Operation Parent Trap

by TheSovietsAreHere

Alfred and Natalya fell in love. The first month of their meeting, they were married. Three months later, the couple found out to be expecting twin baby girls. Unfortunately, after certain events, the two divorced from one another. 11 years later, the two daughters discover their existence and agree to work together to have their parents reunite. Based on "The Parent Trap".

10. Ch9: A Welcome Home Surprise in America

Chapter 9: A Welcome Home Surprise in America

Anastasia could feel her heart pounding as she took the steps down the jet she had ridden on. This is it, she thought to herself while looking around the area. One thing she noticed upon entering the new state was that it was very hot unlike Maine. It was even hotter than it would be in Moscow, but she embraced it rather than let her mind complain about it.

The Russian girl went over to baggage first to claim her belongings before turning around. As Anneliese had told her, their father would be picking her up to bring her home. It took only a minute or so until her eyes made contact with a blonde she had seen in the multiple photos that Anneliese had shown her.

"Hey 'Lise!" She heard be called out as the man was waving out to her, "Welcome home, kiddo!"

Oh gosh, there he is… Anastasia could feel her heart leap out of her chest at that very moment. That was her father - her father! The one who her mother was once deeply in love with and had her and Anneliese with. By the look on his face, he seemed almost like an excited child with his daughter finally returning after long last.

It took her less than a second before she was walking through the crowds of people who had just exited the jet as well. She immediately approached the blonde man, whose glasses were on the top of his head, he wore a simple white dress shirt, some jeans, a silver watch and some normal sneakers. All-in-all, he was exactly how she imagined him; the stereotypical American dad.

"Get into these arms you 'lil punk," Alfred had smiled at 'Anneliese' now and held out his arms to her. It was at that very moment where Anastasia had dropped her belongings and indeed jumped into her father's arms in a tight embrace.

"Dad…" Finally… She couldn't help but to think to herself as she was picked up by the other and spun around. Alfred had held his daughter tightly; placing kisses on her cheek. The smile on Anastasia's face was enough to show just how happy she was to be with him after long last. It may have seemed to be eight weeks for Alfred without seeing his daughter, but he had no idea how long it truly had been.

Once she was put down, Alfred had picked up her belongings and couldn't help but to bend his legs a bit so they were at a similar height. He pinched her cheek; making Anastasia blush in embarrassment while he chuckled, "Oh 'Lise, I hope you had a lousy time at that camp because you are not going back next year," He expressed while wrapping an arm around her, leading her out of the crowded area, "It was so quiet without ya! I missed you way too much, so you better not go again."

Anastasia found herself laughing to herself. Her father was really the kind of a jokester. Then again, it was an expected response from a parent who hasn't seen their child the entire summer.

As the two walked, Alfred kept his focus up ahead so he could see where they were going, "What happened to you, Anneliese?" He chuckled and placed a hand on her head now, "Did you get taller? And without letting me know?!" Of course, he was only joking again. In response to the question though, all Anastasia did was shrug innocently since she didn't even know if she did grow in the first place. Maybe it was the fact that she was a bit taller than Anneliese? In all truths, she was unsure.

"So… what's up, dad?" Anastasia pulled out the American accent she had learned through Anneliese. It was much more difficult than it seemed, seeing that there were certain words that she had difficulty pronouncing. But that was only due to the fact that she was a child that knew many languages, "I mean like, how's uncle Matt and everyone?"

"Great, everybody's great. Can't wait to see you," Alfred responded as the two eventually approached a large pick-up truck that had been parked in the parking lot of the airport. He opened the door for the other before placing her belongings in the back of the vehicle, "Everyone's very excited to see you." Once 'Anneliese' was buckled in her seat, Alfred had climbed into the driver's side of the car and started up the engine, "You know 'Lise, eight weeks is too damn long. A lot has happened since you were gone."

As they pulled out of the parking lot, Anastasia rested her hands in her lap as she giggled to herself at the response. She could only imagine back in Moscow too, a lot had happened during her absence, "A lot has happened to me too, dad. I mean, I feel like I'm practically a new woman."

This made her father laugh in response. It was a cute response to any parent, so he laughed rightfully so. However, one thing that he did notice was how intently the other had been staring at him. So upon approaching a stoplight, he turned to face her, "What, did I cut myself while shaving this morning?" He began as he reached over to pinch her nose gently, making the girl burst out laughing instantly.

