I don't think I mentioned this exactly, but because I'm bad and still haven't read bloodlines, what happened in those books aren't in this world. I may steal a couple of the ideas but otherwise will ignore the events.

Not feeling the best about this chapter, and have been having issues with the story, but hey, that's the writing life. I think I need to find another beta so I can get some more opinions on the chapters before posting them.

*rant over*

Hope you enjoy it :)

Chapter 5

When I woke, it took me a moment to recognise where I was. Somehow I could place the clinic's ceiling easily, having woken up to the sight of it more times than I wanted to admit. The next thing I noticed was a hand on mine and another on my forehead, my eyes flicking to the person next to me, widening when they landed on Lissa. I sat up, my sudden movement startling her.

"Rose!"

I gripped her hand in mine, "Lissa, I- I think I had the weirdest dream. I was in Russia, but then I somehow got back here, and… and Dimitri was alive. Lissa, you said he was alive," My voice had taken on a slight hysteria as I stared at her. I implored her, begging for the truth, "Lissa, is he alive? That's not possible, right? Dimitri he -"

"Rose." Lissa silenced me, pointing to the opposite side of the bed.

I followed her hand and turned to my other side. My breath caught.

This isn't possible.

I had assumed that it was all a dream.

A wonderful dream that was too good to be true and would just end with my heart breaking as I am forced to face reality.

And yet, there he sat, all 6 foot 7 inches of Russian goodness, his dark eyes watching me silently. He seemed wary of me. I couldn't blame him, seeing what happened the last time I woke up, the dark bruise forming between his eyes and the cut on his cheek revealing the damage I had inflicted.

I was still bewildered as to what was going on. I was missing something—a lot of somethings.

I had been asked what I remembered, which told me enough, but I was scared to voice what that meant out loud.

When I had seen Dimitri before, I was so focused on trying to stop him, thinking he was still Strigoi. But when I had learnt the truth, I was so overwhelmed I needed to have his arms around me, to touch him to prove he was alive.

Now the shock was still there, but I was also apprehensive. It was like whiplash going so suddenly from him chasing me, threatening to kill me, to now being the man I love again. I had so many questions, just not knowing where to start.

I must have been silent for too long. Dimitri dropped his eyes to the floor, shifting his weight. He practically shrunk away from me, pulling back into himself, but I couldn't figure out why.

I licked my lips, calling to him to gain back his attention, "Dimitri?"

"I should go tell them you are awake." He was out of the room before I could say another word.

I looked at the door he had exited through, then back to Lissa, "Is he mad at me because of earlier?" My voice was timid.

Lissa shook her head, "No, Rose. He isn't mad," She tried to comfort me, but it wasn't working. "The situation is just a bit…."

"Confusing?" I offered. Snorting at her nod. "I don't understand anything right now, Liss. What happened?"

Before she could answer, people were entering my room. Dr Olendzki entered first, followed by Alberta and Christian, Dimitri trailing in behind them though he seemed hesitant to come closer to the bed. Dr Olendzki came straight up to me, penlight already in hand and shining it in my eyes.

"Follow the light, please," She ordered, moving it back and forth. Once satisfied, she turned to look at my vitals on the monitor beside me. I didn't even realise I had been attached to one. "How are you feeling?"

I shrugged, my headache from earlier was gone. The only thing I could think about now was getting answers. "What happened?"

Dr Olendzki sat on the edge of my bed, crossing one knee over the other, "Rose, can you tell me what the date is?"

I bit my lip, eyes flicking to Dimitri and then down to my hands. I didn't know the date. With the bites and being held in that room, I had no way of keeping track of how many days had passed between being captured by Dimitri and now. "It's still April, right?" I finally asked. I didn't think I had been with Dimitri for over a month.

No one corrected me or told me the date, instead, Dr Olendzki continued questioning, "And what is the last thing that you remember?"

Dimitri chasing me as I was trying to escape, but I didn't want to say that. I didn't want to talk about what happened.

"It's okay, Rose," His voice made me look up. Dimitri nodded in encouragement, "they know what happened in Russia."

I swallowed thickly; I didn't know if that made me feel better or worse. But his eyes on me did give me some confidence. Not looking away from him, I answered, "I was trying to escape after staking Galina. I remember climbing out of the window and jumping," His eyes hardened as I spoke. It became too much, and I turned my eyes back to my hands, "After that, I woke up in the hospital."

Obviously, time had passed since then, but how much was the question.

