Rose's POV

I trudged along the Academy's hallways with Adrian by my side, my little Ervin Luke in Adrian's arms, and my future-to-be-princess, still inside the womb, Taylor Alba. I looked around in wonder. It had been almost three years since I had walked these very same hallways as a student here rather than a visitor.

We walked by the gym where Dimitri and I used to train. My imagination could even make out the shape of his tall form. It brought back a million memories. The memories didn't bring the usual round of tears that I usually got. Now, there were simply just memories. Good memories.

I sighed happily and my baby stared moving around happily inside.

I patted my stomach. "This baby is happy to be here."

Adrian copied my movement, placing his hand over mine. "Because your happy to be here." Babies felt what the mom felt so I tried to live in a stress-free environment.

We walked on. "Yaritza, what do you think of this place?" I asked my sister-in-law who had tagged along.

"It's creepy. I can't believe you came here." She shuddered.

"Yeah, well, I had no choice." I looked around. "It's really not that bad. Just the stupid rules."

I still didn't know why Adrian had brought me here. I was glad to be here and I was glad that I was going to see Olena and her gang, but still I needed to know.

Hey speaking of, Olena rushed out to hug me. "Rose! How have you been, darling. How cute." She said patting my belly.

"Hello, Olena. Do you have any idea why Adrian brought me here?" I asked. I know I sounded rude, but I needed to know why I was here.

Olena looked at Adrian. "You didn't tell her?"

"No, I wanted to surprise her."

"Tell me what?"

Then an unforgettable voice answered behind me. "Roza, is that you?"

I turned around to face him. Dimitri. I would have passed out and fallen flat on my face if Adrian hadn't been holding my arm. He looked much the same as he had when he'd been dhampir. He still had the same brown eyes, same brown silky hair, that same half-smile, the same brown cowboy duster.

I put a hand to my mouth. Surely, I must be dreaming. "You're dead" was all I could think to say to him.

He smiled that odd smile of his that he so rarely used. "No, Roza, you saved me."

"No, I killed you."

"You killed the Strigoi part of me. The other part of me still lived on. My soul. My love for you saved me."

"How?"

"Excuse me, Rose. Who is this guy?" Yaritza asked me. Dimitri turned to look at her and he stayed like that for a while.

I didn't want to answer her; thankfully Adrian answered for me.

Dimitri's attention turned back to me but his eyes seemed dazed. "Your love freed my soul." Dimitri said, his brown eyes staring at me intently but you could tell something else was on his mind.

I was in too much shock to say anything else. I looked into his eyes. I noticed that I didn't feel the same emotions I had felt before when I used to look into his eyes. No more passion. No more love.

I should be happy that he was alive and well but I wasn't. Him being here was just like a disturbance in my life. I mean I was happy to see him but now I loved Adrian; he was my whole life now, along with Ervin and Taylor.

Adrian walked in front of Dimitri. "I am glad that you are alive again." Adrian was a little shocked to see me react so unhappy. I think he probably thought I would be hugging and kissing Dimitri right now.

Dimitri's POV

There she was, my beautiful Roza. She was standing with Ivashkov and her stomach was swollen just the right amount of size to fit a small baby in there. How could she have moved on? We were supposed to be together.

"Roza, is that you?"

She had an WTF! moment. Her eyes popped open and they looked about to fall out at any second; her face paled a bit and she would have fallen on the ground if not for Adrian holding her.

"You're dead." She said, in a shaky voice.

"No, Roza, you saved me." A spirit user ,that Oskana had met, a spirit user with unique powers couple days after my funeral saved me. She had a spirit power that brought dead people back from the dead. She didn't bring you back from the dead like Lissa did, there was no shadow kiss bond involved, she saved you by making a spirit filled ring. She put the ring on the dead person's finger. If there was anything worth saving in that person, the person would live, but if there wasn't, the person stayed like that.

Thank God I had been a good person in my twenty four dhampir years, or I would be dead right now. It took me almost three years to decide to come back or not.

"No, I killed you."

"You killed the Strigoi part of me. The other part of me still lived on. My soul. My love for you saved me."

"How?" It was a whisper but I heard it nonetheless. Why was she so shocked to see me?

"Excuse me, Rose. Who is this guy?" Someone asked in a delicate voice that sounded like music. I turned to look at her and was stunned shocked and speechless. Standing in front of me was standing the most beautiful girl I had ever seen, including Rose. The young woman had light skin, Moroi color. Her cheeks were flushed making her look that more beautiful. She had lovely green eyes, that made it obvious that she was related to an Ivashkov. The color of her hair was a shade lighter than mine.

