DPOV

"Where are we going today, Comrade?" Roza asked while I cleaned up our breakfast. I'd had to chastise Mama multiple times over the last few days to let me tend to Roza's needs and wants. "Why not stay in, huh? Bring Vika with us to go to town and get some popcorn, movies and ice cream."

So far I'd taken Roza around to meet friends and family-friends. Each day had been two or three visits to newbies. If not around town we'd go exploring outside the village borders- hiking mainly. As for my pregnant teen baby sister... I didn't have the energy or desire to even think about my disappointment in her, especially today. All I wanted was to keep Rose happy and ensure she was enjoying herself here.

"Sounds lovely," Rose grinned up at me. "Never thought I'd say this, but I could use a day or two of doing nothing."

"Yeah, there's so much of Russia you won't get to see no matter how much we cram in."

"I've seen all the Russian beauty I need to just by being with you."

"I did not teach you innuendo," I groaned, "so why are you so," embarrassingly, "good at it?"

"I wasn't aware I had been using innuendo until just then. Who knew you had a dirty mind?" she teased.

"Who knew you were so innocent?" I returned pointedly. Rose blushed bright red.

"Dimka, what did you say to Rose," Vika demanded as she joined us.

"Dimitri, don't you dare repeat that!"

"Don't repeat what, Roza?" I teased.

"They wouldn't appreciate it anyway."

"Rose?" Vika begged.

"Oh no, Vika. This kind of thing isn't for your ears." Rose glared warningly at me. "Or anyones other than Dimitri's."

Vika went to argue, but my sharp, wearied look cut her off. I knew she'd been about to argue how being pregnant meant she didn't need things censored. But it was exactly because of that she did.

"What's the plan for you two today?" she asked instead.

"Movie day," Rose grinned, then she smirked at me, "and not your ridiculous westerns- I swear to god, Dimitri Belikov, if you even think of thinking of suggesting one of them I'll sit your ass down on that couch for hours on end and make you watch all five Twilight movies... Without. A. Break."

Vika grinned at Rose and squealed as she pulled my girlfriend into a hug, almost squeezing her half to death.

"Vika," I warned, "try not to hurt your sister-in-law."

I stayed with Mama while the girls went to town to get movies and snacks. I seriously didn't get why the couldn't just watch the movies with the food we had at home.

"She makes you happy doesn't she?" Mama asked while I pulled out the ingredients for Black bread. Now I was home and Rose ate it as enthusiastically as I did I was forced to make it again. Not that I could blame Mama- it was an exhaustive process to make it for a couple who went through a loaf every day and a half or so.

"Extremely happy," I grinned. "And peaceful."

"Peaceful?" She was already prepping lunch and dinner. Typical. I swear, cooking and feeding us was a hobby to her... one she was addicted to. My mother loved looking after her family. Just like I loved looking after Rose.

"Yes," I sighed contentedly. "So absolutely peaceful. I worry about her and she scares me to no end- she doesn't look it and would never talk about it even if you confronted her, but she's been through so much. This year especially. She's suffered such trauma. But she's always made me feel at peace, much more so than going to Church ever has- I don't say that lightly. She's always understood me. She understood the toll Ivan's death took on me when I was so sure I'd hidden it from her just like I hide from everyone." I shook my head and kept working. I may not have made Black bread since I was transferred to the States, but since coming home I found I could still make it just as nearly mindlessly as always. As the saying goes, it was exactly like riding a bike. Once you knew how, how you never forgot. "The way she understands and dedicates herself to guarding Lissa is just like the way I was with Ivan. Bond or no bond, I think she'd still understand, simply because she's been protective of Lissa since they were five and because she's Janine Hathaway's daughter."

Mama laughed. "You're so whipped," she teased. "It's actually quite cute. You two... don't let this go to your head, but you two look perfect together. You just... you fit."

"Good to know someone can see how we feel."

"She may be eighteen, but just like you, I can see how she comprehends things like she's older. She's... I don't know... she likes to embrace life like any impulsive teen, but she's so much more mature in other ways."

I laughed. "No one at the Academy ever understood or saw that. Then again, they'd known her for almost a decade and a half. I saw her with fresh eyes. I swear, some of the other guardians and teachers thought I was crazy for having such unwavering belief and complete trust in her." A certain Stan Alto especially. Then again, I was sure he had it out for her.

