A/N: You guys are probably like finally it updated! Trust us, we are too .-. We didn't realize that it's been over a month since we last updated. A lot has been going on, but here's the longest chapter we've written so far. Hopefully that helps. There's also a question at the end, so if you aren't too pissed at us, we'd appreciate your input. Thank you for reading/reviewing/adding our story to favorites. We love you!

-Bee & Jay.

DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN ANYTHING SAVE FOR OUR CREATIVE WRITING AND IDEAS.

Arthur could hear his son's footsteps grow fainter as he sat in the dungeon with the Russian. To gather himself, he closed his eyes for a few seconds and then took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Knowing this was as ready as he was going to get, he opened his eyes and stared directly into the purple eyes opposite him.

"So how do we go about this then?" He just wanted to get this done and over with. He had a feeling that what was going to happen wouldn't necessarily be easy or without pain. Could this really even happen? Could an animate object be converted into an inanimate one? Not to his knowledge…not without dire consequences anyhow. Honestly, this whole thing worried him. How would he be able to function as a –whatever the hell this crazed bastard was going to turn him into? His thoughts continued like this until the other man spoke.

"Simple. I think of item. I turn you into that item. It will be very painful. Understand?" Ivan looked at him slightly amused by the English man initiating their deal.

Arthur thought about what was said for a moment and then continued the conversation. "I understand, but I've a question about this changing process. Do the amount of pain and the probability-say if I get changed back someday-that I return to my natural-self depend on what object I will be transformed into? Or does is not matter?"

"Da. It matters. You must be smart. No one has ever asked that question before." Now Braginski looked at his captive a little skeptically. What else did he know? Maybe things that would lead to the breaking of the curse, perhaps? That did not matter anyway. The deal was set. There was no going back on his word.

"Since you have the good knowledge you may be of use to me. I will change you into something portable. Shake my hand."

"What? Why on earth would I shake your bloody hand?" Arthur snorted and looked away from Ivan's outstretched arm.

"Are you not a man?" The tone behind the question was full of disdain.

"Wha- Of course I'm a bloody man! Who the hell are you to ask me that?" Arthur was outraged. What had he done that made him look like he wasn't a man?

"Men should be honorable. They shake hands when making deal. If you do not shake, you are not a man."

Art knew he had no other options to take. He would have to shake hands with that git. It angered him, but even through that anger he realized the point the Russian was making. With an inward sigh, he admitted his defeat and stretched his own arm out to meet hands with the man across from him.

As soon as their hands were in a firm grip Arthur felt little tingles flow from Ivan's hand to his own. This feeling didn't hurt. No, not at all. In fact, it felt sort of interesting. It was almost like the good tingling feeling you get when your leg has fallen asleep. He was about to ask about the sensation but before he could, the feeling changed. Now it was the painful tingling. It felt like little needles were jabbing into his hand and coursing its way throughout his entire body. He tried to make a sound and found himself speechless. Making a noise was too much effort. He needed to save his energy for his transformation.

As if the pain wasn't strong enough another feeling ripped through his body. This one felt like his insides were being torn apart. Every little thing felt like it was being sliced without mercy. His muscles, ligaments, tissue and fat were pulled off of his bones and the pain was damn near unbearable. At this point he had stood up from his chair and was leaning forward on the table with his hand still locked with the other's. He was trying his best not to make noise and let the bastard who was doing this to him know how much it hurt, but in the end he couldn't hold it in any longer.

Crying out, he collapsed onto the table while his body shook uncontrollable. Soon afterwards he found himself on his knees with his free hand giving him support from the floor. Tears formed in his eyes while the pain continued to slash its way through his being. Using the last bit of strength he had, Arthur managed to look up at Ivan's face and asked him one question. The one question that he had forgot to ask earlier because he had gotten caught up in his stupid pride. The one question that mattered the most to him.

Ivan was surprised at how the man in front of him was taking the change. What shocked him even more was the fact that Arthur could form a sentence while undergoing such amounts of physical pain. After hearing the question, he only gave a slight nod as a response. The other man seemed to have seen it because he gave him a short, pain-filled smile and then muttered something along the lines of 'good'.

The Russian had to admit that he was a little puzzled. Why would Arthur be concerned about being able to see his son at a time like this? Was he an idiot?

