Sorry it took so long to update, but I had like five assigments due and exams are next week.

Also my computer was being retarded and the internet was down.

But anyway, the chapter is here now and that is all that matters. I'm sorry that this chapter is so short, but I'm planning the upcoming wedding and just want to get to it quickly. I also have great ideas for Rose and Dimitri's wedding, and I want to get Janine back in the story, and maybe some Abe too :)

Anywaayy, hope you enjoy. Please review. I don't really know if anyone is reading this anymore and I'm kind of losing inspiration...


We both settled into bed after separate showers and for the first time in eight weeks we slept in each other's embrace.

The next day Lissa and I rounded up Tasha and Mia so that we could go dress shopping. We have been sitting in the bridal shop for at least four hours, watching Lissa try on dresses. After the fifth hour she came out in a beautiful floor length white gown. It was simple and elegant with a small train.

"Wow," I breathed. Lissa smiled at my reaction. "It's perfect..."

"You really think so?" Lissa asked.

"Yes!" Tasha, Mia and I said in unison. Lissa blushed and bought the dress. Afterwards, we decided to buy our bridesmaid dresses tomorrow. Mia walked Lissa home whereas Tasha and I had other plans. Snickering, we walked to a lingerie shop not far from the bridal store. Lissa had no idea what we were going to do and so we had Mia distract her.

The moment we stepped foot in the door a skinny Moroi girl was on us like flies on a pile of shit. "Hello, welcome. How can I help you?"

"We're... going to be spending a lot of money." Tasha replied, smiling at her.

"Oh," she said in surprise. "Anything in particular? Something for someone special?"

"Our friend is getting married soon and we need to find the perfect lingerie for a honeymoon," I told the red-head girl.

"Certainly. And how raunchy should it be? On a scale of 1 to 10."

"7," Tasha and I said in unison. We both laughed and the red head lead us over to a rack of sexy outfits, negligees, garter belts, thongs and corsets with thigh stockings and suspenders. Tasha's eyes widened. Obviously, she has never been in a lingerie store before.

"If you need any help don't be afraid to ask," red said to us.

"Oh we won't," I breathed with a devious smile. I loved going lingerie shopping, even if it isn't for me. It was like having a break from my normal self and awakening the dark and sexy side; the side that Dimitri would love to play with sometime.

"Where do we start?" Tasha asked.

"There," I said pointing to some harmless looking underwear, "then we work our way up to the more... revealing pieces."

Tasha chuckled and followed me over to the rack of lacy panties and matching bras. We worked in silence and occasionally pulled out a pretty pair and asked each other for our opinion. Tasha had picked out two sets and I had picked out three. After a while we moved on to the sexier garments and began to sort through them.

"Um... Tasha?" I said hesitantly.

"Hm?"

"I want to thank you."

"For what?" she said in confusion.

"For being there with Dimitri when I couldn't," a lump formed in my throat and I quickly shut my eyes, willing the sting of tears to go away.

"Oh Rose, honey. You were both going through a rough patch and neither of us blames you for being so distant." She hugged me gently.

I wiped away some traitor tears and said. "I know, but I just feel so responsible and guilty. Dimitri was going through the same pain as I did, and I didn't even stop once and just think how much he needed me. How much we needed each other."

"Well hey," Tasha said with a small smile. "You have each other now, and I do understand that you never lost each other in the first place. Sometimes couples just need a break from each other, you know? And I know that you and Dimka will always come back stronger than ever."

"Thank you," I whispered, smiling. I never realised how much faith she had in our relationship. "For everything."

"It's nothing, really."

After our heart warming conversation, we continued on picking out negligees for Lissa. I also bought a white and gold garter belt for the wedding and nice white lacy underwear for Liss to wear underneath her dress. It was a good thing that we are such good friends and know each other's clothes, underwear and cup size.

Her cup size, however, had grown. It's been three months since we graduated from St. Vladimir's and Lissa is now four months pregnant. Her stomach had expanded to the size of a large watermelon. A pang of envy and jealousy shot through me when I thought about it. Everything always went smoothly and perfectly for Lissa, whereas I'm the complete opposite. I'm always stuck in the rough patch and things never go my way.

The best thing in my life is Dimitri, and even our relationship is strained after the miscarriage. It was sad and slightly depressing to think of how messed up my life is, and no matter how hard I try to get it back on track, things never go right. I never had the best of friends at school, I flunked almost all of my classes, and Dimitri and I are torn apart by the purest of love and the strongest of isolation, not to mention my relationship with my mother.

Suddenly, it was like I couldn't breathe. My mother! I hadn't seen her since Dimitri and I had both technically died and had an uncalled-for fight in the gym. We departed on the wrong note and... I kind of miss her. She has no idea of anything that has happened in the past three months.

She doesn't know that I am with Dimitri romantically, doesn't know that I was pregnant and had a miscarriage and most definitely doesn't know that I'm getting married to my former mentor! God. She is going to have a cow—and various other farm animals, when she hears about this.

Poor Dimitri. He is most likely going to end up with multiple fractures, breakages, bruises and definitely some internal bleeding. My mother's emotions are like a rollercoaster. Unpredictable and extremely scary. Sometimes she can take you by surprise and be joyful—happy, even. Then other times she can be dark, twisted and utterly... pissed off. I'm not exactly sure when I'm going to tell her everything, but one thing I do know for sure is that it'd best be over the phone. That way she can't bring physical harm to Dimitri... or me.

Tasha and I payed for the huge amount of garments and walked back to our apartments. Dimitri raised an eyebrow at me when I shoved the five white bags in our hallway cupboard. I smiled at him and let out a breath of relief.

I walked over to Dimitri and placed a kiss on his lips. He sat on the couch, reading a western novel—of course. "Hey comrade," I said, slightly breathless.

"How are you?" he asked, setting his book aside.

"I'm great. But... I do have one little disturbing thought."

Dimitri pulled me down onto the couch next to him and wrapped his arms around me, "Oh? And what's that?"

"We haven't spoken to my mother in a while..." His eyes widened and his posture turned stiff. Definitely the reaction I was looking for.