Strigoi Dimitri... Eek!

(Warning: This is a monster 10,000+ word chapter, with lemony content you probably don't want your boss/grandma reading over your shoulder :P)

12. Dimitri

Paris, Tennessee to Fort Henry: 170 miles

Dimitri hustled his wife through the small military encampment to a tent in the centre row and pushed Rose inside; removing his wide-brimmed hat and ducking his head to enter after her.

'How dare you shame me like this?' the soldier hissed as soon as the tent flap closed behind them.

The space was so cramped that they were practically standing on top of one another to avoid hitting their heads on the sloped canvas walls.

'...Turning up dressed like a whore for the whole company to see? Get changed at once!' he dropped the woman's bags at her feet and stepped back with his arms folded.

Rose bristled with indignation. This was not the reunion she'd imagined. She'd sacrificed everything to be here - friends, family, her responsibilities as deputy of Saint's Town, her health and her wellbeing - only to find a cold-hearted stranger in place of her husband. How could fate be so cruel?

'I can't change,' she answered darkly, massaging her wrist that was still tender from being dragged across the campground. 'I have nothing else to wear - unless you want me to put on the trousers and jacket that Alberta had made up for me?'

Dimitri's eyes glinted with warning as he thought back to the first time he'd seen Rose in men's pants - her shapely thighs and round, firm buttocks out on brazen display. 'Absolutely not!' he growled. 'I'll find you something to cover yourself with,' the man's gaze dropped accusingly to the plunging neckline of her crimson dress.

Moving to his gear in the corner of the tent, Dimitri crouched to retrieve a rolled-up bundle that was strapped to his knapsack then stood to shake it out.

'Your duster? You kept it?' Rose was surprised and relieved to see something familiar amidst all the strangeness.

'It's been a cold winter. Why throw it away?' Dimitri answered dismissively.

Rose's heart plummeted. Her husband had always loved that duster. It was the first thing he'd bought when he arrived in America. He told her once that he'd vowed never to part with it because it would always remind him of their first journey together - when she had slept tucked snugly beneath his jacket and he had spent the whole night trying not to wonder how nice it would feel lying nestled in beside her... But apparently that sentimental connection to the duster no longer existed.

Unaware of her musings, Dimitri approached his wife and began dressing her in his coat as if she were a small child; tucking the cuffs under at the wrist to shorten the sleeves, then shifting his focus to the row of buttons down her front. 'Why are you here, Rose?' his eyes flicked up at her as his fingers moved to fasten the second button. 'I didn't ask you to follow me. I didn't want you to follow me. It's too dangerous...'

She didn't hear anything beyond his initial question. 'What do you mean why am I here?' she squawked, dropping her voice to an angry whisper when he cast a warning look towards the door of the tent. 'I'm your wife! You were shot in the head and abducted by Confederate rebels. Of course I had to follow you! Do you have any idea how worried I've been?'

'But I wasn't abducted,' Dimitri frowned, his hands pausing at the button between Rose's breasts.

The deputy couldn't believe what she was hearing. 'Yes you were! I was there when you were shot! I watched those deserters storm in and steal you away from me!'

'It was Union officers who attacked me - not Confederates,' he corrected sharply. 'Those boys saved me. If it wasn't for them taking care of me, I wouldn't be alive right now.'

'No they didn't save you,' Rose insisted, grabbing the front of the soldier's long, woollen greatcoat - begging him to listen to reason. 'We were only a few hours from Fort Freemont when it happened. I could have sent for Doctor Sage and gotten you proper medical care... You could have been home now recovering - with me and your family looking after you - except those good-for-nothing Rebs stole you away from us. They weren't your friends, Dimitri. There was a price on your head and they just wanted to collect the bounty. It's a miracle the ride south didn't kill you!'

There was a minute change in Dimitri's eyes, but his expression remained unreadable. 'But it didn't kill me,' he shrugged. 'So what's the problem?'

What's the problem? Rose screamed silently in frustration, tightening her grip on her husband's coat to resist the urge to slap some sense into him. 'Look, I understand that you were wounded and you had no control over being taken... but why didn't you come home again once you were well enough to ride? Or at least send word that you were alive?'

He didn't answer, and tears stung the back of Rose's eyes as all the worry and heartache of her journey finally caught up with her.

'Every morning for the last two months I've woken up and wondered if you were dead,' she had to pull her lips tight to keep them from trembling. 'How could you do that to me, cowboy? I've been through hell and back to find you - and I'd do it all again if I had to - but please... just tell me it wasn't all for nothing. Tell me you missed me too - even the smallest bit. Tell me you still need me like I need you. Tell me you still lo-...'

It was as if a trigger had been pulled. The hardness in Dimitri's face transformed into a deep and urgent hunger, and he broke from his trance; his arms shooting out to cage Rose to his chest and his lips falling swiftly upon hers - brutal and uncompromising.

'Roza,' he muttered - drawing back briefly for air - and she cried out in shock and need as his face dropped to hers once more, his tongue forcing its way into her mouth.

'Dimit-,' she managed something between a gasp and a sob, but his mouth only grew more demanding.

Before, Dimitri had been fastening the duster to cover his wife's modesty, but now he was in such a rush to unfasten it that one button burst from its thread and neither of them even looked to see where it landed. Rose's eyes were closed - the intensity of the soldier's kisses overwhelming her senses - but Dimitri's were wide open; darting over his Roza's hair, face and throat as his hands slid purposefully beneath the loose leather jacket. Raking down her ribs to the narrowest point of her waist, his left hand halted at the flare of her lower back and pulled her hard against his body.

'I missed this,' he growled in satisfaction at Rose's needy whimper, his other hand moving upwards and moulding to one of her breasts - the heavy curve jutting out sharply over the top of her corset.

Rose hadn't meant to let things get this far, knowing in her head that this Dimitri wasn't the man she'd married. She'd planned to make him account for his actions in the time that they'd been apart - to explain his role in the attack on the Mormon settlement at Cedar City, and the death of the prostitute Janine had sent to Paris. She was desperate to understand why he had forsaken her to join a rebel army that opposed the values of freedom and justice he'd always fought for.

But somehow none of that mattered now that she was finally in his arms. Yes - Dimitri had changed. Yes - she would confront him about everything he'd done and demand that he come home with her as soon as they had the opportunity to leave. But right now, all she wanted was to lose herself in the kisses and caresses she had craved for so long. She needed this. She deserved this. She'd defied fate to find her husband again - against the harshest odds - and now she was going to forget everything else for just a little while and enjoy her reward.

'I missed you so much, cowboy,' she whispered raggedly, her own fingers disappearing beneath Dimitri's open greatcoat and struggling with the brass buttons on his uniform jacket underneath.

She was desperate to feel the hardness of his chest and the heat of his skin against hers, but the task was practically impossible with the soldier taking great pleasure in distracting her at every turn.

