Dimitri

Epilogue

Five Years Later

"Abe, Janine!" I called out as I stepped through the front door, two suitcases in hand.

My family followed behind, completely speechless in amazement as we entered into the foyer of Abe's Bodrum mansion. I didn't blame them. My response had been the same when Roza and I had first visited on our honeymoon.

I put down the suitcases just as two little figures sprinted past me.

"Girls!" I called out, "No running around the pool!"

"They'll be fine," Roza said with a smile, coming to stand next to me. Alexander, our son, was in her arms, looking around nervously. It was his first visit to Turkey, and he was being as timid and shy as ever.

"Dede!" I heard the girls call out in unison. We rounded the corner to find the girls running and jumping into Abe's arms. He laughed, showering them both with kisses and talking to them in excitedly in Turkish before pointing them both towards their grandmother.

"You've gotten so big!" Janine marvelled, cuddling them both.

She said that every time she saw them. We saw Abe and Janine at least once a year at Christmas, usually more when they visited us in America, but the girls really were shooting up at an incredible rate.

Abe came towards us, pulling his daughter and grandson into a big hug before he came to greet me.

"Dimitri," he greeted, clapping a hand on my shoulder and pulling me into a hug. "I trust the flight was alright."

"Very comfortable, thank you, Abe," I said, returning his hug. "You didn't need to do that."

We had been in Russia visiting my family over the summer holidays and Abe had offered us his private jet to fly us over to Turkey. It was my family's first time visiting, and mama's first times ever leaving Russia. But Abe and Janine had retired here, so Roza and I tried to visit at least once every couple of years.

"Nonsense," he said with a smile. "It was just sitting idle anyway."

He moved past me to greet the rest of my family and I turned to watch Janine cooing quietly over Alex as he stared at her with wide eyes. He was still so shy, despite the fact that Janine usually visited and saw him several times a year.

Even at three years old, he still preferred to spend most of his time in Roza's arms, cuddled up to her quietly. He was nowhere near as loud and bold as his sisters, and although we had them often, larger family gatherings still overwhelmed him at first.

Once everyone had been greeted Abe ushered us all towards the outdoor patio, where his housekeeper had set up a very elaborate spread for lunch.

I looked over in amusement at the grin on Roza's face as she saw the literal piles of all of her favourite Turkish dishes. Abe and Janine had very graciously set up my family to sit in all the seats with the best views of the ocean. I smiled at the look on mama's face as I sat down opposite her. She had never seen the ocean before, had never been able to afford to travel much further beyond Omsk. To see her here made me so happy. And business was going so well for Roza and I that I hoped to be able to pay for her to visit us in America soon.

After the birth of our girls, Roza and I had moved to Maine, near where Sydney and Adrian had settled down. Roza had been so busy with the kids, but I had worked personal training and labour jobs, saving up as much money as I could. Eventually, we were able to afford to set up a gym of our own, a Mixed Martial Arts gym called Guardians. Roza and I took the classes ourselves, teaching a mixture of self-defence, weapons and offensive training classes. It was a lot of hard work, but our memberships were steadily increasing and we found ourselves more financially comfortable than we ever could have dreamed of being in the Moroi world.

It was also extremely rewarding work, and I knew Roza particularly enjoyed the women's empowerment and defence classes she took weekly, which included a session for young girls on how to set boundaries, be assertive and effectively say 'no'.

Living in Maine was a dream come true. We loved the freedom, and we loved living so close to the coast – especially the fact that our children could grow up playing in the ocean like neither of us got the chance to. (Although I did make Roza and myself both take CPR and lifesaving classes before I let our kids set foot near the water).

Maine was also perfect because we were close enough to Lissa to see her at least a couple of times a year. Roza was sure to make good on her promise that their children would grow up together, and our children truly were the best of friends. Just like their mothers.

We made sure to alternate our Christmases each year – one in the States with Lissa, Christian, Adrian and Sydney and their families and one in Russian with my family. Abe and Janine usually joined us wherever we were, and we flew out to Russia in the summer whenever we weren't spending Christmas with my family.

We had expected the transition to the human world to be much harder than it was. But everything had fallen into place so easily. Against all odds, we had it all. We were happy.

"How's the gym going?" Abe asked as we all finished piling up our plates with food.

"It's going well," Roza mumbled incoherently around a mouthful of köfte.

"Manners, Rosemary," Janine scolded, much to Lily and Izzy's amusement.

Their snickering was silenced with one warning look from Roza and I tried to hide my smile. Somehow, against all rhyme or reason, Roza had ended up being the stricter parent of the two of us. She always teased me about being wrapped around our children's fingers. And she was right. Try as I might, I just couldn't tell our kids no. They were my world.

"Still selling memberships like hotcakes?" Abe asked excitedly.

I nodded; jumping in so Roza could eat in peace. "Our numbers are growing really well," I told him with a smile. "Roza even had to add in a second of her women's classes because they've been so popular."

"You should let me invest, maybe even franchise it," he said, pointing his fork between the two of us pointedly. "You could be making a hell of a lot more money than you're making now."

