– DIMITRI –

Christian, Adrian, Eddie and I explained most of the situation, with Rose only adding a word or two of correction when needed. Lissa just sat silently through the entire conversation. After the initial shock, her face became a blank slate and I was fairly certain that the Academy novices could learn a thing or two from her about hiding their emotions while on the clock.

"So," she finally said, "you don't remember anything?"

Rose kept her eyes down but shook her head. "Nothing. I didn't even know my own name. Until this weekend, I was going by Ivy Jones."

"But...we're bonded. How could you not remember? You were in my head. You must have felt my feelings. You probably even heard my thoughts." Lissa's voice was becoming a little more hysterical with every sentence, finally breaking free from the calm facade she had put up earlier. "You must remember me, at least a little."

Rose bit her lip and worried it between her teeth. I could tell she was trying to find a way to make Lissa understand without hurting her feelings. "I wish I could tell you something else, but I don't remember you at all." She gestured vaguely at the rest of us before continuing, "I at least recognized everyone else from our visions, but since I was seeing things through your eyes, I never saw you personally."

"This is ridiculous!" I was taken aback by Lissa's outrage. It wasn't as if Rose had a choice in the matter. "You've been missing for two years, Rose...two years! And when you finally come home I find out that you remember everyone but me? I was your best friend. You are like a sister to me!"

"Lissa..." Christian tried to interject.

"No. It's not fair. She was supposed to be here, with me." Lissa's tears seemed to finally overwhelm her as she turned back towards the other girl, her opposite in nearly every way. "Why did you leave, Rose?"

I was about to speak up when Rose beat me to the punch. "I honestly don't know," she said calmly. "I promise you, I didn't choose this. I had to restart from nothing, not even an identity. I have pretty much one person who I can count on like family and I'm lucky that she was the one who stumbled upon me in the park. It's been difficult to get close to anyone because they just don't understand the situation and now I'm going on complete faith that I'm who you guys say I am because despite seeming pretty crazy, it feels like a better option than continuing to live with no past and barely any future."

We all simply stared. Her words cut through my chest. I was so thrilled that Rose had decided to come back that I never stopped to think about why she was coming back. It never occurred to me that she was trying to step into a life that she didn't remember because it seemed like it might just be a little easier than trying to create a life from scratch, with barely any friends or family to offer support.

"I'm sorry Rose...I know it's not your fault." Lissa took a deep breath and the blinked away the look of shame that had taken over just a moment ago. "It just...well...there are so many things I wish you could have been here for. I've missed you. I guess a part of me hoped that one day you would come back, and when you did everything would be back to normal. I know that isn't fair to you, but it still hurts."

Amazingly, Rose looked sympathetic. "I get it. If I could make everything normal, I would. But if it helps, I didn't miss everything." There was a small playful grin on her face as I wondered what she could be talking about. She turned to Eddie first.

"Eddie, I saw your graduation. Lissa was so proud of you for overcoming everything and graduating top in your class. So am I for that matter."

Eddie smiled, bowing his head a little before replying, "It's only because you weren't there. You could take me any day of the week. You probably still could."

She rolled her eyes then faced Adrian next. "Adrian, the painting you displayed at the art show last year..." I remembered the piece he did that showcased Rose in the red dress she had worn just hours before she had disappeared, "...it was beautiful. Thank you."

Adrian's trademark smirk softened a bit in sincerity.

"And you two," she eyed the couple sitting together on the love seat, "I've honestly seen more of Christian than I ever care to admit or witness again, but I do have to say that the little speech he gave when he proposed was one of the sweetest things I ever heard. Who knew he had it in him?"

Lissa's grin grew, either at the remembrance of the moment or the fact that Rose had been an unsuspecting witness to it.

"You see Lissa? I haven't missed everything. Even if I didn't know who you were at the time, I've always been there for your special moments."

I couldn't help but admire Rose. Yes, there were many things that had surprised me about her since I saw her on that stage, but the fact that she was still putting Lissa first wasn't one of them. Perhaps it was simply ingrained on her soul and even losing her memories couldn't change that. Rose had been through something that few people could relate to, but she still cared about others around her.

"However, if you excuse me, this crazy nocturnal schedule you have is already killing me and I think I'd really like to take a rest before I look around." She looked between me and Lissa. "Is that okay?"

