A.N: Hey guys!

First let me apologize for posting later than usual but you see I just started a new job on Monday so things turned a bit crazy but everything should go more smoothly from now on but I think I will post them on Fridays from now on.

Also I closed the poll on my page and the VERY LARGE winner is 'Other VA' story. I might have an idea for it but I won't write it any time soon.

I really hope you will enjoy this chapter, the part that should be M has been brought down to a T I think.

Don't forget to review and tell me what you think thanks to my diehard, ever-present reviewers. You are the one to thank here.

You guys really make me smile.

Take care

Steffy

Chapter 10:

"Missed you?" I shook my head. "No not really."

"Ouch…you are hurting my feelings," He said with a crooked smile, but he was looking around warily.

My phone vibrated once more in my pocket with probably the tenth call from Adrian. I sighed rejecting the call. I quickly texted Lissa telling her I made it fine and that I would call her the next day before turning off the phone.

I crossed my arms over my chest. "What are you doing here? What do you want? How did you know I was here?"

"Lots of questions," said Victor.

"And not a lot of answers," I replied icily. "Listen if you are going to be like that I have somewhere to be and-"

"Do you mind going somewhere a bit more…private?" He asked pointing to something behind him. "I don't really want to be seen, I think you know why."

I snorted. "Yea right I'm coming with you," I said sarcastically already imagining Strigoi waiting in the dark alley to corner me.

That's when I saw Robert coming out from his hiding spot and I realized that it was not a trap, Victor already lost his daughter thinking he would be able to turn her back. I was pretty sure he wouldn't risk his brother.

"Hello Shadow-kissed." Said Robert standing just a little behind Victor.

"Robert," I said with a slight nod before concentrating on Victor again. "What do you want?" I asked again.

"Please just give me two minutes, you won't regret it." He asked raising his hands in surrender.

I sighed heavily to show him my clear annoyance, but I followed him anyways.

He took me to a small wooden door in the alley. Inside there was a small room without windows only lightened by a petrol lamp. There was a table with 4 chairs, and two small beds in the left corner.

"Are you living here?"

Victor shook his head. "Like I would take you where we live, I trust you about as far as I can throw you."

"I would say 'likewise,' but I'm pretty sure I can throw you further than I trust you."

Victor chuckled. "Your honesty is refreshing, I missed that."

"If you say so…" I said scanning the room once more as Robert went to sit on a bed in the corner.

"This is just a place I use when I have business in town."

"How did you even know I was here?"

"Rose, you know I can't tell you that." He said calmly sitting at the table resting his hand on a thick file.

"I can beat it out of you," I said challenging.

He nodded. "True you can but you won't."

"Why not?"

He patted the file. "You need me." He smiled. "But I guess congratulations are in order."

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

"For being declared non guilty of the Queens murder. Even I knew you would never do something that stupid. And of course for Belikov, your soul mate is back from the dead." He said and I did my best to hide my pain.

"How do-" I knew it was pointless to ask the question. Victor Dashkov might be on the run but he still had contacts.

"Who did it?" Asked Robert finally taking part of the conversation. "The gentle girl or the drunken sob?"

"Stop calling him that you freaking Wacko!" I shouted at Robert. "You don't know him, he was having a bad day. Who are you to judge? I'm not even sure you've got some brain left. GEEZ!"

Robert was looking at me curiously, he didn't seem hurt or anything it was like a scientist studying his subject.

Victor chuckled.

"What?" I snapped concentrating on Victor again.

"So you and Ivashkov… I wonder how Belikov reacted to all that. He's back and you are not his anymore."

"He doesn't care about that." I said trying to sound detached and boy it was hard.

"Why is that?" Asked Victor his eyebrows arched with surprise.

"He doesn't love me anymore, he doesn't want me." I said not even knowing why I said that, especially to Victor. Maybe saying it out loud would make it easier to accept everything.

"Doesn't he now? That's unexpected."

I shrugged. "Anyways you wanted to see me about something. If it was to chit-chat I'm really not interested."

He sighed reaching for the file. "Do you know what this is?"

"Does it look like I know?" I asked frigidly. I was already in a bad mood before seeing Victor, but now I was literally in a KILLER mood.

"This is Eric Dragomir's file from-"

"You're the one who broke into the alchemist records!" I shouted as my eyes widened with understanding. "Why?"

"Because we both want Lissa to sit at the Council and I knew she would be stopped by that stupid Quorum law." Victor sighed. "You seem to forget that Eric Dragomir was my best friend."

