Hey guys, it's been a while! Hope you all had a good February. Mine was crazy busy with school but I survived and managed to make it past Reading Week. And now, I am getting ready to be thrown into a crazy March, but more on that later.

As you may have guessed, this chapter is what I like to call "The Wall Scene". This was easily one of the hardest chapters to write and edit, not only in terms of Grace and Alexei's emotions but also how much Alexei knew about Grace's past. Nonetheless, I hope I got it somewhat accurate. If you're a Grace and Alexei shipper (use whichever ship name you prefer), then this chapter is for you! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Embassy Row series and all the characters (except for Tanner and Jordan, who are my own creations). They belong to Ally Carter. I am merely using her characters and plotline to create this fanfiction. This fanfiction is purely for entertainment purposes and would not exist without Ally Carter's wonderful works.

Chapter Twenty-One: Breathe

As I headed back towards the Russian embassy, I passed Megan and Noah. They nodded at me as I passed by them but that was it. Both of them were oddly silent, yet, I couldn't help but notice how comfortable they looked in each other's presence. As far as I was concerned, there was definitely something going on between them.

Up ahead, I spotted a lone figure slowly walking. I couldn't tell who it was at first but they looked utterly alone, like they had no one left in the world. However, the evening sunlight reflected off them, allowing me to get a glimpse of who it was. Grace. Why she wasn't walking with Megan and Noah? Surely, the three of them were good friends, especially if Lila's speculations about them hanging out together were true. However, they looked like anything but friends right now. What could have happened between them to cause such a rift?

Grace didn't seem to notice as I slowly approached her. She barely even looked up as she walked, like she was completely oblivious to her surroundings. When we were almost right next to each other, I decided to make myself known.

"Hello, Gracie." She looked up, acknowledging my presence. A look of annoyance crossed her face, like I was the last person she wanted to see right now.

"Hello, Alexei," Grace replied, although it sounded extremely forced. What had happened between her, Megan, and Noah today, to make her look like she was not okay?

"And how are you today, Gracie?" I asked, in an attempt to get a conversation going. Grace suddenly stopped in her tracks, turning to face me.

"I love Jamie. That's why I let him call me Gracie."

"I know," I said, with a smile. It was obvious how much Grace adored her brother; it would take an idiot not to notice that. It was also obvious how much Grace hated that nickname and only seemed to tolerate it if Jamie used it. However, I couldn't resist using her childhood nickname, not only because it fit her really well, but it was amusing and endearing to see her get annoyed at it.

"You're not Jamie." I couldn't help but smile at Grace's weak attempt to insult me. Yes, I most clearly was not Jamie. However, I was the closest person she had to Jamie here. Did she really not realize that?

Grace continued walking, as if trying to distance herself from me again. However, I easily caught up to her, thanks to my longer strides. Soon, we were walking side by side, our steps synchronized.

"So where have you been keeping yourself?" I asked, in a subtle attempt to find out what she had been doing all this time. It would be nice to know where she always disappeared to, not just for Jamie's sake but for my own too.

"I live in that one," Grace said, pointing to the American embassy just down the street. I sighed. So much for subtlety. I probably wasn't going to get any answers until I asked her flat-out.

"What have you been doing?"

"I'm sorry," Grace said, suddenly spinning on me, "this concerns you why? And don't tell me it's because of some promise you made to Jamie. Jamie told you to keep me out of trouble. And I haven't been in any trouble." So according to her, the tree-planting ceremony, the scarf incident, or the break-in to the South Korean embassy didn't count as getting into trouble. Very interesting. I couldn't help but smirk at her definition of trouble. I hadn't realized it didn't include the minor disturbances most people would consider trouble.

"As far as I know you haven't been in any trouble. But there's a lot I don't know, isn't there, Gracie?" Grace suddenly froze up and I knew I hit the nail on the head. There was a lot she was hiding from me, no doubt relating to her mysterious disappearances. For all I knew, she could have been robbing banks or investigating state secrets behind my back.

"Tell me what's going on," I said. She had to know that I was on to her, that I knew she was up to something.

"Nothing to tell."

"Hey!" I snapped, my emotional self-control vanishing, thanks to her blasé attitude. "I find you lying in the street in a ball gown, and you're so sick that I have to carry you home. And then … you disappear. You're never in the embassy when I come to see you –"

"You came to see me?" Grace sounded surprised by that. Well, someone had to check on her to make sure she was alright. After all, I needed to make sure that she was safe, so that Jamie wouldn't have to worry about his little sister and I could get some peace of mind.

