Hi loves! So, I know I left the last chapter will a little bit of strain on Rose, but I hope you enjoy this one. In case anyone's curious, the killing methods Rose uses (heart-pulling, beheading etc) were all inspired by The Vampire Diaries.

*Also HEADS UP: there's a little bit of spanking near the end of this chapter. It's not really a harsh punishment, but rather a bit more fluffy...sort of. You'll see.

Adrian stayed in the room with me despite the mess. He offered comfort, but it didn't do much to ease my mind. I was in a fragile state and I was having difficulty comprehending everything that had just happened. Despite feeling a little guilty, I was relieved that Avery was gone. She was an evil monster who had shut off any trace of humanity. She hurt me and my friends, killed a guardian and two receptionists, raped Adrian, tried to kill Nevaeh, and was ready to take me away from the academy and hand me over to whatever organization she was a part of. If I hadn't stop her, she would have killed Adrian.

There were voices in the hallway, some of which I recognized. I looked up and found Alberta Petrov walking in with her hand on her stake, eyes widening when she saw the decapitated girl in front of her. Her eyes studied the wreckage in the room before landing on us.

"She was going to kill Adrian," I explained to her. "I didn't have a choice."

Alberta stepped forward and kneeled, tipping my chin up. I looked up at the fierce woman, one I had grown up with and almost considered to be a mother. "Listen," she said in a strict but gentle tone. "Not only did you protect a moroi, but you protected yourself too. That girl caused a lot of pain and suffering, and you just spared a lot of lives that could have been lost. Any trained guardian would have killed her too. You did the right thing."

"But—"

"No buts," she said firmly. "If you had held back, someone else here would have lost their life. We raised you here to be strong; do not shame yourself for what happened here, is that clear?"

I nodded, listening clearly to the stern woman's words. My eyes landed on my bloody hands which were starting to dry out. Alberta stood up and dialled a number on her phone, pressing it against her ear.

"Belikov, I need you to head over to the feeding department now. Do not tell anyone. It's urgent." Her conversation was quick to end, and I stayed in Adrian's arms until Dimitri popped into the room, reacting the same way Alberta had when his eyes landed on Avery.

"Can you help her?" Adrian asked him, leaving my side. Dimitri nodded and sat down next to me as Adrian grabbed Emily from the corner where she had been huddled into a ball.

"Adrian," I called before he could leave. "Help her forget everything that happened here. Please."

"I will," he promised, gently taking the fragile human away. A few more guardians came in to drape a rug over Avery's body so that I wouldn't have to see anything. Alberta came in right after them, placing a bucket of water and a soaked washcloth in Dimitri's hand. The door remained open, but we were left alone afterwards and given some privacy.

"I know I said I would go to my dorm, and I'm sorry I didn't, but I needed blood and we didn't expect her to be here," I ranted. Dimitri gently grabbed my left hand which was stained the most and started rubbing the washcloth on my fingers.

"You're not in trouble, sweetheart," he said softly. "Tell me what happened."

I explained everything I had seen while I had been here with Adrian. My speech was getting more and more heated and anxious, but it felt good to get everything out. Dimitri didn't even flinch when I told him I had beheaded Avery with only my hand.

"She was going to kill Adrian," I went on. "I didn't want him or my feeder to get hurt."

"Roza, you had every reason to kill her. You protected yourself and people who were vulnerable." He paused, hooking his finger under the towel to scrub the creases between my fingers.

"But why do I feel guilty?" I asked.

"Because you have a heart. You try to see the good in people, to sympathize with them no matter how evil they are. You always want to fix things and do what's right, but you have to realize that not everything can be fixed. Even if Avery had humanity in the past, she was too far gone to be fixed or revived. And, well, something else you need to remember is that doing the right thing isn't always easy either."

"What would you have done?" I asked as he grabbed my other hand.

"If I had been in your position," he said, "I would have done the same thing."

The rest of the night was miserable for me. I had spent nearly an hour in the shower, scrubbing furiously at my skin. The blood was all gone now, but there was a psychological pin in my brain that told me I needed to keep scrubbing.

