Disclaimer:
I do not own Vampire Academy or any characters pertaining to Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead does. :)


My mind didn't seem to register Lissa's word. I just looked over at her and stared, just staring, my mind trying to register her words. I shook my head a couple of times, trying to clear my head. I blinked more than several times. "I'm sorry, Lissa, can you please repeat what you just said?" I looked over at Adrian and he had the same expression as I did.

By now, Lissa was pouring tears and so was Christian. "Rose, Dimitri, the guy that has been wanting to kill you for over a year, took my baby, Andy, you know the one I just gave birth to?"

That sank in. I leapt out of bed. Adrian was now hugging Lissa. "Holy shit, what are we going to do?" I said, pacing back and forth. Where could have Dimitri taken baby Andy? I turned back to Lissa. "Did he leave a note or something?"

Lissa nodded and held out a wrinkled note. I read it and gasped out in shock.

The letter was in Russian so I knew that Christian and Lissa didn't know a word of it. I was glad I had gone to Russia for a couple months; I learned something from that experience. But the note did not make on bit of sense, the language did, bit the writing, the words written on the cursed piece of paper, didn't make sense.

Dear Roza,

Fate has finally come out to you. This world is small you know. Thank god that Lissa had a baby or his plan would have never worked. Oh, and by the way, If you ever want to see this precious child ever again, you must come to me. I told you I would get you soon. I can't wait till you and I have our kids. And Lissa's baby is fine, for the moment, but his life depends on you attitude. So be a good girl, Roza. Alright I'm going to be nice this time. I'll tell you where he is at. Remember that good day in Russia one time, when I told you that I wanted to spend my adulthood ransacking the streets of that where that forest I loved so much was located? Well, there I'll be waiting for you, with Lissa's mistake.

Love,

Your Death

I was repulsed when I put the note down. I wanted to hurl myself out the window, screaming like a maniac. But no, I had to be strong, for Lissa and for everyone else who was relying on me to save the day, again, like so many other times.

Adrian looked at me and with his eyes asked how bad is it? I raised an eyebrow at him and he understood. We can be doing better. Damn, why did this have to come up? Why? Why now? Couldn't it have been later? Why couldn't it be later? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why did it have to be Lissa's baby? Why couldn't it have been me?

Too many Whys and so little answers.

Lissa was breaking down in Christian's arms. I was not a mother but I could practically feel what pain Lissa was feeling at loosing her child, her one and only precious child. There was nothing to do but console Lissa and Christian who looked they wanted to die instead of facing this, this disaster. Adrian and I didn't couldn't really understand why they were like this, but we suffered alongside them as they suffered.

I hugged Lissa close to me and told her lies. "We are going to find him, Lissa. We will. He is safe."

She shook her head. "I don't know—I wouldn't—I can't—How can you believe someone is safe in the hands of death?"

Good point. No, scary point. I hadn't really thought about that. I really wasn't paying attention to what I was saying. But I knew something for sure. Yeah he might be dead and all but he still had that old soul that we loved. "Dimitri, he wouldn't hurt an innocent child. . .it's me he's after, not the baby. Once I turn myself in to him, he is going to give the baby back."

Lissa stopped crying and thought about my words, thought long and hard. She looked up to me, wonder in her eyes. "You really would do anything for me. You have done so much for me over these years. And I have not once have I done anything for you." She started crying again and ran over to Christian's arms.

I shook everything off. Every bad feeling, every bad thought. I had to be calm for what was going to happen next. I went over to Adrian's arms and let him hold me for a second before speaking. "Alright, here is what we are going to do. It's going to be our 'Master Plan.'" I let go of Adrian and started pacing around the room again.

I stood up straight and tall as I spoke to all of them. "The note said, Dimitri wrote, that he was keeping the baby where he once wished to live, which some weird forest." I stopped talking and resumed pacing. I had to think this clearly. "Christian and I will go try and find Andy. Adrian you stay here with Lissa." I looked over at Adrian. "Babe, get as many guardians as you can to come over here. We need them to protect you." I then started speaking to the whole room. "Everyone okay with this plan?"

Lissa was nodded. "I would cheer on anything that would help me get my son back."

Christian agreed as well. "Yes, you and I are the only ones who would be able to do anything to help against Strigoi." He nodded again and looked over at Adrian who had just finished talking on the phone. "You stay here and protect Lissa."

Adrian's face was hard. "I think I got that covered. . ." He turned over to me. "Rose, come talk to me in private." He said. It was an order so I was expected to follow. Adrian and I slipped quietly to the other room.

