Yea! New chapter in less than a week! Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! Sorry I took a while to update but I was too caught up in the holidays that I didn't get a chance to write!
I own nothing and this is unbeta'd... please let me know what you think! Thank you to everyone that has reviewed, favorited or is following this story! You guys are awesome...hopefully this chapter is a surprise and will give you a little of what you want!
Stop Being a Coward!
Chapter 23
Dimitri settled into the comfort of a dreamless sleep. The complete darkness that encompassed him during slumber was one of the few things besides Rose that could bring him peace. His brain was not constantly fighting with his past in those rare moments of complete oblivion.
He knew he had been out for a while but the edges of his consciousness started to flicker with a type of white light that he was not familiar with. All too soon he was sucked back into reality.
Or at least he thought it was reality. Looking around, he found himself at a place that he knew he couldn't be. He was back at the ski lodge that the school had visited so long ago. He was out on a deck during the day light, looking out over the snow covered mountains as the sun beat down on his face. He could actually feel the warmth seeping into his skin and he relished in its heat.
He wasn't quite sure what was going on. He knew he had to be dreaming as his consciousness was fully aware that he was actually on a plane somewhere over Europe at the moment but everything felt so real. Sadness touched his heart at the thought of everything that had happened since he had been at that very place. More than anything, Dimitri wished he could go back and change things he had done since his trip there that felt like forever ago now.
As he turned to look at the building he was met by an unexpected visit.
"Belikov." Adrian nodded towards the tall dhampir, trying unsuccessfully to keep the sneer out of his voice.
As Dimitri studied the moroi he questioned his own sanity. This felt like a dream but it also felt very real. He knew he wasn't really at the ski lodge but he also knew that if he was dreaming, it would be of Rose and not of Adrian Ivashkov.
"It's a dream." Adrian answered Dimitri's unspoken question. "All of this," he gestured to the surroundings by spinning a finger in the air, "is the figment of my imagination."
"If it is my dream then how is it your imagination?" Dimitri asked, voicing the first words he had spoken since waking up in the strange world of unreality.
"I'm dream walking Belikov. Seriously, keep up!" Adrian scoffed; Dimitri was a little slow on the uptake but his first dream walking with anyone usually left them confused. Most of the time people actually believed it was still a dream even if he told them otherwise. "Nice eye by the way." Adrian motioned to Dimitri's still bruised eye.
Dimitri ignored his comment as realization dawned on him. As Adrian explained what was going on he finally understood where he was. He had heard that Ivashkov could do such a thing but had no idea how real it actually felt. He had never really thought about how it would feel since he never figured that his dreams would be the ones invaded.
"Why are you here?" Dimitri asked. "Did something happen to Rose?" Dimitri immediately knew the only reason that Ivashkov would visit his dreams; it had to have something to do with Rose.
"Well yes and no." Adrian said evasively.
Dimitri was standing in front of Adrian in two strides. He looked down at the moroi man with his fiercest guardian face. The look was downright terrifying but Adrian did not change is demeanor. It might hurt like hell if the big bad Russian hit him but at least it was just in a dream and no physical harm would come to him.
"What happened to Roza?" Dimitri asked, his Russian accent leaking out, weaving a heavy bite into his words.
"Well, nothing happened to her. I just wanted to ask that you get back soon. She is fine and all, I just said some things that upset her and I am trying to make amends." Adrian's voice was strong but an undercurrent of fear permeated the sounds.
"What did you say to her?" Dimitri asked. He was definitely not happy. If Adrian had come to him for help, it had to be fairly bad.
"Oh, something about how she needs to butt out of other people's business and that not everyone needs saving." Adrian said, attempting an nonchalant response.
"And what did Rose do?"
"I'm not really sure. She took off and I'm not sure where she is. I am pretty sure she is in her room right now but she won't answer the door. I'm kind of worried about her. Hence why I am here…" Adrian was now showing some of the real concern he had for Rose. Dimitri could see the truth in his words as he listened to Adrian recount what had happened.
Dimitri sighed, "She's tough, give her some time. I am pretty sure she should be okay now. There isn't a lot I can do halfway around the world."
"That's why I am asking you to come back soon. I know she is tough but after recent events, I just don't want this to set her back. That's why I thought maybe you could help in another way?"
Dimitri looked confused, "I will do anything I can, what did you have in mind?"
