It was hard, knowing that the reason I was in so much pain was sitting not even three meters away for me, talking to that bitch Tasha. How could he have done this to me. We were ment to be but he had to go and choose her to be with.

The thing was it wasn't really her fault, but I couldn't help but hate her because she had what I'd always wanted, him, and after that night we spent together after he was changed back i thought that things would go back to how they were.

But after he told me love fades, mine has it was all I could do to make it to my room before I broke down crying in front of the entire church. That had been more than 2 months ago, and still the pain hadn't let up. It felt like everything was building inside me, waiting for just the right time to snap and I'd lose myself to not just my anger that he'd strung me along or the anger at Lissa for telling me to back off, no it was the darkness I was waiting for, that was going to be one hell of explosion.

"Rose,"

I looked up in time to see my mother waving her hand at me, as she walked across the cafe she saw him and I saw the anger light up her eyes as she froze right beside me.

"Let it go, mum." I said softly, but even though she had barely heard me, I saw his head snap up and look in our direction. "Lets go, mum. It's too crowded here for my tastes."

"If you're sure honey. We can go to Abe's and catch up there." She replied.

Honestly I thought she would've put up move of a fight but I think seeing how bad things really were with me, with her own eyes, she'd decided that perhaps it was best to do as I wanted, or maybe she just didn't want to be tempted to punch him in the face.

"Sounds good, lets go." I said.

"Come on then." She said as I stood up.

"Is he going to be home or is he out?" I asked, using my fingers to make little quotes around the word "out."

Mum laughed, "He'll be there today, not sure about tomorrow. Why do you ask honey?"

"I've just missed you both is all, I wanted to see you both at the same time anyway, I have some things I want to tell you about."

"Ok, honey."

We walked out and across the courtyard towards the housing area near the south wall, talking about nothing more pressing than what she'd been doing since leaving after graduation. It wasn't much but she had taken down a few more strigoi in that time.

"In all honesty, mum, I don't know how you do it. Looking after people that treat us the way most royals do. I don't really want to do it any more. All that I seem to be doing is paperwork and trust me I know oh so well that I wont be Lissa's guardian so I don't think I should stick around that long."

"If that's how you feel then maybe you should talk to your dad about it."

"Ok mum, lets get moving then." I smiled for the first time in weeks. "I'll race you."

"Your on." She called.

We both ran as fast as we could, but I won in the end, having longer legs than my mum meant that I would have anyway. We were both laughing as we walked into the door.

Dad greeted me with his usual call of "Kiz. How've you been?"

"Can I not answer that." I said evasively.

"Haven't you told him, Rosemarie?" mum asked. "It's not going to change anything, your dad knowing what's been going on. Why haven't you told him?"

I froze in place, much the same way mum had when she saw him in the cafe. "I didn't think it was rellevent to the conversation at the time, though I do think I should have told him earlier." I said, "It's not like everyone doesn't already know that he used me then left me with a broken heart."

"WHAT?!" Dad yelled into the stunned silence that I had produced in my mother. "Adrian did what to my little girl?"

I turned to dad, "Not Adrian, dad. He's been the best to me since all this happened." I sighed, "I never told you why I actually was doing in Baia, did I, dad?"

"No, perhaps you should inform me of what you were doing and why it was there that you were doing whatever it was." he said.

And so I told them the whole story of why I went to Russia, how it was that I came to be caught by him and how I managed to escape and find my way out.

"But Adrian's been the best since I got back dad. But then I found out a way to restore him and I took that chance with Lissa's help and then..." I continued on, informing them of all the little things that no-one else seemed to want to know. "And that's when Lissa found me, I thought she'd be the one to help me pull myself together, but all she said was that I was being selfish and that she was glad he didn't want me any more because I only ever thought of myself not anyone else."

"So Belikov used you right before the attack on the school, then got changed and you fought to save him only for him to dismiss everything you've done for him, and state his intentions to protect Vasilisa with his life, and then went on to break your heart further by moving straight into another relationship not even 2 days after telling you that he wasn't in love with you." Dad was increduless, "And you just let him, you're a Mazur, we don't take things lying down,. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but he did this in front of a whole church full of people and you just walked away?"

I nodded, "Yep, dad that's what I did. I couldn't stand to be anywhere near him after that. And I didn't want them to see me cry no-one ever has except Lissa, and now even she wont talk to me. And as if I don't have enough problems, Lissa keeps sending me snarky messages through the bond."

Dad shifted in his seat, "I really wish you had've told me sooner I would've done something about all this stuff that you're going through."

"Abe, maybe it's time we told her the truth."

"Are you sure that this is the right time for that Janine?" He asked, "Does she really need more drama to add to the growing list of things she has to deal with?"

"Well if you were listening you would have heard her say that she basicaly doesn't want anyone to lie to her anymore, so she needs to know the truth." She replied. "Its for the best, Abe."

"Maybe you're right. She does deserve to know, it's her life we messed with after all."

"Excuse me but I am right here and what do you mean, my life you messed with?" I cried out. "I want answers, now!"

"Rose, honey. I love you really I do, you're like a daughter to me and I hate seeing you like this."

"Wait, but I am your daughter, aren't I?"

"Well, you are my step-daughter."