Bright, early morning sunlight lit up the room in a dazzling glow, Alfred's hair catching the light and bursting into a golden halo. Ivan breathed it in deeply, the warm strands tickling his nose as he wrapped his arms around Alfred and nuzzled into his neck. "Good morning, Alik." He said, kissing his shoulder.

"Mmmmmorning." Alfred hummed, stretching languidly as he propped himself up on one arm and pressed a sweet, chaste kiss to Ivan's lips. As he pulled away, Ivan caught his chin and brought him back for another.

"You know, if we find a way out of this one of us is going to have to transfer departments." He said, pulling back from the kiss just far enough to gaze into his eyes. Unable to help himself, Alfred wound his arms around Ivan's shoulders and kissed him again. They both knew the chances of that were slim, but it felt good to talk about the impossible after instead of thinking about the inevitable now.

"I know. I probably shouldn't be working with my brother anyway, to be honest." He said, snorting. "We got away with it 'cause nepotism, but dad won't be as understanding of me working with my boyfriend." He sighed. He wasn't too upset about it, but the paperwork would be annoying.

A grin spread over Ivan's face, feeling warmth spread through his chest. Alfred had called him his boyfriend. He pulled Alfred into another long kiss, threading his fingers into his hair. It was so soft, and slid through his fingertips like strands of water. He wondered idly if Alfred would consider growing it out a bit.

"What're you over there grinnin' 'bout?" Alfred asked, his own lips curling up at the corners. His smile was interesting, Ivan thought, in that there were so many of them. He wanted to see them all. He wanted to see every expression Alfred could make.

"You." Ivan told him, wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling him close.

"Me? You think I'm funny?" He asked, a mock pout on his face.

"I think you're amazing." He said softly, pressing their lips together again. He grabbed Alfred and rolled so Alfred was straddling him, the blankets pooling around his hips.

"You're just trying to butter me up so I'll have sex with you." Alfred accused, teasing.

"Oh, I don't think I have to butter you up for that." Ivan said, chuckling and leaning up to bring him into a kiss. "If I recall correctly, I owe you a round two anyway." He reminded him, nipping his bottom lip.

A knock at the door jolted them out of their morning after bliss.

Alfred grumbled to himself as he clambered off of Ivan and started pulling on his clothes. Groaning, Ivan slumped back onto the bed and scrubbed a hand over his face before rising to join him. If this wasn't something of utmost importance, he was going to kill whoever was at the door.

Im Yong Soo stood alone in the living room, examining the mediocre landscape prints that adorned the walls. When Alfred appeared at the top of the stairs, he turned to look at him with cold, disinterested eyes. The hair on the back of Alfred's neck stood on end, and he stopped where he was.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, stopping Ivan as he came up behind him.

"Boss wants to see you." Im said, seeming bored. They waited for more of an explanation, but none came. Silence reigned as Ivan and Alfred waited for Mei and the muscle to pop out from behind something.

"Where are the others?" Ivan asked, hand gripping the rail a little tighter than necessary.

"Mei had business. Honda sent me. Got a problem with that?" Im answered, raising his eyebrow in a challenge. Ivan scowled, fist tightening on the rail again. Laying a hand on his arm, Alfred watched Yong Soo carefully.

"Why did he send you alone?" He asked, careful to keep his voice level. "If Honda thinks we're just going to let you drug us-"

"No need, this time." Im Yong said, raising a hand to stop him. "Not going to his house."

They came the rest of the way down the stairs, knowing that to resist at this point would be to cast needless suspicion on their every move. Im had an unassuming white import sitting behind the SUV waiting for them. Deciding that it was better to stay together and marginally apart from Yong Soo, they climbed in the back seat.

Their hands stayed linked the whole ride, their grips both iron tight and their knuckles white. If it was just them, Honda, and Yong Soo it could be their chance and they both knew it. Neither of them were ready for life on the run, or prison. They had hoped to have a bit more time. Alfred leaned on Ivan's shoulder and reminded himself he was doing this for Matt. As long as Matt and Natalia made it home safe, everything that happened after was worth it.

Yong Soo pulled up to a squat building with dingy windows that looked like it might have once been a school, or a church. It was obviously some sort of office building now, though the overgrown planter boxes and trash littering the lawn spoke to vacancy. They picked their way across a cracked, half-uprooted parking lot, careful of the glass strewn around.