"No, no - it's not that," Anastasia responded once the other had let go of her nose; her cheeks still reddened from embarrassment. She shook her head as she spoke, which made Alfred raise a brow in curiosity to hear what his daughter would respond with, "It just feels like I haven't seen you in a long time…" She cut herself off before correcting what she meant to say, "I mean, yeah, eight weeks is a good time away from home."

Once the light had turned into a green one, Alfred had moved forward with the vehicle while listening to 'Anneliese's' response. He was nodding in agreement with her about it being very long, however, Anastasia didn't notice this due to seeing where they were.

Almost instantly, the setting shifted from large buildings around the area to a beautiful scenery of trees, large fields, and an open road. She was aware that they lived in a vineyard, but she wasn't expecting the environment to have so much nature surrounding it. Anastasia found herself pressed against the window in amazement. This was something a person would never see in Moscow, seeing that the area was a city and there was always something going on.

"Oh, by the way," Alfred began as he reached into the back seat and put his glasses on his face, followed by a white cowboy hat on. This made Anastasia's brows rise in amusement, but she didn't comment on it, "Thanks for all of the letters," He said in a sarcastic tone, "I'm glad to see that the stationary you begged for was put into good use."

This made Anastasia freeze. Did Anneliese really not write to their father the entire camp? Anastasia had been writing a letter at least once a week to her mother - but Anneliese couldn't find the time to do the same? Perhaps it was because the two were so busy with the plan that she may have forgotten about it. Still, she knew Anneliese would owe her one for covering her this time.

"We meant to write, dad-" Anastasia insisted as she gave out a nervous chuckle; trying to reassure the other that it wasn't intentional.

Alfred paused when hearing the response and couldn't help but to give a quick glance at the other, "We?"

"Oh!" Accidentally almost spilled the beans again… Luckily this would be easy for her to recover from, "Me and my friend. I met this girl at camp and we became really close," The entire time Alfred listened to her, he nodded in response with a smile on his face. Anastasia was surprised to see just how much the man smiled. If she were talking to her mother and was questioned about how she didn't write, she wouldn't hear the end of it, "We're practically like sisters."

This made Alfred turn his head over to Anastasia with his brows risen in amusement. It was a response he wasn't expecting to hear, but it was one that did make sense for any pair of girls that became close at summer camp, "That's great. I'm glad to hear."

Anastasia nodded and turned her head towards the shield of the car so she could continue to admire the scenery. Even though they were almost at the house, she wanted to admire the drive as long as she could, "She was a very lovely girl."

Those words were enough to get Alfred to burst out laughing. Thus, Anastasia became confused. Why was he laughing all of the sudden? She was telling the truth. This 'friend' she made was probably one of the closest she'll have for a long time, now knowing the truth between the both of them.

"Lovely?" Alfred turned to his daughter again once he managed to calm down from his laughter. It was honestly the funniest thing hearing 'Anneliese' of all people sound so proper, "All of the sudden, you're so proper?" He chuckled and adjusted his hat before reaching over and grabbing his daughter's hand. Anastasia looked at him in confusion as the other examined her hands, "You may be using proper words, but you're still biting your nails, huh missy?"

This was her opportunity to shift the conversation. Anastasia pulled her hand back after a moment and nodded, "You noticed, dad!"

"Of course I'd notice," The man responded after taking a turn on a private road. This was enough of an indicator that they were getting closer as the seconds passed, "You've been biting them since you could chew."

In response to the claim, Anastasia chuckled nervously. It was probably the same that Anneliese would do if she was called out on something - and to be called out, it seemed to be a frequent thing that occurred with Anneliese. Even at camp, Anastasia would call her sister out on the silliest things, which made sense… Seeing that Anneliese was a very silly girl, "And thus, I've decided it'd a horrid habit and it'll be best to stop."

"First lovely, now thus, and then horrid habit?" Laughter came from Alfred once again. Anastasia wanted to facepalm herself. Sometimes she found it unique with having such a proper way of speaking English… But at times like these, especially with being American, she was putting her American roots to shame with not using the slang-kind of English, as her mother would describe it, with her own father. "Did I send my daughter to summer camp or preparatory school?"

