A/N: Hi, guys! Real quick before we get into this, I want to bring mass attention to a comment from last week from a long-time listener, not first-time caller FairyGirl960 talking about Violet's dedication to Yuri and Yurio. Out of everything in this story (including the slight kink she's gotten herself into…Don't look at me like that. I'm an adult. I can have an appreciation for certain things and it's not the first time I've written kink.), Violet's instinctive mothering and the way she handles kids is my absolute favorite (I mean, she's occasionally had to be a mom to Victor "off camera", too, but we're not focusing on that right now.). We saw a little bit of it in Adopted when our babies were making friends with Phichit and Otabek, more so with Phichit than Otabek, but we also saw a little bit of it recently with Gene's daughter. Violet absolutely adores her and I can't blame her. Sophie's adorable. But of course she's going to jump when a little girl asks her to take her ice skating. That's right in the wheelhouse (however, there's another reason, too, that we'll discuss at a later date). It doesn't matter what's going on around her, Violet Plisetsky-Nikiforov is a mom first, a skater second, and Master's plaything third. That's her guiding principle. And I love it. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk about one of my OCs. I hope to see you all back at the next one. Now, enjoy this mediocre chapter of Off the Rails.

Why must taking a nap always be such a Russian roulette for me? Either I wake up and feel amazing or I wake up with a throbbing headache. Today, God decided to shit on my chest and give me one bitch of a headache. Why can't Violet have nice things? I did have Master laying with me, though. I guess it can't be all that bad, right? I curled into Mike's chest a little closer, enjoying the warm skin on skin contact.

"Well..." his rumbling voice caught me off guard, "I see someone woke up from her nap. Did you sleep ok, Violet?"

"Yeah," I rubbed my eyes, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep. Practices have been kicking my ass lately. And I have a feeling it's not going to get any easier."

"It's alright, sweetheart," Mike kissed my cheek, "I understand."

"You do?" I hoped.

"Of course," he traced his fingers up my arm, "I've seen how hard you work. You become an entirely different creature when you step on that ice. So, if you're needing to shut your eyes for a little while, so be it. You deserve it."

"Well," I started getting up, "As much as I'd love to lay here a little longer, I need to get going."

"Excuse me?" Master wrapped his arms around my waist, keeping me on the bed, "Where do you think you're going, pet? I never said you could leave."

"I'm sorry," I writhed out of his embrace, much to his chagrin, "But I got shit to do. My fridge is empty and my boys are staying with me tomorrow for the next week. I really do wish I could stay just a bit longer."

"Fine," Mike groaned, letting me go, "Every bone in my body is saying no, but fine. Go ahead."

"Thank you," I got back on my feet. Only to be sharply pulled back down to the bed.

"But I hope you know this, Violet," he demanded, pinning me to the mattress, "You will be making up for this. When the week is up and your boys are gone, you and I are going to Cosmos. And I'll have a week to plan new things for us to try. I hope you'll be ready for that."

"Yes, sir," I kept my voice down, submitting immediately.

"Good girl," Master praised, "And remember, Violet. While you're gone, what are the rules for when I'm not around?"

"Wear my choker," I remembered. The second rule was already crushing my very soul, "And no caffeine."

"That's right," he gave me one last kiss, "Now, go on, my pet. You got shit to do, so go do it."

"Thank you," I grabbed my clothes and left Mike's penthouse for the mean streets of New York.

I say mean. They're not always so mean. Sometimes, there's a few nice people on the street, but that's here nor there. For now, I had to go to the grocery store. Although...my ass was dragging and I could always take the boys with me. Screw it. I'm going in the morning. There were other little things I could do back home and if I go tomorrow, I'll have Gene with me, too. Being me without a bodyguard in public is hellish enough. Being me without a bodyguard but with two little kids on my hip would be a damn nightmare I couldn't wake up from.

Home sweet home. Tucked away in my cozy little condo (I say little...Sue me for trying to be humble here.). I dug around in the lower cabinet for a bag of dry kibble to put in the bowl of a fat, lazy, judgmental angel that I adored. Sure enough, as soon as she heard the bag crinkle open, Nadya came running. I swear...This cat. I loved her, though.

Now that she's taken care of, what to do, what to do. The housekeeping staff here took care of most of the cleaning, so it's not like my condo was trashed. Could I actually do something silly and kick my feet up for the rest of the night? That actually sounded like a hell of an idea. Make a drink, turn the hot tub on, and do absolutely nothing? I could've stayed with Mike a little more, couldn't I? I knew damn well he'd have me all over the place and right now, my body couldn't handle that. I needed some refraction time, too.

My hot tub and my vodka sour felt like a hug. Yes. Life was good. My bruises on my legs were nearly gone (minus the ones Mike gave me. It doesn't matter how softly he hits me with a riding crop. There's always a bruise somewhere.). My muscles were starting to relax. Tomorrow, I'd have my little ones running around my place. It's definitely going to be balls to the wall for the next week, but I could handle it. I've gotten myself to a good place in my head to where I could find an achievable balance. Good for you, Violet.

