Wolves of the Pacific

by greenpeach20

In 1902, Renesmee Cullen grew tired of the tedious life of moving around with her family and decided to make the journey west as a mail order bride. Yet a chance encounter with a reddish brown wolf would change her life forever.

169. Chapter 169

Chapter 169

He actually started blushing and felt like that nervous 12 year old boy all over again. He glanced down at the bouquet of flowers he'd gotten her and was now extremely unimpressed with them and embarrassed by them. He wished he'd gotten her a bouquet of red roses instead of the assortment and briefly considered not giving it to her but decided against it.

Once the curtains were closed and the lights came on, people started to leave their seats and there was a group that seemed to make a beeline for where the green room was. Levi took the flowers and his suitcase and left his seat at a slow pace in time with the other patrons and finally started walking in the direction of backstage. There was a large group of guys already there with flowers at the ready: all holding red roses. His assortment seemed that much more inadequate now and his blush deepened. Levi stayed at the back of the group while the horde waited for Nadja to come out. When she finally did come out along with several of the other actresses, everyone that was waiting for her practically swarmed her. Levi watched her smile politely to each admirer accepting the flowers as she went, each time retreating to the dressing room to put down the flowers. There were one or two that asked her out for drinks but she kindly refused their offers while thanking them for coming to the show. Eventually she made it through the crowd and finally noticed Levi. When she did and their eyes really met, there was a sparkle of joy in her rich blue eyes.

"Levi!" she said and ran over to give him a hug that he accepted, his cheeks going even darker. All the men that had been in the group seemed to immediately lose interest and left. "It's so good to see you! How was the wedding? How did you like Iran? You said it was Isfahan right? What about the play? Did you like the play?"

"It's good to see you too," Levi said. Her hair was the same unruly curls from the play but now she was in a pair of high-waist blue jeans and a short sleeve teal crop top. "You were great tonight. The play was pretty crazy I have to say but I enjoyed it. Isfahan was nice and the wedding was like going to an inaugural ball."

"Inaugural ball as in if a new Prime Minister gets elected?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Levi said, still really nervous, "Roshad seemed to invite a large number of people out of pure obligation, but we had a great time. The Mosque ceremony was a little weird. It was just family and the men sat at the front of the room and the women and children had to sit in the back."

"Interesting," Nadja said and glanced down at his suitcase but then saw the bouquet. "You got me flowers?"

"Oh," Levi said, his blush deepening again as he lifted the bouquet timidly, "Yeah. I'm sorry; they're not roses, but-"

"What are you talking about? I see some roses," Nadja said and accepted the flowers with a smile, then breathed them in and got them resting in her arms. "Thank you, Levi. They're beautiful," Nadja said and wrapped her arm around Levi's neck and Levi wrapped his arms around her waist. After she let go of him, she said, "Let's go back to my place. You must be sick of carting that suitcase around London."

"Are you sure you're alright with me staying at your place? I can stay at a hotel," Levi offered.

"Don't be ridiculous; why waste money on a hotel when you've got a friend in the area?" Nadja said and took a hold of his suitcase. "Let's hail a cab back to my place. I'll bet between the flight and the play you're probably knackered. It's got you unshaved at the very least," she teased, running a finger over his chin covered in a five o'clock shadow. He shivered a little when she did.

"I'm ready to fall over," Levi admitted once he had a hold of himself.

"Exactly," Nadja said and led Levi outside with her as she carried his suitcase and her flowers.

Levi opened the door for her and tried hailing a cab. One eventually pulled over and Levi got his suitcase in the back seat, got in his seat and made sure there was room in the back for Nadja to get in. It was a really quick drive: just a few blocks. Levi tried insisting on paying for the ride since it had been such a short drive but Nadja swore it was fine, paid the driver and they got out once they were in front of her apartment. It was a large building made from brick and there was a long line of buzzers with names beside them. Nadja pulled out her key and let them into the building. They stayed on the ground floor and took a hallway to the right until Nadja stopped in front of a brown door with the number 10 attached to it in silver letters. Levi also noticed a little white mezuzah on the doorframe.

"That's really nice of the landlord to let you hang that there," Levi said, pointing at the little charm.

"Yeah, normally we aren't allowed to hang things, but the landlord makes special exception for religious symbols," Nadja said. "I don't go to temple as often as I should so I figure it's the least I can do."

"I've been bad too; don't worry. I haven't been to temple since I was visiting home for Hanukah and Christmas."

"Have you ever enjoyed Jewish Christmas?" Nadja asked as she was unlocking her door.

"There's a Jewish Christmas?"

"Yeah," Nadja said and opened the door, "You order Chinese Take Away and watch TV at home."

"No, I haven't," Levi said. "Does it have to be Chinese?"

"I suppose you could order any take away you want. You know; if you want to be a scrooge," Nadja joked.

Once they were in her apartment and she closed the door, she took off her shoes and Levi did the same. It was a long hallway with entirely brick walls. To his right there were two doors on the wall and directly across from the doorway was a twin bed and a wall filled with built in shelving made from the same dark wood as the door. The floor was a yellow shag rug that, while horrendously hideous, felt really nice on the feet.

"Let me take you on the grand tour," Nadja smiled and took a few steps forward to the first door, "This is the bathroom equipped with a toilet, sink and shower – the whole nine yards. All I ask is make sure you clean up after yourself. Next is the closet." She took a few more steps to a sliding mirror door and opened it to show off some clothes as well as a little projector that was tucked away then closed the door again. "And this is my bed; there's a collection of shelves with a bunch of knick knacks on it as you can see." She turned the corner with Levi following behind her and the rest of the room was visible. There was a couch that was already pulled out as a spare bed and a TV right across from that pulled out couch. There was a little table beside the couch with a lamp and phone and tucked away in a little short hallway sized room was the kitchen. "I made the couch up for you as I mentioned. Over here is the kitchen and laundry room. It can be both. I've got a washing machine and the fridge is right here." She indicated a tiny fridge that was under the counter and had hardly any room. It was bigger than his dorm fridge but not by much. It was definitely not a place intended for the use of more than one person, but it was cozy and had Nadja's influence in every part of it. The wall that her bed rested against was covered in posters from plays she'd been in most of which Levi had copies of for himself even if they were in a little binder. "So yeah, it's not much, but it's home."

"I like it," Levi said honestly. "You definitely made it your own. You've been living here three years right?"

"Four in June," Nadja said. "Now I warn you it gets really drafty at night so I made sure there are plenty of blankets."

"I appreciate it," Levi said. "So….how've you been? I know we write all the time; it's just been a really long time since last we saw each other."

"I know; last time we saw each other was when you saw my Taming of the Shrew performance."

"I remember," Levi smiled. "You did great. You're still working at that Café in Chelsea right?"

"Yes, I am," Nadja said, "A waitress by day, an actress by night."

"It sounds glamorous," Levi said. He felt really awkward as he watched her get a vase filled with water for the flowers he'd gotten her. She clipped the stems of the flowers before putting them into the vase arranging them just as she wanted. He scratched his chin, the hairs making his skin itchy and it added to his self-consciousness. There were a lot of guys at college that could grow full beards and while his grew in evenly, he hated how it made him look so much older so he never let it grow out. "Do you mind if I shower?"

"Go right ahead," Nadja smiled as she continued arranging the flowers. Levi opened his suitcase to grab his toiletry bag when he spotted a box he'd forced into the suitcase.

"Oh, before I forget," Levi said and pulled out the box then offered it to Nadja, "I got this for you while I was in Isfahan." Nadja smiled and accepted the box. She opened it and pulled out a very fancy jewelry box. It was porcelain dyed several shades of blues and purples to create a lovely pattern and in the center was the lion from the Iranian flag. She opened it and saw a few necklaces and earrings that were still in their original packaging.

"Oh, Levi, this is beautiful," Nadja smiled and walked over to give Levi a big hug. Once she released him, she put the box on the counter so she could look at all the necklaces and earrings tucked inside. She put them back down and returned to Levi to hug him again. "Thank you, Levi. That was really sweet of you."

"I'm happy you like it," Levi said. Nadja was the one to end the hug and went back to the little kitchen space.

"Between the flowers and the jewelry, you're making me feel awfully spoiled," Nadja teased with a gentle smile. Levi tried coming up with something clever to say but all he could do was blush. Not wanting her to notice it, he went back to his suitcase so his back was to her.

"I'm really glad you like it," he said again.

Levi got his toiletry bag out of his suitcase, some night clothes and his soaps before retreating into the bathroom. He got the shower turned on right away but he leaned against the sink for a moment trying to collect his thoughts. This shouldn't be so scary. She was his imprint. This should all be happening naturally and with total ease, but here he was fumbling from the beginning with asinine small talk. They'd been pen pals for a decade – he shouldn't be so nervous. They'd talked to each other about literally everything and anything over the years of writing one another. He took a few deep breaths and silently told himself to get a grip before undressing and getting in the shower. He didn't have much time in London. They'd planned for him to stay the week. She would still have her performances but she'd taken off work from the café so Nadja could show Levi a good time – he needed to stop being so damn anxious and just be more daring: compliment her, flirt with her and make it clear he was interested.

By the time he'd gotten out of the shower and could shave, he felt much better and was ready to step out of the bathroom with the confidence of a champion. He washed his face clean of the shaving cream and took a moment to make sure his shave was completely clean. He'd made a point to bring his 'Happy Traitor's Day' t-shirt that Nadja sent him so long ago. It was worn, had at least two holes in it and it was a little small. His mom helped him let it out then add some fabric so it would keep fitting and also to cover the holes that formed as he got older no matter how many times Amber told him to just admit he'd out grown it. He always refused. Now he was so happy he'd done so. He also wore pajama pants that were just black flannel material – a habit he'd not bothered with when he lived at home or even when he lived with his grandma, but had adopted once he went to college and had a roommate. Levi made sure his soaps and razor were out of the way and finally walked out of the bathroom with his dirty clothes in arm. Nadja was on her bed sitting upright and the flowers he'd brought her were in the vase arranged beautifully on her nightstand. She was looking into a tiny portable mirror trying on one of the necklace and earring sets he'd given her with the others also out of their packaging having been tried on as well. She looked up at him from her mirror and smiled at him. His previous resolution to be charming and confident deflated and he was nervous again.

"You still have that shirt?" she asked when she noticed the shirt he was wearing.

"Yeah, of course I do," Levi answered timidly. "So um…..do they fit?" he indicated the earrings and necklaces and felt instantly stupid for asking such a silly question especially when she started giggling.

"I'm worried these earrings make me look fat," she said and turned so she was kneeling on her bed facing his direction. "What do you think?"

"They look really nice," Levi answered nervously. "They don't make you look fat at all."

Nadja smiled, "I bet you're just saying that to be nice."

"No, I mean it!" Levi said perhaps a little too seriously and Nadja started giggling again.

"I know, Levi. I'm just joking," Nadja said and took the earrings and necklace off. "I'd better get this goop off my face. I'd like my hair not to look like a rat's nest anymore while I'm at it."

"I thought you looked really pretty tonight," Levi blurted out without thinking.

"Now I know you're just saying that to be nice," Nadja smiled and got off her bed. "Regardless, I need to get cleaned up before bed. I tell you, whenever I do a show, it's murder on my hair. Every performance I get an iron and curlers put to my hair and makeup slathered on my face. I don't know if there's anything good on the telly but I've got some records you can play if you like."

"It's alright; I could honestly just use some sleep," Levi said.

"Right; sorry," Nadja said. "Well, I'll keep quiet for you. I'll see you in the morning?"

"Yeah," Levi said. "Good night, Nadja."

"Night, Levi," she smiled and walked past him to her bathroom.

She opened the closet and grabbed a few things before stepping inside and closing the door behind her. Levi heard the shower go on and he felt like he needed a sound kick to the head. Maybe he really did just need some sleep. That's it. Once he got some sleep and wasn't so damned jetlagged and tired, he'd finally be less nervous. So Levi turned off the light and went to the pulled out couch bed getting under the covers once his suitcase was on the floor and out of the way. He was finally starting to doze off when he heard the bathroom door open and the switch for the light flip. He could hear Nadja's footsteps as she gingerly maneuvered to her own bed and got under her own covers. After that, Levi stared at the ceiling unable to fall asleep. He kept thinking about everything he felt he'd done wrong since he realized she was his imprint. He started thinking of everything he should have done and would have done if he'd just grow a pair. But when the thought crossed his mind that he should have just grabbed her in his arms and kissed her in front of all those guys outside her dressing room, he realized he was being completely ridiculous and tried to go to sleep. Somehow he was eventually able to get to sleep but when he woke the next morning, it felt like he'd only gotten 2 hours sleep. He opened his eyes and saw Nadja on her bed reading the morning paper. She looked up when she realized Levi was awake.

"I'm afraid the play got mixed reviews," she said.

"What do you mean?" Levi asked as he sat up. Nadja left her bed – still wearing her panties, no bra and a white shirt that was worn and he could see the indentations of her hardened nipples through – and came over sitting on the edge of the pull out bed. By now, Levi was just staring at her chest despite his initial efforts not to.

"'Psycho is a thriller about an average Joe that meets and falls in love with his Stripper dream girl; it's after the set up that this simple premise goes from cute to absolutely horrifying. Nadja Rimsa stars as the vicious black widow Rose delivering a convincing performance that makes any man think twice about asking her to tea. Walter Kinsley stars as Jeff, the unsuspecting sod that falls into Rose's trap. Psycho will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to brutal finish. This reviewer gives this play a 7/10.' Then someone else wrote, 'Psycho was a mediocre telling of a man that gets mixed up with the wrong girl. The poster was easily the only exciting portion of this play – a sad statement indeed. This reviewer gives this play a 3/10.' Another person gave it a 10/10 then someone else gave it a 6/10."

"If it's worth anything, I agree with the 7/10," Levi said.

"Thank you," Nadja smiled, "I'm just a little irked this person called it 'mediocre'; couldn't disagree more."

"Same," Levi replied, trying not to stare at her breasts given she was clearly sad about the set of poor reviews that accompanied the good.

"At least Mark got an interview," she said.

"Who's Mark again?"

"He wrote the play," Nadja said and then read, "'when asked what inspired him to write such a dark story, Mark Winston was quoted as saying, "It is a story told partially from my own life. There was a girl I met my last year of senior school and I thought we were in love. Then things took a horrible turn until she was beginning to threaten to kill me. It only stopped when I moved to London for University. I later found out she was sent to the nut house. It left me traumatized and it was a long time before I could move on. Writing this play was one way for me to move on from what happened. Maybe I could make a cautionary tale for anyone out there that might be in a similar position I was in."'"

"I didn't realize it was based on a true story."

"Partially true," Nadja said and folded the newspaper back up. Her hair was wavy now, but it was more tame and there was no makeup on her face. She looked like an angel. "Well, you can't please everyone, right?"

"Yeah, but you pleased enough it sounds like," Levi said. "I really liked it."

"Thank you," Nadja smiled. "I got some things in my fridge if you're hungry. I got eggs."

"Eggs work," Levi chuckled.

"Thank goodness; they're one of the only things I know how to cook. You remember that one bloke I dated a while back, right? Adam was his name."

"Sure," Levi lied. He couldn't remember a guy named Adam – in truth they'd both talked about significant others but he couldn't remember any of their names and frankly didn't want to remember.

"Well Adam was a real traditional man. Every time he spent the night he always wanted me to make him breakfast in the morning. He was never mean about it so I got good at it just so long as he didn't ask me to make him a Full English. Trouble is he was awful in bed."

"Pardon?"

"He was awful in bed," Nadja repeated nonchalantly as she stood from the bed and walked over to the kitchen space to get some eggs out of the fridge. She bent forward with her butt on display, only her panties hiding the full view. It only lasted a moment but that moment was enough to make Levi erect and the moment he realized it, he bunched the blankets and maneuvered his legs so she wouldn't see it. "We broke up because he found our letters to one another and got jealous. At least that ended things before I got fed up with teaching him to be a better lover."

"Huh," was all Levi could say. He was more concerned with trying to get rid of his erection.

"Anyway, because of him I learned how to make eggs and that's about it. I know how to make Matzo Ball soup too."

"No pot roast or latkes?"

"Sorry, Levi, but won't make any man the perfect Jewish house wife any time soon," she said with a light laugh. It didn't help his current state in the least, "But if you want some homemade Matzo ball soup while you're here, I'm your girl."

"I'll hold you to it," Levi replied.

"Do you like your eggs scrambled?"

"I like sunny side up," Levi said.

"I'll do my best," she said and got out some butter and put it in a pan. She put some bread in the toaster and then got a coffee maker ready, "I assume you want coffee?"