The pain never ceased. It felt like this whole process had been going on for hours instead of minutes. When will this be over? All Arthur could think about was his reason for agreeing to this. He created a happy place, if you will, to go to while this pain shredded his inside. Memories of happy thoughts spent with his son flashed through his mind and he tried to relive the feelings associated with each. Everything was going fine, if one could call this fine, when suddenly he felt the various bones in his hand start to break. His eyes widened in fear as he realized that this new feeling would soon radiate his entire body. Without having time to brace himself, the bones in his arms began to dislocate themselves from each other and snap in the places that seemed too big for a successful transformation. He yelled in agony at this point. He had never had to experience such a pain like this in his entire life. He wouldn't wish this sort of pain on anyone. Well…maybe to the tosser doing this to him now, but he was the only one.

Ivan continued to watch as the other man went through one of the final stages for becoming an object. All of these changes were alike. He had done a few beforehand, so he thought this one would be a bit boring. After watching Arthur he found that wasn't the case. This time it was interesting. He looked at the man struggling beneath him a chuckled to himself. Such spirit. That is where the boy must get his from. Thoughts of Alfred made him wonder a little more about the boy. No…that boy was definitely interesting to Ivan, but not in the same way Arthur was. There was something different about his feelings towards the younger boy. But thinking about that would have to come later.

Arthur could sense the presence of unconsciousness tugging on what little strength he had left. His arms, ribs, and spinal cord were already broken so the worse was over. Actually, at that moment, he started to feel the same tingling feeling he started out with followed by numbness. It felt pretty damned good compared to the hell he had just gone through. He decided that it would be best to just slip into the first stages of passing out. As he drowned out the background images and the Russian man, Arthur began to feel like he was falling backwards into nothingness. He found this quite relaxing, so he made no effort to stop this feeling of bliss.

After he had passed out, it only took another five minutes to fully transform him into a miniature version of a grandfather clock. Ivan then strolled up the stairs, Arthur in hand, and went to go find the French candelabra. Upon finding him, he set Arthur down and turned to leave the room.

Over his shoulder, he called out to Francis. "Watch over him. He is now your responsibility." And with that, Braginski disappeared from the view.

Francis looked at the unconscious clock that was once a man like himself once upon a time. "Je suis desolé, mon ami. This is probably the best way to save your son."

Determining that nothing could be said or done until the other regained consciousness, Francis thought it best to just leave things the way they were until morning. Hopefully things would turn out alright.

Alfred's eyes fluttered open, only to see a blur, then closed again trying to get used to the light that filtered the room. He was warm but the air around him felt crisp. That was strange, he and his father always kept the hotel rooms at a more comfortable temperature. Alfred nuzzled into the soft duvet that smelled almost sweet. Then he felt something move around him. The lump of heat pulled him closer, making Alfred's eyes snap open. He ignored the burning sensation he got from his eyes and stared at the soft, sleeping face of a boy near his age. He jumped and began to struggle in the grasp, trying to get away and not wake the boy at the same time. His bedmate automatically reacted, as if this sort of movement happened regularly and brought up a hand to pat his back lazily, still asleep.

At first Alfred was tense from the touch, but his memory of Arthur doing the same thing bubbled to the surface. The younger Alfred had a bad case of nightmares long ago. When he'd wake up kicking and screaming, Arthur would come rushing into the room, taking the small boy into his arms. Alfred could remember the soft murmurs and the lullabies he'd sing to him. And how he'd rub his back soothingly till Alfred stopped crying and slowly fell back to sleep.

A smile formed on his lips before he remembered exactly why he was in this bed with this guy...Matt, was it? Alfred flopped his head onto the pillow and gnawed at his lower lip. That's right. They were at some creepy castle with some creepy Russian guy. And his dad was MIA at the moment. He groaned loudly, causing Matthew to wake up. The blue-purple eyes were hazed with sleep but gentle all the same. He patted Al's back again.

"Comment vas-tu aujourd'hui?" He asked tiredly, accidently slipping into French due to his groggy state.

Alfred stared at him blankly, "What?"

Matthew gave him a questioning look before catching his mistake. "Oh! Sorry. I asked how you are today." He smiled sheepishly, making Alfred feel a little calmer.

"Ah...I'm uh...I'm okay." He said with a small, slightly forced smile.

"That's good. Well since we're up we should wash up and go have some breakfast. Are you hungry?"

It was then Alfred realized how long it'd been since he'd eaten. His metabolism was naturally fast and it had been hours since the McDonalds. "Yeah, I could eat." He said pulling away from Matthew.

