LAST SCION COMPANION STORY

by savannah0707

THIS IS A COMPANION STORY TO 'LAST SCION'. IT ISN'T REQUIRED THAT YOU READ 'ls' FIRST, BUT IT IS A GOOD IDEA. THIS COMPANION STORY FOLLOWS BELLAMY PEACE, GUARDIAN TO JESSE ZEKLOS, A MOROI ROYAL. BELLAMY IS FACED WITH A DECISION WHEN NEWS OF A LOST LOVE SURFACES. SHE WILL HAVE TO FACE HIM AND ASK THE QUESTION: WHY? WHY DID HE LEAVE? WHY DOES HE BLAME HER?

17. Chapter 18

TRIGGER WARNING AND AUTHOR UPDATE: Fair warning, this chapter may have triggers for some. (Mental Health, bombs, etc...) Proceed with caution.

I know I wrote earlier that this would be the last chapter of this story. Clearly I am not quite done with it. We'll see where it goes from here. Happy Reading.

CHAPTER 16:

AFTERMATH: PART 2

"Huh." I hadn't realized that I was speaking aloud. Holding the informal cardstock invitation in my hand felt strange, as if it did not belong to me. I flipped it over in my hands a few times, reading the instructions over again.

"Wow Bells." Mason put his arms around me. "That is a huge honor. You know they only choose two or three novices a year for those positions." He was going on and on about the importance and the prestigious merit the invite held. It was impossible to tune out his speech as we entered his dorm room.

The "they" he referred to, were the Academy Guardians, and he was not entirely wrong. Usually one, but on rare occasions two novices were chosen at random during the year, for a hands-on field training experience. Sometimes novices were asked to assist in guarding visiting dignitaries on campus, and other times there would be the rare off campus assignment. I had been chosen for the latter. I tossed the Guardian invitation onto Mason's bed, sitting a good foot away from it.

"You should be happy about this."

"I am." I gave a half smile, hiding the fact that this invite made me feel more singled out than I had already been feeling.

"Well, you look worried or angry. You're lucky. A good experience could mean a good recommendation after graduation. It could mean more for the future, and…"

"I am aware of what it signifies." I clarified, trying not to raise my voice. "Doesn't mean I can't be conflicted."

Mason stayed silent for a moment after my reaction, but in the end couldn't keep his opinions to himself.

"Does that mean that you don't want to go? I'm sure anyone else would…"

"Mase, I really don't want to discuss this anymore."

Not two minutes later, Eddie walked in with a wide grin on his face. "You are never going to believe what I just got."

I took a shot in the dark, holding up my own invite.

"You too?" I did not think it possible, but his smile grew even larger. "You got invited? This is going to be a great weekend."

I noticed that Mason stayed perfectly silent, his eyes refusing to meet mine or Eddie's while our friend went on excitedly talking about the upcoming two days.

"Do you know anything more? Who are we guarding? Where are we going?"

"I know as much as you do, Ed. Pack a weekend bag of essentials, and absolutely no contraband." I read directly from the cardstock paper I had received.

"When do you get back?" Mason asked us both.

Eddie read through the invitation again. "It doesn't say."

"I doubt they will let us miss classes on Monday night, so…"

"Good." Mason answered, kissing my cheek. "Be safe." He cautioned.

Procrastinating because of my own struggle accepting this offer, I put my weekend bag together the night before we were to leave on our assignment. Eddie and I were given strict instructions to meet our Guardian team in the morning, so that we could go over strategies and any further detailed directives. Eddie was knocking at my door shortly after sunrise.

"Ed, I've only had an hour and a half of sleep." I tiredly explained to my friend as soon as I opened my door for him.

He made his way inside, giving me a look of disappointment. "I told you that you should go to sleep right after your final class."

"I had to do the homework that will not get done this weekend, because we are away." I tried not to sound so ungrateful. "Besides, we don't need to meet the Guardians until eight. It's only…"

"They will think better of us if we are early." He made a very good point, and I had to agree.

Dimitri and Alberta were always on me about my punctuality, or lack thereof. I quickly jumped in the shower and dressed, throwing on a bit of mascara, sunscreen, and lip gloss before Eddie was dragging me out the door. I barely had a chance to grab my bag and keys.

"Okay." I pulled my arm away. "I get it. You're excited. But can we slow down?"

"Are you not excited? This is our first assignment." Now he sounded concerned.

"Of course, I am."

"Well, could you tell your face. Mase was right. Something weird is going on with you. What's up Bells?"

"It's nothing. Let's go." I did get him to drop the matter, but it wasn't going to last long. I had a long day ahead of me.

As predicted, we were over an hour early. We sat together, waiting another full hour before Yuri and Alberta both walked in together, shocked by our early presence.

"You're here." Yuri said, disbelief in his voice. "You're early."

"All his doing." I motioned to Eddie.

Yuri nodded but smiled. I wasn't surprised to see Dimitri walk in thirty minutes later.

"You're here."

I rolled my eyes as he too found my timing out of the ordinary. All three Guardians gathered around the table near the center of the room. We watched while they spread out maps and other materials. The electronics through the room were also turned on, in order to better plan this mission and come up with working tactical maneuvers that included Eddie and me.

"So, what can you tell us?" Eddie asked. He took my hand as we stood, joining the others around the table.

"You will all be off campus the entirety of the weekend." Alberta was about to start a lecture. This tone in her voice was one that I recognized all too well lately. "All rules within the Academy still apply while you are on assignment with Guardians."

"May I ask what might turn out to be a stupid question?" I asked our head Guardian. She gave me a nod and four heads immediately turned to me. "Why are we here?"

"Pardon?"

More clarification was needed in my questions.

"More specifically, why are you using novices for an off campus exercise this time? Don't most of these training operations take place here at the Academy?" Again, I tried not to sound ungrateful.

"Yes, but we don't have enough Guardians this week to conduct these drills on campus and off as well."

What more could I say? It was no secret that we as a society lacked Guardians. We are the ones on the battlefield. We are the ones to make the sacrifices protecting others. It took several hours of the morning for all three Guardians to review their plans, revise them, and repeat as they combined ideas, settling on a full-scale guarding plan. Once Eddie and I were sure we too understood, we were given our own instructions.

"You will both shadow a Guardian at all times." We were ordered to be at the side of a Guardian while on duty.

Once finished, four of us climbed into a waiting packed SUV.

"Is Alberta not joining us?" Eddie and I sat together; a bit confused when the other Guardian stepped away from the vehicle.

"No." Dimitri replied from the driver's seat. "She has students to guard here."

"This'll be an entertaining weekend." Eddie quietly mused, and I saw Yuri smile from the front passenger seat.

"So, are you allowed to tell us yet, whom we are guarding this weekend?"

"A few royal students have off campus weekend passes. We are guarding them.' It was Yuri's turn to answer me.

"Which royals?"

"You have a lot of questions today, Bellamy." Dimitri commented, looking back at me from his rear-view mirror.

"I have a lot of questions every day. Just because I choose not to voice each and every one, does not mean I do not have them."

He made a face. "Just sit tight." He advised.

I sat back, leaning my head onto Eddie's shoulder.

"Why are you conflicted?" Eddie inquired, putting his arm around me, keeping our conversation as quiet as he could. "Mason said that you are conflicted or confused by this invitation."

We had now returned to our earlier conversation.

"What else did he have to say?"

I could feel Eddie shrug his shoulders. "He didn't say it, but I think he is upset that we are training, and he isn't."

"And how do you feel about that?"

"I have no opinion."

I wanted to laugh out loud but did not want to involve others in our talk. "Liar." I said just as a yawn escaped. I soon fell asleep, waking up a short two hours later.

"We're here." My eyes shot open as Dimitri informed us, pulling into an empty parking spot.

We had arrived at a Marina, giving the understood reality that there was no turning back. We were a good distance away from the safety of the Academy now. Eddie immediately jumped out, offering his hand as I followed.

"Bells, will you help me with the bags in the back?"

"Of course, Guardian Belikov." I agreed.

I joined Dimitri at the back of the SUV while Eddie jogged off to assist Yuri. They were headed to check in at the clubhouse.

"Did I do something wrong?" Dimitri asked an odd question once we were on our own.

"No. Did I?" I countered.

"No." He briefly went silent, carefully considering his next question. "So, what is going on with you today?"

I shot him a look of befuddlement.

"Yuri and I heard you and Mr. Castille. Talking."

"That's called eavesdropping?" I joked.

"Kind of hard not to. I apologize."

"It's fine." I accepted, with little choice.

"So," He continued to urge an answer from me, "what is it?"

"It's nothing really. I'm just a bit unsettled."

"About?"

If I wasn't happy about discussing this with Eddie, what made Dimitri think that I would…oh, right. His Zen-like tone, the dark sensitive eyes, and the fact that he could rat me out to Bridgette any time he wanted.

I leaned against the bumper. "I'm not troubled by this invitation exactly. I really do appreciate the opportunity, and I more than understand its significance."

"But?" Dimitri was genuinely interested in hearing what I had to say.

"I am simply wondering about the 'timing'".

"I see." Dimitri lifted the heavier pieces of equipment and bags.

"Others at the Academy have been there longer than me."

"And you are worried that you are less deserving of this opportunity." He surmised.

I nodded slowly. "Don't you think I have ruffled enough feathers?"

Dimitri smiled. "Believe me when I say that no one is more worthy of this opportunity than you. Despite only being at the Academy a short time, you are already at the top of your class. So, when Alberta suggested you for this, there were no arguments from the other Guardian staff. You have earned this on your own merits Bellamy." He said exactly what I needed to hear, but somehow it still did little to push away my own doubts.

"Can I ask another question?" I picked up my weekend bag, setting it down next to Eddie's.

"This is going to be a weekend full of questions, isn't it." Dimitri joked.

"Probably." I smiled.

"Ask away."

"Seeing as we are at a boating Marina, is it safe to assume that we will be spending our weekend on a…" I hesitated to say the words boat or water.

"We are going to be on a boat called 'Persephone'." Dimitri read from a small slip of paper. "It belongs to the Drozdov family."

"So, we are guarding Aaron and his friends." I deduced from the information given earlier, hoping like hell that Jesse Zeklos was not going to be part of my weekend.

"Yes." Dimitri replied.

We were then joined again by Eddie and Yuri. Eddie picked up his bag, and then took mine from me as well.

"We are going to dock D, slip thirty-four." Yuri instructed. "The boat there will take us out to our destination." He spoke.

Eddie and I followed the two Guardians to the boat slip, where we boarded a small but fast boat. Once fully loaded, the driver took us out onto the water, leaving the marina and the harbor for larger waters. The lake we were on was huge. During the day it was hard to see the shorelines in any direction. We were on the water for ten minutes before the yacht we were scheduled to be on, came into view.

"Holy…" Eddie started, his eyes widening more and more the closer we got.

"That's the Persephone?" I inquired.

The Drozdov boat was more liken to a super yacht than a boat. The ninety-five-meter floating vessel was the epitome of luxury.

"Why are we boarding during the day?" Eddie questioned. "Won't the Moroi be asleep?"

"We are boarding to do daily checks before this evening." Yuri confirmed, his eyes were just as big.

The four of us boarded the ship, with as little disturbance as possible, met by our host a few minutes later. Aaron Drozdov stood in the first set of sliding glass doors to greet us, staying inside where the blackout shades were drawn. Once we set our bags down, we were given a quick tour of the layout. The Drozdov yacht was four decks, not including the sixteen rooms. We were given permission to wander and walk wherever we liked, and given full access to a gym, spa, movie room, dining room, kitchen, and more for the entirety of our weekend.

"This boat is massive." Eddie came to stand beside me once Aaron disappeared to go to sleep for the remainder of the day. Along with myself, Eddie, and our Guardian instructors, the super yacht included four other members of crew, a captain, and two personal chefs. The four of us were each given our own room. I took the room next to Dimitri, while Eddie was across the hall next to Yuri.

I walked into a full sized, extravagantly decorated cabin, that shared a bathroom with Dimitri. As I looked around, the door from his side opened, and I glimpsed his room. It was not long before Eddie was knocking on my door, eager to compare my weekend residence to his.

"Yuri says there is a basketball court on the main deck, near the bow of the ship."

"I'm surprised there isn't a helipad."

Once fully settled into our rooms, the four of us met on the first deck, going over the layout and any points of concern. We also went over the schedule we were given by Aaron. He and his friends would be traveling back to the shore this evening, and the next for short periods of time. That meant that at least two Guardians would be required to accompany them to their destinations. After another twenty minutes of discussion, the four of us were soon free to spend the remainder of the day on whatever activity suited us best. While Yuri and Dimitri chose to sleep in their cabins, Eddie and I stayed up a short time longer, walking through each deck and exploring everything.

"This is the best assignment ever." My friend made sure to let me know his feelings again, in case I had missed it the last several times.

"Agreed."

We eventually found our way back to the main deck living area, sitting together on one of the four couches.

"So, do you want to tell me about what is going on with you and Mase?" Eddie circled his arms around me, using his comforting tone.

"What makes you think that something is going on?" The innocence I had intended to convey did not work on my friend as I hoped it would.

"I know Mason better than anyone, and I feel like I've come to know you pretty well; well enough to sense when something is wrong in your world."

I stayed quiet, unable to respond. Honestly, I was not sure what I should say.

"Things have been weird between you two for weeks. What is going on?"

"I don't know." I deeply sighed. "At first I thought maybe it was still to do with Christian, but it seems like more, and I don't know how to fix it." I felt Eddie nod. He hugged me tighter, and we continued to sit in silence for a while.

Towards evening, as the sun began to set slowly over the horizon, we'd all caught up on sleep and were preparing to greet the rest of the crew and Moroi hosts on board. I threw on a bit of lip gloss and was pulling my hair up into a clip as a knock on my door hurried me. I opened the door to see Dimitri waiting on me.

"Ready." I said, joining him, closing the door behind me.

"I know I asked before, but are you sure you are doing okay Bells?" He asked as we made our way out to Yuri and Eddie.

"Again, I'm fine. Or at least I will be." I smiled at him, rejoining Eddie as we reached the main deck.

I took Eddie's hand and squeezed tight as Aaron and his friends joined us. Immediately I saw Jesse Zeklos smirk. I changed my mind. This was going to be a rough weekend.

"Is this my lucky weekend or yours?" He spoke quietly as I stood by the door with my friend.

"Neither." I grumbled, feeling Eddie instinctively place his arm around me completely, saving me from any conflict or confrontation with Jesse.

The two and a half days that we had on assignment flew by without any large incident or concern, but by the time we returned to the Academy, Eddie and I were only given time to unpack and change, immediately returning to our regularly scheduled program. I was thirty seconds from being considered late for a bodyguarding class, and I knew that Alberta was not lenient about tardiness, no matter the circumstances.

I took my stance beside Mason, noticing his somewhat cold greeting. It was clear that he was still bothered that Eddie and I were the two students who had been asked to do 'field training' for the weekend with our Academy Guardians. Neither Eddie nor I had refused the opportunity, nor should we have been expected to. After all, it wasn't as though we had been off on holiday. We were working. Despite the accommodation provided, we were training, and in my case, much of the weekend had not been enjoyable. We were guarding Aaron Drozdoz, his friends, and their current girlfriends. Not to mention, we were over a large body of water all weekend.

During our lunch break, Shane made a point to remind me and Eddie that we had all planned to meet in the novice gym to practice after classes ended. Once my last class finished, I gathered my things, and immediately made a run across campus to be on time. I was a little surprised to see Mason and Eddie in what appeared to be a heated discussion.

"Everything alright, boys?" I lightly questioned as both men instantly shut down their conversation upon seeing me.

"Everything is good." Eddie answered, looking at Mason, who grumbled something to his roommate before putting on a smile.

I smiled back, walking into the gym to see Shane standing and waiting alongside Meredith Nikolai. My own disposition changed as well. "What is she doing here?"

"I invited her." Mason stated. I dropped his hand and took a step back.

Eddie was by my side as Mason walked over to stand beside Shane.

"So," Meredith began, "how was the weekend? Your field experience."

"It was fine." I started wrapping my hands.

"Standard weekend." Eddie followed up. "Nobody got hurt or killed."

"Or punched in the face." I added, laughing shortly with Eddie at our inside joke. He helped me to finish wrapping my last hand.

"Whom were you guarding?" The questions continued.

"A couple of Academy students." Eddie said, then attempting a change in subjects. "Why don't we get to work. I'll spar with Mere while you take Bells." Eddie informed Mason.

Mason agreed and we all split into small groups.

"Maybe this time I will win a match against you." Mason commented lightheartedly.

"Not likely." Shane seemed to disagree.

Mason instantly grew weirdly agitated again.

"Why are you so moody?" I wanted to know as we started our first round.

"I'm not moody." He refuted my observation. "Stop going easy on me." He noticed that I was not putting all my energy into our training.

I swiftly moved to the side, barely missing a sucker punch Mason threw while my attention shifted to a question from Shane.

"What the hell Mase?"

Denied or not, he was in a mood that I was in no mood to deal with. I knew that he had been stirred up when Eddie and I were asked to leave with Guardians off campus, but I did not have the time or patience then to mitigate his bitchiness.

"So, did you and Eddie have a good time with your royals?"

"We were there to do a job Mason."

"A job?" That's what you're going to call it?"

I held my tongue for a good minute, taking in what he was insinuating. His tone and words were unmistakably accusatory, and I was unclear as to what reason he had to be so mistrustful.

"Just what are you accusing me of?"

"Nothing. I am just curious."

'Of what' I thought to myself.

"You were one of only three women, away for a weekend with two notoriously lecherous Moroi, and two Guardians who…"

"Whoa." I brought our sparring session to a halt. "You say what you like about Jesse and Aaron, but I won't let you spread your viperous vitriol about good Guardians."

I couldn't help but notice Eddie and Meredith had also stopped training, keeping their distance with Shane.

I lowered my voice. "God help me, I cannot seem to figure out if you are accusing me of betraying you with Eddie," Ed and I gave each other a look, rolling our eyes, "Guardian Tverskaya, or…"I paused, "I swear if you say the name Jesse, I will throw more than punches."

He smirked, and it set me off more.

"Oh please. Jesse wouldn't actually know what to do with you if he ever got you, Eddie doesn't have the balls to take you from me, but those weren't the only men in attendance."

My face twisted as my skin grew hotter. The only other men not mentioned had been Aaron and Dimitri. I took a shot at whom he was referring to.

"You think that I've been secretly fooling around with Dimitri?" I took another step closer to Mason, my temper growing hotter and hotter, but his vile accusations continued.

"You aren't denying it."

"Stop talking before I do something we will both regret." He opened his mouth to speak, but before anymore vitriolic venom spewed into our row, I felt my hands grab the front of his shirt. I pulled him in closer and tossed him backwards. Everything around me went red and then dark. Before I realized what was happening, I was being forcibly pulled out of the gym doors.

"Bellamy.' I heard Dimitri in my ear. His tone was nothing like his usual calming one. He sounded harsh and serious now.

I snapped out of the state I was in, seeing Mason still in the gym, on the opposite side of the room. He was on his knees, trying to catch his breath. Another Guardian was kneeling beside him, threatening to take him to the hospital wing. My mind was rushing in too many directions.

"Come with me." Dimitri demanded, making sure I followed him to my dorm room. He unlocked the door and followed me in, sitting me down on my bed.

I clasped my hands, wringing them back and forth, trying to fully recall what had just occurred.

"Your friends said that you and Mr. Ashford were in a fight."

I remembered that part. "Yes. He was saying…"

"It doesn't matter Bellamy."

"Yes, it does." I tried to argue, but Dimitri was not hearing it.

"They said you threw him across the room."

"I don't remember…"

"He hit the wall and crashed to the floor."

"But how? How is that possible? Look at me." I spoke. "I'm strong, but not that strong. I can barely get you to the ground in training."

He seemed to agree, just as confused now as I was. "What were you two fighting about?" He asked, and I told him. If he was angered by what had been said, he did not show it. "May I make an observation without you taking it the wrong way, or getting upset with me?" He sounded overly cautious as he questioned me, and I was not sure if it was because of what had just happened with Mason, or because he was afraid of me now.

"Sure." I permitted, unsure of whether or not I could in fact keep the promise not to get upset.

"I would like to voice my opinion and observation of you and your friend, Mr. Castille. You two had a nice time working together over the weekend. You were away from the distractions of the Academy, and…"

"Let me stop you before you start." I needed to bring this particular observation to a screaming halt. "There are few people in our small society that I consider to be true friends in my life. You are one, and Eddie is another. He is someone that I would walk into battle with because I know that he would not hesitate to do the same for me."

"So, your friendship with him is…"

"Strictly professional and platonic."

Dimitri gave a nod of acceptance, but I wondered if he believed me or not. No matter. I had bigger problems to tend to. Mason's jealousy and distrust were going to get him hurt one day, but right now they were putting a far bigger strain on our relationship than was necessary. It was time for me to decide whether or not this was something that I wanted. More importantly, it was crucial that I figure out how I had managed to toss my boyfriend across an entire room like a ragdoll.

"Interesting conversation." Eddie spoke as we began to drive away from the apartment complex.

"Was it?" I could hear it in my friend's tone. He was trying to make some sort of point or misguided observation. One that I might not fully appreciate.

"I've seen that look on you before." He remarked.

"What look?"

"The same look you got at St. Vladimir's."

Oh, I had to hear this now.

"I've only seen that look on you maybe three times." He mused out loud as Yuri and I listened. "The first time I saw your look of insecurity was with Meredith."

"Insecurity?" I questioned, insulted momentarily. First, he accuses me of having a bad temper, and now I'm insecure?

"The second time," Eddie continued, unfazed by my notable outrage, "was the first time you met Lissa. That was almost entertaining."

"Wow. You think I am insecure of other women?"

"No. Just three women."

"Who is the third?"

"Rose."

I had no words. None.

"Although you seem to have moved past that one some time ago."

I was beginning to see where he was headed with this topic. "And now you think I am insecure of…"

"Yes

"Bianca and I went to school together back at St. Sebastian's. She was a year ahead of me, and positively livid when Liam Kane chose me instead of her. I now know that Liam mostly wanted me close because of Bridgette and the Council. He could spy much easier if we were dating."

"I remember." Eddie recalled. "So, what now? Where do we go from here?"

"Now," Yuri added from the driver's seat, "you two are going to drop me at the airfield."

"The airfield?" Eddie did not understand. "Why?"

Yuri placed a hand over mine, resting on the center console of the truck.

"I promised I would meet up with Belikov."

Eddie went quiet, picking up on Yuri's tone and his answer. He knew something more was happening. He waited until Yuri was out of the truck, and on his way over to Dimitri and Dean. As I jumped into the driver's seat, I was hit with questions.

"I know something is up. What is it? You know I have never given you reason to doubt my loyalty Bells."

I agreed with him. "That remains the case." I confirmed. "It's not you that I don't trust Ed. Bianca Kane is watching us for Liam. We need to be hyper aware of information passed or around us until he is in custody."

"You are planning something more." He accused as we pulled up to the Zeklos property.

"Come inside Ed." I made the request. "I will explain more."

My friend hesitated as I put the truck in park, but ultimately, he followed me inside, reluctant to understand my puzzling behavior. Thanks to Dimitri and Jesse, many of our other friends had already arrived too. Eddie did not look all together happy as he walked into the kitchen.

"Rose?" He spotted her talking with Viktoria, also seeing Chris sitting next to Aaron and Shane.

Jesse was immediately by my side as I entered the room.

Eddie put a hand to my shoulder, pulling me to a stop. "Talk to me Bells. Why did we just surreptitiously drop your husband off at the Court airfield with Belikov and Barnes, and why are we…"

"We're leaving." I reached out for Jesse's hand, trying not to stumble over my words. All conversations in the room came to an abrupt halt, and everyone stared back at me. "Yuri and Dimitri are currently making sure that everything is prepared."

I turned to see the look of disbelief on Eddie's face. Christian wore the same look. He stood, and I put my hand up to keep him in place.

"We are taking an extended leave of absence." Jesse informed everyone, using his diplomatic tone, the one reserved for royal events and meetings.

"What does that mean?" Christian spoke up, nervous about what Jesse or I might say next.

"It means that Jesse and I will not be at Court for some time."

"Is this voluntary, or are the Councils making this decision?" Rose wanted to know.

"This is something that Jess, Yuri, Sophie, and I have been discussing for several weeks now."

After a few more minutes, I managed to separate the Guardians from our Moroi, while Jesse handled our Moroi friends. I closed the door to my office, making certain that the rest of this conversation was not heard by others.

"Let's change the subject for a minute Bells." Eddie suggested, sitting down, his arms crossed over his chest. "Let's talk about Liam. Tell us what he knows."

I sat down beside my friend, Viktoria and Shane, and Rose sitting across from us.

"First and foremost, Liam knows that I do not want to go on a long and arduous trek around the world, trying to apprehend his wily ass." I leaned against Eddie, still exhausted by any conversation surrounding Mason or Liam. "He knows that in order to catch him, I would plan quietly and attack 'without being seen'. I watched Viktoria's expression shift as I used these specific words.

"But you aren't going to be quiet, are you?" Eddie uncrossed his arms, pulling me closer.

"Nope. I am going to make a lot of noise. I am going to be as loud as possible, for more reasons than one. Dean came up with a good plan to keep our Moroi safe, and I am inclined to agree with his plan."

"What are you doing to keep Jesse and Sophie safe?"

Viktoria and I gave each other a look of mixed emotions.

