Words were said and soon people were called. Now the three of them had no choice but to hang out, awkwardly, on the beach while waiting for Mr. Police Chief himself, Ivan.

At first Gilbert was angry- no- beyond angry. He thought he had put all of this behind him, and now he was dragged back into the mess and feelings he thought he'd forgotten about were forced up to the surface. He couldn't believe he had romantic feelings for the 'son' of the man that murdered one of his best friends.

'Arthur Kirkland' Just thinking of that name made Gilbert want to vomit up his lunch.

Then while sitting on a nearby rock, watching Matthew, who was absolutely enraged, throw rock after rock into the ocean. It was then, noting Matthew's own anger did Gilbert really think about it. There's no way Matthew could actually be Arthur's son. It made no logic sense . Arthur said he was eighteen in 2014. That was six years ago making Arthur…

Gilbert did the math on his fingers.

Arthur would be twenty-four years old now. There's no way he'd have a son who's now seventeen to eighteen years old. Could Matthew be Arthur's brother? Maybe, but even still they don't look that much alike. Besides, Matthew didn't kill Francis and Gilbert soon realized that his anger was rather misplaced. It was then that Gilbert decided that maybe he should talk to Matthew, learn more about him if possible.

Máximo was keeping his distance as he was on the phone, he's been on that damn thing since the truth came out. Gilbert also figured that Máximo clearly wanted to allow Matthew to let off some steam. Steam, that Gilbert guessed, has been building up for a while.

"-You!...I did everything you asked me to!" Matthew snarled under his breath as he kept throwing stone after stone into the water like the ocean had been the one to personally harm him.

"Birdie?" Gilbert was honestly rather reluctant to get Matthew's attention; fearful that those stones will be thrown at him next. Well, maybe he didn't speak loud enough, or maybe Matthew did hear him and just didn't care because he never reacted to Gilbert.

Matthew picked up a shell and chucked it into the ocean. "I can't believe you!" Matthew snarled and spat as he chucked another shell out to the sea.

"M...Matt?" Gilbert tried again, this time daring to grab Matthew's wrist in an attempt to get his attention. It worked. Matthew actually jumped and jerked just a bit and looked at Gilbert with wide eyes. It was like he just realized that Gilbert was still on the beach with him. "Calm down, okay? Let's talk this out-"

"There's nothing to talk about! I've been lied to! Again and again and again!" Matthew hissed before picking up a stone and chucking it a good distance.

"So, you didn't know about Francis?"

"No! And at this point I'm…" He dropped his arms and his shoulders and slumped. "I don't even know my own father anymore…"

"... Birdie… this guy… there's no way he's your father. I kinda hate to tell you, but I think you're adopted."

Matthew snorted an indignant snort and put his hands on his hips. "I'm not." he insisted

Gilbert returned Matthew's snort in full. "You're what? Eighteen years old? Yeah, the ages don't match there. Unless he had you when he was six."

Matthew frowned deeply at this and looked ready to retort but then bit back. "It doesn't matter. I just… don't understand… he looked so happy in the picture, why would he…" Matthew looked ready to say something else but like before he held his tongue.

Gilbert felt his lips twitch; that sickly feeling suddenly swarming around in his stomach, his blood turned cold, and he froze. Clearly he was making an uncomfortable face and Matthew backed off.

"I'm sorry. I've been ranting and raving and it was your friend that was killed…." Matthew looked away and grabbed the upper part of his own arm.

"...I… Francis…" Gilbert just couldn't find a place to start and that was the worst part.

The sad thing was he still remembered the night it happened. He wasn't there when it happened, and Gilbert hated himself for if he was just a little faster he might have been able to save Francis. Funny how he had issues remembering what happened a year ago, but when it came to Francis's death six years ago he still remembers everything leading up to the discovery.

"I'm doing it tonight." Francis informed Gilbert as he showed off the ring. Gilbert whistled.

"You're serious? You!? I figured you'd be the last to settle down."

"What can I say, mon amie? I love him, plus we've been seeing each other for two years now."

Gilbert chuckled as he pulled a beer out of the fridge. Of course he wasn't old enough to buy. But good thing Francis was four years older than him. "Research says to wait ten years, so you truly know who you're marrying."

"And suddenly the Pizza-boy is a scientist!" Antonio yelled with a laugh from Gilbert's couch. Antonio then sat up and turned so his chest was against the back of the couch and he could look at the other two. "Toss me one, amigo!"

