A/N: Happy Valentine's Day. In honor of this holiday, I am dressed in all black including black lipstick and bopping my friend on the head with a fake rose. So yeah, hope you like the chapter, even though it's late.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, all rights belong to the glorious HimaPapa.

Enjoy.

Chapter XXIV

Gilbert's POV

Birdie is released from the hospital a few days later. I'm with his family in the lobby as we wait for him to come out. After a bit, he's brought to us in a wheel chair, wearing the clothes that his family brought for him and being pushed by a nurse. His face lights up when he sees us, even though I've only been apart from him for a few hours. I've barely left his side since he got here, leaving for only short periods of time to go home, shower, and change.

The nurse pushes him to us and turns to Arthur and Francis, making sure that they have the prescriptions for his anti-depressant and anti-biotic that the doctor prescribed. Birdie smiles at me and Alfred. I return the smile and ask, 'How you feeling, liebe?"

"Great, Bear. I'm glad to finally be going home. I can't wait to sleep in my own bed again. The beds here are really hard," he jokes.

Laughing, Alfred says, "Don't you worry, Bro. You'll be back home and able to sleep in your own bed with that bear of yours in no time. Well, after your date, of course."

"Alfred!" I growl, pissed off. Birdie wasn't supposed to know about that! I wanted it to be a surprise.

Alfred blushes and cringes. "Sorry."

"What date?" Birdie asks, looking up at us curiously. I sigh and decide that since he already knows, I might as well tell him the rest.

"I got permission from your parents to take you on a date. You know, since we haven't gotten to go on one in a while," I explain, rubbing the back of my neck and blushing. The bright scarlet contrasts spectacularly with my pale skin, making it even more prominent. I quickly add, "But only if you're feeling up to it. If you want to go home and rest, please don't feel like you have to come if you're not up to it."

Matthew smiles and says, "Bear, I've been in a hospital bed for almost a week. I would like nothing more than to go on a date with you."

Chuckling, I reply, "Awesome, I'm glad. All we need now is for your parents to sign you out."

"Already done," Arthur cuts in as he approaches, he and Francis having finished speaking with the nurse.

"Oui, you and Mattieu may go off on your date,"Francis pipes in.

"Perfect. Now, are you okay to walk?" I ask, turning back to Matthew.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he tells me. "The nurse said something about standard procedure when I asked her about it."

"I see. Well, it's go then. I have something special planned," I inform him.

"Alright, just lead the way," Matthew replies as he stands shakily from the wheelchair. I take his hand and intertwine our fingers, letting him use me to find his balance. It's understandable for him to be a bit unsteady with walking since he's been lying in a bed for a week and hasn't gotten the chance to walk or use his legs at all. He gives me a great full smile. We head out of the building, and I help him into my car.

We give a quick wave of goodbye to his family before I pull out of the hospital parking lot and start heading towards the place I'm taking Birdie for our date.

Matthew's POV

I look out the window, watching the outside world move past as I wonder where Bear could be taking me for this date that he has planned. Maybe that's where he was yesterday. When we were told that I would be released today, he's asked me if I'd be okay for a few hours without him. He'd called Alfred, who had come to the hospital to keep me company while Bear was out doing whatever it was that he was doing. I hope it's nothing too fancy. Gilbert doesn't have to do anything special for me; I already owe him so much for saving my life.

Looking over at him in the driver's seat, I smile. I'm so lucky to have someone as perfect as Gilbert. He's loud, a bit obnoxious, and hyper, but he's also kind and sweet and so very gentle. I love the way he smiles mischievously whenever he's scheming up some crazy new prank. I love the kinder, softer smile that he shows only me. I love how he can always make me laugh, no matter what we're doing, how he just always seems to know just what I need when I'm upset and the right way to comfort me and make me feel like everything is going to be okay. His arms always make me feel so safe and content when they're wrapped around me, holding me against his chest, like none of the troubles or the pains of the world can tough me. He doesn't need to do a single thing for me. He does so much just by loving me, by simply existing and living.

As I look at Gil, I notice that he's in a nice pair of black skinny jeans, a white button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up a bit and the top few buttons undone to show the black tank top beneath it, and his iron cross necklace. Even in something so simple, he looks so handsome. Looking down at myself, I observe the clothes that my family had brought for me to wear, so that I wouldn't have to leave in nothing but that horrible hospital robe.

