A/N- Look I'm not a dead beat this time! Hey guys I'm back on a reasonable schedule I hope. Thanks for sticking with me and the story. And thank you for all the new followers! Hope you guys like where I'm going with this!

Chapter 7: Airports and Arguments

Rose POV

Dimitri started heading towards the counter of a small airline. I looked around and saw camera's everywhere, if we were really going to pull this off then I needed to change how I looked somehow. In the corner of my eye I spotted a bathroom. "I'm going to the restroom." I told Dimitri as I walked on, turning into the bathroom alone.

Russia. Were going to Russia. I told myself as I stared at myself in the mirror. What to do, I thought, I looked at my long brown hair, it was probably one of my most distinguishing features. Dimitri was going to hate this, I went through my bag to find a pocket knife. I looked up again and took my hair in my hands. Raising the knife up to my long brown hair. "Shit..." I said as I cut the front of my hair, giving myself bangs. I kept chopping locks of my hair off until it was shoulder length. I hated the way it looked but I guess I didn't have a choice, the bangs covered my eyes and kept me hidden. It was a very generic hair cut, not visible to cameras.

I cleaned up after myself and headed out of the bathroom. I expected Dimitri to be at the counter buying tickets but I guess I shouldn't be surprised that he was waiting outside of the bathroom for me. He was stunned when he saw me, was a hair cut really that bad? "Rose...Roza…" he started to say, "What did you do to your hair?!" I could see that he had to restrain himself not to yell I knew Dimitri loved my hair, but with the way he was reacting it was like that was the only thing that he loved about me.

"Do I look like myself?" I asked him as I placed a hand on my hip. He shook his head. "That's your answer." I told him sassily. Dimitri wasn't going to control my every action. The hair needed to go, it would grow back. He shouldn't worry about it. "We're about to leave the country Rose. You didn't have to change how you look." He said, struggling to explain his reaction, although we both knew it was about the hair, not the change. "There are cameras all over this airport Dimitri." I said pointedly.

Dimitri just looked at me and sighed again. He looked really tired, had he not slept since I went into the hospital? It wouldn't be good for either of us if he was dead on his feet. "Come on Rose. I still have to buy tickets for us." Dimitri said, taking my hand and leading me towards the ticket counter. I reached into my bag to get one of the fake passports Lissa and I used while we were on the run, but I couldn't find it. I looked up to see that Dimitri already had it in his hand. Of course he did.

We went up to the empty ticket counter of the small airline. It felt like we were waiting forever until someone showed up. When someone did, Dimitri spoke in Russian. I guess we were taking a Russian airline. At first the lady hesitated. Maybe she didn't speak Russian, I mean we were in Montana for god sakes. I started to say something in English before the lady cut me off and spoke directly to Dimitri. Ugh all the flirts in this airport. I mean I knew my man was sexy I just wish he wasn't so oblivious to how each flirtation annoyed me.

After a long discussion which involved me picking at my nails and Dimitri and the sales lady what seemed like argued back and forth, Dimitri finally got our tickets and handed mine to me. "So we have tickets to...Russia." I muttered as I looked down the booths of US greetings. I wonder what Russia would be like. I had only gone out the country once and that was with the Dragomir's to Mexico. I loved the sun there and they knew it, I think they had only gone for me, I know the moroi didn't enjoy the sunlight.

"Yes Roza." Dimitri answered. "We're going home." Home. I didn't know where that was anymore. Before home was the academy, and then it became wherever Lissa was. That was my home, as her guardian. I guess I'd never go home again. I didn't say anything after that, there was no point in arguing with Dimitri, I guess I would go where he wanted me to go. Dimitri must have sensed my uneasiness because then he said, "Don't worry Roza. Everything is going to be fine."

Well, since he brought it up, I muttered to myself, "Yeah... I'm just going to be in a country that I know nothing about. With people I don't know. And can't understand." Dimitri must have heard me because he took me into his arms and said softly, "I'll take care of you Roza." and then kissed the top of my head, "Of us...you don't need to worry about a thing." I'm sure that wasn't true, but I let myself feel a little bit better in Dimitri's arms. No matter how annoyed or angry I was at him that would always be one of my favorite places in the world.

