This is the third and final installment of the Midnight Series. We are almost at the end of our long journey here.

Okay, so, I said I'd redo it and I am. This one will move at a much slower pace than the previous one so I hope it's better. I stayed up late every night of the week just to finish this. Please let me know what you think of it so far. Thank Hollywood Undead and all of the piano songs on my playlist from YouTube for inspiring me to write this chapter. It was hectic.

Have ideas for this story or Midnight's Promise? Shoot me a PM or leave them in a review.

Happy reading~

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia.

Warnings: Language, violence, blah blah blah


Chapter One

Run.

Don't stop.

You can't stop.

Don't look back!

Keep going!

Antonio struggled to keep his pace as his muscles cried for mercy. His lungs burned with lack of oxygen. His head swam with fear. He couldn't stop. That monster would get him if he did. That monster with terrible blue eyes… it was dead on his heels, breathing down his neck, growling menacingly.

Move, Antonio! Go!

His footsteps echoed on the metal bridge, barely being heard over the thundering waters below him. His hands clutched at his knees as he bent over in exhaustion, desperate to catch his breath that escaped as large puffs of smoke from the cold and clouded his vision slightly. His legs sighed in relief at the small amount of rest they were receiving and his lungs swelled with the oxygen they required.

He had to find his dad. Antonio had to find some way to get home! The full moon watched the boy pokerfaced and with her frigid gaze, she felt just enough sympathy to light the path laid out before him. The clouds outlined in her glow threatened to mask such a blank expression, drifting slowly towards her. Behind him, great footfalls boomed, knocking over trees and shaking the earth. There was a deafening roar and the leaves shivered on their perches from its might.

There they were.

Eyes.

Blue eyes.

Disdainful, glacial blue eyes that stared him down, smiting him with their gaze.

A deep growl rumbled within its chest, rocking Antonio to the very core.

Oh no… Antonio thought in absolute dread.

The beast reached out for him, claws at the ready, and grabbed him. It held on tightly, choking him, draining him of life and held him over the edge of the bridge. Antonio desperately tried to call out for his father but his wails were drowned out by the monster's wicked laughter and the raging river surging below him. Its blue eyes burned into his and the smirk sent chills down his spine.

"Time to die," it grinned and released.

The water came rushing at him then, promising death within its icy depths.


A loud cry shook Lovino from his restless slumber and the Italian tumbled out of bed, scanning the darkness for any sort of danger. He scrambled to his feet and raced down the hall to his son's room, tearing open the door upon arriving. He flicked on the light to the sight of Antonio clutching at his head, screaming in absolute terror. Lovino sat at the edge of the bed, pulling the boy close. He called Antonio's name repeatedly but the five-year-old didn't seem to hear him.

"Antonio," Lovino did his best to keep his voice calm and collected, struggling to reach his terrified son. He placed his hands on both sides of the boy's face, "Toni, look at me. It's all right."

Emerald eyes shot open, darting around the room, searching for the monster terrorizing him from his dreams. Making contact with eyes of a darker shade than his, pearls of fear pooled and trailed down flushed cheeks, the owner of such distress sobbing almost uncontrollably.

"D-Daddy!" Antonio fell into his father's arms and continued to weep, choking on the taste of icy water in his mouth. "Daddy…"

"Shh, it's okay. I'm here," Lovino whispered softly, stroking Antonio's burning head which was damp with sweat. "I'm here…"

Antonio fisted Lovino's shirt in his hands, breaking ranks in the fabric. The Italian held his son in his lap, rocking the child back and forth slowly, reassuring Antonio that everything was fine and that he was safe. This security was a mere façade however, and Lovino knew that. Once Antonio fell asleep again, the nightmares would attack him again, devouring every last bit of the boy's sanity and filling him with fear.

Just when Antonio was getting back on his feet and acting somewhat stable, this happens. The boy was hardly ever given a moment's peace.

He was doing so well… Lovino kissed Antonio's head tenderly.

There was not a single day—no, a single minute—that went by when Lovino saw the intense dread in Antonio's usually cheerful eyes that he wished he had done away with Marcello. That man was still having an everlasting effect on their lives despite being thousands of miles away in jail. It would've spared them the paranoia if not the trauma.

