Author's Note:

Hey guys, I'm so sorry it's taken me almost two weeks to update. My closest-thing-I-have-to-a-sister (cousin) came back and I've been spending a lot of time with her. I love her to death, and the summer is really the only time I get to spend with her since she is still in high school, and she doesn't live too terribly close to me. She will be leaving next week though. I'll try to write some while she is still here, and then write more while she is gone.

Hopefully if all goes well I can make another update in less than a week. Hopefully this next chapter will write itself easily. I love it when that happens. I don't have good news though. My fiancé is coming into town on the 23rd of July and then we are headed to a vacation in south Texas. I may or may not be able to write during this time. My goal will be focused around my fiancé since I don't get to spend a lot of time with him. August won't be nearly as busy though, and I will update as much as I can until then.

To my REVIEWERS: I seriously love you guys so much. You are awesome! I appreciate each and every one of your reviews, especially the ones who have said such nice things to me. You guys have been inspirational. It's because of you WONDERFUL people that I have felt go guilty on how long it took to get this chapter out. I don't like to disappoint you guys. To the guest reviewers Alia and Mia: I can't send you messages, but thank you so much for your kind words. We have reached 57 reviews!

This chapter was beta'd by miss Sadiekane031798. She's worked with me in order to figure it all out! I'm thankful for her I've already started writing chapter 13!

Chapter 12

Being the driver for the first time ever while on the road with Dimitri was rather fun. I had this feeling of accomplishment. One might have thought that I had to forcibly wrangle the keys from Dimitri, and force him out of the driver's seat if they could have weighed my feeling of self-importance. It had always been a sore point for me, Dimitri always getting to be the driver. Now it was my turn. I felt as if I were sitting on a throne. A plush, black leather throne. I felt glorious and alive.

We were around an hour away from Altwood, West Virginia. That wasn't our final destination though. It would take a while on backroads to find our remote destination. We had been cruising steadily for a couple hours since our conversation at the rest stop. Dimitri no longer shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He had since turned several chapters over in his western novel, finally able to concentrate. I was driving peacefully, content to watch the road and our surroundings. I would only occasionally sneak glances at the handsome giant sitting in the passenger seat next to me.

As a matter of fact, that's what I was doing now. He was so enthralled in his western, his features intently studying the lines of the pages in the book. His facial features were sculpted, chiseled- perfection. Somehow it still amazed me that this man was mine. He was too fucking handsome to be real. I was currently observing the way his chin length hair fell forward as he was engrossed with the content of his novel. I wanted to reach over and touch his silky mane, but I resisted.

My attention was so absorbed by Dimitri that I apparently missed the metal debris laying in the middle of the road. My front tires drove over it fine, but my rear driver side tire was another story. My attention was jolted back to the road as I felt the tire blow, making the SUV nearly impossible to control. Adrenaline immediately started coursing through my veins. I pushed my foot down on the accelerator for only moment, somehow instantaneously reminded of what to do in a situation like this. I suppose it's called instinct. Maybe a learned instinct? I had been taught once, but never had to put it into action – until now. I had to fight against my other instincts to slam on the breaks, which could potentially cause damage to the rims of my tire. I fought to keep the car under control, my hands gripping the steering wheel until my knuckles were white. The SUV instantaneously started slowing down after taking my foot off the accelerator, the bad tire weighing it down. When the SUV was slow enough, I creeped it over to the shoulder on the side of the road. We would need time to fix this tire before we could continue.

Only after successfully stopping the vehicle, did I spare a glace over at Dimitri. I hadn't wanted to look at him, for I feared his response. He had shifted his position when the tire blew to one providing much more stability in the emergency. Dimitri was now looking at me, several emotions dangling on his face. His face seemed to be saying, 'really Rose?' as if I purposefully endangered our only method of transportation.

I finally allowed myself to really breathe, since the crisis was now adverted. I hadn't realized that I had practically been restricting my own air flow while my brain was sending out rapid messages to the rest of my body. Acting had been a key priority. Breathing had apparently not been.

Remembering roadside etiquette, I pushed the button for my flashing emergency lights. I could hear the little clinking noise the car makes in reminder that the lights are on.

