(Disclaimer I do not own any of these characters that would be Richelle Mead)

Rose POV

Outside the hotel we are piling into the four vans that it will take to get us all to court. The air is cold now that the sun is fully set causing our breath to make smoky tendrils as we all breath out.

We are all standing quietly as we get into the van and probably will be quiet until after the council meeting is through. The heavy atmosphere just adding to my nerves and I'll be glad once all of this is over. We are not worried about strigoi attacking us outside of court as there are 46 fighters and a hell of a fire user, if there are strigoi they'd have to be suicidal to bother with us. No this nervous tension that's keeping everyone quiet is the knowledge that we are heading into court right into the lions den.

Securing my two stakes in their holders one on the outside of my thigh over my tight black leather pants the other inside my black bomber jacket. I'm wearing a black tank top and black sports bra underneath my jacket. Yes I know it a lot of black but it's practical specially when blood goes everywhere! I then stash my 7 inch blade in my left knee high boot on the inside of my leg so it's easy to reach with my right hand if need be. I know in my fighting gear I look like a total bad ass. Our squad also use swords when hunting strigoi but we have opted out of carrying them today as this might make us look even more threatening causing some younger guardians with a lack of experience to shoot first and ask questions later. I've pulled my hair into a high knot so that my tattoos are showing letting everyone know that I'm still killing strigoi and even though I've just turned 23 I have got over 17 kills and a battle star. Basically a two finger salute to all those at the academy when I got kicked out and said I wouldn't be a guardian. Hum Kirova!

Getting up to the gates at court it took half an hour for the guardians at the gate to check us all over making sure none of us were strigoi or humans trying to get in. It was quite comical seeing the guardian take us all in and asking us who we were. Poor man having to check each and every one of us and matching us to our IDs. By the time he got to me he looked like he was throughly bored.

"Name?" In a monotone voice.

"Rose Hathaway." I answer back in my own bored droll.

His head snaps up looking at me straight on. "Um identification please."

Passing him my passport. "Okay." He passes me back my passport. He is still looking at me while asking Dimitri "Name?"

"Umm Saul it's me!" Dimitri says to the guardian guess they know each other then. Saul snaps out of his staring match with me and looks at Dimitri. "Oh shit sorry brother, hope you know your in deep shit with Hans just a pre warning, he was totally blindsided and well he is pissed."

"Thanks for the heads up." Dimitri says while putting his passport back into his inside pocket of his duster.

The guardian at the gate instructs us to drive up to the council halls where a few guardians will be waiting to escort us into the meeting. Once there their reaction to us was the same as those at the gate we looked like a mini army ready to storm our enemies gates. We got into the positions that we were instructed on at the briefing this morning and walked up to the open archway. Well here we go.

Lissa POV

Sitting on the podium with the rest of the council members up the front of the packed out hall. The observation seats are further back so there is a large area in front of us that is a void space going to be full soon with Rose and others. Looking up at the gallery I can see that people are standing packet together waiting to see her. Christian, Adrian, Tasha, Eddie, Mia and Craig are in the front row seats right in front of me and behind them are the Belikov's who all arrived the other day. I managed to secure them these seats with the queens blessing as the child was their family.

I have been surprised by the queen I was expecting a kill order, fireworks and making laws that would of ended up pushing the Dhampir to leave us. I don't know if her actions were from secretly wanting change or realisation that we had no choice. Either way I'm not complaining and am happy for any blessings and help.

I knew that Rose will have some of Abe Mazur's guardians with her but how many who knows. I mean no one knows exactly how many guardians he actually has just that it's a lot. As if on cue everyone goes silent as right under the archway at the back of the hall you see Dimitri with a small boy in his arms and a woman standing next to him. The woman with her hair in a high knot looks straight at me and watching her aura I see my darkness seep out from me straight into her. Rose.

Pulling my vision back to take in the whole scene I'm in awe. Lucky the walk way is wide because as Rose, Dimitri and Ivan who is still in Dimitri's arms walk in I see 10 guardians on each side of them walking along with them flanking each side and stationing themselves to guard the walkway

"Holy shit how many?" I hear someone on the council say.

"Um that's not all of them looks like another lot are now entering from their rear." That was actually a guardian behind me stating breaking protocol.

"There's got to be thirty of them." Prince Zeklos states. "Wait is that Abe Mazur behind the guardians that have just come in?"

"Yep and looks like another 10 guards after him."

The whole hall has been stunned by the show of force this entrance has made. As they make their way down towards us you can't help but hear the people in the pews also commenting about the guardians but also about Rose. "Look how many Molnijas marks she's earned how old is she again?" "Hell she's only 23 must be a hell of a fighter." "Well definitely not a blood whore."

