– DIMITRI –

Under a normal timescale, it took anywhere from a week to ten days to process the paperwork for a guardian to get their marks for a Strigoi kill. It was usually on the longer end of things if there was any reason to get the alchemists involved, but even then, they preferred to deal with us as little as possible and tended to be efficient. However, the attack at Christian and Lissa's wedding was anything but ordinary.

First and foremost, it was at Court: the most highly warded and guarded Moroi compound on the planet. The fact that any threat got in, let alone an attack of that size, was something to be severely concerned about. Investigations were still ongoing about the matter but I personally had little knowledge about the details except for providing information about guest lists and the like.

Second, it was a large scale attack. They were becoming more and more common unfortunately, but this was one of the largest we had seen in a while. We hadn't been fully unprepared like we would have been several years ago, but our security and defense tactics against such an attack were still fairly new. This meant that there were a large number of casualties on both sides. It took almost a day and a half to gather the full numbers and notify all of the next of kin.

Third, this had been an event on an international scale. Politically, it was a mess. Dignitaries from several countries with many different family ties were involved, and more started calling in almost immediately after the news broke. Speaking of news, the Moroi world wasn't without its own version of media, and the press had been fairly hungry for any information they could get. Guardians had been working almost as hard at corralling them as they had been at re-securing the wards.

So now, just over three weeks later, all the paperwork was finally settled and ready and the Zvezda ceremony was scheduled for tomorrow morning. Hans had notified me only a few hours ago and after a quick text to Eddie, who was working a shift, I was making my way over to the house to let Rose know.

We hadn't spoken much about the marking ceremony, and I wanted to give her some information about what to expect so that it wouldn't be a total surprise. I think a part of her was still trying to put off thinking about it too much. I knew she was still trying to process all that had happened, and while it may not be completely healthy to postpone dealing with certain realities, she was actually adjusting to life fairly well. She was simply taking it one day at a time.

Making my way up the creaky staircase, I could see that the door to her room was closed, but the light shining underneath hinted that she was inside. However, my knocks still went unanswered. I hesitantly cracked it open, making sure that she wasn't sleeping or somehow indecent before venturing in any further.

Instead, I found her laying on her bed, headphones over her ears, feet kicking in time with some unknown beat she was humming along to. In front of her were a spread of various papers, and as I got closer, I could see they were a mixture of newspapers, fliers, and multiple internet tabs open on her laptop.

"What are you researching?"

She jumped slightly, pulling her large red headphones off her head so that they hung around her neck, and looking up and me in surprise, quickly followed by relief.

"Oh, nothing much," she sighed. She closed the laptop and started cleaning up the papers, inviting me to sit beside her. "I'm taking a look at some of the job openings around here. There aren't a ton that I've been able to find so far – it looks like you kinda need to know somebody, if you know what I mean – but I've found a couple of options."

"Have you talked to Lissa yet?"

She looked at me shyly before answering. "I haven't really told her yet. I'm looking for a job, but I'm looking for an apartment too. I don't know how well she'll take that."

Not very well, I thought, but I didn't tell her that. Lissa was still fairly intent on keeping Rose as close as possible, and took several days off of work when she came back to Court. Rose had allowed it for a few days, but eventually put her foot down and demanded some space. We left for the gym less than ten minutes after the conversation and didn't come home until the sun had risen high over the courthouse bell tower.

"Did you find anything?" It didn't matter if I was talking about the apartment or job, I was curious either way.

Her huffed response wasn't encouraging. "No. Like I said, there aren't many jobs available. And I found a couple of apartments, but without a job, I can't afford them. I could just take one of the jobs at the chain stores or something but even if that was enough to really get by, it isn't that easy..."

She trailed off, going through some of her papers again. "What do you mean?"

"My name."

She stated it so distractedly, I almost wondered if I had heard her right and made a small hum of question.

