A/N: Hi, guys! Just a forewarning, this is going to be a really heavy chapter. Hang in there, friends. I love you.

Good morning, world! My god, I felt good. I'm not quite sure why I felt so good, but I think I may have gotten enough sleep for a change. My joints aren't hating me and my muscles aren't throbbing. I don't know what it is and quite frankly, I don't care. I jumped out of bed, had a quick shower, and walked into the kitchen. Ok. First order of business: Breakfast. Definitely breakfast. If I'm taking Yurio to the Coney Island rink to practice his quads, I need something in my tummy first.

"Morning, Gene," I grabbed my cream cheese and half a lemon out of the fridge. My bagels were in the bread box, right? Ah! Got them!

"Morning, Violet," Gene gave me a look, "You're awfully cheery, hon. What's the occasion?"

"No occasion," I sang, "I can't be in a good mood?"

"I'm not complaining," he approved, "It's just odd and sudden. New meds?"

"Nope," I made my bagel, "Only high on good, old-fashioned life. How are you?"

"Confused and frightened," Gene worried, "Are you sure you're ok?"

"Yes!" I giggled, grabbing my skates and my practice bag, "Come on. We have to go get Yurio."

"Oh?" he followed me out the door, "What's the plan for today?"

"Yurio wants to kick ass with his quads," I told him, getting into the elevator, "So, I promised him that I'd help him. Celestino doesn't want him doing the bigger tricks and when he tries in practice, he gets yelled at."

"Why?"

"Probably because he doesn't want Yurio getting hurt," I figured, "But he's pretty resilient. That's why he asked me to help him. Because he knows I'll let him try."

"Always the loving mother," Gene awed, "Let me guess. Celestino doesn't need to know about this, does he?"

"That'd be really cool of you, Gene," I went up to Chris and Victor's door, leaving my bag and skates outside, "I'll be right back."

"Alright," he leaned against the wall, waiting for me while I got my son.

"Good morning, Violet," Chris sat in the kitchen by himself, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I'm here for my youngest baby," I kept my reasons to myself, "He's awake, isn't he?"

"I think I heard him stirring," he assumed, "What are you two doing today?"

"What?" I jumped on the defensive, "I can't casually hang out with Yurio without having my motives questioned?"

"Only curious," Chris settled me, "The last thing I want is for Victor to wake up in a panic because one of our boys is missing."

"Victor's still asleep?" I wondered, "I thought all the world travel he's done over the years made him immune to jetlag."

"You'd think so," he agreed, "But this time, it's hitting him harder than it ever has before. I wonder what's changed."

"Mama?" Yurio poked his head out of the hall.

"Hey, baby," I smiled, "Ready to go?"

"Absolutely," he threw his bag over his shoulder.

Chris looked up at me with a shit eating grin, "Just hanging out casually, are we?"

"Yes," I stood my ground, "We're just hanging out casually."

"With Yurio's practice bag and his skates?" he smirked, "You two aren't going to the rink for a little extra practice?"

"I'll bring him back in an hour," I took Yurio's hand, "Bye, Chris. Love you."

"Bye, Violet," Chris waved us off, "Love you, too. Bring Yurio back in one piece."

"I will."

"Gene!" Yurio squeaked as soon as we were in the hall. He wrapped himself around my bodyguard's leg.

"Hey, Yurio," Gene smiled, "You ready to go skate?"

"Oh yeah," he had a fire in his eyes. There's no doubt in my mind. That's my dovahkiin.

And so, the three of us headed off to the Coney Island rink. Yurio wanted to get his quads together. I hope he's read to be worked to the bone. Especially since I'm in such a bright and energetic mood. I could probably skate circles around the best of them today. Yurio got his skates on while I got on the sound board to get some jams going in here. That's the best part about being at the rink so early. This place is almost always empty this time of day. And that's why it's our auxiliary rink.

"Mama," Yurio wondered, "What are you teaching me today?"

"We're warming up first," I decided, "Show me a double. Anything you want."

"Ok," he skated out to the middle of the rink and got his speed up, landing a perfect double toe loop. A little cheeky, but I'll take it.

"Very good," I praised, "Now, do that again. Only this time, I want you to do another one right after the first one."

