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Another chapter is up! I'm sorry that I don't really have a posting schedule this time around, but my new baby is only a few weeks old and I'm finding it a bit challenging to keep up with two kids under the age of two (advice totally welcomed)! But, I dedicated myself to this story a long time ago and I am going to finish it, no matter what. I have it all planned out, so now it's just about getting it written.

As a reminder: you all get to vote on whether Allie and Steve's baby is a boy or girl, but the last chapter to vote on it will be chapter five (which is the next chapter). So, get your votes in! You can leave it in a review, or you can even private message me. Or both. And you can vote as many times as you want. It's pretty close right now, so get those votes in!

Thank you so much to all of you that have shown your support for this story in any way. I know that I thank you before every chapter, but you'll still never know how much it means to me.

Happy Reading!

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Chapter Four: Identity

Allie

Dr. Dubois was the best physician that I could have had… under the circumstances. I mean, ideally, I would have been back in Hawaii with my regular OB/GYN, but… Medici had gotten me the best that Paris had to offer. According to chatter that I'd heard in the waiting room, it was nearly impossible to get an appointment with Dr. Dubois.

And I could see why.

His bedside manner was incredible; he had me feeling more at ease after only a minute. He was in his late thirties – according to my research – and had a kind smile and bright brown eyes that shined behind his glasses. He was dressed immaculately in a navy suit that fit him perfectly, and his voice was professional, yet soothing.

"Having some morning sickness?" he asked me in heavily accented English after he had read my patient summary on his computer screen.

"I speak French," I told him in French, and then realized that might have been insulting. I rushed to add, "I mean, if it's more convenient for you."

He didn't seem insulted at all, only a little surprised. "My nurse told me that I had a last minute American patient added to my day. A student here for the semester studying art?"

I supposed you could call it that. "Yes. But I speak French fluently. I summered here quite a bit as a child."

"Excellent." He consulted my electronic chart for a few moments. "How many times a day would you say that you're throwing up?"

"I'm not sure. It varies. It's pretty much every time that I eat something. I can't keep much down."

"What can you keep down?" he asked. "Water? Crackers?"

"Not crackers. No food, really. Sometimes not even water, if it's a particularly bad day."

He nodded and typed something. "I can see here that you've lost weight. Obviously, we'd like for you to go the other way. We typically look for a gain of one to five pounds in the first trimester and you've lost…" He paused for a moment and then looked at me. "Seven. Not a major concern at this point, but you need to start gaining soon. What have you tried?"

So, I told him about all of the research that I had done and everything that I had tried, obviously to no avail.

When I'd finished, he nodded and gave me a sad smile. "Unfortunately, you've tried just about everything that I would recommend before turning to medication. So, I'm going to recommend Diclegis. Have you heard of it?"

I nodded. "In my research. It's a medicine made specifically for morning sickness, right?"

He nodded. "Correct. I'd start you off with one pill a day in the morning. If you still need a little more, you can take it twice a day. Completely safe for you and baby, but… it can get a little expensive, if insurance doesn't cover it."

"I don't think that will be a problem." The pills could have costed a thousand dollars and Medici would still cover them without blinking.

"Good." He started typing. "I'm going to send the prescription to your preferred pharmacy. Pick them up immediately and…" He glanced at his watch. "It's still early enough in the day that you can go ahead and start taking them today. Call me after a week and let me know how they're working. Or, you can call sooner if you think that you need a heavier dose. Okay?"

I nodded. "Okay."

"Great." He smiled at me. "Do you have any other questions for me?"

"None that I can think of."

Standing, he logged off of the computer. "All right. Then I'll see you in a month for your next visit. If you need me before then, feel free to call."

"Thank you."

"Have a wonderful day." He left to go and see his next patient and I sat there for only a moment before I left the office, checked out, and got into the elevator. On the ground floor, one of Medici's men was waiting for me and fell into step beside me as we headed for the car.

Once we were inside, I told him to head to the pharmacy so that I could pick up my medication. "The doctor said to take my first pill today and then rest as much as possible." The part about resting wasn't true, but I really needed a day that wasn't about planning a heist. I just wanted to spend all day in bed and try to relax. The stress couldn't be good for the baby.

The man – whose name might have been Sawyer – nodded but didn't say a word. Medici's men were excellent at keeping their mouths shut. At the pharmacy, he came with me and followed at a safe distance while I picked up my medication and listened to the pharmacist's consult. Then, we headed back to the hotel.

"You'll tell Medici about the bed rest for today?" I asked the guard once we were at my door. "I don't want him to check in on the cameras and think that I'm not doing my job."

He nodded and then turned and walked away.

"Nice chat," I muttered before unlocking my door and stepping inside. The suite had been cleaned while I was at the doctor's office and I eagerly slipped under the fresh covers after taking my first pill. Then, I turned on the TV and began to flip through the channels.