"We are splitting up." I spoke.

"Care to explain what that actually means?" Shane was nervous to hear what I might say in response.

"It means that we are splitting up." Viktoria replied before I could say anything more.

"I am not ready to say what all 'splitting up' involves."

"Is there a reason for that?"

"Yes."

"Does Lissa know?" Rose inquired as we soon exited the office.

"She gave us her full permission." I assured my friend.

As soon as we were all out of my office, it was clear that Jesse had been speaking with the other Moroi. Chris was the first to move towards me. He picked me up into his arms. I hugged him in return, keeping my face buried in his neck.

"Does this mean that I cannot see you during your absence?"

"No Chris. You and Dimitri know that you are all welcome. I am a simple flight across the pond. Or we can arrange to meet in a more neutral zone."

"Bells, the trucks are ready." Sophie spoke quietly as I comforted my friend. Her announcement signaled that it was time to get the hell out of dodge. It was time to leave Court for an undeterminable amount of time.

"Stay one more night." Christian implored. "There is no law that says you have to leave right now."

I shifted so that my feet touched the floor, and he had no choice but to let go. "I need to go so that I can keep you safe too."

"We are safe with you here."

I twisted around to face Aaron. I saw the same rejection in his eyes that I had seen once before.

"Shane, can I speak with your Moroi alone for a moment?"

"Of course." I was given full permission. I handed Eddie a small piece of paper as everyone, but Aaron filed out of the room.

"Bells, don't leave me." Aaron began, his voice was low, purposely keeping his distance. "Don't leave us."

"Air," I walked over to him, slowly and cautiously taking his hands, "you know that along with your Guardian, I will never let anything bad happen to you."

"Yes Bellamy. Of course."

"It is my job to make the decision that keeps Moroi safe, even if it is the hardest decision."

"I know that, but…"

"That is what I am doing now."

"I don't want to lose you." I felt his hands tighten with mine.

"You could never." I assured him.

"I love you Bellamy." He said the words, and I knew that he meant so much more. After all this time, he said to me what I could not say to him. "I know it isn't what you want to hear, and I know that you will never say it back, but I need to you to know."

My hands dropped, and I kept my face as stoic as possible. "Well," I tried not to let my voice shake, "that is a much larger discussion." I took his words as seriously as he did. "It is a conversation that you and I will have when Jesse and I return to Court." I tabled the talk for as long as I could. I lifted up to my toes and kissed Aaron on his cheek, feeling his hands lightly at my waist.

As I pulled away, he smiled weakly. "Come on. It's time." As we walked out of the room and out of the house, I felt tears silently fall down my face.

Four separate trucks, packed on Yuri's instructions, were waiting to leave our compound. I hugged Aaron tight once more before he left with Shane. I climbed into another truck, only now wondering if this was the right decision. Eddie climbed into the passenger seat as I turned the engine over, prepared to join me on this drive. He had read what was on the paper I'd handed to him. As all four trucks drove away from our Court residence, doubts began to overwhelm me. It was Jesse. His nerves and anxiety were soaring. As we reached the Court gates, the four vehicles all separated. One went to the left, another to the right, the third, and fourth driving straight out of the gates, also separating a short drive later. Eddie and I were in the second vehicle, driving a longer distance to another Court exit. The ride was silent all the way off Court grounds. It was then silent for another short drive to our destination. I pulled the truck off the regular road, now going off road. Still, it was another ten-minute drive before a small jet came into view. There were few lights, but a long enough stretch of land to get us into the air. Viktoria pulled a truck in behind me as I was opening the back doors to let Jesse and Sophie out from where they had been hiding, thanks to Eddie.

"No one knows we're here?" Sophie inquired, walking over to hold her husband's hand.

"No one will have seen you in vehicles." I confirmed. After speaking to the pilot, the small number of staff, and checking every inch of the jet, Sophie and Jesse were allowed to finally breathe a sigh of relief as they boarded. Viktoria boarded with them while I stayed to hug my friend. My phone rang as we began to walk back towards the jet.

"Yuri." I answered.

"Bells. How is the plan? Have you reached…"

"We're just boarding now. Both Jess and Soph are safely strapped in."

"Good." My husband sounded pleased. "I will see you at home then. I love…"

"You're not going anywhere." I heard the female voice that we were all anticipating. Yuri kept his phone on as I listened. "Everybody off the jet." It was undeniably Bianca's voice.

"You'll want to take this call." I heard the phone being handed over to Bianca.

"Bianca, I am not at the Court airstrip." I enlightened her as soon as I knew she was listening. "Neither are Jesse and Sophie."

"You're lying." She accused me. "I saw a blond man and a Moroi woman board this plane with your husband."

"You did indeed." I confirmed. "You saw my husband and another Guardian board with two Moroi in disguise. I must remember to thank Mia Rinaldi for wearing a wig and boarding the jet with Sophia's new Guardian."

I had angered her again by outwitting her and spoiling whatever plan she had to abduct my Moroi.

"If you are not here, where are you?"

"An airstrip about forty-five minutes off of Court grounds, and approximately ten minutes from take-off."

"Get your hands off of me." I heard Bianca shout as the phone was handed off again. Yuri informed me that during our short conversation, more Court guards had arrived to escort my old friend away. I asked Yuri to give her the cell phone once more.

"I am truly sorry that Liam dragged you into his mess. I am also sorry that I will not be seeing you again." The last sentence held more sarcasm than truth, and it was not missed.

"Sarcasm does not become you, Bellamy." Bianca hissed.

"No." I pushed back. "But it does sustain me pretty well. When they… If the Courts let you go, I suggest that you return to Liam. You are welcome to let him know that we are on our way home. After all, I'm not the one who is coming after him."

Yuri took his phone back, and after speaking for another minute, we both hung up. Once everyone was ready, it was finally time to say goodbye to my friend.

"Seriously babe, when are you coming back?"

"Seriously," I put my arms around his torso, "I don't know. Give us a little time. Jess, Yuri, Sophie, and I all need time to mentally and physically recover."

"But you will come back?"

"You know I will."

"Okay." He settled, pulling his arms around me too. "Can I call?"

"I would be upset if you didn't." I agreed. "Let me know when you have Liam in custody." I let go of my friend, turning to leave.

He caught my hand, keeping me in place still. "It should be you bringing him in."

"No." I repeated. "I'll see you later." I leaned in as he kissed my cheek.

The trip home was quiet. I laid my head onto Jesse's shoulder and was asleep within a minute of take-off. Yuri and Dean were waiting to meet us when I pulled the car through the gates and up the drive.

"How'd it go?" Yuri asked me, wrapping his arms around me. He was referring now to my short goodbye with Eddie and the others.

"It was harder than I thought it would be." He hugged me tighter. "Eddie will call us when he has word on Liam. Until then," I struggled to let go of my husband, "I think we deserve a few days and nights off."

All six of us agreed before heading inside.

SIX MONTHS LATER

DIMITRI

"Sophie is back at Court." Christian informed me, his tone a mixture of delight, hope, and fear.

After nearly six months away, Sophia Zeklos had returned to Court. This alone came as a big surprise to the Court but add to this, the request she made. She wanted a meeting with me. The invitation was arranged as a private meeting, so I happily agreed. I asked that the meeting take place at the coffee house that Sophie and Bellamy frequented. At seven pm, I walked through the doors nearly fifteen minutes early to see that Sophie had already arrived, and we were absolutely alone. The shop barista was somewhere in the back preparing coffee but kept out of sight.

"Good evening, Sophie." I started but froze when her eyes looked up to meet mine.

"Thank you for meeting me, Guardian Belikov." She used a formal tone and greeting, sending off more alarm bells in my head. "I know that you are busy, but I did not know who else could help." She sounded more than troubled. "I would not interrupt your schedule if things were not bad." No. She wasn't troubled. The girl was downright panicking.

"You are never a bother Sophie.' I attempted to sound calm. "What do you mean by bad? What is bad?"

"Jesse and Bellamy." She emphatically spoke, and for the first time since we'd sat down, I saw her hands shaking. "If it were just Jesse, I could go directly to Bellamy for help, but the repercussions of what Jesse is going through, impacts Bellamy. Contrarywise, the damage that Bellamy is finally confronting, impacts my husband. It truly is a vicious circle."

My brow furrowed as she went on with her concerns, trying her best to explain the problems further.

"How can I help, Sophie?" I asked her. "What would you have me do?" I was unsure there was much, if anything that I could do, but I was willing to help her and Yuri in any way that I could.

"Talk to Bellamy. She trusts you. She admires you."

And more importantly, she might listen to me. I sat still and silent, reflecting on much of the information I had just been handed. After hearing about what Sophie had relayed to me, Rose too pushed me to go and see our friends. She'd been quite concerned ever since Jesse and Bellamy announced their short-term absence. I put the short trip at the top of my schedule, and chose to bring Christian with me, as he was having personal problems of his own. A day or two away from Court could do him some good. One week later, after receiving permissions and all clearances needed to travel, we landed in England, driving into the countryside, unsure of what might happen.

Yuri answered the door, untroubled by our arrival. I wondered if he had anticipated us. Either way, Christian and I were greeted with a smile.

"I am sorry that I missed you at Court." He apologized, granting us entry inside. "Sophie mentioned we might be seeing you. She is worried about Jess and Bells."

"You're not?" I voiced a question, spotting the slightest amount of trepidation in his eyes.

"I was," He admitted, "but I know my wife. She is one of the strongest women I know. She is one of the strongest Guardians I know." I agreed with him. "She has been through a lot, but I learned early on that she faces things in her own time, and on her own terms. Liam and Mason were tremendous obstacles, with major fallout."

I was now understanding more about why Sophia was troubled. "She," I referred to Sophie, "asked me to speak to Bells."

"She told me after she met with you." Yuri acknowledged. "I think she was smart to ask. Bellamy is in the gym."

I made the misstep of asking Christian to remain with Yuri while I went to locate Bellamy. The appeal did not go over well at first, but I needed to see just how bad things were before involving Christian. Yuri had witnessed the reaction Christian had to my request, asking if he could first speak to our friend privately while I spoke with Bellamy.

"Sure." Christian grumbled, knowing that me and Bellamy's husband were working together to keep the peace.

The pair disappeared into the kitchen seconds before I walked in the opposite direction. Fear and exhilaration swept through me, uncertain of what Bellamy's reaction to seeing me might be. I was nearly to the large portion of property that held the Guardian gym, turning the final corner as I ran directly into Viktoria. She too looked positively stunned to see me.

"Viktoria." I greeted her as she wrapped her arms around me.

"Priviet Dimitri."

"Priviet." I replied, happy to see her, even if I did not wholly agree with her desired posting.

"What are you doing here?" My sister inquired, now suspicious. "Have you come to check up on me? I do not need…"

"No." I stopped her. "Do I need to check up on you?"

"No. Why are you here then?" Still, she remained apprehensive and anxious about my unscheduled appearance.

"I am here to see my friend. It has been made clear to me that Bellamy is struggling."

"She will not see you."

"She does not have a choice." I made clear in my response. And with that said, Viktoria let me pass to find my friend.

I knocked but received no reply from inside the gym. Quietly, I opened the door, and peered inside. Bellamy was at the back of the room. She was using one of the punching bags, slamming her fists into it the same way I had seen her do shortly after Mason's funeral years ago. It appeared that she was still in an unbelievably bad place where Mason was concerned. I entered the building, but she still did not see or hear me. I walked in further, taking a seat in a chair to the side. I waited another five minutes or so before she finally spotted me.

"Hi." I said, keeping my voice low as I stood.

She stood perfectly still, blinking several times, staring back at me while considering her words.

"Dimitri, why are you here? She sounded exhausted and looked like she had not been sleeping well, if at all.

I motioned for her to sit down. "I'm here to see you."

"Why?" She pressed, indifferent to my level but concerned tone.

"A few reasons. First…"

"Where is Christian?" She refused to sit yet in addition to avoiding my concern for her.

"Christian is fine Bellamy. He is here with me. And," I put the conversation back on track, "that is the first reason for my visit. I need your help." I slowly let my guard down with my friend, knowing anything I said to her was safe. "He has completely lost control. He…" I let the tone in my voice slip, and Bellamy caught it. Of course she did.

She put a hand to mine, easing my panic and stress. "Slow down." She instructed me, start at the beginning. What has happened to him?"

I searched for the most deferential yet clear way of telling her that our friend was free falling off the deep end.

"He is what you have occasionally referred to as "rockstar wasted"."

Bellamy's reaction was not what I had expected. She was stoic. Calm.

"Which rockstar?" She inquired with an unusual question. I gave her a name, and she reacted this time as abruptly as I would expect. "Tell me everything."

Her expression changed as I took a deep breath before speaking. "All he has been doing over the last month is drinking and partying."

She shot me a look of skepticism. "What is the cause for all of this bizarre behavior?" She wanted all of the answers I had, but I knew that some things were better left said between her and Christian alone.

"Bells, I feel as if I'm as lost as he is. I don't know what to do. I have spoken to Rose. She is as baffled as I am. No one knows how to react, or help."

"What about Lissa?"

"Lissa is the cause of the problem."

"You need to be completely honest with me." She insisted again. "What set him on his destructive path?"

"He and Lissa broke up."

"Again?"

"This is different than the last time Bells. This is…"

"Wait." She stopped, considering now what might've occurred between the pair. "Last I spoke with the Queen; she suspected that Chris was going to propose."

"He did propose." I explained, knowing she would pick up on the subtle hint I provided with my response.

"Lissa refused?" She surmised correctly.

"I shrugged my shoulders. "Sort of." I was not sure how to answer this part of her question. "It is a little more complicated than that."

"What is so complicated about it Dimitri?" She stood back up. "I did everything I could to keep the Council from interfering. I called in very important favors. What happened?"

"You really should talk to Christian."

"I am talking to you."

"Bellamy…" I resisted, politely asking her to back off.

"Okay." She relented. "You said that you are here for more than one reason. Dare I ask?"

"The second reason, "I stood, making my way out of the gym with her, "I need your assistance in Court politics."

"Dimitri, I purposely left Court to get away from Court politics."

I understood her reluctance of the subject. "I am not asking you to get involved in the politics. I'm asking for your help in how to better navigate them." She stopped walking, still hesitant about answering or helping. "Bellamy, you read people better than anyone I know."

"Howard asked for a meeting with me and Jesse next week, at Court." She changed the subject, informing me of her upcoming plans. "He did not inform us of the subjects he wishes to address. So, does your asking me for political aid have anything to do with Howard?"

"No." I told her, happy to hear that she and Jesse would be returning to Court, but worried that she might not be ready for all that returning would bring about.

"Great." Her voice lifted slightly, but I was not convinced of her willingness yet to help. "We will all return to Court next week then. Now, I would like to see Christian. Where have you stashed him?"

I smirked. "He is hanging out with Yuri."

"Wow." Bellamy joked. "That's brave." The two of us were still joking around and catching upon small things as we arrived in time to witness Chris and Yuri also laughing together. "I'd wager this is a good sign." She was hopeful.

I smiled again. "I have not seen him laugh in weeks. That is a good sign indeed."

Yuri was first to see us enter the room. He too smiled, but I noticed the look he gave his wife, telling her as much as I had about Christian.

"Bells!" Christian spun around to see her enter the room further. The way these two were connected had not changed since they'd been in school together. Yuri and I watched the pair rush to each other, clinging onto one another as if their lives were suddenly dependent upon their proximity. "Bells, I've missed you so much." I heard Christian quietly say to our friend. "When are you coming back to Court?"

"Next week." Bellamy replied to him. "But first, we need to talk." Yuri and I left the room as the two sat down to have a much needed and overdue talk.

BELLAMY

Returning to Court felt strange. Problematic. After being gone for so long, our return was acknowledged with welcoming faces, but that did not change the reasons we'd left in the first place.

"We are grateful and happy to have you back." Hans said as Yuri and I did our return check-in with Guardian administration and security. "You have been missed."

After finishing the necessary arrival procedures, Yuri kissed me sweetly. He had plans to meet up with some of our Guardian friends while I needed to meet Jesse. He and I met up at Howard and Ekaterina's private Court residence shortly before we were expected by Howard.

"Do you know what he wants?" I asked Jesse before I was forced to walk blind into a meeting.

"No clue." My moroi answered, frustrating me. Jesse knew that I did not like meeting with anyone, his parents or their Guardian team especially, without being given some information beforehand.

"What exactly did he say?" I pushed for a little more information, before I was blindsided by Howard.

"He said 'Come to Court. Your mother and I want a word with you and Bellamy.'" Jesse repeated what he had been told verbatim.

"And he gave no other clue as to what he might want to say?"

"Nope."

"Super." I sarcastically groaned. At the exact pre-provided time, Jesse and I knocked on Howard's office door.

"Enter." The man said from inside.

Jesse put his palm to my lower back, and I could feel him vibrating with nerves. I opened the door slowly, steeling my own nerves, hoping to calm my friend.

"Good evening, Prince Zeklos." I greeted the man. It always amused Jesse when I used my professional tone and demeanor. "I hope you are well still."

"Indeed." Howard replied. "Come in both of you and have a seat."

My equanimity did little to relieve Jesse's own unease. He waited as I sat first, slowly sitting after.

"We are leaving Court."

"We've only just arrived." Jesse disputed.

"No." Howard corrected. "Your mother and I are leaving Court." His attention quickly turned to me. "I suppose you could say that we are taking a page out of your playbook." I lifted an eyebrow, so he continued. "Ekaterina has been asking me for more time away from Court." Now we were catching on. "With both of our sons well placed in their lives, it may be a good time for our break."

"You are stepping down from your Council position?" Jesse asked in disbelief, both of us hoping to God that his father was not 'retiring' and passing these particular reins to his son. Jesse was nowhere near ready for that transition of power. No way.

"No. I am only taking a short time from Court, to clear my head and spend much needed time with your mother."

"Who will take up your position on the Council with this sudden need of yours to find clarity and peace?" I inquired.

Howard sat down at his desk across from us. Once upon a time, he had looked more intimidating when he sat behind his desk with his arms crossed in his big high-backed chair, paintings of more intimidating men in the background.

"I was thinking perhaps Jesse could…"

"No." Jesse did not miss a beat, adamantly refusing the well-meant offer. "I have so much to catch up on as it is. Taking a Council position would only add to stress and obligation.

Howard smiled. It was the first time in a long time that I had seen the man find humor in anything.

"With this Guardian at your side, you can. She is smart, wise, genuine, sensible, stubborn to her core, and most of all she will not allow you to make any decision she feels may put you or our family in danger."

I was not about to refute his statement.

"Can she and I discuss this?" Jesse asked before giving any sort of response.

"Take your time." Howard dismissed us.

He waited until we'd walked out of the house, unfollowed and unheard. Jesse put a hand to my arm, and just before I could reach for the car door, pulled me to a stop.

"Bells, I can't do this." Jesse was scared. It was my job to reassure him as I listened to his concerns, which I agreed were valid. "I'm not ready."

I nodded. "Is anyone ever ready? Besides, it would be temporary. You and I both know that your father enjoys his position of power too damn much. He won't let you show him up by doing the job any longer than he…" I could see that I was no longer reassuring. "He'll give you a taste of what you will face later in your life when he is longer here with us, but I guarantee he is not going to simply pass the baton yet. He is too clever and too deeply rooted in this Court."

Jesse smiled softly. "He'll give my mother what she wants, and slowly slip himself back here with time."

I agreed. "Please do not worry."

"You think I should take the position?"

I did not want to give him a definitive answer as I was not sure about what to do myself. "I think that you should do what you think is best for you and your family. Give it a day or so, have a long think about it, and then decide. Personally, I would like to talk to Rose and Yuri about the idea of staying on this more permanent basis. Unbiased opinions might be helpful."

Jesse agreed to the suggestion of outsider opinions. "I should definitely speak to Sophie about this."

"Absolutely." We both chuckled. "And then maybe talk to a few of your friends whose futures are going to be similar. Aaron, Bruno, and even Mia might have her own thoughts on this; thoughts you might not have considered."

I dropped Jesse off with Sophie. The pair had their own plans while I was off to meet up with Yuri and our friends. Yuri must have seen me pulling into a nearby parking spot at Rose and Dimitri's townhome, because he met me at the door, opening it before my hand could reach it. His arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me inside.

"Hi love." I greeted my husband, my arms pulled around his neck as he kissed me.

"How did the meeting go? Is Howard making more demands?"

"In a manner of speaking. He and Kat are taking a leave of absence." I explained. "Taking a cue from me and Jesse he claims."

"We are returning to Court then?"

"On a more permanent basis." I shrugged rather indifferently.

"Bells!" I heard a familiar voice call my name from across the room.

I peered around Yuri. "Stef!" I happily greeted my friend.

"You've both been gone too damn long." His sentiment was met with agreement from more of our friends and colleagues.

I walked farther into the space and spotted Rose. I managed to get her attention and pull her to the side only after she ended a short conversation with another Guardian.

"Thank God you are finally back at Court." She smiled happily, moving to the side of the room with me.

"Is there any chance I could get a short meeting with the Queen, for a non-professional conversation?

I watched her mouth move into a thin line, her eyes avoiding mine briefly. She thought carefully for a moment. "Can I assume that it is a non-professional discussion about Christian?" She inquired.

"Partly." I was up front with her. "But there are a few other things going on with Jess and Sophie that I would like to update her and the Council members on."

"I'll see what I can do."

I was appreciative of her help as I sat down, handed a glass of iced tea as my second favorite Guardian sat down beside me.

"I was hoping to see you when you landed." Dimitri sounded happy to see me again.

"We landed at Philadelphia International instead of Court." I explained. "We did not want to make a fuss about our return."

"Your return to Court is more of a big deal than you realize."

"Which is why we kept it low key."

"So low key that you didn't tell your friends?"

I sighed slowly. "Dimitri." I used my warning tone, knowing that he would back off of the subject.

"Alright." He surrendered, turning his upper body toward me. "I am glad that I caught you for a moment. I want to apologize to you."

"Apologize? For what?" I turned to face him; my expression twisted in confusion.

"For not saying anything when I suspected that you were struggling here at Court the last time you were here. I should've said something. I should've done something. I should've…"

"Dimitri, stop." I spoke. "There was nothing you could do that would have changed things. This is a rough job. Impossible at times. Sometimes I need to take a step back and hit the reset button." I smiled.

"In any case, I do apologize."

"Well, a good friend always accepts an apology." I paused. "Not that I believe you should be apologizing for anything." I hugged him as he hugged me back. "Why don't we instead talk about the favor you have asked of me." I pulled back.

He nodded but remained silent, his expression stoic.

"If you were ever expecting me to refuse, there was never any chance of that happening." Still Dimitri was quiet, listening to me talk. "I've been thinking, and for whatever reason, I believe that you have not told me what is behind the reasons for your request. I do not need details, but I hope at some point, as my friend, you will enlighten me as to why this is so important to you. At least tell me how exactly you need my help."

"I need you to teach me." Dimitri finally spoke again.

Now I kept quiet, briefly stunned, attempting to consider where this conversation might lead. "What do you believe I can teach you? In case you missed it love, you have always been my instructor. Not the other way around."

"True enough," He smiled with a wink, "but there are things that you have picked up rather well over the years that I did not teach you; things that may in some instances be of more value than physical strength and fighting. I have spent much of my career guarding in field, and at the Academy."

What he said was beginning to make more sense.

"You have spent more time at both Courts, than any other Guardian we know."

"Lesson one," I guided, "Be careful of any favors you choose to do. That is something that Bridgette told me when she first started training me. Secondly, and I cannot stress this enough, be wary of those favors you are keen to accept." I emphasized. "There are always strings attached, even if they are not immediately clear." I could see Dimitri giving me the most obvious look. What I'd just said would in normal circumstances be considered common sense, but at Court, things were different.

Our gathering of friends had gradually increased in size over the last hour, and now included more Moroi. Jesse had mentioned our arrival at Court to a few of his friends, so several of them were eager to see myself and Yuri mingling among other Guardians.

I should not have been surprised when Eddie appeared out of nowhere, his arms circling around me, and his head resting on my shoulder. I smiled, embracing him in return.

"You look like you are feeling better." He mentioned, concerned about my overall health when I'd abruptly left Court months ago. I did not respond but continued to smile. I had without doubt missed my friend, but I could see concern remaining in his eyes.

"What is it, Ed?"

His smile faded instantly. "Did you know?" He questioned me without any more context.

"Did I know what?"

"About Liam." He spoke the name that honestly still sent worrying chills through me. "Did you know that he would surrender and demand to be brought back here to Court?"

"What?" I fearfully inquired. "He did what?" In a matter of seconds, our return to Court became much more complicated. "Liam is here?" Eddie immediately caught the alarm in my reaction. "You all brought him here? Why did you not tell me this sooner?"

"They forbid me from saying anything to you while you were on sabbatical."

"Who?"

"The Councils and the Queen."

My worry and trepidation had quickly turned to anger and fear. "They specifically forbid you from telling me?"

"Sorry Bells."

"I need to find my husband." I said as calmly as I could manage, Eddie and I both moving through a sea of Guardians and Moroi to find Yuri, without causing panic.

I located him, and discreetly pulled him aside. I was caught by Jesse, who was the only person in the room who could always sense my unease no matter what.

"What is it Bells? What's wrong?" Jesse asked, fearing the answer I might provide.

"They brought him here. I kept my voice low but highlighted the danger I saw headed towards us.

"Who?" Yuri now sounded as troubled as Jesse.

