Three weeks later…

We quickly fell into a routine. Dimitri and I rotating morning and evening shifts and since we were at Court, our on-duty shifts were not as rigid as they would have been outside of the wards. It was almost as if Dimitri and I had gone back into the early days of our training – before things had gotten complicated. Despite our history, we still made a good team.

A damn good team.

Adrian and I had also fallen into a routine. He would hang out with us when I was on duty and when Lissa wasn't doing official Moroi business, but his parents were starting to try to ensnare him in family duties – which I was pretty sure was an attempt to get him to stop spending so much time with me – but without fail, he would spend every night that I was not on duty with me in my new chambers next to Lissa's.

Something that Lissa didn't fail to notice.

"So, Adrian's been spending a lot of nights next door." She asked in feigned innocence as we were lounging in her living room. "Should I have asked for a bigger Guardian suite for you?"

I shot her a glare.

"I would have asked for a bigger one, had I known he'd be moving in with you."

"Very funny." I muttered, rolling my eyes.

"You do realize that when we share an apartment at Lehigh, he will have to pay his portion of the rent."

Dimitri walked in for his shift just as I threw one of the decorative pillows at our charge.

"Forgetting my teachings so quickly, Rose? We're supposed to protect the Moroi, not attack them."

"Yeah, well, it was self-defense." I stated as Lissa threw the pillow back, "See? How can I be expected to work in such a hostile environment?!"

The three of us laughed for a moment before I abruptly stopped. Were Dimitri and I joking with each other? The whole situation felt weird.

Normal.

Dimitri realized it too.

I jumped from my seat, "Well, if the Princess can agree to a cease fire, I should be heading to the gym. Watch out, Comrade, she has more of an arm than you think."

Dimitri stared at me.

Did I just call him Comrade?

"Well…bye." I offered lamely as I shot out of the room trying to sort out the thoughts that had started to assault my brain.

That whole moment had felt so…familiar. It was like everything had gone back to normal for a few brief seconds…but in the past our banter was always so loaded with emotion. Now it was just…full of words that felt incomplete.

With every passing day, my anger towards Dimitri was fading, but it wasn't being replaced with anything either. I wasn't as angry with him, but I didn't feel friendship towards him – at least not in the way I felt friendship towards the other guardians I worked with.

It felt…weird.

And every time I tried to pinpoint why it felt weird, it was like there was static running through my mind.

I shook my head, working myself up to a jog once I was outside of our complex.

I just needed a couple hours in the gym.

Then I would be too tired for weirdness.

"So what classes do you want to take this semester?" Lissa asked, propping her head up on her hand.

We were both sprawled out on her king-sized bed, Lissa pouring over the course listings booklet we had received in the mail while I simply doodled around the edges of mine.

"What are you asking me for?" I asked casually, focusing on the dragon I was currently sketching in the margins of the Poli-Sci section, "I take what you take. My major is your major."

Lissa shrugged, "Yeah…but I was thinking…that we could minor in something. Something that you want to minor in."

I dropped my pen, my head snapping up in surprise, "What?"

"I mean…" Lissa continued, her cheeks flushing, "You'll be my main guardian at college since we're both the same age and I know that double majoring in Political Science and History is not exactly something you're excited about…so I thought as a thank you…you could pick a minor. Something that interests you and we'd go to classes that you'd actually be excited to go to some of the time. It's the least I can do."

I was struck silent from the pure kindness of what Lissa had just offered to me.

In my whole life, I never really considered college as a real option. Sure I knew that I would most likely go as Lissa's Guardian and that I would earn a degree of some sort, but it wasn't going to be of my choosing and it was most likely not be all that useful for me after college. In fact, I was banking on flying under the radar – doing well enough to pass, but I had no dreams of being a top student.

C's and D's get degrees, right?

But this…the chance to study something that I chose for myself…an education that could help me be a better Guardian. It was an offer that is rarely given.

"Criminology." I whispered, "I think we should minor in Criminology."

Lissa beamed, "That actually sounds interesting! I was afraid you'd pick Physical Education or something."

I grinned, "Hey…the paperwork isn't filled out yet. I can still change my mind. You're pretty good at dodgeball, right? How are your rope climbing abilities these days?"

Lissa groaned in mock annoyance, "Forget I even said anything. I am not under any circumstances climbing a rope."

We collapsed into a fit of giggles.

College was going to be fun.

"Adrian, if I take this blindfold off and you're naked, I am leaving." I muttered, throwing my hands on my hips.

I hated surprises in general and with Adrian's surprises…well…I never knew what I was getting with those. Lissa and I had been wrapping up a rather nice dinner of homemade mac and cheese – we figured that we had to learn to cook at lease something since Christian wouldn't be around nearly as much once we went off to Lehigh – and Adrian barged in declaring that he was stealing me so that I may receive my "special surprise" before we head off to school next week.

"That surprise is coming a bit later." He stated matter-of-factly. I could practically hear his smug grin, "This surprise is different, but still near and dear to my heart."

He moved behind me, done with leading me into the room where this "surprise" was and took off the blindfold.

In front of me was one of the most beautiful abstract paintings I had ever seen.

The top of the large canvas was swirls of black with dark purples and blues that seemed to radiate chaos and intensity, but then faded into swirls of bolder purples and rich reds with less black swirls running through.

It was beautiful.

I turned to Adrian, "This had to have cost a fortune, Adrian. I can't accept it."

He shifted on his feet awkwardly, "It actually cost me nothing…I…er…made it."

My jaw practically fell to the floor, "You what? You painted this?"

He refused to meet my gaze, still shifting from foot to foot. Was he embarrassed?

"I did. I thought it could spruce up what is sure to be your terribly dull campus apartment and it's less of a cliché to remember me by then a framed photo. Unless you want a framed photo of us, which I could definitely get you…"

He was rambling. He was embarrassed.

I shook my head, smiling, "No, I love it. I just can't believe you did this. It's good. Really good Adrian. What is it?"

He looked into my eyes, relief of hearing my approval evident in his features, "It's…you actually. Well, your aura, rather. The top was what your aura was when I first met you. The bottom is what it looks like now…stronger, richer, more confident with less…chaos."

I turned back to the painting, looking at it with renewed interest, "This is what my aura looks like?"

"Yes."

"Wow." I breathed, "It's beautiful. Even before when it was…when I was taking away Lissa's Spirit darkness it's beautiful. Frightening, but still beautiful."

Adrian spun me around, "That's what you are…frightening, but beautiful."

I gave him a playful shove, "Well, I can't wait to hang it in my new apartment nonetheless. An Adrian Ivoshkov Original."

"The first of its kind."

"You should do this for a living." I blurted out, gripping his hands in mine.

He looked at me confused, "What? Paint?"

I shrugged, "Why not? I'm no art expert, but I think you're seriously talented, Adrian. Why not go to art school?"

"Me in art school?" He asked, laughing a little.

"It would be a pretty good excuse to get out of planning more social functions with your mother and aunt."

His smile turned into a look of genuine excitement, "I never thought of it that way. My father has been giving more of his 'what are you doing with your life' speeches…this could keep him quiet for a while."

"That's why you keep me around, Ivashkov. I am just full of brilliant ideas."

He smirked, "That's not the only reason why I keep you around. Ready for your other surprise? The naked one?"

I rolled my eyes and laughed in response.

Author's Note: Sorry for the length between posts! New job, new house makes for quite a bit of life disruption. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! The relative normalcy will end next chapter when Rose realizes that their apartment is a three bedroom and that Dimitri will also be living with them…and is Rose starting to realize that something is not quit right with her memory? Stay tuned…