Dimitri

I sank down the wall and grimaced as a shooting pain went through my spine. I glanced at the bodies lying around me and nodded. Dead, they were all definitely dead. I lifted up my top slightly to assess the damage…it was bad. The kind of bad that you didn't walk away from. I put some pressure on my wound in attempt to stop the blood from seeping out of it and scrambled for my phone. There was no use calling for help, by the time they got here I would have already bled out. I dialled Rose's number and took a few deep breaths.

"Dad?" I heard Olivia ask tentatively. The girls had been living with us for three years…ever since we had adopted them. The three girls were my world.

"Olivia…it's good to hear your voice," I murmured, my eyes filling with tears. Olivia laughed and I could already imagine her shaking her head.

"God dad you're so embarrassing," she said and I had to force myself to swallow the lump in my throat.

"I know sweetheart, what are you doing?" I asked. Olivia let out a nervous laugh.

"I'm getting ready for my date," she said, her voice rising in excitement. I pursed my lips and closed my eyes.

"Have a lovely night sweetheart, I love you," I said, forcing all signs of pain out of my voice. Olivia scoffed and I could tell she was rolling her eyes.

"I love you too, weirdo," she said grudgingly, her typical teenage attitude coming through "I'll put Katie on," I closed my eyes and tried to hold back the tears, the cloth I had pressed against the wound was already drenched in blood.

"Hi Dad!" Katie said excitedly. "Guess what? I got to do my first roundhouse kick in class today!"

I let out a sigh and I shook my head.

"Just like your mother, always with the violence," I teased.

"The teacher said that I'm a natural Dad. Mom is very proud. She's making banana bread as a treat for us….yours is better though," Katie babbled. I closed my eyes and listen to her talk about the different methods they were learning in class and how it was totally unfair that Olivia got an extended curfew to go on a date. I let out a small cough and a metallic taste filled my mouth.

"Katie, put your mum on please," I said softly. "I love you,"

"Love you too dad, I'll see you tonight," she said brightly. I shut my eyes blinking back tears.

"Hello Comrade," Rose teased, hearing her voice made my throat completely close over. I cleared my throat and forced a smile onto my face.

"Hello Roza," I murmured. I heard the girls babbling behind her, with Katie singing something about Olivia and Daniel in a tree. I closed my eyes and gulped.

"Is everything okay?" Rose asked. I slackened my grip on my wound and smiled.

"It is now that I can hear your voice," I told her. Rose scoffed and I could almost imagine the exact face she was pulling.

"Don't think that flattery is going to get you out of cleaning the bathroom," she said. I squeezed my eyes shut and picked at the fabric on my jeans. The guilt was eating up on me. I should tell her, say it. I won't be home tomorrow. But I couldn't…I couldn't ruin their happiness…especially when Olivia was about to go on her first date. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"I love you Roza," I said, fighting the sleepiness that was taking over me. I had lost too much blood, far too much. My vision was starting to blur and I couldn't feel my toes. "Make sure you give the girls a kiss from me."

"I will," Rose promised. "I love you Dimitri. Let me know when you're coming home."

I closed my phone and leaned my head back against the wall, letting the sleepiness wash over me. They were fine, they would be okay. That was the mantra I murmured to myself as my vision slowly faded to black.

Christian POV

I knew as soon as I walked into the living room that something was wrong. Dimitri was gone and instead my second guard Jake sat on the couch. I frowned, glancing around the room and narrowing my eyes at Jake.

"Where is he?" I asked. Jake avoided my eyes and shrugged.

"I don't know," he said shiftily. I ground my teeth together and slammed by hands down on my table.

"Bullshit. Where is he?" I snapped. Jake cleared his throat and stood up.

"I can't tell you," He said. I glanced out the window and it clicked into place. The girls who had been killed by a pack of Strigoi last week. He had gone to their lair to find them. I glanced at Jake and rolled my eyes.

"Fine," I spat, storming into my room. Once inside, I locked the door and opened the window, pulling myself towards the ledge and making my way to the ground. The drop was about ten feet so I let go of the ledge and let out an 'oomph' as the wind was knocked out of me.

Trying to remember all the information Dimitri had gone on and on about, I made my way to the lair trying to ignore the shivers running down my spine. I hated being out alone, especially at night, but I knew how to handle myself. I pulled out my phone and sent a text to Eddie with my address and a request for back up. There was a queasy feeling in my stomach, something wasn't quite sitting well. Something was wrong, seriously wrong.

