I woke up to find I was in bed. Dimitri must have laid me here after I fell asleep. But now he was nowhere to be seen. At least not in our room. I stretched out and slowly dragged my body out of bed. I felt so sore. My legs felt so heavy that I had to pull myself upright using the night stand. I slumped over to the dresser and started searching through the drawers for a new outfit.

"Roza!"

My heart sank and I darted out of the room. All the sorness or grogginess that was in my body was forgotten. I made it half way down the stairs before jumping over the railing and rushed into the living room. Dimitri, Eddie, and Mia stood there looking at me like I was some crazy person. Then again I had just ran in with my hair looking a mess wearing panties and a over sized t-shirt.

"Good morning," Dimitri said slipping his duster off and placing it over my shoulders.

I felt my face redden. "I thought there was trouble when you yelled out my name and didn't think to dress myself..." I placed my hand over my eyes. "I'm an idiot."

They all shared a laugh. Eddie shrugged, "But hey you got down here pretty fast."

I shrugged in return, "Yea, maybe next time you can just come to the room, knock and ask me to join everyone down stairs." I turned around to head back up to my room so I could get decent.

"There's a reason I called out to you instead," Dimitri took a hold of my hand and caressed the back of my fingers. "We have to talk to Liss about taking Gabe. And we thought you should be the one to do it."

"Me? Why me?" I looked around at them all.

"Because you both have been best friends for your whole life," Mia said in a matter-of-fact kind of way.

I rolled my eyes, "You all know she's going to get mad, right?"

They all looked around and threw small shrugs and nods.

"That's besides the point." Adrian walked in with his hands tucked into his pockets. He looked like his normal self again. "You know Liss cannot stay mad at you."

Dimitri shook his hand, "Nice of you to join us. Where's Sydney? We'll have to make her a back story if she's coming with us."

He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb, "Taking a shower. She's acting like she's okay but her aura is going crazy with nervous energy."

"I would be too if I was her. Do you know what kind of trouble we would all be in if someone found out we were hiding her? Alot! I mean Hans would be the first to yell at us!", Eddie shook his head. "I could be stripped of my Guardian title."

Mia hugged his arm, "Nobody is going to find out. Adrian will keep her safe and hidden. All she needs is a back story." She smiled like she had solved all our problems.

"But what about Gabe's burial? What's our reason and who do we say he is?", I looked at Dimitri. "It's not like we can just take him in there and be all, 'He's an old friend who turned Strigoi a long time ago and then we saved him and then he died while we did an off the books mission to kill Strigoi he worked for.'"

Dimitri smiled, "Gabe is my brother that I am bringing home to bury. A Guardian from another country."

"Oh," I had to admit that was a pretty smart idea. Nobody really knew much about Dimitri's actual life other than him being a god. And second, nobody would even know if Gabe had been a real Guardian from some far off place unless they too the time to dig and look him up. It was a good cover story.

"And Sydney?" Adrian asked as he folded his arms over his chest.

He smiled, "Why don't you two come up with something together?"

"She's always hated my ideas. Why would she agree with any now?", he smirked.

I nudged him, "I don't know. Maybe she'll be a little more open minded with you now."

"No. You don't know how she thinks. She's like this OCD enhanced perfectionist with the biggest brain ever. She'll want to come up with something smart by herself rather than with me," he chuckled like it was funny.

"I am not that bad." We all turned to a blushing Sydney who looked just slightly on the upset side.

Adrian startled and smiled sweetly. "I meant that as a compliment."

She rose a brow and glared at him, "I'm sure you did."

"I did."

She rolled her eyes, "I came here to let you all know that Dimitri's family is back. They all seemed pretty worried once I told them about Gabe. And then even more sad to hear we are leaving today." She weaved her fingers together and twiddled her thumbs. Adrian's right. She looks nervous.

"Where are they?", Dimitri asked as he started walking out of the living room.

She smiled, "They are cooking."

