Chapter 8: rising forward and sinking down

"MON CHERI~!" the voice echoed making Mathew freeze in a mix of fear and longing. He figured he must have imagined it for it was surely not…it couldn't be….his papa? His papa has left him….had forgotten him, he should hate his papa but all he could feel was an overpowering urge to see him.

Surely he hadn't changed that much he would still have long wavy blond hair like Mathew's own. He would still have his gruffly blond very short beard that would male Al run away screaming and laughing when his papa had tried to give him a kiss. Mathew however didn't mind and loved to cuddle with his papa reading a book usually about romance in some way, his papa loved that stuff; meanwhile Alfred and Britain would be watching TV usually some sports show or action packed violence movie that gave Alfred nightmares for a week though he never admitted it.

When his papa left Mathew had run after him begging him non non papa non but his father said he had enough of that "bastard British git!" and stormed off probably to a saloon leaving Mathew, Alfred and Arthur, and later just Mathew and Arthur.

"mon…mon cheri….where are you?" it was softer now more hesitant, lacking the usual spirit his father showed when talking. Mathew hurried the rest of the way down pausing at the last step.

"…i"m…here…..papa…..." Mathew called gently stepping around the corner. He saw his papa whose hair was tinged with gray and whose eyes filled with tears not the fake ones he used to seduce girls or his dad, but real ones that reflected the joy and guilt in the man's eyes that looked at Mathew with such intensity that Mathew wasn't sure whether to run forwards or backwards.

Then Gill strutted through the door and it was like time reversed, for his old friend hadn't changed at leaning against the door way confidently with black shades and a plain light blue shirt with a black jacket which was almost identical to what he wore as a kid. Mathew stepped forward hesitantly it seemed like the atmosphere filled with awkwardness and everyone was waiting for someone to make the first move. Finally Francis said voice tight.

"How have you been? I heard you were sick…," he came forward more flinching visibly when Mathew out of habit took a step back shifting away from the both of them and biting his tongue to making some nasty comeback like "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" but Mathew couldn't do that even when he wanted to either no one heard him or it didn't come out as angry or forceful as he had meant it.

"I'm better now. I need a ride though….I promise I'll talk to you both later….but…it's important," Mathew forced himself to say looking between Francis and Gilbert both going between confusion and offense.

"But it's been to long!" his papa cried about to fling himself towards Canada to embrace him but hesitated at the icy look his son gave him going rigid.

"to….long…" and while some might have not have heard the Canadian or mistaken his comment as a question despite his papa being gone so long he had raised his boy and he knew when he was angry.

As the awkward silence became filled with tension Gilbert never one to sense the atmosphere stepped forward.

"Well birdie you still look like shit to me! But I trust you if you say we can talk later….just no phony emails this time got it!?" Gilbert called smirking as the Canadian gave him his full attention those gorgeous eyes filling with gratitude and relief. Francis with his not so pretty eyes and less pretty frown rounded on Gilbert.

"But…but…," he sputtered looking as if he had been bitch slapped hard and then stabbed in the back.

"no buts Francy I got the keys it's my car and I'm the one Mathew called not you!" he said unable to explain why his blood boiled looking at Mathews father or why he was taking particular pride that Mathew called him and not the old frog. Mathew stepped forward again feeling his chest swell…"hang on Al I'm on my way," he thought to himself.

His papa made no further comment just glanced at him sadly deflating Mathew in a heartbeat, and filling him with guilt even though he knew he had a right to be mad at his papa. So with few exchanged words they all piled into Gilbert's car who made sure the Canadian was seated up front and the brooding Frenchman in the back.

Gilbert closed the car door reaching across of Mathew and brushed his leg gently. Flustered Mathew wasn't sure whether to wince or turn red at the contact so naturally he did both. He received a strange look from Gilbert who then sort of shrugged and revved the car's engine a big grin spreading on his face.

"Buckle up~!" screamed gill as he floored it. Mathew shut his eyes jerking back in the seat and squeezed his eyes shut.

"We're coming Alfred…..I'm coming to save you,"

. . . . .

Meanwhile:

His eyes opened and it took him a second to realize he had even opened then and then an overpowering glee to feel a rattling breath escape him. "I'm alive!" he thought amazed.

However, Alfred's brief glee to find he was alive was soon replaced by horror as he found his arms bound tightly behind him and his legs chained to the floor on a dungeon type looking basement, and Arthur holding his head above a large tub of water.

"Are you ready to die?" he practically hissed clutching Alfred's head tightly. The American came to his senses and tried to struggle but felt so exhausted and heavy he stopped and went slack. He had been so sure he had escaped death…..and now….and now.

"Why?" he said his voice sounding childlike even to him and in response to this his head received a push forward into the ice-cold water and he let out an unbearable scream that might have broken someone's heart if it wasn't lost in the water forever.

Seconds ticked by and the icy water stung the Americans eyes as he tried desperately to hold his breath but not to pass out. When he has at his limit he was roughly yanked up barely sucking in a deep breath of air before he his head was plunged yet again into the water.

It was a game now and America couldn't afford to live but there would be no one coming for him and he wasn't sure he could hold on for too long. Yanked out again he braced himself for the water taking a quick raspy breath but it didn't come instead he felt a different sensation of greedy lips pressing against him now.

"you'll be a good boy now," the voice growled into his ear as the lips moved down his neck and the American bowed his head before spitting in his kidnappers face.

"NEVER!" he yelled his voice hoarse but the power behind his word still there.

At first it ignored him but then as if it took it awhile to comprehend his word it raised his head and once again Alfred stared at the face that looked like his dad's but as it grinned maliciously he conformed yet again there was no way this man was his dad.

"Then you really are foolish and you really are going to die~…slowly and painfully but first…..you'll watch your brother die in front of your eyes~ then when your completely broken I'll make you mine and you will die!" the thing howled it's eyes bulging with the anticipating excitement of what was to come.