Author's note: It's been a while since I updated, but hopefully I'll be updating more frequently from now on! Enjoy the chapter and review and let me know what you think.

Rose's POV

I returned to the Belikov's house and snuck back to my room. Surprisingly no one had noticed I was gone, they'd all been outside still when I returned. I didn't know whether to be relieved that they hadn't noticed my absence or offended that they didn't even check on me. I guess they'd been too busy having a good time together. Ha, I sounded so bitter. How did that even happen? I was young and had my whole short Guardian life in front of me still, yet Dimitri and Lissa had caused me enough heartache and anguish that I'd already lost the hope teenagers are supposed to have an abundance of. I guess when you'd been hurt as many times as I'd been there were just no way to recover.

I debated whether or not I should stay, but common sense eventually won. I didn't feel welcomed here anymore, not with Lissa and Dimitri around. If they weren't here I could stay forever. Dimitri's family felt like my own. It hurt to know that they never would be. When Dimitri had been MIA after becoming a Strigoi I'd felt such a connection to his family. The Belikov clan had taken me in and treated me as if I were one of their own. Considering my upbringing it had been nice to finally find a place which felt like home. Now it was tainted by this time in my life. This place now just reflected the sadness and loss I felt. I had to leave before it got any worse.

I packed my meagre belongings, considering leaving a letter letting everyone know I'd headed off. They wouldn't be surprised. I think they'd all agree that I'd just run away so I wouldn't have to face my problems. They wouldn't know that I'd already faced them; they'd won this time. I couldn't be around them anymore. It was toxic. Now I just had to decide where to go. That was the tough part about running away; you had nowhere to run to. You leave all your friends and family behind in hopes of finding yourself and mending the broken pieces of yourself. But where could you go? Was there anywhere I could go where they'd leave me in peace to do whatever I had to do before I could return? No. Lissa was like a dog with a bone. She wouldn't stop looking for me, and neither would the rest of them. I guess that's what made them my friends. They clearly cared about me. They just didn't care enough not to break me in the first place.

I left quickly, trying to avoid any unnecessary confrontations. Thankfully everyone was still preoccupied outside. I felt a pang of jealously as I watched them. After leaving I felt an ache in my chest. I was already missing them. But I had to go. Staying with them would hurt me more them leaving them behind.

Once I was far enough away I got out my phone, dialling someone I hoped could help me. I needed somewhere to go. I needed to occupy myself while I got over everything that happened. I needed a job somewhere where I could straighten out my messy mind and get over everything that had happened between me and Dimitri and me and Lissa.

Alberta answered on the third ring, and her familiar voice sounded exactly how I remembered it. It was odd. Lately so much had changed, but really everything was still the same. Only my world had changed. How was it possible that the rest of the world was still spinning normally when my world had completely fallen off its axis?

"Hello Alberta." I said after a second.

"Rose?" She questioned, sounding surprised. Somehow I think she'd assumed she'd never hear from me again after graduation. She had just been one of my teachers, my mentors. But I needed her and she'd always been there for me. "What can I do for you?"

"I need a job." I replied. "Somewhere away from everyone and everything."

Alberta hesitated for only a second before responding, "I'll see what I can do." Reliable…I needed more people in my life like that.

Dimitri's POV

The sun was perched high in the sky, warming the earth and us as we stood outside. The Moroi hid in the shade but I savoured the feeling of the sun upon my skin. It hadn't been that long ago when I thought I'd never feel the glorious heat of the sun on my skin again – a downside of being an undead immortal with absolutely zero tolerance to the sun. Now I could enjoy it. I respected life so much more now that it had been ripped from me. I appreciated so many things I'd never really thought about before, like the way the colour slowly melted from the sky during sunset; how during dawn when the sun began to rise the sky lit up as if it had been set alight. The smell of the air and the sounds of nature also seemed immaculate to me now.

My mother returned from checking on Rose, a stricken expression on her face. I instantly rushed to her side. Worry flared in my chest.

"Is Rose okay?" I asked. She'd been okay the last time I'd seen her but getting her memories back could have done some serious damage. I knew she was strong and could handle anything, but I still worried that one day something would get the best of her. Like something eventually got the best of me.

"She's gone." She replied. I could see sadness in her eyes. I knew my mother well enough to know that she'd wanted Rose to stay. She wanted us to get back together, marry each other and have little grandchildren for her to spoil and look after. She just wanted what any other mother would want. She wanted me to be happy. We both knew that my happiness was dependent on Rose being in my life. I just wished I'd realised that sooner instead of obsessing over the hurt I'd caused her. We could have been together instead of stuck in this catastrophic mess.

"Gone?" Lissa jumped up. Her face portrayed her shock. In fact, as I looked around, everyone looked equally as surprised. I don't think anyone had expected her to leave. I certainly hadn't. Rose was always the type to face her problems head on with a steely resolve. Why would she run away now?

"We'll we have to find her." Adrian piped up.

"Yeah," Christian agreed. "Who knows what she'll get up to without parental supervision."

Lissa shot him a quick glare, silently letting him know his sarcasm wasn't appreciated. "Where would she even go?" Lissa directed the question at me, a pleading look in her eyes.

"I-I have no idea…" I was as puzzled as everyone else. I didn't think Rose would leave. I thought after getting back her memories she'd want to stay and fix things. I'd been clear about my feelings towards her. Maybe she no longer felt the same after all I'd put her through. I had caused her a lot of pain. I'd just been hoping that she loved me enough to forgive me. I was hoping our love was strong enough to survive the turmoil and pain we'd both been put through.

Maybe it had just been wishful thinking on my part, but I just wanted to be with Rose so badly. She couldn't have given up, not after everything she did to get me back. I knew Adrian was right, we had to find her. I couldn't lose her now, not when we were so close to finally being together again. I couldn't let my own happiness slip through my fingers again, especially not if that would mean losing Rose forever. Soon we were all devising a plan to find Rose.

"I say we go out on foot while it's still light out." Adrian suggested. "She couldn't have gotten far. I doubt she's been gone for too long. I think we'll find her."

"Good idea." Lissa replied, a thoughtful look on her face. "Although we were on the run for two years. Rose is good at finding quick ways out of places. She might be long gone by now."

My mother huffed under her breath then turned to us and said "We have to find her and bring her home. She isn't well enough to be wandering around alone. I worry about that girl as if she was my own. I won't be able to sleep until I know she's alright."

My grandmother appeared out of thin air, a look of annoyance on her face. Everyone noticed her the second I did and stopped talking. She just stood, glancing at us all with some unreadable emotion in her eyes. "Rose is not lost. She does not want to be found. She is exactly where she should be."

"But-" Lissa started to say but my grandmother cut her off with a glare.

"You," She said to Lissa accusingly. "She left because of the pain you and my grandson have caused her. Do not try and argue with me. Rose does not want to be found. She needs to heal, and she cannot do that with you chasing her down like a wild pack of wolves." And with that she turned and slowly walked away.

My grandmother had always been a wise women and she had an uncanny ability to practically see into the future. For all I knew she actually could. All I knew for sure was that my grandmother was always right. I wanted to find Rose more than anything, but my grandmothers words slowly began to convince me that if I tried to find her now I'd lose her forever. That was something I didn't want to happen.

This chapter is shorter than I thought it would be, but I've written everything I wanted to put in this chapter! I'll update very soon! Please review and let me know what you think!