Oh my dear god, it's been so long since an update. I'm so sorry people! I was really busy with essays for two weeks then I've had two weeks kind of lazing around. I was writing but this chapter was harder than I thought it would be, I really shouldn't have left it as long as I did. Been away too long- weird format now on !

Anyway I'm back now :) got all summer off! Gonna go to Edinburgh, hang out with friends, teach myself basic Italian and of course write! For now here is chapter 25 with my apologies :)

Thank you to everyone who alerted and reviewed last chapter (you kept me going through this monster so thanks a bunch!)

Oooh! And I will be doing another one shot for my 200th review :) good luck!

Andddd- I finally uploaded the designs for the masquerade ball :D There's a link on my page to my deviant art page with them on :) They're the designs I chose but I'd love to see your own interpretations maybe? :)

I've blabbered on for a while now, enjoy~
Hetalia does not belong to me.

AN- Heidi = Leitchtenstein (because I don't like Lilli :P)

oOo

The feeling that something was off dawned on Kiku as he walked briskly down the corridor that preceded Yao's personal chambers; his shoes paused briefly in their movement and halted his progress. There was usually almost silence in this part of the building, so separated as it was from the main warehouse, that any sound that was not the tick of the grandfather clock was out of place. But there it was: the rumble of unfamiliar voices coming from Yao's bed chambers right down the hall.

Kiku listened closer to the sounds, his eyes fixed on the glittering dragon mural on the wall as if he could see past it and into the room beyond. The gentle rocking motion of the clock behind him reflected on the shiny surface of the picture, shimmering like the back of a carp rising to the top of a sea of gold. The voices were loud, but not loud enough for the words to be distinct. One of the voices, a much soft tone, was definitely Yao replying to the much more demanding one. No meeting had been scheduled for today, and even if they had have been they would not be admitted into his room to see him on his sickbed. According to Yong Soo's hurried conversation over breakfast, before the man rushed off on 'business', it had been another bad night for the older man and he would probably be resting in bed for half the day, he wouldn't be up to seeing anyone. A twinge of annoyance flickered across his train of thought at the idea of someone disturbing his godfather, only to be pushed down again by a heavy breath. Whatever the people were here for it had to be important to gain an audience when he was in such a condition. He probably shouldn't disturb them.

But curiosity won out, his legs moving in the direction of the door; before Kiku could quite grasp what he was doing, he was already through it and into the small corridor that joined Yao's room to the rest of the building.

A figure stood alone in the room where he expected no one, a thin beam of light on their face as they listened into the conversation at the door. As they heard him enter they turned; it was Mei, her eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights. Her long hair was wrapped up in a bun with golden rods holding the intricate waves in place. Seeing it was only him she instantly calmed instantly and hurried to meet Kiku in the centre of the room, her pretty face warped with worry. From this hallway the voices were louder and carried through the door a little bit. The smell of tobacco was heavy on the air. The visitors, for now he realised there was more than one, were asking Yao questions in deep voices. Two in total, both male and loud with authority. This could not be good.

"Kiku, you have to go in there." Mei begged as she reached him, grabbing one of his hands and pulling on it slightly to lead him forward. Her anxiety at the situation gave him the patience not to shake her off. Something must have been very wrong, she appeared so upset and there was definitely a layer of tension in the air, or perhaps it was down to the smoke sneaking out from the gap in the door to float lazily across their vision.

"What is it?" He asked. Usually he would not involve himself but not enjoying being out of the loop. Her dark eyes widened impossibly large and her bottom lip quivered.

"The police!" She hissed as a cold drop of fear slid down the back of Kiku's throat. What were they doing here? Had something happened, had their not so legal enterprises been discovered? It was possible, but not probable. They kept all their loose ends tightly together; in their line of work it was better to be safe than sorry. So why were the police taking to Yao? He had to offer his services to the older man, just as his father would want him to.

Kiku nodded once and released Mei's hand to hurry to the door. He would have charged straight in but his inner voice told him it would be rude, so he knocked urgently against the wood instead, his heart pounding in his ears as the voices behind the door faltered and stopped. After a pause a small voice instructed him to enter and he threw open the doors, trying to clear his expression to a calm one so he would not look too unnecessarily worried as he hurried in.

