Dimitri

I looked down at the woman I loved, the most loyal person in the world, turning on her best friend.

"She's the mole." I stared at Alberta and then Janine. Mia? "Either you do something or will and I won't be able to stop." I knew that change in voice. I nodded towards Alberta as I put my hands on Rose's shoulders, feeling them shake with anger that was radiating off her in clear waves. Rose didn't fight me, I didn't know if it was exhaustion or relief to not be in a postion where she would actually hurt someone, but Alberta and Janine bent down and Lifted Mia to her feet. She was starting to wake up, rolling her head and leaning on Alberta.

"Alberta? Where's Rose? I think she's gone mad." That done it. I had to fight to keep Rose in my arms as she lunged forward with a growl. Mia screamed jumping behind Alberta. Eddie stood forward trying to assess the situation.

"At least I'm not the one to team up with Strogoi to take my child!" I turned towards Janine and the Mia who swallowed. Alberta's hand flew behind her, grabbing Mia's arm so she couldn't go anywhere. "I'm not the one who's been selling secretes of the schools defense to our enemies." Mia shook her head.

"You teamed up with Strogoi-"

"You brought Strogoi into a room packed with Moroi, dhampirs and children so they could dangle my daughter in front of me so I would go with them willingly."

"Is that what Henry said?" Mia laughed; Alberta tightened her grip on her arm. Alberta raised Rose, she was more inclined to believe Rose over a Moroi who used to make her and Lissa's life hell when they were brought back to the Academy. Alberta nodded at Rose.

"We'll keep her in a holding cell." The further Mia was dragged away the more relaxed Rose got. She physically slummed forward when Mia was out of site, I had to move quickly to catch her before she fell. She held my arms tightly looking down at her feet.

"When was the last time you slept or ate?" She slowly looked at me and then back at the house.

"I've to see Aly." She walked away towards the house as I looked back at Janine. She shook her head.

"Just let her see Aly and then she'll be fine." Eddie and Janine walked past me as I stood there watching them before I started to move my legs.

When I walked into the living room Rose was sitting on the sofa with her legs up as Aly sat on her lap and wrapped her arms around her mother's neck. Rose had her face buried in Aly's hair as Aly did the same and had her arms wrapped tightly around her child. They weren't talking just holding each other. Abe stood from where he sat on the sofa and walked over to Janine and Eddie.

"She needs to sleep. We'll talk about everything in the morning-"

"Mia was the mole." Abe straightened as Janine whispered the update. Abe looked back at his daughter but Janine shook her head.

"You're right, she needs to sleep." Janine pulled both Eddie and Abe out of the house and I closed the door behind them, locking it before I turned back to Rose and Aly. Aly moved her head from Rose's shoulder and Rose automatically tightened her grip on Aly.

"I think Mommy's sleeping." I gave her a smile and picked both my girls up and brought them towards my room. Rose wouldn't let Aly go even in her deep sleeping state so I put the covers over both of them and got in on my side and fell asleep quickly.

When I woke up the next morning, light was streaming through the gaps in the curtains. Rose was sleeping peacefully, her face caked with dry blood and dirt as Aly started to open her eyes. I gave her a small smile, gently moved Rose's now relaxed arms and helped Aly off the bed. I brought her into her room and got her changed before bringing her down stairs for breakfast. There was a knock on the door and I looked over at the clock on the wall. It was ten in the morning. I ruffled Aly's hair as I made my way towards the door and unlocked it, Abe and Janine were standing there, Lissa and Christian behind them with thier new son in a carrier, Eddie was in the back. I waved them inside.

"Rose is still asleep."

"I wish I was. He was up half the night. We're only out of hospital-"

"Should you be walking around-"

"I'm fine." Lissa smiled as she slowly lowered herself at the kitchen table and put the carrier on it as she continued to rock it.

"He's beautiful." I smiled at her.

