A/N: Hey-oh! So here we are, a continuation of Carpe Diem after 3 long years (so sorry). As said in the last chapter (I changed a few things so you might wanna check it out) I've decided to give this fic another go. Hopefully it goes better this time around haha. Thanks for anyone who is still around, and welcome newcomers!

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Richelle Mead, I claim no right over the Vampire Academy franchise.

"So what happened after that?" Ivan asked from his seat on his wide sofa.

"Well, I said that I was through with him and to never show up at my work again," Dimitri replied. They were currently sitting in Ivan's luxurious condo.

"And the non PG version?"

Dimitri looked away. "I told him to fuck off, and I'd have my guards tackle him if they ever saw him on my property."

"And the award for most dramatic businessman goes to…!" Ivan said in an announcer voice, pissing Dimitri off.

"Shut it."

"I'm just saying, you've gotta learn to not let your old man get to you. Hell, look at me? You don't see me disowning my father because of a few arguements." He sat back and sipped at his drink.

"That's because you and your father get along. You forget that I hate my father." Just thinking of him immediately put Dimitri in a bad mood.

"Then why do you care?"

"Why do you care?" I retort.

"Touché my friend." Ivan knocked back the rest of his beverage before slamming the glass down on a side table. "But hey, we get to live this high life. We have the option to never speak to anyone if we so choose."

"That is true." Technically he could forward any messages he needed to his PA and have the company workers take care of the rest. He had a very capable staff.

"But I'm not letting you do that man. You're a shut-in enough as it is."

Dimitri laughed at his best friend. "Trust me, my sisters would personally show up in my office to kick my ass if I didn't call them at least once a week. And my maman. And my grandmother."

"All the way from Russia? Damn," Ivan snickered. "I've met them though. The females in your household are relentless."

"That is true," Dimitri repeated. He unlocked his phone to see a few unread messages from his PA. I'll get to those later. Navigating to his photo gallery app, he scrolled through some pictures taken the last time he was in Russia. His mother was so happy to have him home that when it was time for him to return to the States, she hid his suitcase in the house. That was a fun little game of hide-and-seek.

"-with me?"

"What?" Dimitri turned to his friend. "What did you say?"

"I asked if you wanted to hang out with me. This Friday?"

"Uh, I'll have to check my schedule," Dimitri mumbled, switching over to his one of many calendar apps (his assistant was insistent on his having more than one. Said it made her job easier). Ivan scoffed while getting up to head into his kitchen, equipped with a fully stocked bar isle and what seemed to him an endless supply of liquor. "What?"

"Nothing. Just that you're life has gotten so sad since you have to pencil in time to see your best friend."

"That is not true." To be fair, this time right now with Ivan was on his third calendar. "My life is not sad."

"Bro, do us all a favor, and just hang out with me Friday night." He mixed together some drinks before pouring a red like substance into two glasses.

Reluctantly, Dimitri put his phone back in his pocket without checking his schedule. "Where do you want to go?"

"A club maybe?"

"I'm not going to a strip club with you. Again." It only took one time to be fooled by "it's just a club" scheme.

"Come on, you had fun the last time," Ivan laughed having arrived back in the living room.

"We must have two very different definitions of fun."

"Okay, okay, we can just chill here. Less boobs showing though…" he mumbled handing one of the glasses over to Dimitri. "It'll be nice either way, I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

"Well I was busy with that Somerson deal." Which had been finished and closed beautifully.

"Bout to open one myself with Clarke," Ivan relayed, downing this drink too.

"They are stubborn as hell, good luck." Dimitri gazed down at his drink, seeing a bit of his own reflection in it. Muggy. Tinted. And honestly? Maybe a little lonely. "What drink is this?"

"It's my personal creation, I call it 'Fate'. It has never failed me," Ivan exclaimed but didn't explain.

Dimitri took a cautious sip, but soon found himself quickly finishing off the drink as well. "That's some damn good fate then."

Ivan smirked. "Isn't it?"

"Hey Liss. Better make it quick, I have to get back to work in ten." Not caring, she took a large bite out of her egg salad sandwich while still strategically keeping her phone between her ear and shoulder.

"Same. So here it is: go out with me tonight."

"You know I can't," she replied with a mouth full of food.

"You can, you just don't want to, admit it."

Rose swallowed and took a swig from her canteen, slamming it back down on the table in her set room. "Not true."

