If there are foreign words in the text that you do not recognize, check the bottom, I should have them all translated!
Patience
...
France
...
Francis ran through the thick smoke that stung his eyes and burned his lungs. He held Joanne's hand in his so they wouldn't get lost from each other. Dizziness hit hard. He stumbled and grabbed the wall on his right to support himself, bent over and coughed so hard it shook his whole body. Joanne pulled him off the wall and pushed him further down the narrow hallway. Dizziness came back even harder. The hallway was spinning and the floor rushed up to meet him. He could hear nothing but the ringing in his ears, his coughs became weak, and his world began to fade. He tried to focus on Joanne and the tired look on her face, trying to stay awake. Black spots blocked his vision, his eyelids became too heavy to keep open, and he felt his body relax as he slipped into unconsciousness...
The light was so bright it hurt Francis' eyes. The shadows set in, and he realized that he was in a room he didn't recognize. His head felt foggy, and is throat felt like he had drank boiling water. Fear ran through him, he didn't know where he was, or how he had gotten there.
"Hola."
Francis looked to his left, and he saw his brother, Antonio sitting at his side with a worried and sad expression, "How are you feeling?"
Francis just looked at him for a moment. Nothing made sense. Where was he? How did he get here? Why was his brother here when he should be in Spain? "Where am I?" Francis tried to speak clearly, but his voice came out as a raspy whisper, "What are you doing here?"
Antonio took a second to answer as he took a deep breath and sighed, "You are in the hospital."
Francis stared at his brother in confusion. He searched his memory for a possible explanation, but his mind was still too foggy, "Why? What-" Francis broke off and went into a short coughing fit that made him dizzy.
"Take it easy, for God's sake... I will explain." Antonio looked down at his feet, sighed, and took another deep breath, "There was a fire in your apartment building. Do you remember that?"
Francis took another moment to try and remember as Antonio waited patiently. Francis could faintly remember a fire alarm scaring him out of his sleep, but that was all he had.
"Ou-" Sharp pain struck in his throat as he tried to speak so he just nodded.
Antonio shifted uncomfortably in his chair, "Okay...Um..." Antonio's face twisted as he tried choose his words carefully. "...You and Joanne were both found in the building..." Antonio took a quivering sigh and ran his fingers through his hair, "You were both found… Not breathing and… Without a pulse..."
Francis was confused. How could have he been dead if he was alive now? Then it hit him. Joanne. Francis felt dizzy again and fear rose in his chest as Antonio continued, "The paramedics had to revive you..." Antonio put his head in his hand, "Twice..." He looked up, avoiding looking Francis in the eye. "But, they couldn't...They weren't able to revive Joanne...She was pronounced dead at the scene."
Francis' world stopped, his heart sunk, and he stared at the ceiling. This is not what he imagined. His world should be shattering, he should be crying, screaming, but none of this seemed real enough.
"Hermano-" Francis jumped at Antonio's voice, he had forgotten that his brother was there, "I will help you through this. I own my own business, and can spare an entire month, and I'll stay here as long as you need me too, I'll sell the cafe in Spain and get a job here in France if I have to." Antonio seemed to wait for an answer, but when he didn't get one, he continued, "Feliciano and Lovino are on their way here, they will be here in a few hours, they'll be here for you too. Everything will be alright, Si?"
Francis didn't know what to say, finally he just settled on, "Oui."
...
Meanwhile in England...
...
Arthur ran his fingers through his hair as he stared at the preschool. Finally, after gaining the motivation, he got out of his car and walked inside the school. He sighed as he walked through the door and looked to the front desk lady, Katya, who was smiling at him, "Hello, Mr. Kirkland! How are you?"
Arthur plastered on a smile and began to write his signature on the 'Sign in' sheet, "Oh, I'm doing well. You?"
"Couldn't be better!" Katya replied with a bright smile on her lips. Arthur flashed her another smile on his way into the school hallway.
Arthur stood in front of the classroom doorway, once again gaining motivation. He sighed and walked through the door. He looked over to the desk by the door just in time for Mr. Kohler to pick up his head from his work. He smiled, stood, and walked around his his desk. "Afternoon, Mr. Kirkland, how are you?"
Arthur put on another fake smile. "Oh, I'm doing well. You?"
Mr. Kohler picked up a mug of coffee off of his desk and rolled his eyes, "Urg, these kids tire me out. How's high school? I don't know how you and Lukas deal with it. Sure, four-year-olds are exasperating, but you have to deal with teenagers and their... Hormones." Mr. Kohler shivered at the last word and laughed lightly. Arthur forced himself to chuckle.
