Okay. Soooo sorry it took me so long to get this done! But, given as I am home again, I have summer HW. Plus, I am babysitting. So this and Protection are kinda getting pushed to the backburner. I've got a couple of one-shots that I'm working on, as well as a request. So forgive me if I take a while. I'll try to update as fast as I can but I still have 4 cause-and-effect graphs, a chapter and a half to read, a map, and possibly 3 essays.

Also, I'm feeling kinda lonely. I don't get many reviews, and it makes me think I'm not doing good or I'm doing something wrong. Like I don't wanna keep going with this story, but I do. So, please, if you do read, R&R so I know you guys do care... Not to be whiney, but it makes me feel kinda bad.


"Mattie? Mattie?" There was no reply. Alfred panicked as his brother dove out of the slow-moving vehicle. His twin gave no reply, simply running from the car. Alfred tried to see what he was running towards, but then he turned a corner and was gone. Without a second thought he turned off the car and jumped out, forgetting to lock it in his hurry. He rushed after his younger brother, certain that anything that made the normaly slow Canadian move this fast was definatly categorized as not good.

"Mattie!" He hollared as he saw the blonde turn another corner. He got no reply, and poured on more speed. His twin may be fast, but Alfred was faster. Matthew could run longer, but Alfred could run faster for short bursts. As he turned the corner he heard a thunk and a yelp of pain.

"PUT IT DOWN YOU SICK BASTARD!" Alfred heard Matthew yell. Matthew hardley ever yelled. There was a gun shot, and Matthew yelped, and then Alfred turned the corner. A man was holding a gun and a fluffy white thing. Matthew was glaring, ready to jump out of the bullet's path again.

"Who the hell are you?! I bought it legally! It's for my... Zoo!" The man snarled, waving the gun between Alfred, Matthew, and the Thing.

"Like hell! If it was, it wouldn't be bloody, and limp, and-oh my god, what's that?" Matthew stopped, looking terrified at the space behind the man. Alfred looked over to the space and began to tremble as well.


"Fritz... Something's wrong..." Gilbert muttered. He was pacing. Matthew and Alfred should have been here at least an hour ago. The two blondes were either the first ones here or the last, but always at the ranch before noon. It was almost one. A feeling of panic was beginning in his chest. Something was wrong. He had to do something.

The pacing increased.

"Gilbert, relax." Fritz sighed, sorting his papers. Gilbert glared.

"Relax? How can I relax? I make a damn contract with the kid last night, and today something just has to go wrong, and he's not here when he should!" A cheeping from Gilbert's head accented this fact. "Even Gilbird is worried! See!" The canary chick was grabbed by Gilbert and nodded, given as his owner was. "Really, Fritz, something is wro-"

"FRITZ! FRITZ WE NEED TO FUCKIN' LEAVE!" Lovino ran in shouting. His cell phone was in his hand with a clearly-heard panicked Alfred on the other side.

"What is going on Lovino?" Fritz asked, standing up and narrowing his eyes. The Italian knew better than to swear around his grandfather and Fritz unless it was an emergency. Lovino paid no attention to the human Gilbert.

"Something's wrong with Mattie. Alfred says he's been shot. Or, the white thing has been shot. What is the white- No, Alfred... Dammit, hamburger bastard, shut the hell up and listen! Argh! No-Just-JESUS CHRIST! LISTEN TO ME! Where the fuck are you two?" Lovino snapped into the phone, turning around. Gilbert gave Fritz an "I-told-you-so!" look. Fritz shook his head.

"Okay... South and... Q... God, I hate that street... Isn't that where those fucking... Those bastards, that's why... I fucking hate poachers." Lovino groaned. "Alright, hamburger bastard. We'll be there. Soon, yes, soon. Idiot." Lovino hung up, snapping the phone and looking like he wanted to break it.

"We need to go." He said to Fritz, "Feliciano has a car ready. Tino and Ivan are waiting as well. They just need us. And First Aid. First Aid things, definatly, from how Alfred was acting. They're on South Street and Avenue Q, in that dirty fuckin' alley where all those stupid ass poachers hang out and trade illegal animals and shit."

