The tension made its appearance ever since they opened their eyes because the day they both feared finally came. They tried to keep it under control and acted normally but Lola felt it too because she seemed more cautious than ever. It pained them to see their daughter was so strict with herself and they would remind her every time there was no need to act in a certain way around them but she simply wouldn't relax. They discussed and decided it was the best to tell her they were meeting someone but not tell her who because calling her Lola's "mother" might confuse her.

The meeting place was one of the few restaurants Lola really seemed to enjoy – probably because it was children friendly and a toy train served the dishes to the table. They were supposed to meet for lunch and around 12 Yuuri's stomach began to turn upside down because of the tension. Right now, he wasn't so sure of his decision but there was no backing out of this so he sighed and went to find his little family inside the living room. They were playing with dolls and Yuuri smiled at the lovely image – sometimes he wondered where was Viktor's unlimited patience coming from. He was obviously the best father that there could be. The brunet's thoughts were immediately clouded by the conversation they had last night, after Lola fell asleep.

They were in bed, Viktor reading and Yuuri checking his Instagram when the Russian let the book aside and turned towards his husband that immediately looked at him.

"Yuu~ri" He whispered and offered a hand, trying not to disturb the little human in between them. The man took it and placed a soft kiss to the white and long fingers. "I am worried, I can't concentrate."

Black eyebrows furrowed above kind eyes.

"Why worried?"

"What if she takes Lo away from us?"

"Don't be silly, Vitya, she can't do that. Lola is our daughter - legally." The silver man sighed long.

"Legally; but what if Lola wants to go back to her – I don't know how I would react if she would want to leave us." Yuuri understood now, he never thought of that. Lola was happy with them, she wouldn't leave, would she?

"We won't know until tomorrow, there is no use to worry beforehand." The other nodded and squeezed tighter the fingers he was holding on to. "Whatever happens, we will be together, okay?"

"Okay"

He was brought back to the present by his husband calling his name and immediately smiled at the sight of him holding their daughter.

"Shouldn't we get ready to leave?" He nodded and then picked Lola to go and change her. She still had problems with the potty so he put a diaper on preventively and after that he changed her into a t-shirt with giraffes and a pale pink overall that suited her perfectly. She was almost done, all she needed was her hair to be done because it got messy ever since the morning so Viktor stepped in, braiding two pigtails with all the gentleness possible.

"What a pretty girl." He kissed her little ear and picked her up, going to announce they were ready.

They took a cab and Lola seemed to feel something was off because she was clinging to them even tighter, holding on Viktor's arm with a hand and her bunny with the other. They had no details whatsoever about the woman because, truly, they desired none but Yuuri was supposed to receive a message once she arrived so they realised they arrived first. They picked a table and decided what they were to eat, trying not to delay Lola's program of eating – they also ordered coffee and a orange fresh for Lola who was staring intently at the toy train moving around.

"We can have ice-cream after we eat." Yuuri promised and kissed her soft cheek when her eyes widened. They had small talk, trying to involve Lola too but barely having her whispering two words, when Yuuri realised there was someone staring at them. His eyes easily found the familiar features and he was taken aback by the image of the woman because she looked so much like Lola. She was also very young, younger than them, it seemed. Viktor was too preoccupied by talking to Lola to realise what was going on so he acknowledged her presence only when she took a seat and so did the little girl.

"It's very nice to meet you" She said and Viktor nodded suspiciously while Yuuri extended his hand to shake hers. Lola stopped moving and for a moment Viktor thought she stopped breathing only to realise it was him who was holding his breath. He feared that she would recognize her and demand to go back but as soon as the Phoebe rested her eyes on her she grabbed Viktor's hand so tight it was almost painful. "Hello, sweetheart, do you remember me? I'm your mommy."

At that she began to whimper and big tears began to roll down her cheeks, turning her face into a picture of pain and fear. She threw her arms in the air towards Viktor and she was immediately picked up and he began to gently rock her, cradling her head with care.

"No, princess, there's no need for crying" He whispered in her hair, feeling her sobs growing louder and louder. "Daddy and Papa are here with you, okay? Nothing bad can happen when we're with you, I promise. Papa can hold you all the time." They understood there bad memories were triggered and it pained them to see her like this but they were also relieved she didn't go straight to her mother, looking for affection.

"I guess it's normal –" Yuuri's voice was crude but his protective mode was on so there was no help.

"I just wanted to see her again." She whispered.

"I didn't agree at first but realised it was Lola's choice" Viktor said, his tone a lot firmer than the one he just used to calm down his daughter. "We did all this for her, not for your good. I didn't and don't want to have anything to do with you."

