Heys! Yes I have add a third chapter! Why I have no clue! Ya...I will defiantly lay off the cappuccino...It's making me hyper and putting me to sleep all at the same time...Great.

Gil: Can't ve just get to the part where the awesome me comes in?

JG: Why? I'm having so much fun.

Gil: Because you're not AWESOME.

JG: I just brought HRE back to life and you say I'm not awesome?

Gil: …...

JG: I thought so. *turns back to neglected readers* Sorry. I don't own Hetalia, if I did, trust me, HRE would have comeback one way or another. And Prussia here *points at Prussia* would get more screen time. Now off with you! Shu~! You have a chapter to read!

Ch. 3

Surprises Behind Every Door

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Gilbert's POV~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I pulled into a driveway that was lined with trees. I could hear the crunch of the gravel under the tires as I slowed to stop. The house was two stories and had a style of architecture to it that I hadn't seen in years. The building was a light tan in color with a darker brown for the trim. I had stopped at the University to get his address. It took a lot of convincing to get the info needed. Danke Gott that I had connections with the government. If not then the awesome me would still be stuck there trying to convince some college nerd to give me the address.

I got out of my car and headed for the front door. Stopping on the small porch, I raised my hand to knock, taking in a shallow breath.

It's now or never...

I knocked and waited. The seconds felt like hours as I waited for the door to open. When it did, my breath caught in my throat. A face I had come to know as that of West and Opa, and the little brother I had lost to soon, was staring at me. Confusion and shock etched into it's features. This wasn't Opa or Ludwig. Neither would show the amount of emotion that has played across the face before me. It was him. I just know it...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~HRE's POV~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I herd someone knocking on my door I hadn't expected to find Gilbert, looking paler then usual. Nor did I expect him to look so relieved to see me. Anger that was what I was expecting, but this. This isn't what I was expecting and why is it only him? I would have thought that Rodrick or Elizabeta would have tagged along.

"B-bruder. It's really you!" I looked down at him. I was finally taller. Not but much, about 6 cm give or take.

I was about to respond when he just seemed to crumple in on himself. I blinked. If Prussia just fainted then this must be a first in all of history. I bent down and somehow was able to pick him up with out harming him or dislodging the small yellow fluff ball that was on his head. How had I missed it before? It stood out against it's silver perch.

I walked through the foyer and into the living room. I sighed. I may as well have him comfortable. So he wont complain as much when he wakes.

So with a nod of my head I placed him on the couch. Pulling the blanket I had resting there for times like these, not that I had actually planned for something like this to happen, but it seemed like a good idea, over Gilbert. I backed away to look at the now slumbering nation.

This had been a dream of mine. A fleeting hope. To see my family again. To laugh and smile with them. And now here it was. Everything that I had worked so hard for was unraveling before my eyes, and I wasn't in the least sad. I was happy. Nearly giddy at the thought of being reunited with them.

But what would be the price? What pain will my resurfacing bring to my loved ones? I shook my head. It's better to not think of the negative right now. Bruder was here and there didn't seem to be any way around what was to come. I might as well make the most of it.

I sighed once more before turning back and heading to the kitchen. I had been making lunch before Gilbert decided to pay me this surprise visit. I smiled, glancing back behind me. Suddenly my vision went yellow. I yelped and jumped backward.

"Piyo?" I blinked. In front of me was Gilbert's little yellow bird. He always did have a weakness for cute things. Not that he would admit it.

I smiled at the little chick. "Are you hungry too?" It chirped in response before flying above me and settling on my head. I laughed.

"You are just like him, aren't you?" I didn't get a response, but it wasn't like I was expecting one.

Continuing on my earlier path I made it to the kitchen. Half a sandwich lay on the counter just where I had left it. I turned and headed to the closet. Opening it and pulling out the bird seed I kept in it. I always had had a wide array of birds around my house. I never actually thought that I would need it for a tame bird.

"Vould you like some of dis?" Who knows the last time the little thing had been fed. After all he was Gilbert's.

"Piyo!"

"I'll take dat as a yes." I grabbed a small bowl from a near by cupboard and poured a little of the seed into it. "If you finish dat off I vill get you more." Another chirp and the little thing began to stuff itself. I guess that that proved my point about Gill.