'Stop that...,' she chided weakly, shying away as he grazed his chin over her jawline - tickling her neck with his beard.

'I won't stop until I'm satisfied, wife,' he refused, enjoying the feeling of power he gained from making her squirm.

Rose was preparing to unleash a smart reply but she gasped instead as Dimitri artfully popped the top button on her bodice and slipped an eager hand inside. At the exact moment his thumb and forefinger found her nipple through the rough lace of her camisole, the soldier's teeth suddenly locked onto her earlobe, and an involuntary moan escaped Rose's lips as he pinched down firmly with his fingers and his mouth - bringing her to that delicious halfway-place between pain and pleasure.

'Dimitri,' she whined, giving up on his buttons and trying the more direct approach of simply yanking his shirt out from the waist of his trousers; intent on unleashing the straining instrument that would bring relief to the ache that throbbed between her legs – and the inexpressible craving in her heart.

From somewhere beyond the haze of desperation and desire that clutched them both, a voice spoke up.

'I heard you claimed a whore for yourself, soldier, but I didn't believe the rumours were true.'

Dimitri's head snapped up from its nestling place and Rose stiffened in his arms, her eyes widening in dismay. They were no longer alone.

'She is not a whore, sir,' Dimitri glared at the man who stood in the doorway of the tent - completely unconcerned by the fact that he was intruding on the couple's intimate moment. 'She is my wife.' He pulled Rose possessively towards him - hiding her naked throat and chest against his body, and positioning her in a way that concealed the evidence of his own arousal.

'Your wife, soldier?' the newcomer's voice had a strange note to it - surprise, curiosity, and annoyance all rolled into one.

'Yes, my wife,' a fake smile twisted Dimitri's lips. 'Now I suggest you step outside, for your own safety. I promised to punish any man who dared to look at my woman the wrong way, and I have no problem making an example of a superior officer.'

Rose didn't dare turn around to see the look on the man's face behind her, but she heard his short, angry breath, followed by a bark of derisive laughter.

'Very good, mongrel. But no need to take out your anger on me. Save that up for the boys in blue. We'll have plenty of fighting to do in the next few weeks, I assure you... My humblest apologies ma'am,' he addressed the comment to Rose's back. 'I'll be pleased to make your acquaintance outside once you and your husband are... decent.'

The soldier left with a final farewell, and as soon as the tent flap fell, Dimitri stepped back from Rose immediately - all trace of desire gone from his eyes.

'Who was that?' Deputy Belikov whispered, holding the duster closed over her chest in self-consciousness.

'Forrest. My commanding officer,' Dimitri answered tersely, straightening his uniform as he spoke. 'He's the one who had me brought here.'

So this was Sergeant Forrest? Rose hated him already.

'He's in charge of this camp so be sure to keep a civil tongue when you speak to him,' the soldier warned, bending to retrieve his cowboy hat and fitting it back down over his hair. 'Forrest likes to play at being well-mannered, but if he gets one sniff of disobedience or disrespect you'll quickly see his true character. He's ruthless. Unforgiving. He likes power and he likes to win. If he sees you as a threat...,' Dimitri trailed off meaningfully, scowling in the direction that Forrest had left.

'Do you think he would try to hurt me?' a hint of anxiety fluttered in Rose's stomach. She'd always assumed that finding Dimitri was going to be her biggest challenge, but now she realised there could be further obstacles standing in the way of her getting herself and Dimitri both home to safety.

The big Russian's eyes snapped around to his wife and in two steps he was in front of her again; one hand snaking behind her neck and tilting her face up to meet his piercing gaze. 'I will gladly cut that man's throat if he makes any threat to harm you, but I don't want to kill him unless it's absolutely necessary,' the soldier's quiet intensity was more alarming than comforting. 'That kind of mess would be... inconvenient, so don't go stirring up trouble. Stay in your place and don't give Forrest any reason to doubt your loyalty to me and our Confederate cause. No questions. No fraternising with troops or civilians unless you have my direct permission. No smart-lip and no disobedience. Do you understand? Well, do you?' he tightened his grip on the back of her neck just a little.

'Yes,' Rose nodded numbly, wondering if it was Forrest or Dimitri she should be more afraid of.

'That's my girl,' the soldier dropped a brief, hard kiss to her lips. 'I'll go and keep Forrest busy. Make yourself respectable and join us when you're done. There's a needle and thread in my kit for the button... and for God's sake, wipe that muck off your face before anybody else sees you,' he ran his gaze over her painted cheeks and smeared lipstick with a look of faint disdain. 'If you dress like a whore, you can't blame the men for treating you like one, and next time I might not get there fast enough to save you.'

Hiding an involuntary shiver, Deputy Belikov watched the man who was her husband - and wasn't her husband - stride out of the tent to report to his superior officer.

'Mrs Belikov... It is a great pleasure to meet you.'

Rose studied Forrest warily as he stooped to kiss her hand in greeting. He was older than Dimitri - probably in his early forties - and slightly shorter, too, though he still towered over most of the other soldiers in the encampment. The officer was impeccably groomed. His uniform was pressed and spotless, his salt-and-pepper moustache and goatee trimmed with military precision, and he carried himself in a confident, upright manner that made him seem younger than he actually was. There was something familiar about the man's face, though Rose was certain she'd never met him before, and the calculating expression in his strange, grey eyes made the deputy feel ill at ease.

'The honour is mine, Sergeant Forrest,' she smiled thinly, resolving not to say anything that might get her or Dimitri into trouble.

'This isn't Sergeant Forrest, dearest,' Dimitri corrected, tugging at his wife's elbow to draw her back from the other man's grasp. 'Forrest was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel a week ago - for his victory at the Battle of Sacramento in Kentucky.'

'Congratulations on your new appointment, Lieutenant Colonel,' Rose offered. 'Your superiors must be very pleased with your service.'

The man's eyes sharpened with conceit. 'The Confederate States Army rewards those who most deserve it,' he informed her condescendingly. 'This last month General Gale gave me command of my own Escort Company. My elite cavalry forces are personally selected and we already have the Yanks fleeing with their tails between their legs. With loyal fighters like your husband serving at my side we'll have this war won in another few weeks, mark my words.'

'So soon?' Rose tried to hide her alarm. She wanted an end to the war, just like everybody else, but not at the expense of a Confederate victory. A win for the South would tear America in two, and the outcome for slaves like her friends Nick and Denis was too devastating to imagine.

'Undoubtedly. But we must remain vigilant to the end,' Forrest cocked his head, his gaze sliding from Rose to Dimitri and back again, 'which is why, Mrs Belikov, you cannot stay here.'

Rose's cheeks flushed with anger, but the lieutenant colonel didn't allow her the satisfaction of a reply. Tucking the woman's hand into the crook of his elbow, Forrest led her on a slow tour around the twenty or so tents that made up the temporary encampment - ignoring the grim expressions of his female companion and the Russian giant who loomed a half-step behind them.

