I finally understood what Dimitri felt all those years ago on the side of the road in the rain. I knew what that horrible ache felt like first-hand now.

He was technically dead, that much I knew.

Ivan kept trying to get me to move, to sleep, to eat, but I couldn't move. I just sat and listened to the almost non-existent sound of his heart beating. If I breathed too loudly, I couldn't hear it.

"Rose, it's been hours. You need to give yourself a break," Ivan said quietly.

"Being close to him will help him heal," I whispered but Ivan moved to stand in front of me, blocking my view of Dimitri.

"And he can't heal if you are run down. You know that you can help him heal, but you can't do that if you aren't well. You need to eat something and you need to sleep. Please," Ivan implored, crouching down so that he was at eye level with me.

My lip trembled and I looked him in the eyes. "I can't lose him," I trembled.

Ivan nodded and hugged me, resting his chin on top of my head. "I know. But you need to take care of yourself too. He wouldn't want you to do this to yourself."

I closed my eyes and sighed. Ivan was right; I couldn't help Dimitri if I was physically weakened. I let him pull me to my feet and he guided me out of the library and into the kitchen, putting me into a chair and finding me something to eat. My eyes moved back toward the library, the urge to go back to him was strong.

"Don't. I will strap you to that chair if I have to," Ivan said dryly, setting a few pieces of cold pizza on a plate in front of me. I ate them robotically and then grumbled when Ivan put a bottle of water in front of me too.

"Drink it."

I sighed and cracked the seal, swivelling around on the chair. "How can he still be alive? They snapped his neck."

"Ekons are hard to kill. Stakes are really the only way to do it," Ivan said, "He did die for a second, that's why you feel it. If they tore his head clean off, he would have stayed dead."

I bit my lip and clutch the water bottle tightly. "I want to go back," I said quietly and slid of the stool, padding back into the library. We managed to get Dimitri on the couch and I sat on the floor in front of him, resting my head on the couch and picked up his hand, holding it to my cheek.

I hated that his hand felt cold. He ran at a cooler temperature than I did, but this was cooler than usual. I sighed and closed my eyes, trying to channel my energy into him. It was hard to do it, it wasn't usually done. It made me exhausted, but I needed to help him.

When Ivan and Alberta brought Dimitri in, they thankfully closed his eyes. I couldn't bare seeing his eyes looking lifelessly, and it made my stomach roll thinking about it.

"Try and sleep," Stan voiced from the doorway but I waved him off.

"I'm serious. It will help," Stan said as he came in. He adjusted Dimitri's body and then helped me to my feet. I toed my shoes off and he told me to lie down with Dimitri. I raised my brows at him, but he gave me a look I was all too familiar with.

I took my sweater off and carefully climbed onto the couch with Dimitri, curling against him and the couch.

"Put your head on his chest," Stan said, draping one of the throw blankets over us. I shifted my head so that it was directly over his heart, searching for the quiet sound.

"Try and sleep. It will help, trust me," Stan said softly as he flicked the lights out in the library. I shrugged to myself but used the moment to cuddle into him. The ache in my chest made it hard to breathe, but being pressed against him helped alleviate the pain.

I shifted my head and blinked a few times, a little surprised to find Baba leaning over me.

"Hey," he said softly, "You should get up for a little bit. You've been asleep for hours."

I moved my head and looked at Dimitri. His eyes were still closed, and his colour had returned a bit, but he wasn't awake yet. His heartbeat was stronger, but I was still disappointed that he wasn't awake yet.

I nodded tiredly and let Baba help me up, supporting my weight as I carefully crawled off Dimitri. I glanced at him as Baba led me out of the library and into the main living space. I was exhausted, but not at the same time. I just wanted to curl up in my bed.

"How long was I out?" I yawned.

"A little over sixteen hours," Ivan supplied quietly as he placed a cup of coffee in front of me. I rubbed at my face harshly and then picked up the mug.

"Wow," I muttered into my mug, "How long until he wakes up?"

Alberta and Baba looked at each other, both with uneasy expressions on their faces.

"It's hard to know," Alberta said softly, "We all heal at different rates. Dimitri is healing at a slower rate, but he is healing. We can't rush these things."

I nodded and took a long drink of my coffee, my eyes barely open and downcast at the table. I hated that he wasn't awake, but I couldn't rush the healing process. If I rushed it, I could injure myself, and nothing would come about it.