I looked up at Lissa, "Was I in a coma or something? Is that why I was in the hospital? Did I mess up that landing, or…" I tried to come up with reasons.

Lissa glanced around her, unsure. Dr Olendzki saved her from having to answer me, "Rose, I have been informed that four days ago you were involved in a car crash."

I stared in disbelief, "A car crash?"

"You suffered a head injury and were unconscious for two days. From looking at the notes your doctor made, they were concerned that there may have been some minor brain damage. But they were uncertain and were waiting for you to wake up to find out for sure. I believe that due to your injuries, you are currently suffering from amnesia."

I blinked. Once. Twice.

"You're joking, right? I don't have amnesia," I was waiting for them all to break out into laughter and explain that this had just been a great joke that made no sense. But everyone's face remained serious. "How long?"

"Now, Rose, you need to remember to take it easy and not stress too much. Injuries like this -"

"How long?" I asked again, firmer.

Lissa squeezed my hand, "Three years."

I laughed incredulity.

"No, you're wrong. It hasn't been three years. I would know if three years had…." I twisted my fingers in the blanket covering my legs; they were starting to shake.

Dimitri stepped further into the room, coming to stand beside Lissa. "Rose, you jumped out of that window and escaped three years ago."

I squeezed my eyes shut. If Dimitri was saying it, then it must be true.

I was in a car accident and now have no memory of the last three years of my life.

I had accepted that some time had passed, seeing that Dimitri was walking around no longer Strigoi, which I still had no idea how that happened, but I wasn't expecting it to be years.

Oh god. What else has happened since?

I had to force myself to breathe, feeling lightheaded again.

Lissa tried to make me lay down, "Maybe you should rest a little more?" her voice sounded concerned. I tried to reach out to her through the bond to see if it was true.

But then I remembered, the bond was gone.

I spun to face her, searching for something from her, any kind of emotion. Still, I felt nothing. "What happened to our bond? Why can't I feel you anymore?"

"The bond broke over two years ago," Lissa carefully explained.

"How did it break?"

"Well, you were shot and -"

"I was what!"

I was staring at Lissa in disbelief. I was near hyperventilating now, another headache forming.

Dr Olendzki stood from the bed, resting a hand on my shoulder, "That's enough for now. Rose, you should rest," she was using a soothing tone, and I hated it.

I brushed her hand off me. "No. I want to know what happened!"

"I know that, but you should take it easy."

I openly glared at her, "You don't know shit! You can't just tell me that I've forgotten three years of my life and then tell me to take it easy. It's my fucking life, and I deserve to know about it!"

"Roza," Dimitri's large hands encased mine, rubbing his thumbs along my knuckles. I turned to him, getting lost in his eyes, still marvelling at the lack of a red ring to them. "We will tell you everything, but you need to take it slowly. You are still injured, and we just want to take care of you."

Despite his words, I was holding onto my irritation, knowing that the moment I let it go, it would be replaced with other emotions that I didn't want to handle right now. Especially not under the eyes of others.

"Can I just be alone right now?"

I almost rescinded the request at the look of hurt and distress that crossed Dimitri's face, but his mask came up, quickly hiding them. He nodded, backing away from the bed, "Of course. Take as much time as you need, Rose. We'll be outside if you need anything."

I kept my face blank as everyone vacated my room, the last being Lissa, who hovered at the door for a second before closing it after her.

Now alone, I felt the pricks of tears in my eyes, hastily whipping them as they fell. After a couple of minutes, I threw back the blankets that covered me, ripping off the cords that connected me to the machine and stood from the bed. I crossed the room to the bathroom attached, closing the door behind me and locking it.

Turning on the tap, I cupped my hands under the water and then splashed it over my face. The cool temperature was helping calm me. I pulled back from the sink, sighing heavily.

I still couldn't wrap my mind around the idea of losing three years. How could I just forget?

I glanced up at the mirror, catching my reflection. I hadn't had time to really look when travelling to the academy, being focused on other matters at the time. I could understand why everyone was doing double-takes when they saw me.

The right side of my face was covered in scratches and bruises. A long cut ran along my hairline, from my forehead to my ear. I could tell it was likely to scar. But I also noticed other things.

My face looked different, not a whole lot, but it was more mature, having lost fat from my cheeks. My hair was longer too, past my waist now. My body was toner, healthy. It was subtle differences, but they were there. I was different from what I remembered.

Time really has passed.

There were no bite marks on my neck and no scarring to show what happened while locked in that room.

I wasn't sure how long I stood staring at myself, not becoming aware of anything else until I heard my name being called.

