I woke to an empty bed. Dimitri's side was cold, so he'd been up for some time. I rolled over and walked to our bathroom having a quick shower and getting myself dressed. I was back in our room in Abe's guest unit, and I'd managed to sleep until past midnight.
"Hello, Rose! Guardian Belikov was about to send me to wake you," Alyce said from behind the kitchen counter when I descended the stairs. "I've got chicken and mushroom casserole with crusty bread, but I can make you something more breakfasty if you want?"
"Casserole is fine," I assured her as Dimitri, Abe and Pavel walked in for lunch.
"Hello milaya," Dimitri greeted me tenderly, leaning down to brush his lips against mine as he and Abe walked into the kitchen. "Did you have a good sleep?"
"I did," I admitted taking a seat at the table. "I think Junior and I needed it. What have you been up to?"
"Making plans for what needs to be done at the property. We're meeting with human contractors at the property at 8 am. If you're up to it, I thought you might like to go to the human mall and get what we'll need for the unit? Kirk and some of the Guardians will go with you as they need to order for the Guardian quarters."
"Use your credit card and get whatever you need. You'll need a bed, a sofa, fridge and pots and pans and all those other things. Alyce? Could you help Rose make up a list?" Abe requested. Alyce was almost bouncing on the spot with glee, and I had to admit the prospect of buying a whole unit full of stuff for the place I was going to share with Dimitri was kind of exciting!
She put bowls of food in front of us, and for the next few minutes, I was busy eating and listening to the latest developments from back at the Academy. They'd not managed to apprehend anyone concerning the fires, but there was no doubt they'd been deliberately lit. The one in Dimitri's room had been extinguished quickly, but as my end of the female Novice's floor had been vacant because of my party, the fire in my room had had greater time to take hold. It had been confined, but my former room had been gutted.
"There were a couple of reports of an unknown female Moroi with dark hair in the stairwell as the Novice dorm was being evacuated, but no one was paying enough attention to be able to positively identify her as Tasha Ozera," Dimitri grumbled.
"I should probably call Lissa and let her know we've made it to where we were going safely," I said. "She'll be worried. Celeste too."
"Ok. But remember – not even a hint of where we are, Roza. It's not that I don't trust them, but I don't want to risk Tasha following us."
After lunch, Abe and Pavel disappeared back into Abe's study while Dimitri lingered for a moment.
"Don't go nuts with your buying," he said sweetly. "Just get enough for the unit. Once the cottage is finished, we'll go shopping for furnishings and things for the baby together," he promised lovingly.
I helped Alyce clear the lunch dishes and we sat down at the table.
"It's hard to know what to buy without seeing the place. Was there anything at all in there?" she asked.
"Not that I can recall," I said, straining to remember. When we'd toured the place, I hadn't known Dimitri and I might end up living there, so I hadn't paid a lot of attention.
"Well let's start with the kitchen. You'll need glasses, a dinner set, cutlery, cookware, some cooking utensils, and knives. You probably won't need a full-size fridge if it's just the two of you, but remember to measure the fridge cavity when you're there so what you order fits."
I was already shaking my head. I so wasn't a details person.
Noticing my bewilderment, Alyce suggested, "Why don't I see if my sitter can take my boy to her place overnight? She does it if I need to work a late shift. I can come with you to the property and see what's there, and then we can go to the shops together?"
"Are you sure? I don't want to impose," I said, secretly not wanting to put her off. There's no way I was going to be able to do this alone.
"Are you kidding? This is going to be fun!" Alyce said grinning from ear to ear. I knew from our last mission Alyce loved to shop!
Dimitri was in Abe's office with Pavel, and the three of them looked up from a tense discussion when I knocked.
"Sorry to interrupt," I said shyly, explaining the idea of Alyce accompanying me shopping.
"That's an excellent idea," Abe enthused. "Besides, I wouldn't mind her insight into how to remodel the kitchen in the main house," he said.
After that Alyce and I made lists. I couldn't see how we could possibly need so much, but by the time you bought a bed, linens, towels, etc. it all added up.
