Summary: Rose was dead. There was no getting around it. We all moved on in life without her, despite how hard and torturous it was. Everyone around me were starting families, and I felt like I was being felt behind, but I didn't care much. They came first. I knew I was never going to see Rose again – she was dead. There was one rather unexpected experience that happened to me while in Russia. One early morning, I found this little girl wondering around Russia while visiting my family. She was too young to be wondering on her own, so I asked her where her Mommy was. She told me she was lost just like her Mommy, because this girls Daddy doesn't know her Mommy is still alive.

Ha! How's that for a summary?! I thought I nailed it. It got my heart racing when I read it back to myself out loud, lol.

Because there were mixed feeling about the last chapter of 'What Now?', I decided I was going to post an epilogue anyway. One or two people wanted an alternate ending, while the rest of you wanted to see what happened next. So, I thought, "What the hell?" and finished it off with a somewhat happier ending.

Anyway, I got a review from Mistbreeze asking if Rose was immortal like the other Strigoi:

No, she is not. Mainly because of this chapter. I had thought of this chapter idea before anything else, so everything was revolving around this one. So…yeah. She will eventually die of old age, just like Lissa and Dimitri. :)

Anyway, this is what you guys wanted, that happy ending. I think – maybe-ish – that there will only be one chapter to this story. I think I can sum up everything in this one chapter if I had to.

So, here it! The first chapter to 'Where Are You?':

Dimitri's POV

After that day in the hospital, my relationship and protect-Guardian nature over Lissa grew at an alarming rate. She was the only one that truly understood my pain after Rose died. She was the only person that knew what to say to calm me down, because she was feeling the same thing.

It took almost a month, but I was back on my feet and training again once my wounds – both physical and mental – healed. Lissa tried to heal me as much as she could but I didn't know how much harm spirit would do to the baby, so we all cautioned her to restrain from using her magic too much. As soon as I got the 'okay' from the Doctor and Alberta, I was reassigned as Lissa's main guard. Eddie had taken over that role while I was regaining my strength. There were no casualties of any kind, and I was proud of him for it. I showed my gratitude by recommending he be Mia's Guardian, seeing as though she was a Moroi and Lissa's head advisor, and would most likely need a personal guard from time to time. Not to mention that the two of them had a sort of relationship of their own sparking. Normally I wouldn't promote that kind of relationship – a Moroi and her Guardian becoming an 'item' – but I knew Rose would have approved and over powered my judgment, so I let this one slide.

Mason had taken a hard hit from Court about attacking a fellow Guardian, not to mention risking the life of everyone that remained by stalling their escape. Despite the anger I had for him, I defended Mason at his trial. No one deserved to be banished from our society in such a way, and I knew in my heart that he was only trying to do what he thought was right – even if that meant him trying to kill Rose.

Alberta was devastated when she heard the news. She claimed that she was just as helpless as Lissa to save Rose, and I believe her. She put duty over emotion, which was exactly what she was supposed to do, so there's no way I could put any kind of blame on her. Because of her age, she retired as head Guardian at the Academy. In her place, Stan was promoted and took over school security. He may not be much younger than Alberta, but we knew there was no way he would pass up such an offer.

The only thing about Abe and Janine's coping is… Well, I don't think they will ever cope with their daughter's death. They had such a hard time at her funeral, I knew there was no way I was going to bother them about it until they were ready. When Abe first heard about it, he came straight to me. The bad part about that is I was still recovering in the hospital. It took Lissa's Guardian's to keep him away from me until I fully recovered. Once that time came around, he came to me in a more mature manner. He didn't blame me for what happened, but he did ask me why I couldn't protect her like I had promised I would. The only thing I could think to tell him was "Because my love for you daughter may have brought us together, but it also tore us apart. You don't have to blame me, because I already blame myself, and I know I will never be forgiven, even in death. I'm sorry for all the pain that I've caused by letting your daughter slip right through my fingers; I can only hope that you may understand that it was never my intention." That was the first time I saw the legendary Zmey cry.

