Chapter 31

"Then we both realized how awkward it was and backed away fast. There, happy? I told you!" Dimitri laughed as we danced.

I was doing my best not to laugh, "Awwww, see it wasn't that bad. It could have been worse."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"How."

"It could have been Sophie."

We both started laughing uncontrollably, "Your bad!" he laughed.

"What? I am not!" I said sarcastically.

"Don't worry, I still love you!"

"Good! I was beginning to worry!" I joked.

The song ended.

"I think it's time to cut the cake."

"Really? How can you tell?" I asked looking up at him.

"Well. Using my wonderful investigative skills I have come to that conclusion."

"English, conman!"

"Vlad's been inching closer and closer to the cake for the last hour and you're gonna have a heart attack if you don't get to eat it soon."

"You! I—, how do you know what I want when I want it?"

He gave me that conman smile of his and said, "I make it my business to know."

"Ha-ha! Never heard that one before!" I laughed remembering the day on the train with him and Vlad when we were arguing.

"See! Told you!" He said as we saw Sophie signaling for us to come over. Grandmama was holding Abby. Dimitri ran up and took Abby into his arms.

"Dimitri, it's time to cut the cake, so give her back to Marie and then—"

"Sophie?"

"Yes."

"Who's wedding is this?"

"Anya and yours."

"And whose child is this?"

"Anya and yours."

"Exactly… now let's get to that cake!"

Sophie was left speechless, no one ever stood up to her so she was shocked.

Everyone had already gone to stand near the table with the cake so we headed over.

"That was… brave." I laughed looking back at the still shocked Sophie.

"I try," He responded trying to sound manlier.

"Seriously thank you. I wanted to do that for weeks," I laughed.

"I could tell. Besides, Abby is part of our little family so she should be involved as much as possible.

"Awwww, you're so sweet!" I said hugging him and Abby.

"Once again, I try."

We then reached the cake; Grandmama and Vlad had given up on Sophie and walked ahead to the table to tell us what to do.

"Okay here is the knife and the two of you each use a hand on it to cut the first piece, easy as that," Vlad explained.

"Ready?" Dimitri said looking at me.

"Dimitri it's a huge cake with at least an inch of icing of it not counting the icing decorations, of course!"

We both laughed as we picked up the knife, "Ready Abby?" Dimitri said looking down at her in his arms. She gave out a little yawn. "I'll take that as a yes!" he joked.

We slowly cut out a piece as everyone cheered and we put the piece on a plate.

"Aww forget forget forks!" Dimitri joked taking a piece of the piece of cake.

"Couldn't have said it better myself!" I joked back doing the same.

We then put the bits in each other's mouths, "Geeze! You trying to kill me already?" I joked with cake in my mouth, it was a huge bite!"

"No! But you did the same thing!" he laughed with cake in his mouth, "Wait! How could I forget?" he exclaimed reaching down to the plate and taking a tiny piece off it.

"Open up Abby!" he said feeding her the small piece, she loved it!

"Awwwww!" I said putting my hands on my mouth, "Please tell me someone got a picture of that!" I said looking around.

The photographer gave me a thumb up, "Thank you! That's going on the mantel!" I laughed.

Then everyone started eating the cake as we went and sat down at our table with Grandmama, Vlad, and Sophie who had finally came back to us.

"I'm stuffed!" I said finishing my cake, "I don't know what was better; the cake or the food!"

"I do! I'm gonna go get more cake!" Dimitri said as I took Abby from him and he headed to get another piece.

We all laughed, "Awww, somebody's getting tired," I said looking down as Abby as she yawned again, she had been so good today, barely any fussing!

"She's had a big day!" Sophie joked.

"What did Dimitri do when he found out you invited Edward and his family?" Vlad asked almost worried.

"He actually took it better than I thought he would."

"That's good, so he isn't mad?"

"Not that I know of. He was shocked at first but after a minute he was fine."

"I was worried he would panic and say something he didn't mean to them or tell them to leave."

"Tell who to leave?" Dimitri said coming back to the table.

We all sort of looked at each other for a moment, "Edward… and his family," Grandmama said slowly.

"Oh no I would never do that. Even if he is my stepbrother he's still my half brother so he's family," Dimitri said sitting down and putting his arm around me as he quoted me. I smiled, he winked.

"What was that?" Sophie teased.

"What was what?" Dimitri asked.

"That little wink there."

"Oh nothing, just had something in my eye."

"Of course you did!"

Dimitri then began eating his piece of cake, we all laughed and told stories of earlier that mourning and how "fun" it had been getting ready.

When Dimitri finished his cake he stood up, "I'll be right back," he said putting his hand on my shoulder.

"Okay, where ya going?" I asked quietly.

"…There's something I need to go take care of…" he said smiling, I knew what he meant. He walked away.

"Dimitri?" I said stopping him.

"Yes," he turned around.

"Don't worry!" I smiled.

He smiled and then continued walking.

I watched as he went over to Edward and they began talking. He was doing well; he built up enough courage to face one of his biggest fears at the moment.

"So did he ever tell you all about us?" Dimitri asked as he and Edward walked around.

"Not until he told me to come here, but he only told me. I guess my mother knew too," Edward answered.

"Knew?"

"Yeah, she uh… she died about two years ago."

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, she was sick, we knew it was coming so it made it a little easier on us all."

"What was she sick with?"

"Pneumonia."

"Really? Another thing we have in common."

"Huh?"

"When I was about my mother died of Phenomena."

"Wow, didn't see that coming."

"Yeah," Dimitri laughed a little, he was beginning to loosen up, "So what was Dad like?"

"I'll tell you about Dad if you tell me about your mother," Edward said also trying to loosen up.

"Deal," Dimitri said shaking Edward hand.

"Call me Eddy."

"Call me Dimitri, I've never really had a nick name," he laughed.

"That's okay, I just always feel so stiff when people are always calling me Edward," he laughed.

"I know what you mean!" Dimitri laughed, "Growing up here as a kitchen boy I always hated my name cause everyone was always yelling at me."

"Kitchen boy?" Edward laughed.

"Sorry but some of us have to marry into all this," Dimitri laughed gesturing to the palace.

Edward laughed, "So Dad was a good man, he never drank, he never cheated."

"Really?" Dimitri asked in disbelief.

"Yes."

"I'm already impressed, and denying that we're related," Dimitri joked.

"I never said I wasn't perfect," Edward joked, "I used to be horrible! I was always playing tricks on my sister and everyone in our home."

"Okay I take back that last part," Dimitri joked.

They continued talking and telling each other about their families and lives so far. They were a lot more alike then they thought at first. Dimitri finally had family, and here all this time he thought he was alone when really he had had a stepfamily in Britain the entire time.