Santorini, Greece

Nicolai Vess felt like he'd scoured the entirety of this godforsaken Mediterranean shit hole and it all, truthfully, was for naught. She wasn't here. He'd looked from Athens to Mykonos to Santorini and back, for any trace of either of them. He went underground after the car accident to protect Josu the best that he could. He surely would be angry with him when he found out, that he'd lied to him, but Nicolai felt that it was the best way to keep his son safe from any further harm at the hands of the greasy, disgusting excuses for human filth that had taken his daughter from him. Nearly two years had passed, and Nicolai had no where to go but home.

He clutched at the keychain in his pocket, an intricate one that his children had made for him, the names Liliana and Josu intertwined together, they'd given it to him the last Father's Day they'd all been together, just a few months after their mother was diagnosed and mere weeks before Liliana was taken. It had been one of the only relics that had gotten him through this: the endless searching, the countless dead ends. But now, he knew that he had to get back to his son. Regardless of what was happening, she, his beautiful daughter, was not here, and hiding from Josu would not help him any longer. His son had dealt with the pain of loss far too much over the past five years, losing nearly everyone who meant anything to him. So even if they still could not find Liliana, it wasn't fair to Josu to keep hiding, to keep up the relentless pace of this chase that ultimately, was the biggest failure of Nicolai's life.

He had abandoned Josu to come up empty-handed, to come back with nothing. Sure, he did it in the interest of his safety. He knew the target on his back was much bigger than the one on his son's, but he'd always promised himself—and their mother—that being away from Josu for a period of time was okay if it meant that he came back with Liliana in his arms.

But he didn't. He had failed in every sense of the word.

"I, Jace—yes, of course," she could barely see through the tears that were flooding the front of her shirt. She was far from able to stop them, she never did anything to deserve him or the family that he had given her, the security that he afforded her with. Before Jace or Liliana could say anything, Toby wrapped himself around Jace's neck like a vice and refused to let go. Jace squeezed him as tightly as he could.

"Daddy loves you, buddy, so much," Jace whispered, but Liliana could hear, and it only caused her to cry harder. She put her head in her lap as slowly, deliberately, Jace took her face in his hands, gently kissing away the tears that refused to stop coming.

"I know you say that I saved you. But you've given me everything I could've ever dreamed of if I had dared to let myself dream. You are the light of my life; you gave me the most beautiful son. I knew from the first time I kissed you that I would never, ever be the same. So, please, Liliana Paige Vess—will you marry me?

"Mhmm," was all she could manage, but Jace wrapped her up, safe in his arms and picked up Tobias with the other. This was his family, and he'd be damned if he let anyone take it from him.

A few nights later, there was an angry monster of guilt pulling at the strings in Liliana's chest, making her nauseous. She knew she couldn't keep it from Jace much longer, but she was scared of losing him. All Toby had talked about since Liliana had accepted was Daddy said this and Daddy told me this,. It wasn't that it had changed from when it was Ace said this, Ace said that, but Tobias finally had a father—a real man to look up to. And how was she going to explain to Toby that Jace decided he didn't want to marry Mommy after all if he reacted badly? Because right now, Liliana did not feel like a good wife. She didn't even feel like a good person. She knew, that if she was going to do it, it had to be before they were married. And if she prolonged it much longer, she was going to bleed to death, because that's all it was. An open, festering wound right on Liliana's conscious.

Her heart felt like it was going to rip itself out of her chest. She looked down at Jace and Tobias, in the floor, playing some sort of game, but more just content being together. She had put dinner in the oven for all of the nine people that lived with them and should have went to join her fiancé and her son, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She breathed in, sat down at the piano, and began to practice for this Sunday's song.

Jace's heart started to smile. He loved to hear Liliana sing. Even though their belief systems didn't align perfectly, her voice was beautiful. If she wanted to sing about faith, she could. He wasn't going to tell her she couldn't do or have anything she wanted. He wasn't him. And besides, he knew that her faith was more about her father than anything else. Jace knew enough about the human psyche to understand that faith, church, and Christianity was the strongest she had to her father, just like Kallist's old truck was the closest link he had to her brother. He'd meant for Josu to take a look at it for a long time, but he couldn't, especially now. Liliana's voice rang beautifully through the apartment. Just as it did, Jace heard a knock at their front door.

Nicolai wasn't sure where to go. He knew that Josu wouldn't torture himself in the house where he grew up, but he also knew that he would never leave this area until someone or something found his sister. The only friend he had had around this area was Jace, because Giovanni, Silver, and Karen had relocated after the incident. He remembered the other genius fondly, how he legitimately cared for Josu and wanted to see him grow as a genius as well as a person. Nicolai swallowed. He'd only ever seen the garage once, but he knew they didn't live there, and that they wouldn't be there this late at night. The sun had already set and it was closing in on dinner time.

