Okay so I was going through all my AN's and I couldn't help but notice that they all started off the same way; 'a huge thanks' 'yet again thank you' – don't get me wrong I love your reviews! - or even 'sorry for the late update'. So I thought I'd go about this one differently.

I was really disappointed by the lack of response to

"Dimitri-Hater007"'s poll (Who is the better writer on fanfic). I have a shocking 3 votes! (Thank you to those 3 anyway). So please drop by her page and support me guys, hey I might even update faster if I get a reasonable figure of votes :P

On a slightly lighter subject, here's chapter eight! I don't really like authors who critique themselves all the time, but I have to admit, this chapter was quite boring to write and I'm guessing quite boring to read too :|

Same disclaimers as always! Enjoy …

RPOV

How the hell did Adrian live through this? My head was banging non-stop and I just felt like grabbing a hammer and hitting myself with it. I could feel my sleep slowly slipping away and eventually I blinked my eyes open.

I got hit with a blindingly bright light, so I quickly shut my eyes again.

It's a rather bright morning for winter. Mind you, I'm guessing its more like afternoon by now, as the twins haven't arrived to wake me up. That was definitely unusual.

If my alarm clock didn't do its job then they usually did. Oh no, the twins! There still at Alberta's! Everything came rushing back to me … the party … Pitbull … Ricardo … Dimitri …

Urgh! I am so not looking forward to today. That's when I noticed my pillow is rather uncomfortable. I lift my head up slightly and then rest it down again, hard.

Not a good idea as my head is still killing me.

"Hey!" I heard a voice say close to me.

Adrian? What the hell was he doing here? Wait – where was I? I peeked open my eyes slightly to reassure myself, thank God, I was in my bedroom. Some one still seriously needed to explain himself.

I managed to turn around and I realized that I had been resting on Adrian's muscular chest.

He was looking at me, rather amused, I should add.

I groaned and rolled to the other side so that I was on my pillow again but my arm was stuck under Adrian.

"Do you mind?" I said gruffly as I struggled lifting his weight off me.

"Hey, I wasn't the one who put their arm under me, don't have a go at me," he said.

"Oh what, so you think I was the one who decided to for some stupid reason stuff my arm under you?" I asked accusingly.

"Well, obviously, that's the only reasonable explanation," he said rolling his eyes childishly.

"Shut it, Ivashkov," I grumbled. I so could not be assed with his smart ass-ness. "What the hell are you doing in my bedroom anyway?"

"Believe me, little dhampir. If I honestly knew, I would tell you," he said modestly. Sure he would. But to tell you the truth, I really didn't mind him being here, which was surprising …

I sat up on the bed and rolled my head around on my shoulders. Then I slowly swung my feet over the side of the bed.

I felt Adrian's arms around me suddenly and a cool, releasing feeling went through me. He wouldn't …

"And where do you think you're going?" he asked seductively. Yep, I was right. Adrian had just used spirit on me, but to heal me from what? My grouchiness maybe …

I had half a mind to jump back in bed with Adrian but I decided against it.

Instead I started to wriggle away from his hold him but he pulled me back.

Right, he asked for it. I started tickling him from head to toe and he laughed helplessly, trying to get me back unsuccessfully. I finally had him pinned under me.

"And for your information, I am going to find our kids," I replied like five minutes after he had asked me.

"Oh, you don't need to worry about them," said a voice from the door. I instinctively jumped off Adrian and into a fighting stance. I relaxed ever so slightly when I saw Tasha standing there. "You two are such a sweet couple, please don't mind me."

"Sorry? Why don't we need to worry about our kids?" I asked her, completely ignoring her last remark.

"'Cause they've been taken care of. You guys haven't had much practice as their parents have you?" she said thoughtfully. What on earth was she on about? I gave her a questioning look. "Oh sorry, I forgot Rose. You must have been like what seventeen, maybe eighteen when you got knocked up with Adrian. If they are even Adrian's..." she added as an afterthought and wandered out of my room.

She had a fair point … but that didn't mean she still had any right to come in to my bedroom, my house even, and tell us we were stupid and a bad parents. If only she knew...

I was ready to run out the room and kill her but Adrian grabbed me. "She's not worth it," he said soothingly.

"Bitch!" I growled menacingly, struggling under Adrian's grip. "She basically just called us bad parents!"

"Lissa?" I called as I walked through the Narnia door in the dining room.

I quickly checked through the bond and saw that she too had just woken up. Then remembering our new found two way bond thing, I sent her message telling her that I was at her house.

Then I heard a moan coming from across the room. I hadn't noticed them before; there in front of me was Ricardo with Tasha. And when I say with, I mean with.

