I want to thank all of you for reviewing, and I especially want to thank a guest reviewer who reviewed a few days ago and told me that it had been nearly a week (Shock, Horror) and that I had to update soon. So I got writing, so thank you for that! Hope you enjoy!


My mother continued to shove people out of the way in her efforts to reach me. I pushed back my chair, ready to meet her, noting out of the corner of my eye that Seth and Jade were pushing Ivy out of the restaurant. My mother finally came to stand in front of me, scanning me from head to toe before looking me in the eye. And then she started crying.

"Oh, Rose." She cried. "You're still alive. You're okay."

"Mum?" I asked, unsure whether this affectionate person was actually my mother. What had happened?

"I was so scared for you. The whole time you were gone, I was so scared." She looked so worried and heartbroken, that I stepped forward and hugged her.

She leant against me, her tears soaking into my top. I cautiously stroked her back, overwhelmed at this display of emotion. This wasn't my mother. Where was my rude email? Why wasn't she demanding answers? I never even knew she had tear ducts.

"Mum, maybe we should go?" I asked, trying to remove everyone's attention, which was currently riveted on us, away. "We could go to your room."

She looked up and stared around the room, seemingly surprised at the attention we'd drawn. She was still holding onto me, and I stepped backwards, tugging myself out of her grip.

"What happened Mum?" I asked, totally confused.

"I'd been out of Court and then I heard you had returned. I rushed here to see you, and then the man at the door said the restaurant was full and he wouldn't let me in. So I might have punched him in the face, but I don't think I broke anything. Maybe." I must have looked absolutely horrified, as she stopped talking and flushed a pale pink.

"Maybe we should go." She confirmed.

I nodded in agreement, and led the way out of the restaurant, hearing my mother's muttered apology to the doorman.

Outside the door lingered Ian, and he raised his eyebrows, asking if I was okay, in the grips of this apparent crazy women. I gave him a small smile and a nod, and he walked away, checking over his shoulder every few seconds.

My mother, always observant noted the interaction. "Who's that?" She asked.

"My friend Ian." I answered.

"Is that all?" She questioned.

"Yes, that's all."

"Why was he waiting for you then?"

"Because an apparently crazy women pushed her way into the restaurant, and then started crying hysterically on top of me, and he was concerned. Because he's my friend." I answered sharply.

"I wouldn't know." She answered, her face changing from her relieved expression to one of annoyance. "I wouldn't know anything as you just went off and left without a word for four years."

I rolled my eyes, my natural antagonism with my mother coming out.

"I just want to know what the whole scene at the restaurant was about."

"I'm sorry I was just slightly overwhelmed that my only daughter had returned home."

"This isn't home." I told her.

Her face sank for a second before she snapped her guardian mask in place, and started marching ahead of me.

"Wait. I'm sorry." I told her.

"No worries. I'll just go and leave you with your friend." She was no longer the affectionate mother I saw at the restaurant, but instead was going back to her old tendencies. I expected her to punch me any second now.

"Mum, wait. Let's talk about this."

"What's there to talk about?" She told me sharply.

"Will you just let me explain!" I said angrily.

"Fine, but not now. I have to go." She told me, making to move away.

"You're already leaving?" I said in disbelief. "What is Lord Szelzky calling? Not able to spare another moment for me?"

"Shut up Rosemarie. I don't work for him anymore. No need to be obnoxious. "

"You're not still working for Lord Szelzky?" I asked, amazed.

"No." She said, hesitating slightly. "I took a leave of absence."

"Why?"

"Doesn't matter." I must have looked doubtful, because she kept talking quickly. "It's really not that important, I should go meet your father."

"Abe's here?" I asked.

"Of course he is, he came with me. He's been looking for you. And you should call him Dad, not Abe. "

"Firstly I can call him whatever the hell I like, and secondly why isn't he here now? And when you say you took a leave of absence, do you mean you took it to be with him?" She blushed.

"Are you together?" I asked, in disbelief.

"I just took some time off. No big deal."

"Why isn't he here?"

"He had to deal with… something." She said, hesitating slightly.

"Is he off breaking someone's leg already?" I joked.

"Don't be stupid. Your father is a fine man." She snapped at me.

"Oh god, you've got it bad." I said, laughing. Mum only sneered at me.