The inside of the building was musty and damp-smelling, like it had been abandoned after a flood and left to go to dust and ruin. The carpet was the coarse, flat kind you find in offices around the world, stained and dirty from years of being walked on with no maintenance. As they descended into the basement the smell got stronger, to the point where Alfred started breathing through his mouth.

They were led down a long hallway lined with doors that sat as silent as a grave. The hairs on Alfred's neck stood up, and his fingers twitched for want of a gun. There was something unsettling about abandoned places. If there weren't ghosts then why did the people leave?

At the last door on the left, they stopped. Ivan slipped his hand into Alfred's and squeezed, his heart hammering against his ribs as he discreetly flipped the safety off of the pistol on his belt. Silent as it was in this dust museum, he doubted Honda had many people with him. If he just shot him and worried about his lackeys after, maybe he could do this. He took a stabilizing breath as Yong Soo opened the door, subtly shifting so he was between Alfred and whoever was behind it.

But the office was empty.

"What's the meaning of this?" Ivan asked, his voice a roll of thunder, pointing his gun at Im's head. Unperterbed, Yong Soo put his hands up in placid surrender.

"Calm down, Ivan. There's no need for violence." He assured him, his voice slipping from the broad, nasal flatness of American English to the more clipped, lighter tones of British English. "I assure you, this is all simply a misunderstanding. A misunderstanding admittedly of my own design, but there you have it."

"How do you know who I am?" Ivan asked, eyes flashing. His gun never wavered from the spot between Im's eyebrows. "Do you work for Leon?"

"Leon Chun? Bloody hell, no! Can you imagine?" He scoffed. "My name is Agent Henry Kim, I'm with Interpol's art theft division. We've been monitoring a few key members of both the Red Dragons and the Rising Sun for years now, tracking stolen artifacts from all over East and Southeast Asia."

Ivan slowly lowered his gun, shocked, as Agent Kim rounded the desk, opened a drawer, and took out his badge.

"You'll understand why I didn't keep this on me, I hope?" Kim asked, actually seeming a little sheepish.

"Why are you telling us this now?" Alfred asked, holstering his gun and grabbing the badge to examine it.

"I happen to be mates with your brother, actually. He's been our contact with local authorities, only one I would trust. I think that's the only reason he agreed to lend you to this mission, actually. He knew I would be here." Kim chuckled. "He also knew my investigation was over, and that you were in trouble and needed my help now that I could give it."

"Wait. How did he know I was in trouble?" Alfred asked, confused.

"Matthew's been taken. By the Red Dragons." Came a new voice from the doorway. Alfred turned to see Arthur taking off a brown wig hiding his bright blonde hair. A well of emotion rose in Alfred's throat and for a moment he held himself back, clenching his fist and trying not to run to his big brother. But the second Arthur opened his arms, Alfred ran into them, throwing himself bodily at his brother and squeezing him tight.

"It's alright, Al." Arthur said softly, rubbing his back. They stepped away from each other, Arthur clapping Alfred's shoulder affectionately.

"We knew Matthew was gone." Ivan said, leaning up against the desk and allowing the two their space. "Leon Chun has him, and my sister. He said if we don't kill Honda, he'll kill them." Pursing his lips, he gripped the desk to control the black rage clouding his heart.

"That shouldn't be a problem." Agent Kim said cheerfully. "Having him in custody makes him particularly easy to locate."

"We're not killing Honda, Henry." Arthur said sternly.

"We don't have to." Ivan pointed out. "A few staged pictures, a relatively fresh finger from the morgue, cooperation from news outlets, and good performances from Alfred and myself and we can catch him in a sting."

"Exactly." Kim said loftily, smirking at Arthur.

Arthur rolled his eyes and pressed a button on the phone sitting on the desk. "Did you get that, dad?" He asked.

"I'll make the arrangements. Get Al and Braginsky wires and set up the meeting. I want Matt back in time for dinner, that's an order." Sam Jones' gruff voice came through the speaker.

"Yes, sir!" They chorused, the line going dead.

"You heard the Chief, Detective Jones. Call Chun and set up the meeting." Arthur told him, picking the phone up to make a few more calls. "Henry, give Ivan your keys. You're coming back with me."

"Yes, sir." The chorus went around again as Alfred dialed the number Leon had given him. It picked up on the second ring.

