So here is the next chapter... sorry it took a while to update but I went out of town for the 4th of July.

I am working on a new one-shot that is pretty much fluff about Rose and Dimitri on the 4th...hope you will look for it.

I have been reading so many wonderful fanfics lately but wanted to call attention to one that seems to be under-reviewed however has completely captured my attention. It is amazingly clever and I never would have thought of doing it! It is just too great and I am excited about the continuation of it as it has just began... It's called "Can You Say Weird?" by NatashaNikolova and it's # 6103475. Check it out if you haven't and leave a review!

Unbeta'd and I own nothing...if there are serious problems, please let me know.

Without further ado...

Stop Being a Coward!

Chapter 7

Dimitri stepped back into the room and looked at a frowning Rose who was sitting at the end of the bed with only the sweat shirt on.

He pulled his own shirt over his head and walked back towards her, throwing his shoes down by the door on his way.

"Hey."

Rose looked up at Dimitri then and winced, "I'm sorry." She carefully laid her hand over his cheek where the red mark still stood out across his cheekbone.

Dimitri shrugged, "I deserved it and more. Don't worry about it." He leaned into her hand and kissed her palm.

"So you are really leaving?" She asked, her voice seemed strong again but she wasn't shouting.

"Yeah, I need to go back to Russia, sort a few things out. See my family. I'm legally dead I guess." Dimitri said this softly, hoping to not upset her again.

She nodded, "yeah, have you talked to them? Do they know?"

"No, I thought it would be better to go tell them in person so they could see me."

"They really miss you. It was hard on them, especially your mother." Dimitri looked at the concern that was etched into Rose's voice as she spoke, "I'm sorry I told them you were dead."

Dimitri was a little shocked that Rose had been the one to tell them, he had known she went there but had no idea that she was the one to tell them about his death. "You told them?"

Rose just nodded.

"Well, I was I guess. What are the chances I would come back you know? Strigoi might as well be dead, and it is dead according most. I'm glad you were there."

"I love your family Dimitri, all of them. Even Yeva, she is scary but I know what you meant now about her knowing things. She already knew about you and why I was there. She was a little scary."

Dimitri chuckled, "she can be scary I guess." He was amazed at the fondness in Rose's eyes as she talked about his family.

"She pretended that she couldn't speak English and Paul had to translate everything for me. Then she made me get up in the wee hours of the morning while I had a hangover to carry a box of bricks all the way to Mark and Oksana's. It was insane."

Dimitri let you a full laugh then, one that Rose didn't think she had ever heard grace his lips. "That's Yeva for you." He continued to laugh as he lay back against the bed, pulling Rose with him. "Why did you have a hangover? What had you been drinking?"

"At your..."she trailed off, the thoughts of his memorial service bringing sadness to her voice. "At your memorial service, they passed out drinks. I choked at first but gulped it down, not wanting to be rude. Then everyone kept passing them around."

"You didn't have to continue to drink them Rose. That's Russian Vodka, not like American "Russian" Vodka, that is the real stuff. It's like 200 proof. That stuff will knock you on your ass fast."

"I was grieving, it helped. Everyone was so nice though. They all treated me like I was your widow or something. I never even told them we were together, they just knew."

"Most people wouldn't fly halfway across the world to the middle of nowhere Russia for a funeral unless the person was important. I'm sure they assumed you were important to me if you went. I am glad everyone was so welcoming."

"They really were. It was crazy. It made me feel close to you. Part of me just wanted to stay there forever."

"Why did you leave?" Dimitri asked with hesitation, not sure if he really wanted to know the answer. He remembered a similar conversation that they had had when he was Strigoi but he knew now she would tell him the truth about all of it.

"Viktoria and I got into a fight and then Yeva told me I wasn't a strong warrior or something and I didn't belong there. She told me I had to go after you. Everything just kind of collapsed then and I had to get out of there. I was scared that if I didn't leave, I never would."

"What did you and Viktoria fight about?"

Rose stiffened, "I think you better ask her that. I doubt she had forgiven me for it yet and I don't want to have you yell at her. If she wants you to know, she will tell you."

"I can only imagine the trouble she gets into. At least she is at school now; I hope she doesn't get into as much trouble there as you did. But fine, I will ask her. If she doesn't tell me though, I will make you."

"Fair enough." Rose stifled a yawn.

"You can't seriously be tired Rose. We just slept for half a day."

"I am though. Something about emotional highs and lows. It's all getting to me. The darkness keeps coming. I gave up for a while and let it consume me but now that you are here, I think I can fight it. You always seem to give me the strength I need Dimitri. Thank you." She laid her head against his chest as his arms encircled her waist and they scooted back up towards the headboard.

"I told you Rose, I will always protect you, no matter what. Do you want to take a nap?"

