"It's chilly tonight, the fire is going in the children's room right?" Lyudmila asked softly as the man walked as quietly as he could into the kitchen, a little white pomeranian followed close behind.

The rowdy group of children were having a weekend sleepover at their quiet cabinet in the woods and the man, paired with his helpers, got all of the children to bed and to sleep.

"Of course Mila," Dima replied as he stopped in front of the large counter and ran a hand through his thick black hair and scratched at his beard. Lyudmila watched him quietly as she placed the mug of broth to her lips. She could see frustration laced in his features as he looked around for something.

"Did you forget what you were doing?" Lyudmila asked. Dima glanced at the woman and sighed a bit, he did forget.

"Kind of...yeah…" Dima replied defeated.

It should have been a natural thing by now, his memory was spotty from Talon's control over him years prior. When they had woken him up from his cryogenic sleep they had assumed through his reconditioning that his memory would return.

But it didn't.

He needed constant reminders for various things and would ask questions about things he asked hours ago. Lyudmila's heart cried in anguish when she saw the man become frustrated with himself because he couldn't remember. It tore him apart when he couldn't fully remember they were married, nor could he remember their marriage ceremony. She reassured the man countless times and told him stories of their marriage, their friends they had lost and the friends that she currently had. He listened with rapt attention, soaking up every word she said, asked questions and more. The next day, he would ask again or wouldn't remember everything she had told him.

It was tough, but she loved him, and he loved her. She had fought so hard and worked just as hard to get him back to the man that he once was, she had come too far to give up on him.

The soft yips of the small dog, Lorien, brought her back to the present, She watched as the large man gently scooped up the small dog and walked over to the sofa in front of the large fireplace.

"Mila...come sit with me," Dima said softly as he sat down with the small dog in his hand.

"Ok. Did you want some broth-" Lyudmila began.

"No. Just you," Dima replied as he watched the fire crackled softly. Lyudmila hesitated for a moment before she joined the man on the sofa, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders welcoming her into lean on him despite the little dog that yapped at the woman's presence.

"She's so possessive of you," Lyudmila commented.

"A small dog with the mind of a mastiff, and the others think they're lap dogs," Dima commented as the little dog slid out of his hand and onto his thigh.

"The children love them and you love them too," Lyudmila teased.

"I do. When they aren't knocking me on my ass," Dima chuckled.

"They love you," Lyudmila replied as she placed her now empty mug onto the coffee table.

"I know. I know…" Dima trailed off. Lyudmila caught the man's hesitation to continue, she placed her head on his shoulder and sighed softly. There was a soft silence between the two as they sat and watched the fire.

"Mila…" Dima began.

"Hm?"

"Is...Is this what it's like to be...to have...a home and children?" Dima questioned.

It took Lyudmila a moment to respond to the man, memories that she had long buried threatened to push themselves back to the forefront, them wanting a home together after they retired from SPETZNAZ and trying for a child-

"Yes...something like this," Lyudmila replied.

"I...I like it...it makes me feel more human to be surrounded by all of this…" Dima trailed off.

"That's good...you always did like children," Lyudmila sighed softly.

"I may not always remember their names all the time...but I love every single one of them...as if they were my own," Dima continued.

In the back of her mind, the question of if he remembered that unfortunate day and those months that she isolated herself after. They grieved and she blamed herself for the whole thing, the walls she had built since she recovered, trembled slightly. Silence fell between the two again, the soft pops of the wood splintering echoed in the room.

"Mila...we...almost had a child...didn't we?" Dima asked cautiously. Lyudmila squeezed her eyes shut as her mind was flooded by the anguish, the arguments, the isolation they experience so many years ago.

"...We did," Lyudmila replied softly, at that moment she felt the man's arm squeeze her a little bit tighter, as if he needed to reassure her that it wasn't her fault, that they were both still here.

"Though...she never saw the light of day...we're surrounded by plenty who I will protect with my life," Lyudmila replied softly.

Dima nodded in agreement as he scooped up the small dog and placed her on the floor, in protest the little dog yapped until the large man hushed her.

"Mila...my thoughts are all jumbled and I can't think straight….but there are things I want to say to you that I am sure that I have told you at some point...but I can't remember," Dima began.

" Start from the top," Lyudmila suggested simply.

"Thank you," Dima blurted.

"For?" Lyudmila asked as she looked at the man.

"For protecting me for all of those years, locking me away from...everyone...until you were able to fix me," Dima replied as he turned towards her.

"Dima…" Lyudmila sighed softly.

"And...for loving me the way you have since…"Dima trailed off, his brows furrowed.

"I couldn't let them take you back...I couldn't. I lost you once and I damn sure was not going to lose you again," Lyudmila spoke up.

"I-" the woman began when suddenly the man gently cupped her face.

As they looked at each, they saw each other as they did when they gave their vows so many years ago. Without the modifications of Talon, without the damages of war, just as they were many years ago.

"Moya prekrasnaya zhena…" Dima whispered

"Dmitri…" Lyudmila replied softly as she closed her eyes, she knew that he meant every word that he said but found it hard to believe that she was beautiful, especially now. The scars of war etched deep into her skin, her body and soul, she never thought of herself as beautiful.

"I have something for you," Dima began as he dug into his sweater pocket. Curious, Lyudmila's hazel brown eyes caught a glimpse of an intricate silver necklace looped with a ring.

It was a wedding ring.

"Uh...your lady friends...told me I should get a new one ...and well they helped me pick it out for you,"Dima said as he held the necklace up for her to see.

"Dima...you didn't have to," Lyudmila began.

"I wanted to...besides...it will be a reminder to me that I am married to the greatest woman alive, the woman that covered my ass and saved me. A reminder that I am married to you and only you," Dima said as he slipped the necklace over her head.

"Though my memory may be bead...I don't want to ever forget you again...Lyudmila," Dima said quietly. The woman sighed softly as she felt her heart clench at the man's words and cause her to chuckle.

"Ty bol'shoy emotsional'nyy medevd…"

Russian Translations:

Moya prekrasnaya zhena - My beautiful Wife

Ty bol'shoy emotsional'nyy medevd - You big emotional bear