The light around her was almost blinding, and she was surrounded by a cacophony of sound. She was starting to panic. Had she made the decision too late? What if she was going to be stuck here; somewhere between living and dead? Trying not to surrender to her rising fear, Rose concentrated on her breathing, slowly taking stock of everything she could sense around her. Then, as suddenly as it had started, the roar in her ears and the blinding light was gone, in its place a silence punctuated by the sound of voices and movement a long way away, and a dull, steady glow beyond her eyelids. Eyes still closed, she focused on the hand clasping hers.
An involuntary whimper escaped her throat, her only concession to her growing alarm. She'd been sure in her decision when she'd made it, but now an appreciation of all the ramifications of this choice was overwhelming her. Her lips were dry and parched when she opened them.
"Comrade? Did I make it back?"
"Milaya!" Dimitri moaned. The sound of his voice an instant balm, she felt the side of the bed dip as he moved onto the mattress, pulling himself up hard against her. In that moment her fears were allayed. She'd once said she could do anything if she had his love, and she meant it. They weren't alone in the room; Dr. Olendzki and several staff were there, bearing silent witness to the scene playing out in front of them. For about two minutes there'd been pandemonium, the doctor announcing they were losing her. But it had all stopped as suddenly as it started, and now Rose was awake.
"Don't move, Roza. You're hooked up to machines," Dimitri mumbled, his lips finding hers and giving her gentle kisses before moving to kiss her all over her face. She could feel tears dropping against her skin, so despite his warning, she carefully lifted a hand to stroke the back of his neck - seeking to give him the gentle reassurance of her touch.
Her eyelids opened, long dark eyelashes fluttering against her cheeks. Dimitri pulled back slightly, so she could focus on his face.
"You came back," she whispered huskily, seeing relief, love, and hope in his eyes.
"So did you," he replied, giving her a joyful smile before kissing her again. "I love you, Rose. I'm sorry for everything. I'm back, and I'm not leaving you," he promised.
Her arms were weak, but he offered no resistance when she pulled him back to her. Stroking the side of his face tenderly, Rose smiled as Dimitri kissed her; stopping only to make fervent promises of love and constancy. Rose reciprocated with her own words of love and forgiveness for the man whose love had pulled her back from the abyss. After a few minutes of kisses and tender whispers, Dr. Olendzki cleared her throat, reminding Dimitri they weren't alone. Looking up sheepishly, he smiled at the doctor.
"Roza – Dr. Olendzki probably needs to examine you now. I'll be right outside – I'll let everyone know you're back," he declared adoringly, giving her a final chaste kiss.
"Don't let them too close," Rose requested nervously, meaning her family and friends. She could handle, no she needed Dimitri's reassuring presence; but she was unsure about everyone else, just yet.
"I'll open the door when she's ready to receive her visitors," Dr. Olendzki promised, shaking her head in amusement and almost pushing the elated young man out of the room. She laughed a moment later when she heard a very happy sounding Russian-accented voice over the PA summoning Guardians Petrov and Hathaway to the infirmary.
He was standing leaning impatiently against the wall outside Rose's room when Janine and Alberta came through the clinic doors, closely followed by Lissa, Christian, Adrian, and Eddie. Dimitri's joyous grin said it all, but Alberta wouldn't fully believe it until Dimitri announced, "She's conscious and talking. Dr. Olendzki is examining her now. She said she'd open the door as soon as Rose is ready to see anyone."
"She's ok?" Janine whispered, looking oddly stricken.
"She is," Dimitri assured her, giving an encouraging smile as the diminutive guardian sagged into Alberta's arms, dissolving into relieved tears.
"Has she said much?" Lissa asked hopefully.
"Just personal things between the two of us so far," Dimitri said blushing a little but smiling nonetheless.
Adrian stepped forward, holding his hand out and shaking Dimitri's. "So I guess I have a guardian," he laughed, secretly wondering how he was going to suppress his admiration of Rose and cope with seeing Rose and Dimitri all over each other.
"We'll sit down and work out how to manage things," Dimitri said seriously. It was only three months until graduation, but Adrian had gone well outside his comfort zone to give he and Rose the opportunity to stay together. He wasn't going to repay Adrian's kindness by shoving their love down his throat.
The door to Rose's room opened, and Dr. Olendzki emerged.
"Physically she's well, but you need to understand emotionally she's still fragile. She's asked to see Guardian Belikov and her mother first."
Dimitri gestured for Janine to precede him into the room. Janine took one look at Rose and erupted into a flood of tears, sitting beside her on the bed and throwing her arms around her. Rose accepted her mother's affection but did give Dimitri an alarmed look over her mother's shoulder.
"We're all here, Rose. What do you need?" he asked soothingly.
"I'm hungry, and I want to shower," she said in a surprisingly timid voice.
"How about I go to the kitchen and get you some food? Your Mom could go get some clothes from your room while Lissa helps you shower?"
Rose gave him an adoring look. "That sounds perfect, thank you, Comrade," she replied, smiling sweetly at him. "I know I've only just woken up, but I'm so tired. After that, I'd like to rest."