Janine handles Rose's death in the same manner. She avoided me at every turn, she wouldn't look at or talk to me if she had no choice but to be in the same room. It was clear that she blamed me, and I could understand why. Eventually, I learned to ignore her tolerance of me and blocked her out. However, one afternoon, she was walking with Abe, the two of them talking and coming right toward me. I expected her to ignore my existence. But instead she spoke to me in the first time in three months. I never got anything more than a few simple words or directions from her, but I knew she was slowly showing forgiveness.

Forgiveness that I didn't deserve.

Tatiana, the now former Queen, played her role in supporting Lissa as much as she could. She went through Lissa and Christian's coronation without a hitch, giving them their titles as "Queen" and "Lord" Dagomir-Ozera. At that time, Lissa was only a month along in the pregnancy. Two months after the coronation, Tatiana Ivashkov passed away due to her cancer. She was given a royal burial and funeral; Lissa gave a very moving speech, and because of her hormonal state, she cried a lot during it.

Adrian was just as broken about Rose's death as I was. He was in love with her too – anyone could see it – but he had a special someone help him move past all of that. Sydney Sage was released and pleaded not guilty by her people of 'aiding the Vampire race in moving and relocating a potential criminal', with the help of Abe's alibi he gave her, of course. She and Adrian are now closer than ever. They had met once before we put the plan to break Rose out of jail into action, and they were both skeptical of each other, but when Adrian saw Sydney crying at Rose's funeral and memorial, he was the first one to hold her while she cried. The second was me, because Adrian had to make a speech. (Christian had made a comment that I was getting all of the ladies, which only made Lissa cry harder, threatening to break his nose if he kept talking. Needless to say he stayed quiet throughout the remainder of the funeral.)

Sydney now lived amongst the people she thought she hated and should fear, making her one of the bravest woman I know. There are people who would see their relationship as "unjust", or even "disgusting", but of course they could care less. They aren't afraid to show that traditions and routins can be changed, especially when it comes to the love they share.

Adrian took over as head of the Ivashkov family, seeing as though his parents refused to live at Court since Lissa took the thrown and thereby dropped their titles, and Sydney supports him in every way. It isn't unheard of that a human and a Moroi were to get together and fall in love, but it was definitely a first for a Royal to do so, which also pushed Adrian's parents to leave court.

As for Lissa and Christian, they both fought tooth and nail for support over abolishing any and all conditions of the age law that was nearly set in place. Because Rose died at a young age, which was what pushed Court to stop the motion, she was mentioned in the archives that told of our race's history. The Moroi couple made an amazing team and proved to the Vampire world that two teenagers could stop their race from plummeting into extinction, which also earned them a spot in the archives.

Lissa had her baby on September 2nd, 2012. The pregnancy and birthing process was normal and went smoothly. Though Lissa's threats of killing him shook him up a little bit, Christian was a proud father, and he was the first to hold the baby girl when she was born. I remember the conversation about the baby's name:

The doctor stepped out and said the happy couple wanted to see me. I nodded in thanks and walked in, closing the door behind me. Lissa was holding the baby sitting up in bed, Christian propped up behind her, supporting her upper body.

The new mother looked tired, but she couldn't shake that smile on her face. "She is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen."

Christian, sitting on her bed behind her, watching the baby from over Lissa's shoulder. "She is. We just need a name for her."

I cleared my throat, thinking they hadn't noticed that I was there, much like a Guardian should be: invisible. Christian and Lissa both looked up.

Christian's face fell into mock annoyance. "Do you mind? We are having a moment here."

I rolled my eyes. I wouldn't normally, but he was the one that called me in here after all.

Lissa ignored him and motioned for me to come closer. "Dimitri, isn't she amazing?"

I looked down at the child before me and felt a wide smile slide easily on my lips. "She is." The baby girl was wrapped in a soft, plushy pink blanket. Her eyes were closed as she cooed quietly in her sleep. She had her father's hair and her mother's perfect nose and facial features.

"We do need to decide on a name," Christian reminded her.

Lissa nodded. Then she looked up at me. "Since you are her God-father, why don't you help us choose?"

