Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. You guys rock! Now let's see what's in store for our favorite badass novice.

I don't own Vampire Academy.

Rose POV

"Hello Little Dhampir. I've come to awaken you, my love." Oh my freakin' god. Stigoi Adrian is standing not fifty feet away from me, seperated only by a giant wrought iron gate. He wants to turn me? He sure became one of Ezekiel's little minnions really fast.

"I'm sorry, Darling, but that just isn't going to happen." I say defiantly. He smiles brightly as if I just offered up a tempting challenge, which I guess I did.

"Oh Rose, always the stubborn one. You think you're strong and powerful now? Wait until you're one of us, you'll thank me for it. And I have a few ideas on how you can show me your gratitude." he says with a smirk. Well, I can see his talent for sexually harrassing me hasn't been effected by his transformation.

"In your dreams Strigoi boy." I say with my hand on my hip. No way am I gonna let him know that I'm a bit terrified of him succeeding in his mission. I suddenly feel hand touch my shoulder which causes me to jump. I look over and it's just Dimitri coming to offer his support. It works. Having him so close to me fills me with strength and love. I know I can do anything with him by my side. He takes my hand in his and grips tightly as if trying to keep me from floating away. He looks toward Ezekiel and Adrian.

"If you think I'll let you get anywhere near her, you are sadly mistaken." he growls. I hear footsteps behind me getting closer. I glance over my shoulder to see all the queen's guardians and most of the school's guardians coming to help fight off the invading army. I also see my friends, including Lissa come up behind them. Having Lissa so close to danger makes me even more nervous, and not just because of all the emotions slamming into me from our bond. She looks at me and puts on a brave smile, but she can't fool me. I know she is just as scared for me as I am for her. Christian is standing next to her, ready to fight if any Strigoi get too close. Looking at him reminds me of his Aunt Tasha, the bitch, and her ideas of Moroi using offensive magic against Strigoi. I look up to Dimitri.

"We need fire users." he looks at me and nods in understanding. He relays the message to the rest of the guards. I can hear a couple of them start to run off, assumably to round up some Moroi teachers and students willing to help. It's a very controversial subject, Moroi using their magic in this way, but I know there are some who are willing to fight side by side with guardians. I look back again and see Jacob. He is staring at the massive crowd of Strigoi waiting for their chance to attack. I can tell he is scared, but that doesn't seem to stop him wanting to do his part. I knew he couldn't be all bad. Alex, of course, is standing in front of Rose Ann, stake in hand. Always the protector.

"Rose, stop all this foolishness before someone you love gets killed. Come to us now, and we will let them live. Protest, and we attack, and win. You will still be awakened, but your friends will not live to see you in all your glory." Ezekiel reasons. I look over to him, but my gaze finds its way back to Adrian. My heart breaks looking at him with those crimson eyes and pale, pale skin. I realize that this may be our only chance to send his soul home. I need to get him closer so I can touch him and send Spirit back to his body. That thought scares the hell out of me. I know Dimitri will protest, but I have to try.

"Dimitri, I need to get Adrian over here so we can heal him." I whisper, hoping Adrian doesn't overhear. Dimitri looks at me like I just lost my mind. "Do you want him to live inside my body for the rest of our lives? I have to try." He shakes his head at me.

"It's too risky. Maybe if we weren't so outnumbered, we could try, but it's too dangerous." I know that he isn't going to budge on this.

"Okay, but I don't want him killed. We need him alive if we have a chance to save him." He rolls his eyes a bit but concedes, telling the rest of the guards through their communication device, that Adrian is not to be killed. Adrian looks over at me curiously. He must have heard our conversation.

"I'm happy to see that my becoming Strigoi didn't change your love for me Rose. I love you too. That's why I want you to join me forever." He says seriously.

"I can't do that, and you know it. But you can come with us. Let us try to help you. Maybe with the help of Spirit, you can be whole again. We have to try." Apparently I am quite the commedian because he starts laughing.

"Oh Little Dhampir, you slay me. If by some miracle, I was able to return to my former Moroi self, would you leave your Russian to be with me?" he had to ask that question, didn't he? But, I don't want to lie.

"Well, no..."

"That's what I thought. When I awaken you, I get you all to myself. Why would I want to go back to what we had, just friends. I want to be more than just your friend Rose." He says seductivlely. Dimitri reacts by letting out a low growl and stiffening, ready to attack. This is going to be harder than I thought.

"That's enough!" Ezekiel yells. "We don't have time for this. We need to awaken her before the next hour. Now cease this irrelevent banter and do what I have awakened you for." He shouts at Adrian. Adrian looks annoyed that he was interupting his fun, but then he looked over at me again and smiled.