"Court Guardians. They brought Liam here, to Court."

"Liam Kane is here?" Jesse was definitely closer to panicking. I nodded to him, placing a calm hand on his arm. "What do you need me to do?" My Moroi was one of the few people I knew who had first-hand experience, and personally knew just how much danger Liam posed. Jesse had met Liam a handful of times while we were at St. Sebastian's.

"Jess, I need you to quietly gather your family and as many friends as you can manage. I am making arrangements for you to go to the cabin."

Jesse did not argue. He knew that the situation was truly bad if I was preparing to send him to one of our safe houses.

"Why would they do this?" Yuri was questioning as soon as Jesse left my side. "Why would they bring him here?"

"They all made an intentional decision to keep this from me." I was struggling to keep my resentment of this new situation from overwhelming me. "I am going to see the Queen. Please get Sophie and Jess back to the compound. I'll meet you there."

Yuri kissed me, calming me, before setting off on our latest assignments.

"Rose," I interrupted her current conversation with others, "that meeting with Lissa…"

"I will do what I can Bells."

"I'm no longer asking." I pointedly said. "I am on my way to her now."

"Bellamy, you can't just…"

I lowered my voice, moving us to the side. "I don't think you understand the danger this entire Court has been put in."

It was another hour that I had been made to wait before seeing the Queen when I arrived without a receiving time. I walked into the appropriate room, met by Lissa and several members of the royal Council.

"Guardian Pearce, it is so good to have you back with us."

"Thanks." I came across curter than anything.

"I must assume that you are here to discuss Christian." Lissa noticed my demeanor and approached me with caution.

"Honestly, whatever has happened between you and Chris is between you two. Right now, I have much larger problems than the 'Housewives of royal Court'. It would not be fair to involve me." Which was more to say that I did not want to become involved. "I am here to try and understand why you allowed Guardians to bring Liam Kane here."

"I really do not see how that is your concern, Guardian Pearce." A member of Council spoke, but instead of accepting an answer to placate me, I sat down and crossed my arms, showing that I had no intention of being intimidated by the Queen or either Council. I said nothing yet, waiting to be told the truth of the dangerous situation now at hand.

"He surrendered." Lissa replied for herself this time.

"And why do you think that is?" I questioned her. "Why would a Dhampir who has been exiled from both Courts insist you bring him to this Court? Do you think he is impulsive? Do you think he is untrained? Do you think he is daft?" I put my own questions to her. "For the record he is none of these things." I stated before she or others could answer. "He is smart, he is calculating, and he is out for blood."

"So, you think that he is planning something nefarious from his well-guarded cell?" She was not taking this situation or me seriously. "He has been demanding to see you since his arrival."

"No doubt." I spoke up. "I would also like to speak with him."

"In the meantime," Lissa's tone was much more confrontational, "what would you suggest we do with him?"

"With Liam? Nothing." I felt more of an opposition and war of words ready to begin. This was definitely not the time for all of that. "But I would suggest that you take this matter more seriously. Liam Kane is dangerous, whether he is in a cell or not."

"Bellamy, we cannot just…" Before she could finish blowing off this topic, we were interrupted.

"Forgive the intrusion," Another Guardian was interrupting, "but there is a potential security problem. All aircraft are down. We have lost contact with those already in flight, and we currently have no working equipment for landing or take-offs."

'And the problem begins.' I thought to myself but knew better than to say it out loud. Rose and another Guardian left the room to deal with the matter further as the Queen and I continued our back and forth.

"I assume that you think this problem is caused by your friend." Lissa was now being condescending.

I smirked slightly. "Liam is not my friend, and as I mentioned, he does not need to be out of a cell to cause harm."

"You are being impossible."

"This can be solved." I said, and the Queen looked to me, a mix of conflict and fear in her eyes.

"How?"

"I don't know yet." Before she could respond again, I found a way around being outright denied. "I cannot see the solution if I do not know what I am up against."

"What do you need?"

I thought for a few moments, hating the silence of the room.

"I need enough time. And," She and the Councils were not going to like this, "I need Liam to be freed from his cell."

"Absolutely not." Lissa nearly yelled. "That cannot happen."

"And yet, I need that to happen if we are to get answers. I need him to be allowed to escape. Temporarily." I amended my previous request slightly.

"Bell…"

"Take his security detail off of him for no more than twenty minutes. It is enough time for Liam to form a plan and attempt to execute it. I will be there for him to execute said plan, and I will be there to stop him."

She listened to what I was saying. It was a big ask, but when I saw her considering it, I felt hopeful.

"What you are asking for, is not something that I can…"

"Respectfully, you are the only one who can, your majesty." She gave me a disparaging look as I used her formal title. "Please."

"You have a plan?"

"I cannot form a plan until we know what his end game is. In order to understand the mind of the prisoner, I am asking you to temporarily shift his guard detail, not to get rid of them entirely."

"Bellamy," Lissa's tone shifted in a way that made me unsettled, "can you outsmart Liam Kane?"

"No." It was the truth. Liam and I were matched almost completely equally. "But, he can't outsmart me either."

"In that case," Lissa said, "we will consider the matter and let you know in due time."

I wanted to argue and say more. I also wanted to scream. I could do neither as I was immediately shown out of the room by Court Guardians.

I left the impromptu "meeting" with the Queen, feeling even angrier than when I had arrived. I took several deep breaths before arriving back to the compound. I saw Dimitri's SUV parked beside Yuri's in the driveway. I took a few more minutes of calm before turning the engine of my vehicle off. When I walked inside, Yuri and Dimitri were in quiet discussion, and I could hear both of their accents, which often spoke volumes to me. It meant they were either worried or angry. I went with the former. I did a round through the household, finding Dean and Viktoria assisting Sophie and Jess to organize upstairs. Howard had already arrived and was currently demanding and arguing the danger of the situation with his Guardians.

"Bells." Dimitri was first to notice my arrival as I descended the staircase.

"Did you know?" I questioned him. "Did you know he was being brought here?"

"I didn't." He already knew that I was referring to Liam in this case. "If I had…"

"The Council intentionally told Guardians to keep this from me."

"They kept it from me too." I accepted his responses, and let it go. Dimitri had never calculatedly lied to me.

"Bells." I felt Jesse's full emotional surge as he rushed down the staircase, into the foyer.

"So?" He inquired about my meeting with the Queen. "How did it go? What did she say?"

"I was told that she and the Council will take my concerns under advisement."

I felt the same indignation I'd felt earlier, now coming from Jesse. It was somehow comforting, knowing that I was not alone in feeling this way.

"I don't know if it will help, but I could try speaking to the Queen." Jesse offered.

"It won't do any good." I politely refused his offer.

"It can't hurt to try Bells." He pushed. "Besides, I might have a little more influence with the Queen."

"Why, because you're a man?"

"It's not a gender thing." Jesse smirked. "It is a royal thing, Bellamy. You know how this place works." He put a hand to my shoulder, leaned down and kissed my cheek. "I am a royal who will one day join her Council. My voice may carry more sway."

"Maybe."

"Okay." Jesse now sounded optimistic. "Let's go."

"Why don't you take Yuri with you. He can keep you from trouble. I am too amped and angry. I might say something regrettable."

I watched Jesse quickly disappear to interrupt Yuri's conversation with Dimitri. Fifteen minutes after my suggestion, the two were heading out the door while I sat with Dimitri.

"Liam wants to see me." I told him, choosing not to hide my unmade decision.

"Is that good or bad?"

"Probably a bit of both. I need to see him too, if only to better ascertain the full scope of this problem."

Dimitri leaned back, his eyes questioning me with his tone. "You think he will slip and give something up?"

"On purpose? No." I leaned into our conversation further. "Liam is a master charmer. It's what he does. It is his evil superpower."

"So, how are you going to…"

"If I am prepared to sit and have a conversation, I hope to set him at ease. We need a better clue of how much danger has been brought to Court."

"He's a bigger danger than Mason." I could not tell if he was questioning or pointing out a fact.

"Mason wasn't dangerous on his own." I corrected. "He was dangerous because he was following the vengeful and psychotic orders of the real danger. Whether he is locked up or not, Liam is a threat to everyone on Court grounds. Tatiana made a good decision when she agreed with the Guardian Council, and exiled Liam and his father." I saw the wheels rotating faster in Dimitri's head as he considered the fact that I had agreed with and commended a decision made by our former Queen.

His thoughts were instinctively on Christian. "What level of danger are we talking?"

I had to be upfront with him. "There are good reasons for me to send Jesse and Sophie to a safe house, and personally, I would feel far better if Chris were not here at Court."

Dimitri gave a sharp nod, acknowledging my instincts and past experiences.

"I will send him away temporarily."

"Don't frighten him." I advised sweetly. "Send him out with Jesse. Dean and Viktoria can be trusted completely with Chris."

Dimitri failed again at disguising his reluctance about my employing Viktoria, but I did not let it faze me. That was a matter for another time. We sat discussing the matter of Liam for a while longer, prioritizing the many potential dangers for another two hours before Yuri returned with Jesse.

I was not sure if I had fully convinced my half-brother of the unquestionable jeopardy let into this Court, but he was more receptive than the Queen. Jesse looked positively broken as he entered the room. I could feel the same exhaustion he was feeling.

"Did she listen to you?" I looked from Yuri to Jesse.

"Your Moroi has quite a gift with words." Yuri cryptically provided. "Much like his Guardian."

He kissed me sweetly before my focus and energy returned to Jesse.

"She is going to send a reply with one of her guards."

I did not smile. I was still far too skeptical and agitated by the whole complicated state of affairs. Jesse took my hand, needing the comfort our bond could provide him. I quietly congratulated him on his political savvy and diplomacy.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" My tone stayed soft.

Dimitri and Yuri both cleared out as Jesse and I sat down to talk.

"Lissa was in a meeting with one of her Councils when we arrived, so I started with Rose." Jesse went on to detail everything that had occurred over the last two hours.

The pair arrived later at night to an unusual amount of resistance, met first by a member of the Queen's guard, who greeted Jesse only to instantly refuse him entry. After working as an international liaison for this Court, Jesse had learned over time, that in order to sometimes get around obstacles, he would need to throw his political weight and titles around when others would not listen to reason. He could be a right pain in the ass when necessary. He made enough of a ruckus that it eventually had to be soothed by other Guardians, including Rose. Apparently, she'd heard the ruckus, and recognized the voice.

"Jesse?" She exited the Council war room. "Yuri." She politely nodded, acknowledging my husband as well. Yuri did the same. "Are you two here because of Bellamy's meeting with…"

"Mouth closed, ears open, ass in chair." Jesse used his most stringent tone, but to a Guardian in Rose's position, it did little to nothing. In fact, Rose was more confused than anything.

"Sorry." My moroi remembered the part he needed to play. "It's something that Bellamy used to say to get me to listen. It usually works for her. She…"

"Yes, it works." Rose kept her cool. "But she is Bellamy. She can be intimidating when she needs to be." She's sweet but also kind of scary."

Jesse did not dispute the sentiment. "Sweet, beautiful, but definitely scary when necessary. My point," Jesse got back on track, "is that I am here because you aren't listening. If you won't listen to her, then maybe you will listen to me." He looked over to Yuri, who nodded in approval. "I have seen the carnage that sociopath Liam Kane has caused. I've seen and experienced firsthand his cruelty and resentment. I saw and felt the hold he put on Bellamy and others back at St. Sebastian's. I have never seen my Guardian retreat from anyone or any fight, but Lliam… he…"

"He what?' Lissa too had clearly been listening long enough. She stood in the doorway to the side.

"Your majesty." Jesse stood taller. He and Yuri bowed their heads to her arrival.

"I can't say that I am surprised to see you, Jesse. I am on the other hand surprised to see you here, Guardian Tverskaya. Bellamy must be quite upset." Lissa surmised.

Yuri stepped forward, coming to stand just behind Jesse. "Bellamy has often put the needs of this Court at high priority. She is not upset. She is hurt. She feels betrayed. I do not know what was said between you and my wife, and I do not need to know in order to make sure that her moroi does not leave here feeling the same." My husband was now in protective mode.

Lissa turned to Jesse, equally as defensive. "So, you have come to petition me on behalf of your Guardian."

"No." Jesse insisted on being heard. "I am here on behalf of my family and this Court."

"I believe that Bellamy is seeing danger that may not exist."

Yuri made the decision to take a single step closer, now standing beside Jesse. "Bellamy sees danger where others cannot because she is specifically trained to do so." He shed light on parts of my training that were not known to most. "You have made the mistake of viewing my wife as just another Guardian, but she is so much more."

"I'm sure she is." Lissa smiled sweetly.

Jesse watched carefully as Rose took a step forward as he caught the insincerity in Lissa's words.

"No. You don't understand." He was more frustrated. "Bellamy is not just a regular Guardian. She is trained first as a tracker." He smirked slyly. "I did not fully comprehend the significance of that at the beginning of our relationship either, but since she has been with me, I have learned that there are only ever a literal handful of Guardians who survive all of the training needed to earn the title of 'tracker'. My Guardian earned that title in record time and continues her training regime to this day. Did you never wonder why Bellamy is one of the first people called when the Guardian Council are out of their depth?" Jesse went on defending. "Anyone at this Court will tell you that she is the best at what she does, including sitting members of your own Council. She is a big deal in both Guardian and royal circles."

"I admit I did not know all of that." Lissa submitted. It looked as though Rose too was unaware of this info as well.

Yuri stood in place, impressed by my moroi, who knew so much about my training.

"You didn't bother to ask." Jesse countered. "Do you know that the Drozdov family is still trying to poach her from me?" Yuri gave a low chuckle. "She has also spent years turning down multiple offers to join the Guardian Council." Jesse sighed tiredly. "And now you want to disregard her experience and training for God knows what reasons. I am not about to let this slide."

"Let's talk further." Lissa finally agreed to truly listen, leading my friend into a private room to further discuss the matter.

I really should've been more shocked when Alberta and Hans Croft both showed up the following evening. Jesse and I were still anxiously awaiting any response from Lissa and her Council, though I knew we likely would not hear anything for several nights. A risky move on their parts. Meanwhile, Dimitri had seemed to inform more than a few of our friends of the current and impending situations. I sat down, preparing to hear their thoughts on the matter.

"Can't I just go over the Council's heads?" I was rightly frustrated and feeling stifled. "How much trouble would I actually get into?"

"If anyone holds the authority to do so, it might be you."

Alberta silenced Hans, who was on my side this time. "Considering how close trouble likes to follow you, let's just stick to waiting on the proper channels Bells." She was on the side of caution.

"Bells." Yuri opened the side door. "Rose is here. She has a message from the Queen." My husband sounded hesitant but showed our friend in anyway.

Rose entered, and immediately handed me an envelope with the royal seal.

"Am I going to be pleased or further stressed?"

"Liss has granted you permission to speak with Liam Kane." I sensed that she was not finished.

"Drop the other shoe." I spoke. "But…"

Rose winced, possibly knowing that she was about to upset me. "But she is instructing you to update her directly after your conversation."

"She doesn't trust me? When did that change occur?" I asked, still somewhat confused.

"I don't think it's you Bellamy." Rose enigmatically replied to my questioning.

I opened the envelope addressed to me and read through the rest of the instructions given. The Queen and her Council would have the guards on Liam's detail step away for no more than twenty minutes. I was given inflexible time parameters to work with and would need to make this work to my advantage.

"Bellamy," Hans spoke up again, "you are going to talk to Liam Kane?" He sounded as though he had crossed paths with Liam before. I wondered about that and wasn't sure what to think. "In that case, you need to assume that you are walking into a trap."

"Oh, I guarantee I am walking into a trap." I agreed with him. "That's why I am going."

The door to the room opened again.

"What can I do to help? What can we do?" I heard Shane ask as he and Eddie entered together.

Clearly Dimitri was busy gathering Guardian allies for any help I would need. With the small group of us in one room, I quietly closed the door, took Yuri's hand, and formed half of a plan before going to face the last of my demons.

Along with Yuri, Eddie in all his chivalry, insisted that I let him accompany me to the Prisoner Control building.

"Good luck in there." He said, kissing my cheek. I did the same.

"I'll be fine Ed. Stick to the plan." I assured both him and Yuri.

Yuri pulled me to him, as close as we could get. "Watch your back love, and please don't get hurt." He kissed me so passionately that Eddie turned his head away. Yuri finally released me, staying to watch me walk away and enter the building. Before the doors closed behind me, I turned to see Yuri walk away to do his part. I had a brief moment of doubt but shook it off. I had entered the usually well-guarded and controlled building without hesitation, and looked around, assessing my surroundings. There were still two Guardians inside. One stood at the front desk while the other was on my left. I gave her a nod to exit the building. She returned a nod in response, slowly walking out of a side door.

It seemed that both Guardians were confused but aware of what was happening. Once she was outside, I went to the front desk. I saw a look of fear in the second Guardian's eyes.

"Unlock the door to the prisoners please." I considerately spoke.

"Yes Guardian Pearce." His hand flipped a single switch under his desk.

I heard the locks click and walked to the door at the back of the room. I opened and entered through the door before I lost my nerve, looking to my right and left. My hand was at my side, resting easily on my weapon. My guard was still down, and I could suddenly sense Jesse. He was awake and fully bothered by what I was doing. I put my walls up straight away, understanding that it would only worry him more. I decided not to think about it. I needed my concentration completely on Liam.

To my right, Liam was being held at the end of the long corridor. As I made my way down it, I felt as though my footsteps were louder than usual. My courage was waning, but my head was in the game. I made it to the room, twisting the doorknob only after the code was put in from the front desk.

"Huh." I heard his low tone. "When I got here, they told me you weren't here. I didn't believe them. I was beginning to think I would never see you again."

I scoffed. "I was told that you have been making demands to see me." I did not feel any need to tell him that I had only just arrived back here to Court. Guardians had not lied to him.

"I wanted to see your face."

"My face? Why?"

The glint in his eyes was all too recognizable. "I used to enjoy your arrogance. I almost admired it. And now, it is the thing that will get you and others killed." He finally said something useful. I wondered more about what he was scheming.

"What are you doing Liam?"

"I'm not doing anything. I am surprised."

"Surprised?" I inquired, settling into the room, standing at the wall across from his cell. "Because I have returned to Court, because I've come to see you, or…"

"No." He was defiant. "I am surprised you have come here alone."

I held back a laugh. "Alone? I am not alone." It was a true enough statement. I was rarely alone at either Court.

Our conversation slowed and it made me nervous. Liam leaned back, resting his back on the wall opposite me. Finally, he spoke again.

"Is this you?" He was using that deep charming sound in his voice. It was strange to hear him just feet away from me.

"Is what me?" I hid the small inklings of guilt I had.

"The guards." He motioned his hand through the air. "They have a strict routine. Two guards only walk out of this room as two more walk in. The timing of their shift change is precise." It was no shock to me that Liam had taken note of every schedule and any changes made to it. "You and I are currently alone. Zero guards. So, is this you?"

"This is not me."

"Prove it."

I shifted my weight, leaning back against the wall more comfortably.

"I am here in good faith, Liam. Visiting you was not high on my list of priorities when we returned to Court. Hell, I didn't know you were here."

"Guardians didn't tell you the minute you landed." He asked the question as if he knew when our flight had arrived. I considered the news Guardians brought to Lissa and Rose when I'd met with them. Flight paths to Court had not been blocked until after we had arrived.

"I was in the dark until recently." I stayed calm, closely listening to the things Liam was choosing to say.

"Interesting. And you are not going to stop me?" He sat up, standing up from where he had been sitting.

"Please." I rolled my eyes. "I know damn well that you have been able to walk out of here this entire time." I let him know that I had not missed much since walking in through the front doors of the building. "You had the locks in here disarmed thirty seconds before I entered." I guessed at the time, but he did not argue.

"Well spotted, Bells. So, what now?"

"Don't know." I shrugged. This isn't my show."

"Really El Jefe? Since when do you follow orders?

"Since I became a Guardian to someone who needs me to follow them." I pointed out. "You've caused a lot of trouble out there Liam," I returned to the current situation, "and I know you aren't done."

"Are you asking me what my plans are Bellamy?"

I lifted an eyebrow. "No. You wouldn't tell me if I did."

"Clever girl."

"But I do know that you aren't dumb enough to be brought here without a plan in place."

"First, I am getting out of here." Liam informed me. "Join me?"

"As if I have a choice." It was surreal to watch as this man opened his once secure cell door and walked out so casually.

"Lead on."

I cautiously allowed him to walk behind me, keeping a close eye on every move he made as I exited the room with him. We moved back down the hall and back into the lobby. I could feel the danger that Liam posed. He was not armed yet, but that did not mean he was not a threat, or that he would not be a challenge. Even if I was a step ahead, Liam, unlike Mason, could occasionally be quicker than me. It stung to admit that, but it kept me on guard.

"There are no Guardians out here either." Liam noticed. I said nothing about it.

"Are we going out the front?" I did ask him.

"I'm not an idiot Bells."

"I know."

"We'll go out the side."

I hesitated, hoping to temporarily slow him, but was pulled sharply towards the side door.

"Let's go."

I moved with him, held in place as he pushed the door outward. Once outside, I shielded my eyes to the sunlight. My right hand flexed, opening my palm at my side, indicating to those I placed in the shadows.

"There. Are you happy?" I was just as defiant. "Now what?" I questioned him, still trying to get more information out of him. Liam remained quiet, keeping a tight hold on me. "Fine. You go that way, and I'll go this way." I pointed in opposite directions for us to go in. I moved an inch away, but he pulled me back to him.

"Nice try." I knew he wouldn't go for it. "You're staying with me."

"Bells?" I heard Eddie call out my name again. I saw my friend heedlessly coming towards me. Liam loosened his grip, dropping his hand. "Bells, what are you doing on this side of Court babe?"

"This must be the husband I've heard so much about." Liam voiced before I could say anything. "Not the type I pictured you with Bells."

Eddie grinned, looking at me.

"Eddie and I are definitely not married."

"Nah." My friend returned. "We're friends. And I would appreciate it if you kept your hands off my girl."

Liam scoffed. "Are you here to rescue her? You're no match for me." His arrogance knew no bounds.

Eddie and I gave each other the same knowing looks. "First, do you think she needs anyone to rescue her? You don't know Bellamy as well as you think."

"You have no idea." Liam countered.

"Bells?" Eddie addressed me, holding his hand out to me.

I took it and was gently but swiftly brought to his hip. Playing the game equally as skillful, Eddie kissed my cheek again. Our attention simultaneously returned to Liam.

"Second, I may not be a match for you on my own, but you assumed that we are on our own here."

"I told you I wasn't alone." I threw the comment back at Liam. "I'm never alone at Court."

"If this isn't your husband, then…"

I silenced Liam by pointing to the open door at his back.

"Behind you." I said.

Liam twisted his body around to see Yuri standing behind him, his gun drawn and ready to shoot on command.

"How?" Liam asked. "The building was empty."

Yuri caught my eye, and I smirked. "The building was empty." I confirmed. "Until we exited."

Liam frowned, his eyes shifting quickly from me to Yuri, who kept his weapon pointed, his finger on the trigger. More Guardians rushed out from the sides of the building from where they had been positioned, waiting to once again apprehend Liam.

"I told you; I am not alone. You of all people know that I don't walk into any situation without a plan."

"You don't want to do this, Bells." Liam struggled under the weight and hold of Guardians.

"I really do."

Liam and I stared at one another, silence suffocating the small area around us.

"Back off, Bellamy." Liam harshly demanded. "You're going to get hurt." He was giving small pieces of information. "No. You're going to get yourself killed."

"If it saves my Moroi and others, it is worth the risk."

"Bellamy…" Liam argued, stopped only by Eddie's ringing cell phone.

Eddie was not on his phone for more than thirty seconds before he silently handed it over to me. I looked over at Yuri, and he nodded, keeping Liam in place with the other guards.

I put the phone to my ear.

"This better be life or death."

"It is." I recognized the voice that was speaking.

My stomach dropped as I listened to Hans detail what we now faced, describing the device he had come across. "Bells, it looks like a…"

I moved a few feet away, keeping my voice low. "Don't say it." I begged him not to say the word 'bomb'.

He refrained but went on. "We don't see a trigger anywhere. It looks dormant but that is impossible." As Hans said the words, I instantly knew what Liam was up to, and I knew what his plan was.

"Don't touch it." I nearly shouted. "Don't go near it yet."

Seconds later, I heard Dimitri on the opposite end. I was certain he had not politely taken the phone from Hans. "Bells, we need you here now."

"I'm on my way." I hung up the phone, tossing it to Eddie. "We need to go." I said to Eddie and Yuri.

Everything alright? You look cross." Liam continued to instigate more anger within me.

My brow furrowed, and I could feel all the blood in my body rushing to a single point in my head.

"You unimaginable psychopath." I saw Yuri look confused, still standing behind Liam. "This was your plan all along." I put the pieces of this horrifying puzzle together. "You didn't need Mason. You did not need to take him from us."

"He was the only thing that would bring you back Bellamy. He was the only thing that could bring you out of hiding; out of your warped reality of a happy life."

I didn't think. I reacted, lunging at Liam while he stood calm as Eddie caught me by the waist.

"Let. Me. Go." I swung around, but my friend had a solid hold on me. He hugged me, whispering.

"Keep it together sweetheart. We've got him. Let's deal with the next piece."

"He took Mason from us. It is his fault."

"I know." Eddie sounded so controlled, but I could feel him shaking with anger. "He will get everything he deserves."

