AUTHOR'S NOTE: yooooo, I finally finished 12. Oh, God, I never thought I'd finish this? I've been working on this for like a month, it seems. I don't know. Probably more like 2 weeks. My sense of time is completely off. Anyway, I wanted to finish this and get this up tonight/this morning since sunday (today, the 15th) is my birthday and I would like to start something new tonight.
Finally a Nikita/Owen chapter. Kinda sorta. My inspiration for this Nikita/Owen chapter was an interview I read of Maggie's like a year or so ago where she said it WAS possible for Nikita to move on from Michael (so ha, suck it Mikita and Olex fans). Nikita and Owen could've become canon. Maggie basically said that what the next relationship required for Nikita was a deep level of caring, friendship and trust. Um, hello, NIKITA AND OWEN? So I decided to incorporate that into this chapter.
I also decided to write some Katya into this and have her go on a little date. Sorry there's not much of that. I promise there'll be a bigger chapter for her soon. Next chapter will be for Sean and Alex, and um, well. Yeah.
Um, as for more Nikita/Owen stuff. I'll be starting a new series with them instead of updating In The Darkness. I basically want to add a bit of backstory to their romance here, like for my version of them, at least. So if you're all interested I'll let you know when I start that/post it.
In the meantime, comments/reviews are always appreciated! Enjoy!
The early morning light spilled between the curtains, illuminating the bedroom and warming the bed. Rousing from his sleep and without giving his following action a second thought, Owen slipped his hand underneath the covers and placed it on top of her warm thigh. Nikita murmured unintelligibly in her sleep, curling her body closer against Owen's. Smiling to himself, he dipped his head and kissed the back of her neck, sliding his hand further up her thigh, feeling the texture of her tattoo underneath his hand. He traced his fingertips along the design of her phoenix, a gesture he had done so many times in the old days it had just become a habit – whether she'd had clothes on or not.
A smile came to her face, her tongue pressing against the bottom of her teeth as she slowly opened her eyes and pressed her back against Owen's chest. "Already?" she asked, biting back a smirk.
"I'm just wishing you a good morning," Owen murmured, brushing his nose against her shoulder. He moved his hand further up her body, feeling along the curve of her waist until her reached the top most of her ribcage.
"Mhm," she whispered, the disbelief transparent in her voice. Nikita rolled over onto her side to face him, lifting her hand and cupping the back of Owen's head as she went in for a kiss. Owen wrapped one arm around her, pulling her to him and pressing their bodies so close to one another that he could feel her breasts flatten against his chest and she could feel his length press against her thighs. He placed his hand on her ass, gripping it as he kissed her back, slipping his tongue into her mouth and tasting her. Owen cupped the side of her face with his other hand, lifting his head ever so slightly to kiss her better, deeper, and for a few moments longer before he lay his head back down on the pillow and gazed at her, running his fingers through her soft hair. He watched as the strands fell between his fingers without a care, running his fingers through her hair several more times just to feel the texture between his hands.
"What are you thinking about?" Nikita asked, noticing how deep in thought he seemed to be. She brought her hand up, tracing her fingertips along the lines of his forehead, around the curve of his eye, and finally down his cheek and across his soft lips.
Owen hesitated for a moment, unsure whether or not to share with her what he was thinking. He knew they had made a promise to never keep any secrets from each other, but he still wondered if that was for the best considering he still sometimes wondered how they had gotten to this point – not that he was complaining. He'd never complain about where they were now. "It's just – I was just remarking to myself about how we got here."
"I have a feeling that's something you do a lot," she smiled, sliding her hand behind his neck. She stroked it with her thumb, studying his eyes and seeing that she was right. Sighing, she was about to speak when he beat her to it.
"I just wonder how you could've left behind all that you had with him-... for me."
By him, Nikita knew Owen meant Michael. She glanced down, feeling that pang whenever she thought of Michael. She knew he'd never be forgotten between them, she never expected him to just easily fade away from memory or existence, nor did she expect or want him to, really. It wasn't that easy. Feeling Owen's fingers grazing her hair again, she lifted her gaze back to him and slid her hand down, placing it on his chest. "I once told him I'd never move on from him," she began, and Owen's jaw tensed. "But that's not entirely true. For me to move on, that relationship would have to entail a-... a long, deep, and caring friendship. Someone I trust and love. Someone who's always been there for me. Someone who's always had my back, and someone who's always protected. Sound at all familiar?"