"Cooking?" Leave it to the Belikov women to cook in order to heal the pain. Hey, I didn't mind it. I had been hungry since I rolled out of bed. "Did you see what they were cooking?"

She frowned, "No. Just that they started pulling out food and bowls and stuff."

My stomach growled loudly. I wrapped my arms around myself, "Guess it's time to eat."

Dimitri chuckled, "Sounds like it."

We walked into the kitchen to find Olena in an apron and already spatters of what looked like flour on her hands, apron and face. She smiled brightly as we entered. "Hello everyone! Food will be ready soon."

Dimitri walked up to her and hugged her, "Hello, mama."

"My Dimka. I missed you all," she wiped at her forehead which only caused the white powder to smear. She hugged me to her, "My Roza." She held me longer than I expected. When she pulled away she looked me up and down, "I'm so sorry."

"It's fine. I'm fine."

Her smiled brightened, "I mean about your 'clothes'."

I looked at myself. I was still in the duster, a shirt and panties. Only now they had the white powder too. I groaned, "Right. I'm sorry. Let me go get dressed."

She held my wrist, "Oh, wait. Take a snack with you." She opened the fridge and turned back to me with a bright red apple in her hand, "They are good for you."

My stomach twisted into a knot as I took it. I stared at it for some time. The small red apple was cold and firm in my hand. Gabe's voice echoed through my head.

"So what were you looking for? A snack?"

I shut my eyes to try to pull myself out of thought. Olena gave me a sympathetic look, "Roza? Are you okay?"

I nodded, "I'm fine." But even I noticed the slight break in my voice. I cleared it loudly and rubbed my throat. "I'm just going to go up stairs to dress." I turned on my heels and started heading out of the room.

I was half way up the stairs when my memories snuck back up on me.

He chuckled. "Have you thought of a name?"

"I'm sorry?"

"For the baby?"

I shook my head and kept jogging up the steps. My heart rate had started to quicken.

"Boy or girl?"

"Don't know yet. I was thinking it might be fun to leave it all to surprise."

I felt like I was fading back in and out of reality as I reached the door. I was able to make it to the bed and throw myself back on it.

"...the truth is everyone is stepping out there with the knowledge that they could very well die."

I rolled over to my side and stared at the red apple. The color was so bright as it sat on the white pillow. It seemed like a century ago since we had eaten one in the kitchen as we spoke.

"You just take care of yourself out there. This is for you after all."

He smiled, "Well not just for me. I'm not so full of myself to think that we're destroying Maestro's company just for my sake."

I nodded, "You're right. That would be pretty conceited of you."

I grabbed the apple in my hand and turned it slowly. Just admiring the smallest details. All the little freckle-like spots on it. The way it seemed to catch the light on its curve and shine. I brought it to my face and inhaled. It smelled like a fresh apple. I shut my eyes and tried my best to save it to memory.

"Go! Now!"

My body jolted and I sat up. The apple went rolling out of my hands and off my lap. I stared as it finally came to a stop by the door. The door creaked open and Dimitri poked his head in.

"Are you alright? You seemed kind of out of it down there," he eased in and closed the door behind him. His foot caught the apple and it came rolling back to my feet.

I stared down at it, "Yea. I just can't stop thinking about him."

"Gabe?"

I nodded, "Yea, Gabe."

He smiled softly, "Me, too."

"I just didn't see this coming. I really thought we had made it. Once we got back into the room and started climbing into the gap. I just really thought we had all made it out of there alive. Those last few moments," I shut my eyes and saw his smile. I cringed as I recalled the blood on his teeth. I dropped my head into my hands and fought back the urge to start crying.

I felt the bed move as he sat beside me. "I know what you mean. I was in complete disbelief when he was pinned right beside me. But you know he said something to me before he faded out."

"Yea. You told us. He wanted us all to blow those demons to hell," I forced a laugh as I spoke.

He grinned and shook his head, "That's not the whole thing."

