I dont' own any of the characters.

Just having a bit of fun.

Please review and comment!!

Chapter 2

As I walked out on to the battle field a huge cheer went up, but I didn't have time appreciate it.

I saw a flash of movement on my left, and without thinking I reacted. I was so fast I spooked even myself.

And that was how the rest of my test when, movement, me reacting, always on the offensive.

I got to the end and as my heart began to slow down, the noise in my ears was no longer the sound of it bang in chest, but massive cheering from the stands.

I turned around and looked at the path I had taken through the course, and to my surprise, all the guardians that had attacked were also cheering.

"Well done Hathaway." Alberta said to me over the racket. She was actually smiling at me.

I gave her a grim smile back, "Thanks."

I know I should have been happy, but as Alberta walked me in to the barracks again, Dimitri was in the front of my mind.

"Dude, you totally killed the guardians, total badass Hatchway!" Eddie exclaimed slapping me on the back as I sat down.

"You know me, Rose Hathaway, complete badass." I gave Eddie my winning smile so he wouldn't realise how I felt.

It was then that I realised that all the other novices, or should I say new guardians, stood in front of me all of them bloodied in some way or another, all except me.

My mom came in next, stoic as ever, she stood in front of me. Shit even now she still seemed larger than guardian life. I stood up.

You know you would think having just blitzed the field she would have given me hug or something but all she said was

"Welcome to it, Guardian Hathaway." Then I clicked, she had just called me Guardian Hathaway. I had done it, and she had given me the biggest compliment she could have, she called me Guardian, an equal.

After that, the next hour was a blur. Everyone shock my hand, patted me on the back. I do remember Lissa coming up to me at one point squeezing me as much as her moroi strength would allow.

It was all a blur until my name was called to receive my promise mark. We were in the guardian building again, all my friends took in their surroundings, most of them never having been in here. Old news for me. I sat down and without a word Lionel gave me my promise mark. As usual it hurt like hell, and also as per usual I bit my lip so I wouldn't make a sound. I looked out into the crowded. In the front were Alberta, Stan, and my mother. All the other guardians were lined up behind them.

I moved to the side when Lionel was done, he hadn't bothered giving me the speech on tattoo care like he had the others, we both knew I already had it covered.

At point Alberta and Kirvoa gave speeches. Alberta's was the usual, as you embark on your journey type of stuff. And so was Kirvoa's but damn if that woman couldn't make even a graduation speech into a lecture.

I expected to be given our posting notices, but apparently that would take another day. Alberta had to confer with the Guardian head office and give them our results so they could post us accordingly.

Lissa was so happy she could barely contain it; her happiness came through the bond loud and clear.

"Oh Rose, they can't stop you from being my Guardian now."

I gave her my best happy face, she bought it.

"Yeah it's great." But I still didn't think it would happen, pessimism thy name is Hathaway.

"You broke all the records." She continued. "None of the other guardians even got a chance to lay a finger on you. You were way to fast, oh wow rose this is awesome."

We were at our graduation party. The academy had decorated the commons and put on a D.J. for us everyone was making the most their last night together, and for the other new guardians it was a last night of unadulterated fun. From now on 'they come first' would be all that mattered.

I looked around the room taking everything in, but I couldn't help but feel out of place. None of the others understood yet, but I did. I thought about the people I had already lost, the strigoi I had already killed and thought back to a conversation I had had with my mother after Mason had been killed.

"Killing Strigoi wasn't as glamorous as I thought it'd be," I told her.

She gave me a sad smile. "No. It never is."

These kids had no idea.

"Little Dhampir." Adrian walked up to my side and wrapped an arm around my waist.

I moved out of his arm.

"Not here Adrian, you know nobody can no yet."

We were seeing each other, but I didn't need everyone around here knowing what was going on. I had finally stopped the rumours of my slut reputation and did not need people think I was shacking up with a moroi, let alone a royal moroi, and being a blood whore.

