Chapter 76: Arrivals and Arrangements

Author's Note: Warning for the end of the chapter. Victor Ivanov (Dimitry's father) is generally a bad parent and homophobic at the end of this chapter.

Alexei Sarov knew that Alex would be arriving from a twenty-four-hour flight. He had urged the President to keep it casual. Of course, no such luck. There had to be a report from every known newspaper in Russia in attendance. Sarov was not exactly thrilled as several cameras from the gossip rags focused on him. Yes, he was fit and relatively good-looking. Yes, he was widowed at the moment. No, he did not want any ranking in 'the most eligible bachelors of Russia.' It was going to be a long wait. Alex's flight did not arrive for another hour at best. The rest of the students slowly filed in. A few of them looked rumpled. Sarov wondered who forgot to tell them that they would be on camera and judged fairly harshly. A few of them were in relatively neat-looking school uniforms. At least Alex's friend, Amanda, had the good sense to apply a bit of makeup and clean up her hair after her flight. The President walked up to him. Sarov felt an arm wrap around his shoulders. "Try to smile Alexei! We don't want to scare the children off already."

Sarov mentally sighed. Ah, drunk already. It wasn't even evening yet. Alex finally walked out as the other children started fidgeting and looking around for their various foster families. Alex was dressed in a crisp suit. He stepped through the doorway and smiled at the press, stepping forward like there was no rush in the world while scanning the room. The reports immediately started firing questions at him. Sarov had almost forgotten that he was technically the king of another country. He had to admit that Alex fit the part. He was an adorable-looking child and seemed to handle the blinding flashes of the press thunderstorm. "Are you going to be one of Russia's trading partners?!"

Alex's smile became slightly more fixed. "I would certainly be honored by the opportunity."

The questions went rapid-fire from there. "Are you General Sarov's illegitimate son?"

Alex's tone turned dry and he gave the woman a flat look. "I will not honor that with a response."

The next few questions from the tabloids were wisely ignored. Alex walked up to him, a faint hint of amusement in his eyes as they shook hands. Alex moved on to the rest of the host families and the President while ignoring the vultures and occasionally answering the more serious questions. "Are you going to be finishing your schooling in Russia?"

Sarov wished that it would happen. Alex glided past the reporters and stood next to Sarov. He decided to step in. "That is enough harassment of my ward."

They immediately backed off and started taking pictures of him. Sarov decided to pose for them. He laid a light hand on Alex's shoulder. The boy jumped, but his expression never changed and it wasn't visible. He knew from the right angle it would look great in the papers. Sarov held out a hand for Alex to take. The boy took it. They headed for the exit where their car was waiting to pick them up. The press followed them and the procession of families with the President.

Alex touched down feeling no small amount of anticipation. He knew he would probably need to clean up in the airport bathroom before he went out. Lance had told him there would be press waiting in arrivals. Alex made sure that he looked as good as possible before grabbing his luggage and heading to where he knew the press would be vulturing. There was the inevitable flashing of cameras. Alex would have worn shades, but he knew it would likely result in comments. Mandy waved at him. Alex smiled at her. He found Sarov easily enough. The man gave a faint incline of his head. The cameras flashed again. Ug, this was irritating. Alex maintained his smile even after they started firing cameras. "Are you going to be one of Russia's trading partners?"

Alex mentally sighed. "I would certainly be honored by the opportunity."

The questions went rapid-fire from there. "Are you General Sarov's illegitimate son?"

Alex knew that his tone turned dry and he gave the woman a flat look. "I will not honor that with a response."

The next few questions from the tabloids came in rapid-fire. "Are you a love child of the general and a Bolshoi ballerina?"

Alex mentally rolled his eyes. Who came up with this shit? "Were you kidnapped as an infant?"

Alex walked up to Sarov, a faint hint of amusement in his eyes as they shook hands. Alex moved on to the rest of the host families and the President while ignoring the vultures and occasionally answering the more serious questions. "Are you going to be finishing your schooling in Russia?"

Alex honestly had no earthly idea. Alex glided past the reporters and stood next to Sarov. The instructions had been very specific. Likely to avoid scandals for both governments. "That is enough harassment of my ward."

Thank God. The press immediately backed off and started taking pictures of Sarov. He laid a light hand on Alex's shoulder. Alex knew he flinched, but made sure that his expression was the same and it wasn't visible. The General glanced his way out of the corner of his eyes. Alex knew that his resemblance to Vladimir was striking at around this age. Alex found Mandy again after some looking. She looked excited to see him. Alex was relieved to see that she looked pretty good, except for the post-flight exhaustion. The other students were looking at him curiously. Alex knew that most of them probably hadn't quite kept up with the news the way consummate politicians might. Mandy probably knew what the hell was going on, though. Sarov held out a hand for Alex to take. Alex took it. He knew that there was a very specific order in which they were supposed to exit. He figured Sarov probably knew the order better than he did. They headed for the exit where their car was waiting to pick them up. The press followed them and the procession of families with the President. Alex got into the car beside him.

