Memories

Life One, Act Eight

Warning: Violence and abuse.

Chapter Summary:
"The radio news caster said it'll be cold tonight..." - Fredrick Oxenstierna, Ladonia. "Those children are precious to us. As precious to us as the parents had been..." - Baker. "Why speak a language people hardly understand?" - Gilbert Beilschmidt, Prussia. "As long as we stay together, we'll survive the streets." - Leon Wang, Hong Kong.

/

Australia decided not to wait for a reply.

/

One Month Later

Yao sat on his and Leon's bed. His stomach grumbled before he curled into himself. Leon walked up to him, hands in the pocket of his slacks. "Here. She won't know if you eat fast." Yao physically swallowed, shaking hands reaching for the bread his brother offered him. "Thank you..."

Peter quietly walked over to them, handing Yao a small glass of water. "This will help, right?" He asked, being as quiet as possible. Fredrick came up next, handing Yao his fluffy blanket. "The radio news caster said it'll be cold tonight..." Yao gave his brother a shaky smile. "You keep it then. You might catch a cold without it."

Fredrick started to cry silently, much to Yao's dismay. He hated seeing his siblings cry...

"I don't... want you... to get cold... She didn't... give you anything... to eat... yesterday... and today, too..." Fredrick said in between silent sobs. Peter had started to cry, too.

"Yao? Have you eaten yet?" Berwald's quiet voice seemed to echo in the ensuing silence. "You have to eat." He came into the room with Matthias right behind him. "We can cover for you." Yao was almost in tears. "I don't think my stomach's... going to like heavy food right now..." Berwald nodded, gesturing for Matthias to sit on their bed.

It didn't take long for everyone to be in the room. They had a curfew, now...

"Yao, you need blankets." William stated this with a serious voice. "I'll be fine..."

Yong and Hyung simultaneously decided to throw blankets at Yao and Leon. "You need them more than we do! We're not starving, you are! So please, please, just take them..." Yong was in tears as he spoke. Hyung nodded at his brother's words, wiping  tears from his eyes as he tried to stop crying.

Yao was crying, now. He couldn't help it. "Thank you..."

/

Two Months Later

Gilbert stood by the bakery, trying to see if the children were shopping again. Ivan stood close to him, asking the owner of the bakery some basic questions.

"I'm grateful to you for looking into this case." The baker said, looking both relieved and anxious at the same  time. "Those children are precious to us. As precious to us as their parents had been..." he continued to share his thoughts on the matter. "Yesterday, the youngest child came here with his sister. They were buying chicken meat and eggs." He stopped packing the few pieces of bread in favor of breathing deeply. "The youngest had burn marks on his wrist, as well as a hand shaped bruise around his neck... His sister had a scar on her cheek...."

Ivan's eyes narrowed at the information. "I see. Thank you for telling me. This will certainly help our investigation."

"Ivan." Ivan turned to Gilbert, whose eyes were focused on one thing.

Toris tried to keep focusing on the task rather than the pain he felt. He winced every time he took a step. Feliks and Hugo kept close to him, trying to help their brother walk without discomfort.

Gilbert slowly, cautiously, walked over to them. He stopped when he was close enough to hear their converstaion. What worried him was the fact that they spoke straight in German.

"You can sit down for a bit if you want." Hugo said, pointing to a chair in the bakery. "No. I'm fine. Just a bit uncomfortable." Feliks frowned at the answer. "Toris. We'll take of things. You just rest here while we do that, ok?" Toris sighed, knowing full well he wouldn't be able to convince his brothers otherwise. "Alright... Stay close to each other and be careful." He spoke in a stern voice, earning nods from his brothers.

Gilbert grew ever suspicious of their current situation. "Why speak a language people hardly understand?" "Gilbert?" Ivan walked up to his partner, eyes filled with worry. "They spoke in German. They didn't want anyone to understand what they were talking about..."

Cosette came up to them with a tan skinned woman. The woman had shoulder length black hair. Her hazel eyes were glaring at something.  "Maria? What's wrong?" The woman looked at Ivan, eyes losing their fierceness. "My boss is annoying! Just because today's my day off, he thinks he can add more maid duties to my list. I am not going to be his personal nighttime maid!"

Cosette just hugged her tightly.

"Anyway, enough about me. How are those kids doing?"

Gilbert told her all that they knew.

/

Three Months Later

Arthur held onto Feliciano, who was nursing a broken arm. Arthur, himself, had a twisted wrist, but he focused on Feliciano. Seamus was helping William redress the stab wound on his left hand.

Yong tried to make Hyung as comfortable as possible, even with a broken leg. Yao clutched onto Leon as his wounds were cleaned.

Matthias and Berwald tried to get warm after being left outside last night. Phuong kept shifting on their bed in an attempt to help Kiku find a more comfortable position to rest his bandaged arm.

Tino just cuddled up to Eduard, ignoring the blood still staining the other's shirt. Toris and Feliks sat close to them, trying to offer comfort.

Emil tried to hide his injured hands in Lukas' chest as the other held onto him. Vlad kept tending to Tervel's slashed shoulder.

It hasn't stopped bleeding at all...

Peter and Fredrick stayed close to each other, both being careful not to reopen closed wounds. Marcello hugged Hugo, who was clutching his limp arm to his chest.

Roderich sighed as he finished bandaging Vash's shoulders. He carefully pulled the blond into a tight embrace.

"She'll be leaving for a three day trip tomorrow. We can get away, then." Arthur's words brought a somber atmosphere to the room. "As long as we stay together, we'll survive the streets." Leon spoke as Yao leant closer onto him.

/

Taiwan held held her breath as she pressed the pause button. Mongolia still held onto her and North Vietnam.

"Thirty minute break." Ireland suggested, trying to comfort Germany. "Aye, that should do the trick for now." At some point, Scotland had moved to hold America in a comforting embrace.

Romano sighed as Belgium massaged his stiff shoulders. "If their next life is like this... I swear, I'll..." Romano stopped speaking, to swallow a sob. "I know. I will, too." Belgium hated seeing him like this...

Belarus hugged Liechtenstein as tightly as she could. "Brother..." the small country kept crying softly. Belarus only glared at the remote in Taiwan's hand.

"God... Why would anyone want to do those things...?" Hungary couldn't answer Ukraine...

Latvia had moved to a corner where he threw up. Wy, Hutt River and Moldova had all decided to help ease his mind.

Greenland and Orlando held onto each other, eyes holding a far away look.