Disclaimer: I just love Anya and Dimitri together! I only own the plot and the characters you do not recognize from the movie.

All Men Are Babies-

Chapter 7: Anya's Dream

"You promised!" Anya huffed stubbornly to her husband later that night. The young woman's arms were crossed against her chest as she sat cross legged on the bed. Menacingly, she glared at Dimitri.

Dimitri stood on the other side of the room and looked back at Anya. Sighing, he asked, "why do you even care? It happened ten years ago!"

"Because I don't remember and I wanna know!" Anya persisted.

"Alright, fine!" Dimitri said giving into her wishes, throwing his hands up in the air as he walked over to her. Sitting down on the bed, Dimitri tugged at her arm and pulled her closer to him. Anya smiled. Taking a deep breath in, Dimitri began his tale.

A young ten year old Dimitri sneaked out of the grand kitchen in the Catherine Palace for what seemed like the thousandth time that day. The cook was in an exceptionally bad mood today and Dimitri did not want to be in the way. Besides, the boy would much rather run around and play than work in the kitchen.

"Who are you?" a little girl's voice asked from behind him.

Dimitri turned around. It was the young Princess Anastasia. "Dimitri."

"What are you doing?"

"Hiding from the cook."

"Why?"

"Because I'm a kitchen boy."

"Then why aren't you in the kitchen?"

"Because I don't want to work."

"Then will you play with me?"

"Fine. Sure. Whatever."

The two kids gallivanted throughout the palace together staying out of sight of another member of the royal family along with the rest of the servants. Dimitri knew it would not be good if he was caught playing with the princess.

"Dimitri!" the cook called out for his mischievous kitchen boy as he searched throughout the kitchen and the surrounding area. "Dimitri!" Dimitri had a knack for running off and for getting into trouble.

"Come on, keep up, Princess!" Dimitri called behind him as he and Anastasia ran from the voice of the cook that was protruding closer and closer.

"Not so fast, Dimitri!" Anastasia called to him. She was running as fast as her little legs would carry her, but her playmate was so much faster than she was.

Dimitri rolled his eyes as he turned around and ran back to the princess. That girl is nothing but trouble, he thought to himself. He grabbed her hand and kept running, her still struggling to keep up.

"Dimitri!" The cook's voice continued to roar.

Dimitri ran until he bumped into someone. "Uh-oh," Dimitri said as he looked up and saw the cook's angry face.

"You belong in the kitchen, Dimitri!" the cook's voiced boomed. "What are you doing with the princess?" The angry cook did not wait for an answer as he grasped Dimitri by the ear and dragged him away from the princess and back to the kitchen. That night, the cook found menial and disgusting jobs for Dimitri to do and sent the young boy to bed without his evening meal.

"It wasn't my fault that you went to bed hungry," Anya commented afterwords.

"How so?" Dimitri questioned.

"You shouldn't of sneaked out of the kitchen."

"You shouldn't have asked me to play with you."

"You shouldn't have agreed to play with me," Anya countered.

"Yeah, whatever," Dimitri replied. "Now to go bed, your highness," he said sarcastically.

"Sure, kitchen boy," Anya smirked.

"Good night, Anya."

"Good night, Dimitri."

Dimitri turned out the light before getting comfortable beside Anya.

"Hey, Dimitri?" Anya said in the darkness rolling over on her side to look at him.

"Hm?"

"Were we friends as kids?" she asked.

Dimitri also rolled onto his side so he could look at her. "Sort of," he responded. "We played together sometimes when I managed to get out of the kitchens."

"Oh," Anya replied rolling onto her back once again.

"Night, Anya," Dimitri replied hovering over her and kissed her gently before settling back on his side of the bed. There was soft growl at their feet. "Good night, Mutt." Anya smiled as she fell into a deep slumber.

xXx

"Come on!" the young prince, Alexei called for his older sister Anastasia. Giggling, the princess clambered behind her younger brother joyfully along the dirt pathway in their bare feet. Flowers lined the pathway leading uphill. Gladly, Anastasia followed her brother. The little boy stopped at the edge of the small cliff. At the bottom Anastasia's three sisters Olga, Tatiana, and Maria were in the river along with their father.

"Hello, Sunshine!" the Tzar greeted his youngest daughter. Anastasia giggled some more as she waved to her father. "Come! Jump in!" The Tzar urged his youngest children.

"Ya-Hoo!" Alexei exclaimed jumping in the water to join his father and the rest of his siblings. The four already in the water turned away from the huge splash that the prince made. Anastasia stayed on the edge of the cliff looking down at her family.

"Come on!" Maria called up to her.

"Jump in!" Tatiana added.

"Aren't you going to jump in?" a voice beside her smirked.

Anastasia turned her head to the right to see Dimitri standing there smirking. "Dimitri!" the princess exclaimed throwing her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Jump in!" Olga urged the two.

Anastasia released her hold on Dimitri and looked down at her family once again, mentally preparing herself to jump in. The princess squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. Upon opening them again, Anastasia looked down into the river where her father and siblings were. However, this time they were gone. In their place was a middle-aged man that Anastasia did not recognize.

"Jump in, Anastasia! Jump in!" he called for her.

Quickly, Anastasia looked to where Dimitri stood beside her. However he was also gone. She was alone with this stranger. "Dimitri!" she called out, but Dimitri did not answer her. Feeling the ground beneath her feet soften, Anastasia looked down and saw the ground crumbling. "Ah!" she screamed as she fell from solid ground into the river.

xXx

Dimitri instantly awoke to the sound of Anya's screaming and Pooka's barking. Dimitri sat up and quickly turned the lamp on beside him. When the faint light glowed, he shook Anya. His wife was tossing in her sleep beside him. "Anya!" he exclaimed.

Anya snapped her eyes open to see Dimitri's face. Breathing hard, she sat up. "Dimitri," she sighed in relief, reaching for him. She clutched his shirt with trembling hands as he hugged her.

"It's alright," he soothed, "You're safe now, I'm here."

"I saw them," she squeaked.

"Your family?" he asked.

Anya nodded against his chest. "And- and-"

"Rasputin?"

"No," Anya denied, "someone else. He was angry, but I did not recognize him-"

"It's alright, Anya," Dimitri continued to soothe her. "I've got you."

Pooka stopped barking and made sure that Dimitri didn't let go of Anya. The little dog pranced up to the young couple and curled up beside them, keeping his eyes open for the rest of the night.

Well, this was chapter 7. I don't know about you, but it is kind of long and nothing but Anya and Dimitri throughout the entire chapter. Yes, the dream is important and you will find out why in the upcoming chapters. Please leave a review and chapter 8 will be up soon!