AN-AS ALWAYS PLEASE ENJOY AND REVIEW...PRETTY PLEASE REWVIEW? :) I'M SORRY IT'S LONG-BUT IT'S WORTH IT.

DISCLAIMER-I DO NOT OWN HETALIA OR THE PLOT TO TITANIC-BUT I DO OWN AT LEAST TWO COPIES OF THE MOVIE :3 TEE HEE

CHAPTER NINE-

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

DATE-

FRIDAY, APRIL 12TH, 1912

"Don't worry Gilbert; everything is going to be just fine." Elizaveta said as she tenderly rubbed Gilbert's arm. The young man couldn't help but to smirk, even though he found her gentle touch extremely comforting. He let out an oh so dignified snort and chuckled, causing a whole mess of eyes to dart in their direction. "Liza, you really are the motherly type aren't you?" He commented, his voice lighter than hair. He felt his heart sputter with delight as he watched her cheeks flutter a light shade of red and she bit her bottom lip. "Gilbert please I know you've been away for some years-but I also know you are capable of using proper manners." She grumbled, keeping her lips curled into an obviously forced smile. Gilbert felt his flash of juvenile behavior begin to fade away as guilt began to settle in its place. A flash of memories of a little boy being scolded about manners played like a movie, and despite himself he could begin to feel his own face beginning to grow hot. Even Gilbert knew there was a great difference between an eight year boy and a twenty-one year old man being lectured on manners. He rubbed the edges of a little brown book hidden in his pocket, those horrid words trying to claw their way back into his head. Those horrid, terrible words that made Gilbert feel so many strange and unusual emotions. All he could do to shove back was gently squeeze Elizaveta's arm. It was a futile effort, but it was enough to calm those dark words.

"I'm sorry Liza, I was just trying to give you a compliment." He claimed, his voice several octaves softer and much more reserved. It didn't feel natural, almost like someone else was speaking. Yet when he saw a natural smile appear on Elizaveta's face it was all worth the effort. Even if her smile was somewhat sad, it warmed his heart to know that his Liza understood his earnestly trying to act properly. She rested her head agents his shoulder and let out a content sigh, causing Gilbert's guilt to fade. He knew her simple display of affection was her way of letting him know she appreciated his effort. "I know Gilbert I know-and I thank you for it. I know you're trying very hard to be on your best behavior, but please, if you can, dig somewhere deep inside and find the manners I know you have. Please, not just for me...but for Katie." She whispered, her voice straining ever so slightly from her attempt to sound calm and emotionless.

Gilbert's hand gripped that little brown leather book, almost an involuntary reaction and the secrets inside flowed from his pale hand to his head. He bit his lower lip and allowed those unfamiliar and uncomfortable emotions to run wild. What is that little brown book that had such a profound effect on Gilbert? Well it was the journal of a little girl named Katie. Unbeknownst to Gilbert Elizaveta had been holding that journal in her delicate glove hand. He could tell she was holding something back by the way she kept her eyes down on her shoes, the skyline, anything but his face. Despite his better judgment he had asked if there was something else troubling her. That was when she handed him the little book, and told him that she found it among two others that were ripped apart and destroyed in a drunken rage. Luckily that one journal had not been completely destroyed, for there was one short entry still intact. He knew he shouldn't be peering into the secrets of a young girl; there was something that seemed inappropriate about the act. And yet at the same time his curiosity was too overwhelming, and as many do he gave into that curiosity.

It was an act that would continue setting future events into motion, for when he read that short entry something drastic moved inside of him and for the first time in quite he was brought down to the Earth. He couldn't remember a time he felt so many emotions all at once. There was anger, so fierce and powerful that the world around him was completely red. His blood was on fire, boiling so intently he could have sworn his skin was hot to the touch. Oh how his hands burned with the overwhelming urge to walk straight up to Albert and teach him a valuable lesson on how to treat children. To not would go agents his awesome, to not stand up for a little girl who was...was so violated. Gilbert had seen his fair share of horrible deeds, however what was written in that journal sickened him to his very core. What did little Katie write? It was a short little entry, the hand writing large, childish almost shaky letters. The date read June 6th, 1909, which would have made Katie five when she wrote the entry. She wrote, "I did something very bad. Last night I tried to run away and Uncle caught me. He was very mad. He made me get on the ground and pulled down my long underwear. I don't know what he did but it hurt...it hurt a lot."