It was only two seconds after Alfred had said this that the both of them were laughing. Now Anastasia understood why Anneliese and their father had such a good bond. It wasn't always the strict parenting type of relationship - it was almost as if they were friends rather than daughter and father. It silently made her wish that after the plan came to an end, maybe Alfred would be able to see her as Anastasia and not as Anneliese.

Anastasia calmed her laughter after a moment and gasped now when seeing the sign they had just driven through, "Oh my god!" Jones' Vineyard - this had to be place. The vineyard where the grapes were grown to make the wine for her father's business… It was so beautiful!

"Now there's my Anneliese; startin' to sound like your normal self again." Alfred began as they pulled up into the driveway of a large home. This made Anastasia's jaw drop at the sight of it. She knew the home she had back home was relatively large, but this one? It had to be at least ten times bigger than the one back in Moscow!

Alfred had parked the car once they had arrived. Without letting another second pass, Anastasia had climbed out of the car and exited the garage where her father had pulled in to park the vehicle. The first sounds that met her ears though, was the sounds of a dog. She froze in place now, because that was one thing that Anneliese definitely forgot to tell her. The next time she saw her sister, she would make sure to whack her on the head for not telling her that their father had a dog.

"Anneliese!" A voice came from the entrance of the garage. Anastasia turned around now in response and it was there that her eyes were met with a face that was almost similar to her father's. In this case, the man who stood at the entrance was a much shorter one (Not too short), was a darker blonde with wavy hair and darker blue eyes. That had to be Uncle Matt; she was sure of it.

Before even having the chance to say hello, her uncle had came up to her and gave her a tight hug. Anastasia returned the gesture and was about to speak, but of course the other beat her to it, "Hello gorgeous!" He began in happy laughter; giving her a kiss on the forehead while spinning her around, "Look at you!" Anastasia looked up at him now once being put down; feeling a smile draw to her lips as she remained quiet. The way Anneliese depicted Matthew was almost as if he were a quieter type of man. But she supposed that with family, it was when his true colors came out, "Aw, I missed you so much." Another hug was given before he leaned down and whispered into her ear, "I'm sure your old man was insisting that you don't go next year, but don't listen to him. You're a grown girl and need adventure in your life."

"Okay," Anastasia nodded with a small smile on her lips before following the other inside the house.

"Oh, are you hungry?" Matthew began as he opened the doors to the large home. If Anastasia was just amazed by the exterior of the house, she was just amazed by the interior of it too. From just stepping into the place, it was almost as if she had stepped inside a palace! Well, at least, a large home was her depiction of a palace in the states, "Your grandfather came by to drop off some crêpes he made, but had to leave because he had things to tend to. Don't worry though, he'll be back soon because he also wants to see you." In response to this, Anastasia simply shrugged with a smile. It wasn't the kind of response Anneliese would make at the moment, but Anastasia truly didn't know what to say, "Why are you so quiet?"

"N-Nothing!" Anastasia responded quickly as she slipped off her shoes and placed them beside the rest of the outdoor shoes that were next to the door. Followed by this, she took off the jean jacket she had worn due to it being a bit warm and tying it around her waist; revealing the yellow tank top she wore at the moment, "I'm just so happy to be home-"

"-Did I hear crêpes?" A sudden voice interrupted Anastasia as she turned around to see her father. This time, he had been carrying her belongings. He placed the belongings at the staircase to which Anastasia presumed led to the bedrooms of the house, "Well c'mon, where are they, bro?"

"Oui, on the stove," Matthew responded before instantly Alfred's face lit up almost similar to a child. This made Anastasia cover her mouth and laugh softly into it. She couldn't imagine living with her twin; well, technically she did for the summer. But her father and Matthew? It must have been so interesting to share a house with a family member. She could tell at an instant that Matthew seemed to be the one with the manners, while Alfred is the one that while he does all the business related stuff in the house, he always had his inner child.

Alas, once Alfred was gone, Matthew had wrapped an arm around his niece's shoulders and led her to the porch of the first floor of the house. Once outside, Anastasia couldn't help but notice that a table was set out with a couple of plates. It was a beautiful day outside, so perhaps the plan was to eat outside to celebrate her homecoming. But, there was one thing she noticed too. There was one plate for her, a plate for her father, a plate for Matthew, then a plate for her grandfather… But what was with the fifth plate?

"Something's changed about you, Anneliese," Matthew began as he approached the said table and poured a glass of lemonade out, followed by handing it to his niece. Anastasia nodded in thanks as she took a sip out of the cold beverage, "I can't put my finger on it, but something has definitely changed."

