Elizabet clinged onto Gilbert's arm as they walked down the streets. She was happy to be by his side. As far as she could tell, both of them needed affection equally. Both of them was lonely. But he was an extraordinary person and sometimes certain traits of his were much for her, but that unpredictable personality caught her attention. She knew she was an ordinary girl with enough determination to go to the lectures as often as it was possible. Maybe Gil needed something -or someone- calm or peaceful to get his mind off things.

And Elizabet was glad to be a distraction, especially that it had benefits for her too.

Sadly, that was their last day together.

"Are you sure we can't meet up with Feliks? Toris, his boyfriend, is here too! We could have a double date after lunch! It would be great!" She was enthusiastic about the meeting of the four of them. It was a rare chance that all of them was in the same place. Probably there wouldn't be an opportunity like this soonly.

Gilbert didn't answer for a moment, he was thinking. "Liz, no offense, but... I don't really want to meet them right now," he squeezed her hand. "It's our day together!"

Elizabet nodded in understanding, but she was disappointed too. She just wanted her friends to meet, although it looked like that Gilbert didn't like the idea. Maybe he couldn't stand homosexuals...She hoped this wasn't the reason. "Okay, I see... But who knows when will we have the chance ever again? I mean, I'm not forcing you..." She wondered if other methods worked on him, but apperently, Gilbert decided this permanently.

"Then we won't meet today. Period. I don't want it, you're not forcing me. You can meet with them tomorrow..." he seemed to realise something, for he suddenly stopped mid-sentence. "Oh, fuck. I don't want you to meet with strangers alone..." He looked puzzled.

She grinned. She forgot about this old rule about meeting with someone for the first time. She thought she was an adult now and had pushed these childish things out of her mind. Gilbert knew what parents told their kids. Maybe he had lectured Ludwig sometimes. She could even imagine that it was Ludwig who reminded his brother sometimes. She pictured it, and it was a hilarious scenario: the tall, rebellious light-haired German with his strict, rule-respecter little brother who told him what was right.

"So? What will it be then?" she hated that she used this to her advantage, but it was her dream at the moment. She never really had had any friends, but she had a few now.

"Wait a minute," Gilbert said, walking past a vivid green building. He put a finger on his lips. "Did you say their names are Feliks and Toris?"

"Why, yes, of course I did." Gilbert looked very focused and he muttered their names under his breath, like a chant. He was so into his thoughts, that Elizabet had to pull him back to the pavement, when he had almost walked in front of a car. She waved her hands before his face, trying to catch his attention. "Hey, Gil, are you with me? Why is it so important?"

He shook himself and grabbed her shoulders. "Is Toris Lithuanian?"

Elizabet was surprised. Did he guess it? Why was his nationality so significant? "He is... I think."

"What are their last names? Have they told you?" He tried to hurry her with more and more questions, but these just fed her feeling of pressure. His eyes were glowing with hunger for that knowledge. The wind blew his hair backwards and the dim light of the sun through the clouds shone from behind him, giving him a powerful and somehow scary look.

Elizabet tried to recall if they had ever share that. In her mind, she reread their emails. Gilbert was concerned and tense. She wanted to help him, but his tension infected her as well. She had no clue about what the importance of their name was. "I have no idea... I think we never talked about it... We saw no point in it, maybe... But tell me, why the hell is it important?"

Gilbert released her and looked away, rubbing his face. He licked his mouth and shook his head. "Why would you meet with someone who is a complete stranger?" He put a finger on his lips. "Okay, that's not completely true, because you talked with him, but if I'm right, you don't want to meet the Pole. You don't even know his full name! What if Feliks is a serial killer or something?"

She sighed. He couldn't be serious. "Really? The serial killer talk? Don't you think that I'd have noticed something in the papers about him if it were true? Gilbert, I'm not a little girl. I can take care of myself. I want you to remember this, okay?" She was sure he was joking, but his face remained serious.

