FLASHBACK:

"Come here, mi pequeño tomate (my little tomato)! You know how much you missed me, si?!"

"I didn't miss you, tomato bastard! Who told you that anyway?"

"Me, of course!"

A young, tall, good-looking man with light-tanned skin, brown hair and olive eyes was seen hugging a younger brunette lovingly – it was a lad with the same dark brown hair, olive complexion, and a pair of strong hazel eyes which looked at the elder male with annoyance – this kid struggled in order to get away from the man's tight embrace.

"N-Not s-so tight! I c-can't breathe, i-idioto! Back out!" the lad muttered, his arms slapping the older lad's back helplessly.

"Oh, my! Lo siento, Romano. (I'm sorry, Romano.)" the tall man said and instantly let go of the kid's embrace. He chuckled and simply gave the lad a happy look. "I wonder when you'll be wearing out that grumpy face of yours. You look cute, but you're cuter when you smile once in a while."

"Just get the hell outta' my face! That'll make me smile, tomato bastard." the hazel-eyed lad told him with a devilish grin. "Idiot Spain! Where are my tomatoes, by the way?"

"At the dining room. I put them all in a big basket, so you never have to worry where you're going to put them for storage." Spain replied. He took out a stick of cigarette from his pants' side pocket, pulled out the lighter and lit up the stick.

"F-Fine. Grazie (Thank you)."

What he said made the older man laugh. "Hahahaha! You're cute! You always make me happy, Romano! That's one of the things I missed about you! You're welcome."

"E-Er…g-get out of my room now, bastard!" Romano shouted angrily. He ran away while hiding his blushing face and jumped on his bed.

"Oh, I almost forgot! We have a lovely visitor today. She's at the living room, waiting for you to come out." Spain said.

"Huh?" Romano told out of curiosity and slightly glimpsed behind his back. Spain was walking down the stairs.

Antonio woke up with a dizzy head. Everything around him seemed moving in circles.

Hangover? Not really. It's been ages since the last time he drank any liquor because of his hectic schedule.

Stress? Probably.

Antonio pulled out his handkerchief and wiped the moist from his eyes. He looked at his wrist watch, reading the time.

"2:30 A.M. Need to get a drink, si?" he thought.

The green-eyed male idly leaned on to the couch, waited for Gil to come back with his precious tomatoes. He lightly scratched the back of his head, stood up, took out a cold can of beer from the fridge and again sat down on the couch. Silently, he stared at the blinking city lights by his window that evening and then averted his gaze at his can of beer. The coldness of his precious beverage made him happy. He opened the can with ease, took a sip of the cold drink and went on looking at the view outside the INTERPOL building. He can imagine seeing the well-known, romantic view of the Eiffel tower at nighttime by the glass window though he is in Lyon.

Peaceful, he thought. The stillness of his surroundings calmed his senses, causing him to recall some things from his past. Reminiscing wasn't really his style, but he can't help it. Deep in his heart, he missed everything that he had before he came back to the Headquarters to finish that mission years ago.

Antonio pulled out something from his pocket. It was an old photograph of him, along with two familiar faces standing with him side by side. He looked first at the person standing by his right. It was a young, handsome lad in his teens; Antonio never forget how those pair of stern brown eyes look at him with rage or annoyance (depending on the lad's mood, though he's usually annoyed and grumpy), but still has its soft, tender gazes every time when they have their quiet moments. His dark brown hair with a wild long curl resting on the right side of his head perfectly complemented his tanned skin. Also, the lad was fairly tall. All in all, he is one gorgeous, grumpy man that could make the girls squeal and cry when they see him...that's what Antonio thought.

The Spaniard smiled.

Now, he noticed the person on the left side. It was a young woman who was younger than the lad standing by her side. Her ebony, waist-length hair was neatly tied with a high ponytail. The lady was small and possesses rich brown skin; she was wearing a white fitted shirt and a pair of khaki pants and black boots in that photo, showing out her perfect curves. She looked boyish because of her outfit, but her face looked gentle. Angelic. He was eager to see this young girl again as a grown-up woman. How he would love to embrace her again just like the old times, together with those dark eyes staring at him with purity like a child looking at her father with love and respect.

