"I swear this is the longest trip I've ever had..." Sydney began tugging her hair back to put into a ponytail. "How long does it take to get from St. Petersburg to... Where did you say we were going?"

Adrian sighed heavily, "Do you ever stop talking... or complaining?"

I nudged him, "We are heading to meet up with Alek."

She cleared her throat and paused for a moment, "Where are we meeting him?"

"Seriously?" Adrian turned his body so that he was facing her completely. "Why are you being such a pain?"

"I'm not trying to be. I just," she inhaled deeply, "I would like to know just what the heck is going on especially if my life is on the line!" She stomped her foot and tensed up so that she looked like her head would just pop off her body on the cue of a foot stomp.

I turned to her, "We are going to meet him at the next station. It's not far off now."

She shut her eyes and wrinkled her nose, "And then?"

Adrian slapped his palm to his head and forced a harsh laugh. "This is the best train ride I've ever had..."

"And then," I eyed Adrian for a moment before returning my gaze to Sydney, "we are going to Gabe's."

She swallowed hard, "Gabe? As in the crazy-Strigoi-who-wants-to-settle-the-score-with-Dimitri Gabe?"

Dimitri laughed softly, "Yes, that Gabe."

"I don't mean to kill the mission but are you all insane!" she shot up from her seat. "Do you have a death wish?"

I looked away and back out the window at the passing scenary. It looked so peaceful. For normal people it probably was. But for my kind we knew the hidden dangers that still lingered unsuspectfully behind the scenes. If there were no Dhampirs or Moroi then I don't know what I would be looking out at. Death and decay were my best guesses. That's what Strigoi brought to this world. Nothing but pure evil and destruction. My kind has known that since the beginning. I have known that since my beginning. Nobody ever sugar coated it for me. Reality in our world was best so that we had the mind set to face it all when things went to hell.

"Rose?" I felt a warm touch on my hand. Dimitri's fingers laid over mine.

I shook my head, "I'm fine." I stared back out the window. "I'm fine."

Adrian cut off my view, "You don't look 'fine'."

I smiled, "Really. I'm okay. Since when have I needed anyone to worry about me?" I looked around at everyone's face. Of course they all had some remark to say. Lucky for me none of them did. Lucky for them in some ways. The train slowly began to stop. The squeaking of the brakes made me cringe. "Ughh."

Dimitri rubbed my shoulder, "Are you feeling okay?"

"I just wish everyone would stop acting so concered about me." I looked away, afraid of what I might see on his face.

His hand lingered just a moment longer on my skin before he slowly slid it off. "Okay. I'm just looking out for you and the baby."

My heart sank, "Yea, well we are fine. If I thought something was wrong then know that I will tell you."

"No matter what?" He turned my face to his and came down to my eye level.

I nodded and tried to displayed my best convincing smile, "No matter what."

Adrian stood up and walked past us, "Good. Because I'm getting tired of checking you every ten minutes."

"Checking me?" I looked between the two of them. "What the hell does that mean?"

He shrugged, "You know, using my magic to scan your body and make sure your's and baby's auras are still flowing normally." He grinned and turned to keep walking towards the exit.

Dimitri tried to follow suite but I tugged him back towards me, "Do you know about this?"

"No but I wondered why he kept trying to reassure me that you were fine." He smirked and it somehow managed to boil my blood.

I let him go and shoved passed him, "I'm glad you're enjoying this."

He scuffed, "What?"

"This!" I hopped of the bottom step and kept my fast pace while walking off the platform.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me back, "And just what is this by your definition?"

I looked around before continueing, "You like having someone watch over me and being able to keep an eye on me. I cannot be reckless or impulsive or... anything! I feel... trapped."

Sydney cleared her throat loudly, "Trapped? You feel trapped?" She forced a small laugh, "A headstrong Dhampir feels trapped being surrounded by her husband and friends?" She dropped down onto a bench and stared off into space. "Trapped..."