They'd brought my favorite red skinny jeans and the shirt that I'd gotten from Hot Topic that day with Bear all those weeks ago. They also brought me the jacket that Bear lent me on our first date. I love wearing it, because it smells like wurst, instrument polish, and that smell that's unique to Gilbert alone. I smile and nuzzle down into the jacket, breathing deeply to take in the faint smell of Bear that lingers there.

I hear a light chuckle and look over to see Gil smiling at me. He pats my hair, ruffling it a little bit.

"You are so adorable, Birdie," He says. I feel my cheeks grow hot with embarrassment and cover my face with the too long sleeves of the jacket. He chuckles again and turns back to focus on the road. "We're almost there, just so you know," he informs me. I look out the car's window and I'm surprised to see us going down a rarely used road that goes into the woods at the edge of town.

"Where are we going, Bear?" I inquire, growing curious about our destination.

"If I told you, then it wouldn't be a surprise, would it? Don't worry, you won't have to wait for much longer. We're nearly here," he tells me.

"Okay," I say, growing quiet as I look out the window and try to think of where we could possibly be going. I haven't been this deep in the woods for a long time. When I was younger, I would explore the woods a lot whenever I felt lonely. There was a particular place I would go too often. I considered it my secret base. It was a clearing with a large tree in the middle of it; a very old tree, thicker than any I've ever seen before or since. There was a crack in the side that I could fit through, and the inside was hollow; the perfect hiding place, with lots of notches along the sides for candles. There was even a smaller hollow in one of the sides where I'd keep some of my favorite books and trinkets. There was a small hole in the top that I could climb up to using the notches in the wood. The branches of the tree had grown in such a way that a small, smooth, bowl-like shape was formed with the branches becoming sort of like walls, but leaving the sky completely open. It was the perfect size to fit two people if they stayed really close, but I'd never actually tried it. I made sure not to tell anyone about this place. It was my secret hide away, and I wanted to make sure that when I did tell someone, that it would be someone special to me.

I smile at the memory, wondering if we're anywhere near where the tree is and if it's even still around. The stuff I left there, a notebook, a sketchpad, a few pencils, erasers, and a sharpener as well as a picture of me and my parents, is probably long gone by now, scavenged by birds and other small animals for nests and stuff, but it's nice to imagine that they could still be there waiting for me to return.

I'm so lost in thought that I don't notice the car stopping or the engine turning off. Gil puts a hand on my shoulder, snapping my out of my reverie. I shake my head a bit and look at him.

"We're here, come on," Bear tells me, getting out of the car and walking around to open my door with a dramatic bow. "Allow me to assist you to our final destination."

I giggle and take the hand that he offers. Stepping out of the car, I look around.

Something about this place seems familiar, but I can't really put my finger on it. Gilbert locks the car and leads me into the woods. I'm unable to shake the feeling in my gut that I've been here before. There are signs that show what might have been a small trail once, but it's been long overgrown with thorns and branches. Despite this, Gil leads me through with confidence and ease.

After about fifteen minutes of walking in silence, Gil stops. He turns to me and orders, "Close your eyes, okay? Just trust me. I won't let you trip and fall on anything."

look at him with a skeptical look but trust him as I close my eyes. Suddenly, I feel myself being lifted into a thin, yet strong pair of arms. I let out a squeak of surprise.

Bear!?"

Hey, I told you I wouldn't let you fall. and this is the best way to keep my promise with how overgrown the path is," he explains. "Now, remembers, don't you open your eyes yet."

O-Okay," I reply, keeping my eyes shut as he'd instructed me to.

I can hear only the sound of Gil moving through the woods before he stops. He sets me down on my feet, puts his arms around my waist, and pulls me against his warm chest. Leaning down to place his chin on my shoulder, He whispers, "Open your eyes."

I do as he says and a gasp escapes my lips as I see where we are.

What do you think, Birdie? Is it familiar at all?"

Before me is the clearing from my childhood. The tree that I spent countless hours in is just how I remember. There are some vines growing on it, and the clearing is smaller due to the overgrowth of the forest, but my tree is still just as I remember it.

Bear…H-how did you find this place?" I ask him, shocked.