"We might as well just get the big things at the shops," Alyce said. "We can order the rest of the stuff online and get them to deliver," she explained. So I dragged out my St. Vlad's laptop, and we spent the next three hours adding items to the cart. I explained how it was a country sort of a place, so I didn't want anything too modern or shiny. We were able to get a lot of plain 'starter' sets, which saved time as they had all the basics we needed and I was happy to notice they were well priced.
"You don't want to waste your time and money buying fancy glasses and dishes," Alyce suggested. "You'll get bored of them in no time, and then you'll end up replacing them. Just get nice plain good quality basics that you can mix and match then splash out on a fancy platter or two to jazz up the look."
I was laughing to myself thinking I couldn't see myself ever becoming interested enough in table design to want to 'jazz things up' but I did see the value in mix and match and keeping things simple.
I thought we were done, but Alyce kept adding things she insisted we'd need; a simple vase, chopping boards, salt and pepper grinders, a bottle opener, a baking tray, barbecue knives, some kitchen towels for washing up and a pitcher for water or lemonade. Finally, even she declared we were 'done' and I looked at the cart in horror. Individually everything had seemed well priced, but the total was still rather alarming. I was looking through the cart wondering what to remove when Abe came in, interested to hear about what we'd selected. I took him through the cart showing him our choices before explaining I was about to start culling.
"Why?" he asked perplexed. "Everything in there seems very reasonable."
"But it's come to over a thousand dollars, Abe!" I'd moaned. Actually, it was closer to two.
"Yes. And I'm amazed you've managed it all for so little. There still some big ticket items to get, but you're doing well. Don't forget to get lamps for your bedroom, a fruit bowl and a rug for the floor," he advised, noticing these things were missing. "And please don't worry about the cost, Rose. Your father is a very wealthy man. You could spend this amount every day for the rest of your life, and it wouldn't make a dint on his wealth. You're hardly being extravagant – please get whatever you need and don't forget a few treats, too."
Alyce nodded, taking that as an invitation to add a crockpot to the cart.
"Crockpot cooking is easy. You can make heaps of different things, and you just leave it all day, so it's ready when you are. Here are a couple of simple cookbooks we'll get, too," she insisted, also adding them to the cart.
I nodded, suddenly wondering what I'd gotten myself into. Vases? Crockpots? Fruit bowls? I was supposed to be a Guardian for hell's sake, not Betty Crocker. My life was meant to be about missions and Strigoi, not baking and playing house. I was resting my head on the table moaning and trying not to panic when my Russian God followed Alyce back into the room. She'd apparently gone to get him.
"Roza?" he asked, recognizing the start of a Hathaway meltdown when he saw one. I saw Alyce discreetly go upstairs to give us some privacy.
"I can't cook, Dimitri," I confessed looking up at him.
He looked at me in confusion.
"I can't bake. I can't make a proper meal. I tried to bake cookies once when Lissa and I were on the run and nearly burned the house down. I trained to be a Guardian, not a homemaker Comrade. I don't know if I can do this playing house thing. I mean – what am I going to do all day?!"
"Oh milaya," he chuckled. "Calm down. No one said anything about you being a homemaker. You're just ordering the things we'll need to live together. I'm sorry I didn't consider it might upset you. I don't expect you to cook or take care of me. We're just two people in love living together, ok? You're a student studying for your finals living with your Guardian boyfriend."
"But what about when I graduate? You'll be working all day – what will I do? How will it work?"
"Well, we'll probably run more on daylight hours because I'll be supervising the contractors on site. I see us working out in the mornings like we always have. You'll need to slow down more as the pregnancy progresses, but that doesn't mean we can't still do our morning sessions together. During the day I hope you'll keep me company as I do errands and work on the property. I know it's going to be a bit of a change of pace for both of us; this isn't the life I'm used to either. But I'm looking forward to giving it a go, milaya."
"Everything's just happening so fast. You've been back a week, and here we are moved halfway across the country, away from everyone I know."
"It's been a hell of a ride, hasn't it?" he laughed. "And you're not the only one freaking out, ok? I rang Mama in a panic on Friday when I realized I'm going to be a Papa."
"When you realized?"
"When it sunk in. I knew before, but it clicked, and I got a bit worried."
"Really?" I asked, looking at his embarrassed expression. "I'm not used to seeing you freak out."
"It doesn't happen often," he noted wryly. "Now how about you show me all these things you've picked for us?"
