Thanx for all the great reviews, keep them coming... Sorry for the update delay, enjoy...

I Do Not own VA or it's characters, Richelle Mead does...

Still RPOV...

The next few days seemed to fly by, Kayla and her family left and Isabella and her family were leaving tomorrow. Janine and Abe have moved in here too for a while. I have been training with both Isabella and Dimitri, Adrian and Christian have still been training with Antonio. Janine is going to help train them when Antonio leaves. Christian has a mean kick, where as Adrian has a mean punch, I have sparred with them a few times.

Lissa comes to the gym and joins in occasionally, she practises with staking, hoping to someday stake another strigoi and bring them back, but if Adrian keeps up with his training he will be able to do it himself, he just needs to practice the spirit side of things a bit more. Abe has been working with Christian with the fire magic, and Lissa, Adrian and Antonio have been practising spirit.

Since I was able to take strigoi darkness from Dimitri, Isabella wanted me to try and take it from others, meaning Adrian. I was able to do it with ease, but when I took it all, he told me I had to give some back to him so the aura's weren't so bright, but I couldn't. I could take it, but not give it. Isabella had to give it to him. He said next time to try and only take some.

We also discovered that I could talk silently to people the same way Isabella can, we found out by accident, I was sparring with sparky, and he got a good kick on me, so I pinned him, while I held him there I thought to myself shit that hurt Christian! He answered me with sorry didn't mean to kick that hard. I jumped off him quick as lightening, and he looked as scared as I did. I reached my hand out and touched him, did you just hear me? He answered again, yes, you heard me too? I pulled my hand back and nodded.

Lissa had received word from the council that the DNA testing was complete and proved to be of Dragomir blood. She was to appear in front of the council in a week's time, when she returns from Florida. It seems the information she gave Eddie went a bit further then intended. The council assumed she was in Florida with Adrian, and they knew of her expected return. Was the council in on this too?

The Tasha side of things had been quiet until this morning, she had rung Christian's phone and she was asking him questions about Isabella. Christian told his aunt that Isabella had gone back home, which was the half truth, this time tomorrow they will be gone, and she pleaded with him to tell her where they were so she could come and visit. He told her not to worry, and that they would come to court and visit with her soon. Lissa had told us she never mentioned me to her, as far as she knew I was taken by the strigoi when the holding cells were destroyed.

The afternoon came by quickly, we all headed out of the gym, Isabella and Antonio made their way to the kitchen to start on Dinner, they said they were going to make lasagne tonight. I went into the playroom to spend some time with Danny; I was going to miss him when he left.

Dinner had been served a while later and we all sat around the table as usual, we argued about who was going to assume the kitchen duties when Isabella left tomorrow, the one thing they all agreed on was to keep me out of there. I eat, not cook... After a few arguments, it was appointed to Christian and Abe, since they were the only ones that really knew how to use anything in the kitchen. Dimitri knew how to make a few things, so he was going to pitch in occasionally.

With dinner finished, Antonio took Danny up stairs this time, and Lissa and Christian cleared the dishes and started cleaning. Adrian left the room and returned with a few bottles.

"To the gym girls! " He said. We both smiled at each other and followed him. Dimitri sat there looking at us.

"C'mon Russia, we better have that re-match." Isabella said to him without looking back. Adrian rolled his eyes.

We walked into the gym and made our way to the mats; Adrian put music on then joined us. Isabella hit Dimitri's arm and motioned for him to get ready.

"Shots?" She asked him.

"Sure." He said before lying down and taking her hand.

The same thing happened as last time, Isabella won the first few rounds, and then Dimitri started winning, after a few shots they decided to call it quits again.

By now Lissa and Christian had joined us with Antonio; he said Janine and Abe were in the upstairs living room.

We were all sitting on the mats in a circle, Isabella on one side of me and Lissa on the other. Adrian poured us each a shot and handed them to everyone, he raised his glass,

"To the dark angels!"

He said and drank, everyone followed suit. Bella grabbed my hand and squeezed it, she was smiling at me and I returned her smile. We have become good friends over the short time we have known each other, and I'm sure we would continue to be. I will never forget what they have done for Lissa and me. We clinked our own glasses together and drank to each other.

We remised about our time together, about the home video we made of them doing celebrity impersonations and times that Danny had interrupted my slumber and so on. It was Lissa that asked about other spirit users and shadow kissed guardians.

"I remember you mentioned before that you have met many shadow kissed people, do you keep in contact with them?" Lissa asked.

"Yes, they have taught me things like I have taught Rosina, not all of them are dhampirs though, there were a few moroi, and their abilities are a lot different to ours."

