AN:

Who is ready to go to Russia? I have always wanted to go to Europe so I am living vicariously through these characters. For those that have traveled through Europe, sorry if I got anything wrong.

I am blown away from the response that this story has gotten and y'all just make me want to continue to write. Thank you all so much! And for those that noticed - yes it is absolutely Zmey and not Zemy! This is why I need a Beta lol.

Mostly this is just a filler chapter and I think that's why it has taken me so long to post. Nothing too major happens in this chapter but it is a bit longer. I didn't want to just skip over their journey but also didn't want to drag this out.

No Copyright intended, all characters belong to Richelle Mead.

By 3:45 AM Lissa and I were all packed. Dimitri even managed to grab his duffle from the guardians before they left.

As promised, the car Abe arranged for us to drive to San Francisco was dropped off shortly after we got off the phone with each other.

"You got to be fucking kidding me! A Honda Civic!" I exclaimed. I thought I was done with these damn mom cars. I should have known better, it was my dear ol' dad that arranged my getaway car in the first place.

"They are—"

"Yeah I know." I said cutting Dimitri off. "They are the most popular car in the US and will help us blend in and not stand out."

"Why do you know that?" Lissa asked curiously as she put her belongings into the trunk.

"A story for another time." I didn't exactly feel like reliving my grand escape from court seeing as how it just happened two weeks ago. This Lissa was still too innocent to blow up priceless statues of former queens.

As I was putting the bags down I noticed a cooler in the trunk. Oh my God. The old man stocked up on road snacks and drinks!

Slinging the bag over my shoulder I threw it into the backseat with Lissa.

"We can split the drive. It's approximately 10 hours until we reach the Bay Area. I want you to take in the greenery that is actual land before we hit the arctic tundra waste land that you call home." Throwing him a cocky grin and jumping into the driver seat.

"You know that it doesn't snow there 24/7, right? Do you even know how to drive?" He snarked back, getting in the passenger seat.

"Sure do! You taught me!" I smile broadly, turning the engine on. "Driver gets to pick the music so don't even try putting me to sleep with 'When Doves Cry'." Ignoring his comment about 24 hour snow because I remember just how beautiful Baia was during Easter.

Although, now we are going to Russia during the Winter… Crap I didn't think this plan through.

An hour into the drive, Lissa had fallen back to sleep and Dimitri turned down Ke$ha.

"Rose." He said softly, almost seeming as if he was too scared to talk. "Did I really tell you all those things about my father?"

I looked over to him and saw that he was looking straight ahead. Eyes watchful of the scenery passing by.

"You told me that he used to beat your mother until you forced him out of your family's life. But no you didn't tell me the rest." I bit my lip as I pondered what I should tell him.

"You became my mentor in my timeline. We spent practically every waking moment with each other when I wasn't in class and became really close. We both learned that we are very much alike; you just have better self control than I do."

"What aren't you telling me?" His voice was gentle. It was the voice he used when he told me that I had protected Mason from the Strigoi.

"Honestly, a lot. Not because I don't trust you, because I do. I know, to you, we just met, but I know you. I know that what I tell you, you'll take to the grave." I started, "But I know way too much information.

"If someone were to find out just how much knowledge of the future I hold… I'll be dead. Anyone I tell…"

How much could I tell Dimitri? If he knew about Tasha, it would break his heart.

Dimitri just stares at me, "I wasn't just your mentor."

He stated this. It wasn't a question, it was a fact. He knew.

I wanted to keep silent because I knew how much faith Dimitri puts in the Moroi system.

"You are a very honorable and noble man." Is what I tell him in response.

We lapse back into silence enjoying the quiet companionship.

I pull into a gas station somewhere in Yreka, California to fuel up and also switch the reins over to Dimitri.

"Comrade, let's try to find a donut shop before we leave this town." The snacks and drinks Abe had filled in the cooler were good but nothing beats a chocolate donut with chocolate frosting. My mouth watered just thinking about it.

"There might be something down the road," he replies after filling the tank and throwing out the empty wrappers. "Although, how you are still hungry is beyond me."

"I am a growing dhampir girl. I need to keep my strength up," I snarked with a smirk on my face.

As we drive down the road I see a thrift shop up ahead, "Stop there." I pointed the shop out to him.

Twenty minutes later we are back on the freeway purchases in the trunk and donuts in my lap.

"Mmmhh, so good," I moaned, biting into my third donut.

When Dimitri took over the drive, he surprised me by not changing the music. So I was equally shocked and confused when he turned the dial up.

