Disclaimer: Not Richelle Mead. Wish I was but I'm not. So I don't own anything from her books. Just the stuff I make up.

Okay guys just going to say this. Excuse any mistakes. It's midnight I'm tired and yeah...so enjoy the chapter...er rest of the chapter. ;)

9

Time stood still. The only thing that mattered was him.

We seemed to move at the same time, completely oblivious to everyone around us.

The tension was killing me but I kept my cool and walked towards him, even though every cell in my body told me to run to him.

He looked like he was about to bolt himself.

And then we stopped. I could smell his aftershave I hadn't realized how much I missed it.

We both took a step closer to each other. I looked up into his eyes and I felt all the tension melt from me.

He looked at me like he couldn't believe what he was seeing, but he also looked like the happiest person in the world.

He reached out towards my face. His fingers caressed my cheek and I closed my eyes at the warmth that spread over me.

"Roza," he whispered.

I opened my eyes noticing the tears that had somehow started streaming out. I looked back in to his eyes and was startled to see tears there too.

I didn't get a chance to reply to him. His other arm encircled my waist and pulled me to him. I gladly wrapped my arms around his neck.

And then our lips met.

This kiss was everything. This was one of those kisses that held every ounce of passion each person had. It didn't matter that I had been his student, that I had died, that Dimitri had run off, that I had miraculously come back to life, killed an extreme amount of Strigoi, or the fact that we were surrounded by tons of Guardians. The only thing that mattered was us.

So we completely ignored everything around us. For all we knew the world was in flames.

His hand slid from my cheek to the back of my neck and then to twist into my hair. He held me closer and he somehow deepened the kiss. I didn't think it was possible to love someone so much but I did. I loved Dimitri with all of my being and I would not be taken from him again.

But that's what something was trying to do. I could hear someone calling my name and it wasn't from the Guardians surrounding us.

I could sense the mist coming around me, to drag me back to the Shadow World. But I had the power to choose.

I pulled back from Dimitri. We rested our foreheads together.

"I love you Dimitri," I whispered to him.

"And I love you my Roza," he said kissing my forehead.

I felt the tug and was pulled backward. Dimitri looked at my face which was probably consumed with annoyance.

I closed my eyes and muttered under my breath, "I can't come back now."

Dimitri moved closer to me, "What's wrong?"

I looked in to his love filled eyes, "It's hard to explain but I'm being called."

Now the black mist was coiling around my ankles and was beginning to rise. Dimitri looked down, eyes widened.

"You can see it?" I asked.

He nodded.

"I don't want to go," I said, hysteria leaking in to my voice.

"I don't want you to go," he said grabbing my hand. The warmth surged through me.

I tried to concentrate and push the mist away. But it was insistent. I could hear someone calling me, this time urgent.

"I have to go Dimitri, but I'll be back. I'm coming back, I promise."

He didn't let go of my hand. I leaned up to kiss him once more.

It wasn't as long as I would have preferred but it was enough that it would get me through going back.

I pulled back, "I love you."

Then the mist rose over my head.

Mason was going to pay.

(This is where it cut off so what's below is the rest! Yay!!!)

When I could see the field in front of me (and Mason), I burst out of the mist. I didn't wait for it to dissipate around me. I lunged at Mason. He seemed to be expecting me. And he ran like hell.

"Get your pale ass back here!" I screamed at him taking off after his disappearing figure.

"Not in till you calm down!" he said over his shoulder.

I pushed myself harder, "I'll calm down when my fist meets your face!"

"Then hell no I'm not stopping!" he said turning off to the right.

A log appeared out of nowhere in front of me and I almost ran in to it. But my increased senses kept me alert and I jumped over it.

But he was gone.

"Oh Mason where are you?! Come out come out wherever you are!"

"Ha ha no," he said sarcastically from somewhere behind me.

I turned and glared in to the meadow that was now a forest.

"I'll find you sooner or later," I grumbled.

"Yeah and when you do hopefully you'll be calmed down."

"I highly doubt that Mason. Why in the hell did you do that?"

"Uh yeah um the Strigoi…wanted to congratulate you."

"You couldn't just I don't know tell me that while I was there?"

"You were busy and I needed your attention."

"I thought you said you weren't jealous?" I said walking down a row of trees where I thought he was hiding.

"I'm not," he stuttered.

"Liar," I said jumping around a tree. Nothing.

He laughed, "Nice face."

Ugh! I turned where I thought his voice was. Still freaking nothing!

"You told me you understood. I love him Mason. And I'm sorry, I tried to tell you."