I looked down at her – well, the both of them – in shock as they smiled back at me. "Um…what?" was my brilliant response. This was sudden, and I thought for sure they would name Adrian and Mia the God-parents, considering they were the closets friends they had.

My expression made Lissa laughed softly.

Christian nodded happily. "Yep. We were going to make Adrian her Godfather, but his continuous drinking habits didn't quite fall through."

I smirked, resisting the urge to laugh. Well, that answered that question. Adrian has been working on his drinking habits, as well as his flirting and smoking ones, so I wasn't going to laugh at his expense.

"And since I want Rose to be her…deceased Godmother, it's only fitting that you are the Godfather." Lissa said the words' deceased' like it was a foreign word to her.

Sensing an awkward silence that I know he hates, Christian spoke up. "So, I wanted to incorporate her brother's name," Christian explained, "but she said it was a little typical."

She shrugged lightly. "I think it is, not that I don't like the name you picked out."

I looked from her to him. "What name did you pick?"

"I chose Andréa," he told me, proud that he thought of it all on his own.

"And I wanted to incorporate Rose's name." To that, none of us had a comment to. She continued anyway: "I wanted Maria; taking the last half of Rose's name, and it was close to a name I've always liked: Matilda."

I nodded, understanding her reasoning. We sat in silence for a while, mulling over what name we wanted. Lissa asked me if I wanted to hold her; of course I was hesitant but she knew I was good with kids, seeing as though I told her about my three sisters and two nieces and a nephew.

I took the small bundle and immediately found myself lost in her warmth. She stirred and looked up at me with her jade-green eyes. I couldn't help but smile. I guess what means she's have her father's quick wit, I thought. God help us all.

I looked over at the not yet married couple and smiled – they were both fast asleep in seconds. I guess Lissa's labor put quite a strain on both of them. As I held the baby in my arms, I decided what name I liked. Seeing as though they both picked perfect too perfect names, there was no way I could choose between the two.

I looked down at the tiny bundle looked back at me. I smiled my special smile that was now reserved for only her. Rocking slowly back and forth like I did for Paul when he was a baby, I spoke softly to her. "Hello there, baby girl. Your name shall be Maria Andréa Dragomir-Ozera."

From that day forward I had one more responsibility, and boy did she turn out to just like her father. Now it's almost three years later and Andie's birthday is coming up soon. She may not have specialized in an ability yet, but she was showed signed of her father' snarky attitude. She has been growing and learning non-stop, and I'm amazed at how she's getting along with all of the other kids her age. Granted there are only two of them – Mia and Eddie's boy, Oliver, and Adrian and Sydney's new baby girl, Alekz – but she has friends and that's really all that matters.

Lissa has been busy over the years, but never struggled in showing her daughter how much she loved her. I have also learned recently that she is pregnant again. It was great news, but that same day she suggested – or more demanded – that I take a vacation. I argued that it would be more dangerous for her now that she is expecting again, but she wouldn't have it. So, as I stood at the airstrip, ready to board my plane, I couldn't help but worry about the family I was leaving here under Janine's protection. Not that I didn't trust Janine, but I was still worried.

Seeing as though Lissa forced me to take a vacation, I thought I would go see my family in Baia. It was a long flight, and the time change had really messed up my sleep schedule, but I was still eager to see my family.

I was just getting out of the truck and grabbed my bag when I heard the front door to my childhood home open. I turned and saw someone step out, adjusted their coat. She wasn't much taller than Rose used to be, but her hair was just as dark as mine. And the accent in her voice match the intensity as mine as well.

"Yes, Mom, I will pick up some juice on the way home. Relax." It took me a minute to realize who it was – I hadn't seen my family in years.

"Viktoria?" I called, slinging my bag over my shoulder.

She jumped, crouching in a defensive position. That was a bit of a shock to me, but I let it pass for now.

When she realized it was me, she straightened up and blinked a few times, like she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Was I gone from home that long?

"Dimka?" she asked, obviously trying to be sure it was me after all.

I smiled. "Does my sister seriously not recognize her older brother?"

