London 1795

I walked along the streets of London at a brisk pace. It was going to rain soon and I needed to get home before Dimitri did. I had to get the parlor cleaned and since I let my cleaning servant go last week, I had to do it all myself.

I walked out of the main city and into the outskirts of town. I walked down the long drive that led to my humble manor and ducked inside. Almost immediately, the smell of the Indian tea that was imported to the local store a week ago filled my nose. Daisy, my cook, must have seen me coming and had put tea on the stove. God bless her.

"Miss. Rose," I heard Daisy call, "I have your tea on the stove and a soup in a pot ready for you if you would like it."

"Thank you Dear, but I think I shall just take tea. Master Belikov is coming today as well so make sure to make a dinner well enough for the two of us. There will be leftovers so you may take those to your son tonight," I said smiling as I took my bonnet and travel coat off. I peeled off my gloves and placed them in the drawer in the parlor.

I made my way through my house, picking up things that needed to be put away. I enjoyed having a clean home and Dimitri did as well. It was something that I had grown to enjoying after I fell from Tartarus.

The clock in the hall chimed five and I immediately turned towards the door. As if on cue, Dimitri, in a fashionable suit for this day and age, waltzed through my door. His long, brown hair was pulled back with a white ribbon at the base of his neck, his tall, black boots were shined and polished, and his breeches, shirt, and jacket were all pressed to perfection. He smiled as he closed the door behind him.

I ran into his arms and he lifted me up causing my skirts to swirl around us. He chuckled as I laughed in surprise at the suddenness of flying in his arms.

"Rose, my darling!" he exclaimed. His English accent was slightly off. I laughed at the silliness of it.

"My love, your accent leaves something to be desired," I giggled as I let my fingers play with his ponytail.

"I'm sorry, please accept my apology. My time away from London leaves my accent in dreadful shape when I return," Dimitri stated sadly. The hand that wasn't around my waist went to his heart in false hurt.

I kissed his cheek and led him into the parlor. He took a seat in the only chair that I purchased specifically for him. It was a charming, white, velvet, winged arm chair that made him look heavenly when he sat in it. I sat across from him on the love seat.

"How have you been while I have been away?" Dimitri asked seriously. He hated when he left me alone.

"Delightful when I'm not at home. I have met this charming woman, a Ms. Jane Austen. She is a writer and is working on a novel called Persuasion when she's not courting a Mr. Thomas Lefroy. She lives in Steventon so when she comes to London do I ever see her." I had to smile at my companion's attitudes and mannerisms while I told Dimitri about her. He was smiling at me while I spoke. I knew that if I was happy, he was delighted. He loved to see me smile.

"Sounds like you have had quiet the time," he chuckled after I told him about a party that Jane and I went to that went horridly wrong to our delight.

I nodded and gave a weak smile. "It would have been better if you were there to see for yourself."

I looked down at my hands to recompose myself. I heard Dimtri's boots on the carpet and felt the seat cushion deepen with an added weight. A warm hand went under my chin and glided it up to face Dimitri's das eyes.

"I would give anything to be here with you, Rose, but Gabriel is making me work more than ever. Ivan and Adrian think that it is because he knows that I am in love with you."

I pulled my face out of his hands and sighed. "If he had made that law, can't you persuade him to abolish it? We cannot be the only Angel/Mortal couple out there." I knew I was fighting a losing battle, but I couldn't just sit here and let the Angels dictate my life.

"You know that I have tried to get Gabriel to see reason, and yes we are the only couple and were aren't even an Angel/Mortal couple. We are an Angel/…and something couple. You aren't a Mortal so we cannot call you that." Dimitri grasped my hand.

"I know." I sat there for a moment before I asked my next question. "When do you leave again?"

"Today. In about an hour if I am lucky. The Angels are calling me up more and more to work on things that they need me to do. I could be called up any moment."

I felt a tear roll down my face and I bit my lip to keep a sob in my throat. Dimitri saw this and hugged me to him. He ran his hands over my curled hair and let me cry into his jacket.

After about five minutes, he stopped and looked down at me. Sadness and love swam in his eyes.

"Will you be alright? I won't leave until I know that you will be okay."

I nodded and wiped my eyes with a handkerchief that Dimitri held out for me. "I'll be fine. I have been thus far." I crumbled up the cloth in my fist and looked at Dimitri. "I love you. I miss you every moment that you are gone."

Dimitri leaned down and kissed me. He pulled back long enough to speak. "I love you more than life itself and I miss you tremendously."

He kissed me again and vanished by using his Angel Magic.