HEY GUYS, SORRY IT'S BEEN A WHILE! BUT I HOPE THE FACT THAT THIS CHAPTER IS A BIT LONGER THAN USUAL WILL MAKE YOU GUYS A BIT HAPPIER! ANYONE ELSE OUT THERE NOT GETTING YOUR ALERT E-MAILS? I HAVEN'T BEEN GETTING ANY E-MAILS FROM THIS SITE IN ALMOST A MONTH, BUT WHEN I LOOK IN TH VA ARCHIVES I SEE THAT THE STORIES/AUTHORS I'M SUBSCRIBED TO HAVE UPDATED OR POSTED A NEW STORY. MAKES ME SAD. :( ANYWAYS, WAS JUST CURIOUS.

THIS WILL BE THE LAST CHAPTER SET IN RUSSIA. THE NEXT ONE WILL BEGIN WITH EVERYONE ON A PRIVATE PLANE TO ST. VLADIMIRS. ENJOY!

Chapter 07: The Illusion of Safety

"Your subtleties, They strangle me; I can't explain myself at all. And all the wants- And all the needs. All I don't want to need at all.

The walls start breathing. My mind's unweaving, maybe it's best you leave me alone.

A weight is lifted on this evening, I give the final blow.

When darkness turns to light, It ends tonight. It ends tonight. A falling star at least I fall alone. I can't explain what you can't explain. You're finding things that you didn't know

I look at you with such disdain" - It Ends Tonight by The All American Rejects

There were two days left of my trip to Russia and Viktoria was making sure that when I left the country this time, I'd have a life-time supply of souvenirs. As was Olena. I once thought shopping with Lissa was enough to mentally scar a person. . . let's just say that Olena, sweet, mothering Olena Belikova would put Lissa off of shopping for the rest of her life.

I'd already (against my will) finished all my shopping- Not that I'd needed to go shopping in the first place- so when Karolina decided that she need last minute items the day before we were scheduled to leave I was the first to volunteer to stay and pack. As sweet as Olena is, I'd rather face 20 angry Strigoi alone than go shopping with her again.

So while the Belikov family went out to but the last of the supplies they'd need at the academy, I stayed at their house to get as much packing done as I could. Unfortunately, Dimitri decided that he would stay back with me, "to help me with the heavier boxes" is what he'd claimed. His family bought his excuse, knowing that because it was daylight that there was no chance of being attacked by Strigoi.

I knew the real reason why he stayed. He was planning on hounding be about all the 'oddities of my behavior'. Dimitri was a very tactical man. He knew that I'd been keeping him at a distance by staying close to his mother and grandmother. I bet he'd been waiting for the chance to get my away from them.

My suspicions were confirmed when he shut the door behind his family and shot me a look that clearly said "You have no one to hide behind now. It's time to talk."

I quickly ducked into the kitchen to begin packing, knowing he would be less likely to pester me if I was doing what I'd stayed behind to do.

As gently as I could, I began to wrap all the dishes in newspaper and place them securely in the large box next to me. Fully aware of the Russian Giant watching me from the door, I moved on to the next pile of plates that needed packing. Only to see that I was out of paper to wrap it with. I'd somehow have to get past Dimitri to the sitting room in order to get some more.

As I approached him, I'd hoped that he would move aside. He knew what I needed. I prayed that he would at least let me get the paper so I could finish packing. I knew that if I got to that paper, I would stall as long as I possibly could until his family got home.

Almost as though he could read my thoughts, Dimitri shifter to reveal his full height, effectively blocking my escape route.

And then he did the one thing I was most terrified of.

He started walking towards me.

Each step Dimitri took towards me forced me to step back towards the table until I was pressed against the edge.

"Roza. My Roza." He nuzzled his face into the crook of my neck.

My head became light and my breathing became shallow and labored. Too close. He's too close!

"S-stop." All my prayers went completely unanswered as Dimitri placed his arms on either side of me, trapping me between him and the table. I hesitantly put my hangs to his chest in a weak attempt to push him away from me. As I tried to calm my breathing, I began to put pressure behind my arms and I lifted my head to meet his eyes.

My eyes widened as my hands dropped and my air supply rushed from my lungs. Terror, pure unadulterated terror flamed through me.

Because it wasn't Dimitri who had me trapped against the table. It was Adrian.

Tears burned the back of my eyes as I started to tremble. Oh God. Why is Adrian here? How did he get here?

I brought up a hand to cover my face as I curled slightly into myself, my other arm doing it's best to guard my stomach and chest from what we knew was coming next.

A large hand gripped my wrist firmly, causing a petrified squeak to rip from my throat.

"Roza!" Dimitri. Dimitri's here! Why isn't he helping me! Why the hell isn't stopping Adrian from hurting me! He promised he wouldn't let anything happen to me.

He promised me.

I don't know why, that though he'd broken so many to me, this promise seemed to mean everything to me in that moment.

He promised to protect me.

He'd protect me from Adrian the same way he'd protected Olena from his father.

I gathered all my strength and began to struggle against Adrian's grasp. I did my best to squirm scratch and claw my way from Adrian. Until another hand snatched my free arm.

