It was the first morning with the kids, so Anya got up much earlier than usually, to get ready, and prepare the breakfast. She left her room quietly, to not wake Sasha up. In the kitchen Dimitri was already waiting for her. Nice surprise for her was that the table was prepared, and on the ranger boiled the water for coffee and tea.

"Hi. Did I miss something? When you had time to prepare everything?" She asked kissing her boyfriend's cheek.

"Well, it didn't take me long, maybe a quarter." He grinned returning the kiss. "I'm not sure when the kids will get up, but I just wanted to be ready, whenever they will."

"Thanks."

"No problem." He smiled.

They heard laughter of kids, and soon nineteen orphans were downstairs.

"So early and you're here already?" Asked Anya greeting the kids with a smile.

"I thought we even overslept…" Replied Grigory.

"Oh, yeah, I already forgot about getting up before down… By the way, was Phlegmenkof still that bad?"

"Well, I know it's not the right thing to say negative things bout people who are dead, but she got even worse. Last months it was a hell. Even little kids had to make domestic work, cause the headmistress was already too ill to do anything. I was counting months to leave, but on the other hand I was worried about the younger kids."

"Gladly now, you don't have to be worried bout anything." Replied Dimitri with a smile.

The breakfast was a real fight between two younger kids, who wanted to get something at the same time. It was visible that in orphanage was very hard.

"Nadia, Daniil, calm down! You don't have to fight." Said Anya trying to separate two siblings from each other.

"But he…" Tried to protest the little girl.

"Look, it's not Russia, alright? Sit, and calm down, you'll both get it." The princess cut the child off.

"She's always this way! She gotta have everything first!"

"Well, she should, she's a girl. Haven't you heard the saying 'ladies first'?" Asked Dimitri playfully.

"That's unfair!" Yelled the boy.

'Well, at least they feel freely…' Thought the fosterers.

Later all kids, together with Anya and Dimitri, went to play in the garden.

"Look, it is our first day together here, so I propose to get know each other better, and to fix several rules ..." Children got creeps at the last Dimitri's words.

"You have nothing to be afraid of. Nobody is going to scare, rebuke, nor scold you!" Smiled Anya. "Let him finish, so you'll know everything." She added, which made intendment effect.

"Fine. Lets start from this second thing. Here it won't be like in Petersburg. We won't be bossing you around, we wanna try to give you a family. I know it might be hard, but lets try."

"So, if saying bout the rules, the basic one is, there are no rules, but you just gotta be careful to not hurt yourselves. There won't be any rigor, well, yeah, sure, you gotta listen to us, but… we won't be ordering you. And anytime, you'd need something you can ask us. We're here to help you."

"Well, after summer, most of you will go to school, and that will be your only duty…" Said Anya. "And till then, you have time to get used to the new place, and… to us."

"So, we can do whatever we want?" Asked one of the younger kids.

"As long as you don't get hurt, and you don't annoy the others…" Grinned Dimitri. "So, if we made everything clear… I have a proposition…" He said and threw a small ball, he was holding, to Anya.

"I know all of your names, cause I remember you from my time in the orphanage, but I'm sure many things had changed, plus you don't know Dimitri yet, as well as he doesn't know you. So, the one, who will catch the ball is to say something about oneself, and then throw the toy to someone else, okay?"

Children liked the idea. They never played with someone adult, at least most of them. This was something completely new for them, especially that Anya and Dimitri were their guardians and owners of the orphanage. It passed an hour till the ball came back to Dimitri. This was his turn. He looked at Anya in quest of help, but she only smiled at him.

"Fine. So, I'm Dimitri. Anya and I were travelling together from Petersburg to Paris. Since that we're... inseparable. And, something which might make you trust me more, or at least I hope so. I'm an orphan myself. I know very well how hard it is to be alone, and that's why now you have Anya and me." Again he looked at his girlfriend - she was still smiling.

With that they finished the game. Anya and Dimitri stood up, and narrowed to the house.

"Will you play alone for a while?" Asked the princess. "If you'd need something, we'll be in the kitchen."

The tutors left the kids in the garden, and went inside the house. Dimitri sat on the chair in the kitchen and Anya just rested her back on the cupboard.

"Have you heard them? It's like I was listening to you…" Said the man thoughtfully.

"Yeah, they sounded like me a year ago. And the two kids I'm worried about the most…"

"Sasha and Annushka?"

"Mmhm. Exactly. The youngest ones. Gladly Sasha will soon forget about Russia, and he'll only remember us, but…"

"But your little reflection won't." He sighed. "She's just like you. She's lost, not really know who her parents were… She also has mind of her own. Well, all the children need someone they could trust to."

"Yeah, and you know what is still on my mind? The three words that they mentioned the most often…"

"I just hope we'll give them, what they never had before… I never thought I might say this, but… I… I really wanna help them, even if that means being a step-father for them."

"You're wonderful."

For maybe second time she saw him blushed.