Anastasia smiled at the other as she finished her glass of lemonade. Honestly, it was delicious to her - it must've been homemade. Without any hesitation, she approached the pitcher of lemonade that sat on the table and poured herself another glass, "Really?" She turned to face the other with her new glass in hand, "It's just the same ol' me." With her free hand, she hid it behind her back without the other looking. She crossed over her middle finger to her index finger, all while maintaining an innocent smile on her face, "Honest!"

That was when she heard it. The sounds of barking again. Looking over her uncle's shoulder, her eyes made contact with a yellow Labrador retriever immediately making his way towards her. But instead of pouncing on her as he normally would when Anneliese was home, he instead simply barked at her. Each bark made Anastasia jump, followed by chuckle nervously as her uncle stared at her in confusion.

"What's wrong, Franklin?" Matthew put his glass of lemonade down to approach the k-9; gently patting his head to get the barking dog to calm down, "It's Anneliese!"

"Oh, it's probably just the smell of camp," Anastasia immediately responded as she reached over to pet the dog gently, who in response did calm down once being exposed to the new scent. One thing that Anastasia realized at that very moment was that dogs had very good sense of smell, so if he could easily tell that she really wasn't Anneliese… Hopefully it won't pose a problem, right? By the look of the dog calming down after she gave him a couple of pets, everything seemed to be okay now. Matthew did respond with a nod of agreement to her statement, so he must've believed it too.

Anastasia finished her second glass of lemonade now and placed it back on the table for her to return to later. From there, she proceeded back inside, but not through the same entrance she and Matthew had came through to enter the balcony. This entrance led to the living room, where Anastasia looked around and admired the beauty that came with it. Back in Moscow, the living room was big, yes, but it also felt cramped with the amount of furniture there was. There was also the fact that the ceilings were very high too, which gave the room even more of a spacey-homey feel to the environment, "Wow…" She couldn't help but to speak in her native tongue in Russian, "It's even better than the pictures…"

"Okay kiddo," Anastasia's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps making an appearance in the living room. She turned around and watched her uncle enter the entrance of the living room. Her eyes looked up to meet his as he sat down on the couch and gave her a smile, "What do you want to do first? You wanna eat, then unpack? Or we can unpack and then eat… Or we can eat while we unpack."

This made Anastasia choke on her breathing. It wasn't that she was startled or anything, but mainly shocked. Can a person go and eat while doing things at the same time? She was only allowed to eat in the dining room - nowhere else! Even if it was for a small snack, she had to eat in the dining room because a dining room was meant for eating, just as a living room was meant for lounging and a bedroom was meant for sleeping.

Anastasia nervously rubbed her neck in response, "I can eat in my room?" She asked, which brought a dumbfounded face of confusion to arise on Matthew's face.

"...Yeah? Did you forget?" He asked with a hint of laughter in his tone before standing up with his arms crossed. The suspicion of how 'Anneliese' had changed from camp really was hitting him, but as said before, he was very unsure of exactly what was different. Alas, he didn't question it further despite it ringing in his head. He laughed off her question, thinking it was very cute since for years now, the child would always eat in her room whenever given the opportunity.

Their conversation though was interrupted when a familiar voice filled the living room setting, "Hey 'Lise!" It was there that Anastasia turned around to once again meet the face of her father. This time instead of him wearing his cowboy hat from before and carrying her belongings, he had been holding a can of coca-cola and a plate of the crêpes that were mentioned before, "When you're done unpacking, come on down to the pool. There's someone I want you to meet."

"Okay dad!" Anastasia responded with her brows risen slightly. Meet who, exactly?

"Okay squirt, see you in a bit," Alfred said before stepping outside once again. It was when she heard it.

Giggling. Not just any kind of giggling, but from… A woman? Anastasia couldn't help but peek from one of the windows that connected to the entrance that her father had taken to get outside. Her expression went from a smile to a bit of a concerned one. Oh, she most certainly didn't like where this was going.

Anastasia and Matthew headed upstairs where Anneliese's room resided. The room itself was a very tidy one. The walls in the room was a light yellow tone, her curtains were white and she had the standard items that would be in a bedroom; dresser, bed, television, so nothing too different compared to her room back home. Except, her room didn't have a video game console and a multitude of stuffed animals decorated at the head of the bed. She knew Anneliese really liked stuffed animals, but she didn't realize just exactly how much.