"Have you ever had to change a tire before?" Asked Dimitri, reaching for the handle to open his car door.

"Nope." I said, popping the 'p'. It was a silly way to show my frustration, but it felt like it helped in the slightest degree. "I've never had the pleasure." I finished. My heart was still beating rapidly, recovering from the adrenaline rush. Sarcasm was a great outlet at the moment. Dimitri sighed.

"Wait here. I'll get it done faster without you." He said softly. There was no unkind tone in his voice, but I still took his words offensively.

"I'm not some girly girl who sits in the car while her boyfriend does all the hard work. You can fucking teach me or move over while I figure out how to do it myself." I snapped, my emotions running high. I was embarrassed this was happened to begin with. Doubts were already lining my mind. Would this have happened if Dimitri were driving? Maybe this is why Dimitri always drives? Would Dimitri have acted better? Would he have been able to prevent popping the tire? I didn't need Dimitri coming to my rescue and saving the day.

He dug into the glove box in order to retrieve the manual on the vehicle, ignoring my outburst. Apparently he was used to such things from me. The manual led us to the provided jack and spare tire. It also instructed us on how to retrieve said spare tire from underneath the vehicle. Apparently, it isn't an easy endeavor, not from looking at the pictures anyways. We had to move a lot of the packed supplies and provisions to even reach the jack and tools provided along with the SUV.

We divided up the work like the efficient team we have nearly always been. He got to work on jacking up the rear driver's side of the vehicle while I set out on retrieving the spare tire from underneath the vehicle. There were several confusing steps to take, which I completed after several missteps. Dimitri finished up his task, and aided me in my endeavor. After finally retrieving the spare from underneath the vehicle, we wheeled it over to the damaged side.

I watched as Dimitri skillfully removed the lug nuts, loosening the pitiful tire. He laid them neatly in a row in the pavement. He had a system. Part of me loved his methodical side. I usually flied by the seat of my pants for most things, unless they needed skilled plans (such as breaking Victor Dashkov out of prison). I was far from being OCD. I wouldn't even usually do the same thing the same way twice in a row. I was a fan of mixing things up to see if I would get different results. Or I would mix things up just because I could, or because I was bored. Dimitri on the other hand, found one way he really liked to do something, and then repeat it that way for eternity. That was, unless someone like me showed him a better way of doing said thing. He was methodical, precise, and efficient. There was something about this aspect of him that I found oddly comforting, soothing.

When all the lug nuts were unscrewed, he lifted the bad tire and set it aside. I helped him lift the fully inflated spare onto the SUV and secure it in place as he began reapplying all the lug nuts. Since the car was packed with our supplies, I began the process of storing the large tire under the car where the spare had been stashed. I figured out just how unpleasant that was. It was something I was glad that I didn't have to put up with on a daily basis.

I was just finishing up when I felt Dimitri come up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. He nuzzled into my neck affectionately, making my skin alight as if aflame. I didn't realize his ploy until it was too late. The keys snaked out of my jeans pocket, wrapped tightly in the long fingers of my Russian god. His smile was wide as he held them way above my head.

"Pickpocket!" I yelled in surprise, jumping for the keys. He leaned down and kissed me, still holding they keys high above me. It quieted my screams. So instead I switched tactics. I began pouting in a face that I knew was extremely difficult to resist. I jutted my plump bottom lip forward, showing him the best puppy dog eyes I could manage. The look on his face suggested that I had done a pretty damn good job. He was studying me intently, as if in awe.

"You're so goddamn beautiful." He murmured almost inaudibly. The arm around my waist rose to slowly caress my cheek, his eyes never leaving my face. "I should make you pout more often. It's sexy." He continued, breathless.

"Sexy?" I asked surprised. I spoke much louder than necessary. I was almost outraged that my pouting look was classified under sexy. That was not my desired effect! As much as I enjoy turning my lover on, I had hoped my womanly wiles would aid me in the return on the SUV keys. Apparently, I was unsuccessful. He deftly kept the keys out of my reach, while leading me to the passenger shotgun seat after successfully storing away the jack and other tools we had needed.

