A/N: I hope you enjoy!

Roni Ben Nissim - I try and be a happy ending kind of author :)

smoaknaroow - I am counting the time when they weren't "technically" together...but it really was just the two of them...so that's why I say five years. If we want to say actual "Couple" then it wouldn't be that long... but my shipper heart feels they were together since the beginning. Even the brief moments with Adrian and Mason that I block from my mind...lol. But also, this takes place a bit after Bloodlines...so it's not like that series ended and this happened right after. At least a year or possibly more.

Rose

Chapter 17

One Month Earlier (Week 1, Day 2…)

"Rose!"

I almost didn't stop. I was still fuming after my fight with Dimitri. That he could actually think it would be ok for me to sit in our apartment while he went off on this mission by himself…

I sighed.

I turned back; my brows drawing together at seeing my best friend and queen, Lissa, running to catch up with me. Her second in command guardian sported a look of a combination of exasperation and annoyance seeing that she was breaking about a few security procedures. Queen or not.

"Lissa, what are you doing?" I asked, dropping my suitcase to the side and my duffle that I had thrown over my shoulder, now to the floor.

She panted as she stopped right in front of me, her hand on her heart as she tried to get her breathing back under control. I tried not to smile, since Moroi avoided any sort of physical endurance training as they could. Lissa had never been one that liked it either.

When we had been on the run for the year away from the academy, and I attempted to bring her to the gym—the one time—she mostly sat there and whined with any sort of exercise I had showed her. I think she just liked the attention she got from men when wearing a cute pair of leggings and a sports bra.

"I…I had to give you something before you left."

Her expression was serious, which only put me even more on guard. I knew how stressed-out Lissa was when it came to this assignment. I had gone on plenty of dangerous assignments before. Lissa worried as she always did, but scanning the faces of everyone in the room as we had debriefed the undercover work, made me notice how the air and mood shifted among everyone.

I gave her a bight smile, hoping to ease some of her worry. "Ohhh…gifts. I never say no to that."

She smiled back, but it didn't do much to reach her eyes. She looked over her shoulder, catching glance of her guardian who was a few steps away, standing with his hands clasped in front of him, his back leaning against the wall of the hallway.

She turned back to me, her hand reaching into the pocket of her tailored pants, and pulled out a bracelet. She extended it out for me to take.

"Lissa, this is beautiful. Why?"

I looked down at the extremely expensive bracelet sitting in the palm of my hand. I guessed it had to be white gold, because Lissa only made sure the ones, she loved had nothing but the best.

As I examined the item in my palm, there were three charms she had attached to it. There was a white gold rose, the actual flower colored in red to add the dramatic flair. That was obviously meant for me. There was another flower charm that was mixed with white gold and stripes of gold. It was a calla lily, which happened to be Lissa's favorite flower. The third charm, made me break out and smile. A cowboy hat.

Dimitri.

The three of us forever connected and a family in different ways. After Dimitri had been restored, there was a period he felt he owed Lissa since she had been the one to restore him, but now, she was another sister that added to the large family of sisters Dimitri already had.

Water started to fill the back of my eyes. I was so touched at how thoughtful the item was that even though weighed next to nothing, suddenly felt heavy in the palm of my hand.

"I was going to give it to you for Christmas," she explained, her smile growing pensive.

I grinned. "Figured in case I died you wanted to see my reaction now."

"Rose!"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm kidding, Liss."

Her eyes dropped, her expression falling. "It's not funny."

I moved closer, and even though I wasn't normally one for lots of physical emotional displays of affection, I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her in for a tight hug.

My lips turned towards her ear. "I love it."

I pulled back, some of her somber expression lifting. I could still see the worry in her eyes. The same fear that I felt deep in my own gut.

"It's not just a bracelet," she said.

I looked at the item in my hand with a renewed interest. "Ohhh…gifts with special powers?"

She shook her head letting out a slight chuckle. I felt in that moment that was the ultimate prize. "Sonya and I have been working on a theory for something for a while. I don't know if it will work, but considering how dangerous this assignment is…it would make me feel better if you wore it."

"What is it?"

"Keep in mind I don't have a cool name for it, so no teasing," she warned, her finger coming up to scold me. "It's an anti-compulsion charm. I don't know what you will face, but Sonya and I think we found a way to charm this that if anyone tried to compel you, it shouldn't work."

Suddenly the item in my palm was worth more to me than it weights in literal gold. This could be a huge game changer if it actually worked.

I unclasped the lock and immediately put it on my wrist, bringing my forearm up to see how beautiful it looked while it dangled from my wrist.

"Even if it doesn't work, at least I have a nice reminder of carrying you and Dimitri with me."

Her eyes brightened with it. She took another step forward, her entire demeanor changing to that of her queenly authoritative one. "You come back, Rose Hathaway. I do not give you permission to die or get injured."

