To Be a Belikov (Vampire Academy Fan Fiction Book 3)

Chapter 15: The First Field Trip

Chapter 15: The First Field Trip

"Papa!" Annessa's excited squeal echoed through our ranch house as she came sprinting through the doors, me following behind. She threw her backpack into its assigned place in the foyer and kicked off her shoes while I set my briefcase down and shrugged out of my signature leather jacket, hanging it beside Dimitri's duster and tossing my keys into the dish. They clinked with his as my daughter went bouncing down the hallway to the kitchen.

I couldn't keep the smile from my face as I continued after her, easily walking through the house that had become our home after months of being at the Academy. From the spacious, sunlit rooms to the training center complete with a mini ballet studio, it was everything we needed; I'd never stop thanking Alberta for it.

"Zaika, slow down," Dimitri's warm chuckle came and I heard him setting down a spoon so he could presumably embrace his daughter who was no doubt twirling around him.

I came around the corner into the kitchen, grinning at the halo of sunlight my husband and daughter wore as they spoke. The rays of oranges and pinks filled every corner of the room, rushing in through the patio doors that led out to a beautiful Montana backyard. Morning was so beautiful here.

Before I could protest, Annessa was up and sitting on the counter with her legs swinging back and forth while her father finished dinner.

"We're going on a field trip!" she exclaimed with a bright smile. "Into the actual world where there's actual people and none of this actual boredom," she finished, smirking pointedly at me.

"This is our actual world, Annessa," I laughed as I went to Dimitri's side.

She snorted, "The actual world has mini-taquitos, Mama."

"Go start your homework, young lady," I sighed with a grin as she leapt off the counter, dragging her feet towards her bedroom on the other side of the house.

It was astounding how similar we were.

Dimitri chuckled at the pair of us, one arm wrapping around my waist as he continued stirring our dinner. His warm lips pressed to my temple and I smiled up at him. "How was work, Roza?"

"Extremely long," I said. He gave me a gentle squeeze, keeping me close to himself.

"It always is," he laughed and pecked my lips. "You are letting our daughter leave campus alone tomorrow? Or do I have an email dictating my new schedule?"

"She'll be okay," I said while I rolled my eyes at him, going to take Annessa's previous spot up on the counter. I'd never understand where she got the habit from. "Besides, Eddie is going."

Dimitri's warm, honey-coated laughter filled the kitchen; it was the kind of sound that made me fall in love with him all over again. "Of course he is."

"Are you questioning the choices of your Captain, Guardian Belikov?" I said, feigning anger as I rose an eyebrow at him playfully.

"Only if she says no to a lunch date with me tomorrow," he slyly answered, kissing my lips with a grin on his.

"Well, I wouldn't want to disappoint one of my colleagues," I smiled and returned his kiss.

Dinner passed by in its nightly fashion with Annessa thrilling us with tales of her encounters involving the vicious Madame Voda, the Academy dance instructor. We ate as a family every evening; it was the one hour a day we all got to be together and enjoy it.

After we'd finished, Annessa and I loaded the dishwasher. It was our tradeoff for Dimitri cooking since he was always home before us. I usually had to stay late at the office and she had dance lessons every evening, so it worked out well; it was a normal routine of our beautifully normal life.

We retired to the living room while Annessa finished up her homework in the study. Dimitri had bought her a special desk to go between ours; it made her feel like a grown up, which was frightening and wonderful at the same time.

I sat on the couch with my husband, curled into his side while his fingers toyed with the loose hair sprawled over my shoulders. My mane was dark now, the color it always should have been, but even I could see the grey hairs appearing once in a while. A part of the job, Alberta had declared; really, it was part of having a daughter.

Annessa, now in pajamas, appeared around nine o'clock to say goodnight.

"Will you help me with my hair tomorrow, Mama?" she said as she squirmed in between Dimitri and me on the sofa.

"Of course, bunny," I smiled, kissing the top of her head. "Off to bed."

"Good night, Papa. Goodnight, Mama." She reached up to peck Dimitri's cheek and then mine, a habit we'd ground into her head since childhood. I was dreading the day she thought herself too old for such silly things but, for now, it only made me love her even more.

"Spokoynoy nochi," Dimitri said and she repeated the words back in near perfect Russian, her face bright as the words rolled off her tongue. He grinned proudly, "Sleep well, zaika."

She scurried off, doing a fancy ballerina twirl as she went down the hallway, and left us to our own nightly routines, ones far less innocent than a peck on the cheek.

The next morning brought on another routine of rushing off to campus; Annessa clamoring about her field trip while I tried to simultaneously pack her lunch, brush my teeth, and tie up my hair all while eating a breakfast bar. It was a circus, to say the least.

We made it and I shooed her onto the departing bus while clinging tightly to my coffee cup. She waved at me from the window before turning and chatting with one of her friends, a Moroi boy from the looks of it. With her dancing, she spent an unusual amount of time with some of the Moroi students but I didn't realize she'd gotten that close to one.

Before I could launch into full mom-mode, Cassie appeared at my side with a file folder and another coffee for me, taking the first nearly empty cup from my hand without a word.

"Good morning, boss. Ready for your first meeting?" she said, a smirk appearing beneath her Guardian mask.

"Let's get this over with, Cassie," I said with a roll of my eyes.

We headed into the administrative building as the school bus drove off campus, filled to capacity with Guardians, students, and teachers to keep the kids in check. They would have fun; going outside the iron gates was a rare opportunity and one that would be much appreciated by the faculty staying behind.

Well, those of us that didn't have four meetings, anyway.