When Rose is shot by Tasha Ozera in Last Sacrifice, both Lissa and Adrian use all of the Spirit they can wield to try and bring her back. In a shocking turn of events, Rose is not only healed, but somehow ends up somewhere she never could have imagined. Canon up until Time-Travel. Rated T for now. First multi-chapter fic.

Scanning the staring, openmouthed novices, I looked for a familiar face. Most of them were guys. One caught my eye, and I could barely hold back my grin.

"Hey Mason, wipe the drool off your face. If you're going to think about me naked, do it on your own time."

A few snorts and snickers broke the awed silence, and Mason Ashford snapped out of his haze, giving me a lopsided smile. With red hair that stuck up everywhere and a smattering of freckles, he was nice-looking, though not exactly hot. He was also one of the funniest guys I knew. We'd been good friends back in the day.

Vampire Academy

-Richelle Mead

Bonds Of Time

Chapter Three

Dog Days Are Over

There was a chorus of cat calls and a whole lot of staring when I walked into the gym. My steps didn't falter as I walked to the middle of the mat and turned to smile at the group of novices that I used to spar with. All eyes were on me, but I had eyes for Mason and Mason alone today. I nodded my head at him with a small smirk.

"You ready for this, Hathaway?" Mason chuckled at me, as he moved into a fighting stance. "I don't want to put you back in the hospital."

"Miss Hathaway will be with me today." Dimitri's voice cut through the din of chatter like it was nothing. "Continue, Ashford."

Mason's face fell in disappointment and I patted him on the back as I walked by. "Next time."

Mason smiled at me as I walked toward Dimitri.

Dimitri looked even better in his work out gear than I remembered. But that might have been my teenage hormones talking. He stood on the edge of the mat and held a pair of sparring gloves in his hands.

"You've proved that you can fight under stressful situations." His Russian accent was coming through a little stronger than before. "Now I need you to show me your restraint."

Dimitri placed the gloves on his hands and positioned his legs into a balanced stance. "I want you to hit the gloves without moving my hands. It takes far more effort to control the force of a punch than it does to give it your all."

Luckily for me, I had already been through this exercise plenty of times in my dream.

I put up my fists and made sure to balance my weight accordingly. My punch was quick and accurate and my knuckles barely brushed the left glove. I repeated this another twenty times in quick succession. I caught that glint in Dimitri's eyes once again and I had to admit that I was slightly proud of myself. I had lost a lot of muscle mass while Lissa and I had been on the run. Sitting on the couch watching TV and eating cheetos did nothing to help the physique. But I was sure that with another month or two of training I would be in tip top shape.

"Now I want you to hit with everything you've got." Dimitri changed tactics and I knew for a fact that he was testing me. "Impress me."

This was the outlet that I had been waiting for. There was no better way to let off steam for me than to pound the living daylights out of something. I got into place, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. When I opened them again I stared deep into Dimitri's eyes.

"How many times?" My voice was a mere whisper and I could tell it caught him off guard.

He studied my face for a moment before he answered. "As many as it takes."

And I didn't hold back. Each punch was packed with all of the hate, rage and pain that I had swimming within me. Every hit left me feeling a little bit lighter. Every bit of freedom from the darkness that I felt only made me want to hit more. It felt like an out of body experience. The euphoria and clarity the exercise brought was like nothing else. Adrenaline was a wild and wondrous thing, but the darkness always dragged me back down.

Victor torturing Lissa.

Punch.

The dead bodies of the Drozdov family.

Punch.

Guardians and Moroi alike slain in cold blood in their home.

Punch.

Eddie Castille being drained of blood in front of my eyes.

Punch.

The sound of Mason's neck snapping in Isaiah's iron grip.

Punch. Punch.

Dimitri being taken by Strigoi right in front of my eyes.

Punch. Punch. Punch.

Using my own two hands to plunge a stake into the heart of the man I loved.

Punch. Punch. Punch. Punch. Punch. Punch. Punch. Punch.

