Author's note: Thank you for reading. I don't have much else to say for this one.

Happy reading!

Chapter Five

"Good morning." Sydney smiled sleepily as she opened the door to let them in.

"Sorry it's so early." Eddie said as he sat down the carrier containing Nikolai. Ivanna clung to his neck.

"It's fine. I've been awake for a while. Between Marti and Josh, I don't sleep much these days." She kneeled down to peek at the baby in the carrier.

"I thought Josh was hard to wake up."

"Most days, yes. Some days he wakes up at three AM and refuses to go back to sleep no matter how hard we try. We put the gate up over his door, but then he yells and cries and wakes up his baby sister."

"We set up the guest room for you." Adrian said as he walked into the room. "We put Marti's play pen in there for the baby. And extra blankets for a mat for her." He tickled Ivanna's cheek. "Hello, there."

"This is Adrian, Ivanna. Can you say hi?"

"Hi." She said softly.

Jill lifted the baby out of the carrier. "This is Nikolai."

"They're cute." Adrian gushed.

"Mommy!" Josh called, running into the room.

"Sh, baby." She picked him up. "We have to be quiet. I finally got your sister back to sleep."

"I'm tired, Mommy." He announced.

"Of course you are." She sighed into his hair.

"Who's she?" He pointed.

"This is Ivanna." Eddie said. "Who isn't used to being awake in the day time."

"Come on, I'll help you guys unload everything." Adrian said. "You try to get him back to bed. Maybe the adults can take turns napping too."

Ivanna screamed every time Eddie tried to leave the room. He finally stretched out beside her on the floor and told her again the story of the Moroi queen and her secret sister. She eventually fell asleep pressed to Eddie's chest. Her tiny hand fisted in his shirt until she fully relaxed.

He closed his eyes in relief. He fell asleep and Jill shook his shoulder a few hours later.

"Babe, are you going to sleep all day?" She whispered.

He squinted at her and then at the little girl still curled into his chest. He moved away slowly, trying not to wake her. "What time is it?"

"Almost noon. Adrian is making lunch. You can sleep a little more if you want. But I figure you'd be more comfortable on the bed."

He looked over to the play pen to find it empty. "How is Nikolai?"

"He's fine. Josh is playing with him."

He looked down at Ivanna and then back up. "You haven't slept in a while."

"I'm fine. I'll sleep later. We'll go in shifts. I only need a few hours."

"I do too." He stretched and stood. "When we're back at Court, it'll all work out. And you can work on all your designs and personal shopping more from the apartment. I'll be there when I can. I only wish my work were a bit more flexible."

"Me too." She cupped his cheeks and kissed him softly. "But we'll be okay." She became serious. "It may only be for a little while anyway."

"Hey." He put his hands on top of hers. "Let's hope for the best, okay. Whatever's best for all of us."

"Eddie?" Ivanna asked from the floor. She started crying. "Eddie, where are you?"

"I'm right here." He hurried over. "I'm here."

Jill sat on her other side. "Ivanna, let's get some sleep, okay, sweetie?"

She nodded and lay back down.

Jill rubbed her back. "Eddie and I will be downstairs. You can sleep. No one will hurt you, I promise."

She nodded and was soon back to sleep. Eddie and Jill watched her for a few minutes until they were sure she wouldn't wake up and then they left the room hand-in-hand.

Eddie scooped Nikolai off the floor and held him close to his chest. "Have you been having a good day, little man?"

Jill rubbed his back. "He's been asleep most of it." She kissed his cheek and then sat down on the couch beside Adrian. "Thank you for letting us take over your house."

"It's not taking over." He assured her, draping an arm over her shoulders.

Eddie's phone rang as he walked with Nikolai around the room. "Castile." He said in greeting.

"It's Rose. Got a minute?"

"Yes. Go on." He walked out into the hall.

"We think we've tracked down the lair where the Strigoi were hiding. There was a female there and we've detained her."

"So this is over? And we're going to be traveling with a Strigoi?"

"No, I don't want to do that to the children. A fleet will be driving her back. I'll put some of my most trusted guys on it. I'll be there too."

"Good."

"We still have a few things to settle. We'll leave tomorrow night."

"Thank you." He hung up and walked back to the group. "We're leaving tomorrow night."

"Damn." Adrian breathed.

"Yeah. Better make the most of our time." Jill said around a yawn.

"Maybe you should get some sleep." Her husband said.

"Maybe I should. But I'd like to eat something first."

"Me too. What's for breakfast?" He smiled.

They sat together in the living room after eating. Jill dozed on Eddie's shoulder. The TV played a football game that no one was really paying attention to except Adrian.