"Yeah," Levi said, still trying to get his thoughts under control. By the time his breakfast was ready, he'd finally gotten his erection to go away, but then she came over with his food. Her nipples were still hard and poking forward visible through her shirt and just like that he was hard again.

"I don't know if I made the eggs right, but they're cooked at least," she said. Indeed the yokes were broken and cooked so it wasn't really a sunny side up egg but that was fine.

"This looks great, Nadja; thank you," Levi said and got one of the eggs on some toast to take a bite.

"So what should we do today? We can go to Westminster first. It's got Big Ben and the House of Parliament. Or we can start with Tower Hill. That's where the Tower of London is."

"The prison you mean?"

"Where prisoners stayed the night before their execution: yes," Nadja said. "Of course there's more to Tower Hill than that."

"Let's go to Tower Hill first," Levi said. "Thanks for showing me around. I know these touristy things are a little boring when you see everything every day."

"I wouldn't say 'every day', although there's not a child in England that doesn't go to Tower Hill and Westminster at least once in their life. Tower Hill was my favorite."

"I just hope I'm not putting you out."

"Don't be silly; it's a pleasure," Nadja said. "Oh! And when I return from my performance tonight, you and I can watch a movie together. How about we start with The Devils? Or maybe we can watch A Clockwork Orange together. I have both reels."

"What about Pink Flamingos?" Levi asked, trying to joke.

"No thank you," Nadja said, "seeing a drag queen eat dog shit once was plenty thank you."

Levi chuckled, "Yeah, I wasn't expecting that either. My cousin sent it to me telling me 'this ought to shock her'."

"It did; I assure you it did," Nadja said, "and this from a woman that watched a horde of nuns face-fuck Jesus." Levi nearly choked on his coffee when she reminded him of one of the more raunchy scenes from The Devils. "I'll go ahead and get dressed. You enjoy your breakfast. We'll leave once you're ready."

"Okay," Levi said and Nadja got off the bed and wandered to her closet to grab some clothes.

She pulled out something denim then stepped aside for privacy. He watched her white night shirt fly across the room landing onto her bed and then heard some more rustling. Then she stepped back out wearing a denim jumpsuit that was sleeveless and, it turned out, backless and she was still not wearing a bra. Although her nipples were no longer showing since the denim was thick enough to keep them hidden. She fluffed her wavy hair and then grabbed something from her nightstand before retreating back into the bathroom. Levi quickly got dressed in some jeans of his own and a fresh grey stripped shirt. He washed the dishes and left them out to dry when Nadja came out.

"You don't have to do those; I can take care of it," Nadja said.

"No, it's alright. You cooked. The least I can do is wash the dishes," Levi said.

He was trying not to look at her fearing he'd lose all train of thought if he did otherwise. Once the dishes were clean, he stepped out of the kitchen space and saw Nadja sitting on her bed trying out all the necklaces he'd given her the night before trying to decide which she wanted to wear. It was actually really flattering and for a moment he finally had a boost of confidence. She picked a red necklace and earring set and put the other jewelry in their packing and put them in the box. She put that back on one of the shelves then came around her bed.

"Are you ready to get going? I think we should start with the attractions around London Bridge and then we'll move on to Tower Hill. I don't have to be at the theatre until 8 so we've got all day to site see."

"Sure," Levi said.

She grabbed her purse, Levi made sure he had his wallet and they got their shoes on before walking out of the flats to the street. Wanting to save time, they took a taxi and this time Levi insisted on paying for it, though it required he be able to stop at a currency exchange first. Thankfully the driver was kind enough to wait for Levi to convert his dollars into pounds so he could pay the man. After he paid the driver, they started with the tour. Firstly Nadja pointed out the location of where there used to be a pub called The Tabard Inn where Chaucer began his pilgrimage to write The Canterbury Tales.

"Why did that place close down?" Levi asked her after they found the plaque honoring Geoffrey Chaucer.

"I wish I knew, but it's not here anymore. But the George Inn is still here. That was built way back in the 17th Century and it still has the little galleries where people would go when there was a play showing. If we've got time, we'll stop there for dinner before we go back. I'm told their Fish and Chips are the best in London."

"I can't wait," Levi said. They proceeded to London Bridge and they could see Tower Bridge. "So wait, that's not London Bridge?"

"No, that's Tower Bridge," Nadja said. "This isn't the nicest London Bridge we've ever had. The most iconic London Bridge was built by Henry 2nd. That bridge had shops on it and it's also the bridge where traitor's heads were placed on pikes."

"Nothing makes me want to go shopping like seeing a disembodied head," Levi joked. They continued along the bridge and she pointed out monuments that were devoted to the Roman made London bridge as well as monuments commemorating the Fire of London. They stopped inside a church that had a model of the iconic London Bridge built by Henry 2nd. The model was a vision to see. "So what happened to this bridge?"

"A fire," Nadja said. "You said your uncle and grandfather are from London?"

"Uncle Carlisle is," Levi said, "but my great grandpa was born in Brighton I think. I assume they remember what that bridge looked like."

"If they were here before 18th century London, I would assume so," Nadja said.

They continued on until they arrived at the St. Olaves Church. A plaque of Samuel Pepys was in the courtyard and there were skulls on the gate to the church courtyard to commemorate plague victims. The inside of the church was so tiny and it was hard for Levi to move around, but it was a small, lovely little church. The basement chapel was freezing bit still a nice site. Then they went to All Hallows by the Tower and saw old Roman pavement, Saxon art, artifacts from the Crusades and a model of Roman time London which was minuscule compared to modern London. Then finally they made their way to Tower Hill. She started by showing him Dead Man's Hole. Evidently a place where bodies would wash up either due to suicide or murder but also because there used to be a morgue there.

"So you notice that's all covered in white tiles?" Nadja pointed out.

"Yeah."

"So the reason they did that is because the bodies would often spontaneously combust and get blood and gore everywhere so the tiles made it easier to clean."

"I bet," Levi said. "You just know all the gory details don't you?"

"When I was young, my teacher used to throw in shock value information when she noticed I was starting to lose interest in my history lessons," Nadja said. "So in conjunction with all proper history, I know odd facts about certain things."

"I just paid attention in class," Levi said. Nadja smacked the back of his head gently and they started laughing.

"Let's move on. We have a lot of ground to cover if we're going to swing back to George Inn for dinner," Nadja said and then took Levi's hand rather unexpectedly to get him to come along with her. It made him blush a little while he followed her. She had such soft, dainty hands.

They finally made it to Tower Hill and got onto the site to see all of the oldest bits of London. She walked with him along the beach telling how it wasn't entirely uncommon to find old pots or even Roman coins although you were technically supposed to report it to a museum. They didn't end up finding any Roman coins therefore voiding the concern but they definitely tried finding something. They continued on to all the areas where hanging executions were performed. They didn't end up seeing the entirety of the attractions in Tower Hill but made a point to see the Tower of London at least. Then they got out to a road where they could hail a taxi to bring them to The George Inn for dinner. Nadja didn't get anything but Levi got the Fish and Chips Nadja had recommended and got down a few beers before they had to leave. They spoke casually throughout dinner and Levi did his best to be charming but he felt like all his efforts were falling flat. Nadja smiled sweetly and laughed at his jokes, but they were all friendly. They took another taxi back to Nadja's apartment but she asked the driver to stay for her.

"You're not coming in?" Levi asked.

"I have to get to the theatre remember?"

"Oh, right," Levi said. "Are you alright with me being in your apartment without you?"

"It's alright. I trust you not to rob me," Nadja smiled.

She got Levi into the flat and promised she'd be back by midnight before leaving him alone there. He went ahead and took a shower and once he was clean, he got into his pajamas and turned on the TV trying to find something to watch, but there was nothing on. So he instead turned on the record player playing The Beatles while he took out his copy of The Princess Bride. He'd not told her so, but he planned to give it to Nadja once he was done reading it. He was on the last few chapters and he knew she'd love it. He stayed up reading and listening to music until he finished the book at last. Since Nadja wasn't home when he finished it, he wrote a little note on a piece of paper that he tucked into the pages for Nadja to find then placed it on her pillow. He turned off the record player and got into bed but didn't go to sleep. He wanted to make sure she got home safely.

About fifteen minutes passed midnight was when Nadja returned home. He heard the door unlock and listened as she stepped inside. He heard her grown a little as she was removing her shoes and her keys clattered onto her nightstand. About then she seemed to remember she had a guest and became very quiet. He heard her go into the shower to wash away the makeup and product for the night. Levi finally started dozing off after that and was asleep by the time she came out of the shower. When she left the shower, she dried off her hair as best she could then got it in a French braid so her hair would be wavy in the morning. She'd hoped Levi would still be awake when she got back, but after the day they'd had she wasn't surprised to see him sleeping. Once she was ready for bed, she walked out and to her bed then realized there was something on her pillow. There was some moonlight peaking through the window so she was able to see that it was a book. She kept it in the light of the moon so she could read the title, then she pulled out the little note that Levi had added. "Just finished it; you'll really like it – Levi." She smiled and put the book on her nightstand. She'd heard of the book but had not had the pleasure of reading it so she was excited. Nadja glanced at Levi and smiled a little. She was tempted to give him a kiss on the cheek but was worried she'd wake him so she left it alone and went to bed. In the morning, Levi was the first to wake up this time and Nadja was still in bed so he brewed himself some coffee and made some eggs and toast. Levi glanced at Nadja, entranced by her as always but he tried to focus on the eggs. He looked at her when he heard her start to move and she groaned. She sat up in her bed and rubbed her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Levi said.

"It's alright, I should wake up anyway," Nadja said.

"How did everything go last night?"

"Well," Nadja answered. "It wasn't as high of a turnout but that's normal. Opening night is always when you'll get the highest number of patrons. Unless there's rave reviews then maybe you'll get more on other nights. We'll be in production the next three weeks then the theatre will start looking for a new writer and the process starts over."

"Does this theatre have you on retainer?"

"No, it's not like that. You always try out. I've done several plays for this theatre so they know me and I'm likely to be casted regardless but I still need to prove I deserve a role. I don't always try out for the leading role. Sometimes it depends on what life's throwing at me. It's relaxing being an extra from time to time."

"I can imagine," Levi said. "So how'd you sleep?"

"Alright, though I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't love to sleep in until noon," she smiled. "So what would you like to do today? Since we did Tower Hill yesterday we can go to Westminster today."

"Honestly, I'd really like to just relax today," Levi admitted. "I wasn't able to stay awake late enough for us to watch a movie together so I thought we could do that tonight."

"Why wait until tonight?" Nadja asked and ran to her closet to pull out the projector, tiny blackout curtains and a few reels. "We can enjoy a movie now if you want."

"Sure," Levi answered. "Do you have any popcorn?"

"No," Nadja lamented but then perked up, "how about we walk to the shop and get a few things? I know you're far too polite to say so, but I'm sure you're getting tired of only eggs being in the fridge."

"I will admit I love having cracker jacks and popcorn when I see a movie," Levi said.

"Oh, I just remembered!" Nadja said and ran to the kitchen. "Guess what movie just released here that you were gushing about earlier this year?"

"Blazing Saddles?" Levi asked.

"Yes! It just came out this past June. I saw the advertisement the other day and I thought of you," Nadja smiled. Then, after the initial excitement, Levi realized this was his chance! He could ask her on a date.

Levi cleared his throat a little trying to make sure he was composed and stood straighter, "If that's the case, why don't you and I go see it together?"

"That does sound like fun," Nadja said, "You said this movie was a hit for the whole family?"

Levi chuckled a little, "Not by intention but yeah."

"So who's fault was it again that your little brother and his friend got into an R rated movie?" Nadja teased.

"That was Anatoli's fault," Levi chuckled. "Dad was pissed. Dad saw that with a bunch of people, Anatoli being one of them, and they all loved it. Tristan really wanted to go see it but dad told him no because it's really not age appropriate. Now Boris didn't really give a shit – honestly I assure you Lee probably hears worse language from his dad than Blazing Saddles could ever come up with but dad's different. Also mom didn't want Tristan seeing it, especially when she found out the word 'nigger' gets thrown around like it's nothing. But Tristan and Lee really wanted to see it so they begged Anatoli to get them tickets so they could go in and he finally relented."

"Oh no," Nadja said. "What did your mom say when she found out?"

"She hasn't," Levi said. "Dad promised he wouldn't say anything but he had a few choice words with Anatoli. Tristan did, however, say 'fuck' in front of mom and she smacked him for it."

"For shame," Nadja giggled. "How old is your little brother?"

"He and Lilliana turn 10 in October," Levi said. "I turn 20 on the 18th."

"Yes, I remember," Nadja said. "It's a shame you won't be here for your birthday but we'll do something special before you leave. You finish making your breakfast and I'll get the space set up for our at home movie. We can go to the theatre once they open. In the meantime, let's watch some Nunsploitation."

"Sure," Levi said with a light laugh.

Levi finished making his breakfast while Nadja set up for them to watch a movie together. She put the projector in front of her bed to point at the wall at the end of the apartment so they could watch the movie on the pull out mattress. She put The Devils into the machine and got the film into the right spot for when the movie would begin then she put a white sheet on the wall which Levi helped her with. Not wanting to spill anything or ruin her couch, Levi made quick work of his breakfast and washed the dishes so they could just watch the movie together. Nadja turned on the projector while Levi got the blackout curtains put up on the two tiny windows the apartment had. They were more like little vents than windows and looked right at eye level with the sidewalk behind the apartment complex. With everything set up, Nadja had the projector start the movie and the two of them got on the furthest part of the bed. Unsatisfied with the position, Levi then pulled the couch further back as far as he could so they could get a better view all while Nadja was laughing a little.

"I can't believe you pulled on that couch with it pulled out and me on it," Nadja said once Levi was back on the bed sitting beside her.

"It was nothing: like pulling on a feather," Levi said.

"Aren't you a charmer?" Nadja teased and Levi started blushing when he realized how his comment had been taken. Then he mentally scolded himself for not following up with anything clever or charming.

By the time something he could say even crossed his mind, the opening scene had already begun and there was a man on screen depicting the Birth of Venus in a cape, a codpiece and a crown with a Cardinal in the front row that wasn't the least bit interested or amused by the display. It had been a really long time since Levi watched this movie and he liked it more this time around, though he suspected it was because Nadja was sitting beside him watching the movie with him. He was so tempted to hold her hand but he didn't end up doing it fearing that it wouldn't be taken well or he would surprise her and ruin the moment.

Meanwhile, Nadja would glance at Levi every now that then. She'd not known what she was expecting when she saw Levi again. When they wrote each other, she always pictured the man from the photo that he'd sent to her. She remembered getting a more recent picture and thinking he'd grown into quite a handsome man. One could even say she had a little crush on him. Alas, they were far away and life had to move on. Then he told her he would be able to come to London and she was really excited. However when they saw each other again, he was so timid and nervous. Since spending time together there would be glimmers where he'd relax, be himself and be really sweet and charming, but then he'd retract again. Then she noticed he was blushing those moments he would get shy again. She started wondering if it was because he really liked her – not just as friends but if he felt a genuine attraction to her. When she'd returned home from the theatre the previous night, she remembered being really sad he wasn't still awake. Then she noticed the book on her pillow and she was reminded of when they sent their letters and a book to one another and she determined that maybe he did feel romantically for her. At this point, she was desperate for him to make a move, but that move never happened. Then came the iconic scene in which the possessed nuns removed all their clothes and began the orgy. The two of them wound up glancing at each other to gage each other's reactions. They ended up laughing under their breaths a little awkwardly for lack of any other reaction to give. After the movie was over, Nadja left the bed and went to the projector to stop it.

"Every time I watch it I still love it," Nadja said.

"I haven't seen it in a while," Levi said. "It's better than I remember."

"You said you showed this to a bunch of your cousins right?"

"Yeah, we all went to Jae Sun's house and had a viewing with beer and pizza. It was a lot of fun," Levi said.

"It sounds like fun," Nadja smiled. "Your little brother hasn't seen this movie has he?"

"No," Levi laughed, "if I let Tristan watch this, dad would skin me alive."

"I don't know if he would go that far," Nadja smiled. "You know what I'd love to do? I'd love to have a viewing of Pink Flamingoes, not tell anyone what it's about or anything that happens and just see how they react."

"You mean do to your friends and loved ones what I did to you?" Levi said.

"Yes. That was very mean of you by the way," Nadja said. He could hear the playfulness in her voice and it put his stomach in knots. Nadja couldn't see him blushing since it was so dark, but she did notice his disposition change a little. This is ridiculous she thought to herself. Nadja returned to the bed and glanced at her clock to see the time. Knowing the theatres were open, Nadja pulled aside one blackout curtain so they could see each other better. If he wasn't going to make a move then she would. "The movie theatres are open by now if you want to find out when Blazing Saddles in playing. I do believe you asked me on a movie date." Levi's face went red and she started giggling. "You're not retracting the invitation are you?" Nadja asked with a pout.

