When I woke up I was a little disappointed that Dimitri wasn't there, but I knew that I couldn't expect him to be there. I yawned as I thumped down the stairs, turning into the living room.

"Hey," I said when I spotted Mom on the couch. Mom looked up from the array of papers spread out on the coffee table.

"Morning, mo chridhe," Mom yawned, running her hand through her hair. I smiled and walked over to the couch and sat down. I laid down on my side and rested my head in her lap. She chuckled and ran her fingers through my hair before going back to her work.

"What is this for?" she asked.

I shrugged. "Just wanted to," I said quietly. Mom hummed and leaned forward so she could go back to her papers, her stomach brushing against the back of my head. I scanned the papers in front of us but none of them made sense to me. Probably why Mom had them out in the open. Even if someone looked at them, they wouldn't be able to figure them out.

"What are you working on?"

Mom didn't speak right away, instead stroking my shoulder. "Homicide. It's the fourth family in Portland. We're most likely going to be called in to work on this. I'm hoping that it will be after the holiday. I've missed out on too many Christmas' without you," she explained as she dropped the papers in her hand back on the table.

I rolled a bit and looked up at her. "Mom. You don't need to put your work on hold just to spend Christmas with me."

Mom frowned a little and let out a small sigh. "When you were in your accident, it put everything into perspective. I missed out on so much of your life, and I don't want to do that anymore."

I swallowed thickly and worried my lip. "Do you know about all of what happened with my car accident? Did Dimitri tell you?"

"About the real reason why you and Dimitri were fighting?" Mom asked quietly. I nodded and she sighed.

"He told you everything?"

"You mean that I died?"

Mom grimaced and her brows pinched together. "I wish you never needed to know that. I could barely breathe when Dimitri told me. I couldn't believe it when he told me. It was part of why we tried to push the two of you back together. We knew you were angry but we understood why as well."

"I'm sorry that you had to know that," I said quietly. Mom nodded and tapped her finger against the tip of my nose gently.

"I know hunny. Have you invited Dimitri to Christmas dinner?"

I rolled my eyes. "I figured you already had," I said dryly, "Speaking of. The Ekons are having some kind of gathering and it's formal. Any ideas on where I should get a dress?"

Mom looked thoughtful for a moment. "I know of a few places, that is, if you want your Mom tagging along?"

I grinned at her. "I wouldn't say no to that. We rarely get to go shopping together," I said with an encouraging tone. Mom smiled at me, her eyes crinkling at the sides. I couldn't help but think that even in her forties with wrinkles starting to form in the corners of her eyes, she was gorgeous.

After all the stress of her life between her job, being a wife and mother, and then the events of the last few months, she still looked great. I could only hope that I aged as she did.

"I'm going to go get dressed?" I said as I sat up.

Mom nodded and started gathering up her papers, stacking them neatly before sliding them into her appropriate folders.

"Sure. I will get dressed in a few minutes. Maybe we could stop at Molly Bloom's for breakfast?"

I chuckled as I climbed the stairs. "You must have heard my stomach growling."

I sighed and ran my hands through my hair. "This shouldn't be this difficult," I moaned.

Mom chuckled at me and pulled the zipper down when I turned my back to her. I huffed and walked back into the dressing room to take the dress off and put a new one back on. Each dress that I had tried on was worse than the last. They looked great on the rack or the mannequins, but on me, not so much.

I slipped on another one and stepped out to look in the mirror, frowning at myself.

"I look like a kid," I grumbled.

Mom smirked at me and stood up, coming to a stop behind me. She took her clip out of her hair and pulled my hair back gently, twisting it and then setting the clip in place.

"I miss my long hair," I grumbled, "I think that's why I don't think I look nice."

Mom chuckled and pulled out a few strands around my face, "It's because you aren't used to short hair," she said. I smiled at her in the mirror and looked myself over in the mirror. The purple was almost blue and it had a shimmer to it when I moved.

"Do you like this one?" I asked.

"It's pretty, but I think that you still try on the others."

I nodded and went back into the dressing room and tried on the others. Two of them I disliked immediately, but the last one I stopped and stared at myself for a few moments. Mom called out to me and asked if everything was alright. I called out to her and nodded at myself in the mirror. I unlocked the door and stepped out, finding not one parent, but both.

