Alfred sat boringly on the school's front steps with his head slumped on top his arms that were crossed over his knees. Every now and then he'd shiver when a breeze would sweep against the skin where his short sleeve shirt cut off. The final few days of summer were coming to an end with autumn and its chilling weather right on its heels.

But to Alfred it felt as though the seasons had changed weeks ago. Everything seemed to have taken on a gloomier tone that usually associated with the chiller months. He often noticed these changes when he was alone; making him wonder if the changes were actually accruing or if he'd just been imagining them during his seclusion.

A particular wind whipped by causing the blonde to lodge his face into his arms that were starting to sprout goose bumps. As he further buried his reddened cheeks, he noticed the lack of pressure he usually felt between his eyes on the bridge of his nose. His arm twitched as if he were going to touch the tender spot, but stopped when an image of Ivan's Braginsky's face popped into his mind followed by his comment about the absence of his glasses.

Had that Russian giant really seen him often enough to know that he wore glasses on a regular basis? And why had the upper classmen bothered to point it out?

The thought of what Ivan had alleged made Alfred remember every other odd thing that they discussed during their very brief and bizarre encounter.

"Twins." Ivan had practically purred the word in apparent appeal.

The first and only other person who had reacted in the same similar and uncanny manner had been the old man they unpleasantly encountered in the local library.

What bothered Alfred the most were how comparable their eyes and voices were at the revelation. To them that minor piece of material held value, and Alfred could've sworn he almost saw little light bulbs flicker on over top their heads once unveiled.

Possibly Alfred knew he was looking way deeper into it than he should, but he just couldn't let the similarities go. He would've told his brother and friend about it during lunch but something drastic had stopped him from ever getting to discuss the matter.

The image of a young girl on pale, yellow paper with the words 'MISSING' above her head came back to mind. He'd seen missing flyers of children before but this certain one struck an uncomfortable cord within him. It could've just been because she had been a younger sibling of a fellow student at his school, but Alfred knew it was so much more than that.

It hit too close to home in a very literal and unnerving way.

Alfred's fingers dug into his arms at the mere thought of it. Shivers raked up and down his spine and he felt the sudden need to curl into himself.

She had been at his house the day of her disappearance – granted she had been at many other of his neighbors houses – but it stung him that she had been right on his porch.

How did it happen? What tricks did her abductor do to lure her away? Did she scream for someone to help her? Did she fight back?

Guilt swept over him in waves just thinking about it. If she had been on their porch for just a minute or two longer, if they had invited her inside and bought what she'd been selling instead of sending her back onto the streets…could it all have been avoided?

Maybe she had a certain amount she had to sell and Alfred and his family would've been her last customers of the afternoon. Those mere four or more minutes of them selecting and paying could've saved her and her family from the terrible heartache that they now have to suffer.

Alfred let out a low sigh and closed his eyes, completely submerging his face into his arms to hide away from all that were around him. He was in that forlorn position for so long that he didn't even notice that someone had taken a seat on the step next to him.

Alfred mentally prided himself for not jumping when his guest decided to alert him of their company.

"You mustn't continue to blame yourself like this, Alfred-kun."

The blonde didn't even have to look up to know that there was a most likely a frown plastered on his best friend's lips.

As soon as the lunch bell rang and dismissed the students, Alfred had collected his stuff and scattered before his friend or brother could get another good word in. He hadn't been ready to discuss the little girls disappearance with them until he sat down and tried to organize his own thoughts beforehand. That had been hours ago and yet he still didn't feel quite up to the conversation.

It was quiet between them for a view moments and Alfred hoped that his friend decided to just drop the subject. His dejected body position and unresponsiveness should've been a hint enough for even Kiku to pick up on.

"The little girl is the reason for your sulking, correct?" he asked and Alfred was quiet before he saw that as an opportunity to escape the conversation that he'd been dreading.

"Actually, no." he kept his face hidden because he knew Kiku would easily read his features and discover the lie as he spoke it. "I was thinking about how my team captain is going to bust my ass for skipping practice today."

In a way it was the truth, because his swim teams Australian captain was just as rigorous and strict as an Olympic one.

The older student once yelled at a girl for not attending practice because she had broken her leg in some accident. To everyone ones horror and disbelief, the girl had showed up the next day with her leg stuffed in a trash bag and forced to swim like everyone else. Alfred remembered that day very clearly because the girl had kicked him in the face several times with that blocky leg as he swam behind her, which had resulted in him getting a bloody nose and being scolded for dripping blood in the pool.