Before he read those four sentences, Gilbert never thought comprehend a person could be so cruel. Albert had dropped to a whole new disgusting world of low. He had finally found out why his latest subject had such pained filled eyes. Strangely enough it was those beautiful, haunting eyes that calmed his rage. He never completely stopped seeing red, at least not for a good duration of the journey to the world of smoke and mirrors. Yet the closer and closer he found himself to Elizaveta's suite the clearer his vision became and the calmer his anger grew. In fact that anger which had seemed to blind him seemed to be melting into something else, something much softer and gentler. He couldn't the unfamiliar feeling up to sympathy, for despite its tenderness there was something too powerful about that emotion to be sympathy. In many ways his heart ached for that poor little girl, and it was with that aching heart that his urge to give Albert a taste of his own medicine melted away into a new, even stronger desire. Gilbert was no fool, and he had a sickening sense that Albert would look for any reason to torture Katie and despite the fact he barely knew the child he just couldn't let that happen. He couldn't bear the idea of those haunting eyes being filled with even more pain.

No Gilbert Beilschmidt had another idea.

As the glossy wooden door of Elizaveta's suite appeared, he became determined to make Katie smile; to treat her with the same kindness Elizaveta has showered on her. He imagined she had a beautiful smile, and even though he couldn't understand why he felt such a pull towards someone he met only a day ago his mission was set.

Besides, he always found it was much easier-and caused much less agony-to not question certain aspects in life and whatever shift had occurred in him was part of that list.

"Okay, we're here." Elizaveta said, causing Gilbert to snap out of thoughts and pull him back to reality. His eyes grew slightly larger when he found himself moving dangerously close to a gleaming, wooden door that shined with its gold trimming. For the shortest of moments he felt his breath catch and his throat tighten. Five years had never seemed that long of an absence from his old world, in fact there were times he believed it was not enough time away. Yet now that only a door stood in between him and his old life he suddenly found himself unprepared to meet those old, impossibly high standards. All those manners-everything from the proper way of sitting to the correct way of creating small talk was slipping from his grasp. He swallowed hard and loud, causing Elizaveta to gaze up at him with a concerned expression. She pulled him a little closer and gingerly placed her lips on his cheek. Both of Gilbert's pale cheeks immediately grew hot and his heart fluttered. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. My parents-well my father is at least excited to see you-and I know for a fact Katie wants to see-and I quote- 'the handsome man with red eyes' again." Elizaveta claimed, watching with sheer delight as Gilbert's unusual eyes lit up like the night sky when she mentioned Katie's innocent statement. She expected to see his trademark smirk to magically appear, but instead his thin lips twisted into a soft, content smile.

"Really, she said that?" He chuckled, causing Elizaveta's heart to flutter ever so slightly. It was obvious that something had shifted inside of Gilbert after he read that little entry, she was fully aware of how quiet he had grown. Too add to the stunning transformation was the expression on his face, that hopeful look and the way his eyes were twinkling. She had an overwhelming sense that somehow he was beginning to feel the same warmth and pull she felt towards Katie. Maybe she was only diluting herself with hope, for he barely knew the child. And yet once again she found her doubts being squashed like a bug by Gilbert's eyes. Those beautiful, sparkling reddish eyes that in her opinion rivaled the finest rubies fueled that blind hope. She gave a gentle nod and replied, "Yes, she did when I told her why I was leaving, she wouldn't have let me leave if I had told her otherwise." Her fluttered even faster when she saw that soft smile grow larger, the tips of his lips appearing to reach his eyes. "Well, I'm flattered-but then again who could forget my awesomeness?" He stated, letting out a soft chuckle as Elizaveta rolled her eyes, her lips still curled in a small smile. "In all honestly though, I haven't been able to forget her either. I...I even drew a picture of her." Gilbert admitted, his cheeks flushing a subtle shade of red as the sound of his words. When Elizaveta's eyebrows raised, when her eyes grew wide with surprise and her lips twisted into a wide smile his cheeks suddenly turned into two bright red tomatoes. His heart thudded far too quickly for comfort, and he could just feel his skin beginning to grow hot all over again as Elizaveta gingerly kissed his red cheek. "You're a good man Beilschmidt. Now come on, we can't just stand out here."