The woman's lips twitched displeased but she knew she couldn't contra-attack.

"I was intoxicated at that time, I never meant for Lola to be hurt."

"But she was." Yuuri stated. "She still is and we work every day to put the pieces back together and make sure she understands how loved she is and how much she deserves. How old are you?"

"22"

"You had her very young, then. Do you know who the father is?" Viktor asked, continuing to gently caress Lola's limp body that was now resting on his chest.

"He ran away as soon as he found out I was pregnant. He was too young to be a father." Her words were small and she reached to grab the little fingers grasping on Viktor's light blue shirt but as soon as Lola felt the touch she brought both her hands to her chest, hiding them from everyone. Viktor felt a tug on his shirt and when she started crying louder he decided to get out of that place and make sure she will be fine.

"Excuse us for a bit."

"She is obviously uncomfortable with you touching her so I would appreciate if –" Yuuri said and she nodded, her eyes pained.

"Of course. I should have imagined there is no way back now." She looked at the tall frame walking outside the door, cries still echoing into the room. She was disappointed, which was silly because she thought she didn't expect anything in the first place.

"Everyone must live with consequences, Ms. Bloom." He looked worried himself, in fact he would have wanted to hold Lola and coo her but he knew Viktor would manage that by himself. "One of the reasons why I accepted your offer was because I – we have some questions."

"Of course, you have the right to know everything." She looked nervous though and kept staring at the door, waiting for the two to come back.

"Did your lovers pay you for sexual services?" Her blue eyes widened and she gasped. She didn't expect such a frank conversation but she couldn't not answer because they saved her child's life and they deserved the truth.

"Yes" Her voice was small and she looked at her hands that began to fumble with a white napkin. The waiter came to ask if she wanted anything and until he was gone Yuuri kept silent, feeling his stomach turning at the brand new information. He didn't know if he was ready for what was going to follow but as he didn't plan to keep talking to her he needed to take it all in at once – it was the only chance they had. "When I found out I was pregnant and Lola's father left I ran away from home. It wasn't that my parents kicked me out but I – it was a rebellious phase. I regret it even now but back then I couldn't imagine going back and once I started taking drugs there was no chance for that to happen. I stole money from them and until Lola was born I managed living on my own but the money weren't enough and babies need a lot of things and –" She gulped. "So I started going out with an older man who gave me money and then came another and another."

"You didn't take drugs during the pregnancy." Yuuri furrowed his brows.

"No, not a drop of alcohol nor a cigarette either."

"That's good, that's very good." He exhaled, feeling a little more relaxed. "Do you have any idea if Lola ever saw you with any of your... men?"

"While being intimate you mean? I have no idea. I don't know but it's probable. There has been – someone who locked her in the bathroom whenever we..." Yuuri felt the need to vomit at the idea. He could imagine a very small child crying alone inside a bathroom, scared to death.

"What kind of mother are you?!" His tone was accusatory but damn, he had all the rights in the world to act like that. "How could you let them do that to her?"

"We were depending on them."

"It doesn't matter! She was your child, how could you treat her that way?"

"I was barely realising what I was doing, it was all a blur and we needed money for food." Yuuri's head was filled with numerous photos of a very skinny Lola, her ribs showing clearly and her legs barely carrying her around.

"She's been starving"

"In the last few months, yes. I am sorry..."

"Lola's obviously not happy to see you and I want her to disconnect completely from those years." It was a gentler way of saying "you will never see her again" and she understood, nodding once. "I would be very grateful if you could send any information about the family medical history."

"I will see what I can do."

"Have you ever abused her?"

"No, of course not. I loved her, I still do." Yuuri felt a shiver crawling down his spine at the words.

"Not enough."

A pregnant silence filled the room and soon the waiter came with all their dishes, placing them carefully on the table, unaware of what a crushing conversation just took place.

Viktor felt like he was going mad. As soon as that woman tried to touch Lola he saw red so he decided it was better to leave than to cause a scene and scare the poor baby further. So he exited the room with a wailing girl in his arms and headed for a little playground that was placed outside the building and that was filled with children.

"Lo~la" He sang softly and she looked up at him, her face swollen and filled with tears, her nose snotty. He grabbed a napkin from one of his pockets (having children turned you into a napkin-carrier) and wiped her cheeks and nose gently. "There's my lovely girl." He smiled and kissed her cheek, his heart breaking because tears were still escaping her beautiful blue eyes.

"P-pa-pa" She sobbed, her voice raspy.