"Let's go then." Fritz said, gathering his First Aid box that he kept around for the animals and standing, quickly moving for the door. "And, Gil... Stay here. Don't do anything stupid and rash." Gilbert was fixed with a stare that froze him until he looked away.

"Y-yes sir..." He muttered, shuffling his feet. Lovino sent him a look, halfway between an "I know what you're up to" and a glare, and followed Fritz out the door. Gilbert watched the door with a hopeless feeling in his gut.


"Alfred, would you- Hey, Alfred. Alfred! ALLIE! Yo, bro! Hey! Alfred! CALM THE FUCK DOWN!" Matthew finally screamed, after trying for 5 unsuccessfull minutes to get his brother to calm down. Alfred finally quit moving and looked at him nervously. Thier trick to worry the man had worked, and when they'd rushed him he'd shot off a round in panic. Matthew had been grazed in the side, but he was over the pain. Alfred had been not as lucky, getting shot in his left arm. He screamed for a while before the adrenaline really kicked in and numbed it. The man who'd shot them had dropped the white thing and vanished, leaving his gun in his haste.

Alfred had been worrying the whole time. "What if I bleed out, Mattie? What if I get lead poisoning? What if he hit something fatal? What if I can't use it anymore? What if I-"

"OH MY GOD! ALFRED! SHUT! UP!" Matthew finally snapped, his anger and pain combining to make him even touchier. "If he had hit something fatal, you'd be dead by now! You won't bleed out if you keep that pressure on it! You're not gonna get lead poisoning because it was a clean shot. You'll be able to use it fine but it might take a while! Now sit the fuck down and quit whining 'cause you're bothering the living fuck out of me and when we get home I just might have to take Mr. Puck to you!"

"Found them! Ve~" An Italian accented voice appeared rather closely. Matthew perked up.

"Feli?!" He called happily.

"OHMYGOD FELI HELP ME! I'VE BEEN SHOT AND MATTHEW IS GONNA KILL ME IF I DON'T DIE FROM BLOOD POISONING OR LEAD POISONING OR BLEEDING OUT OR-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU IDIOTA!" Lovino snapped, appearing around the corner with Fritz, Tino, Feliciano, and Ivan in tow. Matthew smiled at them while Alfred seemed to wilt. "If Matthew doesn't kill you then I will!"

"B-b-but... I've been shot..." He whimpered.

"Alfred," Matthew facepalmed, wondering why he hadn't done this sooner, "The hero doesn't whine about getting shot." Alfred immediatly got quiet, looking concentrated.

"We almost passed right by you idiots, but then Ivan saw Gertrude. Then we followed the trail you guys left. You guys would suck at being spies. While, Alfred would. He dumped over so many trash cans... Matthew, dude, though, you rock. You could totally be a spy." Lovino cackled. Tino and Fritz went to tend to them. Matthew insisted that Alfred be dealt with first, and then the white thing in his arms. When Fritz took it, he raised an eyebrow at Matthew.

"Isn't this...?" He asked. Matthew nodded.

"That's... Yeah, it is..." Matt replied shyly. The white thing yawned, showing gaping jaws and soon-to-be-sharp teeth. "I was kinda wondering if... We could keep it at the ranch..."

"Well, we'd have to get permits and a freezer room... And..."

"I know. I can help with it, I swear! I'll help take care of it too! But I don't want it to..."

"I understand. We'll do what we can." Fritz nodded. Matthew grinned at him greatfully.


Gilbert had left the room and returned to his horse form when the two cars pulled up. He ran to the front gate, trying to see Matthew. The blonde boy-when he did see him amidst the blondes-was carrying something white. It was dirty and a bit bloody. He saw Matthew and Alfred were the same, and he whinnied at them. Matthew looked over, grinned, and waved. His hands were bloody and he was walking with a limp, but he seemed to be okay for the most part. Gilbert let out a sigh of relief.

"Look what you did idiot." Arthur trotted up and snorted at him, pinning his ears. Gilbert pinned his own back.

"I didn't do anything." Gilbert snapped back. Arthur shook his head, mane flying.