I met her green eyes and the world shifted. It didn't revolve around Rose anymore. This was more; it now revolved around this person. It was like love at first sight.

I looked away from her and looked at Rose, who was still shocked and now massaging her stomach. "Your love freed my soul." Although I was looking at Rose, my words were directed at the girl standing next Rose. I faintly heard Adrian talk to the girl, Yaritza, which I then knew it was his sister. Yaritza, such a beautiful name; it fit her perfectly.

Adrian walked to me. "I am glad that you are alive again." His expression was one on of surprise. I wondered why? My gaze went back to Yaritza again; she was looking at me too, her eyes were baffled as if she too had experienced what I had not so long ago. I looked away to Rose who was now looking at the two of us and smiling. Had everyone seen or felt what I had just earlier?

Rose's POV

From the corner of my eye, I saw Yaritza and Dimitri looking at each other. My whole attention was now fixated on the them. A million things passed through them as they looked at one another. That look was similar to the ones Adrian and I shared at times. I smiled happy that they had found someone.

Nobody seemed to know what to do to break the silence, when Lissa rushed to us as fast as she could go since she also had a belly like mine. "Rose! Guess what!" She hadn't noticed Dimitri there but when she saw him her eyes almost crawled out of their sockets. "OH SHOOT! aren't you supposed to be dead?"

Her scream scared Taylor. I gasped out in pain. "Can you yell any louder, Liss?"

She leaned down to till she was face to face with my stomach. "Sorry, baby, Taylor." The baby calmed down a little. She turned to Dimitri. "Explain."

"Hello, Princess. It is good to see you again." He bowed formally.

He explained everything to Lissa and Christian who just stared at him with open mouths.

I didn't know what else to say and I was glad when Ervin stirred in Adrian's arms ,claiming that he was awake. "Mommy, where are we?" He rubbed his little eyes; he threw his arms out for me to take him into mine.

I kissed his forehead. "Were at Mommy's old school." Although Ervin was barely eleven months, he was very good at talking. It sounded like total gibberish at times but I understood him nevertheless. I looked at the time; it had been a while since anybody had eaten. "You hungry, sweetheart?"

His response was only to nod. I smoothed his hair absentmindedly.

"Is that your son, Rose?" Dimitri's attention now focused on the boy that was cradled in my arms.

"Yes."

"Can I hold him?" The question shocked me but I handed Ervin to him nonetheless.

Dimitri looked good holding a baby. His mother and sisters rushed out to look at my son. This was not the first time that they had seen him. "Congratulations, Rose, Adrian. You have such an exquisite child."

Like we needed to be reminded of that! We already knew he was adorable. "Thank you. So when are you going to have yours?"

The question surprised him. Goodness, it surprised me too! He looked at me in shock. "Whenever I get the chance." I saw him look at Yaritza from the corner of his eye. I would have a word with Yaritza later.

For now, my feet were aching, Ervin was hungry, I was hungry, Adrian was tired. I suggested to Adrian we go to our suite to eat and rest.

"Well, we'll see everyone later. I am really tired and like you guys know a pregnant lady needs her rest." I said, taking Ervin out of Dimitri's arms.

"Good night everyone." Adrian said and we left but before we could walk too far away I looked at Yaritza, then at Dimitri then back at her and winked; her cheeks turned bright pink. I laughed softly.

We arrived at the suite. It was the same exact suite that Adrian had used when he was a guest here at the Academy and me a student. His guardians waited outside the door. The guardian's looked as if, Stan particularly, they were about to drop dead at any moment. They were really tired that was obvious.

Adrian dismissed them so they could finally get some sleep and opened the door.

The room was the same as we had left it three years ago. The scent of meat hit me as soon as I walked in. It made my mouth water so bad that if I opened it a river would form. I handed Ervin to Adrian and went to the bedroom so that I could change into comfortable clothes. I slipped into my black shorts and Adrian's white tee.

I walked back into the front room and sat down where a food filled plate was waiting. I dug in and finished in minutes. "So, little dhampir, what did you think of Dimitri?"

"I think he something for Yaritza." My voice expressed all the happiness I was feeling that my sister had finally found someone.

"You think? It was totally obvious that he fell in love with her."

"I know and I am happy for that."

Adrian and I were cleaning the kitchen when someone knocked on the door. Oh, greatness, who could it be?

Adrian walked to the door and back to the kitchen within seconds."Rose, Yaritza wants to talk to you."

I groaned. "Tell her tomorrow."

"I already did but she wants to talk to you bad."

"Oh fine."

I walked into the living room. "What do you want?"

