Next Chapter! Thank you for all the reviews and I hope you enjoy this chapter! I noticed a lot of people saying Rose is out of character, and I know what you mean -.- I'm going to try and make her more realistic now, I hope it gets better!

Please review and I hope you enjoy it!

I'm thinking of going back to the Academy quite soon, I'm running out of ideas of things to happen in Russia...

Chapter Sixteen…

I should have known better. I should have known this would happen. But, I was still too naïve. This whole party thing was a bad idea. It was dark and the Strigoi were hunting me. Why wouldn't they take advantage of a time when I wasn't completely sober and was in a dress and heels? I should have at least gotten Dimitri to pick us back up again.

Unhesitatingly, I removed my stake from its hidden spot between my breasts. Viktoria was too drunk to do anything, so she just stood there looking terrified. The Strigoi didn't pay any attention to her though. "Ring Dimitri." I barked at her.

She fumbled with the phone and I saw her back away slowly. I turned my attention to the two monsters in front of me. They were both male and had the typical red ringed eyes and chalky white skin. My guess was that they had both been Dhampir before being turned, making me at even more of a disadvantage - they more than likely had a fighting history.

I kicked the heels, which luckily weren't attached with straps, off and stood ready. Any effects the alcohol had had rapidly vanished and I effectively dodged a kick to my exposed thigh. Viktoria was out of sight now and I hoped that meant she would get away safely no matter what. We weren't far from the house, but it was far enough away that I could easily be killed before anyone could do anything about it.

I didn't have time to try an offensive manoeuvre because they were using their numbers against me. Alternating their attacks and keeping me on my toes. I was no doubt covered in bruises and I had managed to get a couple of gashes on each leg.

I righted myself after a punch to my arm and noticed them sneering at me. My anger bubbled within me. I was losing energy fast and they both new it. While they were too busy being pleased with themselves, I lunged forward in my first attack, grazing my stake against ones cheek and then plunging it into its heart.

Mightily pleased with my staking, I momentarily forgot the Strigoi's companion. Not a smart move. I was whisked off my feet and thrown to the ground. I tried to get up, but I had hit my head and was disorientated. The spinning world got worse as I was pushed against the wall hand around my throat, stake falling from my hand as I struggled to breath.

"I've finally got you." He hissed, bringing his mouth closer to my throat, smiling venomously. "Such a pretty thing too, shame your to dangerous to have a bit of fun with."

I screamed helplessly, but his other hand promptly covered my mouth. He kept my body immobilised with his own, but it didn't stop me thrashing against him and trying to break free. I could feel his breath on my neck now and I new what was going to happen. He was going to bite me. Either kill me or turn me and there was nothing I could do about it.

That didn't mean there wasn't someone else who could do something about it though. A strangled cry came from the Strigoi before it went limp against me, stake protruding from its back.

Dimitri promptly threw the body away and off me. I was too stunned to move, until he pulled me into his arms. That was the closest to death I had ever been, even worse than Spokane. "God, I'm glad your okay." He whispered gently in my ear.

"Thank you." I mumbled back. Then a thought came to mind. "Is Viktoria okay?" I asked, becoming increasingly worried. She had clearly rung Dimitri, but that didn't mean she had gotten back to the house.

He ran his hand over my hair. "She's fine. I saw her almost at the house when I came to get you." He informed me. I nodded against his chest. Dimitri bent down and picked up my heels and stake. "Lets go home." He encouraged, keeping his hand around my waist.

I was recovering from the shock of my near-death experience now and could walk straight again. I allowed Dimitri to keep his supporting arm in place though and grabbed his other hand with my own.

It was then that I realised how much my feet hurt. I had fought barefoot and that had been bad enough, I was now walking on them. "Dimitri my feet kill." I hinted.

He chuckled lightly and hooked an arm behind my legs, pulling me up to his chest and then carrying on walking. I rested my head on his shoulder. It was too dark for him to see the cuts and bruises on me yet, but I knew he would make a fuss over it when he did.