Alfred swore he felt Kiku's stare linger on him after his half-truth confession. The silence that followed meant his friend was still considering it.

"Australian? Are you referring to the upper classman, Jett?" Kiku asked, "Is his passion for swimming really that intense that he scolds others who do not share the same enthusiasm?" his voice was still skeptical but Alfred decided it best to just play along.

Finally he lifted his head and grinned at his friend who looked somewhat unconvinced. "Dude, if the Aussie could marry a pool then he totally would. I don't even want to know what he does when he's in there alone after everyone leaves." He wrinkled up his nose as Kiku raised an eyebrow like he didn't understand, which the poor guy probably didn't.

"I could soo make a dirty joke right now and embarrass you, but for your sake I won't…for now." He tried winking but just ended up blinking both eyes, confusing the Japanese student even more.

They both were startled at the sound of someone's shoes skidding to a stop on the cement top step just above them. "How about for the sake of your own dignity you won't tell anyone?"

Alfred looked over his shoulder to see his twin frowning disapprovingly down at him. "For your information it's a pretty damn good one and I bet even you'd laugh at it." he grinned almost smugly and his brother's frown only deepened, as if to insist he wouldn't.

"If it evolves Jett and his love for swimming then I highly doubt it. I'm sure it'll relate to the idiotic ones you've come up with about me and the ice rink, which are all dim-witted and unrealistic."

"You only think they're not funny because you know they're secretly true." He grinned and 'winked' up at his brother who only stared at him oddly.

"What are you even trying to do with your eyes right now?" he asked and Kiku muffled a stiff laugh from his spot.

Alfred shot a look at his friend and then back to his brother who seemed on the edge of cracking a smile. "I'm winking at you! Duh!" Wasn't it obvious what he was doing when he closed and reopened only one eye?

He ignored the look Alfred was giving him and strolled down a few steps to stand before his brother and his friend. He almost asked how long they had been waiting on him but he quickly disregarded it when he thought of Alfred complaining about him being late and how sore his back end was from sitting. Kiku on the other hand would've been polite and insisted he didn't mind the wait.

"Before I'm late to hockey practice," Matthew spoke up, before Alfred could get the change to continue complaining, "we should go over what the plan is for Al this afternoon. I don't feel comfortable with him remaining at school with our neighbor still here, even if there are other teachers and students around. I also don't like the idea of Al being home alone. If the man can sneak in through a second story window, then I doubt a locked door will do much from stopping him there." The thought of their neighbor walking in through his homes front door as if it were his own angered him to think about.

"Hold up a second…" Alfred put a hand up and stared hard up at his brother. "You mean to tell me the reason I'm skipping swim practice is so I can practically be babysat because ya'll don't trust me?"

"It's him we don't trust, Al. We trust you enough to keep away from him on your own but we can't be sure that'll be enough now." Alfred continued to frown up at him so Matthew pressed on. "The man has no limits and him being in our school and our bedroom is proof of that."

That seemed to have the effect he wanted because finally Alfred let his hostile gaze drop and slumped his shoulders in defeat. It reminded him of child but Matthew chose not to push his brother any further in case he continued to revolt.

"Are you going to listen to us now?"

Alfred absently nodded his head. He wasn't for sure what type of expression he was making but he was positive it must've been immature because of the way his brother was focusing his glare on him.

'We trust you enough.' The words his brother just said repeated in his head. It quickly put Alfred into an even more dejected mood as he thought back to what had happened in the infirmary earlier in the day. He didn't even consider telling them about that unless he wanted to spend the rest of high school being his twin watching like a hawk.

When Matthew looked to Kiku, Alfred sighed and lowered his head back onto his arms and stared past his brother and onto the people that were walking by. If they knew the truth Alfred doubted they would ever place their trust in him again. His nails bit into his skin when his grip grew stricter on his arms as he thought about it.

He didn't deserve their trust. He didn't deserve anything that they were trying to do for him. He had betrayed them after he swore he wouldn't.

He thought about what had happened when trapped inside the infirmary. His gut twisted and he bit his lip in either disgust or yearning at the memory. His brain couldn't tell the difference anymore when he thought of Mr. Kirkland. The distinct line that once indicated the separation of danger and desire were horribly muddled in Alfred's opinion now.

Is that what he wanted? To risk putting himself in danger just to get what he desired? And what was that exactly? What did he desire? The thought made him shiver.

"-with what we're left to work with, that's not half bad."

Alfred lifted his head to look at his brother who was now discussing something to Kiku. "You got that, Al?" he asked and Alfred just opened his mouth but shook his head instead.