'Let me tell you how it is, my dear,' he said conversationally, raising his hand every now and then to acknowledge a soldier who saluted them as they passed. 'I have taken a keen and personal interest in recruiting your husband to my Escort Company. When I heard tales of a lawman out west who was a wizard in the saddle and a devil with a gun, I knew I had to have him on my team. Your sheriff was very... troubled when he first arrived, but I soon whipped him into shape and General Gale approved my request to make him my personal aide-de-camp.'

Rose frowned at the foreign term.

'My personal bodyguard... assistant... mongrel on a leash,' Forrest tittered at his own joke. 'But as difficult as he was to begin with, now I simply can't do without him. At the Battle of Sacramento he was everything the legends promised and more. Headstrong. Ruthless. Bloodthirsty. A beautiful killer to watch. The general was so impressed he rewarded our Russian friend with an officer's position of his own.'

Forrest halted in his stride; releasing Rose from his possession and turning his attention to Dimitri. 'The fact is, Mrs Belikov, your husband is no longer yours. He is Major Dimitri Belikov - the public property of the Confederate States Army. Consequently, as I am his direct superior, his life and person belong to me.'

'I don't care if he's a bleeding three-star general and you're the president!' Rose spluttered, ignoring Dimitri's sharp look of warning as she stepped up beside him and wrapped both her hands around his arm. 'He's my husband first and foremost, and nobody has the right to stand between us.'

'Now, now, lady,' Forrest chuckled lightly, though his eyes flashed with annoyance at her outburst. 'There's no need to get worked up about it. The war's nearly over. I only require Major Belikov for a short time and then you can have him back again... but as long as the major is serving under me, I need him completely focused on his orders. I can't have your distracting presence jeopardizing the safety of my men and the success of the whole company. I'm truly sorry, ma'am, but you will need to leave. Today.'

The lieutenant colonel lifted a thumb and finger to his lips and blew a shrill whistle. Seconds later, a black man dressed in a shabby coat and trousers ran up to them; his eyes trained on the dirt at Forrest's boots.

'Yessir?' he asked, not daring to look up at any of them lest he be punished for insolence.

'This woman is leaving for Memphis today. Ready two horses and escort her as far as the Louisville Railroad. Do not return until you are certain she has made it safely on board and the train has left the station.'

'No.'

The slave cowered in surprise, and Forrest's eyes snapped across to Dimitri who had taken a step forward - partly shielding Rose with his own body.

'No?' the commander's expression was dangerous.

Dimitri held his gaze without flinching. 'I decide if she stays or leaves. She's my wife, not your soldier. She answers to me - only me - and I want her to stay.'

Forrest squared up to his junior officer and jabbed a finger into his chest. 'She may not be mine to command, but you are, and I order you to send her away until the fighting is done.'

Dimitri shook his head slowly. 'There is no army regulation preventing a soldier from having his family in camp. We're due back at the fort in a few days anyway. I guarantee my wife will not be a distraction. She can bunk with me while we're garrisoned and remain behind whenever we're called out to fight. I'm sure if I bring the matter up with General Gale he will be happy to grant my request. I took down nine Yankees to save you at Sacramento, remember. You might have devised the strategy that led us to victory but we couldn't have won that battle without me - and both you and Gale know it.'

'You don't want to test me, boy,' Forrest's gentlemanly facade had worn so thin he could barely conceal the acid in his voice. 'I made you. I own you. A pet dog has its uses, but I'll crush you if I have to.'

Dimitri leaned forward so he was eye-to-eye with his commander, his expression lethal.

'Sir! A message!' a soldier on horseback cantered up beside them, swinging down from the saddle and holding out a sealed envelope addressed to the company commander.

Forrest snatched at the letter in annoyance and tore it open, scanning over the message inside. 'Ha,' he growled, ripping the page into two and thrusting the pieces back at the messenger who'd delivered it. 'We've been ordered back to Fort Henry. Intelligence says the Yanks are making plans to move south into Tennessee along the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers. General Gale needs all hands on deck to get the fort garrisoned and ready before they arrive.'

Dimitri's lips twitched into a smirk. 'So I guess we'll get to hear the general's verdict on my wife staying in camp after all,' he observed, setting his hand low on Rose's back to celebrate his victory.

Forrest's top lip curled slightly but he nodded. 'Bring her to Gale if you must, but if he says no then that's the end of it... Now stop wasting my time with civilian matters and do the job you're being paid for. I'll get rid of the whores. You give the men their orders. We depart for Fort Henry within the hour. An extra dinner ration for the first man packed and ready to fall out. Two if he's saddled up faster than me.'

'Yes, sir!' Dimitri saluted stiffly, willing to play the part of an obedient soldier now that control over Rose's fate had passed back to him.

'And what should I do?' Rose asked, not sure what was expected of her now she'd been given approval to stay.

Forrest looked at the woman as if he'd half-forgotten she was there - and was annoyed to discover that she still existed. 'Just keep out of the way,' he ordered, turning on his heel and heading off in the direction of the rhythmic groaning noises coming from behind and within Scarlett Jane's carriage.

Dimitri watched him go, then stepped up to Rose; dropping his lips to her ear. 'Go back to the tent and wait for me, Roza,' he ordered quietly, his hand circling her wrist and his breath tingling on her neck. 'And remember... if anybody bothers you while I'm gone, you remind them that the Yankees call me the Russian Butcher for a reason, and any man that tries to lay a finger on you is going to personally discover why.'

Rose paced Dimitri's tent nervously as she waited for him to return.

Major Dimitri Belikov. Mongrel on a leash. The Russian Butcher. So this is what he had become?

A part of her wanted to run - to get as far as possible from this enemy camp and the man that was supposed to be her husband - but even as the thought formed in her mind she knew she couldn't give up on him yet. Dimitri, for all his changes, was still Dimitri. He looked more or less the same... thinner, perhaps, and the scruffy beard took some getting used to, but with a little care and attention she could have him back to himself in no time. More importantly, he still remembered her. He still leapt to her defence when the soldier had assaulted her thinking she was a prostitute, and again when Forrest had threatened to send her away. And he still desired her.

The memory of her husband's lips on hers - his hands roving possessively over her body - sent a sinful ripple through Rose's stomach and she stopped pacing abruptly; mortified that she'd let her mind to wander so wantonly. As much as her body still craved for her husband, she couldn't allow herself to give in to him. Not like this. She still loved Dimitri, of course - the kind of love they shared was impossible to erase - but she didn't like him much the way he was now, and she sure as hell didn't trust him.

No. She couldn't let herself be open or intimate with him when he was in this state. Her only priority now had to be getting Dimitri away from Forrest and the Confederate army to a place where he could receive proper medical attention. Maybe, with the bullet removed from his head, he would return to his old self and they could start their marriage over again... but until then she would have to be strong. No matter what sweet words he might say to entice her interest, she would turn him down. No matter how the lilt of his accent melted her bones, she would remain resolute. No matter how delicious he looked in his uniform, she'd...

