Chapter 11: Hotel

As we walked back to the bus, Lissa was animated discussing how we should do our hair for the dance and graduation, even though it was a good three months away. I was trying to be upbeat since I didn't know if I would still be at St Vlad's to graduate. We filed into the bus and again Dimitri and I sat in the back but Dimitri still had his guardian mask on unlike the ride up here.

"Everything okay Dimitri?" I asked.

"Everything is fine Rose" Dimitri replied not meeting my eyes. Hmm, calling me Rose in private and not meeting my eyes, something is definitely wrong. But I know I won't get it out of him until we are alone and he is ready to tell me.

The bus pulled up to the hotel and my parents, Pavel, Dimitri, Celeste, Yuri and I got up and exited the bus with about six more guardians. As I passed Lissa and everyone else, I said goodbye to them. When I got to Tasha, there was a distinctive look on her face, as if she was disgusted with me. I shivered a little under her gaze, Dimitri must have also seen because he put his hand on my lower back and guided me off the bus and his hand did not leave me while we entered the hotel.

When we entered the foyer we were greeted by two people from the hotel. "Welcome to Downtown Hotel, we are so pleased to have you and your family with us, Mr. Mazur" said the gentleman dressed in a suit. "Please follow us to the elevators and we will show you to your suites."

We followed the man in the suit and my parents, Pavel and four guardians went into one elevator and a woman dressed in a pant suit directed the rest of us to the next elevator. She pushed the button for the top floor then slid her card through a reader. Once we were all in, she said "Miss Hathaway, my name is Cindy and I am here to help you with anything you might need, we will first go to your father's suite and then we will show you to your suite."

"Thank you Cindy" I replied feeling nervous as I had never stayed in a suite before. I hadn't really ever been in a hotel before especially not the top floor. We arrived to the top floor seconds after the first elevator arrived and we followed everyone to my parent's suite and my eyes bugged out, it was the Presidential Suite. It was huge it had a full kitchen, living room and dining room. It even had a baby grand piano. The hotel man, who now introduced himself as Evan, explained that there were two bedrooms at end of the suite with their own attached bathroom.

Abe announced "Alright, why doesn't everyone go to their rooms and freshen up a bit and meet us back here in an hour for some snacks". That peaked my interest and I hoped that my stomach didn't make it's presence noted.

Cindy addressed our group and said "If you will follow me, I will show you to your suite." We walked into our suite and it was similar to Abe's room except smaller. We had a nice living area with huge flat screen tv, there was a kitchenette which Cindy showed us it was fully stocked with food and drinks.

"If you run out of food or drinks feel free to call the kitchen, they will come right up and restock it" Cindy explained. On the opposite side of the kitchenette sat a counter top with three stools.

Cindy showed us the two bedrooms, one had two queen size beds and a huge bathroom with a shower and a bathtub. I assumed this is where Celeste and I would be staying. The other side had a king size bed where I assumed Dimitri would sleep with an awesome bathroom. The shower was covered with soft rocks on three sides and the floor with a glass door to get in and the shower head had multiple settings. There was a tub that looked like it could fit at least four people. Oh Comrade, I am so jealous, I thought maybe he would let me try out the shower and maybe the bathtub. We walked out and Cindy gave us her number if we needed anything. Dimitri showed her out, closed the door and locked it and turned around and said "Rose, you take the king size bed, Celeste and I will take the queen bedroom."

"No, Comrade, you stay in the king room, it will fit your height. I can stay with Celeste" I said.

"No, your father wants you to stay in the king size room." Dimitri said. Dimitri picked up my purchases and back pack and brought them into the king room as I followed to try to talk with him. He placed them on the bed and said "Rose, I will be across the hall if you need me and I will see you in 45 minutes to escort you to your father's suite" he turned and he closed the door to my room.

Oh shit, obviously my father has had a conversation with Dimitri and it apparently did not go well. Tears started to leak down my face. I was so upset and confused after Dimitri being so loving and now to have his guardian mask on and talk to me in such a cold professional way. I just couldn't take it. I sat down on my bed and cried for about 15 minutes. I realized that I need to get ready to go to my parent's room, so I tried to rally and got my toiletries in the shower and then came back into the room and pulled out my new panties and bras crying the whole time. I saw the choices Dimitri chose and then my choices, I couldn't bring myself to wear what he got me at this point. I was looking forward to wearing them, but apparently there had been a shift in our relationship that I was not aware of. I pulled out a pair of jeans and a long sleeved top and laid them on my bed. I got into the shower and went thru the different settings and chose rainstorm it was as relaxing as it could be. After I finished washing and rinsing off my body, I sat on the floor of the shower with the water coming down on me. And I cried again and not a pretty cry, a hard, ugly cry and loud sobs released from my body. After a while when the tears stopped flowing, I got up and dried myself off and grabbed the big terry cloth towel and put it on around me. I towel dried my hair off and myself as best I could. I walked into the bedroom and I dug out my makeup bag and I sat down in front of the mirror and saw that my eyes were on bloodshot and swollen from crying. I wouldn't be able to cover this with makeup.