"How do you always tune out like that-? You know what, never mind." He folded his arms over his red hoodie and closed his eyes for a moment before looking back at his twin.

"You'll be going over to Kiku's house until our mom gets off work and picks you up later this afternoon. We figured that Mr. Kirkland wouldn't know where Kiku lived and he says his home is pretty secluded, so if there were anyone else on the property it'd be obvious. All you have to do is stay with Kiku and you should be fine."

Alfred frowned at that. "So I'm getting babysat after all?"

This time Kiku spoke up and both blondes turned to him at the same time. "Do not think of it like that. Technically, we will be hanging out like we always do. It does not mean we cannot have fun or play video games." he smiled then and his eyes gleamed suddenly. "My cousin from back home in Japan sent me a new horror game that we have yet to play it. We could pass the time doing that if you wish."

Suddenly being babysat wasn't sounding like such a bad thing after all. Alfred straightened and grinned widely at his best friend who smiled back as well.

"Or," Matthew cut in and Alfred could already feel the mood start to dwindle. "You could be doing homework and studying." he raised an eyebrow at the pair of best friends while glancing back and forth at them insistently.

Alfred and Kiku just blinked up at him in response before Matthew rolled his eyes and put a hand on his hip and swayed his free one in the air. "Or play video games for all I care. As long as you stick to together."

Alfred flashed his brother a victories smile as Kiku too tried to hide his peeking grin. Even if they agreed to Matthew that they'd do homework, they'd just play video games regardless.

What the hockey player didn't know wouldn't hurt him, like Alfred almost having a make out session with Mr. Kirkland or him agreeing to want more apples. Yeah… What he didn't know won't hurt him… It still didn't feel right but Alfred wasn't about to say anything that would freak his friend and brother out and have him locked up in his room for all eternity.

The three boys attention was pulled to the road when a car horn started honking annoyingly from the street at the bottom of the steps where they sat. A white beetle Volkswagen was parked next to the sidewalk, or on the sidewalk to be more exact. The front left tire had somehow managed to climb up and park itself onto the curb.

Matthew rubbed his temple while Alfred snorted and watched the driver of the car roll down their window and lean out with one hand still on the wheel.

"Hey birdie! Get those sweet maple buns down here and get in!" the driver of the beetle hollered up the steps and Matthew's face turned a light shade of pink. He shot the driver a look that Alfred wasn't able to see but whatever it was made the albino burst out into a fit of cackles and slap the outside of his car during his glee.

Alfred wasn't much different though because he too suddenly burst out laughing. His twin sharply spun around on him, his face still agitated and pink. "Stop laughing at him! It only boosts his self-confidence!" he hissed but Alfred was enjoying himself too much to even bother trying to stop.

Matthew's jaw clenched as he watched and quickly made his way down the steps before he could see the tears start to roll down his brother's face. A few people he passed down the stairs made bird noises but he just ignored them and kept his eyes glued onto his teammate who was grinning smugly at him as he approached.

"You're cute when you match your clothes, birdie. I should make your face turn red more often." The German noted Matthew's sweatshirt then his colored face with his finger.

"Shut up and unlock the door, Gil." He growled lowly, trying to ignore the sound of his brother's laughter from the stairs behind him. Was he seriously still laughing?

"What? I thought you liked to color coordinate?" he said wittily then flinched back in his seat when the blonde got closer to the window and forced his hand through and unlocked the doors himself.

Matthew walked around to the other side of the car and leapt in while his teammate turned his attention back out the window and onto the other blonde sitting on the steps. He was wiping his eyes of tears while a small Asian boy sat next to him shaking his head.

"Hey other little birdie!" he called out and Matthew's eye just about shot out of his skull as soon as he buckled himself.

Alfred brushed away the last tear and looked down at the albino who seemed to have called out to him. There was an awkward feeling inside him from also being called 'birdie' for some reason. It was like the name was too affectionate for a stranger to be referring to him as, but he just brushed it off and gave his attention to the upperclassmen.

"Do you think your mom would mind if I invited myself over for dinner tonight?" he yelled and Alfred could see his brother whack his friend's shoulder.

"Not at all! I'll even save you chair!" he replied and the albino gave him a toothy grin and turned to say something to his brother briefly.

"Can I bring a date?"

"Won't he already be there?" Alfred replied cunningly and watched the albino's face go blank before splitting into a wide grin as his eyes lit up.

