hey guys. super super super super super sorry. you probably hate me for updating so late but please leave your dads 9mm in his closet. it's been a real busy month. i was put in the wrong class, more drama, have to be at the school about every night etc. the list could go on but the bottom line is i'm sorry for being late with my chapter. please forgive me? pretty please with a Andre on top?

-enjoy

-annelie

play list- open eyes

total words-3,024


"Night guys." I said as I made my way to my room. I had an extra bed in there. Thank goodness.


Chapter 8

It was dark. Pitch black. I couldn't see anything.

As I walked through the base I couldn't see anything. All the lights were off and every time I tried to switch it on, the buttons would disappear, like literally. It would just disappear.

As I walked through the common area I could feel eyes on me, I turn in circles but saw no one. Weird.

As I walked to where the windows were supposed to be I walked straight into a wall of muscle. Now I was freaked out. I was about to scream when two large hands covered my mouth.

"Surprise!" all the lights came on and everybody and I mean everybody from the whole base was cramped into the room. Even the guardians from the academy were there, including Alberta.

"Happy birthday!"

WHAT? OH MY GOD, I forgot my own birthday! How could I forget my own birthday?

"I…" I was speechless.

"Happy birthday babe." Andre said, taking his hands from my mouth and gave me the sweetest kiss I have ever gotten. I turned around and saw Dimitri ready to kill him. What? He said he was ok with it that I dated other people and stayed friends. He looked really jealous. What the hell?

"Happy Birthday sis." Jackson said as he came over and gave me a bear hug.

"Sorry about last night." I said, looking down.

"Hey, it's ok. Just feels weird to have my 'little' sis attack me."

Did he just call me little?

"Did you just call me little?" I asked, towering over him. He looked as scared as hell.

"N-no. I me-ment littler, yeh, littler than me. That's what I meant." He tried to get out. And everybody there burst out laughing.

"Y-you should ha-have seen your f-face." I said between fits.

"You better be glad it's your birthday. Wait till tomorrow, then we'll see who's laughing." He warned which caused me to laugh harder.

"Jack, everybody knows it's pointless to get me back. You'll just end up hurting yourself. Well, knowing you, you'll get hurt either way." And that just made everybody laugh harder.

Everybody came and wished me happy birthday, including Dimitri.

"Hey, happy birthday Rose. I can't believe you're an adult already. Oh and thanks, you know, for last night. I feel a lot better." Alberta said as she came to me.

"It's ok. You know you're like my mother. I would do anything for you. ANYTHING." I said.

"Hey Rose, sing us a song!" André shouted from the other side of the room.

"You can sing?" Dimitri and Alberta asked at the same time.

"Uh, yeah, I kinda started writing songs in my-very limited- free time." I said, rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly.

Jake and David brought out the piano, I mean lowered the piano. There was a platform which lowers from the ceiling.

I went and sat on the chair as everybody came and stood around me, André taking a seat next to me. And I began to sing.

Look around, it's dead at night
You've been losing every fight
You're hope is, feeling broken
You're feet are rough, they're scraped and bruised
But still have strength to take you through,
Into,
The dark

Every guardian there was gawping at me while the others sang with me silently and swaying.

Just close your eyes
And push right through
I know it's tough right now
This was meant for you
When the clouds are gone
Not a shadow in sight
You'll be drenched in the sun
With open eyes
(X4)[Woah-oh-oh]

Now everybody was singing along and swaying with the tempo of the music.

At the beach, the waves will crash
Tuck and grab and pull you back
The sun may, be covered in grey
The sand will itch, itself may burn
Hurricane will take it's turn
Until,
The dawn

Just close your eyes
And push right through
I know it's tough right now
This was meant for you
When the clouds are gone
Not a storm insight
You'll be drenched in the sun
With open eyes

(X2)So close your eyes, shut them tight
Let it be, and it will fade away (fade away)
Push on though the strength in you
Let it be, and wish it all away (all away)

With open eyes,
Open wide,
It's all good now, watch it fade away,
Day by day

Just close your eyes
And push right through
I know it's tough right now
This was meant for you
When the clouds are gone
Not a storm insight
You'll be drenched in the sun
With open eyes.