Adrian gave me his best sad face. He really did care about me and had done a lot for me. And I did care for him in my own way, but he knew as well as I did that my heart would always belong to Dimitri. I had tried to tell Adrian that he deserved to be more than just my consolation prize but he had responded by tell me, better to be your consolation prize than to be anyone else's.

He really was sweet once you got pass the drinking. He had basically given up his smoking for me but the drink was another story. He still used it for dulling the effect of his spirit. Unlike Lissa he didn't have a shadow kissed to help him.

"I have come to take you away from this," he swept a hand around the room "Kiddie corner party."

I nodded, that actually sounded like a good idea. "Let me check on Lissa."

"No need she is coming as well, in fact," He looked toward the door he had come through.

Lissa was making an exit.

"Okay."

Chapter 3

We walked through the campus in veritable silence; Adrian was a fast learner and had figured out just to keep his trap shut if I did.

As we walked through the quad I decided I was being rude and should probably talk.

"So did you and Abe have a good time betting on me today?" I smiled so he would realise that I wasn't chastising him.

"Ah, you heard about that, did you." He continued not needing my answer. "You actually made me a lot of money today." He grinned at me.

"Well, I'm glad I could be of assistance to you." I said in my Rose Hathaway, sarcastic bitch voice.

"Come now little dhampir, don't be like that. I have to recoup my loses from your little trip. My trust fund will never be the same."

"Yeah right." I nudged him. "You're Mister Rich Royal. It'll be fine." Again I hid my true emotions with sarcasm, when he had mentioned my trip to Russia I had flinched.

"So where are you taking me Adrian?"

"To my room." He said in a sly tone. I was about to tell him it wasn't going to happen when he cut across me. "Relax Rose. We won't be the only two there." Shit, that's right, Lissa was coming. Man I was sensitive.

Adrian hadn't pressured me about the whole sex thing; in fact he seemed just content to kiss me whenever I let him, which wasn't often.

We continued our walk to his guest rooms in silence, me thinking about how Dimitri should be the one leading me away to a private celebration, not Adrian.

We entered Adrian's room and my breath caught. Everyone was there, my mom, Lissa, Abe, Christian even Alberta.

"AAHH, wow, guys." I said utterly surprised. They had decorated the lounge with streamers and other party decorations.

Adrian, seeing me look around the lounge, explained. "Lissa, we couldn't stop her."

I sighed, "Figures."

I walked further into the room and took a seat, everyone else followed suit.

"So do you want your presents now or latter." Lissa asked me full of smiles.

I smiled back at her; she was my best friend in the world and new exactly how to cheer me up. Presents.

Lissa had given me a gift basket full of skin care products and had told me in the card that she didn't want me getting wrinkly before my time looking after her.

Abe gave me a package of well tailored black suits for my guardian attire.

Alberta told me her gift to me was the training she had given me, and it was true, she had done me a huge favour training me. Her moves were slightly different from the one Dmitri and taught me but just as effective.

Christian also told me his gift instead of giving me one, "no sarcastic comments for tonight is what I'm giving you." Everyone had laughed at that. Everyone, except for Lissa. They still hadn't made up from there breakup over the whole Avery experience. I felt bad for her, if I had been here none of it would have happened, yet again another failure on my part.

But my feelings of failure were soon washed away when I opened my present from my mom.

"Oh, mom, umm." I could speak, yeah yeah, a first from me.

I pull her present from its box.

It was a silver stack. And it was beautiful. And no, not just because it was a stake. It was engraved on the hand hold. Tiny roses intricately woven with ivy vines. I didn't know what to say, and I felt a tears build up in my eyes. I looked at Janine Hathaway she had a small smile on her face.

"Every guardian has their own, my mother gave me my graduation stake, so I am giving you yours."

I simply said thank you to her and then averted my eyes. I would not cry.

The conversation started up then and I inspected my stake a little more. I turned it over and over in my hands making sure every inch was perfect. I stopped after the third or fourth turn. One of the roses wasn't a rose, it was a D in fancy script so if you weren't looking for it, it would just melt in with the roses.

My mother walked over to me and crouched down in front of me.

