Into the Ether - Complete

Autumn, Reaping What We've Sown: Part 4

"Stop fussing, milaya," I begged. It was 8 am Christmas morning, and Rose was flitting from room to room, adjusting the drapes, fluffing cushions, switching on lamps and insisting I add logs to the fireplace in the formal lounge, so we had a roaring fire.

"I'll just check the bathroom is clean," she said bouncing up the stairs and into the bathroom, surveying it critically – almost annoyed to find it immaculate.

"Comrade? Have you shoveled and sanded the front walk?" she asked.

"The Guardians did it at sun-up, but I'll check it now," I said before the dark look that crossed her face had a chance to make it as far as her lips.

"Sweep the snow from the edge of the deck too, please?" she instructed, not seeing I'd already picked up the broom to do precisely that.

It was almost comical seeing how stressed Rose was about Lissa coming to see our little home for the first time. Rose had never been the showy type, but then I suppose she'd never had a home of her own. I know she was very proud of the house I'd built for her; she'd been thorough getting things ready for Celeste, Art and Alberta's arrival. But something about Lissa's imminent appearance had turned her into Martha Stewart on crack!

I'd just finished sweeping the errant snowflakes that had ill-advisedly decided to besmirch the pristine timbers of the front porch with their crystalline presence and was adjusting the cushions and throw on the porch swing into a more aesthetically pleasing display when the miniature speaker pinned to my collar chirped into life.

"Commander Belikov? I have Guardians Hathaway Senior, Castile, Ashford, Lord Christian Ozera and Princess Dragomir at the entryway. Permission to proceed?" The Guardians knew the legendary Janine Hathaway, as well as Christian and Lissa, were attending today, so they were at their most formal. Something about Rose's mother scared the shit out of them. I could kind of see their point...

"Granted. Send them down to the cottage please, and advise the main house our guests have arrived," I instructed, ducking back inside to closet the broom and tell Roza her wait was over and our guests had arrived. Alberta shot me an amused glance over her coffee cup, not incognizant to Rose's visitor-induced panic.

From the front windows, I could see a Court SUV pull up alongside Art's outside the workshop. Eddie and Mason were in casual clothes yet still on duty, carefully checking around the vehicle before exiting and opening the rear doors for Lissa and Christian to exit, followed by Janine. As Commander of the property, I approached to do the formal handover. Speaking into my lapel microphone, I called for four of the on-duty Guardians to attend.

"Ashford, Castile, Hathaway Senior," I greeted, smirking a little internally at the surprised start Janine gave when she was addressed as 'Senior.' Technically it was the correct address, however as Rose hadn't begun working as a Guardian, everyone was still addressing Janine as Guardian Hathaway.

I ran them through the security measures in place, outlined the emergency plans in case of attack, and introduced them to part of the security detail - explaining that in addition to those on duty, there were a large number of Guardians on site, including Pavel, Rose, Alberta, Art, Celeste and myself who were off duty today.

"There's twenty-one Guardians, three Moroi, two feeders and the baby. The property is warded - your charges are in good hands, guys; stand down," I said, seeing Mason and Eddie relax their stance. "Janine, lovely to see you again," I said, leaning down to give my diminutive mother-in-law a kiss on the cheek.

"Belikov... I mean Dimitri," she acknowledged, quickly correcting herself when I raised an eyebrow at her. If her relationship with Rose was confusing, then I don't even know how to describe ours. Civil but not yet friendly, it was safest to say we had mixed feelings about the other.