The storm passed in the night, though it left quite a mess behind. Tree branches lay scattered on paths and lawns. Some parts of the village lost power because a tree fell across power lines. Even so, Rose and Jill took a walk after breakfast, which for Jill was a feeding.

They were on a weird, non-conforming, sleep schedule. They moved around the globe too often to ever fully adjust to a human or vampiric sleep cycle. It was ten in the morning when they went outside, full daylight. The light was hard on Jill, but this was the time of day when shops were open. There would also be few, if any, Moroi out so early in the day, which was a good thing for Jill's anonymity.

They walked with two other guardians whom Abe had assigned to watch them. Rose didn't really need back up, but shopping was easier when you didn't have to guard at the same time.

They arrived at an open air market filled with stalls where vendors sold everything and anything. They had seen some of these markets in other countries and enjoyed looking at what the world offered. Some of the market stalls sold clothing, others jewelry, others souvenirs, and some sold every day products like soap and batteries. At one stall they saw soft, brightly colored wrap scarves. At another, they looked at beautifully hand painted wooden spoons, cups, and bowls. Matryoshka dolls filled a different stall. Another stall had carved trinket boxes, of hard and soft wood, some with designs inside as well as outside. They bought something from several of those stalls.

They returned home by two and were welcomed by the smell of food. The meal was good, even though Rose didn't know the name of the dish. She was still picky about her food but trusted Abe's cooks.

"I'm going to go visit a friend," Rose told Jill and their keepers.

Jill looked at her, concerned. "Dimitri?"

"Nope," Rose said, trying to hide her pained expression. "I want to see Oksana."

Roman Jenkins, one of the guardians, began to speak. "I'll go wi-"

"No—" Rose cut him off. "I know the town, and it's daytime. Mark and Oksana like their privacy, so I'm going to see them alone. Keep Jill safe, that's our job."

They all knew better than to protest when she was this level of stubborn, so they relented. Making sure she had everything she needed, along with a couple gifts, Rose made the long walk to Mark and Oksana's house.

The walk took the better part of an hour from Abe's place. Rose enjoyed it though. She liked stretching her muscles and reminiscing as she walked. Baia was full of familiar sights which filled her memory. She also remembered her heart breaking when she left the city.

She knocked on the door, worried for a moment that they might not be home. Her fears were allayed when Oksana greeted her. The Moroi woman's eyes went wide. They stood frozen for several moments before Oksana embraced her.

"I can't believe you're here. Where is your bond mate?"

Rose pulled away. "It's a long story, but Lissa will be here next week!"

"Well come in, make yourself at home, and tell me all about it."

So she did. Oksana gave Rose tea and fresh baked biscuits while Rose told her about everything she had done since they had last seen one another. Rose promised Oksana that she wanted to be with Lissa, but for now they could only be together on breaks.

"It sounds like you've had quite the journey."

"Yeah, it's sorta been like a vacation living in my dad's houses."

"I can't believe your father is Abe Mazur."

"That's the general reaction everyone has when they find out. He's really not that bad. Yeah, he does some shady stuff, but most of his business is pretty cool and totally legal."

"I believe you."

Rose had been so caught up in talking to Oksana that she only now realized who was missing. "Where's Mark?"

"In town buying groceries. He should be home soon."

They talked some more, waiting for Mark to arrive. For part of the time, Rose experimented with her tentative grasp of the Russian language, which amused Oksana to no end. They were still laughing when the door opened.

Oksana, who was facing the door, smiled. "Mark, look who…" She stopped talking and glared. Rose could recognize that she was scolding her husband through their bond.

"It had to be done sometime," he said out loud.

Rose turned, looking at Mark. She saw past Mark to where Dimitri had just placed a bag on a table. Their eyes locked, and they stared at one another, speechless.

"You could have waited," Oksana sighed.

Mark scoffed and shook his head, carrying his bags to the kitchen. "If I had given them a choice, they would have avoided one another the entire time she's here."

As one, Dimitri and Rose realized that they were being discussed. They broke eye contact with one another and narrowed their eyes at Mark. He had known, through his bond, that Rose was visiting Oksana and had deliberately brought Dimitri.

"Rose?" Dimitri's voice was soft and warm. There was an edge of worry in his tone, but the way he spoke was so familiar, so normal.