"Okay, follow me." Matt instructed as he pushed the covers off of himself and rose from the bed. Walking over to the bureau, he took out a handful of clothes and set them on the desk that was already littered with books. Glancing back to Alfred, he gave a small smile and indicated for his roommate to do the same.

"Do you have a toothbrush in your suitcase? If not, there are plenty of new ones to choose from here."

Alfred mumbled something and went to retrieve his toothbrush sluggishly, not really in the mood to start the day.

"I'll be right back." Matthew quietly left the room, pulling the door almost shut as he made his way down the hall. He returned within three minutes and gathered his things before they walked towards the bathroom. Moving inaudibly like he had just a few minutes ago, Matt opened the door that led to a long hallway. They made a right and walked two doors down to stand in front of a huge bathroom. Whoever designed this place must have been out of their mind. The bathroom was almost the size of a normal bedroom. Inside there was a double sink along with two showers that were back-to-back. On the other side of the bathroom there was a huge bathtub big enough for three people. Despite the duplicates of everything else, there was only one toilet. Mattie's things were found on the left side of the sink, which left the right for Alfred.

Alfred stared in awe, why on earth was this place so huge? It was a damn bathroom for Marvel's sake! That Russian guy was loaded, Al decided as he stared around. Everything was kept orderly and clean, but somehow it wasn't like a hotel. The bathroom didn't reek of air freshener trying to cover the smell of cleaning products, leaving a stale smell that made him crinkle his nose.

"This is the bathroom. Since I'm the only one on this section of the floor, I'm the only one who uses it. I It's big enough to share though. I-I don't mind if you share it with me. You can even have your own sink and shower! I-If that's o-okay…" Matthew was already speaking in a gentle voice, but by the time he was finished speaking his voice was hardly a whisper. He fidgeted a little because he didn't know how his guest would respond to sharing not only a bedroom, but a bathroom too. Well…the bedroom was only a temporary solution at the moment so technically they would only have to share a bathroom. And that was only if he was assigned to this part of the house.

Alfred felt a little bad by the time Matthew's voice was so quiet. "Dude, s'fine." he said shrugging. Of course, it wasn't all that easy. He was going to share a bed and a bathroom with some dude he just met last night. He would've complained to his new roommate but he couldn't find the heart to do it. Matthew was playing with his fingers awkwardly as he explained. Alfred's eyes swept over the bathroom. It wasn't totally weird taking a shower with another person doing the same. It was like going to the locker room at the gym. Minus the guys who liked to compare the not-so-private-anymore areas. Wait, Matthew wouldn't want to do that, right? Alfred clicked his tongue, of course Matthew wouldn't. The teenager was having a hard time explaining the bathroom set up.

"Okay. If you have to use the toilet then I'll step out for a minute first. I already went when I left the room earlier. When you're done I'll show you how to work the shower. That side of the sink is all yours, so you can put your stuff down over there. Let me know when you're all done, okay?" Mattie smiled as he placed his own belongings on his side of the sink and exited the bathroom.

Alfred grunted in response and waved at him. He set his things upon his designated side and looked at himself in the mirror. He didn't look half bad. The bruises weren't too serious and most of them weren't near his face. His eyes threw him off, though. They were puffy and the whites of the blue were a little red from the previous night. He groaned and hoped that the shower would help them look normal before walking away and relieving himself. When he was finished he turned off the water to his sink and knocked on the door. "Matt, you can come in."

Matthew reopened the door and closed it behind him. He walked over to Al's shower and pointed at the different knobs. "Okay. These two knobs right here control the hot and cold temperatures." Moving his arm slightly upwards, he pointed to the next item. "This lever controls whether or not you want both shower heads on or off. Moving it to the left makes the top shower head active. If you turn it all the way to the right, the bottom shower head comes on. Leaving it in the middle means both of them are on." Looking over his shoulder, he looked up into Al's face to make sure he understood how the shower worked. Seeing that he was having no problem keeping up, Mattie continued. "The last things are the actual shower heads themselves. First of all, they have built in massagers and are detachable. When you pull one out of its holding place, you can see the different types of water flow that you can have. The way you change them is to turn this outer piece of the shower head to whichever option you want." Placing the shower head back, Matthew straightened himself out and gave Al a smile. "That's how the shower works. They're actually really nice. Do you have any questions?"

