AN: Hey this is my first story with the help of (Haruka1263), that's all for now I hope you enjoy and comment and review
They say everyone who looks into their family history will find a secret sooner or later. Alfred regretted his decision to go back to this cemetery as soon as he drove through the gates, but he couldn't stop now. No, he had to do this, he needed to do this. Alfred adjusted uncomfortably in the old leather seat of his old '94 pickup as he pulled to at the area that the map told him to go. He reached to his side and grabbed the rusted shovel that he was told to bring and jumped out of the truck.
"Fuck," he muttered under his breath as he looked around, it was around one in the morning and it was pretty warm out for a late September night. Alfred shifted the pack on his back and glanced at the map again. 'David Jones' he thought to himself, that was the grave he was looking for, or so the letter had told him. Walking down the rows and carefully examining each of the older gravestones.
"This is going to take forever," Alfred sighed, he checked the map again and nodded he was close just a bit more searching and he'd find it. All of the answers, everything he wanted to know, no more family secrets, they wouldn't be able to hide it from him anymore, finally, he'd be accepted. He glanced over his shoulder and saw a shadow of movement in the corner of his eye and shook his head, no one else was here he was just freaking himself out. Alfred nodded to himself and looked again seeing what he had come here for. he read the grave to himself;"David Jones 1852-1911" This was it. Alfred adjusted the shovel and started digging occasionally glancing around to make sure no one else was there. He continued digging for almost an hour when suddenly, he hit something hard. Alfred smirked and hopped out of the hole he had dug, hoisting the oddly light coffin up with him.
"Hey, kid, you do realize digging up a grave is illegal right?" Alfred jumped hearing an unfamiliar voice at his shoulder. He turned slowly to see a man leaning casually against one of the larger gravestones, watching Alfred with mild interest. The man was dressed in all black which created a stark contrast with his unusually pale skin and white hair.
"W-Who are you?" the teen stuttered gripping the handle of his shovel trying to sound braver than he felt, which was pointless considering he stuttered like a little kid afraid of the dark.
"I don't think my name is really of any importance, so why are ya digging it up?" the man said straightening up and starting towards Alfred."Are ya looking for treasure? I'd have picked one of the older graves, that look fancier. Those to me always seemed like they'd have the most hidden goodies."
Alfred backed away tripping over the coffin. "I-I uh n-no I'm not looking f-for treasure." He stuttered scrambling back trying to get back on his feet. The man looked amused but stopped his advance.
"Kid relax I'm not gonna hurt ya, if I had wanted to I would have done it while you were digging. It would have been easy." The man stated crossing his arms, a strand of his white hair falling into his startling bright red eyes. He brushed away slightly annoyed as he studied Alfred who had finally managed to clamber to his feet.
"Uh, o-okay?" Alfred said balling his hands into fists to keep them from shaking, he didn't want the guy to know how terrified he really was.'No point Alfred you already fell and made a fool of yourself,' the ever present nagging voice in the back of his head told him, much to his annoyance.
"Well, it's not like you were keeping a lookout." The man said with a short laugh, "Anyway, kid, come on just spill. What's in that thing?" he continued, as he gestured to the coffin.
"I-it's nothing," Alfred stated not trusting his voice to say more, as he knelt down to the coffin. He had come this far and wasn't going to let this opportunity slip out of his hands just because some punk was wandering around the cemetery at night trying to be cool.
"It doesn't seem like nothing, ya know? Not many people just dig up graves for fun" The man said smirking as he stepped closer saying, "C'mon, kid, tell me."
Alfred adjusted preparing to defend himself when suddenly the sound of police sirens cut through the air. "Fuck," Alfred muttered and stayed low to avoid being caught. When the man grabbed part of the coffin and put it on his shoulder as he said "Come on we gotta get out of here," and left in the direction of where the truck was parked.
Alfred nodded out of panic and followed the man back to his own truck and tilted his head as he saw the coffin secured in the bed of his truck and the man in the passenger seat. He got in on the driver side and bit his lip, "Wh-what now?" Alfred asked sighing as he realized he now had to rely on the strange man.
"Drive. Go to the woods at the edge of town. Just go." The pale man said as he looked out the window to see if he could tell where the sirens were coming from. Alfred nodded and started the truck driving off in the direction he was told. The coffin would have to wait. Alfred felt an odd mixture of fear and excitement as he sped, or rather cautiously made his way to the woods to avoid arousing suspicion.
"Take a left here, kid," the man said speaking up, breaking the overwhelming silence that had taken over the cab of the truck. Alfred nodded and did as he was told letting out a sigh of relief as he realized that no one had followed them. "Just keep driving my house is up here," the man said leaning back closing his eyes. "Oh, by the way, my name is Gilbert," he added opening and eye to look at Alfred.
