Because you guys are that amazing – new chapter :D I don't know how many reviews I got exactly, but between the last two updates, it was 41 – so thank you! :D

I am currently writing Chapter 28 – which will be the final chapter :( I know that there's like 36 chapters or something in Last Sacrifice but this will be shorter because I merged a few previous chapters :)

Anyway, we'll still got a few to go so enjoy :)

Chapter 26

Seven hours.

Seven hours she had been in surgery.

I was currently pacing in the same room I had been in since they had wheeled her through those intimidating metal doors.

The only difference between now and then is that there was a red light shining over the door, indicating that there was an operation in progress, and that I was no longer alone.

Sitting in the seats in the room, were Rose's parents, and her friends Eddie and Mikhail.

Eddie had let me know that Lissa was currently being held in her room for protection, as well as Christian. Adrian also had to stay away.

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair in frustration.

It was the longest four hours of my entire life.

There weren't any windows in this big empty room, so I didn't know if the court was still in a state of shock at the turn of events.

Mikhail had come to us with news that the guardians had safely restrained Tasha and she was being held in the cells.

My thoughts were interrupted when the metal doors opened. My head shot over in that direction, and Abe and Janine jumped to their feet.

As the doctor approached us, I tried to read his face. Half of me just wanted to go to him and demand to know what was going on with Roza. The other half wanted to run out the door in fear of what he might tell me.

I couldn't help but notice the red blood covering his gloved hands, as well as smeared on his white coat. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

He stopped in front of us, his face unreadable.

"I've done everything I can for the time being," he said.

"What the hell does that mean?" Abe demanded.

"It means that I've safely removed the bullet that was lodged into her chest and have managed to keep her alive…for now. There's no telling whether or not she'll make it through the night."

The brief relief I had felt about knowing she was alive vanished and I felt my throat constrict once again.

"What chance does she have?" Eddie asked quietly.

Looking over at him, I could see the pain in his eyes. He had already lost one of his two best friends. This was hurting him a lot.

"At the moment, I'd say she has about a ten per cent chance of making it," the doctor replied. My stomach sank, dragging my heart and soul with it.

"I want you to prepare yourselves for the worst."

I couldn't do that. I wouldn't. The one thing Rose had never done was give up on me. And I was not about to give up on her.

"Can we see her?" I asked him.

"The nurses are getting her cleaned up and moved to a suitable room. We'll let you know when you can come in." He replied and wiped his forehead with his arm. On closer inspection, his face had lines and his eyes had dark rings surrounding them. It had been a long day for all of us.

"Thank you doctor." Mikhail said and the doctor walked away.

I moved away from the still silent group and sat in one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs. I placed my face in my hands.

Ten per cent. That was it. That was all the chance she got after everything she'd been through? After everything we'd been through; this was how it was going to end?

It couldn't. I wouldn't let it.

Mikhail left along with Eddie to visit Lissa and let her know what was going on.

The doctor returned a short while later and let us know that it was okay to come in now.

I wanted more than anything to jump up and run to my Roza, but we had special orders to not allow any more than two visitors at a time, so I let Rose's parents walk in ahead of me.

They were in there about an hour as I waited impatiently, trying to remind myself that they had every right to stay with their daughter while she was on the verge of death.

Abe eyed me suspiciously as he walked with Janine out the door. I didn't dwell on it and I went to see Rose.

Stopping outside the door, I took a deep breath and walked through.

Seeing her nearly broke my heart all over again.

She was pale - ghostly pale. And she was connected to monitors of all sorts. Looking at the screen of one, I realised it was her heart monitor…and the beats were very weak.

I sat in the seat by her bedside and took her soft hand in mine.

It was cold.

I pulled the blankets higher up on her body until they were beneath her chin, and cupped her small hand between my two larger ones, attempting to warm it.

"Roza," I whispered to her. Even I could hear the worry in my voice as I pleaded with her.

"I need you."

I didn't say anything else as I held her hand, not ever wanting to let go.

I thought about the last time I had looked into those brown eyes. They had been so full of love and forgiveness…and that was the moment I knew.

I really could forgive myself.

If Roza was able to forgive me for all the horrible things I had done to her, then I could to. I wouldn't forget them. No. I would never forget.