"Who is it that dad wants me to meet?" Anastasia broke the ice now when her uncle took out her duffle bag and began taking his niece's items out of it so they could be washed. Hearing the sudden question made his eyes roll a bit since if there was one thing that 'Anneliese' missed over the summer, it was the new addition who decided to enter the household.

"Anneliese, it's none of my business if your dad decides to make a fool out of himself, which he always is doing. He's a big boy, I guess." This made Anastasia laugh slightly to herself. Anneliese made sure to express that their father wasn't the best at making decisions, and once again it seemed like he did it again… Only this time with a person she had no idea how she was affiliated with him. It was there that Matthew finished taking out 'Anneliese's' clothes and proceeded with tossing them into the dirty laundry hamper. "Her name is Alice Kirkland."

Alice Kirkland… By the last name, Anastasia could tell that the woman must've been European. From the United Kingdom, maybe? Why would her father had affiliations with someone from England? Instead, she remained quiet as her uncle continued to explain, "She's his new assistant. Your father thought that work was piling up on him with deadlines, so he hired her after you left for camp to make the task much easier… But if you ask me, she's doing a better job at selling herself than the grapes on this vineyard."

Anastasia did not like hearing where this was going. Upon noticing a camera on the bed, she reached over for it and approached the window to get a better view of the pool. That's when she saw it.

This woman had been holding onto her father's hand. Not only was she very close to him, but what made Anastasia want to gag was the sight of her kissing his neck and lowering her hands to the big no man zone. Oh no, no no no no… This is not good at all. Not good for herself, and not good for the plan that was at hand. She brought the camera viewfinder to her eyes and adjusted the lens so she could get a better close-up to what she was seeing. It was there that she saw kisses be engaged between the two, the woman's arms around her father's neck as he laughed and returned the hand gesture to her hips.

This was a nightmare only beginning.

"Look, you and I know your father isn't a suave kind of guy with the sexy abs, slicked back hair and muscles to show off." Matthew continued with a bit of a sigh. By the tone of the other's voice, Anastasia could tell that her uncle was not happy about what was going on between this 'assistant' and her father, "So what I'm wondering is what a sexy, young woman sees in a guy that walks around with a cowboy hat, a Captain America t-shirt and enjoys fast-food any chance he can have it?" As she listened to the other, Anastasia had already moved away from the window in disgust; going over to put a bathing suit on seeing that her father did request to see her down at the pool, "But then I realized there are a million reasons why that girl's giggling."

Anastasia paused while retrieving a swimsuit and looked over at Matthew. One idea in particular popped into her mind when her uncle had said that, and she sure as hell hoped it wasn't what she thought it was.

"When she was sitting with him at the bank the other day…" Matthew looked over at his niece; now crossing his arms over his chest. Just the look on his face made Anastasia's face go from disgust to a bit of anger welling up in her eyes, "The smirk on her face gave it away. And of course, your dumbass of a dad didn't even realize it."

"So, you mean…" Anastasia frowned when hearing this. Of all people, she wouldn't think that her dad would go after a woman like that! "You think she doesn't really like him?"

"Eh…" Matthew picked up the laundry hamper and motioned his hands towards the door so she could follow him. One so she could go to the bathroom to change into a swimsuit while he dealt with her laundry, "What do I know? All I'll tell you though hun, is to be careful."

To be careful… If her uncle was telling her to be careful, what exactly did she have to be careful about when meeting this woman? All she knew was at that moment she needed to back off her father and go back to wherever she came from. Whether it be England like she speculated or another part of California, to her, her father was taken. He was taken specifically by her and her sister, and no one else.

Anastasia exited the bedroom with her uncle and made her way to the bathroom as directed to. She changed into one of Anneliese's bathing suits that she found in a drawer, followed by slipping on a t-shirt that had the members of the Avengers on it. That's one thing she remembered about Anneliese too… She and their father were really big with comic books. Specifically, comic books that came from Marvel.

Once dressed, the Russian girl made her way down the stairs to the pool where her father had been waiting for her. This time, the mysterious woman and he weren't as giggly and close as before. Perhaps it was because they knew she arrived, and Anastasia was not in the best mood upon witnessing what she saw through her bedroom window.