An hour later, I grew bored and turned the TV off just in time for one of Medici's men to arrive with my lunch – a gourmet sandwich with a cup of fruit and a smoothie. I was more nervous about eating than I had ever been and, after having finished it all, I settled under the covers once more and waited to feel sick. But, after an hour had passed, I started to feel victorious. It seemed like the medication was working. Unfortunately, it also seemed that one of the side effects was hitting me – exhaustion.

I was somehow supposed to plan a heist and get my brother back, but how was I supposed to do that when all that I wanted to do was fall asleep? Hell, how was I supposed to do it when it had been so long since I'd tried something like this? What if I got caught and thrown in jail? What would happen to my baby then?

And it all started to seem so overwhelming. My chest grew tight and tears sprang to my eyes as I buried myself under the covers, not wanting anyone to see my breakdown.

"I need you," I whispered to Steve, even though he was thousands of miles away. "I need you so badly right now. And I know that it's not your fault, but I just hate you for not being here. I hate myself for not being there. I just want this all to go away."

And then I heard his voice, as clearly as if he were under those covers with me. "I'm not good at big speeches. So, all I'm going to say is that I love you more than I've ever loved anyone. And if there's anything that I've learned about relationships in my life, it's that you have to hold on tight and never let go. So, will you let me do that? Will you marry me?"

A choked sob escaped as I curled myself into the fetal position and placed one hand over my stomach. Over where our child was growing. A reminder that it wasn't just about me anymore and, as terrified as I was, I had to keep going. "I won't," I assured Steve, even though I knew that he wasn't there. "I'll hold on tight, and I won't ever let go. And I know that you won't, either."

And I did know. I knew that he was somewhere out there, working as hard as he could to find me and our baby. More than likely, Kol was with him. And they weren't going to give up, so I couldn't, either. I had to keep going until I was safe again.

After wiping away the tears, I emerged and turned the TV on once again. I had to distract myself with something, even if that something was a ridiculously annoying reality TV show. And tomorrow, I was going to plan the perfect heist.

Steve

"Wow." That was all that I could say as I stood in the foyer of Edward's home in Paris.

Kol came to a stop beside me and looked around, his expression unreadable. "It used to be nicer. Uncle E, why did you remove the crystal fountain?"

His uncle walked past him, slapping him upside the head as he did so. "Show Steve to his room and stop being… you."

Kol motioned for me to follow him to a nearby staircase. "He's obviously still upset about the removal of the crystal fountain. Let's not bring it up again. Do you prefer still or sparkling water? I'll have the servants bring some up."

"I don't have servants!" Edward called up after us, his tone sounding like a warning to Kol.

But instead of stopping, Kol lowered his voice to a whisper. "Don't let him fool you. The servants have just been trained to never been seen or heard." He lowered his voice even further as he leaned in. "They live in the walls."

Despite the circumstances, I smiled, thankful for the thousandth time that Kol was there with me. He kept me relaxed in all of the tension. "Sounds creepy."

"Beyond creepy." He led me to the last door on the right and opened it for me, revealing a simple, yet tasteful bedroom. "Here you go. This was… is… Allie's room when she stays here." He gave me a sad smile and took a step backwards. "I'm going to get settled. I'll come get you when dinner is ready."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded, watching him walk away before I stepped into the room and closed the door behind me, dropping my duffel at my feet. This room had been Allie's, and though it was only very a small piece of her, I needed it.

I looked for her in the light blue curtains that matched the bedspread, in the elegant white chest of drawers, and in the artwork hanging on the walls. But ultimately, I found her in the drawers when I went to put away my clothes. There, I found the decorative boxes and inside, I found the pictures.

After I'd taken a seat on the bed, I began to go through them. And after only a few, I felt the tears in my eyes. They were all pictures of Allie at various ages, with dates, places, and ages meticulously documented on the back. Seven in Russia, twelve in Switzerland… I watched her evolution until I could no longer stand it. Then, I pushed the pictures aside so that I could lie down on the bed, staring up at the smooth ceiling. More than anything, I wanted Allie beside me. I wanted to ask her about the context of the pictures and listen to stories from her childhood. I knew the truth now – that she'd been born to a family of con artists – so she could tell me the whole truth. I wanted to pull her into my arms and never let her go again. I wanted to apologize for not keeping her and our child safe.

There was a knock on the door, but I wasn't ready to move. "Come in."

It opened and then closed, and Kol moved into my line of sight seconds later. "I see you found the pictures. Not a word about my haircut when I was thirteen. The teenage years were difficult."

"Not a word," I agreed, but there was no humor. I felt nothing but sadness.

He sighed. "Dinner's ready. Do you want me to fix you a plate and bring it to you?"

"I'm not hungry."

"That's a yes, then." He headed for the door. "It's homemade pasta. You'll love it." Without waiting for an answer, he left. And I knew that I would eat what he brought, because I had the sense to know that I needed to keep my strength up.

The pasta truly was delicious, and I ate everything that was on my plate. Kol didn't stay, but that was okay with me. I needed some time alone to think and go through more of the pictures. And I had every intention of asking Allie about them when we got her back. I wanted to know all of her stories.

