A/N: Sorry for the long stretch between updates again guys. I've been taking a small break from writing for a couple months. It was becoming a little too stressful for me. Now, I am back and ready to kick this story up a few notches. I still know exactly where I am going with this story, it is just getting there might take a while. Can't wait to her what you guys think of this chapter. I love you all so much! Thanks for sticking through this story with me. It will be worth it when it is over.

KATYA

"No, please." I begged as I tried to push myself as far from Dimitri as possible. It didn't work very well, though. I was in way too much pain to get very far. I settled for curling into a ball and burying my head in my arms. "Just kill me please. Haven't I suffered enough?" I could feel the tears rolling down my cheeks as I silently prayed for death.

"Katya," Dimitri's familiar voice said as I felt his fingers stroking my hair. I couldn't help but flinch at the hands I never wanted to feel again. It didn't matter that I would probably be punished for that bold move. "I..I.."

"No, please." I cried, trying to pull away from him. This time I was able to ignore the pain long enough to get to the other side of the bed. "Just kill me."

Dimitri reached out to touch me again, but I pulled away shaking my head. Tears were streaming down my face and I could feel my body trembling from head to toe. Was this some cruel joke? I escaped Rebekah and Marcus just to be sent back to this monster.

"Dimitri," Another voice, female this time, called gently. I took my eyes off Dimitri to see a girl standing behind him squeezing his shoulder. The girl could pass as my older sister. She even had the same glint of sadness in her eyes that said she had seen and done more than any person ever could. I found myself wondering who she was. How was she involved with Dimitri? "Perhaps you should leave for a little while. Her condition is still fragile, and this is gonna be a lot for her to take in. We need her calm if we are to ever get her to understand."

Her words confused me. If she was on Dimitri's side, why would she care about me? Why would she be ordering him to leave? Surely, she would be cheering him on. Dimitri sighed, and I spied a single tear trickling down his face.

"I supposed you are right, Roza." He said. My jaw dropped as I realized who this girl was. Dimitri's obsession with me suddenly made so much sense. I was her replacement. I just didn't understand why I was needed if she was still alive and clearly on his side. "I will go downstairs while you explain things. I won't return until she is comfortable with it. I just need to say one thing to her first." He turned back to me. He reached out his hand again, but I shrank back into the corner of the bed. He dropped his hand with a frustrated sigh. "I know you don't understand what is happening now, but you have to know that I am sorry for what I've done to you. And I will do whatever is in my power to gain your trust and make it up to you."

There was a gentleness to his voice that I had never heard before, and every word rang with sincerity. It confused and scared me so much that all I could do was nod as a few tears spilled down my cheeks. Dimitri nodded in response before getting up and heading for the door.

I felt myself relax a little as the door closed behind him. That was until I began to take in my surroundings. I appeared to be in small room with minimal furniture. There weren't many things on the walls which made me wonder whose room it actually was. I didn't have much time to ponder that, though, because as I took in the room, I realized I was surrounded by vampires. Most of which were males.

I gulped and shook my head. Did Roza save me from Dimitri just to allow me to be taken by strange vampires? More tears spilled down my cheeks. When was this going to end?

"If you are a vampire and/or a male, I'm going to ask you to leave now." Roza said calmly. She had taken Dimitri's spot on the bed and was staring at me with a sad, pain filled smile.

Almost everyone in the room got up and left at that point. I didn't miss the sad, pitying looks they gave me as they made their way out the door, though. What was going on?

By the time the last man walked out the door, there was only five people left in the room; two kind looking female vampires, Roza, and two dhampir women. One of the women looked to be slightly older than me and the other looked old enough to be her mother.

"Rose, Sonya and I should stay." One of the vampires said. "We need to continue to monitor her."

"Of course." Roza nodded with a kind smile. "Just try not to scare her." Then she turned the kind smile on me and held out her hand. "Hello Katya, my name is Rose Hathaway."

ROSE

I held a steady hand out to the scared little girl in front of me. Counseling a rape and abuse victim was not something I ever thought I would be doing. And I had no idea where to begin. I knew that she would be skittish around new people, even if they weren't male or vampire. She didn't know who she could trust. I could only pray this gesture was the right course of action.