Mr. Kohler scanned the room before his eyes settled on the far left corner, "Alfred! Your father's here!" Alfred looked up, finished a short conversation with his friend, and ran to get his backpack.
Arthur had been worried about Alfred's first year, but Alfred had nothing but good things to say about the school, his friends, and teacher. Arthur sighed and turned to Mr. Kohler, "How is Alfred doing, anyway?"
Mr. Kohler sipped his coffee, "Oh, he's great. I have to tell him to quiet down from time to time, but besides that, he hasn't caused any trouble."
Arthur nodded, truthfully, he didn't expect Alfred to get into much trouble, "Well, he's certainly is chatty at home, I didn't expect any different here."
Alfred ran up with his nearly empty backpack and a piece of paper, "Daddy! Daddy! Look what I colored!" Alfred held out the paper so Arthur could see it. It had a cartoon styled airplane on it colored red, white, and blue, the three colors that Alfred was, for some reason, obsessed with.
Once again, Arthur plastered on that fake, empty smile and said, "That's very nice, Alfred. Now, why don't go and get your coat before you forget it like yesterday?"
"Okay!" Alfred ran off. These days, Alfred never walked, he only ran with eagerness to get somewhere and see everything. Arthur watched him as his mind drifted somewhere else.
"You okay, Mr. Kirkland?"
Mr. Kohler's voice snapped Arthur's mind back to reality, "Yes, I..." Arthur trailed off, sighed and gained courage to speak, "Well, I was just given grave news... A family matter. So, if Alfred misses a day or so in the near future, or I'm late to pick him up, or something or other, that's why."
Mr. Kohler's eyebrows raised, "Geez, I'm so sorry. I understand. Don't worry."
"Thank you."
Alfred ran up to them again with his jacket on, "Okay, I'm ready to go! Good bye, Mr. Kohler!"
Mr. Kohler smiled, "Bye, Alfred. I will see you tomorrow."
Alfred talked nonstop on the way home. Arthur desperately tried to concentrate on his son's words but he was so distracted.
"Hey, did you have the day off? Mama always picks me up."
Arthur gripped the steering wheel tighter, "Yes. I had the day off so I could go to your mother's doctor appointment with her."
"Oh." Alfred was silent for a moment, but his mind always seemed running too fast, and he had to say something, "You know that friend, Jett? Well, he talks funny."
"Many kids your age have speech problems, I'm sure he'll grow out of it."
"Like how I grew out of my shoes?"
The connections that Alfred made in his mind have been puzzling Arthur since his son could talk. "Um...Sure..." What else could he say?
When they had gotten home, Alfred immediately noticed the empty house, "Where's Mama?"
Arthur felt sick. He leaned against the closed door and sunk down to a sitting position. "Alfred, come here."
Alfred walked over and Arthur took the young boy's hands in his, "Some things are going to start changing."
Alfred tilted his head in confusion, "Changing? How? Why?"
Arthur closed his eyes briefly before continuing, "We went to the doctor's appointment, and it turns out that your mother... Is very sick."
Alfred looked surprised, "But she was fine this morning!"
Arthur took a deep breath, "Some people don't feel sick even when they are... It's hard to explain... But your mother will be living at the hospital for a while, and she will become very weak, and will loose her hair..." Arthur broke off, this was becoming increasingly painful to say.
Alfred stared at him, "She'll get better, right?"
The words where like daggers to his heart. Arthur tightened his grip on Alfred's hands slightly, gritted his teeth, and blinked away tears. "Your mother is very strong... I'm sure she'll be fine."
Alfred smiled, "How long until she feels good again?"
"It will be a while. But..." Arthur took a quivering sigh, "But, she'll be fine."
"Okay then," Alfred took his hands away, "I'm hungry, can I get a snack?"
Arthur thought he had more to say, but he couldn't think of anything else, "Yes, go ahead."
Alfred ran off and left Arthur sitting there at the door. He had promised himself that he wouldn't lie to his son, but how could he tell the truth?
...
England, One Year Later...
...
Francis looked at the small house with his hands on his hips. It looked even better than it did when he had picked it out. Francis so desperately wanted to move on, and perhaps moving somewhere new would help. It was a one story house with a basement and attic. It had a space on the right for a possible garden, and a long porch with room for decorations. It was simple and didn't look like much, but it looked welcoming and for the first time in a year, Francis had hope for a new life.
"Where the hell is Antonio?" Lovino said angrily as he picked up a box. "And are you gonna help move your shit, or are you gonna just stand there? I'm not a slave!"
Francis turned to his little brother, "Antonio got held up at work, and quit complaining, the boxes aren't even that heavy."
