I'm laying on my soft bed, with dried tears on my face, trying to figure out what went wrong. Why did he leave me, for Tasha of all people? The images of them pressed up against the wall making out makes me want to smash things, particularly her snooty face, but dear Mummy wouldn't really be happy with that considering Dad had just bailed me out of jail a couple days ago. Maybe that's when my life went to hell. Or maybe just thinking that I could be with Dimitri without any cares or worries was just foolish thinking.

Maybe if I go back to the beginning of everything I can figure out just when my ignorance got the best of my heart.

~14 years ago~
*age 3*
-Location, Russia-

I was down stairs in the workout room learning how to throw punches with my Daddy when the doorbell rang.

"Oh, that must be Olena. Come on Princess, there's someone I want you to meet." He took my hand and led me upstairs to the door. When he opened it, there stood a pretty woman, holding the hand of a boy who looked to be the same age as me.

"Hello Abe, it's so nice to see you again. Is Janie here?"

"It's nice to see you too Olena. I'm sorry but Janie isn't here. Just me and Rose. Excuse our appearances, we were downstairs working on her fighting skills when you rang." She chuckled.

"It's alright. I teach Dimitri myself too." I decided that I liked this lady. She seemed really nice and smiled a lot.

"Ah, so this young man must be your son, Dimitri. It's nice to meet you Dimitri. Say hello Rose." I looked up at my Daddy and then back down at Dimitri. I stuck out my hand and smiled.

"I'm Rosemarie Hathaway, but you can call me Rose." Normally when I do this with other children I'm first meeting, they hide behind their parents legs or start crying, so when Dimitri toddled up to me and grabbed my hand, I was shocked, but impressed.

"I'm Dimitri Belikov. It's nice to meet you Rose." Okay I like him. I looked at Olena and asked,

"Mrs. Belikov, you said that you are teaching Dimitri to fight correct?" She smiled down at me.

"Yes, and you may call me Olena."

"Okay." I then looked up at my Daddy. "Daddy can me and Dimitri go downstairs and fight?"

Both of our parents eyes sparkled with amusment.

"Can we Mommy?" I looked at Dimitri again. My Daddy had always taught me to size up an opponent before fighting them. He was slightly taller than me, and a little bulkier, but that was normal for other boys.

"Yes."

"Yes."

"Yay!" Dimitri and I cheered at the same time.

We spent the next six hours sparing, giggling, and talking about ourselves. When it was finally time for him to go home, instead of shaking my hand he hugged me.

"You're my bestest friend Rose." I swear I had never smiled that big in my life.

"You're my bestest friend to 'Mitri. Olena and Daddy stood back watching us with smiles on their face. As they walked down the walk way I watched them through the window. Daddy came up to me and said,

"Now don't be running off and getting married with Rose." I heard the teasing tone in his voice and smiled.

"Don't worry Daddy, I won't."

The rest of that year continued the same, but I never did beat Dimitri during our sparring sessions. Now that I think about, I was a pretty well-behaved three year old. I wonder what happened to that sweet little girl. Now all I see in the mirror is an accused murderer and a failure at life. Oh fun.

The plot of this story is more or less Rose looking back at each individual year from the time she met Dimitri to the current time, to try and figure out where their relationship went wrong. Each chapter will be the next year, like the next chapter will be when they're both four years old. And most of the time I'll try to end with a scene from the present, in either Rose, Dimitri, or perhaps even Tasha's point of view. And if anyone wants to PM me, not review (although I do love them ) any ideas for the story I will be glad to try and fit them in.

RosemarieMazur