I got all excited when I saw I had a fan fiction email. It turned out to be for my story. Sigh.

Anyway, this is an EMERGENCY! See the red and blue lights? (I mean in the story sillies! The STORY is having an emergency.)

Please review.

Let me know if you were having a Kleenex moment reading this.

I feel so not cool when I hear everyone's fanfic story titles because their all sooo awesome. Mine are lame.

Chapter 16

Lissa's POV

"I'm just so cold." She whispered trembling. The raw pain on her face was unnerving and she started to sob quietly, tearlessly. At first I was confused but I suppose it is like when people laugh so much that it's silent, she was in so much agony.

She lifted a shaking hand and brushed back her hair, her eyes beginning to tear then wiped her nose on her sleeve. Her chest shook uncontrollably with each wrenching sob as if it were being ripped out of her, my best friend. She lowered her head, hiding her anguish. A long sob made her shake so hard it looked like she was convulsing, I was so scared, watching with tears rolling down my cheeks, that I wanted to run, to hide, not to see her like this.

Because just seeing her was making me feel it all. I buried my head in her hair and she cried into my shoulder, a much deeper level of grief compared to that first day where she had screamed in anxiety. The tortured way her voice sounded as she spoke, low and terrified, broke my heart and I could understand why she hated everyone, why she wanted to suffer alone.

"Lissa... He's gone! He's gone, he's gone. My Dimitri..." She shook again and pulled away from me, lying on the stone floor. "I'm so sorry, please, please. I'm sorry, please, forgive me. Take away this pain, make it stop. I don't want to be here anymore." She whispered, shivering more from the cold ground.

Somehow, I knew that she wasn't talking to me anymore, that she was saying it so that she didn't have to keep it to herself. She was telling him, begging him. She knew him so well, how could she ever think he would be vengeful, he loved her. Even in death, he wouldn't have stopped loving her.

She stared at the ceiling, willing her words to be heard with such a broken look on her face, there was nothing I could do. To watch as the person you cared about the most in the world fell apart was one thing, I had seen Rose all week falling apart. But sitting next to her as she pleaded for an escape, as she broke down, as she clung to the remaining shards of her heart, killed me.

I cried, sobbing loudly and trying desperately to catch my breath, it felt like I was drowning. I needed this to be over, I wanted to take away her suffering. I couldn't, though, because I was drowning in her misery. Someone needed to save her. Guilt washed over me in tidal waves, I was breaking down when she needed me. A voice in the back of my head told me to be strong for her, a memory of Christian's words.

I listened hoping for a hint, how was I supposed to do that? The words drifted away and I felt alone, even with Rose sobbing and shaking beside me on the cold, hard floor. I stroked her hair, more tears rolling down my face.

"Please be okay, I'm sorry, too. Please." I whispered to her softly.

I couldn't think of anything, my mind was blank; I kept stroking her hair and whispering 'please be okay' while we cried. The dark, deserted hall seemed to ring out it was so quiet and still. My echoing sobs were all that could be heard. It was heart wrenching.

My head spun, my vision going black as I coughed and choked. I needed to stop crying because it was making me sick. I couldn't breathe without choking on cries. So I did the first thing I could think of, I pulled out my phone.

Christian was on speed dial and I put it on loudspeaker,

"Hey, Lissa?" He asked curiously, it was after curfew.

I held the phone up to speak but all I could do was sob louder.

His voice was dripping with concern and distress, "What's wrong? Are you okay? Where are you?"

I stuttered trying not to cough, my voice hitching with every breath, "I'm okay... Rose came... I... We're ... gym... lockers..." I choked out between sobs, barely coherent.

"Lissa? Oh god. Are you okay?" He breathed into the phone.

"Mmm..." was all I could manage before I started crying more, looking over at Rose. She was clutching her necklace, staring into space, whispering and shaking.

"Liss? I'm coming, what's wrong?" He asked calmly but something about his breathing was giving away his panic.

I looked at Rose again and clicked off the phone, curling up on the ground with my head buried in her back. She cried for a few more minutes silently before speaking,

"I did this, Lissa. He said... You... I had to... save you. I wish - he ...was here. Don't... leave me." She said in a sorrowful voice that was hard to understand, we were both crying heavily.

"Never." I whispered, wondering what she had been trying to explain.

We cried without speaking, using each other as a lifeline for an immeasurable period of time, it was one of those things that make time stand still, you don't want to look at a clock so you just sit, transfixed and overflowing with emotion.

Until someone breaks you out of it, like a vase smashing against the ground, shattering and ruining the perfect flower arrangement. The loud footsteps snapped against the stone, sounding like one and a hundred footsteps at the same time. Then he appeared, screaming in quiet chaos, accusing and urgent, worried and afraid, wondering what had happened. He wasn't loud, and after a moment he was talking into something at his ear, a phone I realised a moment too late. He snapped it shut and crouched down in front of Rose, looking at her and then me. The sight seemed to immensely depress him.

He sighed, "I love you both, it's going to be okay."

Christian walked around behind me and pulled me against him, I clung to Rose dragging her along with me. We both continued to cry and Christian seemed to give up on talking. He did love us both, I realised. He treated her like a sister, always teasing her but always concerned about her. Everyone who saw her in Spokane was like that with her. Everyone who was still alive.

After some time there were more footsteps banging through the gym and into the locker rooms.

Adrian gasped at the scene in front of him, "God, It's really happening."

He kneeled in front of Rose, caressing her cheek and wiping away a few tears then settling his attention on Christian who now had my head in his lap and Rose's head was on my shoulder, against his knee.

Adrian raised an eyebrow at him, waiting for an explanation.

"I don't know what happened, Lissa called me crying and I came to find them clinging to the floor, sobbing. I called you. They aren't talking, just crying. We can't just stay here." Christian said in a detached voice, stroking my hair with one hand and Rose's with the other, as a concerned parent would.

Adrian tried to smile but it looked extremely despondent, "Okay, well, you can all stay in my room tonight, easier than sneaking into any of the dorms. We should stick together. I can carry Rose if you've got Lissa?"

Christian nodded, mouthing 'thank you' to Adrian and whispering soothing things to Rose and I who were staring at the ceiling with tears streaming constantly.

Adrian picked up Rose bridal style and Christian lifted me up in the same fashion, I wrapped my arms around his neck, clinging to him.

We made it to his room seemingly invisible, what wasn't invisible was the dark tear stains on Christian's shirt. I looked at Adrian's shirt wondering how his was undamaged by Rose, he really should share the secret with Christian. Rose had streaks of foundation and mascara running down her face as she stood silently clinging to Adrian while he unlocked the door. Christian was still holding me securely in the hallway, rocking back and forth gently.

He smiled at me in a way that said 'I-saw-this-coming' but was equally sad and apologetic. Rose started whispering again and I wished Adrian had kept holding her. He had seemed to soothe her but now, she was on her feet again and going half crazy.

"Dimitri, Dimitri, Dimitri, Sorry, If you hadn't wanted to kill her I would never have done it. You have to understand, I'm her guardian! But how can you? I killed you, there is no place for forgiveness after that. It just hurts so much... Can't you stop it? Let me join you now! You wanted me before, before I killed you. Before I plunged that cold, hard stake into your heart-." She broke off sobbing as Adrian opened the door.

All will be explained soon...

Please review. This took me hours. Days, to perfect. It was the most intense, compelling chapter... Sigh. It was impossible. Anyway, please review. Even if you say it was the worst chapter you've ever read.