Hey Smiles- this is for you! I got your review today, so hurried up and did this chapter. It is longer than I intended it to be b/c I got carried away with Rose and Dimitri. Lol- I had fun writing it. : D

Anyway, tell me your thoughts (especially you Delicious! And thank you- you make my story amazing with those inspiring reviews of yours!) And thank you everyone for reviewing. It means a lot. Keep reviewing please. I love reading them, and please give me your insight on the chapter. I like hearing that you think its good and great, but tell me why. Thank you!

Rose's POV

I don't know what Yeva will say to Dimitri, but I bet it was going to be one nasty conversation. A chill traveled down my spine just thinking about what she would say to him. But in a way, I didn't care if it was good or bad, he would deserve either one- well, he deserved the bad. He should have realized I was the one who saved him and not Lissa.

I walked out of the building and decided to get something to eat, because I was starving! I went to that same café where Dimitri and I had that heated argument so long ago. I sat myself down on a stool in the middle of the counter. Moments later a waitress came up to me and handed me the menu.

"Oh boy, I know that look." The woman had a southern accent. She had light brown eyes and blond hair. She had a tall hour glass figure and wore part of her hair back, so that the top was in the back with a barrette. She had on a black apron with a white t-shirt and velvet black pants.

"Yeah." I wasn't even going to play dumb.

To my surprise she sat down on the stool next to me. "Darlin', men are not worth your tears."

I laughed at the irony of it all. "Then why do we cry?" Or try?

She gave me a sympathetic smile, but her eyes conveyed experience. "Because we fall for them. As my mother always says 'men are like shirts, you use them for a while then put them in the drawer for later."

I laughed, but I was somewhat disgusted at that saying. "Well, I fell for one."

As if she read my mind she spoke. "No Hun, it's no mistake. Be glad you experienced it. Not many people experience a strong love."

I gave her a half smile. "What makes you think it was a strong love?"

"Because you are here with a troubled look that I know all too familiar from my home town in Kentucky." She paused for a moment. "I know just the thing that you need." She got up and left. When she returned a few minutes later she had a huge slice of chocolate cake and a glass of chocolate milk.

I couldn't stop the goofy grin from coming on my face. "Triple Dutch chocolate cake; it has chocolate chips in the cake with a ripple in the middle. And a chocolate fudge topping" Ripple is like a river of melted chocolate.

"You are an angel." I said to her taking a sip of the chocolate milk. She laughed and set it down.

"From my experience, chocolate is an antistatic until someone else comes along."

I hit my grimace. No one else will come along. Not after Dimitri. I ate in silence and watched as that southern waitress worked, taking other people's orders. When I finished I paid, thank the lady.

"Come again if you ever want to talk." She practically sang the word 'ever' as I walked out of the diner. I wondered if she wanted to talk about her past. I shook my head at that thought and continued down the street.

"Rose!" A voice boomed across the street and off the walls. I was walking down a mall's sidewalk path, so the voice bounced off the ground and walls.

I turned with a smile, recognizing the voice. "Hey Eddie!" I sang.

He walked up to and gave me a tight hug. "Do you have any idea how much you are missed around here?"

I laughed and shook my head. "But with that hug it is easy to imagine."

"Easy girl, don't get to full of yourself." He was in a light mood, I nodded.

I smiled big at him and he smiled back. "Where are you headed?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I was actually going to see Mia. She called me over and wondered if I wanted to play Wii with her. Just the two of us; she couldn't find anyone else that wanted to come."

I laughed. "Sounds like a date."

He looked at me, stunned. "What- no!"

Shook my head at him slowly. "Eddie Castile!" I was using my commander voice, but my tone had a smile inside and I never took my eyes off of his face. He was slowly blushing. "You think she's pretty." I sang again observing his face.

"Uh, Rose!" he complained, trying to hid that smile and act all serious. "We are just friends."

"Friends who kiss!" I commented- of course that was theory, but the way he looked away from me, I saw a small blush coming to his cheeks, confirming my theory was correct. "Aww Eddie!" I said and put my right arm on his waist and led him to the direction of Mia's house. "I think is fabulous!" I said excitedly. "You are interested in the opposite sex!" After a second, I repeated myself, this time I said it sincerely. "I think it is fabulous."

