Epilogue

(2 years later)

RPOV

I woke up with a start, my breathing coming out uneven and somewhat messy. I was drenched in sweat. It was another bad dream; one of death and gore. I'd been a Strigoi. I'd been undead in this dream. But I knew it wasn't real. I knew it hadn't happened.

I shook my head and tried to clear my thoughts. What had happened had happened. I needed to get a grip. If my doctor saw that anything else was wrong with me she'd postpone my dismissal.

I'd been here two years. Two agonizing years and I had despised every minute of it. In a way I was thankful of Adrian. I knew he'd been the one to suggest this place to my mother. He'd helped me so much. But them strapping me down to a chair with limited to no contacts was not the way to do it. There wasn't even a TV in here and the walls were a bare white. I'd thought I'd go crazy.

I'd come to realize that there were worse things than Nathan. There were probably even worse Strigoi than him. But thanks to this rehabilitation thing, I knew I'd never go back to him. He'd drunk my blood. He'd taken my will. And I'd even liked it! He'd forced me to have a child with him… Alexandra I didn't regret. I might regret the process, hell I did hate the process but I loved her and if any harm came to her I'd flip.

I'd get to see her soon. In less than twenty hours I'd be back home with my family and friends. I hoped Dimitri would still want me after all this time. I still loved him. I'd always loved him and he might just be the one to get me over all of this. This place had helped me get over the larger hurdle, breaking the compulsion on me caused by the endorphins but there was more.

I could never be a guardian. I could never get a job that I'd love. Sure, Dimitri could offer to train me again but what good would that do. I wouldn't go back to high school with all those teenagers. I wasn't one anymore and there'd be whispering. The old Rose Hathaway wouldn't care. But this new one did.

And you know what I was craving most right now?

A chocolate glazed donut.

DPOV

Roza came home in July. She was quiet when she got out of the car. She told me immediately that she didn't want to talk about the center and I respected that. She asked me how everything went while she was away. How Alexa was doing if she made any friends. She jumped into my arms, kissed me and cried. My Roza had cried! She apologized for everything, causing me to roll my eyes. I changed the subject by suggesting we see her girls had been in tears. They kissed. They talked and then when the sun began to rise Roza sighed. It was time to go.

"I'll see you tomorrow okay?" She said kissing Alexa on the cheek.

"Mamma why don't' you stay here." The little girl had grown a lot since she'd come here two years ago. She now reached her mother's mid section and she'd gained some more freckles on her cheeks. She looked… healthier. And so did Rose. Rose rubbed her daughters head and smiled. She glanced at Adrian.

"This isn't my home sweetheart. I'll see you tomorrow." She thanked Adrian for everything and together we left. We were almost at my apartment building when Roza spoke.

"I'm going to let Alexa stay with Adrian." I took both of her hands causing her to stop walking.

"She's your daughter. She should live with you." Roza shook her head but smiled.

"It's up to her. But I'd prefer her not move around so much. Adrian's done too much for her already. She's attached to him." I did understand. I kissed her once again and trailed her cheek bone with my hand.

"Are we going to change?" I asked in a whisper. "It's been eleven years." Rose put a finger to my lips.

"Comrade," She giggled grabbing the collar of my shirt and pulling me into her. "I just got you back. If anything I being gone has brought us closer." She rested her other hand on my chest and traced her finger down my torso giving me chills. "It's you and me Comrade. Forever and always."

"Forever and always." I repeated in a whisper. We walked slowly up the stairs to my apartment. It was recently cleaned. Earlier I'd had clothes thrown everywhere. Now the coffee table was spotless, the floor was cleared, and a box of chocolate donuts sat on my counter. It was a nicer apartment than most guardians had and that was thanks to me being Lisa's guardian. This was the closest apartment building to the palace and made it easier for me than trekking from the other side of the compound.

Rose walked in and headed over to the box of donuts immediately. She didn't take one though. She smiled and brushed the lid with her fingertips. "Thank you." She said. "For everything."

"I've got some new clothes for you in the closet. Vasalisa picked them out so you don't have to worry-" Rose's mouth crushed over mine and before I knew it we were pulling at each other's clothes. We rolled onto the bed and I kissed her long hair.

"Are you sure?" Rose looked at me for a moment and rolled her eyes.

"Please Conrad. Do you even have to ask?"

XX

I woke up alone in the bed. I sat up and walked into the living room, kicking past my trail of clothes. Rose sat in a chair by the window. She was smiling. "What are you doing?" I asked coming behind her. She nodded down to the courtyard below where Christian and Lisa sat playing with their two year old daughter. "Her name's Vanessa." I said beginning to rub her shoulders. She moaned.

"That's cute."

"mhmm."

"They look so happy." She whispered.

"Vasalisa made it very clear she wanted to see you when you got back. She's probably mad that I kept you away this long." I felt her chuckle.

"She'll have to wait a little longer." She turned to look at me and I noticed she'd lost her smile. "We need to talk." Well that didn't sound good. I sat on the couch. "My son." She seemed to be having a hard time saying his name. I nodded. "I need him back Dimitri. I can't forget about him." The queen had warned me this might come up. I smiled at her.

"We'll get Luka back Roza. We haven't forgotten about him." She looked back towards the window.