Ian Rider watched the Russian press as Alex walked into arrivals. Alex looked pretty well. Ian squelched down his feelings of envy as Alex went towards Sarov. Crawley was watching the screen intently. Ian knew that the fact that Alex was technically a foreign leader was going to make things complicated. Crawley let out a sigh of relief. "He did well."

Tom was rolling his eyes. "Of course he did. It's Alex."

Crawley lightly patted his head. "I'm not sure what planet you've been living on, but Alex isn't exactly a diplomat."

Tom bit his lip. "True."

Crawley sighed. "He looks tired."

Tom snorted. "He just finished running a war, setting up a government, and got off a twenty-four-hour flight, dude."

Crawley sighed. "I know a chronic insomniac when I see one."

Tom huffed. "I'll bet he does fine and makes friends."

Ian continued his pacing as Jack finished watching the special. Alex's interview portion had been recorded before the entire South America thing and was hilariously out-of-date and bland. Jack sighed. "Knock it off, you two. Arguing isn't going to solve anything."

Ian was still rather anxious about the whole thing. "Do you think he's going to be alright?"

Jack exchanged a look with Tom. "He's got Fenrir."

That seemed to cheer Ian up. "True. With any luck, the overgrown wolf eats a few of the smarter politicians."

Tom started cackling. Jack and Crawley yelled at the same time. "IAN!"

Ian gave Crawley and Jack his trademark innocent look. It was fooling absolutely nobody. "What?"

Crawley lightly whacked Ian upside the head. "Bad Ian!"

Jack stifled a giggle. "I'm sorry, but Alex gets the same expression whenever he's trying to hide that he's done something mischievous."

Tom rolled his eyes. "As long as you don't con me out of a month's worth of fruit snacks."

Ian wouldn't be caught dead with fruit snacks, but Jack would probably murder him if he said as much. "Don't worry, your fruit snacks are safe from me."

Tom blew a few strands of hair out of his eyes. "Yeah, we all know you don't eat any kind of refined sugar."

Ian grinned. "Apples are healthier."

Tom glared at him. "I would rather die of scurvy."

Ian laughed. "You and Alex seem very determined to."

Ian let out a sigh as Tom was hustled upstairs by Jack. It was fairly late in London time. Crawley sat down in his armchair. "Get out of my chair, John."

Crawley smirked. "Make me."

Ian walked over and simply threw Crawley over his shoulder. "Iaaan."

Ian knew John wasn't even annoyed. "Yes, John?"

John was glaring half-heartedly. "Aren't you going to put me down?"

Ian began ascending the stairs. "Nope."

They both knew Ian was headed for their bedroom.

The Countess had made the viewing of the exchange program mandatory for Malagasto. Yassen just happened to be teaching a class with Yermalov during the month of. Yassen sat in the back of the room as the students were hustled into the dining room. "Not a single peep out of any one of you!"

Ah, there was Gordon. The Countess was enjoying tea with Jet. Yassen had already finished his dinner. Gordon was eating his late due to the replacement target practice that had been switched to an earlier hour. Yassen was almost startled by a thud as Gordon sat down next to him. There was an arm laid across his shoulder. "Soooooo….what do you think?"

Yassen scowled. "Too old."

Gordon huffed. "Oh, come on. That one is barely nineteen."

Gordon's further persuasions were silenced by The Countess whacking his hand with a dowel. "Later, Gordon."

Gordon continued to invade Yassen's personal space as the news was started up. The Countess spoke up. "There will be an eight-page essay due in three days on the exchange program, the children chosen for it, and the social niceties involved with the arrivals."

Yassen refrained from smirking as a few of the students visibly drooped. Sucked to be them. The Countess whacked any who slouched over too far and then returned to her tea set. There were reasons that The Countess typically was not in the dining area during mealtimes. Mostly because they needed their students' hands and fingers relatively unbruised. Yassen only cared about one child on the television. Where was Alex? Yassen tuned back in. Gordon huffed. "Poor sod must be coming in from South America."

Yassen mentally cursed Alex to a particularly horrible and fiery death. Why couldn't he just have not caused a war in South America? Or maybe turned that meeting with Winston Yu down? Did he even understand the implications of buying Justin's contract? Oh, yes, you're very against human trafficking. So against it, you bought a Malagasto assassin. Sorry, you bought his contract, so much better. Gordon was nudging him and offering scotch. Yassen narrowed his eyes. Gordon whispered. "They just said baby Alex is going to be another hour."