A sound came out of my mouth that sounded more like a Pfft. "More like these idiots better watch out for me. I'm not about to let them harm our race or anyone for that matter."

Her hand came to rest on my shoulder. "I know. It's why I have complete and utter faith in you and Dimitri."

I tried not to feel a pang of hurt at Dimitri's name since our fight was still so fresh and raw. Lucikly, Lissa hadn't picked up on it.

I bet down to grab my duffle, clearing my throat. "I should go."

Lissa nodded, taking a step back, as she rubbed her arm absentmindedly. "I don't want to hold you up."

I met her gaze for a moment. I didn't know if this could possibly be my last mission. I hope it wasn't, but if it was, Lissa should know.

"You're my best friend, Liss. More like a sister," I clarified. "I love you."

It was her turn to get a little misty-eyed. "I love you too, Rose. Be safe."

My cockiness returned. "Always am."

Present Day…

"Do you want me to return her back to a cell?" Reed stepped forward to ask Igor.

I felt the weight of Igor's stare on me. My eyes were fixed on a spot across the room, as if it was the most interesting thing in my life.

"No. Rose is one of us now. Aren't you Rose?"

My eyes drifted from the spot and over to Igor. I offered him a curt nod. "Yes, Master."

His eyes beamed. "See." His lips frowned. "This is working out better than expected. I'm almost sad that I won't be able to keep her."

"I don't see why you can't," said Reed. "That old fool has lost his mind anyway." He looked back over at me. "Why not keep her and use her as part of your strategy."

Igor's fingers drummed over his lips as he thought about Reed's recommendation. "Hmmm…while I would like too, a deal is a deal."

There was a knock on the door, another Strigoi stepping into the room. "Pardon the interruption, Master. Word at the gate is that an SUV is approaching."

Igor's entire body perked up. "Our guest must be arriving." He clapped his hands together, giddy, as if he had just seen the slew of presents waiting to be opened on Christmas morning. "I have waited a long time to see the look on Dimitri Belikov's face."

"Is he alone?" Reed asked.

The Strigoi nodded. "We aren't picking up any others in the area."

"Excellent," remarked Igor as if he had expected the opposite.

Reed made a sound that was a combination of a scoff and disgust. "You were right." He looked over in my direction, my eyes still trained back on the wall straight ahead. "His morals and intentions of thinking that he is so much in love, that he can actually save her by coming alone…pathetic."

"Ahh…you forget my dear boy; love can make you do crazy things." He snapped out of his swooning excitement. "Come, let us prepare for his arrival."

Reed's head tilted to the side. "And her?" he asked, gesturing to me over his shoulder.

Igor didn't even glance back. "Rose. Stay."

They laughed; the obvious command given as if I was some dog. I kept my eyes ahead and tone even. "Yes, Master."

The door shut in front of me. As soon as they were gone, I abandon my post. I looked down at my wrist, the bracelet that Lissa had given me secured their tightly.

"Thank you, Lissa," I whispered.

I knew I didn't have long before they would come back, and I was already on edge. Dimitri was here, and he was here alone. To attempt save me, by giving himself up.

I would take the few minutes I had alone to attempt at finding anything I could with regards to this operation. Obviously, Igor was not the full boss of this operation, with someone else either as a partner or in charge.

That someone else he wants to ship me too.

I had to file that away for now. I ran to the desk first, pulling out each of the drawers for any information that I could find. I didn't have my phone or the drive Dimitri and I had used previously to install software that linked to the computer.

Rummaging through the stacks of papers, they were copies of manifests. Deliveries that passed through the nightclub. Almost double what we actually received. The invoices on paper made it seem they were alcohol orders, but looking at each line item, more than half of them were noted as nightshade.

Was this the drug? Was this the blood combination that was used when making the terminator Strigoi?

I shuffled the papers back into the drawers. If Dimitri and I made it out of here, I would have to do whatever I could to get back to the club and see if any of the nightshade was in the building. I had to figure by now, that no matter how much Dimitri and I did to conceal who we were for undercover, it had all been moot point to begin with.

It had been a set up from the beginning. Igor wanted Dimitri and whoever the other mystery guest was, had some kind of interest with me. According to Igor and Reed.

I turned my attention to the computer, my fingers drumming over the keys only to curse seeing that it was password protected. I tried several ideas of what I thought might be it, before I attempted the final and last one, I could think of…Ivan.

The computer beeped, and I was in. So, not original. As my fingers started pulling up the files and looking into the history, I could hear voices getting louder outside the door. I wasn't going to have much longer.

There was a file on the desk that was notated as the same on the invoices—nightshade. I clicked into the information, my mouth dropping open as my eyes scanned left to right like an old-time type writer.