"Here," Ivan said as he slid a plate across the table to me. I picked up the buttered toast and took a bite out of it robotically, not tasting the salt on the bread. I blinked slowly as I ate, pushing the plate back once I finished with the toast.

"Do you want anything else?" Ivan asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know," I said quietly. Ivan nodded and I flinched when a hand touched my back, but relaxed when I realized it was just Baba.

"Where's Mom?"

"She's in Texas for a seminar, but she said she will be back as soon as she can. Has anyone spoken to Olena?"

"We haven't been able to reach her," Alberta said, "But we keep trying. We're going to try one of his sisters next."

I lifted my head. "Call Karo, not Sonya. Sonya will just panic. Karolina is like Dimitri, she'll keep her cool and be able to tell Olena," I said quietly getting up to fill my coffee mug. I filled it and turned when I heard a whisper, but I couldn't exactly make out what the whisper was.

"Did someone say something?" I asked. The room was quiet and there were a few shakes of heads, but I heard it again. It was faint, but it was there.

Hello?

My eyes widened and I left my mug on the counter, running towards the library, skidding along the floor in my socks. I made it into the library and sat carefully on the edge of the couch.

Dimitri? Can you hear me?

Rose?

I breathed a sigh of relief and pressed my lips to Dimitri's gently. I felt so much relief to hear his voice, even if it was just in my head.

"I can hear him!" I called out.

Not so loud, Roza.

"Sorry," I whispered and stroked his cheek. He hadn't opened his eyes yet, but the fact that he could communicate made me happy. I kissed his head again and sighed when Ivan came into the library.

Go home. You need to sleep in our bed and take care of yourself. It won't do you any good here.

I frowned and I stood up, stroking his cheek again before picking up my coat.

"What is happening?"

"I'm being chastised," I chuckled as I headed out to the living area, jerking my thumb in Dimitri's direction.

"Alright. I've been told to go home. Anyone mind giving me a ride?" I asked.

"Dimitri communicated telepathically?" Alberta asked.

"Yeah. Apparently, he can hear us, he just can't communicate yet," I said as I zipped up my coat. Baba stood up and put on his coat, silently offering to drive me home. I said my goodbyes to everyone and followed Baba to the car, climbing into the front seat.

I smiled tiredly at Baba as we drove and he went up with me, asking me if I was hungry or wanted company. I smiled at Baba and gave him a long hug.

"I think I just need to sleep and shower. The more I let my body rest, the sooner Dimitri will get better," I said quietly. Baba grunted as he hugged me tightly, rubbing my back gently.

"It'll be okay, he'll be okay," Baba soothed. I nodded and sighed quietly, looking up at him.

"I know," I whispered and pulled back, "Thank you for driving me home."

Baba nodded and smiled gently before leaving, locking the door behind him when he left. I sighed and rubbed my hands over my face and headed for the bathroom. I turned the shower on and searched through the cupboard for a shower fizz, just to give me something to calm down. I found a lavender one and stuck it in the back of the shower before peeling off my clothes and stepping into the shower.

I breathed in deeply as I stood under the spray. I needed to be calm, not just for Dimitri, but for myself. I let the water soak my hair before reaching for my shampoo and worked it through my curls, taking the comforting routine and using it to bring myself down from the excitement.

Once I worked it all through, I sighed and ran my hands through my hair and then over my neck, following the trail of suds over my skin.

I should live in your head more often.

"Jesus Christ!" I shrieked with a jump. I wasn't expecting to hear Dimitri's voice.

I heard Dimitri's laugh echo through my head.

Sorry. I was entertained and forgot I might startle you.

"Entertained?" I asked out loud. It didn't matter that he wasn't here, he could still hear me.

You're in the shower. I have nothing else to do.

Despite the shitty circumstances we were in, I couldn't help but laugh. It was such a guy thing to do, watching his fiancé in the shower, but I was also the only access he had to the outside world right now.

"Well, I could make it more entertaining" I simpered with a smirk. With him being inside my head, he would feel what I feel. I ran my fingers over my chest softly and over my stomach, smirking to myself as I did.

Okay, this is a little more than what I bargained for.

