Holy chapter! Wow, this is to make up for my slow updates.

I read the reviews from the last chapter [thank you for reviewing by the way] and understood the majority of you wanted the names kept the same.

That's fine with me! I did however do a slight change with Arthur, but I tried to make it work. I hope you don't mind!

Anyway, I hope there aren't too many mistakes in this chapter. It was tedious to edit so I sort of gave up. [I don't usually have many mistakes without editing anyway.]

Enjoy the chapter!~ Many 2p's introduced! Remember, Reviews are loved!

OH! Before I forget!

Note: Implied 2p FrUK in this chapter. [I will be updating the Summary with this.]

This town looked weird, or at least to Alfred it did. Many of the houses were pushed together and the way they were set up almost looked as if they were frowning at the young boy. The windows almost seemed lopsided, as if the houses had just finished melting. They all seemed brown or a dull red. It made him think of what would happen if all the houses in his neighborhood would look like smashed together.

He made it down the path just minutes ago. It wasn't much of a hassle, besides the part when he fell over a lone twig. He wasn't paying attention though, so it was his fault. His mind was too focused on what was ahead. Well, he was here now.

He glanced about and let out a soft sigh. What was he doing here? He was alone and definitely scared. His legs were trembling along with his arms. What had Lovino said to do once he arrived? Ask for the Kirkland or Bonnefoy family.

Who were these people? Alfred hoped he didn't leave a bad first impression on them. Heck, he wished they even let him stay for starters. They had to take him in right? He was a little boy with nowhere else to go! Besides, Lovino wouldn't send him to a place where he would be refused. Would he? No, that wasn't Lovino at all.

Alfred took a step forward hesitantly. He glanced down the streets, they were as gray and dull as the houses. The ground almost seemed like squished ghouls. In a town like this it wouldn't be a bad guess either. There were cars zooming by, startling Alfred every few minutes. They all seemed as if they were being chased by something undesirable, or like they were running for their lives.

It wasn't like Alfred was scared of all that though, that would have been silly. He came all this way to escape his own demon, he had nothing more to lose. It wasn't like he had any money to have stolen from him. What did he have left to give? His life, perhaps. He wasn't going to let that sink in his head though. Besides, death wouldn't be the worst thing in the world either. Maybe the world would accept him as one of those angel things.

Alfred tried to seek out the friendliest looking face around. So few people walked up and down the sidewalk though, they began to look the same.

"Man, I'm going to party so hard tomorrow!" A man nearby said. Alfred leaned up against one of the brick walls nearby and turned his head to look at him. Wait, that...that man looked weird. He had a nice shade of brown hair, almost a sort of orange. His hair was tied back in a ponytail and hung over his shoulder. He had on a baggy pair of brown jean shorts that went down to his knees. He also had on a black leather jacket and finally some really shiny red sneakers.

"Elizabeta, calm yourself dear!" Said another ... man? Yes, Alfred was pretty sure that was a man. This one had long orange hair also tied in a ponytail. He was wearing some funky clothing. A long white jacket with a bright orange shirt and black pants underneath. It looked really weird and out of whack to Alfred. Especially in a neighborhood like this!

"Roderich come on! You have to admit this party tomorrow is going to be wicked! Artie and Francis know how to get down! Remember last year when he poisoned his cup-"

"How could I forget? He nearly sent us all to the hospital!" Roderich giggled happily, almost skipping in his next few steps.

Alfred pursed his lips. Well they were freaky, but they didn't look dangerous. Alfred considered walking up to them but the brown haired man, Elizabeta, looked a bit scary. He also sounded weird, almost like a girl and boy mixed together. It creeped Alfred out!

So instead he kept glancing around. There had to be nicer looking people around here. He took a deep breath before disconnecting from his place on the brick wall. He continued to step down the long sidewalk, checking both ways before crossing the street. Most children, he guessed, probably crossed the street with their parents. Alfred learned to cross the street about a year ago when he was four. The first time really scared him, he was terrified a car would come out of nowhere and he'd be flattened down to a pancake.

That didn't happen though, clearly. He was glad or else he'd be stuck on the same block for hours possibly! Just waiting for someone to come! However, that wasn't the case. He could walk around and take action. He turned his head from side to side, eyes darting around the town. Some people looked mean, some looked decent, and some probably looked nice in general. Alfred was just too scared to go up to them.

