i felt really bad about leaving you guys with the last chapter. anyway I realized I went 25 chapters without a disclaimer so here goes.

I own nothing that you recognize, I say it that way because obviously some of the thoughts and add ins where from me. Hope you enjoy.

I Heard That.

I watched the sun rise through the heavily tinted windows of Christian's room. Lately this had been one of my favorite things to do, I was so nervous about going to sleep at night because as stated in our handbooks there was no guarantee that the 'strigoi' would leave us alone at this time. It was definitely taking its toll on my mood but I was dedicated to passing this test. I sighed continuing to stare. Even through the tint I could make out the light spreading over the trees and the snow dusted ground. As I watched I silently wished that I could bask in the sun again. Being a dhampir my skin was able to stand the light, but being a guardian I had adapt to the darkness for the safety of my moroi.

"Rose?" Christian said rolling over to see me sitting on the couch I had pushed up against the window.

"Yeah," I said still looking out the window.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" he asked sitting up in his bed. We had been sharing a room for about a week now but he had always sleep through the night I would have known other wise because aside from staring out the window which could get boring I would listen to his ipod or count his heart beats. It was scary to think that at any moment those heart beats could cease to exist. The scariest part about this is that the world, our world wouldn't even acknowledge it.

"I couldn't sleep, why is something wrong?" I asked.

"No I just wanted to know why you were up."

"It isn't really that late Christian."

"It is when you have class in the morning"

"What ever Christian, you still have about oh I don't know about twelve hour until you have to get up. The sun is just coming up" I said. It was about seven o'clock but Christian had gone to sleep a little earlier due to the fact that he had nothing better to do. "And you have only been sleep for about 2 hours"

"Oh for some reason it feels like it should be about 4 or something."

"No such luck" I said laughing at him, I had done that a few times before but it was funny manly because I realized how much more we had in common.

"Oh, do you want to watch a movie or something? I don't think that I will be going back to sleep any time soon." he said standing up and revealing his shirtless body. I looked at him like he was crazy for wearing so little to bed as cold as the dorms got at night but then remembered him telling me that if he was allowed he would walk around in shorts and a wife beater.

"What?" he asked looking a little self-conscious.

"Nothing I was just thinking about the fact that it is supposed to be warm but instead we have snow on the ground." I said. It hadn't actually been what I was thinking but it wasn't that far from the truth.

"So do you want to watch a movie, you don't look like your going to sleep anytime soon."

"I don't think I am what movie did you have in mind?"

"What about four brothers?" he asked.

"We haven't watched that one in a while." I said as he took out his portable DVD player I carefully positioned myself on the bed so that I was only close enough to see the movie but far enough away from the tempting half naked moroi beside me that we were barely touching, and of course I was on the edge of the bed.

We were silent during most of the movie apart from the occasional swear words that mostly came from me and the responding laughs I got from Christian. Eventually though he was swearing to on what I believed was his favorite part. When they were being interrogated Christian said that he would do the exact same thing. It was my turn to laugh at him which I did without hesitation. I laughed so hard that my sides hurt being that I couldn't really picture him being punched in the face repeated let alone telling his interrogators that he was "banging" their wife during the time of the crime.

"Well I would, and you know that I would." he said defending himself.

"of course you would Christian of course you would, but I'm curious would this be before or after you loose your temper and set them on fire" I said between breath.\

"Whatever, but you know for a fact that you are bobby mercer with a vagina."

This had me laughing harder. Bobby mercer with a vagina Wow! "Don't hate because I kick ass"

"Yeah well…" he said his tone getting cautious

"What?"

"Can I sit in on your training with dimitri?" he said.

"I don't see why not only I think that he would have more to say about it then again you are my moroi"

"yeah lately we have been using that excuse for everything" he said, we had been using that for everything me being out of my dorms missing curfew and all we had gotten out of a lot of trouble but collectively managed to get into a lot more.

"Well why ruin a good thing?" I said nudging him.

His only response was a grunt that signaled that he was tired. I took the hint and moved my legs over the edge over the bed. I was almost touching the floor when Christian hooked his arm around my waist. "Stay" he said. His touch startled me but his voiced calmed me.

