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Thank you to Rose Melissa Ivashkov for betaing

Disclaimer: Vampire Academy does not belong to me. Richelle Mead owns this great world and I'm just playing in it :)

Chapter Six

The next two weeks that followed were filled with amazing moments and cherished memories. Dimitri and I spent most of our time together and enjoyed the beach as much as we could. We jet skied, scuba dived, and even went Para sailing. Those two weeks were filled with more laughter than I remember having in my entire lifetime. I couldn't get enough of him. I was also able to just talk to him and he would listen and give his own opinion. He challenged me: body, mind and soul.

He filled a void I hadn't realized was within me before arriving on the island. He made me feel like I could do anything I wanted. I felt free when I was with him.

"How do I look?" I asked nervously, as I tugged on my Sunday dress. It was pale lavender and perfectly appropriate for attending Sunday service but kind of childish, if you compared it to other dresses.

Janine patted my head affectionately. "You look beautiful, sweetheart. I'm sure Dimitri will enjoy the pretty dress."

The mention of Dimitri's name caused the fluttering sensation to erupt inside. I wasn't used to the feelings that Dimitri stirred in me, but I was no longer startled when I felt them. It was comforting to sense them whenever he was around, whenever I thought about him.

"Thanks, I'm just nervous." I looked into my mother's eyes. "Abe will behave, right? I don't want anything to be awkward today."

She laughed at my fears. "Everything will be fine. Abe just wants Dimitri to attend church because he knows how important it is in this family. You can't expect your father to approve of a non-believer."

I rolled my eyes and grabbed my clutch. "He's not a non-believer, and, even if he was, I wouldn't care. Abe has to respect my friends. I'm not a little girl anymore."

"I know you aren't, but Abe can't help being protective of you. He loves you dearly, and he wants you to be safe and happy."

I couldn't argue with that statement. I should have been happy that Abe loved me so much that he was being protective; he had been since the day he met me. "Alright, let's get this over with."

Today was the second service I would be attending at the new church. It wasn't as beautiful as the one back home but it filled its purpose. It was much smaller than the Gothic Cathedral in Chicago and much newer. It looked like a large school house, equipped with a bell at the top to inform the people that service was beginning. I hated that bell; it was useless and unnecessarily loud.

We got into the Chevy and made our way to the chapel. I kept playing with the hem of the baby doll styled dress, a prime example of my anxiety. I didn't want Dimitri to be uncomfortable in church, but he assured me that he would be fine.

My lip gloss needed reapplication, so I searched into my purse for the brand I used today. I internally cursed, when I realized I didn't have my medication. I looked at my parents and let it go because I didn't want us to be late.

We reached the church and Dimitri stood waiting for us at the front doors. I smiled at the white button shirt and black slacks he wore; he actually tried to dress appropriate. I exited the car and walked towards him, with a giant smile on my face. He returned the smile with enthusiasm and hugged me gratefully when I reached him.

"You look beautiful," he announced, once he let go of me.

I assessed his clothing further as I spoke. "I think this is the first time I've seen you in pants."

"Ya, there's a reason for that. Pants aren't the best thing during the nice seasons here," he grumbled, while unbuttoning the top button of his shirt. I laughed at his grimace; he was clearly uncomfortable with his attire.

"Don't worry, you'll be able to get out of the stuffy clothes soon. Just two hours of service then we can go do something fun."

He raised an eyebrow in question. "And what fun will we be doing?"

I shrugged. "I dunno but you have yet to show me your boat."

He nodded. "Ahh, the place we met. Well, madam, I think I should take you for a grand tour, after we listen to some of God's word."

I giggled at the exuberant way he spoke; Dimitri was always in a good mood.

"Hello, Dimitri. It's good to see you again," Abe spoke from behind me. I turned to find both my parents smiling politely at my tall companion.

"It's good to see you as well. You both are looking very dapper this morning, especially the lovely Janine."

Janine blushed and smiled sweetly at Dimitri. "Why thank you, Dimitri. You're such a charmer."

Dimitri smiled at Janine, before grabbing my hand. "Shall we find seats?"

I eyed him curiously, wondering what he was doing. "Sure."

Dimitri nodded and turned to Abe. "Looking forward to the service, sir."

"I hope you enjoy it. God Bless."

"God Bless."

I waved to both my parents, before Dimitri and I went inside the chapel. There were several attendees standing and socializing before the start of the service. Some gossiped, some spoke of the bible, and some talked about the hangovers they had. It was amusing to hear the vast varieties of topics floating to our ears.