Gilbert did as asked and Antonio caught it with ease. "Speaking of love. How's your serenade of that sweet Vargas boy?" Francis sarcastically teased Antonio. Gilbert watched as Francis put the ring away in his blazer coat.

Francis was really dressed up for this. He was always a fashionable man, but his outfit was screaming 'I want to look nice because I'm planning on doing something special!'

"Hey, I'm going to wear Lovino down, just you wait! Soon he'll be all over me." Antonio confidently yelled to the two of them.

"Oh, soon our little Gilbert will be the only one without a special someone!" Francis wrapped an arm around Gilbert's shoulder and pulled him in for a side hug. Francis smelt strongly of some sort of pungent french cologne. Gilbert visibly gagged at this.

"Bah, I don't want anyone." Gilbert wiggled out of Francis's grasp spilling a bit of his beer in the process. "Nobody can handle my awesomeness for too long anyway!"

"I think you mean nobody can stand to be around you for too long." Antonio teased and got off the couch. Gilbert gave him the bird while he took a sip of his beer.

"So, how do you plan to do it? Propose that is?" Gilbert was the one to change the subject rather quickly.

Francis's face absolutely lit up. "Make it a day he can't forget of course! He loves the beach so much that I decided to have a nice picnic by the waves with all of his favorite foods. Then we'll walk along the shoreline just before the sunsets, and then I'll pop the question." Francis grinned. He looked just about as giddy as a schoolgirl getting asked to prom.

"Alright! Sounds like a plan!" Gilbert then snapped his fingers as an idea hit him. "Hey, I live so close to the beach. How about I come around and snap photos? I mean I'm no professional photographer, but still!"

"Oh, that's perfect! Come around right before sun-down." Francis smiled and patted Gilbert on the shoulder.

"Come on. Sit with me, and stop taking your anger out on the ocean." Gilbert grabbed Matthew by both of his hands and led him over towards the boulder he was previously sitting on. Gilbert grabbed Matthew by his hips and hoisted him up on the boulder.

"Oh!" Matthew gasped at that, but it wasn't an angry gasp, just surprised. He then laughed a small little laugh. "Why, thank you." Matthew smiled for just a moment before his smile left and he looked away. "I… I'm sorry." Matthew whispered.

Gilbert jumped up so he was sitting next to Matthew. "It's not your fault. Yeah, at first I was mad, but you didn't kill my friend and it's clear you've been through a lot as well." Gilbert awkwardly scratched at the back of his head.

"I just don't understand. I don't understand anything anymore."

"It seems that's what your dad wanted. To keep you in the dark."

"Maybe…"

The two of them sat in silence. They could hear Máximo yelling in spanish off in the distance, he was not happy. Not at all.

A warm summer breeze swept by the two of them as they sat there. "I made him mad." Matthew sighed and rubbed his collar where Máximo had grabbed him earlier.

"I think he's more mad about your dad than you… but why did you run off to the beach, Birdie?"

Matthew's mouth twitched and he turned his head. For a moment Gilbert wondered if Matthew was going to answer him or not. It was right when Gilbert opened his mouth to change the subject did Matthew answer. "There's a sense of safety for me on the beach."

"Yeah, I hate to be the one to shatter that safety for you, but this place is far from safe. This is where Francis was killed, you know?" Of course Matthew didn't know and telling him that was just a dick move, Gilbert realized as Matthew's face crumbled and his shoulders slumped even farther.

"Of course it was… drowned?"

This time Gilbert hesitated. He had been the first one to discover Francis's body after all.

Gilbert whistled joyfully as he exited his apartment. He twirled the key on one finger as he locked the door. He was a little late, he knew this, but he was sure the two love birds wouldn't mind after all he only lived less than two minutes from the beach.

His old digital camera tucked away safely in his coat pocket. Gilbert held his head high as he passed by his neighbor's garden. He really should get to know the man, but it was obvious his neighbor was a recluse and Gilbert wasn't going to force a relationship.

So, he just kept walking. He couldn't wait to snap these pictures, really, he was happy for Francis.

Why Francis loved Arthur, Gilbert had no clue. Arthur was loud, rude, and often picked fights with Francis. Calling him a 'frog' on more than one occasion.

The sex must be insane if Francis was willing to get down on one knee for Arthur.

Still Gilbert felt happy for Francis, how happy he was and how excited he seemed to be doing this.

Gilbert was lost in his thoughts when an unholy flash of green lit up the whole neighborhood. Gilbert actually stopped dead in his tracks and almost slipped on to his butt. He blinked in confusion for several seconds, his body unable to comprehend what he just witnessed. All it was was just a flash of green light, almost like someone lit a firework. The worlds brightest firework if that was possible.

