Revelations.
Laya'sPOV
"Mom?" I asked my famous mother, Guardian Rose Hathaway, after she stepped off the plane. She'd been back for three minutes and it was like she'd never been away.
"Yes, baby girl?"
"Mom!" I groaned. "I'm fourteen, I'm not a baby."
"You'll always be my baby, my miracle."
"I know Mom, I know," I sighed. "Does Dad know yet?"
"No. He doesn't."
"Mom. It's been nearly fifteen years. You still love him. I've seen the way he looks at you, he clearly regrets leaving, he misses you, he still loves you," I sighed again. "You're both being childish. Do you have any idea what I put up with in training with him?" My unsuspecting father was my mentor. Had been since I was eight. It was always 'your mother' this, 'Rose' that, 'so like your mother' and 'what's she done now'.
"Enlighten me," she smirked as we walked to the gym.
"Well..." and I told her.
"My god! He really is being childish!" she laughed.
"Says the one who only gets along with him for my sake!" I teased and punched her playfully.
"Hey! Not cool Laya! So not cool." She shook her head as we walked into the gym.
"You know it's true." I smirked at her.
"Laya Hathaway!" My parents chastised in unison, and I laughed. Childish unsuspecting father and knowing mother still got that synchronicity they were famous for, the one only soulmate's have.
"I get it you two," I turned to face my father, "drop the attitude."
"Comrade! You know chastising her is my job."
"Hilarious Hathaway," Dimitri shook his head. "You do realise I've mentored her for six years, right?"
"And achieved an attitude adjustment as successful as six months with me," Mom retorted. I couldn't agree more.
"Guys! I really don't need to see you reliving your glory days!"
"Rose?" Dimitri asked Mom cautiously. Even I could hear the 'what and how much does she know of 'us''.
"Yes Dimitri?" Oh, Mom! Stop playing games.
"Stop being childish Mom. I know you know what he's asking. I shook my head and sighed in exasperation.
"Laya," she sighed. "Fine." She turned to a curious and wary Dimitri. "She knows everything."
"Everything?!" Dimitri exclaimed in dismay. "Rose, she's a child. Seriously? You told her about our history?"
"Dimitri," I sighed. "It's not like you hide it anymore."
"She's right. I do see how you look at me, I notice how you interact with me. You still see right through me." Ugh. Mushy, melted, and gooey. Why was I encouraging them?
"It's not like you don't reminisce in training, compare the two of us. I know you wish I was your daughter." I still didn't get how he could be so oblivious when it was staring him in the face and had been for years.
"Laya!" Mom snapped at me.
"He needs to know Mom. You know he does," I replied evenly, channelling my inherited control, well, sorta control. Even I knew Dimitri's control was only a tad better than Mom's. And they had no control when left alone together, I existed for a reason.
"What's going on you two? What do I need to know?" he looked me between us, completely lost. "Roza?" And finally! It's about time that nickname for her returned to common usage. "Laya?"
"No. Laya, please. You know he's going to shoot me." Mom was pleading. Not working this time Mom. I'll snap you this time, and you know it.
"No. Mom. He should have known six years ago- more like fifteen."
"You are as stubborn as me and as resolute as him." Damn straight! I was. She shook her head.
"Damn straight! Please Mom. Let me tell him, you've dragged this on too long."
"You're just like me- always get your way. Fine, go ahead. Tell him how I bent basic biology rules." About time.
"Thank you. Thank you, Mom." I turned to my dad. "Dad?" I wasn't dragging it out. Yet. Mom laughed at my bluntness. And his expression.
"Oh Dimitri! Your face. I haven't seen that since the ghosts."
"Roza? Is it true? Is she the result if the cabin?"
"She's been right under your nose for six years and you never, once even, suspected? You know her birthday and my private nature- how did you not suspect, dig, investigate?" Mom was in hysterics and highly amused by Dad's failure to suspect or investigate. Even I was grinning because I was that entertained by their antics.
"Really Dad? You've had me under your wing for six years and not once did anything strike you as fishy? Did you seriously write off my skills and stuff off as being my mom's daughter?" I shook my head and laughed. "Not even my name?"
"What are you getting at Laya?" Dad asked.
"I think you mean Mi'Laya, Dad."
"Rose?"
"Yeah, cheesy. I couldn't help it. It's M-I-apostrophe-L-A-Y-A. It's as much short for Miracle Laya as it is an edited edition of the Russian term of endearment- 'sweet'." Mom explained to a bug eyed Dad.
"Do I want to know her middle name?" Dad asked cautiously.
"Hmm, Laya?" Mom asked me.
"Yeah. Tell him." I was grinning like a Cheshire Cat. "It's cute."
"Roza?" Dad asked Mom and we laughed. "What?"
"Dad. What did you expect my marvellous mother to do for my middle name? There is a pattern," I chuckled as I raised a brow at him.
