An update! I'm going to keep this short and just say that I'm sorry for the long wait (months now!). Oh, I also want to mention that I LOVE Last Sacrifice.

Disclaimer: I obviously don't own the Vampire Academy series. If I did, I most likely would not be writing fanfics lol. This goes to say that Richelle Mead is the true genius.

Almost right away, I regretted the decision. How could I have been so stupid? What could have possibly made me do that? Now the note that contained all my feelings, which I weren't supposed to feel, was on the opposite side of the door, out of reach from me, and definitely in reach for her to read.

Without even thinking, I tried to slip my hand under the door, which was naturally impossible. A few attempts later, the same result was reached: no success. At all.

Of course, I wasn't going to give up that easily. I was Dimitri Belikov, and I wouldn't let a stupid door stop me from getting back what I wanted. After all, I'd faced down packs of Strigoi… A door was nothing in comparison.

I rose to my feet. I obviously wasn't pressured for time as I stared down the door, nevertheless calculating my options. I could almost find amusement in the fact that I was staring at a plain, white door as if it had all the answers to my problems. Almost.

However, that was definitely not true. Life wasn't going to let me find the solutions to my problems by any means.

"Yes, Jared, I'm on my way to detention," I heard a teasing voice speak a little ways down the hallway. "Oh come on! I couldn't tell you I had detention right away after school 'cause that would've certainly lowered my chances in getting you to let it slide and me to continue practice. I was sure you wouldn't make me come back if we were already at the clearing." Her voice turned into a pout. And it wasn't just any voice; it was her voice.

I would recognize that voice anywhere even if I'd never actually had one conversation with her. Well, if you counted dreams that would be a lie.

Pushing away the very thought, I allowed panic to completely overtake me. I was in a very bad situation right now. As I hastily glanced around the hallway, searching for another exit than the one she was coming by, I realized my chances for escape were very slim. And that was being generous on my part.

Strigoi would have been easier to deal with. Still, I had to try something. And by try, I really do mean try. Frankly, today just had to be the day I ran out of ideas to conceal myself. Without further thought, I slid back down to the floor, lying flat on my stomach, face down. Totally unoriginal. In addition to this, I pushed the hood of my sweater up and tucked it down as much as possible over my eyes, trying to conceal my eyes and features- features that would surely signal to her that I was a dhampir. I was pleased that I hadn't worn my good leather jacket today. I wouldn't want to get it ruined with dirt by lying on the ground, now would I?

Once again, I heard Roza's powerful voice inching closer to where I was. "Yup, I'm in the building. I see the classroom right now. Got to go. See you. Bye."

A whisper came from the phone.

"Yes," she said, clearly annoyed. "Stop treating me like a child." She snapped the phone shut.

From the sound of the conversation they had been having, it sounded like she needed to be treated like a child. She was lying right to him about her location. I couldn't help but smile to myself, knowing she would actually do that to him of all people.

Howbeit, that smile vanished immediately as I felt her presence about a foot away from me and heard her breath catch. My palms suddenly turned sweaty and my heart skipped a beat.

I should've known. Rose Hathaway didn't react like your average teenager. Besides for that small indication of surprise by the catching of her breath, she didn't seem fazed by my presence. Of course, I couldn't really glimpse her from my angle, but I felt her calmness. She was probably even prepared to fight off Strigoi.

"Uh, how's the view down there?" she started, a little snarky in my opinion. "Okay, so if it's not the view," she continued, "it must be the floor. I know the janitor just cleaned and if you have a really good sense of smell, you might- just might- be able to smell that soapy floor cleaning smell from down there, but seriously? I would never stoop so low." She giggled. Rose actually giggled. "No pun intended."

I promised myself I'd react calmly, but I betrayed myself right from the beginning. "What are you doing here?" I mentally slapped myself for my terrible question.

"Excuse me?" she exclaimed, bewildered. "You're lying on the ground right in front of my door and you're asking me what I'm doing here?" Nope. Definitely not your average teenager.

