And one last check-in with Mikhail & Sonya. Contains mostly romantic fluff & a lemon at the end :-)

A huge thank you to hbarker for the shout-out. Check out her new story Thief of Hearts if you haven't yet - very exciting & well written. (Think Vampire Academy meets Oceans 11!)

Still checking in on fanfiction most days so if you've made it to the end, please leave me a Review/PM to let me know what you thought! :-) Also, if you liked Don's character I've written a short spin-off to give him a happy ending - 'My Best Friend's Wedding'

54. Epilogue

(Sonya POV)

Last boarding call for the American Airlines Seattle to Pittsburgh flight.

'That's us,' Mikhail announced, slinging my carry-on luggage over his shoulder and standing back so I could say goodbye to my parents.

Dad wrapped me in a tight hug. 'Stay safe, Ya-ya. I don't know if I can handle any more shocks at my age,' he whispered gruffly, before releasing me and extending his arm out to shake Mikhail's hand. 'And you take care of our girl, now, won't you Guardian Tanner?' he added sternly.

'Of course, Mr Karp,' Misha glanced down at me with a smile. 'I won't let her get into any trouble.'

'I should hope not,' Mom pushed forward to hug my fiancée then drew me off to one side. 'Open this later when you've got a minute to yourself, Sweetheart,' she told me quietly, slipping a small gift-wrapped package into my hand. 'I know you said you didn't want any fuss or expense with the engagement, but I really wanted to give you something special. It cost nothing, I promise,' she added hastily when I opened my mouth to object.

When Misha and I announced we were getting married my dear mother nearly exploded with joy, and I could tell she was dying to get started on the wedding planning right away. It took a bit of convincing, but I finally managed to persuade her we wanted to keep things low-key until I had a chance to settle into my new life at Court. We would set a date for the wedding soon, but there were a few other things that needed to be sorted out first; legalising my moroi status, starting the new job with Queen Vasilisa and deciding on somewhere to live being the top items on the list for now.

'Okay, thanks a lot Mom.' I tucked the parcel under my arm as I leant down to kiss her on the cheek, then held her closely when I saw her eyes well with tears. 'And don't worry. We'll see you again in a month for your anniversary party, and you can phone me anytime you like,' I assured her, giving her one final squeeze before turning to Mikhail and moving across to the boarding desk.

It had been an amazing two weeks reconnecting with my family and introducing Mikhail to all of my favourite childhood haunts, but now it was time for us to head back to Court and begin the next chapter of our lives together.

I slept for most of the flight and eventually woke when Misha shook me gently to say we were getting close to Pittsburgh.

'We're nearly there, Sonechka,' he whispered.

I turned my head, snuggling into his shoulder to hide a yawn before rubbing my eyes and looking up at my fiancée with a sleepy smile. 'So real life begins now?'

'Nearly,' he smiled back at me. 'We'll meet with the queen tonight and I'll have to return to duty after the coronation tomorrow evening, but I'm all yours until then. I thought maybe we could go house hunting later? I'd like our first home together to be a little bit nicer than my dingy old single-bedroom apartment.'

'House hunting?' My eyes widened in surprise. 'How are we going to afford a house? All my savings were frozen when I turned strigoi, and you've only been back at work for a year.'

A grin spread across Misha's face. 'Well, maybe we can't afford a house exactly, but we should definitely have enough for a deposit on a nicer apartment,' he clarified. 'Before I found out you'd been restored I was planning to resume my search for you again, so I sold the Volga to help fund my mission,' he explained.

I pulled back from him slightly, frowning in disappointment. He'd given up so much to find me. He'd sacrificed his time, his job and the respect of his colleagues. He'd suffered serious physical injuries and emotional trauma, and now his prized vintage car was gone too. 'Not your beautiful car? That was a classic – one of a kind.'

'She might have been one of a kind, but so are you, my comoară,' he reassured me gently.

'Comoară? I asked curiously, not recognising the word from Misha's native tongue.

'My treasure,' he answered with a soft smile, dropping his head to claim my lips.

It wasn't long before the plane began its descent and twenty minutes later we had disembarked. When we finally emerged into the arrivals lounge Mikhail slowed his step, drawing me away from the main crowd. He turned to face me, reaching out to tuck a loose lock of hair behind my ear.