"I can tell I'm already going to like you!" he said before pulling his head back into the car and turning on loud punk rock music that seemed to be in another language. Alfred assumed it was most likely German.

He and Kiku sat there and watched amusingly as the car reversed and bounced back onto the black cement, before jerking forward and screeching as it sped off down the road. Alfred turned to his friend who looked slightly troubled.

"Do you think it is safe for your brother to be riding with him?" he stared off at the white beetle as the blasting music started to fade with the growing distance. He turned to look at his friend who just shrugged.

"Yeah, I'm sure he'll be fine. Matthew is a back seat driver and bugs the hell out of our mom, so he'll keep the guy in place most likely."

Kiku stared at him and was about to ask what the English expression meant but his phone distracted him. He slung his bag around from his shoulders and placed it on the step in front of him and started digging around. Alfred leaned back on his elbows and watched as he hummed along with the familiar ring tone from one of their favorite animes.

Even when Kiku answered it, Alfred kept humming and watched his friend as he spoke. He noticed how his friends brown eyes alarmingly dart down the street, as he talked quietly in his native tongue for a bit before hanging up.

"My brother should be here shortly."

Alfred took that as a queue to get more comfortable and sprawled his long legs out in front of him. When he actually took in his friend's words Alfred paused in his humming and gave Kiku a curious stare.

"When you say your brother," he dragged the word out and raised his eyebrows as Kiku sighed.

"I mean Yao." he said frustratingly and rubbed the back of his neck. "I suppose I should not be criticizing the driving of others when my brother is just as unpredictable."

Alfred just shrugged in response.

"I admit the dude's a pretty crazy driver, but at least no one has gotten hurt because of it, right?" his smile fell when he saw Kiku dart his eyes elsewhere.

"Right?" Alfred insisted again but more nervously as the feeling of uncertainty starting to creep up in him the more he thought of riding with Yao.

Kiku shuffled his feet around and stared down at them. "Remember the time I broke my foot last winter?" he asked but didn't look up.

"Who do you think helped you hop around for the next two months?" Alfred remembered having to help his friend hop from stair to stair in between classes. He was fine with helping a friend out and getting out of class early to do so, but it got tiring because of Kiku's slow pace. He got so impatient one day that he just threw the little guy over his shoulder and carried him like a sack of rice.

Kiku looked back up at him sheepishly for a long moment before Alfred finally understood what he wasn't willing to admit out loud.

"No way! Did he run over your foot?!" he exaggerated loudly and Kiku raised his hands up to hush him and glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention.

"It was an accident on both our parts! He wasn't looking and," the dark haired boy shrugged lightly. "and I should have known better than to be anywhere near him while he was behind a wheel."

Alfred groaned and turned his head forward and onto the streets, trying to imagine the scene happening in his head. "Can't wait to see his driving skills now." he tried joking lightly then turned his attention to his friend who suddenly stood upright.

Kiku was grinning down at him while slinging his bag back over his shoulders. "Good, because he has arrived."

The American gulped then followed his friends stare down onto the little sliver car that had just parked on the side of the road, or really just in the road because he was way too far from the sidewalk. Cars behind him started honking and Alfred looked up at his friend uncertainly.

"We will be fine." Kiku answered before the other could ask and started for the car.

Alfred stood up and took his time down the steps as if they were his last few, which they very well could be if Yao was as bad as he had been told. When he got to the car and hesitated on opening the door, Kiku shot him a look that insisted to get in and not dare complain. He made sure to click his seat belt in place and give it a few good tugs just to be safe it held. In the mirror he noticed Yao watching and the awkward American smiled as kindly as possible in return.

As soon as the older man looked away Alfred somewhat relaxed into his seat and looked out the window. For some reason he found his eyes drifting to the second story school window but didn't find anything interesting there. Nothing seemed out of place about the building or the students that still wandered around the grounds, so Alfred didn't know why he felt so concerned about leaving when Yao practically slammed on the gas petal.

~.~

His first step out of the car could have been a little more mature but Alfred couldn't help the shaking in his legs. It was amazing that he even managed to unlock and open the car door all by himself with the way that his hands had been quivering.

If Kiku and Yao hadn't been watching him then there was a possibility that Alfred would've thrown himself onto the grass and kissed it. He had never been so glad to be on solid land again without four wheels underneath him and traveling at a speed so quick that even drag racers would put their brakes on.

"I'm alive…" he muttered and closed his eyes as peace blanketed him. Kiku shot his friend a look but didn't comment and instead leaned down through the window to thank his brother for the ride.

