A.N: Hey guys!!

Just a big thank you to my reviewers as you REALLY keep me motivated, never doubt that!!

I also want to thank XxFormidablePassionXx for taking the time to beta my chapter.

Don't forget to review and tell me what you think.

I hope you'll enjoy

Steffy =D

Chapter 17:

After we landed we decided to check into a hotel for the night since the pilot needed as much rest as the rest of us. We settled for a hotel close to the Monastery to go to pick up Robert very early in order to make our way back to America still under the protection of the sun.

Victor shared a room with Arch and Pavel and I got to sleep in a room by myself. Well, sleeping is an overstatement as I spend most of the night staring at the ceiling. I felt better after phoning Lissa at the cabin and she announced that Eddie and Adrian made it back safely.

I started to imagine how things would happen from now on, I was replaying the plan in my head over and over again. It couldn't…wouldn't fail.

It seemed I was barely asleep when the alarm clock beeped.

I groaned, trying to open my eyes. It was like my eyes lids weighted 200 pounds.

When it's done, if I make it, I'll sleep for at least a week! I thought stumbling to the bathroom hoping that a cold water would put my brain in the right way.

I just got dressed when Pavel knocked at my door.

"Hathaway time to go." he barked.

"You know I thought we were on a Rose-Gav level now but no…" I closed the door "You insist on keeping it on a surname level? Fine Pavel!"

"It's easier that way." He said evasively. "Promiscuity is never good.'

"Whatever…" I said stupidly hurt, I felt like a kid who wanted to make friends with someone who didn't want to. I looked around. "Where are Victor and GI Joe?"

Pavel had a ghost of a smile. I knew he liked my witty self but he was not ready to admit it.

"Victor is having his…'breakfast' in the room" he said grimacing slightly. "I just couldn't handle that without at least a coffee in me."

I nodded understanding how he was feeling. We stocked the plane with 5 bags of blood for him and Robert.

"Coffee?" I asked tentatively.

"You bet" he said gesturing me to the elevator. "I told them we'll be waiting in the lobby."

I nodded, grateful. The shower did half the job but I was sure that one or two big cups of strong, black coffee would finish it.

The walk to the monastery took about 5 minutes and it was a good thing because even if it was cloudy Victor was not comfortable outside. To be honest, it was not like I cared if Victor Dashkov was feeling good but it would be a pain if he passed out because of the sun.

I was actually glad Victor was with us because the monks were refusing to let us in but once they saw Victor and he introduced himself they let us in. I, as a woman, had to stay in the main entrance while Pavel, Arch, and Victor went to pick up Robert.

When I met Robert I had a shock. Well, I didn't really know what I expected, maybe a face that said 'beware I'm totally crazy' but it was the total contrary. Actually he looked like the sanest of all of us.

He had the same jade eyes as Victor but the resemblance stopped there. He had blond shaggy hair, was barely 40 and he seemed so nice, kind…almost safe. When he saw me he looked at me curiously and flashed me a million dollar smile and I couldn't help but smile back.

"You are the wild flower aren't you?" He asked me as he hugged me.

It felt awkward and I had to go against all my instinct to not push him away.

You need him, he is mentally unstable, be nice I repeated to myself awkwardly hugging him back.

"Yeah it's her…It's Rose" said Victor with the nicest voice I ever heard of him.

Wild Flower…Rose! I finally understood. Ok he was coo coo in the was he was talking in metaphor…that's going to be bitchy!

"A flower that grows in adversity is the most beautiful of all…but you have to be careful that the shadows don't swallow you." He said so seriously that I felt I had to reassure him.

"I'll do my best." I said with a small smile.

He nodded sadly before getting in the dark SUV with a chauffeur, that the monks graciously lent us, to go back to the plane.

All the way back to the airport Robert kept his eyes locked on me, like he was trying to read my soul and it was making me very uncomfortable.

Once in the plane, Arch went to sit beside the pilot. I started to suspect that he was not that hot for our company.

Victor sat Robert beside him and I sat across from them.

"Why?" Asked Robert looking at Victor.

Why what? I thought but kept it shut.

"She wants to bring the light back in a dark one." Said Victor looking at me.

"You…really??" He asked apparently happily surprised.

I nodded. "I need your help." I said with the full force of my puppy eyes on him.

"Is----loved?" Robert asked me.

I looked at him confused. There was a blank in his sentence and I knew it.

"He wants to know if it's someone you loved?" Asked Victor. I looked at him quizzically. "Yes, sometimes he doesn't realize that he is not wording his whole question but I get it fully, as he is mentally connected to me."

I nodded. "Well yeah, it's someone I love." I threw a quick glance to Pavel as I was uncomfortable to talk with him so close. "Someone I love with all my heart and soul."

"You have healing hands?" He asked curiously.

I quickly glanced at Victor.

"Spirit users." He specified for me.

"I have some…3 to be exact." I said smiling to Robert. I kept repeating myself that he was a nice guy, that I should be nice with him, being Victor's brother was not making him an evil psycho.

"3??" Said Victor literally marveling. I decided to ignore him.

"The more healing hands the better." Said Robert nodding approvingly. He looked at me through narrow eyes.

I fidgeted on my seat he seemed to be reading me and I seriously didn't like that.