"Give me a minute." Adrian held up one finger as he sat down at the wooden table and chairs that was on the edge of the sundeck. Dimitri watched as Adrian seemed to be concentrating on something only he could see.
"I've never tried this before so I don't know if it will work. But the principal is the same so technically it should." Adrian closed his eyes and really concentrated on what he was doing.
After a few minutes, Dimitri rolled his eyes and walked back to the edge of the deck to look at the beautiful view. He would have to return to this lodge sometime with Rose; sometime when they could make happy memories instead of the awful ones that clouded their views. The only way he was going to get past the past was to make a future.
"What the hell Adrian?" A voice that Dimitri would recognize anywhere filled the area and Dimitri held his breath as he turned around to face her. He was still at the side of the deck and she had yet to see him.
"I told you to go away and leave me alone, not dream stalk me. Let me go back to sleep!" Rose yelled, walking towards Adrian.
Adrian sighed but Dimitri wasn't sure whether it was in relief that it had worked or in frustration at Rose's words. "I have told you time and time again Little Dhampir, you are asleep."
"Yes, but you are disturbing my dreams. Let me go back now." Rose was still visibly angry at the moroi and attempted a harsh look of her own. That was when Adrian noticed the puffy redness to her eyes and cheeks. She had been crying and he bet that she had cried herself to sleep. The vulnerable Rose was still there but she had her harsh cover camouflaging it from anyone who didn't truly know her.
"Oh come on, it can't be that bad." Adrian was being blasé once again, shrugging off Rose's obviously bad attitude.
"It can't be that bad?" Rose obviously still had not noticed the other presence in the dream but Adrian was looking intriguingly at Rose and Dimitri who was still behind at the other side of the deck. "You are an ass Adrian, I was trying to help."
"I know Little Dhampir, I told you I was sorry and I am here to make it up to you. I really didn't mean what I said, I just was upset. The thought of Abby makes me crazy and I act irrationally. Please forgive me?" Adrian smiled sweetly at Rose.
"How is this going to make it better? You bring me to the ski lodge where there are bad memories to begin with." She gestured to the mountains around her. "At least I am properly dressed, is that what is suppose to make everything better?" She noticed for once she wasn't in the skimpy outfits that Adrian usually dressed her in when he dream walked but jeans and a thick black ski jacket. She could feel a black turtleneck underneath and looked down to see black snow boots on her feet. Black earmuffs completed the ski bunny look. Her mind vaguely thought that the boots were cute and she could still kick ass in them but then she turned her thoughts back to the situation.
"No." Adrian smiled. "I have other things in mind."
Rose growled and started walking towards the moroi. Dimitri recognized the stance and immediately rushed towards her. He considered for a moment that he should let Rose hit him but then decided to give the guy a break as it had been his doing that was allowing him to see her at the moment.
Just before Rose reached Adrian to punch him in the nose, one strong arm wrapped around her waist and the other closed over her clenched fist that she was about to use to swing.
Rose immediately stiffened, not expecting anyone else to be in the spirit dream. Just as she was about to fight off her attacker, the familiar smell of his aftershave and his warm breath just behind her ear stopped her. The sweet Russian words that she did not understand being spoken in her ear allowed the rest of her body to relax and she leaned back into the man she had missed for far too long.
"Dimitri." His name left her mouth in a whisper and had he not been so close to her, he would not have heard it.
"My Roza. I have missed you." He murmured, equally as soft. He turned her in his arms and pulled her into a hug, their bodies fitting intimately together despite her bulky clothing. Rose snaked her arms around his neck and leaned into his warm chest.
Rose reached up on her tiptoes and captured his mouth with her own. The kiss was sweet and warm. Only when the saltiness of tears reached their mouths did either of them realize silent tears had been streaming down their cheeks. Neither knew exactly whose tears they were, probably both, but in that moment they were both whole again. The days they had spent apart had felt more like years and Dimitri knew he shouldn't have left so soon after finding her again.
Dimitri pulled back slightly to wipe her cheeks clean with his large palms.
Finally seeing his face, Rose winced at the bruise across his cheek, "Adrian didn't do that did he? I assume he would have much worse if he had." She lightly ran the tips of her fingers of the marks.
"No. Don't worry about it, I can't even feel it anymore." Dimitri changed the subject looking into her eyes with an intensity that should have scared her,"I promise, once I am back I will never leave you again."
