A/N: Hello again! I hope you like this chapter. I had a lot of info in my head and getting it all out on paper was hard. There's so much more that we will delve into with this story. I think this is the longest chapter I've ever written and there's so MUCH MORE I want to write. Plus I just started a part-time job in addition to my full-time job so I was writing this up during training. At this point, if you don't want to continue reading this author's note, please scroll down and enjoy! :) For those of you still with me, I wanted to talk about a few things.

Firstly, I will be continuing with first-person narrative. I've been doing some research into bettering my descriptive powers in first-person so we will be sticking with it! I will be attempting to update this story every Sunday unless otherwise noted. I also wanted to address some reviews but I won't be doing this all the time because I tend to dislike stories where 1/3 of it is just responses to reviews. I have graduated from college with a degree in Psychology so I have taken to including bits and pieces of it in my stories. I didn't realize that at 15, I had started writing a sort of psychological aspect to Lissa, but now that I have my degree, I can see more of where I was going with it (even if I didn't know it). Please remember that no one is all bad. Don't be fooled by the perceptions that you are given. However, keep in mind that some snakes hide very well, but they'll always eventually show their skin. I really don't want to reveal too much as I think there will be some really good psychological analysis of all of the characters, but sometimes people see what they want to see rather than what's right in front of them. When people are hurt, they lash out and make sometimes horrible and drastic statements and conclusions about people who they say they love. Anyway, I hope that was vague (LOL) but that it forms more questions for those curious about all the VA characters. Stay tuned.

Please review! I appreciate constructive criticism, suggestions, and all those in-between. :)

*As always, I own nothing but Katelyn and any original characters."

RPOV:

I entered my and my daughter's temporary room to find her wrapped in a big fluffy towel and dripping water on the floor.

"I guess I should be happy you didn't overflow the tub…again."

Katie giggled, rubbing her face with the towel. I smiled and guided her back in the bathroom. Looking into one of the cabinets, I found extra towels folded up.

"Come here, baby girl."

Katie pattered over to me and I wrapped the towel around her head, trying to squeeze the water out. Katie dried off using the towel already around herself. Once she was dried off, Katie went back through the room and put her pajamas on and sat on the edge of the bed.

I quickly found my suitcase and pulled out her baby lotion.

"Baby, I want to talk to you," I said quietly as I poured lotion into my hand.

Do you remember the man we met in the lunchroom? The one who came by to see us earlier today?"

"Uh-huh. The one who made you a badass."

I really have to watch what I say around her.

"Now that's 25 cents into the swear jar, young lady. You're running up a tab," I said, rubbing the lotion into her arms.

"Mommmmy."

"Okay, okay. 10 cents, but you're still in debt," I said, smirking.

She hugged but smiled.

"Anyway, do you remember what I told you about your dad?"

"Chrissy or my other daddy? What do you call it? Bilalittel— "

"Biological," I supplied.

"Yeah, that! Are you talking about him?" she asked.

"Yes. His name is like yours. Instead of Demetria, it's Dimitri."

Katie squinted her eyes and cocked her head to the side. Usually when she did that, it told me that she was completely confused. Let me try this a different way.

"The man you met in the lunchroom is Dimitri. He's your dad."

Katie's smile faded from her face.

"Oh," she said, looking down and picking at her fingers.

"Are you okay, baby?"

She shrugged. I wondered if I should tell her the rest.

"Katelyn, he wants to spend time with you and get to know you. Would you be okay with that?" I asked softly.

Katie shrugged again.

"Katelyn. Verbal answer."

"It's okay," she said in a small voice.

I looked at her as she continued to pick at her fingers. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable, but I also didn't want her to look back 12 years later and wonder who Dimitri was, like I do with my own father.

"I didn't mean to make you upset, sweetheart," I said, gathering her into my arms.

She shrugged and nestled into my neck.

CPOV:

I yawned as I made my way into the kitchen of our dorm. I looked towards Katie's door to see it still closed. Rose must have stay with Katie last night. Grabbing a pot of coffee, I poured in the hot water and loaded up the coffee. I leaned my back against the counter and closed my eyes while I waited for the coffee to be made. Suddenly, I felt a tingling in my forehead like when someone hovers their finger between your eyes. Opening my eyes, I looked into wide brown eyes and immediately jumped back banging my back and elbow on the counter behind me.

"Really Rose?" I asked, attempting to speak over her laughter. "Do we have to do this every morning?"

"You should have seen your…FACE!" she giggled, rolling on the floor.

I rolled my eyes as I turned around poured coffee into a cup. Turning around I quirked my eyebrow at her as she steadied her breathing and sat at the table.

"Are you done?"

"Yep," she grinned, popping her lip and reaching a hand towards me.

I reached behind me to make her a cup and gave it to her.

"You stayed with Katie last night," I said, matter-of-factly.

"Yeah…she took it kind of hard."

"What do you mean?"

"She was a little unresponsive. Do you remember when we got in that big argument las year and you left for 2 days?"

"Oh yes…she acting out for a week after," I said, remembering her behavior.

"It worries me, but we'll just have to keep an eye on her," she sighed.

"I'll get Katie and we can go down to breakfast," I offered.

She nodded and I followed her back to their room. While Rose went to take a shower, I work Katie up to get ready.