"Baba, we've talked about this," Roza said with a huff. "We're the most financially comfortable we've ever been. We're happy with where we're at and we want to do it on our own. And we like that we are the ones teaching it, not some half-assed trainer we've never met in another State."

"I'm just pleased you're not working three jobs anymore," mama said, looking at me in concern. "The hours he would call me at! You must have never slept."

Roza shook her head, staring at me in amusement. "I know, I kept telling him to slow down," she shrugged. "What can I say, the man's an animal." She winked at me over a huge bite of pide and everyone around the table groaned simultaneously.

"I meant his work ethic!" she defended as I glared at her. "Keep your minds out of the gutter," she added, grinning evilly.

"Well the kids have inherited your appetite," I said dryly, trying to move the conversation along. "So the food bills are astronomical."

Roza rolled her eyes but smiled at me. It had been a rough few years, with me working crazy hours and Roza stuck at home with the kids a lot. At least she'd had Sydney and Adrian around for company, but it had still been hard.

But it had all been worth it. Eventually, we'd been able to save up enough to go into business for ourselves.

For the last two years, we had the flexibility of being our own bosses, not the mention the financial security that came with owning a successful business. Even the idea of trying to support a family on what I would have been earning on my Guardian's salary made me shudder. It wasn't plausible. Our children would have been sent off to the Academies far too young, just so that we could both go back to work. The idea of shipping them off and not being able to see them every day was too much to bear.

"Dimitri's not afraid of a little hard work," Abe commended with a nod. "Nothing wrong with a man who's willing to work hard to provide for his family."

I caught Roza rolling her eyes out of the corner of my eye and fought back a smile. She hated the insinuation that I was the only one providing for the family when she had also put so much hard work into Guardians. She and Abe had enjoyed many spirited discussions over the years about Abe's 'traditional' views on family. It was a wonder he did so well being married to Janine now, considering she was about the furthest from a housewife you could get. Even in retirement, she had kept up working part-time as a personal trainer so she could pay for things herself. I think she did it just to annoy him.

"How is the retired life treating you, Abe?" babushka asked in Russian.

He turned to her and continued the conversation in Russian as I watched on in amusement. Abe and babushka knew each other from Russia, and they actually had quite a close relationship, much to mama's shock.

We continued eating and chatting into the late afternoon, with Vika telling us exciting stories about the latest Strigoi hunting missions she had been on. She had more kills under her belt than Roza and I combined now, her neck littered with Zvezda marks from battles where fifty or more Strigoi were killed at a time.

Which leads me to the most exciting news of all. Two years ago, Sonya and her team finally had their breakthrough. They had been continuing their research into Declan's blood, and when Roza had given birth to the girls, they had taken samples from them, as well as from Roza and myself.

Rose's blood was very interesting to them – she was immune, not unlike you would expect to see in someone who had been restored. They could only theorise as to why, perhaps it was because she used to be shadow kissed, or because she was healed so seriously by multiple different spirit users. Or perhaps the most disturbing theory of all, that Gabriel had succeeded that day of the mission; that he had actually given her some of his blood, but that by Nina healing her so quickly she had somehow reversed the change.

I tried not to dwell on that particular theory, only on the incredible fact that, somehow, both Roza and I were immune from becoming Strigoi. Which had meant that our daughter's blood was very, very valuable. Their genetic makeup was immune on two fronts, as was Alex's when he was born two years later. And after years of testing and trying, we finally had a breakthrough. From our children's blood, they found something very special. They found a vaccine. They were able to create and distribute a single injection that made any person injected with it immune to becoming a Strigoi.

Lissa had used her influence and worked with the Alchemists to ensure that every person in the world, Moroi, Dhampir and human, received the vaccine. And that meant that for almost a year now, no new Strigoi had been created. As a result, their numbers with declining at a rate we had never seen before.

In addition, after the overwhelming success of our first offensive attack on Strigoi and the success of the offensive magic programme, more and more Dhampir and Moroi had signed up to missions, not unlike Vika had. And with so many Strigoi hunting taskforces being deployed, the Strigoi didn't stand a chance.

There were still a few pods, hiding in the shadows. But their numbers were the lowest they had been for several generations. The statistics show that the entire race could be eradicated in the next ten years. And Lissa had made a promise to us all that when we succeeded, the Dhampir would be free to spend their lives however they please.

Our lunch continued well on into the late afternoon, the sunlight glistening off the ocean as we all chatted happily to one another. I couldn't keep the grin from spreading over my face as I took a glanced around the table to all the amazing people surrounding me.

To my son, who reminded me so much of myself as a child, who had eaten his dinner and curled up on my lap. I smiled down at the sight of him, his soft, chubby cheek resting against my chest, as his eyelids fluttered lightly in sleep. To my beautiful wife, who was having a (very ironic) war with Izzy and Lily over finishing their vegetables. To my mama and babushka, who had given us everything, and asked for nothing in return. To Abe and Janine, who had learned to accept me so completely as a part of their family. To my sisters and my beautiful nieces and nephews who were so patient and caring with my children.