The room was darker than the last time he had visited; even though it was still daytime outside the curtains had been prematurely drawn to block out the sunlight. Some of it crept through the thin blinds and merged with the warm glow of the lamps dotted around the room. None of them were overly bright and large portions of the room were in darkness, the rest throbbing a burnt red in the light of the lamps. It took Kiku's eyes a moment to adjust to the dark and a few moments more to adjust to the smell of tobacco that made his eyes water. The explanation for the smoke appeared in the vision of his godfather emerging from the smog like a emperor of old, curled up in bed under loose covers that pooled around his knees. His hair was unbraided and loose around his feminine face. His dark eyes travelled the expanse of the room and settled on Kiku, betraying a thankful expression before turning stony once more as they rolled back onto his guests, one hand raising the end of the intricate piping to his mouth to take an unnecessary gulp of smoke from the device that bubbled on his beside cabinet.

Yao was not without support from the household. Xiang was sprawled across one of the divans, his feet up on the armrest as he fiddled with what appeared to be an ivory puzzle ball. His thumbs worked in the holes as he was absorbed in his game rather than the room at large; Kiku thought his distance was inappropriate what with the seriousness of the situation. In the silence of his entrance the click of the puzzle was rhythmic and loud, the click of bone against bone. Even Feliks who was hovering by the door in case he would be needed, watching the policemen curiously as if contemplating how to make them leave the house. Kiku was both shocked and surprisingly angry at Xiang's lack of consideration for his own father's troubles, manifested in the form of the two officers.

The two unfamiliar men were stood at a reasonable distance from Yao's bed. They were both stocky and neither of them was wearing a uniform but they didn't seem to need them, the air of authority thick around them was like the smoke in the air. As Kiku entered, one of the men, a ginger haired individual with inquisitive green eyes, watched his every step carefully before turning back to Yao. The other's eyes never left the older man and only seemed to scowl deeper, his eye twitching slightly under a mop of blond hair and thick eyebrows.

"Do you want me to repeat the question, Mr Wang?" The man spoke up. He had a highly articulate British accent which made Kiku blink once shock, the unfamiliar sound jarring him slightly before he recovered. So they were questioning the older man, and definitely not in a polite manner; the blond haired officer seemed to be restraining himself from yelling. It was unprofessional in Kiku's opinion, he should not let his emotions run him in such a job.

Yao seemed unfazed by the officer's high running emotions, he merely blinked lazily in the blond man's direction and turned to face Kiku languidly. His pupils were too large in his eyes and on second glance his face was covered in a fine sheet of sweat that glistened under the lamplight.

"These men are here to talk about some rotten business going down in the city, they seem to believe we can help them. Gentlemen, this is my godson Kiku; he's been helping me out while I've been unwell. His father and I are old friends. Kiku, this is Inspector Arthur Kirkland and his brother Superintendent William Kirkland. He's on loan from the British police force, isn't that nice?"

William smiled politely and nodded, but his eyes narrowed slightly at Yao's obvious attempt to stall for time. Arthur on the other hand did not hide his suspicion so well and scowled deeper, his skin darkening in the dim light of the room as blood rushed to his face in annoyance.

"I will ask you one more time Mr Wang, and this time I shall make it clear." He growled. His tone made Kiku edge forward slightly on instinct. He didn't look as though he would strike Yao, or worse arrest him, but his voice suggested his temptations in the matter. The threat lay concealed beneath his words like a tiger in long grass. "Have you ever heard the name, or dealt with, a Mister Roma Vargas?"

Kiku was glad his father had taught him to master the art of keeping his emotions out of his features, it was always a useful tool in these situations. These men could not know about their deal surely. What on earth was going on?A horrible thought struck him: had they been watching them all this time? Had someone said something to the police? This was very dangerous ground, if these men found out about the shipment they had delivered only the other day not only would they be in trouble but they would drag Mr Vargas down with them. He would not believe that the Italian man could appreciate such a mistake. Kiku burned with shame at the fact; it was his deal and he should have made sure no one would report back. Even Feliks and Xiang looked taken aback by the mention of the Italian boss, not hiding their shock as well as Kiku. Felik's masked his by looking down in distraction at his nails where as Xiang started to move the puzzle slower, the sounds quieting down to a tolerable level but the clicks still grating on Kiku's nerves.

Yao however looked nonchalant and merely blinked up at the officer, either ignoring or not quite seeing the anger on the other man's face through the tobacco haze. His lips quivered weakly before he spoke. "I know a lot of business men in this city Mr Kirkland, but none by that name. I do not quite understand why you are asking me. Perhaps you have got the wrong man? I have never heard of this Vargas character, much less dealt with him. Is he wanted for something?"

