The gun rang out again, echoing the damning truth before her. She saw the blood cover his body, watching as the life drained from him while she reached out to save him. How on earth did she left something so horrid happen to him? She wanted to protect him, to be with him and speak her true thoughts, but it was all ripped away as the man loomed over her once more.

Laine bolted right up, gasping as she felt the blanket stick to her body while her body was covered in a cold sweat. She feared for Gillen as the nightmare crossed her once more, praying all was nothing more but a bad dream. But as she looked around, she realized she was wrong. The room wasn't hers or his, not even Lutz's when she would fall asleep during his lessons of history. No, this was much different. She stared at the two flags upon the wall, hanging proudly as the light cascaded over them. One of red, white, and blue with stars while the other was red and white with a leaf, it was two she had never seen yet awed over them like Gillen's. Magazines and books laid before the small desk while papers and documents were piled up the sides. The office space seemed quaint, holding high knowledge of what was before her and what she was in. Looking upon the couch she was on, Laine grabbed one of the heavy intricate blankets and wrapped herself in it.

Once on her feet, she made it her duty to see what and where she was and why. As the door quietly squeaked open, she saw an adjacent room to her and within the bed, was someone laying in it, yet couldn't believe it. There was Gillen. She watched as his chest rose and fell as the bandages wrapped around his chest and throat, small spasms in his arm gave her proof he was alive to her. She moved closer to him, the same ordeal with the man fresh in her mind as the gun rang in her head once more. How? How was he there? He was shot three times, he shouldn't have been alive. Yet there he laid. His hair was loose as his prosthetic was off and to the side, the usual pants and shirt were gone and replaced with a different piece as his torso was bare. She couldn't figure out how he was alive. It just wasn't possible. Carefully, she pulled down the bandage around this throat, fearful of the gaping wound that would be there, but to her dismay, there was barely a mark. Bruising around a small hole that seemed to be healing just like a scrape to the knee. There was just no way it was possibly real.

Moving back out the door, she tried to make sense of what was before her until a sudden deep snore caught her. Spinning around, Laine followed the sound until she found herself in a large living space, much like Gillen's and Lutz's, only this one was themed differently. She took in the old rifles and documents hanging on the walls, how plants seemed to bless each corner of the room as the TV claimed the middle of the wall and the large sofas filled the room, and within one laid the snores.

Peering over the piece, she was met with reddish-brown hair as his piercings and tan skin called familiarly to her, "Allen."

The man gave another snore as a door came open, making her jump back, until she saw the familiar blond come into the room. She watched as James looked down on Allen, groggily taking in his brother just to take the small decorative pillow and smack the man over the head with it. Allen gave a small grunt, only to roll over and begin his snoring again. James shook his head at him, moving towards another room until his gaze landed on her.

"Laine?" he quietly called, "You alright?"

Was she? Laine couldn't tell what she felt or thought, there was too much running through her mind, especially him. She just felt something was off, and it wasn't just Gillen. She watched as James pointed to the room in question, asking her to follow. Hesitantly, she did. She found herself in a little kitchen, watching as he prepared something.

"I don't know what Gillen or Lutz drink, but I do have tea and coffee if you'd like." he said to her.

"I normally have tea with them. Gillen bought it special for me."

"Sounds like him as of late." James replied as he maneuvered around the space, "He'll be alright. Have a seat and relax, no need to fret."

Sitting on the stool, she watched as he fixed up the cups and warmed the kettle for her. She had so much on her mind as she looked him over, long scrapes and bruises covered him yet seemed to fade before her eyes. Was there something that they weren't telling her? Something darker and more perplex? She tried to rid the thoughts yet they screamed at her to speak as James placed the cup of tea before her.

"I have cream and sugar if you'd like." he stated as he held the maple syrup over his mug.

"What are you doing?" she asked while he poured the sticky content into his coffee.

"Making Canadian Coffee." he said as he added another brown liquid to it, "Nothing like the best, eh?"

"Maple syrup and coffee?"

"And whiskey." he pointed at her, "A good way to start the day."

Laine shook her head, "I have never heard of such a thing in my life."

James smiled at her, "You'll learn a lot being here."

She gave a small nod while fixing her tea to her taste. She tried to figure out what to say to him, how everything came to be before her yet one thing stood out the most. And she had to act upon it.

"James?" she asked and heard him hum in reply, "May I ask something of you?"

"Sure, what do you-"

"What are you all?" she questioned.

Wide eyes stared at her, almost as if he was trying to figure out what to say and not the fact she asked such an absurd question. The fight within him became physical in his features as he moved away, looking out the window as his fingers combed through his long blond hair. Small mutters and incoherent words left him as she sat there in wait. And then, with a heavy sigh, he turned to look at her, an unsure look written upon his face.

