After a full night of sleep and readying himself for work, it wasn't long until Ludwig was leaving his apartment building and stepping out into the crisp morning air. Ludwig always made sure to leave the apartment so he'd have the time to walk at a casual pace, that way he'd feel like he has experienced more of the day and arrive at work energised. Well, that's personally what worked for him. According to Gilbert riding his motorbike energises him for work. Though Ludwig would prefer that Gilbert was energised before he started his bike.

The sky was half-covered by soft white clouds that blocked the sun from fully shining down on the city, which seemed dimmer without the direct light. The air had an invigorating chill to it, propelling Ludwig forward as he continued to his daily stop before work.

It was a 'mon & pop' coffee shop, not affiliated with any large branch or brand, located down a side street not too far from the precinct. He had discovered it last year as he tried to expand his route to and from work by incorporating different city blocks. It had a cute Bohemian theme that stood out against the plain modern style that was so heavily favoured by cities.

After placing his regular order with the friendly barista he stepped to the side and pulled out his phone while he waited. He didn't have anything in particular to look at on his phone, besides cycling through and checking the usual apps. Starting with the weather, which reported the day would warm up to be warmer than average and the skies would clear.

A draft pushed its way through the door and past a pair of middle-aged men as they stepped inside. They politely nodded as they passed in acknowledgment and shuffled over to the counter to take turns placing their orders. Ludwig returned the nod and turned back to his phone to give them the impression that he wasn't up for conversation. Nothing personal, just that there were a lot of civilians that liked to approach him because of the intriguing status of his job and he was just introverted.

Closing the weather app he then opened his work emails. Considering the typical workday of a nine-to-five had barely just begun, he was unsurprised to see that there were none concerning the DNA. He hoped it would come in sooner rather than later, though he knew he'd get it all the same. Regarding how the chief of police had organised for the sample to be examined immediately, he'd be getting it a lot sooner than anyone else.

There were a few unopened emails in his inbox - the most notable was from Natalya, the title suggesting she had found some trivial jobs that they could do. Ludwig didn't find it practical to read and respond to emails on anything but a computer, so opted to go through them later.

With nothing else to really look at, he opened the calendar app and browsed through his simple and unchanged schedule. Though fortunately, he wasn't waiting long, turning his phone off and slipping it into his jacket when his order was called out. Thanking the barista as he collected the drinks, he headed towards the door and pushed it open with his elbow.

Soon he was back on the streets, striding towards the precinct. He still took the time to let his eyes wander and observe the other things a busy man wouldn't have noticed. He was aware there was more to life than work, hence why he tried to make the most out of his day. Also considering his job required him to be attentive, it was second nature to be quite observant.

He liked the way the outline of the fluffy clouds looked so stark against the blue sky. At a brief glance you wouldn't notice, but there were all sorts of birds hidden amongst the lively landscape. Sitting on posts, traffic lights, the awnings of surrounding buildings. He supposed it was natural to see them around, a staple of regular city life. Which was probably why the busy people hurriedly passing by with their eyes focused ahead didn't pay them any mind. A lot of pigeons had gathered on the roof of the police precinct, nested together as they overlooked the streets below. Ludwig spared a thought to whoever would have to eventually clean the roofs as he used his shoulder to push open the heavy door.

There were a few civilians lingering by the front and Ludwig peered past them to catch sight of his stoic coworker. Natalya was occupied by a young couple, but once she met his eye they exchanged routine nods of acknowledgement before glancing back.

Less than a moment later Ludwig was pushing open the door to his brother's office, only to find it distinctly empty. Clenching his teeth together, Ludwig peeked back down the hallway as he briefly wondered where his brother would be. It was uncommon but not unusual for Gilbert to not be in the office before him. Ludwig shrugged off his pondering thoughts as he placed each drink by the respective seats and opened the shutters, casting light into the cluttered room.

Lowering himself into his designated seat, Ludwig pulled out his phone and selected Gilbert from his quick contacts. He sipped his coffee as the phone rang out. He decided the most likely scenario was Gilbert didn't pick up because he was on his way, riding and unable to answer. Resisting the urge to check his emails again, he doubted that there'd be anything new in his inbox. Slipping his phone back into the jacket, he reclined in the rigid seat and stared blankly at the ceiling as he sipped his hot coffee.

He purposely kept his mind from wandering off, edging towards obsessing over Vargas' case. Now would be the perfect opportunity to mull things over without distraction but there wasn't anything he could do. Once he had new information he'd allow it to occupy his mind, but for now he pushed those thoughts away and focused on the present. Focused on the way the stagnant room seemed to have no temperature, the streaks of shadow and light cast from the window and onto the walls. It was peaceful.

