Chapter 8

"England!"

England thought that he was dreaming. There was no way that someone in this world would ever call out his name, but as he turned around to see who it was he was greeted by the sight of an overly familiar brown jacket that a certain American wore on a nearly daily basis and a pair of arms wrapped tightly around him.

"England. England I'm so glad that I found you."

"It-It can't be. How did America get here and how on bloody earth did he find me?" England couldn't find the voice to ask the questions that were running through his head, he was just too happy to see America again. He was about to wrap his arms round America but stopped when he heard someone behind him.

"Arthur?"

Little did England know that walking in the opposite direction to him was Alfred who was looking for him.

Alfred had stopped in his tracks when he heard someone call out the name of something or someone that he had never heard of before in his life.

He carried on walking in the direction that he heard the voice come from. When he got to where he heard the voice he was stunned to see that another person had wrapped their arms around Arthur and Arthur was about to do the same to the stranger. Alfred was beyond confused as to what was happening in front of him; he needed answer and he needed them now.

"Arthur?" What he wasn't expecting to see was that the person that was standing with Arthur looked just like him. At first he was confused as to what was going on but after seeing his look alike wrap his arms even tighter around his Arthur, his confusion turns to anger. "What is this? Where did he come from? This has to be some sort of sick joke by Clubs; I just knew that they were the ones that were behind Arthur disappearing all those years again and now they've made a look alike of me to take him away from me again well I won't let that happen not again! Arthur come with me right now! Get away from that fake!"

America upon hearing Alfred's words and at the thought of England being snatched from him tightened his arms around the smaller nation. "No way dude he's not your Arthur he's my England and he's coming back home with me. And I am in no way a fake dude; I'm real if anything you're the fake."

Alfred was stunned by the words of his look alike and by the name that he had called Arthur he knew that his look alike had to be lying that Arthur was indeed Arthur and not this England person that he said he was but just the mere thought that Arthur wasn't Arthur was enough to make his heart break in two again. "Ar-Arthur please . . . please tell that you are Arthur."

This was the moment that England had been dreading. The look on Alfred's face was enough to prove his theory right; if he tells him the truth that's it his heart will break and that will be the end of him and Spades. He knew that he had to lie once again to save Alfred but at the same time lying with America still holding him in his arms hurt him. "There is no option left. I can't lie anymore." England took one last at Alfred before deciding that the truth was the best option to go for. "Please forgive me for this Alfred."

"Alfred . . . I'm . . . I'm sorry." England didn't get a chance to finish what he wanted to say as Alfred was quick to turn on his heels and walk away from him and America.

England freed himself from America's hold on him to go after Alfred to explain why he lied to him, but he was stopped when he felt America grasp his hand stopping him in his tracks. He looked back to America to see a panicked look on his face which was rare to see on the younger nation. "America please I need to explain to him why I did what I did, he deserves that at least for what he has gone through trust me."

America gave England's hand a squeeze just being able to see the nation again made him so happy that he didn't want to lose him again; but he knew that he could trust him and if there was something that he needed to do then he would stand by his side as support. "Ok England I trust you. If need to do this then I'll be right be your side as you do so."

America was reluctant to let go of England's hand but knew that in order for him to do what he needed he would need to let go of the others hand. As England walked off in the direction that Alfred walked off in he was quick to follow the other nation.

As soon as America let go of his hand England was quick to follow after Alfred. "Alfred please let me explain."

This was the situation that he had been dreading happening especially after what Francis had said to him. England stopped in his tracks relieved when he saw that Alfred was walking back towards him and America but that relief was short lived when he saw that Alfred was carrying a sword in his hand. He wasn't sure if he should run to America and get him to run away from here or to run to Alfred and get him to stop what he was doing before he went too far.

His decision was in the end made for him when both America and Alfred walked up to him. "Oh this is not going to end well for anyone."

Once Alfred saw America again he pointed the sword in his hand at him. "I will not let an imposter from Clubs take Arthur away from me again!"

"Dude how many times do I have to tell you I'm real not an imposter and his name is England not Arthur!" America was starting to get really annoyed with this Alfred. At the sight of the sword America pulled England behind him trying his best to protect his fellow nation.

Alfred was angered as his fake laid a hand on Arthur to move him out of the way, like Arthur was in any danger Alfred could never hurt his beloved Arthur; the only person that was likely to get hurt was this fake. "Don't you lay another hand upon him! I will not let him be taken away from me again not whilst there is still breath in my body and a sword in my hand I will protect the one I love from people like you!"

England could faintly hear the sounds of other people nearby over the sound of America and Alfred constantly shouting at each other. He began to panic at the thought of the castle servants freaking out over the sight of two people that look similar to each other and on top of that the way that America was dressed made him stand out like the biggest sore thumb possible and to make things even worse for him his head started to hurt as if someone smashed a brick against his head. He fought against his now pounding head to think of some sort of plan. He had to get the three of them out the sight of anyone who could see them. With a quick incantation he moved the three of them back to Alfred and Arthur's room thinking that would the best place and somewhere were the three of them were less likely to be disturbed.

Alfred and America only just noticed the change in their location before they went back to arguing between each other.