When I stepped out of the hot shower, I squeezed the excess water out of my hair and wrapped a towel around my torso. I walked into my room and gasped, jumping on the spot when I saw Dimitri and Abe waiting for me.

"Dad? What in the world are you doing here?"

"Sorry to startle you, but you should start packing your things," he said rather urgently, throwing my suitcase onto the bed.

"Why?" I asked. "I killed the culprit. Shouldn't that be enough?"

"Avery wasn't working alone," Abe said sternly. "You need to leave before her people find out she's dead—and in case you've forgotten, Tasha is one of them and she's on the loose. For all you know, she might try to hurt you again. Pack your bags and meet me outside. Queen's orders."

"Abe, wait." I reached out and stopped him, speaking hesitantly. "Will I go to jail for this?"

"Why would you?" he asked. "Not only was this a case of self-defence, but you also got rid of a cold-blooded murderer. Do you think Queen Tatiana would put you in a cell after saving her great-nephew?"

"I guess not," I agreed. Abe sighed and left my dorm and I turned around to see Dimitri opening my drawers.

"How long will we be gone for?" I asked, packing a load of panties and socks into the suitcase.

"However long it takes to find Tasha," Dimitri replied. I grabbed my clothes from the closet and started throwing them into a pile before Dimitri stopped me, grabbing my wrists.

"Roza, stop. You're overwhelmed, I get it, but you're not even giving yourself a chance to calm down. You've been through a lot in the past few weeks and you need a break."

"You've been through just as much," I pointed out, sighing sadly. Dimitri sat down on the bed and pulled me down with him, and I straddled his thighs, kissing his head. After all the recent stress, physical contact was needed for both of us.

"Maybe we both need a break," I admitted. "But...what about Nev? She has separation anxiety. She won't be happy about us suddenly leaving."

"I know," Dimitri said, holding me tightly against his body. "But she won't be alone here. Eddie will guard her and she has your friends here. You know she considers them as her aunts and uncles."

I pulled away, resting my arms around Dimitri's neck. "You think she'll be okay?"

"I'm positive. We'll skype Eddie every night to talk to her. Remember, this is only temporary. We'll get through it, Roza. I promise." With that, he pressed his lips against mine and kissed me tenderly, cupping my neck in his hand.

"Are you ready to finish packing?" he asked, tilting my chin up.

"Yes, sir," I whispered to him. I might not have needed to use those words right now, but a part of me wanted to. For some reason, I was strangely comforted when I answered him submissively. I didn't entirely understand why, but it helped.

"Alright," Dimitri said, patting my bottom as he helped me stand. "Go pack your things."

It took me an hour to pack everything I needed. I wasn't sure how long I'd be gone for, so I packed a significant amount of clothes, toiletries, hygiene products, makeup, and my electronics. I was standing outside at the back of the school, waiting for the private jet to get ready.

"You better call me," Lissa told me as I waited. I had spilled the news to her while I had been packing. Everything was sudden for everyone including myself, but I knew it was for the best. When Christian came around, I hugged him too, telling him to keep Lissa company while I was gone. When Eddie came out with Nev, my heart sank a little bit. I wouldn't even be gone for long, but I still felt bad.

"You're leaving?" she asked me while Dimitri started to board our luggage into the jet. I smoothed some hair away, tilting her beautiful face.

"Only for a little while. I'll still call you every night and all my friends will be here to keep you company. You'll be okay."

"How long?" she asked, grabbing onto my hands.

"I don't know, sweetie. Just hang tight and be good." If it got so bad so the point where she started losing sleep at night, I'd have to negotiate with Tatiana to let her stay with us. The problem was that she needed to get used to not being around us all the time. What was going to happen when Dimitri and I lived near court while Nevaeh went to school at the academy? We'd only be spending time with her during vacation and holidays.

I wrapped her in my arms, kissing her head and squeezing her tightly. "I love you, Nev. I'll call Eddie as soon as I get off the plane so I can talk to you."

"Daddy too?"

"Yes," I promised, pulling back and pushing her in his direction. "Go give him a hug and kiss."

"Okay," she said. I watched her with a smile on my face as she skipped over to Dimitri and jumped up in his arms. I noticed Eddie approaching my side as we watched the two.

