A/N: Okay, so I know this is a little later than normal, but I have a good excuse! *looks around and whispers* My laptop was out to ruin me! So, I started the chapter kinda late, and then saved it on the document with all of my chapters. After a while, I came back to finish it up, and it was gone! My laptop lost the document, so I lost all my work! Then, I had to put up with it freezing on me, and losing work when that happened cause I had to restart! It was horrible! Anyway, you haven't come here to hear about my life, so I'ma let ya'll get to the story! I know it's pretty short, but I wanted to get it out ASAP.

Chapter 5

Arthur and Francis were escorted out by the police after people reported seeing them in the candy store. Francis was still crying slightly, and clutching Kumajiro as they walked out towards the detective waiting to hear witness reports. The detective's name was Elizabeta, and Arthur and Francis were shocked to find that it was a woman, not a man. She had long brown hair, green eyes, and was talking to another police officer.

"Look," she said, "you can't just come over here and tell me that a bunch of men broke into a mall, and left without taking anything or anybody, and no one even saw them leave! What was this, a secret ninja training exercise? You now what, leave and come back when you have more evidence! I have to interview these last two witnesses. GO!" She yelled at the stunned officer, holding a frying pan threateningly over his head. He ran for dear life, and Elizabeta looked very satisfied with her work.

She now turned her attention to the two stunned blond men, and made her way over to them.

"Hi," she said pleasantly, a shocking turn from her former attitude, "my name is Special Agent Elizabeta. Now, can you tell me what happened here and what you saw?"

"Well" Francis began, squeezing Kumajiro, "I believe you've heard enough about what happened, and zere is something else we need to talk about."

"Shoot."

This time, Arthur spoke up. "Our kids have been kidnapped."

Elizabeta's mouth fell open in shock. "Excuse me."

"Let's start from the beginning," Arthur said, "We were forced to bring our children with us to work while we were in a meeting. After ze alarms went off, we couldn't find them anywhere."

Francis continued as Arthur trailed off. "We came racing down ze steps with everyone else, and when the men came through ze roof, we saw them pick up two small blonds, and run off. In the store where'd zey had come from was my son's, Mattieu's, polar bear." He held up the bear as he said this, and was about to continue when the same officer who she had driven off with the frying pan ran up.

"Agent Elizabeta," he gasped, out of breath, "some of the other officers were searching through the stores, and found blood, a cloth covered in chloroform, and signs of a struggle in the candy store."

The two older blond men froze at his words.

"Show me." Was all she said, motioning for Arthur and Francis to follow her. When she arrived, the doorway was closed off with classic yellow crime scene tape, and she turned around to see the grief stricken faces of the parents behind her. "Wait here."

She was shocked at the mess that was once a candy store. There were overturned stalls, candy covering the floor, and blood on the corner of a stall and pooled beneath it. Police were all over, taking pictures, collecting evidence, and taking witness statements. After touring the scene, Elizabeta went out to talk to Arthur and Francis.

Her face was grim as she walked up to them. She put her hand on Arthur's shoulder and told him, "I will do everything in my power to return your children back to you safely. You have my word." Arthur nodded, and Elizabeta went on. "Why don't you two head back to your house, and I'll be over soon so we can discuss this matter privately. I'll need your address and phone number." Arthur handed over the information without a word, and dragged the Frenchman away towards their car.

They didn't speak the entire ride to their home, but Arthur finally broke the silence when they entered the house. "Why do you think they did this? Who did this?" Francis just looked up at him sadly, and made his way towards the kitchen. On the table were Alfred's prized toy soldiers, and Francis laid Kumajiro next to them. It was Arthur's turn to cry when he saw his son's favorite toys lying abandoned on the table, possibly never to be played with again. He cried, and Francis did his best to comfort the man like Arthur had for him earlier, but soon, they were clutching each other, sobbing.

It was then that Arthur noticed the laptop sitting on the table top. "Is that your's?" He asked Francis.

"Non," the Frenchman replied, looking perplexed.

"Then whose is it?" As he said this, he turned it on, only to be faced with a video of two children lying on top of something they couldn't identify. Arthur gasped as one child turned over, and began to wake.

It was Alfred. Arthur called Francis over and showed him the screen. The video paused as Alfred looked in the camera's direction, face full of fear. Seconds later, the phone rang. Arthur noticed it was an unknown number and out it on speaker, just in case it was the kidnappers or Elizabeta.

"Hallo," it spoke with a Russian accent, "my name is Ivan, and that is all you'll need to know, da? I'm here to make a deal. Follow my rules, and you'll get your kids back. If you don't, you'll have the pleasure of watching them die."