Yassen grudgingly took the scotch. He was going to be stuck here for another hour of blathering and tabloids. Not to mention, there were a few students who were paying more attention to Yassen than the news. Their loss. Yassen hoped that they knew to use British spelling in those essays.

Alex was silent until they arrived at Sarov's house. He had only seen it in the past after the man died. The General seemed to be eyeing him. "You're very quiet."

Alex paused. "I'm about to pass out, to be honest."

Sarov's face softened. "I tried to tell him not to have so much press coverage."

Alex shrugged. "I'm...kind of used to it."

Sarov huffed. "You should certainly not be."

Alex felt his lips twitch. "I'm technically a foreign head of state."

Sarov pushed a button and a window rolled up between them and the driver. "You're a child. Besides, I like to think my house is preferable to state lodgings."

Alex shrugged. "You know I'll have meetings and the like."

The man looked entirely amused. "You realize that I was in the army for over a decade and have done a total of over twenty years of civil service, right?"

Alex had the good grace to look embarrassed. "So, how are we going to handle all of the...mess that is my life right now?"

Sarov huffed a laugh. "We are going to do nothing. I have plans. Plans we will discuss during dinner."

Alex was hoping for good food. The car came to a stop. Alex followed Sarov into the man's house. "We will have a tour tomorrow morning. Your school will start in two days."

Alex was more interested in dinner at this point. The second the car drove off, Sarov's posture looked a bit more relaxed. It was a pretty nice house, but Alex wouldn't call it extravagant. "I keep the staff to a minimum. Extravagance is a vice."

Alex followed him inside. Fenrir was behaving, thankfully. The wolf was still a little crabby from the plane flight. Sarov glanced at the wolf. "I understand that Fenrir eats only red meat."

Alex knew it probably sounded ludicrous. "Yes."

They stepped into the dining room. "I will inform the staff."

Sarov motioned for the leash. Fenrir suspiciously sniffed the man. "A work and hunting dog?"

Alex shrugged. "I call it motivation for my three hours of daily running in the snowy winter."

Sarov looked moderately entertained. "I rather like him, to be honest."

Sarov gingerly held out a hand for Fenrir to sniff. Fenrir looked at Alex. Sarov petted the wolf. Fenrir glared daggers at both of them but allowed the man to pet him. "Good dog."

Alex arched a brow. "We can see how he likes horses and mounted hunting later on."

Fenrir perked up at the mention of the h-word. Alex knew he was doomed. Doomed. Fenrir padded after them as Sarov led them to the dining room. "Dinner is normally served at nineteen hundred hours, unless we have esteemed guests or exceptions, such as today."

Alex nodded along and took the seat next to Sarov. He hoped that this wouldn't take too long. "Any kind of press will be thoroughly planned for and you will know in advance. Otherwise, you should enjoy a relatively peaceful educational year here. I expect you in bed by twenty-two thirty in the evening. You will rise before or at seven hundred hours."

Alex had figured as much. Sarov didn't seem to be the type to believe in letting people sleep past eight. "Very well."

They pretty much ate in silence. Alex had a sinking suspicion that he wasn't the only tired one here.

Amanda Teller was eager to see Alex again. She'd left a message in what she hoped was appropriately formal Russian on Sarov's phone. The man had been polite, if brusque, and informed her that Alex would be free this afternoon. Mandy couldn't wait to see him and talk to him about all of the revolutions. He'd caused quite a stir, even in her social circles. Mandy had taken to listening to gossip from her mother and Mr. Chase. If she was honest, she suspected Brendan knew more than he let on. She was particularly eager to get inside. Sarov opened the door for her and let her in. "Alex is in the library. Try to keep the noise down and your conduct...appropriate."

Amanda resisted a scowl. It was a well-known fact that General Sarov was a touch...old-fashioned. She was led straight to Alex, who was reading some sort of science text. Technical Russian was not exactly her specialty. "Alex!"

Alex rose and shut the book. "Mandy."

She ran over and hugged him. "No gecko?"

She rolled her eyes. "They said he wouldn't do well in cold climates."

Alex smirked. "I'm sure your mother is thrilled."

Mandy rolled her eyes. "My dad took him to the office. It makes his meetings more interesting."

Alex snorted. "I'll bet he forgets to tell them that Jasper is a constrictor."

Mandy giggled. "Probably."

She took a long look at her friend and glanced around to make sure they were alone. "So, how's it going so far?"

Alex shrugged. "I think we'll get along."

Mandy sighed. "The details! The details! Does he have a mistress?"