She turned to him again, heart racing and emotions churning like yesterday's storm. "Hey." It was the only word she could manage.

He hesitated. Rose could feel Mark and Oksana studying them. "Do you want to talk?"

She felt a surge of anger. Now he wanted to talk? Nearly a year after he had been restored? After everything he had done to push her away? Just because she was conveniently in front of his face?

She took a deep breath. She didn't want to make a scene. She wanted to enjoy this brief visit with Oksana and Mark. "Sure." She knew that her tone had conveyed how angry she was. She saw his defenses rise as she stood. "How about the garden?"

"I think that's a great idea," Oksana said, her tone soothing.

Dimitri nodded and they walked outside. Rose leaned against a tree, wrapping her arms around herself. At first she could do nothing but stare at Dimitri. She wanted to run away. She wanted to run to him. To calm herself, she looked around the garden. Eventually, she smiled.

"A smile?"

She hardened again, not wanting to deal with him. "When I was here last, your grandmother made me haul a bunch of garden bricks. I like what Mark did with them."

"You hauled them here from my house?"

She looked at him and saw the bemused expression on his face. "Yep. I was hungover from..." She stopped, drawing in a deep breath. Her tone had been matter of fact, but now it was more somber. Remembering why she had been in Baia the first time was painful. "It was the morning after your memorial. I had like two hours of sleep. She didn't let me get ready, kicked my bed 'til I woke up, piled the boxes in my arms, and made me hike all the way here. She's a sadist." She glared back at the house. "I'm thinking Mark might be the same."

He bit back a laugh, though he looked sympathetic. "If it makes you feel any better. They all give me a hard time on a regular basis."

"For what?"

His face darkened. "I've been told many times over the past year to apologize to you, not for what happened when I was a Strigoi, but for what happened at Court "

She drew in a shaky breath. "Why didn't you?"

"I had no way to reach you. I asked Lissa if she knew where you were, but she said only Abe knew. And I felt that I owed you a face to face conversation, not a message relayed to you."

She considered his words for a moment and nodded. "She was right. Abe really has been the only person, other than our entourage, who has known where we were going. Two days ago I was in Turkey. We were told we were leaving and our destination that day. Honestly, it's been like that for the past... how long has it been? Ten months?"

"Something like that. Where have you been?"

She smiled. As much as being in hiding sucked, the houses and locations had been pretty cool. "So, right after we left court we stayed in Turkey. Then there is a castle in Austria, we stayed there in September and October. We lived in Brazil in November. December and part of January we lived in Paris. Lissa came to visit us in Paris. We went back to Turkey for January and February. For March and April we lived in California, then Austria for a couple weeks, then to Turkey again, and now Baia."

"That's a lot of traveling." He was smiling, genuinely smiling at her. She felt warm looking at him.

"Yeah, Jill and I are living the dream, traveling the world." There was a bite in her words. She longed to see Lissa and her friends. She wanted a stable place to call home. She wanted Jill to spend time at her own home. "How have you been? What have you been doing?"

"Healing," he said quietly. "At first, I was no better with my family than I had been with everyone back at Court. I was depressed. I was angry. I hated what I had been, what I had done. I had no purpose and no goals. My family, along with Mark and Oksana, helped me to heal. They reminded me of who I am and of what I can be. I did a lot of work in the local dhampir community, helping with whatever I could. Then I was offered a job." He looked at her, somewhat sheepish. "I work for your father."

She stared at him as though he had grown a second head. Her mouth opened and closed several times before she could form any words. "You what?"

He sat on a bench. "Your father came to town. He spoke with me at length, about everything." He paused, looking at her.

"Everything... meaning everything between us?"

He nodded. "Your father is a scary man."

She gave him a small smile. "Where do you think I got it from?"

"Between him and your mother, it's a wonder the world can handle you," he joked.

"I'm not sure it can," she replied in the same playful manner.

They shared a friendly smile, as though this wasn't their first time talking to each other in a year. "Well, after we had a very long and uncomfortable conversation, he offered me a job. I accepted, and now assist with his affairs in Baia and the surrounding region."

The thought of Dimitri working for Abe was both weird and oddly comforting. She was glad that Dimitri had found something to do... "Wait, you've been working for Abe since what, the fall? But you couldn't find a way to have us meet face to face?"