"Detective Jones. I take it you have good news for me?" He asked with no preamble.

"It's done." He ground out, channeling the real rage he felt. "I did my part, you do yours. Let Matt and Natalia go."

"Very well. Meet me tonight at midnight, the same place as before. You bring me proof of death, I bring you your siblings. Don't be late." He said, the line going dead with a beep as soon as he was done talking.

"Tonight at midnight, in a warehouse across the street from Gilbert's nightclub." He told Agent Kim, knowing he would know where that was. Henry nodded and shooed him out of the door, dialing a number on his own phone. Arthur absently tossed him two wires and two bullet proof vests and echoed Kim's shooing motion. Leaning over to peck his brother on the cheek just to fuck with him, Alfred practically skipped up the stairs to the exit, dragging Ivan with him.

"We're gonna get them back, Ivan!" He said right before he opened the door, in the last moment before he had to act like he had just done something reprehensible. Hope shone out of his eyes like a brilliant sun.

"Yeah." Ivan agreed, forcing a smile to his face that he didn't feel. They were nowhere near out of the woods yet, but he couldn't bring himself to bring Alfred down. He let him have his hope, even if he couldn't share it.

~*°•°*~

Natalia stared down at the cornflower pendant in her hand. It was the first time she'd taken it off since Ivan had put it around her neck the day he left. Tears filled her eyes as she wondered where he was and if he was okay. He had said he was going to kill someone! What if they put him in jail forever? Then she would never see him again. Like she never saw her Mama and Papa again.

"Mr. Matt?" She asked, looking over at him. "Do you think heaven is real?" Matt blinked at her and sat up, thinking for a moment.

"I'm not sure. Maybe it is, maybe not. I like to think it is, though. Or something like it, where we get to go and see everyone we've ever loved and missed and be with them forever." He said. Then he looked at her, frowning slightly. "Natalia, we're not going to die. I promise, honey. I won't let anything happen to you."

"I know." Natalia said, shrugging her shoulders and sighing. "I was thinking about my parents." She admitted.

"Natalia...I'm sure-" He was cut off by the bar on the outside of the door sliding heavily out of place. Natasha scrambled to his side, clinging fearfully to the only grown up she could trust right now.

The men advanced on them, and Matt held her tight. But they were bigger and stronger than he was, and she was torn away from him with one quick yank. Natasha cried out, reaching for Matthew, but her hands were grabbed and tied behind her back, a bag shoved over her head. She put up only minimal resistance, the goose egg on her head a tender reminder of the consequences.

"Time for another ride, kids." The man who had struck Natalia said as they were loaded into the van. "Last one, too, aren't you lucky? Your pig brothers really came through for you." He barked out a laugh, shutting them in. Natalia started to cry.

"Shhh, it'll be okay." Matt assured her, though the fear in his own voice did little to sooth hers. "My brother would never, ever let anything bad happen to yours. I promise. And I'll help, too. I work for a law firm. I'll get him the best lawyer he can get. Everything will be okay." Natalia kept crying, not comforted at all.

"Hey! Keep that brat quiet!" One of the men yelled from the front, banging on the metal grate. Natalia gave a little sob and quieted herself, though the tears kept falling. It made the sack on her head uncomfortably damp around her neck, which just made her want to cry more.

"It'll be okay, Natasha. Just stay calm, like we talked about. It's okay to be scared, but you have to stay calm right now." He coaxed her gently. Slowly, the hiccuppy little breaths she had been drawing smoothed out. Mr. Matt was a grown up, that meant that he knew a lot more than she did. So if he said things would be okay, then they would be okay.

She really, really hoped he was right.

~*°•°*~

Stephanie stared at the pipe in her hand, watching the smoke curl through it as she held the lighter to the bulb. She had called for another sack as soon as Emily had left, and it had been there within 15 minutes. At least the service was speedy.

She tossed the lighter on the bed and watched the smoke curl. His eyes weren't blue.

That had been the first thing she'd noticed. That his eyes weren't really blue; she had forgotten. They were a dark blue-violet that she'd only ever seen on one other person. Matthew looked so much like her father that it had almost brought her to her knees on the porch. She hadn't been able to look at him in the kitchen, knowing that facing her father's eyes in her son's face would kill her.