Before I knew it, our trip was half over and Rose and I were off to Novosibirsk. There was so much I wanted to show her and nearly no time in which to do it. There was such historical importance to all the beautiful places I showed her. And her face lit up every time she learned something new. My face lit up when- even though I was playing her translator- she said a few things in Russian. Admittedly, two year old Zoya spoke better English than Rose spoke Russian, but for someone who'd only been in the country for going on a month it was extraordinary what she'd picked up.

"I told you you'd enjoy the borscht," I teased. She'd just moaned in delight and murmured 'heavenly' in Russian.

"And it didn't even require starvation!" she retorted. The relaxed and carefree smile on her face made me heart race. I knew this trip would be worth it. To see her so happy... words cannot describe the love that swelled in my chest and threatened to burst my heart.

I shook my head and wore my own contented and happy smile. "You're a fraud-ster."

"I am not." Her warm brown eyes narrowed playfully.

RPOV

I woke to Dimitri kissing me. I moaned in delight. "This is the perfect way to wake up."

His gorgeous eyes sparkled with a delight that was trying to hide a secretive, cunning glint. And failing horribly at it. "Morning, sweetheart. I know it's early-"

I looked at the clock and groaned. "It's the middle of the night!"

"We have a plane to catch." The excitement in his voice was undeniable. It almost made it worth the crap-hour wake-up call.

"And you couldn't have warned me earlier, why?" I asked as I rolled out of bed.

"This trip is all about spoiling you- and that means keeping you in the dark."

"Literally," I muttered as I shut the curtains so we could change.

A few hours later we had landed in Russia's oldest city- Novgorod.

"You're going to love this, Roza." A cheeky smile adorned Dimitri's godly-good-looking face. He nodded toward a collection of domes. The biggest was golden and the four others were a silvery-grey. A golden cross adorned all five domes like spires.

I groaned. "Another church?"

Dimitri shook his head in exasperation as he took my hand and led me towards the building. "No. Close, but no." The warm summer sun wrapped around us like a caress.

I was beginning to understand his homesickness. It was absolutely beautiful here in Russia and I dreaded going back to Court and reverting once again back to a nocturnal timetable and guardian duties. I felt free here, with Dimitri by my side. I felt like an ordinary human being for once, going on a massive touring holiday with her boyfriend.

"Then what is it?"

Dimitri's chuckle was infectious. "It's Saint Sophia Cathedral. If you haven't guessed, we're in the Kremlin of Novgorod. It's about 125 feet high. It is home to the iconic Mother of God of the Sign, which- Russian legend leads us to believe- saved the city from attack in 1169."

The passion he spoke with warmed my heart. He loved Russia so much I was nearly jealous. I felt horrible for his job ripping him from his homeland, and for the sacrifices he was making to be with me. If I wasn't Rose Hathaway I would cry. I'm sure I'd never understood why Olena and he always pushed for us to know when the Moroi didn't come first, to know when we needed put our needs and desires first more than I did now.

"Do you ever wish to run away and come back here to live?" I suddenly blurted as we walked through the ornately carved gates. The ones he explained were 9 centuries old.

The beauty of Russia had to have been heartbreaking difficult to leave behind when he came out to the States. If it wasn't for Lissa missing me and my duty I would leave the US behind right here and now to stay in this gorgeous country. I'd hardly seen any of it, but I'd seen enough to understand how I found Dimitri so stop-and-get-hit-by-trafic beautiful. Even in his ridiculous duster that he only wore around at night, he looked every bit a part of the landscape, regardless of the city we were visiting.

Dimitri looked at me with curiosity, surprise, and amusement in his eyes. A speculative, reflective expression made him appear younger than he was. After a few moments he sighed.

"Before I met you? My answer would've been no- my job meant everything to me and I felt my honor was on the line if I desired to run from my duty..." He stepped toward me while also tugging me closer. My heart pounded in my chest. "But now? With you in my life and accepting I love you more than anything else in the world? Yes. I do crave to come back here, just us, to grow old together without any of the stress of our job. I would run away with you in a heartbeat if you wanted to, Roza."

"I couldn't leave Lissa, but if I could, I would. I hate that you've had to leave all this behind. You love it here, Comrade, and you have no clue how many times I've caught your looks of homesickness. I hate what you're sacrificing to be with me back in the States..."