Alex rolled his eyes. "Nah, I think he's just busy. He's not big into having people do stuff for him. We mucked out the stalls and brushed the horses this morning."

Mandy sighed. "Sounds awful."

Alex rolled his eyes. "Shoveling literal horse shit is far from the worst task I've ever done."

Mandy huffed. "I can't believe you got to take the man-eating wolf and I had to leave my baby behind."

Alex crossed his arms. "The dog hasn't eaten anyone!"

Mandy knew that was a bald-faced lie, but decided to let that go. "I'm sure the fact that baby Fenrir is a giant fluffy hunting dog certainly helped."

Alex grinned. "Plus, what kind of heartless monster would separate a boy from his dog."

Mandy rolled her eyes. "So, how was South America?"

Alex looked faintly haunted. "Busy."

Mandy huffed. "Details!"

Alex rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine, what do you want to know?"

Mandy grinned. This was going to be great.

Sarov heard rather than saw Alex get up in the middle of the night. A look at the clock told him it was four in the morning. That was not the nine hours of sleep he was supposed to be getting. Then again, after that brainless idiot had asked him about a war than concluded less than a year ago that he was an active participant in, Sarov wasn't surprised. He found Alex in the kitchen making himself some tea. "Does this happen often?"

Alex flinched so hard he nearly dropped the mug. "Not. Really."

Sarov felt his eye twitch. "I know a lie when I hear one."

Alex sighed. "I had a nightmare...well, a memory."

Sarov sighed. He had read the studies done on soldiers with similar symptoms. What had ended up working best was having an older, experienced officer of higher rank mentor the men. And assure them that some symptoms were normal and that they were still needed, but that their comrades would wait until they got better. "Look, Alex, plenty of soldiers have issues after being in an active warzone. Why don't we talk about what's troubling you? Put the tea down. I will make it for us."

Alex looked at him. The poor boy seemed to just realize that he was shaking. Alex visibly drooped and went to sit in the sitting room. Sarov sighed. At least there was no broken glass. This was far from the first young man he had mentored after a warzone took its toll. It had been some time since he had done this. Sarov pulled a blanket from the nearby cupboard. It was softer than the ones he typically used. Softer wool and silk, rather than just regular rough sheep wool. Alex was staring off into space and waiting for him on the couch. Alex jumped a little bit as he entered the room. "Do I have to talk about it?"

Sarov sighed as he draped the blanket across Alex's shoulders. "I think it would help you, but I'm not going to push."

Sarov sat next to him. Alex was still clutching his tea mug for dear life. Ah, well, these things took time. "How do you move on?"

Sarov shrugged. "You accept that you cannot change what happened and that the world will continue whether or not you do."

Alex sighed. "I knew I should have banned that idiot girl from speaking with you about the war."

Alex sat up. "Don't be rude to Mandy. It's not like she knows what it's like."

Sarov lightly smoothed Alex's hair. "That does not excuse the fact that she asked about a war in which you killed people."

Sarov shook his head. Alex looked tired. "I just want a full night of sleep."

Sarov gently laid his hand on Alex's shoulder. "We will get you there, Alex."

There was, after all, no rush. Alex eventually fell back asleep on Sarov's shoulder. He debated carrying Alex back up but decided not to risk waking him up. The boy had school tomorrow.

Alex was dressed in a new uniform for his first day of school. He hadn't quite known what to expect, but at least the fabric was relatively nice. Sarov was hovering like a very fit and overly large bat. Alex was told to fix his tie for the eighth time before the man gave up and tied it himself. If he was thirteen, he might have been embarrassed. Instead, he was more than slightly entertained at the mothering. It was nice to have an adult who cared. Sarov had decided that they would be taking the car instead of walking, mostly because of the press. He would probably be riding horses again. At least Sarov let Fenrir come along while they rode. Fenrir easily kept up with the horses and the treacherous fluff ball had taken a liking to them. Alex jumped as a loud bark sounded behind him. "Fenrir!"

Sarov looked entertained. "He must have snuck in when they were warming up the car."

Alex was perfectly happy to accept that excuse. For all that he was enormous, Fenrir could be stealthy if he wanted to. Plus, he was a hellhound, thanks to Grim being a nutter. Sarov pet the dog. "Try not to get the fur on your uniform."

Alex gave Sarov an incredibly flat look as fur dropped onto his host father's formal jacket. "I'll brush him once I get home from school."

Sarov was oddly not miffed from the massive amount of fur that had gotten all over him. "Good. I'll hold you to that."

