A/N: Yush, this one took a bit of my time. I had it planned out in advance though so it took less time that it could have. This chapter is actually the very first one of these series that I planned. Then was Natasha's story and then the rest.

People in this one speak Italian all the time but I couldn't resist putting some actual Italian words in the middle. Sorry. The translations to those and some other languages that appear are on the bottom.

I should probably put some warning to this chapter... Contains abuse, blood, a bit death... I warned.

16. Month of fear

It was the 17th June and the opening of a new family restaurant in Milan. Mario Cantorini and his Finnish wife Alina had planned it for a long time already and now their dream came true. Close family friends were invited and some local joined too to the celebrations. There were so much people that the twins, eleven-year-old Felicia and Luciano sneaked outside. It was hot day and even hotter inside. So what did the two decide to do? Play tag of course. Both of them were exceptionally fast runners after all.

Felicia ran in circles on the yard in front of the restaurant while Luciano chased her. The boy made sudden change of direction then, almost reaching his younger sister. But before he could touch her and they'd change the roles, someone grabbed his arm by the wrist and twisted it behind his back.

"Wha-. Idiota! What are you doing?!" The boy cursed as he was being held by a thug in black. He would have continued if Felicia's scream hadn't cut his train of thought off. She was being held by another man and was kicking and screaming.

"Luci! Luciiiih! Aiuto! Aiuto! Aiutaemi!"

Cue a string of curses and threats to let go of the girl. Luciano started struggling but it was for vain. Both the twins were just too weak and small to give any real opposition to the thugs. So they were dragged into a van where they were knocked out with chloroform and bound by ropes.

And that was almost month ago.

"Don't you dare to touch mi sorella!" Luciano yelled, struggling against the rope that bound his to the pipes behind his back. A grown man with a smell of cigarettes all over him sneered down at the boy before picking Felicia up. She was unconscious or sleeping, Luciano couldn't tell, and her hands were also tied up but unlike her brother's, her hands were bound in front of her.

"Shut up you brat!" The man kicked Luciano in the ribs. The boy let out a yelp of pain and doubled over as much as his bind allowed him. His sister woke up by the shout.

"Luci?" She asked wearily, rubbing her eyes with her bound hands. Then she noticed that she wasn't on the floor anymore but held around her waist like a sack of potatoes. She looked up. "L-Let me go…" She stuttered to the man.

"No, ragazza, you have your duties to attend." The man smiled a sickly sweet smile that Luciano really wanted to punch out of his face. "If you don't… You and you cara fratello won't get any food today."

"J-Just don't hurt Luci…" The girl whimpered, her eyes flickering to the hunched form of her elder brother. The boy was gritting his teeth and keeping his head bowed so Felicia wouldn't see his tears.

"Feli, I'm fine." He managed to say. "Just… don't worry about me. These guys won't hurt you for some reason…"

The man in the room had apparently grown impatient during the twins' exchange and headed to the door of the room. He opened the door and set Felicia on her feet where another man led her away. Luciano watched the door closing, his green eyes filled with worry towards his younger sister. The cigarette smelling man turned around then, a menacing smile on his face.

"We might not hurt your sister but who knows what might happen if the money doesn't come in time. I'm sure we'll find some other uses for her then." Luciano's eyes widened a fraction as he realized what the man was talking about.

"No! Don't you dare! You bastard! Don't do that to her! I'll kill you! I'll kill you all!" The boy threw himself forward, attempting to get free from the ropes and jump on the man's throat.

"Shut up!" He got punched in the face. "You ungrateful brat. Don't you see this is better for you and your famiglia? Isn't it just better that your padre pays his debt?"

Felicia looked at the ceiling. She could hear Luciano's shouts and yells from the second floor and flinched every time. She was clutching the hem of her apron that covered her tattered green dress. She hadn't been given anything new to wear since the kidnapping a month ago. Sometime she got to wash her dress and Luciano's shirt by hand but not often. She was a kidnapped and forced to clean up mess that the mafia members made to feed herself and her brother.