"You like the Neon Trees?" I gaped at him.

I know that I still have a lot to learn about Dimitri but, him enjoying pop music was not something I was expecting to find out.

"I enjoy various types of music."

Well alright then. "Why would you insist on playing nothing more than country and 80's music during our training then!"

He let out an annoying little smirk, "Most likely to annoy you," Dimitri started to chuckle.

Son of a…, "You're a dick, Belikov."

"I can imagine that my counterpart had his hands full trying to keep you in line. Tell me I'm wrong and I'll apologize." I kept quiet. "That's what I thought."

The rest of our drive passed with low conversation and before I could blink, we were in San Francisco.

"I should give Zmey a call to let him know that we are here and find out our flight information." I reluctantly take Dimitri's phone and dial Abe's number.

"I haven't talked to your mother in over 17 years and you had me tell her that not only were you kicked out of school but that you were on the run from some crazy man trying to kill you." I pulled the phone away from my ear as he started to yell.

Lissa startled awake and looked around the car. While Dimitri just lifted a brow.

"Do you have any idea what your mother did?" He continued to shout.

"Stop saying my mother like you didn't have a relationship with her."

"Your mother," He put extra emphasis on 'mother', " said that she blamed me! Can you believe it! Said that you got your wildness from me!"

"So do you have our flight information for me," I yawned.

"Disrespectful, that's what you are," He muttered angrily.

He rattled off our flight information and told us where to go to pick up our fake passports and tickets.

"Thanks old man," I smiled as he muttered about having a hellion for a daughter.

"Get here safe," He grunted and then hung up.

Abe had put everything that we needed in a PO Box around the corner from the airport and we had to haul ass because our flight takes off in two hours.

I don't know how Abe did it, but we were able to pass security without going through the metal detector. Thankfully, there was no way that Dimitri would leave his stakes behind.

By the time we checked in to our flight there was only 30 minutes left until we boarded. As we took a quick breather I leaned over to Dimitri,

"I can take the first watch. I technically just woke up only 12 hours ago, I am sure that you are going on 48 hours. Am I right?"

"36," he says like it was no big deal.

"Exactly, our next flight takes off about an hour after we land, I'll sleep then. We have another long drive ahead."

One thing that I had become envious of was Dimitri's ability to fall asleep at the drop of a hat. It was one of the skills that I have yet to develop. Meanwhile, Dimitri was able to curl up in his seat and fall asleep within minutes.

Don't get me wrong I can nap like nobody's business but I have to have a quiet atmosphere and some level of comfort; either in a blanket or pillow.

I was brought out of my thoughts by Lissa touching my arm.

"Rose," Lissa softly touched my arm.

One of the biggest mistakes that I made this past year was shutting Lissa out of my life. When I returned from Russia the first time around I remembered the guilt and heartache I had felt. Letting Lissa back into the fold was the first step in healing.

Of course, Lissa had also felt guilty for not making time for me, but we were working through that before the Queen was murdered.

I won't shut her out this time. Lissa was one of the two most important people in my life. I love her. I would die for her. I need to protect her. But… I also need to hurt her.

I have to tell her about Jill. I need to tell her that she has a sister from an affair that her father committed while in mourning.

"Hey," I give her a half smile. She looks over to Dimitri's sleeping body and leans a little closer to me.

"Are you sure that you can trust him," Lissa whispers. "We just met him."

"Liss, without him the Academy would still be looking for us. Now at least they are accepting the fact that you can make your own decisions. With them dropping me from the Academy, they no longer have an obligation to 'look out' for me. Without him, I don't think they would have let us go so easily."

Lissa has always trusted my judgment but I can tell that now she is working hard on maintaining that trust.

"Hey, I'm from the future, remember." I whisper out the last part. That, at least, got a smile.

"Don't think that I didn't notice you haven't told us-me, everything. I know that you are holding back." She scolded me.

"You're right, I am. Not because I don't trust you," I cut her off before she could say anything else, "But because I have already changed so much with us jumping on to this plane. I need to figure out what changes I have made already.

"Who knows how much information I have will actually still be useful. Of course there is more I can tell you," like Jill, "and I will. But we shouldn't do this out in the open like this." Lowering my voice even further so that only her Moroi ears could hear.

"Humans can't be trusted blindly to not understand what we are talking about. Some work for Strigoi in hopes to become one themselves some day. Others that know about our world keep records and track our movements to make sure we stay out of the human world. We can never assume that someone is harmless."