"You don't go to events with your grandfather. You haven't even broken any bones as far as I can tell. So what's going on?" Grace suddenly stopped again, like she was contemplating my words. Had she finally decided to trust me? Or had she realized that she could only keep secrets for so long before someone found out? After all, this was Adria. No matter how hard or how long secrets were kept hidden, eventually, someone would start to notice that something was up and investigate.

"You scare me, Grace," I said honestly. It scared me how I had no idea what she was up to or that she could be wrapped up in so much trouble right now and I wouldn't be able to save her from it. More than anything, it scared me to admit how much Grace had changed due to her mother's death. She clearly wasn't the same little girl Jamie and I used to play with. She had seen too much, gone through too much, and it had effectively turned her life upside down.

"Yeah. Sometimes I scare me, too." We had reached the American embassy. Grace slowly stepped towards the gates, almost like she was daring me to follow her into enemy territory. I so desperately wanted to follow her, to chase after her, until she was safe in my arms and away from all those secrets she was keeping. However, there was nothing I could do to chase her demons away. It made me feel powerless, being unable to protect her from her nightmares. Even though I could easily protect her from bullets and knives, there was no way I could save her from her own mind. So instead of following her, I simply watched her as she headed further onto American soil.

"You know I'm here if you need me, don't you?" I called out, in a last-ditch attempt to gain her trust. Even if I didn't have the power to help her fight her demons, the least I could do was promise to be by her side, no matter what. I knew for a fact I would be there for her, forever and always. I cared about her too much to let her fight through this world alone.

"Be careful, Alexei. The world is a dangerous place." I stared after Grace as she walked into the American embassy, away from the things that were so obviously bothering her. What had happened between her, Megan, and Noah today? More importantly, what had she gotten so involved in, that was causing her such grief and keeping her out of the embassy all the time? However, awkwardly standing by the American embassy wasn't going to get me any answers. The only way to find out was to somehow pry the answers out of Grace, even though she did not seem willing to talk. No matter how much she resisted, I so desperately wanted to find out what was bothering her so much. If only she knew how much I wanted to help her. Maybe then she would finally let me in.

I turned around to head back to the Russian embassy, as it was starting to get late. My father was probably wondering where I was, especially since I hadn't checked my phone all evening. I turned on my phone, mildly surprised that there weren't any unread texts or missed calls from my father. However, I hoped this wasn't a sign that I would be walking into another lecture as soon as I got home.

I nodded at the guards as I walked through the gates. It was surprisingly bright as I walked into the embassy, which was unusual for this time of night. I made my way up the staircase, hearing a lot of chatter coming from one of the second-floor meeting rooms. Just as I reached the second-floor landing, Mikhail walked out of the meeting room that the chatter was coming from.

"I see you've finally made it back," Mikhail said, with a knowing half-smile.

"Yes, I was out longer than expected," I replied. "Is my father looking for me?" I glanced around, looking for any signs of my father.

"Not really," Mikhail said, his half-smile turning into a grin. "It's the ambassador's birthday." He nodded at the brightly lit, loud meeting room he had just exited. I had completely forgotten it was the ambassador's birthday. The embassy must have been hosting a party for him. I snuck a peek around Mikhail, into the meeting room. The tables were littered with various alcohol bottles and there was trash all over the floor.

I suddenly heard my father screaming loudly, like he was in the middle of telling a drunken story. He was slurring his words and I could imagine that he had had a few too many drinks tonight. I caught Mikhail's eye and he gave me a knowing look.

"Don't worry, Lyosha, your father's a bit preoccupied at the moment," Mikhail said, as he followed my gaze. "I think it's safe to say you're off the hook tonight."

"Thanks," I replied. "I was going to head up to my room and try to get some sleep."

"Of course. Have a good night," Mikhail said. He nodded at me, then headed down the stairs. I headed up to my room and closed the door. I sat down at my desk and pulled up YouTube on my laptop, as I wasn't feeling tired yet. However, after an hour of watching YouTube, it became clear that sleep wasn't going to come easily for me. It looked like I was going to be in for another late night. I closed the lid on my laptop and headed out of my room, hoping a late-night walk would tire me out. As I walked past the second-floor landing, I noticed that the party was still in full swing, with no signs of winding down. Suddenly, I saw a shadow behind me and momentarily froze on the stairs.

"Couldn't sleep?" I turned around to find Mikhail standing behind me. I sighed in relief, glad that it wasn't my father.