"Nice to meet you, Gilbert, I'm Alfred," Alfred replied continuing his driving looking around for the house.
"Well, Alfie, it seems we're now partners in crime, how's that make you feel?" Gilbert asked a small smile on his lips as he adjusted and sat up looking out the window.
"To be frank, concerned," Alfred replied curtly, he wasn't going to sugar coat it, this was serious business, and he was worried about his own safety. Gilbert chuckled;
"Well if you weren't I would be, most people don't trust strangers right away, you'd be the weird one if you did" the older man replied. "Look there's my house, looks like no one's home," Gilbert pointed to a decent sized cabin nestled in the trees."Just pull around back, we can put the coffin in my shed."
"Are you sure this a good idea?" Alfred asked, none the less pulling around to the back as he was told and shutting off the truck.
"You're the one who dug it up kiddo," Gilbert said hopping out of the truck and going over to a large shed pulling out a key from his pocket and unlocking it.
Pulling the door open, he looked around then came back over to the truck leaning through the window he said, "All is good to go, you should probably stay here for the night, kid."
"Okay and oh o-okay I guess. " Alfred replied jumping out of his truck carefully removing the coffin from the bed of the truck and placing it in the almost empty shed. As he sat down the coffin, he stared at the polished, beat up the wooden lid and an overwhelming urge to open it and reveal the mystery behind it overtook him.
"Hey come in through the back door when you're done with that," Gilbert said from outside of the shed.
Alfred shook his head 'It was going to wait' he sighed knowing not to argue with the voices in his head. He got up and stretched, the full weight of what had happened finally hitting him all at once as his adrenaline faded. Yawning, Alfred made his way out to the truck and grabbed the keys locking it up and waiting for Gilbert then heading inside.
Inside, it seemed to be a finished basement. With two dark purple couches in the corner, a coffee table in front of them and a tv mounted on the wall. Across from the couch was a small bar with an old off white microwave on it, it seemed to be turning yellow around the edges from age, diagonal from this was a large bed with mismatched blankets on it, next to it a mini-fridge being used as a nightstand and a flag hanging down from the ceiling at the head of the bed. Alfred tilted his head, the flag seemed familiar but he couldn't place it. Gilbert had already wandered over to the fridge and pulled out a beer and smiled pointing to the flag saying, "It's the Prussian flag."
Alfred nodded, he knew he had recognized the flag. "I remember doing a paper about Frederick the Great," he said smiling, seeing the older man's eyes light up.
"See I knew you weren't a bad kid, you can't be if you actually know about the awesome Prussia," Gilbert said excitedly as he took a sip of his beer sitting down on one of the couches propping his feet up on the coffee table. Alfred stood awkwardly looking around and spotting a bird cage, he slowly approached it. The bird inside was small and yellow, it had its head tucked under its wing and seemed to be sleeping."That's Gilbird, he needed a name as awesome as my own" Gilbert said from over Alfred's shoulder, causing the teen to jump back accidentally stepping on the others toe.
"W-woah, s-sorry, are you okay?" Alfred asked sheepishly feeling his face heat up slightly, he just couldn't catch a break tonight, could he?
"Don't worry about it kid it happens, it's my fault for startlin' ya" Gilbert replied smiling though his eyes were tightened slightly in pain. Alfred nodded looking down knowing his face was still tinted red.
"I-I'm still sorry, I'm wearing work boots, it can't of felt to good." Alfred said looking back up and suddenly realizing that Gilbert was shorter than him. Alfred smiled, he liked knowing that he, at least, had a height advantage if it came down to a brawl.
Gilbert laughed shaking his head, "no it didn't feel too good but hey what can ya do?" he asked going back over to his beer and sitting down. "So kid how old are ya? Don't tell me you're a minor, or I'm in some trouble."
"I'm nineteen, what about you?" Alfred replied tilting his head studying the man before him, who had propped his feet back on the coffee table.
"Well, that's good and twenty-one," Gilbert said sipping his beer. Then adjusting slightly, turning on the tv saying, "So, you gonna tell me what you were doing in the cemetery, yet?"
"Nah, not yet," Alfred replied with a slight laugh and sitting on the opposite side of the worn couch. Then looking up at the tv, to see a local news channel reporting a grave robbery on, and gasped softly, "Gilbert! They are talking about us. What if they find us?"
Gilbert waved his free hand dismissively as he yawned, "Don't worry so much, kid. We will be fine nobody saw us and unless you told everyone 'Hey I'm going grave digging tonight' I think we are good."
"Yeah okay." Alfred replied again quietly, Gilbert had to be right he doesn't seemed worried at all. He nodded to himself smiling slightly and reassured they were in no current danger, he adjusted and curled up on the couch to see what the else the reporter had to say. As he listened to the report, he slowly lost consciousness and drifted off to sleep.