(STONE'S Point of VIEW)

Stone stood in front of his father. His father sat at a grand white marble desk in a darkened office lit only by four candles on the desk. The light flicked over his fathers face and Stone moved his head down slightly so as not to stare at the empty socket where his father's eye had once been.

"You must bring her here syn."

"Net, she is too americanized. You made it so father." He said, raising his head.

"That is not my fault."

"But it is father. If only you hadn't brought her to America. She will have to learn many things over again. How come you could not just negotiate with Mikhail?"

"Do you dare disobey me son?" His father shouted, banging the desk.

"If it means that she will be safe."

"Well then hear me syn, if you do not do this... All of Veliky Novgorod will hear of it and you will be stoned and burned before everyone. Including your mother."

"Net father! You can not drag Mat' into this."

"So, will you do it?"

"Da, I will."

"Khoroshiy" Light winking through the curtain woke Stone up the next day. He turned, crumpling the soft blankets in his fist. It was the first he'd felt at ease since coming to America. He smacked his lips and cracked an eye open. All pleasantries erased from his mind when he realized where he was. Yesterday's adventures poured into his mind. Jumping from the bed, he shrugged on the same clothes as yesterday and went to the lump in the other bed. He reached his hand to wake her when he noticed that she still had the hospital gown on. He slapped his face and retracted from her form. Putting up his hood, he headed out the door to see if he could find some clothes in the laundry room. He ducked down the hallway and went to the elevator, he pushed the L button for Lobby. The elevator jolted and he held onto it getting motion sickness, it stopped and he took a few moments to catch his body from drifting as the doors opened.

A maid bustled her way in as he jumped out before the doors could close on him. He walked to the washers and dryers that the guest could use. He opened the dryer and pulled out all the clothes into a heap on the counter. He rifled through them, picking out a white sundress, a t-shirt and some jeans. He was about to leave when another thought entered his mind. She probably didn't have any undergarments. He rubbed his teeth together as he picked through the pile again finding too big and too small of things. Finally after maybe finding things that might fit, he stuffed everything back in and went back up to the room. He threw the stuff on the bed and went back to the form on the bed. He drew back the covers and shook her shoulder

"Taylor. Taylor, it's time to get up." He brushed back a lock of her hair impulsively and she began to stir. Soon two soft brown eyes stared at him and his heart began to stir rapidly. He pushed down the feelings.

"Do I have to?" She asked. He blew air out his nose.

"Yes you have to. We need to get on the road."

"Okay okay. But I'm not leaving without a shower."

"Seriously?"

"Yes seriously." She said sitting up and giving him the stink eye.

"Fine, fine. Just hurry. I'll go see what I can about breakfast." She stuck her lip out

"You mean you're not going to stay with me?"

"Why would I?"

"Um, to protect me duh." She rose to her feet

"Taylor, get going. There is no way anyone can get in here without the keycard."

But if-"

"Just shut up and get in that shower." He hissed, moving out of the way."

"Okay okay." She said as she scampered into the bathroom. Once he heard the water running, he went downstairs to see what they were putting out for breakfast. Going down the stairs this time so he could familiarize himself with them in case they needed to evacuate quickly, he found them to be quite steep and exactly forty four of them. The door opened up next to the laundry and had a back door exit which was perfect. The smell of oatmeal hit his nose making his stomach growl, they wouldn't be able to eat that. They needed to get out on the road, they still had quite a ways to go. He walked to the table, he nodded once at the cook and took two granola bars, two packaged muffins and two packets of raisins.

"Don't eat it all in one sitting." The cook said with crossed arms. Stone paused,

"I won't ma'am." He finished with a wink and headed for the elevators.

"Sir!" A femineine voice called. Curiosity made him turn around. He saw the recipient waving at him. He retraced his steps and went to her.

"Yes?"

"Long distance call."

"Thank you." he set his collection down and grabbed the phone.

"Da?" He spoke again in a foreighen language causing many to walk by pause and stare. He began to yell, then after a bit he slammed the phone down on the counter.

"Is everything alright?" The recepist asked, grabbing the phone and looking it over to see if it had broken.

"Just peachy." He said with a growl Gathering up his items, he walked towards the elevator as people moved out of his way. Stone was not okay, his father's goons had somehow figured out where he was, how long before the other guys figured out where he was? He punched the button and tapped his foot impatiently waiting for the elevator to come down. It came down but about ten people bustled off and so with a sigh he waited some more as they filed off. He got on but a

"Hold it!" Made him stop hitting the button to up.

"Sorry." He said as an older woman, who was a maid, pushed her way on with her car, he squashed himself into the corner.

"Thank you young man."

"Sure." He gritted out stuffing the muffins into the pocket of his hoodie. He rode up the jerky tower and as soon as it stopped, he stumbled into the hallway ready to throw up. He shook it off and headed for his door in an anger burst of energy. He put the key in and went inside, he looked up towards the middle of the beds to see a bear back with dripping wet hair,

"Damn." He said as shocked brown eyes pierced his eyes as she shouted without turning around.

"OH MY GOD!"