Rose was still resting when I returned. Abe and Janine had left, but I found Eddie sitting by her bed as I walked in. I didn't really have the chance to speak to him before he mentioned being late for a shift. "I didn't want to leave her alone," he said as an explanation, glancing at the clock and slipping his stake into the holster at his hip. I was pretty sure he would have skipped his shift entirely if I hadn't come back in time. I understood. I didn't want Rose to be alone either. I knew Lissa would be coming as soon as she was able to, but with all that was going on for her in her new political role, I wasn't expecting her anytime soon. For now, it was just me, and I was perfectly content with that.

"Hello, Roza." I walked around the bed and kissed her forehead, breathing her in for a moment. Her color was coming back and while she still wore the breathing tube and other medical devices, it was good to see her looking a little better.

I dropped my bag at the end of the couch and rustled through the clothing until I grasped the familiar rectangular-shape I had been searching for. It was the book that Adams had given me right after Rose had been arrested, and while I had been too frantic to even think about reading back then, I felt a bit calmer now and was eager to dive into some sort of normalcy.

I read the first paragraph before an idea struck, but as soon as it did, I was hooked on it. Rose would probably let me have it after she woke up, but it would be well worth the teasing.

"Riding up easy, he looked over the horses at the hitch rack. Kentucky wasn't there," I read aloud, pausing a moment to see if my voice, or the fact that I was forcing her to listen to one of the Westerns she loved to tease me about, would rouse her. I didn't see anything obvious, but a part of me wanted to believe that somewhere deep in her sleeping mind, she knew I was there beside her. I took a deep breath and continued, "Then he heard a familiar knicker, and rode past the house…"

I read a little over nine chapters before I saw Christian leaning against the door frame. He smirked, most likely ready to offer some quip about me reading to Rose, but his expression drained when he actually set eyes on her.

"She's doing well," I assured him. I remembered the shock of seeing her like this yesterday, and I was sure it wasn't easy for him either. "The nurse said her vitals are normal and the doctor is supposed to be here in an hour or two."

Christian nodded, taking in my words but not quite looking reassured by them. "I couldn't...I couldn't come in yesterday. I just...Tasha... what my aunt did...I couldn't...I just couldn't."

I could read the guilt on his face, even though it was completely misplaced. "It's not your fault, Christian. None of us would have thought Tasha –"

Several more footsteps sounded outside the room behind him, cutting me off. A second later, I saw a slightly flustered Lissa appear in the doorway. She looked over her shoulder towards someone behind her. "Can you guys just wait over there?" A gruff voice answered affirmatively and Lissa let out a sigh of what looked to be relief. "I'm not sure I'm going to get used to the whole 'never being alone again' thing."

Christian brightened again next to Lissa, his earlier worries forgotten...or at least well hidden. "You'll be alone in the Queen's quarters," he pointed out.

"Yeah, but they'll be waiting just outside of the apartment," she huffed. I was also certain that while she might be 'alone' in her quarters, the Queen's Guard would be extra cautious in roaming the perimeter and in jumping in to stop any possible threat. Guardians don't react well to a charge dying under their care, and the fact that someone had managed to kill Tatiana right under their noses would make them hypervigilant. It wasn't something worth mentioning at the moment though, especially considering all the circumstances surrounding that incident. It would stay with us all for a long time.

Lissa didn't have the same hesitancy that Christian had in walking into the recovery room. The 'two visitors' rule they had here at the hospital had been broken so many times the past couple of hours, and if the staff wasn't willing to go against Abe in enforcing it, I doubted they were going to try to keep the new Queen-elect from seeing her savior.

"I can't feel her," Lissa whispered softly as she touched Rose's arm. "I don't think we're connected anymore."

The news seemed to surprise both me and Christian. "What do you mean?" he asked. Christian had cautiously followed Lissa when she came in, but it seemed like he still needed her as a shield between Rose and him.

Lissa's hands still moved over Rose. I wasn't sure if she was trying to heal her or was somehow prodding for more answers. "I couldn't feel her earlier. I thought maybe the bond was just weak, or somehow quiet while she was sleeping like this, but it's gone. I can't feel it at all. And then Adrian said..." She paused a moment and closed her eyes. I would have bet anything that she was trying to reach out in vain. When she opened them again, she drew her lips tight in a half smile. "I think it broke when she..."

Died.

None of us really wanted to acknowledge how close we had come to losing Rose, but voicing that one word (or even just thinking it) made it all the worse. I wasn't generally a superstitious man, but saying that word aloud could jinx everything and none of us were going to take that chance.

