"So how well do you know Belikov?" Abe asked me as we were wandering through the kitchen. He'd brought me inside on the pretext of looking at the workspaces.

"Better than I know pretty much anyone," I said confidently. "Speaking of which, you should be aware I can't cook at all, so if you genuinely want advice about how to set up your kitchen, ask Dimitri – he likes to cook."

Abe laughed.

"Point taken. I wanted to speak to you privately to ask more about your relationship with Dimitri. I'm trying to fill in the blanks about how he went from leading the team who recovered you to your boyfriend and more," he said dropping his eyes to my waist.

"What happens with this information?" I asked suspiciously. "I'm not telling you anything if it's going to be used in any way which could hurt Dimitri or my baby."

"I promise only your father, and I will hear this," Abe answered.

"And you promise it won't be used to hurt Dimitri or my baby?"

"I promise," he replied.

"Ok, well there's not a lot to tell," I said honestly. "He and I have talked about it since, and we both felt an attraction from early on, but nothing happened until the Equinox Dance. Did you hear that Victor Dashkov kidnaped my best friend, Lissa?"

"Yes it came up in the background check," he said. "I read the report about the kidnapping." I was grateful he'd admitted to having me checked out. Somehow his honesty made me feel I could trust him.

"Then you might have read that Victor put a charm on my necklace? To cause me to attack Dimitri?"

"Yes?"

"Well there was a charm, but it was a lust charm. Victor realized Dimitri and I had feelings for each other, and that's how he planned to distract us and get Lissa away."

"So that's when you were first intimate with Dimitri?" Abe asked delicately.

"No. We came close, and we both really wanted to, but Dimitri figured out the necklace was charmed and threw it out the window. At first, he told me what happened was because of the charm and he didn't have feelings like that for me. But a few days later I was injured battling Victor's daughter who turned Strigoi, and when he was carrying me to the infirmary, Dimitri finally admitted he was attracted to me but that we could never be together and we couldn't act on it."

"So how did that change?" Abe asked.

"We couldn't help it. Even though we weren't letting ourselves do anything about it, we fell in love. We told each other how we felt about half an hour before he got the news of his reallocation. He had to go to Missoula to sort things out at the bank and update his will. When he told me he was going to spend his last few days away from the Academy there, I begged to go with him. We'd fought how we felt the whole time we'd known each other, but once he was no longer my mentor, I wasn't letting him go without showing him how much I cared. We had five days together and then he was gone."

"And when he got back you were pregnant."

"Yes." I could tell he wanted to ask if Dimitri was the father, but he didn't.

"What do you know about his time away and his mission?"

"Pretty much everything."

"And did he mention anything about recently coming into some money?"

"A hundred million rubles?" I asked, lifting my eyebrows and giving him a 'yes I know about that' look. Abe looked surprised. "You'll have to speak to Dimitri about it, but yes I know about it and how he came to have it. He was hoping to give it all to his family, but he said we'll probably have to take some of it to set ourselves up in the human world. It's starting to look like the only way."

"How do you feel about that?" he probed.

"It will be an adventure," I said bravely. "But if I'm with him I know it will be ok."

"You trust him that much?"

"Abe, Dimitri is everything to me. He's never let me down, and he's the man I want to spend the rest of my life with."

"Well, that's something a man likes to hear," Dimitri said, coming into the kitchen with Pavel. He wrapped his arms around me from behind resting his huge hands on my tummy and dropping an affectionate kiss on my head.

"So what do you think, Dimitri? Should I buy the place?" Abe asked changing topics.

"You're going to need to sink a bit into it, but you could make the place a show piece," Dimitri replied.

"What do you think, Rose?" Abe asked.

"I think the location is perfect. Close enough to Court to be convenient but it's like you're in your own little world out here."

"Yes – there's also a small human township about ten minutes further out," Abe said, "And about thirty minutes further there's a human mall with a supermarket. But this pocket is treed and quiet."

"It's beautiful," I said encouragingly, feeling a little wistful.

"I'm glad you approve because I've decided to buy it," Abe said decisively. "Belikov – can you make some notes of every possible thing wrong with it including an estimate of how many tons of rubbish and building materials you think would need to be removed? I'll use that to barter them down. And if you have time, also a list of things that need doing in the main house, Guardian quarters and the cottage?"