Dimitri pecked my lips before shaking his head. "Don't. I love you, honey. As long as I'm there with you I'm home. You know I'd die to protect you; living in the States isn't that big a sacrifice for getting to be with you." He let his lips rest on my forehead for a few moments before he sighed again and pulled away to guide me into the Cathedral.

Over the next week and a half, Dimitri exhausted me with making sure we at least explored the "Golden Ring." It was Russia's collection of oldest cities that had been preserved as museums. The one we spent the longest in was Suzdal. Suzdal was considered the jewel of the "Golden Ring" and it only took one glance to understand why. It was like a time capsule. The city dated back to the early 11th Century and was so cultural rich and full of historic beauty it brought honest-to-god tears to my eyes. It was full of onion-domed kremlins as well as just as beautiful cathedrals and monasteries. It wasn't hard to believe why these buildings and constructions were considered Russia's best historic architecture.

We spent three of the last four days in Saint Petersburg. Mostly we explored the Hermitage Museum- we spent two full days in there and didn't get around to seeing three quarters of the place. Catherine the Great founded it in 1764 and it currently was home to a globe-spanning collection of more than 3 million highlighted items of art and culture. The collection filled six historic buildings that were works of art in their own right. One of those buildings was former residence of Russian emperors, the Winter Palace.

We were flying out of Moscow and Dimitri had one last surprise in store for me. On our last night in the country I was taken to dinner then the opening night of Giselle at the stunningly-beautiful Bolshoi theatre. With front-row seats. It had to have cost a small fortune... this whole trip must have nearly entirely emptied his bank account. We guardians earned so little. But that wasn't the only thing in store for me tonight. Dimitri's contacts must have extended into the human world because, without me knowing, he slipped away and turned up onstage after bows. What the...?

Dimitri's eyes found mine and he stretched his arm out to me while he called me up on stage. In Russian, I must add. Uncertainly and while telling myself not to get embarrassed I made my way to him. He lightly kissed my lips before all-too-gracefully lowering to one knee. The audience gasped. My own hand flew to cover my mouth as my jaw dropped and my eyes bugged. A whole string of Russian flowed from his mouth. He repeated the speech in English while presenting me with a diamond and emerald ring with a platinum band that was so gorgeous it rivalled the beauty of the theatre we were currently in.

"So, Rosemarie Hathaway, my Roza, will you marry me?" So much hope and love and joy and passion and dedication and a myriad of other emotions pulsed around him.

I was speechless. Never in my life had I considered getting married before this trip. I mean, I know Yeva had been harping on about it while we were staying in Baia, but I'd adamantly said I wouldn't marry or get engaged before 20. Dimitri hadn't broached the subject since two days before we'd started driving to Novosibirsk. He knew how I felt about this topic, yet here he was on stage, proposing to me in front of over a thousand strangers on the opening night of Giselle at the Bolshoi theatre. Was he mad?

I knew a million reasons why I should say no. But in this moment I couldn't recall one. The only thing I knew as Dimitri's brown eyes shone up at me and his smile made him glow with happiness was that I loved him. All I could think and feel was how completely in love with him I was. Right now, we weren't dhampir. Right now, we weren't guardians. Right now, we weren't ex-mentor and student. Right now, we were two people whom shared a love so pure and intense it hurt not to express it. Right now, we were two people in love who wanted to share a lifetime together. Right now, we were two people who wanted to shout that love to the world.

So right now, in this moment, my head was nodding, my lips were smiling, and my words were leaving my mouth in English and Russian as I accepted.

"Yes. I love you, Dimitri, so yes. Da. Ya lyublyu tebya, Dmitriy. Da."

I'm certain I have never seen Dimitri so happy. He slid the ring on my left ring finger, kissed it, then rose to bring me into a kiss that should not have been seen by a crowd of theatre-goers. It was the type of kiss that shouldn't be seen. Period. The cheers and applause pulled us from our moment and Dimitri smiled against my lips.

"You have no clue how happy you've made me, Roza. Absolutely no clue."

I smirked back. "Do you know how risky this was? How could you have possibly known I was going to say yes?"

Dimitri pulled away and grinned cheekily at me. "I knew you'd say yes, because you never said you'd say no. I knew you'd say yes, because Yeva said you would never say no."