"We need to get to Dimitri." I instructed Eddie and Yuri. I reluctantly agreed with Eddie, who only for a moment let his guard down. I lunged at Liam again.

"Bells." Eddie gently warned me to focus on the bigger problems.

"Sorry. It was an unpredictable reflex." I took a step forward, but Eddie stayed put. He smiled at me, turning away. I watched him pivot and punch Liam. I saw Liam hurt. If he were a cartoon character, Liam would've gone through about five walls. Eddie was a hard hitter, and I knew this from our training over the years. Despite any satisfaction, I still felt resentful.

"Why do you get to punch him?"

Eddie did not answer me. I took Yuri's hand, the three of us walking away to go meet up with Dimitri and Hans.

"Don't touch it!" I warned Guardians as soon as Yuri, Eddie, and I arrived, and I could see exactly what we were dealing with. The bomb squad had already been called but were equally as confused as others.

"I've never seen anything like it." Alberta admitted as she too had been called.

"I have." I kept my distance, trying to get others to do the same. I now noticed that there were far too many people gathered in the area. "It's called a 'Swarm'. It gets its name from whatever is used inside of it." I explained, seeing many expressions change.

"It isn't armed yet."

I was feeling reluctant to answer this statement, feeling a need to be as discerning as possible. Normally, these sorts of complications were kept between Trackers, but there had never been a 'swarm' at Court. At least not that I had ever heard of.

"No. Most of these bombs are touch sensitive. They are activated by DNA. So, as soon as anyone breathes on it, the timer will start. It can take anywhere from one hour to twelve hours to neutralize it."

"How do you know all of this?" Eddie inquired.

"It was part of my training."

"Bellamy," Alberta spoke, and I could hear all the trepidation in her shaky timbre, "you are the only person currently at this Court who knows how to disarm this thing."

"And with flights suspended into Court, we cannot get any other trackers here soon enough." Another Guardian added.

"I think Liam was planning and counting on that." I agreed, turning back to Alberta and Dimitri.

"What do you need to disarm it? We can…"

"The bigger problem we have," I cut off the sentence, "is that this particular device takes two people to disarm it."

"Shit." Alberta swore and I agreed.

"If it takes two people, can you not just teach someone else how to do it?" Several more Court Guardians had now joined the troubling conversation.

I looked to Alberta who knew just how complex and taxing training to be a tracker could be.

"It isn't something you learn in a few hours."

"It can't be that difficult." Someone else unwisely stated.

"Do you want to test that theory?" I was growing a bit angrier.

Yuri put his arm around me, helping to soothe my emotions. "We need to evacuate the Court. We need to get everyone as far from here as possible." He knew the drill.

Alberta and others did not argue the idea but were at a loss of how to get an entire Court emptied in a short amount of time.

I was willing to let others figure that out while I had promised to report back to Lissa once I had more information. I was joined by Alberta, Hans, Dimitri, Eddie, and Yuri in my update to the Court.

The six of us were stuck arguing strategy while we waited for Lissa to see us. Once we entered the receiving room, I took note that the Queen had her own army to stand with. Members of the royal Council remained in the background, still seated, and waiting to hear what I might have to say. After I finished, I watched the looks of indifference and indignation turn swiftly to alarm.

"Bellamy, this Council and I have been further made aware of your contributions to this Court, and to your rising authority."

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Nope." I brought the Queen's speech to an abrupt end. "You don't get to do this again."

"Excuse me?"

Multiple hands were trying to pull me away. I struggled to stay put. I was in danger of permanently angering those I spoke to, but these things needed to be said.

"I will not tolerate you throwing your capricious respect at me only after you have learned that I hold as much or sometimes more authority as any member of your Council. I do not respect you simply because you are a Queen. Tatiana was a Queen too." I reminded Lissa that the last Queen did not hold much of my respect. "I give my respect to people if and when it is earned."

"You are right." She conceded to my purposeful reprimand. "How do we fix what is broken?"

My relationship with the head of this Court was close to collapse after our last interaction, but this was not the time to focus on that plight.

"We can deal with our personal fractures at a later time." I assured. "Right now, we have bigger problems. After being permitted to speak privately with Liam Kane, I am strongly advising that we evacuate this Court straightaway."

"Which part of Court?"

"All of it." Hans and Dimitri stepped forward to help.

"There is an explosive device on Court grounds." I saw Lissa and Rose panic. "We need to get you and your Council members away from Court to safehouses. We additionally need to evacuate all others as soon as possible."

I saw Lissa grimace. "How do we do that? How do we get everyone to leave Court without question?"

"Quietly." I stated. "If Liam senses that we are evacuating people, he may attempt to set a timer off early.

"He can do that?"

I nodded, watching all the Queen's guards congregate off to the side to start talking.

"We can have everyone leave in small groups." They answered.

"It will take longer, but that may be to our advantage." I approved of the plan. "We do not tell anyone else the truth of this evacuation. We do not need a mass panic."

"What about Guardians?" Hans questioned. Lissa and others looked to me.

"I think Guardians should leave too." The Queen offered, but I knew that would come with its own problems soon enough.

"Guardians should stay until we have everyone else off grounds. From there, we will work out a plan."

Everything to this point was agreed, and our very top-secret meeting finished up. I turned to leave with Yuri and Guardians but was stopped by a hand on my shoulder. I twisted back around. Rose brought me to a stop, motioning behind her. Lissa was still in the room. The light from a wall sconce illuminated her face, exposing her desire to continue speaking with me. I could see in her eyes, sense in her body language, that she wanted to say more. I knew that the discussion she and I needed to have would take time, and that was something we did not have.

"We will talk again later your Majesty." I smiled softly and she nodded. "Please get to a safe distance from Court." I turned my attention back to Rose. "It might be best to take the Guardian tunnels. We don't need more questions than we are ready to answer."

"Way ahead of you. Dimitri had the same suggestion."

"Of course he had."

"Hey Bells," Rose tried to go on, "about Dimitri…"

"Get Lissa to a safe house." I stopped her from continuing. There was much more to be done, and I still needed time to get a closer look at the device Liam was using.

"Yes but…" Rose protested.

"I'll be in touch."

Yuri and I drove as quick as we could, making it back to our Moroi in record time.

"Time to go, Jess." I loudly called, climbing the staircase.

Viktoria appeared at the top of the stairs. I reiterated all the information and the problems facing us to her and Dean.

"We're ready." Jesse confirmed, reemerging as I finished. He pulled me aside momentarily to talk, and I could feel the uncertainty in him. "I convinced a few more Moroi to join us at the safe house."

I smiled weakly, pleased that others had agreed to join the pair.

"This isn't a party." I made clear. "I need you to take this seriously."

"Done." Jesse agreed, now seeing the worry cross my face. "This is bigger than you are saying, isn't it?"

"It is." I hesitated. "Liam is…"

"A giant sociopath?

I smirked only slightly. "Yes, and that sociopath has made things a lot more complicated and dangerous."

"How so?"

"What I am going to tell you, stays between you and me."

"That goes without saying Bells." Jesse promised, and at this point in our friendship, I knew I could take him at his word.

"Liam planted a bomb." His face contorted, and his emotions slammed into me. "It is a specific type of bomb that only trackers are trained to dismantle."

"You?" He breathed out, taking a seat in the chair closest to him.

"I am the only trained tracker currently at Court."

"Well, can't you…"

"All flights in and out of Court are grounded until this problem is dealt with. And even if we called to other trackers, they are all too far away."

"You're going to do something crazy, aren't you."

"Thank you." I half laughed. Jesse looked utterly confused. "Thank you for saying crazy instead of stupid."

Panic was now bubbling at the surface of my Moroi's emotions, so once I had adequately put the fear of God into my Moroi, the six of us began the process of packing two SUV's, preparing to exit Court as smoothly and unnoticed as possible. Yuri was speaking to a few other Zeklos Guardians, who informed us that Howard and Kat were doing the same, without too much push back. Yuri also made arrangements to send extra feeders along with the family.

While I kept myself busy playing a game of Tetris with the last of the supplies in the second car, I turned to see Dimitri coming up towards the house, driving like he was in a Fast and Furious movie. 'Damn', I thought. His driving skills still often impressed me. I was expecting him to drift the car perfectly into a parking space, but instead he jumped out of the driver's seat after barely putting his car in park. The engine was still running.

"Bells, we need to talk." He used the bass in his tone, expressing the gravity of the subject.

I kept focused on the packing game I played, while listening.

"Dimitri, you need to get Chris to…"

"Already done." He confirmed that my friend was either already away from Court, or on his way. "But Bells, there is something you need to know."

"What is it?" I couldn't help but sound stressed but held back a sigh of exasperation.

"You told others that you are the only one at Court who knows how to defuse the swarm."

This did not feel like the right time to correct or remind him that it had not been me to say that.

"And?"

"It is not entirely true." He was being cryptic in a way that I was not comfortable with.

"Who…" I started to question but came to the answer om my own. "Bridgette showed you?" I stopped what I was doing, giving my full attention to Dimitri."

"She wanted to keep me prepared for anything." He confessed, and I wondered how much "tracking" knowledge he had. "We were still working on swarms when she…" He trailed off as we both still mourned the loss of Bridgette. "Bells, do you think that you could help me with the final pieces?"

I held back from saying that it would entirely depend on how much Bridgette had taught him. I chose my words better, knowing that Dimitri was a fast learner, and he likely knew much more than I would assume. Hell, he probably knew more than he was saying. His humility was sometimes a hinderance. But, if I was being given the choice between my arrogance and thinking that I could actually dismantle this thing on my own, or having Dimitri to help, I knew which option I was choosing.

"How far did Bridgette get in teaching you about this?" I needed to know every bit of training and information he had. Dimitri went on to detail as much as he knew about working to disarm swarm bombs, and the things that he remained confused or uncertain on. "We can work with this." I agreed, feeling fortunate that I was not going down this road alone.

Dimitri and I multi-tasked, making calls to those who needed to know this new information, updating them on Dimitri's stored knowledge, and getting permission to work together. Once our Moroi were on their way off Court grounds, Dimitri and I were able to start attempting multiple strategies while assisting in quietly emptying the remainder of Court.

It took twelve full hours before Guardians were able to gather and discuss the next steps of a plan. Now that news of the situation had spread to Guardians, there was fear and arguing all around. It was to be expected. Dimitri and I opted to have all Guardians leave Court. Our suggestion was met by a mix of agreement and contention. A rather logical suggestion was made to leave a handful of Guardians at Court, to make accessing areas and equipment easier. It was not the worst idea. Not to mention, I needed Liam's guards to stay with him, if only to keep up the appearance that Court was still functioning as usual. It was agreed that a minimal number of Guardians would stay on at Court, but Dimitri and I would be the only two allowed into what was now being called the 'kill zone'.

Eddie was sitting beside me, with Yuri to his left. His arms were crossed, and he was sulking over the fact that I was being put into this situation. After it was decided not to divulge information to Court inhabitants about the current situation, Eddie made a point to send Jillian along with Rose and Lissa. He wanted to help Guardians get everyone else to safety. Secretly though, I think he had been hoping to stand up at this meeting and convince Guardians not to let me do this. He was not against the situation itself but was fully against letting me have anything to do with it. I wondered what that meant. Did he not have faith or trust in my training, or was it me he lacked faith and trust in?

"I do not like this." He voiced out loud to me.

I knew that he was not alone in his opinion, but our friendship to date had withstood nothing as dangerous as this. We needed to talk about this.

"I stood, holding my hand out to him. "Let's take a short walk." I offered. He resisted at first, not wanting to hear what I might have to say, but I was not budging. "Come on." I insisted. He took my hand. I looked to Yuri and Dimitri, and both nodded, able to handle the remainder of this gathering on their own.

I pulled my friend to the doors, needing several moments to myself away from the unappreciative comments of the room, and all the arguing that continued. Eddie stepped outside after me, looking around, likely feeling as shaken as I was that the entire Court was empty. It was such an eerie and terrifying feeling, especially knowing why it had been vacated.

"I know that you don't like this." I started our conversation. "Your face and your behavior are making that quite clear." He turned to face me, and the whole state of affairs we found ourselves in was written on both of our faces. "I don't like it anymore than you do." I admitted, attempting to walk past him. He caught me by the hand, pulling me closer, and wrapping his arms around me. He held on tight, and I let him. I stayed put, needing my friend to be the stronger one. None of us knew what might happen over the next several days, let alone in the next hours.

"No one else can do this, Ed." I spoke softly, explaining to him. "If there were anyone else, I might not take the risk. But this is what I was initially trained to do." I did what I could to convince my friend, but he continued to have reservations and questions. He was not alone. I answered each of his questions as best as I could.

"And it takes two of you to do this?"

"That is why Dimitri is staying too. Bridgette taught him how to do what we do. He has knowledge that I cannot teach in a few short hours."

Eddie nodded, letting his chin drop down onto my shoulder. We stayed put, neither of us interested in separating.

"Look, if I don't get a chance to say this later Bells, I…"

"No." I stopped, refusing to let him continue. I did not want him to say goodbye. The words still held too much finality.

Eddie and I rejoined the meeting just as it was wrapping up. Many were eager to rejoin their Moroi or be as far away from here as possible.

"Alberta is staying." Dimitri informed me as he was exiting the building. I wanted to argue, but knew it was useless, so I sighed. Alberta was the type of Guardian to either go down with her sinking ship, or to be present when it was rescued. It was her choice, and as I thought about it more, there was something I needed her to do.

Yuri wanted to stay as well, but the idea was quickly vetoed by Sophie, who called on her way to the safehouse with her husband and others. Dimitri stood several feet away, talking quietly with other Guardians who would also be sticking around, while I had the time I needed with Eddie and Yuri.

"Hey Ed," I shifted my attention while I had the chance, "I need a favor while you are gone." There were two or three people I could ask for this favor, and there were only two people, other than Rose who I knew could get close enough to the Queen. While Shane was with Aaron, Eddie would be guarding Jillian, who happened to be leaving Court with her half-sister. I let Eddie know exactly what I wanted from him before I had to watch him, and others leave. Yuri stayed for as long as I and others would let him, unwilling to let my hand drop from his, or for my body to be more than a foot from his until it was necessary for him to leave. He kissed me, and I kissed him as though it might be the last time we might do so.

"I'm not ready Bells." I heard the strength in his voice waning. He was not hiding the hurt that any hurt would bring. "I'm not ready to lose you."

Tears fell from my eyes as my own strength suddenly vanished. I wiped them away from my face before they were seen. I wanted to tell him that he was not going to lose me. I wanted to tell him that this would not be the last time that he held me close, but the truth was, I couldn't. I had no idea what was going to happen. Liam was not going to make this easy on any one of us. He held all of the power until Dimitri and I could disarm his weapon; if we could disarm his weapon.

"This is not the end." I finally said to my husband. "It can't be. I'm not done. You and I are not done. Jesse and I are not done. This is not…" I was cut off as Yuri kissed me again, this time pushing me back against the wall closest to us. His hands began to roam as I deepened the kiss. I only pulled back to catch my breath momentarily.

"One of two things is about to happen here." I informed him. "Either we need to take several steps away from each other and be professional,"

"Or?" Yuri dared me.

"Or I am going to start stripping your clothes off right here and now." I was still breathing hard.

"You cannot strip me. "He thought for a second that I was bluffing. "We're in public."

I leaned back, staring back at him. "When has that stopped us?"

"Fair point." Yuri cleared his throat and took a single step back.

A short time later, I watched him drive out of the front gates of Court.

"We're not done." I repeated to myself.

Since she had refused to leave Court, I asked Alberta to take on a task that I knew would take her some time. I wanted to know who had placed the bomb at our Court, and when it had been placed. I asked my friend to review all the footage in the area, giving her specific time parameters and details that I also asked her not to share. Additionally, this task would help to keep her busy and out of the area until Dimitri and I could neutralize the looming threat.

Once the Court was empty, save for a few scattered Guardians, I wanted to get a better look at the device that had been placed. We needed to know what we were fully up against. We stood a few feet back from what I now realized was a much more rudimentarily designed weapon. That was going to make dismantling it a tad more difficult.

"Bridgette never told me that this was part of your training." Dimitri mentioned. The expression on his face was either one of intimidation or admiration. I had trouble determining which it was.

"She wouldn't." I replied. "Most of the training for Trackers is usually kept confidential for just this reason. Plus, it took me longer in my training to be able to do this because…"

"Because it takes teamwork." Dimitri knew me well. "And you were not always the best at that."

"Right." I could agree.

Our attention returned to the rectangular device at our feet.

"Where is the detonator?" Dimitri questioned, also examining. His question was the right first question to ask.

"It appears as though it is on the bottom." I eyed each side, keeping a safe distance. "We can't know for sure until we activate the timer."

Despite many more interruptions from the Queen and Councils, we worked, training tirelessly together through another full day and night, going over every point, needing to be in complete synch. We kept our spouses, our Moroi, and our growing Guardian teams in the loop, with as many updates as we could offer them. Dimitri and I were in his townhome, reviewing our steps for the umpteenth time, reciting the sequences by heart.

"We are as prepared as we are going to be." He finally said to me. "You cannot stall any longer." I didn't say anything out loud but nodded. I was not sure that I agreed with him, but also didn't see much choice in the matter. I stepped out of the room to call Yuri and Jesse while Dimitri made calls of his own. Once finished, I turned my phone off, urging my friend to do the same so that we could not be distracted or startled.

As we again arrived in the same area of Court, I stood frozen momentarily while Dimitri pulled the caution tape away. He came to stand beside me again.

"Do you have an idea of how much time this particular device might take us?" Dimitri asked a valid question. "I probably should've asked before now." He gave a sort of low single chuckle.

"No." I answered him with genuinely no clue as to how long or short a time we would be at this. "The truth is each swarm is different."

"Do we need to worry about Liam?"

I shook my head. "Liam is not expecting me to have any help going into this. He is expecting me to go it alone. He made a snide remark earlier about admiring my arrogance." I told Dimitri. "Liam expects me to fail. He wants me to fail so that I am just as displaced by the Courts as he is."

I briefly turned to look at Dimitri, only now noticing his anxiety on full display. I had not seen him look so unsettled in quite some time.

"You are in your head." I pointed out to him.

He shook his head and looked back at me. "A little." He confessed.

"Talk to me." We took a few more moments.

He took a deep breath and exhaled. "All of a sudden, I am hyper aware of what we are facing Bells, and if even one part of this goes south, it will be my fault. If anything happens to you or me, I will be to blame. I'm the novice in this position."

I suppose the status quo had changed in this instance, but it had caused his usual confidence to be replaced with doubt.

"Hey," I could see and hear that he was definitely in his head, imagining the worst-case scenarios, "you are psyching yourself out. You are thinking the worst, and that is going to mess with your concentration." I guided my friend in a way that was careful not to set off any more of his inner panic. I pulled him away from the bomb, and the dangerous situation we faced. "You worked on this with Bridgette, even before I started my training. Maybe she knew on some level that I might need help one day from someone that I trust to always be on my side and my team. Bridge always had reasons for the things she did."

"Much like you."

"I trust you Dimitri." I reminded my friend of what he already knew. If it makes you feel any better, you are one of three non-trackers I would ever put myself into this situation with."

"It doesn't help Bellamy."

"Well, it should." I gave a look of mock insult. "I don't trust a lot of people. You know that."

"I do."

"And you know why."

"I know that too."

"Good. So, what more do I need to say to get you and your head back in the game?"

"I think you've just said it all." He smiled, still looking worried, but put his hand to my arm, comforting me in return.

"Why don't we put a pin in this for a few more minutes and get a cup of coffee." I was now feeling a little less confident and despite helping Dimitri, I had somehow psyched myself out.

"Bells, I'm fine."

"I know. But my confidence needs another minute or two."

"Sure thing." He agreed.

We took another thirty minutes back at his place, talking and drinking coffee he'd made. We talked about Yuri, Rose, Chris, and Jesse. We also discussed my most recent absence from Court, and an array of other topics in order to avoid the subject of the swarm bomb. Once returned, we were both in a better place of focus. We both knelt together, finally placing our hands to the sensitive device. Immediately, I saw the red numbers flash up. We were given four hours to disarm and discard the pieces of this thing. Alongside the timer, I saw another number.

"This is a three strikes swarm." I informed Dimitri, pointing out the timer and strike counter. "If a mistake is made, a strike is recoded here." I showed him. "And with each strike recorded, the timer will count down faster."

"No pressure." Dimitri nervously joked.

I now had a better view of the entire construction of the bomb, making things easier.

"We are dealing with a five-wire construct, which means five on top and five on the bottom. Do you remember the order?"

Dimitri looked closely at the wires. "Black, white, yellow, and two red wires." He said, thinking out loud. "That means the order is black, red, red, white, and then yellow."

"Perfect." I smiled. "But remember we can't touch any of the wires until the main charge is separated from the detonator. That will get this down to a small bang."

"Minimal damage." Dimitri pointed out. "But we need no damage done."

"Exactly." I felt around the explosive carefully, making sure that there were no secondary detonators, and no other main charges to deal with before we proceeded to get to work. The first hour as we slowly made our way through this process passed without much conversation, but by hour two I could sense Dimitri getting antsy, and taking a break was not an option. If I couldn't reset his focus again, he or I would make a mistake. We could not afford any mistakes at this point. We were too far in.

"Talk to me Dimitri. It'll keep our minds centered."

He sighed, working at the exact same pace. "Talk about what?"

"Anything love. It will help us both."

"Rose is worried." He started, and I now had a better picture of why his concentration waned.

"Of course she is worried. She is your wife. Expect and accept nothing less from her."

He smiled, amused by my statement on the matter. "And Yuri?"

I looked over at him without lifting my head. "Of course my husband is worried. But Yuri has spent years watching and understanding my training. He is better prepared."

Dimitri nodded, and our conversation stalled again, so I brought up a different topic.

"Can I ask something about Chris and Lissa?"

Dimitri cleared his throat, indicating his aversion to be in the middle of those two, but he agreed as it kept us talking.

"I had a brief face to face with the Queen, and I sensed more than a little not so veiled resentment. Perhaps hostility. Is it safe for me to assume that her sudden antipathy towards me is to do with Christian, or am I off the mark?"

He was silent for another moment, his finger still at work as he contemplated an appropriate response. "Unfortunately, you may not be too far off of that mark."

"Alright." I accepted. "Tell me what more you know before I chastise a Queen for being unnecessarily disrespectful." I encouraged him to tell me the things he knew that I was yet unaware of. "How long have I been a source of contention?"

"Since you took your leave of absence." Dimitri did not hesitate, and I now had my answer. "Bellamy, you and Chris have shared moments and experiences in your lives that no one, me included, will ever be able to fully understand." He sighed again. "And I think that makes the Queen feel left out."

"I think the word you meant to use is jealous."

"No. I meant left out."

I considered all of what he said. "I have always been honest and upfront about my relationship with Christian. How many times must I assure and reassure countless people at Court about my past with Chris, and my future with Yuri?" I was still frustrated by this subject, but now I had a better idea of what I was up against when I spoke to Lissa again.

We worked for several more hours, sometime in conversation, sometimes deeply concentrated on the job at our fingertips. We were cutting it quite close with our given time parameters, but finally we pulled apart the last pieces together. Inside the now dismantled item, we found a separate covered box of small sharp objects. Under normal circumstances, they might be relatively harmless, but exploded with a bomb, they were deadly. I pulled the container out carefully and set it to the side.

I felt a surreal sensation shift all the way through me. Had Dimitri and I truly just disarmed an entire swarm bomb together? We had. Had we walked into this life-or-death situation, and succeeded in a goal that should've been impossible? We had. So why was I now having so much trouble convincing myself of these facts? It was done. Liam had failed. I set my tools down, and sat perfectly still, staring down at my hands. I wanted to run, scream, laugh and cry, but I didn't do any of it. I could not move. I simply sat, waiting for the next catastrophic shoe to drop. After a few more moments, I realized that Dimitri was speaking. He was still sitting across from me, but I couldn't hear or focus on what he was saying until I forced myself out of this shock.

"Sorry Dimitri." I found my voice when he quieted. "I didn't hear a word you just said." I lifted my eyes, meeting his, unable yet to convey what I was feeling.

I was not sure how long we sat in silence and shock, but after a considerate amount of time, Dimitri stood. He held out his hand to help me stand. Once upright, he didn't hesitate, pulling me against him, his arms wrapping completely around me. I placed my arms around his torso, hugging him in return. For the first time since learning of Liam's grand plan, I felt like I could breathe. I took a deep breath, exhaling as I felt Dimitri do the same.

"I said Bridgette would be proud of what you did here." He said to me, letting me know that he was repeating what he was telling me earlier.

I pulled back. "I like to think that she would be proud of what we did here." I returned, and he gave me a brief smile.

"I am proud of you Bellamy." His words were sincere, and it felt good to know that one of the Guardians I admired most, was genuinely seeing me as an equal, or more than that.

Before we'd started our journey through this experience, I had been the one keeping Dimitri and his uncertainty together. I felt as though we had suddenly and necessarily reversed our roles. Dimitri was now responsible for me and my shock. While I handled the cleanup, gathering the singular pieces of the bomb, Dimitri made calls to Alberta, Rose, and the Queen.

Dimitri took the lead now, driving us back to the Zeklos compound. While he drove, I pulled myself together enough to call Yuri. Jesse answered his phone, able to fully sense the shock and relief that I was feeling.

"Don't tell me you are fine." He refused to believe the current façade I wore. "I know better."