I snickered to myself and rinsed myself down and worked the conditioner through my hair. After I let it set I rinsed it out and stepped out of the shower. I couldn't help but tease him. I could feel that he was still in my head and I purposely dried myself off in front of the shower.

Rose.

"This is how I dry off, Dimitri."

He sighed and I giggled again as I wrapped my towel around myself and got dressed and then climbed into bed. I may have slept for a long time, but I was still exhausted.

"I miss you," I said as I pulled his pillow towards me and clutched it to my chest. I didn't get a response back and closed my eyes, trying to think of happier things before I went to sleep.

It was the longest three days of my life waiting for Dimitri to wake up. I called the university and told them that Dimitri was sick, but I knew that it wouldn't be a pliable excuse for long.

I wasn't excepting a phone call from Ivan and dropped all of the grocery items in my arms and bolted out of the store. I barely closed the door to the car before starting the car and pulling out of the parking lot. It was like I was on autopilot as I drove, I didn't realize until I got to the hub that I hadn't put my seatbelt on either.

I bolted out of the car and headed for the hub, not even waiting for someone inside to open the door, but just burst through the door. Stan was waiting for me when I came in but stopped me.

"Easy, I need to talk to you first."

"Okay? What's up?"

"He went radio silent overnight, right?"

I stopped and frowned. "How did you know that?" I asked quietly.

Stan sighed and rubbed his jaw. "His memory is a little wonky."

I set my bag down on the back of the couch. "What do you mean?"

"He remembers some things, but not everything. We said your name, but he didn't seem to register it. He knows he's mated, but he doesn't exactly remember you. He thinks that you're still an infant," Stan explained.

I bit my lip and leaned against the couch. "Do you think it's permanent?"

"It may be short term, but it's going to be a lot for both of you to comprehend. I just wanted to warn you before you go in," Stan said quietly. I nodded and took off my coat. While the first bite he ever gave me healed, there was still a scar that he and other Ekons could see. It was invisible to everyone else.

I took a slow breath and fiddled with my engagement ring before following Stan downstairs. I knew they moved him downstairs the other night, simply to provide comfort even though he didn't exactly need it. I followed Stan into the training room where Alberta and Dimitri were waiting for us.

Dimitri?

His head moved up and turned to look at us. I gave him a tentative smile. Speaking to him through the bond would prove to him that I was his mate, even without the bite. I rolled my shoulders back and bit my lip. The urge to lurch forward and hug him, but I had to remind myself that he may not know who I am.

"Rose?" he asked, unsureness heavy in his throat.

"You call me Roza," I said with a slight nod of my head. Dimitri nodded and his brow furrowed as he looked at Alberta. I rubbed my neck nervously and his eyes followed the movement. I raised my brows when he reached for my hand, holding it lightly as he looked down at it.

"We're married?" he questioned, looking at my engagement ring.

"We're getting married in a little over a week," I said quietly. Dimitri's face pinched and he squeezed my hand.

"I'm sorry, this must not be easy for you," he apologized, and I shook my head.

"It's not your fault," I whispered. Dimitri gave me a small smile, but I could tell that he felt guilty that he couldn't remember. I looked down at the hand that held mine and pulled it back after a moment, looking at Alberta.

"Do you think this is temporary?"

She shrugged. "When the Strigoi snapped his neck his spinal cord was severed. It was why it took so long for him to heal. Plus with the fall, he could have had a bit of trauma. We all heal, it may just take some time."

I nodded and sighed, looking at Dimitri. I was on the fence. I didn't want to force too much memory onto him, but I didn't like how he felt. He felt confused. He knew Alberta to an extent, Stan not so much. It was clear it was more recent memories were affected.

"Do you want to stay here, or go stay with Ivan, or do you want to come home with me?" I asked quietly.

Dimitri looked at me. "Ivan? He's here?"

I nodded. "Yeah, he came around about three years ago," I said.

Dimitri looked at Alberta but looked at me. "I think it'd be best if I went home with you. Maybe being around our things might help."

I smiled softly and looked at Alberta and Stan. "Okay," I said quietly.

I unlocked the door and left it open for Dimitri to follow me in. We had both been quiet as we drove and I wasn't sure how Dimitri was going to react to being home. His thoughts were quiet but flitted from topic to topic. I was the center of the thoughts but didn't want to respond verbally to his thoughts instead of his spoken words.

