Into the Ether - Complete

Spring, When New Things Grow: Part 17

"Right. Well. Can I see you in my office now?" Alberta replied in a cool tone of voice, "you too, Hathaway."

I gave Dimitri an apologetic look.

"I think we're in trouble, Comrade!" I whispered.

"I think you're right," he laughed, defiantly wrapping his arms around my waist and leaning up to kiss me as I stood in front of where he was still seated. Standing up and grabbing his bag, he took my hand in his, and we followed Alberta from the cafeteria. At the Guardian table in the corner, I could see Celeste grinning like a loon, talking animatedly to a kindly looking Alto.

I walked the whole way to Alberta's office almost in a dream. I kept looking up at Dimitri in disbelief. He was here! After all my wishing and wanting he was here with me!

Alberta was looking far from happy, but I was prepared to listen to any amount of scolding with my man by my side. As soon as her office door closed, though, Alberta turned to us grinning.

"Dimitri – it's wonderful to have you back," she said, reaching across and hugging him. "But I wish you two hadn't put on a show for the whole cafeteria to see. I can't be seen to know and approve of a relationship between a Guardian and a student," she sighed wearily but still with a smile. "Take a seat."

Dimitri sat on the sofa, opening his arms for me to sit in his embrace. I lowered myself beside him, nuzzling against his chest and looking up at him shyly. His arms closed around me, and we both smiled in satisfaction.

"So what do you know about what's gone on while you're away?" she asked Dimitri warily.

"I know about our baby if that's what you're asking," he said, leaning forward and kissing me again. "And while I know the timing isn't great, I'm still over the moon," he said looking at me tenderly. We smiled at one another making quiet promises to one another with our eyes. Together we would make this work.

"So tell me everything you can," Alberta said.

"I'll be brief," he said, "I've only had a few hours sleep in the last three days, and I'm exhausted. Also, most of this needs to stay confidential – I haven't even reported to Court yet. I was based in Novosibirsk, Russia. I was in a cell of six from just after Christmas. On February 10 our cell was attacked, and the Strigoi army took another Guardian and me. The other four from our cell were killed. When I got to the army stronghold at an old manor house outside Novosibirsk, I knew the head of their army. It was a former teacher of mine from St. Basil's. She gave me a choice – be turned or be killed. There was a big meeting of her army scheduled for yesterday and the day before, and I was to be awakened then in a ceremony. But I blew up part of the manor and set the rest on fire during daylight. I believe I killed all the Strigoi inside."

"How many?" I gasped, looking at my man in shock.

"I couldn't say exactly, but around a thousand."

"You killed a thousand Strigoi?!" I blurted out.

"You told me to do whatever it took to make it back to you," he said, trying to look playful but just looking tired. "I took one of their cars and drove the six hours to my family's house in Baia. By the time I got there, and everyone stopped freaking out that I was alive, it was the middle of the night, and I didn't want to wake you. I checked my e-mails, and got your most recent one and found out about the baby. It turns out Sonya deleted your message from the machine, so no one else had heard it. Mama is furious with her, by the way, and asked me to tell you how thrilled she is. She's sent me with some baby clothes she thought you might like. They were mine when I was a baby, and she kept them in case I was a Papa one day," he admitted sheepishly.