A/U one shot. Very rough edit lol.

I had spent decades in the shadows. I was always good at hiding what I was. I had never met anyone that made me want to tell them the truth, but then Dimitri started working here.

Working in the hospital was hard by anyone's standards, but it gave me peace of mind. I was essentially a candy striper, there to help feed patients, do activities with them. I worked primarily with the pediatric wing. I spent a lot of my night shifts keeping kids company if their parents had to work.

It was the only good thing to come of this life. I could work the night shift, and nobody would know the wiser.

Dimitri Belikov joined as a pediatric surgeon a few months ago, and was amazing with the kids. He was good with the parents too. Some surgeons were cold and distant, not giving the patients the bedside care they deserved, but he always took the time.

We had grown close as the months on. He was funny and tall, towering over everyone at six feet and seven inches tall. He had a heavy Russian accent that made many swoon, but it brought me nostalgic comfort.

When I was turned, one of my father's closest allies was a Russian, and the sound of Dimitri's voice was like stepping back into time. A time when I was still a seventeen-year-old girl, living a lively life in the heart of Turkey. I was a socialite in a sense, being courted by potential husbands. I lived a completely different life than I did now.

I scrolled through my tablet as I sat next to the bed, glancing up every few minutes to make sure the child beside me was still asleep.

Well, I shouldn't call him a child. He was seventeen, recovering from neurosurgery. He was pale with freckles covering his face, all the way up to his curly red locks. He had deep blue eyes that could sucker any girl into a conversation with him, and he had a boyish charm to him.

"How is he doing?"

I looked up and smiled politely at Dimitri.

"Stable, Dr. Belikov," I said softly, "He had a little bit of anxiety a few hours ago, but the on-call neurologist ordered some medications."

Dimitri nodded and came in and pulled up a chair beside me. It wasn't uncommon for staff to find the two of us together on night shifts. We were known as the peds buddies, always together, always on the night shift.

"Are you on-call?" I asked.

He nodded and rubbed his hands over his face, then pulled his hair tie out and rubbed his scalp before retying his hair. I wish that he wore his hair down more often. It made him look younger. His hair tied back at the nape aged him by ten years, it was easy to forget that he was in his early thirties.

"How is your sister doing?" I asked gently. He mentioned a week ago that his sister was assaulted at the beginning of the month, and she had temporarily moved in with him until she could get back on her feet.

"She's pregnant," he said quietly and I pressed my lips together.

"How is she processing that?"

Dimitri shook his head and I could see the emotional strike in his eyes. I reached over and squeezed his hand.

"She isn't taking it well," he said after a moment.

"Has she had anyone to discuss her options with?"

He nodded. "I sat down with her and went over all of her options in detail. I promised her that I would support whichever decision she chooses. She's keeping the baby, but mentally…I worry. She isn't coping with the situation well. I wish there was more that I could do for her."

I nodded in understanding.

"Is she older or younger?"

"Younger. Younger than you," he said when he looked at me, "She begged our mother to let her live in America with me. I feel like I failed to protect her."

"You didn't. She was taken advantage of, and you were at work. There is nothing that you could have done," I soothed, "But being there for her is exactly what she needs."

Dimitri nodded and swallowed before sighing.

"When did you get so wise?"

I snorted. "I'm twenty-four," I pointed out. It was my 'chosen' age for my identity. Rosemarie wasn't fake exactly, I often brought variations of my birth name back into rotation, but I went with a descendant's last name of Hathaway. A descendant on my mother's side.

Dimitri nodded and crossed his arms over his chest.

"If I fall asleep, wake me in twenty minutes?"

I nodded and set my tablet on the table beside me, sighing quietly as I yawned. It was strange to yawn since I didn't get tired, but even as a creature of the night, my body was still animated. It acted like it was alive.

I could tell the moment he fell asleep, and I looked over at him with a soft smile. He was quite beautiful, and I wasn't ashamed to admit that. He really did remind me much of Alyosha, and sometimes it made me miss him. While he was one of my father's allies, he was also someone that my mother thought would be an eligible suitor for me.

But those dreams of a nice house and a husband and a baby went away in the blink of an eye.

After about ten minutes, his pager started to buzz in his pocket. I leaned towards him and fished it out of his pocket, looking at it before shaking him gently. He woke with a jolt and grunted, but I handed him his pager and he was awake.

"911 in the ER," I explained and he stood up quickly, all but running out of the room. I stood up and smoothed the bed sheets on the bed and carefully stroked Mason's forehead before leaving the room. I made my way to the nurses' station and checked in to see if they needed me when a cry stole my attention. It was a little girl, maybe three who had been admitted after a car accident. She was orphaned and we were waiting for her next of kin to arrive.

"Hey," I said softly as I approached, picking her up and cuddling her to me as I hugged her.

"What's wrong?"

She didn't speak but wrapped her arms tight around my neck, her tears trickling down the side of it. I shushed her softly and rubbed her back, walking back into her room. I sat in the rocking chair and pulled the blanket off the end of the bed, wrapping it around her as I rocked her.

Despite the nightmare that I was, kids loved me and were drawn to me. Maybe it was because they could sense that I wasn't a true monster, but kind at heart. I sang quietly under my breath to her, stroking her hair every once in a while.

