The sun was low on the horizon, casting its lively yellow light and illuminating the gothic structure of St. Vladimir's academy, making it seem otherworldly to any oblivious passerby. It was a wonder how the place had evaded human interactions for so long!

But alas for all the students, it was just another plain and boring beginning of their 'day' at school.

For all the students, yes but not for Rose.

"Christian," she called out softly while knocking on the door of the unit both Dimitri shared. There were no movement for several minutes and Rose rasped at the door again. Harder this time. "Get the hell up, Christian or I'm going to strangle you…."

"What on good god's earth!" Christian exclaimed yanking the door open. His jet black hair was sleep mussed and his clothes crumpled. He was trying to rub the sleep off his eyes, all the while trying to ascertain the sight before him. Rose.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he scowled. "Ahhh! I saw your face the first thing on the morning! This day is going to suck!"

"Are you done?" Rose asked somberly. Noticing her serious expression, Christian calms down a bit but sniggers nonetheless.

"Dimitri is here…."

"I know. But I came here to talk to you."

"And you couldn't wait for the day to even start?" he scowled.

"Christian!" Rose said exasperatedly. "It's about Lissa."

All the mirth and venom left Christian's stature as his sleep deprived eyes became alert at once at the mention of his girlfriend. "What's wrong? Is she okay? Do I need to…"

"No." Rose said. "Just let me in."

"Come on." he says opening the door wider.

"Would you like something? Coffee, hot chocolate?"

"Whatever you take, I'll have one."

Christian moved to the open kitchen counter, fondling with the packet of hot chocolate while Rose gets comfortable in the couch. There was a blanket sprawled on the end of the pillow. She reached for it, smiling as Dimitri's scent hit her.

"It's his." Christian called out. "You can take it."

Rose unfurls it, quickly wrapping herself, basking in the warmth and comfort his scent bought to her. I love you so much Comrade! She thought. The cerebration alone was sending her mind into frenzy and a thousand butterflies flutter in her tummy! Only he could make her feel like that.

As if listening to her thoughts, the man himself emerges from the next door, sleep completely evident in his stance. Rose's heart skipped a few beats. But he didn't seem her notice her immediately.

"What are you banging your utensils for?"He scowled, his faint Russian accent reverberating through his chest as he addresses Christian in his delicious gruff voice. His eyes turn to the clock on the top of the microwave and his scowled deepened. "It's 4 P.M.!"

"I had no intention to practice my cooking skills half conscious and I wouldn't have to, if your girlfriend hadn't forced her way in here!" God he was an exaggerator!

Dimitri blinked a few times, "What?"

"Turn around, you dickhead!"

Dimitri turned around instantly, spotting Rose sitting on their couch, legs folded and wearing his blanket. Is she for real?

"Hey Comrade!" Rose said almost shyly, not missing the flash of lust pass through his face.

"Roza?" Dimitri said walking up to her, completely awake now.

She opened her blanket a little, asking him silently to join her in the magnanimous thing. He sat down at the other end and pulled her up by her waist, settling her down on his lap, before adjusting the blanket around them.

"Hey." he said smiling adoringly at her.

"Hey," she replied. She had no idea why she was blushing so hard now. Dimitri leant up a little, his hand holding her by the nape of her neck as he pulled her down, placing a soft kiss on her lips. And another. And another. And another.

"Don't start making out now!" Christian said bringing out three hot mugs of hot chocolate. Rose leapt to grab hers and then picked one for Dimitri.

"It's not that I'm not happy, but what are you doing here Roza? This early?" Dimitri asked.

Rose sighed a little snuggling into his warm chest. "I'm worried Comrade." She whispered. Though initially, she had come over with the need to talk Christian, now she couldn't help but hold Dimitri tight, needing to borrow some of his strength.

"What's wrong love?" he asked sweetly, petting her hair gently to assure her.

"It's Liss." Rose said, finally turning around to peer at Christian. "I'm worried about her. I….I don't think she's fine."

"I know Rose." Christian sighed along with her. "I know she's not alright but…but there's nothing more I could do now. I've tried everything, but it's as if she's shutting herself out from me. Like she's hiding something."

"I…" Rose started, contemplating on her decision once again and strengthening her resolve. "I know what's going on and…and frankly, I'm not supposed to tell anyone but I want you know. I trust you."

Christian's eyes widened. "What?"

She turned to look at Dimitri, finding an unknown emotion plastered to his face. "Comrade?" she asks.

"Go on Roza," he encouraged.

So she did. She told them everything. From when Lissa healed the raven to when she started using compulsion. The fox, the rabbit, the flash, something being fishy about Shade, everything!

"I don't know how to help her!" she cried.

"You…you…mean Lissa can….heal? Li...Like St. Vladimir?" Christian's eyes were wide as saucers. He was trying to gauze the reaction from Dimitri's face but as always, he gave nothing away.

"Natalie." Christian breathed out after ten minutes of hanging silence.

"Natalie?" Rose asked in confusion. "What does this have to with her?"

"I think it has something to do with her. Don't mind me, but I've never really liked her, not just because of her ever present energy or how shallow she is, but also because I…she gives me some bad vibes. She looks at Lissa with pure jealousy. I've caught that and I swear to god I'm not lying. And this raven incident you say? It just happened the day after Natalie arrived. What does that say?"

"It says nothing…"

"It does." Christian interrupted. "The flash? Lissa saw it in the mall. Right after Natalie arrived!"