These were written journals and history of each attempt made to get the cocktail precisely when creating the desired effect for the newly Strigoi. It detailed the different levels and benefits if more Moroi blood was used versus if Dhampir blood was used. It even went into the analysis of the cocktail being administered to humans and the longevity of their survival.

My heart seized in my chest, as the notes went on to detail how to thoroughly drain every drop of blood from the subjects—Moroi and Dhampir—that for each one drained could make anywhere from eight to possibly ten of the new enhanced Strigoi.

My eyes scanned another journal, one created later in the creation of the new Strigoi. There were two specific added notes. Up until the creator added the final two ingredients, the enhanced Strigoi only maintained their abilities for months at a time. When mixed with dopamine—commonly used in making the drug cocaine—and bound together by a spirit user before being injected, it resulted in the Striogi maintaining the long-term effects.

Spirit users? Spirit was still the one element that was being studied since we didn't know all of the potential that could be done. It could make sense that if spirit could restore someone from Strigoi, why couldn't it also intensify the abilities as well.

I made a mental note to check how many Moroi were declared as spirit users. If we could run down a list and check-in, we might have a shot on who would be helping to bind this drug with the blood to make the nightshade.

"Reed, I think it's time our guest joins us," Igor said from the other side of the room.

My head looked up to the door, knowing that I was out of time. My heart started beating faster in my chest, as I clicked out of the flies and closed back out of the computer. I ran back to the position where I had been standing, my hands clasped right in front of my hips.

I closed my eyes, steading my breathing as I pushed all my emotions, thoughts, and feelings back in the depths of my mind. It took everything in me to keep up with the pretense that Joseph's compulsion worked and I was a mindless idiot ready to do anything that Igor asked of me.

The true test was about to begin. Right out that door, I knew that Dimitri was going to be standing there. Coming into this place infested with terminator Strigoi and those hellbent on killing us both.

Igor planned to use me to help get Dimitri so he could make good on his twisted plot for revenge for a brother that had disowned him long ago. I would die before I let anyone hurt Dimitri, but the only option we had at this point was the possible element of surprise.

I had faith in Dimitri. I knew that we wouldn't truly be alone, in that backup would not be that far off, but that meant that until they could aid in our rescue, we would be on our own. It was the only reason I had led Joseph and Igor to believe their compulsion on me worked.

Igor and Reed didn't believe something like love couldn't drive someone to do the impossible, but they didn't know how wrong they were. Standing there, having to close myself off from all my emotions while I said things like I would gladly kill Dimitri, made my heart crack a little at a time.

Now, would be my biggest feat of all. I would have to face Dimitri and say the same thing, even though inside I knew my heart would be crying out for him. It had only been a few days since we had been separated, but there wasn't anything he wouldn't do to come find me.

And I needed him. I needed his arms around me to hold me and just make these last few days go away. To heal my heart like the salve that Agatha had given me when she healed my shoulder.

The door to the room opened, my eyes already snapping straight ahead as I went through the most basic and boring history information I remembered Guardian Alto teaching us back at the academy. It would do its job in helping me to appear I was off in another world.

"Rose, our master would like to see you," Reed said, as he stepped in.

I dutifully turned in Reed's direction, offering a curt nod. "Whatever, pleases master," I replied deadpan.

I started walking towards the door of the office as Reed walked out ahead of me. Before I could even see Dimitri, I could feel him. I could feel his eyes on me. I could hear him take a breath knowing that I was alive, breathing, and safe from having been turned Strigoi.

I was going to have to do the one thing I never ever wanted to do.

I was going to have to break his heart to save him.

To save us.

I schooled my expression, taking a lesson from Dimitri when it came to imposing my most intimidating and scary guardian mask, and looked up, into the warmest concerned pair of brown eyes that threatened to gut me where I stood.

The cracks that were already in my chest, gave way and shattered as I portrayed that I had no recognition that I had ever met Dimitri Belikov before today. His body went rigid, his eyes dark, as if he was ready to take on every last terminator Strigoi because of what they had done to me.

"Roza," he said in a strangled voice.

The cracks gave away, my heart in pure agony now for what I was putting him through. I wanted to run to him and throw my arms around his neck and kiss away all the frowns and hurt. I forced myself to stay where I was. I forced myself to do what needed to be done so I could save us both.

I deserved every damn Oscar award ever created.

I could feel the weight of Igor and Reed's eyes on me as if they were waiting for this ultimate test. The test to determine if the compulsion worked. I needed them to believe that it had long enough until it was time for Dimitri and I to go on the offense.

I just hoped that when this was all over, Dimitri would forgive me for what I had to do to him.

I titled my head to the side looking at Dimitri with a blank stare. It was so hard, considering his eyes were pleading at me to remember him. To remember what we were and what we shared together. To fight for him. For us.