"Sure," Dimitri said with a grin. "Happy to."

We climbed back into the van and drove back to Court. I hadn't done much all day; studied in the morning and then spent the afternoon with Dimitri, but I was tired. I guess growing a new person did that! As soon as we were back to the unit I yawned and said goodnight to everyone. I wanted a shower and then sleep.

"Milaya? I'm just going to chat with Abe about remodeling his house – I'll be up in an hour or so."

"I'll get the bed warm for you," I promised with a yawn.

I'd already poured a glass of scotch for Dimitri when he knocked on the door to my study. I knew he'd be coming to talk to me. I gestured for him to take a seat in the armchair beside me.

"I have some questions for you, Dimitri," I started. "You know who I am, and you know what I could do to you if I wanted to."

Dimitri looked at me unperturbed.

"Yes, I know who you are. I know exactly who you are, Abe - which is why you can ask whatever you want and I will answer honestly."

"Are you the baby's father?"

"Yes. My Babushka says it's because of Rose being shadow-kissed. As soon as I heard Rose was pregnant, I knew the child was mine. There's never been a moment's doubt in my mind."

"Did you know it was a possibility when you slept with her?" I asked.

"No. If I'd had any idea, I would have taken precautions! I love Rose, and I'm thrilled she's going to have my child, but I'm devastated by what it's cost her. If I'd known, I'd have done things in the right order; wait for her to graduate and start her career, get married, provide a stable home for her and then start our family."

I looked at him, and I could see the honesty. The guy adored my daughter.

"Are you planning to stick by her?"

"Abe if she'll have me, I plan to marry her. I don't want to ask her now. It's too much and she's already got enough on her mind. But once we're settled, that's the plan. I never want to be without her again, and I'm hoping she feels the same way."

"Was there anything between you and the Ozera woman?"

"Not a thing. I've never even kissed her. It's all in her mind, and she's unhinged. I worry about her being anywhere near Rose."

I scratched my chin thoughtfully.

"Tell me about the hundred million rubles," I said keeping my gaze level on him. That was something I couldn't figure out.

"You've guessed which mission I was on?" he asked.

I nodded. It didn't take a genius to figure it out, and I'd heard about the mission through my Court contacts as well as those in Russia.

"The Strigoi in charge had been my mentor at St. Basil's. She was turned a few years back in Prague and started building an army. She wanted me to join her as her second. She gave me a choice – be turned or be killed. I took a third option and burned the place to the ground with her and her army in it - but not before I'd asked her to make a payment to my family so they wouldn't have to survive on my Guardian pension once I was turned. I didn't know she'd kept her end of the bargain until I got to Baia after I escaped."

"You told Rose about this?" I asked.

He nodded.

"I don't lie to her," he explained, looking at me meaningfully.

Fair point well made.

"Thank you for answering my questions," I said. "It's cleared few things up in my mind."

Dimitri nodded, taking a sip of his scotch.

"I have a proposal for you," he said, looking up at me. "I haven't run it past Rose yet because I didn't want to get her hopes up. She loved the property you're looking to buy. If you're going to remodel it, I thought I could help with that? If you'd let us stay in the rooms above the workshop, in lieu of rent I could oversee the contractors working on the main and Guardian houses, and work myself on the cottage? If you paid materials, I'd do the labor and could have the cottage livable by the time the baby arrives. That would give us somewhere stable to live while Rose gets used to being a mother. If we said a year all up, we'd have time to work out what next – and when we left, you'd have the cottage substantially increased in value."

"What would you live off?" I asked. It hadn't been the request I'd anticipated, but I wanted to see where he went with this.

"I have some savings, and I can take a little from the money for my family. But I'd also be putting in a veggie patch, so our food costs would be minimal."

"And when did you see this starting?"

"As soon as you take settlement. If you're agreeable, and if Rose likes the idea, I'll speak with the school about Rose doing her class work remotely. Perhaps she could fly in for her finals and graduation?"

