Eddie POV

It's been a year of hidden loss and grief.

Has it only been a year? It seems like so much longer.

On my way to guest housing I picked up some flowers for when we all go to the cemetery. If we go to the cemetery. If the weather keeps it up none of us will be going anywhere. Rose, though, she'll probably go anyway, despite the horrible storm and the freezing temperature. Nothing is going to stop her today. I pity anyone who dares get in her way. My next stop was to pick up Abe Mazur and Janine Hathaway. Both were sporting mournful faces and had flowers in their hands.

It was going to be a long day.

Finally we reach Christian and Lissa's place. Janine rings the doorbell and we wait for Christian to get off his lazy ass and let us in. Only… Christian didn't answer the door. Belikov did.

What the fuck is going on?

I freeze in pure and utter surprise, but Abe just walks inside without a word or glance at Dimitri. Janine looks torn and decides to mutter a quick "hello". Dimitri, the bastard, just looks confused and stands there with the door open. I shut it behind me as I enter the house and leave him there dumbfounded.

"Where is she?" Abe demands as we enter the kitchen. Adrian is here already, siting at the kitchen table with his feet up onto another chair, flowers sitting in front of him. Everything about him screams typical Adrian except for one thing. His body is unusually tense and he has a worried expression on his face.

Something's wrong.

"We thought she might have been with you," replies Lissa.

They. Lost. Rose?

My Guardian instincts kick on. The sooner we find her, the better it will be. "When was the last time you saw her?" I ask.

Christian answers. "Last night when she came home from her shift."

Shit. She probably snuck out during the middle of the night, not bothering to tell anyone, and she's probably there at the cemetery. She's probably been there for hours. She could be frost bitten by now or worse. We have to get her. "Christian, make some hot chocolate and put it in a thermos." He nods, for once not questioning my authority. He's made the same conclusion I have.

I leave the kitchen to grab some blankets. Rose is going to need some warmth, but not too much too fast. This should be enough to start the warming process until we get her back into Court.

Christian hand me the thermos and silence falls. I start putting on my winter gear and so does everyone else. No. Hell no. "Lissa, you're staying here."

"Why?" she sounds offended at the idea. Christian whispers soothing words into her ear. "Fine," she sighs and Christian continues to put his coat on.

"You're not going either Sparky." He glares at me, but suddenly changes his attitude. He cares about Rose as much as all of us, even though he would never agree. He takes the coat off. I look around at everyone else. There is no way in hell I'd be able to talk off Abe. I need another Guardian, just in case something happens, not that I'd be able to stop Janine Hathaway from going anyway. Adrian… well, Adrian should go in case we need Spirit, but it's going to be too dangerous. Not only are the roads horrible and it's freezing, but it's also dark. Strigoi could be lurking around the area.

It's a bad idea.

Adrian makes the decision for me. "Don't try to stop me." A fire I've never seen before is burning into his eyes. He cares about Rose. Even though they've never been together, and never will, Adrian's become a good friend, a brother, and a close confidant. If there was anything Rose wanted to share Adrian was her guy. I nod at him.

Tasha and Belikov knew they weren't coming, or maybe they just didn't care. I don't know and I have no time to wonder. That means that four of us are going.

Belikov gives me a nod before we leave. It was a message that I read loud and clear. "Find her. For the love of God, find her and bring her home alive."