As I walk into the kitchen in the morning, I realize how obvious it was that I truely had been gone from this place for over a year.

Paul was an inch or two taller, and was starting to lose some of his toddler qualities. Sonya was no longer pregnant, and her baby was already walking.

Things had definately changed between Dimitri and I. I couldn't help but wish I remembered what had happened between us, but feared those memories had been forever lost.

Dimitri seems to feel my eyes on the back of his head, because he turns, and gives me a small smile. "Morning, Roza."

I force myself to frown. "Who are you? And how do you know my name?"

Dimitri tears out of his chair so fast, it crashes against the tile floor. "Roza?" He gasps, his voice completely ragged with panic. His eyes are wild, and I crack up.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it. You should have seen your face." I grab a muffin off of the table and flop down in the chair across from him, grinning.

His chest heaves, and slowly, slowly, he quietly sits. "That wasn't funny."

I laugh. "Sure it was!"

He growls. "It was cruel." I can detect a supressed smile threatening his lips.

"Aw. Poor Comrade."

Suddenly, his eyes change, like a crystal ball smoking and shining. "Haven't heard that in a while..." he whispers, smiling weakly.

I knock interrupts me from speaking, and Paul yells "I'll get it!" and rushes from the room.

"Mama!" Karolina smiles and goes to see who's at the door.

Seconds later, I hear, "Roza," and I, too, follow the parade through the living room.

He stands at the doorway, looking a little nervous, the one personality I hadn't seen him try on.

"Adrian?"

He smiles broadly, and rushes forward, wraps his arms around the tops of my legs, and spins me around.

"Little Dhampir! You have no idea how much I've missed you!"

He gently pecks my lips before kissing my cheeks and forehead. He sets me down and holds me close to him, smiling at the Belikovs.

I am shocked. Adrian has never shown this much affection for me. At least not pure, loving affection. I'd been on the recieving end of some pretty suggestive ideas, though.

To my surprise, the Belikov family does not seem to be welcoming him with open arms. Even Olena has a fake smile plastered on her face. What the hell?

"Sorry," Adrian apologizes politely. "I'm Adrian Ivashkov. Pleasure to meet you."

Another shock for the day. "A-Adrian," I stutter. "What are you doing here?"

He pulls away, looking at me with a confused look. "Rose, you called me four days ago. You asked me to come and get you."

Now, it is my turn to be confused. "I did?"

"Yeah, you were pretty upset..." he trails off, as if questioning his own sanity.

Olena sighs. "Sorry, Lord Ivashkov. Rose... Rose has been experiencing some memory lapses. We think it's due to her absence from her bondmate."

Adrian nods slowly. "Rose? What do you remember?"

I laugh. "I pretty much forget the last year. Apparently."

He immediately releases me. "I'm sorry. I guess you don't remember..."

I take a step forward, always eager to hear about what memories I have lost. "Remember what?"

He sighs. "We were dating, Rose. We were together for... I guess it was close to seven months."

"Really?" I squeak. "Adrian, I'm so-"

He shakes his head, giving me a sad smile. "It's okay, Rose. You broke up with me right after they dropped the charges."

"What? Charges? I was in JAIL?" I squeal, feeling incredibly light-headed.

"God, don't these people tell you anything?" He asks playfully. "Tatiana was murdered. Tasha framed it on you."

Oh, God, I'm going to faint. "Ta- Tatiana? The Queen? And Tasha OZERA?"

Dimitri immediately comes to my side, holding onto my elbow. "I was hoping to give her this information slowly," he growls. "Roza, come sit down."

He leads me to the couch, and I immediately flop down, close to hyperventilation. Dimitri rubs soothing circles into my back. "Maybe we should stop-"

"No!" I cry, trying to grab for Adrian. "What happened? What happened to me?"

Dimitri's fingers begin to press into my back even harder. "Roza-"

"She has a right to know," Adrian states. "It's her life."

"She's panicking!"

"Tell me!" I screech, caught in between the two men.

Dimitri groans. "Tell her. Before she drives herself into a frenzy."

Adrian sighs, and launches into a tale, straight from a story. I was riveted, and it was my life.

Adrian sighs at the end, taking my hand. "And then you ran."

"But why?" I beg. "Why did I run?"

Adrian exchanges glances with Dimitri. Dimitri finally nods, pushing himself off of the couch, away from me. "Just tell her. She'd find out eventually. This couldn't last."

I grab at Dimitri's hand, holding onto it so tightly that he cannot pull away. Adrian sighs. "Rose, he told you that his 'love had faded' or something along those lines."

I clench my gut, trying to keep it from spasming in pain. "Is that true?"

He squeezes his eyes shut. "Sounds that way, doesn't it?"

My palms are now sweating, and he slides his out of mine. "I knew it couldn't last," he whispers to himself and walks briskly out of the room.

"Dimitri! Dimitri, wait!"

But he doesn't turn around.

...

"Done packin'?"

I smile and turn, throwing my duffel bag over my shoulder.

"Yep. Have you called Lissa yet?" I ask, feeling thrilled beyond belief to finally be going home.

"No," Adrian replies, grinning. "I thought I'd leave it as a surprise."

I let him lead me down the stairs, where my whole going-away party is waiting.

The Belikovs shower me in found farewells and warm wishes. I get phone numbers, email addresses, everything that I failed to get the first time.

Dimitri won't even look at me. He gives his family a heartfelt goodbye, but leaves quickly, trying to avoid me. It breaks my heart, I'm crushed.

But Yeva breaks the awkward silence, the pitied looks.

She pats my cheek gently. "He'll come around, child. He's a man, he needs to lose you to find you."

I blink in surprise, and nod robotically.

Smiling slightly, we make our way to the car. Dimitri is already packing our luggage into the trunk.

"Dimitri-"

He turns sharply on his heel, moving to the front of the car, and slamming the driver's door.

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