The policeman clenched his fists together in frustration as though holding back a scream. Beside him his brother's lips tightened and he placed his hand on the others arm in warning. If Kiku was going to hazard a guess he would have labelled William the older of the two men by the way he seemed to be able to read his brother's mood very well and the way he was trying to remind him of his position. Arthur had all the trimmings of the younger and more emotional brother.

"Funny," Arthur snarled through a tense jaw, shaking off the other man in one swift movement. He advanced on the bed, stopping short before Yao with fury in his eyes. Kiku went to move forward but a sharp look from William stopped him short. He would deal with this. "Because we have information saying quite the opposite, unless you know any other Wangs in the city vicinity, all our leads point to you. So one of you is lying."

So they did have information, an informant perhaps somewhere in the folds of the business. Things were not looking good. Kiku bit his lips with the need to protect his godfather and the business, it was his duty; if Xiang would not step up to the position then he would have to himself. His mind raced as he tried to think of a way to get rid of the officer's without acting suspicious. Yao was not shaken by the other man's threats, he considered this information thoughtfully as he took a large drag from his pipe, billowing smoke out into the room without consideration for the other inhabitants.

"I have no idea what you are talking about officer." He said simply after a long pause.

"Then you won't mind if we look around a bit, eh?" The ginger haired man interrupted before the other could blow up. His smile was friendly and approachable but there was a sharp dagger like edge to his smile that Kiku did not like. He was a snake hidden in the grass, not as brash as his brother but more sneaky and subtle. Arthur held his emotions on his sleeve but William could control himself, he was therefore the more dangerous of the pair.

Yao shrugged, barely concealing a wince at the pain that the movement cost. "Do as you wish officers, I have nothing to hide."

Yet if these men had come a few days earlier and looked hard enough they would have found a large shipment in the warehouse. As far as Kiku knew every trace of the deal had been removed from the building, there would be nothing left. Yong Soo always tidied up after himself when it came to the illegal side of the business; he was only complacent when it came to the everyday stuff which he let Mei run after him for. Then again there could always be something left out in plain view.

Then it hit him: the phone book.

A quick glance in the direction of the desk told him that it was still there, laid out on the wooden surface like a marker for all to see. All of Yao's business associates were in there, including Vargas and Braginski. Luckily enough the object itself was nondescript and unlikely to attract attention but even then, Kiku's thoughts sped as he tried to think ahead. A bead of sweat dripped unseen down his back, but he was lucky, so very luck, the police seemed more preoccupied with the matter at hand rather than the room in general. They shared a meaningful glance in each others direction.

"Right then, so you won't mind if we look around the house and the warehouse then?" William asked, drawing himself up to his full height. He was the slightest bit taller than his brother and more intimidating because of it. "We'll need to go and tell our man outside."

"Be my guest." Yao responded tersely, gripping onto the pipe in his quivering hand which shook with either suppressed rage or illness. His face was pasty and strained. He only relaxed when the two men nodded and made their move to exit the room. They did not even look at him as they passed but a strange urge to speak up rose in Kiku's chest, one that couldn't be ignored. To his shame he let it win.

"You will not find anything." He promised solemnly. Arthur stopped in his advance to the door to stare at him as though he'd only just noticed he was there, his focus had been too intent on Yao to see him properly. Now he looked at him with the same hard suspicion looming over his brow like a thunder cloud.

"What did you say your name was again, boy?" He asked. Kiku was not used to be addressed as such and snapped his response.

"Kiku Honda, Sir." He added on the title as an afterthought, not wanted to appear too rude. The man considered him darkly with his brother at his side doing the same, although in a more reserved manner.

"Did you know, Mr Honda, that I have men looking out at the Vargas house on a twenty four hour watch?" He quizzed, watching his expression for a reaction. His face loomed in closely to his own and Kiku had the urge to move away but he held strong. "And did you also know that they can report back to me on the comings and goings of any individual that visits that house? It is a shame I did not bring them with me today but I am sure they would love to meet you all, don't you think?"

A watch on the house? Had he been spotted visiting the building other day when they had made their deal? He was very recognisable after all, they were bound to remember him. He was lucky that these people were not here at the moment or they would call him straight out. He felt suddenly frustrated with himself for allowing it to happen; he knew he should have taken the back entrance to the building but he had believed he would not be taken as seriously if he'd used the servant door. His own pride had struck him down once more and could possibly be his, and Yao's undoing. That he would not allow.

