A/N ok, back… just spent the week in France: D that was cool. And I haven't even thought of updating for ages but I will 'cause I'm nice -ish. So on with the show…

Disclaimer: I own only the plot!

Last Chapter:

He spun the bottle and it landed on Bella who grudgingly allowed him to peck on her cheek. She spun praying it wouldn't land on him but of course she was a murderer who God obviously wouldn't grant favours to and it landed on her ex-husband. Because of the rules she had to snog him and she did shuddering just as the dark lord himself came in. He looked shocked but acted natural and went up to his bedroom with Amber. Bella ran up to follow them. But how could she tell if he would believe her?

Chapter 10 – Riddles…

I cannot be felt, seen or touched; yet I can be found in everybody.

My existence is always in debate; yet I have my own style of music.

What am I?

Bella just kissed the man she has told me so many times before she hates. She kissed him with everybody watching. Was she trying to make me feel a fool? It worked. I am a fool to think somebody like her could ever love somebody like me. I never thought I could care for another woman like I once did Louise. But I did – I do. Bella means everything to me. I made her to be cruel like me but how could she be so hurtful after all we've been through together? And yet, my soul aches for her to come to me… and souls know best…

I'm sitting on my bed holding Nuage, absentmindedly stroking her. Once again her eyes shine but I don't really notice. I am deep in thought. Bella has sworn alliance to me so many times. She has shown me her loyalty often and at night time whispered strong words of love. And to think I actually considered proposing to her. I was lucky not to if I would be married to that whore.

The patter of soft stair climbing overwhelms me and soon it stops and is replaced by a child tapping on my door. She tried to open it before but I have put a strong locking enchantment on it. I release it and open the door to my only child looking at me with those lovely puppy-dog eyes. I sigh and scoop her up.

'Do you remember my old teddy, Amber?' She cautiously nods remembering my rage. I take a deep breath and stroke Nuage. 'Would you like to keep her?' Again Amber nods. 'Do you promise to keep her safe for the rest of your life just as I have done?' She nods for the last time and I hand over the precious air-loom. My daughter holds the bear as gentle as her life and hugs me close. 'Do you remember our old life Amber?' She looks confused. 'In Russia?' Amber shakes her head. 'Would you like to go there again and see what our life could have been like?' She nods her head vigorously. 'We can go now!' I hurriedly gather items I would need and take Amber to her bedroom. I go through her possessions packing things she is sure to want. About thirty minutes later we're ready to go.

'Are we saying goodbye to Auntie Bella?' The child asks. I shake my head. 'Is she coming with us?' Again I shake my head. 'Are we going with anybody else?' I shake my head for the last time, lock our rooms and we apparate from the house one final time.

If a tree falls and there's nobody around to hear it, does it make a sound?

It's the crack of dawn in what seems to be the middle of a large forest. Trees rustle all around us and immediately I wonder if it was right to come here. I remember there was magnificent woods near where we used to live in our small village. It's best to apparate into here so nobody can see us but now I'm here I'm not sure I remember how to get out.

'Daddy where are we?' My child asks me. I don't want to lie to her but I don't want to tell her that I don't know.

'We're in Russia. Sshhh don't ask questions, why don't you just go to sleep and I'll wake you up when we get there.' She obliges. I don't actually know where we are going but I'll sort everything out. I take a breath and apparate to right outside our old house. I left it abandoned and hidden so no muggles could find it. With any luck it will still be just as it was when we left. I peer inside a window and see my old furniture and Louise' favourite pictures hung on the wall. I open the dainty gate that's hinges are rusted making it creak and I look through the letterbox. The floor is covered in post. I sigh with relief and undo some complicated spells so we can get back in. Amber is still asleep so I set her down on Louise' favourite armchair and see how vulnerable and small she is. I feel guilty knowing that I have given her a terrible life that she doesn't deserve and after all I've done to her she still loves me so.

I gingerly explore every room down to the last cupboard and while looking I tidy up making the place liveable again. By the time I'm done I know it would be late at night in England and everyone would wonder where Amber and I had got to but they wouldn't think of looking here. I sit down on my favourite armchair next to Louise' and stare into space for a couple of hours. At 8.00am I decide to wake Amber and accustom her to our new surroundings. She forgets for a moment probably what has happened all her life and asks for "mummy" it breaks my heart and I tell her that mummy isn't with us anymore. She remembers and decides to change the subject abruptly by asking what's for breakfast.

'You can have whatever you want my little jewel because today is the start of the rest of our lives!' I scoop her up and pretend that once again she's my baby and soon mummy really would come home and we'd be a small happy family again. She giggles and dribbles and playing the part says that she wants soldiers and eggs. So that's what I make for her and I even allow her to squash the soldiers and make a mess of her breakfast. Of course she's sticky afterwards so I carry her to the bathroom and run her a bath. I put extra bubble bath in and a rubber duck. I undress her and put her in the bath where she repeatedly splashes me with the water. In the end we're both drenched, as is the room. I towel dry her and magically dry her hair. Then I carry her up to her old bedroom, which still has her baby toys and cot in. It feels just like going back to the past and I have to keep looking at Amber to make sure this isn't before. I sit on a chair in her room with her on my knee and gently brush her perfectly straight hair.

By the time she's dressed and I'm changed it's 9.30am and I'm not sure what to do with myself. I decide to take Amber to the shopping centre in which Louise died so I can buy Amber a new bed as she's too old for a cot.

I soar without wings, I see without eyes.

I've travelled the universe to and fro,

I've conquered the world yet I have never been anywhere but home.

Who am I?

My imagination always got the better of me. I thought of doing things that never would be possible and my dreams were always extravagant and wild. Especially so when I was a child and in the orphanage as I never really had any adventures. And everybody loves adventures.

So here I am, in the middle of nowhere with a four-year-old girl who probably cannot tell fact from fiction anymore. At the beginning of a fresh new life, an adventure, just the two of us and already I regret it. Is it possible to mess up a child's life more than it already has been? Should I go back to England and just accept that a marriage has been renewed. What is wrong with that? It is meant to be a good thing. Maybe I could be the best man… maybe not. I can now pick up the shards of my daughter's life. She is to start school soon. Of course I do realise that she cannot speak Russian but surely there will be some English schools here, right?

I place my hands upon my face and groan. As usual I acted without thinking of the consequences. I hope Bella is worried. Amber is in her room playing with her new toys and I am in the front room curled up in Louise's chair. Eventually I dose off.

What does a one handed clap sound like?

A child claps in a pattern and I slowly awake and gather myself. I'm lying on the floor with a tiny girl on my legs looking happy as Buddha. My head really hurts. Is it a hangover? No… I haven't had a drink; I must have just banged my head when I fell onto the floor in my sleep. Gently, Amber tickles my stomach then lies next to me cuddling me close. 'Just the two of us, just the two of us, just you and I'.

Soon she is asleep and I get up and carry her to my armchair. The time is 16.45 so I enter the kitchen to make dinner. Admittedly I am not the best cook but I do know how to make good cheese pasta. I set to work and within an hour amber and I are eating our first home cooked meal in our new life. Maybe things will workout.

A/N that took ages to write (maybe I gave up, bored for a while) and it was hardly worth it but maybe it is better than nothing is. I know it's short but I pretty much regret moving them to Russia it's hard to write and I also know nothing of the place. Will Bella confess her love to Rudolph? Will anybody realise where the Riddles have gone? Will anybody care? Tune in next time to find out.

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