So I know this took way to long.

The first version I wrote was better.

Hope you enjoy.

It's not too long, but not exactly short either.

R&R.

Xxoo.

RPOV

"Slayer would yo please step forward." She could at least use my name, instead of treating me like some dumb animal I fumed to myself.

That was until I felt someone push my back and saw Lissa miming me to hurry up.

I took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the curtain.

RPOV

I made my way slowly across the stage. I heard a collective gasp issue from the crowd and held my breath as I waited for the accusations to begin, but they didn't, instead I made my way safely across the stage to stand beside the queen without a word being spoken.

My eyes scanned the crowd, most of them were shocked, stunned, even complacent and there were a few with outrage masking their features.

"Ladies and Gentleman I would like to present to you the slayer. Guardian Rose Hathaway." She did this grand gesture with her arms, as if she was presenting me on a game show. "I'm sure most of you remember Rose and her ahh activities, but that is all in the past now and today we will be-"

"NO! Not that fucking whore! She IS NOT a HERO!" Someone screeched from the end of the hall. The crowd did a dramatic gasp and you could hear every head in the room swivel to the direction where the voice was coming from.

A women had stood from her spot in the back of the hall and was slowly making here way towards the isle, even if I couldn't recognize her voice, I knew who it was immediately.

Tasha.

She was angrily storming down the isle, making her way to the stage.

"Excuse me Miss Ozera but what exactly do you think you're doing, throwing around wild accusation, when we are suppose to be celebrating. You are not only disrespecting Miss Hathaway, but you are disrespecting me." Tatiana stated angrily, puffing out her chest.

Tasha had reached the stage and was currently standing on my other side, the scowl on her face distorting her once beautiful face, I took a step forward, in front of the queen. It was my natural instinct to protect her from any threat, no matter what it was and weather I liked her or not.

"I mean no disrespect to you, your majesty. But this, this." She gestured at me wildly. "This skank, does not deserve our respect, she is nothing but a liar and a slut." She spat the last word at me.

"What right do you have to call her that, what has she done to you?" The queen scowled back at her. I tried to become invisible, why did she have to ask that question, couldn't she have just had her taken away? Dear lord, why was she hear?

"But don't you know, she's involved with another guardian, my guardian and partner, she seduced him and stole him from me. She slept with him, while she was under age." If I wasn't so frightened of getting in trouble I would have rolled my eyes... or hit her, it was a thin line.

"First of all, I both know and approve of Miss Hathaway's relationship with Guardian Belikov, next I never realized he was your guardian and I doubt he was ever your partner. As for the underage sleeping with him, you have no proof of this and if you do it was three years ago and I'm sure both parties involved were able to make their own decision concerning the matter. Miss Hathaway has never be week willed and if she didn't want to something, I doubt anyone could make her and the same goes for guardian Belikov." I could have hugged her then, but instead I stood frozen between the fighting women.

I watched as Tasha's face became redder and redder, her eyes filling with hatred, her hands rounded into fist, so hard her knuckles were turning white.

"What! No she doesn't deserve this! She ruined my life, she needs to be punished. She needs to feel the pain she made me feel." That was it I snapped. She didn't know what pain was.

I took a step forward, getting closer to her, I could feel the anger in my face, and for a moment she looked scared, before she returned my glare, taking a step closer, trying to scare me.

"You know nothing of my pain." I whispered furiously. "You want to know pain, try having the man you love leave you without one word, or having everyone around you abandoned you, try leaving your best friend, because you know that leaving her under someone else's protection is safer for her because you can't protect her anymore. Try crying yourself to sleep every night, because you think you're not good enough. Try living for fours years wonder why? Wondering why he left, and what you did wrong, wondering if he ever even loved you. That's pain, what you felt was nothing compared to what you put me through." I was breathing hard, trying to control myself from just screaming in her face.

"What do you mean I put you through? You stole him of me!" She yelled.

"NO I DID NOT! You're the one that threatened him, you're the one who blackmailed him and said if he didn't leave me you'd ruin both our lives. You're the bitch here, I did nothing except fall in love, I was strong and happy we both were and you, you're just a jealous old bitch who ruined my life!" She stood there, mouth a gape. I was shocked, couldn't believe we were having this fight in front of most of almost half the American Moroi population, if I wasn't so mad, I'd be embarrassed.

"Miss Ozera is this true. Did you blackmail Guardian Belikov?" The queen asked, moving to stand just behind me to my left.

"I- I- I just..." Tasha stuttered.

"Miss Ozera, answer the question."

"I did it because I love him!" She shouted, trying to defend herself.

"That is no excuse, that kind of activity is illegal and punishable by law, especially when it involves the safety of Moroi. And you risked every students life there by taking away one of there best guardians, not to mention Miss Hathaway's and to an extent Miss Dragomir's-"

"That's not fair! I didn-"

"No I think this has gone on long enough Miss Ozera, we are hear to celebrate and if you can't be a part of that you can just leave. Guardians" Two guardians in full black uniform appeared behind her. "Would you please take Miss Ozera to a royal" - Yes they had special holding cells for when royals are 'bad' - "holding cell, I will deal with her later." And with a wave of her hand the Guardian advanced on Tasha, grabbing her upper arms as she struggled against them and pulled her of the stage and out of the room. I looked over the crowd, they looked shocked and angry.