"No!" Levi said and then cleared his throat a little, "no I'm not. I'd really like to take you if I could."

"I'll tell you what," Nadja started and sat on the edge of the bed so she was looking at him, "ask me properly and we'll go."

"Properly?" Levi asked.

"Yes, properly," Nadja said. "If you want to take me on a date, then ask me on one. Or am I reading you wrong?" Levi was a little blindsided and it took him a moment to finally speak.

"Nadja," he finally started, "can I take you out to a movie?"

"Why, Levi, I would love to go to a movie with you," Nadja smiled and gave his cheek a kiss before she left the bed and Levi was rigid with surprise.

By the time he finally got a hold of himself, Nadja was already getting dressed. Levi rummaged through his suitcase to find fresh clothes and was ready in seconds. Nadja, by contrast, was trying to pick something and finally chose a red and black plaid patchwork knee length dress with solid black pieces added to the pattern with cap sleeves. She put on some stockings and her chunky black shoes, threw on some makeup and finally stepped out to pick a necklace and earrings from the set Levi had given her. She removed the band that was keeping her braid in place and pulled at the strands until her wavy hair was down and framing her pretty face. Then when she was ready, she hopped off her bed and grabbed her purse.

"Shall we get going?" she asked Levi with a bright and playful smile.

"Yeah," Levi answered and followed her out of the apartments.

Nadja took Levi's hand once they were on the sidewalk and led the way to a movie theatre that was near where she lived. Since it was still early and a week day, there weren't many people at the theatre except moms and kids but Blazing Saddles was showing. So Levi bought their tickets, got himself some cracker jacks and popcorn and they walked to the room where their movie would be playing. There were people there but it was mostly elderly and a tiny group were Americans troops that were stationed in England and enjoying a day off. They were able to get a spot in the back and center: the perfect spot to view a movie. When the credits began to role, the theatre dimmed but didn't go completely dark.

"So remind me again: this is a parody is it not?" Nadja asked Levi.

"Yeah, it's a parody of Western movies like the ones staring John Wayne. The premise is a small town called Rock Ridge gets a black sheriff and it's up to him to save the day with his deputy despite some unsavory racial inequality."

"That sounds rather serious actually."

"You absolutely could make a serious movie out of the premise, but Mel Brooks made it funny and it's a comedic masterpiece. Gene Wilder plays the Deputy Jim who's the fastest hand in the West, Cleavon Little plays Bart, Rock Ridge's black sheriff and the hero of the movie, Mel Brooks plays the governor in this movie and Harvey Korman plays the evil Hedely Lamar."

"After the actress, Hedy Lamar?" she asked, a little confused by the reference.

"It's Hedely," Levi said, already repeating a joke from the movie but he realized he was getting ahead of himself. "You'll see."

"And by Harvey Korman, you mean the husband in The Carol Burnett show right?"

"One and the same," Levi said.

"Oh, I love him," Nadja smiled, getting excited.

"I didn't realize The Carol Burnett Show aired in the UK."

"It does but I don't think it's as popular here. I'm the only one in my theatre group that watches it although we do all know who Carol Burnett is. Of my associates that like comedies, some prefer Monty Python – myself included – and Dad's Army."

"I've heard of Monty Python but I don't think I'm familiar with Dad's Army."

"It's a comedy about a bank manager and a group of Home Guard volunteers that need to defend Walmington-on-Sea from invading Germans. It's a comedy set during WWII."

"Like Hogan's Heroes you mean? That's about POWs stuck in a German Prison camp and they act as spies. I highly recommend it. It's a really good show."

"I bet," Nadja said. "I love watching history mini-series from the BBC the most though. A few years ago there was a special on the wives of Henry the 8th."

"I hope I'm not spoiling it for you, but they all died," Levi joked.

"They most certainly did not all die," Nadja said. "He divorced Catherine of Aragon and broke up the church of England – it was also the biggest mistake of the man's life in my opinion. Catherine of Aragon was a born leader, a brilliant woman and a remarkable Queen. She was literally born to be a Queen. Anne Boleyn was his lover turned wife that was executed, Jane Seymour died after giving birth to his only son who ended up dying at 15, Anne of Cleves he divorced on grounds they never consummated their marriage because she was too plain, Kathryn Howard he had executed and Catherine Parr was married to him until he died."

"Okay, so 2 divorces, three dead and one out lived him – got it," Levi said. "Catherine Parr got the best end of the stick I take it?"

"He almost had her executed but she was able to talk her way out of it," Nadja said.

"That's a hell of a situation to talk yourself out of," Levi said.

"Certainly," Nadja giggled. "I used to love Andy Pandy."

"What's Andy Pandy?"

"It's a child's cartoon. It's a group of toy friends that have adventures in a colorful world."

"I liked Bugs Bunny," Levi said with a smile. "Honestly, I'd still watch Bugs Bunny even at my age." Then the two of them looked into one another's eyes. She had such a beautiful smile. Even in the dimmed lights of the theatre he could see her rich blue eyes. Her blonde hair was a pale golden color that shinned regardless of the available light. She wore enough makeup to accentuate her eyes with a line of black and her lips were a light tint of blush pink.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Nadja said, interrupting Levi's train of thought.

"What?" he asked, knowing she'd said something but not having registered it. Nadja gave him a light smile.

"You look like you're thinking about something," she said. "What are you thinking about?"

"Um…." Levi trailed off, too embarrassed to admit he'd been staring.

"Don't get shy on me, Levi," Nadja said. "What were you thinking about?"

"I was just thinking you look really pretty," Levi finally admitted and Nadja's lashes fluttered and her smile brightened even more. He wondered if he should elaborate but Nadja spoke before he could decide.

"You know what I was thinking?" she asked, leaning her chin on her palm looking up at him with her big blue eyes.

"What?"

"I was wondering what I do that makes you so nervous," Nadja said.

"It's not you," Levi said. "I guess I just wasn't prepared to im-" Levi stopped himself from finishing his sentence.

"You weren't prepared to what?" Nadja asked when he'd been quiet a moment trying to think.

"All this time," Levi finally said when he thought of a better way to phrase what he'd been about to say, "we've been pen pals and I've considered you my best friend across the pond, you know what I mean? I always thought you were really pretty and when we were younger, I had this big crush on you but…I don't know. I'd thought maybe it was just a kid thing and we were just friends but when we saw each other, I felt like this dumb 13 year old all over again that can't tell his ass from his elbow in front of a pretty girl."

"You weren't that bumbling," Nadja said and started giggling when Levi gave her a slightly irked look.

"Is that you calling me a nerd again? Do I have to tell your mother on you?"

"Don't you dare!" Nadja said and gently slapped Levi's shoulder. Finally Levi started laughing a little with her. "That's better. I like it when you relax. Don't focus on how pretty you think I am – yes, I know that's a lot to demand," she proceeded in a joking tone, "but I'd rather you focused on what we've got in common and like talking about." The theatre dimmed completely then so the room was black. "We'll continue this later."

"Alright," Levi said.

There were a few more movie advertisements before the Warner Brother's Logo appeared right before the intro music to Blazing Saddles began to play and the title of the movie spun onto the screen. With the first scene, Levi was focused on the movie and so was Nadja. He already knew what would happen, but he was still laughing under his breath when Bart started singing a 'work song' like his foreman, Lyle, had requested only to be interrupted by Lyle, unimpressed with Bart's little song, who then started singing Camp Town Lady. Lyle and other men working for him began dancing to the little song, making fools of themselves until a man, Taggard, road in on horseback to break up the nonsense. Nadja wasn't laughing right away. The scene progressed with Bart and his friend using a handcart to get to a section of the railroad where there was apparently quicksand. They sank in, called for help and Taggard came to see what happened. Lyle then lassoed the rope onto the handcart and got it out, leaving Bart and his friend stuck, but they were eventually able to get out. When they did, Taggard tossed a shovel at them telling them to get back to work saying it wouldn't do them any good to lay around getting a sun tan. Nadja huffed a small laugh at that line, but she laughed out loud after Bart took the shovel and used it to hit Taggard over the head.

When Harvey Korman, playing Hedley Lamar, had his first scene, Nadja was visibly excited. He quickly became her favorite character and his exchanges with Mel Brooks as Governor William J. Lepetomane were priceless. Bart was eventually offered the position of Sherriff or Rock Ridge as part of Hedley Lamar's evil plan. Nadja was trying to hold back laughter when Bart was riding into Rock Ridge in a gold Gucci suit on a horse wearing a Gucci saddle and a band playing. The town was celebrating when he first arrived but went completely silent the moment they realized he was black and Bart got himself out of the following situation by holding himself at gunpoint and forcing himself at gunpoint into the Sherriff's Office. It was completely ridiculous and Nadja's sides were hurting by the end of it.

As the movie continued and Bart did everything in his power to be accepted while also rescuing Rock Ridge, Nadja thoroughly enjoyed it. The scene came where Taggart and a band of goons were about to attack the town but were stopped by a toll booth that Bart had set up and Nadja burst out laughing. When the big finale started where the cast of Blazing Saddles burst out of their own set and onto the set of a dance stage, it was pure silliness and Nadja loved every moment of it. The movie ended with Bart saying goodbye to the people of Rock Ridge and his Deputy Jim decided to join him – the two of them road their horses along a dirt road, then got off their horses and into a fancy car to drive off into the sunset.

"How'd you like the movie?" Levi asked once the credits were rolling.

"I liked it very much," Nadja said. "Next Monty Python is on the telly, I'll make you watch an episode. I suspect you'll appreciate their humor."

"I look forward to it," Levi said. "So what should we do next? You have to be at the theatre again tonight?"

"Yes, I do," Nadja said, "but I have a few hours. Do you like rock music?"

"Love it."

"Perfect! There's a pub a few blocks from my flat that is Rock n' Roll themed. I'm told the food is good, but I usually go when they have live performances. It's a bit early so they're probably only playing music off their record player."

"Fine by me," Levi said with a smile. They left the movie theatre together and before leaving Levi tossed his empty popcorn bag and cracker jack box while keeping the little toy that he put in his front pocket. A little plastic toy soldier.

"You still collect those?" Nadja asked.

"Sure I do," Levi said. "I have my big case of them at my dorm and everything. My roommate saw my collection and called me a 'nerd'."

"You are a bit of a nerd," Nadja said.

"You're really hurting for me to tell on you aren't you?" Levi joked along with her.

"Fine, I'll be quiet," Nadja said.

They walked from the theatre to the pub Nadja had referred to and since it was a bit early, they beat the dinner rush. As Nadja suspected, they were playing music off their record player, but they were playing Creedence Clearwater Revival so that was just fine with Levi. They sat together at the bar and Levi ordered himself some fries, or 'chips', and a beer.

"So," Nadja said as they were sitting together waiting for Levi's beer, "how has school been?"

"Schools going good," Levi said. "I'm majoring in Accounting and Statistics. Honestly, I love Statistics but I'd rather get into accounting as far as a career path is concerned. It's what my grandpa did."

"What is statistics exactly?"

"It's the study of organizing data," Levi said, putting it very simply.

"So…..what does that mean exactly? You put data together to make sense?"

"Sort of," Levi said. "It's more to do with using data to find patterns and either exploit those patterns or create resolutions to patterns you don't want. So a person that majors in statics would work for a business most likely analyzing patterns in the market or within the company to improve output or revenue." Levi received his beer but continued for a few minutes explaining scenarios in which the study of statistics would apply and how it would work. He talked about his classes, the professors, what they do outside of teaching and gave real life examples his instructors have given all the while not realizing that Nadja was literally forcing herself to pay attention but slowly drifting off as she was resting her chin in her hand.

"Sir?" the bartender said, interrupting Levi mid-sentence.

"Yeah?"

"You appear to have put your date to sleep," the bartender said and finally Levi realized Nadja was no longer listing and had her eyes closed. He actually started chuckling a little and reached over to touch Nadja's shoulder. When he did, she jumped and opened her eyes.

"Sorry, sorry, what were you saying?" Nadja asked once she was awake.

"Nothing important," Levi said, still smiling. "Can I tell you a story?"

"Would you like some coffee, miss?" the bartender asked.

"No, I'm fine," Nadja said, not laughing at the bartender's joke since she was still a touch groggy. The bartender shrugged and walked away to attend to other patrons. "This story doesn't involve more math does it?"

"No," Levi promised, "it's actually a story my grandparents used to tell us kids. When my grandparents were really young and still living in Munich, they met after my grandpa had started his first job in his field. My grandpa asked my grandma on a date and they went to dinner together with grandma's father in tow. Grandma's father asked grandpa what he does for a living and grandpa told him and then started explaining his job, explaining financing – a whole number of things. He apparently sent my grandma and her dad to sleep on their first date. When I was a kid, grandpa told me he was so worried she had lost all interest in him but she'd said to him that she very much enjoyed their date when he wasn't talking about his job and they continued seeing each other. I think they were married…six months later? Something like that."

"So no offense taken that I just fell asleep listening to you talk about statistics?" Nadja asked.

"Not at all," Levi smiled. Levi's chips arrived, so he started nibbling on those while enjoying his beer. "I'm sorry for boring you."

"Let's just not discuss math again," Nadja smiled. "So outside of being a huge nerd, what else have you been up to?"

"Working at a Whole Earth Center and studying," Levi said. "There's a bonus to working for a grocery store: I get an employee discount on groceries and mom gave me a crock pot and a microwave to keep in my dorm room and my roommate has this coffee pot, the mini fridge and an electric kettle to contribute. We have a mess hall but I'd rather make my own food. I even made a small roast in my dorm room."

"Did you?"

"Yeah," Levi smiled, "I put it in the crock pot in the morning before I started class with potatoes and vegetables, went about my day and by the time I got home from work that night it's done and Archie already helped himself to some. I've used that crock pot to make a whole bunch of things that have turned out really good. Archie started calling me 'wifey' which drives me nuts."

"Does he at least help pay for food?"

"He does. Hell, if he really wants a specific dinner, he'll buy everything and tell me, 'make me a dinner, wifey'," Levi said, trying to mimic Archie's Australian accent but likely failing miserably. "Sorry, I can't do his accent."

"Yes, an Australian accent is really hard," Nadja said. "I've tried to mimic it but I just can't. I always end up devolving into a Northern accent."

"A Northern accent?"

"You would know it as a Scottish accent," Nadja said. "Regardless, I can't do it I'm afraid. Out of curiosity, what does your roommate study?"

"He studies engineering," Levi said. "His dad owns a car repair shop back home in…..shit….where did he say? It's in Queensland; I know that."

"Brisbane?"

"No," Levi said then remembered, "Southport! That's where he said he was from. Anyway, his dad owns a car repair shop there."

"What made him decide to attend University in the United States?"

"He had some of the top grades in his class and he applied to Princeton assuming he wasn't going to get accepted but would at least try. I think he was already planning to go to school in Sydney when he received his acceptance letter to Princeton so he decided to come to the US for schooling. He's a good guy despite calling me 'wifey'."

"It's always good to have a roommate that you get along with," Nadja said. "So how are things at home? Anything new happening besides your cousin getting married?"

"My sister's engaged," Levi said.

"Good for her! When's the wedding?"

"We don't know yet. They're looking into maybe getting married next year but they have to plan around their moon ceremony. They won't have a Jewish ceremony so Heather really wants to have both ceremonies on the beach so they have to do it on a day when their moon cycle falls on a weekend."

"Their moon cycle?"

"It's how my tribe determines the day a couple needs to marry in order to guarantee a long and happy marriage."

"Ah," Nadja said, "so they need to get married on a weekend and during a time of year when a wedding outside won't be blistering cold."

"Pretty much," Levi said. "Heather also wants to wear grandma's and mom's dress for the wedding. It's a bit of a tradition. My mom wore that dress, my grandma wore that dress and my great grandma wore that dress."

"That's really sweet," Nadja smiled. "Speaking of, how is your grandma doing? How has she been feeling?"

"She's not doing great," Levi said, the change of topic making him really sad. "She hasn't had another stroke, but she's been having a really hard time. A few weeks ago, she ended up calling me with her nurse's help. She kept telling Edith that she wanted to speak to Levi and she assumed grandma was talking about me so when she called, I just let her talk to me as though I were grandpa."

"Edith is her nurse?"

"Yeah," Levi said. "She's been great, but grandma wasn't receptive to her at first. She felt like we were treating her like a child but we were scared if there wasn't someone with her that could help her, she could get hurt or worse. Right now, Heather's living with her permanently and mom goes to see her every day after leaving the shop and every night they all have dinner together."

