"Put my brudder down."

Gilbert paused, fist inches from the already greatly abused Swiss male's face, and turned towards the voice. (Not like he could see anything though. Being albino he already had terrible vision, and the fact that it was pitch black didn't help any.)

"No, Lili, I'll be fine..." Vash croaked miserably.

"Shush, Brudder," Lili scowled, cocking her pistol. "Now put him down."

"Now now," Gilbert cooed patronizingly, holding Vash at arms length. "Put the gun down, sweetheart, before someone gets hurt."

Firing a single shot at the ground between Gilbert's feet, Lili glared ferociously at the ghost-like male standing nearly invisible in the dark. "That was a warning shot, sweetheart. Now..." she aimed for Gilbert's face, "this next one won't be."

"Alright, alright," Gilbert tossed the limp blonde away, raising his hands in surrender. "I'm going; I know when to bide my time." And the albino was gone, disappearing into the shadows he called home.

Sighing, Lili went over to help her brother, uncocking the pistol and tucking it back into her bubblegum pink purse. "Brudder... Are you alright?"

"Ja," Vash nodded, dabbing at his split lip with his sleeve. "I've dealt with worse before." Looking up at her, Vash's eyes narrowed. "What are you doing out at this time of night, Lili?"

"I was worried about you," Lili pouted, helping him stand. "You're my brudder, haven't I a right to worry? That, and, it was either me or Mister Alistair who was going to go look for you."

"Vhere have you been, Gilbert?" Ludwig asked, arms crossed tightly as he watched his brother sneak in through a back door.

"Uh..." Gilbert shrugged, "out. What's it to you. Lud?"

Ludwig sighed and rolled his eyes. "Ivan is going to catch you vuhn of these days."

"Ja ja," Gilbert huffed. "Whatever...he hasn't yet, so it's all good."

Rubbing the brig=dge of his nose, Ludwig reigned in his temper. "Brudder...ugh... Katyushka vanted to talk to you."

Hanging his jacket up in the closet, Gilbert asked, "Awesome. Do you know why?"

"Nein," Ludwig shook his head, "she didn't say."

Gilbert shrugged, stretching his arms up as far as he could reach. "Ah, alright. Where is she?"

"Guess," Ludwig snorted.

"No need to be so patronizing," Guilbert huffed, blushing faintly as he wandered down the hall to Katyushka's office. "Hey. Katy, I'm here!"

"Da?" Katyushka opened to door. "Oh! Gilbert! Come in, come in!" She smiled and stepped back. "Sorry, don't mind me, I was in the middle of doing some cleaning..."

Picking up a stack of books from a chair, Gilbert set them off to the side and sat down. "Naw, no prob. So, whatcha need?"

The Ukrainian woman pursed her lips, leaning up against her desk. "You're starting to get too suspicious, Gilbert. You need to stop with these midnight trips of yours. You're going to get yourself killed."

"Nah, I'll be fine," Gilbert laughed lightly. "Don't worry about me; it's not like I matter, anyway."

Katy sighed, rolling her eyes, and crossed her arms under her large chest. "Right. Anyway, that's only part of it. Ivan is staring to get suspiscious of your brother spending so much time out of contact. I know what he's doing and he's staring to pressure me. He can tell when he's not getting everything he wants."

Gilbert gulped, "He's worried about Luddy?" What was wrong with his little brother going out on a date every once in awhile? It's not like it happened that often... "Luddy wouldn't betray Ivan. He's too smart for that."

"I know that," Katy said, looking at him sharply. "But does Ivan?"

"Vash..." Alistor ran his hands through his brilliant red hair.

"Vhat?" Vash snapped, glaring at him. "It's not my fault I got jumped on my way back from a delivery."

"I know," Alistor snapped back. "Calm down."

Clenching his fists, Vash looked away. "I... Sorry. I lost my temper."

Lili calmly continued disinfecting the cuts on her brother's face, wi[ping away the blood that insisted on flowing.

Taking a sip of something from a shiny metal flask, Alistor said, "I know you're angry and I don't blame you. I'm as tired of those bastards hurting our own as anyone else.

"Braginsky-san..."

"Da, Kiku?" The towering Russian looked up from the glittering knife he was sharpening.

"A retter," Kiku held out a thin envelope.

"Spasibo," Ivan smiled, taking the letter. Kiku turned to go, but Ivan stopped him. "Wait, Kiku, I have a new job for you..."

"Hola Gilbert~!"

The preoccupied albino didn't respond.

"Gilbert?" Antonio waved his hand in front of Gilbert's eyes, making the shorter jump and look around rapidly. "Are you alright?"

"What?" Gilbert blinked at him confusedly. "Did you say something?"

"You look worried," Antonio pursed his lips. "Would you like to go out drinking with me?"

"Ja, sure," Gilbert shrugged.

Francis looked up as the door swung open, allowing the entrancee of a more-than-slightly drunk male and his considerably more sober friend.

"Bonjour~" he called, waving, and the brunette immediately perked up. "How are you two beaux hommes doing this evening?"

"Bueno, muy bueno," Antonio smiled, sitting down in front of Francis. "My name is Antonio. The, ah, drunk over there is my friend Gilbert."

"My name is Francis," he smiled. "What can I get you two today?"

"I vhant... a beer..." Gilbert slurred, holding up one hand.

"Right away," Francis smiled blandly, turning back to Antonio. "And for you, mon bel?"

"Oh, nothing, nada," Antonio laughed, waving his hands. "I'm good, very good."

"S'il vous plaît?" Francis pursed his lips, peering at the lovely Spaniard through long black lashes.

Antonio laughed, "all right all right... if you insist, Señor. But," he held up one hand, a twinkle in his chocolate eyes. "Only if you join me."

Francis hesitated. He shouldn't, he really shouldn't... But there was something about the charismatic Spaniard that made it impossible to resist.

"A...alright, monsieur. I will join you." He leaned down, pouring them drinks.

"Gracia, amigo," Antonio grinned, clinking ther glasses together. "To family and friends, sí?"

"Oui," Francis nodded, and the two tossed back their drinks.

Off to the side, a supremely drunk German was slurring at a blandly disinterested Canadian blonde.

"Oui, sir," Matthew nodded boredly, already mixing a drink for him. Taking a pinch of light gray powder, he stirred it into the drink and handed it to Gilbert.

"Daaaanke," Gilbert wobbled and nearly tipped over. Throwing his head back, he laughed uproariously, slopping his drink over his hand.

"Please, just drink," Matthew urged. "And try not to fall over."

"Oh, ja ja," Gilbert waved one hand flippantly, taking a big gulp of his drink. "Zhe awesome me is far to awesome to fall over!"

Right, sure, whatever you say, Matthew thought with a groan, watching the albino teeter dangerously.

Gilbert crowed and chugged the rest of his drink. Wiping his chin, he slammed the glass down on the bar. "Anozher!" He took a closer look at the blonde with unfocused red eyes. "Heeeeyyy... Vhy are zhere drei of sie?"

And then he slumped forward, entirely unconscious.

Matthew harrumphed and walked around the bar. Grabbing Gilbert under the arms, he hefted him up and dumped the albino unceremoniously in a darkened corner. Dusting his hands, he marched back to his place at the bar and decidedly ignoring his job partner (currently sucking face with a certain Spainiard) he slapped on a smile and got back to serving customers.