Her starting words weren't exactly encouraging and his jaw tensed, and he bit the inner corner of his mouth. But as she continued he found himself beginning to relax - even felt a smile creeping up on his face, melting his hardened expression. Soon, he was biting his bottom lip and glancing down with a little smirk when she asked if her description of the relationship that could help her move on from Michael sounded familiar. "A bit, yes," he answered.
Nikita reached out and touched the side of his face, shaking her head. "I thought I'd lost you back in Russia. That year you were missing? I kept searching for you. Everyone kept telling me you were dead, but... there was a part of me that felt you were alive out there. And then you showed up on the news just like when we first met. You came back to me." She chuckled, pressing her lips together. "I messed things up in Division, didn't I? Between you and I?"
"All I could think about was getting back to you," he confessed, pressing his forehead against hers for a moment. When she blamed herself for their problems he shook his head and pulled away to look at her. "No, you didn't mess things up," he assured her. "You were with Michael. You had an obligation to him. Not to me. You were trying to fix things between the two of you. Not us."
Sighing softly, Nikita reached out her hand and gently traced her fingertips along Owen's lips, her eyelids becoming heavy the longer she stared at them. She became lost in a trance as she stared, mesmerized by the texture of his lips and the stubble around his jaw. Owen slipped an arm around Nikita and pulled her closer to him, pressing a kiss to her forehead. She allowed her eyelids to flutter shut, brushing her nose against the middle of his throat. Tipping her head back, Nikita placed her hand on his chest and breathed him in – he smelled sweet, and as she continued to brush her nose against his neck the stubble along his jaw scratched along her cheek.
He gazed down at her, his hand caressing the small of her back in small circles. When he felt Nikita brushing her nose against his throat, Owen smiled and chuckled, pressing a few more kisses to her forehead. He found it cute how she was acting – like a kitten rubbing against him for attention or marking its territory. "What's so funny?" Nikita inquired, pulling away to look up at Owen. She frowned at him, slipping her arms under the covers to get a good grip on his ass.
Owen grinned, shaking his head. "Nothing." And before she could say anything else, he yanked her toward him and silenced her with a hard kiss, reaching down and drawing her leg up around his own leg. He rolled them over, pulling on Nikita's bottom lip as he set Nikita down on her back. Crawling back on the bed, he got under the covers and wrapped his arms around her tiny waist, pressing his lips to her stomach. He began by kissing her belly button, starting there and working his way up her torso, following the curve of her muscles to between her breasts. Nikita wrapped her arms around him, a smile on her face as she felt his tongue flick out and lick her skin. She ran her fingers through his air, glancing down at him as he worked his way back down her body.
When he reached her hips and began pulling down on her panties, she bit down on her inner cheek and lifted her foot, pressing it against his chest and pushed him away from her. "Ah, ah, ah," she went, smirking at him. At her being a damn tease, Owen sat up on his knees and grabbed her by the ankle, holding her leg off to the side, gazing down at her and waiting for her next words. "We have things to do," she reminded him. "We can resume this later."
Owen groaned, about to release her leg when he changed his mind. Instead, he tightened his grip on her and tugged her toward him, keeping his gaze on her as he walked closer to her on his knees. He kissed her on her leg, starting at her ankle, loosening his grip as he worked his way further and further up her leg, bending the knee. When he reached the inside of her thigh, the hotness of her flesh arousing him, he kissed the area several times before finally setting her leg down and leaning down over her, placing his hands on either side of her head. "Just so you're perhaps a bit sexually frustrated for the rest of the day," he said, grinning down at her.
Laughing, Nikita bit down on her bottom lip and gazed up at him, her hand resting on the side of his biceps. Her fingertips caressed his bulging muscles, and she slowly smiled before leaning up to kiss him. "Thanks," she said, then pushed him off of her. He fell back onto the bed, tucking his arm behind his head.
As he chuckled, she got up and slipped on a robe and left the room without looking back at him. Nikita quietly entered Emily's bedroom, approaching her crib. She smiled down at her sleeping form, reaching out and caressing her small head, the bristles of hair on her head. Dark just like her own hair. She had Nikita's hair but had Owen's blue eyes. She was going to be a beautiful girl. Leaning down and giving her a soft kiss, Nikita snuck out and joined Owen back in the bedroom. "I'm hungry," was the first thing she said, getting on the bed and straddling his waist.
