– DIMITRI –

Rose fidgeted nervously in her seat as the plane engines roared to life. I watched her take out a small plastic container and shake a few white pills into her palm, downing them with a sip of water the moment we started taxiing on the runway. She swallowed and visibly relaxed as she did so, closing her eyes and settling into her seat more.

"What were those?" I knew it was none of my business, but curiosity got the best of me.

She peeked through one of the closed eyelids, seemingly unconcerned with my intrusive question. "Migraine medication."

"I didn't know you got headaches." I couldn't recall her ever having a headache back at the Academy, especially not one that required medication.

"Well, we couldn't be certain if it was something from my past, but doctors think it might have been a side effect of whatever altercation I was in before I woke up. They were pretty bad in the beginning, near constant and often bad enough that I would see shadow like shapes flying around, but now I can block them out for the most part. Plane rides are a different matter entirely though. As soon as we are up in the air, the pain becomes excruciating and I start seeing shadows in front of my eyes again."

I thought for a moment. I had been on two plane rides with her. Once was after picking her and Vasilisa up in Portland. The second was a week before she disappeared, when we traveled to the ski lodge. I didn't recall her suffering from pain or visions either time, and I certainly didn't remember her needing medication for them.

"If it helps any, I think that's a new issue. I don't remember you having any trouble with headaches before..."

"Thanks." She gave me a small smile. "It's still strange that someone else knows more about me than I do. Or at least parts of me..." She trailed off, lost in thought for a moment before turning to face me with renewed excitement and curiosity. "So, Christian told me how knew me. Eddie told me how he knew me. Even Adrian let me know how we had met..."

I could feel the tension building in my body and I waited for the inevitable.

"What's our story?"

It was a loaded question. I hesitated as I thought about what I should say. She didn't remember me. She didn't remember us. Part of that killed me, but the other part knew that it might be for the best. While her age and my position as her mentor were no longer barriers in our relationship, it was still unheard of for guardians to share a life together.

"I was your trainer at the Academy."

"A teacher? How did you end up with this crazy bunch then?"

"I wasn't so much a teacher as a mentor for you." I could hear Adrian snicker a bit before Eddie smacked his shoulder. I continued as if nothing had happened, "You and Lissa had missed a large portion of school and someone was needed to help tutor you in your combat classes. I volunteered. We worked a couple of extra hours together each day."

"So, I have you to thank for my awesome fighting skills. You must be pretty amazing if you taught me everything I knew." There was a bit of the teasing that I remembered so fondly, but I also heard her genuine compliment.

I looked away, unwilling to boast about my own ability.

"He is," Eddie chimed in from across the aisle. "He'll never admit it himself, but he's one of the best out there. Not that you weren't pretty talented on your own. Two years of missed school and you were still able to give me a run for my money when you got back. You were great before, but once he started mentoring you, you became unstoppable. You were able to do things other novices couldn't. You survived where others faltered." Eddie's voice caught almost unnoticeably as I knew his mind drifted to Mason. After a brief pause, his lips formed a tight grin. "He trained me too, after you left. I'm better for it."

She thought for a moment, as if trying to see her past. Eventually, her eyes drifted back to me. "Thank you. Really, I know I don't remember all the work you put in to teaching me, but the things you taught me somehow stuck when most of the other things didn't, and it's got me out of more than a few difficult situations."

She spoke with complete sincerity and in a tone that I didn't recognized. Well, at least not from her. When she and I had met, she had been forced to fend for herself in almost every aspect. Even with Lissa by her side, she wasn't able to really lean on her for emotional support. She hid many of her needs and worries as a form of protecting the Princess. She had just begun to trust and lean on me before everything hit the fan. It occurred to me that while she was practically alone the past few years, she had to survive and that meant leaning on others. Whether that meant the doctors, social workers, or her friend Marie, she wouldn't have made it on her own and she knew it.

Now she was showing that same gratitude towards me.

I wanted to tell her that it was no problem. I may have started training her because I had been strong-armed into it. It may have been initially done with Lissa's protection in mind, but as I began to fall for her, it was just as much about teaching her to keep herself safe as it was about keeping her charge safe. I wanted to tell her how much I felt like a failure when she was lost. And I don't just mean as her mentor and trainer, but as everything else I should have been to her too.

I wanted to tell her all this, but I didn't. I couldn't. So instead I stayed silent.

Thankfully, she quickly returned back to the happy, sarcastic, and social Rose that was so much more recognizable.

