Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire academy or any of the characters so far. They belong to Richelle Mead.

Here is the next chapter and once again, I want to thank QueenofDemons68 for the beta work! EnJoY

Chapter 20: The family

Third POV

"It was a pleasure meeting you Rose." Olena looked pleased at the thought of her son finally started to go for the right person, well as right as different kin relationships can go.

"You too, a pleasure." Rose returned the smile to Olena and felt relieved at them leaving. It's not that she disliked them, but Sonya's glare, Viktoria's knowing look to Olena's glance at something…something into the future that only she could imagine.

Talking Rose's hand, Olena lead her to her soon who is standing by the door and pushed her gently towards him. "WE must catch up again, I enjoyed our time together."

"Yes mother." Dimitri smiled as he understood her every well that his mother would stop at nothing to ensure Rose and him are together…with children; her grandchildren.

"We will…" surprised Dimitri turned to the owner of the voice; Rose. He found that she was smiling up at him. "Soon." she finished her sentence.

With more confidence, Dimitri too said "Soon."

As soon as they said farewell to their guests, Rose closed the door quickly with a thank God.

"What? I thought you liked my family?" Dimitri was confused.

"No, no don't get me wrong. It's just that they...you know." She did not know how to explain it.

Sighing, she lead him to the couch, "I love them, but your sister Sonya, I swear it's like she wanted to eat me and Viktoria with the know it all look." She looked up at him in hope of not hurting him after everything that he has done for her.

"Sorry about that." was the only noise that he made.

"Dimitri I love them I swear, how could I not when they are so nice."

Taking her hand "I know Roza, I know but you forgot one thing." he held his finger up "Can you guess?" Rose shook her head.

"My mother?"

"Oh!"

He laughed "I'm pretty sure that you saw that look in her eyes"

"I did. Why does she think we are meant together?"

He snort "I gave her little reason in the past."

"Past? How bad were you?"

Dimitri shook his head "I always end up with the wrong woman. Always."

"They broke your heart?" She looked worried for him.

"No I did." he nodded silently still not accomplish the task of glancing her way.

"What do you mean 'no I did'?"

"I was not good at all Roza. I played many women." She drifted silently away; an involuntary move.

"How bad?" she asked formed, reminding herself that she had no right to be worked up about it as they haven't met then.

"Slept around with many." wanting to feel her warm he stretched his arms, seeking for the hand that she took.

"How many?" she asked even though she was not sure if she wanted to hear the answer ever.

"I don't know, too much to keep track off. So many." He looked up as she could not feel her warmth anywhere even though she was few centimetres way.

"Don't get me wrong Rose, I have had a relationship…or two but like I said with the wrong people."

"That lady earlier, was she one of them?"

He had a confused look on his expression as he tried to remember just who that was only a few seconds later, wishing he could forget.

"Yes, that was Natasha or Tasha."

She stood up from the couch, "So earlier when we came in on you two-"

"That was nothing." he too stood up.

"Oh really, nice to know that would be your response to the next favourite of yours about us."

"That is not true and you know it."

"Know it? All I know is that the position you two were in was not 'nothing'. But that can wait because there are other important things to discuss like what was Ivan thinking when he bargained into my home just to bring me here?"

"Rose, Tasha means nothing to me, not anymore. And she meant something a long time ago; long before I met you. You are more important that anything." he stepped in front of her and took her hands in his, lift them on either side of his face. "Believe me Roza, you are important and I shall take care of you, if you would let me."

After a long pause, Rose asked "Are you trying to avoid the question about Ivan?"

"The question is, are you trying to avoid our topic?" Dimitri fired his own question at her.

"No just trying to make sense of it"

"What for?"

Ignoring his request, she changed the topic "So what's for lunch?"

"Well I hoped I could take you out to lunch. What do you say?" One side of his mouth tipped upwards.

"Love too." she too smiled, just more broadly.

"Go get changed then we'll go."

"Might as well take a shower." She mumbled as she headed back up the stairs.

"Alright" Dimitri called after her as he headed into the kitchen to organize their lunch picnic.

During that he received a phone call from Ivan.

"Hey Iv, what's new?"

"Oh just your father's pets surrounding the city for the Hathaway girl. Only you Dimka, only you would go for the same girl your father's determined to kill."

"Surrounding? How so?" Dimitri could not contain himself from displaying his concern for Rose.

"Literally." Ivan lets a large amount of air out of his lungs as he thought of just how hard it would be to guard the girl.

"What are you doing?" Ivan asked as he heard swishing sound on the other end of the phone call.

"Just getting prepared for a picnic with Rose-"

"You can't." Ivan interrupted his dear friend, "You two should stay where you are. Don't leave the apartment Dimitri it took me a lot of time hiding her scent. Cannot have it around, they would find her."

"What? But-"

"You will have plenty of time to take her."

Dimitri had decided to take his meal; blood when all the sudden he spit it out at Ivan's comment.

"Take her?" Curiously Dimitri asked.

