(Disclaimer I do not own any of these characters that would be Richelle Mead)

Rose POV

"Okay old man your on speaker phone so both of us can hear you."

I'm sitting on my bed, Dimitri who I've just called into my room a few minutes ago is sitting crossed leg in front of me the phone placed in between us.

"Okay the plan is that we will all fly in to the airstrip outside of court and make our way to a hotel about 10 miles out. I own the hotel so have made sure that we have it to ourselves." Of cause he does I think rolling my eyes! "Strength in numbers so when we arrive at court we arrive all together. We will have a few days at the hotel that will allow us to get our bearing and finalise everything."

"Are you sure Baba?" I'm worried this plan is going to blow up in our faces. With Ivan going to be there makes me really anxious.

"We don't have a choice Kiz if you don't want to risk banishment for ignoring an order by the queen. Or worse she could out you as Anna without us there to control the situation, It's best that everything comes out on our terms. Thanks to Lissa and your mother though we will be as protected as possible. Lissa for making sure the arrest warrant was publicly announced void in a council meeting and your mother getting us permission to bring as many of the guards as we wish so we are taking them all."

This makes me spit out my coffee that I was drinking back into my cup earning a grossed out look from Dimitri. "What all 44 guardians? Have we even got enough room in the house at court for them all?"

"Well no 15 will be staying with us at the house and I've rented the house next door for the rest and it will be 45 as Meredith will be joining us oh and you and Belikov that makes 47." You can hear him ticking us off in his head.

"Well lucky you could rent a house, I bet court is heaving at the moment might get even busier soon." I say this with a I know what you've done tone which I know he spots straight away. Dimitri looks at me and his eyebrow lifts. "How long ago did you rent the place Baba how long have you known it would go this way?"

"Oh you know me darling always be one step ahead and always be prepared. I learnt it from my Boy Scout days!" Yeah whatever. "Right I'll get everything ready from this end and I'll head to the hotel after talking to Pavel and getting some of the guardians there ahead of us to check things out, the rest will travel with Ivan, me, you and Belikov. I'll phone to finalise but I'd say be ready to leave in two days that way you'll be there on Friday. We will have the weekend to plan and catch up. After all I want some quality time with my Torun."

"Nice dad what about quality time with your daughter!?" I ask sarcastically.

"Ahhh kiz every minute with you is a blessing you know that, a blessing that I don't get a headache or mouthful." Dimitri is laughing and I push him off the bed.

"Thanks Baba love you too old man. Speak to you in a couple of hours." Looking over the edge of the bed at Dimitri. 'Come on comrade I'm hungry let's get breakfast."

These last two weeks with Dimitri since we called a truce have been great. We fell back into our old routine of training together and a easy friendship just like it had been at the academy. The only difference now was both of us were equals while he was teaching me new moves he had picked up I was also teaching him some of the things I'd picked up over the last 5 years. Just like those days we spent hours together fighting, talking laughing and also able to tell each other everything, even if we didn't speak we still knew what the other one was feeling. The only thing I had to wain in was the after effects of sparring, also like the days at the academy and the first day here after an epic battle between the two of us with our adrenaline pumping one of us would end up on top of the other. Well that brought out the want to just rip off his clothes and have rough and wild sex right there in the gym. So I'd have to jump off him or push him off before I attempted it. I saw it in his eyes that occasionally he would be in the same frame of mind as well. It was the fighting that's all.

Yep I have forgiven him for the past, part of me didn't want to, well not so quickly anyhow. It was a good thing though it would make it easier on Ivan and us. I wanted my son to be happy. But a part of me hated that it was so easy between us I knew I still loved him but this has made it painfully obvious that I was still in love with him. I had fallen for him all over again and it only took two weeks. Dam it and I had a feeling that our time together was fast coming to an end. Then what? The occasional family outing! His life was at court mine was well everywhere but court! Man this sucks.

Sitting at the table eating our breakfast and drinking coffee he was conversing with Ben and Gav, the three of them have become fast friends and actually remind me of the Scrooge's. Yes many piss takes I've had on their expense. Looking at him sometimes still makes my stomach flutter and this was one of those occasions, the rare open laugh which is few and far between with his mask totally down and that wide boyish smile that I see on our sons face which often makes my day.

"So flower." Gav starts god I hate when he calls me that.

"My name is Rose I know that's hard for you to grasp." I grumble while eating my eggs to gross him out.

"Yeah yeah and please you know how I hate sea food! Eight of the guardians will be leaving tonight to get Pavel and Ivan from school and to escort him to the hotel by the time they reach the hotel Abe will already be there with the twenty odd that were with him in New York oh and Meredith. Then we will follow two days later. So start packing!" He jokes as he is fully aware that my idea of packing is thirty minutes before we need to leave throw everything in a bag and hope for the best!

"Don't worry Gav I've sorted a suitcase out for Rose." Di chimes in walking into the kitchen. Looking at her I'm not surprised as everyone who lives here knows I'm crap at packing.

"You didn't have to do that Di I could of done it." I chime in quick to defend my non existent packing skills.

"Darling it's for the best. Unless you have to you'd live in work out gear, sweats, jeans, tanks tops and well really unflattering PJs." She says while pointing at my attire. I look down at myself and yeah I'm in a pair of skinny jeans and a black tank top that shows off my mid driff taking full advantage of my awesome abs. I looked hot but probably not the professional guardian I'm supposed to be or the founder of a global charity.