A large hand came down to rest on my shoulder and without thought I turned and struck out with my fist. I felt something stringy brush across my knuckles and I swung at it again.

"ROSE!" Dimitri's yell cut threw the dark haze and I stumbled back gasping for breath.

He stood in front of me with a bewildered expression. Everyone left in the gym was staring at me. I knew this because it was completely silent in the large building. I looked up at Dimitri and I know he could sense how out of sorts I felt.

"Take five, Hathaway." He pointed me toward the bench that had a water fountain next to it. "And bandage your hands."

I looked down to see that my knuckles were shredded through and through. The bone and tissue were clearly visible. Two of the fingers on my left hand had been dislocated and my right thumb was pointing at an odd angle. I grimaced at the sight of my poor hands and sat heavily on the wooden bench, trying to catch my breath. Dimitri sat down a moment later, remaining silent when handed me a paper cup full of water. It felt like bliss on my parched lips and burning throat.

"Thanks," I said quietly, placing the cup on the bench and grabbing the tape from the medical kit.

"What happened back there?" Dimitri asked, taking the tape from my trembling hands.

"To be honest, I have no idea." I shrugged my shoulders. "You told me to put some ass into the hits, so I did? What did I do wrong?"

Dimitri quirked an eyebrow at my language and shook his head. "You zoned out, Rose. When I saw that you were injuring yourself I tried to get you to stop, but you kept going as though you didn't hear me. When I moved out of your way, you moved until you found me. But you didn't respond to me at all. I thought for sure that you'd stop when you broke your thumb, but you only started hitting harder."

"I don't even remember feeling it." I looked down at my battered hands.

"How long do you think we were sparring?" Dimtri pulled my chin up so that I was looking him dead in the eyes.

"Three or four minutes, maybe." My answer was completely honest.

"We've been here for two and a half hours." Dimitri said in concern. "Guardian Alto came here when you didn't show up for class and he couldn't get you to respond. Guardian Petrov had no better luck."

My hackles went up and I couldn't help my incredulous tone. "But you told me to keep taking hits until I was done!"

"You have lost half the flesh on your hands." Dimitri grabbed me by the tops of my shoulders and held me there. "You have broken and dislocated bones. Your blood is covering the mat and the gloves. At what point were you going to stop on your own. Because I thought I was going to have to get a nurse to sedate you! Do you not see why I did not want you sparring with Mr. Ashford? You are a powerful and skilled fighter, but none of that matters when you have no self -control!"

Angry tears pooled in my eyes and I stood up, throwing the cup into the trash can. "I have to get to class."

"No," Dimitri growled out, "You are going to go sit back down and listen to what I have to say."

The bench was looking more and more comfortable by the second. I hadn't realized just how sore my muscles were until I stood up and now my entire body felt like Jell-O. I took the seat next to Dimitri and was surprised when he gently picked up my hand and started disinfecting and bandaging my knuckles. He looked deep in thought and I was likewise at a loss for words. To be honest, I didn't understand what had come over me to make me lose control like that. I'd never claim to be the poster girl for self- control, but I rarely went full out hulk girl on anyone unless they deserved it.

"I was a lot like you when I was your age." Dimitri's tone was quiet and his eyes were focused on his task. "My life had not been easy and I brought all of that anger to the mat with me. But of course I was the largest novice in my school, so it was not easy to find a partner to spar with. Especially when my opponents usually ended up in the clinic. And then one day my mentor took me to the side and told me exactly what I am telling you now. You are nothing unless you are in control of yourself at all times."

"Rose," Dimitri lifted his eyes to meet mine, "I do not want to be called one day to find out that you have injured another person because you lost control. You are stronger than that. I can see it. We will be working together extensively over the next few months and I am not going to lie to you, you will hate me on some of those days, but you will master your emotions."

Good luck. I wanted to say. Master my own emotions was a full time job in itself, but added on top of Lissa's, getting a handle on both wouldn't be easy.

"Thank you for giving me a chance." I smiled at him. "You didn't have to stick your neck out like that for me. If I go off the rails again, Kirova is not going to be happy with you."

