So, I've seen a whole lot of stories that are about exactly this, a rewrite of what happened in Spirit Bound, after the words "Love fades, mine has." And while normally, I'm not a big fan of story ideas that just about everyone else in the fandom decides they want to write about (I mean, can you be any less original?), I decided to write this anyway, being inspired by the song "Just Give Me a Reason" by Pink. I did my absolute best, and I hope you guys find it enjoyable, and that it stands out as much as it can when far too many people have written about the exact same story idea.

He was the only one she gave herself so completely to. The only one who managed to steal her heart without even trying. No other man had been able to make her feel as amazing as he did.

And when he shattered her heart, nothing she did could fully repair it. No amount of moving on could completely heal her inside, no matter how much she convinced herself that it did, that she was fine. And she was, right?

Adrian apparently didn't think so. He'd broken it off with her, accusing her of still pining after him. She'd denied it, but he refused to listen and left Rose with a heart so shattered she didn't think anyone could hope to fix it. He'd found someone else now, and she was human- the same Alchemist girl who had helped her out in Russia, in fact. She didn't think it would work out, but shockingly it did, much to the disapproval of all the other royals.

At least Adrian was happy. Rose, however, had no one. Not that she needed anyone, she told herself, once again dismissing the thought of the man she used to love, a man who was now so blindly consumed with guilt that it was killing him.

He told her his love had faded. She convinced herself that hers had, too. There was nothing left between the two of them, or so they thought.

They were both wrong.

He didn't think he could love her anymore. He told himself he couldn't. And he actually believed it, because he was feeling much too guilty to want to believe anything else. After all, he had done the unthinkable in those four months, and regardless of what Vasilisa said, regardless of what she said, he knew he couldn't be forgiven. The constant glares at Court only confirmed this.

He was more than thankful when Queen Tatiana had accepted him as being a dhampir once more, and had offered him a chance to go back to his family. There wasn't much anyone could do in terms of restoring his guardian title, and he expected as much. After all, who would want someone who had been a monster, who had once ruthlessly slaughtered thousands, to have such a position?

Just the idea of seeing his family scared him. He did want to go back to his homeland, he knew that for sure. Even though he was there as a Strigoi, it had meant nothing to him. There wasn't any happiness, any joy at being back home, because they didn't feel those feelings. There was only hate, and rage, and cruelty.

Thinking about Russia now, though, made Dimitri feel homesick. He longed to be back home, to see the extravagant buildings and to enjoy a freshly baked loaf of his mother's black bread. He missed the house he grew up in, which was a bit small, and worn down, but still sturdy after all these years. He missed his family most of all. Just the thought of his three sisters, his mother and his grandmother made him want to be there now. Although, above all else (and he would never admit this to himself), he wanted her there with him.

His main concern, though, was whether his family would accept him. He had been a monster, one who killed and slaughtered and shed blood out of a sadistic cruelty. Would his family consider that? Or would they see the sweet, caring boy that had once grown up in their household, as a part of their family?

He was especially worried about what his younger sister, Viktoria, would think. There had been a chance meeting between the two of them when he was a Strigoi, and he had no doubt she was shaken from the experience. He'd demanded to know where she had gone, and by his sister's frightened responses had gathered that she went back to the Academy. Vika had also kept insisting that it wasn't really Dimitri, that the creature before her was a demon that had taken over her brother and made him the twistedly evil monster he had been for those four months.

But he had barely climbed out of the car, and was just being escorted by the two ever-present guardians when his baby sister slammed into him, squealing excitedly about how thankful she was to see him back, safe and sound and not a Strigoi anymore. He hugged her in response, a bit hesitantly, and out of the corner of his eye he saw the two guardians, who always wore the stoic-face guardian mask (the same one she teased him about), actually smile.

Soon he felt more embraces, heard the affectionate use of his nickname, and saw his mother, his grandmother, and his two older sisters, Karolina and Sonya, along with his nephew, Paul.