"Oh yeah? Then you're telling me that if you had a sitter, you'd actually come out with me?"

Rose switched the phone from one ear to the other, trying to come up with something. "Well, I can't drink or go clubbing, but-"

"Just a party. A house party at that, of a close friend. Alcohol will be there but you won't be expected to drink. Music will be playing but you don't have to dance. Is that tame enough for you?"

Lissa made her sound like a forty-year-old cat lady. "Okay, okay. But that would only be if I could find a sitter, which-"

"-I have already done for you. Mia will be ready and waiting at your house when you get there at 5pm."

"You're relentless."

"With the line of work I'm in? I have to be on top of this stuff." I can hear her clicking on keys, alerting me to my own stack of work I needed to get to. "So I'll pick you up at seven? That'll give you valuable Royce time before I steal you away for the evening."

"You know, its jut so short notice. I really like to warn Royce about me not being home at least a day in advance."

"I understand that. I also understand that you haven't been out for over a year, and Royce is older now and not as attached as you might want him to be." Okay, that stung. "Also he loves Mia, so I don't think he'll mind the sudden change in parental units."

Rose stalled by sipping at the ice tea in her canteen but still couldn't come up with any other excuses. "Alright, you got me."

"Checkmate!" she heard Lissa cheer through the receiver. "Oops, my boss is looking at me through the glass like I'm crazy. See you at seven, dress nice!" With that the line went dead, and Rose resumed her own job.

Though not purposefully, she had been dodging going out with Lissa since Royce turned two. She couldn't exactly name why, but she knew one thing for sure. Royce was her world, and he would always come first. His existence was enough for her daily life.

Wasn't it?

"Ivan," growled Dimitri through his teeth. Damn it, he got me.

"Yes, my bestest friend?" he hummed over the thumping music.

"You lied to me!" Dimitri looked around Ivan's luxurious condo at the sizable crowd of people and colorful lights.

"Net, net, moy drug. I said we were going to be hanging out at my place."

"This is a party and you know it!"

"When did I say it was just going to be me and you?"

Damn it, he got me good. "What happened to 'less females'?" Dimitri argued.

"Ah, I said 'less boob showing' first of all. And there is definitely less boob showing here than if we had gone to a strip club." Ivan laughs outright at Dimitri's grimace. "Come my friend, just enjoy this for what it is. Some close and ambiguous friends, hanging out. Drink if you wanna, dance with a pretty girl. Unwind, loosen your tie, live a little!"

Dimitri liked his tie right where it was thank you very much, and had no intention of dancing with any girl no matter how pretty.

"Look, if it gets to be too much, the upstairs is more chill. You can bum around up there with all the other wallflowers until the party's- I mean, hanging out, is over."

"I will not be 'bumming around'. And when will it be over?" Dimitri asked.

"The fact that you're asking clearly shows you are a bum. I'll text you when the last person leaves. Otherwise it's open bar and endless music. So do what they say on TV, carpe diem!"

"They who?" Dimitri inquired, ready to get a very large and strong glass of Vodka.

"I don't know, some gossip channel. Anyway, I've got some people to greet. Have fun my friend!"

And with that Dimitri let his extroverted friend mingle with his guest while he himself wandered over to the familiar kitchen isle where a bartender was ready to make anyone a drink. Dimitri just asked for a glass and the whole bottle of Svedka. After about three glasses in the span of ten minutes, and a handful of women approaching him for conversation, a drink, or more…illustrious activities, he decided to head to the upstairs. But not before asking for one of those Fate drinks Ivan made him earlier in the week.

Looking around up here, people were lounging in the numerous couches and seats by the floor to ceiling windows. Some were calmly chatting by the wall waterfall Dimitri knew Ivan just had installed about a month ago. He chuckled to himself at his friend's eccentrics and found a seat for himself next to an end table. There was only one seat near his vicinity, so it should deter people from trying to approach him.

What a wet blanket I'm turning out to be. Dimitri knew Ivan meant well, and was only trying to make sure he didn't turn into some work-obsessed hermit. But if the first 28 years of Dimitri's life proved anything it was that he needed to trust his instincts. He trusted himself when he decided to move to America and start his own company which was now flourishing. He trusted himself to never let his father back in his life again after everything he'd done to his family. And he trusted himself now, to know that he wasn't going to let his life pass him by. He'd always wanted to make a family of his own, but he doubted he'd start on the right track at this house party.