"Then you better start listening to your instructors." Dimitri gave me a pointed look.

Suddenly, he popped one of my fingers back into joint and I gasped out in pain. "Ow! Fuck, comrade! A little warning would have been nice."

"You will find out quickly that I am not nice." Dimitri gave me a very ominous look that made my knees tremble.

"I don't know you like kinda cuddly." I quipped sarcastically.

He popped the thumb joint back into place and I growled out a low slur of profanities that would have made a sailor blush.

Guardian Alto was at his desk when I walked into the empty classroom after lunch. He looked up when I knocked on the door frame and narrowed his eyes as he waved me in.

"The great Rose Hathaway is gracing me with her presence. To what do I owe this honor?" His tone was icy and rude and I had to bite down on the inside of my cheek to keep from snapping back.

"I apologize for missing class today, sir." I kept my eyes on him and my head held high. "I came by to request a list of homework that I have missed and any supplemental reading you think I could use."

"Well, Hathaway," he had a smug smile on his face, "Guardian Petrov and I have already taken the liberty of gathering everything that you will need to catch up in every class. It's in that box by the door. You can see yourself out."

I turned to see a huge file box overfilled with loose paper and books. My eyes widened at the sheer amount of work I had ahead of me. It would take the rest of the school year to get that finished along with my other work.

"Miss Hathaway," Alto's voice caught me as I was leaving the room, "the Headmistress will be notified if you are late to one more class. So I highly suggest you learn to wear a watch. Also, your homework is due before Thanksgiving break. If I see even one essay with your normal chicken scratch on it you will re-do the entire set. Is that clear."

"Yes, sir." I picked up the box, careful not put too much pressure on my fingers and walked out of the room without another word.

There was roughly six weeks to complete my homework or Alto and Kirova would boot my ass from the academy. That certainly wasn't a comforting thought. But I could do it. I had experienced far worse things. Homework wouldn't kill me.

My old dorm room was bare and drab. My bags sat on the lumpy mattress unpacked and the desk held a coating of dust that made me want to scream. Taking the opportunity of a fresh start, I went across the hall to the supply closet and grabbed what I'd need to make my room livable. It didn't take long, but it was far later than I liked when I started in on the mountain of homework.

By the time I passed out on my bed later that night, I had written so much that I was counting words and not sheep.

My dream started out normal enough. I was being chased by rabid marshmallows. Their candy corn fangs were bared, dripping in caramel, as they surrounded me, trapping me in the corner of the chocolate swamp with no where to run. I was about to start trying to eat my way out when the scenery changed.

I was standing on the third story balcony of a really swanky looking mansion. The Eiffel Tower towered over everything that surrounded it. The sun was rising in the distance and the air was just warm enough without being stifling. A light continuous breeze made the trees sway gently in the faint orange glow. It was a truly beautiful sight to behold.

"Well this is new." A voice I would recognize anywhere sounded from behind me.

Adrian was standing there looking rumpled in his black silk pajama pants and nothing else. His hair looked like he had been struck by lightning and he was ogling my attire. I looked down to see that I was donning naught but a black, skin tight, silk teddy. I gaped at the expanse of skin I was showing.

Why, oh why, did I always have to be half naked in these spirit dreams?"Could you not put some clothes on me, man? I'm bustin' out of this scrap of cloth."

"I've got nothing to do with it, little one, although I'm admiring the view." Adrian held up his hands with a confused grin. "Is this your dream or mine?"

"Oh, it's definitely yours." I hissed at him. "I don't sleep in shit like this."

"But you look marvelous in it." He nodded in appreciation. "How did you get into my dream? Have we met? Because I'm sure I would remember a girl like you."

My knee jerk reaction would be to tell him no. But as I looked at him, I realized something. If there was one person out there that I could trust to keep this secret, it was Adrian. He may have been a bit of a flirt, but he was also immensely kind and sincere. He knew about the side effects of spirit better than anyone, having lived with for all of his life without someone like me to help him.

"No," I shook him, "We haven't met. Yet. But we will around Christmas."

