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Time jump alert. Nine years will have passed now. A/D = 24 & 26, her sisters are 30, 28 and 26, and Alexei is 21. Remember, it was said that if he'd lived past 17 he would have outgrown his hemophilia...maybe he does, maybe he doesn't.... The rest of this one pretty much explains itself, so...get started...!

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The sun was setting, spirits were high, and the ballroom of the Catherine Palace was once again filled with a joyous, dancing crowd.

Her highness Marie Feodorovna had returned from Paris for this special occasion, and she sat now on her throne on the platform, awaiting the arrival of the Tsar. When he entered, the people stopped dancing and took notice, but the music kept playing---this was a happy day.

"Alexei, darling," Marie beamed, hugging her grandson. "You look so handsome! The very image of your father."

Alexei straightened his sash and gave a quick wave to his people. "Thanks, grandmama. They're not here yet, are they?"

"Not yet, dear, not yet."

Marie walked off to mingle a bit with the guests. From out of the crowd, Olga, Tatiana, and Maria appeared on the platform, and ran up to their little brother, who was ironically now taller than they were. Ever since he was seventeen and the hemophilia had left him, he'd shot up like a weed.

"They're not here yet, are they?" Tatiana asked in a hurry.

"No, not yet."

The next to join the group were a slightly graying Nicholas and Alexandra, whose first question was, of course, "They're not here yet, are they?"

"Ugh," Mashka sighed, "will people stop asking that question? They'll get here when they get here!"

"When who gets here?"

The new Tsar, the three duchesses and their parents all turned around at the sound of Anastasia's voice. After all, except for at Alexei's coronation, they hadn't heard it in a year, since the wedding.

The three girls squealed with joy and tackled their sister up in a big group hug, then their brother-in-law, then the whole thing pretty much turned into one big hug assembly line.

"You're back! Happy first anniversary!" Olga said. "How was the big adventure?"

"Oh, it was great," Anya told them. "We went everywhere. I'll tell you later."

There were a few more moments of mother-daughter-sister catching up, during which Alexei, Dimitri and Nicholas exchanged friendly handshakes and shuffled around staring at their shoes. Women.

Finally Anya changed the subject. "So what's this whole party about? Your letter just said to dress up---it's not for the coronation, is it? That was two months ago."

"Surprise!" Maria looked proud of herself. "It's for you! Welcome home you guys!"

"Really? You're kidding!"

"Nope," Olga replied, "and we got you something, too."

"Aw, you didn't have to do that."

Olga stepped off the platform, and when she returned, she held a small, scrappy grey dog in her arms.

"Uh, wow," Dimitri added. "You really didn't have to do that."

"He's really friendly. You can call him whatever you want. He's a rescue," Tatiana explained. "He's all yours." Noticing her brother-in-law's hesitation, though, she grinned, and added, "Unless you don't think you can handle it, Dimitri."

"Handle it? Me?" Dimitri waved the idea off. "Please. I just spent a year traveling around Europe with your sister."

"Oh, so are you saying you're sick of me?" Anya joked in return.

"Now, your grace, what kind of idiot would I be if that were true?"

Tatiana turned to whisper something to Maria at that point, and from the corner of his eye, Dimitri recognized Vlad out on the dancefloor with a large blonde woman. He waved, and Dimitri waved back, smiling as he recalled what brought them here.

"Okay, okay," Olga started, drawing attention back to the group. "Remember how I said I had something to tell you that I wanted to say in person?"

Anya nodded. "Yes."

Olga held up her hand, and for once, there was actually an engagement ring on it.

"Oh my God!"

Anya moved to hug her sister, but Olga motioned for her to wait. "Not yet."

She cast a knowing glance at Tatiana. She, too, held up a hand.

"Oh my God!" This time she delayed the hug herself. "Now?"

Tatiana shook her head. "There's a little more."

Anya looked to Maria in surprise. "Not you too?"

