And...here we are!

The tenth chapter of this story (which I thought would end at this chapter but apparently not.)

The reason it's titled "/The/ month" is because the 'The' is meant to be stressed.

School has started, so things are going to get slower, but I'm going to try and write the next chap as fast as I can.

I find that I have a lot of typos sometimes, so be kind and point them out if they're there!

I don't own Hetalia. Enjoy!

The month had approached.

Roderich felt like he was going insane as he stared at the blank TV screen in front of him. He could hear every tick of the clock, the sound of bubbling water from the kitchen, the slight hiss of the frying pan, and the mumbles of Feliciano and Lovino were magnified and rang in his head. Somewhere in the buzz Gilbert's words had been mashed up into incoherent sounds that cleared up when the albino put a firm hand on Roderich's shoulder.

"Chill out," Gilbert said in a low voice. "I know it's the month, but don't freak out."

Roderich blinked before turning to look at Gilbert. "What did you say? 'Chill out'? 'Chill out'? Gilbert, honestly, how am I supposed to 'chill out'?" He hissed as he jabbed a finger at Gilbert's shoulder, "What if Elizaveta's giving birth now? What if she's alone? Is there anyone to help her? What if—"

Gilbert grabbed both of Roderich's shoulders and shook him hard. "Roddy, just chi—calm down, we're here to relax and get together, not freak out over Elizaveta."

Roderich nodded numbly in response. After he read the letter at six in the morning he had ran over to see Feliks even though Elizaveta said not to. Naturally, he didn't get any answers and only terrified the pajama-clad blond with his hysterics. He couldn't stop worrying.

"Gil, is Roderich okay?" Antonio asked with concern as he set down trays of homemade pizza on the table in front of the pair.

"Yeah, he's just a bit nervous that's all." Gilbert replied as he elbowed Roderich subtly. Roderich offered a smile.

"Nervous?" Feliciano chirped as he set some bottles of wine and tall glasses beside the pizza, "Why would you be nervous?" He asked Roderich, who just shook his head.

"I'm alright…I'm alright…" Roderich said more to himself than to Feliciano. The Italian gave Gilbert a look before sauntering back to the kitchen.

"Look, everything's going to be fine— no news is good news, right?" Gilbert said soothingly, and Roderich nodded, even though he didn't feel assured.

Francis entered the kitchen and flopped down in one of the arm chairs, his blue eyes filling with worry when he noticed Roderich fidgeting. "What is wrong with you, mon cher? Are you not feeling well?"

"Geez, Roddy, will you please get a grip?" Gilbert whispered into Roderich's ear.

"Right, right…I'm sorry." Roderich mumbled as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and focused on the pizza in front of him. "These look wonderful; they smell good too."

Feliciano beamed as he came back with more bottles of wine in his hands. "Fratello and I made a lot, just help yourself!"

Roderic nodded. "Good, good."

Beside him, Gilbert sighed. "Roddy, have a slice," the albino said as he grabbed the pizza cutter and cut a slice for the brunette. "Maybe food will take your mind off things."

Roderich looked at the mouth-watering pizza and took a bite, chewing slowly. He was still nervous, but like Gilbert said, no news is good news.

With Elizaveta gone, the two had stalled in their relationship. Roderich was too worried to think about anything else, but Gilbert was patient and spent some time with him every day to make sure he was on track. To take Roderich's mind off things, the albino would take him out for a drive and talk about trifle things. Once in a while, they would bring up Elizaveta and the children.
-

"Do you think you'll have naming rights?" Gilbert once asked when the two were walking by the beach, watching as the bright orange sun slowly burned across the sky and began its journey of sinking into the sea.

A few seagulls swooped around in the air and a small group of children ran near the ocean, laughing as they splashed each other with water.

"I don't think so," Roderich said thoughtfully as he watched the parents following the children with gentle smiles on their faces, "but if they're girls, I'd like to name one Julie and the other one Anneliesse. I brought this up with Elizaveta once."

Gilbert chuckled. "Julchen and Ann…" His red eyes looked out at the sea and Roderich could see the beautiful sunset reflected within them. "I bet they'll be beautiful."

"Well, I hope they'll be girls because I don't want twin boys. " Roderich said as he rubbed his arms for warmth.

"Why not?" Gilbert asked as he draped his jacket over Roderich's shoulders.

"I just prefer girls better than boys." Roderich replied as he began heading back to his car. "Can you imagine taking care of two boys at once?"

Gilbert chuckled as he draped his jacket over Roderich. "Better cross your fingers and hope then."
-

"Cheers to everyone who's here!" Feliciano cried as he raised his glass. Roderich looked around the room. It seemed to be a long time since he had hung out with his friends.

Francis had taken the armchair near the kitchen while Antonio and Lovino occupied one of the loveseats. Ludwig was on Roderich's right side and Feliciano was sidling beside him, intertwining their fingers. Ludwig blushed but didn't say anything.