Ricardo had trapped Tasha from the back and they were in a more than just friendly embrace. I blinked and then watched horrifically as Ricardo traced his lips around Tasha's neck, all the time grinding against her hips. Oh My God! I knew something strange was up with those two ...

I think I must have gasped or something because when they saw me they immediately broke away. Tasha grabbed a pair of gloves and started scrubbing some dishes. Ricardo mean while had retreated and he was leaning against the kitchen cabinet, a smug look on his face.

"Good morning, princess. Sleep well?" he asked casually but with a slight hint of humor. It was as if nothing at all awkward had just taken place less than a minute ago. "Don't tell me, I bet you have an awful headache from last night."

"Yes I do actually, and you?" I asked back. "Oh, and about that awful headache, well let's just say Adrian has managed to keep it away, with his charming skills."

I gave him a wink and laughed when his face fell in disappointment.

"Breakfast, Rose?" Tasha asked.

"I think I can fend for myself," I replied coldly. Ricardo may have wormed his way out of this, but Tasha definitely wasn't.

"But Mummy, you have to try Tasha's pancakes, they're the best thing in, like, ever!" Mika yelled as she bounded into the room and right up to me.

"Hey there honey," I said giving her a kiss on her forehead. "I'm sorry mummy didn't come collect you last night, did you have fun at Alberta's?"

"Uh-huh" she replied, nodding her head. And then she gave me a full on recount about everything I had missed.

Apparently Alberta had narrated to the twins yet another one of my teenage school years stories; this time it was the one about the time I accidentally locked Jesse Zeklos in the girl's bathroom. God knows what he was doing there in the first place …

"Momma did you really punch him in the...urm, you-know-where?" she asked excitedly.

"Unfortunately, yes" I sighed.

"Yes!" she squealed, punching her fist into the air triumphantly. And when I gave her a quizzical look, she said, "Mike and I had a bet."

Hmm, should I be worried that my four year old twins were betting at such a young age? Maybe Adrian really was rubbing off on them.

"So, is that a yes or a no?" asked Tasha impatiently. What? Oh right, breakfast. I thought I had made it clear that I would get my own breakfast. But Mika intervened.

"Yes, she'd love some of your pancakes!" she said, nodding her head. I gave her a pointed look, "Oh of course, excuse my manners – please may mummy have some of your awesome, scrumdiddlyumptious pancakes."

I rolled my eyes at her and Ricardo laughed. Tasha started making the pancake batter - in her dreams would I eat them!

Mika then told me about her morning. Apparently, Guardian Belikov and Tasha had looked after both her and Mikhail pretty well.

I felt rather pissed off that it sounded like they were the world greatest parents right now, but I didn't let it bother me. That much.

Mika skipped out of the room then and once again I was left with Tasha and Ricardo. Tasha laid a plate of pancakes in front of me. I gave her a disgusted look.

"No, honestly, I can get my own breakfast." I said in my cold voice I seem to have adopted with her, before striding out the room.

"Tuck your thumb in slightly, like this," I heard Dimitri's voice coming from the sitting room as I entered. This could go in so many ways...

Mika was stood by the door, her arms crossed over her chest in obvious condemn. What has Mikhail done now?

Across the room were Mikhail and Dimitri – also known as my son and his unknowing father. Dimitri was on his knees at Mikhail's height and he seemed to be demonstrating something to him.

Closer inspection told me that he was showing Mikhail how to throw a punch properly. Wait – he was what?

All the self-control that had built up in me over the last two days seemed to explode right here and now.

"Dimitri Belikov!" I snarled in my most deadly tone. His head shot up and I think I saw a flicker of fear on his face. Good. "WHAT ON EARTH DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?"

Dimitri opened his mouth to talk but it was Mikhail who responded.

"Please don't get angry, mummy. It was my fault, I asked Guardian Belikov to show me how to throw a punch. If you're going to get mad at anyone, then be mad at me. Just don't shout at Guardian Belikov, please," he pleaded. Wow. Now why didn't he ever back up his sister like that?

"Mikhail Hathaway Ivashkov, I will be the one to choose who I get mad at, okay," I said in a shaky voice. I never used his full name so he immediately knew that this was serious. Mikhail nodded his head but he looked as if he might interrupt me.

"Let your mother speak," murmured Dimitri inaudibly in Mikhail's ear. Hey, who asked for his help?

"I'm going to dismiss it this time, Guardian Belikov, but I want to make it clear to you - stay away from my children. And you will, if you know what's best for you," I sneered.

"I warned them, mummy, honestly I did. But then Mike gave me that whole 'girls are just chickens' crap," said Mika, in a very annoying tell tale tone.

"Mika, language," I said sharply. I held out my hand to her and the other towards Mikhail. I saw him mouth a silent apology to a nervous Dimitri before quickly coming to me.

