I AM SO SORRY! *cowers in shame* I couldn't update! Not my fault, I swear! I won't leave you this long again, I swear!

As for the last two chapters, I'm sorry if they had tons of mistakes and were poorly written. I did both of them really fast. I'm improving, don't worry!

Anyways, taking suggestions on how to make it up to you guys...

"Do you care to explain to me how my eighteen-year-old daughter was able to walk out of Court without anyone being notified?" Abe demands, his eerily calm exterior forgotten.

"She's eighteen!" A Guardian twice his size replies lazily. "Besides, it's not our job to keep Dhampirs in Court. We're preoccupied trying to keep the undead out."

Abe huffs and turns back to them, rolling his eyes. Lissa bites her lip, trying to hold back tears, Christian's arms around her waist.

"Where is she?" My mom cries. Everyone pauses. Janine Hathaway doesn't have any emotions but anger. But here she was, brows furrowed, face soft. Abe steps up, enclosing her in his embrace and resting his chin on the top of her head.

She doesn't hesitate to lean into him. "Shhh..." he soothes.

Dimitri just stands alone, his face hard and expressionless although his eyes were filled with emotion.

"Where would she go?" Mom asks. "She doesn't have anywhere to go! She doesn't have any money, or-"

Lissa's face lights up. "Adrian's debit card! Did she withdraw cash before she left?"

"Who has my debit card?" They all turn to see Adrian saunter towards them, a lazy smile on his face.

"Rose. She's missing. She doesn't have any money, but she might have used your debit card before she left it," Lissa explains. "Can you trace it?"

Adrian pales, even more so than normal, and nods. "Yeah- yeah. I've got my information back at my room."

Even though he says no more, all five of them follow Adrian to his luxorious apartment.

Adrian unlocks the door, and immediately disappears into the bedroom. Christian's hand is entwined with Lissa's, and Abe's arms remained around my mom. They all take a seat at the island counter in the kitchen, while Dimitri stands off to the side, silent.

After several moments, Adrian returns, balancing a phone between his shoulder and ear and flipping through papers.

"Yes," he says into the phone. "Yeah, I want to check my recent activity. The last 24 hours." Everyone is still, waiting, praying.

When he curses, they all seem to sink into themselves. Adrian slams the phone down on the counter.

"An ATM. She withdrew a little over a thousand dollars at an ATM in the Court. Did she take the card?"

Lissa shakes her head. "No, she left it behind." Liss reaches into her bag and pulls out the letter that I have left for Adrian, along with those belonging to my parents. When my Mom finshes her letter, her lips are pursed, eyes watering, while Abe is mumbling something about 'losing her already."

Adrian squeezes his eyes shut. "I need a drink."

"Why would she only take out a thousand dollars?" My mom asks desperately. "She can't live on that! She'll end up on the streets! She'll end up working for some strip club or...or worse." She bites her lip in worry.

"Janine, our girl is smart. She'll be fine. She's not a bloodwhore," Abe assures. Lissa's eyes wander to Dimitri, who looks like he's about to be sick at the very thought of my mom's words coming true.

I can't take it anymore. I jerk out of Lissa's head, tears streaming down my own face. I quickly wipe them away, using the back of my sleeve. A rapid string of Russian is announced over the intercom, followed by English.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we will be arriving in Moscow in twenty minutes, please fasten your seatbelts and prepare for landing."

...

A couple of hours later, I was out on the streets of Moscow, greeted by the crisp night air. I knew that I desperately needed to find somewhere with internet. A cafe, or a library. It was already dark out, any chance of even finding one that was open would be a long shot.

Luckily, I was able to get directions from someone on the street. The library, just as everything here was, was beautiful. It was completely white, with scalloped arches that reached upwards, and thick, stone steps. I managed to slip just inside the doors into the warmth when a woman came down the hall.

Her tone was formal and polite, but when I shook my head, confused at the language, she seemed annoyed. "The library is closing."

"Please," I beg. "I'll just be a few minutes. Please?"

She sighs, hesitates, and nods, letting me through. The place is deserted, the tall shelves leaving trailing shadows. I quietly sit at one of the computer desks. I needed a resume, a job, seeing as I only had a few dollars left.

I made up a few jobs, feeling slightly guilty, but what's another lie at this point? I couldn't exactly put "Guardian for Vampires" on my resume. I did add in my 'martial arts' training, though, as well as numerous other things. When I was done printing a stack of them, I thanked the librarian and made my way back outside.

Step two was finding somewhere to stay for the night. A cheap motel was hidden in the crevice of a dark neighbourhood, only the o and the l still aglow. It advertises 700 rubles a night, roughly 25 American dollars.

"Can I pay at the end of the week?" I ask, and the greasy receptionist nods, handing me my key. He runs a hand over his head, the hair pulled tight into a slick ponytail. I can feel his eyes on my as I grab my duffel bag off of the floor, throwing it over my shoulder. The farther down the hallway I get, the more tense I become. The place is dirty, dust and grit piled in the corners, paint peeling off of the walls.

My room is at the very end of the hall, and I have to throw myself against the door to even get it to open. The room is musky and dark, the wood chipping, paint peeling, and glass cracking. A small cot is folded in the corner, and the bed looks like they haven't washed the sheets in years. I refrain from gagging, and throw my stuff onto the floor, pulling out the cot from the corner.

Laying down, I curl myself into a small ball. This is for the best. This is so your reputation doesn't shadow Lissa's future. She'll do great things.

But as I beg for sleep, and realize it won't come, I find myself wishing that I had someone here, someone I knew, just so I wasn't completely alone.

I'll make up for my absence! Just tell me how to make it up to you ;)