Dimitri grinned from his seat on the porch as he watched Madi sit with his niece on the lawn. She smiled as she leaned her head back, letting little Naomi tug at the large pendant on the choker around her neck. She had seemed nervous the whole car ride down, quiet and fidgeting with eyebrows just barely knit, as though she were trying to preplan her actions and words. He chuckled softly as he thought of the surprise that had taken over Madi's face when his mother had gone directly for a hug. He jumped a bit when a hand fell on his shoulder.

"So this is the one that's been making you crazy?" The deep-throated chuckle that accompanied the words could only belong to his older brother, Ivan.

"Maybe a little bit." Ivan shook his head as he settled in the chair next to Dimitri's.

"She's cute. How's she doing? Mom told me about… ya know, what happened."

"She's doing really well. She started going to a new doctor though, who said she had some weird form of post-traumatic stress. She's doing a lot better now that she doesn't think she's completely fucking bonkers." Another chuckle from Ivan.

"She have a sister?"

"2 of 'em, both younger though."

"Too bad."

"Yeah." Dimitri grinned that dimpled grin, turning his head to see Madi and Naomi walking back towards the house hand in hand. It was amazing to realize how short Madi really was, the tiny Naomi's head reaching her ribs. Spring had come once more, he couldn't believe it had been almost a year. Madi's long hair was pulled into a ponytail at the base of her neck, hanging down past her ribcage. She looked beautiful just then, a wide smile painting her face, blue jeans and a bohemian looking tank top in a flowy white material hugging her torso. They walked up the stairs slowly.

"Daddy! Aunt Madi said she would paint my nails if you let her. Can she Daddy? Please, please pleeeaassseee." Naomi's voice was a bit squeaky, but her puppy dog face was a killer. Madi giggled and blushed.

"I tried to tell her I wasn't really her aunt, but she wasn't having it." Dimitri chuckled, tugging Madi into his lap to kiss her softly. Madi blushed a deeper shade of pink, returning his kiss, stuck in an awkward position in his arms.

"Ewwwwwww." Naomi's drawn out disgust forced Madi to throw her head back and laugh loudly, Dimitri hiding his face in her shoulder to chuckle. "Aunt Madi! You have cooties now."

"Uh oh!" Madi squirmed out of Dimitri's lap, making him bite his lip to muffle the small moan that formed in his throat as that shapely ass ground into him. "You'll have to gimme a cootie's shot before I turn into a cootie monster." Ivan and Dimitri both grinned as Madi knelt for the ceremony of the cootie shot.

"Daddy, can Madi paint my nails? Please!" Ivan sighed and shook his head.

"It's fine with me, go ask mommy, okay?" Naomi grinned, jumping into Ivan's lap to hug him and shower his face with kisses. Ivan could only chuckle, watching as Naomi bounced inside with Madi following. "So, Dimitri, how long have you two been dating?"

"A year next week." Dimitri sighed, stretching a bit in his seat before leaning back and stretching out his legs.

"Damn, Dima." Ivan chuckled, standing up as he patted Dimitri's knee "I'm gunna go help pops with the grill." Dimitri nodded, rising to go back inside and smiling to his sister-in-law on the living room couch.

"Hey, Dima."

"Hey, Liz. You let Madi paint Naomi's nails?" Liz shook her head with a grin, resting the book she was reading in her lap.

"I'm reading a book right now. You know when the last time I've been able to sit and relax and read when Naomi wasn't at school was?" Dimitri simply chuckled, settling on the couch. "I like her."

"Who? Madi?" Liz just nodded.

"She loves you."

"I know."

"When's the wedding?" Dimitri blinked, turning to look at Liz. She laughed and shook her head. "I was kidding, G-d, you look like you saw a ghost. So, you graduate in like a month and a half, huh?" Dimitri smiled once more, turning to her.

"Yeah."

"What are you planning to do?"

"Pop's got me an internship at a firm for a year, and then, back to school."

"So, what happens to you and Madi?" Dimitri blushed a bit, turning away. He hadn't even told Madi about the one bedroom in downtown Manhattan he had already put a deposit on. It was going to be a surprise. "We'll figure it out." Liz simply shook her head, Ivan and Dimitri were identical liars. He was keeping something. She sighed and shrugged before they heard giggling filter down the stairs from upstairs, followed by the obnoxious rhythm of a Spice Girls song.

"She's a trooper, huh?" Dimitri chuckled.

"Yeah, you could say that."