"I'll keep her safe," he ensured me.

"I know you will," I told him. "Just remember to give her the cough medicine before she sleeps. Oh, and she likes bedtime stories and cuddles to make her comfortable. Also, she's a little cranky in the morning, so you might have to encourage her a little bit. Cheering her up with toys helps a lot."

Eddie laughed, patting my back. "Medicine, bedtime stories, cuddles, and toys. Anything else I should remember?"

"Um...make sure she brushes and flosses her teeth and all that..." Nevaeh already did all of these without me even needing to tell her. She didn't need my help or anyone's help when it came to basic hygiene. She was smarter than I made her sound. I was just overthinking.

"I think she knows how to do that," Eddie reminded me. "You're just worried and I don't blame you, but I think you and Dimitri need to take a breather. You two have been through hell. All you should focus on now is staying safe until we find Tasha."

"I hope we find her fast," I muttered. Abe started calling me from the jet and I knew it was time to go. I hugged Eddie again, squeezing him before heading over to the jet. Dimitri had just let Nevaeh down and she skipped over to me again. I hugged her once more, engulfing her for a little longer this time. I let her go and waved to my friends before stepping into the jet to meet Adrian and my parents.

"You're coming?" I asked.

"My great aunt wanted to see me," Adrian explained. "She wants to see you too."

I eyed him as I lifted my luggage and threw it into the overhead bins. "That can't be good."

Adrian rolled his eyes. "It's not what you think. I have a feeling she's going to spend a lot of time thanking you. You did save my life, so thank you for that. Do you need anything while we're up in the air?"

"What I need is a good sleep," I said honestly. "I'd rather not be awake on the plane."

"Fair enough," he said, making himself comfortable in one of the seats. I spotted Dimitri at the back and sat next to him, buckling my seatbelt. I slipped my hand under his arm, holding his bicep.

"You mind if I sleep on your shoulder?" I asked. Dimitri smiled and rested his head on mine as I leaned it on his shoulder.

"Whatever makes you comfortable, baby."

"Thanks, Comrade," I murmured. I watched Abe and Mom sit down together, and he cuddled her into his side, kissing her hair. It made me happy to see that they were getting so close. What they did in their personal life wasn't my business, but deep down, I wanted them to get back together.

"Wake me up when we land," I whispered, planting a soft kiss on Dimitri's shoulder.

After we landed, Dimitri and I had been escorted straight to our room. Adrian was in the room beside us and I wasn't sure how I felt about him being able to hear us. I sure as hell wouldn't be able to keep my hands off of Dimitri while we were here.

When I got into the room, I changed into a loose T-shirt and a pair of dolphin shorts. I facetimed Eddie with Dimitri by my side and sat down at the edge of the bed. Eddie picked up on the second ring, showing us his face as he stood outside in a hallway.

"You really couldn't wait, could you?" he teased.

"Hell no! Where's Nev?"

"She's right here. Hold on," he said, walking into another room. He set the phone down, facing her room and the image cleared. I could now see her perched on her bed, dressed in her pyjamas.

"You called me!" she squealed, running up to the phone. Seeing her so up close and smiling happily already released some of the emotional strain in my head.

"You washed up, right?" I asked her. I didn't need to ask, but I couldn't help myself.

"Mhm. Hey, look!" she said, pointing to her left canine tooth. She wiggled it around and I realized what she was trying to tell us. Moroi children always lost their canine teeth first. After they fell out, their fangs grew in which gave them the ability to start drinking from a feeder instead of a blood bag.

"Your first loose tooth," Dimitri said. "That's where your fangs are supposed to come in."

"The tooth fairy will be very happy when I lose it," she said enthusiastically.

"Oh, I'm sure. Have you taken your medicine?" I asked her. A guilty smile started to form.

"Not yet," she said, shaking her head.

"No worries, Rose, I've got it," Eddie said. "I should probably go now, but I'll give her the medicine. I'll text you when she's asleep."

I nodded. "Thanks, Eddie. Goodnight, Nev."

