Disclaimer: I don't own VA. I do own this plot.

Epilogue

5 years later

I crouched down and wrapped my son in a tight embrace, holding his small body against my own for as long as possible. I was content to stay here forever, memorizing the feeling of his warm body pressed tightly against my chest, hoping that the memory would last me for the next several weeks. My exasperated five-year-old had other plans.

"Mamma," Aleksey groaned, wriggling free of my grasp at last. "People are staring."

They were.

I was content enough to ignore them but my son was much like his father and didn't like to attract unnecessary attention. I didn't mention it now but it was very unlikely that he'd be able to avoid such attention here. Not only were his parents pretty legendary and his own existence still a marvel, but my five-year-old son was strikingly handsome.

He was the kind of kid that you did a double take of when walking down the street. Not that I was bragging or anything.

Okay, I was. A little.

My baby looked like a miniature version of his father and it tripped up my heart every time I looked at him.

Dimitri's large hand came down to cup Aleksey's shoulder before he could go too far.

"Say goodbye to your mamma, Leasha," he admonished gently. "You won't see her for a few weeks and you'll regret not doing so." Much to my chagrin, Dimitri had not informed me when we were choosing Aleksey's name that it did, in fact, have a weird Russian nickname. While I was known to call him Alek on occasion the true nickname for Aleksey was Leasha, which was ridiculous to me but Dimitri had fallen into the habit of calling our son that when he was feeling particularly fond of him.

It was hard not to feel that way today. It was Aleksey's first day at St. Vladimir's. Dimitri and I had debated long and hard on where to send our son for his education. My maternal side had wanted nothing more than my son close at hand and had wanted him to work with tutors at Court. The practical side of me— the part that knew one of the hardest lessons a guardian had to learn was independence and self-reliance—had seen the benefit of allowing him to attend school elsewhere. His life and family was already strange enough for a young dhampir and we wanted to give him some common ground with his would-be peers.

Aleksey had made the final decision when offered the choice between Court, Alder and St. Vlads. He wanted to go where his mother had gone, where his parents had met. I'd agreed partially because our story started there but mostly because Alberta was still Head Guardian on campus and promised to keep me completely apprised of my son's progress. And yeah, I was kind of proud to have my son walking in my footsteps, no matter how much of a bad example they might be.

While my son was like his father in many, many ways he definitely had some Hathaway genes, most prominent of which—even at the young age of five—were sarcasm and a certain proclivity for attracting trouble. He didn't look for opportunities to exercise these genetic gifts but he certainly knew when to use them.

"You behave yourself," I told him, pulling him back towards me and kissing him squarely on the forehead. When he pulled back a step I still managed to keep contact, reaching up to smooth back his dark hair, identical to my own, though cut in a sensible cap of hair that was easily manageable for his age. "Listen to your teachers and work hard."

"But make friends, too," Dimitri added, also coming to crouch at eye level. "Have fun here. You are here to learn but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it."

"I know, Dad," he agreed, giving his father a shy, understanding, smile.

How strange, I thought, that Dimitri and my roles are so reversed. Once upon a time I would have been the one giving Aleksey advice on socializing while Dimitri would have been pushing for good behavior. I guess we were both imparting the best advice we'd ever received from each other.

"I love you, moy mal'chik," he said, also reaching out for a hug and kiss from our increasingly flustered offspring.

Once freed from his fathers grasp Aleksey hastily took a few steps back, looking up at us as we straightened to our full heights. He had to look significantly farther up for his father than me. Aleksey was rather tall for his age. Around us other parents were saying farewell to their children as they moved into the dorms. Dhampir mothers parted ways with their children while further across the courtyard Moroi parents parted ways with their own offspring. Dimitri was a sight to be seen, the only father among the dhampir parents.

Well, almost.

"Come on Aleksey!" Mandy Tanner's unmistakable voice sounded from behind us as she came darting past Dimitri and me and grabbed at Aleksey's hand. "I'll show you around. I have people for you to meet!"

A two-year veteran of St. Vladimir Academy, Mandy was eager to show her younger friend all she had learned. Mikhail came walking up to us at a slower pace, Sonya at his side.

"Behave Mandy," he called out, voice stern. "Don't cause any more trouble for your mother this year!"

"Yes Daddy!" she called, still tugging at my son's hand.

Sonya had resumed her teaching position at St. Vlads when her daughter came of age to attend. Not only did she run a biology club and gardening club here but also she had taken over Ms. Carmack's position as magic teacher. She even had three spirit users under her tutelage, two from Europe and one from Canada who traveled such distances solely to be her students. The resumption of her shining teaching career had been somewhat shadowed by her daughters troublemaking reputation. Mandy had turned out a real hellion, to her parents obvious distress.

