Chapter 7: Breaking & Entering

Never in her wildest dreams, did Dorthey Zara consider returning to her childhood home.

And yet, here she was. Standing at the front gates of Zara manor; Dorthey didn't know if it was the cool night air of St. Petersburg sending chills up her spine, or the possibility of seeing her mother again was just that frightening.

"So," Sam began, his voice quiet, "You actually grew up here?"

Dorthey nodded, taking a deep breath, the corners of her mouth tilted up slightly.

"Sometimes, I find it difficult to believe myself." She said with a light chuckle.

Sam continued to stare at her family home, shaking his head a little, "Wow..."

Dorthey didn't have to ask him about his reaction, based on information Sully had told her about Nathen Drake over the years, Dorthey knew that the Drake brothers spent most of their childhood in an orphanage. A stark comparison to the type of upbringing Dorthey lived.

Taking a deep breath, Dorthey reached down, picking up a worn-down backpack. She had obtained it, along with a pair of baggy jeans, old work boots, and an oversized flannel shirt Sully had on his plane for her to change into. Sam wore a similar get-up, only he didn't have to roll his pants up several times, so he didn't trip on them.

Swing the pack on her shoulder, Dorthey nudged Sam, getting his attention.

"Shall we get a closer look?"

Sam waved his hand forward, "Lead the way, Dot."

Walking along the fence, Dorthey began to feel a case of déjà vu. On more than one occasion, Dorthey had snuck out of her house many of times during her adolescence, mostly as an act of defiance against her mother, but also because she wanted to see if she could get away with it. Turns out, Dorthey had a knack for it.

Rounding the corner of the fence, the structure became stone, which wrapped around the sides and back of the grounds. Dorthey kept walking ahead, her eyes spotting an old tree in the back corner of the yard. As the two thieves approached it, Dorthey pressed a finger to her earpiece.

"Sully? Can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Dorthey." Sully answered.

Dorthey stopped at the tree, looking up at it with familiarity, "Just wanted to give you a heads up before we head in."

"You sure about this, Dorthey?" Sully asked, sounding concerned, "After all, isn't breaking into your own home a little, well…unnecessarily?"

Dorthey had thought that too. At some point on the flight over, Dorthey had woken up and joined Sully; together, the two began to discuss possible solutions to gaining her grandfather's research. Dorthey had thought long and hard about simply knocking on the door and facing her mother. However, dealing with her seemed to be more work than sneaking in.

Sam immediately volunteered to join Dorthey, a suggestion that Dorthey couldn't help but agree with. After his help in escaping Monaco, Sam had shown Dorthey his capability in this job, and Dorthey knew it would be ridiculous to say otherwise against him. Besides, Sully, bless his heart, was not exactly built for the 'heavy-lifting' anymore, and preferred to stay back as backup.

And now, as she kept her gaze fixed on the tree above her, Dorthey knew this was the best possible option. Reckless? Maybe so; but Dorthey preferred it to dealing with whatever wicked tricks her mother would have up her sleeve.

"Don't worry, Sully. I'm doing my mother a favor by not speaking to her."

Over the connection, Dorthey heard Sully sigh, "Alright, just be careful. You too, Sam."

"I'm always careful." Sam said, earning a chuckle from both Sully and Dorthey, "I don't get it, why are you two laughing?"

"Keep an eye on him for me, okay Dorthey."

Dorthey met Sam's eyes and smiled, "Will do, see you soon."

"Hope so, Kid."

Once Sully had gone silent, Dorthey gestured at Sam, "Wanna give me a boost?"

Obeying, Sam walked over to the wall, cupping his hands against his leg. Placing her foot in the palm of his hands, Dorthey let her hands grip Sam's shoulders before he pushed her body up, allowing her to pull herself atop of the stone wall.

Kneeling on the stone structure, Dorthey reached her hand down to Sam, "Okay, you're next."

Taking a few steps back, Sam jogged towards Dorthey before leaping and getting a firm grasp on her hand. Dorthey felt her body pulled forward slightly at the weight of him; she found herself needing both of her hands to pull the Drake brother up and onto the top of the wall.

"You're a lot heavier than you look." Dorthey said, as she clenched and unclenched her hands, hoping to stretch them out.

Sam raised a brow at Dorthey, "Are you calling me fat?"

Dorthey scoffed at Sam ridiculously over the top statement, a reaction that caused Sam to place a hand over his heart. He was going to be the death of her.

