Sacrifices for the Greater Good

Recovery VIII

A night of tossing and turning, both weighing the risks and benefits of a possible move back to the south, did not make things any clearer come morning. Gaby called her boss at the garage, requesting a day off to deal with some unexpected news. He had been surprised but had agreed without too much hesitation, and Illya had followed her lead. They sat in silence at the breakfast table, both stuck deep in their thoughts.

"Your roots are showing." Gaby said eventually, running a hand lightly through Illya's hair. "You'll need to dye it again soon." He caught her hand and pressed a light kiss to her palm, causing her to feel a swell of affection for him. Whatever they decided, at least the three of them would not be separated. "Waverly said the house would be big." She said quietly. "Big houses normally have big gardens, don't they?" Illya nodded, eyes distant.

"I remember our garden in Russia, before my father was arrested. I used to climb the trees." He said nostalgically, she felt a smile twist up her lip as she imagined a boy older than Eric engaging in such behaviour.

"If we make this decision, we can't go back." She said sombrely. "I just don't know what to do." He shrugged, equally as unsure as her.

"Hello?" The sound of a door opening accompanied the tentative greeting. Gaby's boss appeared from around the corner, looking relieved to see them.

"Is something the matter?" Gaby asked, she was used to him just walking into the house on a whim.

"I wanted to check on you both, you sounded unhappy on the phone." His brow was furrowed in concern.

"That's very kind." Illya said.

"You said you were having a problem, is there anything I can do? Do you need money?" They both shook their heads immediately at his enquiry.

"No, it's not that. It's just-" Gaby looked over at Illya, silently asking his permission to give an abridged version of their dilemma to Rudd, he nodded. "Our old boss has offered us a job, and we're trying to decide whether we should go back." She confessed as honestly as she could.

"I see." He didn't look too troubled by the idea of his employee leaving. "I'm surprised it is taking you so long to decide, most people cannot wait to leave this town." At their confused expression he continued. "Most people don't come here to settle, there are few opportunities available in this town, especially for the younger crowd. My children left for the bigger cities at the first chance. If I was in your position, still young and with a small child I would leap at the chance to go somewhere, unless of course there is a reason you cannot go back." He looked at them in concern.

"There is a reason." Illya admitted. "But we don't know if it a good enough reason to stay away."

"If you think it is best for Eric, my advice would be to go." Rudd said truthfully. "Even if it means I lose my best mechanic." Gaby choked out a laugh at that and thanked him for his advice.

They took a few more days to think about it, both of them returned to work but the subject remained firmly on their minds. Eventually Gaby had returned home from work, the decision on her part made.

"I think we will regret it if we don't try it." She told him when he arrived. "Yes, it's a risk but we need to think about what will be best for Eric and I think this will be it." After a moment he nodded, and with them both agreed on their course of action, Illya picked up the phone and dialled the number on the card.

True to his word, Waverly arranged everything including their transport from the little town down to the outskirts of London. They made several stops along the way to cater to the small individual under their care who seemed distinctly disgruntled about the long journey despite their best attempts to entertain him along the way. At a safe house some distance from their final destination, Waverly met them to provide them with their new documentation. They were a little surprised to see he had kept the false names they had used in Scotland and so they remained Emma, Michael and Eric Cook, it would make things easier since they had gotten used to those names in public so would respond appropriately if someone called the false name to them.

Along with the documents were also several slightly odd objects, the purpose of which it took them a moment to figure out. There was a rather extensive makeup kit, filled with items Gaby did not really use including but not limited to boldly coloured lipsticks. There was also a pair of thick rimmed men's glasses, the lenses not seeming to serve any purpose as they did not affect Illya's perfect vision when he tried them on. When Gaby looked at him with them on his face, she immediately guessed that these items were clearly intended for them to use to further alter their appearances. With Illya's dyed beard and hair, accompanied with the glasses he looked unrecognisable from the man she had met in Rome. While they waited for their transportation, Gaby experimented with the makeup available. Normally if she used it she kept it fairly simple and plain, with the exception of the false eyelashes she favoured. Now she made an actual attempt to use more and found it did change the way she looked. She and Illya examined each other with no small amount of amusement, both feeling a little like actors in a play.

"So this is us for the foreseeable future." She said, trying not to laugh. "Do I look like a clown?"

"You look different." He said. "Not better or worse, just different." He eyed her slightly more critically. "Your lipstick is smudged though." She shrugged, not taking offence to the truth.

"I've not used it before, I'll get better with practice." She walked over to Eric, who was playing with one of his new toy car. The child looked up at her curiously, as though trying to put a name to her face. "Even Eric doesn't recognise me." She complained good-naturedly, Illya removed his glasses and Eric's face lit up in recognition and he immediately lifted his arms to be picked up. He replaced the glasses and held Eric, whose hands immediately went to the unfamiliar object to try to take it off again.

Soon enough they set off again, Eric drifting off into her arms. Illya could tell she also badly wanted to sleep as well, they had been travelling all day and they only hoped they would soon arrive at their destination. He felt her lay her head on his shoulder, and he wrapped and arm around them both.

"I hope Waverly has thought ahead and set up something for Eric." She said quietly, trying not to disturb the child slumbering on her chest.

