He didn't see Rose the next day, a fact which made him ache. Even if he didn't speak to her, only seeing her in passing, it made his day better. Lissa was busy with Christian, leaving him bored and at a loss—he had nothing to do, and the inactivity was killing him. Not to mention the fact his mind had been feeling… strange all day. He decided to head back to the library. At least there he could keep busy, making copies of the new information he'd found. He kept at it until the librarian informed him it was time to leave, then headed to Lissa's dorm room to drop off the documents. Christian was leaving when he arrived, the other boy giving him a dirty look as he approached the door.

"She's taking a shower."

Adrian sighed. Christians dislike of him was really starting to get irksome. "I was just dropping these off."

"What is it?"

"Stuff on spirit. I found some new information and made copies. There's some stuff on Saint Vladimir and his miracles, too." At the mention of Saint Vlad, Christian's face tensed, Reminding Adrian of Rose's desperate flight to the chapel a few days before.

Christian reached for the papers, flipping through them. "What's up with all the interest in Saint Vlad?"

"Besides the obvious fact he was a spirit user? He had a bond mate who was shadow kissed, like Rose. I've been trying to find more information on them, but—"

Christian cut him off. "Try the church. That's where Rose found out—I smuggled her out some books, but there's still quite a few in the attic."

Adrian glanced at his watch. He'd be cutting it close. "Thanks. Give those to Lissa, please."

He jogged towards the church, his lungs heaving. He was gasping for breath by the time he hurried through the door, bumping into Father Andrew. "Sorry." He took a deep breath, trying not to wheeze. "I was trying to get here before you locked up."

The priest smiled. "It's strange that no one ever seems to need this place in the daytime."

"Excuse me?"

"Sorry. I was just thinking aloud. Last night I had to wait for Miss Hathaway and—"

"Rose was here?" What did she want?" He interrupted.

The priest's welcoming smile shifted into a more guarded expression. "I'm sorry I don't feel comfortable—"

Adrian's temper started to rise. "You feel totally comfortable answering me." He didn't have the patience or the time for this bullshit. He caught the man's eye, thrusting out spirit. "What did she want?"

Father Andrew's eyes became distant. "I didn't talk to her. Only to Guardian Belikov."

The sound of the Russian's name made his anger spike higher. "What did he want?"

"Nothing."

Shit. "What were they doing?"

"Rosemarie was crying. He comforted her. I felt… guilty watching them, so I made a noise to alert them to my presence. Then they left."

Hells bells. He stormed out of the church, the books he'd been seeking forgotten. He lit a cigarette, leaning against a tree as he wondering what could have upset Rose to the extent it had made her cry. From everything he'd seen and heard, she wasn't one to shed tears in a public place. Fucking Belikov. How did he always manage to be in the right place at the exact right moment? The damned stalker was always right on hand to offer comfort when she needed it.

Dragging deeply on his cigarette, Adrian headed back to his room. Tonight was the last straw. He was tired of being ignored. It was time to test out a few more of the 'forbidden' tricks they had discovered—and he had the perfect guinea pig in mind.

Belikov was leaning against the door to his suite. This was certainly an unexpected turn of events—the lab rat was making a house call. Adrian stopped a few feet away, shooting him a questioning look.

"Alberta insisted I take the night off. She also insisted I spend it drinking… with you."

"Pardon me?"

Belikov frowned. "She seems to think the only way she can trust me to keep her… actions the other night a secret is if I participate in one of your little drinking binges."

He look so distraught at the idea that Adrian almost laughed. Almost being the operative word. A moment later, he realized Alberta had totally screwed him over. The last thing he wanted to do was spend an entire evening with the jackass. Ohhhh that woman was going to regret this.

"Whatever. Come on in." Brushing past him, he opened the door, tossing his coat over a chair. "I assume you're a vodka man?"

"I'm not drinking with you, Ivashkov. I'll sit here all night, if that's what Alberta wants, but that's it."

"Don't get all high and mighty on me. What about our little agreement?"

Belikov arched an eyebrow at him, smirking. "That was a one-time offer. You got drunk that night, so the deal's off."

"I'm sober now. Have been all day. Yesterday too."

"Good for you."