Rose groaned. It was like she could trust no one there. And it was being harder for her to accept that Christian was making sense.

"But let's not just blame anyone right now!"

"Okay."

Rose groaned again. "I feel like someone's out there, to harm her and I….I need to protect her but I don't know how to!" Rose cursed under her breath.

"She's right," Dimitri said. "Lissa is fragile. Whoever is out there, we need to protect her from it." Both of them nodded at his words.

"Have you told his brother?" he asked further.

"Andre?" Rose asked scrunching her nose in confusion. "Why should we….oh!" Realization dawned upon her. Out of the many things Rose suspected – someone might be trying to finish of the Dragomir line had been her primary suspect. If someone was trying to target Lissa, Andre must know!

"Oh god! How can I be so…so stupid. I need to call Andre!" She jumps up from where she was perched up on Dimitri's lap. "I need to go! Bye Comrade!" She kissed him fiercely storming her way out of the unit.

"Mitya?" Christian asked just after Rose left. "You still haven't told her."

Dimitri sighed, rubbing his hands over his stubble. "It's not easy for me."

"It'll never be easy," Christian commented sagely. "The longer you wait, the harder it'll be." When nothing came in response, Christian sighed. "She loves you."

"I love her too, more than anything else, but I…."

"You don't trust her." Christian said out flatly.

"I trust her with my life!" Dimitri's eyes raged at the accusation. "But…" his eyes softened again. "It's myself I don't trust."

"Oh Mitya," Christian sighed, his gut wrenching for his friend. "It's over buddy. It's over now. You're over it now!"

"Will I ever be over it? From whom I was? From whom I am still now? It's still inside me Christian. I can sense it, feel it but I can't…can't touch it. I feel like…" his voice broke in the end, a few tears escape his eyes as he wipes them down immediately, scowling at the wetness. Men didn't cry.

"I can't say I understand, but I'm here with you, just like Ivan, just like Olena, just like everyone else, just like Rose, if you tell her."

Dimitri closed his eyes and contemplated on his options. Should he tell her? Should he not? Is it the right time? Will she understand? Will she accept? Will she get over the fact that he is not what he seems? That he is nothing like the person she fell in love with? Will she leave him?

The last thought hurts him to the core. What if she leaves him? He couldn't let her go. She was the only one for him, the thought that she could break him….it was like someone had punched him right into the gut, making all the air from his body escape in a gasp. He couldn't bear it. No!

But if he didn't tell her….how would she feel. Betrayed. Untrustworthy. The thought was almost as painful as the first one.

Don't take the coward's way out. His mind instructed. It's time now.

He nodded his head. Yes. It's time now. He had known it for a long time but for the first time he believed it, It's time now.

"I'll do it. I'll tell her."

"Good." Christian pats his back. "Tell her tomorrow. After the Equinox dance."

Dimitri nodded, feeling his resolve strengthen.

He would tell her. No matter what be the outcome. He would tell her. If she understands, which he hopes she does, then he'd ask her to be his guardian and if not, well then, let's say he would take different ways to persuade her. But it was clear to him, right at that moment. He wasn't going to lose Rose.

Rose jumped back to her dorm room, successfully avoiding matron and the guardians on patrol. She rummaged through her bed sheets to locate her phone.

"Got you!" she exhaled before sitting down to calm her thudding heart. With shaking fingers, she typed in Andre's number, waiting for the call to connect.

"Hmmm…?" a sleepy voice greeted her from the other end. Her eyes flew to the clock in her nightstand and even though she was clueless about the time difference, she pegged it was time for Andre's sleep. Oops!

"Uhm…hey Andre it's me. I'm sorry I should've checked on the time first…." Rose started to apologize.

"Hey Rose!" Andre's anxious and excited voice greeted her from the other end. A realization hit her like a ton of bricks. Shit! She had completely forgotten about Andre's crush on her.

"Uh…"

"Are you okay?" Rose could hear the crumpling of sheets and imagined him getting up from his bed.

"I'm fine." After a beat. "How are you?"

"I'm fine too. Court's treating me like crazy, there's hardly any time to rest, but I miss you. And Lissa. How is she?"

"Andre…am…I needed to talk to you about something."

"Yeah?"

"It's about Lissa." she explains. She could almost feel Andre stiffen.

"What did he do?" he growls.

"What?"

"What did Christian do to her? I swear to god if he…."

"Oh no! Andre it has nothing to do with Christian. It's…complicated."

"What wrong Rose?" Andre asked. "You sound weird."

"I don't know how to tell this over a phone call."

After a slight pause, he spoke. "Is it serious?"

Rose contemplated but then decided to go on with honesty. "Pretty serious."

"Okay then. I'm coming over."

"What no… I…you don't have to come all the way…"

"You said so it was serious Rose, you said it yourself."

"Yeah but…"

"I'm coming over. Expect me tomorrow." And with that, he hung up.

…so that's it for this one. I know its short and I'm super late in updating! I apologize profusely! And to make it up – I'll be posting three chapters this week! How does that sound?

I have no excuse for being this late except that I've been reading and preparing for my next fanfiction story. I have a few chapters written now and so….would you all like a summary? Review openheartedly and I'll upload it in my next chapter.

So Andre's coming over…what do you think is going to happen? And holy shit! Is Dimitri going to confess…Am I going to tell you all? – Review and you'll know!

Liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Tell me in the reviews.

Love,

Lara.