(A/N): Sorry for the extended delay. Life has a tendency of getting in the way. And let's just say hospital stays are no longer as lax and free as they used to be. It's been a difficult April and May so far. I finally get to go on 'vacation' at the end of the month and I am looking forward to the extended, uninterrupted time to write- erh, type. Should have the next couple of chapters ready by then. ALSO, I have a lengthy one shot, well something of a one shot, in the works. I think it's time I dive into the "Blood Brothers" mission in GTA IV.
aaaaaa
"Sheila Hall! Weazel News! How was it saving one of LCPD's finest?" A woman in a tight fitting, conservative suit came running in their direction holding a microphone, with a cameraman in toe.
"We need to get out of here Niko. News is not a good thing or a good look for us." Bernie frantically whispered to his friend who had turned to see who was yelling at them, protectively standing in front of Kate.
"We can take this back to my place close by." Niko turned and ushered them in the direction of the Infernus. A couple of police officers intercepted the news crew that continued to shout questions their way.
"What does Weazel News want with us?" Kate looked over her shoulder toward the well put together looking woman that for some reason wanted to know the details of Francis' campaign for Police Commissioner and who his love interest was in life. She hurried her steps to keep up with Niko and Bernie.
"We need to teach you Serbian. Would be easier to explain things in public…" Bernie glanced at Niko who had remained rather quiet and unreadable as they scurried down the sidewalk. Perhaps he should have waited to tease him about dating, or not dating Kate. It was only a joke and nothing to be taken seriously. 'I have seen that look before… He is troubled by something.'
"Okay? That still doesn't explain things?" She had to weave around a couple of people who were slowly moving away from the scene of the explosion. Another question was hurled their direction and she almost felt like turning around to correct her. She most certainly wasn't involved in crime like her "deceased" brother Gerry. Bernie tugged on her arm and pulled her across the street toward the car, dodging more pedestrians.
"Just a quick statement! Won't take but a second! It'll hit the 1600 news segment! Please!" The woman yelled out as she managed to get through the cops that were blocking her.
"My dear, we are somewhat famous since the whole church fiasco!" Bernie softly whispered into her ear as he directed her back toward where Niko was heading. The street was rather crowded, and he was starting to panic with how close the news media was getting to them. Bryce had been adamant that he stay below the radar. Otherwise, it was going to be harder and harder to meet up. And he didn't want to jeopardize his relationship.
"Bernie!" Niko pulled his keys from his pocket and tossed them toward him as they neared the orange Infernus.
Bernie easily caught the keys and sent him a bewildered look. He hardly ever drove and wasn't really in the mood to drive Bryce's old car. He glanced over his shoulder to see the news reporter shove a couple of people from her path. But he could make exceptions…
"It's a two seater remember. And she is sitting with me, where she belongs!" Niko shot him a smirk and scooped Kate up into his arms, causing her to squeak at the sudden movement.
Bernie had to laugh. It was partly out of relief and partly out of knowing his friend wasn't going to let him live anything down. "Ah. How could I ever forget?" He pressed the unlock button and rushed toward the driver side door. It may have been several months since he had taken the car anywhere, but he still knew how to drive it properly. He dropped down into the driver seat and buckled himself in, shoving the key into the ignition. The familiar roar of the engine lifted the corners of his lips in a soft smile.
Niko set Kate on her feet, still holding her to him, and opened the passenger door. Carefully he sat down into the seat and yanked her down into his lap. She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times not understanding what was going on or why his mood had shifted so rapidly. He yanked the door shut and turned her to face the driver's seat, moving her arms and legs where he wanted them. Satisfied that she wouldn't get too uncomfortable, he pulled the belt around them both, clicking it into the holder.
"Where? The place off of Galveston Avenue and Xenotime?" Bernie revved the engine, feeling the butterflies in his stomach at the memory of the first time Bryce had taken him for a joyride in the vehicle.
"Yeah. We can lay low till we get the update on Francis and Ron." Niko firmed his hands around Kate and felt the slight shiver that floated along her body. It was closer than the Middle Park apartment and would be easier to get to the hospital later. 'And we will be closer in case there is bad news…'
"Ron? What happened to him?" Kate leaned off of him in order to ask her question. She hadn't seen him come out of the building and grew worried about her brother's detective. He was always so polite and protective of her family.
"We can talk about it later. Let's just get out of here." Niko flicked his eyes to hers for a second to make sure she knew he wasn't in the mood to speak on it just yet, before checking the passenger side mirror. He could feel her huff and turn away but knew she wouldn't push; she knew his limits and when to let things be.
"Uh guys?!" Kate pointed out the front windshield at the approaching news reporter and camera crew. The camera man slowed down to be able to get them into frame and nodded at Sheila to start talking.
"Shit. Hang on!" Bernie pressed the clutch and dropped the gear into reverse, glancing out the rearview and side mirrors to make sure he wouldn't run anyone over. He floored it backwards, forcing Kate to brace against the dashboard. He sharply turned the wheel and shifted gears while the car spun around in the opposite direction. He took off down the now slightly empty street and drifted the car around the corner to get away from the news vans he could see lined up along Exeter Avenue.
Kate tried to slow her racing heart, but with how tightly pressed she was to Niko's body, it was a rather difficult task. She glanced to his face to see what was going through his mind. He had been rather distant with her till he picked her up and carried her over to the passenger side of his car. And now she was worried that something had happened to Ron. The silence in the car was only broken by the hum and roar of the engine as Bernie changed gears and drove through intersections, no longer caring about the rules of the road.
Niko could feel her eyes on him, but he kept watch over the streets and tried to spot the mysterious person who had tried to kill him and ended up striking Ron. He would need to find them soon and get the answers he desperately needed. That had been about as close as someone had gotten to ruining his life since Natalya. And for all he knew this person worked for her and was still trying to carry out her revenge mission. He didn't want to drag Kate back into danger, but it seemed like the universe wasn't finished with them yet.
"This is the place." Niko nodded toward a five story building with a large yellow Patriot parked out front of the stone steps that led up to the main entrance. Bernie parked the car behind the vehicle and glanced to Niko for guidance. "We should be safe here. Only a couple of people know of my place here, and the news media shouldn't want to venture too far from the site of the explosion." He frowned at the thought of some random picture surviving the fire and explosion and falling into someone else's hands.
"You have another apartment?" Kate asked softly as she leaned forward to inspect the building in question through the tinted windshield.
"Technically I have four places. But one of them is Mallorie's cousin's place. So that one doesn't really count. Roman's first apartment got burned by Dimitri and Ray Bulgarin." He shrugged at remembering all the places he had crashed through out his time in Liberty. The Alderney apartment was complete trash and he still wasn't sure how safe it was considering it had been owned by Pegorino.
Kate and Bernie exchanged glances before looking toward Niko. "Why so many places?" She studied his eyes and felt her fear try to claw up her spine.
"When you are on the run and trying to keep your cousin and yourself alive, you tend to stay on the move. Roman eventually made a clean break and bought his own home, leaving me the apartment in Middle Park. Which I use almost exclusively." He undid the seatbelt and helped Kate maneuver around it.