But Mashka just nodded, and the ring she showed off shone almost as brightly as the smile on her face.

"I can't beleive this! Now?"

"Now." The other three nodded again and piled into a heap of Grand Duchess.

"Really, congratulations," Dimitri agreed, then swiftly changed the subject. "Now about the dog...."

Never in his life had four women rolled their eyes at him at once. A new record.

Anya leveled with the puppy in question. "Hi, there, Pooka. That's your new name, okay? Pooka."

"That's not even a word," Dimitri scoffed.

"It's cute."

"We cannot get a dog."

"And why is that?"

"I'm allergic to dogs."

"You are not."

"Just think, Dimitri," Tatiana cut in, borrowing her sister's teasing look. "This will be good practice for when you two have a baby!"

Dimitri choked on his oxygen. It was a good thing he hadn't taken a drink of anything.

Anya smiled. "Relax, you've got a few years. Besides, I don't have time to argue about this with you. I have three weddings to help plan." Turning her deviousness toward her brother, she added, "And Alexei, if you're looking for a Tsarina I can fix you up with someone. We met a few really nice princesses in Wales..."

The Tsar took a few steps backward. "Hey, I just got the job, okay?"

"Oh, come on, Alexei," teased Maria. "Don't pretend those diplomat girls don't think you're cute."

Desperate to stop being the focus, he pointed at Dimitri. "I'm on his side."

"Thank you."

"Oh, sure," Maria muttered, "aren't you always? Men."

He tried again. "I am not living with a dog..."

"Aww, you're so cute," Anya cooed to the mutt, ignoring her husband completely. "You know, it's too bad---now I'll have to get rid of Dimitri."

"Gee, what a shame," Tatiana deadpanned.

"He can sleep in the yard," Olga offered, continuing the sarcastic chain of not helping.

Interrupting what some would call the fun and what others would call the cruel and unusual punishment, Vlad bustled over to join the group. He intended his first words to be 'welcome home,' but he proved easily distracted. Instantly he zeroed in on the furball. "My goodness, well who is this?"

"This is Pooka. Say hi, Pooka," Anya introduced, waving the dog's small paw in Vlad's direction.

"Is he yours?" Vlad asked as she passed the puppy into his arms.

"Yep." Dimitri gave her a look, and she responded in a mature, adult manner. She stuck her tongue out when no one was looking.

But shortly, the talking died down, and the music rose, and something changed. A new mood fell over them like an old memory, and only Anastasia realized why: Marie was smiling at them from over by the band, and sent her granddaughter a kiss, as "Once Upon A December," the Romanov lullaby itself, filled the palace ballroom.

Soft smiles came over their faces. They'd all seen and heard the music box a thousand times. They knew what it meant. Not just 'Together In Paris,' but together. Anywhere. Always.

Wordlessly, Nicholas held out his hand to Alexandra. As they drifted out onto the floor, Tatiana followed with Alexei. Vlad bowed to both Olga and Maria, and linking arms, they too disappeared to the music. And then there were two.

"Well, your grace..." Dimitri offered her his hand, and she took it. "Since everyone else seems to think it's a good idea..."

She laughed that laugh of hers. "Oh, shut up."

Reaching her arms around his neck, she moved in close enough for him to kiss her, and being no idiot, he did. When the music took them, it floated them into the crowd, swirling into the center of the mass of celebrating family and friends, comerades and citizens. It only went to illustrate the fact they knew all along: that here, with each other, they'd never be alone.

And with family like this, sometimes literally.

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XD XD XD Yay! Such a fun chapter for me. And we get to see Pooka at last (thanks for the idea starter, Britney), and even a glimpse of Sophie, if you caught it. Finally, a happy ending for all the Romanovs. Or possibly a perfect beginning.... ;D PLEASE review, and THANK YOU to those of you who put detail. Nothing helps me more than knowing WHAT you liked. One chapter to go.

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