Katya slowly pulled a hand away from her chest and placed it in mine. She still looked skeptical of my intentions, but at least she was giving me the benefit of the doubt.

"I know you are probably confused about what happen." She nodded, and I gave her a gentle smile. "I will explain everything, but first, I'm sure you must be hungry."

She nodded eagerly, but I could see a growing hint of fear in her eyes. She still didn't know if she could trust me. I didn't blame her, but the only way I was going to prove myself was by showing her that I could be trusted. Being kind to her was the only way I could think to prove it to her.

"Excellent." I gave her another one of my kindest smiles. "Olena, would you mind going downstairs and getting Katya something to eat."

"Of course not." Dimitri's mother said with a kind smile at both of us. "Is there anything special you would like, sweetheart."

Katya's eyes widened. I wasn't sure which shocked her more: being asked what she wanted to eat or being called sweetheart. Either way, she was most definitely caught off guard.

"I will eat whatever you are willing to give me, ma'am." She said in a trembling voice. It was probably something that had been drilled in her head since her kidnapping. You eat what you are given or you don't eat at all. It broke my heart to know that she thought like that.

I figured it would take time to get her to come out of that shell, so I didn't force it. Instead, I made a suggestion.

"You haven't lived until you've tried this woman's blini. You will never want to eat normal pancakes again after that." Katya gave me a tiny smile and nodded at the idea.

"An order of blini coming right up." Olena announced as she headed for the door. "Viktoria, come with me so you can bring our guest a glass of juice. She needs to build her iron back up."

Katya shuddered at the words and somehow I knew what she was thinking.

"Nobody is going to bite you sweetie." I reassured her. "We just want to get you back to your healthy self, that's all."

Katya swallowed and nodded as Olena and Viktoria exited the room. I took a deep breath wondering where to begin with the explanations. I suppose I should get the obligatory speech out of the way first.

"On behalf of Vasilisa Dragomir, Queen of the Moroi, I would like to express my deepest apologies for what you went through over the last year or so."

Dimitri had assured me that she would have seen and heard enough from the others to understand the difference between Moroi, Strigoi, and Dhampirs. I was grateful for that history lesson would've made things a bit more difficult for everyone involved.

Katya nodded in response to the little speech, but she didn't say anything. I hadn't expected her to, really. If I was in her shoes, I wouldn't have been quick to accept an apology from anyone in the vampire world, whether or not they had anything to do with my abduction and abuse. I was just grateful the girl was still listening to what I had to say.

"My friends and I attempted to rescue you and the others from the club a few hours ago." I continued. I wanted to get through the easy stuff as quickly as possible. The longer we held off on discussing the harder parts, the worse it would be for her. "We didn't make it in time to save your friends, and we just barely managed to save you. My friends, Sonya and Oksana," I nodded to each one respectively. "Have a special gift for healing people. They healed your life threatening injuries, and once they've regained their strength they can heal the rest of your wounds."

Katya nodded but didn't say anything for a long time. I had a feeling she was either deep in thought or working up the courage to ask a question. I wanted to respect that, so I didn't continue as we both sat there just waiting.

"Can they heal my mental and emotional injuries as well?" She asked in barely above a whisper. I had known this question was coming. I had never been in her position before, so I could only imagine the mental and emotional agony that came with it. Sometimes those were worse than the physical ones.

I didn't know how to answer her, though. Yes, Oksana and Sonya could compel her to forget everything that has happened to her, but I wasn't sure that was the best idea. Scars like these made a person stronger. I didn't want to imagine what would happen if she lost them.

Then again, it was her life and her decision. After everything she had been through, if she wanted a way out, the least we could do was let her know there was one that would help her forget.

I finally nodded and said, "They have a way to make you forget the last year or so of your life. They can even invent whatever story you want to fill in the blanks. That will be your decision, but I think you should wait to make it."

"Why?" She asked. "I want to forget it all. If they can make it happen, then why wait?"

"Because there is much that we need to talk about before you make a decision." I explained. "There is so much more to the story than you know. So much more that you have to understand before you can heal. What Oksana and Sonya can do won't heal you. It will just put band aids over the open wounds. Nothing more. Understanding is what will help you heal."

"And what if I don't want to understand?" she asked. "What if I just want to forget?"