When I was done most of the guardians were crying. Including Stan. Ha- ha, I got Stan to cry. I'm on a roll.

"Rose *sniff* that *sniff* was *sniff* beautiful." Alberta said.

"Thanks. I wrote it when I felt like my life was over. Like there was nothing left for me." I said as I looked at Dimitri. With him staring right back at me and flinched, catching my drift.

"OK, so enough with the pity party. Let's play some games." Jack said.

"Hell yeah. Let's play truth or dare." I said while they looked shocked.

"What? Hey I'm 19, not 50. I still like to have fun once in a while." I joked.

"K fine. I'll go first. André, truth or dare." Jack asked.

"Dare."

"I dare you to… make out with Jonathan for a whole 15 minutes." Jonathan was one of our youngest guardians.

André paled but complied. He and Jonathan kissed for 15 minutes and every bit of it was disgusting. When they were done André tackled Jack down to the ground, making them roll down the stairs.

We were all seated on one of the balconies that looked over the whole training area.

"When you two are done we want to continue the game." I yelled down at them. A minute later they were back and we continued.

"Alberta, truth or dare?" André asked.

"Um, truth?"

"Damn. Ok well what do you think about your life as a guardian? I mean like don't you ever get tired of being treated like shit?" that was a good one.

"Well, I love my job, but sometimes it's just too much. And true, we don't get the respect we need, and the think very low of us. Sometimes I wish I didn't become a guardian, but other times it's the best job in the world." She said the last part looking at me with love in her eyes. I smiled, knowing what she meant. That she liked it for working with me.

"Ok, Rose, truth or d-"

"DARE! " I yelled before she could finish her sentence.

"I dare you to kiss Stan with tongue for 20 minutes straight. But in your room. I really don't want to see it." She said.

André was on the floor laughing his ass off with most of the guardians. Dimitri had a murderous look on his face. Stan's face was priceless. He looked paler than a strigoi. I just smirked. Everybody knew my history with Stan, which made this just that much funnier.

"Oh come on Stanny boy, I'm a great kisser." I said, Andre looking at me with lust and at Stan with amusement.

"I would definitely agree with that. And Stan, better watch it." André warned. I just laughed and stood up, pulling Stan with me while he screamed.

"Please, NO NO NO. Do you want me dead?" he kept yelling as I dragged him to my room. I opened the door and pushed him in, locking it behind us. Stan was now sitting on my bed looking glum.

"Oh cheer up Stanny. I'm not that bad, am i?" I asked as I started walking to him, swaying my hips. He visibly gulped; looking at my lips he stretched his arms out to me, inviting me into his embrace.

-WARNING-MINOR RATED M SCENE-

I let him pull me closer until I was standing between his legs, my knees resting on the mattress. He lifted his hand, stroking it along my arm, up to my shoulder, behind my neck. He started pulling my closer, inch by inch. This was taking too long! I grabbed him by the shoulders, pushing him onto the mattress. Climbing onto him, I snaked my hand behind his neck, letting my fingers feel his soft black hair.

I leaned down, placing my lips softly on his, teasing him. I began to move my lips against his, waiting for him to respond. And boy did he respond. He kissed me back with such a force that I had to grab his shoulder, pinning him back to the bed. We kissed with so much passion I could die right there. I could feel his hands going to my hips, stroking me.

His tongue snaked out, licking my bottom lip-asking for entrance which I gladly accepted. Our tongues danced a sacred dance, tangling with each other. I decided to let him be in charge. I quickly flipped us over, making him moan into my mouth. I grabbed the hem of his shirt, lifting it over his head. Things were getting hotter every second, which surprisingly didn't bother me. I could make out with Stan for the rest of the day if I could have it my way. Stan was an amazing kisser, even better than Andre. WHAT AM I SAYING? IT SOUNDS LIKE I'M FALLING FOR STAN ALTO! Well maybe I was, so what? It didn't matter. I'm with Andre, am I not?