"He'd be about Vanessas age now." She said. I need him back."

NPOV

I watched the wave's crash down below us. Sea wind pushed the hair out of my eyes. I leaned against the porch railing studying the bright ocean. The moon was full tonight casting an eerie glow. Luka nuzzled his nose into my neck, his fangs brushing lightly against my skin. He was sound asleep and by the looks of it would be out for another hour.

He wasn't old enough to be training so he played and giggled like a normal child.

Galina ignored him. She spent her nights in the study trying to find a way into the Moroi's headquarters. Tanya screamed if he got too close and he'd start crying. Max would play with him laying on his back and giggling like a two year old. A noise I'd never thought a Strigoi could make. Unless Max was with him I didn't allow Luka out of my sight. He had Strigoi speed and once he'd mastered the idea of walking he'd decided it would be fun to run from his father every time he turned his back.

"Hey Nate." Max yawned walking onto the porch. He'd run a hand through his hair and leaned on to the railing.

"Sleep well?" I half joked. Max snorted.

"He likes the sunlight." I shook my head.

"Leave it to Luka to climb out of his crib and somehow open the door to my balcony." I growled. It had taken us three hours to get Luka to come inside. He'd sat down next to the railing and squealed, laughing and clapping. He must've assumed we were playing a game.

"You'd think he'd be more sensitive to light." Max said rubbing the kid's thick head of brown hair.

"How'd he get the door opened is what I want to know." Max thought for a minute.

"Levitation?" I gave him a look. "No really. Remember how Alexa could move things just by pointing at them? Well maybe he got that too." Alexandra. I did not want to think about her. If I ever saw her again, which I planned to in the future, she was as good as dead.

"Maybe." Luka moaned. I began heading inside. Max followed. I laid Luka on the couch and walked through the double doors into the kitchen. Max held one door opened and kept his eyes trained on my son. I prepared his sippy cup. I heated the blood bag up and walked back into the living room. Luka was absently rubbing his eyes. I sat next to him and rubbed his back. "Luka." I propped him so that he lay against my side. "I got you a sippy cup." Luka's red eyes barely opened but his arms shot out. He took the cup and leaned back against me and started drinking right away. Max snorted and flipped on the television. A child's show was on. I couldn't understand how children liked those things. They made no sense. Sighing Max settled down next to Luka and we went through the different channels.

"Hey." He said after a while. "Dracula's on." I turned to look at him but didn't say anything. He lost his stupid smile and crossed his arms grumbling.

"What was that?" He waved his hand.

"Nothing, Nothing." Luka set the cup on my lap. I looked down at him. He looked up at me stretching and giggling. A very tiny trail of blood rolled sat on the corner of his lip. I wiped it for him.

"Morning." Tanya grumbled coming down he steps in a silk black robe. Her blond hair was pulled up into a high ponytail. She bent down and kissed Max on the cheek. "How are my favorite boys this morning?" She asked rhetorically. Max looked up at her.

"I'm going hunting today." Max said. "If you want to come you're welcome to it." He liked to pretend there was nothing going on between them but it was pretty obvious. My stomach rumbled and I sighed. "Dude you can come if you want." He added half heartedly, hearing my stomach. As much as I wanted to I couldn't.

"Galina would never watch him. I'd find him locked in a closet crying like last time." Tanya snorted and I shot her a glare.

"I'm craving coffee right now." Tanya growled sitting in the large leather recliner. Max and I rolled our eyes.

"You're joking right?" I laughed. Tanya shook her head. "You know you'll get sick." She did a fake laugh while rolling her eyes.

"No duh Sherlock. But you know what I can drink?" Max groaned as she disappeared into the kitchen and came out with a glass and a bottle of white wine.

"First thing in the morning?" Max questioned. Tanya just grinned giving him her back side while pouring the expensive bottle. She swished it and took a sip.

"Delicious." She said showing her fangs. I grunted as Luka jumped into my lap. So much for him being asleep. It didn't hurt so much than I hadn't expected it. His red eyes were an inch from mine and he smiled like a child smiled.

"Love you daddy." He whispered very very quietly wrapping his little arms around my neck. Max or Tanya looked over at the comment. I hadn't treated Luka as bad as I'd treated Alexandra and I hoped that when he started his training I wouldn't have to be there for it. I'd formed a bond with the little squirt.

"Thanks kid." I answered giving him a light peck on the cheek. Max was preoccupied watching Tanya's swaying butt and Tanya's back was to me. "Why don't you grab a book from the shelf over there?" I told him. He nodded and jumped off my lap walking over to the television. His books sat on the shelf underneath the flat screen. He came back with a batman book. I rolled my eyes and laughed. "Nothing's changed I see." He hopped back onto my lap and giggled yet again.

"Nope!"

Thanks for reading J

The new book is called Lost Choices: a continuation of this book sixteen years in the future. And please. REVIEW!

On a side note:

If u like Mortal Instruments Look at my book: City of Death

If you like Vampire Academy: Dangerous Lives, Lost Choices, The Streets (on hiatus).

I hope you guys liked my updates, for those of you re-reading this due to the "construction." I hope I didn't change or add too much for it to be confusing. Thanks again, Jenna