I read a quote the other day which reminded me of Rose and Dimitri's story and their relationship, especially in this specific story, and I thought I would share it with you all. Unfortunately I don't know who wrote it!

'When you plunged the knife into me
you also began bleeding
my wound became your wound
didn't you know
love is a double-edged knife
you will suffer the way you make me suffer'

I let out a deep breath when the jet finally touched down on the airstrip at Saint Vladimir's. I lunged up from my seat as soon as the seatbelt signs were off and yanked my suitcase down from the overhead locker. I didn't wait around to see if Dimitri had followed me.

The sun had just set and the moon was starting to rise as I stepped out of the door and onto the steps that would lead me down to the ground.

It was then that I looked up and saw Alberta Petrov waiting for me at the bottom of the steps. The smile that made its way onto my face almost hurt it was so big. I dropped my bags where I was standing and raced down the steps.

She opened her arms as I took the last step and I pretty much crashed into her awaiting embrace.

"Hi Rose." She laughed as she hugged me tightly. She released me from her arms and held me at arm's length as she studied me closely. "Look at you! You look great, you cut your hair!" She exclaimed as she brushed the short strands that were hanging just above my shoulders. "Don't they have donuts at Court Rose? You're just skin and bones now." She said while her eyes glanced over my form once more with a small frown on her face.

"They don't taste nearly as good as the ones here." I brushed off her comment. "I've missed you." I told her truthfully.

"I've missed you too; this place hasn't been nearly as interesting without you." She replied.

Alberta had been like a mother to me ever since my actual mum left me here at The Academy, and passed over any parental rights to them.

Alberta finally dropped her arms from around me when Dimitri made his way down the steps with his bags as well as my own. I saw his eyes flicker over me and I saw he also had a frown on his face, although he soon recovered when he saw me looking.

"Thanks." I muttered quietly as he carefully placed my bag by my feet.

He extended his hand to Alberta and she politely shook it. "Dimitri, it's good to see you again." She said somewhat professionally.

"You too, Guardian Petrov. It's... good... to be back." He said while glancing around almost nervously. I knew this place would set him on edge but I didn't realise quite how much.

"Come on, Dimitri. How many times have I told you? Call me Alberta." She said with a small smile while glancing at me. What did she know?

"Alright you two, we can stop by the Guardians lounge on our way to your rooms in guest housing so you can say hello to everyone, then I expect you're ready for a good night's sleep." She said as she picked up my bag and began walking in the direction of Guardians HQ.

"Alberta, wait. I have to know, what is it we have come here to collect? Should we not just get that as soon as we can and go?" I asked quietly as I stopped her by gently pulling on her arm.

I saw her eyes glance around before they landed on my face once more. "I can't tell you just yet, I'll explain everything once we're inside." She said before shrugging off my hand and continuing walking at a brisk pace once more.

I took in every little detail about the Academy as we walked through the grounds. Something felt off, I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was though. It was almost as if there was a tense air to my surroundings. I glanced at Dimitri and saw that he was also looking around carefully and decided I had to ask.

"Alberta, something seems off here, is everything okay?" I asked hesitantly.

I saw a look of sorrow and shame cross her hard features as she glanced at me. "Not quite, I'll explain everything when we get to my office." She said as she kept on walking. I glanced at Dimitri once more and he gave me a look that told me he was exactly as worried as I was.

We made it to the Guardians lounge and I looked around at the familiar and unfamiliar faces that glanced our way. I recognised many of them from when I was a student; it was a comforting thought to know that they were all still here.

Many of the Guardians stood up to greet us as we walked in. It felt odd to be treated as equals to them even after I'd been a fully qualified Guardian for over four years.

I had only been in the Guardians lounge at the Academy a handful of times; I hadn't spent much time here after I'd finally graduated and so it felt odd to be walking around quite so freely.

We were just about to go into Alberta's office when my name was called from somewhere in the room.

"Hathaway." I turned and saw Stan Alto walking towards me. I couldn't read the expression in his face.

"Alto. I've only just arrived; surely I can't be in trouble already?" I said with a mischievous grin.