Placing his hands on her thighs, he looked up at her with an arched brow. "So soon?," he said, teasingly, and flipped her over onto her back with a little smile. He hovered over her, one arm propped up by her face.
She shoved him in the shoulder, frowning. "Not like that. I'm hungry for real food. We should go out to eat, and see if Alex, Sean and Katya would like to join us."
Owen groaned, shaking his head at her suggestion to go out and get breakfast instead of just staying at home and cooking breakfast for themselves. "I can't believe you and Alex," he said, disgust filling his tone. "You two have got two men who are more than willing to cook anything and anytime for the two of you, and all you women want to do is go out and eat." He looked at her with such disdain that Nikita sat back and laughed, staring at him with an incredulous look on her face.
"Well, okay then, Master Chef," she said, all seriousness. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared down at him. "Next time we get together, you and Sean can team up, take control of the kitchen, and whip us girls up a hearty breakfast. How's that?"
"We'll have to confer," Owen said, placing his hands on either of Nikita's thighs, running each hand up and down the expanse of exposed flesh. "See if you gals are worth it."
Nikita gasped, punching him in the shoulder. Owen smiled and laughed, grabbing her hand and bringing it to his mouth to kiss before she could punch him a second time. With an affectionate smile, she angled her head to the side and studied Owen for a moment, curious about something. She licked her bottom lip, which caused Owen to smile and even let out a nervous chuckle since she was scrutinizing him with such intense curiosity. "You two have become close," she commented. "You and Sean."
"I guess," Owen said, shrugging. He cleared his throat, playing with her hair by wrapping a few thin strands around his index finger.
"Well, I'm glad you two have bonded," she said. "Back in Division, it seemed for a while like the two of you would never get along. I don't know why the two of you never did. I think you had a lot in common."
Owen chuckled, even smirked lightly since him and Sean did ultimately have a lot more in common than she thought. They had bonded over Michael, how he had basically been a dick to them. But really, getting out of Division had helped with the two of them getting closer, becoming friends. That was the biggest help when it came to the two of them changing their views on each other. Getting out of Division had helped all of them and their relationships with each other. "Honestly?" He paused, not sure whether or not to tell her the truth, but remembering their pact to always be honest with each other, he finally came out with it. "It was Alex."
She frowned, angling her head a bit to the other side at his reason for him and Sean being so hostile toward each other in the past. "What do you mean it was Alex?" she asked.
"He thought I liked her. That I was trying to make a move on her or something."
"Were you? Were you trying to come between them?"
Staring incredulously at her, Owen reached down and playfully smacked Nikita on her thigh. "I can't believe you just asked me that," he said. "First, she's not my type. Second, you were the reason I came back to Division. The entire time I was there, it was only ever you. It was only ever you, Nikita." He paused, smiling back at her as her doubt faded to a tender expression of admiration. "I haven't done a lot of good things in my life," he continued, looking down and focusing his attention a little too intensely on her shoulder, tracing a pattern on it with his fingertips. "But I've tried ever since meeting you. Because I want to do right by you. Ever since meeting you-... every decision, every move I've made has been influenced by you. I hope you know that. I just – you make me want to be the best version of myself."
Nikita let out a soft breath, her hand resting up above her head, fingertips grazing the side of Owen's arm as he spoke. Her gaze flickered over his face, getting distracted by the movement and shape of lips for a moment and then it shot up to his eyes at his closing words, her breath catching in her throat for a moment. She was awed that she managed to make such an impact on Owen. She'd always been awed, really. She'd been shocked, at first, that she had inspired him. She hadn't really ever inspired anyone before. Not until Owen.
She nodded, though it took her a few moments to really think back – to actually stop and remember his behavior, to contemplate his actions back in Division. She loathed herself for not realizing – for not really understanding the implication of his decision to stay there. Why he had chosen to stay in Division. For her. He had chosen to stay to be around her. And because of that things had only been hell for him. When he was around her things always seemed to be torturous for him, for either of them. Why? But things were different now, she told herself.
"I'm sorry," she said. "For... for not realizing. For not understanding why you stayed. For not-... for not..." she struggled with her words, not sure how to say what she wanted. She grew frustrated, sitting up and running an agitated hand through her hair. "I should've seen it. I was so blind. I wish I had realized it sooner. We could've had so many moments together back there." She sat on the edge of the bed, placing her hands on either side of her.