I turned and looked at him as I came to a stop by the kitchen, his eyes moving over the place quickly. I smiled when he spotted the photos on the wall, a few of us over the years. Our engagement photo was in the center of the arrangement, and he moved toward the photos.

We had our photos done in a park near my university. We were both dressed in jeans, but we both were dressed up. I was perched on the edge of the bridge railing and my legs were wrapped loosely around his hips while his hands sat on my waist. My hands cupped his cheeks and our heads were bent together, soft smiles on our faces.

"You were cold," Dimitri said quietly.

I came and stood next to him. "I was. I snowed that day," I said.

"And you almost dropped your ring into the river?" he asked with a slight chuckle. I scoffed a laugh and nodded.

"Yeah, our photographer wanted a picture of my ring on the railing, and I almost knocked it over," I said, "You remember that?"

"I just looked at the photo and it made sense," Dimitri supplied and looked at me with knitted brows, "It doesn't make sense, I'm sorry."

"It does. It triggered something. But don't rush it," I said softly.

Dimitri looked at me and raised his brows. "Roza, we're getting married, and I barely remember you."

I nodded and tried not to let the statement bother me.

"It's okay," I whispered, "If needed, we can push the date back."

"No," he said immediately, "I'm not going to ask you to do that. I know that we must have been looking forward to this, and I don't want to cause any problems because of this. I know in my heart that you're my only."

The statement warmed me, and I could feel his emotional reaction to mine. Dimitri turned towards me and reached up but stopped himself. He licked his lips and met my eyes.

"Can I hug you? I feel like I need to hold you," he asked. My face softened and I wrapped my arms around him, resting my head on his chest. Dimitri returned my embrace and sighed quietly, resting his head on mine the same way he always would. I smiled to myself and closed my eyes, soaking in the feeling.

We stood there for a bit, just holding onto each other. Dimitri sighed quietly and kissed my forehead almost like it was second nature to him and I smiled, tilting my head up to smile at him.

"Anything in particular you want to do today? Or do you just want to chill out?"

"I think chilling out would be my best option," Dimitri said. I nodded and left him alone to do what he wanted while I ventured into the third bedroom that we converted into a makeshift office.

Dimitri.

It was strange looking at Rose and not recognizing her face. I knew that the name of my mate was Rosemarie, but she was only an infant. But seeing her standing in front of me, a ring on her finger and the photos of our lives over the last few years, it was startling.

But God was she beautiful. She didn't have an ounce of makeup on her, but she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. She was hesitant when she approached, but she wasn't so good at shielding her thoughts. She didn't want to upset me, but from what I was able to pick out, we had been heading to the hub because of an attack. One that she was able to warn us of. She was able to sense the strigoi, and I knew that she was a Dhampir. I wasn't sure why, but it suited her. She was fit and lean, muscle covering her body but still had feminine edges.

Once we got back to our home and when I hugged her, it felt right. It felt the way it did when I held her in the hospital. I felt completeness settle over me. We went separate ways when we got home, me staying in the living room and Rose retreating into one of the rooms down the hall. I spent most of my time trying to familiarize myself. I could smell her all over the house. The house looked like we both lived here and I hadn't allowed myself to think about a life with my mate because, in my mind, she was only a few months old.

I found what I assumed to be our bedroom. It wasn't surprising that we had one since she was still mortal. We each had a side; one clean with a book and a watch on the nightstand and the other cluttered with bottles of moisturizers and hair ties. I walked into the room and ran my fingers over the duvet, smiling at how soft it was. The room was night and day at the same time. One dresser was clear, and the other had a few drawers slightly open, clothing hanging out. I absently opened the drawers and folded the items and put them back in the drawers.

I straightened the duvet and spotted something that I recognized. Tucked behind the pillow was a white-knitted baby blanket. It looked like it had seen the hands of time, a massive hole in the middle of it. But I knew this blanket. I had seen it wrapped around Rose before she left the hospital.

I rubbed the edge of the blanket between my fingers for a moment before leaving the room, going in search of Rose. There was music playing very faintly in the room Rose went to and I knocked on the door before opening the door. Rose sat on a stool in front of an easel, a large canvas on the easel. I could see much of what Rose was working on, but I could tell that she had headphones in. I walked closer and peeked over her shoulder, smiling to myself.