Out of nowhere, my front door creaked open. I needed to call maintenance and get some WD-40 on that hinge. The pitter patter of little feet sounded a bit prematurely in my living room. Or, in this case, not so little feet. I knew I wasn't being broken into. In this entire town, only three people had a key to my condo, excluding myself. If they would've broken off the lock, I would've heard something. Everything's fine. Especially when I saw the culprit walking across my living room.

"Hi, Victor!" I chimed from the balcony.

"Hi, Violet," Victor came out to me, looking rather confused, "You're home?"

"Yeah," I nodded, "Why wouldn't I be? I do live here."

He took a quick scan around, "No Gene?"

"Nope," I shook my head, "I sent him home early. I had a date this morning and I just got back...maybe an hour or two ago? What time is it?"

"Almost eight o'clock."

"Closer to two hours ago," I did the math in my head, "What's up? What brings you to my piece of the sky?"

"Just thought I'd drop by to say hi," Victor sat at the edge of my hot tub, "I was in the neighborhood."

"Victor," I pointed out, "You live a floor under me. I'd say you're always in the neighborhood. Not to mention, I'm out of your way. The gym's downstairs and we don't know anyone above us."

"I know," he bit his lip, "But I did want to come see you."

"And here I am," I beamed.

"So," Victor asked, "You had a date this morning?"

"Mike wanted to take me for breakfast," I told him, "You know that really pretty hotel on the Upper East Side that I always gushed about with the restaurant on the top floor?"

"That I tried taking you to when we first met?" He did remember...It's too bad I didn't until now, "What about it?"

"Well," I cringed internally, "I didn't have a say in it, so he took me there."

"He does realize you're a simple girl, right?" Victor wondered, "That you don't need to be dripping in diamonds?"

"I don't think that matters to him," I settled myself, "It was delightful, though. And the views are downright spectacular. He said that his mom took him there when he was younger a lot."

"Actually, Violet," he turned quiet. Not something that happens to Victor often, but when it does, it makes me sweat a little, "That's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about."

"What?"

"While Chris and I are gone," Victor worried, "Is Mike going to be around much?"

"No," I assured, "He told me that he still wanted to see me regularly, but I told him no. The relationship's too new to have him around the boys all the time. Besides, I'm still not a hundred percent sure on what we are. And I wouldn't want Yuri and Yurio to get too attached to him and then, we split and they keep asking where Mike is and why he's not coming around anymore."

"Violet," he shut me up, a little smile creeping across his face, "I get it."

"Hey," I thought for a second, "Yuri and Yurio don't have practice tomorrow, do they?"

"They get weekends off," Victor explained, "Yuri does a dance lesson, then practice. Yurio does practice, then a dance lesson. Think you can handle it?"

"It wouldn't be the first time," I smiled, "I actually miss it terribly."

"It's exhausting," he chuckled under his breath, "Are you sure?"

"Victor," I reminded him, "I've taken care of the boys by myself longer than you have. I think I got a good handle on it."

"I know," Victor agreed, "But you're also out of practice."

"Bullshit," I rolled my eyes, "I got this. It's like riding a bike."

"But..."

"Victor, relax," I settled him, "I can take care of our boys. We'll be fine. Just think of this trip as your last season all over again. Only without skating. Unless you and Chris manage to find a rink in Malta, but I doubt that either one of you are going to focus on work."

"And if you need anything..."

"I'll call Celestino," I cut him off, "Honestly, sweetheart, you worry too much."

"Some days, I don't worry enough," Victor let out a heavy sigh, finishing off my drink for me. He thought for a minute or two, "Grey Goose this evening, dorogoy?"

"Yes," I glared a hole through him, "The last of my Grey Goose, too, you dick."

"Sorry," he giggled, "I'll get you another bottle."

"Thank you." I love my best friend so much. Even when he drinks the rest of my vodka. I had no intentions of making another one tonight anyway.

"Or..." Victor retracted, "Maybe instead of getting you another bottle of Grey Goose, Chris and I can kill a couple days to jump over to the motherland and pay a visit to one of our old neighbors."

"Have I mentioned how much I love you, Victor?" I laid my head on his thigh.

"I think you might have," he pushed my hair out of my face, "Once or twice. I love you, too, Violet."

"Hey," I chirped, "You sticking around for a while?"

"I really should be getting back," Victor thought, "I left Chris alone with Yuri and Yurio and you know how scrappy Yurio can be when he's tired."

"Oh, god, yes," I knew that feeling all too well. Not that I've been on the receiving end of it. Not to brag, but I didn't have to wear oven mitts to wake Yurio up, no matter how tired he was when he woke up, "I understand. Go ahead. Are you going to stop by before you leave or am I getting the boys on my own?"