"And this place?" Bernie pulled the keys from the ignition, dropping them all into silence. He knew of the apartment only because Niko had offered it to him as a place that Bryce and he could use if they needed to. Thankfully, they haven't had a need to hide out at Niko's place recently. Their new apartment suited their needs better.
"A friend of mine gave it to me." It was a small white lie. Dwayne did leave him the deed to the apartment, but only after killing Playboy X. He had wanted to let Dwayne move back in, but Dwayne just couldn't look at the place and not think of all the good memories that existed between them. "Come on. Let's get inside."
"Yes. We do have things to discuss." Bernie felt a small smile lift the corner of his mouth before letting it fall. He was getting some mixed signals from Niko and he was starting to wonder just what happened in the apartment with the bomb. 'Maybe his morning hasn't been as easy as simply blowing up a bomb?'
"Come on Kate." Niko tapped her hip and helped her open the door to climb off of him and onto the street.
"Right. I also need to make a phone call to Gerry." Kate straightened out her jacket and watched as Niko stood up out of the car. She swallowed at the look he sent her and couldn't figure out where he was mentally. He looked beyond guarded, like he did the first time they went out. He had rarely spoke, and simply watched her as she rambled on about her life and brothers. She titled her head slightly and narrowed her eyes at him trying to decipher his mood. 'Just what is going on with you?'
Niko placed his hand to her back and led her toward the apartment building. He had seen the strange looks she was giving him, but he just couldn't settle on one thing to process or think about. All he kept seeing was the pictures of him killing Derrick flash across his mind and how broken Kate would be if she ever found out. How betrayed Packie would feel. His mind was reeling with the notion of them discovering the horrid truth of who Derrick's killer was. How it would destroy everything they had built up between them. Then he was concerned for Ron and Francis. They had both gotten injured while trying to put an end to the Rascalov clan.
Together the three of them entered the lobby for the building and were immediately greeted by loud rap music. The lobby wasn't much to look at and the security guard only nodded to them while they waited for the elevator to open up. The doors softly dinged and slid open, letting the trio enter the small lift, Niko pressing the penthouse button. Bernie kept looking between Niko and Kate trying to figure out what to say or how to diffuse the tension he could feel building up between them all. The atmosphere was too thick and heavy, and it made him feel uneasy.
The doors slid open to another loft style apartment, the far wall held large windows and a pair of glass doors that led to an expansive rooftop deck. An L-shaped couch graced the center of the space and was facing a rather fancy looking flat screen TV. A pool table was placed off to the side and caused Kate to smile at the sight of it. She walked into the space and spun a slow circle taking in the second place he had taken her to. The kitchen was rather cramped compared to the one at his Middle Park apartment, but it would do for making small, intimate meals.
Bernie followed her in and headed straight to the wine fridge to see if it had been restocked since the last time he had been in the apartment. He frowned at seeing the empty shelves and went in search of the alcohol cabinet he knew rested on the other side of the island. He was craving a drink of some kind, having wasted making a pot of coffee at the other apartment he had been at this morning.
Niko watched Kate as she took in his other place and felt a faint smile tug at his lips. She looked so fascinated with the space and when her eyes landed on the pool table he smirked at her reaction. He had originally wanted to bring her back to this place several times on their so called non-dates to play a round or two, just to see her reaction to bringing her to his apartment. If she would have protested it completely or relented and let him play against her in a round or two of pool. Perhaps he would've gotten to the other side of her walls earlier. He approached her on silent feet wanting to know her thoughts about his place.
She felt his presence and turned back to him with an innocent expression, "Pool table huh?"
"I know your love of it and would have eventually brought you here." He shrugged at her raised eyebrow.
She dragged her eyes up and down his body and bit her lower lip, "For the game or for playing the game?" She winked at him and moved over to inspect the pool table and find where he kept the pool sticks and balls. They had talked about going back to the pool hall the other day and now she would be able to add this place to their ever expanding list of hang out spaces. 'Perhaps a game or two would settle my nerves and his… Or unravel us.' The thoughts floated along as she drifted her fingers over the soft felt top.
"Niko where is the vodka?!" Bernie huffed as he opened a couple of cabinets and couldn't locate what he was looking for.
"Top cabinet, far side from the fridge." His blood had warmed at her look and he pulled his jacket off, tossing it to the couch as he trailed after Kate. He could go for a decent distraction before having to deal with the unrelenting reality he was barely surviving through.
"Great. Found it!" Bernie pulled the bottle down from the cabinet and went in search of some tumblers knowing if he was feeling the way he was, the others might want something to drink. He looked up from the island counter he had placed the bottle down on and had to smirk at the way Niko was somewhat stalking after Kate. 'Oh, this is just too good to be true!' "Kate? Did you not need to call Gerry about you know who?" He slightly sang the words out and propped himself against the counter, smirk firmly in place.
"Right! Thank you for reminding me!" Kate was knocked from her thoughts and she turned toward him, nodding with the reminder. She needed to let him know about Bobby and maybe get some more insight to things she had been kept in the dark about. She smiled to Niko who was leaning into the side of the pool table studying her. She approached him and hesitantly ran her hand gently over his cheek and leaned up on her toes to be able to press a kiss to his scruff, "I'll go outside to make the call. Give you two a moment to talk?" She tipped her head to the side hoping things were okay between everyone. His eyes were guarded, and it hurt her heart to know something was bothering him to this extent.
"Go call Gerry. Then the three of us need to talk about this so called dating situation." He shook his head and grabbed her hand as she went to move away from him. He yanked her back to him, forcing her to collapse against his body. He cradled her face with his hands and searched her eyes for the love he knew resided there. If he were only going to be allowed so much time with her, he would start to savor each moment. For as soon as she discovered the truth about Derrick, she would be gone. He sighed heavily and pressed their foreheads together, closing his eyes as his mind started to drag him back into the darkness he fought against.
Kate had fisted her hands into his sweater as he grabbed her. She had lost her footing since she had been unprepared to be pulled back to him. But his eyes had seemed to almost be pleading with her to say something, do something, anything. What that was she couldn't figure out. He had never given her that look before and it scared her. He was always a solid concrete wall when it came to his inner emotions- an immobile mountain. She had to be the one to lead him into the world of expression.
With one look from him, her love overtook the pain and confusion from the morning's eventfulness.
She closed her eyes and leaned into his body. If she needed to be his support, she would do whatever she could to help him. He had done everything he could for her to recover, and she would return the favor. Their relationship was a two way street, and it was her turn to be the strong one, even if it was just for a minute. Her hands released his sweater and slid around his body, embracing him. 'You have to let me in though Niko…'
"I need you to stay." His words were so soft, barely above a whisper. He was off balance. His world had been heading toward the light, only for the darkness to snuff it out. He walked the path of no forgiveness and he urgently wanted to change his course. If he had been the one to step on the landmine instead of Francis, he couldn't say for sure if he would be standing with her right now.
