DPOV

I took a long, deep breath, I dont know why I was so nervous exactly, It was just my family, I knew they would be extrememly welcoming no matter what... so why was I so afraid...afraid of their reactions?... I guess the main reason was currently squirming in my arms... Alexavier. What would they think of him? Would they even believe me about him? What would they think about the fact that I was currently searching for his strigoi mother?

I paused with my hand raised to the door, glancing behind me at the group that was waiting. Lissa gave me a warm, reasurring smile.

I knocked on the door and waited with held breath as I heard loud footsteps banging around, and yelling in Russian, on the otherside before someone finally flung the door open.

It was silent for a moment, as we just stared at eachother. She looked the same as she had 5 years ago, a few more wrinkles than I remembered but her deep brown eyes were as piercing as ever, boring into mine, the wrinkles that were lining her mouth becoming more prominant as she smiled a wide, knowing smile.

"Dimka, you took your time boy, you should never leave an old women waiting you know." she spoke to me in Russian, her eyes lowering to the small bundle in my arms. "may I? He may get a little squashed if you keep holding him in a moment." she cackled holding her arms out. Nothing seemed to ever surprise her, but She never failed to amaze me.

"Thankyou babushka, its so good to see you again." I replied as I gave her a hug and handed Alex to her, just in time too. As mama came around the corner of the kitchen,

"whos at the door ma-" she cut herself off when she saw me, her eyes widdened as the tea towel in her hand dropped to the floor, in the same instant she flung herself at me.

"Dimka! Oh my Dimka, its really you. Oh Ive missed you so much." she kissed me all over my face and hugged me tightly.

"Ive missed you too mama." I chuckled at her response, hugging her back just as tight before turning sideways and motioning towards the group behind me. "mama, I want you to meet Vasillisa Dragomir, Christian Ozera, Adrian Ivashkov and Guardian Eddie castile, Guardian Lorenza and Guardian torrance."

She greeted them all warmly in english and motioned for us to follow inside and make ourselves comfortable. I walked into the living room, and was immediately assaulted with the warm happy memories of my childhood. Growing up in this house with my sisters and my mother and babushka Yeva. Sitting around drinking hot chocolate on the cold winter nights, telling stories and just being a family, I missed it so much sometimes.

I was walking along the wall looking at all the family photos on the wall when I heard a scream and then a clatter as something hit the floor.

"Dimka!" two female voices scream at me as I turned around. Sonya and karolena crashed into me, both their arms circling my waist and squeezing me tight. They began talking a mile a minute but I couldnt understand a thing they said since they were speaking over eachother.

"karolena, sonya, Ive missed you. How are you both." I asked hugging them back fiercely. God, how I had missed my sisters. They both stepped away and I was shocked to see that sonya was heavily pregnant! She was so anti-early pregnancy last time I spoke to her, but I soon learned that she got pregnant to some moroi who made her think he loved her but he took off as soon as she told him, and karolena had a little girl called Zoya, who was with my nephew Paul asleep upstairs. They informed me that Vika was out with her boyfriend and wouldnt be back until later.

Once I had introduced them to everyone I had bought with me I sat in the chair beside babushka.

"so Dimka, ive been waiting for you to bring it up... But who is this gorgeous little man?" mama asked looking pointedly at babushka who was rocking back and forth in her chair with Alex.

"hes 2 months old and his full name is Alexavier Mitya Mason Belikov... Hes my son." I beamed, watching the expression on my mamas face.

There was a collection of gasps from my two sisters, and mamas eyes were wide as she looked at my son.

"Dimka... Why didnt you tell us sooner?" she asked putting her hands on her hips.

I let out a small breath, I wasnt too sure how they would take this. "well...almost a year ago I left his mother, thinking it would be better for her to concentrate on protecting her charge... I didnt know she was pregnant untill I came back two months ago... The day she gave birth to him and I found out he was mine." I watched her face turn angry, she looked at me before throwing the teatowel that as on her shoulder in my direction.

"Dimitri Belikov. You mean to tell me that you left his mother pregnant and on her own!" her face changed suddenly then, turning to one of confusion, "wait... You said you left so she could concentrate on her charge... That would mean shes dhampir... but Dimka thats impossible..."

"not for my Roza mama, She was special, we dont know how it happened exactly, but we know she was shadow kissed, bonded to lissa, nothing about her was normal." I smiled warmly as I spoke of my Roza. Mama must have noted the saddness in my tone though, her face softened as she looked to Lissa for confirmation. Lissa blushed slightly and nodded that it was the truth.

"Rose wanted to tell him sooner... But she... Couldnt." Lissa said quietly locking eyes with me as she spoke.

Babushka handed Alex back to me, I cradled him in my arms, placing a soft kiss on his forehead as he looked at me with his big brown eyes, eyes the same size and shape as his mothers but the light brown shade of mine and he smiled a little gummy smile. I passed him around to everyone so they could meet their nephew and grandson. Getting lots of comments of "hes gorgeous" or "he looks just like you."

"So... where is Rose now then?"
It was Karo that asked the question I had dreaded answering. Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, I could already feel the despair building up, even after 2 long months it wasnt any easier. I hated reliving that day in my mind, but they should know the truth about what happened...

"The day after she gave birth to Alex there was an attack at court... I was caught by two strigoi, they had me pinned and I couldnt do anything... Just as one of them bit me, she appeared. She killed one of them but the other was so, so strong... he turned her..." I ended in a whisper.

