"Oh I think Abe sounds better, don't you?" Rose's father chuckled. "So you must have questions?"
"No - not really," Rose said dismissively, pointedly turning away from him and asking an astounded Xander if he regularly worked the Saturday evening shift. Dimitri took Rose's hand, bringing it to his lips.
"Milaya?" he said softly.
She refused to look at him.
"Roza?" he persisted. "Talk to me."
"No. You know what? I don't want to talk to anyone right now. Excuse me – it was nice to meet you, Xander," she said, standing up from the table without looking at anyone and walking to the stairs.
"Roza please…?"
"Don't Dimitri. Just don't," Rose said, the quiver in her voice all too apparent. Everyone sat in an awkward silence.
"That was inexcusable Babushka. How could you be so cruel to invite Rose's father here without telling her? You know how much I love her, and how important it is to me that she feel accepted as part of our family. I can't imagine Rose will ever want to visit here again after being ambushed like that. I'm ashamed of you, and you should be ashamed of yourself," Dimitri declared.
"It's not fair to speak to your Grandmother that way," Abe said wearily. "This wasn't her idea."
"Speaking of people who should feel ashamed of themselves – who do you think you are doing that to her?!" Dimitri snarled turning to look at Abe. "I don't know why you weren't there for Rose growing up, and I don't care. What I do care about is Rose - and I don't want to see her hurt by her family any more than she already has been. So if you're here to take up the role of disinterested parent judging her and her decisions while knowing absolutely nothing about her then I'm sorry; Janine's already got that one pretty much covered."
Olena put up her hand to silence her son, "That's enough, Dimitri," she chided. "You will be polite to guests in our home. Karolina? Please take over down here - I'll go see how Rose is feeling."
"Thanks, Mama," Dimitri replied, still glowering at Abe. Not knowing what else to do, everyone continued to eat in silence.
"This was an ill-conceived idea," Abe finally admitted, his usual bluff and swagger missing. "I didn't expect Rose to realize our connection quite so quickly. I just wanted the chance to see her – I wasn't sure how much Janine had told her."
"Absolutely nothing. Rose barely knows her mother and knew nothing at all of her paternity. I can only imagine how confused she must be feeling right now," Dimitri retorted.
Abe sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "This hasn't gone the way I'd hoped," he apologized.
Dimitri was surprised to hear him own that. He knew who Abe was and how very dangerous he could be. He didn't seem like the sort of man who apologized very often. Truthfully Dimitri knew he shouldn't have said anything to him, but he couldn't hold back. Not when it came to his Rose. Besides he was in boots and all now.
"So, what is it you want from Rose?" Dimitri asked, trying to keep his tone neutral.
"Yes. That's what I want to know?" a voice said from the stairs. It was Rose. She was standing beside Olena. "Why are you here?"
"I wanted to meet you. Maybe get to know you a little?"
"So you thought 'hey she's getting to know her new family – maybe I'll just rock up and join in. It's not like she knows who I am anyway.'"
"No. I guess I didn't think it through…"
"No shit?! Did it occur to you that I might not want to see you? Nearly eighteen years is a long time to wait to make your move. So now you're curious, I'm expected to jump up and down and welcome you with open arms? Well, it doesn't work that way, old man." Rose was furious.
"I'm sorry Rose. You're right. I should have given you the option to say no. But now we've met, I would like us to get to know one another. You might not have questions, but I do. I'll leave you with my card. Call me at any time if you change your mind. You deserve to know at least why I haven't come forward before now. I'll go, but I hope once you've had a chance to think things over I might see you."
"Don't hold your breath," Rose said quietly, walking over to sit back down beside Dimitri, nuzzling into his side when he draped his arm around her.
Thanking Yeva and Olena for their hospitality, Abe and Pavel quietly left, Yeva using their departure as an opportunity to retire to her bedroom. Rose didn't even look up to see them leave.