If only he could show himself to everybody and finish this damn mission for good; however, appearing himself as somebody who just rose from the grave wouldn't be so convenient, for now, he realized. The thought of it made him shiver as well. Besides, everybody would react violently when they saw him.

Antonio slid the photograph into his wallet and slipped the wallet back in to his pocket. He looked again at his wrist watch.

"3:00 A.M." he said softly. "Geez, what's taking Gil so long?"

He went to the fridge for another can of cold beer. Closing the fridge gently, the Spaniard glanced at the folders piled on top of the desk and smiled.

"This is going to be a long night, mi amigo." he thought as he took his phone and played another Spanish song that made his fingers tap with rhythm. In a while, he was heard singing the lines softly while swaying his body with his can of beer on the floor:

Esos bellos momentos todo todo
Tus lindos ojos verdes todo todo
El fuego de tu cuerpo todo todo todo todo
Junto con tu sonrisa todo todo
Todos los recuerdos todo todo todo todo
Y asi como llegue a adorarte
Si tuviera que olvidarte a olvidarte aprender

Back in the Vargas mansion at New York at eight in the morning the following day, the Italian Mafia boss was in the middle of an important huddle with the rest of the members when Roderich entered the room with a suitcase in his hands. He was well-prepared to present the accomplishment report of the Mafia's negotiations in Europe today to everybody. However, something caught his attention - the Italian's face looked strong and fierce as usual; yet, Roderich noticed the tiredness in the lad's eyes.

After the huddle, Roderich presented the accomplishment report and after a few minutes, a round of applause filled the room.

When everything's done, Roderich waited for the others to left the room and then approached the Italian. He whispered, "Are you alright, Romano?"

"Si, I'm fine. Just exhausted, that's all." Lovino replied and sighed heavily. "Any updates about the case of the Pomodori explosion?"

"Well, about that, our sources told that somebody planted the bomb the day before the event. Worse, the culprit is a member of the Mafia. However, they were still searching for more information to confirm who that person is and the reason why he did that. It'll took a couple of days before we get new information. The culprit was a genius. He took necessary measures to make sure that there will be no evidence left regarding his identity." Roderich replied.

"Heh! That son of a bitch won't get away. I'll make sure that he will be dead meat once I get his hands on him." Lovino smirked devilishly.

"Take a break first. You better get some rest or you'll get sick. You've been into a lot of stress lately, you know." the Austrian said with concern.

Lovino diverted the conversation. He smiled to Roderich, saying, "I have good news. He called me."

Roderich blinked after realizing what Lovino meant. "Really? What did Japan tell you?"

"They said that they will be coming soon. What's more exciting is that they have a new recruit with them." Lovino said.

"A neophyte, huh?" Roderich said with a hint of curiosity in his voice and then smiled, saying, "That's great news. We actually need more men since the business continues to expand globally. I hope that the newcomer is a fast learner."

Lovino walked to his desk and sat down. He sighed and looked at the piled papers on his left with a determined smile. "Certainly, he is. Japan and the others are well-aware of that. They have great judgment for selecting people whom we can make allies with. Now, we need to get this damn paperwork done. Afterwards, let's arrange a simple comeback party to our men. Maybe we can have that after your piano concerto next Wednesday here in New York."

Roderich grinned. "That's a lovely idea. Then, it's settled."

"I commanded Veneziano to take care of the plane tickets." Lovino asked with his eyes glued on the papers on his desk.

The Austrian glanced at the Mafia boss as he stopped sorting the papers on the Italian's desk for a while.

"It's been years since the last time Veneziano and I visited our mansion and the mausoleum." Lovino continued speaking, still busy arranging the pile of papers on his table. The last words that he uttered made an impact within him. He was telling the truth, anyway. Indeed, it's been a long time since the last time he and his brother returned to their hometown and visited their old house and their Nonno's grave.

"Damn! If only he's alive, he would be scolding me because of what's going on right now..." Lovino thought as he let out a bittersweet smile. Going back home only brings happy and painful memories at the same time - he's sure that his brother feels the same way as he does.

