Here is the long awaited chapter 8...sorry it took so long to update and that it isn't as long as some of my other ones. I thought this was a good place for this chapter to end though. The next few chapters will flash back and forth between Dimitri being in Russia and Rose dealing with being a court without him. I hope you like it!

I also wanted to sent a big THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed. It's hard to keep up with them all and have failed to reply to most of them. (I am not complaing though - please keep reviewing :) ) I'm sorry! I do want to say that I am really grateful for the welcome this story is receiving and hope you will continue to read, review, and enjoy.

I have another fic called 4th of July Fun that I posted part of yesterday and today. Please check it out if you haven't. It's mainly fluff but it does have a plot.

I own nothing and nothing is Beta'd... thank you to the person who noticed that the court is in PA yet I put Dimitri in a hotel in Montana in chapter 1... I didn't even think about it but I will fix it...Pennsylvania makes more sense...

Without further ado...

Stop Being a Coward!

Chapter 8

The night past by entirely too quickly and soon it was time for Dimitri to head to Russia. He had made arrangements to get out of the country without using his passport seeing as it now belonged to a dead man. It was good to know people in high places of both human and Moroi government.

Dimitri kissed Rose's forehead to wake her up but she didn't budge. He laughed at how sound a sleeper Rose was and decided to try a more firm tactic. He reach down and began trailing kisses from her jaw to her collarbone.

She moaned slightly and he knew she was awake. He then kissed back up to her year and grabbed her lobe in between his lips, lightly sucking on it. "Wake up Roza."

She shook her head. "I don't want to. I don't want the day to begin." She seemed immediately sad upon realizing that he was leaving her this morning.

"I know. But it has to. I'm going to miss you." Dimitri pulled her closer to him and sank his face into her hair, breathing in deeply in hopes of remembering her smell. She had a faint hint of vanilla and lavender that always seemed to follow her. Even after working out for hours on end, her sweat couldn't mask her own intoxicating sent.

Rose sat up, deciding to be strong and not make this any harder on him than it would be. She knew it was going to kill her but she just had to remember that he was coming back and that this separation was only temporary. It would make them both stronger and closer when he did return.

He had promised her that once he came back that they would be together no matter what anyone thought. They would make it. She knew he had a lot of stuff to deal with after turning back into a dhampir and wanted to support him as much as she could.

"I will miss you too. More than you know. But I don't want to start the day with tears so let's get dressed and then go have breakfast. I'm sure Lissa will be happy that she doesn't have to play delivery girl anymore." Rose laughed, trying to lighten the somber mood that had seemed to settle in the room as soon as they awoke.

She was amazed how after only 3 days, Dimitri could bring life back to her. She could laugh and be somewhat strong. She just hoped that she didn't fall back into the darkness once Dimitri boarded the plane. At least this time while he was away, she would know that he loved her and was coming back. She had something to look forward too, not all hope was lost.

Dimitri seemed to agree with her bright outlook and stood up from the bed, pulling her with him. He threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and walked towards the bathroom. He turned the shower on then turned towards Rose.

"Get ready. It will take you longer to dry your hair so hurry up. I will get in the shower once you are done." He spanked her butt then walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

He had been very tempted to pull Rose into the shower with him but thought better of it. The next time they made love it would be special, not hurried fucking against the wall of the shower. And he knew there would be a next time. Probably the night he got back. He already knew what the first thing he was going to do when he returned was and wanted to wait for that night to be special.

He had packed most of his stuff the day before, not that he had had that much to begin with. Rose had made space for his clothes in the wardrobe in her room and he liked the idea of sharing a bedroom and closet with her. Hopefully he would return and move in with her.

The only things he had left out were a pair of jeans, a black long sleeve t-shirt, boxers, a pair of socks, and his duster. He had left space in his luggage for the clothes he had slept in. He would have clothes to wash once he got to Russia as most of what he owned was dirty. He and Rose really hadn't been concerned with doing the laundry while they had spent their days and nights together.

Rose stepped out of the bathroom in a towel with a few drops of water still running down her neck and Dimitri wanted to take her so badly. He had his self control though, something he prided himself on and he wouldn't let it down right now. Not even for Rose. If he did, he would miss his flight and that was something he couldn't afford.