"Put Yuri on the phone." I did not want to lie or give more unnecessary details to Jesse, so I pushed it to a later time. "I will talk to you in a bit." He could hear the seriousness in my tone, immediately handing the phone over.

"You're okay." I heard a second later.

"We're okay." I spoke to my husband for a short time longer, telling him what I could, and instructing him, Dean, and Viktoria to bring our Moroi back to Court.

Once back at the compound, Dimitri and I made it to the receiving room, each falling onto a separate couch. He suggested that I close my eyes and get some sleep before Court became crowded and unruly. Moroi and Guardians would now be returning as soon as they were permitted. I had the feeling that his suggestion was made to benefit him as much as it was me. I watched his eyes slowly closing. We were both terribly exhausted. I woke to the sound of Yuri's voice. He and Viktoria were talking quietly with Dimitri. My eyes slowly opened, but before I could fully sit up, Jesse was beside me, my arms wrapped tight around him, his face buried in my neck. I pulled back only to be wrapped up in Yuri's arms next.

I eventually stood from the couch to see Dimitri still waiting.

"Everyone is returning to Court. The Queen will certainly want to speak with you when she returns. She and the Councils will want to discuss the next steps for the prisoner."

He was right. There were conversations that still needed to be had.

"There is a final problem that I must see to first." I started for the door, stopped by a hand on my shoulder. I turned swiftly, looking back at Dimitri.

"Bells wait. You cannot just run back to Liam and expect…"

How did he know where I was headed? And why did he care that I would go to Liam?

"I do not expect anything from him Dimitri. He tried to harm our families. You stay here if you like, I am going to handle this shit, my way."

Dimitri scoffed, and I wanted to scream at him for doing so. "Your way." He spoke. "As a Guardian or as a Tracker?"

"Does it really matter at this point?" I made a point to sound equally as impertinent as he was. "Either way, the problem is going to be solved."

"Stop." He insisted again. I tried to pull away, but he would not let up. "I can't let you do this."

"Jesus Dimitri. You don't have to approve of my methods. You simply have to step aside."

I realized that the two of us had been joined by Yuri, Jesse, Dean, and Viktoria.

"I can't do that Bells."

"I'm going with you." Jesse volunteered.

"No, you are not." This matter had the potential of turning into a battle, but Yuri and Dimitri gave me a choice. I was not going to see Liam alone. I could choose to either take Jesse or another Guardian, who would keep me from choking the life out of Liam. "Fine." I ultimately agreed to let Jesse tag along. At least I could control him easier. "You can come with me. But…"

"I know the drill Bells."

"But what?" Dimitri asked, his voice filled with concern.

"But if things get out of hand, if Liam tries anything, you need to let me handle it," I informed Jesse with others around to hear. "I can't have distractions or hesitate where Liam is concerned."

Dimitri's gaze softened as he looked at me, his eyes showing a mixture of understanding and worry. "I trust you, Bellamy. I know you're capable of handling this, but that doesn't mean I won't worry about your safety."

I appreciated his trust and concern, but I couldn't allow myself to be swayed by emotions now. There was a job that needed to be done, a threat that needed to be neutralized. And I would be damned if I let anyone stand in my way.

With Jesse by my side, we left the compound and made our way to where Liam was still being held by Guardians.

We left the Zeklos compound in silence, the weight of our recent victory and the impending confrontation with Liam hanging heavily in the air. I gripped the steering wheel tightly, my knuckles turning white as I navigated through the familiar streets towards Liam's holding cell. Jesse sat beside me, his expression a mix of determination and worry.

As we approached the rundown building, my heart pounded in my chest. I couldn't help but replay the images of Liam's twisted plan over and over in my mind. I parked a few blocks away from the Prison Control building. The night was thick with tension as Jesse and I made our way towards the building. Shadows danced around us, casting eerie shapes on the walls. Tension hung heavy in the air. Jesse walked silently beside me, and I could sense his readiness for whatever lay ahead. He was as fiercely protective of me as I was of him, and I knew that he would do anything it took to ensure my safety.

As we approached the entrance of the building, I could hear the faint sound of muffled voices and footsteps inside. Many Guardians and Moroi were quietly returning to Court. The Guardians stationed outside the building gave us a nod as we passed, their eyes reflecting a mixture of admiration and caution. They knew what was at stake, and they trusted me to handle it.

With each step closer to Liam, my determination grew stronger. I couldn't let doubt or fear cloud my judgment now. Liam had to answer for his crimes, and I was prepared to make sure that justice was served.

We were granted access to the cells below the building, and as we entered the dimly lit hallway, our footsteps echoed louder than usual against the concrete floor. The air felt heavy with anticipation, and I could feel Jesse's presence beside me, a comforting anchor in this sea of uncertainty.

We reached the door that led to Liam's holding cell, and I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what lay beyond. With a swift motion, I pushed the door open and stepped inside, dismissing his Guardians.

"You wait out here." I ordered Jesse. His expression fell as I made my command.

"But I can help." I wondered how he expected to help me if anything occurred.

"The way you help me, is by staying where it is safe. Help me by following my instruction."

"Of course Bells."

"Thank you."

He took my hand again before I turned away. I squeezed gently and he smiled.

I'll be okay Jess."

"Okay." With far too much reluctance, he let my hand drop from his. But, I had my own emotional upheaval to contend with, so I let my friend keep his emotions. I turned away, taking another deep breath. I moved further into the room, closing the door behind me with my heel.

"You built a swarm bomb!" I was suddenly shouting, doing everything possible to myself from ripping his cell doors apart. "Where did you learn to build those? It's not as though you can find instructions online."

Liam was sitting on a metal chair in his cell, looking far too glib.

"Swarm?" He was not as good at playing the innocent, and I was too tired for his games.

"The bomb."

"Oh that. I have a friend."

"Is that how you got it on Court grounds? Who would be irresponsible enough to lose their career over doing this for you?"

"Whoa." Liam held up his palms up. "You sure do have a lot of questions."

"You're damn right I do. You are a psychopath."

"I jumped back as he ran at me, stopped only by the bars of his cell. "You made me this way."

I clenched my fists, holding back my anger, resisting the urge to grab the gun at my side. "I am not responsible for your choices."

I watched as he started to pace back and forth like a wild animal, ready to attack. He nervously ran his hand through his blond hair. I only now noticed the length of his hair, and that he was in need of a shave.

"So," He stopped in place, moving back to the bars, "it's been several days Bellamy. Can I assume your visit here is to inform me that you have devised a plan?" I did not have time to enjoy the fact that he had no idea that Dimitri and I were so far ahead of him.

"I had a plan days ago. It worked." Now I smirked.

"You're lying. What does that mean?" He sounded worried now, settling my ire.

"It means that while you have been purposely locked away in here, I have been hard at work with the Queen and our Councils, evacuating Court and dismantling your toy." Calling it a toy infuriated him, and I could not help the smile that appeared.

"That is impossible!" He accused me with a yell. "You're lying!"

"I would be happy to show you the pieces."

"How? I don't believe you."

"Your belief is not something I need, but I have no reason to lie to you."

"No." Liam continued to deny what I told him. "It takes more than one person to…"

"I did not say that I did it alone."

"There are no other Trackers at Court."

"That is true." I agreed.

"How? Who?"

"First, unlike you, I am trained for situations like this. And second, do you really think that my aunt Bridgette would've left me unprepared or unaided?"

"Who helped you?"

With all of this said, I brought this conversation to an end. "If you will excuse me, I have an appointment I cannot be late for. Goodbye Liam."

I turned on my heel, ready to leave Liam to his fate. But just as I reached for the door handle, his voice stopped me in my tracks.

"You think you've won, Bellamy? You think you can just walk away?" His voice was filled with a mixture of anger and desperation.

I turned slowly, a smirk playing on my lips. "Oh, Liam. I've already won. You just don't know it yet."

His eyes widened in confusion, and I relished in the power I held over him. With a flick of my wrist, I summoned a small flame in the palm of my hand. The fire danced and flickered, casting an eerie glow on our surroundings.

I walked out of the room, leaving Liam seething in his cell. As I made my way back down the dimly lit hallway, I could still hear his enraged shouts echoing behind me. Jesse was waiting patiently outside, his eyes filled with concern.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, reaching out for my hand.

I nodded, a sense of relief flooding over me. "It's over, Jess."

Jesse squeezed my hand tightly, a reassuring gesture that made me feel like we could handle whatever came next. Together, we walked out of the building and towards our car, the weight of what had been accomplished settling in.

The night air was cool as we stepped out into the deserted street. The moon hung low in the sky, casting an ethereal light on the empty road ahead.

I couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment wash over me. Liam's reign of terror was finally over, but as relieved as I was, I knew that this was only just the beginning.

"There's still so much to do," I murmured, my voice barely audible in the silence of the night. "I need to set everything right."

Jesse squeezed my hand reassuringly. "I know. We'll face whatever comes next together, Bellamy."

His words gave me strength, the assurance that we were in this together. I smiled at him, grateful for his unwavering support.

As we drove away, I turned to look back at the building that held Liam's cell. It stood tall and imposing. Its dark windows seemed to mock the darkness that had filled Liam's heart. But now, it was nothing more than a hollow shell, void of its former occupant's malevolence.

I let out a sigh of relief, feeling the weight of the world slowly lifting off my shoulders. The road stretched out before us, illuminated only by the soft glow of the moon. It was a symbol of the uncertain path that lay ahead.

As we drove further into the night, a sense of calm settled over me. The chaos and danger that had consumed our lives for so long seemed distant now, replaced by a glimmer of hope.

In that moment, I knew that we had not only defeated Liam but also conquered our own demons. We were no longer victims of circumstance but survivors who had risen above the darkness that threatened to consume us.

I turned to Jesse, a smile playing on my lips.

"I hate to take away this good feeling you have," Jesse spoke up, "but I should tell you that Aaron is quite cross with you."

"Why?

"He found out why we were all really evacuated, and that you stayed to take care of the problem."

"He has a right to be cross with me." I admitted. "I should talk to him."

Jesse agreed.

"But it will have to wait. First, I need to meet with the Queen and her advisors."

Jesse was worried about me meeting with the Queen, but I assured him that much of our conversation would be personal and centered around Christian. He only started to feel better about the idea as I dropped him off back at the compound.

I arrived back at the royal receiving room, met by Rose. She ran up and hugged me. It was unexpected but nice.

"You saved everything and everyone."

After another forty minutes of waiting, Lissa finally agreed to see me. I was nervous after our last conversation had nearly turned heated. I entered the room after Rose, Yuri at my side. I stood in place until the Queen entered from her private entry. When she did make her entrance, her presence filled the space of the room. She beckoned me further into the room as members of the royal Council followed in behind her, their faces stern but softening as I walked closer.

"Guardian Tverskaya." Lissa greeted Yuri. "I was not expecting you, but we are happy to see you here with Bellamy."

"Thank you." Yuri spoke softly.

"Bellamy, this Court owes you a debt. We are all eternally grateful for what you have done."

I shifted my posture, uncomfortable with the recognition I received.

"I did not do what I did alone." I made the point quite clear. "If not for Dimitri, I would not be standing here, and neither would this Court."

Lissa gave a nod. "Of course. And if there is anything that I or this Court can offer you in return for your service," She went on, "it is yours."

I took another step forward, moving past Yuri, who looked a little worried about what I might say.

"I do not ask for recognition." I said to the Queen. "I simply did my job. I kept this Court safe because it is my home too."

Lissa nodded, her eyes filled with a mixture of gratitude and understanding. "I admire your humility, Bellamy," she said softly. "May I ask you a question?"

"Anything your Majesty."

"How do the two of you make it work?" I realized that she referred to me and Yuri. "I have never heard a bad word about you two or your marriage."

I smiled slightly, looking back at Yuri.

Yuri's expression softened, a small smile curling at the corner of his lips. "It's simple," he began, his voice filled with affection. "We trust each other completely. We communicate openly and honestly, and we always make time for one another."

I nodded in agreement, feeling a warmth spread through my chest. "And we support each other, no matter what. We understand that we're individuals with our own dreams and ambitions, but we're also a team. We lift each other up and celebrate each other's successes."

Lissa nodded thoughtfully, her gaze shifting between Yuri and me. "It sounds like a beautiful partnership," she mused. "You both have my admiration."

"Not to mention the flirting." Rose interjected into the conversation.

"Flirting?" Lissa inquired further.

"Bellamy and Yuri flirt with each other all the time." She sent me a look of both curiosity and amusement. "They are still very much in love with one another."

"How?" Lissa then asked, turning to ask me the question. "How do you stay so in love, even with everything going on around you. You outrank your husband, do you not?"

"I do." The conversation was taking a turn I was not comfortable with. "Why should that matter?"

"Exactly." The Queen used the word with frustration clear in it.

I was beginning to understand why Lissa was asking these questions, and it had little to nothing to do with me and Yuri.

"Is this about Christian?" I inquired, watching the Queen then dip her head down, hiding her disappointment and sadness. "Can we speak alone?"

The Queen gave a nod then, dismissing the Council and Rose. I twisted around to Yuri, asking him to give me a few minutes with the Queen, in order to sort out the problems between her and Christian, and to make certain that I was not a factor in any decisions made. Yuri kissed my cheek before turning to walk away. Once the room was empty, I sat with Lissa.

"I had a few discussions with Dimitri while we were here on our own." I confessed. "He let slip the fact that I may have been partially responsible for the trouble between you and Chris. When I left Court, I did not fully understand the consequences. Leaving like I did, left a hole, personally and professionally."

"You and Christian are never apart for very long." Lissa spoke. "He was lost without you, and there was nothing I could do or say to fill the hole your absence left."

I sighed, guilt weighing heavily on my heart. "I'm so sorry, Lissa. I never intended any of this to happen. I thought I was doing the right thing by leaving. I underestimated the impact it would have on Christian and on our relationship."

"He called you nearly every night Bellamy."

"And I intentionally did not answer any calls from anyone. I couldn't." I admitted to her now, telling her what I had not told others. "After the ordeal with Mason, I needed time to recover. We," I referred to myself, Jesse, Yuri, and others, "needed time to repair not just our mental health, but physically we needed to rest and recover. I was shot. I should've died. Not to mention that you gave your blessing and permission for our sabbatical."

"Stop please. Stop talking." Lissa insisted.

"Excuse me?"

"I have always found that annoying."

I was confused by her statement. "What, logic? I have to agree with you there." I shrugged. "That does not mean that it is not useful, albeit annoyingly right."

She gave a similar shrug in agreement, moving to change the subject. "If you could go back and choose differently..."

"Choose?"

"Christian and Mason." Lissa clarified. "If you knew then what you know now, would you-"

"If I knew then what I know now, I would not choose either of them. If I had known back then how much I would be loved by Yuri, I might have set my sights on him sooner."

Lissa blinked; surprise evident in her eyes. "You would choose Yuri over Christian?" she asked, her voice filled with genuine curiosity.

I nodded without hesitation. "Yes. I consider myself incredibly fortunate," I replied, my voice filled with gratitude. "Yuri has been my rock, my anchor throughout it all."

A soft smile tugged at the corners of Lissa's lips. "Love is a powerful force," she mused, her gaze drifting off into the distance. "It can shape our lives in ways we never expected."

I tilted my head, sensing a hidden meaning behind her words. "What do you mean?"

She took a deep breath, her eyes meeting mine once again. "There are some decisions we make that alter the course of our lives forever. Sometimes those choices are driven by love, other times by duty or fear."

I was getting a better picture of the situation between Chris and Lissa. It was definitely not as black and white as it first appeared to be. "Can I ask you a personal question." I asked before diving into the next wave of questions.

She gave a slow hesitant nod.

"Do you still love him? Do you love Christian?"

"Yes." She responded without hesitation, so I went on.

"Are you in love with him?"

This time there was a pause, a hesitation that I did not like. I felt a strong sense of indignation in me.

"I don't know." She finally replied to me, and I wondered if her hesitation and uncertainty had anything to do with me still. Lissa's feelings for Christian were complicated by the choices she had to make as a queen, as well as the impact of our own relationship.

"Love can be complex," I said softly, reaching out to take Lissa's hand in mine. "Especially when duty and responsibility are involved. You are Queen, and that itself is a heavy burden."

Lissa nodded, her eyes reflecting a mixture of gratitude and vulnerability. "You understand," she murmured.

I could truly feel the weight of this subject now, the doubt and confusion that lingered in the air between us. It was a delicate situation, and I knew that whatever I said next could have a profound impact on both of our positions, our responsibilities, and our relationships at Court.

"Lissa," I began gently, reaching out to grasp her hand. "Love is a complex emotion. It can evolve and change over time, and there's no shame in admitting that what once was may no longer be."

Her eyes searched mine for answers, and I could see the turmoil within her. "But what about duty? What about the expectations placed upon me as Queen?"

I placed my hand to her arm in reassurance, offering a soft smile. "As Queen, your first duty is understandably to this society. But, it is important for you to be happy as well. You must take care of yourself the same way that you care for others."

She now looked puzzled by my words.

"I must admit that I am very surprised by your opinion. You are often on his side first." She referred to Christian and my push to always defend my friend.

I chuckled. "Honestly, I am as surprised as you. But I mean everything I just said."

Lissa's bemusement then turned to curiosity, her eyes searching mine for any signs of deception. "And what about Christian?" she asked cautiously. "What if I were to choose happiness, but it meant leaving him behind?"

I took a moment to gather my thoughts before responding. "Lissa, sometimes love isn't enough," I said gently. "Relationships require more than just love to thrive. They need trust, understanding, and compatibility. If you find that you no longer have those things with Christian, then maybe it is time to consider a different path."

A flicker of sadness crossed Lissa's face, and I could see the internal struggle she was facing. "But what if I'm making a mistake? What if I regret it?"

"One of the hardest lessons I have learned as a Guardian, is that regret is a part of life. Free will can be a struggle. We all make choices that we later question, but we can't let fear of regret hold us back from pursuing our own happiness." With that said, Lissa and I ended our short talk. I left our Queen to her very difficult decisions and returned to my husband.

Yuri wrapped his arms around me the moment I returned to him.

"So, what was all that about? Are you and the Queen okay?"

"We are wonderful now." I did not go into detail, but managed to let my husband know a bit more about the trouble between Lissa and Christian.

"They're handling it."

He pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead. "That's what partners do," he murmured, his voice filled with love and affection.

As we stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, I couldn't help but reflect on how far we had come. From the tumultuous world of Court politics and duty to the sanctuary we had created together, Yuri had been my guiding light. He showed me that love was not just about passion or desire, but about trust, understanding, and unwavering support.

Once back at our Court compound, I knew that I still had so many pieces of my personal life to tend to and repair. The aftermath of my exit, my return, and now the evacuation was all hitting at once. I made another call, this time to Shane, hoping he and his companions were back on Court grounds too.
Shane picked up on the second ring, his voice filled with relief. "Bells! I'm so glad to hear from you. We just arrived back at Court an hour ago." He mentioned. I started by letting my friend in on several more things that I was not able to explain or even reveal before this point. He was still instructed to keep these points to himself.

"My Moroi informed me that your Moroi is cross with me."

"Yes." Shane said, no more to it than that. It was simply a fact that Aaron was cross.

"Great. Where is he? I need to..."

"He does not want to talk right now Bells." Shane was protecting his friend, but I was not aware that Aaron needed to be protected from me. I gave him no choice but to give up the current location of our friend. Shane sighed. "He's at a bar in the royal district."

"Fantastic." I replied, unwilling to continue any argument over finding Aaron. I hung up my phone and knew exactly where to find him. I let the others know where I was going before jumping back in my SUV.

Aaron was at the 'World's End' Bar in the royal district of our Court. He was sitting alone when I entered. The bartender gave me a nod as I walked in, bellying up beside Aaron.

I glanced at Aaron, his face etched with a mixture of anger and sadness. His eyes met mine, but he didn't say a word. Instead, he took another swig of his drink, the bitterness lingering in the air between us.

"Hey," I said softly, trying to break the silence that enveloped us. "Mind if I join you?"

Aaron shrugged, not bothering to look at me. "Suit yourself."

I ordered a drink and sat down next to him, giving him some space before speaking again. The dimly lit bar added to the heavy atmosphere, amplifying the weight of our conversation.

"I know you are cross with me."

This struck a nerve. "You're damn right I am." He stated, turning on his seat to face me.

"And you have every right to be." I agreed with him. "I should have been honest about my plan, and about the bomb."

"Yes." He pushed me to go on apologizing to him.

"But please understand that there are things I couldn't share for your safety and the safety of others."

Aaron scowled, his frustration evident in every muscle of his body. "I get that, I do. But, we are friends. You told Jesse what was happening and why we were evacuated, but you and Shane kept me in the dark."

"That is our job, Air. Shane is your Guardian."

"And you?"

"I am Jesse's Guardian. He and I have a different relationship than others. He and I have been through a lot together."

"So have you and I."

My eyes flicked towards Aaron, his features displaying a blend of rage and sorrow.

"You're right." I agreed with him. "It's still different. I am sorry that you feel I betrayed you in some monumental way, but I did my job. I did what I am supposed to do in situations like that. If you have a problem with that, it's not my fault." I stood back up, retrieved a wad of cash from my jacket and set it on the counter before turning to make my exit. I was halfway to the exit when Aaron grasped my hand, spinning me back around.

His eyes now revealed his emotions. After all of the death, the nightmares, and the loss he had endured in his life, I knew then the mistakes I had made. I should've understood and taken these things into better consideration. I had left my friend to the vulnerability of this society. I had unintentionally allowed him to consider that I might not come back, that he might lose me too. I was in the wrong here.

"Air, I'm so sorry. I didn't think. I should know better. You're right. We have been in the trenches together too, and the things we went through, and the things we saw were bad. I wasn't thinking like a friend. I was thinking like ..."

"A Guardian." Aaron finished, his hand lifting to touch the side of my face. His fingertips were soft, touching gently to my cheek.

My voice cracked with emotion. "I never meant to leave you feeling alone or abandoned. I should have been more considerate of your feelings. We've both been through so much, and I should have known better."

"I understand, Bells. I do. It's just...everything that has happened, it's made me realize how much I need you in my life. You've always been there for me, and I let my anger cloud my judgment."

His words pierced my heart, and I reached out to take his hand in mine. "I'm here, Aaron. Always. We've been through hell together, and I never want you to doubt how much you mean to me."

A flicker of a smile crossed his face as he squeezed my hand gently. "I don't doubt it anymore, Bells. You've proven it time and time again."

We sat there for a while longer, the tension between us dissolving with each passing moment.

Dimitri and I spent the next full week in a haze of congratulatory celebrations. Every day, there were banquets, gatherings, and parties in our honor. The Court was ecstatic that we had successfully averted a major crisis, and they showed their gratitude by showering us with praise and adoration. It was overwhelming, to say the least.

Amidst the revelry, I couldn't help but notice Aaron's absence. It seemed that even though we had reconciled at the bar that night, he was still keeping his distance. It pained me to see him like this, knowing that I was partially responsible for his current state of mind. One evening, as the celebrations continued, I excused myself from the crowd and made my way to the gardens. The moon shone brightly overhead, casting a soft glow on the flowers and trees. It was a serene and peaceful place, perfect for contemplation. I leaned against a stone bench, feeling the coolness seep through my clothes. The sound of footsteps approaching caught my attention, and I turned swiftly, my hand automatically going to my weapon.

"Good evening, Guardian."

I took a deep breath, watching as Shane appeared from out of the shadows. I wondered why he was not inside with the rest of the part goers. This particular party was being hosted and given by Guardians. Our friends and colleagues wanted to honor me and Dimitri in ways that were personally and professionally sacred to Guardians. We were not expected to give speeches or accept unnecessary gifts of tribute.

The surprise was not in seeing my friend, but the fact that he too was hiding outside.

"I was hoping to catch you alone for a minute or two." Shane seemed to hesitate all of a sudden. "I was hoping to talk about Aaron."

"Aaron? What's wrong? Is he alright?"

"You tell me Bells."

I did not need to question what he meant, but I also did not want to discuss it either. Part of me felt that anything said between me and Aaron should stay that way, and the other part knew that as Aaron's Guardian and confidant, Shane had every right to know every and anything his Moroi faced.

"He still calls out for you." Shane interrupted my battling thoughts. "When the nightmares occur, he calls for you." I was not surprised by the revelation, but worried. I let my friend go on speaking. "The whole thing still effects hi. Everything that happened to his family and the Bradica's... And now he could've lost you. He is..."

I understood what Shane was saying, and I agreed with much of it, but he was going a bit far by inferring that I was not concerned about Aaron's current mental health. If he was trying to provoke a response, he'd done just that.

"All due respect." I cut Shane off. "I was there, Shane." I fumed. "I was right there with Aaron in Switzerland immediately after that attack. I saw the entire spectrum of aftereffects for myself. I saw him unable to close his eyes for fear of scream inducing nightmares. I saw the breakdown as he told me, in great detail, what he witnessed." I felt my anger bubbling. Believe me when I say that I may have a better understanding of what Aaron can and can't actually handle at times."

Shane took a single step back. "Wow Bells." I listened to his change in tone, and knew that I too had gone a step too far. "I think that is probably the most condescending thing you have ever said to me."

He wasn't wrong. And I was now feeling bad about having said what I did. But, I wasn't wrong either.

"Can you honestly tell me that you wouldn't make the same decision as a Guardian?" I questioned him, trying to help him see the other side of his failed argument. "If you were in my position, would you have caused panic by telling already traumatized Moroi about a bomb on Court grounds?"

