After a long yet particularly dull meeting with one of his advisors, Sarov contemplated his life. His sat back in the chair in his study and tried to relax his muscles. Despite the exhaustion and annoyances that came with his position, he would not trade it for anything else. Sarov had a beautiful manor to call home, loyal citizens that adored him, and a child. It was strange that such a terrible event that caused the deaths of many had treated him to such a delightful life.

It had not been easy. It could have been all taken away from him had Conrad not gotten suspicious about the boy. He brought up the suggestion of a search and something told Sarov to allow it. It was then that Conrad discovered the little figurine and its dangerous qualities. Sarov had been sore with Alex, but he knew he couldn't blame him for his dedication. Alex had only wanted to do good by his country, however misguided his actions were. When the time came to see to the fall of Russia, Sarov noticed a few tears escape from the boy. It had saddened him that Alex had not accepted his fate, but it also told Sarov to be careful at all times.

After whisking the boy off the plane and to his new home, Sarov laid down the main rules. Alex was no longer a spy or a defender for Great Britain. He belonged to Sarov and his new nation. Alex's days were filled with schoolwork, studying, and activities befitting a boy of his status. He rode horses, got to play tennis, and once in a while he took up running outside. He had books to read and music to listen to, all varying in taste but age-appropriate. Sarov told Alex in the beginning that he expected him to be obedient and mindful of the way he talked to his father. Oh, there had been little rebellions at the start. Alex had angrily crumpled up a copy of his name change certificate and thrown it in the trash. He had refused to learn the Russian language and sulked at meal times. Sarov had been tempted to whip him, angered by Alex's insolence and his inability to see how fortunate he was. It had been one of his advisors who had stopped him and gave him a piece of parental advice.

Sasha had noticed his frustration with the child and pulled him aside one day. "He is a young boy. Is he disrespectful? Perhaps, but that is how it is between father and son sometimes," she had said. "I cannot go whipping my daughters around, even though they can be short with me. If you want Alexander to put his trust in you, you must show him how much you care for him and his well-being."

"What more can I do? He has everything! He is not even willing to compromise with me," Sarov had said to her. He had listed all of Alex's childish acts.

"This land and house is foreign to him. He has to settle in. He will accept his new surname in time and he will have to learn Russian eventually. As for the moodiness at the dining table, I would suggest talking to him like a son. Ask him about his day, what he did during his lessons," Sasha had explained. "Things will fall into place. And if you are set on punishing him, do so as any parent would. Whippings are for prisoners, spanking is for children."

Sarov had mulled over her advice and in the end, he realized he was keeping the boy as a captive and he needed a different approach. Sarov tried to design a less rigid curriculum for Alex, one that would catch his interest. He asked him questions over dinner and gradually, the answers came without reluctance. Sarov had rarely used the discipline suggested by Sasha, but when he did, Alex tried to avoid the behavior that had brought it on. It had taken a year for the total attitude adjustment, but Sarov thought that was not bad, considering how headstrong Alex was.

Sarov mulled over this as he looked out the window. He could see Alex outside. He was kicking a ball around with one of his guards. It made Sarov happy to see his son indulging in average pleasures, but he knew Alex needed a social life of his own. The New Year's event was on the horizon and other associates had been invited. Sarov had requested the presence of one man in particular, and the host had obliged. The man had been a good friend of his back in the day, but they were out of touch up until a few months ago. They had been in the military together, him and Igor. Igor got out of the military while Sarov stayed in. Sarov learned that after leaving the army, Igor married and had three children. He worked in law now and raised his young ones.

Sarov had mentioned the upcoming dinner and the idea of Igor's children meeting Alex. His friend had been excited by the idea. Sarov had sensed that Igor knew about the loss of Vladimir and this was his way of helping him overcome the grief. Sarov had hoped for a male friend for Alex and had been a bit disappointed to hear that only one of Igor's children was male, but he'd been assured that they would all become close.

"Svetlana, she is the oldest. She is away at university right now. It's her third year," Igor had said over the phone. "So she won't be at the dinner. However, Katya and Dmitry, they will be present. Katya is 16 and Dima is 15."