"Well, thanks."

They were disturbed by knocking to the front door, so Dimitri went to open it. As he did, he saw Vlad and Sophie.

"Hi, we just came to see how you're doing with the kids." Said the former aristocrat.

"Since the morning we already had one fight, one arguing and… oh yeah, and over an hour of playing with those crazy chits."

"Oh, I'm sure it's not that bad." Laughed older of the two men.

"I didn't say it's bad! I'd say I feel strange taking care of the kids, but I'm starting to like it. But, for now don't tell Anya…" Grinned Dimitri.

"If we're talking about her, where is she?" Asked Sophie.

"In the kitchen. Probably already busy with the dinner. We gotta get used to preparing everything for over twenty of us." He laughed.

The friends entered the hall, and the men went to talk in the salon, when Sophie joined Anya.

"It's pretty laud here now." Said Vlad as he sat in the armchair, in front of Dimitri.

"Well, if you call it laud, try to imagine when they're inside! For some time they're in the garden." As he said this, just next to him stood little boy with curly blonde hair. "What this time?" He asked.

"Whewe Pooka?"

Dimitri rolled his eyes.

"No idea, but better let him stay where he is. You already made him tired enough as for one day." Said the tutor and placed the child on his knees. "So, if we made this clear, just sit here. I think you have already enough of running for all the time, eh?" Now the man looked at his friend. "See, that's how it is. Oh, and by the way, this is Sasha, the youngest child."

"My, I had no idea you'll have to take care of a baby!" Vlad was impressed that even though Dimitri never took care of anyone before, the man was doing pretty well with the child.

"We neither. Only yesterday when he came here, we got know we'll have a baby to take care of!"

"At least you will have practice before you'll have your own children."

"My own?" The younger man gulped. "Are you sure Anya will want more kids than twenty of them?!?"

"Of course. Every woman wants to have her own baby. And, you won't hide it, you want it too."

"Vlad, I even didn't ask her to marry me, and you're telling me about having our kids?!?"

"Glad you began this topic."

"Sasha, maybe go to Anya and untie Sophie, hah?" Asked Dimitri, putting his step-son back on the floor. As the child left Dimitri closed the door behind Sasha and went back to Vlad.

"Dimitri, you know that I treat you like my son, and I care bout you…"

"I know, Vlad. It's you who helped me when I was on the street."

"Maybe it's not my business, but… you mentioned it yourself, so I think I can ask you… When you're gonna ask Anya to marry you?"

"Funny, I was thinking of the very same thing only few months ago. I think this summer will be the best… I know I'm waiting with this for too long, but I just wanted to be sure that Anya is happy with me, that's all. I don't think any rush is needed here…" He wanted to say something more, but to the room ran a group of children and sat next to Dimitri on the sofa.

"Anya told us that you will play with us!" Called excited Annushka, the youngest girl. "Dimitri, lets play the game we did in the morning!" She continued as she began to pull tutor's shirt.

"Fine. But now, maybe you'd try to behave, hah? I'm not alone here." He cause the kids to pay attention to a man sitting in front of Dimitri. "This is Vladimir, a friend of mine."

"You were right it's getting really laud here when the kids are in the house." Laughed the old aristocrat. "Hello, kids."

"Morning." Replied Annushka, and was the only one child who said something. The rest was silent. It was easy to guess that they still weren't sure of how to behave in new situation.

"The one who has the of the gab, right?" He asked with a smile.

"I guess so, comrade."

Dimitri and Vlad laughed.

"Annushka, in France we don't use the title 'comrade', rather 'Mr.' or 'monsieur'."

"Oh, sorry then. I didn't know that."

"It's alright." Smiled Vlad.

"You still gotta learn a lot bout France." Grinned Dimitri. "But you have time for that."

In the meantime, Anya was talking with Sophie. They were sitting in the kitchen and observing ten kids playing in the garden. Children's laughter was filling the room.

"They seem to be glad of being here." Said Sophie with a big smile.

"I hope so. Well, fine, everywhere would be better than under Phlegmenkoff's care. But, yeah, I think they feel good here." Replied the princess. "And it's not that hard for me to take care of them, cause besides Sasha, I know everyone. I know their needs and fancies."

"Those children are very lucky to have you as their tutor. I see how much compassion you're giving to them. You'll be wonderful mother…" Sophie started to imagine.

"Whoa! Slow down!" Anya laughed. "Only yesterday twenty kids came here, that's the first thing. And the second is, that Dimitri and I aren't even engaged! So how we can think of our own children?"

Sophie didn't replay, cause to the kitchen ran ten kids, and just behind them Dimitri with Vlad. The children entered the garden, so their tutor followed them, when Vladimir sat next to the older duchess.

"Hey, have I just seen Dimitri running after the kids?" Asked surprised Sophie.

"I think so." Grinned Anya. "Yeah, I know, it's something strange bout him. But, honestly? I like it bout him."