"How different?" I asked her.

"They don't have the fighting skills for one, and have no intention of learning how to. They have their own power, example one I met was a water user, being shadow kissed has given him the ability to manipulate water differently, and he can turn it to ice, or even heat it. There are only a few like Rosina and I, one I keep in close contact with, or I should say, Antonio keeps close contact with the spirit user."

She said smiling at him. Antonio's cheeks flushed a pink colour and he looked at the floor.

"Ok, spill it Antonio" I said to him. He looked up and gave Isabella a disapproving look. I'm sure he was cursing in her head.

"She's one of the first spirit users we met, she's a bit older and her shadow kissed guardian is a dhampir, they were the ones that told us about using the darkness, they taught Isabella and I how to manage it. But when Lorenzo died," He gave Isabella an apologetic look,

"Isabella learnt how to walk between the two worlds, eventually she taught him how to as well."

"What was her specialty in spirit?" Lissa asked him.

"Illusions." He said.

"Huh?" I asked.

"Illusions, she could make you see things that aren't there." He said this time.

"Like Lissa can using compulsion?" I asked.

"Sort of, but no compulsion is being used. More like Adrian's dreams, but your awake, she can do the other spirit things on a small scale like we can, like the healing. Her shadow kissed guardian can do what she does just like you and Isabella; it's not as powerful though."

"Will we get to meet them one day?" Lissa asked.

"If you ever come to visit us, sure." Antonio said.

"Or if he ever gets the courage to ask her out." Isabella said quietly. He reached around her neck and pulled her head into his armpit like he did last night. When she pulled free she smacked him. Adrian spoke next,

"I don't get it, don't you feel what their feeling?" He asked Antonio, he nodded.

"Does she like you?" Adrian asked. Isabella nodded this time.

"You have a gift dude, why don't you use it!" Adrian said.

"It's a bit more complicated than that." Said Antonio. Adrian was giving him a disbelieving look. Sparky decided to join in on the conversation,

"What's stopping you?" He asked Antonio. Antonio looked down to Isabella. We all got it then. She answered Christian.

"He feels like he would be abandoning Danny and me, no matter how much I tell him we would be ok. He has changed since Danny was born, we both have. But I keep telling him he needs to find happiness too."

Lissa was looking at me as she said this. She opened up the bond. I could feel she was envious of their relationship. She was feeling guilty for being so selfish, she could see that Antonio and Isabella wanted nothing more than the others happiness.

I'm so sorry Rose She said through the bond.

I knew what she was sorry for, I could feel it, she felt guilty, and Antonio would do anything for Isabella. Lissa has been questioning herself a lot lately and wasn't sure how far she would go for me, but at this instant she realised she would do anything. She realised she did need me, as much as I needed her and not because we were bonded, because we are best friends, sisters. She felt like she had let me down.

Its ok Liss, we'll be fine. I gave her a reassuring smile. And I knew things could only get better...

I woke up to silence in the house, I looked over to my nightstand where the picture was that Danny drew for me, and it's been a few days since they left now.

Lissa and I have spent the past few days together, we talked about the problems that we had and sorted them out to a degree. I had to agree to include her in on all the planning of things, treat her like an equal, as she put it, not a royal moroi that expects her guardians to do everything for them. I made her agree to not hide things from me anymore, if she feels like I am overstepping, she needs to speak up before it's too late. She wanted us to get back what we used to have. So, for the next few days, we agreed to not block each other, and to leave the bond completely open, except for the Lissa/Christian moments, I told her I didn't want any part of that, just so we could get an understanding of each other again.

Dimitri and I train with each other now, and he has surprisingly opened up a lot more. He talks about things with me, he had asked me to tell him what I had done up to where he was changed.

"Didn't Lissa tell you?" I asked him.

"Yes, but I want to hear it from you, and I'm sure Lissa didn't know what happened in Russia." He said.

So I told him everything I remembered. He didn't interrupt, he just sat there listening, taking everything in. When I finished, he started asking questions.

"When did you decide to try and save me instead of kill me?" Was his first question.

"I didn't really decide for sure, even at the warehouse when you were saved, I didn't want Lissa going anywhere near you." I said feeling a bit guilty.

He thought about what I said for a minute before asking another question,

"Victor? Anything been heard of about him since he got away from you?"

"If you remember, he got away from us because of a certain strigoi, and no, I have heard nothing since."

"Do you think he has anything to do with the queen being murdered?" He asked.

"I don't know, anything's possible I suppose." I said shrugging.

Do you really think its possible Rose? Said Liss through the bond. I should have known she was listening.

