Oh wow I am so sorry that I have been gone for so long. There are a few tricks up my sleave still. Please review! I need at least 6 reviews before I post my next chapter.

Chapter 10~ Screaming In The Rain

Alana POV

That night as I sat at the dinner table with Leila, Aunt Lissa, Andre and my mom, conversation was slow.

"Mom, where's Dad?" Andre asked while he played with the rice in his bowl.

Lissa sighed, " He's having dinner with his Aunt tonight."

Everyone seemed lost in their own minds so finally I excused myself from the table and walked out the back door. A light drizzel had snuck upon the academy but I didn't care. The cool air felt good against my warm skin. I gazed through the window and watched my mother as she silently washed a dish. A small trail of tears fell down her face and I looked away. My family had been going through way too many sad moments lately.

"It's kinda cold out here don't you think?" A voice from behind me made me whip around in shock. I had been so engrossed in my feelings that I had left my guardian training behind. Asher stood behind me, his hair sparkeling from the drops of water that had fallen. His hazel eyes bore into mine and I felt relief that it was him rather then someone else.

"Asher, what are you doing out here?" I asked just a cool breeze took my breath away.

He chuckled and pulled out an unbrella, taking a few sow steps until we were both under the cover of the umbrella. He shrugged, " My parents have company over. Nora took off earlier to go to come little party in someone's dorm and well...I didn't quiet feel like hearing my mother discuss baby names for the tenth time today."

I laughed, " So you decided to walk around in the pouring rain instead?"

He rolled his eyes and smirked, " Better then hearing about the pain of child birth."

I grimaced, " Have you been mad at me Asher? You were kind of..cold last night at dinner."

I watched as Asher shifted uneasily before meeting my eyes again with a bizarre look, " I saw you kiss that Ivan character."

My cheeks flushed slightly but I wasn't sure if it was because I was embarrassed or because of the pick up in the wind, " That was really nothing Asher."

And in my heart I knew it was true.

Asher's mood seemed to shift and I saw a slight crease appear in her forehead.

"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" I asked playfully nudging him. A small smile crept onto his face as he casually leaned against the side of my house.

The silence streched on for what seemed like forever until finally I grew impatient, " What is is Asher?"

Asher opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by a scream in the distance.

Dimitri POV

The rain poured and for some reason I couldn't help but connect the weather to my own dreary mood. What was I thinking? Rose had been right in every sence. I had broken her and the memory of knowing that sixteen years ago I had turned my chance on being a father unknowingly. I leaned against the old fireplace in the cabin. Over the years dust had collected inself on the mantel, and spiders had claimed the crevices in the bricks as their homes. As I glanced around the cabin, I couldn't help but feel the realization of my past actions hit me harder than before. I was never one to show my emotions, but the events of the past few days had rattled my cage a bit. A light rumble of thunder crashed outside just as a silent tear rolled down my face. Crying was something I was acustomed to doing but all I could do was replay Rose's words over and over in my head.

No. You don't get to say things like that. You don't get to tell me you love me. You don't get to make me feel this way. You don't get to have me anymore Dimitri. You lost any chance with me when you left me

And then the final conclusion that had summed up everything.

If you ever cared you would have been here sooner.

And she was right. Who was I to stride back into her life after so many years? Who was I to try and make her feel bad for keeping my daughter away from me?

I certaintly was not a man capable of being a good father in her eyes. I had left, I had dug my grave. So why couldn't I find it in myself to accept my choices.

Because you chose wrong, a voice in my head chastised.

And with that conclusion I sat on the foot of the bed and buried my head in my hands. I was no man worth being a father. I didn't deserve Rose let alone to be a part of Alana's life. I was not the man I had always prided myself in being. I was weak.

The rain continued it's constant pouring and I wasn't surprised when a hand gently patted my back. I knew Viktoria would come. She was always there for me.

There was no need for discussion as I threw out all my pride and cried into my sister's lap. I don't know how long we sat there, long enough for the rain to settle down to a suttle rythme, but it must have been at least an hour before Viktoria broke the silence.

"Did I ever tell you about Ivan's father?" She asked and her voice was coated in sadness. I wiped my blurry eyes and gazed up at my younger sibling, but her eyes were stareing far off in thought.

"I don't think I ever did. He was long gone before you and Tasha showed up a few years ago." She paused but I knew she wasn't done.

"He was unlike any Moroi man I have ever met. He was young and smart. Not rich but richer than Mom and us. He had the most dazzling smile in the wrold...and his laugh could silence a whole room. I met him one night while I was walking home. I had gotten a pretty bad fight with mom and was really upset and he seemed to pick up on that fast. Nikolai was good at connecting with people. That's where Ivan gets it from."

