I felt sick to my stomach. I hated the idea, but it was the only one that was plausible.
"We really can't take anything with us?" I asked quietly, looking at Abe. Only three people were privy to the plan: Hans, Tatiana, and Abe.
"If someone were to notice something missing, it would send up a red flag," Hans said and I frowned, looking down at my hands in my lap. I finally had somewhere to call my home and was expected to leave everything behind. All my possessions, all the things that we used to create memories. Everything. We had to disappear like ghosts.
"Was there something in particular that you are hesitant to part with?" Tatiana asked and I blushed, slightly embarrassed. it seemed silly to not want to part with it, but it was the only thing I had had my whole life.
"It's nothing," I said quietly and Dimitri rested his hand on my knee.
"I know that you don't want to leave it behind," Dimitri whispered and I shook my head.
"It's fine," I said with a shake of my head.
Tatiana's eyes flicked between us. "What is it?"
"A stuffed animal from Rose's childhood. It's the only object that Rose has ever associated with a home."
Tatiana looked sympathetic but reiterated that it was important that it looked like we were simply going out of court for the day.
"What will be told to everyone?" Dimitri asked.
"We will orchestrate that you will go out of court to a few towns over, and die in a car crash. We will make it so that your bodies won't be identifiable, aside from Briar. We will have Mr. Mazur be the one to identify your bodies. Once that happens, we will inform your mother first and then the Princess and everyone else. We will have someone from the Russia headquarters visit your family personal, Dimitri," Croft explained, tenting his fingers as he spoke.
Dimitri nodded and stroked Briar's head absently as he mulled everything over. I rested my hand on his knee and bit my lip.
"How long will we have to be in hiding?"
"Until the threat can be neutralized," Tatiana said and I frown.
"So, indefinitely," I stated. I leaned forward and cupped my head.
"Our friends and family could miss Briar's whole life," I grumbled and lifted my head. Tatiana nodded and frowned.
"It's unfortunate, but it's the best solution for now."
I stood up and walked around the chambers, my hands on my back as I sighed.
"When do we leave?"
"Two days," Abe said and I stopped, turning to look at my father.
"What?" I whispered, looking at Dimitri. He had the same look of shock and disappointment as I did. It was much sooner than I anticipated, and I felt my heart drop even more. I came back to the couch and sat down with a huff, wincing when I woke Briar and she let out an unhappy whine.
"How are we going to support ourselves? It's not like we can clear our bank accounts. Someone would notice that. We have no idea who is involved where."
"I will take care of that," Abe said, "I will take care of documentation, housing, everything else. All you have to worry about is appearing like nothing is happening. A happy family outing."
I looked at Dimitri and sighed. This wasn't what either of us wanted.
__________________________
I stood in Briar's nursery and took in every detail before moving to our bedroom. We had intentionally left it the way we would if someone wasn't coming. My night clothes were strewn over the bed, Dimitri's current book was on the nightstand, and my makeup was still on the counter in our ensuite. Even the bed wasn't completely made, just the sheets pulled up and the pillows in the places they were in when we woke up.
There were a few things I was tempted to take but knew better than to take them.
"Look at how cute my niece is!" Lissa squealed, coming into my bedroom. I turned and smiled at her dressed in her little plaid dress. The story we had told Lissa was that we were going to take Briar to get some professional photos done, so Lissa came over to help me pick the best outfit for her.
"I cannot wait to see these pictures!" Lissa squealed as I got Briar into her car seat, buckling her in. Lissa had helped me pack up her diaper bag and brought it down. I smiled at her as she set it down beside me, pulling something out of the bag.
"Oh! You don't want to forget this!" Lissa squealed, tucking Stitch into the car seat.
"What?"
Lissa raised her brows and smiled. "Oh come on! I mean, she looks adorable cuddled with it! It's not like she'll ruin it," she explained, "I'm planning on buying her one of her own soon. We will fill that nursery with all the Stitches she can handle."
I chuckled and accepted her hug and rested my head on her shoulder. I was grateful that the bond was one-sided right now. If only she knew the quilt I felt right now.
"I'll see you tomorrow," I said with a smile as I pulled back.
"See you tomorrow! I can't wait for our lunch! I have some exciting things to tell you!" Lissa said as she picked up her purse and slipped out. I waited a few moments and let out a shaky breath, a small sob breaking through too. I covered my face with my hands and let a few tears pass before clearing my throat and wiping my face.
I looked at Dimitri as he stood in the archway between the hall and kitchen, a solum look on his face.
"I hate knowing that we're going to hurt our family," I whispered and sniffed.
"Me too. But I won't let anything happen to you or Briar," Dimitri said coming towards me and kissing my head. I nodded and leaned into him, wrapping my arm around his waist.
"Do you have the documents Abe got us?"
"No, he will give them to us when we get there," Dimitri said and looked down at Briar, running his finger over the stuffed animal.
"At least we are able to bring this. Lissa fixed that for us," he said and I chuckled wetly, wiping my face one last time and clearing my throat. I took a moment to compose myself. Dimitri rested his hands on my waist and pressed his lips together.
"Are you ready?"
"No. But let's go," I said quietly, picking up the diaper bag.
__________________________
We drove for an hour before pulling into a parking lot, the sun was starting to rise into the sky. I rubbed my eyes and spotted two other cars waiting in the lot. It seemed like the building hadn't been used in years, abandoned and condemned.