"What was that about?" I asked Dimitri, as we made our way to the middle of the church.

He looked at me in confusion. "What do you mean?"

I rolled my eyes and mimicked him. "'God Bless. Looking forward to the service sir'."

He laughed and moved to the middle of one of the long wooden benches that were always the same in every church. "Just because I don't believe in Religion doesn't mean I can't be polite to your Pastor father."

"I know, it's just weird. You won't fall asleep on me, will you?" I teased.

He shook his head but his face held amusement. "If I start to snore, wake me up."

I giggled into his side, sitting down. The hard seats always made my behind hurt, but I tried to get as comfortable as I could.

Dimitri kept my hand in his, while the other church goers made their way to their seats. The noise gradually decreased as everyone prepared to hear God's word today. The service started with my mother leading the hymns we would be singing. They were all joyful during every song and clapped along as my mother's soulful voice took over the entire church.

"You didn't tell me your mother could sing," Dimitri quietly spoke in my ear, so as not to disturb the others beside us.

I smiled. "Ya, that's how my parents met. My mother was performing at a coffee shop for fun and Abe instantly fell in love with her voice."

"You can't blame him, she sings beautifully."

I looked up into his dark eyes. "Thank you."

His mouth quirked to the side. "Did you happen to inherit that talent?"

"I used to sing choir and stuff. I don't know, people say I could sing, but I don't think it's as beautiful as my mother."

He shook his head and lightly dipped his head to kiss my forehead. "I don't believe that. I bet you sing beautifully. I would love to hear it sometime."

I pretended to think about it, before smiling up at him. "Maybe." He pouted at my response. I wanted to kiss his pout but the location wasn't ideal for that kind of thing. I sighed in mock aggravation. "Fine, you big baby. I'll sing for you sometime."

His smile was angelic; he turned his head to pay attention to my mother's enchanting voice.

The hymns lasted for about half an hour before Abe took over the service. His sermon was about fate and love. He spoke passionately that everyone had a purpose on this earth and it was their choice whether or not to fulfill it.

I was always entrapped in Abe's teachings. There was a reason why he chose this path; he was perfect for this. His deep voice created a hauntingly beautiful presence and his belief in every word he spoke shined throughout. Every person in the room listened, fascinated, inspired by his lesson.

Dimitri was no different and sat focused on everything, or so Abe mentioned. I didn't pay attention to much of the service, but instead I focused on Dimitri and the way his eyes followed my father, the way his facial expressions displayed what he was feeling, and the way he smiled at the sweet things Abe would say.

He laughed at a joke Abe attempted and I couldn't stop the laugh that erupted from my lips as I watched him. He looked at me and squeezed my hand, focusing back on Abe thereafter.

My heart beat in my chest as I realized that I could sit all day, every day and just watch Dimitri. I loved everything I learned about him and respected everything he believed. He didn't believe in an afterlife, so he lived for today. He didn't think there was some type of gift in death, so he cherished everyday like it was his last. It was so different from everything I learned as a child up till now, but I couldn't refute his beliefs because there was nothing wrong in enjoying your life and being a good person. That was who Dimitri was: a God honest good person who loved to live. I loved that so much. I love him,I realized with stark clarity.

I loved him.

When did this happen?

How was I so sure?

"You okay?" Dimitri asked.

I refocused on his face, realizing I was staring off into space. I smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine. I was just thinking about some things."

"Care to elaborate?" he asked with genuine interest.

I shook my head but let him know I was okay with a squeeze of my hand. I was not ready to handle the enormity of the situation. He smiled softly, looking back to the front.

The service ended with message of hope and everyone began to gather their belongings. I stood still while Dimitri spoke to the elderly woman beside him. They didn't seem to know each other but she struck a conversation with him before we could leave.

My heart squeezed in pain, so I rubbed my chest to try and ease it. I had to take it slower today, if I wanted to be comfortable. The attacks were getting worse, so I had upped my medication. I was glad that I had only two more weeks before finding out if I would have the surgery. I was so ready to have this handled.

"Ready?" I looked at Dimitri and noticed the elder woman was no longer there.

"Ya, let me just say goodbye to my mother and we can head out."

"I'll come with you," he suggested.

"Alright," I answered softly.

We walked towards the front of the church and noticed Dr. Belikova and Dr. Petrov standing with my mother. They all looked our way as we approached them and each wore forced smiles.