After shooing away the guardians (his family insisted that it was obvious he wasn't Strigoi), they insisted he come inside, his mama telling him she'd baked a whole loaf of black bread just for him. He let himself be led inside the house he grew up in, then asked if he could go to his room. They let him, a little reluctantly, but then Karo had brought up something he hadn't wanted to think about, even though he wouldn't be able to help it anyway.

"Wait, where's Rose?"

Rose was at Court, with Lissa. Although Lissa had made it clear that Rose had to give him time to heal, she had, in the end, stuck with her friend, especially after an incident that she swore not to tell anyone (especially not Christian, who could potentially use it as blackmail). Lissa had went to look for Rose, and had found her in her room, crying her eyes out. The Dragomir princess ended up comforting her friend for once, rather than the other way around, while Rose confessed that she couldn't love anyone else but him, and the fact that he pushed her away after going through hell for him had shattered her heart. The fact that Lissa had sided with him had broken her even further, and she had actually been contemplating suicide. The confession had clearly shocked Lissa, and she apologized, saying that she shouldn't have been so unfair to her best friend, even if he needed to heal emotionally.

Thankfully, he had left, going back home to his family. Despite being crushed by his rejection, Rose hoped he was happy. She remembered how he used to talk about Russia frequently, and although he never mentioned it outright, she knew he missed his homeland.

The very same place that, unfortunately, they were going to now.

Liss hadn't done it on purpose, Rose knew she wasn't that type of person. She and Christian had simply decided to vacation there, Lissa wanting to see the buildings and landscape while Christian wanted to find new recipes there.

But Rose wasn't too happy about the thought of going there. Just the mention of it reminded her of him.

"Rose, it'll be okay," Lissa tried to reason with her. "I mean, it's a huge country. What's the chance of meeting him there by accident?"

"It doesn't matter. I still don't like the idea of going there," she replied stubbornly.

"So? If it bothers you that much, then you can stay here. I won't be offended or anything, and I promise that I'll go with guardians that you approve of.

"You already have the only two guardians that I approve of," Rose insisted. It was true. There was obviously her, and, while she admits to herself that it sounds egotistical, she knew she was an awesome guardian. The only one who had any hope of taking her down in a fight (besides her mother, who had her own charge to worry about) was Eddie Castile, her friend. And still she kicked his ass most of the time.

She didn't dare think about him.

"Well, if you don't want to go-"
"I don't really have much of a choice, do I?" Rose cut her off. Then she sighed. "I'm sorry, Liss, I shouldn't have been complaining about it. I'm your guardian as well as your best friend. I told myself I wouldn't abandon you, no matter what."

Lissa sighed quietly. "Rose, really, you don't have to do this."

"I'm only doing my duty as a guardian. I mean, it's either that or waste my time trying to find a guardian that at least meets Rose Hathaway standards, which you know is all but impossible to meet. Besides, you did have a point. What's the likelihood of running into him in a country that big?"

"Yeah, by accident. But if you guys were really meant to be together..."

Rose groaned. "Not this fate crap again. Seriously, Lissa, you know I don't believe in that."
"Well, you know, it might happen."

A few months had passed since Dimitri was restored. He was now at home, and trying to make up for that fact as best as he could. He helped around the house in any way possible, and that, along with the exercises he did (despite the fact that he knew it was pointless) were the only thing that kept him sane.

His family, God bless them, tried to do their best to help him. They were worried about him, he knew, and just wanted to see him happy again. But no matter what, they couldn't convince him to forgive himself for what he did during those four months, especially to her.

Thinking about her made Dimitri feel conflicted. He wasn't sure what to make of it.

Admittedly, it seemed he could never escape her, as she still consumed his every thought after he left Court. Her dazzling smile, her long, beautiful hair that felt like silk, her soft, perfect lips... He could have sworn he was madly in love with her, just like he was before he was turned.

But... there were also the memories, the images that filled him with guilt every time they came to the forefront of his mind.

Like the dazed, happy look on her face as the monster that he'd been sunk his fangs into her neck...

The thrill he got in tasting her blood...

And, most importantly, his desperation to corrupt her as he had been corrupted, to twist her into a monster she would never be, stealing away her precious soul...

To "awaken" her.