He eventually began tiring out and deciding to sit on the ground for a few minutes. He leaned up against a light pole and rested his head on it. The sun was pretty high up in the sky by now, he could only guess it was around nine in the morning. Maybe that's why there weren't many people out in the streets. Unlike his mother, maybe these people had a real job. Like one in those big offices Alfred heard about in stories from the children he would snoop on. This neighborhood was clearly different from where he was born. Although the houses matched in dullness, there was another feeling here. Something he could never feel inside his previous household.

Alfred tried to put his finger on it. What was this feeling? It had to be something.

He didn't notice it, but his eyelids began to droop. He hadn't slept all night, Lovino woke him up pretty early in order to escape. While he was grateful to escape his witch of a mother, he would have appreciated a bit more sleep. Of course there was also the problem of finding this family he was seeking as well. Where could they be?

"Hey kid," a voice suddenly swept him away from his thoughts. Alfred's eyes opened up fully as he tilted his head upward. In front of him stood a tall man. He had neatly combed blond hair, ruby eyes, a nice red dress shirt on, black pants, and a fancy pair of black shoes. The young boy couldn't help but wonder if Valentines Day was his favorite holiday. Alfred couldn't help but freeze up though, would this man hurt him?

"Are you okay, little man? I hope you are, because if you're not that would be really bad! Goodness, you're not hurt, right?" The blond spitted out, his words smacking Alfred in the face. Wow, didn't he enjoy to talk?

"I-I'm okay, mister." Alfred responded, forcing a smile to calm the other's nerves.

It seemed to work because the other did smile. "Hey, that's good! My name is Berwald, nice to meet you. What are you doing out here alone? Is your mommy around?"

Alfred bit his lower lip and wondered whether or not he should tell the truth to this stranger. Although he did know his name, so that technically didn't make him a stranger anymore, right?

"M-My name is Alfred. My mommy is at h-home," he decided to whisper instead, hoping Berwald caught on.

Mr. Valentine, as Alfred would nickname the man, shifted onto one leg and crossed his arms over his chest. "Sleeping? Well then what are yo-"

"I ran away."

"Ah," Berwald nodded his head, "believe it or not that happens a lot around here. You're a pretty tough kid though. Most who run away are usually around twelve or even teenagers. You look like you're no older than seven!"

"A-Actually, I'm five." Alfred really didn't consider the possible consequences of telling his age. Or perhaps he didn't care anymore.

"Whoa! That's...That's rough." Mr. Valentine crouched down and reached a hand forward, placing it on Alfred's shoulder. The red head flinched slightly, but otherwise didn't attempt to shrug him off. "Why did you run away?"

"She was mean to me. She was a bully."

Berwald nodded once again, patting his shoulder softly. "What do you plan to do?"

Oh, right! How could Alfred have forgotten? Maybe this man could help him!

"Oh!" Alfred quickly mumbled over the names a few times before staring directly into the other's eyes. "Mister, do you know the B-Bonnefoy o-or Kirkland f-family?"

Berwald seemed to think about it for a moment, staring back at the kid. This strange kid who at only five, decided to run away from home. One who was most likely born in the horrible suburbs nearby. It took a few minutes before it finally clicked in his head.

"Oh yes! I know them, strange family. Why are you seeking them?" As if he had to ask, he already knew.

"I-I ..." Alfred trailed off, not having the confidence to tell his goal out loud. Was it really such a big deal anyway? Why did the man have to know? "C-Can you please show me?"

Mr. Valentine cracked a smile and let out a tiny sigh. This happened way too often for his taste. Although he had to admit, helping this child would make him really happy. He was so young and he had a future ahead of him.

"Of course I will," and with that the blond stood up and offered a hand out to the young American. Alfred couldn't believe it! This man was going to help him! He grinned from ear to ear, placing a hand in Berwald's as he was pulled up. "They don't live too far from here, actually they live a few blocks down!" What luck!

"Th-thank you so much, B-Berwald!" Alfred's bottom lip quivered, not believing his luck at the moment. Could this really be happening? He was going to meet them!

"No problem, kid! Now come on, before you get trampled by the people on their early lunch breaks." Alfred nodded quickly, raising an arm to wipe away the threatening tears in his eyes.

Both of them began walking the opposite way Alfred had been heading before. It was a good thing he stopped when he did, or this would be more of a hassle.

