I do not own Hetalia. I only think that it's awesome enough to write about.

"Miss Elizaveta! There's someone here for you!" Feliciano yells.

I freeze and nearly drop the flute I'm polishing. Crap! Did I not tell him that I'm trying to keep my identity a secret? I try and figure out how to slip out of the house without anyone seeing.

"Like Elizaveta! I totally have your like amazing dress!"

I sigh in relief. Oh, thank goodness! It's only Feliks. I carefully put down the flute on a towel I placed on the piano.

I run to the front door and see that Feliks is struggling with a big package. He smiles at me when he sees me. "Like there you are!" He puts down the package and playfully hits the back of Feliciano's head.

"That hurt!" Feliciano yelps. His hands fly to the back of his head and he rubs it. "Why did you do that ve~"

"Because like you probably scared Elizaveta!" Feliks scolds him. He turns to me and puts his hands on his hips. "Did he?"

I laugh. "Well, I was trying to find a way to escape." I pull Feli away from striking distance and hug him. "But you know Feli."

"Ve~" Feliciano says while trying to wriggle out of my hug. "I have to finish cleaning that window..."

I let him go and he scampers off. I close the front door and hope that he remembers to lock the window before he starts scrubbing this time. The last thing I need is to hear is Feliciano screaming for help again while he hangs out of a room on second floor.

Feliks laughs. "He's like so adorable!" He picks the package and hands it to me. "Now let's go girl! We have like work to do!"

"Umm, I have to finish my chores..." I tell him. I hold up two fingers. "I still need to polish the instruments and oil the door hinges."

Feliks sighs dramatically. "Like that's not much. I can help you with that."

I shake my head. "But then I have to help Feliciano dust the rooms. And Mister Roderick hasn't sent any notice that he's coming back soon, which means that I have a ton more chores to do!"

He puts his hands on his hips. "I can like totally help! I mean my shop needs some repairs done to it anyway. I can keep it closed for two days and help you!"

"Feliks that's really sweet, but-"

"Elizaveta! Just like tell me why you won't go!" He demands.

I put down the package and cross my arms. "Maybe I'm just being responsible!"

He crosses his arms in response. I scowl and he says "Yes and I hate the color pink. I know that you're responsible, but I saw the way you looked at him! It was like you were the happiest girl in the country." He puts his hands on my shoulders and forces me to look at me. "There is no way that you would totally give up seeing him again!"

I rub my arm and look away. "I learned that my brother is looking for me."

"What?" His hands drop from my shoulders and he pulls me to the nearest chair and he makes me sit in it. "Spill."

So I tell him the whole story. Starting from when I saw Lili's note and my fears of my brother finding me.

"What does he want with me? I didn't even try to take back what was mine. I never told anyone who I really was." I ask him even though I know that he can't possibly have the answers I want to hear. What am I doing? I should have through with my original plan of moving to another town and starting over.

"I don't know..." He paces in front of me. "But I do know that you like have to go to the ball tonight."

Was he even listening?

He sees my expression and holds up his hand to stop me from saying anything. "Wait! Like I have a plan!"

"I'm waiting." I cross my arms again. "It better be brilliant."

"Just tell him!" Feliks exclaims as if it was really obvious.

I hope he's not thinking what I'm think he's thinking. "Tell who what?"

"Tell your like precious Beilschmidt the truth!" He claps his hands and grins.

I stand up and point to the door. "Out. Come back when you can think straight."

"Okay okay. Maybe you should just be really careful, besides it's not like he'll be able to recongnize you with your mask-"

"Mask?" I repeat. He wants me to wear a mask now?

He looks at me oddly. "Well, it is a masquerade."

"It is?" I ask not believing what I'm hearing. "Since when?"

"Since always!" He rolls his eyes and drags me down the hallway. "Do you like ever read invitations?"

"I didn't get one! Lady Kirkland just invited me while I was the Beilschmidt's birthday party." I protest. "Gil never told me that either!"

"He probably assumed that you would ask! Like a normal person!" He sighs. "What am I like going to do with you?"

