Dimitri was right. I was drunk. And in front of me stood not one but two blurry Janine Hathaways.
She was opening her mouth to say something when her gaze flicked behind me, and her attention was diverted elsewhere. I could literally see her chest swell up with fury, and I swear her face went as red as her hair. And then she detonated.
"Well I suppose I can thank you for all this!" she shrieked, moving past me dangerously.
"Janine!" Abe boomed genially. "What a delight to see you here!"
"Delight my fucking ass," my mother snarled her accent thickening by the second. "Why is my daughter drunk, and more to the point why is she wrapped around her mentor?!"
"Both excellent questions," Abe replied with confidence. "And I'd be delighted to answer them both at length over a glass of wine or a meal."
"I'm not falling for any of your bullshit, Ibrahim, and I think there's been more than enough alcohol involved already, don't you?! I want to know what's going on and I want to know right now!"
I'd turned to watch the exchange between my parents. I knew I should probably be worried, but I was too drunk to care. In fact, as if to underscore that point, I let out a little giggle.
Mom turned around to look at me, the rest of the plane's occupants using the opportunity to slink off toward the arrivals hangar, keen to escape the legendary wrath of Guardian Hathaway, Senior.
"Yes about that," Abe said, deftly diverting Mom's attention back to himself. "Well, the young people were celebrating. Remember the drinking age is eighteen in most other places. They've all been working so hard, and Rose hasn't had a chance to celebrate being the graduate with the top training score and then winning the elimination fights. I thought they deserved to cut loose a little. Belikov was just helping Rose to the van."
Fuck. Fuck-de-fuckity fuck. With everything that had gone on, I'd not called and told Mom about my score or my wins. She was going to go thermo-fricken-nuclear. Def-con one.
She spun and looked at me.
"You were the top-ranked graduate?" she asked astounded. "At St. Basil's?"
"Yep," I managed to reply without swaying. "Training score of ninety-six!"
She stopped and considered this.
"And you won the elimination fights, too?!"
"Yeah. Eddie was third and Meredith fourth!"
"Why didn't you ring to tell me!" she wailed, looking genuinely stricken. It was an explosion, but not of the sort I'd been expecting. "My only bairn the top graduate, and I didn't know!"
I looked up at Dimitri in astonishment. Mom was upset alright.
"Janine – she wanted to tell you face to face. It's too important a thing to say over the phone," Abe stepped in, once again attempting to smooth things over between my mother and me.
"That's right, Mom. I was going to call you in a few hours and take you to breakfast and tell you then," I lied, slurring my words only a little.
"Top graduate," she gasped, pulling me into her arms for a hug. "And the winner of the fights! I'm so proud, Rosemarie!"
"Um, thanks?" I replied, returning Mom's hug while looking over her shoulder at my Russian God. He raised his eyebrows and shrugged. Fat lot of help he was!
"Mom? We've all been traveling for hours, and we're tired. Do you have the morning off? How about we meet for breakfast, and I can tell you everything then?" I said trying to sound reasonable and not three sheets to the wind.
I'd stepped out of her embrace and swayed, Dimitri immediately reaching to steady me. Mom's eyes snapped to where he securely held me, one hand on my elbow, the other on my hip.
"I have all day off," she admitted. "And that would be lovely. You'll tell me everything?" she pressed.
"No holds barred," I vowed with a giggle. "Are you staying in the Guardian dorms?"
She nodded.
"I'll come get you once I'm up," I promised.
"Let's get out of this light," Pavel suggested, shooing Abe toward the terminal where the others were waiting for us with curious eyes.
Lissa and Christian were both pretty intoxicated, but Lissa's good manners carried her through saying hello to Mom. Abe offered Mom a lift back to Guardian accommodations, graciously giving her a seat next to him while Lissa and Meredith pulled me into the rear seat with them. Dimitri wisely traveled with Eddie in the other van. Mum had seen what she'd seen, and she knew something was going on, but thankfully she seemed to realize now wasn't the time or place to discuss it!
Ever skilled at distraction, Abe mentioned to Mom he had videos of my final fights on his phone. Her interest outweighing her significant animosity toward Abe, Mom accepted his phone, the two of them leaning over the small screen, Mom watching the fights while listening to Abe's running commentary of what had happened in the lead up to each round.
We stopped at the Ozera's house on the way to the dorms, dropping off Christian, Lissa, Emil, and a tipsy Celeste. Mom was so engrossed in the videos she didn't seem to have twigged that Celeste was affected by alcohol, which was probably for the best all around. Even though Celeste was off-duty, Mom would doubtless have plenty to say about it. I think we all breathed a sigh of relief when the Royal Moroi were safely delivered home, and we could proceed to the Guardian dorms.
