Author's note: Alesha here! Sorry for the long wait and thank you all for writing encouraging things. This is not beta read so sorry for mistakes, if you see anything obnoxious let me know. Telma is still an amazing supporter, and always the one to throw ideas around with even though she's not writing this fic anymore. Part 3 will be published differently than before. I'll just publish here and there, or finish a batch (e.g. increments of five chapters) - but felt that I needed to get this out already since it's been pretty much done for six months now. So advance apologies for a potentially long wait until next chapter (I do have some finished so we'll see how it goes). Anywho, enjoy!

Part 3

Chapter 51 - Tingling

Present day - End of June

Rose POV

I watched the raindrops race down the glass of the window.

Rain, rain and even more rain.

Almost the entire June had been gray, the sky weeping every chance it got.

With a heavy sigh I leaned on my folded arms and trailed one particular drop of water with my eyes. It made its sole way down until it combined with a larger wet spot, disappearing. I felt like I was disappearing too. It had been over a month since I last saw Lissa and the others. By now I would even be happy to see Adrian, just to get some kind of reprieve into this existence.

First it had only been Spiridon coming and going, always following new leads and intel. Which had left me alone with Dimitri in this house. Something that should have been exciting, thrilling even. Instead it had been boring, mind numbing, wasting.

After our kiss he'd gone out of his way to force our relationship into something platonic, and he would gently, but firmly, wave off any of my clumsy attempts to get closer to him. The only time we really hung out was when we were training or during meal times.

He was still an excellent trainer and I was already gaining some muscle mass. I was still on the smaller side, but felt more powerful and balanced than ever. All in all, my thrice a week sessions with Dr. Olendzki had contributed to a more balanced mind too, though I suspected I had a long way to go.

To make matters even worse, the two of my guardians had traded places for the most recent recon which meant that I'd been left at the mercy of Spiridon, while Dimitri was away.

I didn't know when Dimitri would be back, but hopefully it would be in time.

I was due for another sickness, starting any day now. The memory of Spiridon's black, predatory eyes was haunting my dreams more than Moore and I felt anxious to have Dimitri back with me. I reckoned I had a week at most before starting to feel the first symptoms.

I heaved myself up and walked upstairs to the kitchen. Spiridon wasn't exactly a master chef, so I figured I'd get started on dinner.

I was almost finished cutting some carrots when he joined me.

"Can I help?" he asked while his fingers snatched a piece of carrot from the cutting board, dangerously close to the knife I was working with.

"I'm going to cut your finger off," I muttered. "It's fine, I'll manage here."

"Come on, you've been sulking all week," he said and nudged me with his hip. I looked down and tried to fight a smile. "I can be your sous chef."

"Okay, but stop snacking then and start working on the celery."

"Yes, miss."

"It's ma'am to you."

"Yes, ma'am."

I scoffed and this time couldn't help but smile. I looked over and noticed him smiling widely too.

I focused on the carrots again and quickly finished the rest, reaching over to grab the onions. I glanced over at Spiridon and frowned. "Smaller pieces, it's going to be too chewy."

"Too chewy?"

"Yeah, the stems are thick and woody."

"My stem is thick and woody," he deadpanned.

I stilled completely only to then roll my eyes so hard it hurt and he started shaking with laughter. "You're a child."

"You did set that up perfectly though," he said between his chuckles. "It was impossible to pass."

I felt my ears heat up and I started cutting the onions aggressively.

"What are we making anyways?" he asked while he was re-cutting some of the larger pieces. It felt like he attempted to divert from the innuendo that was making me blush.

"Lasagna."

"Sweet, never had anything other than those frozen ones."

"Really?" I asked and he shrugged his shoulders. "The Headmistress had a thing for Italian food so I've made it several times. I'm not sure how balanced the sauce will be without some good quality red wine."

"My, oh, my, little madam. Wine and dine, you say?"

"It's for the food, stupid."

"Really? Could've fooled me."

"It's really for the food. Not that it's going to be that good, I'm missing other ingredients."

"Like what?"

"Chuck beef, not to mention the red wine. I also like to add pancetta."

