Chapter 14:

2 Years Ago:

The nightmares came as expected not long after Spokane. They always possessed the same elements: destruction, pain, suffering, death. Mason's freckled face filled with so much life and determination, in time. He didn't even have a chance to show fear of death, his life ended that fast. The guilt that encompassed me was amplified with every stare I saw across campus, with whispers surrounding my appearance. They attributed their beloved Dhampir death to me.

Mason was well loved around campus, unlike me. He was giving and kind, with no ounce of hatred or aggression instilled in him. Stan always said that Mason would become a fantastic guardian, which used to always aggravate me, but now I understood. Mason put everyone before himself regardless of who they were. Me? I was more selective.

Wiping away the few tears that trickled down my face, I crawled out of bed. I needed to get some fresh air and feel the sunlight on my face, even though I knew it was well past curfew. I think every guardian knew the guilt that I felt with what happened in Spokane, especially since I kept pushing back my molnija ceremony. Maybe they would see this as an opportunity to let my rule-breaking antics slide for once.

I was only about halfway across campus when I saw Dimitri patrolling. He appeared to be deep in thought and I wondered if I would manage to escape being seen by him. Normally I would want to spend extra time with him, but lately, I couldn't look him in the eye. Out of jealousy and hatred towards him, for even considering Tasha's offer, I had told Mason about Spokane. I didn't want to hear his talk, didn't want to hear his disappointment.

"Rose, what are you doing out here past curfew?" said Dimitri.

I shifted my weight back and forth between both feet, giving him a shrug as I paused after hearing his voice. "Bending the rules, as usual," I stated, knowing that it was a lie. I hadn't told anyone about my frequent night terrors, not even Lissa. She had enough problems to deal with on her own and I didn't want her to worry. She needed to focus on Spirit now, especially since she was coming off her meds.

"You're lucky I traded shifts with Stan or else you would have found yourself in detention," Dimitri stated.

"I knew you had a soft spot for me, Comrade," I grinned.

Grumbling something, he grabbed ahold of my arm and started escorting me back to my room. It felt awkward, considering the last conversation prior to Spokane was about him running off with Tasha. Dimitri cleared his throat and let go of my arm, once he knew I wasn't going to run off. "I heard you finally scheduled your molnija ceremony," He stated, keeping his gaze ahead.

"It's not a big deal," I said, with no hint of emotion in my voice.

"Your first marks are always a big deal, regardless of how you obtained them."

He pulled out his large set of keys from his pocket, as we walked around to the back door. I still had no clue how the guardians were able to tell apart the different keys considering there were so many. Without fumbling, he unlocked the back door and held it open for me letting me pass through.

"Thanks for the personal escort, Comrade," I whispered to him, turning around to walk up the back staircase to my room.

"Rose, wait," He said, causing me to pause in my place. Slowly turning around, I made eye contact with his dark eyes. "Are you okay?"

I was going to lie, but there was something about the tone of his voice. It was filled with sincerity and concern, that I immediately succumbed to it. Swallowing, I slowly shook my head. "I don't know if I'll ever be okay." My voice trembling and I pushed back the tears forming.

Wordlessly, he stepped inside the back staircase and approached me. Shaking my head, I started walking up the stairs backward not wanting his comfort. I didn't want to be weak around him, I didn't want to show him any more vulnerability. Except, he was too quick for me. Grabbing my arm, he pulled me in towards his chest, neither of us caring about the danger of being caught together.

As I rested my head against his chest, sobs began to escape me. Dimitri's arms tightened around me and I clutched onto a part of his shirt, grateful that I had someone there for me. He ran his hands through my hair silently, giving me a chance to let out all of my built-up frustration, guilt, and sadness that surrounded Spokane. I felt vulnerability and weakness, but as Dimitri's arms tightened around me I felt strength and comfort.

"Come on Roza, let's get you back to your room," He whispered, as he lifted me up and started walking up the stairs. I had so many questions about what was happening with Tasha and if he was going to take her up on the offer. Why was he here then if he was going to take Tasha up on her offer? Pushing those thoughts away from my mind, I continued to clutch his shirt and enjoy this moment. It very well may be the last moment like this with him.

I hadn't even realized that we approached my room until he gently put me down in front of my door. Sighing, I turned around and unlocked the door, still feeling his presence close behind me. into that moment, I trusted him with every part of me possible. "I can't sleep, without nightmares," I softly said, loud enough so he could hear. "Every time I close my eyes, I see them feeding on Eddie or snapping Mason's neck."