That's the thing about Yurio. He didn't always take instruction from his coach well. He's like Victor in that respect. But he'd always take to it like a duck to water when it came from me. I watched at his back to back double toe loop went off without a hitch. Why Celestino doesn't have him practicing quads will forever baffle me. I'm sure it's not exactly good on his little, still forming joints, but he can handle it. I know he can.

"How was that?" Yurio caught his breath.

"Perfect," I applauded, "Now, once you're good enough to go again, I want you to try for a quad, ok? Just do what you did for the back to back doubles, only without stopping in the middle."

"Why can't you be my coach anymore, Mama?" he whined, "This is so much better than practice with Celestino."

"Hey," I hushed him, "Celestino's a hell of a coach. He's gotten me to Grand Prix Finals more often than not. And he'll do the same for you."

"But he holds me back," Yurio went on, "He won't let me do quads. Something about him being scared that I'll hurt myself in the preseason so bad that I'll be out for the rest of the season. I'll be fine."

"I know, baby," I settled him, "Trust me. If anyone in this room knows that, it's me. But that's just Celestino. If he's worried about you, that means he cares for your physical well-being. You can't fault him for that. It's not him holding you back. It's him keeping you from doing anything stupid."

"But Mama..."

"Yuri," I scolded, "You're practicing them here and now, aren't you? You can't be complaining. And I'm still your coach. I'm coaching you right now. Now, go make me proud and hit a quad. If you get a clean landing, I'll get you a latte after practice."

"Ok!" I knew that'd get him to shut up. It'll suck that I can't have one, but that's what that disgusting decaf word is for, right? Maybe I can finally get caffeine back! There's hope. For the rest of our practice session, I had Yurio doing flips, spins, loops, splits, and everything in between. He's come such a long way in such a short time. I couldn't be prouder. As his Mama and his coach. There was just one piece of unfinished business to take care of.

"Yuri, bring it in," I ushered him over to the partition, "I need to talk to you for a sec."

"What is it?" Yurio worried, "You're not quitting already, are you?"

"Are you kidding?" I scoffed, "No. I've put way too much work into my routine already. I'm not quitting. What song do you want to do for our special program?"

"I don't know," he shrugged, "I haven't given it much thought."

"In that case," I smiled, "How about we close out today's practice with an oldie, but a goodie?"

"Primadonna?" Yurio beamed.

"Primadonna."

"Or," Yurio suggested, "We could do Primadonna for our special program. It fits my theme."

"But not mine," I thought, "You also don't need to be doing anything from my theme. That'd be gross."

"Why?"

"Because you're still practically a baby, Yuri," I pointed out, "You don't need to be doing routines seeded in lust. That is disgusting."

"Fine," Yurio looked like he was about to collapse, "But instead of us skating Primadonna right now, can we do that next practice instead? I just want to watch you skate."

"Alright." It wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but I had a Marina for all occasions. And sometimes, every girl wants to feel like a bubblegum bitch. It's a high energy routine and God knows I had that shit in spades right now.

I let the steady bass and synth line take over and had a flashback to an old article I read about myself shortly after the incident in Tokyo that damn near had me out for the rest of the season. My body wasn't exactly where they wanted it to be and I starved myself for their affections. Little did I know, they were just going to turn on me and call me a bitch for taking Victor away. He went of his own volition, yet I'm the bitch. Well, if I'm going to be the bitch, you might as well hate me for my skill and not the external politics.

Because from the ashes of what I once was will rise exactly what they wanted to see. Welcome to the life of Electra Heart, bitches. After I did a few spins and what I liked to call a record scratch with my foot, I was completely, wholeheartedly out of breath. And I'm ready to collapse and call it a day. There's a bright, white light and I can hear Grandma calling me.

"Mama!" Yurio yelled from the partition, "That was awesome!"

Sorry, Grandma. Not today. I got up from the ice and skated back to my baby, "Thanks, Yuri. Can we be done for the day now? Will it be the end of the world if I throw in the towel for today?"

"We can be done," he agreed, his little cheeks a bright shade of red. This kid kicked ass today and I couldn't be prouder, "Do I still get my latte?"

