I wasn't told this before, but Oksana was already on campus. She had saved me from fading, apparently, which explained the new pendant hanging around my neck that I hadn't noticed until yesterday afternoon. It was a little silver owl, its eyes glowing with red rubies. It was flat and wide, and its wings hung on either side of it loosely, like its tail that had separated into three waves that rippled whenever I moved.

I was so glad this was stylish. I wasn't going to take it off any time soon.

Dimitri had met up with his family, and rumour was that he actually cried. Man, I would have loved to see that, but then again, maybe not. Regardless of the rumours, I knew just from knowing Olena, Viktoria and Sonya that they would have cried when they saw him too.

I walked around in my new Domo tee that Sonya had brang from Russia for me. It was a Japanese cartoon character, a brown, rectangle dude with round hands. His mouth was a smaller rectangle which was red with sharp, yet non threatening, teeth sticking up from the bottom and top of the rectangle. Fittingly, this particular one had bullets strapped around its shoulder, and hung below its hip.

Dimitri was still spending time with his family, which he should be, but I got a very convincing invite from Dimitri for lunch today, which I was very pleased with. He was mostly catching up with his mother today, which was really happy about. They deserved that time together.

But at ten o'clock, I had two hours to waste, and I couldn't stay in my room with the finished book and still stay sane…ish.

I decided to spend my time with Lissa, since we were doing that thing again where we were slipping away. We hadn't talked at all since the 'infection', but I knew we wouldn't talk about it at all when we did talk. In textbook, we really wouldn't be able to talk about anything, but I also knew it wouldn't end up like that.

I sat down on the ground and hugged my knees, just like I had last time, and looked out over the cemetery. I dragged my eyes away from my own grave, but then I would let them stay there because I knew they would rest on Eddie's if I wasn't careful.

The cemetery made me anxious. I wanted to talk to these people, to make sure that they were happy when they went away. But, because of Victor, I would never know. All these people may not get what they stuck around for because it was too dangerous for anyone to go outside of the wards. Especially me. Especially Lissa.

My grave was still empty, but my death date had been sanded off until I did die. Die fully. Dead. As in, never coming back.

There was a crunching in the green grass behind me before Lissa sat next to me and hugged her knees like I was. We looked at each other for a second, and then leaned into each other, looking out at the cemetery.

"This place draws to you, doesn't it?" she whispered.

I nodded softly. "I don't know why. I guess…with my connection with the dead and all…no matter how hard I try I just can't ignore it."

She didn't look like she wanted to say much today. She looked like she wanted me to explain the meaning of life, but I was also looking for that happiness.

I continued softly. "You should have seen how many people are waiting at the gates. All those people have unfinished business on the earth, and I'm the only one who can help them, but I can't because of…him."

She sighed. "It's not right." She whispered.

"I know."

We sat there for about ten minutes, not saying another word. I read the names of the fallen that I could read from here, making myself feel terrible.

"Do you every think it'll get better?" she asked suddenly.

I looked at her briefly, scanning to see if I should lie or not. She was in no mood to be lied too right now.

"I honestly don't know, Liss. But…do you still have my note? The one I gave you at my trial? Before I ran?"

She thought about it for a second, then her eyes got wide and she dug in her pockets and found it. It hadn't been opened, thankfully.

She handed it too me, but I passed it back. "Just making sure you still have it. You may need it…soon."

"What do you think is going to happen?"

I carefully thought my words over in my head, making sure it wasn't obvious.

"What was meant to happen."

She frowned in confusion, but she knew me well enough to know not to push for details that I don't tell her straight forward.

She let her breath go in a gust.

"Come on, Liss. Let's go get a manicure?"

She laughed. "Sure."

I helped her off the ground before dusting myself off and walking with her back to the main building. We past a large crowd of Dhampirs and Moroi, and I spotted someone in the crowd that made me sigh.

Lissa looked at me sideways. "You have to go?" she guessed.

I nodded. "Sorry. But I can't-"

"Relax, Rose." Lissa laughed. "I understand. Go."

I gave her one last look before I stepped towards the group, the first two people knew who I was, apparently, cause they stepped aside for. Then the next, then the next, then people who I had never seen before started to copy their friends.

I walked down the isle before Viktoria saw me and sighed like I had when I saw her with him.

"What's going on here?" I asked sweetly.

The Moroi guy, not too much older than me, smirked at me. "We were about to head out," he beckoned. "You can join in, if you'd like."

I looked at Viktoria, disappointment spread all over my face. "Really?" I asked her, like a "C'mon! You're being stupid!"

"Yes," she said without shame. "And you're not apart of it."

The man smiled. "Now, c'mon. We can't be…rude."

I stepped into his face. "Who the hell do you think you are?" I snarled at him.

He seemed to like the close proximity. "Sexy. Stunning."

I snorted. "Not even."

This made him angry. "What do you care?"

"I care about her."

Viktoria was furious. "ROSE! GO AWAY!" she shouted at me, stepping between me and him.

"You're kidding me!" I said. "Why are you doing this? Do you want to be pregnant?"

She crossed her hands over her chest. "And if I do?"

I grabbed her arm and tried to pull her away from this creepy, but I was spun around by the man by the arm and punched in the mouth, knocking me backwards onto the ground, blood pouring from my mouth. I wiped it on my sleeve and stood up swiftly.

"I'm not going to fight you," I told him. "I am going to take her back where she belongs and you're never going to see her again."

He threw another punch, this time hitting me in the eye. I did not stumble backwards like before when I was caught off guard.

He snorted. "Yeah? And who's gonna make me?"

"Me."

He raised an eyebrow. "And who are you?"

I smiled. "Rose Hathaway."

His features immediately froze up and he let his arms go from around Viktoria. She was glaring at me like she wanted to set me ablaze.

I pulled him in by his collar and whispered into his ear dangerously. "Run."

As soon as I pushed him to the ground, he stumbled up and ran away.

"Coward."

I turned towards Viktoria.

"You ruined my life!" she shouted.

"No, that would be you." I told her. "How could you do this to your mother? To Dimitri? To yourself?"

"I'm not doing anything unnatural! Having a baby-"

"to young can ruin your life." I finished for her, cutting in. I sighed. "Viktoria, go back to your room or wherever you want to go, think about this, even talk to my mother, then come back to me when you've made your decision."

"I don't need to tell you anything." She hissed.

"You do if you don't want your mother or Dimitri involved." I blackmailed.

She frowned. "You wouldn't."

I raised an eyebrow. "You know I would."

She continued to glare at me, then sighed herself. "Fine."

I smiled at her, but she ignored it and walked away.

Sorry, I know its short, but I have been reading a new book series which is really good, and I only have so much time in one day. The next update will be done after I finish this last book, which shouldn't be long. I read like crazy :)