Viktoria smiled in thought, " It wasn't long before we grew really serious. I had only known him for four months but I swear...it felt like a lifetime. I enjoyed being around him even if mom didn't know about him and if people looked down on a dhampir-moroi relationship. He was everything to me and that wasn't going to change. I remember the night I lost him too."

Viktoria's eyes grew sad and distant but I didn't interrupt her story, " We had gone out to celebrate our five months together and I was super jittery because I had just found out I was pregnant that morning and I was contemplating how I was going to tell Nikolai. We were walking home and remember Nikolai talking about how he was tired of mom disliking him and how it really concerned him. I was a little flustered with being near him and finding out I was pregnant that I...let my guard down."

The rain continued it's steady pouring on the roof of the cabin as Viktoria's face grew sad, " A group of Strogoi attacked...four in total. I remember feeling scared and I remember freezing. They didn't even come after me. They attacked Nikolai and I remember trying to pry one Strogoi off of him. After that everything's a blur. I remember being knocked to the ground and my fear for Nikolai was replaced with fear for my baby. I remember pleading for them to leave me and Nikolai alone. The last thing I really remember is watching Nikolai be turned and being knocked unconcious."

Sometime during Viktoria's story she had slowly begun to cry and I felt pain for my sister's past. She wiped at her eyes and turned to me fixing a half smile on her face, " The point is I know how it feels to lose your one reason for breathing and I'm telling you. You may think Rose is never going to forgive you but she's just hurt. She needs time to heal but if she loves you as much as she tries to hide then she won't give up on you. She just needs time, that's all...and you can't keep beating yourself up over your mistakes. Would it really bring Nikolai back if I kept blaming myself for his death? No. And it won't bring Rose back to you either if you don't learn to forgive yourself."

Viktoria's words echoed in my head. But I didn't have time to ponder her statement before a distant scream shattered the moment.

Mila POV

Dinner was extremely awkward. Aunt Tasha, Ivan, Christian and some old guy by the name of Abe crowded around the dinner table all in silence. It was extremely awkward being so close to Ivan who refused to make eye contact with me. Everyone seemed at a lose of what to say until finally my aunt broke the unconfortable silence.

"So do you look forward to being a dad again, Christian?" Tasha inquired pushing her vegtables around her plate in a bore manner.

Christian seemed to light up, " I'm actually really excited except I know Lissa has a lot on her plate right now. I don't think she really knows how to handle everything right now."

Aunt Tasha nodded her head, " I know exactly how she feels. I honestly feel very ready to have this baby but it puts a lot in perspective for me."

Christian set his fork down a confused expression crossing his features, " What baby?"

Aunt Tasha turned a scarlet red, " I forgot I hadn't told you and Lissa yet. Abe and I are trying to concieve."

For the first time that night everyone seemed to notice the man at the corner of the table who seemed busy in thought. My aunt seemed slightly irritated by the expression on his face, " Abe darling?" She inquired.

Abe seemed to jump to life a bit startled from his thoughts as he quickly replied with, " Yes Janine?"

Tasha's face turned even redder with anger and Abe's cheeks grew pink with color as he realized his mistake, " My bad darling. What were you saying Natasha?"

Tasha, overwhelmed with anger, rose from her seat and stomped away tossing her crinkled napkin on her unfinished dinner as she went.

Abe stood and excused himself quickly. The table grew silent for several long seconds before my cousin filled the pregnant pause.

"So Mila? How's Charles and Alice doing?" Christian questioned, obviosly trying to make this dinner less awkward. Unfortunately he hasn't succeeded by mentioning my parents.

I sighed and set my fork down, my apetite long ago lost, " I wouldn't know. Last I heard the divorce was going pretty rough and my mother isn't taking the affair well."

Christian nodded and the table again turned abruptly silent. Just as a shirl scream filled the night air.

Nora POV

Where Asher had disappeared to was a mystery to me. I was very bitter that he had left me to suffer dinner alone with my parents and their long lost school friend Jillian Mastrano. Dinner was quite chaotic with my mother's pregnant state and her emotions on haywire. She was happy and juberant and my dad was on edge since my mother's due date was so soon. Jill seemed to have tons of adventures to discuss with my mother. Like my mother, Jill too had practiced the fine art of Moroi fighting and was very passionate about helping dhampirs in the fight against Strogoi.

From the strories Jill told you could tell she hadn't ever come face to face with a real Strogoi but was eager to put her skills to the test.

Conversation continued for what seemed like hours. Plates had been replaced with ice cream and soon the table was clear of any food at all. My dad and I watched as my mother's mood slowly grew more mellow and in the back of mind I was jumping at the bit to go and find Asher and chew him out.

I was slowly dozing away on the dining room table when a scream, so loud I was sure it could be heard around campus, errupted from my mother's mouth.