Instead of reprimanding me for some unknown reason, instead he extended his hand to me. "It's good to see you again." He replied with a look in his eyes, was that pride?

I took his hand and shook it; I had to bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from commenting on the clamminess of his hand.

"You too." I said as I dropped his hand as soon as politely possible. Stan then shook Dimitri's hand and went on his way. What an odd man.

Dimitri and I then followed Alberta into her office and sat down in the simple leather chairs opposite her own.

"You were both right in thinking that something was off around here." She said as she took a seat in her chair behind her desk. Dimitri and I instinctively tensed and I saw a knowing smile grace Alberta's features before she continued her explanation.

"There is no imminent danger so you can both relax for the time being." She said as I sat back into the chair a little deeper. "There has been an attack on the Academy, only two days ago. It wasn't a large attack but it was very carefully planned. The Strigoi knew where they were going and they knew exactly how to get there. One Moroi was taken hostage and one Guardian was killed in the process." I knew she didn't mean to sound so emotionless as she explained the situation, she was simply getting straight to the point. She had been doing this job for years after all, it must become tedious listing death after death to people.

"Now listen, The Queen didn't send you here to collect an object or an item. She sent you here to collect a person, a Moroi to be particular." She explained while looking carefully at me.

"Who is it?" I asked hesitantly, I almost didn't want to know. Whoever this was would change the whole future of our society and my best friend's life in particular. I can't believe I was doing this and Lissa didn't even know.

"It's Jillian Mastrano." Alberta said.

What? Jill? That innocent young girl I had met all those years ago? She was in awe of Dimitri and me; I had even met her mother. How could it be that she could be the one to change everything?

"Are you sure?" I asked.

Alberta's eyes thinned slightly. "Yes, I'm sure. I spoke to Her Majesty personally." She explained.

"I'm sorry, but how is that possible? And what does this have to do with Lissa?" I asked, hating that she wouldn't just tell me outright.

"Jillian is Vasilisa's half sister."

Half sister?! I'm pretty sure my jaw dropped.

"No way. There's got to be some mistake." I said while jumping up from my seat. I saw Dimitri tense beside me at the sudden movement.

"Rose, sit down so I can explain." She said while not taking her eyes off me.

I cleared my throat before sitting down once more.

"Miss Mastrano is Eric Dragomir's illegitimate child. He had an affair with Emily Mastrano. He was secretly sending them money over the years to help support them. Very few people knew."

"I'm sorry; it's just a lot to take in. I can't believe Eric would do something like that." I whispered. I had known Eric Dragomir for the first half of my life; he was like an adoptive father to me.

There was no way Lissa was going to take this information well.

"It is a very long story, one that I am not about to go into, now is not the time nor the place. All you need to know is that it is true." She said looking tired.

Dimitri had been surprisingly quiet during this meeting; I glanced at him only to see him studying me intently. He looked away when he caught my eye.

"What is Jill even doing here? Didn't she graduate already?" I asked. Judging by my calculations Jill should have graduated last year at least.

"After graduating, she became a teacher in the water element. She has absolutely no idea about her heritage, and so I am sure it will be just as big of a shock to her as it will be to everybody else." She said giving me a pointed look.

"Okay, so we grab Jill and go back to Court?" I asked, becoming impatient. My knee began bouncing up and down as a feeling of unease settled in the pit of my stomach.

"I wish it was that easy, Rose, I really do." Alberta said solemnly.

Oh no, this couldn't be true. Surely life wouldn't be that much of a pain in the ass for me?

"Jillian was the Moroi who was taken by Strigoi." She stated.

I clenched my fists and bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from swearing out loud.

Dimitri spoke for the first time then, clearly understanding that I wasn't prepared to speak just yet. "You believe Jillian is alive?" He asked carefully.

"Yes, as far as we are aware. Our surveillance footage shows her being taken alive, although she looked to be very weak." She explained.

I unclenched my fists and felt something damp in the palm of my hand. I glanced down and saw that my fingernails had pierced the skin of my palms. I quickly put my hands together and placed them in my lap.