I heard a knock on the door "Rose, are you ready to go?" Dimitri asked through the door.

I replied "Yes, in about five minutes" my voice was breaking up as I said that and I knew I didn't sound like myself. The door opened and closed and Dimitri kneeled next to me and took my face in his hands as he says "Roza, what's going on?"

"Nothing" I said, I knew he didn't believe me.

"Roza, please tell me what is wrong and why you have been crying."

The tears started again and I let out a sob. Dimitri encircled me and lifted me up as he sat down in the chair and cradled me on his lap as he pulled my head to his chest and rubbed my back. He started kissing the top of my head and said "It's me, isn't it".

I nodded my head and continued crying into his chest.

"I'm so sorry that I put my guardian mask up. I just got scared and that is my only way to cope. Your father called and said we were going to discuss your safety and where your parents were going to relocate you. I thought about you leaving me after I just got you and it scared me, I am so sorry I upset you." Dimitri admitted.

"But I don't want to go anywhere without you" I cried into his chest. Dimitri lifted my chin slowly so I could look at him and he said "I will find a way to be with you no matter what. I love you and I will be with you."

I put my arms around his neck and said "I love you too Comrade". Then he slowly brought his lips to mine and he brushed his tongue along my bottom lip and asked for permission, which I granted. His tongue massaged mine as he deepened the kiss, finally we had to stop and breath. Dimitri put his forehead on mine and said "As much as I want to pick you up and carry you to that king size bed and take this towel off, you need to get dressed so we can see your parents."

"Okay" I giggled as I got up off his lap. He stood up and went to the door and I said "You don't have to leave." Dimitri turned to me and his eyes seemed much darker with a look of lust. I turned my back to him and put on my panties. Then I dropped my towel and grabbed my bra put it on and went to fasten it when Dimitri said "Let me do that."

I looked over my shoulder and smiled at him as he walked up behind me. Just like in the dressing room he took the back of my bra and fastened it and then kissed me on the back of my neck. I put on my jeans, shirt and ballet flats. I left my hair out and just put on lip gloss. There was no way to hide my puffy eyes so I didn't try. Dimitri and I walked out and Celeste and Yuri were waiting on the couch. I said "wait where is Yuri sleeping?"

Yuri patted the couch and said "right here."

"But that's not fair you should have a bed too."

"It's alright Rose, the couch pulls out to a bed, I will be comfortable" Yuri said.

"Okay, well you can use my bathroom if you want, actually all of you can use the shower or tub."

"Thanks Rose, that is very kind of you" Yuri said.

Celeste and Yuri got up to go next door to my parent's suite and Celeste asked "Rose, your eyes are all puffy, what were you crying for?"

"I think everything just registered and I guess by crying I released it out." Celeste gave me a hug and said "Rose, we are all here for you whatever you need. I know Lissa is like a sister to you, but seriously I am here for you if you need a female dhampir to talk to."

"Thanks Celeste"

Then Yuri came up to me and gave me a big bear hug lifting me off the ground and said "Nothing is going to happen to you while we are here."

"Thanks Yuri."

I looked back at Dimitri and he had a smile on his face, as if to say 'see everyone loves you'. The four of us left and walked down the hall and I knocked on the door. My father answered the door "Rose cone on" and stopped mid-sentence "what's wrong?"

"Nothing" I said as I stepped into the suite "I think all the events were catching up to me."

My father opened his arms and I walked into his embrace. I was tense at first but then I relaxed into his embrace. I smelled either his aftershave or cologne and it smelled familiar to me and seemed to invoke thoughts of love. There is no way I could remember his scent after all these years, right I pondered. When he released me and brought me farther into the suite along with Dimitri, Celeste and Yuri, my mom walked up and gave me a hug as well. "Rosemarie, we are here for you. I know that it did not seem like I loved you very much and I am sorry for that. But I really love you with all my heart and we are all here to protect you" my mom reassured me.

Pavel was behind my mother and then came to my side and said "my turn" as he gave me a hug and he said "we will figure this all out with you and keep you safe."

"Thank you Pavel".

"Rose, why don't you and everyone else get some food and we can sit down and talk" my father said. We all went to the table and grabbed a plate, there were tons of hors d'oeuvres and I basically grabbed one of each and grabbed a bottle of ice tea.

I went to the living area and sat down on one side of the enormous couch, Dimitri followed me and sat down next to me followed by Celeste and Yuri. My parents were across from me and Pavel sat in a matching sofa chair and there were four guardians around the room I noticed.

