Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait...you wouldn't imagine how freaking horrible college life is. Okay, I'm sure some of you know. (: And having a part time job? It's crazy. I hated writing for quite a while because I had to write so many essays! I apologize for the long wait. I also know that Last Sacrifice is already out and yes I have read it, but that doesn't change this story. It will NOT end or be like the actual book, I've had this plot planned out from the beginning. I understand mine was nothing like Richelle Mead's, but to be honest, I wasn't entirely happy/satisfied with the way she ended some things, or lack there of really. So I hope that this story is still as well liked and readable, and I hope you enjoy MY version of Last Sacrifice. ;) I'm also working on a sequel, and it'll either be a sequel to THIS one, or to the actual Last Sacrifice. Let me know which one you guys would prefer!

ALSO: I've received a lot of reviews about the time that Rose trained with Dimitri and she had her hair up, revealing her molnija marks. I realize you guys are all very much correct and I am not full of too much pride to admit I completely forgot about them. I apologize COMPLETELY! So, just dismiss that for me. ;)

Last Sacrifice
Chapter 16
Being Human

I'd always told myself I wanted to die in an original way; a way that would be written down in the History books and remembered for ages. I had once wondered whether I'd be written down in the History books, but after being accused of murdering the Queen the entire civilization looks up to, I figured that I couldn't be skipped out on. Of course I hadn't actually murdered Tatiana, but that's not what they thought. I wondered just how many facts in those damn books we were forced to read were actually true—and how many others had been wrongfully committed due to a corrupt political system full of power-hungry maggots.

Maybe I was a bit of an attention-craver, but honestly, that's just how my personality was. I wasn't meant to die by a stupid car explosion; that was how regular humans died. I wasn't meant to be executed in front of millions, and although that would have been kind of original and exciting, I wasn't guilty. They could at least work on condemning me for something I did do. But to be completely and utterly honest, I think I would have sooner accepted those boring or misinformed deaths over being turned into a Strigoi. Hell, I would have rather killed myself than become one of those disgusting creatures of death.

I'd seen what they were many times; I'd seen their horrible, atrocious nature and the smirk that clearly represented the idea that they didn't care who or how many or why—they would kill until they could kill no more. But what hurt even more than seeing a regular Strigoi was seeing someone you once knew, someone who you knew when they were alive, become the very creature you despised. You got to see the dramatic change in them. You got to see just how exactly that malignant being took them over—how they acted without a soul. They had no emotions save for the lusting of power and the vain nature of pride in themselves.

You can imagine how different Dimitri acted because of this. He was never a selfish person, not by any means, but the night I finally met him when he was a Strigoi was a shell shock. He had transformed, literally, into a completely different person. Not that Strigoi were considered people, of course. The being that he had hated with every fiber of his being was now the same being he worshipped. He did unspeakable things, things that I had come to know he regretted, things that he could never forgive himself for. Being a Strigoi, it was like going to an open casket funeral. The person you loved was sitting there in all their glory, but at the same time, they weren't. It was an empty shell; hollow compared to what it once was. It was pure torture and at some points I even wished to rather have him dead than alive like this.

You can imagine why all this would make me scared out of my mind when I thought about what kind of Strigoi I would become. I couldn't imagine the life—or death—that would await me once I met Sonya tomorrow. I didn't want to meet her, and in fact every single bone in my body was rejecting the idea, but the thought of Dimitri being accused of the crime I was meant to endure…that was enough to make me think twice. It was a battle in my head that I dealt with all day, going back and forth between accepting the idea (or rather just succumbing to it) and completely telling myself no. Who knew if Sonya would honor her promise to begin with? And even if Dimitri was saved, what would he think of my betrayal? He would hate me.

He would hate me, and after such admittance in his family's home, it hurt to think about. Sure the plan had been that he need not know I was alive, but after he found out, there was nothing we could do. He had once upon a time told me the love faded, but was that still true, or had he just been speaking in the moment?

As I made my way back to the safe house, I tried to swallow my fears and come to terms with the fact that this was potentially my only option. Unless my father could magically pull something out of his ass, I was doomed. But, in the end, although I was going to be turned into a monster that was going to be hunted, perhaps I was dying in a significant way. I was sacrificing myself for my loved ones, no matter how else they chose to view it. Maybe I wouldn't get written down in History books, but if I could save Dimitri or Lissa or anyone else for that matter, I would do it no matter the consequences to myself. Let Dimitri hate me; I was positive he could easily find someone else to live his life with, perhaps a nice Moroi who could actually bare his children.