"Wherever he is, one thing is for sure - he is very proud of you. The Boss would love to see what you had achieved if only..." Roderich uttered softly. He bowed his head with sadness in his eyes, and then looked at Lovino.

Lovino let out a small smile in order to hide the bitterness inside him. Roderich is right, he thought. He knows that his grandfather is in a peaceful, happy place now. He saw how his Nonno suffered badly on that day as he tried to redeem himself from his worst nightmares of being the Mafia's "primo". He achieved power, wealth, women, domination - yet, his life was miserable. He had never known peace since then. All his life, he was always being chased. He was the hunted.

"When are you going back to Italy?" Roderich asked.

"I'll ask Fratello regarding that matter once he's here." the Mafia boss shrugged his shoulders. "I need to make sure everything will be fine here before we leave."

"Yes, I will." the Austrian responded.

The two went silent for minutes because they got so engrossed with the paper work.

It was then that after a while, Roderich broke the silence and asked Lovino.

"Do you really love her?" he spoke.

Lovino suddenly stopped doing his work and looked at Roderich surprisingly.

"I said, do you really love her?" Roderich asked one more time. "You know whom I'm talking about."

Lovino bowed his head, realizing the person whom he and Roderich were talking about. Talking about the woman she loves was really something to the Italian Mafia boss. As always, he has his softest spot for her. Though he tried not to bring up the conversation about his past with her, there were times that he couldn't avoid talking about it.

"I love her than my own life. I'm ready to die for her. To sacrifice everything for her. I've always wanted to tell her that as sweetly as I could. I want to show to her how important she is...how special she is." Lovino answered.

"She's an amazing woman. No wonder why you fell in love with her this bad." Roderich said.

"You're right. Maybe, you think of me as a crazy man. I may be insane." Lovino chuckled softly. "Whether people call this obsession, devotion, or madness, I call it love. I really love that ragazza. But..." he uttered until he felt something heavy in his chest so he never continued on what he wants to say next; instead, he sighed heavily and went on with his paper work. By the looks of it, Roderich could notice the gloom in Lovino's eyes.

Roderich said, "We all get crazy when we fall in love. Anyway. I'm sorry for bringing this up."

"I'm all right. You don't have to be so worried about me. You're like a family to us." Lovino replied. After he finished sorting one pile of folders, he began reading the papers on each folder thoroughly.

As for the Austrian, he feels more worried for Lovino than before.

"So, we will be coming to the concerto, huh?"

"Hai. (Yes)."

Alfred stared at Kiku and then looked at the sealed white envelope with the recognizable Mafia seal. As he set the envelope aside, he stood up and faced the glass window, looked at the morning view of the city silently. He sighed, thinking of the things that might happen when they arrived at the Mafia's chambers. Such thoughts gave him the creeps; yet, he knew that he must do everything in order to carry out the mission smoothly. Of course, he isn't certain whether he could trust Kiku and the others or not. However, there was something that he felt after hearing Kiku's plan - a strange feeling that urged him to erase all doubts and side with them.

"Ve! What's with that look on your face? You're worried, aren't you?" Feliciano asked while entering the room, with eyes looking at Alfred. As expected, he was carrying his usual bubbly face and a big plate of pasta in his hands. This time, it's lasagna.

"Well, uh...let's just say I'm a little concerned about what we are going to do when we arrived at your brother's place. Also, I wonder what he looks like." Alfred chuckled, trying to hide his nervousness.

"We'll find that out soon. I'm pretty sure Fratello's going to like you, ve! Food, anyone?" the smiling Italian said. Then, he put the big plate on the round table.

"Arigatou gozaimasu, Itaria-kun. (Thank you very much, Italy.)" Kiku said gratefully and then turned towards Alfred. "By the way, we need to get ourselves ready for our departure tomorrow. Germany-san already took care of our tuxedos and arranged them in our respective closets. Please, proceed to your rooms after eating. Is everything clear?"

"Got it." Alfred responded.

"Si, I got it, too!" Feliciano said, followed by a sweet "Ve".

"Very well then. I'll just go to the kitchen and make us food for lunch." Kiku said with a smile and left the room.