Alfred and Arthur had burst in earlier, Alfred cheering about having finished his deadline for his new comic and Arthur muttering that the cheerful blond should work more than find time to annoy him.

"Dude, this is delicious!" Alfred yelled as he grabbed Feliciano's hand with a star-struck expression in his blue eyes, "You should come over to my house and cook for me!"

Arthur huffed and turned away from Alfred. "What, you aren't satisfied with my cooking?"

Alfred laughed as he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend. "You know I'm the only one who can eat those nuclear weapons," he said as he kissed Arthur on the cheek. The latter grumbled and picked up a slice of pizza, but his face brightened the moment he was chewing his first bite.

"This is delicious, Feliciano, you must tell me this recipe!" Arthur exclaimed.

"Of course! I'll write it down for you later!" Feliciano chirped in response, oblivious to the expression Francis, Antonio, Gilbert were making. Roderich furrowed his eyebrows. He couldn't remember the last time Arthur cooked, but he did remember the outcome.

"Do you remember what happened last time?" Antonio whispered to Gilbert, who chuckled.

"Damn right I do, he tried to cook instant noodles and ended up charring them black!" Gilbert whispered back, and the two began laughing.

Francis grinned. "Arthur, mon ami, I don't think you have what it takes to make this pizza."

Arthur glared at Francis. "I'll show you one day—you'll grovel at my perfection!"

Francis grinned. "And when will that be?"

"Why you—" Arthur jumped out of his seat and attacked Francis, trying to strangle him.

Roderich looked around, noticing someone was missing. "Where's Matthew?" He asked Alfred, who shrugged. Roderich sighed with disappointment, for he wanted to meet Matthew again. According to Gilbert, the blond had gone off on a one-man journey in Japan again and would be back soon, hopefully for the reunion.

"Oh Mathieu, Oh Mathieu," Francis called out while he evaded Arthur's attack, "Where art thou?"

"Don't you dare mock Shakespeare!" Arthur growled as he made a move to grab Francis' tie and choke him to death. Thankfully he was pulled back by Alfred and landed on his lap.

"Relax Artie!" Alfred said as he wrapped two arms around Arthur's waist, making the latter blush. "Relax."

"That's what we all need to do," Gilbert said as he eyed Roderich, who shifted in his seat, "We need to relax."

"Well, I suppose I don't need to waste my energy on this frog," Arthur muttered, and Francis sat back on his seat with a woeful expression.

"I haven't seen Mathieu in months…perhaps he has forgotten about me?" Francis said as he placed a hand on his chest in a dramatic way.

"You'd better give up— last time you tried to get into his pants you ended up drunk in a bar and I had to take you home," Gilbert chuckled.

"Looks like your seduction didn't work this time, Franny!" Antonio laughed as he draped an arm around Lovino's shoulders. The smaller man let out a grunt but didn't push Antonio's hand away.

"Oh, when will I ever see him again?" Francis sighed.

"Who knows?" Gilbert replied. "During our travels he sometimes disappears without a trace with a note saying that I could just move ahead, and then he pops out at our next destination."

"So, how are things going for all of you? I hope everyone is happy and eating pasta!" Feliciano chirped, and Lovino grunted.

"If everyone ate pasta as much as you do, they'd all have brains made out of noodles."

"Fratello, that's mean!" Feliciano whined, and Lovino shrugged.

"Now, now," Ludwig said as he patted the little Italian's head. "The pasta you make is delicious, and as you can see, I'm nowhere close to having a useless brain."

Feliciano beamed and Antonio laughed.

"Well, for me, the kids at the kindergarten are angels! One of them has a crush on Emma though," Antonio said with a thoughtful expression as he thought about the other kindergarten teacher. "I think his name is Peter."

Arthur groaned. "Will that boy ever learn?"

"Do you know him?" Antonio asked.

"Peter Kirkland? Eyebrows?" Arthur huffed as he pointed to his own. "I can't believe you didn't notice."

Antonio gaped. "You're related?"

"Please, who else who have those massive eyebrows?" Alfred laughed. "Peter is Artie's nephew. I'm glad Artie's sister didn't inherit those scary eyebrows."

Arthur elbowed Alfred harshly before letting out a sigh. "I really wish Matthew was here…then we could have a proper talk about discipline methods."

Roderich looked at Gilbert, whose face blanched. "Discipline methods? Did Mattie really talk to you about those?"

Arthur smiled. "They seem to be effective, but I think there's a need for something more extreme."

"What is it? what is it?" Antonio asked excitedly.

"I don't want to remember," Gilbert moaned as he covered his face. "The last time Mattie used this on me I ended up being his dog for a month without knowing it!"

Roderich let out a small laugh. He couldn't imagine Gilbert running errands without some kind of payment, and yet the albino had done so willingly for Matthew. Maybe he should ask the blond something about discipline methods too.