I felt a lot better with him going through the house stuff with me. He had a few suggestions of his own; adding a doormat, switching the light colored towels for darker ones and suggesting a wall-mounted TV as it would take up less room in the small space. I finally pressed order and typed in the credit card details for our purchases. The trip to town would now be for the big things; fridge, bed, mattress, sofa, table, and chairs. It all felt a lot more manageable.
I was in good spirits again by the time we ate dinner. Crockpot lasagna, it was delicious, and I was a little intrigued when Alyce promised it was an easy dish to make. Maybe I needed to look into this a bit more? I wasn't planning on becoming a housewife, but it'd be good to be able to cook a few dishes.
By 7.30 am we were all ready. Nine of us in total, the plan was to head to the property and take the necessary measurements before Alyce, three Guardians and I would drive forty minutes to town to organize our purchases. Mine the large furniture for the workshop unit, the Guardians the beds, linens, sofas, tables and chairs, fridge, washing machine and dryer needed to start kitting out the Guardian quarters.
When we arrived at the property the contractors were waiting, so Alyce and I went straight to the workshop unit with Kirk, who Pavel had instructed to assist us with our measuring. I took a good look around this time, and looking at it with fresh eyes I started to get rather excited. It had two bedrooms – one quite large and the other one tiny. Enough for a single bed and not a whole lot more, it would do as a nursery if Dimitri didn't get the cottage finished in time.
Checking the cupboards carefully there was nothing there other than a few dead flies, so we'd been right to order everything. It was quite dusty, but it was all surface mess. The timber floors were well-sealed, and the walls looked clean. Alyce was delighted with the space but was already full of useful suggestions.
"I see what you mean about the country look," she said looking around. "There's not a lot of kitchen storage, but this is the perfect spot for a pot rack," she said gesturing to a spot above the cooker. "It will free up a lot of cupboard space. Same if you wanted to consider a plate rack or open shelves."
Both were good suggestions and not things I would have thought of.
"You could also add another cupboard here," Alyce continued, considering how to make the kitchen a more functional space. She tested the stove and found it was faulty, three of the four burners not working. Measuring up, she suggested replacing that too.
"What are your plans for this place once the cottage is finished?" she asked curiously.
"Many of our friends and Dimitri's family live away, so they'd be likely to visit for a few weeks or even months at a time," I said, thinking about Dimitri's Russian family. "We thought to keep this place for guests to give them and us our privacy."
"Then you probably won't need a large cooker. One of the smaller models will do. You could use the extra space there for another cupboard."
Checking the taps, Rose was pleased to find the water pressure was good although there was no hot water. Kirk was sent outside to investigate, only to discover the hot water unit was completely shot.
"We'll mention it to the contractors up at the house," Alyce assured. "They can put a new one in. I notice there's no heating in here, but you should be fine over summer. Perhaps once you move into the cottage, you can have heating added, although I suppose the wood stove may give enough warmth?" she said looking at it dubiously.
Set with measurements and our lists, we walked up to the main house. Joining Abe and Dimitri, Alyce had a quick look at the kitchen giving a quick opinion there, too.
"But I'll have a think about it," she promised.
"Do," Abe encouraged the young woman. "I know you've worked casually at some of the finest houses in Court, and I want my kitchen and home to rival anything you've seen. While most of the time it won't be used to full capacity, I like to throw the occasional large party, and I want my place to be up to scratch."
With a quick kiss for my Russian God and a promise to meet back at the property by midday, soon we were setting off to the large township ready to order our big-ticket items. On the way there we passed through the human village Abe had mentioned, and I spotted a quaint little second-hand store along the small main street.
"Can we stop here for a moment?" I asked shyly. I'd seen something on the sidewalk I wanted to look at a little more closely. "I'll be quick; I just want to look at that second-hand shop."
Kirk shrugged and pulled over, and we piled out of the van. Walking back to the shop, I stopped and admired the big wooden rocking chair I'd seen from the van. Sturdy and stable it was obviously old. I sat in it and was surprised by how comfortable it was.
"I know Dimitri said to hold off on things for the cottage, but I love this," I said looking up at Alyce. "If I put it beside the wood burning stove, there'd be room for it in the unit don't you think?"
