I woke up feeling sore all over, but I found myself sleeping in Octavia's arms. We were in a moving car. I tried to blink the haze from my eyes in case I was dreaming. Octavia felt me stirred and released me. I sat up and looked around.

"Where are we?" I asked, feeling confused.

"We're going back home," she said.

"What about the court?"

"They released us," she said. "The King granted us amnesty."

"We're free?" I asked, still unable to believe what I heard.

"Yes we are, you've earned us both the right to live," she said and smiled. "Thank you very much, Viv, for everything."

I returned the smile and  Octavia pulled me back into her arms, and I felt so tired I couldn't find the strength to ask anything further. My head rested on her chest,  listening to her soothing heartbeat, and before I drifted back to sleep,  Octavia whispered softly.

"Sleep tight, my heart, you're safe with me now."

The next day, I opened my eyes to find myself in the suite again. Bright sunlight streamed through the windows. It felt like I had just woken up from a dream.

"You're up, honey?" My mother's voice came into the room.

"Mom!" I sat up, more than happy to see her again. I was so close to my death that now I couldn't bear the thought of leaving people I loved behind.

"How are you feeling, kiddo?" Mom came to hug me and kissed my brow again and again.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," I said and we pulled away, looking at each other.

"Dimitri told me everything," she said and then tears welled up in her eyes, "Oh goodness  Viv, It's all my fault. I'm so sorry for what happened."

"No, mom, it's not your fault, don't say that," I said, choking back my own tears. "It's over now. I'm fine. See?"

"Yes, it's over now,"  she said, smoothing my hair. "And you're not a little girl anymore. I'm so proud of you, honey. It's just when the Headmistress told me about  your disappearance, I didn't know who to turn to except Dimitri."

"He saved me," I nodded.

"He sent you this," Mom said and handed me a black box. I took it and opened the lid. Sparkling inside was my father's necklace. I thought I had lost it. It was slightly burned at the edges, but that was fine for the most part. I  smiled at my mom again.

"I would have to thank Dimitri personally one of these days," I said. "And thank you for not freaking out so much, mom."

Mom just laughed.

"I'm a big girl too, kiddo," she said and kissed my forehead again.

"Were you here all night?"

"Yes," she said. "Everyone was so worried about you."

"How are my friends now?" I said. "Are they alright?"

"Don't worry, they're already waiting outside," Mom said. And then cheery laughter filled the air, Cammie, Alyssa, and Jacque appeared through the door. Mom stood up and stepped away as the girls rushed in. I had almost lost them. I  couldn't believe I would see them again. They were more than my friends,  they were like my guardian angels.

Alyssa jumped on me first and then Cammie. We laughed together as we hugged. Then I looked over to Jacque who smiled but kept her distance.

"Jacque?" I called out, extending my arm to her, but she just shook her head.

"Aw come on, Jacque!" Alyssa said. Jacque rolled her eyes.

"Oh, what the heck," she murmured, but then she dropped her guard and jumped over us. We all burst out laughing together. Mom also laughed with tears in her eyes.

After our joyful reunion, mom excused herself from the room, letting us have some privacy.

I filled the girls in about my time in the vampire royal court. They looked relieved when I  told them that I was permitted to exist in the Underworld from now on.  And with Viktor gone, no more undead or true-blood were going after me anymore, so I could live in peace with those I loved dearly.

"So no one is going to harm you again?" Alyssa asked.

"Well, I don't know if there is anyone else out there plotting to destroy the whole humanity," I  said with a grimace. "But for now, everything is fine."

"Don't worry Viv, we've got your back," Cammie said. I believe Cammie would make the best vampire slayer in history, and I was blessed with best friends who were all extraordinaires, so I wouldn't ask for anything else in the world.

"Anyway," I said. "How did you guys find me last night?"

"Oh, didn't Octavia tell  you?" Alyssa said. "When we couldn't find you in the school, we called  Octavia up. She quickly detected your whereabouts and just knew where to  find you."

"But even with extrasensory, Octavia can only sense my emotions," I said, blinking in amazement. "They took me far away from town. How could she know where I  was heading?"

"I guess Octavia didn't know where you were going," Jacque said. "She just followed her heart."

Everyone insisted that I  should take some rest, but I recovered very fast that I couldn't stay in bed any longer and decided to go down for lunch with Cammie, Alyssa,  and Jacque. I was also looking for Octavia, but she wasn't in the Lunch  Hall. Never mind, though, I knew where she was already. Just the thought of her caused butterflies to rise in my stomach.

Alyssa and Jacque were finally together for real. And they didn't waste any time to show affection. I had to agree that they were going to be nominated as the most adorable couple in the Ultara Academy. Cammie was already on the verge of nausea as she looked at the duo.

"Cammie," I whispered  across the table, Alyssa was blushing like a tomato when Jacque brushed a  strand of hair from her face, "Are you going to be on a ship like  them?"

"Oh please," Cammie made a face. "I want to be wild and free. I want to spread my wings and hump as many ladies as humanly possible, so no thanks."

"Well, I guess you're still a perv then," I said.

"Miss. Logan," a female administrative staff said, breaking our conversation. "The Headmistress  wishes to see you at her office."

Then we all headed to the Headmistress's office together.

"Hi, mom," Cammie said as we went inside the room. "You want to see me?"