'Wife. Are you ready to go home?' a pair of arms slid around her waist from behind as Dimitri folded her into his chest; their bodies moulding seamlessly - his front to her back.

'Home?' she breathed shakily, the tickle of Dimitri's whiskers at her ear drawing an involuntary sigh from her lips. So much for best intentions.

'Our new home. Fort Henry. Where we can be together at last. Come, my beautiful Roza.'

The deputy's eyes fell closed the moment he said her name, and when Dimitri released her from his arms, her body automatically leant back against him - seeking to close the distance between them.

'We can continue that soon enough,' he chuckled softly, and suddenly something came down over Rose's face - coarse and musty smelling.

'What are you doing?!' Rose yelped, her voice muffled as she scrabbled to remove the cloth that the soldier had pulled over her head.

A bag! Dimitri put a bag over her head! Was this what he did to Kelly Hayes before he killed her and dumped her body in the river?! She had to get out of here. She had to get away!

'Get it off me! I can't breathe! Dimitri! Get it off!' she bucked against him in panic, but he wrapped his arms around her again; holding her steady so she couldn't flail about.

'Don't struggle, sweet Roza,' he soothed through the hessian over her ears. 'It's just a precaution. My commander is concerned you might be using me as a cover for your covert agenda as a Yankee spy.'

'I'm not a spy!' Rose thrashed violently, though her efforts had no effect.

'I know you'd never do anything to betray me,' Dimitri stroked the arm that he had pinned against her ribs, 'but Forrest doesn't want you knowing the way to our fort in case you expose our position to the enemy... Stop it, Rose!' he shook her in frustration when she lashed out against his hold again. 'Just stop fighting me and stay still! If you keep this up you're going to run out air and faint. Do you really want to ride into Fort Henry unconscious and trussed up over the back of my horse?'

Already lightheaded, Rose obeyed out of necessity, not obedience. 'So how are you getting me to camp then?' she asked rudely. 'You going to tie my hands to the saddle and make me run alongside your horse like marching meat?'

'It is tempting,' the soldier warned, though she could hear a smirk in his voice, 'but no. You'll be riding with me. Just like old times, remember?'

Rose scowled under the bag.

'Don't look at me like that,' Dimitri tutted, taking her by the hand and kissing the back of her knuckles. 'Your lips are much prettier with a smile. Now come on... My horse is tethered outside. Let's get you packed away with the rest of my belongings.'

It was approaching sundown when they rode into Fort Henry. Rose had fallen asleep along the way - Dimitri's arms annoyingly comfortable despite her indignity at being blindfolded like a prisoner - and she awoke to the evening chill biting at her fingers, the sound of raised voices, and the smell of countless unwashed men.

'Forrest's Escort Company, reporting in,' the lieutenant colonel barked from somewhere nearby. 'Fifty cavalrymen, eight slaves and one civilian.'

Rose could feel his disdainful gaze through the material that obscured her vision.

'Major Belikov,' Forrest turned to address his second in command. 'I'll show the boys where to pitch their tents. You get the female secured in your quarters then report to General Gale immediately. Men?' he called over his shoulder to the small company that followed them. 'With me.'

Leading them away from the line of cavalrymen, Dimitri dismounted and lifted his wife down from her perch in front of the saddle. 'Now, let's see that pretty face again,' the soldier declared softy, and Rose felt the scratchy kiss of hessian shifting over her cheeks before she was blinking against the sudden glare, trying to make out her surroundings.

They were standing at the edge of a vast military encampment, the overcast sky above washing the camp in a pale, eerie glow. The main battlement stood to their left; a stone-walled compound housing a battery of heavy artillery guns that were pointed west over the Tennessee River. Straight ahead was a cluster of twenty or so log cabins - probably housing for the senior officers - and all around them the forest had been cleared to accommodate a sea of canvas tents, grouped together by company.

Rose looked over the scene with a sinking heart. Even if the men slept ten to a tent she guessed there must have been close to two thousand troops garrisoned on the marshy campground before her. How was she meant to get Dimitri away from here? She'd literally have to fight her way through an army to escape - and that's even if she managed to convince her husband to leave with her.

Taking a deep breath, the deputy forced herself to clear her mind. Escaping the camp was a problem for tomorrow. Right now, there was a chill blowing off the river and seeping up from the swampy ground underfoot, and her current clothing - Janine's low-cut dress and Dimitri's leather duster - was insufficient to protect her. 'It's freezing out here,' Rose brought her hands to her lips to warm them. 'We should get your tent set up quickly.'

Dimitri shook his head. 'We're not sleeping in a tent tonight,' he glanced over at the log cabins and Rose heaved an internal sigh of relief, seeing that most of the huts had smoke rising from their chimneys. 'Now, follow me closely and stick to the corduroys if you don't want your dress covered in filth,' Major Belikov commanded, nodding to the split-log walkways that snaked across the campground to prevent hooves, boots and wagon wheels from getting bogged in the mud.

A few minutes later, Dimitri stopped outside the door to their quarters - the last cabin on the row. Instead of letting Rose enter first as she'd expected, he rolled his shoulders slowly to loosen up his muscles then handed the horse's reins to his wife and instructed her to wait.

It was only a few seconds before Rose realised that something wasn't right.

'Hey! You can't come barging in here!' a voice exclaimed angrily from inside the cabin. 'These are my quarters! Who do think you-...'

Deputy Belikov nearly dropped her grip on the reins as the door swung outwards and a middle-aged soldier stumbled through the doorway; falling to one knee in the mud then twisting around with a look of outrage.

'General Gale will hear about this, mongrel!' he declared, getting to his feet and overbalancing again in the slick, boggy clay. 'Damn this slough to hell!' he swore, still struggling to rise.

Dimitri appeared in the door - his arms heavily laden - and dropped the man's belongings in the mud beside their owner. 'I'm sure General Gale has more important matters to attend to than a sergeant major from Kentucky who wants to gripe about his housing arrangements,' he said scornfully. 'Just take another cabin and stop moaning like a woman.'

'But I've already got a fire going in this one,' the officer snapped, finally making it to his feet and picking up his pack and bedding - now spattered in mud.

'I know,' Dimitri replied with a slow, vindictive smile, ignoring the man's curses and turning his attention to Rose. 'Come inside, wife. Your new home awaits.'

Rose was too embarrassed to even look at the mud-soaked stranger as she passed him, and hurried inside with her eyes averted. It's not really Dimitri, she reminded herself. It's just his injury. Once the bullet comes out, the real Dimitri will return – he has to.

