Against All Odds: Epilogue
**_Against All Odds: Epilogue_** _(Alexei)_ "I have to say, your work is truly remarkable." "Oh." Alexei shuffled a few steps closer to the raised section of his workshop's compact display area. "Thank you for saying so." He beamed proudly,...
Against All Odds: Part 42 - Last Goodbyes
**_Part 42 - Last Goodbyes_** _(Nathan)_ "Lights off," Nathan commanded, stepping out from his apartment. He turned to look back through the doorway, looking upon his home of the past two years. It lied empty now; most of its contents sold to...
Against All Odds: Part 41 - Final Steps
**_Part 41 - Final Steps_** _(Alexei)_ _ _ Afflicted by a near-unscalable mountain of paperwork along with interview after long, tedious interview, it took until long after the first leaves of autumn had fallen for Alexei's departure day to finally...
Against All Odds: Part 40 - True Colours
**_Part 40 - True Colours_** _(Nathan)_ Nathan settled his head upon the sofa cushion, pulling his blanket up over himself just like he had done countless times already that weekend. Television images flashed non-descript in the hazy periphery of...
Against All Odds: Part 39 - The Extrication of Alexei Korolev
**_Part 39 - The Extrication of Alexei Korolev_** _(Alexei)_ Cooking, cleaning and another stint of gardening: they all kept Alexei busy around the house the day after his difficult discussion with Nate. A decent night's sleep helped to ease his...
Against All Odds: Part 38 - Release
**_Part 38 - Release_** _(Nathan)_ ** ** The black window that replaced Alexei's image sat imposingly in the centre of Nathan's screen, mirroring the emptiness left deep inside of him. He sat unmoving in his chair, reeling from the force of the...
Against All Odds: Part 37 - Currents
**_Part 37 - Currents_** _(Alexei)_ Tiredness, mental as much as physical, took ahold of Alexei long before those final few paces towards home. He followed his grandfather up the front path, the surrounding plants and shrubbery far neater since...
Against All Odds: Part 36 - Lifeline
**_Part 36 - Lifeline_** _(Nathan)_ "Yet another day of _this_," Nathan moaned, glaring hatefully at the ever-increasing list of unread emails. "I'm so over it now." He flopped back in his office chair, rapidly losing focus on the work task at...
Against All Odds: Part 35 - Fracture
_ _ **_Part 35 - Fracture_** _(Alexei)_ "Good gods," Nathan gasped, his voice exiting Alexei's headset via the old computer he'd set up in the corner of his sparsely furnished, green-walled bedroom. "You should see this." "What?" "A video I've...
Against All Odds: Part 34 - Rumbled
**_Part 34 - Rumbled_** _(Nathan)_ If spending Sunday in solitude anticipating his first day back to work had dragged Nathan's mood down, arriving at his desk on Monday morning plain caused it to plummet. He forewent the opportunity to head in...
Against All Odds: Part 33 - Reverie
**_Part 33 - Reverie_** _(Alexei)_ "We're almost there!" Alexei boomed out a laugh, eyes fixed upon the little husky straddling his muzzle. "Can you see anyone yet?" He kept his form gentle, wary of dislodging Nathan during the swim across the...
Against All Odds: Part 32 - Distances
**_Part 32 - Distances_** _(Nathan)_ At times, it felt as if the twelve hour trip back to Polcia would never end. A slow, rocky ferry and an uncomfortably long flight sat separated by a two hour layover in Bolstrovo; something that did little to...