Naturally, it didn't last long once he began to enjoy it. The unusual silence of the room allowed him to pick up on the frenzied thudding speeding down the hallway. A moment later Gilbert hurled the door open and threw himself in the room, almost tripping and falling against the wall but caught himself last moment.

"Morn-ning!" he recovered and kicked the door closed, "I accidentally slept through my first two alarms but it's okay because I'm here now and I'm not late so it doesn't matter!"

Ludwig was reassured that his conclusion that nothing had happened was correct, though couldn't imagine how one would sleep through an alarm. But said nothing as his brother slumped into the creaky chair opposite him and kicked his legs over the armrest.

"Cheers!" Gilbert snatched his coffee off the desk and held it up. Ludwig minutely raised his coffee in response before taking another sip.

They drank in silence. Ludwig stared at the tree leaves rustling outside and Gilbert lounged against the chair while zoning out at the wall. Gilbert finished his coffee before him and tossed it against the wall so it fell into the bin.

"Did you bring the goods?" Gilbert pestered as he rested his hands behind his head.

"Yes."

"Can I have them?" Gilbert kicked his legs up violently so the momentum would swing one to rest over the other.

"After this," Ludwig promised as he sipped on his drink. He liked to have a moment to just decompress with Gilbert before the day started and they both were occupied with work. He wasn't going to give him the documents now when they weren't in a work mindset.

"Fine," Gilbert whined and kicked his feet absentmindedly.

Checking his phone revealed they had some time to kill and Ludwig finished his coffee as he thought of something to talk about.

"What time did you go to sleep last night?" he asked and dunked the empty cup into the bin behind him.

Gilbert made a dismissive noise as he appeared to consider it, his lips pressing together and his eyes travelling about the ceiling.

"Maybe twelve?"

"Twelve?" Ludwig sighed. No wonder he slept through his alarm.

"Well I went to bed way earlier but it's not like you can just fall asleep instantly," Gilbert pouted, "but at least I'm not that tired."

"Right," Ludwig shook his head, "what was keeping you up?"

"I dunno, I just couldn't sleep," Gilbert shrugged.

"Sounds frustrating," Ludwig sympathised, leaning back and crossing his arms. Somehow he had the feeling that this conversation was completely underwhelming, but that might just be from the other things pressing on his mind.

"Yeah guess it was. Gilbird fell asleep no problem, so I don't know what I'm doing wrong."

Ludwig could point out a few suggestions about a routine or lifestyle changes but knew it was up to Gilbert to make that change. Realistically it would go through one ear and out the other. He reminded himself that Gilbert was an adult and it's generally rude to give unsolicited advice, even if he knew it worked.

So Ludwig willed himself not to say anything and refrained from feeling the commonplace annoyance he seems to experience daily. Though he will acknowledge that some of it stems from his compulsive urges to change and suggest things to work better.

"Maybe go to bed earlier tonight," he says passively instead. Gilbert shrugged at the suggestion, which wrapped up that conversation.

Checking the time on his phone again, Ludwig stood and stretched. He pulled the folder from his jacket and sat it on top of the largest clear spot on Gilbert's desk.

"I'll be in my office," he said as he stepped past his chair and towards the door. His mind was fixed on going through his emails. Though he only went through the documents and tapes once and he was certain he didn't need to review them a second time.

Leaving Gilbert to his own capable devices, Ludwig shut himself in his dark office and shrugged his jacket off. He slipped it over his chair and opened the blinds. As he pushed the window open a crispy breeze drifted through and brushed over his face. It was chilling due to the absence of his jacket, but invigorating.

His chair squeaked as he lowered himself into it and reclined with his forearms weighing on the armrests. His desk was bare, save for the singular item neatly aligned by his computer. It was the list of cold cases that had only been handed to him about twenty-four hours ago. As he stared at it the small lines of words blurred out of focus as his eyes stayed there for too long. Maybe it was the font style or size but the page seemed to be crammed with too many references to long-forgotten cases for such a small city. Ludwig pushed himself to sit upright and fix his posture. He had the mental fortitude and motivation to get through them, no matter how long it took or how gruelling. Turning the list over face down, he resolved to see through each one at a time, giving the case the attention it deserves and hopefully ensuring that everything can be drawn from the evidence.

After booting up his computer and bringing up his emails, he was slightly discontented upon seeing there were no new emails but not entirely surprised. He wasn't impatient, he'd just go through his other emails now to optimise the time.