Major Belikov followed a few moments later and crossed to the pair of crude bunk-beds that were stacked against the left wall of the cabin; tossing his and Rose's luggage on the lower bed. 'Make yourself comfortable,' he instructed, already heading back towards the door. 'I don't know how long Gale will keep me. There are dinner rations in my haversack. If I'm gone more than an hour you should start without me… And Roza...?' Dimitri paused in the doorway a moment longer, his eyes glowing black against in the darkening sky outside. 'Don't fall asleep before I get back. We have a lot of catching up to do.'

Rose stared at the closed door for what seemed like a lifetime before she heard herself exhale and realised that she'd been holding her breath. Wandering stiffly to the fireplace, the weary, care-worn deputy took a few minutes to simply soak in the sensation of heat returning to her body, then forced herself to focus her thoughts and make a proper assessment of her situation.

She'd been taken to a Confederate outpost called Fort Henry. She didn't know the exact location, but she figured the half-day's ride must have brought them about twenty miles north of Paris - somewhere along the eastern bank of the Tennessee River.

The options for getting Dimitri to safety were limited. Rose's first thought was that Janine might be willing to help them in some way, but Memphis was crawling with Confederate troops who would recognise Major Belikov and have him shot or hung for desertion. Heading directly west would be difficult too, assuming the river crossings were guarded by Confederate troops… but going north into Kentucky might work. Kentucky was technically still in Union hands. If they could make it over the border she might be able to get a telegram to Sydney and ask if she knew of a surgeon in Louisville who could assist them... or maybe Abe had a contact who could aid them?

Abe! Rose's hand flew to her mouth. She'd promised to look in at Fort Smith for her father's telegram days ago, but after everything that had happened with the Coo'-tsa and Janine and Dimitri she'd forgotten to send word that she was alright. Why didn't she think to contact him when she was back in Memphis? He must be beside himself with worry – as would the rest of her family and friends.

Alberta would be bullying the telegraph clerk in Greenston for information on a daily basis... and Lisa? At seven months pregnant, with her husband away and her best friend unaccounted for, she was probably an emotional wreck. Rose's only comfort was knowing that Saint's Town was a tight-knit community and Lisa would have plenty of people to check in on her; Sheriff Castile, Reverend Mastrano, Adrian Ivara and Sydney too, presuming Abe had returned her to town, the Belikovas… Olena! Rose was hit by another wave of remorse. She had to tell Olena that her son was still alive!

Looking around the room in agitation, the deputy's eyes alighted on the simple wooden writing desk opposite the bunk-beds, and she rushed over to it. Fort Henry must have a telegraph station. She knew the Confederates weren't stupid enough to let her send a detailed escape plan via telegram, but they might let her pass on a short message to tell her family that she and her husband were alive.

For a few desperate seconds, Rose scanned over the empty desk then fell to her knees with a victorious ha!, shifting the three-legged stool from under the table to retrieve a balled up piece of paper. There were a few lines of writing at the top, but the blank portion below was room enough to draft out her message. Now all she had to do was find something to write with.

Rose glanced back to her luggage with a frown. She knew she wouldn't find a pen or pencil in there. All she had left to her name now was her woollen trouser-suit - with Adrian's blank check in the breast-pocket alongside the woven bracelet Joshua had given her, and her knife and pistol secreted in the folds of the coat. That, and Sydney's medical satchel with the pouch of herbs from the Coo'-tsa women tucked safely inside.

Searching for another option, her eyes slid across to Dimitri's bags on the bed; a thick, canvas knapsack - tarred to keep the moisture out - and a lighter, fabric haversack that he wore over his shoulder. Not wanting to raise her husband's suspicions by asking to borrow a pen, Deputy Belikov darted a wary look towards the door then crouched by the bedside and opened the flap of the haversack.

The first item she found was something rough and rectangular that turned out to be a bar of lye soap. Her nose wrinkled as she sniffed it, then she set it down on the mattress and fished deeper into the bag. Soon followed a toothbrush, the sewing kit she'd used earlier, a narrow-toothed comb, two days' dinner rations, and a mess kit including a tin plate, cup, knife, fork and spoon.

The deputy's eyebrows drew tighter when her hand closed over a thin box and she drew out a deck of cards. Dimitri had never approved of gambling, and from what she'd heard about life in a military encampment she doubted it was just for playing solitaire. Were there any other vices he had turned to since there were parted? An unwelcome image flashed into her mind - Dimitri locked in an embrace with Janine's murdered dove, Miss Kelly - and suddenly Rose was done poking through her husband's things. Emptying the last remaining items out on the bed, her mood picked up a little as she spied a pencil-stub among the pile, but the sick, nervous feeling returned a moment later when she was startled by a knock at the door.

'Just a moment,' she called out, hurriedly stuffing Dimitri's belongings back into the haversack and, in a last ditch panic, shoving the paper and pencil under the mattress.

Rose spun around at the exact moment the door opened - expecting to see her husband's broad shoulders filling the doorway - but was surprised to find it was a woman, perhaps a year or two older than herself.

'Can I help you?' Deputy Belikov asked uncertainly, wondering if the visitor had stopped at her cabin by mistake.

'Evenin', missus,' the black woman's eyes flitted warily from side to side as she bent to pick up an open crate that was resting on the corduroyed path at her feet. 'Major Belikov sent this for you.'

Rose gestured an invitation to enter, and there was an awkward pause before she finally realised the stranger was waiting for permission to move. 'Please come in. You can put it here on the desk,' the deputy instructed quickly, springing ahead to shift the stool out of the servant's path. 'I'm Rose, by the way. Who are you?'

The black woman glanced to the door like she wanted to leave. 'I am the slave assigned to Lieutenant Colonel Forest and Major Belikov, missus.'

Dimitri had a slave?!

'I'm sorry – I didn't mean it that way….,' Rose was struggling to keep the dismay and confusion from her voice. 'I meant, what is your name?'

The slave's eyes met the white woman's in surprise then quickly snatched away again. 'They call me Dinah,' she mumbled, keeping her gaze trained on the floor.

Deputy Belikov hated that this girl was afraid of her, and desperately wished there was something she could do to free Dinah from her life of bondage, but she knew she was powerless to act. Stirring up trouble might jeopardise her chances of getting Dimitri away from Fort Henry. And the life of an escaped slave did not guarantee safety or happiness – as her chance encounter with Nick and his friends had taught her. The only thing she could do was to give Dinah the same kindness and respect she'd give to anyone else, and hope that having one person in the world who treated her properly might make some small difference to the other woman's life.

'Well, thank you for bringing me these things, Dinah,' Rose poked through the contents of the crate. 'I'll be a lot more comfortable now, thanks to you,' she ran her fingers over a neatly folded blanket, and a washcloth that wasn't very soft but looked and smelt clean enough.

'You can use this as a chamber pot,' Dinah took a tentative step closer and lifted the handle of a pail-shaped, regulation army cooking pot.

'I'd rather do my business outside, if it's all the same to you,' the deputy pulled a sour face.

'Sorry, missus,' the slave woman spoke up nervously, 'but Major Belikov asked me to remind you that the sink pits are no place for a proper lady like yourself. Half the camp has loose bowels and-...'