"Your father refused."

"What!" Her hands clenched into tight fists. "He refused?"

"Roza," Dimitri soothed. Her brain stopped working for a moment when he called her by that old nickname. "He knew that we both needed time to heal and work through everything. He also didn't want you to be distracted from Jill."

Rose's eyes were still narrowed. "Yeah, but he suddenly chose to send us to Baia, right before Lissa is coming to visit. He practically decided that we would have our conversation now."

He shrugged. "Zmey will be Zmey."

She couldn't help the bitter laugh which escaped from her. "I'm going to yell at him."

"I believe you." He walked to her, face sober. They were only a foot apart when he spoke again, his voice low and sad.

"I am truly sorry for hurting you. I know how much you did to restore me. I know that you did it all out of love. For months I thought that the worst things I had done to you were when we were at Galina's estate. I had known, even as a Strigoi, that you despised the idea of being a blood whore, but I made you into one. I couldn't forgive myself for that, not for a very long time. I had a conversation with Oksana and Mark about you. They were the ones who helped me understand your perspective on everything that happened. They told me that even after everything you had gone through, you still wanted to save me."

He shook his head, drawing in a deep, steadying breath. "Your father's comments on what transpired between us when I was a Strigoi were far less pleasant; I assure you."

"Good old Zmey," she joked humorlessly.

"My sisters helped me realize that the worst thing I had done to you wasn't tormenting you or stalking you as a Strigoi. They reminded me that I had been an undead, evil creature. No, the worst thing I had done was crushing your heart in the chapel. I am sorry for that most of all."

She looked away, closing her eyes as traitorous tears fell down her cheeks. "That really was the worst," she agreed softly. "It took me a long time to forgive you for that. I had some helpful advice too. Lissa and Christian told me to be patient. Even Mia and Jill told me that it would take time for you to heal. I didn't want to listen. You told me that you wanted space, needed it. All I did was throw myself at you, over and over again, hoping that you would listen. It was pretty dumb of me to do that."

"No." He placed a hand on her cheek, tilting her head toward him, though she didn't meet his eyes. She could scarcely breathe as he touched her. His hand was so warm, so gentle. "It was wonderful to know how much you cared. It wasn't dumb. You were simply being yourself. I wouldn't..." He cut off his words. She looked into his eyes and saw longing, desire, and possibly even love.

"You wouldn't what?" Her voice was a tremulous whisper.

He pulled back, letting out a long, slow breath. "Roza, I don't want to presume anything. I don't have the right."

She stood up straight, her features hardening again. "Presume what, comrade?" Her heart was racing. Did he… did he still love her? She was stupid to think that, and yet...

"I don't want to complicate anything right now. I have missed you. I am glad that we are talking again. I don't want to scare you away." She saw worry and fear in him and realized that he was backing down from whatever he might have said.

A reckless part of her, the one which he had helped tame, wanted to demand that he tell her what he meant. She would have done that once, pushing him until he gave her an answer or snapped at her. However, she was nineteen now, and she had learned some self-control. She agreed with him. Why push things too fast in one conversation? They had time. "Alright," she agreed. "But you can't scare me, you never have."

He dared to touch her cheek again. "I admire that about you."

Oh she had missed his touch. "I can get used to the compliments," she joked, deflecting away from the emotions which were brimming to the surface. "I'm glad that we're talking again. I've missed you." She looked at the house again. "We should probably get back inside. We're being terrible guests."

He seemed grateful for the shift in topic. Escaping from complicated emotions was welcomed by both of them. They walked back to the house together. Inside, they discovered that Mark and Oksana had been busily preparing dinner.

"You both seem more relaxed," Oksana commented. She had barely glanced toward them. Rose wondered if Oksana could see their auras, or if she was just that observant. Rose decided that it was probably a little of each.

"Yeah," Rose replied. "We worked through a couple things."

Mark shot his wife a knowing look, and she merely raised an eyebrow, likely saying something to him through the bond. He grinned at her before turning to Rose and Dimitri. "Dinner should be ready in a few minutes, grab a drink and take a seat."

They did as they were told and spent the next two hours eating and talking together. For the first time since Christmas, Rose felt like she was doing something totally normal. For the first time in over a year, she felt totally normal with Dimitri, which was nice but weird.