Gil sighed wearily. He held up his index finger and started looking for something in his pockets. Elizabet shifted her weight and folded her arms. After a couple of moments he pulled out his phone and called someone. "Hallo, Ludwig! I'd like to ask you about the Łukasiewicz file... Could you find it for me till we get there?" He didn't switch to German on purpose. He wanted her to know what he said to his brother. "Yeah, okay. Danke." During the whole call he kept eyecontact with her. After he talked with his brother, he carelessly ruffled her hair which became shaggy. "Let us go and have lunch!" He said cheerfully.

Again the sudden mood swing... It was as unexpected as the changing of the weather. And just as annoying.

She couldn't put her finger on what caused it. Elizabet found Gil's happiness too pretended to believe it. He had the vibe that he tried to be in a good mood before something unpleasant. Silence before the storm, or something like that.

"Łukasiewicz? Who's that?" She asked as they crossed the road. Do I want to know this? Gilbert was whistling a song, which sounded like an old children's melody to her. Maybe it was.

"If I'm right, you'll see," the corner of his mouth curled up. "And if that's the case, then those guys are so fucking idiots!" His smile widened. She found his out of the blue joy a bit uncanny. Elizabet wasn't sure anymore of his thoughts. She found Gilbert too hard to understand at that moment. Was he hiding something from her? No, he clearly wanted to show her something. That's it. Gilbert was strangely excited.

When they arrived to the small apartment, Ludwig was surrounded by a pile of paper, but all of them was neatly placed by the couch. He was wearing smart clothes as usual. Ludwig was a man of work. The smell of freshly made food filled the air and when she stepped in the living room, she saw steaming food on the cooker. The table was already set for three. Was he a good cook?

"Yo! Did you find them?" Ludwig nodded and handed a thick, yellow folder. Gilbert quickly leafed through it, then opened it in the front. He showed it to Elizabet. She curiously glanced into it. She was confused when she saw a picture of Feliks at the top of the page. She tried to make out something from the text around it, but it was in German and she couldn't figure out the meaning very much.

"What is this?" She turned over the pages with growing curiousity however she feared that she wouldn't like the answer. She heard her blood pumping in her ears as if someone played the drum rhytmically. Did she wanted to hear the answer?

Ludwig frowned in protest. "I don't understand, Gilbert... Why are you showing it to her? It's private. She has nothing to do with it." I agree with you there. We want answers, Gil. As always. She wondered if Gil liked to surprise people with his random acts, though Ludwig migh have got used to his randomness.

Gilbert threw himself on the sofa, peeling off his warm jacket. "Why can't we discuss this after lunch? Let's eat the food while it's nice and hot. There's nothing better than Ludwig's roasted chicken with smashed potatoes, believe me," he told Elizabet convincingly. Her stomach groaned. She had learnt that as a university student she couldn't just deny free food, but Gilbert ignited a desire inside her for knowing what the whole thing was about and she was determined to get answers.

Ludwig looked at Elizabet briefly then back to his brother with an annoyed expression. "Then why couldn't this wait until we finished eating? And I haven't made any roasted chicken. It would be too much for three people for one meal." Ludwig was eager to know the answers as well. She liked his rational thinking.

Gilbert took Elizabet's coat and hung it on the coat rack leisurely. "At least you have something to think while you're eating! Isn't that amazing?" He spreaded out his arms. "I'm always bored when I eat. And we could give the rest of the food to Liz or take it with us, Luddi! Food isn't edible only once!" He flashed a shaky smile and looked away. Elizabet took a deep breath.

"Okay Gil. This is just an excuse or whatsoever, I don't even care anymore why you are so illogical today, so let's just eat and get to it, is that alright, Ludwig? He won't talk till he doesn't know what to say..." She thought Gilbert knew what he wanted to tell, but he wanted to be dramatic, knowing how much of an attention whore he was.

Ludwig nodded and pulled out a chair for Elizabet politely. "I expect you're right. Gilbert, you are very weird today, I hope you know that and actually have a reason for this." Gilbert shrugged and indolently took the remaining seat.