"I'm so sorry," Nadja said sympathetically.

"Thank you," Levi replied and took a deep breath. "We're doing everything we can but it doesn't feel like enough." Nadja wanted to say something reassuring but there wasn't much she could say. So instead, she reached a hand over and placed it on Levi's wrist that was closest to her and rested near his beer. Not really thinking about anything except needing the comfort, Levi turned his hand so he could lace his fingers through hers. Then she realized there was ink on his left wrist.

"Are those your mom's and grandparents' numbers?" Nadja asked. Her question took Levi out of his solemn trance and he glanced at his wrist.

"Yeah, those are their numbers," Levi said. "My sister got them first when she turned 18 and I decided I wanted to get them too. Tristan and Lilliana decided they'd get them too once they turn 18."

"A tradition among siblings?"

"Not a tradition so much as proof we survived," Levi said. He brought his wrist in better view and released Nadja's hand so he could point at the individual numbers, starting from top to bottom. "This is grandpa's number, this is grandma's number and this last one is mom's number. Mom always keeps her number covered under her bracelets. When I was a little kid, I'd see these numbers on their wrists but I didn't understand what they were or why they were there. I had asked mom about it once and she said she didn't want to talk about it; that it was from a painful time in her life and it wasn't something she wanted to burden me with. Then one year my elementary school had a big assembly where parents that had served in the war were asked to speak and of course Heather and I asked dad. But Heather's teacher really wanted mom to present since she was a holocaust survivor. She agreed and that was the first time I'd ever heard mom talk about what happened to her. At the time, I didn't really understand any of it. I couldn't wrap my head around it. I guess I still can't. Anyway, after she was done, I went up to her and gave her a hug. So did Heather."

"Your mother and grandparents were very fortunate to survive," Nadja said.

"I'm sorry to get really dark."

"No, don't apologize. I'm the one that brought it up," Nadja said. "We don't know for sure, but mama suspects her mother died in the camps. She could never find which one though. Assuming mama was right about grandma ending up in a camp at all. Based on what she's told me, it sounds more likely grandma was killed before she was ever taken to the camps. Mama only survived because my grandma hid her away in a chest and told her not to come out no matter what. Mama told me that grandma told her to keep her star in his shoe so no one would ever see it but so God would still be near. Even now, she wears her star in her shoe."

"Does she?"

"Yeah," Nadja said and then reached down to pull off her right shoe and pull out a little Star of David. "So do I."

"And here I wear mine around my neck," Levi smiled a little and pulled the star from under his shirt to present it. "All of us wear Stars of David. Even my dad wears one and he's Catholic. It's the same one mom had given to him as a gift when she was really young. He wore it when he'd fought during the second World War and was desperately trying to look for mom. Your father's Catholic too right?"

"Yes, papa is Catholic," Nadja said and put her star back in her shoe then put her shoe back on.

"How are your parents doing?" Levi asked, changing the topic.

"They're alright," Nadja said. "Papa still works at a bank as a security guard at night and mama does a lot of volunteer work for the Bevis Mark Synagogue here in London. She's been volunteering at that Synagogue since we all moved to England. That's where I had my Bat Mitzvah and everything."

"My sister and I had our Mitzvahs at the same Synagogue my parents got married in," Levi said.

"Your parents were able to have a Jewish ceremony?"

"It took a lot of schmoozing, persuading and roof repairing on my dad's part but yes they did," Levi smiled.

"So your father bribed his way into getting a Jewish ceremony as a gentile is what you're saying?" Nadja teased.

"No, he charmed his way into getting a Jewish ceremony," Levi said. "If there's anything my dad can do better than anyone in the world, it's charm people."

"A very good skill for a lawyer to have," Nadja said. "How much longer will you be in University?"

"I've got two more years," Levi said.

"Are you planning to stay in New Jersey after you graduate or do you want to go back to Washington?"

"I want to go back to Washington," Levi said. "I like New Jersey, but there's no place like home. But I'm only 2 hours away from Manhattan. My cousin Evalynn goes to Yale so she and I will meet in Manhattan sometimes and go out for drinks and dinner."

"What is your cousin studying?"

"She's working towards her medical degree first and then she'll get her law degree."

"Ambitious," Nadja smiled. "How much longer will she be in University?"

"She started med school in 1970, so," Levi slowed to think about it and then continued, "about seven more years."

"She has vastly more patience than I do," Nadja said. "I commend her though."

"We all do," Levi said. "Dad's really looking forward to her finishing school and passing her BAR exams. She'll need to take the exam in New York and in Washington."

"So she has to take it for every state she wants to be able to work in?"

"I believe so," Levi said. "She's not worried about it, though. Of course that's easy to say when it's so far away. We'll see what she says when she's gotten through Law School and actually has to take the tests."

"No kidding," Nadja said. "I'm sure she'll do great. Your cousin strikes me as the type that conquers any challenge that comes her way."

"She's definitely that type," Levi said and finished the last piece of fried potato on his plate. They remained at the bar long enough for Levi to enjoy one more beer before finally leaving, but they stopped by a grocery store to get a few things. "I don't suppose you have actual pots and such do you?" Levi asked as they were walking into the produce section first.

"I know I've got some, just not anything too big. I don't have a crock pot either," Nadja said.

"That's fine," Levi said, "as long as you've got more than just the frying pan, I can work with it. I'll keep it light so I'm not taking up too much of your fridge."

"Take up as much as you like. It's usually empty otherwise," Nadja said. "I'll get the things to make Matzo Ball soup. I can make that for you tomorrow."

"I'd love that," Levi smiled, "but if we do that, we have to make Latkes too. So we need some sour cream and apple sauce while we're here."

"I never did understand topping the latkes with apple sauce," Nadja said, "of course I've never really eaten this stuff so I'm no one to talk about how to eat it correctly."

"I like just a little apple sauce," Levi said. "My sister likes it a lot more than I do. The twins on the other hand just slather their latkes in sour cream; can't stand the apple sauce. Anatoli will eat it either way, but he prefers the sour cream too."

"I can't believe Anatoli likes food the way he does."

"It is unusual all things considered but no one's complaining. He still gets blood soup for his birthday every year, though."

"My mom makes that for me sometimes," Nadja smiled. "They always use cow blood – never pig blood."

"Well no, of course not," Levi smiled. "So my little brother? He eats pork."

Nadja gasped, "No."

"Oh yeah," Levi said, although he knew Nadja wasn't really offended by the notion. "Mind you it's never in front of mom; Tristan's not that ballsy, but when he's visiting Lee or he's at school, he'll eat pork all the time. He stopped for a while when I threatened to tell mom and grandma on him, but that lasted a month at best. I should've told on the little stinker but I guess I didn't have the heart to."

"You mean to tell me you've never cheated?" Nadja teased.

"No, not once," Levi said proudly with a light laugh.

"Such a good little Jewish boy," Nadja poked fun and gently pinched his shoulder. "So Latkes and Matzo Ball soup tomorrow. Should I whip out the Menorah for fun?"

"Nah, we'll leave that for Hanukkah," Levi chuckled and grabbed a sack of potatoes that he put in the cart. Then he grabbed a bag of onions. "We should get some cold cuts at the deli while we're here."

"You planning to eat all this before you have to go home?" Nadja teased.

"You underestimate how much I can eat," Levi said. Nadja looked Levi up and down, taking in his large, muscular frame.

"I don't doubt you," Nadja said with a light laugh.

"Also, do you have a grater? What about towels you don't especially care about?"

"I have neither of those things," Nadja said.

"We'll get that while we're here. You need to grate the potatoes and wring out the excess water with a towel. Mom has a towel that's only used for making latkes and she keeps it in the pantry when it's not being used."

"You mean because the potatoes stain?"

"Exactly," Levi said.

They continued through the grocery store getting everything they needed for the latkes and Matzo ball soup they would be making the next day as well as cold cut meats and rye bread for sandwiches including any fixings Levi really liked. They stayed within the produce and refrigerated sections of the store for all the things they'd need and finally made it to the cashier where Nadja insisted she'd pay. They also needed to rush back to her apartment since she needed to be at the theatre in an hour. She put the bags of groceries on her bed once they came in and was about to start removing them.

"I'll take care of it," Levi said. "You get going to work okay?"

"I appreciate it," Nadja said. "And Levi," she began before going on her toes and giving his cheek a kiss, "I had a lovely time today. We'll continue this later okay?"

"Sure," Levi said a little bashfully. Nadja smiled and ran for the entrance to the apartment.

"Oh, Levi, one more thing," she said when she reached the door, "while I'm thinking of it: I like the scruff. It suits you." Then she finally walked out of the apartment as Levi was rubbing his hand over his facial hair that he'd not shaved yet and had grown in.

"Well," Levi mumbled to himself, "I guess I'm not shaving any time soon."

He went ahead and turned on Nadja's TV to see if anything was on. He didn't find anything but he kept it on for some background noise while he was putting away the groceries. He made himself a few sandwiches after everything was put away and put a little towel on the pull out bed so he wouldn't get crumbs everywhere while he sat down and watched what was on. He was fortunate that some comedic shows came on though they weren't the ones that Nadja had mentioned previously. Around dinner time was when the news came on but he was barely listening. His thoughts kept wandering back to his day with Nadja. It might have been the most clichéd date he'd ever been on, but it didn't matter. At least it didn't to him because it had been with Nadja. Then he started second guessing himself. What if she was too nice to say the date was boring? He'd put her to sleep for fuck's sake! He started racking his brain for anything he could do to make up for today. He left the apartment grabbing a spare key he'd located and went outside to a payphone. He stepped into the large red box structure and rummaged through his pockets to find the required change. Once he paid the fee, he dialed the first person that came to mind that he knew was in Washington.

"Call Contracting; this is Gaeli Call – how can I assist you?"

"Gaeli, its Levi. Is Anatoli there?"

"No, he's at a job site. Is everything okay? Where are you calling from? I can have him call you back."

"I'm calling from a payphone in London," Levi said.

"London? What time is it there?"

"About 8:30," Levi said, "Look, Gaeli, I really need to talk to Anatoli. Can you get him to come to the shop and I'll call back in 30 minutes?"

"Sure," Gaeli said, "what should I tell him this is about? What's wrong?"

"Just tell him I called and really need to talk to him. It's important."

"Alright, I'll get him to get here to talk to you. Hear from you in 30 minutes," Gaeli said and the two disconnected.

Levi grabbed the change and searched through his coins to make sure he had enough. By the skin of his teeth, he had just enough for one more call. Levi left the booth and waited for 30 minutes. He felt like a crazy person waiting by that phone booth. Maybe I'm over thinking this, he thought to himself. But then he'd panic again. When the 30 minutes finally passed, Levi got back in the phone booth and called the number.

"Call Contracting; please hold," Gaeli's voice came and he was put on hold.

"Shit!" Levi cursed to himself but waited. Finally, the line came back.

"Call Contracting; this is Gaeli Call – how can I assist you?"

"Gaeli, it's Levi," Levi said.

"Oh, good. Here's Anatoli," Gaeli said and the phone transferred.

"Levi? What's wrong?" Anatoli asked.

"I need help," Levi said. "Anatoli, I imprinted on Nadja. She figured out I liked her and I asked her to a movie and we went to dinner afterwards. She said she had a good time, but I keep thinking I should have done something more exciting and now I'm scared she had a horrible time and she's too nice to say it."

After a brief silence, Anatoli said, "I thought you said this was important."

"It is! Anatoli, while we were at dinner, we talked about school and I started telling her about my classes and explaining Statistics and I put her to sleep."

"Following in Opa's footsteps I see."

"Anatoli, please, I need advice. I want to make up for today but I don't know what to do," Levi said.

"You need to stop worrying so damn much to start," Anatoli said. "Look, Levi, if she said she had a good time, I'm sure she had a good time. But if you really want to 'make up' for something that, if I'm frank, you didn't do wrong, then I'd suggest getting her flowers. Hell, get her flowers and a book. She likes reading a lot doesn't she? That's the thing the two of you bonded over?"

"What about for another date? What should we do for a date?"

"I don't know, Levi; ask her what she wants to do," Anatoli said. "Levi, you're worrying too much. You need to calm down. Start with flowers and a book and then ask what she wants to do for a date. Does that help?"

"It's a start," Levi said. "Okay. Thank you, Anatoli."

"You're welcome. Take a deep breath and relax. I need to get back to work so I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, I appreciate it."

"Relax Levi. Breath," Anatoli said once again and finally they disconnected.

Having a plan now, Levi went around trying to find a store that was open that sold books. He managed to find one that was only fifteen minutes away from closing but was kind enough to let him in so he could search. He went to the contemporary section but didn't find anything that caught his attention. He wandered where some American Literature was and saw some Mark Twain. That didn't initially speak to him until he found one title: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Perfect! Levi had heard of the book but had never read it so he grabbed two copies. He was a little surprised to see it given he'd heard the English were deeply offended by the book when it first published, but he wasn't about to complain or question it. Once he had the books, he went to the flower shop near the theatre that he knew was open and picked out a bouquet of flowers making sure he grabbed the prettiest one he could find. He returned back to Nadja's apartment and put a copy of the book and the flowers on her bed.

He had a lot of time to kill before she'd be back home, so Levi went ahead and took a shower. He was about to shave but remembered Nadja's comment from earlier and just washed his face thoroughly while leaving the scruff on his face. After his shower, he changed into his night clothes and sat on the pull out bed and started reading his new book. He was starting to doze off but forced himself to stay awake so he could welcome Nadja home. Despite his efforts though, he ended up falling asleep after managing to get about a third of the way through the book. Nadja returned to her apartment closer to midnight and was surprised to see the light poking through under the door. When she opened the door, the first thing she saw was the big bouquet of assorted red flowers on top of her bed. She rushed in with excitement and then saw the book as well. She giggled; she'd heard of this book. She recalled her tutor having a less than favorable opinion of the book given it made a mockery of King Arthur and his Knights, but seeing it on her bed, she was excited to read it. She glanced at the pull out bed and saw Levi laying down sound asleep with the same book open on his chest. She walked over to him and kneeled down at the bedside. Then she gently poked his shoulder and Levi took a sharp breath and opened his eyes then looked at Nadja.

"Evening, sleepy head," Nadja said. "I saw the book and flowers."

"Do you like them?"

"Love them," Nadja smiled. "So how's the book so far?"

"It's really good," Levi said and sat up. "Sorry; I'd meant to wait up for you but I guess I couldn't keep my eyes open."

"Hey, don't apologize," Nadja said.

"I just wanted to give you something nice after earlier; I feel bad. I don't even ask you on a date until you say something and when I do, it's just dinner and a movie."

"A fantastic movie and dinner at a rock n' roll pub," Nadja said. "I'm not complaining. I hope you don't think I was."

"It wasn't you," Levi said. "I just wish I'd thought of something more….I don't know. Unique I guess." Nadja smiled and stood up so she could then sit on the edge of the bed.

"Well," she said, "I'd say staying home making Matzo Ball soup and Latkes in the middle of summer is pretty unique. No guy's ever done that with me before."

"What do you want to do after that? I want to make the best of my stay here before I have to go back home," Levi said. "I don't know when I'll be able to come to England again." Then Levi got nervous again. "I mean…..assuming you wanted to keep seeing each other like this. I know maybe I'm jumping the gun a little but-"

"I wouldn't say that," Nadja said reassuringly. "We'll talk a little more in the morning. I need to get this gunk off my face and wash my hair."

"Okay," Levi said. He figured she'd just walk away. Instead, she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his lips. It was chaste and lasted a moment before she pulled away and giggled when she looked at him.

"I got my lipstick on you," she said and licked her thumb to rub the lipstick away. Once it was gone, she finally stood up. "I'll see you in the morning."

"See you in the morning," Levi said weakly.

Nadja walked away to the bathroom to take a shower turning off the lights as she went, but with that kiss, Levi was wide awake. He laid back staring at the ceiling listening to Nadja in the shower. He could hear the faint sound of her voice lowly singing a little song but he couldn't really tell what song it was. He was still awake when the shower turned off and when she finally stepped out a few minutes after that with her damp hair back in the French braid. He heard her footsteps walk gently over the rug towards her own bed and he heard her move the flowers and book to one side.

"Nadja?" Levi said in a fleeting moment of boldness that he made himself grab onto.

"Levi? You're still awake?" she said.

"Yeah; I'm having a hard time falling back asleep. Did….um…did you want to come sleep on the couch with me?" he managed. She was quiet which scared him at first but she was soon walking over to the pull out bed and climbed over Levi to the other side of the bed getting under the covers. He felt the chill from the blankets lifting followed immediately by the warmth of her body in such close proximity but she wasn't quite touching him.