"It's okay." Rose replied, a real smile gracing her face for the first time in a long time. Her mind skipped from his bruise to his words. "You're here now and that's what is important." Rose laughed and pulled Dimitri closer; even though they were pressed together as close as physically possible, it was still too far away.
"I've missed you so much." Dimitri's words were a whisper as he captured her lips with his once again. This time the kiss held more heat and even though they were outside in the cold, both of them were on fire. Hands roamed bodies and Rose slid her palms under Dimitri's duster and to the hem of his shirt. Just as her hands snaked under the material, a cough brought them back to reality.
The pair turned to see Adrian still sitting at the table, not five feet away from them. Dimitri looked embarrassed but Rose didn't remove her hands from his body.
"See, my way of making amends. Now I really don't want to see you and Belikov go at it so as much as I enjoy the thought of your close coming off Little Dhampir, I must remind you that I can't leave or the dream goes poof." Adrian made an explosive gesture with his hands as if the dream were about to blow up.
Rose nodded, "thank you." She gave a brief smile to Adrian. "Can we at least go over there somewhere and talk?" Rose gestured towards the vast wilderness before them.
"I'm not sure actually. I've never done this before. It's using a lot of magic and I don't know how long I can hold it." Rose noticed the visible stress that showed on Adrian's already pale face. She understood to well the toil that using spirit could exert over someone and felt bad for not realizing it before. Everything just seemed so real that she had wanted to believe she was really in Dimitri's arms.
Dimitri nodded, pulling Rose back against him. While they hadn't jumped apart, too much distance had seemed to creep between them at Adrian's interruption.
"Thank you Adrian, we will be quick." Rose smiled and pulled away from Dimitri. She then grabbed his hand and walked towards the edge of the wooden deck. With Adrian's superior hearing, she figured he could hear them anyway but hoped that he was concentrating on keeping the dream together and wouldn't pay attention. She wanted a few minutes alone with Dimitri.
The couple sat on a wooden swing that hung on the other end of the deck. They were far enough away that Adrian could see them but they could also have a little privacy.
"I miss you." Rose smiled as she leaned into Dimitri's warm embrace. The gentle swaying lulled her into comfort as she breathed in the cold mountain air. The sun was high in the sky but the warmth from it escaped them as they rocked in the snowy shadow of the lodge.
"I will be home soon. I know I keep saying that but I mean it. I want nothing more than to be back at court with you. Nothing can take me away again." Dimitri smiled as he kissed her head, she fit perfectly into his side and he knew that was where she belonged.
"I can't believe you are here. This seems so real."
"Is it always like this? Ivashkov's dream walking?"
"Yep. I didn't believe it was real the first time. Kinda crazy huh?" Rose smiled.
"Extremely." Dimitri consented. "We don't have much time. Are you okay? I mean really okay? I'm sorry Adrian made you cry. I would have punched him for you had he not allowed me to see you."
"I'm okay now. I am still dealing with things, I think it will take a while but I will manage. I think he was right about seeing you, it helps. Don't worry about me Comrade; I'll be 100% by the time you get back."
"Good. If you need anything, you can always call me. Sorry I didn't call you last night, I never got the chance."
"It's okay. I was a little preoccupied anyway. Lissa and Christian found a house!" Rose changed topics and set up to look at Dimitri. She had a real smile on her face once again and you could tell she was excited. "You should see it Dimitri, it's amazing. I can't wait till you get back and can see it. It's huge of course and they have a gigantic pool. There is even a theater system in the basement that I bet we can sneak some old western movies into for you if you are good." Rose laughed at the thought. She could already hear the complaints from Christian and Eddie.
Dimitri grinned, "I can't wait to see it either." He leaned down and gave her a whisper of a kiss, just grazing over her lips.
"Uh guys, I think it's about to end." Adrian yelled just as the edges of the dream started to flicker again.
"I wish we had more time." Rose clung to Dimitri, not ready to let him go just yet.
"Me too." Dimitri, knowing only moments were left, captured Rose's lips with his own and held on for as long as he could. "Soon," was his whisper just as he sat up on the seat in the plane.
Abe and Janine had questioning looks on their faces as they watched Dimitri's reaction. He looked around as though he was confused before realizing that it really was a dream. He shook his head and closed his eyes, hoping for unconsciousness to take over again. Maybe this time his dreams would be just that and he could do whatever he wanted with her without an audience present.
Seeing Rose for such a short time reaffirmed his need to actually see and hold her. He was glad he was on a plane back to the states already because nothing could keep him away from her for much longer.
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