A/N: Based on the real Romanovs~ what would have happened if the children had of escaped the Romanov massacre? Begins the night after

1. Over and Over

(Olga POV)

We lay around the fire, looking deathly sick. Mama and Papa were dead now. We knew deep down Alexei would soon go the same way, without Rasputin to save him. My poor baby brother, doomed to die. What had life done to us? We did not deserve this. Surely, there was some mistake. God could never have meant for this to happen to us. Mama promised. She promised we would be all right. Now where is Mama? Lying cold in a cellar, with dear Papa. We are lucky to be alive, I know. I know we should thank God that Alec saved us. We should. However, I cannot. I wish I were there with them, instead of waiting to die slower. I rubbed my stomach miserably. Thank God for these corsets. They had saved us girls lives, as the medallions had kept Alexei alive long enough to be here, sleeping in my arms. Would he awake? I prayed he would. God would grant us our little brother, right? No God was that cruel. Maybe Rasputin would tell him to help us. Maybe we would live on.

"Olishka? Are you sleeping?" I heard Tatiana whisper. I turned my head to look at her.

"No, Tatya," I whispered back. She nodded slightly and sighed.

"Is Alyosha…" she could not bear to say the words. I lifted my hand to touch his chest.

"Yes, he is," I murmured and she smiled. Tatiana and I were close; we could almost read each other's minds. She was worried now, worried for me, Maria, Anastasia, and mostly Alexei.

"I am scared, Olishka," she whispered.

"As am I," I sighed.

"I keep seeing Mama and Papa…" her voice trailed off.

"I do too, Tatya. Over and over."

"Does it scare you?"

"Yes, it does. We will not die, will we?"

"I do no think so, Olishka. But I do not know anything anymore."

"Yes. I cannot believe this happened. Not to us."

"I know. How could this happen?"

"I do not know, Tatya. I just want it all to go away."

"Me too."

"I am afraid to sleep now."

"Yes, as am I."

Tatiana and I were more like twins than sisters were. I did not act as her elder unless I had to, as she did not act as my younger. We were equals, two of a kind. I never wanted to lose her. I do not think I would last. Although, I had once thought that of Mama and Papa. Yet here I was. With my sisters and brother, waiting to die. Just waiting. I heard Maria cry out in her sleep.

"Look out, Papa!" she awoke, sobbing. Tatiana rose, and crawled to beside Maria.

"Shush, Mashka. Shush!" she murmured. She wanted to tell Maria it was just a dream. However, it was not. It was a living nightmare. Maria curled into Tatiana's arms and cried into her shoulder.

"I keep seeing it, Tatya! Over and over," she sobbed. Tatiana stroked her hair.

"I know, Mashka, I know," she said, "Come; lay with Olishka and me for a while."

She helped Maria stand, and they came to lie beside Alexei and me. Anastasia looked up from her blankets, and crawled to beside Alexei, cuddling up beside him.

"I am so scared, Tatya," Maria sobbed. Anastasia reached across Alexei and me to take her sister's hand. Tatiana stroked Alexei's hair. And as we lay there, we knew we were all that was left of us, just waiting for death to claim us. And I realised, I would not leave my siblings for the release. I would have to keep holding on, fighting off our demons. For there was no one else to do that for us.