"We have bacon and minced beef, that'll work right?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, but it's not the same. For lasagna it'll be really good though, but someday I'll make you the ragu version with all the proper stuff."

We continued to prepare the food in silence until Spiridon disappeared for a while, returning with a bottle in his hand. "Will this work?" he asked while holding it up.

"You can't take that!" I hissed.

"Why not?"

"Isn't that Lissa's?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Probably her parents'. It's not like they're going to miss it."

I dropped the knife on the cutting board and turned towards him with an incredulous face.

"What?" he asked while he set the wine bottle down on the counter and started to search through the drawers for an opener. "Just stating a fact."

"Well, perhaps you should sometimes keep facts to yourself."

"Like how much you miss Dimitri?"

My mouth popped open. Spiridon, having found the bottle opener, pointed it towards me with a sly grin. "I told you I notice these things. Bet you wish you were wining and dining with that asshole instead of being stuck with me."

"What?! I don't-" I started saying but interrupted myself when I realized how high pitched my voice was. I was worried that he'd found out that Dimitri and I had kissed. I hadn't told anyone other than Dr. Olendzki, knowing it would only be an unnecessary complication to an already complicated situation. Besides, I liked that it was our thing, a secret Dimitri and I shared.

With a quick glance at Spiridon I decided to not admit to anything unless he specifically said something about the kiss. I doubted Dimitri had told him, being the private man he was, but one could never be too sure.

The only sound in the kitchen was the vegetables and meats searing in the pretty, orange casserole, accompanied by the loud pop of the cork coming off the bottle.

"So I just pour it in?" Spiridon asked. I felt numb and just nodded, but quickly spurred to action when I realized he was going to pour the entire bottle in and managed to stop him after only half of it was gone.

"What do we do with the other half?" he asked, setting the bottle down. I stirred the dish hoping that the extra wine wouldn't affect the taste too much. Usually I only added a third of the bottle.

"I suppose you can just drink it since it's already opened."

"So you don't need it for the food?"

"No, this is enough."

He moved around in the kitchen and dining area and by the time I looked up from the casserole, after adding the rest of the ingredients, the table was set. He'd even put a candle on the table, as well as two wine glasses.

"So, you're going to wine and dine me tonight?" I asked nervously.

"Not going to waste vintage wine, besides the food smells amazing already so I think it deserves something that will pair up nicely with it."

The chair felt surprisingly hard and the whole setting was just a bit too intimate. Spiridon had lit one of the candles before filling up my glass with wine.

He'd even pulled out the chair for me before sitting down on the other side of the table. I took his plate and gave him a large piece, hoping he'd like the food. I settled for less on mine. The lasagna was a bit runny, but I knew it would be even better once it got the chance to rest.

He held up his glass and I gingerly took mine, remembering the same gesture from the night we celebrated my birthday. "Cin cin," he murmured and nudged my glass with his.

I took a small sip before putting my glass down. I didn't really like it, it tasted weird but Spiridon closed his eyes and hummed in appreciation. I took a bite of my food hoping to get rid of the taste of the wine.

It was way too hot for my mouth, but I still felt all the amazing flavors from the dish.

"This smells amazing, Rose. Thank you so much."

"Thank me after you've tasted it," I said nervously. I had a gnawing feeling that the wrong person was sitting in front of me, and wished for someone just a little bit taller and with darker hair.

After taking a bite he moaned, closing his eyes again and clearly enjoying the food. I smiled shyly and focused on eating.

"Truly amazing," he said after clearing half of his plate.

"I'm glad you like it." I took another sip of the wine, noticing that it was easier to drink between bites of food. Spiridon mimicked me, taking a long sip of his own.

"I don't think anyone has ever cooked like this for me."

"I needed to eat too so it wasn't all that unselfish."

"You know what I mean."

"Nobody's ever done this to me," I said in a small voice while looking at the candle, the wine. My eyes eventually landed on the table.

"I know."

I looked up into his steel gray eyes. "I'm trying to set a standard here," he continued after a while. "I know you can't exactly date and do stuff that's normal at your age, but I still want you to learn that you deserve to be treated well. I'm not coming onto you or anything," he said and grinned when I let out a relieved breath. "Don't settle for just anyone. Once this all is finished, once it's okay for you to explore and build your own life, you should find someone that treats you well."