Well, we moved here about two weeks before Ludwig and I started going to school. I was exploring on my own when I stumbled upon this place. I found a picture of a family with two little kids and their parents inside of the tree. When I first met you, I thought that it might have been you. I wasn't sure, though. In fact, I wasn't sure until just before the incident. I was going to bring you here as a surprise, since it looked like you hadn't been here in years, but then the whole thing with Carlos and Ivan happened and I just never got the chance to. I thought it would be the perfect place to come for our first date after all of that," He explains to me. I'm silent as I stare at the clearing in awe. I guess my silence sends the wrong message to Gil, because his grip on me tightens a bit.

So…do you like it?" he asks, a hint of nervousness in his voice. I look up at him beaming.

"Bear…I love it. It's perfect, just like how I remembered it to be," I assure him.

He beams with pride. "Well it'll be a little different on the inside. Call it a few "improvements" I've made. I promise you'll like them."

"I'm sure I will. Why don't you show me?"

Gil takes my hand and pulls me up to the tree. He pushes aside some ivy and produces an ornate key from his pocket.

"I saw that the only thing to cover the entrance was a piece of bark. I reinforced it with some plywood and added a lock. I thought the ornate key was a nice touch," he tells me as he slips the key into the keyhole that's hidden in he bark. He holds the makeshift door open for me and bows.

"After you."

Giggling, I slip inside the crack in the trunk, taking notice that Gil smoothed out the rough edges to make it easier. The changes Gil made here are much more noticeable. There are new candles in all of the notches, and as Gil enters after me and starts to light them, I notice that they're lightly scented. The pleasant scent of lavender fills the small hollow. There's a thick blanket laid out on the bottom, and another folded up on the shelf with my old notebook and sketchpad. I see the picture I left behind here, all those years ago, stuck up against the wall. Next to it is a picture of me and Gilbert. Both are in simple frames with words painted along the bottom. The one with the photo of my parents says

"Birdie's Family." The one with me and Gilbert says "Birdie and Bear Forever" with a small heart.

Seeing the pictures makes my eyes fill with tears. I sit on my knees in front of them and reach out to softly brush my fingertips against the picture of my parents. Gilbert sits next to me and asks quietly, 'Are you okay, Birdie?"

I smile at him and kiss him, saying, "Merci, Bear. Thank you so much. I can't possibly thank you enough."

"It's nothing. I did it yesterday in a couple of hours."

"Still, it's so kind of you."

"Well, I'd do anything for you, Birdie. Besides, you haven't even seen everything yet, " he tells me before turning around and pointing to the other wall. I look at it and then up to see that he put wooden blocks by the notches that I'd use to climb up to the top, to make it easier.

"Go on up," He says.

I nod and start to climb up. There's a piece of wood covering the opening up to the top with a small latch attached to it. I undo the latch and climb out, gasping. The branches around the opening have grown more dense. It looks like they'd grown to create a canopy, but they've been cut back so that the sky is clear once again. There are more blankets laid out there, as well as some pillows. I take my shoes off and drop them back into the hollow before sitting on the blankets, pulling my knees to my chest.

Once Gil finishes putting out all the candles in the hollow, he climbs up to join me. He also removes his shoes before sitting next to me. The sun is starting to set, as I didn't get released from the hospital until the afternoon. I sigh and rest my head on Gil's shoulder, and in response, he wraps an arm around my waist. We lay back on the blankets and pillows, watching the sky change from light blue to that rainbow of colors you only ever seem to see during a particularly beautiful sunset, to deep purple as stars begin to show themselves. Gilbert sits up to light a few candles, but soon rejoins me in the blankets. I sigh and curl up against him, resting my head on his shoulder.

"Bear, this is so much more wonderful than I could have ever imagined. Thank you so much," I say.

"I told you, Birdie. It's noting. You're my everything," He replies. He pauses, as if internally trying to decide whether he should continue or not.

"What is it, Bear?" I ask, looking up at him.

"I have two things I was to give to you. I'm just not sure if now is the right moment," he confesses. "But I guess now is as good a time as any."

He sits up and turns to face me. I do the same, curious as to what he wants me to have. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out two boxes. One of them looks kind of familiar, but I can't remember where I might have seen it before, and the other is simple and black. Gil sets the black one aside and holds out the brown one that seems familiar.

"Open it."

I take the box from him and carefully remove the lid. Inside is a bracelet of brown leather. It's thick and kind of looks like a cuff, with a large red stone on it and a maple leaf design embossed into it.

