Hello again! I'm so happy with the reception that Chapter One received! Well enjoy this next chapter (it's a bit short). Please review, I was a little let down with the amount of reviews I got! You will be mentioned in the next chapter if you do...
Chapter 2
Arthur's heart was still beating too quickly. The tiny clock had been keeping him busy for the past hour- he had watched the second hand tick by, as the hour hand moved from the six to the eleven. He looked over to Francis; upon further examination, the elder boy's hands were clamped around the wheel. No, now they were relaxed. Clamped again. His strong jaw clenched each time his hands clutched the steering wheel.
The British teen looked away. He stared at the small mirror above his head, which was aimed towards the back of the minivan. Peter was asleep between Matthew and Alfred, whom were engaged in a quiet (in Matthew's case) game of "I Spy".
Alfred took a turn. "I spy with my little eye… ummm… something… blue?"
"The sky?" Matthew guessed. His brother made an annoyed sound.
"Actually, something yellow."
"You can't do that!" Matthew protested.
"So you don't know?" Alfred countered.
Matthew grumbled, but said, "The lines on the road?"
"Yeah." Alfred smiled. "Your turn."
"Um, I spy with my little eye, something red, white, and blue-"
"CAPTAIN AMERICA? WHERE?!" Alfred yelled, rolling down his window and sticking his head out.
Peter jumped awake. He was startled, so he began to scream and cry. The wind had whipped Kumajiro, Matthew's stuffed polar bear, out of the little boy's arms and onto the road. He promptly started crying as well. Once Alfred realized that Matthew had not seen Captain America after all, he became angry.
"You lied, Mattie! There's no Captain America out there!"
"Kumalajoo is gone! He's gone forever!"
"WAAAAAAH! ARFURRRRR!"
During all of this, Arthur and Francis had snapped out of their trances and looked back. Arthur quickly reached his hand out to Peter, who grabbed it and cried into it. Francis tried to pat Matthew's head, but only succeeded in swerving the van. He ended up pulling over to the side of the road. Immediately he unlocked the doors. He pulled Matthew out of his seat and set him on the ground before running off down the road. Alfred jumped out and Arthur picked up Peter.
The younger twin turned to his crying brother. But Matthew was on the ground, shaking. Alfred suddenly forgot about Captain America and knelt down beside his brother. He patted Matthew's head softly.
"Sorry 'bout your bear, bro…"
Matthew did not answer. By then, Peter had calmed down significantly in Arthur's arms. Arthur sat down right there on the side of the rural road. Alfred looked at him, and back at his twin, before deciding to pull on Matthew's arm until he moved. The two walked up to Arthur and sat next to him.
Seven minutes later, Francis could be seen huffing and puffing up to them. In his arms was a dirtied Kumajiro. He stopped next to them and plopped the bear in Matthew's lap before collapsing on the ground. His chest heaved heavily with breaths.
Matthew immediately dried his tears. "Kumalee! Oh, Francis, you found him! I missed you!" He hugged his bear tightly.
Arthur turned to his older brother. "Francis?" He earned a nod in reply. "I think we're all too tired to continue on today… what do you say we turn in for the night?"
Francis sat up and nodded again. He pulled Matthew onto his hip and walked to the van. Arthur followed with a sleeping Peter. Alfred placed his hand in Arthur's. The two eldest boys flipped the back seats down and laid the boys on the expanse of carpeted foam. Alfred climbed in on his own. Arthur sat in the passenger seat and manually tilted his and Francis's seats back. Moments later, after Francis had kissed the boys on their forheads and shut the trunk door, the French boy sat in the driver's seat.
Arthur noticed that, as all five boys began to fall asleep, he had not heard one boy ask for food.