Waiting for Nothing

Rose's POV

I stared at the simple silver band that had three square diamonds placed on it. The one in the middle was slightly larger than the two on either side of it. My engagement ring. Not that the engagement part of it mattered anymore. I wouldn't have a wedding. I wouldn't have a husband. Why would I? I could never love anyone except Dimitri.

And I traded myself so he could live.

**VA**

24 hours earlier

Dimitri and I just stared. They had our families and friends. We broke apart and ran to the bars and started to bend them to get out. We were so focused on that, we didn't notice that two Strigoi had guns. They shot us in the neck. We fell to the ground. It didn't feel like a gunshot so I reached up to my neck. My hand didn't come back with blood on it, but it came back with a dart. A poisonous dart.

Abe's POV

I watched as Rose and Dimitri sank to the floor and past out. Two of the Strigoi opened the cell and lifted them up and threw them over their shoulders. We all walked out. On the surface, we saw guardians fighting more Strigoi. Both kinds fell. We were ushered in to a semi. All of us were placed in the trailer, including Rose and Dimitri. It was dark but, there were a few flashlights. None of us were tied so we all huddled around Rose and Dimitri. "Vasilisa, can you heal them?"

"Sorry, but the last time I used Spirit, Rose went ba-zerk." She said.

"Oksana? Adrian?" I asked.

"I am too tired from healing Rose." Oksana said.

"Adrian?" We got our answer in the form a burp.

"He's too drunk, Mr. Mazur." Vasilisa said.

I sighed and just held Rose. I couldn't lose her again. And by the looks of it, we weren't getting out of here.

A few hours later, the truck stopped. We waited a few minutes before the door opened. In came 10 Strigoi. They picked up Rose and Dimitri and ushered us out. They grabbed all of the Belikov's except Dimitri, and led them away. They led Adrian and Eddie away in a different direction. The two that had Rose and Dimitri left with two others that had Christian and Vasilisa. That left only Mark, Oksana, Janine, and me. Six Strigoi we around us. "Janine? Abe?" Oksana said. We turned toward her. "I've read their minds. If you get out, make sure Rose and Dimitri get our house to live in. So they will be safe and happy." She started to cry. I turned toward Mark. He nodded and I gasped.

Two of the six reached out for Mark and Oksana. Oksana grabbed Mark's hand just before both of the Strigoi bite in to their necks. Their hands never came apart. When the Strigoi were done, they let our two friends crumple to the ground. I just stared at the two pale bodies. Gone.

How fast can a life be taken away? Apparently, only in a few seconds.

I turned to Janine who had her guardian mask on. But I could see in her eyes that she was sad. She couldn't fight through this. She was out numbered six to one. Impossible odds. Did she even have her stake? I looked at her belt and there it was, just sitting there, waiting to be used to kill the undead.

An idea came to me. This was exactly like at the academy, where Rose and Christian fought off countless Strigoi. I looked around me, seeing where all the Strigoi were and waited for the perfect time. Janine had seen something change with me, but she didn't realize that I had a plan until every one of the Strigoi's heads were engulfed with flames. "Janine! Stake them!" She immediately went into action, staking them. I watched her glide the stake gracefully in to the Strigoi's heart. There screams of agony was the only thing heard besides my heavy breathing.

Once they were all gone, Janine looked at me. "We have a decision to make." She said. "We can either leave to get other guardians, or we can stay and try to fight our way through." No matter how much I didn't want to leave any of the people I knew were here, we would surely all die, if we didn't.

"We have to leave. And come back stronger." She nodded and got in the driver's side of the truck. She started the engine and told me to hurry and get in. I clambered in and sat in the high seat. She turned it around and sped off, back toward the academy.

Rose's POV

It feels like a bomb has gone off inside my head. I groaned in agony. My eyes weren't opened yet, scared of what I would see. But they snapped open when I heard, "Roza?" I turned toward the voice and saw Dimitri. I tried to go for him and hug him, but my hands we restrained. I was in a chair, with both my feet and hands tied. With my strength, I tried to break free. "Roza, we are tied with steel cable."

I stopped struggling and looked around. We were in a metal room with one door which was on the other side of Dimitri who was on my right, and on my left were Lissa and Christian. We all looked a little tired and beat up.

"Rose, I am so glad you are awake! We were starting to worry." Lissa said relieved. "You were out for hours!"

"Where are we?" I asked.

"I don't know." She admitted. "They kept our faces covered on the way in."

"Crap. We need to find a way out of here." I stopped. "Where are the others?" I asked all three of them.