Yao said a few things to Kiku but Alfred hadn't been paying attention enough to know if it were in English or not. All that mattered was that he lived, though he couldn't say the same about the few extra bumps that they snagged on the road where there weren't any construction or road lump signs. He had a feeling animal heaven gained a few little hairy creatures up there that evening.

Alfred and Kiku stood side by side and waved to Yao as he backed up over a small bush and spun the car around to drive back down their long, unfinished gravel driveway. They watched until his car disappeared within the heavily compacted forest of trees that surrounded their secluded property.

Next to him he heard Kiku let out a long breath. "Would you believe me if I said that he has gotten better?"

Alfred laughed a bit at that and wondered just how bad he must've been before compared to what he just went through. "You're gunna have to tell me what driving school he went to so I can sign up. If that guy can get his license then there's hope for me yet."

When Kiku didn't respond immediately or take it as a joke like he was supposed to, Alfred stared at him in comical disbelief. "Wait… He does have his license, right?"

"W-We should go inside. I will make us drinks and snacks." Kiku offered and swiftly moved away without making eye contact with the stunned blonde.

"Is that a no?" Alfred questioned to his friends back and grinned as he continued to be ignored. "Kiku!"

As Usual Alfred took off his sneakers by the front door next to the rows of Kiku's family members before moving any further into the house. Kiku had a large family compared to Alfred who had just one other sibling. Kiku was one of five, though they all varied very differently in age and personality.

"Wow," Alfred mumbled and strolled down the hall after his friend. "It's actually pretty quiet."

Kiku didn't bother to look back at him moved his way through the neatly organized kitchen in search of something for him and his friend to eat. "Everyone should be at school except Mei, who is home sick today with my mother."

The entire car ride back to the house Kiku had been secretly constructing a plan to find something for Alfred to eat and help get his appetite back to normal. He hadn't brought it up during lunch at school but Kiku noticed how Alfred arrived at their lunch table empty handed. And not once during the lunch shift did he ask for a bite out of his or Matthew's food, which was very rare for the blonde.

Behind him Kiku could hear his friend going on about something to do with forest animals and them gaining their angel wings, but he paid little mind and focused on picking out something that Alfred would take into consideration to eat.

For the past few days it seemed his friend had been fed nothing but those sweet apples from that crazed man, not counting yesterday and today that is. Now that he thought about it Alfred hadn't eaten anything in a full day and a half.

His dark eyes glanced over to the blonde who had seated himself at one of the chairs at the dinner table. He took note of the way his shoulders sagged forwards and how still he sat. Normally his foot would be endlessly taping or his hands would find something to play with or strum against.

Kiku got an idea and opened his refrigerator and pulled the bottom self out, grabbing the small plastic containers placed there. He walked over to the table and laid the food choices out in front of his American friend who ceased his chatting immediately.

Kiku was silent and observed his friend closely. He stood by and watched Alfred's eyes dart to all the different fruit selections placed in front of him. After a moment of barely considering them the blonde frowned.

"You need to eat." Kiku said seriously and reached to open the lids of the fruit and pushed them closer. "I know you must be hungry."

Alfred looked up at him like he wanted to say something but instead let out a long breath. He turned back to the fruit and picked up a little red strawberry with his right hand.

Kiku noted that out of all of the fruit that were set out, Alfred had chosen the only one that was red in color. He bit back a frown at the choice and remained quiet.

"You know I don't like fruit." Alfred stated and swirled the little red berry around almost stubbornly.

Kiku wanted to say something along the lines of "that hasn't stopped you before" but he feared that even the slightest hint of those damned apples would make Alfred's appetite all but vanish. If he were going to fix Alfred then he would have to tread slowly and make the blonde seem like he was going along with it willingly.

"You like strawberry flavored milk and ice cream, yes? Where do you think they get their flavor?" he picked up a small piece of his own and plucked it into his mouth and chewed as Alfred watched. "I promise you that its good and you will enjoy it"

Hunger seemed to win in the end and Alfred finally took a bite out of the strawberry that he'd been holding. Almost immediately though his face scrunched up and Kiku thought his friend was about to spit it back out and run for something to drink.

He swallowed it at least and sputtered his complaint afterwards. "You'd said I would enjoy it." Alfred wiped his mouth and shook his head. "Traitor."

Kiku merely shrugged at that offence. He was just taking a guess and happened to be wrong. All that mattered was that he managed to get his friend to eat something else that wouldn't elude his senses and put him in a hypnotic stage. Baby steps.

"Another."