"So, it sounds like that extra training took quite a bit of time and energy. Couldn't have left much time for anything else." I nodded in agreement, knowing that her social life dropped dramatically, especially when we started training full force. However, her next question left me breathless.

"Did I have a boyfriend?"

Everyone was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. The question was directed towards Christian and Eddie, but they immediately looked towards me and noticing the change, so did she. After what felt like an hour, but was most likely only ten seconds, I answered her.

"No."

I stood from the seat and made my way to the back of the plane, searching for a small amount of privacy. As I walked away, I heard Adrian quip sarcastically.

"Not for a lack of trying."

I had only been in the galley for a moment before Eddie found me. "So...she didn't have a boyfriend? I know that was the official story, but I didn't think you'd tell her that."

"What was I supposed to tell her? 'Hey, yeah, not only was I your mentor, we were also fighting a completely inappropriate relationship that could have gotten you expelled, me fired and possibly jailed, and may have put our charge – your best friend – in mortal danger.' That would have gone over well."

"Dimitri, that was two years ago. Half of those excuses – and that is exactly what those are: excuses – aren't even relevant now. As for that last one, Lissa will understand. Hell, she'll just be thrilled to have Rose back, I doubt she'll even care."

"Then tell me this: what do I expect from her? What do I ask of her? She doesn't even remember me, she doesn't remember anything about me, anything about us. I can't just expect us to pick up where we left off." I took a deep breath, fighting off the frustration that was building within me and waiting to spill out. "She has too much to deal with right now just figuring who she is. I can't place this on her shoulders as well. I won't."

Eddie stared at me in defiance, but his glare softened before he spoke. "I guess I can understand where you are coming from, but I think you are doing you both a disservice by not talking to her about this. You're right, it is too much to expect from her to simply pick things up where you left them. That's unrealistic. Not telling her though, means you are keeping a fairly significant portion of who she was from her."

"I knew her less than six months. Lissa is significant, you are significant, Mason was significant..."

"But no one, save for Lissa, has had as big of an impact on her as you have. I've known Rose since we were both left on the Academy doorstep. I've been there for some of the biggest moments in her life. The biggest change that I have ever seen came when she started working with you. I'm not talking about training, Dimitri, I'm talking about her temperament and personality. You changed her."

"All of that is past tense though. What about now?"

"That's for you both to decide...together. If you want my two cents though, she's already turning to you, just like she used to. You saw her earlier. She was terrified, and she turned to you. She could have turned to me, she could have turned away entirely, but she turned to you. Her mind might have forgotten, but I think her heart still remembers you."

I watched her from the back of the plane. She laughed at something Adrian said, and gave Christian a light smack on the shoulder for whatever his reply was. Part of me still couldn't believe she was here. I was thrilled to know that she was alive. Sure, a part of me felt broken and perhaps even robbed when I learned that she didn't remember anything, but after Eddie's scolding I saw something else: a chance.

How many times have I lamented and regretted the fact that I didn't tell her how I felt or took the opportunity to show her how much she meant to me? How many times had I wished for another chance to see my Roza, to hold her? A chance to prove myself to her. To fall in love with her again. To let her fall in love with me. A chance to build this relationship the way that I wish I had been able to before. Could I really let this chance pass me by?

~ ROSE ~

"So, have you told Lissa yet?" Adrian asked Christian over the seat.

"Are you kidding? I've been trying to find a decent wedding present for weeks now. Bringing Rose back is going beat anything else on the planet!"

The comment did nothing to alleviate my nerves. There was this strange pressure to perform. The problem was that I had no clue what role I was expected to play. It was like being pushed onto the stage and hearing the music without knowing the dance routine. Everyone around me knew who I was supposed to be, but I still needed to figure it out.

"We'll, you brought most of Rose back," Adrian facetiously corrected as the rest of us waited for clarification. "Her body is here, but we seemed to have lost her mind along the way."

Christian and I dissolved into a fit laughter.

"Yes, that's true," Christian quipped, "but at least we got the important part."

I reached over to smack Christian's shoulder, playfully grinning the entire time. He still winced.

I appreciated the way that Adrian and Christian, like Marie, could make light of my situation. They weren't making fun of me. They were making the best out of an insane situation. So many people treated me with kid gloves, as if I would break if I was reminded about what happened to me. I could almost get a sense of who I used to be, because they treated me as if I was still that girl.

Dimitri must have entered from the back of the plane again. I could sense him before I ever him. There was something practically overwhelming about his presence, at least for me. When I looked back, he was only about a foot away.

"We should be landing soon."