"I'm sorry about that," Rose said from where she was cuddled with Dimitri when the front door had closed. "I can honestly say I wasn't expecting to meet my father today. I feel completely blindsided - like my ability to choose has been taken away from me," she explained softly.
"You have nothing to be sorry for, Rose. Of course, you're upset. But don't feel alone in this. A lot of Dhampir have complicated feelings about their paternity, so people might understand more than you think," Xander responded kindly. "And you're not powerless here, either. It takes two to have a relationship - so if your father wants one with you, then he needs to be patient and respect any limitations you might impose. It's alright to take as long as you want thinking about whether you'd like to see him again or on what basis you might interact in the future."
Rose saw Dimitri look up at Xander with surprise.
"You're absolutely right," Dimitri replied. "You're under no obligation, Rose. Anything with Abe from here on in can be on your terms. So Xander? If you haven't got anywhere to be after lunch, perhaps you could give me a hand with one of the storm shutters? I need to repair it, but it's a two-man job getting it down."
Karolina gave them both an encouraging smile.
"I'd be delighted to help, Dimitri," Xander responded, looking pleased to be asked. "Perhaps Paul could help us? It's never too early for a boy to learn about these things," he added. Rose looked happy again, too - rewarding Dimitri with a gentle lingering kiss.
"I still can't believe you're up at this hour every day," Viktoria whinged as they piled into the car at 5.30 am Monday morning for their drive back to St. Basil's. "Couldn't we have left last night?"
"I like starting the day early," Dimitri stated, kissing his mother goodbye. "Besides I'm here for such a short time, I want to spend as much of it at home as I can."
Releasing Dimitri from her embrace, Olena wrapped her arms around Rose, hugging her hard before giving her a gentle kiss.
"Have a good week, darling. I'm sorry it was such a difficult weekend. Mama will never say sorry, but she was up very late last night making you her special sugar spice cookies. She usually only makes them once a year at Christmas. I know she feels bad for upsetting you," Olena explained, pressing a wrapped bundle into Rose's hands which she put into her bag. "She made a double batch. Keep them away from Dimka – he's addicted to them!"
In the car Rose claimed shot-gun, but this time Viktoria didn't whinge - happy to stretch out on the back seat and doze. Dimitri and Rose ran through their schedules for the week – early morning training Tuesday through Friday, afternoon training with Viktoria Monday through Thursday. Rose and Viktoria decided Thursday evenings would be their DVD night. The two of them wanted to binge-watch old Gilmore Girls episodes while Dimitri was on shift. Strangely, Dimitri thought perimeter guard in the cold and dark with the possibility of encountering Strigoi was more appealing!
Tuesday lunchtime there was also a molnija ceremony scheduled. Dimitri assured Rose it would be very low key, but that it was probably time she got her Spokane molnija.
"I know," Rose said in a small voice. "Will you come with me?"
"Of course, Roza. I wouldn't miss it for the world." Dimitri stroked her small hand where it sat on his thigh as he drove, giving her fingers a reassuring squeeze. "Tuesday nights the Guardians hold their pool competition. I thought maybe we could go this week? I could introduce you to some old friends?"
"Would I be going with you my mentor or you my boyfriend?" Rose asked, a little nervous at the idea of meeting people who'd known Dimitri for so much longer than she had.
"Both, Roza. You heard Demyan. You can come as my partner to Guardian social events. I'd really like you to consider it. Part of us being a couple is getting to know one another's friends. Besides, I love you; I want to show you off!"
Viktoria was making gagging noises from the back seat. "You two are revolting sometimes, you know that?"
"Shut up, or you'll be catching the train like usual next weekend," Dimitri declared sweetly, giving his sister a withering look.
"What's that you've got there, Rose?" Dimitri asked sniffing deeply as Rose walked past him minutes before their Monday morning class started. The other students were just beginning to walk into the gym, dumping their bags to one side, yawning and chatting about their weekend.
"What? This? Just a cookie," Rose replied innocently.
"What sort of cookie?" Dimitri asked suspiciously.
