'Ello chaps! I am foREVerhauntingme and I am here to tell you that THIS…IS…CHAPTER 21. EEEEENJOY!

Chapter 21

Francis sighed. Being a wolf, his hearing was quite good. He had heard the whole conversation. "Their...employee is looking for them?" he asked softly, knowing the answer. Toni bolted, and Francis took off after him. "Toni wait, please." Ludwig shook his head. "Figures someone would go looking for them eventually. Alfred didn't do a very good job of covering up their 'disappearance'." "If he tried at all," Mat said quietly, "We did go after them pretty quickly. I can't imagine he had the time." Ludwig nodded, shifting to lie back down in the bed. He was exhausted and his body ached terribly. "I think I would like to get some rest now." Mat nodded, "Okay, we'll be back later."

He took Gilberts hand and walked with him out into the waiting room. "Gilbert, who all else do you suppose is looking for them? Family? Friends?"

"It will end up being friends mostly. They're parents died a while back and their grandfather moved back to Rome a few years ago. I haven't heard anything new about him, but he's reaching the end of his years and probably doesn't have much longer." He squeezed Mathew's hand. "I think friends will be the major issue. Lovino didn't really attract many people besides Antonio, but he's just so goddam happy , which makes him immune to the others bitchiness. Feliciano on the other hand…he was friends with everyone. God, I hate seeing that kid like he is now. It's fucking horrible."

Antonio shook his head and ran down the halls. He ran until he was outside the doors and in the cold morning air. He let the tears fall down his face. He'd been trying to ignore it, but he just couldn't. The fact that he was happy Ivan didn't destroy the vampires was proof that he didn't want Lovino dead. Even after the other had tried to kill him over and over, he still loved the vampire. Now everything was just getting worse and worse. He didn't care that the other had fangs and drank blood or worshiped a murdering bastard like a god. He just wanted his Lovino. He wanted to hold him. To kiss him. Why hadn't anything worked out like they planned? Why did this have to happen to them? It just wasn't fair.

Francis signed, unable to catch up with Antonio. He walked back to the others, finding them in the waiting room. "Ludwig went to sleep. How's Toni?" Francis sat down beside Mat and Gilbert. "He just took off. I can tell he was crying. God, I can't imagine what he must be going through." Mat nodded, "I remember how I felt...still feel, knowing that Alfred is a vampire. It took a long time...and at first I didn't know what had happened either. I was calling around and looking for him, too." Francis put a hand on his shoulder, "I know, mon cher." He kissed the top of Mats head. "Gilbert, as I was saying before, what now?" Francis almost couldn't handle thinking about it. Had this all really happened in days? The world was changing faster than ever; or at least it felt that way. What now indeed.

Gilbert massaged his forehead. "Alright, here's what we're going to do. Ludwig is going to stay here and heal while we all get some rest. In a few days or so, we'll start looking into where they might be heading. I really want to avoid another confrontation with them. I've been thinking about your previous ideas of like…fang rehab. The issue is, as we found out before, that we'd either have to take them all at once or find a safe location until we got all three." He frowned. "Then there's still Ivan. I hate making you deal with him. The guy's such a fucking, unawesome asshole." Yes…Ivan. He was probably at the hotel waiting for them to return. Did he still plan on taking him back to Russia? "The fucker is probably back at the hotel. I want him to just leave, but I know he won't. The real issue besides his inability to let things go would be the fact that he is desperate to end Arthur and with him, the others as well. I've kind of given up on wanting them dead. Like I said, the rehab sounds like our best bet right now." God knows Toni won't want them dead anymore either.

Mat nodded. Before, changing them back or even getting any control over them seemed impossible. Now, it not only seemed like the most solid option, it seemed to be the only option. "We didn't try everything...I hate to experiment on them. Those guys, my brother, but it's the only way. We couldn't kill them even if we tried." "True. I have known them all for a while and I can't stand the thought of killing them," said Francis. "Where is the information Ludwig gathered?" "Back...at the hotel," Mat said slowly. Ivan. "We will need to get back there and get his things." Francis looked to Gilbert, "We have to face him sometime. Dear God, he is insane. You don't think he will fight us if we meet him, or try to kidnap us?"