In a moment I pulled away. Just because I liked being in his arms didn't mean I wasn't annoyed. My life was over now, I wouldn't have a future anymore, not with Dimitri taking me away like this. We went through security and the walk to the gate in silence. I bounded ahead, keeping a few paces in front, I needed some time alone I needed to think. I wonder what Lissa was doing. Maybe Adrian already told her what was happening, were they looking for me? It had to be morning in the academy by now, I had no idea what the time was.

When we boarded the plane I took the window seat, I hoped the ghosts would stay at bay in the air. I didn't counter any of them at the airport but I wasn't sure how I would do in the air, especially with the baby. Dimitri finally broke the silence between us. "Roza..." he started hesitantly, "Do you want anything?" he asked. What did I want? I wanted to be safe, normal, I wanted us to go with the plan we had before of becoming guardians. I guess I wouldn't get any of that now. I decided to go with the next best thing, even if I wasn't her guardian it didn't mean I couldn't watch out for her. "I want to know if Lissa is okay...that she will be okay." I said.

Dimitri frowned, but then said, "Why don't you go and see what the princess is doing now. And maybe when we get to Baia, you can call her." I didn't know what came over me but the next thing I know I started yelling. "Seeing her, and what if she's in danger? Then what? I'm here with you. I can't do anything." Dimitri looked at me in surprise, and probably in an attempt to placate me he said, "Roza...I'm sure the princess is fine. It won't hurt to check. It'll satisfy your curiosity."

I continued my tirade. "Just shut up! Stop acting like this is our dream. It's not. We have no idea what's going to happened. Or at least I don't, because I've went one person running my life to another." I took a breath before I said quietly, "Once the baby is born, I'm coming back to her." Dimitri didn't have anything to say to that. He didn't understand. I couldn't help what I was feeling. Dimitri couldn't possibly understand the bond I had with Lissa. I needed to be with her. I couldn't abandon her like this. She didn't save me just so I could leave her, we were connected, our lives were supposed to be tied together forever. I looked out the window as I nodded off. All the yelling had made me really tired, I guess I could close my eyes for a bit.

Dimitri POV

Rose scarcely gave me any warning before she walked away from me. I hurried followed her, it wasn't good for us to split up right now. It was dangerous. I stood outside the bathroom and waited for Rose. She was taking an awfully long time. I was tempted to go in there after her. I hoped she wasn't hurting herself in there, I knew she was feeling moody.

I was about to go in after her when Rose came strutting out. I almost didn't recognize her. I wanted to scream and shout. Her long beautiful hair was shorter now. Cut haphazardly. With bangs! Was this my fault? Was she doing this to spite me? "Rose...roza..." I started quietly. "What did you do to your hair?" I almost hissed at her, I couldn't help myself.

"Do I look like myself?" she asked me filled with sass. Maybe this was to spite me. Rose knew how much I loved her hair, I mean she loved it too but I loved it more. Sadly I nodded, she was right she didn't look like herself. "That's your answer." she said. My eyes softened. She was only trying to help. I just wish she didn't take her anger and frustration out on her hair. "We're about to leave the country Rose. You didn't have to change how you look." Rose glared at me again. "There are cameras all over this airport Dimitri." she said stating the obvious. I mean I knew that I just… I sighed. She made a good point. "Come on Rose. I still have to buy tickets for us."

I went up to the ticket counter and waited. As to be expected with a small airline, it took awhile before anyone noticed us. When someone finally came I asked, "извините меня. Есть ли какие- рейсы в санкт-петербург или Москве оставляя сегодня?" (excuse me. Are there any flights to St. Petersburg or Moscow leaving today?) The woman looked at me interestingly and took her time responding. Rose was starting to speak when she cut her off. "Да . У нас одна оставив в четыре часа . это для двоих "? (yes. We have one leaving in four hours. Is it for two?)