I looked up and a tear slid down my face. Mom lifted a hand and wiped it away.

"Mom," I started.

But she cut me off.

"I know Rose, I know." She said and then stood up.

I sat there for a couple of minutes taking in that D. She knew, how the hell. I never told her about Dimitri, but she knew. She wouldn't say anymore on the subject. But just knowing I had yet another person who I didn't have to hide how I felt around lightened my soul a little.

The party continued for a while, we had a glass of wine each and we toasted my victory. I put on my happy face. I know everyone in the room now knew about my feelings for Dimitri but only one other person here knew I'd failed. I hadn't been able to bring myself to tell any of them that I had been wrong when I thought I killed Dimitri. I couldn't bear the thought of the sympathetic looks Adrian, Christian and Alberta would have given, and I couldn't tell Janine either, in her eyes today I had become a grownup and forever a guardian, if I told her I had failed in so much she would be so disappointed.

But Lissa knew, she didn't judge me, just tried to console me, and kept tell me that we would heal him and he would be my Dimitri again. With that thought I picctured him, as he was right before I drove my stake into his chest. The red rimmed eyes looking redder from the fighting that had happened that night. The deathly pale skin, that seemed to shine in the moonlight. And the fangs, oh god the fangs. Every time I thought of my time in Russia the first thing that came to the front of my mind was not of the time I had spent in Baia, or Novobrisisk it was the bite always the damn bite.

Abe snapped me out of my reverie.

"So, Rose. I need to tell you something." He said.

We hadn't had the 'I'm your father discussion', and I really didn't feel the need. Far too Star Wars for me. So I cut across his next sentence as it formed on his lips.

"It's alright, we don't need to do this, the whole conversation isn't necessary."

He frowned at.

"Your right." He paused. I thought by the look on his face, that he wasn't actually thinking that in fact he seemed kind of disappointed. Shit.

"Look, it's fine. I get it. You and Janine had some sordid affair, and then there was me." Again with my sarcasm.

"No," he hung his head, "I loved your mother, still do in some respects. But, well, we're both very different people, she is a famous guardian and me . . . . . . . . . Well I'm a business man."

I laughed at that. I still had no idea exactly what 'Zmey' did, and to be honest, I'm not sure I really wanted to know. Ah ignorance is bliss. HUH, yeah right.

"You laugh, why?" His face had turned hard again, just like it had in Siberia when I refused to leave Baia.

I stopped and thought. I knew exactly why, my mother badass guardian, fierce fighter and top class leader, had it all. Well at least to a certain point. She had her career, her reputation and I man that loved her, even if they couldn't be together. And here was me. Alone, having thought I'd killed the man I loved, only to find I'd failed, and a reputation that was questionable if you put it nicely, and yeah I had manage to graduate and I'd be a guardian, but I would never be Lissa guardian, I knew Tatiana too well to think otherwise.

"It's a long story." Was my only reply though, I couldn't voice my opinions; they would just make me seem like some loser teenager with a need for therapy. And I was a guardian now, I would make even my mother look soft, never show my true emotions, I would be the one revered as a god now. I was strong, and I could do what it took to keep my loved ones safe.

Even trying to find a cure for Dimitri, it had occurred to me that it would more than just because of love for him. I need him away from the stigoi, their main goal in their undead lives, other than staying alive was, to kill off the royal moroi lines, and with Dmitri's intermit knowledge of and the court, I knew once he had finish with me he would go after Lissa. I couldn't let that happen, I wouldn't let that happen.

Shit Abe was talking again and I had totally zoned out.

". . . . . So tomorrow I will be once again living at court." He stopped looking expectant.

"Oh, ah, cool." I stammered. I wish I had paid attention. I felt Lissa frustration at me then. She had been listening to my father, and had realised I had zoned out. She moved close to us and ran inference for me.

"Did i hear you say that your moving to court?" She questioned Abe.

I again zoned out thing agin about Dimitri, this time though, it wan't about that night on the bridge or the notes he had been sending me. I thought about how i was going to get the information that was my only chance to save him, and probably Lissa, and myself.