Dimitri shuddered at the thought. Out of all the crimes he committed, or thought of committing, nothing disgusted him and made him hate himself more than remembering how much he wanted to turn her into a Strigoi.

Besides, he had told her he didn't love her anymore. And that was still true. Right?

But one day... one day his grandmother decide to talk to him, to give him a wake-up call. A badly needed wake-up call, as Yeva saw it.

"You need to stop feeling sorry for yourself," she told him.

Dimitri looked up from the book he was reading. He wasn't sure what to say, so he waited for his grandmother to elaborate.

Which she did. "It's all in the past now, Dimka. What's done is done. There's no use in making yourself feel guilty about those four months, especially since it's holding you back."

He just shook his head. "How?" he asked. "How can I just ignore those four months when I've hurt and killed people? When I was ready to hurt and kill her?"

His grandmother strode over and reached out to grip his chin, making him look at her. "I've told you already to stop feeling sorry for yourself. You're not going to get anywhere in life if you just let the guilt consume you instead of moving on. You need to step up and be the man your mother and I raised you to be. And you especially have to make it up to her, because she deserves it."

"Make it up to her?" He was way past being able to make it up to her.

"You'll get the chance sooner than you think," his grandmother said simply.

And she was right, as always.

The Strigoi came out of nowhere.

Rose had been with Lissa, as always. She ended up accompanying her and Christian to Russia. The four of them had been hanging out, Rose and Eddie checking for any signs of danger while trying to have fun with the Moroi couple at the same time. Rose sensed them immediately, of course, the nausea almost overwhelming. But it was only a split-second warning before they attacked.

Both Rose and Eddie snapped into action immediately, throwing themselves in front of the two Moroi, falling into a rhythm of punches, kicks and blocks. There were at least half a dozen Strigoi, however, so they had their hands rather full at that moment.

Rose soon staked the Strigoi she'd been fighting, and then moved on to the next one. She turned her head quickly to make sure Lissa and Christian were okay, and noticed that Lissa was standing behind Christian, who was currently torching a couple that had managed to get past the two guardians. At least he could manage against them.

Unfortunately, in the moment it took her to check on Lissa and Christian, something hit the back of her head with such force that darkness swam in front of her eyes. Before she fell, she spotted someone coming out of nowhere, and she recognized that someone as him before a sea of black obscured her vision, and she knew nothing.

Dimitri stared dumbly down, unable to believe what happened, and what he'd just done. He'd simply reacted, not thinking about the situation at hand, simply doing what his heart told him to do. It wasn't that it was the right thing to do; he'd taken out the remaining Strigoi quickly and efficiently, and as a result, helping a pair of guardians protect their charges.

But the thing was, this particular group of Moroi and guardians wasn't just any random group of people; they were people he knew. And the guardian that had been knocked out by the Strigoi…..

It was her.

He knew his grandmother spoke the truth when she told him he'd get his chance. She didn't like wasting words, and her predictions had an uncanny way of turning out to be true. But still, he didn't think it would be the result of some unplanned meeting that took place despite the odds. The odds of simply running into them, and her—

"What are the odds," Christian mused, almost as if reading his mind, "of running into you, of all people, in a country this big? I'd guess they would have had to be pretty good, since it happened."

Princess Vasilisa came forward, clearly worried about her. "She was really upset after you pushed her away. I told her you just needed time to heal, and that you'd come around soon enough. Still, she went through so much just for you. She loved you, she really did."

Dimitri looked away. "She shouldn't," he stated dully. "Not after… what I did to her."

"But she does," Lissa insisted. "She forgives you. She knows that you didn't have a choice, that you were forced to become Strigoi. Those four months… she doesn't care about that."

Of course she forgave him. She was simply too good not to. It only made him feel less deserving of her, knowing that she'd forgive him for any wretched thing he did.

But, Dimitri realized, it was hurting her more to be away from her. It was hurting him, too—but he didn't care about that. He only wanted her to be happy, to be with a man who hadn't been a monster like he had, and who didn't hurt her the way he had. That pushing her away didn't do any good at all, but rather simply crushed her, made him feel worse about the situation.

Was it actually possible that she forgave him for all he'd done to her? And was the only way to fix this really just to be with her again?

