GuardianTimothyAminev'sPOV
I had possibly one of the most entertaining group of teammates and pair of charges. Yes, as a generally assigned guardian to Lehigh and the share/ safe house I was privileged enough to have the Princess Dragomir and her fiancé, the seriously misunderstood and misjudged Christian Ozera as my charges. Not only that, I had the honour of working with three seriously dangerous and committed young guardians, plus one serious-despite-being-on-mat-leave Guardian Rose Hathaway. And let's not forget living with the currently most controversial and talked about baby in the Moroi world: James Belikov.
"Feed time, huh James?" cooed Hathaway to a crying James as she took him from Belikov's arms.
Belikov pouted- pouted- then asked a question in Russian. Honestly, it was only day one of Hathaway's visit and I already wanted to reach for a barf bag at the sight of the two most acclaimed guardians being a typical young family.
Hathaway shook her head. "No, you perv," she laughed and reached for a pre-prepared baby bottle from the fridge.
Belikov responded in Russian. Hathaway blushed. She was lethal and yet Belikov could make her act like a love-sick teen, make her blush! I really was struggling to wrap my head around them.
"If you're not careful you might just get that daughter you so desire," she growled with lust thickly coating each word. The bottle was taken from her hands and placed in the microwave to heat for a few seconds. "But that's not going to happen anytime soon."
"You tease," Belikov whined.
Their actions and banter right now were all so far removed from the images their reputations conjure it was nearly impossible to fathom these two were the same two who could kill Strigoi like none other in the ranks.
Hathaway removed the bottle and turned to measure out the formula. As she did Belikov smacked her butt playfully. She turned and death glared him. He chuckled, kissed her cheek and took James from her. I watched on in awe and amusement as she rolled her eyes while smacking his butt and then scooped the powder into the bottle, shook it, and tested it against the inside of her left wrist. She was 18, but she didn't look it- or sound it when talking guardian business- especially while preparing her son his bottle in such an efficient, focused, experienced and professional manner.
James was lucky to have her as a mother, I decided, and Belikov was one very lucky man to have such a serious and loving, kind-hearted yet defensive, protective and very independent young woman as his fiancée. She was amazing and beautiful. I could see how a man only five years my Junior would be entranced and ensnared by her, how he could fall in love with her. She was one of those radiant and confident people you either love or loathe.
"Hey Aunty Lissa, want to feed James this time?" Hathaway asked her best friend after making eye-contact with Belikov.
The Princess lit up like a child let loose in a candy store. She nodded and Belikov handed his son over to her, Hathaway soon after handed her the bottle.
"You're one lucky man, Dimitri," chuckled Ozera, raising what looked to be a bottle of beer, but wasn't. The group that was more like a family were huddled on the lounges in front of a muted afternoon news program.
Belikov grinned again. "I'm not the only one, Ozera. You've done well for yourself, expanding the Dragomir line and marrying into it. I see the chemistry between you and Lissa," who happened to be oblivious to fact she was the topic of conversation- she was that absorbed in feeding James. Hathaway was also seemingly oblivious, focused on her son. "It's the same between me and Rose."
Ashford grimaced. I think he was sore about Belikov and Hathaway being together, though I wasn't sure why. Castile however, now the blondish/ brownish haired guardian grinned, nodded and laughed alongside Belikov and Ozera.
"Oh no, Dimitri, your chemistry with Rose is much more significant than Christian and Lissa's. You two's chemistry saves lives," commented a smiling Castile.
Belikov shook his head. "The chemistry between Christian and Rose is lethal too, don't you think, Castile?"
"What chemistry?" exclaimed Ozera and Hathaway. They shot glares at each other and the rest of the group burst into laughter. Even the Princess, and James started giggling in a tiny-baby way.
I struggled not to laugh with them. They definitely made my tedious and exhausting job easier and more enjoyable. Their youth and familial closeness was a rewarding and refreshing bonus.
"That one," dryly commented Ashford. "You know, the reason you two always argue."
"Whatever," Hathaway and Ozera rolled their eyes. "Doesn't one of you have an assignment or two due tomorrow?" Hathaway changed the topic abruptly.
Belikov, Ashford and the Princess' faces dropped, looking guilty.
Hathaway noticed the look on Belikov's face. "Since when were you a slacker, Comrade?" she teased. I would never adjust to that, I swear.
"I didn't say I hadn't started," he defended. "I didn't say a thing."
