I'm sorry its taking me longer to update, but the end of the year is coming and I need to get ready for graduation. I am also in track, so that is also a time block. BUT I have good news.

I have decided to write a SEQUEAL to this story! Tommy and Jamie, you are my inspiration. When you mentioned that, I decided right then and there to do it. I have been thinking about doing the sequel for a little over a month now, so when you said that, I took it as a sign. This book has one more chapter left after this.

Therefore, coming this summer, 2011, 'Vampire Academy: A New Life' will be posted. Get ready for more adventures with Rose, Dimitri, the Cobra's and the rest of the VA gang.

Enjoy this chapter.

I looked over to Dimitri and he met my eyes, then he looked at the Cobra's. "Rose's father is in the Aid tent. You all may do what you want." His lips turned into a half yearning smile. "I'd suggest sleep."

The Cobra's gave agreeing grunts, but they didn't move. They had sadness writing all over them. I walked over and gave everyone a hug. They needed to feel that we are alive. With Tamara's death, we were all still so shocked. I still think no one has comprehended how much loosing Tamara means; it hasn't hit home to them yet. When I went to give Lev a hug, I held him longer than the others "You are loved, Lev." I whispered in his ear. He has to know that. He has to know that we are here for him.

When we pulled away, he kissed my cheek. "So are you." He gave me a weak smile, and it was painful to see, mainly because I knew his pain.

"Go to Lissa's house. Try and get some rest, sleep. I will be over with food." He nodded and walked away. The food was only an excuse to see him and talk to him. If he ever runs into Ms. Karp, he needs to know that it wasn't her fault that her actions killed Tammy, it was the spell she was under.

I turned to the others and they were looking at the sun. "I've never been so thrilled to see the sun in all my life." Larisa said, her eyes closed as she enjoyed the heat of the sun shining down.

"Me too." I said, then looked out into the distance. "I'm going to check up on Abe."

"Alright." Denis said. "We will all be at Lissa's house, getting our sleep."

To my surprise, Dimitri came with me. I thought he would have went with the others to get some sleep. He looked dead tired, and now that we had the chance to let our guard down a little bit, I noticed that bags were forming under his eyes.

"You can go get some sleep, Comrade." I smiled. It's been a while since I used his nickname and it sounds good to use it again.

He gave me one of those rare smiles, and lightly I've been seeing a lot of them, and they keep making my heart jump every time I see them. I think he noticed that I haven't been using his nickname. Has he wondered why I stopped calling him that?

"No." He said kindly, reaching over and entwined our fingers. "A king always stays with his queen."

I couldn't stop the smile even if I wanted to. I nodded and together we took off for the medical tent.

"There are several things I need to do before I crawl into bed." Was it me or did my voice had a yearning tone to it? "I need to check on Lissa and Abe."

"And Sonya Karp." He finished.

I nodded. "Yes. We need to help bring her to peace with herself. She needs to know that it wasn't her fault she killed those people, and that she too, was a victim. But my logic is only going to go so far with."

"That's where I step in."

I knew it still bothered him to talk about being strigoi, and I didn't like the helpless looks that crossed his face whenever he did think of it. "Dimitri, you don't have to step up." Though, it would be very helpful. "If I could help get you to believe that you didn't kill those people, then I could most likely convince her to believe that to."

"Rose, I don't know if you can convince her."

"Oh?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. I have him conviened.

He kept looking ahead. "She turned willingly, remember?"

Yeah, I did remember, and he didn't have to point that out, but that is where I come in with my logic.

We arrived to the Aid tent, and it was swarming with injured people. I looked where Dimitri had last laid my father down, but he wasn't there any longer. Hoped swelled inside me.

He was most likely unconscious. But something inside me said that I was wrong, and that something was seriously wrong with my Dad.

I scanned the crowd again. I looked back towards the entrance, no luck.

"Towards the back corner, Roza." We started walking before I even saw him. Tall people. I rolled my eyes at that thought. They think they can see everything.

As we walked up, I saw my mother had his hand in hers. He was still breathing, but he looked like he was sleeping.