It was a watercolour portrait of a park that I had been to once before. I could feel that her mind was occupied with what she was working on. I smirked and brushed my finger over her bare shoulder. She tensed for a second but turned to look up at me, tapping her one earbud twice.

"Hey," she said with a smile.

"Hi, what are you working on?"

Rose smiled and gestured to the other stool that was a few feet over. I grabbed it and sat beside her and smiled at her.

"It's a recreation of an old piece. One of the first dates we ever went on, we went here. Malcolm suggested I do it in watercolour and at the time I didn't want to, but I have discovered a new love for the technique I use with them. We've come back here a few times, and even a few times in the day," Rose explained, rubbing the side of her hand over her nose. She may have been trying to avoid getting paint on her face, but she still managed to smear it over her nose.

At least she tried, I couldn't help but glance down at her chest. She had taken her shirt off to prevent paint from getting on it, but it just showed me that her clothes hid a lot from the eye.

"It's beautiful," I said as I rubbed the paint off her nose. She blushed and tilted to the side before scrunching up her nose and rubbing at a spot on her cheek too.

"I never can leave here without having paint on myself," she laughed. I stood up and watched her roll her shoulders back. As I watched the movement I noticed the shallow crescent on her skin. I reached out without thinking and ran my finger over the scar on her skin. Rose shivered and her skin puckered under my touch, her body reacting involuntarily. Her head tilted the slightest bit and she breathed in deeply.

"Sorry," I murmured as I pulled my hand away, but she reached up and clutched my hand. Rose turned and kissed my palm. It was such a tender interaction and I could feel just how much love was between us.

"It's fine," she whispered. I ran my hand over her shoulder and found that she was tense. Not by the interaction, but a deep tension in her body. I ran both hands over her shoulders before massaging them gently, working on the trapezius and the muscle near her shoulder blade.

Rose sighed and stretched her neck side to side as I worked the muscles. Rose's head dipped forward and when she did, her hair moved from her neck and I stopped, staring down at the small marking of ink.

"Why'd you stop, it felt good?" Rose asked, turning her head to look up at me.

"You have a molijna?"

Rose's demeanour changed and she nodded her head before looking back at the canvas and picking up her brush again. I dug a little in her head and the flash of a blue-eyed, red hair man had floated through her mind. From how she reacted, I knew that the subject was touchy, even now.

I went back to rubbing her shoulders, feeling the muscles loosen after a bit. When I stopped and dipped my head down and kissed her shoulder softly.

"Are you hungry? Or do you want to keep painting?" I asked. Rose blinked a few times and looked up at me.

"I could eat soon," she said quietly. I nodded and left her be, going into the kitchen. I could feel that she needed a minute, so I searched to see what we had that I could make. I spotted a calendar on the fridge and smirked to myself. It wasn't my handwriting, so it must have been Rose's. The calendar had little notes everywhere, stating what was for dinner, when she had classes to teach, and when my classes were. I didn't think I'd take up the profession of teaching again, but I was happy to see that I did something that I had enjoyed. I spotted one that said 'Dimitri makes blini – NO IF ANDS OR BUTS!'. I had to chuckle and looked around to find anything that would indicate what day it was. Even if it wasn't the right day, I'd still make it for her. I found a laptop on the couch and hit the power button, hoping that it would show the lock screen. It did and I smiled to myself. I went back to the kitchen and looked around. I wasn't sure if Rose a vegetarian, but with the amount of meat in the fridge, I made an assumption she wasn't.

Plus, if she didn't eat bacon, I'd just eat it.

I set a pan out to make bacon and then started preparing to make blini, humming quietly to myself. I found making it comforting. Even over the years, I didn't need to eat but would crave food. Maybe it was the part of me that was partly human, craving for the foods that were familiar to me. But by the boldness of Rose's handwriting, it looked like this was one of her favourites.

I could hear Rose moving around in the room when I set the bacon on some paper towel and started making the blini, the door cracking the slightest bit. The setup of the kitchen was strange to me, the stovetop being on the island and the oven being behind me in the wall, but it gave me the ability to see Rose come out, a different and baggy t-shirt on. She stopped at the end of the hall and blinked at me, toying with the hem of her shirt in an almost childlike manner.