"Ok, probably better if you did know what you were surrounded with." he began, "So a quick question, do you know the term of personification?"

Laine pondered his question as she replied, "It is the term for something that is inanimate to be human-like, yes?"

James nodded, "Pretty close. Well, um, short to say, we are personifications of nations."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You heard correctly. I am the personification of Canada while Allen is America. We were born to represent the land and people of them. There isn't a real rhyme or reason to it but just what is true. So I may look like twenty-five, but in reality I'm about two hundred or so. After a while you stop counting."

There it was. The truth she was looking for but god it couldn't have been so, "You are a nation?"

"Correct."

"And for Gillen, is he like you?"

James nodded, "Yes, Gillen is the personification of Prussia. Why have you asked?"

"His wounds." she confessed, "Before coming out to this room, I saw him in the room next to mine. I thought him dead with the injuries he sustained but yet there he was, laying upon the bed all wrapped up as if he came out of a small fight. It made no sense on how he was breathing and alive before me. I just had to know."

"Are you afraid of us now?"

"Confused. Not afraid. No one had given me reason to be afraid. Should I be?"

"No!" James nearly jumped at her, "No. None of us would hurt you, well, can't actually."

Now she was curious, "How do you mean, you 'cannot' hurt me?"

James sighed, "It's hard to explain, to normal people you seem ordinary, just a basic woman but to all of us, we can feel a vibration within us that tells us to protect you. That you're extremely valuable and nothing should harm you or anything of it. Including from us."

"So all of you have, what would be, an urge to protect me?"

"Correct, and for you, Gillen's is the strongest to you."

"Does he say so?"

"His actions say it. Gillen is a man of few words." he replied, "But he and Oliver are alike when it comes to the need to protect someone like you."

"Oliver?"

"Shit." he pushed his hands through his hair again, "Yea. Oliver was the first to have the feeling overwhelm him like Gillen now. He was that way for Heather."

Laine looked back at her cup, "So Heather and I share the same thing when it comes to being protected, is that why she has changed just slightly?"

"You mean her accent? Perhaps, we aren't too sure of that one."

"Quite interesting."

"Are you alright, Laine?"

She looked at him once more, seeing the worry laying within his eyes, "It is a lot to understand and it seems very strange to do so. But, I believe that it is the only thing I truly have left. You all have shown me a better world that I never knew existed, and I am happy for that. It will take time in understanding, and if Heather is like me, then her and I should discuss more together. Yes?"

"It wouldn't hurt."

"Good." she gave a light sigh, trying to make sense of all she was told, "May I take my tea to his room? I would like to care for his bandages."

"Fine by me, just know nations heal faster than normal humans."

She nodded to him as she gathered her cup, "Thank you for everything, James."

"You're welcome."

With a final nod, she made her way to Gillen's room, seeing him breathe deeply as exhaustion laid upon him. How did she end up in this strange little world? There was so much that seemed so far and out of reach, but as her fingers graced his arm, his warmth covered her and it all melted away.

Doing as she spoke, she quickly changed his bandages, wrapping him as best as she could until she was satisfied with the results and he still asleep. She watched as his expression seemed to soften when she touched him, whispering lightly to him as she worked, a comfort of something he adored as she thought it.

"Gillen?" she quietly whispered, "Do I really give you a need to protect me?"

His peaceful breaths were her reply, "Then I am either doomed or blessed. Maybe after some thinking and time, I will know which it is. Until then, I would just like to keep the days as they were before."

Laine perched herself on his bed as she brushed his hair from his face, "If I am to have a protector for myself, I am forever thankful it is you."

She kissed his head, hearing him hum in his sleep in approval. Sleep overcame her as her eyes felt heavy and tired. Laying herself along his side and resting her head upon his chest, she heard the steady thrumming of his heart, a piece of proof that he was still human.

"Forever as long as we shall live, Gillen."

Agony. That's all he could think of. His throat was on fire, his chest and abdomen felt like someone ran him over a few times, and his arm seemed to be dead of feeling. Dear god, he didn't lose that one now, did he?

Peeling open his eyes and blinking away the grittiness, Gillen looked around to see the small guest room he would frequent when Allen and himself would attempt to out drink one another. Although it was normally James that out drank them all. He remembered what transpired before waking in the room; the meeting with Luciano, the scum that was attacking his and Lutz's home, hearing Laine scream and having her watch as he was shot, seeing James and Allen arrive before he passed out. Jesus, what a way to leave a mark.

Laine. His mind raced with her and what happened, where was she and what happened to her? He tried to sit up bit found himself stuck to the bed.

"Ok Allen, if this is another sick BDSM joke of yours about the Germanic ways, I'm kicking-"

he paused as he finally saw the reason why.

