So here's my new story :) based on the Titanic...but not the movie. I've tried to keep it as historically accurate as possible but I did take some liberities (see if you can find any) But I hope you enjoy!

Ages: Lovi - 6, Feli_- 3, Francis- 9, Tonio - 10, Ludwig -4, Gilbert - 9, Roderich - 7, Vash - 7, Elise (Liechtenstein) - 5. I'll give ages to others when they appear.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything

"Ve~ Look at it, Nonno! Isn't it pretty?"

Romulus smiled down at his little grandson. He picked him up and they gazed at the gigantic ship dominating the Cherbourg skyline.

"Yes it is, Feli. The Titanic. Largest ship in the world! They say even God cannot sink her!"

"Bullcrap!"

Romulus looked down at his other grandson in irritation. "Language, Lovino!"

Lovino scuffed the toe of his shoe against the pavement. "Nothing's unsinkable, not even this fucking stupid looking boat."

Romulus frowned. "Lovino. If you can't behave, I will not take you on board and you'll have to stay here. Alone."

Lovino scowled but remained silent. Romulus froze, realising that not everyone in their party was there.

"Where did Antonio and Francis go? They were here a moment ago."

"Ve~ Big brother Francis said he and Big Brother Tonio were going to look for Gilbert and Luddy~!"

Romulus clicked his tongue in irritation. "How many times do I have to tell them not to run off? Come on, let's go find them, we still have a little while before the ship leaves."

"No one told me the potato bastards were coming with us." Lovino muttered to himself, following his grandfather grudgingly through the crowd.

"Lovino Romano Vargas, you will be polite to and about Alfher Beilschmidt and his family. He is a trust business partner and good friend of mine. I will not have you badmouthing him! Is that understood?"

Lovino scowled harder but nodded. They pushed their way through the crowd to find three boys lounging against some empty crates.

"Yo! Uncle Roma!" The albino boy waved casually at him, his crimson eyes glinting with mischief.

Romulus nodded. "Hello to you too, Gilbert. Have you wandered off from your grandfather too?"

Francis and Antonio looked away sheepishly. Romulus' face broke into a smile.

"I'll lecture the two of you later. Right now, I want to see old Alfher."

Gilbert barked a laugh and began picking his way back through the crowd, leading them back to his grandfather. Antonio fell into step beside Lovino.

"Are you excited, Lovi~?"

Lovino glared up at him. "Why should I be? I'm going to be stuck on a stupid ship with potato bastards and fucking Nonno for a whole week and then Nonno will ship me and Feliciano off to some relative because he's so damn 'busy'."

"But Lovi~! You should be excited~! We're going on the biggest and best ship in the world~! It's amazing~!"

Lovino growled. "It's just a fucking boat, tomato jerk. And don't call me Lovi! It's Lovino. Lo. Vi. No!"

"But Lovi sounds so cute~! Just like you~!" Lovino swatted away Antonio's hand before it could get within pinching distance of his cheeks.

"Fuck off bastard! Leave my cheeks alone!"

"But they're so red and squishy! Just like two little tomatoes! Oh! Speaking of which..." Antonio pulled two tomatoes out of his pocket. Lovino eyed them up warily then grabbed one and bit into it gratefully.

"I can't wait to see Mama and Papi again." Antonio said, chewing thoughtfully on his tomato. "They've been in New York for so long~!"

Lovino said nothing but glared at him through his eyelashes. 'Stupid, dense bastard.' He lowered his tomato, suddenly losing his apatite at the mere mention of parents. Oblivious, Antonio continued warbling about his parents and his older brother who were waiting in New York.

"What's the matter Lovi? Is the tomato not nice?"

Lovino stared at the fruit, refusing to meet Antonio's eyes. "There's nothing wrong with your fucking tomatoes, jerk."

"Then..." Antonio's confused tone was cut of by a loud interruption, courtesy of Gilbert.

"Tonio! Hurry up your Spanish butt!"

Gilbert grabbed Antonio's arm and dragged him away, leaving Lovino alone with his tomato watching the two first class groups mingling.

Feliciano was skipping around Ludwig, the awkward little potato bastard. Vash had his arm curled protectively around his little sister Elise and was glaring at Roderich who paid him no heed and had his nose thrust in the air like the aristocrat his felt he was. Romulus slung his arm around his stern-faced friend's shoulders and was laughing uproariously.

"Hey." Gilbert nudged Antonio. "What's up with your little tomato kid? He looks even pissy-er than the last time."

"Ah, mon ami, did you not hear?" Francis said, shaking his head sadly. "Mon oncle et ma tante, his parents, died last month. Lovino was with them at the time and saw it happen."

"...oh..." was all Antonio and Gilbert could say. They didn't get a chance to say anything else before Romulus swept them all up the first class gangplank. A steward nodded and smiled at them.

"Mr. Vargas. Mr Beilschmidt. Allow me to show you to your cabins."

The steward led them through opulent corridor after opulent corridor. Romulus nodded in satisfaction, now this was the way to travel. He glanced back at the rest of the group and frowned at Lovino who was dragging his feet, head bent low. Romulus shook his head. 'That boy...'

"...and here is you suite, Mr Vargas. Your wards' suites are connected to yours so you will be able to keep a close eye on them. If there is anything you need, do not hesitate to ask."

Romulus nodded and waved his hand dismissively. "Yes, thank you. You may go now."

The steward nodded and left, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

Romulus flopped down onto the soft bedcovers and stared unseeing at the ceiling. He exhaled deeply, he was unimaginably tired. His three grandsons (not to mention Antonio, who wasn't even his, but the child of one of his business partners) were running him ragged. Feliciano was relatively well-behaved mostly, but he constantly demanded pasta and half the time he literally ran circles around him. God only knows where that energy came from. Francis... well Francis was almost exactly the same as Romulus had been when he was nine, on his way to being a suave young flirt, which got him slapped in the face by mothers and young ladies alike, more often than not.

And Lovino. Lovino, who was his mother's child through and through. Lovino who was still in deep mourning for his parents. A more closed-off child of six with a higher emotional wall, you couldn't find.

Romulus sighed, he could not for the life of him figure that child out. Feliciano was much easier. She wore her heart on her sleeve and was such a cheerful three year old. Lovino kept himself so separate from everyone: the more you tried to reach for him, the more he pulled away.

Not for the first time, Romulus wondered whether he was doing the right thing for the two of them.

"Ve~ bye-bye, Cherbourg!"

Romulus got up and peered into Feliciano and Lovino's room. Feliciano was standing on a chair, waving at the retreating city through the porthole.

"Cut it out, Feliciano, Cherbourg's not going to wave back."

"But fratello~! I want tit to remember me!"

Romulus interrupted before Lovino could make a biting retort. "Alright you two, it's time for bed." Romulus smiled as the carriage clock on his mantle chimed eight o'clock.

What followed next was the longest forty minutes of Romulus' life. Finally both little Italians were safely in bed while the other two were going to bed themselves. Romulus watched the sleeping forms of his two youngest grandsons then smiled and left the room, turning off the light.

Lovino's eyes snapped open the moment the door closed. He slid silently out from under the covers and clambered onto the chair beneath the porthole.

He stared out at the shrinking lights of Cherbourg against the deep indigo night. He waved cautiously at the lights.

"Bye Mama. Bye Papa. Vi voglio bene"

So...what do you think? Love it, hate it? Tell me with a reveiw or two :)

Ja!

-Animerockchic