"Yes, Rose. You're always incredibly sexy. It's a wonder more men don't swoon over you. I'm surprised I don't have to fend them off with my stake." He teased, a warm smile gracing his handsome features. "It's my turn to drive, you need a break. You've been driving for hours." He continued.

I rolled my eyes. I suspected he just actually liked being the driver. I allowed him help me into the passenger seat, my actions flourished with extra attitude. I muttered something under my breath along the lines of 'make one mistake and the driving privilege gets pilfered'. Dimitri ginned knowingly. It wouldn't be a normal day without a Rose Hathaway running commentary.

It didn't take long for him slide gracefully into the driver's seat and continue on with our journey. He placed the radio on a station that played only hits from the 80's, an era I hadn't even known. He knew, however, that I preferred this to his other favorites, country songs. I quickly tired of doing nothing, so I pulled out the instructions for the last leg of our trip. There was no GPS destination for the Keepers. Sydney, an alchemist we knew decently well, had sent them to me. She had helped me in Russia, and even helped me while I was still considered a traitor to the crown. She was currently on assignment protecting Jill. It was one of the few things that helped me sleep soundly at night when it came to Jill. Sydney was a very capable person. She was reliable.

Which was why I was completely unsurprised when the directions were as detailed as possible. It was definitely a Sydney OCD thing. I was slightly surprised she hadn't labeled every bush that led us to our destination, calling each one out by numerical order. I committed the directions to heart, making it easier for me to guide Dimitri as soon as it was needed. It at least provided me something constructive to do for the remainder of the drive.

~oo0oo~

As much as I wished I could say time flew, it hadn't. Driving had been a wonderful distraction since I no longer had the ability to slip into Lissa's mind to pass the time. No. Now I got to sit in the passenger seat bored, attempting to tempt Dimitri to play road trip games with me. Finally, we were sitting in the grassy field where the Keeper's parked their beat up cars. We could vaguely make out the path in between the bushes and trees. Based on memory though, we remembered exactly where it was located.

Remembering the previous procedure, we took only our stakes along with us down the path, in case we ran into Strigoi. Normally the Strigoi left the Keepers alone, but it wasn't in our guardian nature to be caught unawares or unprepared. It wouldn't be safe to take any of our other supplies with us until we had properly announced ourselves either. We disappeared into the brush, moving slowly, but with purpose. I didn't have to see Dimitri full on to understand that we were on the same page. I could feel him beside me, and I could sense his movements and intentions. We were in tune to one another. We were using our heightened Dhampir senses to keep aware of our surroundings. I walked first down the narrow path, Dimitri deftly guarding my rear. If we were really suspecting on encountering enemies, I think Dimitri would have insisted going first, his fast reflexes attempting to protect me from harm. Besides, in this situation, I was regarded as somewhat of a local celebrity before we left. It would do well for the keepers to recognize me first.

We heard them before we saw them. Dimitri and I both froze as we heard telling signs of movement, probably humans who didn't share the same keen senses as either the Moroi or Dhampirs. Dimitri and I remained still, knowing a group of the Keepers were watching. My eyes remained sharp, darting to the accentuated shadows thanks to the darkness of night. The sun would be coming up soon, but there still wasn't a whole lot of light that could penetrate the woods at this time of the night.

Finally a fire crackled to life, temporarily making it hard to see until my eyes adjusted to the offending light. I could feel my pupils contracting swiftly, determined to refocus as quickly as possible. It was guardian nature to always react as quickly as possible. A Moroi held a ball of fire in his hand, using it as a torch.

"Well I'll be damned if it isn't Rose Hathaway." Remarked a voice I easily recognized. It was Raymond, the leader of this particular group of Keepers. He had welcomed us into his home the last time we had stumbled onto their territory. "This is an unexpected surprise. I truly wasn't expecting you to grace us with your presence again." He said with a small smile, the accent the same as ever. It was both southern American yet Russian or Romanian at the same time. It was rather unique to my ears.

"Are you always out patrolling your borders? Or do you just happen to pick the days where you can find me in your woods?" I asked with a teasing air. Both Dimitri and I had visually relaxed as soon as Raymond addressed us. We had left this group on good terms. There was no reason to expect conflict at the moment. As soon as Raymond had recognized me, I could see a series of reactions from the rest of the war party. First they relaxed. They tensed anxiously when Raymond had addressed me, as if hoping he were correct that I had returned. Finally they seemed happy or relieved upon my confirmation.