"Rose?" Dimitri's muffled voice came through the door that separated us. I could hear the concern in his tone. He knocked softly on the door, "Roza, are you in there?"

The desperation that question held reminded me that I had disappeared from the hospital. He must have been terrified when he returned to my room and found an empty bed. I turned the lock on the door, opening it enough to see Dimitri on the other side.

Relief washed over his face as his eyes took me in. Tentatively, he asked, "Are you okay?"

I glanced back at the mirror, taking a breath before answering, "Honestly, I don't know." I gestured at myself, "I look different," turning to face him, "You look different too."

It was subtle things again. His hair was a bit longer, slight lines starting to show around his eyes.

If our appearances had changed, then so could have everything else. Feeling unsure to ask but needing the answer, "Dimitri, are we still… I mean, are we together?"

The corners of his mouth tilted up into a small smile, "Yes, Roza. We are together."

I felt a weight lift; I had been terrified that he was going to say no. Unable to stay away any longer, I reached for him, his arms coming up around me and holding me close. It was rare to get such embraces from Dimitri, yet now he was giving it so easily.

I drew back a little, cocking my head to the side, "Do they all know that we are?" I wasn't sure if we had kept it secret all these years or not. Hoping we hadn't.

He chuckled, "Yes, they all know and are okay with it."

"Thank god." I groaned, holding onto him tighter. A thrill shot through me with the knowledge that I could openly be with Dimitri now. We had only ever hidden our relationship, not even giving in to the pull we both felt until the night before I had lost him.

I thought I would never be able to experience this.

My fingers twisted into the material of his shirt as tears once again gathered in my eyes.

"Roza?"

I couldn't stop the sobs as they forced their way out, tears flowing freely down my face and landing on his shirt. I had been so sure I had lost him, ready to kill him. But now, here he is, holding me close again.

The cruel way he spoke to me, the cold look in his eyes from when he was Strigoi was gone. He was loving, warm, and caring again. He was Dimitri again.

Not asking what was wrong, understanding me with no words, like he always could, Dimitri picked me up in his arms and carried me to the bed. Shuffling around a little until he was laid out on the mattress with me cradled against him, head buried in the crook of his neck. He rubbed my back while whispering words of comfort as I cried.

"How?"

Dimitri's hand stilled in my hair. We had been lying in a comfortable silence for a while now as I processed everything. I wanted to know about what I had missed, starting with Dimitri. I didn't need to elaborate my question, he had been expecting it.

"Lissa used spirit to restore me," He explained.

"How did she figure that out?"

A shadow crossed his face, "You found out about it and went through a lot to get that information. You saved me, Roza." The way he was gazing at me made me blush; there was so much affection in them as his thumb caressed my cheek lovingly.

There was a lot on his mind, emotions crossing his face, but I wasn't sure what he was thinking about.

I knew it was about something that I could no longer remember.

To distract myself, I asked more questions about my life. Where do we live? Was I Lissa's guardian? Who is Dimitri's charge? He answered them all, though I could tell he was leaving out certain details. I guessed he wanted to make sure I didn't become overwhelmed again.

As Dimitri was telling me about the degree I was currently studying while guarding Lissa, the door opened to reveal Lissa and Christian.

"Don't suppose we could come in?" Lissa asked, fiddling with the hem of her jacket. I nodded at them. Relieved smiles on their faces as they entered.

I took time to look over the both of them, noticing the difference in them compared to what I remembered. Like me, their faces had matured, as had their style of dressing. I was honestly surprised by how nicely they were dressed, clothes tailored to fit them perfectly.

Lissa was in a sky blue pants suit with a white blouse, her hair, now longer, cascaded down her shoulders in smooth waves, making me acutely aware of how tangled my own hair was currently. Christian's clothes, though still in his usual dark colours, were well kept and expensive. The fitted black button-up shirt showed that he had been building his physique since we finished high school. And that mop of hair that always had a barely tried look to it was now styled.

It was strange to see them together, considering last I saw through the bond, they had broken up. Dimitri had explained that they got back together not long after he was restored.

Another thing that stood out to me was that Dimitri didn't pull away now that we weren't alone, and Lissa and Christian had no reaction. Even after being told that everyone knew of our relationship, it was bizarre to be so open like this. I was constantly feeling scared that someone was going to walk in and take Dimitri away from me.

I peek at Dimitri, dropping my eyes at the fond smile he had on his face, feeling myself blush.

