Hey guys, happy New Year! This chapter will start moving things back to the original storyline. There will also be another F-bomb in this chapter. Dominic has been the character with the biggest potty-mouth so far (with two explicit F-bombs) but read on to find out which character gets all the swearing this time ;)

Gonna reply to reviews on the previous chapter, thanks so much for the love and to everyone who reviewed!

Guest: That's super cool that you're taking anatomy. I'm glad you're enjoying all the medical stuff I've incorporated into this story!

Tessa Jane: Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed that chapter and thought Jamie's reaction was accurate, since I wasn't sure if it fit with his character.

Lililithia: Thank you, I'm glad you've been enjoying the story so far and seeing what Alexei is getting up to!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Embassy Row series and all the characters (except for Tanner and Jordan and Alexei's Moscow friends, who are my own creations). They belong to Ally Carter. I am merely using her characters and plotline to create this fanfiction. I have no intention of profiting off the Embassy Row series in any way. This fanfiction is purely for entertainment purposes and would not exist without Ally Carter's wonderful works.

The events that happen in this fanfiction are not meant to be representative of real life. Any similarities to any real-life events or fictional works is purely coincidental and not intentional (with the exception of the original Embassy Row books by Ally Carter since this fanfiction is literally Take the Key and Lock Her Up but from Alexei's, not Grace's, perspective). The character's actions may not always reflect my own opinions or views. Based on what happens or is mentioned in this chapter (spoiler alert), I do not condone faking one's death or identity.

Content warning: mild to moderate
This fanfiction is rated T, for suggestive themes, language, and violence. This chapter contains strong language, explicit depictions of death, substance use, and mentions of mental health, suicide, and trauma. Please read at your own discretion.

Chapter Seven: Makeover

"Rough day?" I asked, noticing that Dominic had headed straight towards the liquor cabinet.

"That's an understatement." Dominic grabbed a 200 mL bottle of whiskey and cracked it open, taking a massive gulp straight from the bottle.

"How is he?" I asked, as Dominic and I settled down on the couch.

Dominic took another long swig before answering. "Shocked. Angry. I think he'll come to accept it; he just needs time."

"He doesn't want this, does he?" Jamie seemed far from accepting to me.

"I'm afraid not."

Dominic took another sip before looking at me. "How would you feel if you discovered your entire life was a lie?" It had made Grace have a mental breakdown and left her with longstanding mental health issues. And Jamie was still in shock, literally and figuratively, having only just discovered this mere hours ago, reacting out of a place of hurt and anger. Would I react like Grace or like Jamie, retreating or acting out? Would it be enough to make me want to do something drastic, to want to end my own life knowing that none of it was real, that my whole identity and being was all just a farce?

"How is it that's happened to both Jamie and Grace?"

"A terrible twist of fate. God, I hope they never have to go through it again." But who knew how many more secrets were being hidden? This was Adrian life, after all, where we had only just scratched the surface of secrets.

"If it were up to you, would you have told him?" Dominic thought about that for a moment.

"Ideally, I would have sat both James and Grace down with their mother, right after she made the discovery, and told them about it at the same time. Keeping their birthright from them would only make things worse." With Grace gone and the way Jamie had exploded, I could see how that was the case.

"But that never happened." Dominic sadly shook his head.

"Soon after Caroline told me about the life-changing news, we confided in each other again. She knew that dangerous people were out to get her and well, I had been tasked to kill her, by the former Adrian prime minister. We came up with an elaborate plan to keep her safe. It almost worked. But then Grace came into the picture." Was this about the night Grace's mother died?

Dominic eyed me curiously. "Has Grace ever told you anything about that night?"

I shook my head. "Jamie told me a few things here and there. It was enough to know things were bad."

Dominic nodded. "Rightly so. Ambassador Vincent and the rest of the Blakely family decided to keep it covered because of how horrific the whole situation was."

Dominic took a long swig of his whiskey before continuing. "Caroline and I had everything planned to a tee. I found a body, we got her records faked. Death certificate, DNA tests, dental records, everything. We had fake ID's and safe transport to one of my safe houses. It was perfect." He set the bottle down, looking forlornly into the distance. "I had just set the fire that would burn Caroline's antique shop down to a crisp. We were ready to make our run for it when I heard that voice screaming for her."

The startling realization came to me. "Grace."

Dominic nodded solemnly. "Somehow, she had found us and gotten in, despite the ravaging fire. I'll never forget her face staring at Caroline and I from the doorway. That innocence, marred with those haunted eyes and a look of pure terror." Even now, those haunted eyes never left Grace. They would forever be a part of her, a reminder of all that she had gone through and how she would never be the same because of that.