Aleksey moved to follow his friend before stopping himself and turning back to us. Try as he might to act caviler in order to blend in with the cool kids he was an affectionate child who was extremely close to the both of us. I could see the excitement on his face but I could also see the nervousness in his eyes. He stared at us for a moment longer before quickly running forward and wrapping his arms around both of our legs, squeezing tightly. "I love you guys," he said into the fabric of my jeans. "I'll see you when Aunt Lissa comes to visit!"

And just like that he was off, running after Mandy to explore his new home. He was brave, too.

I clenched my jaw tightly, fighting back the burn of tears that threatened in my throat and eyes. I was much weaker than my son and didn't know how I would face the world without him waiting for me at home. I'd grown so accustomed to having my little family over the past few years. Each day I would finish my shift with Lissa and stop by the Court daycare to pick up Aleksey before coming home to make dinner and partake in domestic bliss with Dimitri. We'd spend family time with our son before bed and then all crowd into his bedroom where we would squeeze into his twin bed and look ridiculous as we tried not to spill back out. I would hold Aleksey while Dimitri read him a bedtime story. What would I do without that family time now? Without hearing someone calling 'Mom' every five minutes or banging on the bathroom door while I was trying to eek out two minutes of personal time in the shower? What would Dimitri and I do with all of our free time now? I didn't want free time. I wanted my son. I wanted him to rely on me as much as I relied on him. And now? Watching him walk off hand-in-hand with Mandy radiating utter confidence and excitement? It made me both ridiculously proud and sad. I may want Aleksey to rely on me but the fact that he didn't need to meant that I'd done my job as a mother.

Dimitri wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against his chest, holding me tightly.

"He'll be fine," Sonya said from her husbands side. "It's tough the first time but he'll do great here. I'll keep an eye on him."

"Thanks, Sonya," I said pulling my face from Dimitri's chest long enough to flash her a smile.

"We'll be back here in a few weeks," Dimitri reminded me as he released me.

I nodded in agreement. Lissa always made her rounds among the American academies during the first few weeks of the school year. We'd be back here in three weeks. But it would be the longest three weeks of my life.

As Lissa's head guardian I would at least be kept busy over the next few weeks.

"I hope her tour of the academies doesn't take too long this year," Sonya pitched in. "It was already a stretch to get Doctor Gibson to allow her to go for a month. Go over that and she'll drag Her Majesty back to Court kicking and screaming."

I chuckled, easily able to picture this scenario. Lissa was five months pregnant with her first child, a girl she intended to name Rhea after her mother. She and Christian had been married almost four years before finally deciding to have children. They had both wanted to establish their careers before taking such a big step and it had paid off. Even with the two of them fully invested in their newborn daughter neither the Moroi political world nor Christian's combat magic initiative would suffer.

I glanced down at my own hand, watching the ring on my finger catch in the lights blazing from the school around us. Dimitri and I had gotten married a few months after Lissa had, waiting for the buzz of the royal wedding to subside before having our own private ceremony for family and close friends. I'd officially been a Belikova woman for three years and I had loved every minute of it.

Life wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. After Marlen and Ambrose were no longer in our lives Strigoi didn't target us specifically but they were still a problem in our life. Their numbers continued to rise despite targeted offensive strikes taken against them by guardians and Moroi alike. I had no doubt that once my prime was past my son and his peers would take up the fight and the thought terrified me. But even at five I could see the fire that burned in Aleksey. He heard stories and knew the truth of our lifestyle. He wanted to be like his parents, wanted to protect people like his Aunt Lissa and Uncle Christian. He wanted to make a difference in the world. He'd have his chance. I was just glad I had a few more years to come to grips with that.

"Come on, Roza," Dimitri said as he looped an arm around my waist and urged me to turn back the way we'd come. "He'll be fine. We should get going."

I took a deep breath and stared at the doorway my son had disappeared through for a moment longer before turning around and allowing my husband to guide me away.

"Okay but I'm calling him when we get home," I warned. "I want to hear from him every night. You know he won't brush his teeth without being told to."

"You mother him to much, Roza," Dimitri chuckled.

"I'm his mother," I stressed. "That's my job."

"And a fine job you do of it," he assured me.

A/N: And that concludes Only Him! Thank you all for sticking with me on this journey! Its been an incredible experience and I've valued every bit of feedback that you've given me.