"... the eggs are burning..."

Arthur nearly jumped out of his skin at the soft voice that sounded out behind him. As it stood his hand on the panhandle jerked, sending the cookware clattering from stove top to floor. Turning his head swiftly, he wasn't at all surprised to see Matthew standing not far behind him in the kitchen, shoulders curled and hands clutching at each other in guilty apology. Arthur cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. His stomach was squirming though, leaving him most uncomfortable.

"Tsk... you shouldn't sneak up on people while they're cooking..." He eyed the ruined mass of eggs, black yet still runny all over the floor. "Look, you've made me ruin them," he muttered, ever in denial about his culinary skills.

"... sorry..." Matthew said simply, apologetic yet not, already moving to get some towels to clean up. Arthur bustled to beat him to it, anything to stay busy and avoid the conversation he knew was coming as long as he could. Unfortunately, it didn't take long at all to clean up some ruined eggs and a pan, and in less time than he'd wanted Arthur was stuck sitting on a chair in his own (temporary) kitchen, watching as Matthew began to cook.

No, Matthew wasn't cooking pancakes for him, which was good considering Arthur didn't think he'd be able to stomach something so heavy at the moment. Instead, the younger man, surrogate little brother really, was simply redoing the unfortunate egg breakfast Arthur had started up. Even eating the eggs seemed a bit daunting, now that he had Matthew here, but it wouldn't be wise to skip out on the meal just because of some nerves. Drumming his fingers on the table, Arthur grumbled internally.

No doubt Matthew was quietly baiting him into touching upon the topic first. Oh the young man could be quite persistent and direct when need be, you couldn't rise in the ranks of their profession by being some overly shy wallflower. Indeed, considering Matthew's natural disposition, combined with his intensely unassuming presence, it was very impressive the things Matthew had accomplished. Point was, if the younger man wanted to know something, he'd get to that knowledge. Arthur decided he wasn't of the mind to dance around the topic anyway.

"I'm really alright you know." He was, truly. Absurd to coddle him over this situation. He was a grown adult, he'd gone in eyes open and a willing participant in whatever he had to do. In fact, that it'd been Alfred he'd ended up with should have made all of this completely... completely... alright, it made it worse.

Matthew snorted softly as he transferred the eggs from pan to plate, bringing them over to the kitchen table. He took a seat, adjusting his glasses before shaking his head very slightly. "Someone 'alright' doesn't stare vacantly at a hot pan of eggs for ten minutes. Not even you."

Arthur scoffed. Surely if it'd been ten full minutes the eggs would have been much much worse than he'd seen. The point was well made, not that he felt like acknowledging it. "Watching me stare at eggs for ten minutes? Terrible behavior Matthew."

The younger man shrugged his shoulders, or perhaps he was trying to hunch down a bit. Matthew was so hard to read, too easy to brush off as just displaying shy behavior. "I'm worried about you Arthur."

Oh hell. Damn him. Damn him and his stupid sincerity. Leaning back in his seat, Arthur let out a long sigh. He reached up to rub at his eyes for just a moment before locking eyes with Matthew. "Look... it wasn't... pleasant... alright? I'll admit to that. But you are making more of this than there truly is."

"I don't think I am," the younger agent asserted quietly. Arthur debated the value of continuing to insist to the contrary, knowing that pushing Matthew too far would no doubt lead to a much less pleasant conversation. Those who rarely spoke were often left with volumes of grievances and observations, after all. Arthur would rather avoid having all of that leveled against him at the moment. He'd seen what sort of states it'd reduced Alfred to before.

Taking a small bite of the eggs, delicious they were really, he looked at Matthew with a thoughtful expression. "It seemed to tear him up a bit as well, really. For us to have to do... what we did."

Matthew folded his hands on the table, leaning forward to listen. "You know I'm not trying to force you to say everything you two did..."

And of course, Arthur nodded, he knew that wasn't the heart of what Matthew was driving at. But the young man was concerned for Arthur, concerned for his brother as well, and he had only one place to go to for any sort of information. He owed it to both his 'brothers', perhaps, to be as frank as possible. "At the very least, we avoided any sort of penetration. I do appreciate Alfred's consideration with that... seems he's picked up a few tricks while in there."