The stillness of the house was shattered when Ivanna screamed. Eddie shot up from the couch and took the chairs three at a time. He scooped her to his chest when he met her just outside the door.

"I'm here, Ivanna." He soothed. "It's okay. No one's going to hurt you." He sat down on the bed.

"You're my guardian?"

"For now. One day, I hope you will think of me as something else."

"I want my mommy, Eddie." She cried into his shoulder.

"I know, honey."

Jill stood in the doorway awkwardly. She kneeled in front of them, smoothing the girl's hair down. "You want to come downstairs and play with Josh? He's been bugging me all afternoon about it."

She nodded, smiling through her tears.

"Come on." She held out her hand.

Ivanna scooted off Eddie's lap and slipped her hand into Jill's.

"You're pretty." Josh announced when they when off to the corner to play.

She blushed. "Thank you."

Jill hugged Adrian tightly for a long time. "Maybe one of these days you can come see us."

"We'll have to see about that." He patted her back and stepped away.

Eddie finished buckling Nikolai into his carrier. He started fussing and Eddie soothed him. "We'll be on the road soon, son." He said softly.

Jill combed her fingers through his hair as he stood and hooked his arm through the handle.

Ivanna lifted her arms up. "Pick me up, Jill?" She asked in her sad, high voice.

Jill scooped her into her arms and held her close. "Are you ready to go?"

"I guess." She rested her head on the woman's shoulder. "When will I see Josh again?"

"Soon, sweetie. Did you tell him goodbye?"

She nodded.

"Then I guess we should be going." Eddie said. He patted Sydney's back and then shook hands with Adrian. "We'll see you soon."

Rose met them by the car. "I'll be driving you."

"You'll have to argue that one out with Leah. It's not a long trip to the airport." Eddie said, climbing in and strapping the carrier to the seat. He lifted Ivanna from his wife's arms and strapped her into the car seat still inside. He kissed her forehead and then got out of the car. "I want you to sit in the back with them. Carter and I will sit in the middle."

She nodded and kissed him before climbing in. She slipped her hand into Ivanna's outstretched one and squeezed. "You get to go on a plane, Ivanna. Are you excited?"

"I want my mommy and daddy." She sobbed.

"I know you do, sweetie. But your mommy and daddy are in a place you can't go. And they can't come back."

"Are you my mommy now?"

"I'm just Jill for now. But I'm going to take care of you. You're going to live with Eddie and me for a while. If it all works out, we'll be raising you."

She looked out the window and was quiet for a long time.

Eddie turned around in his seat and made faces at her until she was giggling. Jill reached her free hand up and he took it.

"Eddie, are we there yet?" Ivanna asked from the back.

"Not yet, honey." He said. "But almost."

They pulled into the airport a short time later. Rose and Eddie gathered the luggage with the rest of the guardians. Leah and Carter helped Jill with the children and the check in process. They were able to get on the plane almost right away.

"I wanna sit with Eddie." Ivanna said when she saw Jill strapping her car seat into the plane's seat.

"I'm sure that's okay. Nikolai and I will be right behind you." She lifted the girl into her seat and strapped her in. "Comfy?"

She nodded and looked out the window. She started crying softly. "I want to go home."

"I know." Jill said, smoothing a hand over her hair. "And I wish I could take you. But we're going somewhere else. Somewhere safe."

"With you and Eddie."

"Yes." She kissed her cheek. "You'll be okay." She straightened up to find Eddie was behind her. "She wants to sit with you."

"I was just about to ask." He sat down with her and kissed her temple. "It'll be okay, Ivanna."

She continued to cry softly as the plane took off. She eventually cried herself to sleep just as Nikolai woke up crying out of hunger.

"You two have your hands full." Rose commented.

"We've spent almost an entire weekend with Lissa and Christian's kids." Eddie said. "I think we can handle these two."

Rose laughed. "Yes. And if that's not a good lesson in childrearing, I don't know what is."

"Please bring them to the palace as soon as you get in." Lissa's text to Rose read. She told Eddie and Jill as they worked to gather the children and their things.

"I hope it doesn't take forever. I'd like to get them settled." Jill lifted Ivanna onto her hip.

"I'll let her know." Rose said, typing out a new text.

The trip seemed to take forever with the little girl asking constantly if they had arrived yet.

"Ivanna, sweetheart, we are almost there. Would you please just relax?" Eddie said, tickling her.

She giggled. "Do I get to see the queen from the story?" She asked softly when he stopped.

He smiled. "Yes, you do. And she is excited to see you."

"Me too."