I clenched my jaw and headed towards the house. Letting out a shaky breath, I shook my head trying to get rid of the images crossing my mind. My parents as Strigoi…Dimitri with the same red ring around his eyes, the images taunted me, and my stomach started doing flips.

Slowly, I pulled at the wood in front of the door and slid it to the side as I headed into the house. Blood, it was the first thing I noticed when I entered the room. I felt a lurch in my chest as my eyes found Dimitri, he was so still and his face had a greyish tinge to it. I stepped into the room, not bothering to check the Strigoi around me. They were dead. Very dead. My main focus was Dimitri, my guardian, my best friend. Seeing him like this…it killed me. I heard sobs and it took me a moment to realise they were coming from me.

"Belikov, wake up," I cried, shaking his shoulders, his body was cool to touch and my eyes found the wound that was spilling most of the blood I could see. My heart froze in my chest and my mind raced. The girls. Rose. He couldn't be dead. He couldn't. He couldn't leave those girls behind. He couldn't leave me behind. I needed him…and I hadn't realised just how much until this very moment.

"Dimitri, come on. You have to wake up. Tomorrow we head home. We get to see the girls. Liss and I have news for you. You have to wake up," I said, resting my head against his shoulder and letting the tears spilling down my face. I hadn't felt an ache like this since my parents' death. I let out another sob and I leaned my forehead against his. Liss and I were going to tell you that she's pregnant. You're supposed to be the Godfather.

"Wake up! Wake up!" I roared, shaking his shoulders. I don't know how long it took for the back up to reach us but all I remember is that when they did I had to be pulled from him.

"He's got to wake up. He has to wake up," I said, glancing at them. All I got in return was sympathetic looks. He had to be okay.

"I feel a heartbeat. It's faint but it's there," I heard one of the paramedics whisper. The whirls swirled in my head heartbeat. He had a heartbeat.

Rose POV

I ran a hand through Katie's hair as we both watched Olivia pacing nervously in front of her mirror. I smiled,

"Liv, you look beautiful. Come on!" I said, grinning at her. Olivia nervously fiddled with a strand of her hair and opened her mouth to speak to me. My phone rang and I gave her the 'One sec' gesture, a grin forming at the name on the screen.

"Ozera, about time you called! The girls and I are desperate to see you! When are you home?" I asked, excitedly. Christian cleared his throat and the hairs on the back of my neck raised.

"Christian?" I asked, carefully. Something was wrong. I could feel it.

"Rose, it's Dimitri," Christian said, his voice breaking. "He's in ICU."

My heart froze in my chest and my hand stilled in Katie's hair. I'm dreaming. This is a dream it has to be.

"Christian this isn't funny. Put him on," I demanded, my voice coming out in a shrill tone. Olivia and Katie both whipped round to face me, their eyes searching my face. I waited for Christian to laugh and put Dimitri on the phone…and Dimitri would scold him for scaring me and then he would tell me he loved me. I heard Christian let out another sob and I felt my face crumple.

"Rose, I wish I could…he's in ICU…the doctors want everyone prepared to say their last goodbyes. I've tried to call Lissa…but she…" he trailed off. Lissa was off with her other guardian visiting some of the other academies around the world. Even if she could get our calls…there would be no chance she would be back in time. I felt the phone slide from my hands as my mouth fell open and I clutched at my chest. How could life be so unfair? How could the universe do this to me? To take him from me for a second time, after letting me believe that we could be happy together. My soul mate…I was going to have to say goodbye to my soul mate all over again.

"Mom?" Katie said softly, touching my hand. I glanced at the girls and I felt a new wave of pain wash over me. My girls. My precious girls were about to lose someone else they loved. I forced the guardian mask onto my face and wiped my eyes.

"Dad has been in an accident…he's in…the hospital," I said, hoping the girls wouldn't notice my hesitation. Olivia narrowed her eyes and took a step forward.

"How bad is it?" She asked, her eyes searching mine. I felt my eyes fill with tears and then Olivia's own face crumpled and she shook her head franticly.

"He has to be okay. He has to. Mom, the last words I said to him involved me saying that he was a weirdo," she said, her tears spilling down her cheeks. I used my thumbs to wipe away her tears and I pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"He knows you love him, that's all that matters," I told her.

The drive to the hospital was about half the time it should have taken and I was well aware that I was well above the speed limit. But, I had to make it in time. When we entered the ICU waiting room Christian was already waiting for me. He pulled me into his arms and the four of us dissolved into tears.