"It is time, Master?" I managed to ask in my most obedient tone I could muster, needing to look away from Dimitri before I ruined everything. I chose to look at Igor instead.

If I focused all my hate and anger on him, I could try and forget the sadness etched in Dimitri's expression. Igor would most likely mistake the anger being that I wanted to make him happy in completing the task in doing whatever it was to Dimitri that he wanted me to do. The sick bastard.

"Not yet, my darling, Rose. But soon," Igor replied smugly, a satisfying gleam in his eyes.

I returned my gaze back at Dimitri. I had to show that by looking at him, it meant that he was nothing to me. As long as I avoided contact directly in his eyes, I was sure I could do my best to make it through. I felt the weight of Dimitri's stare, I could feel him pleading with me to look him in the eyes, but if I did, I would be lost.

Instead, I blinked my eyes closed as I dropped them half mast, before I looked up at him with renowned strength. I will never let anyone hurt you. NEVER! It didn't matter what was going on around us. How many men were here to stack against him, he never once took his eyes off me.

They might be able to do what they could to break pieces of my heart for what I had to do to Dimitri, but they would never break my soul. That belonged only to Dimitri. I believed that fully.

"Roza?"

My name on his lips only ripped back open the pain of what I was doing to him.

"The Rose Hathaway you once knew is gone," Igor spoke up, instantly giving me the opportunity to glace in his direction again. As if I was devotedly awaiting his next command. "I am not Ivan." Outside of the brief seconds that Dimitri had looked away from me, I could see the questions and confusion in his eyes at seeing an exact replica of his former charge and best friend, Ivan. "I know it hurts right now, Dimitri. I want you to feel the pain I have felt these years."

A chill went through me that I was sure mirrored in Dimitri as well. I know how much Dimitri cared for Ivan Zeklos, and how broken he had been when he had died. Died on the one day that Dimitri had taken the day off to be with his family. He had blamed himself, even when there was no blame to be had. Seeing a ghost of a man he cared deeply for, had to be painful. It made me clench my hands at my side that I couldn't be there to comfort him. Help him through it. Instead, I was adding to it.

"When I am done with you, I will give you more mercy than you deserve. Mercy that you failed to give my brother." Igor paused, stepping over to me, putting his hands on either side of my shoulders. It took everything in me not to flinch and throw his hands off me. I heard the primal growl escape Dimitri's lips. His eyes turned a shade of brown that almost looked black. Saying he might be pissed was an understatement "And when you die, you will know you die without doing the one thing you were top of your class to do…protect her."

"I will kill you." Dimitri's words rang out like a promise.

One I knew Dimitri would make good on. Even if it was his last breath doing so.

Igor smiled. "Well, before we get down to the promises of killing, I thought we could have a chat." He waited until Dimitri looked back over at him. "I want to hear what possible excuse you could give me that would atone for my brother's death."

Dimitri's eyes narrowed. "Atone?" He asked, his words dripping with venom. "Why don't you tell me what it is that you did that could have made Ivan act as if you never existed."

My skin shivered at the peer hate in the air, as Igor leveled Dimitri with his gaze. "You are not in charge here. You do not get to ask questions. You will tell me what I want to hear, or I will make you watch her harm herself over and over again until I am satisfied with your obedience," he snapped.

Dimitri's jaw clenched, but his lips pressed together to avoid any retort that outside of the questions asked.

"Your brother didn't die under my watch," Dimitri's response came clipped and nothing short of the truth.

Igor sneered, as he scoffed. "You do not get to try and pass this off on a technicality."

Dimitri's gaze didn't waver. "I don't care what you believe. It's the truth."

I could see that Igor knew he wasn't going to get anywhere with that tactic, because it was the truth. It didn't mean that Dimitri didn't mourn or not carry some guilt—considering it was his best friend—but it was the truth.

"You want the truth?" Igor asked, his anger returning that I could see little balls of spit coming out with each word he uttered. "The truth is that instead of you putting Ivan first like guardians are supposed to do, you left him behind, with an inadequate protection, so YOU could do something for yourself. You failed Ivan. You failed his family. You failed as a guardian."

Dimitri said nothing to the words that were hailed at him. My anger was boiling to the surface at the unfairness of this all. Igor could believe whatever he wanted to believe about Dimitri, but Dimitri was the best of the best. The best of all of us.

He put his own wants, needs, and emotions aside every time for what he felt was right, even if sometimes what was right was wrong. Like trying not to love me when we both might have been tasked to be Lissa's guardian. Thinking he didn't deserve my love because of what he had done as a Strigoi, even though he had been forced to do it.

Igor knew nothing of what an honorable man Dimitri was. He was everything that Igor was not.

