A/N: Raivis may seem a little OOC, but that's because this story is a bit later in the InkVerse series regarding him. He's had a lot of time to grow up in the story Don't Get Around Much Anymore.

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December 25, 1942, Small Swiss Border Village

Lilli Zwingli sat in front of the fire with her older brother Vash. She kept her hands folded in her lap as she gazed down at them with her green eyes. Her blonde hair fell out of its pins and into her face. Her eyelids felt heavy as she leaned against the back of her upholstered chair.

"Lilli," Vash said, getting her attention. He locked eyes with his sister, who looked nearly identical to him. "If you are tired, you should go to sleep."

She weighed it out in her head. "But then you would be all alone," she said with a frown.

"I'm happy to have a little sister who thinks of me when making decisions," Vash began, "but please think of your health, Lilli. Don't worry about me."

Lilli nodded and stood. She heard a knock at the door. "Who could that be?" she asked herself aloud. "We don't really know anyone."

"Would you like to get it, or do you want me to?" Vash asked.

"I can get it," Lilli told him with a smile before hurrying off toward the door.

When she opened the door, she saw a boy her age shivering on their porch. The boy had soft, blue eyes and curly, tangled brown hair. He looked sick, very sick.

"Vash!" Lilli cried out. "Vash, come quick!"

The thundering sound of footsteps could be heard as Vash ran to his sister's side. "What is it, Lilli?" he asked, looking at her. His green eyes then went to the boy. "Well what are you standing around for? He'll freeze to death if he's out there for much longer. Help him!" Vash went over and helped the boy into the door and to the living room.

The boy passed out the moment he was on the couch. He looked slightly angelic as he slept, like one of the curly-haired cherubs that Lilli had seen in artwork. She admired him, smiling to herself.

"Stop smiling at him and get him a blanket," Vash told her.

Lilli quickly snapped out of it and hurried off to find a blanket for the boy. She searched their closets for the fluffiest, warmest blanket she could find in a small amount of time. That boy looked so cold. In her mind, she was just hoping he wouldn't die. That would be the worst.

It had always been a fantasy of hers to nurse a handsome man back to health one day, and at the end he would always fall in love with her. That was what she dreamed of, hoping this could happen now. But the only problem was Vash. He wouldn't allow something like that. She already knew that, deep down in her heart. Vash was strict with her about many things, men being one of the main ones.

Lilli hurried back in and threw the blanket over the boy. "What are we going to do, Vash?" she asked, looking up at him. "He's sick." She placed a gentle hand on his forehead and noticed that he was burning up with fever. "If we don't do something quickly, he won't last through the night! How long do you think he was out there?"

"You cannot panic in a situation like this one," Vash gently lectured his sister. "I need you to get a cool washcloth and a bowl of water. Please hurry on this."

She nodded and rushed from the room. As she gathered the things, her mind began to wander, daydreaming of nursing this boy back to health and falling in love with him. Her mind came back to reality as she heard Vash yelling for her to hurry up from the living room. Lilli quickly shook her head to regain her senses and hurried back.

"Will he be okay?" she worriedly asked him. If anyone would know, it would be Vash. According to Lilli, Vash knew everything.

"I think he'll at least be fine until morning," Vash answered. "I'll take care of him tonight as long as you take over in the morning." He smiled wryly as his younger sister nodded to him. "No funny business, Lilli, do you hear me? Now get to bed. You're going to have a long day ahead of you with this boy tomorrow. I'll see you when you wake up."

But as Lilli laid in bed, she tossed and turned, knowing that there was absolutely no way she was going to fall asleep that night. Why hadn't she insisted on taking the night shift? Who cared if it could be more dangerous? She sighed and squeezed her eyes shut, struggling to force herself to sleep, which didn't work. Then again, what would? She was at a complete loss. If anything, she may get an hour or two in before daybreak.

.

She had been correct. Two hours of sleep was all she had ended up getting before daylight flooded her room, causing her to open her eyes and welcome it in. It wasn't as if she minded, though. That meant that it was her turn to take care of the boy while Vash slept. And if the boy were to happen to wake up on her watch, she would be able to talk to him without Vash interrupting or anything of the like. It almost seemed like a dream come true.

Lilli nearly skipped down the hallway to the living room. She smiled as she saw her brother sitting in a chair next to the couch, where the boy was still sleeping. "I'm awake," she softly said. "You can go to bed now, Vash."

The older brother yawned and stretched. "Do you want anything to eat for breakfast before I do so?" he asked his sister, standing up. "It will be a while before I wake up again."

She shook her head. "No, it's fine. I can make myself something if I get hungry. You're tired, so you should rest."

Vash walked by and ruffled her hair with a tired smile. "Thanks, kid. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Big Brother," she said to him, smiling warmly. Her heart began to pound as she sat in the seat next to the mysterious boy. "Hello, stranger," she softly said to the boy.