I looked up at him, "Then what? What did he say?"

Dimitri looked off to nothing in particular. He smiled, "He said, 'If we both die then who's going to watch after Roza and the baby?'"

My heart sank, "His last thought was worrying about us?"

He nodded, "I could hardly believe it too." He clasped the apple gently in his hands. I guess he had picked it up before sitting down. "I didn't really know what to say to that."

"But you did say something. I saw you," I scooted closer to him and tilted my head so I could look him in the eye. "What did you say?"

His smile wilted a little, "I told him, 'Я никогда не забуду.'"

I looked at him confused, "Which means?"

He laughed softly, "It means I'll never forget." He held out the apple to me, "He was really something else. Pretty much the Gabriel I remembered from the old days. Always worried about everyone else." He sighed, "Sometimes I just wished he would have put himself first. Just once. Other than when he was Strigoi." He chuckled.

I took the apple with care. I stared down at it again, "He had a good heart."

He nodded, "He did." He stood up from the bed and walked over to the dresser. He started pulling out clothes and tossed me a few. It was a plain grey shirt and some worn out blue jean pants.

"Thanks," I slipped out of the duster and pulled off my shirt. My skin broke out in goose bumps from the cool air. I quickly put on the shirt and stood to pull on the pants. All the while Dimitri stared at me with a grin on his face. "I have a question."

His brow rose, "Hmm?"

"Do you always stare when I get dressed?", I teased.

He chuckled, "No. I stare at you all the time."

I felt myself blush, "Liar."

His expression went serious, "I just can't seem to help myself. You're just so beautiful."

There was a flutter of emotions inside me. I was left speechless. It was nothing new. It's not like it was the first time he called me beautiful. Nor was it the first time I caught him staring. But the way he said the words and the way he looked at me made it all feel like the first time. It all felt brand new again. I leaned against him and ran my fingers along his jaw line. He was pretty beautiful too. I kissed his lips lightly. His hands slipped around my waist, pulling me closer against him.

"Eh-em!" We turned to find Eddie at the door. He was looking away sheepishly. "Sorry to interupt you two but your mom wants us all at the table already. Time to eat", he smiled shyly.

Dimitri placed hia hand on my thigh and squeezed gently, "Thanks. Tell her we're coming." He stood up and looked down at me. I felt even smaller now that he was up and I was still sitting. I frowned and he frowned in return, "What?"

While I wasn't too pleased with the interuption I was still pretty hungry. I just shook my head, "Nothing. Let's go eat."

And man, was I glad Eddie called us down stairs once I got a look at the platters. Just the smell made it all worth it. There was a bowl of what looked like a thick soup. There were cabage, meat, celery and carrots in it. And it smelled awesome.

Olena picked it up and walked over to me. "Would you like some shchi?"

I was a little lost, "Shchi?"

"That's the name of the soup," Dimitri said as he held out his bowl.

"Oh. Then yes, I would like some shchi," I said as I inhaled that delicious aroma.

There was a loaf of sliced bread sitting in the middle of the table on a platter. I noticed Dimitri and his sisters reaching out for a few slices. So I followed suit. We take a good spoon full to our mouth and a piece of bread. The taste was rich and flavorful. There had to be plenty of herbs in it from what I could tell.

Olena took the top off of another dish and my mouth watered. It was pirozhki! The little meat pie things Dimitri had brought me once. Only now they were home made by none other than Olena. And according to Dimitri his mother's were the best.

I reached into the pot and grabbed one. I took a bite and an instant, "Mmm", left my mouth. He was right. These were amazing. I could taste the mushroom, meat, and what seemed like a grilled onion. I grabbed another and set it on the edge of my plate.

"I told you these were delicious," Dimitri said as he took one of his own.

I nodded enthusiasctically, "You're right. These are great." I smiled at Olena, "I wish I could take you home with us."

She covered her mouth and laughed. It was so sweet and gentle, "Why, thank you, Roza. That's very kind of you to say."