In the meantime Stan had pushed my shirt upper, showing half of my breasts. His hand came up from my stomach, stopping just before they touched my breasts, and I know what he was asking. He was asking permission to touch me. I grabbed his hands, putting them on my breasts, making him groan.

He pinched my nipple, electing a moan from me. Since this was a dare we weren't supposed to stop kissing till the 20 minutes were over, so instead he kneed my breasts, making me squirm under him. My hands were grabbing the blankets, needing something to hold onto.

-MINOR M SCENE OVER-

All too soon the 20 minutes were up and André shouted from the other side of the door.

"Time's up."

We both sprang apart at strigoi speed. We looked at each other. His face full of lust and I'm sure mine mirrored his. With a sigh I picked up my shirt and put it on while Stan put on his. Now looking at him he looked… HOT. You could see his well-defined abs, tanned skin, hollow lust filled eyes. I couldn't take my eyes of off him. He seemed to notice my staring and started laughing. I shook out of my trance and scowled at him.

"Alto, don't you dare laugh at me." I warned, making him laugh harder and making me angrier.

"What the fuck is so funny?" I asked.

"Y-you should have seen your face. Priceless." He chocked out.

"Shut it. Or I'll make sure you won't have anything to laugh with."

He seemed to see I wasn't joking 'cause he immediately stopped laughing, looking more scared than I've seen him the whole night. I just laughed.

"Come on, they are probably wondering where we are." I said as I made my way to the door but not before turning around and looking at him.

"This never happened." I said, my face serious but I felt a pang of sadness as I said the words.

"Of course not. I do not think of you in such a way." He said straight back at me but sounding heartbroken.

We both walked out and went to sit with the others.

"What took you so long?" Jack asked, eyeing us suspiciously.

"Nothing. My door was locked and I had trouble unlocking it." I said.

"O-K. if you say so." He left it at that.

We finished the game and went on to other games.

The rest of the party was kind of a blur. I opened my presents, watched movies etc. all the things you do at a party. When it was time for the guardians to go back it was one of the worst times of my life.

"Good buy Rose, we'll see you again. And soon." Alberta and Stan said. Stan looking very sad.

Dimitri looked sad to go but glared at the arm around my waist, the arm which belonged to André . I just shrugged. What it wrong with him? He's been acting like that the whole day long. Now to do the hardest thing I had to do in a long time.

"Guys." I said as they were about to get into the SUV.

"I… I'm sorry that I have to do this." I said as I gestured for one of our moroi nurses, yes we also have moroi here, to come forward and compel them.

"You will forget everything that happened last night and today. You will remember going to the other academy, but never getting there because you got a flat tire. You'll remember going back to the academy. If anybody asks where you've been, make up a story." She told them.

And just like that they forgot everything, got into the SUV and drove out.

I was really sad to see them go, but I knew I had a job to do, and I couldn't do it with them there.

000

"Hey, the new recruits are arriving in 8 hours. Where are we gonna do the orientation?" Jackson asked.

It has been two weeks since the guardians got attacked and came to the base and walked out of my life… again. Every month we have a little- well, I don't know what to call it-, gathering, or something where we get new recruits from all over the globe and we orient them to see if they got the right stuff to be a Shadow Keeper. It's like a training camp that goes on for about 3 weeks where we test your skills, physical and mental. We get about 200 dhampirs a month but only about 60 make it in one week. By the end of the 3 weeks we have about 12 that made it.

Of course if you don't make it we compel you to forget everything, about the base, people and training they went through etc.

"Um…"

"Um?"

"that old warehouse on the other side of town. That one that is abandoned 'cause it burned down, well most parts of it. Take some guys and go and prepare the place. I'll come by in 3 hours. There is something I have to do first." I said. He nodded and walked off.

Now to go see that father of mine.

OH THE JOY!


And? was the wait worth it? please review and tell me.

Oh and question. i know i have asked this already but please answer again 'cause i'm thinking of changing some stuff.

Who do you think Rose should chose?

Dimitri

Andre

Stan

or... Christian?

Just askin. please review.

-Annelie