I watched Shane's expression twist as he considered my logic, but still he stood firm.

"That's not the real problem here and you know it."

I took in a breath, exhaling to calm our debate.

"Please tell me what the real problem is."

"He is in love with you Bellamy. Aaron is still in love with you." Shane was very certain of this point. "And I know you are not in love with him." He exhaled exhaustively.

I blinked, caught off guard by Shane's blunt statement. The truth of his words hit me like a punch to the gut, and I felt my heart sink. Yes, it was true. Aaron had been in love with me for a time, and I too had very strong feelings for him at one point. I looked away, unable to meet Shane's gaze. Guilt twisted within me as I thought about the pain I had unintentionally caused Aaron. It wasn't fair to him, especially after everything we had been through together.

"I know," I finally admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. "And it kills me to know that I've hurt him."

Shane sighed heavily, his features softening with sympathy. "I know it's not your fault, Bells. Feelings are complicated, and they don't always align the way we want them to."

He was right. Feelings were complicated, and they often defied logic. But that didn't mean I could ignore the truth or pretend that everything was fine.

"I should talk to him again." I said, determination creeping into my voice.

Shane nodded, his eyes filled with understanding. "I think that's a good idea."

We stood in silence for a moment, the weight of the situation settling heavily upon us. It was clear that things were about to change, and not just between Aaron and me. A sense of gratitude washed over me as I realized how lucky I was to have someone like Shane in my life. He had been there for me through thick and thin, always offering unwavering loyalty and support.

I made a mental note to meet with Aaron again, but that would have to wait. I needed to talk to Yuri about all of this first. My husband was fully aware of my past with Aaron, and he was understanding of most of it. So I felt it would be unfair and disloyal to speak to Aaron before discussing this situation with my husband.

Shane and I made our way back inside, parting ways as he met up with Eddie and a few others. I made my way through the crowd of Guardians filling the expansive space, seeking out my husband. I found Yuri near the grand staircase, engaged in conversation with members of both the Guardian and Moroi Councils. His commanding presence demanded attention, and his charisma drew people in effortlessly. It wasn't hard to see why he was so respected by those around him. As I approached, Yuri excused himself and turned towards me with a warm smile.

"Bellamy," he said, pulling me into an embrace. "I've been looking for you."

"I stepped outside to get some fresh air." I did not mention Shane in front of the Council members, but my voice clearly still held unspoken emotion which was noticed immediately by my husband. His eyebrows furrowed with concern.

"What's wrong?" He asked, but I shook my head.

"Nothing that cannot be discussed later." I decided, not wanting to pull him away from anything important that the Councils might be discussing with him.

Yuri accepted what I said, but kept me close the remainder of the night, his arm staying protectively around me as our conversations continued. Towards the end of the celebration, Yuri was walking out of the venue with Howard. I was on my way to catch up with them, but was swiftly pulled to the side by Alicia Jordan.

"The Council has made a decision about Liam Kane." She expressed, and I was glad to hear it. "We do not want a repeat performance of Dhampir escaping from Court prisons." Alicia paused as I made a face, recalling my chase after Mason. "We are hoping that you might..."

"No." I stopped the plea for what was coming. Whatever it was, the answer was no. I wanted nothing more to do with Liam or his fate. "While I am pleased to know that you have made a firm decision about Liam, whether it is a sentence of time, exile, or even death, I will not be involved further." I smiled sweetly, excusing myself before walking away and joining Yuri and Howard. It felt good to delicately yet diplomatically tell the Council to do their own dirty work for a change.

As we walked through one of the many Guardian courtyards, Yuri and Howard continued their conversation about ongoing political matters. I couldn't help but feel a mix of relief and satisfaction. Standing up to the Council and refusing to be their pawn felt empowering. Liam Kane was their problem now, and I could focus on the matters that truly required my attention. Once Howard went his own direction, Yuri and I now had the opportunity to discuss Aaron.

"So, what is it that has your head in more of a jumble than usual?"

"Aaron." I matter-of-factly stated. "He's still in love with me."

Yuri looked over at me, concern etched across his face. He remained silent for a moment, processing my words. I could see the emotions flickering in his eyes, a mix of understanding and worry. Yuri knew about my history with Aaron, but hearing that he still harbored feelings for me was undoubtedly unsettling.

"I'm not surprised." He finally said.

"You're not? I am."

"You and Aaron have a complicated history." Yuri explained what I already knew. "You were by his side at a time when you both needed each other, for different reasons."

It was true. Aaron and I had experienced loss in different ways, and in similar ways, so we gravitated towards one another while I mourned Mason , and he mourned two entire families.

"And then at St. Vladimir's..." Yuri tried to go on while I added in my own thoughts and opinions.

"I was a mess at St. Vladimir's."

"Yes, but that was when Aaron fell in love with you."

"How do you know that?"

"Because it's when I fell in love with you too." He stated.

I stopped walking, kissing my husband sweetly as he returned all of my affection for him. I pulled back, hoping to feel more resolved, to no avail.

"Shane thinks that I should talk to Aaron about this."

Yuri considered the suggestion for several seconds. "I agree with Shane." He then made his feelings on the matter clear.

"You do?" Admittedly skeptical, I was more curious about his reasoning.

Yuri nodded slowly. "Yes, I do. We both know that ignoring and pretending things don't exist only complicates things more down the road."

Fair point. I sighed, leaning against him, knowing that he was right.

Yuri shifted, pulling me closer. My body language was giving off more than I was saying, and Yuri could tell.

"Why don't you want to talk to Aaron about any of this?" My husband questioned me further, getting deeper into the problem.

"I never said I didn't want to-"

"Bells?"

I groaned in defiance, uninterested in answering.

"Bellamy." Yuri stopped again. "Are you in love with him?"

"Of course not. How could you ask me that?"

Yuri smirked, knowing that he would get under my skin and cause a reaction with his joking question.

"I owe it to Aaron to have an honest conversation. We've both grown since those days at St. Vladimir's, and maybe he can find some closure."

"Don't forget, Bellamy, that you have changed since those days at St. Vladimir's," Yuri said, his voice gentle but firm. "We have built a life together, and I trust you completely. However, Aaron is still a part of your past, and his feelings cannot simply be dismissed."

I nodded, finding pure truth in his words. "I know. But what if talking to him about this brings up old wounds? What if it complicates things further?"

Yuri sighed, his thumb gently caressing my cheek. "There are no guarantees, love. But avoiding the conversation will only prolong any uncertainty."

He was right, as always. Avoidance had never solved anything; it only fueled the fire of unresolved emotions. I smiled gratefully at him, feeling the weight on my shoulders lessen just a bit. With Yuri by my side, I knew I could navigate this complicated situation. As we continued walking through the courtyard, our conversation shifted to lighter topics.

The following evening, I found myself waiting for Aaron at my favorite tea house at Court. I had sent him a message earlier in the day, asking to talk again. Reluctantly, he agreed, setting a time as I set the location.

As the familiar scent of freshly brewed tea wafted through the air, I anxiously drummed my fingers on the table. The teahouse was a serene and peaceful place, and I hoped it would provide a conducive environment for our conversation.

Aaron arrived promptly, his expression a mix of curiosity and apprehension.

"Bellamy," he greeted me with a warm smile, taking a seat across from me. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I know that you are still upset with me." I began the conversation by addressing our earlier discussion. "You have every right to be angry Aaron. I really should've considered you and Jesse more when it came to my decision, but..."

"You did what you had to do Bellamy." Aaron surprised me by saying. "And it is not my place to question the choices you make as a Guardian."

Okay, where was all of this coming from? I wondered. It worried me that he would change his opinions on this matter so quickly. What had happened in the last few days and nights that had turned him like this?

"After you left the bar the other night, I talked to Dom."

Dominic was another Drozdov Guardian. He and Aaron spent time together when Shane could not be with Aaron. Dom and I had become good friends as well over the years, and I trusted him with my friend.

"Dom told me more about 'Trackers'." Aaron explained further. "He told me about the training and the jobs that they do."

"I see." I reached across the table, placing my hands over his.

"He told me that before you chose to be Jesse's Guardian, that you were training to be a ..."

"A Tracker. Yes."

"I'm sorry we fought." Aaron then said. "I'm sorry for being angry over something I should not be angry about."
I studied his eyes, searching for any trace of lingering resentment. It seemed as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and I couldn't help but feel a wave of relief wash over me.

"Apology accepted," I replied sincerely, grateful that we could move forward from our previous argument.
As the evening wore on, we sipped our tea and engaged in casual conversation, reminiscing about our time at St. Vladimir's and sharing stories about our lives since then. It was comforting to reconnect with Aaron on a deeper level, to remember the bond we had formed all those years ago. It also made it easier for me to bring up my conversation with Shane.

"I talked to Shane last night. He managed to catch me a little off guard when he told me that you are still in love with me." I left nothing out, addressing the issue, unwittingly catching my friend as off guard as I had been.

"Shane said that? He told you-"

"He did. And I want to talk about it."

"Why?" Aaron grew uncomfortable, causing me to back down a bit.

"Why not?

"You are married to Yuri." He pointed out the obvious. "And I am fond of your husband. You are the most envied couple at Court."

I knew that telling Aaron that Yuri knew about this conversation would be a bad idea, so I kept it to myself. It was true that I loved Yuri deeply and had no intention of jeopardizing my marriage, but Aaron too held an important place in my heart.

"I love you too, Air." I watched Aaron looking back at me, attempting to decipher what I meant by my statement.

"It's not the same, Bells." Aaron's voice was laced with pain and resignation.

"I love you like I love Christian. There is always going to be a part of my heart that you possess." I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. "I never meant to burden you with this knowledge or complicate things between us. It's just... Shane's revelation caught me off guard, and I felt like we needed to address it."

Aaron agreed with my statement, also seeming to accept my comparison to him and Chris.

"I know that you want me to say that I will stop loving you, but I cannot bring myself to do that yet. I'm sorry."
I stood, walking over to him. I sat beside him, taking his hands again. "Aaron, I don't expect you to stop loving me," I reassured him gently. "Feelings can be complicated, and I understand that. What matters is how we navigate them and respect the choices we've made."

He sighed, his gaze fixed on our intertwined fingers. "It's just hard, Bellamy. Knowing that you're married to Yuri, seeing the happiness you two have together... It's a constant reminder of what could have been."

I squeezed his hands tighter, wanting to provide some comfort amidst the turmoil of emotions. "I can't change the past, Aaron. And I can't deny that there will always be a part of me that cares deeply for you. But I also can't deny the love and life I've built with Yuri."

He nodded slowly, his eyes flickering with a mix of sadness and understanding. "I know, Bells. And I would never want to come between you and Yuri. It's just difficult sometimes... loving someone from afar.

Our conversation was interrupted as my phone rang loudly, causing other customers to comment quietly. I stood, taking my phone just outside while still keeping a watchful eye on Aaron.

It was Yuri calling, his name flashing on the screen.

"Bells, you need to meet me at the Council Headquarters." He stated rather firmly.

I did not hesitate, moving back inside to grab Aaron. "I've got to get to work." I evasively informed him, offering to drop him off with Shane or his other friends. He took me up on my offer, jumping into the passenger side of my car.

As we drove through the bustling streets, Aaron maintained a quiet demeanor. I could sense his curiosity and concern, but I didn't have the answers he sought. Yuri's urgency on the phone left a lingering unease in my chest. I dropped my friend off at his home, driving through the gates of the Drozdov estate. While very few properties at Court, (outside of the Queen's residence) compared to the size and status of the Zeklos compound, the Drozdov estate was a sight to behold. The grandeur of the Drozdov estate never failed to impress me as I navigated through the perfectly manicured gardens and winding paths. The stone walls stood tall, guarding the secrets and power within its confines.

I parked the car in front of the impressive main entrance, turning off the engine. The silence stretched between us as we sat for a moment, both lost in our own thoughts.

"Aaron," I finally broke the silence, my voice tinged with concern. "Are you okay?"

He shook his head, a sad smile playing at the corners of his lips. "I will be," he replied, his voice heavy with resignation. He opened his door slightly, turning back to me before exiting. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

He paused shortly before his question hit me. "Did you love me? Back at the Academy, were my feelings-"

"Yes Air." I kept my voice low, but replied honestly. "I did fall in love with you."

"You did." He seemed to confirm to himself.

I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest. "Yes, I did. But it was complicated, Aaron. We were in such different places back then, and circumstances forced us apart."

He squeezed my hand gently, understanding the depth of my words. "I know, Bells," he whispered before jumping out of the passenger seat.

One he was inside and safe, I headed towards the Guardian Council Headquarters to meet Yuri. The Council Headquarters stood tall and imposing, its grand architecture a testament to the power it held over our supernatural world. The building was a fortress, but not completely impenetrable. As I entered the building, I could not shake the apprehension I felt. It wasn't often that Yuri called me to the Council Headquarters, especially with such urgency in his voice. Yuri was waiting for me in the Grand lobby, his usually composed expression clouded with worry.

"What's going on?" I asked, my voice filled with concern.

Yuri took my hands with his, looking deeply unsettled. "The Council sentenced Liam to death." He said, waiting for my reaction.

"I already informed the Council that their decision would be their own. I want nothing to do with Liam from this point."

I had surprised my husband by being so cavalier and uninterested in the fact that Liam had been sentenced.

"You don't care?" He asked.

That was not the case. "Of course I care." I returned. "But I will not let the Council pin this choice on me or any other Guardians."

I made a good point and Yuri could see that and agree. Still, he felt that I should stay and see Liam off to his next or final destination.

We made our way up the escalators, through the bustling halls, nodding politely to familiar faces along the way. The air was thick with tension, a palpable energy that echoed through each corridor. Viktoria, Dimitri, and Eddie soon appeared at the end of the hallway. I greeted our friends, letting them know that Yuri had informed me of Liam's fate. Once the Guardian Council ended their session, the doors opened. The Council members filed out of the room, acknowledging our presence before going off to their offices. Liam was shown out by Guardians a short time after, his hands cuffed in front of him. He spotted me in the hall as soon as Yuri put his arm around me.

"Mason said that the bright-eyed optimistic girl he knew went to war, but she never came back."

I gave a tired sigh. "No one ever returns from war." I told Liam. "And if they do, they are not the same." This was something he and Mason never truly understood. "The girl who went to war died. She had to. But someone much stronger and smarter was born in her absence."

Liam was not happy with my answer. He was trying to get under my skin. "There is one thing Bridgette failed to teach you Bellamy." He said as he passed.

"And what is that?" I couldn't help but let his provocation get to me. His mention of Bridgette irritated me.

"You don't punch above your weight."

I laughed out loud. "You? You think you're above my weight?"

Eddie and Dimitri made low comments with a laugh.

"You see very little, and clearly you know even less."

I held myself back, wanting to yell at him to go fuck himself, but instead bit my tongue. "Get him out of here." I insisted of the Guardians.

I watched as Liam was led away, my heart pounding with anger and confusion. I could feel Yuri's hand on my back, trying to offer comfort and reassurance. But my mind was racing, trying to make sense of the events that had led to this point.

It was as though the world was spinning around me, my heart racing like a wild horse, my mind struggling to make sense of the chaos unfolding and the conflicting emotions within me. But amidst it all, I could feel Yuri's steady hand on my back, a grounding force in the midst of the storm. As Liam was led away by the Guardians, I could see the anger and confusion on his face, his jaw set in a tight line and his eyebrows furrowed. Meanwhile, Yuri's hand gently rested on my back, a small gesture of comfort in the midst of chaos. My mind was racing, trying to piece together the events that had led to this point, the pieces falling into place like a jigsaw puzzle.

Liam would be executed in the following days, as the Council had decided that a 'take no chances' approach was best for everyone. The thought of Liam's impending death had me thinking of Mason again. Strange. I thought more about his actions and then I was considering his soul. As Strigoi, Mason lost not only his humanity, but his soul. In the process of restoring him to a Dhampir, his soul would be returned to him. But Mason was still changed after his restoration. He remained combative and unreasonable. He was nothing like the Mase we all knew. It had me thinking. What if his soul had not actually been reunited with him when I staked him. But what would cause something like that to happen? Was it me?

"Bells, honey." I heard Yuri say my name. My friends were all staring back at me, each one expecting some sort of reaction to Liam. I did not have one. "Sorry." I said. "I was thinking about Mason."

"Mase?" Eddie questioned, apprehension clear in his tone, but I caught the look Rose gave briefly. I had voiced my theories and questions with her earlier. She'd heard me out fully, and assumably taken me seriously.

"Bellamy…" Rose started, but I cut her off.

"I need to get a short note to the Queen." I decided.

Rose agreed. "I'll get it to her."

A day and a half later, a representative for the Queen and her Council was standing in my personal office.

"Her Majesty has agreed to your request." The man informed me and Yuri as we sat together.

Yuri's eyebrows furrowed and his usually smooth forehead was now creased with lines of confusion. His fingers began to tap nervously on the armrest. "What did you request from the Queen? Does it have something to do with the note you sent?"

I nodded, explaining my theory about Mason and his soul.

"You think he is missing his soul?" It was not lost on me that my husband had his own theories on the matter, but his belief often included Mason simply being a jealous, petulant dick.

"Guardians all around the world have been restoring Strigoi now that we know what spirit magic can do."

"Yes." I agreed. "But I am not like other Guardians." I reminded my husband. "I am the only Dhampir who also has Moroi magic."

"You think you have something to do with why Ashford is a…""

"Yuri." I used a warning tone in my voice before he started calling Mason names again. He smirked. "Wouldn't it be funny if the reason Mason couldn't be completely restored is because of me?" I was being cynical about my training and skills.

"Oh honey." Yuri wrapped his arms around me, being sympathetic to my plight.

"So, I may have asked the Queen to send a spirit user to test for Mason's soul."

The Queen's representative nodded, acknowledging my request. "Her Majesty has agreed to send a skilled spirit user to test Mason's soul. However, the process will be delicate and must be handled with utmost care."

Yuri squeezed my hand reassuringly, his eyes reflecting a mix of concern and support. "Are you sure about this, Bells?" he asked softly.

I met his gaze, seeing the love and worry etched in his features. "I have to know, Yuri. If there's a chance that Mason's soul is still out there... I have to try." The thought of Mason being incomplete, of a part of him missing, tugged at my heart in a way I couldn't fully articulate. I could feel the weight of my decision pressing down on me, a mix of anticipation and anxiety churning in my stomach.

Two weeks later, Jesse had become fully involved in Council matters, and was learning quickly from his father. I was right by his side, listening and learning too, as the process went on. Howard had been nervous at first about handing the reins of his position temporarily over, but Jesse was proving his wariness wrong. I had lost count of the hours spent in meetings with Guardians and Moroi. We were both exhausted by the end of the night.

The sun was just starting to rise as Howard excused us, informing both us and the Council that tonight had been his last meeting, and he would be officially stepping away from Court for a undetermined amount of time. Jesse was now in charge of all Court decisions made on behalf of the Zeklos clan.

I felt Jesse relax as soon as we exited the meeting, walking to Howard's office, which was technically now Jesse's office. The room was spacious with tall windows lining one wall, allowing soft morning light to filter in and illuminate the sleek wooden desk in the center. Bookshelves filled with leather-bound tomes and various trinkets adorned the walls, giving the room a cozy and scholarly atmosphere. The Zeklos family crest hung proudly above the fireplace, a symbol of their position in Court.

"They were all staring at me." Jesse mentioned of the other Council members. For the first time in quite a while, I felt my friend was uncomfortable with the attention on him.

I turned to him and smiled. "Of course they were staring at you." We had been away from Court for nearly eighteen months, and in that time I too had forgotten how much Jesse and his family were often stared at. "You're a Zeklos." I made him feel more at ease. "You're family line is technically the highest ranking at Court. Your family were the first to serve as monarchs, and your family has had the most monarchs."

"You're right." He mellowed, sitting down at the large desk.

I took the seat across from him, watching as Jesse ran a hand through his light hair, a thoughtful expression on his face. We sat in comfortable silence for a moment, taking in the weight of the responsibility that now rested on his shoulders.

"You know," I began, my voice soft in the quiet room, "your father wouldn't have entrusted this to you if he didn't believe you were ready."

Jesse looked up at me, gratitude shining in his eyes. "Thanks, Bells. I just... I want to do right by him, by our family."

"I know you will," I reassured him. "You're smart and compassionate, and you've got a good head on your shoulders. You'll make the Zeklos clan proud."

A small smile tugged at the corners of Jesse's lips, and I could see some of the tension leaving his frame. Before I could say anything more, my phone rang. It was Eddie.

"I have to take this." I said, stepping just outside of the office, closing the door behind me. I picked up my phone, and before I started to speak, Eddie was angry with me.

"Why did I have to hear from Rose that Mason is on his way back to our Court?"

Was Eddie accusing me of something? I was stunned and speechless myself. I felt betrayed by this Court all over again.

"Whoa." I attempted to calm my friend. "What do you mean he's on his way back here? That's not possible." I was as lost and bewildered as he was.

"They…I…He…" Eddie faltered, uncertain of what to say or feel. He paused and took a deep breath. "All I know is that he is being brought back here."

It had been weeks since I had heard anything more on the request I'd made regarding Mason. As far as I knew and last I'd heard, the Queen and Councils were still planning on sending a very specific spirit user to test for Mason's soul, and if necessary restore it to him. Had they sent the spirit user already? Had the process worked? Was I wrong?

"Ed, I had no idea this was happening." I stated. "I've been in meetings with Jess for the past few weeks. No one said a thing about this."

"The Council said nothing?" He pushed as though I might keep something like this from him.

"This is not the kind of thing that I would keep from you."

"Says the girl whose position and training as a tracker is literally to keep secrets like this."

"Not from you." I assured without hesitation.

Eddie let out a heavy sigh on the other end of the phone. "I'm sorry, Bells. I didn't mean to imply that... I just..." He trailed off, struggling to find the right words. Despite the audible tension in his voice, we both understood that our friendship was built on a foundation of unwavering trust and honesty.

"It's okay, Ed," I said gently. "I understand why you're upset. But believe me when I say I had no idea about Mason returning."

"Rose and I are meeting at our spot. Come and join us." He offered. "We all need to talk."

I agreed, also choosing to bring Yuri. This was something that concerned us all, so I knew he should hear this revelation from us rather than anyone else at Court. The four of us met at the largest of the Guardian obstacle courses. It was the place Eddie and I often met to talk, calling it "our spot". Usually we would run the gauntlets as we talked, but today Eddie and I just needed to vent. We needed to determine what was in fact going on, and why.

"Last I heard, the Queen and Councils had agreed to send someone to help." I gave up the information that I had, waiting for Rose and Eddie to confirm anything more that they knew. "The Queen." I urged. "Lissa has to know something."

"If she does, she isn't saying."

I sat down beside my husband, who was listening to everything being said before giving any sort of opinion. He put his arm around me.

"If Lissa isn't saying anything to you, it must be serious enough. And if that is the case, I will have to use my considerable amount of authority and persuasion to find answers." I informed them. "I'll start with the Guardian Council."

"I will talk to other Guardians." Yuri offered.

My current positions and rank within our Guardian community gave me certain privileges and access to information that others did not have. Again, I did not like to use my position often, but this was different. After another twenty minutes of shared information, intense conversation and speculation, we parted ways with a renewed sense of purpose. Eddie and Rose headed back to their Moroi, while Yuri and I made our way towards the Council and Guardian chambers. It took some time, but I made my way up the chain of command, finally reaching the necessary members of Council. I knocked on the door of Guardian Jordan first. She was my best hope for answers I thought.

As I entered the room, the door creaked on its hinges. The sound echoed slightly in the quiet office, disrupting the soft murmurs of voices from outside. When Guardian Jordan greeted me, her voice was calm but held a hint of concern. She had a stern expression on her face and her dark hair was pulled back in a tight bun.

"I assume you are here about Mr. Ashford being brought back to Court." She sounded so cavalier about the matter.

"Why wasn't I told?" I sat down as she motioned to one of the chairs opposite her desk.

Alicia furrowed her brow as she contemplated her answer to my question. "We did not want to further upset you." She finally said. "After everything you have done and endured for our Courts, the Council members and I thought we should wait to inform you."

She was lying. Or maybe she was half lying. I could hear it in her tone as she spoke, and I could see it written on her face. She shifted very uncomfortably, also telling me more than she would. The Council did not worry about my feelings, or the feelings of other Guardians. It is our job to deal with and face these sort of things. I decided to push further, trying to get to the truth, or anything resembling the truth.

"Frankly, I am more upset that I was not told." I expressed in return. "I'm sure that I've proven I can handle that hard bits of this job."

Alicia gave a sharp nod. "I do apologize Bellamy."

"So, what now?"

I watched as she filed through folders and pages on her desk as she spoke. "Now, Mr. Ashford is being brought here to this Court."

"Why?"

"To re-try him." Her answer was short but I still dug for better answers.

"Same question. Why?"

"Because you were right." I finally got a straight answer. "Your friend was not himself the last time he was held here." I wanted to correct her as she called Mason my friend, but I knew it also would do no good. I let her go on as I listened silently. "We must be seen giving him a fair trial under the circumstances."

I agreed with her point, but still had questions. "What will a second trial do?" I asked, but my real question was still to come. "Will a new trial change his sentence?"

Alicia looked up at me from her work. Her expression was sincere. "We do not know."

I sat with the small amount of information given to me, uncertain of what to say next.