He shook his head. "He's not dumb, Francis. Straight kidnapping has never been his style. He feels out his victims first before he does anything else. His next step is manipulation and stalking. He'll probably try to make deals with you and Toni while squeezing his way closer to West and Mattie. You four might have a chance. He can't touch either of you because he isn't your creator so that leaves two humans and me. He'll try hard for them, but it won't work if we can stop him." He went quite after that. It was obvious what Ivan would want with him. He still though Gilbert was his so he would try to take him back. If Gilbert wasn't careful, Ivan would either take him away forever…or kill him. "Francis and I can go back to the hotel and get the materials we need. Maybe we can get something from Ivan, but…I don't think it'll work. Anything that comes out of his mouth is for his own benefit."

Francis nodded. At this point, knowing how powerful he was, they had to assume he was a danger no matter what. He would do whatever he had to in order to get what he wants. "Alright...shall we go then? I would like for us to at least get Toni back here. I don't feel right leaving Mat and especially Ludwig alone." Even though the vampires were alive and apparently gone, they had no idea if they were close by or if they would come after them out of revenge and Ivan was unpredictable. It would be better to have at least one wolf guard them. Mat nodded, not sure he felt safe with Gilbert and Francis leaving but definitely not up for seeing Ivan again. "Okay. Do you want me to help get Toni back in here?"

Gil nodded. "Ja, I'm pretty sure he'll listen to you more than he will us. We'll follow you out and wait until he comes in before we leave." He grabbed Mat's hand and stood up. Francis followed his example and the three of them went for the exit where Toni was still crying. The Spaniard was leaning against the walls of the hospital, tears streaming down his face while his mind was lost to memories. He quickly wiped the tears when he smelled them approaching. He averted his eyes and stood up, making himself ready to walk away. He didn't really want to deal with people right now. Gil sighed, stopping ten feet from him. He could tell Toni was going to run, so he held Francis back and let go of Mat. "Go on, Birdie."

Mat nodded, approaching him at a leisurely pace. "Hey, Antonio," he said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. Toni flinched at his touch, looking off to the side to hide his tear stained face. "Toni, let's go inside. You may not want to talk, and I understand that, but we need to look after Ludwig. The others need to get some things, and you are in no condition to be out right now." He bit his lip, trying to find the right words to get through to the Spaniard. "I remember how I felt when I found out Alfred was a vampire. Seeing him like this, knowing what he has caused...and to make it worse, as a hunter, I have seen the messes he has left behind. And now these boys..." Mat leaned in close, trying to catch his eyes with his own. "I don't want to kill them either," he whispered, taking Toni's hand firmly. "Please Antonio, come inside."

Antonio looked over at Mathew before his tearful eyes moved to the ground. He was right. There wasn't a reason for him to be so upset. It wasn't like he was the only one affected by this. They were all hurting. Why should he have the harder time? Alfred had been Mathew's brother. His twin. There was nothing more closer than that and he wasn't freaking out right now. "I'm sorry…" he whispered. Not that it would mean much anyway. He squeezed Mat's hand. "You're right. I…I need to be strong. I can't let this…" It was still hurtful. He looked into Mat's eyes and sighed, letting his head bob into a pathetic nod.

Gil watched his boyfriend lead the other back into the hospital and sighed himself. "Come on, Francis. Let's go deal with the other fucker so we can figure out contain them." They turned for the car and they sped off for the hotel. The ride was silent and so was the walk to their room. When Gil put the key in and the door opened, the room was surprisingly empty. Gil shuddered. Where the fuck was Ivan?

Francis followed Gilbert inside, feeling a chill to the air. Ivan didn't seem to be around though. He was here earlier, almost like he left a scar on the area just my being here. His aura is truly dark and it seems to take over everything. He walked briskly to Ludwig's things, realizing quickly how long it had been since he had cleaned up properly or had time to change clothes. "I think I'm just going to grab the whole bag, just in case." He went to the other bed, grabbing Mat's bag off the floor beside it. "Could you give me a hand with this bag, Gil?" He looked up. Gilbert was still scanning the area, obviously on edge. "I don't think he's here...can we go then? I don't want to be here too long in case he does show up..."

Gil nodded and took the bag from Francis. "I know he isn't here, but where the fuck is he then? He said he was coming back here. This whole situation just makes me nervous." He grabbed his own bag and started filing through it. "I say we grab a change of clothes for everyone and freshen up in West's room when he wakes up. I would say to do it now, but I don't want to stay here anymore than you do." His senses perked up. He didn't want another 'surprise' visit from the bastard. He shook his head and cleared his thoughts. He found a new outfit for himself and went to Antonio's bag, doing the same. "Find yourself new clothes and when you're done, we can go."