His eyelids began to flutter after she said that, as if he had heard her or something. And when his eyes opened up, they were the bluest of blue, causing her heart to stutter a little and then pick back up to where it had been before. He looked over at her. "Where am I?" he hoarsely asked her in English.

"You're in Switzerland," she softly said. "Right on the border." She pulled the blanket up a little more on him, tucking it just under his chin. "What are you doing here? I can tell by your accent that you're not from around here at all."

"I am originally from Latvia," he answered before going into a coughing fit, too weak to cover his mouth.

Lilli frowned. "Would you like some water?" she asked.

"That would be nice," he answered.

"Allow me to get some for you," she said, standing up. "I will be right back."

As she got the water from the kitchen, all she could wonder was how he ended up all the way at her house from Latvia. What would drive him to end up all the way here? She didn't understand. It didn't make any sense to her. Yet she did notice that his English skills were impeccable. She wondered where he had learned them.

"Here you are," she said, bringing the edge of the glass to his lips and tilting it slightly so he could drink. She smiled as he took a few gulps. "My name is Lilli, and I am very pleased to meet you."

"Lilli is a beautiful name," the boy told her before letting out a single cough. He smiled over at her. "My name is Raivis Galante. I must look pretty shabby right now, huh?"

"I wouldn't say this is the handsomest you've ever been," Lilli agreed.

He smiled a bit. "I wouldn't say so either," he said with a chuckle that turned into yet another coughing fit. "I hate that a beautiful lady such as yourself must see me like this. It is rather embarrassing."

"Is it?" Lilli asked him, cocking her head to the side.

"It is," Raivis answered with a nod. "If I knew someone like you would be taking care of me, I probably would have minded my appearance a little more."

"You're just saying that," Lilli giggled.

Raivis smiled at her. "So you caught me. But you are lovely, Miss Lilli."

She smiled at him. "You're not so bad yourself, Mr. Galante."

His smile grew wider. "One day, when I'm better, I'll pay you back for taking care of me in my time of need."

"You will?" Lilli asked. Her smile widened as she saw him nod. "I can't wait then."

For the rest of the day, her mind swam with thoughts of what he meant by that. Did he mean as in taking her out somewhere? Or did he mean that he would marry her? She had to calm herself down a bit after thinking things like that, reminding herself that she had just met Raivis and that there was no way he would be thinking things like that just yet.

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Vash woke up a couple hours before they usually had dinner and was surprised to find that Raivis was awake. His eyes widened as he walked into the room to find Lilli and Raivis talking with each other and smiling. "What's this?" he asked.

"Vash!" Lilli squeaked in surprise. She stood up and smiled at her brother. "He's awake! Isn't that wonderful?"

"You should have woken me up," Vash grumbled to her, scratching his head. He looked over at Raivis. "Hello, I am Vash."

"My name is Raivis," the Latvian boy responded. He reached out a hand to shake.

"You are not well," Vash simply stated. "We will leave the hand shaking for when you are in better health, Raivis." He yawned and walked toward the kitchen. "I'm going to go and plan dinner. Lilli, keep an eye on him."

Lilli nodded to him. "I can do that." She sat back down where she was and smiled at Raivis. "Vash is my older brother. He took me in after our parents died when I was seven." Her eyes got an admiring gaze in them. "My brother is the kindest and most wonderful person I have ever met."

"Did you know him before he took you in?" Raivis asked her.

"No," Lilli softly answered, shaking her head. "He is much older than me and was in military school when I was born. When he graduated school, he moved out and came to live here. I know that he knew about me, but he didn't want to travel to Liechtenstein to see me." Her hands were folded firmly in her lap. "I always knew he existed, but I didn't meet him until he took me in. It was scary at first because he's not one for much conversation. But Vash and I now have an understanding for each other, and he is a wonderful big brother."

Raivis nodded. "I understand how that goes. I had been living with my cousin Toris ever since 1939. We moved to Poland right before the Germans invaded." He saw Lilli's eyes widen, yet he still continued. "We were safe for awhile, but they figured us out a couple years later. Sadly, our friend we made….didn't make it."

"I'm so sorry," Lilli softly said, frowning.

Raivis shook his head. "It's fine," he softly said, hoping she'd believe him. But nothing about what had happened to his friend was fine. "Toris was in love with our friend, and that friend sacrificed its life so that we would be safe." He clenched his fist tightly. "And now Toris is to marry another….It makes me sick." His body began to shake with rage. "He's marrying a Belarusian woman named Natalia because she's like us, but still….It's not right."

"It's not," Lilli softly agreed. "Would Natalia have given her life like your friend had?"

The Latvian boy looked up at her. "No," he simply said. "She wouldn't have. She would have expected Toris to do it."

"You cared about that friend a lot, didn't you?" Lilli asked Raivis, locking eyes with him.

He could only bring himself to nod at first. "I loved that friend dearly. That friend had done so much for both of us, and Toris had tossed it all aside for a woman like Natalia. I want to believe that our friend still lives, but it's just so hard."

