Chapter 34:
DPOV
We arrived at the hotel. We had gotten her in quietly and I moved her to the bed, my intention was to get her under the blankets, but she wouldn't let me go. I was fairly certain she was asleep, she just didn't let go of me. She would grip my shirt tighter when I laid her body down away from me.
Eventually, I gave in and just lay on the bed with her, both above the covers. Not that it mattered, it was Las Vegas and it was still hot at night.
I wrapped my arm around her keeping her close. She had her head on my chest and her hair was fanning out around her head. I pulled some of it away from my face and gently stroked it. Even in her sleep, my touch seemed to calm her down. I was grateful for this. It was the only sign of recognition I had gotten so far.
Adrian sat himself up against the headboard on the other side of Rose. He looked at me and at Rose. I could hear his thoughts. I had similar concerns. What did we bring back?
I saw the transformation and it worked. Rose was a Dhampir again. I saw her brown eyes meet mine, but all I could see in them was pain. After Adrian staked her I heard her cry. A sound so heart-wrenching that it made the hair on my skin stand up. When I held her I felt her hang on to me as if I was the only thing keeping her here. I know living as a Strigoi was not what she wanted, but did she want this? Maybe it was just the transformation, the shock of it all. All people cry when they were born into this world, maybe being born again was the same.
So I held her in my arms all throughout the night. Adrian was next to us. He had one hand on Rose's shoulder. We could hear her sob occasionally and Adrian would send a bolt of spirit through her and I would grip her tighter.
I was grateful he was here. We had started this journey together. And somehow we had made it. I couldn't have done it without him, and I doubt he would have ever figured out how to restore a Strigoi if we hadn't come here. So now we both laid in bed with the girl that had brought us together. The girl we both loved. Well the girl I was still in love with, I think he was starting to get over her. She would always be important to him. He had risked his life for her and I knew he would continue to do right by her. But he had a new love interest, and I think he was starting to realize the difference between the infatuation he had with Rose and the feelings he had for Sydney. She might be a very unlikely candidate, but she was just what he needed. They complemented each other. They fit, just like Rose and I did.
He moved a little closer towards Rose and he too began running his hands through her hair. Her hair was long enough so we could focus on different parts. We both needed the contact as much as Rose did. We needed to know she was still here. I didn't want to go to sleep, I was afraid that when I woke up, this would have just been a dream and I would wake up in the Strigoi compound again. Or I would wake up with her blood on my hands, knowing I had killed her. I was holding onto her even if it was a dream. I never wanted it to end. I hugged her a little bit tighter.
"It's OK, Dimitri. She will be here in the morning. We really did it. It is over. We have her back."
I wanted to believe Adrian so badly. I knew the girl in my arms wasn't Strigoi anymore, but this was a far cry from our Rose. I wondered if she would ever be the same.
Both of us slept little. I knew Adrian dozed off for two hours but I think I was awake all night. It didn't matter to me. Even if she would never return to her normal self I would still be there for her. The alternative was just not an option.
When morning came Adrian woke up by a knock on the door. I could feel Rose tense up again but she didn't wake up yet.
Adrian got up from the bed and opened the door. When I felt Adrian's heart skip a beat I knew who it was at the door. I smiled. She came into a Moroi owned hotel with God knows how many Moroi staying here at the moment. Although an Alchemist would probably raise less suspicion than a regular human, it was still odd. I realized she had been here before, when I was kidnapped. Sydney might not be in love with Adrian but she obviously cared enough to overcome her deep-rooted fear of this hotel.
"Adrian, where were you last night, you didn't answer your phone, I was worried. Oh, my God, you look like hell. Have you been drinking?"
I could see them just barely through the door from my position on the bed. She had her hands on her hips and challenging Adrian. If I didn't know any better I would say Sydney was scolding Adrian like a wife would do. I could feel Adrian swell with enjoyment. He found this amusing.
Then I felt confusion and doubt. He knew we had Rose in the next room. He didn't know if he should let Sydney know. Restoring a Strigoi would be huge in our society and for the alchemists but it could go either way. They could see this as a miracle or they could still see her as a monster and do God knows what to her. He contemplated telling her and decided that telling Sydney wasn't like telling the alchemists. He knew that if he asked her to keep this quiet, she would.