Once I'd gone through all of them, I put them back in their boxes and put them away before exploring the other drawers. There were some clothes that she probably kept here just in case, some books that I looked through, and… a few flash drives kept in fancy cases.

"Videos."

I jumped and whirled around to find Kol standing just inside the door.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I figured you would have heard me come in. Those flash drives have videos on them. Allie had them downloaded from old VHS tapes that Uncle Edward had."

"Videos of what?" I asked him.

"Allie. All of us, really, but I think she focused on the ones she was in. Do you want to see?"

Did I? I only hesitated a moment before I nodded.

"Okay. Give me a sec." He left the room and came back with his laptop, which he set up on the bed. I sat down beside him and watched as he entered a ridiculously long password. A blank screen came up and then there was Allie. Rather, a younger version of Allie. And across from her was a younger version of Kol, thinking very hard.

On screen, Allie gestured to the playing cards between them. "Do you want any cards or not?"

"Give me a second." Kol's face was pure concentration. "You could be bluffing."

"I could be," Allie agreed with a nod, and even I couldn't read her expression. "It'll cost you forty to find out."

As the poker game continued on screen, the Kol that was sitting beside me spoke. "I could never beat her at poker." He laughed without humor. "It's kind of funny… I always know when she's lying or when she's upset… I always know what's going on in her head. Except when we're playing poker. She has a real talent for it."

"Clearly," I said and gestured to the screen, where she'd just won the game. "You were kind of a sore loser back then, you know?"

"That's because I didn't lose very often. I'm very gifted when it comes to any kind of competition."

"That's not the evidence that I'm seeing here."

"You can be a real pain in the ass. Has anyone ever told you that?"

I laughed, thinking of Danny and the many, many times that I'd heard that exact sentence from him. "You know, I've heard it once or twice."

"You should hear it more often." He gestured to the screen. "And there she is practicing her lifts on Frederic. That's the name that she gave Uncle Edward's mannequin. He's the best training dummy. You should give it a try sometime."

I watched Allie perform a lift without rattling a single bell. She made it look effortless, but I knew that there was no way that I could do it like that. "I don't think that I would be very good at it. I prefer to be more direct."

He snorted. "Of course you do. Um… so… there's total immunity for anything that happens in these videos, right?"

"We're not on American soil. I have no authority," I assured him.

"Right."

We continued to watch the videos together and while I enjoyed watching Allie at various stages in her life, I enjoyed Kol's talking even more. He gave commentary on the videos that I found to be incredibly insightful. Through his words, I gained an even deeper understanding of the woman that was to become my wife. I could have listened to him for hours.

And I did.

Hours later, when the videos finally ended, Kol stood up and yawned. "Well, that was an enjoyable blast from the past, but I need to get some sleep. And so do you." He closed his laptop and scooped it up. "If you need anything during the night, figure it out yourself. Don't you dare wake me up."

"Wouldn't dream of it," I told him and smiled. "I know that you really need your beauty sleep."

He narrowed his eyes at me and then headed for the door. "I won't dignify that with a response. Good night."

"Good night. And Kol?"

Hand on the doorknob, he turned and raised an eyebrow, waiting.

"Thank you," I told him sincerely. "Ever since I read her letter explaining who she really is… I've been wanting to know more about this part of her. Tonight, I feel like I got a great head start on that. So, thank you. It makes all of this a little less painful."

He gave me a small smile. "Happy to be of assistance. And speaking of that part of her… It's gone. I mean… it's her past. You're her present. Just remember that."

It seemed strange – and it didn't completely make sense – but I knew that he had to have a reason for saying it, so I nodded. "I will."

"Good. See you tomorrow." He left, closing the door behind him.

With a sigh, I gathered the flash drives and put them away, making a mental note to ask Allie to watch them with me once we were safe. Kol had given me some interesting insight on Allie, and I was sure that Allie had equally interesting insight about the Kol in these videos. I also wanted her side of the stories.

There was a bathroom attached to my room, and I used it to take a long shower. That's what Allie had liked to do when she was stressed out or just needed to relax. But it wasn't as relaxing for me, because I could only think of all of the times that I had showered with Allie back in Hawaii. It made me think that you never know when the 'last time' will come, and I hated that I hadn't realized how special those showers were until now.

"It's not the last time," I whispered to myself past the lump in my throat. We were going to have showers together once we were back home. I had to keep telling myself that she was coming back, or I would lose all hope.

Everyone had agreed that Medici would not harm her or the baby, and I had to trust them. They knew him much better than I did. Still… he had taken her away from me and was keeping her hidden. That didn't exactly make me want to believe that he would be good to her. But… for the sake of my sanity, I had to put all of that out of my head.

The bed felt empty without Allie beside me. Even when I closed my eyes, the empty space felt large enough to swallow me whole. I missed her with every fiber of my being, and nothing would feel right until I got her back.

And I would get her back. No matter what it took.

With that determined thought in mind, I forced my mind to calm until I could finally drift off to sleep. And in my dreams, we were together again, just as it should be.