"Hey, I didn't mean to make you feel guilty," he said, getting off the bed. He slipped his jeans on, zipping them up and then going over to her, crouching in front of her. "And you have nothing to feel bad about. Nothing to regret. What's done is done – the past is the past. What matters is now. So go shower while I call up Sean, then we can go out and grab a bite to eat, yeah?"
Nikita studied him for a moment and then slowly nodded, smiled softly, and leaned in to kiss him. "Yeah," she agreed. She was about to get up when, instead, he grabbed her and lifted her up, wrapping her legs around his hips. He carried her out into the hall and toward the bathroom, setting her down in front of the door. As he turned around, Nikita reached out and smacked him on the ass. He jumped, glancing over his shoulder at her with a tempting little smirk. "If you make the call quick, maybe you can join me in the shower," she called after him, closing the door behind her.
She pulled aside the shower curtain, leaning in to ready the shower and testing the water. Once satisfied with the temperature of the water, she stripped off her clothes and stepped into the shower and closed the curtain behind her, shivering as the lukewarm water hit her body. Turning around so that the water was running down her back, Nikita closed her eyes and tipped her head back, cupping her hands against her chest. She remained thus, taking a deep breath and relishing the warm water, letting it lull her into a reverie. She tried to think of where they could go out for breakfast, the different cafes, restaurants, which had the best options for breakfast.
Feeling fingertips caress her waist, she jumped and opened her eyes, which met Owen's blue eyes. She smiled, surprised he had managed to join her so quickly. "So, what's the verdict?" she asked, as he stepped closer to her.
"They'll join us," he said. "Sans Katya," he added, and Nikita pouted slightly. "She's offered to babysit Emily for us, though. So the four of us can just spend some time together. No worries or anything. I accepted her offer. I thought it might be nice. It's been a while since it's just been the four of us."
"That was awfully generous of her," Nikita commented, also a bit surprised Katya would rather stay inside with a three month-old than go out to breakfast with everyone else. Then again, she was an expectant grandmother and the few times they'd been over there with Emily Katya had scooped her up and showered her with affection. So maybe it wasn't so unusual, Nikita thought. "We better hurry then," she continued, swiftly dodging a kiss from Owen as she turned around to face the water pouring out of the shower head. She tipped her head back, closing her eyes and rinsing her face off. She felt him come up behind her, slide his hands down to rest alone her waist. She smiled lightly, biting down on her bottom lip.
He dipped his head, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. Owen extended his arm and reached out for the bar of soap resting on the shower caddy. "As you wish," he said, deciding to behave – at least for now. He wet the bar of soap, slowly lathering Nikita's shoulders until her back was covered with soap suds. He continued to work his way down her arms, leaning in close to brush his nose against her hair as she leaned back against him, getting some soap suds on him. As he worked his way further down her body, he brushed the bar of soap over her ass and Nikita let out a chuckle and wriggled out of his grip.
"And now time out for you," she chided, grabbing the bar of soap from him and shoving him on the chest. He smirked, holding up his hands as he took a step back.
"So uptight," he teased.
"No, I just don't want to keep Alex and Sean waiting," she pointed out. "Furthermore, you know how we can get," she continued, now lathering Owen up with the soap. She began with his broad shoulders, reaching up and working the bar in circular motions. "Any other time I would be more than happy to stay here in this shower and discover what we could do with this little bar of soap." With a sly smile, she dropped her gaze to his torso and began lathering it up, something he hadn't gotten the chance to do with her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that he realized he'd gotten naughty too soon and ruined his chances to get creative with her, so now she took it upon herself to do it with him.
Nikita stepped around him, slipping her arms under his and continued lathering up his torso. She worked the bar of soap down his torso, along his hip bone. She let her fingertips graze his skin now and then to tease him, placing a kiss here and there on his back, pressing her chest and the front of her body flat against his wet back He leaned against her for support, one hand resting on the shower wall for extra support as her hand traveled further down his body and came closer to his length. But she stopped there and dropped the soap on the floor, stepping away from him with a little smile he couldn't see.
"It's time we rinse off and get a move on," she said, stepping in front of him again and rinsing off. She grabbed some shampoo, lathering her hair with it as Owen just watched her, intrigued, and stood behind her and rinsed off as well.