"Oh yes, my dear," the  Headmistress said and walked over to us. "I just permitted a new student  to our school and I would like you to show her around."

"Again?" Cammie said. "Who is that?"

"Well, we only accept the highly intelligent students, don't we?" the headmistress said. "This  one has passed the entrance exam, and she scored higher on the IQ test  than you."

"What?" Cammie asked.  Obviously, that was quite a shock to all of us, since even Alyssa's grand IQ was two points lower than Cammie's.

"She's a certified genius, dear," the Headmistress said. "Just welcome her."

After she said that, the door opened. We looked up at the same time and to my utter surprise, a  walking barbie stepped into the room. I recognized that little princess with her flowing blonde hair twirling and her shoulders thrown back.

"Oh. My. God," I gasped. "That's her."

"Who?"

"You know, Octavia's adorable cousin," I whispered to my best friends. "Miss. Charlene."

We got out of the office again and couldn't take our eyes off the girl as we walked through the  Ancient Hall. Charlene walked ahead of us as if she already knew the place.

"So, is there WIFI here?" she asked, turning around to face us.

"No," Cammie said bluntly.

"What is this place? Azkaban?" Charlene scoffed.

"We have an amazing library if you want to do any research," Alyssa offered dorkily.

"But if you're not happy here, you can leave," Cammie spat, "No one makes you stay."

"Well, I wish you can talk some sense to my parents about that," Charlene shrugged. "I don't  want to be stuck with so many freaks here either."

"Oh really?" Cammie walked up to her and pushed her against the wall. "Let me tell you  something, you little whiny barbie vamp..."

"Hey hey...Cam...don't,"  I warned. Jacque just snickered. I know Charlene wasn't what she appeared to be. We all knew that, but it looked like Cammie didn't see it as a problem. They both were having a staring match. Suddenly  Charlene's bright eyes flicked, her doll face blushed as she stared back at Cammie. She lowered her gaze with a visible shyness.

"Oh well," Jacque mused as if she sensed something unusual. "Camilla and Charlene, Adam, and Steve."

"What?" Charlene and Cammie said at exactly the same time.

Alyssa and Jacque looked at each other and then they giggled. Jacque whispered into Alyssa's ear. I only heard something about secret passages and paradise. And then they turned to us.

"Hey, guys...I just remember I have homework to do, we have to go," Alyssa said. Then they turned on their heels and ran as fast as a rocket. Then I understood.

"Oh I have to meet Octavia too," I said, finally catching up.

"Hey! What are you doing!?"

"See you guys later," I waved at them and took off as well.

I walked through the  Autumn breeze and entered the Garden. Hearing melodious music from  Octavia's flute through the wood again, a smile crept across my face. I  paced past bushes of wildflowers. Animals scattered around the ground like in a fairytale. Probably they were heading toward the source of music as I was.

Once I reached the fountain, I saw Octavia sitting under the same oak tree. A couple of squirrels popped their heads out of the trunk while a few wild rabbits roamed by her feet. Octavia stopped playing her flute and got up,  releasing the animals from her music spell.

I smiled and walked over to her.

"How are you?" I asked, smiling like a little shy girl.

"I'm fine," she replied. "How about you?"

"Never better," I said and smiled again.

"I have something to tell you," Octavia suddenly grew serious. "My father called me from  Italy last night. He said it's dangerous for me to stay, so I will have  to move..."

My face fell completely.  I couldn't believe she just told me this. Was Octavia really leaving me? My mind started flashing a million thoughts, some mixed with a little flame of anger and sadness. The images of us together rolled like a slideshow in my head. We had been through a lot together, but now, I didn't know whether to cry or keep my tears.

"And you want to?" that was all I could say as my throat turned dry.

"Yes," Octavia said. "I'll move."

"Back to Italy?"

"No," Octavia said. She  looked at me and then a slight smile appeared on her perfect lips as she  whispered, "...to the Hobbit House."

A mischievous grin crossed her face, and I just lost it. I smacked her arm.

"Ow!" she yelped. "You don't want me to be with you or what?"

"You almost gave me a heart attack!" I yelled.

"Oh come on, how could you buy it so easily? I have to be with you, and you have to be with me,  and only me, however long the time goes, we're together happily ever after, okay?" she said and pulled me into her arms, I wrapped mine around her neck. And then something seemed to snap in our mind as we stared at each other.

"So the Hobbit House?" I raised an inviting eyebrow.

"Off we go," Octavia smiled back.

The door flung opened as we burst into the room. Our hands frantically roamed around each other.  Octavia kicked the door close and we twirled around, bumping into furniture blindly while our lips and tongues darting into each other's mouth. She hoisted me onto the table and got between my open legs. I  pulled Octavia's shirt off and she slipped away my panties. I giggled when she kissed my stomach, trailing her lips back to my neck and shoulder.

"Let me punish you for having too little faith in me," Octavia whispered between kisses.

"And I'm so guilty," I said, biting my bottom lip in anticipation. Octavia smiled and crashed her lips into mine again.

And there we made love to one another until the sun went down and the stars came out.

As we lay on the soft rug by the fireplace, we continued to kiss with burning passion and endless love. it caused the earth to halt and time to a standstill.

"I love you, Vivienne," Octavia said.

"I love you, too," I replied. "Forever."

And this is how we were going to spend the rest of our lives together.

~The End~