Tuning them out I can not take my eyes off of Rose as she makes her way to the front of the hall and I have to say she looks good. She is obviously a fighter and by the look of her body a good one. Dressed in the same uniform as the rest of Mazur's guard it's an open declaration that she is a private guardian now and not loyal to the Moroi government only to her private hire. When Rose, Dimitri and Ivan got to the front the guard who brought up their rear moved to the walls on either side of them mingling between the court stationed guardians. Apart from the uniform they presented themselves with just as much professionalism as the promised guards. That's when Abe Mazur stepped to the front and his rear guard moved to the far side wall some sneaking up to the gallery to station themselves there.

Looking at Rose I couldn't help but take her in the girl that was my sister my best friend. I missed her so much but right until this moment I didn't realise how much. "Rose?" I didn't think I said it out loud or maybe I didn't maybe she heard my thoughts she turned to me. "Hey Liss how you doing?"

Unknown POV

We have just got the word from the gate that the little bitch will be here in a few minutes. Stupid bitch has ruined everything now Dhampir are demanding things, next it will be down with the royal houses and a demand for delegated leaders. The stupid little blood whore and her basted child will be killed today so at least she might of brought down our world as we know it but she'll never get to enjoy it.

It should be easy enough I mean she only has Belikov protecting her. He will walk in with her and my man in the gallery will shoot her and hopefully get the brat before Belikov can react. The Dhampir will be unhappy but they still need us at the moment to reproduce I mean they couldn't of got that far that they are ready to fix every Dhampir female already. So they'll let it go with the arrest of the man and it will never come back to me. He is a non royal so the fallout won't be as bad, just a disgruntled Moroi.

Right here we go I look at my man in the gallery and he give a shallow nod telling me he is ready. I watch as Hathaway, Belikov and I'm guessing his basted start to walk down towards us at the front of the hall and I can't believe what I'm seeing. "Holy shit how many?" The words leave my mouth before I can stop them. She is surrounded by at least 30 guard and then when they split I see him the only person who scares the actual shit out of me Zemy. Fuck what have I done I'm a dead man. More guards behind him this could turn into a blood bath.

Dimitri POV

There is silence while everyone is just taking each other in. Lissa and Rose are staring at each other and the queen is just staring at me or maybe it's Ivan she is staring at. Ivan however is staring off to my right looking at the audience. Got to say after a minute of this I was getting a little uncomfortable.

Finally someone says something. The queen.

"Welcome back Miss Hathaway your looking well?" She states finally looking away from my son.

"Thank you your majesty. I'm doing very well." Rose politely answers her back.

"Hmm I see. Ibrahim I see that Miss Hathaway is dressed in the same attire as your guards so I'm guessing you hired her after she got expelled?" She asks Abe not mentioning their family ties. I guess she is waiting to see how we are going to play this.

Abe stepping up next to me and caressing Ivans back. "Actually Titania Rose contacted me the night she was advised of her expulsion while she was still there. You could say I hired her then and there!"

"And why would you do that? Take in a pregnant blood whore who got knocked up in school?" Prince Lazar asks an evil smirk on his face as he looks at my Roza.

There were hisses coming from behind us and I swear if Lissa could hit him she would. "Well Mr Lazar." Ouch an obviously open snub to a royal. "It's a fathers duty to help his daughter."

Loud murmurs coming from behind us from the populace sitting in the pews at what Abe just revealed. Lazar looking very wearily at Abe's guard at the realisation that he just called Zemy's daughter a blood whore.

"Also as this has proven Rosemarie is no blood whore as the father of my grandson is no Moroi."

The queen looks bored there's actually no other term for it. Lazar is about to say something else when she rises off her seat and walks towards us shutting up all conversations.

You can see that our guard were on the ready, the queen guards also looked ready to pounce, this was making both teams ours and her's nervous only the team leaders were able to control them on both sides. The entire hall could feel the tension coming off the guards and shut up staring at them ready to duck if all hell broke loose.

She walked up to Rose and me and asked her "May I?" While looking at Ivan whose face was buried in my shoulder. It was then that I realised that apart from the few seconds he looked over at the pews he had not shown his face.

Rose gave her a genuine smile for the first time ever in their encounters.

Turning towards Ivan and stroking his hair. "Ivan baby there's someone mommy wants you to meet."

Ivan looking up from my shoulders turns around to Rose. Looking straight at the queen and back to Rose again. "What do you say Ivan when you meet someone new?" Rose asks in a slightly stern voice.

Ivan looking at the queen again and sticking out his little hand to her. "Hello I'm Ivan Mason Belikov Mazur how do you do?"

I think if the whole hall could go aww without breaking this moment or risking someone's wrath they would of. The queen actually smiled. Taking Ivans hand in her own. "It's very nice to meet you Ivan." Looking up at me. "Well you can't deny that he is yours he looks like you, both of you."

"Thank you your majesty." Both Rose and I said at the same time.