"Do you have any idea where they could have taken her?" I asked tensely.

"There is a small town on the outskirts of Bozeman called Southlake. Very small population, there's a rundown old manor house there which we believe to be a Strigoi hideout, we've never actually seen a Strigoi enter or leave, but there have been various sightings in the town and that's the most realistic explanation." She explained while glancing warily at me.

I scooted forward to the edge of my seat, getting ready to stand once more. "Seriously, that's all you've got? What the hell have you guys been doing?! I'll go and get her right now." I went to stand up but Alberta simply lifted her hand and I sunk back into my seat.

"You will do no such thing. I thought perhaps your recklessness would have faded over the years, clearly not." I heard Dimitri cover up a chuckle at my side and had to resist the urge to snap at him.

"It is pitch black outside, Rose. The Strigoi will hear you coming before you even have the manor in sight. I suggest you stay put for tonight, do whatever you want here. But wait until the sun comes up until you scout out the area." I could tell she did genuinely feel for me, she knew I hated to sit around doing nothing, and what she said did make sense.

"Fine, but I'm not sitting around doing nothing. I'll walk the wards or something until the sun comes up." I said as I stood up from my seat and took the handle of my suitcase.

"Good idea, I'll show you both to your rooms and then you can do whatever you wish." She said as she and Dimitri both stood and we followed her out of the building.

Mine and Dimitri's rooms were right opposite each other, I suppose I should be grateful we weren't sharing.

Alberta handed us both our keys, I thanked her and walked straight into my room without glancing back at Dimitri.

The room was basic and efficient, everything a Guardians room should be. The walls and carpet were a dull colour; there was a wooden wardrobe in the corner of the room and a double bed against the far wall. Through a door was a bathroom, and against the far side of the main room was a small kitchenette-type area, a few counter tops with a microwave, a sink and a kettle. I threw my suitcase onto the bed and left the room.

As soon as I closed my door behind me, Dimitri's was yanked open from the other side. The tall Russian emerged from his room, looking much the same as he had only a moment ago. A glance over his shoulder showed me that his room was just as basic as mine was. Although his suitcase was open and there were neat stacks of clothes placed on his bed.

"Are we walking the wards then?" He asked.

"I am. I don't know what you're doing though." I said as I started walking down the hallway. I should have known he'd follow me as I saw him match his pace beside mine.

We greeted the Guardians we passed politely as we headed out to the main gate. We walked in incredibly uncomfortable silence to the gate and greeted the Guardians at the gate. "Hey guys, we're just going to do a couple of laps of the wards to kill some time." I told them.

"No worries, we'll be here. It's good to see you guys again." Guardian Greene said kindly as he shook each of our hands.

We walked for about five minutes before Dimitri broke the silence. "So, how does it feel to be back?" He asked.

I thought about the question for a moment before answering. "Its okay, its weird being here without Lissa and everyone though. But it's great to see Alberta again. I'm sure it would be weirder without you here though." I finished quietly.

"Why do you say that?" He asked while glancing at me.

"Because I pretty much spent every muscle killing moment with you here." I replied with a forced laugh.

"That's true, but I'm sure you'd thank me for making you run all those laps now." He said with a breathtaking smile on his face.

"Hmm, I suppose it did come in handy." I replied reluctantly.

We continued walking for some time, and that's when I saw it.

I noticed it before Dimitri did, and I stopped walking instantly, so shocked that my feet stopped on their own accord.

How could I forget? How stupid could I have been to let him come with me?

My mouth went dry and I felt like there was no air at all, even though I was outside in the middle of the night. My heartbeat sped up.

Dimitri stopped, noticing my shocked expression and followed my gaze to see what I was staring at. Then his facial expression mimicked mine.

The cabin.

The cabin.

The place Dimitri and I had finally given in to our need for each other and I had given him my virginity.

My gaze shifted to him and I saw him looking right back at me. His dark bottomless eyes may as well have been burning holes into my face his eyes were so heated.

"Roza..." He began. His voice was rough and hoarse and it caressed my skin like the touch of a feather.

