The long limo ride was eerily quiet. Claire sat in the plush seat trying not to fidget. Alexei made her nervous, but she didn't know why. When he looked at her, she saw something she'd never seen in her father's eyes, pride. Alexei looked at her the way her father looked at Alice.
Why would he look at me like that? I'm not his daughter, she thought to herself. Her mind was burning with questions, all wanting to pop out of her mouth. How did he know her mother? Why did her mother even have all these connections, and most importantly, Why did Evelyn say he loved her mother? Was he an old boyfriend? Or maybe more? She couldn't help but think how her life would have been different if he HAD been her father. The silence was becoming unbearable and Claire couldn't help but start to fidget in her seat. She stole a sidelong glance at the grown man in the seat next to her, the same calm, almost serene look on his face that she remembered from the beach so many years ago. Without thinking she suddenly blurted out, "How do you know my mother?"
Taken aback, Alexei jolted his eyes towards Claire. Quickly regaining his composure he answered simply, "We knew eachother growing up in St. Petersburg."
"What? My mother's a Russian?"
"Yes. So are you Little One."
Claire scoffed, "Well, yeah, I figured that." The look of annoyance she had on her face slipped off and she asked in a slightly sadder tone of voice, "What was my mom like when she was growing up?"
Alexei thought fast, he couldn't tell Claire everything, she was still way to young for most of the story. She deserves to know something, growing up in that hellhole with that asshole Boliver Trask and his carbon copy, Alice.
"Well first of all, your mother's real name is Nadezhda, she changed it to Elizabetha when she came to the states."
"Why?"
"I'll tell you, but not know. Your mother had a hard upbringing, she endured things she wouldn't have wanted you to know until you were a little older. Patience Dorognyeh Odno."
"Huh?"
"Dorognyeh Odno is 'Dear One'. I believe your mother called you that when she was pregnant with you."
"You knew her when she was pregnant with me?"
Alexei realized that he said way to much. "Of course I knew her. I've known her since we were small children. I was in St. Petersburg when she visited her parents while pregnant with you. Your Grandfather died a year after your sister was born, and your Grandmother was on her deathbed."
"Oh."
Alexei leaned back in his seat, deciding to tell Claire something about her mother's childhood. "I met your mother when she was five and I was seven. Our father's worked together and our families would frequently have dinner together and go on outings on weekends. The first time I met your mother, Nadya, as her family called her then, was an only child and very lonely. There were no other children in her neighborhood for her to play with. My mother brought me with her to Nadya's house so she and Jyana could have tea. I didn't want to go, you know how little boys are, they think little girls have cooties or something along those lines."
Claire laughed at Alexei's statement, the sound warming his heart. He wanted to tell her everything, but this was certianly not the best time. The Russian Syndicate would use her to get to him since they had already failed with Kage. Claire peered at Alexei's face, wondering why he stopped. He opened his eyes and saw his mother's blue eyes looking back at him. Regaining his composure, he continued.
"I remember how your mother looked that day. Since she did change her name later in her life, I'll use the name you know her by. Liz was only five when I met her. She was sitting in her room, bored. Her blonde hair in two long braids ties with yellow ribbon. She was wearing a white blouse,a yellow pair of pants and a yellow ribbon tied at the neck of her blouse. I seem to remember a white and yellow cardigan sweater over the back of her chair. She was gazing at the window, out at the sky where there were a flock of birds flying away from the city towards Sweden. She didn't notice I was there, so I decided to explore her room. It was pretty sparse. I was shocked considering both of our families were considerably wealthy. I didn't realize I was making a lot of noise, and noticing the look on my face she said simply, "Father dosn't want me to be a spoiled woman who relies on material possessions to be happy." Her tone of voice was flat, like a woman who'd seen great suffering and couldn't feel her own heart anymore. The tone of her voice pierced my heart. We just stood there, looking at eachother for the longest time before she turned away again and continued to watch the sky. I think it was at that moment I fell in love with her."
"You fell in love with my mom?"Claire asked, awed.
"Yes. Our families actually were meeting to arrange our marriage, creating a union between the families."
"Why didn't you get married?"
"Your father thought my father killed his brother."
"He.. what? Killed? No way."