"Are you okay with that?" I shifted in my seat, wondering how this would affect Rose and Lissa's relationship. It was obvious that the bond wasn't the thing holding them together, but it was a big part of their lives and losing that could be hard.

"Yes," Lissa said after a moment of thought. "She's done so much for me, more than I'd ever ask of her, and she deserves her own life now."

"Bond or no bond, she's still going to be there for you," I offered in gentle comfort. "And she's still going to insist on being your guardian."

"I don't think I could stop her even if I tried," she laughed. I smiled in agreement. It didn't matter if Lissa was now the most powerful person in the Moroi world, Rose would do whatever she felt she needed to and felt was right. Protecting her best friend would always rank high on that list.

We sat with her the rest of the day, only stepping out to let the doctor and nurse remove the breathing tube once they felt she was strong enough to breathe on her own. They insisted on monitoring her another night but were confident enough to tell us that she could most likely go home tomorrow. Home, of course, would be her own apartment next to the Queen's quarters at the palace. Lissa was insistent.

We stayed the day, talking and laughing now that the majority of our fears had been abated by the doctor's assessment. Janine and Abe joined us, and while he never spoke to me directly, I was the recipient of more than a few glares from Zmey. I knew there were some not so pleasant conversations coming my way and it was only a matter of time before I suffered his wrath.

I even saw Adrian pass by the door once. He didn't step in, but when I met his eyes, there seemed to be a new silent agreement between us. I nodded, trying to let him know that Rose was okay, and he left shortly after without drawing the notice of the others. Part of me wished he had come in and joined us, but the other part of me knew that he wasn't ready.

Eventually, the sun started to rise and the others began to file out for the night. Once it was just us, I tucked Rose's blanket a little tighter and wished her goodnight with a kiss on her temple. Then I sunk into the chair beside her, wove my fingers between hers, and prayed that when I woke in the morning, it would be to her voice.

As the doctor had predicted, Rose was able to be moved into her new apartment the next day. Medical staff checked on her from time to time, but they all expected her to wake within the next few hours. I didn't plan on leaving her side until she did.

I was sitting by the window, finishing the last page of my book when I saw Rose start to stir. "Sleeping beauty awakens."

Her head turned towards mine and I saw the most beautiful sight in the world – her smile.

"Are you my nurse?" Of course, her first words would be dripping in her signature sarcasm...even if it was a bit hoarse in her throat.

I shook my head at her antics before standing and making my way over to her. After everything that had happened, all I wanted to do was kiss her. And hold her. And thank God for her.

Her smile brightened as I got closer and I watched her shift up onto her elbows, wincing at the movement. I placed a hand on her shoulder and carefully pushed her back down. "No, no, you need to lie down."

She didn't protest. Her breathing was a little stilted as she fought the pain before finally relaxing into her pillow again. Part of me wondered if I should call the nurse to look her over and get her some medication, but after a moment or two, she seemed to calm. I knew she wouldn't bounce back from her experience any time soon, but the glint in her eye suggested that she would eventually be back to her full self and ready to terrorize the world once more.

"Then come closer," she playfully ordered. "I want to see you."

I looked her over, my fingers itching to touch her but wary that I might somehow hurt her. I couldn't deny her though, especially when I could see the quiet 'please?' in her eyes as she noticed my hesitation. I kicked my shoes off and lifted the corner of her blankets so I could lay next to her. It would have been impossible in that hospital cot from before, but this bed was large enough to fit us both with room to spare. I was sure that wasn't Lissa's intention when she'd given Rose this apartment, but I was more than happy to take advantage.

I paused a moment when I heard Rose hiss as she turned to the side to make room for me, but she waved off my concern with a familiar smile. Feeling her beside me was a blessing that I hadn't been sure I'd ever get a few days ago, and now laying next to her, I couldn't get enough. I rested my head on the same pillow, gently pulling her body closer until I could feel her pressed against me.

"Is this better?" I asked. My nose brushed hers. It would only take a slight tilt of my chin to kiss her lips again.

"Much." She sighed in contentment and a rogue bit of hair slipped onto her cheek.

Gently, I brushed it away, letting my fingers linger on the smooth skin of her cheek. A small blush bloomed under my fingertips and my heart clenched at the simple beauty of it. "How are you?" I asked.

"Hungry." Her lips pursed in amusement and I laughed alongside her.

"Of course you are." I moved my hand down the curve of her spine. She wasn't in the hospital gown anymore, but the fabric was still fairly thin and she wiggled a little under the tickling sensation. "I think they've only managed to get broth into you so far. Well, that and the IV fluids early on. You're probably in sugar withdrawal."