"What is that?"

I shifted slightly and saw one of my very few friends in the world. Lissa Ozera. She was a night nurse and was one of the kindest people I had ever met.

"It's a Turkish lullaby," I whispered, peaking down to see that the girl had fallen asleep. I stood up slowly and placed her back in her bed, tucking her in before easing out of the room.

"You're a pro with the kids. I've never seen someone get a child back to sleep so quickly."

I shrugged. "Did you need something?"

"Just here to remind you that your break is coming up," she said, "You'd work right through them if someone didn't remind you."

I snorted a laugh before clocking out for my mandated break, heading out to the courtyard to enjoy the cool night air.

There was unrest on the peds floor when I arrived for my shift a few nights later. I was hoping to meet Dimitri for coffee earlier, but he didn't answer his phone when he missed the time. I figured that he was stuck in the ER or in surgery.

He was in surgery, but not as the surgeon.

I finally found out when I saw Viktoria in the waiting room, Lissa sitting beside her while she comforted her. When Lissa saw me, she excused herself, coming to me and pulling me into a room off to the side.

"Is she okay?"

"It's Dr. Belikov," she said quietly, "He was attacked in his home."

I felt my heart stutter for a moment.

"What?"

"From what his sister has gotten out, some guy named Roland showed up at the house and blindsided Dimitri and went nuts on him. He's in surgery right now. Rose, they don't think he's gonna make it," she whispered with a furrowed brow, "He's in rough shape."

"What are his injuries?"

"He has a brain bleed, ruptured lung, broken ribs, broken eye socket, broken temporal bone. The last update I got was that his blood pressure kept falling because of internal bleeding. Roland went after him with a bat. Viktoria said he was running late, and that if he had left five minutes earlier, it would have been her who answered the door."

I felt sick as I listened to her speak. Dimitri was a strong man, but if the initial blow was to the head, Roland could have done some serious damage.

I blew out a deep breath and ran my fingers through my hair.

"I don't currently have anything scheduled. Stay with her and I'm going to go sit in the gallery," I said quietly, turning on my heel and walking calmly away from the waiting room. Once I was around the corner I broke out into a run, climbing the stairs as fast as I could until I found the operating room board. I read it quickly before finding the right room and headed for the gallery.

It was marked closed, but I slipped inside and sat in the back, my hands folded in my lap as I watched. I could watch surgery every day and still be amazed, but right now, I sat with bated breath. The lead surgeon was someone that was well respected in the hospital, and another one of the few friends I had.

She glanced upwards a few times before she realized that there was someone sitting in here.

"Ms. Hathaway, there is a sign that says this room is closed from observation," Alberta Petrov said.

I reached behind me and felt for the intercom button.

"I'm not here," I said before I clicked it off, biting my lip as she worked. The neurosurgeon was working while she worked on the abdominal bleeding. It felt like years had gone by while they worked, and there were a few times when I was worried he was going to die on the table. But they managed to make him stable and fix the brain bleed.

Once they closed him up, I left the gallery and headed down to meet Alberta. When she came out to wash her hands, she shook her head at me with a sigh.

"You could get in a lot of trouble for being in there," she pointed out. I nodded and sniffed.

"He was running late because he was supposed to meet me."

Alberta stopped washing her hands and regarded me sadly.

"Rose, you can't blame yourself."

"But I do, and at the same time, I know that he would rather it be him than the possibility of it being his sister. What are you going to tell her?"

Alberta finished washing her hands and dried them, smiling sadly at me.

"You already know what I'm going to tell her. That if he makes it through the night he has a chance, but he's still in rough shape," she said as she patted my shoulder. I looked at her with worried eyes and nodded, swallowing thickly.

She regarded me softly and pulled me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around her and rested my head against her shoulder. She knew what he meant to me, not just as a person, but what it meant for someone like me to let someone in. Someone like us.

"Have faith, Rose. I know that you and I don't believe in faith anymore, but we have to hold onto it tonight," she whispered, pulling back and nodding reassuringly at me.

I nodded and followed her back to the waiting room, slipping to the nurses' station so she could speak to Viktoria privately. I leaned against the counter and tried to hold myself together as I listened to Viktoria sob into Alberta's arms. Once she finished speaking to her, I caught Alberta's attention as she started to leave.

"How is she doing?"

"She's taking it okay, but she's a little hysterical."

"She's pregnant," I whispered, "Do you think we should have her checked out? I'm concerned about dehydration. She's been crying all night."

Alberta looked at Viktoria and pursed her lips.

"Keep an eye on her, make sure she keeps hydrated. If she becomes hysterical again, let one of the nurses know," she said and squeezed my arm, "Someone will be by to bring her to see him once he's in the ICU."

I nodded and let her go, biting my lip as I watched her. I didn't want to be a creep, but I was actively watching her for any sign of discomfort.

The night seemed to drag on. I was called to sit with a few kids throughout the night, but other strippers knew that I wanted to be available to be with Dimitri and his sister if needed.

Closer to midnight I was paged and I forced myself to walk to the ICU. When I got to the floor, Lissa raised her hand at me and I headed for her.

"What's up? Any changes?"