And I really did. Mia was great. A year younger than him, but I was seven years younger than Dimitri. So, it's not like I was one to talk. Mia is a beautiful girl with a great heart. Eddie deserves someone to make him happy. Out of anyone, he deserves it the most, and I bet he doesn't even realize he does.

"So when did it happen?"

He played dumb. "When did what happen?"

I sighed. Fine you asked for Rose Hathaway. "Eddie and Mia sitting' in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, second comes baby in the baby tree!"

"Mature Rose. Very mature." I looked up at him and he had on his guardian mask, but his voice and eyes implied a hint of amusement and a pleased smile.

"So?" I pressed as he put his left arm over my shoulders, hugging me tightly to him as we walked. People starred at us, but I could care less, and it seemed like Eddie thought the same thing.

"About five months ago. I'm not sure what happened exactly first we were laughing about something she did to Lissa in the academy senior year, the next we were looking at each other and I leaned in and kissed her. I just couldn't help but think 'wow, she is so beautiful,' the whole time I was kissing her and looking at her. Everything I see her I think that.

"Wow Ed, you got it bad."

He sighed. "Yeah."

"Cupid hit your ass with an arrow. I couldn't be more happy for you!"

He couldn't hide is amused smile anymore. He showed all his teeth and his brown eyes lit up with excitement and happiness. "Mia was hoping to see you soon since your return, but you have been so busy with your group and the guardians…then on top that you had training with the Guardians. You know, she was there?"

"At the training program?" I asked. He nodded. "No. I didn't see her."

He shrugged. "She was in the way back. She didn't want to get in your way."

I was shocked. "Mia? Get in my way?" I gave a humorless chuckle. "Of course not! I would have given her pointers."

He nodded. "That's what I said." He was thoughtful for a moment. "You know, she didn't recognize you at first. Neither did I when I saw you coming up the street to Lissa's. You guys looked like the mafia out for blood and readying for war. You looked dangerous and…warrior-like."

"Intimidation is one way to scare the hell out of strigoi. If they are frightened of you they will falter and do something stupid and causing them their life."

It was quiet for the rest of the way there. We walked up to her front door of her small house and knocked. Her house was yellow with white shudders and thin white curtains and blinds.

She opened the door and smiled at Eddie, but was shocked (which quickly turned into excitement) to see me. "Rose!" she squealed and threw herself at me giving me a bone rushing hug. Of course it didn't hurt me, but it would hurt anyone else.

"Hey Mia!" I said, returning the hug and looking at her. This time I drank in her features. Her silky blond hair had gotten longer; it was down to the middle of her torso. Her skin had a small tan to it, but for a moroi that was impressive. She also had gotten taller, almost as tall as me. She was wearing dark gray stretchy pants and a pink cotton t-shirt, which showed off the muscles of her arms-which I noticed have become tough for a moroi.

She smirked at me. "Checking me out Hathaway?"

I laughed. "You have changed."

"You have changed even more." She commented back with a smile, but her smile was serious.

I shrugged, trying to hide my discomfort. For some reason, I do not like how everyone is telling me that I have changed. It's awkward; makes me feel like a rat under a microscope. "It was bound to happen." I replied.

She moved out of the doorway and beckoned us in. "Eddie and I was about to have dance of with the Wii, wanna join?" Mia asked me with an excited glint in her blue eyes.

I smiled. "I don't see why not."

She made a fist with one hand and smacked it against the palm of her other hand. "Excellent! Right this way." She ushered us down stairs where it was ten degrees cooler. The floor had white carpet and the walls were painted yellow. A few feet from the staircase, there was a black forty inch flat plasma screen TV, with a DVD player, a PlayStation and a Wii box (with four remotes) and an Xbox.

She got it all started up and picked a song by Katie Perry "Teenage Dream" for Eddie to dance to. It was pretty funny.

"Looking pretty sexy there, Eddie." I howled in laughter as he did twirled around like a ballarena.