"Uh...N'ah, seems like I can handle it." He said looking at the shower slowly. "S'pretty complicated for a shower but I've got it, thanks." he said looking over at Matthew, giving him a small smile.

"Good. Just one more thing…"

Walking over to the closet by the door, Matthew pulled out two towels and two washcloths. He handed a pair to Alfred and showed him where he could hang his towel in order to reach it from the shower. Going over to his side of the shower, Mattie placed set up his towel, adjusted the water settings and began to take his clothes off. He was really nervous because he didn't know if Alfred would be one of those people who would make fun of his soft, feminine features. To avoid the possibility of making eye contact, Matthew just turned and faced the other direction. This way it also wouldn't seem like he was creepy or looking at Alfred strip. Completely naked, he quickly stepped into his shower and let the water pound away at his back.

Alfred turned so his back faced Matthew and he tugged off his shirt first, doing it smoothly and quickly. He did the same with his other garments which would've gone easier if he didn't stumble getting his left foot free from his sweatpants of doom. He cursed quietly and finished stripping naked before jumping into the hot shower. The perfectly pressured jets shot water into all the right places. The water seemed to work out knots and kinks were worked out that Al didn't even know existed. "Shit…" Al said lowly. He hummed quietly to himself as he began to do his normal shower routine in the blissful steam.

After washing his body along with his hair, Matthew stepped out of the shower ten minutes later. He could still hear Al's shower running when he turned his off and he let out a little sigh of relief. Wrapping the towel around himself, he exited the shower and moved towards the closet again. He grabbed a bottle of lotion and brought it to the sink, placing it in the middle. Then he reached for his toothbrush and began to brush his teeth.

Even after he was finished brushing his teeth, Alfred still wasn't finished in the shower. He must really be enjoying that shower… Mattie smiled to himself and reached for the lotion. Another five minutes went by and now Matthew had started putting on his clothes. While slipping on his grey sweatpants, he began to wonder if Alfred was okay. It had already been around twenty-five minutes. Dressed only in his sweatpants, Mattie hesitantly made his way towards his roommate's shower. Standing next to the wall and reaching around with his hand, he knocked on the shower door.

"H-Hey…uhm, A-Alfred. A-Are you okay? You've been in there for a while."

Alfred had lost track of time. He jumped and shut off the water, then leaned out of shower. "Oh! Oh sorry 'bout that Mattie…" He said sheepishly. "Hand me my towel?" He asked, his mood lightened immensely from the wonderful shower.

Matthew's eyes widened in shock at the sight of Alfred's body. "Y-Yeah…the s-showers here are really something…" When he realized he was just staring, he tried to focus his gaze anywhere but his roommate and hurriedly reached for the towel. Practically throwing the item in other's face, Mattie turned to face the other way. This didn't prove to be helpful however since the huge mirror above the double sinks was only partially steamy and Alfred could still easily be seen. He decided that facing the toilet would be the best thing to do since it also hid his bright red face.

"Thanks." He said wrapping it around his waist before stepping out the shower. "I uh...Well got sorta caught up in your shower." He said turning so his back faced Matthew. He pulled the towel off and began to dry his hair, doing his locker room dry off routine. He placed the towel back around his waist and turned to grab the lotion.

"So we're gonna go grab some food...You think my dad will be there?" He asked quietly.

Hearing that question allowed Matthew's body to calm down. It seemed that Alfred didn't think much about letting other people see him naked. He felt a wave of relief rush through him. Now things wouldn't seem awkward between them like he thought they would. His face gradually changed back to its normal color and then Matthew turned around to answer him.

"Well…It depends on how well he responded to the transformation… He won't feel hungry anymore, but that doesn't mean he won't come down for our meal times. I have a feeling he's with my papa, so don't worry. He's not alone. Plus he seems like a strong guy...and anyone can tell how much he loves you. I think he will be there." He finished with a genuine smile that was so contagious Alfred couldn't help but smile back.

Matthew showed Alfred where the toothpaste was kept and where to store his things while putting on his shirt. After Alfred was finished getting ready, they both headed down the hall.

"How old are you anyways?"

"Oh. I'm 19." Matthew said smiling. "My birthday's in July."

"Well shit. You're older than me. Only by two years though. My birthday's in July too, ya know. The fourth." He said this with a small beam of pride.

"Wow. I'm on the first….weird." He said with a shrug while they continued on their way to get some food.

