She saw where I was looking at and examined her ring closer for herself.

"You like it?" I didn't answer her, still trying to process that she's really one of them, their leader even. She looked up at me with those cold eyes and rolled them at my lack of speech.

"Anyway, I'm not here to play catch-up. I came here on a mission and right now, you're the only thing in my way." She paused

"So, what I'm I supposed to do with you?" I shook my head. How can such a beautiful person – inside and out- turn into this a mere month? Yes, she looked the same, she looked like my beautiful Roza, but she was not that person anymore. And I shouldn't treat her like I would treat my Roza. If I wanted her to come back at all, I needed her to want it herself.

"This is getting boring." I turned around to take a duffle bag and started stuffing it with weapons. I shot right past her, but she didn't even flinch. I guess they put her through some really rough things to not make her at least drop whatever she was holding. Hell, I would've dropped the bag. I just heard her sigh dramatically and turned back to me.

"Really, that's how you're going to stop? To shoot me?" she shook her head, causing her long brown locks to slide over she shoulders.

Then, out of nowhere, she charged at me and placed a round-house kick on my ribs, which knocked the wind out of me. I stumbled back slightly, but I could just time evade her left punch. I swiped my leg to her legs, wanting to make her fall, but she saw it coming and jumped up in time. When she landed, I faked a left punch to her face, causing her to move her face to the right, and I did a right hook, hitting her square in the jaw. I wanted to badly to make sure she was ok and not to fight with her, but I knew if I did, I'd be stuck in her trap.

"Wow, you sure know how to hit a girl." She snarled and kicked me on my shin, which hurt a lot, but I didn't show it to her. She was about to kick and I faked another punch the same time she kicked. I caught her ankle and pulled it up, causing her to fall down. I immediately pinned her, but she wasn't finished yet. She tried to struggle free, but I wouldn't budge. I had my eyes focused on hers, wanting – no, needing- to find something in her eyes that confirmed she was my Roza and not the monster they created of her. When she stopped after a few failed attempts, she looked me dead on the eye and narrowed her own. Then, she kissed me. I immediately responded and it was as if nothing had ever changed – even though I knew it was so wrong. But then, she turned us over. Damn, she got to me. She was smirking victoriously down at me before she did a karate like hit right between my collar bone and neck. Surprisingly, I couldn't move anymore. I knew not to panic, that it would only make things worse. Roza got off of me and casually walked over to the bag she had been holding before and started stuffing it again with weapons. Then, she came back over to me and did the exact same thing she did to paralyze me and left. I took a moment before I stood up, not knowing if this hit had any side effects. When I was sure I was ok, I ran outside of the room, only to find Roza long gone. Damn!

RPOV.

I made it back outside of the storage room without any more upholds. God, I had to know somebody would see me, especially Dimitri. I admit, I did fight dirty, but I did what I was supposed to do. If he had just stayed away, I would've never had to do it. I swung the duffle bag over my shoulder and walked back to the black SUV, but not before retrieving my knife from the poor sucker that hit it in his neck. He wasn't dead, but I still wanted my knife, so I took it and placed it into my sleeve again. Everybody was waiting for me, rather bored if I might add.

"Oh change to face please, I'm here and I have the goods. Now let's go before those lunatics catch us." My voice was snappy, matching my mood. The whole Dimitri incident affected me more than I thought, and it needed to stop right now. Spiridron sat ready in the driver's seat and smiled slightly when I closed the car door. I didn't smile back and just stared out the window, going over what had happened not minutes ago in my head. I saw him run to hide when I was shooting the other guy, but I didn't make it obvious. So, he obviously was looking for me and he followed me. But why? You'd think that after a month everybody would just give up on me, I was where I belong. Why couldn't they just let me go, like Abe did with Seth? And why did Dimitri shoot at me? Okay, I guess I would've done the same thing, but if you're no giving up on me, then why risk shooting me? The attacking back was no surprise, and I'm pretty sure I landed some strong blows. Then, when he had me pinned down, why did he look so scared in my eyes? And above all, why did he kiss me back? After everything I've done to him, why can't he get it through his thick skull that he has to leave me behind?

