Rose (POV)

Despite my rather unpleasant memories of my last stay in Russia, I really loved coming to visit Dimitri's family. We didn't have a lot of free time to do so, but when the opportunity arose, we were more than happy to pack up and travel the almost daily trip to Baia.

I honestly loved these trips, especially spending time with his family - Olena, who became like a second mother to me. His sisters, who were so strong-headed and confident but had so much warmth and love to offer. And Dimitri's nephew and nieces, who were the most adorable kids I had ever met.

The warmth, kindness, and love that filled that small, cozy house were overwhelming. I enjoyed cooking together (although Russian cuisine wasn't exactly one of my favorites), eating meals together and the long lazy evenings we spent on family walks if the weather was good, or playing games with the kids if we had to stay home. I loved that familial atmosphere, where we joked with each other and raced for the only bathroom, but also were always ready to discuss serious topics and show support.

And above all, I loved watching Dimitri here. Living with him, I got to know that private, relaxed side of him very well, but it was always so interesting and touching for me to see him with his family. How he would mess Vika's hair. She would try to punch him for it, but he always dodged her blows gracefully. Or how he helped Sonya change her little daughter's diapers, regardless of whether he was in a hurry or not. Or how respectful he was towards his mother and grandmother, always making sure he could help them with something.

Just this morning he got himself into bringing groceries for dinner. I joined him, at the same time wanting to help him and be useful in the Belikov house, but also simply wanting to walk around town.

We walked hand in hand, and Dimitri seemed as relaxed as he rarely was at the Court He told me stories of the families whose homes we passed and places from his childhood. The trees under which he and his friends learned to fight with wooden stakes. The street where he learned to ride a bicycle. The place where he had his first kiss behind the mall. I raised my eyebrows suggestively at that last memory, but Dimitri laughed, kissed me on the forehead, and whispered that it was still nothing compared to our first kiss. I teased him a bit, but I absorbed greedily every single story he told me. I loved learning the little pieces from his past.

At the market, we split up, though I'm not sure if my attempts to pronounce the names of various products in my broken Russian sped up the process of buying Olena's groceries. When I received full of pity glances I gave up and showed them the paper list Dimitri had left for me. Of course, he finished his share first and watched my efforts, trying not to laugh at me. Finally, he finished my fruitless efforts and when we had everything, he insisted on carrying the groceries all by himself.

As dusk began to fall, I walked beside him, trying to read the words from Olena's list to practice the language. However, my attempts were so comically inaccurate that even Dimitri couldn't help but laugh at me. But then he patiently helped me with pronunciation and translation. I couldn't even pretend to be angry when his laughter was so contagious. I started to make a show out of my language struggle, just to hear him laugh.

"Rose!" I heard a familiar voice and stopped. Denis was running towards us. He was the one who took me out of Baia the first time, to hunt Strigois with him and his friends. We didn't know each other well, but on the battlefield, we had each other's backs and trusted one another. We didn't even have a chance to say goodbye when Dimitri abducted me, and then I returned to the States. Dimitri's sisters told me Denis stayed in Novosibirsk and didn't return home since he left with me.

A sense of nostalgia and a certain affection arose in me when I saw him. Once he was close to us I embraced him tightly, and he reciprocated with a bear hug.

"Denis, God, how good to see you!"

"See me?! I thought you were dead! I didn't dare show my face to Belikov's girls…"

He paused and grew still. He pushed me away with force, his eyes fixed on Dimitri. I had hunted with Denis and knew well what the concentrated and deadly serious expression in his eyes meant. He thought he had met a Strigoi.

As far as I could tell, Denis hadn't been home since we left, so perhaps he hadn't been updated as to Dimitiri's return. Instead, he knew that my boyfriend had been turned into a Strigoi and that I was searching for him. And that it was past sunlight. He took out his silver stake in a split second and was ready to throw himself at Dimitri, plunging the weapon straight into his exposed heart. Dimitri didn't even have a chance to react, holding nets full of groceries in both hands.

But I could.