She shook her head. "No, not yet. But he's somewhat stable," she said, "But with the shortage, we can't let Viktoria stay all night."

I nodded and looked towards Dimitri's room. It broke my heart to see him like that, but I had to remind myself that he was strong.

"I just don't have the heart to kick her out," Lissa whispered with pity in her eyes. I looked into the room again and patted Lissa's hand.

"I'll take care of it," I whispered and stepped away from the desk. I went towards the room and slid the door open, closing it softly beside me. Viktoria sat in the chair next to his bed, sniffling softly as she held her brother's hand.

"Viktoria, I'm sorry, but the ICU has strict visiting hours right now. You'll have to come back in the morning," I said softly as I touched her shoulder. She sniffled and looked up at me with her bloodshot eyes.

"I don't want him to be alone," she said thickly.

"I'll be here," I said reassuringly.

She took a moment before her eyes settled on my name tag.

"You're Rose?"

I nodded. "Yes. Your brother has told me much about you," I said.

"He talks about you a lot," she said after a moment, "I think he has feelings for you."

I smiled. "He's a very good man," I said as she stood up, "You should get some sleep. You need it, and the stress of this situation is not good for you while in this condition."

She looked at me before letting out a wet laugh.

"He told you?"

"He confided in me, wanting advice on how to be there for you. Now, the blonde nurse at the desk is Lissa, and she is going to set you up in an on-call room for the night because your house is still an open crime scene."

She nodded and stepped towards me, hugging me tightly.

"If anything happens, please come and get me."

I hugged her back. Her scent was similar to his, pine and smoke, but an after-hint of flowers. Hydrangea?

"I promise," I whispered. She nodded as she pulled back, sniffling as she picked up her purse and headed to the nurses' desk. I took my seat in her abandoned chair and slipped my hand into Dimitri's. I knew what I was going to do, and I never had done it before.

I would never turn someone by force, and I wasn't, but what I was going to do was dangerous. But I needed to give him that chance!

I had to wait until the perfect moment to do it, waiting until there were fewer people on the floor. I grabbed a syringe from the cart and slipped into the bathroom. I locked the door behind me and looked at myself in the mirror.

"You can do this," I reassured myself, tying the tension around my bicep and then wiping my arm with an alcohol swap. I uncapped the syringe and put it into my raised vein, pulling the plunger up slowly. Usually, it would have been done with a collection tube, but I needed an easy way to administer the blood. I wiped a new alcohol swab over the needle and capped it, slipping it into my pocket.

Around one in the morning, Lissa poked her head into the room.

"I'm going on lunch. It will just be Melissa and Braxton on the floor," she let me know, looking over at Dimitri with sad eyes before closing the door. I nodded to myself and sat closer to his bed. I ran my fingers over his arm and found a raised vein.

"If I do this and it doesn't work, no harm done. They don't expect him to make it until morning," I whispered to myself, trying to reassure myself. By the time the blood worked, it wouldn't show in his system either.

I inserted the needle and pushed down the plunger. Once I removed the needle and glanced behind me to make sure nobody was there and then licked the wound. I didn't need anyone noticing a needle prick spot that wasn't charted. I capped the syringe and then put it back in my pocket to dispose of in the ER to cover my tracks.

I got comfortable in my chair and watched his vitals with eagle-eye precision. I watched for any variations to see if it worked. After fifteen minutes I was starting to give up hope, but his blood pressure rose a few points, and his heart rate stabilized more. I let out a deep breath and rested my head back on the chair, nodding to myself.

It wouldn't turn him, but my blood would start the process of repairing his body. For him to turn, he would have needed to be drained completely of blood and the venom from my fangs. It didn't run through my saliva like most myths portrayed.

Around three, Lissa came into his room again and took his vitals, nodding to herself.

"You did it, didn't you?"

I looked at her. "What do you mean?"

Lissa glanced at the door and then at me, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Not all of your kind are monsters, and those that aren't, are kept tabs on. I knew who you were, where you were from, when you started working here. Your secret is safe with me," she whispered before leaving, "Why do you think I've never asked you what you had for lunch?"

I nodded to myself and stood up, stretching my arms over my head.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Lissa. And today, I plan on having pizza," I said as I slipped out of Dimitri's room to take my mandated break.

To avoid suspicion, I didn't visit Dimitri for a few days. But by day three, Lissa cornered me on the pediatrics floor.

"Dr. Belikov is asking for you," was all she said.

When I was able to get away, I made my way up to the recovery wing. He was no longer on the ICU floor. I knocked on his door gently, and was floored by the overwhelming smell of flowers from his room. It made my eyes water.

"Hi," I whispered softly. Dimitri opened his eyes and turned his head towards me. He was still heavily bruised on his face, but not as bad as everyone had expected, thanks to my blood. But he still looked terrible, and it sent a pang into my undead heart.

He smiled and lifted his hand, gesturing for me to come closer. I did and sat carefully on the edge of his bed.

"Hey, you," he said hoarsely. He was intubated the first night, and now he just had a small oxygen tube that sat inside his nose. But an intubation tube still hurt.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, taking his hand when he reached for mine.

"I've been better. Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being there for my sister," he said tiredly, "And for what you did."

