Heyy every1. I decided to skip right to the shopping trip for this chapter because nothing great happens with Rose and Dimitri between where I ended last chapter and the shopping trip and I didn't want to keep repeating phone calls and conversations with different words bcuz ik it duz get old so here ya go. You know what to do…REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!;-]

It took a lot of persuading, but I finally managed to convince Kirova to allow Rose to go on a shopping trip that Lissa, Natalie and Camille had been planning. I told her that Rose had been on good behavior lately, sort of, and it would be a good training exercise. Amazingly she bought that so now we were all standing around a school car waiting for Natalie and Victor Dashkov to arrive. I hate waiting sometimes, especially when it is slightly cold out, which it is today.

"Headmistress Kirova thinks you've done well since coming back," I was telling Rose.

"Aside from starting a fight in Mr. Nagy's class?" Oh yeah there was that wasn't there? Ha.

"She doesn't blame you for that. Not entirely. I convinced her you needed a break…and that you could use this as a training exercise."

"Training exercise?" She asked skeptically.

"Yeah. You'll be acting as one of Lissa's guardians today. You'll be able to see what it is actually like. It'll sort of be like a pre-test for your field experience later this year." I told her as Victor and Natalie came up to the car. Good we could leave.

"Camille and Natalie don't have personal guardians yet," I was explaining to Rose. We were in the car now. "They're both under the protection of their families' guardians. Since they are Academy students leaving campus, a school guardian accompanies them—Stan. I go because I am Lissa's assigned guardian. Most girls her age wouldn't have a personal guardian yet, but circumstances make her unusual." I finished.

"She's supposed to have two guardians. Princes and princesses always do." Rose said.

"Don't worry; she'll have plenty when the time comes. Dimitri's already one of them. Odds are you'll be one too. And that's why you're heat today." Spiridon told her. He was another of the schools guardians.

"The training part." Rose said; I had already explained this to her.

"Yup. You're going to be Dimitri's partner."

Don't ask why, but I felt the need to specify what he meant by partner.

"Guarding partner." I told her. I know I am an idiot.

"Yup." Spiridon agreed.

Oblivious to the tension around him, he went on to explain how guarding partners worked, but Rose already knew everything he told her. I have no doubt in my mind that she tuned him out the entire time.

"You'll always be near guard. You're female and the same age as the princess. You can stay close to her without attracting attention." I told her once he finished.

"And I can't ever take my eyes off her. Or you." Rose said. And babe you can look at me all you want. I really should not be thinking that.

"You've got a star student here." Spiridon said, laughing a little. "Did you give her a stake yet?" Ha yeah right. She'd take off with it and trust me I do not want to know what she would do to some people with it.

Instead of saying that, I said, "No. She's not ready."

"I would be if someone would teach me how to use one." Rose chimed in.

"More to it than just using the stake. You've got to subdue them. And you've got to bring yourself to kill them." I explained.

"Why wouldn't I kill them?"

"Most Strigoi used to be Moroi who purposefully turned. Sometimes they're Moroi or Dhampirs turned by force. It doesn't matter. There's a strong chance you might know one of them. Could you kill someone you used to know?" I asked her.

"I guess so. I'd have to, right? If it's them or Lissa…" She trailed off.

You might still hesitate. And that hesitation could kill you. And her."

"Then how do you make sure you don't hesitate?"

"You have to keep telling yourself they aren't the same person you knew. They've become something dark and twisted. Something unnatural. You have to let go of attachments and do what's right. If they have ant grain of their former selves, they'll probably be grateful." I told her.

"Grateful for me killing them?"

"If someone turned you into a Strigoi, what would you want?" I asked.

She didn't answer so I kept pushing her. She had to understand what I was getting at. So I went on.

"What would you want if you knew you were going to be converted into a Strigoi against your will? If you knew you would lose all sense of you old morals and understanding of what's right and wrong? If you knew you'd live the rest of your life—your immortal life—killing innocent people? What would you want?" I asked. The entire van had grown silent as I talked.

After a few moments Rose answered me. "If u became Strigoi…I'd want someone to kill me."

"So would I." I said quietly.

"Reminds me of Mikhail hunting Sonya." Victor murmured.

"Who are Mikhail and Sonya?" Asked Lissa.

"Why, I thought you knew. Sonya Karp." Victor told her.

"Sonya Kar… you mean, Ms. Karp? What about her?"

"She…became Strigoi. By choice." Rose explained to Lissa. "But I don't know who Mikhail is." She added after a moment.

"Mikhail Tanner." Spiridon told her.

"Oh. Guardian Tanner. He was here before we left. Why is he chasing Ms. Karp?" Rose asked.

"To kill her. They were lovers." I told her flatly.

"Perhaps it is time to talk about something else. Today isn't a day to dwell on depressing topics." Victor said, breaking the silence that had settled over everyone. I couldn't have agreed more. We didn't need to be talking about things like that, especially not in front of Lissa, Rose, Camille and Natalie. They didn't need to hear or know about any of that. Well Rose already did, but she seems to have a way of knowing everything like that.

Okay so I hope you guys liked that. I won't be able to update until at least Monday just to let you know. I'm going to be in Pennsylvania all weekend. I'm going down this afternoon and won't have time do anything with either of my fanfics. You know what to do REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!;-]