Then the reality hit Gilbert that the flash of light came from the beach. And Gilbert's stomach sank. He didn't know why exactly, but something told him that something bad had just happened. 'Everything is fine.' he tried to tell himself as he continued his stroll down to the beach.

Gilbert started to take his camera out the closer he got. He could just see the shoreline and could hear the waves crash against the beach. When he was close enough he looked up when he noticed that some clouds seemed to roll in and darken the sky to and inky black that made it feel like night had come prematurely.

Goosebumps started to rise on Gilbert's arms and he huddled in on himself in an attempt to get himself warm. It was summer but the temperature was starting to drop, almost impossibly so. The waves were becoming brash and uncontrollable. Gilbert almost felt afraid to get too close in fear of being drifted out to sea.

Still, Gilbert picked up the speed and hurried down to where Francis and Arthur should be, the lovebirds wouldn't be on the beach too much longer if this weather kept up.

Gilbert saw two figures and instantly he brought his camera up before even thinking about it. "Smile!" He called out as he snapped the picture a bright flash erupted from his camera-

His heart sank way down to his knees as his jaw dropped and he lowered the camera.

There Arthur was, yes. Only Arthur was standing over Francis's crumpled body. Arthur's face was tear-stained and red as it was clear he was sobbing. The thing was there was a blood covered knife in Arthur's hands, which were equally bloodied by the look of it. Arthur took one step back and Gilbert gained his senses back once reality had struck him.

"No!" Gilbert dropped the camera and went for Arthur. Arthur, seeing only one way out of this, jumped right into the water, taking the knife with him.

Gilbert paused his chase when a particularly bad wave almost tried to drag him under. "You fucker!" Gilbert roared before turning his attention to Francis.

There Francis laid, eyes open, blank and lifeless as he permanently stared up at the sky. There were so many stab wounds that Gilbert couldn't possibly tell which one did the killing blow. "Francis?" Gilbert still called out like that would bring his friend back to life. Obviously it didn't. "F-Franc-" Gilbert couldn't even say it this time around as his voice died in his throat. Maybe it was the fact that Gilbert saw that Francis still had the proposal ring and box in his right hand.

Arthur had attacked Francis after he had proposed.

Gilbert honestly wished he would have jumped in right after Arthur. He wished he would have grabbed him, dragged him back to shore and beat him within an inch of his damn life. But he didn't. Something told him if he jumped into those dangerous waves he wouldn't have made it back to land.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked." Matthew sighed and Gilbert remembered that Matthew had asked him a question.

"No, no… Francis was… stabbed."

Matthew blinked at that information. He had a look on his face telling Gilbert that he hadn't expected that. "I… I didn't take him as being that brutal."

"If I'm being honest, I didn't think he'd still be alive."

"My dad?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"He jumped into the ocean after I caught him. Those waves were horrible; something out of a movie even. Yet after all these years that bastard survived." Gilbert chewed on the corner of his thumb as he thought about that night.

There was always something unsettling about Arthur's eyes that night. Granted Arthur had the greenest eyes Gilbert had ever seen, but this was different. They didn't look right, he remembered that when he snapped the picture…

Maybe if he looked at it again-

No. He never wanted to see that damned picture again. Never. Of course he had given a copy to the police, but he still had the photo on a flash drive that was probably still in that same camera up in his closet.

Matthew looked out at the ocean and stared hard at the water and the waves coming to and fro.

Silence. That's all that greeted them.

Then. "If you never want to talk to me again… I'd be okay with that." Matthew sighed and let his head hang.

Gilbert didn't answer right away. Instead he looked back out at the waves. He almost felt like Arthur could pop out of those waves any second now, that knife still in his hands. Of course Arthur didn't. "... I thought about it, I won't lie. But, you didn't kill my best friend."

"No, but I'm related to the man who did." Matthew frowned.

Gilbert couldn't stop the soft chuckle from leaving his mouth. Matthew still believed that, huh? Still, Gilbert jumped down from the rock, and started to dust himself off. "Sorry, Birdie, but the awesome me has declared that you are too awesome to let go." Gilbert declared and brought his hands up so he could help lift Matthew off of the rock. Matthew giggled at the tickling sensation of Gilbert's fingers against his sides as he was lifted up before promptly placed back down on the sandy ground of the beach.

"Thanks, Gil." Matthew smiled a sweet little smile.