"Git. You made a contract, and have risked yourself. What will we do if he finds out?"

"Explain it to him. I know what your kid did. And that, my dear rosbif, is far too funny." Francis inserted himself into the conversation. He got next to Gilbert and peered over the cremello's back to the other stud.

"Huh? What did I miss?" Gilbert looked interested at this. He knew Alfred had said something last night. But he didn't know exactly what.

"Alfred knows about Iggy. Told 'im last night, right before they woke up." Francis snorted.

"The sodding idiot was just guessing." Arthur stomped his left hind, turning his head to Francis and Gilbert. "He doesn't know. He's stupid. Can't read into anything."

"Ah, but yesterday, you said he has great hands..." Gilbert began to crack up. His legs shook, and he finally laid down.

"Oh, Francey-pants! The ways people could take that!" Fed up with their jokes, Arthur gave Gilbert a swft but light kick, and gave Francis a harder one.

"You sick frog! Stupid karut! Neither of you know anything!" The British stallion loped away to go to his stretch of forest. Gilbert continued to laugh for moments after and Francis watched him with amusement.

"So, Francis... How is it going with that commie?" Gilbert asked, lying on his side.

"Ah, my dear Russian... Quite well. He is a sweet little sunflower, always with his scarf." Francis chuckled.

"So you do go for everybody..." Gilbert pretended to speak in awe, pricking his ears at Francis.

"And you, apparently, go for quiet little Canadians that you met only a few days ago." Francis retorted, still amused.

"Antonio is a masochist, for he simply adores that sadistic, angry Italian boy..."

"We already know Luddy's into BDSM, but that's kinda beside the point..."

"Ohonhonhon..." Francis chortled. Gilbert finally stood, nudging Francis.

"Let's go find Tonio... We have things to... Discuss..." Gilbert chuckled as he sprinted away from his friend. Francis took off after him, kicking up his heels joyfully.


"Matthew, isn't that thing a..." Feliciano asked.

"Yes." Matthew replied, cleaning it up.

"How did you know?"

"Because I love them."

"Ah-hah... And you took off after that crazy bastard why?"

"Because... I saw it... And didn't want it hurt... More."

"More. And you risked both your life and Alfred's for it."

"My life. Alfred followed on his own. That was his choice. I didn't ask him to come after me."

Feliciano hummed in reply. They were giving it a bath while it was calm. Feli didn't want to be on the recieving end of its anger and fear when it woke up. Matthew was willing, but the lithe Italian wasn't.

"Thanks for helping, Feli." Matthew murmered, ducking his head. "You didn't have to, really..."

"Well, everybody else went to give their statements and somebody had to watch the little tyke with you. Plus we have to check the horses as well." Feliciano replied with a smile. He opened his eyes to look at Matthew, and Matthew froze.

"Do you know why my nonno loves these horses so much?" Feliciano asked cheerily. Matthew could only shake his head. "It's because these horses are special. Very much so. We can't tell you why, we've been contracted to let you find out on your own. Lovino and I. Our nonno told us when we were young. You'll find out, of course, but we can't just out and out tell you. It would hurt all of us."

Something about what Feli had just said made an impact in Matthew's brain, but he couldn't think of it. He was too busy staring at Feliciano's eyes. Both the Vargas twins had rather hypnotizing eyes, but Lovino's were generally too angry and Feli always had his closed. So when either of them softened their gaze or opened their eyes, people soon forgot what was going on and took notice of what they were doing. The words were imprinted on Matthew's mind, Feli could see it, and so he closed his eyes again.

"Ve~ Let's get this baby into somewhere nice and cool now." Feli cheered as Matthew picked up the cleaned and bandaged white thing. Matthew shook his head, snapping himself out of his stupor, and nodded.

"Ah, yeah, eh..."


BTW, What do you guys think the Thing is? ;) Could it be an albino flying mint bunny? Or maybe an albino Freedom (Al's eagle)? Or maybe Kuma-whats-his-face... What do YOU think it is? Do tell, do tell~

Whoever pointed it out... THANKS FOR POINTING OUT MY MISTAKE 8D TOTALLY MISSED I SAID THAT B WORD XD