I toyed the idea around in my mind. What he was suggesting was a good deal from my perspective. He'd be taking something worthless and for next to nothing turning it into an asset. But the cottage was useless to me done up or not unless my daughter and grandchild were in it.

"You know I have the money and intention to provide for Rose and her child. I'm quite prepared to have the cottage professionally remodeled for them, and you could live there along with her."

"I understand that, but looking after them is not your responsibility, Abe. It's mine. I couldn't expect Rose to respect me if I wasn't working to support her and our child, and I sure as hell couldn't respect myself. While I'd appreciate a hand working our way through the current situation, I don't want a handout, and I'm sure Rose would feel the same way."

"Understood, and I respect what you're saying. However I have a different proposal," I said, tenting my fingers and looking at the young man in front of me carefully. I was usually a sound judge of character, and my gut was telling me this was a good move.

"I am going to need someone on site as you suggested, but I was also planning on leaving a small number of Guardians at the house, so I'll be needing a live-in commander. I'd like to offer you that role."

Dimitri was silent, watching me carefully. I liked that. It was a prudent man who said nothing before he had all the information.

"The way I see it, more hands will help you get everything done faster, and with the Ozera woman, I'd feel happier with Rose being somewhere with a handful of Guardians on my payroll to protect her. Just in case. Your resume is impressive and recommends you for this sort of position, and moving into a command role will give you the flexibility in hours you'll need to support Rose. I'd be willing to commit to a paid position on this basis for two years with a view to extending if it's working out."

"So how would it work – when you're in town and when you're not?"

"When I'm in residence you'd work with Pavel. While he's head of all my Guardians, he tends to operate cooperatively with the commanders when we're visiting at my residences. You'd be doing the Guardian rosters, overseeing their training, recommending hiring and firing and the like. I also like to rotate Guardians between my various locations and switch around those who travel with me – so you'd be liaising with Pavel and the other commanders about those sort of issues. In time, there'd be the opportunity for you, Rose and the child to travel to my other homes if you wished."

"Are you offering me the position solely because of my connection with Rose?" he asked.

"Absolutely," I replied. "I want her safe, happy and secure. But you're also the right profile for the job, and you strike me as a hard worker. I'm a good judge of character, Dimitri. I wouldn't propose this if I didn't think you were up to the task. The offer has obvious benefits for us all. Please consider it."

"I'll need to talk it through with Rose, but the offer is appealing," he said cautiously. "But my relationship with Rose is based on trust. I won't lie to her. If she asks…"

"I understand. I hadn't intended to tell her. But I can see she needs me. And I'm starting to appreciate I might need her. You have my word I'll tell her, but please give me some time."

The younger man nodded.

"She's very easy to love, Abe," he warned. "I was gone before I had even the slightest clue."

I laughed to myself. I think I had an idea what the guy meant.

I woke up and rolled over in bed, smiling in contentment at what I found next to me. Six foot seven inches of sexy man! It was Thursday morning Vampire time; about 6 pm. Early. I'm not sure what time Dimitri came to bed last night because I was asleep pretty much as soon as my head hit the pillow. He was smiling in his sleep, and I was glad. He'd been looking stressed the last few days. I knew he'd been worried about reporting into headquarters and about getting an allocation that suited us, but now we'd talked about going out into the human world, I was feeling better about things. I'd meant what I said to Abe. Dimitri and I would find a way to make it work.

Last night had been my eighth night sleeping beside my man. Four in Missoula before he left, and now four since he'd been back. But every night together still felt stolen. I couldn't wait until we were settled wherever we were going to end up so I could sleep next to my man in our own bed. But, for now, this was a good start.

"I know you're watching me milaya," he said smiling, his voice still thick with sleep.

"Then what are you going to do about it," I teased, getting a lock of my hair and tickling his face with it.

He growled and pounced, carefully rolling me onto my back. He hovered over me and kissed me gently before rolling off me and sitting up a little, running his hand through his hair.

"Sleep well, Comrade?" I asked, enjoying his happy, playful mood.

"I did, milaya. Even with your snoring!"

"Snoring?! I don't snore," I said, looking at him pointedly.

"Of course you don't," he soothed. "They're just sleep noises." Then he proceeded to imitate a chainsaw running. I was about to hit him with a pillow when he stopped me.