All our focus was shifted to her. I felt a little taken back by her outburst that I really lost focus on what I was so upset about to begin with. I gently placed a hand on her shoulder, "Are... are you alright?"

She smiled meekly, "I'm really not too sure." Adrian grabbed her wrist and she flinched and pulled out of his reach, "What are you doing?"

He smiled, "It's okay. I'm just checking your pulse and aura." He put out his hand, "May I?"

She hesitated, "I feel fine."

He quickly grabbed her hand regardless and held it tightly so she couldn't pull back. She struggled a little but eventually just sat still and glared at him. "Why do women have to be so stubborn?" He closed his eyes and exhaled. Concentration read all over his face.

She looked intensely at him then at me, "How does he do that?"

I nodded to him, "He uses Spirit just like Lissa."

"I heard about that but just what does he do?"

Dimitri shrugged, "Not really sure. Only they really know how they do it."

I laughed, "I don't even think they fully understand how they do it. It comes naturally."

Adrian slowly opened his eyes, "Kind of like your magic." He released her hand, "She's just a little panicked. Other than that," he looked her over, "She's the picture of perfect health."

She held her hand to her chest like it was alienated in some way. "So I'm fine? Just like I said?"

He grinned and nodded, "Yes, just like you said."

"So are we ready?" We all turned and found Alek looking upon our group. "Or do we start with the trust demos?"

I waved, "Hello, Alek."

He nodded, "Rose." He looked at Sydney, "You have a strange one among you this time around. Why an Alchemist?"

Sydney touched her cheek where her golden lily tattoo laid like she had forgotten it was there. "I'm helping with research."

"Research?" His brow rose. "For what, may I ask?"

Adrian stepped in, "It's semi-personal."

He nodded, "Then I'll leave that to you all but I don't see her as much help when it comes to Gabe and his minions."

She chuckled awkwardly, "Oh, I'm not..."

"She's not coming with us." Adrian leaned on the bench.

He nodded, "Seems fine with me. So she's staying at the room?"

I nodded, "Yes. We cannot afford to lose her." I looked her way and she nodded as thanks.

"So did you bring what I asked for?" Dimitri stepped towards him and his height seemed even more impressive than before.

Alek nodded and brought his pack forward. "It's all in here. Are you sure you want to try this? It's a gamble."

I grabbed the bag, "I am sure I want to attempt it." I turned to Adrian. "And I'll need your help especially to pull this off."

"My help? Since when did I get involved with your Gabe drama?" He reached for a cigarette.

"Since you learned how to transfer your Spirit Magic." I grinned.

He lit his cigarette and took a long inhale, "I should be use to being used by now." His long exhale came along with a chuckle.

The room was a small one. One recliner sat on the far left side with a large dresser placed center of the wall beside it. The small box T.V. looked like it fell out of the early ninety's and the night stand might have been bought back in the seventy's. The two beds were moderately decent but even the blankets were old in fashion. The walking space was so small that even Sydney had to keep her feet close together as she walked. The only separate room was the bathroom and even that was tiny.

"Great room choice." I ran my hand over the dresser and ended up with a hand covered in dust. "What year are we in?"

Alek shrugged, "You said find the nearest hotel so I did. Gabe's hideout isn't far from here."

I shrugged, "I guess you did follow my instructions."

"This is fine. It's just temporary and Sydney will be the only one staying here either way." Dimitri flung the bags onto the bed and started unpacking.

Sydney tugged on my arm, "Wait, I'm staying here alone?"

"I could stay with you if you like", Adrian winked.

I nudged him, "No, we need you. And yes, Sydney. You have to be here alone."

"But..."

"It's just for a little while. Don't worry." I tried to sound reassuring. "We'll be back before you know it."

"Okay." She smiled but it faultered as she turned away.

Adrian sighed heavily, "So what exactly is my part in all of this?"

"Your Spirit magic." Dimitri pulled out a stake and held it tenderly in his hands. He held it out to Adrian. "We need you to transfer your magic into this stake."