"Rose? Where here." I was snapped out of my inner ramblings by Spiridron's voice. I looked to him and outside. He was right, we had indeed arrived and we were the only ones left in the car. I sighed and turned to open the door, but Spiridron's hand stopped me. He turned me to him and had a sad look in his eyes.

"I know how it feels. I've been where you are right now, but after a while they'll let you go and you won't have to worry about it anymore." I nodded and this time he did let me leave the car. Repeating his words in my head while I walked to my room, I wondered what he had been through.

DPOV:

The guardians stayed long after Roza and the Strigoi had gone to see what had been lost and take care of some of the injured. There where quit some injuries, but luckily no casualties. As I looked around, I saw Eddie looking into nothing, but I knew he was thinking about Roza. I walked over to him and he looked up at me.

"I just can't believe how easy she became one of them, their leader even." He mused, but I heard him and I agreed. She was a special case, I guess.

"But she won't be able to escape us for a lot longer. We'll catch her." I had no idea who he was trying to convince, me or himself, probably both.

Then, the doors busted open, revealing Mason, Christian, Lissa and Mia

"You guys! I might know where Rose is!" Mason Shouted. I, Eddie and Abe met them halfway.

"Well, where?" Abe demanded. Mason showed us a screenshot of the video we had from Roza getting tortured.

"There's nothing there mason, we've been over these a thousand times." I said, but Christian shook his head.

"No, look. On the man's finger." He pointed to the older looking man's finger. It was so small and unfocussed, that you could only see it if you looked really hard. But there it was, the little shimmer that could help us. Litterly. It was a small shimmer, too small to make anything of it really.

"So, it's a shimmer. If it could help us, it's too small to make anything of it really." Eddie said, but then Mason, Christian and Liss started smiling

"I worked some of my magic on the picture and we got something. Something big." Mason said.

"It's a specific ring that only one strigoi clan has. The one not far from here. I know the way." Christian continued.

"When do we leave?" I asked.

"Now, they'll be just back at their base, so their guard will be weaker than normal. And if we're lucky, we'll find Rose outside." I nodded and we all headed to a Black SUV. Abe stayed behind, saying he had duty there. I drove the car and soon we were speeding down the highway to get to the Strigoi headquarters.

RPOV

"Rose!" I turned to Spiridron who was running after me.

"Yeah?" he quickly caught up with me and guided me outside to the edge of the forest.

"I need to tell you something from Viktor. He told me that you need to prepare yourself. Soon, he'll have a new mission for you and that you did great tonight." I nodded, but there was no smile with it. My mind was still imagining what Spiridron could've gone through, and I knew he knew. Spiridron sighed and sat down in the tall grass, with me following him down.

"What happened? When you first got here?"

"I was a guardian as well and I got on the bad side of Viktor. So he threatened my family, and said that if I didn't join them, he'd kill all of them." His jaw was tens the whole sentence and I felt bad for him. For the first time in a month, he managed to make me feel a real emotion.

"Why did he want you to join him if you got on his bad side?" Spiridron sighed.

"He's always looking for new recruits, to, in the future, overthrow the guardians. So, no matter who you are, or what you've done, if you are able to, he'll make you one of his own. And that's what happened to me." His jaw relaxed and he looked down at his hands.

I looked straight ahead into the darkness of the night and replayed his words in my head. 'No matter who you are, or what you've done, if you are able to, he'll make you one of his own' I placed my hand on his shoulder and he looked up to me.

"How's your family today?" I was curious if he knew. I mean, he must've kept contact with them somehow, right?

"All I know is that my wife is living in New York together with our son. Who's now about 15." I felt my heart clench at the mention of he having a son. It almost made me want to go back to Dimitri and start a family. Almost.