"My name," she repeated, confirming my doubt. "It's still legally Ivy. I have to figure out how to change it or work around it or...something. I don't even know what to do about the whole social security number situation, or explain to my social worker back in Nevada that I'm 'oh, I'm actually a half vampire' without sounding like I'm crazy, or -"

"Whoa, Rose. Rose, relax." I pulled the papers out of her hands, surprised when she immediately reached out to me. Without hesitation, I pulled her closer still, settling her in my lap, with her arms around my neck and my own around her waist. Her face tucked into my collar, nuzzling between the scruff on my jaw and the softer skin of my shoulder. I swear I could feel her body relax as she took a deep breath and I smiled as I started to smooth her head back while she calmed down again.

"That's it Rose," I finally speak when her breathing evens out. "And don't worry. I'm so sorry that you were stressing over all this. I would have said something sooner had I known. We have a whole group of people called Alchemists who can help get the legal paperwork with your identity in order. Just tell me what you need and I'll work with you to make it happen, okay? I don't know how long it will take, but we'll get it done."

She nodded against my shoulder, not saying anything but at least she didn't seem on the verge of a panic attack anymore.

I took another breath, enjoying the closeness that was starting to seem less desperate and more pleasurable. "What's next, the apartment? I have to ask, why do you want to move? You know that Lissa and Christian would let you stay as long as you'd like here?"

"I know," she purred as I continued to play with her hair while she rested against me. "It's not that I don't want to live here with you guys. I just feel like I owe so much to Lissa as it is. I'd like to really do something for myself for a change. I know you are all happy to help, I just want to stand on my own two feet for a while."

"What, several years on the outside wasn't enough for you?" I was only teasing her, but there was a grain of truth to it also.

"You'd think, right?" She laughed, drawing one from me as well. "The truth is, I just want that independence. I know Lissa's not going to let me do things like pay rent as long as I'm staying with you guys. I don't think I've even done the dishes since moving in. Maybe I shouldn't be complaining, but I like those little bits of normalcy. I don't mind having a roommate or something like that, but there's a very small part of me that misses the days of doing laundry and procrastinating taking out the trash in hopes that Marie would break first."

"Yeah, that sounds like quite the life." And it did. I could already start to imagine it, but instead of Rose waiting for Marie to break and finally take out the trash, that would be my chore, and I'd do my best to have it done before she ever had to ask. She'd wash the dishes, I'd dry, or the other way around if she'd prefer. We'd spend some evenings doing nothing more than resting in quiet comfort on the couch, curled next to one another. She would probably enjoy some new movie or television show and I'd dig into some classic book I've read a thousand times before and had memorized so I could pretend to be engrossed in it while I simply watched her fall asleep in my arms. I can imagine carrying her to bed and tucking her in, maybe slipping in beside her and holding her close again...

No. That's the total opposite of what she asked. We're supposed to be going slow. Living together, even if we got a two bedroom place, probably wouldn't fall under that definition. I shook the pleasant daydream from my mind, at least for the moment, and moved to the next topic of discussion. "So, what's holding you back right now? Are there not any listings?"

"No, there's a few listings, but nothing I can really afford. I need a job first and with what I'm finding right now, I need a job and a roommate."

The temptation to offer to move in together was on the tip of my tongue again, especially since I had my own savings that have been set aside. A good portion of my salary had been going back home to my family in Russia ever since I started working, but since Karo got married last year and Vika graduated and was now working as a guardian herself, there was less of a need for my support. With no better place to put it, I've simple been letting it collect interest in savings. I could easily cover the rent on a nice place for a while, whether or not she had a job, and of course I wouldn't expect anything in return. But that wasn't much different than what Lissa was offering her now, was it?

"Well, we better start looking for a job for you. Did any of job postings stand out to you?"