Images of that terrible day flashed in my mind. I had planned to tell him I just didn't….

That's when Mason appeared in front of me. His brow was furrowed, "When did you try to tell me?"

I looked up in to his eyes. I didn't have to tell him.

"When you pulled away, that's what was wrong."

I averted my eyes.

"I guess I should have known."

Then I realized he was trying to make me feel bad. He was trying to make me forget why I was mad. So I did the most logical thing, I punched him in the face.

He backed up clutching his nose, "What the hell Rose!"

"You aren't even bleeding," I scoffed.

"Dead people don't bleed," he said straightening his nose.

I glowered at him.

"Okay look I'm sorry. I'll admit I was jealous. Seeing you kiss him just I don't know," he said standing back in front of me.

He was brave.

"I'm sorry Mason," I repeated. And I really meant it. I had wanted to be able to be close with Mason I just couldn't.

He sighed, "I guess I'm sorry too, for breaking up your reunion."

I sighed, "So there's really no reason why I'm here?"

"Not really," he mumbled.

I rolled my eyes and hugged him. He was tense at first and so was I. He was so damn cold!

He wrapped his arms around me and whispered in my hair, "I'm sorry for everything."

I pulled back, "And I'm sorry too."

His brow furrowed again, "For what?"

"Not saving you," I said in a whisper.

"It wasn't your fault Rose," he said.

"Yes it was I shouldn't have told you about Spokane."

He grimaced, "I made the choice Rose not you."

Ugh that's what everyone kept telling me. The look he was giving me said I wasn't allowed to blame myself anymore.

"Can I go back now?" I asked.

He smiled, "I guess."

I couldn't help the smile that crossed my face as I imagined Dimitri.

As I turned to start the opening of the gate Mason interrupted me.

"Will you tell Eddie I said hi and that I'm sorry for what happened to him?"

I nodded, "Of course Mase."

He nodded back and let me continue opening the gate.

And then the mist rose and I was propelled back to the real world. Or for better words the forest meadow thing melted around me and the walls of the room I had been in rose up. I had kept my eyes open this time.

I looked around before stepping out of the mist. (I was going to have to come up with names for all the weird stuff that kept happening…like the black mist stuff.)

My mother was sitting on a chair staring off in to space. Dimitri was sitting on the floor with someone next to him. I immediately recognized Alberta.

Other Guardians were there but most were gone. I could detect a few in the other rooms but the most I counted were six and that included the three I recognized.

I kept the mist around me and used my awesomely improved hearing to 'eavesdrop' on Alberta. I didn't want to barge in, or rather mysteriously reappear, as she was talking/bitching/scorning/whatever.

"I actually can't believe this. I never would have thought you of all people would do something like this. I mean you! But the strange way you've been acting and the unexplained fights between you and Janine they all make sense now! I just overlooked everything, just shrugged it off as mentor student stuff."

Yep she was bitching and it was about me and Dimitri.

"I can't believe how stupid I've been. You know I have to report this to the Council."

Okay I'm done.

I stepped out of the mist, "No you don't," I said in a clear voice.

It was like I could hear the heads of the people in here snap up to look at me.

Alberta was startled but had her composure back in a second. Dimitri looked up at me with something in his eyes that I couldn't identify. Then I realized it was a frenzy of emotions; surprise, love, desire, uncertainty, love, passion, desire, want, hunger. Did I say love?

Alberta stared at me for longer that was necessary, "You know the rules."

I was surprised she just addressed me like it was normal for people to just appear out of thin air.

"No you don't."

"Explain why I don't?" she said in a slightly mocking tone. I actually couldn't believe she was being such a bitch.

"Because I 'died'," yes I did the air quotes, "so technically I didn't graduate. And if I'm correct my year has graduated. So that means I'm not a student anymore. And I'm over eighteen which means I'm an adult. Free to have an adult relationship with an adult." Extra emphasis on adult.

Her lip twitched.

"So we have done nothing wrong," I said in a matter of fact tone.

"Yes but I have reason to believe this 'relationship'," she copied my use of air quotes, "has been going on since before you…."

"Died," I supplied.

She nodded, "Died."

"Well I'm sorry to hear you don't have evidence," I said crossing my arms. I knew my new appearance had to be intimidating.

She opened her mouth and then closed it again.

I heard something rush up behind me. I turned on the spot readying my self for an attack.

I was not expecting the attack to be my mother.

"Rose I can't believe you're alive!"

This was not a part of my mother I had ever seen. And I wasn't to sure I wanted to see it.

