I laid across the bed, as I watched him dig through the closet, looking for something to wear. I couldn't believe he was actually going through with this. I'd said it before and I'll say it again, the love of my life was a bad ass. He was risking his life to go on a hunting trip with my mother and father, just for their approval so he could be with me. I still feared for his life. My parents –mostly my mother- and Dimitri with firearms could not be a good combination.

"You really don't have to do this."

"I do. If I don't their going to think I'm a coward, and they're going to deem me unworthy to be by your side, and I will not be letting that happen." He stated simply.

"Dimitri, they could shoot you." I said.

"You've been shot. Then we'd have something else in common." He teased. My hand moved to my chest instinctively. He smiled and walked over to the bed to sit down beside me. "They aren't going to shoot me, Roza."

"Have you met my father? Better yet, have you met my mother?" I asked. He chuckled.

"Yes, I have. She likes me." He told me. I laughed then, causing him to raise an eyebrow at me. I narrowed my eyes as he flaunted yet another skill.

"She'll like you until she gets you out into the wilderness with a huge firearm, and then she won't like you so much. Especially when my father starts to question your intentions, and everything else." I explained to him. He smiled.

"What could they possibly ask me that's going to make them shoot me?"

"Did you have sex with my daughter before she was eighteen?" I said, mimicking my father's voice. He raised an eyebrow again.

"You really think they're going to ask me that?"

"God, yes. They're going to rape your mind of questions about our relationship." I said, running my hands through my hair. He laughed. "I know you're incapable of lying to them, so you're going to tell them the truth, and then-." I made a gun with my fingers and pointed it at him.

"So what? We had sex before you were legal. You consented to it."

"It won't matter to them. You know my mother thinks that I act 'to grow up' and that I don't really know anything." I told him. He shook his head, and walked back over to the closet.

"You've always been mature for your age." He said.

"She doesn't think so. And you only think that because-." He cut me off with a look. I giggled, causing him to shake his head at me. He pulled out a pair of black pants, and a black t-shirt.

"I guess this will have to work. I don't own hunting clothes." He said.

"Because you're the one being hunted in this case."

"Oh Roza, stop. I'm going to be fine." He said.

"If you come back with bullet holes, Dimitri Belikov… I'm holding you personally responsible." I snapped at him. He chuckled.

"I nursed you back to health when you came back with bullet holes." I rolled my eyes at him.

"This is different; you know what you're walking into tomorrow. I didn't know when I was shot, smartass." He walked over, and pushed me back onto the bed, crawling over top of me.

"I'm going to be fine."

"You're sure?"

"I'm positive." He told me.

"If you expect to come home without injuries, you're going to have to lie to them."

"I'm not going to lie to them, Rose. If your mother is anything like you, which I know she is, she can call my bluff." He told me. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm nothing like that woman."

"You're just like her." He said.

"I don't look like her." I stated. He shook his head, and nuzzled his face into the crook of my neck.

"No, you're dead sexy."

"She's not." I said. He laughed.

"I didn't say it… you did." He informed me.

"You were thinking it. I could see it in your eyes." I accused. He laughed, and brought his mouth to mine. When he pulled away, I sighed.

"You think they'll let me come with you guys?"

"You know better than that." He said. I groaned. "Plus, you with a gun is more dangerous than both of them put together."

"Hey…" I said.

"You'd probably be the one to shoot me. Not one of them."

"I would never." I said, crossing my arms, and acting offended.

"Rose, I was teasing."

"If I wanted to shoot you, I would have done it already." I informed him. He laughed.

"You're probably right." He said. I rolled my eyes, and brought his mouth back to mine. Just as I was seriously getting into it, there was a knock at the door. He pulled away, causing me to groan.

"You've got to be kidding me." I muttered, he got up so I could stand.

"There's got to be some kind of royal repellant we can spray that will keep them away." This caused him to laugh. I loved hearing it. It was one of the most beautiful sounds in the world. I opened the door to find Lissa and Christian. I sighed.

"Hey guys…" I said.

"We interrupting something?" Lissa asked, obviously sensing my mood. I turned around to find Dimitri in the bedroom, folding the clothes he'd decided to wear for tomorrow.

"No, you're not. Come on in." I told her, opening the door wider. "Just giving Dimitri a pep talk about his hunting trip tomorrow."

"You're asking to die, aren't you Belikov?" Christian called.

"No, I'm doing this to keep them off our back."

"I'm thinking you better watch your back." Lissa said, smirking.

"They're not going to shoot me."

"Bob and weave, Dimitri, bob and weave." Christian said, smiling.

"See, I told you. They know how dangerous this is too. You're an idiot." I told him. Lissa laughed.

"That's kind of harsh." She said.

"It's tough love, he's used to it." I told her, smirking. Dimitri nodded in agreement.

"I'll be fine." He said.

"While he's gone, you and I are going down to the spa for a much needed day of relaxation." She told me.

"We are?" I asked. She rolled her eyes.

