We were both quiet on the drive back. The party ended with a bang, but I felt like it had imploded on itself.

"I swear, I didn't know until after we got there," I whispered pleadingly to Dimitri.

"I know," Dimitri replied quietly. I nodded to myself and looked out the window, biting my lip. Dimitri sighed and rested his hand on my thigh, squeezing it gently and then left his hand there.

"I just need to process, that's all," Dimitri said, "It's a lot to comprehend."

I nodded. "I know the feeling. Imagine how I feel," I said quietly, "I just found out that the best friend of the man that I think I'm starting to have big feelings for is my donor. It changes things for me too."

Dimitri squeezed my leg again. "I know," he whispered. I nodded and rested my head against the window.

"It's hard to process that the woman I'm starting to have 'big feelings' for carries a piece of my best friend," Dimitri whispered after a few moments with a small smile. My lips quirked the slightest bit at his words as the falling snow started to lull me. It was the one reason I hated driving in the snow, it always made me tired.

I flinched when something wet touched my face. I opened my eyes groggily, squinting at the wet nose that was pressing against my face. I pushed up on my elbows and blinked a few times. I didn't remember getting home, and I didn't remember getting into my bed. I was still in what I wore to the Zeklos' house, minus my boots and socks.

"Buddy, stop," I whispered thickly when Meeko started mashing his nose against my ear. I pushed him away gently and got out of bed. It was just past midnight as I walked down the hall to the stairs. I could hear voices downstairs and I crept down them, rubbing at my face as I did. I walked down the hall and rounded into the living, spotting my dad and Dimitri sitting across from each other.

"Hey," I said quietly.

"Hi," Dimitri said with a tired smile, a cup of something in his hands.

"How long have we been here?"

"Not long. The storm got worse after you fell asleep. Your dad offered me the guest room," Dimitri said, "And a nice whiskey."

I snorted and came into the living room, curling up on the couch next to him.

"Did you make him a whiskey smash in hopes to interrogate him?" I muttered.

"I made him a whiskey smash because the man looked a little shaken. Did you look outside?"

I shook my head and leaned on the couch to look out the window. When we left the Zeklos' house, the roads were clear and it was snowing lightly, but now the roads were thick with snow.

"Holy shit," I muttered. Dimitri hummed in agreeance and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. Dad watched the two of us with an amused expression, sipping his own drink.

"It's been what? Two hours since we left?"

"It started coming down hard shortly after you fell asleep. I wasn't sure we were going to make it. And I didn't have the heart to wake you, so I just carried you to the door. Your dad was peeking out the window like a worried parent," Dimitri chuckled.

I sighed and rubbed my face again.

"Roza, if you're still tired you can go back to bed. Your father is nice company," Dimitri said softly. I nodded and kissed his cheek softly before getting up and hugging Dad good night as well. I made my way into the hallway and waited a moment.

"So, you were saying something about Rose's donor? That you both found out tonight?"

"He was my best friend," Dimitri said after a moment, "It's very surreal."

"I bet. It was a very trying time in my life, I couldn't imagine what your friend's family is going through," Dad murmured, "I've never been that scared in my life. Even with everything I've been through."

Dimitri cleared his throat and set his glass on the table. "Rose mentioned that you were in the military before you moved to the US?"

"Turkish Armed Forces. I started growing in ranks and became a member of their intelligence agency. After I decided to leave Turkey, I was all but threatened to never work with the government again," Dad muttered. I knew that Dad had been in the military, but I didn't know he worked in intelligence. Or that he was threatened.

"So you turned to something…mundane?"

"No, I still work for the government," Dad said and I could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Oh," Dimitri chuckled.

"Still work in intelligence, but we have an agreement, the US, myself, and Turkey. They leave me and my family alone if I never was involved in anything to do with Turkey."

Dimitri chuckled quietly. "Sounds as strict as Russia."

"You're not wrong," Dad said with a clearing of his throat. I smiled to myself and leaned against the wall between us.

"I can see where Rose gets a lot of her personality. She's much like you," Dimitri offered after a moment, but Dad laughed deeply.

"Please, that girl is a carbon copy of her mother. She has a few of my traits, but that is why she buts heads with her mother. They are so much alike," Dad said with mirth. I smirked to myself and crossed my arms over my chest.

"She's a spitfire, I'll admit that. But I like it. She's not high maintenance, she's a good-with-the-flow kind of woman," Dimitri said, "But I can see her little tells already. Like how her nose flares when she's trying to keep a nasty comment back, or how her eyes smile before her lips move. You can read her so well, and at the same time she's a mystery."

"As I said; just like her mother. Has a hot temper too and good aim, so be careful."

"Yes, I am very aware of Rose's fists. We boxed a few days ago," Dimitri chuckled, and I heard the clinking of ice in his glass.

"Oh?"

"She's good. I loved seeing the grin on her face. She was sore but just looked so happy," Dimitri mused.

I peeked to the side so I could see into the living room with the mirror in the hall. Dad and Dimitri were both relaxed, Dad resting his glass on his knee.

"I taught her how to box as a kid, and then as she got older, it was the only way for her to keep her anger in check. We always knew that if she went straight to the ring after school that she had had a bad day. It was good for her, healthy. She was good at it, and she was a good runner too. She hated it in the beginning but she grew to like it. I'm glad she's doing it again," Dad said, a slight smile on her face.