She flung the pipe across the room, the smoke dispersing in a puff as it shattered against the wall. A broken sob tore itself out of her throat as she curled in on herself, wondering what her life had become. What kind of person sold their own child for drugs?

It was his fault, she told herself sternly. He was the one who was naive enough to fall for that bullshit about wanting to make it up to him. She was blameless. It wasn't her fault, it was Emily's for driving her away. It was Matthew's for coming when she called. It was Sam's and Alfred's for teaching him the world was kind and fair. But not her's, never hers.

She grabbed her keys off the table and stalked out towards her car. She would have to go buy another pipe now, thanks to Matthew. It wasn't her fault, it wasn't! She fumbled with the keys a bit as she tried to unlock the car, her hands shaking uncontrollably.

By chance, she glanced up at her window. The distorted reflection of a man stood behind her, a menacing shadow in the background. She turned to ask what he wanted, but didn't even manage to get a sound out before there came a sharp blow to her head, then darkness.

~*°•°*~

Music and light pulsed outwards from the nightclub as Ivan and Alfred pulled up across the street. The car idled as they sat in silence for a long moment, steeling themselves. One wrong move, one indication that they were playing him, and Leon would kill them all.

"Alfred, if thing go bad-" Ivan started to say, but Alfred cut him off quickly. He didn't look at him, his eyes hard and distant as he stared a hole in the warehouse walls.

"Don't. Just don't. We did all of this last night." He said, not knowing if he could get out of the car if Ivan started now. He didn't need to be reminded that things could go tits up.

Ivan nodded and pursed his lips, saving the words for later. They got out of the car, quickly checking their weapons in the dark shadows of they alley. The wires hidden underneath their clothes had already been turned on, every sound broadcast to Elizaveta in a van a few blocks away. Ivan knew if he looked closely he would see their back up in the line for the club, discreetly keeping towards the back, or loitering around on corners and in cars for their signal.

Taking a deep breath and Alfred's hand, Ivan opened the door to the warehouse and slipped inside, his heart hammering in his throat. The lights were already on, stark light flooding the space. Leon looked on, bored, as he ordered his men around.

Seeing Ivan and Alfred, he smirked, barking an order at one of his men in Mandarin. The door to the van was flung open, and Matt and Natalia were pulled out, hands bound and heads covered with cloth sacks. A smaller black car yielded another prisoner, a woman Al had at first thought to be Emily. But her skin was loose on her arms, and her hands were too bony.

"Who is that?" He asked, looking to Ivan. He shook his head, frowning at the new variable.

Leon laughed and snatched the bag off of the woman's head, grabbing her harshly by the chin and forcing her to look up at them. Her watery blue eyes were bloodshot and full of tears, sunken into her lined, haggard face. She stared at him, eyes full of fear and something else he couldn't place.

"What? You don't recognize your own stepmother? Shame on you, Alfred." He tutted, releasing Stephanie's chin and letting her look away. She did, immediately, staring at the ground and refusing to look up.

Alfred blinked, staring at the strange woman in front of him. She was bone thin, with tired eyes and more wrinkles than her age would have given her. Still, when he looked past all of that, he saw it. He could almost see soft blonde hair and a pretty smile under the tangled dirty mess on her head and the jagged, broken mess of her mouth.

"Stephanie?" He asked, horrified. He wanted to run to her, he wanted to strangle her. He wanted her to explain, but he didn't want to hear a word she said. He looked at Matt again, and wondered if he knew. "What do you want with her? Let her go!" He demanded. "She has no part in this!"

"Oh, but I'm afraid she does." Leon said, looking like he wasn't afraid at all. "How do you think I got your brother?" He asked, smirking. "Mommy called and he came running. All I had to do was part with a little product now and then."

Alfred stared at her, his eyes wide and hurt as he processed what Leon had just said. Stephanie had sold Matt to Leon? For drugs? He looked at her again and saw it clearly. The scabs on her cheeks where she had been picking at them, the fucked up teeth, the glassy look in her eyes. He'd been a cop long enough to know a meth head when he saw one.

"Let them go." He demanded again. "We did what you wanted, now let them go." Leon chuckled and shook his head, drawing his gun from his belt and putting it to Stephanie's temple.

"Proof first, then the kids, then the bitch." He said, gesturing for one of his men to go grab the evidence from them. Ivan stared him down as he approached, grudgingly handing him the faked death photos and the finger from the morgue. He looked through them, his smile growing wider and more dangerous with every picture.