"You're making blini," she said quietly. I smiled and her and flipped them over in the pan and then pointed to the fridge.

"I saw the note. No if, ands, or buts," I quoted to her, "How many of these will you eat?"

Rose smirked. "Like ten," she said as she sat on the other side of the island. I raised my brows at her.

"And the bacon," she said plainly, reaching over and pinching a piece off the plate. I smacked her hand gently and she giggled, nibbling on the end of the bacon.

"Will you really eat ten?"

"Yes, being a Dhampir made my appetite unbearable. I eat everything in sight. Just wait until we decide to have a little spawn of our own. I'll be huge!" she said before what she said registered on her face and her eyes moved up to look at me, her lip slipping between her teeth.

I platted the blini I had on the pan and put them on a plate and pushed it toward her.

"Spawn, eh?" I asked with a smirk. Rose's cheeks flushed and she got up and went to the fridge, pulled out a glass bottle of syrup and sat back down. I didn't want to admit how much the idea of a baby elated me.

Rose poured far too much maple syrup on her blini and practically shoved one whole into her mouth.

"We talked about it," she said with a slight shrug, "I think my exact words were that the baby factory wasn't open yet."

I laughed and shook my head at her, pouring more batter onto the frying pan. She finished the blini I gave her and ate a few more pieces of bacon before pushing the plate toward me. I took a few pieces off and left the rest for her with a smile.

"Tell me something about yourself," I said and Rose looked like a deer in headlights. She floundered for a moment and I laughed again, her mouth moving as she tried to think of something.

"I can tie a cherry stem with my tongue?"

I shook my head and grinned at her. "Anything else?"

"I can kick your ass?"

"I wouldn't be surprised. What else?"

Rose bit her lip as she thought, pulling her feet up to the edge of the stook and wrapping her arms around her legs, her toes wiggling in their socks.

"I know a lot of swear words in Russian and Turkish?"

I flipped the blini in the pan, a grin plastered to my face. "Okay. And something more substantial?"

Rose pursed her lips. "Nobody believed that you were real before I turned eighteen, just a figment of my imagination. I used to draw you all the time," Rose said, "In fact, you are the only reason I went to art school and have a Bachelor of Fine Arts. I majored in sketching and did my undergraduate in painting."

I set the flipped down on the counter and beamed at her. "I am so proud of you. You've accomplished an amazing degree," I said softly. Rose blushed again.

"Yeah, well…you submitted my applications behind my back and then asked another Ekon to make sure my application was reviewed. I was being literal."

I chuckled and plated the rest of the blini on the plate for her and moved to sit beside her.

"And now you teach?"

Rose cut a piece away and speared it with her fork, offering the bit to me. I leaned in a took the bite, smiling at her. I was used to eating blini with fruit spreads but the syrup was nice too.

"I teach high school kids in an after-hours clinic. It's for the more serious kids but there are a few adults too. It's funny because I walked in and they thought I was the model."

I smirked at her. "I don't blame them," I said with a raised brow, "Was it supposed to be a nude model?"

Rose smacked me playfully. "Yes, in fact, it was."

I smirked and ate one of the pieces of bacon I set aside for myself. "I sure that would have made any of the boys happy."

Rose rolled her eyes at me and finished eating. "Maybe you should come to watch one of the classes Maybe it'll help jog your memory?"

I nodded and brushed the crumbs from my fingers. "I'd like that."

Rose nodded and looked at the clock with a yawn. It wasn't late, but from what I had heard from Alberta, Rose tried to help me heal as much as she could. It was no surprise that she was exhausted. Worry would also do that to someone.

It wasn't long until Rose retreated for a bath and then bed. I wasn't sure exactly what to do. I didn't remember how to interact with Rose, and that bothered me. I was a stranger to my own home and life, and I just wanted to remember something.

Rose had gone to bed a half hour ago, but she came out and stood at the end of the couch. It was a little comical to see her in a shirt that was clearly mine but how it drowned her, but she looked almost childlike as she fidgeted.

"Can I ask you for a favour?"

"Of course, you can," I said softly.

"Will you come and lay with me; just until I fall asleep?" she whispered. I smiled at her and got up, nodding as I followed her back to our room. Rose climbed up onto the bed and waited for me, her eyes tired but following my every move. I climbed under the blanket and she curled up beside me, tucking the duvet around her. She was so little compared to the bed and I wrapped my arms around her, smiling when she tucked herself closer.