Antonio let Mathew lead him back to the waiting room. He fell into a chair and sighed. Minutes of silence passed between the two before he spoke. "How did you deal with it? How do you still deal, knowing that the longer you wait the more people he's out there killing."

Mat smiled slightly, sitting down in the chair next to him. "It isn't something you get used to, that's for sure. I deal by doing what I do. Killing evil things and helping people understand. I try to balance out all of the chaos of death and darkness with order and 'good deeds'. I try to help, but the reality and the things I see, the trail he leaves behind is something I can't 'make better' or cover up. But I can't kill him either. I thought I could but, this all has just proved that I can't." After a few moments of silence he stood, stretching. "All I can do now is try to help him, the same way I've helped others. Just different." He didn't know exactly how he could help Alfred but he would do his best. He had to try.

Antonio nodded, letting the conversation go silent again. That was understandable. He didn't think Mathew would have been capable of killing Alfred from the very beginning. Hopefully they would be able to get the vampires and keep them from hurting anyone else. It was weird still to think that this boy in front of him, that he had known for months, was twins with that creature. Like Lovino and Feliciano, vampirism seemed to change people into something they weren't. "Hey, Mattie…if it's not too much, can you…can you tell me what Alfred was like before he was changed? I know little Feli was so innocent and kind and Lovino was the same way, only he had a harder time expressing his feelings, but…they were good people. So, Alfred had to have been a good person too, right? Like you?"

Mat frowned, trying hard to find the right way to talk about how Alfred used to be. "He was...has always been my twin. But you know how sometimes one twin is more dominating in personality than the other? He was the dominating one. Always the hero, always in the spotlight. But like a hero he was a good kid; always helping people. He was never shy and had tons of friends. He had...a sense of right and wrong..." He smiled to himself, the image in his mind of Alfred was of him in his superman T-shirt and flying down the sidewalk at top speed on his bike. "I didn't mind that he was so domineering, after all I usually prefer to be in the back. The spotlight is cool but it can be stressful, too."

Antonio smiled at the thought of an innocent Alfred helping an old lady cross the street. It was rather stereotypical, but that's what he imagined. "I'm sure he was a nice boy…" The vampire blood really did infect them and make their sense of right and wrong warp. It sounded so horrible. "You said that Arthur wanted to infect you too right? I mean, you obviously aren't a vampire and they obviously didn't turn you but…if becoming one meant you could be with your twin again, would you do it?" He would…to be with Lovino again, he would do anything. Too bad he couldn't switch curses.

Mat nodded. "He tried to turn me, but I don't think it worked. At least not all the way. I've found that I can't be...compelled and I think that what he did has something to do with it. Even if they tried to turn me, at this point, I'm not sure it would even work. Besides, I don't think it would be worth turning. Brother or not, he does terrible things and I must stop him."

Antonio looked away from him. So Mathew wouldn't do it even if it meant he could be with Alfred after years of being apart. Clearly the blonde was much stronger than he was. Almost six whole years without his twin and he seemed to be doing so much better then himself, who'd only gone a few weeks without his boyfriend of a year and a half. "Lovino once asked me if I thought there was any evil in the world. I told him no and that even if there was, I would protect him. I never told him that I was one of those scary monsters he feared." He shook his head. "Lovino was less likely to admit it than Feli but, he was scared of the dark. He was a devout Catholic and feared the demons that lurked there. I lied to him and let one of those monsters get him. Now he hates me for it."

Mat sighed, "I am not sure he hates you. He might be mad now but, I think it's because everything has happened so fast. If it's anything like what happened with me... I was confused, hurt and yet, in time I learned to work with it. It isn't easy, hell it never has been but, I am doing my best. But is has taken all these years to even do that." He looked to Antonio, "It's okay...I know it isn't easy and it will take time but, it will get better if you want it to. You just need to try."

Antonio sighed, but shook his head. He wanted to believe Mat, he really did, but he just couldn't. He hated that it had to be this way. He wanted Lovino back. Hell, he'd even charge into their nest if he had to just to get a glimpse of him. To know he was alright. "He's is alright though? I mean, you saw him right? You didn't hurt him too bad? He's healing?" Even if it meant killing humans for Lovino to get better, he would rather have him moving around dead than being dead dead. God, Mathew was probably getting annoyed at all his questions; especially since he probably just wanted to forget about it all.