"Pleasure doing business with you, boys." He said, tucking the pictures into his pocket. "But you're serious of stupid if you think I'm letting you out of here."

The gunshot that shook the room seemed to stop time as well, as everyone froze. Stephanie's eyes were still wide in panic and for a moment he thought that, somehow, Leon had missed. But a full body shudder wracked through her and her eyes glazed over as she slumped against Leon.

It took Alfred a moment to realize the scream he heard had come from him. Leon had let her slump to the floor, a pool of blood quickly pooling around her head. He fell to his knees in shocked horror as he watched the puddle grow.

"You thought I was sloppy enough to let any of you walk out of here?" Leon asked, a bark of manic laughter echoing through the warehouse. "You're the last obstacle left, the last loose ends to be tied up. All the other pieces are off the board. Checkmate, boys " He raised his gun and advanced on Alfred, a hungry look in his eyes.

Alfred just stared at Stephanie, his unseeing eyes clouded with an ever-growing pool of red. He thought, vaguely, that he could hear Ivan yelling somewhere in the distance. But it was so far away, and he couldn't focus on anything but that thick, red blood.

"Alfred move!" Ivan shouted, charging at Alfred and tackling him to the ground as Leon shot the air where his head had been a moment before.

"Dammit, Alfred! Get it together!" Ivan said, shaking him. Alfred blinked the blood out of his eyes and looked owlishly up at Ivan. He tried to say something, but Ivan just growled and grabbed his wrist, hauling to his feet and dragging him behind a pillar.

Ivan fired off a few shots around their cover while Alfred recovered. He fumbled with his gun, his fingers feeling thick and numb. He fired off a shot he was sure missed by a wide margin and ducked back again. He could feel the panic clawing at his chest and he tried to fight it, even as he began to shake.

"You can't hold me off forever." Leon taunted. "You'll run out of bullets soon enough." He was right, each of them only had one sidearm and one extra clip each. Ivan grinned as he heard something outside.

"Luckily, we won't have to wait forever!" Ivan said, taking a shot at Leon's suspicious face that went wide.

"What do you mean-" Leon started to say.

"Police! Freeze!" Arthur yelled through the door as his officers busted it down. Cops flooded into the warehouse, decked in full raid gear with weapons draw. For a moment, everyone did freeze. It was like a spell had been cast. But Leon recovered quickly, firing off a shot at Arthur that ricocheted off his helmet.

The spell shattered and the room burst into action, bullets flying in every direction. Drawing their weapons, Ivan and Alfred looked at each other and split up. Ivan slammed his elbow across a Dragon's cheek and took off towards Matt and Natalia as Alfred turned on Leon.

"You sick son of a bitch." Alfred said, his voice a dangerous rumbling growl. He trained his gun on Leon's head, the edges of his vision going red as the pool of blood around Stephanie's head seemed to seep in.

Leon laughed, his own gun settling its gaze between Alfred's eyes. "You know, I underestimated you. I thought for sure you'd be too stupid to go to your daddy. Maybe I just underestimated how dependent white boys are." He shrugged, smirking. "Well, would you look at the time. It seems I have places to be."

A contingent of bulky men in bullet proof vests converged around Leon, shielding him from the hell storm of bullets flying around them as they retreated towards the car. Another Dragon, just as imposing, blocked Alfred's way as he tried to give chase.

The man moved quickly for being so big, knocking Alfred's gun out of his hand and sensing him sprawling with one good punch. Alfred rubbed his jaw and jumped up, ducking under the man's next punch and staggering him with a jab to his throat. He stumbled back for a second, clutching at his neck, but Alfred didn't let up. He slammed his fist into his gut, winding him, and brought and elbow down hard on his head.

He didn't spare the man a glance as he leaped over him, covering his head and hoping for the best as he sprinted through the hail of gunfire towards the car Leon was being loaded into. He shot as he ran, catching one of the tires on his fourth shot and flattening it.

The look Leon gave him was one of pure hatred as he fired another shot at him before taking off through the back door, leaving his goons to the wave of cops that swooped down on them. Alfred busted through the door after him, seconds behind as Leon took off down another alley.