That's how people get killed. That is how we, Mason, Eddie, Mia, and Christian, got captured in Spokane. Moreover, it was how Natalie was able to befriend us, only to turn into a Strigoi.

With that said we turned our topic of conversation to something else. For the rest of the flight Lissa and I talked about everything and nothing.

When we landed I hurried Lissa into a bathroom and had her change her clothes and put a red wig on. We found a couple at the thrift shop in California. I had a blond one for myself. The hope was that with these wigs anyone who hasn't been told that we were no longer on the run would glance over us. It also worked in case those working for Victor Dashkov were looking for us, they wouldn't be able to identify us right away.

Our next flight would take off soon and it was close enough to the 24 hour mark that Lissa was starting to feel fatigue.

One of the last things you learn about in the Academy is that there are feeder rooms in every major airport, where there is a high Moroi population. Luckily, JFK just happened to be one of those airports. It was easy to spot if you knew what you were looking for.

White door with a red sign that says 'First Class Lounge'. Dhampir guardian, in a TSA uniform, standing nearby.

Dimitri and I lead Lissa over to the door with a nod of acknowledgment from the guardian. Growing up a Dhampir, you learn fairly quickly how to tell apart other Dhampirs from humans. To the untrained eye Dhampirs blend right into a human population but those with training could spot each other.

The Moroi are even easier to tell apart from the humans. With their tall, slim figures, they stood out in a crowd. Not to mention their pale complexion from lack of sunlight and fangs, obviously.

There was only one other Moroi in the 'VIP' room so we went through fairly quickly. Shortly after I got Dimitri and myself something to eat and we were on our next flight, to Spain, within the hour.

Making sure that Lissa was okay, I curled up with my blanket and fell asleep.

The jolt of tires hitting pavement woke me.

Despite what I said earlier, I fell asleep rather quickly and surprisingly I felt refreshed. I guess Dimitri did teach me that skill- more likely I just know that I can rest easy with him around.

With Victor back in Montana and Lissa here with me and Dimitri; I was able to breathe a little easier. So when Lissa asked for us to get a room in Madrid for the night, I agreed.

With a card that Abe gave me, I got a room with two queen beds in a nicer hotel near the airport.

"Let's get some real rest tonight Comrade, we have a long drive ahead of us and this will be the last real bed we see for a week."

Convincing Dimitri to sleep was not as difficult as I originally thought. Perhaps the thought of sleeping in a cramped car jump started the more 'reckless' side of him.

First thing the next morning Abe had texted me and told us where to find our next car. Another Honda Civic, color me surprised. There was another cooler and bags with several changes of clothes, hair dye, stakes and two guns.

I hate guns, they are a coward's weapon. It was because of a gun I was here in the first place.

After we picked up the car, we started our drive to Paris, discarding the hair dye for now as we still had our wigs. I think that Dimitri was getting some sick pleasure in torturing me and Lissa…

Okay more me as Lissa doesn't seem to mind as much.

"You picked the music on the drive to San Francisco. It's my turn, besides maybe you'll learn to appreciate this. This song actually reminds me of you."

I really want to care,

I want to feel somethin'

Let me dig a little deeper...

Naw...

Still nothin'

It's a desperate situation,

No tellin' what you'll do.

If I don't forgive you,

You say your life is through.

Come on ... give me somethin' I can use.

My give a damn's busted.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean!"

Lissa starts laughing in the back seat. "That does sound like something you would say, Rose."

"In the short time we have spent together I can tell you don't let anyone talk down to you. You are a caring person but once that trust is broken, well I'll pray for those that piss you off."

Baby, lock the door and turn the lights down low

And put some music on that's soft and slow

Baby, we ain't got no place to go

I hope you understand

I've been thinking 'bout this all day long

Never felt a feeling quite this strong

I can't believe how much it turns me on

Just to be your man

"Woah Comrade, I didn't know that this is the type of music you listen to." I piped up yet again when I heard the seductive voice.

"Now we know what he listens to when he wants to romance the ladies." Lissa chimes in.

"Let's skip this song shall we-" Dimitri, I swear, started to blush.

"Oh no, me and Lissa are into it"

"I can't believe how much it turns me on Just to be your man" Lissa and I sing together.

Maybe country music isn't that bad…

Well, I'm an eight ball shooting double-fisted drinking son of a gun

I wear my jeans a little tight

Just to watch the little boys come undone

I'm here for the beer and the ball-busting band

Gonna get a little crazy just because I can

"Hey Rose, this song is about you too!"