"As you know, we share duties around here. Although it is always a pleasure to stumble across a beautiful woman in these woods." Raymond chuckled, a smile gracing his lips that showed his fangs. It was a common sight around these Keepers, not so much back at Moroi court. He walked forward, shaking both mine and Dimitri's hands in a sign of friendship. "Pray-tell. What has brought you two back into this neck of the woods?" Asked Raymond, getting right to the point in a friendly way. I shifted a little uncomfortably. Noticing this, Dimitri took the lead.

"We were hoping to stay with your town for at least a few days. We have some business we wish to discuss with you, Raymond." Said Dimitri cryptically. I could see what Dimitri wasn't saying. We hoped for private conversations at first. It wasn't something that we hoped to voice in front of a crowd. I wondered if Raymond could see the messages in Dimitri's eyes that I could.

"You two are more than welcome to stay here. I'm sure we can make room for you in my house again." Said Raymond, staring into Dimitri's eyes wisely. He wouldn't push us for information so quickly.

"That's not necessary, Raymond." I said, butting in. "We actually came prepared this time, hoping you might let us stay a while. We brought equipment that is currently back in our SUV." I said, smiling. I didn't want to disturb Raymond's household a second time, not when we had other options this time around.

"Let us at least help you unpack your vehicle. We can help get you situated in an ideal location." Said Raymond kindly. I nodded, knowing just how much stuff was packed into the SUV. Raymond started barking orders to the group. He sent one of the humans to run back and send orders to some who were not part of the war party. Some continued to scout the perimeter, while most of the group headed back to the clearing that contained the vehicles with Dimitri and me.

Small talk was made, including questions about what type of equipment we had brought with us. After learning we had brought a tent, Raymond decided to place us near his house, yet also a fair distance away for our own privacy. Everyone who was part of the group raided the SUV, grabbing equipment before making their way back down the path towards camp. I happened to grab the heavy bag that contained the shelter I would be relying on for the foreseeable future, our tent. Our group proceeded to walk back to the 'camp' in a single file line forced upon us by the lack of width the path provided. I followed the person in front of me and could feel Dimitri in close proximity behind me. This was boring work, yet it still had to be done. I couldn't wait until we had everything set up.

In what took entirely too long for my tastes, we finally reached camp. We skirted along the edges until we reached the spot Raymond had procured for us. It was close to the town center, yet far enough to keep us out of the center of attention. The cave dwellers had much further to walk than we did. I was pleased to hear that there was also a stream not too terribly far away. Maybe I wasn't doomed to walk around unbearably putrid this entire endeavor.

Dimitri volunteered his excellent tent building services and managed the small team that began setting up our new home base of operations. I had seen with my own eyes while we were on the road, just how fast Dimitri could set up a tent if I wasn't there to hinder the process. A select few decided to stay with him. Most were assigned to my group, the group emptying the SUV. Of course that meant a lot of walking back and forth. Oh how I wish we could have driven right up to the spot we were camping in, but the Keepers had made that impossible for a reason. They were intent on keeping their identity a secret from the rest of the world.

I was making my way back towards the path that would lead me to the SUV when I saw a familiar face racing up to me at full speed. It was a Dhampir I recognized with sandy hair and beautiful blue eyes. It was a striking combination. That didn't mean that I was happy about this encounter though.

"Rose!" The Dhampir yelled, winded from running. I stopped, smiling politely at the newcomer.

"Hello Joshua." I said kindly, even though this was a meeting I hadn't been looking forwards to.

"I always knew you would come back! I never gave up hope!" He said excitedly, although he was doubled over in attempt to get his breath back. Someone must have informed him of my return. I realized that he had come running the moment he had heard I was back.

"Well, I'm here." I said, letting out a sigh. I glanced back at Dimitri, who I could tell was keeping an eye on us. Our eyes met briefly, exchanging a wealth of messages in an instant. He could tell I didn't want to be cornered by this particular individual. I could see that he didn't approve of Joshua. It was no secret that Joshua had basically proposed to me upon my last and only visit to the Keepers. "It was nice seeing you again, Joshua, but I really have to go unpack the SUV." I said politely, turning from him to make my point.