Ivan charged the nearest gangster, clocking him on the jaw and sending him reeling back. He used the opening to grab his wrist and twist his gun out of his hands and bring his arm behind his back. Zwingli threw him a pair of handcuffs and he quickly locked them around his wrists, shoving him out of the way and wading back into the fray. The gangsters were quickly being overwhelmed. They clearly hadn't expected back up, and many of them had been taken down before they could fire a single shot. But the remaining members of Leon's crew were fighting back hard.

Using the confusion as a cover, Matt leaned up against the van and maneuvered himself out of the hood over his head. He purposefully avoided looking at the still, prone figure of his mother on the floor. Movement caught his eye as Elizaveta disarmed one of the Dragons, his knife sliding across the ground within easy reach. He dropped to the ground, scooting across the floor and grabbing the knife. He flipped it up and started sawing at the nylon rope around his hands. When it was weak enough, he jerked his hands apart and snapped it,.

He placed a gentle hand on Natalia's shoulder to let her know it was okay and pulled the bag off of her head. She shook, silent and bloodless, as she took in the fight. Her eyes stopped on Stephanie, widening in fear and disbelief.

"Don't look." He said, sawing through her bonds and dragging her behind the van where hopefully it would be safer. She averted her eyes quickly, tears welling up in them and threatening to spill over. Wiping her tears, he pulled her tight to him, putting himself between her and the van to shield her from any bullets that might go through.

"It's going to he okay." He told her, shushing her gently and petting her hair. It was unconvincing, even he knew that. His voice was shaking, and he was too, and he was sure he could hear the panic clawing at his throat.

"Maybe for them. But your day just got a lot worse." Chen said, leveling a gun at Matthew's head. "You two are coming with me." Matt cried out in pain as Chen grabbed his arm and yanked.

"Leave him alone!" Natasha screamed, kicking him hard between the legs. Chen shrieked, dropping Matt's arm and his gun.

"You little bitch!" Chen wheezed, lunging for the girl. He caught her by her long hair, dragging her up by it until she was dangling in the air. She screamed in agony, her scalp a million points of pain. "I'm going to kill you!" He pulled a knife out of his belt, holding it to her throat.

Matt dove for the gun Chen had dropped, pointing it at him. "Put her down!" He said, firm and commanding. He thanked Al and Arthur for forcing twice a month shooting practice on him as he held the gun steady, staring down the barrel with hard eyes.

Natasha cried out as she was dropped, landing hard on the floor. Matthew flicked his eyes over to her to check that she was okay. She winced as she gingerly ran her hands over her scalp, but she seemed to be fine. Turning back to Chen, he nodded his head at the van. "Against the hood, drop the knife and keep your hands where I can see them." He said. Chen complied, and Natasha scrambled to pick up the knife.

Ivan and Arthur got to them at the same time, rushing at their siblings with wild eyes. Arthur slipped between his brother and the man who had attacked them, slapping a pair of cuffs on him and handing him over to another officer. Ivan scooped Natasha up and cradled her to his chest, murmuring to her in soft Russian.

Outside, Alfred dogged Leon's every step, never giving him enough space to lose him, always there the second before he turned the corner. Leon fired a few shots from around a corner, hoping to shake him off, but Alfred returned fire and closed the distance between them further. Leon cursed and took off, winding his way through the back streets and byways but never managing to lose his tail.

Finally, they hit a dead end.

"End of the line, Chun." Alfred said, cornering him.

"For you, maybe." Leon said, grinning sharply as he pointed his gun back at Alfred. "You're the only thing standing between me and what I want, Jones. That's not a great place to be. Just ask Yao Wang." He smirked. "You'll see him soon enough." He cocked his pistol and trained on Alfred's head as the universe condensed into a single second.

Alfred reacted in less than a blink, shooting Leon's gun out of his hand.

A string of curse words in English with some Cantonese came pouring out of his mouth as Leon cradled his hand, screaming. His thumb was a mess of bloody meat, blown apart by the bullet. Alfred tackled him, wrenching his bad arm behind his back and forcing a knee into his back to keep him down. He kept the hand as high above Leon's heart as he could, tearing off a strip of his undershirt and wrapping it tightly around the wound.

"You fucking shot my thumb off!" Leon screamed, struggling against him. "I'll fucking kill you!" Alfred scoffed and dug his knee into his back.

"You're seriously stupid if you think I'm letting you up." He taunted. "Besides, someone needs to keep pressure on this hand." Leon screeched something incoherent and went slack, panting from pain and effort.

