Warnings: OOC-ness and spelling the f-word scaredy-cat style. Lovino gets this chapter, so there's probably more expletives used than necessary.

Another note because when do I not do these: I'm writing more (again!) I'm doing a collab story with LeParapluie called An Awfully Big Adventure. It's a Peter Pan/ Neverland AU, and Spamano with a certain twist… The story is on LeParapluie's account, so if you want to check it out you can go there. It's going to be really fun!

xx Sveg

Francis sighed, pulling up his own sleeve. "I hate doing this. I find it so ugly."

Antonio shrugged, running his thumb over his own watch's face. "Ugly and cruel."

"Are you happy now, timey? Now do you get it?"

No, he didn't. It wasn't his fault they weren't making sense. His brain wouldn't process what his eyes were seeing.

"Alfred, sit down."

He didn't remember getting up, and made no move to return to being seated.

"Désolé, désolé. We would have told you, but then thought it best to-"

"Counters," he mumbled. "All of you?"

"All of us."

"Why- why didn't you tell me?"

"You don't need to know every single little thing about us. In fact, you'll find that most people keep secrets that are meant to be kept, and in respect others don't pry into their private lives-"

He laughed. He put his hands atop his head; it was so unbelievable. And once he started, he couldn't stop. Tears streamed down his cheeks and his stomach hurt, but he couldn't stop.

"Counters," he sputtered, walking up to the entry way and looking up at the ceiling through teary eyes. "Counters. Sorry, but April Fools Day was months ago."

Arthur followed him, tugging his sleeve back into place. "This isn't a joke!"

"Yeah, sure. Now listen, I'm gonna go for a walk before it gets too hot. You're cool with it." He opened the door, slammed it shut, and prayed they'd let him alone.

"Ah," Lovino said from his place on the front step. "I guess I was right: you are a real idiot."

"Get the eff off my porch."

"Wow, super threatening. I got especially scared at the abbreviated expletive. I think you meant f*ck."

"Get the f*ck off my porch."

"Better, but you forgot the 'please'."

"What are you even doing here?" he growled. "I thought you'd left."

The Italian jangled a ring of keys from his fingers. "We were summoned, dumbass."

"Are those to Mattie's truck?!"

The Italian shrugged and the keys disappeared into his pocket before the traveler could reclaim them. "Finder's keepers, losers weepers."

"Then what the hell are you still doing here?"

"The capo di merda can drive. I'm not going to."

Alfred thought this over and, deciding it wouldn't make any difference, plopped down beside him and put his face in his hands. "Then if you aren't going to leave, then maybe you'll answer a few questions."

"No, thanks."

"Is it true you're all Counters?"

"I just said 'no thanks', idiot. Do you need it in writing?"

"Is it true?" he repeated more forcefully.

Lovino leaned back, refusing to look at him but instead at the sky. "I don't like telling stories."

"I thought you were Italian; you're supposed to love talking."

"If I answer all your stupid questions, will you shut up?"

"If you answer all of them. Fully. To my liking."

The Italian smirked at this. "Eh, fine. Maybe it'll piss Fran-sissy so much he'll stay away from my tomato bastard. Yes, they're telling the truth. We're all Counters."

"Even Gilbert?"

"I said 'all', didn't I?"

"Yeah, yeah, okay. But…" He chuckled. "God, how?"

"Feliciano was my brainless brother."

"What?"

"At least try not to interrupt. Feliciano was my traveler. I was lucky to get him just to the Circle, and it was nearly impossible to get him to do one assignment right. He couldn't complete a mission for his life. Much rather be sleeping or eating. He was terrible; and it annoyed the f*ck out of me.

"I was pretty lucky, though. Most Counters have to go out and find their travelers. I practically had mine handed to me. He didn't have the chance to go get himself in trouble, not since I was around. Most Counters don't even make it to their travelers in time. Antonio never even met his, and neither did Arthur and Francis."

"I don't get it."

"You would if you'd just shut up. Their travelers died before they could get to them. It's simple, really."

"No, I mean the whole finding travelers part."

Lovino hiked an eyebrow high on his forehead. "Did you think it was just always you and your Counter?"

"Well, yeah. And I've always had my timepiece." At least, up until now.

"Wrong. Yes, you've always had your timepiece. But that doesn't even matter if you didn't know how to use it. That's what Counters are for."

He vaguely remembered Mattie teaching him the fine art of traveling. But he didn't remember meeting him for the first time. He was just always there. "So Counters go all over looking for people with the locket watch?"

"Singular- person. And it's not just all over the world; it's all over the Lines. Past, Present, Future- you name it. A traveler could be anywhere, and they're sitting ducks until we come along. But we're only allowed one jump a year, which makes the whole thing practically impossible. That's why a lot of Counters lose their travelers before they even know where they are. Some supernaturals would kill for a traveler."

"Supernaturals?"

"God, you're annoying as hell. Yeah, supernaturals. Like elementals and wing people, immortals and some other weird-ass stuff. We're not really supposed to know about the others. It's the immortals after traveler heads."

"But you're an immortal, aren't you?" he asked cautiously.

Lovino snorted. "Didn't you listen? Not always. I don't know anybody who was born happened after I lost Feliciano. Make sense now? It's the same reason all the others are immortal, too. But it's Gilbert and I who've lost their travelers while on duty. We're the only ones who knew our travelers, and personally. Ludwig was Gilbert's brother. We had it easy from the start, so I guess that's what made the end so hard. Don't ask another question."

