"You didn't answer my question. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see Rose."

"That's not going to happen."

I woke up to voices coming from the doorway of Dimitri's room. I knew one of them was Dimitri but I did not recognize the other male's voice. I peeked over to the door and saw Dimitri standing with it open only far enough so that whoever was on the other side was blocked out of view. I could hear both their voices start to get more intense.

"And who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?"

"I'm someone who knows who you are and what kind of business you are in. That business does not include Rose."

"I would watch your tone with me boy, Rosemarie would not even be here if it wasn't for me. Which leads me to a question of my own; What business do you have with Rosemarie?"

"That's none of your concern."

"Dimitri, that's enough," I heard Olena's voice chime in. I didn't even know she was there.

"Mama, we can't trust him. I will not put Rose in any danger if I can help it."

"Trust me Dimitri, she's not in any danger with Abe." Abe? Who's that? I could not help it now. I stood up and walked over to the door next to Dimitri. He turned to me surprised.

"Roza?! I thought you were asleep." There was a hint of something in his eyes. The best was I could describe it was the look a deer gets when they are caught in front of headlights.

"I was but with all this bickering I woke up." Now he looked guilty.

"I'm sorry Roza."

"Ahem!" Abe interrupted. I still could not see his face but I could tell he was getting annoyed. "If you wouldn't delay this any further, I would like to speak to Rosemarie now." Dimitri looked at me for a moment and I gave him a reassuring nod that everything will be okay. He opened the door wider and I was faced with the feeling of Deja vu.

"Wait. I know you from somewhere." I thought about it and realized that the man in front of me was the figure I saw when I passed out during the attack at the barn. "You were the one who saved me from the strigoi."

"Indeed. Hello Rosemarie, It is nice to finally meet you. I am Abe Mazur."

"Call me Rose. I'm not very fond of Rosemarie."

"Oh? But it's such a lovely name."

"What did you want to see me about?" I asked him. Dimitri kept close to my side, placing a hand on my lower back.

"I have come on behalf of others who are interested in you. Particularly interested in you coming back the states. Back to Court."

"That's not going to happen" Dimitri said. "Rose is in recovery, she can't leave now."

"Ah, yes, Olena briefed me on some of the details but I can assure you that I can get you back home safely. How are you and the baby doing by the way?"

"I don't want to go back right now." I said. I still was not ready to go back to Court and face everyone. It was something that I liked about being so far away. Away from the judging eyes that were sure to follow my homecoming. I was starting to like being away without that worry and I was really enjoying getting to know Olena and Dimitri's sisters; well two of his sisters. "Who sent you to come get me?"

"I was asked to keep that under discretion."

"Well old man, I think it's safe to say that I'm going nowhere."

"I figured you would say that."

"Then why bother coming here in the first place?" I asked.

"I like to keep my word and I did what was asked of me."

"So that's it?"

"Not quite. I have a feeling that you will see me again soon. This person who wants you back home can be pretty determined when it comes to the things they want." Seriously, Who was it that wanted me back? Was this Lissa? The queen? I don't know. "I guess I shall take my leave now. It was a pleasure meeting you Rosemarie. Dimitri." He said, giving Dimitri's name a bit of an indifferent tone than the kind one he gave for mine. As he started to walk away I had a thought.

"Abe. Can I ask you something?

"Sure." He said, turning around.

"Why here? When you saved me and Sydney, why did you bring me here and not somewhere else?" It had been something I was curious about. Out of all the places to wake up to that day, it was exactly where I had been searching.

"You talk in your sleep Rosemarie. Particularly about your friend here. I heard you say the name Belikov and happened to have known of Olena. She is well known for her medical talents and I figured since you seemed to know the family that you would be in good hands here. Clearly my intuition was correct." He said as he eyed my hand that had somehow found it's way into Dimitri's during our conversation.

"See you soon Rosemarie." He said one last time before Olena led him to the front door.

I turned to Dimitri. "Well, that was strange." I said. He looked like he had something on his mind. "What are you thinking about?"

"Abe is not someone you want be associated with Rose. He's a bad person. They have a name for him here. Zmey. It means snake. I don't like that someone sent him here to come get you."

"He didn't seem too bad." Dimitri scoffed.

"Still, we should be cautious around him if he does come back."

"I think you worry too much." I told him.

"And I think you worry too little."

"Well then we should be well balanced then, Comrade." He smiled at me and pulled me into his arms. That was when I noticed the smell. It was not kind to my nose and made my stomach turn.

"Hey Comrade, what is that smell you're wearing?" I asked pulling away and scrunching my nose at him.

"I shaved earlier this morning. It's my aftershave. Why? I thought you like it?" He asked.

"I do. Baby doesn't." I felt like I was going to puke. I was starting to think that the nausea was getting better but I guess not.

"I'll go try and wash it off." He signed.

"Please do." I said. "Then can we get something to eat please?"

"Of course. Do you want anything in particular?" He asked.

"BLACK BREAD!" I asked excitedly before he shook his head and laughed as he made his way to the bathroom to wash off the source of my nausea.