Rose looked into his eyes, sending him a question that she couldn't voice aloud. "Yes, I will be here when you wake up. You need rest. You have to regain your strength." He kissed her nose and she smiled and leaned her head back down on his chest.

This was how the next two days went. They would eat then talk about anything and everything that came up. Rose talked about her trials and how well she did. Dimitri laughed when she had told him about how unfair it had been that she was given an extra trial on the bridge. He was really sad he wasn't there but Rose assured him that he was there in spirit. Neither of them brought up the daunting note that he had sent her the day of the trials.

Rose also told him about her time in Siberia and how she had gotten so close to his family. Again, Dimitri was sad that Rose had met his family under those circumstances but was glad that they accepted her so much. He was even intrigued to learn about Sydney and surprised at how they had become friends. Form his experience; Alchemists were no one's friend.

Everyone else, including Adrian, gave them their space and only Lissa would occasionally drop by with food for the two of them.

Rose was slowly regaining her appetite and seemed to be regaining some of the weight she had lost. She also looked happy but he could tell she was still fighting the darkness that seemed to seep into her whenever they would talk about him leaving.

Dimitri had to do it though and finally convinced Rose that it was the right thing to do for now. He promised her he would be back for her and they would start their life, together. He also promised that the next time he went to Russia, she would be with him.

She smiled at the thought of going to Russia with him and couldn't wait to go. She had wanted to ask to go with him this time but knew that this was something he needed to do, without her. It wasn't a very typical Rose thing to do but she accepted this and let him do what he needed.

Their last night together, Dimitri took Rose out of the room, neither had left it for the past few days and Dimitri wanted to get out of it for a while. They went on a walk through the gardens with their fingers intertwined as Dimitri pulled her into a small clearing.

"I love you Roza." Dimitri smiled and pulled her against him.

"I love you too." She melted into his arms as they looked up at the stars together.

Dimitri had had Lissa set up a small picnic so that the two of them could have just a little more time together. The area was quiet and secluded and no one would bother them. It wasn't really anything fancy but at least it was a change of scenery.

Dimitri pulled Rose down onto the blanket beside him and opened the picnic basket Lissa had set up. "How did you do this? You never left the room."

"Guardian's secrets Rose." He smiled at her scowl.

"Well I am a guardian now so you have to tell me."

"Friends, I have friends who want to help. Or rather, you have friends that want to help." Dimitri gave into her, something he had found himself constantly doing, not being able to say no to anything she requested.

"Lissa?" she questioned.

"Yep." He smirked at her and pulled out the pizza box that was still warm from the contents of the basket. He knew it was her favorite and wanted tonight to be about her.

"Pepperoni?" She grabbed the box from him.

"Is there any other kind?" He questioned stealing it back.

He sat it down on the blanket in front of them and turn pulled out a plate of brownies. He knew she still loved them and hoped that this didn't remind her of their time together in Russia.

Dimitri then pulled out a small candle and lit it. He leaned back and switched on a stereo that Rose had not noticed yet.

To her surprise, it wasn't blasting Prince or anything else from before she was born. It was a soft ballad of music that swirled in the air. She could enjoy this music.

"Look at you, going all romantic on me." She grinned.

"You bring out a completely new side of me Roza. You make me want to carry you off into the sunset." He laughed at her expression.

She grinned at the reference to his beloved western novels, "I had almost forgotten that I was in love with a cowboy."

"I'm not a cowboy, far from it. You should read them sometime, I know you would love them, the fighting and outlaws. The man always gets the girl in the end too. Maybe they are just fairytales but sometimes, I want to believe that fairytales can come true. "

"Maybe they can." She leaned over and gently kissed his lips, "I hope I get my happy ending."

"Me to Roza, me too."

They ate then in a comfortable silence, quiet conversations picking up from time to time. After they had finished, Dimitri pulled Rose up from the blanket and began to slowly sway back and forth to the music that was still billowing around them. He held her body close to his as they gently swayed to the music, neither wanting the night to ever end.

The slow swaying lead to slow kissing as both of them reveled in the feeling of the other's body against their own. Neither of them deepened the kiss for fear of what might happen. After what seemed like hours, the couple gathered the basket and trash as there was no leftover food and walked back towards the room in silence.

They had both gotten attached to the other person being with them all the time over the past few days and wanted to just enjoy the feeling of being together before it was over. They lay in each other's arms for the rest of the night. Quiet conversation and kissing sometimes accompanied the familiar silence that engulfed them.

"I will be back Rose, and I will call you every day that I am gone." Dimitri whispered as Rose's body lay snuggled up against him.

"I know. I will be here waiting for you when you get back."

"Promise?" Dimitri asked.

"Promise." Rose then sighed and let sleep overcome her as she spent her last night wrapped in her lover's arms. She was content for the first time in months.

So don't hate me but Dimitri has to leave... it will help them in the end, I promise. Please review!