"Oi!" Máximo came up to the two of them. His cellphone now safely in his pocket. "There's been a change of plans. That was Ivan I was just talking to. He says we have to go back to the station."

Gilbert made a face as the idea of sitting in an interrogation room sprung to his mind. "Does that mean-"

"No. Not you. Just Matthew and I. Go back to your brother." It was an order by the tone and order that Gilbert, for once, was happy to obey.

"Fine." He gave a half-hearted wave goodbye and got ready to leave. In all honesty Gilbert wanted a beer and just to relax and get his mind off of everything that was forced to the surface.

"Bye, Gil." Matthew smiled with his eyes closed before returning to Máximo's side. The two of them making their way down the beach and off towards Máximo's car no doubt. Gilbert watched them go for some time before eventually making his way back to his own home. On his way Gilbert looked over towards Kiku's back door. The blinds pulled and the house now secluded.

Gilbert thought about it for a moment or two before he shrugged it all off. Yeah, that guy looked a lot like Matthew, but dammit, Gilbert was tired and really didn't feel like doing anymore conspiracy hunting. So, he went home.

"You're not in trouble, Matthew." Eduard spoke in a soft tone as they both sat in his office. Matthew chose the couch this time around and because of this Eduard sat at the chair across from Matthew, not at his desk.

Eduard looked rather tired, like he had been woken up to come here, and he probably was. His clothes were put on but rather sloppily by the looks of it as he had missed a button when buttoning up his shirt and now all his buttons were misaligned. His shirt also wasn't tucked in. He wore blue jeans, and easy slip-on shoes. Clearly not exactly professional.

Still, Matthew couldn't stop his frown and he brought his legs up so his knees were against his chest. Matthew then wrapped his arms around his knees. "I kinda feel like it."

"Well, you're not. So don't feel like you've done something wrong." Eduard tried to put Matthew's mind at ease. "I just have to ask a few things, okay?"

"Okay."

Eduard sighed as he took a moment. "Alright… you don't know where you or your dad lives, do you?"

Matthew swallowed a lump that started to form in his throat. "No, sir."

Eduard shook his head and wrote something down. He looked rather disappointed by Matthew's answer but didn't say anything about it. Matthew bit his lip as a nagging feeling starting to gnaw at his stomach. He felt like he had just said something wrong.

Eduard picked up the paper he was writing on and started reading what was underneath it before he continued to write. He eventually stopped writing and looked at Matthew. "So, I need to ask this question just for the sake of it. What were you doing on May the twenty-sixth in twenty-fourteen."

"Sir, I only just learned the concept of months and years." Matthew, rather bluntly, retorted back as he dropped one of his legs down. "So, I'm sorry, but I can't answer that." Eduard made a disgruntled face, but sighed, and wrote it down.

"Okay." Eduard scratched his head with his pen before putting the clipboard down on the table. "If that's the case then I can't really ask anymore questions, then, can I?... Except one." Eduard leaned in, his elbows on his knees and his eyes now focused directly on Matthew and nothing else. "Arthur was eighteen at the time. How is it that you're almost the same age as he was six years ago? Is he really your father? Or is he your brother?"

This question again?! It was Matthew that scowled and gave a clear disgruntled face this time around. At first he was going to tell Eduard that: 'Yes, for the love of the all mighty and the sea, Arthur is my dad? Why does it matter?!'

But then Matthew thought about it. Clearly the humans are having a hard time grasping the concept because of their ages. Matthew never thought it about it like a human would, in fact he never really thought about Arthur being his father. So, he decided to go about it a different way.

"I'm confused about this." Matthew started out truthfully and he ran his fingers through his hair to get a few strands out of his eyes. "I really don't see why it's such a big deal, but regardless if he was my brother or not, he still raised me and my other siblings respectfully."

Eduard hummed in thought. "I guess you have a point, but that still adds more questions than I'm comfortable with."

Matthew shrugged. "You can ask. I'll answer the best I can."

"Okay… well if he was eighteen then and you're… eighteen now?"

Matthew just nodded, even though the more he thought about it, he didn't know his actual age. Merpeople didn't need to worry about that.

"Okay that would leave a six year difference between you two. Basic math, Matthew. So you're telling me a six year old raised you and your other siblings?"

This was the same thing Gilbert had said earlier as well.

Matthew felt his face twist in confusion. He knew that six year olds were children, obviously! But no, his father has looked the same age for as long as Matthew could remember. "No-" Matthew spoke before he could stop himself. Instantly he shut his mouth, but it was too late by the blink of bewilderment that Eduard was now giving him.