"You know what? It might have slipped my mind when you tortured his daughter." I replied icily.

"I knew he was a player, he had been one his whole life. Oh don't get me wrong, he loved Emma, he loved her more than life itself, but he had a hard time resisting temptation, always had."

"You know about Lissa's sibling" I said as it dawned on me. If Victor was Eric's best friend he would know something like that.

"Know? No, but I suspected it and I think we have a lead here." He said patting the file. "There is a bank account, Eric was making monthly payments in it for a Jane Doe," he continued and I didn't stop him. "I know in which bank the account was, I even know who was in charge of the account."

"If you know all that why do you need me?"

He smiled. "I can't really show myself in public places plus this bank is really Moroi centric. Moreover that banker won't give me the info willingly and I have to admit that compulsion has never been one of my strong points and I can't put Robert more at risk using his abilities. He is already unstable as it is."

I looked to Robert who seemed to be off to lala land right now, staring at me, not blinking.

"Yeahhhh. But…Why would you help us anyways?"

"Fyodor Dostoyevsky said that 'A just cause is not ruined by a few mistakes.' We both want the same things Rose. We want some major changes in this old and obsolete system and we want the Moroi to fight too. I may not have used the best ways-"

"That's an understatement." I voiced out loud.

"Now it's your turn to try to make things right." He said handing me the file. "Everything you need to know is here."

I nodded, taking the file. I could try and stop him, take him back to jail, but I didn't feel like it anymore plus I knew he would rat me out.

"In the hope of never seeing you again," I said in a warning tone.

"Lying to ourselves is more deeply ingrained than lying to others," Said Robert before I could leave .

"Let me guess, Dostoyevsky?" I asked mockingly.

"Exactly!" He said beaming. "Did you know it?"

I shook my head with irritation reaching for the door.

"It means that you can lie to yourself as much as you want shadow-kissed, pretend that your attitude toward the drunken sob is just fondness and guardian instinct, but you know it's much more that that don't you? It's all over your aura." Robert smiled. "As much as you don't want to, you are in love with him too."

"As if!" I said storming out, but it was true who was I kidding? I did love Adrian, much more than I intended to, much more than I wanted to. It was true when they said we could love two people at the same time because I did. I loved Dimitri and Adrian, but it was two different loves for two different men.

Well maybe Adrian was much more similar to Dimitri than I would have thought. Both were ready to fight to death for what mattered the most and for Adrian it was me.

I almost ran back to the hotel knowing what I should do. Now that Robert opened that door, I had no choice but to acknowledge the truth even if it made the situation a lot more fucked up than it was already.

I stopped at the hotel shop, bought what I needed. When I turned on my phone. I had twelve texts and thirty-six missed calls. Calling Adrian obsessive was the understatement of the year.

Sorry my phone was off, I'll be over in twenty minutes. Don't get drunk on me. I texted him hoping it was not too late since I needed a more or less sober Adrian for what I had in mind.

I rushed in the room I shared with Liam but he was nowhere to be found and I was rather pleased about that. I slid the file under my mattress as I wanted to be the first one to have a read through it.

It would have been awkward to explain to my new found cousin that I was in a rush since I wanted to get ready and go have sex with my boyfriend because I loved him and because I was pretty sure it was the perfect birthday present as far as Adrian was concerned. What did he want the most? The answer was clear, it was me.

After a quick shower I jumped into my nicest pair of underwear , blew dry my hair and slid into the mini black dress that hugged my body in all the right places.

I was about to reach for my bag when Liam came in.

"Rose damn! Adrian was going crazy when you left…He is a mess." He shook his head. "The guy is in WAY too deep."

"Oh yes your 'love' theory I forgot," I rolled my eyes. "Well I'm going to see him now…don't wait up." I looked at the clock it was 12:05 Am, today was Adrian's birthday.

"This is awkward," he said rubbing the back of his neck. "I would almost say 'have fun' but it's very bad taste."

I chuckled, "Indeed."

Adrian's room was just across the corridor. I knocked at the door.

Adrian opened it almost immediately like if he had been waiting behind it since he received my text. His hair were unruffled, his shirt wrinkled and his eyes slightly red, but he wasn't drunk…not really.

"Oh Rose I-"

I reached up and covered his mouth with my forefinger. "It's okay," I said soothingly. I smiled raising my other hand showing him the condom I was holding. "I came prepared this time. Happy Birthday," I added standing on my tiptoes pulling him down to meet my lips.

