Chapter Thirty- Six: Calm After the Storm

I woke up to the worst pain I had ever felt in my head. Damn how many times am I going to get smacked in the head!? I felt the warm feeling of Lissa healing me come through me. God it was awesome to have a spirit user as a best friend.

I sat up and blinked as I tried to clear my vision. "Rose are you ok?" she asked me as I looked around.

I was in the panic room. Lissa was here too, as was Abe, Adrian, Christian, Mia, Olena, Karolina, Sonya, Viktoria, Paul, Zoya, Zarya, Yeva and Aria along with some other faces.

"Mama!" Aria cried as she squirmed in Yeva's arms. The elderly woman sat Aria down and my daughter ran over to me. I clutched her to my chest. I was so relieved that she was ok and safe.

I looked around looking for Dimitri, he wasn't there.

"Where's Dimitri?" I asked as I stood on shaky legs. Had a feeling I knew where he was and I didn't like it at all.

"Rose you should rest. Dimitri went to help the others, he'll be back soon." Lissa put a hand on my shoulder, trying to make me sit back down. She said he'd be but just like at the caves we didn't know what could happen and that scared me.

Dimitri's POV

I made it out of the building before I was suddenly faced with a new Strigoi. I lashed out and staked him without a thought. This was more then my job, this was the safety of my family and I'd rather be Strigoi again then let any harm come to them.

I fought my way to the middle of the courtyard. There where many dead both guardians and Moroi. This was all Tasha's fault. She was to blame. One way or another Tasha Ozera's fate was set, weather by execution for high treason or by the fangs of one of her own allies, she die and I couldn't find it in my heart to give a damn.

Something red caught my eye and I turned to see Janine fighting off two Strigoi. She may have been able to handle herself but I was a gentleman and I jumped into the fray.

I staked the taller one and stood at Janine's back .

"Thanks Belikov." She said. "Where's my daughter?"

I heard her strike a heavy body and it fell. "She was injured, she'd with the Princess."

"Good." We fought side by side for sometime, occasionally I'd see Eddie fighting and I knew he was ok to.

"Dimka!" I looked over to see the woman that caused this all. I stood tall and angry as I stalked toward her. "This is your fault Dimka." She said as she held up her hands encased in fire.

I glared. "If you had just left that little bitch alone we could be happy right now!"

I shook my head. "I could never be happy without my Roza and you know that."

She screamed and threw a fire ball at me. I glared up at her and before she could through another one I lunged and she hit her head against the concrete. She was unconscious.

As I brought Tasha down the last Strigoi was killed while the last of them retreated. The sun was coming up and I'd never been happier to see the light as I was at this moment.

I pulled out my handcuffs and restrained Ozera. I didn't want to risk her getting away. She was going to pay for what she did. I'd make sure of it.

After the guardians had regrouped I went back to get the princess and Roza.

I knocked one the door and again Abe carefully opened it.

"It's safe they're gone." As the door opened wider Rose was walking to me with our little girl in her arms. I wrapped my arms around them and then my mother and sisters as well.

I lead my family to our home. Rose wanted to go and help the guardians but I refused. Lissa may have healed her but I didn't want her to over exert herself. Maybe I was being over protective, and by the look on her face I was, but I loved her and didn't want her to be under unnecessary stress.

"Comrade!" She whined as she took Aria to the bathroom for her nightly bath.

"I'm fine, Adrian said he'd come over and babysit." I gently grabbed her shoulders as Aria splashed happily in the tube.

"Rose they were specifically after you and Aria I don't want you in this. Please just let me take care of you." She pouted and I felt that same pang lust I always felt when I looked at her. "Fine." She groaned as she turned back to our daughter.

I hugged her body from behind and whispered in her ear.

"Maybe when I get home we can work on that baby brother for Aria?"

"Not until Aria is four comrade, but we could practice." She replied and I laughed and kissed her right below her ear.

"I'll be back later." I kissed her cheek then leaned down into the tube.

"Daddy will see you in the morning baby girl be good for your mommy." I told her and she giggled happily and splashed in the water getting my collar and face wet.

I chuckled as she continued to laugh and play in the water. Then I turned and left to get to work.

As soon as I got to HQ I saw Tasha in a holding cell.

"Belikov!" I turned to Hans as he walked up. "Hathaway said that Lady Ozera was in league with the Strigoi." I nodded.

"Yes sir, she wanted Rose Hathaway dead and Aria Belikova to be awakened." I replied my guardian mask just barely concealed my rage.

Hans glanced to Tasha who sat there watching us while we talked about her.

Hans looked back to me. "Do we know why?" he asked me.

"I believe its because she thought if my family was dead I'd be with her."

Hans looked back to the angry Moroi woman then back to me. "Any other time I'd say you were being a little vain but the way she looks I'm inclined to agree."

