Runaway Rose

Chapter Two

When Viktoria and I reached the room, I slipped the key into the slot, turning it. As I pushed the door open and pushed the stroller in, Viktoria followed in, shutting the door behind her. After taking Brylie out of the stroller and setting her down on the bed where she flailed around and whined before giving up and sticking her fists in her mouth, I turned to Viktoria and sighed, I had a lot of explaining to do. But as I turned around I saw Viktoria on the ground playing with Mika. "He really does look a lot like Dimika." Viktoria said, looking up at me and nodding. I shrugged and sat down opposite of them.

"That sort of thing happens when it's their child," I said sarcastically. She rolled her eyes at me and settled on my bruised arms.

"Christ Rose, what did you get into?" Viktoria asked shaking her head. "A month after you disappeared Dimika called us, enough shock that no one told us he was alive more so that you had run off, we thought you'd loved each other." I was awestruck, Dimitri called them? To see if I was there? Viktoria saw my look and nodded, "We tried to look for you, thinking that maybe you got lost in Novsbrik or something, no such luck." She sighed, tucking a piece of Mika's hair behind his ear, he wore it long, like his father but had my natural wave so it only really went to the nape of his neck. I decided it's better to tell now than later.

"I thought about going to Baia, I did, but then I remembered how much you hated me for separating you from that boy and I just couldn't barge back into your lives." Viktoria looked like she wanted ot interject but I cut her off. "Viktoria, I know you love me, I know your family loves me, but I couldn't do it, not after Dimitri came back. You should have seen it Vik, he hated me. He would avoid me at all cost and when I did finally talk to him he told me;"Love fades, Mine had." It was to hard to ignore and I couldn't stay there. I had to start fresh." I took a breath and explained how I'd met Rider at a local bar before I knew I was pregnant," I hadn't been drinking just looking for a person to stay with over night he seemed nice so we hit it off. Then after three weeks of tying the knot he started hitting me I was four months along by then, and he beat the crap out of me. After I had Mika I thought things would get better, but it just got worse, he said that I'd have to pay twice the debt for him to keep his hands off Mika." I wiped a tear, looking at my little boy. "I couldn't let him hurt Mika Viktoria, it was the only tie I had to my old life. My baby boy." I said, sighing. "Then about a year ago I got knocked up, and he didn't hit me through the whole pregnancy. I thought it was looking up again, but the only thing that happened after was getting thrown down stairs and burned with cigarettes. So I decided, once Brylie turned three months old, we would run, we would run and we would never look back. And that's what I'm doing, I'm not looking back." I said, the last sentence determined.

Viktoria looked at me, her eyes filled with tears as she hugged me. "Oh Roza, I'm so sorry." She said, nearly sobbing into my shoulder. I patted the back of her head before she moved back.

"What are you doing in the states Vik? What about Baia, nothing happened did it? Everyones okay?" I asked, getting worried. But she smiled and shook her head.

"No everything is fine, I'm a court Guardian. Dimitri put a good word in for me and I'm an intern right now I've been here for about six months." She said proudly, I smiled at her. I was proud, even if Dimitri hated me, I still loved his family with all my heart. "As for family, they are moving down here next week. Baia is nice but the Belikov's are moving onto much better things." She said smiling.

Mika yawned and we both laughed, deciding that it was better to put the kids down and talk over dinner, I was starved. Viktoria picked up Mika while I moved to the bed and picked up a lolling Brylie. We walked into the nursery , surprisingly equipped with all the necessary things, two cribs, both able to be taken down into a toddler bed. After laying Brylie in her cot and Mika in his bed I shut out the lights, walking to the living room with Viktoria. Who was on her phone ordering two large pizzas, what can I say? The girl knows me.

As we ate our pizza we talked about where I'd been, when I found out about Mika and how I got away. We also talked about her family, what was happening around court, Tatiana had suffered from a heart attack and died months ago, they still haven't settled on a ruler, Lissa was running and was doing surprisingly well. Dimitri was Lissa's first guard, never left her side. Lissa was also getting married next month to none other than Christian Ozera.

"Huh.' I said, I knew it would always happen, but I figured Lissa was too much of a goodie goodie to get married to young.

"Yeah." Viktoria said, stuffing the crust into her mouth. Her phone buzzed on the table and she sighed. It was mid morning, she reached across, looking at the screen. She picked up once she saw who it was. "Belikov." She answered in a guardian voice. I watched her expression change to annoyed. "Yea I'll be right there." She said, hanging up. Looking at me with a hint of regret. "I gotta go, there's a meeting and everyone has to be there."

I sighed, nodding my head, I remembered hating getting called down to the guardian offices, mostly because it meant slave away in the sun for hours. "See you around Viktoria." I said, burping. Even though I was older it didn't affect my manners, Viktoria laughed, hugged me and was gone, shutting the door behind her.