Thankfully, Alex did not get that much dog fur on his clothing. The rest of the drive was fairly quiet. Alex wasn't a morning person and Sarov was going through some sort of files. Fenrir was eyeing Alex longingly, but Sarov had a firm grip on the dog's collar. If it was anyone else, Alex would suspect that there would be expensive shoe replacements shortly. Fenrir had enjoyed chomping through Ian's patent boots for his old dress uniform in particular. Crawley's prized leather loafers had also been shredded if Tom's postcard was to be believed. Alex had sacrificed his socks when Fenrir was a puppy. Tom and Jack's shoes had miraculously been left alone. Lance had put all of his at the top of the closet. Alex had laughed his ass off until Fenrir had gotten a lovely broken-in pair of ballet shoes he'd been fond of. Alex rose as the car slowed down. "You might want to look after your shoes. Fenrir loves patent leather."

Fenrir let out a bratty little huff at that. Sarov chuckled. "I think I can outsmart your little wolf. Have a good day at school."

Alex nodded. "Thank you."

Alex felt Sarov's eyes on him as he walked up to the school gate. He was, of course, thirty minutes early because Sarov was a hardass like that. Alex knocked on the gate and was let in by a harried-looking man that Alex presumed was the janitor. Well, at least he'd have some reading time.

Amanda walked up to Alex when he sat down at the lunch table. The morning classes had been brutal. "Alex!"

Alex blinked and then gave her a slight smile. He was sitting next to some kid, Ivanov, and reading a medical text. "Mandy."

She sat down next to him and the other kid scooted away slightly. Huh, she'd heard rumors about Ivanov all morning. Something about him being a rich snob. So far, she hadn't seen him be overtly rude, just quiet and bookish. "How's it going?"

Alex rolled his eyes and closed his book. "Pretty well, I think."

Ivanov snorted and muttered something under his breath in Russian. Mandy was fairly certain that it was complimentary, but couldn't honestly tell. Spoken Russian was harder than written. "So, how did your science class go?"

Alex shrugged. "Well."

Mandy huffed. "Does fighting in a war turn everyone into monosyllabic grumps."

Ivanov sucked in a breath. Alex gave her a flat look. "I watched people die right in front of me, Amanda. Try to have some reverence for the dead."

Mandy felt bad. "I'm sorry."

Alex sighed and rubbed his eyes. "It's alright. You're used to, well, not kiddy issues, but civilian ones. Just...try."

Mandy's food tasted like ash as she ate in silence for the rest of the lunch period. Alex and Ivanov went back to reading. Ivanov occasionally said things to Alex in low enough tones that Mandy couldn't overhear in the general hubbub of the lunchroom. She wondered how Alex had gotten Ivanov to open up to him. Rumor had it that he rebuffed most social attempts that he didn't have to accept. Ivanov was glaring daggers at her in between sticking his nose in his books. The boy seemed fixed on Alex for whatever reason. What was it with Alex and blonde Russian dudes? Seriously. This was getting out of hand and he was catnip for the real weirdos from the country, too. Sarov was a well-known recluse who was...technically not divorced or widowed. Nobody had seen or heard from his wife in over a literal decade. No mistresses. The divorce application had gone in on grounds of abandonment. She hadn't shown up to the court, either. Mandy would almost believe the rumors that Alex was his illegitimate son, but the man seemed colder than the Siberian winter. She doubted he even had sex unless he wanted to reproduce.

Alex wondered whether part of the reason Dimitry was sent to Point Blank in the first place was his lack of real friends or any social connections. Alex had a sinking suspicion his father wasn't best pleased with his social progress. He knew that most of his fellow students were more interested in the connections side of things with Ivanov. He didn't yet have permission to use his first name and Alex wasn't going to risk it. Trying too hard and getting snubbed was not a mistake he wanted Sarov to lecture him on. Instead, he had tried a bit of reverse psychology. Asking if he could sit down and read next to Ivanov for his first day had done the trick. The boy had looked him up and down and then shoved a few fiction books into his bag. Alex had felt, rather than saw, the curious looks he got from Dimitry and the rest of the student body. He was trying not to think about the incident with Mandy. Alex knew that, despite appearance, she was still rather young and naive. With his original years, he was in his early twenties by now. It gave him a bit more perspective. Congrats on your new acquisition of yet another rich blonde Russian stalker. Fuck. You'll have to wait a few more years for that with any of them or it will be reeeeaaaallll awkward. Shut up, Grim. What? You know I'm right. Besides, for all you know, getting caught in a gay orgy was why Dimitry was sent to Point Blank. That was technically fair enough. Was it, though? No. But I'm having way too much fun taunting you about this to tell you the actual reason. Grim was a goddamn dick. Yes, I am.

Dimitry grabbed his sleeve. "This is the class for The History of Russia and Russian Politics."

Alex had scouted out all of his class locations beforehand, but that wouldn't help him if he was zoned out. "Thank you, Ivanov. I zoned out."

