I'm a complete review whore, I want it from everyone, and usually I'll wait until I hear from more people, but I just can't stop writing this story, It wants out too much. Shout out to my two reviewers VA GYPSY and ROZA M BELICOVA, you guys rock. This whole story is dedicated to you. I own nothing.

ROSE POV

A heady sense of déjà vu hits me as I stride briskly down the far left corridor of St. Vlads, towards, what was my least favorite Guardian class back in the day, Bodyguard Theory and Personal Protection 3, taught by Guardian Stan, go suck a dick, Alto. I wonder if he's still a douce. Probably.

I was always late back in the day and that apparently hasn't changed.

After I left Janine a stunned mess, Alberta escorted me to the dorm for guest Guardians and I unpacked my luggage, shoving clothes into draws angrily as I replayed every word between me and that horrible woman, until I had to force myself to forget her.

I have done my duty, better than most, and protected Lissa with my own life since we were six years old, and will until the day I die. Me knowing that Is just going to have to be enough for me.

God dammit, it's not.

I shake my head as I finally reach Stan's classroom and enter only to have three dozen eyes shoot towards me.

Will I wouldn't be me if I didn't make an entrance.

"Well, well, well, look who hasn't changed one damn bit, and is late to my class. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Her Highness, Guardian Rose Hathaway." Stan growls from his place against the wall far across the other side of the room. Stan's about 5'9 with dark hair and eyes and a seemingly permanent scowl marring his features.

I gotta take advantage of the room full of students standing between us, I just gotta.

I smile sweetly at him.

"Fuck off, Stanie."

I wish I had a camera to record all the wide eyes and the righteous sounds of scandalous gasps of shock followed by bursts of stunned laughter.

Stans face turns red with anger, as he pushes off the wall, posture stiff, readying for a fight.

I just laugh and walk to the front of the class, were I see three guardians standing, two trying to cover their grins.

The ones trying to cover their laughs are Guardians Stewart Gibson and Peter Rollins. Both elder gentleman, but still deadly, the last is Janine, looking at me like she could strangle me.

Not without a fight bitch.

I stand beside Pete, shaking his hand and turn to the full class, accompanied by about a dozen Guardians standing rim rod straight in the back, all in black.

After a few commands from Stan, including for me not to disrespect him, to which I payed him a Hitler salute, the class calmed down and Stan introduced Gibson to start off first with his story, glaring at me.

I don't care about Stans feelings, but I am glad I didn't interrupt anyone, even Janine.

We are here to share with the class the hardest situation we have ever been in, how it happened and what we did and what it felt like, to give them a taste of what they should expect.

I was actually kinda excited to hear what Gibson and Peter had to say, they've been doing the job for so long I know they must have a million different heroic tales to tell, but I didn't hear a thing any of them said or even Janine.

Right in the corner, by the door in line with all the other guardians, stands the most handsome man I have ever seen in my life.

He's tall, probably somewhere around 6'8 at least, with what could be long, hair tied up. It looks so silky, a few shades lighter than my almost black locks, I instantly want to run a hand through it. His build is just as impressive as his height. He's wearing the normal black attire but over it, a long, brown cowboy duster, which would normally look ridiculous but works for him. Even with the coat his biceps look bigger than my thighs, paired with an impossibly broad chest, and thick neck.

God damn, I can literally feel myself ovulate just looking at him.

Not that it matters. Dhampirs can't conceive with one another, only with Moroi. Not that I ever want kids. Nope, Lissa might as well be my child, she's the only person I need to focus on. I make eye contact with the Dude-o-Sex and see emotionless brown eyes.

Damn if I thought Eddie had an impressive mask, obviously I need to get out more, 'cause he's got nothing on this guy.

I'm brought out of my thoughts as my name is called.

"Guardian Hathaway, you are the last for today." Stan hisses, probably upset to call me by my title.

How long was I staring at this guy if I missed all three stories and a flurry of questions from the senior novices?

I turn to the class, all of them looking at me expectantly with curious, eagre eyes.

I clear my throat, as I realize I have nothing prepared to say to them. It hasn't hit me until now, that people would want to hear what I have to say. Usually I have to bust my way into a conversation.

Good thing I'm good on my toes.

"I'm Guardian Rose Hathaway, and the worst situation I have ever been in . . ." I curl my tongue softly across my bottom lip than bite it.

I can't believe I'm going to relive this, but It was the most horrible moment in my life.

"The worst situation I've ever been in," I restart, "Was my very first encounter with a Stigoi." I glance at Stan and for a second we share a look of mutual understanding. He remembers.

"It was my Sophomore year and I and some friends were given permission to travel off campus to go shopping for the Equinox Dance. It was more a test for me than anything really, but it was a fun day. It was me, two moroi and five other Guardains, including Guardian Alto over there, Guardian Petrov and my personal mentor Guardian Arthur Schoenberg." At the mention of Art, several loud gasps could be heard from the novices.

I smile sadly.

"I see some of you already know this story."

I see several heads nod.

