Dimitri's POV

Screaming had come from outside, but I had just sat there. A girl calling for help, but I figured someone was out there helping her when I heard Headmistress Kirova.

Stupid, stupid stupid, Dimitri.

Now, you have lost the love of your life to a machine.

STUPID!

I slammed my fist against the wooden gym wall, denting the wall, and hurting my hand. I didn't care.

It had been one month exactly since Rose was taken away. Idiotically, I waited here, in the gym, for Rose to magically appear in her gym clothes, waiting like she would've done if she were still here, and everything was normal.

I never read my books anymore. The cowboys were screaming at me, but I didn't hear them. Nothing mattered anymore. Not for five years. The contract was to strong.

But she signed no contract! It was a set up! She didn't want to go! She was framed!

Okay, I knew she wasn't framed, but it seemed so unfair and cruel.

Rose had been taken away to the Dollhouse.

At the Dollhouse, they erase people's memories, who they are, store it, then replaced it with another to help in certain situations.

Thinking about what Rose could be doing now, who she is now, was too scary to comprehend. For all I knew, she could be romancing some lunatic in the outback. I shouldn't think about those types of things.

But I did.

Hence the term, Stupid Dimitri.

I wanted to get her back, visit her at the very least, even though I knew it wouldn't be enough.

I had asked Headmistress Kirova if I could a month ago and all she said was 'we'll see'. She was supposed to report back today, but I had heard nothing.

Maybe that's what I was waiting for. Maybe I wasn't turning insane without Rose!

Ah! I knew myself better than that.

Suddenly, the doors of the gym flew open, and I moved so I covered the dent in the wall. No one needed to see a dent in a perfect gym.

Headmistress Kirova stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips, looking like she was hoping for a gust of wind to swoosh her hair away from her face like in the movies.

"Headmistress." I greeted her and she stepped into the gym, looking full of joy, for some mysterious reason.

"Ah, Guardian Belikov, I am so glad you are here."

"You have an update on my request?" I asked hopefully, but professionally.

She shook her head, but not in the usual way. She was still smiling.

"Even better."

She walked out of the room and walked back in with a man who I had not seen before. On his arm, was her.

"Guardian Belikov," she warned me not to talk. "This is Rachel Summers. She is visiting from the Strigoi lair. She will be returning soon, but she wanted to get a lay down of the place."

Rachel Summers? She was on a mission.

I looked into Rose's eyes, and they were strangely blank. They didn't move with her face like a normal persons.

She didn't say anything, but she let go of the man and walked up to me. I looked to Kirova for answers.

Stay still she mouthed to me and I froze.

Rose's hand cupped under the side of my head and traced my face, again, not meeting my eyes, or anything.

"Miss Summers works for the Strigoi, but is not on anyone's side. She would be turned by now, but she is blind, so she isn't a very good asset to them. She cleans and helps make plans for them. She is moving coven, since her last family was attacked."

She is blind?

Rose's hand kept tracing my features of my face. Her skin against my skin was something that I missed, I realized.

"You have a very handsome face," she mumbled me while Kirova was talking, so that only she and I could hear her. "But, I feel like I've met you before."

When Kirova had stopped talking, she laughed. "I may be blind, Miss Kirova, but I am quite capable of talking. It's the only thing I have been able to do better than anyone else since I was nine." She joked and released her hand from my face, though I badly wanted her to keep it there.

Kirova laughed with her.

"Yes, well, it is a pleasure to have you here, Miss Summers. Feel free to ask for anything you want."

"Of course." She said politely. Yep, this definitely wasn't Rose.

Kirova left, leaving me with her and the man.

"Everything will be alright." He spoke to her.

"Now that you're here." She replied, almost scripted.

"Do you trust me?"

"With my life."

That stung me. I had finally figured out who he was.

Her handler.

She always had an imprint that would make her trust him. I wished I were in his place, just like before. I craved it so badly.

He walked up to me, leaving Rose feeling her way around the place comfortably.

"I'm Mr. Langthford, Echo's handler." He whispered in my ear.

"Echo?" I whispered back.

"That's her name when she isn't imprinted. We can't call her Rose, just in case."

"In case…?"

"In case she remembers."

"I can hear you two from over here." She laughed. "Whispering is supposed to be so no one else hears."

Mr. Langthford laughed.

"Well, I will see you two later. If it's not to much to ask, Mr. Belikov, could you keep a look out for her? She is my responsibility, but just until she goes to live with her new family?"

"Of course." I answered immediately. "Nothing would make me happier."

"Excellent." He smiled. "I will see you later, Rachel."

"Goodbye." She said and he left.

Now I was alone with her, but I wasn't satisfied. First, it was only her body. And second, she remembered nothing.

"Where are you, Mr. Belikov?" she smiled.

"Please call me Dimitri." I said and instantly, she walked directly at me. She stood right in front of me.

"I sense strain and nervousness." She mumbled. "You don't have to worry, Dimitri, I have been blind since I was nine, so I have had a lot of practice."

"How old are you?" I asked suddenly, before I could catch myself. Did she even know how old she was? "Sorry." I stumbled. "I didn't mean to sound rude."

She held out her hand, but not to my face this time, but offering me her hand. She laughed as I took it.

"Twenty-four. The same age as you, Dimitri."

"How do you know how old I am?" I asked incredibly, forgetting that she didn't know she was seventeen.

"I told you," she said. "I have had a lot of practice telling faces and hands. You have a very mature face for a twenty-four year old," she lifted her hand to my face and I held it there. "And your hands are overworked. I can just guess very well I suppose with you. I told you before, I don't know why, but there's something I recognize with you, even though I can't see you."

I had to think. I couldn't remember if there was a time that she held her hand to my face, but I didn't think so. How could she remember? Even if it was just a hunch? Maybe there was hope…

I had to snap out of it. I couldn't think like that. She had a five year contract. I could be dead in five years. Maybe I would never see her again. Who knew?

All I knew was the numbers were staked against us from the first minute I realized I loved her.

Stupid, stupid, stupid Dimitri.

Headmistress walked back in within minutes and stated that the van had arrived for her.

"It was nice talking to you, Mr. Belikov. Perhaps we will meet again."

"I will make sure of it." I replied, knowing those words were going to be true, if I had anything to do with it.

I would get her back, before five years were up. She wouldn't remember anything of those five years, or even this conversation as soon as she had her 'treatment', but she will remember me again.

That is something unquestionable.