Ok, I admit it! Last chapter could have been better. I just had to put that bit in, because it was sitting on my mind for quite a while, but I couldn't get it fit into the second part.

As always: I do not own, I make no profit, I do not own song from the last chapter either.

P.S. please review!

Five years later...

Anna and her family had moved back to London and had bought a bigger house, selling the old one. Stepan had stayed with them and had cut down on the drinking. Helen took care of Christine when Anna was at work. And Anna seemed quite happy. But only the word 'seemed' was used there. Sometimes when they would sit together round the fire in the evenings, a happy family, Anna would get the feeling that something, or someone, was missing. And Christine would ask sometimes, why doesn't she have a daddy, and Anna would answer, "Because I haven't found the right one yet." But Anna felt guilty for lying to her daughter, because the answer was just that-a big fat lie. Anna had found the 'right one', but had lost him, possibly forever.

Anna's friends were mostly married and when they met they would tell her, "Find yourself a man, Anna! You'll need one sooner or later." And she would answer, "I don't need anyone, not yet..." This too was a lie. She found herself lying a lot, to her friends, her family, but most of all herself.

The news that Nikolai was in fact an agent and not a criminal made her feel even worse. First she could think that she had rid herself of a charming criminal, now she understood that she had lost a very good man, who she loved.

Anna, Helen, Stepan and Anna's friend Chloe were taking Christine to the park.
"I'm telling you! Seriously! Get yourself a husband!" Chloe tried to convince Anna, who was taking photos of Christine, Helen and Stepan. Anna chuckled. "You never stop, do you?" she asked.
"Anna! You are surrounded by bachelors of your age! Think of all the people who you work with and who you are good friends with! Honestly! You've got a kid that will start school in a few months! Have you any idea how much hassle that is?"
"Chloe! Stop! I don't need anyone now, and even if I will need somebody, I'll chose myself."
She shook her head. It was annoying, having people around you telling you to get married, without knowing that somewhere on this planet there was a man who owned your heart. But the chance of him coming back was ever so slight. Anna glanced sideways to see whether the family car was still parked where they left it. That was a lie too. She wanted to imagine that there, at the other side of the park would be the one man who she really ever loved. she was about to turn back but then...

Then she saw a figure at the other end of the park. A tall man with silver hair in a long black coat. He stood too far away to see his face but she was almost certain it was him, no matter however mad it was. Chloe was babbling on about Anna's irresponsibility. But Anna slowly walked towards the man. She looked at his face and recognized him without as much as a trace of doubt. He smiled at her. And as he smiled back. Anna's heart was rapidly filled with joy. She walked slightly faster as he started taking a few steps towards her. Soon she could feel his arms around her. She felt his breath in her hair and on her shoulder. While Chloe stared at her in amazement, and Helen and Stepan looked at her with happy-sad-shocked faces, Anna felt better than she ever had felt in her life.
Nikolai hugged her tightly. He could swear he felt her heart beating in time with his. His world of doubts and fears fell apart. So when she looked up at him, her eyes reflecting the sun's light, he felt that all of his suffering had just been rewarded.
"I thought you might have found yourself a husband by now." He said with his rich Russian accent.
"I don't need anyone..." She replied after a soft chuckle. But she continued, whispering the last words into his ear, "...Krome teb'a!"

That day Anna's smile stayed on fully. She and Nikolai parted, but he promised that they would meet quite soon. So, Anna was for world of reality to the world of daydreamers. And everything seemed to be smilling onto her, like it seems to one who is hopelessly lost in joy, happiness and love, when these feelings are not just shared with one, but enjoyed with one. The sun was out, the birds were singing and Nature herself seemed to celebrating. And nothing in the world could have changed for the worse.

"Mummy! Who was that man who you met today?" Anna turned round to see Christine standing beside her in the kitchen of her home. Anna didn't know why the question suddenly shocked her or sent storm-clouds into her world. Possibly it was just the getting-back-to-reality shock, possibly not.
"Does it matter?" she asked Christine.
"Its just..." Christine mummbled, "I've never seen him before and you've never said anything about him...it was wierd the way you just went to him, ignoring everything..."
Anna could see that the wounds of her past had not healed. She could see that Christine felt guilty for asking a normal question. A normal question that left Anna stunned. That was all it took to make a barrier between Anna and Christine.
"It was just an old freind of mine who I was happy to see. That's all." Anna knelt down to look into Christine's face. And then she smilled. And Christine smilled back...

Helen came into the kitchen and gave Anna a note with the words 'just came throught the letter box a minute ago' and went out into the garden. Anna glanced at the envelope. Anna Ivanovna. She smilled at Christine and told her to go to her Grandma in the garden. Another line of dis-trust. Anna knew that she was trying to protect Christine from her past. She would tell her one day, Christine was still too young to know the truth. And Nikolai was part of thet truth.

P.S For those who can't wait till the next chapter to uncover what Anna said: google translater-'кроме тебя'!