Chapter 4: The Escape Plan/ Reunion
It had been weeks since Mason & Nathaniel had been outside of their place of keeping. They had regained their strength & Nathaniel had been developing their escape plan. Sasha was more than hospitable her two brothers, but being that they were needed elsewhere. They had to get back to the other side of the boundary. Mason was the one who had to retrieve everything that was needed for their journey back to the northern boundary. While Nathaniel insured that their means of escape would be possible. They had tried many things only to be caught in the act and beaten by a couple of guards, but they continued to perfect a plan.
It had been a week or so, since Mason sent a few letters to his sisters, brothers, and father letting them know that he and Nathaniel were alright, but he coded the letters he sent, in hope that one of them would figure it out.
The two brothers laid down on their side of the room one night, after taking yet another beating for another attempt of escape by Nathaniel. "Mase?" Nathaniel asked.
"Yes, Nate?" Mason muttered, trying to fall asleep for the night.
"Do you think that we'll ever figure a way out of here?" Nathaniel asked.
"I hope, so." Mason replied as he turned on to his side and repositioned his coat that he was using for a pillow.
"Something's gotta give soon, huh?" Nathaniel muttered.
"Yeah. Let's just try to get some shut eye, alright?" Mason asked.
"Yeah. Hey, Mase? You wanna know what, one of the first things I wanna do when I get back, home is?" Nathaniel asked.
"Go to sleep, Nate." Mason muttered.
"I wanna get a hair cut & shave, for starters. Then, I want stuff my face with all the food I can find..."
"Good night, Nathaniel." Mason remarked. Nathaniel continued to talk aimlessly, about things he just absolutely wanted to do. Mason sighed, he couldn't hardly keep his eyes open & he was being held against his will listening to Nathaniel blabber on about random things that soon made no sense, what so ever. Mason sat up & ran a hand through his now, unruly, long, blonde hair. He stood up & looked out of the small window in their call.
"Something wrong, Mase?" Nathaniel asked as he sat up, looking at his older brother, the oldest brother in the union, being the oldest brother, Dennis, was neutral during the war.
"No, I was just trying to get a bit of fresh air."Mason explained, "Now, let's get a bit of shut eye, hmm?"
"Good idea, I'm beat." Nathaniel yawned.
"About time." Mason mumbled.
"What?" Nathaniel asked.
"Good night, Nate." Mason replied as he laid back down on his side.
It was a few hours later, dawn was about to break. A couple of figures rode up to the prison. One of the riders, rode up to the tiny window and looked inside to see the two brothers, asleep on the ground. It was then the figure dropped a few bundles of dynamite down under the window. Nathaniel awoke suddenly, to the sound of a horse galloping, away. He looked at the bottom of the wall and saw the dynamite. He quickly jumped on top of his older brother as the dynamite exploded, the wall was completely, destroyed. Mason jumped at the almost deafening sound. Nathaniel and Mason both got up and began running out of the room that had concealed them for what seemed like an eternity. A couple of familiar faces rode up beside the two brothers, Ivy and Ronnie, their little sisters. "Come on, let's get outta here!" Ivy remarked as she grabbed Mason's hand and he jumped up on her horse & Nathaniel up on Ronnie's. Guns fired at the siblings, but they were out of the bullets reach.
Alfred and the Union States waited patiently for the return of their two sisters, hoping that the missing brothers would be with them. "Dad! Dad! Someone coming!" A little girl with brown hair and green eyes exclaimed as she sat in the window.
"What is it, Mon?" Alfred asked as he ran over to where his youngest daughter was.
"Two people on horses are heading over here." Monica stated.
"Get out of the window, for a sec." Alfred muttered as he picked her up & carried her away.
"What's going on?" A tall dark-haired boy with green eyes asked as he walked in the living room.
"Daddy's worried that someone bad is coming." Monica repiled.
"Harley, stay in the house." Alfred ordered.
Harley stopped by the front door and picked up a 12 gage rifle, "Dad, it won't do any good if we stay in here. You stay here. The last thing this family needs is you to get killed." He stated before walking out the door. Alfred sighed, knowing he was right. Monica held on to Alfred.
Harley pumped his rifle and picked a target. He was about to fire, but froze his eyes widened in shock. "They're still alive?" He muttered before walking towards his siblings.
"Harley!" Ronnie greeted with a huge grin plastered on her face.
Nathaniel grinned weakly, "Hey, man. Long time, no see." He replied.
"You ain't kidding! Just wait until Dad sees the two of you." Harley stated.