"Then when the time comes we are going to plunge it into Gabe's chest." Alek pulled off his coat to reveal the gun vest he had concealed. It was a six gun holster. Each one occupied by a gun and extra clips were hanging by his belt.

I eyed the guns, "Do you really think we're going to need that much fire power?"

He shrugged, "Well even if it doesn't kill them it'll slow them down so that we can get to our guy." He began checking each gun, confirming they were fully loaded.

Dimitri nodded, "That's the plan."

"And I have to be there because?" Adrian leaned up against the wall by the door.

"Because you can also use your magic to disable some of the clan from attacking while we are trying to get to Gabe. You can attack them in groups while we can only go one by one." I grabbed an extra stake from the pack and tucked it into the sheath on my shoulder.

He laughed forcefully and wiggled the stake in his hand, "Oh! Is that all? While I'm at it do you want me to get you all any refreshments? Perhaps something with a bite to it?"

"Adrian..."

"Seriously! You know I am not that advanced, Rose. I can only do so much for so long." He looked down at his hands. "You'll only have a small window before they break from the magic. I'm..." He exhaled hard, "I'm not as strong at it as Liss."

I squeezed his shoulder, "And that small window is all we need."

He smirked, "You know I'll try. But I cannot make anyone any promises."

"That is good enough for me." Alek patted Adrian roughly on the back.

"Thanks." He slid the stake into his pant pocket and reached for his cigarettes. "Now if anyone doesn't mind I'll be outside sucking on a cancer stick."

Sydney waved, "Have fun with that."

Dimitri holstered his stakes, "So if everyone ready..."

"Aside from the obvious, yea. I think we're good to go." I adjusted the strap of my sheath over my chest so that it stayed firmly in place.

Sydney sat down in the old looking recliner. "I'll be here if anyone needs me." She pulled her laptop out of her bag and started stabbing at buttons.

I lowered the top so that she could see me, "Well you should still be on guard and ready."

She rolled her eyes, "I doubt anyone is going to be looking for me in Russia little lone in a little crappy hotel."

The door opened and Adrian walked up to us, "Are we doing this or what?"

I nodded, "Whenever you're ready."

"So we're going on my mark?" he grinned.

"Well no, but as soon as you're done with the stake then yes. Technically we leave on your mark." I patted the stake in his pocket. "So, are we doing this or what?"

He pulled the stake out of his pocket and stared intensely at it. "I guess I really have no other options then do I?"

Alek cleared his throat loudly and tapped his watch, "It's time. We got to do this now."

"I got it." Adrian clasped his hands tightly around the stake and shut his eyes. His breathing steadied and his focus sharpened. I could feel the atmosphere in the room shift. He was putting his all into this. Even though it actuality took just a few moments, it felt like quite some time passed before his eyes opened slowly. He kept his gaze on the stake. "It's done."

He passed the stake to me still staring down at it. "Thank you." I slipped it into my side sheath on my left thigh.

"Don't lose that." He grinned but it was softer than I expected he meant it to seem.

I smiled back, "Fat chance of that."

We all started for the door when Adrian called back, "Wait." He looked back at Sydney. She seemed to be trying too hard not to look up at us. He knelt beside her and slid something on her lap. "Just in case."

She stared down at the cloth and frowned, "What...?" When she uncovered it she flinched back, "You really think I'll need a gun?"

He shrugged, "You never know." He smirked, got to his feet and walked out the door before anyone could say anything else. He must have known we would all be watching him because he never once looked back.

"Are you okay with this?" I leaned on the arm of the chair to get down to her level.

She nodded, "I think so. Just..." she sighed, "Just don't get yourselves killed out there. Or I'll be waiting here forever." She smiled.

It was a bad joke but in any case I knew a smile was as much reassurance as anyone could give someone in her position. At the moment that was all I could do for her so I smiled.

Just before the door closed behind me I saw her run her fingers over the shaft of the gun gently. A smile crept its way onto her face, "Thank you. All of you."

By Shadow Kissed Mori