"Stupid question; I realize that, Rose." This time, I wanted to punch myself. I'd actually used her name. Right in front of her. I couldn't believe how much I was slipping up. She had no idea the effect she was having on me. I knew right away that this couldn't be good.

"Whoa there. How do you know my name?" Then, she laughed. "You're some kind of stalker, aren't you?" When I didn't reply, she continued, "This is just hilarious. If you want to, you know, talk to me, it is best not to hide yourself. Come on. Get up. Reveal yourself. What grade are you in anyways? You sure look tall."

Instead of answering her questions, I got to my knees, refusing to get up and allow her easier access to pull down my hood. "Um, you know what? I have to go. There's just one thing. I was walking down the hallway, and I tripped and this letter I had in my hand accidentally slipped under your door. Could I please just get it? I'll go quickly." By now I was rambling on.

From this view, I could see her from the corner of my left eye. She hesitated and then shrugged her shoulders in a careless matter. "Mmm, sure, I guess."

I saw her take a key out of her pocket and put it in the door bolt. This was sloppy on her part. She didn't know if I was a threat; I hadn't even revealed myself.

Notwithstanding, I should have known she'd have an ulterior motive. As soon as she opened the door, the note was visible on the floor. And easy for her to retrieve.

Amused, she picked it up and said in an almost sing-song voice, "Oooh… What's this? It says my name on it too!" She squealed and by the sound of it, I knew she was just teasing me. It wouldn't be in her nature to squeal like a school girl. "You know, I'm not that stupid. I know Roza means Rose." I'd forgotten about my lack of confidence in her intelligence. "Why do people always assume the worst of me?" She flicked a strand of hair that had fallen in her eyes behind her shoulder.

I thought she'd go on and on with the complaints, but she did far worse than that. She began to read aloud the letter in a happy, teasing voice and my world shattered right at the opening paragraph:

Dear Roza,

Why? I don't understand. You're so good, so amazing. But why did you leave the Academy? How could you just leave everything behind, just like that? How could you leave me?

I was trembling at those ridiculous words. Words spoken by no one else but me. I was the only one to blame.

She froze too as she processed the whole impact of my words. She continued though to read through the letter, this time silently.

I saw the spooked expression on her face when she finished. "Who are you?" she demanded.

No answer.

"Who. Are. You?" she shrieked again. Her joyful voice was completely gone now.

"Listen, I-"

"Let me see your face. Now."

I didn't move. I was speechless aside from one word. "No." Furthermore, I explained, "I can't."

She did something very shocking then, very hasty. She lunged right at me.

As she dove for the space on the floor right in front of me, I felt her arms grab at me, trying to push away my hood. Her proximity was killing me. Still, I refused to bulge. I couldn't reveal myself. And the sad part was, I wasn't worried that she'd run away because that way we wouldn't be able to bring her and Vasilisa back to the Academy. No, I was scared she'd run away because then I'd have to chase her down again and wouldn't see her anymore, even if up until now I'd just been on the sidelines.

A mental battle flared within me on how that was wrong in so many ways. The other half of my brain realized at the same time that I needed a plan. My plan? I had nothing. In fact, I didn't even have enough time to let my lack of planning register because suddenly she'd pushed the hood back, therefore revealing my face.

"You're one of them," she spat, as if them was a dirty word. Nonetheless, she must've thought over my note again, and a highly confused face lit up her features.

"Rose, come with me and I'll explain," I tried desperately.

"No way," she shouted, causing my ears to buzz.

"You want answers?" I questioned. "I've got answers. Now come."

I didn't think she'd follow me as I got up and started to walk down the hallway. But she did.

"Where are we going?" she demanded.

"Why don't we go for a drive?" I asked. "You know, check out the beautiful scenery around here." I tried to keep the mood light even though this was a very serious topic.

She snickered menacingly. "I hope you understand that we're in a populated area and I am not afraid to scream on demand," she threatened. I gave her an incredulous look. "What?" she inquired innocently. "It's true. A seventeen-year-old girl like me going into a car with a man as old as you- how old are you anyways? Fifty?"