"Yes, Rose… We are. Ambrose said he'd hook me and you up. He said he doesn't see you around much anymore. He misses you." She told me.

"Of course he does. Everyone normally does when they're deprived of my beautiful face for too long." Christian coughed a laugh, so I kicked him. He narrowed his eyes.

"Owe?" He snapped.

"Don't be a d-bag." I retorted. He rolled his eyes and rubbed his leg where my foot had connected. "So, tomorrow, we're doing a spa day? Is he going with us?" I asked, motioning to Christian. "You look like you could use a facial."

"No, he's got other things to do." Lissa said, he voice changing slightly. I noticed, and so did Dimitri. Christian looked down.

"Things like what?"

"He's-." Lissa started, but Christian cut her off.

"I'm going to see my Aunt." He told me, voice hard. I suddenly felt bad for my teasing.

"Christian, I'm sorry-." He shook his head.

"Don't apologize. You didn't mean anything by it… I know."

"Are you sure going to see her is a good idea? Maybe one of us should go with you, I mean-." He shook his head.

"No… I need to do this alone. I need to talk to her, and I doubt she'll talk if anyone else is around." He explained. He then chuckled. "Especially you."

"I guess you're right."

"Alright, well now that that's out of the way, we're going to the spa tomorrow, Dimitri's going….hunting, and Christian is going to see his aunt. It's our first girl's day in like… a million years, and we've got to take advantage of it."

"I guess you're right." I told her. She nodded.

"I am. So, as soon as Dimitri leaves in the morning, which I'm sure will be early, you're to come by my room."

"Yes, your majesty." I said. She growled at me.

"You know I hate it when you do that."

"That's why she does it." Dimitri said. I laughed and nodded.

"He's right."

"I know. Well, we'll let you two get back to… whatever it was you were doing. I'll see you tomorrow morning, and don't make me come after you." She warned.

"I'm so scared." I teased. She rolled her eyes.

"Bye." She said, as her and Christian started to walk out. Right before Christian shut the door, I called to him.

"Hey, Christian?"

"Yeah?" He asked, turning back around.

"If I don't see you before you leave tomorrow… Good luck." I told him.

"Thanks." He said, before nodding at me and shutting the door. Once they were gone, I turned to Dimitri.

"I don't think him seeing her is a good idea."

"She's his aunt though, and the only real family he has. He's going to want answers." He said.

"I still don't think he should go alone."

"If you go down there with him, she'll light you on fire." He told me. I rolled my eyes.

"I'd like to see that bitch try." I said. He shook his head, and pulled me into his arms. "I'm going to be worried about you all day tomorrow, you know? It's going to be impossible to relax while you're with…. them." I said, making it sound like a dirty word. He smiled.

"There's not going to be any reason to worry, Roza. You need a day to relax, and Lissa's right. Since she's become queen, you and her haven't had much girl time. You two were friends before you were guardian and charge. Remember that." He said. I nodded.

"I'm going to be laying in a chair, being pampered thinking of you being shot at by my mother and father."

"They aren't going to shoot at me, Rose."

"You'll see. When you come back with a hole in your chest, I'm not going to baby you. You're going to have to suck it up, and deal with it."

"But I babied you when you had a hole in your chest." He complained, tilting my face up to his, and kissing me sweetly.

"That's different. I saved a life… you're putting yours at risk."

"Yes, I'm putting my life at risk for our relationship." He told me.

"I'm sure out relationship would be just fine if you refused this hunting trip." I said, shaking my head. He rolled his eyes.

"I'm going. I already agreed, so there's nothing I can do now. If I back out, they're going to know you talked me out of it." He said.

"Exactly. Tell them I said you couldn't go. They know how demanding I am, they'd believe that." I said. He shook his head.

"I'm going, and that's all there is to it, Roza."

"Fine. I just hope you're a little more bulletproof than I was." I said. He chuckled.

"I love you."

"I love you too, jerk."

"I'm not a jerk. Take it back." He said.

"No." I said stepping away from him. He grabbed me, and threw me onto the couch, tickling me.

"Take it back."

"NO!" I screamed, trying to get away from him.

"Take it back, or I'm not stopping."

"Fine… I'm sorry. I take it back." I cried. He laughed and stood up.

"I win."

"I hate you." I growled playfully. He smirked and leaned down to kiss me. I grabbed him, pulling him onto the couch and rolling on top of him. I brought my mouth to his, and kissed him all too persuasively. I finally pushed myself up off him, and walked away. He sat up, looking sort of dazed, as I turned to him and laughed.

"Pay backs are a bigger bitch than I am." He growled at me, as he stood up off the couch, straightening himself out. I giggled. We eventually showered, and laid down in bed. "Are you ready for tomorrow?"

"I'm as ready as I can be. I'll be without your beautiful face all day tomorrow."

"I know, whatever will you do?" I teased. He laughed and kissed me.

"Goodnight, my Roza."

"Night." I whispered, before cuddling up into his side, and slowly falling asleep.