~*~

Chapter Ten: Little Lost Stray

~*~

An unknown face, pale, with almost white hair was all Matthew could see besides the scarf and how dangerously close to Matthew's face the other was, fist poised to hit the French-Canadian again.

"No, please no!" A female voice shouted.

Matthew couldn't see her. She seemed… invisible to him…

"No lip from you, Kat… I need to get rid of this little lost stray…"

~*~

"Matthew! Mattie, wake up!" Alfred said, shaking the younger male awake. Matthew finally opened his violet-blue eyes and threw his arms around the American, whimpering lightly into his t-shirt.

"Shh… I'm here. It was just a dream. What's gotten into you?"

"P-Past life. Frightening… frightening memory," Matthew panted.

Arthur crashed into the room at that point, wearing what looked like nightgown and a grey Santa Claus hat. "Matthew, what the fuck is going on…"

"He was getting attacked by monolithic snow elves," Alfred said, glancing at his housemate and, particularly, his outfit.

"I'm sorry I seem scary, it's someone's fault for not doing the laundry this week like we planned." Arthur replied.

"Was it my week? Funny, you never said anything about it on Saturday. Oh, right. You were out being all kissy-kissy with Ludwig that day…" Alfred said.

Matthew narrowed his eyes, "Hello, boy who just had a nightmare here!"

"Oh, right… what was it of, Mattie?" Arthur said, joining Alfred and Matthew on Matthew's bed.

"… some guy," Matthew said, his lips pouting somewhat as he tried to remember. It was all in vain, though. His dream memory was as bad as his short-term memory.

"Well… that helps a lot with your case, Matthew. I'll tell the police to arrest all the men in the city," Arthur said, and Alfred simply flicked him in the forehead.

"Stop being an asshat, Arty," he said simply.

"You first," Arthur replied, glaring at him.

Matthew wiggled out of his housemates' grips and stood up. "Come on. Alfred might have forgot about his laundry duty, but I haven't forgotten about grocery duty. You two are coming with me," he said.

"But Mattie~ We have work in an hour…" Alfred said.

"Then you're coming with me after work," Matthew said, and left the room to take a shower.

"When did he steal my pants away?" Arthur asked.

"Hey, you never wore the pants in this family," Alfred replied.

"Yes I did…" Arthur pointed out, "I was the one who made the Chore Chart…"

"Well… you're pants are slightly more effeminate than mine…" Alfred replied, getting up.

"And now our pants are resorted to skirts in comparison to Matthew," Arthur replied, nearly swooning.

"Well… I'm going to man-up and get them back," Alfred replied, walking out of Matthew's bedroom. Arthur followed him and they closed the door behind him. "Since Matthew has the shower first… does that mean we get to play rock-paper-scissors over who goes next?" was the American's next brilliant question.

"Yes, Alfie, that's exactly what we do…"

~*~

"Hey, Kat?" Natalia asked poking her head into the bathroom. Katyusha looked up at her, her toothbrush in her mouth.

"What?" Kat replied after she had spit into the sink. She took up the hairbrush and glanced back at Natalia.

Natalia's face had gotten slightly red when she noticed that Katyusha was only wearing a long shirt and socks on her feet. She lifted her eyes and stayed with Katyusha's face, but her mind definitely wandered. "I'm… uhh… going to get us some supplies from our old supermarket before we live for Fou tonight… want to come and reminisce with me?"

Running the brush through her short hair, the Ukrainian girl grinned, "Of course, Nat… just let me get dressed…"

"Of course… I need to get ready for the day as well…" Natalia nearly barked. But this was her best friend. She couldn't be mean.

"All right then," Kat almost sang.

Natalia left her in the bathroom.

~*~

"Here's milk and eggs…" Matthew said, his nose in the list he had made that morning. Arthur was somewhere in the tea aisle, and Alfred was hanging over the cart like a small child, making odd noises in random intervals as Matthew tried his best to ignore the giant child.

"Jingle bells, Batman smells… Robin laid an eeeeeeggggggg~" Alfred sang.

Matthew rolled his eyes and placed his dairy products into the cart. He hit Alfred over the head with the list and pulled him off the cart so that he could actually push the darn thing.

Once down the Frozen Foods aisle, they met back up with Arthur, who had finally selected his tea. He set it down as Alfred ran down the aisle passed them singing, "The Batmobile, lost a wheel and the Joker did balleeeeeeeet!"

Matthew and Arthur exchanged glances, "He's regressed in age from 30-something to four…" Matthew replied as one of Arthur's bushy eyebrows raised.

"He better grow up before work tomorrow or I'll never hear the end of it from Francis…" Arthur replied, his arms crossing over his chest.

Matthew gulped, remembering the revelation Francis had told him the other night. It was all right, though… right?

Matthew shook off his thoughts and glanced to the side, "Oh, speaking of French… things… Here's the frozen French fries!"

~*~

"We need apples and… oooh! Christmas oranges!" Katyusha called.

Natalia was a little ways behind, her little basket nearly filled to the brim with little things: peanuts, lunchmeat, etc. She smiled at her friends excitement as she caught up with her. This was the Katyusha she knew and… loved? N-not in a romantic way or anything… just as friends!

Ah, who was Natalia kidding?

Katyusha was suddenly staring. Natalia looked in the direction of the… endowed woman to see three blonde heads, two with glasses and one with the glasses covering rather… familiar violet blue eyes…

"Matthew Williams?" Natalia finally called with Kat couldn't.

~*~

It took the French-Canadian a minute to remember the names of the two girls in front of him. But when he saw the other one, the blonde-haired, big-breasted one, he was reminded of the dream he had had… No, please no!

"Natalia Arlovskaya…" Matthew breathed, "And Katyusha Lozinski…"

Arthur and Alfred looked at him, "Your… past life?"

"I believe so," Matthew said, dumping the contents of his hands into Alfred's arms and gravitating toward Katyusha. Natalia smiled. So her little charge was still alive.

Katyusha and Matthew embraced each other, both nearly crying. They held each other for a moment, and then let go to hold each other's hands. They were whispering to each other, fevered but joyous.

Natalia's smile widened, which only sent shivers down Arthur and Alfred's spines.

Then the Ukrainian said, "Matthew… I have Kumajirou… he's in the car…" she looked over to Natalia.

"Go on, Kat… I'll pay for these…" Nat replied, shrugging her shoulders forward to emphasize her point.

Matthew and Katyusha glanced at each other and ran out of the store. Arthur sighed and hit the top box in Alfred's arms, causing him to drop them into the cart. "Guess we're paying for these.

Alfred could only stand in shock until Arthur pinched him. "Come on, Toddler Boy… we'll meet him back at home, I'm sure…"

~*~

More strings? Yusssssssshhhhhh... Sometimes I feel like an evil authoress, which is what I am, merci beaucoup. By the way... only one person has gotten the ending couples right, (except for one). I would reward them, but I thought I would at least give you others a chance.

Review, s'il vous plait, or Alfred will be poked with a hot fire picker so he'll sing the alternate version of 'Jingle Bells,' again...

Adieu~

~Ana~