So, I'm updating simply because it's my birthday :) I am officially 21 and legal to drink in my country. Too bad that I woke up with a massively sore throat and ear ache.

so, other than that, I have good and bad news. The good news is that Rose and Dimitri's meeting has officially been written. The bad news? It's not for another 8 chapters... sorry guys.

Random reviewer will get a preview of the next chapter :)

Disclaimer : I do not own VA or any of the recognizable characters

Please review!

Enjoy!

Rose POV

I stared at the reflection in the mirror with wide eyes; the woman in the mirror seemed almost unrecognizable. Who was this woman that is staring back at me?

I raised my hand to slowly run my fingers through the sleek, deep red wig that cascaded in soft waves past my shoulders. How it was able to completely cover my long, dark brown hair eluded me. My eyes, normally a deep brown, were hidden behind the emerald contacts that were causing my eyes to water as I scrutinized my appearance. I was wearing a silver dress that was way too flamboyant for my tastes. I kept staring, trying to figure out why I looked different when the answer dawned on me.

The woman staring back at me was not Rose Hathaway. Before me stood a woman exuding confidence and sex appeal. No, Rose Hathaway was gone. This was Rose Mazur.

I wasn't sure I would ever get used to seeing myself like this. Aside from a few promotional photo shoots, this was the first time I had been transformed into Rose Mazur completely from head to toe. With my tour starting soon, I would be spending more and more time as my alter ego. I took a closer look, studying all my features, down to the last detail. The wig, the contacts and makeup, the dress, all there to hide my true identity. I was so absorbed in my reflection, I didn't notice that I was no longer alone. I could feel eyes on me, studying me with as much intensity as I had my own reflection.

Fear shot through my veins, and I spun around in the makeup chair that I was sitting in. My eyes landed on a tall figure standing in the shadows of my dressing room, which I had only just now realized that I was in.

"Who are you and what do you want?" I asked, trying to make my voice have more confidence than I was currently feeling.

Instead of answering, the figure stepped out of the shadows. Something about this man seemed oddly familiar as I looked him over. He was tall, probably around 6'6" or 6'7" and wearing an army uniform. I briefly wondered if his short brown hair was as soft as it looked. I met his gaze after I had taken in his full appearance.

His dark, chocolate brown eyes locked onto mine, and I couldn't force myself to look away. I could see pain and grief in those dark depths, but I watched as it slowly morphed into something warm and gentle as he looked at me. I didn't know who this man was, or what he was doing here, but I found myself wanting to know everything about him.

As I opened my mouth to speak, I suddenly remembered the article that Lissa found while we were doing research for our Senior projects. Unfortunately, I had never gotten the chance to go back and read it, but I recognized the man from the picture. Before I could try to form any coherent words, the man finally spoke, cutting off anything I might have said.

"I wish I could hear you perform." He paused. "Remember, I'm your biggest fan."

I woke up with a start, bolting upright in bed. That was the most vivid dream that I've ever had, and I decided that I needed to find that article. I needed to find out who the man in that photo is. That man could be...

No! Don't think about it. There's no way it could be him.

Think about what he said in your dream. My mind argued. Dimitri said the exact same things.

No. I'm imagining things because I have a stupid crush on him.

It's more than a crush. My mind argued.You're falling for Dimitri.

He hasn't even emailed me back. There's no point in having any feelings for him if he doesn't feel the same way.

My mind kept arguing. If he didn't feel anything, he wouldn't call himself 'Your Comrade'.

I gave up arguing with myself, and got up to search for that article. I looked everywhere that I could think of, but that article was no where to be found. Frustrated, I gave up, hoping that Lissa might have stashed it somewhere. I made a mental note to ask her later, and went back to bed, falling into a dreamless sleep.

I woke up the next morning, resisting the urge to throw my alarm clock across the room, and still thinking about the dream that I had; the words that the man had spoken echoed through my mind. I thought about Dimitri's letters, and remembered that I hadn't checked my email in almost a week. I got excited at the idea that I probably had an email from Dimitri.

I jumped out of bed, and opened my laptop. I willed it to boot up faster, and decided to relieve my bladder while I waited. When I got back to my computer, it was up and running, so I quickly pulled up my email. I had indeed gotten an email from him, but I frowned slightly as I realized that he had sent it 3 days ago.

