PART 6: HOME

BELLAMY

Most of our small group was catching up on sleep as the plane took off, and continued over an entire continent. I'd intentionally stayed awake longer, keeping watch, and pacing the aisles. As I reached the back of the plane, I saw I was not alone. Eddie was still keeping his distance from Mason, and it wasn't until his head lifted that I saw it. I saw a look in his bright eyes that I had not seen in years. It was fear. It wasn't the fear of facing Strigoi, but fear of facing the dead, which in many cases could be considered the same thing. This was different. This was going to be difficult on all of us, and it would only get worse when we touched down on Court grounds.

It didn't take long as long as I had hoped to arrive back at Court. It also hadn't taken long for rumors and gossip to spread across the whole of the Moroi Court.

"Bells, we have a problem getting back into Court." Shane mentioned casually after we pulled the cars into the parking structure. "It somehow got out that you and other Guardians, including Belikov and Castile have been absent because of a mission to either kill Mason or bring him back to face the Guardian Council. Large crowds are gathered at the North gates, hoping to get a glimpse of your decision."

"I don't know what to do." I hesitated, never having been in this sort of situation.

"Bells, this is your show until we are back through the gates." Dimitri stated from the driver's seat, each Guardian clearly in agreement. "We follow your orders."

Exhaustion was finally setting in, making it increasingly difficult to think on my feet. Our mission had been deemed highly classified and had stayed that way on our end. This was not a problem I had thought to consider, and as our SUV's reached the parking garage, I had no time left to think.

"I'm going to need some guidance here, Thor. I'm not exactly up to date on Court protocol when it comes to escorting Dhampir who have been terrorizing the villagers as Strigoi."

I could see the left side of his mouth twist upward slightly, barely hiding a smile. I wasn't sure if he was tickled by the joke that wasn't so much of a joke, or if he found the idea of my needing help comical.

"Bells," Dimitri quietly voiced, exiting the vehicle's driver's side, "you've got this under control."

"I really don't." I jumped down from the passenger side, my hand reached out to no one in particular, grasped by the person whose hand I needed to hold most in this moment. I could feel the tranquility I wanted wash over me, back in our small bubble, tapping into our connection.

"First things first." I held onto the shred of control I still had. "I don't want you near these crowds." I informed my friend, my priority in this moment, to keep him safe and unseen.

"Bells, if this is a Strigoi thing; If anyone thinks that I…"

"It's not that." I confirmed. "The Moroi at Court cannot know that you were in Vienna with us. If anyone discovers that Guardians purposely took a Moroi, a royal on mission, hell will further break loose in every direction."

"Good point."

"Dimitri, Stef, and I will take Mason through the North gate. Shane and Eddie will move Christian through the West gates while Alberta does a little damage and crowd control with Court Guardians."

Once we were all separated again, and Shane called with news that Christian was safe inside, the rest of us made our way back into Court. We made it through the first set of gates quietly, but the second area we came to was where our trouble ensued. People were talking and rumors were indeed flying. Rumors had no doubt started flying.

"I should've anticipated that our absence would be more noticed."

"So, your plan is to parade me through Moroi Court for all to see."

Mason was incredibly indignant about my plan. I paused at the doors leading to our check-in, turning swiftly on my heels. "Perhaps you should've considered the current spectacle before you made the choice you did." This was the first time I'd said anything to him since… well really since he'd ended our relationship.

"Don't you think you're being a tad harsh Bells?" Dimitri questioned, that soothing tone doing its job, but I shot him my best look of disinterest, leading the way inside.

There were a mix of comments and questions coming in each time the door to the check in station opened and closed, and it was making me nervous. The courtyard outside was full of pockets of Moroi and Dhampir, all in debate over Dhampir and Moroi being saved. It wasn't a new argument. It all continued to stem from the same ridiculous dispute over magic. Why were Guardians allowed to use magic (within stakes) in a battle, but Moroi were still banned from these dangerous situations? It was a silly argument that I continued to ignore, along with Dimitri and other Guardians. We paid little attention to the opinions around Court, but from outside, one voice caught my attention, standing out.

"Sophie?" I turned around, searching out the large window behind me, glancing at every face in the crowd until I spotted my friend trying to politely push through others in order to get to the building's door.

I smiled, looking to make sure guards had hold of our captured Dhampir before I stepped outside to hug my friend.

"You're really okay." Her voice was a little shaky.