So he pushed the current investigation to the back of his mind and clicked on the first email, reading it thoroughly to consume his mind and fully engage in the contents on the screen.

Sometime later while he was replying to the last pressing email, he only realised he had lost track of time when he was snapped from his preoccupied state and back into reality when Gilbert pushed open his office door. The keyboard clicking stilled as his train of thought was shifted from the sentence he was typing out to the more pressing relevance of his brother's return. Closing the tabs and putting the computer to sleep, he switched his pragmatic mind to the priority task.

Gilbert slid the folder with the USB resting on top over the clean surface of the desk and slumped into the available seat. Ludwig sceptically tried to read his expression but Gilbert wasn't giving much away, seeming to be thinking about the obvious.

"It's a lot to take in," Ludwig started with a redundant formal statement and tried not to cringe at the indifference.

"Yeah, I feel bad for them," Gilbert stated somberly. Though it passed quickly, he crossed his legs on the seat and his face became animated again.

"I'm fine if that's what you were asking!" Gilbert reassured and rested his elbows on his knees. "It's just weird to see that stuff from so long ago. Like it all happened and - " his fingers flexed as he thought how to describe it "- I dunno, picturing it now is weird."

"Yeah," Ludwig agreed, even if Gilbert's choice of vocabulary fell short for what he was trying to express. "It's strange to think that the family have aged since. That time moved forward and the case got older and older."

"Exactly. And wouldn't Feliciano be as old as grossvater? They could've been old man friends."

Ludwig sat back in his chair and quickly calculated what his age would be in his head.

"He'd be slightly younger, but he'd be exactly sixty."

Gilbert paused for a moment as he slouched further to rest his hands between his hands, eyes downcast. Ludwig was about to say something after Gilbert didn't respond when he aggressively robbed the palm of his hands into his eyes and straightened his posture.

"What about his brother and grandpa? Well, we know how old his twin is duh but his grandpa - isn't he dead?" Gilbert breathed out heavily and didn't wait for a response, "that's really sad. Now it's just the brother. And now his brother's all old."

Despite having plenty to talk about, Ludwig couldn't think of what to say. Say something comforting to his older police officer brother? Something realistic and pragmatic? It was easier to just sit there with his suddenly dry mouth closed. His eyes fell on the new object sitting on his desk. Once they were done with the case they could file it away, this time hopefully with a conclusive finale.

"Whaddabout you?" Gilbert asked when Ludwig was silent a moment too long. "What do you think about it?"

"It's a tragedy that affected many people and even though so much time has passed the family wouldn't have fully healed without any closure. It's up to us to find that closure and bring Feliciano justice."

"Well yeah, I know that!" Gilbert waved his hand dismissively. "But you said 'it's a lot to take in' so here I am being your big bruder and asking if you're alright."

Ludwig gave him a small smile to let him know the thought was appreciated.

"I will be once we close the case."

"Yeah me too," Gilbert confessed, his tone serious.

"It might be like this for most of these cases. Confronting, but that will just give us more motivation to solve them." Ludwig rubbed his fingers over his knuckles as he clasped his hands together. He really hoped that they solved this one so the status quo would be set for the rest.

"Yeah, what are the other cases?" Gilbert reached for the list on his desk and Ludwig pulled it from his reach and slid it into the desk's drawers.

"We'll focus on one case at a time."

"So it's a surprise what we get next?" Gilbert raised an eyebrow.

"A horrible surprise, sure," Ludwig scolded playfully, though felt sour.

Gilbert cackled and Ludwig let out a huff of amusement anyway. He shook his head and schooled his thoughts back to work.

"Well now that you've been caught up, I suppose we could put this with the rest of the evidence in the lab for now." Ludwig picked up the folder and USB, slotting them back into their familiar placement inside his jacket. He stood up, adjusted his jacket and pushed his chair back against the desk. Gilbert, who took this as their cue to relocate, was already out of the room when he realised he was walking alone.

"Checking emails," Ludwig muttered as an explanation when he saw Gilbert re-enter his peripheral vision. He was staring intently at the computer while hunched over his chair to bring the emails back up. The curve of the back of the chair pressed into his guts uncomfortably as he strained with anticipation of the result behind the loading screen.

"Got it yet?" Gilbert leaned on the doorframe as he waited.

Luckily the precinct had a fast internet connection and his emails popped up without further delay. Sure enough, he had his answer; an unopened email from only a few minutes ago, the title tipping him off to be the one they were waiting on. The results were in.