"You wouldn't hit a man about to tell you about an allocation offer would you?" he asked.

"An offer?" I gasped. "A good one? Tell me everything!"

"Well…" he drawled, dragging it out. "What did you think of that little cottage we looked at yesterday?"

"The one on the property Abe was looking at?" I asked.

"Yes. I know it doesn't look like much now, but imagine it looking like this," he said, reaching over to his nightstand getting some pieces of paper. They had sketches of the front of the cottage it as is it looked now, and then as it could look with dormers in the roof, an extended porch and a slight extension at one end. He was observing me carefully then handed me a second piece of paper, this one with the existing floor plan and beside it a revised plan.

"How?"

"Abe offered me the commander position. It's a live-in position supervising a small group of Guardians who'd permanently live on site. I'd be doing rosters, supervising training and keeping the place ready for Abe and his additional Guardians when they come to town. At first, I'd be overseeing the contractors working on the house and Guardian accommodations plus working on the cottage and the gardens. We could stay above the workshop until the cottage was completed. I know it's not much, but we don't need a lot, and it would be all ours. There's still five months until Junior is due - I'd have the cottage finished by then," he promised, looking at me carefully.

"A place of our own?" I squealed.

"Yes," he grinned. "The pay is good, milaya. Private allocations always are, and this is a team lead position, so it's more still. The figure mentioned was almost three times what I earn now, and being live-in we'll be able to save a lot of it. Abe's suggesting two years to start, with a view to extending. You wouldn't need to work, Roza. At least not until you wanted to. It's close to Court so you could go there whenever you want. Same with the human township and mall. And we'd have a spare room when friends came to stay."

"Starting after I graduate?" I asked, looking for the catch.

"I was thinking maybe before? What if we could get permission for you to study offsite? There are only eight weeks to go – we could fly back a few times to see your friends and sit your exams? I know it's a big change, but we'd be settled, and you wouldn't have to put up with all the gossip and carry on at the Academy."

I sat looking at the sketches he'd drawn. It was the sweetest little cottage, and I could see us being very happy there.

"It needs a big old porch swing just there," I said pointing to one end of the verandah on the sketch with a smile, looking up at my Russian God from under my lashes.

"Is that a yes, milaya? At least to looking further into it?" he asked.

I nodded nervously, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him excitedly. Our kisses soon turned heated, and we ended up having a private little celebration about the potential answer to all our hopes and prayers. Afterward, I lay in his arms, happily listening to Dimitri describe all the things he wanted to do to the cottage and the property to prepare it for the baby and me. Women might get a nesting bug I reflected, thinking about the final chapters in the pregnancy book, but my Russian God was jumping boots and all into his 'providing for my family' role. And while some men might have been overwhelmed by all there was to achieve; Dimitri looked like he was itching to get started!

We made it down to breakfast just as Abe did. We all sat at the table, Abe taking in our happy faces.

"I've talked to Rose about your offer, and if it still stands we're both very interested," Dimitri said, holding my hand on the table.

"Excellent," Abe beamed. "I'll have some allocation papers drawn up this morning for you to consider. I've already submitted an offer on the property and should hear in the next few hours if I've been successful. Assuming I am, and I will be, I propose we leave for the Academy later this afternoon. You can pack your belongings, I can meet with the Headmistress on behalf of your father to discuss the particulars about how to manage your studies, Rose, and you can celebrate your birthday with your friends. We could return to Court on Sunday, and you could move in as soon as some furniture can be arranged."

"I have a prenatal scan in Missoula scheduled for Monday. Should I see if I could get it moved up?" I asked Abe.

"How about we fly into Missoula and try and get it done Friday morning human time? I'm sure with a little persuasion they'd do it early for you. Then we'll fly on to the Academy and continue as discussed."

I grinned, looking at Dimitri.

"Would you like to see the baby, Comrade?" I asked, seeing his huge smile.

"I honestly can't wait!" he grinned back.

Suddenly I couldn't wait to get back to the Academy. I wanted to get my stuff, get packed, and get started on the next phase of our lives. Dimitri and I living together in a place of our own!