Why couldn't he pull the trigger?

Why!

Maybe I really am my father's son; Lovino's thoughts were soon interrupted by Antonio's feeble voice.

"…he was chasing me, Papa… he—he got me! And—and the river was—was so c-cold…!"

"Antonio, look at me," Lovino said.

Emerald met with forest green, tears still spilling over the former's banks. The boy sniffled once and Lovino wiped away the streams.

"You don't have to worry about a thing, okay? He's in jail thousands of miles away from here. He can't hurt you anymore. You don't need to be afraid. I know it's hard."

Antonio visibly cringed at hearing the man's name. There was truth in the statement, though. Marcello was in jail far away from them. The chances of his escaping were slim to none but Antonio couldn't help but feel nauseous at the mere thought of Marcello wandering the streets, searching for them, wanting them six feet under and remembered only by tombstones. The reassurance in his father's voice was comforting though. As long as his dad was here, he'd be safe. He believed that. He had to believe that.

"You believe me, don't you?" Lovino's tone was much calmer now.

"Yes," Antonio nodded slowly. "I believe you, Papa."

It was then that Lovino offered a comforting smile and it was returned by Antonio's uneasy one. To not see a radiant grin on his son's face was such an unthinkable image that Lovino almost didn't want to believe it when it was right before his eyes. The Italian wiped away a stray tear that started to spill over Antonio's rosy cheek with his thumb and mussed the child's head. There was a long pause between the two and this gave Antonio time to settle down but he still clung to his father, listening to the rhythmic beat of the man's heart. It was melodic almost, the music of a living and breathing human being. His dad was here. He was alive. There was nothing to be afraid of. He was safe.

Antonio then squirmed a bit and Lovino questioned what was wrong.

"I, uh, kind of… um…" the boy mumbled incoherently.

Catching sight of the wet spot on the sheets, nothing else needed to be said as Lovino led Antonio to the bathroom and helped him get cleaned up and in a new set of pajamas. The entire time his father was helping him, Antonio's cheeks were painted a bright crimson. How embarrassing was this! Here he was five years old going on six and still wetting the bed like a toddler.

Nonetheless, the boy voiced his thoughts, "Papa, can… can I sleep with you tonight?"

"Of course you can, Toni," Lovino gently held Antonio's smaller one in his and guided the child to said bedroom, slipping underneath the covers with Antonio at his side.

Once the five-year-old was nestled in the blankets, he snuggled up to his father's chest and fisted Lovino's shirt in the palm of his tiny hand. He met the Italian's gaze and Lovino reassured such worried orbs with his own forest eyes, smiling gently and placing his hand atop the boy's head. Antonio attempted his own smile and placed his head against Lovino's chest, counting each beat of his father's strong heart.

Ba-dump…

One.

Ba-dump…

Two.

Ba-dump…

Three…

Antonio drifted off to sleep almost immediately, reveling in the comfort and security of being in his father's embrace. Nothing could touch him here. He was safe. There was no danger. There was no monster. Here, on this night, all of his fears meant nothing. He was in peace.

The only sound for the longest time was Antonio's soft breathing and nothing moved save for the shallow rise and fall of the child's chest. Lovino remained both still and silent, just watching the boy sleep. How innocent his son seemed. Oh how he wished for Antonio to remain as such. If he had never fallen for a person who shall not be named, none of this would be happening.

Did Lovino shoulder a lot of regret? Of course he did. It weighed him down every day, making it difficult to get up in the morning and fall asleep at night. He couldn't even look into Antonio's eyes now with everything that had happened…

"You must remember, fratello, that this isn't your fault. How could you have ever expected something like this?" Feliciano tried reasoning with his older brother who was so close to falling apart completely.

"How is this not my fault, Feliciano? Please enlighten me! I'm the one who brought that bastard into Antonio's life! I'm the one who trusted him! I put Antonio through this!" Lovino struggled to control the volume of his voice in his upset. "I know he hates me! I hate myself for this!"

The Italian paced just as frantically as his thoughts were buzzing around in his head and Feliciano could merely watch, unsure of what exactly would calm his frantic brother. Lovino finally stopped by the window, staring at the rain streaming down the glass. There was an uneasy silence between two, broken only by the pelting rain and roaring thunder. Lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating Lovino's tired and tear-rimmed eyes.