" Да . Сколько это будет? " (Yes. How much would it be?) I asked. I hoped it wasn't too expensive, I only had a limited amount of cash on hand. If it were just me flying home this wouldn't be a problem, but I had Rose with me and the Academy might check my card records when they find Rose missing.

"$700 каждый . Наличные." ($700 each. Cash.) the lady said. I was never more thankful for crazy Russian airlines until now. That was perfect. "Отлично. спасибо" (That's perfect. Thank you.) I said to the woman. I gave her our passports and she put the paperwork through. I counted about $1400, it was almost all of our cash. I would have to figure out how to get my US money to Russia later. We went through with the deal and soon we had our tickets.

Handing Rose her ticket, she looked at it and said, "So we have tickets to...Russia." I smiled. It had been years since I went back home. I hadn't seen them since Ivan… well Ivan's death. "Yes Roza." I replied calmly. "We're going home." I didn't know why Rose was acting so weird, I thought she might be more excited to meet my family. She always liked it when I told stories about them. Rose stayed silent after that. Was she scared? I knew she hadn't been out of the country before, I think. Vasilisa and she mostly traveled within the continent. "Don't worry Roza." I said, trying to calm her as we went through security. "Everything is going to be fine."

"Yeah... I'm just going to be in a country that I know nothing about. With people I don't know. And can't understand. " she muttered. I don't think she wanted me to hear that but dhampir hearing. I wrapped her in my arms before grabbing our bags, burying my face into her hair. At least her hair felt the same. "I'll take care of you Roza." I smiled kissing her forehead. "Of us...you don't need to worry about a thing."

Rose relaxed for a second in my arms before she tore away and walked away from me. She had never done that before. I didn't understand how to make her feel better. Maybe it was just hormones. We went through security and walked to the gate in silence. Rose walking ahead and I followed, keeping an eye on her making sure we didn't get lost. Soon we were on the plane, Rose took the window seat and I sat in the aisle, pulling up the armrest between us. "Roza..." I started. I didn't want to say anything to make her mood worse. "Do you want anything?" I asked.

"I want to know if Lissa is okay...that she will be okay." she said. I frowned. I wish Rose wasn't so worried about the princess. It was one of the things I loved about her but this time she needed to put herself first. Nevertheless, I came up with a solution. I didn't want Rose to worry herself sick. "Why don't you go and see what the princess is doing now. And maybe when we get to Baia, you can call her."

Suddenly Rose's eyes filled with rage. "Seeing her, and what if she's in danger? Then what? I'm here with you. I can't do anything." I almost held my hands up in surrender. Rose was being very...stubborn. She usually jumped at the chance to be with me. Now she was fighting every step of the way. "Roza...I'm sure the princess is fine. It won't hurt to check. It'll satisfy your curiosity."

"Just shut up!" Rose yelled. People started staring when Rose raised her voice. "Stop acting like this is our dream. It's not. We have no idea what's going to happened. Or at least I don't, because I've went one person running my life to another." Rose took a breath before she said in scary calm voice, reminding me of the few times I met Janine. "Once the baby is born, I'm coming back to her." I was hurt. I hoped Rose didn't actually mean that. It may not be her dream but it was mine. To raise the child born of the woman I love with the woman I love. There was nothing else I wanted. She would never abandon her baby right? I knew she wouldn't be like her mother. I tried to take her into my arms to calm her down. Kissing her hair I stayed silent. As the plane took off Rose didn't say a word. I watched as she nodded off slowly and then decided to take a quick nap myself. Now that we were in the air. We should be safe.

A/N- Super short chapter I know, but I wanted to have it up at a semi reasonable time for you guys. Please excuse the bad russian, I just used google translate :3 Maybe by this time next year I won't have to do that, here's to hoping. Anyway enjoy, and I'll try to have the next chapter up soon.

Ciao!

~Tiffany 3