"A small coffee shop is looking for a barista. It's pretty poor pay, but there are tips, so that's a start. There's also a waitress job at one of the more high end places here, but they want a few years of experience and while I have some, I don't have quite enough. I'll probably try anyways since the worse they can do is turn me down. The only other promising one was something I heard through the grapevine and haven't checked out yet. Someone mentioned a place called the Red Room Club was looking for a dancer. Have you heard of it?"

The moment she mentioned the club, a shady place that I had only heard about through stories from desperate guardians and sleazy businessmen, I stiffened. I think she noticed the change immediately because she gave me a questioning look.

"I've heard of it. Rose, I don't think that's a good idea. I don't want to tell you what to do, but that club isn't like Wonderland. Those girls aren't protected any more than you were at the gala. Worse, even. I hate the thought of what could happen to you. I know you are more than capable of protecting yourself, but you may not be entitled to do so, even there."

She looked at me with a disgusted awe, almost in disbelief. Once she saw I wasn't joking, not even close, she shook her head. "That's crazy, and sick."

"I know."

"I wish there was something I could do because it's so wrong that they should have to deal with that, that any of us should have to deal with this."

"I know," I said repeating myself, feeling inadequate in my attempts to comfort her.

"Did you know that there is literally no representation for unpromised dhampirs?" She continued before I even had time to process my surprise and answer her. "Yeah, I was talking to Ambrose before I left. At least guardians have the Guardian Council, but unpromised dhampirs have no one to speak on their behalf. It's no wonder we get treated like trash."

"I had no idea." I admitted. And honestly, I hadn't. Beyond my family, I didn't have a ton of experience with unpromised dhampirs, and those that I had spent a short time interacting with in the past weren't exactly interested in being part of our society. Those in the smaller villages generally just kept to themselves.

"Yeah, and apparently it's not just them. Even the non-royal Moroi have next to no say in what happens in their own government. It's pretty much all up to the Royal Moroi and there isn't much in the way of regulation I guess. I'm not huge on politics, but I was listening to Tasha and Liss talk about it and it all sounds pretty messed up."

"What's messed up?" A third voice sounded from the door, and I had been so enthralled in what Rose was saying that I didn't even notice Lissa coming up the stairs. "Sorry," she continued, apologizing when she saw us jump and watching as Rose moved as subtly as possible off my lap. "I didn't mean to interrupt anything. I just wanted to let you guys know that dinner will be done in about ten minutes. Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Rose assured her while I created some extra distance between us. While there was technically nothing keeping us from officially dating or being together in any way, and our friends had shown their approval or even silent encouragement for our relationship, we were still working things out together one step at a time. More importantly, we were doing so together and in private. "Just looking over some job postings."

"Oh? You know there's no rush, right? You have plenty of time to find the right job. You can even go back to your guardian training if you'd like."

Rose gave me a knowing look that I recognized too easily, because this was a conversation we had already had more than once. I had offered within the first few days to see what would be needed for her to complete her training and receive her promise mark, and while she hadn't been totally sure that was what she wanted yet, she agreed to look into the process. Since she already had her GED, she didn't need to graduate with educational credentials, and only needed to finish her guardian training. By resuming my position as her mentor, I could easily help her with that. I would help with the actual physical training, proctor the course exams, and then she would travel to St. Vladimir's for her final trials. The entire process would take less than a year.

When push came to shove, Rose still wasn't sure if that was what she wanted yet. I wasn't there to encourage her one way or the other, just to support her with whatever choice she made. If I was honest though, there was a part of me that secretly hoped that she didn't jump back into that life. I had almost lost her once, and it had nearly been the end of me. I didn't want to go through that again. I wasn't sure if I could survive it again. But, if that's what she eventually chose to do, I would help her however I could.

"Thanks, Liss," Rose answered diplomatically, "but I haven't quite made a decision on becoming a guardian again. I'm still looking into a few things. However, until then, I'd like to make some cash. I just wish that I could do something that made more difference than making sure I used soy milk in someone's vanilla chai latte. I'd still like to make a difference somehow."