"Stop, Roza. Stop fighting." Dimitri's grip was firm as my body went slack.

Dimitri was on Adrian's side. He wasn't going to make Adrian stop. He was going to hold me down as Adrian hit me.

Tears fell down my cheeks like rain from the sky. I shook while my misery poured from my eyes. I wanted to plead with Dimitri to help me. I wanted to beg Arian to let me go. To leave me alone. But I knew my words would fall on deaf ears.

Dimitri had left me time and time again. He'd rejected me, kidnapped me, tortured me. He'd told me he didn't love me. He'd shunned me. He lied to me. Then he'd left me all over again.

Memories of the last time I'd been to Russia flooded my mind. It wasn't fair to blame Dimitri for what he did when he was a Strigoi. But by momentarily reliving those memories, I recalled what Dimitri Belikov was capable of. He his hands were capable of.

And Adrian? He would only take my cries as defiance and hurt me more.

"Dimka! Roza! We're back!" Olena seemed to have God sent timing at that moment and her voice washed over me like a bucket of ice water, clearing my mind.

I looked around cautiously. Adrian was nowhere to be found.

Only Dimitri and I were in the kitchen. No Adrian. Dimitri was the one gripping my shoulders.

A bemused Olena looked back and forth between me and her son.

I ripped myself from his grip, knowing he wouldn't protest as long as Olena was around.

I gave her a small nod before rushing out of the kitchen. On the way to my room I was stopped by a gentle hand softly grabbing mine. I lifted my head slightly to see Yeva looking at me with a deep sadness and anger in her eyes and I wondered briefly if I reminded her of her daughter back before Dimitri finally stood up to his father. Was that why she had been so protective of me?

The old Russian witch gave me a gentle hug before muttering something in her native tongue and nudging me toward my room, where I locked the door and cried myself to sleep.

It was after dinner when Dimitri cornered me in my, well his, bedroom.

As much as I hated it, I was expecting this altercation. I had left him with possibly hundreds of new questions this afternoon in the kitchen.

He entered without knocking. Most likely to keep his family from rushing to my rescue. I didn't bother getting up from the bed. I knew there wasn't anywhere to go.

He didn't bother with trying to intimidate me like he had in the kitchen.

"What happened in the kitchen?"

I stared him down, trying not to show him how scared I really was. Slamming my Guardian mask into place, I replied,

"I'd think that was obvious. You interrupted what I stayed here to do then forced me against the table and held me there."

"You know what I mean. Why did you act like I was going to hit you? Why did you cower away and start crying?" Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answers to Comrade.

"I have no clue what you are talking about." I kept my voice as monotone as I could.

"Roza." his voice softened to a gentle caress. " I can't help you if you won't tell what is wrong. I need you to help me help you. If not me, then tell my family. Trust me."

I froze at his words. Trust me. I had. Several times and look where it got me. Could I trust him? Should I? He hadn't judged his mother when she was being abused. Would he judge me?

I looked at the man in font of me. The man I had repeatedly given my heart to.

"Please, Roza."

The concern in his voice was real. I hadn't noticed him move closer, hadn't noticed him kneel in front of me. At this distance even my Russian God couldn't keep the slight watering of his eyes hidden.

I could tell him. He's understand.

I opened my mouth to tell him. To reveal my deepest secrets, and was sucker-punched my a head-ache the size of Europe. I slid sideways on the bed, clutching my head as though it would make the pain stop. For a moment I'd forgotten about Adrian's compulsion.

I didn't realize that I had a bloody nose until I felt the warm liquid run down my hand.

I gripped my nose with my hand.

"I'd appreciate it if you leave now Dimitri." He reached an arm towards me.

"Roza-"

"Leave, Dimitri."

"Ro-'

"NOW Dimitri." His face settled back into his perfect mask.

'I will when you tell me what just happened."

"No. Now leave."

"Tell me!"

"NO!"

"You're acting like a complete coward!"

"Dammit Dimitri! Just leave me the hell alone!"

He just would not give up! And at this point I wasn't sure of whether I should be scared that he could unintentionally end my life or happy some deep part of him cared enough to try to discover what was wrong.

"Tell me what's wrong!" He needs to just stop! Why won't he just stop asking me all these questions? Why won't he understand?

A very angry Russian stood over me as he backed me into the wall.

"No. Tell. Me. What. Is. Wrong!" He placed his hands on either side of my head, preventing my escape. As defiantly as I could I glared up at him.

"Nothing is wrong! Why the hell won't you just accept that already!"

"Because there is something wrong! You don't get bloody noses for no reason! You don't pass out when people get to close to you! Since when do you cower away from anyone? Since when do you cry and beg someone to leave you alone! And don't think I haven't noticed you staying close to my mother and Yeva so you could avoid me! What the hell is going on! This isn't you!"

"How do you know Dimitri? How do you know this isn't me?" He was so close to me. So close I could feel his breath fanning over my face, feel the warmth of his body. Part of me reasoned that it was okay for Dimitri to be this close. He wouldn't hurt me. He would protect me.

But the other part of me screamed that I couldn't trust him. And that part was one I couldn't really argue with. He'd broken my trust before. Why wouldn't he turn his back on me again?