Chapter 219: Like An Echo, In The Forest

[FROLO]

[TODAY]

"You guys do know we’re not in a madhouse, right?" Katya’s voice interrupted the chaos in the kitchen, snapping everyone’s attention to him.

The coffee glass Andre had been holding found its way to the floor along with the spoon he’d been holding.

Svet faltered as she backed herself against the counter while Alek stood like he had never thought miracles were ever real. It was quite the sight that even Anya, who had been sleeping on the couch, sat up instantly.

"Romanov?" Svet voiced as she looked at her friend, who had been feeling like shit.

"You’re awake earlier than you always are," Katya chuckled before he leaned toward Alek and kissed the senator lightly on the lips like nothing had happened.

To him.

To them.

To the city.

It was like they were just about to go on with their day.

And when Katya walked past his boyfriend into the kitchen, the senator stayed rooted. For the first time in a while, he didn’t know whether to be happy or sad that his boyfriend had woken up after a tragedy.

"Wh... Why are you out of bed?" Andre asked like he had finally found his voice.

"Had to call HR early and tell them I’m not going into work today. Besides, it’s been a while since we had a movie marathon," Katya said as he made himself coffee while everyone just stared plainly.

Anyone would think they were in another dimension, but it was understandable, literally.

"Movie marathon?" a confused Anya spoke as she leaned by the dining hall open space.

"Yup. I can either cry myself to sleep for the longest time, but nothing will change," Katya began as he stirred his coffee.

Everyone still stared like they were not sure how to go about this. Perhaps that was why Katya continued.

"Yaro mourned with me for five years. He tried everything to make it better, but the pain didn’t go away. I had to watch my husband fade like I faded," he admitted as if he was talking about the weather.

As if that wasn’t his entire marriage that had been shattered by everyone whom they had turned to for help.

Like the universe hadn’t failed them.

"Now the truth of that past is out. I was never barren. I can keep crying over my children and blame everyone, including myself, and it was neither of our faults.

"But I’ve been down that road before," Katya said, walking out of the kitchen calmly, like he wasn’t surprising the hell out of everyone in this house right now.

"Crying won’t help. It’ll just make my boyfriend suffer like my husband, and I suffered. And also, it’s been a while since I took a break from work. So, is anyone down for a movie marathon?" Katya shrugged like it was the most common of things.

This was the first time he had spoken about Yaroslav without spite in his voice or rage that couldn’t be quieted by anything. It was like he had realized they were both victims of a fate neither of them had any power over.

And it was heartbreaking.

His village looked at him sadly, like they had all slowly realized just how exhausted Katya had gotten. So much had happened in his life, and he was just accepting it.

It was like there was no need to keep fighting something that would always be there.

Honestly, that was more dangerous than Katya crying from grieving because as he sat on the couch opposite Anya, like it was normal, the psychos in the house shared different looks that screamed the same thing.

If Katya wasn’t going to fight...

They would fight on his behalf.

Rahim and Volkov, who had just arrived with Masha, stared at Katya softly, their eyes holding the same resolve that the rest of the people in the room shared.

It was dangerous.

It was insane.

But lines had been crossed that should never have been. And they would be damned if they let Katya suffer a second time.

"I’ll make popcorn," Masha volunteered.

"Thanks mama," Katya said simply.

Soon enough, the group found what they needed to do for the movie marathon. It was interesting how even the senator, the man who had barely survived this group, was sitting there with them, ready for whatever the day would bring.

But perhaps Katya was right.

Crying wouldn’t help this time.

So, while the movie played in one residence in the city of Frolo, and a father took care of his son who’d caught a slight cold for standing in the rain, devastated...

While the Romanov friends sent Sergei photos and videos of Katya throughout the movie day, and a different father walked through the senator’s residence to see for himself how his son was doing...

While an omega was done mourning that which he could never truly change, and his village did everything to make the day simpler and more exciting...

Frolo was more alive than ever.

The city was moving.

The city was bracing for impact.

Or maybe... they were trying to cushion themselves from the explosions that were bound to take them out.

The citizens of Frolo were hunting for evidence of what had been done to Katya. They were working together like it was the one time that they really needed to be allied.

Organizations, both good and insane, rallied to figure out who had hired the medical personnel who had ruined Katya’s life.

Maybe because, for all their research, the city’s belief was undeterred. They knew the Romanov omega held their fate in his hands.

The omega, who was having quite a relaxed day amid the pain that he had willed himself to move past and accept.

The prosecution had moved faster than ever in the history of Frolo because by the end of the day...

The Moskowsky legal team in the courthouse had received prosecution notes. Documents that practically begged the Moskowskys and Romanovs to come to court in three days.

Because the medics would be arraigned then.

"Let them wait. My Solnyshka is watching movies right now. If you interrupt him, I’ll have your head," Sergei texted his team back when they sent him the information by mail.

The legal team didn’t say anything else.

They waited.

Because where Katya was involved, the realm would forever hold its breath.

"He’ll forgive them, father," Yaroslav’s hoarse voice hit Sergei’s ears, right at the time a text chimed on Sergei’s phone.

"We’ll burn them all either way for making my son unhappy," Sergei said as he stared at his phone like he was seeing the impossible happen in real life.

"You look pale," Yaroslav noticed, and his father straightened up.

"Just Anya threatening to hunt us both down if we don’t tell her we’re okay," Sergei lied through his teeth.

Yaroslav chuckled, not catching the lie, while Sergei tapped on his phone pretending to type back.

When in truth, for the first time since morning, he wasn’t certain of a better answer to the text.

The text had come from his Solnyshka.

Katya never texted first, nor in all their interactions had he ever tried.

Yet today he had.

"I’m fine, don’t be worried, Vladimir. Eat all your meals and keep warm. It’s cold outside."

"Father..."

"I’ll make us food, son. Stay put," Sergei said as he hurried to the kitchen, leaving his son laughing lightly, probably because Yaroslav was thinking Anya had threatened to come over.

Had she, though?