Before Rose even had a chance to process the fact that the alarms were sounding off Dimitri was hauling her to the security room which doubled as a panic room. Christian managed to run in just before Dimitri sealed the door. Dimitri entered the code that locked the panic room from the inside.

"What the hell is going on?" Christian asked bleary eyed. He looked like he's just woken up from another nap.

"I don't know yet", Dimitri answered while pulling up images from all cameras on the screens.

"Where's Lissa?" Chris asked, looking around the room as if he'd suddenly find her hidden somewhere in a 150 sqft. room.

Rose paled. "She went to give Abe a checkup".

"Well where are they now?! Is she safe?!" Chris was on the verge of hysterics.

As if Rose wasn't worried enough, Chris's panic was weighing on her own even more.

Dimitri was scanning the cameras when they heard shots fired. Rose gasped. Chris ran to the door trying to pry it open.

"The locking mechanism has a combination key that only Rose and I know," Dimitri answered calmly. "You'll never be able to get that door open like that. It's a six inch thick steel door", he commented at Chris who was banging on the door.

"Well then open it, Dimitri! I have to get to Lissa!".

"I'm sorry, I can't do that. Rose is my priority", he replied without moving his eyes from the screen. While they were arguing Rose was running scenarios in her head. The worst was playing in her mind.

In the mean time, Dimitri was able to decipher what was going on in the manor through the video feed. "The perimeter was breached, all the guards who were on patrol are down. Abe and Lissa are barricaded in his office along with Pavel and 2 more guards. There are at least 2 dozen intruders closing in on their location. Additional guards have been sent to intercept them".

Dimitri was turning on his communication device, changing from channel to channel. "Shit! All I'm getting is static".

"They're using a scrambler that's interfering with your frequencies", Christian said. "I told Pavel he needed to upgrade the coms system!"

"Cell phones are out too", Rose added, when she couldn't put a call through. "How are the monitors still working?"

"Because that part of the security system actually was upgraded, hardware as well as software, with newer and better firewall", Chris answered rubbing his neck.

Then something happened on the screens that made Christian cringe and Rose gasp. Another unit of additional foot soldiers swarmed the halls and engaged the backup headed towards Abe and Lissa.

"Oh God! It's a going to be a massacre", Rose whimpered. "Dimitri we have to do something".

"I can't. I have orders to keep you safe at any cost", Dimitri answered. "Even if the cost is Abe his life".

"Dimitri, that is my family out there!" Rose exclaimed.

"I'm sorry," Dimitri repeated. "I can't let you leave".

"Please", Rose begged. "I can't loose them. They're all the family I have left. Him and Lissa". Rose crumbles into Dimitri.

Dimitri hesitated. He didn't want to leave Rose but he also couldn't abandon Abe. He was his handler. "I'll go, but you need to stay here, Roza. Promise me". Rose nodded. Dimitri pulled a handle on the wall next to the screens and a large panel on the far wall opened revealing a holy grail of weapons. It was a cornucopia filled with semi automatic handguns and rifles, grenades and smoke bombs.

"I'm coming with you", Christian said as Dimitri was arming himself with guns and ammo.

"Absolutely not", Dimitri replied in finality. "I have a much better chance of reaching them if I go on my own". He slung an M 16 on his back and hung an AK around his shoulder in addition to the 2 desert eagles in his weapons belt and magazines with enough bullets to occupy a small town.

Dimitri gripped Rose's arm and stared deeply into her eyes. "Don't open the door for anyone. Not even me. Do you understand?" Rose didn't respond. "Rose," he said firmly, shaking her gently. "Do you understand me?"

"Yes", Rose answered in a clear voice. Dimitri released her.

Just before Dimitri left, Rose grabbed his arm tightly pulling him back to her. The fear of loosing Dimitri was as crippling as her fear of loosing Abe or Lissa. She wrapped her hand around his neck and pulled him for a kiss. It started out rough and desperate, slowly changing into a gentle press of their lips, until finally they pulled apart. It felt like a good bye more than a good luck. Just in case, Rose thought. "Don't get dead", she whispered.