Despite how unusually he behaved, Gil took their hands to say grace. She didn't know the Beilschmidt's were religious, for Gilbert swore like a sailor sometimes and there wasn't a single cross in their apartment. Or maybe she hadn't noticed it. For some reason, she couldn't see a reasonable and logic-centered man, like Ludwig, being a believer. Maybe they were raised up in in.

The meal was delicious and she was ashamed that Ludwig cooked better than her, but there was a heavy tension between them. Gilbert chatted about absolutely ridicoulus things, carefully avoiding the the question they were all interested in, being conscious of the silence of the ohe other two.

Ludwig put down his cutlery with a loud, metally clank and looked at his brother. Elizabet had finished eating about a minute ago as well, although she hadn't eaten much. "Enough of distractions. Why did you show your girlfriend a secret file?" Ludwig's voice froze the blood in Elizabet's veins. His usually warm tone was icecold. She knew she hadn't done anything bad -she didn't speak German to understand what was in those papers after all- but she started sweating.

Gilbert, admitting that he had to answer, sighed. "It's because she knows him. Just like she knows Lauritanis. And it's all because they are the biggest idiots in the world, in all the meaning of the word." He closed his eyes and sat back with delight. "We can end our jobs any minute now. Her Feliks is our Łukasiewicz..."

She shook her head rapidly and put up her hands to stop him. Sh was confused by the names. "And what does this mean, exactly? Who is this Łukasiewicz or whatever his name is... I can't speak German, so what was in the folder?"

Gilbert looked at her, his eyes filled with pity. "What did he say his job was?"

Elizabet didn't like it. She hadd the same feeling when she had to write an exam or present something when she didn't prepare at all, just it was stronger now. Her stomach shrank and her legs got heavy. Her head was light. Is Gil trying to say that my best friend is a liar"Feliks said that he is a waitress in a restaurant and Toris is a cook in the same one. But... I think you're gonna say that this is not true... Who are they then?" Deep inside she wanted to be proved wrong. But deep inside she knew she was right. And she was disappointed in her friend.

Ludwig stood up and collected their plates to do the washing up. The atmosphere was too heavy for him, so he was glad to escape the awkward situation. Elizabet couldn't blame him.

"They are assassins." She dropped her shoulders and bit the inside of her mouth. Assassins. What? "Those, who we are hunting at the moment. Those, who seem to be at our heels. At least I think it's them. We think it's them. But it's just an intuition. Maybe we're wrong. But they can't be far, especially that you said they are here in Budapest-"

In the kitchen, they heard Ludwig drop the dishes into the water with a splash, banged his fist against the counter and his voice rang. He must have dropped a plate, because she heard a loud crash. "Why on Earth didn't you say that until now? Goddamn it!" he appeared in the room, his usually pale face red as a tomato. "And you let us have lunch first! We have to go as soon as possible! Go and pack already, you idiot!" He put his fingers on his nose and took some deep, deep breaths to calm himself down. "Elizabet, please help him for your own good. The sooner we get out, the better it will be." When he called her name, she started a little.

What are you afraid of?

Gilbert rolled his eyes but stood up to do as he was told. Elizabet was still a bit shaken from the sudden change of events and felt the whole world collapsing into itself. First Gilbert lied, now Feliks.

Pull yourself together, girl!

She wanted to hide, but admitted that the blond German was right. "What about I do the washing up and pack the kitchen stuff, while you help Gilbert packing?" All her wish was to be alone for a few minutes.

Ludwig nodded. "That's probably better. Thank you," he stormed away and left her alone with the dishes. Elizabet heard Ludwig speaking German angrily, as if the language itself didn't sound cross enough, then a muffled thud, as the blond's hand landed on Gilbert's scruff.

Serves you right, if you didn't tell this to him, Gil. She knew that he was being unreasonable and reckless, so she questioned his common sense.

She was almost done, for the forks, spoons, knives and other necessary objects had already been packed neatly in a box and she quickly filled it with that day's freshly washed dishes. She closed it and went to help the brothers when her phone rang. She looked at it with confused look on her face.