"Wow," Baba said as he stood beside Mom with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Bad wow?" I asked.

Mom shook her head. "No. I think that's the dress," she said softly, "It looks fantastic!"

"It's not too much?" I asked, gesturing to the skirt. Mom shook her head.

"No. I think the dress looks really good. You look all grown up," she said with a smile. I turned back to the mirror and rubbed my lips together.

"Hair up or down?"

"That is a dress you wear it down with," Mom said. I nodded and looked over myself again in the three-panel mirror. The top of it was maroon lace, coming to rest just off my shoulders with a scalloped V-neck. The lace tapered down over my hips and the skirt was mostly satin, with a deep slit over the thigh. The skirt came down to my ankles and wasn't tight to my legs. It was flowy and I was happy to see that Mom was right. I did look older. I didn't look like a high school student anymore. I looked like an adult.

"Well since we are all out and about, how about I take my girls for dinner?" Baba suggested with a grin. I looked at Mom and laughed.

"I don't know, Mom? What do you think?"

Mom grinned and gestured for me to go get dressed. I went back in and carefully took the dress off, brushing my fingers over the skirt. Once I was dressed I came out holding the dress in my hand. One of the women helping us took the dress from me while telling me to leave the others in the dressing room.

I followed the saleswoman to the front with my parents, the two discussing which place would be best for dinner. I couldn't help but smile at them as we walked out of the store. I looked down to make sure I wasn't dragging the bottom when I walked into someone.

"Shit, sorry," I said, looking around the bag. My parents laughed at me and I lowered the bag so I could see who I walked into.

"You should pay attention, Roza. I may not mind if you walk into me, but someone else might," Dimitri chuckled, plucking the bag from my hands. I rolled my eyes at him and reached for the bag when he held it above his head.

I jumped to try and grab the bag back, to which Dimitri laughed at me.

"I do pay attention, thank you very much," I grumbled. Dimitri took pity on me and lowered the bag until I could reach the hanger. I grabbed the hanger from him and narrowed my eyes at him. He smirked and pressed a quick kiss to my lips.

"I'm surprised you didn't sense him coming," Baba laughed.

"I've gotten too good at blocking the bond, I need to learn how to not do that again," I laughed, looked up at Dimitri and stroked his arm.

"I was also blocking the bond, didn't want Rose getting a sneak peek at her Christmas presents," Dimitri said as he gestured to the bags. I raised my brows at him.

"I thought you said no gifts?"

Dimitri shrugged. "So?"

I rolled my eyes but was grateful that I did buy him something just to be safe. It wasn't much, but I knew that he would like it.

"Good, 'cause I bought you gifts either way."

Baba chuckled at the two of us before interrupting our staring contest. "We were just going to go for dinner, would you like to join us?"

I looked at Baba dryly. "You know that he doesn't need food."

Dimitri chuckled and kissed my cheek. "I still enjoy it. I'd love to join you," Dimitri said with a smile.

I smiled as Dimitri moved all of the bags to one hand while slipping the empty one into mine. I curled my other hand around his forearm as we walked, resting my head against his bicep as we walked.

"What's this for?" Dimitri asked as he shook my garment back.

"What? You didn't decide to slip into my head?"

Dimitri shook his head. I giggled to myself. "Too bad, I was naked for the better part of the last forty minutes," I said quietly so only he would hear me.

Dimitri growled lowly in his throat, a flicker of heat rolling through me from the bond. I laughed again and kissed his arm.

"Play your cards right, comrade. Play your cards right," I murmured.

"I don't need to play my cards right, Roza," Dimitri whispered, "I already know how tonight is going to play out."

I looked up at him with a cocked brow, something I had finally figured out to do, much to Dimitri's amusement. "Oh really?"

Dimitri nodded and glanced toward my parents before speaking again. "I could tell you, but I'd rather watch you squirm at dinner," Dimitri said with a grin as a montage of images flowed through my head. My footing stuttered for a moment and I let out a small gasp at the intensity of the images.

"Dimitri!" I exclaimed quietly. Dimitri laughed and tried to compose himself when my parents turned back to look at us, but he cracked and broke into laughter again.

"Something you want to share?" Mom asked with a grin.

"No!" I exclaimed immediately, looking at Dimitri bluntly.