Feli slowly started to wake up when he felt his mattress shift as the body next to him got out of the bed. He watched as Ludwig silently gathered his clothes to put them on again. Since the sun didn't shine through his curtains it must have still been early. The only sound in the room was the rustling of Ludwig's clothes. Feli smiled to himself as he watched the other dress. He really enjoyed the nights when the older man decided to stay with him. Last night he was pretty upset about the visitors possibly being punished and not being able to eat his yummy pasta, so Ludwig stopped by his room after he was dismissed from Ivan.

Now Ludwig turned back towards the bed, partially dressed. His pants were on, but his button-down shirt was left open. He walked over to the bed and bent down to place a small, chaste kiss on the other's forehead, thinking he was still fast asleep. He stood up and cleared his throat loud enough to make the Italian stir.

"Feliciano. Wake up. You have to go start breakfast soon."

With that, Feli acted like he was just now waking up. He sat up slowly and squinted his eyes as he rubbed them with the back of his hand. After a few moments, he let out a small yawn and then smiled up at Ludwig.

"Buongiorno, Ludwig" he said in a sleepy tone.

The German had been around him long enough to understand basic Italian phrases and just nodded his head as a reply. He started to leave the room and was about to exit the room when he felt Feli clutching onto his arm. He knew what he wanted, but sometimes he just liked it when he begged him for something. Half way turning, he looked down with a questioning expression plastered on his face.

"What is it?" He asked nonchalantly.

"You forgot to something! You usually do but sometimes you forget and this time is one of those times! Ludwiggg…" he whined as he tugged on his sleeve.

"What did I forget, Feliciano? What do you want?" He now asked with a hint of seduction in his voice.

"You always give me a kiss..." He trailed off and gave Ludwig a look of a puppy. "Give one to me?"

Satisfied with that answer, he bent down and kissed Feli's cheek only to hear a disappointed huff. A smile spread across his face and then he moved to his lips. His kiss was firm and possessive, but Feliciano didn't seem to mind, especially when the kiss was deepened. After a while the kiss was broken and his breathing was a little ragged as he started up at Ludwig with a happy smile on his face. Ludwig offered a small smirk before letting go of him and leaving the room.

After watching him disappear down the corridor, he decided it would be best to get the day started. He grabbed his bathroom necessities as he made his way to the bathroom. He contemplated what he should make for breakfast when he was in the shower. Not really being able to decide, he figured to just go with whatever fresh ingredients were available. Today was the day for a new array of fresh vegetables. His big brother had left yesterday to go to the gardener's farm and spend the day harvesting the crops. By today, he would be back. He smiled to himself and finished his morning routine before heading downstairs to begin breakfast.

He hummed an Italian tune as he walked down the corridor to the kitchen, budding with his daily excitement. He loved to cook, making morning and dinner dishes were always his favorite. His mind wandered to if there'd be a big batch of tomatoes this harvest. Feliciano knew that their gardener loved them with a passion, and he was almost positive that his brother would get first pick of the tomatoes he personally wanted. This didn't bother Feliciano, because he knew that his brother may act like he didn't like it but not so below the surface he did.

Feliciano had already started breakfast when he heard a cheery voice entering the kitchen.

"Hola Feli!" A tanned male said with mirth. In his arms he held a basket of fresh fruit and vegetables.

The Spanish man, Antonio, had dark brown hair that always seemed to be perfectly messy. His bangs didn't hide his bright forest-like eyes that seemed to hold hope within them. He was taller than most, but his body was solid and made up of only muscle from working in the garden and helping tend to the grounds.

"Ciao Toni." He said with a sing-song voice.

Feliciano turned to see his brother fumbling with some of the spices as he walked in. "Buongiorno Lovino." He called to his elder brother.

"Veniciano, the fuck is the oregano? We just brought some three days ago." The older brunette asked.

"Lovi, you should be nicer to your brother." Antonio teased softly, only to be given a warning glare from the Italian.

Feliciano smiled brightly, "The third cabinet to the left." He said walking over to the stove. His brother's rash comment was the equivalent of a 'Hello, good morning.' He wasn't going to argue with that.

Lovino placed the bin with the spices down on the counter and then moved over to the cabinet to search for the oregano. He mumbled to himself while he pushed the spices around in the cabinet.

Just then, Ludwig entered the kitchen. He had already spoken with Ivan and knew what needed to be done for the day, so he figured he'd check in on Feliciano. When he saw Antonio his back stiffened a little and he quickly made his way over to stand next to his Italian. He protectively put his arm around the other's waist and pulled him close and bent down to kiss him on the cheek while keeping his eyes locked with the Spaniard's.

