This is my version of how the Furans were…hope you likie!

Anastasia-almost 18

Pietor-barely 14

Elena-6

By the way, Pytor is the father and Clairene is the mother. Remember times in Russia were dark, so kids stayed with their parents for a while…..

"Why are they yelling?" Elena asked, eyes wide. Anastasia took her quickly into the back room and closed the door. She set her little sister on the bed.

"Where's Pietor? I want Pietor to hold me." Elena whimpered.

"Pietor had to talk to daddy. Just stay here, okay?" Anastasia quickly left the room and went to the bottom of the stairs to listen. She jumped as a pan hit the floor with a bang up above.

"If you can't look me in the eyes then get out of my house! Get out!" their father yelled.

Pietor shouted something back at him, but she couldn't hear the words.

Anastasia's stomach lurched as her father called her name.

"Anastasia! Get up here! Now!"

Pietor had told her never to go up, no matter what happened, but her father was calling her. If she didn't go up, her punishment would probably be worse later.

"Anastasia!"

She hurried up the stairs. Pietor and her father stood far apart, eyes narrowed. One on one side of the kitchen table, the other on the opposite.

"Where's Elena!" Pytor barked.

"She's downstairs." Anastasia replied quietly.

"Why didn't you bring her up with you?" he snapped.

"Because it's not safe." Anastasia bit back softly.

Their father slapped her across one cheek and she moved back, eyes twitching as she braced herself.

"Don't you dare speak to me like that." Pytor growled at her.

"Don't you dare strike her." Pietor warned quietly, coming around the table. He had a long red mark across his jaw and several fading bruises from earlier beatings.

"Go downstairs. Both of you." their father growled "Check on Elena. I don't want to hear that you left her down there alone again."

Pietor and Anastasia turned and went down the stairs as ordered.

Their mother rushed from the hallway, tears streaming down her face and she ran to her husband. Pytor gazed at the stairs for a second, before holding her close. She cried into his chest.

####

"I told you not to come up, Anastasia. Ever." Pietor said.

"I know, but he was calling me. It got us out of there fast." Anastasia replied, opening the door to the bed room.

Elena jumped off the bed and ran over to Pietor, hopping up into his arms. She squeezed his face as he held her up.

"Why is mommy crying?" she asked.

"Mommy's crying?" Anastasia asked, sitting on the bed.

"Yes, I heard her upstairs." Elena said, pushing on Pietor's welt. He winced and gently took her hand away.

"She was just sad daddy was yelling." Anastasia soothed. "Don't worry about it."

"If it makes mommy sad, why does daddy do it?" the six year old asked.

"We don't know." Anastasia said.

"Yeah, we don't know my mommy hides while he does it either." Pietor said angrily.

"Pietor." Anastasia hushed him sharply, looking at Elena.

There was a soft knock at the door.

"Anastasia, Pietor. May I come in?" came their mother's quiet voice.

Pietor shook his head at his sister, who gazed back at him sadly, before going over to open the door.

Pietor out Elena down as Clairene walked in. She squealed happily and ran over to her mother. She picked up her daughter, smiling. Her eyes were still red from crying, but she seemed to have gathered herself together.

Pietor didn't go over as Anastasia did. Clairene hugged her two daughters close. She kissed Anastasia's forehead, then Elena.

Clairene then turned to Pietor, looked in his eyes, searching for any hint of emotion. She set Elena down and went over to hug him, but he backed away, eyes stoic.

"I'm sorry, Pietor." their mother said softly.

Then she turned and left the room, without another room.

"Why don't you want to hug mommy?" Elena asked as he sat down on the bed. She climbed up on his legs.

Anastasia ruffled her hair. "It doesn't matter, Elena."

Their door opened again, this time without a knock.

Pietor stood up, holding Elena in his arms, as their father came in. Elena turned her head away into her brother's neck, squeezing his shirt.

"You two." Pytor pointed at Pietor and Anastasia "Tomorrow I want your school work done. Then we're going out to the military base."

Anastasia nodded, eyes slightly wide. Pietor narrowed his eyes slightly.

"You'll need to know your way around, by the time you join." their father went on. He didn't wait for a response, but turned and left.

Pietor glared after him "I will never join the army for him."

"Pietor, please don't make a fuss. We-"

"We're leaving." Pietor said.

"What?" Anastasia asked.

"Ann. I love you and I'm not going to stay here another day while he tortures us." Pietor said. "I'll get you tonight."

Anastasia stared at her brother a second, thinking about how insane this was, but she nodded.

"Are we going on a trip?" Elena asked. Pietor smiled at her.

"Yes. Yes, we are Elena."

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