He sat down in the row behind me and I could hear the snap of his buckle. I shift to the window seat before all of us followed his lead as the plane started to descend.

Looking out the window, there was nothing but trees for what seemed to be miles. As the private jet peeked over a hill, I saw something in the distance. It wasn't a city by any means. It wasn't even a small town. It looked like a university of all things. The closer we got, the more I could make out. There were several large buildings, most looking fairly old and regal; right out of an Ivy League campus. One or two buildings stood out in a more modern style, but it was safe to say that this place had been here for ages.

We circled the area several times, gradually flying lower each time before I felt us making our final approach. The wheels hit the ground with a hard bounce, and after the initial shock, I noticed something odd. For the first time in as long as I could remember, I felt my usual headache totally abate at once. I was still nervous as all get out, but at least I wouldn't have a migraine to deal with.

It took several minutes for us to pull off the landing strip towards an area where the stair ramps were located. I could feel my heart rate increasing with each moment, knowing that as soon as I stepped off this plane, I would be in another world. I tried to console myself with the fact that I had apparently spent my entire childhood immersed in this vampiric culture, but it didn't offer much comfort when I couldn't remember a single day of that life. My stomach lurched nauseously as the plane came to a full stop.

While Eddie and Dimitri seemed more relaxed as soon as we step foot onto the plane, the tension melted off their shoulders completely once we made our landing. I assumed there must have been some extra security measures at this Court which allowed them to relax a little. Still, Eddie led the group out of the open doors.

Christian and Adrian followed right behind him and I could hear them talking to some people outside, but I was still glued to my seat. I knew that I would eventually meet other people, but I didn't expect to do so right at this moment. I closed my eyes and slowly started counting to ten.

At eight, I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Dimitri standing in the center aisle with my bag slung over his shoulder.

"Are you alright?" I could see the genuine concern in his face as he questioned me.

"Yeah, just a bit overwhelmed," I replied, forcing a smile for his benefit. "That kinda seems to be the theme of this whole experience, doesn't it?"

He offered a sympathetic look. "I don't know if it helps any, but I'll be right here anytime you need me. I promise."

I took the hand he offered and used it to pull myself up. I felt a sort of jolt when we touched, almost like a static shock but much more pleasant. "Thanks. It helps more than you know." I didn't want to drop his hand, but took my cue to let go when he shifted uncomfortably.

"Come on," he insisted, coughing out the words, "I think there's at least one person outside who has been waiting to see you for quite some time."

I could hear the sounds of voices outside on the tarmac. Some I recognized, some I didn't. One was completely female. I heard her squeal as soon as Christian stepped out of the door and after a quiet moment or two – where I assumed they were reacquainting themselves with each other's lips – I heard some playful banter start up.

"So...what did you bring me?" the female voice sounded almost musical, even while she flirted.

"Who said I was bringing you anything?" Christian teased back.

"Oh you know you did, and it better be good mister! I'm pretty sure you broke at least one rule."

I could hear Adrian snicker as he assured her, "This will make up for it, we promise."

"Take a look." I knew Christian was giving me as good a cue as any, but I was still cemented in place just inside the door. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Dimitri nodding his encouragement, as if he knew I was watching him. With that last bit of borrowed strength, I stepped into the fading light of day.

The blonde girl, Lissa, gasped as she recognized my face. The three men surrounding her looked proud of themselves. I stood on the top step like an idiot with no clue what to do next.

I walked slowly down the stairs and nearly made it to the bottom before Lissa seemed to find her voice again.

"Rose!" she cried, tears starting to spill on her cheeks, "Oh my God. Rose!" She ran quickly to me, crashing against me in a tight hug that I awkwardly returned. She was a step below me, but with the height difference, we were eye to eye.

I stumbled a little from the force of her embrace and I felt Dimitri immediately behind me to steady us so we didn't fall.

As Lissa pulled away from me, her questions ran together faster than I could understand. "Is that really you? Where have you been? Why didn't you call? Why didn't you come home?"

The anxiety I felt in the plane was making a reappearance and I took a step back to get some breathing room.

Eddie must have picked up on my discomfort because he soon pulled Lissa gently away from me. "Lissa, there's a whole lot to more to this than you realize. Give Rose some space and we'll all try to explain. Why don't we head back and we can sit and talk in peace?"

She glanced towards him with confusion, but the joy and excitement that she radiated was so tangible, it felt like you could touch it. Ashamed that I wasn't having the same reaction to seeing my supposed 'best friend', I turned to take my carry-on bag from Dimitri. I knew he was more than willing to carry it for me – he seemed like a gentlemanly-type guy – but the small bag seemed to offer me some illusion of protection from the craziness that was currently my life.