The blonde flipped his hand as he spoke, switching subjects so quickly it was like he had ADD. "I'm...I'm not sure. Ivan said he had left them alive but, he was in rough shape even before Ivan showed up. He's alive but I don't know how good he's feeling." He knew Antonio was curious, but it was hard for him to think about. At least he isn't asking about Al and about how he is doing...I don't even want to think about that.

Antonio's heart dropped a bit. Ivan didn't say he was dead, not that he would trust him anyway, but…Lovi had to be alive. What if he was close to death? What if…no! Stop it! Don't think about it. He swallowed and tried not to cry again. "I just…I hope he's alright. Vampire or not…he's my other half. If he doesn't make it…then…"

Mat got up from his chair, putting both of his hands on his shoulders and caught Antonio's eyes with his own. "Listen, it's okay. We don't know anything for sure and for now this is the best we can do. Just...try not to let it mess with you for now. Don't assume anything, not until we know anything solid." He swallowed, trying hard not to cry himself. He stole a glance at the clock on the far wall by the nurses' station. The time had passed slowly, but they had still been sitting there talking for about an hour. "We should check on Ludwig, just in case." He took both of Antonio's hands, helping him stand, and led him to Ludwig's room. Anything to try and push back the subject.

Antonio nodded and let the human lead him. It felt like the huge weight on his shoulders was lifted slightly by Mathew. He could tell that by helping him, Mat was only putting more problems onto his own shoulders and that wasn't cool, but he knew better than to argue with the blonde. Mathew may be a human, but he sure as hell wasn't weak. Antonio was almost positive Mathew could kick his ass if he wanted too, werewolf or no werewolf. They turned down the hall Ludwig's room was on and he smiled. "Gracias, Mattie. You really are helping me, even if it is only by a little bit."

Mat smiled, "Eh, I do what I can. I gotta try to help however I can." He opened the door to Ludwig's room. Good, he's still okay. Ludwig was still asleep, the monitors and machines humming softly as they worked, the room in a kind of lull that made it feel almost peaceful. Mat sat down in one of the chairs. "Sit down, Toni. Hopefully the others will be back soon."

Francis grabbed some clothes, adjusting Ludwig's bags strap on his shoulder. "C'mon, let's get out of here, Gilbert." He headed quickly to the door, wanting to get out fast. It feels like we are being watched.

Gilbert frowned. Francis must have sensed it too.

Was it Ivan? Probably not the vampires. They had to be far away by now. If it was Ivan, then at least they knew what to expect…mostly. They ran out of the hotel and into the car, driving off at a fast pace in hopes of losing their stalker.

"Do you think he's coming?" Francis asked, his voice somewhat panicked. He sat in the passenger seat, clutching the bag in his arms. He sat up in his seat, on edge, he looked out the window, trying to find whatever it was that seemed to be following them. "Gilbert, you know we can't go back yet, right? If it's Ivan...we don't need him there right now. Do you think we can handle him? If it is him..." What if it isn't? What if it's something...worse?

Gilbert sniffed the air, trying to find something familiar about it. If it was Ivan, he would know. "It's not Ivan. I would know instantly if that asshole was stalking us." It smelled like Ivan, so he figured it had to be another member of his old pack. Ivan was here after all. Eduard had also, so there was nothing stopping Natalia or Yekatrina from being here also. After they were about halfway between the hotel and hospital, he slowed down and pulled off to a side road before parking. He turned the car off and turned to Francis. "You're right. The awesome me is not leading whoever to the others without first knowing who it is I'm leading. Let's see who else has come out to play."

Francis readied himself as Gilbert pulled over onto the side of the road. That area was cleared because the section of road it connected to was currently being used as a street market. For the moment there weren't many people there. It would be easiest to confront the person pursuing them. Gilbert parked the car, turning it off, and climbing out to stand off to the side. Francis got out on the road side, sniffing the air. The scent of the follower was getting stronger. The area was quiet and felt early still. That's when he felt it, a slight shift in the air. He could see, coming down the side of the road toward them at a leisurely pace, was a young blonde who, for some reason, stuck out of the scene. It was as though the blonde was moving through a point in time that stood still, making him stick out somehow. He looked to Gil. /Don't tell me…/

Gil nodded, rolling his eyes. When the blonde was close enough, Gil smirked. "So what's this, he has the whole pack here now? Honestly, of all the people he chose to stalk me, I didn't think he'd choose you." The green-eyed blonde stopped a few feet from them and put his hand on his hips. His pose just screamed 'sassy gay guy! Like, watch out!'