"How long before he returns?"

"Another day or so." Alicia said. "He will be processed at our Guardian Court first."

I did not argue the process they were choosing to take this time.

"Bellamy." Alicia stopped me as I stood to leave. The sound in her voice and the look on her face shifted. The other shoe was finally about to drop.

"You are going to ask me to do something that I don't want to, aren't you?"

"Possibly."

I crossed my arms, taking a deep breath.

"The moment Mr. Ashford was returned, his first concern was for you. He has asked, rather insistently, to speak to you upon his arrival."

I opened my mouth to refuse, but stopped myself before answering. I considered our last conversation and wondered what if anything had changed in Mason's opinions. I walked out of Guardian Jordan's office with a whirlwind of conflicting emotions swirling inside me. Mason wanted to speak to me upon his return, and I didn't know how to feel about that. Despite the chaos and confusion surrounding his sudden reappearance at Court, a small part of me couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope at the thought of seeing him again.

Yuri was waiting for me outside the office, his expression a mix of curiosity and concern.

"What are you going to do?" he finally broke the silence, his voice quiet but steady.

I turned to look at him, searching his eyes for answers I didn't have. "I don't know," I admitted. "What do you think I should do?"

Yuri hesitated for a moment as we strolled through the corridors and back out of the building. "It's not my place to say Bells." He started. "But I am wondering if maybe his desire to meet with you again, is part of a larger scheme."

I hated that he might be right. But, we needed to know. The best course of action was probably to meet with him, if just to know what our next course of action should be.

"On the other hand," Yuri went on, "Perhaps listening to what he has to say is a good idea. It will give you peace." He sweetly wrapped his arm around me. We reached the car, and I tossed the keys into the air for him to catch.

"You're right," I acknowledged, a sense of determination settling within me. "I should hear him out, if only to see what his game is."

A day and a half later, Mason's return to Court was kept relatively quiet. Few Guardians were made aware of his presence. I stood a good distance away with Eddie and Dimitri, all of us watching as the SUV's pulled up in front of the Guardian Admin building. I went through every bit of procedure in my head as Guardians surrounded Mason, escorting him into the building. Mason caught sight of the three of us briefly and I felt numb. I grabbed Eddie's hand, needing either the comfort or support from him. I recieved both. After talking this decision to meet with Mason out with Yuri, I also spoke to Dimitri and Eddie. Dimitri agreed that I should meet with Mason, but Eddie was still very conflicted on the matter. He too was suspicious of Mason's motives even after I explained why I might meet with Mason, Eddie was not on board. He would support me no matter what, but he did not agree.

I scheduled a time that I would be allowed to meet with Mason, in the evcening, knowing that I want any lingering emotions to weigh on my Moroi during the day while he rested. Mason was given the same guarded apartment, making the drive an easy one. Before I made my way over, I stopped to pick up a few more items. I drove to the Guardian Administration building to borrow a bit of was again at the front desk, but she was working alongside Hans today. Hans was suspicious of my request, and he did ask a few questions, but once I mentioned Mason's name, he was much more willing to hand over what I requested. After better preparing myself for this meeting, I took a few more minutes,stopping into the main square. I popped into the pastry shop, picking up a box of pastries I remember Mason used to enjoy. Itr felt strange to be doing something so casual before meeting with someone who had caused so much chaos not only in my life, but the lives of others at Court. I then stopped in at the smoothie shop.

I pulled up to Mason's apartment to see someone else waiting for me. Dimitri was waiting just outside of Mason's temporary residence, busying himself and talking to the guards again stood outside of the apartment. I made a point while cutting the engine off, to keep in mind that it was not me Dimitri did not trust in this situation.

"I wasn't expecting you here." I lightheardely said as I exited my SUV, going to the trunk to lift the heavy piece of equipment I needed. Dimitri immediately rushed to help, lifting and effortlessly taking it from me.

"I know you don't need me here."

"Actually, I'm kind of glad to see you. It might be good to have a friendly face in there with me."

Dimitri smiled, only now examining the heavy box of metal and wires.

"Bellamy, is this a…"

"It is."

"Smart." He complimented.

I opened the door to my passenger seat, grabbing the box of pastries and smoothies, offering one of the smoothies to Dimitri. He accepted, and we both walked up to Mason's apartment together. Unlike the last time, I was not stopped from entering or hassled before doing so. I did not need to pull out threat of my rank. The Guardians at the door took one look at me and Dimitri before simply unlocking the door and opening it.

Mason's apartment was the same, but at the same time felt completely different this time around. The air felt lighter. The furniture was all in the same places, but it too felt different. The shades were not drawn this time, but the lights were all on. Mason was not anywhere to be seen yet.

I called his name, wondering how long it might take him to appear. Almost immediately, he rounded a nearby corner, coming from the kitchen of all places.

"Bells." He said my name, and it did not have the same heaviness to the tone. "I heard you were coming by tonight." I noticed the color returned to his face almost instantly. The pink in his cheeks was the same as I remembered. "I made tea." He kindly offered me a cup, catching me off guard.

I took the tea from him, handing him the other smoothie and the box of pastries I had picked up. Dimitri shifted arund the two of us, moving further inside to set up.

"What is that?" Mason asked me, now sounding chary and afraid.

"It is a lie detector." I informed him.

His brow creased and I saw his entire demeanor change. "Bells,I have no reason to lie to you."

"I know." I put my hand to his arm, and it felt foreign to both of us. "It's not for you. Come on." I gently urged.

As I sat, Mason attentive yet guardedly watched me sit down on one of the couches. His eyes never left me as Dimitri and I adjusted the straps and sensors on me. Once each piece was in place and tested, both men stayed silent. I took a deep breath, seeing Dimitri look down. He agreed with what I was doing, but it did not set him at ease. This could still go very wrong in many ways. The only noise in the room, was the hum of the machine. I silently motioned for Mason to sit and start talking. He did hesitate for a few seconds before deciding that he should do as I 'asked'.

"You don't need to do this." He mentioned, but he was wrong.

"Yes, I do." I was not sure if it was my words or my tone that convinced him.

He simply nodded, looking to Dimitri who continued his silence.

"What shall we talk about?"

"Anything." I offered. "What would you like to know?" He tried to hide the evil smirk that appeared. "No topic is off limits." I added to his delighted bemusement. "Past, present, and future."

"We're going to be here awhile." Mason stated.

"I'm comfortable." I took a sip of the tea I had been given, but my reaction and statement changed his attitude.

"Are you doing this so that I will trust you Bellamy?"

"This is not about you trusting me." I told him truthfully. "This is so I can trusty you, so that Eddie can rebuild trust in you, and Rose and this Court."

He looked to Dimitri again, verifying my own honesty. Dimitri looked at the results of the machine,giving a nod to indicate my honesty.

"So you don't trust me?" Was he joking?

"Of coursew I don't trust you. You faked your own death, aligned yourself with Liam, and you fucking shot me."

"Yeah," He looked away from me, "I'm actually really sorry about that."

I didn't respond.

"You're pretty hard to kill Bells."

"Dimitri cleared his throat. "You have no idea." He mumbled under his breath and I couldn't help but laugh a little.

"If you need to trust me, shouldn't I be the one hooked up to the lie detector?" Mason asked a valid questiuon, but he was wrong again. I was not about to make the same mistakes I had the last time we spoke like this.

"No." I said, unwilling to further the answer. I had to be honest, but that did not mean I had to give up the store.

Mason leaned back into his couch, getting comfortable. "You said that I can ask you anything." He made sure he understood the rules.

"Yes."

"Does that include Christian Ozera?"

"It does."

Now he looked surprised. "Excuse my mistrust. He has always been off limits in our conversations."

"That's not true." I returned. "You putting him down or being an asshole to him has been off limits. Be respectful." I warned.

Mason's micro-expressions were much easier for me to read this time as the real conversation started.

"In that case," He began, "can I ask, were you really in love with the guy?"

"Yes I was."

"How long?"

"What?" I wanted clarification to his question before answering anything I did not need to.

"How long were you in love with him?"

Oh, that's what he meant. "Awhile." I tried to keep some thinmgs to myself, but Mason was not about to let that happen.

"Be more specific."

I was now sure that I'd made a mistake by not leaving some matters off the table. Dimitri looked worried for me as he knew answers to more than most people, but I wanted this experiment to work. I needed it to work. I took a beat before answering the question.

"I don't recall the exact day or night that I was suddenly no longer in love with him."

"Try to remember." Mason pushed.

"That's enough. Move on." Dimitri protectively ordered.

I attempted to calm him. "No. It's alright." I had not truthfully thought about this answer before now, so it took a minute. "I was a Guardian." I finally said. "I remember when I returned to St. Vladimir's for your funeral, I saw him with Vasilissa. Seeing them together made me sad."

"You were still in love with him then?"

"No." I replied. "I was not sad because I still loved him. I was sad because I missed what I meant to him, and to you. I missed what our relationship meant to him. I think I stopped being in love with him shortly before your death, while I was training. There was no specific moment when it hit me, or I realized it. It just happened naturally, as it is supposed to." I could see in his expression that he knew I wasn't lying.

"And me?" He went on to ask. "When did you stop loving me?"

This answer made me want to cry. It confounded and disappointed me that this should still make me sad after all this time. I stopped the tears that threatened to form, turning my head away for a few seconds.

"Bells." Dimitri implored me to stop.

"I'm okay." I assured him. "I loved you even after I died." I then proceeded to answer the question.

"You did?"

"You broke up with me, and it broke me Mase. I did not know how to recover. Dimitri will confirm that I was not the same when I returned to the Academy."I saw Mason briefly look to Dimitri for verification again. I had said these things to Mason before, but now I was saying them under the credibility of a lie detector. "I know that Eddie and Shane told you how long it took me to recover and piece myself back together."

"They did." He acknowledged.

I quieted, needing another moment to recover.

"I have to ask Bells, if I hadn't ended our relationship," His voice wavered, "do you think we would've stayed together if I also had not died…changed?"

"No." I stated matter-of-factly. "I have actually considered and thought about this myself." I went on without prompting. "I am ninety-five percent sure that I would've ended things at some point."

Another micro-expression from him. His left eye twitched and he unclasped his hands before looking down at his lap.

"And why is that?"

He was the one who wanted these answers.

"People change. They grow. But, you have always had the same desire for command;for ascendency. And that is fine."

"Is it?"

"Sure." I said. "It's just never been my ambition to hold so much authority over others."

"But you do." He countered, and he was right.

"She does not use it often." Dimitri replied before I could. "It is always a last resort for her." My half-brother clarified.

"Okay." Mason settled. "Can I ask about Jesse now?"

"Yes."

"Why him?" He inquired. "I know that I have asked this before, but…"

"But now you want to know if I told you the truth last time."

Mason shrugged.

"The answer is the same. Jesse needed me and I needed him."

"But what exactly does that mean?"

This was where it once again got complicated. "It took me time to see Jesse's behavior and bravado for what it really was." Masonm stayed silent, listeniung to me go on. "He was lost. He was a lost soul who did not know how to ask for help. He was never taught to ask for help."

"And you?

"Like I said, after you and I broke up, and after you died, I was also lost. I was completely rudderless. Jesse gave me purpose. Jesse gives me purpose." I said, feeling the warmth of content wash through my emotions. It was Jesse.

"Still?" Mason asked, and I nodded.

"Have you and Jesse ever…"

I held my hand up, stopping Mason's next question from even forming before Dimitri reached out and choked the man. "Stop." I commanded, speaking to both me. "And the answer is no. If you knew me as well as you think you do, you wouldn't need to ask."

Mason looked down again, making a humming noise, suggesting that he more or less agreed with my point.

"Okay," he went on, "I have asked questions about our past, your present, but what about the future;our fure." He inquired.

I looked over at Dimitri, both of us confused by the inquiry.

"I don't understand the question." I ultimately had to confess.

"The future." He answered, frustration hiding in his words, and on his face. I could see it now. "You and me. What do you see."

"I don't know." I shrugged, only half lying, watching the needle on the machine move in a way that told both men I was not being honest.

"Come on Bellamy." Mason pushed me, leaning forward now. "Tell me the truth."

"That is the truth."

"But not the full truth."

Once more, my eyes met Dimitri's. The look on his face was one that said 'I told you so', without ever having to actrually say it.

"I am not a seer. I cannot predict the future, but if you want the full truth, I'll say this one more time. Listen up. You died. You left us. I…we moved forward. I moved forward because that is what you do. I am happy where I am. I have regrets, but now I also have closure thanks to this meeting. It's your turn."

"So, this lie detector was not just about trust." Mason surmised further.

"Nope." I proceeded to pullk the wire and connections from me, indicating to Dimitri that we could leave. Without querstion, he turned off the machine, collecting the connections that I handed over to him. We stood with all of the equipment, on our way to the door.

"The Council is being benevolent by choosing to re-try and sentence you. My suggestion is that you do things the right way this time."

Mason did not say anything, but knew what I meant. Despite our past and present, I was still trying to keep him out of trouble.

Dimitri held the door open as we left the apartment, the weight of my conversation with Mason weighing heavy on my mind. Dimitri was busy silently piecing it all together as we neared my truck.

"You were far too straight-forward in there." He commented on my conduct. "You were more truthful with him than you have been or need to be." My half-brother had become much more aware and observant of my out of character behaviors. I was not sure if it was good or bad that he noticed more.

"You're wrong." I returned. "On both accounts." We loaded the machinery back into my trunk. "I have been very honest with him, even before today."

"Yes, but this time, in there…"

"This time, it was imperative that I go above and beyond just being honest." I pulled out a small clear vial from the pocket of my hoodie.

Dimitri took it from me, examining it closely. Truth serum." He acknowledged out loud.

"I couldn't take any chances that I might hold too much back."

"Why?" He wanted to know, and I heard not only the concern, but the fear that came from the fundamental knowledge of my training.

Eddie was right—I kept secrets. It was a piece in the puzzle that one learned as a Tracker.

"Because I am trying to keep Mason out of more trouble."

He opened my driver's side door, helping me climb up into the seat. "But why?" He asked again.

"I don't know. Guilt?"

"Bells, you have nothing to feel guilty about."

"And yet, here we are." I turned the engine over and Dimitri closed the door.

I drove back to the Zeklos Estate with the hope that Mason would not cause trouble this time, while he remained at Court. I wanted to believe that he would do as I asked, sit still, and do as Court Guardians requested, but I also considered that in order to keep any future or impending incidents from occurring, I and other Guardians would need to keep Mason separated from Eddie and Rose.

A week later, Mason was scheduled to speak to the Guardian Council, and face up to his charges. His charges were reduced as he gave up every bit of information he had concerning Liam, and the things Liam had convinced Mason to do. While Mason took responsibility for turning Strigoi years ago, it was Liam and Natasha Ozera who had deceived and rather effectively brainwashed Mason into the act. I sat in the gallery of the Council chambers with Yuri, listening to the meeting, wondering how things might play out this time. After all, being turned Strigoi was not a crime, but turning for some reasons also no longer held the same criminal outlooks as it used to. I thought about Sonya Karp, and how she too had intentionally turned, albeit for different reasons, but she had come back, and now held a spot at Court in the Science R departments. Would the Council give Mason a slap on the wrist this time? Would he be allowed to return to Court?

I listened to the clear remorse in Mason's voice. He regretted his actions, and the time he had lost because of what he'd done, but whether the Queen and Councils would show mercy now remained to be seen. I squeezed Yuri's hand, and he knew that I worried. He knew that I did not want problems at Court, but I also did not want to cause or be the cause of problems at Court. I held my breath as Rhiannon stood, her expression unreadable.

"Mr. Ashford, while your past actions have caused harm to yourself and others, it is clear now that you were being manipulated and misguided by others who sought to exploit you for their own benefit. In light to your cooperation and willingness to provide further information regarding the treachery of Liam Kane, the Council has reached a decision."

Yuri and I waited for the verdict.

"Mr. Ashford, it is clear that you have shown remorse for your past deeds and have cooperated fully with our investigation. While your actions were misguided and harmful, we believe in second chances and rehabilitation."

Mason's heart leaped in his chest as hope flickered in his eyes. Could this really be happening? Could he truly be given a second chance?

"Therefore," Rhiannon continued, her gaze unwavering, "the Guardian Council has decided to grant you a conditional pardon. You will be reinstated as a Court Guardian under strict probationary terms. Any violation of these terms will result in an immediate revocation of this pardon and severe consequences. Do you understand, Mr. Ashford?" Rhiannon's tone was firm but not unkind.

Mason was standing very still. He nodded in response, his Court provided attorney whispering something to him. Yuri made a humming noise and kissed my forehead before immediately standing and leaving the room. I was still in shock, unable to move or speak after the verdict was given. This decision was not going to turn out well for anyone. There would be major fallout and damage control was going to be needed. Rhiannon looked up for a moment and she could see that I was not happy.

"Guardian Pearce, I would like a word with you." She commanded. I didn't refuse but I also did not agree.

At the mention of my name, everyone else in the room turned their heads up to see me. I stood, giving the members of the Council a slight nod of my head before leaving to meet my husband. Yuri was pacing just outside of the building, and he was visibly annoyed.

"They're letting him stay!" My husband nearly shouted, his hands balled at his sides. "They're giving him Guardian privileges?"

I stepped forward to calm him. "Yuri." I approached him.

"You're not upset? You above everyone else have every right and reason to be upset about this." He pointed out, and he was right. I should feel more upset.

I thought about his inquiry, finding my own answer surprising. "Upset? No, I'm not upset. I am worried." I confessed. "I am worried about all of the repercussions that this will inevitably have on many of us here at Court."

"We should all be worried." Yuri agreed with me.

"I put my hands on his waist. "Come on." I suggested. "We should get back home and let others know what is happening." I chose not to mention the meeting that Guardian Morgan had 'requested'. It was only going to worry him, and we had enough on our plates.

As we made our way back home, the weight of the Council's decision lingered in the air between Yuri and me. I couldn't shake off the feeling of impending turmoil that would follow Mason's conditional pardon. The car ride was silent, the tension palpable as we both contemplated the consequences of this leniency. Upon arriving at our estate, we found Eddie and Shane waiting for us anxiously. His expression was a mix of concern and frustration as he hurried over to us.

"What happened?" Shane immediately asked. I saw the expression on his face shift as he caught my look of frustration and dismay.

"What?" Eddie spoke. "What is it, Bells?"

"He's been granted a conditional pardon," I answered somberly, watching Eddie closely for his reaction.

Eddie's jaw clenched in anger, his hands forming fists at his sides. His eyes blazed with a vitriol that I had never seen in my friend as he processed the information given.

"This was the Guardian Council's decision? What about this Court? They cannot all think that this is the best plan? Was it unanimous vote? Why would they make a decision like this, knowing how he terrorized you?" He shot you Bells." He pointed out. "Which one of them pushed this decision through? They didn't speak to any other Guardians."

Shane's brow furrowed with concern as he looked over at Yuri. The two men stepped to the side, allowing me to help our friend as he spiraled out of control with his questions.

"Guardian Castile." I put authority in my voice, bring Eddie back himself. "Ed," I then calmly approached him, putting my arms around his neck, "I have a meeting with Guardian Morgan in a bit. I am going to see her in an hour or so. "I needed him to know that I was not alright with this either, and I was in a position to do something about it.

"I'm going with you." He pulled away, insisting on joining me, and I was not about to refuse his support.

"This is unacceptable." I heard Dean say, noticing that he and Viktoria had also joined my husband.

I understood each perspective of this matter too well. I knew the risks that would come with permitting Mason to roam through and work at Court. It was a risk none of us was willing to take. I was not to the front door, following my friends when I found myself being held by my Moroi. His arms were a comfort as always, but the idea of telling him what had occurred had my anxiety sky-rocketing. By the time Eddie, Shane, Yuri, and I were inside, Dimitri was pulling his car into the garage. I heard the front doors open and shut only seconds before I saw him burst into the kitchen, rushing towards me.

"He is going to be a Guardian?"

"Not if I can help it." I replied.

Dimitri's expression turned grave as he processed the news, his strong jaw set in determination. He knew as well as I did the potential dangers of allowing Mason back into our ranks. Without a word, he took my hand and led me away from the others to a more secluded corner of our home.

"Bells," He sat down on the closest couch, bringing me with him, his hand still holding mine. "Are you okay?"

"Fantastic." I sarcastically said, gaining a slight smile from my brother. "I have a meeting with Rhiannon Morgan in a little less than an hour. Eddie wants to tag along."

"Eddie is a good ally to have in this situation, but I am coming with you too." He offered me more support

"Sure." I stood, taking my hand from his.

"Belllamy, can I play devil's advocate for a second?" Dimitri clearly had another point of view , and wanted to share it.

"I'd rather you didn't." I was not in the best place to accept logic and rationale.

"Mason did what he did, and while I don't agree with anything he has done, what if it were me?" He was definitely using logic against me. I could hear it in his tone and see it in his eyes as I turned to argue. "If the Council had chosen to keep me from being a Guardian again,…"

"I would've fought them on the decision." I confirmed.

He nodded, prepared to say something either debatable or logical.

"But it's not the same." I stopped him. "You did not intentionally change. You were forcibly changed. And you were a Guardian before that. It is not the same thing."

"Fair." Dimitri agreed with this point. "But, what about Sonya?" He brought up Sonya Karp-Tanner, who had also intentionally changed because of her magic.

"Still not the same." I continued to debate the point. "Sonya wasn't running from her problems. She was trying to fix them in an unconventional way."

Dimitri sighed. He was not going to win this battle. I knew what he was trying to do, and why he was doing it, but I was in no position to listen.

"I'm going to go change before we meet with Rhiannon." I walked out of the room, unable to stop thinking about the points he had been trying to make. My thoughts were conflicted now as I changed from my uniform into a pretty white sundress. The dress felt like a blank canvas, a fresh page waiting to be filled with colorful brushstrokes and vibrant hues. It seemed to glow in the sunlight, a perfect contrast to the dark and brooding thoughts swirling in the mind of the person wearing it.

When I reached the base of the staircase again, Dimitri was waiting with Eddie, Shane, Yuri, and Jesse. This was my support system, and I needed each of them right now so I did not refuse any of the joining for this next part.

Yuri stepped closer, biting his lower lip as I descended the steps. "Nice dress." He complimented, leaning down. "No matter what happens in this meeting, we all have your back." He whispered softly, his usually hidden accent making an unexpected appearance. His words helped to ground me in the midst of this turmoil and trauma.

Three cars pulled up to the Guardian Administration building, and as the group of us entered together, I could see fear, awe, and support on the faces of other Guardians as we walked by them. I knocked on the door of Guardian Morgan's office, entering when permission was granted.

"Bellamy." I saw Rhiannon stand from her desk to greet me. I also Kenley Price stand as I stayed within the confines of the doorframe. Well, if she didn't want to make this a private meeting, then neither would I. I grabbed Eddie by the hand, pulling him into the room with me. It wasn't until the door closed that Kenley stepped to the right, revealing that Mason was also in attendance.

"No!" Eddie protectively protested. "Get him out of here. Have you forgotten what he has done to her? He nearly killed her."

"We have not forgotten Guardian Castile."

"I apologized to her." Mason made the mistake of saying, and I thought I might need to call for others to help keep Eddie from launching himself into Mason.

"You think that makes it all better? She barely survived." Eddie tried to force himself past me.

"If I can't punch Liam, you can't punch Mason." I reminded him that he had prevented me from doing the same thing to Liam.

Eddie took a step back.

"Guardians, stand down." Rhiannon commanded. Eddie and I both released each other, standing at attention. "Sit down."

After hearing their verdict and trying to determine how and why they would decide to let Mason resume his life as a Guardian, I was already wary to attend this meeting. I contemplated defying the orders of a Council member, and walking straight out of the room.

"Please sit, Guardian Pearce." Rhiannon changed tactics, seeing the look of apprehension on my face. I had a penchant for running, and she knew it. "Give me just a few moments of your highly scheduled and valuable time."

I looked over at Eddie who sat a good distance from our former friend. Eddie shrugged, and my eyes went to the exit. I made a choice, taking a chair beside Eddie.

Rhiannon's office was much different that Alicia's. This room was colder than others. The room was a glacial cave, all pristine white walls and icy blue accents, with a chill that seemed to seep into my bones and make me shiver involuntarily. It was a stark contrast to Alicia's warm and inviting office, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease settle over me as I took a seat beside Eddie.

"We understand your feelings on this matter Bellamy." Kenley spoke up. He held his usual authoritative tone. "But…"

"I don't think you do understand how I feel about this." I pointed out. "If you did, you would not have invited me to a meeting with him," I indicated to Mason, "in attendance."

Rhiannon leaned forward, her hands clasped together on the desk in front of her. "Bellamy, Mason has shown genuine remorse for his actions. He has been undergoing counseling and therapy sessions to address his issues and ensure that such an incident never occurs again."

I couldn't bring myself to meet Mason's gaze, my anger and hurt still simmering beneath the surface. "Remorse doesn't erase what happened, Rhiannon. It doesn't undo the pain and trauma he caused." I took in a deep breath before continuing. " I understand your ruling to offer a second chance, but I do not yet agree with it. Second chances can go either way." I stated, going on to remind the room of the chances given to Dimitri and Sonya. I also reminded everyone that the cases were much different, and that neither Dimitri or Sonya had shot me or anyone else.