I turned to everyone else, "What do you say guys? Isn't it amazing?" When nobody responded I realized it was due to the fact that they all had their mouths full. That was an answer all on it's own.

She laughed again, "I think they all agree. Oh!" She turned away, "There's one more thing. I nearly forgot." She disappeared into the next room. A few moments later she entered with another dish in her hands. "Here's the syrniki."

Dimitri's face lit up like a little kid. "You made syrniki?"

"Of course. It's been a while but I thought it'd be nice since you all are leaving soon," she put the pish down on the table. It looked like little rounf fritters covered in some red sauce that resembled jam. Eddie reached out to it and she pulled it out of reach, "Not until you finish your food. These are dessert."

Yep, she was definitely Dimitri's mom. I laughed out, "That's right, Eddie."

He made me a sour face, "I'm surprised you haven't tried diving into the bowl."

"Psh! I may have a big appitite but I know how to eat a meal in order," I smiled triumphantly.

Dimitri chuckled, "Sure you do."

Olena patted his shoulder, "You shouldn't pick on your wife."

I smiled, "Thank you, mama."

That only made him laugh, "My own mother is siding with my wife over her son."

She shrugged, "She is as much of my daughter as you are my son."

I felt my heart warm. It was a nice thing to hear and it made me feel good about myself. "Really?"

She cupped my cheek, "Of course."

The rest of, what I like to consider lunch, was amazingly peaceful. We all ate and simply enjoyed one another's company. I watched everyone's faces as they passed a joke or mentioned a funny moment. Surprisingly even Yeva was pretty content to just listen and laugh. Olena seemed really happy to have the company. Viktoria and Alek sat side by side with their arms so close. I was convinced that they were holding hands under the table. Mia and Eddie were sitting beside each other but at a normal distance. I noticed all their connections in stories and their recent affection for each other hadn't gone unnoticed. It made sense looking back on everything. But it still wasn't too much of an open relationship type of thing. Adrian and Sydney were just at the end of the table. I'd catch them trading glances or sending a secret smile every so often. It was sweet. And a huge burden off of me since it was all out in the open. It was among our group anyway. Sonya had Paul on her lap. He kept making faces and trying to escape her grasp but she wasn't having it. Karolina had Zoya in her arms. She seemed to really enjoy the soup. She made cooing noises when she was waiting for the spoon to reach her mouth. Seeing her made me think about my own little bun in the oven.

I ran my hand over my stomach and smiled down. Dimitri's hand grasped mine. He smiled sweetly at me. It was like an unspoken message. Love for our child didn't have to be voiced. It was automatic. And the baby wasn't even here yet.

Having to go up stairs after that feast to pack was just very long and uneventful. I just dragged through my packing slowly. I even made a point to fold each and every piece of clothing before neatly placing it in the bag.

"You really just don't want to go, do you?" Dimitri said as he patted his already packed bags.

I shrugged, "What makes you think that?"

"The way you're packing. I've never seen you so tidy," he laughed. "You are folding your socks?"

I looked down at the white sock I was indeed folding, "I just want to make sure I have everything."

He chuckled and shook his head, "Ok, Roza." He stood up and lifted his bag, "I am going to take my stuff to the van already. I still have to make sure everyone is ready to go. Hopefully you will be done when I get back." He turned and walked out the door.

I sighed and looked down at my pile of clothes I still hadn't packed. I made a groaning noise and decided to give in. With one quick shove I was able to topple it all inside the pack and zip it up shut. I stood up and kicked the bag, "I hate packing."

"What did the bag ever do to you?" Adrian asked as he leaned on the doorway.

I glared at him, "What are you up to now?"

He smirked, "Nothing. But I wanted to confirm Sydney's story. She's suppose to your cousin."

"That was the best you could come up with?" I scoffed.

"No. I wanted her to be my girlfriend but she didn't seem to thrilled about it. I don't know why. I was going to make her Moroi. But now it's dhampir," he made a face.