"Mom." I said as we neared her. She looked up and relief was in her eyes. She was worried about me.

"How's Abe."

"Dad." She corrected. Is she seriously trying to make it sound like we are a family? Yes, yes she was. "He's," she looked back down at him, "in a coma."

"Did Lissa try to heal him?"

She nodded. "And so did Adrian, but they are so exhausted from healing everyone else, that they didn't have the strength."

I was alarmed, and I suddenly realized that she wasn't here. I mentally scolded myself for not watching her. "Where is she?" I asked, and my mom knew who I was talking about.

"She was escorted to her room to get some sleep."

"Are the guardians going to be on watch?"

She nodded.

Now, for my next quest. "Do you know where Sonya Karp is at?"

She nodded and looked at Dimitri. "She is where you were kept when you were first restored."

He nodded. "They didn't need to put her in a jail cell." Dimitri mumbled.

"They shouldn't have." Mom agreed. "But she was turned differently than you, which is why they put her in the cell."

I stepped up to my Dad and bent down to whisper in his ear. It broke my heart to think I would lose my father and a sister in one day. But I wasn't going to let that happen. I may have lost Tamara, but I wasn't going to lose my Dad.

"Slacker." I whispered in his ear with a teasing smile in my voice, hiding my unease at seeing him in such a state. "Get some rest. I'll have you opening your eyes in no time. I'm proud of you, Dad." Should I have mentioned that I love him?

I have no idea how I was going to get Abe to wake up, but I was going to make it happen. I don't want the doctors to put any kind of needles in him. Maybe Abe and I have that much in common?

I turned to my mom and gave her a hug. "I'm going to stay here." She said. "I don't want the doctors doing any funny business."

I nodded. "Give him a mohock- no, make a French braid out of his hair, then shave his legs and then take his gold jewelry away, then put hot pink dangly earring and a necklace in their place."

She rolled her eyes. "Go see Ms. Karp."

I smiled at her. "At least think about it. Do some kind of prank."

"You do know he can hear this conversation."

"What?" I asked in a low voice and looked at him. He still looked asleep.

"Comatose people can hear. Hearing is the last sense to leave the body."

"I knew that." Well, not the comatose part, but knowing that hearing was the last sense to leave the body. I mean, hello! I read about animal behavior! I would have come across that piece of knowledge more than once. In some books, they compare humans and animals.

"Rose." Dimitri said.

"I will see you later." I told her and then Dimitri and I walked away.

The slammer was about a mile away from where we were at right now. So, being the multitasked I am, I used my phone while I walked.

"Guardian Gideon." I asked.

"Guardian Hathaway." He acknowledge. "What can I do for you?"

"Did you find out where the Queen is?"

"Yes. It turns out that she was stuck in a warehouse."

"Did she make it out okay?"

"Yes, this is where it gets weird. The Council doesn't remember anything and neither does the Queen."

"Then they were under compulsion."

"Yes." He agreed. "I ordered a group of guardians to retrieve them and take them to the royal safe house."

"And there will be more guardians there?"

"No. All of them were ordered here."

"What happened to the royal guards?"

"They are with them now, but somehow the Queen slipped through." I had trouble believing she 'slipped through.' She is the queen of the moroi, meaning is always under surveillance.

"That's impossible." I said. "She couldn't have been over looked. There has to be someone working with the strigoi."

"There isn't." He said.

"Check. I doubt it. Someone wants her dead."

He sighed. "Where do you want me to look?"

"Check the other moroi around her. There has to be other moroi around her." There always is.

"I will look." He sounded doubtful.

"Look, and keep guardians on her at all times. Don't trust the moroi to be alone with her."

"Rose-"

"Trust me on this. Someone is working with the strigoi. It has to be moroi. If the guardians can't remember anything, then they are under compulsion." There was no other way but compulsion to make the guardians miss her 'slipping through' their sight.

"Alright I will check."

"Wait- before you hang up. I have a question."

There was silence on the other end.

I had to make sure Mikhail wasn't around for this. We needed Sonya to find peace, and seeing a loved one would only make you realize how far you had really fallen. She wasn't ready to see him yet. "Where is Guardian Tanner?"