"We'll continue this later," he muttered into her ear, planting a quick kiss behind her earlobe before hopping out of the shower and wrapping a towel around his waist. She grinned, biting her bottom lip as she finished washing up and finally got out of the shower so they could go meet up with the others.
Chewing her nails, Katya waited until they disappeared from sight and then waited another twenty minutes, wanting to be absolutely sure before she left. She didn't want to leave too soon, only for them to come back and have everything ruined and for them to find out and interrogate her about everything. She wanted this to be her little secret. At least for now. Katya would eventually tell her daughter that she was seeing somebody. She wasn't going to keep it a secret forever. She just wanted to make sure this was going to be a lasting thing. Not just a … what was it they called it? A fling. If Alex ever met Matthias, Katya wanted to make sure things were serious.
Balancing Emily on one hip, Katya glanced down at her and sighed. "You ready for an outing, little one?" she asked, smiling. Cradling the back of her head, Katya leaned down and kissed the top of Emily's head. Grabbing a sweater from the closet, Katya set out to meet Matthias at their little rendezvous, wrapping a sweater around Emily since it was a bit cool out and she didn't want her to catch a cold. She took one of the paths behind Alex and Sean's farmhouse, following it as it led her further into the woods and several miles away from home.
Common Guernsey wildflowers bloomed on the path, adding color to the hike. Emily fixed her gaze on the bluebells mixed with the wildflowers, reaching out and wanting to pick them. Katya tsked her, telling her to be patient and that they could pick some flowers once they reached their destination. "Patience, little one. All in good time."
After another few miles and almost half an hours' walk, Katya came upon a clearing and a field sprinkled with more wildflowers of every colored variety and looked around for Matthias, having reached their destination. She saw him out of the corner of her eye, lounging against a tree with a drawing pad in his lap. Smiling to herself, she turned and walked in his direction. "There's been a little change in plans," she said, as she approached him.
He looked up, eyebrows raising in surprise at the baby in her arms. "Did you forget to tell me something or did you steal her?" he asked, his cheek twitching at the forced suppression of a smirk.
Katya ignored his teased and also resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him, and instead explain the presence of their guest. "She's the daughter of my daughter's friend. They all went out to breakfast today and I volunteered to babysit."
"I see." Matthias thought it over, his teeth grazing over his bottom lip. One more addition to their party certainly wouldn't hurt his plans. Indeed, the baby's presence just might benefit everything. "Sit, please." He gestured to the empty space before him on the blanket, moving his legs aside to make more room for her and the baby.
She lowered herself to the ground, sitting on her knees first and setting Emily on the blanket. Katya stretched her legs out to the side and then got comfortable, tucking them underneath her and making sure her dress didn't ride up her thighs, and then turned to Emily and reached out and touched her to get her to get her to stay in place. She still wasn't walking, only crawling – but she was crawling anywhere and everything she could these days, much to Nikita and Owen's frustration.
"What's her name?" Matthias asked, already getting started on his project. He picked up his pencil again, pressing the graphite against the paper and began sketching Emily's figure, glancing at her from time to time.
"Emily," Katya answered. When Matthias asked if she had been named after anyone special, Katya hesitated but then nodded. She'd been in the dark about the origin of Emily's name, having thought they'd just picked it out randomly, but then she had spent an afternoon with Owen and Emily while Nikita and Alex were out shopping, and he had told her about the original Emily. And thus she had come to know about the story of Owen's Emily. "Emily was the name of Owen's last girlfriend," Katya explained. "She died."
"I see," Matthias said, looking up at and over at Emily. "It's not uncommon to name a child after a dead loved one," he commented. "My own daughter is named after my sister." He paused, staring at Emily for a second but was thinking about his own sister. "My sister Magda died when she was fourteen and I was eighteen. She had cancer," he explained and resumed drawing. "It's funny, she looks just like her aunt. Takes after her a bit, too."
Katya's heart dropped at hearing that his sister had died so young. She wanted to apologize, but since her death had transpired so long ago and was also not her fault, she found an apology a bit contrite and something Matthias was perhaps a bit used to hearing and something he'd probably brush off at this point in his life. She still missed Nikolai, but the effect of his death on her was less intense and any apology she got anymore from people she always found unwarranted. "What was she like, your sister?" Katya finally asked. "I hope it's okay I ask," she added, hoping he wasn't offended at her asking something too personal so early.