"He's perfect." Christian replied sitting in the chair next to Lissa. I gave Aly her breakfast and leaned against the counter. "We'll keep an eye on her if you want to change." I looked down at what I was wearing and nodded, walking back up the stairs. I walked quietly into my room, had a shower and changed quickly. Rose was still sleeping when I got out. I crouched down next to the bed, moving a stand of hair from her eyes with a small smile. Her eyes twitched and she crinkled her nose before her eyes flew open and she threw the covers off her.

"Aly-"

"Aly's fine." I whispered smoothing her cheek with my thumb. She leaned into my hand and closed her eyes. "Are you fine?" She opened her eyes and looked at me.

"I will be. I just need to shower." I gave her a smile.

"I'll make you some breakfast." She nodded her eyes lazy as she smiled and got up. I watched her walk into the bathroom and close the door before I made my way back down. "She's awake, she's just in the shower." Alberta was now in the kitchen.

"According to Mia, Rose made an alliance with Strogoi to attack the school." Alberta leaned against the counter. Janie snorted.

"And you believe her over Rose?"

"Not really but I do need both sides." It was another half an hour before we heard footsteps coming down the stairs. I sent Aly into the living room to watch the TV. Rose walked into the kitchen, hair damp. She rolled her shoulders as she walked into the kitchen before going into the living room for a brief moment to kiss Aly good morning. I put Rose's breakfast on the table and she went over, taking the fork and digging into her breakfast.

"We're naming his Eric Lucas Ozera Dragomir." Rose looked over at Lissa. "We wanted you to be the first to know - and you already knew what we were going to call him." Rose nodded guiltily.

"Well, I didn't know for sure, but we did talk about it before." Lissa smiled and rolled her eyes.

"I remember." She wrapped her arms around her best friend. "I was so worried and scared-"

"Hey, I'm impossible to kill. I'm fine."

"Roza." I warned. She looked over at me and gave me a small smile.

"What happened Rose?" Alberta said. "We need to know everything." Rose sucked in a breath.

"Lissa wasn't the first one to charm objects for Strogoi to help them. Robert Duro was doing the same thing, but his charms were not as strong as Lissa's. Right now, there is a pack of six Strogoi that have Roberts charms, it's the pack that helped me during the battle."

"So, you teamed up with Strogoi?"

"They teamed up with me in a way. Henry Lazer's thier leader. He got Martin and John to keep an eye on me because he wanted to make sure I was Rose Hathaway. They needed my help."

"Strogoi needing help from a dhampir? That's unheard of."

"They're not Strogoi, not really. I don't get my usual nausea warning when I'm around them, it's like they're stuck in between." Alberta looked like she was thinking.

"So, what does Mia have to do with this?"

"Ray was the leader of another pack, a larger pack of Strogoi that don't want to chance to change back. They're the ones that were killing the dhampir women, they wanted me out of the picture and they thought if they dangled Aly in front of me, I'd take her place. Mia was helping them get Aly. I don't know why."

"Why you?"

"I'm Shadow-Kissed." Rose replied, pushing the plate away from her. "I don't know how it works exactly but I can use Spirit myself, it's how I was able to dream walk with you."

"Lissa and Adrian are the one's making the charms, why wouldn't they go after them, why you?"

"I can make the charms too, only if I make them, they're more powerful, at least that's what Henry thinks." She answered. "I can connect with life and death, forcing Strogoi souls back." Alberta let out breath.

"Right, okay. There's more than likely going to have to be a trail-" Lissa nodded in agreement. "I'll get her ready to be transported back to Court."

"He's going to start crying." Rose whispered to Lissa who looked at her confused and then little Eric started to cry.

"How did you-"

"Aly used to make the same face." Lissa unstrapped Eric from the car seat and started to rock him.

"Does this mean you're staying?"

"It's Christmas - of course I'm staying-"

"Not just for Christmas."

"My home is here." She looked right at me when she said that. I smiled.