"I…um…"

"Rose, that was almost a month ago would you let it go, I just want to sleep." it amazed me how he could say this without opening his eyes or breaking his hold on me.

"Scoot over sparky." I said trying to downplay the situation as if we did this was normal. My heart beat told me otherwise. Thankfully he didn't bring this fact up deciding instead to pull me a little closer and hold me tightly. I was turned on and scared all at the same time.

This didn't help me sleep but it did help calm my nerves. He was so warm that when I closed my eyes I could pretend that I was standing outside in the sun. And his breath, his breath was my summer breeze.

I hadn't realized that I had fallen asleep until the alarm went of signaling that it was time for practice with Dimitri. I heard Christian snoring lightly with his arm still secure around my waist. "Come on sparky it's time for practice" I said shaking him a little. He grunted in response. "Unless you changed your mind Mr. banging your wife" I said recalling the conversation from last night.

"Ha ha no, I didn't change my mind. I just didn't think you would actually get up so damn early."

"I always get up 'this damn early' thanks to your uncle" I said removing his arm from my waist and heading to the bathroom.

"Don't take all the hot water" I heard him yell after me.

"Don't worry I won't, but get up and get dressed, something comfortable, just in case he makes us run."

"He'll probably sit me out."

"Yeah, but still…" I said closing the bathroom door behind me.

Even though we had been up on time I still managed to get to practice five minutes late. I actually wouldn't have known if Dimitri didn't look so angry with me.

"Why are you always la-"He cut himself off when he saw Christian lull in behind me. I watched as his emotions played across his face and then settled back into a very emotionless mask. "What are you doing here Christian, practices are not a time for you and rose to goof off."

"I am actually not here goof off I want to learn how to fight and besides rose is my-"

"Don't give me that Guardian crap Christian, you to have used that as an excuse for everything."

"And what's wrong with that? Never mind I guess it doesn't matter. Can he stay or not?" I asked knowing that getting smart wouldn't get me what I wanted, not with Dimitri at least.

"No goofing off, I am not going to fight with you but you can watch and I am sure that you will practice with Rose later."

"Fine" Christian and I said in unison. Christian went to the corner of the room and sat quietly as I tied my hair up and prepared to spar.

It was like my first test all over again. I knew his moves as he had mine only this time when we touched or when he pinned me I didn't feel the electricity that I had once felt with him making it easy not to get distracted. I was able to take him down 3 times out of the five rounds we sparred. I was on top of the world now. Just when I was starting to get warmed up though, practice was over. I was disappointed at this because I wanted to take him down a few more times. It could have been me wanting to impress Christian that brought out the warrior in me but either way, my adrenaline was rushing.

"Wow Rose that was awesome" he said looping his arm through mine.

"Thanks come on we have to get ready for class." I said as we walked to the doors. Immediately stopping short. I could hear voices from outside and one of them I automatically made out as Dimitri.

"What's wrong?" Christian asked noticing my hesitation.

"Shhh…" I whispered to him. Stepping closer to the door to hear what they were saying.

"…shuffle some of the watches while your at the trial." the voice I now noted as Alberta's spoke up.

"I figured," he said. There was a funny almost uncomfortable note in his voice. "It's going to put a strain on everyone else-bad timing."

"Yes, well the queen runs on her own schedule." Alberta sounded frustrated, and I tried to figure out what was going on. "Celeste will take you watches, and she and Emil will divide up your training times."

Training times, why would Dimitri not be training with me? What trial were they talking about? Was Dimitri going to participate in the trial test as well?

"They say they don't mind the extra work," continued Alberta, "but I was wondering if you could even things out and take some of their shifts before you leave?"

"Absolutely," he said, words still short and stiff.

"Thanks, I think that'll help." she sighed. "I wish I knew how long this trial was going to be. I do not want to be away that long. You'd think it'd be a done deal with dashkov, but now I hear the queen is getting cold feet about imprisoning a major royal."

I stiffened. Dashkov?

"I'm sure they'll do the right thing," said Dimitri. I realized at that moment why he wasn't saying much. This wasn't something I was supposed to hear, which meant that he had obviously known we hadn't come out of the gym yet. Well Dimitri you cover is blown. I thought. Looking over to see that Christian's face mirroring my earlier thoughts.