"Of course," she answered, "We already have a place set up for you."

Vasilisa stood and started walking towards the stairs, leaving no choice but for us to follow her. I knew what was going to happen next, but Rose was completely unaware.

"Wait, I thought you had no clue I was coming."

"Oh, I didn't," Lissa assured. "This room has been waiting for you ever since we moved in here."

Lissa opened a door, one that hadn't been opened in longer than any of us cared to remember, and Rose's eyes grew wide.

"All your stuff is here from school. There's a few things still in boxes in the closet, but I tried to set it up a little for you. We were always hoping you'd come home Rose."

Roza stepped into the room as if she was stepping into a dream and I couldn't help but smile at her reaction. She looked at pictures on the wall, a few small trophies from old school competitions, and even a few of the knick knacks that were uniquely hers.

"The bedding is new. If you don't like it, I'm happy to get something else for you. I just had to make my best guess."

"It's amazing...this is all amazing." Rose seemed awestruck at everything around her, and as much as I wanted to continue to watch her discover everything there was to see, I knew she would probably want a little privacy.

I slipped her bag inside her door and began to shut it, but Lissa stopped me.

"Is that all you brought?" she asked.

Rose nodded, but didn't say anything else, too caught up looking at an old photo.

"We can pick up some clothing for you if you'd like. There's some old stuff in the closet, but I'm sure you wouldn't mind going shopping sometime."

Rose nodded again and this time I was all but certain that wasn't paying full attention to the conversation. She had never been quite the shopping enthusiast that Vasilisa was.

"We'll give you some time," I insisted. "Just let us know if you need anything. I don't believe we're going anywhere for the rest of the night."

Lissa nodded in agreement with me, but Rose was now completely absorbed in everything around her and I doubt she even heard the door shut as we left.

~ ROSE ~

It was like walking into some sort of museum, one dedicated to me. I could see little hints of my past that almost created a story if I strung the evidence together. The photos on the wall were the most telling. A majority of the pictures were of Lissa and I throughout the years. One caught my eye, and I cradled it as if it was some precious gem. Lissa was in pigtails and a much younger version of me stood proudly, smiling and bearing my cheesy grin minus two front teeth. We couldn't have been older than five or so, but you could tell how close we used to be just by looking at us in those pictures.

Many of the other pictures included a man, women, and boy who seemed to be a year or two older than Lissa and I. They all shared her same blonde hair and green eyes and after a moment, it occurred to me that this must have been her family. The same family which had died in the crash that had apparently killed me too. All pictures of them suddenly stopped when Lissa and I appeared to be young teenagers.

One picture in particular stood out to me, and it must have meant something special to Lissa too because rather than being hung on the wall like the others, it was framed on the bedside table. Lissa and I were in a friendly embrace at what must have been a costume party. We looked to be about sixteen, but many of the other faces in the picture appeared older. There were even a few telling red cups in the background and I briefly wondered if we had somehow stumbled upon a college frat party. She and I were dressed as fairies, Lissa in pink and me in purple. The amount of glitter on us was almost appalling, but it made me laugh. We looked so happy and carefree, and I longed to feel the way I must have in that photo. It looked like something Marie and I would have gotten ourselves into.

Remembering my friend who I had left behind, I quickly pulled out my phone to see one missed text message.

Marie: Hey, hope you are doing alright.

It was sent a few hours ago, but I was sure that Marie would still be eager for a reply.

Ivy: Yeah. I'm doing okay. It's been a long day.

Marie: I can imagine. What do you think? Do they know who you are?

Ivy: I'm pretty sure they do. They have a ton of stuff here that is apparently mine. Clothing, awards, and more pictures that I could ever imagine. There's pictures from when I was a child. It's so weird.

Marie: You'll have to show me one. I'd love to see little Ivy...or Rose...or whatever your name is.

I snapped a picture of me with the toothless grin and sent it to her.

Ivy: I'm going by Rose for the time being. Rosemarie Hathaway. Rosemarie seems a bit stuffy for my taste, but I don't mind being called Rose.

Marie: It doesn't matter what they call you sweetie, you'll always be Ivy to me. And yeah, that little girl is totally you. The eyes are just the same. Who's the blonde?