Rolling her eyes at him, Dorthey stood up carefully, "Quit goofing off, we need to be quiet from here forward."

Sam chuckled, standing up next to her, "Yes, ma'am."

Dorthey looked up at the tree, her eyes following the branches that lead all the way to a large window; her old bedroom window, to be specific. Dorthey couldn't help but feel her stomach knot up at the thought of what she would find inside. Knowing her mother, Dorthey figured her room would now be nothing more than a space for storage of unnecessary things. Dorthey's room was the only sanctuary she had when she was home from school, it would make since for her mother to take that away from her too. Sure, she didn't need her room now, but the thought of all her former possessions being gone felt like a twisting knife in Dorthey's side.

Returning her gaze to the branches, Dorthey jumped up, slowly pulling her body up onto the branch. It was at this moment Sam decided to chuckle to himself.

"What's so funny now?" Dorthey asked, pulling her body steadily on the branch.

"Oh nothing, just enjoying the view is all…." Sam murmured, his voice trailing off at the end of his statement.

Dorthey scoffed, "Are you always like this?"

"What?" Sam said, innocently, "Charming? Humorous? Delightful?"

"Vexing?" Dorthey suggested, glaring at Sam.

Sam laughed, a deep sound that came from his chest, "Vexing, I like that."

"Of course, he does…" Dorthey thought to herself with a quiet groan.

"Come on now, Dot," Sam said, a smile in his voice, "Admit it, you enjoy my company. I'm quite the catch, you know."

"Uh huh," Dorthey said, her voice deadpanned, "Look 'Mr. Catch', if you're done staring at my ass, get yours up here already."

Dorthey began moving forward, until she realized Sam had yet to follow her up.

"Sam…" She warned.

"What? You said when I was done…."

Based on the absolute look of murder in Dorthey's eyes, Sam quickly shut his mouth and climbed up the tree. Once he was up, Dorthey again began her movements forward, slowly, inch by inch. All the while, keeping a steady grip on the branches above her.

And she probably would have continued at that pace, until she felt Sam's breath on the back of her neck.

Dorthey stopped, causing Sam's chest to bump into her back.

"What the hold up, Dot?" Sam whispered.

Craning her neck to look back at him, Dorthey found she had to take a step back, so her face didn't hit Sam's.

"Do you have to walk so closely behind me? I can feel you breathing down my neck!" Dorthey hissed as quietly as she could.

"No," Sam said, shaking his head before a small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, "Why? Does it bother you?"

There he went, teasing her again. But Dorthey wasn't about to let Sam get under her skin.

"Just don't walk so close behind me." Dorthey murmured, before walking again.

Sam sighed, and Dorthey felt it.

"I wouldn't have to if someone walked a little faster."

Dorthey didn't stop, but talked as she walked, "Not all of us expert climbers, Sam."

"Eh, you're learning."

Dorthey looked back at Sam, a small smile gracing her face at his words.

"A little slow maybe, but learning."

And the smile was gone.

Dorthey turned back, finally reaching her window, "Just keep you voice down, okay? We can't wake anyone up inside."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Sam says, his voice sounding slightly annoyed, much to Dorthey's dismay.

Taking a deep breath, Dorthey silently prayed this would go well. Taking a final breath, Dorthey swung her body down, before her boots made touchdown with the edge of her old windowsill. Reaching into her back pocket, Dorthey pulled out an old lockpicking kit Sully had. Peaking into the room, Dorthey was only met by her own reflection in the darkness beyond the window. It would seem the whereabouts of her personal belongings would have to remain a surprise a few moments more.

"How's it goin' over there, Dot?"

Looking back at Sam, Dorthey had to suppress a giggle at his current state. Arms out from his sides, trying his best to keep his balance, Sam teetered along the branch in waiting. Oh, did Dorthey wish she had a camera right then.

"I'm glad you find this funny." Sam grumbled.

Opening the kit, Dorthey began to work her magic, "I'm glad too."

"You're a cruel thing, you know that?" Sam mumbled.

Dorthey wasn't sure if he intended for her to hear that or not; but something in Sam's voice told her that he had just spoke his thoughts without realizing it.

On cue, Dorthey heard a faint 'click' as the lock unlatched from the window. And it was on that cue that Dorthey found her heart stopping. This was it, no more surprises, her past was about to meet her present.