"Roza?" He asked, hand stroking down my spine, causing more heat to rise in my cheeks.

Part of me was telling me to put space between us, but the other didn't want to be away from him again. "This is just… weird."

"What's weird?" Lissa questioned. She had remained standing at my bedside while Christian crossed the room and sat in the empty chair Dimitri had been sitting earlier. He glanced at me and smirked.

"Aww. Check out Rose, all embarrassed." Christian teased. I glared; at least I knew his personality was the same.

"Shut up, Sparky." Weirdly though, his teasing helped me regain some confidence, choosing to shift closer to Dimitri, openly stroking his chest. The eye roll I got in return made me grin. Dimitri seemed unaffected, almost as if he was expecting me to react like this.

"So you were asking about Lehigh," Dimitri prompted me.

I looked up at him, then turned in his arms to face Lissa. "I knew that Tatiana was offering for you to study there, but I didn't think she would actually let you go." I had assumed that she would have been the bitch she was and rescinded the offer as soon as Lissa moved to Court.

The air in the room suddenly became awkward, Lissa sharing a look with Christian and Dimitri, an uneasy smile on her face, "Yeah, the Queen did decide Lehigh was fine to attend."

I didn't need the bond to tell that she was hiding something, "Okay, what am I missing? You can't not tell me," I warned them. There was not overwhelming me, and then there was just withholding information. Whatever this was, seemed important.

"Well," Lissa started, glancing again at Dimitri; with a nod from him, she continued, "I'm Queen now."

I laughed.

But when no one else did, I sobered. "You're serious." I whipped my head back to look at Dimitri, "That's pretty important information, and you didn't think to mention it?"

He had the decency to look guilty, "I was working up to it."

I sat up in the bed, once again having to wrap my mind around what I was being told. "How are you Queen? Did Tatiana step down?" It didn't sound like something she would do, knowing that most Royals would hold onto that crown for as long as possible.

Another look was shared.

Lissa shifted, "She didn't step down so much as…."

"She was murdered," Christian finished for her. The hint of pain to his tone confused me, but I was too preoccupied dropping my jaw at what he said to question it.

"She was murdered!" If I wasn't so shocked, I might have noticed the tense atmosphere, but instead, I asked, "Who killed her?"

Christian's face dropped before becoming hard; Lissa stepped towards him to comfort him. But he stood shaking his head, "Just tell her. She's going to find out eventually."

I watched, perplexed as he left the room. "What?"

Lissa was watching the closed door with slumped shoulders, so I turned to Dimitri again. His expression was a combination of anger and hurt, making me panic.

I took his hand in mine, silently asking him. He squeezed back before answering, "Not long after I was restored, Tatiana was found dead in her bed. A stake through her chest." I cringed at the way she died but didn't interrupt. "The person… that did it, they left certain evidence that framed you for her murder."

I was speechless. Of all the things I could have possibly expected, that was not one. "I… I was framed for murdering the Queen." I repeated, staring blankly ahead as I tried to process. My eyes snapped to his, "What evidence did they leave that made them think I did it?"

"They found your stake, and you had no alibi."

I scoffed, "I'm pretty sure if I were going to kill someone, I wouldn't be stupid enough to leave my stake behind."

The corner of his mouth twitched in an almost smile, "That's what you said at your hearing."

"Wait, who was the real murderer? Why would they frame it on me!" If they were meant to keep me calm, they had failed. I couldn't believe what they were telling me. Who had I made such an enemy of that they wanted me to go to jail for killing the Queen?

My eyes flicked between the two of them, waiting for an answer. They both had distressed expressions, which unnerved me. It was Lissa that answered me.

"It was Tasha, Rose."

Her words took a moment to sink in and even longer for me to comprehend what that meant. Tasha. Christian's aunt, Natasha Ozera, framed me for murder. Tasha murdered the Queen. "What? I don't understand. Why would she…."

"She didn't like what Tatiana was doing and wanted to stop her. And for why she framed you, she thought that if you were out of the way, then I would be with her. And because your dislike for Tatiana was well known, you were easy to blame." Dimitri's voice was tight, still holding anger towards Tasha.

I was suddenly pissed off.

I had liked Tasha, sure I wasn't her biggest fan during the Christmas break when she had offered Dimitri everything I couldn't give him. But I had grown to respect her for how she stood up for her beliefs. I never expected anything like this.

Tasha framed me all because of her jealousy for my relationship with Dimitri. "She thought that if I was sent to rot in jail that you would suddenly fall in love with her?" I scoffed at the absurdity of it all.

