Chapter 1: Arrival in America

Joyce exchanged smiles with her fellow passengers as she disembarked the small plane that had carried them from Cleveland to New York. She carefully made her way through the crowded NYC airport, glad that she had no belongings to keep track of. So instead she made her way out of the extensive building, but couldn't shake a sudden feeling of dread. Was it because she was coming to a country she knew next to nothing about?

Or was it because of her mission?

The woman became so focused on trying to figure out what it was that was bothering her, it was clear she wasn't paying attention to much else. Especially when collided with someone, and he only just barely managed to catch her before she fell.

Looking up in shock her gaze became entrapped by a gorgeous sky blue color, the likes of which she had never seen before. Without a single word being spoken that blue glance conveyed mountains of worry, to which she could only give a small nod as its owner helped straighten her. A pair of clearly strong hands gently brushed her loose bangs back into place, that gaze dancing across her before locking on her eyes once more. The woman was so deeply spell-bound, she hardly noticed the golden hair framing the flawless, soft smile holding face of the man whom still held her. But then, his hands left her skin, only then making her recognize the warmth that his touch had given her.

It had happened in merely a second, but to her, it had seemed like an eternity.

The woman looked up at him, noting the slight confusion, then happiness, that flashed across those entrancing blue eyes. It made her long to hear him speak: to see if his voice matched the gentle nature of his eyes.

"Are you alright, miss?" joy overcame her as he spoke in a deep, yet soft, tone.

"Y-yes, of course." she stuttered, but allowed a small smile to surface, pleased when he returned it. "Thank you."

Are you traveling alone?" his gaze dropped to her empty hands. "Or are you here to… meet someone?"

"Oh good heavens no, I'm alo-" she paused, suddenly taking on this sad look as if some new weight had suddenly settled upon her shoulders. "I… I'm alone…"

"Miss?" his voice deepened with concern. "I… perhaps, if I may, I could escort you somewhere? If you really are here alone… It is not safe for a lovely young woman to wander the streets by herself when she is not familiar with them."

"I-is it that dangerous?" she clutched her purse to her hip, the sudden move rattling something that was inside.

"It can be, if you're not careful." he eyed her purse for a split second before giving a kind smile.

"Then, if the circumstances call for it… yes, could you take me to a hotel? I'm afraid I will have to stay the night in one."

"I'll take you to the best one I know." there was another smile. "May I know your name?"

"Oh, it's Joyce, Joyce Mcclain." she flushed. "And, you are?"

"Alfred." he extended a hand. "Shall we?"

"Of course." Joyce gently placed her hand in his, blushing bright when the warmth breached her glove. Alfred chuckled, giving a mischievous smile as he lead her away from the crowds of the busy airport terminal. He watched the look on her face change from embarrassed to amazed as they stepped out onto the street, looking around in wonder at the city that was all so very new to her. The disbelieving wonder was evident on her every feature, yet, there was some sadness there that Alfred didn't quite understand. Could it be homesickness?

The woman gave him a look, her brown eyes sparkling in curiosity before her gaze went back to the buildings lining the streets.

"Amazing."

"Not really… Where are you from?"

"Russia, but I was born in England." she gave a sad smile, missing the sudden tension that settled upon her guide as she brushed her bangs from her face. "I've an odd story to me, don't worry about it."

"It sounds interesting to me." he grinned, trying to hide his discomfort as he stopped suddenly to look at her face-to-face. "May I take you to dinner and hear it?"

"Don't worry your head with my life, sir. There's nothing to tell really." something in her eyes made him realize she missed his discomfort: she was blatantly ignoring it.

"But, I really would like to hear it."

"Oh my," her lips pursed in a teasing smirk. "Have I struck your fancy, love?"

"I'd say I struck yours first!" he countered, making her blush.

"I-"

"Diner."

"Oh fine!" she gave in with a sigh. "Dinner it is."

He gave her a teasing wink. "Of course, poppet."

Her happy eye roll made him chuckle, gently tugging her down the street. Before long, the pair was stepping into a nice restaurant on 67th street. Alfred found himself smiling as he helped seat his new acquaintance at a far table by a window, soon taking his place in front of her. He let her see that smile of his, overjoyed when she returned it with a shy glance. And as soon as drinks were out to them (a bootlegger vodka for her and some kind of fizzy drink for him), her shyness vanished. She took a sip of her drink, replacing her shy look with a curious arch of her eyebrow.

"What are you drinking?"

"A soda. Go ahead, you can try some."

She hesitantly lifted his glass to her lips, giving an experimental sip. She must've been pleased, since she drank a little more before returning it to him. "It's good."

"I know!" he grinned. "So, now that you've settled some, how about you share you 'story' hm?"

"Are you sure you want to hear? It is quite a bore."

"I doubt that."

The woman sighed, giving a dip of her head. "Well then… Ahem, I was born in England, that much you already know. I lived there with my parents until my mother became sick and died when I was seven. Now, my father had been a Russian official working at the embassy, so when she died Russia told him to return. Of course, being only a child he took me with him. It was a very dangerous trip back to the Motherland, after all this was 1936!"

"So how old does that make you now?"

"Twenty-seven, but save your questions for later, love." she smiled, pushing her drink aside."Now then, once we made it back to the Union I was forced into the home of my grandparents while my father was forced into the military. My grandfather was a delightful woman, teaching me many things while I lived there, as did my grandfather! However, it wasn't long before he was forced to enlist as well, to protect Moscow from the Germans."

Alfred nodded solemnly, knowing full well that his people hadn't faced a threat like tt on their own soil since the Civil War, and likely wouldn't again. Joyce gave him a saddened look, pulling out a hankie to dab at her eyes.

"It was around this time we received word that father's tank had been destroyed, killing him and everyone else inside. Oh, grandmother was so distraught! Being only a naive thirteen year old at the time, I found myself unable to really understand. They had given me a very sheltered life in our little Siberian village… Oh but that's off topic." she giggled slightly. "Some time later in 1945 grandfather returned, along with the other boys of the village that I had never really spoken to. About, five years later though, I didn't really have a choice."

"Why is that?"

"They began courting me." a sigh escaped her, breaking her smile. "Six years ago I made a choice, and married one of the poor blokes: he was a handsome young man, and very kind. We were actually together up until a few months ago."

"Six years together and no kids?"

"No, no matter how much we tried something always went wrong. The only child I ever actually managed to give birth to was stolen from us by the cold minutes after she was born… after that we just, we gave up. Decided we would try again once we moved away, to one of the cities where we might actually be able to have doctors and nurses help us."

"It sounds like you two really loved each other, if you could handle that. So what happened to him? He should be here with you right?" he saw her stiffen. "Joyce?"

"A few months ago there was a terrible snowstorm, and we were running out of food. The train couldn't reach the station nearby, and the entire village was starving to such a degree we had been forced to slaughter all of the animals just to make it through. But, we had too many people and too few animals: what we had was given mostly to the few children and their caretakers, and simply being a younger couple we were lower on the list… Then… then my husband… he made up his mind…" her eyes watered over. "He decided that he simply ate too much, and it would take too many resources away from me if he stayed. He just didn't want me to starve… I found him in the spring after the snow had melted…"

"He… left and returned?"

"No… he had gone to the barn and… and sliced his-" she broke off as a silent sob racked her body. The handkerchief was rung in her hands before she used it to wipe her eyes.

"It's okay, you don't have to tell me anymore."

Joyce sniffled, blowing her nose. "I'm sorry."

"No, don't apologize. I'm sorry I asked."

"It's alright dear."