…

Later that day after Mika and Brylie woke up I decided to take my chances, getting out of the apartment and going for food. Loading Bry in the stroller, I took Mika's hand and led him out into the dusk of night, the kids never seemed to be quite normal, they always enjoyed staying up and night and sleeping during the day. Walking around the tiny town we picked out a little diner on the corner, as I walked in my eyes found the back of a Russian's head instantly. I cringed, thinking about walking out before the waitress walked out to us and spoke, a smile on her face. "Three?" She asked, adding "A highchair, and a booth." She finished, grabbing a child's menu and a regular menu, beckoning us to follow her. I took Mika's hand, "Come on Mika." I said, ushering him towards the booth. After settling him into the highchair I locked the stroller, sitting down.

I heard the door chime, my eyes swept to the door as I saw a wave of platinum blonde hair glide through, with the face of my best friend. She smiled as she found who she was looking for, meeting Dimitri half way to their table, hugging him and kissing him on the cheek. It wasn't a romantic kiss, it was just a gesture she had been taught in her royal lessons. I tried to keep her nearness to me from her, blocking out my mind completely, I knew she felt it, I saw the pain on her face.

Lissa POV

Rose was blocking me from her again, it always seemed that she did that when something major was going on. After letting go of Dimitri I sighed, sitting down at the table. "How is it going Dimitri?" I said, true concern in my voice.

"We've looked everywhere, she isn't in any western or southern state, I know you want her back Lissa, but it's just not that easy, she all but dropped off the face of the earth four years ago." He said, he looked tired, I knew he wanted her back too, he just never admitted it, he had tried moving on, every girl it was the same, sent home after the first date. He wasn't well, he was working too hard to get her back but his mind was set to it.

"Maybe she's…maybe she's somewhere else, like you know, in Germany or something.." I said, sounding hopeful. Dimitri shook his head, smoothing out his hair.

"We've got people looking everywhere, even Abe had his guys checking out Russia, she just dropped off the radar." The waitress came to drop off our waters, along with the appetizer, I thanked her as she walked off. We were seated near the kitchen, hearing everything going on.

"Yeah she's strange, she looks far too young to have two children." Our waitress said, thinking they were safe from customer ears in the kitchen.

"Well looks like court is becoming bloodwhore central." Said another.

"No kidding, she could have been a good guardian too, I think she went to Saint Vlad's with us, poor girl dropped out and ran off without a word." That piqued my attention, apparently Dimitri's to. I glanced around the restaurant, my eyes bugged out at what I saw near the window booth.

Rose POV

I watched as Mika stuffed waffles into his mouth, laughing. I had held a bottle up for Brylie as she drank her formula. Eating my own omelet when I saw a blonde head pop up over the men at the next table. Dammit.
I looked towards the window, knowing it was too late. Lissa stood up already, walking over to me.

Her eyes were watery, behind her was my tall Russian. I shook myself mentally, They don't want you Rose! They basically exiled you! I looked up her, my face stone.

"Yes?" I asked, my voice flat. I was not going to give into her just because she was crying, she deserved it for not defending me, or standing by me when I needed her.

"Rose..?" She said, her voice squeaking.

"Yes?" I said, again, emphasizing the question again.

"…Is it really you?" I Sighed, annoyed. Flicking my eyes to Dimitri, he looked pained. Good.

"Yeah, it's me, that's the name, Rose Hathaway." I said, pulling the bottle out of Brylie's mouth. I'd noticed Lissa look at Brylie, then at Mika, then a second glance at Mika, then at Dimitri, then back at me.

"B…but.. you left, when did you get back?" she asked, her eyes filling with more tears.

"Yesterday." I said, pulling Brylie onto my lap for self control. If I lost it, nothing would end well. I saw Dimitri looked down at Mika, I don't think his eyes had left him sense Lissa pointed it out. His chocolate brown eyes were the same, his hair was slightly longer than before. I sighed internally, looking back at Lissa. "I have to go, I have paper work to get done." Lissa shook her head.I knew she would refuse in her attempt to keep me here.

I stood up, I'd apparently tripped over a bar on the booth, because before I knew it me and Bry were heading for the ground, I screamed, not for me but because Brylie's head was exposed to the marble floor. But before we hit the ground, Dimitri had his arms around us, pulling us up into his arms. I felt the spark, flinching back from it. Holding Brylie's head I pulled away from his iron grasp, the flash of hurt I saw in his face was almost enough to make me turn back. I saw Lissa, stunned at the encounter.

"I have to go." I said, putting Brylie in the stroller. She had started fussing about I was scared that she may have gotten whiplash or something. Pulling Mika out of the highchair I tossed a twenty on the table. Nodding at Lissa and Dimitri before walking out with Mika.

As we walked, Brylie started crying, Mika walked up front with her, cooing at her as she quieted down.

I saw my break, ducking into a crook between shops, I sat down against the wall and began crying, sobs raked at my chest as I thought about who and what I'd just seen. I spent years blocking him out, years trying to forget the electrifying feeling he gives me, and all it took was that one touch, that one time of seeing him, and I'm hypnotized, lost in the feelings that my heart was throwing out. I looked over at Mika who was watching me with his own teary eyes. I held my arms open, "Come here baby." I said, he walked forward into my open arms and I hugged him, he patted the back of my head and spoke softly. "It's okay mommy."