The party resumed, and for once Roderich was able to get his mind off things. He laughed loudly for the first time in six months and even cracked a couple of jokes.

An hour later everybody was full and began drinking wine and beer and talking about every day matters. Roderich was sure his face was slightly flushed. Somewhere in the middle of a mindless conversation with the others he noticed Ludwig stand up and leave the room. When he came back, Matthew was behind him, dragging his luggage along.

"MATTIE!" Alfred screamed as he bounced towards his brother and grabbed him in a bear-hug, "Why didn't you call before coming?"

Antonio looked around in confusion. "Did the doorbell ring?"

"It did," Lovino said as he rolled his eyes. "You would have heard it if you haven't been laughing your ass off."

"Matthew, you look like you've been running a marathon!" Feliciano said as he took Matthew's coat and hung it on the coat hanger.

"I just missed the bus but I didn't want to be late…I think I am though," Matthew replied breathlessly. "I brought souvenirs too," he added as he gestured to his luggage.

"I haven't heard from you in months," Gilbert said as he got up and hugged his friend. "Why didn't you e-mail me?"

"I just came back from Japan," Matthew said with a laugh before he turned to Alfred. "Guess what I have for you?"

"What is it what is it what is it?" Alfred said excitedly as he jiggled his knees, making Arthur groan and slide off him.

"Here!" Matthew said with a flourish as he presented a box to Alfred, who screamed like a fan girl who saw her favorite movie star across the street.

"Omigod, this is so awesome, Mattie, I love you!" Alfred yelled as he wrapped his arms around his brother and showered him with kisses.

"Really…a gaming console?" Arthur muttered as he peered at the box. "There're games too…" He added with a sigh when he fished through the plastic bag that came along with it. "Alfred is going to be all over these games and neglect his work."

Matthew gently pushed his brother away and smiled. "Well, he gets his inspiration from these."

"Ah, mon amour," Francis whispered as he grabbed Matthew from behind purred into his neck, "I've missed you so."

Gilbert rolled his eyes and Roderich held back a laugh. Matthew gently eased himself away from Francis and turned around to face him. "Quand je ferme les yeux, je rêve de toi." He said with a smile as he slid a hand on Francis' arm.

"Je veux te faire l'amour," Francis whispered, and Matthew smiled coyly as he pulled away from Francis. Roderich blinked when he saw Francis' blue eyes turn dark. He had never seen that expression on Francis' face before.

Gilbert cleared his throat. "We're getting sidetracked here,"

"Ah, I am just spreading love!" Francis exclaimed, his eyes back to their usual blueness, and Matthew giggled as he sat down beside Alfred.

"Mattie, did you do anything cool?" Alfred said as he grabbed a slice of pizza for his brother. "Like, did you go to comic-cons or something?"

"I didn't go to comic-cons, but I did go to seiyuu events."

Alfred's eyes lit up. "Awesome! Did you meet anybody famous?"

"Now, Alfred, maybe we should talk about something everybody knows." Arthur said tersely as he handed Alfred a coke to shut him up.

"Well," Matthew said as he tilted his head, "Just now a woman at the bus stop thought I was Alfred and wanted to beat me up."

"What? Really?" Alfred said nervously. "I don't remember upsetting any women, are you sure she wants to beat me up?"

"I got away because I spoke Russian to her and she realized my eyes are lavender instead of blue." Matthew said with a sigh as he looked at his brother.

"I really don't remember getting any women angry!" Alfred exclaimed, and Arthur shook his head.

"You get women angry all the time with your insensitivity."

"What else did you learn about her?" Antonio asked, and Matthew chewed on his pizza thoughtfully before continuing.

"She told me she just came back from a trip with a friend, and then she mentioned something about her friend staying at the hospital right now."

"Is her friend sick?" Feliciano asked worriedly as he handed Ludwig a cold beer.

"Something along the lines of that, she didn't want to talk too much about her friend."

"We talked a bit more after that," Matthew said with a smile, "we talked about love."

"Amour?" Francis said as he leaned forward, his blue eyes looking into Matthew's lavender, "What did you talk about?"

"It's private," Matthew said with a wink.

"What did she look like?" Antonio asked excitedly, "Is she pretty?"

"Hmm….she had platinum blond hair…dark blue eyes…" Matthew said as he began to recall the woman from the bar. "And she was wearing this dress her brother gave to her. Oh. Her name is Natalia."

Platinum blond hair? Dark blue eyes? Roderich's ears perked up at the description. Natalia fitted it perfectly, but there was no reason the head of the Belarusian Mafia would be at a bus stop in town…was there?

"What?" Antonio coughed on his drink while the others in the room just stared at Matthew. "You talked to Natalia Arlovskaya?"

"Now, now, we don't know for sure if she is the Natalia we know," Francis said with an uncertain smile.

"Your face doesn't seem very convincing," Lovino said with a snort.

Matthew blinked in confusion as he looked at his friends. "Is there something scary about this Natalia Arlovskaya? She seems to be a nice person."