"Yes, love, Papa is here with you." He cupped her head with a large hand and kissed her forehead before sitting down on one of the wooden benches. "Papa will keep you safe." He said and she cuddled closer, resting her head on his chest as her body was still trembling. She could barely breathe because of the crying so he rubbed her back gently, encouraging her. "Breathe, sweetheart, everything is okay."

"No l-leaf, Papa" She mumbled after about half a minute and he looked down, his eyebrows furrowed.

"What?"

"No leaf" She said again, this time louder and Viktor began to search through his mind hoping he would figure out what those words could mean. When he realised what she was talking about his eyes widened and he let her slid on his lap and waited for her to look at him.

"Lola, no one is leaving, sweet girl." His voice was patient and she gasped, her eyes still watery. "No one in this world could take you away from Daddy and Papa and we won't ever leave you." He kissed the top of her button nose and rubbed her back when she pressed her cheek to his chest, bending slightly. "We love you – you're our baby" He continued and smiled sadly because he hoped that one day all these doubts would vanish and she would understand she was going to forever be their beloved child.

Some children were running around and he watched them partly amused but also somewhat distracted while continuing to coo his daughter. They stood in silence until he felt all her sobs subsiding and the whimpering disappearing. It broke his heart to see her this panicked and a part of him blamed Yuuri and himself for allowing such thing but he decided he was not going to bring up the subject ever again because he didn't want more fighting. All he wanted was to take Lola home and for them to continue to live happily, without being disturbed by such things.

He began to sing softly a Russian lullaby he picked up when he was a child and she exhaled loudly, sniffling and enjoying the soft voice. He grabbed another napkin and made her blow her nose and after that he kissed her puffy cheeks.

"Beautiful girl" He smiled and she looked at him curious. "Do you want Papa to put you on a swing?" He pointed towards the colourful ones that had safeties on and she nodded shyly. He wanted to distract her for as long as possible and decided playing might do just that. So the little girl was placed in the too-large seat and he checked a few times that everything was safe before he began to gently push her, making sure she was holding on tightly. "Make sure you don't fly away from me, okay?" He grinned and she turned around, her brows furrowing. She didn't intent to fly anywhere.

She was getting dizzy when one of the waiters approached Viktor.

"You're being asked to go back inside, sir." He blinked, a bit confused and realised Yuuri probably sent him.

"Of course, thank you." He stopped the swing and picked Lola up, kissing her cheek soundly. "Is my baby girl ready to go back to Daddy?" She hesitated but finally nodded when she grabbed a fistful of his shirt. "You can stay in Papa's or Daddy's lap all the time, okay?" Once he got her approval they entered the fair cold place and Viktor took a moment to appreciate the fact that there was conditioned air. Both Yuuri and Phoebe were quiet when they approached the table and Lola pressed her cheek against Viktor's chest, looking intently at her Daddy.

"Hello, princess! I see you're a lot better now" He said and touched the back of her leg, tickling her briefly. She stared at the woman and then raised a hand towards Yuuri.

"Do you want Daddy to hold you?" She nodded shyly and the brunet took her in his arms right away, kissing her head. They were glad they were sitting on the opposite side of the table because that meant they were as far of Ms. Bloom as possible and Lola could be as relaxed as the situation let her be.

There was a lot of food on the table and as soon as the little girl saw it she bent to grab something with her hand but was stopped by Viktor.

"No, no, we talked about this – we use forks and spoons" He instructed and she frowned but as soon as soon as he could he offered her a spoonful of smashed potatoes and she relaxed a bit, waiting for the following one. She ate very fast and as worried as that still made them they tried to soothe the infinite hunger inside of her, never denying her anything. There were some people staring, surprised by how hurried she gulped, barely breathing but they didn't care at all, all they wanted was their daughter to be alright. They already talked to a psychologist and a speech therapist but they wanted to take one step at a time and let everything go on naturally.

"She sure eats a lot." Phoebe said and at the words Lola looked up, her lips still smacking as she chewed. She seemed hypnotised by the words and when the next spoon arrived she shook her head, which was surprising for everyone.

"Is your tummy filled already, sweetheart?"

She nodded and sighed when Yuuri threw Viktor a worried look.

"Are you sure, Lo?" The Japanese asked and she nodded, shifting uncomfortable in his lap. "Okay, tell us if you want anything, okay?"

They had small talk and the girl continued to snuggle against Yuuri while they were making conversation, obviously relaxed at the touch. Viktor would take her hand in his and kiss her from time to time, making sure she knew he was there too. The Russian was very curious about everything that happened while they were outside but decided to ask his husband once they got home, thinking it was futile to bring up such bothering subjects and get angry once again. It was selfish of him but he was happy that Lola didn't want anything to do with that woman. Before they parted, Yuuri offered to pay for everything and as much as Phoebe tried to refuse it was futile because he really wanted to make this one last kind gesture.