My father started first "Rose, your mother and I are very sorry that you are in the position you are in and it is my fault. When I was younger, I didn't have a 'happy' childhood. By the time I was fifteen, I was hanging out with the thugs on the streets of Turkey, where I am from. By twenty, I was the leader of these thugs and I was moving us into a warehouse and off the streets. When I was twenty-five, I pretty much ran most of the underground crime in Turkey and was starting to branch out into other countries, I guess you could call me a mobster. I met your mother when I was twenty seven and I fell in love and then we found out she was pregnant. We were so excited and I watched her belly grow and I read all the books I could on pregnancy. We set up the nursery and were waiting not so patiently to meet you. Finally, it was time and your mother did a wonderful job while she was in labor. When you were finally born and they placed her on her chest, I was in complete awe of you and when the nurse took you to clean you of and weigh and measure you, I followed to watch you. The nurses handed you to me all wrapped in a blanket and I held you so close to my chest. Your brown beautiful eyes darted around and then you finally stared straight at me and I instantly fell in love with you."

At this point, my mother was softly crying, my father had a few tears running down his face, Pavel looked as he was trying to blink his tears away and I had tears streaming down my face and Dimitri's hand was softly rubbing my back. I got up and hugged my father and then my mother hugged me as well. I had been thinking about this for a while, so I asked my father "I have been thinking, what should I call you? Father, Dad or Abe?"

"You can call me whatever you feel comfortable with."

I cut him off and said "what about old man?"

"Well little girl" emphasizing little girl "In Turkey the word for father is Baba, you can call that if you're comfortable, but I understand if you're not ready yet since I have been out of your life for almost fifteen years."

"What did I call you when I was little?" I asked.

"You used to call me Baba" he replied.

"Then Baba it is" I said as I gave him a hug. He tightly hugged me and when he pulled back, he placed a kiss on the top of my head and one on each cheek. I went back to Dimitri and as soon as I sat down, his hand went straight to my back.

"So my business kept growing and growing and I started to have legitimate business as well. But with my illegal businesses, there were threats to Janine and yourself. When I started I had no family so they had no way to threaten me. So one day when you were three, we were all at Court. Pavel was with me and I was letting the other guardians that came with me have some relaxing time off. We were at Court, I stupidly felt we were safe, so I did not send a guardian with you and Janine. Then you and your mother went out and she was shot while she was holding you, so you went down with her. By the time help came, you were covered in blood. When Pavel and I were notified of what happened, we ran to the hospital and went straight to you. A nurse and a doctor were looking you all over and they couldn't find any gunshot wounds and determined it was all Janine's blood on you. I told the staff not to tell anyone you were alive. Pavel called to get our guardians to us and I picked you up and gave you the biggest and tightest hug ever and kissed you on your head and both cheeks. You used to giggle every time when I used to do that to you. I handed you over to Pavel who was going to take care of you while I checked on Janine. When I left your room our guardians were already at their post outside your room and Janine's room. I went to Janine and she was just about to go into surgery because thankfully the bullet hit her shoulder, she had lost some blood and the bullet did damage to her bones, muscles and tendons. I kissed her and whispered to her that you were fine and in the next room with Pavel. But that we were going with the pretense that you were killed and our plan was to sneak you out of the hospital. I kissed her as she was wheeled out to surgery. I went back to your room and Pavel had already ordered one guardian to get the car that had black tinted windows and park in the underground parking. Pavel gathered you up in a blanket and covered your face and left with you to get you home without being seen. I waited for your mother to get out of surgery and we discussed what we should do and your mother and I agreed that she and you would go away and when you turned four, we would enroll you in the academy. And it seemed to work, the threats stopped but unfortunately when you ran away with Princess Dragomir, it made big news in our world as well as with the underground enemies that I had. So those threats started coming back in and your mother and I started communicating on a frequent basis. Pavel and I hired more guardians specifically to find you. And we got close to finding you, however a Russian guardian found you and took you back to school. Your mother and I felt that was still the safest place for you, but then Spokane happened and again it became news and the threats kept coming in. Pavel and a few of the guardians were very good at tracing the people who had threatened you and we "showed" them why it was in their best interest to leave you alone. But during Pavel's research he came across some information that we were not prepared for. The strigoi Isaiah that you killed apparently had a following of other strigois. Pavel found information that there are strigoi that are hunting you down."

I looked at my father, then Pavel and then Dimitri who had his guardian mask on. However, I felt his hand go from my back to my shoulder as he pulled me closer and I was just sitting there numb and in shock.

Pavel was the first to break the silence. "Rose, your father and I feel that you are no longer safe at St Vladimir's. The strigoi know that you are there as well as the mobsters who have threatened you. And now for some unknown reason Lady Tasha Ozera is attacking you as well."

I looked at Dimitri and he gave me a nod and squeezed my shoulder as he pulled me even closer.

"Well, it's not unknown why Tasha is attacking me" I said.

"What reason does Lady Ozera have for attacking you?" Baba asked.

"Tasha is in love with Dimitri and I am in love with Dimitri and"

"And I am in love with Rose" Dimitri finished. I looked around the room, my mother had a shocked and angry look on her face. Baba was scrutinizing Dimitri and Pavel had his guardian mask on.