Yo guys~ This is a spur-of-the-moment kind of story. Don't look for too many updates too quickly. I'm going to get From Hooves to Heart updated more before this :| I promise!

Uh... In any case... Don't think too harshley of me... And I hope you enjoy :)

R&R please~


Alfred Jones was meandering through the streets. A few hours earlier he had been chased out of the house he shared with his younger brother. It was his brother who had chased him out of he house, actually. Wielding his hockey stick like a bat or a sword-Alfred wasn't really sure-in all his raging glory, he had chased the older blond out with the words "Meddlesome stupid American! I don't need protection! We've done fine on our own, I don't need a bodyguard!"

And now Alfred was walking through the streets, thinking. He and Matthew had had this conversation before. Because of their (dead) father's gang relations, they were being hunted. Two nights ago Alfred had come home with a bloody nose and a sprained left wrist. Yesterday afternoon, after a shopping trip, Matthew had come home with numerous bloody scratches and a developing black eye. His hockey stick had a couple new dents, and there was blood on the sharpened wood. Despite Matthew's protest, Alfred was going to find somebody to protect the younger blonde before Al went out of town.

Shouts from the alley he was about the pass caught his attention. Three guys were shouting at another much paler one. Interested, Alfred paused. The pale man stood with one leg out and his arms crossed. He held a bored expression and looked at his nails as though he had better things to do.

"Gilbert Beilschmidt you have messed with us for the last time." the head of the trio growled. 'Gilbert' just nodded, not looked up from his hand. When the man growled and went to swing, 'Gilbert' ducked and kicked his legs out. He successfully toppled the leader who fell onto one of the others, and snorted.

"You guys have a long ways to go before you can take me on." Gilbert looked down with contempt and Alfred wondered idly if he bleached his hair or if it was naturally that white. The leader got back up with a roar and swung fast. The other two, when Gilbert tried to dodge agin, grabbed him and held him still while the punch carried through. Alfred wondered if he should get involved when three more approached the group.

"You got 'im, Boss?" a newcomer asked. The boss nodded.

"Little boy's gonna wish he'd never messed with us!" boss snarled with an unseen smirk and cocked his fist back again. Alfred couldn't take this anymore. Heros didn't watch people get beat up by unfair advantages.

"Hey!" He called out as he took a step forward, "Six on one is a bit unfair, right?"

The guys turned to look at him.

"Well, if it isn't Alfie-Done-For. Did your brother pass along our message?" the boss, now revealed to be a guy Alfred and Matthew had tussled with before numerous times, turned and smirked.

"That you guys are cheaters and bastards? Yeah. He also said he wished you guys would play hockey with him more." Alfred smiled. His brother turned into a beast on the ice, and had broken more bones when he was attacked on it than should be in the human body. Even the boss gave a small shudder.

"Nah, he could come to us so we could have some fun though. The quiet ones always end up screaming the loudest."

Alfred walked up the man, frowning. "Well," he said, "that was quite rude." and then, after a brief quiet moment, tackled one of the guys hiding Gilbert. The fight didn't last long, and Alfred watched Gilbert when he could. They punched the leader simultaneously, and turned to look at each other.

"Alfred F. Jones." Alfred stuck out a hand as an introduction. Gilbert took it, and gave a firm shake. From the handshake alone, Alfred knew that this guy-an albino, he realized-could well and truely kill someone if provoked.

"Gilbert Awesome Beilschmidt." he replied. Alfred grinned.

"Dude, you look like hell. After that whooping we did I'm starved. You wanna come to my house and chill for a bit? I'd like to discuss something with you." Alfred smiled. Figuring that he had nothing to lose, Gilbert agreed.


"MATTHEW! I'M HOME!" Alfred screamed as soon as he was through the door. There was music playing quite loudly, and Alfred wasn't sure if his brother had heard him or not. He turned to Gilbert.

"Make yourself at home. Kitchen is that way, beer on the top let in he fridge. Shoes by the front door. I'll go get my brother." Alfred said, kicked off a pair of plaid VANS and took off his jacket. He tossed it over the couch and turned to the stairs. "MATTHEW! ANSWER ME YOU SLOW CANADIAN!" he shouted and then stomped up the stairs. Gilbert watched in slight amusement and took off his combat boots. He went over to the couch and placed his feet on the coffee table. He heard another 'Matthew!' yelled over the music as he turned it down. Then he heard nothing for a bit.

"Laundry, Al." Matthew called out the door, poking his head out. Alfred practically tackled his brother.