Silence. "I believe he was one of the guardians watching over her."

"Have you heard about Sonya Karp yet?"

"You are on your way to see her, aren't you?"

"Yes." I said deadpan.

"You should be sleeping."

"So should you." I said back.

"Knowing you, you want a private room to talk to her in."

"I also want to transfer her somewhere nice. She isn't a criminal. She was a strigoi victim."

"She was a moroi who had willingly turned!"

"There are things about her you are unaware of." I shouted in Ms. Karp's defense.

"And what is that?" It was clear in his voice that he thought there was nothing more he needed to know.

"She was a spirit user."

"And how do you know that?"

"Because I have a history with Ms. Karp."

"Alright, I'll think of something. But she has no house here in Court. The only family she has won't accept her back because of the fact that she willingly turned!"

Dimitri and I were a hundred yards from the prision now. "Well, rent her a hotel room in Holiday Inn. I don't care, just make her feel welcome. She has to have the feeling that she is wanted back. Dimitri didn't have that, and he was closed off. We need to keep her open, not closed off."

"Okay." He agreed. "But if there is any violence coming from her, she goes back into the cell."

I looked over to Dimitri, who know doubt was listening to our conversation. "I will talk to you later, Guardian Gideon." There was no way I was going to be saying Uncle Gideon any time soon.

It was still kind of creepy.

I hung up the phone as Dimitri and I stepped up the steps. We walked in and up to the front desk. Of course, there was no one there, so, being Rose Hathaway, I took the key off the desk and opened the door to the cell room.

There was only four cells in the jailhouse, two on each side. Sonya was in the farthest cell from the door. She as huddled close to herself, her knees brought up to her chest and she was still sobbing. She was still wearing the black clothing from the battle field and her hair was still falling down over her shoulders.

My heart went out to her, and at the same time, it took a leap of happiness. I always liked Ms. Karp, even though she was crazy. She had always taken care of me and Lissa, always looking out for us; even when I didn't deserve it.

I heard Dimitri's intake of breath as he looked the jailhouse over. Concerned for him, I took his hand and squeezed it. "You're strong." I told him, though it was stupid to say. He just had to know that I am here for him.

We stepped up to her cell bars. I crotched down and kept one hand on the bar. "Ms. Karp?" I asked, but it sounded like a statement.

When I said her name, it was like she was holding herself tighter and her sobs ceased. "Please leave."

"Ms. Karp, do you know who I am?" I asked gently.

"Guardian Hathaway."

"Well, formally, yes, but to you I'm Rosemarie Hathaway."

"Yes, I know."

"Are you alright? I can get you out of here." I shouldn't have said that so soon.

She shook her head vigorously. "No!" She nearly yelled in horror.

Dimitri's Point of View

I crouched down and made my face look calm and gentle. "And do you know me?" I made my voice gentle too, but sent a message in my voice saying I wasn't judging her.

Ms. Karp looked up at me, hearing the message in my voice. Her eyes were brown, and in those brown eyes, I saw guilt. The same guilt that I had went through. "Guardian Belikov." Her voice shook; her voice made it clear she wanted to cry again.

"Do you know what happened to me?" I asked. I wanted to hold her hand and to tell her she wasn't alone in all of this; I went through the same thing she is going through now.

She nodded. "You were turned strigoi by force." She shivered involuntary.

I nodded. "Do you know what that means?" She didn't move and just stared at me. I knew what she was thinking 'the difference is that you didn't kill as many as I did.' But I answered before she could. "I went through the same thing you did."

She looked down, breaking eye contact. Her guilt was radiating off of her like a storm cloud. I could feel it, mostly because I know exactly how she feels and what she's going through, but nevertheless, I know exactly what she's feeling and what she's thinking.

When she broke eye contact, I could tell she was withdrawing herself from everything. I couldn't let that happen. Just like Rose said, I am back, and I need to live my life and realize that I had been given a second chance. If I had realized that sooner, we could have been together earlier and much happier, perhaps she wouldn't have gone to Russia, or at the very least, gone without me.

