someone step quietly into the house. I heard Rose walk quietly toward me and saw her reach for the lamp before she saw me. The startled look on her face was not nearly as amusing as when she jumped back and grabbed her heart.

"Jeez, would it kill you to make a noise or flip a page or something to let somebody know you're here?" She demanded, hand still over her heart.

I set the book down and ran my hand through my hair. "Sorry." I had planned on saying something a bit cleverer but when the time came and she was standing in front of me, "sorry" was all that came out.

"What are you still doing up anyway? I would have thought you'd be asleep." She asked narrowing her eyes.

I felt like a bit of reading? I couldn't sleep? What lie could I pull off? I looked at her and sighed. I couldn't pull off a lie, so I went with the truth. "I was making sure you got back alright."

She looked surprised for about half a second. "Dimitri, you don't have to worry about me, I can take care of myself. You know that." Her tone was a little harsh but there was softness in her eyes that I couldn't quite read.

I stood up and went to stand in front of her. I had been practicing what to say to her in my head but I was having trouble getting it out now that I was here with her. "I know, but I had to make sure." I took her hand in mine and tried to express everything with my eyes. I loved her. I always had and I had never stopped. I wanted her more than I wanted my next breath. I needed to tell her.

"Rose-"

"Dimitri?" Tasha asked coming around the corner. "What are you still doing up? And who are you talking to?" She saw Rose and froze.

Rose quickly pulled her hand from mine. She looked around quickly before turning to Tasha. "Um, Adrian had just dropped me off and I saw that Dimitri had fallen asleep on the couch, so I was just waking him up to go upstairs and go to bed."

Tasha nodded but continued to look at us. She seemed to be making a decision about something but I wasn't sure what. "Yeah, well. I guess I'll go to bed now." Rose said since none of us were saying anything. "Sooo, night." She cast one last fleeting glance toward me and hurried up the stairs.

Once Tasha and I were alone, I felt horrible. I hadn't handled any of this well. She walked across the room and stood in front of me with an expression I couldn't read.

"Goodnight Dimitri," she said quietly and reached up to kiss my cheek. She turned and headed back up the stairs, leaving me in the dimly lit room, confused and feeling guilty.


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