I ran my fingers through my hair and pursed my lips in the car mirror.

"You look breathtaking," Dimitri said as he lifted the hand he held and pressed his lips to the back of it. I smiled at him as he parked.

"You look very handsome yourself," I said softly. Dimitri winked and leaned over the console and pressed his lips to mine, cupping the back of my head as he kissed me. I moaned quietly and unbuckled my seatbelt, leaning into him.

Dimitri's fingers were twisted into my hair when we pulled apart, my lips parted as I caught my breath. I reached up and ran my thumb over Dimitri's bottom lip, collecting the lipstick I smeared over his lip.

"Ready?" I asked with a small laugh. Dimitri nodded and got out of the car, coming around to mine and opening the door before I reapplied my lipstick. I took his hand as I got out of the car, gripping it so I didn't slip on the gravel.

"Do I look okay? Not too much or too little?" I asked hesitantly as I smoothed my hair.

"You look perfect, moya lyubov'," Dimitri promised as we walked. I blushed and sighed, squeezing his hand again. Dimitri opened the back door for me, and I stepped in before him. We had come in by the boardrooms and Dimitri helped me out of my coat, smoothing my hair into place when I got my coat off. I ran my hand through my hair, not used to having styled curls instead of my natural ones. It felt thin, but it looked pretty, nonetheless.

Dimitri gripped my hands and turned me to face him, kissing my knuckles.

"Stop stressing, Roza. You look lovely, and you look perfect."

I nodded and sighed. "Thanks. I'm just nervous. I haven't been here around everyone since…" I began but I couldn't finish the sentence. Since I essentially rejected him.

Dimitri let go of my hands and cupped my cheek, his love for me pulsing through the bond.

"No one here is going hold what happened against you, Rose. You're young and what you had learned is hard for all mates to comprehend. Nobody thinks anything less or poorly about you. All that matters right now, is that we are here, together. And I think that we are stronger now than we were before everything that happened," Dimitri implored, holding me close to him.

I leaned into him and closed my eyes. "We are stronger," I whispered, "And I'm never walking away again."

I opened my eyes and smiled at him, seeing a flicker in his eyes. Instead of red, it was a flicker of amber. I remembered reading that mated Ekons eyes could change in colour once the mate had been completed. In moments of intense emotions, their eyes would flicker.

In some cases, it would happen in the human counterpart as well, though I hadn't noticed it yet myself.

"Ready?" Dimitri whispered. I nodded and took his hand again, letting him lead me down the hall. When we came around the corner I was stunned. The room was all decked out and looked like a completely different room. I was in awe as I looked around, my mouth gaping open.

"Wow," I whispered to myself. Dimitri chuckled and kissed my temple.

"We know how to do Christmas," Dimitri whispered in my ear. I grinned at him and squeezed his hand as we approached Alberta.

Alberta wore a silver dress that made her look younger than her years. She looked like she could have been only a few years older than me.

"Wow, Alberta. You look fantastic!" I enthused. Alberta grinned at me and pinched my chin playfully.

"You're one to talk," she chirped. I smiled and took the glass that Stan offered, sniffing it before taking a sip. I sighed quietly to myself and took another sip. It was a good merlot. I looked up at Dimitri and raised a brow.

"You going to have one?"

"I'm driving," Dimitri stated.

I looked at Alberta and laughed. "I thought that alcohol didn't affect Ekons the same?"

"It doesn't, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Especially with the roads being the way they are," Dimitri replied softly, stroking my cheek with the back of his finger.

I nodded and took another sip, turning my attention to the Ekon that approached us. He was older and looked like a stereotypical English Professor, but he struck familiarity with me.

"You know how to throw a party, Alberta," he said with a grin, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

"Thank you, Malcolm," Alberta said, "It's nice that you have come back for once. It's been years."

"Yes, well I was curious," he said before he looked at me.

My brows quirked the slightest bit. "Have we met?"

"It's not every day the object of an award piece happens to be an Ekon from my home coven," he replied with a smirk. I cocked my head to the side before I recognized him.

"You're the head of my program," I said with a tight smile, "And my art history professor."

"I am," he chuckled, "I can only assume that your mood has been linked to your bond?"

I cleared my throat and forced a smile. "Yes and no."