"You'll get through this, you're strong," said Dimitri. "Is there anything else I can do?"

"Stay with me," I said, with so much hope in my voice.

I thought he would say no and talk about how we need to maintain our boundaries as mentor and student, but he didn't. "Only for a bit," Dimitri muttered, before making sure no one was around and walking into my room.

There were many times where I imagined Dimitri Belikov in my bedroom, mostly involving fewer clothes, but today was far from my fantasies. I didn't know what possessed him to lay next to me, holding me as I fell asleep, but I wasn't going to argue. I just laid there, enjoying the soothing sensation of his touch. He was willing to break the rules for me, just out of care for me. He could get fired over this, maybe even lose his guardian status, but I knew he wanted to make sure that I was safe. This was a moment that I would never forget, no matter what happened to us.

Present Day:

"I had other plans for New Year's then to be roped into your ridiculous plans," muttered Eddie, as soon as I opened up my bedroom door. He was annoyed that I sent him multiple texts to meet me in my room, as soon as he was off shift. From the dark circles under his eyes, I knew that he needed sleep.

Rolling my eyes, I grabbed his arm and yanked him into my bedroom. "You'll miss scheming with me when I'm gone for months. Besides, when have my plans ever failed?"

Eddie opened up his mouth to say something but quickly shut it knowing that he didn't want to put up a fight with me. At least someone learned from past lessons. Suddenly he made eye contact with Dimitri, giving me a curious expression. I bet anyone would be surprised to find Dimitri sitting on my bed in my assigned room—it was unexpected.

"I want the Hans Croft file from Steele," I stated, ignoring Eddie's questioning glance towards Dimitri.

"It is called asking someone, not coming up with an elaborate plan," Eddie remarked. "Besides, you have access to case files here."

"Edison," I said sternly, catching him off guard. It was rare that he would hear his real name and I knew it bothered him every time he heard it. "If you think it was that easy to get, why would I come up with a plan? Steele won't budge, no matter how much I bother him and the file is nowhere to be found in the database. We need your help."

"What does Hans Croft have to do with your mission?" Eddie questioning, crossing his arms over his chest. "You are hunting Strigoi, not trying to find a dead guardian's body."

Rolling my eyes, I looked over at Dimitri for help. The fewer people who knew what Guardian Thomas said before she died, the better. Before any of us could reply, my door swung open to Lissa. Even after hours of dancing and celebration, she still maintained her poise and elegance. Damn, I should learn a few tips from her.

"Sorry, I'm late. Tasha dragged me into a conversation as soon as I got your text and –" She paused, with her mouth gaping at Dimitri in my room. As she noticed Eddie as well, she immediately connected everything together. "Oh god, you have a plan."

"The last time we did a plan together, it was to break Victor Dashkov out of prison," stated Eddie. "Now she wants to steal Hans Croft's file."

Lissa agreed with him, followed by their set of eyes staring at me. I glanced over at Dimitri, who was silent and in deep thought. My eyes met Dimitri's briefly, begging for help. Clearing his throat, he stood up, to stand next to me. "Her plan after breaking Victor Dashkov worked, did it not?" He eyed both Lissa and Eddie, both sheepishly looking at the ground. Dimitri was living proof that my elaborate plans could work.

"We wouldn't want this file if it wasn't for good reason," Dimitri added

Sighing, Eddie looked over at me then back at Dimitri. "Fine, I'll help, but I'm never going as far to break a Moroi out of prison."

Grinning I gave Eddie a pat on his back. "Good, so where do I begin?"

I'll admit that I wasn't sure if this plan was going to work. Lissa was still a bit against using compulsion on Steele, considering Steele was Tatiana's right-hand man. If Tatiana were to find out or the compulsion didn't work on Steele Lissa could kiss her chance of becoming Queen goodbye. When I asked if her that would be a bad thing, I immediately got smacked in the head by Eddie. I could sense through the bond that Lissa still wasn't positive if she actually wanted to become Queen.

As Lissa and I walked next to each other in the guardian wing of the main building, I could sense a bit of fear. She hadn't used compulsion like this since we broke Victor out of prison. Pausing in the hallway, I grabbed ahold of her hand, giving her a serious look. "Are you sure that you are strong enough to do this?" I whispered to her.