"What?" He mumbled against my lips.

"I think you heard me." I said throwing the condom on the night table starting to unbutton his shirt kissing his bare chest each time I opened a button.

"Be careful my little dhampir, don't start something you are not sure you want to finish." He said with difficulty as his breathing was ragged with desire.

"I want to start and finish," I said helping him to get out of his shirt and throwing it on the floor. I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"What changed?" He asked resting his hands on my hips. "You seem different," he acknowledged looking deep in my eyes.

"I realized something important today," I smiled standing on my tip toes to kiss him. "I want you to make love to me."

I didn't have to add anything after that, Adrian being Adrian I was out of my dress and laying on top of his bed before I could count to ten.

"You are so beautiful, I love you so much," he kept whispering like a mantra as he brushed his lips along my collarbone.

I closed my eyes arching my body against his, his lips were like fire on my skin. If his lips had this effect on me I would literally combust soon.

Adrian unhooked my bra and started to kiss my breast and I couldn't help the embarrassing moans that escaped my mouth. Once his tongue played along with his lips I didn't care about how loud my moans were anymore, I couldn't even think straight. I just wanted to be with him even more, more intimate than that.

I reached down trying to unbutton his jeans, my hands trembled and Adrian looked at me questionably, I was pretty sure he had noticed the extent of my inexperience. "Rose?"

"Shhh, just kiss me," I whispered pulling him up so he could meet my lips.

He kissed me longingly and then started placing kisses along my jaw line. "We'll go slow, I love you too much to do anything that might hurt you," he whispered to my ear.

"I know, I trust you." I whispered back before starting to suck on his earlobe and it was true, I trusted him completely.

Adrian got out of his jeans and silk green boxers and came back to lay beside me kissing me as he let his fingertips brush gently the waistband of my underwear.

"You can still say no Rose."

"I won't," I said reaching for the condom on the night stand.

Adrian got me out of my underwear, put the condom on and came to hover over me.

"I'm very nervous too, it's the first time I will ever make love to someone I actually love."

I couldn't help but smile at that, I knew many sides of Adrian but the self-conscious nervous one was brand new and cute.

I brought my hand up and caressed his cheek. "It will be perfect."

He smiled back and I couldn't help but wince slightly as he entered me.

I could see the worry in his face as he saw my flash of pain.

"It's alright, it's good now." I wrapped my legs around his waist. "Perfect," I added as he started to move slowly in me.

As his speed increased I buried my face in his neck . "I love you Adrian," I blurted out not thinking.

Adrian froze and looked up to meet my eyes. "What did you say Rose? Please tell me I heard right?" His face was full of hope.

I nodded. "Yes you heard right. I love you Adrian Ivash-"

I didn't get to finish as he crashed his lips on mine kissing me almost painfully. He gave me all he had and I gave him all I had, it was good, so good I almost regretted not sleeping with him before.

We reached our climax almost at the same time when I thought it was only in books that happened.

He stayed on top of me catching his breath his face resting on my heaving breast.

I caressed his hair closing my eyes just enjoying the closeness, the rhythm of his heartbeat.

"Told you it would be perfect," I said with a smile playing on my lips.

"I should have known, everything I do with you is perfection… you are perfection," he replied voice hoarse.

After a little while Adrian laid back on his side pulling me along so my head rested on his chest.

I curled up on his side and fell asleep listening to his soft breathing and peaceful heartbeat.

I woke up early morning in the human world, I couldn't believe I slept so long but love making with Adrian was really consuming energy.

I kissed his chest and he wrapped his arm more tightly around my waist.

"Hello Beautiful," he said his voice full of sleep kissing the top of my head.

"Hello stud." I said teasing moving my head to kiss his throat.

He idly caressed my lower back making me shiver. "Did you mean it Rose?" He asked out of the blue.

"Mean what?" I asked propping myself on an elbow to have a good look at his face.

"You said you loved me, do you mean that?"

"Yes I do mean that. I love you."

He smiled so brightly he flashed his fangs. "You don't know how badly I wanted to hear those words from you."

I smiled down. "I love you Adrian." It became easier to say every time.

"Now the question is, do you love me enough?"

"Enough?" I asked confused. "Enough for what?"

Adrian moved so he could sit on the bed. He reached for the small drawer in the night stand.

When I saw the small black velvet box in his hand my blood froze in my veins.

"Enough to say yes to my next question." He opened the box. "Rosemarie Hathaway, will you marry me?"