"If you drink with me, I'll let you in on a little secret… Rose almost kissed me yesterday. Want to know why?" Adrian smiled, knowing there was no way the other man could refuse.

"I don't believe it."

Adrian set two bottles of vodka on the table, returning to the cabinet for glasses. "Ask Ozera. He… interrupted us." He set the glasses down. "Go on, call him."

Belikov's eyes narrowed as he shot Adrian a dark look. "Rose wouldn't do that."

"She did. Guess you don't wanna know why." He sank down on the sofa, pouring himself a drink.

Rolling his eyes, the taller man grabbed the bottle. "One drink. That's all." He eyed the label, his lips turning up slightly. "At least you have good taste in vodka."

He turned up the bottle, and Adrian watched in amazement as he downed almost half its contents. Using the hem of his shirt, he wiped off the lip of the bottle before handing it back to Adrian. Noticing the shocked expression on his face, Belikov made a disgusted face at him.

"Did you really think I couldn't handle a drink? I'm Russian."

"Please," Adrian snorted, "for all I know you're about to pass out. If you're still conscious in twenty minutes, then I'll be impressed." He took a drink, eying the other man over the top of the bottle. "Aren't you worried you'll get in trouble for drinking on the job?"

"I'm not on the job right now, I told you Alberta gave me the night off. Besides, the amount I drank won't affect me in the slightest. I could out drink you, if I wanted to destroy my liver."

"Okay, tough guy. We're gonna put that to the test. Since we're stuck together, tell me what's up with Rose Why was she so upset last night?"

"I don't know what you're referring to. Besides, I believe you have something to tell me?"

Fuck. "She asked me to use compulsion on her—to make her want to kiss me."

"Why?"

Adrian sighed dramatically. "I don't know, but she was thinking about you the whole time. Happy now?"

Belikov stared at him. "Why didn't you kiss her while she was under your compulsion?"

He shrugged. "It wouldn't be right. When she kisses me, I want it to be her idea."

"That'll be the day."

"Did you just quote John Wayne at me?"

The Russian looked over at him, his Guardian mask slipping. "How did you know that?"

"I like that movie. The Searchers, right?"

"Yes." Dimitri smiled at him. "You have good taste in films."

Adrian smirked. If all it took was 'the Duke' to get Belikov to let down his guard, then the man was totally screwed. "Look, Alberta gave you an order, right? You're stuck here with me, and she told you to drink. If you keep drinking, we can watch the movie. Or maybe you'd prefer Rio Bravo?"

He watched in amusement as Dimitri's face lit up. "You like Rio Bravo too?"

"Oh yeah. I'm a big fan. We could make a night of it—a movie marathon."

Belikov bit the inside of his cheek, pondering the offer. Decision made, he reached for the bottle. "If I agree, this never happened. If you tell anyone, I'll hurt you."

Adrian stuck out his hand. "Deal."

They shook on it.

Thank God Netflixs had an extensive John Wayne collection —he downloaded every one of them. They were already on the third film, and still Belikov showed no sign of being the slightest bit tipsy, despite being well into his third bottle of vodka. Adrian had stopped after two drinks, wanting to keep a clear head so he could question the other man about Rose. He was just waiting for the Russian to get drunk. The other man was staring at the T.V. with a happy expression on his face, immersed in—what Adrian considered— the most boring movie in existence. He'd spent the first thirty minutes reading over the cases they'd discovered where a spirit user had displayed a talent for reading the thoughts of others, but after committing it to memory, he was stuck in western hell. Relief slammed into him when there was a knock at the door, saving him from his misery.

"Well, Guardian Petrov. What a pleasant surprise. Care to join us?" He smiled at her, wondering how he'd pay her back for this little torture session he was stuck in.

Alberta smirked at him. "Having fun? I thought I'd stop by to make sure Belikov was here." She stepped into the apartment, freezing in place as Dimitri started laughing. "What the hell?"

"John Wayne. The way to Belikov's heart is John Wayne movies." Adrian whispered, taking her arm and guiding her towards the couch. "Please don't leave me alone with him. I'm dying here."

"Hello Dimitri." Alberta sat down beside him, glancing at the movie. "What are we watching?"