With a sigh the girl took a mop and started to clean the kitchen floor under the watchful eye of one of the mafia. The man was younger than the others and named Miguel. He was the only one that didn't scare Felicia and probably the only one who didn't want to beat Luciano to death. The girl had also learnt that Miguel didn't particularly like working for the famiglia but didn't have any choice of the matter.

Venice

"There are still no leads with the case of the Cantorini twins' disappearance. Felicia and Luciano Cantorini disappeared in front of their family's restaurant in Milan the 17th of June…" A picture of two eleven-year-olds appeared on the screen. Lovino frowned. How could two children disappear like that? And why were there no leads? Even after a month? But the most pressing question was… how the hell he hadn't heard a word about this before? He was the one associating with mafia unlike Feliciano! Speaking of which…

"Ve~, it's horrible, isn't it?" The younger Italian brother appeared to the doorway that separated the living room from the kitchen.

"Sì. But why is this the first time I hear about this?" Lovino did his best to stay calm. At least to keep his voice steady. The glare he aimed at Feliciano he couldn't stop and was somewhat pleased to see the other fidgeting under it and finding the floor extremely interesting.

"Mario and Alina Cantorini did go to polizia when this happened but everyone suspect mafia behind this. It took a while before the investigation properly began. Polizia has visited the mafia famiglias' houses several times but they were never found."

The house phone rang. Feliciano looked to the direction of the sound.

"Ve~… It must be Tino. Alina is from Finland you see and the twins go to school there." While the younger brother went to answer the phone, the elder of the two got up and headed to the hall.

"I'm off." He stated and grabbed his jacket. His duties with mafia were calling and maybe at the same time he could look into the Cantorini case.

An hour later Lovino had interviewed the Cantorini couple via cell phone. They lived in Milan so he couldn't just pop by. He had found out that the couple had bought a restaurant from a guy who apparently owed to the mafia famiglia in Naples. The guy had made a suicide a week later and not paid his debts. And for some reason the famiglia thought the couple was related to this guy and put the debt on them then. The Cantorini's – unaware of the debt – were now being blackmailed. Not directly since they knew nothing about the debt but that also meant they couldn't do anything for it. Which in turn meant that the kids were in danger.

Back to Naples

It was another day of work for Felicia and another day of abuse for Luciano. The girl shuffled her feet as the underboss of the famiglia gave her the instructions of the day.

"Miguel, you keep an eye on her. Vargas is coming to meet the boss today."

"Sì, signor." The Spaniard smiled vaguely and led Felicia to one of the large sitting rooms that she was supposed to clean up during the day. It was actually right next to the room where Miguel had met Lovino for the first time.

"Who is Vargas?" The girl asked as she took a feather duster.

"He is some sort of mediator between famiglias. I'm not sure what his exact position is. He is greatly respected thought." Vague answer the best answer. And it was true too. Miguel still didn't really know the man outside of him delivering Miguel's letters home.

"Okay…" Felicia walked to the giant bookshelf on one wall and started dusting the lowest shelves.

"Signor Vargas, how nice to meet you again. What brings you here this time? Especially considering how short time it has been from our last meeting…"

Luciano heard voices from the room next to the one he was stored in. With him was yet another thug who was pointing his head with a pistol.

"If you say one word, you'll die and so will your sorella."

"Bastard…" Luciano muttered and leaned against the pipes behind his back. Not the most comfortable position especially with his hands tied to them but nevertheless allowed him to eavesdrop the conversation through the thin wall(hey, it was an old house!).

"Nothing special. I'm just making the routine check in all famiglias. The order has changed." Another voice answered. It was quite young, even younger than Miguel's and that was saying something considering that the man was 25 or something.

"Miguel… Could I have a glass of water, please? The dust is making my throat hurt." Felicia asked after finishing dusting the bookshelf.

"Okay, just don't leave this room. I'll be right back."

"I'll sit right here." Felicia sat on the floor and leaned against the bookshelf. She could take a short break now and then continue with the furniture and paintings. The carpets were for tomorrow. Yes, she'd just rest for a moment…

"Thank you for visiting, Signor Vargas. I trust you know the way out."

"Sí. This was a pleasure as always." Lovino nodded albeit having a bored expression on his face. Internally he was gritting his teeth. "Ciao." With that he left the dark toned and pompous office.