I hadn't told Marie anything about the whole vampire thing. Mostly because I doubted she would believe it, but also because the boys had made it sound like something that was fairly hush hush. I had also left out the me-dying-bond thing or anything to do with magic and royalty and whatnot. I hated lying to Marie, but until I figured things out a little more, it seemed like the only logical choice. If she knew everything, I'm pretty sure she would have called the cops claiming that a group of delusional men were trying to kidnap me.

Ivy: That's Vasilisa. She goes by Lissa. Apparently we grew up together like sisters. She's a little high maintenance, but she seems pretty nice. She kept all my stuff and even has had a room waiting for me since I went missing.

Marie: That's nice of her. I wouldn't mind meeting her sometime. If someone is going to take my place as your best friend, I reserve the right to approve of them first.

Ivy: lol. I doubt that could ever happen. You know too many of my secrets to let you go. I'm going to hit the sack. I'm exhausted from everything.

Marie: I bet. Call me if you need anything. You know I'm always here for you. Always have been, always will be.

Ivy: Thanks. I don't know what I'd do without you.

I put my phone on the bedside table, searching through my bag to find the charger. I was tempted to look through the walk in closet that I had peeked at earlier, but another yawn pushed through me and I knew that I was too tired to manage it. Instead, I laid down on the bed, pulling the covers over me and enjoying their silkiness. I was pretty sure that they were more expensive than anything I could have afforded back home.

I was only going to take a nap. Eddie had explained to me how they ran on a nocturnal schedule to benefit the Moroi who had issues with the sun. They didn't burst into flames or anything like the stories – though, I wonder if Christian could technically...he did control fire – but it did irritate their skin I guess. Since I worked nights, it wouldn't be that much of a change for me, but I would be altering my schedule for the next couple of weeks.

When I woke up a couple of hours later (a bit later than I meant to) it was the middle of the night, but I could hear from the noises outside that it was the most active time for this place. It was the middle of the day for them. My body protested the change a bit, but I forced myself out of bed anyways and made my way downstairs to where everyone else was.

"Hey Rose, how're you doing?" Christian was at the stove in the kitchen, cooking something that smelled like toast and melting cheese. I felt my stomach rumble in response and he let out a small laugh. "Hungry. Got it. Grilled cheese okay?"

"Sure, sounds great if you don't mind."

"Not a problem. I like deli mustard and sliced apples in mine. Does that sound good to you?"

"Yes to the mustard, no the the apples."

"Sure thing. There's some Dr. Pepper in the fridge if you want some," he flipped the sandwich in the pan then turned to me. "You still like that, right?"

I walked to the fridge, nodding my head to rid myself of the last threads of my nap. Caffeine sounded like a great idea right now. I popped the tab on the can and drank half of it in one gulp before moving to the table.

"So, where is everyone? It's quiet."

"Adrian went home to unpack his stuff. He'll be back later. Lissa had to drop off some paperwork for Queen Tatiana and Dimitri accompanied her. Eddie went to the Guardian Offices to check the schedules for him and Dimitri. All three should be home soon." Christian slid a plate in front of me with a perfectly toasted grilled cheese on top. I was fairly impressed. I usually ended up burning at least one side whenever I made them. He sat next to me with his own identical plate a second later.

"Thanks." I took a bite and it was like cheesy heaven in my mouth. "This is amazing. Who taught you to cook, Sparky?"

He looked more surprised than confused at my sudden nickname and I snapped my fingers the same way he had in Vegas. Unfortunately, mine didn't result in any flames. He chuckled with sudden understanding before taking a bite of his own sandwich and answering, see-food and all.

"I took culinary classes my last semester. It was supposed to be an easy A class, but turns out that I'm pretty good and actually enjoy it. I've been the house chef ever since."

"I need a house chef," I mumbled under my breath before swallowing my own bite. "I thought Dimitri and Eddie needed to stay with you guys all the time. Isn't that their job?" They had never let any of the Moroi out of their sight in Vegas and even when relaxing in the hotel room, they seemed to be glancing about for possible dangers.

"When we're outside the wards, yeah, they stick close by. Technically, they're both assigned to Lissa since she is the last of her line. Adrian has refused a guardian ever since I could remember and I was simply never offered one. I'm not exactly popular with society around here."