Gently, Dorthey Zara opened the window, and came home.

They say one's first steps are the hardest to take. And in that moment, Dorthey found her first steps into her bedroom window in twenty years was the hardest ever.

Swinging her legs inside, Dorthey was pleasantly surprised to find her old couch was still there to greet her feet. And upon further entry, she also found a bit of dust waiting to greet her too.

"No way…." Dorthey whispered, as she stood in the center of her room.

Nothing, absolutely nothing had changed.

It was all there, everything from her bookshelf, to her old dinosaur of a desktop computer, to even the electric guitar her aunt got her for her sixteenth birthday, complete with a broken string and all.

It was all the same, and Dorthey found her eyes tearing up at the sight of it.

"So, this is where teenage Dorthey spent all her time."

Dorthey hoped Sam didn't noticed how she'd jumped at his sound of entry. Hastily, she wiped away the few tears that managed to escape her and turned to find Sam staring at her old guitar.

"Well, what do we have here?" Sam asked with a chuckle, "You any good, Dot?"

She had been; at one point in time, Dorthey would practice every night. Her favorite to play was U2, band of her first celebrity crush, Bono. She couldn't remember how many time she danced around her room to "The Refugee" with her mother outside her room, pounding on her door telling her to turn her music down.

"I haven't played in years, I'm probably no better now than I was before I got the thing." Dorthey answered, walking deeper into her room. As she did more details began to come out from the shadows.

Her old posters hanged in their rightful crooked place on the walls, along with a few framed photos of the small amount of people she got along with here. Dorthey allowed herself to briefly notice one particular image, it was of her and her grandfather, taken when she was just six years old. In it, Dorthey sat on a work table in her grandfather's office, surrounded by various maps and large half covered canvases. Her grandfather, Domenik, stood neck to her; a pair of specs on his face. Her memory of that day was a little hazy, but Dorthey remember he had been working on restoring a few paintings; while doing so, he had been explaining everything he did to Dorthey, as she would constantly insist she help him with his work.

Dorthey forced her eyes to shift away from the photo. Now was not the time for reminiscing; now was the time for her to get to work.

"Holy shit…"

Turning around, Dorthey's eyes widen at the sight of Sam standing next to a now open drawn, a small glittering bracelet in his grasp.

"Don't tell these are real, Dot." Sam gasped, eyes locked on the shining jewels.

Rushing over, Dorthey snatched the bracelet out of Sam's hands, setting it back down in the drawer, along with a few other sparkling pieces.

"They're not mine." Dorthey whispered, shutting the drawer quietly.

"They're in your room." Sam pointed out, arms crossed over his chest.

Glancing over her shoulder, Dorthey answered Sam.

"They're my grandmother's; something she insisted that would make me more presentable at one of her parties."

"Oh…" Sam said, his voice growing quiet as Dorthey pushed past him and towards her bedroom door.

Pushing her ear against the wood, Dorthey listened for any sounds of life coming from the other side. When none could be heard, she motioned for Sam to join her.

"The coast is clear; my grandfather's office is on the opposite end of the hall. We need to be quick."

Sam nodded, "You know the place, Dot; lead the way."

That she did; despite not having step foot in this place for twenty years, Dorthey knew these halls like that back of her hand. If you asked her to, she would be able to draw the blueprints of the home on the back on a napkin.

Slowly, Dorthey twisted the door knob, and gently pulled the door open. Thankfully, the door had not made the slightest of squeaks, opening for her as silent as the rest of the manor.

Stepping out into the large hall, Dorthey quickly through herself against the indent of her room's entrance and gazed over her shoulder. The hall was empty, the row of chandeliers above not even lit.

"Wow…." Dorthey heard Sam breath out; she threw him a disapproving look at the noise he was making.

Sam shrugged, mouthing a 'sorry' towards Dorthey, before silently shutting the door behind him. Moving from her place against the wall, Dorthey nodded her head to the side.

"This way." She whispered, as she walked ahead.

As they moved silently, Sam on her right side, Dorthey observed the place she once called home.

Zara manor had been in the family for many generations. It was probably one of the oldest buildings in St. Petersburg, and boy did it show. Everything in the architecture screamed 18th century Russia. From the soaring high ceilings, to the style of molding along the pale blue walls. The manor, built during the reign of Empress Anna Ioannovna, was rumored to have been built from a discarded design of Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, the famous architect behind the even more famous Winter Palace, home of Romanovs. But that was only a rumor, and near impossible for Dorthey's family to prove.