Lissa nodded. "I can do this. This compulsion won't be nearly the extent of what I did at the prison." She gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. "Are you sure you can handle it, the darkness?"

I gave her a shrug. "Don't worry about me. I'm used to the constant darkness surrounding me. Remember Adrian's constant dark aura comments?"

"About Adrian – "

"I couldn't do it anymore," I said, quickly avoiding the conversation.

Lissa continued to press. "Does it have anything to deal with Dimitri? He's back in your life in a major way, with the mission and everything."

We continued walking with both of our eyes peeled for Steele.

"We are getting back to being friends, after everything that happened," I stated, knowing that it wasn't exactly a lie. I wished I had the opportunity to discuss all of my thoughts through my head, but I knew Lissa was busy with many other things such as planning the wedding of her lifetime. I wasn't going to bother her with little conversations between Dimitri and me.

Steele alert Lissa said through the bond. I quickly stared ahead and saw him coming back inside from his walk. Not even a holiday could interrupt his habitual Moroi afternoon walk.

Lissa glanced over at me and I gave her a slight nod, after checking to see the empty hallways. This was usual for this time of day, considering the majority of guardians were patrolling, training, or asleep. Besides, we had Dimitri standing by the main door to distract any guardians that would come through. Who would turn down a conversation with him?

"Guardian Steele, just the person I was hoping to run into!" said Lissa, waving him down.

He walked over to us, with a curious expression on his face. Steele still looked absolutely ridiculous, with his slick-backed, artificially dyed hair. It took forever for Lissa to see my Matrix reference to him, but I could sense through the bond that she agreed he was a wannabe Neo (which he wasn't even close to). The only thing he was missing was a slick-backed duster, but no one could take trademark from Dimitri.

"Princess Dragomir, what a pleasure to see you. I'm assuming you would like to hear more about Guardian Hathaway's mission before she departs in a few hours?" He smoothly said, with a bit of anxiousness in his voice. "I'm afraid I can't tell you much or talk long, I have some things that require my immediate attention."

"You can stay and talk with me for a few minutes," said Lissa, staring him down. Through the bond, I could feel the magic swirling inside of her, as she started using compulsion. Uneasily, I glanced over at Steele to see if he was susceptible to it. Even though spirit compulsion was the strongest out of all magic, how well it worked varied on each person.

"I suppose I can allow a few minutes," Steele replied smoothly.

"Where is the location of the Hans Croft file?"

I felt Lissa's compulsion strengthen, to ensure that Steele would reveal where it was located. Steele's face wrinkled and I could sense that he was trying to resist. Glancing over at Lissa to see if she was okay, I could see and sense her intense focus.

Lissa demanded Steele again, continuing to steady the compulsion. "On a password protected file on my personal computer," Steele replied smoothly.

"And the computer password?"

I immediately took out my phone and started typing in the password, as Steele repeated it. It was long and lengthy, something that wouldn't be completely obvious to a hacker. As Steele repeated the password again, I could tell that he was hiding something. There was something in his eyes that showed he wasn't telling the full story.

"Lissa, he is holding something back. Look at him," I told her through my teeth.

Lissa maintained her eye contact. "I'll try Rose, but he is hard to hold. I don't know how much more I can keep him under." Steele opened up his mouth to say something, but Lissa quickly demanded him to be quiet.

I turned on the headset (set to a different frequency so no one else could hear) and quickly asked Dimitri if there was no one around. He replied that there were some guardians coming, but he would do his best to distract them. "Lissa, just a little bit longer, please."

"What else are you not telling me about obtaining the file?"

"There is a secondary password to get into the file that changes every hour. I can track the password on a device attached to my set of keys," He spat out, but I could see the trouble beneath his eyes.

"Take it out of your pocket and show it to Rose, now," said Lissa sternly.

Steele immediately took out his set of keys from the pocket and held it out to me. Grabbing them, I immediately saw the device he mentioned. It was small and rectangular, with the screen displaying a random combination of letters and numbers. Wherever this Hans Croft file was located in the computer, it must be accompanied by others. Taking out my phone, I quickly snapped a picture. Hopefully, it wouldn't change before I got access to the computer.

I handed Steele back his set of keys, smirking at his trance on his face. "Thank you," said Steele, immediately pocketing the keys. "But why did I give these to you? No other guardian is allowed to have these, especially not a new one."