I raised my brows at him. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know. All Nurse Ozera said was that you were to thank for pulling through. They didn't expect me to make it through the night," he explained and I nodded, not sure what to do.

"Oh."

"What did you do?"

"I think it's a conversation for outside of the hospital," I said plainly, "But I'm really glad that you're okay."

Dimitri nodded and lifted our hands, kissing the back of mine softly. The sensation sent chills over my body and I smiled, closing my eyes to savour the sensation.

"Did they catch him?"

I shook my head. "No. They're still looking for Roland," I said quietly, the rich thrill now being dismissed by rage that flowed through my veins. It took everything in me not to track him down, but it wouldn't do anyone any good. Justice needed to be served.

"I'm on my break, but can I get you anything before I leave?"

Dimitri shook his head slowly, wincing at the soreness.

"No. Maybe stop by before you leave?"

I nodded and leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to his head.

"I'm really glad that you pulled through," I whispered as I pulled back, stroking his cheek. He nodded but I could see that he was starting to fade, sleep overcoming him. I left him quietly and smiled at him before I closed the door between us.

I tapped my nails on the bar top as I read the list. I knew that there were people who knew about us, who did what they could to keep our existence secret and took care of those who made too large of a display of ourselves. Or those who left too many bodies behind.

I never drank someone dry, it felt strange to me to do it. And I always left them somewhere near a populated area so they were found quickly.

Bars were usually a good hunting ground, but tonight I was fixated on something else. What Lissa had said the night that Dimitri was hurt bugged me. How would she know and I not clue in?

I ran my finger down the second list in my book, stilling when something caught my eye.

Vasilisa Dragomir.

I stared at the name and scoffed to myself. Ozera must have been her married name. I looked up Dragomir on Facebook and it was all too easy to find a family photo of her.

I looked up when there was a ruckus near the pool tables, spotting someone who made my predatorial side come out. Roland. Instead of picking on someone his size, he was trying to coerce a girl. I tossed a couple of bills on the bar top and caught the bartender's attention so he saw it and headed towards them. I purposely bumped into him as I passed. I didn't use my looks often, but I wasn't going to let a scum like him possibly hurt another person again.

He was arrested, but let out on bail. That wasn't good enough for me.

Once I knew that he noticed me and was following, I led him outside. I hadn't fed in a few days, and my hunger was starting to wean on me. I had found my next meal, and I wasn't going to hold back this time.

I led him near the back of the bar, the shadows of the building making it almost impossible for people to see with the busted light.

"Hey, pretty lady. Where are you going?"

"You coming?" I called over my shoulder, leading him away from the bar. He was stupid enough to follow me. This was a common hunting ground for us, and someone like him was a perfect idea for prey. And he was stupid enough to become prey. Everyone had a sense to them. It was how we learned who was easy enough to be charmed or tricked. But he was too stupid to notice that something wasn't right.

Once we were far enough away from being seen behind the bar, I turned to face him.

"Is there something that you're looking for?" Roland asked a smirk on his face that was nauseating.

"Yeah," I said with a grin as I lazily walked towards him, a swagger in my step. He thought it was enticing, but I was closing in on my prey. As he got closer, his hands reached for me. I lifted mine up as if I was going to pull him to me, but instead, I fisted his hair and slammed him into the wall a few feet beside us.

He hit the wall with a crunch and a groan. I stalked towards him, my heels against the concrete as I crouched down beside him, lifting his head up by his hair.

"You hurt my friends. You'll never make that mistake again," I growled at him. I lifted him enough to sink my teeth into him. I wasn't going to take enough to kill him; I wasn't going to tarnish my soul for him. But just enough to cause some memory loss.

Once I was done I dropped him, standing up and wiping my lips. I looked down at him, dazed and disoriented. I knew that at some point during the night, someone would find him. And even then, I didn't take enough to kill him.

"Goodbye, Roland," I said as I turned away from him. As I headed back to the bar, I crossed a few of the more nefarious members of the night. I glanced at them as I passed, but as far as I was concerned, if they wanted him, they could have him. After what he did to Dimitri and Viktoria, I didn't care what happened to him.

It was three weeks since Dimitri was attacked, three nights since I ran into Roland, and my favourite person was back at work. I just started my shift when I saw his hulking form walking down the hall towards me.

"Welcome back," I chirped as I filled out my log, handing it back to the nurse.

"Thank you. Did you see the news?" Dimitri said, turning his body towards me.

I shook my head and feigned innocence.

"No. What happened?"

"Roland's body was found near that bar you like. He was murdered," he said with a shake of his head, "I don't want to say 'karma', but..."

I shook my head.

"It's the least he deserves for what he did," I said dryly, "Does Viktoria know?"

He nodded. "Yes. We found out from the police. They informed her because she had an open case against him."

I nodded and crossed my arms over my chest.

"How are you feeling about that?"

Dimitri laughed. "How am I feeling?"

I nodded. "He attacked you in your home. You're allowed to have feelings about his murder."

Dimitri looked at me thoughtfully.

"I swear, you should have gone into psychology instead of being a candy striper. You would have made a killing."