'So, are you ready for this, Sonechka?' he asked softly, his eyes lit with quiet excitement.

I might have just left my childhood home behind but this was my chance at a new life. A life together with the man I loved.

'Yes,' I stretched up to kiss him on the cheek, 'yes and yes.' I followed up with a kiss to the other cheek and finally sank into his waiting mouth, closing my eyes with a shiver of pleasure as his tongue darted out to tease my bottom lip.

'Get a room, you two,' a familiar voice called out close by, and when we broke apart I turned to see Don Kardos grinning at us like a cheshire cat. 'You're a sly old dog, Mikhail,' he said as the two friends embraced warmly. 'You're the only man I've ever known to escape house-arrest and still have the balls to con Hans into coughing up two weeks paid vacation leave to spend with your foxy lady.'

I blushed as the shorter guardian threw me an admiring glance.

'By foxy lady, I assume you are referring to my fiancée?' Mikhail raised an eyebrow sternly before his face relaxed into a broad smile and he beamed at Don's excited reaction.

'So you finally did it!' he exclaimed, slapping Misha on the back and hurrying over to give me his congratulations. 'You know, Sonya, this man was a pathetic mess without you. Make sure you stick around this time, hey?' Don liked to play the smart-arse at times but I could tell that he really did care about his friend.

'I'm not going anywhere, Don,' I assured him with a smile, 'except maybe the bathroom if you two don't mind getting this show on the road?'

'Yes Ma'am,' he replied obediently, but then turned to Mikhail with a sarcastic expression. 'As soon as you give them a ring they start ordering you around, hey buddy?' he muttered sympathetically.

'Sometimes it's nice being ordered around, if you've got a boss as pretty as mine,' Misha countered, giving me a cheeky look.

I played along, curling my finger to beckon him nearer and pointing to a spot high on my jawline. Misha moved mechanically, as if drawn by compulsion, and I giggled as he planted a kiss just below my ear. We were behaving like love-drunk teenagers but I didn't care. In a few hours we'd be back at Court and in a few days all of our official responsibilities would resume – I didn't plan on wasting a single second of our last free time together.

Don rolled his eyes. 'Point taken. Now give a man a break – I haven't seen any action in three months and it's cruel to keep flaunting your happiness in my face,' he huffed to Mikhail. 'Actually, Sonya' he turned to me suddenly, 'you don't happen to have a sister who's available, do you?' he asked, and I burst out laughing at his desperate expression.

A few hours later we arrived at Court and Don dropped us off outside the moroi council chambers, leaning out his window to give us some final instructions.

'I've got to sign back in at HQ. If you guys have got everything you need, I'll deliver the heavier luggage straight to your apartment for you,' he offered, and Mikhail accepted with our thanks. 'Look – your escort's arrived to take you to the queen,' Don added, before honking the horn once and driving off.

I turned to see a tall figure in black descending the stairs of the council building, and smiled warmly as Dimitri approached us.

'I'm glad you made it,' he said in greeting, before leading us inside and along several corridors towards one of the main council meeting rooms. 'Rose and I would have liked to meet you at the airport, but Lissa has been keeping us both busy with preparations for tomorrow night's coronation.'

'How is it going?' Misha asked, automatically slipping into guardian mode. 'I feel terrible about letting everyone down at such a busy time.'

'We're okay thanks, Mikhail,' the big guardian replied with a faint smile. 'Just enjoy your break – you've earnt it,' he added, looking meaningfully across at me.

I returned Dimitri's understanding gaze with a grateful smile. Out of everybody at Court, he was the only one who truly understood what Misha and I had gone through and I could never thank him enough for everything he'd done in bringing us together again.

Soon we arrived at a heavy oak door and Dimitri reached down to rest his hand on the knob. 'This is it. Good luck,' he said, ushering us inside then closing the door behind us.

'Aah. Here they are now,' a high, gentle voice sung out, and Queen Vasilisa rose from her place at the head of an oval-shaped boardroom table, crossing the room to greet us. 'Mikhail, Sonya, please follow me,' she said formally, and eleven royals eyed us curiously as the queen led us to our seats.

Once we were settled, Lissa stood to address the council. 'Allow me to present Miss Sonya Karp and Guardian Mikhail Tanner,' she announced. 'I trust your journey from Seattle was comfortable, Sonya?'