"You're not scared of the dark I hope," Nadja poked fun.

"No," Levi said. "I thought it would be romantic. I'm sorry if I'm being forward."

"I like forward," Nadja said and scooted over so she was lying right beside him. With that said, Levi got an arm tucked under her and she came even closer to rest her cheek and a hand on his chest. Being bolder still, he wrapped that arm around her so he was hugging her and placed his other hand over hers on his chest. "Good night, Levi," she said, breaking the silence.

"Good night, Nadja," Levi replied.

Now that Nadja was in his arms, he felt more relaxed. The smell of her freshly cleaned damp hair filled his nose and allured him. He wanted so badly to tell her she was his imprint and that he loved her, but he refrained. This wasn't the time. He wanted to think of a way to tell her but also make sure he wasn't a complete mess when he told her. He wanted to tell her with complete confidence with his chest out and his head held high. Above all, though, he wanted it to be special. Instead of saying anything else, Levi kissed the top of Nadja's head and she sighed pleasantly as she snuggled up to him. She was still in his arms when he fell and when he woke up the next morning. When he saw her in bed beside him, he smiled at her and pressed a kiss to her forehead before gently getting out from under the covers to go to the bathroom. Once he was done, he went to the kitchen to make himself some coffee. Nadja woke up when the smell of coffee began to fill the apartment.

"Good morning," Levi said to her. "How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty good," Nadja said as she sat up and stretched. "This pull out mattress is really lumpy. I feel bad for making you sleep in this now."

"It's not bad," Levi shrugged and put some slices of Rye bread into the toaster. "So when did you want to start cooking? The latkes can wait until this evening but I know the Matzo Ball soup will take all day."

"It won't be so bad. I just need to boil the chicken for a few hours," Nadja said. "Honestly, it'll be a rather boring process. We'll just have to find a way to keep ourselves entertained." She glanced back at her bed seeing the flowers. "First, I'll arrange the flowers you got me."

"Is there anything you want me to prep?" Levi asked as she got out of bed wearing just her night shirt and a pair of panties going straight to her newest flowers.

"Can you chop the vegetables for me? Celery, carrots and onions."

"Sure," Levi replied and got out the cutting board, a knife and the vegetables. Nadja got the flowers rearranged to accommodate the red bouquet while Levi chopped all the veggies and tossed them into a large pot on the stove. Once she had the flowers arranged just as she wanted them, she put the vase back on her nightstand and then came to the kitchen to check on Levi's progress. "Is this good?"

"This is perfect. Now I just need to clean that chicken."

Nadja pulled out the fresh chicken and started cleaning it, removing the skin and innards then rubbing it with salt as a method to clean it before putting it in the pot with all the vegetables and covering it with water. She got it on the stove, turned the flame on high and covered the pot.

"Once that boils, I'll turn down the heat to low and we'll have to let that cook a few hours."

"I know; I've stared down mom's neck when she makes Matzo Ball soup before," Levi smiled.

"Then you know we have several hours to kill," Nadja said and turned so she was standing before Levi with a sweet smile. "I believe you and I were having a discussion before we went to bed for the night. Something along the lines of continuing seeing one another after you have to return home."

"Yeah," Levi began and averted his eyes for a moment but looked at Nadja again.

"Obviously we'll still write," Nadja said, "perhaps we can add phone calls to that? It might only be one a month what with the cost of long distance, but it's a good change. As to physically seeing one another," Nadja trailed off thoughtfully and then smiled, "Maybe I could come visit you in New Jersey later this year? We couldn't do Hanukkah obviously, but we can do…its Thanksgiving right? That holiday in October?"

"Thanksgiving's in November," Levi said.

"You're right," Nadja said, "Canada does Thanksgiving in October. My mistake."

"Wait, do they?"

"I believe so, but that's not what's important," Nadja said and brought her hands up so they were planted right above his hips. "I should ask what we'll do as far as where I'll stay. What are the hotel rates? Do you know?"

"You can just stay with me," Levi said.

"Will your roommate mind?"

"He won't mind," Levi said. He'd make Archie not mind. He'd kick the man out onto his Aussie ass if he had to. "I'll make sure we have the place to ourselves. Then on the weekend we can drive up to Manhattan and stay at my dad's penthouse. There's plenty to do in New York so we'll have a good time."

"I've heard New York is a lot of fun," Nadja agreed with a smile. "Will your father mind us staying at his place without them there?"

"It'll be fine," Levi said eagerly. "As long as I ask first and dad has a chance to give the front desk authority to let you in, we'll be fine."

"In that case, I can't wait," Nadja said. Then she brought her arms around his waist in a hug so she was closer to him. Levi finally did the same, wrapping his arms around her. "I'd really like to start reading Princess Bride before I move on to the Yankee book you gave me."

"It's really good so far," Levi said.

"Then you keep reading that and warn me if it ends up being bad," Nadja said and released Levi pulling him with her to her bed. Not the pull out bed but her own bed. She grabbed the copy of Princess Bride while Levi got his copy of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.

The two of them ended up sitting in her bed together just reading. There was actually something really nice about it. It was quiet and relaxing. Levi enjoyed a few cups of coffee while he read and Nadja would get up to check on the soup now and then only to come back and continue reading. Then when she was satisfied with the doneness of the chicken, she pulled it out of the water and Levi helped her pull the meat away from the bone and get it shredded. But then she tossed the larger bones and cartilage back into the water getting them ready to boil some more.

"I like to extract as much out of the bones as I can," Nadja said when she noticed Levi's questioning look. "It helps to thicken the broth but it also gives it more richness. I take it your mother doesn't do it this way?"

"No, she'll boil the chicken until the meat comes off the bone and then she'll discard the bones."

"This will make it better; I promise," Nadja said.

"Claiming to make Matzo Ball soup better than my mother? That's a bold claim," Levi smiled.

Nadja only smiled back at him and continued putting the bones and cartilage into the broth and adding a little more water for boiling. Once all the larger bones and cartilage were in the water and the meat pulled away, she put that aside, covered it with foil and then they returned to her bed to continue reading together. While they were reading, Levi kept glancing at Nadja. She was still in just her panties and shirt with no bra and he was still in his own night clothes. His eyes kept darting down to her legs. She wasn't very tall but her legs still looked so long. Her thighs were so slender and her hips curved but the rest of her body's supple shape was hidden by her white shirt. While the shirt wasn't see through or anything, he could see the outline of her nipples.

"It's rude to stare," Nadja said and grabbing Levi's immediate attention. He was embarrassed but her humored smile alleviated it.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude," Levi said.

"I'm just teasing you," Nadja smiled, put a tiny piece of paper in her book and put it to the side so she could get on her knees beside Levi. "Although you're starting to concern me that the Yankee book isn't very good if it's not holding your attention."

"That's not really fair to Mark Twain if I'm honest," Levi said with a light smile.

"If you say so," Nadja replied. She reached behind herself to pull the hair band out and combed her fingers through her hair to undo the braid. Her light blonde hair was full, wavy and reached below her shoulders. "I'll have tomorrow and the night after to give my hair and face a break thank God."

"You don't have to work tomorrow night?" Levi asked. "Maybe we can do something."

"What did you have in mind?" Nadja asked. Levi took a moment to think. This was his chance to do something romantic and even tell her how he feels. Then he thought of the perfect thing.

"Let's go back to that Rock n' Roll pub and see if they've got a live performance? Then we can go for a walk across Tower Bridge. I'd still like to do that."

"That sounds quite fun," Nadja said. "In fact, it sounds downright romantic."

"That was the goal," Levi replied blushing a little but feeling a little proud for making the suggestion. Nadja reached over and touched Levi's jaw and chin feeling the scruff that he'd once again left unshaved. It was still scratchy, scruffy and short stubble but it was a little less itchy than it had been before. Although Levi was willing to deal with it if Nadja liked it.

"I'd thought Native American men can't grow facial hair," Nadja said.

"I mean, it's not very common, sure, but then I'm only a third Native American."

"That's true," Nadja said. "Your father's English and Scottish too, right? You're mother's German?"

"Mom's actually French. At least we assume she's French. She was born in France but it was a border area between France and Germany so mom's probably both. Honestly, unless I say something, no one thinks I'm Native American. A bunch of people never guess I'm Jewish either."

"Same," Nadja said, "Of course everyone assumes I'm Slavic but I'm not."

"Yes, it's Baltic; I know," Levi smiled, remembering his brother's own sentiment.

"Exactly," Nadja smiled and gently pinched Levi's chin. Then she trailed her fingers under his chin enjoying the scruff. Then she glanced at the clock and got off the bed to go check on the soup. "Those bones have been boiling for 2 hours, so that broth should be ready." Levi put a place holder in his book and joined her in the little kitchen space. Using a small strainer, she got the bones and what was left of the cartilage out of the broth as well as the vegetables. She threw out the bones that were much, much weaker than before while putting the vegetables into another bowl. She started looking for something and then pulled out a manual grinder that she put atop the pot.

"You're grinding the veggies?"

"Yes," Nadja said. "The ex that I used to make this for? His mother did this to her chicken soups to get him to eat his vegetables unwittingly and every guy I've made this for since has preferred it this way. Besides, it's another thing that makes the broth thicker. It's not quite a stew or anything but I find the thicker broth sticks to the matzo balls more effectively."

"I'll trust you," Levi said. "Just remember: you've made this a competition between yours and my mom's."

"I never back down from a challenge, Levi," Nadja smiled and got out the two bay leaves she'd put in the soup and discarded them. She got the veggies processed through the little grinder back into the broth and once all the veggies were back in the soup, she put the grinder aside and mixed it in until the broth was an orange-ish color brought on by the carrots. "Alright; let's get started on those matzo balls and latkes. I'll leave the latkes to you while I make the balls."

"Alright," Levi said and got out the potatoes, peeled and washed them and then got them grated.

Using the towel they'd bought for this, Levi squeezed out all the access starchy water from the potatoes, added the eggs, flour and seasoning and mixed it all together while Nadja made the matzo balls. She'd even added schmaltz to the matzo balls; an absolutely mandatory ingredient as far as he was concerned. He knew of too many that didn't add it to the matzo ball dough and really did make a difference. While the dough was resting, Levi got a skillet of oil heated to fry the latkes in small individual cakes and had a tray ready to put the finished latkes on. Once the dough had a chance to rest, Nadja formed the balls and put them into the boiling broth along with all the shredded chicken. The apartment smelled heavenly. Fond memories of the same smell filling his parent's house during Hanukkah came to mind. Granted this would usually be accompanied with slow cooked brisket, his dad's favorite mushroom tarts and homemade cinnamon babka bread for dessert, but Matzo Ball soup and latkes was still one hell of a dinner. Once everything was ready, they got out the sour cream and apple sauce for Levi to dress his latkes and they stood in the kitchen together while Levi enjoyed everything, starting with the soup.

"Moment of truth, Nadja," Levi said, but Nadja looked rather smug the whole time. He started with the broth, taking a spoonful of it to his mouth. It was thick for sure from the pureed veggies and it was so rich and fatty but in a good way. Full bodied was a good way to put it. Nadja smirked like she'd just won a prize she'd known was coming. "You're making me feel like a bad son."

"Are you saying you like it better than your mother's?" Levi gave her a guilty smile and made Nadja laugh. "I might not know how to cook many things, but I make damn good matzo ball soup."

"You do," Levi said and took a bite of one of the matzo balls next. The broth indeed stuck to the ball of dough and made it that much better. "Thank you for this. It's fantastic."

"You're welcome," Nadja said. "And don't worry: I won't tell your mother you like my matzo ball soup better than hers."

"You'd better not," Levi answered with a smirk. "I'll take care of the dishes after I'm done eating."

"That's very sweet, Levi, thank you," Nadja said.

As he'd promised, after his first helping of soup and latkes, Levi got to work on cleaning, drying and putting away all the dishes. She didn't exactly have a whole lot of room to leave things out to dry. He left the soup in the pot to continue cooling and the latkes on the plate so he could have more. Once all the dishes were cleaned and put away, Levi went to Nadja's bed where she was sitting and reading. He sat down beside her to continue reading his own book and they returned to that same cozy quiet from before, staying that way until Nadja had to leave for the theatre.

"Feel free to sleep in my bed," Nadja said as she was pulling some clothes out of her closet. "We'll worry about fixing the couch back to normal tomorrow."

"Are you sure? I don't mind the couch," Levi said.

"No, I insist," Nadja smiled. She pulled on a pair of bell bottom jeans and pulled off her night shirt leaving her topless as she searched for a bra. Once again, Levi couldn't help staring. They weren't out for long before she'd found a bra to wear, but what he'd seen from the side was supple, rounded and perky. Once she had on a bra, she grabbed a fresh shirt and pulled it on over her head, flipping her hair to release it from the collar of the shirt. "You'll put the soup and latkes in the fridge once they're cool enough?"

"Yeah," Levi nodded. "I'll make sure the kitchen's cleaned."

"Thank you," Nadja said and came back to the bed, leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Levi's lips which he reciprocated. He even tried to deepen it, but she pulled away with a playful smirk. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I really need to get going. If you're asleep by the time I get back, I'll see you in the morning."

"Okay," Levi said, "break a leg. That's the saying right?"

"Yes indeed," Nadja said and grabbed her purse before running out of the apartment to go to the theatre.

Once Levi was alone, he focused on reading and managed to finish the book by the time it was ten. For a book that was labeled a 'comedy' it had a really sad ending. He put that book in his suitcase and went to take a shower. He didn't shave away the scruff but he did use his razor to clean it up a little so it wasn't so weird looking. He got the line on his cheek cleaned up and scrubbed his face so he'd still feel fresh despite the hair. Once he'd showered and dried off, he put on some fresh underwear but wore the same nightclothes. Since he'd finished reading and it was getting late, Levi turned off the lights and got into Nadja's bed taking the side of the bed closest to the shelved wall. He was mostly asleep by the time he heard the front door open and when that happened, he was wide awake again. He didn't want to startle her so he stayed laying down while he listened. Nadja plopped her purse of the floor, kicked off her shoes and locked the door then went straight to the bathroom. He heard the shower go on and started to drift off again until the shower turned off. It was another few minutes before Nadja came back out. She left the light of the bathroom on so she could get some fresh panties out of her closet and turned off the lights before walking to her bed. She picked her night shirt off the floor and put it on before getting under the covers beside Levi. He turned so he was on his back and that got Nadja's attention.

"Levi? Did I wake you?"

"No," Levi said, "I was already awake." Nadja turned so she was on her side and snuggled up to Levi who got his arm under her so he could hold her.

"Let's get to sleep," Nadja said. "Good night."

"Good night," Levi replied. He eventually fell asleep with the clean smell of her hair filling his nose.

The next day, Levi was the first to wake again and made himself coffee. Nadja stayed in bed for a while longer after that and Levi enjoyed some leftovers for breakfast. Sure the latkes were soggy after resting overnight, but the soup was as great as the night before. He cut up the leftover latkes and put it in the warmed soup making it that much better. He'd never put latkes in his matzo ball soup before, but after this he might do it from now on. When Nadja woke up, she didn't end up leaving the bed right away. When she did, they put the couch back to normal removing the sheets and getting them in the wash. The pillows were propped on the couch and replaced the coffee table in front. It opened the apartment back up for her and they were able to sit on the couch together watching daytime television together. It was another cozy day for them until it was closer to dinner at which point Nadja dressed for their date. Wanting to dress up nicer, Levi wore his black dress pants he'd worn at Roshad's wedding and white polo shirt. It was a little muggy outside so he wore a jacket as well. Nadja, on the other hand, seemed to have no concern for the cooler weather. She wore black stockings underneath a tiny pair of black high waisted shorts, black high and thick heeled shoes that rose just below her knees and a very loose fitting shirt. 'Shirt' wasn't the right word. It was a sheer – no, completely see through – red hued shirt and her black bra was completely visible. She put on a necklace and earrings from the selection Levi had given her and, thankfully, wore a leather jacket over everything.

"Ready?"

"Yeah," Levi answered after she'd interrupted him taking her in. She was even wearing bright red lipstick. She looked like trouble in the best way possible.

They left the apartment together hand in hand and walked to the Rock n' Roll pub nearby and got themselves seats at the bar. There was indeed a live performance that was already in full swing. Levi got himself a beer so he'd have the liquid courage to ask Nadja to dance with him. He gulped his drink down and asked as soon as the band started playing a new song. He wasn't a very good dancer and ended up following Nadja's lead most of the time, but she was having a great time and so was he. They'd go back to the bar so Levi could have another beer and then go right back onto the dance floor for another round of dancing. They stayed for hours and Levi got through eight beers: far more than he'd ever intended to drink. He wasn't walking completely straight by the time they finally left together and Nadja had to lead the way to their next destination.