It was Feliks.

For the first time since she had known him, Elizabet hesitated to answer. Something, an inner barrier didn't let her. She knew who he was, but he had no idea of it. She tended to forget it. What should have she done?

Elizabet walked into Gilbert's room and the boys went silent as they noticed her on the doorstep, the phone still ringing in her hand. "It's Feliks," she stated as a matter-of-fact.

"Give it to me," Gilbert demanded, his hand streched out for the phone he had bought. His face was emotionless, like a mask. Ludwig tilted his head, arms folded. She realised how big they were. They looked rather intimidating than excited as the finale was drawing to a close. This was their game.

She gave in and put the phone into his lover's hand. She leaned against the wall, waiting for developments.

Gilbert shook himself and put on a cheerful face then answered the call. "Yo, Feliks, whaddup?" Elizabet's and Ludwig's eyes met. Ludwig rolled his. He hated when his brother used slang words. Elizabet wearily let a tiny smile conquer her lips and slightly shook her head. The brotherly love between the Beilschmidts was exemplary, even if they were the opposites of each other as far as she could tell.

"She's in the bathroom. I think she's having a shower, maybe...? I can tell Liz if you have any message for her," he nodded and flashed the smile of a predator when his prey is in sight. "Yes, I'm Gilbert. Has she told about me something or what?" He walked to the window and peeked out and put his left hand on his waist. Ludwig silently continued folding clothes, but his attention was on the phonecall. Gilbert's voice suddenly deepened and Ludwig became alarmed. "Oh, you think I'm that stupid, Łukasiewicz? Of course I know who you are and that you know where I am. Do you have any courage to meet us face to face?"

Elizabet gulped. This wasn't going to end up well, she knew. Gilbert turned to her, being as bright as before. "Oh, guess who's back, Feliks! It's Liz! You owe her an explanation." He approached her and handed the phone with determination.

She exhaled, tried to sound and spoke. "Hi, Feliks! I couldn't convince Gil to meet you, sorry..."

"No, it's fine. He's made up his mind. He wants to meet with us," she rested her gaze on Gilbert, who was still standing by the window, peeking out of the light curtains. She heard that Feliks was on the streets, for the background noise was loud.

"Really? What's gotten into him? He didn't tell me this yet. Anyways, I'm glad he thinks this. Where should we meet? Oh, I know very good place to-" Feliks interrupted her in mid-sentence.

"I'm sorry, Lizzie. I lied to you."

She knew it, but it was harder to hear it personally from Feliks. She was concerned about what was about to happen to the five of them. "Lied about what?"

There was a silent moment before Feliks spoke. "About nearly everything, including my job and motive to meet..."

Elizabet rubbed her eyes while Gilbert helped his brother to finish faster. She wasn't a good actress, so she had hard time pretending that she had heard these informations for the first time. It was enough for the first time, all she needed was a revision of it.

"Wait, I still don't understand you... Who are you then?" That was the moment of truth. Feliks had one chance to wash himself clear. She knew who he was and so she was able to detect a lie.

Feliks sighed loudly. "I am a... how should I explain this to you..."

Elizabet cleared her throat. She hadn't planned to reveal that she knew his job, but it would greatly surprise Feliks, she hoped. "Really? Let me help you out a bit. You are an assassin. You kill people for money. Isn't that right?"

Gilbert looked at her, jaws dropped. "Liz, what the hell are you doing? Geez!" He exclaimed loudly and giggled like a schoolgirl. Ludwig nodded approvingly.

It was silence at the other end of the phone. Bingo. Now I've got you, boy.

"So he told about me...? That kurwa-" He swore.

"Someone had to tell me something. And, unlike you, he told me everything about himself quite early," she didn't want to say that it was still a mistake that triggered the confession, when his brother had wanted to shoot her. But at least he had confessed.

He laughed nervously. "Oh, well, you got me there good. But you see, a man can't say these things out of the blue..."