The thought was enough to rip me apart on the inside, and as my hand gripped the metal of the door knob, I tried to enjoy the last bit of humanity around me. Afterward I would no longer care about the scent of nature, or the way the sunlight felt on my skin—Hell, I would never feel the sunlight on my skin again. Ready to turn the knob, I was surprised when the door was jerked open before I could, my face suddenly covered by the warm feeling of Adrian's chest. Grumbling into the fabric, I tried to remove myself but found he had just too good of a grip on me, and unless I wanted to drop kick him (probably not the best thing to do to your boyfriend), I was stuck. Sighing in resignation, I let him hold me until he felt it necessary to pull back and assess me for any injuries.

"Little Dhampir," He scolded, brushing a stray lock of hair from my face with a scowl, "I was afraid you had been destroyed by Strigoi. You've been gone all night."

I sighed, not in the mood to explain anything. Not that I planned to. If Adrian—and God forbid my father—found out what I had planned, they would sooner tie me up to a chair and sedate me for the rest of my life then let me go through with it. Rubbing the back of my neck, I instead inquired, "Where's Sydney?"

Adrian frowned, "Your aura is black, Rose. Is there something troubling you?"

I almost scoffed, almost, but withheld the action and instead simply repeated my question as I began to rub my temples. Sleep sounded good, but I knew that the prospect of me getting any was going to be next to none with the way my brain was running. Adrian didn't respond and just jerked his head towards the kitchen where a faint murmuring sound was occurring I hadn't bothered to notice before. Nodding in thanks, I turned and lifted my heavy feet into the kitchen to come face to face with not only Sydney, but my father as well.

"Rose," He greeted, looking me up and down in the same fashion Adrian had. I resisted the urge to glare daggers and instead tried to ignore him the best I could. I wasn't some fragile doll that they apparently mistook me for, but I didn't have the energy or will to fight it. There were worse things I was worried about really. "What brings you back home…finally?"

Oh how I loved my father's uncanny ability to be sarcastic. A frown marring my lips, I ignored him and instead turned towards Sydney. "I need you to dye my hair back."

Sydney, as expected, frowned in return. "Why?"

I stared at her, unwilling to give a response. There was no way I was going to let her know I wanted to look as much like me as possible when I was turned into a Strigoi. That way, in the instance that Dimitri ever decided to come and hunt me down like I had him, I would be easy to find. When Sydney realized I wasn't going to give a reason, she turned to my dad for approval. Zmey, in all his intelligent glory, shrugged in nonchalance. "If that's what she wants. Not like there's really anyone we need to hide her from anymore." Way to be sensitive to Dimitri's untimely accusation, Dad.

Sydney seemed to disagree, but she did a good job of keeping her opinions to herself and quietly stood up from her chair. "Come on, Rose. Let's get this over with."

The second time she mauled my hair was really no different than the first, except this time I was sure I was going to like the outcome. Taking a seat in the same wooden chair I had sat in less than two weeks ago, I let Sydney pull at my strands, trying not to wince too much whenever the pain was intense. Fighting hordes of Strigoi and obtaining several huge bruises, a couple deep cuts and a crap ton of scathes—yeah, that was nothing. Tugging on my hair? That hurt a lot.

I eventually relaxed, leaning back in the chair with the decision that now was no better of a time to slip into Lissa's head. I expected to be met with Guardians running around the Court, Lissa's anxiety and fear over the situation, and all in all, the Court to look like complete Hell had broken loose. However, I was met with almost the exact opposite.

Lissa was calmly sitting in her room, her eyes trained on Christian who sat across from her. Christian was holding her hand and soothingly rubbing small circles on the palm of it, trying to calm her racing nerves. What Christian didn't know was that Lissa really wasn't all that wound up—she was just worried. She had tried to talk to Dimitri earlier it but it seemed the Court had learned its lesson once with me. After my escape they decided that simple holding methods were not going to be good enough, and Dimitri was currently being held within the Court's deep, underground basement. It was four floors under and each level above him was flooded with at least ten to twenty Guardians. Where they had gotten that many from I had no clue, but Lissa could hardly get past the first level. She had considered compulsion, but there was no way that she had enough magic or energy for the task, and since she really had no other power other than that, she had been forced to resign from the desire.

She had desperately wanted to speak to him, to make sure he was okay and to hear from him that I was at least alive. As far as she knew, my liveliness had yet to be confirmed. She had suspected, but Dimitri had never really told her that I was still alive and breathing. She sighed, her mind flipping back and forth between me and him and wondering just how exactly we were going to get ourselves out of this mess this time. Little did she know that it was going to work itself out just fine…at least as fine as it could after she lost her best friend. It would tear her apart, but I was sure that in the end she would realize the greater good was my life being sacrificed.

"What are we going to do?" She finally spoke, and I had a feeling that wasn't the first time she had pondered it or asked it out loud. Christian sighed.

"We're going to wait for Rose. She'll know what to do."