"I really like the house! It looks like it could be in a film!" Feliciano exclaimed.
"Yeah, nice and more expansive for me to visit! I have to drive all the way from Italy!"
Francis smiled sarcastically at Lovino, "Then don't visit."
Francis grabbed a box a headed into the house with Lovino following close behind. When Francis walked back out he noticed that Feliciano was talking to someone. Francis walked up to them a greeted, "Bonjour! I mean, hello! Sorry."
The man that Feliciano was talking to tilted his head slightly. He was tall and muscular with slicked back blonde hair and bright blue eyes, "Oh, Hello." He said in a thick accent.
Feliciano smiled, "Francis, this is you next-door neighbor, Ludwig!"
Francis held out his hand, "It's pleasure to meet you, Ludwig!"
Ludwig took his hand firmly and shook it, "Ja, a pleasure to meet you too." Ludwig took away his hand, "Uh, I was wondering if you need a hand with the boxes, your friend here seemed to be having some trouble."
Lovino cut in as he walked up, "No, we don't need your help, Feliciano just has no strength, that's all.
Feliciano gasped, "What? I'm pretty strong! The box was just awkward, that's all! I didn't have a good grip!"
Lovino rolled his eyes, "Sure."
Francis laughed lightly, "These are my little twin brothers, Lovino and Feliciano."
Ludwig nodded at them, "Hello."
Feliciano smiled brightly, "Oh! Where are you from? You don't sound English!"
Lovino punched Feliciano in the arm, "Damnit! Be polite!"
Feliciano rubbed his arm where Lovino had hit him, "You're the one cursing!"
Ludwig waved his hand dismissively, and when he spoke, Francis quickly realized that he slipped much German into his English, "It's okay, mein bruder und I moved here from Germany about a year und a half ago. I'm still learning the place, but you need anything, knock on mein door, I'll be glad to help. If I'm not here, I'm probably at work."
Feliciano leaned a little closer to Ludwig, "Oh! What work do you do?"
Ludwig shifted his weight nervously, "I'm a mechanic, I work with mein bruder."
Feliciano giggled, "So you work outside with cars in a black tank-top and ripped jeans?"
There was a very short silence when Ludwig looked as if he didn't know what to say, but the silence was quickly broken when Lovino smacked Feliciano over the head, "What the hell kind of a question is that?"
Feliciano rubbed the back of his head, "It was just a question!"
Francis cut in before the conversation could get any more awkward, "Uh, thanks for offering help, but I think we're fine, and I'll be sure to ask if I need anything!"
Ludwig looked from Feliciano back to Francis, "Oh, don't worry about it," Ludwig turned to walk away, "Und remember if you need anything, just knock on mein door."
Ludwig walked up his driveway and into his house. There was a long silence between the three of them until Feliciano spoke, "Well, he was cute! You're so lucky you have him as a neighbor!"
Lovino let out an angry snort, "Let's just get this over with."
...
Meanwhile...
...
Alfred stormed up the porch steps and nearly slammed the door in Arthur's face behind him. Arthur walked through the door and closed it behind him. Alfred had no right to act this way, Arthur didn't deserve this disrespect. "Alfred!" He called out, his words stopping Alfred in the hallway, "What on earth has gotten into you?"
Alfred spun around yelling, "You said Mama was going to get better! Why is she worse every time I see her?"
"I told you it would take-"
Alfred cut him off, "It's been forever!"
Arthur took a quivering breath and tried to keep his composure but it didn't work. His hands began to shake, his knees felt weak, and tears ran down his cheeks, "Don't yell at me. Please, don't yell at me. This isn't my fault. I don't want this to happen. Please, oh God, please don't be mad at me. It's not my fault."
Alfred's eyes softened, he ran over, and hugged him around the waist, "I'm not mad at you, Daddy! I know you didn't make Mama sick! I'm sorry!"
Arthur knelt down and hugged Alfred back, "I'm so sorry this is happening, and I know you're frustrated, but I would make it all go away if I could. I want things to be normal too."
...
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Translations:
Hola: (Spanish)- Hello
Hermano: (Spanish)- Brother
Oui: (French)- Yes
Bonjour: (French)-Hello
Ja: (German)- Yes
Mein: (German)- My
Bruder: (German)- Brother
Und: (German)- And
Other Notes:
One chapter in, and you already have two cameos!
Katya: Ukraine
Mr. Kohler: Denmark
Don't worry, you'll see Antonio, Lovino, Feliciano, and Ludwig in later chapters!
Ludwig also mentions his brother, you'll see him later too!
