Chapter 24: France and Alice

Alice quickly ran back to the boarding house, her mind racing with everything that had just happened. "Oh God, Oh God, They've found us." Alice thought to herself as she ran into the building, shutting the door behind her abruptly.

Sakura ran towards Alice after hearing the slam of the door. "Arice, are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, just got scared outside alone."

"What? Your date didn't walk you back, how rude!" François denounced as she walked down the stairs.

"N-no, he had to leave for something and didn't have the time to walk me home."

"Doesn't that sound a rittre suspicious?"

Alice looked away from Françoise and Sakura, unable to make eye contact with them since she was lying. "I-I suppose so." She slowly walked up the stairs to her room.

"We have work tomorrow so it's best that we get some sleep." François and Sakura watched in concern as she slumped up the stairs.

"Must have been a rearry bad night for her."

"What a shame."

Elsewhere France was walking down a street in deep thought about what had just happened to him. Earlier on he had unexpectedly gone out on a date with one of the runaway girls and then let her go on and leave. What was he going to tell the others, or more correctly; was he going to tell them?

"Mon Dieu, what do I do?" He scratched his head as he stepped onto England's driveway and made his way to the door.

He knocked on the door. "England, I'm back." France waited for a moment then an angry England opened the door.

"What the bloody hell man, it's near midnight. What the hell are you doing here?"

France looked at England in confusion; then England came to a realization that the nations were staying at his house. "Oh right."

He opened the door and let France into the dimly lit house. "I'm going to bed, do what you want." England grunted as he went into his own room.

France went into the kitchen and found a hidden bottle of scotch. "Not my first choice but it will have to do." He went back to the couch with his glass and took a sip.

He put his head back in thought, trying to think of what to do. Though the countries were going to help them get home, the girls didn't have the immunity from being arrested by their bosses…or did they? They were countries after all, but not of this world. Then he started thinking of Alice and the wonderful night he had with her; he couldn't shake the desire of wanting to see her again. She probably already told her friends that they had arrived in England, but maybe she didn't, he couldn't figure it out.

"Perhaps I can catch her tomorrow." He hoped as he finished up the glass of scotch.

Morning came and Alice reluctantly went to the café, only this time she wore her glasses so that she would be able to see everyone clearly. They all got to the café on time and began working, though Alice was tense with the sight of each new person that came through the door. The day had ended and there was still no sign of France or the other countries, so with a sigh of relief, Alice began walking back with the others.

"When do you think we'll have enough money to get to Iceland? Feliciana asked, wiping a smudge of jam off her face with her shirt.

"Hopefurry soon, how rong untir the rift goes arr the way through again Arice?"

Alice looked down at her feet, wondering how they were going to react when she told them about yesterday.

"Arice, are you okay?"

Alice looked up. "Huh? Oh right, I estimate that it'll be all the way through in three to four weeks.

"So there's no need to fret Sakura, as long as you got a heroine in your midst everything will be fine."

Alice looked down again and noticed that one of her laces was untied. "Hey you guys go ahead, I'll catch up later."

"Whatever." Amelia replied as she ran down the street.

Alice watched them all chase after Amelia then bent down to tie her shoe when a shadow casted over her. She looked up and saw none other than France himself smiling down at her. She fell back onto her butt in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

France grabbed her hand and helped her up. "I wanted to see you but I didn't want to be spotted by your colleagues."

Alice looked up at France, wondering if he had told the male countries about them, and apparently he was thinking the same thing about her. "Erm, do your friends know about…us?"

"There is no us, so no, I haven't."

France looked slightly hurt at her remark. "Well then, I haven't told anyone about us yet either, so you're safe for now." He looked at Alice and grinned. "I must say, you look quite adorable in such an outfit."

Alice became red in the face, but that quickly turned to enragement when France got down and lightly pulled on her skirt. "It's a bit short, non?"

Alice pushed him back roughly. "Don't touch me like that you pervert, I thought you were better than that."

France was taken aback from her snapping at him, but it was understandable. "Mes excuses (my apologies), let me start again."

He stood up tall and stared into Alice's green, emerald eyes. "I was wondering if you would like to go out with me again sometime. I had such an enjoyable time yesterday."

Alice looked at him then smiled jokingly, "I don't know, most gentlemen would have walked the lady home in the dark."

Outraged, France replied "you left before I could do anything of the sorts!" This time he grew red as Alice chuckled at him.

