Author's note: This started out as a one shot, but it kind of grew. I hope you don't mind. ;) There is some Russian spoken in this and I will post translations at the bottom of the chapter. The next one will be up maybe tomorrow. We'll have to see.

Happy reading!

Court

A Sydrian Fanfiction

By Danielle Cheri

Chapter One

"Rose!" Josh exclaimed as he threw himself at the guardian.

She laughed and picked him up. "Hey there, Joshua! My goodness, you're getting so big."

"Mommy says I growed almost a whole foot since you seen me last."

"I think that's about right." She smiled at Adrian. "Hello, old friend."

He smiled back. "Hi."

"Rose, I have a new sister." Josh said.

"I heard. How do you like that?"

He shrugged. "She cries a lot. And she's stinky."

She laughed. "Well, that sounds about right."

"But she's still pretty."

"I bet she is. And where is she?" She asked Adrian.

He smiled affectionately and ruffled his son's hair. "With Mommy in the bathroom. She got impatient to eat, so Sydney is feeding her. They'll be out in a minute."

"Then I guess we can get your things and start to load the car so that Mommy doesn't have to wait." She put Josh down and he immediately slipped his hand into hers.

"Where are the others?" Adrian asked as he picked up their bags.

She smiled, "Around."

Just then, Eddie appeared in the crowd. He nodded his head and made his way toward them.

"Uncle Eddie!" Josh exclaimed when he saw him.

"Hey, there, Josh." He kneeled down. "Ivanna is really excited that you're here for her party. She's been asking about you."

He blushed and looked away.

Adrian laughed and ruffled the boy's hair. "He's been asking about her, too."

Josh pressed his face into his father's leg.

Sydney emerged from the bathroom with the carrier and diaper bag in one hand and a tiny baby against her shoulder. "Hello, everyone. They send you out on these missions, Rose?" She asked as Adrian took the baby from her.

"You're very special guests of the queen's sister. She begged." She grinned at Eddie as he fawned over the baby. "And her husband begged." Her phone rang and she picked it up. "Da?" She paused. "My nakhodimsya na puti." She put the phone away. "Ready to head out?"

"Sure." Adrian kissed the baby's face before he put her in her carrier. "This is Marti, by the way."

Rose leaned down. "Hey, there, cutie. You look just like your daddy."

"She has Mommy's eyes." He commented lovingly.

"You better not wake her, Adrian." Sydney warned.

He chuckled and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Don't worry, honey. She'll see eventually."

Rose held onto Josh's hand as they walked outside. Her eyes were constantly studying the area around them. Eddie was the same, but he spoke with Adrian about life as a new father.

"Niki is a good baby for the most part, but I don't think I've ever been so tired. I mean, I've had my share of assignments with sleepless nights, but this is nothing."

Adrian laughed. "Marti's the same. She still sleeps a lot, but when she's awake, she lets you know it."

"And Ivanna." He shook his head. "God I love that kid, but she's always asking questions."

Sydney laughed. "It's what you wanted, right?"

He chuckled, "Yeah. Most of her questions are pretty thoughtful."

"Well, you're lucky she wants to know so much."

They got to the car. Dimitri smiled and greeted everyone. Josh stared up at him in wonder.

"Hi, Dimitri." He said in awe.

Dimitri chuckled and kneeled down. "Hello, Joshua."

"Can I watch you fight again?" He asked.

"Maybe we can arrange something." He grinned. He stood and leaned over Marti. "Ah, kak sladko eto odin?"

"Ona nastol'ko mala." Rose commented close to him. It seemed a little sad.

"Me pogovorim pozzhe." Her boyfriend said softly.

"Ya sdelal s razgovora. U nas svad'ba planiruyetsya." She smiled.

Sydney remembered Russian from her time as an Alchemist. It was one of the many languages she'd learned. She made a mental note to ask what the conversation was about later.

Marti fussed as they rode along. Adrian leaned over her and soothed her. She only got louder.

"She's not a huge fan of cars." Sydney explained to the others.

"It's fine." Dimitri said from the driver's seat.

"Mommy, look!" Josh exclaimed as they neared the walls of Court.

"I see, baby. Remember when Daddy and I told you that Daddy grew up here?"

He nodded.

"We're going to stay in his apartment. It's kind of small compared to our house."

"Is Yeats really okay?"

She laughed. "Of course he is. He's a cat and can take care of himself. But Grandma will check on him anyway."

He nodded again and went back to staring in wonder as the walls loomed closer. "Uncle Eddie, where do you and Aunt Jill live?"

"We live in a big apartment called a penthouse. It's way at the top of a really tall building about a block from the palace." He explained.

"Can we go there, Mommy?"

"That's up to your uncle." She said, combing her fingers through his hair.

"Jill and I would love to have you over." The guardian said kindly.

"Yay!" Josh exclaimed.

The adults chuckled.

"But, I think we need to see her majesty first." Rose said. "She's been wanting to meet you for a while, Josh."

"Me?" He said softly.

"Oh, yes." Rose said, turning in her seat. "She and your daddy have been good friends for a long time. And she wants to see how much you really do look and act like him."

"Which is exactly like him." Sydney said with a sly grin. He kissed her son's hair. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

"We need to go somewhere else before we go to the palace." Adrian said softly, rubbing Marti's little arm.

"Where?" Rose asked.

"There's someone else that needs to meet them. A couple soneones, actually."

"Only one of those is going to be receptive." Sydney said softly.

"We're going to try." He said adamantly.

Eddie took charge of sending their bags to the apartment. Rose escorted the family to the Ivashkov manor. Dimitri returned to the palace to inform Lissa about the arrival.

The door opened and they were ushered inside by a butler. Nathan met them in the foryer.