CPOV:

Walking into the lunchroom, I adjusted Katie on my hips. Like Rose, she was a bit of a nightmare, mini nightmare, in the mornings. She leaned her head into my neck and popped her middle and ring finger on her right hand into her mouth. We'd been trying to break the habit of sucking her fingers but I didn't have to heart to stop her today.

"Do you want a muffin, baby doll?" I asked, pointing to the stack of muffins as we got in lin.

"Mmm lggjiegh."

I took her babbles to mean yes and pulled more food onto a plate as Rose grabbed food for both of us behind me. Finding an empty table, we sat down. Katie, who had finally woken up, sat in the middle of us. As we ate, I felt eyes on us and looking up I realized that almost everyone was looking at us. I also realized that they were mostly students, Moroi & Dhampir alike. We hadn't seen more than a few students here and there since we arrived at the Academy. I looked over to Rose who shrugged back at me.

"Rose."

Glancing back in front of us, I saw none other than Eddie Castile standing there.

"Eddie!" Rose smiled, going around the table to hug him.

"It's good to see you, Castile," I said, reaching across the table to shake his hand."

"I didn't know you were here, too," Rose smiled, inviting him to sit down.

"Of course. You know, you sure made a scene the other day."

Rose rolled her yes.

"Believe me, I don't look for attention."

Coughing slightly, I looked over at her raising an eyebrow and smirked to see Katelyn looking at her strangely, too.

"Oh shut up, you two!"

Katie looked at me and giggled.

"And who is this cutie?" Eddie laughed.

"Katelyn Demetria Hathaway," Katie said, reaching a hand across to shake Eddie's hand.

"Edison Castile," Eddie said, shaking her hand back.

At Rose's snort, he widened his eyes at her daring her to say anything.

"She's almost as dramatic as you, Rose," Eddie said, smirking.

"I'm not being dramatic. The Queen is being ridiculous if she thinks I or any Dhampir or self-respecting Moroi (and here I did say self-respecting) would agree with this new age rule she's trying to push."

"I can see why she feels the way she does," Eddie said, with a sigh.

"You're kidding, right? You don't actually agree with this rule, do you?" I asked, bewildered.

"Of course not. I just said I understand where she's coming from. You haven't wondered why we're at the Academy and not at Court?"

Rose and I glanced to each other.

"Court was attacked," Eddie said, simply.

"WHAT?!" Rose and I yelled together.

"Yes, somehow Strigoi broke through the wards. They killed over 20 people and kidnapped over 25 people."

"Where were the Guardians?" Rose demanded.

"Fighting to save as many people as we could," Eddie said, his jaw pulsing.

"I'm sorry. It's just…apart from the Academy, I thought Court would have been the safest place," Rose said, a little ashamed to have indicated that Eddie didn't do his job properly.

Eddie sighed but nodded to her.

"Yes. It was a shock to all of us. I was only there on business and to visit Mia. They attacked the coffee shop that Mia works at. I was…afraid it would turn out like…"

He didn't need to finish that sentence. Rose and I had been there with him when Mason died.

I looked over to Rose who eyes were misting and grabbed her hand. Squeezing mine back, she gave me a shaky smile.

"She's okay though, but, ever since then, the Queen Tatiana has been going crazy with upping security and, as you can see, completely abandoning Court."

"We have to figure out a better solution than trying to push a bunch of inexperienced kids out there," I said, sighing.

"What the heck is with these kids?! It's like they've never seen people sitting," Rose said, glaring at a group of kids who quickly looked away.

Eddie started laughing.

"You can't be serious," he said, noticing our confusion. "You guys are infamous around here, I mean, more so than when you were students here. Two seniors run away. One shunned Royal and one shunned notorious Dhampir. Five years later, you come back with a kid and acting all…coupley...so naturally the kids have various rumors. Almost as much as the rumors the adults have," Eddie said, matter-of-factly.

"Why do you get to be called notorious and not me?" I asked, pouting.

"How are you so plugged in to what's going on around here?" Rose said, ignoring me.

"You can't be Assistant Captain of the Guardians and not be pretty plugged in around here," Eddie said sheepishly.

"Woah! Congrats!" I said, reaching over to pat him on the arm.

"That's amazing, Eddie," Rose said happily.

"Thanks," Eddie said, slightly embarrassed. Clearing his throat, Eddie continued on. "Anyway, there was a reason I came over here. I assume you both will be around for a while."

"Unfortunately. The summons didn't exactly say when any of us are allowed to go home," Rose said, moodily.

"It wasn't really a question. They're not letting you all leave until they vote on the new legislation," Eddie said, "I wanted to know if you would take over a few classes while you were here. Both of you."

"Me? Rose, yes. But why me?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"A chunk of our Guardians have been sent over to Court since so many of the Royals brought their own Guards leaving Court vulnerable."

"So? Why don't they teach classes?"

"Most of these Royals live at Court and were there through the attack. They're all anxious to depart from their Guardians for longer than necessary. With some of my best teachers gone, I need both Moroi and Dhampir teachers. Please." Eddie said, with pleading eyes.

Rose and I glanced at each other then down at Katie who was kicking her legs back and forth.

"Let us think about it. We'll let you know later today," Rose said.

Eddie nodded. Smiling, he shook my hand and gave Rose a hug, departing out of the lunchroom.