"Like I'd deny you of that," I assured, "Yes, dovahkiin. You get your latte."

"Yay!" Yurio grabbed his bag and kicked his skates off, putting regular shoes on again.

"Hey, Gene," I struggled to catch my breath, "Do you think you could do a girl a solid?"

"I got your bag, sweetheart," Gene gave me my water bottle, "Go on."

"Yuri," I finished a good, heavy drink, "Tell me you don't need me to carry you."

"No," Yurio shook his head, "I'm good."

"Awesome." Because my legs felt like wet noodles and they could hardly support me, let alone another person.

The two of us started heading out to our usual cafe and I'm so glad there was a ferry ride between Coney Island and the mainland. The cool breeze coming off the water was greatly welcomed. Once we got off the boat, we jumped in a cab and Yurio nearly clocked out on my hip. I guess I worked him a little harder than I previously expected to. Poor baby. I'm sorry.

Regardless, he was getting his latte, so he wasn't complaining. I'd stab a man for a flat white right now, but I didn't want the locker room situation again. All that mattered was Yurio getting his latte and the smile on his face. Hell, I even grabbed him a muffin, because why not? He's worked hard today. He earned his muffin. Although, I could stand another bagel.

When we got back to our building, my phone started ringing. Yurio knew where he was going and our building was pretty safe. I sent him back home while I answered my call, "Hey, Victor. We're downstairs. No need to worry."

"I'm never worried when you have Yurio." Ok. Sounds fake, but ok. It wouldn't surprise me if Victor had Celestino watching me while he and Chris were in Malta, "But hi, Violet. It's nice to hear from you, too. I'm not even upstairs, so it's perfectly fine."

"Where are you?" I wondered. Last I knew, Victor was still asleep.

"I'm sitting in our usual cafe with a friend of mine," Victor told me, "The one I wanted you to meet. Are you busy?"

Beep.

"Hold on," I cut him off, "I got another call coming in."

"Ok."

I clicked over to the other line, "Hello?"

"Hi, Violet," Mike's voice purred on the other end, "You busy today?"

"I just finished practice for the day," I reported, "But..."

"No," he answered for me, "You're not busy today. Your boys are back home, aren't they?"

"Yeah, but..."

"Alright then," Mike ordered, "I'm going to send a car for you. I miss you and I want you to come over. Do you have your phone's GPS on?"

"Yeah, but..."

"Wonderful!" he chimed, "It's on its way."

Hard to say no to that, "Ok..."

"That's my girl," he awed, "I'll see you soon."

Click.

Beep.

"Victor?" I checked to see if he hung up on me or not.

"Still here!" Victor chimed, "So, are you busy? I really want you to meet her. She's so sweet and so wonderful."

"Stop..." a woman's voice giggled in the background.

"I'm sorry," I bit my lip, "I got other shit to do today and if I don't do it today, I'm boned."

"Alright," Victor sounded a little disappointed, but he'll get over it quickly. He always does, "What about later?"

"I don't know," I thought it over. Something tells me Master isn't going to let me go for a while, "We'll see."

"Please?" he begged.

"I have to go, sweetheart," I watched an all too familiar town car pull up in front of my building, "I'll call you later."

"Ok," Victor let me go, "Love you."

"Love you, too," I hung my phone up and threw it in my bag. It would've been nice if Mike would've given me a minute to maybe shower and get myself a little more presentable, but he knows I'm just coming off practice. Hopefully, he understands that I'm all gross and sweaty. I waved goodbye to Gene and got in.

The drive to Mike's both excited me and terrified me at the same time. I haven't seen him in a while outside of a phone screen. There's no doubt he'd hide in the rafters while I was at practice this past week any time he had the chance. But now, we'd actually have some time together. God only knows what kind of plans he's been cooking up in the back of his mind when he had a minute. When I got to his building, my nerves went into overdrive and I thought I was going to throw up. Kind of like the first time I got on the ice professionally.

"Hi, princess," Mike greeted me at the lobby and pulled me into his arms, "Oh, Violet, Violet, Violet...I missed you so much."