"Not really. I was just going to head out for a walk." Mikhail nodded in understanding.

"Go ahead. I'll deal with your father in case he asks about you," Mikhail said.

"Thank you," I replied, looking at him warmly. Mikhail nodded at me and I headed down the stairs. I was instantly hit with the cool night air as I walked towards the gates. I nodded at the guards, muttering a few words about how I was going out for a walk and shouldn't be out for too long. I picked a direction and started walking, taking the time to enjoy the cool night air and the dark sky. It was oddly refreshing and surprisingly calming, helping me clear my head. I found myself enjoying the peace and quiet.

However, the sound of quiet footsteps juxtaposed with heavy, ragged breathing caught my attention. I turned around and spotted a lone figure walking in the street, looking like they were in grave pain. As the figure passed under a street light, I horrifically realized it was Grace. What was she doing out so late, alone in the streets? And why did she look frenzied and panicked, like she did the night of the ball? A pit of déjà vu started forming in my stomach. I hoped that she could get help, instead of passing out, like the night of the ball.

I watched as she slowly walked past the American embassy, heading towards the Russian embassy. I was momentarily confused. Wouldn't it be best for her to head back home, where she would be safe? However, I realized what was happening when she started banging on our gates. Grace needed help that couldn't come from the American embassy and she needed it now. My mind went on autopilot and I acted on impulse. I sprinted towards her and reached her just as one of the guards started speaking to her in Russian, asking if she was okay and if she needed help.

"Alexei!" she screamed, her voice so full of pain and agony it broke my heart. "I need to see –"

"Grace," I said, making my presence known before I had to hear any more of her heart-breaking screams. She turned around to face me, shock written all over her face, perhaps from seeing me out on the streets so late at night. However, her surprise was nothing compared to the pain in her eyes, so evident that it was impossible not to see it. As she rushed towards me, my arms instantly went around her, providing her with a safe haven. For once, she didn't try to let go or slip out of my embrace, almost like she finally accepted that she needed a comforting gesture. She sank into my arms, like I was the only thing that could keep her grounded to this world. I was glad that I was finally able to help her and provide her with something that she so evidently needed.

I felt her hyperventilating in my arms, clearly still struggling to breathe. She was still in that horrible frenzied, panicked state and it didn't seem like she was going to calm down anytime soon. I gently cupped her face in my hands, gently tilting her face up until I was staring into her eyes, those beautiful brown eyes that were currently tormented by waves of pain. I looked right into her eyes, willing her to calm down.

"It's okay. You're going to be okay," I said, still staring into her eyes. I took her hands and pulled her away from the staring guard. He looked surprised and I couldn't tell if it was because I was back so early or because it was late at night and I was with a girl.

"I'll take care of this. Make sure no word of this gets out to the Russian or the American embassy," I said in Russian, giving the guard my best intimidating look. The guard just nodded in response, probably too tired or annoyed to really care.

I quickly started thinking of places I could take Grace, to calm her down. The hot springs were too far away, especially this late at night, and the tunnels were not an option. So I walked towards the back of the embassy and led her down a tiny alley, heading for the wall that surrounded the embassies. There was a small space between the walls of the Russian and American embassies. It was lined with stones, creating a perfect path for climbing up to the top of the wall. I always came here when I was younger and needed somewhere to go. It had been my safe haven when I needed to clear my head and was too young to leave the embassy on my own. I couldn't remember the last time I had been here but the walls were still familiar to me. The rough stones still jutted out from the walls in the exact same positions and I knew I could easily climb the wall with my eyes closed. I squeezed into the small space beside Grace, just barely able to fit with her.

"You need a leg up?" I asked, with a playful smile. My heart stared pounding, but I told myself it was just the adrenaline rush from trying not to get caught climbing the walls and not from being in close quarters with such a beautiful but tormented girl.

"See you at the top," Grace said. She started climbing up, barely giving me a second glance. I smiled to myself, as I followed her up. By the time I reached the top, Grace was already sitting on the wall, gripping its edge. I settled down next to her, dangling one leg over the edge of the wall and placing the other at her back, almost as if I was protecting her. It took all I had in me not to scoot closer to her, to pull her close and wrap my arms around her. However, if I sat any closer to her, it would have raised some red flags, in both the Russian and the American embassies. Nonetheless, I couldn't stop myself from leaning forward, to close the distance between us without actually touching.