Matthew fidgeted a bit, no doubt this was an awkward conversation for him as well. "He... really is alright? He was ok when you arrived... and left?"

"I won't claim to understand how Alfred's head works and deals with things, but he's strong inside. You know this. We... might have some difficulties looking each other in the eye for a bit..." That was an understatement. "But I truly believe he's held up well. Surely you don't think I'd fall apart when he hasn't, hmm?"

The slight jest brought a wry smile to Matthew's lips, but a welcome smile all the same. Matthew shook his head. "I'm sorry. I know I'm making this into something huge... and I know you can handle it. It's not like you're some innocent delicate child." Arthur could only laugh mentally, it'd been a long time since 'innocent' could be applied to this former delinquent. "I'm just frustrated... and need something to focus on... something that I can do. For all my specialized training in infiltration and surveillance, the Gallery is like a black hole. I hate being kept out."

"Well... we won't be stuck out here for long. There was good in my 'session' with Alfred after all. I feel we're well on our way to closing this case successfully." Did he feel that? Well, yes, he supposed he did. "We have new, fresh leads, and quite possibly an established way to maintain communication with Alfred. I did make certain to inform 'Poland' that I rather enjoyed my companion for the night."

Matthew stared thoughtfully at the table, nodding though his eyes betrayed something else. Doubts... a worry. Arthur hoped it wasn't the same one he'd had tickling at his brain here and there as well. Pushing his glasses up his nose a bit, Matthew met his gaze. "It seems... very... lucky... that you met Alfred there, eh?"

Drat. A sour expression hit Arthur's lips. "Yes," he agreed rather grudgingly. "It was convenient. It's worth thinking about, at any rate. Worth being extra cautious for a bit as well."

Matthew nodded, rising as if that was his cue to return to the convenience store. "You think Alfred suspects? That they may be on to him?" Arthur rose to see the other agent out, handing over a few objects and recordings for the other agents to peruse.

"Hopefully. Dim as he plays it, he'd better be watching."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Alfred was on top of the world, spirits sky high and soaring through the clouds. Granted, you wouldn't have guessed that, what with the way his feet were morosely dragging over the treadmill. But... that was the point. You weren't supposed to know he was happy. His first session with a male partner had been punishment, after all. So if he were suddenly jolly and jumping off the walls in glee... well... that'd be a bit suspicious. Thus, he looked quite ready to sag to his knees in depression as he did his workout.

He tried not to snicker at the image that conjured in his head, poor saggy Alfred body flying backwards off the treadmill into a wall. 'Focus! Keep your sad face on.'

His mind was really buzzing right now though, thoughts shooting off in a couple of directions, both tangents threatening to make him smile. Much as he wanted to think about Francis... and what last night might have meant about the two of them, practically Alfred turned his head to his mission here. In the long run, success there was the most important thing, for it would lead to so much good for other people.

He'd gotten information out to Artie, but it'd mostly been about the other hosts, the other 'captives'. This was very good and useful, yes of course. It'd give the rest of the team leads to follow, people to interview. Learning about the circumstances around each capture could help to illustrate patterns or possible locations of preference when selecting targets. It could also help reveal the sort of areas members of the Gallery's organization might frequent. No doubt the other agents were all busy out there now.

He wanted to be just as busy in here. It just... he couldn't rush it. Just like he knew he needed to seem down and unhappy, he also knew that he would be keenly watched after that session. And not simply to make sure he hadn't enjoyed it. This wouldn't be the first time Alfred had suspected that the bosses of the Gallery knew who he really was. Sure, he was prone to fits of paranoia sometimes, but his instincts had always served him pretty well in the field.

It wasn't impossible his cover had been blown from the start. He'd done everything he could, they all had, to obscure his identity before he'd been snatched up in here. However, he understood pretty well that it could be to the Gallery's advantage to keep their enemies close. They'd never made any indication either way, and if they'd only had suspicions, Alfred was certain he'd done nothing so far to confirm them. And he wouldn't. Their bringing Artie in like that could have been a test, or it could have been coincidence. Alfred would prepare for either situation, and in the off chance that the Gallery really was ignorant of what had happened... he'd be certain to have more information to send out next time.

