RPOV
I didn't get to escape Russia immediately. I had to wait for the memorial and marking ceremony. Which took place an entire week, a full seven days, later. I would be returning to day seven, or eight, of school.

If I wasn't on shift, I was living in the gym. Or I was spending time with my unsuspecting sister in law- who frequently had my unsuspecting nephew in law in tow.

Vika and I got along so well, it was amazing. Now I truly understood why my boyfriend was so adamant I'd fit in. I did. Because they had a similar personality and character as Dimitri, who had a similar one to me, but it just manifested differently.
By day three, I knew I'd made a life-long friend in my unsuspecting (little) sister in law. We were also like sisters in our own rights.

If I wasn't with Vika, in the gym, or on shift, I'd be hiding in my guest room and texting my badass boyfriend. I hated that I only got one chance to read his texts. But. I understood why I had to immediately delete them, and I would do anything to protect my other half.

The marking day and ceremony eventually rolled around. And I was given the shock of my life when one very important, very special and very loving man turned up at the end of the line of thanks-givers. "Comrade?!" I exclaimed in shock and surprise. "What the hell?"
"Someone had to escort you home."

His eyes were roaming all over me, checking for injuries or damage to his precious and delicate Roza. My boyfriend was also checking me out. Well, he was gazing appreciatively at the body which was to take possession of because the person it belong to was his soulmate. My body wasn't the only thing he was seeing, however. It was me, my soul, being and character. The one which called to his, the one which fit in with, and completed, his so well. He wasn't just appreciating my body, but my soul and being.

"Really? They don't trust me to be able to catch a private jet- a charter plane- and not cause trouble? Unbelievable."
"No. It's simply because you're still an Academy ward. Therefore, you need protecting."
"So, now what? How long until I'm due to leave."
"Better part of six hours."

This would give Vika and Paul a kick, and I could easily spend all day and all night talking with those two of my in laws. "Gimme a sec."

I stepped out of Guardian Admin and rang Vika.
"Hey Roza?!" my little sister squealed.
"Hey Vika!" I let the grin show in my voice. "Get your and Paul's butt's to Guardian Admin. Like, right now."
"Why?"
"Don't argue sister, just do it!" I laughed. "Don't make me pull rank." I playfully warned.

I held a Guardian status here at St Basil's, because I'd been in the rescue team and had done shifts afterwards. Even though I didn't have my promise mark or title, I was still regarded and held with the same respect and fear as those around me.
"On my way sister Hathaway!" she laughed back.

"Hey you two!" I smirked when they barrelled into me and I was group hugged to death. "Come on. There's something waiting inside for you two."
I gripped my in laws hands and led them inside, telling them to shut their eyes just before I opened the door.
"Comrade!" I called to him, and he turned around; his eyes lit up at the sight of his sister, nephew and girlfriend. All together, at that. Before he could say anything, I placed my right forefinger over my lips and mouthed 'shhh'. "Sister, brother, open your eyes!" I squealed. And they opened.
Their reactions were priceless. "Dimka!" Vika squealed and ran into her brother's waiting arms.
"Uncle Dimka?" Paul asked in shock, surprise and disbelief. And was a tad overawed. He was still by my side because Vika was hogging my boyfriend.
"Paul? Have you really grown that much?" my man asked his nephew, as he released his sister and came over to us. Said nephew came up to my ribs, he was that tall, already.
"Yes, Uncle Dimka, I have." Dimitri pulled Paul into a hug.

Vika'sPOV
My god! Roza had surprised us. I hadn't imagined Dimka would be the reason she'd called us in. I was ecstatic. I hadn't seen my brother in years, hadn't even heard from him. I hadn't been home the last time he was, the time when his friend and charge had been killed, the time he'd been reassigned within two days. The last thing we'd heard was an American Academy assignment. Paul and I now knew a lot more thanks to Roza.

I watched as my brother's eyes kept flicking back to Roza. He'd speak to me then lock his eyes with hers for a millisecond. He did it again with Paul, would speak to him then lock onto her eyes. The look he sent her way was one of never ending thanks, one of eternal gratitude.

"Missed us, Dimka?" I teased even though I knew the answer beforehand. I'd gained an amount of info from his student, my sister, that he was homesick was one.
"Yes. I have Vika. I've missed you two especially, because you weren't home before I was reassigned."
My loving and protective big brother pulled me into a group hug with him and Paul.

I felt bad for Roza, since she had no brothers or sisters and her mother was more of a disciplinarian in her life rather than her mother. That and the girl felt like a member of my family, my sister. Paul also saw her as a big sister- the one he never had. Sure, I was close to Paul in age, but he saw me as his aunt. Roza may have been a year older than me, but she treated him as a little brother and me like a little sister. She was extremely protective of us. I could tell it was because she loved us to bits, because she loved us like the siblings she never had. Sure, she had two guys she'd grown up with back in America who were like brothers, and the Dragomir Princess who was like a sister. But, she'd even said, becoming Vasilisa's Guardian was taking it's toll, that the Princess wasn't remembering Rose even existed because said Princess had Christian Ozera for a boyfriend.