That was a low blow, especially considering the fact that I was in love with her. "What's your point, Rose?" I asked, even though I very well knew what she was leading up to.

"Well," Rose began, "people around here are more likely to believe an innocent girl like me than someone like you. Besides, you basically just helped me out." She pulled my note out of her pocket and grinned. "I mean, what's better proof than this heartbreaking love note?" Her sweet smile instantaneously turned into a glare.

By this time, we were already at the van. I opened the passenger side door, indicating for her to get in. Before closing the door, I put on the child safety lock so she wouldn't be able to get out from the inside.

As the door snapped shut, I heard Rose mumble sarcastically under her breath, "So much faith in me, I see."

I went on to do the same thing with the rest of the van's doors, even in the back seat, putting the child safety locks on- except for the driver's side door. I laughed at the control I had now.

When I got in the van, she was throwing daggers at me. I didn't honestly care to tell you the truth. On the contrary, I found it rather amusing.

We drove for a little while, staying within familiar territory, and not saying anything. That is, until I parked by the curb on a very quiet street. There came the beginning of her tantrum.

"What, we're not stopping anywhere?" she said sarcastically. She really was moody. She didn't always seem this way with Jared and Vasilisa. Maybe she was only reserving this behaviour for me. Then again, she had sounded snappy with Jared on the phone. You just never know when women- girls, I chastised myself- are going to have one of those days.

"We are stopped somewhere," I retorted. Score.

"Really? I hadn't noticed! No, I meant at a café or something."

"Why would we do that?" I chuckled.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe so I could get something to eat!" she shot back at me.

I thought this over. Luckily, I had the perfect solution. "Oh, I've got something. Here." I pulled a granola bar out of the glove compartment.

She looked at it like as if I were offering her dog food. Or something worse. "Um, no thank you. Like I would ever trust food from a stranger. Especially one as creepy as you."

"Take it or leave it," I snapped. I was done with the sympathy.

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm grumpy when I'm hungry." Rose again. Who else?

"Oh, believe me, I've noticed," I said. That probably wasn't the nicest comment I'd made in my life, but I was beyond fed up.

To my dismay, my guilt escaladed as I noticed her flinch at that one. She turned her head away and seemed fascinated by the scenery outside of the window. I felt the immediate urge to reach out and place a hand on her shoulder, in a way to comfort. I refrained from doing so.

Instead, I sighed. "Look, Rose," I breathed. "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. Just take the granola bar. I promise you that it's fine. My job isn't to kill you; believe me."

She turned her head back around and looked at the granola bar, weighing down her options. "Fine," she said at last. "But only because I'm hungry."

I watched carefully as she took off the wrapper and stared at the bar for a second longer than would be necessary in a normal situation. Deeming it safe, she took a bite, chewing slowly on the piece. I saw the suspicion in her eyes as she tested whether or not it was safe to eat more. She did finally.

As she ate, I contemplated the situation at hand. Something in Roza's expression seemed off. Anxiously, answering my unspoken question, she whispered so lowly it was barely audible, "Please don't take her back to the Academy. You can't. Just please." She sounded so vulnerable right in this moment.

I looked at her again. Something was definitely wrong. I just didn't understand what yet. What could possibly be so horrible back at the Academy that had made them leave in the first place?

"What happened back there?" I asked in my most soothing voice.

"Nothing," she deadpanned, trying to avoid the manner. Her eyes narrowed. "Nothing happened. I'm just here to protect her. That's all. Nothing more."

"Rose, please listen," I begged. "I need to know. Please be honest with me. I have so many questions. I've watched you before. I've seen you train with Jared." I wasn't sure if that was the best revelation, yet something within me yearned to have an open relationship with the girl, and if this was the only way to start… "You're so, so good. How long has that been going on? When did you two meet?"