Panic shot throughout the bond and I quickly ushered Lissa to end the compulsion. Weakness was spreading through her and I could feel the darkness beckoning me to take it. Closing my eyes, I took the darkness hoping to Vlad that I wouldn't have a massive rage.

"Rose, I'm okay," said Lissa through her teeth. "What more do you need?"

Truth was that I still needed Steele to unlock his office door, but I knew Lissa couldn't hold on any further. I still didn't understand why Lissa would attempt to lie to me when I knew she couldn't go any further. "No, Lissa stop it. End the compulsion, I can figure something out."

She gave me a look telling me to not doubt her but knew that I was right. "You will forget that you told the password and location of the file, as well as showed anyone your keys. Rose and I were not here and you were on your way for a walk," repeated Lissa.

"On our way for a walk," murmured Steele, turning around to walk out the door he came from.

As soon as he was out of distance, I quickly turned on the microphone on the headset. "Phase two is a go," I murmured. "We did not obtain access to his office and he is sent on a walk. Be ready, Eddie."

Lissa's face was paler than usual and I could tell that the brief compulsion exhausted her. Steele must have been hard to compel, surprisingly—I personally always thought of Steele as being weak on the inside, strong on the outside. I gently grabbed ahold of her and led her to a nearby bench, letting her sit down.

I pulled out a vile of blood from my back pocket, seeing her shocked expression. It wasn't often that a Moroi would come across a little shot of blood unless you ventured into a sleazy bar. Of course, Lissa attempted to graciously turn down my offer, despite the hunger in her eyes.

"Will this replenish your hunger until you're scheduled at the feeder's?" I said to her, with a twinkle in my eye.

"I can't accept the blood without knowing who it came from. It seems intrusive," She remarked. Lissa always had a thing where she needed to know the person who the blood came from, as well as having her particular preferences. Unlike other Moroi, she spent a decent amount of time before and after feeding talking to the person. She felt it made her more human and less prone to lose control and kill the feeder.

Glancing up and down the hallways, knowing it was a matter of time before someone would see. I yanked up the sleeve to my leather jacket, to show the bandage on it. "It's from me, alright?"

Lissa widened her eyes. "Since when do you know how to draw blood?"

"Guardian secrets," I said, echoing the words that Dimitri would always say to me. As guardians assigned to highly ranked Moroi, it was essential that we knew how to draw blood. Mostly so if we were in a threatening situation and our Moroi needed blood, we could stockpile it. Better than becoming a personal feeder, since you need full strength.

She hesitantly took the vile out of my hand, but as soon as it was open her hunger took control. Downing blood instantly, I could feel the hunger subside in her. Color began returning to her face and she wiped the few drops of blood away from her face. "Have I ever told you how amazing you are?" Lissa whispered.

"No, but you can tell me later," I said.

"Rose? I see Steele approaching with his normal brooding look. I'll start distracting him with the ward talk, but I'm not sure how long I can hold him," said Eddie.

I thanked Eddie, then turned towards Lissa. "Time for you to go. I'll let you know as soon as I'm done," I told her, helping her stand up.

"Good luck Rose," Lissa said, before quickly disappearing down the hallway.

Running my hand through my hair, I started walking down the hallway quickly towards Steele's office. According to the time, I had twenty minutes before the password would change and probably less time with a non-compelled Steele. Hopefully, Eddie came up with a long elaborate story with Dimitri.

As I approached Steele's door, I was greeted with a familiar Russian drawl. "Hesitant to take the blood once she found out it was yours?" Dimitri said, with a small smile. He leaned up against the door frame, while I crouched on the ground and pulled out a few bobby pins from my hair.

"Shocked that I drew my own blood, nonetheless knew how to," I replied. I ripped off the rubber parts at the end of the bobby pins with my fingernails, seeing amusement across Dimitri's face. "She asked me how I knew and I said guardian secrets."

A warm smile spread across Dimitri's face. "Wonder where you learned that line from?"

I shrugged, then started bending the bobby pins to the right position. "A special friend of mine," I said. "Although, I still don't know all of the guardian secrets you promised to tell me."

"You will eventually," He replied, walking away from the door frame to give me space. He assumed his given position which was to block me from immediate view and keep an eye out for anyone wandering down the hallways.