"My godfather is very sick." He retorted, barely keeping the fury out of his voice. He was surprised by the fire in his own words which were so usually calm and collected. "Your false assumptions and your presence here is not appreciated, Mr Kirkland. I suggest you complete your investigation quickly and leave before you do any more damage."

Arthur blinked and sniffed hard through his nose, his eyes cold as they flickered from Kiku's face to look at Yao sat up in bed, pale and shaking even in the warmth of the dark room. He glared down at him one more time as if trying to memorise Kiku's features before pushing past him and out of the door, his brother following at his heels. As the door closed the silence was broken only by the incessant clicks of the puzzle that Xiang still twisted in his hand. It seemed he wasn't the only one who found the noise irritating as Yao soon snapped.

"For goodness sake Xiang, would you stop playing with that thing and grow up?"

Yao wasn't able to hold himself together much longer and his body gave up trying to hold itself together; he coughed into his hand at the exertion and Feliks moved forward tutting, removing the pipe out of the older man's hand before he could drop it onto the bed. The coughs had a raw, dry quality that made Kiku's stomach crawl with worry even as he kept his expression straight but Xiang seemed unconcerned by his father's pain. Instead he shot up from the divan at the insult, his dark eyes angry and his mouth a thin line.

"What did you expect me to do?" He demanded even though his father could not answer. Felik gave him a withering look as he went to pour the older man a drink of water from the jug on his bedside table. It did not seem to help the Xiang's mood to be looked down on, by the hired help of all people, and he slammed down his puzzle onto the divan with so much force that it rolled onto the floor with a clatter across the tiles.

Kiku flinched slightly at the action; such a childish show of emotion he had not expected from Yao's son. Awkwardly he gravitated towards the window and the desk with a purpose in mind, the light the filtered in through the blinds but there was no breath of outside air to stir them. They were closed shut even in the warmth of the summer weather, the air of the room was thick, Kiku was half tempted to open a window. It might have stopped the argument, born by the high tensions and claggy air that stuck in the back of his throat but he was not quite sure he wanted to be part of this domestic. It was not his business to interfere with the dealings of a man and his son. Xiang on the other hand seemed desperate for him to join but not to back him up, and Kiku did not like how Xiang shot him dark glances across the room as though he had also offended him in some way. He wasn't sure how he'd done it and he did not intend to ask when he was in such a mood.

Yao was still coughing weakly into his hand as he accepted the glass from Felik, his eyes burning over the rim in disappointment. "I expected you to care Xiang. If they find out we are lying it could cause many problems! Not only am I in danger but the men I work with too, and if they are in danger that makes you even more so. You do not cross these people and get off lightly. This business is becoming very difficult to manage and if the police are getting involved-"

"It's nothing to do with me." The boy hissed with a glare stopping his father short. Despite himself Kiku stared between them, watching as the tension snapped against their relationship. Yao blinked slowly at the rebuff for a long tense moment before closing his eyes and leaning against the pillow in exhaustion, his dark hair damp at the temples as if he had been doing some demanding physical task.

"That is right; it does not concern you." He muttered, his eyes haunted and dull lacking their usual glassy sheen. The words cut through the air like a knife, they were not even directed at Kiku but he felt them burn as though they had been aimed at him. He was not not surprised when Xiang flinched as though he had been hit, turning his head away so that they could not see the tears pricking at the corner of his eyes. He obviously had not expected that sort of reaction from the older man and it showed in his stance and his face, even as he tried to hide it with spite.

"I shall leave you to your business then, father." There was a patronising edge to the words, spoken in a low growl, so low that Kiku almost didn't catch it as Xiang rushed past him and through the doors that the police had just left. Kiku watched after his retreating back, half considering going after him before realising he had no idea what he would say in the situation. It was not his problem. His only worry was for Yao and his business.

Speaking of which, Yao's personal address book was still on the table. Kiku pocketed it without really thinking, catching Yao's tired eyes he turned back to face his godfather.

"At least I can rely on someone." He said softly, with a thankful if somewhat wan smile as the sound of footsteps drew closer to the room, signalling the return of the police. Kiku bowed back tersely, barely moving his head in the action.