I shrugged. "But then I would have needed to work during the day. I prefer the nighttime," I said as I slipped away from the desk, heading towards the day room to play with the kids. On my way there, I stepped into Lissa's path and raised a brow at her.

"Vasilisa, you sly dog," I said amused. She looked at me and raised a brow.

"It took you long enough," she said as she crossed her arms.

"Your married name threw me off," I said with a wave of my hand and a sly smile, "Is that why you befriended me? To keep tabs on me?"

"No. I knew who you were and was only going to keep tabs on you, but then I realized that I liked you," she said with a laugh before she stepped closer, "Did you have anything to do with what happened to Roland?"

I sighed and thought about my response carefully.

"The last time I saw him, he was high from the bite but very much alive," I said, "After that, I have no other knowledge of his murder. Why?"

Lissa looked at me curiously before nodding to herself.

"Just needed to know if I had to turn you over," she said, "I didn't want to, but needed to be sure. Hunting is not against the laws."

"I can promise you that I did not kill him," I said as I continued down to the day room, slipping inside before she could ask me any other questions.

I felt anxious as I waited for Dimitri. I was going to risk telling him the truth, and I prayed that he didn't think I was crazy. Or go crazy.

I had never invited anyone into my home. It was my sanctuary, my safe place. It was the only place I could be during the day. The sun didn't burn me because I had never killed, but it irritated me. I was able to brush off my aversion to the sun by telling people I had Polymorphous Light Eruption, an allergy to the sun.

If I absolutely had to go out during the day, I covered my skin in long clothes, sunglasses, and a hat to shade my face. It looked ridiculous, but it was better than the alternative. Or not being able to go outside at all during the day. I lived for overcast days because the person I was still loved the sun.

When Dimitri knocked on my door I called for him to let himself in, licking my lips as I stayed back enough to prevent the sun from hitting my skin. He stepped in quickly and shut the door behind me.

"Hey," he said as he took his duster and shoes off. I smiled at hugged him when he offered the embrace.

"Hi, you look better," I said as I hugged him and pulled away. He nodded and I gestured for him to follow me into the living room.

"I'm feeling better. Whatever you did seems to be working," Dimitri teased, but there was an undertook of seriousness.

"I actually wanted to talk to you about that," I said as I toyed with the waist of my jeans, "And, I just hope that you can keep an open mind because I know how crazy this is going to sound."

Dimitri nodded and I walked to the chest I had between the kitchen and living room, opening the top drawer and taking one of my oldest possessions out. I walked back to the couch and sat beside him, looking down at the photograph in my hand.

"My birth name is Gül Mazur," I said as I handed him the photograph, holding my breath. Dimitri took the photograph and looked at it, but his brows furrowed when he took in just how old it was. The faded yellowness of the film, and the style of dress.

"I was born in Contsenopal, in 1848," I whispered as I looked at him and swallowed thickly, "My father's name was Ibrahim and my mother's name was Janine. She was from Scotland."

"1848?"

I nodded. "I know that there are things about me that are strange. Like, not being able to go out in the sunlight. And that I never eat at work. I'm never tired at night," I said before looking at my hands, remembering the days of when they were laced in henna to celebrate a marriage.

Dimitri looked at me with confusion but didn't make any outward dismissal of what I was saying.

"How does this have to do with what Lissa said?"

I licked my lips and tilted my head from side to side.

"I'm not sure how it happened. One night, I went to bed and then I woke up and there was a man leaning over me with eyes so red that glowed. I remember feeling like I had been deprived of water for days, my throat was so dry and I burned. Out of all the people in my village, seven of us were turned that night. Not everyone survives the transformation, but I did. My parents…they didn't."

"Alyosha was the one that found me, one of my father's confidants. He smuggled me out of the village and hid me, until he died from what is now known as typhoid fever in one of the hospitals. But I've never taken a life, and that's why I can got out when there is overcast, and why my eyes aren't red. There is so much I don't know, but one thing that I do know is that my blood is powerful. The blood of a vampire acts as a purifying agent. It heals, it repairs the body in preparation for the transformation."

Dimitri listened intently as I spoke, his face never showing what he was thinking.

"When you were in the ICU, I injected you with my blood. The surgeon didn't think that you were going to make it, and I figured, what harm would it be?" I explained, a tear rolling down my cheek, "I couldn't let you die without trying."

"And it worked?"

I let out a wet chuckle and nodded my head.

"After about fifteen minutes, your blood pressure and heartbeat stabilized. Your spleen stopped bleeding. Even you know that your body would never recover as fast as it would normally. I know that it was risky and that I violated you in a way, but all I could think about was your sister. And if you can't accept what I've said, I'll be leaving the hospital and assuming another identity."

Dimitri shook his head a little and leaned back in his chair, looking down at the photograph again. He opened his mouth and closed it again, shaking his head a little.

"Alyosha Kuznetsov?"

I wiped my cheeks but froze, looking up at him in disbelief.

"How did you know his last name?"

"He didn't die from the fever," Dimitri said, "He is very much alive."

I sat on the edge and turned to him, shaking my head.

"I saw him in the hospital. They told me he was dead."