"Are you sure you don't want to go back to my flat?" Nadja asked as they were walking down the road and he was wobbling a little.

"No, I want to go to Tower Bridge," Levi insisted as he smiled. He wrapped an arm around Nadja and she hugged him.

"You sure you can make it?" she teased.

"I'm not as drunk as I look, I promise," Levi said which made Nadja laugh.

"Alright, if you say so," Nadja said. "Just try not to get sick while we're on the way."

"I promise, I won't," Levi said. "I've had more beers in one night and before and been fine."

It took them a while to walk to Tower Bridge; about an hour and a half in fact. It was enough time of Levi to sober up and they talked the whole time. However, once they got there, Levi remembered why he'd wanted to come to Tower Bridge in the first place and he started getting nervous again. He wouldn't back down, though. He got his fingers laced through hers and kept his hold tight and secure. For a while, they engaged in simple small talk, but when they were halfway across the bridge, that's when Levi decided to take the plunge.

"I've had a lot of fun spending time with you," Levi started.

"Me too," Nadja said. "I'm glad we could do this. You'd better show me a good time when I come visit you in November."

"I promise I will," Levi said. He stopped in his tracks which made Nadja stop as well. There weren't a whole lot of people walking along the bridge, but Levi didn't notice or care about any of them. Nadja turned so she was facing Levi and staring at him with those stunning blue eyes. "So can I tell you something?"

"Of course," Nadja replied.

"You know about me being able to turn into a wolf right? I've told you about that?"

"Yes, you have," Nadja said, "Although I've not had the pleasure of witnessing it for myself. Now might not be the time for that granted but I hope you'll show me some time soon."

"I will," Levi said, "but I bring that up to say that the wolves in my pack will sometimes imprint. Basically it means we've found our perfect match."

"Like love at first sight you mean?"

"Basically," Levi said. "What I'm trying to say, maybe a little clumsily, is that I imprinted on you. I realized it when you were taking a bow at the end of the show the night I got here. Since then, I've been trying to find a way to tell you how I feel."

"Then tell me how you feel, Levi. I won't bite," Nadja said and approached him so their noses were just a breath away from one another. He wanted to think of something poetic, but nothing clever or especially romantic came to mind. He was over thinking this yet again. So instead, he just got to the point.

"I love you, Nadja," Levi finally said. "Honestly, I think I've always known there was something about you that was special." Nadja smiled sweetly at him, her red lipstick accentuating her full, kissable lips.

"I love you too," she finally said. "You had me at first sight."

As usual, nothing especially romantic came to mind right away. So instead, he just leaned forward and kissed her, finally taking the initiative to kiss her first. He could feel her smile against his lips and she took her hand out of his so she could wrap her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and just like that, the night melted away and all he thought of or cared about was her. He was the first to press his tongue against her lips to deepen the kiss and she met his tongue with her own matching his fit of passion. Nadja could still taste the beer on Levi's lips but is was diluted enough that it didn't bother her. They stayed on that bridge kissing passionately until the sound of a car horn nearby snapped them out of the moment. They looked where the sound had come from and saw a car drive away having narrowly avoided a fender bender. Still in each other's arms, they looked at one another again and Nadja smiled.

"I got lipstick on you again," she said.

"Looks like a smudged your lipstick," Levi answered. Nadja damped her thumb and rubbed the paint away from Levi's lips. He did the same and tried his best to even it back out so the lipstick was only on her lips, but there was still that lingering hue. She didn't help when she kissed his thumb sweetly but for some reason that small gesture got more of a charge out of him than their kiss had. "Let's keep going," Levi finally said.

"I'd rather go back to my place if that's quite alright," she said with a lustfully with an unmistakable pushiness in her tone and it sent another spark through his system.

"Ending the night so soon?" Levi asked, hoping he sounded as lustful as she'd sounded to him.

"Far from it," she answered.

She stepped away so she could grab his hand and took him with her back the way they'd come and waited at the end of the bridge trying to hail a taxi. One eventually pulled over for them and Nadja gave the driver her address so he could bring them back to her place. Once the driver stopped in front of Nadja's apartment, Levi paid the driver and the two of them got out of the car going straight to the front entrance. Nadja rummaged through her purse until she got her keys out and let them in. She pulled him with her to her unit, unlocked the door and let them in. Once they were inside, the door closed and locked, Nadja tossed her purse onto the floor, put her hands firmly on top of Levi's shoulders and jumped up to get her legs around his waist. Levi narrowly caught her and stumbled back but managed to maneuver around so he landed against the wall instead of falling to the floor.

He didn't have time to say anything since she brought her lips to his and returned to kissing him passionately as they'd done on the bridge. Once he'd regained his footing, Levi bounced Nadja up so he could better secure his hold on her. He then turned around so he could press her against the brick wall as they made out. Her hands trailed all over his body going from his chest to his neck into his hair and then back down to his jaw loving the tickle from the coarse hair. They wound up spending several minutes just kissing each other, their tongues dueling as they savored the taste of one another until Levi pulled away to start kissing her neck. Nadja did the same to Levi as she tugged at his polo shirt eager to get it off. She eventually managed to pull it out from the grip her thighs had on his body and she pulled it up until Levi got the cue and removed it the rest of the way tossing it to the side before delving right back into kissing her. Levi got his hands between them so he could start unbuttoning her sheer blouse and pushing it aside once it was undone and grabbing a hold of her breasts. Nadja moaned into their kiss and Levi tried getting his hands behind her so he could unclasp her bra, but he was stopped by the wall and instead put his hands against it.

Nadja pulled her lips away, "Levi."

"Yeah?" he said although he'd already started kissing her neck again.

"I've got condoms in my bathroom. Put me down a moment and I'll grab one."

"Sure," Levi said and put her down.

She walked to the bathroom and turned on the lights before going straight to a drawer that was under her sink. Before stepping back out, Nadja removed her blouse and bra, undid her shorts and pulled those off along with her black stockings and kicked off her shoes. By the time she stepped out with their protection, she was already naked meanwhile Levi still wore his dress pants and was in the middle of pulling off his shoes. He stopped what he'd been doing and just stared at her. She'd always dazzled him from the beginning and seeing her in all her beauty with nothing to hide away her curves, her slender waist, her full and perky breasts and the warmth between her legs waiting to welcome him; he felt like a man starved staring at an enormous feast but he also felt his cheeks burn.

"Don't you get bashful on me now," Nadja smiled as she approached and put the small packet on her nightstand. "I know for a fact this isn't the first time you've done this."

"It's the first time I've wanted anyone this badly," Levi said. Nadja came closer so she was tucked between his legs and her hands went down to his belt.

"That makes me feel very special," she said.

"Good," Levi said and brought his hands to her hips.

She dipped her head to start kissing him again as she continued to undo his belt and then pull it out from the loops of his pants. After she'd gotten that removed, she tossed it to one side and shifted her attention to the button and zipper while also rubbing her hands over his erection. Her whole body quivered first from the feel of it against her hands then from the feel of Levi's hand going between them to her core where he started to rub his fingers over her entrance. She was already wet and ready for him. Her gentle moans against his lips was all the more encouragement, but he wanted this to be a night to remember. Once she'd gotten his pants undone, Nadja delved her hands in and grabbed a hold of his erection pulling it out from his boxer briefs so she could stroke it. Levi lifted Nadja up onto the bed and once she was straddling him, he turned over so she was on her back and got her positioned so her head was on the pillow. Once she was comfortable, he begin pressing a trail of kisses down her body making sure to take it slow. When he found a spot that seemed to get a reaction from her, like the base of her neck, he'd linger. He'd press his tongue against her skin and gently suck while she sighed with pleasure.

When he reached her breasts, he gave them equal attention pressing kisses to her nipples and swirling his tongue around it until she moaned. He kept kissing a trail down her body with a goal in mind. He stopped at her belly button when he felt her skin tighten from a tickle his lips elicited from her. He lingered there and made her giggle a little and moan all at once but he eventually moved on. He kissed along her hip and Nadja's fingers laced through Levi's short hair. She sighed with pleasure each time the scruff on his face gently scratched over her skin just before he'd plant a kiss. Then finally he made it between her legs. He slipped two fingers inside her and used his tongue to stimulate her clitoris. With his first touch, Nadja moaned and her head fell back with pleasure. Goose bumps formed on her skin and she started trembling the closer she came to her release. Levi utilized his fingers to find the spot inside her that was most sensitive coupled with his tongue swirling around the bundle of nerves at the apex of her entrance. Soon Nadja was gripping onto the sheets with her mind completely gone. Her sighs of pleasure filled the room and bolstered Levi's confidence as he continued. When he felt her walls start to tighten, he got a little more aggressive, using his teeth to heighten the sensations she was feeling and applying more pressure to that glorious spot he'd found until she finally felt her whole body convulse with her orgasm. After the tremors tapered off, there was a blissful smile on Nadja's face as Levi started kissing his way back up. He was about to reach for the condom when Nadja pressed her hands against his chest and pushed him onto his back.

"You relax for a moment, Levi," Nadja said before she started kissing Levi's chest. Her hands trialed down to take a hold of his erection. She moaned again when she was holding him in her hand. "I can't say I've ever been excited to go down on a man."

"Nadja," was all he could manage. He wasn't even sure what he'd been about to say because her touch and her kissing were robbing him of any ability to think.

Nadja smiled at him before continuing to press feathery kisses to his body working her way down his body just as he'd done to her. Her hands kept stroking his erection in the meantime until she reached his hip. Levi took a hold of her head lacing his fingers through her hair as she brought her lips to the base of his erection giving them those same light kisses working her way up. She was teasing him with her kisses. When she'd made it up to the tip, she pressed one kiss there only to go right back down to the base puckering her lips so she was allowing the barest warmth her mouth could offer using her teeth to act as a barrier from the rest of her mouth. She flattened her hand down on his pelvis so she could do the same thing on the other side going up and down continuing to tease him.

"Nadja," Levi groaned.

"Patience, Levi," Nadja said with a mischievous smirk forming on her lips. "You've given me a lot of ground to cover." To accompany her praise, she darted her tongue out so she could lick her way up. The new sensation made him flinch with pleasure. It was torture. Pure and cruel torture.

She trailed her tongue daintily over his erection for a moment before she finally returned to the tip to swirl her tongue around the head before dipping her head down taking him into her mouth. It made him groan and he started gripping her hair in a fit of pleasure. She moaned when he his grip on her hair tightened and she started stroking him in time with her head's movements. Levi's head was spinning and he didn't want it to stop. Her mouth was so warm, her hand gripped him tightly as she stroked up and down and every touch to the back of her throat felt like heaven. Her other hand was rubbing up and down his thigh which made everything feel even better. It added a tenderness to what she was doing to him and he never wanted it to end. So when she took her mouth away and started to rise, he opened his eyes to see what she was doing. She was leaning over to grab the condom. She tried opening it with her fingers, but it was a little slippery so she used her teeth to tear the packaging open so she could finally remove it and get the condom slipped onto him. With their protection in place, Nadja crawled up his body until she was straddling his hips.

Levi grabbed a hold of her wrapping his arms around her and quickly rolled over so she was beneath him. Nadja laid back and enjoyed watching Levi take charge. Once he had her where he wanted her, he guided his erection to her entrance and wasted no time slipping right in. When he did, Levi laid down on her taking Nadja in his arms and staying still. He'd been wrong. This was heaven. He didn't move for a while as he tried to adjust. Only when he was confident that he had control over himself did he finally start to thrust his hips forward. Nadja whimpered under him and brought her arms around his shoulders as though if she didn't hold onto him she might float away. He started to move faster and harder when she'd voiced her pleasure and after a moment he had her practically screaming as she gently bit his shoulder to muffle herself. He kept going harder and faster loving to hear Nadja's moans and screams. He loved knowing that he was making her feel this way and that he was giving her pleasure.

Eventually Levi slowed down enough that Nadja was able to push him onto his back. She guided him back inside her once she was on top and took over, swiveling her hips back and forth over him. Her hands were on his chest for stability and Levi was holding her hips guiding her to go faster until her head fell back. She straightened and leaned back, putting her hands on his thighs behind her so she could start bouncing her hips up and down. She said his name as she moaned and it was the sweetest sound in the world. He lowered his hand between them enough that he could start rubbing his thumb over her clitoris as she moved and it made her stop so she could just enjoy his touch. Since she stopped moving, Levi took over and started to thrust upwards. She came forward so she was laying on top of his and started kissing him. Kept one hand between them so he could tease her clitoris while his other hand gripped her hips and guided them up and down in time with his own thrusts. He could feel her getting closer and when he felt it, Levi rolled over again and got off her. She opened her eyes waiting to see what he was about to do and giggled when he grabbed her by the ankles and pulled her towards him until her hips were just off the side of her bed. Once he was standing and had Nadja off the edge of the bed, he slipped back inside her and leaned forward hopping he was hitting just the right spot. When he made his first thrust and got a sudden and high pitched moan from her, he knew he had her just where he wanted her.

Levi held her still and started to thrust harder than before and Nadja actually screamed before she gained enough wherewithal to quiet herself, but it didn't last long. Soon she was in the throes of another orgasm and no longer had a single care for her neighbors or what they might be hearing. The thought of potentially disturbing the neighbors didn't even cross Levi's mind. He was only thinking of Nadja and bring her to her second release. The build continued until Nadja felt her second orgasm come with what felt like a crash. Her nails dug until Levi's forearms and she called out his name which was all Levi needed to achieve his own release. He was shaking by the end of it and when he closed his eyes, he could see stars. Nadja was still meaning as she breathed heavily and brought her hand up to his face smiling at him. Levi smiled back and kissed her hand just as there was a loud, obnoxious banging at the door.

"Oi! Keep it down in there!" a man's voice yelled from the other side of the door and only then did Levi realize how loud they must have been. "Some of us've got fokin' work in the mornin'!"

"Piss off!" Nadja yelled back in the direction of the door. They heard the man call her a 'bloody twat' before walking away from the door. Levi's brain was still in a fog as he tried to straighten himself out but Nadja held onto him to make him stay. "Don't worry about it; he's gone now," Nadja said so he wouldn't leave her. Levi sighed a little and came forward so he was holding her.

"Sorry, I'm still a little crazed in the head," Levi said.

"Right back at you, Levi," Nadja said with a smirk. She started trailing her fingers over the stubble on his jaw and chin. "That was incredible."

"You're good for my ego," Levi said and started kissing her neck again. Nadja sighed contentedly and wrapped her arms around his neck in an affectionate hug.

"I'm a girl that gives as good as I get," Nadja said and kissed his ear. Levi lifted his head so he could give her a tender kiss, but it stayed chaste before he pulled away.

"I'd better get rid of the condom." Nadja nodded and released Levi so he could get rid of the condom and wash off a little before coming back to bed. Nadja was still naked when he returned and she sat up in bed with a smile.

"So," she started but didn't continue.

"So….." Levi said, encouraging her to say what's on her mind.

"Might you turn to a wolf for me?"

"Um," Levi started and looked around at the space. If he positioned himself just right, he would fit, but it would be a very tight space. He would just need to be really careful. "Stay there okay?" Nadja nodded and watched with excitement.

Levi backed away until he was confident with the space he was working with, took a deep breath and then shifted to a wolf. He made sure he didn't make any noise but Nadja still gasped. There was no one out on patrol. It was probably the middle of the day in Washington so there was no one around to flood his thoughts. Once he was in his wolf form with a coat of white, pale brown and grey. After he'd shifted, Nadja crawled across her bed to the end of it until she was standing right in front of him. She started by touching his snout running her hand up in the direction of the hair growth. Then her hands made it up to his ears where she started scratching behind his ear. The eyes staring back at her were Levi's brown eyes and they were so tender and loving. Nadja smiled at him and guided his head down so she could kiss the spot between his eyes.

"You're such a handsome wolf," Nadja said. Levi sat down and pressed his nose against her chest and Nadja wrapped her arms around Levi's head. She released him so she could look at him again and Levi turned back to his normal self. He took a hold of her and brought her against his body. "So does everyone in your family turn into wolves the size of bears?"

"Everyone that has a wolf is around that size, yes," Levi said. "Did I ever tell you the story of how we got this power?"

"I'd love a bedtime story," Nadja said and Levi smiled back at her before giving her a kiss. He leaned down and lifted Nadja into his arms and carried her back to her bed.

