•Rose Hathaway•

Ugh why did I let Yelena and Vika convince me to go out the last night me and Yelena will be here before we head to her parents for the next two weeks? But I guess it's better than running into Dimitri and Lissa tomorrow when they get here after we leave. "C'mon Roza get dressed so we can go out for dinner." Vika's voice floats in through the door as she knocks. I sigh and strip out of my workout clothes from earlier. I pull on a dark green lingerie set, that surprisingly Sonya gave to me, and throw on a dash of perfume.

I then pull on my black leather jeans and my black ankle boots and lace them up. I then pull on a pink cropped sweater. I walk out the bathroom and head to Karolina's room. "Hey Lina do you mind helping me with my hair? I'm not too good at braiding it?" I ask as I knock on the door. Surprisingly the first time I called her Lina instead on Karo by accident she got this huge smile on her face. And she only lets me call her that, which is cool.

"Yeah come in Roza, I just got Zoya down for her pre-lunch nap. And next time you come back I can teach you if you'd like? You should come back for Christmas. We celebrate Orthodox Christmas but Mama would love you to come for the holidays." Karolina smiles gesturing for me to sit at her vanity. She grabs a brush and parts my hair before softy braiding my hair into two big braids, fishtail's I think.

"Hmm we'll see Lina. I don't think I'll be able to be around your brother for a very long while. If he's not here I'll definitely come for Christmas unless Baba wants to spend it with me. And even then if he does I may still pop in for a visit. I'd definitely not wanna miss spending time with my favorite family." I frown before smiling up at her in the mirror.

"Yes well depending on how he acts tomorrow there may not be much left of my grebanyy pridurok mladshego brata." Lina grunts slipping back into Russian in her anger.

I frown I don't want his family to be angry at him on my behalf. "Lina maybe they were right, maybe I did keep pushing when I should have given him his space. But he kept pushing me away and acting like I didn't even exist, and it hurt so much. And he was also acting like the sun shone out of Lissa's ass and that it was all her that did everything. But I don't want you guys to hate him, I still love Dimitri even though he doesn't love me anymore. If he ever truly did. This is making me second guess everything we ever went through and if he ever really loved me or if his words were all just lies. Figures I flirt and kiss boys and have a reputation as a heartbreaker only to get my heart broken by the love of my life." I laugh bitterly with a rueful smile. "If only I could move on, but I will always love him. I guess love wasn't meant to be for me." I frown.

"Oh Roza we don't hate my idiot little brother. We don't blame him for what happened when he was turned. We're just angry and disappointed in how he acted towards you after he was restored. He didn't even reach out first, we did. After you came back and told Vika." Lina frowns before tying the ends of my hair off. "There all done Roza. Now I'm gonna take so many pictures of you so I can show Dimitri and tell him how much of an idiot he is." Lina smiles.

Suddenly Vika and Yelena pop up in the door and my mouth drops. "Damn you two look really nice. I'm gonna have to beat guys and girls away from you the whole night." I grin. Vika's dressed in a pink halter corset type top with shorts embroidered with pink roses and pink converse. Her hair is straight with a braid pulling her bangs back. While Yelena is dressed in navy blue velvet high waisted shorts, a white off the shoulder ruffle blouse with navy blue velvet chunky heels on her feet. And her freshly dyed ginger red hair is done similar to Vika's.

"Hmm no dice Roza, we will have to beat girls and guys away from you. Or maybe we won't, maybe I'll take pictures of you dancing with people and show them to Dimka. Show him what's he's missing." Vika slyly grins.

Sonya scoffs from her doorway. "That's too in his face Vika. It has to be more subtle. Maybe we should have Mama help us knock sense into his thick skull." Sonya grumbles.

"Guys as much as I love that you're trying to be there for me. Don't be too hard on him. He can't help his feelings. I can't force him to love me." I blurt gloomily.

Vika opens her mouth as if to say something but Lina or Sonya look at her and she snaps her mouth shut with a visible pout. "Okay Roza, we'll respect your wishes." Sonya says sweetly, far too sweetly for my comfort. But I shrug Lina and Olena will keep them in check I'm sure.