Oh! Stuff it! The girl was my sister, I couldn't care less if my brother was her mentor. She was family and she needed a sister who took her feelings into consideration. "Get in here, Roza!" I squealed and gestured for her to join.
"Vika, your brother is my mentor- it's inappropriate." When she said that, she sounded so much like Dimka it was insane.
"If he's my brother, he's yours!" I huffed. "You're my sister. Now, get in here!"
"You'll be the death of me, Vika!" she laughed while letting herself be pulled into the group hug.

"Viktoria Belikova! Take your brother into a recreation room to catch up!" Mama laughed and our group jumped apart.
"Mama?!" Dimka and I screeched in shock, and in unison.
"Babushka?" Paul asked in surprise. And I saw Roza trying to hold back a laugh.
"Dimitri, Comrade?" Roza asked her mentor.
"Yes, Rose?"
"I'll leave you four to catch up in private. I'll be in the gym."
"Oh, no you don't!" I playfully reprimanded my sister, before my brother could send his legendary student away. "Ung Ung!" I shook my head dramatically. "Not happening, sister. So not happening." I stared her down.
"Please, Roza." Paul begged and pulled puppy eyes on her.
"Okay, okay," she sighed. "You're too adorable little brother!" my sister ruffled his hair and pulled him into a hug as she spoke.

I looked over to my brother and saw he was struggling to keep his mask in place. A range of emotions were passing through his eyes. And I only really locked onto one, because it kept returning. Awe. There was something about seeing this badass Guardian-of-a-student of his being all relaxed and playful with his family that put him in such a state.

"What is it, big brother? Even I can see your mask is struggling to hold its place." I whispered as Mama led us out the door and Paul introduced Roza.
"I've never seen her like this. Has she been that relaxed and happy all week, and a bit?"
"When her mother isn't in sight? Yes."
"You've really taken her in as one of us, haven't you? Both of you?"
"Yes. She's so much like us, it's freaky. And it's hard not to love her as one of the family."
"Will Mama do the same?" He looked at me, almost begging me to say she would, as if his life was on the line.
"She already has." I nodded ahead of us. "Look." Mama was already looking at Roza with her 'loving mother' smile in place and was genuinely intrigued by Roza's story. "Roza has captivated Mama, just like she was another of Mama's babies."
"Why do you and Paul call her 'Roza'?" My brother seemed slightly amused, intrigued and wary.
"Because she told me to call her that."
"Now you sound like her!" he laughed.
"Who sounds like whom?" Roza and I asked in unison.
My brother burst out into laughter. I hadn't seen or heard that since... Well. I couldn't really remember him ever laughing that much, if at all.
"Are you laughing at me, Dimitri Belikov?!" Roza and I chastised and glared in unison. My brother paled, but the hint of an amused smile remained on his lips and in his eyes.
"Rose, you've turned my sister into your doppelgänger. At the very least, she's now your twin instead of my echo."
My sister smirked at her mentor, "she was already freakishly like me without even trying."
"I'm right here, guys!" I interrupted.
"Sorry, Vika," they apologised in unison and its hilarity caused me slam my mask up.

Olena'sPOV
I guided my son, youngest daughter and my grandson into one of the rec rooms in guest housing. Vika's newest friend, my son's student, Rose Hathaway, joined us. Both Vika and Paul saw her as a sister, and I was beginning to see her as a daughter.

The five of us sat down, Rose in between Vika and Dimka, with Paul on her lap.
"Seriously Paul?" Rose laughed when he sat on her.
"Aww. Please, Roza?" he had the audacity to pout at her. She'd caved before she even opened her mouth the first time.
"I was teasing you, Paul. Of course, little brother." She pulled him closer and he relaxed into her. In a similar way to the way he'd relax into his mother.
"You look so sweet, Roza. You'll make an amazing mother one day," I commented.
And a look of pain crossed her face, a look so strong it seemed as though she'd have preferred I slap her. A look of intense pain also crossed my sons eyes. He'd been looking at Roza and Paul with a look of awe, and admiration.
"Olena," the girl sighed. "I'm never going to be a mother." She sounded like she wanted to cry.

'Girl'? Not really. She looked more like a young woman around twenty, more like twenty-one, maybe even twenty-three. And acted and carried herself as such. She could still be playful and teasing, but it was in more of an adult way. She was closer to Dimka's age than she was to Vika's.