I listened closely for what they were going to say next but the scampering of paws on the floor above me alerted me that my cover was going to be blown. I hightailed it up the carpeted stairs, meeting Meeko in the hall before he could start his commotion.

I shushed Meeko as he started to howl, leading him back into my room and back onto my bed.

I stirred my spoon in my coffee as I watched the snow continue to fall heavily. There hadn't been any plows out yet, and since it was nine-thirty, I doubted they would be out at all. I watched Meeko bury himself in the snow before rolling onto his back, shaking his stuffed cow with his mouth. I was surprised that it had held up all these years. I bought it for him for his first Christmas, and he was now seven.

He would shake the shit out it, using it as a weapon when playing with us. Any time we bought him a new toy, he'd run and get his cow, putting them together in his bed so that the new toy would smell the same.

The head was starting to come apart, but it was still his favourite.

"I don't think I've ever seen you so still," Dad said as he walked into the kitchen. I turned from where I was leaning on the island and shrugged.

"I'm tired," I said quietly, "I have to go and do blood work today, but I don't think I'm going to make it."

"No, the roads are not looking very good."

I shook my head with a quiet sigh. "No. And I know that Dimitri needs to go to work today," I said quietly.

I heard feet shuffling on the floor and smiled at Dimitri when he came into the kitchen, eyes still full of sleep.

"Morning," I said softly.

"Morning, Roza. Good morning, Abe," Dimitri said quietly. I stood up and grabbed a mug from the cupboard and poured him a coffee, handing it to him with a smile.

"Thank you," he whispered. I nodded and went back to looking out the window, sighing quietly to myself.

"I don't know how you're going to get to work," I said quietly, "The plows haven't been out."

Dimitri sighed and leaned beside me. "I spoke to the manager of the gym and the staff. We're closing the gym for the day due to the weather."

I nodded and sipped. "That's a good idea. But you have no clothes," I pointed out.

Dimitri shrugged. "My place isn't a long walk from here, I could always leave my car here and come back when the weather isn't as bad," Dimitri suggested, "If that's alright with you?"

I smirked. "Yes. It's not like I'm going to take a joy ride with it," I snickered. Dimitri leaned down and kissed me, his lips tasting heavily of coffee and mint toothpaste. Dad must have given him one if the extras he has stockpiled in the house. If there's a coupon, he'll use it. Even if it means we end up with fifty toothbrushes in our house. But then again, if we don't use most of our stockpile by Christmas Eve 'eve', he brings all of it to the food bank and donates it all. Canned food, toiletries, and hygiene products. He'll even go and buy cases of formula and diapers to bring as well.

I also knew that he wrote fat cheques for the food banks too. Big philanthropist that one.

"Please don't make out in front of the coffee pot, your mother has risen," Dad's voice called out and we pulled apart, smirking at each other like caught teenagers.

I gestured for Dimitri to follow me to the built-in couch by the window and sat down, snorting to myself as Meeko dove into the snow and all I could see were his ears.

"He really loves the snow, huh?" Dimitri mused.

"Actually, he doesn't. He would rather bake in the summer heat. But sometimes he acts like the rest of his breed," I laughed as Mom came in. She took in the two of us with my feet in his lap and turned to the coffee pot and poured herself a cup.

"You must be Dimitri," Mom mused.

"I am, it's nice to meet you, Mrs. Mazur."

Mom snorted and turned to face us, typing her housecoat tighter around her waist and lifting her cup.

"Hathaway. Only Rose took Abe's name. How was your family party?"

I was surprised that she was being so nice to him right off the bat. She was always a balls-to-the-wall with every other boyfriend I ever had, but she was being civil with him now.

"It was good. I know my family liked Rose with the bombardment of text messages I got this morning, and my nieces loved her too," Dimitri said kindly. Mom made a noise in the back of her throat and looked at us both frankly.

"Abe tells me that you knew Rose's heart donor."

"Mom!"

"It's okay, Roza. I did. He was my best friend," Dimitri said honestly, "Neither of us knew of that connection until last night. When I met Rose and knew about her transplant, I simply sympathized with her that my best friend was a donor when he passed."

Mom nodded her head while her lips were slightly pursed. Mom was a prosecutor and knew how to get all the answers out of people like it was as simple as breathing. I didn't like it when she did it to my friends.

"And you two started boxing together?"

"Dad!" I snapped, annoyed that he blabbed.

"I own a gym and felt that if Rose was up for it, we could start slow, build up the tolerance and strengthen her heart. Plus, seeing her smile afterwards was worth it," Dimitri said, glancing at me with a grin.

Mom raised her brows at me and then at Dimitri. "And you think that's what she should be doing?"

"I think that Rose has made it clear that she wants to move forward in her life and not hide behind her past. She was athletic and happy and now she isn't happy because of being held back."

My eyes bugged a little bit at Dimitri's words. Mom pursed her lips and then gave a nod of approval before turning back to her coffee.

"You're welcome here any time you'd like," she said as she walked out of the kitchen.

I gaped and then looked at Dimitri. "I think you're suicidal," I laughed. Dimitri laughed and shook his head, kissing my cheek.

"No. You two are the same, you have to be blunt and straightforward. Rip off the bandage," Dimitri said.

Guys... it's 14 days until Christmas!:)

There should be one or two chapters left :)