Vasilisa nodded, getting an odd distant look on her face for a moment before returning to us with a bright smile and look that hinted at a dangerous idea. "Hold off on the job hunt for a day or two if you can. I think I might have an idea."

Rose and I shared a worried glance, before Rose gave a warning question, "What do you have up your sleeve...?"

"I don't want to say anything yet. I don't know if it will work, but you have to trust me. Do you trust me?"

In the following silence, and the shared look between them that meant that their bond was open, I knew what Rose's answer would be. "Of course, Liss. I'll always trust you. We'll be down in a bit."

~ ROSE ~

Before I knew it, I was dressed in an uncomfortable white blouse and black jacket, standing in a hot, stagnant room with dozens of other guardians. Dimitri had tried to prepare me for what the ceremony would entail, but based on his description, I think this was a bit more involved than even he had imagined. At the very least, I would hazard to guess that he wasn't used to receiving his marks with this many people. He seemed a bit claustrophobic.

Janine stood on my left, Dimitri on my right. Eddie was on the other side of him. All three stood at strict attention, and I tried to mimic their posture. Hands at my side, shoulders back, chin up. I noticed early on that it was all Guardians here, not even Queen Tatiana was present. After a few brief words from someone Eddie had called Hans, who had listed name after name of people I had never met and would never have that chance to meet now, Guardians stepped up to one of the three tattooists chairs at the front of the room.

It didn't take very long for each tattoo to be completed, maybe 10 minutes tops, but with almost fifty guardians waiting to receive those marks, it felt like forever. We were in the back of the group and would be some of the last to go. I resisted squirming, knowing that over an hour of silent standing was nothing to a seasoned guardian, and if there was still even a small chance that this was going to be my life again, I best get used to it.

Finally, when my feet were about ready to go numb in the shoes that were obviously not made for extended wear, Eddie was signaled up. Some of the guardians had removed their outer shirts for the process, especially those that were more seasoned and needed a clean patch of skin lower on their neck. Eddie was still new enough that there was a spot near his hair line, so they simply taped his collar down and out of the way. Dimitri was called up a moment later.

He was one that had to remove his shirt. The last time I had taken the time to actually count, long ago and way back at the Academy, there had been seven molnija on his neck. Now, for the life of me, I couldn't see exactly how many there were now. Definitely more than seven though, that's for sure. If Eddie already had a few, it made sense that Dimitri would have some more too. He pulled off his jacket and white shirt, leaving himself in a white tank that seemed to strategically dip a little low in the back just for this reason. My resolve to not squirm faltered slightly as I watched the muscles in his arms and back move under his tan skin, but that quickly stopped as my mother moved forward to take the suddenly empty last chair. I guess I would be the last person in the room to get my tattoos. Fine by me.

I could feel the many eyes in the room flipping between me and those currently under the buzzing machines, and despite the abundant white noise in the room, everything seemed almost too silent. Finally, Dimitri's tattooist finished just a moment or two before Eddie's. As Eddie was getting his bandages on, Dimitri slipped on his shirt and buttoned only three of his buttons, letting the others hang loose. He waved me over to the middle chair, staying there as Eddie moved to join the others who had finished receiving their marks already on the other side of the room.

Before I had fully settled into the chair, the tattooist spoke. "She doesn't have her promise mark." He stated it as a fact, but waited for a response as if it was a question. He was actually very clean cut and professional looking in a crisp white shirt with rolled sleeves and tie, the total opposite of what you'd expect the more stereotypical tattoo artist to look like.

"She did her part," Dimitri assured him gently. "She earned the mark."

The other man looked over to Hans, who had already started walking our way, sensing his approval was needed. "She's the one receiving the two molnija too. Do the marks..."

"Just place them a bit low," A third voice, my mother, interrupted as she joined us as well, "to leave room for a promise mark if she ever needs one done."