"Grace, breathe," I said. I leaned down so I could stare into her eyes, willing her to calm down and breathe. To my surprise, she closed her eyes and breathed in the cool night air, in deep, even breaths.

"Just so you know, you don't have to tell me what's going on," I told her. She jumped slightly, almost like she had forgotten about my presence. "You don't have to say a thing. You just have to sit here. And breathe." Before, I would have loved to get some answers out of her and find out what she had been up to. However, after seeing the pain and anguish in her eyes, I realized there was no way she could talk about what she was going through, not without going into that frenzied, panicked state again. So I decided I was content to stay quiet and watch her breathe.

She visibly relaxed with each breath she took, like her troubles were slowly floating away. I was unaware of how long we sat there in silence, her breathing, me watching her. I could feel myself calming down too, sitting up here with nothing but the sound of the ocean and the cool night air. When Grace finally spoke, it was almost like the wind had conjured her words out of thin air.

"My grandfather hates me. Did you know that? Is that in the Russian daily briefings? Well, he does. Really. He hates me."

"Your grandfather adores you." I was surprised by what Grace said. Her grandfather did not hate her. Maybe he was disappointed in her, based on her recent behaviour, but he did not hate her. When I had brought her back to the American embassy the night of the ball, it was so evident that Ambassador Vincent cared about her.

"He used to. When I was little. And cute. I used to be cute once – not that you'd remember." Contrary to what she said, I did remember what Grace was like when she was younger. She was such an adorable, innocent, lovable little girl.

"He called you Snowball," I said, with a laugh. An image of a younger Grace, with pale platinum blonde hair, so blonde it was almost white, suddenly popped into my head. I wasn't quite sure where that memory had come from but looking back, I remembered how she used to chase after me and Jamie because she always wanted to join our games. Suddenly, Grace tensed up, like something had disturbed her.

"Grace, breathe. All you have to do is breathe." That was all I wanted for her in this moment, to calm down and forget about her troubles. However, she didn't seem like she was calming down this time.

"Tell me something," I said, in an effort to distract her from her thoughts. "About you. About the past three years. Tell me what I've missed."

"My mother died." Something about her tone of voice caught me off-guard. I was hoping to hear about how much her life had changed over the past three years. Perhaps some exciting details, like new friends she had made or cool bands she had discovered. But instead, I just got a reiteration of a statement that I had heard way too many times over the past three years.

"I know," I replied, looking out at the sea. "I wanted to go to the funeral, but my father said it wasn't appropriate. I should have been there. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I wasn't there either." Jamie told me that Grace had to spend some time in the hospital after their mother died. I always assumed she was in a normal hospital, getting treated for physical injuries after being caught in the tragic fire that killed her mother. Nonetheless, there had been so many rumours, Grace being trapped in a mental hospital one of them. At first glance, Grace didn't seem crazy enough to be put in a mental hospital. Yet, seeing her in that frenzied, panicked state, screaming things that didn't make any sense, was enough to make me second-guess her sanity. Was it possible Grace had spent some time in a mental hospital, as much as I didn't want to believe that? Honestly, I wasn't sure what to believe anymore, especially with the way her family had kept everything so quiet. Still, I knew that I wasn't going to get any definitive answers unless they were from Grace herself.

I looked down at her, noticing how she lightly touched her wrists. She looked like she was still in pain, suffering from whatever was going on in her head. She was far too quiet, which was starting to concern me.

"Grace?" I tentatively asked, breaking the deafening silence that had almost become too much to bear.

"I saw the man who killed my mother. He's here. I talked to him." I hadn't been expecting her to say anything. However, that was something, even if it was something small. Grace was full of secrets that she was no doubt used to hiding. Yet, with what she had just told me, the surface of her solid stone walls had finally started to crack.

"And he's going to do it again," Grace whispered, ever so softly, that I almost didn't hear her over the night breeze. However, I heard something different, a sincerity and strong belief in her words that wasn't there before. It was only then that I realized just how much was haunting Grace and how much she needed someone to confide in and lean on. I shifted so that I was leaning forward. I braced my hands on her back, as if I was showing her that I would be the support she needed.

"And you discussed this with your grandfather?" Grace merely shook her head.

"He doesn't believe me. But I heard it, Alexei. I swear. I saw him. And I heard him. And I –"

"I believe you." I cut her off before she could finish, before she felt the need to explain herself again. For a second, I saw the doubt written all over her face, which quickly turned to surprise. She clearly hadn't expected anyone to believe her, especially me. Maybe her friends didn't trust her anymore and her family stopped believing in her long ago, but I was going to be that person she could lean on, no matter how much my father or her grandfather tried to stop me. She clearly needed someone to believe in her, even if that someone was me. My simple reassurance of my faith in her must have been enough to restore her belief in herself, as she started talking and just kept talking. It was like I had finally removed the brick that caused all the walls around her to come crashing down.

