Winter, 1927

In the morning Anya was woke up by a noise In the living room. Groggy girl left her room, and saw Dimitri giving instructions to two men carrying a huge pack. She stopped in the middle of a step and watched them. As they finally set the cargo on the floor, by the wall and left the house, Anya asked:

"What did they bring?"

"Well, I guess, the best way to get know is to unpack this…" He smiled impishly.

She unrolled carefully several layers of the wrapping paper. She had no idea what it was, but felt that it was very heavy. As the girl removed the last sheet, she saw a familiar picture.

"Dimitri, how... how you got that??" Anastasia was surprised.

The man crossed hands on the chest and said with a flash of the satisfaction in eyes:

"As you see being a well known con-man isn't that bad. Old lads from the black market are sometimes useful. I just read in the newspaper that this portrait was taken from the palace by some smugglers, so I wrote to a proper guy, and that's all." He shrugged with his shoulders "Not a big deal. And I knew you'll be glad to have it."

"Thanks!" She spoke as she threw her arms around his neck.

"At last it's where it should be." He said and returned girl's embrace.

Few hours later, when Anya was upstairs with the kids, Dimitri called Sophie.

"Hi, I gotta speak fast and silent, cause I don't wanna Anya to hear this talking… Today's her birthday, and I need some time to prepare a surprise for her… Kids will help me, but I need Anya to be out for even three hours…"

"No problem! I'll come with Vladdy, so he'll help you." The duchess answered happily. "We'll be at yours in an hour."

"Great. Thanks a lot, Sophie." With this he had to end the call, since Anastasia just joined him.

"Oh, there you are. Actually, I was looking for you…"

"Well, for last hour I was here, reading this book." He said pointing the sleeper. "But anyways, do we have a ladder?"

"A ladder? Yeah, it's in the basement, but what do you need it for?!"

"You'll see." He replied and left the room.

The girl went back to the kids, who played in the play room. She smiled at them as she saw their game. How easy was to make them happy. Just few toys and peace of paper, so they could draw or play the hangman.

"I know you're having fun here, but what you'd say for playing in the garden? Maybe there's not that much snow, but I guess you still can make a snowman…" As an answer the kids just ran down the stairs, put their coats and entered the garden. The girl barley overtook them in the hall, just taking her green cloak from the hanger. As soon as she joined the children, they started a fight for snow balls. At first everybody was careful to not hit Anya, but finally even she had snow behind the collar. For a second the orphans was just looking at their fostress, and then everybody pointed the youngest girl.

"She did this!"

"I missed, I wanted to hit Yury!"

"Doesn't matter." Laughed Anya. "You don't have to blame one another." Now she grinned, and made really big snow ball. "But, someone will…" She was about to throw it, when she heard Dimitri's voice behind.

"Anya! Sophie came, and… uhm… she wants to talk to you…"

"Fine. But, could you look after our scamps? I don't wanna them to kill each other."

"Well, firstly they will be done with me." He laughed.

She returned the smile, and entered the house. In the kitchen waited her aunt and Vladimir.

"Oh, hi, Sophie. Nice to see you. How are you?"

"I'm good, thank you. But, I have a problem… You know Vladdy always pays me complements, so I never know what he really thinks…"

"You, know, I'd better help Dimitri with the kids…" Said old aristocrat, and left the ladies alone.

"Nice, Sophie…" Mumbled the young princess. "But, never mind. So you said something about a problem…"

"Oh, right. I just wanted to ask if you could go with me for shopping? You know, I saw a nice dress, but I'm not sure if it'll suit me… Please, can I count on you?"

"Do you think I am the expert in the matter of wear? Well, fine, I can go. No problem." She answered with a smile.

"Wonderful!" Sophie almost sung.

In the garden two men was looking after the children, and speaking about Soviet government. She knew they were completely absorbed by the discussion, but she interrupted them.

"I'm going out with Sophie. We'll be back as soon as possible. Dimitri, take care of them, and be careful."

"Fine, don't worry. This time it's three of us to take care of twenty kids. So, just have fun. I have everything under control."

"Fine. See ya."

Ladies reached the front door, when somebody jerked Anya's scarf, so the girl turned round.

"Sasha?"

"I wanna go too."

"Oh, I'm not sure..." She didn't finish, because Dimitri joined them.

"Here you are! Why you're escaping from me?" Asked the man, taking the little boy into his arms.

"I wanna go too." Repeated the child.

Fiancés looked at each other understandingly. Then Anya asked the little boy if he had or not the snow behind his collar.

"No". Answered the kid.

„And you have your clothes dry?"

„Yes."

"Sophie?"

"You know that this child is my weak point."

The girl took the little boy from Dimitri.

Just after the Anya closed the door, kids joined their foster father in the hall. Behind them followed Vlad.

"So, if we're alone now… What's your plan?" Asked the older man.

"I guess I'll go to do shopping with Grigory, so… uhm… could you stay with children?"

"Sure. That's why I'm here."

In the way to the nearby market Dimitri started talking with his oldest charge.

"In few months you have birthday… You'll be 18…"

"Yeah…" The boy replied sadly.

"Did you already think of a place to live? Cause, I personally hope, you didn't."

"But… I thought I had to leave when I'll be 18… I mean, sure I feel like home with kids and two of you as our tutors, but…"

"But, it's still an orphanage?" Smiled Dimitri. "Well, it is, but only in documents. Don't worry, you can stay even forever. I talked with Anya about you, and both of us just can't imagine that you could move out."