"Lord Ivashkov." Rose said in greeting.

"Ivashkov?" Josh asked. "Like us?"

The man looked down on the boy. "So you actually brought them?"

"We were invited to Court by the queen personally." Adrian explained to his father. "Our children specifically. We thought their grandparents would like to meet them."

"Who is that man, Mommy?" Josh asked loudly.

Nathan scoffed. "Just a man who simply happens to have the same last name as you."

"Dad, please, give them a chance." Adrian begged.

"I've given enough chances. Now you have two dhampir children." He made a face as though the sound of the words tasted wrong.

"They are just children. Innocent children. Who are very well-loved by their parents." Adrian argued.

He leaned close to Adrian and sneered. "I don't acknowledge them. And you aren't welcome in my home."

"Nathan." Daniella said from nearby. "Don't I get a say in this?"

All eyes turned to Adrian's mother.

"I'd like to meet my grandchildren."

Nathan glared at her and then looked toward the group huddled before him. "After today, don't ever come back." He stormed out of the room.

"I'm sorry about that. It has been a matter of contention between us for a long time." She stepped forward and smiled down at the boy. "Hello, there. Are you Joshua?"

He nodded. "Who are you?"

"My name is Daniella. I'm your grandmother."

He smiled and threw his arms around her waist.

She laughed and lifted him up. "You look exactly like your father at your age. Right down to those beautiful emerald eyes."

He wrapped his arms around her neck. "You're really pretty."

"Thank you. You're quite handsome yourself." She kissed his forehead. "Introduce me to your sister." She requested.

They leaned over the carrier hooked over Sydney's arm. "That's Marti."

"Her middle name's Daniella." Adrian said softly.

She smiled at her son and reached out a hand to place in his cheek. "She looks like you, too. My goodness. No denying you're their father, is there?"

He chuckled. "No. Marti at least has her mother's eyes."

"Well, that's fortunate." She kissed her son's cheek. "I'd ask you to stay, but…"

"I know. Dad's still a sourpuss. I thought for a while after the wedding… But the kids…" He smiled at his son and tickled his neck. "They're a blessing to us, anyway."

"I bet they are." She kissed Josh and then put him on the ground. "Let's meet somewhere." She leaned down. "I know the best place to get ice cream around here."

"Can we, Daddy?" He asked eagerly.

"Yes. We'll see how the queen and Aunt Jill schedule us and then Grandma Daniella can tell us about that ice cream place."

"Grandma Daniella will wait by the phone for your call." She tweaked his nose. "It was very lovely meeting you, Joshua."

"You too, Grandma."

She leaned over the carrier. "Bye-bye, Marti. I look forward to holding you next time I see you." She wrapped Sydney in a hug. "It was great to see you, Sydney."

"And you, Daniella." She hugged back.

"Let me know something soon, Adrian." She hugged him close.

"I will, Mom."

"I love you so much, son." She whispered.

"I love you too." He gripped her tightly.

They said their goodbyes. Josh was very excited and wouldn't stop talking about how pretty his "other grandma" was.

Adrian took over carrying Marti and slipped an arm around his wife's waist. "You okay?" He asked.

"Why are you asking me?"

"I just want to know. Not just about what happened, but physically."

"Physically I'm fine." She sighed. "That other thing, not so much."

"Same here."

They walked in silence the rest of the way. Well, the adults did. Josh continued to talk.

He asked suddenly, "Rose, does my grandpa not like me because I'm like you?"

She looked over her shoulder at Adrian and Sydney. She lifted the boy up onto her shoulders. "Josh, in life you will find a few people around here aren't too happy you exist, I'm sorry to say. But your mommy and daddy love you. Jill and Eddie love you." She looked up at him. "Even I love you. You don't need a whole lot of people in your life to love you as long as the people that love you do it for the right reasons."

"Does Dimitri love me?" He asked.

She laughed. "Yeah, I think he does."

"Good. Can he show me how to fight?"

"That's up to your mommy and daddy." She put him down and he turned to his parents.

"Please?"

"We'll see." Sydney said, apprehension in her eyes.

"Yes!" He said punching the air.

"Is that a 'no'?" Rose asked softly as they walked into the palace.

"Adrian wants him to learn eventually anyway." She looked between her son and her husband as they talked. Her husband was pointing out some artifacts. "Are you and Dimitri okay?"

"Of course. Why do you ask?"

"Ty zabud', chto ya govoryu na russkom?" She said softly.

Rose blushed. "He kind of wants a baby. And I kind of do too. But it will take a lot. And I would be out for the count for a while. I don't really know if I want that." She shrugged. "We've got the wedding plans underway. We don't need another thing to stress over. Of course he said we could call the wedding off. It was just a 'small frivolity,' he called it."

"Rose, you have to do what makes you happy."

"I am happy. Lissa is having another baby. So that's six kids we're in charge of already. And the good thing about them is we can send them home eventually. If we had our own, we'd be stuck. Not that I would care too much…but I love what I do. I don't know if being a full-time mom would change it."

"It changes everything." Sydney said softly. "Don't do it if you don't want it."

She stopped. "But sometimes I do. It's weird coming from me, isn't it?"

"No." Sydney pulled her along. "So how would you go about it?"

"Go to a human doctor. I don't want to have to try to find a Moroi guy to donate. That would be too weird. To make more dhampir babies, we usually just do it the old fashioned way." She grinned and elbowed Sydney. "Know what I mean?"

Sydney laughed. "Yeah, well, you do what you have to." She winked.

Translations:

Dimitri: How sweet is this one?

Rose: She is so small.

Dimitri: We will talk later.

Rose: I am done with talking. We have a wedding to plan.

Then later:

Sydney: Did you forget I speak Russian?