Levi first told her the story of Q'wati and how he corrected the wrongs of animal and man and granted the wish of two wolves that wished to be human who went on to become the first of the Quileute Tribe. Then he told her the story of Chief Taha Aki, the betrayal he'd suffered at the hands of his cousin Utlapa that felt he deserved the Chiefdom, of how Taha Aki took over the body of a wolf to save his tribe, the exile of Utlapa's family that later became the Tistilal, how Taha Aki's children could become wolves all the way to when his third wife died and Taha Aki left the tribe in a fit of grief. The two of them eventually fell asleep in each other's arms after Levi finished telling the story. Nadja was the first to wake the next morning. It was the most blissful morning after of her life and she didn't want to get out of bed, but then thought to brew him some coffee and make him breakfast. So she got out of bed and did just that. She didn't bother getting dressed either. Levi eventually woke up to the smell of a cup of coffee being put on the nightstand along with a plate of eggs and toasted rye bread. The rest of the mourning was spent wallowing in bed together making love and cuddling until Nadja decided there was an errand she wanted to run. She took him to a shop in London that sold souvenirs some of which specifically catered to Americans and, lo and behold, there were 'Happy Traitor's Day' shirts. They looked a little different than the one Levi had but the bonus was they were sold in his size.

The entire area was a bit of a tourist trap as Nadja put it, but as they walked around together, they found a photo booth which Nadja rugged Levi into so they could get pictures together. Nadja put some coins in the machine so they would get two copies and once the timer went off, the flash began and the two of them smiled in the first picture. The second picture, Nadja kissed Levi's cheek and it caught Levi in a gentle laugh before the next picture caught him kissing her right back, same for the final picture. Nadja put more coins in the machine so they could take even more pictures, some being just the two of them smiling, some where they kissed and a few where they'd managed to make silly faces at the camera. They each had four strips of pictures by the end of it all. Levi's last day in London, Nadja took Levi to Buckingham Palace, but he wasn't interested in the exhibits or the things on display. He just cared about enjoying his last day with Nadja before he had to leave. She had to go to the theatre that night, but they returned back to Nadja's apartment early enough that they could make love again before Nadja had to leave.

Levi got his clothes washed and dried and his suitcase mostly packed that night, but he did so with a heavy heart. He kept looking at the pictures they'd taken together in that photo booth and always thought back to the moment fondly. He stayed up so he could welcome Nadja home and so they could fall asleep together. The next morning there was very little time before them to screw around. Levi had his coffee, made himself a sandwich and then they made the trip to the airport. Nadja asked the taxi to stay put so she could take it back but they ended up leaving the meter running for quite a while as they said goodbye.

"I gave you the number to the dorms, right?" Levi asked after they'd spent several seconds kissing.

"You did," Nadja said. "You have the number to my flat?"

"Yeah, I've got it," Levi said and kissed her again. "I'll write as soon as I get home."

"Alright. I'll call you as soon as I can. It'll be easier once we have the time difference figured out," Nadja said and Levi just nodded. "We'll plan for me coming in November."

"Yeah," Levi said, "We'll talk more about it soon." Nadja nodded and they kissed again.

"You'd better go so you don't miss your flight," Nadja said.

"I don't want to go home."

"I know," Nadja said. "I'll see you again in November. I promise. I love you."

"I love you too," Levi said and they shared one last kiss before Levi got his suitcases and went into the airport looking back and waving at her until he was inside and she was no longer within his sight.

A few weeks later was when Jaedynn and the children left Iran. They all drove back to Isfahan from Chalus so they could drop Morvarid off home. Jaedynn thanked Morvarid for all her kindness and for being so good with the children and Morvarid lamented her leaving but promised if she and the children were in Iran again that she would happily make herself available to be their nanny. Roshad assured they would take her up on the offer and they all said their goodbyes before Roshad took Jaedynn and the kids to the airport. Ashti had already flown back to Washington and was waiting for Jaedynn and the children to return.

"How long will you need to stay here?" Jaedynn asked.

"I will be here the month," Roshad said, "but I will be home end of September."

"We'll miss you," Jaedynn said.

"I'll miss you too," Roshad said and gave her a kiss. Then he hugged and kissed Kamron and Iman promising he'd come home soon before seeing them off.

Come August when school was back in session, Archie returned from Australia freshly tanned and ready to get back in the swing of things. That's when Levi informed him that, sometime in November, Archie would be expressly kicked out of the dorm because Nadja would be visiting and Levi wanted them to be able to have privacy. Archie initially joked about his 'wifey' seeing someone behind his back but eventually was a little aggravated that he was being kicked out of the dorm. Levi was adamant, though, and even offered to pay for Archie to stay elsewhere though it would be a really cheap motel. Archie refused, saying he'd figure something out. Levi and Nadja continued writing to one another but added once a month phone calls to one another to their routine and although it paled in comparison to seeing one another, it was good to hear each other's voices. End of September, just as he'd promised, Roshad returned home to Washington and was met with Kamron giving him a big hug after he entered the house and Iman reaching for him once he'd made it to her. Ashti flew back to Iran after Roshad's return but promised she'd be back in December and would be staying through February since Roshad would have to go to Tehran again in January for another business trip.

It was decided that Nadja would come closer to Thanksgiving since it would give Levi some extra time off from school. He still had to work; this time of year was extremely busy from the holiday and since Levi would be returning home for Christmas, he needed to at least work the Thanksgiving rush, however he would still have the free time to spend with Nadja. He'd already told his parents that he'd be spending Thanksgiving with Nadja. Kevin assured it was fine, they'd miss him until December, and reminded him to buy condoms, poking fun at Levi and laughing when, even over the phone, he could tell it had gotten a small rise out of Levi. The day before Nadja was scheduled to arrive, Levi was working tirelessly to make sure the dorm room was spotless while Archie sat at his desk typing away on his type writer.

"You know, Levi," Archie said in his thick Australian accent that Levi had grown accustomed to, "some of us have homework that needs doin'."

"I finished my work already; right now I need to get this place spotless. For God's sake, Archie, can you not leave your dirty clothes on the floor?!" Levi rose his voice when he nearly vacuumed up one of Archie's socks that was on the floor.

"Sorry, Wifey; I tossed my clothes in the hamper and I guess some of it didn't land." Archie got up from his desk and picked up the sock then tossed it in his hamper. "So when do I get to meet this hussy that you've been seeing behind my back? And a Brit no less – you break my heart, Levi."

"If there's time for us all to do something, you can meet her, but I'd rather spend Nadja's week here just the two of us," Levi said.

"You're taking her up to your daddy's penthouse right?"

"That's the plan. And just her," Levi said.

"Oi, far be in from me to get between a bloke trying to root his Sheila," Archie chuckled.

"It's not just 'rooting' Archie," Levi said.

"Given she's flying across the pond for you, I would assume so. Unless the dicking you gave her was good enough to warrant crossing time zones," Archie said and started laughing when Levi gave him a mean look. "Relax, mate; I'm just messin' with ya."

"Can you just help me get this place clean? It reeks of dirty laundry and menthols in here."

"Laundry day's not until Saturday, Wifey."

"Well make it today!" Levi said.

"Fine, fine, fine," Archie said and grabbed his laundry basket. "So what time does her flight get in?"

"She said her plane would land at ten," Levi said. "So I need this place cleaned tonight."

"Alright," Archie said. "Can I at least stay the night here and leave tomorrow?"

"That's fine so long as Nadja and I can have the place to ourselves as of tomorrow. We'll be leaving for New York Friday night so you can come back then."

"You got it, Wifey," Archie said. "I'll be packed and out of your hair tomorrow morning. You got rubbers?"

"Yes, Archie," Levi said with a hint of aggravation in his voice.

"Good. I have more in my drawer just in case," Archie said.

"Thanks," Levi said.

Archie left the dorm room with his basket of laundry to get his clothes in the wash while Levi kept vacuuming until it was finally cleaned. He wiped down his desk and Archie's and got everything as organized as he possibly could. He made sure everything was put away, he made sure the floor was completely clear save for the rug in the center and he washed both his sheets and Archie's sheets which irritated Archie at first but he finally just joked that 'Wifey' needed to find better times to do laundry. Levi couldn't sleep that night. He was too excited about Nadja coming to visit and he was paranoid there was something in the room that still wasn't clean or that he'd forgotten to put away. He checked the room again in the morning while Archie was brewing coffee and packing a suitcase.

"So Friday I can come back right?"

"Yes, Friday you can come back," Levi said as he pulled on his shoes. "Make sure your drawers are closed before you leave. I don't want to walk in and Nadja have to see your open underwear drawer."

"Nothin' she ain't seen before, mate," Archie chuckled.

"That's not the point, Archie," Levi sighed. Levi got his wallet, his keys and took another look around the room.

"It's clean as a hospital in here, Levi. You've got nothing to worry about."

"Just want to be sure," Levi said. "Alright, I'll talk to you later."

"Have fun Romeo," Archie said as Levi walked out of the dorm and went to his car.

He drove to the airport still anxious and eager. He went to the terminal where Nadja was supposed to land and waited about an hour for her before an announcement came that a plane from London was coming in. Levi had a bouquet of flowers ready and, knowing she'd get a laugh out of it, a sign that said, 'Welcome Red Coat'. Once the plane had landed and was allowing passengers to exit, he maneuvered the flowers in his arm so he could hold the little sign and waited for Nadja to appear. When she did, he smiled and came just a little bit closer. She quickly noticed him, then the sign and as he'd hoped, she started laughing and ran over to him with her suitcase following behind her. Once she'd approached, they shared a tight hug and a kiss.

"Welcome to America," Levi smiled.

"This isn't the first time this Red Coat came marching in," Nadja smiled and kissed him. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," Levi said and hugged her tighter before releasing her and offering the flowers. "For you."

"Why, a Yankee buying flowers for a Red Coat; what will the resistance say?"

"I'll tell them you're a spy," Levi joked.

"Well then, call me a Yankee Doodle Dandy," Nadja said. "You weren't waiting too long for me I hope."

"I've been waiting since July," Levi said and Nadja laughed.

"That's not what I meant but okay," she said and gave him another kiss. "You've been waiting months to say that haven't you?"

"I'm afraid so," Levi said and released her. "Come on; I'll bring you back to campus. I have to work this afternoon but I've got a few hours before I need to be there."

"You weren't able to get work off?"

"Sorry, I tried, but since I'm going to Washington for Christmas, they've got me working the Thanksgiving rush. We'll be closed Thanksgiving day at least and I got that Friday off so we can go to Manhattan."

"Perfect; I can't wait," Nadja said.

They got all her luggage before going to Levi's car. Nadja had known Levi's first car had belonged to his grandpa but she'd not realized he was still driving said car. In truth, she was shocked it still functioned though Levi agreed it wasn't without effort at times. Having a trained mechanic for a roommate certainly helped. Once they arrived on campus, Nadja rolled the window down so she could poke her head out the window and look at everything. It looked so old but the age made it charming. There were students and teachers alike walking around campus engaged in their own activities as Levi drove by. Once they made it to his dorm, Levi got all Nadja's luggage and they walked into the building to his room.

"Tomorrow I'll take you on a tour of campus," Levi said. "It's a big school but it's worth seeing. The library's amazing; you'll love it."

"It's no Oxford but I'm sure it's lovely," Nadja joked as Levi was unlocking the door. Once he did, Archie was at his desk reading from his text book and Levi gawked.

"Archie? What.."

"Sorry, sorry, I forgot my books and my typewriter; came back to get it and just started working."

"Bullshit," Levi said.

"Alright, you caught me; I just wanted to meet your lady friend," Archie said and stood from his desk to approach Nadja. "Good to finally meet you. Name's Archie."

"Yes, you're Levi's Hubby as I hear it," Nadja said.

"Yes, so you can imagine my distress when Wifey comes home telling me he's met the love of his life. So I had to meet the hussy that's weaseling in on my house wife."

"Perhaps if you took better care of him, he'd not have searched elsewhere," Nadja played along.

"You just wait; he'll scorn you like he scorned me," Archie chuckled.

"Archie, please stop," Levi groaned.

"Relax, we're just joking," Archie said. "So you're a Brit right?"

"Lithuanian but raised in London," Nadja said. "You're from Australia right?"

"Yup, born and raised," Archie said. "So you're a world famous actress as I hear it."

"I'm hardly 'famous'," Nadja smiled, "I perform for local plays – most people have no idea who I am even if they've seen me perform. Levi tells me you're studying Engineering right? And your dad owns a car repair shop?"

"Aw, you told her about me?" Archie poking fun and laughed at Levi's expense when he had his hand down in his face. "Yeah, my dad has a car repair shop. Owned it since I was a Joey."

"Joey's another word for a baby Kangaroo or something, right?"

"Yes," Archie chuckled. "Well, I should go ahead and leave you two alone. The way Levi's standing there all upset, you might think he's ashamed of me. His own hubby."

"Archie," Levi muttered irritably.

"Alright, alright, I'm going," Archie said and grabbed his typewriter and put his books in a large backpack. "You two have fun. And Levi, remember: the rubbers are in the nightstand drawer."

"I've got it; can you please get going?" Levi said.

"Fine, fine, I know when I'm not wanted," Archie laughed and walked past them through the door. "I'll be at my girlfriend's place if you need me. If I come by, I'll knock first."

"It was nice meeting you," Nadja said.

"It was nice meeting you too," Archie said and finally walked away. Once Archie was gone, they walked into the dorm room and closed the door behind him.

"Now, this is a unisex dorm right? So there's a girl's shower area?"

"Yeah, there is," Levi said. "I'll give you a tour of the dorm really quick."

Levi took Nadja around the building so she would know where everything was, but he had to keep it as quick as possible. Once he brought Nadja back to his room, he got dressed into his uniform and then gave Nadja a loving kiss before leaving for work. That first night was rather uneventful as a result but Nadja didn't mind. She stayed in Levi's dorm room ready and Levi returned around 9:30 in time for them to go to bed together. The next day, the two of them stayed in bed together but made sure they weren't too loud. The dorms weren't packed like they normally were, but there were still a lot of other students there and he didn't want to spend weeks if not months being teased over Nadja's vocalizations even if the teasing would likely be high praise all things considered. He gave her a tour of the campus making sure to show her the library he'd told her about but when the afternoon came, he needed to get to work. He had to work Thanksgiving morning which sucked especially since it was a lot busier than anyone anticipated. It would seem there was a not insignificant number of people that had put off their grocery shopping until literally the last minutes and it was not a fun day for anyone involved. So when Levi finally got to come back, he felt like the walking dead.

"Hard day?" Nadja asked when Levi stepped into his dorm.

"Much harder than it should have been. One of my coworkers and I had to break up two women that were arguing over the last turkey. After that turkey was gone, next were all the chickens." Levi took a deep breath and smelled something familiar. "Is that brisket?"

"Yes, it is," Nadja smiled. "I found a cookbook in the library and decided I'd make you brisket for Thanksgiving. It might not be traditional but I thought you'd like it."

"Thank you so much," Levi said. "It's just what I needed."

"It should be done in another hour. You lay down and I'll grab you a beer," Nadja said, getting off the bed after putting her book aside and going to the mini-fridge to grab Levi a beer that she put on the nightstand. Levi technically wasn't allowed to have it – drinking age being 21 – but there was a good Samaritan in the dorm that would buy alcohol for anyone that was willing to pay for it and a little fee on top of that. Nadja told Levi to roll over so he was on his stomach and told him to remove his shirt.

"I don't know if I have the energy for romance at the moment," Levi said but still complied and removed his work shirt.

"Oh no, this isn't for romance. You look tense and I thought I'd offer a helping hand," Nadja said. She got herself seated on top of Levi sitting right on top of his thighs so all of his back was in view. She grabbed the olive oil and put it in her hands to prevent friction and pressed her hands to his back massaging the muscles that needed attention so badly and Levi audibly moaned. "Feels good?"

"Yeah," Levi answered. Her hands were so warm and the oil made it easy to move over his skin effortlessly. His soreness and the day just melted away.

"Relax your shoulders for me," Nadja said and Levi did as she said so she could start rubbing his shoulders.

Levi was drifting as she was rubbing his back. Some spots were more sore than others and when Nadja applied pressure there would initially be pain but then it was ease and make him groan. She kept going until she'd rubbed every muscle in his back and shoulders then grabbed a towel so she could take a hold of Levi's wrists and very, very gently pulled him back and there was a crack. It didn't hurt at all. In fact, it felt like a huge wave of relief and when Nadja released him, he felt boneless and like he could sleep for a week.

"How does your back feel?"

"Good as new," Levi mumbled. Nadja got off Levi's thighs and got to one side of him on his tiny bed they'd been sharing.

