And Chapter 8 has arrived...

We will start finding out about Rose and Dimitri's past. This chapter isn't particularly disturbing but the ones to follow will be. Rose has got a brilliant but very sick and twisted mind. The story is rated M for a reason. And I can see some lemons in the near future.

Many thanks to Kessafan again for her awsome beta skills!

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or its characters. I just enjoy playing with them!

Chapter 8 – Trip The Darkness

Where do I start with my story?

How can I explain it all to you?

You'll just have to be patient Dimitri, because it's going to be hard reliving it all. And follow my reasoning from start to end.

It will be painful for both of us; just remember you wanted to know all about it. I'll start from the beginning and finish with everything that happened after you left. I will answer all your questions but it is a long journey and it will take a while. It can't be done in one day; it will take weeks. And when it becomes too much, you'll just have to wait till the next time I am ready to continue.

*WWO*

It was all carefully planned and thought through, just like everything else you did. Drugs and weapons were your secret trade. The numerous clubs, hotels and security businesses you had set up were the perfect cover for it all, as well as doing the money laundering necessary to keep up appearances. All the money for your lifestyle had to come from somewhere.

You were paying off numerous people in Customs, the Police, even politicians to be left alone. When drugs and weapons were found they just ended up back in your hands; they just disappeared when sent to be destroyed.

It was almost perfect.

You were part of the Guardians. Your father; Anton Belikov was the head of the whole organization. The rest of them were the Dragomirs, Ozeras and the Dashkovs. Every single one of those families had a part in the well oiled machine of crime. The only thing you wouldn't touch was human trafficking and I was grateful for it; I don't think I could have been with you if you were part of that.

Another cartel moved in, the Strigoi. They started paying off people to do their dirty work too and having half of the country just wasn't good enough for them; they wanted full control.

That is how the war started.

I wasn't clueless about the life you led; my best friend was Lisa Dragomir. Her boyfriend was Christian Ozera and Mia Rinaldi came from a family who worked for the Dragomirs. My ex-boyfriend Jesse Zeklos was a small fish swimming in those waters too. I knew of you, so to speak, but had never had a face to put to your name and family names were never mentioned when we first met.

Lisa wasn't exactly very happy when I got involved with you; she had a fit and didn't speak to me for a whole week. I understood why she was worried but it didn't change anything. In the end she just gave up; realising that trying to convince me to ditch you was a lost cause. So she just had Andre and Christian have a talk with you. We had a laugh about it after it was over.

As for me, I came from a very well connected family. My father Abe didn't do anything illegal. He was a lawyer and he was one of the best. The Guardians used him and his company services. My mom, Janine, worked in the tax administration and kept out of it as much as possible but there wasn't much she wouldn't do for my father, so she would eventually let it slip when there was trouble coming our way from her corner of the world. No-one wanted to go to prison for unpaid taxes, that would have been just lame...

As government changed and the shift of power started, more deals were made, more people were bought and the Strigoi tried to pay their way to our destruction. Your illegal cargoes were targeted mercilessly and pressure started to build; we needed a new plan and we needed it as soon as possible.

I came up with the solution. We created a new company that in turn won a contract to dispose of old weapons, explosives and bullets for the army. At the same time, drugs were transported with those weapons. People really didn't want to disturb and stick their noses in things that could explode in their faces at any given moment. Plus, the authorities knew we were transporting weapons, so they didn't pay much attention. Throw some extra money in the mix and you had the perfect plan. That plan earned me something else too – Anton Belikov's respect; he finally accepted the fact I was more than just a pretty face.

At the same time it pissed off the Strigoi so much there were hits being put on our heads.

Do you remember the car accident? Well, everyone knew it wasn't really an accident. We were run off the road; the car ending up wrapped around a tree. Lisa and I were the only survivors. Andre, Eric and Rhea Dragomir all died in the wreck. Lisa had some minor injuries; they had to cut me out of the metal pretzel.

The extent of my injuries was unbelievable. I could cope with everything else apart from that one thing. Do you remember the doctor saying I'd lost one of my ovaries and the other one was left with scar tissue? They said I wouldn't be able to have any children... remember?

Up to that moment I hadn't even realized I wanted kids. I always thought we had time to decide on that one. I knew you wanted a big family but with the damage my body sustained, that choice was taken away from us... forever.

While I was slowly recovering in hospital, Christian's parents died in a fire. That hit me again. It was all falling apart and I started thinking we wouldn't make it out alive. I remember the numbness turning into blinding rage. It was poisoning my heart, my mind; consuming my whole being.

That's when I knew we needed a plan. We had to escape this life and this world of pain, violence and destruction. I didn't know how or when, but I promised myself I'd find a way to save our little group of friends. I'd do it even if I had to step over the mangled dead bodies of our enemies.

That was the day something snapped and changed in me, and my trip into the darkness started.

I have to stop here, Dimitri. I know it's difficult for you to read all of this but it's a lot more difficult for me to write it. You'll just have to take that trip down memory lane at my pace...

Follow me as I trip the darkness one more time...

I am disappointed of the lack of response to the story and the question I asked at the end of last chapter. So, leave me a review. I want to hear your thoughts about the it. Even if you hate it, I need to hear it, so I know where I am going wrong!