"Okay, just don't leave this room. I'll be right back." He heard from the end of the corridor, the opposite way from the stairs leading to the lower floor. He also heard some hurried steps coming to his direction. Lovino ducked into an alcove and watched Miguel Verdacia hurrying past. He frowned. Who was in that other room? Miguel wasn't in a position to give orders to anyone in the famiglia. Lovino headed to the direction the Spaniard had come from.

One door was ajar. It was one of those unused rooms in the house. Carefully the personifiacation of the country peeked in. To say he was shocked would have been the understatement of the century. And that was saying something.

In the far end of the room, leaning against the bookshelf and slightly dozing off, was Felicia Cantorini, one of the missing twins. She was wearing the same green dress she'd worn when she'd disappeared. Her socks and shoes were missing but she had been given an apron and a scarf to keep her chin-length hair out of her face. Next to her was a feather duster and a bucket with a mop and a rag.

Quietly Lovino slipped into the room and walked to the girl. He sat opposite her and scrutinized her appearance. She was malnourished and looked like she hadn't washed properly for a while, maybe only one or twice since the capture.

"Signor Vargas?" A voice gasped from the door.

"Ciao Miguel." Lovino muttered indifferently. "How long has she been here?"

"Since the kidnapping. Two days since your last visit." Miguel sat next to the man and placed a bottle of water on the floor. Lovino tilted his head at the bruises on Felicia's face and arms. He took gently her hand and brushed a thumb over the rope marks on her wrist. Miguel stayed silent as he could definitely see the Italian's temper rising steadily. But then he decided to speak.

"Luciano is worse. Felicia is made to work to feed them both."

"Polizia has been here several times and they have not been found. Why?"

"They've been held in a secret room…" Miguel sighed. "Neither of them want to die.

"Someone's there to keep them silent."

"Yes. The usual 'stay silent or your brother dies', 'stay silent of your sister dies' and 'stay silent or we send someone after your parents'."

At that moment Felicia's eyes flickered open. At first she saw Lovino, unknown person to her. She gasped and curled up, her knees acting as a shield.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep. I-."

"Felicia, it's alright." Miguel assured the girl who launched herself on his neck immediately. "He won't hurt you. Here's the water I brought." He took the bottle and settled the girl sitting comfortably on his lap. Felicia took the bottle.

"Grazie." She thanked quietly and started drinking, not taking her eyes off Lovino.

"What's your name, bambina?" The nation asked gently.

"Felicia Olivia Cantorini. And you… Signor?"

"I'm Lovino Romano Vargas."

Felicia's eyes widened and she tried to scoot even closer to Miguel.

"It's alright. Signor Vargas won't hurt you." The Spaniard assured the girl.

"But…"

"Where is your brother?" Lovino asked, still keeping his voice gentle.

"Don't hurt him… I do anything, don't hurt him." Tears were now falling down her cheeks. Miguel sighed and hugged the girl tightly.

"Signor Vargas is a good guy, Felicia. He won't hurt either of you." He explained quietly while the girl cried. Lovino in the other hand was shocked by the girl's reaction.

"Miguel… What exactly did you mean by Luciano being worse?" He asked, getting up. Miguel followed the suit while keeping Felicia on his arms. The girl was still sniffing.

"Hey, Felicia… Let's go to check your brother. Everyone else has already left so no one will notice."

"But the room…" She whispered.

"No one uses this one so no one will notice."

"Okay…"

The three of them left the room and headed towards the secret room through deserted corridors. Miguel opened one door that looked more like a piece of wall and let Felicia down. The girl dashed immediately into the room.

"Luciano? Luci, you… okay?" Felicia asked while kneeling next to her brother. Miguel stepped into the room too while Lovino stayed in the doorway.

"'m fine…" The boy mumbled. His head was hanging low and eyes were hidden by his copper brown hair that hung limply in front of his face. He was wearing grey shorts and a short-sleeved, green button-up shirt. His socks and shoes were also gone.

"The-They didn't hurt you too badly?" Felicia's voice was quivering. She knew the answer but at the same time she had to ask.

