A/N: Hey guys.

Sorry this is late. I was just dead on Sunday. So, I have decided that on weeks after Speech Meets, I will update on Mondays. I'll let you guys know when that happens.

That being said, I'll be updating on Monday next week, too.

This is so late at night because homework. I procrastinated too much. Muuuuh…..

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Matthew's POV

I didn't know how long it took for us to arrive, but when we did, there was a man that wasn't too happy.

He took one look at me and started yelling at the men. "That isn't one of the Vargas kids!"

One of the men took a step back. "But, we know someone who knows where those kids are. Or one of them. We took his kid."

"I don't care! We hold ourselves higher than creeps who take kids with no relation to our needs! You already almost killed a kid! Take him back! We have more honor than that!"

"A-alright, sir."

Walking back, the bad guys kept saying things how they hated their boss and wanted to kill him. I don't know why, though.

Soon, I found us going back home.

Antonio's POV

I tried to console my best friend, but there was nothing I could do as I watched Francis breakdown right in front of me. I had to look away, so I looked outside the window. It was too much to watch the normally composed Frenchman break.

Even more so, I had no idea what to do. About anything, really. I mean, my house was trashed. Some men wanted to get Lovi and they even hurt some of my friends in that process.

It's not like I could really go and kill all of them. Well…I could. But I promised myself that I wouldn't do that stuff anymore. I was a new man, and Hernandez had no place in my life.

But, watching Francis sob and mutter about how he let down Matthew, I realized that this time, these men had crossed a line.

Suddenly, the door opened, and I heard little feet running , and a muffled "Papa!" I look up to see Matthew hugging Francis. "Wha…how…" Francis was in so much shock, he could only hug the little guy.

A knock draws our attention to the door. A woman who I hadn't seen for a long time stood in the doorway. "I found him outside of a house. I figured I should take him to his papa."

"Morgan? What…are you doing here?"

She grows serious and walks towards me. "You have to leave this place." She turns to Francis. "You might want to, as well. They won't hurt the child, but they will hurt you."

I shake my head. "I have no idea where to go, though."

"California."

"What?!" I look at the woman incredulously.

She shrugs. "For whatever reason, there is a town that those guys won't go to."

"But, I need a job…"

"I'm sure you can find a job. Look, it's in your best interest to go there."

"But-"

"Antonio." She stares me dead in the eye. "You will be targeted by these men for years to come unless you move to this town."

I run a hand through my hair. "Fine…just…fine."

Three Months Later…

It took three months. Three months for me to be deemed ready to travel across the country. Of course, before that, Francis and Arthur had already moved in that direction.

For three months, I was alone.

I say it like that, because I insisted that Lovino go with them. Naturally, everyone argued. But I insisted.

"He isn't safe here."

"Well, neither are you, Toni!" That is true.

But, I'm okay with that, so long as this kid stays safe. I wonder what happened to make me want to protect him so much? A few months ago, he was just a kid. Maybe, that is it. He's a kid. That must be it.

Regardless, I finally manage to get to my new home. California…is a nice place. I actually have a really nice view of the beach.

I look forward to being able to go and swim in the ocean. I haven't done that for a long time.

I stretch my arms up. "Uhgm. So much unpacking. But…I can deal with it. I have to. Can't let Lovi come to a bunch of boxes, right?"

The house is rather quaint. There are three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a laundry room, and a den combined with the kitchen and dining room. There is a large back yard, with a cute little fence. I really really like it here. I can finally grow my tomatoes!

I hear someone knock on my door, and Francis walks into the house with Matthew and Lovino. Lovino sees me and rushes towards me. I soon feel the little boy clinging to my legs. I laugh and lift him up. "I thought you left me!"

I shake my head. "No, no. I really didn't. I just couldn't come visit you, little Lovi."

I don't really know when I started calling him that. It just…stuck.

Francis pats me on my back. "It's good to see you up and well, mon ami."

"So…what all has happened?"

Francis sits on the sofa in the room. "Well, I enrolled both boys in a school not too far from here."

"I thought the age of registration for kids is five?"

Francis shrugs. "This place is special, I guess. Kinda weird. That Morgan woman told me about it. She said I should. So, I did."

"You didn't really think to ask me about it?"

"Well, I figured you would agree with me in thinking that it would be cruel to start the boys at different years?"

I nod. "I would."

Francis stretches up, his arms extending. "Well, there's some orientation thing on Friday that all the parents or guardians have to go to. We're invited to bring the kids, too."

I nod. "Alright…that's something I can go to."

Later that week…

Of course, I wasn't expecting this to be so dull. Really. Essentially, all the parents crowd in the cafeteria, while an old woman talks to everyone. After that was done, everyone began to socialize. Francis and I just…sat in a corner. Though I saw several women looking our way.

Suddenly, Matthew and Lovino run up to me and Francis with another, rather familiar boy behind them. I just can't place where I saw him from. Matthew tugs on Francis's pant leg. "Papa! Papa! Lovi and I made a new friend!" The boy has blond hair cut in a bowl like style. He wears a pair of overall short like things and a button down shirt. His blue eyes look very confused, and I get the feeling that the boys just dragged him here.

Francis looks at the boy, then back to me, then back to Matthew. "Really? That's good, Mattie."

The boy shifts from foot to foot. "I…I'm sorry…but I have to find my brother…" He suddenly runs off.

Matthew turns and watches the boy leave. "Wait! Ludwig!" The boy starts to pout slightly.

That's when I hear someone shouting. "Ludwig! Ludwig! Where are you!?" He sounds familiar. Very, very familiar.

Francis looks at me. "Was that…?"

I smile. "I think it was."

It doesn't take long to find the source of the voice. I mean, when you get an albino who sounds pretty darn cocky even when calling for his little brother, it's rather hard to not find him.

Francis and I sneak behind the man lecturing his little brother about wandering off. I put my arm on the man's shoulder like an arm rest. "Wow, Francis, I wouldn't have ever guessed that this world could be so small ."

Francis goes on the other side. "Oui, Toni. Who would have guessed we would find our dear friend Gilbert in an elementary school in California?"

Gilbert tenses up, then looks between the two of us. "Toni?! Fran?! What the hell are you guys doing here? How did you find me?!" He fights from our grasp.

I put my hands up. "We really didn't know you were here. Actually, we just moved here. We have two kids we're both enrolling here."

"Was?!" Gilbert decides to look down and sees Lovino and Matthew by both our sides. "But why are you here?"

I shrug. "Some things happened. Why are you so suspicious of your friends? You gonna sit there questioning us, or give some hugs already?"

Gil looks between us before throwing his arms over both of us. "I missed you guys! I thought I would be alone here forever!"

A/N: That's it for now!

I want your opinion, though. As I'm drawing closer to closing this first arc, I am coming to two options. On the one hand, I can continue with a second arc, or I can skip over that and jump to the ending and begin on the next story in the series. Tell me what you think.

Leave a review, and I'll see you guys later. Bye bye!