Dimitri's jaw clenched. "Ivan was a friend. He was like a brother to me."

Igor's entire expression morphed into one of pure furry. "Brother? Brother! You have no right to claim or act as if you were remotely anything close to him." He came to stop next to me. "I was his brother. You owe me a life for the one you stole from me."

"If you knew your brother, he would never condone or approve of what you are doing here. He wouldn't want this!" Dimitri ground out.

Igor sneered. "You don't get to speak for the dead."

Dimitri's gaze hardened. "Neither do you. I won't allow you to use his memory to murder innocents in his name as some sick twisted thing you call vengeance."

Igor let out a humorless laugh, his hands coming up to emphasize the room around him. "Look around, Guardian Belikov." Igor turned to me, his eyes turning malicious and calculated. "I have your girl. I don't think you are in any position to make any demands, let alone any threats."

I could feel the weight of Dimitri's gaze back on me. It all led back to our first conversation once we had admitted our feelings for each other. The possibility of the love that we shared for each other getting in the way of what possibly needed done.

What was one life in the scheme of saving hundreds or thousands? There was no way that we could let Igor or anyone else in this room continue the work and research they have done in creating these terminator Strigoi.

Dimitri was grounded by doing what was right. If there was a way to save me, even if that meant his certain death, I know he would do it, just as I would do the same when it came to him.

Igor turned to me, leaning in so his lips were close to my ear, his eyes still glancing at Dimitri. "Rose, it's time to make me happy, dear. What is it that I want you to do?"

It took everything in me to make sure my next words were as empty as I felt having to say them. "Kill Dimitri Belikov."

Igor patted my shoulder. "What a good girl."

Dimitri growled, his eyes glancing back on me. "Rose, don't listen to him."

Igor's smile turned sinister. "I told you, Dimitri, the Rose you once knew…is gone."

I took a step forward, knowing that if I needed to keep the compulsion belief going, I was expected to do just that. Igor's hand on my shoulder stopped me before I could proceed.

"Maybe he needs a demonstration." His head turned to his shoulder to look at me. "Rose, please go and take the stake from Guardian Belikov that we know he has."

"Yes, master," I answered meekly.

Dimitri's eyes didn't move from mine as I took the last few steps, guarding my emotions before I stopped in front of him and met his gaze.

"Roza." His voice was low and pleading, that it was killing me all over again. "Snap out of it, Rose. You can fight this. Your stronger than this."

"I'm afraid she is not." Igor mused, everything from his tone to his posture indicating how giddy he was about what was happening in front of him.

"Give me the stake," I ordered, trying my best to sound as robotic and emotionless as the compulsion should leave me be.

"Roza, please…"

Something, I never thought I would hear from Dimitri Belikov. Him begging and sounding so hopeless. It would have shattered my heart to pieces if it already hadn't been that way knowing how much hurt I was already putting him through.

I hardened my gaze, my lip curling upwards. "I will not ask again."

He stared at me for a moment, swearing something in Russian, before his hand reached to his waist and pulled out the sliver stake. The one thing we held onto no matter what. He was freely giving that up to me. Willing to stand in a room with a handful of dangerous enhanced Strigoi, because even in a state where it appeared I was gone and there was no hope—he still believed.

The weight of the stake held in his palm, his eyes never leaving mine as he extended his hand out to give it to me. I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream that I was here.

"Roza, please, find your way back to me."

The full weight of those words almost broke me. I managed to somehow take the stake from him, our fingers grazing the other. A shiver ran down my spine. I hadn't felt his touch in days since we had been separated. It was as if a spark of resurgence had filled through my bruised and battered body.

Our eyes met. I could see him searching there. Hoping to find a glimpse of who I was and what we meant to each other.

"Hand me the stake!" Igor snapped behind me that this was taking too long.

I straightened my shoulders. I took one last look at Dimitri my lips speaking the one words I hope would make everything alright.

My heart.

I turned; masking my emotions as I stepped closer to Igor with my own sickening sweet smile.

"Yes, master."

I handed him the stake like he asked. Just in the form of jamming it right into the center of his chest. His eyes went wide, disbelief etched in his features as he looked down at the stake protruding there, and then back at me.

All hell broke loose.

Dimitri

"Roza, please, find your way back to me," I said despondently.

I couldn't feel her in there. I couldn't see her no matter how hard I tried. Roza. My Roza couldn't be gone. She was stronger than this. She was a fighter. I couldn't let her go, no matter what I was supposed to do.

I handed over my stake willingly, knowing the greater danger that placed me in. I still had my backup stake in my boot, but in a situation were every minute counted, it was the worst thing a guardian could ever do.

Rose never gave up on me even when I had become Strigoi. When everyone else told her I was gone and that she needed to let me go, she had refused to give up until she kept her promise to do the one thing, she knew I needed. The opportunity to save my soul.