Alfred bit his lips at the request but gave in when Kiku gave him a warning glare that would insist many horrible things to come. Kiku sat there and watched as his friend continued to painfully eat the fruit. He had about five strawberries before switching over to blue berries, which caused a facial reaction that Kiku had yet to see from his friend.

He waited until Alfred ate at least a hand full of the blue berries before deciding that his friend could use something to drink and wash it all down. He took out a small pot and filled it with water before placing it over the burner to heat up. At first he planned on just giving his friend water but he remembered his mom recently picking up some detoxing tea. It claimed to clean out your insides and get rid of all the unnatural toxins that linger when eating unhealthily.

It wouldn't hurt to get Alfred to try it. It very well could be the cure that they have been so desperately looking for.

"Kiki!"

Kiku stopped putting the tea bags into the water when he felt something small crash into his leg. He looked down and smiled affectionately at his little sister who was grinning up at him. His cheeks were paler than normal but that was just because of her illness that kept her from attending school that morning.

He reached down and soothed her hair back down from its frizzy state. She must've just woken up from a nap.

"Hey! If it isn't little Mei!" Alfred boosted from where he sat on the other side of the kitchen. "You wanna help me eat some of this awesome fruit? I promise you its real good! Your big brother said so himself!"

Kiku turned and gave him a glare but it was ignored. He looked back down to his little sister and nudged her with his knee. "Be polite and go say hello to Alfred-kun." Instead of running off to him like she normally did, she just clenched Kiku's pants tighter in her little fist.

He frowned and nudged her lightly again.

"You're being rude to our guest, Mei." She looked up at him with sad eyes like any young sister would at disappointing their older brother. "Go along."

Finally after another soft shove she took slow steps to Alfred who sat grinning happily at her. Kiku went back to his tea making but casted wary glances as his little sister shuffled closer to his friend. Something with her was wrong and he didn't think it was because of her feeling unwell.

Alfred's smile dropped just a little when she stopped about five feet from him and half hid herself behind a chair. He looked up Kiku for a second then back to Mei who had her long sleeved pink shirt covering her mouth and nose.

"I know you're sick and all but you don't have to stand that far away from me. I don't mind getting out of school for a few days." Alfred joked but the little girl didn't respond and just continued to stare uncertainly at him from her spot.

"Are you going to come over here?" he asked and frowned when she shook her head at him.

Alfred was just about to ask her what was wrong when she suddenly spoke up.

"You smell funny."

Kiku dropped the remainder of the tea bags into the water, some still in their package. He swore softly when he had to pick them out with his fingers in the warm water.

The corner of Alfred's lips twitched like he wanted to smile but he didn't find the comment all that funny like he would've any other time. "I smell funny?" he repeated and she nodded. "Well how would you know being so far away?"

"You look funny too." She murmured softly into her sleeve.

That made Alfred sit more straightly in his chair as he gaped at the little six year old girl. He smelt and looked funny? What did she mean by that? For a second he thought about all that things that had been happening to him over the week and if somehow was related to what Mei was telling him. He quickly brushed it off.

There was no way. She was just a little girl pointing out things that she didn't understand or thought was funny. For all he knew he could have something on his face.

Kiku was suddenly at her side and she didn't waste another second before hiding behind his legs and griping them to keep him from moving. The two boys shared a look before looking back down to Mei who obviously wanted nothing to do with the blonde American boy.

Kiku shook one leg for her to let go and she did, only to grab his other leg with both hands. He sighed and reached for her to release him then pulled her away from her hiding spot.

"Mei," he said softly and she peaked up at him, giving him her full attention. "Why would you say those things about Alfred-kun? That is not very nice of you."

Alfred crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat, waiting for an explanation and a small apology that he knew was unreasonable to want from a six year old but hey, he had feelings too!

"But it is true! He looks different and smells like," she darted her eyes quickly at him before her face scrunched up and Alfred almost looked insulted. Her eyes then landed on the contents on the table as she focused on them. "like fruit!"

"Fruit?" the two teens questioned at the same time.

"Yeah, but not any of those fruit. He smells like apples." She looked back at his shocked face again. "But not the good kind. I wouldn't eat them." Her little nose wrinkled at the thought before she hid her face again with her pink sleeve.

The silence that followed her words were… awkward, to say in the least. Alfred felt an overwhelming sense of guilt and shame swell in him that made him want to slump further in his chair or crawl under the table.

Kiku was silently panicking on the inside that his sister might have unknowingly set the other off and his hunger for those cursed apples would resurface again.

