Back to where we started/Complete

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Twenty-one months later

I was staring at my computer screen trying to make a real commitment on this. I'd gone back and forth with it the last week. But I needed to make a finale decision today! I had only talked with Vika about it though, as she had given me the key information months ago when her and Christian had come from court.

She had graduated from St. Basils and became her boyfriends guardian. They had become friends when I ran off, and it became more as they stayed in touch while she finished school. Yes Christian had left Lissa, blaming her for what had happened that night. It had been her fault we were there, her actions had put us all in danger. She didn't know I was still alive. Everyone thought I had truly died, and stayed dead that is.

Vika told me when they got here that she had finally been able to see her brother. She said he had been reinstated as a guardian again, but was pretty much just used to make sure no one acted out in council meetings. She said he had this dead, haunted look in his eyes. He had broken down and told her and Christian everything. Even what he had done to me as a Strigoi. He told her he'd been beyond stupid and it was his fault for what had happened to me. They hadn't really known what to say to him so had rushed back here where she spilled everything he'd said. Although I'm sure she held some stuff back from me.

This was all on me. In my childish anger over what had happened, I had turned him into a bigger mess. I had just carried on spending four months on a Strigoi killing spree, and then returned to Turkey to get my business degree. I now handle most of my father's rental and realestate properties. I say most because I don't handle the ones at court. But that was about to change, because the property I had recently found I wanted to personally purchase.

I went and found my father in his office. My mother and Pavel were standing behind him. They were both now his primary guardians. I smiled at my mom and she returned the gesture. We had made great strides in our relationship and even though I wasn't a guardian anymore she was still proud of me. I still carried my stakes with me and stayed in shape. That's just who I was and it would never change. I even still went hunting for the undead that plauged our world.

I put the printed real estate papers in front of my father. He looked at them and then at me.

" I want to buy that property."

I stated. He got a curious look in his eye as my mom leaned forward to look at what was in front of him.

" Well I'm heading there tomorrow I'll check it out." He stated what I already knew.

But no I wanted to do this. I had to do this. She should have never put it on the market just because she was mad. My father apparently saw the wheels turning and took a closer look at the information.

" This is Christians childhood home. That bitch has no right to sell it out from under him. She already cut him off financially when he refused to get back with Lissa after what she did. This is worse. He was devastated when he saw it. He doesn't know I'm planning this yet. I wanted to talk with you first."

My father nodded knowing I was right and that this was wrong.

" I'll make it happen kiz."

Here was my opening. But it really was time. I had been dead long enough.

" Baba I'm going to buy that property. I'm coming with you." I made sure they understood exactly what I was saying.

There was silence as Pavel, my mom, and my dad stared at me. But I was ready. It had been two years since Dimitri Belikov had broken me, and with the help of my family and friends, I had put myself back together.