darker_london | Archy arch arch (Svetlana, Peter)

She couldn't let on that she knew.

Svetlana had always liked balconies. She liked being outside where she could feel the wind against her skin. After living so long as a nomad, it was sometimes hard to be inside for long periods of time. And even if she was meant to be hiding away from her horrid brother Abel, she still longed for the wind and the chill. Despite the day's warmth, she had opted for a moment or two outside. Peter's balcony would be as safe as any. If she needed help, she could just knock on the glass. But only if it was necessary. If he saw her, he would make her come inside because he didn't know how to have fun, and she didn't want that.

While Peter sat inside and nursed his hangover from being naughty and drinking his nasty drink, Svetlana basked on his balcony she had flown up to, not caring if anyone had seen her. No one had.

And then the phone rang, and Svetlana had listened to the man she loved say terrible things about her. She had no way of knowing who Peter was talking to. It didn't matter. She could hear the conviction in his voice and it was enough to let Svetlana know she had been had.

She managed to reach her room before the hungover Peter did, and she was sitting demurely on her bed when Peter entered.

Don't let him know you know. You have to slip away.

"Hello, Peter! I hope someone is taking care of my fishies," Svetlana said with a stern look.

"Thomas is taking care of it," Peter smiled, looking worn. Svetlana had to remind herself not to care. It hurt in ways she didn't fully understand. "Svetlana, Abel is on his way here. I think it's....argh. I think it would be a good idea if you disappeared for a while?"

Svetlana's eyes narrowed. So he had managed to change their daughter's birth certificate so it now read that Rasuptina was his daughter with Aly under the guise that it would keep her safe from Abel and now this. He was trying to get rid of her completely. He had probably called that filthy Abel himself. "Where should I go?" she asked softly.

"I don't know...maybe you could go with Saul! He's going to go to America to see if we have any allies in Dead Meat there, and-"

"No," Svetlana shook her head. "I don't want to get fat."

"Er...okay," Peter said, confused. "Uhm...well, you could go stay in Spain? With Aunt Rosalia?" He had suggested that before. It made sense now for Svetlana to pretend to agree.

"I could do that," Svetlana nodded. "Can I take Rasputina?"

"I..." Peter looked pained. Daddy was a good actor. "I wish you could, but if she isn't here, how should we explain her absence to Abel?"

"She could be on holiday," Svetlana suggested.

"By...herself?" Peter asked, and then he shook his head. "Babies don't usually go on holiday by themselves."

"No...I suppose they don't have jobs they need to escape from." Svetlana was going to rip his insides out later if he kept Rasputina away from her forever. For now, she just had to escape. She didn't want to end up locked in his hospital like Amaris. "I guess I'll go hide. For how long, Daddy?"

"I don't know," Peter said sadly.

Daddy doesn't know who he's playing with. "I guess we'll see," Svetlana said softly.

Peter moved to embrace her and Svetlana let him.

They would all see Svetlana wasn't someone to mess with soon enough.