I didn't want to tell him that I'd already found that person. I didn't think choosing Dimitri was settling in any way. He seemed to have guessed where my thoughts were.

"Dimitri and I will continue to be guardians, whatever future assignment that entails. We've both spent so much time, sacrificed so much that it will be part of us for the rest of our lives. Especially for someone like Dimitri who has people relying on him for support. Arthur might have bought us some time, but at some point this arrangement will come to an end, and most likely we'll both disappear from your everyday life. When that happens, and I'm not saying if but when, I just want to try to make sure that you won't end up with the first dead-beat available man that comes along. You deserve better."

My heart started pounding by the thought of them both going away on other assignments. I knew I'd keep in touch with both of them for the rest of my life, but realistically speaking that wouldn't mean I'd get to see them all the time. Or even talk to them all the time. My fear of being abandoned, left behind, was something I'd frequently discussed with Dr. Olendzki.

I had no idea what to do with my life, long-term. And it scared me.

"Can we just not talk about this?" I pleaded weakly. He looked at me for a while and seemed to sense that I was at my limits with harsh facts. We ate in silence after that.

"Do you want more?" I asked him when he was finished. He nodded excitedly and watching him clear off another plate lifted my mood significantly. He even took thirds and by the time he was finished less than a fourth of the lasagna was left.

"It took us four hours to make and you managed to eat most of it in less than twenty minutes."

"What can I say, it's a talent," he said with a shrug and a smile. A part of me really liked taking care of Spiridon in whatever small way I could, and watching him pat his belly with a content sigh made my insides all warm. "You're a great cook."

He helped me clear the table after dinner and we decided to call it a night. The food had taken long to finish and it was already late, so I trudged to my room and got ready for bed.

I wasn't sure what had woken me up. I couldn't remember any dreams or noises, but felt this urge to go upstairs for some reason. I wasn't hungry or thirsty, but decided to grab a glass of cold water from the kitchen. Knowing that Spiridon was probably dead asleep I didn't change into something more covering and headed upstairs.

I wrapped my arms around me when I noticed that Spiridon was rummaging through the fridge. It was dark and the only light was coming from the fridge that was open, but the door obscured most of him from my view. I could however see that he was holding the left-over lasagna.

"No freaking way you're allowed to eat the rest of that," I said angrily. I wanted that last piece for lunch and he'd already eaten most of it during dinner.

Spiridon closed the door.

No, not Spiridon.

"Dimitri," I breathed.

I choked on a breath, surprised to see him here. Neither of them had said a word to me that he was coming back. My arms dropped to my sides.

"Spiridon said it's the best thing he's ever eaten," Dimitri murmured and turned towards me. Even in the darkness I could see his eyes rake over my form, barely covered by the pajamas Lissa had given me.

"Oh, okay then," I said dumbly.

"Okay then?" he asked with a smile hidden underneath his deep voice. Being away from him had made his accent so much more palpable now that I was used to Spiridon's.

"I suppose you can have the last piece."

"How generous."

I nodded, and he nodded along with me.

I wanted to go over to him and show him how glad I was that he was back, but I didn't want to make him uncomfortable. I didn't want to push him. I thought about our kiss and how soft those lips had been, not even realizing I was staring at the very thing in my thoughts. When I looked up his eyes were intense, but I forced myself to look away.

"How have you been?" he asked me while we waited for the microwave to finish.

"All good," I said, feeling shy all of the sudden. "You?"

He just nodded instead of answering me. "Did Spiridon behave?"

"It's Spiridon."

"So, mostly?"

I nodded, and he moved over to where I was standing. I felt his body radiate heat as he leaned over to stop the microwave a couple of seconds before the beep. I didn't even think to move away as he grabbed the plate, and he was so close that he brushed my shoulder.

He smelled so good.

It was surprising that I was so focused on that since the kitchen was overflowing with the smell of the lasagna. I could definitely tell that the most overpowering scent in the room was the freshly warmed food, but for some reason his scent called to me stronger than anything else.

