Sorry if I sounded mean in the last chapter, but I still meant every word. It was late at night when I posted it, sue me.

I also want to thank everyone that reviewed and favorited and followed this story. I know I don't say this often (and don't really reply to all the nice reviews even thought I should, but I has no free time 'cause I'm writing this and well . . . life) but THANK YOU! Reviews are love and favoriting and following means just as much! Thank you all again!

A bit of a warning: the "F" bomb is dropped quite a bit in this chapter…. So yeah….

That being said remember that if I was a millionaire I would buy these characters, but I'm broke so that ain't happenin'

~~~ Chapter 5 ~~~

The door closed with a soft click, almost inaudible. He took off his shoes as quietly as he possibly could and tip-toed around the house, careful not to wake anyone. It was an ungodly hour and all Aldrich wanted to do was take a warm, relaxing shower and go to bed.

Unfortunately, luck had never been on his side.

Waiting in their living room was his wife. The lamp was left on so that Aldrich could see her in the dead of night. She sat on the sofa with her arms across her large chest and one leg crossed over another. She wore nothing but an over sized shirt and underwear that didn't look appealing to the German anymore. At one point in time, it would've warmed the German's heart to see his wife waiting for him to come home, but now he dreaded it. He did love her at one point, but all that love was gone and filled with hate and irritation.

She flicked some blond hair from her shoulder and sneered at her husband. "What took you so long?"

Aldrich calmly set his work bag down on the ground and answered simply, "There were troubles at the office."

She scoffed, "Oh, that petty excuse again?" Aldrich was about to answer, but the blond haired snake continued, "You can just admit to me that someone dumped their shit on you and you just couldn't. Say. No."

His eyes narrowed. They've had this talk countless times and all of them ended the same way: her pissed at the German for being a push-over, the German having to apologies, and then Aldrich would have to buy something expensive for the woman to appease her.

He was sick of the same damn thing over and over again. She was wrong. He wasn't a push-over, he simply worked harder to earn more money for his family so they wouldn't have to struggle. With his wife not having a job and Aldrich being their only means of income, it was only natural that he would have to work longer hours, but the woman didn't see it that way.

She was spoiled, to put it nicely, and had to have Aldrich's full attention all the time. Aldrich couldn't even get away with spending time with his sons without getting an ear full of the woman's outbursts.

Aldrich has had enough.

"You are wrong," the blond stated, trying to keep his emotions in check. "I simply completed a few extra files at work."

The woman rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She pushed herself off of the couch and made her way over towards her husband. "It's not the first time you've used that excuse either," she muttered under her breath. She continued to walk past him and towards the alcohol cabinet in the kitchen. Her bare feet walking across the wooden floor was the only noise in the entire house.

She poured herself a glass of wine as Aldrich continued to stand there. "So," she said breaking the unbearable silence, "did you talk to your boss about getting that raise?"

Aldrich slowly turned around, his fists clenched, and answered, "No. I have no reason to considering I work extra hours."

The woman let out an irritated groan. The wine glass was filled generously as she held it loosely between her fingers. "That's not the point! The point is: you need to stand up for yourself and get the money I – we deserve. Why are you being such a coward about this?!" At this point the woman was full on yelling. The wine coming dangerously close to spilling with her body swaying to and fro as her voice rose in volume.

Aldrich was about to respond when he heard the patter of small feet and a yawn emanate from behind him. He turned around to see both his boys barely awake. Gilbert held Ludwig's hand loosely as the younger rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Gilbert looked drowsy, confused, and ready to defend his father all at the same time.

"Vati what's going on?" Gilbert asked in a small voice. Sleep still dawned on him but his mind was wide awake.

Aldrich was about to tell his son to go back to his room but the words never left his lips. "Get back to your room, and don't you dare make a sound!" the woman snapped at Gilbert. The albino flinched and Ludwig dashed behind his brother, trembling slightly. "And you," she said, pointing her wine glass at the older blond, "I said you had to get that raise, so I expect you to get it by tomorrow, got it?!" Aldrich could tell that the wine was starting to circulate in her bloodstream and she was now drunk. She was completely content with yelling at her husband while sober but not in front of her children, that special privilege was reserved for when she was stoned. It infuriated Aldrich to no end.

She raised her hand as if she was going to slap the older German but Gilbert called out in a trembling voice, "Don't hurt him!" Tears were on the brick of falling from his small round face. He had to be strong, for his father. He couldn't cry, but he was so scared that his mother was going to hurt him. Their father might've thought Gilbert was ignorant to what he and his wife do at night, the constant arguments, but the albino heard everything. Understood every single word.

His mother's head shot back to the boy and she sneered at him. "I thought I told you to get the fuck out of here!" Aldrich's eyes shot open. Never has he heard her use such language in front of, not one, but both of his sons. His wife turned back to Aldrich, content that Gilbert shut up. "Now when will you finally grow a spine and man up?!" she barked at him.

That outburst toward his son was the final straw. No one talked to his dearest sons like that, not even their own mother. He decided to listen to his wife, for once, and stand up to himself. "Shut up," he said in a mere whisper at first.

The woman's eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me?" she sneered.

"I said shut up!" he said louder, "I'm sick and tired of you and your antics. I could deal with you being drunk. I could deal with you constantly yelling at me, telling me how weak I am. But one thing I will not tolerate is you yelling at my sons and in such a crude manor at that. I want you out of this house; I want you out of my life because I can't take it anymore! We have more than enough money which is why I can't fathom the fact that you insist that we need more. It's merely to satisfy your greed, am I right? Well, I can't take it anymore! Now. . . Get out of my house!"

Never in his live has he ever defied this woman, and never in his life as his vocal cords strained so much. The waves of anger were flowing off him and he couldn't get his hands to stop shaking. His wife was speechless, irritated, and impressed at the same time. At least he had the balls to speak his mind, but his mouth was geared towards her. That was absolutely unacceptable and she would not tolerate it; besides, she was sick of this wretched house anyway!

She huffed, "Well, suit yourself, asshole! You just kicked out the best fucking thing to ever happen to your shitty life; I hope you fucking realize that! And I'm never coming back to this fucking hell of a dump!"

She grabbed her bag and stomped her way upstairs. Grabbing a suitcase, she shoved all the cloths she could fit into it and grabbed her hidden stash of cash and booze and packed it into the bag as well. She quickly changed into one of her more lusty outfits and hastily put on her face. She stormed back down the stairs, dragging her bag down the steps. Each stair set out loud, angry bang through the house.

Aldrich was kneeling in front of Gilbert and Ludwig by the time his wife joined him on the first floor. She sneered at the sight; she never was fond of her children and never dotted on them like he did. Hell, she wasn't even fond of children in general; such messy things.

From his kneeling position, she shoved the man out of the way which sent him tumbling to the floor. The children cried out to him but she just walked right past them, not giving a crap. She walked up to the front door and turned around one last time and growled, "You won't survive a week without me. You'll be crawling back to me, just wait and see."

Aldrich's teeth were clenched. He kept his place on the ground while his boys crowded around him, but at the witch's last comment he jumped to his feet and barked, "I said OUT! GET THE HELL O –"

Nothing came out but air after that. Nothing came out but air fir the next few years after that.