I felt a bit odd, allowing others to make the decision on what and where to place a permanent mark on my body while doing nothing more than silently sitting by, but I guess if I had truly wanted any say in the matter, I had plenty of chances to change my mind before sitting down. So with the final nod of acceptance from Hans, I pulled my long pony tailed hair aside, jumping only slightly as the buzz of the machine sounded near my ear.

It hurt, not nearly as much as I had been anticipating, but enough to still make me wince. I refused to make a sound though. Nobody else had so much as flinched, and I refused to be seen as the weak link in the group.

I think I held my breath through the entire procedure, but eventually the tension was released into relaxation by the time the needle was replaced by the bandage. My tattoos took slightly longer than the others because of the extra marks, but it didn't take long before I was standing alongside the others as if I was just as much of a guardian as any of them.

I didn't recognize the final words that were said, almost as if they were a ritual said after every ceremony, and I don't think I could even recall and repeat them if I tried, but immediately afterwards everyone started moving about. Just like that, it was over. The feeling was still fairly solemn; people talking in hushed tones about those that didn't survive to make it here, or downplaying their battle wounds, and a few even coming and introducing themselves to me but I was so overwhelmed by it all that I couldn't remember many names.

Finally, I was saved by a cowboy in a long leather duster. "Ready to go, Rose?" Dimitri's hand on my shoulder instantly eased the awkwardness of being amidst so many people I don't know.

"Yeah." I touched my bandages one more time as I said goodbye to the girl in front of me – I believe she said her name was Sarena, or Salena, or something like that – before turning to follow Dimitri.

His hand never left my shoulder as we walked. "Hurts?" he questioned, nodding towards my neck.

"No," I defended, perhaps a little too quickly.

"Huh. Well, you're tougher than me then."

I looked for any sign of sarcasm but as usual, Dimitri's face was a blank mask. That didn't necessarily mean he wasn't joking though. "What? The Russian God can't take a little pain?"

"No, I didn't say that. I'm just saying that tattoos aren't exactly known for being a pleasurable experience and I'm man enough to admit that I don't plan on getting one for fun anytime soon."

"Ahh, and here I was about to suggest that you tattoo my name across your heart."

He stopped walking, pausing us just a moment outside the door. "You know, I might just be persuaded on that one."

"Oh, come on." I bumped his hip with a smile, propelling us into motion again. But we didn't make it far.

No more than ten steps outside the ballroom where the Zvezda ceremony was being held, a Moroi man in a pressed suit was waiting, leaning against the wall. The moment he saw us, he stood straighter.

"Rosemarie Hathaway?"

Dimitri and I exchanged glances, mine curious, his slightly worried. This was obviously outside of the norm.

"Yes. That's me. What's this about?"

"You have been summoned for an audience with Queen Tatiana."

Author's Note

Hmmm, what could the queen want I wonder? And what do you think about Rose's job and apartment hunt? Or Dimitri's musings about living with Rose :)

If you had to pick a job for Rose, what do you think would be a good fit for her? There's not a ton of options out there, do you think she should go back to the academy? Maybe start a dance school? Maybe she'll start working with Ambrose!

SURPRISE UPDATE! or...late update and SURPRISE I still updated!

So, remember all that wonderful stuff I said about getting back on schedule and how I was all excited? Yeah. I need to stop saying stuff. Cause then I take my son to the doctor. And find out that he needs surgery. Life sucks sometimes.

I will be writing still, because if I don't there is a very good chance that I will lose the final few threads of sanity I have managed to hang on to, but with the stress of everything else I am hereby saying that all schedules for this and Shadow Kiss are out the window until further notice. Everyone likes surprises...right? Right? *cue desperate looks of approval*

Thanks for everyone's support and love. This story is almost finished (like...two chapers left!) and I will be doing a special bonus chapter around Christmas/New Years based on this world for you guys.

I can't wait to hear your thoughts in the reviews! Don't forget to favorite and follow!