"Tetya Roza, will you read me a story before you have to go please? I don't want you to leave again." Paul begs looking up at me and tugging my arm.

"O, Pol, konechno, ya budu chitatʹ tebe. No ya dolzhen idti zavtra. YA tozhe budu po tebe skuchatʹ. No ya obeshchayu prikhoditʹ kazhdyy raz, kogda smogu, khorosho?" I explain to him. He still looks upset but he nods and pulls me in the direction of his room. He pulls a book off of his bookshelf before climbing in the bed. I carefully tuck him in and curl up around him before opening the book. Thank god for Olena and Lina, otherwise my Russian wouldn't be anywhere good enough for me to read this to Paul. I begin reading to him and run his hair until he falls asleep. I carefully climb away from him. I press a featherlight kiss on his forehead. "I love you Paul." I smile before setting the book back where it's from and slowly and softly walking out the room and carefully shutting the door.

"Thank you Roza. This is going to be so hard tomorrow, he's going to miss you like crazy." Lina smiles sadly.

"I know. I'll miss him too. I never thought I would ever be one of those people who actually loved kids. I never thought I would have any of my own, so at most I thought I would be like an Aunt to Lissa's kids. But him, Zoya and Katya make me realize how wrong I was, they made me realize I would love kids in the future. Not any time soon though, I don't want them to have the same childhood I did. But it's not possible, there's only one man I would ever want to be the father of my children. Anyway I'll visit and Skype whenever I can." I smile softly.

" Alright let's get going so we're not late. I got us a nice table." Yelena grins and links our arms together before leading us outside to the car her parents sent. We get in and buckle up before the car takes off. And seem enough we're inside a nice restaurant. It's not too fancy and it's not a hole in the wall either. Vika and I survey the area before we decide to sit down once we confirm it's clear.

"Put the gloomy thoughts away for tonight Rose. Have fun and act your age." Vika groans noticing my pensive look. I shrug halfheartedly and nod at her.

The Next Day

^Dimitri Belikov^

It all feels unreal, I haven't been back home since right before I met Rose for the first time. I wonder if my sisters' anger has lessened since they called me to tell me off for not letting them know I was restored. I wince in remembrance of that phone call. "Dimitri, are you ready?" Princess Vasilisa asks looking at me breaking me out of my thoughts.

"It's… unreal Princess. I haven't been home since right before I became your Guardian and began helping the academy look for you and Rose. So almost two years ago. Though my sisters called to yell at me when they found out I'd been restored and hadn't called or came to visit them." I wince and rub my ears. "I am nervous they will no longer trust me as they once used to." I offer tentatively.

"I'm sure they won't think that Dimitri. And how many times have I told you just call me Lissa?" Princess, no she just reminded me, Lissa smiles. I nod and pull into the drive of my childhood home.

"I'm sorry but we may have to end up going to a hotel, I'm not sure if there's enough room for the both of you and everyone else. Everyone already doubles up." I apologize rubbing the back of my head and getting out of the car. I lead the way to the front door and Lissa and Christian follow me. Before I can even knock on the door the door is yanked open and Mama throws her body at me and I barely catch her. She starts sobbing and I hug her back.

"My baby boy. Dimka you're finally home, oh Roza was right you really are you again." Mama sighs and cups my face in her hands. "Oh you must be Princess Vasilisa and Lord Ozera. Roza has told me all about you, come in and sit. I will cook for you. You all look to skinny, you must eat better." Mama fusses pulling us all in towards the kitchen. Mama pulls out a bunch of food and begins cooking.

After a while Viktoria walks in and yawns. "Mama have you seen my brush? I think Roza or Yelena had it last night." Viktoria sleepily asks. She then sees me and freezes, for a minute I think she's going to start crying. But instead she gets tense and ignores me and looks at Mama.

"Hmm no Vika, check with Sonya or Karolina. Karo did help Roza with her hair last night before you all went out and she might have used your brush?" Mama answers not looking up from the food. Vika huffs and runs out the room and back up the stairs.

"Mama.. what just? Why is Vika ignoring me? Is she still mad I didn't call as soon as I could?" I ask hurt.