The stranger's hair came down to his shoulders, his long bangs outlining his face, bringing out his emerald eyes. He wore a light green polo shirt and jeans with designer shoes. He flipped his hair, "He didn't make me do anything. I got bored~ like so bored. Ivan was all like 'stay here' and normally I do kinda listen but I mean he's taking his sweet time gettin back so I thought I would go for a walk. Then I smelled you and thought 'why not say hi?' so here I am!"

Gilbert scoffed and rolled his eyes again. "Francis, this is Felix, an annoying bitch with a heart only for sex, clothes and the color pink. Felix, this is Francis, one of my totally awesome pack-mates." Out of Ivan's remaining pack, Felix was the most annoying, but compared to Natalia or the bastard himself, any one of the three he did sort of like was pretty fucking good.

Felix shifted his weight to one leg, popping his hip, and crossing his arms. "Oh! So this is part of your new group, huh? Well like I mean, I'm pretty sure he's not that awesome. He is French after all." "How can you tell?" Francis cut in, flipping his own blonde locks, flashing his bright blue eyes down upon Felix. "Oh man, you don't even know I like know this kinda stuff, right? You get me?" Francis stared at the odd wolf, cocking his head to the side in confusion. Is everyone turned by Ivan mentally damaged? "So, like, what's up bro? Can I like meet yer friends? I saw this really cool cafe on the way in, we should go cuz I have a feeling it would be totally rad, you know?"

Gilbert stared at him. Wow, he really wasn't used to him anymore. "Uh…sure..?" he looked at Francis and shrugged. Felix was completely flaming, but he was a decent distraction which was probably what the others needed right now. "Hey, if you come with us and your ass gets in trouble, don't you fucking blame us." He turned with Francis and went to go back to the car. "Come on, prinzessin." He leaned close to Francis' ear. "He may be a bitch, but a distraction is a distraction and I'm pretty sure Antonio needs someone to match his usual ADD self. Birdie just needs something to laugh at and Felix is the guy."

Francis, his eyes still locked onto the strange wolf, walked back to his side of the car. He opened the door to the back seat, letting Felix climb into the back. Shutting the door behind him, got in the passenger seat, and they were off. Felix slouched in his seat, staring lazily out the window. "So, Felix...who else came here with you?" "Well," he started, perking up, "Toris is like my BFF, right? So of course he's here and uhh well Nat was here but I don't even know where she is which is fine with me. No fashion sense, that one and she won't even accept my help. Whatever, if she wants to leave the house looking like a fashion disaster that's her problem."

Gilbert visibly shivered. So Nat was here…somewhere. He glanced at Francis. "Natalia, Ivan's little sister. She crazy as shit. A little fucking attack dog. She's also in love with Ivan." At the look on the other's face he added. "Ya, I know. Completely unawesome and just fucking creepy." He sighed. "Who else is here? Kat?"

"Well, yeah I mean Kat is so here. She is such a cry baby. I mean I made her this super cute skirt and she was all 'nyeh' about it. What. Ever." Felix rolled his eyes. "Yeah, Nat is still weird. You think she would grow outta it yah know? Oh you know what? I really shoulda brought Toris with. He looks super cute today. I mean I am honestly not embarrassed to be seen with him in public, he looks that good!" Francis nearly facepalmed. Is he for real? Even I'm not that bad…

Gilbert shook his head and glanced at Francis giving him a 'now do you understand why I ran' look. Of course he understood now. Now that he had met Eduard, Ivan and Felix, he understood what kind of fucked up, bipolar hell he had gone through to become who he was today. There were only three other people for Francis to meet before he would have met what was left of his old pack…he shivered at the thought.

Neither he nor Francis really spoke, letting Felix ramble about random shit as they made their way to the hospital. Of course Felix was curious as to why they were there of all places, but Gilbert just replied, "We had an issue." Before going quiet and leading them all up to the floor with the others. The waiting room was empty, so he figured they were with Ludwig. Hopefully, his bruder was awake awake because if he wasn't, then he wouldn't be asleep for much longer. Eh…Ludwig always got pissy when he was disturbed from his 'beauty' sleep. Well fuck…here's to hoping he was awake. They reached the door and he opened it. Antonio looked up and cocked his head to the side. "Who is he?"