"He wakes up every night screaming," Lovino's voice shuddered horribly and he took a deep breath to calm himself. "And there is nothing that I can do besides tell him it's going to be okay even when we know it's not."

"Fratello…"

"I was supposed to protect him, Feliciano. And all I've done is hurt him."

"Parents make mistakes all the time, fratello, but this is something that was out of your control—"

"No! It was well within my fucking control! You know damn well it was! I allowed him into our lives and I should've trusted my first instinct and told him to leave!" Lovino shook his head furiously.

"Fratello, you must stop blaming yourself," Feliciano placed his hands firmly on his brother's shoulders. "If you had known what that man was really like, you would've stopped it from the very beginning. I know you would've."

"I didn't want to hurt him. After everything he had gone through with his mom… I wanted to protect him from that. I wanted him to be happy. Maybe I really am our father, after all. I guess what they say is true: the apple never falls far from the tree."

"Stop it!" Feliciano spat, his grip tightening. His honey eyes wavered with despair at hearing such a claim. "You are nothing like that man, do you understand me? Nothing! I don't ever want to hear those words come out of your mouth again! You have given Antonio what our family and his family failed to give him: love. You have loved him both in this life and his past."

Forest just stared at honey in utter sorrow and disbelief.

"You are a good father, Lovino. Antonio doesn't hate you, nor does he love you any less. You saved him, fratello. That's more than I or Ludwig could ever say as well as some fathers. You're both just going through the aftermath and it's stressful for the both of you. This will all pass in due time," Feliciano offered one of his contagious smiles.

Lovino feigned his own and it soon disappeared the moment Antonio cried out in terror from his bedroom, making Lovino attempt another long, futile night of trying to dispel nightmares.

Lovino kissed Antonio's head and the boy didn't even stir, already deep in slumber.

"I'm so sorry, Antonio," Lovino's fingers ghosted over where a dark bruise once stained Antonio's eye. "I'm so sorry he did this to you."

The Italian sought forgiveness from his former lover for he wasn't sure how much more regret he could soak into his already neglected heart weighed down with a river of guilt.

"Can you forgive me a second time?" he muttered. "I never wanted to hurt you again. You've been through so much already and I haven't been helping in the least."

Lovino had apologized to Antonio before but the regret continued to eat away at him, killing him softly. Sighing in the darkness, Lovino held his son gently in his arms, wishing the boy pleasant dreams as he fell into his own dark ones.


Electric blue eyes that were given a spark by the winter moon's rays scanned blades of grass at their owner's fingertips. A tender hand brushed back loose strands of strawberry-blonde hair that curled gently at the ends, fitting behind her ear perfectly. She undid the bright blue ribbon, allowing her hair to flow freely in the cool breeze caressing the land like an unforeseen kiss.

It was such a quiet night out. The neighborhood was at peace and even the crickets had retired from their evening song. The millions of diamonds in the velvet sky winked down at her, accompanied by the moon which watched over her like a silent guardian. She didn't even shiver as another gust of wind came billowing through. She merely sat there, nearly still as a statue save for her fingers plucking the blades of grass.

"Sienna!" Feliciano called from the patio, running over to his daughter. "Sienna, what're you doing out here? It's the middle of the night! You'll catch cold if you stay out here!"

"Oh," the girl said as if she hadn't noticed. "Sorry, Mama. I didn't mean to worry you. I just couldn't sleep."

"That's all right," Feliciano sighed lightly. "Let's go inside before you get sick. You must be freezing!"

The Italian helped his daughter to her feet and led her inside, immediately wrapping her in a thick blanket and giving her some warm milk. The duo sat themselves on the couch and Feliciano watched the girl take a sip of her drink before questioning.

"Why can't you sleep, Sienna? Is something bothering you?"

Sienna hid her face behind her curtain of hair, using it as a wall to evade the questions asked. The seven-year-old was quiet as she stared at the milk rippling in her cup and traced the brim of the mug with her finger.

"Sienna?" Feliciano pressed.

"I-It's nothing, Mama…" she muttered. "I'm okay."