"Then that's your choice, but I beg you to at least listen to what I have to tell you. If you do, you won't regret it, and it may just help you regain something you lost. Something that means the world to you."

I knew it was a cheap shot referencing Adam and the possibility of getting him back, but I needed to make her listen to me, if only so she could understand why this happened to her. She needed to know why Dimitri did what he did. She needed to understand that he was a completely different man. A saved man who would lay down his life for her.

Hope sparked in her eyes as she stared at me debating what she wanted. I waited with bated breath for her response.

"I will listen." She finally said, "But that doesn't mean that I will change my mind. Forgetting still sounds good."

"If my story doesn't change your mind, I will see to it that you have the life you've always wanted."

"I'm listening."

KATYA

"As you've probably figured out, vampires are just like any other creatures in this world: some are good and some are evil. I'm sorry to say that most of your experiences have been with the evil side of our kind. I'm hoping that my friends and I will be able to show you that there are some good vampires in this world." Rose began as she fluffed up the pillows on my bed.

I swallowed hard and nodded. I still wasn't entirely sure if I could take this girl at her word, but she had been nothing been kind to me since I woke up. I was prepared to give her the benefit of the doubt. I was in desperate need of a friend right now.

"My friends over there," Rose nodded at the two she claimed could heal me. They had been quietly conversing in the corner since Rose introduced therm. "Are good vampires as were most of the people in this room when you woke up, including Dimitri."

My heart sped up at the simple mention of his name and my head immediately snapped to the door. I fought to keep my breathing under control as I reminded myself that Rose had protected me from him earlier. Yet, she had just said that he was one of the good vampires. If that were true then I didn't want to have anything at all to do with vampires anymore. It was too terrifying.

"If that's true, then make me forget and let me be on my way." I said as calmly as possible. "I don't want knowledge of a world where monsters like Dimitri are considered the good guys."

"No, Katya, you don't understand." Rose said. "Dimitri was the monster who hurt you. He was a bad vampire for a few months, but he isn't anymore. He is a dhampir like me and your friend, Adam."

I flinched at the mention of Adam's name as memories of my last few seconds with him flashed in my mind. I still hadn't completely understood what happened in those last few seconds. It was the first time in days that I had gotten and kind of hint that Adam was still my Adam. He saved my life. Did that mean he was still evil? Or did he love me enough to protect me when it matter most? And if Dimitri really wasn't a monster anymore, was there hope for Adam?

"I don't understand." I said in barely above a whisper. "I mean, I know Adam used to be a dhampir, but Marcus turned him into a vampire because he was trying to help me. I'm pretty sure there is no way back from that."

"There is." Rose answered. "It is a long and complicated process that would involve a very special good vampire to make a huge sacrifice. It is possible. Dimitri and Sonya over there," Again she nodded to one of the woman with the ability to heal. "Are walking proof of it."

I sat there for a minute and let this news sink in. There was a chance that Adam and I could be together and happy. He could get his life back. That's assuming that Rebekah and Marcus didn't kill him for helping me. I just had to hold on to the hope that that wasn't the case. I had to believe that he could come back to me.

"Can you prove it?" I asked. Obviously, the fact that this Sonya woman had saved my life and was going to continue healing me until I was back to my normal and healthy self said that she was a good vampire. I just needed proof that she had formerly been an evil vampire.

"The only way I can do that is by having you spend time with Dimitri." Rose answered. Something on my face must have shown my terror at the words because she added, "I would supervise that time of course. I won't let any more bad things happened to you, Katya. I give you my word on that."

I didn't know why, but I felt like I could trust this woman. She may have been on the side of the man who had made my life hell, but there was something about her. She really seemed like the type who would fight for someone who was unable to fight for herself. I believed that she would protect me from anyone who tried to hurt me.

"I believe you on that." I told her. "But I don't think that I am ready for any one on one time with him just yet."

"I figured it would take some time." Rose nodded. "There will be time for that when you are ready. My friends and I plan on staying in Russia until you are healthy and comfortable enough to be on your own. Queen Vasilisa has also seen to it that you will be well taken care of for the rest of your life. Unfortunately, I have some business to attend to at the moment.

"Oksana and Sonya will see to a few more of your injuries then you can eat and get some rest. I will have one of my people stand guard outside your door until I can come back and we can talk some more. Olena should have your breakfast ready soon." She held her hand out to me and gave me a sad little smile. "It was very nice to meet you Katya. I hope that we can become good friends."