Rose peppered kisses on every available space on Royce's head. "Mommy will miss you."

"Bye-bye mommy!" Royce cheered while pushing away form Rose. "Auntie Mia, movie!"

"I've got ya little tiger," Mia said with a smile. She snatched Royce up and held him over her shoulder making him squeal. "He's so tiny. Soon I won't be able to do this anymore."

"I know, right?" I laugh. He gets bigger every day, meaning so does his appetite.

Lissa pinched at Royce's cheeks as he giggled. "His height might take after you though. Lord knows he's just a little Rose clone." It was true, her son did take after her a lot. From her thick dark hair to her stubborn personality. "And unfortunately we've gotta run. There's a difference between fashionably late and just being late."

Rose took a few more teary-eyed moments to look at her son, who was preoccupied with chatting with Mia. "Okay sweetie, bye-bye."

He finally gave Rose some attention and held his arms out to her. "Mommy!" Rose grabbed him happily, careful that his cheese doodle stained fingers did not touch her silky blouse. "Mommy pretty."

"Why thank you," Rose giggled. "You're not too bad yourself." They cuddled and kissed until Mia and Lissa basically had to pull them apart. Once in Lissa's car she sighed. "I'm sorry I'm so attached."

"No need to be sorry. Who isn't attached to Royce? He's the cutest." Lissa smiled while pulling out from in front of Rose's apartment. "And he wants you to have some fun tonight."

"Does he?" Rose smirked.

"Just cause you're a mom, doesn't mean you can't go out and let loose." Letting loose was exactly how she'd gotten a son in the first place. Not that she would change anything. "And it's exactly because you're single that you should be able to date."

"Are you still stuck on this idea that the reason I'm single is because I don't want to date? Cause I already told you that wasn't the case. I'm just…too busy for all that."

"You can't be too busy for life Rose, or it'll pass you by." They eventually fell into a comfortable conversation of catching up and chatting about work. Rose had known Lissa since they were kids, and though they were apart after junior high, they found themselves together once again sometime after high school. Lissa was in college and Rose was convinced that she and who she thought was her soulmate were going to travel the world and live free. But after an unexpected pregnancy and her worthless boyfriend bailing out on parenthood, she found herself rooted in no where's Montana until Lissa convinced her to move to Boston, Massachusetts. Mostly because Lissa had found a great job there from some newer company that had been doing well. Looking back at 20 year-old her, all young and naïve and in love…it didn't make her regret a damn thing about her life now. Except the fact that she never got to punch her ex in his asshat of a face. Rose was thanking the heavens again that Royce was blessed with all her looks. She didn't know if she'd be able to look into her sons eyes if they were the piercing color of his father's. She shuddered at the idea.

"Stop that."

"Huh?" Rose gasped, leaving her thoughts. They were just getting off an exit.

"You're thinking about him again."

"What? No I'm not."

"You always have the same face when you're thinking about-"

"Don't even say his name," Rose growled. She pulled down the sun visor to see a scowl adorned her face. After taking a few deep breaths she tried to ease away the crinkle between her brows.

"He-who-shall-not-be-named is an asshole, but you can't let him keep you from finding a meaningful relationship."

"This isn't a Harry Potter book, you don't have to 'he-who-shall-not-be-named' him." Nor did she actually want to hear his name, but she was still working on a solution to that. "Secondly, he is not what is keeping me from dating. I got over that asshole the moment Royce was born."

"But you admit there is something keeping you from dating?" Lissa replied smugly.

"Sure Liss. You'll never guess what it is," Rose answered sarcastically. Liss had just pulled up into a gated neighborhood. Oh great, a rich person's house party.

"Enlighten me," she inquired, driving by building after building. She finally stopped in front of one that had lights at the top and a muted bass beat seeping through.

Rose took her time unbuckling, straightening her top and reapplying her lipstick. She opened her door but turned to Lissa before exiting. "If I meet a guy who gazes into my eyes…takes me by the hand…and I don't wanna jaguar punch him in the throat? I'll consider it."

"Promise?" Lissa laughs. They leave the parked car out front and enter the condominium together.

So chapter 3 is not finished yet (I figured I should just post this chapter up so it will come up on the VA feed) but I'm working on it. Bear with me, stay tuned, and as always look forward to more!