"You know you have me. I'm here." She brushed her nose against his and pressed her lips to his. Forget whatever she was dealing with, he was clearly hurting and suffering more than she was grasping. Her heart turned over as she realized he had been almost blown up trying to save her brother. Surely it would shake him being that close to death so soon after their last brush with fate. She gently pulled away from him to study his eyes, needing to know what was truly going on with him.
He crashed his lips to hers. Deeping the kiss with a tilt of his head, forcing her lips apart as he ravished her mouth. His hands slid back into her ponytail and fisted into her hair as he continued to kiss her. He didn't want to think anymore, he just wanted to ignore it all for a little longer. If he could erase the past he would, but he knew it would always loom over them, biding its time before crashing down.
Kate clenched her hands into the back of his sweater and fought the moan that wanted to break free from her chest. She tugged on his clothes to bring him closer to her and sighed into his mouth when his hands tangled into her hair. The undeniable pull resurfaced in her and she pressed her body to him firmly wanting to feel him everywhere. She had been so scared that he was upset with her and the way he was going at her squashed those fears into dust; even as the curl of doubt tried to lace itself around her heart. She slid her hands up his body to loop her arms around his shoulders.
He removed his hands from her hair and moved them to her hips, sliding his fingers over the rounding of her backside, squeezing the plump flesh he knew lied beneath her clothes. He lessened the intensity of his kissing and went back to resting his forehead to hers, searching her eyes for the signs of arousal he knew would be there. It was a power trip to him to know how worked up he could get her. He wanted to drown in the lust he could see swimming around in her irises.
She sucked in air and tried to calm the cadence of her heart. She opened her eyes as he pulled away slightly and let herself open up to him. She loved him with everything she had to offer and would continue to be there for him. They would have time to speak on the events of the day and she would be able to get him to open up about why he was with her brother in the middle of Holland with a bomb. She pressed a light kiss to his lips before regretfully pulling herself away from his warmth.
"Tell Gerry I said hi." Niko smirked at her flushed appearance and playfully patted her ass.
"I'll be sure to tell him how you thoroughly satisfy his sister every day and night." She mirrored his smirk and moved toward the glass doors that led to the deck, pulling her phone from her jacket pocket. She opened the doors and exited to the colder winter air to make her phone call. She would give Gerry a heads up about Bobby then try to get Niko to talk about their morning.
"So that is what I would get if we were actually dating? Well hot damn!" Bernie laughed at the expression Niko sent his way. He had watched them fall in love all over again and he was having trouble wiping the sappy smile from his lips.
"What now?" Niko crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back into the pool table setting his glare in Bernie's direction. He would focus on figuring out what Bernie was going on about then try to decipher the bigger issue.
"Oh, do drop the brooding look. While it makes you rather adorable, I'd like to think Bryce would be jealous." Bernie sighed dramatically and watched as Niko shifted around uncomfortably.
"Bernie…" Niko groaned out exasperatedly, forcefully scrubbing a hand over his eyes.
"Drink?" Bernie held up two glasses of vodka and only let the teasing smile spread across his face, "It's noon somewhere."
"That it is. Sure Florian. But you will tell me everything that took place. I don't need someone stepping into my territory." He frowned at the look he was getting, and he looked over his shoulder to see Kate lowering down into one of the patio chairs by the table, pulling the hair tie from her messy curls. 'Bernie did say there was another suitor out there…'
"Honey, she is one hundred percent yours. But there is someone who tried to step in- besides me of course. Had I not been there to help Kate, I fear for what might or could have happened." Bernie moved around the kitchen island and held a glass out to Niko when he got close enough. They clinked their glasses together and downed the shot. Bernie shivered at the sour taste and grabbed the bottle of vodka on his way to the couch, wishing to be off his feet for this conversation.
"What would have happened?" Niko followed him to the couch and sat down a couple of cushions down from Bernie, placing his empty glass down on the coffee table. He was starting to feel that itch again and he tried to shove it away from him. He would hear his friend out first before jumping to conclusions. He was already teetering on the edge of wanting to stay away from killing people and just diving off into the deep end again. 'Perhaps one or two more people need to die before I can be truly done…'
"So apparently one of Kate's old friends from her childhood is back in town. Was beyond handsy with her. I only caught the very tail end of the conversation. I had been with Bryce this morning and was leaving the area when I spotted her trying to get away from another man. I heard her telling him about her parents deaths and Derrick's before he just grabbed her into a hug. Honestly Niks, I didn't think much of it till she shoved away from him losing her balance." This time Bernie let his face fall as he studied his old comrade next to him on the couch.
"I need to teach her a couple of self-defense moves…" He winced at the look he was getting and felt his insides squeeze knowing she had been touched unwillingly and been defenseless, "Did she get hurt?" He looked back out of the windows to see her bury her face into her hands, phone still pressed to her ear.
"From my angle I couldn't tell if she was being attacked or simply being hugged. I caught her as she stumbled backwards. He had a gun on him…" Bernie ran a hand over his face. He had spotted the gun the second he pulled her upright. He had felt his own panic surface before tumbling back into 'Florian mode' as he called it. He hated to admit it, but he was starting to rely more and more on his past self to get by. He had his own trauma to work through and Florian was rather steadfast…
"Possible kidnapping?" He placed his elbows on his knees and dropped his face to his hands. He had hoped she would still be in her therapy session for longer, but clearly, he had failed once again to protect her. He had run off into the action while his girlfriend could have been taken right off the street. 'Wait… he had a gun. Her therapist's office is only a street over from where I was at…' A darker thought crossed his mind, and he glanced up from his hands to examine Bernie, "What was he wearing?"
"I'm not sure about him kidnapping her. She told me they were friends at some point. Unless he had an ulterior motive than simply getting away from all the cops in the area?" Bernie poured another shot and went to take it before Niko's other question struck him as odd, "Not that he had much fashion sense. But black hoodie, dark pants of some kind. Definite gun holster with said gun tucked in. I couldn't see if he had secondary weapons on him. Of course, his backpack could have had something in it." Bernie narrowed his eyes as he thought back on the man's appearance.
"Great. He's probably the one who tried to kill me on the roof and ended up taking Ron out." He shoved up off the couch and started to pace in front of the flat screen, scrubbing a hand through his short hair.
"Bobby tried to kill you!" Kate almost yelled with her renewed panic. "I! Yeah, the gun was concerning. But what do you mean he tried to kill you? He couldn't… Ron?! Gerry had said- Oh my God…" Her legs wobbled under her and her vision dimmed. She could see the blood splotches on Niko's sweater and hands, but just assumed it was from Francis' injuries. Clearly something else had taken place while she was in therapy.
'He was almost killed this morning…' The room spun and she collapsed to the ground.
"Shit!" Bernie stood up rapidly, clasping his hand over his mouth.
"Damnit." Niko rushed over to her and gathered her up in his arms. Her head lulled into the crook of his neck and he shifted his hold of her to get up off the ground. "Bernie, the first aid kit is under the bed. It's the lockbox. Key is in the drawer of the nightstand tapped to the underside of the drawer. Get the smelling salts." He carefully lifted her up off the ground and moved toward the couch, watching as Bernie ran into the bedroom.