"Not at all," he said, not minding talking about her. It had been a long time since he had spoken about his sister. And really, he had no one other than his daughter to share stories with that it was refreshing to actually be asked about her for once instead of volunteering the information. "She loved to read. And we were both artists, but she loved to paint instead of draw. She was very intelligent, wonderful sense of humor. She was hard not to love. Even when she was diagnosed with cancer the illness didn't sadden her or dampen her spirits. I mean, she had her days, you know? She had bouts of depression, but she always put on a brave face. She was strong."
"You said your Magda takes after her?" Katya said, her gaze dropping down to his lap and the drawing pad. She lifted her chin, trying to see what he was working on. He caught her and tilted the pad so she couldn't see what he had drawn so far. She then noticed his hand, or more accurately the index finger of his drawing hand. It was shaped weirdly, differently from her own, she noticed, as she looked down and inspected her own hands.
"Yes," Matthias answered, looking up at her. Katya immediately dropped her hand in her lap and lifted her gaze to him, lacing her fingers together. "She loves to read just like her aunt. Loves books – has more than she can read. Yet she keeps on buying them. And she's an artist, as well. Must run in the family," he added, smiling slyly. "She's an art dealer in London. Her main focus is photography now, though. She has my sister's same sense of humor."
"She sounds like a wonderful person," Katya said, wishing she could meet Magda someday and get to know her.
"What's your daughter like?" he asked her. "What did you say her name was?" He paused in his drawing, looking up at her and studying her for a moment. He then looked down at Emily, smiling when she grabbed the edge of Katya's dress and tugged on it, sticking it in her mouth to chew on. He reached out and tickled her foot, grabbing her attention and distracting her from Katya. She let go of her dress and crawled over to Mattias, wrapping her small hand around his index finger.
"Alex," she answered, a smile quickly lighting her features when he asked about her daughter. She hesitated a moment, deciding how best to describe her. Alex was a complicated young woman to describe, she always had been and continued to be complicated to describe. She had many facets to her. "She's complicated," Katya decided to begin. "She's always been a survivor, just like her father. She takes after him more than me, I suppose. They were both fighters. He taught her almost everything she knows about surviving. But there's a gentle side to her I don't think she sees, too. A side to her that aches to be soft." She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing on. "For a long time we were separated from each other. I think I told you that when we first met. We only recently found each other again. She's so different from how I remember her. All those years apart, I thought she had been dead. We both thought the other had been dead. But... on several occasions over the years, I asked myself what she might be like if she were alive. She's just as strong and beautiful as I imagined. Just as exquisite. Now that she's married and expecting a child, I hope that she'll discover that gentle side of her. I think she'll be a wonderful mother. She has it in her." Katya smiled at Matthias and then laughed, looking down in embarrassment.
"What happened, if you don't mind my asking?" he inquired cautiously, setting his drawing pad on the ground beside him for the time being, focusing on her. "What happened that separated the two of you for so long?"
Her brow knitted, and she hesitated again but this time out of more of uncertainty on whether or not she should tell him the truth. The events of their past weren't exactly details she could divulge to just anyone. She liked Matthias, but she wasn't sure if he should be privy to everything just yet. She wasn't certain if she should even let him in to their little circle. Was she even being smart, coming out here in the middle of nowhere meeting him like this? Was it safe? Was she putting him at risk? What was she thinking, of course he was safe. Division was dead. No one was coming after them.
"There was a fire," she began, deciding to bend the truth a little bit for now. "Our home burned down. My husband, Nikolai, he – he died trying to get Alexandra out. I almost didn't get out but a family friend managed to get me out, Sergei. Some other people got Alexandra out, I didn't know who for a long time. It turned out it was a woman who saved her. She saved her that night and then she saved her several years later, as well." She owed Nikita a great deal when it came to Alexandra, which is why she had forgiven Nikita for killing Nikolai. Yes, she knew it had been Nikita that night. She'd heard Alex and Nikita discussing it one night, the two of them out on the back porch. They weren't as quiet as they liked to think, she thought with a wry smile. She felt bad for keeping it a secret that she knew, but she didn't quite know how to let Nikita know that she had forgiven her for that night. She supposed the opportunity would present itself sooner or later. "She became Alex's best friend. They're like sisters, really. And I'm happy they have each other. We're like a family now. It's all I've ever wanted for her."
"It sounds like a happy ending for all of you," he pointed out with a smile.