While Kiku was contemplating on how to advise his friend from taking her words to heart and rebuking the whole idea of getting him to eat normal foods again, Mei had had once again hid herself behind his legs and watched Alfred from the gap in-between. It was quiet until her soft voice rattled both boys from their thoughts.

"Don't you normally wear glasses?" it was an innocent question that Alfred would have thought nothing of if he hadn't been asked that same thing earlier that day. The Russians canny tone came to mind and Alfred almost backed away as if the older student had been standing right in front of him.

Kiku noticed the troubled expression on his friends face and wondered what was going through the blondes mind at that moment. Was there something he had not been informed of regarding the spectacles?

"I think you should return to your room, Mei." Kiku chided her softly. "Where is mama?"

"She's in my room. We were taking naps together but I woke up first." She responded but kept her gaze on Alfred, as if nervous about turning away from her brother's friend.

Kiku seemed to notice this too and sighed. "Would you like me to take you back upstairs? I don't think mama will be pleased to find you out of bed."

Her eyes got big at that and she finally looked away from Alfred. She quickly nodded and Kiku leaned down to scup his little sister up into his arms. She didn't waste a single second by wrapping her arms around his neck and burring her head in his neck. Kiku looked past her hair and gave an apologetic look at his best friend.

"I'll be quick." He insisted but Alfred just waved him off.

"It's okay. You can take your time. I know she can be a hand full with trying to get her to fall asleep." He grinned in attempt to lighten the mood that had been dampened by a mere six year old.

Even if Kiku felt uncomfortable with leaving his friend all by himself he didn't voice it. When Mei gave her brother a light kick of protest against his chest at his stalling he quickly stalked off down the hall without a word more.

This left Alfred to sit in silence at the table with nothing else to do but stare at the distasteful pieces of fruit. He closed his eyes and swallowed at the thought of having to eat another piece of them. His appetite was now long gone and the memory of the sour fruity taste almost made him nauseous.

"But not the good kind. I wouldn't eat them…" Mei's little voice echoed in his head.

Alfred stared angrily at the fruit that seemed to be the cause of it all before suddenly standing. Instead of putting the lids back on top them all and placing them into the fridge to keep fresh, he ignored them completely if disgusted at the idea of touching him.

He moved away from the table and stopped near the glass door that led to the backyards unfinished stone patio. Most of Kiku's back and front yard were unfinished as they were all still undergoing a major yard renovation. There used to be nothing but trees until Kiku's family invested in new a landscape design that took on a lot of Asian themed elements.

Alfred leaned against the glass and stared off over the newly planted shrubs. Mei's comments wouldn't have bothered him so much if she hadn't mentioned that he smelt like a particular fruit that he'd been trying to keep his mind off of. Now his throat had been reminded of the daring red fruit and it burned to be relieved once again by it.

The foods that Kiku had forced him to eat earlier were turning uneasily in his stomach. He knew his friend was just trying to help him and it pained Alfred because he wasn't trying nearly as hard in return. Could Kiku forgive him if he found out about his little rendezvous with Mr. Kirkland in the nurses office that morning?

Alfred's throat burned even more and his stomach growled as he remembered being told by the Englishman that he planned on giving him more apples to consume. The memory filled Alfred with so much guilt along with a desperate need to just get rid of the burning sting he felt in his insides.

Would this feeling ever go away? Would he ever not desire the taste and sugary relief that flowed over him after biting into one of Mr. Kirkland's sweet indulgences?

The clenching pains he felt in his abdominal answered that question enough for him. He placed his hand over his stomach and rubbed lightly as if to soothe the pain away.

Alfred squinted his eyes out onto the disorganized back landscape when something suddenly moved from one tall bush to another. It happened several yards away and Alfred thought it a miracle that he had been able to notice since he didn't have his glasses on. He still couldn't get over his sudden change in vision but it was the one thing about this whole ordeal that he wasn't bothering to complain about or wish it back to normal.

He stood a little straighter when the small shape moved again in the same quick leap that landed them behind another plant that just shielded them from Alfred's line of sight. The way they moved was so graceful and quick that Alfred almost believed that the thing he was looking was just a small deer. Kiku has tons of wildlife on his property, probably a lot less now because of Yao, but a few deer or fox running along was nothing out of the ordinary.

Alfred was about to turn away from the door when there was a sudden thud against the glass that nearly sent him leaping from his socks. He darted his gaze back to where he last saw the lean animal but felt the air leave his lungs with what he found instead.