"You know your jealous, Rosey. I am better looking than you."

Mia laughed. "He has got you on that one."

I smiled my man-eating-smile at them. "Awe. That's just mean."

They just smiled. It was soon my turn, and I danced to "Toxic" by Britney Spears. After that song though, I soon became board. I wanted to stay here and ketch up with them, but after everything that went down with Dimitri, I just wanted to be alone.

I sighed. "I better get going."

They smiled at me knowingly. "Well, we better get together again sometime." Mia said.

I nodded. "We better. I miss you." And boy was that true. "And I want to know what you can do in defensive magic."

Her face lit up like Christmas morning. "Really?"

I nodded. "Most defiantly. Maybe we can form a group or something to get other people to see that they can defend themselves." She smiled at that. I knew she felt alone when it came to practicing defensive magic. Christian was her only partner. And Christian got annoying very fast.

I hugged them both and walked out of the house and down the street. I looked at the horizon and saw the sun was just rising. I don't know if Yeva is still yelling at Dimitri, but if she was then chances are he was probably crawling up in a hole somewhere, hiding.

I was walking, taking in the upcoming sun. I was excited to see it. I missed it. It was warm and bright….reminds me of Dimitri's eyes when he is happy- like after sex. He would get this goofy grin on his face and a twinkle in his eyes. I kept thinking it was because he is happy that he just laid, but could he be happy because he was with me and that I was back for now? Does that mean that he does lov-

I was walking at a medium pace when that familiar creepy sense washed over me. Someone was watching me. I stopped dead in my tracks and glanced behind my shoulder. I saw no one, just rows of small houses with patches of lawns and a car in the driveway. The sun was rising, so I wasn't to worried about a strigoi attack…but a human attack was more likely.

However, a human wouldn't give me the chills. Strigoi; maybe. Humans, defiantly not. But what was myself conscience warning me about? I opened up my senses; hearing, smelling and feel (the ground for movement). There was nothing out of the ordinary. No one was running-or walking, because the streets were empty. I smelled nothing dangerous, and I felt no nausea for strigoi.

The wind blew and I thought I heard a small voice call my name in a very hushed whisper. If I was human, I wouldn't have heard it. Chills formed on the spine of my back and on my arms.

Stupidly, I listened harder to see if I could hear anything. But as quickly as the wind came with the voice, it went and faded. My heart accelerated, and the feeling of someone watching me got more and more intense- like they were waiting for the right time to strike.

Run! My consciousness yelled, get out of here! It has been over a year since something inside of me told me to retreat, and when it says to retreat, I know something horrible is wrong. I decided to listen to it, and boy, I ran! If I was an outsider looking at me, I would have said that she shot off down the street like a bullet. I ran for miles, not stopping, until my hotel room came into view. The whole time I ran, I still felt the like someone was watching me, and it never eased. I didn't stop running when I entered the lobby, and I ignored the questioning looks I received from running like my life depended on it- and who knows, maybe it did.

I ran up the stairs three at a time, my nerves in overdrive and my body in fight or flight. When I reached my door, I quickly swiped my card in the slot and yanked open the door. I swung the door shut without looking behind me and checked around my vicinity in front of me. I was breathing hard, and I felt slightly hysterical. I am most defiantly sure I am not going crazy.

I checked by my sides of my bed and in the bathroom. I went to check under the bed, remembering that I forgot to check that when a hand touched my shoulder.

I screamed. I mean, I really, really screamed. It was one of those murderous screams, like someone was killing you. I could hear my voice echo off my room's walls and down the hallway. I wasn't screaming for long when the man's hand clamped my mouth shut, and his other hand and arm went around my waist.

"Shh, Kiz. It is only me." My father said.

My whole body relaxed and if it weren't for his hold on my waist, I would have slid to the floor. Relief flooded through me. I was so relieved, that tears grew in my eyes and a sob excepted my lips. I couldn't stop it.

I have never been this scared before (well, besides going to Russia for the first time) and I didn't like it one bit. I have never felt so powerless, so helpless. There was nothing my family could do, nothing Dimitri could do, and absolutely nothing I could do. I am on my own. And I realized that I couldn't save myself. No one could. And I had a horrible feeling something was going to happen.