"Hey, guys," I greeted them, confused with the tense atmosphere.

"Rosemarie, it's so good to see you," Dr. Belikova responded. She looked at her son and her smile became more genuine. "Dimitri, I didn't know you'd be attending church this Sunday."

"Pastor Abe invited me," Dimitri explained.

Dr. Petrov looked towards me and took my hand. "It's good to see you as well, Rosemarie. How has everything been? We haven't seen each other in a few days."

I looked at Dimitri whose eyebrows were furrowed in confusion. "I've been good. Just enjoying the warm weather."

Dr. Petrov nodded. "That's good. It's unusually warm but it's been nice."

I glanced at my mother whose frown worried me; they were obviously talking about something stressful before we arrived. "I'm sorry, did we interrupt anything?"

Dr. Belikova waved her hand dismissively. "Oh it's nothing to worry about. Just discussing some boring financial details we haven't gone through."

I nodded my head but frowned as my mother's frown deepened. "Ok-ay. Just as long as everything is fine."All three women nodded but that didn't calm my nerves.

"Why would you need to be discussing financial details with Rose's mother?" Dimitri asked.

I glanced at him and noticed he did not look happy as well. I guess the tense situation was affecting him as well.

Dr. Belikova glanced at me in question. I realized that Dimitri wouldn't know what they were talking about because I had yet to tell him about the situation I was in. In a panic, I nodded my head at the doctor because she couldn't tell him. "Well, I can't tell you because it's private, but it's nothing to be hung up on."

"I see," Dimitri responded.

"Well, Dimitri and I just came to say goodbye. We're going to head out."

Dr. Belikova smiled lightly, "To the BBQ? Dimitri didn't tell me he was bringing a guest."

I had no idea what she was talking about but Dimitri did. "That's today? I completely forgot."

His mother laughed. "You should start writing things down. I would have been terribly sad if you didn't come. Rosemarie is absolutely welcome to attend." She turned to me. "It's just a small get-together with some friends and coworkers. I would love for you to come."

Dimitri answered for me. "She'd love to come. I'll just head out to buy some beers and then we'll meet you at home."

"Wonderful!" she cheered. She looked at my mother. "How about you, Janine? You up for a little barbecuing?"

My mother shook her head. "I don't have time. I have a shift to head to and Abe has some things to do here so he will be busy as well."

"A Pastor's wife working on the holy day?" Dimitri's mother teased.

Janine laughed, but I could tell it was forced. "Sometimes you have to do what you have to do."

"Oh yes, I understand. I hope you enjoy your shift."

We said our goodbyes quickly, and I hugged my mother tightly before we left. Dimitri stayed silent the entire car ride while we listened to music. He stopped at the beer store and picked up a twelve pack and we were on our way to his mother's house.

"So, a barbecue?" I asked, unable to stand the silence anymore.

He turned his head slightly, looking back at the road. "I'm sorry I didn't ask you sooner, but I honestly forgot. It'll be fun and you know some people who will be there, Mason included."

"Sounds fun. I haven't seen Mason in a few days, so I kind of miss him."

He laughed while changing the CD we were listening to. "He misses you too." It was quiet for a few more minutes before he spoke again, the tension palpable in the enclosed space. "I didn't know you knew my mother so personally."

I glanced at his profile and shrugged. "You knew that I had met her before."

"Yes. . .but I didn't know you were keeping contact with her."

I sighed at his tone. He was upset. "My mother keeps contact with her."

We stopped at a red light and he turned his head to face me. "Why?"

"What do you mean?" I asked. I knew what he was getting at, but I wasn't prepared to go there yet. My head was still spinning at my previous thoughts. I love you, I thought again. I shook my head to clear it.

"Is your mother okay?" he asked worriedly.

I looked away in guilt, his thoughts not quite correct. "She's fine, why would you think that?"

His hand gently cupped my chin, so I could face him again. When I did, he smiled gently. "Because your mother shouldn't be discussing anything financial with my mother, a doctor, if something wasn't wrong."

I felt the tears of remorse suddenly prick my eyes. "She's fine, I promise."

He gently looked into my eyes before kissing the edge where a tear escaped. "Okay," he whispered, "you can trust me, you know?"

I nodded silently, as he moved his face away. The light turned green and he turned back to the road. The conversation ended and for that I was grateful. I knew that Dimitri knew something was wrong, but he respected my silence. I rubbed my chest a few more times as we drove. The constant pain reminded me that I had to tell Dimitri soon and the guilt wasn't helping.

