Dimitri's POV

Rose and I stood side by side, staring at the closed door in front of us in silence. I could feel the anxiety radiating off of her and I knew that she was doing everything she could to stay calm and not panic.

"Roza, we don't have to do this if you're not ready," I stated, linking my hand with hers in reassurance. In that one touch, I felt her worry fade slightly at the knowledge that I was with her, here for her, but I knew that she was still scared inside.

After Rose and I opened up to each other the day before, we had spent the whole day in each other's arms, making up for lost time and relishing in the warmth of being close to one another again. We had spoken more in depth, exploring our thoughts and our worries before promising each other that no matter what happens, we would always talk to each other. We would always let the other know what we were feeling. One of the main sources of our issues in the last few months had been communication, and the presumption that one of us was feeling one thing or another without ever discussing it.

I had presumed Rose would resent me for my actions as a Strigoi...

Rose had presumed I would resent her for what Nathan had put her through…

We had both presumed at one time or another that we weren't enough for the other person…

And each time, we were wrong.

At the end of the day however, after we had lifted the weights off our shoulders, Rose suddenly blurted out that she had decided she wanted to visit her father and her friends. I was surprised to say the least; she had only just opened up to me again, which was already a huge step, and then she stated that she wanted to push herself even further. My shock was laced with a mixture of pride and concern – I was proud that she was making progress, but I was concerned that she was pushing herself too much too quickly. Still, I supported her, and the next day we set up a time to see everyone. Christian, Abe, Vasilisa, Eddie, Adrian… they were all waiting behind the closed door of Abe's guest housing.

"No, I know I don't have to. I want to," she replied, giving my hand a gentle squeeze in return. "I need to do this."

"I know you do Milaya, but you don't have to push yourself so soon – everyone understands that you've been through a lot."

She sighed deeply.

"Dimitri, I've isolated myself from everyone for nearly two weeks and it's not going to help me get better if I don't push myself to see them again."

"I know. I'm just worried about you. I want to make sure that you're okay."

"Thank you, Comrade," she smiled, my heart soaring at her use of my familiar nickname – the first time she had used it since she was taken. "I'll be fine - I promise. I won't freak out."

I smiled back at her before leaning down to place a gentle, reassuring kiss on her forehead. I was still worried for her, but I knew this was something she needed to do and I had told her I would be there for her no matter what, after all.

With a deep breath, she nervously reached out and knocked on the door three times before stepping back and waiting for it to open. Not five seconds later, it swung open to reveal an anxious Abe, wearing a typically vibrant scarf and jacket. At the familiar sight of her father, I felt Rose's anxiety fade instantaneously. There had been no need for her to worry.

Dropping my hand, she rushed forward and enveloped him in a tight hug, wrapping her arms securely around his neck. Instinctively, Abe responded, returning his daughter's act of affection.

"Hey there, old man," she greeted, still holding onto him tightly.

He chuckled at her term of 'endearment' before replying.

"Kizim… I missed you."

"I'm so sorry."

"No need to apologise. None of this was your fault, you hear me?"

I saw Rose nod against his shoulder before releasing her tight grip around his shoulders. As he looked into her eyes, never had I seen Abe look so fragile, so… ordinary? He was Zmey. He was cunning, he was smart, intimidating, powerful… yet with Rose, he was a father. A father who cared for his daughter. A father who was frightened for her safety. A father who was relieved to have her back home and safe. One thing Abe relished was control, and with Rose taken from us and him unable to do anything, that control had been taken from him also. Like me, he had felt stranded, powerless, and now with Rose back I saw determination in his eyes. Determination to not lose his control again. To not lose Rose again.

With newfound confidence, Rose ventured further into the apartment, seeking out the rest of our friends. Following behind, I passed Abe, who greeted me with a nod and a pat on the back before closing the door and following us into his home.

As I entered the living area, just seconds after Rose, I saw that she had already been engulfed in a hug from Lissa. Judging by Rose's reaction, Vasilisa's hold on her was strong and she was clearly unwilling to let get go any time soon.

"Unh, Liss, can't – breathe –" Rose managed to say, while trying to catch her breath and prying Vasilisa off of her. She instantly let go and took a step back, worried about hurting her Guardian.

"Sorry! Sorry. I'm just happy to see you," she said sheepishly.

Rose chuckled.

"I only saw you a couple of days ago, Liss."

"I know, I know, but I still missed you like crazy. I'm just so glad you're back."

"Me too," Rose agreed, before briefly hugging her again.

Letting go, she finally noticed Christian, who had been standing idly behind them. I was about to greet them when, unexpectedly, Rose launched herself towards him and enveloped him in a tight embrace. His eyes widened in surprise before he brought his arms around her waist, returning her hold. In their years of friendship, Rose and Christian had never been overly affectionate towards one another, despite their unspoken care for eachother, so I knew that this hug was a rare occasion for them both. One that was clearly needed - and appreciated.

"Hey Rosie," he said with a smile, as they stood hugging. "I was worried about you. I'm so thankful you're okay."

"Thank you, Christian."

The two broke apart and stepped back slightly, unsure now what to do after being so affectionate with each other. Christian cleared his throat awkwardly before speaking.

"I, uh, I'm glad you're back."