Lissa had her arm linked into Christian's as we followed her across what still appeared to be a large college campus, or perhaps a university town complete with shops, homes, and families.

It didn't take long before I started to notice people staring at me, and some went as far as to point me out and whisper to one another as we walked by. I didn't recognize a single face, but it was obvious that there were at least a few people who were making guesses as to who I was.

I clutched the bag tighter to my body, trying to keep my head held high as I walked but wanting nothing more than to crawl in a hole. I had been in awkward situations before, but nothing compared to what I was feeling right now at this moment.

Thankfully, someone seemed to notice my distress. Adrian looked back for a moment before smacking Dimitri on the shoulder. Dimitri scowled at him – something tells me that they had a very unique relationship that involved butting heads as much as understanding one another – and watched as Adrian nodded in my direction. Adrian moved to stand beside me, creating a small human shield to one side of me. Following his lead, Dimitri fell back to my other side, effectively keeping me from most of the spectators' view.

Our walk took about twenty minutes, taking us through some busier areas but around the older buildings that I assumed marked the center of this strange town. A long row of town houses came into view, and Christian led the way to one on the corner with a larger yard and a few more windows than the rest.

The home was much larger than you would expect for two people. It wasn't flashy, but it was large. Even though Christian held the key, the décor made it obvious that there was a girl living here. Fresh flowers sat on a table near the entry and Dimitri shrugged off his own leather coat before taking the rest of ours and hanging them in the closet. The comfortable nature that both he and Eddie had here made me think that they were frequent visitors.

"I'm gonna go put my things away. Dimitri, do you want me to drop your stuff off in your room?"

"Sure, thanks Eddie." Dimitri handed his bag over and I realized that I was wrong once again. This house had four occupants, not two.

Adrian plopped down on the couch in the front room, putting his feet up on the coffee table for only a second before Lissa smacked them away.

"Cut it out. You know better."

"Sure thing, Cousin." The smirk on his face made it clear that he had done it just to annoy her.

"Cousins?" I questioned.

"It doesn't actually signify a blood relation. It just means that we both are from Royal lines. I could address Christian the same way, but he's kinda like that strange stepchild we all try to forget exists."

Everyone laughed except Lissa, who was too busy looking at me with curiosity.

Once Eddie returned, I noticed that Dimitri had disappeared as well. He walked into the room again moments later with a pitcher of lemonade and a stack of glasses.

"I dismissed the other guardians," he said. "Was there any trouble while we were away?" He poured the first cup, offering it to Lissa and then doing the same for me before pouring his own. The other guys filled their own glasses.

"Of course not. You two worry too much. It was pretty boring here. I had one meeting with Tatiana and then spent the rest of my weekend watching Netflix and addressing thank you cards for after the wedding."

"Oh goodness, poor Guardian Andrews probably watched more episodes of Gossip Girl than he ever cared to." Adrian teased as if the show was pure torture to the male psyche.

"Yeah, but Abigail seemed to enjoy herself." Princess Vasilisa turned to me, "It will be so nice to have a girl in the house again. It's tiring to be so outnumbered."

An awkward silence fell heavily over us. Christian was the one brave enough to break it.

"Yeah. About that Liss, Rose is just visiting."

Her eyes shot up. "Visiting? What do you mean visiting? Rose, you aren't going to stay?"

"Ummm..." I really didn't know how to handle this.

Thankfully, Dimitri bailed me out. "Rose has dealt with quite a bit over the past few years. I think you need to hear the full story before anything else."

Author's Note

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY LOVELY RAISSA! Thank you for every little thing you do for me. I sent her a special gift this afternoon, and if we're lucky, she'll be willing to share it with the rest of you guys here soon. Hint: it's over 11,000 words!

Otherwise, this week has been extremely busy. I haven't had the chance to respond to reviews on either of my stories as I typically would like, so if you haven't gotten a reply to your review or PM, I'm sorry. I promise, I will catch up in the next day or so.

I love this chapter for Eddie. I always wanted to give him a little bromance with Dimitri and this story was the perfect opportunity to do so. What do you think? Will Dimitri eventually tell Rose what's going on? Will he try to win her over again? What do you think Rose's reaction would be?

I'm so grateful for every single reader, review, favorite and follow that I get. Thank you so much for standing by me and my stories and I hope you all have a wonderful week!