Rose didn't need to hear any more. 'I'll use the chamber pot,' she agreed without further argument. 'And what are these?' the deputy poked at two bundles of blue and white fabric in the bottom of the crate.

'The quartermaster had a men's night-shirt to spare,' Dinah answered, holding up a loose, white, collared shirt that would fall to nearly ankle-length on Rose. 'If it's too big I can take it up for you...,' she looked at her mistress with a worried expression.

'It will be perfect,' Rose assured her, taking the night-shirt and laying it over the end of the bunk.

'My master also wanted you to have a new dress,' the slave shook out the other bundle for Rose to inspect.

It was nothing special; a rather dour-looking navy day-dress, with long sleeves and an unusual bodice that buttoned up on an angle. Despite its lack of visual appeal, the gown looked warm and well made, and its high neckline made it infinitely more respectable than the outfit Janine had given her.

'It's from an officer's wife,' Dinah explained. 'She said you can borrow it until you have one of your own made up. Shall I help you put it on?' the black woman prompted shyly.

Deputy Belikov shook her head at once – not wanting to accept the help of a slave in case it seemed like she condoned the practice of slavery itself. 'I imagine you have plenty of better things to do than helping me dress,' she answered, holding out her hands for the gown, then turning to drape the long skirt and bodice on the bed beside her night-shirt. 'I'm sure I'll manage by myself... Dinah?'

The slave was edging towards the cabin door but paused. 'Yes, missus?' her posture stiffened, as if awaiting a rebuke.

'Thank you again for your help tonight. It was very nice to meet you,' Rose smiled gently, trying to make it clear that she wasn't a threat.

Dinah looked back into the white woman's eyes for a full three seconds before she turned her face to the cold air outside and hurried away.

Rose was physically and emotionally exhausted, but her mind was so busy she couldn't bring herself to relax. To pass the time, she set about tidying the cabin; starting by making the beds then neatening up Dimitri's haversack so he wouldn't know that she'd been rooting through his belongings. When the cabin was presentable, Dimitri had still not returned from his meeting so Rose took the opportunity to draft out her message to Abe. It was only after she'd tucked the sheet of paper safely away in her travel case that the tiredness finally hit.

Not bothering to make any dinner, Rose moved closer to the warmth of the fire so she could undress for bed. Removing the outer layers of clothing as quickly as she could, Rose was down to her corset, stockings and bloomers when she felt a sudden chill from the doorway. On instinct, she wrapped her arms over her chest and turned her head hurriedly to check who had entered the room.

Dimitri.

For a few seconds he just stood there, drinking in the woman's figure with a dark, almost hungry expression. Coming to his senses at last, the soldier discarded his hat on the bed and crossed towards the fireplace to stand in front of his wife. 'Gale says you can stay,' he announced quietly, peeling Rose's arms away from her chest so he could reach down and undo the clasps at the front of her corset.

Initially wary, Rose relented more quickly than she'd intended. There was something so intimate and familiar in the action that she stood quietly mesmerised as the this strange Dimitri freed the last clasp and pulled the cage away from her body. She almost let herself believe that they were back at home. The war had never happened. They'd just been to a party at Lisa's ranch and now they were disrobing for bed - though neither of them were thinking of sleep.

Dimitri seemed to be caught in the moment too. His eyes traced the curve of Rose's breasts beneath her chemise then skimmed down to her hips and dark-stockinged legs before sliding up again to her face – admiring everything he saw as if it was for the very first time. 'Look at you,' he tossed the corset to one side and stepped in so closely that their hips were almost touching. 'You're even more beautiful than I remembered.'

Calloused fingers grazed over Rose's cheek, her neck, her collarbone; stealing the breath away from her and leaving a trail of pebbled skin in their wake as they smoothed along her naked arm.

'I wish you'd stayed away until the fighting was done, but I'm glad you're here,' the soldier admitted almost tenderly – rubbing his whiskers over her cheek.

Before Rose could form a reply, Dimitri's mouth closed over hers and she whimpered at the sweet tremor that ran through her body. No matter how much her husband had changed, their bodies still recognised one another; every kiss and caress stripping away their outer conflicts and concerns until their true selves were laid bare – simply two souls that were made to be together.

'Wait… I can't…,' Rose pulled back abruptly, her chest heaving as Dimitri slid his hands up her ribcage in search of her breasts. 'We can't do this.'

'What's wrong?' his breathing was uneven, the flicker of hurt in his eyes quickly turning to suspicion. 'Don't you care for me anymore, Roza?'

'Of course I still care for you, cowboy,' she replied in a rush. 'I love you – that won't ever change. It's just… I barely recognise you anymore.'

The soldier stared at her blankly then his forehead wrinkled in confusion. 'Is it the beard?' he grabbed her by the shoulder so she couldn't step away from him. 'Because I can shave it off it if means that much to you.'

A short, hysterical laugh burst from the deputy's lips. 'You think I have a problem your beard?' she shook her head in disbelief. 'It's not the way you look, cowboy… It's the way you're acting. The Dimitri I remember would never hold me so roughly…'

She glanced at his hand and he loosened his grip immediately, though only a little.

'…The Dimitri I remember would never throw a man into the mud like you did today without good reason. The Dimitri I remember would never keep a slave.'

'Dinah isn't my personal slave,' the soldier corrected sharply, dropping his hand from her shoulder to deprive her of his touch. 'All the officers in the company use her.'

Use her? Rose cringed at his callous disregard for Dinah as anything more than a resource to be exploited.

'But that's not the only problem, Dimitri,' she added passionately. 'How many Union soldiers have you killed since you joined the Confederate Army? Don't you believe in freedom and justice anymore?... And civilians?' the deputy was getting so worked up she didn't even notice the chill on her arms as she squared up to the hulking soldier in only her undergarments. 'I know about Cedar Creek. They say you killed three Mormons when you rode through their town to steal supplies. One was only a boy... And I heard you killed a prostitute too – a woman! Dimitri, cowboy... that's not you. I honestly don't know who you are anymore,' Rose threw her hands in the air, her chin trembling with frustration and grief.

'Now, hold up a minute,' Dimitri defended himself, his voice cool and measured, but the tension in his hands and shoulders betraying his displeasure. 'The only Mormons I killed were the ones pointing guns at me. I didn't exactly have time to stop and check their ages... And that woman had it coming. Forrest thought I might like a treat before we rode out for Sacramento a few weeks ago. My bullet wound was giving me trouble, so he gave me an opium pill to dull the pain then sent that imposter in to play-act as my loving wife. My mind wasn't at its sharpest, but I knew the woman wasn't you as soon as she kissed me. I couldn't let Forrest think I was fool enough to be deceived by a whore, so I... took care of the problem.'