My skin prickled and I leaned in to take a deep breath. He misinterpreted my gesture. "Would you like some of this?" he asked and held up the plate.

I shook my head and took a couple of shaky steps away from him. All of the sudden the fabric of the shorts I was wearing seemed far, far too thin. I watched his lips curl around the fork as he took his first bite.

My arms curled up around myself and I pinched myself hard. I had to stop being so creepy, but unfortunately the gesture didn't go entirely unnoticed. Dimitri frowned ever so slightly and walked over to the kitchen island to take a seat.

It didn't seem possible, but his scent was tingling in the roof of my mouth.

Water. Water would help.

I didn't even bother to let the water turn cold until I had filled a glass and gulped it down, the faucet still running. I clumsily filled the glass again and this time swirled with the water in my mouth before swallowing. Dimitri was watching me silently, no doubt wondering what was going on and why I was acting weird.

I felt awkward and standing there in just a thin pair of shorts and a tank top didn't really improve the situation.

Before I could reach the staircase to go back downstairs Dimitri spoke. "Might be the best thing I've ever eaten too."

I looked over my shoulder and gave him a shy smile while I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. My stomach dipped when he smiled back.

Dimitri POV

The cup of coffee in my hands warmed nicely even though it was pleasant outside. I could faintly hear Spiridon and Rose bantering as they got closer to the house.

Once they emerged from the forest into the clearing in front of the house, I noticed that Rose's face looked flushed. I could tell by the sheen of sweat on her face that Spiridon pressed her hard today, perhaps harder than needed knowing that her sickness would start any day now. But I wasn't going to undermine him in front of Rose, opting to have a more private discussion about the matter.

Rose stayed outside and started on her stretches, and I waited for Spiridon to come inside and out onto the deck. I knew I was probably irrational, but I didn't want to leave Rose outside out of my sight. I wouldn't do that to my mark, any mark really, Moroi or Rose.

But especially Rose.

The sliding door behind me opened and Spiridon stepped out.

"Didn't go for any records so you'll have to make up for it after her sickness," he said. I turned around to face him just as he took a large gulp of water. He didn't look like he'd been running, not the tell-tale sign of pink cheeks flushed from exertion, the dampness in his hair.

"What do you mean?" I questioned.

"We barely even jogged, walked most of the trail. I figured I wouldn't push her, before uh-" he said in a hushed voice. "Before her sickness."

I turned around to look at Rose, scrutinizing her appearance. Spiridon walked over to me and looked at her too. I didn't say anything to him since I knew we both saw the same signs, her flushed appearance, the tiredness. Especially since she was rubbing her lower stomach between stretches.

"I guess it's starting then," he said quietly. I just nodded, and he slipped back inside leaving me alone on the deck.

I couldn't tear my eyes away from Rose, luckily feeling less like a creep now that she had stopped stretching. A part of me disapproved of how she slacked with her stretches but we would work on her mobility after this whole ordeal was over.

We just need to survive this sickness without assaulting her.

Suddenly Rose turned her head up, and first I thought she was going to look at me. But instead she closed her eyes and kept her face faced up towards the sun, the barest hint of a smile playing on her lips. My mouth went dry by the sight, my heart beating just a little bit faster.

Rose was the definition of beauty.

She stayed like that for a while until she started walking towards the house, still keeping her head turned up towards the sun with eyes closed. She was so innocent and sweet, far too virtuous for the likes of someone like me-

"Fucking piece of shit fucking dumb asshole rake," she exclaimed, the rake she'd accidentally stepped on fell limply to the ground next to her. Both of her hands were clutching her forehead where she'd been hit.

Well, perhaps not entirely innocent and sweet.

I heard the door downstairs open, followed by Spiridon's voice.

"I fucking saw that," he said and seemed to be wheezing with laughter. "Fuck, you looked like a cartoon villain when that rake bounced up and hit you."

"Get dressed you fucking asshole and stop bugging me," she said angrily and stormed inside. I only heard Spiridon laugh some more before he yelped in pain.

"Masks, really?" Rose questioned and kept eyeing the items placed on the table.