Dimitry huffed. "I know. You're weird."

Alex rolled his eyes as they were hustled into the classroom. "Says the social outcast and local rumor bait."

Ivanov shoved him lightly into an adjacent desk. The class was about to begin. The teacher was eyeing them with a calculating look. Dimitry immediately went back to his usual reading self. Alex followed suit and pulled the appropriate textbook and notebook out of his bag. The lecture that ensued was surprisingly interesting. Alex had been studying up, but there was still enough detail and the complication in the language barrier to hold his interest.

"Rider, stay after class."

Alex mentally groaned. He hadn't even done anything yet. Alex was trying to behave for the sake of Sarov's sanity. Dimitry shot him a frightened look. Alex wanted to tell him it was fine. The thing was, he didn't know if it was fine. "Is something wrong, sir?"

The man paused. Alex waited for him to answer. If there had been one thing that Doctor Three had managed to teach him in the past life, it was how to wait for answers and the end to a silence. "Not wrong, no."

Russian had enough space in the language that that sentence told Alex next to nothing. The man started pacing and wringing his hands. "You put me in a very awkward situation, you realize."

Alex would have rolled his eyes, but he would prefer not to be whacked on his first day. "Spit it out in plain sentences. I have another class to get to."

The man's eye twitched. "You have a break period now."

Well, that wasn't creepy at all. None of the teachers at Brooklands had kept that much track of who had what break periods. Then again, he was both foreign and staying with one of the more reclusive and high-ranking figures, so maybe it was a Russia thing? "Go on."

The man huffed and corrected him about his informal tense. "You realize that Ivanov's father wishes for us to keep a close eye on his associates and report back, yes?"

Alex had almost forgotten that Dimitry had an ex-KGB Major for his dad. Not. You'd think the students would have something better to gossip about. The poor man looked like he was about to puke. Alex realized he was waiting for an answer. "I figured as much. What's the problem here?"

The man sighed. "You are General Sarov's ward. He has requested an information block. Additionally, you are a foreign monarch and this makes rank complicated."

Alex was tempted to just give the man the go-ahead. Then again, this was probably the stuff Sarov was supposed to be consulted on. "I am fine with it, but perhaps you should write to my host father and ask permission of sorts. Surely a few more days of extra observation might be more...prudent, shall we say."

The man began regaining color. Alex could imagine that being caught between two wealthy powerful oligarchs with the President's ear would be rather...fraught. Especially considering his rank. The teacher dismissed him. Alex wondered whether it was a coincidence that none of his break periods outside of lunch were shared with Mandy. Alex wasn't particularly close with any of the other international students. Perhaps Dimitry would be in the library with him? They were in the same year, though Alex had tested into about half of the upper-level classes. He was considered far above average in the sciences, but specific history topics and Russian grammar and the like were about his age or slightly lower. Alex headed for the smaller library that he thought Dimitry might prefer. There were three in the school. Sure enough, there was a familiar head of blonde hair sitting at a table in an out-of-the-way alcove.

Alexei Sarov was surprised to receive a very insistent dinner invitation from Major Victor Ivanov. Ex-KGB, so he wouldn't have declined anyway, but it was still interesting. They weren't friends. They walked in the same circles, but it wasn't as though they were drinking buddies. Alex had managed to impress his son enough to be invited. Alexei had not heard flattering things about the boy. Generally, a loner, anti-social, not a sports fan, and favoring his mother in the looks department. His mother had been attractive enough but had fallen out of favor after numerous public affairs. That said, Dimitry was appropriately wealthy and well-connected for a playmate to be beneficial later in life. "Alex."

The boy walked up to him. He still went for weapons and armor that he no longer wore when startled. "Sir?"

Alexei fanned himself with the invitation. "We have been invited to one of Major Ivanov's balls."

The boy looked puzzled. "Dima has a rank?"

Sarov might have smacked him for his cheek, but he knew that it was a genuine question from Alex. "No, his father does. Major Victor Ivanov. Ex-KGB. A good friend of the President's."

Alex looked a little less unsettled. "We met on the first day of school. It's only been seven weeks."

Sarov blinked. Several possibilities were going on here. "You are, in general, a charming figure. It could be that a boy like Ivanov's son is that lonely. You are the ruler of a relatively unaligned nation with a poor history with the United States of America. This could be a veil for the President to meet with you unofficially to discuss trade or alliances. Major Ivanov himself has expressed interest in you during cabinet meetings before, due to your exploits with Tom Card. I needed his approval to give you the device. He may very well offer you a job. Which you will decline. Respectfully. There may also be other factors at play. This may be a disguised alliance meeting with me for internal Russian politics. He may need a consultation on some of my former men, either for job offers or because more of them went rogue and started selling abandoned nuclear warheads. This list goes on. Give me a three-page bulleted list of reasons the meeting might be occurring. You may include the ones I stated."