"But if you believe that friend is still alive, wouldn't that lift your spirits a little?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. "I think that believing in something helps boost morale and keeps you stronger in the end."

"You're right," Raivis said after thinking it all through for a moment. "I should believe that my friend is still alive." His eyes began to shine with hope. "It's better than moping and feeling sorry for myself."

Lilli smiled at him kindly. "You know, I don't think you're doing any of that. You're just trying to find ways to cope with what happened. And there's nothing wrong with that."

"There isn't?" Raivis asked her.

"There isn't at all," she answered, shaking her head to prove her point. "Did you leave Toris behind because of Natalia?"

"Partially," Raivis admitted with a nod. "But another reason is because I didn't like being in Russia all that much. I wanted to see more of the world now that I actually can and have nothing to tie me down." He licked his lips and looked up at Lilli. "And I honestly like what I see."

Lilli gasped out, cheeks burning red with blush. She was about to say something back before her brother walked in, announcing that dinner was to be soup that evening. Her entire mannerisms changed while he was in the room. She had responded respectfully and accordingly before going back to blushing as soon as he returned to the kitchen.

"What did you mean by that?" she asked him in shock.

"I meant exactly what I said," Raivis answered. "I like what I'm seeing right now."

"You are a very confident man," Lilli said, voice shaking slightly as she looked down at her hands, which were clasped firmly in her lap.

"I wasn't always," Raivis admitted with a soft chuckle that turned into a low-key coughing fit. "Believe it or not, but a few years ago, I used to shake when around people. It could be anyone, and I my whole body would tremble."

"What helped you get over that?" Lilli asked.

"Toris helped me get over that," he answered, looking down at his feet. "He helped me raise my confidence when I had none."

"It sounds like he was a good cousin to you when he could be," she softly said, smiling. "I'm glad you two had each other."

"Come to think of it, so am I," Raivis answered. "Even if he turned out to be not so great of a person in the end, I'm glad I had him when things were really hard. He may have been a difficult person, but we're still family." He sighed. "He's getting married in March."

"Are you going to the wedding?" Lilli asked.

"No," he softly said. "I don't like his bride. She is not a good person." He looked up at Lilli. "Natalia is the kind of woman who carries knives with her everywhere."

Lilli giggled. "You must be joking."

"I wish I was," Raivis sighed. "She pulled one out on me once because I sneaked up on her."

Her eyes widened. "That's not right!" she gasped. "She didn't hurt you, did she?"

"No, because Toris showed up and asked what was going on," Raivis answered. "He wasn't too happy with her because of that, let me tell you…."

"Well I wouldn't be too happy either," Lilli huffed.

"You wouldn't?" Raivis asked. "Why is that?"

"She could've hurt you, Raivis!" she exclaimed. "Doesn't that bother you?"

He shook his head. "I've looked death in the face many times since leaving Latvia. Why should I care now?"

"You're brave," Lilli simply said, and she left it at that.

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That night, as Lilli laid in bed, she couldn't help but think of all of the things she and Raivis had discussed that day. His life had seemed so exciting. Why would he have wanted to leave it all behind to just walk to Switzerland? It didn't make sense. He had family and friends that he left behind.

Her mouth fixed itself into a frown as she stared up at her ceiling. If everything he had said to her was the truth, then he probably had a good reason to leave. Then again ,how could he have just left Toris behind like that? Had he planned it for a long time? Nothing seemed to make sense, but maybe it all made sense in Raivis's head. She could only hope so.

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In the morning, Lilli relieved her brother of his duties of watching Raivis as she took bites of toast and jam. She got a little on her dress, but she didn't care. All she wanted was for Raivis to finally wake up. She wanted to talk to him more. Her mind craved more stories from the places where he had been. She wanted to hear more about Toris and Natalia and the friend who had no name.

Deep down, she was curious as to why that friend was never named. She also caught on to another thing about that friend. Raivis never once acknowledged whether that friend was male or female. It seemed slightly odd to Lilli, but if he was avoiding that for a reason, why should she press that matter at all? That wouldn't be fair to Raivis.

Raivis opened his eyes about an hour after she took her seat. A broad smile graced his face when he saw that it was Lilli sitting there, and not Vash. "Good morning, Lilli," he greeted, smiling.

"Good morning," Lilli greeted, smiling back.

"Last night was slightly awkward with your brother, but I managed." Raivis grinned at her. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did," she assured with a nod. "Did you sleep well?"

"As good as can be expected when not feeling well," he explained, smile dulling slightly yet remaining on his face. "What did you dream of?"

"What does it matter?" Lilli asked. "No one has ever asked me that." She thought about it for a moment. What had she dreamed of? "I…" Her voice trailed off. "I don't remember. I don't think I dream."

"Then you're missing out," Raivis answered. He chuckled a little, managing to do so without coughing this time. "Dreaming is the best thing in this world."

"Then I wish that I could dream," Lilli softly said.

"Maybe one day you will."