"I missed you, too," I laid my head in his chest. I could joke all I wanted about how miserable our experience in the locker room, but I missed laying with Mike once in a while. When I still had the boys, I thought about calling him after they went to sleep and inviting him over. But Yuri and Yurio didn't need to know why a strange man was leaving Mama's condo the next morning. Yurio's a little hazy in his first waking moments and wouldn't hesitate to beat the shit out of him with a bat. Yuri would start hyperventilating and bringing him down from something like that is not easy and it is not fun.

"Come on," he scooped me up in his arms, getting me off my feet. If I wasn't so tired, I'd take him right then and there, "Let's get you upstairs and cleaned up, ok?"

"Ok," I started nodding off, "If I fall asleep on you, I'm sorry in advance."

"I understand," Mike let it slide, carrying me into the elevator, "You just came back from practice. I thought you only did that during the week, though."

"I'm coaching on Sundays for a while," I told him, "One of my boys wants to learn more quads and our usual coach isn't letting him."

"So, you're teaching him," he filled in the blanks, "And are those practices closed, too?"

"No," I shook my head, "But they're also with one of my babies. He doesn't like practicing in front of people."

"He'll be performing anyway," Mike pointed out, "What's the difference?"

"Yurio's weird like that," I assumed, "It's just his thing. I had the same problem when I first started skating."

"Well," the elevator doors opened into Mike's penthouse, "What if I wanted to come watch?"

"No." There weren't many things I was firm about, but when it came to my babies, I had my priorities in order. And every time I said no, it always caught Mike off guard.

"If you say so," he allowed, putting me down on his couch, "I'm going to go run you some bathwater, ok? Stay right here."

"Yes, sir," I curled up on the couch, shutting my eyes for a few minutes.

Sure, when I started this whole adventure with Mike, there were a few things I had to get used to that I thought were hella weird. Wearing a collar when we were together, my choker when we're apart. The occasional leashing (never in public, though. Unless we were in Cosmos). But when he decided to give me a bath. That, I liked. It invoked a sense of nostalgia. And it's not like it's the first time that a man I had feelings for gave me a bath. I had Victor doing that a few weeks ago. Granted, I was super hungover, but still. Not my first trip to the fair.

Although, I have a feeling that if I told Mike that, he'd kill me. He has been a few firsts for me, but he doesn't know what Victor and I did behind closed doors. The only difference is that they both enjoyed it for totally different reason. One was a little more innocent than the other, but either way, I managed to benefit. Mike learned quickly, though, to be more delicate with me. Especially if I'm just coming off a practice. My legs were throbbing and I think I had a newly forming bruise on my thigh.

But when he started kneading his fingers in my muscles, I thought I was going to go through the ceiling. I loved Sasha to death, but he may have some competition on this side of the world. Mike pulled me out of the water and into a towel, cradling me in his arms and bringing back to the bedroom. If I wasn't ready for a nap before, I'm definitely there now.

"If I fall asleep on you," I rubbed my eyes, "I'm sorry in advance."

"It's alright, sweetheart," Mike held me tight against his chest, "You know, Violet, I really did miss having you like this. I hated you being away from me for so long."

"I know," I reveled in his embrace, "I'm sorry, but my kids come first."

"And that's ok," he allowed, "It only makes moments like this all the more wonderful."

"If you think this is great," I babbled deliriously, not thinking straight, "Imagine what it's going to be like when competition time comes around."

"What do you mean?" Mike gave me a look. Oh, shit...Idiot Violet strikes again.

"Well," I tried sitting up, but Master wouldn't let that happen, "I travel all over the world for competition. I thought you knew about that."

"How long would you be gone?" he asked flatly. Oh, shit. Master's pissed.

"Mike..."

"Violet," he raised his voice, "How. Long?"

I bit down on my tongue, bracing myself for what was going to come after, "A few months..."

"A few months?!" Master screeched, "Are you shitting me? You're going to be spending a few months around the world in God only knows what country next without me?"

"We'll be fine," I assured, trying to get the vein to go back into his forehead.

"And let me guess," he snarled, "Victor's going to be there, too."

"Well, yeah," I just didn't know when to keep my mouth shut, "He's Yuri's coach."

"He's also your ex-husband, Violet!" Master glared down at me, "Both hands. Headboard. Now."