"Well, we had one hell of a night."
I listened to the first few sentences of Adrian telling Sydney of all the things that had happened. I tuned out when I felt Rose stir in my arms. She was waking up. She was rubbing her eyes and looking straight up at me. Her big brown eyes focused on mine.
I stroked some of her hair out of her face. The strands going in all directions. I felt a little better. She wasn't crying anymore. She didn't say anything as she laid her head back down on my chest, her hands still gripping my shirt rather tightly.
I just kept stroking her hair. I had always loved her hair. Running my fingers through it almost seemed meditational.
I frowned as I felt something hard in them. I pulled it out and saw it was a small piece of dried blood... and I don't think it belonged to Rose. I could also see a small dried speck of blood on her lips. She needed a shower.
"Come on Rose, let's get you washed up."
She didn't respond to me at all. I tried getting up but Rose holding on to me so tight made it nearly impossible. I relented and just picked her up in my arms. She didn't seem to mind that. I walked to the bathroom and sat her down on the edge of the tub. She let go of me long enough for me to start the shower.
I waited for her to take her own clothes off but she didn't move a muscle. So I decided to do it for her. I started on her shirt lifting it over her head. Then her shoes and socks. Her pants were next. She didn't seem to mind me undressing her. I hesitated a moment on her bra and panties but she couldn't really go in the shower with them on. We didn't actually have spares here. Adrian would have to go out and get some. Or maybe Sydney could. Although when it came to clothes Adrian knew his stuff, even women's clothing. Maybe them going out together was a good idea, giving them some alone time.
After Rose was naked I placed her under the hot shower and let the water cascade down her body. She made no move to try and clean herself. She just sat on the bench in the shower looking at me. There was fear in those eyes. Fear I would leave her alone.
I sighed. I removed my own clothes and joined her in the shower.
How many times I had dreamed of being in the shower again with her, naked...but I hadn't imagined this. There was nothing sexual about this, although her naked and wet body did excite me I saw no similar response in Rose towards my own naked form. But she didn't seem bothered by it either, as a matter of fact she moved very close to me. She had her hands on my chest and just stood there. I took this opportunity to wash her hair. Just like me stroking her hair, she seemed to be enjoying the motion. She closed her eyes and leaned into my hands as they were massaging her scalp. I took the shower head and rinsed the shampoo out of her hair. Next, I started to wash her body. But Rose handed me the bottle of conditioner. She didn't say anything.
"Do you want me to use a conditioner on your hair?"
I asked, hoping to get a response from her. I waited long for an answer that never came. She just looked at me.
I was reminded of when I was little. My grandma had a toy car on the top of a shelf. I wasn't allowed to play with it until I would ask for it. I had to say 'car'. It was my grandmother's way of getting me to speak. I was trying to do the same with Rose now, but I didn't have the same results as my grandmother did with me. So I gave in and spread the conditioner on Rose's hair. I let it sit for a minute and continued to get the grime off of Rose's body as if washing her body would wash her soul of her deeds over the last few months.
When I was finished and had quickly cleaned myself, I dried her off. I gave her one of my boxers and one of my shirts and had to stop myself from shivering. Normally her wearing my clothes would be a major turn on. She would sway her hips a little more than usual and she would taunt me by letting my shirt ride low on her shoulder while gripping the bottom to reveal her thighs. Rose knew exactly what it took to drive me crazy. But this Rose was not aware of the effect she had on me. There was no sway of her hips, no smirk on her face, no fingers motioning me towards her. This Rose seemed so child-like and innocent as if she was seeing the world for the first time like she didn't understand what had happened to her.
She never strayed more than two feet away from me. Which was fine with me but could become a little awkward when either of us had to go to the bathroom.
I took her to the main room to get her something to eat. She followed me. I was in the little kitchenette where I found a note saying Sydney and Adrian were out shopping for Rose. I smiled and wondered if I had that thought on my own or if I somehow unconsciously picked it up from Adrian.