"I can still remember killing those innocent people. Men, women and children." He paused, letting that sink into her. "When I was st," I stuttered, clearly having a hard time talking about it. I hated reveiling my feelings about this, but knowing I was helping her, it was easier; "strigoi, it was all I could fanaticize doing. Killing and drinking their blood, feel the life drain out of them…" I shivered in self disgust. I couldn't believe I fantasized about that. "But the main thing I enjoyed doing, was inflicting pain on others. It gave me great pleasure to see them bag for mercy." I grinded my teeth on the next part, because I couldn't believe I was that evil. "I never gave any mercy."

I gave her a moment to digest that. I saw her eyes come back

"One of the things that I had loved doing when I was a dhampire, reading western novels, turned into a habit when I was strigoi. It wasn't out of anything personal. The enjoyment and feelings I had when I was a dhampire, was gone. The love I had for Rose was turned into a possessive feeling." My heart dropped when I thought of what happened in Russia. The strigoi Dimitri had manipulated her and drugged her, and hunted her down to kill her and, though I hadn't wanted to admit it when I was a strigoi, I wanted to turn her so that I could keep her. And after all that, she still loves me, even though the face of the monster was me.

"When Rose had turned me back, the guilt I felt over the murders I had done was overwhelming. I had no place in the world, for I had been a monster walking the earth. All the evil I felt, I could still feel inside me, and it made me sick."

There was more, but it was harder coming out. I didn't want to admit it out loud, let alone to myself, but it's true, whether I liked it or not. "But what's worse and that made me feel so guilty, is the fact that I felt in control of my body." If it wasn't for Rose completely convincing me that she had forgiven me and that it truly wasn't my fault that I had killed those people, gave me the willpower to talk to Sonya Karp about this.

I watched Sonya. She was interested in my story. I had her full attention.

"I…I was in control of my body." She said, not beating around the bush. "I wanted to kill those people, to feed off them…to end them."

I shook my head. "Your morals were stripped from you. Everything you did, right or wrong, you felt like it was okay, right?"

Her eyes were hard, not liking the contradicting and the true logic. "At first, I knew it was wrong, but I wanted to do it. Something said to just do it. That they were holding me back, and it was time to do what I wanted."

Dimitri nodded. "Same for me." I looked over at Rose, remembering the day I brought her over to Galana's mansion and told her that I ran away from her. "I kidnapped the woman I loved and almost turned her against her will."

Sonya looked down. "But she's forgiven you."

"And you don't think the people will welcome you back? I was their first test, now that I declaired safe for the public, you are too."

"But I my morals-"

"They were stripped from you, Ms. Karp." Rose intervened. She knew this was going in circle, so now, it was her time to come in.

Sonya looked down from the ground, and I saw the guilt rise again. "I killed that girl."

The old Rose would have lashed out and called her every name in the book, but Rose spoke, and when she did, she was gentle. Her voice was like an angel. "No. The Sonya Karp that was my teacher had healed the palms of my hands and kept me from getting detention from sneaking out of the dhampire dormitory after curfew." Towards the end, I could detect a smile. She was remembering something from a long time ago.

Sonya Karp shook her head. "That was a long time ago."

I could hear the old Rose sigh out of frustration, but the new Rose took a few steps in my direction, which made her by my side, and squat down, one hand holding the bars.

"Do you remember what element you specialized in?"

That one question, made Sonya's eyes connect with Rose. "Of course I do, but I never specialized in an element. Spirit wasn't classified."

I sucked my breath in. Sonya Karp was a spirit user? (A/N: I couldn't recall if Dimitri knew or not if Sonya was a spirit user, so I took a wild guess and said no) I had no idea she was a spirit user, but then again, Rose, while she was my student, did leave a few hints now and then. The way she was protective of her, and cared about her…

I thought it was of respect, but then again, Rose didn't have much respect for any of her teachers (I don't count, because we were involved). But now, I knew why she cared so much for her.

"Do you remember why Lissa and I had such a hard time coping after the accident?"

Sony shook her head.

"She brought me back from the world of the dead."