He looked at me and seemed to be so caught up with his thoughts that he didn't seem to know what to say.

I sighed. "I know you just brought me here to tell me not to go—

He smiled. "No, so wrong, Rosie."

I was very shocked. Usually when I went on these mission he would go psycho. But what was happening now? "Huh?"

With a finger, he motioned for me to go over to him. I did. He wrapped me up to him with his arms. He rested his head on my head, while my head rested under his chin. "I know you will bring him back safe. And I want you to keep yourself safe. So that when you come back, we could finish what we were about to start."

I smiled evilly, though he didn't see it. I bit his chin, his neck, softly. I think that sort of turned him on. He sort of jumped in excitement. Such indecent things to think about at such gloomy time. I pulled back slightly to look into his green eyes. It was a couple before his lips were on mine. Hard and demanding, he kissed my lips. I hugged him too. This mission was a dangerous one. I wouldn't know the outcome of it until it actually happened to me. I had to be careful. And I was going to be careful so that I could come back to Adrian.

I felt very upset when he pulled away. "I think Christian is getting impatient. . .you guys should get going." There was nothing to do but to follow him to the other room. Christian was all set to go, and Lissa had done my bag to. The last thing she handed me was silver stake. I could see her wipe tears frequently. We started climbing down the stairs.

Lissa said goodbye to Christian while Adrian pulled my aside to tell me something.

Adrian smiled but I could see it was forced. Anyone could see the pain and worry in his eyes. A tear dripped my from eye and he wiped it off with the tip of his thumb. I hated seeing him like this. But I had to be strong; I had a mission ahead of me. "You are a badass, I know you can take anyone." He said, taking my hand and slipping something on it.

I looked down confused. On my wrist, there was a beautiful bracelet. A diamond bracelet that is. It had multi rows of small diamonds. It was absolutely gorgeous. I looked up to him and he understood my expression—why would you give it to me now?, my expression portrayed. "It was my mother's guardian's bracelet. My grandmother said it was used for protection and something else, but I will explain later." I hugged him and kissed him.

Lissa looked like hell as she watched Christian leave. "Good luck. . ." Adrian and Lissa said.

"Well, I guess its up to you and me to save the day, Fire-Flame." I said, admiring how the diamond bracelet glittered in the setting sun. I turned back to Christian. "We better get going." We started leaving but then the door burst open.

"Wait!" Lissa called out. Adrian was breathless as he tried to catch up to us. "We are going to come with you!" They were determined. Christian and I didn't want out loves to risk themselves. But in the end, our loves won.

The place where Dimitri sent us reeked of the dead, which was not surprising since the dead were running this place. Christian and Lissa gasped at every human body part as we passed by, as we walked the whole beaten up house. Christian held Lissa close but I still gripped hers and Adrian's hand. Oh, God. . .this was horrible. So, so horrible.

I was so caught up in my horrific mind when I heard the cries of a baby. "Holy shit!" I said, pulling Lissa, Christian, and Adrian as I ran towards the place where I heard the noise coming from. Two guardians flanked me and six other guardians flanked all the Moroi, since they were the reason they were here in the first place, to protect.

I burst down the door.

I walked in. A baby boy with blonde hair waited cried on the dusty old cot, sitting behind the door. I was too happy. We had found Lissa's baby! We had done it! I grabbed the baby and cradled it in my arms. "Hey, little baby." I so, so happy, so freaking happy. I looked over at Lissa and wondered why she wasn't coming towards me and taking her baby out of my arms.

It was then, that I noticed.

The baby in my hands was not Lissa's baby. This baby had brown eyes instead of blue. Lissa's baby had had fangs. This one was clearly human or. . .dhampir.

Then, Lissa screamed so loud that the scream rang in my ears after she had finished screaming. "God, have some mercy on me, please let him live!" Lissa cradled a bloody baby in her hands. Her baby was torn up, and I mean that literally. Yeah, he was still breathing, but you could see the effort it was costing him to take a breath.

Lissa sank to her knees. So many tears were flowing down her eyes that it was hard not to start crying with her. I could feel her pain. I handed the baby I had in my hands to Adrian and went over to Lissa. She looked at me with eyes that seemed too faraway. "At least he's in a better place, right?" She stoked Andy's hair.

I cried along with her. I noticed there was a white piece of paper tucked under Andy's chin. I opened it up. It just said to words: Too late. Like we didn't know that already.

"We were too late," Lissa repeated.


Hope you guys liked it! Anyway, going to be much eviler this time. . .ten reviews for the next chapter! I would review if I were you. . .the next chapter are all action-y!

Thanks a whole lot!

-Melissa B.

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