"There's my girl," Alfred stood up from one of the tanning chairs and approached Anastasia when she arrived. On the inside, Anastasia was rolling her eyes at her father at that very moment. But on the outside, she smiled as she allowed him to take her hand to lead her to the mysterious woman who managed to catch her eye earlier, "Honey, I want you to meet a good friend of mine," A good friend of his, hm? More of a friend with sexy benefits, Anastasia gagged to herself mentally, "'Lise, this is Alice Kirkland."

It was soon that the girl was met with the eyes of the woman. Long blonde hair, green eyes, and her hair pulled back into low pigtails while to top it all off, she wore a white bikini to match the theme of her father's pool. On the top of her head, she rested her glasses, while in hand she had been holding onto a glass of what Anastasia presumed to be orange juice with possibly some rum in it.

"Hi there," The woman spoke to the child with a grin on her lips. Oh gosh, so she was English. Someone better give her an award after this, because as per usual, Anastasia was correct on the assumptions she had made back inside the house just based on the name her uncle told her.

Anastasia pushed up the sunglasses she wore up onto the top of her head. It was there that she returned the gesture with a smile and crossing her arms, "Hi…. Alice Kirkland."

It was there that the woman couldn't help but to laugh softly hearing Anastasia's tone. Alfred the entire time simply stood behind his daughter; keeping his hands on her shoulders while occasionally glancing down at the very well-behaved child in front of him.

"Wow…" Alice began as she exchanged eye contact with Alfred, "I'm so happy to finally be meeting the famous Anneliese Jones. I have looked forward to this all summer." Proper tone, very polite so far… The woman didn't seem bad. But Anastasia, her mother was much better, "Oh Alfie…" Alfie? It was at that moment where she wished someone could just push her into the pool beside her at that moment. That was something she never wanted to ever imagine hearing in her entire life, "...She's adorable! You know Anneliese, the way your father talked about you, I expected to meet a little girl… But you are so grown up."

"I'll be twelve in December," Anastasia responded in a polite tone. Even if she didn't like the woman already, she still had to play nice-daughter seeing that her father was right behind her and all. It was then when an idea popped into her head, "How old are you?"

The sudden question made the two adults laugh. Alfred because he was nervous that the question had insulted Alice, and Alice well, she simply found the question itself cute, "Twenty-four." She responded, to which Anastasia immediately looked at her father in amusement. From what she knew, back then her father and mother were married at a relatively young age of twenty-two. They were both now in their early thirties, so for her father to go after someone much younger than he was…

"That's only thirteen years older than me," The Russian girl responded with a small nod, almost as if she were approving the age, but at the same time she was giving a look to her oblivious father that said, 'Really'? Well, it made sense though. With reading a lot of novels about money-hungry women, usually they were very young, so it would make sense why she'd go after her father despite he being more of a child than an adult, "How old are you again, dad?"

"Okkkayyy," Alfred covered his daughter's mouth with another chuckle before smiling at the woman in front of him, "Wow, suddenly so interested in age, huh Anneliese?" He joked, which made Anastasia laugh in between the covered hand while Alice simply smiled at the two. Then again, Anastasia believed she had a right to know how old her father exactly was, right? "Listen, I'm gonna go inside to get something to eat and some champagne."

Anastasia turned her head to her father in confusion. What she didn't know was that champagne was used in the states to celebrate an event. To celebrate in Russia, they used vodka. "What for?" She asked once her mouth was released from her father's hand.

"Your homecoming of course," Alice responded before Alfred had left the scene to indeed retrieve the said items. Anastasia watched as her father left before turning away from the Englishwoman; removing the shirt she wore so she could take a dip into the pool. Alice seemed to notice the shy behavior that came from 'Anneliese', so to break the ice she had asked, "You know, I have never heard a man talk about his daughter the way Alfred talks about you,"

Thank goodness she didn't say 'Alfie' again. Anastasia swore if she heard that name again, she'd ask her father to push her into the pool.

"You two are very close, hm?" Alice leaned forward now, curious to see how the child would respond with. One thing that Anastasia supposed that was nice about this woman was that she was very proper and didn't really use the English-slang that came with Americans whenever they talked. That still didn't change the opinion she had formed about the Englishwoman, though.

Regardless, another nod was given by Anastasia as she sat down on the edge of the pool. She dipped her feet into the water first just so her body could adjust to the temperature. Once she believed she was at a reasonable state to jump in, she stood up, "Well you know, we're closer than close," She responded to the other by turning her head to face her. It was there that a smile was given, "We're all each other has!"