As Alfred and America continued to argue in front of him England could feel the pain in his head getting worse. As he clutched the side of his head he could hear a voice echo in his mind. "Allow me to take over for a moment."

As he looked at the two arguing people in front of him he couldn't help but groan in exhaustion. "Oh for the love of cards." And with that he used his magic to move Alfred and America away from each other.

As Alfred was pushed to one side of the room he felt a similarity to the magic that was just used on him. It was forceful but not strong enough to hurt anyone especially him. He knew that magic that magic and the person who used it.

"Honestly you are just as bad as each other. And if you could put your differences aside for just a moment we can all get this sorted. I swear for the love of cards you are both acting like a couple of children who have had their favourite toy taken away from you."

Alfred couldn't believe what he was hearing; the way that England was talking was just like how Arthur would talk to him when he was fighting over something with Ivan. He took a tentative step forward as he looked at England. "Arthur?"

"Hello my love. It's been a long time." Arthur looked at Alfred with a smile on his face.

Tears pricked at the corners of Alfred eyes as he quickly closed the distance between him and Arthur and wrapped his arms tightly around the smaller blond. "I've missed you so much Arthur."

Arthur returned the hug that Alfred gave him feeling beyond happy to back in the arms of the one that he loves. "I know you have my love. I could hear you constantly calling for me."

At hearing this Alfred quickly pulled back from hugging Arthur and placed his hands on the smaller blond's shoulders as he looked him in the eye. "Then why didn't you come back sooner?"

Arthur rested both of his hands on top of Alfred's and gave them both a reassuring squeeze. "I wanted to so badly but I was unable to. If I did then I still would have been trapped."

"Trapped!" shouted both Alfred and America in unison.

"Who did it? Who kidnapped you Arthur?" Alfred's grip on Arthur's tightened to the point that it would hurt the smaller blond if Alfred notice a small wince indicating pain and held back to lessen the pain to his beloved Queen.

Arthur took a deep breath as Alfred lessens his grip on the shoulders of the body that he inhabits. He looked Alfred straight in the eye as he told him of how things came to be as they are now. "It was Francis who kidnapped me. That stupid git is infatuated with me and thought that if he took me away from you that I would be his. Of course this didn't happen, my heart only belongs to you Alfred." Arthur cupped one side of Alfred's face, his thumb stroking the others cheek. "So when I turned him down he locked me in the dungeons of the Diamonds castle."

Alfred couldn't believe his ears with what Arthur had told him. Francis had been a big help and support to him in the search for Arthur only to be the one who caused it all to begin with. But he had to know why Arthur hadn't tried to escape from his confinement "Why didn't you use your magic to get out?"

Arthur removed his hand from the taller blonds cheek and rested both of his hands on Alfred's arms instead as he went about explaining things further to him and to America at the same time. "The bars of the cell cancelled out any magic that I used on them. So I did the only thing that I could; I put my soul into an object and sent it somewhere safe. I put my soul in my wedding ring." Arthur raised his hand that his ring was one to show Alfred. "It was meant to come here, to you Alfred but the bars altered the spell and it was sent to another world where I was given to that world's version of me and I've been living in this body ever since then. I am so sorry that you had to wait so long for me to come back to you Alfred. I've waited centuries to finally be here again."

As soon as Arthur had finished explaining Alfred pulled him into another tight embrace. His emotions were conflicting with each other over this whole ordeal. He was happy that Arthur was back and was ok. He was sad due to the fact that Arthur still wasn't fully Arthur. But he would sure that he was mostly angry at Francis for lying and deceiving him for fifteen years.

In the depths of the dungeons of the Diamonds castle Francis walked along the dark passageway with a torch to light his way even though he knew the way to his destination by heart at this point.

When he reached his destination he opened the door to the cell with confidence knowing that the occupant that inhabits the cell won't be trying to escape anytime soon. Once inside the cell Francis used the torch to light other torches in the cell as to illuminate the room. After lighting the last one Francis placed his one on an empty spot on of the walls and made his way over to the cells occupant and sat down next to them.

Francis looked at Arthur's near lifeless body and stroked his cheek with the back of his hand. "Oh mon cher when will you wake up and be mine. You know there's an imposter walking around Spades saying that he's you. He looks so much like you mon cher, but I knew that he wasn't you as you're here with me mon cher and you will always be my dear, my Arthur and no one else's." With that Francis connected his lips with that of Arthur's sleeping body.

A/N: ok so I know that last time (4 months ago) I said that with my new job I would be getting back into writing . . . well that really didn't seem to be the case as the job that I mentioned last time just drained my creativity and made it difficult to sit down and write. but once again I have another new job and creative influences are back.

it was also a case of because I wanted this chapter to be sooooooo good it took me a while to write to a version that I was happy with, which is what I have now given to all of you my oh so patient readers.

so questions have now been answered for this fanfic and the big reveal as to who is behind all of the chaos was none other than Francis and to those that asked how did Francis known that England wasn't Arthur well now you know why.

hopefully it want be too long till the next update (I say with high hopes) as it is already in the process of being written.

favs, follows and reviews are all welcomed, please let me know what you think of this so far.

till next time gxgirl-93 out