Lissa'sPOV
"It's been so long," I paced around my bedroom in Palace Housing while waiting for Rose and Guardian Belikov to arrive.
"Calm down, Liss," said Christian. "I'm sure Rosie Posie is the same as she was when she left, just as fiery and passionate, just as reckless and insubordinate."
Yeah, sure. She was a month pregnant last thing I knew. With her ex mentor's child. I had to wonder if she'd managed to come full term and if she did, whether it had been a boy or a girl. I didn't know what to make of the rumours that said he'd married. If he had, was it Rose? Or some Moroi? Or a different dhampir? Argh! This Strigoi situation alone was enough to make me want to pull my hair out-and it was my own stress, not darkness, because Rose had done a major pull while we were on the phone. Then there was the whole Eddie getting Jill pregnant drama. In a way, I was glad I wasn't yet pregnant or married right now... I so didn't need that added stress right now, so I was glad I didn't have it.
"Chris, love, a lot happens in four years. I've been made queen, fixed my relationship with my sister-who's gone and fallen pregnant with Eddie-" at the same age as Rose. "They're looking at getting married. I've got a major Strigoi problem on my hands. I've undone the lowering of the dhampir graduation age. We've gotten Jill safe and fixed the loopy quorum law. We've tracked Sonya Karp down, so I've got to find a way to secretly get out to her and see if I can restore her just as the legend says."
"Okay, point taken. For all we know, Rose is now all responsible and a Mommy." Y-ouch! He had a point, though. I had to wonder what parenthood had done to her if she'd come full-term.
"That reminds me," I started and Chris groaned.
"Not now, Liss. Can we leave that talk alone, please?"
"You put your foot in it," I teased.
"I did not!" he huffed playfully.
Any response I could have made was cut off by a knock on the door. One of my guards popped his head in and notified us it was time to get to the airstrip. Rose and Guardian Belikov's jet had just advised they were ready to land.
I took my badass boyfriend's hand while we walked to the airstrip.
"Christian! Lissa!" called Tasha. Oh boy. This wasn't going end well. She'd done nothing but whine and fuss over Guardian Belikov refusing and ignoring her, as well as bad mouth my best friend.
"Yes, Tasha?" I politely asked while she fell into step with us.
"Where are you two lovebirds heading?" she asked in genuine curiosity. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Guardian Moore tailing her, joining the formation of surrounding guardians in a way that seemed workable and safe.
"The airstrip," I answered honestly. No point hiding it when we had no time to deviate and shake her off.
"I wasn't aware of an arrival today."
"I've made an emergency transfer of one guardian and called a female dhampir into active duty."
"You've recruited one of those blood whores?" Tasha's tone was slightly accusatory, but I couldn't decide if it was because she was for leaving the females who choose to put their children first and didn't like me going against my own opinion... or if it was because she didn't feel like I should trust someone who didn't follow the twisted 'they come first' code. That was another thing I had to deal with. I had to get the selfish among the Moroi to realise it's time to re-uptake defensive magic so the dhampirs aren't treated as slaves or, worse still, animals.
"She's not a blood whore," I so needed to remove the stigma around that. "But she did choose love over duty. That said, she has agreed to come when called because duty still means rather a lot to her."
"Who are they?" Man. She's being pushy and nosy. "Has she even made a kill?" Yup, in nosy mode.
"Yes. She's made more than most seasoned guardians." That should have been a giveaway. But that wasn't what made Tasha click as to who it was. We'd arrived at the airstrip, the jet had landed and Rose was disembarking.
"Rose!" I squealed in delight and excitement. Then I noticed who was cautiously perched on her hip, and who was on Guardian Belikov's hip as well as the protective and possessive look he has shooting Rose and the little girl.
"Hey, Liss!" she squealed in return as she approached me with an excited grin split her face.
"Mama!" whined the little girl on her hip and the little boy on Guardian Belikov's while Rose engulfed me in a one armed hug.
"Watch it!" Rose warned her children, shooting both her son and daughter a firm look while Guardian Belikov put their son down to wrap an arm around his children's mother. "Lissa," she started and set her daughter on her feet. "I'd like you to meet our children." She shot a loving look Guardian Belikov's way. "This one here," she ran a hand through her daughter's dark curls. "Is our daughter, Riana Belikova. And that loveable ratbag standing in front of his father, is our son, Ivan Belikov. And this one here," she pulled my hands to her abdomen. Her swollen abdomen. "Is Bubby Belikov or Belikova. And," our faces lit up as the unborn moved. "You know my husband here," Rose dropped my hands and gestured in Guardian Belikov's direction. "Riri, Ivan, meet Aunty Lissa." I bent down to their height.
"Hi," I smiled warmly at them.
