A/N: Reviews... oh how they make me happy : ) much better response for this chapter. It makes me want to continuously write good chapters for you guys!

Anyway... Christmas is only 8 days away! HAHAHHA. Clap if you love Santa! You clapped, didn't you? LOL.

Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns VA! And, we should all be thankful that she has graced us with her fabulous characters whom we love to hate and love to love.

And, on with chapter 13.

CHAPTER 13.

Rose's POV.

As Dimitri and I neared the student commons, he let my hand fall. I sighed and he smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, Roza. I love you." He kissed me on the head, as we entered the commons.

"Love you too, Comrade." I murmured back quietly. I looked around the crowded room, searching for my friends. I spotted Adrian standing in a corner, talking quietly with Lissa. Weird, I thought. Adrian and Lissa were good friends, having Spirit in common, but now wasn't really the time to be talking about Spirit, not when Lissaʹs boyfriend was missing.

"This way," I told Dimitri, gesturing over to my friends.

"You go on, Roza, I have to go see the guardians, find out if there is anything I can do to help." I nodded absentmindedly. I felt Dimitri run his hand along my cheek before departing. I stalked over to the corner.

"What's going on over here?" I asked suspiciously. Adrian wheeled around. Very suspicious. Lissa looked a little frightened, but then her face became relieved and she threw herself into my arms.

"Oh my God! Rose, are you okay? I heard what happened. I was so worried." She gushed. I patted her lightly on the back.

"Yeah, Liss, I'm fine. Just a bruise, see?" I gestured vaguely to my purple and black cheek.

"Oh Rose, I was worried beyond belief. I thought... well, you're fine now. "

I remembered why I had come over to see them. "So, what were you guys talking about before?" I asked, eyeing them carefully. I touched the bond, Lissa was blocking me. I gave her a questioning look.

"Uh, we weren't really talking about anything." So, she was going for a lie. Okay then, she couldn't keep up the wall forever. I would keep trying to get a glimpse of what was going on in her head. I managed to get into her head once again, but she was keeping her mind busy. There was something though... worry lurked in the back of her mind. But I couldn't grasp what it was. I pulled out when I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. Dimitri.

"Hey Comrade," I said lightly, turning toward him. "The guardian's didn't need you, then?"

"Um, could I please speak to you?" he sounded very formal, and he bowed slightly in Lissaʹs direction. "Princess." He said politely. Dimitri didn't even acknowledge that Adrian was standing there. Dimitri didn't like Adrian.

He turned back to me; "Rose?" I nodded and followed him out of the commons, and out into the warm morning sunshine.

"What's up?" I asked him.

"We believe we have located Christian and Jesse." I stood still for a second, processing what he said, then I looked up at him.

"Where?" My voice came out a whisper, but Dimitri's enhanced Dhampir hearing caught the word.

"A house about an hour out of Billings." I calculated the distance, it was about six hours to Billings.

"Okay, are we going?" I asked, desperate to get going.

Dimitri's face remained impassive. "The guardians and myself are going. You are staying here." The way he said it was very final, but I was not one to go down without a fight, especially when it was my friend's life at stake.

"Dimitri, I can help," I said with desperation. I dropped my eyes for effect when I said the next part. "And besides, I would worry about you if I wasn't there. I need to know that you are safe."

"Roza, you know perfectly well that I can look after myself, that's what being a guardian is about; putting your life on the line for Moroi. I need you to stay here, and please, don't be difficult about all of this; it's too dangerous to take lightly."

I decided to drop it for a moment. "Why did you tell me separately? Shouldn't Lissa be the one to know first?"

"I wanted to tell you first because I wanted you to tell Vasilisa. It might be easier coming from her best friend." What did that mean? I voiced my question.

"We... don't know for sure that nothing has happened to them, and Vasilisa needs to be prepared if... if things go bad and we can't get them out."

Oh God. "Well, thanks Comrade, you left me with a fantastic job to do. I'm sure that telling my best friend that her boyfriend may not be coming back alive, if he comes back at all. That should be a blast." (*cue sarcasm*).

Dimitri flinched at my words. "Rose, don't be like that. You know I only asked you to tell her because you know her best. And, I truly do believe that it will be best if you tell her. She needs you for support, Rose. You are her rock." As he spoke, his hands and come up to rest on my shoulders, and now he was gripping me tightly.