Rose should have been horrified that her husband had just admitted to killing Kelly Hayes, but a worming, petty little fear reared its head above all her other concerns. 'So you didn't lie with her then?' she asked in a strained voice, not certain if she wanted to hear the answer.

'Oh, Roza,' the anger melted from Dimitri's face at once and he closed the space between them, dropping dozens of tiny kisses over her cheeks and nose. 'Don't be jealous. You are my wife. Mine and only mine. You know I'd never lie with anyone but you.' Dimitri brushed his lips over her forehead, and his eyes widened in triumph at the small, involuntary sound that escaped her mouth. 'See… this is the truth right here,' he whispered, kissing her again at the corner of her lips. 'This is the only thing that matters.' Another kiss, this time to the hollow just below her ear. 'Everything else – the war, North, South, slave, free - it means nothing. You think I'm different to the man you remember, Roza, but I'm still the same person,' he pulled back to look into her eyes, steady and certain. 'I still want what I've always wanted - to provide a life you - for us - where we can be safe and happy and free.'

'I want to believe you. I really do…,' Rose shook her head doubtfully, but Dimitri clasped both her hands in his – his accent ripening with the growing passion of his appeal.

'Think about it, Roza. In one month of fighting I've already risen to the rank of major. Imagine what I might achieve by the time the war ends. Colonel? General? I'll be able to buy you every luxury imaginable... A big house - on a plantation with a hundred slaves to run it.'

'But I don't want that, Dimitri. It's not right!' Rose tried to pull her hands away but he only held on tighter.

'You know what's not right?' the soldier hissed, expression pained. 'My grandmother was a serf in Russia for her whole life – and so were my mother and sisters after her. I wanted them to move to America so I could support them, but my sheriff's wage would never have been enough. Why should my family have to toil and eke by while others live around them like kings? Why shouldn't they have a turn at being the masters instead of the slaves? Well, now I can give them that,' he declared firmly. 'And I'm doing this for you too, Roza…'

Dimitri dropped his hands to Rose's waist, stepping closer and bringing his face in line with hers.

'I was proud to serve with you as my deputy, but I don't want my wife trapped in some tin-pot prairie town, risking her life every day to protect smallminded townsfolk from criminals and outlaws. If we stay here in the South, we'll have the space and freedom for our family to grow… a secure future for our children. Isn't that what you want too?' the man's hand slipped up under the hem of his wife's chemise to rest on her naked stomach, his thumb stroking tender circles over her skin. 'That's why you came to find me, isn't it? So we can be together again. So I can give you the child you crave for and the life we all deserve.'

'I don't know, Dimitri,' Rose closed her eyes, trying not to let herself be charmed by the image he was painting, or the feeling of his skin warm and reassuring against hers. 'I don't know what I want anymore.'

Suddenly his hands left her skin, and his breath tickled soft against her ear. 'Then let me remind you.'

There was a brief pause as the soldier's greatcoat hit the floor, then his arms were snaking around his wife to half-carry, half-push her across to the wall by the desk. 'It's been too long,' he muttered hoarsely, kissing a path down her neck and shoulder until his lips reached the capped sleeve of her chemise.

Rose wavered then gave in; Dimitri's presence too strong to resist a moment longer. 'Promise you'll never leave me again,' she ordered brokenly.

'I promise,' he whispered against her skin, and she arched her head back against the plank-wall behind her – a gesture of forgiveness and invitation.

Dimitri took his cue at once - working his way back to her throat - and Rose groaned with pleasure as she buried her hands in her husband's hair; guiding him down to her breasts.

'Let me see them,' he begged, when his hands had fondled and his mouth had wandered, but the cotton chemise remained in its place; barring him from the prize he coveted.

'Only if you let me see you first,' his lover demanded breathlessly, her eyes boring a hole through his slim-fitted, brass-button jacket.

Major Belikov had never gotten out of his uniform so fast, and Rose felt the moisture spring to her mouth and between her legs as she watched her husband rid himself of his frockcoat, suspenders and undershirt; setting his broad chest and hard stomach out on display. The bulge in his pants seemed to grow as she looked at it, but when the man reached down eagerly to undo the buttons at his fly, Rose closed her eyes and banged her head back against the wall in frustration.

'What is it Roza?' he frowned, moving toward her swiftly and running his hands down her back. 'Are you afraid of me?'

Rose bit her lip, tears prickling under her eyelids. 'It's not that… It's the baby.'

'What?' Dimitri froze, his mind jarring to a standstill. 'Are you carrying our child?'

'No… I mean, not yet… but…'

'For God's sake, tell me quickly, woman. What baby?' he was on the verge of panic.

Rose reached out to touch his arm, trying to calm him, and herself. 'On my journey here I met some people – healers,' she explained, not wanting to complicate things with the details. 'They gave me some medicine and said if I take it every day for a month then I will be able to conceive.'

A light came into Dimitri's eyes as he understood. 'We can have a child?' he asked in wonder. 'But that's wonderful, Roza! I told you it would happen, didn't I?!... Now, where is this medicine? You should start the course at once. You're young and healthy. Perhaps the effects will work more quickly for you. Come here, milaya,' Dimitri pulled her into his body so the tips of her breasts grazed against his naked torso. 'I've yearned to give you a baby for so long. Let me do it,' he brought his mouth to hers, and the rawness of his kiss set a fire running through her veins. 'Please.'

'But that's just it… you can't!' Rose shook her head, struggling to think in this new, heightened state of turmoil. 'Do you know how dangerous it is to have a baby, Dimitri – even at the best of times? Women die. Babies die. The risks are already high enough without giving birth in the middle of a war. I want to carry your baby – really, I do – but we have to wait. Please. I couldn't bear to have a child and then lose it. Just wait until the war is over, and then...'

The man paused before answering, his hands never leaving his wife's body. 'You're right. For the child, we should wait.'

Mentally, Rose was relieved, but physically she was experiencing an ever increasing level of distress. Seeing and hearing and touching her husband after such a long absence had set an ache low of her belly and the thought of not being able to soothe it made her nearly mad with frustration.

It was as though Dimitri had read her mind. 'I will wait to plant my child in your belly, but there are other ways to show you how much I've missed you. How much I want you.'

Rose moaned in surprise and relief as the shirtless man ran his fingers roughly over her shoulders, dragging the sleeves of her chemise as far down her arms as they would go.

'I want to see you, Roza,' it was more of a demand than a request, and when Rose was too slow to respond, Dimitri boosted his wife up to perch on the edge of the writing desk; stitches tearing as he tugged firmly on the chemise and Roses' breasts sprung free above the lacy neckline. 'This is what I've been waiting for,' he muttered, smoothing his hands over the two pale, perfect globes then latching onto the nearest peak and lapping at it with his tongue.

An incoherent reply tumbled from Rose's lips as Dimitri rubbed his palm in a circle over her other nipple, and she grabbed at him weakly; trying to touch his hair, his shoulders - whatever part of him she could reach. 'Dimitri,' she bleated his name, opening her legs to him as he moved higher; his fingers taking over from where his mouth had just been and his tongue pressing rhythmically hers.