With that she went back up to her seat. That's when I heard the bang of a gun being fired.

Abes POV

Bang bang that was a gun. I see my daughter lurch forward onto her hands and knees. I can see blood dripping onto the floor in front of her. I step behind Belikov and put up a wall of flames that surrounds all four of us. It wont stop a bullet but will make it harder for the shooter to see what he is aiming at and if anyone is attacking by foot they'll have to come through it. Through the flames I can see some of our guard running up to the gallery. I fucking new it a shooter up in the gallery. I just hope with all the panic and people pushing their way out of the hall that whoever the shooter is doesn't get away.

"Belikov how's my daughter?" I yell over my shoulder at him. I can't look as I have to concentrate on keeping the wall of fire up which is slowly draining my power.

"It went straight threw her shoulder she's bleeding out and I can't put enough pressure to stem the bleeding we need to get her out of here." I hear from behind me him ripping material and Velcro apart. "The second bullet hit the vest it will bruise but didn't go threw."

I can hear Ivan crying he has never seen his mother badly hurt before even after fighting strigoi. Oh she got injuries but nothing she couldn't cover up before seeing him. What makes it harder on me is knowing that Belikov has had to put him down to attend to Rose so he is probably on his own and scared. I'm worried that if I pull down the flames the shooter will try again or maybe there is more than one.

Just then my flame parts on one side and Tasha walks in holding Lissa's hand so that she doesn't get burnt. Once past my wall of flames Lissa let's go of Tasha hand and runs to Rose kneeling besides her next to Belikov.

Tasha walks up to me. "Abe I'll take over go to your daughter and Ivan." Tasha then puts her own wall up while I drop mine.

I go to Ivan and swing him into my arms putting on hand on the back of his head gently burying his face into my shoulder so he doesn't have to see his mother like this. Lissa bends over Rose and puts her hands over her wound on her shoulder at both entry and exit points. With an expression of perfect bliss upon her face she starts to heal my daughter. I have never seen spirit healing and it is amazing to watch within seconds it looks like Rose had never been shot in the first place, no scar, mark or even redness.

We get a yell from Pavel from the other side of Tasha's wall. "You can pull the fire wall down we got the basted."

Oh people are going to pay now I'm not one for killing I'd rather use knowledge to destroy my enemies but this time I will bring death to those who did this.

Tasha pulls down the wall and I see Tasha's nephew with two fire balls bouncing in his hands ready to pounce on anyone trying to get near us next to him a young female guardian that looks like Yeva and Dimitri with stakes out. Janine is also standing there with her gun out in battle stance, plus our guard. Pavel was holding a Moroi off the floor by the back of his head with a gun in his other hand. Oh this will be fun. Janine comes running over and sits above Rose's head putting it in her lap stroking her hair and kissing her forehead.

"She's lost a lot of blood I've healed the wound but she may need a transfusion and liquids." Lissa states looking at me.

Pavel hands over the shooter to Ben and Gav and walks up to us. "Right we take her back to the house we have blood and other supplies there it will be safer then the hospital until we get all involved." He advises me.

I nod giving the word. Turning to Belikov I order. "Belikov take Rose, Dawn can you take Ivan."

Dawn walking over to me takes Ivan from me placing him in the same position I had him to hide the sight of Rose and the blood from him. "Come on little one time to go home." She whispers reassuringly in his ear.

I continue talking to Belikov. "I'm guessing all your family and Roses friends want to go with you? Looking around at the Belikovs and Rose's friends who are all nodding.

"Yeva if you'll come with me I could use a woman of your talents." Belikov who has picked up an unconscious Rose and is carrying her bridle style looks between Yeva and myself with a confused look on his face. "Oh son me and your grandmother go way back. You see I like surrounding myself with scary people and your babushka is the scariest!"

Looking around me seeing everyone has got into position. "Now go. Pavel, Yeva and I will be along soon." My guard apart from 10 who will stay with myself, Pavel and Yeva leave surrounding Rose and Ivan.

I look around me and for the first time notice the empty hall apart from maybe fifteen court guardians and Hans. "Hans I know this is your jurisdiction but I won't let you stand in my way, this man shot my daughter and both of us know that it goes higher. In respect for you I'm willing to take him off court grounds but would rather you save me the time and effort"

Hans turns around to the other court guardians around the room. "Did anyone see Mr Mazur escort a Moroi from this room tonight?" He asks.

The Moroi in Gav's grip looks at me a smug smile across his face as guardians won't allow anyone to endanger the life of a Moroi he thinks he'll be saved.

"No Sir we didn't see a thing." One of his team leaders answers back for all of them.

"Okay then back to your posts no point guarding an empty room." With that Hans and the other guardians leave us to it.

It was my turn to smile back at the Moroi in Gavs arm's but my smile was not smug mine was one of pure hate.