Storm Season (VA Fanfic)

One: Homecoming

RPOV
"Mom!" I squealed in shock when I opened the door to my Court apartment I shared with Dimitri. James was cradled in my arms, finally we'd been allowed to bring him home, just in time for the Academies to restart for the new school year. And Lissa only had a fortnight until she stole Dimitri and ran away to Lehigh for two and a half months. They wouldn't even be back for midsemester break.
"Well? Aren't you going to hand over my grandson?" she smiled. Janine Hathaway actually smiled and made a demand in a playful, joking manner. Stunned and confused, I handed James over. He was still asleep as Mom cradled him delicately to her chest.
"Guardian Hathaway?" Dimitri said with a slightly cool edge. I glared at him and nodded to the bags then to James' nursery. His brown eyes glared protectively and unhappily at where James lay in Mom's arms.
"Oh, for heaven's sake," I groaned and pulled Dimitri away. Janine Hathaway let an amused look cross her face and a chuckle escape her lips before she started cooing over James. Unbelievable.
"Rose, I don't trust her." Thank you, Captain Obvious! Dimitri's eyes pleaded with me to kick her out. I rolled my eyes.
"Neither do I," I agreed, "but," Dimitri flinched and set his jaw, bracing himself for my ultimatum, "she's here and she's acting nothing like her guardian self. She's still James' grandmother and deserves a chance to redeem herself. You wouldn't want James keeping me away from his child, would you?" I had him cornered, and his eyes showed he knew it, and knew I knew it.
"No," he slowly said, "but Rose..." Weakest argument ever to have come from his mouth.
"She should be on the other side of the world right now," I sharply cut him off. "We should at least let her explain."
"Must you know what buttons of mine to push?" Dimitri whined playfully as he reluctantly agreed. We proceeded to return to Mom and James in the living-kitchen-dining area.

We sat on the love-seat opposite to the one she was sitting in while nursing James. She looked up at us. "I know I didn't tell you," she started awkwardly, "but I wanted this to be a fresh start for us all." Her eyes flicked between us uncertainly, almost nervously.
I smiled reservedly. "That would be nice," I conceded. Beside me Dimitri's hand on my knee tightened noticeably and his whole body stiffened. God, that man was going to drive me mad sometime, soon likely. His over-protectiveness of James was one thing, but of me as well was annoying as hell right now. I smacked his hand away. "So Mom, why and what are you doing here?"
She stroked James' cheek tenderly, her face was just as soft. "I'm here to help you... well, as much as I possibly can. I wasn't ready for you, Rose, and I'm not ready to be a grandmother, but I won't abandon you any longer. Just like you and Dimitri here found an assignment arrangement, I've been reassigned to Court as well."
"You did what?" My jaw dropped and Dimitri stared in surprise.
"I got myself reassigned to Court- handed in my resignation the moment you sent that text through with the picture of such a vulnerable James." Talk about life throwing curveballs at you. That came completely out of left field. I never thought the great Janine Hathaway would give up her personal charge to be around family, didn't think the woman had it in her to even think about her having a family in the first place let alone make sacrifices for it like the ones Dimitri and I were.
"We can cope," snapped Dimitri. I glared at him again.
"Dimitri Belikov," I hissed. He stared at me in shock. I hardly- if ever- got so forceful with him. "You may know how to cope alone but I don't! I'm struggling with you here, and Eddie, Mason and Christian are all off to Lehigh with you and Lissa in a fortnight. For Two. And. A. Half. Months! Even Mia's got a job so will hardly be able to come help."
Dimitri's face turned understanding and compassionate. I felt myself relaxing just a tiny bit. Damn! What he does to me!
"Do you want me to put James in his cot and leave?" asked Mom.
"No!" I cried. "Absolutely not. Well, if you wouldn't mind putting James down that'd be great, just stay, please?" I never thought the day would come where I begged my mother to help raise my own son or daughter... and if I let Dimitri have his way, I'll likely be getting her help (whatever that may mean) with both a son and a daughter. Or perhaps even multiple of both... God help me.
Mom smiled and nodded before doing as asked. "Sure."

"Roza..." Dimitri began cautiously.
"Yeah?" Worry and suspicion coursed through me, making my heart speed up and my throat tighten.
"My own mother will be here in a week," he admitted almost sheepishly, looking slightly guilty. The look was a turn on, but the topic meant I barely registered it as my jaw dropped.
"What? Why?"
"She wanted to meet you and James..."
"What aren't you telling me?" I demanded, sensing there was more by the way he uncharacteristically trailed off.
"She's staying for a year?"
"What?" I squeaked.
How was I meant to impress the woman who'd moulded my Dimitri into the loving, family man of a guardian he is? I was nothing more than a novice who'd impossibly, recklessly fallen in love with her mentor and had his baby, even though I knew nothing about children... I was terrified by them. Until now, since I had my own one I loved to bits and stressed over constantly.
"We can't take James to her, so she's coming to us." He always had to make everything sound so damn obvious and logical. It seriously got on my nerves.
"How am I meant to match up to her? I couldn't even keep him healthy while pregnant with him." Tears stung in my eyes as the guilt washed over me.
Dimitri shook his head. "She'll love you regardless. She already loves you because I do, because you love me and gave her another grandson."
That reassured me a little. "Belikov boys are rare, aren't they?" I teased.
"Yeah, we are," he laughed with me.