A/N: Thank you for the reviews! I wasn't sure how this fic would be taken to, and I hope the description I supplied of Rose helps a bit, since one asked for it. This chapter does focus on the two settling in, and gives a little insight into just how they spent their twelve years together. Don't worry, Selene fans! She'll come in soon, and action is not far off. I promise. I hope you all continue to enjoy my fic! :)

Rose had assumed the days of shitty motels were behind them, but she was unfortunately incorrect, or so she thought. No matter what Lucian swore to her; that they would work together on this and everything would be alright, it still left an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. What left an even more uneasy feeling was where Lucian decided they would be staying.

"It's old, abandoned, and from what I've gathered, people think it's haunted. I doubt we'll be bothered so long as we don't give anyone a reason to come poking around."

Rose stared up at the abandoned apartment complex in the least accommodating part of town, and she sighed softly. It wasn't in her nature to outright argue with her friend, as she learned early on when they would be spending years upon years together, that arguing would not get them by in any way, shape, or form. So, begrudgingly as it was, the brunette followed him up the stairs.

It took a good few minutes, but they found the least shabby of apartments; two bedroom, one bath, a decent sized kitchen and living room. The most interesting part, Rose found out, was that the power and plumbing still worked. When she wandered into the kitchen, mid-sentence about it was chilly, she jiggled the sink handles and was surprised when water came rushing out. Staring at it, she turned on the handle to summon up warm water, and was pleasantly surprised with what she was given.

Poking her head out of the kitchen, Rose smiled to Lucian. "I think we have power. At least, plumbing. I mean, we can live off candles, but the water works!"

Lucian was sitting with one of their boxes (which he'd had a friend deliver to the apartment complex the day before) when Rose looked out and delivered the news. He knew already, of course, all of this had to do with his friend he called on for help, but he smiled nonetheless, knowing it would please Rose to have working amenities, and he needed to try to keep her at least partially satisfied. He knew she didn't want to come back into all of this.

"How wonderful," He responded. "Now we won't have to worry about looking and smelling like homeless people." He chuckled, glancing back down to the box, then back up when Rose exited the kitchen and began to place her books on a bookshelf that she dusted off.

Rose had shoulder length brown hair, wavy but never unruly. She took care of it, actually taking the time to worry about her appearance. Hazel eyes, slender with just the right amount of curvature to cause Lucian to stare from time to time. After all, Rose was the only one he'd been around in a long time. She wasn't his Sonja by any means, but she had been there for him for years, and she had saved his life. For a while after the event, the Lycan couldn't fathom why Rose wasted the little of the antidote she had, and ran off with him before making more. The ingredients, she'd explained, were hard to come by and it would be a miracle if she could remember how to make it again. Of course, he'd been standoffish for a little while, but her demeanor rubbed off on him and when the times were appropriate, Rose made him smile and laugh. It had been quite some time since a female had done that.

Ah, there was that, again, and it reminded him he was still staring. The shirt Rose was wearing lifted just slightly as she reached to the top of the bookshelf to grab something, revealing a jagged scar on her hip. He frowned, remembering how she got it, then turned his attention to the box in front of him, shaking all previous thoughts from his head.

"I'll introduce you to my friend who delivered all of our things yesterday." He spoke. Rose turned to look at him, one hand falling to tug her shirt down.

"Lycan?"

"Yes. Younger than either of us, but well trusted." He remarked, taking out the contents of the box and finding a few more books, standing and walking over to Rose with them. "I believe these are part of your extensive collection."

Rose chuckled and took them from Lucian, glancing down to their hands when one of his fingers purposefully (or so it appeared) brushed over hers. "Ah…yes. They are."

As much as the simple touch made her stomach jump with something other than nervousness, Rose decided to turn and continue putting books on the shelves, instead of going there inside her head. It wasn't as if the two were strangers when it came to the realm of no-strings-attached sex, and who could blame them? 12 years and six months was a long time to be isolated from everyone else you knew, and to be around an attractive counterpart. The "no-strings-attached" was what got Rose the most. She wanted strings, things holding them together other than their friendship and mutual need for a safe and calm world. She felt, however, that Lucian would never let go of Sonja enough to allow her that. Or…perhaps he just wasn't interested. She was just his scientist…and that was fine, right?