Dimitri nodded said, "Lock up behind me," and left. Rose sealed the door after him.

Several moments passed before Christian spoke again. "You're not really going to stay in here are you?"

"It's like you don't know me at all", Rose said while pulling on a bullet proof vest and body armor from the literal armory on the back wall.

Christian joined her with a wicked grin.

"Remind me again how well you handle a firearm", Rose wondered seeing as Chris was gearing up as well.

"My aim was better than yours, Rosie".

"Alright, Bullseye, I'll give you that one".

Something occurred on the monitors that caught their attention.

"It's another wave of men being sent in", Chris explained. "Apparently their last because that" he pointed to the screen at the only man in a suite and tie, and the women beside him in a cocktail dress of all things, "are Reed and Avery Lazar. Brother and sister. They're second in command in their father's empire. They wouldn't come in here if they didn't think that they were in complete control of the situation". Rose wondered how Chris would know that. Then again his day job, too, was all about cloak and dagger. Well, maybe more cloak than dagger, Rose thought. Speaking of daggers, better get some knives. Rose grabbed a leg holster filled with knives and buckled it into place on her thigh.

A quick scan of the other monitors showed that Dimitri had reached the guards that were under attack, but the Lazar brother and sister were heading right for him along with a dozen more men and with the coms down there was no way to warn him or the others.

"We have to move now". Rose commanded. Chris nodded.

Dimitri wasn't a fan of guns. Sure he had excellent aim, but there was no finesse in shooting in close quarters. Not like hand to hand combat or making a shot from over a thousand yards away. But it was a necessity. Dimitri fired and fired, taking down men left and right. He was eliminating threat after threat.

When he was close enough, Dimitri didn't need to fire his gun to take out an enemy.

He was almost at Abe's office. He could see Pavel and the other guards firing at their assailants, who were all but taken care of, when he heard shots fired from behind him. Dimitri dove for cover. Some of the other Mazur guards weren't so fortunate.

Rose opened the panic room and the two snuck out, lurking through the wing quietly just in case it was breached as well.

Rose and Christian decided to split up. He would use her bedroom window as an exit point, in much the same way he had snuck into the manor in the first place. On the ground he would come around towards the side of the manor's front entrance (where the Lazar's had made their grand entrance), stopping at the large glass wall that was the outer wall of the foyer. He came at the Lazar's from the side.

Rose exited the Hathaway wing in stealth mode and crept her way to the grand staircase. The first landing gave her a great vantage point on the men storming the manor and the ones who took position along the wall. Rose took cover and was able to incapacitate 3 intruders with her knives before she and Chris were noticed.

Once the element of surprised was lost Rose and Christian started raining fire on the Lazars, Rose from her perch above and Chris from the ground level. This drew fire away from Dimitri and ultimately from Abe and Lissa as well. The foot soldiers that were targeting the wing where Abe's office was located were now targeting Rose and Christian. It was a sneak attack no one was expecting. When the Lazar brother and sister realized how good of a shot Rose and Chris were, they retreated quickly while their henchmen held off the attack.

While Reed and Avery were retreating Rose and Christian took out their troops one by one. Rose descended the stairs and they made a mad dash towards the wing where Abe's office was so they could join the rest of the Mazur guards and Dimitri.

The halls started to clear of Lazar's men and the smoke. Dimitri caught a glimpse of Rose and Christian headed towards him. That's when he realized that she and Christian must have teamed up, raided his weapons stash and were no doubt responsible for the shots fired in the foyer.

Rose raced to Dimitri. They were both still shooting at Lazar's men who were still standing.

Dimitri raised his gun towards Rose, yelling "Rose, Look out!"

"Behind you!" Rose called back, knife in hand.

He fired and she sent the knife flying through the air.

The shot took out the man gunning for Rose. The knife embedded in the eye socket of the man rushing Dimitri.

"Get down!" they heard Christian call from behind them. Immediately reacting to the warning Rose dove for the floor, Dimitri slid behind a pilar, and Christian sprayed the remainder of Lazar's men with an M 16.

