Stuffing on a second snow jacket I slowly trudged my way through the snow to the academy's front gates. I could faintly see the bulky black SUV sitting idly with Alberta, Dr Olendzki, my mother and a tall Moroi that seemed vaguely familiar.

"Hathaway!" Alberta yelled to me as she began to walk towards me, "Thought you were going to make us have to come and get you." I smiled slightly as I rushed the last few metres to the car and the remainders of the group. I could feel my teeth chattering with the cold and my nose began to run.

"Come along, come along – we need to get going." Dr Olendzki ushered us to the car where we all piled in, ready for the long trip ahead of us.

Stripping off the top jacket, I shook all traces of snow from the material as my mother handed me a thick blanket which she pulled from under the front seat. I accepted in thankfully and wrapped it multiple times around my frame and slowly moved my fingers as the numb sensation began to die away.

"Now your appointment is at 12 and we should be there around 11:40 which will give us enough time to find a close parking spot where we can walk you in and out without any trouble." I quickly glanced to the clock on the dashboard which read 10:03am before settling back into the car seat. I knew what they meant by avoiding any trouble, because as uncommon as it may be, it isn't entirely unheard of for Moroi, humans and Dhampirs to be pulled from the streets during the day – I mean, look at what happened during winter break…

"So… Rose…" I heard the Moroi man speak in a low voice which held a very distinct thick accent – not as velvet as Dimitri's but more harsh to the ears. I glanced up at him in curiosity as this had been one of the first times I had heard him speak and it seemed vaguely familiar like a long forgotten dream.

"Yes?" I asked as he looked down at me with his harsh gaze, however in his cold stone-like eyes I could swear I saw a softening in his gaze as he took in my small form huddled up in my seat with the thick blanket wrapped around me tightly.

"Your mother tells me that you are quite the trouble maker?" He asked which sounded more like a statement of true fact. As far as famous first-liners go – that wasn't entirely impressive, nor was it altogether welcoming.

I felt my brow furrow in both confusion and aggravation as I looked to my mother who, for the first time in her life, looked sheepish as she pushed back against the seat looking as if she wished it would just eat her up so that she could avoid this conversation.

"Mum?" I glared at her which caused her face to lose all trace of colour as all of the blood seemed to rush to her exposed neck. She didn't reply instantly as I could see the cogs and gears turning within her mind as she scrambled for a way to change the subject – or at least avoid her daughter's wrath.

"Please, I didn't mean to intrude, I am simply trying to get a better idea as to who you are." The Moroi man said in a rush as he noticed my mother's nervous smile and my growing glare. I could feel the anger bubbling up inside of me as he mentioned 'trying to get a better idea of me' but instead of turning and biting his head off over it, I tried to take as many deep breathes as possible without causing myself too much pain. After I was sure that my anger was in check and I wasn't going to start coughing and sputtering before we reached a hospital I turned my withering gaze to the man.

"Who the hell are you anyway, Moroi guy?"

A long silence seemed to fill the entire car as I heard Dr Olendzki and Alberta instantly stop chatting about the lack of guardians across the school. The man seemed to be in a state of either shock or confusion but wither way – there was something going on here that they weren't telling me.

"Di-Didn't your mother tell you?" The Moroi stuttered with what I could of sworn to be a small hint of sorrow or anguish buried within his voice.

"Tell me what?" I switched my gaze to my mother who had quickly gone from the pathetic cowering woman who was afraid of her own daughter to the professional Guardian Hathaway whom I knew oh-so well.

"What's he talking about?" I knew my voice was shaking slightly but I couldn't care less, they were all keeping something from me and the more I sat there wondering the more ideas popped into my head which seemed to cause more distress than anything else for me. I could feel my breathes becoming shallow as the silence continued and the tension which was building up by the second seemed to be thick enough that you could slice it with a knife.

"Mum, what is he talking about? What aren't you telling me?" I asked once again in an impatient manner which I had hoped would slide through to her maternal instincts however, it seems she didn't have any noticeable chinks in her guardian armour.

"Rose, calm down." Dr Olendzki coaxed from the front seat in a soothing manner which only went in one ear and out the other as my mother continued to ignore my questioning.

"Damn it Mum, what the hell is going on?!" I screamed which she jumped slightly at.

"Nothing, Rose. Now calm down." She spoke in an entirely composed manner which sounded as if she was speaking to an associate about the weather.

"MUM?!" I yelled in disbelief at her nonchalant reply which caused her lip to twitch as it often does when her patience is wearing thin. I knew I should stop right there but I was sick of her keeping secrets from me and I wanted to know who the hell this guy was. So, as any teenager would do in such a situation, I continued to yell for her to tell me.

"Mum, just tell me what the hell it is that you think is so important!" I screamed and just like that – she snapped. Her head whipped in my direction and her face held a fiery glow before she screamed right back at me,

"He's your father, ok Rosemarie? Abe is your father!"

Silence filled the car and I began to feel more than uncomfortable in my own skin. I could feel the concerned gaze of the Moroi man my father burning into my back as I flinched away from him. Through doing so, my breath caught in throat causing me to begin coughing and gasping for fresh, clean air. Through these fits I could vaguely hear Dr Olendzki soothing me and assuring that we were nearly there but as I glanced down at the hand which I held cupped to my mouth, all I could see was red. That was the moment, ladies and gentlemen that I, Rose Hathaway began to truly freak out.

It felt as I was trying to force my lungs up through my throat with the amount of blood which was building up there. Even my nose was blocked from the tears which were running freely down my face as the air which I so desperately needed, stayed out of immediate reach.

Feeling the car come to an abrupt stop I managed to see through my glassy eyes that we were in the underground parking lot of the hospital. In hopes to get air into my lungs, I threw the door open and fell onto the cold, hard asphalt where I felt myself slowly fade out.