Malcolm chuckled and turned to Dimitri, shaking his hand with a smile. "It's good to see you kid. It's nice to see the person and not the sketch."

"I've been told that I have been an inspiration," Dimitri laughed, making me blush.

"Not all of my sketches are of you," I grumbled, sipping my wine again. Dimitri wrapped his arm around my waist and let his hand rest on my hip.

"I didn't say I didn't like it," he said in my ear. I rolled my eyes and found Alberta looking at me with amusement. I let my barriers down and sighed to myself, savouring the pure happiness that flowed from Dimitri. It was untarnished happiness, and I was happy to know that he was happy. I know that if I felt as terrible as I did, he must have felt the same or worse.

After five months of heartache and I couldn't believe that we were here now.

"What inspired the sketch you submitted for memories? It was a waterfall?"

"A cliffside," I corrected, "It was where Dimitri took me one night. Funny enough, the conversation we had that night was memories."

"It was a wonderful piece. Have you thought of doing it over with colour? Pastels even?"

I shrugged. "Maybe with paints. It was so dark out but so light at the same time."

Malcolm nodded. "I won't keep you with school conversations, but I look forward to seeing more of your work," he said with a smile.

I smiled at him and waited until he had walked over to another Ekon before my jaw dropped and I gapped at Dimitri.

"Did you hear what he just said?!" I exclaimed quietly, smacking his chest lightly.

"I did," Dimitri chuckled. I shook my head and scoffed to myself.

"The head of my program has seen my work! And liked it!" I hissed. "Am I drunk? Did I actually hear that?"

Alberta, Stan, and Dimitri all chuckled at my excitement while I tried to compose myself. I fanned myself and blew out a breath, shaking my head a little bit.

"I can't believe I am fangirling right now," I chuckled. Stan chuckled and sipped his whiskey.

"If only you got this excited about high school," he said with an eye roll. I glared at him and took a sip from my glass. I looked around the room and smiled at how many people were here. It was hard to think that there were so many people here. But then again, people came back to their home hubs for the holidays.

I spotted someone I knew and tapped Dimitri's hand before stepping away, a smirk growing on my lips as I walked. I sipped the last of my glass and set it on the table as I came to a stop, my hands going to rest on my hips.

"Wow. You own a hairbrush," I teased.

Christian glowered at me and ran his hand through his hair, messing up the slicked-back hair.

"Tasha made me do it," he grumbled.

I snickered but grinned at him. "Did she dress you too?"

"No," he drawled, "I know how to dress for a formal event. Funny enough, we match."

I rolled my eyes and gestured for him to follow me. We went into the kitchen area and I stole a few pieces of mini quiche off the plater, handing one to Christian.

"Did you see Lissa this week?" I asked.

Christian popped the quiche into his mouth and nodded. "Yes. She's getting better. She's starting to remember names again."

I sighed and smiled at him, grabbing his hand. "That's great. I'm so happy to hear that."

Christian looked at my hand and made a face but squeezed my hand back anyway. "I know. Just a little more time."

I let go of his hand and tilted my head. "What do you mean?"

Christian glanced around before leaning his head toward me. "I'm not supposed to do it, but I've been healing her."

"I thought a bond would need to have started for that to happen?"

"It does, and we have a bond, but just not very strong. That's why it's taking me so long to heal her. I can only do it when I'm there. It's all the medication she's on; I can't heal her from a distance."

"That's why she remembered you coming because you're her mate," I whispered.

"Exactly. I'm hoping that by New Year's she be able to form new memories again. I just don't know how I'm going to tell her about her family," he said glumly, biting the edge of his lip. I frowned and leaned my back against the counter, crossing my arms over my stomach.

"I can be there if you want. It might be easier if I tell her, and you comfort her?"

"I'd appreciate that," Christian said quietly, "Tasha doesn't understand."

I stopped myself from rolling my eyes. "Of course, she doesn't. She was hell-bent on causing issues between me and Dimitri. She doesn't understand what she can't have."

Christian made a face. "You're telling me. After what happened in August, Tasha has been out for blood with you."

"What do you mean?" I asked with furrowed brows.

Christian sighed and opened the fridge door, looking inside for a moment before yanking a beer out. He twisted the cap off and took a swig, shaking his head slightly.

