Chapter 13 is finally here. I know it's been longer than usual and I apologize but I lost a friend of mine at the age of 28 and needed some time to deal with it. That is the reason I haven't personally replied to your reviews this time too.

A big thank you to Kessafan for beta'ing this story. Sandy, if you are reading this, I hope you will update Achilles again soon!

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or its characters; I just love playing with them!

Chapter 13 – Buried Alive

Rose's POV

As I suspected, my run had helped me clear my head. I'd gone back to Lissa's with my mind made up about the future and what I wanted. I knew I couldn't stay with Adrian but I also realized something else – his parents would always stand up for him with all the money, influence and connections behind them and if taking Eric away meant making me miserable for the rest of my life, then that's what they'd do; I was in for one hell of a battle.

There was no doubt that he had already brought them up to speed on the recent events in our marriage; the only thing I hoped for was that he hadn't included Dimitri in the whole mess. I also knew that I'd made a huge mistake telling Adrian he was still alive. He didn't know any details about his location or his new name, and I intended to keep it this way. But bringing him up could help me as well – when it came to our divorce hearing, it could convince the judge that he was mentally unstable; accusing his wife of having an affair with someone who has been declared dead and buried ages ago, well it could hardly work in Adrian's favour.

There was a reason why we got married in Russia too and only in a Registry Office; the laws there worked in favour of the wife and mother. A divorce normally ended with the woman getting full parental responsibility and rights of any resulting children and swiping her ex-husbands bank accounts clean. The second one was the least of my concerns but the thought that he won't get to meddle in my business or life after everything was said and done was helping me feel better about the whole situation. The only chance he had was if he could prove I wasn't fit to be a mother and I'd had an affair and I wasn't planning on giving him any opportunity to do any of those things.

I'd called Adrian and told him that I'd be back home in a few days but refused to tell him where I was. I needed the time to finalize some details of my plan and track down Dimitri. It wasn't only that I wanted to know where he was, I needed to know where he was and the name he was using. I didn't doubt Adrian will try to read any e-mails I received or try to snoop around my Facebook friend list, so without de-friending Adrian or Dimitri, I'd just put them both in my restricted list and changed my privacy settings even further.

I wasn't concerned about any messages exchanged between us on Facebook, I'd made sure I deleted them all and cleared all history. Tracking someone there who was using a fake profile was almost impossible. The next thing I did was log into my e-mail and get the full headers of the e-mails Dimitri send me that enabled me to track his IP address. From that point on it was just a waiting game – I needed him to do something and leave one port open so I could sneak in... and he did. Skype was how I got in.

As most of the laptops nowadays, the option for remote access was on and once I got the passwords that I needed I could access his laptop regardless of where he was. That also gave me access to a lot more information about him and his life at that moment. I didn't make my presence known to him immediately, wanting to find out how he would react to me disappearing and how far he'd go to get in touch with me.

That, and I had more pressing issues on my hands.

I'd gone back home, even when it was the last thing I wanted to do. I'd sat down and told Adrian I wanted to try and work out our problems and try to save our marriage; I offered that we start marriage counselling to help put his cheating behind us.

I'd lied through my teeth the whole time, every single lie leaving a burning taste in my mouth and making me feel sick.

The next day I spoke to Abe and sent, by courier, a signed affidavit and a Power of Attorney letter giving him the right to act on my behalf together with all the documents I had piled up to prove Adrian's numerous affairs. The old man was furious and promised me Adrian won't have anything left when he was finished with him; I knew there was a reason he was the only immediate family member I loved so much. I also trusted him with my life and knew he'd never betray me.

After ten days though, I was itching to talk to Dimitri again and what finally pushed me to do it, was the message he left with my PA. She said he was absolutely furious he couldn't get past her and also desperate to talk to me and I couldn't help but smile. So I decided it was time to put him out of his misery.

He didn't disappoint me and quickly worked out all the answers. I'd brought him up-to-date with all events of the past ten days and my plans. I was pleased he couldn't contain his excitement at the fact I was getting divorced; he sounded hopeful for a future together too.

I also found out that Dimitri and Tasha were only together for the sake of their kids. He felt much the same way I felt and I knew for a fact it wasn't a happy place to be. I also knew I needed to tell him the main reason I didn't follow him and find out if he could ever forgive me for taking his choices away from him. It was only a little part of the whole picture but by far the most important piece of the puzzle.

I told myself it was time and it didn't matter if he hated me or not. It wasn't all about me, it never has been. So I put together a little slide-show for him with all the pictures I had, adding dates, places and names and a few personal messages and thoughts in the beginning and end of it and worked up the courage to load it on his hard drive. By the end of it I was sweating, hyperventilating and having an almost fully blown panic attack.

While I was waiting for his reply, which couldn't come fast enough, I couldn't help but feel much in the same way I felt thirteen years ago – stuck in a hopeless situation; hurting the people I love while hurting myself. I was still lying through my teeth, angry, upset and feeling like there was no end to the suffering in my life or the suffering I brought on others. I had to put an end to it all and do it very, very soon. All this misery and darkness was killing me.

The next song on my play list hit too close to home for comfort.

Hey, I can't live in here for another day

Darkness has kept the light concealed, grim as ever

Hold on to faith as I dig another grave

Meanwhile the mice endure the wheel, real as ever

And it seems I've been buried alive

Yes, it feels like I've been buried alive...

=================WWO====================

In the next chapter we finally get to find out some of Rose's secrets. I know for sure Dimitri's in for the shock of his life. I am working on it at the moment, so...

Review if you want to read it soon!