Looking as petite and out of place as one could amongst the clutter of rigid, cut stones and uprooted trees of a yard under restoration, was a mysterious little girl.

Alfred could only gap openly at her. She stood motionlessly about two yards away from him and looked unhealthily pale against the dark, harsh tones of the gravel and damp tree bark. Her teal eyes stared openly back at him with such calmness that Alfred wondered if she could even see him through the doors tinted glass.

His unvoiced question was answered when a small smile graced her pale lips immediately after the thought. For some reason it made him shiver and he realized that she must have been watching him long before he even noticed her.

How did she get all the way out here? Kiku's nearest neighbors were about a mile away and as far as Alfred was aware there weren't any established trails carved out in the forest around his property. Surely this little girl had to be lost. There was just no way someone as young as her would be wandering the woods all on her own. Plus shouldn't children her age still be in school at this hour? She looked to be at least in elementary school if he had to guess by her appearances.

Alfred opened the door slowly as if not to scare her off like she were some wild animal. He knew it was silly since she was already aware of his presence but he didn't want to risk startling her and having her tumble into an unfilled dirt hole.

"Hey there," he called out to her and put on a smile that he hoped wasn't creepy even though at the moment he was probably more freaked out by her being there than she was. She had been the one spying on him after all.

Once Alfred slid the door partly closed behind him, he took another step towards the little girl. She watched him silently from her spot and didn't appear nervous in the slightest at his advancements.

"So, uh, how'd ya get out here, little girl?" He tried asking and took a few steps closer, careful not to trip over stone or left behind landscaping tools. "You lost?"

Once again she didn't respond and Alfred felt as if the temperate in the air seemed to drop the closer he moved towards her. When his socked feet hit the drying mud he fought the urge to step back. With his attention so wrapped up in the girl he'd forgotten all about his shoes that still sat by Kiku's front door. He prayed that he wouldn't step on an upturned nail or sharp rock.

Being closer to the strange child Alfred realized that she had on a dark, knee length pink dress and was lacking any type of feet protection. Where were her shoes and socks? Her clothing was definitely not something someone would wear while out in the woods and being barefoot to add on top of that was just…weird.

Alfred trailed his eyes back up from her exposed feet to her expressionless face. A small part in Alfred's mind sparked and sputtered at the sight of her now up close but he couldn't understand it. He was getting hints that it was important but the pieces in his head just weren't connecting or communicating properly.

His brain insisted he stay and figure out the lingering, hidden clue about who this strange little girl was while another part, more instinctual, demanded he run away as quickly as his legs would carry him. He hesitated in his advancements as he tried to sort out what was going on in his head. The little girl continued to watch him with the same blank expression as before that made Alfred feel a bit uneasy.

"Are you okay? Where are your parents?"

Still no response.

Alfred thought about going back inside to find Kiku and ask if he knew the girl but the mental idea quickly fell away when the girl spun around and ran away.

Her sudden action caught Alfred so off guard that he could only stand there and gawk at her in surprise. Fear quickly spread over him as he realized that the direction that she was heading in was the construction site of the new pond. He wasn't sure what stage the manmade pond was at the time, but he wasn't about to risk her safety by letting her carelessly wander around the unsafe area alone.

Without a second thought about his lack of shoes or the nimble raindrops that were starting to fall from a sky that suddenly appeared overcast, Alfred sprinted forward and gave chase to the little girl.

A loud voice inside his mind pleaded that he find the girl and save her before it was too late. "Not another one", it repeated over and over again. "Save her. You have to save her", it constantly begged.

His heart hammered in his chest as he pushed himself to run faster, trying his hardest not to trip on raised roots or slid in the slick piles of mud and grim. The increasing steady rainfall only made it harder to keep her in his sights.

With the pleading voice in his head begging to save her and the urgency of the chase as he fought against the elements, Alfred wasn't able to hear the other voice that refused to keep quiet even when its voice was so small.

It whispered that he was too late. He was naively chasing a white little rabbit that had already been shot, skinned and gutted for all that it was worth.

He was simply chasing a ghost of what it once was. Of what he hadn't been able to save.

AN:

Now before you all mob up on me with your torches and shiny pitch forks, let me get a few words out..

I'd like to thank everyone who hasn't given up on this story and for the ones that have been sending me PM's. Seriously, you guys are great! And for those that have just recently followed this and added it to your alerts.. lol you guys and gals are a lucky bunch! But truly I'm sorry for the long wait to all those that have been following this since the beginning. The wait was totally unfair and I plan on paying you all back by finishing this bad boy up!