Katya thought it over, then laughed and nodded. "Yes." She hadn't thought it possible, not with Division in the world, but they had all gotten a happy ending. "We all got one. So can I see what you've drawn so far?" she asked, and reached out for his drawing pad without waiting for an answer.
Matthias looked down beside him and grabbed the pad before she could reach it, holding it out away from her. He frowned at her and shook his head. "Be patient," he chided her. "I'll show you once it's done." He shook his head disapprovingly at her, a playful smile on his face.
She glared at him, but the glare didn't exactly exude the effect she hoped for since she broke out laughing lightly, the next moment leaning forward to stop Emily from chewing on a flower she had yanked out of the ground. Instead of tossing the flower aside, she kept it and played with it, twirling the stem between her fingers. She watched as the bright colors blended into one the faster she twirled the flower around and around. "What are you drawing, anyway?" Katya asked. Since he wouldn't show her, she might as well question him about his work.
"The two of you."
Startled by his answer, Katya looked up at him and laughed as if he were joking. Realizing he wasn't at all joking, she replied with, "Oh." She looked down, a smile coming to her face. Deciding to change the subject, at least for the moment, she lifted her gaze and found herself staring at his hands again, preoccupied by his fingers – out of prurient thoughts, perhaps, because of how slender and well shaped they were – but also because she was once again curious about how differently formed his index finger looked when he drew.
"It's an artist thing," Matthias suddenly said, making Katya feel guilty.
"What is?"
"My index finger. I saw you staring at it," he smiled up at her, letting her know it was all right. She smiled back, admiring his bright blue eyes for a brief second. "When you've drawn for a long time, eventually the bones in your finger will-... they'll start to reform. I don't know how to explain it. I don't even know if there's a name for it. But the finger reforms and there will be a small scar on your finger to show how the bones have reformed. And then, once the bones in your index finger have reformed, when you pick up your pencil to draw it will just be easier to draw, you know? You can bend your fingers however you want. Some people find it disgusting." He looked back down at the figure drawing, studying what he had finished of her and Emily. He reached down to pick up another pencil, one to help him shade in the hair and features on each female.
"I think it's interesting," Katya said, pausing to think about it for a moment. "And perhaps the slightest bit disgusting," she added with a laugh. She grew silent, closing her eyes and tipping her head back as a soft breeze came from nowhere, rustling her hair and kissing her cheeks. "You know, I've been on this island for almost a year and I've barely seen any of it?" she said. She thought that was rather pathetic. Although, none of the others had seen any of the rest of the island, either. They were all rather recluses, choosing to keep to themselves, or at least stay close to one another and stray too far. It was like they were all still too afraid to live. Still too afraid something bad would happen, that Division was still alive or that a part of Division was still out there.
"That's very pathetic," Matthias replied. "Very, very sad." She heard him take on a mocking tone with her, and she pursed her lips and frowned, opening her eyes to look at him. "What?" he asked, glancing up at him and seeing her give him a dirty look.
"You're acting like a ten year-old," she pointed out.
"Am not."
She chuckled, clamping her lips shut and glancing down. Silence fell between them as Matthias dedicated himself to finishing the drawing and Katya let him have some peace on quiet while working on that. She played with Emily, picking the petals off flowers and making a pile for her to play with. As soon as she had picked off enough flower petals, Katya grabbed a handful of flower petals and sprinkled them over Emily, causing the infant to burst out in joyous laughter. Katya laughed along with her, sprinkling some more flower petals over her.
"Here," Matthias suddenly said, and Katya looked up mid laugh. With some flower petals still in the palm of her hand, she looked up at him with a little grin and tossed them at him. She hit him square in the face, the petals clinging to his lips. Eyes closed, he blew them away with a puff of breath and a small smile, shaking his head at her.
"My apologies," she said, taking the proffered drawing pad from him. She studied the drawing, which he had finished remarkably fast, she admitted, and smiled. "It's very good," she said, impressed. "I'm quite in awe by how quickly you finished it. We've been here for, what? Almost an hour now?" His sketch of her and Emily was done in graphite pencil, the shading beautifully done, no color but black and white. He sketched Katya sprinkling the flower petals over Emily while the latter was splayed out on the blanket in front of her.
