Nina starts her own tears flowing.but quickly stops,to at least look strong for her husband. She holds him close. "Love...I...just don't know. Why...how could anyone want to hurt her?" She says overly calm t compensate fr how she feels.

" I know,love. The not knowing is driving me mad. I'd rather just know if...if...she's dead or not." Nina finally blurts out. " at least then we'd bloody know and not be in this fucking limbo. If she is still alive,I don't even want think about what she's been though." Nina starts panicking. " nobody kidnaps for a fucking tea party!" Nina starts sobbing heavily as her emotional dam has broke.

Nina tries to quit crying,but can't. " promise you won't let anyone take me,castor. Promise,please." She says quietly to him,while holding him tightly.

"I love you castor.i love you so so much" she says I. A broken voice. " why can't they find her? " she says her voice muffled in his shoulder.

Ada wakes up and goes out on the balcony, bringing her cigarettes and a bottle of vodka with her, the strain of all of this finally getting to her.

"I am still alive," Ada concludes, taking another swig out of the vodka bottle. "What about you? Is your heart still beating?"

erica returns from the club. she is drunk as fuck,covered in glitter,and singing "white lines". nina greets her at the door and takes her to the balcony. being that she is much taller than erica,it's nothing to take her by the elbow and chuck her outside. nina closes the door behind her.

"erica,you cant come to my house like....this." nina hisses and gestures to erica's current state. erica is leaning against the balcony's rail.hanging on for dear life,in case she falls. "would you like to explain to virginia what's wrong with aunt erica?" nina asks,shaking her head.

erica gives into gravity and lets herself slide to a sitting position.she shakes her head slowly. "does it fucking matter,nina? she's fucking dead.i know it."

nina looks aghast. "virginia is not,love! i just checked on her." she says soothingly.

"oh...no.i meant nichole." erica says drunkenly."my friend is dead,nina...and there is nothing i can do." erica looks down at herself. "all this money,all this...it means dick.i cant even help my friend.she's out there in fucking pieces and i cant help her." erica starts to cry."i cant help her,nina." she says slightly louder.


nina puts on her best brave face. "you dont know that,love. she could be fine" she says helplessly.

"really? how many crazy people treat their kidnap victims like honored guests? this bastard probably raped her six ways from sunday before fucking eating her or something." erica trys to get up,but the evenings festivities overwhelm her human locomotion.

for a second,it looks as if nina is going to slap some sense into erica. instead,she sits down beside erica and holds her. around her friend of nearly 2 decades,nina takes the brave face off. "i know,love..but you cant say it. castor is barely hanging on as is,and if virginia was to hear what you said...." nina trails off slightly. " believe me....i'm already preparing for the worst.i have to hold my family together,no matter what happens."

erica looks at her shoes,which to her,seem miles away. "its not going to be ok...is it?" erica says in a small voice.

nina doesnt answer,she just holds erica tightly. not that it matters,as erica passes out shortly after speaking. nina sighs and picks the tiny form of erica up. "god damn,you are tiny." she whispers as she carries her to she and natalya's room. nina puts erica in bed with natalya. she removes erica's shoes and socks before covering her up.
nina kisses erica's forehead before leaving. oddly missing the relationship they once had for the first time.nina shakes the memory from her head and leaves.

"Mmmm" nina says softly before opening her eyes. "Thats how i like Being woken up." She turns and wraps her arms around castor. "I Love you."

Nina smiles and runs her fingers through castors hair. "you make me the happiest woman In the world." She kisses his shoulder. Thoroughly enjoying the time that is Just theirs.

Nina smiles at castor and moves to lay on top of him.she puts her head on his chest. " of course,love.i know how much she means to you,to Virginia. I know you'd be supportive of me if Erica went missing."