"I need to talk to you."

"I already figured that out. What about?"

She said one word. "Dimitri."

I sighed and sat down on the couch laying my feet on the arm of it. I closed my eyes and I hoped I wouldn't fall asleep. "What about him?"

"I wanted to ask you if you think that he would be good for me? Tell me how he is since you knew him so well."

"Well as for him being good for you that is for you to decide." I opened my eyes briefly and looked at her. "Dimitri is from Russia. He is kind and gentle. He is compassionate and loving. I can't imagine anyone not loving him. Always does the right thing"—except for when him and me were in love back then—"and he helps others in whatever way possible. He is a good man. I think he will be good for you. Now can I please go to sleep?"

"In a sec. One last question."

"Go ahead."

"Will you get mad at me if I went after him?" She asked not meeting my eyes or looking towards me.

I thought about it for a moment because her question really did catch me off guard. I struggled to get up and walked over to her couch to sit next to her. I hugged her shoulders. "Of course not. I have Adrian and I love him. All I want is for you to happy ,and I know that Dimitri will be the right guy for you."

"Thanks, Rose. Now you can go to sleep."

When I woke up, I noticed that Adrian and Ervin weren't in the room. I panicked a little until I heard their voices in the front room. I got up put on decent maternity outfit and walked out into the living room.

Headmistress Kirova was standing in the living room. In her hands was my son. Lissa was there also with Christian and their kids. "Wonderful. And how is Rose doing?" Kirova was saying.

"I am doing well." I said.

"Rose, it is good to see you again." Kirova said to me and hugged me with one arm since she was holding my kid with the other.

"You, too, Mrs. Kirova." I said trying to be polite.

She smiled. "Well, I will leave you all to go on about your business. I heard that you were on campus, I simply wanted to say hi." She walked to the door, handed Adrian the baby, and left.

"What was she doing here?" I asked, my stomach rumbling cause I was really hungry.

"Saying hi that is all." Adrian said, taking my hand leading me to the kitchen were a plate of pancakes with strawberries was waiting and a glass of orange juice on the side.

As soon as my butt hit the chair I dug in and finished faster than light can travel.

"So what do you want to do later tonight?" Lissa asked, running a hand up and down her belly.

"We—

I was interrupted when Yaritza burst in through the door laughing. Trailing behind her was Dimitri. Together already? Damn, that was fast!

"Hello everyone!" Yaritza exclaimed, while giving Adrian and me a hug and a kiss and taking Ervin out of Adrian's arms. "How is my little boy?" She said to Ervin.

"Good morning everybody." Dimitri said politely. Everyone murmured their good mornings. The cold air of when Yaritza opened the door was still lingering in the room; it reminded me of ice cubes and I instantly craved them. Ice cubes were the thing I craved the most in this pregnancy.

I turned to Adrian. "Is there any ice cubes here?"

He grimaced probably scared that I would freak out if there wasn't. He went to the refrigerator/freezer inside the kitchen. Luck was with him, he pulled out a small bag of ice and handed it to me.

Dimitri looked at me curiously while I nibbled on my ice.

"She craves that all the time." Yaritza explained. She turned to everyone in the room. "So what do guys want to do later on tonight?"

"Why don't we go to Missoula and do something like go to dinner or whatever?" Lissa suggested.

"That sounds good." Yaritza said. Everybody else murmured their "okays." "What do you think Rose?" She asked since I hadn't said anything.

"I don't really care as long there is ice cubes where we are going." Adrian brought me another pack since I had finished the other one already.

Lissa and Yaritza discussed what we were going to do later on tonight. I really couldn't care less of what we were doing.

People were so caught in there conversations when Dimitri came to sit next to me. "Yaritza is sure something." He said in a soft voice.

I took me a while to answer. "She sure is."

"Are you upset that I am with her and not you?" Why was everybody asking me that question lately?

"No, why would I? Adrian and I love each; no million words can describe what we feel for each other." I sighed , remembering the time we first met at that ski lodge.

"You love him don't you?" How dumb was he to ask that question?

"Yes." My tone added the duh!

Yaritza came to us then ,stopping that conversation, thankfully.

She said something to him in his ear. He stood up with her and they left to get ready to go to Missoula later on. I guess we had to get ready too. Damn. Oh well.

I took out a nice, warm outfit for Ervin. Adrian dress him and I hopped into the shower. A few minutes later, Adrian went in with me. We had to shower fast because Ervin was out there alone.

We phoned Yaritza when we were finished changing. We climbed into the academy's cars and headed to Missoula. We had a good time. We drove back to the academy to get some sleep.