I didn't respond but instead focused on inserting the flat end of the bobby pin into the lock. I listened and felt for the pins in the lock, but soon became aggravated when I couldn't lift all of them up. Letting out a few long groans of frustrated I banged on the door angrily, before checking my watch. Only ten minutes left before the password would change and who knows how soon Eddie would radio in saying Steele was heading back.

"Fucking open," I wailed, even though I knew it wouldn't open. I leaned against the door hopelessly pounding my head against it.

"Need help?" questioned Dimitri, keeping his back facing me.

"Since when do you know how to pick locks?" I scoffed, doubting that the "perfect" Dimitri would partake in activities like these. He always chastised me for learning anything mischievous, but right now it appeared that he was embracing the challenge.

Checking to make sure there wasn't anyone in the hallway, he turned around. "Unfortunately, a skill that I learned when I was Strigoi and wanted to break into unwarded houses," He replied, immediately sensing a slight hint of guilt in his tone. He quickly brushed off any sense of guilt and crouched down by me, taking the bobby pins from my hand.

He began working on the lock, still hovering over me. He was so close that I could smell his aftershave, reminding me of the time that he held me so close after Spokane. When he risked everything in his career to make sure I was able to sleep through the nightmares I was having. It made me crave for the old times when the only problem I had to worry about was trying to make myself not love him, to become Lissa's guardian, to get over my grief . . . my guilt . . .

Pushing those thoughts away, I gazed up at him. "Comrade, I doubt you will have any more luck than me. I have had many years of experience and you had several – "I quickly stopped when he effortlessly picked the lock, swinging the door open.

Before I could fall back into the office, he used a free hand to grab me around the waist. "You were saying?" He stated, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Thanks," I said, stabilizing myself and standing up. "Come on, we don't have much time left."

I still couldn't believe that I was pulling off this plan. Using compulsion on the head guardian of the entire Moroi and Dhampir community and breaking into his office was risky itself, but to also steal a highly secure file. Damn, sometimes I was even blown away by the gambles I would take. If anyone was caught involved in this, we would be in trouble. I could kiss my guardian status goodbye, same with Dimitri and Eddie, and we would be thrown into the real world. Who would want that?

The first password worked perfectly, but locating the file was the hardest part. "Next time you call my computer cluttered, I think you should retract that statement," I told Dimitri, opening up random folders on the desktop.

Steele's computer was the definition of cluttered. There were many folders that didn't have any documents in them. One would think for a man who had a minimalist office would result in being minimalist everywhere. Nope. I guess he had to be messy somewhere.

"Did you really think it would be easy to locate the file once you logged on?" questioned Dimitri.

I rolled my eyes in response. Of course, it wouldn't be obvious where top secret files are, especially if they are meant to be kept secret. Even running a few keywords in the search bar didn't bring up anything. Checking my watch, I realized that we were running even shorter on time, it was down to a few minutes.

Tapping my fingers on the desk nervously, I stared at the files. There was something unusual about them on the computer. "Dimitri, do you see how the majority of these files are numbered with particular names attached to it? Then there is a random file named old family photos?"

"Rose, believe it or not, Steele may have been young once."

"I think this is where all of the info is," I stated, ignoring Dimitri's comment. With no further hesitation, I double clicked on the folder which immediately prompted me for a password. Bingo. "Look up the latest photo on my phone and read it off to me. The password is my birthday." I tossed him the phone.

I saw him hesitate and I glanced over at him. "Did you forget my birthday?" I added.

"No, of course not." I saw him type in my password without any hesitation. "I was just looking at the picture of you and Lissa. It's beautiful wherever you were."

He was referring to the screensaver I had of me and Lissa on a beach in St. Lucia. She had surprised me this past February on a vacation, so I didn't have to think of being lonely on Valentine's Day. No Christian, no Adrian . . . just us –with other guardians and a feeder, of course.

I blushed slightly, realizing that I was in a skimpy bikini in the photo, while Lissa sported a sophisticated one piece. "The one time where I truly escaped reality and got Lissa to be a sort of human schedule," I said lightly.

Soon enough he was reading the password and I was quickly typing it in. The file folder loaded and my mouth dropped open with the number of files that were in it. Skimming through I saw a file that read S: Belikov, Dimitri. I made eye contact with Dimitri, who was just as curious as mine. It was the file they had made for when he was Strigoi.