I stared around me in amazement at my ever-growing family, marvelling at the journey I had taken to get here. Somehow, against all odds, I was happy.

"Turkish coffee?" Janine offered.

I turned from my spot on the balcony, looking over the ocean.

"Yes, please," I said with a smile, following her into the kitchen.

Abe had taken my family out to explore the area for the last few hours of daylight, but Roza and I had opted to stay back with Janine and the kids.

"Where are Rosemary and the kids?" she asked, as she poured coffee from the copper ibrik pot into two small mugs.

"She took them down to the beach for a quick swim," I said, thanking her and taking the mug gratefully. "I'm sure she would like one too, though."

She nodded, pouring out a third.

"You take it out to her," she said, giving me a small smile. "I have some tidying up to do here."

"I'm happy to help," I offered.

"It's no worry," she said, shaking her head. "The housekeeper's done most of it anyway. You go out there with your family."

I nodded, thanking her again before I picked up the cups and made my way towards the front door.

I stepped out onto the veranda, nursing the two steaming cups of coffee carefully in my hands as my eyes scanned the beach for my family. Far off into the distance, I could see four figures, playing together in the sand.

I started towards them, laughing softly to myself as they came into focus and I saw Lily throw a handful of sand at her sister. Roza pulled her to the side and scolded her lightly, but Lily shook her head in defiance, throwing another handful of sand. What started was an all-out sand war, the girls both shrieking as they took off at a sprint towards the water.

Despite her earlier lecture, Roza laughed, watching them for a moment before she bent down, her head bent softly as she listened to our son. I watched the exchange for a long moment, my heart swelling with love. It still amazed me how wild, impulsive Roza was capable of being so wonderfully patient and gentle. She listened to him quietly for a minute before she nodded and grabbed his hand, walking with him slowly towards the water.

As I finally stepped onto the beach I stopped for a moment, mesmerised by the sight in front of me. Roza lifted her t-shirt over her head, dropping it in the sand before bending and doing the same for Alex. She was still so beautiful, her body tanned and toned despite carrying our three beautiful children. It had softened slightly over the years, as had mine with our change in lifestyle. But she was even more beautiful, her slightly widened hips and softer belly were just wonderful reminders of the three little miracles she had given me.

She reached down, lifting Alex onto her back as she raced her way into the water, chasing after our daughters light-heartedly.

She playfully wrestled with Izzy and Lily, laughing as they clambered on top of her as Alex, gentle and shy as he was, clung to her back. The girls shrieked when Roza grabbed them each in one arm, throwing them up and into the water with a loud splash. Roza threw her head back in laughter as she watched our girls scramble to the surface. Her laugh quickly turning into a scream when Izzy and Lily turned on her, their tiny fists splashing streams of water all over her.

I watched the perfect scene in front of me for a long moment, tears brimming in my eyes as I reflected on the incredible journey we had taken to get here. How this wild, impulsive seventeen-year-old came crashing into my life when I'd least expected it, barging through the carefully constructed walls and rules I had built to protect myself. How, despite the careful image I had laid out for the world, she broke right through and saw me.

How by seeing me, she had saved me.

How she brought meaning and laughter and purpose into my otherwise hollow existence. How she loved me so fiercely that she never gave up. How she fought with fierce determination to save me when I was too weak to even believe that I deserved saving. How she took my hand and led me out of the darkness, one patient step at a time. How she had risked everything to change me, and our world, for the better. How, even after all of this, she had given me the greatest gift of all – three beautiful children. Two girls, bold and fearless just like their mother, and a son, more timid and reserved, but quietly observant and kind.

How did we end up here? I shook my head in amazement, calling out to my family.

Roza turned, grinning at me as she beckoned me into the water. She shrieked and turned to run as the girls scrambled towards her.

I smiled, placing the mugs in the sand and shrugging off my shirt before running into the water after them. I grabbed Lily and Izzy, wrestling with them playfully as they clambered over my shoulders. I held their feet, counting down before I propelled them out of the water. They screamed, somersaulting into the ocean with a big splash. Roza laughed, her eyes crinkling shut as she waded towards me in the water.

"You're next, little guy," I said to Alex, gently lifting him from Roza's shoulders.

"Small one," he said and I nodded, swinging him back and forth before I threw him into the water.

Roza and I laughed as we watched him scramble to the surface, turning to chase after his sisters. A moment later, I felt Roza's arms wrap around me, her head tucking gently against my chest. I leaned down and pressed my lips to her wet hair, brushing it softly from where it cascaded in the water around us.

We stood like this for a perfect, immeasurable moment, watching our children play in the shallows.

How did we get here?

It was a story for the ages; how a thousand twists and turns had set me right on the path to salvation. To my Roza.

Where I belonged.

The End

Finito!

I'm a bit sad to be finishing this story; I hope that you all have enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

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It's always been a dream of mine to be a writer, and with this whole COVID 19 situation, I find myself actually having the time to dedicate to it.

Thank you very much for all of your kind comments and support over the course of this story. You have helped inspire me to keep going (this is the first story I have ever actually seen through to the end!)

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Stay strong. We will get through this together xx

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