However, based on recent knowledge of her grandfather's discovery, Dorthey wondered if there was any truth to that rumor.

Hastily, Dorthey and Sam made it across the hall and in front of a pair of frosted glass doors, the entrance to her grandfather's office. Reaching her hand out, Dorthey attempted to open the doors.

"Shit," Dorthey hissed, taking a step back, "Doors are locked."

"You sure?" Sam asked, earning a 'what do you think' look from Dorthey.

"Right, stupid question," Sam said quietly, "What now? Can you pick it?"

Squatting down, Dorthey narrowed her eyes, examining the lock.

"Well?" Sam prodded.

Dorthey sighed, shaking her head as she rose to her feet, "Its an electronic lock, must've been recently installed."

"So, how do we get in now, Dot?" Sam asked, placing his hands on his hips.

But Dorthey didn't answer him, she was already a step ahead in her thoughts. As her mind began to race, Dorthey's feet moved against her, as she began to pace back and forth. Whenever presented with a challenge, Dorthey often found pacing to be her coping mechanism, helping her stay calm to reach a solution.

"Um, Dot?"

Dorthey didn't hear Sam speak, she keep thinking, her mind search for the solution she needed.

"Dot?" Sam hissed.

"Shhh," Dorthey scolded, still not looking at Sam, "I'm trying to thin-"

"No, Dot!" Sam said, suddenly placing his hands on her shoulders and dragging her off to the side, "You need to move, like now!"

Dorthey was about to hiss at Sam for interrupting her thought process, until she glanced over his shoulder and noticed a small light shining in the distance.

That snapped her out of it, "Shit! Follow me!"

Grabbing his hand, Dorthey and Sam rounded the nearby corner before stopping in front of a small door.

Opening it, Dorthey practically shoved Sam inside, "In here, now!"

Squeezing inside the closet, Dorthey made sure Sam was fully in before tossing her backpack at him and forcing herself inside. As she shut the door, Dorthey realized how cramped it was inside; she also noticed how her body currently was pressed up against Sam's, the warmth of his chest radiating onto her back.

Trying to keep her breathing to a minimum, Dorthey took slow, deep breaths, in and out. And she was doing well at it too, until she heard voices approaching her and Sam's current hiding spot.

Out of instinct, Dorthey twisted her head to the right, and listened.

"Come now," The feminine voice sounded, "It's way past your bedtime."

Dorthey stopped breathing then, she recognized that voice, and immediately felt its sound tug on her heartstrings.

"Sascha…" She whispered, just as Sam shifted behind her.

"Your aunt?" Sam whispered back, his voice directly in Dorthey's ear.

Dorthey nodded, causing her ponytail to swat at Sam's face, earning a quiet and rather irritated groan from the latter.

Dorthey was about to scold him, before her aunt's voice echoed again.

"Now remember," Sascha said, her voice coming just from around the corner, "What was the rule about tonight?"

The next voice to follow, almost made Dorthey's heart stop.

"Don't tell Grandmother!" giggled a small voice, followed by the equally childlike sounding laugh.

"That's right," Sascha said, her voice now directly outside the closet, "You three must promise me that this little movie night of ours, stays between us. Понял?"

"Yes, Mother." answer three small voices, all of whom brought their own tear to Dorthey's eyes.

"Alright, now to bed, all of us."

It was a few minutes later, when Dorthey was sure that her aunt and the others had gone to their respected rooms for the night, did the two thieves exit their hiding spot and into the hall once more.

As she stepped into the center of the hall, Dorthey couldn't help but let her eyes follow the steps her aunt had taken, her eyes watering as she did so.

"Hey," Sam said, brushing her shoulder from behind her, "You okay there, Dot?"

Dorthey eyes began to focus on nothing in particular as she spoke.

"She had kids," Dorthey stated, "I knew she was engaged when I left, and I heard she gotten married, but…."

Sam's grip on her shoulder tighten briefly in a comforting squeeze, prompting her to continue.

"I didn't know she had kids," Dorthey said weakly, a small smile appearing on her face, "Cousins, I have cousins."

Dorthey had grown up being the only child in the Zara family; and through that time, when her mother wouldn't care for her, and her grandfather was busy with his work, it was Sascha who cared for the young Dorthea, often being her friend first, and her aunt second.