"Yeah, I figured last time your scent was triggering us most so if we remove that then I'm hoping we can control ourselves better," I explained.

"You did keep your control," she said and looked at me. I nodded towards Spiridon and he raised one hand with a mirthless smile, the tips of his ears turning pink from the lingering shame. She cast one nervous glance towards Spiridon before nodding her acceptance to my idea.

I grabbed one of the gas masks and put it on, allowing Rose to see what we'd look like. I knew that her scent wasn't the only thing triggering us but I was confident it had the biggest effect. As long as we didn't touch her that much we could even manage to help Rose through her sickness and keep her company. I knew that she hated being alone.

Her eyes flicked all over my face, taking in the mask. She swallowed thickly and I could tell that the nervousness and worry were settling in. I quickly removed my mask and leaned towards her, noting how good she smelled. I couldn't help it, I drew in a big breath hoping I was discreet.

"I don't know how much we can be around you, are you sure you don't want Vasilisa here? She could maybe help, we know that the female Moroi doctor wasn't affected by your sickness," I suggested.

She shook her head. "It's not going to help me and I don't want her to see me like that."

"There's nothing to be ashamed of," Spiridon said.

"I'm not ashamed, I just don't know how to explain it." Spiridon and I stayed silent, hoping that she would elaborate. She picked her nails for a moment before she continued. "The doctor's presence never really helped me. I was left alone in that room for most of the time but even when I did see the doctor it didn't feel like any relief. I think it had to do with the fact that she was Moroi. She felt wrong."

"And you don't think it had to do with the fact that she was an authoritarian figure at the Institution?" I asked. Rose just shook her head, and leaned her head on one hand.

"So what do you think will help you, then?" Spiridon pushed. Rose raised her head and her cheeks flushed. Spiridon wiggled his eyebrows and grinned, trying to diffuse the awkwardness with humor.

"Nothing like that, pervert. But we all know that I felt better being around you, no idea why. So if we can manage somehow without leaving me to suffer alone for five days then by all means, we should do that."

"Hence the masks," I explained.

"I still don't think I should be here," Spiridon said and toyed with his mask. "Dimitri's support will be enough."

For some reason, those words seemed to deepen Rose's blush and I wondered what kind of support she was thinking about. It seemed more than just innocently keeping her company.

"Last time the symptoms started slowly, it took a while to reach full effect. I'm sure we'll have time to test out the masks before it gets critical."

Spiridon threw his hands up. "Okay, but if I get the slightest twitch in my dick with the mask on I'm out of here."

I closed my eyes and suppressed a groan. Rose huffed uncomfortably. "What? It's better that she knows we were walking around with raging boners and jerking off eight times a day last time. Then she knows not to want us to be near her."

I opened my eyes and gave him a cold stare.

"Okay, sorry, that was crude. Not a lie but perhaps not the best way to go on about it," he apologized half-heartedly. "What do you think will help except not leaving you alone to suffer?"

"My skin feels like it's on fire so I can't wear or lie on anything scratchy. Showers help quite a bit, and staying hydrated. I've never had a bath but that might help too. Usually I don't eat much but when I do I like fruits of all sorts, especially sweet ones."

I knew from last time that medicine didn't work, but still wondered if something helped with her stomach cramps. "Have you ever tried a heating pad to your stomach to help with the stomach pains? Or anything else that helps?"

She shook her head. "Nothing's ever really helped with that, but it's fine. It's only a couple of days."

"My sisters use a heating pad when they get their period, you might as well buy one," I said to Spiridon. He nodded and grabbed his phone, no doubt to write it down on the shopping list. "Write down sports drink, or anything similar that contains plenty of electrolytes," I said and he nodded again while his fingers were typing.

"Period is this menstruation thing, right?" Rose asked me in a low voice, but not low enough for Spiridon to not raise his eyebrows. I nodded and remembered our conversation in the Walmart parking lot a while back, her reluctance to discuss her lack of menstruation with Spiridon. "Candy. Write that down too," she quickly added before Spiridon could ask any questions.

I was sitting in the study waiting for Spiridon to join me.

"Is she asleep?" Spiridon asked and plopped down on the chair next to me, and I just hummed a confirmative response. "Any news on Zmey?"

