Hello and welcome to my first story on here! It is also my first basically fanfic. This message is for everyone that has read the Embassy Row Series. I have changed some of the things relating to the original storyline, so it can fit in my story. One big thing I changed is that the royal family isn't after Grace or there isn't no long lost bloodline. Also, Grace and Jamie's mother died in a fire at her shop. I keep the fire but not the gun shot(or did I). Still there is a reason Grace blames herself for it, but we'll find out later why.

Most of the Characters, Settings, and some dialogue are not mine. Ally Carter and her team have all the rights to them, I am simply using them for my story.

Now with all that out of the way let's get started.

Coming Back Strong

Grace POV

It has been five years since I stepped foot on Adrian soil. Five years since my mom passed in a fire. Well if you technically look at it, it's actually been three years since I came here. Three years ago my dad, Jamie, and I came here for my mom's service for the placing of a stone on top of a hill. The hill that my mom would take Jamie and I to have little picnics, and tell stories of her childhood growing up in this old, beautiful city. I was 13 when I lost my mother on that horrible night. Now, exactly a month from turning 18 I am still living in that time, and I'm going to a place that is full of bittersweet memories.

The plane lands at the airport just about one and half miles from the outer wall of Adria. They had no place inside of the wall for the airport so they built it just outside of it. As I stare at the wall from the privite jet's small rectangular window, I can't help but to shake alittle, not knowing the reason I look away. Just then a young lady about in her early to mid twenties, with shoulder length black hair appears.

" Hello, Ms. Blakely we have already gotten your luggage off the plane and into your grandfather's car that is waiting for you." Her accent stops me for a second it's not Adrian or even English, it's one accent I haven't heard in three years. The last person I heard that had that accent was my brothers best friend, Alexei Volkov. Grace why in the hell do you even care about her accent, and FOCUS! I thought. Shaking my thoughts away I give her a small nod and a smile before walking down the stairs to reach the ground. My grandpa was standing right by the stairs when I reach the ground. He was smiling a genuine smile. It was always a genuine smile with his family and close ones, let's just say you can always tell when he is faking it. Like I could tell when he was faking at my mom's service. Stop bringing in those thoughts, you're suppose to be happy right now!

" How was your flight, Gracie?"

"It was fine, besides the patch of turbulence we hit over the ocean."

I wasn't big on flying in planes, never have, never will. It just was I always thought that I was going to die due to the plane. Everyone in my family knows about the fear, but at least I don't have major panic attacks like I have had. Except there are some times that the panic attacks just come and I can't stop it. As the car turns on the road to turn into the massive entryway of the city, I can't help but to stare up to the top of the massive, ancient wall that was built hundreds of years ago. The wall that surrounds the city is said to be older than the city itself. The car takes a left right when it gets inside the wall to go down what is called, Embassy Row. Embassies that represents different powerful countries were built to line the wall all the way around. Some smaller embassies where built further into the city. The car reaches the American embassy and turns in through the gates. The sense of nostalgia, and a little lost came creeping into my mind, but I quickly pushed them down. When the car came to a stop right in front of the door thanks to the half circle of a driveway, grandpa got out a circled around to open the door for me. When he opened the door he gave me yet another big honest smile.

"Welcome back to Embassy Row, Gracie!"

I slightly smile and laugh at my grandpa's very exclaimed words. It almost sounded like he wanted to whole city to know that a matter of fact, his granddaughter has returned once again. I got out of the car and instantly I felt as if someone was looking at me, like they have been watching ever since we pulled in. Looking over to the place I thought the feeling was coming from, I saw the curtains on the windows move like someone was there. The embassy that I was looking at was Russia, like why is it all the sudden it's all about Russia today?

After starting for who knows how long my grandpa gently put a hand on my back, to guide me up the stairs. I stepped into the foyer and instantly my eyes went to the black and white checkered floor, then to the winding staircases on both sides of the building.

" Sorry Gracie, I can't go on with showing you to your room, I have some business to attend to. Ms. Chancellor should be down here to show you to your room, and giving you the new rules that Adria have put in place."

" What do you mean by new rules, what happened to get new rules?"

" Nothing too bad that shouldn't concern you too much."

Those words didn't come from my grandpa, because a older woman was coming down the stairs at that moment. She had Auburn hair that no doubt was dyed but it was still pretty. She most likely was a looker when she was younger, no doubt. She looked at me with a face of shock but a sense of sweetness.