Proving Her Wrong

Chapter 53

"Daughter, come here," Nikolai said later that evening as Nikita was double checking that they had everything they needed before they left again.

"Da Papa," Alina nodded as she got up from where she was reading to Melisma. She put Melisma in Kota's lap and handed him the book before following Nikolai outside. Raven and Marc followed suit.

"Здесь Zdes'(Here)," he said taking a purple USB drive and red folder from Alexei.

"Что это? Chto eto? What's this?)" she asked curiously while taking them from him.

"Подтверждение Podtverzhdeniye Confirmation)," he answered honestly. "Я знаю, что тебе не нужны доказательства. Я знаю, что ты доверяешь мне, но я все еще знаю и твой разум. Это на тот случай, если вашему мозгу понадобятся доказательства. YA znayu, chto tebe ne nuzhny dokazatel'stva. YA znayu, chto ty doveryayesh' mne, no ya vse yeshche znayu i tvoy razum. Eto na tot sluchay, yesli vashemu mozgu ponadobyatsya dokazatel'stva. (I know you don't need the proof. I know you trust me but I still also know your mind. This is just in case your brain needs the proof there it is.)"

She handed it over to Marc and hugged Nikolai tightly. "Thank you, Papa." He patted her back then she went over to Alexei and hugged him too, "Thank you, Alexei."

"Da," he said awkwardly patting her back making Nikolai chuckle under his breath.

"Вам уже нужно вернуться? Ты не можешь остаться еще на пару дней? Vam uzhe nuzhno vernut'sya? Ty ne mozhesh' ostat'sya yeshche na paru dney? (Do you have to go back already? Can't you stay a couple more days?" She asked Nikolai as she went back to him.

"Извини, дочь, но нам нужно идти. У меня есть некоторые вещи, о которых я должен позаботиться, чтобы продолжать защищать нашу семью. Мы скоро вернемся, обещаю. Izvini, doch', no nam nuzhno idti. U menya yest' nekotoryye veshchi, o kotorykh ya dolzhen pozabotit'sya, chtoby prodolzhat' zashchishchat' nashu sem'yu. My skoro vernemsya, obeshchayu. (Sorry Daughter but we have to go. I have some things I have to take care of in order to keep protecting our family. We will come back soon, I promise.)" He kissed the top of her head and she nodded. "Обещай мне, что, когда ты снова надерешь Рэйвен задницу, ты запишешь это на видео и отправишь мне. Я всегда могу посмеяться над крошечным, что ты стукнешь его по заднице. Obeshchay mne, chto, kogda ty snova naderesh' Reyven zadnitsu, ty zapishesh' eto na video i otpravish' mne. YA vsegda mogu posmeyat'sya nad kroshechnym, chto ty stuknesh' yego po zadnitse. (Promise me that when you kick Raven's ass again that you video it and send it to me. I can always use the laugh at tiny little you knocking him on his ass.)"

Alina burst out laughing as he tapped her on the nose while Raven rolled his eyes and started mumbling under his breath. Nikolai and Nikita hugged her one more time than Nikita hugged Raven while Nikolai stared at him for a few minutes before nodding. Raven nodded back then stood behind Alina and wrapped an arm around her stomach and the other around her chest as they watched his parents head to their car.

Once she could no longer see them, they headed back inside. She stepped out of Raven's hold and went up the stairs to her room. Shutting the door behind her then curled up in the window seat.

"Mluv se mnou, krásko. (Talk to me, Beautiful.)" Marc spoke gently as he sat across from her and took her hands in his.

She stared out the window for a few more minutes before whispering," Nevím, co mám teď dělat. (I don't know what to do now.)"

"Co myslíš? (What do you mean?)" he asked curiously. He had an idea but also knew with her she could be thinking a million different things right now.

"Od té doby, co nás naši rodiče od sebe odtrhli a ona přísahala, že už tě nikdy neuvidím, přísahal jsem jim pomstu, jak jen jsem mohl, Marcu. Pokaždé, když jsem přemýšlel o tom, že to prostě vzdám, tvé výkřiky z toho dne přísahající, že se ke mně vrátíš, ve mně obnovily oheň. Každý trest od ní a všech ostatních mě hnal k pomstě a teď, když jsem to konečně dostal, nevím, co mám teď dělat. Co mám teď dělat, marcu? Jaký je teď můj smysl života? (Ever since our parents torn us away from one another and she swore I would never ever see you again, I swore revenge on them anyway I could, Marc. Every time I thought about just giving up, your screams from that day swearing you would come back to me renewed the fire in me. Each punishment from her and everyone else pushed me for revenge and now that I finally got that, I don't know what to do now. What am I supposed to do now, Marc? What is my purpose in life now?)"

Marc heard the barely there creak and look up to see the men in the room and hallway with concern on their faces. "Oh Beautiful," Marc sighed as he pulled her into his lap. She buried her face in the crook of his neck as he gently ran his fingers up and down her back. "I'll tell you what your purpose in life is Alina, it's love. It's never been revenge, it's been love. Your love for me and our little family pushed you to punish them, your love for Melisma and protecting her and the family pushed you to do what you did and what Raven and Nikolai did. It's not revenge Alina, it's your love. We just have to help you change your perspective but that's okay, we'll help you. Soon you will see that your love for us and our now blended family is your purpose."

"Bubbles," she sniffled.

"You're safe Alina," Marc said as he kissed her head and tightened his grip on her. "There's nothing to be scared about, I have you and I'm never letting you go. We are never letting you go. I know this is very overwhelming right now but it's okay. We'll help through all this, I promise."

"Hold me," she murmured so softly as she drifted off to sleep that he almost didn't hear her.

"Forever."