I realize that we've stopped in front of my bedroom. "Umm-"

"Don't answer that. Did you like bathe?" He asks.

"Feliks!" I yell. "Why would you ask that?"

"So that I know how much time I have to like help you get dressed." He says calmly. He hands me the package he brought. "Your dress is in there. So hurry up and get dressed."

I can't get another word out as he opens my door and shoves me inside. A loud and obnoxious chirp catches my attention.

Gilbird is outside the window. Just what I need. I hope he didn't dirty it.

I open the window and allow the little puffball to fly inside. "Another note?" I ask him as if he can answer me.

"Chirp!" Is the answer I get. He lifts up his leg and sure enough there's a piece of paper wrapped around it.

I pull it off of him and read the short note.

Are you coming? Do you need the Awesome Me to pick you up?

I shake my head and smile. I grab a piece of paper from my closet. I decided to keep some on hand in case he wrote to me.

Yes, I am coming. Were you worried? And

I think for a moment. Do I need him to come and give me a ride in his carriage?

"Feliks!" I yell.

"Are you like done changing?"

"No! How am I getting to the ball?"

"Isn't your Lord Charming coming for you?" He souns confused. I sigh. I shouldn't have expected him to have an answer.

And yes I do need you to pick me up. Here's the address.

I tie the note around Gilbird's leg and he flies out immediately. I cross my fingers and hope that this wasn't a bad idea.

"Stay still!" Feliks commands as he sticks a needle in my dress. "I just need to like fix this and then you're done!"

I do my best to stop fidgeting. I feel a little nervous knowing that Gilbert will have a lot of questions. He's going to find out that I'm staying at Roderick's home!

"Ve~ You look pretty!" Feliciano tells me with a grin.

I smile. "Thank you, Feli. Did you finish cleaning the windows?"

"Yes and I also dusted most of the rooms." He tells me proudly.

"I'm sorry that you had to do that alone." I tell him. I looks at Feliks. "And thank you for helping me get ready." I touch my hair which has been styled into an elegant bun. It took Feliks a while to decide what to do with it. He finally decided to braid my hair and then wrap it into a tight bun and place small pink flowers in random places within it. I think it looks lovely.

He grins. "Yes, well you are like my good friend."

I hear a knock on the door and suddenly I'm more nervous than ever. I feel a chill coming up my spine as Feliciano races to door.

"Ve~ Miss Elizaveta will be right over!" He announces happily.

"Very good. Tell her not to keep the Awesome Me waiting long." I hear Gilbert say.

I'm starting to have trouble breathing. "I can't do this."

Feliks pulls the extra thread and gets up. "Yes you totally can." He tells calmly. "I worked like a long time so you have to."

"Okay." I take a deep breath and try to calm myself down.

"Here's your cape and here's your mask." He puts my deep long green cape over my shoulders and ties the strings around my neck. He puts the mask in my hands along with a small box.

I look at him questioningly. "What's this?"

"Lady Kirland and Lord Jones' engagement gift of course!" Feliks says before rolling his eyes. "He's been wanting cufflinks and she needed new clips for her hair. You can thank me later, but right now you need to go with your escort!" He pushes me towards the door.

I catch my balance just as I cross the main hallway. I can see Gilbert standing there in his new clothes. He's wearing a long black coat that reaches a little past his hips. Undernearth is a white shirt and around his neck is a familiar sight, a black cross. His trousers match his shirt and his boots also look brand new.

"Liz?" He asks. He's shamelessly staring at me as I walk to him. I hope he doesn't do this all night.

I bite my lip nervously. "Hi." I hold the present Feliks gave me in front of my dress and the mask dangles by its strings from my wrist.

His lips break into a grin. "You look-" He steps forward until he's right in front of me. He whispers in my ear so only I can hear him. "Beautiful."

"Thank you." I think my entire face must be red from my blush. I decide to turn the tables and I whisper "You look awesome."

He laughs and pulls me close to him. "When do I ever not look awesome?" But I see the blush spreading across his face and know I caught him off guard.