"Get your head out of the gutter, mister." Ivan chuckled "You don't need a picnic for that. And no I might take her out." said Ivan but mumbled you've got it bad.

"I do." Ivan heard Dimka take his deep breath. "We talked." was the next thing he heard.

"Good to know, everyone always say that is very important to build a relationship by talking or else how are you meant to communicate."

Chuckling Dimitri replied "Not that talk, no about the…my past."

"Wait you told her that you're blood sucker?"

"What? NO of course not or else she wouldn't be here with me. About woman…women."

"Tasha?" Asked Ivan.

"Yeah"

"Hooray?"

"No hooray, she believes that I'm still with her or something."

"And you told her?"
"No."

"Then what's the problem?"

"You saw it earlier. You should have called before you brought her into my apartment."

"Dimka, don't blame me for wanting to save the girl. I thought you would do anything to protect her."

Dimitri sighed, "You know I would do anything to protect her, but that is starting to mean never seeing her again at this rate."

"Your father's out to get her for sure." Ivan paused. "You cannot take her outside that apartment no matter what she says. Tie her to your bed if you have to."

"Mind out of the gutter." Dimitri could not help but chuckle at the comment.

"Dimitri?" Rose said as she heard him laugh nearby as she entered the living room.

"Yeah, um in here." she heard a quick goodbye to whomever it was that he was speaking to and hide the phone in his pocket.

"Hey, you look beautiful."

Rose choice to drop the topic she was meaning to question him and smiled at his compliment to her simple but yet elegant black dress that she managed to pack in her bag while Ivan rushed her.

"Thank you." she said as she stepped closer to him and took his hand for his warm feel that she strangely missed while she was upstairs. "Where are we going?"

She saw his nervousness long before he scratched the back of his head while looking down; away from her.

"I thought we could stay in, a bit like camping or picnic only indoors. What do you say?"

Rose chuckled to his delight, "I never went camping before?"

"Really? Why not?" Dimitri pushed her fallen hair back, showing her long, strong neck. "Would you like camp with me, here?" He smiled, hoping that would take her mind off the fact that they were meant to go out.

"Yeah sure." she moved towards the couch when suddenly she paused. "Do I have to wear these or can I go and changed into something else."

"Go for it."

With a smile on her face, she quickly moved towards the stairs, "By the way, I'm using your clothes." she disappeared from his sight soon after.

Chuckling and shaking his head, Dimitri made his way towards the back door, where there are some camping items that they needed for their camping date.

When Rose finally came downstairs, she was surprised by how much the room looking different; with the curtains closed so but with small lights as if it were dark.

"How fast did you do that? Or was I taking that much time up there?"
"Just good camper I suppose."

Moving closer to him, Rose whispered "Good thing I have someone who knows what to do." She playfully pushed him away as she sat on a small chair that you see on advertisement on television about outdooring things.

"Nice, you going full on camper on me."

"Just want you to experience something…with me." he was silent after that; the both were as this was new for them.

"Lunch?" Dimitri stood up as he went into the kitchen to grab some ingredients.

Rose followed him into the room, carefully hoping he would not notice her, to which he did not as his mind was occupied. She wraps her arms around his waist and rested her head on his back, inhaling his scent.

"Rose honey." he was only able to alter those words before sighing silently, with loving look on his expression.

"You smell delicious." she mumbled against his back.

So do you was the only thought that ran in his mind at the closeness of her body. Even surprised him when she came from behind. A lousy Vampire he is!

"You want help?" She turned around so that she was beside him, ready to help.

"Do I want my apartment to burn? Umm no." Dimitri replied as he moved towards the fridge.

"Excess me mister but I do not burn houses." she posed her voice trying to act like those characters in the films.

"Whatever you say, sweet cake." he leant down to kiss the side of her head before getting back to his task.

Knowing that she was not needed in the kitchen, she sat herself at the counter's chair. Just watching him do his work around the kitchen, I can defiantly get used to this.

After a long but comfortable silence between them, Rose finally broke it. "What no Russian dish for lunch?"

Dimitri shook his head at how much she can speak what's on her mind without any thought.

"You want Russian food?" He raised his right eyebrow.

She nods her head happily for answering the question.

"How about dinner being Russian dish?"
"That would be lovely." she climbs on the counter to kiss him softly on his lips before leading down towards his next while her hands started undoing his buttons then get it off his body and letting it fall onto the kitchen. He dragged her to him and set himself between her legs.

"Really Rose, in the kitchen?" she giggled at his attempt of innocence in his tone.

"What you have never done it in the kitchen before?"

"Have you?" he answered her question with a question of his own.

"I asked first." Rose being stubborn she refused to lose.

Moving a bit back; away from her "I have."

She too moved away at his words, folding her legs. "I haven't." she replied.

Hopping down from the counter, she moves to set the table for the two of them. Whereas, Dimitri constantly looked at her forgetting about preparing lunch ready on the plates.

"Are you coming?" Rose asked as she waited at the dining table.

"Yeah." smiling he sat down after serving lunch.