Belikov paused the movie, turning to her with a smile. "Angel and the Badman. Have you seen it?"

Alberta shot Adrian a look of utter amazement. "Uh, I think so, a long time ago."

"It's a very good movie. I haven't seen it since I was small." He turned back to the television, forgetting Alberta's existence as soon as he pushed play.

Adrian jerked his head towards the kitchen, smiling wryly as Alberta edged her way past Dimitri, earning a sound of displeasure when she walked across his line of vision.

"What the hell did you do to him?"

"Nothing. You gave him the night off and ordered him to drink. He wouldn't drink, so I bribed him with movies."

"I've never seen him like this. How much has he had?" Alberta peeked around the corner.

"Not nearly enough."

Shooting him a dark look, she walked back through the room. "Have a fun, gentleman. Belikov, don't forget you have to play Strigoi tomorrow."

He didn't even look up. Adrian studied him, shocked to realize he'd never seen the man smile—a real smile, like the one he had now, not a smug grin or a smirk. Hell, he'd never even seen Belikov smile at Rose. Maybe the man was a little bit tipsy. Time to test out what he'd learned. Settling back down on the couch, he grabbed the remote, hitting the pause button, ignoring the Russian's complaints.

"Are you drunk?"

Belikov glared at him. "No. Not in the slightest."

"I think you are. You actually look happy for once."

"I was happy because I was enjoying the film."

Adrian leaned forward, catching the other man's brown eyes in his gaze. "Why was Rose crying in the church."

Belikov's jaw tensed. Adrian could feel him pulling at the compulsion, trying to look away, but it was too strong. He focused all his energy into the other man. "You're tired, about to fall asleep. Right now."

The tall man slumped against the back of the couch, the bottle slipping from his grip and dropping to the floor. Once he was positive he was asleep, Adrian sank back, closing his eyes. He was rather skeptical about this particular skill. It just didn't seem logical, the way it had been explained in the archives. Not to mention the fact that it was supposed to be done while the… victim was conscious—unfortunately, beggars couldn't be choosers.

Concentrating on the blackness behind his closed eyelids, he pictured Belikov's aura. As soon as he had the image clearly reconstructed, he pushed spirit into it then quickly pulled it back, forming a current that flowed between them. Visualized in his mind, it almost looked like a whirlpool, constantly circling.

When he'd asked his spirit laced question, he'd planted it in the other man's subconscious, now the sweeping current brought thoughts regarding the answer straight to him from Belikov's head. Regrettably, he was swamped with Dimitri's pent up emotions as well, making him feel like he was drowning. It was startlingly similar to a vision dream, only this time, Adrian was not physically present.

Well fuck. It was as if he were in the Russian's body, reliving the moment.

Rose was sitting beside him, so close. Close enough to reach out and embrace, if he only had the courage. She sighed, a small, hopeless sound that tore at his heart. Reaching over, he gently placed his hand over hers, ignoring the small flinch she made. "You thought if she was right, it would explain everything."

She nodded. "I don't want to be crazy."

"You aren't crazy."

"But you don't believe I'm really seeing ghosts."

He glanced away, his eyes focusing on the flickering of candles on the altar. He felt horrible for reveling in the warm feeling of her small hand beneath his. She needed his help, this wasn't the time to have feelings like this. "I don't know. I'm still trying to keep an open mind. And being stressed isn't the same as being crazy."

"I know," Rose said. "But… well… there's something else…."

The image flickered, going out for a moment before reappearing, this time appearing fainter than it had a moment before.

"Have you told anyone else about this? Lissa? Your counselor?"

"No," she answered in a small voice, not meeting his eyes. "I was afraid of what they'd think."

He squeezed her hand. "You have to stop this. You aren't afraid of throwing yourself in the path of danger, but you're terrified of letting anyone in."

"I… I don't know," She looked up at him. "I guess."

"Then why'd you tell me?" He fought to keep his expression calm, wishing with every part of him that she's say it was because she loved him, that she knew he'd protect her, no matter what the cost.

She smiled. "Because you told me I should trust people. I trust you."

A wave of disappointment hit him. "You don't trust Lissa?"