The look in his eyes told me that he was thinking the exact same thing as I was. He was thinking of the night we spent in that cabin. The way our skin had met as our bodies joined together.

The way he would chant my name like a prayer and I would moan his in a breathless gasp.

I blinked and suddenly he was right in front of me, so close that our chests were almost touching.

I tilted my head up to look at him properly and immediately wished I hadn't, his face was filled with so much lust and love he almost looked pained.

His hand slowly lifted and caressed my cheek; he looped a strand of hair around his finger.

I flinched as his skin made contact with mine which caused a frown to appear on his face. He dropped his hand but didn't step away.

"I am so sorry, Roza. You have no idea how much I wish I could take back the last four years." He whispered.

Alarm bells went off in my head and my whole body tensed up out of instinct. I shoved against his chest and started walking away.

I thought maybe he'd let me go. Of course I was wrong.

He grabbed the top of my arm quicker than I could take a breath and suddenly I was pressed up against a tree with his warm body mere inches from mine.

"Please don't walk away, don't shut me out. I can't stand it when you block me out, your silence is deafening." He pleaded with me; his voice was filled with desperation and pain.

"You brought this upon yourself, Dimitri. Did you expect me to just run into your arms as soon as you came back? You left me, not the other way around." I growled out between my teeth, I fidgeted slightly trying to get away once more, if anything it only brought us even closer together.

"I know, I was stupid, I regret that day more than anything. I knew I was stupid, but coming back here and seeing you, it just brought it all back." He admitted in defeat.

"But you told me you couldn't feel love anymore, and yet you tried a relationship with Tasha? What the fuck is that all about? You're not making any sense!" I almost yelled. Stay calm Rose, stay calm.

"I only tried something with her to make me forget about you, but it didn't work, I know it was the wrong thing to do but I was desperate. You were everywhere I looked; every time I blinked I saw your face. I saw that look in your face when you were desperate for the next bite from me, or the look of pure love you'd give me when I gave you another stolen item of jewellery. I couldn't have you around when I knew I'd ruined you." His eyes shone with unshed tears and I felt a lump form in my throat.

"I already told you I had forgiven you for all those things; in fact, there was never anything to forgive. I know that wasn't you. But you went and fucked it all up in that God damn church!"

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he spoke again; his voice was barely a whisper. "I thought I was doing the right thing for you, you were with Adrian, I thought if I left then you could get on with your life and I wouldn't ruin it anymore."

"Well that clearly didn't go the way you had planned it, did it? Because when you left it just fucked everything up even more, so good job." I said with a forced roll of my eyes.

"Roze, please..." He pleaded once more.

I clenched my fists and shoved them against his chest as hard as I could; he stumbled back a few steps and took the chance to put a bit more distance between us.

"Please what, Dimitri? What do you want from me?" I asked. "I'm tired of tiptoeing around the subject, what do you expect from me?"

He ran his hand through his hair, a clear sign he was getting frustrated.

"I want you, Rose. It's always been you. I thought leaving would make you happy, but I can't do it anymore, I can't live without you."

And just like that everything changed. When I knew Dimitri was coming back, I assumed he would be happily in love with Tasha and I could just ignore him and get on with my life. But what happens now?

I had loved Dimitri more than anything in the world. And when he left I told myself he would never come back for me.

I realised I had been silent for some time now. "Please say something." He begged.

"You can't just waltz back into my life and assume everything will go back to normal. When you left I let myself believe you were never coming back, and now here you are, saying all this stuff, what am I meant to do with that?" I asked rhetorically.

"I don't know." He admitted.

"Yeah, me neither." I replied reluctantly. "I'll see you tomorrow." I said, before doing what seemed like the best option right now, I walked away. Leaving Dimitri and that cabin behind.

There we have Chapter 12! They finally talked it out! Well Dimitri did at least, Rose's outburst of emotion will come soon enough. I'm sorry it took so long to update, but you've got an extra long chapter to hopefully make up for it! Thank you so much for all of your ongoing support, I appreciate it more than you can know. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, please let me know what you thought!