"Those bastards should just fuck off." Luciano muttered, finally raising his head. He looked first at Felicia, then at Miguel. When he noticed Lovino, his eyes narrowed. "You are the guy who talked with the biggest son of a bitch here."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean that I belong to the same league with that bastard." Lovino retorted.

"Uh-huh? I heard every word. You-…" But the sentence was interrupted when the boy winced in pain a doubled over again.

"Luciano calm down." Miguel sighed. "Signor Vargas doesn't belong to this or any other famiglia."

"Are you beaten every day?" Lovino asked then, uncharacteristic concern in his voice.

"About, yeah…"

"Badly?"

A nod.

"I thought so."

"Why did you ask then, bastard?!" Luciano shouted only to wince again. Miguel was next to him in a flash and gently pressed the boy's chest and sides.

"A couple of cracked ribs." The Spaniard sighed.

"Miguel… You want to go home, right?" Lovino asked suddenly.

"Sì, Signor."

"Prepare then, I'm coming tomorrow to get you three out of here."

The twins stared at the nation in shock while a small smile found its way to Miguel's face.

"I'll be back around noon." Lovino stated then and left. Once outside the house, he dialed a well-known number.

"Feliciano, get the Cantorini's from Milan come to Naples. I've found where the twins are."

On the next day, exactly 12 o'clock, the doorbell rang. The mafia member who opened the door was greeted by a barrel of a gun.

"I've come here to get the Cantorini twins. If you want to keep your brains intact and inside your skull, you bastard, you'll let me in and won't say a word." Lovino growled. The threatened man nodded mutely and stepped aside. Immediately Lovino hit the man in the face and he collapsed on the floor, unconscious.

"Oi, Miguel!" South Italy hollered to the stairs. Instead of the Spaniard, another guy(thug or hitman, who cares) appeared a top of the stairs.

"Signor Vargas? What are you doing here?"

"None of your business, dumbass." On that moment the other man tumbled down the stairs and Miguel appeared on his place. The young man took a look on Lovino's appearance (a tan WWII uniform) and quirked an eyebrow.

"When did the war start?"

"It never ended."

"The kids are in 'their' room with…" Miguel hesitated. "Sacro."

"Sacro? That bastard who can barely tie his own shoelaces?"

"Which is why he uses boots but yes, him."

Without wasting any more words, Lovino stormed to the second floor, Miguel hot on his heels.

"Don't touch her, bastard!" Luciano yelled at a giant of a man who had Felicia suspended in the air. The girl struggled against the large palms, one of which was holding her bound wrists and the other one covering her mouth and muffling her screams. And screaming Felicia tried, and kicking too.

"Let her go you son of a bitch! You piece of shit! You overgrown smelly ass of a donkey!" Lused all of his colorful vocabulary to get the man's attention off from Felicia. It succeeded. Partly. Luciano earned a kick into his stomach but Felicia was still up in the air.

Upon seeing her brother receive the thug's anger, Felicia made her decision. She wriggled her face to a different position and bit the hand that had been covering her mouth. With a yell, the man let go of her and she fell on the floor.

"Little pest…" The giant grunted and drew a gun. "You will pay for that."

Felicia froze to stare the barrel of the gun. Luciano froze too but a second later he was struggling against his binds again.

"No! Non!"

A hand closed around Felicia's throat and threw her across the room where she stayed, unmoving after hitting the wall.

"Felicia! Felicia, wake up!" The gun was pointing at her again.

BANG

Blood. Blood everywhere. The giant man was lying on the floor, a pool of blood forming beneath him. Luciano looked up to see Lovino and Miguel in the doorway and the gun the southern Italian was holding was smoking. The silence after the gunshot was deafening. Lovino strode into the room and swiftly cut the rope that bind Luciano's wrists to the pipes running along the wall. The boy stumbled on the floor. He reached a hand towards his unmoving sister.

"Feli…" His voice trembled as his hand closed around the girl's. Miguel crouched next to her and lifted her up.

"We need to hurry. Luciano, can you stand?" The Spaniard asked.

"No, you idiot. I haven't stood since I came here." And the boy was back his crouchy self.