"Dot…" Sam said, his voice dropping into that sympathetic tone she had heard not so long ago in Monaco.

It was enough to wake Dorthey out of her trance. Shrugging off Sam's hold on her shoulder, Dorthey took a step forward, rubbing away her tears with her sleeve.

"I'm sorry," Dorthey said suddenly, surprising Sam with her words, "I didn't think she still lived here."

"Your aunt, you mean?" Sam asked curiously.

Dorthey sighed and nodded, "Last time I was here, she was engaged to some British business tycoon; a nice guy, from what I gathered. Certainly, a breath of fresh air from this house. Just before I ran away, she'd already was packing up all her things to move to England with him, I guess I was just shocked to see her that I-"

Dorthey stopped, as an idea popped into her head.

"Of course," Dorthey said quietly, a small laugh leaving her lips, "That's it."

Sam, who stood holding Dorthey's backpack, raised a brow at her, "What are you talking about?"

"It's so obvious, why didn't I think of it earlier…" Dorthey exclaimed, walking passed Sam, taking her pack out of Sam's hands and swinging it over her shoulder.

"What's obvious?" Sam hissed, trailing behind Dorthey as she headed towards the direction of her grandfather's office.

"My aunt," Dorthey explained, "What she said earlier, to not tell my grandmother about the movie night; when I was a child, Sascha would often sneak friends of hers inside the manor. To do this, she would have to shut down part of the security system; everything from lights, cameras-"

"Locks?" Sam finished, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips.

Dorthey smiled, walking towards the grand staircase, "Exactly."

Sam chuckled quietly, "So, we find this security system and shut down the locks?"

"It's a little more complicated then that." Dorthey said, causing Sam to scoff.

"Oh come, Dot. How hard can it be?"

"This is the dumbest, most ridiculous machine I've ever seen."

Dorthey didn't fight it and allowed her eyes to roll at Sam and his remark.

"You only say that because you don't understand how it works." Dorthey pointed out, as she began to suss out the situation.

"Yeah, well..." Sam replied, trying to think of a comeback, "Computers are your department, right? You got this, so I don't have to."

"Wow," Dorthey said sarcastically, "You come up with that one all on your own?"

"Can it, Zara." Sam growled, causing Dorthey to grin as continued to look through the security system.

Things had certainly changed around here when it came to the internals of the place. It would seem someone had payed no expense when it came to security of Zara Manor. The system had three different levels of security that could be applied at any moment; including the unnerving 'maximum' security option, complete with, what appeared to Dorthey as laser-light security just like the ones seen in old Hollywood movies.

Currently, the manor's security was set at the minimum level. Things like the front gate cameras, to various security locks inside were all that operated now. Hacking into the system wouldn't be too hard for Dorthey to accomplish. But shutting off just one lock…

"What is it?" Sam asked, noticing a change in Dorthey's demeanor.

Dorthey sighed, "I got good news and bad news."

"Well don't keep me in suspense here, Dot."

"Good news is, I should be able to unlock the door to my grandfather's office."

Sam nodded, "Well, that's good, right? What the problem?"

"The bad news," Dorthey said, "Is that we only have a limited amount of time to do so. Once I hack in, the system will be in sleep mode for about twenty minutes, allow us access into the office."

"So how is that bad news?" Sam questioned, not fully understanding.

"We only have twenty minutes. Once those are up, the door will lock again, and we will be trapped inside."

Sam thought about that, "Exit through the window?"

Dorthey shook her head, "No; none of the windows in my grandfather's office can be opened."

Sam was about to say something else, but Dorthey beat him to it.

"We are not smashing open any windows in my grandfather's office."

"Okay," Sam murmured, shutting his mouth for another moment before speaking, "So someone has to keep track of the time, while the other goes and searches for your grandfather's research."

Dorthey looked at Sam, a sympathetic smile on her face.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'll stay here while you head up and search."

Dorthey raised her eyebrows at Sam, "You sure you're up to it?"

Sam chuckled, "Look here, Dot. I know I'm not exactly as tach-savvy as you are, but I am capable of learning."

Dorthey crossed her arms, "As I recall, a few moments ago you stated that computers were my department, right? Something like 'you got this, so I don't' have to'?"

"Hey, what's in the past is in the past," Sam stammered, "Let bygones be bygones, and all that. Just tell me what I need to do, and I'll do it."