"Dad." I said in a sob. I turned around as he loosened his hold on me. He let his hand drop as his arms went up to my shoulders and pushed me into a hug. My arms circled his torso- like a little girl would do to her father showing love. His embrace made me crack. I would never admit it to him, but I was so glad he was my father. And I loved him for all the support he has given to me so far. He squeezed me when my first sob came out of my mouth. Sob after sob, he held me. I doubt he knew what was going on with me, but he was comforting me, and that was all that mattered.

I don't know how long my father hugged me for, but it was a while. He would run his fingers through my hair and whisper to me gently in Turkish. I had no idea what he was saying- but I something told me he was saying that it will be okay, and that I am safe.

When my sobs quieted down, he pulled back and cupped my face. "Rose." He said, and I heard the worry in his voice. A worried father was probably one of the saddest, most heartbreaking thing in the world to hear. He whipped my tears off of my cheeks with both of his palm and thumbs.

"Rose, tell me what is going on. What can I do?" His dark brown eyes gazed into mine with worry and concern.

Oh, Dad. I thought. My heart melting at the fact that he wanted to help me. My arms went around his waist and pulled him into another hug and cleared my throat. "I love you, Dad." I said, and my voice sounded little, like a small, frightened child

He pulled back. I was looking down at the ground, afraid to look him in the eyes. I hated showing any kind of weakness towards anyone. His hand went to my chin and tiled it up so that he could look me in the eyes.

"It's not the Russian imbecile, is it?"

I swallowed hard. I wish that was all it was. I shook my head and let out a small sigh. "I only told Mom…"

He looked at me expectantly. "She told me that you felt as if someone is watching you."

I was surprised. "You talk about me?"

He looked at me like I was absurd. "Well of course! You are our daughter."

My eyes flashed to the ground and back at him. I was more curious than anything to know what is going on with them. And a part of me wanted to know now.

"Dad…" I asked hesitantly. I looked around. This is going to be so very awkward. No child should have to ask what is going on with their parents. I looked at my computer desk's chair and pointed to it. "Can you sit down?"

He nodded and sat down, then looked at me. I noticed that he wasn't wearing his normal attire. No dressed up clothes, which was odd. Instead, he was wearing what looked like a designer brand of pajamas. The color was a dark gray, but had shiny silver streaks going down the shirt and pants. Each line was two inches apart. His top was a button up, and the buttons were a silky black color.

He looked like a true father, right then. All he was missing was his wife. I noticed a pain in my heart, a loneliness and a yearning. I wanted it so much. I never realized how much I wanted it until now. But that was the thing. I wanted it. I don't need it.

"Go one, Kiz." He said kindly and lovingly. I didn't miss the fact that he didn't say he loved me back…but that was okay. It just proved that what I wanted wasn't going to happen, no matter how much I wanted it to. That one thought, that one statement, brought tears to my eyes.

"You and Janine…are you two," I looked at him straight in the eyes wanting to know the truth. "Are you two together?"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Why do you want to know?"

I opened my mouth to say the truth for once, but snapped it shut. He wouldn't want the truth. Instead, I shrugged. "I have a right to know."

"She is a wonderful woman."

I snorted and he narrowed his eyes at me.

"You remind me a lot of her."

"I am glad I look more like you."

His lips tugged at the corners, but didn't turn into a smile. "I know you resent her, but try and let her in."

I shook my head.

"For me?"

I didn't shake my head, but didn't say yes. "Is this what you wanted to know, Rose? Is Janine and myself together? You want an answer?"

I nodded.

"No."

"Why?"

She gave me a sad smile. "It wouldn't work out."

"I bet it would if you gave her a chance!"I pleaded. I didn't know why I was trying so hard to get my parents together. If you ask me, it was a really weird that I was doing this. No teenager would try and do this, but I wanted them together.

"Rose-"

"Did you ever love Janine?"

