AN: OMG SUCH A BUSY WEEK when it came to updates! I updated chapters in both of my books AND wrote a fan fiction and helped a fellow fanfic author! (as well as working and living life as well as filling VA fanart requests!) 87 (EIGHTY-SEVEN) people have me as a favorite Author... this has not gone unnoticed! I would like to send a very special thanks to:
4vr17Vi, agirlnamedraven, AlannaCullen24, Alexandra Lucy, Animelovefest725, anki145, Anna-Belikov-Fuller, ariandula, beautyandtehgeek, benfcak9, blah248, BloodlustedInk, BloodSucker2008, BronzeToast, bunnysgirl1, Celestial Dawn, Crazykennedy4, CreamOnBagel, DelicateSoul, Devil's Final Cry, DimitriLoverForLife, Dragonfly-09, gangstapenguinduck lover, grace-grace13, Her Owlness, ily-music-books, imaVAMPIRE, insane-twilightgirl, IttyBittyDhampir, j-brat, jane., JENNABONSFENALIA, Jennaca, juil99, KakashiLuvR, Kennya, Kissed By The Shadows, ksoccer, LadyVivianeNight, Leaonna, Leftoverthoughts, Lei777, lilacsarepurple, lilpinkpiglet, Lucia Rayne, MangoTango450, melabee, MissaRissa, 1901, MySpecialIBFriend, Mz-AuSTaLiiaNa, omgsweetx3, Oshin37, pepper99, Ranger's Only Girl, ReganBaxter, Rise and Whine, RoseBelikov18, RosexDimitri, Salamence Rider, Samantha True, sana125, ShakespeareActressVamp, Song and Lyrics, sourjellybeans56, Starrynight12312, Sugary words, sunshineonacloudyday, tammyxcullen, technofever, tenilleavery, The Duchessina, TheBladeThatWasBroken, Tombraider3, True Love Dimitri and Rose, VAMPGIRlDIMITRIE, vampiresblood441, vampiresrock324, Vampluvr, Verolina, vietgirl, walkingxspastic, wello12309, -bee, xEMAZZAxGURLx44, xTheSilentAngelx, Xx-LittleDhampir-xX
You guys are all amazingly awesome for apreciating my fanfics and, as you might have noticed, I don't write fanfics because I am so completely bored and have nothing else to do... I write them for you all now... it started out as a writers block exercise type of thing and it has blown up into all these fics and all you amazing "fans" as well as some awesome new friends and fans of my original works! Thank you all for being part of this AMAZING fandom and supporting my oneshots!

NOW! WHOOOOOSE in the mood for a Shadow Kiss ?!?!

[Standard Disclaimers Apply]

It was times like this that I surprised even myself with the amount of restraint I had. I had gone as high up as possible to ask admittance to the trial for Rose and the others. I had tried and failed and I had been shown up by Adrian Ivashkov. I sat in the first seat I found on the plane and glared out the window. I didn't want any communication with the others right now, especially since I didn't trust myself to stay calm.

It was bad enough that he had to wave his power in front of our faces but now he was flaunting his wealth in front of Rose. Although I knew she wouldn't be impressed by what kind of dress he could get for her. I was still aggravated that he was offering. If he were any sort of gentleman, he would have left her alone, knowing how his kind could talk. Rose would be implicated as a blood whore and if her really cared for her, he would go out of his way to make sure that didn't happen. So far all I saw in this Moroi was a desire to make a conquest. Rose was not going to be that conquest.

"We're not staying that long. And do I really need a dress for what we're doing there?" Rose asked, looking mildly irritated. I smiled inwardly.

"No, I'd just kind of like to see you in one." Adrian said with a smirk. My inward smile was gone. This guy would really never stop. I turned my attention to the window and focused on the black sky. I didn't want to hear anymore of his ridiculous suggestions.

"This seat taken?" Alberta asked from the aisle.

"Not at all. Please," I said gesturing to the seat beside me.

She sat down and looked straight ahead for a few moments as if contemplating something. "Do you think it's a good idea from them to be here?"

"I think, as witnesses it is good that they can be there to testify on their own behalf. We didn't experience what they did and those facts could clear up any ambivalence on the queens part when it comes to his prosecution. " I shrugged. "I just don't know how well the princess will deal with the wounds of that night being re-opened."

"What about Rose? It was a hard thing to go through for her as well. To have to suffer along with the princess must have affected her somehow." Alberta was looking at me, slightly concerned.