I might owe a debt of gratitude to Lissa for her ability to restore me from Strigoi back to Dhampir, but it had always been because of Rose. For the love and commitment that Rose had felt for me to never give up.

I would never give up on her. Even though each look, each word, each moment her eyes remained empty, her voice voided of emotion that I was used too, made it seem it was hopeless, I still placed my faith in her. In us.

Then I saw it. I saw the flicker of warmth return in her brown eyes. Her lips moved, the words coming out so faintly I almost wondered if I had imagined it. I know I didn't when she repeated the words in Russian, I had said to her so frequently.

My heart.

She winked; just as she turned, making my guard instantly go up. My Roza wasn't lost to me. Her wink told me she had some Rose-logic plan that I was about to be privy too.

The change in her voice as she agreed to his demand. With precision and deadly force that Rose Hathaway was capable of, she did exactly as he asked. By jamming the stake directly into his chest, hitting him straight in the heart.

His shock wore off after a second, before his arm came down, using his remaining strength to launch Rose across the room into the bookshelf a distance behind him.

I didn't hesitate, stepping forward and pulling out the stake in Igor's chest as he fell to his knees, keeling over until he fell flat on his face.

Reed was already at Rose, dragging her to her feet, his hand around her throat, as her head lauded to the side from the force of the back of her slamming against the bookshelf.

"Rose!"

I couldn't reach her, the other two remaining Strigoi in the room coming at me. Normally, three on two between Rose and I would be numbers that we could handle easily, but these were enhanced Strigoi, and Rose was still dealing with overcoming her previous injuries.

I just had to hope that the both of us could fend them off long enough for Mikhail and the other teams to get my signal to breach the compound.

"You'll die for that!" I heard Reed hiss towards, Rose as he applied further pressure to her windpipe.

She was clawing at his hand, trying to find any vantage point to get the upper hand. She was outmatched in height and strength, but my Roza was far more resourceful than Reed would give her credit for.

I punched the Strigoi to the left of me in the chest followed by one to the head. I threw him to the side…kicking him hard in the stomach until his back slammed into the desk, rolling backwards. The Strigoi to my right came at me, my hand instantly catching his as I turned him, slamming him into the wall behind me, just as I brought my stake up, my elbow applying enough pressure on the neck before staking him right in the chest. His body went limp.

I ran over to intervene with Reed and Rose, who had kicked him enough to ease his grip, but he was already back going at her gain, before the other Strigoi kicked me in the back, shoving me down to my knee. I grabbed the wrist of the Strigoi before he could land another blow on me, using the momentum to flip him on his back.

The door to the back of the office opened, two more Strigoi and another one I recognized – Ryan's father— storming through the door.

I was back on my feet ready to engage all four of them if that was what it took, before the door burst open behind me, Christian standing in the doorway with his palms up, and two fireballs in the center of his hands.

He grinned. "Thought you could use some help."

The Strigoi turned towards him, seeing he was the greatest of the threat. I caught the Strigoi who I had been fighting with by the back of the collar, punched the second with my left fist and then my right, before yanking him hard so his back slammed against the floor. He blocked my attempt to stake him, quickly climbing to his feet.

His mouth hung open, his steps immobile, before I brought my forearm up to block away the heat as his body engulfed in flames. Christian shot me a knowing smile.

The room started to flood with guardians from Mikhail's team. I turned back to Rose, still engaged in her battle with Reed. She was struggling, with Reed only seconds from his fangs coming down to her neck.

I grabbed hold of his shoulders, spinning him with a force I was certain he would never have seen the likes before, kicking him in the midsection, grabbing hold of his shoulders and shoving him down on his front side. Before I could stake him like I had been wanting, he too burst out into flames.

"Oops!" Christian grinned, knowing damn well that I wanted that one.

I didn't care as long as he was dead. Rose sank to the floor, my hands immediately going to her upper thighs as I helped righted her back to a sitting position.

"Roza! Roza! Talk to me." I demanded, her eyes opening and closing gingerly.

My hands cupped either side of her face, my fingers tangled in the beautiful hair of hers.

"I'm okay," she said weakly, her hands coming to my shoulders to help steady herself.

I titled her chin up to meet my eyes, nothing needing to be said in that moment. We were together again, and she was safe.

"Dimitri!"

I held onto Rose, as I turned to see Mikhail appear back through the door, his breaths coming out in ragged pants, his clothes covered in blood.

"We need you. There's a large group of Strigoi trying to defend the Dhampir and Moroi they kidnapped and draining their blood. Jared's team is enroute."

I turned back to Rose. I had just gotten her back. I couldn't leave her. Not yet.

"Go, Comrade," she said, pushing herself back against the bookshelf for support.