"Caroline begged for Grace to go, to look the other way, to run. But Grace, that stubborn girl." Dominic laughed, although it was dark and lifeless. "She refused to leave, demanding that I leave her mother alone. But there was no time to explain, not with the shop burning down around us. We had seconds to get out before we'd go down with the flames.

"Caroline kept pleading for Grace to leave. But then she picked up the gun." Dominic picked up the whiskey bottle, fingers tightening around it. My heart stilled, dreading what was to come.

"It was one from my personal collection, to be left there for evidence. Caroline begged Grace to put it down, pleading with her not to shoot. But it was futile the second she saw me, holding her mother. She aimed the gun at me and fired." Dominic's breath caught, his knuckles white as he gripped the bottle.

"I was ready to put myself in the line of fire, to tell Caroline to run. But instead of running, she put herself in the bullet's path. I didn't even have time to jump in front of her before the bullet lodged in her chest.

"She fell into my arms, death quickly overtaking her. I wished to save her but it was futile. It was all I could do to hold her, so she wouldn't die alone, as the shop burned down around us." The weight of Dominic's words resonated throughout the entire room.

Dominic set the bottle on the table, a single tear rolling down his cheek. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and gravelly. "I spent two months in the hospital recovering from smoke inhalation and burns all over my body. But that was nothing compared to the pain of losing Caroline, of knowing that I easily could have prevented her death.

"All I'm left with are my memories of her. And the scar. A memento of how I tried to save her life but ultimately failed her." That scar was so much more than a physical defect though. It was a physical reminder to him, of all the burdens that weighed him down, of all the baggage he carried. I couldn't help but think of how his story was so eerily similar to Mikhail's, right down to the way their loves had died in their arms.

"I'm sorry," I said, knowing nothing I could say or do could possibly take away Dominic's pain and all the years he had suffered.

Dominic took a long gulp from the bottle. He kept drinking until he set the empty bottle on the table with a resounding thud. "Don't be. It's the price you pay, the risk you take for choosing to get involved in Adrian affairs. If you haven't already, I'd suggest you take that to heart before deciding if you want to fully commit to this game." With one last lingering look, he stood, heading over to the bedroom, leaving me with the burden of all his sins and suffering.

According to Dr. Gonzalez, Jamie was clinically improving. He was tolerating the antibiotics well and the pneumonia was slowly starting to clear. The sedatives had left him quite groggy though. Things were tense when Dominic and I visited the next day. Jamie rightfully wasn't in the mood to talk so I watched cartoons with him while Dominic scrolled through the news on his phone. But neither of us were really paying attention, not when I was still unravelling everything from my conversation last night with Dominic. And well, it only took one guess to figure out what was on Jamie's mind.

Dominic's phone vibrated, shaking Jamie and I out of our thoughts.

"Paris." Dominic looked up from his phone. "Grace is in Paris."

"How the hell did Gracie get all the way over there?" Jamie's eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Dominic.

"I have word that she met with the Adrian prime minister in Washington, D.C. and struck a deal with her. Then the prime minister kidnapped her, sedating her and putting her on a plane. She called for an emergency meeting of the Society council, which is set for tomorrow evening. Their headquarters are in Paris."

"How do we even know that's true?" Jamie questioned, eyes narrowing. "What if that's just a scam to get us separated so we can be captured?" He had a valid point.

Dominic evenly met Jamie's gaze. "Eleanor Chancellor would not lie about Grace Olivia's whereabouts, I can assure you that."

Jamie clearly wasn't buying it, which didn't surprise me. He had a lot to be suspicious about. "What does Grandpa's chief of staff have to do with all this? And how does she know where Gracie is?"

Dominic sighed. "Don't tell Eleanor I'm telling you this or she'll personally kill me but she is also a member of the Society. She's been my contact on the state of affairs in Adria while we've been gone." Somehow, that didn't surprise me but it was a whole other story for Jamie.

"For fuck's sake, why is everyone in some freaking secret society?" Jamie cursed. He looked at me. "Bro, you better not be a member of Hogwarts or some shit like that."

"I got nothing to hide from you, man." I held my hands up, feigning innocence. Dominic gave me a pointed look but I just said nothing. Now was not the time to reveal I had known about the Society my whole life. Poor Jamie had really been out of the loop for so long.

"So everything that Ms. Chancellor told you, it's all true?" Jamie asked.

"Yes," Dominic said. "I still have no idea how Grace got in contact with the prime minister or got herself to D.C. But I trust everything that Eleanor told me."

Jamie cursed, his face contorted with anger. "What the hell was Gracie trying to do?"

"Trying to run so you could rest," I replied quietly, thinking back to that fateful conversation in the diner. Jamie's eyes softened, taking in the gravity of what his younger sister had done for him.

