Hello everyone and thank you so much for your reviews. I'm a little bummed up having caught myself some fever and a nasty cold – again! Ugh! It's honestly more exhausting to lie down on your bed all day without having anything to do!

So, yeah! I'm back again with another chapter. I don't really have much to say about this one. You will have to find it out yourself. And when you do, please let me know what you think of it in the reviews. I hope you all like this chapter, Enjoy!

"I wondered when you'd be back…."

Rose threw her gym bag carelessly on the floor. She was standing on the middle of her room right now; having returned from her last class just now, only to find her mother already in her dorm room. She was annoyed. She didn't want Janine here. She didn't want her to come back after three years now, only to reprimand her for god knows what! It's not like she needed a reason to scold Rose!

"What do you mean?" Rose asked crossing her hands over her chest to maintain a defiant posture in front of her mother. Her mother's presence was truly intimidating. But Rose refused to back down.

"Cut the crap Rose," Janine said mimicking her posture. "What were you doing with Lord Belikov?!"

"What did it look like, huh?" Rose snickered already knowing the line of this conversation, or a coming argument.

"Don't sass me up!" Janine snapped. "Why were you holding hands with him?"

This is the time, Rose decided in her mind. She should tell her mother now of her relationship status. Taking a deep breath to muster some courage from her conscience, Rose spoke, "Because that's what normal couples do."

"Co…Couple?" Janine slipped on her own words not believing her ears.

Her daughter, her seventeen year old daughter is dating a moroi, a royal moroi at that! Her mind came up with images of a certain dark haired moroi. The heartthrob she had met seventeen years ago. The person who had changed everything in her life. For good and for bad.

Janine couldn't imagine her daughter going through the same situations she did. She just couldn't let her daughter make the same mistakes she did. Anger flared inside her and she balled her hands into fists.

"What do you mean by couple?" she yelled ferociously. A cold chill ran down Rose's spine seeing her mother furious but that was expected, wasn't it?

"Mom. Dimitri and I…"

"There shouldn't be any you and him!" Janine shouted. "Are you crazy? Do you want to ruin your life?!"

"I love him, mom." Rose said softly. "He's not going to…"

"He will, Rose. He will!"

Annoyance spiked inside Rose as she heard her mother. "You don't even know him!"

"Oh I do Rose!" Janine placed her hand on her hips. "I do know who Dimitri Belikov is." Janine chuckled humorlessly. "You think he loves you?"

"I know he does."

"Has he told you that?"

"Yes. He did!" Rose shouted back. What's wrong with her? Rose clearly hadn't expected Janine to except the fact of her dating a moroi readily but she could at least make an endeavor to listen?

"He's playing with you Rose!" Janine cried in exasperation. "Oh my god, did you sleep.."

"Mom!" Rose's voice momentarily silenced her. "What's wrong with you?"

"Just tell me. Did you sleep with him?"

"No I haven't had sex with him if that's you want to know! And even if I did, it's none of your freaking business!"

"Of course it is my business!" Janine shrieked. "You are my daughter!"

"Oh, so now you remember?" Rose said sarcastically.

"Don't test my patience, Rose…"

"And where do you get off turning motherly all of a sudden?" Rose threw her hands up in the air. Another wave of anger washed over Janine as she heard Rose say that. It was a sore spot, she knew it. She wasn't the best mother, but she was everything what she could be.

"So, you're turning this up on me now?" Janine said. "Why? So you could continue your whorish ways?"

Hurt painted Rose's heart as she heard her mother address what everyone thought of her as. She blinked back tears and took a deep breath. This was way too extreme.

"Get out," Rose said calmly.

"You can't just…"

"Get out!" Rose shouted on the top of her lungs. Janine seemed surprised by her outburst and took a few steps back before turning around to leave the room.

"This conversation isn't over, Rose."

Rose was still standing in the middle of her room, trying to swallow the lump in her throat and cover up the hurt she felt over Janine's words. Tears were still pricking her eyes as she was trying hard to choke them down when she heard a knock on her window. She turned around with lightening speed to see Dimitri on the other side, balanced between the water pipes.