"She's made you out as a villain in the hub. Claiming that you rejected Dimitri outright. Most of them have told her to stuff it, but some have listened."

I felt my mood drop and I bit my lip, picking at my nails. "Great," I said dryly, "I have a hard time and she uses it to build a pedestal."

Christian frowned as he swallowed. "Hey, everyone has seen you here with Dimitri. We can all see how much you love each other. You can't fake that and you can't fake the aura between you. People here see that kind of thing. Tasha's word won't mean much now," Christian soothed with a small smile.

I looked over at Dimitri and smiled softly. He turned and met my eyes, a smile crossing his lips too. I could feel the pull to him and I blushed, turning back to look at Christian.

"See? You can't fake that," Christian said pointing his finger at me.

I smirked at him and canted my head, silently letting him know that I was going back to Dimitri. I smiled at him as I approached, curling into his side the moment he opened his arm to me. I spotted the bottle in his hand and raised a brow.

"You caved?"

"One beer won't hurt with how long we will be here," Dimitri said, "It's not like I'm drinking hard liquor."

I shook my head and held his hand as he moved to the couches, poking my tongue out at him playfully as he sat. I sat across his lap and crossed my legs, smoothing my skirt nervously.

"Christian said that Natasha was talking smack," I said quietly. Dimitri sighed and brushed his fingers over the side of my head.

"So? I don't care what people think. I know what the truth is. That is all that matters; the truth," Dimitri said, running the back of his fingers over the column of my neck. I shivered at the feeling and smiled.

"I love you," I whispered. I knew that everyone could probably hear me say it, but I didn't care.

"I love you, Rose," he said leaning in to kiss my temple. I leaned into his touch and smiled again, looking up at him.

"What did I do to get so lucky?" I asked him. Dimitri grinned and rested his hand on my knee, his finger running along the exposed skin of my thigh. I grabbed his hand when his finger crept higher, grinning at him when he laughed.

Dimitri shrugged and pressed a kiss to the soft spot behind my ear and I blushed at the blatant display.

"I think you should be asking how did I get so lucky to have you?" he breathed in my ear. I cupped his cheek and pressed a kiss to his lips.

"I don't know, I guess we are both pretty lucky," I said softly, my lips brushing against his as I spoke.

Dimitri grinned at me and rested his forehead against mine, his eyes closing for a moment. I closed mine too and savoured the moment, feeling weightless in happiness. I hadn't felt so good in months. I missed the feeling of completeness and content.

Dimitri brushed his nose against mine before he pulled back, the smile on his face dimming as he looked over my shoulder. I furrowed my brows and followed his line of sight, finding the cause of his mood change. I looked back at him and brushed the pad of my thumb over his bottom lip, making him look back at me.

"All that matters is the truth, right," I whispered, "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere ever again."

Dimitri's mood changed and brightened again. He leaned in again and kissed me before gesturing for me to stand. I stood up and smoothed my skirt again, slipping my hand into his when he stood up. I turned and stayed close to his side when a blonde man I didn't know stepped in beside us.

"Do I need to play whack-a-mole or just whack?" the man asked with an amused voice, raising a brow at us. I looked at Dimitri, partly because the man's accent was so thick I could barely understand him. If it weren't for hearing Dimitri speak so frequently, and knowing what his accent sounded like, I wouldn't have been able to make him out at all.

Dimitri's attention was moved to the man, a grin crossing his face as the two embraced. The two talked quickly, both speaking in Russian. I had come to know a few words, but not enough to keep up with a conversation.

Once they were finished Dimitri gestured to me, pulling me close to his side.

"Roza, this is my oldest friend, Ivan. Ivan, this is my mate, Rose," Dimitri introduced us with a smile, his whole demeanour changing.

Ivan grinned at us and clapped Dimitri's shoulder. "I don't see you for nineteen years and you find yourself a mate. I'm happy for you, man," Ivan said before turning to me.

"You're a young thing," he commented.

"I may be young but I'm mighty," I chuckled and extended my hand. Ivan shook it with a smile.

"I wouldn't be surprised. You would need to be to keep up with this guy," Ivan said jerking his thumb in Dimitri's direction.

I laughed and squeezed Dimitri's hand when I felt the presence of another person come close.

Posting a day early because I have class tomorrow night. :)

Let me know what you think!