As soon as I was about to click on his file, Eddie came blasting through the headset. "Rose, Dimitri you need to get out of the office. Steele is on his way back, in a hurry."

"Almost done," I said quickly, skimming for the Hans Croft file. I immediately grabbed the file and began copying it over. I expected it to be quick, but it certainly was not. My heartbeat was racing, as I started hearing voices down the hallway. "How big is this file?"

"Rose," warned Dimitri, who quickly moved over to one of the windows and began unlocking it. "We need to go."

"Lord Ivashkov, what do you possibly need from me?" boomed Steele's voice on the other side of the door. "I have other matters to attend and I don't need to hear your drunken tales."

The file finished transferring and I quickly yanked out my flash drive. Closing the files, I saw the door knob jiggle and Dimitri cursing in Russian. As I logged off of the computer, I ran over to the window. Luckily Steele's office was on the main floor, so the drop was nothing.

"I have a problem with a guardian," stated Adrian.

From Steele's tone, I could see that he was growing impatient. "What is the problem then?"

Dimitri jumped out of the window first, smoothly landing on the ground. Checking to make sure no one was coming, he ushered me to climb out of the window. I wanted to hear what ridiculous nonsense Adrian had to say, but I knew I needed to get out or else my whole plan would fall to pieces. Swinging my legs over to the ledge, I lowered the window. The cool breeze blew against me and I regretted not wearing a heavier coat.

Cautiously I looked down at Dimitri. Granted it wasn't much of a jump, but every once in a while, heights would mess with me. "I'll catch you, Rose. Just jump."

"You aren't a cheerleader skilled in catching people," I stated, with a small laugh. Before he could reply, I jumped down from the ledge to let gravity pull me towards the ground. I didn't open my eyes under I felt Dimitri's arm around me and placing me on the ground. We did it.

"Are you going to continue to doubt my plans?" I smugly said, as we hurriedly began walking away.

"I'll never doubt you again," stated Dimitri.

I smiled at him, as we quickly walked back to the guardian quarters. I realized that there was a chance that Dimitri and I could be friends. As we walked in silence, I stared up at the starry night that was starting to fill with light. It was almost the human morning. Soon enough we would be boarding a flight to the Academy, where we would be relocated.

"I'm going to miss this," I said, breathing in the cool January air.

"I know, but at least we have each other."

Dimitri and I made eye contact, with both of us smiling. He was right; we at least weren't alone on this mission. Solo guardian missions were miserable, at least from what I have heard. It rarely happened, but when it did, no guardian wished to be selected. What if you died and were never found?

I opened up my mouth to say the unexpected. If you had asked me a few weeks ago I would have dismissed the thought of ever being in a confined space with Dimitri. As he continued to find his place back in my life, I realized that maybe I could finally have the full closure I always wanted. It wouldn't be easy, since talking about the past still felt hard, but I knew it was possible.

"Whatever happens, Comrade, I'm happy that we were chosen to go on this together."

Author's Note:

A guest had a comment about Rose talking to Guardian Thomas's ghost to figure out the more she said. That will be addressed eventually. Another guest had a comment about Rose being out of character for sleeping with Adrian and her not wanting to live up to her reputation at St. Vlad's. That will also be explored and addressed in future chapters. I wanted to alter that aspect of her character a bit for how I am laying out this story, but I promise that will be addressed since it is a bit out of character. Rose has her reasons (whether they are sound or not) why she let herself cave into the reputation.

I'm absolutely blown away by your support the last chapter. There were so many lovely reviews from everyone and it was my most highly reviewed chapter yet! I posted the last chapter right before I went to bed that night and I woke up with so many supportive reviews, I nearly cried. Thank you for the support because I couldn't do it without you. You guys really are the best. I was seriously speechless with the reviews I got the last chapter. Let's keep the reviews coming, even if it is short!

After a bit of feedback and my own personal opinion, I have opted to post chapters 2 times a week but have them slightly longer. I will post around Monday and Thursdays (may be different depending on your time zone). I think in the long run it'll be less stressful for me with school starting soon. Don't worry I'm not going anywhere! The support has me pushing out these chapters. ;)

Let me know what you think about this chapter! Also, I felt totally weird about googling more details on how to pick a lock. I personally have never needed to know how to pick a lock, but apparently, it is a valuable skill in case you get locked out of your house. Oh dear, the little things that make you smile.