Rhiannon regarded me with a mixture of sympathy and understanding, her expression softening ever so slightly. "Bellamy, we are not asking you to forgive him," she explained gently. "But as Guardians, we must prioritize the greater good. Mason has shown remorse for his past actions and has undergone extensive rehabilitation. We believe he deserves a chance to prove himself once more."

"Your decision has already been rendered. There is clearly nothing I can do to change it, but that does not mean I will not offer my opinion, and the opinions of others here at Court. I will not be expected to remain at Court, and act as though everything can be forgiven and forgotten."

"Can I say something?" I heard Mason ask Kenley and Rhiannon. Eddie tensed and I put my hand to his forearm, gently calming my friend.

"No." I declared. "You don't get to say anything until I understand why you are being offered Guardian status without putting in the work that all of us have put in for years."

"But I'm not." Mason replied.

"I am not asking you these questions." I told him to shut up without actually telling him to do so. He went silent immediately, turning back around without any argument.

"He is not being given Guardian status yet." Kenley clarified. I could see in his subtle movements and expressions that he too did not fully agree with Mason being handed Guardian titles. "Guardian Morgan was informing Mr. Ashford before your arrival, that he must in quick order, finish all coursework and training that was not completed at St. Vladimir's."

Despite this explanation, I continued to argue my points. I still had more questions without answers.

"Eddie and I… Guardians as a whole here at Court, have all done more than finish courses and Academy training. We have fought to earn our titles, our ranks. Many of us have given and given up so much just to serve in our ranks."

"We have proven ourselves with more than just Academy courses." Eddie added, and I was even happier that I had pulled him into the room with me.

"And Mr. Ashford will have the chance to prove himself as well." Rhiannon informed us. "Actually Guardian Pearce, I was hoping to ask if you might…"

"If you are about to ask what I think you are going to ask, don't. Please, don't."

"Bellamy, I would not ask if you were not one of our best and most skilled Guardians."

"Flattery will not work, Rhiannon." I reprimanded her attempt. "Have you not listened to anything that we have said? This man tried to kill me. I do not agree with the decision you've made."

"We heard." She said with more empathy this time, but her plea did not change. "Mr. Ashford, Guardian Castille, will you excuse us for a few minutes?"

Eddie stood, taking my hand with his. He was clearly wary to leave this room without me. I shrugged, giving him the impression that I could handle this next part on my own. He agreed to leave, but I knew he only agreed because Mason was also asked to leave. He never would've dreamed of leaving if Mason had been permitted to stay. And frankly, I never would've let him leave if Mason were staying. Mason attempted to follow behind Eddie, but I stopped him.

"I would advise the side exit if I were you." I suggested, and I could hear Eddie chuckling low. "My husband is on the opposite side of that door, and you shot his wife." I waited to see what Mason might do, and to both my surprise and disappointment, he was smart enough to take my advice.

Rhiannon also could not deny my logic. There would be an MMA style fight between the two men if they came face to face. Her head turned to the left, pointing out the side exit. I watched as Eddie opened his door, leading out into the hallway. I locked eyes with Yuri as he stood waiting with others, his eyes expectant, wanting any information I could give. I could not tell him or anyone else anything yet, but I was certain Eddie could catch them up. Before the door closed behind my friend, I smiled at my husband. He smiled back, giving me more much needed confidence. Once the two men were gone, Rhiannon laid out her plan, giving me little to no way of opting out of this new nightmare.

'This cannot get any worse', I thought, but I knew it wasn't true. Things could get much worse, and I had no intention of jinxing myself by voicing my worries aloud. On the plus side, at least the Council had allowed me to choose my own team for this new assignment. That is how I needed to see this. This was a new assignment— one that could not be refused, ordered by the Guardian Council. My team and I were required to first assess Mason's novice training, and second, I was to come up with a training schedule with a list of other Guardians to train him. I'd chosen a very specific gym to meet in, as it was the furthest building out of the way, and it held the least amount of tech. I opened the doors to the gym, standing still for just a few more moments. I entered the gym and saw Guardians all around. Dean was in one corner of the room, weight training with Yuri while Dimitri and Stan were in the ring sparring as Viktoria and Shane watched from the ropes. I noticed how close the two were standing, analyzing and discussing parts of the match-up. Jesse was standing off to the side, leaning against the wall, his eyes focused on Guardians as they trained. As I made my way closer to him, he instinctively held out his hand to me as I entered.

"I can practically see the antipathy coming off of you, Bells." He casually mentioned. I rolled my eyes. "You don't want to be here. You don't want to do this."

"Of course I don't."

"Then why are we here? Let's go…"

"I don't have a choice in the matter."

"We always have a choice Bells. You taught me that."

He was not wrong. I had over several years, managed to make him better understand the benefits of the word 'no' when it came to Court politics and Court petitioners.

"I did." I admitted slowly, keeping my voice low as we spoke. "But this is different. This is more or less a direct command from the Guardian Council. Refusing them would be like you defying orders from the royal Council, or the Queen."

"Oh." He sounded as dejected as I felt and I knew that meant I was projecting too much. I could not do that.

"Come on." I pulled him farther into the gym with me. "Let's get this over with."

I gave Viktoria and Shane a nod of acknowledgement as the two separated themselves by a foot as soon as I appeared. Shane smiled while I saw Viktoria blush. Odd behavior for the two, but we were all showing odd behaviors lately. I stopped just before reaching Yuri. He and others around him immediately acknowledged my arrival. My husband reached out, pulling me directly into his arms as soon as my fingers touched his. He rested his chin to my shoulder and spoke in a low breathy tone.

"This is bad. I don't like this idea, Bells." He made sure I knew his opinion on this matter again.

"I don't like it either love, but like I told Jesse, it is an edict from the Council." I sighed, leaning back into him, losing myself in the scent of his cologne. It was a mix of citrus and leather creating a warm aroma. "Bright side," I was trying to stay optimistic, "it's not as if I need to train Mason myself. We are just here to assess his current—-"

"Lack of skill." Yuri snarkily finished.

I giggled a little as his stubble rubbed the side of my cheek lightly. "You should go before he arrives." I suggested, again unwilling to see the two men come to blows yet.

"Sure babe." He spun me around, leaning down and possessing all of me with a single deep kiss. When he pulled back, I was left breathless.

"Hurt him a little for me." Yuri growled before walking away, taking Dean with him.

I stood speechless and admittedly turned on before hearing my Moroi walk up behind me. He sighed. "Will you two ever stop acting like lovesick teenagers?" I turned my head to him and simply shrugged.

I noticed that many other Guardians had suddenly disappeared from the gym behind Yuri, leaving just me and those I had gathered to wait for Mason. I took a deep breath, trying to center myself and push away the unease that threatened to consume me. As I glanced around the gym, my eyes settled on Dimitri and Stan, who were now ending their sparring session. Stan wiped the sweat off his brow and shot me a grin while Dimitri gave me a small nod of acknowledgment. They knew the gravity of the situation as well, but they were here to support me, just like the rest of my team.

Jesse moved closer to me, his presence a comfort in the midst of all the tension. "We've got your back, Bells," he whispered, his voice filled with determination. I smiled gratefully at him before turning my attention to Viktoria and Shane, who were standing a few feet away from each other again. The air between them crackled with unspoken words and emotions, adding another layer of complexity to an already fraught situation.

Before I could dwell on it further, the doors to the gym swung open. Mason waltzed in, looking around the room. He carried himself with a confidence that bordered on arrogant, angering me further. Jesse took my hand and I calmed. Mason's gaze finally settled on mine, and I could see the defiance still present in his stare. It gave me pause, but I remembered that I would not be alone in this. As he started towards me, I should not have been so surprised to see Dimitri jump the ropes of the boxing ring, landing directly between me and Mason.

The tension in the room spiked as everyone held their breath, waiting to see what would unfold. Dimitri towered over Mason, his expression stoic yet filled with a silent warning. There was a silent challenge passing between the two men, unspoken words hanging heavy in the air.

I could sense Jesse tensing beside me, ready to intervene somehow, if necessary. Viktoria and Shane exchanged a quick glance, silently communicating with each other. Stan moved subtly closer to Dimitri, ready to support him if things turned physical. For a moment, time seemed to stand still in the gym, the only sound being our collective breaths. Mason finally blinked first and took a step back, breaking eye contact with Dimitri. It was a small victory but an important one. Dimitri held his ground for a few more heartbeats before giving Mason a curt nod, wordlessly conveying that he would be watching closely. As Mason turned away to scan the rest of the room, his attention settled on me.

"Hi Bells." He greeted politely.

"Let's get to work." I refused to do the same, wanting to get this over with as soon as possible.

"Where would you like us, Guardian Pearce?" Stan moved to the closest corner of the ring, using my Guardian title. I guessed it was a way of not only showing the respect I had earned in his eyes, but was also used as a silent way of informing Mason that he did not rank high enough in our eyes to casually use my name.

"I would like to put him in the ring for a few minutes." I decided. "Shane?" I turned to my friend. "You want to play?"

"More than you know." He gave Mason an evil grin, and I hesitated. I did not want to put anyone in the ring who might actually kill Mason, so I had hoped that Shane was the lesser of all evils, but—- I could be wrong.

Shane jumped into the training ring, pulling off his shirt, waiting for his former friend to do the same. I noticed the quick glance of dubiety that Mason shot my way before climbing up into the same ring. We all stood watching the two men face off. I admired the exuding control that Shane held. He slowly began to circle Mason, looking at me once, either for permission or forgiveness before his expression fully focused, analyzing Mason's stance. Without any warning, Mason lunged forward, aiming for Shane's throat. Shane however was more skilled, able to easily dodge the attack, and counter with a swift kick to Mason's chest. Mason staggered back.

Shane went on, pressing his every advantage, delivering well thought out blows that showcased his expertise and authority. Mason on the other hand, fought erratically. His punches were wild and uncontrolled. As I watched the pair, taking mental and physical notes, Dimitri moved to stand at my left side. I took notice of the troubled look on his face. His brow furrowed, and the way he watched this fight said something. What, I was not sure of.

"What's got you looking so pensive?" I kept my voice quiet enough for others not to hear.

Dimitri side-eyed me, attempting to silently communicate more.

"Normally this look on your face wouldn't bother me so much, but you are seeing something that I'm not, and in this case I don't know how I feel about it."

"You don't see it?" Dimitri questioned me and I knew there was more that I should be seeing. I watched Mason and Shane closer, but still felt lost. What the hell was I missing?

"He is undisciplined." Another voice added, coming to stand on my right. Viktoria left her position at the ropes to come stand with me.

"Yes, but he has always been undisciplined. That's not new, and it can be trained out of him."

"Mason! Stop!" I jumped when Dimitri shouted at Mason, stopping the fight. "You are not fighting like a Dhampir. You are fighting like a Strigoi."

"That's it." I realized. "That's what I'm seeing."

Mason's expression twisted. He looked defiant and insulted by the accusation, but Dimitri was right. I had not seen it until he pointed it out, but he was spot on in his remark. Shane took a single step back, waiting to know what should be said or done next, keeping his defensive stance. The atmosphere shifted, and I needed to keep the little bit of control I was clinging to. I climbed into the ring, stepping between the two men. As I faced Mason, I saw a glimmer of fear in his eyes before it was instantly replaced by his usual bravado. Each Guardian with me stayed on edge as I approached Mason, watching with mixed degrees of wariness.

"I am not here to teach or train you, Mason." I informed him. "I am here to assess you and your strengths and weaknesses, as a potential future Guardian." I was struggling to keep my tone level. "That said, I will tell you that you are off to a poor start. You are fighting with a recklessness that we only see with Strigoi. If you want to show that you are more than that, you will need to humble yourself, and listen to these Guardians. Do what needs to be done. Prove yourself." I challenged him. "You are better than this." I stopped and made a single correction to my statement. "Or at least you were better than this." I took a step back, walking away, seeing both Dimitri and Stan looking impressed with my control.

"Let's get him on the bags." I changed direction.

The remainder of the session was spent watching, judging, and keeping a written account of training and skills for other Guardians to work with. By the end of the five-hour session, I was too tired and annoyed to do much else.

"Let's go home." Jesse suggested.

I nodded in agreement, in more need of sleep than usual. As we all made our way separately out of the gym, Dimitri was beside me before Jesse and I reached the car.

"I'll keep an eye on Mason." Dimitri murmured, his voice low and serious.

I glanced at Dimitri, acknowledging his words with a silent nod. Despite the fatigue that seeped into my bones, I knew that our work was far from over. The threat looming over us was real, and Mason's erratic behavior only added to the growing sense of unease.

"I will ensure that the Council has my notes and additional thoughts on this project." I made sure to tell Dimitri.

He gave only a single nod. "Go and get some rest Bells."

I was not about to argue with the man. However, my need for sleep was pushed back upon our arrival home. Mia Rinaldi had come to see me.

"Can we talk?" She asked politely as soon as Jesse and I entered through the front doors.

I smiled at her. "You never have to ask. Of course we can talk." Jesse put his hand to my arm before I walked away with Mia, leading her into one of the private offices used for security. She sat down and immediately I could see now that she was intrigued by something big.

"He's back." I had the distinct feeling that I knew exactly whom she was referring to. "He's here." She clasped her hands on her lap as I watched her behaviors shift every few seconds. "And he is better. Himself. He is himself again."

"You're talking about Mason." I guessed correctly as she nodded. Had she seen him? Had they spoken? I wondered how much of this sordid situation she was truly aware of. "Yes. Mason is back here at Court. He is back to his usual dhampir self."

"He said that you saved him Bellamy. He said…"

"You talked to him?" And there was my answer. I still had to question how much she knew, and how much she had been told, but it was clear that the two had indeed spoken at least once. "When? How? Why?"

Mia looked concerned by my reaction, as though she were in trouble.

"Is it true?" She went on to ask me. "Did you save him?"

"I would not say that." I vaguely replied.

"Well, he is grateful for whatever it is you did." I felt her energy shift as she prepared for her next inquiry. Speaking of things you can do…" She was asking for a favor? Now I was definitely curious. I stood, moving around to alleviate my own nervous energy. "Being back here has been hard on him."

Of course it was hard being back here. If it wasn't, I would be worried. That was what I wanted to say in return. Instead, I listened. I was still more curious than anything, wondering which direction this conversation may lead, and what the favor to be asked might be. Hell, I was already playing nice with Mason—-well, I was tolerating his presence. And by tolerating him, I was doing far more than should be expected of me.

After she left, I could not get what Mia said out of my head. Was she right? Her favor was asking too much from me, and while I did not say it to her, I also knew that I could not help her, or Mason. I found myself slowly sipping a cup of tea with Sophie. She was concerned about what I had on my mind. Involving her would not turn out well.

"I'll be fine Soph." I assured her for the tenth time this evening.

"Liar." We both heard a voice say from my left. I smiled as Christian appeared, walking closer. Sophie excused herself from the table, hugging our friend before leaving me and Chris to talk alone. It had been far too long since I'd seen my friend. I had missed him terribly since our last conversation. I had not seen him much since his breakup with the Queen. I wasn't sure anyone aside from Dimitri had seen him.

"You look like you are contemplating the fate of the world." His voice lifted me from my thoughts of Mason.

"Hello my love."

He sat down across from me, clearly just as concerned about what had me so pensive.

"Can I ask you a serious question, Chris?"

He smirked, his eyes brightening a full shade at the humor in my asking him anything serious. He leaned forward on his forearms, closing distance between us.

"Do you think that I have sway over what Guardians might say or do?"

"Yes." He answered the question without hesitation, but it did not help.

"Do you think that if I have an unfavorable opinion of someone, Guardians will share that same opinion?" I tried to word my question a different way.

His expression lifted. He smiled and it made my heart happy to see him smiling again. "Yes Bells, I do."

"I'm being serious Chris."

"So am I." He returned. "Your influence and opinion goes far with both Guardians and Moroi."

He was right. And that meant Mia had been right to ask me what she had. Guardians at Court knew how I felt about Mason, and as my friends and colleagues, they were privy to our tense interactions. No one was going to give Mason a fair shot until I did. I lowered my head, placing my fingers at the bridge of my nose, staving off the oncoming migraine I felt coming my way. How and why would others expect me to be the bigger person in this situation? And more importantly, why did my trauma set the tone for others?

I made the decision to discuss my ambiguity with Chris. I mentioned the 'favor' Mia had requested of me, knowing I might have someone on my side of this problem. While angry with her for asking this of me at first, my friend kept his cool, hiding his true feelings on the matter.

"What will you do?"

"I don't know." I half lied, knowing that what I should do, and what I wanted to do were battling it out in my head still. "How are things with you?" I intentionally changed the subject.

The look in his eyes shifted and I had my answer.

"I'm doing better." Christian said, not totally believing the words himself, and not really expecting me to believe them either. "I am handling the situation like an adult." He joked.

"You are handling it better than I would." I confessed to him.

Chris let out a small chuckle, the tension in the room easing slightly as he appreciated my honesty. "Well, I can't promise I won't do something stupid eventually," he admitted, a hint of vulnerability creeping into his voice. "But for now, I'm trying to keep a level head about it all."

I nodded in understanding, grateful for his openness. It was moments like these that reminded me why Chris had been my friend for so long. We could be real with each other, no matter how messy or complicated things were.

But just as I began to relax into the moment, Chris spoke up again, his tone serious. "So, have you made a decision about Mia's favor?" he asked.

I shook my head.

"I understand why you're torn," he began, his voice composed yet laced with a hint of concern.

As if reading my mind, he leaned in closer, his eyes locking onto mine. "Listen, whatever you decide, just make sure it's something you can live with. Don't let anyone else's expectations dictate your choices."

His wisdom washed over me like a soothing balm, easing the turmoil within me. He'd clearly been listening to Dimitri talk more. The two were beginning to sound alike.

THE FOLLOWING EVEINING

Should I be more surprised to see him sitting, having a quiet conversation with Camille Conta? Probably, yes. In the past, the two had never been what one might consider close. Friendly on occasion, sure— but this sight made me overly wary. As I entered the sandwich shop, knowing that he had just finished more training with Guardians, I could only imagine what these two might have to say to one another after all this time. As I reached the front of the line, handing over a full order list, I kept Mason and Camille in my peripheral. I knew the moment they had spotted me too. Camille stood, saying a final farewell to Mason before completely ignoring me as she exited the building.

While I waited on my large order, I took a deep breath and made my way over to where Mason remained seated.

"Are you waiting on someone?" I played my oblivious card, not expecting the reaction he had to a simple question.

"No…I, uh…I'll leave."

I scared him. I genuinely frightened and intimidated the man. It was satisfying, and it might have made me smile if I were not trying to solve a problem.

"I wasn't asking you to leave." I stopped him from bolting. "I was going to ask to join you while I wait."

His demeanor shifted. "Sure, but why?" The nerves and intimidation were all still present, but he was more willing to share his time.

"I was hoping to run into you again." I sat down in the chair across from him.

"Why?" He asked again.

"I want to apologize." I forced myself to say without sounding like it was forced.

"For what?"

"I had a conversation with a mutual friend of ours, and I have come to understand that you are having a rougher time here at Court than I knew. The reason for much of that is because of me. I have been behaving like an unkind child." It felt so wrong to blame myself for any of these problems.

Mason wasn't buying it either. "Why are you really here Bells?" He was not going to make this any easier.

"Another friend reminded me that many people at Court tend to follow my lead. So, if you are going to be given a fair shot at redemption, it starts with me. I must be the first to grant that shot and offer a hand."

"You think your actions will be enough to sway a Court?" He was just as skeptical of my influence as I was. "Our history isn't exactly private anymore Bellamy." He made a good point, but I was prepared for his push back.

"Our history is no longer just ours. You're right." I agreed. "But the person telling our story is often more important than the story itself. It's not all that complicated to see."

"Because there are two sides to every story?" Mason guessed.

"No." I refuted. "There are always more than two sides to every story. Take our story for example. There is my side, there's your side, and then there are the versions of our story that surround us. Eddie, Dimitri, Shane, Jesse…"

"And there isn't a single version of our story, including mine, that paints me in a good light." He knew what he was up against. "I suppose that is my fault."

"It's not all your fault. I was and am partly to blame too." I conceded, to his astonishment. "I haven't exactly had the kindest things to say about you since our breakup, and since your…"

"My death. Since I died." He finished the sentence before I could. "I've been thinking about that lately."

"About your death?" I questioned him. "What about it?"

His eyes met mine as if I were a stranger to him. Technically, in many ways, I was now. And yet here we sat, having a casual, halfway friendly conversation.

"I have been thinking that I made the wrong choice."

"How so?"

"Returning here. Maybe I was wrong to think that I should return to this society again. I could've stayed at Guardian Court, or even out where I was after my soul was returned."

I sat back, letting what he said sink in.

"Coward." I pushed back at him a little more. "You had to know that coming back here would not be easy. To run now would show others that you were never willing to put in the work and prove yourself." I stated. "I have a lot of experience in running, so I think I'm pretty qualified to say this."

"Oh, come on Bells. There is hard and then there is impossible." He argued. "This is far closer to impossible."

"Then try harder."

He laughed out loud. "I wasn't expecting that response from you." I shrugged, watching him go quiet again. "Okay," he finally spoke again, "in this whole spirit of 'fair shots'," he went on, "there are one or two things I should like to come clean about, and I have a final question I would like an answer to."

"Alright." I was apprehensive to agree but then felt that there was little he could say to shock or disappoint me at this point. I knew Mason well enough still, to know that whatever he might want to confess to likely had something to do with Meredith Nikolai. He had always known how I felt about her and considering that eighty percent of our fighting had started over her or Rose, I made my best assumption.

"Which would you like to start with? The question or the answers?"

I suddenly felt wary of any answers I might get now. If I was going to go through with this second chances favor, the air needed clearing.

"Why don't we start with a few answers." I suggested, asking a question that I wanted to finally know the answer to. "Do you recall back at St. Vladimir's, when Eddie and I were chosen for that weekend Guardian assignment?"

"I remember." Mason recalled, looking both guilty and wounded by the subject.

"I want to know, was that the same weekend that you and Meredith started fooling around behind everyone's backs?"

Now he looked stunned by my accusation, and I wondered if it was because I knew about the pair, or because I had not mentioned it until all these years later. Either way, the question was now out in the open, ready to be answered.

"Bellamy, I…what…" He stumbled over his words.

"Mase, I know. I saw you two."

"You did? When?"

"Does it matter?"

"No." He sounded more resolved. "But I would still like to know."

He asked for it. "The morning after I threw you across the gym." His entire expression was now unreadable as I mentioned that incident. "That night, Dimitri escorted me back to my dorm to calm down and determine what was wrong with me." Clearly the look on his face said that more questions would be posed at a later time. "Eddie also came to check on me that night, and the following morning. You never showed. That morning, I was on my run by the lake, and I…"

"You saw us." He confirmed.

I nodded. "Was that when it started? Was that when I should've been more worried?" I stared back at him, feeling now that I wanted these answers after this long.

"I guess that was when it began." Mason verified for me. It was a weight lifted. "But Bells, why didn't you say anything?"

"Because it would make me huge hypocrite." I also confirmed many of his suspicions with one sentence. We remained silent for some time.

"My turn." Mason eventually said, both of us coming to terms with what had been said. I gave him a slight nod. "I'm going to ask you about Drozdov." I kept my expression as stoic as Dimitri's. "Let's see how honest you are without a lie detector."

The thought that his question might be about Aaron had not crossed my mind. Had he suspected something, or was that what he and Camille were gossiping about when I'd first arrived? I sighed but let him go on.

"You two have been closer than others know, haven't you? Does your Moroi know? Does Tverskaya know how close you two were?"

"You think you know anything about me and Aaron after talking to his jealous ex-girlfriend?" I shot back at him. This was Christian all over again. He was listening to what others relayed in gossip.

"So, tell me what I don't know. When did you two start hooking up? Was it after my funeral?" He was pushing back at me for answers; answers he had no right to, but I had to be fair.

"The first time was just before your funeral— Months after you had broken up with me." I pointed out, as if it made a difference in his mind. "I was sad, and Aaron was a comfort to me."

"I bet."

"Don't be glib. You broke up with me, and then you died."

He shrugged, leaning back. It wasn't as though he could deny what he had done.

"So, you were with him because you were sad." Mason mused, considering whether or not I was lying to him.

"Well yes. I was grief-stricken, but it was more than that. My friendship with Aaron…"

"Friendship." He scoffed, his tone turning patronizing. "That's what you're calling it?"

"He and I are friends, so yes." I could match his indignation word for word and tone for tone if he wanted. "He helped me to temporarily numb all of my pain, my guilt, and my grief."

"Right. So, he fucked you numb, and you…" what did you do for him? What did you give him besides the opportunity to now say that he fucked you?"

"Okay." I stood from the table. Definitely offended. Was he being a dick on purpose? "I think we are done discussing my past with Aaron. I won't let you demean someone as important to me as Aaron simply because you…"

"Whoa. Whoa Bells." Mason swiftly backpedaled again. "Clearly, I asked the wrong question. I went too far. I'm not being fair. Please, sit back down and tell me what I don't know."

I sat slowly, taking a beat to further consider the damage this subject was going to do.

" Mase, I don't think that this is part of my story that you will want to hear."

"It's your story. Of course I want to hear it." He sounded sincere and yet completely unaware of what sort of fresh Hell he was running into.

"Mason, I mean it. You are not going to like what you hear."

"Are you afraid Bells? Afraid of what I might think of you? Coward." He challenged, knowing that we had established already that I did not care what he thought about me at this point.

"Alright. Just remember that you asked for this." I warned him a final time.