"You are so beautiful Roza." He gave her a quick kiss on the lips then stepped behind her to enter the bathroom.

"That's all I get? A peck on the lips?"

Dimitri laughed and then pulled her into a real kiss. His tongue slipped into her mouth and rubbed against hers. As quickly as it had began though, Dimitri pulled away. "I'm sorry but yes, that's all you get. We have to get going if we are going to eat breakfast before I leave."

"We could always skip breakfast…." Rose trailed off suggestively.

"We could…but we aren't going to. Get dressed." Dimitri turned and walked back into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him so Rose wouldn't be able to join him. He knew how she thought; he knew how she jumped head first into things and thought about them later. He also knew how he had to be the one to stop and think in the relationship and he couldn't sleep with her, not yet. Not until he had his head straight.

Thirty minutes later, the couple was dressed and Dimitri was pulling Rose down to a small café across the court grounds from guest housing. It had an amazing breakfast buffet and Dimitri wanted Rose to have a full breakfast. This way he knew she ate at least today before he left.

She didn't disappoint him as she piled up waffles, bacon, and sliced ham on one plate. She then put biscuits and gravy with some eggs on a second and grabbed a banana for good measure.

He ate almost as much as her. He never did understand where her food went. It was obvious that it didn't hit any part of her amazing body. He shivered as he thought of her mostly naked body before him this morning a second time. Maybe they should have skipped breakfast.

Rose washed the last of her eggs down with a glass of chocolate milk and then looked up to Dimitri. "It's time to go huh?"

He nodded gravely. "I'm afraid it is."

Rose nodded then stood up and took his hand in hers. There were a few whispers and looks that they got as they walked towards the landing strip as no one outside of their friends actually knew about their relationship yet but they both shrugged it off and concentrated on their last few minutes together.

Dimitri had managed to get a flight on one of the private jets that were leaving the academy. It would take him from Pennsylvania to New York where he would get on a human flight. Flying as a non-Strigoi was so much easier as you didn't have to worry about the time of day the flight landed.

He would then fly from New York to New Amsterdam, then from New Amsterdam to St. Petersburg. He would get on a train from St. Petersburg to Novosibirsk. From there, he had a car waiting to drive him the entire way to Baia and back to his family. The wait time in Novosibirsk was almost non-existent as he really didn't want to stay in that area any longer than necessary.

The 38 hours or so of travelling would give him time to clear his head and think about what he was doing. He could concentrate on where he had gone and what he had done. But fortunately he also had the hope for a future with Rose to prevent himself from dwelling too much on his previous life in Russia.

Lissa, Christian, Mia, Eddie and even Adrian had all come out to wave goodbye. Dimitri did have a sneaking suspicion that Adrian was only there to make sure he actually left as he didn't look to happy to have gotten out of bed at such an early hour. He didn't look to upset when he saw Rose though.

Dimitri did notice that Adrian's eyes narrowed a little as he took in the sight of his hand intertwined with Rose's but shook it off. He was the one leaving. He knew that Rose and Adrian had grown close the last time he was 'away' but this time he had faith and trust in her that she would be waiting when he returned.

Dimitri said his goodbyes to the group before him. He even pulled Lissa into a quick hug, hoping not to upset Rose but feeling the need to thank her one last time for what she had done for him.

He pulled Rose into one last hug, their millionth of the morning, and breathed in the scent of her hair one more time. "I love you and will be back before you know it."

Rose looked up with tears in her eyes, "I know. I will be waiting. Call me when you get there."

Dimitri nodded and pulled Rose into a harsh kiss that he hoped portrayed the longing he had for her, the fear of losing her again, the hope for their future together, and all the love he had in his heart. She kissed him back with an unmatched ferocity as she said goodbye.

Dimitri pulled back far enough to kiss the tears from her eyes and then turned and walked towards the waiting plane, not looking back at her for fear of deciding to say.

As he turned though, Rose noticed the one shiny streak that had fallen down his left cheek. She smiled and turned to her friends who seemed to always be there for support. She pulled them all into a group hug, even Christian who rolled his eyes but didn't pull away. Maybe even he was glad that Rose seemed to be back.

What'd ya think? Is my writing consistent or is it going downhill? Please review...