"I can't wait. But, we are going to have to rest for a while. Doctor's orders." Mason teased.
"Can you guys, walk?" Harley asked.
"Of course, we can, stupid! We have only been in prison!" Nathaniel snapped as he jumped down on to the ground.
"Nate's back to normal." Ivy muttered.
"That didn't take long." Ronnie teased.
"Come on, everybody's here waiting for you." Harley stated as he opened the front door and walked in.
"Harley, what was it?" Alfred asked. Monica still holding on to him.
"It was a few travelers coming back home." Harley answered.
"That's a rel..." Alfred stopped mid-sentence as he saw Ronnie, Ivy, Mason, and Nathaniel walk in through the door. Monica let her father go before he nearly tackled his two boys to the ground. Ronnie & Ivy smiled seeing the three's reunion, it made Alfred so happy that two of his kids had returned home, safe and sound. They winced in pain, because of their cuts and bruises from earlier beatings during their time in South Carolina. "You dudes look older for some reason." Alfred stated.
"Probably because, we haven't shaved in a long while." Nathaniel replied.
"And, Mase, dude your hair's about as long as Monica's." Alfred teased.
"It's not that long. Is it?" Mason asked, running his hand through his hair.
"It's almost touching your shoulders." Nathaniel added.
"It's physically impossible. Hair doesn't grow that fast. I'll admit it is longer than normal, but it is not even close to touching my shoulders." Mason muttered.
The tired travelers had a very long day of reunions with all the siblings that were both neutral and in the Union. They finally had a little time to clean themselves up making them look normal, once again. Monica and Ronnie knocked on Nathaniel's bedroom door that night before going to bed that night. "Who is it?" He asked.
"Monica & Ronnie!" Monica exclaimed.
"Come in." He replied as he threw on a shirt and started buttoning it up.
"A button up to bed? That's not like you." Ronnie remarked.
"I just grabbed it. I'm not sleeping in it, genius." Nathaniel muttered, "What do ya want, anyway?"
"Monica, wanted to give you, something." Ronnie answered.
"Here." Monica stated as she gave him a slip of colored on paper.
Nathaniel looked at it for a moment, then grinned, "Thanks, kiddo." Nathaniel replied as he patted her head.
"You're welcome." Monica said with a smile.
"Now, go give Mason, his card." Ronnie replied.
"Okay. Night, Nate!" Monica called as she ran out of his room.
"It's seems like an eternity since I have seen that, little girl." Nathaniel muttered.
"What happened to you at South Carolina?" Ronnie asked.
"Well, I was too busy getting beat up by the guards to really recall anything else, besides, Sasha nursing me back to health after almost dying from the stupid bullet wound. Once Mason got there, he fixed me up the best he could." Nathaniel replied.
"I was afraid that we lost you both. That is until Mason sent the letter." Ronnie stated.
"Letter? What letter?" Nathaniel asked.
"He sent the same letter to everyone on this side of the boundary. Issy figured out that it was coded and solved it. And, Ivy came with me to get you two out of there." Ronnie explained.
"He never said anything to me about that." Nathaniel stated.
"Because, I knew if I told you. You would have said something to Sasha about it. I know that you can't keep a secret." Mason remarked as he stood in Nathaniel's doorway.
"Can so!" Nathaniel protested.
"Really, now? And, how many times have I had to patch you up after Dennis beating you for something you said about him to Dad?" Mason asked.
"Yeah? So, what? I was just a kid." Nathaniel muttered.
"Try before all this mess started." Mason remarked.
"So, what?! I can't wait until I can get my hands on Sas..."
"...Why would you want to?" Ronnie asked.
"She sicked her goons on us. That's why! We got beat every night. Then, she tried to justify herself by helping us out during the day." Nathaniel remarked, "Why next time I see her, I'll pop her side with le..."
"... You will do no such thing! In fact, in the morning, Ronnie, will escort the both of us somewhere safe and remote." Mason stated.
"What?! We just got back?!" Nathaniel snapped.
"It's for the best. At least until diverging something happens to where the Confederates aren't looking for us." Mason remarked, "And, for God's sake, Nate. Sasha, is our sister, stop treating her like an enemy."
Ronnie gave Mason a questionable look. What was the deal? Before Mason left, he had completely turned his back on the rest of the family. Something must have happened, she was determined to find out what Mason's sudden change of heart was.
Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia. I only wish I did. Also, I don't own Ronnie, Ivy, or Monica they belong to my bestie Lilia x Undertaker.