darker_london | Dear lord they only get cuter... (Peter, Aly)

Peter had been searching for Aly for about 20 minutes when he finally found her out on their small little balcony, leaning up against the railing. Stupid, large, many-storied house... Peter slid the door open gently, joining her by placing a hand against the small of her back to let her know he was there before he leaned his elbows against the railing, and placed his head in his hands and stared at the backyard down below. "Heh.... Raphael's sleeping on Cardinal Sin." Peter said, chuckling at the dog's antics.

"They'll do that." Aly replied, turning to look at him.

"How's that baby?" Peter asked, shifting his chin to one hand so he could reach out to touch Aly's significant baby bulge.

"Moving less now. Won't be long." She smiled at Peter's gentle touch. "How's Anna?"

Peter scowled. "She's...Anna." What more could he say, really? His little angel was just that. An angel. She was nearly unflappable at ten years of age. Peter couldn't imagine being that unflappable at 37, let alone ten. "She still wants to go to Adrian's tonight to stay with Mara. No wanting to sleep in bed with us, no crying or bad dreams. She's doing very well. I'm always proud of her."

"I know you are." Aly smiled. "And she knows it too."

"She called Svetlana."

Aly blinked. "Peter...what?" Aly straightened up and then Peter did too so they could face each other.

"Anna. When she saw that bastard at her school and she knew he was coming for her...she called Svetlana. She didn't ring me."

"Maybe she thought you'd be busy, Peter. You do have a hospital to run and her younger siblings to take care of, amoung other things."

"I'm never too busy to make sure she doesn't get hurt!" Peter protested.

"Sweetheart, I know that. What I meant was that she might have thought you were busy, and it could take a while for you to get there."

"Oh. Right."

"And Svetlana is a demon. Who...yes...has a baby. But beyond Rasputina, she doesn't have many obligations. She knew Svetlana would be able to take care of it."

"I think...that's what I'm worried about." Peter admitted. "Not that she didn't ring me. But that she rang Svetlana because she knew what Svetlana would do."

It took a few moments for Aly to catch on, but she did eventually and she raised her head a little. "Oh...you think she knew..."

"That Svetlana would kill Brunhardt. Yes. Anna knows Svetlana would do anything to keep her safe. Even when Svetlana was ruthlessly pursuing you and me, she never would have hurt Anna. Not after Anna showed her what family was. Svetlana is always going to protect Anna more fiercely than any one of us, and Svetlana is damn protective of this family. Remember Mia? Mia was after Anna. At least...it looks like she was. And now Brunhardt...and I can't help but wonder if Anna called her specifically to kill the man."

"She's only ten..."

"I know she is. But she understands some things more deeply than people twice her age. I just...I don't want her to get lost to this sort of thing. To think that anyone who harms us deserves to die. We have no way of knowing if Mia could have been helped. The hospital didn't exist then, but it does now. Brunhardt might have been helped too. Or spent his life behind bars where he belonged. Svetlana doesn't know any better. I don't really think she can, at least not at this point. But I want Anna to know better."

"She does, Peter. And you'll make sure she continues to know better." Aly leaned in to kiss Peter's forehead. "That's what you do. You show people there's a better way. I am sorry that horrible man can't receive justice for what he did to our daughter either. But I can't be sorry he won't be able to hurt Anna again. Or any other children, for that matter. He was a disgusting excuse for a human being."

"Yes. He was." Peter nodded. "The man made my life hell for three years." His voice was soft now, remembering everything Abbot Brunhardt had done to him at the Abbey in Melk. Including firing him because he found out Peter had a daughter. But nothing could ever compare to his violation of Anna. "I'm not going to mourn for him either. Only lost opportunity."

"I think we all mourn for that, Peter." Aly stepped closer to him and she hugged him as best she could with the swell of her pregnancy. "Everything will be fine because we will make sure that it is. Come on. I'll make you some tea."

In that moment, Peter believed her. "No. I'll make you some tea." Peter said, kissing her head. "And I'll give you a foot massage. And..oh! Do you want a bath. I could give you a bath and a tea and a massage of foot."

Aly chuckled. "Are you going to treat me like this when I am no longer carrying your child?"

Peter ran his fingers through Aly's hair and he smiled down at her. "I am going to treat you like this for the rest of your life, My Alyona. Nothing's going to stop me." Not even the Templar, or brain tumors.

Aly breathed a deep breath of pure contentment and she leaned her head against his chest. "I know you are." No opportunities lost there.