DPOV

It started with figuring out how to get Rose back in with her family.

Over dinner and another cup of hot chocolate for the both of us in my office, Rose decided the best way was to just go back and face him.

I disagreed.

"You could be killed."

"I know that. I don't think he will though. Something Victor said."

I leaned back in my chair.

"Victor Dashkov. We have an entire book on the crimes he's committed. Never any proof though."

"I thought F.B.I was supposed to have everything and know everything about everyone," she mused, smiling.

I couldn't help the small tug at my own lips. Her smile was both so gentle and contagious.

"Normally we do." My own smile fell. "But this case is different. Not one case tied to yours or Lissa's father can get them put away."

I looked over at her to see if I offended her.

"My Abe Mazur is careful. The people who work for him are just as careful because they're so scared that if they screw up, he'll have them killed. And even if they get caught and try to turn against Abe, he'll have them killed in jail," she explained.

"Yeah that's happened before."

"I have a feeling it'll be different this time," she said. The hope in her voice made me turn and look over at her. The same hope and faith that filled her voice was in her eyes.

"Me too."

"Is Lissa doing the same thing."

"Christian went to talk to her a few hours ago. We'll find out later. For now, it'll be a good time for you to try and relax and get some sleep."

She bit her bottom lip and looked down at her hands again.

Always looking down, hiding her eyes.

I was about to ask her where she'd been staying. For the second time tonight I mentally slapped my self.

"You've been sleeping on the streets haven't you?"

She nodded not meeting my eyes. I stood and walked around my desk to sit in the chair beside her. I turned it around and sat down, our knees touching.

I tilted her chin up with my finger.

"Rose, it's okay. Don't be embarrassed."

Her tanned skin pinked at the cheeks. She tried to look away from again but I turn her toward me, those eyes meeting my own. Her pupils, large and round in the barely lit office, calmed.

"I can't help it. I'm probably the sorriest, most depressing case you'll ever work with," she whispered, laughing without any humor

"Don't say that. I'll find you a safe place to stay for a while until we hear back from Christian and Lissa."

She nodded.

There was a knock at the door and Jesse came in without waiting for a reply. I moved back from Rose and caught slight glimmer, a weird cross expression on his face between amusement and conceit.

"Diner girl. I presume you're her because you agreed to help," he said leaning against my desk.

"It's Rose and yes I have."

Jesse looked irritated at her directness. He never liked women who were strait forward and independent.

"Good. It's for your own good. Did you explain everything to her?" he asked turning to me.

"Yes," I answered clasping my hands together leaning forward on my knees.

"Also good. So you'll return back to your father with open arms."

Rose opened her mouth to say something but I interrupted.

"Not tonight. I thought it better if she got some rest first. We just need to find her a safe place to stay."

Jesse looked like he didn't agree with this but said nothing, biting back his words.

"Child services wouldn't help or a foster home. Do you have anyone you can stay with?"

"If I had anyone I could stay with I wouldn't be homeless now would I," she snapped at Jesse.

"Where have you been staying?"

"An old abandon building in the west part of town," she muttered reluctantly, playing with her fingers.

She seemed so small and fragile.

She was only a few years older than my own sister Victoria. I imagine if Victoria were homeless, I'd want someone to try and help and take care of her.

"What about my family house?" I ask thinking of Victoria.

"It's too far out of town. Bringing her back and forth would only waste time." We thought and considered for a while until Jesse leaned up off my desk and moved toward the door.

"She'll stay with you Belikov. You're her caseworker any way and that way you can keep a good eye on her and we'll know where she is. I'm brilliant. We'll do that. I want you're report soon. Good night you two."

With that he left.

Rose looked from the door back at me hesitantly.

Then she smiled nervously.

"I guess I'm your new roommate, roomy!"

My apartment was only a forty-five minute drive from the main part of town. Rose would every now and then smile and laugh to herself nibbling on her fingernail and looking out the window.

I guess it's been a while since she had a real house to go to.

I pulled my truck into the driveway of the tree lines street near the mountains and turned the car off. Rose grabbed her three bags out of the backseat and got out.

Walking up the stairs I asked," Are those the important belongings you took when you ran off?"

She carried a khaki backpack, a messenger bag, and a duffle.

"These are my only belongings," she laughed.

I opened the large oak door and let Rose walk in first.

I heard her gasp as I turned the light on and she gawked circling the room.

"Nice," she said, looking out of the patio. "You F.B.I. guys must make good money to live like this."

"Actually I prefer the simply life. A nice small apartment closer to town but my mother's always wanted me to have better and she was excited about my job and wanted me to live someplace nice so I let her pick the apartment I'd live in and here we are."

I gestured to the kitchen that ran along the wall meeting the wide patio that led out to the open green trees; the living room I never used that faced out to the street and the two hallways that lead to the bedrooms and bathrooms.

"That's cute," Rose giggled. "Mommy wanted best for her little boy," she teased. I couldn't help but smile as I closed the front door. "How many rooms does this penthouse have?"

I smiled. "Four bedrooms and three bathrooms. My family use the spare bedrooms when they visit."

"That's cute, you're all close together. How many sisters do you have?" she asked picking up a photo of us all at Disneyland a few years ago. I wasn't bothered by her personal questions that I usually tried to avoid.

"Three sisters. The youngest, Victoria, stays here more often than the others. My sisters Karolina and Sonya are the oldest. They prefer it with my mother and grandmother in the country. Traveling with three kids isn't easy."

"Three kids? They must be really older than you." She picked up another picture.

"Not really. They had kids young. I only have a niece and nephew now with another on the way."

"You're kind of young your self. I thought F.B.I guys were big fat old men with beards and a cul-de-sac for hair."

I stifled a laugh.

"Sorry to disappoint. I'm only twenty-four. I got in trouble a bit when I was a teenager and one of the agents, a family friend, Ivan," I said remembering, "Told me that if I pulled my act together and joined this academy thing for the F.B.I when I turned eighteen, my record would be clean."

"Wow," was all she said. She looked at each of the pictures that were around the house. When she got to the last of them, her brow furrowed, in confusion. I could already guess why. Not in any of them was my father. She didn't say anything about it though. She put the last photo back and said nothing about it.

"Well I've learned a good majority of your life story in the last ten minutes. I kind of feel guilty."

"Why?"

"I've been prodding you with questions. You don't really know anything about me."

"I'm not going to push."

She nodded and smiled gratefully.

"When you're ready, I'm here."