"I've been drawing for over twenty years," he pointed out. "After a while, it just comes naturally. Although sometimes I still take my time. There's one painting I've been working on for five years," he added, smiling to himself, glancing down and picking at the grass. When he looked up at Katya, she gave him a look that said to go on and reveal more about what it was he was working on that required so much dedication. "It's just a silly painting," he said, brushing it off. "We should get you two back to the house," he said. He began to stand up holding his hand out for her to take.
Ever so slightly disappointed that he didn't open up about his five-year project, Katya brushed it off only to become even more disappointed that their day was going to end so soon. Still, she reminded herself, they'd see each other again soon. She slipped the drawing in her sweater pocket as he held his hand out to her. Reaching out, she slipped her hand into his and with his help she stood up. He tugged her up a little too forcefully, though, and she found herself being launched forward, his hands braced on either side of her arms, her face inches from his. Her gaze dropped down to his lips, her own lips parted several inches. She felt her heart beat faster, her fingertips dig into his arm as she swayed slightly. Katya took a step back and glanced down at Emily, staring up at him with an innocent expression.
"I'll get her," Matthias said, and reached down and picked her up. Katya watched as he picked up Emily, holding her with the expertise of a father and saw that nostalgia a lot of people got – that longing for a time past. She got it whenever she cuddled with Alex, kissed her goodnight, just did any sort of little thing with her that she used to do when Alex had been little.
They walked side-by-side back to the house, Katya carrying his art supplies strapped to her shoulder for him. "Thank you for today," Katya said, as Matthias spun Emily around like a plan above his head, the infant's laughter ringing like a bell. She smiled, watching with rapt attention. She tried to remember Alex at that age, remember her laughter as a baby. "I had good time."
"So did I," Matthias replied, holding Emily properly again. "Feel free to bring this little one along any time," he added, laughing as she began to play with his jacket.
"We'll see." As they neared the house, Katya saw that the others had arrived back before her. She cursed in Russian, turning to Matthias. "We should part here," she suggested.
"Alas, our assignation ends," he teased.
"Come on, hand her over." Katya set his bag of art supplies on the ground and gestured for him to hand over Emily. After he did so, she reached into her sweater pocket and pulled out the drawing he had finished.
When she handed it to him, he waved his hand at her and said, "I drew it for you. You keep it. It's yours."
Katya smiled at him and nodded. "Until next time."
"Until next time." She turned, but then he said her name and she stopped, turned back toward him. He took a step forward and placed a kiss on her cheek. Taking a deep breath, Katya turned and walked with a smile plastered to her face toward the house. As soon as she entered she heard voices and laughter emanating from the living room. "Hello?" she called out, checking herself in the mirror and making sure she was presentable before making her way to the others.
"Hey, where've you been?" Katya smiled at Alex, who was stretched out on the sofa, leaning against Sean. He had his arm wrapped around her, his fingers gliding through and playing with her hair. She rested her head on his shoulder, feet propped on the arm of the couch, her own hands resting on her ever growing belly. "We were just talking about maybe going into town the day after tomorrow. Do a little shopping for the nursery. You wanna join us?"
"Sure," Katya answered, taking Emily over to Nikita and Owen, who were by the chair. Katya handed her over to Nikita, who was perched on the edge of the arm, and then once the exchange was made she went to sit on Sean's other side. "Sounds like fun."
"So, did you two go for a walk?" Nikita asked, bouncing Emily on her knee. She ran her hand over Emily's thin hair, noticing how warm her skin was. "It feels like you two were out for quite a while."
"We had a nice walk," Katya said. "Did a little sight-seeing." Katya glanced over at Sean, seeing him smirk. She narrowed her eyes at him, biting back a smile. She nudged him in the side with her elbow, meaning to do it softly but only ending up elbowing him too hard and he let out a grunt and shifted slightly, shoving Alex forward and letting her know the two of them were messing around.
"What are you two doing?" she asked, turning her head to look at them. She leaned back against Sean, trying to get comfortable again. He stretched his arm out, and she leaned her head against the nook of his arm pit.
"Nothing," Katya and Sean answered at the same time.
"Oh, you two are so hiding something" Owen said, his arm draped across Nikita's lap. He grinned at Katya, seeing her neck and chest flush a bright pink. She stared him down, giving him a warning look.
"I have no idea what you are talking about," Katya replied, standing up, shooting Owen a look of derision, and leaving the room without another word. She took a deep breath once out in the kitchen, not sure how much longer she'd be able to keep from the others her clandestine meetings with Matthias.