"He's not an idiot. I'm sure the basics are at least going to be available." They had been told not to bring much with them since nearly everything they had would not be appropriate for a couple reconciling with a rich family member. Waverly had left them a document briefing them on what their backstory would be. Illya was to be the estranged son of a Lord Barrow, the unacknowledged product of an affair. Lord Barrow's sudden reminder of his mortality had prompted him to try to reconcile with his remaining blood relative who had since married and had a child. Barrow was still alive, and part of the condition of the offer was that they live with him until his death. Illya was not sure how he felt about this trade off, it was a little odd that they would be living with a total stranger but it made him feel a little more comfortable about 'inheriting' the estate and money when he eventually passed away. Taking all that from a stranger felt underhanded and a lot more like theft, at least this way they would know for certain the man had agreed to the arrangement.

Night had fallen by the time they finally arrived at the estate, and Illya could see that Gaby was struggling to keep her eyes open. He too was feeling the exhaustion, proving that the year or so of idle living had dulled his abilities. In the past he had been able to stay awake for days on end, but now he seemed to struggle just reaching twenty four of wakefulness. Still he was alert enough to critically examine the building they would soon call home, it was far grander than he really felt comfortable with. He was so used to living with only the essentials that this whole situation wasn't something he would have chosen for himself, luckily he didn't have to make that decision for himself- he had Gaby and Eric to think of as well, and he wanted to make sure they were as secure and provided for as he could accomplish.

When the car eventually stopped, he light pressed a hand onto Gaby shoulder and shook her gently to wake her up. "What is it?" She mumbled blearily.

"We've arrived." He took Eric in his own arms, doing his best to not disturb him too much and disturb his sleep. He watched as she took in the sight as well, and noticed that she looked as intimidated as he felt about the building.

"Well it's certainly big." She commented, she sighed. "Better get the awkward introductions over with." They were both startled back into awareness when the doors of the car were suddenly opened for them. Illya very nearly went into a defensive position, until he realised that the men that had come to greet them were uniformed as house staff and not security. They likely were not even armed, he allowed himself to relax a little and stepped out the car, as Gaby did the same on her side.

"Sir." One of the men said to him. "Would you please follow me?" It seemed innocent enough, and after Gaby moved to stand beside him he nodded cautiously and followed the man inside the building.

It was even grander on the inside, with all the walls richly decorated with paintings and ornate tapestries. Eric seemed to take that moment to wake up and was uncharacteristically quiet as his young eyes darted about, taking in all the new and exciting sights around him. They were led through the halls until they came to a sitting room where a well-dressed man was waiting for them and puffing on a cigar.

"Welcome." He said, looking over each of them appraisingly. "I understand we're going to be living together for the foreseeable future. My name is David Barrow, please make yourselves at home."

David gestured towards the couch, and they took his cue to sit down. Once no longer moving, Eric struggled about in Illya's arms, intent on being put on the ground so he could explore his new surroundings. He was a very curious baby, sometimes to slight detriment since he would occasionally start finding his way into places he shouldn't be in. Gaby had to exile him from the kitchen once she realised that he had figured out how to turn the oven on. Illya did not feel comfortable letting the terror loose when there were so many delicate objects about, they may have all been out of reach but he was sure Eric would eventually manage to get at some of the shinier more expensive pieces if left to his own devices. After a few minutes, Eric eventually gave up and slumped back unhappily, he had long since learned that he would not escape his father's grip so easily.

"How was your journey?" David asked.

"It was fine thank you, a little tiring." Gaby replied politely when she saw that Illya's attention was still diverted.

"I can imagine. Alex didn't tell me where you were travelling from but he did mention it was quite far." He conversed easily. "I've had some rooms set up for you, and a nursery for the little one, if you would like to rest. It is quite late. We can save a proper conversation for tomorrow."

"That would be great, thank you." Gaby said. Illya noticed with some wry amusement that she didn't point out that it really was the wisest course of action since Eric would begin screaming his head off in a demand for bed once the full weight of the day's travelling hit him.

"Henry, would you take them to their rooms?" David spoke to a man dressed as a butler.

"Certainly sir." Illya recognised him as the person they met at the door, and once again they followed him. Bidding goodnight to David as the left the room.

The room they were taken to was a very spacious bedroom, and once they were left alone they took a moment to examine their surroundings. Illya wondered whether he should check for bugs, but decided that he was too tired to. There would be little of interest for people to listen in on if there were listening devices dotted about. Their cases had already been brought up and did not look as though they had been disturbed on the journey, not that they held anything incriminating.

Aside from the entrance they came in through, there was two other doors inside the bedroom, Gaby investigated one to find an empty room clearly intended as a walk-in wardrobe and Illya checked the other one to find a nursery- already fully furnished and equipped with everything a child of Eric's age would require. He set the child down in the room and supervised as Eric explored, picking up and examining several of his new toys with some interest. When he started rubbing his eyes again, Illya picked him up and put him in the cot, adding the small bear that Eric had been playing with inside. Eric snuggled up to the bear and promptly fell asleep, tiredness making their usual evening routine much easier than usual. He quietly shut the door behind him and headed back into the main bedroom where he found Gaby had kicked off her shoes and was sitting on the bed, testing the springiness of the mattress.

"There are worse places to live." She commented with a smile, she crooked a finger to beckon him closer and when he sat beside her she tiredly rested her head on his shoulder. "What did you think of him?" She asked, referencing their host.

"Too early to tell." He replied honestly. "He does seem to be making an effort to make us comfortable."

"We'll find out more in the morning I guess." She looked up at, makeup slightly smudged from where she had absently rubbed at it. He put an arm around her waist and she pressed herself deeper into his side, letting out a content sigh as she did so. "We should probably get some sleep."

Author's Note: Two chapters left guys, we're nearly caught up with the flashbacks.