"Then if you can leave, I'll take you back up to your room," Dimitri replied.
"No. My bed is too small. I want to sleep next to you," she said with a quiet determination, speaking to Dimitri, but looking challengingly at her mother.
"Rosemarie! You're seventeen. Surely you appreciate you can't share a bed with Guardian Belikov?" Janine said flummoxed.
"Not all the time," she agreed, "but today we need to be together," Rose announced decisively. "I don't mean sex," she explained, repressing a smirk as both her mother and Dimitri looked askance. "Dimitri and I need to be close and talk things through. He makes me feel safe; we'll stay here together," Rose announced in a no-nonsense tone, "we can discuss how we'll handle things going forward later."
Dimitri stifled a smile. Rose had never been a pushover, she knew exactly what she wanted, but even he was surprised by her demands. Of course, given what had happened, she could demand pretty much anything right now, and her mother would acquiesce. And he'd be lying if he said the idea of having her safely curled up in his arms as they slept wasn't appealing.
"Your father will be here today. How about once you're cleaned up, you and Dimitri can come across to my suite in guest quarters? You can meet him privately there, and there's a second room you two can rest in," she declared grudgingly. Janine released Rose from her embrace, receiving instructions on what items she wanted from her room.
"You can send Lissa and the others in," Rose said a little apprehensively, grabbing Dimitri's hand and pulling him to sit next to her on the bed.
Lissa was the first through the door; almost bowling Rose over in her efforts to get her arms around her.
"Easy, Liss," Rose said. "I'm not going anywhere," she reassured the crying Princess.
After a pointed look from Dimitri, Christian stepped forward.
"Come on, Lissa – let's not overwhelm her. Good to see you back, Rosie," he said sweetly, earning himself a fierce look from Lissa
"You know she doesn't like you calling her that," the blonde Princess snapped, pulling her boyfriend up on it for the first time.
"Bite me, fire boy," Rose volleyed with a grin; glad someone was treating her normally.
"Nice to see you're back in the land of the living, little Dhampir," Adrian said, giving her a relieved smile.
"Thanks for coming to visit me," Rose said simply. "It helped."
"Always happy to be the man of your dreams, little Dhampir," Adrian laughed.
"You gave us quite a scare, Hathaway," Eddie said with an easy smile.
"Right – well you've all seen her. You can all go to classes now. If anyone asks, the story is Guardian Alto accidentally knocked Rose out during sparring practice," Alberta announced her brusque tone an ineffective mask for the relief she was feeling.
"That's a good one," Eddie immediately piped up. "Everyone will believe Alto wanted to kick Rose in the head."
Rose smirked in agreement.
"Lissa, can you stay in case I need help in the shower? Mom's gone to get me some clothes," Rose asked, deciding not to put off the inevitable.
"Of course," Lissa immediately agreed.
"I'll get you some food and meet you back here, milaya," Dimitri said, giving her a tender kiss before reluctantly standing up beside her. His eyes were asking her if she'd be alright.
"Don't forget a chocolate doughnut," she said, giving him a reassuring look.
"I wouldn't dare!" he chuckled leaving to get her food as well as her discharge instructions from Dr. Olendzki.
Rose surrendered herself to the shower and Lissa. Knowing nothing would appease Lissa other than full disclosure about everything that had happened between she and Dimitri, Rose started at the beginning as her Moroi friend sat on the other side of the shower curtain firing off the occasional question.
"It's so romantic," Lissa declared, making immediate plans for the two of them to get together and online order copious amounts of sexy underwear.
"I'm not sure how much need there'll be for that," Rose moaned dismally. "They're hardly going to let him have sleepovers, even if he is Adrian's guardian and not employed by the Academy."
Further conjecture on that point was halted by the arrival of Janine with clean clothing. Rose had just emerged from the bathroom when Dimitri appeared with food. Lissa left with promises to see her later, so Rose sat and dutifully ate the toast, fruit salad, and juice Dimitri had brought before finishing off with a chocolate doughnut.
"You must be exhausted," Rose noticed, looking at her weary Russian God. "When did you last get a proper sleep?"
"Over a week ago," he said ruefully, thinking about how much had happened since they'd slept beside each other after returning from their camping trip.
"Your father is still a few hours away. The two of you can rest in my suite in guest quarters," Janine said, seeming a little anxious.
"What's he like?" Rose asked her mother curiously as they packed Rose's few belongings and left the infirmary.
"Abe? Well, he's very hard working. Driven. He's a good judge of character, and he's not a man you cross. He's protective of those he cares about."
"When did you last see him?"
"He's been to America a few times, and we've caught up," Janine said evasively.
Rose wasn't sure why her mother was being so mysterious but decided not to press her. Her questions would no doubt be answered in a few hours.
"So his name is Abe? What's his surname?"
"His first name is Ibrahim, but every calls him Abe. Abe Mazur."
Dimitri stopped dead in his tracks; his eyes nearly popping out of his head.
"Your father is Abe Mazur?!" he asked Rose in shock.
"Apparently so," Rose said looking at him strangely. "What's wrong?"