Shaking my head I resumed making my sandwich. Deciding to make an extra just in case Bruder had forgotten to feed himself. It had happened before and I wouldn't be surprised if he had again.

Smiling, I finished my tasks, making sure to give Gilbert's bird more seed. For something so small it can eat a lot. I laughed a little at the thought of someone else that I had once said that about. A little girl in a green dress. Laughing more as I remembered that 'she' was actually a 'he' and that he wasn't so little anymore.

I shook my head. How three people could not see something as crucial as that still is beyond me. Although I suspect that Elizabeta had something to do with it. Sighing I walked out of the kitchen and back into mt living room.

It wasn't the most decorated room. Just a decent sized TV, a couch, 2 arm chairs, a coffee table, which was now supporting Gilbert's head and right arm, and several paintings scattered across the walls lighted by the sunlight that came through the large bay window on the east wall and by several lamps after dark. Each of the pictures was of a different era in history. During and after my fall. I smiled. So many memories were captured on these canvases and the others that I had placed around my home.

Ita would be so happy. I had continued to paint even though I had started out making painting that were unrecognizable. Painting had been the only way for me to remain close to him through out all these years. Even with miles and centuries between us I had never given up loving him. Even after the shock of discovering that he wasn't a girl.

I closed my eyes and let my mind drift back over the centuries. Back to when I was just a little kid living at my brothers house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Gilbert's POV~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I yawned and sat up. Usually I could stay in bed for hours, even after waking up, but my bed was lumpy under my back and it made my neck stiff. Hearing a soft sigh I opened my eyes expecting Ludwig to be there about to pour cold water on me or kick/drag me out of bed. However a man with blond hair pulled into a low ponytail wearing a black tank and a pair of jeans that looked like they had seen better days was standing in front of me. He was looking at a picture. I didn't remember having paintings in my room...I tried to remember who this man was and why I wasn't in my room.

I fell of what ever I had been sleeping on as the memories of earlier hit me like Russia's pipe. Oh, wait that was the floor...So not Awesome! I rubbed my head and turned to where I heard soft laughter.

The blond man was smiling and laughing at me. I blinked. He looked so familiar...

"Bruder? Are you alright? You hit your head off de coffee table pretty hard." The man knelt before me. One word echoing in my head.

Bruder...

"Bruder!" I jumped onto him. My emotions went haywire. Happiness, sadness, anger, confusion, frustration, joy all made it hard to think. My bruderlein was alive! He was here! I found him!

He wrapped his arms around me and held me there as if I would disappear. He buried his face in my shoulder. Suddenly I knew why. He was crying. He never did like anyone seeing him cry. Said it was wrong for his people to see they're nation in tears. Like it would make them hate him or something.

I pulled him as close as I could. Being the AWESOME bruder that I am I rubbed his back and told it was okay. Just I did for West when he was little. But this wasn't West. It was the brother I had before West. The one I couldn't protect. The one I couldn't save from his own leaders or my own friend. I suddenly felt sick. France had said he delivered the final blow, and yet I was still friends with him. The two of us and Spain still made up the Bad Touch Trio. My stomach churned. I felt like I betrayed him. What had I been thinking? What had I done?

Before I realized it I was whispering 'I'm sorry' over and over. Not realizing that that was exactly what he was saying to me.

I felt him shift. His body shaking. Soon he was laughing.

"Vhat is so funny?" I asked harshly trying to hide my tears from him. He only looked at me, a smile on his face.

"Ve vere considered two of de strongest nations and here ve are crying and holding onto each other like a couple of little girls!" He started laughing again. I took a moment to think over his words. He had a point. I shrugged and began to laugh as well. It felt good. To cry, then to laugh. To get all of the fear and emotion that I saved for my journals out at last. Writing them down only did so much to ease my heart and mind.

I don't know how long we sat there on the floor laughing and talking. Poking fun at the other like we hadn't done in years past. We hadn't been together long, but it had been enough. We were family. Brothers that went through a war together. There a bond that had formed. An understanding. A mutual agreement that we could now act upon. We could poke fun at the others shortcomings and quirks like we had been the best of friends since we were born. I guess distance dose make the heart grow fonder.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Back at Germany's house~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I walked into Gilbert's room expecting to have to drag him out of bed as usual. I did, however, expect to find his bed empty and made! Gilbert had never made his bed of his own free will. I always had to threaten to take away his video games to get him to do anything. As over used as it was it still had the desired effect.