Alexei smiled at Claire. "Russia is not like America. Even after the Iron Curtian fell, Russia was still behind and considered backwards by most countries. My father let your grandfather's brother handle a great deal of our familie's fortune. Well, he stole the money and dissapeared. I was about eighteen when this happened, your mom was sixteen. A year later, he was found. Dead. My father's wedding band found on the floor by the corpse. Needless to say, your mother's family broke the engagement. They didn't know that Liz and I were madly in love."
"Really? Did they find out? Did you two run away and get married?"
Yes, we did, Alexei thought to himself. He allowed himself to think back to the three years they had spent moving from city to city, the birth of Kage, and their discovery by agents sent by her father. It hadn't been long enough for either of them. He could still hear her screaming for him as her father's agents dragged her away from the small house they had lived in.
"You are forever in my heart, Alexei! There will never be another!"
He'd had to hide from her father's long reaching grasp, finding alliance and allegiance with the Russian Assasin's Guild. It was only after he had Elizabetha married to some American Government Official, that he lost interest in pursuing Alexei.
But Alexei hadn't given up, he kept tabs on her and her husband. The pictures he recieved once a month showed how unhappy she really was. She never smiled, she never touched her husband unless it was a press photo and she had to pretend to be happy. Alexei tried hard not to smile. It was there he'd finally run into her. He had stayed hidden for most of the night, watching her, following her with his eyes, waiting for the chance to speak to her. He almost thought he'd missed his chance when he noticed her slipping away from the party and out into the massive garden. Nonchalantly, he followed her, making it look like he needed some fresh air. Once he followed her deep enough into the garden where none of the party goers could see them, he spoke to her.
"Nadya."
One word and she had known who it was. Trembling she had turned around, looking at him with disbelieving eyes.
"Alexei..." she'd whispered, her eyes wide and unblinking. "I'm afraid to blink my eyes. I'm afraid I'll close them and you'll be gone."
"Close them and look again. I'll still be here."
She'd done as he asked, and when she saw he was still there, she raced into his open arms.
"Oh how I've missed you! I can't stand being married to Boliver! He's cold and selfish. Even our daughter is acting like him. I'm just a person taking up space in our house!"
She'd cried in his arms, spilling all the details of her loveless, empty life. She'd cried about the son that she'd been forced to leave and how the other child she had preferred her father to her mother. From there, the feelings they had still kept inside for eachother erupted and they'd ended up making love in the garden, not caring if they were caught. After, she'd gotten serious.
"I'm going to leave Boliver and return to you. I should have never been taken from your side. I belong with you, and only you." She'd left him then, running back into the building. He'd stayed in the garden, daring to hope that they would be together again. The next day, Boliver Trask had taken his wife back home and the only time Alexei had any contact with her was the short letter she'd sent to him to the P.O. Box he kept.
Dear Alexei,
Forgive me for not writing you sooner. After that glorious night in the garden, Boliver took me back home. Noticing I was withdrawing from him, about two weeks after I saw you, he forcibly made his advances on me, telling me he wanted a son. I could do nothing but wait for it to be over. A month later, I found out I was pregnant but the doctor told me I was three months along. This child isn't Boliver's. If it was, I'd only be two and a half months along, not three. I haven't told him. I've decided after this child is born, I'm taking her, I really believe it's a girl, and I'm going to go back to that old house we used to share. There I'll wait for you and we can be a family again.
My heart is yours,
Elizabetha
He'd gone to that same house and waited. A month after the child was supposed to have been born, he'd recieved the news. Elizabetha had died in childbirth and the baby girl, HIS baby girl was now stuck being raised by a cold hateful man. Snapping out of his daydream, he noticed Claire was giving him a strange look. He let his eyes soak in her face, a face much like her mother's. He again looked at the horrible bruise around her eye, anger boiling up in the pit of his stomach again. If only he'd taken her away, she would have been spared all the pain she'd endured in that house, but he couldn't change that now. She was with him now, the child created by an unbroken love.
A/N: Yeah yeah yeah, I know. Sappy chapter. But I honestly feel that some of Alexei and Elizabetha's past should have been shown, especially how they concieved Claire, since it's obvious that Elizabetha would have had to have an affiar. Next chapter will be angsty, I promise. Claire's introduced to Kage, her older brother, and she also is taken in by the New Orleans Assasin's Guild. WOOOOOO! And if you're wondering, yes, Remy AND Belladonna are going to be in this, though more Belle than Remy. Sniff sniff Yes, I know I'm denying my one true love Remy of a real part in this story, but once things begin to happen, he'll have more face time. This is really Claire's story. Please review and let me know what you think!