"Mattie! Dude, you look like a girl. Why do you tie your hair back? You should just cut it and save yourself the hassle. Anyway, off of your girly-ness, I brought somebody home. We were in a fight and I need you to patch him up. And he might be your body-woah, uh, Matt? You okay? Your face is getting red. You mad cause I didn't bring you McDonald's? I'll get you some next time, kay? Oh, why're you grabbing the hockey... Oh. Oh no. Matt! I'm sorry! I didn't mean- Matt stop please!"

Gilbert heard Alfred scream and he jumped up, turning towards the stairs. He heard two pairs of feet coming down, and Alfred screaming apologies and begging not the hockey stick, anything but the hockey stick. The first Jones turned immediately as he came down the stairs, almost hitting the wall as he slid on the tile floor. He broke away as a red, black, yellow, and green hockey stick flew down. It hit the wall where Alfred's legs had been just a second before. Then the other blond, Gilbert assumed Matthew, came down as well. Alfred hid behind Gilbert as Matthew picked up his tool and frowned.

"Alfred Frederick Jones... What have I told about about A) calling me a girl, B) offering me McDonald's when I'm working and C) my apparent need for a protector?" Matthew said lowly. His already quid voice was difficult to catch, but both Gilbert and Alfred caught every word.

"Uh, not to call you a girl even though you totally could pass for one and you don't like McDonald's and that you don't need someone to protect you?" from the way Alfred said this, he was sure the conversation had happened many times before.

"exactly. Now, I will fix him up, but I am doing laundry given as you are too lazy and too much of an idiot to do YOUR laundry yourself. So don't bug me unless it's life or death!" Matthew gave both a them a glare and hit his hockey stick on the wall once as a warning before going back up the stairs.

"...What was that about a protector?" Gilbert asked dubiously. Alfred sighed, stepping to his side and speaking lowly.

"Our father had... Bad connections. He died a few years back. Or, more accurately, he was KILLED a few years back. Our mom was killed just before. The same people who killed our parents are after us. Thy want extra revenge. Well, they at least want to torture us. You've heard what they've said about Mattie." Alfred frowned. Gilbert stared at him.

"Alfred he just chased you down stairs with nothing but a hockey stick! You came to help me against six guys with no fear! He looks like he can take care of himself!" Gilbert exclaimed. Alfred just shook his head.

"When he's angry or on ice, yeah, he can whup up on anybody. But when he's just going shopping or out for a walk... He needs someone to help him, keep him safe. I need to leave town to go talk to our relatives, and Matthew refuses to come with me. I worry every time. Do you know how many times he's come close to being raped, Gilbert? He still wakes up screaming. We both do."

"Alfred, you can do your own laundry next time!" Matthew growled as he came down the stairs again. He was still kind of angry, but he understood his brother's reasons. "I am sick and tired of cleaning the skid marks on your underwear!"

Gilbert and Alfred looked at him. The black eye he'd recently gotten seemed to glow in this light. Matthew had a few bandages on his face, and had wraps on both his hands. The shirt he wore was yellow with a red tree, he had a red hoodie tied around his waist, black skinny jeans on, and his hair was no longer in a ponytail. It hung to almost his shoulders. His violet eyes flashed annoyance, and he held a big metal box that was labeled "The Jones/Williams Bros Need" and then the first above aid was crossed out, replaced with 'mental' instead. Gilbert began having small second thoughts. Why were these kids getting attacked? And what did their father have to do with it?

"What are you guys doing alone?" Gilbert asked. Matthew didn't answer, choosing to glare at Alfred. Alfred just shook his head at the albino.

"Mattie please..." Alfred said quietly. Matthew's face softened at the 'please'.

"Stop bringing home strays." Matthew sighed. Gilbert glared at being called stray.

Matthew was quick at cleaning Gilbert up. The albino had had a split lip that Matthew did his best to clean. He'd also had cuts on his back from getting shoved against brick walls. When he'd taken his shirt off to have Matthew clean those gravely wounds, both boys has seen multiple scars covering his torso. The longest one went from the top right of his chest to his right hip. Matthew and Alfred noticed that it was an old one, but still kind of lumpy. None of the trio said or asked anything of it.

When Matthew went to put the aid kit away, Alfred turned to Gilbert. "Do you think you can help us?"

"What do you mean?" Gilbert asked.

"Would I be able to hire you to keep my brother safe? Please, Gilbert. I really need someone to keep an eye on him while I'm gone. Keep him safe for me since I won't be able to."