Christian strode carefully towards Rose, the rifle still lifted to his shoulder. "We're clear, for now. Let's move".

Rose stood armed with a hand gun. They made way to Dimitri who instantly engulfed Rose in his arms, "Roza, what the hell were you thinking! You could've been killed!"

"I was thinking that more men were coming and there was no way to get word to you or my father!" Rose yelled back.

"Can we please go find Lissa? Now!" Chris commanded.

When the entered Abe's office they saw the only one of Abe's guards that survived was Pavel.

"Dad! Lissa!" Rose called out frantically.

"Over here!", Lissa hollered back.

Lissa and Abe were behind Abe's massive oak desk. It provided enough cover to keep them safe. Abe was lying flat on his back, with a gun limply in his hand, and Lissa was checking his vitals. He was conscious but breathing heavily.

"Dad!" Rose kneeled beside her father. "Is he alright?" she asked her best friend. Lissa nodded.

"Kiz, thank god", Abe took another breath. "You need to get out of here. Now!"

Dimitri asked Pavel, "Have you called for back up?"

"They're no one left to call. We used the satellite phone to call Kirova, but since this whole is a black bag operation it'll take them time to organize and retaliate". Pavel shrugged.

"But this is their chance to take down Lazar. And they have a man of their own trapped here!" Rose cried out.

"Rose", Dimitri said, "The agency could care less about any of us, least of all me. This entire mission is off the books. And we don't even know if Lazar is even here".

"Lazar's kids are here", Christian added. "He could be here as well for all we know".

Abe shook his head. "He may not even be aware his darling children are on this rampage", he wheezed.

"But," Rose had to ask, "why do we need to leave or call for backup if they're retreating", Rose answered hesitantly.

Abe had difficulty talking so Pavel filled them in. "This is what they do, they give you a false sense of security and then they attack again. That's why they attack in waves. They also have more numbers than we do. Especially now".

"Belikov!" Abe called out. "You have to get Rose out of here".

"I'm not leaving you, daddy!" Rose was adamant.

"Why didn't they just use a bazooka or an AT4?" Chris asked Pavel. "Or gassed us? They could've killed any living thing within half a mile without this much effort".

When no one answered, Pavel stepped up again. "They want Abe and Rose alive so they can make examples of them. Besides this way they don't have to rummage through the body parts to confirm the kill. If worst come to worse they won't hesitate to blow us all to kingdom come, but for now they still have the advantage".

"Go Rose", Abe murmured.

Rose shook her head. "No, if we leave now, they'll come after us. It'll be a life of always looking over my shoulder, never knowing a moment's peace. It'll be a life on the run". She met Dimitri's eyes. She looked from his eyes to her father, to Lissa and Christian, to Pavel. "There has to be something we can do".

Dimitri was constantly scanning the monitors Abe in his study. "The compound is surrounded. They have heavy artillery, even if you managed to get us air lifted, they'd just shoot us down. So unless you have a tank in the basement, or a tunnel that leads outside the compound", Dimitri said half out of joke, half out of sick desperation, "I don't think we're going anywhere."

"Let me make some calls, see what else I can do", Abe said. "Pavel, the Lazar's aren't sending anyone in at the moment. Would you be good enough to go check on Alberta?"

Pavel nodded silently, checked his ammo and headed out.

Now Rose felt even more like shit, she hadn't even thought of Alberta's wellbeing. Thank goodness most of the staff was on weekend leave anyway. She went to check on Lissa, who had finished tending to Abe and was wrapped around Christian, rocking herself back and forth. Far from a picture of calm, but by not means melting down either.

Pavel returned with a shaking Alberta tucked under his arm. "I couldn't just leave her there, boss".

Abe nodded. "Thank you", he said between calls.

"Oh Bertie", Rose comforted her.

Abe was mumbling something on the phone. Obviously arguing with someone.

He hung up abruptly and said, "Alright. It's seems Lazar really had no idea his kids were running a muck. He's assured me that they will stand down until he returns from Europe tomorrow".

Rose scoffed. "Do you believe him?"