Rose rested her head near my chest and closed her eyes, her socked feet slipping down my legs and hooking around one leg. I could feel her whole body relax against me and it wasn't long until she was asleep, her mouth open slightly. While she had curled into me, I could see her fingers gripping the blanket that was tucked under the pillow.

I shifted so that I was laying on my side, holding her gently and kissed her forehead. She seemed so at peace in her sleep. I felt relaxed as well, resting my head back against the pillow and closing my eyes. I knew that I'd be able to see flashes of Rose's dreams when she slept, but they were colourful. I wasn't sure what she was dreaming of exactly, but I got lost in it all.

Her mind was vast and beautiful. The way she saw the world and everything around it was so detailed and seeing my own face in her memories was startling. There were so many from over the years, ranging all the way from being a young child. I was pleased to see that I saw her grow up and saw her evolve.

I selfishly searched through her mind, looking for anything that might job my memories. There was one that made my brain almost tickle in a sense. She looked anxious and was chewing on her thumbnail, leaning back against the headboard while looking down at something on the bed.

I moved from that memory and looked for anything else that I might remember. I finally came across one that I knew immediately. It must have been at a party of some sort because Rose had a lot of glitter on. It was just a simple memory and the more that I watched it, the more I realized it was New Year's. The stroke of midnight to be exact.

I was yanked out of the memory when there was a loud pounding on the front door. Rose lurched upright, her eyes wide and her hair sticking to her neck.

"Shh, it's okay. I'll get it," I soothed as I got out of bed. Rose swallowed a few times and then got out of bed too, following a few steps behind me. I hadn't made it to the door when it opened, and my cousin walked through the door.

"I need you to talk her down! She's losing her shit out in the car!" Adrian exclaimed, looking at me with a tired expression.

"You are so lucky your in-laws like you," Adrian drawled at me, his finger pointing at me lazily. I cocked my head at him and Rose came out from behind me, thumping towards the door in a pair of sneakers. She glared at Adrian as she passed.

"Do you know what a phone is?" she grumbled as walked past him and out the front door. Adrian raised his brows as he looked at her.

"Who shit in her cornflakes?" Adrian asked.

"It's apparently been a trying few days," I supplied. Adrian raised his brows at me again.

"I don't exactly remember the last twenty or so years," I said hesitantly. Adrian's first response was to laugh, but when he realized that he as being serious, he became dead calm.

"What? How?"

I ran my hands through my hair and moved to sit on the couch, rubbing my face. "I don't exactly know. I think we were being ambushed and I hit my head. Rose would be better at explaining it. Why did you need Rose?"

Adrian sat beside me and crossed his legs, his foot bobbing in an anxious manner.

"Sydney is my mate, we met through Rose. Anyways, Sydney's parents are alchemists. Sydney is due at the end of November and her parents are still causing issues. Claiming that they won't participate in any form of baptisms because the baby is, and I quote, an abomination and Sydney is better off to commit a mortal sin and abort."

I blinked and blew out a deep breath. "Wow. That's a lot," I whispered. Adrian groaned and rubbed his hands over his face.

"If I didn't love her so much, I might just clock her father myself. I draw the line at hitting a woman. I'll leave Rose to that," Adrian said after a moment.

"The mother is worse?"

"So much worse," Adrian whined, "The woman is Satan. She flicks holy water on me every time I'm near her like that is going to do anything!"

I snorted a laugh. "She's persistent. How long have you been together?"

"Almost four years. We ended up eloping last year. You were my witness, actually," Adrian said after a moment.

I nodded and tapped my fingers against the armrest of the chair. "Can I ask you a question without being insensitive to your problems?"

Adrian chuckled. "Go for it."

"I'm guessing you've seen Rose and me together for a long time."

"Uh-huh. And?"

"I never doubted anything, right? We have had a good go?"

Adrian bobbed his head from side to side. "You two ran into a few hiccups the first year, but you were better for it? You've been solid since and I've never seen you happier. And Rose, man, she's head over heels for you. You have nothing to be worried about. But, what is going to happen with this wedding?"

I sighed. That was the big question.

This chapter was two separate chapters, but the one half ended at a weird spot.

Enjoy!