Dimitri turned to look at Janine, not missing the slight smirk on her face. "Ah, I see you've heard of him, Dimitri. Good. I'm sure he'll want to join me when we have that little chat later," she said smugly.
"Dimitri? What's wrong?" Rose asked, noticing the exchange between him and her mother. "Mom? Why has Dimitri heard of my father? Is he famous?"
Dimitri and Janine stared at one another, each daring the other to say something.
"Well?!" Rose demanded.
"Um. Your father has a lot of… unusual… business interests," Dimitri said, choosing his words carefully. "Some of them rumored to be a little on the wrong side of the law."
"Nothing's ever been proven," Janine interjected quickly. "But he does have a certain reputation," she allowed.
"In Russia, he has another name. Zmey. It means serpent," Dimitri explained. "He's very well known, even in quiet towns like Baia. No one dares cross him."
"So my father is a mob boss? Can he be trusted? Should I be worried?"
"No," Janine immediately soothed. "Your father adores you. You're his only child and very special to him. He's excited to meet you. Please give him a chance, Rosemarie. He's waited a long time to get to meet you, and I know he's nervous."
"I'm nervous, too," Rose said defensively.
"You'll be fine, milaya. He's going to love you. I think I'm the one who should be worried," Dimitri said ominously.
Rose turned in time to witness Janine's smirk.
"You don't need to worry," Rose said, staring at her mother meaningfully. "Mom knows how special you are to me and how much you help me manage the darkness. I'll be telling Abe that, too. If he wants to have any relationship with me, he'll accept and respect that I love you and we're together!"
Dimitri considered Rose's words dubiously. While she seemed convinced, he didn't think she knew just what she was dealing with when it came to her father. But no matter who her father was, the fact remained; he and Rose were together and were going to stay that way, no matter what it took.
Janine's suite was comfy in an anonymous sort of way. It had a small sitting area, a kitchenette and two bedrooms, each with a large bed. Rose let Janine lead them into the unoccupied bedroom.
"Why don't you two get some sleep? I'll wake you when Abe arrives," Janine promised.
"That sounds heavenly," Rose said, kicking off her shoes and flopping onto the bed. She held her arms out for Dimitri to join her, which he did without hesitation.
"I'll be just out here, and the door stays open!" Janine said.
Rose rolled her eyes, cuddling into Dimitri's embrace. There was so much she wanted to say to him, but she could tell her man was nearly dead on his feet. He needed a rest. They both did. She purred happily as he rubbed his large hands over her. Just having him touch her felt divine!
Janine couldn't help but smile when she looked in on them five minutes later. They were both sound asleep, lying on the bed facing one another. Rose was using Dimitri's arm as a pillow, her head tilted and rested against his chest, her arm draped over him. Dimitri had both arms wrapped around her, his cheek resting on top of her head. They looked peaceful together, and while she'd prefer it wasn't the case, they were obviously crazy about each other. And she'd meant what she'd said to Rose back in the infirmary - in many ways she did approve of the Russian guardian.
Hours later Rose woke needing the bathroom. She lay in bed for a moment, savoring the feel of Dimitri's strong arms wrapped protectively around her. Now she was here with him, she couldn't believe she'd even considered anything other than coming back to Dimitri and his love; that she'd even contemplated him loving someone else as a possibility. She'd rolled in her sleep, and they were now spooning, so she carefully shifted in his arms, turning to face him. She leaned up and gently kissed him, noticing the stubble on his usually smooth face, admiring how handsome he looked, even in repose.
Silently extricating herself from Dimitri's grip, Rose stood, running her fingers through her tangled dark locks. Hopefully, her mother had picked up her hairbrush when she'd brought her clothes, she thought distractedly. She stepped out into the small living room, heading for the bathroom when she encountered a confronting sight; her mother half sitting, half lying on the sofa with a dark-haired Moroi man on top of her, his hands busy trying to remove her shirt. The two of them were occupied with one another. Occupied in the sort of way that involved no words but lots of lip on lip action.
"Eww! You two! Honestly – can you try and keep your hands off each other until after the introductions are made?!" Rose squealed, watching in amusement as her mother and presumably her father jumped a mile high.
"Rosemarie! I didn't know you were awake!" her mother gasped in shock, her face the color of her hair as she pushed her paramour away before she fought a losing battle trying to reposition her shirt modestly.
"Clearly!" Rose giggled, dismissing them with a roll of her eyes and a wave of her hand as she walked off to use the bathroom, leaving her embarrassed parents in her wake. She took her time in the bathroom, giving them time to compose themselves.
They were whispering furiously when she walked back out but fell silent the moment they saw her. She gave them both a grin, amused to see them both discomfited.
"So. You must be my father. Abe?" Rose asked the tall, dark-haired Moroi who was standing beside the sofa. He was tall and slim, but most Moroi were. With dark hair, eyes, and skin of an almost golden hue, Rose could immediately see where she got her colorings from.
"Yes. It's delightful to meet you, Rosemarie," he said formally, not sure whether to shake her hand or give her a hug. In the end, he did a little of each; grasping her hand and pulling her into an awkward half hug.
"It's Rose," she stammered, a little overwhelmed to be in her father's arms for the first time she could remember.