" Ne glupyy malʹchik. Ona zlit·sya na tvoye obrashcheniye s Rozoy, kak i vse my. Ty pozvolil yey vyskolʹznutʹ iz tvoikh palʹtsev, kak ty mog bytʹ takim glupym? YA dumal, chto moy vnuk byl umneye etogo. ochevidno, ya byl neprav." Babushka grunts walking into the kitchen and instead of hugging me like mama slaps me on the back of my head. Hardly. Ouch.

"Babushka, what are you talking about?" I ask blinking in shock. And pain, I've forgotten how hard Babushka's head slaps are.

"Oh don't be an idiot Dimka. You know she means how you pushed away the woman who went across the world for you and lied and told her "I've given up on you. Love fades, mine has"! She risked so much for you and you act like she's done nothing and then you lie to her! You've made an otherwise confident girl think all your moments and words of love were lies. You are an absolyutnyy pridurok." Sonya hisses stomping in the room while holding an infant to her chest.

"Dimka?! That's what you told Roza? I'm so disappointed, she's gone above and beyond to save you and that's how you treat her?" Mama huffs looking at me and crushing my soul. Vika then walks back in the room and punches me so hard in the nose that I hear a loud crunch. Shit I think she broke my nose.

I hold my nose in my hand and look up at Vika. "Vika I thought you promised Roza to take it easy on Dimka before she left this morning?" Karo asks from the doorway holding an infant and Paul standing next to her. Paul looks at me angrily and I look at Karo confused. "Don't look so confused little brother. Paul overheard our conversations with Roza when he should have been sleep. He's upset that his favorite Auntie isn't here anymore. Since you are." Karo scoffs.

"Ah Karo this is me taking it easy on Dimka. He's lucky I haven't punched him in the dick with brass knuckles. But Roza made us promise so I'm keeping my promise. Even though it makes me upset to." Vika huffs before heading back upstairs.

Karo leads me to the bathroom and helps me set my nose. But not before handing Babushka the baby in her arms. "You really fucked up this time Dimka. How could you tell her a bald faced lie like that? Roza loves you so much and she's suffered career wise and has lost a lot of her friends because of what she chose to do to restore you. And then you cruelly lie to her? You better fix this Dimitri Belikov! Otherwise I will help her find someone to move on with myself." Karo shakes her her and with a sharp yank sets my nose. I grip the twoel she hands me to my nose to stop the blood flow. "Do you understand me Dimitri Belikov? You will do whatever it takes to win Roza back. Even if you have to beg on your knees for her to forgive you. You. Will. Do. Whatever. It. Takes. You will show her that you lied and that you still love her and that you always will." Karo hisses yanking on my ear and pulls me down to her eye level.

I blink in pain and slowly nod my head in agreement. "Yes Karo, I completely understand you. And I agree." I shakily breathe. She nods in acceptance and then pats me on my cheek before walking out to the kitchen. Well at least my family all love Roza, though I knew they would. Well I've got a big mess to fix. Because like Karo said I've fucked up royally. And I intend to fix this, I love Roza and I can't live without her.

The russian translations for this chapter:
1.) grebanyy pridurok mladshego brata= fucking moron of a little brother
2.) tetya Roza= Auntie Roza
3.) O, Pol, konechno, ya budu chitatʹ tebe. No ya dolzhen idti zavtra. YA tozhe budu po tebe skuchatʹ. No ya obeshchayu prikhoditʹ kazhdyy raz, kogda smogu, khorosho?= Aww Paul of course I'll read to you. But I have to go tomorrow. I'll miss you too. But I promise to come and visit whenever I can, okay?
4.) Ne glupyy malʹchik. Ona zlit·sya na tvoye obrashcheniye s Rozoy, kak i vse my. Ty pozvolil yey vyskolʹznutʹ iz tvoikh palʹtsev, kak ty mog bytʹ takim glupym? YA dumal, chto moy vnuk byl umneye etogo. ochevidno, ya byl neprav.= No stupid boy. She's mad at your treatment of Roza, as we all are. You let her slip out of your fingers, how could you be so stupid? I thought my grandson was smarter than that. obviously I was wrong.
5.) absolyutnyy pridurok= Absolute fucking moron