Hey all! Sorry about the slow updating. I get there eventually, but I have other things on my mind so this fiction gets pushed around a bit.

Here we go! Enjoy!


His emotions ran through him like a swarm of hornets eating away at his insides. The Russian girl (but did she mention she had spent most of her time in Belarus?) beside him was frightening, the walls around him threatened him but the new air felt good to him. Arthur was indeed relieved to be out of the house that held him as a prisoner for so long, but the fragmented excuses and reasons being delivered by this Natalia girl were beginning to frustrate him. He had not had a decent shower in a while, so he accepted the offer of one.

As the Englishman stood under the rain of warm water, good on his skin but slightly irritating to his scrapes and bruises, he thought of something Natalia said. While she told him about her role as a hired private detective in a somewhat cold manner, Arthur picked up on something that stayed in his head. Natalia had said something about a 'pipsqueak' with her brother. She had never elaborated on this, and Arthur in his stunned state at the time did not push the matter, but it was poking at him in his now more calmed conduct.

He got out of the en suite shower (this bedroom was to be his room for the current time) and saw a pile of clothes for him. Shirts and bottoms that were strikingly close to his taste. He buttoned up, wondering if the private detectives figured out his dress sense. He smiled for the first time in what could have easily been weeks.

Arthur examined himself in the bathroom mirror, seeing blonde hair which seemed lifeless and worn green eyes. He remembered the kidnapping only vaguely, being blindfolded and gagged very soon. He only recalled a dark world filled with threats and physical violence which blended into one unpleasant broth of history. Arthur leaned over the sink and vomited.

True to his nature, he immediately brushed his teeth thoroughly. He only then realised he was shaking.

A door opened and closed loudly. It sounded like the front door. Arthur wondered whether Natalia had gone out, but upon entering the bedroom and hearing her voice, he concluded otherwise. Another accompanied her, a man's. Arthur opened the door quietly, listening.

The man told Natalia, 'Would you be so kind as to make us some hot chocolate?'

'She should not have come, brother! Why do you have sympathy for this pipsqueak?' Natalia contended.

'Ivan, I'm fine…'

This voice was new… Arthur's eyes widened.

'You need rest, Amelia,' the man called 'Ivan' said.

Arthur found new energy and was standing at the top of the stairs. 'Amelia?!'

True as life, the young American girl he adored so much was standing at the bottom of the stairs, cloaked in a coat much too big for her. She looked up as he raced down the stairs, nearly tumbling on a few occasions.

Arthur pushed past all the doubt and flung his arms around her, quite possibly knocking the 'Ivan' man back in the process. Her small form against him was not unlike a deep breath of air after a long time submerged under water. Like that of a drowning man, it was something so unexpected that when it does come, he does not know how to handle it and ends up choking and coughing. Arthur hardly knew what to make of Amelia standing before him. All he could do was grab her and hold on to her like one would a precious stone they did not want to lose.

Amelia's voice sounded from his chest, her hands gripping the back of his shirt. 'A-Arthur… I'm so glad you're safe…'

Arthur leaned away from her and looked into her face. The blood fell from him. Her features were so much more serious than he had ever seen them. Her eyes, normally a soft, playful blue, were rough like some blue steel. Determined and hard. The smile she gave him was filled with tenderness but there was an edge to it that was not previously present. Her face had not been aged, but it had been changed in a way that was perhaps emotionally rooted.

What had his girl been through? Arthur cupped her cheeks in his hands. He stroked her skin with his thumbs and kissed her. She was unresponsive at first, but she warmed and responded. To kiss her like this… It was a dream tinted with darkness.

'Arthur…' she mumbled when they broke away from each other, '… I'm so glad to see you again.'

His heart swelled and he nuzzled her neck. 'Bloody hell… How I've missed that voice.'

'I've missed you, too,' the little voice responded, choked on something.

They kissed again, but Natalia's loud cough broke them apart.

'If you two are done, pipsqueak American, I shall show you to your room. Brother says you're staying the night. Hrm...' She beckoned with her arm and the girl in Arthur's embrace smiled to him.

She snuggled into his chest, reluctant to leave, but Natalia's firm repetition jolted her. Amelia gave him a sad smile. 'I'll be right back down, Arthur…'

He nodded and she began to follow Natalia.

Arthur put too many things together in his head at the one time. It nearly caused him to topple over. The coat around Amelia… What was it for? She had been shaking… What had happened? Arthur grabbed Amelia gently but firmly and spun her round to face him. He glanced down at her wrists, hidden always from his sight. His heart, still swollen with love, began to pound like footsteps thudding against the ground. He saw the tall Russian man move in the corner of his eye, but Arthur removed the coat in a flash of movement and he saw the cuts around her wrists. They were not deep and bloody, but they were there nonetheless. Something stabbed him in the stomach, and then the heart.

'W-what the bloody hell happened to her?!' His mind blurred into a series of never-breaking assumptions and theories. He turned to the tall Russian man. 'What happened to Amelia?!'

The Russian was unfazed. His purple eyes had seen this behaviour before, Arthur guessed. His eyebrows were creased only slightly. At last he responded. 'Amelia ran into a spot of trouble, but as you can see, she came out of it unharmed. I protected her.'

'P-protected her…?! From what did she need protecting? She shouldn't have…' He made to look at the cuts again, but Amelia had hidden them under the coat she had picked off the ground.

Natalia slid an arm around Amelia to guide her up the stairs. Amelia mouthed his name before she disappeared into her designated room.