"Why?" Violet, I love you, but goddamn, girlfriend...Read the room.

"You are not in the position to be asking questions," he demanded, "Headboard. Now!"

"Yes, sir," I didn't hesitate. Master's about to beat my ass black and blue, isn't he? And I still had yet to put clothes on after my bath. I'm in my collar and a not so smile. Happy place, Violet.

I caught a glimpse of a riding crop out of the corner of my eye. That'll sting on bare skin. But the tingling sensation afterward was nice. Master twiddled the handle between his fingers, "Count for me, Violet."

Snap!

"ONE!" That first one caught me by surprise. I wasn't expecting it so...

Snap!

"TWO!" I squeaked out. He's not even giving me any recovery time.

"Keep it down," Master ordered, "I don't need the neighbors below me to hear you."

Snap!

"Three!" I winced, breathing the pain out. I can handle this.

"Last one."

Snap!

"Four..." I dug my nails into the headboard and fell limply to the bed.

"Very good," Master ran the cool leather down my spine, "Now, I want you to get some sleep. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," I nodded, forcing back the tears burning in my eyes. Although, I'm not quite sure how I'm going to sleep after that. The throbbing on my ass wasn't helping matters, but I wasn't going to fight him. If my light sobbing wasn't going to take me under, the physical exhaustion would. Hopefully, my nap time will give Master some time to cool off. I shut my eyes, tears dripping to the pillowcase, and fell asleep with Master wrapped around me. I could feel his heart racing against my back. I'm sorry for having a life before you, Master. Please forgive me.

When I woke up, Mike was gently brushing my hair out of my face, a little less angry than when I fell asleep. Good. He's had time to think. He wasn't the type to hold a grudge...right? At least I hope not. No. My gut was telling me that everything wasn't a hundred percent ok, but it's getting there. I don't think I'm getting paddled again for a while. A soft, gentle kiss was planted on my forehead.

"Good morning, princess," Mike spoke softly. I couldn't gauge his mood from that. He's calling me princess, so I'm guessing that's a good sign, "Did you sleep ok?"

"Uh-huh," I nodded, ready to go back to sleep.

"You need to get dressed now, Violet," he helped me up, "We're going out tonight."

"Ok," I stumbled over to my closet that Master had set up so nicely for me (and where a lot of his toys were kept) and started thumbing through my dresses. Because heaven forbid I had a pair of jeans in here. Not that I'm really complaining. No pants are always the best pants.

"Hold on," Master stopped me, "There's one in particular I want you to wear. We're going to Cosmos tonight and I want you in white."

Yeah. He's still pissed.

But I didn't need him to fall further down that rabbit hole, so I might as well. God only knows what's going to happen once we get to Cosmos. It'll be fine. I'm sure of it. Almost…Maybe…We'll be fine. We're fine. Or I'm just praying for the best of a bad situation. You can say no, Violet. No means no. That's the guiding principle. The safe word is malyshka.

A/N: Hi, friends. This is your friendly neighborhood reminder that things are going to get a little spicy. Not full on explicit, but a little naughty. I'd say PG-13. If that's not your cup of tea, then please move on to the next bolded section. I understand. Thank you and have a pleasant day. I hope you're proud of me, Mom.

When we got to Cosmos, Master instantly put me on a leash. Willam waved to me, hoping I could come over for a word or two. Unfortunately, I didn't get that lucky. Master led me up the stairs to the voyeur rooms. I should've known. The inside was well-lit and the windows look like they were just cleaned, so everything was crystal clear and in high-definition. Awesome.

"On the bed, Violet," Master unhooked the leash.

"Yes, Master," I climbed onto the bed and instinctively grabbed the headboard, watching a few people go by the window. This is going to be a fun night. I'm totally not uncomfortable.

"Do you understand why I'm doing this?" he started setting things up.

"Yes, sir."

"Why?"

"Because," I bit my lip, "I've been disobeying your orders. And I've been a bad pet."

"That's right," he confirmed, "Are you ready for what's about to happen?"

"Yes," I quivered a bit.

"Are you deserving of punishment?"

"Yes, sir."