Gilbert released his bashfulness with another care free chuckle, and yet he still felt his heart skip a beat as he heard the click of a door knob turning. He sucked in a soothing breath and forced himself to stand as straight and tall as his body would allow. His lips twisted into a reserved and friendly smile that Elizaveta envied. She knew very well that polite, acceptable smile and his perfect posture was nothing more than a façade, but it was so brilliant. Everything about his presences, the way he held his head eye to the way he walked into the suite amazed Elizaveta. Oh how she wished she knew his secret. While he looked natural and relaxed as can be, Liza felt her lips painfully twist into her fake smile, and she couldn't help to notice how stiff her posture and movement was. It was a strange and unnatural sensation to be so horribly aware of your flaws, however in Elizaveta's case her awareness evaporated the moment she set eyes on Katie.

It was almost uncanny how Elizaveta's entire demeanor relaxed the moment she saw Katie. The tiny girl sat comfortably in a cushioned chair, her little feet kicking subtly above the ground. Her large blue eyes were glued on to the pages of a little sliver book, her attention far away from the glaring eyes of Mrs. Héderváry. "I don't understand why she reads so much, it's not appropriate for a little girl to be so preoccupied with such nonsense." The middle age woman muttered, her icy and judgmental voice carrying right over Katie's head. If only Elizaveta were so fortunate. Oh how she just wanted to hiss back at her mother. She could feel the words dangling on her tongue and burning agents her lips. However, ever the proper woman she must be, Elizaveta simply cleared her throat to get her parents attention. Both of their heads instantly snapped towards her and Gilbert, and much to Elizaveta's expectations her father practically leapt out of his place next to her mother. "Gilbert Beilschmidt! My goodness look at you!" Mr. Héderváry cried, pulling Gilbert into a tight bear like hug. "How have you been Mr. Héderváry?" The younger man reply, his voice strained from the force of the hug.. Elizaveta bit her lip and quickly covered her lips with her gloved hand, hoping she would be able to block out the giggle that was creeping its way towards the surface. When she heard a giggle fill the room her heart stopped. It didn't start again until she saw all eyes glance not towards her, but towards the little girl in light pink wearing the biggest smile that it started once again.

Something wonderful happened when Gilbert heard that giggle, and it wasn't the simple fact that Mr. Héderváry released him from his bear hug. He felt his heart swell in the same manner Elizaveta's did, filled with the same warm tingling sensation that seemed to cause the whole world to become a little brighter. Like everyone else standing in the suite, his attention turned towards Katie when she giggled. His heart skiped a beat the moment he laid eyes on her. He had managed to do what seemed an impossible task. Gilbert had managed to achive his goal of making Katie smile in less than a minute, and he found the reslut even more atonishing than he could have ever imagine. The little girl he saw was the polar oppiste of the subject in his drawing. The Katie before him was the picture of beauty and joy. Her lips were curled into a small and indescribly sweet smile and those eyes, those eyes were the real bait. They sparkled and danced like sapphires in sunlight, so full of innocence and joy. For a moment those eyes stared right into his, and for that breif and beautiful moment Gilbert felt his breath escape him. It was one of those rare moments where the walls come down, allowing people to look into anothers soul. Gilbert's heart grew warm and swelled at least three times it's normal size, that tingling sensation seeming to overtake him. In that rare moment he saw something only Elizaveta had the pleasure of seeing. He saw the most beautiful, colorful and loving soul-he saw a soul strikingly similar to his.

Gilbert's lips twisted into a wide, almost tender smile when the walls came back up. "Hi there." He said as he began to walk towards her, kneeling down to her leavle once he reached her. Katie's smile widen ever so slightly, her heart beginning to beat wild with excitement at the sight of Gilbert's kind smile. A light blush painted her cheeks as she attempted to swallow her bashfullness. Much like Elizaveta she was a proper little girl, and proper little girls did not find themselves rendered speechless by tender smiles. She straightened her posture and said in the polietest manner, "Hello Mr. Gilbert, it's a pleasure to see you again." Her words obviously tickled GIlbert in some manner, for he chuckled at the sound of her words. Katie's curiosity was instantly set on fire. "Was there something wrong with what I said?" She questioned, her voice gaurded and soft. Now Gilbert laughed, not his usual boisturous and obnoxious laughter thankfully. It was enough to make Katie's cheeks flush a brighter shade of pink and cause her heart to beat uncomfortably fast. "Nein liebe, you didn't say anything wrong. I'm just not used to such a polite child." He claimed, causing Katie's curosity to elevate. "Liebe?" She asked, tilting her head ever so slightly to the right.