Lissa just looked at me with sad eyes. Christian spoke. "They took The Belikov's, Adrian and Eddie in a different direction. We didn't see what happen to you parent or Mark and Oksana."

"Oh." I kept struggling. A thought came to mind. "Christian, I need you to burn Lissa's ropes. Lissa, as soon as you're out, heal Dimitri, me and, Christian. Use as much power as you possibly can." I ordered.

"But, Rose! Last time-" I cut Lissa off.

"I know what I am doing." I told her.

"Roza, but last time-" Realization crossed his face and he nodded. "I understand."

I turned back to Christian. "Christian, now." Luckily, they were only tied with rope. He focused on Lissa's ropes and pretty soon, she was free with only burn marks on her wrists. She untied and healed Christian, Dimitri, and me. I could feel the darkness welling in her. "Protect them." I told Dimitri. He nodded and ushered them into a corner and stood in front of them. I slowly took the darkness from her and into myself. I felt myself lose control and turn completely into a Strigoi again.

I was about to go for my friends and my fiancé, but Lissa started to talk to me. "Don't come for us. You want the monsters outside of the door. You want to kill them…" I turned toward the door and rammed into it. It was a foot thick and all metal. But I broke it and it flew out in front of me. I walked outside but was called back by Lissa. Her voice was calm and delicate. "Rose, come back to me. You need to come back to me." I walked back in the room. "You are very tired. You want to sleep." I slumped to the ground and closed my eyes.

I opened them again, to see Lissa looming over me. I jumped up and noticed I was a Dhampir again. I looked at Lissa. She knew what I was going to ask and answered. "Charming your ring over Oksana's charm made it stronger. It brought you back. And charming silver doesn't wear me out like healing does." I nodded and turned toward Dimitri.

"We need to find everyone." I told him.

"Roza, we need to leave and come back with reinforcements." He said.

"We are strong enough to take them all down, Dimitri." I told him back.

He sighed. "What about Lissa and Christian?"

"Christian can help! He's a fire user!" I yelled.

"He is?" A voice said from the doorway. "I didn't know that. All the more reason to kill him." I turned and there stood Nathan.

I stood up and back the Moroi up against the wall, Dimitri right next to me. "Leave them alone!" I yelled.

"No." After he said that one word, the room flooded with Strigoi. Dimitri and I fought. With our extra strength, we flung them around easy enough. But there was one problem. We didn't have stakes. It was useless. I was fighting so hard, I didn't realize that I had stepped to far away from Lissa and Christian. I heard a scream from behind me. Dimitri and I whipped around to see Lissa and Christian being held by two Strigoi. They had their mouths almost to my friends' necks. I turned toward Dimitri, just before her was taken down by four Strigoi himself. He was fighting, but in his awkward position, it was futile. My world came crashing down. Lissa and Dimitri couldn't die. I only saw one option. "Wait!" I screamed.

Nathan turned and walked over to where I was standing. "Yes, Rosemarie?"

"If you… If…" I took a deep breath and composed myself. "If I let you take me, will you let all three of them go?" I said, looking at my feet.

Nathan smiled evilly. "Gladly."

"Roza! No!" Dimitri shouted from his position on the ground. I looked him I the eyes.

"I love you Dimitri. More than anything." I said softly. I could see that Dimitri realized he couldn't talk me out of this one.

With watering eyes, he looked up at me and said, "I love you too, my beautiful Roza."

"Get them out of here! Do not kill them! Just drive them far enough out and leave them. Them and all the others." Nathan said to his Strigoi. They nodded and left the room. My heart went out the door as well.

I sunk to the ground and started to cry. Nathan crouched down in front of me. "Don't cry, Rosemarie. You get to spend an eternity with me." I looked up at him and hit him with all my strength. I hit him right between the eyes. He flew back a few feet.

I stood up tall and proud and looked down at the pathetic excuse for a Strigoi. "Just remember, I am stronger than you will ever be and the only reason I am here is so that you will never kill the people I love."

**VA**

And so, here I am, in a room that looks oddly like the one Strigoi Dimitri had kept me in. Just waiting. Waiting for nothing.

Wow. That one was hard to write. It is also the longest chapter I have written. I like it, but it is kind of sad Oksana and Mark died. But hey, I don't want it to be a sappy story where no one dies. Those are no fun. So the people who get to be Eddie and Adrian's girlfriends come in next chapter! Hope you guys enjoy that! Thanks for all the awesome reviews! You guys are who keeps me writing!