"I'm sorry Kate." He whispered as he lowered her down to the couch cushions. He caressed his knuckles over the faint scar on her cheek and felt his anger thrash around inside him. They shouldn't be dealing with these things anymore and he hated how she continued to find herself in harm's way because of him. 'All I do is end up hurting her… I shouldn't have gotten so close to her…'
"Maybe we should let her rest? It's been a hard morning for her." Bernie spoke quietly as he approached his friend carrying the first aid box. "I mean. Check her for injuries of course, but I think we should let her sleep. At least till we finish talking." He placed the box down on the coffee table and waited for Niko to acknowledge him.
"Hard morning? There is more than her running into whoever that man was?" He kneeled down and pressed a kiss to her forehead, reaching out for her hand to check her pulse.
"Niko she was terrified. Like beyond anything I have ever seen. I was going to kill the man right there and then. But she stopped me." Bernie switched to Serbian wanting to keep some things private and between them in case she stirred back into consciousness, "She hung on to me like I have never been held before. She was shaking. Scared. And I swear had the cops not been around us I would have thrown my knife into his chest."
"So, this man scared her and tried to harm her?" He felt everything drop on his shoulders. He would need to go hunting for this person. No one touched what was his and got away with it. And if it were the person who had injured Ron, he would have no issue with tracking them down and returning the blade.
"I'm not positive. But she called me boyfriend and tried to get me to leave the area. I think her panic attack was overwhelming her and making the situation worse than it was. But only she can answer that question." Bernie sighed and picked up his shot that he had poured and downed the whole thing. He collapsed back down to the spot he was using earlier on the couch and stared at the ceiling.
"She called you boyfriend?" Niko's eyebrows rose significantly. He turned to look at his friend shocked that his girlfriend had gone that direction with Bernie.
"Yes. Held me in such a way that is just not what I'm used to anymore. But once I got her alone, she fell apart Niko. She is hurting in a way that I'm not sure we can help. She thinks she is becoming violent because she is with you. You need to get her talking about what took place with her and Darko. It wasn't pleasant." At the murderous glare he continued, "I don't know the full details. Just that he killed numerous people in front of her." He ran his fingers through his blonde hair and gulped as he knew what he needed to say next would put Niko over the edge.
"We both know how Darko is… was. I'm sorry for not telling you about him sooner. I didn't want to cause you any unneeded anger." He shifted around on the ground and sat down, leaning his back into the couch. He picked up his tumbler and poured a healthy shot, before doing the same for Bernie's glass. He knew this subject was going to be painful to get through. She had told him about trying to attack Darko and he shuddered at the built up image his brain created.
"I will get over it one day. But not today. He saved Kate and I do not know what to do with that information." He accepted the glass from Niko when he lifted it up to him. Silently they saluted their glasses to one another before downing the shot.
"To my dying breath, I take arms with my brethren, to see the end of the storm." Niko spoke the words they had all taken while huddled around a small campfire back in the hilly forest of their homeland. Darko had started the oath after a long drawn out escape from the enemy forces. They had settled on the term 'freedom' and started to pass around what little alcohol they had on them.
"To the end of the battle I will stand as shield and sword to those who need it." Florian mumbled the words and rubbed at his eyes furiously. He didn't want to drown in his past memories of the war. His chest squeezed tightly, and he grunted against the emotions that tried to force themselves free from where he locked them away.
"To end our enemies and bring an end to the struggle of our people. To this I pledge my dying breath to end the war of wars." Niko dropped his head back against the couch cushion that Kate was laying on and turned his face toward Bernie- Florian and wished they could go back and undo the horror they all experienced as young men.
"Together in arms, brother." Bernie almost choked on the words as his emotions stormed away inside him. Kate's confession and outpouring of pain, knowing Darko had tried to redeem himself by protecting Kate, having every memory of the war dragged front and center- to knowing what Kate had endured in order to take the first step into violence in order to kill someone evil… His eyes watered and a lone tear escaped down his cheek.
Niko reached out and placed a hand on Bernie's knee in silent support. He may have just accepted who he was and did what he needed to do in order to survive after the wars. Never once thinking there was a way out of the darkness. But Florian had escaped. He moved on with his life and was working toward a new beginning. Niko had plunged him back into the darkness and he hated every second of it. He didn't deserve to backpaddle into the criminal world.
"Together in arms my brother. The end has come and gone. You do not need to stand as shield and sword anymore. You are free Florian. Be free and enjoy the life you fought for. You owe me nothing. You have suffered too much." Niko firmed his hand on Bernie's knee and gave him the out he deserved. He would no longer ask his friend to sacrifice his life to be involved with his fucked up affairs. He closed his eyes and silently prayed that things would be okay for his friend.
"Niko. I will not give up my oath. You and Kate are my only form of family. I will not sit by and watch her fall into our maddening world. I will not sit by while you suffer internally and carry on a death wish. You two mean everything to me. Same with Roman and Mal. I would gladly die if I knew it meant your happily ever after." Bernie let another tear fall and he dropped his hand over Niko's, "She tried to kill Natalya…"
Everything he had been prepared to hear receded to the recesses of his mind. His words tumbled around and around till they clicked into place. Kate had tried to kill Natalya. Had given in to the violence that surrounded her. Had fallen so far into his world. He felt sick. He felt ready to simply just give up. He had fully submerged her into the darkness. She would never have given in had he stayed away from her. Now she was going to experience everything he had while a young boy trying to fight to survive. It wasn't what he wanted for her. He wanted to give her a better life than the one she lived. And here he was… tempting her into the fears she held.
"She WHAT?!" Niko's mouth fell open and stared in shock at Bernie. The words had exploded out of him and he leaned up from the couch from the assault of the emotions that broke free.
"Yes. She struck her over the head with a tree branch. It would have been her first kill Niko… She is hurting so much over it. I did my best. But I think it is up to you to smooth things over." Bernie firmed his hand over Niko's trying to get his point across. He didn't want her to be like them. They were suffering so silently that he was surprised he hadn't tried to kill himself over the pain he carried every day. Bernie was the person he wanted to be. Not Florian. He had buried him the second he stepped foot in Liberty City.
"I will." Niko knew exactly what needed to be said and done. He knew what it was like to deliver a killing blow for the first time, even if it didn't kill. His heart lurched at the idea of her doing something so far out of her comfort zone. He could only imagine the anguish she was dealing with at night when she fell asleep. Her screams and tears had been enough to let him know things were bad. But… "She also attacked Darko."
"No… Oh. Oh my God… Did he?" This time it was Bernie who felt lost for words.
"From what I know he only diffused the situation. He didn't attack back. Interesting that all three of us are drawn to her- in different ways of course. Darko said he decided to abandon the plan to get even with me because of her. Once he knew what happened to Kate, I guess he grew a heart of some kind. I haven't even tried to process any of it. Been trying to just let it all go and start over." Niko attempted a smile but faltered at it. He turned his gaze to the blank, black screen of the television.