Sarov might be disappointed if he did, but that was beside the point. Alex looked pensive. Good. This was going to be a headache for both of them. Plus, he would need a custom suit and suitably expensive accouterments.

Alex was trying not to fidget as Sarov rounded on him again. Sarov had cut off any arguments or complaints about the suit. He was in his new one. Necessary opulence, he'd called it. The man's face had gone sour. Then again, he hadn't batted an eyelid at the jewelry that cost as much as tuition at Malagosto. Alex knew he'd purchased one kilogram of weapons-grade uranium and still had plenty of money to live his life as future President of Russia comfortably, but still. At least Sarov had gotten him 'subtle' jewelry after seeing his expression at the blingier pieces. He hadn't expected Dimitry to go to his dad for an invitation to an extremely important social event. They barely talked! Like I said, stalker acquired. Grim was not particularly helpful. I resent that. Besides, you're the golden child and your new pal Winston Yu will back off with his spies when he sees you on television with the President again this soon. A lovely note that he had been trying to forget about. Don't worry, he loooves you. That was not a reassuring statement. Sarov re-tied his tie. Alex wanted to ditch the stupid thing but knew Sarov wouldn't put up with it. His shirt was smoothed from imaginary wrinkles. "You know the rules, I hope."

Alex nodded. Sarov lightly cupped his cheek. "Don't worry, Alex. It will be fine."

Antonio thankfully had a bunch of committees to write treaties and such. Alex would have probably died otherwise. Sarov cut a very nice figure in his matching suit. Alex could appreciate the muscle structure of the man. "Is something the matter?"

Alex huffed. "No. I just noticed that you look nice."

Sarov cuffed him. "I would hope so."

Fenrir was, sadly, not invited to this event. Sarov hadn't wanted to risk a scandal caused by the energetic dog. Sarov seemed to genuinely enjoy galloping after deer full tilt with Fenrir. Alex was surprised at how fast the two bonded together. Then again, they both liked running around and hunting. The only time he got a gun was when they were on horseback with Fenrir. Sadness. Alex would have to look into an illegal one. Or maybe he could convince Sarov to get him one eventually. The man had steadfastly refused to remove his (confiscated) handguns from the gun safe. Something about not letting him injure himself. Blah, blah, blah. Alex thought it was ridiculous, but The General was far more stubborn than Ian.

The arrival to the gala - Alex refused to call it anything else - had a surprising number of cameras. Sarov led him past the press without so much as a glance in their direction. Thankfully, they did not have to give any kind of statement. It was quickly becoming one of Alex's least favorite activities. They were greeted at the door by a doorman, who took their outer coats. Another member of the staff offered them refreshments and led them down the hall. Alex knew better than to look too closely at the furniture. The room they were led to was massive. It was stunning. There were solid gold candle holders for the candles. Whispers broke out as they entered and were announced. Alex noticed more than a few women eyeing Sarov up. Victor Ivanov strolled towards them. "Welcome to my humble abode."

There was absolutely nothing humble about it. Sarov answered for both of them, which Alex was thankfully for. There was an actual giant stack of bubbling champagne glasses. Alex made sure to be as expressionless as possible as they were led up to the head table. It took him a second to realize that they had arrived fairly late. Huh, that meant they were one of the more 'important' guests. He wished that Sarov had let him sit in on that advisory meeting instead of doing his chemistry homework. Darn parental instincts. Alex knew he should have emailed Lance at two in the morning. Unfortunately, Sarov would notice if he was an insomniac. An elbow found his side as Sarov gracefully sat down. Alex followed suit. A glance around the table told Alex that almost every single important personality was at this table. Great. Just what he needed after only being in Russia for almost two months. "Your accent is very interesting. Attempting to imitate a rural one, I presume?"

Alex cut into his appetizer. Here came the snooty comments about his Russian. "Indeed."

Ivanov was giving him penetrating looks. Alex sincerely doubted that ex-KGB was an accurate description. Currently, more like. Sarov cut the man off. "As I recall, Major, your wife was from the rural areas in the south. Perhaps it reminds you of the happier years of your marriage."

Alex was thankful that he was eating, otherwise, he would likely have laughed his ass off on the spot. God, these people were so mean to each other. Dimitry was shooting him apologetic looks. Alex resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the sniping. This was getting past even SCORPIA board meeting levels pretty fast. Dimitry got up and headed straight for the booze. Alex nearly spat into his drink. His dad was now glaring at his back. Poor kid was likely to be getting some unflattering comparisons with him in the near future. The dinner and dessert continued much the same. Thankfully, Sarov was running interference for some of the nastier people. Alex was dismissed after dinner to party with the children his age.