Her smile faltered. "I trust her, absolutely. But I don't want to tell her things that'll make her worry. I guess it's a way of protecting her, just like keeping Strigoi away."

"She's stronger than you think," he said. "And she would go out of her way to help you."

"So what? You want me to confide in her and not you?"

"No, I want you to confide in both of us. I think it'd be good for you. Does what happened to Anna bother you?"

"No." Rose looked away again. "It scares me."

Her admission shocked the hell out of him. Roza never admitted any form of weakness. She—he saw the tears gathering in her eyes and had to comfort her. He had to take the bad feelings away, to shelter her from the things that tormented her. He loved her so much, the thought of her suffering felt like a knife in his heart. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her close against his body. She rested her head against his chest and he could feel her trying to control herself. His poor, poor Roza.

"I don't want to be like that," she said. "I want to be like everyone else. I want my mind to be … normal. Normal by Rose standards, I mean. I don't want to lose control. I don't want to be like Anna and kill myself. I love being alive. I'd die to save my friends, but I hope it doesn't happen. I hope we all live long, happy lives. Like Lissa said—one big happy family. There's so much I want to do, but I'm so scared … scared that I'll be like her. I'm afraid I won't be able to stop it—"

He held her tighter. "It's not going to happen," he murmured. "You're wild and impulsive, but at the end of the day, you're one of the strongest people I know. Even if you are the same as Anna—and I don't think you are—you two won't share the same fate."

He held her in silence for a moment, searching for words… any words that would make this better. "You're also missing something," he continued, running a hand over her silky hair, closing his eyes as fingers brushed through it, enjoying the sensation. "If you are in danger from Lissa's magic, then at least you understand why. She can stop using her magic, and that'll be the end of it."

She pulled back, staring at him, rubbing at her eyes. A rustling sound came from near the door of the sanctuary, and he mentally cursed, scooting over to increase the space between them.

He stood, walking towards the priest and—

The image dissolved, replaced by an angry face. Adrian realized he couldn't breathe properly—probably because Belikov had him by the throat.

"I told you to stay out of my head!" He growled.

Adrian stared at him in disbelief, how had he broken out of the compulsion? "No you said to stay out of your dreams." His voice sounded choked.

Shoving him backwards, Belikov stood, towering over him as he tried to catch his breath. Adrian closed his eyes, concentrating on getting air into his oxygen starved lungs. He realized, too late, of course, that the reason the vision had dimmed was because the other man had been slowly waking up. He'd have to remember that little warning sign in the future.

"So that there will be no further misunderstandings between us, Ivashkov, Do not use your powers on my mind in any way shape or form. Do you understand?" He was so angry his accent overpowered his words.

"Crystal clear." He watched as Belikov stalked towards the door. "Hey wait, don't you want to finish the movie?"

Belikov shot him a dirty look, his aura flashing with sorrow. "Much as I would like to see the ending, I don't think I could stomach the company."

Adrian stared at the closed door, feeling like a complete and utter shit for ruining the man's happy mood.

A/N Many people have sent me messages requesting a 'Dimitri drinking' scene, so here you go. Since Dimitri drinking was never discussed in the books, I had to contemplate how he might react, because I wanted him to 'stay in character'.

I do not picture Dimitri as a weepy emotional drinker or a crazy acting one, so if that's what you were looking for, sorry.

In my opinion, a drunk—or in this case lightly buzzed—Dimitri would be... normal. Meaning we'd see him without his Guardian mask and without his walls in place, in essence the man he might have been if he lived a simpler life. Add a western movie to the mix, and we might get the chance to see him happy, even if just for a short time.

And to those of you worried about the Alberta and Adrian thing—don't be. Ivashkov is a natural flirt and tease, as shown in the books. He likes to pick on Alberta because now he knows he can get under her skin and walk away without any bruises.

Thanks to everyone who sent messages/commented in reviews about my dad. He's back at home and doing fine.

Also, thanks to everyone who have set an alert and/or marked this story or me as a favorite. I really appreciate it.

A big thank you also to all those who took the time to leave a review. It's wonderful to read your thoughts/feelings about the story. Hugs to you all.

Sorry for leaving yet another irritating author note, and such a long one, at that. :)