"Well, with at snarky attitude of yours, I can't exactly disagree with them," I joked playfully.

He raised a brow at me. "I have the snarky attitude? Well excuse me Miss Sass." I chuckled before he continued. "Naw, my parents made a pretty horrid life choice when I was a kid and it's followed me around ever since."

"Wait, you are being blamed for your parents' choice? That's messed up. What'd they do?"

"They willingly turned – became Strigoi – for the immortality."

My sandwich dropped to the plate from my hands. "Shit."

"Yeah. That about sums it up. It doesn't happen often, so when it does, it's a big deal. I guess people are afraid that I might turn out like them."

Things were awkwardly silent for a while as we ate. I wanted to reassure him that I didn't think he'd do anything like his parents did, but I also felt like I just met the guy. What did my opinion matter?

"What are wards?" I blurted out.

"What?"

"Wards. You mentioned them earlier." Anything to change the subject and fill the silence.

"Oh. A magical barrier of sorts. Think of it as a Strigoi force field. It keeps them out."

"Really? Why aren't they everywhere then?" If there was a way to keep places safe from the evil version of vampires, it seems like it would be a good idea to place them around as many areas as you could.

"They have to be maintained fairly regularly. Plus, they can be broken. A few years back there was quite a few instances of humans working with Strigoi to break them." He looked a little distant before adding. "It was pretty bad. Quite a few people died."

"How do you keep people from breaking them?"

"Guardians take regular patrol shifts in Court or other places like the Academies. Dimitri and Eddie both put in time few days a week. It's part of their position while we're living here."

The front door opened, letting a quick draft into the house, as well as the sound of Lissa's chatter. I didn't understand what she was saying, but her conversation stopped suddenly as soon as she saw us.

"Oh! You're up! Good!"

Christian stood and walked back towards the stove. "Grilled Cheese, Liss?"

"Yes please." She flashed him a big smile in gratitude.

"Dimitri?"

Dimitri silently held up two fingers before using the same hand to snatch an apple from the fruit bowl.

"I'll start a second one for you, Rose." Christian started pulling slices of bread out of a bag and got to work.

I smiled, happy that he didn't even have to ask if I was still hungry. Apparently my larger than normal appetite was something that had carried over after my accident.

"So Rose. You'll never guess who we saw as we were walking," Lissa proclaimed.

"Considering everything, I can pretty much guarantee you're right on that."

Lissa looked confused for half a breath while both Christian and Dimitri looked amused. Christian even rolled his eyes at me.

"Oh, right." Lissa let out a little giggle but pressed on. "We saw your mom!"

"I have a mom?" Such a sentence shouldn't really sound so surprising, but to me, it was. I had pretty much given up hope of having a family when nobody seemed to be looking for me after the first few weeks.

"Mmhmm. She and your dad are going to be coming over for dinner tonight. Is that okay with you Christian?"

"No problem." He called back. "I'll make meatloaf. I'm assuming Adrian's coming over too?"

I'm guessing that Lissa answered him, but if she did, I didn't hear it. I was too caught up in the realization that I had both a mother and a father.

All at once, I could feel my heart rate rising. I was just as excited as I was terrified. Who knew what these people could tell me about myself. I mean, they had known me all my life. It made sense that out of everyone, my own parents would know me best. I was their daughter. I was somebody's daughter! Just like that, I started compiling a list of questions to ask about my childhood. I couldn't wait to meet them.

Author's Note

Well, isn't Rose in for a surprise...

What did you guys think of Lissa taking the news? I think it would be a shock to anyone to learn of Rose's situation, but she would have taken it the hardest out of the gang. At least she made up for it with Rose's room, right? :)

Those childhood pictures got me thinking though: Do you have a favorite childhood photo? I have one from when I was about 5 and my younger brother is sitting on my back as we smile at the camera. The thing I remember most is that we were both wearing some awful Lion King outfits that practically screamed "I'm from the 90's." There's lots others that I can remember, but I think that one is a favorite because it really shows just how close me and my little brother were growing up.

Also...How do you like your grilled cheese sandwiches?

A big thank you to everyone who has read, shared, followed and favorited this story! I love to get to know my readers so PLEASE feel free to leave a review!