Dorthey couldn't help but smile at Sam's clear avoidance of his earlier remark, "Okay, don't worry, it'll be very simple, all you'll have to do is keep me informed on the amount of time I have left, from the countdown on the display screen."

Sam nodded to himself, "Seems straightforward."

And it would be; as Dorthey began working her magic, she found her family's security system was hopelessly easy to hack into. It was like picking an actual lock; it took a little time, but with little effort, Dorthey was in, and all the controls over the manor's security was at her fingertips.

"You're pretty good at this, Dot," Sam said, impressed at Dorthey's actions, "Where did you learn to do this sort of thing?"

A certain man's face flashed in the back on Dorthey mind, "An old boyfriend," She stated, "From the states."

"Old boyfriend, huh?" Sam whispered, to which Dorthey looked back at Sam with surprise.

"You're not jealous, are you Samuel Drake?" Dorthey teased.

Sam made a 'pffff' sound, along with a muttering of the word 'jealous', under his breath as if it were a joke.

Dorthey smiled, returning her attention to the screen, "Don't worry Sam, I haven't seen Zechariah in over ten years."

"Bad breakup?" Sam asked, his voice sounding hopeful.

"Nah," Dorthey said, as she keyed in the code to bring up the office door, "Let's just say it was an occupational hazard."

And with the tap of the enter key, Dorthey was in.

"Alright Sam," Dorthey said, as she stood up from her seat, "Timer's all yours, keep your communication device on and give me a heads up on the time."

"Aye aye, captain." Sam replied, taking Dorthey's seat as his own as she ran up the stairs to her grandfather's office.

Dorthey wasn't sure how she was supposed to be feeling right now.

As she stood in front of those frosted glass doors, Dorthey began to wonder how many time did she exactly stand in this very same spot. How much of her time, of her life, did she spend waiting before these very glass doors? Dorthey couldn't be sure.

Taking a deep breath, Dorthey placed her hand on the door handle, before slowly clicking it open and pushing the sliding door open.

Looking inside, Dorthey felt as if she was looking at the ghost of a room.

Closing the door behind her, Dorthey wasted no time in walking into the center of the space. Without Domenik's presence, her grandfather's office felt like the shell of what it once was. When she was a child, Dorthey always thought that her grandfather's office was the closet thing to Santa's workshop she would ever see. Paintings, and various other artifacts would be scattered across the area; when he wasn't feeding his obsession with the Romanovs, Dorthey would find her grandfather deep in his work of restoration of multiple Russia based art.

"Life imitates art…" Dorthey whispered with a smile; a common saying her grandfather would restate every time she asked him why he did what he did.

"Life imitates art, my Dorthea. It teaches us about life in the past. Before the photograph, paint was used to create still image of life. That is why I do what I do, Dorthea. That is why it's important."

The wisdom of her grandfather's words echoed in her brain as she moved closer to his work desk. Atop of a short set of stairs, the large class examination table, which was once the messiest surface Dorthey had ever seen, was now a neat display of various files and framed photographs that were covered with a thin layer of dust.

Dorthey would have laughed at her grandfather's expression if he could see his work space now; he would be nothing short of horrified at its appearance.

Standing at his desk, Dorthey grabbed the stack of files on the surface and began to rummage through its contents. For the most part, Dorthey found only various business papers and records of his past job. Absolutely nothing about Anastasia nor the rest of the Romanov family could be found.

"Yeah, that would be too easy." Dorthey mumbled as she placed the files back in their neat stack.

Moving on, Dorthey began to open a few of the drawers only to come up empty handed in her searches.

"Dammit!" Dorthey hissed through her teeth, hands resting on the top of her head and she took a deep breath.

"Such language from such a noble lady, say do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"

Sam; Dorthey sighed before answering him.

"How much time do I have left?"

Sam gave her a sigh of his own, "Not in the joking mood I see, well you're down five minutes, Dot; fifteen left to go."

Perfect.

"Thanks, Sam. Keep me posted at ten."

"Whatever you say, Dot. You're wish is my command."

Dorthey could have gagged, "Don't be cute."

A pause, "You think I'm cute?"

"Shut up."

A dark chuckle, "Fourteen minutes, Dot."

Cocky sonofabitch.

Removing Sam from her thoughts, Dorthey continued her survey of the office space. She searched through the cabinets, examined the bookshelves, to even looking under various furniture in search of hidden documents. But Dorthey only grew more and more frustrated as she turned up empty handed.

