2 years.

24 months.

3,960 days.

88,560 hours.

5,313,600 minutes.

That's how long I'd been gone from Court. Yeah, I kept up with trivial stuff like that… don't ask why. I'd never been one to run from anything. I'd always been the one running into the action, hitting it head on. Take the bull by the horns and all that jazz, but not this time. I couldn't think of anything else. Now, two years later… I was back on Courts door step. I stood outside, staring at the building, not sure how to proceed. Oh, by the way… I'm Rose Hathaway and welcome to my completely and totally fucked up life. Yeah, I'm so glad I could share it with you. I stared through the glass door, hearing his words repeating over and over in my head. Love fades, mine has. It was like no matter how much distance I put between me and this place, I still heard him, still saw him in everything I did. I couldn't escape it.

"Are you going to go in, or are you going to stand outside like an idiot?" I heard a familiar voice say. I turned to meet the eyes of an old friend, Eddie Castille.

"Eddie!" I murmured. He smiled slightly.

"Hey there Hathaway." I took a few steps towards him.

"God, aren't you a sight for sore eyes."

"If your eyes were so sore, why have you been gone for two years?" He asked.

"Long story."

"Dimitri?" He asked. I flinched as his name left his lips.

"No." I said, way too quickly. He just nodded. "How did you know?"

"He told me what happened." He said, simply.

"He told you?"

"Everything." Eddie assured me. I raised an eyebrow, completely in shock that Dimitri had opened up to Eddie like that. I was the only one I'd known him to open up too ever before he was awakened. I looked down at my feet, and took a deep breath before looked up to meet his gaze.

"How… How is he?"

"He's been worried about you?" He told me.

"For two years?" I asked. He nodded.

"He still brings you up, asks if anyone has seen or heard from you. He went looking for you after you disappeared. Lissa was the one that told him to give up, that you were fine."

"She's kept tabs on me."

"Sort of. You know the bond is one way. She was just able to tell that you were still there, meaning you were alive." He explained. I just nodded, not sure what to say. The more he spoke, the worse I felt about my leaving.

"How has Lissa been?"

"She was upset when you first left. She eventually found out what really happened, and was okay with it. She understood how bad you were hurt." He explained.

"Wow, you do know everything… don't you?" He nodded. "And Adrian? How's he?"

"He's still Adrian. He wasn't sure what to do when you disappeared. He was beside himself for a while. He eventually moved on. He misses you a lot though. He took it harder than a lot of us. We all know Adrian feels things more strongly than most of us do." He told me. I just nodded, realizing that I'd up and left Adrian while we were 'together'. I then felt bad.

"I owe him an explanation."

"He got his explanation when he went to Dimitri." Eddie explained. I just nodded, knowing that was what any normal person would have done in Adrian's shoes.

"How have things been here?"

"Quiet lately." I just nodded. "You're scared to go in." He said, motioning to the door.

"I'm not scared."

"Then why haven't you gone in yet?" He asked me. I hesitated.

"I… I…" I gave up trying to form an excuse. "I'm terrified." I whispered.

"I know. You have every right to be."

"I'm scared to see him." I admitted.

"It's been two years."

"That doesn't make the pain go away. It doesn't make it hurt any less, Eddie." I snapped at him. I automatically felt bed.

"I'm sorry." He said.

"No, don't apologize. I didn't mean to snap at you."

"You haven't changed a bit, have you?" He asked me. I shook my head.

"Nope, not really. I've just grown up." He nodded.

"I can see that." He said, eyeing me. I smirked at him.

"Watch it Castille." This got a smile out of him. I took a deep breath.

"I should go in."

"Who are you going to first?" He asked me. I sighed. I knew who I'd go to, who I owed the most explanation and apology.

"Adrian." I answered. He nodded.

"Good luck Hathaway."

"Thanks." I said, before taking a deep breath and entering Courts doors. I started towards the Ivashkov wing, praying he was in his room and I wasn't going to have to go searching for him. If I ran into Dimitri before I could talk to Adrian, I was scared I might leave again, and all of this would be for nothing. When I reached his door, I knocked and waited. I heard him moving around, and then heard the door unlock. When the door opened, there he stood. I felt my heart give a gentle squeeze. Regardless of the things that had happened between Adrian and me, I still missed him. I watched as so many emotions flooded through his eyes.

"Little dhampir." He murmured. The words sent a shiver through my body. I missed that.

"Hey there." He reached forward and touched my face, obviously trying to figure out if I was real.

"You're… you're back." I just nodded. I wasn't going to add that I wasn't sure for how long. "God, Rose." He said, grabbing me and pulling me into his arms. I laughed and wrapped my arms around his waist, holding him close to me.

"I take it you've missed me."

"You have no idea. It's been two years… I didn't… I just… I'm so glad you're here." He said, squeezing me tighter. "Do the others know you're here?" He asked once he let me go.

"No, just you and Eddie right now."

"But Lissa and Di-." He cut himself off. "Oh."

"Yeah." I said, knowing this conversation had taken a turn for the worst. I stepped inside, and closed his door behind me.

"Where have you been?" He finally asked.

"A little bit of everywhere. I went back to Russia, to Italy, to a bunch of different places." I told him.

"I didn't understand why you just up and disappeared. I went to-." He stopped when I nodded.

"I know. I heard all about it from Eddie. He gave me the low down before I walked into the war zone." I told him. He nodded.