Evening had fallen long ago when her phone rang. She looked at it and sighed. "I need to answer this." She stepped away from the table and answered her phone.

"Hey, what's up? … Everything is fine, I'm just talking with friends. I didn't realize how late it was. … Tell Jill I'm sorry. I'll be home relatively soon. … Alright, thanks, see ya."

She ended the call and returned to the others. "One of my dad's guardians checking up on me," she informed them. "I should probably get back. It was really good to see you again. Thank you for dinner. I'll be sure to bring Lissa over next week."

The other three stood. "I look forward to meeting the Princess," Oksana replied. "Please, feel free to come over whenever you have the time. It was good to see you again."

Rose hugged Oksana and Mark goodbye. Then she stood awkwardly in front of Dimitri.

"Why don't I walk you home?" He offered.

She hesitated. The idea of him wanting to spend time with her again was still so foreign that she was dumbstruck. "Um, sure," she agreed.

She walked to the door while he thanked Mark and Oksana for the meal. They walked out together into the cool evening air. Rose pulled her jacket close, huddling in it for comfort.

"I almost expected you to protest," he said as they made their way down the street.

She shrugged. "If something happened to me and my father knew you could have been there, he would probably have you killed for not protecting me."

He chuckled. "You're probably right."

"Besides which, it's nice to be getting along with you."

"I agree."

She looked at him, a tentative smile on her lips. He looked at her with the same expression.

Her heart fluttered. Wasn't she supposed to be angry with him? Or at least still hurt? Instead she felt warm, safe, and happy. Yes, beneath those good feelings was still worry and fear, born out of grief and pain, but her overall emotions were positive.

They walked in silence for a while, not needing to fill the void with chatter. He was the one who broke the silence again. "So, other than traveling and protecting Jill, what have you been doing?"

"Well," she began cautiously. "I'm now the legal heir to all of my father's assets."

He stopped dead in his tracks. She turned around, looking up at him. "Meaning that if anything happens to your father, you will be the head of his businesses?"

She nodded slowly. "Yeah, he's been grooming me to take over all of his legitimate business ventures. I have tutors helping me learn all the ins and outs of business. He's been teaching me who to trust and who not to trust. Whenever we're in the same city, he takes me out to these ridiculously high class dinners and parties. I've even sat in on meetings several times. It's part of why we travel so often."

"Are you planning to stop being a guardian?"

She sighed and resumed walking. He followed. "I don't know. I mean, I always wanted to guard Lissa, and I love Jill like a little sister. I'll stay with Jill until she's safe, but afterward... I'm starting to think that I can do more outside the system than I could ever do within it. I haven't told anyone else yet. What do you think?"

He was silent for a while before answering. "I think that it's a good opportunity for you in the future, when you believe the time is right."

"Really?"

"Yes. I have a rather good opinion of your family business now that I work within it. I also think you may be right about being able to do more outside the system than within it."

"I need to add that to a list of things I never thought I'd hear you say."

He smiled. "I've had a considerable amount of time to think."

"I can see that."

"So, what does leading his businesses entail?"

She hesitated again. "Well, mostly listening to people talk, being scary, and making sure everyone does what they are supposed to be doing. Also, whenever my father dies, I will be richer than Lissa. Well, actually I already am since he gave me a crazy huge bank account."

He briefly glanced down at her. "Yet you still shop second hand?"

"Only some of the time," she laughed. "Most of my outfits are still cheap, it's not like I have anyone to impress. I have a few designer gowns for the dinners and some business clothes for the meetings. My most expensive casual wear is really soft pajamas."

"Pajamas?"

"You have no idea. They're the best, totally worth the crazy price. I bought Lissa a set for Christmas and she fell in love instantly."

They laughed together. It felt wonderful to laugh with him. To talk about perfectly normal things as though nothing bad had ever happened. They chatted on and off until they reached the gated house which belonged to Abe Mazur.

"This is your father's house?"

"Yeah, why? Haven't you been here?"

He shook his head. "I've walked by here hundreds of times, but no, I didn't know it was your father's. When Abe and I meet, it's in his office or a restaurant, never his house."

"Well, why don't you come in, and I'll show you around?" He hesitated, so she pressed her point. "Come on, at least get some water and rest for a few minutes before you go home."

Smiling, he agreed, and they went inside.