"Did she talk about Ivan? Her brother?" Antonio asked, and Matthew shook his head.

"I don't remember an Ivan being brought up in our conversation… she only talked about her longing for something she can't have."

At that moment Roderich knew for sure Matthew had met the Natalia. Their talk from years ago popped into Roderich's mind.

"We are two of a kind, Edelstein, we are both longing for something we cannot have."

"Did she say where she's staying?" Roderich asked.

"She mentioned that she was going home because her sister is worried about her." Matthew said as he tilted his head before looking at the others. "Do you all know her?"

"I don't," Ludwig said, "But they do."

"I don't either…I only know the name." Gilbert said with a shrug. "Franny here tells me that she's one hell of a scary woman."

Suddenly Roderich's phone rang and he picked it up. "Hello?"

"Roderich Edelstein, come to the city hospital right now like your life depends on it. If you don't come here within twenty minutes I will personally hunt you down and torture you to death, and I mean it."

In the background Roderich heard a scream and his eyes grew wide in horror as the call was cut off abruptly. What did that scream mean? Was it Elizaveta? It sounded like her. Who was it that called? Roderich racked his head for candidates and his frustration began to show.

"Uh...Roddy? You're jiggling your leg." Gilbert commented, and at the same time everything snapped into place. Roderich looked at Gilbert, who recoiled from his wild look.

"Natalia Arlovkaya!" Roderich cried as he stood up and let the pizza on his lap fall to the floor with a splat. "Gilbert, the hospital, I'm going to the hospital!" Roderich managed as he grabbed his coat and nearly slipped on the polished floor in his haste. The scream had belonged to Elizaveta, and that meant one thing. She was in labor.

"What? Huh? Roddy, Roddy, hey wait!" Roderich heard Gilbert yell, but he was already out the door and running to his car.

"…what just happened?" Antonio asked, and the others just shook their heads.

"Roddy, wait!" Gilbert yelled as he grabbed the handle of the door to the passenger seat before Roderich could drive off. "Get out of that driver's seat, right now."

"Why?" Roderich asked, but the albino just unbuckled his seat-belt and pulled him over to the passenger side.

"I'm driving. You're not fit to drive in your condition." Gilbert said simply as slid into the driver's seat and shut the door. "Why are you in such a hurry? Did you get the call?"

Roderich shook his head. "I don't know if it's the call, but Natalia Arlovskaya called me and told me to go to the hospital in twenty minutes. There was screaming in the background too."

"Screaming? That sounds bad. It'll take some racing to get there in time," Gilbert grinned, and the car sped out of the parking lot and down the street.

"We're in a hurry, but can't you drive slower?" Roderich cried as he gripped the side of the door in fear for his life. "You're hitting a hundred miles an hour!"

"We don't want to be late, do we?" Gilbert replied as the tires screeched on the asphalt.

Ten minutes later the two were trying to walk as slow as they could in the hospital due to their dizziness.

"Next time, I'm driving." Roderich muttered as he grabbed Gilbert's arm to steady himself.

"Is there going to be a next time?" Gilbert asked as he stopped for a second to let Roderich catch his breath.

Roderich blinked. "I don't know."

The click of boots made both of them turn around and Roderich paled.

"You're here early aren't you, Mr. Edelstein." Natalia said as she placed a hand on her hip, her blue eyes piercing through Roderich.

"Uh, yes…uh—"

"Your wife is in labor." Natalia said simply as she turned and began to walk down the hall, Roderich and Gilbert scrambling to follow her.

"She's in labor?" Roderich asked stupidly. "How did you…?"

"I met Elizaveta in Greece," Natalia said curtly.

"So she went to Greece?"

Natalia turned around. "I am disappointed in you, Mr. Edelstein. Your wife is with child and you just left her alone."

"Hey, Roddy didn't leave her alone, she went off by herself!"

Natalia glared at Gilbert, and a chill ran down Roderich's spine. Gilbert had no idea how scary Natalia was at all. "You have no right to say anything."

To Roderich's amazement Gilbert didn't seemed to be fazed at all. "I just wanted to get the facts right," He said with a shrug.

"I know the facts well enough." Natalia replied as she sat down on a row of seats.

The two men stood in the hallway, unsure of what to do, and Natalia raised an eyebrow. "Why are you clutching his arm?" She asked Roderich, who immediately let go of Gilbert's arm and wiped his hand on his pants.

"Hey, that hurts," Gilbert whined.

"Shut up," Roderich replied.

Natalia smiled. "I see…is he your—"

A deafening scream cut off Natalia's sentence, and the three jumped a bit.

"I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN A C-SECTION…." Elizaveta groaned loudly in a hysterical fashion. "YOU SHOULD HAVE STOPPED ME WHEN I DIDN'T WANT ONE…"

Roderich looked at Gilbert, who shifted uneasily from foot to foot, before glancing at Natalia. She was sitting on the bench with her back straight and concern written all over her face. Roderich gulped and began pacing outside the room.

