I don't own VA.

Vampire Academy.

Many years after The Ruby Circle.

A Valid Reason.

I was finally free. I could go home and sleep. I could spend some quality me time. But then I let out a groan. Dimitri wouldn't be home and someone needed to make dinner for the kids. I really hoped that the house wouldn't be in a mess when I reached there. But who was I kidding, Ian and Izolda always managed to mess the place.

Unlocking the door as usual took five minutes. I couldn't just find the damn key. When finally I entered, I was met with a surprise. It was clean, well except a few toys on the floor. But it totally wasn't what I expected. And it was quiet. Were the kids in bed? No, that wasn't possible. Eddie and Jill had called me just a few minutes ago to tell me that they would be leaving and the kids were still up.

"Ian? Izolda?" I called. Nothing. That made me tense. Instinctively I pulled out my stake.

My heart almost stopped when I entered the kitchen. They were there all right. But the condition they were currently in made me cry and laugh at the same time.

An empty jar of peanut butter along with bottles of strawberry and chocolate syrup lay on the kitchen floor.

Their faces and clothes were more colourful than their drawings on the walls of the house.

I let out a curse. Then cursed again for swearing in front of them. Both of them let out a giggle.

"What in earth-" I began.

"She started it." Ian pointed to his little sister.

"I did not, mommy!" Izolda cried. And of course, in a moment, a few tears had covered her cheeks. She always did that. Her papa's spoiled princess.

"She did." Ian scowled.

"I didn't."

"Did."

"Did not."

"Stop it." I shouted. "Uncle Eddie and Aunt Jill left you two, not even five minutes ago. How did this happen?"

A moment of silence.

"I am not talking to the walls," I said.

Just then I heard footsteps and then Dimitri's voice.

"We are in the kitchen, comrade." I yelled.

There was a shout from him, then some Russian swear words and then some in English. I shook my head at the kids giggling. And. the teachers at Ian's school wondered where he learned 'dirty' words.

He came in, bare feet and hopping on his left leg.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I stepped on Miss Peggy." Dimitri groaned. "And what happened here."

"No," Izolda yelled. "Papa, you hurt Miss Peggy." she started to run out. Miss Peggy was her favourite doll.

"No, you will stay here, Missy." I said sternly.

Izolda pouted and crossed her arms. Yeah, she inherited my attitude.

"Dimitri." I started.

"Yes, Roza."

"Give me a reason for why we decided to have kids. And a valid reason please." I said in exasperation.

He burst out laughing and then pulled me down on the floor too. I grabbed the pink bottle just as he grabbed the brown one.

"You will clean the kitchen," I said as I squeezed the bottle over his hair.

Thanks for reading and reviewing.

See you soon.

Sacraa.