AN: Hey!

Here's the new chapter.

To those who reviewed:

ThatRandomReview: I know..we did a similar thing at my school and it just...made things worse.

Penguin Braginski: Yeah. Lovi has been through hell and back. Toni knows that, and that's why he's so good at keeping Lovi in the present and pretty happy.

Enjoy.

The moment the group walked into the school, Lovino felt the change in the air. He looked around hesitantly, tensed up horribly and feeling ready to bolt. He allowed Antonio to lead him to the auditorium. Everyone who had put posters up or who were helping by doing something that week were going to meet that morning inside the auditorium.

Lovino looked at Feliciano. "We just signed our death wish."he said.

Feliciano, who had started tugging at the end of his shirt nervously the minute the minute they'd entered the school, met his brother's eyes and nodded. 'Yeah..seems like it."

Emil grinned at the two from where he was standing, talking with Kaoru nearby. "Feli, Lovi!"he greeted, pulling Kaoru over to the group. "What's got you two so worked up?"

Antonio spoke when neither of the Italians did. "They're worried about the chance of backfire."
Emil's grin fell and he looked at Antonio for a moment before looking between Feliciano and Lovino. "Pessimistic. Both of you. Have a little faith,"

Lovino met Emil's eyes evenly. "I don't know the meaning of that word. Not anymore."

Emil winced, taking a step back. "Sorry, Lovi. I forgot...just...this is going to work."

Antonio looked sideways at Lovino before he drug the Italian to the stage.

Raivis came in then with someone Lovino knew pretty well from his time in the mafia. It was another inductee. One of the ones he'd been close friends with.

Antonio handed Lovino an acoustic guitar and gave him a look. "Stop thinking so much, and play something. Offer a distraction for those who doubt it'll work. Just...you're overthinking, and it's going to hurt you."he said.

Lovino took the guitar and nodded, sitting on the edge of the stage. People were drifting in and out. Their meeting wasn't until the beginning of first block, which they'd all been excused from.

He sighed and met Raivis's eyes before he signed something out to him and started playing.

"Don't try to explain your mind, I know what's happening here. One minute it's love, then suddenly it's like a battlefield. One word turns into a war, why is it the smallest things that tear us down? My world's nothing when you're gone, I'm out here without a shield, can't go back now. Both hands tied behind my back for nothing...these times when we climb so fast to fall again. Why we gotta fall for it now?"

Antonio had stopped dead in his tracks when he heard Lovino start playing that song.

Raivis frowned, pulling the other male down, seeming ready to intervene. He knew the meaning Lovino was putting in this. Still, Lovino stopped before he got himself into trouble with himself. He didn't want those old memories. He just wanted to know if they remembered.

He looked up and Raivis nodded once, signalling for Lovino to move on.

After a long moment of thought, Lovino started playing another song. He didn't sing, but the newcomer did, making the Italian look at him in surprise.

"So lately, been wondering, who will be there to take my place? When I'm gone, you'll need love to light the shadows on your face. If a great wave shall fall, and fall upon us all, then between the sand and stone, could you make it on you own? If I could then I would, I'll go wherever you will go, way up high or down low, I'll go wherever you will go."

Lovino blinked in surprise.

"No! I don't care! I promised I'd stick by you when you got pulled into this fucking bullshit, Romano. I'm going to keep that promise, damn it!"

Lovino shook his head to clear the memory and let his eyes meet Raivis's for a moment before he looked at the newcomer.

"And maybe, I'll find out a way to make it back someday..to watch you, to guide you, through the darkest of your days. If a great wave shall fall, yeah and fall upon us all, then I hope there's someone out there who could bring me back to you."

Lovino frowned slightly, looking back down at the guitar.

"I know now, just quite how, my life and love might still go on...in your heart, in your mind, I'll stay with you for all of time. ...If I could turn back time, I'd go wherever you will go."

The singing stopped there and Lovino finished the song out, eyes clenched shut against the memories that hit him.

Antonio watched Lovino in concern for a moment. He wasn't sure what was going on.

Tears streamed down Lovino's face. He couldn't believe what he'd just gone through and witnessed. He felt a gentle arm snake around him, leading him out of the building, out to the park. His safe place. As soon as they stopped, Lovino collapsed onto the ground in tears. He couldn't do anything else.

"I'll call Vash to come get you,"

Then footsteps.

Vash showed up with Lili at his side not even ten minutes later. "Lovi!"he cried in shock, dropping to his knees beside his 'brother'. "What happened to you, kid?"

Lili went to hug Lovino, but he whined and backed away from both of them.

Vash let his eyes meet a stranger's for the first time. "What happened?"he asked, voice hard.

"...it's not my story to tell, I'm not going to betray his trust. But..he's going to need help, I'll say that much."

Vash sighed, looking back to Lovino. "C'mon, bruder, let's get you home to Feli. He's worried sick about you, as is your nonno."

Lovino allowed himself to be pulled to his feet and guided.

Raivis moved forward as soon as Lovino started shaking and moved the guitar, pulling Lovino down off stage and guiding him to a seat before kneeling in front of him. "Lovi, snap outta it, man."

Lovino met his eyes, but Raivis could tell he was still stuck in his memory.

Antonio moved closer, raising an eyebrow. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Go get Vash."Raivis said quickly.

Antonio nodded and rushed off to find the Swiss. He returned minutes later with Vash following.

Vash immediately took over from Raivis, quickly snapping Lovino out of the memory. When Lovino collapsed into Vash's arms, the Swiss sighed. "You gotta stop letting them fucking rule you, Lovi. You're safe. You're done."

Antonio tilted his head before sitting down beside Lovino, who blinked at him. He didn't say anything, just let Lovino curl up against him once he'd calmed down again.

Vash nodded and disappeared again, stopping to tell Feliciano something.

Raivis smiled softly at the scene.

Then a new voice filtered through the silence in the grouping. "Hey, Roma, remember me?"
Lovino looked up and half smiled. "Hey, Tor."he said quietly. "Nice to see you again,"

Toris shrugged. "Raiv told me that you'd got out."

Lovino smirked. "Yeah, I did. Only took a month or two of constant fear for my life to do."

Toris rolled his eyes. "And they were about to let you go, too. That's what they did to me. They got newbies now. Kinda feel bad for them."

Lovino winced. "Poor guys.."

Antonio frowned, but said nothing.

Toris looked at Antonio before looking to Lovino and raising an eyebrow. "Gonna introduce me, Romano? Or are ya gonna be as rude as ya used to be?"
Lovino rolled his eyes. "It's Lovino, now, actually. And Toris, this is my boyfriend, Antonio. Toni, this is one of my old friends, Toris."he said softly.

Antonio gave a faint smile in greeting, glancing back when he heard Gilbert call out.
"Toni! Get your ass up here. We gotta talk,"

Antonio huffed and gave Lovino a pleading look.

"Hey, if you wanna, go ahead and cuff him upside the head. Don't kill him, though. He's useful. Sides...we'll leave that pleasure to Alfred if he ever hurts Matt, right?"

Antonio nodded and got up, disappearing to talk with the others.
Raivis raised an eyebrow. "So Gil and Matt are still going good?"he asked.

Lovino nodded. "Yeah. They're sweet."

Toris stayed out of it, venturing off to explore. Raivis rolled his eyes. "I gotta go, Lovi."

Lovino nodded in understanding and let himself relax.

He hoped the day would get better from here.

Here ya go guys. Sorry it took all day to type it. I got a bit wrote and then got distracted by Harvest Moon: Magical Melodies. That's where my day went..where my whole weekend went, actually.