Hi Everyone! As mentioned in the small note before, I am back, for good this time. I hope you all took the time to read the previous chapters again for all the new details I added or changed.

Be aware that this chapter has not been betaed yet. But hopefully it will be very soon.

This chapter has been betaed by stardreamer2608!

Without further due here is chapter 14

Chapter 14

DPOV

"Dimitri! Release me!" she yelled once more. It had been two days already and there were barely any signs of improvement in her condition. I was getting worried, but I believed in her. She was so strong, I knew she would snap out of it.

I remained silent and simply moved closer to take her hand. Or at least try to take her hand, she wouldn't let me touch her since she had gone into this state. Every time I would come close or try to touch her, she would try her best to move away, showing disgust through her eyes. It was painful for me to see, but I knew this wasn't her. This was the darkness. However I couldn't help but think that the darkness was revealing what she never dared to tell me. Which is that she never saw me the same way and didn't forgive the crimes I had committed as a Strigoi.

I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry she'll get better soon." She said. It was Riley. Riley had been coming to see Rose every day since the ambush and had been trying her best to support both me and Lissa. I had never gotten to know her, but she was actually a decent girl, of course I would never be interested in her the same way as I would be of Rose but I did think she and I could become friends.

"How is she doing today?" she continued.

"Same as yesterday, although she is talking less." I sat down on a chair. I hadn't left her side since I had brought her here. I knew she was fighting, after all she was Rose.

"Look who's here again, the disrespectful b***" Rose hissed.

"Rose!" I said, feeling sorry for Riley, who had shown nothing but concern these past days.

"Don't worry about it" she said, patting my shoulder. Even if she was brushing Rose's words off I could still see a hint of sadness in her eyes. She was trying to be strong.

I was about to say something to Riley when Lissa came in. As soon as Rose saw her, she started laughing. What could be funny at a time like this?

Lissa didn't bother to hide her hurt feelings.

"This is all my fault!" she said, holding her hands in her face. "I should have listened to her. She had warned me."

"You're damn right it's your fault. Always thinking about your own self, you've always been selfish and once I'm the one paying the price"

Riley immediately went to Lissa's side. Holding her tight as she cried.

"This is not your fault" whispered repeatedly to her. "Rose chose this herself, she is a grown woman"

"I know but if only I hadn't…" Lissa continued

"Stop right there Liss, if you hadn't Austin wouldn't be alive right now" Riley continued

"We don't know that, maybe I had done enough already, I might not have had to use this much spirit" she then turned to me.

"Please let me heal her Dimitri, please!" She had been begging me to heal the darkness out of Rose for the past days. God knows how much I wanted her to do so, seeing the one I loved more than anything in this state of mind was torture for me. However the doctors still haven't given the all clear yet, Lissa might relapse in the darkness. She was Queen and Rose's best friend. She would never forgive me if I had risked Lissa's life for her sake.

"I'm sorry Lissa, but the doctors still haven't given me the all clear." I answered.

"How can you say that! It's Rose we're talking about! How can you just stand there and do nothing?!" she snapped at me.

I stayed silent. This was just another sign telling me the darkness wasn't gone yet.

Realizing what she had just said she apologized and left the room, Riley still comforting her.

I moved my chair next to her bed, I regularly updated her on Austin's condition. He is getting better every day and was nearly walking normally already. Lissa had healed all his broken bones.

I then started talking Russian to her. Telling her how much she meant to me and how I couldn't live without her. It felt like she was in a coma except she was snarky and hurtful. I ignored all her comments and kept talking to her. She always loved when I would talk Russian to her.

I lifted my head to look at her, only to see something I wasn't expecting. Tears. She was still the dark Rose and unknowingly, she was letting out a bit of the Rose I knew.

It broke my heart to know that wherever she was now she was sad. It felt like she might have given up on going home. I knew that was not possible because Rose was one of the most stubborn fighter I knew. But what if.

I woke up to the sounds outside the door. I placed my hand on my stake and waited. The door opened and a familiar face came running in. Lissa.

"Doctors gave me the all clear!" she screamed happily.

"I need to check Lissa" I answered.

"Okay" she answered barely containing herself.

I spoke in my ear piece and got a confirmation just a few minutes later.

Lissa went to Rose's bed and started healing her. At first nothing happened, but slowly we could see the darkness leaving her eyes.

RPOV

The darkness lifted faster than I had expected. And I could soon see the light at the end of what seemed like a tunnel. I ran towards the light as fast as I could.

As soon as I was in the light.

"Rose?" I heard.

"Lissa where are you" I asked

"Roza" I heard them.

"Dimitri" I said, trying to reach out. I could only hear them, but where were they? Soon enough I felt a hand pull me out of oblivion.

I was back!

I was glad to see two of my favorite people and hugged them as tight as possible.

Rose was back!

"How are you feeling?" Dimitri asked.

"Better" I answered, still not letting go of his hand.

"How is Austin?" I asked concerned. Dimitri seemed a bit taken aback.

"Do you not remember anything from the past few days?" he asked.

"DAYS?!" I all but screamed. It felt like not even half a day had gone by. How could it already have been days? In addition to that I had no recollection of anything which had happened.

"You were out for almost four days Rose" Lissa said " but don't worry, we postponed the ball for you" she said trying to make me feel better.

I talked with both of them a bit longer before going to sleep. Somehow everything had made me extremely tired. Dimitri was reluctant to leave my side but I could tell he needed sleep probably even more than I did.

I know this feels like a filling chapter but it's the last one. Shit is about to go down and real fast. Next chapter the ball and all the drama that goes with it.

How will Rose take the fact that Riley and Dimitri got slightly closer? How will people react to Rose's condition?

Please review.