"I think, after Spokane, someone like Victor Dashkov will be pretty easy to deal with." I looked back out the window, not wanting to discuss it any further. I was faintly aware of Alberta leaving the seat next to me. I sat for a few minutes in silence contemplating how everyone would handle seeing Victor again.

"Adrian!" A shriek rang out through the plane. "Will you shut the hell up for five seconds?" Rose yelled, a mix of anger and pain in her tone.

I jerked around in my seat and looked at her from across the plane. Something was wrong. I struggled trying to get the seatbelt off.

"Rose," Alberta said, clearly startled, "What's going on?"

Rose rubbed her forehead, "I have the worst fucking headache in the world, and he won't shut up." She jumped suddenly and covered her eyes. "God, why won't it go away?"

I finally managed to tear the seatbelt off and hurried over to where Rose was sitting. Everyone was looking at her with worried expressions. Rose wasn't one to throw a fit about something like a headache. Something was seriously wrong and I wondered if it had anything to do with the secret she was keeping from everyone.

"She hasn't eaten today. She was really hungry earlier," Christian said looking between Alberta and Rose.

Rose opened her eyes and looked at the people gathered around. I was fairly sure that all of our expressions mirrored the concern we were collectively feeling. She made eye contact with me and my insides tightened. She was in incredible pain. I could see in her eyes that the pain she was experiencing was almost unbearable. I felt helpless as I watched her blink rapidly then close her eyes again.

Alberta turned to the nearest flight attendant. A Moroi who looked positively petrified, as if Rose's outburst would somehow bring the plane down. "Can you get her something to eat? And find a painkiller?"

"Where's it at?" I asked Rose, surprised that my voice wasn't shaking. "The pain?"

She looked at me and I saw the indecision in her eyes. She didn't want to admit the pain or suffering. She wanted to be strong and she didn't want the fuss. "It's a headache… I'm sure it'll go away…" I glared at her, silently demanding the answer. She pointed to the center of her forehead. "It's like something pushing on my skull. And there's pain kind of behind my eyes. I keep feeling like… well, it's like I've got something in my eye. I think I'm seeing a shadow or something. Then I blink and it's gone."

"Ah," said Alberta. "That's a migraine symptom-having vision problems. It's called an aura. People sometimes get it before the headache sets in." Though this seemed like a reasonable explanation, I wasn't buying it. I didn't like how quickly it had come one…it started just after she got on the plane.

"An aura?" She sounded startled and looked at Adrian like he had somehow caused this.

"Not that kind," Adrian responded looking smug. "Same name. Like Court and court. Migraine auras are images and light you see when a migraine's coming on. They have nothing to do with the auras around people I see. But I tell you… the aura I can see… the one around you…wow."

"Black?"

"And then some. It's obvious even after all the drinks I've had. Never seen anything like it."

I watched the conversation between the two with apprehensiveness. Adrian seemed amazed, not concerned. I was fighting the urge to hit him. How could he just watch her go through that kind of pain and feel nothing but mild curiosity? I was about to say something to him about his attitude when the flight attendant came back. She handed Rose a banana, a granola bar, and a few ibuprofen. She quickly ate the food and downed the pills without water, then propped a pillow between the her head and the window.

As she closed her eyes everyone returned to their seats. Everyone except me. The seat next to her was empty and I wanted to sit there but I knew it would raise more questions than was necessary, so I sat directly across the aisle from her.

I watched her out of the corner of my eye, slightly stunned by the predatory disposition that seemed to have taken over. I wanted to protect her to the point of not letting anyone else talk to her. Lissa came and spoke with her briefly, then returned to her seat with Christian. Though I had turned my attention away from the conversation, I knew that she had attempted to heal Rose. From the look on her face as she walked away it was obvious it hadn't helped.

I slumped in my seat and glared at the head rest in front of me. I hated feeling helpless when it came to Rose. The person I cared for most in the world had been through hell these past few weeks and she hadn't returned yet. Not completely anyway. I had been in pretty bad shape when I had been assigned to Lissa, but Rose was worse off. My heart felt like it was trying to escape from my chest at the thought of not being able to help the person I loved.

After what seemed like an eternity of watching her sleep in pain, something switched. As soon as the "fasten seatbelt" sign blinked on, Rose relaxed visibly, as if a huge weight had been lifted from her. I watched as she woke up to the sound of the engines whining in reverse, looking…rested. Whatever that had been plaguing her the entire trip here was gone and she seemed fine.

I headed to the front to help Alberta lower the student's (and Adrian's) luggage from the over head compartments. I glanced back and watched her as she and Lissa conversed, noticing that Rose seemed perfectly fine.

But something in the back of my mind told me that she wouldn't be fine for very long.