"OH, OH—BREATHE? HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO BREATHE? IN? OUT? IN? WHAT? OH…OH NO…NATALIA, NATALIA, ARE YOU OUT THERE?"

"Yes I am, Elizaveta," Natalia said calmly.

"GO BRING OUT YOUR MEN AND TELL THEM TO SHOOT RODERICH AND GILBERT TO DEATH!"

"Elizaveta," Natalia said as she cast a glance at Roderich and Gilbert, "If I did so, your children will have no father."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY? WHO CARES ABOUT FATHERS ANYWAYS, THEY'RE JUST DOUCHBAGS! LIKE MINE—I'M SORRY DAD, I DIDN'T MEAN THAT—OH…FUCK!"

"Uh…I think I'm going to go get some drinks…anyone want some?" Gilbert asked as he began inching away from the room.

"Don't you dare leave," Natalia said as she moved hand to her dress, lifting it to reveal a dagger hilt.

"Mein gott! Are those even allowed in hospitals?"

"I am part of the Mafia…Gilbert Beilschmidt."

"That doesn't mean you can bring weapons inside the hospital! And how do you know my name?"

"It means I can stop you from leaving this hall. I know your name because Elizaveta has complained about you more than once and gave me a photo of you to hunt you down."

"I get it, I get it—"

"NATALIA, NATALIA, GET IN HERE RIGHT NOW!"

"Elizaveta—"

"HUH? WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE CAN'T COME IN? WHERE'S MORAL SUPPORT WHEN YOU NEED IT—ARGH…"

Roderich began biting his thumb nail. Gilbert grabbed his hand and pulled him down to sit beside him. "Roddy, I know what I'm going to say is futile, but please, chill."

"She's giving birth right now, how can I chill?" Roderich cried.

"Mr. Edelstein has a point." Natalia said as she sat down across the two.

"…why don't you tell us how you met Elizaveta?" Gilbert suggested, and Natalia's eyes narrowed before she sighed.

"I told you, I met her in Greece."

"Oh, right…." Gilbert scratched his head. Elizaveta screamed again.

Roderich jumped in his seat. This was going to be a long day.

The nurse looked at Roderich and Gilbert when the two arrived at the nursery to see the babies. "May I ask who the father is?"

"Of course it's me!" Roderich exclaimed as he looked at the nurse. "Are you on some kind of medication?"

Gilbert snorted. "You could just say she's on crack."

The nurse looked between them, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "One of the children has white hair and the other has brown."

Roderich's eyes widened. "What the—" He dashed and stared at the row of babies. Sure enough, there was a baby with white hair. The front of her crib was labeled with 'Julie'. The baby beside her was a brunette and the front of her crib was labeled with 'Annaliesse'.

"She remembered…" Roderich whispered as he stared at the two beautiful babies, forgetting his momentary shock.

"Whoa," Gilbert grinned. "That kid looks just like me!"

"This must be a joke…" Roderich muttered as he put his forehead against the glass.

"You know, I think it's because you swallowed my—" Roderich slapped his hand over Gilbert's mouth before he could continue. Natalia raised an eyebrow but didn't comment.

"Shut up right now or I swear I will get you castrated," Roderich hissed before he turned back to the nursery. "I can't believe this…my child has albinism!"

"Hey, it's not like it's a bad thing," Gilbert muttered.

"It's like the gods are favoring you!" Roderich groaned as Natalia disappeared into Elizaveta's room.

"Well, well," Gilbert said as he stared at Julie, "Say hi to awesome Uncle Gilbert."

Roderich smiled as he watched Gilbert tickle the glass, his usual burning red eyes mellowing into a soft candy apple red. He wondered what would happen if he let Gilbert take care of his children some times and held back a chuckle. It would be a disaster if the children picked up on his extreme narcissism.

Natalia stepped out. "Elizaveta wants to see you, Roderich."

"Hello," Elizaveta said from her bed. Her hair was tied up into a ponytail and she looked tired. Roderich slapped himself mentally. Of course she was tired.

"You remembered…" Roderich said quietly. "That I wanted to name the children Julie and Annaliesse."

Elizaveta smiled at him. "Why would I forget? They are our children after all." She opened her mouth to continue but Roderich held up a hand.

"First of all, Elizaveta," He said as he walked over to the bed and knelt by the bed to take Elizaveta's hand in his, "I want to thank you for giving birth to Julie and Annaliesse. It means a lot to me."

Elizaveta's green eyes widened in surprise and she let out a small laugh. "It was nothing. Of course there were times I doubted, but I'm glad I gave birth to them."

Roderich stood up and sat down on the chair in the room, thinking about what to say next. Even though the children were born, it didn't mean his problems would automatically be solved.

"What are we going to do?" He asked Elizaveta gently.

There was a small pause before Elizaveta spoke. "I am not going to divorce you, and I want to have custody over our two children."