"Are we going to be leaving soon?" I tease trying to focus on keeping my heart from beating so quickly.

He holds out his hand and I slip my hand around his arm instead. He leans into me and says. "So eager to be close to the Awesome Me?"

I frown and punch his arm softly. "Would you rather I stay far away." I start to pull away. "Because that can be arranged."

"No." He presses his arm against him so that I can't move. "But I can tease you."

I laugh and I turn to Feliciano. "I will be back in a few hours."

"About five." Gilbert adds before guiding me out the door.

"Ve~ Five what?" Feliciano asks.

I wave. "Do not stay up for me, Feli."

Gilbert chuckles. "Do you intend to stay very late?" He smirks at me. Luckily Feliciano picked that moment to close the door.

I punch his arm. "You are so lucky that I do not have a sword."

"Or a frying pan." He rubs his arm. "Will you be hitting the Awesome Me all night?"

"Only if you deserve it." I tell him honestly.

He lets go of my arm and takes the presnt in my hand so that I can climb into the carriage. He waves away the driver and holds open the door for me.

"What a gentleman." I comment.

He smirks and hands me the present before climbing in quickly. The door closes quickly after him. I lift an eyebrow and he shrugs. "The door closes by itself. I am not exactly sure why."

"And why would you?" I ask teasing him.

He smirks again. "The Awesome Me does not need to know why. It is less work so I think it is fine."

"You are rather lazy..." I say.

He shoves me lightly. "And you are not?" He laughs. "I remember you always used to make me put everything away after playing with it. That was not awesome."

I frown. "That was only because my Papa was calling me." Then the carriage starts and I let out a squeak.

"Are you all right?" He places his hand on my arm. "You are not frightened are you?"

"No! Of course not." I shake my head and force a laugh. "Why would you say that?"

"Because you look paler than I am." Gilbert says seriously.

I close my eyes tightly.

I hate riding in a carriage whenever I don't know the driver. It took me such a long time to get used to Feliciano driving the carriage before I stopped shaking. I suppose I thought I got over it, but I guess not. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that my parents hired a driver for the night they died. Instead of having their usual driver they hired one because they didn't want to force him to leave his sick daughter.

"I am not frightened at all." I persist as we go over a bump. I shut my eyes even tighter.

"Liz." Gilbert puts his arm around my shoulder and I open my eyes. He's looking at me with a softness I've never seen in his eyes before. "It is fine to scared you know?"

I breathe in deeply. "I-" We go over a huge bump inn the road and I let out a cry.

He holds me very close and rests his head on mine. "Just focus on something else."

I lean fully on him. "Like how I would be fearing for my life if your father was driving?"

Gilbert laughs loudly. "Only I never allow him to drive with a beer in his hand." His father loves to drink while he's in the carriage.

'Best time to drink!' He used to say to my Papa.

I smile weakly. "Your Mother would not even let us in the carriage."

"That is true." He says thoughtfully. "They have not seen you in some time. They could not believe that you had come without saying hello."

"What?" I sit up straight. He told his parents that I was at his brother's birthday party.

He looks at me strangely. "You should have stayed to say hello. Ludwig said that you did not even tell him who you are."

"R-Roderick said we had to leave right after we left the room." I explain.

"That piano jerk forced you to leave?" He frowns. "He is not awesome at all Liz. Why did you ever agree to go with him?"

I frown now. "What do you have against him?"

He huffs and runs his fingers through his hair. "I do not want to talk about it."

"Why?" I ask before my common sense kicks in. I know I shouldn't pry."

"The Awesome Me does not want to talk about it." He tells me dryly. Then he grins. "So what did you get Lord Jones and Lady Kirkland for their engagement?" Obviously we won't be returning to that subject anytime soon. At least I seem to be feeling better about this carriage ride.

"Did you forget to get a present?" I tease.

"...Yes."

My dad took the computer with the file I have this written on. So I had to rewrite this from memory...I think I did rather well for remembering so little.

Well, anyway...thanks to everyone who has reviewed and for continuing to read and support this story.

I cannot stress this enough...REVIEW (please?)