I'm also sorry this is so short compared to the last chapter. Next one will be supersized, I promise!
Why would he look at me like that? I'm not his daughter, she thought to herself. Her mind was burning with questions, all wanting to pop out of her mouth. How did he know her mother? Why did her mother even have all these connections, and most importantly, Why did Evelyn say he loved her mother? Was he an old boyfriend? Or maybe more? She couldn't help but think how her life would have been different if he HAD been her father. The silence was becoming unbearable and Claire couldn't help but start to fidget in her seat. She stole a sidelong glance at the grown man in the seat next to her, the same calm, almost serene look on his face that she remembered from the beach so many years ago. Without thinking she suddenly blurted out, "How do you know my mother?"
Taken aback, Alexei jolted his eyes towards Claire. Quickly regaining his composure he answered simply, "We knew eachother growing up in St. Petersburg."
"What? My mother's a Russian?"
"Yes. So are you Little One."
Claire scoffed, "Well, yeah, I figured that." The look of annoyance she had on her face slipped off and she asked in a slightly sadder tone of voice, "What was my mom like when she was growing up?"
Alexei thought fast, he couldn't tell Claire everything, she was still way to young for most of the story. She deserves to know something, growing up in that hellhole with that asshole Boliver Trask and his carbon copy, Alice.
"Well first of all, your mother's real name is Nadezhda, she changed it to Elizabetha when she came to the states."
"Why?"
"I'll tell you, but not know. Your mother had a hard upbringing, she endured things she wouldn't have wanted you to know until you were a little older. Patience Dorognyeh Odno."
"Huh?"
"Dorognyeh Odno is 'Dear One'. I believe your mother called you that when she was pregnant with you."
"You knew her when she was pregnant with me?"
Alexei realized that he said way to much. "Of course I knew her. I've known her since we were small children. I was in St. Petersburg when she visited her parents while pregnant with you. Your Grandfather died a year after your sister was born, and your Grandmother was on her deathbed."
"Oh."
Alexei leaned back in his seat, deciding to tell Claire something about her mother's childhood. "I met your mother when she was five and I was seven. Our father's worked together and our families would frequently have dinner together and go on outings on weekends. The first time I met your mother, Nadya, as her family called her then, was an only child and very lonely. There were no other children in her neighborhood for her to play with. My mother brought me with her to Nadya's house so she and Jyana could have tea. I didn't want to go, you know how little boys are, they think little girls have cooties or something along those lines."
Claire laughed at Alexei's statement, the sound warming his heart. He wanted to tell her everything, but this was certianly not the best time. The Russian Syndicate would use her to get to him since they had already failed with Kage. Claire peered at Alexei's face, wondering why he stopped. He opened his eyes and saw his mother's blue eyes looking back at him. Regaining his composure, he continued.
"I remember how your mother looked that day. Since she did change her name later in her life, I'll use the name you know her by. Liz was only five when I met her. She was sitting in her room, bored. Her blonde hair in two long braids ties with yellow ribbon. She was wearing a white blouse,a yellow pair of pants and a yellow ribbon tied at the neck of her blouse. I seem to remember a white and yellow cardigan sweater over the back of her chair. She was gazing at the window, out at the sky where there were a flock of birds flying away from the city towards Sweden. She didn't notice I was there, so I decided to explore her room. It was pretty sparse. I was shocked considering both of our families were considerably wealthy. I didn't realize I was making a lot of noise, and noticing the look on my face she said simply, "Father dosn't want me to be a spoiled woman who relies on material possessions to be happy." Her tone of voice was flat, like a woman who'd seen great suffering and couldn't feel her own heart anymore. The tone of her voice pierced my heart. We just stood there, looking at eachother for the longest time before she turned away again and continued to watch the sky. I think it was at that moment I fell in love with her."
"You fell in love with my mom?"Claire asked, awed.
"Yes. Our families actually were meeting to arrange our marriage, creating a union between the families."
"Why didn't you get married?"
"Your father thought my father killed his brother."
"He.. what? Killed? No way."
Alexei smiled at Claire. "Russia is not like America. Even after the Iron Curtian fell, Russia was still behind and considered backwards by most countries. My father let your grandfather's brother handle a great deal of our familie's fortune. Well, he stole the money and dissapeared. I was about eighteen when this happened, your mom was sixteen. A year later, he was found. Dead. My father's wedding band found on the floor by the corpse. Needless to say, your mother's family broke the engagement. They didn't know that Liz and I were madly in love."