"Yes", Abe answered. "Mainly because he'll wants to look me in the eyes himself when he kills me. Reed and Avery made some very serious accusation, that we're working with the government against them. And that's why they attacked".

"Little does he know the moron twins are right", Chris murmured.

Abe ignored him and continued. "Lazar is coming here himself to confirm it. But he's doing us a kindness and by giving his kids an order to back down until he arrives to sort this mess out himself. Either way I'd say our business arrangement is over".

"Ok. If we're safe for now," Rose said, "I say we go get some rest in the Hathaway wing. It's currently more secure then anywhere else, we have weapons and food and beds. And we can still monitor everything that goes on in the compound. It's a good place to regroup and think of a strategy".

"I agree" Pavel made his way over to Abe to help him to his feet.

Abe slung one arm over Pavel's shoulder and one arm over his daughter's.

They made their way to the Hathaway wing, weapons drawn.

In the wing, Rose, Chris and Dimitri went straight for the kitchen to make everyone sandwiches, omelets and salad. No sense in starving. Lissa treated some of Pavel's injuries, which were mild. A few bumps, a few scratches.

Rose allocated sleeping arrangements to all. Lissa and Chris went to their room. Rose suggest Abe take Dimitri's room.

Pavel stated he'd take the couch in the security room.

Alberta took a place on the sofa in the living room, closing her eyes to rest.

"Well, I need a shower", Rose said to no one in particular.

"I'll take first watch", Dimitri declared.

Catching the pleading look on Rose's face, Pavel jumped in. "Don't be ridiculous, Dimitri. You took more hits than I did.", Realizing that might not have been the right thing to say in front of the man's girlfriend, Pavel mentally face palmed. "I'll take first watch. You get some rest and come relieve me in a few hours". Dimitri nodded and Pavel left for the security room.

The living room emptied out, all but Alberta, resting on the couch, Rose standing by the hallway that lead to her room and Dimitri, who stood awkwardly near the kitchen, not sure where to go or what to do. Dimitri wasn't willing to assume he had an open invitation to Rose's room even after they seemingly made up. His room was overtaken by a Turkish mobster. The security room was take by the Turkish mobster's guard. He didn't want to intrude on Alberta's space in the living room.

"Sleep well, Alberta", Rose said softly and turned to her room.

Dimitri's shoulders fell, he was planning how to break it to Pavel that they were to share the security room when Rose called over her shoulder, "You coming, comrade?", to which Dimitri lit up like a christmas tree and made his way quickly after Rose.

He followed Rose to her room where she closed and locked the door behind them. Rose tugged Dimitri by his hand towards the ensuite. "Take off your shirt", she ordered and turned towards the cabinets.

He loved it when she took charge, but there was something about her tone of voice that made Dimitri think this wasn't about sexy time.

Rose turned back to a shirtless Dimitri and gasped. "Are you fucking kidding me?!", Rose raised her voice, though not enough for anyone else in the wing to hear. "That needs stitches! I'm getting Lissa".

Dimitri stopped Rose from waking her best friend. "Lissa's been through enough, she needs to rest", he answered calmly, taking in his own form in the mirror. Looking at the gash on his left side, just under his ribs, he said, "Besides, it's not that bad". He had suffered worse in the past.

He took the first aid kit from Rose and dabbed some gauze in rubbing alcohol.

"Here, let me", Rose took the gauze from him and patted his wound. When Dimitri hissed, Rose blew on it. She repeated this a few more times.

Dimitri grabbed Rose's hands. "The bleeding stopped a while ago. Just bandage it up. Please.".

Dimitri stood tall, lifting his left arm so Rose would have easier access to bandage the massive cut. His body was littered with scrapes and bruises but he was every bit as beautiful to her as he always was.

When Rose was done, she placed her hands on Dimitri's chest and splayed her fingers on his pecs, laying her forehead against him, atop his heart. Dimitri ran a hand through her hair and kissed the top her head. He trailed his fingers down her spine and let his hands rest on the small of her back.

"What are we going to do?" Rose mumbled.

"We're going to fight and we're going to survive".

Rose nodded. "And now without the kid gloves".