Roderich felt his heart sink. He didn't mind still being married to her, but he wanted custody over one of his children, if not two, in case things played out in the worst way.

"Elizaveta, can't we have split custody?" Roderich asked. Elizaveta having full custody over the children made things hard for Roderich. If she ever changed her mind and decided to get a divorce and move away, he might not be able to see his children at all.

Elizaveta looked at Roderich, contemplation in her green eyes. She frowned. "If we're going to have split custody, I'm taking Annaliesse."

Roderich blinked. "What? Are you…are you rejecting Julie because she has albinism like Gilbert?" He asked incredulously.

Elizaveta looked away from him. "…then we can opt for shared custody then. Julie and Annaliesse can spend equal time with us separately."

"Why can't we try to act normal for the sake of the children?" Roderich tried, and Elizaveta frowned.

"Roderich, do you have the confidence to act normal in front of the children? How are you going to introduce Gilbert?"

"…"

"Even if we act normal on the outside and tell the children the truth, they might not understand— and what if they tell their teachers or other children that our marriage wasn't even consummated and you love Gilbert? We'd be ruined!"

Roderich clenched his fists. "Elizaveta, what do you want?"

His wife looked at him. "Either you break up with Gilbert, or we're going to go by shared custody and live separately."

Roderich held back an angry sigh. "Why are you still acting this way? What was that letter for?"

Elizaveta looked at her lap. "That letter was to explain everything to you. It doesn't mean that I'm backing out." She raised her green eyes to meet his violet ones. "Why can't you be with me? What can Gilbert give you?"

Roderich didn't know what to answer. Sure, it didn't make sense to tear his new family apart because of Gilbert. But without the albino Roderich felt empty and lifeless. Only Gilbert's red eyes and burning touch could breathe life into him.

He didn't say anything and left the room.

"I'm going home," Roderich announced to no one in particular before walking down the hall. He heard Natalia's boots click as she walked into the room while Gilbert followed him.

"Roddy, wait!" Gilbert said as he caught up. "What happened?"

"I would rather not want to talk about it now."

The two headed to the car and Roderich entered the passenger seat in silence.

"You don't want to drive?" Gilbert asked.

"Yes, I don't want to drive." Roderich replied glumly. "Just drive normally."

Gilbert started the engine and the car revved to life. "Where to? Your apartment?"

Roderich nodded before he slumped in his seat. The children were born, but everything was far from over.

Gilbert watched Roderich flop onto his violet arm chair and prop his legs up. He didn't know what to say, so he offered a weak "Congratulations."

Roderich chuckled. "Thank you."

"So…what did Elizaveta want?" Gilbert asked as he walked over to Roderich and removed his glasses. For once, the brunette didn't complain. Gilbert set the glasses down on the table and moved to stand behind Roderich, who tilted his head to look at him.

"I'm going to give you a facial massage." Gilbert explained, and Roderich smiled.

"It seems like Matthew has taught you some tricks."

"Yeah. He's kinda like a mentor in massaging." Gilbert replied as he began the massage.

The two fell silent for a moment, Roderich leaning in his chair and enjoying the massage while Gilbert contemplated on the situation. Elizaveta gave birth to two children, which brought a whole new aspect to the marriage.

Roderich spoke up, breaking the silence. "She wants custody of the children."

Gilbert stopped his movements. "Don't tell me you're going to have a custody battle?"

"I don't want things to go that way." Roderich sighed as he undid the first few buttons of his shirt. "I told her that we could have split custody and she wanted Annaliesse."

Gilbert moved to face Roderich and sat on the table. "She hates Julchen?" He asked incredulously, and Roderich chuckled at Gilbert's endearment.

"Julie looks like you…so I guess it's natural that she wouldn't want to spend time with her. But really, what are the odds of having a child with albinism?"

"I don't know," Gilbert said thoughtfully. "Probably five people in a hundred thousand?"

"You know, it's either we break up or I have to share custody and live separately from her." Roderich said softly.

"I see the living separately apart, but you just said you guys were having split custody?" Gilbert asked as he reached for Roderich's hand and held it.

Roderich chuckled wearily again. "It seems Elizaveta didn't want to appear too cruel, so she opted for shared custody."

"Oh…I see." Gilbert looked into the brunette's eyes, nervous but ready to respect any decision the brunette made. "What do you think?"

Roderich shook his head and reached out a hand to touch Gilbert's cheek. "If I could, I would let you go."

Gilbert sighed in relief and Roderich smiled softly.

"Though we can never go back to the way we were, I would like to stay by your side." He said quietly, and Gilbert smiled as the brunette squeezed his hand gently.

"Can I kiss you?" Gilbert asked quietly, and Roderich nodded. Gilbert stood up and pressed a kiss on the brunette's lips. It was soft, gentle, and different from any of the other kisses they shared in the past.

Roderich smiled. "Thank you, Gilbert," he murmured when they parted.