Rose crinkled her nose at the mention of the IV and then asked, "How long have I been out?"

"A few days."

"A few days…" she repeated softly to herself. "I shouldn't be alive." I felt her hand come between us to feel the bandage on her chest.

Her words stilled my hand and my heart for a moment. Truthfully, no, she shouldn't be alive. I could still acutely remember how much it hurt when I thought I had lost her, and the terrifying ache when I learned that she was still alive...but just barely. It was only now – holding her in my arms, looking into her beautiful eyes, and relishing in the sound of her voice – that I truly felt relief knowing that she'd be okay.

"Oh, Lord," she stiffened with a small look of panic. "Lissa healed me, didn't she?"

"No, she didn't heal you," I assured her.

"No?" Her brows furrowed in confusion and then melted into guilt. She turned her face away and refused to look at me as she spoke again. "Then...Adrian? He'd never...after how I treated him...no. He couldn't have…"

I gently pulled her chin back to me and dipped my head until I could see her eyes. "What, you think he'd let you die?"

She didn't answer but her lip quivered in uncertainty.

"No matter how he feels…well, he wouldn't have let you die." I remembered the way he looked as he struggled with those conflicting feelings – torn between love, agony, anger, and worry. I prayed that someday he and Rose would be able to look at one another without some sort of pain between them. The fact that Rose felt he might have let her die? The fact that Adrian had to assure me that he wouldn't have? They needed to know that, despite everything, there were still feelings there. I had no doubt that Rose cared for him still. Perhaps she didn't love him the way he loved her, but I knew that his pain cut her to the soul. Knowing that she was responsible for it? I'd be willing to bet that it hurt her more than the pain of her wound. "He wanted to heal you. But he didn't either."

Her lips pulled tight and she nodded slightly, taking my words to heart even if she didn't quite believe them. "Then who? Sonya?"

"No one," I said before amending, "Well, you, I suppose."

"I...what?"

"People can heal without magic now and then, Rose." Her reaction almost made me laugh, but then I remembered the gun, the blood, the hospital, the wires….all of it. "And your wounds...they were bad. No one thought you'd survive. You went into surgery, and then we all just waited."

"But why…" She hesitated. "Why didn't Adrian or Lissa heal me?"

"Oh, they wanted to, believe me. But in the aftermath, in the chaos...the Court went under lockdown. They were both taken away and put under heavy protection before they could act. No one would let them near you, not when they still thought you might be a murderer. They had to be certain about Tasha first, even if her own actions were pretty damning." I tried not to let the hardness in my voice leech out, but I doubt I was totally successful.

"Is Tasha...still alive?" The concern that Rose seemed to have for the woman who had nearly murdered her frustrated me even more. I still didn't want to believe that Tasha was capable of such things, and it angered me just to think of it, but hearing Rose worry about someone who had no problem putting a bullet in her chest was somehow more upsetting. Rose was a much better person that I was, that was for sure.

"Yes," I said, gritting my teeth to keep my hatred hidden. "They caught her right after she shot you – before anyone else got hurt. She's detained, and more evidence has been coming in." Although her own testimony would probably incriminate her more than anything else.

"Calling her out was one of the hardest things I've ever done. Fighting Strigoi was easier than that." I felt her hand circle over my upper arm, and whether she had intended it to or not, the touch soothed me a little.

"I know. It was hard for me to see, hard for me to believe." I allowed myself to feel the pain of her betrayal rather than the hatred that had come because of it for a moment. Only a moment. "But she made her choices, and all the charges against you have been dropped. You're a free woman now. More than that. A hero. Abe's bragging that it's all his doing." I had heard him talking to one of the doctors earlier, but I couldn't exactly blame him for singing Rose's praises. I was proud of her too.

She chuckled. "Of course he is. I'll probably get a bill from him soon." If she had been anyone else, I certainly wouldn't have put it past him. It was clear that Abe loved his daughter though, and it was clear that he would do anything, including pro bono legal work and C-4 assistance, to keep her safe.

I smiled and laughed with her, and gradually, our voices gently trailed off into a quiet happiness that only being with her could inspire. I combed my fingers through her hair, loving the way she tilted her face closer to my palm with every pass.

"So what now?" The question was practically a purr.

"I'm not sure," I admitted. I pressed my lips to her forehead and then rested my cheek against it. "I'm just so glad...so glad you're alive. I've been so close to losing you so many times. When I saw you on the floor, and there was so much commotion and confusion...I felt so helpless." I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to adequately describe it. All I knew was that I didn't want to feel that helplessness ever again. "I realized you were right. We waste our lives with guilt and self-loathing. When you looked at me there at the end...I saw it. You did love me."