"I'm really okay Soph." I continued to hug her, remembering how worried she had been before I'd left. "I told you everything would be fine. How've you been?"

Sophie let me go, looking around at the others in the room, her eyes stopping to directly examine Mason, who stood studying Sophia Zeklos equally as much.

"That's the guy?"

I found it impossible to hide my reaction to Sophie's inquiry and size up of Mason. And, it was admittedly the first time I had laughed out loud since the capture.

"That's him." I confirmed.

"Funny." Her eyes continued to dissect him. "I thought he'd be taller."

Again, I could not suppress my emotional eruption. I laughed until I hurt, hugging Sophia again, happy knowing that she was safe.

"The Queen will want to see him." Guards stated, and I was focused once again, pulling Sophie behind me.

"Hey Bells," Stefan stopped me from needing to be further involved, "why don't you and Belikov go find your Moroi." He offered. "We can handle this part on our own."

Under normal circumstances Dimitri and I would've objected more, but he had missed Rose like I'd missed Yuri, and this was the longest I had gone without seeing Jesse. I was not given a chance to argue before Sophie began pulling on my jacket, moving me closer to the door.

"Thanks Stef."

He winked. "You owe me a drink later."

Once the Queen was informed of our actual return to Court grounds, a meeting was arranged for later. Lissa wanted a rundown of her own. Everyone separated again, filing out of the room. I watched quietly while Mason was taken through a more discreet exit from the building, finally exiting the building myself, holding onto Sophie as she finished a conversation with Jesse over the phone, telling him that she in fact had hold of me. No doubt he and Yuri were on their way to greet us. That made me happy.

We were all home now, back to the safety of our friends and families. We had returned to Court victorious, a battle won, and still I was being asked to stand in for the Guardian Council. I was being asked to go against many of the codes and principles I held faithfully to for so long. After all I had gone through, facing the fact that Mason was not dead, and not just facing him, but after fighting him while he was Strigoi, and returning him to his former self, the Council was still "asking" me to have a face to face chat with my once long dead ex-boyfriend.

I wasn't sure where Mason's fate at Court stood, but it had not helped either Court when I'd voiced my personal opinions on Mason's return at the most recent Guardian briefings. I had nothing nice to say. There were long debates about the mission, all opinions split pretty evenly through the room. Ultimately, I knew that the decision would come down to both Councils, each scheduled to conduct their own warranted inquisitions over the next several days.

I however was up first. After returning to Court, Mason had not been placed in the Court prison cells only because Lissa did not find it a fair decision. The Queen had final say over these matters, and she had sympathy for the man in question. Instead, he was being kept inside of an empty often unused visitor's apartment. While not technically a prisoner, Mason was still under constant watch by armed guards.

As I approached the apartment from the small outer courtyard, the pair of Guardians at the door tensed, their hands twitching, moving slowly to rest on their weapons. I might've laughed out loud if I weren't equally as tense. But come on-Am I really so intimidating to two full size Guardians?

"Stand down." I ordered, but both men stayed in position.

"I'm sorry Guardian Pearce, but we have strict orders not to let anyone inside."

I rolled my eyes. At least they knew my name. They were still young Guardians, just graduated and transferred to Court from one of the Academies, but I was in no mood to play this game of supremacy.

"One: that is a stupid thing to say to me." I used my Guardian tone; the one that usually put Jesse and most Guardians in their places. "Two: that order does not apply to me. Not only do I outrank pretty much every Guardian at this Court, I am here on the orders of the Guardian Council, and I'm sure they would agree that their requests supersede any rules at Moroi Court." I gave a charming smile to each man. "Stand down and step aside before I get angry and pull rank."

Immediately the two men stepped aside, opening the door, and allowing me and the two Guardians at my back into the small space. I stepped inside to find that it was dark. The blackout shades were drawn closed, and the lights were off. It was the middle of the day and Mason was sprawled out on a couch. As I stood waiting for him to stop aimlessly flipping through television channels, a throat behind me cleared. Mason jumped up, startled by our presence.

I stepped in further, keeping my distance, turning on a side lamp, and opening the window shades.

"Bellamy." Yes, he was one-hundred percent stunned by my appearance in the apartment. He stood, sitting again as I pointed back to the couch he had been occupying.

I sat a good distance from him, wary to be much closer to him, let alone have a friendly chat.