"Thanks. I'm very grateful."

Dimitri smiled, but didn't say anything more, cause the two entered a small confectionery, next to the market. As for so early afternoon the queue was quite long, mostly cause of a girl, who was changing her mind, and for all the time hurried by her family. Before them were only two people, but Dimitri and his friend spent almost half an hour in the shop.

'In a while, I will tell something rude to this kid…'

"Even Annushka makes her decisions faster." Whispered Grigory.

"Yeah."

After next five minutes, it was their turn to make the order. And after a while, the two friends went back home, but as they reached the cross of the streets, younger of them, turned left.

"Hey, where are ya goin'?" Asked Dimitri.

"I just wanna get something for Anya. I'll be home in less than half an hour."

"Fine." He said and continued his walk alone. He made only few steps, when he heard the man calling him from the opposite side of the alley.

"Excuse me, monsieur, we're looking for the number 26."

Dimitri crossed the street, to join the four people he saw in the shop only couple minutes before.

"Actually, it's my house. How can I help you?"

"We're looking for… Anya…"

"Well, she's my fiancé." He smiled, which was returned by the family.

"Oh, sorry, I should introduce myself then. I'm Sergei Vlashnikov, and this is my wife, Irina."

"Then you two, must be Ilia and Katia."

"Yeah." Now to the conversation joined the boy, who looked like a copy of his father.

"I'm Dimitri Markov." Said the man and shook hands with his new friends. "Actually you've chosen the best day you could to come. Today's Anya's birthday. You'll make her a greatest surprise."

The rest of the way to the house they made together.

As Anya came back home, there was silent. Even the lights were turned off. She got suspicious.

'What's the heck going on?!?' She thought, and went to the living room to leave the bags with new clothes. No sooner did she turned the light on, she saw Dimitri with kids, Vlad and Marie.

"Happy Birthday!" They called.

"Well, thanks a lot!" She seemed to be very surprised.

"You didn't expect it, did you, princess?" Asked Dimitri as he was next to her, warping her with his arm.

"From the beginning I knew it was your idea. Thanks."

"Well, it's not the end of surprises for you… Someone's waiting for you in the kitchen…" He added, and led the girl out the living room.

As she stood in the door way of the kitchen, she stood for a second, could believe her eyes. On the sofa, next to the stove, were sitting two people, who were like siblings for her, during the time in the orphanage. Together with them, were their parents. The four also looked at her with big dose of astonishment. They remembered skinny little girl with her hair grabbed in a ponytail, wearing dirty torn clothes. And now, in front of them stood a young woman, who looked just gorgeous in her blue dress, and her hair gently going down her back.

"Anya… is that really you?" It was Ilia, who broke the silence.

"You can't recognize your own step-sister?" She asked with a smile. "Nice." Added Anya, and held the boy.

"You have no idea how we missed you!" Ilia had shaking voice.

"I missed the two of you too." Now she turned to Katia. "Hey, you grew up a lot since we've seen each other last time."

"You've changed more." Admitted the younger girl. "Have you found your family?"

"I did. It's a very long story, but we'll have time to talk about it." As the three finally finished their long welcome, Anya looked at her unrealized step-parents. "Such a long time… I guess Katia's right, I have changed a lot… but you didn't at all. It's wonderful to see you again."

"What happened to you when we took the children?" Asked Mr. Vlashnikov.

"Well, it's something so weird, that it might take all night long to tell everything. But, what happened to you? I mean, how it comes that you moved to France?"

They decided to not talk too much right now, because the rest of the family was waiting in the living room, but when it got late, and in the house were only Anya with Dimitri and Vlashnikovs, the five sat down at the fire place and started to tell their stories.

"So, in great short, when I left the orphanage I went to St. Petersburg to get a ticket to Paris. But I didn't have a visa, so I was told to go to see a guy, who could somehow help with getting the proper papers. And so I did. But I didn't really get the papers, I just went with him and his friend to Paris. They wanted to find the lost princess Anastasia, and they convinced me that I 'look and awful lot like her'. Well, maybe it was crazy thing to do, but if this was to help me finding my family, I couldn't care less."

"But… You was only an imposter… So, how it comes you found your family?"

"Well, you might think I'm crazy, but… I am Anastasia."

"How is that possible?!? I thought all the Romanovs were dead…" Mrs. Vlashnikov was shocked.

"Well, besides me an my grandmother. We were lucky, cause a young kitchen boy helped us, and led through to servants quarters on backs of the palace. Then, I had this accident on the train station, and few days later I was brought to the orphanage."

"So, that's why this soldier was so suspicious bout you during the control at Phlegmenkoff's?" Asked Ilia, remembering something that happened when they were still kids.

"I guess so. But, oh, never mind, better tell me what happened to you after you left."

"Not that much. We moved to France, and as dad got a job in Dieppe we bought an apartment in the center." Replied Ilia.

"But now, I had to change the place I'm working in, because the corporation I worked for, went broke. We were thinking of going more south, like Marseille, or Lion, but when we got your letter, we decided to move to Paris. It's a huge city, so I'm sure I can get a job here, and what's the most important, we'll be close to you." Added Mr. Vlashnikov.

"How you met Dimitri?" Asked Katia.

"Oh, right I didn't mention him in all this story. Well, he was the one I had to meet to get the travel papers." Grinned Anya. "And since we met in Catherine Palace over two years ago and started our journey we actually learned that we can't live without one another."