Option 1 or Option 2

A/N:After "Love Fades, mine has", a distraught Rose seeks out Adrian Ivashkov, but not for the obvious reasons.

Love fades, mine has.

I just kept hearing it over and over in my mind. It was playing in a loop. It was as if it was ringing in my ears.

After everything we'd been through.

Love fades, mine has.

I couldn't stand to look at him any more. This was by far the worst thing he'd ever done to me. And he used to be Strigoi.

Love fades, mine has.

The tears were about to spill over. I couldn't breathe. I needed to get out of there.

Love fades, mine has.

I got up and ran out of that church. I ran faster than I'd ever run in my life. I ran as though a Strigoi was chasing me. I needed to get away from him. I needed to put as much distance as possible between us.

I ran till I reached the wards surrounding Court and just started running along them. I think I scared the guardians on patrol.

Love fades, mine has.

I don't know how long I ran or how many times I circled Court. I ran until every muscle and joint in my body ached. Then I ran some more. I ran until I collapsed.

Love fades, mine has.

That's when I started crying. I cried for what felt like hours. Luckily the guardian that found me was someone that knew me. She knew me well enough to know to call Adrian, who of course came right away. He got me back to his apartment, cleaned me up, made me tea and let me sleep in his bed. He just took care of me, never demanding anything of me. Not even an explanation as to what happened.

When I finally woke up my eyes were bloodshot, my face was puffy and as I remembered what had happened I felt like crawling into a hole and never coming out. So I did the closest thing to that - I went back to my apartment and locked myself up for days.

Adrian came everyday to check on my and make sure I ate. I begged him to call Lissa and tell her not to come check on me. I really couldn't see her right now. On the fourth day she'd finally had enough of me being a hermit and barged into my apartment. Apparently she compelled someone to get the key to my room. Facing her now I knew I couldn't hide from her any more. I told her what happened with Dimitri. Needless to say she didn't really have any words of wisdom. She tried being logical while I wept in her arms.

"Rose, sweetie, I know it's hurts. But the way I see it is you have 2 options. 1 - you wait patiently on the sidelines and hope that someday he'll be able to get past all this and come back to you. I wish I could tell you it'll be a short wait but you need to face the reality that he may never be the same again." She took a deep breath and continued. "Which brings me to option 2 - move on."

She paused letting it sink info a bit. She was right.

"I need to talk to Adrian" was all I said. Shortly after she left I called him and asked him to come by.

His answer, as always, was "Anything for you, Little Damhpir".

While I waited for him I showered, brushed my teeth and wore some presentable cloths.

Knock, knock, knock.

I opened the door.

"Little Damhpir, you look much better than last time I saw you! I was so worried." He hugged me tightly and kissed the top of my head.

"I didn't mean to worry you. Please come in sit down, we need to talk".

"That's never good…" He muttered to himself, just loud enough for me to hear it.

I started explaining to him what happened before he found me. "When you found me the other day, I'd reached my lowest. I owe you an explanation of what happened. Here's the thing - earlier that day I met Dimitri at the church, and after telling him that I wouldn't give up on him he proceeded to tell me that he had given up on me". Love fades, mine has. It was still swirling through my mind, making me nauseous. Up till this point Adrian was pretty calm. "He told me his love for me faded…" with that a single tear slid down my cheek.

Adrain immediately held me in his arms, that's just the kind of guy he is.

"I'm so sorry Rose" he whispered gently.

After about a minute I told him Lissa stopped by and what she and I discussed.

"She was right. I do have 2 options and that's why I needed to talk to you." I looked into those beautiful jade eyes and felt a pang in my chest.

"Adrian, I want you to know that I love you, I will always love you. Other than Lissa you are the person I trust most in this world. For so long you were my only source of comfort and for that I am eternally grateful." He could tell where I was going with this and his eyes started to water.

"Rose, please don't do this. I love you". His eyes were pleading.

"But it's not fair to you! I can't be with you the way you want me to, the way you deser-"

He cut me off "That's it?! You're breaking up with me?! For the cradle robber! He doesn't even want you anymore!"

I knew he'd never say anything that hurtful to me unless he was hurting too. The thought and his words only my me cry harder.

"It doesn't matter that he doesn't love me anymore, I still love him. And as long as I'm in love with him I can't love anyone else!"

"How can you still want him after all he's done to you?!"

"The fact that it hurts so much just made me realize that my feelings for him aren't going anywhere any time soon! I can't lie to myself or to you anymore!"

Now he was crying too. "This is my own fault. I've seen your aura when you look at him. And me. But I let myself fall in love with you anyway! I'm so STUPID!" I couldn't stand to see him so heartbroken and tried to comfort him in a hug. For an instance he let me till he realized that this was still us breaking up and abruptly got off the couch.

"I need a drink", was all he said as he turned away.

When his hand reached the door I tried to tell him one last time how much I cared for him. "Adrain, wait! I'm sorry. I never meant for you to get hurt! I care about you so much, please don't do anything foolish…"

"FOOLISH! like what?!"

"Like drink yourself into a stupor. Despite what you think, you're better than that. You're stronger than that. I don't know if it means anything to you but just know that no matter what, I will always have faith in you."

He looked at me blankly before turning away and leaving.

I may seem pathetic to most, waiting for a man who clearly declared he had no interest in me. Hell, even I thought it was pathetic. It's probably impossible after everything he's gone through that he'll ever open his heart again. But I've gone this long trying to save him, what's a little more? Besides, impossible is my specialty.