The vans pulled up, and Meredith helped me from the vehicle. Eddie and Dimitri climbed out of the second van, Dimitri doing a remarkable job of trying to be invisible, despite his size.
"I'll see you tomorrow, darling," Abe said, giving me a sympathetic look before the side to the van closed and he was whisked away, presumably to the townhouse he stayed in when visiting Court.
Mom already had a room allocated on the second floor of the dorms, but she stayed irritatingly close as Meredith, Eddie, Dimitri and I were assigned separate rooms by a half-asleep Guardian in the admin office. Abe's Guardians would all be staying at his place, so it was just the four of us getting rooms here. Our quarters were on the third floor, so Meredith grabbed my key and hers, and shouldering our bags, we walked up the stairs trailed by my mother. The cowardly guys were following behind, giving my mother and me 'space.'
"I'll see you in the morning, Rosemarie," Mom said in a tone of voice that was simultaneously threatening and tender; like she couldn't decide if she wanted to kiss me or kill me. Knowing Mom, it could well be both.
"Sure thing, Mom," I replied with a wave over my shoulder, continuing upward as she turned off on the second story landing.
I barely made it to my door. Guess I'd had more of those vodka shots than I'd thought.
"You're such a lightweight, Hathaway," Eddie teased, coming up behind us and giving Meredith a sexy look. She responded with a wink, helping me into my room before slipping out with a 'night night' and a wicked grin. I turned to the door and found my Russian God standing uncertainly in the doorway.
"Roza? You've had a lot to drink. Maybe I should sleep in my own room tonight?" Dimitri suggested.
"I didn't have that much," I grumbled. "I counted!"
"It's the altitude," he murmured, stepping forward to wrap me in his arms. "It affects you much quicker."
"You could have told me that before we started drinking."
Dimitri closed the door and was helping me strip out of my clothing.
"That feels nice," I murmured as his thumbs rubbed at the muscles of my neck and shoulders.
"I should go," he muttered.
"I want you to stay," I countered petulantly.
"You're drunk, ангел. I don't want to take advantage of you."
"But who'll look after me?" I asked innocently, pulling out the big guns. Dimitri was always a bit paranoid about my safety.
"Fine," he murmured. "But only sleep," he declared, shucking off his clothes and stripping to his boxers.
"Ah ha," I agreed climbing into the bed wearing just a pair of panties. The second his arms wrapped around me, I knew he'd give in.
"Night Roza," he crooned, pulling me into his arms. I had just enough time to register his divine manly scent, and then I was asleep.
There was a loud knock at the door and I opened my eyes with a groan. No sentient being deserved to feel as shitty as I did, today. I rolled out of Dimitri's grasp, groaning as I found the TShirt he'd been wearing on the plane. I shrugged it on, pausing for half a second to enjoy the unique manly scent that was Dimitri's.
"What?" I growled, opening the door, expecting to see Meredith or Eddie. I hadn't been expecting to see five-foot of red-haired Guardian otherwise known as my mother.
"Mom!" I gasped, suddenly conscious I was standing almost naked, wearing only panties and a man's TShirt that was almost a dress on me.
"It smells like a brewery in there," Mom blustered, pushing past me and yanking back the blockout drapes before throwing open the window to let the room air. It was still dark inside, but as she turned to face me, I saw her take in the six-foot, seven-inch tall man lying on his stomach in my bed, his plentiful muscles artfully lit by the moonlight. His hair was loose, and he had a peaceful, innocent expression on his face as he slept. I'm sure Mom didn't appreciate it, but I loved the sight of my man slumbering, and the endearing little snores he was making.
"Do not shout," I growled at my mother. "I am going to wake Dimitri, and then we're going to have a nice, calm, civil discussion about this."
I think it was my mother's shock seeing her suspicions confirmed, but surprisingly Janine sank onto one of the two chairs in the room, her mouth shut but her eyes wide.
Giving her an approving nod, I took a couple of steps, kneeling on the edge of the bed and shaking Dimitri gently.
"Dimitri? Wake up."
My gorgeous man rolled onto his side, his arm searching the otherwise empty bed for me.
"Dimitri…"
"Don'twannawakeupwannacuddle," Dimitri grumbled adorably.
"Comrade? You seriously need to wake up!" I said brushing some loose hair from his face.