"We'll stop by," he promised, "Like we'd leave without saying goodbye."

"Ok," I sunk deeper into the hot tub, "Go make sure Chris isn't tied up surrounded by Cheerios."

"That's what we call Tuesdays," Victor smirked, "But something tells me it's less disturbing when the boys are there and Yurio is the likely culprit."

"True," I rolled my eyes. What was I going to do with him…?

"I will see you in the morning," he kissed the top of my head, "I'm going to go home, get in bed with my husband, and get some sleep. Our flight's at eight. We'll be here around six."

"That's fine," I allowed, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Love you!"

"Love you, too!" And just like that, Victor was gone. I missed having him around. And now, he's going to be off in a different country. He'll be back, though. Chris and Victor are only going to be gone for a week. I'll be fine.

Going to bed didn't sound like a half bad idea. And with Master telling me I can't have caffeine anymore, I could use all the sleep I can get at this point. No caffeine…My heart hurt so bad. You can do it, Violet. You'll be ok. I know you're hella hooked on it and you have been for many, many, many years, but you can do it. It's for Master. Master asked you nicely. It's just caffeine. You can kick this.

I threw my wet bikini in the laundry basket in my bathroom and crawled into bed. Staring at the ceiling got old after the first ten minutes. Did I still have any Nyquil? I'm not sure, but I didn't want to get out of bed. It's times like these when I was still living with Victor that I'd have him get up and get it for me, but he's a floor under me. Oh well. I'll just shut my eyes for now. Hopefully, the right combination of chemicals will release in my brain at the right time.

The next morning, I felt something move in my bed. Considering I was the only one in my bed when I went to sleep, I had to admit. I'm a bit worried. But given that it was a little moving in my bed, I'm not too freaked. When I felt it the second time, I knew exactly what was going on. My boys were tired and thought to crawl in with me. My heart turned to complete pudding. I know they don't want to be up at this ungodly hour and I felt for them. I'll leave these two alone and let them sleep. I got out of bed and covered Yuri and Yurio back up. Sweet dreams, boys. Sweet dreams.

In the living room, Chris and Victor were snuggled up on my couch, helping themselves to my coffee and what little M&Ms I had left in the bowl on my coffee table. Those sons of bitches…Screw it. Let them. I'll live without them. Although, maybe the sugar buzz will be a reasonable replacement for caffeine. I hope so. Because this withdrawal is going to be a bitch.

"Morning, boys," I reached into my fridge, instantly grabbing for my coffee creamer. But I couldn't have any coffee. Boo.

"Morning, Violet," Chris chirped. How in the ever-loving hell was he so uppity?

"Easy, killer," I grabbed for one of Yurio's juice boxes instead. I might not have gone grocery shopping lately, but that's one of those things I never ever run out, "Think of me the same way you would Yurio. I may stab you."

"You want some coffee, Violet?" Victor offered.

Happy place, Violet. Happy place, "I…I'm good…But thank you. I'm cutting out caffeine."

"Ha, ha," he knew me better. And I could feel the vice grip on my soul, "You're funny, Violet."

"Actually…" Keep it together. Keep it together for the kids, "I'm serious."

"Why?" Even Chris was questioning my sanity. This was definitely a left field for me, but I saw the gears turning in his head, "Why would you ever want to give something so wonderful up?"

"It's better for me," I bit the inside of my cheek. I miss my coffee already, "I'll be fine."

"Good luck." I could do this. It takes two weeks for something to become a habit and three months for it to become routine. I feel like I've read that somewhere.

"I hate to steal your coffee and run, Vi," Victor threw his arms around me, "But I'll miss you. I love you. I'll call you when we land."

"I feel like I've heard that before," I giggled, laying my head in his chest, "And look at that. You're off to do almost the same thing, too."

"Have sex with Chris in a foreign country while you stay home with the boys?"

"Bingo."

"You don't mind, do you, Violet?" Chris hugged me tight.

"He's your husband, Chris," I reminded him, "As long as you two stretch first. That's all I ask. Heaven forbid your trip gets called early because one of you pulled a hammy."

"We will," he promised.

"Good," I saw them to the door, "You two go enjoy Malta and all it has to offer."

"Enjoy having the boys to yourself," Victor gave me one last kiss. Little did he know, I was going to absolutely, one hundred percent, without a doubt, enjoy having the boys to myself. It's been way too damn long and I couldn't wait to see what this week would have in store for us.

A/N: And Victor's all worried that Violet won't be able to rise to the occasion. Of course she will. If the caffeine withdrawal doesn't kill her first. I could use some myself right now, but it's knocking on ten o'clock at night where I am right now and I'm struggling to keep my eyes open. So, as much as I'd love to stick around and book club this, I think I'm going to go to bed. See you next chapter! xx