"Really? Did they find out? Did you two run away and get married?"
Yes, we did, Alexei thought to himself. He allowed himself to think back to the three years they had spent moving from city to city, the birth of Kage, and their discovery by agents sent by her father. It hadn't been long enough for either of them. He could still hear her screaming for him as her father's agents dragged her away from the small house they had lived in.
"You are forever in my heart, Alexei! There will never be another!"
He'd had to hide from her father's long reaching grasp, finding alliance and allegiance with the Russian Assasin's Guild. It was only after he had Elizabetha married to some American Government Official, that he lost interest in pursuing Alexei.
But Alexei hadn't given up, he kept tabs on her and her husband. The pictures he recieved once a month showed how unhappy she really was. She never smiled, she never touched her husband unless it was a press photo and she had to pretend to be happy. Alexei tried hard not to smile. It was there he'd finally run into her. He had stayed hidden for most of the night, watching her, following her with his eyes, waiting for the chance to speak to her. He almost thought he'd missed his chance when he noticed her slipping away from the party and out into the massive garden. Nonchalantly, he followed her, making it look like he needed some fresh air. Once he followed her deep enough into the garden where none of the party goers could see them, he spoke to her.
"Nadya."
One word and she had known who it was. Trembling she had turned around, looking at him with disbelieving eyes.
"Alexei..." she'd whispered, her eyes wide and unblinking. "I'm afraid to blink my eyes. I'm afraid I'll close them and you'll be gone."
"Close them and look again. I'll still be here."
She'd done as he asked, and when she saw he was still there, she raced into his open arms.
"Oh how I've missed you! I can't stand being married to Boliver! He's cold and selfish. Even our daughter is acting like him. I'm just a person taking up space in our house!"
She'd cried in his arms, spilling all the details of her loveless, empty life. She'd cried about the son that she'd been forced to leave and how the other child she had preferred her father to her mother. From there, the feelings they had still kept inside for eachother erupted and they'd ended up making love in the garden, not caring if they were caught. After, she'd gotten serious.
"I'm going to leave Boliver and return to you. I should have never been taken from your side. I belong with you, and only you." She'd left him then, running back into the building. He'd stayed in the garden, daring to hope that they would be together again. The next day, Boliver Trask had taken his wife back home and the only time Alexei had any contact with her was the short letter she'd sent to him to the P.O. Box he kept.
Dear Alexei,
Forgive me for not writing you sooner. After that glorious night in the garden, Boliver took me back home. Noticing I was withdrawing from him, about two weeks after I saw you, he forcibly made his advances on me, telling me he wanted a son. I could do nothing but wait for it to be over. A month later, I found out I was pregnant but the doctor told me I was three months along. This child isn't Boliver's. If it was, I'd only be two and a half months along, not three. I haven't told him. I've decided after this child is born, I'm taking her, I really believe it's a girl, and I'm going to go back to that old house we used to share. There I'll wait for you and we can be a family again.
My heart is yours,
Elizabetha
He'd gone to that same house and waited. A month after the child was supposed to have been born, he'd recieved the news. Elizabetha had died in childbirth and the baby girl, HIS baby girl was now stuck being raised by a cold hateful man. Snapping out of his daydream, he noticed Claire was giving him a strange look. He let his eyes soak in her face, a face much like her mother's. He again looked at the horrible bruise around her eye, anger boiling up in the pit of his stomach again. If only he'd taken her away, she would have been spared all the pain she'd endured in that house, but he couldn't change that now. She was with him now, the child created by an unbroken love.
A/N: Yeah yeah yeah, I know. Sappy chapter. But I honestly feel that some of Alexei and Elizabetha's past should have been shown, especially how they concieved Claire, since it's obvious that Elizabetha would have had to have an affiar. Next chapter will be angsty, I promise. Claire's introduced to Kage, her older brother, and she also is taken in by the New Orleans Assasin's Guild. WOOOOOO! And if you're wondering, yes, Remy AND Belladonna are going to be in this, though more Belle than Remy. Sniff sniff Yes, I know I'm denying my one true love Remy of a real part in this story, but once things begin to happen, he'll have more face time. This is really Claire's story. Please review and let me know what you think!
I'm also sorry this is so short compared to the last chapter. Next one will be supersized, I promise!