My Russian God groaned, opening bleary eyes to look at me.
"There you are," he groaned, reaching up with surprising speed and hooking an arm around my waist before pulling me onto the bed beside him, my back pressed up against his front.
"Dimitri!" I hissed, swatting at his arms and rolling out of his grasp. "You need to wake up. My mother is here!"
"That I am," Janine said in a low, steely voice.
Well, that got his attention.
Dimitri sat up in bed faster than lightning, looking around the room in confusion and alarm. His eyes ended up resting on my mother who was sitting stiffly on a chair to one side of the bed. She wasn't saying a word. She didn't have to. Her fierce gaze was more than enough to illustrate her present mood.
"Guardian Hathaway!" he gasped, caught like a deer in headlights as Mom took in his state of undress.
"Yes?" I smirked, leaning over and giving him a sweet kiss and reminding them both that I, too, was a Guardian and a Hathaway. No amount of being subtle was going to appease my mother - so I was going with the band-aid approach. "Comrade? Why don't you go get dressed?" I suggested pleasantly. "And bring me a couple of Advil."
Dimitri climbed out of bed and scuttled across to the bathroom in his boxers, quickly shutting the door. I took pity on him and picked up his duffel. Knocking on the door, I said "Just me, Comrade" and opened the door, placing his bag on the floor inside before closing it.
"You are going to stay calm," I said seeing my mother building up to an explosion. "The walls are thin in Guardian dorms, and none of us want to be Court's latest gossip."
I rubbed my throbbing temples, supremely envious when I heard the shower in the bathroom hiss into life. I bet Dimitri was about to take the longest shower of his existence!
"As you've no doubt gathered, Dimitri and I are seeing each other," I said bracing for an onslaught that strangely never came. I eyed my mother warily before I continued.
"Neither of us was looking for it or expecting to form an interest in the other," I stated, "but living and working so closely together it just happened."
"When?" Janine growled, her eyes not leaving mine.
"Relatively recently," I prevaricated, not wanting to go into specifics, yet not wanting to outright lie. "We became a couple in Baia, but have kept our interest low key. Only our close friends and family know."
Mom was nodding, taking it all in.
"And your father's ok with this?" she surprised me by asking.
"He is," I affirmed. "Although I didn't give him a lot of choice. He was worried at first, but Abe spent nearly every day with us while we were in Russia. As he got to see Dimitri and me together he calmed down."
"He was your teacher," Janine hissed.
"Mentor, and not by then." To be honest, I am not sure what Dimitri was by the time we got to Baia. Other than my lover, I mean.
"And he's what, eight years older than you?" she continued, her ire escalating.
"Seven," I sighed. "Mom? I love him. And he loves me. He's a good man. He's caring and romantic, and he brings out the best in me. I couldn't have achieved anything I have without him."
"That's not true, Roza," my Russian God's voice intoned as he stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed in cargos, TShirt and looking delicious. I'd been so busy explaining things to Mom, I hadn't heard the shower switch off after only a minute or two. I guess I'd underestimated my man – he was here to face the music with me.
Dimitri walked across to us, sitting on the side of the bed and grasping my hand as I sat in a chair opposite Mom.
"You work hard, and your success is your own."
He turned to look at Mom.
"Guardian Hathaway? Janine? I love your daughter. I know it's unexpected, but that's the way it is. We're together now."
If I thought Dimitri was going to try appeasing I was wrong. He said the words plainly, but he wasn't apologizing for the way we felt. It was as though he was almost daring her to have an issue with it.
"Yet you took advantage of her last night while she was drunk!" Janine hissed, rising to his challenge.
"Mom we didn't have sex," I groaned, just putting it right out there. "Dimitri wouldn't do that while I was drunk. But Dimitri and I do share a bed, now," I explained. I was trying to let her know that while we didn't do it last night, Dimitri and I were in a physical relationship, and she just needed to deal.
"Since when?" she snapped.
"Since Baia," Dimitri replied calmly, referring to the regular sharing of a bed and conveniently sidestepping the sex part, which is what I think Mom really wanted to know about. "Mama had a room set up for Meredith and Rose to share, but once Rose and I realized how strongly we felt and that we wanted to be together, she started sharing my room with me."
"I don't like it," my mother said forcefully, running her fingers through her hair in a way that was strangely reminiscent of Abe. "So what happens on Monday if you're allocated hundreds of miles away from each other? There's a reason Guardians don't have relationships" she challenged.