I nodded. "Alright 'll have Guardian Castile and Tanner to take Ozera to a cell down stairs.

Eddie and Mikhail took her from the holding cell and led her downstairs.

After that I spent hours making sure that the wards were up, going over the numbers of the dead and by the time I entered my apartment a one in the Moroi morning I was ready to fall out.

I made it to mine and Rose's room to see her sound asleep in our bed safe and sound. I went to our bathroom and took a quick shower then went to check on Aria, who was as deep asleep as her mother, then I slipped under the comforter in my bed and held my Roza close.

Before I fell asleep all I could think was thank god it was over.

Rose's POV

The week following the attack has been busy. When I finally managed to get Dimitri to let me get back to work I was working around the clock to get help get everything back in order. I even had to help guard Tasha much to Dimitri's irritation. He didn't want me anywhere near her, not that I could blame him, but I did my job without my emotions getting in the way.

The first time I came down to the holding cells Tasha had stood up outraged.

Flashback Starts Now

"I DON'T WANT THAT BITCH HERE!" I stood stoic in front of Tasha.

"it's not you decision on who guards you Miss. Ozera." I told her as I positioned myself against the wall.

"That's Lady Ozera to you!" She screamed. I replied without relinquishing my guardian mask. "You have been stripped of your title. You will be on trial for high treason. Trust me Tasha you aren't in any position to make demands."

She shrank back. "Do you realize how many innocent people died? How many guardians were lost?" she averted her eyes from mine.

"And do you have any idea what this will do to Christian? He' just now started to be excepted and you've added another taint to him just like his parents."

Flashback Ends now

After that Tasha never spoke again. She had her preliminary trial and the real trial has yet to be set which sucked. I wanted this over and I wanted my child to be safe. But as long as she stayed in jail were safe.

"The Queen said it might take a few years for Tasha to actually go to trial." Lissa told me one day while we were having lunch with Aria in a highchair next to the table.

It was early March and my twentieth birthday was just around the corner. Dimitri and I had decided that we'd have our wedding in late June.

I shook my head. "This is ridiculous." I said. "I mean why is it taking so long?" I wondered aloud.

"Tatiana is retiring." She said. I looked up. "Oh yeah. I forgot about that." Lissa nodded happily. "So are you still the heir?"

I asked her. I had been so busy that I had barely seen Lissa and if Tatiana and changed her mind I'd never know it.

"Yup, my coronation will be two weeks after Tatiana's retirement and I was hoping you, your mom and Dimitri would start working on an alternative to the age decree. Its still in the works but a lot of the council don't like it."

I nodded my head. "Happy to." We laughed and talked more about Lissa's coronation, wedding plans, and what we'd do for my birthday. Dimitri wanted to take me out just the two of us so the day after Lissa wanted to have a big birthday bash.

Yup life was looking up.

That night I got home to see Dimitri and Aria happily playing in the floor.

They hadn't noticed I'd walked in so I stopped and listened.

"You're going to be such a pretty flower girl aren't you baby girl?"

He asked her as she played with her blocks.

"Yeah." She answered matter-of-factly. He chuckled. "Maybe one day soon you'll have a baby brother or sister would you like that?"

"Yeah!" He laughed.

"Hey you two." I said as I made my presence known.

Aria smiled and jumped up. "Hi mama! Look what me and daddy made!" she held up what looked like a pony made from Legos. I smiled and picked her up. "Its beautiful baby." I said as I ran a hand through her curls. They definitely looked like her grandmothers and had grown to her shoulder blades.

"Hello Roza." Dimitri said as he came over and kissed me. "How was your day?" he asked I sighed and shrugged. "Same old. Tasha's trial has been postponed."

He stiffened. I sat Aria down and she ran off to play and I wrapped my arms around his waist.

"Don't worry Comrade, Lissa is being coroneted after Tatiana's retirement and then you, me, and mom are going to have to come up with an alternative to the age decree." He nodded.

"Come on, let me get changed and we'll pop in that Lone Ranger movie that you and Aria seems so in love with."

He chuckled and went to get our one year old and when I came back out Dimitri was laying on the couch with Aria sitting on his leg he smiled when he saw me and moved over so I could lounge next to him. We put the movie in and sat back to enjoy watching Jonny Depp play a really wired Indian.

Ok so this isn't going to be as long as I thought. The next chapter will be the epilogue. Its so hard to see this end… I had a lot of fun writing this story and you all are great reviewers.

I have a plan for a sequel but the next story will be titled His Child, which will be a prequel to this story. It's go from the prologue of For her all the way to Aria's birth. Thank you so much and I hope you all enjoyed this story. Richelle Mead Owns VA thanks again and keep a look out for His Child.