Sarov was hopeful for the future. Alex had become so accepting of his life right now that the man knew it would only be a matter of time before his son became a man.

"I know he isn't your biological son," Nikita said. "But he truly resembles you, Alexei. It must be the hair."

"It must be the way he glares at people," Grigori joked. "I don't think I've seen the Alexei Sarov stare so closely mimicked by another human being."

Alex reddened at the comments. Why did everyone insist on comparing him to that man? He was nothing like him. Perhaps it was the fact he had let the man groom him as he saw fit. Right now, he looked more like a celebrity than a spy. He was wearing the suit Sarov had gotten for him and his hair had been artfully arranged by a stylist at the manor. When they had entered the mansion, Alex noticed a few faces darting his way, and he bet that it had nothing to do with his outfit.

Sarov chuckled. "Stop embarrassing him. He doesn't like this attention."

"I understand. My children aren't fans of compliments either," Nikita replied. "It was good to see you again, Alexei."

"We're sorry to leave so soon, but we have work early tomorrow," Grigori added.

"Of course. Goodbye. I hope this new year goes well for the both of you," Sarov said.

"Goodbye," Alex chimed in. He had no desire to speak to the men, but he knew Sarov would want him to be polite. "I hope you get home safely."

Nikita and Grigori thanked them for their time and bid the two farewell. Alex watched them duck into the crowd and search for their wives from his seat. The Sarov family, consisting of two, had been assigned seating at a table at the end of the large ballroom. That didn't stop guests from coming up to them and chatting them up. Alex shouldn't have been so annoyed. They were unaware of his situation and Alex knew that there were worse places to be than a fancy dinner. He just hated the fact that he was being displayed as Sarov's precious miracle, the boy to replace the hole left by Vladimir. He hadn't changed from Rider to Sarov willingly.

"Alex," the General said, cutting into his train of thought. "What did you think of Nikita and Grigori?"

"They seemed nice." He shrugged. "I could have done without the sycophantic behavior."

Sarov let out a laugh. "I must admit, they did seem to be overdoing it. But I know they are loyal to my cause and to this nation." He paused to appraise his son. "And they were right when they said you looked like me."

Alex shifted his focus to his bowl of soup. He picked up his spoon and played with the dark broth before deciding he should ask what he wanted to ask. "Is this for appearances' sake or do you like these dinners?"

The General didn't seem offended by the question. "I do not attend these events often, it is true, but these dinners allow me to meet with companions. I had hoped you would take advantage of the celebration and make some friends of your own."

Alex couldn't help himself. "Make some friends? How can I do that with my guards hovering over me, intent on listening to my every conversation? You yourself said you didn't want me wandering off."

They both knew why Alex was restricted during these parties. The General had no wish for Alex to escape. At the very first dinner he had gone to, Alex had tried to run away. He was followed by two guards, but he had forced a conversation with nearly every guest in the hopes that he could get near an exit of some kind. He hadn't found one convenient enough. Alex just couldn't locate a good opportunity to escape. It wouldn't have mattered anyways, since Alex didn't have the necessary tools to make his getaway. He had no cell phone, no form of transportation, and no money to get him away from Sarov. Not to mention that his guards were probably equipped with some gadget that would paralyze him. Alex had understood, from the General's perspective, why his behavior was so cautious, but he had no clue as to why the man expected him to be a social butterfly under these conditions.

"That is my failure as your father and I acknowledge it. I do all these things because I want you to realize life is better with me, not because I want you to be a pariah," Sarov said. "I want these normal things for you. I want you to have friends, spend time with them, all these things. So I am trying. That's why I arranged for Igor and his children to come, so you can have these experiences. Alex, do not be too upset. You are still only sixteen and there is plenty of time for you to make friendships."

He certainly had the gall, to make it seem like Alex's well-being was his number one interest. Sarov may have not beaten him or yelled at him, but he was delusional for expecting Alex to become so situated for his captivity. The boy mashed his teeth and stared down at his napkin. "I had friendships in England," Alex muttered, not giving a damn how Sarov would react.