Feliciano was smiling brightly and pressed himself against Ludwig's strong chest and looked to Romano who had a sour look upon his face but chose to say nothing. The younger Italian ignored the look and turned around to face the taller male. "Ciao!" He sang, beaming a smile that was only for Ludwig. It wasn't rare for Ludwig to kiss him when Antonio was in the room, though he never seemed to know why.

Antonio could practically feel the tension in the air. He gave the German a weak smile accompanied with a small nod. Then he turned around and continued unloading the bins."Lovi, did you bring the basil with you? I thought you grabbed that bin…" Antonio said looking around for said item.

Lovino paused for a second and thought about the contents of the bin he chose to bring. He quietly cursed to himself when he remembered that he had taken the basil out of the bin and added the crushed peppers instead. His face turned red with frustration and embarrassment so he pushed his face further into the cabinet.

"Why would I bring the stupid basil? It's not like Feli uses it all the time. We have plenty of fucking spices. Let him pick one of those."

Ludwig scoffed at Lovino's answer but Feliciano just grinned and waved off the comment.

"It's okay Toni. He's right you know. I don't really use it, so it's okay if you don't have it."

Antonio mockingly rolled his eyes at Lovino and chuckled. "Ah, no problemo." He said lightly. "I'll go grab it. Play nicely you two." He said before walking out of the tense atmosphere and heading towards the door.

"How was the harvest yesterday, Lovi?" He always asked his brother questions like this even though he knew the response wouldn't be all that great.

"What do you think? Can't you see all the food? It was fine." He answered sharply while he put away the newly bought spices into their allotted places.

"Well that's good. What do you think I should make for breakfast this morning?"

"I don't know. Whatever you want, I guess." His voice sounded a little vacant this time and Feli could tell there was something on his mind. He moved closer to him and threw an arm around his shoulder.

Feliciano gazed back to Ludwig with a pleading look and the German briefly disappeared from the kitchen.

"Hey, Lovino, what's wrong? Whatever the problem is I can help. I can try to at least. What is it? Is it Toni? Did you do something? Is he mad about the basil? I don't think he's mad at you about the basil. It's okay, really it is. How were things yesterday? Did something happen? Tell meeee." He whined at his brother and tugged at his sleeve.

Lovino tried to shrug him off but wasn't successful so he just gave up. After a few moments of his silence and Feli's nagging, he decided to speak.

"I'm okay Feliciano. It just sucks that – I'm upset about the basil. It's nothing, don't worry about it." He said quietly as he moved away to finish with the seasonings."Lovi, it's okay. I'm not mad at you or anything. You know Toni isn't mad at you either. You don't have to be sad." Feliciano moved to where his brother was and tightly hugged him from behind. Lovi sighed and let his brother continue to hug him. He enjoyed it, but he wouldn't let Feli know that.

Feli smiled when his brother didn't break away. As he hugged him he thought of what to go along with the already baking goods. Breakfast would be simple today. He had fresh pastries in the oven that he'd fill with chocolate or cream. Though he kept some plain for those who didn't want any. Mainly a special German. There would be freshly cut fruit and plenty of coffee and espresso for everyone and hot chocolate for Matthew. Wait, there was another boy now. So that meant two hot chocolates, he thought to himself.

Voices were then heard and it sounded like they were coming towards the kitchen. Lovino quickly shook his brother off of him and mumbled something about being stupid while moving to the other side of the kitchen. Then he saw Matthew walk in with another boy with blonde hair. He was a little shocked to see how alike the two of them looked.

Feli turned around and smiled at the two boys before greeting them.

"Ciao Matthew! Ciao boy who looks very similar to Matthew!" He said cheerfully. He turned to Lovino, seeing his confused face. "Oh?" He almost asked to himself. "I forget to tell you, fretello." He began, "This is Matthew's...What's the word..Dop...Uh.." He trailed off trying to think.

"Doppelganger is what you're looking for." Ludwig said as reentered the kitchen and compared the two boys standing side by side.

"Yeah! His doppelganger came here last night with his papa! And Matthew's doppelganger-"

"My name's Alfred." Alfred cut in frowning from his new title.

Ludwig shot Alfred a warning glare to let him know he didn't like it when people cut Feliciano off. The teen stiffened a little when his eyes caught sight of the German.