"Um? I'm not sure? Smells like cinnamon - maybe some nutmeg as well? And there's clove in there as well, I think? Oh – and it's coated with sugar."
Dimitri let out a loud groan of pleasure, drawing the interested attention of several of the closest students. Inna's head almost spun off her neck it turned so quickly to look at him!
"Where did you get it!" Dimitri demanded, louder than he'd intended - fixing Rose with intense eyes.
"Hmm? Oh – your grandmother. It's one of her sugar spice cookies."
"What! No way?! Vika?" Dimitri called out to where his sister stood across the gym. "Did Babushka make sugar spice cookies over the weekend?"
"Yeah – she made some for Rose last night."
"And you didn't tell me? I haven't had them in three years!" Dimitri whined. "You know how much I like them! Hathaway? Hand it over," he ordered.
"Uh ah. I don't think so. Yeva made them for me," Rose teased, shaking her head at Dimitri, brandishing the cookie in front of her.
"I mean it, Rose," he growled. "I want that cookie NOW!"
"Sorry Comrade. My cookie…" Rose teased, holding it in front of her nose and sniffing deeply. "If you want it you're going to have to catch me first," she laughed, taking off across the vast gym laughing wickedly.
"Oh, you're going down Hathaway!" Dimitri yelled taking off after her. "You don't get between a man and his Grandmother's cookies!"
"MY cookies, Belikov. She made them for ME!" Rose teased, putting the edge of the cookie in her mouth and quickly climbing up one of the climbing ropes hanging from the ceiling, Dimitri grabbing the next one along and hauling himself up after her. Of course, by the time he'd gotten to the top, she was already swinging herself Tarzan style from rope to rope along the row of twenty. His heart would have been in his mouth if he hadn't seen her do the same thing regularly at St. Vladamir's.
Reaching the last rope, Rose swung to the horizontal bars on the far wall, using them as a ladder to climb back down to ground level.
"Hmm – smells good Belikov. I'm wondering whether I'll eat it now, or save it to have with a cup of tea at lunch?" Rose called up to where Dimitri was climbing back down one of the hanging ropes.
The senior class was watching the two of them astounded. Guardian Belikov was usually so reserved and serious and honestly pretty scary. The only time they ever saw him lighten up was with his sister or with Rose. It was hard to reconcile their experience of him with the man who was now running around the gym demanding a cookie.
Rose had climbed up on to a balance bar and was walking backward along it, watching as Dimitri stalked towards her carefully. She was getting closer and closer to the end, and Dimitri honestly thought he had her – that she'd fall off the end of the bar – when she did a backflip, landing perfectly on her feet before taking off towards the other end of the gym.
"Not fast enough, Belikov!" Rose taunted.
"Hathaway! I'm serious. Give me that cookie, or you'll be doing sit-ups for a month…"
"Smells so good I think it will be worth it…"
Dimitri had now all but cornered Rose at one end of the gym and was approaching her cautiously. She was looking back and forth between the cookie and Dimitri teasingly, before opening her lips and shoving the entire cookie in her mouth, chewing on it with satisfaction.
"Awww thwat's gwood" she moaned around the biscuit.
Dimitri looked at her horrified. "I can't believe you ate my cookie," he announced sadly. "Honestly Rose!" He looked genuinely disappointed and starting to get a little angry. Oops – maybe she'd taken this further than she should have?
"Too slow Belikov…" Rose laughed, having swallowed the cookie. "Lucky I saved you one," she smirked, reaching into her pocket and fishing it out for him. She walked over and passed it to him. "Apparently Yeva made a double batch. If you're nice to me this week, you might even get another!"
But Dimitri wasn't saying anything. He was standing in the middle of a gym mat, eyes closed and chewing with a blissed-out expression. Rose went to stand in line next to Viktoria as they both giggled.
"I told you he really really likes them," Vika laughed.
"Right. Fifty push-ups followed by fifty sit-ups and then stretches please class." Serious Guardian Belikov was back.