A/N- Another chapter for your enjoyment!

Or not enjoyment, if you swing that way.

Wrote this to Coldplay and Eurovision 2010/11. Does it show?

Ludwig wasn't sure how he felt about the kids on the bus.

Not because of his original reason (were they the kind of people they should hang out with?—he decided that they were), but now because he didn't know if he should continually visit people who really seemed to hate him.

Particularly Lovino.

Since a certain incident where a certain big brother had pushed him into a certain pond, he had noticed Lovino did not like him. At all. Which was weird, because his little brother looked set to become Ludwig's new best friend. He could have pushed this off as 'Lovino likes no one', but Vasch and Arthur didn't really like talking to him either.

He didn't know about the others, but those three especially.

So, when he boarded the bus three days later (alone, but that meant nothing), he wasn't surprised in the least to see two of them (Vasch wasn't present) send him a cross between a mildly curious look and a glare. In fact, he kind of expected it.

"Hello." That curious look was bothering him. The glare even more so.

If Feliciano noticed, this was his method of helping. "Ve~, hi, Ludwig! I was going with Alfred and Matthew into the city! Do you wanna come?"

"Yeah, Lud, it'll be fun!" Alfred grinned with him, took him by the wrist, and led him off the bus with an amazing amount of strength. "We'll be back soon!"

"Dammit, Alfred, if something happens to Feli, I will fucking kill you!" Came the familiar Italian voice.

"Nothing will happen, Lovino." Matthew called back as he followed out, Feli in tow. "Sorry about them." He said after a minute.

"Matt, why are you apologizing?" Alfred asked.

"Because you dragged him out of the bus without even asking if he wanted to come?" Matthew quirked an eyebrow. "Or without saying what he needed?"

"Do they ever need something?" Matthew didn't respond. Which kind of annoyed Ludwig. "Anyway, Lud, what's been going on?"

"Nothing, really." Gilbert and Antonio had gone off to go do God-knows-what (so long as it didn't end with another trip to the police station, Ludwig didn't want to know), and so he had decided to come see the boys and Lili. Out of boredom. Pure boredom. He wasn't getting any sort of attatchment to the bus kids.

Not at all.

"Really? Something's always got to be goin' on! I mean, the sun's moving across the sky and people are outside!"

"… Did you want me to mention that?" he asked.

"No, but you could have!"

Ludwig, unable to think of a response, switched the topic to something on his mind since he was dragged away. "What exactly are you doing in the city today?"

"Not stealing." Matthew said immediately, defensively. More points against him? "We aren't today."

The younger twin didn't skip a beat. "That's why we brought little Feli. Isn't he the most adorable thing ever?" He patted the younger boy on the head.

"Ve~, Ludwig, we ask the nice people for food and sometimes if they're not so busy they'll give us money or food or a drink!"

"Sometimes an entire meal!" Alfred almost skipped along in his cheer. "That's what we're aiming for!" He pumped a fist as if trying to energize the group.

"It sounds hard." Ludwig commented, not really knowing what to say. These three really believed in the generosity of people—Ludwig had never needed to know, and thus could not draw a conclusion on the subject, but maybe one day he would.

Alfred's pace slowed for a minute. "It is." But then he turned back to Ludwig and grinned ear to ear. "But you know what? This life is just one of the trials that comes with being a hero! It's things like this that make you stronger! Right… stronger! Forget the past!"

"I didn't say anything about the past." Ludwig replied, confused.

Something dark and sad passed over his smile, but like his previous hesitation, it disappeared far too quickly for Ludwig to be sure it was even there. "And yet we still need to forget it, don't we? C'mon now! There's a spot with lots of people around thisaway!" Was "thisaway" even a word? He made a mental note to look it up later.

Matthew took over directions about ten minutes later, because it was around then Alfred decided to reveal he actually wasn't all that good with such things and had only the vaguest idea where they were headed. Ludwig had to wonder why he was so taken with this group, since with anyone else he would have been more irritated at something like that.

Feliciano talked nonstop. It wasn't just on pasta, and Ludwig learned he had a huge interest in art ("Ve, sometimes I can get Lovi to go to the bookstore with me and there are lots of books with pretty pictures of Monet and da Vinci and other painters because paintings are pretty with lots of color..."). He also was quite the food critic for someone who couldn't afford to be choosy, saying pasta and pizza were much better than his favorite foods—wurst and potatoes—and proceeded to give him an in-detail explanation of the problems with his favorite foods (he was beginning to wonder if it was on purpose), which annoyed him, but he didn't stay mad long, to his realization and annoyance and confusion.