I shook her head and flashed her a sad little smile of my own. "Me too. Thank you for getting me out of there." I still wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, but at least no one had tried to hurt, bite, or rape me yet this morning. For that I was grateful

Rose gave me another little nod and walked out the door.

"Alright dear," Sonya clapped her hands together as Oksana locked the door. I gulped a little and tried to remind myself that these girls were my friends. They had saved my life after all. "I need you to lie back, take a deep breath, and try to relax. The healing works better when you try to relax."

I took a deep breath and did as she said. A few seconds later, I felt hot then cold sensation sweep through my body as much of the pain rescinded.

DIMITRI

I paced the living room as I waited for someone to bring news of what was happening upstairs. Katya's reaction to me, though not unexpected, was more painful than anticipated. Sure, I had been responsible for ruining her life, but I had almost ruined mine in an effort to get her out of there alive. Didn't that count for something?

I paused in my pacing only once when my mother and sister came down. Neither of them said anything about what was happening upstairs. As frustrating as it was, I had to admit that they probably didn't know much about what was happening. Rose would probably want to get as many people out of that room as possible before she talked to Katya. It made sense, because a lot of people could overwhelm Katya in her delicate state. I just wished that I had been permitted to stay. It would be easy to know how to act if I understood what Rose was telling her.

Rose finally came downstairs after an hour that seemed like days. She looked stressed and tired, but she had a small smile on her face. That was something at least.

"What happened?" I asked her before she even cleared the bottom stair. She sighed and wrapped her arms around me. Instinctually, I hugged her back, but my mind was spinning. What kind of hug was this? Did she suddenly change her mind after hearing a firsthand account from Katya? Was this her finally goodbye? There was a small part of me that didn't want to know, but the bigger part was dying to find out everything.

"I've got her convinced that she can trust me and my friends." Rose explained. "I've also got her considering the idea that strigoi can become good again. She wants proof, though. And you are going to give it to her when she is ready."

I nodded. I wasn't at all surprised by that. I was the only saved strigoi she had any experience with when I was a strigoi. She would need to spend time with me to truly understand and believe that evil vampires could change back into the people they once were. I would give her that time. I owed her that much after all.

"We are just going to have to make sure that she understand how crazy and complicated the process is once she believes." Rose continued. "I think she is already getting ideas of possibly saving Adam from being a strigoi. We have to make sure that she understand everything that it would involve. She can't do it on her own."

"I still don't understand why we can't help her." I argued. I ruined the girl's entire life. The least I could do was make sure she got the love of her life back. She deserved the chance to have her happily ever after, after everything I put her through. "We have two spirit users with us. They know how to make charms. Mark and I can teach them both how to fight and stake a vamp…"

"Dimitri," Rose sighed. "It isn't about not having the manpower or the ability. We have responsibilities at home. Lissa and Christian need there guardians. You know what a precarious position Lissa's rule is in right now. We need to protect her and those she loves. I'm sorry."

I ran my fingers through my hair and sank onto the bottom stair. Rose sat down beside me and rested her head on my shoulder. I understood our responsibility to the throne and the Moroi, but I felt like I had my own responsibility to help Katya get her life back. I didn't know how to expalain this to Rose. I didn't know how to make her understand.

"I know you feel responsible for this girl's heartache and you want to do everything you can to make it up to her. I get it, I do. I just…" She stopped her argument and took a deep breath. "Fine. If you can convince Sonya or Oksana to go with you, then you can find the kid and try to save him."

I stared at her with a furrowed brow unsure of what to say. I had no idea where the change of heart came from. Don't get me wrong, I was grateful for it, but it was so sudden that it confused me.

"Why?" I asked her quietly.

"Because, you are right." She told me. "We owe this to her. Our kind is the reason her life has gone to hell. It wouldn't be right for us not to help her just because we have other responsibilities. We saved her and now we have to finish the job. But more importantly, it is because I want to you heal and this seems to be the only way to make that happen. So do what you have to do, as long as you come back to me."

I wrapped my arms around her and buried my head I her shoulder.

"I love you so much, Roza."

A/N: What do you guys think of this one? Please review!