"Then I should get her and bring her back here," Jamie stated, his resolve strong.

"No. You are staying here until you recover. I will get Grace," Dominic said firmly.

"It was my fault she ran. I should be the one to find her," I said, looking at both Dominic and Jamie.

"We'll go together, if you're fine with staying here on your own, James," Dominic said, looking at me then Jamie. Jamie pouted, clearly not happy about being left behind.

"No, I need to do this on my own. The Society will expect you to come for Grace. They won't expect me," I pleaded, my attention on Dominic. I had let Grace go; it was only right that I find her again. I wouldn't let her run away from me this time, not after all the times she had already tried to do so. I knew I would be letting myself down if I didn't find Grace. I couldn't afford to lose her now, not after everything I had shared with her.

"Then the Society would not be expecting me at all," Jamie piped up. "I should get Grace. Or better yet, the three of us should go. Right now. We have a location, we can take the next plane out to Paris."

"No!" Dominic and I shouted at the same time. We looked at each other in embarrassment. But really, there was no need. Each of us carried our own emotional trauma, our own scars. Some of those scars were more physical than others; yet, all of us had been through so much in our lifetimes. And as a result, each of us had our own ties to Grace. Dominic, as a father and authority figure. Jamie, as a brother and confidante. And me, as a friend and a lover. None of us were more deserving to go find Grace than another. We all had our claims to her, our own right to be the one to find her. We were just three broken men, held together by one even more broken, beautiful, and currently lost girl. We each held pieces of ourselves in her, and now, in each other, bonded by this journey we had taken. Losing one of us was like losing a part of ourselves. And that was a very real risk, regardless of how this rescue mission would play out.

"James, I know you want to find Grace. But getting better is your first priority. You need to stay here. Maria will keep an eye on you. This is a safe place," Dominic said. Jamie looked disappointed but nodded in agreement. Dominic then turned towards me.

"Alexei, you don't have any reason to stay here. You would be the perfect person to find Grace; however, your fugitive status will complicate things. We can't run the risk of someone recognizing you at the airport or on the plane.

"Thus, that leaves me. I'll find Grace Olivia. The two of you can stay here while I head to Paris. Once I find her, I'll bring her back and we will stay until you get better, James. Then, we can plan our next course of action," Dominic concluded. Something about that didn't sit right with me.

"Dominic, with all due respect, I don't think you should go to Paris," I started. Dominic and Jamie looked at me in surprise but I carried on. "Although it makes sense, it's too risky. You're too valuable to us. You've been instrumental in helping us get around and plan our actions. What if the Society has a trap in Paris? We can't afford to have you walk into their trap and lose you."

"Alexei, I have to. We don't have much of a choice." Dominic gave me an exasperated look.

"Then I can go! I'm more dispensable than you." I looked at him, begging him to listen.

"But your fugitive status…"

"Is less critical than us losing you," I finished. "We need you. Grace needs you, more than she needs me. I know what I am risking to find Grace and I'm willing to take it." By taking on this mission, I was accepting possible death and imprisonment. But I would take a bullet for Grace, if it came down to it. If I died, then I would be doing it in her honour.

"If you go and something goes wrong, we may not see you again," Dominic stated, his eyes boring into me. He was imploring me to think about our conversation last night, about all the risks I would be taking by getting involved in the Society's games. Although there was a lot at stake, deep down, I had already accepted that risk and knew I would make the same decision again in a heartbeat.

"Grace means so much to me, more than you can imagine. I have gone across the world with her and I would do it again on my own, to find her. I won't rest until I find her or die trying."

"You're really into her, aren't you?" Jamie asked, studying me curiously.

"Of course." Hadn't I already made that obvious?

"Gracie feels the same about you, I can tell," Jamie said, surprising me. "As long as she's happy, then I don't want to get in the way." Jamie looked at me sincerely.

"Thank you," I replied earnestly, grateful to have Jamie's blessing.

Dominic cleared his throat. "Now that we have that settled, are we in agreement about Alexei going to Paris to find Grace?" Jamie gave me an encouraging nod.

"Yes," I said firmly. I was ready to do this for Grace. Dominic clicked around on his phone for several moments.

"There's a midnight flight to Paris from Mexico City tonight. It'll arrive tomorrow afternoon, before the Society meeting. I can book you a last-minute ticket," Dominic said.

"Sure, that works." The sooner I could get to Paris, the better.

"Only thing is, your fugitive status will be an issue," Dominic mused.

"What are you suggesting?" I asked.

Dominic looked at me wryly. "How do you feel about a makeover?"

I stared at myself in the mirror a few hours later, not recognizing the person who stared back at me. For all intents and purposes, he was a stranger, not a fugitive who was splashed all over international television.