I understood what he was saying, but there was no way I was going to let him know he had won. I acted pissed. "I have to go to tell my best friend that Christian is probably dead. Excuse me." I pushed away from him, and his hands fell to his sides. I stalked away.

Dimitri's POV.

I watched Rose's retreating back. I felt deflated. That did not going according to plan. I thought Rose would agree that she should be the one to tell Lissa. But, obviously I was wrong.

I collapsed on the grass, letting the sun warm my face. I missed the sun, the warmth. My thoughts were interrupted then; "Dimka?" Viktoria. I would know her voice anywhere.

"Mmmm?" I sat up, turning around to face my sister. She sat down beside me.

"Are you okay?" she asked me.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I gave her a smile. "Just stuff with Rose. She's so stubborn, but... I love her." Viktoria leaned across and wrapped her arm around my shoulder. We had never really had a typical brother/sister relationship. We had always been close, best friends in a way.

"Oh, Dimka, she loves you and she's a great person." Viktoria gave me a soft smile.

"I know. I love her too, but sometimes, I just wish that she wasn't so difficult. I just want her to be safe."

We sat in silence for a few moments until I felt Rose snake her arms around me from behind and kiss my neck. "I'm sorry." She murmured against my skin. I grabbed her hands and pulled her around so she was on my lap.

"Don't apologise, you were right. It will be hard to tell Lissa. And I understand why you want to come; Christian is your friend, and he's important to Lissa." I kissed her softly on the cheek, and she sighed, relaxing into my arms.

"Oh my God! You too are so ADORABLE!" Viktoria gushed. "I need to get me a man!"

Rose's POV

Dimitri glared at her. "You're too young."

I giggled and slapped Dimitri lightly on the arm. "Leave your sister alone, any guy would be lucky to have her." Dimitri mumbled something in Russian that I didn't understand. Viktoria laughed, the stood up.

"Well, I'm going to leave you two lovers to it," she winked. "And, keep it G rated." She took off before her brother could say something about her comment.

Dimitri shifted me off his lap and stood up, pulling me up with him. "Come on, Roza. I need to go back and you should go see Lissa."

"Mmmmkay." I walked away in the opposite direction to Dimitri. The bond told me Lissa was in her room with Adrian.

I made my way there, waling idly. I thought back to everything that had happened lately. I felt like I never got a break. Strigoi attacks, people missing, my bestfriend potentially going crazy, me going crazy. My life was such a mess. The only thing that got me up every day was that I knew I was going to see the love of my life. Thinking of Dimitri brought a smile to my face.

I reached Lissaʹs room and I knocked lightly. "Who is it?" she called. "It's Rose." I called through the door.

I heard the springs of Lissaʹs bed creak as she jumped up and opened the door. She looked a little flustered. "Oh hey Rose," she looked behind her, at Adrian I assumed.

She still stood, blocking the door way. "Um, can I come in?" I asked.

"Uhh, sure," Lissa said. "Come in." She stood back and allowed me to pass through, into her room. Adrian was leaning casually up against the wall on the far side of the room.

"Hey Adrian." He gave me a warm smile.

"Hi there, Little Dhampir." He crossed the room and swept me up into a bone-crushing hug. He kissed me lightly on the fore-head. "You smell good, as always." I shook my head and laughed and his flirtatious attitude. "You sure you won't go out with me, Rosie?"

"Very sure, Ivashkov. I hate to burst your bubble, but you can't have every girl you see." He set me down firmly on my feet once more and pouted.

"Aww, but I want to." He sounded like a little kid.

"Sorry Champ." I swatted him across his head. I then turned to Lissa, realising that she hadn't said a word since she let me into her room.

"Hey Liss, everything okay?" I asked her worriedly. She glanced at Adrian. Then said; "Yeah, everything is fine. I just miss Christian." Her voice shook and I walked over to her, wrapping my arms around her and hugging her close.

"We'll find him... he'll come back. I won't rest until he's back here safe in your arms, Liss." I murmured to her. In an attempt to lighten the mood Adrian threw himself across the room and engulfed us both in a very tight hug.

"Group hug!" he yelled. Lissa and I laughed and we both punched him in the chest.

"Oomph." Adrian grunted as I hit him a little harder than I meant and he fell to the floor, me falling on top of him.

"Now, little dhampir, this is how I like you to be." He ran his hands down my arms, and I quickly jumped off him.

