I Never Told You I Love You - Complete

Chapter 84 - We'll Fix This

Rose looked at them in stunned silence, and then she completely lost it.

"COMRADE!" she shouted, standing up and moving towards the doors as seconds later they burst open, a panicked Dimitri racing in stake drawn.

"Roza? What's wrong?" he said, looking around the room searching for the threat.

Rose threw herself into his arms. "They want to court-martial you. For unprofessional conduct, having sex with a minor and statutory rape." Rose looked up at her Russian God to see a grim expression cross his face.

"Shh milaya. We've done nothing wrong," Dimitri soothed, quickly sheathing his stake and pulling Rose close against him. "It will be ok."

"They want to take you," Rose sobbed, tears pouring down her face, grabbing on to Dimitri tightly. The two of them stood embracing, Rose crying onto Dimitri's chest and him almost crushing her against him kissing her hair and saying soothing things to try and calm her.

The Guardians from the panel must have called for reinforcements because within a few minutes six Guardians arrived to take Dimitri away.

"Baba! He didn't do anything wrong! You know that! Don't let them take him! I love him! Please, Baba!" Rose was wailing.

Abe looked at the five Guardians who comprised the panel. "Where will he be taken?"

"There are holding cells in this building. Given the charges involve his conduct with your daughter, it's a conflict of interest, and you won't be permitted to represent him. If you wish to engage alternate legal representation, they will be able to see him as soon as he's processed. Given the time of day, charges will not be formally lodged until the morning." It was Croft who spoke, and he seemed to be trying to pass some covert message to Abe although Rose was so distressed she hadn't caught it.

"Roza? You have to let go. They need to take me now, but we'll get this sorted out I promise. They can't keep us apart, milaya. Not forever," yet even as he said the words Dimitri was pulling her closer, loathe to let Rose go not knowing when they would be free to be together again. Bringing her lips to his, Dimitri kissed her hard. "I love you, Roza. You're my everything." Then looking over her shoulder he nodded, letting go of her and stepping back as Pavel grabbed her around the waist, holding her tightly as Dimitri stepped towards the Guardians. "I'll come quietly, there's no need to restrain me," he said with calm dignity.

"I love you, Dimitri!" Rose called to him, watching through her tears as he left with a group of Guardians. The door closed, leaving Pavel, Abe and a devastated Rose. The Guardians from the panel looked embarrassed to see her distress, quickly taking their leave. The exception was Croft.

"What's the worst case?" Abe asked, pulling no punches.

"Stripped of his title and five years in prison," Croft said grimly. "Now all five of us have to sign the paperwork for the charges to be officially filed. I have to sign it to acknowledge the decision, even though I voted against it. I'm off duty in two minutes, and I'll be unavailable to sign anything until 9 pm tomorrow when I come back on shift. For the sake of his career, it would be best if the situation were resolved by then. Even if they are found to be not true, something like this stains a Guardian's record."

Abe nodded. "I understand. Thank you," he muttered, as Croft left the room.

Rose had caught the tail end of the conversation. "Five years?" she whispered to her father. "Just for loving me? He doesn't deserve that, Baba."

"It won't come to that," Abe promised. "Come on. Dry your eyes. We're off to see her Majesty."

"Tatiana?"