"Goodnight! I love you," she said sweetly, giving us blow kisses towards the screen. A smile spread across my face as I leaned into Dimitri's side and ended the call.

"Speaking of medicine," he said, walking over to his bag and pulling out the bottle of cough syrup, "you need to take this. I know you purposely hid it in your room."

I had hidden it somewhere in my room where I had been hoping Dimitri wouldn't find it. I wasn't planning on taking it with me. "Alright, you got me," I admitted, "but I'm not drinking that crap."

"Oh, yes you are," Dimitri said. He made a gesture with his finger. "Come here, Rose."

I slid off the bed, but instead of walking over to him, I backed up towards the washroom. "Can't I just try to sleep without that?"

Dimitri sighed, putting the bottle down on the nightstand. "Don't make me go over there."

"I'm not drinking that, Comrade," I said mischievously, grinning as I backed away again.

"Alright, you've got two options. Either you come here and take your medicine, or I chase you down, take you across my knee, and then make you drink it."

"You can't do that," I challenged. "Well, not if you can't catch me." I bolted into the washroom, closing and locking the door before Dimitri could get to me. "Aha! Take that, Comrade!"

"Roza, open the door," he ordered. I sat down and giggled, watching the doorknob move around as he tried to open it. "I can wait you out all day if I have to."

"Okay, so wait," I shot back, wondering how the hell I was going to get out of this situation. I couldn't stay in the bathroom forever, nor could I avoid taking that disgusting cough syrup. I knew Dimitri was only trying to help me, but dear god that stuff tasted like bittersweet poison!

"You know what?" Dimitri proposed. "Every minute you spend in there will be equivalent to how long you get spanked."

"Dimitri!"

"I'm counting," he went on. "You've already got a minute."

"What if I actually need to shower? Or pee or brush my teeth?" I reasoned, although it was pointless since all my toiletries were in my suitcase.

"Then you can do that after you've taken your medicine. It takes two seconds. I find it funny that you're avoiding it because whether I spank you or not, you're taking it either way. You're just making things harder for yourself."

Yeah, he was right about that. I was only stalling things at this point, but I wasn't the type of person to give in so easily.

"That stuff will help you sleep too," Dimitri pointed out.

"You know what else will help me sleep? Cuddling. In your arms."

"Well, I can't cuddle with you if you're in that bathroom now, can I?" he asked. "Two minutes."

"Ugh, fine!" I rasped, unlocking the door. Dimitri opened it, snorting and shaking his head when he saw me sitting on the floor. He pulled me up, dragging me to the other side of the bed. While he was busy twisting the cap open, I bit my lip and mentally slapping myself for my next actions. I bolted towards the door, quickly rushing into Adrian's room. I was surprised he hadn't locked it.

Adrian had a towel around his waist as he had just come out of the shower, looking confused as ever when he saw me run in with Dimitri behind me. He watched us mirror our actions on opposite sides of the bed as Dimitri attempted to chase me. "Do I even want to know what's going on?"

"He's trying to poison me!" I shouted.

"I'm trying to get her to take her cough medicine—which, by the way, is under doctor's orders."

"Are you surprised she's acting like this? She's the most stubborn girl when it comes to medical advice," Adrian laughed as I jumped onto the bed. Dimitri sighed and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms.

"I am five seconds away from throwing you over my shoulder," he growled.

"Oh, it's going to take you longer than five seconds!" I jumped off the bed, only making it about two feet to the door until Dimitri caught me, grabbing me around the waist and throwing me over his shoulder. I squealed, pounding my fists on his back as he held my legs.

"For the love of god, Adrian, lock your door next time," Dimitri muttered. I heard Adrian laughing in the background as Dimitri took us back to our room, locking the door and sliding the chain through.

"Put me down, Comrade!"

Dimitri slapped my ass, making me flinch before he set me down on my feet. Before I could react, he promptly sat down on the bed and abruptly pulled me forward until I was positioned over his knee.

"You were serious?!" I asked him as he yanked my shorts and panties down.

"Of course I was serious," Dimitri replied in an obvious tone. He didn't waste any time and started raining down the swats. "God, you're impossible to keep in line."