"Oh, Bear, it's lovely," I tell him, taking it out of the box and turning it over in my hands to admire the craftsmanship. Whoever made it really knew what they were doing. "This must have cost you a fortune."

"Not really. I asked Abel to make it, and he did it free of charge. I want you to wear it, as a reminder of the promise you made me, that you won't try to take your life again. So that if you ever feel like harming yourself again, you'll see it and be reminded," He explains to me.

I smile. "I won't ever forget. Can you help me put it on?"

He nods his head and ties it onto my wrist. I admire it and the way the red stone shines in the candle light. I don't notice when Gilbert picks up the second box, but when I do realize, I return my focus to him.

"Well, you see, Birdie... in my family, there's this sort of... tradition, I guess you would call it. Whenever we find someone we truly love, we give this to them. Opa gave one to mein grandmother, mein vater gave one to mein mutti, Roddy gave one to Liz, I think Lud gave one to that Italian kid, Feli, or is at least planning to, and now, I want to give one to you," He says. opening the box. Inside is an iron cross necklace, just like the one that Gil wears, only less worn. My eyes go wide when I see it, and I cover my mouth with my hand, shocked.

"B-Bear, a-are you serious?"

"Of course I am, Birdie. I love you so much, and I can't imagine not having you by my side. You're so precious to me, and I always want to be with you. W-Will you accept it?" He asks me, his voice growing nervous as he poses the question.

I let a gentle smile take over my face and reply softly,"How could I ever refuse it? Bear, you are so much to me. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. You are the first and only person I've ever been able to really love. Back before my dad died, my mom would tell me that each of us have someone watching over us, protecting us; our guardian angel. One of the reasons I was able to put up with all of the bullying and abuse for so long was because I was waiting for my angel. You're my angel, Bear. I'm not sure how I know it... I just do. Being with you, trusting you, it just feels so right. I can't imagine being with anyone else, so yes, of course I'll accept it."

Gilbert beams at me and pulls me into a tight hug. He presses his face into the side of my head and whispers into my hair, "Ich Liebe Dich. So so much, Birdie."

I giggle and place a kiss on his cheek. Pulling back, he takes the iron cross out of the box and has me turn around so he can put it on for me. As he does so, I notice something carved into the back of it. Curious, I lift it so I can see it better. Carved in Gilbert's own handwriting, it says, "mein wertvoll Birdie, the only person in the world awesome enough to win my heart, too perfect to forget; my heart, my soul, and mein liebe will always belong to you and you alone. Ich liebe dich, Forever."

My heart fills with pure happiness as I read it. Bear holds me close again and asks softly,

"Do you like it?"

"Bear, I love it. Merci. Je t'aime, mon amor."

Gil smiles and hugs me close, and we lay back down on the blankets to look up at the stars which are appearing overhead. After a while, Gil says that he should be getting me home before my parents start to worry. I agree, and we leave the tree, making sure to blow out all the candles and lock the makeshift door. We head back towards Gil's car with our hands intertwined. We make it to a smaller clearing, not too far from the one with the car when Gilbert stops, a frown on his face.

"Is something wrong, Bear?" I ask, growing a little worried.

"We're not alone," he replies.

I'm about to ask what he means when I see a figure step out of the tree line. The moon is full tonight, so the clearing is bathed in soft moonlight. Looking towards the figure, I feel my blood freeze in my veins.

Standing not fifteen feet in front of us is the person I never wanted to see again in my life.

Carlos grins at us, and my body starts to shiver violently when he says, "I told you not to tell anyone, little slut, or I'd hurt your precious Gilbert. You went against my orders, now you need to be punished."

End of Chapter XXIV

A/N: HAHAHAHA and you guys thought that I was done with the cliffhangers. I'm so evil and I apologize, but I promise I will get the next chapter out ASAP. It might be a little while though because I kind of got a huge slap in the face with reality over the weekend and some things came to light for me that have kind of messed with my head where my art is concerned. I will be still writing this, don't worry. Nothing is going to keep me from writing this.

As always a word from my amazing beta Sakura 414:

Happy belated Valentine's Day, everyone! I hope you all ate a ton of chocolate, regardless of your relationship statuses. If not, here's some virtual chocolate for you to enjoy! :)

Thank you all for reading and supporting Wolf-chan's work!

Until next time my leiblings.

Wolf-Chan out.