"A pure soul has more chance to fight the shadows but even the toughest flower needs light to survive."

"What--" I tried confused.

"You need to find your way through the darkness, too long in there and there will be no present and no future…your soul…will be lost."

Victor frowned as he seemed to read something in Roberts' head that confused him.

"A black hole?" Victor asked rhetorically but he probably understood I knew what he was talking about when all the blood drained from my face.

I knew only too well the black hole. It was the place that Andre showed me in the plane.

"You know what he is talking about don't you?" Asked Victor with his evil grin.

"Maybe.." I shrugged dismissively. "I need to go in the shadows? Why?"

"It's where his light is. You need to put the light back in the dark one."

"Of course I do." I muttered.

Robert looked at Victor and, with the way he looked at him, I could see that he was communicating with him.

"You know about the hole…you need to go inside to---" Started Victor but I raised my hand to stop him.

"Please, could you give us a moment?" I asked looking at Pavel.

"What?" He asked completely stunned taking off his glasses to lock eyes with me.

"I need some privacy with them please." I repeated as coolly as I could.

"I don't really think it's a good idea Hathaway." he said trying to sound detached but I could see that what he meant was. 'I will so kick your butt if you make me leave now'

"I think it is. I mean…it's not like they can go anywhere" I added keeping my eyes on him to show I wouldn't back away.

He sighed. "Fine" he said through clenched teeth. "I'm going to go in the soundproof cockpit to see where we are."

"So…what didn't you want mister 'big shot' to hear?" asked Victor with humor.

"The hole your brother talked about is the land of dead." I said as calmly as I could even if my heart was beating so hard in my chest it hurt.

"The land of dead…" Victor nodded. "And you can get in?"

"The brave soul she has will have to" said Robert answering the question. "But once she is in…she has to get out. You know--" he started and then stopped looking from Victor to me. I could see it was one of his silent conversation and of course I didn't receive anything.

"Uh…" said Victor and I'll be damned I saw a flash of worries in his eyes. "I understand why you wanted him out" he said pointing to the seat where Pavel was before.

I shrugged "I know it's dangerous." I said like it wasn't a big deal.

"That's an understatement Rose! Robert witnessed two reversions and each time the soul of the shadow kissed that visited the limbo didn't make it back."

"What if I don't make it back, if I don't find the exit?" I asked trying to hide my fear and apprehension.

Robert gave me a sad smile, I didn't think I fooled him. "Your light will be in the darkness. The more it will stay there, the more it will turn dark till the day it won't even remember it wanted to get back." He took a deep breath. "On the other side your vessel--"

I quickly glanced at Victor who mouthed 'your body'

"Will shut off lightly while you are in this deep soulless sleep till the day…till the day it will just shut down for good."

"OK let me summarize. I send my soul in so my body is in a sort of coma," Victor nodded "and if I can't make it back before some time my body will just die and I'll wander in the 'land of death' forever…Am I right?" I ask trying to sound like my usual brave smartass self but it was hard to pretend since I was scared and worried beyond words. An eternity of wandering…that was an heavy price to pay.

"That's the general idea." Said Victor coolly. It seemed like he didn't care what would happen to me and, in fact I like that honesty, in a strange and twisted way.

"What if I have a guide?" I asked remembering how Andre pointed the entrance of the hole to me.

"A guide?" Asked Victor and Robert simultaneously. They were both surprised and I guessed it took a lot to surprise crazy Rob.

"Another spirit…a spirit that managed to get out of the limbs in the first place. What if I have another spirit to guide me."

Robert shook his head. "…impossible….dead…..agree….sure…stuck."

Here we go, the half conversation yet again! I thought slightly annoyed. I felt bad to feel annoyance as it was not Robert's fault, he was just…'out' but it was my life that was at stake here and I felt legitimate to be uncomfortable to risk my soul on a totally fried individual.

Victor sighed before concentrating on me. "He said it would be impossible to convince a dead spirit to join you on your quest."

"Why?"

"Because, as a dead soul, we will most likely be locked in the limbo. How he made it out in the first place is like a glitch in the 'door'. Even if you two find the exit again he will most likely not be able to cross it once more."

I stayed silent for a little moment, chewing on my bottom lip, I knew that Andre would go in with me. He wanted Lissa to be happy and safe, and as terrible and presumptuous as it sounded, he knew that I was an important part of Lissa's well-being and happiness. He would help me make it back even if he couldn't.

"I will have the guide." I said with certainty. "Another question though…" I said quickly glancing at the cockpit door behind me to be sure Pavel was not back. "Is it possible to send the other soul back even if I'm stuck?"

"It happened yes." Said Robert somehow reluctantly. "You are far too brave for your own good."

"You don't want them to know how risky it is for you right? You're scared they'll stop you." said Victor with his evil smile.

"Should I worry about that? Are you going to tell??" I asked trying to keep my cool.

"My lips are sealed Rose. I want to see what happens way more than that."

"I bet you do." I mumbled as Pavel came back.

I sighed then and the rest of the flight was in silence. I never thought I had to risk my soul to save Dimitri's. Could I really do that? Risk wandering for eternity in the limbo, not really dead but certainly not alive. That was a terrible choice to make.