But it got to me. I put my arms around her and hugged her and we both ended up crying.

"I don't understand anything and I don't want to," she whispered. "I just care that you're here."

I nodded, "Me too."

We stayed like that for a few minutes, even though every cell in my body wanted to fling myself at Dimitri.

I resisted and my mother finally let me go. She wiped her eyes and then got up.

She turned to Alberta, "I may not approve but I see nothing wrong with the two of them," she said nodding to me and Dimitri.

My jaw dropped and I'm pretty sure Dimitri's did too.

Alberta just stood there like my mother had just slapped her.

I jumped for joy. (Well in the inside.)

She turned to me, "I want to talk to you later but I have business to attend to."

Typical. I just nodded and remembered to close my mouth.

Alberta glared after my mother but then ended up storming off towards one of the other rooms.

I glanced around. It seemed like the rest of the Guardians were giving me and Dimitri some privacy because as soon as Alberta left they others disappeared.

I smiled and turned to him.

He was already in front of me.

"I'm sorry I had to deal with a jealous dead guy," I said through my smile. It just would not leave my face. Seeing him just made me want to skip around for some odd reason.

He raised his eyebrow in that awesomely cool way that I wish I could do, "Jealous dead guy?"

I shrugged, "That's not even the weirdest part of my life."

He chuckled and then grabbed me.

His lips pressed in to me and it was like a fire had erupted. I wanted it to be just me and him forever. I wanted to be back in that cabin and be in his arms.

His hand cupped my face and the other was at the small of my back, pressing me in to him.

It's amazing how pissed you can get at interrupters.

Dimitri reluctantly (reluctantly!) pulled away.

A Guardian I didn't know who looked scared out of his mind as he took in my murderous expression.

"Calm down Roza," Dimitri whispered.

I felt myself cool at his words. I turned away so I didn't have to stare at the stupid interrupter.

"Uh we're moving out," he squeaked. I must have made a bad impression.

Dimitri nodded and then grabbed my hand, "I have my own vehicle."

I smiled at the meaning behind his words.

Dimitri however looked at me like he was seeing me for the first time.

His eyes scanned over me and an odd expression crossed his face.

"What!" I finally blurted out.

He chuckled, "Nothing it's just that you've changed."

I looked down, "Is that a bad thing or a good thing."

He looked me up and down, "I don't know, I kind of like it. Very sexy."

I shot him one of my most impressive Rose smiles.

His smile grew and he just stared at me. "Your eyes," he finally whispered.

Everyone was so concerned about my eyes.

"What about them?" I asked.

"There's a ring around them."

"Yeah of purple, I have no idea what that's about. But it seems like someone has decided that purple is my color."

"Well it suits you," he finally said.

I smiled tauntingly at him.

"I think we have a long drive ahead of us. And I don't know about you but I've supposedly have died, come back to life, had to deal with all sorts of dead things, find out a lot of things about myself or new self, been in two fights with tons of Strigoi, tried to talk to Adrian in random dreams, find you, oh and deal with annoying jealous ghosts. I'm tired and I think I'll need help getting to sleep."

He smiled, "I completely agree even though I've just had to have one of those dreams with Adrian, found out that the love of my life, my heart and soul is not dead, watch her appear out of nowhere and cut down probably twenty Strigoi without even breaking a sweat, then finally get to hold her to make sure she's real only to have her snatched away by jealous ghosts, and then get yelled at, and then see her magically reappear and to have her in my arms once again. I can see where you're coming at."

I skipped the smile and just kissed him.

His hand twisted in my hair and again I wished that we were alone.

He had to break it because I was so not going to.

He took my hand and led me outside. We walked pass a line of vehicles to a black jeep. The windows were tinted and it made it look extremely dark outside.

We waited because Alberta was coming to the windows of every car to give orders.

When she got to us she scowled and looked anywhere but at me or Dimitri. She focused on his shoulder.

"We will meet back at St. Vladimir's. I want each of you to give me a report. We also need to speak with Rose," she said bluntly. Then she walked away and we left.

I couldn't believe it. I was alive, I was with Dimitri, we were going somewhere that wasn't the Academy to sleep, and I was happy.

So what was going to go wrong?

Can you hear the scary music or what? Lightning and thunder cues NOW! Hehehe.... Anyways sorry it took me so long to finish. I had to read Hunted! And it was awesome!

Okay anyways thanks for reading! Review!!!

p.s. Thanks for all of the reviews!! They mean a lot! So keep reviewing!