"Do you need the pack of Guardians here while we talk?" Mason motioned to Stef and Hans as they joined me. "I don't need Guardians at the door and Guardians on top of me. I'm not going to attack you, Bellamy."

I sighed, keeping my composure. His voice was just as I had remembered. It was now soft and full of every emotion we had once shared. This would be harder than I thought.

"They aren't here to protect me from you." I explained. "Hans and Stef are here for your protection. They are here to keep me in line." I glanced over to Stef and he coughed, winking to me in encouragement. "I am not exactly a willing participant in this question and answer session."

"Guardian Pearce threatened to conduct this interrogation with her gun in hand." Hans was required to inform Mason. "And while many Guardians and Moroi feel she might be justified in that action, others have had the better judgement to keep you uninjured."

Stef and Hans both kept their opinions quiet, but looked to one another.

"Thank you for your good judgement." Mason responded to Stef, but Stef couldn't help but smile wickedly.

"Oh, I am not one of the Guardians who wants to keep Bellamy in check." Stef sat beside me, taking my hand as it started to shake. "Bells, let's get this over with so that we can go play."

"You are happy with Jesse Zeklos." Mason mused out loud before I could begin my line of questioning. "Considering the History between you two, I find that hard to believe."

"I don't care what you believe." I shot at him, but Mason stayed unruffled.

"And you are happy with Christian I have seen."

I stood defensively. "Do not bring Christian into this conversation. What you did has nothing to do with Christian." He was calmly trying to antagonize me, and it was starting to work this time.

"I know all about you and Christian."

And now I smiled. He was going to push this subject again. We were going to take a trip down memory lane. I took a deep breath in. Dimitri had managed to get a few answers from Mason before leaving Vienna, attempting to soften the blow for me. In doing so, Dimitri was told more about Tasha Ozera and her duplicitous and dangerous nature.

"You think you know about me and Christian." I replied finally. "You don't know a thing about me and him."

"I know everything. I know that you two…"

"You know what Natasha thought she knew. You know what she chose to say. Natasha was very good at choosing her words, what to say, and what to manipulate to her advantage. She was good at bending truths and being selective about those same truths." My defenses were up as I talked about Tasha, and Mason's attempt to demean Christian brought out my more hostile side.

"I know that the two of you were seeing each other behind my back at St. Vladimir's." Mason stood, truly facing me for the first time since we'd seen each other.

"I won't deny that we saw quite a bit of each other back then."

"There was more than tutoring going on between you and him."

"Far more than tutoring." I was looking to hurt him, but Mason was always better at keeping any anger he felt tempered. He could rarely see through my poker face, but I could rarely break through his.

"So, Tasha wasn't lying."

"Again," I moved away, "that woman was so good at deception at its finest, and bending facts to suit her own nefarious purposes. That doesn't mean she knew anything about what was done, said, or felt between me and Chris." I thought back to that short time in my life, seeing far more clear with time and clarity in these past years. "But, I am not here to talk about me and Christian. I'm not even here to talk about you and me."

"Why are you here?" The derision, the petulance, and of course the indifference could be heard in his tone again. "You chose not to say a word to me in Vienna. Why now?"

"As I said, I'm not a willing participant in this situation. The Council wants me to question you before you face them. Perhaps they think I can find answers that they can't. They seem to think that you might talk to me."

"What do you think?" I couldn't tell if he was baiting me again as he sat down on his couch.

"What do I think?" I said the words in a laugh, glancing at him again. "I think that you are a coward. I think that if you were a real Guardian, you never would've considered doing what you did.

"I was weak." Mason claimed, looking to excuse his decision.

"Giving up is never an option. Giving up or giving in is worse than being defeated." I provided my opinion. "It means you could've done more, but chose not to."

"Can I talk to Belikov?" Mason was obviously not happy with my outlook. "At least when he lectures, he is kinder."

"Dimitri is busy."

"He told me that you are his half-sister." Clearly Dimitri had been far more willing to talk. "When did you get that information?"

I closed my eyes, grinding my teeth, gathering courage to stay on point. "I'm not here to discuss me and Dimitri either."

"Bellamy-" He was pleading.

I swallowed hard. "I am aware that Guardians have already informed you of your rights and restrictions while you are under this Court's protection."

"Protection?" He scoffed.