"Comrade," she smiled, opening her windows wide to accommodate his tall form inside. He jumped inside, panting at the exertion of climbing a third floor building. Taking a calming breath, he turned toward her, his Roza.

He was mid way climbing the second floor when he had heard yelling. Rose and her mother were arguing. More or less, he had heard the entire conversation.

He looked into his love's eyes. Beautiful brown eyes filled with sad and hurt. His heart broke as he realized how her mother's words had affected her. It was expected for Janine to believe that Dimitri was a man-whore but calling her own daughter names was harsh. Too harsh.

He closed the space between them, opening his arms for Rose. She shook her head and rushed into his embrace, a few tears leaking out of her eyes.

"I'm sorry, you had to hear that." Rose said.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that because of me." Dimitri apologized. Rose shook her head dismissing his apology.

"It's not your fault, comrade."

"Neither is it, yours." Dimitri said, wiping a lone tear from her cheeks. He cupped her face, stoking her cheeks, he said, "I love you, Roza."

Rose smiled, never tired to hear those word escape his lips. "I love you." she breathed.

He lowered his lips to hers, kissing her slowly but passionately, trying to sum up all his feeling in that one single kiss. Rose was yet again surprised by the intimacy they shared. They understood each other without having to say a single word. Rose was never a fan of sappy romance but she couldn't help but believe that they were made for each other. Completely in sync.

Forgetting all the other things now that she was in her love's arms, she let herself get lost in his passion.

"I can't even begin to explain what you mean to me," Dimitri breathed stroking her hair. "I can't even imagine living a single day without you!"

Rose smiled and buried her face in his chest. "You should rest, comrade."

"So should you."

They changed into their night clothes. Due to Dimitri's regular visits to her chambers, Rose had proposed he kept a few of his thing there. One part of Rose's small closet carried Dimitri's clothes while her nightstand had two westerns adjourning them.

"Roza?" Dimitri asked after a few moments of silence. They were lying down on the bed, ready to fall asleep any moment.

"Hmmm.."

"I love you." he said kissing her crown.

"I love you too, comrade. And sleep for now." she said snuggling closer to his warm body. He smiled and let himself slip into oblivion. Tomorrow may bring challenges, but he was content now.

Dimitri woke up to the vibration of his mobile phone. Figuring it was the alarm he had put up, he sleepily went to slide the snooze sign before realizing that the screen had a caller Id. Someone was calling him. His senses went alert as he slowly extracted himself from Rose's sleeping form.

"Привет мам!"

"Dimka, my son!" Olena's voice sang from the other end. Her voice tugged at his heart and he felt the longing to see his mother.

"Mama," he said softly. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, son. But that's not why I called you." Olena said. "Happy birthday, my love!"

Dimitri's head snapped towards the calendar to see it was 4th of July indeed. His birthday.

"Ah, silly boy! You forgot again, didn't you?" Olena laughed. Dimitri rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment even though he knew no one could see him.

"Yeah mama," he said. "Thank you."

"Мама, дай мне телефон! Я хочу пожелать ему тоже!" Dimitri smiled as he heard his sister battle his mother for the phone.

"Hello, Dimka!" Vika's cute voice filled his ears and his heart swelled. He missed her so much!

"Hello Vika." he said a smile forever etching on his face.

"Happy birthday Dimka! I wanted to call you early and wish you but mama wouldn't let me! She said something about time zones!" Viktoria huffed.

Dimitri laughed listening his baby sister go on and on about how she wanted to be the first one to wish him and how she had baked a cake but has to eat it alone now that he wasn't there.

"When will you be back, Dimka?" she asked sadly. "I miss you."

"I miss you too, love." Dimitri's voice was thick with emotion. "I'll be back soon."

"Will you take me to the Disneyland then?" He could hear the excitement in her voice.

"Of course, anything for my baby sister." he said.

"I'm not a baby!" Vika snapped. "I'm nine years old!"

Dimitri could totally imagine a cute frown on her face as she said that.

"Yes, you are." he teased. "You are a little baby girl with cooties all over your face!"