"Don't give me an opportunity to. So you lost Feliciano. Was he killed?"

"You know, Americans are rude."

"I need to know. Did he die or just disappear like Mattie?"

"Disappearing is just as good as dead, shithead."

"Alright, alright. But from what I've gathered, Counters can sense travelers when they're near- that's how Matthew must have always known where I was. So wouldn't you just go back and look for a new traveler?"

"A new traveler?" he spat. "A new traveler?"

"Okay, so subject is a little touchy-"

Lovino grabbed him by the collar and yanked him close. "Now listen here, you motherf*cker. Feliciano was mine. Feliciano was my brother. Are you going to sit and wait for another Counter now that yours is gone? Is that what's gonna happen? Huh? Say it again, I dare you. Tell me to go look for a new traveler. Go on and do it, you little twerp."

Alfred swallowed, his eyes darting down to Lovino's fists. "Yeah, yeah. Okay, my bad. That question was worded wrong. Sorry. I mean, is a Counter-traveler relationship individual? Like, am I always meant to be Matthew's traveler?"

Lovino let him go, though didn't appear to be any more relaxed. "Feliciano will always be my traveler."

"And once he disappeared, you couldn't find him again. You were back at start."

"When I mean gone, I mean gone. I couldn't sense him, and I'd- I'd never experienced that before."

"Because of these Axis dudes."

"Yes."

"And they're the bad immortals. Were they Counters as well?"

The Italian immortal shrugged. "I don't know. It makes sense, though. Think about it: someone's traveler dies, so they spend the rest of their lives stealing other ones."

"So there would be no reason to take Matthew."

Lovino sighed. "They're trying to prevent the Holes from growing any bigger. You should now this already."

Alfred bit his lip and leaned back beside him. "I think I've only got one more question left."

"Good, you weren't supposed to ask any."

"Am I immortal?"

"Cosa?"

"You heard me. I live in the Present, and Mattie says I look around eighteen or nineteen. But I've lived a lot longer than that, I know it. If there wasn't something different about us, then how have we lived for so long? Surely jumping around doesn't completely stop time from affecting us. You said a Counter has to go and look for their traveler, which has to take years. I don't remember meeting Mattie, but I still remember pretty far back. Like late 1700's." Saying it aloud scared him. He'd come up with the possibility before any of this had even happened, but had quickly snuffed it out. Matthew had never mentioned anything about it, so he had decided to just let it go. Figured it was because he and Mattie could time travel, that he could control time.

Lovino laughed. "So you've got brains after all."

"I was right?"

"You said you had one more question, and you've already asked it. I'm closed to business, traveler." He sat back up.

"Wait, wait!"

"I said no more questions."

"Then I won't ask, I'll just order."

"Order? Who the hell do you think you are?"

"A timey. Now let me see your watch."

Lovino shot up. "No!"

Alfred got up after him. "Yes. Come on, I just want to see it."

"It's mine, and it's private, and if I don't want to show it to you then I won't!"

"Don't be such a pussy and show it to me."

"No!"

"Lovino Vargas, show me your watch." He tried to grab his sleeve, but the immortal jerked his arm away and started running. "Come on, where are you even going?"

"Anywhere but near you!"

Alfred rolled his eyes and jogged after him. Despite being small and lean, the Italian didn't have much speed, and screamed bloody murder when the American caught up to him and clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Don't do that, our neighbors will order a noise complaint." He pinned his arms at his sides and then hoisted him up over his shoulder, whistling.

"Put me down, you f*cker!"

"Sheesh, talk about a public disturbance. Save the cussing for home, alright?"

Lovino kicked and pounded his fists on his back. He thought it was supposed to hurt, but he guessed Lovino wasn't very strong because it just felt kinda good.

"What do you even need my watch for? Go look at someone else's!"

"They'll get suspicious."

"Suspicious!"

"Yeah. You in or out?"

"Of what?"

"The plan, dude. Can you follow me?"

"Follow you?"

"Yeah. If I travel somewhere, can you use your watch and follow me? Or does it only work with your own traveler?"

"I've still got my yearly jumps without my traveler. What are you doing?"

"They took my timepiece. I'm going to get it back and then go after Matthew."

"And you think I'm not going to tell them about this?"

"Nah. I'm a time traveler, you're a Counter. We could both be immortal- I don't know; you still haven't given me a clear answer. Arthur and Francis aren't telling me something-"

"Wow, sush astute powers of observation."

"- and I bet there's something Antonio's not telling you. We'll check the whole Axis thing out on our own. The others don't understand. They never had a traveler, not like you did."

Lovino's fists paused.

"They said Matthew fell off our Circle. So we'll go there."

"You don't have your locket watch."

"I'll get it back."

"Feliciano disappeared."

"So did Matthew."

"…We're going to kill ourselves."

"Ah, a 'we'! So you're in."

"Not for you. And it's just going to be us."

"Of course, buddy."

"Call me that again, and I will tear your head from your body."

Désolé- sorry (French.)

Capo di merda- Boss of shit (Crossing my fingers that's good-enough Italian.)

Cosa- What (Please duolingo, host of the judgmental owl: DO NOT FAIL ME. Italian.)

Accckkkk I only looked over this once so sorry for any mistakes. I'm really close to meeting my Camp NaNo goal and I feel like I'm crawling over a hill with bleeding fingernails. Sorry.

Viva la GerIta,

Sveg