Sonya visibly shivered, and the way Rose said it, I did too.

"But you are good- an angel, even. I'm not, Rose. Don't you see? I wanted to be strigoi! That's the worst part. Guardian Belikov was forced, I wasn't!"

To my surprise, Rose shook her head. What does she know that I don't?

Staying true to her name, Rose was going to be reckless. She stood up, took the keys from her pocket and opened the door and walked in.

Sonya crawled to the corner. Rose stopped and hesitated, then looked at me. What would you do? She seemed to be asking me.

I urged Rose to go forward, by tilting my head towards Sonya. Like me, she needed to be pushed, but pushed gently. Rose took one step forward, but stopped when she was in the middle of the cell. I could feel her anxiety. She wanted to help, but she didn't know how.

"Ms. Karp." She asked, her voice trembled. I think it was harder for Rose than she originally lead on.

And Sonya began to sob. Once again, Rose looked to me, but she couldn't comfort her. She didn't know how and what to say. Rose has never been in that position. I have. I got up and walked into the cell. Sonya was in my arms within moments. She held on top me tightly, as if the harder she held on, the more the memories would fade.

I lifted her up and sat down on her bed..it was the most uncomfortable beds imaginable, but it would do. I squeezed her, letting her know that I am here. Her head was in my chest, and I felt her tears wet my shirt, but it didn't matter, she needs someone; someone who was once in her position.

I looked up at Rose, but saw no emotion; she had on her guardian mask. What is that all about?

But I was drawn back to Sonya Karp. Her sobs were getting worse, and they looked to be coming out painfully.

"Shhh." I hushed her softly. "It's alright, you're back now." I wanted to add in that everything will be okay, but when Rose said that to me, I didn't believe her one bit…but look how things turned out; everything is a hundred times better than okay.

"How can you be sure I'm back?" Her sobs were slowing down, which meant that the conversation would distract her.

"Because spirit brought you back."

"I don't deserve to be brought back! I killed thousands of people!"

My hand went to her hair, and slid it back behind her ear. "No, Ms. Karp. I don't know you that well, but Rose does. And if Rose had looked up to you, and believe me, having this girl look up to you is something extraordinary, then I know that you are someone special."

I felt another hard sob come on, but she seemed to have swallowed it. "Vasilisa…"

"What about Vasilisa?" I asked. I felt Rose's eyes on us both.

"How…how did she find out about the stake?" She pulled away and sat up right, looking at me. I realized she was starting to believe in me. Believing there truly was hope for her. Was this what Rose went through? Was it this tough to convince me? Or was it even harder?

"Rose was the one who found out. She was trying to find a way to save me from being killed by her hand."

Her sigh was mixed in between a sob and a proud sigh. "That girl has always had a kind heart, though she would never admit it."

Well, apparently she didn't realize Rose has changed. "She admits it with Lissa. She is her protector, regardless if she is her sanctioned guardian or not."

"She has always been that way with her. Since Kindergarten, those two has been unrepeatable." She paused for a moment. "I knew Vasilisa would do amazing things, but this is a miracle."

What people don't see, is the maker behind those miracles.

"What will they do to me?"

What they did to me, I suppose. "They will question you…"I paused, not wanting to say the next part, "extensively."

She let out a shaky breath. "What else?"

"They will observe you on what you eat, your behavior, and a lot more."

"What kind of questions will they ask me?"

"They will want to know what kind of thoughts you are having, how you are feeling, what kind of cravings are you having."

"Like the munchies kind of craving, right?" She shivvered, thinking of the way she had the munchies whens he was strigoi. I could remember too, and a chill ran up my spine as well.

"Yes."

Her frown that was already on her face went deeper. "But I'm moroi, I'm going to have that craving regardless."

"I was the ginne pig, so they will most likely go light on you. They won't be pushing you as hard as they did me."

"What do you mean, go lighter? I willingly turned and everyone knows that!"

"That's what they think." Rose cut in. I looked up, and I saw compassion in her face.

"That is what happened."

Rose shook her head. She took a few tentative steps over then went down on her knees, never breaking eye contact with Ms. Karp.