Dimitri smiled sadly. "I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. All I know is that I'm going to do my damnedest to keep you safe".

Rose nodded. Lifting her head so she could look in his eyes. "I'll be doing the same".

"Roza-" Dimitri started to protest when Rose placed a finger to his lips.

"Sshh. No more words".

Dimitri knew there wasn't a thing could say to make Rose change her mind.

Rose lifted herself to her tiptoes. Meeting her halfway Dimitri leant his head forward and crushed his lips to hers.

Her hands flew to his hair, as his hands lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Rose could already feel Dimitri harden between her legs. He pulled the door to the ensuite open and took Rose to bed. If this was going to be their last night together, he had no intention of fucking her against the wall. Well, not only.

Rose's gym cloths and sports bra were soon peeled off her body. Just as fast, Dimitri took off the remainder of his own cloths and pushed Rose gently back on the bed.

Dimitri took notice of Rose's panties. He laid beside her and ran his hand up and the tiny piece of lace. "I've never seen these before", he said huskily.

"They're new. I wanted to surprise you with them", Rose panted, "but never got the chance", she moaned. "I missed you and just put these on. It's stupid".

"I like them", his accent was so thick it was hard for Rose to understand him.

He trailed kisses from Rose's neck down to he collar bone. He continue south, taking a dusky pink nipple in his mouth. She arched her back, pressing her breast harder to his mouth. She thrust her hips in his hand, desperately needing the friction. He chuckled at her delicious impatience.

Dimitri pushed aside Rose's barely there panties and ran a finger up and down her slit. He rubbed her aching nub with the pad of his thumb and slowly pushed his index finger into her. Rose squirmed under the touch of his skillful hands.

"So wet", he murmured, gazing at her, wanting.

"Like I said, I missed you", Rose moaned. "I want you. Now".

The look in Rose's eyes and command in her voice awoke something primal in Dimitri. He gripped the lacy material of her panties and ripped them off. Rose gasped, turned on even more by Dimitri, if that were possible.

Even so, Dimitri laid between Rose's spread legs and pushed inside her, far more gently than Rose was expecting. He stilled for a moment, letting her adjust, before starting a slow searing pace. He thrust hard and deep, pulling the most exquisite moans from his Roza's lips. She pulled her legs around him, securing them behind his waist with there ankles. Her fingernails were digging into his back, but never drawing blood.

"Fuck, you're so tight", Dimitri whispered in her ear as he thrust again.

While he leaned most his body weight on his left elbow, his left hand pushing her hair from her face, his right hand was traveling the length of Rose's body, taking care to squeeze her breast and tweak her nipple, graze her ribs, caress her hip. He cupped her ass, pulling her harder to him as he thrust. He trailed his fingers down her leg leaving goosebumps in their wake.

Dimitri unlocked Rose's legs around his back, grabbed Rose behind the knee and rolled them over, his cock never leaving Rose's hot tight folds.

Now that Rose was on top, she leaned down kissing Dimitri deeply. She placed her hands on his chest and rocked back and forth, gradually building speed. She took his hands away from her hips, guiding them to her breasts. Dimitri pinched her nipples none to gently, making Rose scream. Every time he pinched her nipple, Rose got just a little tighter and a little closer to falling over the edge.

Rose wasn't lying when she said she's missed him. She missed everything about him. She'd missed they way his hands felt on her body, she'd miss the warmth of his kisses. She'd missed the feel of his body pressed against hers. She missed the way he could fuck her stupid and make love to her tenderly. She missed all of him, wholly and completely. Most of all she missed his arms around her. She felt safe and at home in his arms.

Rose pulled Dimitri by the arms forcing him to sit up. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in the crook of her neck. Rose bit his shoulder to keep from waking everyone else up. Dimitri groaned. He loved the feeling of Rose losing control like that. He fisted her hair and pulled her mouth to his.

Rose knew by Dimitri's grunts that he was close. He knew she was close too. He pulled her hips to him, helped her thrust harder. Not long after, they were both thrown to the bed from the force of their own orgasms, the pair fighting to catch their breath.