They were rather stiff when they said goodbye and Ms. Bloom's eyes were clouded by tears. She looked at the little being she gave life to, realising this was the last time she was going to see her. The truth was, deep inside her heart, she hoped for a second chance – she didn't dream of taking her out of the loving family she now had but she thought about seeing her once in a while. But the damage was done, she couldn't go back and it was all her fault; she was going to walk away proud and thankful that her Lola was surrounded by so much care.

They were outside the restaurant and Yuuri was holding their daughter when the petite woman offered them a wide smile.

"It was a pleasure to meet you! Lola is a very lucky girl to have such loving dads." She said and Viktor sneaked an arm around Yuuri's waist.

"We're the lucky ones, believe us." Was the brunet's answer and a few teardrops escaped blue eyes that were taking in the last moments Phoebe had to spend with her child. She wanted to hold her but she knew she couldn't so she simply stepped closer and looked at her, smiling between tears.

"I'm sorry, Lola, I love you." There was no reply and Viktor offered her a napkin that she took thankfully.

"We wish you well!" He said formally and spotted their cab, deciding it was the time for them to leave. They were silent during the ride home, mostly because they had no idea what they could talk about while their minds were running so wildly and Lola fell asleep with her head on Yuuri's lap so Viktor carried her to their room where he covered her with a blanket and where Saka cuddled by her side, happy they were back. They were still shook so they headed towards the living room and Yuuri decided to brew some tea for both of them, which he soon poured in colourful cups. He left them on the coffee table because the liquid was still boiling hot and snuggled into his husband's waiting arms, burying his face into the crook of his neck.

"Hey" Viktor muttered and kiss his forehead before searching for his waiting mouth. "Better?"

"Yes" He snuggled better, ending on his husband's lap. "You were right, it wasn't a good idea." The silver haired man hummed but didn't say anything that could make the other feel worse because he knew Yuuri's mind was already filled with worries. He was simply like that.

"What did you talk to her?" A long sighed followed and the younger slid back on the couch, resting his head on Viktor's shoulder.

"Lola, she – she saw things, Vitya. She probably saw all kind of perverted things, she saw her mother snorting drugs, she must have been so scared. Those men beat Phoebe too, there's no wonder she's so scared by every sudden movement."

The Russian took his hands in his and brought them to his mouth to kiss them, trying to focus on the fact that it was all in the past. No one could harm their Lola now.

"It's all done, zoloste." He sighed when he saw chocolate browns were glistening.

"But how could she?" A large hand caressed his cheek and soft lips pressed against closed eyelids, trying to soothe his pain.

"That doesn't matter anymore, solnyshko, she's with us now, she's never going back." Yuuri nodded – he knew that but sometimes he was overwhelmed by the cruelty of her past.

"She told me she will send me the medical history of their family." He whispered after a while.

"That's the least she could do." Viktor agreed and kissed a flushed cheek lovingly. Soon enough they began to savour their tea, even turned on the TV but they were clearly not over what happened earlier that day.

"Are you mad at me?" Yuuri's voice was faint and the older man quirked a brow, unsure. "Because I insisted on seeing her and Lola suffered because of that..."

"Yuu~ri!" He smiled gently. "Now we won't ever be wondering what kind of person Lola's mother is, now we know all we needed to know." He encouraged and kissed his husband's temple. The spirits calmed down and they were relaxed when a loud wail ripped the atmosphere so Yuuri got out of the embrace and hurried towards the bedroom. As soon as he entered he saw Lola was ready to climb down the bed and he picked her up right away, hugging her close.

"Hey, sleepy head" He murmured and kissed her forehead, wiping her tears away. "It's okay, Papa and I were drinking tea right there" He pointed towards the living room and began to walk towards the place, knowing Viktor was probably ready to join them any moment. When he saw them his eyes lit and he got closer o kiss her cheek himself.

"Welcome back, princess!"

"Papa, I think our baby wants some tea too, right?" Lola nodded and Viktor pressed his lips against her head one more time before he parted and went to accomplish his task. Yuuri sat on the couch where he kept rubbing her back soothingly, waiting for her whimpers to cease. When she finally received her cup she began to drink greedily and her eyes widened because her daddies were already making plans.

"I think we need to play a lot, Daddy" Viktor looked at his daughter and winked. "To make up for all the time we lost during lunch."

"That sounds perfect, right, Lo?" All it took was her nodding for their words to come true.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! All I can say is that the next chapter involves some bonding moments with special guests *wink wink* Your reviews are awesome and I hope you will have a marvellous week!