"I'm sorry." I knew it wouldn't change anything, but I felt the need to say it. Spiridron smiled and gave me a hug, in a fatherly way. And in that moment, I knew he'd never let me down or alone again. We let go of each other and just sat there, enjoying each other's company. Then, I saw movement in the corner of my eye.

"Hey, why don't you go inside, I'll be right there? It's getting late, you know." He frowned but nodded anyway and stood up.

"Hey Rose. I meant what I said before. It does get better. Goodnight."

"'night." When I was sure he was inside, I walked into the direction of the movement.

"She is totally going to see us." A male voice whispered. Mason, Damn.

"Yeah, and when she does, she's going to shoot all of us. Even you, Dimitri"

"For fucks sake. Shut up and get the hell out of here." I said annoyed as I stood behind them. The whole gang turned to me. Yep, everybody was here, even Mason. And when I saw them, that little bit of emotion I had back there with Spiridron was long gone and forgotten.

"Just come back and we'll get out of here." Christian, always being the smartass.

"Wanna know what I think about that?" I didn't give them time to answer as I brought my arm down, letting my knife sliding down into my palm and throwing it just past Christians face. Missing him by an inch. I did it all so fast, nobody had time to react.

"Holy shit!" Christian cursed as he looked to when the blade had landed, into the tree behind him.

"I told you already, I don't want you here. Now go, before I set off the alarm."

"Why didn't you set it off the minute you heard us?" Mia asked, challenging me. Lissa just stood there, very quiet. But, Mia was right. Why hadn't I?

"Because as much as I hate you people right now, you have families. And they need you. So, if you're smart, you'll go and leave me alone." I snarled, making them flinch under my glare.

"No." It was Liss this time who spoke, which took me slightly by surprise. But, I quickly recovered and sighed annoyed.

"Lissa, honey, I know some things that involve you and I'm pretty sure you don't want to know about it. But, if you'll leave, I'll tell." Of course, they didn't fall for that little trick, and I was running out of options, fast.

"Fine, if you want to stay, stay. But don't blame me if somebody shoots you." I walked past Christian and took my knife out of the tree and walked inside to my room.

I couldn't sleep. Mia's words where rolling through my mind. Why didn't you set it off the minute you heard us? Truth was, I had no answer to her question. I turned under my black sheets for the hundredth time that night and sighed when it was clear I wasn't getting any sleep tonight. I closed my eyes and Dimitri flashed by. Again. I shot up and threw the sheets off of me. I needed some air. I put on a random hoodie and some shoes and walked outside. The sun was about to rise and it made the sky look beautiful.

"hey." Oh god, please kill me now.

"why are you still here Dimitri?" I didn't have the energy to argue, so might as well be a little civil.

"because I can't let you stay here."

"don't. don't make this any harder than it already is." My emotions surfaced and I couldn't hide them from him.

"why won't you just come back home, Roza. I miss you, we all miss you. I love you."

"because I care for you Dimitri, for all of you. And if I come back, he'll kill you all and there will be nothing I'll be able to do about it. and I'd rather live my life out here, then to have your blood on my conscience." My voice broke halfway through what I was saying and I turned to face him.

"he won't, I'll make sure of it." I shook my head

"I love you Dimitri, I really do. But not even you can hold that promise. So don't bring up false hope. You need to leave, please. And don't come back." There where unshed tears in both of our eyes as he stepped forward and placed his warm lips on mine. I immediately responded and wrapped my arms around his neck. The kiss soon got heated, but it was still filled with those clear messages. Sadness, anger, hope, love, …

He pulled back and rested his forehead against mine, neither of us wanting to let go of the other.

"Rose!" I looked back to the house, Spiridron.

"I need to go. Don't come back Dimitri. Please keep everybody away from here. But know, that I'll always love you." I whispered.

"I'll always love you too, Roza." He whispered back. And with one mast lingering good-bye kiss, we both went our separate ways, our separate lives.