"You can't mean you're 'Mi'Laya Roza Hathaway'?"
"Nope."
"Then-"
"Mi'Laya Roza Belikova Hathaway."
"Say what?!" Dad exclaimed I shock.
"Mi'Laya Roza Belikova Hathaway," I repeated and Mom and I broke into giggles at Dad's horrified expression as it registered.
"It's on her birth certificate too," Mom added and Dad paled.
"Oh Dad!" I gave an exaggerated groan.
"Then how am I not in jail?" Dad asked Mom.
"'Cause I was over sixteen and you weren't registered as a teacher. You, my loveable Russian battle-god, brought that restriction on yourself. In taking on extra time with me, you put yourself into that mindset. You may have been my mentor, but you weren't a teacher. You were never seen that way."
"If I remember rightly, that wasn't the main reason Rose."
"Hmm. Says the one who took months to come up with the idea of being reassigned, and blew hot-and-cold on insulting my age in the meantime. Dad flinched at the last part. I knew that had been a sore point for both of them back then.
"And hurt you way too many times." Dad turned sombre, with regret clear on his face.
"I'm not going to deny it Dimitri," okay, did I not exist? "You did hurt me. Time and again."
"Ugh. If you're going to do this reconciliation- whatever- thing, get a room," I whined.
"Sorry Laya," Mom and Dad said in unison.
"You're forgiven Mom," I turned to face Dad, "you too Dad."
"I don't know if I'm going to get used to that Laya." He shook his head and I laughed.
"You're stuck with me for another four years! You'll adapt, Dad."
"I can't believe you've been under my nose for six years and I didn't realise. You're hight, speed and strength give it away- as does your hair and eye colour."
"I look a lot like you, it's true, Dad."
"And have both temperaments."
"Ya don't say!" I laughed and my parents joined in.
"Get here, baby girl!" Dad smiled and opened his arms. I grinned and ran at him excitedly and bounded into his arms.
"Daddy!" I squealed and kissed his cheek.
"Laya Belikov!" He kissed my cheek and I giggled before he put me down.
"Laya- you were right. As always!" Mom laughed.
"Of course, Mom." I was still in Dad's arms. "Are you ever going to release me Dad?" I teased.
"Hmm?"
"Dad!" I smirked.
"Fine." He gave in and released me.
"Thank you."
"God. Trainings are going to get interesting," Dad mused.
"They were never boring! Just painful listening to my unsuspecting father lament over not having my mom or being able to give her a family." I shook my head.
"Sorry about that Laya." He ruffled my hair and I squirmed. Causing both parents to laugh. "I still can't get how blind I've been," Dad sighed and shook his head.
"Are we training tonight?" I asked. Not an obvious subject change at all, Laya!
"Yes. Roza? Want to join?" Dad pouted at Mom. God. Don't need to see their glory days return.
"No. You know she doesn't need to see us defile the gym all over again." I seriously didn't.
"Really Roza? Really?"
"You know it'll happen!" Mom playfully shot back.
"Screw you!" Dad teased and I inwardly cringed.
"We've covered that! And got evidence- staring right at us." I'd had enough. The tension was damn palpable.
"Guys! Just get it over with- kiss and make-up," and make-out, "already. Dad- I'll be running." I turned and beelined for the track. I didn't need to see my parents go all mushy and lovey-dovey.
It felt so weird, Dad actually knowing. I was glad he finally knew, but, it made it feel different. He was now my dad teaching his daughter- sharing his knowledge. Not my mentor who happened to be my unsuspecting father.
DPOV
Seriously?! Laya was mine, and I couldn't wrap my head around it. Six years, I had been training my daughter for six years and never suspected. Roza was right- how I hadn't connected the dots when I knew her so well was rather ironic. I could see how my two girls could laugh at that. Laya kicked her butt to the track and I turned to my Roza.
"Oh Roza. I'm so sorry I left you to raise her alone. I'm sorry I left at all." I pulled her to me and I tipped her chin up. "I never stopped living you. And oh boy didn't my daughter know it.
"Oh Dimitri." Rose's eyes were glistening. "She was right. We've been so childish. I'm sorry I kept her from you for so long."
I kissed her forehead. "It wasn't that long. Not really. I've had her for 6 years. And I have her for another 4."
"How do you do that, Dimitri? Always know what I need to hear?"
"Because I'm your soul mate," I whispered huskily in her ear, causing her to shiver.
"Ju-" I cut her off with a kiss. Fifteen years and the power was still there; the power, the love, the passion, and now a need and urgency. I pulled her into the store room and locked the door- our daughter was not walking in on this.
Our clothes came off and it was like coming home.
"I love you Roza, so, so much."
"I love you too, Dimitri. I love you so much it hurts."
"Oh, my Roza. I missed you."
"I missed you too."