He looked at me with a weird expression. It was like he was half irritated and half giving in. "I did love her back then, and I do love her now. Love isn't something that fades easily, Rose. You should know that. You flew halfway across the world for it, and later fought to get it back. And you fought hard."

"Yes I did, and if you loved my mother, fight to get her back. Does she make you happy?"

He sighed in frustration. "I didn't come down here to talk to my daughter about my love life about mother and me." I can see where he is coming from.

"I would talk things out with her, Dad. They said things wouldn't work out for dhampires being a couple, but look at me and Dimitri."

It was quiet for a few moments.

"Rose, what is going on with you?"

"I think you should be happy."

"You are avoiding the question."

I sucked in air and kept it in for a moment, then let it out. "It's getting worse- the feeling someone is watching me, I mean. It's scaring me; I can't stop it. But today…today I heard it."

He stiffened. "What did you hear?"

"Just my name."

"Were they calling you in a dangerous tone, or did they say it like it was a question if you were her?"

I tried to recall the tone, but I couldn't. "I," I paused. "I don't remember. I was too freaked out. Something told me to run, and I didn't question it. I ran."

He nodded. "I want someone with you at all times, Rose."

I didn't agree to that, but didn't voice it.

"And make up with Belikov. He was looking for you. He was looking all around Court for you. He seemd genuinely worried."

"I don't really care about that." My voice got hard, and my thoughts turned from scared to angry. "He still sees Lissa as his savior."

"Mmm, I don't think so. I mean, he use to, but not anymore…"

I rolled my eyes. "Stop taking his side." Gez, everyone seems to be taking his side.

"I want to know something, Kiz." He said, changing the subject.

"Mmm?" I asked, glad that he changed the subject.

"Are you going back to Russia when this whole thing is over?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. We haven't talked about it."

He looked at me curiously. "You are a true leader."

I smiled. "Why do you say that?"

"You give them a voice. Civility goes a long way with colleagues. "

"I don't like bossing people around and making them do what they don't want to do. I had to today though. Tamara didn't want to leave Princess Vasilisa's side when we go to war. I can see why, but she needs to understand that the Princess will be protected no matter what. She will have Dimitri by her side," I spat the word 'her' with disgust. I was still upset that Dimitri held her life above mine when he said that he loves me. It broke my heart that he does. "I need my family to be with me when this all goes down. We will need each other more than ever. She fails to realize how bad this could get, and to tell you the truth, I fail to see how dangerous it can be. I know it will be tough, and that is why I need her with us. We are dangerous apart, but together we are an unstoppable army."

He smirked. "I know you guys are. And you know what?" he stood up and walked over to me. I moved and sat on my bed. He sat by me. "I am proud of you."

I felt my lip grow into a smile. "Really?"

He smiled at me lovingly. "I am so very proud of you. And you know what, you proved to be my daughter to everyone when you stood up to Gideon. I could hardly contain myself. Your mother wanted to backhand you though."

I let out a hard chuckle. "I could imagine."

"She was secretly praising you though. Don't let her fib you. Gideon never liked the way she thought and analyzed her plans. Looks like it runs in the Hathaway blood though."

I laughed and then there was a knock at the door. My father stood up and opened it. "Ah, I was wondering if you were going to come and check up here. Come on in!"

He moved to the right side of the door, giving me a clear view of who was standing in the doorway.

It was Dimitri.

Ah hell. I should be getting paid to put up with his shit. But nope. I am PMSing- that is Putting up with Men's Shit. Dimitri's shit. Haven't I been through enough for one day? Fist, Love fades. Second, Lissa's my hero, my goddess, my everything. And lastly, admit that Lissa was the one who saved me Rose. You are lying. What I would do to knock a few of his teeth out.

I got up and walked to the door before Dimitri can let himself in. My father turned to me and kissed my forehead.

"Good night, my sweet daughter."

"Night Dad." He smiled at me. I wish he would have said he loved me… Abe walked out of the room and I turned back to Dimitri.

"R-" he was cut off to me slamming the door in his face. When it closed I locked the deadbolt and chained it. It served the bastard right! Teach him to mess with Rose fucking Hathaway. Fucking moron. Who hell does he think he is, coming to my room in the middle of the night and interrupting a father-daughter moment? I needed to teach him a lesson.