"Roza?" All four of us asked in unison.
"I can't. I'm going to be the last Dragomir's Guardian." There was more. My mother's intuition was telling me being a Guardian wasn't the real block. It wasn't the real thing putting her on the verge of tears.
"Roza? I'm not going to judge, or push you for information, but I can tell that's not it, daughter."
"It isn't." Both she and Dimka whispered so low it was mouthed. Why would my son know? Why would her mentor know the real reason behind why she wouldn't have kids?
"Dimka? You know the reason?" I asked curiously.
"I may," he evasively answered, not meeting my eyes. My son then turned to Roza.
"No. Comrade. No." He got stared down by his student. Stared down and glared at.
"Ro-"
"No. Belikov. Absolutely not."

His face twisted in pain when she used his surname. So. She almost never used that, huh? And if she did, it was an insult.

"Vika, Paul, Mama," Dimka turned to each of us. "Could you please step out for a moment? I need to speak with Rose. In private."
"Come on you two," I said to Vika and Paul as I stood up. "Out we go."

Something about my son's voice quality and facial expression had me wanting to give them time alone. There was something about the way he looked at her; the way she looked at him; the way he looked to her and seemed to be able to communicate with her on another level. There was something about the way she could almost pull rank on him.

As I thought through the time I'd been here, the time I'd seen them together, something about his expressions irked me. He looked his student with awe and admiration? Most certainly. But it wasn't quite 'teacher-proud-of-excellent-student' awe and admiration.

There was something more, something I was missing. There were a couple emotions I was missing, not spotting properly.

He'd flinched in pain just as she had when I'd mention her being a mom. He'd evaded answering my question about knowing the why.

What was I missing? What was going on with my son that I couldn't immediately spot?

Again, I thought through what I'd seen. And this time I really thought. He moved, she moved. He spoke, she listened. She spoke, he listened. She threw attitude in his face, he lit up with amusement and adoration. She played with Paul, got along with Vika and was accepted by me, and he was on the verge of tears. He communicated with her without words. He treated her as his equal, and almost as his superior. He clearly respected and feared her. And, clearly, and oh so desperately, wanted to be in her good books. She was happy, so was he. She'd even made him outright laugh- one of his warm and genuine laughs.

RPOV
"It's still 'no', Dimitri." I sighed and pulled my hair out of its bun in order to just pull it. "I love your family to bits, but they can't know." I fell into his side and he pulled me onto his lap. His lips took action, kissing every available piece of skin; his hands brushed hair away from my, then stroked, my face. "Not yet. If we were in Baia? Different story. But at an Academy? Absolutely not. I trust those three more than Lissa and co. But I don't trust anyone else around. There's a reason it's not talked about at home. I made Liss guess because it couldn't be overheard. It's why I had you 'all clear' Missoula of all three, and went old school, before I dropped a giveaway hint."
"Things are going to get interesting. You're closer to them than you are your own lot?"
"Because they understand more than my lot. Well, they are my lot too. They're not my original lot, but they are my primary lot." I sighed and had to avoid moaning as Dimitri hit a sensitive spot of my neck. "They're your original and primary lot, that means they're my lot."
"I hate keeping this from them, and it's right under their noses."
"So do I. But it has to be done."
"Do you always have to be right?"
"On this? For now? Yes. Always? No. Not always. I'm sorry it has to be this way." I moved so I was straddling him. "I'm so, so, so sorry. My Dimka." I whispered suggestively in his ear. And it cause my man to shiver in excitement. God. I loved him. My lips were against his as I breathed out so low it was mouthed, "I love you."

I didn't give him the chance to respond as I swallowed it off with a kiss. And said kiss got heated. Hands and lips went exploring, and clothes almost went flying. We only just managed to come to our senses before Olena knocked. We righted ourselves, found our composure and made ourselves presentable before letting the others in.

This was going to be one hard to avoid topic. Kids were our sore point, our Achilles heel, and possibly our cover blower at some point. Just because we wanted the other more, didn't mean we didn't want to, at some point in the future, bring our own extremely dangerous badass Belikov baby into the world.

Once we'd changed topics, and agreed to forget it had even been brought up, the tension and awkwardness left. I was accepted and embraced as one of the family. The other three didn't know just how much of a member of the family I really was. Dimitri loved that he'd gotten to spend time with them. But I could tell he loved me more. He was clearly overjoyed that I'd been accepted as one of them. And approved of even though they had no clue Dimitri and I were so heavily involved with, committed and addicted to each other.

We all had lunch and dinner together. At dinner Olena commented, "I wish you'd find your woman, Dimka." as Dimitri- playing the gentleman- pushed my seat in. It could have been a cover blowing action had he not sat Olena down first, as Paul sat Vika down. "I did raise you as a gentleman for a reason."
"Ma!" my man quietly groaned while sitting himself down. "I am a Guardian. Remember? It's too dangerous for me to find my woman."
Ha! He'd already done it, and was taking that risk. God. I loved him.
"Roza?" Olena turned to me.
"Yeah?"
"Are those rumours true? About you and boys? I hope not, because you don't strike me as the 'player' type."
"No. They're not. I'm absolutely not a player. I value my innocence." I could almost hear Dimitri's laugh-stifling cough and 'valued is more like it, since I hold you and you hold me'.
"So, no one's touched you?" Vika asked.
"No." I outright lied.