"They thought he was, but he wasn't. He was bit and was in the process of transformation. By the time he came too, you were already gone and changed your name. My babushka used to tell me stories about him and our ancestors. There was always an old story about my family hiding a life, as a favour to the girl's father, but I thought it was simply a story. I spoke with him when I was in the hospital when I video-called my family back in Russia. My cousin Alexi was there and when Viktoria showed them your picture, he said that the two of you knew each other, but you knew him by a different name. And then he told me what happened. About you, your family, who you were."

I swallowed. "You don't think I'm insane? Or that he is insane?"

"I always said that you were too wise for your age. And you say that you're twenty-four, but you look far too young. And when you speak sometimes, it's like you're from a different time. Does anyone know?"

I nodded. "Lissa is a carrier, a safeguard like Alyosha, Alexi, whatever his name is now.. And there is another like me in the hospital. We usually work in places with the dead because we aren't affected by it," I explained, "I half expected you to run screaming."

Dimitri grinned at me. "My babushka is what many would consider a witch. She always knew things that she shouldn't and taught us growing up that there were creatures of the night and to never cloud our minds to the unknown. She was always cryptic but said that I would become close with one of the 'mysterious' beings in the world. I thought she was just being my babushka."

I smiled and let out a breath. It felt like I had let out every reserve, every apprehension, every fear out in that breath.

"You actually believe me."

"You hate the smell of flowers, stating that they're too overpowering. That with your allergy and your lack of snacking, it makes sense. And I don't think that you would lie about something like that."

I nodded and took the photograph back from him, putting it back into the chest.

"I was really worried you weren't going to believe me," I said quietly. Dimitri smiled and cupped my cheek.

"Have a little faith in me, Roza. I'm much more open-minded than people think."

Dimitri leaned against the nurses' station with a curious look.

"What?" I asked as I made notes in the chart.

"This hospital was built over land that once held a cathedral. If this is holy ground, how can you cross the threshold?"

I rolled my eyes at him.

"Holy objects don't affect me. If I was a newborn, sure, but not with how old I am. And I've never killed anyone, so my 'soul' is still intact. Murder is a violation of natural law. Plus, with the fire, it scorched the ground. Most of the soil was dug up to build the hospital. It disrupted the spiritual overlap. Also, your cousin from what I remember was a devout Catholic. Did he ever stop going to church?" I explained as I flipped the file shut.

"How did you know that the cathedral burned down?"

"'Cause I watched it burn," I said as I put the file back in its spot.

"What?"

"The cathedral burned down because of an unattended oil lamp. Sadly, the priest had fallen asleep inside and perished," I explained as I crossed my arms over my chest, "He was a very kind and sweet older gentleman."

Dimitri shook his head, whether because of surprise or because he didn't believe me, I wasn't sure.

"Amazing," he mused as he smiled at me. I grinned at him and pulled my phone from my pocket when I chimed.

"And with that, there is a very sweet little boy who needs me," I said with a grin.

"Do you mean little boy as in Mason Ashford?"

"No, his name is Andrew Billers," I said and flounced away with a laugh.

The bar was busy tonight, but I enjoyed the company I had. I wasn't sure if we could call this a date, but I wanted to pretend it was.

"Tell me what your favourite to do as a child was," Dimitri said as our waiter brought our drinks to the table. I thanked the waiter and took a sip of my drink as I thought. It was so long ago, and some of my memories had faded over time.

"We had an estate near the water. I loved running through the water. It drove my mother crazy, but I loved it," I explained, "What about you?"

"I grew up in a small village. There wasn't a whole lot to do, so I played with my sisters," Dimitri said and pursed his lips for a second, "Does that make you sick? Eating and drinking?"

I shook my head as I set my drink down. "No. I don't get any nutrition from it, but it still tastes good. My body is animated in a sense, so while I survive on blood, sometimes I crave food," I explained. He nodded and took another sip of his beer.

"Does that make your brain hurt?"

He smirked. "A little bit," he said honestly. I grinned and looked over the menu. I had never eaten here before. It was frequented by staff from the hospital down the street, and I had been invited here a few times. I had only had drinks, but the menu looked appealing.

"If I kiss you, is it gonna make me become a creature of the night?"

I had taken a sip of my drink and snorted, covering my nose with a napkin as my drink dripped out of my nose.

"No," I laughed as I wiped my face, "I'd have to do a lot more than that!"

"Just checking," Dimitri chuckled and laced his fingers together as he leaned against the table towards me. I mimicked his posture and smiled at him.

"What was your first impression of me?" I asked him.

Dimitri hummed and tapped his finger on his hand.

"You scared me a little bit," he laughed.

"Rude!" I squealed.

"No, I just mean, you know more than most would expect from a candy striper," he supplied and I smirked with a small shrug.

"Well, to be fair, I have a medical degree. I just have it under a different alias. It's not valid anymore," I said as I played with my glass.

"What did you think of me?"

"That you were lonely," I said honestly and looked up at him from under my lashes, "I'm good at reading people. You always have a confident air to you, but your eyes said something different. A part of my soul recognized that loneliness and it was part of what drew me to you."

"Because I was lonely?"

"Because there was something about you that I saw in myself. Not, the me I am now, but the person I was. It was comforting to see a reflection of myself. But at the same time, the life you radiate is intoxicating. It makes me feel alive being around you," I explained, "That sounds creepy, doesn't it?"