The young man's smile grew the slightest bit smaller as he silently kicked himself for saying that. It was his turn for his cheeks to flush slightly. He opened his mouth to respond, when suddenly the door swung open. "There you are you little twit!" A male voice bellowed furiously. Gilbert watched with alarm as Katie's smile completly disapeared and her eyes grow wide with terror. She quickly hid her book behind her back and sat still and errected, like a stone statue. Gilbert turned his head and stood up, his wondeful mood disapearing when he saw the man standing in the door way. He had never seen Albert until that moment, but it only took one look for Gilbert to know who the short brick headed man was. That blinding furry began to flicker once again, and his vision began to grow red. Yet he stood calm and compose, reminding himself of the consquences of loosing his temper.

The stumpy man stomped towards Katie, his eyes ringing with anger. "You got some nerve, you know that? Where the hell were you this morning? I wake up and your not there, and the only thing I find is some stupid note from Elizaveta saying you were with her-what kind of game is that?" Albert bellowed. Gilbert could clearly see Katie beginning to shrink into the chair, as if she was trying to make herself smaller so he couldn't hurt her. Her little body began to tremble and her face with bone pale. "I-I" was all she could manage to stutter. "I-I, that's the only explanation I get?" Albert screamed once again. There were now tears beginning to form in the cornner of her eyes, and Gilbert wasn't sure how much longer he could keep his head. "Albert please calm down, you're scaring her! I went to your suite to go check on Katie and she was already up. She told me you weren't feeling well so I decided the only right thing to do was to take her off your hands for the morning. Besides, you still don't look to well anyway." Elizaveta claimed, her face controrted in hard anger. Albert looked as if he were going to have stroke from the sight of Elizaveta staring at him defiently with her arms crossed over her chest. Those black eyes grew wide and he was stunned into a baffled silence. That silence could spilt the elegent wooden furniture in half if given the chance.

"I see." was all Albert could come up with. Oh Gilbert could just see how much it angered, and even pained him to be put into his place by a woman. He could also see the gleam in his eyes to exert dominance over the one person he could control like God controls the wind. He turned on his eyes and set his glare at Katie, but was stopped when he suddenly saw Gilbert standing besides her. "Who the hell are you?" He demanded, examining the man with disgust. Gilbert wanted to copy Elizaveta's stance, wanted to copy that same hard anger. Yet for some reason he just kept his face cool and emotionless, holding out his hand to shake Albert's. "The name's Beilschmidt, Gilbert Beilschmidt." He said, his voice cold and business like. Albert stared at Gilbert's pale hand, as if deciding wheather or not it was accepitbale to shake it. Despite his better judgement, Albert took his hand in a hard grip and shook it. "Charmed I'm sure." He muttered bitterly, quickly releasing Gilbert's hand and finally turning his attention to Katie. Both Elizaveta and Gilbert watched with shock and anger as Albert demanded to know what was behind Katie's back. The girl didn't move after his first demand. She simply stared at him with wide, terrified eyes. He demanded once again for the object behind her back, adding an implied threat.

Katie relented and very slowly handed him the little sliver book. Albert snatched it for her hands and looked at the title. "'The Wizard of Oz'" he sneered, staring at the cover for a moment. "How many times have I told you never to read this rubbish?!" He bellowed, causing Katie to shrink even further into the chair. Her lips began to tremble and despite her best efforts tears began to trickle down her hallow cheeks. Neither Elizaveta or Gilbert could stand it any longer. The russet hair woman snatched the book out of his hand and gave him a hard glare. "Really Albert, you should be ashamed. It's just a book. Would you rather have her sitting here without anything to do while we talk?" She questioned, once again shocking the man into a baffled silence. He watched in pure disbelife as Elizaveta knelt by the chair Katie was sittinig, a gentle and loving smile on her face. "Don't listen to him honey girl, you can read as much as you want." She whispered, her voice as soft and sweet as virgin snow. Albert's disbelieve quickly gave way to rage as he watched Elizaveta stroke the top of Katie's head and kissed her temple. She whispered something to the girl that Albert couldn't hear, all he picked up was the word love.

Albert's stuby hands balled into fist, his blood beginning to boil. Even he was smart enough to infer what Elizaveta had said, to see that he was beginning to loose his total control over his charge.

And that was just something he could not accept.