"Oh my son..." Mama breathed, her face looked pained and full of saddness.

Babushka rose from her chair and made her way towards the stairs, she paused before climbing them and turned back to me. "Dont lose hope Dimka, When the time comes you'll know what you need to do... your heart is not lost... yet." she spoke solemnly, but with a gleam in her eyes and then she walked up the stairs, leaving us all slightly stunned.

My grandmother was always a little bit on the crazy side, alot of people thought she was mad, but I knew there was always some truth behind what she said... she'd been right in the past.

"Mama is it alright if my friends and I stay here for a few days? We have somethings we need to do in Baia." I asked, recovering from the moment.

"Of course Dimka, any friends of yours are welcome in our home. I'll set up the spare beds upstairs, im sure you are all tired and not used to our human schedule." She smiled warmly at everyone before making her way upstairs.
Alex chose that moment to start getting fussy, I had fed him on our way over so I knew it wasnt because he was hungry.

"Im going to go for a run and hopefully get him to sleep, make yourselves at home." I said to Lissa as I got up.

Id been jogging for about half an hour, pushing Alex, who was still wide awake in his stroller. Being back in my home town was like going back in time, every shop I ran past, every street I went down reminded me of my childhood. So many good times and some bad, but I wouldnt change any of it. I slowed down as I came to a large playground at the edge of the town, it had been one of my favourites as a young boy. I remembered playing on the large jungle gym with Ivan and my sisters, and the time Karo had fallen from the monkey bars and broken her arm. Me and Ivan had to carry her all the way back to the house, and Mama had yelled at us for not taking better care of her.

I smiled as I walked past the big willow tree we used to sit under and climb through, it was at the beginning of the wooded walkway that we used to go down, I remember always having to hold Vikas hand when we did because she was scared there were monsters hiding in the trees.
Halfway down the track Alex started gurgling and making happy little sounds, I stopped and kneeled beside his chair tickling his stomach lightly with my finger. He grinned at me and started waving his arms.

Thats when I heard a quiet snap behind me, like a twig breaking. I whirled around as fast as I could, my hand immediately going for my stake, How stupid of me, I hadnt realised how close the sun was to setting, although there was still too much sunlight for them to attack me here, there was still places they could be hiding in the shadows of the trees. I glanced along the tree line warily making sure that nothing was out of place, and turned Alexs pushchair back around the way we had come through.

"...Dimitri..." It was like an echo through the trees. I froze as my heart skipped a beat. That voice... it couldnt be... it just couldnt... I turned in a circle, trying to see where it had come from.
"Roza?!" I called, though I felt stupid for doing it, of course she wasnt here, it was just my mind playing tricks on me. I ran my hands down my face and then continued pushing Alex back down the walkway, still looking through the trees for any signs of danger. Before long we came to the end of the walkway and headed back out into the open playground.

I couldnt help but glance back at the walkway, wondering wether I had really imagined it or not. The sight I saw sent a shiver down my spine and my heart started racing.
Standing in the shadows of the large willow tree, at the entrance of the walkway, was my Roza. Her long dark brown, almost black, hair sat in small curls framing her face and cascading down her back, I could see the deep brown of her eyes, She looked amazing. Her beauty was still as breathtaking as ever, and then I noticed it... the paleness of her skin and the red tinge in her gorgeous eyes, but I couldnt find it in my to be scared of her... she still looked like my love, my Roza...

She took a step foreward, her arm started to rise from her side and the look on her face looked pained. "Comrade..." she whispered, a small smile on her beautiful lips.
God that voice, how I had missed her sweet voice and that smile was like magic, lighting up my heart. I was lost in the moment, her being here, it was like I completely forgot that she was strigoi... all I could think was that this is MY Roza...
"Roza... Ive missed you..." I whispered back, taking a step towards her. Alex let out a small cry and I watched as Rozas eyes immediately flicked to the pushchair.

"Alexavier." Her face changed suddenly. She looked back at me, pain and hurt crossed her face and then just like that, she was gone. For the second time My Roza disappeared. Taking my heart and soul with her again. I stood there, as still as stone watching the place where she stood, willing her to come back to me. Thats when I saw something white sitting in the spot she had been standing. It was so out of place, I glanced around warily and then ran over, picking up the single sheet of paper.

I flipped it over and inhaled a sharp breath, it had writing on it, the first words at the top were "My comrade", and it was in her handwriting.
I ran all the way back to the house with the letter firmly in one hand and the other on Alexs stroller. As soon as I burst through the front door, I was attacked my Vika.

"Dimka!" She screamed as she wrapped her arms around me, I hugged her back. I couldnt believe how much bigger she is, shes the same age as Roza, but last time I saw Vika she was only 13 and still very much a child. Now she was all grown up. I smiled at her before remembering why I was in a hurry.
I pulled Alex from his stroller, he was sleeping soundly so as I went and put him straight into the cot he would be using during our stay.

"Dimitri? Whats going on? You look like you've seen a ghost?" Lissa asked curiously from the doorway of my room, she must have seen the look on my face as I had run up the stairs.

"I saw her. Lissa I saw Rose... she dropped this." I said handing her the note I still held grasped in one hand.

Her eyes widdened as I spoke but she took the note and read it. Her hand going to her mouth as she gasped, "I knew it..."