Author's Note:

So, this is my first journey into writing fanfic for Vampire Academy. I read the series when it was first coming out and just recently came back to it and remembered how much I loved it. So... fanfic ideas appeared in my head to be written.

This story contains a series of interconnected moments which take place after Last Sacrifice, with some bits coming out of the Bloodlines series. Some chapters are first person and some are third person, a few chapters will have multiple POVs. The stories are mostly chronological, and all are dated.

Most of the stories are appropriate for all ages, but some contain smut and/or graphic violence.

I hope you enjoy the journey.

NEW BEGINNINGS

July, 2010

Takes place within one week of Lissa's coronation.

Rating- All Ages

Third Person POV- Rose

Rose

Although she wasn't technically on active duty yet, Rose Hathaway still needed to report to the Guardian Headquarters daily to file a brief report for her on duty hours. She was "on duty" a grand total of two hours per day until the doctors gave her full medical clearance.

Rose was still healing from being shot in the chest. The gun had been fired by Natasha Ozera, a former friend, who had murdered the former Moroi Queen and framed Rose for the murder. Rose's best friend Lissa Dragomir was the newly elected Queen of the Moroi. While Rose was thrilled that Lissa was Queen and knew that Lissa would be a great leader, there were some Moroi who didn't want the eighteen year old to be Queen.

When Rose was fully healed, she would be one of Lissa's primary guardians. It would be her duty to stand around, protecting Lissa. Rose didn't mind guarding Lissa, she had prepared for it her entire life. She did mind filing paperwork, especially for her ridiculous two-hour shifts. Even so, Rose dutifully went to fill out her daily report.

Just inside the building, she saw Meredith. The two eighteen year olds regarded one another cautiously. They had grown up together at St. Vladimir's Academy in Montana. They had graduated together. Unfortunately, when Rose was broken out of the Royal jail the other week, Meredith had spotted her. Rose had been forced to fight and incapacitate her friend in order to escape Court.

"Hey," Rose said tentatively.

"Hey." Meredith's reply was just as tense. Several guardians were watching them, wondering what would happen next.

"Umm, can we talk?" Rose glanced around. "Outside?" Talking inside would likely lead to gossip if anyone could hear.

They walked back outside, and down the path until they came to a secluded bench. Rose sat, still easily tired from her injury. Meredith stood a few feet away, guarded but not hostile.

"I'm sorry for attacking you. I'm glad you recovered. I just couldn't stay in that cell, waiting to be executed for a crime I didn't commit."

"I'm sorry that I had to fight you."

"You were doing your duty."

A smile tugged at Meredith's lips. "Yeah, but I knew you didn't kill Tatiana. I mean, I could see you doing it, just not being stupid enough to leave your stake."

Rose burst out laughing. "You're not the first person to say that." She sobered, remembering the grisly images of Tatiana's body and the fact that Tasha had been the one to do it all. "It's awful."

Meredith nodded. "Yeah, but you found the real murderer, and now she's in jail. I know it's going to be hard on Lissa and Christian, but Queen Tatiana's murder has been solved. Eventually justice will be served for her crimes."

Rose let out a heavy sigh. "I know. So... are we friends again?"

Meredith sat down, a smile on her lips. "Yeah, we are."

"Do you know where you'll be posted yet?"

"England."

"Really?"

"Yep, I'm assigned to Lady Amber Lazar. She went to Alden and just graduated. She's going to Oxford University, so I get to go as well."

While academics held no interest to Rose, she was genuinely impressed that a royal Moroi was going to be allowed to attend such a prestigious university. Lissa would be jealous. Yeah, Lissa would be going to a good school, along with Rose, but Leigh University was nothing compared to Oxford. "Wow, that's pretty impressive."

Meredith shrugged. "Yeah, but..." She bit her lip for a moment before continuing. "It seems pointless for us to attend colleges when we know that our lives are already planned out for us."

Rose gave her a very thin smile. All dhampirs knew that their lives were taken for granted in their society. "Maybe you'll use it when you retire."

"Nah, I think I'll replace Alberta when I retire."

They grinned at one another. "Sounds like a good plan."

"What about you?"

Rose's expression was pure disbelief. "You really see me retiring? Come on, Dimitri and I will be super old and still going out killing Strigoi."

A strange expression crossed Meredith's face. "Yeah." Her tone was oddly flat.

"What?"

