Sorry about the long wait, I've had a bit of writers block, and it's just been so hard to juggle writing this with coursework, my friends and my boyfriend. Anyway, here it is!

And that you to dpower for helping me with my writers block :)

I winced, waiting for the scream of pain to come from my love's lips. But it never did. I looked around in confusion. The man holding the gun was on the floor, blood pouring out of his back. I looked for the person who shot him, but no one else had a gun out.

Suddenly, the door burst open and a flood of men rushed in. They were all dressed in the dark blue uniform of the Academy's security. I nearly feinted with relief. There were over 50 men, and they subdued the 'black suits' in a matter of seconds. I stumbled over to Roza and tried to undo her flexi cuffs. A knife was handed to me. I looked up and saw Janine smiling down at me. I carefully cut her free, making sure my shaking hands didn't hurt here anymore than she already was, and she collapsed into my arms.

"Shhh Roza. It's ok. You're safe now." I could feel her tears soaking through my shirt, and I pulled her closer, being careful of her ribs. I cradled her against my chest as I watched the security quickly and efficiently arrest all the 'black suits' and bag up the body.

She sobbed when she heard Jonathan shout threats and curses towards her and her family. I kissed her head and she relaxed, but I could still feel the tension in her body.

"I will get you, Rosemarie. You and your father will pay for what you did to me. And while I'm at it, I will kill your Russian, slowly and painfully, and you will watch the whole thing. Maybe then you will learn not to mess with me." He growled as he was pulled out of the door. I saw red. I knew rationally that they were empty threats and that he would, at least, be in prison until he was an old, old man, but it still made my blood boil to hear him talk to my love like that.

Nevertheless, Roza flinched and burrowed even further into my neck. I hated this monster and the way he made her feel. It was only the sobbing Roza in my arms that stopped me running after that sorry excuse for a human being and tear him limb from limb. He continued to spit profanities outside the door, and I was cursing my luck that he didn't get shot in the cross fire too.

"Come on Belikov. Get her out of here. It's the green one." Janine held out a set of car keys, and I grabbed them, one arm still wrapped around Roza. She looked like she was about to keel over, so I lifted her up, bridal style and carried her out of the room. She buried her face in my chest, and I kissed her forehead.

"I love you Roza."

"I love you too."

I laid her down in the back seat and made sure she was secure before I drove like a lunatic to the nearest hospital, going frantic with worry about how serious her injuries were.

I screeched to a halt in the hospital car park, parking across about six spaces in front of the entrance to the A&E, not even closing the doors after I got Roza out.

Thankfully, they got her seen quickly and, since the Academy paid for her health insurance, she got a private room too. He aunt was called and she was whisked off to theatre as soon as they found out about her punctured kidney. On top of that, she had five broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, a sprained ankle and numerous cuts and bruises. She had 128 stitches in total, but was told they would leave little scaring. Vallisa had been found unconscious a few miles away from the cabin. She had escaped with a few bruises and cuts; Jonathan wanted nothing to do with her.

The police took my statement as I was getting seen to – luckily, I escaped with minor cuts and bruises – and I was told that they were in the process of sentencing Jonathan and his cronies. Once I settled myself into the chair next to her, I didn't plan on moving in a very long time. I gently took her hand and held it in mine, trying to assure myself that she was here, safe, and on the way to a full recovery.

The police had been in and out of her room, waiting for her to wake up to get her statement. I was getting really pissed off, knowing that when she woke up she would be in no fit state to recall her horrific experience. And to top it off, my head was pounding and my injuries throbbing.

The door creaked open and I turned around to give whoever it was a hard time. She was tall and in her late thirties with dark hair, like Roza's, cropped short into a bob. She had piercing green eyes and a hard set mouth. Damn, another reporter. When would these people get the message that neither of us was going to sell our stories to any of them, no matter how much money they paid us.

"Who are you and what do you want?" My mother would be ashamed to hear her only son talk to anyone, let alone a woman, in that tone of voice, but I was beyond caring right now. After everything that just happened, I just wanted some peace and quiet to try and come to terms with it.

"I'm Natasha Hewitt, who are you?" She narrowed her eyes at me and crossed her arms.

"Why are you here? What have you got to do with Rose? Why won't you people leave me alone!"

"What are you talking about? I am her aunt! So would you like to tell me who the hell you are?"

Crap.

I started back peddling pretty quickly. "I'm – I'm Dimitri Belikov, s-s-sorry, I thought you were a reporter. If I had known, I would have never-" I will be the first to admit it, I was more than surprised when I saw a smile spread across her face and her eyes regard me softly.

"Ah, so you're Dimitri." I nodded, puzzled. "Rose has mentioned you." Now I really felt bad for earlier.

"I'm really sorry about before, reporters had been hassling me, and I thought-"

"Don't worry about it. I would have been just the same. How is she?" I filled her in on her situation, and she went a bit green when I told her what happened.

"Oh God." She sank into the other chair in the room. "Will she be ok?"

I nodded. "The doctor said they'll keep her sedated for a few more days, but once she wakes up the healing will speed up a lot. There won't be a lot of scarring and no permanent damage to any joints or organs." I looked back at her on the bed, looking so broken and fragile. I should have never have let her go alone.

"I'm glad you were there to help her." She said in a small voice. I looked up and saw her studying me. "You look a bit older than I expected, but Rose has always been very careful in making decisions. I know she would have chosen you for a reason. And I can tell by looking at you, you know how special she is. Don't ever forget that."

My gaze fell once again to the woman I loved, so, so beautiful, even with all the bandages and bruising. "I'll never forget."

She smiled at me and got up. "I can see she's in good hands. I need to phone her parents and then make some arrangements. It was nice meeting you Dimitri." She held out her hand and I shook it.

"It was nice meeting you too, Ms Hewitt."

"Please, call me Tasha." I nodded and turned back to Rose. Tasha slipped out the door almost silently.

I enclosed her tiny hand in both of mine and I prayed. I was never a religious man, but I just needed her to get better, and soon. I hated to see her suffering; every ounce of pain she felt, I felt it two fold. She had seen so much pain and loss in her life, and I wanted the last of it to be over as soon as possible. She was an amazing woman, and she never, never deserved any of this. I promised then and there that she would never again know any pain. I would protect her with everything I had, and more.

I felt exhausted. It really shouldn't have been that much of a shock. I had been up since nine, and it was now nearing eleven the next morning. I wanted to just put my head on her bed and sleep for a few days, but my ribs were throbbing, and whenever I closed my eyes, I saw Roza's face as the gun was being pointed at her head.

"Rough day?" I had been so out of it that I hadn't heard the nurse come back in.

"The worst." I sighed. It was a huge understatement, but I really didn't have the energy to make conversation.

"Here." She held out a small cup with a few pills in and a glass of water. "For the pain and to keep your iron levels up. Don't want you fainting on us now, do we?" I gulped them back willingly.

"They will start working in about ten minutes. Just give us a shout if you need anything." She shuffled out, and I gladly rested my head on the corner of the bed. I knew I would have a horrible crick in my neck, and the bruises on my back would hurt like a bitch, but I really couldn't care.

I took hold of Roza's hand and waiting for the meds to kick in.

Review :) xx