It was a long 12 hours and after antagonizing Dimitri some more, I rested my eyes because I have the next driving shift.

We kept driving in shifts for the next two days only stopping in Paris, Hanover, Warsaw, and Minsk for food and blood for Lissa. We finally made it to Moscow.

"You don't really know people until you go on a road trip with someone. You are a slob." Dimitri said once we stopped at the train station "Look at all these soda cans, water bottles, snack wrappers.. What don't you eat?"

"Excuse you, I burn enough calories a day to eat whatever I want." Sticking my nose in the air and giving off my best royal moroi face.

Abe left instructions for us to leave the car here and board the train to Omsk where another car would be waiting.

The train ride to Omsk was just over 38 hours but fortunately it was non-stop. The only downside was for Lissa.

"It is okay, I can go a couple days without blood. I've done it before." Lissa shot a tentative smile at me.

The days of feeding Lissa were behind me.

There used to be a time, not too long ago, where I craved her bite. After everything that has happened however there is no way I could go back to that.

Sure, I let Adrian bite me a couple weeks ago but that was only because I didn't want to hurt his feelings too bad after I stopped us from having sex.

Although, I'm glad that I put a stop to it because Dimitri being the only man I've been with is important to me.

As soon as the thought popped into my mind, my eyes widened. Holy shit, am I a virgin again? I mean sure I have only had sex a total of two times but-

I was pulled from my thoughts from a hand on my shoulder.

It was Dimitri.

"Rose, are you okay?" He looked worried and I tried to relax my face into a mask.

"Yes, I'm just tired. It's been a long week and it isn't over yet."

Sure Dimitri has already guessed that he was more than my mentor before we left the States but that doesn't mean that I was going to confirm it by saying, " Sorry, I'm just freaking out because you're the only person I've ever slept with and now I think I might be a virgin again!"

I noticed when I woke up in Portland that my muscle tone was the same as when Dimitri and I entered court the other day. However, I didn't have my promise, zvezda, or molnija marks.

Obviously, since I technically haven't earned those marks yet I don't have them, but I didn't earn this body so why do I have it and does that mean that I'm not a virgin?

This whole situation is giving me a headache.

Once in our cabin I climb into one I've the overhead beds and try to fall asleep.

Sometime later Dimitri wakes me and I take over watch. Lissa was actually awake reading one of Dimitri's westerns.

"What in the hell is in your hand," I exclaimed quietly. Mindful that Dimitri is just above me.

"It's called a book, Rose" I continued to look at her, "okay fine Dimitri was reading and you were asleep so I asked him if he had an extra book. I had no other choice!"

I started to laugh softly.

"Whatever. Are you going to tell me about what had freaked you out earlier?" That stopped my laughter.

"Nothing important." I said shooting a look above at the beds.

"Come on, he is asleep. What is wrong?" Lissa put the book down.

"Alright but don't laugh or freak out." Stealing another quick glance to make sure that Dimitri was indeed asleep. "I just remembered that I might be a virgin again."

"YOU'VE HAD SEX!" She exclaimed and Dimitri turned over.

"Shut up! What did I just tell you!" She gave me a wide eyed look and motioned for me to continue, "Yes, I've had sex, but it doesn't happen until later this year so I think I might be a virgin again!" I tell her in a low whisper.

"Who was it? When did it happen? Was it good?" She rapidly fired at me.

"What do you mean who is it? You know exactly who," I said, rolling my eyes with a pointed look to Dimitri's back. "Of course it was good, do you have to ask?"

Her brilliantly green eyes widened even more and she had this crazy grin on her face. "Does it match the outside?"

"Lissa!"

We never got a chance to talk about this last time and it was refreshing to have 'girl talk' with my best friend again.

The rest of the train ride passed in a blur and before I knew it we were picking up a Hyundai Solaris, the Honda Civic of Russia.

It was already late in the evening when we arrived in Omsk but if we left now then we would be in Baia by 7 in the morning.

After much debating between whether to call before we show up or just to make it a surprise, we were on our way to Baia.

I was nervous because the last time I was in Baia, I left without saying goodbye and Viktoria and I got into a big fight. But it isn't like they would remember that meeting. I really shouldn't be too nervous. I already knew them and quite frankly miss them a lot.

The drive to the two story house flew by and we stopped in front of the house I left in the middle of the night.

AN :

My Give a Damns' Busted - Jo Dee Messina

Your Man - Josh Turner

Here For The Party - Gretchen Wilson

Who else is excited about the TV show Peacock is coming out with? Any thoughts on how it will turn out?