Elise did not awake the next morning of her own accord, rather she was awoken by her uncle barging loudly into her room. "Rise and shine, little one," he shouted, "I made plans for us today, and it'll be the best day ever!" He tore the covers from her bed and Elise groggily rolled over and looked up at him. His eager smile faded at the sight of her agitated frown.
Slowly Elise got up and returned her blanket to her bed. "I'm sorry, Uncle, I have plans today," she said as she got up and returned the blanket to her bed. She looked at the grumpy expression on her uncle's face and sighed.
"I will play with you this afternoon, but I have to be somewhere in about three hours," she said looking at the rhinestone studded pink clock on her bedside table. Gilbert thought for a moment and suddenly had an idea and pepped up a little.
"Well you will play with the awesome Uncle Gilbert for three hours and then I'll drive you to wherever you have to go, yes?" he asked, proud of his problem solving skills.
Elise laughed and nodded. "Fine, now get out so I can change," she said, pushing him from the room.
Elise changed into a long pink sleeveless dress and put on some flats and as always her dark blue ribbon in her hair, and went to join Gilbert in the hall. Gilbert waited for her sitting on the railing and as soon as she walked out he shouted "you're dead!"
Elise looked at him incredulously and asked, "What?"
Proudly Gilbert announced, "The floor is lava and you are dead!"
Elise played along with him and skipped over the small hallway and climbed onto the railing next to him. Together they scooted to where the railing turned down a flight of stairs and they slid down the bannister, laughing giddily.
When they reached the first floor Gilbert jumped from the end of the stairs to a small table, nearly knocking over a lamp but saving it last minute. Elise found her own path, jumping onto a small rug that contained a couch with many pillows she could use as islands.
The two played like this for a while before a servant caught them and chastised their childish behavior. Having used up one hour, they spent the next two playing simple board games. Both were honestly grateful when the time came for Elise's meeting at the café. Elise grabbed her bag with the important papers inside from her room and got into Gilbert's car. The two joked during the ride there and when they arrived Elise strictly informed Gilbert, "Don't follow me in, wait out here," before skipping in the front door of the café.
Lovino was waiting as always, this time he had Elise's drink already ordered for her. Elise slid into the seat next to Lovino and took some of the papers from her bag. Together they began poring over the documents, but soon Lovino pushed them to the side.
"We've been working for a long time, Elise. I think we're almost done. We've organized territory agreements, damage payouts, and return of heirlooms. I really think we have made peace very pos-" Before Lovino could finish his last word he bolted up to stand. A booming gunshot rang out over discussions of peace.
People ran from the café, but Elise and Lovino looked straight towards the front door. There, gun in hand, lay Gilbert in a pool of blood. A bullet had pierced his chest, a bullet that came from the gun of Feliciano Vargas. Elise and Lovino both ran to their family. Elise cradled Gilbert's head in her lap and checked his throat for a pulse. There was nothing. He was dead.
Lovino grabbed his brother by the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer to him. He pulled the gun from his hands and began shouting. "What the hell did you just do?" he demanded. "Feliciano you just killed somebody, do you realize that?"
Feliciano's eyes filled with tears upon realizing what he had done. "They killed papa, so I killed him," Feliciano muttered.
Lovino swung his fist at his brother, catching his jaw and causing his head to whip to the side. Feliciano clutched the point of impact and looked up at his brother with big wet eyes. "He didn't kill papa! You idiot, his father did. He does not deserve to die for something stupid his dad did," Lovino shouted, pushing Feliciano against the table. He took the gun and left his brother to help Elise with Gilbert.
Gilbert's face was wet with Elise's tears. Elise hugged his body close, sitting in the pool of her uncle's blood. Lovino sat next to Elise and wrapped an arm around her shoulders comforting through her sobs. Feliciano looked on in shock, his own brother, comforting a Beilschmidt.
"You're a traitor!" he shrieked in anger.
Lovino looked back with contempt. "And you're a murderer," he said with calm hatred.
The police soon arrived and took Feliciano away. Elise clutched to Lovino as they took Gilbert's body. She was too distraught to answer any of the officer's questions and Lovino told them to contact her brother.
Basch arrived at the scene in a panic; he brought a gun in case Elise was in danger and had a lot of trouble when the police insisted he not take it into the crime scene. He ran to Elise, ignoring the man she clung to and pulled her into an embrace. They hugged for what seemed like hours, Basch whispering words of comfort and petting her hair. Lovino stood and turned to go, but Basch stopped him.
He was about to ask for Lovino's identity before he recognized him. He let go of Elise and grabbed Lovino by the throat. "Did you kill Gilbert you Vargas trash?" he shouted. Lovino put his arms up in defense, but Elise stepped between the two of them.
"Brother, no," she cried, wiping tears from her face. "He was helping me, he didn't hurt anybody."
"What do you mean by that, why are you getting help from a Vargas?" he said more politely to Elise but anger still very present in his voice.
"We were trying to arrange a truce, we're both sick of this war causing things like this to happen," she said, gesturing to the scene around her.
Basch sighed and pulled a chair from the nearest table. He sat and looked at them with guilt in his eyes. "I'll help you."
Elise grabbed onto Lovino's arm and they both looked at Basch curiously. Elise was the first to speak, saying "What?"
"I'm half Vargas," Basch admitted. "My mother was from the Vargas family. I'm sick of fighting to the death against my own cousins. I want a truce."
Elise and Lovino rejoiced at this, they hugged him at once and thanked him repeatedly. Basch pushed them away, not wanting a hug. "But Elise is going back to Berlin. Zurich is too dangerous. I will meet with Mr. Vargas." They both agreed to this.
[any reviews would be amazing and fantastic as always]