DPOV

Oh Roza, you're going to love me and hate me when you figure out where I'm taking you. I took her bags from her when Alberta let us out at the airport at Billings, wrapped an arm around my better half's waist and led her to the counter. With difficulty that was well worth it I got our luggage checked in with the tickets Rose didn't catch sight of. Our stakes made it through customs- thank you Mazur and the Alchemists- as did we and I grabbed Rose's hand to guide her to our boarding gate.

"I love you and all, Comrade, but right now my stomach loves food more."

I chuckled. "Lucky there's a McDonald's in the food court right outside our gate, huh?" I teased and led my perpetually hungry girlfriend to her favourite fast food outlet.

"Dimitri, am I even going to be able to hold my ticket at any point on this trip?" Rose tried not to whine when we sat at a table with our food, but she failed adorably.

I gave her a measured look, "That would be a... no."

Roza scowled and I couldn't help but chuckle before quickly kissing it away. After pulling away Roza immediately stuffed her mouth with fries. "Can I at least know why you're taking me on holiday?"

I smirked. "Because I wanted you to myself for over a month?"

My lovely woman fixed me with a glare that could kill... anyone but me. All the while she kept eating.

"Okay, okay," I laughed and pecked her cheek. "I thought you could use some distance from Lissa and society before being assigned. And because of all you've been through this year I thought you needed a break as soon as possible... And I really do want you to myself for over a month straight."

Rose looked like she wanted to be outraged at splitting her from Lissa but also completely delighted and humbled, absolutely gobsmacked, by my thoughtfulness. The latter won the fight and she crashed her lips to mine, the kiss said it all.

An hour and a quarter later our flight to Denver was called to board. The first stop of three.

"Dimitri, I thought we were leaving the country? Denver is in Colorado, still in the States."

I smiled and shook my head as we lined up. "I know, Roza. I know. It's the first stopover."

Her worried expression was so cute, she was, and my heart, as usual, wanted to jump out of my chest. It was always amusing to learn what concerned her most. Strigoi? No problem, I'll slay them like I eat. But waiting, surprises, and being 'left in the dark'? Absolute disaster. "How many stopovers do we have?"

"Two."

She let out a sigh of relief. "Thank god. For a moment I thought you were going to say something like ten or more."

I shook my head and smiled as I handed our tickets over for checking for this stage of the journey. We were let through by a suspiciously friendly hostess who sent Roza a not-so-friendly look. Roza wore her own back-off dangerous look.

"What was that about, with the hostess?" I asked curiously as we settled down for the hour and a half long flight. My legs were, as normal, a tad uncomfortable- one major downside to my height- but the aisle seat was a minor consolation.

Rose looked at me like I was crazy then burst out laughing. "Oh, Comrade! Oh, Dimitri." She shook her head as she leaned in and captured my lips with hers. "You're clueless. She was flirting with you and checking you out," she murmured in my ear. "I put her in her place. You're mine and no one else is going to look at you like that, no matter how sexy you are." Her possessive tone made my heart race in overtime.

"I love you, Roza." I brought our lips back together. "I'm all yours."

She threw me her man-eater smile. "I know, Comrade, I know. I love you too. I always have."

"Oh Roza," I sighed lovingly. "I've always been yours, my heart has always belonged to you, right from the moment I laid eyes on you in Portland."

Roza smiled a sappy smile only I could bring out.

"Germany!" squealed Roza when we landed in Frankfurt 14 hours later. "This stopover is in Germany?" Her excitement now we'd long-since left the US was catching.

I nodded. "Yeah. This is our second stopover."

Her face lit up like a little kid who's been told Christmas, Easter and their birthday's all coming early. "I do not think I could love you more right now." She was practically bouncing in her seat. "Do we ha-"

"Have time to sightsee? Not really, but we do have time to walk around." Rose pouted. "I thought you'd want to make the most of our time at our final destination, get there as soon as possible."

I checked the display of our next flight while Rose was in the bathroom. Delayed, by five hours. Wish granted Rose, I thought fondly.

"Roza, guess what?" I smiled when she strutted back to me, turning heads as she did so.

"What?" she demanded as she took my hand in hers.

"Our flight has been delayed long enough to fit some quick sightseeing in. How does that sound?"

"A-mazing!" Rose pulled us to a halt only to kiss me passionately. "God, I really do love you, Dimitri. You have no clue."

"I love you too. And I love seeing you so happy and relaxed. We won't even have to worry about Strigoi too much- we'll be in flight again before sunset."

"Russia?" Rose asked in disbelief when she realised. "Are you freaking kidding me, Dimitri? You've brought me to an arctic wastela- wait! Are you taking me home, like 'meet-the-in-laws' home?" Shock, fear and uncertainty joined the mix of expressions on her beautiful face.

"Possibly," I responded slyly.

"Comrade! Some warning woulda been nice," she slapped my chest. I felt it, but just barely, considering it was not intended to hurt. My Rose could barely injure me even when she tried her hardest. The worst she'd given me was an elbow to the face during field experience. That said, it wasn't easy for me to catch her either.

I simply wrapped my arms around her shoulders as we prepared to descend.

Since it was late at night I checked us into an affordable and comfortable nearby hotel for the night. I swept Roza off her feet and carried her into the room. She giggled and I thought I was in heaven. How was I so lucky to have her in my life, as my significant other?

"Welcome to Russia, Roza," I murmured as I set her down. "Happy graduation." I kissed her before she could respond.

"I can't believe we've done it, that we've made it through the worst possible start to a relationship." She sighed and literally pulled me down onto the bed with her.

"It was challenging, yes, and I didn't always treat you as I should have, but I wouldn't say it was the worst possible start to a relationship." I stated and rolled on top of her.

"Oh! If I remember rightly, you nearly broke my hip."

"No," I shook my head. "I distinctly remember, you attacked me."

She groaned dramatically in embarrassment. "But I was so drugged up and out of practice your block nearly resulted in shattering my hip."

I traced butterfly kisses up and down her neck and across her collarbone. "But I saved you, didn't I? As I always will."

"You're not the only one capable of being a martyr in this rel-" Roza moaned as I bit into her sweet spot, my version of a vampire bite, and I'm certain she loved it more all because she loves me. "Dimitri! That's not fair."

"Your beauty always burning me isn't fair," I retorted as I slid her shirt up and over her head. "And you are so, so beautiful, Roza." Her beauty mainly stemmed from her soul, but I also saw her soul in her eyes and her curves. The curves I hadn't seen or felt like this in months, four and a half months to be precise and I took a good long moment as I drank her in before fusing my lips with hers and hitching one leg over my waist. We'd waited out these months in agony, but it had been the right thing to do- not only because of our old roles, but because it made this moment that much more meaningful and beautiful, indescribable.

When I awoke I couldn't believe the beauty I found lying naked in my arms. Roza had never looked as angelic and peaceful as she did right now with the morning sun streaming in and lighting her up. We were in Russia and there was so much I wanted to show her, to do with her- budget permitting. I hadn't let Mama know we were coming so we weren't bound to arrive anytime soon.