Adrian was shaking me and whispering in my ear, telling me to wake up. Tasha was hysterical. My head seriously hurt, Lissa was sitting on the couch with Christian, watching me intently, and my girls and Dimitri were no where to be seen.

I sat up and held my hand to the back of my hand, willing it to stop hurting. I was met with what felt like a bandage. "Ugh. What happened?"

Tasha spoke up first. "You were taking a long time. I went in the bathroom to see if you were okay and I saw you laying in a pool of blood. I was really scared."

I let out a shaky laugh. Adrian took my hand. "How are you doing?" I smiled. Always worried about me. "I'm fine Adrian. Just a little beat up."

"I never thought I'd see the day Rose Hathaway got beat up." Everyone laughed.

"Yeah, well neither did I."

Adrian leaned down and whispered into my ear, "I love you, even if you do get beat you do get your ass kicked by a floor in a woman's bathroom."

I whispered back, "And I love you too, even if your going to get you ass kicked by me when we get home." He smiled. "Frisky. I like it." I slapped his arm playfully. "Pervert."

Just then Dimitri walked in, accompanied by my daughters. He was holding a pharmacy bag. I really hoped there was pain medication inside that bag. For me, preferably.

"Rose. Do you want me to heal you?," Lissa asked. I shook my head. "I'll be fine." She eyed my head doubtfully.

Dimitri walked over to where I was sitting and handed me the bag. "Here you go." I took the bag. "Thanks." He nodded in response.

Maeve and Ayanna ran over to me and gave me a huge hug. "Mom! We were worried," They said in unison.

"I'm fine."

"Except for the part where she got her butt kicked by the floor," Adrian piped in. I gave him my death glare. "Oh zip it." He laughed in response.

"So your gonna be alright?," Ayanna asked me wearily. I nodded.

I stood slowly. "I'm gonna head outside for a little bit. Just continue with Pyro's party as if nothing happened."

I walked out the back door and sat down on one of the swings on the swing set. It was a nice night. The moon was bright and the stars were out. I let out my breath and closed my eyes. My head was killing me- and not just from my fall. This one night has felt like a century.

Suddenly I heard a sound beside me and my eyes flew open to asses my companion. It was Dimitri. His hair was free around his neck.

He sat on the other swing silently for a little while. "You have beautiful daughters," He said finally.

"I know."

"They are very different, "He said with a small laugh.

"Yeah."

"So you're dating Adrian, huh?" I nodded. He was obviously trying to make conversation, but I didn't want to.

"Why didn't he marry you when you got pregnant?" "He didn't need to." I still wasn't looking at him. I focused my vision on an oak tree just left of me.

"It's only right to marry a girl if you get them pregnant." I laughed. Oh the irony.

"Yeah, it is." I turned to him finally. He looked confused. I continued. "But what's right doesn't always happen. I've learnt that over the years."

"They don't look like him."

"Good thing. That would just be strange." I laughed at my own joke.

"Right…" I laughed harder. I guess I understand his assumption that after he left I was so grief stricken that I ran to Adrian for comfort.

"Yeah." My attempt to end the conversation was a weak one.

"They are fourteen, right?" I nodded.

"You were seventeen when you got pregnant?" I nodded again.

"It must have been hard."

"It was. People constantly looking at you, whispering to their friends that you're a whore, having to wait another year to graduate. I didn't know whether to hate him for doing this to me, or to hate him for abandoning me." I kind of forgot Dimitri was there when I said the last part.

"But he's with you now." I knew he was speaking of Adrian, but I wasn't.

"Yeah, he is. And it hurts so bad." After saying that I got up, leaving Dimitri alone on the swing, confusion written across his face.

I went back inside. Rose came running at me, her black hair up in a bow, her blue eyes shining. "Aunt Rose!," The nine year old called, running at me full speed. "I thought you died."

I laughed. Just on the inside," I thought to my self. "No sweetie. I'm fine." She hugged me hard.

"I love you," She said softly against my stomach. "I love you too," I told her. She let me go and ran off to play dolls.

Behind me the I heard the door shut, signaling Dimitri came inside. I rushed to the living room to join the party. I saw Adrian sitting on the couch. I pulled him to his feet and gave him a kiss. Not one of those gentle kisses, but a good kiss. After about three minutes Christian came over and pulled me away from Adrian. "Get a room," He said lightly. Everyone laughed, but I saw something flash in Lissa's eyes. What was going on with her? When I tried to read the bond I discovered she was blocking it. I tried to look at her but she kept adverting her eyes.

Finally, at around eleven thirty Adrian, the girls, and I left. Once we got home I went straight to bed. Adrian wanted to continue out little make-out session from the party but I ignored him. Eventually I fell asleep.