"You doubted?" I could hear some annoyance in her voice, but I couldn't exactly hold that against her. I was plenty annoyed at my own stupidity over questioning and fighting her love for so long.

"No. I mean, I knew then that you didn't just love me. I realized that you had really forgiven me."

"There was nothing to forgive, not really." She must have said those words a hundred times to me by now, but for the first time, I was able to really accept the truth behind them.

"I've always believed there was." I pulled away a little, just so I could look at her. "And that's what was holding me back. No matter what you said, I just couldn't believe it...couldn't believe you would forgive all the things I did to you in Siberia and after Lissa healed me. I thought you were deluding yourself."

She shrugged in my arms. "Well, it wouldn't be the first time I've done that. But no, this time I wasn't."

"I know, and with that revelation...in that split second that I knew you forgave me and I really had your love, I was finally able to forgive myself too. All those burdens, those ties to the past...they went away. It was like…" I paused and tried to find the words.

"Being free?" she suggested. "Flying?"

"Yes. Except...it came too late. This sounds crazy, but while I was looking down at you, having all these thoughts coming together in my head, it was like...like I could see death's hand reaching for you. And there was nothing I could do. I was powerless. I couldn't help."

"You did." I raised a brow at her assurance, and she continued and clarified. "The last things I saw before blacking out were you and Lissa. I don't know how I survived getting shot, how I beat the odds...but I'm pretty sure your love – both of you – gave me the strength to fight through. I had to get to you guys. God only knows what trouble you'd get into without me."

I didn't know what to say. It was nice to think that I might have had some role, but I knew it was really all her. Rose was strong. She was a fighter. She was a survivor. It didn't matter what gave her the drive to live, I was just happy she was here.

I cupped her cheek and pulled her a little closer, softly bringing my lips to hers. The kiss was gentle, and I had intended to keep it that way for now. Honestly. But then she had pressed herself against my body and I couldn't stand to let her go. I needed her.

I wrapped my fingers in her hair and tugged. Her moan set me on fire. It wasn't until I felt her wince as my hand wandered her body that I was reminded just why she was in this bed in the first place. Reluctantly, I pulled away.

Her lips reached for mine a second longer until she opened her eyes and realized I had put an end to our intimate moment. "Hey, what gives?"

"You're still recovering. You might think you're back to normal, but you aren't." I said it for my benefit as much as hers. A decent part of me was ready to pick up where we had left off, but her health came before my desires.

"This is normal for me," she insisted with a slight pout. "And you know, I thought with all this freedom and self-discovery and expression of our love stuff that we could finally stop with the whole zen master wisdom and practical advice crap."

I laughed as she tried to raise one brow to mock me, and dear God, she almost managed it. Almost. "Roza, that's not going to happen. Take it or leave it."

She rose up a little to kiss me. "If it means getting you, I'll take it."

I held her in my arms, nuzzling my nose into the wispy hair at her temple and smelling the chocolate scented spray Lissa had used on Rose's hair earlier. I still wasn't quite sure what it was or what it was for but it smelled good.

"Dimitri, for real," Rose's concern broke through my happy musing. "What happens to us?"

"Life," I answered automatically. "It goes on. We go on. We're guardians. We protect and maybe change our world."

"No pressure," she scoffed. "But what's with the 'we' and 'guardians' part? I'm pretty sure we were out of that career path."

"Mmm," I caressed her cheek, letting my fingers dance towards the pink tint of her lips. "Along with our pardons, we received our guardian status again."

"Even you?" she exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise. "They believe you're not a Strigoi."

I nodded.

"Huh. Even if I got my name cleared, my ideal future was that we'd get filing jobs near each other."

I would have been alright with that, to be honest. As long as I got to stay close to her, I would have been okay with almost anything. But I knew she'd eventually get bored with a quiet life. Rose wasn't made to be quiet. She was made to be great. I leaned close to her ear and whispered, "It gets better: you're Lissa's guardian."

If she had been surprised before, she was in pure shock now. "What? That's impossible. They'd never…"

"They did. She'll have others, so they probably figured it was okay to let you hang around if someone else could keep you in line." Despite my teasing, I was a little taken aback to see that she didn't look completely happy with the news. I'd support her whatever she decided, but I honestly thought she'd be thrilled.

"You're not…" she worried her lip between her teeth. "You're not one of her guardians too, are you?"

I suddenly understood her fears. It was the same old concerns from the Academy rearing their heads again. We couldn't both guard Lissa without putting her, and each other, in danger. The emotions there were too complicated. But we had set a plan before, and I intended to keep to it if she agreed.