"I~'m Felix," said 'he' said, spinning on his heal and skipping over to Antonio. "Oh my he's a cute one, too. He's one of yours, Gilbert? Good catch." He skimmed over Mat, his eyes narrowing. "Wow, I mean he's so plain he just sorta...blends into the background, yah know? Like he's translucent." Mat deadpanned, sinking down in his seat. Seriously...? "So, who's the dead guy?" "He's not dead!" Mat hissed, sitting up now. "Fine, who is he?" Francis shook his head, kneeling down next to Antonio. "I rode all the way here in the car with him...it doesn't get better," he whispered, his voice pained. "That's Ludwig, he's a longtime friend of mine," Mat said, trying hard to resist back handing the blonde.

Gilbert did smack the blonde, but in the back of the head. "Shut the fuck up, bitch. Watch what you're saying here." He rolled his eyes and walked over to Mat, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. "First off, yes this is Antonio, my final pack-mate. Second, this guy here is not fucking translucent. He's fucking awesome and you wanna know why? Because he's the awesome me's boyfriend, that's why. Finally, that's my bruder in the bed. I know he looks like a pussy, but he's awesome too." He turned to Mat. "This is Felix, another one of Ivan's bitches." Hopefully he would be a good distraction for them…and not be the cause of any suicides or random murders Ugh…why did he let him come along again? Antonio stood up and offered his good arm. "I'm Antonio. I have to say, so far we've meet two others from your pack and I believe you are the better of them."

Felix smiled, shaking his hand. "Well duh cuz I don't suck like they do. I mean, you know, right? I'm just sorry that Toris isn't here." "Who's Toris?" Mat asked, curious about the other wolves. "Oh man, he's like my best friend ever, no joke. He and I go way back, like far and he's totally cool. Not to mention he looks super hot today." Felix wondered over to Ludwig's bed, the blonde stirring from all of the activity. "Is he like, supposed to wake up now?" "I figured we would let him sleep at least a little bit longer..." Mat was blushing, leaning against Gilbert, loving his touch. "So, how many wolves are here, Felix?" Mat asked. "Couple more, not including Ivan. Though I'm not sure you wanna meet them. They are nowhere near as cool as me, except for Toris." "Apparently Ivan's sister is here. She sounds just as crazy as her brother" said Francis. "Oh goody...first fangs and now this," Mat groaned. Felix cocked his head to the side. "Fangs? What vamps? Here? I didn't know about that."

Gilbert deadpanned. "He didn't tell you? Oh, of course he wouldn't. Ja, a vampire came through Venice and turned two friends of ours, two brothers. We've been trying to stop them since, only now it seems that the fucker just wants to 'play' with them more." He shook his head and then paused. He'd never asked before. He'd never even thought about it. He was the youngest of that pack, the last one to be turned, so of course Felix should know more than he would, not to mention the wolf was absolutely in love with gossip. Mattie must have heard some of this since he mentioned it earlier, but he wanted it cleared up more. "Hey Felix, do you know anything about the Kirkland clan? The vampire that came through was named Alfred, but he had been turned by an Arthur Kirkland; a British bastard whose entire clan had been killed off. Apparently Ivan has something to do with it. Do you know anything about it?" Hopefully Felix would know what happened that day and help clear this up.

Felix looked at the other wolf, confused. He sat down at the foot of Ludwig's bed. "Well, I mean not for nothing but, Ivan has messed up a lot of vampire families. And he's been doing it for years. This Kirkland person would be just one in a long list of vampires, other wolves and God knows what else that he has managed to destroy. I know of quite a few but after a while the stories start blending together. Felix sighed, "I have issues with this sorta thing, but I bet Toris would know. He's good at remembering things….blood and guts cause him some great mental scarring and Lord knows Ivan has tortured him enough with that. This sorta stuff sticks in his mind better." Mat frowned. So, the Kriklands weren't a special case. Ivan really is a monster. What I don't get is why. Francis shivered. He had known Arthur before he was turned, quite well actually. The thought of him watching Ivan attack his 'family' was actually rather sad, even if they were fangs.