"Rose, you wouldn't have just been put in jail. If you had been found guilty, they would have executed you," Lissa's voice had a harsh tone in it, not aimed at me, thankfully.

That made me pause. While I was still pissed, I just realised why Christian had left the room. "Oh god. Is Christian okay?" While we weren't super close, I did value his friendship. I felt terrible that the last person in his family he really cared about did such a thing.

And if what Lissa said is true, then Tasha would have been executed for her crimes.

Lissa sighed, glancing at the door again, "It was hard for him, still is. But he knows that Tasha made a choice, and no matter what her intentions were, it was wrong."

I wanted to ask more about it, but I was feeling my headache returning. It really was a lot to take in. I dropped my head into my hands, rubbing my temples to relieve some of the pressure.

Dimitri shifted on the bed to be closer to me, "Roza? Are you okay?"

I looked up at him, giving a small smile, though it was strained, "It's just a lot."

"Maybe you should take a break."

My door was thrown open, startling the three of us. I watched, shocked as Janine stormed into the room, her red hair bouncing aggressively with each step. I wasn't sure if I was more surprised by the fact my mother was here or that Zmey wandered in after her.

"Rosemarie Hathaway, you better start explaining right now!" Janine's voice rang through the room. She took a stance before me, hands on her hips, staring at me expectantly.

My headache was about to become so much worse.

Alberta pushed into the room, sighing, "She wouldn't let me finish talking before coming in here," She explained to me, turning back to my mother, "If you had, I would have told you that Rose has amnesia."

Janine was taken aback, "What do you mean she has amnesia?"

I rolled my eyes, "She means I don't remember shit."

"What?"

I cringed as Zmey placed a hand on Janine's shoulder, appearing to be comforting her. I levelled a glare at him, "What's he doing here anyway?" They both raised their eyebrows at me.

"Her last memory is from when she was still in Russia," Dimitri explained.

Janine shook her head, a look of concern in her eyes, something I wasn't used to seeing. "But why would you run away from the hospital?"

I crossed my arms, feeling defensive, "I saw Dimitri and thought he was still Strigoi, and so I ran," I glanced at Zmey, "And when I saw him, I figured they were working together."

"You thought I was working with a Strigoi?" Zmey questioned with a wry smile.

"Well, you kept saying that you were hired, so I guessed it was Dimitri when I saw you both there."

He chuckled, "You thought I was hired by a Strigoi to bring you back to America?"

My temper was rising, "Sorry that my deduction skills aren't great after waking up from a car crash. How about you get into one and tell me how great your mind is working." I wasn't a fan of Zmey back in Russia, and it seems that he was still as annoying to deal with. "Why are you even here, old man?"

"Rose," Janine scolded me, though I didn't care. She can't just pick and choose when she wants to act like my mother. Sure we had grown a little closer after the attack on the school, but it wasn't enough for her to tell me what to do.

Zmey grinned, seemingly unaffected by my words; if anything, they amused him. "No, it's quite alright, Janine. I suppose I will be the one to tell her this time."

I pulled back instinctively, not liking the look in his eye. Dimitri pressed a hand to the small of my back, sensing my unease.

"Rose, I am your father."

I never once imagined I would have my father announce himself with a Star Wars reference. I also never imagined that I would meet my father. I turned to my mother incredulously, "You had sex with a mob boss?"

"Rosemarie!" Janine yelled, a red tint to her cheeks.

Zmey tutted, "I'm a businessman."

I groaned, covering my face with my hands again. My head was pounding now.

"That's enough. Rose needs to rest," Dimitri told them, rubbing my back.

"After the last three days, you can't expect me to just leave without getting some answers. She is my daughter." Janine spat out.

"Just leave, will you!" I yelled into my hands.

Silence settled in the room, everyone becoming speechless.

"Come on, I'll explain things," I heard Alberta telling my mother in a low voice.

I didn't look up or say anything; it wasn't until I heard the door close that I lifted my head. Dimitri was still on the bed next to me, studying me. I could tell from his expression that he wanted to say something, but I wasn't in the mood for one of his zen lessons.

He raised his hand to my face, fingers lightly grazing the cut, a sadness in his eyes. When he blinked, it was gone, just affection shining through. Dimitri leant forward to press a kiss to my forehead, "You should rest."

I gave him a thankful smile, "Will you stay with me?"

"Of course, Roza."

Please do leave a review of your thoughts so far, feeling mildly lost with my plan for the future chapters and I love hearing what you all think. :)