I let him carry me without speaking and relaxed into his arms. Aside from what had just happened, I would class this as romantic.

When we walked through the door, the whole family was there waiting to see what had happened and how we were. Dimitri put me back on the ground, but kept an arm around me. I noticed Viktoria sat on the sofa, still looking like she was in shock. I had a feeling that all the alcohol in her system wasn't helping.

I sat down next to her whilst Dimitri assured everyone I was okay. She was visibly shaking despite the blanket she was gripping tightly around her. I didn't know what to say to her, so I put an arm around her in a comforting hug. "You were really brave calling Dimitri for me." I told her.

She nodded, probably not really listening. "I wish I could have done more. You look a mess, are you okay?" She asked, studying my dishevelled state.

I shrugged. "I almost died, but hey, I saved my heels."

She laughed. "I'm glad your okay."

"You too."

Me and Dimitri went up to our room after that. Dimitri cleaned the cuts and gashes gently, but I still winced. Lissa's magic would have been a blessing right now. We snuggled up into bed after that, but I couldn't sleep yet.

We lay facing each other, not speaking but still sending a thousand messages between us.

"If Viktoria got hurt today it would have been my fault." I told him honestly, the guilt weighing me down. She hadn't even been touched and she was still terrified, if she had actually been hurt I would have never forgiven myself.

"No it wouldn't." He reassured me. "Besides, if you hadn't been there, she would have gotten hurt." He reasoned.

I shook my head. "If she hadn't have been with me, the Strigoi wouldn't have attacked her."

"You don't know that for sure. She was drunk and definitely unable to defend herself, why wouldn't they attack her?" Dimitri asked rhetorically.

I sighed, not being bothered to come up with another argument. I knew there was some knowledge in his reasoning, but I was right too. If I hadn't come then they wouldn't have even been seen by the Strigoi, what would happen now when I left? Would the Strigoi still attack his family?

My mind still spinning, I settled down into an uneasy sleep.

Thankfully Adrian didn't dream walk with me tonight, I was too tired and I just wanted to sleep and forget about the attack.

When I woke up, Dimitri's side of the bed was empty. I missed his warmth instantly, so got up and went to find him.

He was downstairs watching some Russian channel on the TV and laughing with Viktoria, who sat next to him. She looked like normal again and any signs of terror were gone. I think now that she had sobered up she had gotten over it a bit.

I sat down next to Dimitri and his arm automatically slid around my waist. He didn't acknowledge me otherwise and carried on watching the program.

I studied the images on the TV and tried to work out what was happening. It was impossible. There were just people walking around and walking with the occasional hug or kiss. It looked like any other soap, but it was apparently a comedy if I was going by how much they were both laughing. I gave up in the end and just sat comfortably, savouring Dimitri's embrace.

When I really did get bored, I went into Lissa's head. She was sat in Adrian's room, along with Christian, Adrian himself and Eddie. It was nearly curfew there, but I had a feeling they weren't planning to obey that rule.

They were chatting about nothing important and laughing about some of the latest gossip. Apparently there had been a big party in the woods last night which the guardians had had to break up, no surprises that the hosts were Jesse and Ralf. Fortunately, my friends had all avoided it.

I listened in on there chatter, finding the normality of their conversations somehow reassuring. With all the stress and surprise that were being sprung on me recently, it felt nice to relax and listen to a normal conversation even if I couldn't participate and wasn't technically there.

There conversation topic soon turned to something more interesting though - me. "I wonder if Rose if having fun?" Lissa wondered aloud. "She said it wouldn't be weird because her and Dimitri are always training together, but its hardly the same right? He's still her teacher. I can't imagine being stuck with a teacher in a foreign country with their family and being okay with it." She informed the group.