Gil nodded. Well that was a bust. "Ok, well…thanks anyway." He'd ask Toris when he saw him which, judging on their most recent run-ins with their past, he most likely would. Ok, next thing…the vampires. We need to find them again, but this time we need to actually contain them. Find a way to help them. "How much do you actually know on vampires, Felix? Know anything that could help us…contain them?" Antonio's ears perked up on that one. So Gilbert agreed! That meant…Lovino didn't have to die! "Really?" Gil nodded. "Killing them is out of the question any more. There are just…" He squeezed tighter to Mat. "…too many ties to them. Whether they live or die anymore, it's still going to fucking hurt. It's safe to say we've all given up on the drive to defeat them…all except Ivan of course…"

Ivan sighed as Natalia clung to him hopelessly. The rest of his pack was around…except Felix. He seemed to have wandered off again. Toris didn't know where he was. Oh how sad…"Natalia…go find the missing member. Bring him back to me. Then watch them and once they're asleep, being me the pup. We're going back to Russia."

Felix shrugged. "We never really 'work' with vampires, more just killing them. Containment on our end usually means…like in a metal cage where they are tortured into submission before killed. Gruesome, but again, not my idea. This is all Ivan." He leaned back onto his palms, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed like a child. Francis nodded, this wasn't too bad. All in all Felix seems okay, just annoying. "Is there anything else you can tell us?" said Mat. "I mean, about Ivan or what he plans on doing here." Felix thought for a moment. "Honestly, all I know is that he came here to get Gil. Now, normally when he goes out he only takes one of us with him, but this time he brought the whole group. He means business. He just kept talking about it, so no, other than that I have no idea what he's planning. He can be crazy obsessive, you know?"

Gilbert shuddered. He figured that was the case. He came for Gil, got distracted by Arthur and now that the vampires were gone, it was all about him again. "Great, so in other words I'm fucked." No sooner than the words left his mouth than he realized that he really was. Ivan had a tendency to 'play' with his creations…Gilbert especially. He'd been raped plenty of times by that man. He and Felix made eye contact. The blonde had realized the truth in his slip up too. It was just dancing in the air between them. He looked away and squeezed even tighter. Ivan had chosen Gilbert out of pure fascination and liking. He'd stalked him, turned him, raped him, tormented him…and now he was back to do it all again. He'd never felt so…lost or hopeless before. If Ludwig weren't stuck where he was and if Ivan hadn't stolen all their scents, he's have grabbed everything and run. The fact was…he couldn't. He was trapped like prey. Antonio frowned at Felix. "Oh, I believe we understand how obsessive he can be." He paused a moment. "Where are you all staying? Is it nearby?"

Felix nodded. "I mean, I walked out here but it took a while. I forgot how slow normal human bodies can be," he chuckled, standing up and stretching. Ludwig opened his eyes slowly, "What's going on in here? Who is this weirdo?" Felix huffed, turning away and marching off to stand beside Francis. "Ludwig, this is Felix, he is one of the wolves who was turned by Ivan. He came here to meet us, and he has been somewhat helpful information wise." "Okay…" Ludwig said slowly, shifting to sit up. Mat leaned into Gilberts hold. Don't worry Gil, I'm right here. he thought, snuggling up to him. Mat looked up to Gil, "Oh yeah, did you get the stuff from the hotel?" "Yes," Francis said sweetly, indicating the bag he had dropped off by the door. "Oh, good." Mat slowly pried himself out of Gilberts grip to retrieve the bags.

Antonio smiled and helped Mat carry the bags to table beside the bed. He opened Ludwig's bag and frowned, randomly picking up books. "I hope you both know where to look in these books. It looks like a lot of boring reading to me." He looked over to Gil and Francis. Gilbert shrugged. "Hey, if it helps then that's awesome. I'm sure bruder knows these books like the back of his hand, it's not like he's done much else with his time recently." He walked over and grabbed a book from the bag and started flipping through. "That reminds me, I forgot to ask. You know my story now, or as much as I actually want to tell you about, but when the hell did you become a hunter? I don't recall you being like this as a kid, no wait…you've always had a stick up your ass, but not in the supernatural type of way. Birdie's easy to guess when he did it, but I haven't been able to figure you out at all." He looked at Ludwig and raised an eyebrow. Who knew what was going to happen to him once Ivan resurfaced, so might as well spill shit now.