"Oh, come on! Not the whole two minutes!" I whined, squirming around. "I promise I'll be good!"

"Really," Dimitri said doubtfully. "So, if I let you off my lap right now, you'll take your meds?"

I went silent, dropping my head. My stubborn ass didn't want to give in.

"That's what I thought." He started spanking me again, laying the swats at a fast pace. "You know what's ironic? Nevaeh had no problem taking it, yet here you are, a grown woman, throwing a fit."

"I am not throwing a fit!" Truth be told, I was throwing a fit, and I was well aware of it. I was wild and impulsive, but I was never this immature. Perhaps I could pass it off as a way of trying to grapple some form of control after feeling helpless in the past few weeks, but that wasn't winning me any points here.

"Okay, okay!" I gave in, going still across his lap. My ass was burning. "I'll be good. I promise."

"Can I trust you?" he asked, rubbing the flaming skin with his palm.

"Yes, sir," I answered, sliding off of his lap. I pulled my shorts and panties all the way down and stepped out of them, exposing myself. Dimitri took my hand, guiding me to the side before filling up the tiny cup that had been sitting on the lid of the bottle. I scrunched my nose up, looking away until Dimitri wrapped his fingers around my jaw, looking into my eyes.

"Open your mouth," he commanded.

Good god. If he had just told me to do that from the start, I might have listened to him. There was something so hot about the way he said those words. Even if he didn't mean for it to sound sexual...well, it did. Or maybe I was just a perverted freak.

Trying to ignore the blush in my cheeks, I drank the medicine, shutting my eyes as I swallowed it down. It was bitter with a hint of sweetness and tasted very strong. Overall, it was nasty.

"Good girl," Dimitri said, sounding softer now. "That's all you had to do from the start."

"If you had just told me to open my mouth for you, I would have."

Dimitri's eyes darkened when he recognized the double meaning behind my words. He pushed me onto the bed, propping himself up on his elbows. "Would you be willing to do that? Not right now, I mean you're still a little sick, but eventually? Is it something you're comfortable with?"

"What? Opening my mouth?" I teased.

"You know what I mean, Roza."

Oh, I knew exactly what he meant. I had never given him a blowjob before, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about it from time to time. The thought of having the most intimate part of him in my mouth turned me on and I didn't doubt that it had the same effect on him. To think of him fucking my mouth was even better, but knowing him, he'd probably take everything slowly for me at first.

"When I'm better, I want to try. I want this," I reached down and stroked him through his pants, "in my mouth. All of you, however you please."

Dimitri clenched his jaw, leaning down to press his lips to mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed myself closer to him, feeling my bare clit rubbing against his growing erection. His tongue slid into my mouth, exploring me with fervour as his hand tangled into my hair and squeezed.

As much as I wanted to keep kissing him—and I could have for hours—the medicine was making me very, very tired. I pulled away for air, caressing Dimitri's face and kissing the spot behind his ear.

"Sorry for being so difficult earlier," I whispered to him. "I'll be a good girl from now on."

"I know you will, baby," he said, his voice as soft as silk. "But on a more serious note, are you okay? I just spanked the crap out of you."

I smiled at how genuine he was. Despite the heat of the moment and the sexual tension, he still wanted to make sure I was okay. "All good, Comrade. I think I'm just tired now. Cuddle with me?"

Dimitri chuckled, sitting up to take off his clothes. He stripped down to his boxers and I removed my shirt, exposing my naked body to him. Cuddling with bare skin always felt better to me.

"Come here," he said, sliding under the thick covers. I crawled in, pressing my face to his chest as he wrapped an arm around me, nuzzling me into his side. After he turned off the light, I held his hand on his chest and bent my leg, resting it on his hips.

"Rest up, Roza. You'll need energy for tomorrow."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, starting to drift as I snuggled my head into his neck.

"Shh. You'll see," he murmured. I felt his soft lips on my temple again, and then I was out.

Would it be okay if I put some smut in the next chapter? I honestly think Rose and Dimitri need some of that right now, but I promise to make it equally as loving and caring. I think most of you know how I am about fluff and aftercare at this point.

Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter :)