Anything for Her - Complete

Chapter 21

"Belikov. You better have been taking good care of our girls?" Abe reached out to shake Dimitri's hand. Abe and Pavel had just arrived at the restaurant in Sioux Falls where they'd arranged to meet. It was early evening, but Rose and Dimitri had driven up in the morning, spending the day shopping at Target and getting measurements taken for new blinds for the RV.

"I've been doing my best," Dimitri replied warily. Over the years he and Abe had developed an understanding, but Abe's usual, casual demeanor was demonstrably absent right now.

"Try harder. The way I see it, you still have some groveling to do."

Dimitri nodded. He'd expected a lot worse from Abe. Even though Rose had glossed over the issue when she'd spoken with her father, Dimitri wasn't stupid enough to believe Abe would remain ignorant of his reaction and behavior when he'd first seen Lara. And Abe was right. Dimitri still had a lot to atone for.

"So, where are they?" Abe asked looking around.

"They're freshening up," Dimitri explained. Moments later Rose returned to the table carrying a freshly diapered Lara. Rose had insisted their girl looked her best when she met her grandpa, so had purchased a sweet pink floral outfit and matching headband for the occasion.

"Baba!" Rose exclaimed enthusiastically, as Abe wrapped his arms around them both. "I've missed you!"

"I've missed you too," Abe replied. "Now how about you show me this little beauty? Hello, Lara, I'm your büyükbaba!" Rose passed Lara to Abe before hugging Pavel. Then the four adults took their seats, Abe talking and cooing to Lara in English, Russian and Turkish the whole time.

"I can see her Majesty in her," he admitted quietly. "What about the father? Any ideas there?"

"Yes. We know who he is, and he knows about Lara. She's with us with his blessing," Rose explained.

"And the registration of her birth?" Abe asked, his shrewd eyes glinting as he ran every possibility through his head.

"She's registered as ours," Rose replied with a frown. "Dimitri's and mine. Why?"

"It makes your case stronger if her Majesty were to try and claim her later on and take custody."

"You don't think she'd do that, do you?" Dimitri asked in alarm.

"After what's happened, I wouldn't put anything past her," Abe said, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "You're in touch with the father?"

"We can be," Rose replied evasively.

"Then make sure you get a DNA test proving he is a biological parent, then get a custody agreement signed off by him. Just as a precaution. I can have something drawn up if you'd like?"

"Yes please, Baba. I don't think Lissa will come for her; she made a point of not even looking at Lara once she was born. As far as she is concerned, having a Dhampir child is shameful. But if you think it will help protect Lara, we'll do it."

"Lara's part of our family, now. My first grandchild. I'm not going to let anyone take her away from you," Abe vowed cuddling the infant against his chest. As Rose had anticipated, her decision to make Lara hers had made Lara Abe's, too. "Speaking of family, I had a conversation with your mother."

"Here we go," Rose muttered under her breath, calming slightly when Dimitri stroked her outer thigh. Abe was continually trying to broker peace between his daughter and her mother.

"Janine now understands you and Dimitri have adopted Lara and the rumors from Court about you cheating on Dimitri were wildly inaccurate. She asked me to let you know she's sorry she jumped to conclusions and would welcome a call to hear more about Lara."