"But what if that takes too long?" Lissa exclaimed, wide eyes meeting his in panic. "Dimitri's trial is in less than three days, and elections are in two! You know that as soon as someone else takes power…they aren't going to listen. The whole Moroi won't listen! And if they don't, do you think the Dhampir will? Dimitri will die and our system will stay corrupt forever!"

"Rose will be here, Liss, I know it."

"Christian, don't you understand? Although they've found someone else to blame it on, the world thinks she's dead. They are blaming Dimitri because they need someone to blame it on or else the people will get restless. If Rose just waltzes back in here like she never died, what do you think will happen?"

Christian frowned, eyebrows furrowing as he stared at the ground in defeat, "They will kill both of them."

"Exactly," Lissa whispered, dropping her gaze as well, "We are royally screwed this time. No pun intended."

Christian managed a half-assed laugh/snort, shaking his head, "I agree."

"Rose?" I was jerked out of her head by the gentle shaking of my shoulder from Sydney. I looked up at her and she jerked her head towards the mirror. "You're done."

It was a surprise seeing myself again. Without the blond hair and the blue contacts, I looked…regular. Normal. I almost convinced myself for a second that I was an average Dhampir with an average life, not a Dhampir that was about to give up her life in order to save her friend's and the man she loved. I swallowed.

"Thanks, Syd," I murmured, and I noticed her lips turn into a deeper frown. I could tell she wanted to ask about my mood, but she didn't. Perhaps she didn't care enough, or maybe she could just tell I wasn't going to talk about it. Whatever the case, I was grateful she didn't bother me, and so with a silent resolve, I stood from the chair and made my way to my bedroom to catch up on whatever little amount of sleep I could before nightfall.

As I walked inside, I was met with Adrian once again. Not really surprised, I shut the door behind me and just walked past him to my closet, pulling out a pair of pajamas that I didn't plan on changing into. I grabbed the nearest brush and ran it through my hair, catching Adrian staring at me from my peripherals.

"You're going to do something stupid, aren't you?" He questioned quietly. I didn't respond. "Are you planning on ignoring me forever, or just until you do the stupid thing?" I paused in my actions.

"Adrian, just drop it," I muttered, continuing to brush my hair afterward. Adrian didn't seem so keen on giving up that easily and stood from my bed, quickly crossing the room to stand behind me.

"You could at least have the decency to tell your boyfriend what exactly you plan on doing. Or did you forget that I'm your boyfriend? Did Belikov distract you from that fact?" He snarled angrily, glaring at the back of my head. I narrowed my eyes in return, flipping around to face him.

"Are you stupid?" I demanded, staring up into those accusing eyes. "He did no such thing. If I recall correctly, the only thing you've been doing lately is ignoring me and being a jackass!"

I could instantly tell that Adrian was not at all pleased with what I had said. Gritting his teeth, Adrian responded, "You know what? Go out and be stupid for all I care! God knows I couldn't stop you if I tried, anyways. I can't believe I wasted my time on this!" Throwing up his hands in a manner I assumed meant "I give up", Adrian stormed from the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

Great. Now I had an angry (ex) boyfriend to add to my list of 'people who are pissed off at me'. Sighing, I decided there was nothing I could do about it now and tried to lay down and get some sleep.

Night came entirely too quickly. As I predicted, I hadn't gotten much sleep, maybe an hour or two at best while the rest was spent tossing and turning. Slowly rising from my bed, I went to my vanity mirror and brushed my hair, taking a few minutes longer than necessary. I probably wouldn't care about much after turning, so I was savoring everything I could now and prolonging it as much as possible. I had stayed in my clothing from yesterday so I didn't have any need to change, just threw on some deodorant and made my way out the door.

Everyone was sleeping. Having stayed up all day before since my late return, they were taking the time now to catch up on lost sleep—lucky for me. Since this was Sydney's regular time to sleep, she was asleep as well, and so this made sneaking out of the house as easy as possible. The door made a slight creak as I exited, but after standing still for a few moments and hearing nothing in response, I released a silent breath of relief and shut it behind me slowly.

The route to our meeting spot was the shorted journey I'd ever been on despite it being at least an hour away. It was freezing as well, which didn't help. Damn you Russia for being so cold. I had a feeling that it would soon be the least of my worries.

Especially when my eyes met those of a smirking Sonya's.

"Welcome, Rose," She spoke eloquently, opening her arms. And then, all too suddenly, we were surrounded my hundreds of Strigoi, popping up on the tops of buildings, appearing from around corners, and some even seemingly materializing out of thin air. Eyes wide, I spun in place, trying to assess the situation. Sonya Karp laughed manically, throwing her head back.

"Welcome home, Rose, welcome home!"