"I have Chun." He said into the wire. "An alleyway a few blocks South, I'll need medical." He waited for the affirmative in his ear piece and sat back, sighing heavily as he allowed himself to relax, just a little bit.

"All wrapped up in here. Medic's on their way." Came Arthur's reply. Al let out a shaky, relieved breath. Matt was safe.

Al was at Matt's side two seconds after he came through the door, having rushed back the moment a medic had taken Leon off of his hands. He threw himself bodily at his brothers, catching them both in a bone-crushing hug. They clung to each other for a moment, Alfred babbling out nonsensical apologies as Matt tried to assure him that it was okay.

"This is all my fault!" Alfred rasped, close to tears as he checked Matt over for injuries.

"Al, don't be ridiculous. It's not your fault." Matt insisted, rubbing his brother's back soothingly. "You came and rescued me, right? That's what counts."

Al shook his head emphatically. "No! What counts is not putting you in danger in the first place!" He protested, stomping his foot like an overgrown child.

"Look, Al, we could play the blame game all year. Your fault, my fault...m-mom's fault. It doesn't matter. Let's just say it's that guy's fault and call it a day, eh?" He asked, tiredly gesturing to where Leon was being attended to.

Al looked like he wanted to argue, but he just caught Matt up in another hug. "No more getting kidnapped, okay?" He said, giving a watery laugh.

"No more getting blackmailed into becoming a murderer." Matt shot back, a faltering, tired grin on his face.

"I want to go home!" Natasha screeched, interrupting the moment. Red in the face and coming to the end of a long, tiring day, Natalia looked like she was about to throw a colossal fit. Not that anyone could blame her. If Alfred was young enough to get away with melting down, he probably would

"It'll be okay, Natashenka." He promised. "Everything is okay now. You're safe." He rocked yer gently, rubbing her back and holding her tight. He let her cry into his neck, shushing her and wiping her face.

"I wanna go home!" She sobbed, clinging to him like a lifeline. "I want Katyusha." He shushed her and pet her hair, setting her on his hip.

"Okay." He said, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "We'll go home. Just as soon as I finish up a few things here, okay?" Natasha shook her head, tears starting up again as she wailed for her big sister.

"I think paperwork can wait, Braginsky." Arthur said, dismissing him. "You too, Jones. I want both of you to go home. Be with your families. Rest. I'll take your statements in the morning."

"Come by when you're done." Alfred said, glad to be let off for the night. He was exhausted in every sense, and he just wanted to sleep in his own bed. "Wake me up if I'm asleep. I mean it."

"I'll be there as soon as I can." He said, turning back to the clean up. Ivan had already left with his sister, no doubt eager to get her to bed. He turned to leave as well, but then stopped.

"Hey, what about Mei Li?" He asked, frowning.

"She was implicated in the Interpol case. I'm not at will to discuss anything more than that" Arthur said. Suddenly it clicked what Henry had meant when he said Mei was busy, and he laughed.

"Well damn, I guess our work here is done!" He said, grinning and throwing his arm over Matt's shoulders. "What do you say we go to my place, call up Em and Francis, and I'll make us my super special cherry chocolate cobbler?"

"I say that if you don't save me some, I'll finish where Chun left off, tosser." Arthur said, smirking and waving them off as the two youngest brothers left. They were laughing, but both leaned heavily against the other, and neither of them could bring themselves to look at the woman under the white sheet.

~*°•°*~

At 6 am, when Ivan knocked on his door, Alfred was still awake. There was too much for him to process not to be. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the pool of blood growing, and growing. So it was a welcome distraction when he showed up with flowers, of all things, and a casserole dish.

"I hope I didn't wake you." He said, smiling shyly and offering him the flowers. "Katya may have gone overboard when I brought Natasha home. We have too much, and...I couldn't sleep." Alfred stepped took the flowers and let him in.

"I can't sleep either." He said, filling up a tall water bottle and sticking the flowers in. "I have some cobbler left if you want some." Ivan shook his head and put the casserole dish on the table, pulling Alfred into his arms.

"Can I sleep here?" He asked, muttering his question into Alfred's hair and breathing in deeply, seeming to relax a bit. Alfred wrapped his arms around Ivan's waist and nodded, burying his face in his neck.

