Paint it Another Colour

Chapter 25

A/N
Don't worry, this isn't a trick, there is a chapter XD I just want to say thank you so much to everyone, coz 1k!!!!!!!!! I still get way too excited at that, but it's 1000 people! 1000 people have read this story!!! And I'm so thankful to everyone who has! I love you all, especially those of you who have helped me get the 153 votes and 170 comments!!! Also, are there any characters you want to see appear in this? I set myself a character limit and have gone over it so much I literally don't care how many characters there are anymore! Please tell me if there are any you want to appear or anything ^-^
Once again, thank you so much everyone!
MiddleEarth4eva
Now, on with the chapter...

Vash sat on one of the sofas in the huge living room of Roderich's house, Lili next to him, curling her hair around her little finger. Ever since Gilbert and Ludwig had come back, this was kind of their routine, to meet up once a month. Okay... Elizaveta had forced them to, literally at gunpoint... or... frying pan point, but still. She claimed it'd help them in their difficult relationship. He had to admit, it had worked, kind of anyway. He found it harder to argue with the aristocrat now, but that didn't mean they never did. They just got on better. Lili was happier with that arrangement too. She said that he was too unsocial. Now at least she'd stopped pestering him about that. Not that he'd really had an issue with it. It was good of her to look out for him, although, it should be the other way around really.

Elizaveta appeared in the doorway with a tray of tea and biscuit. "Hello" she beamed, coming over and sitting down on the settee opposite the pair. "Roderich said he'll be down in a minute."

"That's fine" Vash said, waving his hand about as if to show his lack of concern. "What about Gilbert and Ludwig?"

"Can't make it" Elizaveta shook her head as she started to pour out the tea, ignoring Lili, who picked up the plate of biscuits and sat back with them. "Gilbert... I can't remember why he can't come, but Ludwig is still helping Feliciano, and between the two of them and Antonio, they're trying to help Lovino."

"Is it working?" Vash asked, taking the tea she offered him and thanking her before wrestling a biscuit off Lili, who only ever got violent when her sweet tooth was on the line.

Elizaveta shook her head. "It's hard to say, but from the sounds of things, no. Ludwig says he remembers who they are, but I think that he's just putting it on to stop them worrying. They've told it to him enough times that it's probably drilled into his brain now anyway: 'this is Feliciano, your younger brother. This is Antonio, one of your closest friends. This is Ludwig. You hate Ludwig.'"

Vash snorted. "That must be tiring."

"We can't make fun of him though." Elizaveta glared at him. "He's been through a lot, and it can't be easy suddenly waking up somewhere and not remembering who you are, what you are or who you can trust."

"Let's just be thankful that we found him first" Lili said. "Feliciano told me that one of the first things Lovino remembered was that he had had to escape. If the counterparts had found him first, who knows what could have happened."

"But it didn't." They all glanced towards the door as Roderich walked in, closing the tall doors behind him. "So let's stop thinking bad things."

"You're late for a change" Vash raised an eyebrow as the Austrian walked through the door and sat down next to Elizaveta. "Are you ill?"

Roderich smirked. "No, just seeing to some things that had to be seen to today. After stopping, there's no way I would've wanted to go back to them."

Vash nodded.

"So how've you both been?" Lili asked, finally placing the now empty plate of biscuits back on the tray.

"Good" Roderich said, staring off into space. "I mean... as good as anyone can be really with all this... mess that's going on right now."