Shock coursed through Rose as Olena stepped aside, revealing her mother in all her five foot glory. Looking into the woman's eyes, Rose felt her stomach sink. There was an inferno burning within them, which surely meant she was about to get one hell of a lecture.

"What are you doing here?" Rose asked, trying to keep her tone casual, like she hadn't dropped out of school and flown to the other side of a planet to hunt down a man.

"I'm sure you know, Rosemarie. Shall we go for a walk?" Janine asked tersely, years of training keeping the extent of her anger out of her voice.

"Sure," Rose muttered, rising from her seat on the Belikov's couch.

"Don't stay out too long," Olena warned as Rose walked to the door. "People are going to start arriving in about an hour."

Rose nodded mutely and trailed after her mother as she walked away from the house at a brisk pace. When they were a good ways away from it- along with any other form of civilization- Janine turned to her and studied Rose's face for a moment. Her expression soften slightly when she noticed the tear streaks down her daughter's face. "You've been crying," she acknowledged quietly.

Rose nodded mutely, looking away from her mother. "I was telling them about what Dimitri did at the school. No one had notified them of his…" she trailed off, shuffling awkwardly under the older woman's gaze.

Janine gave one single nod of understanding. "I see. Must be why the woman was crying too."

"Olena. Her name is Olena," Rose supplied.

"Yes," her mother said, sounded distracted. Rose finally looked up to and noticed Janine was also avoiding eye contact. Seeming to settle on a thought, Janine looked over to her sharply. "I know that's not the full reason you are here."

There was an unspoken question attached to that, one that Rose intentionally ignored. "No, it's not," she replied.

Janine waited a few moment for her to continue and seemed irritated when Rose didn't. "Why are you here Rose?" she finally snapped.

Rose looked away again. "It doesn't matter."

"If it was important enough for you to dropout of school -again- and fly across the globe, then I think it's important enough for me to know."

"Why are you here?" Rose asked, flipping the heat onto her mother to avoid the question. "Why aren't you guarding Lord Slezky?"

"He's taking an extended vacation at Court. When I heard you had been located, there was no reason why I couldn't come after you."

"Oh yes, God forbid Janine Hathaway put her daughter first for once," Rose snapped without thinking. She didn't mean the words, she knew the seriousness of her mother's position, but she couldn't help it. Curse her mouth.

Janine's lips tightened ever so slightly. Whether it was in anger or hurt Rose couldn't quite tell. "I see your trip overseas hasn't matured you much," she snapped.

Rose glanced away, shame and anger warring within her. She was about to give in to the anger when her mother sighed. "I just want you to stay safe Rose. The academy is still the best place for you. Please, just go back, finish you education. You're so close," Janine said, her tone almost pleading. Almost.

Rose tried to keep the shock off of her face. While their relationship had been improving recently, allowing her to see more sides of her mother, this still wasn't something that she had expected. She was quiet for a long moment before finally turning to face her again. "I can't, Mom. I have to do this."

"What exactly is it?" Janine asked. "Perhaps I could… help."

Rose shook her head vehemently. "No. I need to do this on my own."

"Doing things on your own here is how you get killed!" Janine snapped. Rose looked into her eyes and realized her mother wasn't truly angry with her, but worried, her panic just barely concealed.

"I can do this, Mom. I swear I'll be careful, but I have to find him on my own," Rose said, then cursed herself mentally. She had just given away her reason for being here, and her mother was sure to be pissed once she figured it out.

She could see the wheels turning rapidly as her mother processed the information. Sure enough, not even ten seconds later Janine had her answer. "You're hunting down Belikov," she said, her voice eerily calm.

Rose nodded.

Her mother was silent for a long time. Too long. Rose started shifting uncomfortably again, unsure of what Janine would say.

"Why?" she finally asked. "Why would you do something so stupid for him? He was just your…" and then the rest of the information clicked. "Oh. You had feelings for him."

That's putting it lightly, Rose thought. Unable to stop herself once again, she blurted out, "I loved him."

Janine raised an eyebrow.

"...and he loved me."

That did it.

"He what?" Janine snapped, eyes blazing in anger. "He was your mentor! How old was he? Twenty-five?"

"Twenty-four," Rose said quietly.

"I don't care!" she roared. "He was way too old for you to be involved with! Your teacher, Rose, seriously? What in the hell were you thinking?"

"Doesn't matter now, does it?" Rose murmured. "He's a Strigoi now, a creature of evil. I can't let him stay like that, Mom. I promised him I wouldn't let him live like that. I have to do this. I know you're upset, and you have a pretty good reason, but I can't go back. Not yet. I'm sorry." Her tears had started up again midway through her rant, despite her desperate attempts to keep them at bay.

Janine sighed. "Oh, Rose."

Nothing more was said. They stood in silence for a few minutes, neither one knowing what else to say on the matter. Finally, Janine spoke once again. "We should head back now. There was some sort of event about to happen when we left, yes?"

Rose nodded. "It's a… memorial? I don't get it. They're acting like he's dead."

"Well, the person they once knew is dead, Rose. If you see him again, he won't be the same," Janine said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"I know that," Rose snipped. "I know he'll be different. That doesn't change that the fact that he's still technically alive. Undead. Whatever you want to call it, he's still out there walking and breathing and-" she choked back a sob, "-and killing. I can't let him stay like that. The Belikov's have been so nice to me, and they seem to want me to stay, but I don't think I can."

"Come on," Janine said softly, tugging on Rose's arm to get her moving back to the house. They walked back slowly, Rose wrapped up in her thoughts. When they were almost back to the house, Janine stopped, Rose almost running smack into her. "Rose, whenever you've completed this idiotic suicide mission, go back to the academy. Go back to your life."

"...Would they even let me?" she asked quietly. "I figured they wouldn't let me back in again. I got lucky the first time."

"They will if I have anything to say about it," Janine replied, her voice sharp, but her anger wasn't directed at Rose.

Rose nodded slowly. "Okay. If I do this, I'll go back to school." Rose had chosen her words carefully, not wanting to give her mother too much hope.

Janine ignored her implication, nodding instead and motioning her to the house. "Go on. I have feeling the memorial is going to start soon."

Rose paused. "Would… would you like to come to it? I know you and Dimitri weren't exactly close, but you did know him. I doubt they would turn you away."

Her mother opened her mouth to reply, but then snapped it shut a moment later, her eyes trained on an approaching Moroi man that Rose vaguely remembered seeing before. Where did she know him from?

"Ibrahim," Janine acknowledged, her voice stiff.

"Ah, Janine, Rose, glad to see the two of you okay. I was just about to send one of my guards after you," he said, his voice oddly cheery.

"Uh, thanks?" Rose said, unsure of what to think of this man. He had on a suit that screamed money and an entirely too flashy scarf. A small gold earring twinkled in his ear.

He didn't seem phased by her reaction. "Come along, the memorial is about to start," he said and swept away. Rose couldn't help but imagine him with a cape, swishing around him dramatically as he walked. What a weird guy.

"Who was that?" Rose asked, jabbing her thumb after him.

"Oh, Ibrahim? Don't worry too much about him," Janine replied dismissively.

That was a very un-Janine like response. Rose was the one who avoided answering and gave half truths, not her mother. This day just kept getting weirder and weirder.

Okay, I know I said a week, but like, this is the third edition of this chapter. It just wasn't coming out right. I'm not 100% happy with this chapter but it's the best I did.

And yes, this is the end. However, if y'all would like to see me other (incomplete) editions of the chapter, let me know and I might post them.

I hope y'all enjoy!

~Sailor