"Mama! Dimka is annoying me!" Vika cried handing over her phone to someone else is irritation.

"Dimitri." Guardian Sokolov's gruff voice greeted him from the other side. "Happy birthday, my child."

"Thank you so much." Dimitri said.

"Comrade?" he heard Rose mumbling sleepily.

"I'm sorry if I sound rude, but I need to go…"

"Of course, of course." Guardian Sokolov said. Dimitri could hear the smirk in his voice. After living so many years with them, he was just like any other family member. "Wouldn't dream of holding you up for the lovely Rose in your bed right now."

"How..."

"Guardian secrets, son. Guardian secrets." and he burst out laughing. Dimitri rolled his eyes and hung up.

"Comrade, are you up already?" Rose rubbed her eyes. "It's Sunday. Come back!" she whined softly.

"Sorry love," he said climbing back on the bed. Rose snuggled closer to him and sniffed in his scent before falling asleep right away.

"Happy birthday, Mitya!" Christian greeted as soon as Dimitri entered through the door.

"Thank you, Christian. You didn't have to do all this!" Dimitri said eyeing the perfectly set breakfast table.

"Oh come on Mitya! It's not like you turn nineteen every day. And besides, I had to practice my culinary skills somewhere." Christian said coming to give him a 'brotherly' birthday hug. Dimitri smiled at his efforts thanking him profusely.

"Did Ivan call?" Christian asked nibbling on his French toast.

"No." Dimitri answered curtly sipping on his coffee.

"Don't worry. He'll come around."

"I rather doubt it."

Christian rolled his eyes. "It was just an argument Dimitri, not the end of your friendship!"

Dimitri grunted in response, not wanting to dwell on unhappy memories of his phone call earlier.

"He's just worried about you." Christian continued. "He was there, you know. That night, with you." No response.

Christian sighed but let it go.

"Dimitri!" Rose's angry voice startled Dimitri and he nearly dropped the book he was holding. He looked up and saw her storming down the aisles of the library towards him.

His features contorted into one of confusion. Dimitri? Rose never called him anything but 'Comrade'. Better yet, why was she angry with him? He recalled if he had done anything to upset her but couldn't tell why she would be so chafed.

"Roza.."

"How dare you?" she said through gritted teeth. "How can you hide something like this from me?!"

His heart dropped in the pit of his stomach as he understood the reason of her infuriation.

Rose knows. Somehow, she had found out. He tried to think of all the possible sources but came up blank. Nobody but Christian knew of that night and Dimitri couldn't imagine him selling him out. Maybe he had slipped?

If that was the case then Dimitri couldn't believe his rotten luck.

"Rose, I'm sorry I didn't tell you before."

"Sorry? You're sorry?" Rose sneered. "I'm your girlfriend Dimitri. I shouldn't come to know of these things through an outsider!"

Dimitri was momentarily relieved to hear her mention herself as his girlfriend in the present tense. "Outsider?" he asked, not sure he wanted to hear the answer.

"Ivan!" Rose said, her face still contorted with anger.

Curses flew from Dimitri's mouth both in English as well as Russian as he registered that his best friend had betrayed him. How could he? He understood his upset but this was downright deception!

"Wait, how did you talk to Ivan?" As far as he knew, Rose and Ivan had never had a conversation. How did he get her number in the first place?

"With this." Rose threw his phone at him. Dimitri caught it just before it landed on the floor. "Yes, you forgot your phone on the nightstand when you left in the morning!"

Fuck!

"Roza…" he said not knowing how to explain all this. He had never thought Rose would come to know of his secret like this.

"No Dimitri." Rose said a bit calmly now. Her calm scared him more than her anger.

"How could you possibly not tell me that….

…..so there you go. *cue to evil eye. Muaahahahha!

Yep, I dropped the cliffy here.

So, what do you think Rose has revealed? Could Ivan have possibly told her and sold his best friend out? Don't worry, it'll all be revealed in the next chapter, but till then, send me your guesses.

Liked it? Loved it? Hated it?

Please don't forget to drop me a review! :)

Love,

Lara.