He knew Jace used to rent a one-bedroom apartment in one of the many complexes around the area, so he started there. It seemed feasible that Josu moved in with him after the untimely "death," of his father. Fall was encroaching on them, but it wasn't cold, just unseasonably cool for the first week in October in DC. Thankfully, he had no trouble securing a car as soon as he got there, so he heaved a heavy sigh as he pulled up to the complex.

Thankfully, there was someone at the desk, and when he inquired if there was a Jace Beleren or a Josu Vess here, the young lady smiled brightly.

"Yes!" she answered. "They always have lots of people coming and going. Though she's not on the lease, Josu's sister lives there, too. And her—"

Nicolai cut the girl off. "What number?"

"254 B!"

"Thank you," Nicolai said, hurriedly, without waiting for a response.

One night while on life's raging sea it looked as if I would suffer defeat.

As the blackness of night closed off the light my heart sank with fear.

My desperate cry rang out with fright; all I could see was no hope in sight.

With faith all but gone I met the one who came looking for me.

His heart clenched in his chest. He was standing at her door after nearly six years; they were in there. Both of them were. He balled his hand into a fist and knocked on the door, hearing the familiar voice of Jace Beleren answer before anyone else's. He should have known that they would be here. He was all he'd had, after all. And the girl, the redhead.

"Tobias! Do not answer that door. Every single person you know is here," Jace's voice rang out, authoritative. Tobias… It could not be. It wasn't possible.

"Daddy! I'm big! I've got it," the boy's voice rang out.

"Tobias! Listen to your father," Lili's voice said. Nicolai started to choke in that moment. It was real. She was here, and so was Josu, and he'd been right. Jace and Liliana had chosen each other… Nicolai heard the familiar sound that was none other than his youngest striking the keys of the piano. Just as she began, Jace opened the door.

Jace couldn't believe his eyes. The dark-haired, tall Russian man stood in front of him. His breath stopped in his chest and he looked as if he was going to faint.

"Nicolai…"

"Hello, Jace. What did I say?" Nicolai said with a smile. Jace clamped a hand over his mouth, tears stinging at his eyes. His Lili… "It's been a long time, son…"

"Daddy! I-is that…"

Toby was bewildered, but it was nothing close the state that his grandfather was in. Liliana was alive and well, and had managed to raise a child in that environment? Josu was here, Jace was making sure that his daughter was taken care of and raising a child that wasn't his? For a man that said he had no emotion, to Nicolai, it seemed that he was wrong. Because when Jace looked over at his daughter, and the little boy who he presumed to be his grandson, all he could see was love.

"Y-yeah, buddy… it is, he is…" Jace managed to stammer out.

Nicolai patted Tobias on the cheek, and Jace was terrified that he would react badly, but he just smiled. Apparently, Liliana had told him about Nicolai.

Nicolai wrapped his too-big-for-his-body arms around Jace and Tobias, obvious that he was trying to hold back tears.

"Thank you for taking care of them…" Nicolai managed.

At that moment, Liliana's voice continued to permeate throughout their tiny apartment. Tears sprang to the man of God's eyes as he heard the sound that he thought he would never again, the sound that he had missed, the one that had been snatched from him.

He clapped his son-in-law on the shoulder and walked by, past the pretty woman in the kitchen, past the other man doing the calculations and Jace's sister, and he saw his daughter's hair falling in the same loose curls she'd always worn…

Satan had already picked out my grave, his plan was to foil and put me away.

I'd drifted so far, would anyone care that I'd soon be lost.

I knew my destruction was a matter of time…. "

Liliana's voice had only gotten stronger and more beautiful. He walked behind his daughter and brushed her hair, and as she turned around, he sang the next line of the song that they'd sung together so many times on the stage of Nicolai's small church.

"But then he appeared, and said, this one is mine…"

That voice was one that she'd only remembered in her dreams, and even to this day, it grew vaguer and vaguer, no matter how hard she tried to hold on. She didn't know what kind of tricks her mind was playing on her this time, but a lump grew in her throat. It's just the song. We used to do this one sometimes.

There was a soft brush across her shoulder that didn't feel like her fiance's touch; it was too rough. it was familiar, but she couldn't bring herself to look. She had to be dreaming. Before she could turn around, Nicolai sat down next to his daughter.

Now I'm safe from all harm, for he walked through the storm; he came looking for me

"D-Daddy..." she started, but Nicolai just put her hand on top of his, like he did when he was teaching her to play.

"Sing, dove." Nicolai pressed his lips to the side of Liliana's head. "I'm so proud of you," he said. "So proud."

He came looking for me, yes he came looking for me, he made a way when there was no way that I could see.. when I drifted far, yes he was near, to rescue my soul and calm all my fears

Yes, he came looking for me…