THE IDEA FOR THIS FANFIC COMES FROM "BOARDING SCHOOL IN SIBERIA", BY LILLIAN85. SHE WRITES AMAZINGLY, AND HAS GRACIOUSLY LENT ME THE IDEA. IT'S STILL HER'S, THOUGH. AND TO UNDERSTAND THIS BETTER, YOU SHOULD PROBABLY READ HERS.

I was pacing around the heavily fortified car, almost singing with excitement. We were parked outside the Tolmachevo airport, waiting for Lissa's flight to land. She was to stay with me for the summer. I'd been at St. Nicholas Academy for the last year or so, and it had really grown on me, and I really wanted Lissa to see it, and to be here with me during graduation. Amazingly, both, my mom and dad said they'd be there. In fact, Abe had said that he would even be there for my final test. I was touched, and honestly a little weirded out by the gesture.

Though Svetlogorsk was 1342 kilometers away from Novosibirsk, it had been decided that it would be the safest if Lissa landed in a crowded place. As it was, we did have eleven other tickets booked in her name, as decoys. There was heavy security and guardians were everywhere, eyeing everyone with suspicion. A few even looked at me distrustfully, but when they saw the glint of silver tucked away in my belt, they looked away quickly.

Dimitri was leaning against the car sexily, all calm and collected, while I jumped around like a seven year old on a sugar rush. "Leaping around won't bring her here any sooner, Rose." He told me, sounding amused.

"Whatever, Comrade. You'd be this excited if it was Ivan, wouldn't you?" I shot at him.

"Not like this, Rose. You're about to bring the airport down and the security right on top of you." He shook his head.

"Tell me, Dimitri, were you ever a child? Or did you just drop out of the sky this size? Don't you ever think of anything fun?" I said, pouting. Before he could respond though, I saw a flash of blonde hair before something light landed right on top of me. Had it not been screaming, "Rose I missed you!" I would definitely have broken its nose.

"Lissa! Oh my god, I missed you too!" I said, hugging her back. She looked beautiful as always, but a little tired.

"Have you not been sleeping, Liss?" I asked, my brow furrowing automatically.

"It's just jetlag, Rose. Where's the maternal streak coming from?" She said nonchalantly, but I knew something was wrong, and I intended to ask her about it sooner or later. Preferably sooner.

"Hello, princess. I trust you had a comfortable flight?" Guardian Katic asked her.

"Yes, I did. But then again, there were so many guardians, I felt like I was going into war."

I sniggered while Guardian Katic looked around awkwardly for want of something to say.

"It's a long drive to the academy, princess. Would you like some refreshment before we start?" Guardian Kulikovskaya, whose name I can only spell, not pronounce, asked her.

"But Guardian K, I thought we'd eat on the way."

"It's polite to ask nonetheless, Hathaway." She said to me. She reminded me of Alberta in many ways.

"Of course, Guardian K."

"K?" Lissa asked, cocking her head to one side.

"Stands for Kulikovskaya." The tall guardian told her. "But Hathaway here has trouble pronouncing it."

"You botch my name pretty bad yourself, Guardian K. Hathaway's not even complicated." I retorted.

She turned away, but I knew she was grinning. She led us to a different vehicle.

I whistled. "Woah, Liss. I know you're gonna follow Tatiana and all," For which I got jabbed in the ribs, "but this is a bit much, isn't it?" I said, staring at the long limo appreciatively.

"Uhm, I asked for a Porsche?" It sounded like a question.

"Sorry, princess, but you, Hathaway and Belikov are going to have some company, and we didn't want you to be uncomfortable." Guardian Katic rejoined the conversation.

"Oh." Was all either of us could say. Dimitri, quiet as usual, held the door open for us.

The first thing I saw in the car was a luxuriant, purple dress. Then I saw the person in it, and my mouth fell open. It was my mother. Only after that did I realize that she was not alone. Dressed soberly for him, was Abe. Abe! In a black suit, with a bright purple tie, pocket square and cuff links to match the exact shade of my mother's dress. I was pretty sure I'd never seen her in a dress before.

"Zmey, what's up?" I said, nodding at my mother. Lissa sat in the back, next to Dimitri, whose callused hands were the only thing holding me back from unleashing the million questions I had, the first one being why, oh why, was my mother in a dress?

"How've you been, Rose?" My mother asked me.

"Not too bad, mom. You?" I refused to accept that I did like this school. I had sworn to her that I'd hate it, and even if it was a lie, I was going to stand by it.

"Fine." Ever the conversationalist.

"How 'bout you, Zmey? You showed up early. I thought you said you'd be here the day before finals?"

"Circumstances change, Rose." He said, winking. I frowned, knowing something was wrong. What does it mean when your parents (okay, maybe not your parents,) show up early, together in a limo, flirting like they're 15, and your best friend looks like she's been dragged through fifty feet of shit under rock bottom?

Dimitri's hand was stroking my thigh now, and though I was sure he meant it to be a comforting gesture…that was not how it was received. I blamed hormones. I clutched his had tightly, and hoped he realized what he was doing to me. By the looks of it, he enjoyed my helplessness. He didn't stop, if you were wondering.

Looking like he'd just noticed her, Abe dipped his head in Lissa's direction, saying, "Princess, so glad you're safe."

"Thank you, Abe." They had exchanged a secretive look. What the hell was that about? And really, could they not act a little better? They'd made it hella obvious that there was something going on there.

"And you, Belikov?"

"I'm good too, sir." Dimitri said, conveying that he knew this something as well. Why was I the only one who didn't know? My mother was tapping away on her blackberry, but with one ear cocked on the conversation.

Subtle as always, I said into the awkward silence, "What the hell are you people not telling me?"