She was favoring her arm again, the one that Josh had mentioned she had hurt, no doubt not getting the proper rest it deserved.

"Rose…"

Her hands came up to either side of my cheeks even as she tried to hide the wince with her movements. "I'm fine. Go. They need you."

I looked behind me to see Christian was still standing there. "Stay with Rose," I demanded.

He nodded.

Rose attempted to open her mouth to protest, but I cut her off. "I'm not leaving you unless someone else is here," I said, hearing the note of raw turbulence in my tone and expression.

It was the first time I had hesitated with the internal struggle of needing to let her go and the need to go and support the team. I realized from the very bottom of the depths of my soul, that she didn't want me to let her go just as much as I didn't want to have too, but we were both bound by our duty to help others and see this through.

"Don't worry, she's got me too."

Rose's shocked expression was a tiny bit of an amusement as she looked up to see Josh standing right behind me in the doorway. Her gaze snapped back to me. "What's he doing here?"

I couldn't help but grin. "Apparently, someone made a deal for sanctuary at the colony."

Realization dawned in her expression. "Oh. That's right, I did."

"Dimitri!" Mikhail exclaimed exasperated.

"I'll be right back, Roza."

She glanced at me briefly, a million messages floating between us, before I broke the contact. I could see she was trying to be strong for me knowing I had to leave her here. "Go!"

I gave her a quick kiss, standing quickly to turn to face Josh who was standing behind me. I grabbed the lapel of his shirt and yanked him to me. "You protect her with your life. Got it?"

Josh nodded automatically. "As if you have to ask."

I released his shirt, looking back at Rose one last time, before I grabbed my stake and followed Mikhail from the room.

Rose

Christian crossed his arms over his chest. "You look like crap."

I scowled. "I might be hurt, Lord Fire Breather, but I'm not dead. I will and can still hurt you."

He grinned. "I'm glad you're ok."

"Me too."

Now that it was all over, even taking the moment to running through everything in my head, how close I had come to losing my life, to possibly losing Dimitri…it made me grateful it hadn't come to that.

"See, I told you I could be useful," Josh added, puffing out his chest.

"Yeah, yeah," I said, wincing as I attempted to stand.

Josh and Christan were at my side in seconds, both trying to help balance me to stand. "Maybe you should just take it easy," Christian suggested.

I grimaced. "They need me help."

A stern look drew over his eyes. "They can handle it."

I scoffed. "Now, you sound like Dimitri."

"He can be rather intimidating."

Josh crossed his arms over his chest. "Personally, I think he's a bit over the top."

I couldn't help but grin. Screams from the rooms behind us started to fill our room. I looked back in the direction, already looking around the room for a weapon.

"Where do you think you are going?"

I glared at Christian. "They need my help."

"You heard Captain Serious, he wants you to stay right here," added Josh.

I shot him a look of betrayal. "Whose side are you on now, anyway?"

He held his hands up. "The side where the scary Russian doesn't come back and punch my face. I still don't think he was happy about my reappearance."

"I'm suddenly not happy about your reappearance," I muttered.

Another scream tore through the room followed by shouts and yells from our guardians.

I started hobbling towards the door, but Christian stood in my way blocking me. "Rose, you need to stay."

"I have to help them!" My response coming out as a half shout and half plea.

Christian looked back at the opening, the indecision on his face. "If you stay, I will go and help them."

That made me feel better. Christian was the best fire element user I knew and had the most experienced in battle and dealing with large groups of Strigoi. He had easily helped shift the odds in our favor the moment he had stepped into the room.

Sliver and fire still effected the terminator Strigoi's and if there were many still here trying to fortify their supply, they needed Christian more than I did.

"I promise."

His brow arched at me. "Do you?"

"Oh, for pete's sake, go!"

He looked over at Josh, but Josh spoke up before Christian could even get a word in. "Yeah, yeah. Stay put and protect her with my life. Got it."

Christian nodded, running from the room leaving myself and Josh.

I hobbled over to the desk, thinking if I was going to be left out of the fight, now might be a good time to start collecting whatever I could from their research on what was being done here.

"You know, this should only provide to you how much I care about you. I mean, I could be kicking serious Strigoi ass right now, but instead, I am overseeing paperwork."

I shook my head. "Trust me, every once in a while—and I never thought these words would be coming from my mouth—staying out of the thick of things is good."

His shoulder raised as if he didn't necessarily agree with me, but didn't refute my statement either. "I should thank you," he said, coming to stand next to me. "Not many people keep their promises, and you did. I can't wait to get to the academy and train to be just as badass as you and Dimitri someday."

"You're welcome."

"In fact—"

His words were cut off, when his head jerked back so quickly, before it came forward, smashing right into the wood of the desk, before he slumped to the side.