"Aunty Lissa!" they squealed with a massive smile on their faces and engulfed me in hugs. They were simply adorable.
"Hey, little ones," I giggled in response and returned the warm embrace. I must admit, a twinge of jealousy ran through me. Maybe I wanted kids more than I had previously believed.
Meanwhile, I registered an overly jealous and incredulous Tasha and a frozen Christian.
"What are you doing with my Dimka?!" spat Tasha. I protectively pushed the Belikov/Belikova babies behind me at the same Guardian Belikov did with Rose.
"I'm not yours, Lady Ozera. I've never been yours. And don't pick fights with my pregnant wife, especially in front of our children," firmly but respectfully retorted Guardian Belikov. I cautiously pushed the scared children backwards and felt Rose's husband pull them from my legs then handed them to their mother. Who then, I'm guessing, pushed them behind herself.
Tasha's face took on a disbelieving and defiant look. "Tasha, do not continue this argument. Don't be a home-wrecker. You can clearly see they are a happy family, leave them be." Her face took on a look of defeat at my authoritative tone.
"Mama? Dada?" two small, scared, and young voices broke the heavy silence.
"Yes, Riana? Yes, Ivan?" Rose asked while bending down to her children's level.
"What now?" asked Ivan. He was Guardian Belikov's son alright. I could hardly see any Rose in him. His apparent age was what told me he was the son she'd fled the Academy and society to raise.
"I scared," timidly said Riana. Her I could clearly tell was the perfect combination of Rose and Guardian Belikov.
"Oh, babies," sighed my best friend. "Mama and Dada love you." She simply hugged her children and they calmed. I had to wonder why she didn't reassure them that all would be alright.
"Why don't you Belikov bunch come to my place? I have the afternoon free and we have stuff to catch up on." And a Strigoi slaughtering to organise.
"Comrade?" Rose asked her husband. So... that nickname hadn't been dropped. Adorable. I only just registered her Russian accent. One the kids shared with their parents.
"Yes, Roza?"
"Strollers?" she enquired.
He glanced once at their children and nodded. "Definitely." The children were nearly asleep on their feet.
I had one of the other guardians bring the exhausted and stressed parents the strollers. Guardian Belikov loaded Ivan in as if he were the most precious and delicate thing in the world. Rose did the same with Riana. And, to them, their children likely were the most precious and delicate things in the world. I know mine would be to Christian and me. Tasha glowered the whole process. Jealous. Definitely jealous. Maybe slightly envious because she was running out of time to start her own family, have her own kids.
"Let's get going," I said once Riana and Ivan were strapped in. They'd immediately fallen asleep. Aww. Tired tiny ones.
"Let's," Rose and Guardian Belikov nodded. As did Christian and Tasha.
"Dimka?" asked Tasha as we started moving.
"Yes?" he cautiously responded.
"Rose mentioned your son was named Ivan, right?" She's got to be snooping, I swear.
"Yes, Rose and I named our son Ivan. Why do you ask?" he returned, looking like he wanted to wrap an arm around his pregnant wife's-god, that feels weird-waist.
"Is it after Ivan Zeklos?" I swear she thought that move was in bad taste. Hypocrite, considering she wanted Chris and I to name our children after our dead family members.
"Yes, it is." Guardian Belikov wore a proud look on his face. "Rose contacted his spirit so we could come to a decision on whether or not we should."
"He had agreed we should, that we needed to, that he'd be humbled by it," Rose finished Guardian Belikov's explanation. Not freaky or cute at all. And they'd almost always been able to do that. Stuff the 'almost', they had always been able to do that.
"What about your daughter's name?" Tasha pointedly directed the question at Rose's husband, ignoring my best friend. "Where did that come from?"
"Actually," Rose looked at me. What did I have anything to do with Riana's name? "We dropped the 'A' from 'Ariana'. She's kind of named after our queen's favourite then nominee and now advisor."
"Really?" I asked in surprise and amusement.
"Seriously," she responded.
We made good time returning to my quarters. Tasha split off at some point. The press were around, as usual, and were snapping pictures of us. Little Ivan and Riana were going to create a commotion. The press and public were going to have a field day. Rose returning, and calling in Guardian Belikov were controversial enough. Them being married and having children-purebreds, no less-was going to make the Moroi world explode in chatter and gossip.
"Lissa, I know we've got work to do," Rose started and I knew what she was getting at.
"Of course, Rose. You've both got to be as exhausted as those gorgeous little ones of yours. Come on, I'll show you to your room."
Despite all the uncertainties over whether or not she'd found him, I had still only had one room set up. I had told my staff that they were only to prepare an apartment type room-in Palace Housing-for Guardian Belikov, with an oversized bed. I knew that-child in the picture, or not-they'd likely jump the other if they hadn't been together since their time at St Vlad's.