"So Alfred, when is your birthday?" Berwald asked as they walked, hand in hand. Much like a father and their child would, if the father didn't walk out on the child when they were a baby. Like Alfred's father did.

"M-My birthday?" What a strange question! Honestly, he wasn't too sure. He never celebrated his birthday, so it was hard to keep track. Since he was two, all he remembered hearing on his birthday from his mother was, 'Congratulations on ruining my life for another fuckin' year.'

"I-I think it's on July f-fourth," Alfred muttered, still not too sure himself. If it wasn't, he was sticking with the date anyway. He could create a new birth day.

"July Fourth, eh?" Berwald arched a brow. Alfred wasn't too sure why though. It must not have been anything special, right? Suddenly Alfred brought both his eyebrows together. He noticed something in Berwald's voice that he didn't hear before. This man did not sound American!

"B-Berwald, why do you sound like that?" Alfred hoped that didn't sound too rude.

"What? Oh! My accent, maybe? I'm Swedish. Well, I only actually lived in Sweden for awhile. I moved here when I was around sixteen. Ah, great America! Land of the free, home of the brave! I know some people come here only to dislike it, but I think they're really sill, you know? I mean, how could you hate it here? Sure, it has its faults. Doesn't every country though?" Berwald babbled on, taking the topic quite seriously.

Alfred wasn't sure where Swedish people were from, but he liked their candy fish.

The rest of the walk continued on with Berwald chatting up a storm. Alfred didn't mind though, it wasn't like many people talked to him to begin with. It was nice to hear for a change, or for that matter hear someone that wasn't screaming all the time. Well, the Swedish man was certainly loud, but that was okay. His voice meant no harm.

Along the way Alfred saw a few more people. Some were hanging up clothing outside, others were talking to their neighbor, and a few kids were even playing. Not the playing like what Alfred saw in his old neighborhood. These kids didn't push each other until someone ended up bruised up. No, these kids lightly tapped each other's shoulders and arms before running away. That was it. There was no shoving, hitting, bruising, and certainly no blood.

Alfred wished he could ask them to play.

Berwald suddenly froze in place, much to Alfred's surprise. When the young boy turned his head to see why, his eyes widened. In front of them was a house that differed from the rest. For starters, it looked like it was disconnected from the others and was much larger. In fact, there was a small pathway up to the house. Alfred was dumbfounded that he didn't notice the lack of houses to his sides while they were walking. Second of all, the whole house was bright pink!

It was like nothing Alfred had ever seen before. It was huge and decorated with flowers and what resembled giant lollipops. The windows on either side of the house were open. One to the right of where Alfred was standing had what seemed to be a freshly baked pie on it. The scent traveled up Alfred's nose. It smelled delicious! He couldn't put his finger on what flavor it could be though.

The front door was a darker shade of pink with a purple mat in front of it labeled, 'Welcome!' with red hearts all around it. It really was a sight and Alfred didn't think he'd believe such a house existed without seeing it for himself! Alfred didn't even notice that his jaw had dropped, not until Berwald pointed it out that is.

Once Alfred lowered his gaze and shut his gaping mouth, the man spoke, "Well, here we are! Kirkland residence!" Alfred trailed his eyes to the blonds, finding slight comfort that they were the same color as his were. He wasn't some demon like his mother made him think he was at times. He couldn't be, not with someone like Berwald who was so nice having the same eye color.

"Hey, Artie!" Berwald called out, stepping up onto the welcoming mat and tapping the door.

A voice behind the door responded, "Coming!" It sounded cheerful.

A few steps were here and Alfred couldn't help but begin to tremble and hide behind Berwald's leg. This was it. It was happening.

The doorknob twisted and the door flew open, revealing one heck of a ...man. He had pink hair, much like the house, and a striped pink and red sweater on. He also wore plain white sweatpants and the same color pair of socks. He had a bowl in his hand, mixing whatever was inside with a large wooden spoon. The thing that caught Alfred's attention the most though, were his eyes. They didn't seem to be just one color. They were a mixture of sky blue and bright pink. It reminded him of cotton candy for reason.

"Hey, Artie!" Berwald grinned, waving to the other man who was a lot shorter than him. Really, the Swedish man looked like a giant in comparison!

