"I really had a good time today, you know," Eva told Francis after he'd walked her to the hotel.

"Honhonhon! So will you be going home with me after all?"

His colleague burst out laughing.

"No."

"Well, it was worth a try." He shrugged. "Be that as it may, you still owe me a kiss."

"That's true," Eva admitted. "Would you please close your eyes for me?" she requested shyly.

Francis did as she asked and waited for the kiss.

Nothing.

He waited some more.

Still nothing.

The Frenchman opened his eyes just to see Eva getting into the hotel lift.

"Hé! What happened to my kiss?" he exclaimed.

"I've never said you would be getting it tonight!" the Slav shouted teasingly back.

"And what happened to the non-tempting Eva?"

"She met the snake today!" she beamed just before the lift door closed.

Francis smiled to himself.

You still haven't figure out why I'm doing this, isn't that so, ma chérie?

I feel bad about letting you two down before the war. It's a good thing that I can do at least this much for you now.

Oh, and also because I just LOVE teasing virgins.

"What the hell?" mumbled Hynek as he went through the same form his sister had been filling the day before. The questions were manifold and most of them didn't make any sense to him. Even worse, they kept reminding him of her.

I still don't understand. Didn't I give her everything, didn't I do everything to keep her safe and sound? Didn't I? And now that spoiled brat wants to separate from me. He felt the blood rush into his head as the anger took over him. All those years, all those scars just so she can act all snobby, drinking French wine and declaring independence. He wasn't sure which one of the named two bothered him more.

For crying out loud, we are countries of beer and liquors and now she drinks only that expired grape juice. She's throwing away everything we were building for centuries, even the oldest traditions. Well, let her be independent. I don't have to put up with her shit anyway.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. A second later, a familiar blond entered his office.

"What do you want?" Hynek snapped.

"Well… Bonjour to you, too." France smiled. "You could really try to be a bit more polite, you know," he taunted.

"You're opinion's noted. Now you can go to hell," * replied the Czech as he resumed his paperwork.

Francis chuckled.

"Anyway, I came to talk to you."

The other man stood abruptly up, fire filling his eyes.

"Get the hell out of here! You're the last country on the Earth I want to talk to right now!" he shouted. And it was true. He never forgot about 1938 and wasn't even getting ready to forgive. As if it wasn't enough, that shameless existence was now hovering around his Eva.

The Frenchie sighed.

"Okay, then. I'll come by later. No need to get all touchy," he sang while opening the door once more.

"And I don't want to see you around my little sister anymore, understood? I didn't spend centuries raising her standards so she can end up with someone like you."

This surprised his enemy.

"Raising her standards? Really?!" he mocked. "Aren't you a bit of a ladies' man yourself, mon ami?"

Hynek was fuming. "That's completely different! I would never abandon her!" he yelled.

"It seems like you already did," Francis said calmly. "Now that she needs you the most."

His colleague felt like hitting him, but his intellectual powers told him hold back. An international conflict was the last thing he needed.

"Just... go," he replied coolly and Francis obeyed. Hyňo sat down again and rubbed his eyes. However much he despised the blond, he had to admit he was right.

As a big brother, I taught her to fight for herself and defy those who stand in her way to happiness. Shouldn't I see this more like a success? Eva is finally becoming someone accomplished. She's growing up and it was only a question of time when she will start to fight for more personal space. Becoming an adult is difficult. And scary. And I didn't help.

Maybe I shouldn't be so tough with her after all, he concluded.

As he got back to their hotel later that day, he found a sticky note on his door.

'Meet me at the bar at 8

xxxxx Eva'

He looked at his watch. 19:55. He jumped back into the lift before it could leave.

-END OF CHAPTER 4-

*A reference to an amazing Lordi song 'Sincerely with Love'. We all know that one person :D