I noticed Rose was not behind me anymore. I saw her stand in the middle of the room staring at the balcony. The balcony was covered in the morning sun. I saw her slowly make her way over there and I watched in awe. Rose seemed to bath in the sunlight. She climbed in one of the chairs and pulled her legs up to her knees. She put her hands around her legs and just sat there. She closed her eyes and bathed in the sun. She hadn't seen the sun for four months. I imagine she missed it.
I made her some cereal and texted Adrian to bring some chocolate donuts, she always liked those. I walked over to the balcony and offered her her cereal.
"Rose, I made you some breakfast."
She looked up at me at the mention of her name. At least she remembered that. She made no move to grab her breakfast. Maybe she wasn't hungry, although the old Rose would never decline food. I opted for cereal because it was a bit between solids and fluids. Rose hadn't had any solids for four months; I imagined that food would be strange to her.
But she simply looked out of the balcony at the people below. I sighed again. I picked up my chair and moved it closer to her. I put some cereal on the spoon and held it in front of her mouth. She hesitated but took a bite anyway. I was relieved. I continued with this until her bowl was empty. She hadn't looked at me, she was either looking at the blue sky or at the people below.
I heard Adrian come in and he saw us sitting on the balcony. I moved up out of my chair after I finished my own plate and I saw Rose panic.
"I'll just be inside with Adrian, if you need me."
I saw her hesitate to either follow me or to stay in the sun. She opted for the latter.
I walked back inside making sure Rose could still see me from her position. I saw her follow my every move, making sure I was never out of sight.
"So, you find everything?" I asked both of them.
"Yes, It is eerie how well Adrian can estimate a woman's bra size or whether or not Rose's hips would fit in those jeans."
Adrian held his hands up in the air.
"What can I say, it is a gift. As an artist, I can picture every inch of a woman's body as a beautiful piece of art forever engraved in my memory. Don't worry though Sage, yours is safely tucked away up here too." He tapped the side of his head.
She rolled her eyes, while Adrian had a big smile plastered on his face.
Adrian turned to me and he became a lot more serious.
"How is she?"
I sighed. "She isn't crying anymore, that's a start. She just needs a lot of help. With everything."
"What if she stays that way, Dimitri? What if she will never get back to normal?"
I didn't want to think about it, but my answer was very clear.
"If she stays that way forever, I'll be taking care of her forever."
He could feel the determination in my voice. He realized he may have sounded a bit blunt in approaching this. He nodded and switched to a more pleasant topic.
"Well I brought donuts."
Sydney and I both shook our heads. Adrian however paid us little mind. His face became serious again. He looked over towards Rose.
"Maybe we should contact Lissa and tell her Rose is alive." Adrian asked.
I contemplated this for a moment, she would be elated. Maybe we should wait until Lissa graduated. Graduation was just around the corner. I also didn't want to draw attention to us. We needed to come up with a game plan first. I didn't know how the Moroi world would react to this. I was still deep in thought, but before I could make a decision, either way, the decision was made for us.
"No, No, No, Not Lissa, please Dimitri, I don't want to see Lissa."
Rose had heard us and got out of her chair on the balcony and was now desperately pulling at my shirt willing me to listen to her. Her first words could have been something nicer, but I was glad she was finally talking and she called me by my name. She did remember us. She was just wallowing in her pain too much to pay much attention.
The fear in her eyes was evident. She was pleading with me not to tell Lissa. I couldn't figure out why. But I didn't want to push Rose. she was so fragile right now.
"Okay, I won't tell Lissa I promise."
I was stroking her hair again, trying to calm her down. It seemed to be working as she moved closer to me and buried her face in my chest. I held her tight.
She was still shaking so I took her to the balcony again. I sat down on the couch and Rose crawled into my lap. She let her head rest against my chest and I wrapped an arm around her. She made herself comfortable. I did the same. While I was gently running my fingers through her hair with one hand I was opening the book that was still on the table since the last time I had sat on this balcony, I don't even remember when. It seemed so long ago, but was probably just over a week.
Although this wasn't exactly how I pictured my reunion with Rose, I meant what I said to Adrian. I would take care of her. Because for the first time in four months I was at peace. Truly at peace.