"Sienna Marie," there was no hint of an upcoming scolding that Sienna could detect. Only apprehension and genuine worry were present. "Please tell me, sweetheart. I can't help if you don't tell me."

The girl thought about it for a moment. Would her mother really understand? He was so bubbly and cheerful all the time, seeming to not have a care in the world. Being a quiet and reserved girl for most of her life, she had always been very hesitant to voice her thoughts. She was still a blooming rose that had yet to reveal its inner beauty or a baby bird just learning how to spread her wings.

Feliciano waited patiently for his daughter, knowing that she needed time to collect her thoughts. She was so much like Ludwig sometimes it was almost laughable. The way her eyes lit up when something peaked her interest or the way their brow furrowed when in deep thought.

"Umm, well… I was just wondering if we could go see Uncle Lovi and Antonio tomorrow," she then quickly rebounded with something else. "I-I mean, it's only if you want to. We don't have to. I just…"

"Miss them?" Feliciano completed her thought.

Sienna nodded, "I miss them a lot."

The Italian man sighed lightly, wondering how to go about this. He couldn't possibly beat around the bush. Sienna could read him like an open book just as her father could.

"Sienna, sweetheart, there's something that you need to understand even if I don't fully understand it myself," Feliciano began uncertainly and knew he had the girl's attention from the focused ocean eyes watching him. "Antonio and Lovino are going through a very hard time right now and they may not want visitors until everything has calmed down over there."

"But why? We're family, aren't we?"

"Yes and as their family we must respect their wishes. If they need some space, we have to give it to them and know that they're going to be okay," Feliciano placed his hand atop the girl's mop of bright hair when she leaned against his shoulder. "They just need time, sweetie, that's all."

Sienna muttered, "Why? What's happening, Mommy?"

Now Feliciano had been thrown for another loop. How the hell was he supposed to explain this to her? He wished Ludwig was home. He was good at this kind of thing.

"Remember the time that we went over to Uncle Lovi's house and Antonio wouldn't even come near us?"

"Uh-huh."

"And that he started screaming when he fell asleep?"

Sienna nodded again.

"Well, that's because Antonio doesn't really trust us right now," Feliciano said.

"Why not?"

"Because someone hurt him very badly so his dad is the only one he trusts right now."

"But—but why wouldn't he trust us? He knows us, Mama," Sienna's eyes dimmed with confusion.

"That's true, he does know us. But just because you know someone doesn't mean you have to trust them. Trust takes years to build, Sienna. You didn't start trusting your uncle Lovi until you were about three years old," Feliciano ended that with an amused smile.

"Really?"

"Yup!" Feliciano nodded. "You had to make sure he wasn't going to hurt you. That's all Antonio is doing right now. He wants to make sure that we—or no one else—is going to hurt him again."

The girl nodded in understanding and placed her mug on the coffee table, no longer in the mood for it. Her eyes swam in the tears threatening to spill, emphasizing her ocean orbs. Feliciano tenderly wiped them away before even a single one could fall and stroked his daughter's cheek.

"Everything will be okay, Sienna. You'll see."

She hugged him tightly, murmuring, "When's Daddy coming home?"

"He'll be home by the end of the week. He went to visit Grandpa Garren, remember? He's sick."

"Why couldn't… we… we go with him?" Sienna was on the journey to sleep.

"Because, silly, you have school. Not to mention his mother doesn't exactly like me," Feliciano mumbled the last part, thankful that Sienna hadn't heard him.

The seven-year-old had already drifted off into her dreams, lost to this reality and escaped to one that was perfect in her eyes. Feliciano lifted the girl in his arms and carried her to bed, kissing her forehead and placing her stuffed teddy bear beside her.

"Goodnight, Sienna. Sweet dreams," Feliciano exited the room, mindful to leave the closet light on.

He dared that man to try and come after them again. This time, there would be no mercy. No. This time, they would be ready for anything. Since the art of the possible tended to paint a different portrait than what they imagined, they would need their own masterpiece.


That's right.

Keep running.

Run away!

Run!

Run!

You'll never get away.

You'll never be fast enough.

You'll never be strong enough.

Your daddy can't protect you forever.

I still have a coffin with your name on it…

Antonio Vargas.