"Especially when this man wants my boyfriend dead. He's here, as you know, so I might as well put you on speakers." Gilbert made a cross with his arms, but she did it regardless of his gestures. Ludwig was still packing leisurely, but she saw him smiling.

Suddenly, street noises filled the small room. An ambulance just went by him, sirens vailing. Gilbert walked up to the phone to make sure Feliks heard him. He crossed his arms. "Oi, oi Feliks, is you bf with you right now?" He asked in a honeyed voice.

Ludwig cringed and put up his hands. "Bruder, please stop using abbreviations. It's awful." Elizabet nodded in agreement.

Gilbert shrugged. "I do what I want, okay?" Elizabet's arm started to ache so she put down the phone on a shelf. Why was she holding it anyways? "So, where were we? Ah, yes, we were talking about your little fuckboy. So is he there?"

"First of all, I have a name. Secondly, at least I didn't fuck a sick girl," Gilbert turned to Elizabet, disbelief on his face. No, it was almost like betrayal. She nearly burst out laughing when she saw Ludwig dropping the sheet he was folding and awkwardly leaving the room. The last thing he was interested in was Gilbert's love life.

"What? I only hinted things to Feliks, I don't even talk with Toris because he's a dumbass."

"Oh, but you wanted a double date! For Gott's sake, Liz! This ain't a public information you share with your buddies."

Toris whistled. "Oooh, trouble in paradise, right?" Feliks hushed him.

"Could we get back to the topic please?" Elizabet looked at him, waiting for a cultured sign and nodded. Feliks didn't see it though, but the silence was enough for him as a reply. "Okay. So Axe. Is your brother there? See, this is how you ask someone nicely," he added as a sidenote.

Gilbert called Ludwig in. His reply came as a shout.

"Are you done with your private life?"

Gilbert rolled his eyes, but he was laughing. "Ja, duh. Come back already!"

Ludwig wasn't so sure that it was safe to come back. "So what's the deal?"

Elizabet looked back and forth between the mobile and the brothers. She had heard Feliks talking a few times, but now, when he was talking to the men he wanted to catch, who knows why, his voice became deeper and colder. It was a side she wasn't aware to.

Once his brother was standing beside him, Gilbert spoke. "We want to meet you. Ending this like men. You can't take us from that crappy balcony you're on at the moment. Yes, I seen ya. Do you think people casually climb up and spy on people? With flashy wigs and stuff? I'm pretty sure you followed us here. My question is: from where?" Gil flashed a predatory smile, which was almost like a trademark of his, and looked at the impressed Elizabeth. Was this the reason he had stood beside the window for so long?

There was a loud knock on the door. Gilbert looked at Ludwig, who immediately went to get it.

"Oh, following was easy. Lizzie's apartment was a great spot to keep an eye on you. But you know, Beilschmidt, there is a little problem with your observing skills." Suddenly, Feliks's voice became clear and sounded closely from the front door. And from the phone. "We're not on the roof anymore."

Gilbert was pale on a daily basis, but his face became chalkwhite and his eyes widened in fear.

Elizabet's heart was throbbing against her chest so strongly that she felt every pulse in every inch of her body. This couldn't be good. The vulnerable Ludwig, who was expecting someone innocent against the duo who had planned the sudden visit a while ago.

It was obvious who had an advantage.

The platinum haired German turned around as quickly as he could. Before he could have get moving, Elizabet heard a deafening bang and Ludwig screamed in pain.

A/N: Thank you all for reading I apologize for updating this late, I was busy (blame school). This included a one week trip to Poland and a note for my Polish readers: Warsaw and your countryside is magnificent and stunning, I hope you are proud of them! (and thanks for the people of Sadowne to make my stay awesome)

Anyway, maybe the next one will be the final chapter. I'm thinking about an epilogue, tho... To be honest, this one little twist at the end was sudden even for me.

I'm not trying to promise you a finale by next week, but I'll try it.

Gooooodbye ^.^