"It is my duty to look after you," he muttered as the police drew closer, their voices loud and cheerful and celebrating already. A spark of smugness brushed against the ball of nervousness in his mind as he knew they would at least be denied one lead. "You can always rely on me."

oOo

The dark car slowed to a halt on the curb on the emptying street with a dying growl. Vash Zwingli barely dared to look at his driving companions; the Inspector sat in the back of the vehicle, his green eyes furious and dark as he stared out of the window as if it had committed a personal injustice to him. Beside Vash, William was at the driver's wheel, looking out onto the road without seeing it, his eyes flicking into the back seat in the mirror above their heads. His expression was worried as he took in his brother's rejected form. When they had first met the other day, Vash had noticed that despite all their bickering the two brother's were impossibly close. The worry on William's face was clear as day, even though he tried to hide it with his rough exterior.

It had been a tense journey back from the Wang building, the only sound being the grumble of the car and the squeak of the leather chair as William manoeuvred the crowded main street in an attempt to get to Vash's quieter back road where his home was.

They had found nothing in the warehouse, even after an extensive search of both the main building and the home of the Wang family and they'd eventually had to call it a day. There was nothing to be found and they were just making themselves look like fools, bubbling around looking for clues like idiots. The only thing the warehouse held was spices and cooking ingredients, nothing even slightly dodgy. The smug smiles on the workers' faces as they had rushed around were taunting, each one knife like and painful. It was late now, the sky darkening to evening and the air growing cooler. The breeze that brushed in through the open window had a bitter edge to it that had bothered him for the whole car journey. He had wanted to close it but hadn't dareed. Vash was thankful the two other officers had enough consideration to drop him off outside him home but it did not mean he had enjoyed the trip.

"Thanks," He grunted as he opened the door. His words were met by a tense, musing silence and he eagerly stepped out onto the pavement, his shoes clipping against the stone loudly in the quietness of the street. There was a murmur of the cars the road over but nothing else to disturb the silence but the hum of the idling motor. He poked his head back in the car. "I'll see you tomorrow, Sirs."

William smiled warily, adding a nod for good measure but Arthur didn't even move. Vash did not feel rejected, on the contrary, he knew how much the case meant to Arthur just as he knew how much it meant to himself. His reaction was a valid one. Without another word he closed the door and hopped out of the way of the car as it drove away. Another car going the other way rushed past it, blocking his vision for a second so that when he next saw it the car was at the end of the street. He watched the retreating exhaust turn the corner, his mind on the case, before turning and walking down the steps that led to his basement apartment.

As he fumbled with the lock, surrounded by the grime that collected in the under pavement of the doorway, he wondered whether they would ever complete the case. He had burned with anticipation at all the leads they had got in the past week, from Roderich and other sources. His passion for the case had been reignited. It was like they had been digging, then struck oil; that only good things could happen, or at least he'd believed that. That was until they'd hit another dead end and the well of information had dried up with the Wang organisation having nothing on them to tie them to the Vargas household. His hands shook a little as he inserted the key, his eyes narrowed. Roderich could not have been lying, something was wrong with the whole situation.

Years in the police force had made him know when a case was worth chasing, like now. A few months back it had been a different deal, the leads had stopped and he had been forced to follow the prohibition cases instead just to get by. He did not complain, it was money after all but he knew finding Roma would be a big payout that would really help him in his situation.

His parents death had been a shock to him, not because of their death but because of the debt it had uncovered. Vash had known they had been borrowing money but the extent had surprised even him. At first he had been angry and for a long while he had hated them both, hated them for leaving him in such a mess. But then he'd cleared his head and thought rationally about what he had left. Vash had enough money in his personal savings to pay the rent and buy food for a year; he had hoped by the end of that time that the debt would all be gone but he had only chipped away at the surface of the iceberg. There was still a lot to pay off and his lease of the apartment was agonisingly drawing to its slow close. They needed to find Roma soon, it was the only way he would be able to keep living in his apartment.

"Heidi!" Vash declared as he made his way into the house, slipping off his jacket to hang on the hook by the door. The small kitchen he had entered into was dingy, a vile green colour he hated but had learnt to live with. The house was uncomfortably warm, the heating on low even in the summer, but he just shed another layer to get used to it. The sound of a poorly tuned wireless met his ears as he walked through to the sitting area. The low ceilinged room was about as poorly dressed as the kitchen and incredibly small, a table and chairs had been thrown in as well as a tatty settee. Their old house had been a lot bigger and it showed, the furniture all looking as though they had been poorly shrunk and put in a dolls house. Most of their unnecessary belongings, decorations, extra plates, had been sold in an attempt to add to their money pot but it had not made much difference. He had loved his old home, a large one on the outskirts of the city, but over the years they slowly and slowly downgraded, heaping their old things into more and more shady homes.