"And how do you know that?" Adrian asked with a curious glance as he took a few steps closer to me. "Are you a witch?"

"I'm not a witch! I'm a dhampir!" I maneuvered myself into a sitting position onto the concrete floor, trying my best not to flash my pervy Moroi friend. "And I know because, for me, it's already happened."

I patted the concrete next to me with my hand and Adrian sat down without hesitation. If there was one thing about him, it was that he was never shy. "Explain."

I put a hand to my chest and heaved a sigh of exasperation. "Three days ago I woke up from the most vivid dream in the history of dreams. It was so realistic that I still believe that it really happened. I don't know how or why, but somehow I've traveled through time. I woke up like Marty McFuckinFly, only I didn't get a bad ass car. I had to leave my shit behind, give up everything that I had worked so hard to accomplish, and wake up in a time were I have to go back to freaking high school."

"Whoa," Adrian kind of pulled away from me, "You're still in school?"

"Well I'm in school now." I growled. "This body is seventeen and will never sleep with you, so you can stop flipping out. I swear, Adrian, I tell you I've time traveled and you're worried about my age, not my sanity."

"I'm sure you're just as sane as I am, Hottie McFly." Adrian laughed when I slapped his arm.

"That's not a comforting thought." I shook my head and huffed in annoyance. "You don't believe me."

"I'll believe you if you can tell me something about myself that no one could possibly know." Adrian gave me a look that said that he didn't expect me to know anything about him.

I turned and looked at him with a small smile on my face.

"You're name is Adrian Ivashkov, you're a spirit user who can read people's auras. You drink to block out the darkness that using spirit brings." Adrian's eyes narrowed in disbelief and he leaned a little closer as I continued.

Seeing I had his rapt attention, I continued. "Everyone thinks that you're just a carefree womanizing royal that likes to party and that you never specialized in magic. You prefer them to keep thinking that way because you yourself can't understand your gift. What they don't know is that you are a wonderful and loyal person who just doesn't trust anybody to accept you for who you really are. You also have a heart shaped cigarette burn on your left ass cheek from where you sat on a lit cigarette at your Aunt Tatiana's Christmas party."

"Who are you?" Adrian looked rattled and stared me dead in the eyes. "How do you know me?"

"My name is Rose." I introduced myself under the wave of his compulsion. "You were my friend."

"A friend who's saw my bare ass." Adrian waggled his eyebrows at me. "I like that kind of friend."

"It wasn't very impressive." I scoffed and leaned forward so that I was eye level with him. "And if you ever try to compel me again I'll give you a scar that you won't like."

"Threats and hot air." Adrian laughed. "You've either got some really great inside information, little dhampir," he leaned in closer to me, his clove scented breath warm on my face, "or what you're saying is true. Though I don't really see how time-travel in any extent is possible."

"You're telling me," My laugh sounded kind of hysterical, "I've been back for all of three days and I still can't wrap my head around it."

"What was the last thing you remember from your time?" Adrian asked me with no small amount of curiosity.

"I was trying to protect my friend. Some woman shot at her and I took a bullet to the chest. You and my friend were trying to save me, but the darkness was pulling me under. There was nothing you could do." I looked up to see him staring at me in contemplation.

"Your friend was trying to save you? How?" The look in Adrian's eyes told me that he was already connecting the dots.

"She's a spirit user too. I think both of you were trying to heal me and something went wrong." I said in a quiet voice, rubbing a hand across my face. "I think I died again. Holy shit! I'm dead and this is hell, isn't it?"

"This isn't hell. We'll figure this out. I may not know you, but you intrigue me, little dhampir." Adrian grabbed my shoulders. "I believe you."

The moment his skin came into contact with mine, it sent a pulse through me like I had grabbed a live wire. I tried to pull away but felt like I was frozen to the spot. Adrian let go and I fell to my knees unable to hold my own weight as the shadows began taking over everything.

"What the hell was that?" He hissed out as he caught me." I touch you and your aura goes pitch black."

End Chapter Three