Meredith stood again. She shifted her weight between her feet, clearly uncomfortable. "Um, it's just... well you and he spent so much time together when we were at school. He was your mentor and now he's your boyfriend..."

"Oh, that." Rose shrugged, looking at her with defiance. "We fell in love but kept it under control. Now that I'm not a student, it's not a big deal. We're together, just like we always wanted to be."

"Okay."

Rose stood now, frustrated. "Why does it bother you?"

Meredith's smile was warm and disarming. "I just want to make sure you're okay. It's weird to think about students and instructors dating, even if he's a hot twenty-something. You two seem so happy together, even after all you went through."

"Yeah." Rose looked into the distance, recalling the nightmares she had lived through that year. "We are happy together. Thanks for worrying about me." She paused a few moments, unsure of what else she should say. "I should go fill out my report for the day. It was good to catch up with you."

"Of course; I'm glad that I could see you again before I leave."

"Have fun in England."

"I'll try. You keep Queen Vasilisa safe."

"I always have and I always will." The girls hugged and parted, going their separate directions.

Filling out the report took nearly half an hour, which Rose thought was stupid. Seriously, why did she have to write so much about a two-hour shift, during which she watched Lissa and Christian talking. She couldn't even write about what they talked about, just stupid details that only guardians would care about... not that anyone would bother reading these reports.

When she was finished, Rose returned to her old room. She was still in the process of moving her belongings from her old apartment in the guardian dorms to her new apartment in palace housing. There were perks to being the Queen's primary guardian, one of which was a really nice apartment.

She tossed some of her clothing into a canvas bag, along with a few trinkets which she had gathered over the years. Most of her things had already been moved. It hadn't been difficult to move her stuff since most of it had still been packed from her move into the guardian dorms from St. Vladimir's. Satisfied that she had gathered enough for the day, she made her way to the palace.

When she was inside her apartment, she tossed her bag on the floor and stripped off her uniform top. From the bag, she pulled out a green tank top and pulled it on. Her rooms were a disaster, which was pretty impressive since she had only lived there about a week and she didn't actually own very much. With a weary sigh, she began cleaning her apartment.

Four hours later, her laundry was done- clean but not put away, the dishes were in the dishwasher, and she had begun unpacking. She was folding laundry when Dimitri arrived.

"You've been busy," Dimitri said as he stepped into the apartment.

Rose looked up from folding her laundry. "Yep! I figured that with being the Queen's guardian and all, I probably shouldn't have clothing and dirty dishes spread from one end of my apartment to the other."

He laughed. "Probably. Did you bring more over?"

"Yeah, just one more load between us should have my old apartment cleared out." She looked at him for a few moments, obviously thinking of something. "I was wondering if you wanted to move in here? I mean, it's not like you're really at your own apartment. Unless you don't want to? Or is it too soon?" Her words had started slowly but had ended in a swift ramble.

He walked to her and gently touched her cheek. "I'd love to. Why would you doubt it?"

"I don't know. I guess we never talked about it." Not that there had been much time for talking about anything normal in the short time since Dimitri had been restored to a dhampir.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and she relaxed against him. "I spent more time away from you this year than I ever want to again. Even though I'm always here, I simply wanted to wait until you were ready. We've been through a lot, there's no need to rush." He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.

She looked into his warm brown eyes, feeling peaceful and content. "I love you."

"And I love you."

They kissed again, soft and tender. "So, should we move your stuff in tonight?"

He gave a short laugh. "It's not like I have much to move."

It was true, Dimitri's worldly possessions could fit into two duffel bags. What little he had owned at St. Vladimir's had been packed into boxes which were somewhere in storage at the Academy. Alberta had promised to find and ship them soon. Everything which Dimitri owned at Court had been given to him or bought for him by various friends, and it was all clothing or toiletries.

"Actually," he continued, "We should probably move everything from both our rooms tonight so that we can pack."

"Pack?"

He smiled. "Lissa is sending us on a quick vacation."

Rose turned her head to the side, very confused. She also loathed the idea of another trip any time soon. "Where to?"

"Home."

She processed the word, and the mixture of emotion on Dimitri's face. Her eyes went wide. "Baia? She's sending you to visit your family?"

"She's sending us to visit my family."

"When are we leaving?"

"Wednesday."

She narrowed her eyes, figuring out the dates and times based on human and vampire schedules. "But, that's basically tomorrow."

He laughed, seeming to enjoy her confusion. "Lissa can do many things quickly now that she's the Queen. Come on, let's go get our stuff."