Hey everyone! Thank you for reading :) I wanted to let you know that I have written more content in the 'Summer before Senior Year' segment, if you'd like me to upload it pls let me know! I thought you all might be getting a little sick of them and want some Rose & Dimitri content instead, so we're jumping back into Sophia's senior year continuing on from 'History Repeats'. :)

The Caves

Third Person P.O.V.

Sophia's Senior Year - December

Rose flung upright in her bed, one hand violently shaking her husband, the other barely keeping a grip on her phone beside her ear. "What do you mean she's in the caves?" Rose all but yelled into her phone. Dimitri immediately shot up from the bed, rage written all over his face and extreme fear and fury in the depths of his eyes that not even Rose has seen.

"There were Strigoi lurking the border, Guardian Hathaway. No one could get in or out of the wards so several guardians fought but it wasn't enough. Guardian Petrov enlisted Sophia as one of the few novices capable of helping the guardians, considering she's already killed two Strigoi on her own," the guardian on the other end of the phone explained.

Rose pressed a palm to her forehead and glanced to her husband who heard every single word. Rose swore. "The Strigoi fled into the caves just before the sun came up. A few guardians followed them in. Sophia was part of that group."

Rose—and Dimitri—swore again. "How long ago did this happen?"

"Just under an hour."

"We'll be on the next flight out," Rose said into the phone and hung up. "I swear, I am going to twist Damon's head off."

Dimitri was already running around the bedroom, throwing clothes, toiletries and weapons into a bag. While the two of the room bustled around the room, Rose made a call to Lissa who immediately arranged for a private jet. Lissa was desperate to come with and make sure her children were okay but she knew there was no way the guardians would allow her to leave Court.

The famous guardian couple barely spoke two words since they vacated their bedroom and boarded the private jet. They were mingled with nerves, anxiety over their daughter, an unwanted repeat of history and anger. Anger that she had charged in there with the guardians. Anger that Damon had allowed her to join them. Even though they knew deep down she could handle it and that Damon didn't suggest Sophia to hurt anybody.

It was the middle of the vampiric night when Rose and Dimitri touched down in Academy grounds. Trauma almost immediately slapped them in the face as they traipsed from the landing to the guardian block but they shoved it aside. They were leaders. They needed to be calm for everyone's sake. The Academy was awake, everyone on edge and frightened. Guardians and novices moved across campus, attending to some business or injury.

Rose and Dimitri didn't stop till they reached Stan's office. He was in charge and would have every bit of information.

Stan gave a polite nod to the couple upon their arrival. He appeared dishevelled. "I don't have anything to update you on just yet. The first group that went into the caves isn't back yet. We just sent a second group to retrieve the first."

"Thanks, Stan," Rose mumbled.

"Anything we can help with?" asked Dimitri.

Stan nodded. "Can you keep the students calm? Everyone is in a frenzy."

"On it," Rose nodded. The two of them left the Academy guardians, grateful to be able to do something in the meantime. They checked the common areas of the Moroi dorms first and ordered everyone to get to bed. They repeated the same in the dhampir dorm. All but two novices didn't listen and remained in the common areas, staring down the guardian couple.

"We're not going anywhere. Not until she gets back," the girl snapped.

Rose wrapped a hand around her daughter's shoulder. "You're tired and grumpy. Go and get some rest." She looked to her son. "You too."

"We have to know Sophia's okay," said Sacha.

"And you will. We promise. The second we find out anything we'll call you two straight away," said Dimitri. "Go upstairs."

The kids didn't budge even with both their parents mildly pushing them to the stairwell.

"Mom, it's the caves. This will scar her forever!" growled Nadya.

Rose suddenly looked tired. "One thing at a time, Nads." Rose refused to get caught up in memories of the caves. All she needed was to focus on her duty. Her eldest daughter would return shortly. She would, Rose kept telling herself.

"Sleep, baby," Rose murmured to her kids.

Nadya shook her head. "Do you honestly think we can sleep like this?"

"No, but try," answered Dimitri. "If you two don't go right now, I will carry you up there myself."

Nadya crossed her arms and planted her feet firmly into the ground, challenging her father. Dimitri wasn't in the mood to be patient so he hurled his daughter over his shoulder and carried her upstairs. Rose pushed Sacha along.

Nadya screeched. "Dad! Put me down!"

"Nadya! This is no time for your reckless behaviour. People are risking their lives on the other side of those wards. I need you and your brother to listen," snapped Dimitri.

Dimitri and Rose threw both kids into Nadya's dorm and locked the door, ignoring the loud protests from their teenage kids. Rose rubbed her temples as she and Dimitri climbed downstairs. "Those two are going to give me an aneurysm one day."

Dimitri checked his watch. "Let's get back to Stan. See if he has any news."

Well, did Stan have the news. The second guardian group returned with some members from the first group. Currently, they were accounting for Moroi and dhampirs dead, alive, stuck in the caves or completely missing.

So far, the numbers weren't too bad. Only a couple guardians unfortunately died. All defensive-magic Moroi users were accounted for. The entirety of the second group returned rescuing six members of the first group. There were still four stuck in the caves.

"Guardian Isla Abdullah, Guardian Oleg Karaan, Guardian Damon Petrov and Novice Milana Belikov," Stan announced the four names assumed to be in the caves still.