He didn't even have to think about it. Dimitri already knew the answer.

Rose woke up, not entirely sure where she was. Or, more importantly, where Lissa was. She used the bond to check up on her charge, and found out that, thankfully, Lissa was okay.

Just then, a woman came into the room, took one look at her, and said, "Oh, good, you're awake."

Rose recognized the woman immediately. A lump formed in her throat; she knew exactly where she was.

Olena came and sat down on the bed. "You know, he's never stopped loving you."

"That's not what he said," Rose pointed out. "And anyway, I'm over it." A bald-faced lie, and she knew it. No matter how much she told herself otherwise, she knew that she loved him still, and that, deep down, he probably still loved her too, just as his mother just told her.

The question was, was he about to admit it? Or did he still believe so firmly that he couldn't love her, and that she couldn't love him, that he would continue to push her away?

It was obvious Olena saw through the lie. She gave Rose a sympathetic smile. "He may have said otherwise, but if you'd seen how he was, you would know the truth."

"How he was?"

"Dimka's been rather upset. He might not talk about it, and he might do his best to pretend like nothing's wrong, but it's clear that something's bothering him. And when you're mentioned… it's worse."

"He hasn't forgiven himself yet, has he?"

Olena shook her head. "Knowing him, he won't forgive himself for it anytime soon, at least not without someone convincing him otherwise. Still, you're the only one he'll listen to."

"How do you know he'll even listen to me?"

"Just give him a chance, please," the older woman pleaded. "I know you're upset, but it's also hurting him. I just want him to find peace, and you're the only one I know who could help him at this point."

Rose sighed. "I'll talk to him a little later, okay?"

Dimitri stared out at the sunset while sitting out on the back porch of his family's home. He felt a mess of emotions churning inside him, every single one of them a result of the presence of the dark-haired beauty just inside.

She had seemed to be avoiding him the whole day, which was only to be expected, but that didn't make it any more bearable. It was almost worse, the times he did see her, knowing she probably won't forgive him now. He knew for sure now that he still loved her, because no matter how much he told himself otherwise, it didn't stop his heart from pounding whenever she so much as glanced in his general direction. It didn't stop the thought of her from dominating the forefront of his mind. And it definitely didn't stop him from longing for a way to make it up to her, even though he knew in his heart that it was hopelessly impossible.

But would he even get a chance to try to redeem himself?

The answer came just a moment later, when the door opened and someone came and sat next to him. He didn't need to look to know it was her.

It was uncomfortably quiet at first. He had no idea what to say to her, and she wasn't speaking up, either. He decided to simply wait until she was ready to speak to him.

Eventually, she said, "Your mother wanted me to talk to you."

"Of course," he murmured. Of course his family would try to do what they thought was best for him.

"She seemed to think that things would get better between us."

His heart stopped when she said that. He swallowed heavily, and said, "And you don't?"

"Could they? You sure didn't seem to think so."

"Maybe I've changed my mind. Maybe I've realized that I was making a mistake."

She laughed bitterly. "Don't you think it's a little bit too late for that, Comrade?"

His heart seized at hearing her nickname for him. He turned to look at her, and she met his gaze evenly, a mix of emotions in her dark eyed gaze.

"Just give me a reason, Dimitri. Give me one damn reason to believe you, when you were the one who told me you didn't love me anymore."

He stared at her for a moment—and then kissed her.

Sometime later, one of the doors in the house was closed, and no one dared to open it. Everyone else knew what was going on in there, and so they kept away, letting them have all the privacy they needed.

Inside that room, they were in their own, separate world as they explored each other's bodies hungrily, re-memorizing every last inch of bare skin. They shared their desperate love for each other, knowing now that it was there all along. It was soon impossible for either to tell where they ended and the other began; they were so joined together that it was as if they were a single person.

And it was in their time together, showing their love for each other physically, over and over again, that they both realized that they weren't so broken that they couldn't love each other anymore, like they had told themselves at first. They could heal. They could learn to love each other again, and in fact they did.

One thing was for sure: Rose and Dimitri would never leave each other's sides ever again.