"I'm kidding, I would love to." She looked around and noticed that there were no lights around at all and the sky wasn't lit up with stars like normally. "But, just to be safe, could you walk me back this one time?" She shivered at the thought of what could be lurking in the dark though she knew full well that she could take on anything that came by.

France put his arm around Alice and started to walk. "Of course I can, it's the least I can do." He started to aimlessly walk,

"Uh, France?"

"Yes?"

"You're going the wrong way." Alice giggled again.

France stopped and began to feel foolish. "Um, where do you live?"

Instead of explaining him the directions, she just took lead and started to walk the two of them towards the boarding house. While walking, Alice thought of something serious to ask France.

"How's Chun?"

France looked down at her with a thinking face then turned back straight. "She's doing well, though it may be a bit uncomfortable for her to be constantly guarded by eight other men."

Alice stopped. "Wait, you mean to say she's here with the lot of you?"

"Of course, where else would we leave her?"

Alice turned to fire and glared into France's very soul. "YOU PERVERTS!"

France prepared for a slap but instead he was met by something unexpected.

"Erm…Thank you for watching over her, but do you think it's possible to have her return to us without having the others know?"

France looked at her, suspicious of why her mood changed so quickly. "Non, China is with her constantly and even when he isn't, the others are guarding her."

"Why are you going through such lengths to guard her like that?" The two started walking again.

"Well...The main excuse is that Chun can't be trusted after the stunts you and your friends pulled off, but I think that ever since the issue at the station, everyone's been making sure she wouldn't get hurt again."

"I-Issue at the station?"

"Oh right, well you see, we had left two cops to watch over Chun until we all arrived but while we were gone they had taken the liberty to try and interrogate her through violence."

Alice let out a breath of air, "poor Chun." She walked a little in front of France to speed up their pace.

"Now may I ask you a question?" France grabbed her hand.

"Why are you all going to such lengths to avoid us?"

Alice stopped moving, her entire body was at a standstill. She began to think "why did they go through such lengths?" The reason the device that had brought them here was created was to find Allies, and that was done without issue. When they came to this world, they had become comfortable using things that couldn't be found on their world anymore, so it felt like she was taking advantage of the situation and forgetting about the war. Then Monika was hurt and though it was to save Italy, it had been partially her fault for not keeping the void clear. In all honesty, those monsters would have come out anyways even if the guys hadn't barged in. After seeing Monika in such critical condition because of her mistake, she didn't want to have to see anyone else get hurt. They had taken ownership of the war even though it wasn't theirs to own, not anymore.

"I-I just don't want to see anyone else get hurt, that's all."

France could tell through her shaking body and clenched fists that her mind was racing with a thousand thoughts, all regarding what they had to fight for.

"Alice?"

"Yes, Mister France?" She answered back darkly.

"You are hurting us." He grabbed her arms and kissed her without any signs leading up to it.

Alice's eyes widened when he did this and it remained that way until he moved back.

"Don't you think it hurts to see someone you've begun to care for leave you? Don't you think it hurts to watch someone hurt themselves? Don't you think it hurts to be lied too?"

Alice hadn't realized that in attempts to keep someone from physical pain, she was shoveling emotional pain in like a bulldozer. Alice collapsed onto her knees in front of France, not sure whether or not to run or to get back up and stay with him.

"Alice…." France pulled her back up from her knees, and looked at her eyes that were keeping the tears locked up. "It's okay to cry, it does not resemble weakness you know. It resembles that you are alive inside and out, and that nothing has been able to break you."

Alice gave up and bawled onto France's shirt while clenching his arms. "Y-you i-idio-o-t, I'm n-not cr-ryin-g."

After ten minutes of this Alice got back onto her feet and wiped away the tears. "I should probably get home before the others start to think I was kidnapped."

"Of course, just lead the way."

The two walked on and on until they reached the boarding house. "Thank you very much Mr. France, for everything. If you don't mind, could you please explain to your friends of our whereabouts? Anya's going ballistic without Chun around."

"Of course, though could you tell the others of our attempts to be allies?"

"Mhm." She stretched up and kissed France on the cheek like she had done before she left him the other night. She walked up to the door and opened it slightly.

"Good night."

"Bonne nuit mon guerrier courageux. (Good night my brave warrior)."

-It's like 2 AM here guys so the editing may be sucky.

-Thanks for the love, I always enjoy hearing from you guys. :D