Returning Home: Baia Bound (a Vampire Academy Fanfic)

Baia bound

Kirova was shocked. To say the least.
"Rose? Why? After everything?"
"I have to. I need to."
"Again, why?"
"That's personal, and private."
"I'm going with her, Headmistress," Dimitri added.
"Belikov? You would abandon your post? Your Moroi? Deny your duty?"
"Yes. I would. I am."
"Why?"
"I'm going home."
"You're taking Rose to Russia?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
I swear this was conversation was becoming more of a Ping pong match than when he argued for me to stay. Except the tone from, and attitude of, Kirova was the reverse. After wanting to kick me out for so long I was now going. And she didn't want it. Thanks to Spokane, the attack and rescue she wanted me on campus until grad. She also couldn't fathom she the one who was so adamant I stay was now the one so adamant to take me away. "Ugh. Fine," I jumped in. "I'm pregnant."
"My family will get along with Rose and take her in."
"Just as you did. I know what family means to you, Belikov. Fine." She signed my release forms and the admin officer made a copy. "Belikov?"
"Yes, Headmistress ?"
"Look after her. You've fought so hard to get her in line, up to scratch and to excel. I can see she means a lot to you, that you connect with her on a level no one here has ever been able to achieve."
"I will."
"Go pack and get out of here. I'll have a jet ready to fly you directly to Novosibirsk. Be at the airstrip in two hours."
"Thank you, Kirova," I replied.
"Yes. Thank you, Headmistress."

We were at the Academy airstrip in under two hours. Alberta was waiting for us. As was Stan, Emil, Yuri, and Celeste. "It's happening, isn't it? You're going to Baia, abandoning 'they come first' for each other," Alberta said wistfully.
"Of course they are!" Yuri and Emil laughed.
Stan was next. "Never thought I'd say this Hathaway, but I'm gonna miss your attitude. Oh, and Belikov? I'm not surprised in the least."
"Protect her Belikov. At all costs, no matter what. What you two have is incredibly rare. Most humans and Moroi search their whole lives, often not finding it, and you two stumbled into it. And foolishly fought it." Celeste was absolutely serious.
"She's right Belikov. Fighting it was incredibly foolish, you had to know how rare your connection is- even more so between our kind. Protect her, at all costs, protect her- even from herself," Alberta added.
"I will. I swear. I won't make that mistake again. I know how much she needs me."
"Good. Now get on that plane. Baia and the Belikova's await."
"'Bye guys!" they all sang as we waved from the door to the plane's cabin.

"Roza?" Dimitri asked after we had taken off."
"Hmm?"
"We're in for a ten-hour-direct flight, then a fifteen-hour-straight drive."
"Then we need to sleep," I guessed.
"Yes. We do. It's amazing how quickly our life has changed."
"It most certainly is. Tell me more about your family."
"Well, my mom- Olena- is amazing. She's so tender and caring..." He told me everything he knew and I took it all in.
"You're right. I will fit in."
"You will, you most certainly will, my love."
"It'll be good to relax, for once."
"Yes, it will be."
"I love you, Dimitri."
"I love you too, my Roza. And Bubba." I grinned at the mention of our baby. We ate dinner on the plane, then slept for the remainder of the flight.

"Roza? Honey? We're here. Welcome to Russia, milaya," Dimitri gently woke me.
"Hey," I smiled as I stretched my limbs.
"I have a call to make. I have a contact lined up to take us out to Baia, but need to see if he's here yet."
"All good, Comrade."

DPOV
"Zmey?"
"Belikov."
"You near the airstrip yet?"
"Five minutes away."
"Good. See you then."
"Belikov?"
"Yes?"
"Who else are we taking to Baia?"
"Rose. Rose Hathaway."
"Who?" What on earth? Zmey caught off-guard? He chose that moment to step out of the seven-seater SUV, which had just parked in front of me. "Who?" He repeated as we ended our cell call.
"Rosemarie Hathaway," I hated saying her full name as much as she hated hearing it. Even "Rose" frequently felt too stilted, too formal. And that was when it suddenly clicked. Oh shit! Zmey had a daughter apparently. One who just happened to be my Roza. Oh boy! I'd just joined the familial league of Abe Mazur. How had I never suspected? Looks, attitude, logic. They all lined up perfectly with his. He didn't miss my reaction, either.
"You look like you've seen a ghost." Ouch! Was it that bad? I had now come to terms with my Roza seeing ghosts, so the mention of them made me flinch.
"Zmey. Don't use the word 'ghost' around either Roza or me. Especially that phrase. She actually does see them. It's especially painful for her outside the wards." Sadly enough I knew only too well how much it hurt her when she was outside the wards.
"'Roza'? Belikov?" Oops.
"Yes. Roza. My Roza."
"Yours?"
"Zmey!" I almost growled in warning. He was pushing it.
"Explain. I know she's your student. So, what makes her 'your Roza'?"
I sighed before letting out a "Lyubov moya." It was Russian for 'my love'.
"Surely not."
"Yes. She is my love, my girlfriend, my soulmate." I'd broken all the rules anyway.
"You know what I'm capable of. So, standard threats apply- double time." Not surprised. "Now. Time for me to meet my daughter."
"Of course." I returned to the plane's cabin, and found my other half asleep. Of course. But god! She was beautiful. She was always beautiful, but looking that peaceful- and with the start of the pregnancy glow- made her even more stunning. I smiled adoringly at my sleeping girlfriend. I wasn't game to wake her again, only to risk a bout of morning sickness. So, ever-so-carefully, I picked her up and carried her out like a sleeping baby on my hip.
"Seriously? She's asleep?" Abe enquired.
"She's had a long day."
"Hmm?"
"Try a three-almost four- hour bout of morning sickness." I was so in for it. I'd made Rose a teen Mom and taken her graduation and guardian career from her. When all society thought I was meant to be was her teacher, her trainer, her mentor, and when it wasn't supposed to be possible. Oh well. He was going to find out anyway, so it was better to hear it from us.
"What?!" he screeched.
"She's pregnant. And we only just found out."
"Being her, it's somehow yours?"
"Ours," I corrected. "Yes. Our child and our family."
"So, you're taking her- and them- out of the public eye." It was a statement, but I felt the need to confirm it.
"Basically."
"Good move, Belikov."
"Thank you."
"Let's get you two-three, god that's weird- home. Your stuff's in the SUV already.
"Let's go." I loaded Rose in and sat next to her. When I wrapped my duster around her I was reminded of the Missoula trip. Back when we were first falling in love. Our lives, and life (as in singular because of our partnership), had spun in a hundred different directions since then. And a million different twists and turns had come our way since Portland. And just like on the way home from that Missoula trip, I fell asleep in the back of an SUV with Rose. But this time, this time, we were legal. We were both full adults, ones free of all constricting roles.