And punish, he did. Not only was I getting a riding crop, but bringing me to the edge only to pull me back wasn't exactly nice either. Doing it over and over and over again while total strangers were watching it all unfold? That bath was completely burned out of my brain and a shower would most definitely be needed.

A/N: Alright, kids. You can uncover your eyes now.

"See?" Master praised, kissing up my spine, making sure to give the people watching a good show at my expense, "I knew you could handle this. I'm so proud of you, sweetheart. Now, I'm sure you'll behave for me, won't you? Are you going to be my good girl now?"

"Yes, Master." That just kicked my ass. I hope to hell he's not thinking about another round. Because I don't think I could do that anymore in half an hour.

"Why don't you go get a drink?" he allowed, "I'm sure you're thirsty. Then, we can do this all again."

"But…"

"Then," Master turned dark, "We really can start to punish you."

I hurried up and got dressed. Just enough to go downstairs. No. I didn't like this. There's no way I could handle that anymore. It's not like I could flat out break up with him. I don't even know if we're actually a couple. When we had sex, was there even any love there? Or was it just a mutual satisfaction? I mean, I know I'm no stranger to a casual thing, but there's a difference between us using each other for sex and whatever the hell this has mutated into. Mike knows damn well how I felt about the window. I didn't like this at all. I went down to the bar, upset and uncomfortable and tired.

"Hey," Willam greeted me, "I tried flagging you down, Violet. Where were you?"

"Mike and I got a room," I spoke softly, my voice breaking.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," he lifted my chin, "Violet…? Are you ok?"

"Can we talk?" I asked.

"Absolutely," Willam ordered a drink for me, "What's going on?"

"Mike's lost it," I cringed, downing my drink in one go, "He and I used to work so well together, but the littlest bit of time apart and he's become kind of an asshole. I get the whole punishment thing. Pain is pleasure. I'm not denying that. But when it's in private. When he's demanding we get a room with a big, open window for all to see, that's when I don't want to play anymore."

"Oh, sweetie," he empathized, "Come here. I need to hug you."

"Thanks, Willam," I laid my head on his shoulder, gladly accepting his hug. Fingers crossed that Mike didn't see this. God knows it'd set his ass off like fireworks.

"Are you looking for an out?" Willam suggested.

"Could you get me one?"

"I can make a call," he assured, "If you can hang tight for a little while longer."

"I can try," I hugged him a little tighter.

"Go on," Willam sent me off, "I hate doing this to you, Vi, but go upstairs. Hang in there. I'll take care of the rest."

Begrudgingly, I got up from my barstool and limped up the stairs. Mike was still laying on our bed when I got back. By the looks of things, he was ready for another round. But I couldn't help but wonder…What the hell did Willam have up his sleeve? He seemed so sure that he'd be able to help me, but at what cost?

"Hi there," Mike grinned darkly from the bed, "That was awfully quick. Just the one drink?"

"Yeah," I nodded, wobbling back to the bed.

"Come here, sweetheart," he insisted, "Come lay with me for a minute or two. Just long enough to get the rest we need before round two."

"Ok," I moved in closer, "But could we put this on hold? I'm tired and some of my old skating injuries are coming back to haunt me."

"Which ones?"

"A hip dislocation," I explained, buying as much time as I could, "A torn ligament in my knee. A shoulder dislocation. A broken tailbone a couple times."

"My poor baby," Mike cradled me, "Why would you get into such a line of work with so many hazards? And to put your children through something like that while they're still growing…I can't help but question your thinking."

Alright. This guy was looking to get his ass kicked. I don't know who you called, Willam, but I hope they take this dick into the alley. It hurt to say shit like that about him, but now, Mike was just some guy I slept with when I was wasted one night, "I got into it because it got me out of where I was. And I couldn't be more grateful for it."

Knock, knock.

"Yeah?" Mike yelled at the door, "It's unlocked."

On the other side was a beautiful, tall, leggy Swiss man that I knew and loved. Willam picked one hell of a white knight for me, "Bonsoir, mon ami. Vous ai-je manqué?"

"Christophe," he turned pale, "What are you doing here?"

"Willam called me and said you were here," Chris smirked, "Who's this?"