"I can't wait to taste your blood again, Little Dhampir. I've never tasted anything so delicious." he directs to me, licking his lips. He looks back over his shoulder to the hungry mass of Strigoi behind him. "Kill the rest, but leave the Chosen One for me." At that, every body behind him starts walking towards us. Luckily by that time, Moroi reinforcements have come to stand side by side with the guardians. Dimitri calls over to Christian to stand by me, extra protection.

"Don't you dare move, Christian!" I yelled at him. Both Dimitri and he looked at me confused. "You need to stay and protect Lissa. If anything happens to her, so help me god, I will kick your ass." He nods and I look around and my eyes land on Jacob, who is looking at me with an eagerness to prove himself. "Jacob, come here." He runs over and stands on one side of my with Dimitri on the other. I look at him to give him directions. "You don't need to unleash all your power. Just enough to distract him so that Dimitri or I can stake and kill them, you understand?" He nods with a smile.

"No problem, Super Chicken. I think I can handle that." I don't know how he could still crack jokes at a time like this, but it did make me smile. There were Strigoi climbing over the gate and walls supposedly protecting the academy. Suddenly, some of them burst into flames and fell back onto the ground, writhing in pain. I looked over to see a couple of the Moroi teachers throwing flames from their hands toward the gate. I could see the worry in the eyes of a few approaching Strigoi. A couple actually manage to dodge the flames and get on the other side of the gate. Some guardians starting fighting them, but one was able to unlock the gate, giving the others easy access to us. The rest flowed right in like water from a broken dam. Mayhem is all around us. Flashes of light move all around me as Strigoi burned like dancing candles. Guardians are not taking their time as they quickly stake them through the heart. The smell is unbareable as the ground is littered with crispy critters.

Most of them are heading in my direction, obviously trying to please Ezekiel by getting me themselves. Luckily for me, Dimitri isn't having any of that. It's like a perfectly choreographed dance. Jacob would light a part of an approaching Strigoi on fire; hair, shirt even the crotch of their pants if they mouthed off to me. Then Dimitri or I would take them down with our silver stake. As I glance around, most of the Strigoi are dead. I see Adrian and Ezekeil starting to retreat. I can't let Adrian get away. I start running toward the gate when Dimitri grabs my hand.

"Rose, where do you think you're going?"

"I have to save him. We're not outnumbered anymore." He probably wishes he never said that. He nods at me, knowing I'm not going to be held back, and follows me with Lissa and Christian right behind him.

"Adrian, I need you." I yell to get his attention. It works. He stops and turns to look at me.

"I knew you would come around someday Little Dhampir. But today is unfortunately not the day." He says as he sees the others running behind me. He starts to walk away again and I start to panick. I need him to come to me because with his new found speed, there is not way we can catch him. So I say the first thing that comes to my mind that will get him to do what I want.

"I love you Adrian. Don't leave me." I must sound convincing because next thing I know, he is right in front of me.

"Do you mean that Rose? Do you love me?" He is looking right in my eyes, looking for any evidence that I am trying to deceive him. So I tell him the truth.

"Yes, I love you Adrian." Which is true, but doesn't need to know who I love more because deep down, he already knows. I hear the rest of my friends finally catch up and stand behind me.

"Show me Rose. Show me how much you love me." He leans his head down, his lips getting closer to mine. I swallow down the bile that is rising in my throat. Being this close to a Strigoi is repulsing enough, but to kiss one, even Adrian, his unbarable. I think of the real Adrian, the one I see in my dreams, my friend that would do anything for me, and I press my lips to his. He immediately increase the intensity and I respond, only thinking of my friend and helping free his soul. I can feel Spirit welling up inside me and I try to push it to my lips and release it into Strigoi Adrian. Something isn't right. I should feel the magic flowing out of me, but it isn't. It feels like it's being blocked and is just building up. I hear someone walking up to us and put a hand on my arm. Adrian jumps away. I look over and see Lissa. She is trying to help me but when she touched his arm, he drew back. He looks back and forth between us with an angry look on his face. "What were you trying to do?"

"I only want to help you. Please, let me help you." I plead. This makes him angrier. I automatically push Lissa back and away, never taking my eyes off him. I notice his gaze moves from my face to the vein in my neck, his eyes glazing over in bloodlust. I step back as he jumps at me, teeth bared. Before he can sink his teeth into my flesh, I feel a burn on my arm as he releases me from his grasp. I see that the sleeve of his shirt is on fire. Thank goodness Christian has such good aim. Dimitri grabs me and pushes me behind him, blocking my view of Adrian.

"It is only because of Rose that you are still standing. Leave now before even she can't save you from me." Dimitri growls. After patting out the flame on his shirt, Adrian looks around Dimitri to me and smiles.

"Until we meet again, Little Dhampir. And we will." He bows to me and takes off so fast all I can see is a blur. Damn it!

So what did you think? What do think Adrian's reaction will be? Review and let me know.