With Maria's help, Dominic had transformed me into a different person, doing a good job of making me look like one of his many fake ID's. They had dyed my hair a shade of light brown, managing to conceal my dark roots. Maria had filled in my eyebrows, making them appear thicker and straighter, instead of their usual arched shape. She had also covered my face and neck with a thick layer of makeup, making me pasty, to hide my tanned complexion. Maria had further worked her makeup magic by contouring and highlighting my angular face to make it appear rounder. I was given a pair of brown coloured contacts to wear, to hide my distinctive blue eyes. Lastly, Dominic had given me a pair of black plastic frames without lenses, to further conceal my identity. Now, I blended in with the majority of the Western population, my black hair and blue eyes no longer making me stick out.

Jamie burst out laughing when he saw me. "Wow, bro, is that you? There's no way you're gonna score any chicks, especially not Gracie, looking like that."

"Thanks for the compliment," I muttered.

"One last thing, you're going to have to hide your accent," Dominic said, frowning at me. "Can you do an American accent?"

"Like this?" I tried, doing my best to sound like Jamie.

"Hell no. I can still hear your Russian L's," Jamie said, shaking his head. Jamie and Dominic got me to do a variety of accents, all of which I failed at miserably. Eventually, they settled on a quasi-British-Russian accent, which would be enough to hide some, but not all, of my Russian accent.

"The plane is leaving in a few hours," Dominic said, checking his phone. "Should we get you back to the house to pack up your things before getting you to the airport?" I nodded, wanting to get to the airport as soon as possible so I could get settled before my flight.

"Take care of Gracie for me, okay?" Jamie asked, wrapping me up in a guy hug.

"Wouldn't dream of giving her nothing but the best, bro." I earnestly returned his hug. "Hopefully, I'll be back in a few days but if not, take care, get better, and I'll see you when I can." Jamie nodded, releasing me.

Dominic and I took some back stairwells through the hospital, not wanting to raise suspicions with my makeover. He drove me to Maria's house, where I quickly packed my duffle bag with my belongings, in case I'd have to stay for a few days to find Grace. Dominic gave me addresses and directions to a few of his safe houses in Paris, as well as contact information for a few of his trusted contacts there.

"Good to go?" Dominic asked. I was about to nod but then remembered everything we had found in the shop.

"The box. Grace was so attached to it. I should bring it to her."

Dominic frowned. "You're just going to weigh yourself down."

"What if I find her but neither of us make it back? She should have that box. It's her birthright." I couldn't get that image out of my head, of her cradling the box. It obviously meant a lot to her and she should have it either way.

"Fair enough. You might as well bring an entire bag of things for her to look through on the plane ride back. And if you get separated, she'll still have something of Caroline's."

"You're hoping it won't come to that."

"Exactly. This is the safest place for us until James recovers. But if you and Grace can't make it back, then I trust that she'll be okay with you. Do you have your envelope?" I nodded. All the cash and credit cards had never been used and the burner cell had never been turned on. The fake ID's were still there too.

"We can contact each other on the burner cells as needed. I'll also give you my iPhone number for emergencies." Dominic wrote his number down on a slip of paper and handed it to me. I tucked it into my pocket with the fake passport I was disguised as before heading to the car, to help Dominic unload the bags and boxes of stuff from the antique shop into the house.

We sorted through everything, placing seemingly important things in my backpack until it was stuffed to the brim, wanting Grace to have as much of her mother's things as possible. By the time we finished, it was early evening.

"We should get going soon," Dominic said. I gathered my backpack and duffle bag, checking that I had the envelope, my fake passport, and the box. I was now officially good to go.

Dominic looked at me, nodding resolutely. "Come on, let's get you to Paris."

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I am already anticipating that this next month will be busy for me, with long hours on electives and lots of work for residency applications due at the end of the month. I'm aiming to get the next chapter up between Jan. 14 and Jan. 18 but don't be surprised if it's not up until Feb. 4 and Feb. 8 (once residency applications are in). I may post something on IG if the next chapter will be delayed but if I don't say anything and nothing is posted by Jan. 18, then it's safe to assume the next chapter won't be up til February. Either way, I promise the Paris chapters will be worth the wait. What do you think will happen to Alexei in Paris (besides the obvious stuff from the books)? Stay tuned to find out!

Update (Jan. 16): Hey everyone, the next chapter won't be up until Feb. 4 to 8. Residency applications are taking up a lot of time and energy and they're super important for me to focus on right now (as they're basically going to dictate how my career will turn out and where I'll do my training and in what area of medicine), especially since they're due at the end of the month. So I haven't had any time to devote to fanfic writing or editing. Thank you for your understanding and patience and I'll see you all in February.