"Very funny, Ivashkov," I retorted. "But, next time, I'll hit you where it hurts most... that pretty little face of yours." I grinned mischievously at Adrian and he feigned horror. Lissa laughed at our gallivanting. I liked this side of Adrian. When he wasn't relentlessly flirting with me, we had a hell of a lot of fun together. He was easy to get along with and comfortable to be around. There was never any awkwardness where Adrian Ivashkov was concerned. He always kept the mood light and friendly. That was what I loved about the guy.

I took a moment to slip into Lissa's mind, trying to catch her off guard. I figured she wouldn't have the walls up when I was in such a light hearted mood and fooling around with Adrian. I was wrong, god dammit. The walls she kept around some of her thoughts were still firmly in place, never wavering. She was getting good at keeping me out. It used to take up a lot of her energy and she could never keep it up for long, but these days she was able to keep me out for long periods of time and there never seemed to be any exhaustion on her part.

Feeling around her mind, I found that there was worry for Christian and even a little bit for me, which was weird because there was nothing wrong with me, I wasn't the own missing, presumed dead. But then again, Lissa always worried about me even though it was my job to worry about her.

"Anyway, you guys up for dinner?" As I spoke, my tummy growled at the prospect of food. The last time I had eaten was at the food court at the mall. That all seemed like a life time away after everything that had happened. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm starved."

"Actually, if it's okay could we go see the feeders first?" Lissa asked. Adrian nodded in agreement.

"Sure," I said. I looked down at my stomach. "Sorry buddy, but food is gonna have to wait." Lissa laughed again and Adrian chuckled, shaking his head.

"You're one weird child, Rose." He grinned lightly, showing his bright white fangs. Most Moroi didn't show their teeth when they smiled, preferring to remain inconspicuous when around humans because their fangs showed. It didn't really matter though as humans tended to disbelieve in the supernatural and it rarely registered when they saw it. The just dismissed it.

We made our way down to the feeders room. Usually it was full of students getting the fix of blood, but today there was only one other student. A junior boy whose name I had forgotten, but Lissa had apparently remembered.

"Hey Josh." Lissa smiled warmly at the younger boy who nodded in return and gave a shy wave, glancing in my direction briefly before letting his gaze fall.

"Awwwhhh, I think he likes you, Rose." Lissa gushed through the bond. I gave her a dirty look. Too young for me. And besides, Dimitri was the only one for me.

Lissa and Adrian went over to the feeders, Lissa going for a young man named Aaron. I liked Aaron, he was always nice even if he was a blood whore and constantly high from the bite of a Moroi. Adrian made his way over to Alice, the elderly feeder who I always thought was a little nutty.

Lissa sat down beside Aaron. "Hi Aaron." She greeted him.

"Princess, always a pleasure." He gazed dazedly at her. I had to look away as Lissa fed, but I tuned into Adrian's conversation with old Alice.

"Good afternoon Alice my dear." Adrian patted her on the shoulder as he sat down.

"Lord Ivashkov... how are you deary?" she asked, with a fond smile in Adrian's direction. She liked Adrian because he was fun to be around. And he was always very nice to her. Old people liked nice young guys.

"Swell, Alice, very swell." Adrian shot me a grin when he saw me watching them.

"That's good dear, that's good." She patted him clumsily on the hand that was resting on her knee.

Adrian bent his head forward and I looked away, fazing it out. "Rose, you ready to go?" Lissa was done.

"Yep, let's go. Hey Ivashkov, we'll meet you in the cafeteria." I called over my shoulder as we ascended the stairs.

"Rose... I can't shake the feeling that something is bothering you?" it sounded like a question when she voiced her concerns. Like she was unsure.

I decided to tell her about what Dimitri had told me. She deserved to know, even though it was going to kill her inside. "Come on, I'm not hungry anymore." I steered her in the direction of my room. "We need to talk."

A/N: Yay, it's almost 12am, and I have FINALLY completed this chapter. I found it a little difficult to write, but I think I'm happy with it. But only you can tell me how good it is simply by pressing that button at the bottom of your page to REVIEW!

Your reviews mean the world to me and it would be a great Christmas present, especially since it won't cost you anything!

Anyway, this will probably be the last time I update before the New Year because I'm going away for 2 weeks. So, hopefully I'll have a long chapter for you around the 10th of Jan. Fingers crossed.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

~****~