Her eyes lit up and she literally screamed and charged at me, barreling into my chest. I hadn't in many Strigoi attacks over the last couple years, but that tackle might as well have been a Strigoi attack all in itself. My breath left me in an audible 'oof' as she pushed me back into the door of the truck I just got out of.

"Dimitri! I can't believe you're here! You haven't sent any letters lately and we were starting to get worried…" She eventually tried off, running out of breath.

I laughed, amused that my sister my never change.

"I missed you too, Viktoria."

Another figure appeared in the doorway. She was holding a dish towel in her hand, drying her hands with it. "Viktoria? What happened? Why did you…?" She trailed off too once she saw who it was hugging her youngest.

"Дмитрий?" she asked, my name in Russian rolling off of her tongue beautifully. It was been so long since I've heard fluent Russian.

Viktoria stepped out of our hug, motioning to me like I was some prize at the fair. "Look who came to visit, Mum?"

My mother and I started into each other's eyes for the longest time, trying to remember every detail of each other's presence. Then without much warning, she dropped the towel she had in her hand and ran over the cold ground, closing the distance between us rather quickly for a woman her age. She threw her arms around my back, not able to reach my neck at my height.

"Oh, Dimitri! We have missed you so much!" She pulled away and immediately smacked me on the arm – because she couldn't quite reach the back of my head. "You were gone too long this time, мой сын! You need to take more vacations, even if it isn't to come see your abandoned family." She wiped a tear from her cheek. Despite her rant about me vacationing more, I know she missed me. And I know she's only trying to take care of me, even when I'm away from home.

I smiled sheepishly as I followed her inside. "You know I would never abandon you, мать."

Viktoria followed us to the door, but stopped when she reached the steps. "I'm going now, Mum. I'll bring your juice back for grandma." She left then, closing the door behind her.

As I walked through the kitchen following my mother, I asked, "Where is she going?"

My mother bustled about the kitchen, almost as if I had been in the house the whole time. "She has Guardian training tonight. She should be back in a few hours. I'm sure she's eager to catch up."

I raised a brow. "Viktoria is training to be a Guardian?"

My mom placed a clean cup in the cabinet. A wide smile spread across her lips, pride sparkling in her eyes. "Yes. She is the first Belikova woman to have her hand at becoming a Guardian. We are all so proud of her."

"Mum? Who are you talking to?"

I turned around just in time to see Karolina walked into the small kitchen holding my newest niece, Zoya on her hip. At first she was skeptical about the new person in the room – pretty much like Viktoria was. Then she snapped out of it. "Dimka?"

I smiled. "Is that you, Karolina? You look so…"

She flashed a warning look. "Choose your words wisely, dear brother."

I laughed, walking over to her and wrapping her in a hug. Zoya was crammed somewhat in the middle, and she let us know that she was uncomfortable. I pulled back and smiled down at her. "You look beautiful, barely different since I last saw you."

She smiled this time, lightly punching me in the arm. "Your manners – and the ability to cover your ass – haven't changed."

I laughed again. "I missed you, too, Каролина."

"Mum! Your amazing grandson decided it was a good idea to smash his electronic car into my foot."

"Did not!"

"And he laughed!"

I laughed. It was just like Sonya – she was practically still a kid just like Paul, my only nephew. I wasn't surprised that my laugh triggered the other two to come into the room, wondering where the male voice came from. The two of them, as well as my grandmother, Yeva, appeared in the doorway.

As soon as they entered, Paul's face lit up. "Uncle Dimka!" He ran at me at full speed, barreled toward my hips, seeing as though he has grown and no longer comes to me knees. The only problem with that was that he wasn't paying attention to where he was stepping and tripped, and managing to nail me right where a man shouldn't be punched.

I immediately groaned and doubled over, falling to one knee.

I heard Sonya laugh hysterically. "How's that for a greeting, Dimitri?"

My mom hauled Paul to his feet, checking him over. "Paul, honey, are you okay?"

He was rubbing his elbow where he had fallen, but nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm sorry, Uncle Dimka…" he said sheepishly, that sad glint in his eye.

I took a couple of deep breaths and looked over at Paul, trying to hide my pained expression. "It's…okay, buddy. I know you didn't mean it."

