Alright gang, I was reading through the reviews for "Acts of Contrition", and liked the idea that when Dimitri told Rose about Tasha, she perhaps should've told him about Adrian too.

This three chapter "story" is sort of an alternate ending to "Contrition".

This first chapter is not done in point-of-view but the other two chapters will be done from a Rose and Dimitri POV.

Enjoy. Happy Reading!

ONE

The note had said this was "URGENT", and normally he would not even consider this sort of treacherous act, but she was offering a solution to his troubling breakup-up. Mostly he was curious to hear her "solution", despite the fact that he had no intention of actually enacting any of what she might suggest. After all, she had murdered his great-aunt. She was set to be taken away in just an hour to die herself. One of his favorite people in the world had been taken, and this was the woman who had wielded the stake. If Lissa ever found out that he had managed to get himself in to see Tasha, she might actually consider exiling him from Court. He and Rose may have ended their relationship, but the Queen was loyal to Rose, and Dimitri by extension. The guard standing outside of the doors leading to the prison cells opened one, allowing Adrian through.

She must have been waiting for him, because she actually had the audacity to smile when he entered, greeting him like they were friends.

"I wasn't sure that you would come. The new Queen and her cheating guard dog let you off of that short leash?" Tasha gave a wry smile.

Furrowing his brow, Adrian gritted his teeth as he replied. "I'm not beholden to Rose Hathaway anymore."

"So I heard. Let me guess, they told you that they rediscovered their love along the way? Did they tell you it wasn't going on while they were here at Court?" She was smug in her knowledge. "And you believed them. That's almost sweet. Are you really that naïve Ivashkov? Do you think Dimitri would've risked his life and career protecting her so vehemently when they came to arrest her if he wasn't in love with her then?"

Adrian did not hide his condescension. He also did not want to relive any of this. It was painful enough to see her and Belikov walking around together, looking so happily in love, going home together each day and night, blissfully content in their love and oblivious to those hurt in the wake of their rekindling.

"Why am I here Tasha? What do you want?"

She stood, walking closer to the bars of her cage. "I got a visit from Dimitri yesterday. I was able to rattle him. I got to him when I reminded him about a very naked encounter he and I shared."

"So? What does that have to do with me?"

"This encounter occurred during that time period when he and Rose were not supposed to be together, and when they were 'confused' about what they might do."

Adrian crossed his arms. "Still not seeing your point."

The look in Tasha's eyes turned cold again. "You and Rose were together when Dimitri was restored and during that time afterwards. They were separated and confused in a very similar way."

Adrian began tapping his foot impatiently, threatening to walk away. He didn't much want to be here as it was.

"Dimitri hasn't told his "love"," Tasha venomously said the word, "about what happened between me and him." She finally got to her point. "He is a hypocrite. The two of them claim to be so devoted and in love now. They claim not to withhold secrets from each other, and yet…" Tasha sat back down, leaning back with her arms complacently against her chest. "I doubt that Rose has bothered to mention anything about the two of you either."

"Anything that happened between me and Rose is none of your business." Adrian leaned in towards the cell.

"You're right, it isn't. But, shouldn't Dimitri be aware of the fact that she wasn't as devoted to him the entire they were apart? She slipped."

He swore his jaw might've dropped to the floor. "You want me to talk to him? You are truly insane. If you think for a second that I would… I don't have time for this." Adrian spun back around, heading for the door.

"If he kept me from her, she kept you from him."

"Not everyone is masochistic enough to insist upon knowing their partner's sexual history. It's not always such a healthy decision."

"And you are all about healthy decisions." Tasha provoked, knowing she wasn't getting anywhere by being nice.

"Keep your evil plans to yourself Tasha. Take them to the grave waiting for you." Adrian stated, leaving the room.

He went home for a few minutes, deciding then that drowning his sorrows and loneliness in coffee might give him some clarity. Talking to Tasha had set his nerves on fire. He couldn't deal with the fuzziness in his head, but being home wile his parents were having one of their cacophonous discussions was not the time or place to zone out. The legal ramifications were now rolling back around to haunt his mother after she had stolen from the Alchemists. His father of course only saw how it would affect him and his standing. This was sure as hell not the time for Belikov to decide it was time to have a little public chat.

Their short verbal confrontation was only making him feel worse. In fact, it made the influence of his spirit power get the better of him. It made him want to exact a little bit of vengeance. Perhaps Tasha had a good point. Why shouldn't the two love-birds have to face their own consequences? Adrian did not like being harassed, and he did not want to be metaphorically smacked in the face again by Dimitri Belikov.

First, he needed a plan. He considered what Tasha had revealed to him about Rose and Dimitri keeping their secrets. The man needed to be taught a lesson he wouldn't soon forget. Adrian would need to talk to Rose again first. He would need to face her again. It wouldn't be easy, but there was one way she would have to listen to him.

/

I was reading through a random forum board discussion on another site, and a comment caught my attention. It called for someone to write a fiction piece that makes our "Romitri" seem less perfect. The next two chapters will be my attempt at that. Logic, reason, and real relationship stuff to deal with. Of course, because I too love the Romitri, I will do things the right way.

Please tell me what you think. I hope you enjoy this alternative.

The next chapter is a Rose POV. Should be interesting. Give me a few days to finish writing it up.