Disclaimer: Not mine. Never have been. Never will be.


Stan's POV:

I felt Alberta start to move next to me. I ran my hand up and down her back hoping to calm her. Almost in a trance she got out of bed and started through the cabin. "Alberta?" I went to follow her and watched as she picked up a stake and headed out the door. I ran to catch up. "Alberta, where are you going?"

"I have to save Helena..."

She headed towards the woods and I turned back towards the house. "TASHA!!!! HELP!!!" I kept following Alberta. I didn't know what to do. I reached out and pulled her to me. "It's okay. You're safe."

"No... I let her down..."

"You were there for her. You did what a good guardian does."

She started to sink to the ground "She still died."

"I know." I held her close and kissed the top of her hoping she would wake up.

I heard footsteps next to me. "Stan? Is she alright?"

"She is having a nightmare."

Alberta started mumbling. "No I'm not. It's my reality. I killed her."

Tasha knelt down and lifted Alberta up. "Let's get her back to bed."

Just then Alberta reacted and started thrashing in Tasha's arms. "NO.... STOP!!!! Don't hurt her!!!! Please...."

Tasha went back down and laid Alberta in the grass. "Shhh... Alberta. It's Tasha."

"Run... I'll fight."

"I need you to wake up first."

Alberta's eyes shot open and she looked around the woods. "Where am I?"

Tasha soothed her hair. "You had another nightmare."

I raised an eyebrow. "Another? This happens a lot."

Tasha shook her head. "No. Just every so often."

"Tired."

"I know Alberta. Let's get you to bed."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning I walked into the kitchen and saw Alberta helping Christian with a worksheet. "Alberta... We need to talk."

She smiled at me and looked back at Christian. "I'll be right back okay?"

"Kay."

She got up and followed me into her room. "What did you need?"

"Why didn't you tell me you were having nightmares?"

She shrugged. "I thought maybe you would think I was just trying to get you back."

"Why would I EVER thing that?"

She shrugged. "I don't know."

I reached out to take her hand, but she pulled it away. "Alberta..."

"What?"

"Let me see your hand." She slowly held it out and I pushed her sleeve back. "Oh Honey, what happened?"

"It makes the nightmares stop."

"Your medicine should too. Have you been taking it?"

"No."

"Why?"

She shrugged. "I didn't think I needed to anymore. I graduated, I got assigned. I was in control with Nick.... I thought I was better."

I kissed her gently. "As much as it hurts me to say, I don't think you are ever going to be better honey."

She nodded. "I know. And that scares me."

I smiled at her. "Why don't you get some rest today and I will take Christian to class?"

"Are you sure?"

"I don't think Tasha will have a problem with it."

She nodded. "Okay."

I kissed her gently. "I love you. You know that right?"

"I know. I just miss you."

I held her to me. "I know you do." I kissed the top of her head. "Did you bring your pills with you?"

Alberta nodded. "Yeah. They are in the bathroom."

I went to get them and smiled at her. "Now, take one of these and get into bed. Anything I should know about going into this?"

"Keep an eye on Rose. She REALLY likes Christian and has been known to beat up royals to defend him."

"Ah, so that is why you two get along so well."

"Ouch. Low blow."

I kissed her again. "Get some rest."

Kat's POV:

I shut the book and put my head on Jake's pillow. I loved reading my parents story. I really did. They were great and overcame a lot, but it still hurt to read my brother's story. I thought about that day almost 7 years earlier...

I was playing outside with Nick. He was home for Christmas and we were in the middle of a snowball fight. While most of my parents' time was spent at the Academy, they did have a house for things like breaks or if family came to visit. I was running away from him when a noise made me stop dead in my tracks. "Nick? What is that?"

He listened and his eyes got wide. "Katherine, go inside."

"Nick..."

"Kat. Now."

I nodded and ran into the house and locked the door. I looked out the window and gasped. It looked just like the Strigoi I had seen in books. I realized then that Nick didn't have a stake. I looked over at the bookcase and grabbed on. I ran to the door. I was about to open it when I heard a scream, my brother's scream. I went back to the window and saw him being carried off. I dropped the stake and started shaking. My brother was dead. And it was my fault. I abandoned him.

I buried my face in a pillow to stop the tears. That was when I felt a hand on my back. I jumped about 10 feet and took an offensive stance. "Kat! Calm down. It's just me."

I smiled. "Q-Q-Q-Queen Rrrrrosemarie!"

She smiled and hugged me tight. "It's Rose."

"You are my q-q-q-queen. It is Q-Q-Q-Queen Rrrrrrosemarie."

Rose shook her head. "How are your parents?"

I smiled "They are great. How are your mother and Lord Sssssssssszelsky?"

"They are well. My mom heard you were coming and shall be arriving shortly. She wants to talk to you about Glasgow."

"I would like that."

"So, has Jake popped the question yet?"

I blushed. "N-N-N-No."

She laughed. "Honey..." She hugged me to her. "I didn't mean to freak you out. Have you talked about it at all?"

I nodded. "Y-Y-Yes, but we want to wwwwait. Wwwwwe are sssssssso young."

I felt arms slip around me. "Not to young though." He smiled at Rose. "I am thinking in the next couple years."

She smiled. "Well, know that you can always get married here. Kat, if it wasn't for your parents, I would never have gotten as far as I did in school."

I smiled at her. "Th-th-th-thank you."

She hugged me again. "You are quite welcome. I'll leave you two alone now so you can get reacquainted." With that she left the room.

Poor Kat... She has been carrying that guilt around for a long time. I am going to skip ahead a couple years (Okay... more like 9) in the next chapter. We get to see what happens to make Stan and Rose so anti one another. It is going to be interesting. :)

See you then!