Hathaway smirked. "You never have to. I can read you even when you think no one can. Get to work..." an indescribable look crossed her face. Belikov stiffened in response. "Or you're not getting this," she gestured up and down her body, "until a week after Christmas."
Belikov's eyes radiated shock and horror... and the tiniest bit of amusement.
The Princess stifled giggles. The other males didn't bother hiding their amusement. "That's just cruel," Ozera choked out.
Belikov glared at him pointedly. "You shouldn't laugh, Ozera, your Princess is off-limits from next month- for half a year."
That caused him to sober a little.
"Get to work, Comrade. You'll be rewarded when they're submitted- and don't bother bluffing, I know your log in." Of course she'd know, she'd find a way to know everything.
"You're a tease and a worry, Roza," Belikov whined as he stood.
"You wouldn't love me if I wasn't."
He pecked her cheek and murmured in Russian. Again, she smacked his butt as he left. I noticed he blushed lightly and smiled to himself in amusement and love-sickness as he walked out of the room and up the stairs.
Not long after, the Princess had finished giving James his bottle and Hathaway shooed her away to finish and submit the assignments even I knew were pressing on the group. Ashford followed the Princess up. From his nod to me, Castile and Ozera I knew that it meant he was going to study in her room, and be her closest guardian. Belikov's room was directly across the hall. That meant for this period of time, he was the far guard of her two near guards. The sheer planning and mass number of guardians and the man-power put into guarding the last Dragomir at such a prestigious- by Moroi standards- college was incredible and rivalled the investments put into protecting Court.
A smiling Hathaway took her son into the kitchen. Christian and Castile followed immediately after. Castile relieved Hathaway of James, placing him in the high chair she'd brought, while she searched through the third shelf of the pantry. The shelf I'd earlier seen her commandeer with pouch food for James for the fortnight. She'd told the Princess even though the guides on the packaging said James wasn't old enough, the doctors had told her he was ready for at least one a night and he needed what formula and breast milk alone couldn't provide.
"Aha, here we are James," she cheered once she was satisfied with her choice. She read out the combination to James while picking a green-colored, specially-divided plastic plate. "Mommy's spoiling you, I know," she teased her son while emptying the pouch of its contents then placing it in the microwave. "Babushka Olena loves cooking for you, doesn't she?" Hathaway laughed and pecked James' cheek.
"Where is the tyke's Russian grandmother?" laughed an indulgent-looking Castile as he removed James' dinner and Hathaway placed a bib on her son.
Meanwhile, Ozera was busy buzzing around the kitchen preparing everyone else's dinner. He pulled some chicken out of the fridge while asking, "Yeah, where is the one who taught the badass god how to cook pancakes and bake bread?"
"Thanks Eddie," she commented as she took the plate and plastic, plane-shaped spoon. She sat in front of the highchair and her son, pulled it closer with her right foot and left the foot there to steady the contraption. "And as for Olena, Hans only let me come with James. Apparently she was better off being 'useless' at Court than here. I don't know how she was so okay with me taking James away for a fortnight. I didn't say this, but I feel like a horrible daughter-in-law." She gaped playfully at James who had just made a mess of the previous spoonful of baby food. "James Ivan Belikov, you know better than to play with your food." She used the spoon to mop up around the edges of his mouth and tried again to get the food into him.
"D'you want me to play cups with him while you try and get him to eat?" offered an amused Castile.
"Could you just get the cups, Uncle Eddie? They're in the brown diaper bag upstairs, not the beige, the brown. Dimitri should be able to help you if you get confused."
Castile laughed and dashed out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Hathaway shook her head at his eagerness and readiness to help at any and every chance. "You are one loved and spoiled baby, James. You have no clue how much Aunt Lissa loves you," she chuckled and succeeded at cleanly getting the boy to swallow a much smaller than tiny spoonful.
"What am I? Chopped liver, Rose?" Ozera called back over his shoulder.
"Chopped chicken," she returned while making a funny face at her tiny, messy-eater son.
"It's diced," he muttered under his breath.
Hathaway was right about James being loved. Even though Ashford was bitter towards his guarding partner- James' father- he couldn't help falling into the loving Uncle Mason role. Every guardian that knew of James loved him, and those who met him much more so. He was irresistible, and I didn't doubt once he was twelve or so he'd be breaking hearts at an Academy. Many boys would be jealous of him, many novices would envy him his lineage once they accepted it, and all the girls would crush on him at some point in time. He already had that outgoing charisma his mother did, and such a perfect balance of features from both his mother and his father. He was such a character; anyone could watch him for hours and never cease to be entertained, amazed or overawed.