"Oh I told you to call me Oliver! Then again, I suppose even Artie is better than that nasty name I was born with. I mean, who gives a baby such a name like Arthur? Tch! It sounds so grumpy!" The man suddenly paused in his tracks, his eyes wandering over to look at the boy behind Berwald. "Oh? Oh my, who is that?"

Mr. Valentine's smile grew sheepish as he reached behind to pat Alfred's head. "That's why I'm here, Oliver. Can I come inside?"

Oliver tilted his head to the side, going over the possible reasons for this child being here. Was he like Matthew, perhaps? He finally nodded his head and took a few steps back to allow them in. Alfred hesitated when Berwald gave him a light pat on the back to move, but did walk inside. What if the man thought he was a bad kid because he couldn't stop shaking like a big baby? What if he lost his chances of getting a new family?

Berwald placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder to try and soothe him. He was shaking like he'd just seen a ghost! When he sat down on one of Oliver's magenta couches, Alfred mimicked him.

Oliver decided to sit across from them on a (pink) wooden chair he dragged over. He sat down and smiled at the other two, having put his bowl somewhere when Alfred wasn't paying attention.

"Please explain, Berwald?" Oliver asked, glancing over at Alfred.

Berwald inhaled deeply before speaking. "I'm not really sure myself. I found this kid about half an hour ago on the sidewalk, leaning up against one of the poles. His name is Alfred, and he's five years old. He ran away from home because of his "mean" mother, and that's all I know. He said he was looking for your family though."

Oliver arched an eyebrow in question, but Berwlad could supply no more information. He didn't even know the kid's last name.

"Well, Alfred," Oliver turned his head and smiled brightly, "I'm Arthur Oliver Kirkland. However, I prefer Oliver if you don't mind. Arthur doesn't fit me, don't you think?"

Not exactly knowing what else to do Alfred nodded quickly, clenching his fists on his lap. He wanted to impress this man, so he offered a shaky hand out. "I-I'm Alfred Jones, i-it's nice to meet you!" Oh how terrible could life be? He began to hiccup. This man probably thought he was stupid!

Instead, Oliver began to giggle. It sounded weird coming from a grown man, but then again Oliver seemed to be a strange man. "Oh dear, you've got the hiccups! How precious!"

Alfed just blinked at him, really unsure of what to say.

"Who sent you, dearie?" The pink man said in a soft and calming voice.

"M-My friend, Lovino! H-He said, I-I should look for you!" Alfred yelped, hiccuping along the way.

"Oh my, Lovino did? What a charming child he was! I'm glad he didn't forget about us. His mother and I used to work in the same job, you see. However as time went on she had to change jobs because she wanted more than one, and the one with me simply wasn't paying all that she needed. It must be tough being a single mother, poor thing." Oliver sighed heavily.

Single mother? The American didn't know about this. Was that why Lovino seemed to tense up at the conversation about his father?

"Enough of that, though. Can you tell me why you're here, Alfred?" The other man cocked his head to the side, colorful eyes seeming to almost swirl.

Alfred knew the answer already, so he was quick to respond. "I want to have a family. I want to be happy."

He could have sworn he saw a hint of pain in Oliver's eyes. They seemed like they understood exactly what Alfred was saying. So there was only one unspoken question remaining. Could he provide him with that?

The three of the males sat in silence for a few minutes, the question lingering in the air perhaps. Until finally Oliver cleared his throat. "I'd love to have you, Alfred."

There were no words for the sudden rush that filled Alfred. It was as if the world decided to break into half and reveal nothing but sunshine and rainbows on the inside. He was no longer on Earth. He was in a much better place now. This wasn't the corrupted world he grew up in, no. He was.. He was in that place called Heaven. Was he dead? Was he finally an angel? He didn't care if he was or noot. Right now, he felt something he didn't think he'd ever feel. Tears, but not sad ones, happy tears. He was crying tears of joy.

Whatever made him stand up and pounce Oliver was beyond him. All he knew was that wrapping his arms around the other and sobbing into his shirt, and possibly ruining it, was the best feeling in the world. Or so he thought, until Oliver actually returned the hug. He didn't have to say anything, Alfred could feel it. This was a promise.

Meanwhile, Berwald seemed to be having his own trouble with onions as he sniffled and wiped at his eyes, pretending dust got in them.