"Right then." Lovino hooked an arm around the boy and lifted his off the floor with a surprising ease. Luciano's feet tangled helplessly and she seemed very displeased about the situation. Nevertheless he wrapped his arms around the man's neck to support himself. Anything to get out of that hell hole.

"Let's go." Miguel ran out of the door, Lovino following him closely.

Unfortunately the gunshot didn't go unnoticed by the few people who were also in the house. Another shot rang. Lovino stumbled but kept running. Luciano's eyes widened as he saw a red stain forming on the man's back, blood clearly visible on the light color of the uniform. The boy – without giving any second thoughts to the idea – seized the gun Lovino had tucked to the back of his belt and fired once. The bullet ripped through the air and hit the man who had shot at Lovino.

"I hope he dies to that…" Luciano thought bitterly.

By some sort of miracle all four of them got into Lovino's car. Miguel started the engine with the keys that had been left there. The rest sat on the back seat, Felicia unconscious, Lovino in pain of the shot and shock of Luciano's actions and the boy… He was calmly unloading the gun a putting a safety on.

"You shot at that bastard." The nation stated after few minutes of fast and not-quite-reckless driving. Thankfully Miguel knew the streets like the backs of his hands and had managed to shake the mafia off right at the beginning.

"He shot at you." Luciano answered simply. "And he has hurt me and Felicia."

"Right, you idiot…" Lovino pulled out his cellphone and after taking the gun from the boy next to him, he pressed the call button.

"Yeah, I got them… We are on our way to Ospedale di Santa Maria." A short silence fell. "What the hell is that tomato bastard doing here?"

They arrived to the hospital where nurses and doctors were waiting for them along with Cantorinis, Feliciano and Antonio. Lovino threw a jacket on his shoulders to conceal the bullet wound which had already healed. He carefully lifted Luciano to a wheelchair. Felicia had woken up sometime during the ride and was now carried by Miguel.

"Äiti!" Alina Cantorini ran forward and lifted the girl from the Spaniard's arms, both females crying as they embraced each other. Mario came forwards too and ruffled Luciano's hair.

"Thank god you both are alright." He smiled to the boy.

"I did my best to keep Felicia safe." Luciano sighed tiredly.

"I know." Mario got on his knees and hugged his son. "I know…"

"Polizia is already heading to arrest that famiglia." Feliciano smiled.

"Bene." Lovino nodded wearily.

"You alright Lovi?" Antonio placed a hand on the elder Italy brother's shoulder.

"I got shot." Lovino dug a bloodied bullet from his pocket. "On the back."

"Ve~h?!"

"I'm fine idiota. The adrenaline healed it already."

"Signor Vargas?" A voice asked next to the trio. Miguel was standing there.

"Miguel, you don't need to call me like that anymore. We are not inside the house." Lovino muttered.

"Lo siento. I'm too used to it I guess." The man smiled, switching momentary to his native language. "I just wanted say… Gracias."

"You're welcome." Lovino grumbled. "What are you going to do now then?"

"I… I guess I'm going home. So many years here without talking or seeing them… Yeah, I guess it's time to go back to Barcelona. I miss my family." Miguel's cellphone started to ring. He had purchased it a couple of weeks after being acquaintaned with Lovino. "Wha-?" He stared at the number which he identified as his old home number.

"I took the liberty of giving your number to your family. They know everything now."

"But-."

"Just answer it."

And that Miguel did. When he heard who had called, tears appeared in his eyes. Lovino smiled slightly before allowing Feliciano and Antonio hug him just this once.

"¿Hola?... ¿A-Alonso? Sí… hermano aqui. Estoy yendo a casa."

A few days later Lovino went to visit the Cantorini twins in the hospital. He saw Felicia sitting on her bed and leaning against pillows while talking with someone via laptop on the table in front of her. The girl's mother walked into the room and gave her a can of lemonade. Luciano was nowhere to be seen but the nation had a good inkling where the boy was.

The sky was bright blue and the sun was warming Luciano's face while the wind fluttered his now clean hair. He was sitting on his wheelchair on the roof of the hospital. He could already walk quite well but after a month of not using his legs at all, he got exhausted quickly. Thus the use of the wheelchair.

"Ciao, Lovino." Luciano said without opening his eyes. The man looked at him for a second before stepping forward to stand next to him.