"You know I would never cross any lines with Kate or you. She and I made a deal of sorts. Of course, it will need your permission and her brother's. The news media have been closing in on Bryce and me. I only ask that if things get worse, I could maybe take Kate out to throw off the scent? Nothing crazy. Promise. But lately things have been difficult. I fear he is going to leave me over the whole Natalya thing. He didn't realize I was a 'cold blooded killer'…" Bernie scoffed and wiped away the tears that continued to slip over his cheeks.
"If it comes to it? Sure. I'm sorry about what's happening. Again, I find myself at fault for everyone's suffering." Niko shook his head and tried to see reason. Everyone had gone through something because of his decisions and choices.
"My relationship problems are not your fault. Dimitri wanted to expose us even before he knew of our connection. I'm sure that added to it once he spotted us out together. But Bryce and I have a very unique and complicated love story. Not too different from the one you are living." Bernie gave a somewhat watery sounding laugh.
"You could say that again… Someone knows I killed her brother. They had photos of it. I had gone to help Francis with collecting the last person associated with Natalya. And someone got to him before we did. They set a trap for me. Somehow, they knew. Which is ever more worrisome since I have been inactive since killing Natalya. Someone wants to dig up skeletons. I will need to walk the battlefield one more time." Niko let out a rush of air and dropped his head back to the couch to search out Bernie's reaction.
"Your secret is safe with me. She does not suspect anything. As far as I know anyway. This Bobby however could be of concern. If he is who you think he is?" Bernie met his gaze and started to let his thoughts wander like they would back in his war days. He was always the critical thinker of the squadron.
"It's possible. But then again, I didn't get to see them. Maybe Gerry can help? I think we should pay a visit to the head of the Irish mob." Niko nodded once and figured he would have to start relying on his old habits to get them all out of trouble again.
"I told her to let Gerry know of him. She said he left for Los Santos as a preteen. So maybe he's back to settle things?" Bernie only shrugged and released Niko's hand, only to softly run his fingers over Kate's hair in a caring manner.
"Gerry can answer that question." Niko shifted on the ground to face Bernie easier as well as watch as he lightly brushed Kate's hair with his fingers. He was comfortable with Bernie being close to her as well as him. It was his one connection to his past that understood the trauma. "You care for her as much as I do. Thank you."
"She is like a sister. Reminds me of Dmitar's sister. Someone who only wants me to be happy. And that she has such a strong connection to you only makes it better. You know she prayed for everyone at the church? She went into a small prayer room and offered prayers for our friends and loved ones who died. She know about your brother?" He lifted his eyes to meet Niko's before dropping his gaze back to the peaceful expression on Kate's face.
"Not in great detail. Just that I had one." Niko grew somber at the mention of his brother. He would like to think he would have loved Kate and would tease them all constantly. His mother needed to meet her and get to know the woman he had chosen to keep at his side… So long as she stayed there.
"Ah. I miss him greatly. He would have loved to be here with us. I feel as though we would be constantly bailing him out of trouble. He was a bigger troublemaker than you!" Bernie did smile this time and sent a warm gaze toward his friend. He missed Niko's family greatly and was thankful to have both Roman and Niko back in his life.
"That's for sure. He probably would've gone for Kate long before I got around to it." Niko chuckled and felt some of this anger leave him. But his pain and sorrow were tough to shake. He watched as Bernie went internal and continued to stroke over Kate's hair and cheeks. The fondness and care was not missed to him and he wished he could help Bernie get back to where he was before he kicked down his apartment door, "Are you okay? I never really checked in after the hospital shootout. You were as you were back in the war. I need to thank you, as well as apologize. You almost- You gave your life for me. I owe you more than you know."
"Niks. I swore the oath back then as well as at Jerkov's. There is nothing to give thanks or apologize for. I will always be here for her… and more importantly you. You will never know how much your friendship and kindness toward me helped when I was younger. I know Darko took the revenge kill for Roman's mother. He beat me to it. Roman's mother accepted me for who I wanted to be. She was the only one who knew… But I will never give up on my oaths." Bernie felt the tears want to surface again and he sucked in air to stop it from happening.
"I knew Florian…" Niko shifted his eyes to Kate as he let one of his closest held secrets out. "Why do you think I kept you close to me? I didn't want to lose my friend because he happened to be different. I knew and tried to keep you safe. You, Roman, my brother, and I were all so close as kids. How could I not know? You never gave away any major signs. But I suspected. I covered where I could. And when we were ambushed? I, regretfully, thought it was you. You had slipped up slightly toward the end and I figured you maybe tried to bury it all." Niko felt his old memories come to the surface and leaned into the couch heavily, grabbing Kate's hand for comfort. The wounds were open now and there was no stopping the bleeding…
"In some ways, our friends from the village were lucky. I lost myself that day too. Everything that was good and innocent in me died along with them. If I could live those hours again, I think I would have preferred to be buried in the pit along with everyone else. This is all that is left of me. What am I good at, Florian? What is my trade? I deal in death because that is all that is open to me." Niko let the anger, pain, and depression out. If he were going to truly move on, he would need to do it now before things got so far out of hand.
"I will tell you what you are good at Niko. You are an amazing friend and better family to me than my own. You still have integrity. No matter what you say there is humanity in you. You have the power to be good. It's important that you believe that." Florian emerged and let his inner turmoil out. They were going to be honest with one another, and he didn't want to cheapen it by being someone new, when he was hurting just as much as his friend was. "This killing must stop sometime. Once this is done, then you must begin to forgive. Think about your future instead of the horrible things that have happened to us. It's in the past."
"After this is done, then we can talk about forgiveness and redemption. Sparing Darko nearly killed me. It took every fiber of my being pulling in the same direction, not to kill Darko, to not get revenge for all those lives he took away. And then for him to show up and be the ONLY reason Kate is here on the couch? I am confused greatly, and I have no clue how to handle it." Niko sighed and tried to keep going, but some things needed to stay internal.
"Niko. Honestly. What made you spare him?" Florian watched him carefully and stilled his fingers from brushing Kate's hair from her face.
"I don't know. I wanted it for so long. He would just be dead like everyone else from our village. I was the one that survived the first attack. Living is not easy. I would have lived through killing Darko as well, but then, when I looked at him, I realized that nothing would change if I killed him. Revenge would not somehow shut the book on what I have seen. Only those who die get closure, the living do not…" His words were heavy with the weight they carried. He hadn't ever opened up like this before. His wounds were too great, and he just wanted to get back to some kind of normal. Derrick's death, the events that led up to Roman's wedding… It was all just too much to bear alone anymore.
"Niko…" Bernie breathed out as his words sunk into his soul and rested there.
"I am so cold. I am hardened… I am not what Kate should be with. I killed her brother…" He dared to look at his friend and just let it all go. He had been holding on to the peace and quiet they had been gifted and now someone was trying to rip that away from him. He would give anything to go back and just not kill either one of them. Derrick didn't deserve to be killed. Francis, while annoying and had leverage, also didn't need to have his life snuffed out so violently. And now he was dating- no loving their sister. What monster does that?