Alfred and Feliciano were seen enjoying eating lasagna together. Feliciano took a small portion of the food with his fork and then put it in to his mouth. He nibbled and uttered anther sweet "Ve" smilingly. Alfred laughed as he watched the brunette enjoying his food. He then took a small portion of his food with the fork and started eating. The two were silent; yet, in a few minutes, Feliciano broke it up and faced Alfred.

"Say, what do you say about the food?" he asked.

Alfred blinked. "Well, the lasagna tastes really delicious, dude."

"I see. I'm happy to hear that, ve!" Feliciano answered.

Alfred let out a slight cough and began asking Feliciano. "So, uhmm...I don't intend to invade your personal life or what, but, how do you get along with your brother? Kiku told me some things about him."

"Things? Like what, ve?" Feliciano asked back.

"Like...he's a hot-headed person and the type of guy who will do anything just to get what he wants..." Alfred answered.

The Italian chuckled as he finished eating the remaining lasagna on his plate and set the empty plate aside. "What Japan told you is true. You see, Fratello is a very frank person. He has a certain way of dealing with people, so he often makes more enemies than friends. But, he is very loving and nice. He always makes sure that I'm alright when I'm away, especially when I'm on the field doing business, ve. We mostly fight on many things, but in the end, we make amends, thus, our relationship as siblings gets stronger every day." Feliciano explained.

Alfred stared at the Italian as if he's waiting for the other male to continue talking.

"To tell you the truth, ve, I was formerly entrusted to lead the Mafia, so I was supposed to be the leader, ve. But, I am too scared to handle that kind of task. It's an obligation that I couldn't handle very well. So, instead, I decided to lead the Intelligence Team of the Mafia, ve. At least, I work on the sidelines supporting Fratello. Neat, isn't it, ve?" Feliciano continued. This time, his voice sounded serious, the bubbly smile on his face abruptly gone. It felt like Alfred was talking to a different person; that thing gave Alfred the goosebumps.

Geez, this guy is scary...Alfred thought while he was listening to Feliciano. As he heard the Italian's question, he responded and said, "Yeah."

"I don't have plans of leading the Mafia, really. I always wanted to work behind the scenes. That would be good for me, ve." the Italian continued. "After all, I always believe that Fratello is a natural leader despite of his foul mouth, unique social skills, and mood swings, ve."

"Hahaha! You sure have something to say to him, eh?" the blonde male told Feliciano and finished eating the remaining lasagna on his plate.

"Fratello and I had duels when we're still on training. When Piri-chan came, she was very angry at Fratello because he mostly won over her during the duels. But, there was one time when Piri-chan beated Fratello. He never showed mercy during that time and almost killed Piri-chan. As expected, Piri-chan never gave up and still fought Fratello. Padre suddenly shouted and asked the two to stop the duel. I ran towards them and told them to stop fighting. But I was shocked at what happened next:

FLASHBACK:

"Stop fighting, both of you! That's enough!" a loud, serious voice echoed through the scenes as two shadows were seen fighting that morning. As the voice uttered these words, the shadows stopped moving.

"B-But, P-Padre!" two voices exclaimed altogether in shock.

"I SAID STOP THE DUEL." the loud voice commanded.

"Fratello, Maria, we should go back to the quarters now. Padre said that this fighting's over, ve." another voice spoke. It was soft but stern.

Feliciano entered the scene and looked at the two individuals standing at the middle of the grassy training ground. He waved his hands and said, "Stop the fight now, ve!"

Those two individuals were both wearing white collared shirts, khaki pants and black boots. The first person was a male with dark brown hair and a curl standing onto the right part of his head. His hazel eyes stared at his brother with shock and then gazed at the next person in front of him. Then, he stubbornly put his Swiss knife down and threw it on the ground. The person standing in front of the male was a female - she looked at her Swiss knife and threw it on the ground as well. Her hair was tied with a high ponytail and her black eyes looked at the man fearlessly.

"Lovino, Maria, stop it!" the same loud voice commanded for the last time.

Maria, with her eyes glued to Lovino, wiped the blood off her lips with her hand and smirked, saying, "I'll beat you someday, Romano. You'll see."

"Huh! You should thank me instead because I spared your life, Philippines. If this isn't a duel, I already killed you." Lovino told her triumphantly and turned away.