Ludwig signed, taking the books from them. He looked over the covers, quickly separating the ones he needed from the ones he didn't on either side of his lap. "Let's just say…as the supernatural runs very deep in Europe, I was not exactly exempt from having some experiences of my own. One very terrifying and confusing hunting trip with Grandfather was what got my attention, but looking back it seems we were surrounded by it for a long time. It just took that phantom panther for me to realize how prevalent it is, and how dangerous it can be." He picked up the book on the top of the stack to his right, holding it in one hand to leaf through it as he spoke. "Naturally, I wanted to understand what was happening and how not fall victim to it again, thus my training as a hunter and my radar to look out for threats." Mat went to his bag, getting out a few notebooks from an inside compartment along with a few papers that looked like they were photocopied or printed from a computer. "Here's what I got, Ludwig."

"Hmmm…" Gilbert thought about that as Antonio laughed. "Very smart, Ludwig. You saw the supernatural and realized you should fight against it. I wouldn't have been that smart. I would have panicked and hid in my house, never to come out again. I did actually try that, but Elana, my maker…" he added for Felix's benefit. "Told me I couldn't hide forever. She was right to tell me that. What you both went through was rough, especially since you're still human even after your experiences." Gilbert nodded. "Another question, how exactly did you both meet? The last time I asked, you bullshitted a story about meeting at on a business trip. I get the truth out of it now, but obviously there was nothing else true about it. What exactly have you both been through?" It did still shock him to know that his little brother was a hunter. He'd been through so much and never lost his mind to the madness of knowing what lurks in the dark. If he hadn't changed species, things would have been a whole lot less awesome for him…not that it was easy, but…shit can always get worse.

Mat leaned against the wall, sorting through some papers he balanced on his raised knee. "We literally crossed paths one night on a stake out." Ludwig looked up. "I think it was what…2 years ago? We haven't been working together for long, and even until now we rarely worked this close. What were we doing Mat?" "Umm you mean when we met?" "Ja." Mat looked to the ceiling, thinking for a moment. "I was…on the road that ran outside of town. It was surrounded my forest. I just wanted to see if I could figure out its patterns and follow it to its hiding place so I could go after it in the daylight." "Ludwig perked up, "yes I remember. And I was at the cross roads a little further down. When that thing came at me-" "I had no idea you were a hunter, too" Mat laughed. "We both sprung out like Superman or something."

Francis smiled. He liked hearing how they talked about the past. Instead of it being terrifying or horrible, it sounded almost familiar; they seemed at ease when they spoke about it. How very unlike us wolves…being turned would have ruined them.

Gil listened intently. It was like he didn't even know his brother or boyfriend until now. Like the veil had been lifted and he was hearing them talk about their true selves. Antonio smiled at their stories, amazed at all they'd been through. "Hunters have always fascinated me. I mean, your still humans, but you fight our kind and win. The idea is mind boggling." Gilbert scoffed. "Please. I know that in a fight, my bruder could totally take your Spanish ass out. Wolf or not." "Oh really, amigo? You think he could take me?" "I fucking know it." "Well then, I guess we will have to put that to the test, si?" "Oh hell ja. I know that West here would-" the wolves all froze as a new scent reached their room. It smelled like Ivan, but it wasn't. It had his blood scent to it, like Gilbert and Felix, but it was slightly stronger that theirs. Gil stood up and faced the door. "Natalia."

The young woman stood in the doorway, watching silently from where she stood. She hadn't been there long, going to them quietly and listening in on the conversation. She couldn't mask her presence to them but, she could keep her presence from being too obvious. "Vitayu. I'm glad you remember me, Gilbert." Her voice was heavily accented. He shifted her weight, taking slow, purposeful steps toward them. Francis shivered. She was much more like Ivan than Felix, whose face went pale staring at her. "Tell me pupsik, what part of you thought you could hide from me?" At first, Francis wasn't sure who she was talking to, Gilbert or Felix, until Felix finally piped up. "I just wanted to see them," he said, trying to keep his voice even. "I had no intention of hiding from you; I just went out for a bit. I will go back." "Of course you will, Toris will be very happy to see you." "Felix froze, obviously hearing more in that statement than the others did. He quickly went up to stand by her. "I will go back," he said softly, "just please leave him alone." Nat smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Let's go then." She turned away, "It was lovely to see you again Gil. I will be seeing you again soon." She gripped Felix roughly, walking briskly out and down the hall.

Well then! Nothing like some good old fashioned suspense to make your day/night! I honestly can say that re-reading that made me uncomfortable there. Creepy ass bitch man (at least here she is). So ya…I really don't know what to say…um…we aren't dead? XD Also, Happy Birthday Prussia!