"We'll have to meet up later." She told me, checking her watch.

"I'll meet you at your room." I told her, there was no way she could come to my apartment, and see all of Ivy's stuff scattered around the room.

"Well…" She said, hesitating.

"Is that a problem?"

"No, of course not. No problem." I looked at her suspiciously but she kept her face blank.

"What time?"

"How about you come by at four. Here's the address." She scribbled it down on a scrap paper, and handed it to me.

"Guest housing?" I said in surprise. "I thought Abe would have a permanent mansion here."

"We all move around a lot."

"Who's we?" I said suspiciously.

"Just me and your father." She answered quickly. "So I'll see you later."

"Lovely seeing you Mum. As always." I told her, and pivoted around and started walking away, not quite far enough to not hear her next words. "Goodbye Rosemarie. I hope I'll see you again. "

"I hope so too." I whispered back.

I threw a quick punch, followed in rapid succession by a thrust with my elbow, and a sharp kick. The punching bag swung back and forth, close to breaking. After my discussion with my mother, I had hurried back to the gym, and finding it empty, had dug into a punching bag.

"Rose?" I heard Jade call cautiously. She knew to be careful when I was in one of these moods. "Can we come in?"

"Sure." I called wearily, setting down my gloves.

"Mummy!" Ivy squealed, running towards me. "Why'd you go?"

"I had to meet someone, Angel. I'm sorry you didn't get to have your meal." I told her, lifting her into my arms, pushing aside my bad mood.

"That's okay. Uncle Ian took me for pancakes!" She told me, Ian met my eyes behind her, giving me a smile, as he and Seth wandered into the room.

"Did you save any for me?" I asked.

"Nope." Ivy said, giving me a cheeky grin.

"Do you know what that means?" I asked her with a devilish grin. She shook her head innocently. "Tickle time!" I squealed. I threw us down onto the foam mats, being careful to shield her with my body. I tickled her all over, as she squealed desperately and tried to get away. Her high pitched laughter set Seth, Ian and Jade off, as they started laughing as well. Finally I stopped as Ivy heaved with laughter.

"Are you sorry you ate pancakes without Mummy?"

"I don't know." She told me, a naughty grin on her face.

"Wrong answer." I said, grabbing her foot and tickling it, as she heaved with laughter.

"Stop, Stop, Stop." She squealed. "I'm sorry. No more pancakes without you Mummy. I promise."

"Good girl sweetheart." I said, sitting up and pulling her into my lap, as she started fiddling with my gloves.

"So who was that back there?" Jade asked, I could see her curiosity was getting the better of her.

"My mother." I mouthed over Ivy's head, as she was distracted over the punching glove she was now trying to fit onto her hand.

Jade looked shocked. "Seriously?" She mouthed back at me. "I thought your mother was a bitch."

"She was. Most of the time. I don't know why she got so emotional."

Seth had joined into this silent conversation. "Are you seeing her again?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm seeing her at four." I told them, leaning backwards.

"You do realize that you've got half an hour." Ian told me with a laugh.

"What!?" I said. "Can you look after Ivy for me please, and tell Master Gregori that I will be ready tomorrow and probably in a good mood? It's apartment E12 off the West Courtyard, if you need anything. "

"Sure." Jade answered.

"I'm sorry princess, but I have to go." I told Ivy. She looked disappointed, and I wrapped my arms around her, and dropped a kiss on her forehead. "I'll be back this evening and we can watch a movie. Whatever you want. Okay?"

She nodded at me. "Can we watch Frozen?"

"Again?" I asked, internally screaming.

"Please." She begged, giving me puppy dog eyes.

"Fine." I conceded, shooting Seth a glare, as he laughed at me, knowing my hatred of the movie.

"But I need to go now, I love you." I gave her another kiss, and then handed her to Jade, who'd sat down beside me. "I'll be back soon. Hopefully in one piece."

"Good luck." Ian told me.

"I'll need it." I muttered.

I hurried back to the rooms, and took a very quick shower and changed into black jeans, and a loose white shirt, shoving my two stakes into my waistband.
I didn't have time to do my hair, so I just wrung the water out, and brushed it over my shoulders. I hurried through Court, making it to the apartment with only a minute to spare.