With her knees bent, Anastasia jumped into the air and held onto her body as she went in for the cannonball. Loud splashes could be heard from above the water as she landed, along with small shrieks that came from the woman who sat on the tanning bed. Plan to get little sexy Alice wet = a success.

"I'm so sorry, Alice!" Anastasia called out as she popped her head from the water, only to see the woman reaching for a towel and quickly drying herself off. Why was she freaking out over a little bit of water? She was in a bathing suit too, so there was no need to panic in the first place, "I didn't mean to."

"It's alright dear," Alice had responded while reaching for a towel to quickly dry herself off, "At least I'm in a bathing suit too, so it's not a problem." Now she was acknowledging the fact that she was in the appropriate swimwear? Did the woman even plan on going swimming in the first place? As she watched the woman dry herself off, Anastasia reached for a nearby floaty and climbed on top of it, that way her body could dry through the California sun that shined above them.

Once dry, Alice folded and placed the towel where she had retrieved it back into its place. She took a couple of steps towards the child now, who had her sunglasses on her face while relaxing in the pool, "Hey, guess what?" Anastasia couldn't help but to sigh heavily on the inside. Oh, this woman better have something amusing to say or she was leaving, "Your daddy took me riding the other day and he let me ride your horse. I hope that's okay with you."

Oh, she should have not told her that. Anneliese would have probably responded at the moment with a whatever, but this was Anastasia that Alice was speaking to. A terrible idea had just popped into the child's head. Thus, resulting in her to push up her sunglasses once more and sit up slightly in the floaty.

"Sure, that's alright with me." Anastasia waved her hand up and down in a gesture to show that she didn't mind. But the idea that she had in mind would contribute to what she was going with this, "Sprout is used to having other women riding her…." A bit of a smirk formed on the girl's lips. But the look on Alice's face, she went from smiling to a one that said, 'other women'? "I mean, not that you're strange or anything… Actually, compared to the others, you are relatively normal."

A bit of a nervous laughter came from Alice upon hearing the statement that the child made. Other women? What exactly did she mean? It was there that she stood up and crossed her arms; taking a step closer to the pool with interest beaming in her eyes, "Others? What others?"

The idea was once again a success. Now, Anastasia had the woman in the grasp of her hands and she sure planned to have fun with it, "You want the 411?"

"What's the 411?" Alice questioned.

"The information…." Anastasia slid off the floaty now so she could swim over to the edge of the pool so she could have better eye contact with the older woman. As she stood by the edge, she used her elbows to support herself while her feet kicked underwater to keep her afloat, "You know, the lowdown of the other women my dad's been with." This was obviously false. There were no other women that Alfred had been with since meeting her mother and then Alice… Or so she thought.

Anastasia pushed herself from the edge as she laid on her back in the water now. She had her hands resting underneath her head while her feet continued to kick so she could float, "Can't say I blame you," She began with an innocent giggle to the tongue, "I'd like to know if I were lady twenty-eight… No wait, I mean, twenty-nine in a man's life."

The expression on Alice's face became a bit more serious upon hearing this, "I'm, number twenty-nine?"

"Yeah…" Oh, she could not wait to tell Anneliese later about what she had done to this woman who decided to enter her father's life. Make her panic a little bit. It wasn't a bad lie, but it was sure enough to get the Englishwoman's attention at a much higher percentage, "It's always the same routine. Horseback riding through the vineyard, romantic dinners with his special reserved wine-"

"I'm back!" The sound of her father's voice met her ears as Anastasia was cut off from her sentence. Alice didn't move from her place when Alfred had returned, but instead kept her focus on the child who was looking back at her with a grin. "I couldn't find any champagne, but I did find my special, reserved wine,"

Immediately in response, Alice's brows rose in shock when discovering that the child was right. All Anastasia did was giggle softly as she looked at her father with an innocent smile; indicating that nothing really important had taken place when the two were left alone.

The smile on his daughter's face truly did make Alfred happy that soon he couldn't help but to ask, "So, did you girls find anything interesting to talk about while I was gone?" He asked, but no one had given a response. Instead, Anastasia had dipped her head underwater while Alice gave a small eyeroll before turning to face the American, "...Does that mean yes?"

A small amount of laughter came from the Englishwoman, "It sure does."