I turned; two terminator Strigoi's right at my side. I didn't have my stake, but my eyes did catch the letter opener near me. It wouldn't kill them, but it would be enough to possibly stall them until I could get my hands on one. The one that I knew Josh would have on his body, that was slumped on the other side of the desk

The Strigoi to my left snarled at me. "You're coming with us."

I put my hands up, palms out, as I maneuvered my body so it was backed up against the front of the desk. "Ok. I'll come willingly."

That seemed to surprise the two Strigoi in front of me. They had clearly expected me to fight. I slowly brought my left hand back towards the desk, feeling for where I had seen the letter opener. I needed to buy myself a few extra minutes.

"Your boss is dead. Not sure what else you would want from me."

"That unhinged loser is not who we worked for," the left Strigoi responded.

I gulped. In the chaos of things, I had forgotten the warning of Igor's earlier words to me in that I was only meant to lure Dimitri here, but there had been other plans for me.

"Ok. Well, in that case…"

My fingers reached the letter opener, gripping it in the palm of my hand, as I brought it forward, stabbing it right into the side of the Strigoi's neck. He cursed as he stepped back, giving me the opportunity to kick him in the stomach.

The second Strigoi came at me, but he was much stronger than the first. He was obviously turned earlier and against my already injured arm, he was blocking all my maneuvers easily.

I blocked his attempt to punch me in the face, a loud cry escaping from my lips as I kneed him in the balls, and pushed him back.

Josh groaned to the left of me, as he rolled to his side.

"Josh, your stake. Now!"

"Huh?"

"Stake!" I cried.

His eyes blinked open, as he attempted to get to his feet. "I got it. I'll protect you."

I grumbled. "Just give me the stake!"

He reached for his pocket, just as it was coming up, his eyes went wide, his hand freezing in place. The Strigoi I had knocked over, had taken the same letter opener, jamming it into his back.

"Josh!"

The Strigoi's look turned cunning, as he jerked his head back violently, his fangs coming down on his neck.

"No!"

Something in me snapped. I wrenched the stake from his hand, pushing Josh away from him as I jammed the stake in his chest. The Strigoi had been too surprised to see it coming.

"You bitch!" hissed the second Strigoi.

Dimitri had told me once of the way he described my out of body experience after Mason had been killed, and I was sure I was feeling that exact same thing right in this moment.

I turned back to the remaining Strigoi, my lip curling upwards as I lunged myself at him. The pure adrenaline and hate coursing through my body as we both attacked each other, each delivering blow after blow.

I let out cry after cry with each punch and kick, the Strigoi actually appearing tired with each counter measure it tried to block. I just needed one opening, and it had given it to me.

I jumped at him, my arms and legs wrapping around him like I was some flying squirrel, pummeling him punch after punch to the head. I brought the stake back and with all the force and hate in my body, I crammed it in his back, striking his heart.

I rolled away, as he fell to the ground, my arm starting to throb now that the adrenaline was leaving my body. I crawled over to the other side of the floor, Josh's body lying on his side.

"Josh! Josh!" I wiped at my face, a combination of sweat and tears falling from my eyes.

His body remained still.

I reached his body, pulling him to his back against my thighs. His eyes were half-opened, his breath coming in quick pants. Between the gaping hole in his neck where the Strigoi had ripped it open, and the stab wound to the back, he was losing way too much blood too quickly.

I brought both of my hands to his neck to try and stop the blood, even though it still gushed out around me.

"You're going to be ok," I said, trying to sniffle back the snot and tears from my nose. "Help! Someone! Christian! Dimitri!"

"Ro…Ro…"

"Shhh…you're going to be ok. Just save your strength."

His body was shaking, and I could already feel the warmth leaving him, his body starting to get colder.

"Did…I do good? Di—di—did I sa—save y-y-you?"

I nodded emphatically. "Yes. You did good. You were a true guardian," I said, pushing his hair from his forehead.

He smiled, his eyes looking up as if they were already going to that far away place. I shook him. "No. Stay. Stay with me."

His eyes looked back at me for a fleeting second, his hand slowly trying to come up to touch my cheek, but his hand dropped instantly to his body, his eyes rolling up in his head, before they closed for the final time.

"Josh! Josh!"

I cried, holding him in my lap. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry," I whispered.

I closed my eyes my head coming down to his chest as the tears flowed freely.

I didn't know how long I stayed like that, until a jolt of pain shot up my back, as if I had been electrocuted by thousands of volts of lighting.

My body convulsed, as it fell to the side, all my muscles cramping with painful spams.

A hulking figure loomed over me, the only control I did have was my eyes. That were now as wide as saucers.

No!

"Hello, Rose. I told you we would meet again."

My eyes closed.

Everything went dark.

A/N: Oops...I did it again. Sorry!