I really don't know Liss. I replied.

"Rose?" Dimitri was looking at me confused.

"Oh sorry, just talking to Liss." I said. He nodded and took a big breath in.

"Rose, I just want you to know how sorry I am for everything, I know it doesn't make up for what I have done, but I understand now what everyone was telling me what you had to do for me. I just want you to know I am very grateful." He looked serious.

"It took ya long enough comrade." I said to him while smiling. He gave a small smile back.

"Have you decided when you are going to go visit your family? They miss you, you know."

"umm, I was told to make things right with you before I could." He looked off into the distance avoiding my gaze.

"Who told you that? Not some crazy old Russian lady that is half your size?" I asked him. He turned his head and looked at me and laughed.

"She might be small, but slaps like someone twice my size." He said rubbing his cheek.

"Have you at least spoken to your mother or sisters?" I asked, he shook his head.

"Hand me your phone." I demanded. He froze and looked at me.

"Now comrade!" I almost shouted. He slowly reached inside his pocket and handed me his phone. I dialled his family's number and someone answered.

"You better be ringing to tell me you made up with Roza boy." Yeva said down the phone.

"Hello Yeva, it's Rose, and Dimitri and I are on speaking terms, how have you been?" I asked her.

"Oh hello Rose, I was going to call you soon." She simply said.

"Is something wrong?" I asked her.

"No, but I did see something, I'm not sure what though, all I know is that you need to be at the council meeting next week, when they vote who is to be the new Queen. It's important for you to be there." She sounded desperate.

"Ok, I will try and think of a way to be there, but I was calling to see if Olena was home. I think it's time for Dimitri to talk to his family." Dimitri swallowed hard standing next to me.

"Yes, they are all here, you want me to put it on speaker?"

"Yes, I will do the same here, thankyou Yeva, for everything." I said. She must have understood the double meaning, because she said,

"Things will get better now Roza."

I put the speaker on, I asked Dimitri if he was ready, he slowly nodded and I lead him the couch and sat him down.

There was a lot of screaming going on from the other end until Olena told them all to be quiet, Dimitri had glassy eyes again, I placed my hand on his arm to offer assurance and he took my hand in his and held onto it. They all asked about me, we didn't go into detail about what had been going on, but told them everything was fine for now. They asked when he was coming home for a visit, he told them he would as soon as he could, as he is now Lissa's charge.

"Don't worry Olena, I will send him home when things settle down a bit more here." I told her. She said to make sure I came with him.

"I will visit you guys again one day, but I think Dimitri coming on his own is what's best for everyone." I said.

"Nonsense Roza, you are like family too."

After that I said I felt like they were family too, but I wasn't making any promises to come see them soon, I took the phone off speaker and handed it to Dimitri so he could have a private conversation with them, then I went upstairs.

I stood at my window watching the sun rise, I didn't go outside anymore in fear someone would see me, and the wards were close to the house so I couldn't shadow walk out there either. So this was as close to the sun as I could get. I was standing there thinking about what Yeva said, how am I suppose to go into a council meeting in court without being noticed. I could go into the shadows, but I can't while crossing the wards.

Don't worry Rose, we will find a way. Said Liss through the bond.

So you heard? What do you think it's about? I asked her.

I'm not sure, but if she said it was important for you to be there, then you should. And that was a nice thing you did for Dimitri.

I felt someone come up behind me and put their hands on my shoulders. I turned my head sideways to see who it was.

"Thank you Roza." He said bending down and kissing my cheek from behind. I just smiled.

I'll give you two some privacy. Said Liss.

"Will you think about it?" He asked.

"Think about what?"

"Coming to Russia with me?"

I shrugged my shoulders. His hands were still there so he would have felt my answer. His hands slid down and he wrapped his arms on top of mine that were crossed on my chest, I leant my head back on him. This kind of contact had been normal for us over the past week, but it hadn't gone any further than this.

"I would like you to come with me." He said quietly. I turned my head so I could see his face.

"You need to spend some time with your family Dimitri, you need them." I said.

"What about you Roza? Who do you need?"

"Lissa." I answered. He raised one of his eye brows,

"Just Lissa?" He asked. I wasn't sure what he wanted to hear, so I didn't say anything and looked back out the window. He put his hand under my chin and turned my head back to face him.

"Can I ask you something?" He asked, I just nodded.

"Are you still trying to not have feelings for me?" He was searching my eyes for the answer before I could speak.

"No, not anymore." I said. He froze,

"It was getting to hard to try anymore." And I smiled; he relaxed only a little after understanding my answer, his eyes moved from mine and down to my lips and he leaned in slowly...