The next morning, Arthur woke up with a hangover and had to take two aspirin. He almost forgot what happened last night but then he remembered. After leaving Matthew and Alfred alone at home for the night, he went to the bar, he and Yao talked, then he got too drunk to drive home and had to spend the night in the back room.

"God my head hurts..." He complained as he got his coat and left the bar. As he was driving home he couldn't help but think what Yao said last night. Just maybe, he might be lucky. No. He's got a lot of crap going on before he could even consider himself lucky. When he got home, Matthew and Alfred were just leaving the house. Arthur had forgotten that they had school today and got out of the car to stop them.

"Hey boys, do you want me to drive you to school?"

"No thanks Dad, we're fine walking. We got up this early so we could walk knowing you'd be a little too hung over to drive us." Was Alfred's snappy comeback. Arthur could have said something but he would have made a scene that could have involved police. And he didn't want to make them late. Instead he just walked past them and went inside the house.

Matthew flinched when he heard the door slam. As he and Alfred kept walking, he started to think about what could have happened to Arthur last night. He did seem really upset about something. Letting out a sigh, Matthew walked a little faster to catch up with Alfred.

"Hey Alfred?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think maybe you could stop being such a douche bag to Dad?" He bluntly asked. Though Matthew could have been nicer about it, it had to be asked. Alfred stopped in his tracks and looked at Matthew.

"You think I'm a douchebag?"

"To Dad. You're always insulting him and calling him a drunk bastard." He answered.

"It's the truth! Look, we're gonna be late for school if we don't pick up the pace." With that, Alfred was walking faster than you could say "Wait up dummy!" What the quiet blond could grasp was why. Why does Alfred say all of that stuff to Dad? That was something he wondered all the way to school.

When they got there, they saw Vash and Natalya sitting under the tree and flirting with each other like usual. Those two are so right for each other... Matthew thought as he walked up to Gilbert. The albino was talking to his pet bird, Gilbird, and Matthew couldn't help but laugh a little as he snuck up on him. Gilbert jumped ten feet in the air and stared at Matthew who was laughing so hard he was almost dying.

"Don't scare me like that Mattie!" Matthew had gotten his breathing under control before Gilbird started flying around him.

"Gilbird appreciates it! Don't you Gilbird?" Gilbird chirped in response as he flew on Gilbert's head. Matthew laughed when the German flipped him off.

"How was your weekend?"

"Good, I guess. How was your German Sparkle Party?" Gilbert choked on his own spit and looked at Matthew with surprised eyes.

"Oh God... Don't make me remember what happened man! That party was unawesome!"

"Do I wanna know?"

"No you do not. Let's just say it involved me almost getting in a fight with my brother and some Austrian chick kicked my ass." Matthew chuckled as he wondered where Alfred could be.

Alfred was at his locker putting some books away when a hand went on his shoulder. He turned around to see Feliciano with wide brown eyes and a blush across his face. Feeling a blush come across his face, Alfred coughed a little.

"Hey Feliciano. What brings you here?" The teen asked as Feliciano played with one of the strings of his jacket.

"I um... wanted to... ask you something.."

"Sure, go ahead."

"Do you have a crush on me?" Feliciano asked practically blurting it out. Alfred took a moment to analyze his question. Had Feliciano been on to him? Alfred sighed as he looked his crush in the eyes. He said he'd confess this later but now was as good a time as any.

"Yes. It's true, I have a crush on you... no. I love you. I've loved you since the first day I met you and I'm crazy about you. I know that it doesn't make too much sense since we barely know anything about each other except for trivial fact, but I know that I love you and that isn't a lie." Feliciano nodded and kissed Alfred for a second and then pulled back.

"Ti amo..." Feliciano said then walked away leaving Alfred confused as hell.

POV CHANGE (Because there was nothing left to do for Matthew and Alfred and because I can)

Francis stared at the blank canvas. He couldn't think of what to paint. This was a terrible case of painter's block he'd been having ever since he called Arthur. With a depressed sigh he got off the stool and stared at his phone, wondering what he should do. Francis had been thinking about calling Arthur again.

He picked up the phone but the put it back down. Unless he wanted the call to end up like it was last time, he shouldn't take chances and call. Francis was about to walk off again before he heard the phone ring. Knowing it was weird that someone would call, he picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Bonnefroy! Where the hell are you?!" An angry person on the other end of the line. Francis recognized that voice way too well. His boss.