"Eddie's good for that." He said. I nodded in agreement. I could tell he wanted to bring it up, but was scared.

"Go ahead Adrian."

"What?"

"Say whatever it is your holding back. I can see it. Say it." I said. He looked at me for a second, before finally exploding.

"How could you just up and leave me like that? I don't understand. I thought everything was fine. I had no idea why you up and disappeared. All I knew was all your shit was gone out of your room, and you were nowhere to be found. I worried for nights on end until I finally realized who would really know. I went to him and he told me what happened, and I understood but… why didn't you say something? Anything to me? Just so I would be able to prepare. You don't know what it was like to lose you without knowing the reason why… from you." He said. He was out of breath by the time he finished. I tried to conger up a good response, but there were only two words that left my lips.

"I'm sorry."

"I've missed you." He said.

"I've missed you too. I've missed you all more than you'll ever realize."

"But it's been two years." He snapped.

"Adrian, you have no idea what I've went through. You've got to give me credit. You're lucky I came back this soon." I told him.

"This soon? You were planning on being gone longer?" He asked. I nodded.

"You have no idea the pain, the… the everything that I've felt. I had to leave. I had no choice. I was afraid I'd lose it, and end up hurting someone I loved or cared about. I had to get out of here. I had to put myself first for once in my life." I told him.

"But you were gone, and-." I cut him off, teetering on the edge of anger.

"Adrian, I'm sorry what I did hurt you, but they were my choices. I had to leave. I had to get out. I'm sorry that my decision hurt you, but there was nothing else I could do. It was this, or killing one of you. I'm sorry. I don't know how many times I have to say it. I'm sorry I left you… I'm sorry I disappeared, but I don't regret my decision. It was the best move I ever made." I assured him.

"Are you… better now?"

"Slightly. Wounds like that don't heal on their own. Not even time can erase what he did to me." I told him. I heard Dimitri's words softly echo in the back of my mind. Love fades, mine has. I shuddered.

"I know." He murmured, taking my hand in his.

"Look, I should go. I need to go find Lissa."

"Wait… don't leave yet… please." He begged. I smiled.

"I'm not leaving again, and if I decide to, you'll be the first to know, and I won't leave without saying good-bye. Sound good?" I asked.

"You promise?"

"I promise." I told him. He nodded.

"I went two years without your beautiful face; I guess I can be deprived a few more hours." He said. I chuckled before kissing his cheek.

"I'll see you later." I told him. He nodded as I walked out and back down into the main lobby. As I turned the corner, I ran smack into someone, stumbling back. They caught my elbow to keep me from falling. The moment their skin touched mine, I knew exactly who it was. The electric current that his touch sent through my body was enough more than enough.

"I'm sorr-." He started, but quickly stopped when he realized who I was. "Roza?" The word sent a shiver straight down my spine, rocking me to my core.

"Hello Dimitri." I said, the worlds feeling like turpentine on my tongue.

"What… what are you doing here?"

"Visiting." I answered, not sure what else to say.

"Its… it's so good to see you again." He told me.

"Is it?"

"Of course. It's been two years. I was worried… I've been worried since I found out you were gone." He told me. I shrugged.

"Thanks for the concern."

"Where have you been?" He asked.

"Russia, Italy, England, lots of places."

"You went back to Russia?" He asked me. I nodded once. "Why?"

"Nostalgia." I answered simply. He raised an eyebrow at me, but just nodded.

"How was it? Russia, I mean?"

"A very different experience than the last time I was there." I said, cutely. He smiled slightly.

"I'd wager so."

"What are we doing here?" I asked, my voice loud and hard.

"What are you talking about?"

"This small talk bullshit that's going on right now." I said, motioning between the two of us.

"We're having a civil conversation, Rose."

"When's the last time that happened between us, Dimitri?" I snapped at him.

"I don't know, it's been two years since I last seen you." He said, keeping his composure like he so often did. His guardian mask was on, hiding everything from me.

"If you want to blame someone for my disappearance, go ahead and look in the mirror and you'll know exactly who to blame." I growled.

"I didn't make you-." I cut him off.

"No… You didn't make me leave, but you fucking broke me, Dimitri. You know how hard that is. I'm a Hathaway. I don't get hurt. I break hearts, and take names… but no. You ripped out my pathetic little heart and threw it on the ground. 'Love fades, mine has.' Ring any bells? Those were the last words I ever remember hearing you say… wanna know why? Because I hear them on repeat over and over in my head as I relive the moment you shattered my entire fucking world over and over again. I went through hell and back to get you to where you are now, and what do you do? Throw it back in my face like it meant nothing to you. I couldn't stand the thought of sitting here, seeing you live happily as a newly restored dhampir. I couldn't stand the thought of knowing you'd never be mine again because your 'love' faded. You, Dimitri Belikov, are the sole reason that I left. You want to blame someone… there it is." I said, running out of breath by the time I was finished with my rant.

"You don't understand-." I cut him off before he could finish.

"I have to go find Lissa."

"Rose, I'm not-." I did it again.

"Good-bye Dimitri." I said, walking away. He grabbed my wrist gently, preventing me from moving.

"This isn't over yet. We will finish this conversation." He told me. I just nodded, not knowing what else to say or do. All I could focus on was the skin on skin contact with his large calloused hand wrapped around my wrist. He slowly released me, letting his fingers slide off my skin as my arm dropped to my side. I nodded once more before walking away, going to find my best friend, my bond-mate, and my charge.