*knocked over by the influx of reviews, alerts, and faves* You love me! You really love me! *gives a cookie to each person who review/faved/alerted* ...Though, now I feel kind of bad for what's going to happen...*starts building the bomb shelter*

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything. Though, I do have high school graduation coming up in a month; anyone out there feeling particularly generous? Hmmmm?

Felicianus loved the small cross his brother kept around his neck at all times. The redhead could remember their mother tying the twigs together with a severed lock of her hair, and giving it to them with a kind smile on her face. There, she had said, now you can always keep Christ close to your heart. It was the last thing their mother had touched before the soldiers had burst in, discovering their hiding spot and killing their mother. It was sacred.

To see it lying on the floor, exposed to the unfriendly world around it, had Felicianus stunned. Romanus was just as stunned, dark green eyes staring at the small symbol of their true faith as though it had suddenly become something gruesome, like a bleeding heart freshly ripped out of his own chest. Because that's what the cross was: their heart. It was what had given them strength to keep moving on after they lost everything else.

The young redhead whimpered as a dark aura was emitted from Rome. For what seemed like an eternity that ended all too soon, not a single word was uttered. Then, Rome spoke.

"Romanus. What is that?"

Even a brave man would have cowered before Rome. Romanus wasn't a fool, and there was nothing to be said. Rome knew exactly what the twigs were, and why Romanus would possibly have them. Yet Rome awaited an answer. The eldest of the three brothers took a deep breath and answered.

"It is a crucifix, sir."

"Where did you get it?"

"My mother gave it to me before she was murdered."

Felicianus whimpered. Frater, please! Run away! Run away before Rome gets you!

Romanus showed no signs of running, feeling braver than he had ever felt in his life, even when dealing with other orphans as desperate for food as he was. Rome was mighty, and powerful. Any fool knew that. But Romanus was willing to take full responsibility for the perceived wrong, as long as Rome didn't lay a finger on Felicianus and Gratianus.

"Who murdered your mother?"

"Roman soldiers. They were hunting down Christians."

"And what are you?"

"I am a Christian, sir."

Rome's expression was unreadable short of anger. He grabbed Romanus' wrist and began to drag the boy away, not listening to the shrieks of Felicianus and the protests of the mothers and servants. The other children surrounded Felicianus, holding him close and holding him back from chasing after his brother. Words the younger had never uttered before outside of the link with his brother spilled out in choppy sentences.

"Frater! No! No take him! Frater!"

Gratianus wailed in his crib, aware of only two things: his big brother Feli was screaming just as loud, and his big brother Roma was getting uncomfortably far away. Ever since he was born, Feli and Roma had always been close by, close enough that he could practically feel them. Now Feli was very, very upset and Roma was almost completely gone from his senses. Gratianus was scared, and he desperately wailed for big brother Roma to come back and hold him and tell him that everything was going to be okay.

It would be the last time either of the younger brothers would see Romanus for a very, very long time.

*takes cover in the bomb shelter, helmet on* Please don't kill me! I already feel horrible for what I'm doing to Romano; he's one of my favorite characters! (Having recently snuck his way into my top 5 list.) And with that said, audience poll: I have a few ideas with what to do with the next chapter, but I'd like some input from those reading the story. I can either

A.) Do the entire chapter from Romano's point of view, which would involve some massive self-control on my part because of what exactly I have planned for him,

B.) Do the entire chapter from Feliciano's point of view, which would cast more of a mystery as to what exactly happened to Romano, or

C.) I can mesh the two so that the readers know what's going on, and the ignorance of Feli-kun's side is highlighted. (I'm pretty partial to this one, honestly...)

Let me know what you think in a review! And please don't kill me! It's all for the sake of the plot! I swear!