"So, Lud, I don't exactly know how well you'd do asking for food," The proper term was "begging" wasn't it? "But you should try anyway. For us?"

"I'm not sure I'd know what to do." Ludwig said skeptically.

"Yeah, we didn't when we first started out, either. Francis showed us what to do, 'cause he's like, really good at talking to people. Except he always uses weird Frenchie words, which he says is 'cause if he acts like he can't speak a lot of English it gets more pity." Ludwig suddenly found much more to fear in the oldest boy to live on the puke-yellow school than he should. "And 'pity is what we are supposed to exploit, mon frères'!" Alfred tried his hand at a rather questionable French accent, and then shrugged. "So he says."

"Anyway, just watch what Feli does and try an imitate it. You said you were German, right?" Matthew continued as if Alfred was making complete sense right then. "Do you know a lot of German?"

"More or less." About as well as he knew English, thanks to his bilingual upbringing.

"Then try Francis' technique. Should we split up?"

"Ve~, I wanna go with Ludwig!" Feliciano said, surprising the blonde.

"I don't think we need to, Matt," Alfred told his brother. "C'mon, let's go!"

"Don't worry, Ludwig, it's just not everyone's thing!" Alfred assured him later on. "I mean, and we've had more practice asking for food, so don't worry!"

"I'm sorry I haven't been able to be more of a help." Ludwig learned one thing from this adventure: he was very bad at lying and acting like them. He didn't realize such a thing beforehand, because he never really had a reason to lie, but… Well, he felt bad that he had tried to help and failed. And he had no money on him, so he couldn't even buy something for them.

He really hated feeling useless.

"It's okay, you tried your best." Matthew chimed in. No "you were a fine help" (because he wasn't) or "you did great" (because he didn't). The older twin carried a bag with a foot-long sub sandwich, so far the only thing any of them had managed to get off people. There was also a small bag of chips, but he doubted there would be much for them between eight people, no matter how young.

"Ve~, Ludwig, don't worry, I'm sure you'll do better next time!" Feliciano said, mimicking Matthew's gentle expression. "Now you kind of know what to do!"

No, no he didn't.

"T-thank you, Feliciano." He finally said.

"Ve!" The Italian noticed no pause and happily continued. "Ve~, so should we try a little longer and then go home?"

Alfred said, "Yeah. Maybe a few more people. Whoever looks like they're not in a hurry, 'cause if they're in a hurry, they ignore you. Rude, right?"

"U-um… Alfred… where are we?" Matthew asked suddenly, looking around, probably for a street sign. "We're not— …We have to go. Now."

"Wait, wait, Matt, what's wrong?"

"Alfred, look where we are."

Alfred did so. His eye caught the one street sign nearby. "… I can't read it. I swear, my eyesight's going… which sucks, I'm only ten and I'm going blind!"

"We need to go!" Matthew insisted.

"Ve~, Matthew is something wrong?" Feliciano evidently couldn't see the sign either. Ludwig could. Freestate. So?

"Why, we aren't…" Alfred paused. "I-it's okay, Matt, we just leave and he won't—" He was silenced by the sight of a large man putting a gun to his brother's head.

Arthur usually would not be motivated by the sound of their friend's returning to look up from his book. It happened often—every day, in fact. It was nothing to bother him.

He was motivated, however, by the sound of Alfred reassuring someone, the sound of stifled sobs, and the sound of Ludwig attempting to mimic the former. It was not a pleasant thing to listen to.

"Mattie, it's okay, you had to. We don't mind."

"I-I-I'm so sorry…"

"It's okay, bro. You have nothing to apologize for."

"B-but… I know, but…" A pause to collect breath. "I'm sorry…"

"Feliciano, it's over now, you can calm down."

"Ve~, that man is so mean…" Very open sobs.

"Yes, he is. Please don't cry anymore…" Uncomfortable tone of voice.

That man. Please not that man.

"What. Happened?" Arthur asked, tense, dropping his book next to him and jumping up.

When Alfred looked up at them, Arthur could see a blazing fire in his eyes. Blue fire was worse than red, indeed. But behind that, there was fear. Shakiness. "That's stupid asshole in Freestate Alley saw us! He threatened to shoot Matthew!" So that man. Fucking perfect.

"I-I had to give him the sandwich we got from this nice old man, and I'm sorry we don't have anything to eat and all…" Matthew added. He was wiping at his eyes, clearly trying to get over the incident.

"Shh, Mathieu, there was nothing to be done." Francis brushed some of the hair out of the younger boy's face in an attempt to calm him. "We've gone without dinner before and we will again."