I ignored his condescending reaction. "The Guardian Court has ordered a hearing within the week. Before that, they want as many answers as possible, so I suggest you cooperate. This is not a game." My tone was firm. It was the same tone I used long ago with Jesse while we were still in school. "You are restricted to this apartment, unless joined by a minimum of three Guardians. If you insist of leaving this safe space, you are to have no contact with Eddie Castile or others until it is decided that they are ready to face you."

"I take it Eddie won't be popping by to defend his absence during the fight in Vienna then?"

"Eddie has made it crystal clear that he is not ready to see you yet. If you fail to follow this rule or others, I will toss you into a prison cell myself." The rest of the meeting went on with no less condescension from Mason, and no less harshness from me, but I got through it, asking questions, receiving half answers, and ready to run as soon as I finished.

I couldn't get out of Mason's temporary housing soon enough, and as quick as Stef opened the door, I was finished, breathing heavily as the cold air swept over my skin. I sat down in the middle of the courtyard, willing myself not to hyperventilate, concentrating every bit of energy to my breathing. It worked temporarily, long enough to stand, tell Stef I'd meet him later with Yuri, and make it the golf cart, driving home to find peace.

When I pulled into the Zeklos compound, the gates closing behind me, I realized I was still concentrated on my breathing. There was a Court SUV parked at the front, and I could only guess who might be waiting. I stayed outside, parked beside the SUV, turning my thoughts to a mental review of the mission. Along with Mason being questioned by the Council, they would also interrogate me in detail about every step taken during my time in Vienna.

"I thought I saw lights pull up." Dimitri's voice startled me from my concentration. He sat in the passenger seat, putting a hand to mine, easing the storm as best he could. "You did good Bellamy. I want to commend your ability to command. The mission to Vienna was a success, and that is thanks to your leadership. You should be proud."

"I am." I let him know. "I am pleased, I am proud, and I am appalled with myself."

"Bellamy." His tone went from proud to concerned in a matter of seconds. Yup, my opinion had sent a shockwave through him. He had not expected my statement.

"Don't misunderstand me." I said before he could begin lecturing me. "I am pleased that we succeeded, I am pleased that we were able to do the job that we are born and trained to do, and most of all I am grateful that no lives were lost."

"Those are all reasons to be proud Bellamy."

"Yes they are."

"And still, you said that you are appalled."

I nodded. "I am appalled by the methods taken in order to win the battle. I am appalled at the decisions I have made. Most of all, I'm appalled by the choice Mason made, forcing me to make the decision to save him or kill him. I have done things I know are morally wrong, but I made those choices anyway.'

"Why?"

"Only way to win." I shrugged. "Only way we were going to survive. I don't like everything we did, but I wouldn't change anything about Vienna."

"That's good to know." Dimitri hugged me.

"Why are you here?" I knew I finally had to ask him, hugging him in return. "I figure you and Rose might be locked away for the next several days."

My brother gave one of those 'we need to talk' groans, and I knew I was in for another Court treat.

"When will you talk to Mason next?"

"I have a three day reprieve before trying again. Why?"

Another groan. "Rose and I were talking, and she wants to see him. She wants to see Mason. I thought I could get an idea of your position before she asks your permission."

"Why would Rose ask for my permission?" I knew what he was going to say.

As soon as we'd reached Court, returned with Mason, I was handed the long list of people, Moroi and Dhampir, wanting to see the returned man. Some were old friends wanting to see if the rumors were true. Others simply wanted to get a look at him in order to brag to their friends at Court. There was also a steady well organized schedule of Guardians shifting in and out of the residence, questioning and checking in on Mason. I would be happy when the full Guardian Council arrived, relieving me of this responsibility.

"According to the Queen, you are still in charge of this matter until the Guardian Council states otherwise."

I knew better than to further argue that point with anyone. I also knew by his more stoic tone, there was more he was not saying.

"Normally these cases are handled by the Moroi Court, or strictly by the Queen, but this is a special case."

"What do you think?" I asked his opinion on the matter. "How do you feel about Rose wanting to see Mason again so soon?"

"I do not like the idea." He was as straight-forward as he could be. "I do not think that she is ready. I also do not think that Mason is ready. Rose thinks that I am too cautious."

"You are." I agreed, considering the request, unsure of where I stood myself. "But, I also think that Rose can be too impulsive. Nearly as impulsive as me. Can I give this some thought before making a decision?" I offered to him, and he seemed pleased that I hadn't automatically said yes. "I think I can find some middle ground to this request."

Dimitri agreed as we each exited the cart, separating again.