He was not alone though, a young girl was sat alone in the room, exactly where he had left he when he had left that morning.

"You're late back Vash, is everything okay at work?" Heidi, his younger sister, asked quietly. Her voice was softer than usual over the sound of the wireless. She was seated at the settee, close to thespeakers and partly hidden behind the height of the back of the seat. Heidi wore a long nightgown, her blond hair braided together in lengthy plaits that hung well below her waist. Her eyes that looked up to meet him, just a little away from where his face actually was, were milky and pale. One of her eyes, pale green like their mother's had been, was not as fully clouded like the other and allowed her a little vision, but not much. Cataracts which had been developing since birth had taken her eyesight in one eye but she was slowly losing the other too; this was what their parents had been spending money they did not have on.

It was this reason alone he chose to forgive them.

Vash sighed as he walked around the seat towards her, casually adjusting the dial to the right frequency and making the sound instantly better rather than a warbled mess. Sometimes she struggled with the knobs and just left them at a tolerable level, it was like a ritual for him to change it over every time he came home. He kneeled in front of her so she could see him better; when she had been younger they used to pretend that he was a knight coming to visit his queen, however those days were gone and her eyesight was worse than ever.

"I'm sorry. I tried to get away but we were in the middle of an investigation." He said softly, raising a hand to pat down her hair which had been mused up by the seat. The action was automatic and he didn't even think about it as he did it. It was very natural to look after her, he had done so all his life.

"There's no problem, Vash." Heidi's voice was bright and as beautiful as ever while her unseeing eyes wandered over his features. "It's just you missed our program, it was really interesting today."

He forced a smile. The radio channel Heidi was fond of mainly sent out a broadcast of political shows, he was not fond of them himself but for her he allowed it. It was the only glimpse of the outside world she could get to, his need to get money and the demanding nature of his job meant that she was alone most of the time and needed all the entertainment she could get.

He wished he had enough money to send her to a special school that would be able to look after her properly. She was a smart girl, years of blindness meant that she was able to do mathematical sums in her head, but she could not go anywhere on her own. She needed to be with someone all the time. Merely crossing the road was a hazard. She was okay in the home because it was familiar but around the neighbourhood she had only ever been on a walk to the small shop at the corner and the park close-by. She loved to go outside but he would never allow her to go alone; it killed him that he could not take her as often as either of them would like.

Vash knew he was being as protective as his parents had been, he knew Heidi was not made of glass and he trusted her, it was the rest of the world he did not trust. It was his job to look after her and pay off the family debts, only then could they be happy. It was his duty to put food on the table, to make sure the house was always warm. Without him he did not want to think what would happen to his little sister. Vash feared the day something would happen to her and the knowledge that he could have maybe prevented it if he was a better brother choked him inside.

"Shame," he tried to make his tone more light hearted than he felt. "How have you been today? Everything okay?"

"I've been good- oh wait!" Heidi's eyes widened slightly as a memory shook her. "Someone knocked on the door earlier, Vash. But I did as you said and didn't answer it, after a bit they went away."

"Really?" He looked up to the direction door as if expecting the visitor to be still stood there but of course the area was empty. Who could have called? They weren't expecting anyone, unless it was the landlord. The man had been getting a little jumpy about the lease running out. Damn, he needed more money soon.

"I'm sure they'll call again if it was really important." Heidi commented thoughtfully, breaking his train of thought that was sure to spiral out of control. He smiled even though he knew she would not really see it but his sister had a habit of being able to tell regardless.

"Of course they will." He agreed, patting her on the hand. He moved to get up but she stopped him with a feather light hold on his arm, she looked up at him, her pale eyes struggling to focus on his features.

"Vash, is everything okay?" There was a lot of meaning to those words. It was not just about him, that he knew it was about everything in general: the house, his job, the money. Heidi knew about the troubles but she didn't know it all, he knew he shouldn't hide it from her but he could not help himself. She would want to help and he couldn't allow her to injure herself in an attempt to make money. Never at that cost.

Vash shook her off. "Everything is great, there is no need to worry. I'll sort something out Heidi, I promise."

oOo

Again sorry for being away for so long! Drop me a review maybe :D
Next chapter is back to Lovi and Toni, sorry they weren't in this one but I enjoyed finally introducing the Switzerland storyline!

Heidi has cataracts btw, back in the 20s they could remove them but it was REALLY expensive and not as advanced as now. They don't really have the money (obviously) and I don't think Vash would want to risk his sister :)

Anyway I'm off :) thanks for reading!