"About that… I already know my allocation. Croft approached me after the elimination fights. Dimitri and I are being sent on a five-year allocation to work with the Alchemists. It's hush-hush, but it's a special mission for her Majesty and a follow on from our time at the compound."
Mom's eyebrows almost met her hairline.
"And they're sending you?"
I was a little offended and would have said something biting if I hadn't known it would just set her off.
"Her Majesty promised them her top graduate. It's a position teaching basic combat to their field trainees – she wanted someone young," Dimitri interjected gracefully, recognizing I was about to snap.
"As part of the mission, the Alchemists will be sending two of their own representatives to Court. One is a new graduate, the other a more experienced field-agent. Her Majesty thought she should do likewise, so as the youngest of the Guardians on the original mission, I was selected to accompany Rose."
"And Croft knows about your… connection?!" Mom asked.
"No. We've chosen to keep our relationship private," I explained, squeezing Dimitri's hand in my own and omitting the whole rigmarole of getting Dimitri on the mission with me in the first place. Some things Mom didn't need to know.
"I don't like it," Mom reiterated mulishly. "Belikov's too old for you, and what will happen if Croft finds out?" She was speaking about Dimitri as if he wasn't right there with us. It was humiliating.
"He won't find out if you don't tell him," I snapped in exasperation. "Look. We have to make it through to the allocation ceremony on Monday. Croft suggested we'd be out of here on Tuesday, and then if anyone finds out, we can pretend our relationship developed during the time we were living secluded and alone with the Alchemists," I posited.
"What guarantee do I have he'll do the right thing by you?" Mom demanded, her eyes flicking to my God damned gorgeous man.
"Baba has already spoken with Dimitri at length about the… consequences… if he doesn't treat me well," I said with a giggle, watching Dimitri blanch a little. "I love him, Mom. He loves me. We're going to be together, and I don't want to have to lie about it when we're around you."
My mother was leaning back in her chair listening to my appeals.
"You hurt her, I kick your ass," she growled, channeling her anger toward Dimitri, fixing him with her hazel brown, almost green eyes.
"I'd expect no less, Guardian Hathaway," he readily agreed, bravely bringing my hand to his lips and gently kissing my knuckles. "I'll look after her," he promised.
"Damned straight," Mom said. "Right. Get dressed, Rosemarie. We're going for breakfast. You come too, Belikov, but none of this!" she said waving her hand at where our fingers were intertwined.
Ten minutes later I was showered, dressed, and downstairs with Dimitri waiting for my mother. The Advil were starting to kick in, and after a bucket of coffee and a plate of doughnuts, I thought I might even feel alive, again.
"You look like shit," Mom said as she joined us in the foyer.
"I've got the hangover from hell, and I'm switching time zones," I grumbled.
The three of us set out to the café near Guardian Headquarters. Situated where it was, with so many Guardians coming on and off shift at weird hours, it did breakfast twenty-four seven. If you were at Court, and you wanted breakfast, that's where you went.
"Ah – here you are!" Abe greeted, standing up in a large booth when we walked in. "I was going to send a search party out for you."
"Ibrahim," Mom replied, managing to make my father's name sound as though he were something unappealing attached to her shoe, "I don't remember inviting you to dine with us."
"Well – family need no invitation," he smugly replied.
"Darling," he said, leaning over to kiss my cheek, "you look lovely."
I snorted. "Mom said I looked like shit."
"Ignore her. She's always cranky before she has her morning cup of tea."
"Shut it," Mom snapped. "A lot has changed in twenty years!"
"But not that I see," he replied facetiously, gesturing for Mom, Dimitri and I to join he and Pavel in the large U-shaped booth.
It was an entertaining meal. Dimitri and I sat on either side of Pavel, Mom next to me, and Abe beside Dimitri. I ate my way through a full cooked breakfast, two cups of coffee and three chocolate-iced doughnuts all while watching my parents verbally spar with one another.
"Hey Pavel," I asked quietly while Mom and Abe were busy trading insults, "you were around back then, weren't you?"
"I was," he replied, understanding I meant back when Abe and my mother first met.
"Were they this bad then?"
He paused, his coffee cup halfway to his lips. He shook his head.
"No. They were way worse. Either age is catching up with them, or they're out of practice."
Dimitri met my eyes and shook his head. It was clear to both of us Janine had needed someone to take her anger out on, so Abe had stepped up to the plate.
"He's a good man your father," Dimitri muttered so only Pavel and I could hear him.
"Don't feel too sorry for him. I think he's enjoying it!" Pavel replied, popping another piece of toast into his mouth and sitting back to watch the bickering continue.