Liberty Jones

Chapter One

Ivan is sitting in his office when he hears the sound of the large oak door swinging on its hinges. He turns, knowing only one person who would disturb him this late in the night.

"It's no use hiding, Ana."

His four year old daughter creeps out from behind the door. "I had a nightmare, and you weren't in your room."

Ivan stands up and moves to pick her up. Once she's securely in his arms, he asks. "What was your nightmare about, little one?"

"I saw daddy as he went to sleep for the last time. It made me really sad."

Ivan nods. "Those dreams make me very sad as well, Ana."

"I know, so I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Ivan chuckles a little. His daughter wakes up sad and scared, and her first thought is to make sure he’s okay. “That was very nice of you. You’re acting like a hero. Your daddy would be proud.”

He carries her back to her room. She’s heavy, but he doesn’t care. Once he’s got her all wrapped up in the quilt Sofia made for her, she asks another question.

“Papa?”

“Da?”

“Do you think daddy is an angel up in the sky, with wings and that he comes down to watch over us?”

Ivan pauses. “I think that he is still here watching over us as an angel, but I don’t think he’d have wings or be up in the sky, little one. Perhaps Arthur has been telling you too many stories again?”

That small pair of violet eyes meets his, and she pulls up a blanket to hide her smile.

“I knew it! What story did he tell you?”

“One about fairies and angels, and a beautiful princess who got rescued by a prince.”

Ivan shakes his head. “Who was your favorite character?”

She pauses, thinking. “The Prince. He reminds me of daddy.”

“If you were in that story, who would you want to be?”

Once again, she paused and thought. Finally she spoke. “The Fairy Queen. She tells the Prince where to find the Princess, but she also tests him on the way to see if he’s a good person, so in a way, she’s also protecting the Princess.”

Ivan smiles. “At least you aren’t the helpless beautiful Princess.”

“No, that part is boring.”

Ivan chuckles again, and then kisses his daughter’s forehead. “Sleep now, my fairy queen.”

“Da, papa.” She replies as he flips off the lights.

Outside, in the hall, a silver shadow stands, waiting.

Ivan nods. They can see each other, though the shadow cannot speak to Ivan.

He is the only one able to see him. Not even General Winter, who can walk through walls, can see him.

He watches the shadow pass through the door, and after a few minutes it emerges from their daughter’s room, looking sad.

“She is growing up fast.”

The shadow nods, and for a second a smile flickers across his face, only to disappear as he realizes he’s just walked through a small statue. His shakes his fist, partially in mock rage, partially frustration due to his current situation.

Texas sits on his face, even as a ghost, and Nantucket looks like it always does.

Ivan opens the door to the room they once shared, and the spirit slips inside, settling down on and under the covers at the same time.

He finally lays down, facing the spirit. It sighs, and reaches out its hand to touch the side of his face. Ivan does the same thing.

He sees the words the spirit mouths to him.

I love you, Vanya.

“I love you too, Fredka.”

Anastasia Liberty Jones had begun to appear as her father had begun to disappear.

Ivan had watched the riots and strikes slice Alfred down to nothing, until he no longer existed. In an almost peaceful silence, he disappeared from the earth as the nations knew it.

But during those last few years, they had found her.

It was obvious the second they saw her that she was supposed to be raised by both of them. Her violet eyes were the same shade as Ivan’s, and her bright, wheat colored curls could only be Alfred’s, especially since she had a cowlick similar to Nantucket at the top of her head.

They each gave her a name. Ivan had chosen Anastasia, and Alfred had chosen Liberty. Since they had found her in Al’s home, they gave her the name Jones.

They could see what her appearance meant, however.

The opening of curtains that was allowing their Ana to exist was shutting the curtains for Alfred.

Al had tried to hide it, and for three years, he had been strong, carting his Ana around,  and smiling every time she ran up to him, yelling “Daddy, daddy, look!”

But finally the strain became too much.

Ivan was simply thankful that Al’s boss had called and told him that there was not much time left. He and Ana got to spend a few last hours with the man they both loved.

The weeks had blurred together after that. Matthew, Sofia, Natalia and others constantly came to check on him and her, bringing food and comfort, and playing with Ana while Ivan handled the affairs of both Russia and the New Republic of Northern America (he prayed they shortened the name, for he could just see Ana tripping over the enunciation).

For now, with the help of Arthur, he managed Ana’s affairs as a nation. She was young, and he did not wish to force her to grow as quickly as her father had.

But at the same time, he could not shelter her forever. It was her nation, after all.

Eventually, she would undoubtedly come running up to him, crying out in pain, and he would see her bleeding, or clutching her chest as the cries of her people tore through her.

But for now, he would keep her safe from that, because she was his little Ana, and he loved her.