Unfortunately, the information he really wanted... needed... was up on the fourth floor. Making a successful second attempt to get up there was... something he needed to figure out. The staircase to it loomed beyond the gym door, tempting and teasing and taunting him. What he wouldn't do for his gun, a few guys for backup, and the go ahead for a good ol' fashioned raid. He honestly was no closer to figuring out the best way to infiltrate the upper floor, sadly, and he wished he had even half of his brother's sneaking skills. Or an invisibility cloak... or device (since he preferred science). Weren't cloaking devices supposed to be invented by now?

The door to the gym opened, and thanks to his dejected and sloppy running gait he honestly almost tripped and fell in his surprise. Fumbling and clutching at the front panel of the treadmill, Alfred chided himself for not paying better attention to things. Thankfully he managed to find his feet enough to hop them onto the non-moving sides of the machine, giving him the chance to breathe. Muffled laughter hit his ears and he gave a half-hearted sheepish grin.

"Careful there," Emma said as she walked over, hair tied out of her face with a bow, workout towel draped over her shoulder. She reached over and tapped the button to stop the treadmill for him, eyes still amused, just masking the concern.

"Thanks," Alfred said, genuinely, too. He should have just done that. Emma nodded her head, taking a step away to start up some stretches on a floor mat. Alfred watched as he toweled off, moving to plop himself on an upright sitting weight machine.

He didn't spend a lot of time with Emma... though outside of Francis he didn't spend a lot of time with anyone. Still... if you considered Francis the 'big brother' to the other hosts here, then it was probably safe to say that Emma was the 'big sister'. She didn't seem to take nearly as much initiative in helping new hosts grow accustomed to their lives here as Francis did, but from what he'd heard casually mentioned, she was always there to help all the same. With morale and emotional issues mostly, but she'd help in other ways if need be. Berwald had mentioned he wouldn't be able to be here at all without her coaching (or... Alfred thought he had. He... was never too sure he understood the Swedish man correctly).

Alfred hadn't needed anyone to help him grow accustomed to the idea of sleeping with women, of course, and unlike some he'd managed to keep an upbeat and happy air about him at all times. Add in Francis's persistent attention, and it was no wonder Emma had seen no need to busy and fret over Alfred. Now though... he wondered if meeting her here was another coincidence... or another 'coincidence'. He did look pretty mopey right now... but surely she wasn't watching so closely that she'd found that out the minute he stepped out of his room?

"You look down, Alfred," she said sympathetically, leading with the obvious because there was really no reason not to. She offered him a smile, and Alfred had to try really hard not to smile back. She had a lovely smile, and Alfred liked to answer smiles with ones of his own. He sighed to cover it up.

"I guess I am... sorta... I'll be fine..." He gave as much of a shrug as was safe while pumping iron.

Emma rose, finished with her stretches, and sat upon a leg weight machine. "We all know, what last night was for you," she said, watching him closely, though keeping her face pleasant. Apparently, she didn't want to drop the issue, had to make sure he was really alright.

Alfred chuckled humorlessly, looking away. "Yeah? Uh... who knew there was so much gossip going around."

"Well... when you get thrown down the stairs by one of the bosses... it makes a bit of a stir," her eyes twinkled a bit in good humor, not at his misfortune, but to keep the atmosphere light. Alfred appreciated it, he never liked being nagged at.

"It'll take more than that to break me, it's cool," the agent tried to brush it off, because honestly it would. Emma looked away for a moment, something almost like embarrassment crossing her face as it seemed she debated about asking about something.

"True..." she said, flicking her eyes back to Alfred only briefly. "I... was actually a little surprised to see you so down in here. You do seem the sort that bounces back quickly and all." She paused, again some sort of internal debate going on in her mind. "I know it's none of my business but..."

Alfred didn't like where this was going, and his mind connected the dots just as she started speaking. "The wall of your bathroom does share the wall with mine... I don't usually get up at night but..."