"Let's go to bed." He said, taking Ivan's hand and leading him into the bedroom, the casserole forgotten on the table.

They curled up together, Alfred's back flush against Ivan's chest. Warmth radiated between them, and Ivan's arms were a comforting weight around his waist. His breath puffed gently against the back of his neck and Al smiled, lacing their fingers together and drawing Ivan's arm over himself. When he closed his eyes, all he saw was darkness.

~*°•°*~

Despite everything, they still gave her a funeral. It was small, just them and Emily and Ivan. Her parents couldn't travel, and they had no idea if she had any real friends or how to find them. Apparently no one had seen the obituary or the news report, because no one came. There were no eulogies, there were no tears, there were no slideshows of her life. Just tired eyes staring down at an open casket.

The burial was cold, the wind biting and the people silent as the priest prayed over her. Alfred's hand in Matthew's was the only indication that anyone there felt anything as Stephanie Mary Williams was lowered into the earth and laid to rest. Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust.

~*°•°*~

"Are you sure you want to do this, Alfred?" Arthur asked, frowning at the paper in his hand.

"Yeah, I'm sure." He said, gaze firm and shoulders set. If he was going to get resistance anywhere, it would be from Arthur. And for a second, he thought he would get it as Arthur puffed up, scowling. But the air went out of him in a huff, his shoulders slumping.

"If this is about Braginsky, you can just transfer." He offered.

"I already considered that, Art. But the thing is...I just don't want to be a cop anymore." He sighed, curling in on himself slightly. "I don't want to carry a gun anymore. I don't want to run around chasing criminals. And I need help, man. I need to be seeing a shrink, not carrying a loaded gun." He laughed bitterly. "I've been thinking about this for a while. Before all of this, even. This is my final decision."

Arthur sighed and placed the paper on the desk, grabbing his pen and putting it to the line. He paused, looking back up at Alfred. "If you're sure..." He said, and Alfred nodded. He signed the resignation and placed the pen on the table with a soft click of finality.

"Thank you." Alfred said, squeezing his brother's hand and leaving him to his inevitable mood. He had better things to do than entertain Arthur's tiff.

"Are you ready to go?" Ivan asked. "I just clocked out."

Grinning, Alfred grabbed Ivan's hand and laced their fingers together. Ivan grinned back and bent down to kiss him, squeezing his hand. "I'm ready when you are." Alfred said.

"Our first date." Ivan remarked, trying to sound nonchalant and not quite getting it.

"Second date, you're forgetting that time we beat a guy up together." Alfred said brightly.

"That was not a date." Ivan said, laughing.

"I'm counting it." Alfred said, dragging Ivan out of the precinct.

"Fine." Ivan said, rolling his eyes fondly. "Our second first date."

"I like that." Alfred said, gazing up at Ivan softly. "Our second first date."

Ivan looked down at the galaxies inside of Alfred's eyes. He thought if he looked hard enough, he could see stars being born in their depths. He could get used to this kind of stargazing.

"What are you looking at?" Alfred asked, voice hushed.

"You." Ivan answered, sweeping him up into a kiss. Alfred melted into it, winding his arms around Ivan's neck. When they pulled away, Al flashed him a cat's content grin.

"Well, considering your track record, I'm gonna let that pass as a smooth line. So how about we see about that candlelight? I got us reservations somewhere nice." He said, puffing up like he had done more than just call in. Ivan chuckled and took his hand.

"With you, I'd go anywhere." He said, kissing his knuckles.

"Oh Jesus Christ!" Alfred swore, rolling his eyes and dropping Ivan's hand like a hot poker. "You're lucky I like you."

"Yeah," Ivan smiled, taking Alfred's hand again and pulling him close. "Yeah, I am."

~*°•°*~

A/N: I honestly don't know what to say. I mean, what can I say? This is an end something like 6 or 7 years in the making. I have had so many ups and downs with this fic I feel like I've spent over half a decade on a trampoline. Things between me and this work have become so complicated that I don't know how to even feel. Relieved to be done with it? Proud I finished? Lost because a huge chapter of my life is starting to close?

I guess I can only post this and step away. The story isn't about me anymore. My part is done. It's yours now.

To my old readers, thank you for going on this journey with me. To my new readers, I'm sorry I couldn't commit to a full rewrite. To my beta, I'm sorry you had to read my awful first drafts of these last 4 chapters.