However, Maria stood up and shouted with confidence. "Well, go ahead! Kill me."

Lovino stopped walking. With disgust and anger, he turned around and faced the young lady. "You're mocking me, aren't you?! Take back what you said, damn you, bastard!"

Suddenly, Lovino's hands grabbed the collar of Maria's shirt and stared at her madly. Maria blinked and showed no signs of cowardice towards Lovino. The Italian gritted his teeth and clenched his fists onto the lady's collar. As Lovino was looking at Maria, he suddenly felt different. For some reasons, he couldn't help but thinking what on earth is the feeling that he was having. In a few seconds, Lovino slowly let go of Maria's collar and stepped back. Then, he grinned, saying, "Please expect that I won't go easy on you on our next duel. I'll show you no mercy. I don't care if you're a girl."

"That's reassuring! I'll be looking forward to it. Just wait and see." Maria smirked and suddenly slapped Lovino's shoulder.

"Aw! What's that for now?!" Lovino shouted angrily.

"Come on, Lovi! Snap out of it! We got to go. It's almost lunch! My stomach's rumbling! I'm sure your tummy's rumbling too!" Maria answered and smiled, holding the Italian's shoulder firmly and then walked beside him. She stood there for a while, smiled, and then walked away.

"D-Don't call me by that stupid nickname, dammit!" the mad brunette told Maria loudly as he turned away and tried hiding the pink shades on his cheeks.

"I'll make pizza for you and Feli, OK?! I won't forget putting more tomatoes on it!" Maria shouted while walking away, leaving Lovino standing on his own. "Don't come late for lunch!"

Lovino simply stood there watching Maria walking away blushing. On the other hand, Feliciano approached the older Italian and faced him.

"Ne, ne, Fratello! What's with that blush on your cheeks?!" he asked humming.

"Geez, Veneziano! Out of my way!" Lovino gnarled, still looking at the horizon where Maria was.

"Wow, Piri-chan is amazing!" Feliciano exclaimed to his brother's ears.

"I know, I know, idioto!" Lovino responded furiously. Out of the blue, he uttered a soft, "Feliciano, sussurrò qualcosa a me. (Feliciano, she whispered something to me.)"

"Che cosa ti ha detto, Fratello? (What did she tell you, Brother?)"

ANOTHER FLACHBACK:

"Well, go ahead! Kill me."

Lovino stopped walking. With disgust and anger, he turned around and faced the young lady.

Suddenly, Lovino's hands grabbed the collar of Maria's shirt and stared at her madly. Then he shouted, saying, "You're mocking me, aren't you?! Take back what you said, damn you bastard!"

Hazel brown meets black.

Maria blinked and showed no signs of cowardice towards Lovino. The Italian gritted his teeth and clenched his fists onto the lady's collar. As Lovino was looking at Maria, he suddenly felt different. For some reasons, he couldn't help but thinking what on earth is the feeling that he was having. In a few seconds, Lovino slowly let go of Maria's collar and stepped back. Then, he grinned, saying, "That will happen one day. Please expect that I won't go easy on you, bella ragazza. I'll show no mercy, even for a girl like you."

"That's reassuring! I'll be looking forward to it. Just wait and see." Maria smirked and suddenly slapped Lovino's shoulder.

"Aw! What's that for now?!" Lovino shouted angrily.

"Come on, Lovi! Snap out of it! We got to go and eat lunch! My stomach's rumbling! I'm sure your tummy's rumbling too!" Maria answered and smiled, holding the Italian's shoulder firmly and then walked beside him. She stood there for a while.

"What?" Lovino asked Maria.

"You look cute when you smile. You did great today." Maria said softly, smiled, and walked away. "I'll make pizza for you and Feli, OK?! I won't forget putting more tomatoes on it!"

Lovino simply stood there watching Maria walking away blushing. On the other hand, Feliciano approached the older Italian and faced him.

"Since then...Fratello fell for her."

"What the?! Seriously?" Alfred exclaimed.

Feliciano laughed. "I have to admit. Piri-chan's the toughest, but nicest bella ragazza that we've ever met. She's really great! If only Fratello doesn't like her, I would be the one asking her out. But, she doesn't know that I like her. So does Romano, ve."