"No," I said, trying to ease her worry. "I have a different assignment."

"Oh."

She still didn't seem quite relieved so I decided to just come out and say it. "I'm Christian's guardian."

I had thought it would make things better, but apparently, I had made things worse. She sprung up and out of my grasp. "But that's...that's practically the same thing!"

"A little," I admitted. I tried to pull her back down so she wouldn't hurt herself, but she brushed me away. She narrowed her eyes at my lack of concern over the assignment and I almost had to laugh. She was insane if she thought I was going to let her go again. "But they won't be together every moment, especially with her going to Lehigh. He's not going...but they'll keep coming back to each other. And when they do, so will we. It's a good mix. Besides, I think you've proved to everyone that you're willing to put her life first." I glanced momentarily at the spot on her chest where I knew the bullet had marked her.

She shook her head. "Yeah, but no one was shooting at you. Only her." There was an awkward silence before she said, "You followed when I jumped in front of Lissa, didn't you? Who were you going for? Me or her?"

I desperately wished she wouldn't have asked me that. The truth was, I would take a bullet for either of them. I would have taken that bullet for either of them. But asking me who, specifically, I was trying to save at that precise moment….

"I don't know Roza. I don't know." I sincerely hoped that was the last lie I would ever have to tell her.

She sighed. "This isn't going to be easy."

I shifted so my back was against the headboard of the bed and then pulled her into my lap. "It never is." She rested her head against my chest and I slowly ran my hand up and down her arm. We stayed like that for a while, slowly enjoying being wrapped up in the other and perhaps trying to avoid thinking about our inevitable struggles in the near future. Right now, there was just this. Just us. And right now, that was all I needed.

Our privacy was eventually interrupted by a small knock on the door. Lissa stepped into the room and I saw her light up when she realized Rose was awake.

"Sorry," she said with absolutely no hint of remorse. "Should have put a sock on the door. Didn't realize things were getting hot and heavy."

Rose quickly mirrored her best friend's smile and playful tone. "No avoiding it." She grabbed my hand. "Things are always hot with him around."

I...I didn't know what to say. Or do. A part of me wanted to jump out of bed and say that it was nothing, but I knew it was the knee-jerk reaction of someone who had been forced to keep his feelings and desires suppressed for too long. I had to remind myself that it was fine. Our friends and family were already aware of our relationship. Expressing affection was okay. Even public affection. But laying in bed with her in my arms felt a little too public. And an innuendo about our more physical relationship in front of someone else felt practically scandalous.

They seemed amused by my discomfort, and while Lissa was kind enough to suppress her laughter, Rose did nothing to hide it. She threw her head back with glee and then kissed me. "Oh, this is going to be fun, now that everything's out in the open."

"Yeah, I got a pretty 'fun' look from your father the other day." I was still waiting for that impending conversation. Rose suddenly looked a little nervous too but I gave her hand a squeeze and decided to take my leave. "I should go and let you two talk."

I wasn't quite to the door when I heard Rose ask, "Will you be back?"

Looking over my shoulder, I met her eyes. I knew she was just asking about coming back sometime today, but it felt like there was something more to it. I would always come back to her. It was inevitable and I wasn't going to fight it anymore. My heart belonged to Rose and for some reason completely unknown to me, she had given me her heart as well. I couldn't wait to hold onto her forever.

For now, though, I smiled. "Of course."

Author's Note

Sorry I missed a week. I promise that I'm not trying to extend this story because I have no idea what I'm going to do with my life after this is all over. Yeah...I'm totally not doing that.

I wanted to answer a few questions that I've been asked recently.

I will be taking a break from writing fanfic after this is finished. I will not be gone forever, just a month or two. I do have more stories planned but I will not be writing Bloodlines from Dimitri's perspective (or Adrian's for that matter). It would be an interesting project, and I really encourage one of you to take it on, but Vampire Academy DPOV was four and a half years in the making and I'm ready to switch gears. As far as Knight of Swords is concerned...I may abandon it for now. It really hurts to say that, especially since I've made it a point to finish any fic I start, but I've been more wrapped up in other projects and I'd rather set it aside until I can give it the focus it deserves.

As a quick note, my beta and I will be editing the earlier books over the coming weeks. Goodness knows those books need it. There will be some minor changes, but only to make sure the book aligns with the 10th-anniversary stories that came out after I had started writing. Things like Dimitri meeting Janine before his graduation rather than after. Nothing major. Hopefully, all you'll notice is significantly better spelling and grammar.