A smile lit his face and he hugged me. I managed to wrap an arm around him, hugging him back.

Karolina rolled her eyes at her younger sister, who was still laughing at the expense of my pain. "Come on, Paul. Let's get you and your sister ready for bed." Paul obeys and smiled at me one last time before following his mother and sister up the stairs.

Sonya wasn't the most affectionate person in the family, but she was kind enough to lend me a hand, pulling me to my feet. She actually smiled. "Nice to see you, big brother. We've missed you around here." She turned to leave and that's when I noticed a small, barely noticeable baby bump. "I'm going to join my daughter in bed. "Good night, Mum, Dimitri."

Mum nodded and smiled. "Sleep well, Sonya."

I nodded to her as she retreated, making a mental note to ask about the bump later.

I stayed with my family for a few days, before finally I got the chance to go for a run. I had been neglecting my exercise routine in order to spend as much time with my family as possible, so I was eager to get at least some running in.

It was pretty early in the morning – I think around 4:15 in the morning – so everyone was still sound asleep. Except Mom, who I knew was in the kitchen, cleaning and making breakfast like she always did. Even after my dad was out of the picture she still managed to get up and care for everyone here, not caring that she did most of the work. In fact I think she enjoyed all that she did, especially if it was for her family.

I tried tip-toeing by her, but I should have known it was no use.

She didn't even have to turn around to know I was there. "Where are you going so early in the morning, Dimitri? Didn't I teach you manners?" She shook her head in dismay.

I sighed, approaching her and kissing the top of her head. Her hair was greying, but it was still soft and smooth. "I apologize. I'm going for a run, мама. I will be back soon."

She nodded, approving of both my apology and that I was making up for my manners, or rather 'lack-there-of'.

I decided that I was going to run into town for a few hours, and then be back in time to maybe do some training with Viktoria, seeing as though she seemed to want to follow in her brother's footsteps. It was only a couple miles away, but I jogged a steady pace into town. I figured I could see how the town I grew up in has changed while I was gone those three years.

Once in town – it took a half hour to run there – I watched a large group of teenagers who looked like they could cause some trouble walk by, snickering. I ignored them and continued. I slowed down by the market to buy a bottle of water. Once my purchase was made, I walked back out, chugging half of it right there. My breathing started to calm, but my heart rate was still racing from my run. I looked around and didn't see a whole lot. The small town itself was still asleep – no lights, not a lot of people. It was a normal, calm morning in Baia.

Until I noticed a small tug on my black sweat pants.

I looked down and saw – to my surprise – a little girl, a small chunk of my sweat pants clumped up in her little fist. She looked sad and scared, like she had just seen a ghost. She was wearing a nice warm jacket and a pair of jeans. Her hair was a dark, dark brown that almost looked black, and a beautiful pair of brown eyes.

Why did those eyes look so familiar?

I bent down in front of her, bringing me just at her eye level. She couldn't be more than a three- or four-years-old, and she looked scared out of her mind.

"Hello, there. Are you lost, sweetie?" I asked softly, holding her shoulders protectively and gently in my hands.

She nodded sheepishly. "I…I can't find m-my mommy…"

I smiled reassuringly. "I'm sure we can find her around here somewhere."

She shook her head.

I frowned a little. "No? why not?"

She looked me in the eye, completely serious – yet obviously still scared – when she said, "Because my mommy is lost like me. She's lost because my daddy doesn't know that she's alive."

I don't know why, but I thought of Rose. God I wish she was here. She would know what to do right now. Not that I don't know how to handle kids, I just don't know where to start comforting this poor girl. Rose would know what to do, and I could really use her wisdom here.

"Why…why doesn't your daddy know she's alive?"

She tilted her head to the side like a confused dog. "I don't know."

"So, how did you two get separated?" I asked, curious and worried all at the same time. Why was I so worried for this small girl that I just met? I decided to write it off as something to do with the fact that I have nieces her age.

"Mommy went to talk to some guy and let go of my hand. I saw a flower not far away and walked over to it. Then, these meanies came over and scared me away from mommy." She wiped a tear from her eyes and sniffled.