"I tapped into surveillance footage of Zmey entering a feeding center accompanied by the same female dhampir I mentioned before. Unfortunately there wasn't anything fresh to trail since I was five days behind them."

He sat up a little bit straighter. "The small, red-haired dhampir you once saw him with?" he asked and I nodded. "Do we know her name?"

"Negative. But when they got back out, the exterior camera caught them stepping into a black SUV, two additional dhampirs sitting in the front. One of them I suspect was Pavel, his only known guardian, and the other one looked a lot like Alberta Petrov."

"How sure are you?"

"Sure enough."

"I suppose it's time to move Alberta from suspects to confirmed," he said grimly and I took my phone out to edit the list we were working on.

Confirmed:

Headmaster Lucas Ozera

Ronald Ozera

Rufus Ivashkov

Lord Drozdov

Mr. Doru

Headmistress Ellen

Zmey

Alberta Petrov

Suspects:

Moira Ozera?

Natasha Ozera?

"I got the registration number of the SUV, but we have no way of tracking it as of now," I said and turned my focus back on the computer. "We need to travel for a bit after her sickness. There's a group living somewhere near Altswood, West Virginia, that we should visit. They're called the Keepers and live on their own without any real ties to the rest of the Moroi world," I said, already anticipating his objection.

"So, all of the sudden you want to visit a group of Moroi when we're running from Moroi in the first place?" he asked me and pointed at the computer screen where our route was already planned out. "Not to mention it takes over a day to drive there, not counting any stops."

"It's a group of Moroi, dhampirs and humans living together in a commune."

He turned towards me with a small smirk and raised eyebrows. "That sounds dirty."

"Knowing parts of your sexual history I wouldn't be all too judgmental," I said dryly. "The Alchemist provides them with supplies every now and then but other than that they've completely severed the ties to our world. They live by their own values and beliefs, something they've done for centuries now. That's one of the main reasons I want to meet them, I'm convinced we can learn a thing or two about events our society has suppressed."

"And the other reasons?"

"From what I gathered, there is at least one sick girl living among them. One that wasn't taken, one that's supposedly thriving despite her condition. I'm certain they know more about the sickness than we do."

"How did you find them? It sounds extremely dangerous just to go waltzing into a perverted commune and expect them to greet us with open arms."

I looked at Spiridon, and I could already tell that he was agreeing to my suggestion without knowing more details. We were really stuck with our investigation and this was by far the best idea we had. But we were a team, and he deserved to have the same information as I had. "While trying to catch a fresh trail on Zmey, I noticed a young Alchemist meeting up with an older one. They're all easily recognizable by their tattoos on their cheek. Since I didn't have any solid leads on Zmey I started to follow the younger one, and eventually she entered a hotel. It was probably too early to check in, so she left her bags in the storage room behind the check in desk. It's rare to get a glimpse into what they're doing, I don't know any group that's more secretive than the Alchemists. I broke into the storage room and went through her belongings, not really thinking I'd find anything solid. But she had a folder containing a new assignment, the Keepers, with some basic information about them. She's scheduled for a visit tomorrow, and it's going to be six weeks until the next one. That gives us a window to do our own investigation."

"Did you grab the folder?"

"No, I didn't want to raise any suspicion so I left everything as it were."

He nodded to himself. "That's good, then there won't be any reason to create an ambush there. Besides the sick girl, was there anything else of significance?"

"It listed the known residents of the commune, and it appears their leader is someone called Raymond Dawes. What struck me was that there were some kinds of symbols next to some of the names."

"What kind of symbols?"

I turned my attention to the computer and started typing.

"So, symbols from the Greek alphabet?" Spiridon asked while observing the screen.

"I think so, however only three were used and like I said, not everyone had a symbol after their name," I answered and pointed out the ones that I had seen.

α

β

Ω

"Alpha, beta, omega?" Spiridon said, his voice laced with a question.

Hi again! Also, kind of awkward to actually write down (and publish to the world) some of the ABO dynamics. Eh eh... But, time to get over it instead of letting it stopping me. We've deliberately kept it vague so far, not knowing how far to take it.