"Rose, please let me in. I want to talk and apologize."

"I'm sorry. Rose is currently unavailable due to current thoughts of plotting murder. Leave a message and maybe she will get back to you. BEEP!" I yelled. I know it was very, very childish, but I was so pissed at him.

I heard him sigh. "Last chance Roza."

He was met by silence. He wasn't going to be talking to me tonight, willingly that is.

I turned from the door and walked to my bed and laid down, watching the door. He knocked again, and again I didn't answer.

I heard him sigh in frustration and walk away.

I closed my eyes, trying to hold my ground. I wanted to run to him and punch him until he admitted that it was me. I wanted to kiss him until he realized it was me. I was torn between passion and violence. Great. Romeo Romeo, where art thy Romeo? Oh yeah, he was too busy bowing down to Rosalind- or was she with the goddess of Aphrodite and Eos all mixed up into one? I could care less. She is one twisted bitch.

BOOM! I heard something crack and then fall heavily down on the floor. My eyes flew open and I grabbed my gun from my holster, pointing it to the door. Dimitri stood on top of the door with a very stern expression on.

I didn't lower my gun, but did put the safety back on. "OUT!" I yelled in Russian.

He walked towards me. "OUT!"I commanded again. He didn't stop coming towards me. I wasn't going to shoot him. Hell, there was no way I could shoot him. Not without shoot myself afterwards.

He came face to face with me in seconds. His fingers wrapped around the barrel of the pistol and I dropped my hold on it and backed up. Dimitri threw the gun to the left, making it hit the wall then bounce on the ground.

As he came closer, I backed up until I hit the window and wall. When I hit the wall, I readied myself to attack. "Выйдите! (GET OUT!- sounds like: we-desh-it)" I yelled at him. "I don't want you here and I don't want to talk to you. If I wanted to talk I would have let you in."

"Rose." Dimitri pleaded.

"NO! OUT! I'm sick of this, Dimitri. I keep telling you the truth and you throw me away like yesterday's trash. You say that you love me, but you give your loyalty to her. You say you want to be with me, but you stay with her. So you know what, I give up. You believe whatever the hell you want, but at least I told you the truth! If you want the truth again, go see Lissa! Wait- no, she won't tell you because she wants you to know she was the one who saved you. MY BAD! NOW LEAVE! I DON'T WANT YOU!" I was on the edge of screaming at him.

He flinched at my last part where I lied. I wanted him. I wanted to hold him, kiss him and love him forever, but he made it so damn hard to do that when he gives all his loyalty to that dumb, twisted, psycho bitch. He took a step back, making it to where we were two feet apart.

"Rose, I'm sorry-" It was the first time he came forth with an apology. I didn't miss it, and I didn't want it.

"No you're not story," I said, speaking in my native tongue. "You use to be so trusting to me, and when you changed back you wanted nothing to do with me and everything to do with her. She liked the power she had over you, and she sat and watched as our relationship went down the drain. And worst of all, you let her. I fought every step of the way and you just helped her out like giving Soroman hints on where The Ring was! You didn't care. I wanted to help you, to be there for you, but you kept pushing me away. And when I attempted to tell you the truth, you push me into a wall and tell me to shut up and admit the truth! I did admit the truth-"

"I know."

I was huffing in anger.

I sighed. "Выйдите (Get out.) I am tired of hearing lies today."I said in Russian.

He didn't. He walked over to my bed and sat down. Does he not listen to me? I said out! Anger still boiled inside of me at the fact that he still held Lissa above me and that he believed her over me.

"I did go to Lissa today after Yeva told me everything."

"I said out, Dimitri."

He looked at me as if he didn't hear me and continued on with his story. "Babushka loves you very much, and is proud of you. She gave me the summary of what you did for me and what you went through. I wanted the whole story, so I went to Lissa and asked. She was timid at first to tell me."

I snorted. "Сука принцессы (Princess bitch- Sounds like: suka-un princess-ay)" I said in disgust. "Why?"