"Sorry sir! I lost track of time, it's just a lot of stuff has been on my mind at the moment! I'll be at work right away!"

"No! This is the last time I have to call like this, you're fired!" And then his boss hung up. Francis put the phone back on the hook and muttered a string of curses as he went back in front of his canvas and started to sketch what he was going to draw. He thought a picture of his old boss drowning in the flames of Hell would be a great painting.

Francis got to work painting away as his front door opened and in came Antonio yet again. Knowing his friend entered the door, without permission, he put his pencil down and glared at him a little. Antonio was oblivious to the glare as he was whistling away doing God knows what. When he finally caught on to the glare, he stopped and scratched the back of his head.

"What's wrong mi amigo?"

"How the fuck do you keep getting into my apartment?!" Francis asked/shouted. Seriously, how DID Antonio keep getting into his apartment?

"One, I hack that alarm system you got installed. Two, I made a copy of your key yesterday while you were depressed." Francis rolled his eyes as he lit a cigarette. He wasn't in that much of a great mood to be messed around with today. He was still sour about that phone call with Arthur and he just got fired from his job.

If there was one thing Francis couldn't get was why? Why couldn't he see his sons? He was a good person. He took care of those boys when Arthur was at work and when he was at the bar getting hammered. As he took a drag from his cigarette, he looked out the window while ignoring his friend. He looked at the clouds going by and immediately thought about how Alfred would point out what each one looked like.

A tear came to his eye when he started to think about Alfred and Matthew. Last time he saw them, they'd been so sad to see him go. He heard Matthew screaming for him, but he drove away and pretended not to hear the voice of a broken five-year old calling out for him. If he could go back and stop himself from cheating on Arthur, he would. Then maybe they'd be a family again.

With a depressed sigh escaping his lips, he went back to his painting sketch and continued to work on it. Antonio caught on to his friend's mood and took a look at the sketch.

"You got fired today, huh?" Antonio asked looking over his friend's shoulder. A growl escaped Francis's mouth as he nodded and sketched faster.

"Damn bastard... I don't know why I wanted to work for him in the first place. He obviously mocked my cooking at every given chance!" He was like an older and more bitter version of Arthur... Francis wanted to say but left it alone as he kept drawing with his inspiration was being driven by anger and depression.

Meanwhile, Arthur was at home watching a football match from England and drinking some gin. He was so pissed right now that he clearly didn't give a fuck. As his home team lost another goal, he took a swig of his gin and yelled at the screen.

"GODDAMMIT! Get your head out of your arse and score a goal! Is that too much to fucking ASK?!" Shit... I really sound like Father right now... Arthur bitterly thought. If there was one gene Arthur couldn't deny that ran in his family, it was alcoholism. With how much he was drinking now, he wouldn't be surprised if Alfred or Matthew got the same problem he had.

He switched the TV off, deciding he had enough of the game. With a sigh, he stared down at the floor since there was nothing else to do. The picture he tore yesterday caught his eye as he picked up the pieces and started to cry a little. God how he hated looking at that picture. They were so happy and when he thought about the pictures he and the boys take now, that's fake happiness.

Arthur got up from his seat and went to his home office. Sitting down at the desk, he got some tape and taped the picture back together and it looked like nothing had happened to it. He decided to put it in his drawer for safe keeping when a little letter that caused all of his troubles was in there. Picking up the letter, he decided to read it.

Dear Francis,

See? I told you I'd find out where you lived! You have a really nice family, I'll admit, but I know you really aren't happy with that husband of yours! I miss you and what we did that night at your Spanish friend's party, I really want to see you again. Seriously?! How can you have a one-night stand with someone then say you'll call them and just not bother to call! We HAVE each other's numbers for crying out loud! And-

Arthur couldn't stand to read the rest of that letter as he started to tear it up. That was the letter altered his life forever. With the remains of the letter in hand, Arthur decided it was best if he burned them in the fire place. He went to the living room with the torn letter in hand sat on his knees in front of the fire place. The Brit opened the little doors around the chimney and stared at the fire.

"Burn in Hell you sorry pieces of paper!" He bitterly said as he tossed the pieces of paper into the fire. A small came on his face as he watched the paper burn to a crisp.

"Bring on the fire. Bring on the hell. Set everything ablaze so that no trace remains..." Arthur chanted over and over like some sort of mantra as he watched the paper turn into ashes. When he was sure all the pieces had been burned he got up and got on the computer to try looking for a job that would consider hiring him. As he looked, there was nothing that would want to hire him.