Dorthey's heart began to sink at the dreadful possibility. What if her grandmother and mother destroyed her grandfather's work? Or worse, sold it off like some common paint of his?

No; no, they wouldn't do that. Domenik's work, no matter the kind, was worth too much to do that. But that didn't help make Dorthey feel any better, nor did it bring her any closer to finding Domenik's research.

Feeling down, Dorthey pressed a finger to her ear, "Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"How long do I have?"

"Ten minutes, Dot."

Groaning, Dorthey found herself sitting at her grandfather's chair. Perhaps having her grandfather's research simply inside a drawer for her to find, was just too good to be true. And Dorthey was ready to accept that fact, until something caught her attention across the room.

Walking down the short steps, and over towards a large leather couch, Dorthey noticed a device that simply didn't belong in her grandfather's office.

An old laptop, circa 1991; the same year of her grandfather's death.

Dorthey gasped at the sight of such a piece of technology; to much of Dorthey's knowledge, she didn't think her grandfather found use in computers, let alone owned one.

Without thinking into, Dorthey opened the laptop and booted it up. It took a while, but when the blue screen flashed before her eyes, Dorthey was confronted with her next challenge, a password.

Dorthey sighed, nothing about this job would be easy.

Unlike most computers Dorthey worked with, a laptop this old would have nothing for her tot truly hack into. A password would be her only option.

Now, Domenik Zara was clever; Dorthey knew if this laptop was for her, to help her in completing her grandfather's work, then her grandfather would have made the password relate to something Dorthey would know. But the question is, what would that be?

Dorthey allowed her fingers to work themselves and typed in her first attempt 'Romanov'.

The flash of the word 'incorrect' on the screen made Dorthey physically flinch at its appearance. Rolling out her neck, Dorthey tried again, this time typing the words, 'Life Imitates Art'. Again, that red colored 'incorrect' appeared as if to taunt Dorthey from her work.

Dorthey tried to remember Domenik's exact words to her in his will.

The tiara is the key, Dorthea. Find the tiara, keep it safe. Do this for me.

The tiara is the key.

Dorthey eyes widen at her thoughts, as she rapidly typed in a password.

"The tiara is the key…" Dorthey whispered, just as she pressed down on the enter key.

And just like that, Dorthey was in.

There wasn't much to be found on the laptop; the main object that caught Dorthey attention, was a file directly address to her, under her former name, Dorthea.

Clicking on the file, a letter address to Dorthey herself appeared. And as quickly as she could, Dorthey read every single word.

My dearest Dorthea,

My time has come; my sickness has worsened. I leave this life in comfort, knowing that you will finish what I started. I purchased this device because I know that only you would know how to operate it, or at least bother to learn. You may be wondering why, why I have chosen you as the heir to the Zara family. I am not as naive as you may believe, Dorthea. I know life has been difficult for you; I feel that I am partially to blame for that. Your mother, my Tatiana, was raised under impossible pressures, that lead her in need of a release. And after one night of misbehavior, she found out she was pregnant with you.

I cannot say I wasn't disappointed by this news at first. After all, up until that night, your mother would have never behaved like she did. But from the moment I saw you, when I looked into your eyes, I found I was staring at the eyes of a true Zara; one who would bring greatness back to our name and glory to themselves. You, my Dorthea, are more of a Zara than anyone in our dysfunctional family. It is you who will save our reputation.

If you're reading this letter, then you already know what you must do. If you find yourself standing in front of my bookshelf, you'll find a book titled "The Key to Love". Inside you will find a key, this will unlock a safe deposit box I've left for you in the hands of Pietro Minsky. There I've placed the most sensitive of my research. The other half, you will find has been transferred on to this computer by my personal assistant. I hope the knowledge that I give you, Dorthea, will be enough for you to solve the mystery, and discover what really happen to young Anastasia.

This, if my gift to you,

With greatest of love, you grandfather,

-Domenik Zara

Dorthey couldn't believe what she just read; she was stunned at her grandfather's words. So much so, that it wasn't until Sam's voice echoed in her ear, that Dorthey was released from her trance.

"Dot, you got three minutes left; did you find anything?"

"I did," Dorthey breathed out, as she quickly shut down the laptop, before gently placing it in her backpack, "And I'm about to find a lot more."

"You got the research?" Sam asked.