"Me too," Rose agreed again, before laughing to herself and bringing the conversation back to a more light-hearted tone. "Besides, someone had to keep you in line. Who else is going to make fun of you besides me?"

"Hey, now…"

Finally finding the opportunity to greet Christian and Vasilisa, I interjected the conversation before allowing Rose to get back to chatting with her friends. I couldn't believe how well she was doing - I had half expected her to panic at the sight of her father or Christian, but she appeared to be fine. She was relaxed, calm, almost like her usual self, and I was unbelievably proud of her. If ever I was in awe of her, it was definitely at this moment in time. Despite everything, she still held so much strength and resilience.

A few minutes passed by before the conversation was halted by the sound of the front door opening. Rose's head snapped to look in the direction of the sound with wide eyes, before it must have dawned on her that Adrian and Eddie were not yet here. Realising this, I saw her take a calming breath just as the two men walked into the room.

"No need to panic everyone, we're here now. The festivities can begin," Adrian stated in his usual slightly sarcastic tone.

"Sorry we're late," Eddie added with an apologetic smile, moving closer into the room from the doorway.

Acknowledging the pair, a grin spread on Rose's face and she immediately took to her feet and hurled herself towards them. Adrian opened up his arms - ready to catch her in a hug - however when she reached them, she simply disregarded him, pushing him out of her way and turning her attention instead to Eddie. Just as she did with her father and Christian, she launched herself into his arms and clung tightly around his neck.

I couldn't help but laugh at Rose's unintentional dismissal of Adrian, to which he clutched his chest in mock hurt. Although, I could see a proud glint in his eyes at Rose's behaviour. He could see and appreciate just how much progress she had made in the last day alone – much different to the last time he saw her, and I could tell that his respect for her matched my own. It was a complete contrast to the first time Rose had seen everyone - when she came into consciousness and immediately began panicking in our presence.

As Rose and Eddie stood embraced, it was clear just how much Rose and Eddie's friendship meant to one another, and it was heart-warming to see their reunion. Eddie's anger at Rose's disappearance rivalled my own and that of Abe and Adrian themselves, and the relief on his face at seeing her again was obvious. In their many years of friendship, the pair had been through so much together that their relationship had developed an almost unspoken bond between them. They were like brother and sister, and just as it had been painful for them to lose Mason, I knew that to lose one another now would be devastating for them.

Seeing that Rose was likely to be occupied for a while, and content that she wasn't going to have an anxiety attack any time soon, I motioned to Abe, where he sat simply observing on the sofa, that I needed to speak with him. Urgently.

Leaving the group in the lounge, we entered the kitchen, ensuring privacy in our conversation. Leaning back against the counter, Abe stood with his arms folded authoritatively.

"What's the matter, son?" He asked curiously.

With only slight hesitation, I wordlessly reached into my duster pocket and retrieved the vile photograph sent to Rose two days before. I had debated not sharing this with Abe, but I made that mistake before – ultimately leading to Rose's disappearance. I wouldn't follow the same path this time. It was important that everybody knew what was going on – keeping secrets would only make things worse and it was a matter of urgency that we find Nathan soon, proved further by the object in my hands.

I passed the Polaroid over to him, unable to miss the flash of anger across his face as he saw Rose dressed in silk and covered in bruises.

"Turn it over," I instructed, and his fury visibly increased tenfold as he read Nathan's words.

Look how gorgeous you are. The scars left on your skin brand you mine and they only add to your beauty. Mine.
You're mine - Remember that.
I'll see you soon.

"When did this arrive?" He asked, his voice lace with hatred.

"The day before last. Rose opened it while I was with Christian. I came home to find her panicking but I managed to calm her down."

"I see. And this is why she's suddenly coming out of her shell?"

"I guess so," I shrugged.

Abe sighed and shook his head. "Every cloud has a silver lining…" He muttered to himself.

I nodded before turning and leaning back on the counter, now standing beside Abe instead of in front of him. "I just wish it didn't take something like this to bridge the gap between us though."

He handed the Polaroid back to me, unwilling to look at in any further. I dropped it back into my pocket with an angry sigh.

"Are we any closer to finding him?" I asked.

"Pavel is over with Hans now, but as of yet they've found nothing. They've not had much luck, and they've tried practically everything," he recounted dejectedly. I couldn't believe that no progress had been made – if anybody could track down Nathan, it would be Abe and his contacts. Yet, they had turned up nothing.

"What about Psi hounds? Have they thought about using them?"

"Yes. They couldn't find anything."

"Блядь", I cursed, my head falling forward into my hands. "We need to find him, Abe. I can't lose her again."

Abe placed a reassuring hand on my arm. "We'll find him. She's not going anywhere. I know you'll look after her this time."

"I won't let anything happen to her," I promised. "Even if it's the last thing I do."

Happy 2020 everyone! I hope you all had a lovely festive season.

There's probably about 8 or so chapters left of this story (Eeek!) and then I plan to start uploading my new story - (Summary on my profile if any of you are interested).
I'm starting back at uni in the next couple of weeks and I am unsure of what my workload will be, but I'm planning on keeping my weekends free at least to keep on top of updates.

As always, thank you for the lovely reviews!

H x