But that didn't mean I couldn't move on. It didn't mean that I couldn't be perfectly happy, living my life with the woman I loved by my side.

For hours I stared at her unconscious body, the only signs of life were the slight rise and fall of her chest, and the constant beeping on the heart monitor.

Each hour I hoped and prayed that she would make it through to the next.

Suddenly the doctor entered.

"Dimitri…did you stay here all night?" he asked me.

"Is it morning?" I asked surprised.

"Yes."

"Then yes, I stayed here all night." I answered him.

Then his words registered. It was morning.

Rose had made it through the night.

The doctor did a routine check, peeking under her eyelids and testing her pulse.

"She's a lucky one." He said when he had finished, taking something down on his clipboard.

"She's going to be okay?" I asked him, not daring to get my hopes up.

"She's going to be okay." He confirmed.

My whole body released the tension it had gathered during the night. I felt my heart knit itself back to together. I squeezed Rose's hand and brought it to my lips and kissed it lightly.

Just then, Lissa ran in.

"Oh my god, Rose," She said, tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. They wouldn't let me out to see you. How is she?" she asked the doctor.

"Let's just say that she's a very lucky girl." He replied. "I'll be back in a while to check on things."

"So she's going to be okay?" Lissa asked me, hope in her eyes, once he had left.

"Seems like it." I replied, feeling the smile on my face.

"Oh thank god. I thought…when I saw…" she broke off, swallowing. "I thought she wasn't going to make it," she finished in a whisper.

I stayed quiet and just watched Rose as Lissa gained control of herself. After a minute, she sat down on the other side of Rose's bed facing me.

"You guys are back together, aren't you?" she asked me after a moment, breaking the silence.

I gave her a questioning look.

"I can see it in your auras," she explained.

Those damn auras…

"Yes," I told her truthfully. "We are."

A smile broke out on her face, but she said no more.

There was a knock on the door, and an unfamiliar guardian entered.

"A message for Vasilisa Dragomir." He announced.

She looked up at him expectantly.

"I have been told to notify you that the elections will be held at one o'clock this afternoon."

"This afternoon?" Lissa exclaimed. It was a surprisingly short time but I guessed that the royals wanted the gossip of a royal Moroi's betrayal to move on to the coronation of the new king or queen. "I'll be there." She told him and he left.

Lissa left soon after that too to get ready. I wasn't planning on going to the elections so Lissa told me she'd let me know of the result while I stayed with Rose.

As one o'clock rolled around, I wondered for a while what the outcome could be. Rose had seemed pretty sure that Lissa could be the one to win it.

In all honesty, so did I.

I knew that Lissa wasn't keen on the idea but she really was the best one for the job.

An hour and a half passed when I got a message.

Lissa had been elected queen.

I looked at Rose and smiled to myself when I thought of what her reaction would be when she found out. Her heartbeat was getting stronger by the hour.

There was yet another knock at the door and the same guardian as before entered.

"The Council wishes to see you, Mr. Belikov." He announced.

I reluctantly let go of Rose's much warmer hand and stood up, straightening my clothes.

I followed the guardian out the door, noticing that there were many people everywhere, celebrating the announcement of the new queen. With all the jubilation, I thankfully, didn't get many stares.

I walked across Court to the ballroom where Rose had been shot.

The first thing I noticed when I entered is that all signs of her blood had, thankfully, been washed away.

The second was that the room was almost full with people; a mixture of Moroi and guardians.

I approached the Council silently and confidently and stopped at a reasonable distance away; close enough that I was being respectable, but far enough that they felt comfortable.

"The Council have decided, after much deliberation," one of them announced. "That you are of no harm to others around you. Your Strigoi days are truly behind you. The Council offers their sincerest apologies to both you and Guardian Hathaway, who we are also granting her guardian title back to and will resume her duty as Queen Dragomir's personal guardian. It has been decided that you will be assigned to Christian Ozera and you will resume your duty as soon as possible. Guardian Hathaway will return as soon as she has recovered. That is all."

I nodded my gratitude and in acknowledgement of my dismissal. I walked away from them without a word. That had been a lot to take it.

But things we finally looking up.