Both Alfred and Oliver stood in that position for a long while until Berwald finally stood up. "I think I'll search for someone who can help you with the adoption papers, alright?" Oliver tilted his head up and smiled at the man, nodding quietly. He didn't want to disturb Alfred's moment of happiness.

As the Swedish man left and gently closed the door behind him, Alfred picked up his head. He was finally dry of tears when he looked up at his new...father. Yes, that's what this was. Oliver was his dad! The one he never had.

Except if Oliver was the dad, then where was his new mommy? Alfred decided to look around the room, wondering if he'd missed anyone while he was walking in. The room was empty of any other people though.

"Is something wrong, dearie?" Oliver cooed, running his fingers through Alfred's wrecked hair. He will have to take a day in order to fix the poor child's wild boy look.

"I-If you're my new daddy, d-do I have a new mommy?" Alfred whispered in response, returning the other's look.

The man couldn't help but giggled once again, shaking his head. "Oh my, Alfred, no. Unfortunately you won't be getting a new mommy. However, you will be having two fathers."

Alfred blinked a few times. How was that possible?! "T-Two dads? How?"

"Ah, you'll understand one day, I can only hope." Was his only response, figuring Alfred would learn on his own. As if on cue, the front door opened.

Alfred turned his head and wondered if Berwald had left something, but the red clothed man wasn't who was at the door. Instead stood a tall man, not as tall as Berwald, but still tall who looked down at Alfred with an arched brow. He had blond hair down to his shoulder and stubble all around his chin. He wore a purple shirt which seemed to be unbuttoned without a care, and black pants. Wow, the people in this town sure enjoyed black pants, huh? He had gleaming purple eyes with dark bags under them.

What's more was what was by his legs. It was a boy, about Alfred's age. He also had long blond hair, but his was tied up. He had what resembled a sort of lumberjack shirt on and blue pants. He also had purple eyes and Alfred wondered if the two were related because of it.

"Oliver, what the hell is this?" The other man spoke, his voice sort of raspy. Oliver let out a long sigh and stood up, patting Alfred's head to comfort him.

"Francis, we should talk. In the kitchen, alone. This here is Alfred and he'll be living with us for now on." Oliver kept a calm tone, pursing his lips slightly to tell he meant business.

Francis darted his eyes from Oliver back to Alfred, to Oliver once again. He grunted before walking away, presumably to the kitchen. Oliver followed him. So only Alfred and the other young boy were left.

The two boys blinked at one another, glancing the other over and analyzing. The blond huffed and closed the front door, taking a few steps toward the red head.

"Who are you?" He asked, as Alfred noticed he was missing a tooth.

"I'm Alfred," he responded, "who are you?"

"I'm Matthew!" He grinned suddenly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Are you like, my brother now?"

Alfred had to blink a few more times before nodding slowly. "I-I think so."

"You're pretty weird looking!"

Alfred pouted at that, shifting onto one leg. "T-To be fair, y-you look weird too."

Matthew seemed surprised at the response, probably not expecting it from the shy and quiet boy in front of him. However he soon began laughing. "I like you, new brother! You're pretty neat, Al!"

Alfred smiled sweetly, "I like you too, b-brother."

As the two boys continued to converse, Francis suddenly stomped passed them. Alfred gazed at the seemingly angry man as he took loud steps up the stairs, that Alfred didn't even notice before. A door slammed from up above and both boys flinched.

Oliver entered the room next, looking quite tired. "Ah, he's just a meanie. He'll come around. For now, Alfie, let's take you a bath alright?" Oliver chimed, offering a bright grin.

Alfie? He had never been called that before. He would have been beaten up being called that in his old neighborhood. Oh, but he wasn't there anymore. He was far from there in his mind. He actually had a family now! He couldn't be any happier! He didn't just have one daddy, he had two! Sure, one seemed a bit mean, but the other was super nice! That wasn't it though, he also had a brother! How could things get any better?

Alfred let out a happy sigh and turned his head to look out the still open windows. The sun was high in the sky now, most likely afternoon. It shone down on the other houses and the town changed. While earlier it looked dull, now it seemed like the houses were coming to life. It was then that Alfred understood. He understood what he was feeling in this town.

He was feeling hope.

Quick notes:

Elizabeta is female [2p Hungary if you must] however Alfred thinks she's a guy due to the way she's dressed.

And Oliver is Arthur's middle name in this, but since he hates the name Arthur, he prefers to be called Oliver. Okay?~