"Is there anything else that feels sore?" Nadja asked as her hands were already starting to rub his right thigh. It made him groan again but not because it had relaxed him. She relieved the soreness, but it was making him hard. Sadly, his enthusiasm was well ahead of his available energy. "I take that as a yes?" Nadja smiled and kept massaging his thigh. Levi's only answer was a groan.

Nadja kept massaging Levi's thighs then went down to each calf and even rubbed his feet. He couldn't remember a single time when he'd felt so pampered in his life. He'd forgotten to even drink his beer so when the tiny alarm from the crock pot went off indicating dinner was ready, Nadja put that can back in the mini fridge and just took out a new one that was cold.

"Dinner's ready," Nadja said and Levi had to make himself sit up. He got off the bed and helped himself to some brisket that smelled incredible. With the brisket were potatoes, carrots and even some whole radishes which he'd thought was weird at first but quickly came to really like it once he took a bite.

"Thank you for all this," Levi said.

"My pleasure," Nadja smiled. Levi took a gulp of his beer and focused on dinner. "We're driving up to Manhattan tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Levi said. "We can sleep in and leave when we're ready. I already talked to dad and the front desk knows we'll be coming. They'll want to see ID but that won't be a huge deal."

"What, does the president live there or something?" Nadja giggled.

"Not recently, no," Levi smiled. "It's just a really high class part of town and that building takes security very seriously. They recognize me but since we don't live there permanently, they always insist on checking ID to be safe."

"At least all that money you're paying goes straight to your wellbeing," Nadja said. "So what shall we do when we get to Manhattan?"

"Whatever you want," Levi said. "We can go to a museum, we can go see the Statue of Liberty, the apartment's right by Central Park so we can go there, we can go to a night club; anything you want."

"I shall trust you as my guide," Nadja smiled. "Are there gangsters like in the movies?"

"Oh yeah, there are gangsters but they're not like what's in the movies I promise you," Levi said. "If you're talking about The Godfather, they're nothing like that. They're criminals plain and simple, but they do a lot of money laundering through investing in movies. So The Godfather was a bit of a biased project."

"Really? How do you know that?"

"Dad doesn't, but he knows people that represent these gangsters and the Mob pays handsomely to keep themselves out of trouble. Dad never got mixed up with them thankfully. He may be a fantastic lawyer but he's a lawyer that's in Washington most of the time so he's not ideal all things considered. Anyway, lawyers have gotten loose lipped talking about their clients when they should be. They're just lucky dad keeps his mouth shut."

"I would say so," Nadja said. "I would never think your father the type to keep quiet about something like that."

"Dad puts us first; that's the best answer I've got. Dad says that becoming a Lawyer was one of the greatest things to happen to him because it allows for him to take care of us and our whole family in ways he'd never thought possible as a Quileute Chief's son, but he always said to me, 'Don't become a lawyer. It sadly requires you to sell your soul'."

"So instead you chose accounting?"

"I chose accounting because I love math," Levi smiled and Nadja gently shook her head.

"Simply baffling," Nadja said. "So how's the brisket? I admit I'm not confident in the recipe; it's the first time I made it, but I can adjust the recipe over time."

"It's fantastic," Levi said and took a big bite of meat for emphasis.

Once Levi finished his dinner, he went to take a shower and by the time he returned, he felt worlds better but still wanted to go right to sleep. He and Nadja got into his tiny bed together snuggling close to one another through the night and they slept in well into the morning. Closer to noon, they finally got out of bed and started packing for the trip to New York. It was a long drive and Nadja was reading for most of in while Levi kept his eyes on the road especially once they made it into the city. There was a parking garage that Levi was able to access and once they were parked, they brought their luggage out of the garage and to the lobby of the apartment building. Levi went to the front desk letting them know who he was and thankfully most of them recognized him but did still ask for his ID as well as Nadja's. They had confirmation from Kevin that Nadja was permitted to be there so they were allowed in without issue. They went up to the apartment and Levi let them in using his key.

"Oh wow," Nadja said once they were inside and she could take a look around. "This place is beautiful. How long has your dad owned this place?"

"Since he opened the New York branch of his law firm," Levi said. "It was right before my sister Heather was born."

"How much does this place cost a month?"

"I don't know; I just know I can't afford it," Levi said with a joking smile. "I'm pretty sure this place is paid for, though, so all dad pays is the property tax and what not. Honestly, the property tax alone is probably more than I can afford."

"Amen to that," Nadja said as she wandered to the kitchen area. "I see the kitchen has updated appliances?"

"Yeah, a few years ago when mom spent the summer here with dad the oven broke down so dad replaced it and since they were on that kick, they replaced all the other appliances too. Then they redecorated the bathrooms after that."

"How often is your dad here?"

"Usually twice a year. It depends what cases he's working. He started coming to New York more often for a while after his business partner retired but he seems to have gotten things in good shape so he doesn't have to come to New York so often."

"Does his business partner know? About the whole wolf and immortal thing?"

"No," Levi said. "Dad's content to tell him he's just genetically gifted and Uncle Alphonse has been content to leave well enough alone. He actually lived in the penthouse that's about two floors up but he sold that and now he's living in his dream home up in the Hamptons that Embry designed and built for him. Embry got a nice chunk of change for that job and he's actually gotten more jobs since but they're few and far between. It's not a large clientele that can afford to have a house designed and built specifically for them."

"I'd think not," Nadja said.

"Anyway, Uncle Alphonse has been happy as a clam since retirement. Dad went to visit him last year and he tells Alphonse, 'You look fantastic; you look years younger' and Alphonse says to him, 'Not so young as you but thank you for the flattery'."

Nadja giggled, "Well good for him. How old is he by the way?"

"Uncle Alphonse? Shit," Levi had to think about it. "I think he was twenty eight when he and dad met? That was 1918 when dad started at Yale. So he's 84."

"Oh wow; ripe old age," Nadja said.

"Yup, he's a regular geriatric but he's happier now than he's ever been. I don't get to talk to Hal very often but when I do I'll always ask about his grandpa and he says retirement's been the best thing Uncle Alphonse has ever done."

"At 84, I'd say he deserves retirement," Nadja said. "So where shall we be sleeping?"

"Mine and Tristan's room," Levi said. "It's the same size as the bed in my dorm room. Is that okay?"

"That's just fine," Nadja smiled. "Lead the way."

Levi showed her to the bedroom he shared with Tristan – or used to share with Tristan when they were a little younger – and pointed out his bed and put their suitcases on Tristan's bed. They stayed in that night and Levi ordered some pizza so they could spent the afternoon relaxing until it was the evening when they cuddled together in Levi's bed. The next day was a very busy day. They left the apartment and got coffee somewhere and started with a visit to the Metropolitan Museum. It was a lot of ground to cover but all the exhibits were a lot of fun and they spent hours walking around the museum and talking. They finished off the day by going on a walk together through Central Park holding hands and enjoying the scenery.

"I already love it here," Nadja said as they were walking through the park.

"I like coming to New York, but I wouldn't want to live here permanently. It's too busy and it doesn't really have suburbs. Once I graduate I want to move back to Seattle, get work there and live in the suburbs. I don't mind working in downtown Seattle so long as I can live in the suburbs."

"I'm so used to London so New York just feels comfortable to me," Nadja said. "Oh, if I could land a part on Broadway that would be a dream come true."

"You could get it I'm sure," Levi smiled.

"I would have to start small," Nadja said. "You can't run before you've walked."

"That's true, but you've got the experience and the training that's for sure."

"I appreciate that," Nadja smiled and rubbed her hand over the scruff Levi had started allowing to grow in since she'd arrived. "This doesn't bother you does it?"

"The scruff? I'll get used to it," Levi said.

"If you don't like it, you don't have to," Nadja said. "I don't want you to think you have to."

"It's no problem," Levi insisted. "I can shave it and let it grow a while before I shave it again." Nadja smiled and rested her head against his shoulder.

"You're so sweet," Nadja said. "Not just for growing your beard out a little for me but for everything." Levi replied by kissing the top of her head lovingly.

"I love you, Nadja."

"I love you too," she answered.

Sunday was Nadja's last day in American before she had to return home so they used that day to see as many sites as possible before coming back to the apartment so they could enjoy their night together. Sadly, they had to wake up early so Levi could drive them back to New Jersey to Nadja could catch her plane. Once they'd arrived at the airport, they kissed for several minutes before saying goodbye and letting one another go so Nadja could get on her plane. He stayed there until he saw her plane leave and watched with a heavy heart. They didn't know when they would get to see each other again. Sadly Hanukkah and Christmas were out of the question since he'd be in Washington celebrating with his family and she'd be celebrating with her parents. They would need to figure out when either he could fly to London or she could fly to New Jersey but it would have to wait until they'd both saved up enough. When Levi got back to his dorm, there was Archie sitting at his desk finishing up his report.

"Welcome back," Archie said, not looking up from his book, "how'd you two love birds get along?"

"Great," Levi said, "I just dropped her off at the airport. I miss her already."

"You're really smitten with this girl are you?" Archie said as he finally looked up at Levi.

"Not smitten," Levi said, "I love her."

"Already?"

"We've had nearly a decade of writing to one another; when we got to see one another in person after so long, I loved her in an instant. I was just fortunate that she felt the same way."

"That's sweet," Archie said both teasing Levi but also being sincere. "Just be careful. Long distance relationships are really hard to make work."

"I know," Levi said, "But we'll make it work. Whether that means she moves here or….or I move to London; we'll figure it out."

Archie was quiet for a moment before he finally said, "You're really that serious about this girl?"

"Yeah," Levi said.

"Well," Archie said and shrugged, "good luck to the both of you."

"Thanks Archie," Levi said.

After she returned home, Nadja and Levi continued to write one another and call each other once a month. They still didn't know when next they'd be able to see one another, but this would do for now. As the year progressed things returned to normal. Levi and Evalynn flew into Washington for Christmas and the family got together having a great holiday. By then Ashti had returned to Washington and as planned she remained well into January when Roshad left for Iran for work. About two weeks after Roshad left for work, Jaedynn started to feel really sick. The worst of it came when she heard Iman crying and got out of bed to go feed her but every muscle in her body ached. Ashti was already tending to Kamron as Jaedynn went to Iman's room to feed her. Jaedynn fed Iman who was wide awake and her eyes were wandering as she was fed. Jaedynn's nipples were extremely tender and sensitive so feeding this morning was especially painful. She had to make Iman feed from her other breast to get some degree of a break but she was so relieved when Iman was satisfied and Jaedynn could place Iman on her shoulder to rub her back. She got Iman changed then covered herself up before coming downstairs with Iman.

"Maman!" Kamron called from his little chair as Jaedynn came downstairs. He started trying to climb out but Ashti pressed on Kamron's shoulder to instruct him to remain seated.

"Morning, Kamron," Jaedynn said and leaned down to give him a kiss.

"How did you sleep?" Ashti asked.

"Not well," Jaedynn said. "I couldn't get comfortable and this morning my bones just ache. Feeding Iman was really painful this morning too."

"When was you last cycle?" Ashti asked.

"Beginning of December I think," Jaedynn said. Her lips weren't visible, but Jaedynn could still tell there was a pleased smile forming across her mother-in-law's face. "I wasn't planning to test until closer to when Roshad comes home."

"Yes, it is a good idea to wait," Ashti said. "The pain shall pass; give it time."

"You know, Ashti, I can't help thinking I'm no better than a baby maker to you," Jaedynn said to Ashti with a joking smile and Ashti could hear the humor and her voice.

"If you do not give me grandchildren, what are you good for?" Ashti said and they laughed.

As the weeks passed, it became more and more obvious to Jaedynn that she was pregnant. When Roshad was due to be home in a few days, Kyle came up to the city to do the pregnancy test and it came out positive. Ashti was delighted but not surprised. Ever eager, she suggested Jaedynn get her first ultrasound right after Roshad returned home. This new development also meant Ashti would be staying in Washington another year to help Jaedynn with the children during her pregnancy: assistance that Jaedynn happily welcomed. The day Roshad came home and walked into the house, Kamron dropped what he'd been doing and waddled his way to Roshad so he could welcome him home with a big hug. It had been a long month so being welcomed home so warmly first by Kamron and then by Jaedynn and Ashti was just want he'd needed. Ashti left to return to her own place after Kamron and Iman were tucked in for the night and Jaedynn and Roshad went to bed.

"It's so good to be home," Roshad said after he'd laid his head down on his pillow.

"It's good to have you back," Jaedynn smiled and snuggled up to him. "So I have good news."

"What's that?"

"I'm pregnant," Jaedynn said and Roshad opened his eyes to look at her, a loving smile forming.

"For certain?"

"Yes," Jaedynn replied and rested her cheek on his shoulder while her hand rested on his chest. "I started feeling really achy and sore midway through January and Uncle Kyle tested and confirmed." Roshad turned so he was facing her on his side and gave Jaedynn a loving kiss.

"When can we have the first ultrasound?"

"We're scheduled to do that tomorrow," Jaedynn said.

"I can't wait," Roshad said and kissed her again.

The next day, they all made the trip to the tribe so Kyle could perform their ultrasound. Ashti tended to Kamron and Iman while Kyle performed the ultrasound so Jaedynn and Roshad could focus. He quickly found there were two placentas and after running the wide wand over Jaedynn's belly for a few minutes, Kyle was confident Jaedynn was holding twins. With that in mind, he estimated the twins being 7-9 weeks along based on their measurements and the date of Jaedynn's last period. Ashti was, of course, extremely pleased with the news and so was Roshad. The news spread and everyone was delighted about the news.

"Maman is having a baby?" Kamron asked after they'd left Kyle's office and were in the car together.

"Yes, Kamron, your maman will have two babies; you will have two new brothers or sisters soon," Ashti said in a pleased voice.

"When?" Kamron asked.

"Your little brothers or sisters will be born around July or August," Jaedynn said.

"Why does it take so long?"

"Because the babies need to grow," Roshad said, "so the babies need to stay in maman for 9 months."

"Where do babies come from?" Kamron asked innocently.

"A baby is made when maman and baba are married and not a moment before," Ashti said sternly, "and when maman and baba decide to have a baby, they pray to Allah and hope He is generous and gives maman and baba a baby to grow in maman's belly." Jaedynn was fighting back a small laugh as Ashti was explaining her version of where babies come from. "Your maman and baba decided they wanted more babies so they pray together and poof! Maman is with child."

The answer seemed to satisfy Kamron and when they returned home, he kept touching Jaedynn's belly trying to feel something or make the babies grow faster. It was quite adorable. Time went on and Jaedynn progressed in her pregnancy. She wasn't really showing by February but she had a pouch that was visible when she was naked, so she was showing more so at this stage than she had when she'd been pregnant with Kamron or Iman. When it was almost March, they were already planning for Kamron's 2nd birthday. The weather was supposed to be great that weekend and they knew Kamron would love to be able to play in the water for his birthday with all the cousins and family there to play with him.

It was Friday and the last day of February. Jaedynn and Roshad were upstairs with the children and Ashti was in the basement area engaging in a midday prayer. Iman was sitting up playing with some wooden blocks and Kamron was playing with her trying to show her how to correctly put together all the letter blocks the way they were supposed to be. Theirs were custom made to include both the English alphabet as well as the Farsi alphabet and another set up blocks were numbers including Farsi numerals. As they were all playing together, the doorbell rang and Roshad stood to go answer it. When he did, there was a man in a suit holding a leather duffle and a white envelope.

"Can I help you?" Roshad asked.

"Yes sir. Is a Miss Jaedynn Black residing at this residence?"

"That's my wife – what is this about?" Roshad asked. Jaedynn told Kamron to stay put with Iman as she went to the door. Ashti overheard everything and came upstairs so she could monitor the children.

"Are you Miss Jaedynn Black?" the man asked Jaedynn once she came to the door.

"Black is my maiden name. Is everything alright?"

"These are for you, Miss Black," the man said and handed Jaedynn the envelope. Then he took out a clip board. "If you would just sign here confirming you've received this alert and confirm you've been served."

"Served?! For what?!" Jaedynn asked.

"I'm afraid I don't know Miss Black. I was just asked to make sure you were served. If you would sign here confirming you've received this," the man said. Jaedynn finally took the pen and signed her name – her married name – and gave the man back his pen. "Thank you, Miss Black. You have a nice day."

"Thank you," Jaedynn said weakly but was quickly opening the envelope to see what she'd been given. She saw a New York address and instantly started shaking. She pulled out the documentation and it was a notice that she was being summoned to a court in New York to 1) prove paternity and 2) should paternity be confirmed to demand for full custody. She saw the name of the one that had petitioned the law suit at the top of the summon: Alejandro Vayez. At first Jaedynn felt like she might vomit, then she felt light headed and when that happened, she lost her footing. Roshad was there to catch her, but even he couldn't stop the world from spinning in that moment.