"I should have noticed he was gone sooner," Christian said, his eyes were red and it was clear to see that he blamed himself. I shook my head

"Christian, he made his own choices. There is nothing we could have done. Can you watch the girls while I go in?" I asked, gesturing at Dimitri's room. Christian nodded and took Katie's hand, leading both girls towards the cafeteria. I slipped into Dimitri's room and my heart sank. Seeing him hooked up to life support machines was even more unnatural and disturbing than seeing him as Strigoi had been. I sat down on the chair next to his bed and my bottom lip began to quiver.

"What were you thinking?" I asked, my eyes filling with tears. The pain in my chest was unbearable."How could you do this to me, Dimka? How could you do this to the girls?"

I rested my hand on top of his and let out another painful sob as I played with his wedding band. "How dare you do this to me? God Dammit Dimitri, you aren't supposed to be taking risks like this anymore. I can't lose you, not again. I don't think my heart could bear it," I sobbed.

"You have to come back to me. You have to wake up and come back to me," I pleaded. "I love you," I whispered, losing myself in grief.

Dimitri POV

Prying open my eyes, I glanced around the room. Hospital, I decided. I tried to lift my arm but it was dead weight. It was so heavy. Then, when I opened my mouth to speak, only a croak erupted from my throat.

"Water," I rasped, a sharp pain in my throat. The person at my hand jumped, almost spilling their own cup as they reached for a cup. The cup pressed against my lips and I took a thirsty gulp.

"Thank you," I said softly, my eyes flicking up to meet Christian's which I couldn't help but notice had red rings around them.

"Fuck, man. I thought we'd lost you," he said. He hugged me gingerly for a few moments. Then, quickly, he brushed away a tear that managed to escape. "I'm glad you're awake."

"They'll be excited too," he said, motioning to the end of the bed where Rose, Olivia and Katie all slept, curled up uncomfortably on a tiny couch. He moved towards them and shook their shoulders. "Wake up! He's awake!" Christian said. My eyes landed on Rose and I felt my eyes watering at the expression on her face.

"Dimitri, thank God…or whoever. Thank whoever it was that brought you back to me," she murmured, pulling herself towards me and pressing her lips against mine. She pulled back and wiped away the tears under my eyes, resting her head on mine.

Then, with one hand on her hip, she pointed at me furiously. "Don't you ever do that to me again. I thought I lost you. It's been a week, Dimitri. A full week. I can't ever go through this again. I can't," she murmured, the tears spilling down her face.

I felt my throat tighten as I looked up at Rose and my own tears began to fall. I shuffled over on the bed, letting Rose climb in beside me. She pressed her lips against my head and I curled my hand around her waist and clenched my eyes together. I felt the bed shift as the girls crawled in beside us. I stared up at the ceiling and blinked back the tears as Olivia and Katie sobbed against my chest.

"I'm okay, girls. I'm okay." Looking down at them, I noticed Olivia avoiding eye contact. I reached for her and pulled her chin up so that our eyes met. "What's wrong, Livy?"

She let out a sob that nearly broke my heart. "I don't think you're a…a weirdo, Dad. I love you."

Wiping the tear from her cheek, I said, "I know, Liv. I love you too. I love both of you so, so much."

"Then you'll promise that you won't do this again?" Katie practically begged. Rose let out another sob and buried her face in my shoulder.

"I'm not going anywhere, girls. I love you all too much. Besides, who's gonna eat all of the strawberry ice cream from the neapolitan if I'm not there to do it?" I ruffled Katie's hair and she giggled.

"Definitely not me!" she said, smiling wide.

Rose tucked my hair behind my ear and met my eyes with her signature intensity. "Don't scare me like that again. Okay?"

Taking her hand, I kissed it gently. "Okay." Then smiling down at Olivia, I said, "Now onto the important things. How did your date go?"

As she smiled wide, she began to tell me every detail and about how she was sure this boy was "absolutely perf." Watching her excitement and Katie's absolute awe and feeling Rose's warmth beside me as she stroked my arm, I wondered how I could've been so stupid to go after those strigoi in the first place.

"What do you think, Dad? Do you want to meet him?" she said with bright eyes.

"Of course I do! I have to make sure he's good enough for you, don't I?" I said, smiling at her. At that, Katie jumped off the bed.

"If he isn't, I can do this new kick I learned. Watch, Dad!"

I had everything I needed right here. And oh how I loved them.