"Alfred, I won't lie. He just chased you down the stairs with a HOCKEY STICK. I don't really think he needs-"

"No, Gilbert. He does. The normal Matthew... I'd been teasing him for a while, and he got a black eye yesterday. He had anger in him. Normally he just tries to run. Please, Gilbert. I'm going to be gone for almost a month, and I don't want him here alone."

"Why not take him with you?" Gilbert was beginning to question the boy's judgement.

"He's never gotten along with the part of family I'm going to visit. They always forget he's in the room, and lost him at the zoo once because they forgot he was with them." Alfred closed his eyes. He and their mother had been so worried when his aunt, uncle, and their three kids had returned to the house without the smaller blond. Alfred and their mom had gone back to the zoo in a rush, finding Matthew in the office. He had been found crying near the polar bear exhibit. One of the bears had sat down on the other side of the glass from the boy and had stared at him.

"He's still sour about it. He's never been back since. Do you get why I need someone to-"

"Alfred quit telling him how useless I am, eh." Matthew growled as he came down the stairs again. "I am perfectly fine on my own, and I don't need you to-"

Alfred grabbed Matthew. He excused them from Gilbert and dragged his younger twin to the kitchen.

"Alfred I don't need a bodygu-"

"Matthew Williams, you are not getting out of this. You know as well as I do you are going to have problems when I'm gone! Matthew, please, just until we find a new place to go or live or whatever, just accept you need a guard!" Alfred hissed. His bright blue eyes narrowed at his brother. "I just want to know that while I'm gone you're gonna be safe. Can't you at least give me that? The last few times I've left it's only been for a day or two. I'm going to be gone for a month, Matthew. A MONTH. Do you even care that I worry about you when I'm gone? Do you? Because I do worry, Mattie. I wonder if you're okay, and if your alive when I can't call. I wonder if the house is still standing, and if you're still in one piece. Please, Matthew. It'll be one time. Just one month." The twins stared at each other for a couple moments.

"Fine Alfred. But only this one time, eh! You'd better not leave this long again!" Matthew relented with a sigh. His brother gave him a grateful smile. Alfred didn't even need to voice the "thank you." Matthew simply turned and walked out of the kitchen. Into the living room, he sat down on the cushy chair nearest to the fireplace. Gilbert looked at the returning twins curiously, and Alfred gave him a triumphant grin.

"So Gilbert. Can I count on you to guard Mattie?" Alfred asked the albino hopefully.

"Can I lay down some conditions?" Gilbert replied cautiously.

"Wh- Conditions?" Matthew piped up angrily. Alfred shot him a 'look' and Mattie shut his mouth.

"First, I'd like to use my... Team. I know I can trust them to keep your brother safe. Also, since you asked for me-well, us-to keep him safe, I'd like to stay in your house. It's big enough. And don't pay me unless you absolutely want to. This is me repaying a debt to you, not you hiring me to protect your brother. That could be a bonus if you want. But I'm just telling you, this is thanks for my life." Gilbert met Alfred's eyes through his little speech. Alfred nodded.

"Don't hurt him. If you do I will personally rip your vital regions off and shove them where the sun don't shine. And that is not an empty threat." Alfred replied with a cheerful smile. Matthew groaned and put his face in his hands. After a few minutes of talking, Gilbert got up after an agreement.

"I'll be back tomorrow." he said. Matthew and Alfred watched the albino disappear into the inky night. It was strange to watch his white hair simply vanish. When he was at last gone, Matthew turned to go inside. He stormed up the stairs, into his room, and slammed his door. Alfred followed slower, with tired steps. It was kind of difficult to believe the day was already over and that he'd be leaving the next morning at 4:30. Alfred stopped at his brother's door and knocked gently.

"Mattie?" He asked quietly. He got no reply, and tried to open the door. It was locked. The American sighed and put his forehead against the bright red door.

"Mattie-bear, try to understand. It's not like I'm sending you away or marrying you off or anything. You're staying home, and having people in the house. It's not a prison sentence, it's more like you're the prez, Mattie-bear. You got your own personal fleet of guards. Try to understand, Matt, please." Alfred said to his twin's door. He heard a sniffle from inside.

Matthew knew Alfred wasn't being rude, just worrisome. Al only called the Canadian "Mattie-bear" when he was being super serious, apologizing, or when he wanted something. Tonight, though, it was a little bit of each.

"I know Alfie. I know." Matthew gave a muffled reply. He then heard his older brother's steps move down the hall, fading steady beats. Matthew knew it took a greater strength than he knew to leave somebody who was all that was left of a family to a near-total stranger.

"Alfred, you are an idiot, eh..."


I just wanted to let you all know, apart from my writer's comments, this was all written on my iPod. Thank God for the note-pad thing on it~