She avoided my heavy gaze almost immediately. She obviously thought better of it because she replied, "Jared and I met as soon as Lissa and I first came to this school. This is his second year being my math teacher. He noticed right away that like himself, Liss and I aren't humans- well, I'm half-human, but you get my point. When he cornered me and realized our situation, he offered to train me. He's been training me ever since. He's done a very good job." A small smile was visible on her face.

I matched her smile with a half-smile of my own as I answered, "Yes. I can see that."

Roza's eyes lit up at my comment. I could tell she was gaining hope that she was winning me over to her side of the story. "Look, I can't tell you much more than that, but please just trust me when I say that we can't go back there. I've kept her safe for two years. I am not going to let anything happen to her. I can't. She's my responsibility now."

Before I could process that completely, I had one more question. "Why did you come with me, Rose, if you don't want to come back to the Academy? You could have easily made a scene with lots of students around in their dorm rooms."

There was a genuine honesty in her answer that made her so down-to-earth. "Because I meant what I said. It's my job to keep her safe, and if that meant coming with you and getting you as far away from her location as possible, then I'd do it. Also, figuring out what's going on and what you and the Academy know about us doesn't hurt either. It's a bonus."

The depth of her bravery fully sunk in. I understood then that she'd do anything to protect the princess. The weight of Roza's gaze grazed me as I thought this over again and again in my head. I knew then what I had to do. I didn't know if I was a little bias due to my affection for her, but if that was the case, then so be it.

I nodded my head then breathed loudly. "Fine, Rose. I won't take you back to the Academy yet. But I will be supervising the situation from this time forward until I clear my mind and think up the best solution. You have to do your part by being respectful to this decision and not running away again. You have to promise me that." That sounded fair enough. For me or for the Academy, I had no idea. All I knew was that it was fair in some way.

She beamed like sunshine just then. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," she sang as she threw her arms around me in a hug. Electricity burned through me at the contact and I held on to that embrace longer than I should have.

If things kept up the way they were going, I was going to lose my job, that's for sure.

When we pulled away from each other, she was still smiling, as was I. I also realized that she hadn't promised anything though, but chided myself for being so negative. I trusted her completely, although maybe I shouldn't have.

I put the van back into drive and we drove off, back to the school. Silence surrounded the van for a few minutes until Rose exclaimed, "Oh, I get it now! Haha- you're hilarious."

I turned my attention away from the road just long enough to give her a questioning look. "What are you talking about?"

"The letter." Rose smiled. "I was wondering why you'd give it to me. Now I realize that it was all just part of the plan. Get me in my confused state to come with you, because you didn't think I'd come on my own. Good one. You're as much a schemer as I am."

My very soul turned aghast. No, that had not been intended as a scheme. I was infuriated that she'd even consider the possibility of my love for her being a joke. I should've been grateful though, grateful that I didn't need to make up my own excuse- but I couldn't bring myself to be grateful.

Once we were at the school, I parked a ways from it, to stay out of students' view. "Just remember what I said earlier, Rose. I'm going to come with you now." Okay, that was the worst plan ever. I'd been so dazzled by Roza's presence in the van that I hadn't even thought of a proper game plan to start with. I didn't even know if I should talk to Jared and Vasilisa right away or do something else. All I knew was that I was playing it by ear now.

"Okey, dokey," Rose said. "Although it really would help if you let me out of the van…"

"Oh, right. Thanks," I replied, dazed.

I got out of the van, closing the door behind me. Wind whipped in my face. I went around to the passenger's side and opened the door. Rose smiled brightly at me as she stepped out of the van, her hair dangling freely in the wind.

Then, she ran off.

The wind muffled her words as she dashed off: "Have a nice life, comrade." Her sweet laugh followed suit.

To say I was shocked would be an understatement. Her words took a couple of seconds to sink in, and even though my hesitation was brief, it was too long. As I'd said before, she was fast and was already at a distance from me. Despite this, I was fast too.

I sprang off in a sprint, preparing myself for a new war to form between us. She didn't have a clue what the consequences would be when she faced down my wrath.