'Yes thank you, Queen Vasilisa,' I managed to reply, feeling completely overwhelmed by my surroundings.

Lissa's eyes roamed slowly across the gathering as she continued to speak. 'You are all familiar with Miss Karp's case. You've read the statements of Guardian Dimitri Belikov and Guardian Rosemarie Hathaway, and witnessed the testimony of noted alchemist Sydney Sage. The purpose of this meeting is simply to review the facts of the case and formalise Miss Karp's legal status as moroi.'

I know Lissa said this meeting was just a formality but I couldn't help feeling anxious in the presence of so many royals. Mikhail noticed my tense posture and I felt him reach for my hand under the table, squeezing my fingers in support. I glanced across at him and took a deep, slow breath before returning my attention to the queen.

'Sonya Karp, a former teacher at St. Vladimir's Academy, was struck down by a serious illness which resulted in temporary mental incompetency. In this state, she was driven to become strigoi and existed as such for a period of twenty-eight months. Eighteen days ago, Sonya Karp was restored to her moroi state and all the witness statements attest that she has maintained a stable condition over this time.'

A few council members nodded as they acknowledged the account.

'Furthermore,' the queen continued, 'Miss Karp was instrumental in identifying and locating my missing sister, Jillian Dragomir-Mastrano, and I remind the council that Sonya assisted Guardian Hathaway in uncovering vital evidence that led to the arrest of Queen Tatiana's murderer. I conclude that the woman you see before you poses no further threat to moroi or human lives, and move that Miss Sonya Karp should have her full moroi rights restored immediately by this council. Will all in favour please raise their hand?'

I closed my eyes tightly, too nervous to watch.

'Motion carried,' Queen Vasilisa proclaimed with satisfaction. 'And on that note, I declare this meeting closed. Council will resume session at 04:00pm tomorrow to make final preparations for the coronation. You are free to leave.'

My eyes flew open in disbelief and I saw several of the council members smile at me as they exited the room. Tears of relief and joy began to slide down my cheeks as I realised that the last connection to my strigoi past had finally been erased. I was officially moroi again. Misha stood, drawing me into his arms, and I sobbed softly into his chest until I felt a woman's hand rest lightly on my shoulder.

'I'm so happy for you, Sonya. The hard part is over now,' Lissa smiled at me as I straightened up to look at her, still holding onto Mikhail's hand for support.

'The paperwork will be signed in due course,' she continued, 'and the council has requested that you pass on any information you might have regarding strigoi threats in the area, but other than that you are a free woman.'

'Thank you so much, Que…' I began.

'Lissa – please!' she cut in.

'…Thank you, Lissa,' I corrected myself. 'I'm so grateful for what you've done for me, for us,' I said, glancing up at Mikhail. 'And I'm really looking forward to working with you on our spirit research project. We've got so much to talk about.'

'I agree!' she smiled warmly. 'We can get to work as soon as the coronation is out of the way, but seeing as you're here, there's something I'd like give you before you go.'

She handed me a small wooden case and I let my fingers trace over the smooth, grained surface. Maybe a pen? That would be an appropriate gift for a new employee.

'Quick. Open it – I can't bear the suspense,' Lissa exclaimed, and I hurried to undo the tiny catch on the front of the box.

It wasn't a pen. It was a key.

I glanced up in confusion. The queen fixed me with a strange smile before looking across to Mikhail, who appeared to be as clueless as I was.

'I didn't get a chance to tell you when we spoke on the phone, but I wanted to do something to thank you both properly for everything you've done to help me – and Rose,' she explained. 'We knew you guys would essentially be starting over, and Dimitri thought the two of you would prefer to live somewhere a little roomier than the standard guardian apartments, so I kind of bought you a house.' The young woman's eyes sparkled with excitement as she watched our reactions, her face shining as brightly as her aura.

'What?' I gasped. This was way too generous.

'What?' Misha echoed, gripping my hand more tightly.

Lissa's laugh tinkled across the room like a bell. 'Don't look so shocked, Sonya! I had to ring your Mom last week to settle some legal matters regarding your moroi status and she let it slip that you guys got engaged, so you can think of this as an early wedding present if you like.'

I shook my head in disbelief, and then the tears started up again – fat, happy tears – and I threw my arms around Misha before turning shyly to hug the queen.

