A/N: I do believe that this is the last chapter. Sorry it's been a while, I got caught up in my classes and work. And it didn't help that I had…err, still have, a research paper to do for Criminology class.

Anyway, here's the last chapter. Tell me what you think. And thanks to all of you who've read my story! R&R. Enjoy.

Love Is Complicated

It wasn't until eight-thirty that night that Rudolf made it home. He expected his mother and sister to be in bed - something about going out shopping the next day or something - but that wasn't the case. His mother sat at the kitchen table, along with Anna and Gregory. Looks of worry and concern were plastered on the faces of both his mother and sister. Gregory looked troubled himself, but also relieved.

Closing the door, the looked at each of them before speaking up.

"Where's father?"

"He's upstairs, cooling off from the argument he and Gregory just had." His mother's voice sounded strained, like she had been crying.

"Why were they fighting?" He sat down beside Gregory and looked quizzically at his brother. Shifting in his chair, Gregory sat up a bit and cleared his throat.

"I'm going away for a while. Staying with Aunt Germaine in Italy."

It took a few minutes for his brain to process the information. After all, he did just return from his boyfriend's house. And they had done a lot more than the usual make out session. So, it would only be natural that his brain was fried, if only for a little while. But this sudden revelation had brought him down from Cloud 9 and fast.

Gregory was going away.

Far away.

For a good while.

…Why?

"But why?" He asked looking from his brother to his mother, then back again. Anna got up from the table and stormed out, obviously upset by the matter. It took a while for anyone to speak up again. At first, it looked like Gregory was about to open his mouth, but their mother beat him to it.

"He needs to spend some time away from home, Rudolf. To clear his head of his difficulties. Maybe find work. That sort of thing. He'll write and call of course, so it'll be like he never left."

His mother's voice was soft, understanding, and one that no one could argue with. When she spoke in that voice, Gregory couldn't say no. Nodding, Rudolf looked down at the table and sighed. Things had changed vastly in such a short amount of time. Which was good right? Because change allowed for growth, and growth was always good.

Right?

Tony came over on the day Gregory was scheduled to leave. A taxi was parked out front of the house and Gregory was carrying his luggage to the trunk, packing it safely within. Rudolf stood on the porch and watched as his brother said good-byes to his mother, father, and sister. Then, he turned to Rudolf and Tony.

"It's not your fault, why I'm going." He spoke to them in a low voice, staring them in the eye to drive his point across. Nodding stiffly, Rudolf looked down, not wanting to talk about it.

"You don't have to go. Can't you work it out here?" Tony asked him. Gregory was his friend, and he didn't want to see him go. Plus, Rudolf was so upset by it, after all Gregory was his only brother and they were close enough for Rudolf to be silent and distant. Gregory smiled, a sad smile, and he lightly punched Tony's shoulder.

"Hey now, don't go completely gay on me, yeah?" They both laughed before the mood turned serious again. "I need to get away, from home, from this town. But I'll be back. When I'm at the place I need to be, I'll be back."

And with that, he turned and left. The taxi pulled away from the house, its passenger tucked safely inside. Anna started to cry, causing her mother to cry silently as she pulled her daughter into a hug. Frederick merely gazed, steel-faced, in the direction the taxi had left. The only sounds that were made were Anna's cries and their beating hearts.

It was a good long time before Rudolf andTony saw Gregory again. A few years, in fact. It was when both he and Rudolf had started their second year of college that Gregory returned home. He hadn't changed much, except for his shorter and less greasy looking hair and he had gotten tanner. But other than that, his outward appearance hadn't changed much.

It was just surprising that he came home at all. After the first year, Rudolf had resigned himself to the fact that his brother might never come home. So Tony had to laugh when he saw Rudolf's eyes bug out as an expression of pure happiness and shock enveloped his face at the sight of his brother sitting at the kitchen table.

"Gregory! You ding bat! When did you get home?" Rudolf gave his brother a hug and looked him over. "You're tan. And decent looking for a change."

Gregory smirked and ruffled Rudolf's hair.

"I could say the same thing for you." The three of them sat down and started talking. It was later at night when Rudolf asked the question that had been plaguing his mind.

"So, Gregory. Did you find what you went looking for?" A calm silence resounded throughout the kitchen before his brother answered, a small, calm smile spreading across his face.

"Yeah I did. And don't worry. Tony's safe from me."

Rudolf nodded before smirking.

"That's good to know. Because if you pulled another move on my boyfriend, I'd have to beat the shit out of you."

"Hey! Don't talk about me like I'm not here dudes." Tony's eyes narrowed and he glared at the brothers. It didn't give him his desired affect, however, because Gregory smirked and shook his head while Rudolf just smiled.

"I cannot believe that you're still saying 'dude' after all these years." Gregory said to him. Tony leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest, still glaring.

"Old habits die hard."

"I suppose. So, what were you saying about kicking my ass? The last time you tried that, you failed horribly." Gregory looked at Rudolf, a smirk spreading across his face yet again. Rudolf smiled coyly and leaned forward.

"In case you haven't noticed, I've been working out a bit since you've been gone."

It was Tony's turn to shake his head as the two brothers continued to bicker back and forth. Although Gregory had been gone, things hadn't changed much at all. And for that, he was grateful.