"Oh! Let me help you." He replied, stepping into pace with me. I rolled my eyes, but didn't let him catch me doing it. I didn't really need to get on the leader's bad side but being disrespectful to his son.

"That's really not necessary. We have a bunch of people helping us." I said, a fake smile plastered on my face.

"We? Who's with you Rose?" Asked the blonde haired beauty. He was really too handsome for his own good, although he couldn't compare with Dimitri's chiseled features. He doesn't realize that I didn't come alone. No one must have mentioned Dimitri's return.

"I came with Dimitri." I said simply, as if it were the most assumed thing in the world. There was no point in hiding it. He would see Dimitri soon anyways. Joshua's eyes seemed to darken at my comment, as if he hadn't enjoyed the news. We soon reached the path back to the parking clearing, and Joshua fell in step behind me. I wouldn't have gotten heartbroken if he had gotten lost, but I had no such luck. Unfortunately, letting him follow me hadn't been a wise decision. I should have made him walk in front of me. I could feel his eyes raking across my body, mostly settling on my ass and curvy hips. I curbed the impulse to turn around and punch him.

"I moved into my own cave." Said Joshua with pride, making small talk. "It's changed since the last time you saw it. I'd like to show you all the changes if you have some time while you're here." He said hopefully. I could hear it basically dripping from his voice. Part of me wanted to cringe. I remembered what happened the last time he showed me his cave. Luckily, I managed to control myself and look completely unphased by his comment. I used my acting skills, looking up into the trees as if contemplative.

"I don't know, Joshua. I think I'll be pretty busy." I said, sparing a glance behind me. I wasn't prepared for the emotion I saw filling his features. He almost looked crushed. "I guess we will have to see just how busy I am." I said quickly, regretting it almost the instant it escaped from my mouth. Why? Why did I have to add that last part? I guess part of me couldn't stand crushing such a nice guy, even if his feelings were completely unreciprocated. His face lit up again.

It didn't take long for us to reach the SUV. The others in my group had been ahead of us. Their hands were now full of supplies from the SUV. They were heading back to the path, smiling at us knowingly. It was apparent everyone knew of Joshua's interest in me. As much as I wanted to glare at them, I remained diplomatic. I'm here to do Lissa's bidding. Control yourself Rose. Joshua followed me to the SUV. I grabbed my own bags this time. One of them was a small clutch like bag. It tumbled to the ground while I attempted to rearrange the remaining supplies. Once it hit the ground, it popped open. The reason the bag was so small was because it contained the few pieces of jewelry that I actually owned. I hardly ever wore jewelry anymore due to the physical demands of my occupation. It was nearly impossible for me to keep jewelry safe while it was on my person.

Now, I must have done something in the past to seriously piss off karma, because it was certainly against me at the moment. It must have been getting me back for some sort of egregious mistake I had committed. What else could have escaped my small clutch other than the bracelet Joshua had given me? It was a bracelet he had spent time carving himself.

Joshua noticed it immediately. He had been keeping an eye on me after all. Even though he wasn't a trained guardian, he still had the perception to see my bag falling. He squatted down, picking up the bracelet. When he looked up at me, I saw hope filling his eyes.

"You kept it." He said in a quiet voice. He straightened back up, still looking down at the bracelet. His eyes were big and full of emotions I certainly wasn't reciprocating at the moment. "You kept it and came back to me." He said again softly. I realized that he was taking this as a sign. A sign of something that was certainly not there.

I saw his next movements, but couldn't stop him in time. Even though I tried to block, I was still slightly pushed up against the side of the SUV, not that it had taken much to do so. I had been close to it anyways. It was supposed to be the precursor to a romantic gesture, one that I wished hadn't have happened. But like I said earlier, I couldn't stop him in time. His lips were pressed against mine before I could move away. So much for guardian speed. I guess it was still possible to catch us unaware. Then the events that were actually happening finally dawned on me.

Joshua was kissing me.

Oh no. Someone is kissing Rose other than Dimitri! Don't kill me. *Hides*

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