"If there isn't there are about a hundred places around the property you could store it until you're ready," she said with a smile. "You're imagining it in a nursery, aren't you?"
"I guess so," I said blushing a little. "When I was little I always imagined sitting on someone's lap being rocked in a chair like this," I admitted a little wistfully.
Alyce looked at the price.
"It's not expensive; I say you get it."
I'd decided to do just that, and was walking inside to make my purchase when Alyce pulled me aside to look at a table and chairs she'd spotted. Simple and plain, the table was worn with years of use, the matching chairs honest and solid.
"It's drop leaf and the chairs sit under neatly. It would save a lot of space," Alyce pointed out. A pale wood, it was unpretentious and would work in the simple, bright space that was starting to come together in my mind. Modestly priced, Alyce was right. I wasn't going to find anything that suited my little workshop home any better. I pottered around a few more minutes, conscious the Guardians had purchases of their own they needed go to town to make. Negotiating the sale of the rocking chair, table, and chairs, I asked whether they could hold them for a couple of days if necessary.
"We're headed into town now, but I could maybe pick up some of them up around 11 am if you could hold the rest?"
"By the end of the week will be fine, but I'll be here 'til four today," the old man running the shop said happily ringing up my sale. "Your first child?" he asked looking at the gentle swell of my stomach that was now unmistakably a baby bump.
"Yes – and that rocking chair is going to be just the thing," I said with a big grin and a flush of maternal happiness.
Shopping in the main township was exhausting, but thanks to Alyce's methodical planning was quite quick. In under an hour and a half, we'd picked a fridge, a new cooker, bed, mattress and a large comfortable brown leather sofa.
"This is perfect," Alyce agreed, laughing as the two of us flopped onto it, one on each end. It was the sort of sofa that even brand new looked comfortably worn. I let Alyce convince me to get the matching ottoman. It opened to offer blanket storage and could double as an extra seat when we had visitors.
Abe's Guardians came to find us when they were done with their purchases, negotiating to have everything delivered in a few days time. I climbed back into the van, congratulating myself on a job well done. Driving back into the township right on eleven, this time I let myself have a good look around the second-hand store. It was filled with little treasures, and I could see this being the first place I took Dimitri once we started to furnish the cottage. Deciding to add a cute little vintage writing bureau cum bookshelf to my purchases, I looked around trying to locate the old man to ask him to ring it up. Coming outside, I was confronted with one of the most amusing sights I'd seen in a long time.
A blanket had been spread across the van's flat roof, and my table strapped upside down on top. Within the four legs of the table, my rocking chair was on its side also securely fastened with rope. The six chairs for the table were neatly piled inside the van. There'd be no need to come back for anything.
"Um, guys? I wanted to buy one more thing," I said apologetically, laughing as Kirk mumbled something under his breath about women and shopping.
Following the vendor back into the shop, he rang up my bureau and directed the Guardians to take it outside. He was able to find space for it in the van's trunk, strapping the lift back down to prevent it falling out.
"Have you got far to go?" he asked, surveying the van with amusement.
"Not far - we're just ten minutes down the road. I can send the guys back with your blanket and rope."
"No hurry, bring them back when you're next in. I have a feeling we'll be seeing a bit of you. I'm Murray," he said introducing himself and holding out his hand.
"Rose," I shook his hand smiling. "My boyfriend and I are doing up an old cottage just down the way," I explained. "So I'll be needing to furnish it soon."
"Well you know where we are," he said kindly, insisting I take a jar of his wife's plum jam with me.
I couldn't go without taking a quick photo on my phone of the loaded van, then with a farewell, I climbed in as we started our slow drive back to the property. We arrived just before midday, the contractors having already departed. Kirk honked the horn to attract the attention of Abe, Dimitri, Pavel, and the other Guardian who'd stayed behind. They came out onto the verandah of the main house, eyes widening as they took in the loaded van.
"Hey honey, I'm home," I joked stepping out of the van and laughing at Dimitri's flummoxed expression.
They'd been on campus. Both of them. I'd been hiding in the treeline watching the Novice dorm evacuation when I spotted a small team of armed Guardians at the foot of the Moroi dorm building. Initially, I thought they were entering to protect the royals. As the last of her line, possibly Lissa. But five minutes later I saw the unmistakable duster clad figure of my love accompanying the team of Guardians as they bundled a helmeted, vested Rose into the back of a van.
