Detka ✧･ ROMANOFF-BARTON 1

The Settling

"Sometimes change."

"WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME,"  Papa says quietly, taking in a breath and looking around.

Mama looked at him as if he were stupid before climbing out of the car. "So get yourselves on a boat." She said as if it were the most obvious thing.

Papa told us to follow him onto the boat and sit wherever the were three seats. He wasn't going to sit with us but if he wanted to, there would be an extra. He had other things that he needed to take care of, and that's what he did. Il and I sat together, resting our head on each other as we tried to get some rest. Papa walked to another side of the boat, and after a few seconds, I saw him jogging off of it.

I trusted him, so I didn't shout. I just watched. He was grabbing something.

"What's he doing?" Il asked me, staring at him as well.

"I don't know, sestra," I responded quietly.

Suddenly, a dozen shots or lasers or whatever were being fired all over the dusty concrete. I looked up and saw a small aircraft flying through the city, approaching us quickly. It didn't target the boat but instead moved toward Papa, who was trying to rescue a kid who was separated from his family.

He stood there, watching them approach him, and did the only thing that he could do. Brace for the impact and hide the kid from it.

"Papa!" I shouted, jumping out of my seat.

"Sestra, sit down. He's okay. Pietro took the hit instead," Ilona told me, grabbing my arm as she tried to drag me back down into my seat.

"Pietro?" I question quietly, turning to look at Il in the eyes for a moment. Panicking, I turn back toward Papa. "Pietro!"

I didn't know him all that well, but I didn't want to see him go either. I thought he was going to come back and live with us at the tower and become a part of our family. I didn't want to see him go yet.

I ran from the ship, and over to my dad. I saw Pietro lying on the floor with spots of blood on his arms and chest. Papa just continued to stare, and I could tell he didn't have the energy to tell me to get my butt back on the ship.

"Papa?" I whisper after a few moments. He looks up at me, still holding the kid in his arms.

"Yes, Ivessa?" He responded. He doesn't usually call me by my first name, so I knew he was hurt in some way.

A small tear escaped my eye and streamed down my cheek. I let it run, though.

I had just remembered. "He wanted me to tell you something," I say, staring down at his lifeless body before me. I remember the conversation we'd had and how much fun it had been. Papa raised an eyebrow because he was probably wondering when I ever had the chance to talk to Pietro.

"Yeah? What was that?" He questioned, gently placing the kid against a car beside him. He moved to crouch over Pietro just as Uncle Steve arrived.

"He wanted me to tell you to live a little," I say, wiping away the next tear that fell down my cheek.

Papa just smirked a small bit and left Pietro's body for Uncle Steve to take. He picked up the small boy, maybe my age, and headed back to the ship with me. We didn't speak on the way over.