Eddie and Christian seemed to consider it, whilst Adrian looked like he was biting his tongue on a sarcastic remark. "Don't forget he's her friend though." Christian reminded her. "It would be a different thing completely if she said she was going with say, Stan. They hate each other."

I almost laughed out loud imagining me and Stan on any kind of trip together. He would probably be dead before we even started.

Lissa still didn't seem convinced. She couldn't imagine me actually enjoying myself when I was with Dimitri, because he always seemed so formal and strict. She didn't know him like I did and she didn't know how close we really were. She just assumed my outgoing personality would clash with his quiet and serious one. "But they never even seem to talk to each other out of training times, and with Dimitri I can't imagine them doing anything other than practice in those. The only times I've ever seen them talk was on the trip to the mall that time and when guardian things are happening."

Lissa was right, me and Dimitri hardly ever talked when she was around. She was however wrong about our practice sessions. Although most of the time they were completely business, that was when most of the unruly things happened as well.

I noticed Adrian visibly biting his lip on a comment and I silently willed him to keep quiet. "Like you said, you've hardly seen them talk out of training, but your not with her constantly - they could talk all the time and you wouldn't necessarily know. Also, whenever something happens and Rose comes to get you, it's always Dimitri with her right? That has to count for something, she trusts him." Eddie told her.

Lissa thought about that and was surprised at how right he was. When she had been having trouble with the animals that Natalie left and there was the rabbit, it was Dimitri I'd called to help me with her. And when I had fallen of the bench and she'd healed me, Dimitri had been the one to carry me in and that guardian mask of his had slipped ever so slightly, allowing a small amount of concern to be shown. He'd also stayed with me when everyone else had been forced to leave. Then she remembered who I had told about her problems. I had told Dimitri, because I trusted him.

Eddie was right. I did trust Dimitri. It was clear to her now that there was a lot she was assuming and that me and Dimitri probably were quite good friends. And even if we weren't, I still trusted and respected him and that was a good thing.

"Yeah you're right." Lissa agreed. "I never thought of it like that."

Before I could listen to there lighter topics once again, a brief shake of the shoulders brought dragged me back to reality. Viktoria was peering over me and I noticed Dimitri was gone. "That is weird." She exclaimed. "It's like your there but not."

I chuckled. "I bet I look really gormless."

Viktoria laughed and agreed with me. "So, is anything interesting happening back at your school?"

I shook my head. "Nothing whatsoever. Lissa was just wondering if I'm having a good time here because she couldn't imagine me and Dimitri really being good friends, she thinks I'll be bored because he's too serious."

Viktoria looked at me incredulously. "Has nobody noticed you two? Honestly?" She said. "Not only can they not tell your together but your best friend doesn't even think that you're really friends."

I laughed. "Only Adrian really knows about us. You should have seen him trying to bite back the sarcastic remarks when Lissa was saying how much she thinks our personalities would clash."

"Why don't you just tell people?" She asked, rather stupidly. "I mean, not everyone, just your friends." She added when she noticed my expression.

I sighed. "I don't want to risk it. If someone overheard, if someone saw, it would all be a disaster. I'm not willing to risk Dimitri's career because I told someone. That's why we have to stay away from each other when we get back to school."

Viktoria looked shocked, she obviously hadn't even thought about the consequences of a mentor being in a relationship with his student. It was just her brother having a girlfriend to her. "Your really going to have to avoid each other when you get back? I can't imagine you and Dimitri staying apart." She explained.

I shrugged. "It's not exactly an option, besides its not that long until graduation. Just over six months."

It felt like forever until graduation though. Six months was more like a lifetime when it was how long you had to cut any intimate contact with the man you love.

She seemed to doubt me as much as I did, but let it drop and carried on talking about the latest gossip at her school. It was kind of pointless seeing as though I didn't know anyone. It was also old because she was on holiday and hadn't been at school since a couple of days before me and Dimitri arrived. I listened anyway and found it more interesting than I would if she'd pushed the Dimitri topic.