He was about to power down his computer when there was an opening that was considering hiring him. Amazed at the opportunity, Arthur clicked on it and looked at when the job description was.

Have a sick imagination? Have perfect grammar skills? Then a job at Norwegian & Icelandic Publishing is for you! Now hiring for an editor! Apply here now!

"This would be an okay job..." Arthur spoke out loud to himself as he started to fill out the application form. When he finished and sent it, he let out a heavy sigh. He really needed a job. Arthur looked at the clock and realized that the boys would be coming home in a few minutes so he got off his computer and started to think about what to make for dinner.

Just as predicted, Alfred burst through the front door and ran up the stairs while Matthew walked in a bit slower and with Gilbert at his side. Gilbert instantly flopped down on the couch and put his feet up on the coffee table like he owned the damn place. Matthew rolled his eyes as he got Gilbert's feet off the coffee table and sat down next to him.

"What is wrong with you? At least you can still go in the same room as your brother... Ludwig got freaking scary last week..." Gilbert said as his eyes widened a bit.

"For one thing, I don't wanna know what happened on Friday and another thing, I have a fucked up family."

"Why do you say that?"

"Dad and Alfred have been getting into more fights lately and... I don't think I can take it anymore..." For once, Gilbert didn't have anything to say which is quite unusual for him. Matthew rolled up the sleeve to his hoodie to reveal cuts on his arms. Gilbert's eyes widened as he took Matthew's wrists, pulling the blond towards him.

"You said you were going to stop! What happened Mattie?!" The albino said in a harsh whisper. Matthew took his arms back as he pulled down the sleeves. The boy had first started cutting two years ago and has been since.

It was a day when Dad was drunk and he and Alfred were fighting so when they weren't looking, Matthew grabbed a kitchen knife and ran to the bathroom and cut his thigh. He felt so better from that that he kept the knife hidden somewhere in his room and whenever he got sad and needed to cut, he would get the knife and start cutting.

Gilbert found out when Matthew came over to his house one summer day. They were going to get in the pool and that meant Matthew ha to take his pants off, this was before he started cutting his arms. Reluctantly, and hoping Gilbert wasn't watching, he took his pants off and ran into the pool so fast he was like a blur. Once they got out, Matthew forgot to cover his legs and Gilbert saw the cuts.

After much convincing, Matthew spilled his guts out and told Gilbert the truth. Matthew said he'd stop cutting but, since they were like this now, that didn't happen at all. Matthew put his hands on his face and heavily sighed.

"I couldn't take it anymore. I tried to stop, I did, but Dad and Alfred... I couldn't..."

"You need to get help Kirkland! If you don't then you can kill yourself!" Matthew flinched when his last name was used but then looked at his arms.

"I'm beyond ANY sort of help Gilbert. Just drop it okay? I think my dad's in the other room and he might've been listening to our conversation." Gilbert was about to say something but then closed his mouth.

Meanwhile, Alfred was in his room trying to search for Francis yet again. He wanted to prove Matthew wrong and find Papa, but with how today's search is going, he was starting to think his brother was right. Alfred shook his head as he stared at the computer with a determined look with the thought of how his brother's face will look when he sees Papa.

"I have to prove Matthew wrong." He kept chanting over and over like a mantra. Alfred really wanted to prove his brother wrong and find Papa. After two hours of almost dead end searching, he found something that was some sort of clue to where papa might be. Apparently he worked for some company and the company's address was there! Quickly, Alfred copied it down on paper before hiding it in his drawer.

One thing made Alfred stop jumping for joy. He wondered if he should visit Papa at work, assuming he works and lives within reasonable distance, otherwise, he better prepare to run away from home. While Alfred was happy he at LEAST tracked down one thing from his Papa, he wonderd if Francis would really come back.

Me: And that's how this chapter ends! Miss me? I hope you did! And now there's- Hm... what's that? 40 FOLLOWERS?! You guys are freaking amazing! This is my most followed story EVER! Thank you guys for so many followers! OKay so to tell the truth, I could have worked on the bit where they were at school better but hey, it seemed to fit, idk. Also, did anyone see the little touch of Switzerland x Belarus? That one was for you nicolft! Anyways, I hope you liked and that I didn't disappoint! If you liked then please review, favorite or follow! This is Janae Craig (A nickname someone in school made for me) AKA OrgyMemberXVII signing off! Bye :D