"You, like Lissa, struggle every moment of very day fighting the darkness of spirit." She grimaced, clearly remembering some of her and Lissa's episodes. There was something in her eyes too, something that I bothered me, but it was gone in a flash. "It's something nothing and no one can stop. And when the darkness hits you, it his hard and in completely different direction sometimes. You can be furiously crazy, or be crazy depressed, or rattle on about weird things."

For the first time, Ms. Karp looked at Rose with hope. "You mean…" but she didn't finish it, fearing it was too good to be true.

Rose nodded, with a smile on her face that I couldn't identify. "It was spirit that made you choose that decision, not your sane self."

Ms. Karp's sudden hope vanished. "But all those people that were killed because of spirit darkness…"

"They would forgive you. They are in a better place" I said. "For now, you need to forgive yourself and that is the hardest thing to do. It had been a long process for me to believe that everyone has forgiven me, then for me to forgive myself."

"Mikhail." She said, and I was confused. "Whose Mikhail."

"Guardian Tanner is her lover." Rose said gently. I looked up at her, and we both had on the same expression. Not yet.

Seeing Rose was too much for me when I was first restored. To me, she was solid, living proof that what I has went through was no dream. And when I saw her, the reality had hit hard. I wasn't mentally prepared to see her, and when I did, I didn't act like myself. I acted like a stranger, causing Rose heartache and Lissa distress for her best friend.

"He is busy right now." Rose said, giving an excuse why she can't see him. "He is helping me with a," she paused briefly to make up a lie, but it was only brief and Ms. Karp wouldn't notice. "mission."

"I…I have so much to say to you, to everyone."

"You're not ready." I said. "You may think you are, but you are not mentally prepared. I thought I was, but having the guardians in here, watching me and observing me, made me think otherwise. Trust me."

She nodded. "I do."

"We can get you out of here." Rose said, jingling the keys.

Sonya shook her head. "No. I want to stay here. I…I don't want to cause any more trouble."

I knew she would want to stay here, and from the look on Rose's face, she knew that would have been the answer before she even asked it.

"Okay."

"Go." Ms. Karp said. "You are tired."

Rose sighed. "Even if I tired, I wouldn't."

Ms. Karp looked at her, urging her to continue. "A strigoi knocked my father into a coma."

Sonya looked down at the ground, looking guilty again.

"Ms. Karp." Rose drew her into a hug. "It is not your fault. Things happen. If anything, it was my fault. I should have been watching him." Rose let go and smiled at her, though it looked forced.

"Go to bed, Rosemarie. You need your rest."

Rose nodded. And to both of our surprises, she kissed Ms. Karp's forehead. "Ms. Karp," she smiled, "you have returned."

Rose's POV

Dimitri and I left the jailhouse, but I left the keys in front of the jail cell, so if she wanted to leave, she could.

Dimitri took my hand. "That was the hardest thing I had ever done."

I yawned. "I know. You passed with flying colors."

Dimitri yawned too. "I did the best I could to help her."

"I know, and I am proud of you." I quickly thought of what he said about evil. "You really thought you still had evil inside you?"

He nodded. "I could feel quilt, but when I was angry, I felt evil again. I felt…disgusting."

I squeezed his hand. "There is absolutely nothing evil about you, Comrade. You're the good guy, the goodie-two-shoes."

"One of us has to stay in line. And you are under qualified."

I laughed. Under qualified? I thought about that for a moment, but then decided to think about my bed. "Dimitri-"

"I agree. Let's go."

I searched through the bond, to know where Lissa was. She was in her house with the Cobra's, Christian and Adrian. They would be safe for now, and all of them were fast asleep.

I hardly noticed when we stepped into the room. It was my hotel room. If we went to his room, then it was going to be loud with yelling. I quickly showered, then crawled into bed. Dimitri was already in bed. He had taken a shower before I did, so he was fast asleep.

I went under the covers, and before I knew it, he drew me to his chest. He kissed my forehead and went to sleep.

I, personally, never slept so good.

REVIEW PLEASE. Thank you of those people who did review! I appreciate it.