Little did they know, Olena's son- Vika's brother and Paul's uncle- was my dirty little secret. My mentor was my man, my soulmate and my other half. They were going to have a field day when we came public.

"Have you even noticed the way you've been looked at this past week? By all the Senior and Junior Moroi boys and Novices? I swear some of the youngest male teachers and Guardians want you too." Vika responded.
Out of the corner of my eye Dimitri's eyes flare and he was trying not to shake. He was that pissed off and angry that another Academy's male students- and young male staff too apparently- wanted his woman. It was tough enough on him back home with just the Senior male Moroi and Novices after some of my body.
"No. I haven't noticed."
"You're wanted all right. Even my Kolya wants you."
"He does not!" I retorted. "He wants you, he adores you. He loves you." And she was totally oblivious to him. Reminded me of Mase and I. Except, they had an effect on each other like Dimitri and I, she just didn't realise it. "You love him too. I know you do; I can see it."
"I do not!" she huffed.
"Ugh! You're blind Vika. I swear. Kolya loves you, and you alone. He worships my reputation, my name. He loves you to pieces. How you miss the 'I'm so yours' and 'I'll protect you no matter what' looks are beyond me. How you don't realise that his opinions matter to you and make you want to be better is mind boggling. Really Viktoria, totally mind boggling." A few moments later she completely paled. Then blushed. Yup. She loved him and was completely clueless. "I thought as much, sister."
"I-I-I..."
"Oh! Just get it over and done with, Vika!" I giggled. "Go ask him out, let him know, talk to him. Whatever! Just go do it!" I laughed at my oddly shy and bumbling sister. She turned to her mother.
"I approve of him, Vika. Now go!" Olena laughed before Vika could even ask. But she wouldn't leave without asking Dimitri.
"Big brother?"
"I'll interrogate him later. Just go. If he makes you happy, and completely lovesick, then go find him."
"You approve?"
"Yes."
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She bolted from the table after bouncing up and down on her seat.

"Rose?" Dimitri asked me just after Olena left and as we were walking to the cafeteria door.
"Yeah?"
"I've got to check some things out. I'll come get you in forty-five?"
"I know what you're doing. Be careful. Please."
"I will. I'll collect you from your room in forty-five." We nodded before parting ways.

Please don't explode. Please, please, please don't explode. I know you're protective and possessive of me- it's part of why I love you- but please don't explode. Please don't blow our cover. Pretty, pretty, pretty please don't blow our cover. I love you to bits. Just don't give us away.

I was collected three quarters of an hour later. My man was still fighting for composure, so I let him step inside. But only about three because I locked the door and pulled him to me so I was sandwiched. "I love you. Only you. So so much, it hurts- I love you so much it hurts."
"I love you too. So so much."
"Shut up and kiss m-" I got my requested kiss. "We should go," I breathed when we pulled back ever-so-slightly.
"Not just yet. We've got enough time." His twinkling eyes and husky tone of voice told me he wasn't kidding. I couldn't argue with that. "I love you, my Roza."
"I love you too, my Dimka." His eyes shone with it as he softly growled his lust filled growl. When the kiss restarted it didn't stop, and the layers peeled themselves off. Every touch seared my soul and made it shimmer and shine with my love for him. God. I loved the man and he'd never understand it, never understand the effect he had on me.

We made it to the jet on time. Well... We were actually a little early.

I had the same bloody migraine issue again. Except it started the second we were in the air, and the pressure on my was skull was a hundred times worse. My vision was almost completely black at times. "Dimitri?!" I hissed in pain.
"It's back? Already?"
"It's a hundred times worse."
"Hold on a moment."

I knew we were repeating the ibuprofen, food and sleep ritual. One, we now clearly needed to enforce each time I flew. Damn it! If this had anything to do with me coming back from the dead... I was scared shitless and mighty pissed off.

Dimitri woke me when we landed back at St Vlad's. "Rose. Please go to the clinic?"
"No. I'm fine. I hate the clinic. I hate the rumours that damn place starts even more. No. I'm fine." I wasn't moving on this, and he recognised it.
"This isn't normal."
"Neither am I. And it's exactly why I'm not going."
"Stubborn." he muttered with affection and amusement radiating off the one word only I could hear. I playfully rolled my eyes to let him know I heard. "Incorrigible." came in response, and with the same affection and amusement. I picked up my bag and we made our way to Alberta's office to inform her of our return and what-not.