It had taken off immediately, driving across the lawn in the quickest route away from the buildings. I'd assumed they were taking the little bitch off campus by road, but when the van deviated to the west, I knew they must be heading for the Academy's runway. A car had left the guest accommodations in the same direction a few minutes before, but it had been too far away for me to spot its occupants. Minutes later, when a plane lifted off fast and hard into the sky, I appreciated she was gone. The little bitch had escaped. And I could only assume she'd taken my love with her.
I was furious. Angry enough to set the entire bloody campus on fire. But I had a more pressing concern. I needed to get out of here. I ran to the cabin, shoving the empty bottle of whiskey into my bag and obscuring any evidence of my visit before moving as fast as I dared towards where I'd left my car. Wiping the Guardian keys with my shirt, I hoped it would be enough to smear any fingerprints as I flung them in the general direction of the wards. If my luck and compulsion held, the Guardian I'd spoken to might think he'd just dropped his keys. And if not? Well, I intended to be long gone by the time anyone thought to mount a search.
I needed a place to lie low. Somewhere no one would see me and where no one would think to look for me. I was still wracking my brain as I approached the outer walls of campus. I wasn't sure which way the car was parked, so guessing I headed left. Luck was on my side because after five minutes of fast walking I saw the glimmer of a taillight from within the thicket of trees where I'd left my vehicle.
The car started first go, and I let the engine idle as inspiration struck. I pulled a map out of the glove box. It wasn't super detailed, but it showed me the major roads to get to where I needed to go. And better still, I knew how to get there without having to do an official border crossing. Pulling onto the road, I drove carefully away from the Academy, taking care to drive sedately to attract no attention. It was bright out, and I should be tired, but I was still running on adrenaline. I had more than enough anger to keep me going for the four-hour drive. And now I thought about it; I fancied a doughnut. In fact, I even had a handful of loonies in my wallet from my last visit.
"She looks happy, doesn't she," Pavel said in an undertone, watching as Dimitri unloaded the van and dutifully admired Rose's treasures.
"She does," I said, marveling at the wonder that was my daughter. The more time I spent with her, the more of a mystery she was to me. She was content with so little, rarely asking for anything for herself. But the strangest things would bring her to tears. I suspected much of that was due to the pregnancy hormones; Dimitri had explained she wasn't normally so emotional, or that when she was, her usual fallback was anger, not tears.
Pavel and I had had a tense discussion with my son-in-law before we'd come out to the property today. The situation at the Academy had gotten completely out of hand. While I believed Dimitri when he'd said he'd never thought the Ozera woman would take things as far as she had, enough was enough, and I wasn't prepared to let things continue in this way.
Dimitri was to take Rose to the property and use every technique at his disposal to keep her there. I didn't mind them taking trips to the small human township or the larger human town – but under no circumstances was she to be seen out and about at Court. Happily, Rose's disinclination for anything fancy or ostentatious worked in our favor there. Court was the last place she wanted to be.
Through the contractors, I'd arranged for the hot water service on their unit to be replaced before sundown, and a cleaning crew would also be giving their little home and the Guardian accommodations a thorough going over. I'd called and offered the store where they'd shopped today a bonus to drop off as much as they could at 9 am tomorrow, and I'd ordered more Guardians from one of my other locations to arrive within the next twenty-four hours. Power, gas, high-speed Internet, cable television, and all the other luxuries Rose and my Guardians might need were being arranged – the plan being that by this time tomorrow Rose, Dimitri and a handful of Guardians would be safely installed on-site. Or more to the point, out of sight.
She could study. He could work on the property and their cottage. But above all I wanted them hidden from the public eye while I tracked down this Ozera woman and took care of her. One way or another.
I'd been prepared for Dimitri to object - perhaps even beg for leniency for his former friend. But he'd risen inestimably in my regard when he'd looked at me unflinchingly and told me that he had no issue with me doing whatever it took to ensure Rose's safety. My daughter and grandchild deserved someone they could rely on. Someone to be the man they needed and to make the hard choices, but putting them first. While I flattered myself I would be that man for my little girl, I was grudgingly starting to appreciate it looked like Dimitri would be too.