Was his face as red as it felt? Probably. He fumbled for any good way to talk out of this situation, but her cheerful laughter stopped his attempts as much as the hand she raised. She shook her head. "You don't need to say anything... I'm guessing you wouldn't really say what's going on anyway. I... don't want to hear that when I wake up at night, hear too much of it as it is... but it's ok. Especially since... well...

"Francis needs someone to make him happy, too. To look out for him, and he's a bit more than I can handle. So if I heard what I think I did... then... I'm glad."

Nodding his head, Alfred felt something nice and warm inside his chest (alongside a huge helping of humiliation, but hey, he'd focus on the warm fuzzies instead). He dropped his fake depression act, not seeing how he could not be cheered up by this conversation. This seemed to cheer Emma up as well, and the two got into the rhythm of their workouts in earnest. "Just remember," she added, sending a friendly wink at him. "We're all together in this... you can count on any of us if you need anything."

Did everyone have to drop cryptic hints that they knew what he was? But, he could understand them wanting to help and be involved if it meant a ticket out of this place! Alfred just laughed, loud and boisterous as he liked to, and nodded his head. "Gotcha."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Matthew had only been back for a short while when there was a small commotion in the alley outside the backdoor of their hideout. Ludwig didn't tense, his training had drilled that out of him, but his body had immediately reacted to the out of place sound. The laptop he'd been using to look into a few leads was snapped shut, shoved into an over the shoulder bag which was slung onto his body with mechanical precision. His hand moved to his firearm as his body took purposeful steps towards a point of cover. Lovino had also sprung into action, moving towards the door as the first point of defense. Matthew... well, the fact that Ludwig couldn't place him meant the other agent was doing as his training dictated.

It was too early in the day for this to be a wandering drunk, and the noise wasn't loud or chaotic enough to be a roving band of delinquent teens. No, the small ruckus wasn't over the top, but the sounds of someone trying to keep someone else quiet were like sirens to a trained agent's ears. Oh someone, a couple someones, were trying to come up and enter the back of the store. Question was, who? That and 'why'.

Muffled voices didn't carry well enough for Ludwig to determine who was approaching, though the furrow of Lovino's brow sent off some sort of bell in his mind. It was the look of someone who thought they recognized a voice. The Italian wasn't really taking any chances, still crouched in his position. Ludwig flicked his eyes to the side, wondering what was taking Matthew so long to check out the meager surveillance cameras they'd put up, or at the very least peek out a window. Then again, Ludwig did know that on more than a couple occasions Matthew had come back to give the all clear signal, and they'd somehow missed it completely.

Everything went completely silent for a moment, save the sounds of normal customers out front, and Ludwig almost relaxed. Almost. He was far too cautious to, and as the back door was suddenly kicked open his mind screamed at how right he'd been not to let down his guard. He was ready to take aim at the intruder, but faltered and gaped when he stared at who'd just come in. It wasn't Antonio's return that had Ludwig staring as if he were seeing a ghost. The entrance certainly wasn't Antonio's style, but it was expected the agent would return at some point. No... it was staring at the other man who'd come in that was making Ludwig's mind fizzle out for just a moment.

Pale skin, eyes that looked red, and snowy hair all gave away the laughing man's identity. Lovino, obviously not recognizing the man, trained his gun, only to have Antonio step over. The two conversed in hurried Spanish, which made everything feel rather surreal. Frankly, Ludwig couldn't believe his eyes. He would have pinched himself if he were the sort to cave in to such nonsense. But... there was no way he'd be hallucinating this, and that laugh was so distinctive.

"... Gilbert?" It felt strange to say the name, after all these years. The man just laughed louder, though thankfully Antonio had had the sense to shut the door.

"Hey West... long time no see. Did you miss the awesome me? Ha! Of course you did!" Dressed like some sort of street vagabond or thug, Gilbert strolled over, all feral toothy smile and cocky posturing. Ludwig felt himself standing straighter, taller, as if somehow he could force Gilbert to straighten out through example. So many questions washed over his mind, it was all so overwhelming... but Ludwig was nothing if not in control of his emotions and responses. He cleared his throat when his older brother was still a short distance away, a slight frown touching his face.