He looked at me in regret. "She thought that if I stayed, so would you."

I gave a hard chuckle. "In other words she thought that if she had you wrapped around her princess fingers and didn't want to leave her, then I wouldn't either, knowing that you were there."

His lips turned into a thin line and nodded. I guess he didn't appreciate me slamming the princess bitch. Whooped fucking do; I could care less about her.

"She's your best friend, Rose." Dimitri said, reading my mind.

"After what she did to us?" I shook my head robustly. "Absolutely not. I can't look at her the same anymore. I look at her and I see just another stuck up rich royal." I said again in Russian. "what did she tell you?"

"The truth."

Right, I though as I rolled my eyes.

"Eddie was there to confirm the truth…well, as much as he could of it."

I looked at him then. Bringing Eddie into this made me think that maybe she did tell the truth. Then again, once a backstabber, always a backstabber.

I eyes Dimitri. "What she say?"

When his eyes met mine, I could see that he was touched by everything I did. I could clearly see that he was proud of me and so very thankful of what I did. His eyes smoothed over in awe and vanity. "Tarasova, the digging and the sacrificing you did. You broke Victor Dashkov," he said the name with complete disgust and amazement at the same time, "because that was the only way you were able to get the information you needed. There was no other exchange but that. You took the gamble and it paid off."

I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. "It appears she told you most of it."

He shook his head, seeming bold. "She told me all of it."

This time, I believed it, but I was still hurt. "Get out." I said gently, turning to the window and looking outside.

He got off the bed and came to me. He put his hand on my right shoulder, and I shrugged it off.

"I'm sorry, Roza. I should have believed you."

"Why didn't you?" I asked as I turned around. "Because you not believing me made me feel worthless and disgusting. It made me feel unimportant and unworthy. All I wanted was to have you back and help you! It made me question whether or not that you believed me when I said that I still loved you.

"But I want to know why you stopped trusting me and trusted her."

"I have always trusted you; then and now." He said gently, but there was a note to his voice that was strong and said that he told no lie.

"Could fool me." I walked passed him. "If you won't leave then I will." I picked up my gun without stopping and put it into my holster.

"What can I do to tell you I am telling the truth?"

I didn't look back, but when I spoke, I spoke in Russian. "You don't have to. I do believe you, but I know where your loyalty lies and I know who you would rather be with."

"What is that suppose to mean?" he asked, and his tone sounded annoyed.

"It means you put her first above anything and anyone else."

"они прибывают сначала (They come first-enya-waprevous-nachowa)." He said in English.

"Это казалось бы так (It would seem so- Sounds like: eta-walcolus what-ock)." I commented back in Russian

"I love you." He said in English.

I looked back at him and pressed my lips into a thin line. His hair was the same and it framed his face making him look very beautiful and like a knight. His posture was tense as if he was readying himself for a blow to any place on his body.

"You do." I said in Russian, not doubting that. I decided that I would talk in Russian for the rest of this conversation.

"Но? (But?- sounds like: nouh or 'no' with a French accent)"

"But not enough."

"Not enough for what?"

I laughed inside. Poor guy doesn't even have a clue. "We can't be together."

He had on a devastating look like I just slapped him across the face for no reason. "What? I thought the whole reason you saved me was because you wanted us to be together."

I nodded. "I did."

"Rose," he pleaded in a voice that almost made me cave in, "don't do this. Please." His voice killed me, and I wanted to give in.

"I can't Dimitri."

"But I know the truth now! You are blaming me for not knowing the truth?"

"I was, but not anymore." I answered truthfully. It was because he chose Lissa over me.

"Then why?"

"You're smart. Figure it out."

With strigoi speed, he came up to me. "I love you." He said strongly and before I could say a word, his lips were crushing mine and his hands were on my hips, bringing me closer to him.

MMM! So how did I do? What do you think Rose will do? Should she continue kissing Dimitri? Or hit him and say screw off? What do you think Dimitri deserves? Do you think Rose should make up with Lissa? What about Tamara- do you think she will listen to Rose and stay with the gang? What do you think will happen with Abe and Janine? Most importantly, who do you think is watching her?