There tucked against his side was Laine, sound asleep as her gentle breaths filled the room. Gillen couldn't look away. He heard from Oliver how it felt to have Heather sleep against him, but he never mentioned that it would be like waking to an angel beside him. The vibrations in his chest rang out, pure and relaxed as she was there. How was he really that lucky to have her? He tried to brush her hair away from her eyes only to see his prosthetic missing.

"Well, that explains my dead arm."

He tried to shimmy away from her, doing his best to not wake her and learn what had transpired afterwards. Inch by inch, he moved and finally, he had her resting on the bed, clutching his pillow he tucked against her. Truthfully, he wanted to lay beside her and just stare at her angelic beauty, be awed by the woman she was. But important matters laid behind the door.

Stumbling out the door, he tried to prepare himself for the onslaught from the brothers, but seeing Luciano and Xiao within the apartment wasn't what he was expecting. The talk of the meeting came to his ears as he approached them all, where to go next or whom to track, everything he was speaking with him earlier.

"Finally, you're awake."

Gillen glanced up to see Luciano stare at him, eyes needling at his wounds, "Not like I want to be."

"Could be worse." Xiao added in, "You could be dead."

"I'd rather not have a close encounter again, danke."

"Well, besides all that, we were able to get some of the info off the dicks that got you and Lutz, seems to be buddies of AlphaCom. Doing dirty work around the area, and guess who made the full call, Gillen?" Xiao pointed at him.

Now he was truly interested, "Who?"

"The high families of Haven." Luciano replied.

"So our hunch was right then? They're all in it together with AlphaCom?"

Luciano nodded, "It appears so. I have been speaking with the heir of Kingsley, seems to think some of us are on their side yet leery of whom after her Master's mishap. They're spooked yet willing to do business with 'bodyguards' and 'protection'."

Allen snickered, "Oh, if only they knew."

"That is neither here nor there, but eight now we have to figure out what to do next to get Roland from them. I know the girl is weak, but is there anything that could stand out to her from the other families to help us?" Luciano nearly begged.

Gillen shook his head, "Not that I can think of. She was so drawn in that world, she still finds ours odd at times."

"Yea and about that, we may have a slight issue there too." James spoke up.

"What? What issue?" Luciano almost took off his head, "What are you hiding?"

"Dude, relax, James always has reason, right?" Allen protected him.

"What do you mean?" Gillen finally got in, his eyes glued to the Canadian.

"Uh, well, she knows."

"Knows?" Xiao pressed on.

"What we are."

"Che cosa?!"

They all stood there stunned, even after Luciano's outburst. No. There was no way she did. He and Lutz hid everything they could from her, anything that would've...he pause, "The shooting?"

James nodded, "Yea. She watched you get shot and then afterwards still kill the bastard with three gaping bullet holes in you. Most people wouldn't have lived even in a hospital. She saw you in the bedroom asleep and checked your wounds herself. She kinda put two and two together that things weren't what she thought they were."

"Then how the hell did she know the rest?" Luciano demanded.

"She asked." James admitted, "It was bound to happen sooner or later, we knew that."

Gillen watched as Luciano's features scrunched in anger, "So you outright told her?"

"What did you expect?" Xiao chimed in, "He's right, it was bound to happen. At least she is here and not out on the street like Heather. And speaking of her, I know you can feel that sensation with Laine as well as us. Don't lie there."

Only then did the Italian calm down, his eyes narrowing at him, "Fine. I feel it like the rest of you."

"Then you know she was going to find out sooner than later."

Luciano shook his head, letting out a huff of frustration, "Yes, but it's still something we need to keep ourselves tight to. Anyone finds out that more of us exist, then we're fucked."

"Believe me, there's no way she'll tell anyone about it." Gillen attempted to calm him.

"Yea, the woman is glued to your side." Allen joked.

"Not like its a bad thing at this time." James added.

"Yes, well, even having her and Heather around, it's more to watch and worry over. And women are fickle creatures." Luciano stated, "I don't need any more problems."

"Laine won't be a problem." Gillen assured him, "We will get what we can and rethink things over after this incident. Then we can strategize the move to the facility where he's held."

With a final nod, Luciano hummed in approval, "Yes, agreed. Hopefully nothing more comes out of all this."

He watched as Luciano and Xiao left the small apartment, leaving him with the brothers. He knew Luciano was worried over everyone. Had spoken about it to him, Lutz, and Flavio. But as of late, it seemed to be different from him, as if he was looking at the sands of time and fretting over what was going to happen once they ran out.

"Hey man, don't sweat it." Allen spoke up, "We got this in the bag. Always do. When shit hit the fan with Heather, we got her ok. Anything pops up from this point on, we got it, no problem."

Gillen glanced back at the room, knowing she laid within there, unknowing of the dangers that truly surrounded her, "For our sakes, I hope you're right."