Song for Chapter 21 – Umbrella by Rihanna

You can run into my arms

It's OK, don't be alarmed

Come here to me

There's no distance in between our love

So go on and let the rain pour

I'll be all you need and more

Because

When the sun shines, we'll shine together

Told you I'll be here forever

Said I'll always be a friend

Took an oath I'm a stick it out 'til the end

Now that it's raining more than ever

Know that we'll still have each other

You can stand under my umbrella

When I wake again the sun is out. I can see it shining even behind the heavy dark curtains. I turn around to find Dimitri sound asleep. The frown is no longer there; his perfect lips relaxed and slightly open, his breathing even and deep. He's resting peacefully.

I get up and cringe at the stinging beneath my feet, remembering the mirror shards I walked over. I take in Dimitri's room for the first time since I came back with seeing eyes. There's destruction everywhere. He ruined almost everything. My heart hurts when I think of the pain he must have been in to lose control like this.

I look in the small bathroom mirror, a faint bluish bruise and a little swelling the only reminder of Mason's abuse. My side is the same, my hand as good as new.

I consider showering but I don't want to wake my sleeping Guardian.

I make a split decision to sneak over to Lissa. She must be off her head with worry. I quietly go through Dimitri's drawers that survived the havoc and pull one of his hoodies over my head. As expected it reaches my knees. I'm acutely aware that I'm risking this trek with no underwear, but my need to get to Lissa overrides any other concern.

The trip to the Moroi girl dorms is harder than expected. They've seemingly doubled the Guardians on shift. I also notice some Guardians wearing the same uniforms as the Guardians in the cave. I assume they're my supposed father's.

I sigh in relief as I slip into Lissa's room. I'm surprised to find her awake and when she turns to me as I close her door, there's hardly any time to register her movement before she's on me. And I hold her, I hold her tighter than I've ever held anyone in my life while she cries on my shoulder.

"Don't ever do that to me again!" she shouts through tears as she takes my face into her soft hands. They're not strong and powerful like Dimitri's, but they make me feel safe nonetheless.

Before I can say anything she looks at my attire. "And what the hell are you wearing?" she asks in disgust and I have to laugh. Fuck, this feels good, just to laugh…just to be.

"I don't have clothes over at Dimitri's," I shrug. She pushes her fingers through my knotted hair and a sadness overcomes her as she looks at me. I feel what she feels before I can stop it.

"Whoa," I breathe. "Lissa, please…lay off the blues."

"Sorry," she says as she tries to rein it in. "I…when they told me…"

I put my finger to her lips. "It's over now Lissa. I'm here, I'm safe."

I know she has questions, but I'm grateful when she feels my need to get cleaned up is greater than her inquisition and she runs me a bath. She sits on the floor next to the bath as I get in, seeing my feet.

"What happened?" she asks as she turns, lifts my feet from the water and heals me without a second thought before I sit down.

"I'm not sure. Dimitri's room is wrecked. As in…the only things still standing is his bed, drawers and half of his bookcase."

"He loves you so much, you know. I saw it while you were gone. He…he tried so hard to keep up appearances, but now and again I'd catch a flash of what he was going through when no one else was looking. He was broken, Rose. It was difficult to see someone that seems so untouchable, be in so much pain."

I lie in the bath for what feels like hours, Lissa topping up the hot water now and again and remaining seated next to me.

We talk about everything.

She tells me about Dimitri when she told him she couldn't find me. How he frantically looked for me. I cry when she tells me about Eddie's condition when him and Christian returned. She fought tooth and nail for her Guardians to take her to the infirmary to heal him. His injuries were so severe she slept for hours afterwards and had double her normal feedings to get her strength back. She tells me about Christian…how angry she had been that she'd physically attacked him. I laugh at the vision of my ladylike best friend doing that. She tells me how proud she was of him when she heard he'd helped fight off the Strigoi. She cries again when she recalls Dimitri and Christian telling her that Mason and I were dead. Her anger because they wouldn't believe that she just knew I wasn't. How Adrian was an angel sent from above. They didn't try and stop her from coming to me when they brought me back. I think somehow they knew no matter what they did, she would find a way. She giggles as she says Headmistress Kirova and my mother just about wanted to throw Dimitri of campus when they found out he'd taken me but that he'd told them I had suffered a great deal and there was no way in hell he was letting go of me until he knew I was safe. She tries to mimic Dimitri's guardian voice as she says this and we laugh for what seems like forever. I'm surprised when she tells me my father had come to Dimitri's rescue, agreeing with him and telling them to let it go until I was better.

And then it's my turn.

I tell her about breaking up with Dimitri before everything happened. I tell her my reasons. I tell her about being alone in the cave. The cold…the hardness…the fear. I cry as I tell her about Mason, how he was him, but not really. I tell her I was in her head when Adrian made his appearance. I relay Adrian's visit in my sleep. I tell her how proud I was of Christian too, how he refused to stand by and watch us fight without helping. She asks me if he looked sexy while doing it…and then we start laughing again like the teenagers we're supposed to be. I sob uncontrollably when I tell her about killing Mason. She lets me. It feels so good to just let some of it out, even though I know this ache will never go away. She looks on in utter shock as I tell her Dimitri sedated me, but her shock quickly turns to excitement as I tell her what happened when I woke up again. And when I tell her that I've decided to not give up on Dimitri and our love for each other, there is nothing but pure happiness for me all over her face and in her heart.

What I don't tell her is about my second visit from Adrian. I don't know why.

When we're done talking, she refills hot water for the last time before having me lay back. She washes my hair, massaging my scalp with her long, graceful fingers before rinsing it. We giggle and switch the conversation to campus gossip as she lifts my legs one for one and shaves them without so much as a nick. She washes my feet gently, even though they don't hurt anymore. She puts a towel close to the bath and fetches my underwear, sweatpants and t-shirt that I always leave stashed in her cupboard for when we have unscheduled sleep overs. Then she leaves me up to do the rest as she goes back to the room waiting for me.

I'm out within minutes, not wanting to be gone from her for any more time than necessary.

She scoots over in her bed and I climb in next to her, wet hair and all. She doesn't complain. She covers us with her fluffy blanket and when she wraps her arm around me from behind, I grab onto it and I don't let go.

We needed this. This…"us" time. This time to reconnect our bond and love and friendship.

We don't talk again. We fall asleep with our fingers still intertwined.

Hope you en joyed their time together…they really needed it!

As always, your thoughts are welcomed!