I learned that she, in fact, did know about the tunnels and that she truly believed there was a man with a scar who had murdered her mother and would kill again. I learned about how she stalked that man throughout the underground tunnels, only to end up in the basement of the American embassy. I realized she had gone into that frenzied, panicked state this evening, from coming face to face with that very same man out on the street. That man just so happened to be Dominic Novak, the prime minister's head of security.

When she finished talking, she simply stared out at the calm, rolling waves of the sea. I took a moment to take her in. She looked so vulnerable, yet, so resilient and strong. She had been through so much, more than I ever could have imagined, which I had to admire her for. It couldn't have been easy for her to keep all those secrets and burdens locked away for so long.

"You should have told me," I said.

"You wouldn't have believed me," Grace replied. I heard the crack in her voice, showing just how broken she must have been. She so desperately wanted someone to believe in her, even just once. And I was going to be that person who believed in her, so that she could start to believe in herself.

"Yes, I would have. And then you wouldn't have been on your own." A spark of hope flashed across Grace's eyes, as if she was hit with a sudden realization. It quickly turned to uncertainty, followed by indecision before she started talking again. She talked about what her, Megan, Noah, and Rosie had been up to all this time. It turned out they had been trying to track Dominic, first to prove that he actually existed. Then, they continued tracking him to find any bit of evidence, no matter how small, that would show he had killed Grace's mother and that he would kill again. Apparently, it had actually been going pretty well, until Noah found out that Grace had lied about accusing other scarred men in the past.

"Now, not even they believe me," Grace sniffed, wiping her nose on her sleeve. It broke my heart to see her crying over her friends. She shouldn't have to go through friend drama, not with all the secrets she was already hiding.

"Listen to me, Grace. Listen to me," I said slowly, to emphasize my point. "You don't talk to Dominic again. You don't go in the tunnels by yourself. You don't go anywhere by yourself. Do you hear me? You're going to be careful. And you're going to include me."

"I –"

"No, Grace. You don't get to be stubborn this time. This time you have to be safe. Okay?" Now that I knew exactly what she was up to, I would be able to protect her. I would always be by her side through whatever crazy adventures she decided to go on.

"Okay."

"From now on, we're a team. Right?" I looked down at her, hoping she'd agree. Her hair blew across her face and I couldn't stop myself from reaching out and tucking a piece of it behind her ear. That slight bit of contact was enough to send a tingle up my arm.

"Right."

"Now, come on." I started scooting back, towards the part of the wall that we climbed up. "I guess I should walk you home." It must have been past midnight. It wouldn't be good for either of us to get home late, especially if my father or her grandfather was still up.

When we reached the American embassy gates, I found myself standing close to Grace, closer than I ever had. Normally, I wouldn't dare to stand this close to her but our talk had changed everything. It had brought us closer together, closer than we had ever been. It was like a different side of her had been revealed, a side I had never seen until today. She was no longer my best friend's kid sister but my equal.

Her back was against the gate and I couldn't stop myself from imagining what it would be like to push her up against the gate and kiss her. I couldn't tell if she was thinking the same thing, as she looked up at me with weary eyes. Yet, with that one glance, I could tell that everything had changed between us tonight. And for once, I think it had finally changed for the better.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

I'm not too sure when I'll be able to get the next chapter up. I'm aiming for Mar. 10 to Mar. 18 but if it's not up by that time, it'll be up between Mar. 22 to Mar. 31. I swear, life as a uni student is literally a never-ending pile of stuff to do. Here's the craziness that is my March:

Mar. 7: Test and lab report due (of course, it had to be in the same subject)

Mar. 8: Lab report due

Mar. 9: Test

Mar. 13: Assignment due (luckily, it doesn't seem too hard since it's just solving problems for one of my chill science electives)

Mar. 14: Lab report due

Mar. 15: Paper due (which is worth 15% of my grade and I have barely started thinking about it)

Mar. 21: Test

Mar. 22: Lab report due

Mar. 28: Lab report due

Mar. 29: Lab exam

The next chapter seems like a pretty easy edit so hopefully, it'll be up sooner rather than later (but don't get your hopes up too much). Thanks again for being patient with me!