"I hope so. And I hope it'll only take a few days like they claim, look I have to get back to the office do you mind coming to see me when you've finished locking up?"

"Sure," he said, "I'll be up in a minute; I have to make sure the storage closet is locked."

"All right. See you soon."

Silence fell, and I had to assume that Alberta was walking away. Sure enough, Dimitri came bursting through the doors. Knocking me backwards. Christian was helping me up when he spoke.

"Rose-"

"Dashkov?" I exclaimed, keeping my voice low incase Alberta had decided to come back. "As in Victor Dashkov?" well how many do we know? I thought.

"He didn't bother denying it. "Yes. Victor dashkov?"

"And you guys were talking about…do you mean…" I was so startled, so dumbstruck, that I could barely get my thoughts together. This was unbelievable. Luckily, for me I didn't need to because Christian spoke for me.

"I thought he was locked up. Are you saying that he hasn't been on trial yet?"

Yes. This was definitely unbelievable. Victor dashkov. The guy who'd stalked lissa and tortured her mind and body in order to control her powers. After victor had learned that she could heal he tried to lock her away and use her as his own personal fountain of youth. He also hadn't hesitated to kill anyone who got in his way- or in the case of Dimitri and me, use more creative ways to stop his opponents. I'd made a lot of enemies in seventeen years, but I was pretty sure there was no one I hated as much as victor dashkov- at least among the living.

"He's been locked up- but no, no trial yet. Legal proceedings sometimes take a long time."

"But there's going to be a trial now? And you're going?" Christian spoke through clenched teeth, trying and failing to stay calm.

"Next week. They need me and some of the other guardians to testify about what happened to you guys that night." his expression changed at the mention of what had occurred four months ago give or take a week or two.

"call me crazy but are we going with you" I said finally finding my voice. I had guessed the answer but I knew already that I didn't like it.

"No."

"No?"

"No."

I put my hands on my hips. "Look doesn't it seem reasonable that if you're going to talk about what happened to us then you should have us there?"

Dimitri, fully in strict instructor mode now, shook his head. "The queen and some of the other guardians thought it would be best if you didn't go. There's enough evidence between the rest of us, and besides criminal or not, he is-or was-one of the most powerful royals in the world. Those who know about this trial want to keep it quiet."

"In other words, you think that we will go running our mouths to everyone about a sick bastard that tried to kill us? Do you really think we are that out of control?" Christian asked.

"Well so far your actions haven't proven differently." he answered stiffly.

"Oh come on, you really think that we'd do that? The only thing we want is to see victor locked up forever. Maybe longer. And if there's a chance he might walk free, you have to let us go." I said growing even more irritated if that were even possible.

After victor had been caught, he'd been taken to prison, and I'd thought that was where the story had ended. I figured they'd locked him up to rot. It had never occurred to me-though it should have-that he'd need a trial first, at this time his crimes seemed so obvious. But although the moroi government was secret and separate from the human one, it operated in a lot of the same ways. Due process and all that.

"It's not my decision to make" Dimitri said.

"But you have influence you could speak up for us especially if…" some of my anger dimmed just a little, replaced by a sudden and startling fear. I almost couldn't say the next words. "Especially if there really is a chance that he might get off. Is there? Is there really a chance the queen could let him go?"

"I don't know. There is no telling what she or some of the other-higher-up royals will do sometimes." he suddenly looked tired. "look I both of you are upset, but we can't talk about it now, I have to meet Alberta and you two have to get ready for class." he said rubbing him brow.

"Fine but this is so not over, I can't believe this," I said to no one in particular.

"Neither can I?" Christian said once we had finally made it outside.

"It's stupid that they can testify for us, I mean part of me understands if they didn't want you to go or if the didn't want lissa to go but hell I was the one that led them there. Ahhhh" I screamed.

"It'll be okay, because we are definitely going to find a way to get to court."

"You damn right we are." I said letting my shit-eating grin spread across my face.

"You have an idea?"

"And you're going to hate it."

So…what do you think is her plan? Lol. A lot of the next few chapters are going to have thing from the actual book mixed in with it. After all her words can say it better than me at times. Again please don't hesitate to tell me if I screwed up. Lol, good opinions are welcome too. : P