"No, I get," Dimitri said with a smile. Our waiter came back and asked if we wanted to order any food. I hadn't figured out if there was anything I wanted in particular. Dimitri ordered something, but I wasn't sure what it was. Out of instinct, I said I'd have the same.

Dimitri smirked at me. "Do you know what that is?"

"Nope," I said with a smile, "But I'm sure it'll be fine."

"It's octopus rings," he said.

I bit my lip and tried to fake that it didn't sound disgusting. In the end, I could always say that I wasn't feeling it.

"Great!"

"You're a liar," he laughed, "You were going to go along with it even though it sounds gross."

I shrugged. "So?"

"I ordered the appetizer platter," he said and I snorted a laugh.

"Dick," I said tossing my balls up napkin at him.

It bounded off his chest but he just smiled at me. I knew that smile all too well. It was the smile that many didn't get to see. And those who did should treasure it. Mostly, it was Dimitri's patients who got to see it. Whether it was the little boy that he was trying to soothe during an evaluation or the young girl who blushed every time he walked into the room.

I had many parents ask me if he was single, and it was almost comical that someone would ask their child's doctor that, but I could understand why. And I was fortunate to be one of the few who got that smile too.

The night went as well I could have hoped. We stayed out longer than anticipated; we only meant to stay out an hour or two past shift, but we were now closer to five in the morning. It felt nice to have someone's company without needing to explain why it needed to be at night. When we got ready to leave, I expected Dimitri to say goodbye to me at the door, but he didn't. Walking me to my door was such an old-school thing, and it touched me that he did it. It wasn't even just walking me to my door, but walking me home.

"Thank you, you didn't need to buy my drinks and food," I said as I stepped onto the front step, bringing me almost eye level with him. I was more chin-level now.

"I wanted to," he said softly as he glanced down the street, the sun starting to peak up over the horizon, "Sun's coming up."

I hummed softly. "I love watching the sunrise. Its beautiful. I miss the sun," I mused quietly. Dimitri smiled and looked at me again, dipping his head down and kissing my cheek softly. I smiled and looked at him.

"What? Still worried I'm going to turn you if you kiss me?"

Dimitri rolled his eyes. "I was being a gentleman and wasn't assuming I could kiss you on a first date."

I laughed and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down to kiss me. His hands went to my waist and he gently stepped us backwards towards the door. His lips were soft, moving firmly but gently against mine.

"Are you wanting an invitation inside?" I asked him as he stepped us closer to the door.

"No. I just wanted to get you out of the rays," he said, canting his head to the side. I was behind the siding of the door, but I could see the sun against the concrete.

"My hero," I mused and pressed another kiss to his lips, "Go get some sleep."

Dimitri pecked my lips again before cupping my cheek in his hands.

"I will. Have a good morning, Roza."

I bit my lip as he stepped backwards down the steps.

"You too," I said slipping inside as the sun broke over the horizon completely. I leaned against the door and watched through the peephole. He was standing on the end of the sidewalk, basking in the sun. he had a smile on his face as he stood there before turning away and walking down the street.

I wasn't sure what prompted me to want this, but the last three months had changed everything for me. In the last three months, I fell for Dimitri, hard. It was reviving and rewarding to have someone to share my life with, but I knew that he would continue to age, whereas I would stay the same.

Lissa sat in the lounge as she ate her apple, book in hand as her foot bounced while her knees were crossed over one another. I sat down beside her and she jumped when she realized I was sitting there.

"Sorry. I forget how quiet I can be," I said when her hand fluttered to her chest.

"It's fine. What's wrong? I know that look?" she asked as she looked at my face. She uncrossed her legs and sat up straight.

"You know more about this than I do as a carrier," I whispered and she nodded.

"Yeah, we keep an extensive catalogue. Why?"

"Is there a way for me to turn back? Or at least, rid myself of the immortality? I had heard rumours about it a decade ago, but I never had a reason to look into it until now."

"There is. It's dangerous, and there's a high risk that the 'tainted' don't make it. Why? What's the sudden curiosity?" she asked but her voice started to trail off, "Oh. I know…"

I nodded and bit my lip. "I've had flings in the past, but this! I've never felt like this about someone. I don't want to spend the rest of my life alone," I explained, "I don't want to have to give this up in order to have something I want."

Lissa sighed and turned her body towards me, her brows coming together as she searched my eyes. Lissa was a person that I wished I had when I was human, someone who was so pure and kind to deep parts of her soul.

"Are you sure this is something you want to do? Dimitri seems to be very understanding and accepting of who you are."

"He is, but I want this," I insisted. Lissa bit her lip before nodding her head.

"I'll speak to the Elders and see what we can do," she said gently after a few moments of thought.

"Thank you," I whispered as I gripped her hands in appreciation. She smiled and nodded at me, placing her other hand on top of mine.

"What are friends for?" she asked almost hesitantly.

"I'm glad that you consider me your friend," I said honestly, "It's nice, to have someone I can truly call that."

Lissa said that it would take time for the Elders to get back to her about the process. It took almost another month to find the right texts. I was starting to become anxious that they wouldn't find it, but when Lissa found me while I was doing one of my sit-ins, she was holding a folder to her chest.