"Well!" Gilbert said as he straightened up, a bit embarrassed by the sweet intimacy they shared, "I think I should go back."

"You're not staying for the night?" Roderich asked. Gilbert looked at him, surprised, and the brunette blushed. "I didn't mean…I meant a normal sleepover."

Gilbert grinned. "I guess I could stay— let me go over to my brother's house for a bit. I'll be back later."

Roderich nodded. "You'd better bring some dinner with you because I'm not a good cook like Feliciano."

"Gotcha." Gilbert grinned before he headed out the door and down the elevator. However, his grin faded when he reached the bottom floor. Roderich had children now, and that was something Gilbert could never have: children of his own.

Julie and Annaliesse deserved better, especially Julie, who'd already been rejected by her mother because of her condition. Maybe everything really was his fault. If he hadn't appeared, none of this would have happened. But then, even if he hadn't appeared, Roderich still wouldn't love Elizaveta. Roderich only held brotherly feelings towards his wife, and it would never become the love she wanted. Roderich had told him that once when they were drunk. Gilbert didn't know if the brunette meant it.

Gilbert sighed as he headed out of the building. Leave it to Roderich and Elizaveta to figure it out, but whatever he said, everything still tied back to him.
-

"Bruder, where have you been?" Ludwig asked the moment Gilbert stepped through the door.

"Well…stuff happened and I'm sorry I haven't called…" Gilbert muttered as he tried to step past his brother and go up the stairs for his duffel bag and clothes. "Did Feli make dinner already? Can I take some to Roddy?"

"Not until you explain everything," Ludwig said firmly as he stood between the stairs and Gilbert. "You two just left without an explanation or a call back."

Gilbert sighed. He didn't want his brother to know too much, but at this point it was inevitable. "Elizaveta gave birth."

Ludwig stared blankly at his brother. "…so Roderich's a father? Why didn't I hear of Elizaveta being pregnant before? Does everyone know?"

"She kind of ran off after announcing her pregnancy, so Roddy and I kept silent about it—and there's no need to talk about that." Gilbert said as he shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. The way Ludwig was talking to him was like a father reprimanding his son.

Ludwig grabbed his brother's shoulders and looked at him. "Bruder, you should stop seeing Roderich. I know you like him, but this isn't working anymore—he's a father now—"

Gilbert's mouth dropped open in shock before he twisted his lips into a frown, his brows furrowing and his red eyes glaring. "What did you say?"

"I know that you like Roderich very much, but what are his children going to think?"

Gilbert slapped his brother's hands away, feeling hurt and disappointed. "Lud, I didn't think you'd be one to tell me to stop pursuing someone I love," he growled, "What would you feel if I told you to break up with Feli?"

Ludwig bit his lower lip. "I'm sorry, bruder, I just—"

"Lud, just shut it." Gilbert said as he shoved past his brother and headed upstairs, leaving Ludwig at the bottom of the staircase.
-

Gilbert headed to Roderich's apartment on his motorbike. He managed to snag some side dishes from the fridge and asked Feliciano to make pasta, which was now snug in a container in Gilbert's backpack. He parked in visitor parking and buzzed Roderich.

"Gilbert?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"Come on in."

Gilbert frowned as he entered the building. There was something wrong with Roderich's voice—it sounded a bit tight and bitter, as if he was with someone he didn't like. Gilbert knocked on Roderich's door and after a few minutes Roderich answered the door with a grim expression.

"My parents are here," He said in a low voice. Gilbert headed to the kitchen and set his things down before taking a peek in the living room. Sure enough, the Edelstein parents were sitting on the sofa. Mrs. Edelstein saw him and smiled uncertainly.

"Should I come back later?" Gilbert whispered, and Roderich shook his head.

"Just stay here." Roderich said before he walked back to the living room and faced his parents.

"Who's that?" Mr. Edelstein asked and Gilbert rolled his eyes. The tone of his voice was suspicious and surprised, as if he suddenly saw someone he didn't know his son was acquainted with.

"Gilbert Beilschmidt; it's been quite a long time since you've seen him. Frederich Williams taught him to play the violin." Roderich said calmly, and Gilbert held back a sigh. The last time he saw his old man Fritz was when he and Matthew coincidentally met him on the streets of Vienna.

"I see. What is he doing here?" Gilbert rolled his eyes again. This time the tone sounded almost accusing. From what Gilbert knew Roderich never allowed anybody in his apartment, even his parents, and Elizaveta had only come twice.

Gilbert heard Roderich shift in his seat, probably crossing his legs. "He's my friend, is there something wrong with a friend visiting?"

Mr. Edelstein cleared his throat. "Well. Anyways, you know why we're here, right?"

"No, I don't." Roderich replied, though Gilbert was sure he knew why.

"We're here because Elizaveta gave birth—why weren't we informed of this?"

Gilbert heard Roderich sigh impatiently. "There was no need to."