As soon as the feeling came back to his limbs, Dimitri pulled Rose to him. She molded to his body as if they were both pieces of a jigsaw, they just fit so right together. If Dimitri had his way, Rose would never leave his embrace.

Rose hugged his torso minding the cut on his left. She peppered his chest with kisses. She was tired but she didn't want to go to sleep. She needed the moment to last a little longer. Rose lifted herself up so she was looking down at her lover. His cheeks were still flushed, his hair splayed out on the pillow, sexy as hell. "Tell me about the future", she said out of nowhere. Dimitri raised his eyebrow in question. "Just play along, comrade. Tell me about us", she smile.

Dimitri smiled back. "Us two years from now? Five years from now? Twenty years from now?"

Rose shrugged. "Whatever you want".

Completely ignoring the situation they were in with the Lazars, Dimitri started to paint Rose a picture. "A few years from now I see the whole package for us. Married, kids, visits to Babushka Olena in Russia".

"Married and kids, huh?" Rose teased.

"Well, I'm an old fashioned kind of guy, so we'll definitely be getting married", Dimitri answered wisely.

Rose laughed. "I just turned twenty. I've never thought of marriage before".

"Well start thinking, cuz it's happening".

"You seem awfully sure of yourself there, comrade," Rose smiled. "How do you even know I'd say yes?"

Dimitri pushed Rose on her back and leaned up on one elbow, switching their positions. Looking down into Rose's eyes, he said in feigning seriousness, "You'd say yes, you can't resist me". They burst out laughing. Dimitri brushed the hair from her face and kept his hand on her cheek. "Marry me, Roza", this time his seriousness was true and not a game.

Rose laughed again. When she realized she was the only one laughing she stopped abruptly. Clearing her throat she asked dumbfounded, "What?"

"Marry me", Dimitri repeated.

"You're crazy", Rose answered.

"I'm crazy about you", he replied sincerely.

Rose stared at him for a moment. "No".

"No?!"

Rose shook her head. "Ask me again tomorrow if we both make it out of this alive", she was dead serious.

Dimitri got a playful gleam in his eye. "When I ask you again tomorrow, what are you going to say?"

Rose turned around and pressed her back to Dimitri's chest. She pulled one of his arms under her head as a pillow and his other arm around her body. She brought his palm to her lips and pressed a kiss there before placing his hand firmly on her breast. "You know me comrade. I can't resist you". She felt the rumble of Dimitri's chest as he chuckled and fell asleep.

A/N:

Hi!

I'm so sorry it took me this long to update. While a week generally isn't considered long, it was way longer than I had planned. Especially after a cliffhanger. This chapter has been almost done for days but I got a little under the weather, and then the weekend came and life happened and I didn't get around to it and that's all the excuses I have. But I did try to make the chapter a bit longer with a little lemony goodness at the end, so there's that.

Like the chapter? Hate the chapter? Let me know!

Special shout out to Martianeskimo for fangiriling it with me!

Last week's quote was of course Jerry MaGuire! Like I said, favorite quote - "Jerry MaGuire, you are my ambassador of Kwan, man!"

Thank you again Lea0014 who tried to challenge me with a quote from "Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy"! Always love a good challenge! :-D

And for today's quote:

"Do you know what "nemesis" means? A righteous inflection of retribution manifest by an appropriate agent, personified in this case by a 'orrible cunt… me".

Helper quotes:

Protection from what? Zee Germans?

We get murdered before we leave the building and I imagine we get fed to the pigs.

I fucking hate pikeys.

In the quite words of the virgin Mary, come again.

Find my friend a nice Jewish doctor!

There are two types of balls. There are big brave balls and there are little mincey faggot balls.

And the fact that you got replica written down the side of your guns and the fact that I've got Desert Eagle point five oh written down the side of mine, should precipitate your balls into shrinking along with your presence. Now… Fuck off!

There are so many more hilarious quotes from this movie (which I left edited out because they made the author's note longer than the chapter!), but if you haven't gotten it by now you haven't seen it! That's on you!

Live long and prosper,

Kooki