The General said nothing. He simply stood up from his seat and walked away. Alex had wondered if that was the end of it, but about fifteen minutes later, Sarov emerged from the crowd with three figures trailing behind him. Alex had stopped eating long enough to see who it was. They didn't look like the average Russian citizen. The oldest, the man near the General's age, was lean and tall. He had no fat about him. His hair was completely gray. The younger ones looked like they were around his age. There was a boy and a girl. They both had fair hair, blue eyes, and big smiles. The boy was in a suit and had his hair gelled back whereas the girl was in a billowy white dress.

Sarov led them to the table and gestured to the empty seats. The girl got the chair nearest to Alex. Sarov and the man were close to one another. "Alex, this is Igor. These are his children, Katya and Dmitry."

Alex got up to shake the father's hand. "Nice to meet you." It was only half a lie. He had no wish to be further affiliated with the General's supporters, but it was lonely by himself. The least that these teenagers could offer was the opportunity to converse with someone other than his captor or his guards.

"Your father has said a lot about you over the phone," Igor commented with a smile. "How are you, Alex?"

"I'm doing well, sir."

"Perhaps it would be good for us to leave the children alone," Sarov said. "Let's say you and I catch up together, Igor."

"Ah, all right. Katya, Dmitry, we'll be close by." And with that, the three of them were by themselves. Alex's guards were still with them, however. One was in the corner while two were seated at the table, just a few spaces down. It was the best Alex could ask for.

"So...how is your week so far?" Katya asked. Her voice broke a little, probably from nerves.

"I'm preparing for an exam," Alex responded. "It's a few days after New Year's."

"Oh. I hate exams," Katya said.

Her brother took over from there. "My teachers already gave most of their tests. Do you also go to a private school?"

"No, my father has tutors for me," Alex said. "I learn everything at home."

"That sounds better than private school. Do you get to stay in and sleep? I think I'll ask Papa if we can do that too."

"I hate it," Alex blurted out. "It's just these two tutors every week. But sometimes my father comes in and teaches a lesson."

"What do you do when you're not learning?" Katya asked.

Alex wondered then if Sarov had said anything about their arrangement. Had Igor blinked an eye to this or did he support kidnapping? Alex didn't want to say anything too offensive or revealing if Katya or Dmitry were just going to repeat everything back to their father. He settled on a safe answer, one that was true but generic enough to satisfy Sarov if he ever heard it.

"I read, mostly. I like the old Russian authors but there were some modern books I really enjoyed."

There. What could Sarov say to that? The man had supplied all these books in the first place.

"Did you ever read The Willows? It was published two years ago. It's my favorite," Dmitry said.

Actually, Alex had read it. It was one of the first books he read while in captivity. "It was great," he said.

"Our older sister met the author at her university last year, for a student event," Katya mentioned. "She said he was fascinating. Let me tell you what he did the moment he got there."

"A new year," Igor said as they clock changed. "New opportunities. My children seem to be having a nice conversation with Alex."

"They do seem to be getting on well," Sarov noted. "That's a relief. He should be forming his own circle by now. What do you suppose they're talking about?"

"Whatever teenagers are interested in these days. Television…"

"I don't let my son watch television," Sarov said. "He listens to the radio."

Igor raised his eyebrows. "All right. I can assure you they won't be talking about any radio programs. Maybe school?"

"Alex is schooled at home by his tutors."

"See, this is why socialization is important. Dima is a boy, Alex is a boy, they'll figure it out. Katya… Katya, I think…"

"What?" The General looked at Igor sharply.

"I think my daughter may be nursing a crush," Igor said, laughing. He set down his wine glass and looked in the direction of the teenagers. They were engaged in whatever they were discussing.

"A crush? Igor, you never mentioned this to me over the phone. He's sixteen! That's too… I told you about my divorce."

"I know, I know how it was between you and her. Alex needs friends and a girlfriend is a normal part of being a youth," Igor said. "I doubt anything will happen. Katya is much too shy."

"Quite bold of you, Igor, to bring her here," Sarov murmured. "Should I be vetting you all?"

"You worry too much, friend." Igor emptied the contents of his glass. "Did Alex even receive the talk yet?"

Sarov stood up from his seat. "All right, I'm going over there to see what they're talking about. Alex has lessons the next day and I have work."

Igor chuckled to himself as he watched his friend depart. This would be an interesting year indeed.