"How did you…?" The nation frowned.

"You tell me. I just know it was you." The boy shrugged, opening his eyes in process.

"I don't know." Lovino grumbled.

"Liar."

"I'm not, you ragazzo idiota!"

"Yes, you are. At least in this matter."

If Lovino was shocked by the boy's sudden maturity, he didn't show it.

"Miguel left yesterday to Barcelona." Luciano continued.

"I know. Tomato bastard went with him."

"Tomato bastard? That Spanish guy with your brother when we arrived here?"

"Yes." Lovino walked around the wheelchair and sat down on a bench next to it. "How are you Luciano?"

"I'm fine. Healing. Better than Felicia anyways."

"How so?"

"… She has amnesia. Partial one. She forgot all details of what happened in the house. She only knows cleaning a lot, being hungry and that I was hurt. She doesn't even remember Miguel or you." Luciano frowned. "She forgot completely how to speak Italian. I suppose it's a coping mechanism since everyone in the house spoke it. Father is upset because he doesn't speak Finnish that well to communicate with her properly."

"Oh…"

"But I suppose it's going to be alright eventually." The boy sighed and took his Nintendo DS what he had put aside earlier and started playing with it.

"I hope so too." Lovino got up. "Let's go inside, I'll buy you a drink."

"Okay." Without letting the boy start rolling the wheels, the personification of South Italy took the handles of the wheelchair and pushed the boy towards the elevator.

While going through the corridors and playing the DS, Luciano bombarded Lovino with questions.

"What was that Spaniards name? The one you call tomato bastard?"

"Antonio Fernández Carriedo."

"Why do you call him tomato bastard?"

"I just do."

"How do you know him?"

"…I used to live with him as akid. He's annoying. Always calling me 'Lovi' or 'mi tomate'."

"Comparing you to a tomato? I see where your name for him comes from." Luciano smirked, ending his game finally and putting the console aside.

"He grows tomatoes in his backyard!"

"And that justifies everything." The boy deadpanned.

"He's too clingy and touchy-feely."

"Sounds a bit like Felicia then. Hey, what's your brother's name? I see you two are about the same age." Luciano leaned back in the wheelchair and looked up at Lovino. The man looked away. "Well?"

"Feliciano Veneziano Vargas. He's my younger brother. Everyone is fawning over him." Lovino muttered darkly.

"I understand. Felicia is also always being fawned over. She's the little angel and mummy's girl. But she's also the one with less freedom." They had stopped by a vending machine. "I'm the elder one of us two and I'm a boy so it's my responsibility to take care of her when our parents can't. And I'm fine with it."

"…What do you want to drink?"

"Just something."

During the following week Lovino visited Luciano every single day to talk about everyday things and what was in their lives. The boy got his spicy nature back every visit along with his strength to walk. In no time the two were having playful cussing competitions.

"The Cantorini's? They were released today. I heard they're heading back to Finland. After all the twins' school starts in a few weeks." A nurse who had taken care of the twins told the nation when he had arrived only to find the hospital room empty.

"Did Luciano say anything?"

"He left this." The nurse gave him a simple postcard which Lovino took. The card had his name on it and only one sentence written in it.

Grazie, tomato face.
but who the heck are you?

A/N: As you can see Felicia and Luciano resemble greatly the Italy brothers. They are not copies though and you'll find it out in the next chapter which is the aftermath of this one(kinda). And yeah, Felicia was a bit Chibitalia-ish in that house.

And now the translations(I don't put the most obvious ones):

Aiuto! Aiuto! Aiutaemi! = Help! Help! Help me! (Italian)

cara sorella = dear sister (Italian)

bambina = little girl (Italian)

ragazzo idiota = idiot boy (Italian)

Äiti = Mother (Finnish)

Lo siento. = I'm sorry./My apologies. (Spanish)

¿Hola?... ¿A-Alonso? Sí… hermano aqui. Estoy yendo a casa. = Hello?... A-Alonso? Yes... brother here. I'm coming home.

.

.

I guess that's it for this time. Next one come some day. Mean while review please! Reviews are my food, I need them! See ya! ;)