"Okay point taken! Well I fancy a swim so I'm going up to change I'll see you boys later."

Dimitri POV

Once Rose had left I was talking to Ben and Gav about the plan to keep everyone safe on the up coming trip, when I slowly started thinking about what I was going to do for the future. I am a guardian it's the only thing I've ever known, but I had a family now and I needed to make sure that I could be there for Ivan. I know Lissa would give me the time and as Ivan would be in an academy that meant only being able to see him at weekends and holidays anyway.

But what about Rose? She lived here in Turkey even though she said she spends large amounts of time in Russia and also America, but still I know she is not at court and I had a feeling that's where Lissa was going to be from now on. So how does this work one holiday with Rose one with me. Plus Ivan doesn't know who I am. It's enough to make my brain bleed.

"Dimitri man are you listening?" Gav yells in my face looking up at him.

"Yeah sorry was thinking." I mumble out.

"Mate you were away with the fairy's what's up?" Ben asks.

"I was thinking about what I should do regarding Ivan and Rose how I'm going to make it work and get to spend time with him while still protecting Lissa." I explain my laps of concentration.

"Come up with any ideas?" Gav asks.

"Apart from giving myself a headache not really." I state honestly.

"What's the princess like as a charge I mean?" Gav asks me.

"She's great I have been blessed that both my charges have been great. She treats you with respect, kindness and is as loyal to me as I have been to her. She's really easy going and she seems to attract people to her. Doesn't hurt with her views on Dhampir and working for equality and progression in the society. The worse part of the job is the council meeting, and having to listen to the boring budget meetings or the royals complaining about their latest misfortunes such as 'they ran out of that colour limo and had to get a cream one'! Why do you ask?"

"Oh just curious she was Roses best friend for a long time. Right we better get started Ben, see you later Belikov."

Looking around a realising I have nothing to do. I think I'll join Rose for a swim. In a few days time I will be back to nighttime hours and full time guarding so I plan to enjoy the sun for as long as I can. Walking to the outside pool I look up at the sky closing my eyes enjoying the heat of the sun for a few seconds before looking back at the pool.

I spot Rose in the pool doing laps and I'm glad I have been brought a loose pair of trunks. Just the sight of her could make me hard. It's the first time I have seen her in anything that could be called sexy since the day in the office. She is wearing a white bikini that brings out her naturally tanned skin and shows off her curves to perfection. Even though she looks a little thinner than she was when still at the academy she has not lost those breasts. I'm not sure if they've gotten bigger or just look bigger now that she is thinner, and with those hips, arse and waist, hour glass comes to mind. As she swims along you can see all her muscles working. Years of hard work and training has gone into that body and it looks good. She is lucky so many female guardians lose their femininity, but like her mother Guardian Hathaway both kept their curves. Hopefully the cold water of the pool will help the situation I find myself in now.

Climbing into the pool I start doing laps, pulling up besides her I didn't mean to but I scare her and she whips around and lands a punch right to my jaw. "Oh god comrade I'm so sorry I didn't realise it was you."

I'm laughing but yeah that hurt. "Ouch who did you think it was? A strigoi out in the blazing sunshine fancying the idea of bursting out into flames?!" I rub my chin where she landed her punch.

"Here let me see." She swims over looking at my face. "Yeah your going to have a bruise should be little though looks like I only half got you."

She starts rubbing where she hit me her legs going around mine slightly for support that's when I notice that while I'm standing she can't reach the bottom. I grab her legs and wrap them round my waist and keep my hands on her legs. Staring into each others eyes we stay like that while I walk us to the shallow end. Yeah this is helping my situation! That's when she leans back floating her upper body on the surface of the water. Oh holy hell. She looks up at me at yep she did that on purpose knowing full well what she was doing to me. With her laughing at me I let go of her and we jump out the pool and head for the loungers that are in the shade.

I can't believe it, what seems like no time at all was really a couple of hours of us talking or just enjoying each others company quietly. While I read and she makes fun of my latest western novel.

"Right I'm going to jump in the shower." That's when I notice the fact that the sun had shifted and looked at the time.

"Yeah think I'll go in as well." We're heading to our rooms when I was about to leave her.

"Hey comrade?"

Turning around about to ask what she pulls down my head using one hand and kisses me. That always ever present charge that always happened when we touched was turned into fire. I pushed her up against the wall for balance putting both of my hands on her hips and depended the kiss. Pressing her body against mine I felt alive, wild and a deep sense of calm all at the same time. One of her hands was still at the back of my neck and the other was on my bicep. Opening her mouth to me we slowly used our tongues to convey what else we wanted to do to each other. She's the one who started it and was the one to end it. Pulling her face away from mine and letting go of my arm she reaches over to her side opening the door to her bedroom I look at her with what must of been a very hopeful look in my eyes.

Laughing under her breath. "Not today comrade not today."

I must of looked as dejected as I felt as she placed her hand up against my cheek rubbing her thumb up and down leaning up and giving me a chaste kiss on my lips before heading into her bedroom and closing the door. Turning around I can't help the big smile that is on my face as I walk to my room.