"Hello kiz! How are you feeling?"

Abe arrived at the Belikov household right at 1 pm, scooping me up into a big hug.

"I was worried about you yesterday," he continued, giving my Russian God the evil eye.

Doh! It looks like the Belikovs weren't the only ones to hear me shouting at Dimitri last night! Abe led me over to one side of the living room, using the distraction of Pavel distributing the weekly gifts to get me alone.

"Rose if he doesn't treat you right, you let me know, ok?"

"We're fine, Baba," I said with a sigh.

"I mean it, Rose," Abe stressed, looking at me carefully. "You don't need to do anything you don't want to do. I heard you tell him you weren't in the mood for a threesome… Has he tried to coerce you into sexual acts you're not comfortable with?!"

I looked at my father in shock before erupting in laughter. Poor Abe was so embarrassed to ask, but I was equally as mortified.

"Baba it's nothing like that! He's never… I mean I've never…" I stopped as I was laughing too hard to continue. "Don't worry about that aspect of things. We've never had a threesome or anything like that. He's very respectful of me. I was just being dramatic to make a point."

Abe searched my face carefully.

"As long as you're sure…?"

"I'm sure. I got upset that a girl was flirting with him."

"Did he reciprocate?"

"No. But I still got upset."

"I can have him dealt with if he upsets you. Just say the word…"

"Baba! He's the man I love! I don't want him 'dealt with!'" I growled. "I might have overreacted a little bit. It's fine, he's fine, and we're fine."

"You'd tell me if you weren't happy?" he pressed.

"You'll be the first to know," I promised, rolling my eyes, and dragging him by the arm back to where the rest of the family stood.

We moved as a group into the living room where Babushka joined us, hobbling out of her bedroom. Abe presented her with a huge bunch of flowers, and an even more enormous cheese and a salami.

"You risked your life to help my little girl," he said emotionally. "It is a debt I can never repay."

"She's part of our family, too," Yeva said almost competitively. "But she needs to be armed. Paul?" she said beckoning the young man forward. "Get me the wooden box on my dressing table," she ordered.

Paul dutifully appeared with a simple timber box. She took it from him and passed it to me. I opened it, unsurprised to see a single silver stake lying in the plush purple velvet. The other of the pair was still upstairs in Dimitri's room.

"They're yours now. I don't like the idea of you out there without a weapon," Yeva said stroking my cheek affectionately. "They're freshly charmed. I have them redone every year."

"Thank you Babushka," I replied, understanding the significance of the gift and knowing better than to argue with her about it. "I'll carry them with pride."

She smiled and then shooed us all across to the table for lunch. Viktoria had returned to St. Basil's, so there was twelve of us. Olena said a long prayer, thanking God for keeping Yeva and me safe, then we dug in.

"So you'll need another molnija," Pavel remarked casually, referring to the Strigoi I'd killed last night.

"Shit! I forgot to call it into the Alchemists," I gasped, realizing I'd just left the dead Strigoi in the middle of the road.

"A group of Abe's Guardians went and dragged it off the edge of the road and called through the kill. The sun took care of the body at first light, but you'll need to submit a report."

I nodded. Sadly I'd had a bit of experience with them, now.

"You'll be going to St. Basil's for your trials soon enough, I suppose you can get it marked then," Abe suggested thoughtfully.

"Try not to get any more kills between now and then," Eddie said, only half joking.

"Trouble just seems to come looking for me," I laughed.

"Well if someone had been paying attention, you wouldn't have been out alone unarmed at night," Abe said giving Dimitri a pointed look.

"Baba," I warned, giving him a 'drop it' look.

Karolina hissed under her breath, and everyone looked uncomfortable. Dimitri returned Abe's look defiantly but said nothing.

"So Pavel – you went to St. Basil's, didn't you? How were your trials conducted?" Meredith quickly asked, steering the conversation back to safer topics.

For most of the meal, Pavel and Dimitri outlined the trials process, as they'd experienced it, Karolina and Sonya occasionally contributing information they knew from their friends' trials.

"You topped your year when you went through, didn't you?" Eddie asked Dimitri. "For the trials and the elimination fights?"

"That's right," Dimitri said in a no-nonsense voice. He wasn't gloating, but he wasn't making light of the feat either.

"Nice to see you can pay attention to something when you really want to," Abe mocked snidely.

"Baba!" I snapped crossly. "That's enough!"

"No Roza," Dimitri said, his eyes flashing. "Your father has something to say, and I think he should say it."

Olena looked nervously between Abe and Dimitri, but my eyes were on Pavel. He didn't seem unduly alarmed, and gave me a small shrug as if to say 'let him say his piece.'

"Yes I do have something to say," Abe said in a furious but measured voice. "Your actions put my daughter in danger last night. If you hadn't been busy flirting, you'd have noticed my daughter leave, and she wouldn't have been attacked."

Dimitri was incensed.

"I was not flirting!" he snapped.

"He's not my keeper," I said, absolutely seething.

Abe shook his head obstinately.