"Is that it?"

Lissa nodded curtly and I stood up, coming to stand in the doorway.

"What's wrong?"

Lissa opened her mouth a few times before she swallowed thickly.

"I'd have to effectively kill you in order to turn you back."

I understood her uncertainty. I understood that it was dangerous.

"How hard is it to do this?"

Lissa's face crumpled for a split second. "It's not, but I'd need help. I'd have to have someone do part of it. Which would make them an accomplice to a crime."

"If it were, I wouldn't have hesitated to do it," I told her and she blinked and nodded her head.

"I know that. But who could we ask to do this? Because we both know that Dimitri will shoot this down, not with the risk to you," she exclaimed in a hushed tone. I bit my lip as I thought about it, but only one name came to mind.

"Alberta Petrov."

"The general surgeon? Why do you say that?"

I raised my brows at her. "You mean one of us has flown under your radar?"

Lissa looked confused with a slight shake of her head.

"What?"

"She's a vamp. Was turned about fifty years after I was," I explained, "I'm surprised you hadn't figured it out."

Lissa looked at me in utter confusion but shook her head.

"That's a different problem. Anyways, are you sure she'd be willing to do this?"

"Yes," I said honestly with a nod of my head.

I laid back on the table and crossed my ankles. I bit my lip and tried to calm myself. I had told Dimitri of the idea, and as I expected, he shot it down. He didn't like the risks, and he said that if we became serious enough, he'd rather be turned than me risk dying in the process of becoming human.

But I wasn't about to subject him to that life. When I left his house this morning, I kissed his head and allowed myself to memorize his face, just in case.

"Are you sure you two know what you're doing?" I asked, a thread of anxiety running through me.

Lissa stuck the sticky things on my chest and her blonde brows pinched.

"I've never done this before, but I'm sure we know what we are doing," she said as she smoothed the last monitor on my chest. I looked over at Alberta and she gave me a reassuring look.

"Okay; tell me again."

Alberta looked down at me.

"We're going to put a number of lines into your body and draw all of your blood from your body. Once that happens, we will pump your body full of untainted blood, human blood. Once that happens, we are going to try and restart your heart. And hopefully, it will be like the transformation process when you were turned," she explained.

I nodded and let out a shaky breath.

"You're sure he's worth it?"

I smiled at her and gripped her hand. "He's worth it. I'm tired of this life. I want to go out in the sun, I want to have a family one day, grow old, and see my parents again," I said quietly. Alberta smiled and nodded, looking up at Lissa.

"Let's get started. I'm going to put you under so that you don't need to feel it," Lissa said and I nodded again, licking my lips.

"If I don't make it –"

"You'll make it," Lissa said as she put the mask over my face while pushing down the plunger. I only could think for a second before I was out.

When I opened my eyes, I felt like shit. My head pounded, my throat hurt and I felt stuffy.

"Hey, you."

I turned my head and looked at Dimitri. He smiled at me and reached for my hand, bringing it to his lips.

"I'm not very impressed with you," he said dryly and smiled at him.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. But, it didn't work," I said quietly, looking down at our intertwined hands.

"Why do you say that?"

"I don't feel any different," I said with a shrug. Dimitri smiled and his eyes moved beside me. I followed his eyesight and a gasp left my mouth. The curtains were pulled back completely from the windows, and the sunlight was pouring into the room. I was bathed in it. I looked down at my bare arms in awe. Instead of the pale skin I was so used to, I was looking at the honey-gold skin I had when I was seventeen. Before I was turned.

"What?"

"It worked, Roza. You've been lying in the sun for three hours and no reactions. And I wouldn't be surprised if you become hungry in the next few," Dimitri said, "A much as I didn't want you to take the risk, I'm glad you did."

I smiled at him and squeezed his hand as the door to my room opened. Lissa walked in and I looked at her. She was reading something on her phone when she looked up, a smile growing on her face when she saw that I was awake.

"Hey! I told you that you'd be fine!"

I looked at her and furrowed my brows at her.

"Who are you?"

Her face went blank and her eyes flicked towards Dimitri.

"You don't remember me?" she asked as she came towards the bed. I looked at her with a confused expression before I grinned and laughed.

"Sorry, Liss. I couldn't help myself."

She smacked my foot but checked my vitals over.

"I've already checked them."

Lissa gave Dimitri a dry look.

"You should know; Dimitri found out what we were doing last minute and tried to stop us," she said as she read my vitals and made a note in my file.

"Wait. What are we going to tell people about me being able to go into the sun now?"

"And you say you have a medical degree," Dimitri teased.

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, I exaggerated. I have a PhD, not an MD. But I am still technically a doctor, a psychologist," I pointed out.

"We can write it off as your body outgrowing the allergy. The allergy itself is rare, but every allergy can be outgrown or grown into. And we can put you being here as dehydration and exhaustion. You wouldn't be the first this month with this heat," Dimitri said as he kissed the back of my hand again. I nodded and sighed.

"It's strange, feeling tired," I said softly, a small smile on my lips.

"You'll have to relearn how to be a human," Dimitri said.

"It's worth it," I said tiredly.