Rose and Dimitri nearly fell over hearing their daughter's name on that list. The only thing refraining Rose from screaming at Stan right then and there was her chewing down on her lip. It wasn't Stan's fault. Honestly? Maybe she should blame herself and Dimitri for training her too well from a young age. That way, she'd never be picked to help the guardians tonight.

The guardians discussed strategy, whether it was worth going back into the caves for those four victims. Almost immediately everyone agreed—probably because one of the victim's parents were in the room. Noticing his wife's worry, Dimitri grabbed Rose and led her away from the meeting. They weren't exactly needed yet. They knew Stan would allocate them a job helping in a rescue mission. Right now, he needed to calm his wife.

Rose's chest felt thick with emotion and a burden so big nothing except seeing her daughter alive and well would fix. Dimitri pushed his wife inside an alcove.

"Dimitri," she rasped out. His arms came around her, his cheek resting on the top of her head. "She's in there, Dimitri! She's fucking in there!"

Tears prickled his eyes at the thought of those caves. What happened to him in those caves. The thought of what could happen to his daughter…

Dimitri rubbed a thumb against Rose's cheek, wiping away her tears. "At least we know she can't be turned," was the only positive note he could think of.

"They could kill her any second! I just want to go in there right this second and save her!"

Dimitri stopped. "Why don't we?"

"What?"

"We can go. We don't answer to Stan."

Rose was momentarily at a loss for words. She stood frozen in her husband's arms. "Since when did you become the one with wacky plans? This is crazy. Even for you."

"Obviously we need more planning but I'm not waiting around for Stan and the school guardians to go. This is our Mila, she's not staying in there a second longer than she has to!"

Rose pulled away and looked up at Dimitri. "Are you serious?"

He nodded. "We know those caves." He laced his fingers through hers. "We can do this."

Rose didn't hesitate to agree and she followed Dimitri back inside. They immediately sprung their idea upon Stan who seemed unsurprised. "I expected nothing less. Which is why those three—" he jerked his head to four guardians who were gearing up, "and myself will go with you. Now."

No one wasted any time. The group of six pocketed stakes, knives, and guns and trudged out to the caves. Rose and Dimitri wrestled with traumatic events knocking at their door. It was nearing sunset, they had to be quick but they weren't afraid to fight in the dark. Every single guardian present was skilled and the ones stuck in those caves were just as good.

The sun was barely peeking through the treetops and leaves when Rose and Dimitri entered the caves. Deja vu threatened the success of the rescue mission as they walked past the place…The place where Dimitri was bitten and turned into a monster.

The squad moved through the caves slowly, surely. Stakes poised ready to attack. They were on high alert for any sounds, smells and of course Strigoi. They swept through the entirety of the caves, splitting off into all the different pathways. But as they moved throughout, hope diminished.

"There…there's nothing here," breathed Rose. "No one's here."

She refused to completely believe her eyes until she regrouped with the rest of the guardians. The silence of the caves was a dead giveaway, one Rose and Dimitri refused to acknowledge just yet.

When they stumbled out the other end of the caves and joined the rest of the guardians, empty-handed and stakes clean, they had to face the truth.

"They're gone," Stan announced the obvious. The guardians looked around them, searching for any signs of a struggle or which direction the Strigoi took the four victims. Stan looked up the darkening sky. "We need to get back."

For the sake of their jobs and the rest of the guardians, Rose and Dimitri refused to crack until they hit the wards and could split off from the group. The woods were quiet, the sky was fresh and starlit. Nothing. There was nothing. Just an empty forest with no Strigoi, no screaming, and no Sophia.

Once behind the security of the wards, Rose clung to a tree, allowing the group to pass. Dimitri rested an elbow against the bark and once the lot were out of earshot, they broke.

"She's gone." Rose started banging her fists on Dimitri's chest. Hot tears rolling down her cheeks as she let out her anger. "This can't be happening." Weakly, she gripped her husband's shirt, knees powerless to giving out.

Even Dimitri, tough, stoic Dimitri had tears in his eyes. He clung to his wife as she slid down the bark of the tree. "No, no, no. Dimitri, she's gone!" She palmed her eyelids. "I hate those fucking caves!" Dimitri had never felt so helpless in his life. All he could do for the moment was comfort Rose. He sat beside her on the cold ground, and wrapped a solid arm around her. Rose leant into his chest. He kissed the top of her head and smoothed her thick hair back.

"What are we gonna do?" she asked between sniffles.

Dimitri's chest felt constricted. "I don't…I don't know yet, Roza."

It was the million dollar question: Where was their daughter? Why did the Strigoi take all four of them? And were they still together or had everyone been separated?

"Is this what it was like when I took Lissa from the Academy?" Rose cried into her mother's shoulder. Two weeks. Rose and Dimitri's baby girl had been missing for two weeks.

Janine smoothed her daughter's hair back and let her tears fall on her shoulders. "Worse. You were gone for two years, then again when you went to Spokane and Russia."

Rose cried harder. "I'm sorry, Mom."

"I know you are," replied Janine. Rose pulled back from her mother and dried her eyes.

A firm, supporting hand touched Rose's shoulder. She glanced up at her father. "We'll find her, kizim."

"Dad, even you and your merry men can only do so much. We have hardly anything to go off of. We have no idea where in the world the Strigoi took her!" Rose, Dimitri, Janine and Abe had stayed and regrouped at the Academy since Sophia first went missing in the hopes that they could find her.

Hard lines etched her father's tanned face. "We'll keep trying," Abe reaffirmed.