"She's no one," Mike brushed me off, "Just some random bar skank."

Ouch. Hurtful. He claimed me. He collared me. He'd get pissed if a man came within a ten-foot radius. Yet, all of a sudden, Chris comes in and I'm some random bar skank? I could see Chris ball his fist up out of reflex. Then again, he's also pretending like he doesn't know me. Not quite sure why, but hey. I'm rolling with anything at this point that doesn't involve more punishment.

"Is she?" Chris looked me over, shooting me a little wink, "She's cute for random bar trash. Not my type, though. So, are we doing this or what?"

"Violet," Mike demanded, "Get out."

He didn't have to tell me twice. I gathered the rest of my stuff and made a beeline for the door while he went into the bathroom. But before I made my escape, Chris grabbed my arm, whispering to me, "Go to the bar. Willam wants to make sure you're ok before you go."

"Thank you, Chris," I wrapped my arms around his waist.

"Go," Chris kissed the top of my head, "I'll see you back home."

"Ok," I left Chris to take one for the team and headed straight for the bar. Besides, after that, I could stand another drink.

"There you are, Violet," Willam hugged me again, "Are you alright?"

"You couldn't have called anyone better," I approved, "I'll be ok."

"Good," he let out a heavy sigh, "Look, there's a shit ton of reporters out front. Someone tipped them off you were here. It's a shitstorm. Go out the back door. Someone'll meet you there."

"Ok," I kissed his cheek, "Thank you, Willam. As much fun as it's been, I think this might be the last time I'll step foot in here."

"I understand," Willam smiled, "Go."

I pushed my way through the sea of people, looking for the back door. Because I haven't been through enough tonight, let's throw press on top of it. Sure! What other ways can we screw Violet over tonight? Am I going to go out into the alley and get hit by a motorcycle? Or am I going to get jumped? Are the press going to find me back here? Will I step on a dirty needle and contract some sort of deadly disease?

"Hi…" None of those. Instead, I had the one person I knew would always be there for me. No matter what kind of bullshit is going on between us, he and I were an unconditional thing. Always. And in that moment, I fell into his arms and bawled my eyes out. I've been such a bitch since Mike entered my life. I've been a walking train wreck that everyone had their eyes on. I've done nothing but blow him off for the past two months, yet he still comes through for me…Why the hell did I ever let him go? Yet another idiot mistake, "It's alright, Violet. It's going to be ok."

All of Victor's reassurance only made the tears come faster and harder. Once I regained the ability to talk, it still came out so broken, but I could do it, dammit. Mike may have taken a lot from me, but he will not take my voice, "You didn't have to do this."

"That's the thing about us," Victor sat me down on the back steps of an Italian restaurant a block over, "I don't have to do anything for you, yet you say I've done so much for you. You don't have to do a thing for me, yet you've given me the world without expecting anything in return. It doesn't matter, Violet. I'm not here because I have to be. There's no obligation here. I'm here because my best friend is in emotional ruin and she needs me."

"Thank you," I shook in his arms, "Are we waiting for Chris?"

"Yeah," he nodded, running his hand up and down my back, "He shouldn't be much longer."

"He's definitely taking one for the team," I rested my head on Victor's shoulder.

"That's for sure," Victor chuckled under his breath as the door creaked open, "Speak of the devil."

"It's been a while since I rode that roller coaster," Chris walked out, entirely out of breath, "Violet, are you ok?"

"Hell no," I answered honestly, "But I'll get there, I'm sure."

"I know something that'll make you feel better," Victor suggested, helping me up from the stairs, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I think so," I had no idea what Victor was thinking.

Victor took my hand, doing his best to shield me from any wandering eyes, "Let's go get pancakes."

A/N: Holy hell, this chapter's long. It wasn't supposed to be, but it was also supposed to be out earlier than this. But I had a baby on my arm for a while. He's four months old and falls asleep to the Cowboy Bebop theme. On a positive note, though, Violet's getting away from Mike. I know we've had some mixed feelings about Mike. But now, Chris took one for the team, God bless him, and Violet's getting away from him. Even better, there's going to be pancakes involved! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed. Good night and I'll see you next chapter! xx