'Thank you, Lissa. I just can't believe it. Thank you so much,' I stammered.

'It was no problem at all,' she replied graciously, reaching up to embrace Mikhail before stepping back to talk to both of us. 'Rose and Dimitri chose the house – I just sorted the finances, and trust me, being the queen makes that type of thing a lot easier!' she laughed again, then looked to the door.

'Well, guys, I've got to head off. Coronations to plan, etcetera. Dimitri's got the car out front – if you come with me now we can give you a lift over to check out your new place.' Lissa gathered a few items from the table and led us out to the waiting car.

It didn't take long to get to the house – our house. It was about half-way between Guardian HQ and the council chambers, and backed onto a wide, grassy parkland.

'Rose reminded me you were into gardening, so we thought this would be a nice spot for you without having to go too far out of town,' Lissa explained as we pulled up outside a quaint little stone house, the porch light illuminating a paved pathway that led from the picket gate to the front door. 'It's fully furnished inside – your Mom helped out with some ideas for that – but if there's anything you don't like we can get it swapped for something else. Just give me a ring if you need anything,' she squeezed my arm before pushing me out of the car, keen to let us go and explore our new home.

'Have fun,' Dimitri gave us a final wave before pulling away to deliver the queen to her next meeting.

We stood at the front gate for a full minute – just looking at our new home – before Mikhail finally took my hand and led me up the path towards the front door. I handed Misha the key and we both peeked inside curiously as the door swung open at his touch.

The room was beautiful, and we stood in the doorway, lost for words as we took in the bright, rich space. Exposed wooden beams and floorboards contrasted against white-washed walls. One side of the large room was set up as a living area, a two seater couch facing the already crackling fireplace, with a bookcase and well stocked wine rack standing along adjacent wall. The other side was the kitchen/dining area, with a tall island bench that could double as preparation space or a servery. Two arched windows were set into each wall along the length of the building, and when I looked up I could see the glint of a circular stained glass window in the loft bedroom that was nestled in the arched roof-space.

'This must have been a chapel conversion,' Mikhail murmured in amazement.

I stepped forwards, drawn in by the welcoming surroundings, but Misha held me back.

'Allow me, iubita mea,' he slipped one hand around my back and scooped the other under my knees to lift me up and carry me over the threshold.

'I hope that was something nice you just called me,' I whispered, suddenly lost in his eyes.

'My beloved,' he translated, pressed a kiss to my lips. 'Welcome home, iubita mea.'

Even once we were inside Mikhail refused to put me down, closing the heavy door with his foot then parading me through the house to inspect each wonderful feature. 'Our kitchen… our living room…,' he announced as he gave me the tour.

'Our bathroom….' I gripped his neck tightly as he let go of one hand to open the door at the end of the room – it would have been the vestry once, used by the priest as a quiet preparation area before each chapel service, but now it contained a deep claw-footed bath and a mirrored vanity with twin basins.

'I'd like to spend a lot of time in here with you,' I whispered into Misha's ear and he rewarded me with a kiss, before retreating from the room and mounting the stairs up to the loft.

'Our bedroom…' he murmured, depositing me on the bed before sitting down beside me and kicking off his shoes.

The loft was simply decorated, with a king sized bed in the centre of the room and a pair of matching wooden wardrobes on each wall. Somebody had already been up here to drop off our luggage – Don must have been in on Lissa's secret – and Misha leant over to pick up a small gift-wrapped package that was resting on one of our suitcases.

'Do you think this is from Lissa?' he asked, handing it to me.

I held the familiar parcel in my hands with a feeling of anticipation. 'No. It's from Mom. She told me to open it when I had a minute to myself, but I've got no secrets from you, Misha – do you mind if I unwrap it now?'

'Please,' he urged me, drawing his legs up onto the bed and watching with curiosity as I began to remove the neatly folded paper.

'There's a note. Will you read it to me?' I asked, passing him the card so I could open the next layer of tissue paper. It was too pretty to rip so I picked carefully at the sticky tape, trying not to damage the wrapping.

Misha took the card and scanned through the message but when he remained silent I looked up to see what the delay was.

'I think you should read this yourself,' he said softly with a strange expression on his face.

I frowned and swapped the parcel for the card, indicating for him to finish unwrapping it for me while I read Mom's note.