I rolled my eyes, "You were going to make her Moroi? But she has no magic and she won't drink blood. That was a terrible idea."

He pushed off the door, "It's not like she was going to hang out with people and give it away. She's going to stay inside most of the time. She's not exactly too comfortable with the idea of walking among Us."

That was for sure. She may have gotten sort of used to our wacky and crazy gang of dhampir and Moroi but going around some of the people at Court was unnerving even for some of Our kind. I nodded, "I agree. Maybe it would be best for her to be Moroi."

He smirked, "I'll let her know."

"You should let me explain it to her. Since you two seem to never agree with each other on anything."

"Yea," he ran his hand through his hair. "That would probably be best." I started walking past him and out of the room when he grabbed my arm, "And don't mention our still very delicate situation."

I smiled, "I won't. Wouldn't want to scare her off." I turned and made my way down stairs. Sydney was sitting on the living room floor still packing. She was folding her socks.

She looked up at me, "Hello, Rose. Finished your packing?"

I shrugged, "Yup. Looks like you're just as neat as ever." I gestured to the bag, "Folding your socks?"

"I just like my things organized," she said as she put a small stack of folded clothes into her bag.

"So I've noticed," I sat beside her and started folding a shirt.

She looked at me curiously, "I'm sure you didn't just come over to help me fold and pack. What's on your mind?"

I placed the shirt in the bag, "Well it's about your back story when we go to Court."

"Adrian must have talked to you already. I figure I could be easily let in if I'm related to someone. So why not be related to you?" she smiled sweetly.

I smiled back, "The thing is people might find it strange. I'm pretty sure I've had quite a few background checks done on me. It could be risky."

"Oh, that is a problem," she held her chin between her pointer and tumb. "Hmm. So what do you have in mind?"

I quickly picked up another article of clothing and started folding it, "I think it'd be smart to disguise yourself as Moroi. And you could be an aquaintance of Adrian's. Most people don't question him and just let him do as he pleases. There'd be no questions asked."

She blushed, "A Moroi? But wouldn't I be expected to go in for feedings?"

"No. Some Moroi get fresh blood sent to their rooms when they would rather not go out to feed," I thought about the blood supply we had been getting for Adrian. Alek had our link while we were here.

She crinkled her nose, "Oh." Then she stopped folding and turned me, "Did Adrian ask you to come talk to me about this?"

I had already started on the next item, "No. He told me the idea you came up with and I suggested this. He thought it would be best if you heard it from my own mouth."

"Makes sense," she returned back to her folding.

"So you agree with this back story?" I asked hoping she wouldn't drag this on any longer.

She shrugged, "I suppose I don't really have any choice. And the story sounds believible." She kept at her folding.

I got up and placed my hands on my hip, "Great! Do you need any help loading your things before I head off?"

She shook her head, "No, I'm fine. Thank you."

Dimitri was walking in as I started to make my way up the stairs. He walked up right behind me and we made it into the room. "I see you finally finished your packing."

"I finished a long time ago. I even had time to help Sydney with some of her packing," I crossed my arms over my chest.

He picked up my bag and hung it over his shoulder, "That was nice of you. Have you all gotten things sorted out about her before we head to Court?"

I nodded, "Yes, she is a Moroi who is an aquaintance of Adrian's."

"And she was okay with that?", he frowned.

"She said she was."

He grinned, "Okay," he leaned forward and kissed my forehead. "I'll see you down stairs."

I sat down on the edge of the bed and watched him as he walked out. He was just as handsome from behind. I dropped back into the bed and sighed. The room was so quiet and normal. It was nice to have some kind of normalcy in my life. And I cherished every second I got to have it. It reminded me of the moments right before we left on the mission. The room looked exactly as it did then too. Only now instead of leaving on a mission with Gabe we were going back to Court to bury him.

By Shadow Kissed Mori