"News of your death was, apparently, greatly exaggerated," he said at length, choosing not to feel the hurt and betrayal he should when making such a statement. Honestly... having grown up under Gilbert's care... faked death seemed plausible and normal. His brother nodded, crossing his arms.

"Well, I couldn't keep making my baby brother worry, right? I knew how tough it'd be on ya if you were going into the law for a career to have, well, a criminal as a brother. So, being the insanely awesome guy that I am, I fixed the problem for ya! And got myself off the grid, win-win! Awesome right? Kesesese!"

Ludwig was speechless for a moment, but he often was when faced with his brother. Instead, he turned to look at Antonio, who seemed to have finished explaining their guest away to Lovino for now. He tried to hold in his temper as he questioned the other man, but wasn't too certain he succeeded based on the tiny flinch. "You knew he was alive, all this time?"

Antonio spread his hands in a placating gesture, offering a smile. "Sorry my friend, but Gilbert made me swear not to tell you! You never asked anyhow... and I have been friends with Gilbert for a long time... for better or worse."

Ludwig honestly didn't know what to say to that... how to respond... so he shelved it away for now, preferring business and duty and tasks to messy emotional affairs. He had his hands full dealing with his worry for Feliciano... his feelings for Gilbert... would have to find some later date to be addressed. Although... "Why did you bring him here?"

"Because," Antonio began brightly, apparently confident he wasn't in for any lectures at the moment. "Gilbert and I were great friends with one of the captive hosts in there, I thought he'd want to help..."

"And," Gilbert cut in, a malicious smirk on his face. "I have a score to settle with those Gallery assholes anyway! They've been trying to drive me outta my turf, and no one pushes me around." Ludwig frowned, just about to voice his concerns over his brother's involvement when a voice far closer than he expected broke in softly.

"I don't think it's a good idea to have a self admitted criminal assisting us," it was Matthew, staring in a rather contemplative way at his brother. "We're walking the line as it is, so far as gathering evidence the courts will accept..." Despite how softly he spoke, there was a great deal of resolve in his words. "I don't want to see Alfred or Arthur's efforts wasted."

Ludwig watched as Gilbert arched a brow, watched as his brother strode rather menacingly towards Matthew. To his credit, the bespectacled blond didn't back away. He might have dipped his head a bit, but he didn't break eye contact. "And what if I say I don't care what you think?" Gilbert scoffed.

Matthew pursed his lips for a moment, then shrugged. "I'd say you should be more careful about flaunting your criminal status around armed agents of the law."

A wide smile broke out on Gilbert's lips, and Ludwig knew his brother was getting a kick out of what seemed to be nothing but a meek pushover standing up to him. "That so, huh? Is that a threat?"

Matthew said nothing, just held Gilbert's gaze in what was quite possibly the most passive display of dominance you could imagine. If you could imagine such a thing. It had Gilbert laughing after a few moments, shaking his head and clapping Matthew on the back a couple of times.

"You're a riot, kid! But fine, have it your way. If you guys don't want my help... then whatever. It's a waste not to, but it's cool. But I'm gonna stay here no matter what... to watch over my baby brother here and keep tabs on your efforts to get Francis outta there. Man, can't believe that's where that guy's been all this time!" Gilbert pulled out a chair and sat back, propping his feet on the table. Ludwig twitched, but tried not to comment. "However... if you guys, ya know, change your mind... the awesome me is willing to lend a hand."

A/N:

I've decided to refer to Belgium as Emma. As far as I know there's no official human name given for her, and that Emma is on a list of officially blogged possibilities. IF I've missed her official human name, my apologies, and feel free to let me know (source would be great, too).

Thanks for the input about our future host. I've made my decision, and 2 hosts will actually be joining us. One more heavily tied to the plot than the other.

Thanks for the reviews everyone! This is my most alerted fic (though not the most fav'd), so hopefully people are having fun reading. And, most importantly, hope everyone is enjoying.