Rose

It's been a few weeks. Adrian and Mason started school with me and they were in most of my classes. My brace was allowed to come off, Mom and Dad took me to the hospital to make sure my knee was okay to go without the brace and then they decided to start me in theory to help me with the panic attacks. I had to admit, it was helping. I was having less and less panic attacks, I was spending more time with Dimitri, becoming closer to Lissa and even spending more time with my family. My mom and dad were around for the first time in my life. I was able to talk to them after school, catch them up on what I did. They tried to help me with my homework sometimes but they couldn't understand it – it wasn't like I was kid anymore. Tony wasn't hanging around anymore and I thought my life was slowly starting to rebuild. Olena came around made breakfast and dinner, Dimitri would come around most mornings for breakfast and would drive me to school.

The bruises had now faded, all memories of my past were only in my mind. I was happier than I have been in a long time. I knew my parents were still trying to find Tony, they weren't exactly subtle about it. I was helping Mason and Adrian with their homework trying to help Adrian get his grades up so he can actually graduate this time, getting to know Dimitri's friends and even getting to know Dimitri even more and I was really enjoying our time together.

It was a sunny afternoon when I was let off early after finishing a test. I was waiting in the parking lot by Dimitri's car, ready to go back home, finish homework and then start the weekend. I leaned against the car, allowed the sun to wash over me as I waited. I dropped my bag to the ground and stretched up to tie up my hair.

"Hey!" I turned and smiled as Dimitri snaked his arms around my waist. "How did you finish that test so quickly?" I laughed.

"It was easy!" Dimitri rolled his eyes.

"For you maybe." I laughed at him and kissed him, wrapping my arms around his neck.

I was pulled from him. My arms automatically reached out to grab Dimitri. I kicked my legs as hard as I could. I struggled, raised my elbow throwing to try to get free. Dimitri was struggling as well but he was doing a better job of it then I was. I was being pulled towards a van a cold hand closing around my throat.

"Oh, do stop making a scene." The voice was chillingly familiar. I shivered, my heart beating fast the instant Tony spoke the first word. The school bell rang in the distance. I tried to claw at the hands but it didn't work. Tony flung me back into the van. I landed on my knee and winched at the pain.

"Oh, just bring him too!" Tony yelled. Dimitri was shoved into the back with me. I stumbled but managed to stay on his feet, beating his fists on the closed door. The van pulled off and Dimitri stumbled again, he gave the van wall another punch before giving up and sitting next to me.

"Are you okay?" He asked me. I shook my head and winced in pain. I lay my head on his shoulder.

"My knee's hurt." Dimitri looked down at it and sighed, ran his hands over it, trying to feel if it was dislocated. I shook my head. "It's probably nothing. It's probably just tender."

"Hey - you're not having a panic attack." I looked at him and smiled.

"Oh, I am." He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my forehead. I wrapped my arms around his neck and sighed.

"It's going to be alright." Dimitri snorted.

"Oh yeah, Tony's just going to drop us home." Dimitri rolled his eyes but didn't say anything. We sat in silence for what felt like hours until we came to a complete stop. Dimitri stood up and went straight for the door. As soon as it was opened, he sprang out and started punching and kicking. I stayed where I was until Tony climbed in and grabbed me. I struggled to get away from him but he kicked my knee. I cried out in pain and Tony pulled me out.

"You be careful. You wouldn't want your little girlfriend to get hurt, would you?" Dimitri stopped struggling and allowed the two other men to grab him. Tony mentioned for the others to go ahead as he pushed me. I stumbled and winched each time my knee moved.

"It was easier when you would just have a panic attack!" He grumbled.

"Yeah, I've been working on that!" Dimitri was shoved into a room and I was thrown in after him. Dimitri grabbed me before I could land on the floor. He held me tightly, made sure I was okay to stand and then stepped in front of my protectively. I grabbed his arm tightly remembering to breath. The door slammed shut before Dimitri managed to get to it. He slammed a fist into the door before he came back over to me.

I had managed to slid to the floor keeping my knee straight. Dimitri sighed, and joined me. I put my head on his shoulder as he started to stroke my hair. I played with the edge of his jacket mindlessly. He kissed my forehead. I wrapped my arms around his.

"Someone will find us soon, Roza. I promise."