Alexei Sarov was unsurprised that he was approached by both the President and Victor Ivanov. "So, how is Little Alex settling in? Or should I say Xander?"

Sarov resisted the bait. "You would do well not to taunt him. The last man who did it is in the ground."

Ivanov snorted. "He is interesting. Besides, the decimation of the CIA forces was incredible. They are even facing backlash in their state. Not to mention, I suspect him of raids on the other child assassin programs. If not himself, then his men."

Sarov remained expressionless. Victor would get to his point eventually. "I find some of his battle tactics intriguingly familiar."

Ah, here came the blackmail. Now, what did Victor and the President want? "Is there a point you were getting to?"

Victor blinked. Perhaps he was not used to being interrupted. "The rest of the cabinet is still dithering over what terms to present to the new, ah, constitutional monarchy. We simply wish to know what they would like to trade for a few things."

Sarov paused. There was such a thing as overcomplicating things. "I would advise simply sending a missive. It's a young government and they don't have time for the games that someone more established would. Plus, Alex, for all his cunning, is generally a forthright man if he gets the chance to be. They cannot and will not make a treaty with the States."

Victor paused. Sarov was certain that the man had some sort of plot in mind, but it was likely not to be hinted at in front of Boris. The man might be a drunk, but he was intelligent behind his front. "What about the governors?"

Sarov sighed. "They will not make any problems if Alex tells them not to. And they are all intelligent enough to realize that they owe us a great deal."

Victor nodded. Sarov knew that was about all he was going to get. Most likely he was discarding the more unsavory plans he had in mind. Boris was hanging back for most of the conversation. "On a more personal note, I notice that my son is markedly improved the more he keeps company with your guest."

Sarov would have asked how bad it was if that was improved, but it would be both impolitic and impolite. "I see no reason to discourage them from being together. For now, anyway."

Ivanov's eyes flashed. Sarov was reminded that the man's father had met a gruesome death after his ascent to power. Completely an accident, of course. Perhaps the unfortunate parenting traits had been passed on.

Dimitry was anxious to get him alone, but Alex was unsure if it was just because he hated crowds or wanted away from the party as a whole. Alex was yanked out to a balcony. His friend had all but run here. Dimitry leaned into Alex and, for a second, Alex almost thought he was going to get kissed. "You need to listen to me. Stay away from my dad. He's way too interested in you and him being interested is never a good thing."

Alex paused. "What kind of interest?"

What? That statement could be interpreted in a lot of ways. "Nothing good, Alex. He's plotting something."

Alex nodded. He figured that Sarov would be assigning him another list soon. The title of that list would be 'Things Victor Ivanov Might Be Plotting.' Great, this was his life now. Dimitry looked reluctant to go back to the party. "Are you alright?"

The boy chewed his lower lip. Alex felt some pity for him. Though Dimitry was in advanced classes for his age, it didn't seem to be enough for his father. "I don't want to go back."

Alex was suddenly pulled into a hug. Alex awkwardly patted Dimitry on the back while the kid buried his face into Alex's shoulder. "You know people will talk if we don't reappear soon."

Whatever Dimitry said was cut off by the sudden entrance of Victor Ivanov. "Yes, they most certainly will. You would do well to listen to your friend, Dimitry."

The boy looked at his father and swallowed hard. Alex could see an expression of pure horror on his face. Dimitry backed towards the door of the balcony. Alex followed close behind. They made it inside without further comment. "Alex, stay behind."

Dimitry gave his father a pleading look. Victor was thoroughly unaffected. Dimitry mouthed an apology at him before running off. "You and my son seem...close."

Alex was tempted to roll his eyes, but they weren't in public, so he could be a touch nastier. "Are you sure you aren't projecting?"

Victor looked stunned for a second before he started laughing. "I knew Sarov told you to let him field the commentary."

Alex leaned against the doorframe. "So, what's your deal?"

Victor sighed. "I am more curious how you came to have such an effect on my son. He has never had a friend before, you see."

Alex wasn't sure how to reply to that. "It was quite by accident, I assure you. I only wanted a study partner."

Victor did not seem to believe him, but let it go for now. "Are you a homosexual?"

Alex felt his mouth drop open. "Excuse me?!"

Victor seemed to take his shock for outrage. "Forgive me, I thought he might be trying to impress you for less than wholesome reasons. Plus, he is rather shy and effeminate."

Alex was doing his best to reign in his initial reaction. "Very well. Hopefully, his friendship with you makes him more acceptable."

With that Major Ivanov left him gaping like a fish. What in the fuck?!