Tachanka spent most of his adult life a bachelor, no one really caught his eye, until one day when a new recruit named Skylar joined Rainbow. He can still remember their first meeting, Six had issued all the older operators, Thatcher, Montagne and himself to meet her before she was to meet the rest of the FBI. That was the day he became jealous of Thatcher, though he would never admit it to anyone. He was jealous Thatcher would be seeing her everyday to train.

When Skylar walked into the room, his heart skipped a beat. She couldn't have stand taller than 5'4, her chestnut brown hair was a inch past her collarbone and her gorgeous hazel colored eyes shined under the fluorescent lights. But her smile was the thing that melted his heart into pieces. He watched her as she shook hands with Thatcher, seeing how her eyes crinkled on the side when she smiled. When it came for him to introduce himself to her, he nearly stumbled over his words. Thankfully he caught himself before that could happen. And five months later he was calling her his!

He never thought he would find love, true love in his lifetime, but he did. All thanks to Skylar, his kotyonok.

Tachanka yawned as he opened the door to the nursery. He walked over to the crib by the window, looking down at the little girl who happened to be wide awake and 'talking' up a storm. He smiled down as he scooped her up in his arms and settle down in the rocking chair to gently rock her back to sleep.

"Hi my printsessa!"

He looked down to see her looking up at him with the same hazel colored eyes as her mother. Her little hands found his thumb, pulling it into her mouth to chew on.

As he gently rocked her, he looked around the nursery. It seems just like yesterday he and Skylar were getting it ready for their soon to be new arrival. As soon as they found out they were having a little girl Skylar couldn't wait to start decorating the nursery. He can still recall joking with her about the nursery being pink because they were having a little girl. All she did was laugh and say 'no, the nursery will be purple'. And it was, in the end they decided on a lavender color.

The lavender of the walls infused well with the white furniture. Making the room bright even when the sun was behind the clouds on an overcast day. But his favorite thing of all in the nursery was the canvas painting Glaz did for them. It was a beautiful painting of two adult bears and their cub in a field of flowers.

He smiled to himself, thinking back on the day where Skylar jokingly called him papa bear, all because he was overprotective of her and their unborn child. After that it became a joke between them and the rest of the Spetsnaz. But when they opened up Glaz's gift at the baby shower they couldn't have been more thrilled.

He looked back down at his daughter who was babbling away as she chewed on his thumb. The tears starting to well in his eyes. It's been 5 months and everyday he would wake up hoping it was a dream. But it was the same outcome every time, he would turn around to see the empty spot next to him and reality would set in.

He never thought he would be doing this alone, birthing complications took his better half away and now he was raising their daughter, alone.

After Skylar's death, he retired to fully raise their daughter. He still keeps in contact with her parents, splitting his time between Russia and Maine so they can see their granddaughter. Even Glaz and Kapkan will stop by to help or call a few times a week and see how he's doing.

He always gives the same answer, 'I'm doing fine'. In reality it's the complete opposite, he's heartbroken and the only reason he's not in a grave next to his kotyonok is because of their daughter.

Skylar didn't deserve to die, she deserved to live and raise their child together liked they dreamt, like they spent nights in bed talking about.

The one thing he hated the most was their daughter wouldn't get to know the wonderful women that was her mother. She would never hear her voice or her laugh, she would never feel the comfort of her mother when she's scared or hurt and she'll never know her love.

Tachanka looked back down, seeing that the little one had stopped chewing his finger and was now looking up at him with her big hazel eyes. The tears started to fall as he brought her closer to him, hugging her gently against his chest as he let the tears he's been holding in for months pour out.

When she died, she took a piece of him with her, a piece that would never be filled. And he didn't want it to be filled, that piece belonged to her and only her. But now he had a new kind of love, the love of a child. She needed him, now more than ever and he was going to keep that promise. No matter how hard it is to go day after day without Skylar in his life. He was going to protect that little girl in his arms with everything he has, for her, for her mother and for himself.

He pulled her away from his chest, looking down at her with blurred vision. He wiped his eyes with his free hand, seeing her smile up at him and giggle.

"Is seeing your papa cry funny Lulu?" He laughed and tickled her belly, making Lulu laugh even more. "I wish your mama was alive, to see you grow up. You still have me though, you will always have me."

He stood up, heading out of the nursery with Lulu in his arms. Heading downstairs he opened the back door to the deck and went outside. They were both met by the warm summer night air as he shut the door behind him. Walking out more into the yard he stopped, pointing up into the sky at the brightest star for Lulu to see.

"See that star up there Lulu? I like to think that's your mama, looking down on us. She loves you and one day I'll tell you about her."

When he looked back down, he saw that she had fallen asleep. He softly chuckled and leaned down to kiss her head. He stayed out there a bit longer, looking up at the bright star above, reminiscing on the eight wonderful years he spent with her.

Heaven wasn't a place he thought truly existed, now he hopes it does and that Skylar is at peace and happy there. Even if it's millions of miles away from him. Alexsandr wasn't one to believe in angels, but Skylar was his angel now, looking down on them both. Little did he know, she never left his side, she was always there guiding him when he was lost.

He took one last glance at that bright star, a small smile spreading across his face.

"I love you, kotyonok!"