I hesitated a second before knocking softly at the door. Almost immediately, it was opened by Abe.

"Kizim." He said softly, before enveloping me in a soft hug.

"Hey Dad. Long time, no see." I said pulling out of the hug, not having the heart to call him Abe, now we were face to face.

"You can say that again." He joked, but his eyes did not light up. For him he was wearing a startling sober outfit, jeans and a t-shirt. Though the jeans were white, and the shirt a lime green.

"Why don't you sit down? I hope you don't mind but we invited one or two of your friends as well."

"Who?" I demanded angrily.

"Your friend Edison Castile." I groaned and sunk into the couch that Abe had gestured to. My mother and Abe sat on the chairs across from me, both sitting on the edge of their seats.

"Well, where shall we begin?" Abe started.

"I don't know." I answered sullenly.

"How about, why you've come back to Court." My mother questioned.

"I live with the Complex, I'm the second in command. We've all come back to assist Court in protecting themselves from Strigoi." I answered, trying to relax.

"You've been at the Complex the entire time?" My mother asked.

"Yes."

"I knew it." Abe muttered.

"Knew what?" I asked.

"I knew I should have checked out that place, but I figured you would have gone further afield. Your credit card bills told that story."

"I did place a few red herrings." When I first go to the complex I had Seth purchase online tickets, and hotels, all with the same credit card to lead anyone looking for me away from the complex.

"A few?" He snorted. "I think I travelled all over the world looking for you."

"But then it just stopped, about nine months after you left." My mother broke in. That was when I had Ivy, and decided if they hadn't found me yet, they weren't going to find me.

"I'm sorry." I said, sincerely. "I didn't mean to cause you worry."

Mum looked at me in disbelief. "Our only daughter disappeared without a word, and you didn't think we'd be worried."

"Can we just leave that for now, and move on." I said uncomfortably.

"Okay, next question. Why'd you leave?" My mother asked.

"I can't tell you that." I answered.

"Why'd you leave Rosemarie?" She demanded.

"It's Rose." I corrected.

"Answer the question! Why'd you leave?" She questioned.

"I'm not answering!" I countered, my voice getting louder, my thoughts going back to that terrible night when Dimitri's father told me to leave. I considered just telling my parents what had happened, if only to relieve the guilt I felt from leaving them without a word. The guilt I'd felt since the moment I'd left. Unfortunately the logical side of my brain fought back and I realized that if I told Abe the truth, he might go out and hunt him down, and end up being killed or injured in the process, and knowing Abe would end up involving a whole lot more people in the process. It would be an utter disaster. It was already a risk that I was back at Court, so if I let slip the reason why I left, or even worse, that I had had Ivy, Dimitri's father would be sure to find out and act on his threats, and if that happened… I couldn't even continue the thought it scared me so much.

"Rose, please, it's not that hard to answer." She tried again, Abe staying silent in this battle of the Hathaways.

"I can't tell you!"

"Don't be ridiculous. We're your parents. Tell us." She said, half rising from her chair.

"Can I leave now?" I asked desperately, wanting to get away from them.

"Just give us an answer Rose. All we want to know is why? Why did you leave us?" My mother asked relentless.

"I don't have an answer to give you."

"I don't believe you. You're lying to me, Rosemarie. Tell me the truth." She yelled, Abe stepped forward and placed an arm around her waist.

"Janine, just leave it. Please, just leave it. She obviously doesn't want to tell us. Let it be her choice. Don't push her away again, don't make her leave." He pleaded. She sighed, but conceded, leaning back into Abe's arms.

"Thanks Dad." I said nodding at him. "I can't tell you why I left, but I do promise I won't leave again without saying goodbye. I won't do that. It was a huge mistake and I'm sorry. I'll tell you. I'll tell you everything, just please don't ask me why I left. I can't tell you that."

"You'll tell us everything else then?" Abe questioned, his eyes glistening with curiosity.

"Absolutely everything."

"Nothing's really happened in the last four years, but I'll tell you about all my adventures at the complex." I heard the door creak open and sighed, knowing it would be Eddie coming to question me as well. But then the person spoke and my heart stopped.

"Mummy?"

Shit.


Cliffhanger!( I know I'm so mean), but if a lot of you review I can promise a quicker update. So review, follow, and favourite, and keep reading!