"... I'm confused." Eduard sighed and placed his glasses off of his face so he could rub his tired looking eyes.. "And I'm tired. So, I'm thinking that I must have confused you too much with math." Eduard shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose.

'Change the subject.' Matthew's inner voice commanded and he decided to do just that. "If I may?"

Eduard put his glasses back on his face. He looked a little more hopeful now. "Yes?"

Matthew licked his lips, pausing for just a moment to think on what he wanted to say. "Could I see that picture? Gilbert mentioned he took one and I know you guys might have it."

Eduard's hopeful face fell a little. Still, he straightened himself up before answering. "That's not up to me, that's up to Ivan. I guess, I could see if he's willing to allow it." Eduard stood up abruptly his clipboard in hand. "I'll be back… uh… here." Eduard hands Matthew a coloring book and some crayons that were sitting nearby on a table. "Entertain yourself for a while."

"Suuuure." Matthew sighed and opened the book til he got a blank un-colored page. He waited for Eduard to leave before he snapped the book shut and put the unopened box of crayons on top of them. He really didn't feel like coloring at this exact moment.

"He's lying." Eduard sighed as he handed the clipboard to Ivan. Ivan took it and started to read.

"Holes are forming in his stories." Eduard sat down at the seat across from Ivan. It was just the two of them in his office as Máximo was busy with the sketch artists at the moment. "He told me he lived in the next town over, but Máximo said that Gilbert Beilschmidt and Matthew used to have regular talks on the beach on a daily basis. Said that Matthew would swim in the ocean."

Ivan hummed. "Where did Máximo get that information from? It can't be from Matthew."

"Gilbert told him."

"Hm, Máximo had to be off duty when questioning Gilbert. He shouldn't have done that without my knowledge. I'll have to talk to him about that." Ivan placed the clipboard back down on his desk. "Anything else, I should know?"

"...Well, it's the strangest thing. There's the age gap between Matthew and Arthur."

"Yes, I'm aware of that… do you think it could have been a kidnapping?"

Eduard shook his head. "Honestly? No. For a six-year-old to kidnap and raise not one child but multiple? That's a little far-fetched."

"Good point." Ivan clasped his fingers together and rested his elbows on his desk as he thought for a minute. "This has got to be the strangest case I've ever seen, Dr. Bock."

"I was thinking the same thing."

"Matthew is hiding something and I want to know what. Hear me?"

"Yes, sir." Eduard stood and stretched his arms over his head. "Oh, before I forget. Matthew wanted to look at the picture. The one that Gilbert took?"

Ivan gave a half-hearted wave. "Fine, whatever." Ivan dismissed Eduard. "Get Emma to get it out of the evidence room for you." Ivan leaned down to look into one of his cabinet drawers as he pulled it out.

"Thank you." Eduard left shortly after that.

Máximo had many things planned for his day off today: 'Teach Matthew to read.' was at the top of his list in all honesty.

Not: 'pass out pictures the sketch artists finished and give them to every cop in the area. And hang them up on the billboards. And no you're not getting paid for this.'

Still, it's what the boss commanded and so it's what he was doing. "Here." He handed a flier to a fellow cop. "Their names are printed on the bottom." He told the officer in question. It was a big flier with both black and white pictures of the two brothers with their respective descriptions. Of course some things had to be winged for the youngest brother (weight and height mainly) but as long as the picture was on point it didn't matter.

"Here." Máximo boredly walked to the next person in the bullpen. They took the flier and nodded silently at Máximo. Person by person took the flier from Máximo, some even just threw it in their bins the moment it was taken.

"Andersen." Máximo greeted with a grunt. Andersen blinked for a moment as he looked up from his phone.

Andersen looked rather tired with bags under his eyes. 'probably just on a long shift'. Máximo thought disinterestedly. "Here. Matthew's brothers. Their names are on the bottom." He says on autopilot as he hands the flier to Andersen.

Andersen took it and looked at it for a second. Máximo had just started to walk away as he turned away from Andersen. "Shit." Andersen whispered just loud enough for Máximo to hear. Máximo stopped and turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

"Something wrong?" Máximo inquired. Andersen looked from his phone and then back to Máximo.

Andersen looked at him for a moment. Máximo kept his eyebrow raised as the two of them had their weird stare-off that was starting to last for way too long. "...Papercut." Andersen finally says as he looks away and puts his phone down on his desk like he didn't want to look at it anymore.

"Pussy." Máximo finally grunted back in a more playful way; before going back to his job at hand.