"You are not any of those things. Someone who is cold and hardened and vile would not be able to express love and care. You yearn to be away from our past. Let it go now. You are here. We are here. Darko is wherever he is meant to be. Eventually we will have to move on and let the past be what it is- the past." Bernie hesitated for a fraction of a second before placing his hand to Niko's cheek, "Listen to me. I have been dying trying to move on and just simply forget. It's not easy. But it is possible. You just need to try. You have me. You have Kate. You have Roman. You have so many people who love you and want you to be here with them." He steeled his spine and dug deep to say what he needed to say.
"We all love you Niko. You are not cold. Kate knows this. I know this. Sometimes the darkness can show you the light. Bryce is the light that broke through my never ending nightmares. I thought I had lost the will to change. Then I saw him across the dancefloor and just knew. Love is never wrong, and it doesn't need a reason to form between people. And Kate is going to be that beacon for you if you just surrender and let her." A couple of tears slipped from his eyelashes and he implored Niko to try and see that there was a way out of his darkness- that he could live a new life. A better one in Liberty City with their makeshift family.
"If she knew…" Niko started before he lost the will to continue to voice his fear.
"She won't. I will make a new promise to you. She will never find out." Florian hardened his expression and firmed his hand on Niko's cheek, "Till my dying breath, she will never find out. I swear it." He let go of Niko's face and jerked his dress shirt sleeve up his arm and showed off the faded tattoo of 'freedom'. "I will not give up on you two. Swear to me you won't give up. You placed this moniker on me, as well as everyone else in our unit. Then I put the one on you. I will be shield, sword, companion, friend, family, what have you. No more of this suffering between us all. It ends now." He felt his emotions start to burn beneath the surface as he gave his dying word to Niko.
"Florian- Bernie. You don't… You shouldn't. Do you not want to be free?" Niko continued to stare at the faded black ink that graced the crease of Bernie's elbow, before lifting his gaze to his friend's passionate expression.
"I am free. This is my freedom. To be with you. To be with Kate, Roman, Mal, their unborn child, the McReary's, and Bryce. I am FREE. I make this decision to make sure you are free as well. Let me hunt the bastards down. Let me protect you for once. Now pour the damn shot or so help me I will wake Kate and make you!" His voice lifted marginally, and he never once took his eyes off of his held his arm out to him forcefully to show that he would gladly take another moniker for their promises.
"Together. Together Florian. Always together." He shoved his own sweater sleeve up and displayed his tattoo. With purpose he lifted his hand and placed it over Bernie's, "I am- I wish things were different." He watched as Florian placed his hand over his tattoo on his arm.
"They are not. They never will be. There is only the future. We are survivors. We will always get to the other side. It is our destiny." He released his arm and went back to gazing at Kate in a caring manner, "Now we need to get Kate to a better head space. She is suffering Niko… More than I realized. She could have simply shot Natalya. She had a gun on her. And somewhere in her soul she didn't want to drop to our level. And she is fighting herself over it. Her therapist suggested she was diving into her family's violence because she is dating you. That she had given everything up just to be with you. She also believed that Lenny's death was the catalyst for why she was attacked. Which I know not to be true. Perhaps I should leave you two to have a serious conversation?" He looked up from Kate to see Niko.
"That was my greatest fear. That my messed up life would numb her to what her brothers have exuded. She was technically innocent when I met her. Here-" Niko stood up from the ground and walked over to his jacket that was thrown over the edge of the couch. He pulled a picture from his inner jacket pocket and held it out for Bernie to take. "This night? It was the night before Francis called me to kill Derrick. She had given me the first signs that she wanted more from me. We had been drinking at her favorite Irish bar. Things became blurry at times but- I saw her then, and I knew. I loved her before she even let me in."
"Ahh. Okay. So, things were moving where they needed to till things became out of control?" Bernie took the photo and smiled at the drunken expression on Kate. Even Niko looked slightly wasted. Their happiness was on full display and to any outsider they would have never guessed they weren't officially dating.
"I knew I wanted her the second I saw her. But she was too good for me." Niko shrugged and accepted the photo back when Bernie handed it to him. He loved the image. Even though it was taken by someone who meant harm to them. He walked over to the fridge and lifted a magnet up sliding the glossy image beneath it. He trailed his finger over her goofy smile and felt a ghost of a smile tug on his lips.
"The feeling is mutual." Kate moaned, "Your eyes were so soft, and your gaze was nothing I had ever seen before." Kate blinked rapidly and slapped a hand to her forehead. Her head was pounding. Their words had faded in and out and finally her consciousness decided to nudge her to the world of the living.
"Oh! My dear! Are you okay?" Bernie leaned over her and ran his fingertips over her forehead, rubbing at her temples, to get her to open her eyes.
"Maybe. Can we discuss whether or not Bobby tried to kill the love of my life to only end up taking out Ron?" She cracked her eyes open and blearily looked up into Bernie's concerned eyes. 'Has he been crying?!'
"We don't know if it was him. But your brother called me after I dropped you off at the doctors saying he needed help urgently. I met him at an apartment complex a street over to watch them arrest the last person in Natalya's organization. Only things went to shit rather quickly." Niko walked back over to the couch and leaned over the back in order to see Kate.
"Still not answering my question." She met his gaze and did not waiver. She would get her answers before she chickened out.
"Someone set a bomb off and blew up the hallway the NOOSE team was in, Ron among them. They were trying to escape, and I took off in order to catch them. I cut them off on the roof with Ron. They were very skilled. More so than Bernie and me. They were going to jump off the roof to the building next to us and we both chased after them. They threw a knife at us before taking the leap off the edge. Ron shouldered into me in order to take the knife. It would have been a direct hit to my heart. There would have been no surviving." He kept his eyes locked onto hers. If she wanted the truth, he would give it to her.
"Jesus H, Niko! And you think the skinny, freckle covered face, boy is the one capable of throwing a knife in the middle of a full sprint?" Bernie shot his head up to stare in horror at his friend. 'Things were definitely more of a close call than I was expecting.'
"You would've died?" Kate whispered holding her hand up for him to be able to pull her up from her laying position on the couch.
Niko grasped her hand and gently helped her sit up keeping his eyes trained on her. He was expecting the panic to start up again and he would stop it before it overtook her. He had listened to Bernie explain how bad her morning had gone and he would start correcting the wrongs immediately. Her hand was shaking in his and he firmed his grip. As she shifted to her knees, rising to his level, he cupped her cheek with his other hand. "If the knife had sunk into my chest, over my heart, yes."
Her bottom lip trembled as new tears formed in her eyes, "You would've been taken from me with no warning…"
"I would have, yes. But Ron made a judgement call." He ran his thumb over her bottom lip and watched her process the news.
"Can we go visit Ron and Frankie? I want to check on them. Once we are done here that is. I need to thank Ron for saving you." She let one tear fall before closing her eyes and dropping her head forward to Niko's chest. 'He was in the middle of a battle while you were dealing with your thoughts. You would've been stranded on the street and eventually received a call from either the Doc or Mitt about either one or both of Niko and Frankie's deaths…'
"And Bernie the person who attacked us was somewhat average in build. But I guess the bullet proof vest could have given them a different shape. They had on all black, face covering, sunglasses, and a black beanie cap. I could not see any identifying features. They knew how to hide in plain sight." Niko wrapped his arms around her and let Kate settle against his body while leaning over the back of the couch. "Once we get the call from Mitt we can head to the hospital."