"His actions led to you being attacked!"

"No Baba, my actions led to me being attacked. I got jealous of a woman flirting with Dimitri. He was just asking after her brother."

"Then why was he too busy to notice you leave?" Abe asked smugly.

"Because he was having a conversation. Just like you were."

Abe waved his hand dismissively.

"He's your partner. He's meant to look after you at all times. What sort of man disrespects his partner and then doesn't even notice when she walks away?"

"Abe! You don't know all the information. I told you – Dimitri and I have discussed what happened. You need to back off!"

"You want to criticize the way I treat Roza?" Dimitri bellowed, his eyes shooting daggers at Abe. "This from the man who terrified his daughter when she went out of her way to organize a birthday party for him! You might not remember the look of fear on her face when you ripped that necklace from her neck, but I do! I'm not going to sit here and be lectured about how to treat Rose from a man who scared her as much as you did!"

The silence was absolute. Abe and Dimitri both glowered at each other before turning to look at me. Each expected me to take their part, and I didn't know what to say.

"Abe's right, Dimitri. You were out of line yesterday and I deserve better! I said I'm ok with it, but I'm still hurt and it's going to take me a while to move on! As for you, Abe - Dimitri is right, too. I thought you were going to hit me last weekend. It's not that I can't defend myself. I just never thought I'd have to from my father," I said sadly.

Both men looked at me, surprised I'd been so forthcoming. Neither of them was particularly happy.

"I think you both need to go outside and cool off," Olena announced in a surprisingly authoritative voice. "Abe? Paul will take you out the back and show you Mama's fruit trees," she directed. "They're about to flower and are attractive at this time of year. Dimka? You can go and sit out the front and reflect on how I expect you to behave toward guests in our home."

Dimitri immediately stood, nodding to his mother before stalking toward the front door. Abe also stood, as did Paul.

"Rose? Will you join your old man for a walk outside?" Abe asked winsomely.

"Maybe in a minute," I said decisively. "Olena's right. You need to spend a few minutes outside."

My father nodded a little shamefaced. I doubt anyone had sent him on a time out since he was aged in single digits, but he accepted his fate manfully. I waited until he and Dimitri had both departed before I questioned Olena.

"How did you know they'd be ok with that?" I gasped. I honestly hadn't expected either man to comply with her request.

"Because they were both behaving like children, so they knew to accept a childish punishment," she said in a motherly tone. But I could tell it had taken real backbone for her to say what she had to Abe.

"Abe needs to be told off more often," Pavel murmured, his lip twitching slightly.

No one else dared say anything, so we all ate in silence for a moment.

"I need to go to one of them," I said, putting my fork down on my plate. The problem is, I couldn't decide who to speak with first.

"Who are you angrier with?" Yeva asked, a knowing glint in her eye.

It was Dimitri. Abe reacted out of fear and surprise. Dimitri had basically forgotten me, choosing to give his attention elsewhere. I was still cross with both of them, but Abe had the better excuse.

"Excuse me, I'm going to join Abe and Paul out the back," I said, standing up.

"Good luck with that," Eddie said, wide-eyed.

"I need to talk to him about it."

I walked out the back door, spotting Abe and Paul half way down the lengthy garden. They didn't appear to be talking, and Paul was relieved when I approached them, announcing he could return to his meal inside.

"Dimitri was right. I did scare you," Abe said solemnly. "And I am sorry."

"I know you are," I said, taking my time with my words. "I wish I could say it's forgotten, but it isn't. But I have forgiven you. I understand why you were so upset, and why you reacted how you did."

We walked over to a garden bench situated under a large tree.

"I spoke to Mom about the nazar," I said, watching my father carefully. "I finally got the whole story out of her about what happened."

"And?"

"She was three months pregnant with me when she came back to find you to let you know. When she got there, she discovered you had a new love interest, and she assumed you wouldn't be prepared to help her. She had no savings, so she took the money from your room so she could raise me until she could send me to an academy. She didn't take the nazar on purpose – she said she didn't even realize it was with the money until later."

Abe nodded, putting his hand into his pocket and pulling out the nazar. It was on a new silver chain but otherwise appeared identical to how it had looked last week when he'd wrenched it from my neck. He grasped my hand and dropped it into my palm.

"I'm glad I know it was my mother's," he said, his voice charged with emotion. "I regret what I did last weekend, and I want you to have it. Again."

I shook my head, passing it back to him.

"It was your mother's. It's the last thing you have of hers. You should keep it."

He shook his head, refusing to take it.

"You are the last thing I have of her. You're her only grandchild. Her ultimate legacy. I need you to have this. You never got to meet my mother, but this is a link between you and her. Please, Rose?"

I shrugged, but I leaned forward and let him fasten the long necklace around my neck.

"I know you can't wear it all the time," he assured me. "But wear it on special occasions if you want."

"Ok Baba," I replied.

We sat in silence watching the blossoms on the trees sway gently in the fresh, cool breeze.

"I'm not happy with what you said to Dimitri."