Denis threw himself at Dimitri, but I quickly moved to stand in his way. I didn't have time for any defensive position or attack, so I used my body as a shield by jumping in front of Dimitri and pushing him back. Everything happened so fast that we didn't have time to think. Denis' stake pierced the skin on my arm, I cried in pain, and he stopped, seeing who he had injured. Dimitri staggered backward, letting the shopping bags drop to the ground and instantly putting his hands on me. He tried to move me behind his back to shield me from the attack, but I stayed still.

"Stop it! Are you blind?! Dimtiri is not a Strigoi!" I shouted at Denis. Dimitri continued trying to move me behind him, but I wasn't going to give up my position, as long as Denis glared at him with pupils dilated with fear and a stake in his hand. "Look at his eyes!"

Denis looked at Dimitri and I saw him begin to comprehend what had happened. He lowered the stake and looked at me. Or, more precisely, at the blood oozing from my arm, where his stake had cut the skin.

"Rose, I'm so sorry…"

The stream of words that Dimitri growled at him made my blood freeze. I recognized several curses that Dimitri often mumbled under his breath, but, unfortunately, I did not know their meaning. Denis turned pale, nodded and ran home as Dimitri looked at my wound. He cursed even more.

I almost didn't feel the pain, although it was beginning to pinch slightly. I smiled slightly at him.

"You don't need to be so mad. It was an accident, he wanted to save my life."

Dimitri sent me a look that said he had many, many unpleasant words to say, but he would refrain for now. I laughed at this sight, and he relaxed ever so slightly.

Denis arrived with a makeshift bandage and disinfectant. Dimitri quickly bandaged the wound to prevent bleeding and began to quickly lead me toward his house so that he could take serious care of it there. When I asked about the groceries, he assured me that Denis would get them to us soon.

I hoped we wouldn't cause panic in the Belikov house with this, but among these women, something like this couldn't go unnoticed. Unable to concentrate amidst shouting about what an idiot Denis was, Olena led me to her small bedroom where she dressed everything carefully and steadily for me. Dimitri stood by me, massaging my shoulders, occasionally cursing under his breath. The wound wasn't very deep or serious anyway - probably if I had been alone I would have ignored it pretty quickly. I swallowed pain pills and felt pretty well.

Denis arrived shortly thereafter and was sternly berated by Karo and Victoria. He sent me a pleading look, so I reassured them that I knew it was an accident and everything was fine, but that next time he shouldn't try to kill my boyfriend. Before the girls started their rant again, he said he would like to know the whole story, and I promised to meet him the next day and tell him what happened to us.

At dinner, this accident continued to be the main topic, although it didn't seem to concern Yeva too much. She had announced that she already knew since morning that I would be injured on the walk, so I should be glad it was nothing serious. I rolled my eyes and asked her why she didn't warn me if she knew everything, to which she answered that she was only reading the future, not preventing it. I sent Dimitri a disbelieving look, and he only put his hand on my back in an expression of support.

When we went to bed, Dimitri made sure that a glass of water and painkillers was within my reach throughout the night. I settled comfortably in his arms and felt his lips tenderly kiss my head.

"Thank you for saving my life today," he whispered, half-jokingly, half-seriously. I snorted.

"It's so unfair that you rarely lower your guard and in that one brief window of time when you relax, someone tries to kill you."

Dimitri laughed and hugged me tighter.

"It's good I have you around at times like this."

I smiled lazily, increasingly sleepy. I tightened my hands on his shirt.

"But remember," I used a thicker voice and a strong Russian accent, poorly imitating his speech. "You can never lose your guard. Not ever."

His fingers found a tender spot on my ribs and began to tickle me mercilessly as punishment for laughing at him. I laughed out loud, far too loudly considering that everyone was probably already asleep. Dimitri, however, couldn't hide the smile that was on his face when he stopped my sweet torture and let me snuggle up to him.

"Very funny. But if you're done, I think you need to go to sleep to recover," he teased me, running his fingers gently over my bandaged arm. I settled down comfortably, feeling that soon I would drift off to sleep.

"Maybe you're right. And don't worry, comrade. Even if you let your guard, I've got your back."

I felt warm lips on my forehead. I think he told me in Russian that he, in turn, would be having my back, but I can't be sure, because that sweet sound helped me fall asleep very quickly.