Walking over to the large bookshelf, Dorthey's eyes gracefully investigate each and every title, until her eyes stumbled upon what she was looking for.

Pulling out the book, who's official title was "The Key to Love: A Collection of Romantic Poetry", Dorthey couldn't help but laugh. Knowing her grandfather's distaste for works of poetry, in seemed fitting that the only book of poems he owned, was a hollowed-out decoy.

Pulling out the key, which was connected to a long chain, Dorthey replied, "We have everything we need."

On the other end, Dorthey could hear Sam let out a breath in relief, "That's good to hear, Dot, cause you've got less than a minute to get yourself out of there."

Looping the key safety around her neck, Dorthey put the book back in his place, before making it to the door. Sliding it open once again, Dorthey took one final glance at her surroundings, before shutting the door closed.

"No, no, don't thank me," Sam said as Dorthey returned to the first level, "I love being a personal stop watch."

Dorthey, for what felt like that millionth time, rolled her eyes at Sam, "You can quit you're complaining, Sam. From here on out we are going to be on the road to success."

"Uh huh," Sam said, "And it wouldn't have anything to do with that, now would it?" He finished, pointing at the key around Dorthey's neck.

Glancing at the key herself, Dorthey smiled, "I'll explain it all once we get out, long story short, my grandfather split up his research, a portion of it is in my bag, the other half though we need to get elsewhere."

"Please tell me this 'elsewhere' is not in another time zone."

Dorthey shook her head, "Nope; in fact, its right in town. Turns out, my grandfather left me a safe deposit box," Dorthey reached for the key, holding it up to Sam, "This key will unlock it."

A smile, one that Dorthey could only place as excitement, washed over Sam. Suddenly, he reached out and picked up Dorthey, spinning her around in a circle.

"We're gonna do this, Dot!" He said with actual glee, "We're gonna beat that Petrov at his own game, and take that treasure for ourselves!"

Despite herself, Dorthey allowed her emotions to surface, and partake in Sam's joy, "You're ridiculous, you know that?"

Sam stopped spinning, but kept his hold on Dorthey, "Maybe so," he said, "But you're that one who actually had to breaking into your own home. Don't you own the place, or something?"

Dorthey sighed, signaling for Sam to put her down. Once her feet touched the floor, Dorthey opened her mouth.

"It's a little more complicated than-"

Just then, the lights in the front entrance turned on. Both Sam and Dorthey froze in their place, their eyes search for any threats around them.

"Uh…Dot...?"

Dorthey grabbed Sam's hand, already moving forward, "We need to go!"

Running up the stairs, Sam and Dorthey made a dash for her room, as they began running, it seemed each light in their path turned on above them. Each time they did, Dorthey felt her heart beat faster, and faster. If they could just make it to her room…...

"Stop right there!"

"Oh shit!" Sam said, his voice no longer at its softer, more quiet tone.

Stopping in their tracks, Dorthey couldn't look away from the sight before her.

Up ahead, right outside her bedroom door, a shadowy figured emerged, and Dorthey found herself squeezing Sam's hand tightly.

"I should have known this is how you would come back to us. Did you seriously think you could break in without me knowing it?"

Dorthey griped Sam's hand tighter, her stance automatically becoming taller, stiffer and ridged, as the figure approached them.

"So, what's your excuse this time? Why go to such length just to steal from your own family? Tell me, моя дочь."

At those two words, Dorthey spoke up, slipping into her native tongue, "I have a right to be here! Grandfather named me heir, by right!"

A cool laugh erupted, as the figured finally walked into the light, revealing a blonde haired, green eyed woman, her appearance matching that of Dorthey's.

"He did, but do tell me, is this the sort of behavior to be expected of the head of house Zara?"

Sam, who had remained quiet up until then, finally found his voice, "Hey Dot, is this…"

The fair-haired woman glanced over at Sam, her eyes narrowing at his appearance, like a snake examining her prey.

"Don't tell this is the reason for your return?"

Sam may have not understood what she was saying, but even he could tell this woman was talking about him, "Hey, look here lady-"

But Dorthey have Sam's hand a squeeze, prompting him to stop speaking.

"Yes," Dorthey said, returning back to speaking English, "This is her, Sam." Keeping her eyes locked with those that matched hers, Dorthey didn't hide the bile in her voice as she spoke.

"Samuel Drake, this is Tatiana Zara, my mother."