"My friends and I had finished shopping, the day had gone by without a hitch, well except I almost broke some poor guys wrist when he tried to give a surprise massage to my charge." I laugh.

"We were leaving the mall from a loading dock of one of the stores and we were immediately ambushed by a gang of Stigoi. I was only given a UV light that stuns Strigoi so the best I could do was shine it in their eyes as I shielded my charges. I had them pressed up against a brick wall behind me, trying to get them back in the store, when three Strogoi, slipped through the Guardians. I remember vividly the first punch I landed on the Strigoi. It didn't hurt him, at all, but I thought my hand was going to shatter and fall off. I didn't stop though, you can never give up, if you want to be a Guardian you have to be willing to die for your Moroi. I saw Guardian Petrov and Alto come up behind them and I shone the light in their eyes, distracting them so they could stake them, and they did, but there were what seemed like a hundred left. Later on I counted the bodies, their were only ten. I started getting the hang of it though and I fought as hard as I could, and I made a little head way, but I didn't have a weapon that could kill them so there was only so much I could do." I purse my lips. What I would give to change the next part of this story.

"At one point my Mentor was thrown right by my feet and onto his stomach. I expected him to jump right back up, that's what he always did in practice. But he didn't. I yelled at him and kicked him with my foot, screaming for him to help me, but he just wouldn't move. Guardian Petrov had to yell at me that he was dead. I turned him around and saw that his neck was snapped."

I pause in my story and scratch the back of my neck.

"I never dreamt he could ever be killed, he always seemed so invincible. But if he did I always thought that if I lost Art I would be crippled with sadness. If any of you have a personal mentor, than I'm sure you can appreciate the bond that goes along with it." I see a few heads nod, and I even caught one girl in the front row with brown hair with streaks of gold, turn to glance at the tall, sexy guy in the back.

"I was wasn't hit with sadness though, but with this blinding rage. When the Stigoi came at me now, they felt ever punch, were crippled by my kicks. It still wasn't enough. I looked down at Art and I saw his stake in his hand; I was just going to borrow it from him. It was his favorite one, with this beautiful geometric design on the hilt. I had always admired it, ever since I was a child. I took it and killed my first two Stigoi. To this day I don't remember how I did it, what moves I used, if it happened quickly or if they put up a hard fight. Just the feel of killing them and that they were dead. It was then that I truly understood what Guardians meant by, 'they come first.' That day we lost two other Guardians besides my mentor, I didn't know them well, but I remember they bickered at each other in the car, it made everyone laugh, even Stan, as impossible as that sounds. All three put the Moroi first, like they were supposed to, and they lost their lives doing it. Before that, I always thought I understood what it meant to protect your Moroi with your life, but it wasn't until I saw someone actually do it, and being willing to do it myself, did it really sink in, 'They Come First' and nothing will prepare you for that epiphany."

It was obvious, I was done, but no one clapped, thank god, instead a dozen or so hands shot into the air and I started calling on random people. I answered tons of questions but only a few stood out.

"What did it feel like to kill for the first time, did it feel awesome?"

"I always thought I would feel excited or even happy killing them, but Instead I felt . . . empty. Death is not a celebration, life is."

"What was Guardian Schoenberg Like? We all are taught about him, his techniques and that he was your mentor since you were a kid, but what kind of person was he like, what did he teach you?"

I glance at Stan and we have another moment of understanding.

If Alberta was my mother than Art was my father. He trained me, taught me how to play poker and threaten any boy I dated not to break my heart.

"He was sarcastic and witty and cocky and sincere and the greatest fighter I had ever seen. He moved like Bruce Lee and Rambo and was a total hard ass. He taught me . . . everything."

"Who were the other two Guardians that died?"

"Sasha Mitchell and Tarriance King."

"One more question, guys." Stan warns.

Many hands were raised but I called on the girl with golden highlights.

"Besides Guardian Schoenberg actually dieing what was the worst part about losing him." She spoke surely, with a thick Russian accent.

The question hit me hard.

"He was a huge part of my life, we had a schedule we lived by. We would always practice one one- two times a day, Once in the morning before classes started and after classes. It was hard adjusting to not only never seeing him again, but changing my life to fit around him no longer being there. For a while it made me really upset knowing I still had so much to learn from him, but I would never get the chance. But the absolutely worst parts were when I took his stake from him, his hand was still tightly clutching it, and when I took my trials. The feel of he's absence was never greater."

The girl smiles sadly.

"Well even without him you kicked ass."

I frown at her.

"You were there?"

She shakes his head, eyes confused.

"Guardian Hathaway, we've all studied a taping of your trials and were even tested on it. I'm mean you broke several records that day, not just here at St. Vlads but all over the world. Your fighting technique is a chapter of our academics in every Guardian class, as we've all heard the situations you've been in and how you handled them." She answered me with a sort of admiration in her voice.

That left me fucking stunned. For a second.

I glare at the side of Janine's head, she doesn't look at me, but I know she can feel me looking at her, as she purses her lips.

That's fucking right bitch, suck a dick, I belong here.

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