Before I read his email, I thought back to what I had written to him. I had asked how many tickets he would need in hopes that he would reveal whether or not he had a girlfriend, or boyfriend in the event that he could be gay. I had never really thought about asking him about his sexual orientation before. Could he be gay and that be the reason that he was so eager to go to a teenage girl's concert? Or maybe he is straight but his girlfriend likes my music?

No. If that was the case, he wouldn't have encouraged me so much before my music was released to the public.

Great. I was back to arguing with myself. I pushed my internal argument away, and opened Dimitri's email. When I began reading it, my heart jumped for joy. He didn't mention a girlfriend; he wanted to bring his sister to my concert. When he mentioned taking me to his hometown in Russia, my heart rejoiced once more. He didn't just recommend visiting his hometown because of it's beauty; he said that he wanted to take me there.

As I read further, my heart sank. He'd been dealing with his grief over Ivan's death, and all on his own. I felt a pang of disappointment at the fact that he hadn't turned to me for comfort instead of dealing with it alone. I wanted to help him, to be there for him if he felt like he had no one else to turn to.

Just then, I was suddenly inspired. Immediately, I grabbed my music journal and began trying to take the lyrics from my mind and put them on paper; my reply to Dimitri was temporarily forgotten. Knowing that I would come back and fix it later, I only focused on getting the main parts of the song from my head written down.

As soon as I finished laying out my ideas, I returned my attention to Dimitri's email and began writing.

September 12

Hey Comrade!

How are you? I have been really busy at the studio lately. So much so that I only just now got your email. I hate the fact that I don't have time to do all of the things that I used to do on a daily basis; one of those things being able to check my email. Other than being so busy, I'm having a lot of fun. I can even play a few songs on the guitar now!

My first album has successfully been recorded and put together, even though it won't be released until 2 weeks before my tour starts. Adrian took everyone out to celebrate. Ambrose brought his fiancé, Mia, and Lissa brought her boyfriend, Christian, so I basically got paired with Adrian. He's not so bad to hang out with when he isn't constantly flirting with me. He just doesn't seem to understand that I'm not interested in him.

Baba mentioned that I'm getting body guards soon. He said that he interviewed the perfect guy for the job the other day. Well, that he'd be perfect after some training or whatever. I'm not particularly happy about it, but they are also supposed to keep Lissa safe. That's the only reason that I really agreed.

Anyway, as soon as I get to the studio, I'll find out when I'll be able to get your tickets. I'm supposed to meet the tour manager, Jill, later today. I know that we haven't exactly talked about meeting face to face, but if you're interested, I think I can get you and your sister backstage VIP passes. It includes a meet and greet with a free autographed CD. If you're not interested, I can get you regular tickets.

In your email, you mentioned showing me around your hometown. I am more than likely not going to get any vacation time in the near future, but I'd love to hear more about it. I'd love to hear more about you, just in general. I feel like I'm always talking about myself in our letters/emails. Well, tell me more about you and your family. What's Viktoria like? Did you ever find a job that you think will make you happy?

You also mentioned going to Ivan's memorial. I hate that you're dealing with that alone. I want to be there for you. I'm always going to be here for you to talk to, even if I can't be there physically. I may not always be able to reply to your emails immediately, but maybe I can give you my phone number. I always have my phone with me, and if you text or call me, I could reply quicker. If you don't want my number, that's fine. I won't be offended or anything, but please don't feel like you're alone. We're friends, Dimitri. Let me help you by being there for you when you feel alone.

Reply soon,

Your friend,

Roza.

P.S. You've inspired me once again. I'm in the midst of writing a song that I'm dedicating directly to you. Once I get it finished and recorded, I'll send you a digital copy via email. :)

I finished writing my reply, and pressed send. I looked down to find my hands slightly shaking, which they only do when I'm really nervous, really upset, or really angry. I'm nervous, obviously. I basically just asked Dimitri if he wanted to meet me, face to face, and if he wanted my phone number. I groaned as my internal war about him and whether or not his feelings could possibly match mine flared up again.

Today was going to be a long day, especially if Dimitri didn't reply soon.