To My Darling Daughter,

It has given me such pleasure to learn that you will soon be Mrs Sonya Tanner. Marriage is a life-changing experience when you find the one you're meant to be with, and I know you have that found that soul-mate in your Misha.

The gift I enclosed is actually from Babushka, and it is something she gave me on my wedding day. It's not exactly a traditional engagement gift so please don't be offended. I don't mean to pressure you in any way, but the fact is we're all getting older. If Dad or I aren't around when the time comes, I wanted to make sure you had this from us. Being a wife is a wonderful thing, but being your Mom helped me discover a whole new side to love.

I know that if you and Mikhail choose to become parents, you will be the most sensitive, loving mother a child could want for, and I hope that your father and I will be around for many more years so we can see you continue to grow into the beautiful, strong woman we've always known you to be.

Love always,

Mom

I brushed away a tear as I looked up from the note, and that's when I noticed that Misha was cradling something in his hands.

'I think these used to be yours,' he whispered, opening his palms to reveal a pair of knitted baby booties.

I picked one up and felt the soft, scratchy wool between my fingers.

A baby. Could we have a baby? I'd never even allowed myself think of the possibility. When I first met Misha I was practically drowning in spirit darkness and in no fit state to be a parent. Then later, when I turned strigoi, it wouldn't have been possible even if I'd wanted it. But now? I looked up at Mikhail as I struggled to process the flood of new emotions that were surging through me.

'Do you think we…?' I trailed off, unable to put words to the rapidly growing desire I felt building deep inside me. 'Would you like to…?'

Misha took the knitted bootie from my hands and placed it with its mate, re-wrapping them carefully in the tissue paper and setting them to one side. When he was done, he returned to the bed and sat close beside me, taking both of my hands in his, his eyes smouldering with love.

'Yes…yes,' he kissed each of my cheeks, 'and yes.' His lips settled on mine, sweet and steady at first but quickly building in urgency as a shared, primal need filled our senses.

'I love you, comoară mea,' Misha whispered between kisses, his fingers trailing through my hair as he lowered me back onto the pillows. 'Whatever you want, I will give to you.' His hands slipped under my shirt and he removed it quickly, dropping his head to kiss my breasts as he freed them from the confines of my bra. I watched with longing as he tossed aside his own shirt, then gasped as his warm tongue suddenly swiped across my nipples and whimpered as he took one in his mouth, suckling tirelessly until my whole body was aching for him.

'Whatever you need, I will give to you.' He slid my jeans and panties down, burying his face between my legs, tasting and exploring the secret places that only he was allowed to go. I bucked up against his tongue, my breathing becoming ragged as he lapped repeatedly at the core of me, his fingers marking out a slow, searching rhythm as they slipped into my hidden depths.

'I need you, Misha,' I called out urgently, gripping the back of his hair to draw him up in line with me.

'Yes, iubita mea,' his voice was rough with desire.

There was a momentary struggle as he discarded his pants then, when my lover was bare and ready, he reached down to cover himself in my essence and looked into my eyes as he seated himself deep within me. I lifted my hips up to meet him and let out a cry of pleasure with every breath as he took possession of me, our bodies and souls merging with each shuddering thrust until the world exploded around us. I clung on for dear life as waves of rapture rocked my body, and trembled as I felt him burst within me.

'Misha,' I gasped, when I was finally able to speak again. No other words were necessary. I had everything I'd ever hoped for and more.

'Sonechka,' he replied simply, and even though my eyes were closed I knew he was smiling.

Author's Note:

Well, thanks for reading all the way to the end! I hope you've enjoyed getting up close and personal with Sonya & Mikhail and re-visiting some of your favourite VA moments. The whole story took me about 4 months to write (literally every spare moment of my life in that time!)

Since finishing writing, I've finally had time to read/review other people's fanfics - starting with the beautiful people who left such helpful/encouraging comments on this story. A big thank you to hbarker (new story thief of hearts), Gigi256 (new story Blood Promise DPOV), Lea0014 (Desolate) & Doubtthestarsarefire who gave feedback as I was writing to spur me on & keep me loving the VA world!

Please let me know if you recommend any other authors/stories you think I should read.

I'm currently working on a Romitri Saga which I will release soon so keep an eye out for that - it's going to be FUN!