The Russian spoke up again. 'Arthur. She is so happy to see you. She was going out of her mind worrying about you. Please, come into the front room and I shall bring you something to drink. Perhaps tea or coffee, or coco?'

Arthur's mind kept running. It eventually settled on a single thing. 'Coco, please.'


As he drank his coco, Arthur listened to Ivan as he told him of the events leading up to his rescue. He was told of Amelia hiring the Russian and of her suspicions surrounding Colin. Arthur heard of Amelia's stubbornness and determination (he raised a little smile, and was surprised to see Ivan had, too). He finally heard of the night of his rescue, though Ivan omitted what Arthur really wanted to know.

'What happened to Amelia, Ivan? Why does she have those cuts on her wrists?'

Ivan eyed the clock on the wall. Arthur thought it was probably a silent nudge that it was late and bed was a good idea, but he sat there, unwavering.

The Russian looked to Arthur's stone stare and shook his head. 'That is something only Amelia can tell you. I do not fully know her wishes. All I will say is it could have been so, so much worse if I had not been with her. Those scratches will heal quickly.'

'Do you want my thanks?'

'I only want you to appreciate. I want you to know how lucky you are,' Ivan said. 'She's a great girl.'

Arthur stared at the Russian as though it would spill more words from him, but it didn't. He looked to his fingers, still shaking in the aftermath. 'I know how lucky I am.' The tip of his nose began to sting and tears welled up in his eyes. Shock and relief blended. 'I… know…! I'm just sorry that she got involved in all of this…!'

'I don't mean to broach a sensitive subject, but do you know who hired these men to kidnap you?' Ivan asked.

Arthur found that he did not care much for the stone cold Russian, but he answered anyway. 'I'm not sure. All I know is that it was someone close to home. A work colleague or the likes.'

'I figured as much,' Ivan affirmed. 'Evidence suggests the kidnappers were fed personal information about you. They had some stuff in the house where they were keeping you. Natalia is going to check through it.'

'Let me ask you a question Ivan,' Arthur said sharply. 'Why did you allow Amelia along with you? Surely your professional stance should be to not allow the customers in the danger line?'

Ivan lay back in his chair, obviously studying Arthur. His purple eyes were deep with calculation. Resting his head in his hand, Ivan said, 'She's a very stubborn girl.'

'Your willpower must be weak,' Arthur retorted.

Ivan only chuckled coolly and Amelia bounced in, Natalia following in a more sluggish pace.

'Arthur,' the young girl cooed, wrapping her arms around him and snuggling up to him. 'How are you feeling?'

Careful not to spill the few remaining drops of his drink, Arthur returned her embrace and kissed the base of her neck. Amelia was wearing dark blue pyjamas that were very open around her neck. They must have been Natalia's.

'I'm fine,' Arthur chuckled. 'Just like I was earlier, you silly girl.'

Amelia cooed into his chest.

'I can see the air is too pink right now,' Natalia groaned. 'Things can wait until morning. I'm going to bed.'

'Natalia,' Amelia called as the Russian girl was half out of the door. 'Thank you.'

Natalia only grunted in reply before her footsteps could be heard making their way up the staircase.

Ivan got up. 'Amelia, is there anything you need before I retire as well?'

Arthur looked to him.

'I'm fine. Oh, Ivan…' Amelia jumped up and wrapped her arms around the Russian. 'Thank you…'

Somewhere, though he could not pinpoint it, Arthur felt a lump of stone form within him. He was ashamed of himself for thinking this way, but he was only human, he reminded himself. He was only a human prone to losing himself in an emotional eddy.

Ivan gave Amelia a pat on the back. 'You're more than welcome, child. Now, go to bed.'

'Oh! Ivan!' Amelia squeaked. 'You need to destroy the, eh…'

Ivan chuckled. 'Already done.'

He left, and Arthur wanted nothing more than to sit there all night with Amelia in his arms. Her form against him was like a surreal drug. After so long living under the hand of fear, Arthur was ready to embrace all that was great about life once more. But he knew the young girl would have to get to bed. He was exhausted, too.

Still, there were questions.

'What happened to your wrists, Amelia?' Arthur asked, running his fingers through her hair.

Amelia slowly slid them from under the long sleeves of the night shirt and showed tight, efficient dressing over the little marks. 'Makes it look much worse than it is.'

Arthur moved a fingertip over one dressing.

'… I was only shaken a bit. Rough-handled,' Amelia muttered.

Arthur's throat tightened. He resisted making an angry noise. Not at Amelia. At whatever bastard hurt her.

'Ivan shouted at me, so don't blame him, please.' Amelia nuzzled Arthur. 'It was all my fault.'

He argued only with a stare, and brought her closer into his chest. A small, warm body… It nearly brought tears to his eyes – it was not something he thought he would ever feel again, her form. He hugged her tightly, only breaking away when she mumbled something to him regarding lack of air.

They shared a small laugh and kissed.

'I'm… so happy,' Amelia said, eyes glazed with tears.

Arthur could hardly respond in words. He kissed her a few more times before glancing up at the clock. It was late.

He whispered this to Amelia, and although she made a few near-silent protests, she got up and they walked up the stairs to their rooms, which were on opposite ends of the corridors. Amelia moved her fingers over his face, sending a thrill through the Englishman. He had missed her so much.

'I'm so happy,' Amelia repeated.

'I'm happy, too,' Arthur replied. He brushed Amelia's hair from her eyes. It was as wild as he remembered it, but it had definitely grown. 'Amelia.'

They leaned in and kissed one another.


I'm not sure I did a good job, but anyway.

I'll post the next chapter as soon as I can.

Thank you!