"That will result in a sibling feud when your crazy brother finds out that you like her, y'know." Alfred smiled.

"Si, I know. (Yes, I know.)" Feliciano added.

The young American sighed. "Where could she be now?"

Maria looked at her mobile phone and sighed heavily.

It's already two in the morning; she couldn't sleep a wink.

"Shit." she thought and lay on the bed. She closed her eyes for a while and thought about the explosion that occured at the Pomodori. She was too worried about Yong-Soo because as of now, he hasn't been found yet. She asked Elizaveta to inform her if there were any updates before leaving. Now, she was here in her unit, thinking of her next step of bringing the Mafia down while worrying about Yong Soo.

"If only I had foreseen it, I would've saved him." Maria thought.

Suddenly, her phone rang.

"Hello?" Maria spoke.

"Hey, I already made the dress that you'll be wearing for Rod's concerto tomorrow night. I'm sure you're going to love this." It was Elizaveta's voice on the other line.

Maria chuckled. "Thanks, Ate."

"Oh, before I forget, I tried to get information from our sources about Yong Soo's whereabouts. But, no luck. They haven't seen him in the city. Probably, he was taken at a hospital located at a different state. We still need to confirm that. I asked Roderich for help." Elizaveta said.

Maria sighed. "J-Just call me back if you get anything."

"Sure. Take care. Get some rest, OK?" Elizaveta said.

Then the line was dead.

The young lady lay down on the bed again. Maria looked at the pendant wearing around her neck. That evening, she sobbed.

Darkness slowly turned to light.

Yong Soo was seen lying on the bed inside a small, white room. He could feel the coldness of his surroundings and the excruciating sensation of his body because of the burns that he got after the Pomodori explosion. When he looked up, he scowled.

"Aigoo! My eyes..." he muttered irritatingly.

Suddenly, he felt the sharp stabbing pain on his back.

"Ah! T-That...aw...hurts, da ze!" he exclaimed in pain, holding his hands tightly. He noticed the dextrose beside his left and the long tube that was connected between it and his arms. Furiously, the Korean leaned his back onto the soft pillows, followed by a heavy breath.

"Where am I?" he uttered.

"Save your energy, my friend. Your burns and wounds aren't healed yet." a husky voice told out of nowhere.

Yong Soo glanced to his left and saw a man sitting beside him. Again, he blinked his eyes and asked a direct, "Who are you?".

"How sad. Haven't you recognized your old friend?" the voice said again. This time, Yong Soo's eyes widened. He slowly blinked and waited for his sight to grow clearer.

"P-PRUSSIA! W-What the...h-how did..." he mumbled with disbelief as he stared at the man closely. "W-Wait! How long I've been here?"

"You've been asleep for a very long time. Can't recall the number of days, though. You almost had your life on the grave, but you sure are a fighter! Kesesesese! And please, call me Gilbert." Prussia told Yong Soo.

"I-I..." Yong Soo muttered as he felt the blood rushing through his veins when he recalled the events that took place at the Pomodori blast. He clenched his fists in rage and said, "Damn it! If only I made earlier, I would've detonated the bomb in no time, da ze!"

"Don't be so mad 'bout it, mein freund (my friend)! The most important thing is that you're alive! Kesese! Welcome back to the world, awesome! *mutters in a whisper* But, I'm still the most awesome man in this world; remember that!" the man said with a grin. Then, he shouted. "He's awake! You can come in now!"

Yong Soo gazed his eyes on to another man who was then entering the room. As he took an attentive look at the man who was behind Gilbert, his mouth went wide open; he could feel his heart throbbing fast and his knees couldn't stop shaking. His fists were now clenched with anxiety.

"S-Spain? Y-You're alive?" Yong Soo uttered with fear.

"Si, Corea del Sur (Yes, South Korea). Welcome back, amigo." the green-eyed Spaniard said with a genuine smile.

A/N: Hahahahahaha! I'm back! Whew! This is a very long chapter, huh?

I am sorry for the VERY LATE update! I've been busy at work, so I couldn't find time to continue my fan fictions. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Ciao!