"What do you mean there was no need to—those children are my granddaughters!" Mr. Edelstein said loudly, and Gilbert tensed up, edging closer to the door.

"Now, now," Mrs. Edelstein said soothingly. "I'm sure Roderich has his own reasons."

"I am your son," Roderich said firmly, "But I believe we've agreed to the fact that I don't have any obligation towards the family anymore."

"Why you—"

"—who got us broke?" Roderich interrupted coldly, "and who earned all the money back so you two can continue on with your lives as if nothing happened?"

The parents didn't say anything.

"I told you two long ago that I don't have any obligation to you—and that involves the children. I only agreed to have children because Elizaveta's parents wanted grandchildren."

"Well, at any rate, I'm glad you two have children now. There were rumors about your marriage not being consummated." Gilbert heard the sound of the sofa creaking as someone, presumably Mr. Edelstein, shifted his weight.

There was a slight pause and Gilbert began to feel cold sweat form on his forehead. The marriage had never been consummated, but the parents didn't need to know that, did they?

"It never was." Roderich said. Gilbert risked a peek outside and saw Mr. Edelstein's face turn white.

"W-what do you mean?" The older man sputtered, and Roderich smiled, almost cruelly, and repeated his words in a clearer manner.

"Our marriage was never consummated."

The Edelstein parents paled and then Mr. Edelstein's face turned an angry red. "What do you mean it wasn't consummated? How else are you supposed to have a child?"

Roderich eyed his parents and spit out three letters. "IVF."

Mrs. Edelstein gasped. "An IVF?"

"What do you mean an IVF!" Mr. Edelstein roared as he shook his wife's restraining arm off. "You are a perfectly healthy man and she is a perfectly healthy woman! What is wrong with you?"

Roderich stopped smiling. His violet eyes looked down for a second before looking at his parents again. "What's wrong with me, you ask? I'll tell you what's 'wrong' with me. I'm gay. I've been gay since high school."

Gilbert froze. He wasn't supposed to be here listening to this badly timed coming out. This should have been private, or at least he should have been sitting beside Roderich and holding his hand. Roderich caught sight of him and mouthed a silent "stay there."

A splash of water made Gilbert's heart freeze. Roderich's father had thrown water at his face, and the clear liquid was now dripping off Roderich's hair, cheeks, and chin. The brunette smoothed his hair from his face and looked at his trembling father, his violet eyes calm and steady.

"Is it him? Gilbert Beilschmidt?" Mr. Edelstein spat out, his tone hostile and pronouncing Gilbert's name with so much venom the albino wondered what he had done wrong.

"You are free to think whatever you want to." Roderich said simply, and Gilbert ducked back into the kitchen when Mr. Edelstein sent a glare his way.

"How could you?" Mrs. Edelstein said. "How could you do this to Elizaveta?"

"This matter is known between us." Roderich said calmly.

"She knows?" Mr. Edelstein shouted, panic seeping into his voice. "What about her parents?"

"They are unsuspecting."

"You'd better straighten yourself up and do it fast!" Mr. Edelstein snapped, and Roderich let out a mirthless laugh.

"I'm gay, and there no way I can 'straighten' myself." Roderich said. "I've accepted it, and so should you."

"There is no way I'm accepting my son is a gay!" Mr. Edelstein yelled.

"Then should we cut all ties?" Gilbert peeked out to see the parents blanch at Roderich's suggestion. "I won't need to support you in any way shape or form, and you will no longer be my children's legal grandparents."

"Oh, Roderich, don't do this…" Mrs. Edelstein said as she clutched Roderich's arm.

"Father. Make all the assumptions you want, but do not forget you are indebted to me." Roderich gently eased off his mother's arm. "Mother. I love you, but you have to accept me for who I am. Now please go."

Gilbert pulled out his headphones and began to pretend he was listening to music when the Edelstein parents walked past the kitchen. Mr. Edelstein gave him a glare, but Gilbert pretended he hadn't noticed. When Roderich closed the door, Gilbert threw off his head phones and grabbed Roderich by both shoulders.

Crimson eyes looked into violet, and Gilbert gave Roderich a hug. Roderich let out a feeble laugh before he began sniffling. It wasn't before long that Roderich was crying his heart out, his hands grabbing Gilbert's back as he clung on for support and his tears staining Gilbert's jacket wet.

"It's going to be okay," Gilbert said as he held Roderich tightly and rocked him back and forth gently. "It's going to be okay."

Now. I have no idea about French, so I used google translate and stuff like that, so I don't know if the French is what I intend it to mean.

Quand je ferme les yeux, je rêve de toi- When I close my eyes I dream of you.
Je veux te faire l'amour- I want to make love to you.

Please point this out if it's incorrect.

Again, the chapter ends with our dear Gilbert reassuring Roderich.

What will happen in the next chapter? I don't know. Really. I think I'm running out of ideas.

Review please! Maybe it'll help :)