With a little cleaning up and time dedicated to unpacking, both Lycans managed to have the apartment looking like somewhat of a home by midnight. The piles of empty boxes were taking away from the atmosphere, but it wasn't like it would be the best idea to toss them into the hallway. Rose would figure out what to do with them later.

"I think it looks good." She said, crossing her arms loosely over her stomach, and Lucian looked to her with a nod.

"Indeed. It should work out well enough." He brushed a speck of dust off his shirt, raising a brow as he noticed there was still a lot that needed to be dusted and taken care of. "I'd say we sh-Rose?"

However, it seemed she was far ahead of him, grabbing a duster she'd bought herself in Australia and climbing on some of the furniture to reach the higher places. "Two steps ahead of you." She chuckled, and Lucian smirked a bit, watching her as she darted around, cleaning. Rose wasn't necessarily a cleaner, but she knew it was important to have a work space that wasn't cluttered with dust or other nasty particles. The scientist in her told her how wrong that was. The dusting was finished fairly quickly, and Rose put away the duster, finding a seat on the couch next to Lucian.

"What next?" She asked, hoping he would know she wasn't at all speaking about the apartment they now lived in. Lighting a couple candles, Lucian looked back up to Rose, before leaning back on the couch.

"We need to find Selene…and who she's with now." He said, and Rose nodded, waiting on him to continue. "She holds the keys to bringing them down, and I'm fairly certain I can explain to her just what I plan to do once put in control of the company."

"What do you plan to do?" Rose asked, leaning slightly against him. Lucian again glanced over to her, moving his arm to drape over the back of the couch where Rose sat, allowing her to lean against him more. She was tired. He didn't mind.

"New management, as I've said, but I want to know exactly what they're doing in there. It's definitely nothing I would have agreed to…you would think they'd honor my memory in a more efficient way than legalizing the genocide of two races…" He trailed off, and sighed. That really did bother him. Seeing everything happen on the television and as they escaped the city themselves was something neither of them would forget. The burnings, screaming, hiding, being in constant fear? It was seared into both Rose and Lucian's minds, something they feared would take place again. That was why Lucian had returned. He knew he could fix it. He knew he would. Rose knew once he set his mind to it, it would be done…or he would die trying. Just as he almost had before.

"Do you think she escaped with Michael?" Rose asked quietly, her voice betraying that she was tired after their long day of travel and unpacking. Lucian found a more comfortable position on the couch with Rose against him, and he shook his head.

"No. It wasn't Michael. I don't think she escaped with anyone. I think she found someone…I think…ah, well…theories can wait until the morning, can they not?" He offered a smile down to Rose, who was already comfortable against him. "We're both tired. We've had a long day. We should be safe here…we can sleep." If Selene had produced a child…well…it was what Sonja would have done. Their child. There was that pang of guilt and regret again. Of missing her, of aching for her so, and having to remember he was the cause of her untimely death. He looked down to Rose for a moment, who wasn't looking at him. Her eyes were closed and the makeup she'd worn that day was a tad smeared from her eyelids. No, she was no Sonja. However, she might have been something else.

Should be…key words. Rose nodded. "I suppose so. I doubt sleep would do either of us harm." She admitted, and Lucian shook his head, chuckling.

"No harm at all. Think of how much better you'll feel when we begin looking around tomorrow." Without warning, instead of pushing her off of him, he merely picked Rose up, heading toward her bedroom.

"I have legs. I can walk." She said with a small grin, and Lucian nodded.

"I'm aware. But you're tired. I felt generous; don't make me regret the decision with your smart remarks." He retorted, placing her down on the bed in her room. Rose slipped off her shoes and looked up to him.

"…I should probably search the city tomorrow to see if I can make more of the…the antidote. In case we need it.." She spoke softly, as if she worried the past would repeat itself. However, Lucian did not argue as he walked back to the door.

"I'll accompany you. Until we know the state of the city we shouldn't wander alone. Goodnight, Rose."

"…'night, Lucian."