We reached a gated community where several large houses were situated. Large was an understatement. These houses were massive and intimidated me to no end. We drove for a few more minutes until we reached a beautiful two story mansion. The red bricks stood out from the others and the groomed lawn was nothing short of spectacular. Several different flowers were adorned on the lawn and beautiful palm trees were scattered throughout the front.

"It's beautiful," I told Dimitri. He just smiled and drove up to the front. We exited the car and I followed him towards the backyard where pop music could be heard. I noticed Dimitri's slight cringe at hearing Boyfriend by Justin Bieber.

We went through a large wooden door, before heading into the back of the house. Several people in bikini's and shorts stood around, laughing and dancing to the music. Mason and Adrian splashed each other in the pool, while Christian chewed on a piece of Turkey leg.

"Rose!" Mason cheered from the pool.

I waved happily at the boy who in response gave me a thumbs up.

"You hungry?" Dimitri asked.

"Not really, I had a large breakfast."

He wrapped his arms around my waist. "Alright, but let me know when you get hungry."

Several people I had never met approached us and introduced themselves. Dimitri was friendly and greeted them before introducing me. I saw Lissa from the doctor's and smiled at the way she and Christian looked at each other.

Dimitri never left my side, and I was able to relax to converse with the new people. I loved meeting new people, so I genuinely enjoyed the things I discussed with several individuals. My favorite conversation had to be with Viktoria, Dimitri's younger sister, who had just gotten back from a trip to Russia. We debated on whom was a better doctor: David Tennant or Matt Smith. The conversation heated so we both agreed that they both were both great in their own way.

Dimitri's mother hadn't arrived yet, but everyone was enjoying themselves otherwise. The music continued to stay in the pop genre which got on Dimitri's nerves. They were all so catchy, though, so I couldn't help but bob my head to the music.

"Do you want to go for a swim?"

I looked at Dimitri and gestured to my dress. "I don't think I'm wearing the right clothing for it."

He laughed, before gently kissing the hand he was holding. "I can get you something. I'm sure Viki has a million bikinis to lend you."

"Okay, thanks." Instead of Dimitri going, he sent his sister. I instantly liked Vicki because we had so much in common and we were closer in age—with only a year apart, me being older.

She brought me a dark green one piece with a plunging neck line and cut offs on the sides. I smiled gratefully and went to change into the suit.

When I came out I saw that Dimitri had changed from his church clothes into swim trucks. "Ready?"

We both got into the pool and splashed around a bit before playing Marco/Polo. Mason was it and so the game began.

"Marco!" Mason screamed.

"Polo!" the rest of us answered.

I laughed as Mason blindly searched around the large pool in search of anyone. I kept a distance from him and was able to make a quick getaway every time he got too close.

It was getting harder to breathe, so I tried to swim slower. Unfortunately, I was caught and became Marco.

I closed my eyes and screamed, "Marco!" in hopes of catching anyone.

My heart thumped loudly as I used my hands to look for someone. The adrenaline pumped as voices became closer, but they moved before I could tap them.

The pain in my chest caused me to wince a few times, but otherwise, I continued playing the game. A sudden rush of heat spread through my heart and I wasn't able to ignore it any longer. I gasped and opened my eyes quickly to find Mason two inches away from me.

He frowned. "No fair! You opened your eyes!"

"Sorry," I gasped, while heading to the edge of the pool.

"Roza, is everything okay?" Dimitri asked. I could hear someone splashing towards me and knew it would be Dimitri.

"I'm fine!" I winced as another wave of pain hit. "I just need to use the bathroom."

"Just use it in here! That's what I do!" Mason yelled which caused everyone to ewww.

I shook my head and placed my hands on the concrete but couldn't lift myself up. The pain almost crippled me, and I stood trying to use my shaky arms to get out.

"Roza!" Dimitri spoke from behind me. I could feel his chest pressed against my back but the physical contact didn't comfort me this time.

"I need. . .to. . .get out," I spoke through broken sobs.

I felt his long arms wrap around me as I cried out when the pain intensified.

The last thing I remembered was black spots filling my vision. I couldn't remember anything after that.

No...Dimitri will not get pissed and leave her because she kept this from him...he had to find out sooner or later and I'm sure this will just bring them closer ;) you know...that kind of closer. Hint Hint.

Please review to let me know what you thought :) I may or may not be able to have a teaser ready in the next few days if ya do ;)