I got out of the car and took Briar out too, holding her carrier against my hip as we walked to the waiting vehicles. The driver got out of the black SUV and opened the backseat door, a car seat base already installed. I set the carrier into the base and got into the front seat while Dimitri got into the driver's side. Abe got out of the other car and walked over to us, an envelope in his hands. I rolled my window down and gave him a tight-lipped smile.
"ID, passports, socials, birth certificates, and three bank accounts," Abe said as he handed the envelope to me. I nodded and opened it, pulling out the documentation.
"Dmitri Pavlov and Rosheen Frasier?"
"Dimitri's accent would give him away if he had an American accent. Rosheen is Gaelic for Rose and somewhere in your mother's history, you are connected to the Frasier clan or Campbell. I can't remember which," Abe explained and I nodded, pulling out another document.
"Briar Valerie Frasier-Pavlov. You kept her first name the same," I said with a small smile.
"Yes. We will have a scheduled call once a month. You call from a payphone, never the same one two weeks in a row. You let it ring twice and then hang up. I will call back after three minutes," Abe explained and I nodded. Dimitri and I backed up our phones to our new accounts and then handed them to Abe.
"I'll make sure these are found at the scene. We bought duplicates of your clothing and I was able to find this for you," Abe said, pulling something out of the bag in his hand. "It took a long time, but I found one."
I smiled at the gesture and looked up at Abe.
"That will help us," I said, "Lissa was at our house earlier and tucked my Stitch into Briar's car seat. If that is found at the scene, it will make it even more believable."
Abe peaked into the backseat and could see Stitch sticking up from the diaper bag.
"Good, but I'm glad you get to keep the real thing," he smiled and tucked the duplicate back in the bag.
"What will happen to my family once I 'die'? Will my pension go to them?"
"Croft and I will make sure your family is taken care of," Abe said and Dimitri nodded, but still seemed deflated. I reached my hand over and rested it on his knee.
"It won't be forever," I whispered and he nodded, lifting my hand in his and kissing my knuckles.
"I can't stay much longer. Someone will be around at some point, to check-in. I'll talk to you next month," Abe said and leaned through the window, kissing my forehead. I smiled tiredly at him and he nodded at me and then at Dimitri before stepping to the backseat window.
Dimitri rolled the window down and Abe stuck his head through, stroking Briar's head and then kissing it, whispering to her before he stood up straight.
"Promise me something?" I asked.
Abe nodded. "Anything."
"Make sure Mom's okay," I said, "I know that our relationship was never great, but I know this will hurt her. Don't let her turn cold."
Abe nodded and turned back to his car. Dimitri rolled up the windows and sighed quietly, rubbing his hands roughly over his face.
I pulled my feet up and wrapped my arms around my legs.
"Do you ever feel like getting involved with me has brought you more grief than not?"
Dimitri let his hands fall from his face and looked almost appalled at my question. He leaned over in his seat and cupped my face, pressing a sound kiss to my lips.
"You are my everything. You being in my life has brought more joy and love than anything else. I didn't think I'd get the opportunity to be a father, yet here she is, perfect in every way. Don't think that you have brought me more grief, but you have done the opposite."
I sniffed and nodded, pressing another quick kiss to his lips before he started the car again. The man that was in the driver's seat had climbed into the car we signed out of court and pulled out of the lot as well, leaving us behind.
__________________________
The house that was set up for us was beautiful, but it just made me miss the house Dimitri made for us. It was similar in a lot of ways, same colours, furniture, and decorations in some ways. Briar's nursery wasn't the same, but it was still cute.
Standing in our bedroom, I sighed quietly and sat on the edge of the bed. I was clear that Abe furnished the house and purchased it. It wasn't uncommon for him to purchase property or spend large amounts of money. I also knew that he operated under multiple numbered companies to hide his personal investments.
The mattress was perfect, it felt like I was sitting on a cloud. I had checked out the closet and dresser too, spotting clothes that fit both of our styles.
"Abe didn't skimp out on the products," Dimitri said as he came out of our ensuite, freshly shaved and wrapped in a towel.
"Oh yeah?"
Dimitri nodded. "Yeah. Ivan used to use some of those brands. They weren't cheap, but there is plenty of them. Even the stuff you had at his house,"
I hummed in surprise and flopped back on the bed with a sigh.
"I'm almost too tired to sleep," I said.
"You need to. You've been up since last night," he said, referring to our Moroi daytime.
I nodded and rested my arms above my head and sighed. Dimitri got off the bed and got dressed, coming back to the bed and dropping something onto the bed beside me. My eyes were closed and I was almost asleep when felt his hands grip the waistband of my jeans and he unbuttoned them, shimmying them down my legs.
"We can't; not for a few weeks, remember?" I mumbled and Dimitri chuckled.
"That's not what I was doing," he laughed and I felt him slide a pair of shorts up my legs. I smiled and sat up enough to change my shirt and crawl back to bed. I slipped under the duvet and rolled toward Dimitri once he got under it too.
Dimitri wrapped his arm around my waist and after a moment I rolled away from him and lay on my stomach. I groaned in pleasure and buried my face in my pillow.
"God, I missed laying on my stomach," I moaned.
Dimitri chuckled. "Just wait until the morning when you need to breastfeed."
I grumbled a few colourful words at him, knowing far well that he was right, but I wanted to live in ignorant bliss for a few hours.
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Rough edit but here it is!
Let me know what you think!
P.S. If you could be apart of any fictional world, which one would it be?