Who: Vasily (Narrative) When: Friday 4/6 (backdated) Where: The Zoo Rating: Low (Warning, may get the feels)
The trip to the zoo may have sounded very elementary to most people, but for Vasily it was a way to connect and learn more forms. They started in the monkey's and while Vasily sat and watched select species for long stretches of time Michael managed to keep himself preoccupied. The animorph watched how the animals moved around their cages, interacted with each other and objects. He could feel his muscles twitching as he imagined how each form would feel. Being in public he couldn't change and the cuff on his wrist set to send a shock through his body if he tried didn't help either. After the monkeys they went to the bears and then the Savannah section with various deer like creatures. Anything he thought might be useful (or could be fun) he studied.
Then came the bird cages. He expected Michael to be wary about him learning more flying animals, but he didn't say anything as he studied the predator birds and actually encouraged him to go into the tropical bird aviary- despite Vasily not having any interest in them. He sighed, and entered the enclosure. All around him, he could hear the sounds of the birds singing. Then, he heard a familiar laughter. walking around the path he froze as he turned the corner and saw a woman helping a little boy feed the birds.
"Anechka... Dasha." He gasped. Vasily had asked, but he never intended to see his family. On the way to the zoo Michael had even dropped hints, he'd complimented the man on his previous mission. How not only had he managed to help rescue the kids, but he stopped a Super from torching his teammates and kept in control enough to aide in the assist of his capture.
The woman looked up and tears almost immediately came to her eyes. "Vasya?" The blonde little boy looked up and saw the man standing there and took off in a run toward him, forgetting all about the birds. "Papa!!!" He yelled as he practically leaped into the Russian's arms. Vasily buried his head in the kids hair as he tried to stop himself from crying.
The woman walked to up them and pulled him in into a kiss. "Vasya, we missed you so much." She said, speaking to him in Russian. The child nodded in agreement.
"I'm so sorry, they wouldn't let me..." He paused as his wife put a finger to his lips and shook her head, kissing him again. She took his hand and escorted him over to where they'd been. Out of the stroller she lifted something and he set his son Daniil down. She introduced the baby as Nika. Vasily's heart sank and leapt at the same time as he held the little girl. "Hello Nika. I'm your father." He told the baby as he started to cry. He looked at Annia, "I didn't know you were...
She shook her head. "I didn't either." She admitted standing close to him. "I found out shortly after you were taken." Annia stroked their child's head lovingly as he held her. "Does this mean you're...?"
Vasily lowered his head and shook his slowly. "I don't think so. But I'm going to keep working hard and earning privileges and maybe..." He paused, knowing the likelihood that he'd be able to see them again was remote. Even if he was the perfect agent, he could just imagine the strings Michael had to pull for this to happen. Maybe if the SEA had passed. Vasily rested his head on his wife's and closed his eyes, taking in her scent. Even though they'd had an understanding about his sexual preferences, he did love her dearly. "Have you eaten? Maybe we could get some food." The Russian glanced to Michael, asking the question again in English.
-------
For a moment, he felt like a real family. In the small zoo cafe, he just soaked in the time he had with his kids as much as he could. Fighting the impulse to try to short out his cuff and just run away with them. When his time was finally up, he said goodbye to Nika first. His heart ached that she probably would never really know who he was. Next was Annia as she pulled him into an embrace and stole a long kiss. As they parted she rested her forehead on his, "My Vasya." She whispered. "My friend forever. You will come back to me." He lifted his head and placed a kiss on her forehead before turning to their son.
Vasily crouched down and smiled weakly at the boy. "Dasha, I have to go now."
The little boy started to cry and shake his head. He ran at the Russian and clung to him tightly. "No Papa!" He cried, tears streaming down his face. "Stay! Papa, stay!"
Even the hardened criminal lost it to emotion once in a while. Tears fell from his eyes as he held his boy tightly. "I'm sorry Dasha, I have to go. I have work to do. I've an important job you know." He smelled the boys scent, trying to commit it to memory. He pushed the child away slightly, brushing his hand over his hair. "They need me at my work. I help save people."
The young boy sniffed, arms wiped at his face. "You... do?" He asked, taking a gasping breath between the words as he was trying himself breathless.
"I do." Vasily said, trying to smile despite the tears in his eyes. "I save kids, and grown ups and help take down bad people." He wasn't technically lying. "So you see, I want to stay-" His breath came a bit ragged as he managed to keep his composure. "I really, really do. But I need to go be a hero."
That seemed to work as Daniil grabbed his mothers hand and had stopped actively crying. "You hear that? Your Papa's a hero." Annia told the boy. "So when we watch the news we're going to try to see if we can figure out where he's helping okay?" The boy nodded.
Vasily stole one last kiss from each before he left. As he approached Michael he wiped his eyes and followed like a good agent to the vehicle waiting for them. Thankfully the other man gave him enough respect not to talk the ride back to Limbo.