Abe sighed, rubbing his hand over his face.

"You were out of line, and you know it!" I continued.

"It's a father's job to be protective," he defended.

"Yes. And there's a difference between being protective and being an asshole! Dimitri knows he fucked up – I don't need you to weigh in on it!"

"I just want to make sure my little girl is treated right," Abe weaseled, sounding less like a mob boss and more like a petulant school kid.

"You know, you and Dimitri are more similar than you realize. He feels the same way you do! You both want to keep me safe - but I'm a grown woman. I make my own decisions. If I need your help, I'll ask for it."

"I think your Mama might let you back inside now," I teased, plonking myself down beside Dimitri on the bench seat next to the front door a little later.

"I can't believe he spoke like that to me after what he did!" Dimitri growled, still furious with Abe.

I rolled my eyes.

"Well, he knows he overstepped," I reassured him. "And he apologized. Again."

"He gave you back the nazar?" Dimitri commented, gesturing to the glass bead suspended on the long silver chain around my neck.

"He did. I explained about Mom and he said he wanted me to have it."

"What did he say about Janine?"

"Not much. He was happy to find out the nazar was the one his mother had worn."

"I'm really sorry about yesterday," Dimitri said, grasping my hand.

I shrugged. "I don't like not being the center of your attention," I admitted.

"You're always the center of my attention, Roza," he promised, lifting my knuckles to his. "I thought we could maybe go for a hike together after lunch? Just you and me? There's somewhere I'd like to show you, and we could use some alone time together."

My heart skipped a beat, a slow easy smile spreading across my face. I was always up for alone time with my Russian God.

"Come on. We should go back inside," I said, standing and tugging at Dimitri's hand. "And apologize to Abe. He's trying, ok?"

He stood and then leaned down to give me a sweet kiss.

"Let's do this," he grumbled, following me inside.

"Dimitri," Abe said standing up from his place at the table. "My lovely daughter reminded me she's a big girl who can fight her own battles," he said, holding his hand out to the young Dhampir. "I was politely told to butt out."

"I think I got the other half of that speech," Dimitri said taking Abe's hand firmly and shaking it.

"Now that's finished, let's have dessert" Yeva suggested with a smirk.

"This is beautiful," I murmured.

Dimitri and I had hiked for thirty minutes into the forest behind his house. He'd been looking around as we walked, eventually finding what he sought. It was the biggest tree I'd ever seen, towering above the other trees in the vicinity.

"It's a Scots Pine," Dimitri explained, finding the timber rungs long ago nailed into one side, helping me up the trunk until I could find hand and foot holds in the branches. "The view from up here is breathtaking."

I climbed ahead of him, heading further and further up into the enormous tree. All I could see were the trees on either side of me until I broke through the canopy line. Suddenly I could see over the treetops to the mountains in the distance.

"Keep climbing – there's a wide fork up ahead where it's safe to sit."

Looking up, I could see where he meant, and in a minute we were both seated in a sort of natural platform where the main trunk diverged into three smaller branches.

"I used to come here as a teenager," he explained. "It was my place to think."

"And what did you think about as a teenager?" I asked, looking at my man from under my lashes.

"I don't know," he chuckled. "But I'm sure it felt important at the time!"

He smiled and we sat in silence, basking underneath the colors of the sky.

"What's going to happen if Christian doesn't want me as his Guardian?" I asked suddenly. It was a thought that had been running through my brain ever since Dimitri had first proposed it.

"Then we're going to need to make some decisions," he replied seriously.

"I don't want to choose between you and Lissa," I said, feeling dispirited "but if it comes down to it, I'm not prepared to give you up."

"You'd pick me? Over her?"

I shrugged.

"You're the one I can't live without, Comrade," I sighed, appreciating the truth of my words. I'd managed to go for months, now, without Lissa and while I missed her, it wasn't the same as the way I'd miss Dimitri. If I had to imagine my life with only one of them regularly part of it, Dimitri was the only one I could see.

"I hope it doesn't come to that," he said, stroking my hand.

I sighed again. The closer we came to my trials and graduation the more it played on my mind. I'd always pictured it being Lissa and me. But that was before Christian and Dimitri came on the scene. While I'd never put Lissa in a place where she'd have to choose between her love or me, that's the position I might find myself in. And that's assuming Lissa would even be willing to accept a relationship between Dimitri and me. She had no idea her Guardian was in love with her best friend – and I wasn't entirely sure how she was going to take it when I finally came clean.

"You look worried, ангел. What are you thinking?"

"I'm wondering about how Lissa is going to be about us being together."

"She loves you, Roza. She'll want you to be happy," Dimitri said optimistically.

"Maybe. I'm not used to anyone being more important to me than her, and she won't be used to that, either. Since her family died, I'm all she has left," I tried to explain.

"You were all she had," Dimitri replied reasonably. "She has Christian now, too. You can let go a little, Roza… It's time for you to have someone else, too."

I kissed his hand. He was right. Lissa would be fine, and for the first time in my life, it was time to put myself first.