I didn't spare Dimitri another look as I left the room, my kids in tow. Even though I was angry at both Dimitri and Mikhail, I couldn't help liking the fact that they were bonding. Although, I knew Mika would be the toughest all along.

"Momma, are you really mad at me?" asked Mikhail tentatively. I bent down to his height.

"Of course not, darling. You know how mummy gets a bit stressy sometimes," I said. Mikhail and Mika exchanged a knowing look and rolled their eyes. "Hey, I'm not that bad!"

"We know, we just love winding you up!" they chorused. This earned them both a round of tickling from me. And then to their defence, they shrieked, "But not as much as we love you!"

We were on the floor by now. From the corner of my periphery I was aware of Dimitri had come out of the sitting room and he was smiling at us. Tasha and Ricardo had joined him.

"Family hug?" I suggested, ignoring our audience.

"Hey, you're having a family hug without me?" a mock shout came from the dining room. Adrian.

The twins pounced on him, yelling 'daddy'. Very realistically. I couldn't help but notice that Dimitri looked a bit sad at Adrian's appearance.

"Good morning to you too," Adrian chuckled. "Now, how about that family hug?"

"Family hug, did I hear right?" Lissa's voice came down the stairs. Mika jumped up and went to find her.

"Hey there, sweetheart," Lissa said as she picked Mika up and joined us.

"We forgot someone!" Mikhail suddenly cried. He rushed past Lissa and Mika and bolted up the stairs.

"You'd think all this fuss was for a hug," I sighed.

Mikhail appeared again, tugging a very bleary Christian down the stairs.

"Whoa, slow down Champ. What's the rush for?" he yawned.

"Family hug," Mikhail explained.

"Well, why didn't you say so?" Christian exclaimed, picking up his pace.

It wasn't much of a hug at the end. We all just ended up in a giant heap on the floor, but it was fun all the same!

"Hey, Pyro, we're hungry. Hint hint," I said with my puppy dog eyes.

"Oh yeah, and what's the magic word?" he smirked.

"Which one? There are so many…hmm, how about abra? Or maybe kadabra?" I teased.

He rolled his eyes but went to the kitchen anyway. The twins had gone to watch telly and the rest of us followed Christian. Tasha had grabbed onto Dimitri's hand. Slut. I think I needed to talk to Dimitri…

"Whose pancakes are these?" Christian asked. He was pointing at the plate Tasha had offered me. I bent over the table and sniffed them.

"I dunno, but they stink," I said and with that I chucked them down the bin. Christian just shrugged his shoulders but I didn't miss Ricardo who was looking at me aghast. Nor did I miss Tasha's icy glare.

"So do we have any plans for today?" asked Adrian conversationally.

"Well I was thinking about taking the twins to the park after breakfast…" I said.

"Actually Rose, when I went to pick up the twins last night, Alberta asked me if you could accompany me to her office this morning…" Dimitri said. He picked up the twins? Well, that was very generous of him.

"Bummer, how about we take the twins out for a picnic lunch in the afternoon then?" I tried again.

"Seeing as I'm probably making the picnic food, I better be invited," muttered Christian. Lissa sniggered.

"Yeah, that might be a good idea. Except, reality check Rose, it's the winter and like -5 degrees out there," she said.

"Good point," I said. "Christian, that's lots of hot chocolate."

"Ugh Rose! Term starts in less than a week and the twins are sure to catch a fever…" she complained.

"Well have you got a better idea, Mother Teresa?" I asked, sarcasm dropping off each word.

"Hey, watch it, that's my girlfriend your talking to," Christian said, pulling a protective arm around Lissa. I stuck my tongue out at him.

"How about we have a camp fire in the evening? Marshmallows and hot chocolate," Adrian suggested. Lissa beamed at him.

"Okay, but that means we've got nothing to do in the afternoon," I muttered. Ricardo gave a little cough to get some attention.

"Hey Rose, well I've heard so much about your badassed reputation but I wouldn't mind catching some of the action first hand. Dimitri's assured me it's something worth seeing, so what do you think? You and me, sparring, gym?" he asked. Dimitri had said that? Well he was right there.

"Ok, why not…meet you there at two?" I said slowly.

"Whatever suits you," he said.

"That's settled then," I said, and then I turned to Adrian. "You will come and cheer me on, won't you babe?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," he replied with his trademark lazy grin. Ricardo grimaced.

Good? Bad? Boring?

I've got a new poll up on my profile, this time it's for this story so if you can check it out it would really be helpful :P (Should there be any strigoi attacks) The results to my other poll should appear on my profile very soon …

I thought I'd leave the second half of my AN slightly shorter this time :)

If you have any idea, or criticism, please review or PM me and let me know! Oh and happy summer holidays! Dii x