"You fucking idiot!" Lovino snapped, stealing away his brother from an apparently quite useless Ludwig. "I told you to be careful! And you know better than to go there!"

They all did.

"Ve~, sorry, Lovi, we didn't look where we were going…" Feliciano said.

"Just sit down, already. Take a fucking nap." It was his own way of caring, Arthur supposed. "Just go to sleep, all right, Feli?"

"Ve…" And Feliciano did. Right there and then, without a second thought. Lovino sat down next to him and began running his hand through his little brother's hair, talking softly in Italian. Feliciano seemed to react happily to it in his sleep.

Had he been Antonio or Alfred or even the stupid frog, he probably would have admitted it was an incredibly adorable sight.

"Are you feeling okay, Alfred?" he instead turned to the younger twin, who was attempting to get past Francis to keep consoling his brother.

Alfred looked almost perplexed by the question. "Yeah. I'm fine. I mean, nothing happened to me. So I'm okay."

"Maybe you should get some sleep, too. Or sit down or something." He began gently pushing the American towards one of the seats.

"I told you I'm fine." The fact he was resisting sitting down told him otherwise.

"Don't lie to me, you bloody git."

"But Mattie—"

"Don't argue with me, either." Alfred glared at him and pouted. "Alfred, I just want you to stop looking like you had a fright, too, okay?" The boy pouted further.

Vasch picked that moment to return. Lili was with him, along with Antonio and Gilbert. All were empty-handed.

Vasch took one look at Lovino showing his caring side, one look at Francis still trying to get Matthew to stop apologizing, one look at Alfred pouting at Arthur, and turned back to Antonio and Gilbert. "Bye." It was a command.

The boys blinked in surprise. "Hey!" Gilbert snapped, indignant. "I told you we have to get Ludwig and we were gon—"

"Brother, Antonio, let's just go." Ludwig said, going past the two and towards the woods. "Now."

"Huh? Luddy, what happened?" Gilbert asked, going after his brother.

"I'll tell you later."

Once they were gone, Vasch turned back around. "What. Happened?"

"Ludwig, are you okay?" Antonio asked. Ludwig could rightly say he was okay, but also wasn't. He was shaken, to say the least, to know that "that stupid asshole in Freestate Alley" was so willing to point a gun a child, and he had to experience it. It almost felt like the gun had been pointed at him. Maybe it was because that, while it wasn't, it would have only taken one motion for that barrel to be staring him down. Whoosh, and then he'd be looking into a gun maybe a couple inches from his skull.

Just a whoosh.

Vasch wouldn't have shot them. When they first met. He knew that now. Vasch wasn't a killer. Vasch wouldn't have even tried to pull the trigger.

That man would.

Maybe it wasn't best to be with the bus kids after all.

"I'm okay."

"Dude, what happened? Vasch looked like he was pissed off at us, but he was fine when we met up." Gilbert had a hand on his shoulder, red eyes searching his expression. He didn't like it, being examined by his older brother.

"I'm okay."

"I didn't ask that. Lud, what happened while you were there?"

"They were robbed." He tried to not be quiet, tried to sound strong, but his voice decided to betray him and stay at a low level.

"Clarify?" Gilbert just sounded confused.

"They took me with them into the city and there was a man with a gun and they were robbed and I was useless when they tried to ask people for food and I couldn't even get Feliciano to stop crying afterwards!" Ludwig's voice betrayed his anger, which just made things worse because he wasn't supposed to be all-emotions-and-impulses like Gilbert and Antonio. "Are you happy, bruder? Let's just go home."

The worst part was Vasch couldn't even be mad at them right now.

Not while the tear stains still shone on Feliciano's cheeks.

Not while Matthew was still hiccupping and couldn't rid himself of the distressed look in his eyes and kept brushing his hand against the spot where the gun had touched his scalp.

Not while Alfred was insisting he didn't think of a thing of the incident with that bastard.

Not while they went hungry for the night.

He couldn't be mad at them at all.

And so he just assured Lili they would be fine, and guarded their home as carefully as a mother bear would her cubs.

A/N- Sorry to do that to you Luddy, Mattie, Feli, Alfreddie.

I don't think Vasch would actually hurt anyone... aside from that bastard on Freestate Alley. The terror of the homeless! Everyone would love the blood draining from that guy! Covered in holes caused by bullets that ripped at the tendons and muscles, bursting open artieries and stopping the heart, watching the killer as he tried and failed to draw his last breath, working to stay alive, only to die, right there, in a pool of his own blood, still repeating the name of his murderer in his head, his last thought...

Anyway!

Reviews? I like those. They make me happy!