Those teenagers walking by snickering, I thought. They must have been the ones; they could have scared her half way across town, and she probably has no idea how to get back.

"Hey, don't cry." I gently pulled her hand away from her face, smiling. "Can you tell me your name? My name is Dimitri."

She looked at me, confused. "D…Dim…Dimt…" She scrunched her face in frustration, making her look even cuter.

I laughed my special laugh, which was weird because no one but Andie can bring that laugh out of me nowadays. "My nickname is Dimka. Is that easier to say?"

"Dim…ka." She smiled brightly, making the dark sky suddenly seem less dark. "Dimka!" she cried triumphantly.

I smiled. "Good. Now, what's your name?"

"My name is like yours; it's Domika. But mommy calls me Dom for short." She smiled proudly.

My smile only grew. "Okay. Well, why don't we start looking for your mommy."

She nodded and immediately grabbed my hand when I stood up – I wasn't sure if it was for some kind of security reason, or if she was just that scared to be left alone again. There was some kind of electric jolt when she held my hand, like I was supposed to…I don't know, remember something? See something that I'm not quite getting?

As she walked down the side of the street, I watched the little girl look from person to person that walked by, as well as down some alley ways, like she was expecting her mother to be there of all places. I would occasionally look around myself, seeing if I could catch a young woman looking around frantically. I didn't see anything like that, so I just kept an eye out for danger.

We must have walked for a total of ten minutes, when I felt the girl stop suddenly, making me stop too.

She looked around, like she was listening for something. "I hear her."

My brows pushed together. "Who?"

A mile broke out on her face. "My mommy! I hear mommy!"

I strained to listen; the only thing I heard was car engines and people talking in the distance. I frowned. "I don't hear anything, Domika. Are you sure you hear her?"

She nodded eagerly. "Mommy! Mommy, I'm over here!" she called out eagerly.

She tried pulling out of my grip, but I stopped her, bending back down to her height. "Wait, sweetie. I don't want you getting lost looking for your Mommy. Just keep calling her, and we will go to her."

She nodded. Then, she did something very unexpected: she reached up to me, wanting me to pick her up. "Can you carry me, Dimka? I'm tired."

I couldn't resist this little girl, not now. I picked her up easily and held her close. There was something…something about holding her that felt right, that felt like it was meant to be.

She squirmed around a little, trying to point out in front of us. "That way! I hear her."

I didn't question and just started forward slowly, staying cautious of danger. We made it to the next block when I heard a voice.

"Dom… Domika…!" The voice sounded worried.

And very familiar.

"Mommy! I'm here, Mommy!"

Suddenly, a form rushed around the corner, nearly taking me by surprise. I saw a flash of long brown hair, and then saw who it was Domika's mommy was.

"Oh, Dom, I was-" The last word was choked out a little, like the words got stuck in her throat. But, then again, I couldn't blame her. I was at a loss of words. As she gazed wordlessly at me, completely shocked, I did the same. I took in the image before me, both confused and surprised.

That hair.

That voice.

Those eyes.

Those lips.

That body.

This woman… Domika's mother… She was—

"Rose?"

Hahah. End. XD

BUT!

I am considering doing on last Dimitri-and-Rose-catch-up-chapter. If you guys want me to. I really like where this is going and I think I got at the very least one more chapter. Who knows? Maybe this story will spark and take off like wild fire, just like the previous one did.

The title to the story has two meanings to it. Not only does it tie to Domika looking for her Mommy, but also through Dimitri's quest for that happiness he had with Rose. I'm not sure if it came off that way, but I'm can only hope.

I made this one especially long – eleven pages! – because I wasn't sure about the whole make-another-chapter idea, but you know, it's also because I love you all so much for sticking with me for this long. (:

Here are some translations from Russian to English (according to Google Translator, so if they are wrong, it's not my fault):

-Дмитрий = Dimitri

-мой сын = my son

-Каролина = Karolina

-мама = mom

Of course you have to tell me what you guys think. PLEASE?

Thanks For Reading! R&R

-Aly