The queen took a deep breath and approached the podium once more.

"I am sorry for this unfortunate interruption and I would like for us to continue you as if this never happened. Today is suppose to be a celebration, though the methods were unconventional and in some ways against the law" In other words I'm a hero but if anyone else try's it they're toast - ", but what Miss Hathaway has done for our society will be long remembered, she has made our cities safe and killed more Strigoi than ever thought possible, severely damaging their population." A round of applause broke through the crowd, she waited for it to die down before speaking again. "Rose would you like to say anything." She stepped to the side, inviting to the podium.

I stepped forward, taking a deep breath.

"Hi, I'm Guardian Rose Hathaway or the ahh, slayer. So okay, you kind of all heard my story. So after I graduated I didn't think I would be good to guard anyone, so I left, I didn't want to put anyone's life in danger." I paused. "After I left the academy I went half way across America, I started killing Strigoi, by accident, I ran into them one night, there was three of them and they were feeding on some girl in an alleyway, I couldn't just walk away. So I snuck up behind one and yeah... After that I just kept going, I searched for them, moving when the city seemed empty. Sometimes it was hard and sometimes I got hurt... but for me, doing this, it made me feel like less of a failure, like I was still protecting Lissa, even if I couldn't be with her. I'm not saying it was easy or that it was right, but for me it was the only answer. I didn't do it to be a hero or for praise, I did it to in some weird way protect the ones I love..." I trailed off, my eyes scanning the crowd, none of them were angry or shocked anymore, most were listening intently. I stepped back, from the podium and Tatiana stepped forward once more.

"Thank you, for sharing that with us. Now Rose would you please take a seat." She said gesturing to a plus leather tattoo chair, that I had only just noticed.

I nodded dumbly and walked over to the seat, sitting down and leaning forward, closing my eyes.

"Scott, would you please come forward to give Guardian Hathaway her marks." I heard her voice ring out and someone walk up behind be.

A damp cloth was washed over the back of my neck, cleaning it. Then he started outlining my marks, all twenty-three of them.

I heard the hum of the needle start and held my breath. That was me Rose Hathaway, evil bloodsucking Strigoi, I'll hunt them down, but when it comes to needle I'm shaking in my boots.

It stung at first, but after a while my neck started to go numb and I was able to unclench my jaw and fist, opening my eyes to scan the crowd. There were whispered conversations going on everywhere, I closed my eyes again and waited until it was done.

Scott tapped my shoulder and said I was finished, the crowd fell silent as I stood slowly, Tatiana addressed the crowd again.

"This ceremony is now over. I thank you all for attending and ask that if you see Guardian Hathaway around the court you do not bother her to much." And with that she left the stage, the crowd began exiting the room. I quickly left the stage, returning to the back room. As soon as I was behind the curtains, Dimitri's arms grabbed me.

"I'm sorry I wasn't out there, I'm sorry about Tasha. Lissa told me to stay back here, that I would just make it worse if I went out there." He said quickly, crushing me to his chest. "I can't believe you said that, I'm so sorr-" I pulled him down and kissed him.

"Shh it's fine, but can we please go home now?" I asked, looking around, we were alone.

"Lissa and the others are in the hall waiting." He answered. I nodded, taking his hand, pulling him out the the hall way.

"See Rose, it was that bad." said Lissa pulling me in for a hug.

"Not that bad, I was screamed at and called a slut, half the Moroi population now knows I am with Dimitri and I was with him when I was in school and I almost passed out when I was getting my mark. That's what you call not bad." I scoffed at her and she dismissed me with a wave of her hand. "Lets just go home, it's been a long day."

They all nodded and we walked home silently, I was glad that no one approached me but there were a lot of stares. I stayed hidden under Dimitri's arm, my hands wrapped around his waist.

I just wanted to go and sleep, for a long time. I was exhausted, both physically and mentally.

When we got home I mumbled them a goodnight and said I would see them in the morning. It was still early, but I just didn't care.

When we got to our room I changed and washed my face, letting out my hair. I opted to sleep in one of Dimitri's shirt and panties, to tired to really care. When I left the bathroom Dimitri had already shut all the curtains and pulled the bed down ready for me and was propped up against the head board in his boxers, waiting for me.

I smiled at him and climbed in next to him, collapsing onto the soft mass of pillows, then pulling myself closer to Dimitri, snuggling into his side, placing my head on his shoulder. I threw one leg over him and wriggled into his side, getting comfortable. He chuckled at my antics and kissed my head, wrapping his arms around me.

"Sleep Roza." He whispered and I closed my eyes, drifting into oblivion in the arms of the man I loved, I would face everyone else in the morning.

So yeah.

Please review, I would like to know if I still have any readers left.