About a week passed and soon it was New Years. Gilbert opened an old bottle of champagne he saved for the occasion and they all counted down to midnight. They celebrated and drank. However, only a few minutes after 1916 began, the telephone rang. Gilbert left the room for a few minutes and came back with a grim look.

"It's the POW Camp. All the prisoners are trying to escape. They need me to help."

Ludwig stood up. "Do you need me to come with you?"

Gilbert shook his head while putting on his coat. "Nah, it's alright I can handle it." He insisted and Ludwig sat down again. "Save me some champagne." Gilbert called as he shut the front door behind him. The sound was somehow deafening.

The next day Gilbert had still not returned, and both Matthew and Ludwig were getting anxious.

"I'm sure he just had to stay with someone overnight, because they were badly wounded." Feliciano tried to calm their worries.

"Or maybe he's badly wounded." Lovino suggested.

"Lovino, that doesn't help."

Ludwig put on his coat. "I'm going to go see if he's alright."

"But—" The sound of the front door slamming cut Feliciano off. A few minutes of silence passed and Feliciano started figeting. Finally, he stood up.

"Feliciano, no." Lovino sounded like a stern talking mother scolding her child. Feliciano took no notice of this and started to move uncertainly towards the front door. Lovino caught his arm before he could go any further. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"He going to see if Ludwig's alright." Matthew answered for him. He was staring blankly ahead, but at that moment he looked at the two brothers. "Let him go, find Gil for me." Lovino reluctantly let go of Feliciano's arm, and he practically sprinted out the door, out onto the road. The cold hit him first. It hadn't occurred to him how long it had been since he was last outside. A terrible feeling settled in his gut as snow started to flutter down and clouds crawled slowly towards the sun. He could already see the POW Camp fenced off up ahead. He could also hear distant gunshots, too disciplined to be part of a war. They were orderly, someone ordered to shoot, to kill. Feliciano started shivering. Not only from the cold, but also from anticipation of what lay ahead. He had been silently worrying about Francis and Arthur all night. He wondered again if they were still alive.

When he reached the fence, the usually chained up gate was swung open, probably in Ludwig's wake. He cautiously stepped through into the courtyard. The first thing he noticed was the lack of people. There was a small group of about seven people up ahead but that was about it. Francis and Arthur were part of this group of people, but were the only ones handcuffed. They were stood up against a wall, opposite them three German Officers stood pointing guns at them. Feliciano recognised all of them from his POW Camp days, and had chatted to all of them at least once. There also stood another man in a different uniform, standing too proudly to be a mere soldier or Officer. No, his medals and uniform said otherwise. He was a General. And finally, a solemn onlooker stood, waiting. In the end, Ludwig didn't find Gilbert. Instead, he had to watch as men he had helped cure and get back on their feet get shot at. Francis Arthur, being the ring leaders, were the last to go.

The General shouted something and the three Officers tensed up a little and prepared to shoot.

Feliciano started running towards them. "No!" It was the only thing Feliciano could think to say, the only thing he could think to do. Ludwig looked like had seen a ghost. Francis, Arthur and the Officers thought they were looking at one. The General seemed unfazed. Once the Italian had gotten close enough, he was panting from doing actual exercise, the General grabbed him by the arm.

"Italian scum." He threw Feliciano against the wall caked with blood, next to Francis and Arthur who helped him regain his balance. The General glanced at Ludwig. "I'm not even going to ask why he's even alive." He turned back to the Officers. "Kill them already." He waited to the side next to Ludwig.

The Officers had lowered their guns when Feliciano came into view, but now uncertainly levelled them with those who were to be shot. Nobody pulled the trigger. They stood in bewildered silence for a moment.

"Well what are you waiting for?" The General boomed impatiently.

The one nearest to the General piped up. "We can't shoot Feliciano, he's innocent."

The General sighed, drew out his own gun and shot the man who had spoken. He slumped to the ground, lifeless. Feliciano jumped at the sound. "Will you now?"

The two remaining quickly levelled their guns again, but were not able to shoot. Two more shots echoed and they both fell to the ground, each clutching a leg and groaning. Ludwig held a smoking revolver aloft, and now pointed it at the General.

"Drop the gun."

"Treason." The General obeyed, dropping his gun.

"Where are the keys?" Ludwig was stern. He wasn't going to let anyone lay a finger on Feliciano. If he was doing this, he would see it through until the end.

"Treason!"

"Keys!" He barked. It felt good to hold this man at gunpoint.

The General cautiously felt inside his inner pockets. The air became a shade darker as the clouds covered up the sun. A quick draw, a shot tore through the air. Ludwig clutched his stomach and fell to his knees. Feliciano screamed. He tried to run to Ludwig, who was on the floor, but was held back by Francis as the General pointed the gun at the three of them.

"I'll finish you off myself then." His voice ridden with malicious intent of revenge, he strode straight to Arthur. It seemed they had some history. "Look who's helpless no—" The General was cut off by a bullet going through his brain. Ludwig had propped himself up on his elbow to get a good angle from the ground. He now dropped the gun and slumped on his back. Feliciano ran to him, fat tears already rolling down his cheeks. A sun ray shined down on them.

"T-tell me wha-what I should do, what should I do?" Feliciano started blabbering. Ludwig only smiled, his eyes twinkling in the sunlight. Francis joined him, and started putting pressure on the wound. Ludwig drew in a sharp intake of breath and winced. He smiled again at Feliciano and placed a hand on his cheek. Feliciano placed his own hand on Ludwig's.

"Smile, Feliciano." Ludwig's voice was thick.

Feliciano swallowed hard. "Don't die, please don't die."

"Smile, Feliciano." Ludwig insisted. "Because the smiles that fill my life with sunshine." Ludwig's eyelids grew heavy and he didn't finish the lyric. Feliciano buried his face in Ludwig's chest and sobbed.

Feliciano's shaky voice finished what Ludwig started. "Are the smiles you give to me."

To be continued...

(Definitely to be continued I am not leaving it there)