"Did they have a gun on them? Or just the knife?" Bernie placed a hand to Kate's back in silent support. Even he was feeling down with how close it had been to having Niko ripped from their lives.
"I didn't even see the knife till it was too late." He leaned his head on Kate's and felt her shuddered in his arms.
"That's…" Bernie looked up to Niko and felt completely at a loss, "That's not like you. You see everything."
"I know. They had everything concealed and hidden. Retractable blade in the sleeve. They were carrying Darko's choice in handheld blade. The actual hacker was long dead in the apartment unit. That's where Francis had stepped on a landmine. We were searching the unit for answers and his foot activated the pressure plate. I called you trying to figure out how to deactivate it. But as you know I couldn't. Lucky it all worked out." He stroked over Kate's back when she went rigid in his arms.
"Then either this attacker was someone else wanting to rid the Earth of the Rascalov clan, or it was someone cleaning up loose ends." Bernie let his thoughts wander over the possibilities. He wasn't sure how Bobby would fit into the picture if he had been in Los Santos the entire time that Niko was in Liberty.
"I believe I need to call a table meeting." He hated the thought completely. But Kenny Petrovic, Gerry, The Lost, The North Holland Hustlers, and the Yardies would need to be informed of what took place and have their scouters looking for this person. They all wanted the same thing, and it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to get the underground criminal world looking. LCPD wouldn't be able to handle it this time.
Kate jerked away from his body and almost tumbled off the couch, "NO! Absolutely not Niko! Pa had table meetings all the time while growing up. I know what that means. You would be right back into the middle of crime and I will not let you fall back into that life. It's bad enough that Gerry is back to his old ways, dragging Packie into Lord knows what. You told me you'd give it up for me." She glared at Niko and felt anger simmer away in her veins, she fought against the angry tears that wanted to tumble from her eyes. She scrambled off the couch and started to pace back and forth in front of the blank television, "You were given a seat? After everything! How could you join them so easily?"
She may not know much about the criminal world, but she knew certain things. Derrick had explained what he knew to her after moving back to LC. He wanted her to be aware and safe while he was not there to protect her all the time. He had told her he had given up his seat at the table to Gerry and that anyone who had a seat was a very powerful and important person. It put those closest to them in danger, for their enemies would want to target them.
Bernie's eyes widened significantly, and he turned to stare up at Niko who had yet to move from around the back of the couch. This was news to him, and he couldn't believe his friend had managed to gain entry to the city's most influential people. Even if they were all wanted criminals, they had pull and power. LCPD could never touch Kenny because of the ties he had. "Is it true? Did Kenny offer you Dimitri's old seat?"
Kate halted her movements and held her breath for Niko's answer. It was bad enough he had lied to her about being involved in criminal activity, but to take the seat of the man who had caused them all to hurt and nearly be killed? She blinked her eyes rapidly against the onslaught of tears and watched Niko carefully.
"He did. But I refused it." Niko met her hardened gaze and felt his own anger want to match hers. Did she have such little faith in him? And if it meant her protection then he would do what he felt was necessary. He would not risk her life any more than he had already. He had been careless, unaware, and he would never be that again. She had been through too much for his mistakes and he would be proactive in making sure she stayed alive.
"Does not mean Gerry can't call for one. Or Badman. Or Johnny if he is still in town." Niko crossed his arms and glanced down to Bernie briefly before lifting his gaze back to his girlfriend. He would fight her on this. His life was in danger. And if his was, then hers was definitely being threatened. Someone had extremely dangerous information out there and he needed to stop it from getting out.
"Someone is out there wanting to restart everything we've gone through?" Kate furiously wiped at her face and tried to let go of her anger. It wasn't necessarily directed at Niko, but she was mad that someone was trying to attack them all again, and the thought of it being someone from her own past was sickening, "And you two think it's Bobby? Gerry had asked him back to town. He wanted to expand the 'business' to Los Santos and called in an old family friend. I highly doubt he would betray Gerry. That is suicide." Kate scoffed and went back to pacing, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"No, you are right, going against Gerry would be dumb. But Kate. He was armed. And he randomly runs into you on the street? That is very suspicious to me." Bernie spoke up as the silence started to drag out, "Even if he didn't mean you harm, he was too forward for my liking. It forced you to call me boyfriend in front of him."
"My therapy session was rough. I was not in the best place mentally when I literally ran into him exiting the building. He didn't know about Pa, Derrick, or Ma… I had told him about the men who broke into the house… And-and it brought up some bad memories. Okay? I freaked out when I felt the gun on him. I thought I was past all this. Guns shouldn't scare me anymore. People giving me hugs shouldn't start up a panic attack. Talking about Darko shouldn't force me to relive that nightmare. I just want to be done with it all already!" Kate forced the air from her lungs and flung her arms out to her sides to put emphasis on her words.
"Kate. It takes time. Take it from me. It's been over a decade and I still can't shake the war or ambush." Bernie whispered, wishing he could just take her pain away. He felt Niko's hand land on his shoulder and squeeze down.
"I don't like feeling like I'm going to end up snapping and killing someone. How can I trust myself to not get to that point?" She spotted the glasses on the table and the bottle of vodka. She took a couple of steps forward and poured herself a shot and downed in quickly, "For so long I've been able to just be passive. But now it's like I envision pulling Darko's gun from the inside of the jacket and just unloading into her."
"It's what happens when you are faced with certain death and told the only way out is to kill." Niko softly spoke. He knew the feeling well, "But it doesn't lessen the act. You are still taking a life. Even if it means you get to live, it's still murder. Darko said something to me that I haven't been able to let go. Roman and I met him at the airport. He was rambling and mad, probably coming off of a high. But he told me Goran killed his neighbors, and it showed him what lies we were all living. And it was what forced his hand in betraying us. He saw no out. Just as I have seen no out… Till I met you Kate."
'When everything you believe is shown to be shit, you make strange choices I guess.'
"I was never a violent child. I feared being beaten by my own father. Roman, my brother, and I would sneak out and spend the night with Florian, or we would sleep next door in Roman's room. I had never felt the urge to fight back till he struck my mother in front of me. The anger was powerful. I didn't feel scared. Maybe it was my way of masking my own pain. But when the wars came, that anger had taken over. Till our first mission. I was beyond scared holding a weapon in my hands and unsure if I would have the ability to do what was instructed of me." His eyes took on a far off look and he swallowed as the memories surged forward.
"I was scared till someone shot at my friends. The anger came back to me and I fired the gun. Someone labeled enemy by our army had discovered Florian's hiding place and I killed them. I felt extremely sick but was given no time to process it. Mission after mission, death after death, there was no end in sight. I was given no chance to stop. None of us were. When Eli died, it was the first of our close unit to be killed. And I couldn't even mourn, it felt as trivial as picking out what radio station to listen to. He was replaced before we could even get him in the ground."