I walked over to the bed. It took me several seconds to realize that I hadn't once tripped over anything to get this far into the room. I looked around. I could see the floor. I could see the floor. I blinked. It usually looked like some sort of tornado went through Bruder's room. But not this morning. Why? If there was a reason for this sudden change I would find it and use it to get him to do this more often. Low, maybe, but it was for East's own good.

I was about to leave when I saw one of his precious journals jutting out from under his pillow. I pulled it out. Maybe it could explain some things. I opened it slowly for it was one of his older ones. Why was he rereading one of these old things?

The first page was yellowing with age. The ink had faded, but not enough that I couldn't make out the words. I flipped through the little book. Every now and again there would be some blood and mentions of winning some fight or another. Gloating and praising his awesomeness. Then several pages of nothing. I kept flipping through. Hoping that there would be something to tell me what the cause was for East's cleanliness this morning.

Then I found another entry. It didn't have a date. Nor did start with 'Dear Diary, I was so AWESOME today!' No. It was like he had sobered all of a sudden after having more beer than he should. The entry started out with him berating himself. Saying how he was useless if he couldn't help protect something that mattered. Yelling at himself for not protecting Holy Roman Empire.

"Vhy vould Osten need to protect the Holy Roman Empire?" I muttered to myself as I kept reading.

There was another page of berating himself until it switch from guilt and anger to just anger. But this anger wasn't toward himself. It was all aimed at France. One of his friends since before I was around. Lots of cursing France for being of no help and weak in his constitution and resolve.

I read the entry all the way through. There were areas where some sort of water had distorted a letter or two. Like tears... But it wasn't until the last paragraph that I found out what was the cause of this entry, so full of pain, anger and guilt.

'Stupid, moronic France! Can't you see what you have done by killing him! There have only been a few Nations that have been able to bring Europe together under one flag. Rome, Opa Germanina, and Holy Roman. They were alive only to bring Europe together! Stupid! You don't realize what you have done! He was only a kid! He was a bruderlein! My bruderlein! Austria and Hungary's bruderlein! And the one that your bruderlein loved! Ja. That's right. Little Ita loved Holy Roman! So you just stabbed your own bruder in the heart by finishing him off! Good job! Even I wouldn't that!

I'm sorry bruderlein. I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you like I said I would! But don't worry. I will keep that other promise. I will. I will. He won't get hurt. Not by France. Or Anyone one else. Germany will be safe. I promise. I'll protect him like I couldn't for you. Please forgive me...'

I nearly dropped the book. A promise to protect me? Made to a nation that had existed before I had? My memory of the past has always been a bit foggy, but I would remember someone giving me to Gilbert. Wouldn't I?

I closed the book and stood up. I would just have to ask Gilbert when he got back. But for now I had work to do. I took a few steps before tossing the journal onto the bed. Surprised when a folded up piece of paper came flying out and landing at my feet. I reached down and picked it up. Unfolding it carefully, unsure of it's age, I gasped at the image. It was a man in glasses and a dress shirt. His hair was blond and was pulled back. His blue eyes seemed so sad, even as they hid behind the framed glass. But it was his face that startled me the most. It was mine. My face that stared back at me. Or at least it looked like my face. It was older, but it looked just like mine.

It wasn't until I looked closely at that I noticed that the picture was had been printed. Did that mean that this man was alive? Now? I looked over the picture as much as I could before the screaming drew my attention to the direction stairs. I sighed. Aster probably just started licking him. Why was he so afraid of everything? I folded the picture carefully and tucked it into my pocket. Finding out who the man in the picture was would have to wait until later. For now I had to save Feliciano from the my dog's love.

And there you have it! Chapter 3! Done! Threw in a twist didn't I? Well you will just have to wait patiently with Ludwig to figure it out. Maybe I will add clues? Who knows. Well, until next time! ~JG

P.S. Not sure when ch. 4 will be up. Just started college so, my days are pretty packed. Especially with work. I willtry though I promise! Reviews may make me go faster!

Transulations:

Danke Gott – Thank God

Opa – Grandpa

Bruderlein – Little brother

Bruder – Brother

Osten – East