With his pants still buttoned and bulging, the soldier positioned himself between her legs and rocked firmly against the welcoming warmth of her opening.

'We can't, remember,' Rose gasped, feeling him nudge deeper – as far as the fabric shield would allow, but not far enough to give her the relief she needed.

'I remember,' he answered with a catch to his voice. In the next moment, the hand at her breast slipped downwards - finding the slick velvet between her legs - and slowly, unapologetically, he sunk two fingers deep inside her.

Rose gasped at the unexpected intrusion but her eyes fell closed as she pushed her hips against him, and he responded in kind. As his wife's movements became more fitful, Dimitri stole his other hand behind her neck to support her weight and brought her face to his – smothering the sounds of her long-awaited pleasure against his lips. In almost no time at all Rose felt herself unravelling, then Dimitri's hand suddenly left the nape of her neck and closed over her right breast. One pinch at her nipple sent her hurtling over the edge and she moaned against his mouth; unable to think of anything but Dimitri inside her and surrounding her. The only thing holding her world together.

When Rose finally managed to resurface from the string of shocks and tremors her husband ignited in her, her first thought was of providing Dimitri with the same satisfaction. 'But what about you, cowboy?' she tripped over the words a little, half-drunk on passion. 'Isn't there some way we could…'

Dimitri's pants had been barely able to contain him since he'd walked into the cabin that evening, and he needed no further encouragement. 'Floor,' he growled softly, picking Rose up off the desk and laying her out by the fire; her breasts still out on display.

She looked up at him with desire and a little fear as he stood over her and loosened the buttons on his pants. When he pushed his trousers and underwear down past his hips, his manhood loomed out from his body – smooth and swollen in the firelight - and he dropped swiftly to straddle the woman on the floor; pushing her chemise upwards to expose her belly.

Rose felt her own need returning, watching the look of concentration on his face as he smoothed a hand over his length.

'Let me,' she suggested shyly, and his eyes widened with surprise and lust as she reached out to encase him in both of her hands. 'Is this what you like, moy bol'shoy muzh,' Rose whispered, hearing his low groan and feeling the press of his weight into her hips as she found the right rhythm. She didn't know many words in Russian, but a lifetime ago she'd pestered him to teach her this phrase – though he'd been quite embarrassed about it at the time.

Those words from her lips at this very moment, however, did not embarrass Dimitri. Is this what you like, my big man? he heard her whisper, a glint of mischief in her tired, sated expression.

Yes, it was certainly what he liked. Kneading the woman's breasts firmly, Dimitri toyed at a nipple every now and then so he could enjoy her quiet gasps while she pleasured him. Joining his hand to hers for the final stroke, Dimitri hissed in release as he spilt his seed over the soft plane of his wife's flat belly then collapsed on top of her - body twitching as Rose's arms slid around him and he buried his face in her hair.

'Where are you going?' Rose asked after Dimitri had tucked her into bed on the lower bunk and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders. She'd hoped they might sleep together, after what had transpired between them. Tomorrow would have its own challenges, but it would have been nice if they could have just had tonight.

'The medicine. For the baby. Where is it?' he asked, crouching over the pile of luggage at the foot of the bed. 'You should start taking it tonight. Forrest thinks the war will be won in the next few weeks - a month at the outside. If you begin the treatment now, we'll be ready to start trying for a baby as soon as the fighting is done.'

Rose smiled tiredly. Dimitri had always liked having a mission to focus on, and it seemed that their path to parenthood would be no exception to the rule. 'It's in a leather pouch in the medical bag. The powder needs to be steeped in hot water and drunk as a tea.'

Dimitri set a pot of water to boil then put the medical satchel up on the desk by the fire so he could look through it to find the other ingredients. When the drink had been prepared and cooled, he sat by Rose's bedside and wouldn't let her put the cup down until she'd finished it. 'How do you feel?' he asked, watching for any physical reactions.

'I don't think I'm pregnant yet, cowboy!' Rose answered wryly. 'Now, will you come to bed with me?'

Dimitri was already moving back towards the desk but looked over his shoulder at her expectant, pouting face. 'Right away, my Roza,' he nodded, then fiddled a few moments longer with the medical bag.

When her husband slipped under the blankets, Rose automatically rolled towards the wall so he could spoon in behind her. 'I can't believe this is real,' she whispered, snuggling back into him to make sure he wasn't just a figment of her imagination. 'Did you wake up this morning and think we would… Dimitri?!'

Something stung the side of her neck; a sharp, piercing sensation that made her try to pull away, but she couldn't move. Dimitri was holding her still.

'It's alright, Roza. Just a little sting.'

'Dimitri, what have you done?' she whimpered, turning her head slightly to see the firelight pick up the silver gleam of a hypodermic needle.

'Don't worry, milaya,' he soothed, soft and low. 'It's been a difficult day and you need a good sleep to recover - this is just what the doctor ordered. The morphine will last five hours or more, so close your eyes and relax. Tomorrow is an important day. General Gale has asked to meet you, and I expect you to be at your best. Now shut those pretty eyelids and go to sleep. You have nothing to fear. I won't let anybody harm you.'

Rose fought against the darkness but it was too strong for her, and the last thing she remembered before being dragged into black was a white sheet of paper. Her telegram for Abe. She just hoped she would wake again tomorrow so she could send it.

.

Author's Note:

Oh crap! My brain nearly turned inside out trying to get the dynamic right between Rose & 'strigoi' Dimitri. I wanted him to come across as 'scary hot' (thanks VATooobsessed) not just an abusive psychopath, which was tricky in an all-human world. Hopefully it worked for you.

Rose wasn't keen on walking to Fort Henry beside Dimitri's horse like 'marching meat'. To stop meat rations rotting in the Civil War, buffalo herds (AKA marching meat) walked with the troops when they moved between encampments & were slaughtered for eating/pickling whenever the soldiers required protein in their diets.

Dinah is based on Dimitri's slave Inna from BP. I've called her Dinah as this was a common slave name, and it was also used as a general term to refer to any female black slave (i.e. if you didn't know a slave's actual name you could just call her 'Dinah' and she would know to respond. Pretty messed up.)

*Update AUGUST 2020*: If you were reading this story when I was first posting in 2017-18 you'd know that I had a lot of real life stuff going on - had baby no.2 while writing Deputy Belikov then moved interstate and started new job(s) while writing Civil War. The interruptions made me lose my muse, but I'm feeling inspired again to get this story wrapped up. I've finished re-editing chapters 1-12, and now hard at work nutting out the ending. If you've left a review on Chapter 12, I'll send you a PM when I'm ready to start posting again :)

*Update SEPTEMBER 2020*: Good news - Chapter 13 is ready to go & will post on the next new moon (start of October). See you soon :)