"And when the ambush happened, and the wars ended? What was I? But a shell of a man who only knew how to kill. Losing my friends, losing my brother, finding Roman's mother- my aunt, watching as everything I had once cherished get burned to the ground, I let the violence take over. I will not let you get even remotely close to that point Kate. There is a difference between defending yourself, and letting the darkness take control and acting out in violence because it's all you know. You have a choice. You know right from wrong. I had my perception skewed." He felt Bernie's hand close around the wrist of his hand that was still gripping onto his shoulder.
"Niko…" She breathed his name out quietly. The tears continued to just fall. There was a raw pain that was splashed across his face and she felt her body move of its own accord. She pulled him to her as soon as he was within reach and she buried her face into his neck and held on against the pain that raked through her soul. She clutched his sweater in her hands and felt her own fears slip away from her. He was hurting so much, and she had no idea the level at which his suffering was present.
Bernie released his wrist and stood up, wiping his own silent tears from his face. He softly walked around the couch and threw his arms around both of them, pressing his cheek to the top of Kate's head, "Forgive me comrade for not knowing."
Niko shifted his arms to be able to hug Kate and Bernie back, "It was not for you to know. Kate you are not violent, and you are not becoming violent. If you are struggling with it just let one of us know and we will do what we can. Dimitri and Natalya can no longer hurt you and once this last threat is gone, you will never have to worry about needing to react violently. I give you my word." He closed his eyes as he took comfort in their embrace. It was nice to let himself feel things about his past and not feel the urge to go track down Darko and end his life.
"Both of you have me to help as well. And I know for a fact that Roman and Mal would be here for you as well." Bernie lifted his head from Kate's and let his eyes soften as he spoke the words, letting Niko know that he would be here for whenever he wanted to speak about their past and pain. There was no reason to keep suffering when the easiest thing in the world was for them to work through it together. He kissed Niko's cheek before letting go of the couple, "I do believe a toast is needed!" He smiled brightly and headed back into the kitchen for a third glass.
Kate turned in Niko's embrace to see where Bernie was headed, "A toast?" She blinked away a couple of tears, too scared to release Niko's body. It was hard to fathom the level of anger and violence that Niko endured to simply just give in and quit trying to be something else. She had met him at his low and now understood why their first few conversations went the way they did. Things were tumbling into place and it was giving her perspective. Things were making sense and her understanding of him only grew… as well as her love and compassion.
"Yes, my dear! We have all taken the first step in recovering and I feel so much better. And I need to seal my oath." He grabbed another glass from the cabinet and walked back over to the coffee table to pour everyone a shot.
Niko glanced down to the woman in his arms and felt her shift around to look up at him. He could see only love and understanding reflected back up at him and he knew in this moment he would have to hunt down the person who knew his secret. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, and he wouldn't be able to do that if at any given moment the truth would be slammed down between them. He had kept secrets his entire life and knew he could keep this one to himself.
'Even if you commit yourself to her for eternity- You will always be her brother's killer…'
He felt a twitch at the corner of his mouth with his thoughts, before stuffing that one single thought to the darkness. This is what he wanted. He wanted her. He wanted to be the reason she smiled, laughed, smirked, smoldered, moaned… He slid his hands over her body to be able to cup her cheeks, searching her eyes for anything negative. She only matched his gaze and pulled her bottom lip into her mouth to gently bite at it. Using his thumb, he tugged her lip free before closing the space between them.
'But you are also the reason for her tears, fear, and yearning to react violently…'
The movement of her hands landing on his wrists snapped him from his thoughts and he opened his eyes as he pulled away from her kiss, "Волим те (Volim te)"
"I love you too, Niko." She kissed him again and felt better at seeing his eyes clear of the doubt and fear she had seen there. 'One step at a time. One day at a time. We will be okay. I will be okay. So long as you are here for me Niko…'
"Honestly! I can call Roman for a cab. It's not even Valentine's Day and the devotional sappiness is overkill." Bernie laughed as they both jumped and turned to look at him by the coffee table, holding up his shot glass.
"You were the one who asked me to be able to take her out on dates. She gets very handsy. Better watch out." Niko out right laughed at Bernie's expression and Kate's light shove.
"I swear you two!" Kate groaned out and slipped from Niko's hold, "I need that drink now. It's going to be a long year isn't it?" She shook her head and accepted the glass from Bernie as she approached him.
"I hope it doesn't take a full year for Bryce to come out. You two have Valentine's Day plans?" Bernie handed Niko his glass when he stood at his side.
Niko and Kate exchanged glances and did their own internal calculation before the realization dawned on them. They gave blank looks to Bernie unsure of who should speak first or address the topic.
"It's next week Niko! And for once is a Saturday! Even Bryce has plans for us and that took an entire month to plan out right. Granted our circumstances are more complicated, but we had been discussing Valentine's Day back around Christmas. Don't tell me you haven't even thought about where you are going to take our lovely girlfriend for the holiday of love?!" He looked between the two of them and felt utterly exasperated with their lack of reaction. "Niko! This isn't just an American thing, or have you forgotten about Saint Trifun?"
"Well. Shit. Guess it hasn't really been on my mind lately." He felt embarrassed now and dared to look at his girlfriend who was trying to hold back her laughter.
"I didn't peg you as someone who would be comfortable with public declarations of love and divulging into heart shaped chocolates." Kate snickered and shared a glance with Bernie, "I've never had a Valentine's Day that was shared with a partner. Ma always made cookies for us, and we were all forced to exchange little Valentine cards in school. They even did a silly dance each year in high school. But Niko it's okay. We can just make dinner at the apartment and have our own romantic evening." She smiled at her boyfriend and let him know she wasn't expecting anything fancy or over the top.
"If that's what you want, I can do that." Niko nodded slowly and could see the murderous glare from Bernie. Clearly, he was meant to do more than just that with Kate.
"Perfect. Sounds good." Kate was growing excited at the thought of maybe making a fancy dinner in his kitchen back in Middle Park, sharing a bottle or two of wine, maybe she could buy some flower petals and sprinkle them over the bed before they spent the rest of the evening wrinkling the sheets. She would start thinking of a gift she could either make or buy for him. 'I will need to call Mal. She will know what to do!'
"Niko next year I will teach you how to do this the American way. It's a little late to be trying to find reservations anywhere now." Bernie sighed and shook his head. He would make sure his friend knew the ins and outs of the holidays celebrated in Liberty. "But cheers, my loves. To healing and making a brighter future. I will uphold my end of the oath." He lifted his glass up and waited for Niko and Kate to do the same.
"Yes, to new beginnings and family." Kate lifted her glass and leaned into Niko's side, loving the way he lifted his arm to drape over her shoulders.
"A new path. To letting go and moving on. To forgiveness…" Niko lifted his glass and the three of them cheers. He knew things were about to get chaotic again and he would need to locate the briefcase Bernard had left him at Thanksgiving. It was about time he opened it and figured out what was inside. Perhaps he could call upon him for a favor, even if it meant going back into debt… It was one debt he would gladly take if it meant keeping Kate, Packie, and Gerry from finding out that he had killed Derrick. He would not let this one kill be his undoing.
'How much do you charge to kill someone? You were always a hypocrite…'
And maybe it was time to find Darko…