"Ah, sorry. Alfred and his papa made the deal with Signore Braginski. And he's rooming with Matthew now! It's amazing how related they look! Almost like twins except Matthew's a little taller than Alfred." He said smiling proudly at his storytelling abilities.

Alfred smiled awkwardly. "Yeah that's me." He said fidgeting with the slightly frayed edge of his sweater that was a little too big. After he had gotten dressed he realized he was still cold in the house and grabbed a sweater from a suitcase.

"Hi Lovino. Anything new happen in the past three days?" Matt asked with a smile on his face. He liked the older Italian brother. They had had their share of decent conversations in the past.

"Why the hell does everyone think something happened? Nothing happened!" He gritted between his teeth.

Matthew threw his hands up in front of him as to say he meant no offense and laughed to himself as he turned to Feli. "What are we having for breakfast this morning? We're pretty hungry."

Feli picked up a rather large knife making Ludwig smirk at how the knife seemed bigger than the man holding it. "Fruit and filled pastries!" He chimed and then turned to Alfred. "I could make you some boiled eggs if you want." He said innocently, grabbing some of the fresh fruit.

Alfred opened his mouth to answer but didn't have the chance to say anything before Matthew intervened.

"He'll eat what we're eating, Feli. Don't think of him as a kid. Right, Alfred?" Matthew added before turning to Al and gently nudging him in his side. He knew Alfred would be a little confused about the conversation, so for right now he just offered him a quick wink followed by a small smile.

Alfred looked confused for a few moments but shook off the feeling and looked about the kitchen. He avoided the gaze of the German deliberately.

Feliciano laughed, "I was kidding!" He said lightly as he skinned and diced the fruit up expertly. "Lovino can you get started on the espresso? I already started the coffee. What'll you have Alfred? I figure I'll make you hot chocolate because that's what Matthew has all the time and he likes it a lot. Also you're still growing so you don't need any caffeine to stunt your growth so I guess that's just what I'll give you anyway." He said not bothering for Al's response.

Alfred was too surprised by the Italians chatter and didn't bother to reply, he only shifted from one foot to the other as he watched the chef move around the kitchen effortlessly while his grumpy brother deftly started up one of the nice looking machines. He couldn't help but think that the older one, Lovino, would be a good coffee maker at Starbucks. But he got the feeling this guy wasn't too costumer friendly.

"I'm back." Said a voice from behind that Alfred didn't know. He turned and saw a man with a Spanish accent who was setting some green things on the counter. He looked up and saw the new person and then his gaze went back to Matthew, then back to him. "Que?"

Alfred chewed his lip. This would be a long, awkward morning.

Feliciano was about to start up on his story again but Matthew quickly cut him off. "This is Alfred. He came here yesterday with his papa who made the deal with Mr. Braginski. Now he's my roommate. Feli calls him my doppelganger." Not he turned to Alfred. "This is Antonio. He's the gardener here and he does other outside work. Lovino is usually the one who helps him."

"Oh. Hola, Alfred. It's nice to meet you." Antonio smiled softly while he spoke.

He smiled and gave Antonio a small wave. "Heya." He said relaxed by the calm voice.

"We're going to go into the dining room to wait for the food to be done. Come on, Alfred." Matthew said as he lightly tugged Al's sleeve.

They left the kitchen and the tension between Ludwig and Antonio started up again, though this time there wasn't much. Tonio picked up the basil and moved to the stand by Lovino. He handed him the basil with a smile on his face causing the older Italian to form a slight blush. Lovi took the basil and placed it in the cabinet. Tonio kept his attention on Lovino and tried to avoid any possible confrontations with the German.

Ludwig watched Antonio for a bit before he broke the silence. "You're task is finished. Go wait in the dining room with the others." The remark was undoubtedly directed towards the Spaniard.

"Don't fucking tell him what to do, you potato bastard. Why are you still here?" Lovino interjected angrily as he stared at Ludwig. The German just smirked at him and then said, "I overlook everything and everyone here. That is my job. Do not question me."

By now Feliciano had stopped what he was doing and tried to keep the peace between the other three.

"I was wondering what I should make for dinner tonight. With Alfred here I really don't know what he likes and it would be very sad if he didn't like what I made. Maybe I should make something spicy. Do you think Alfred likes spicy?" He began to ramble in hopes of easing the tension. "Because I don't like it very much and neither do the others. I wonder where they are right now, the others." He said trailing off softly when Antonio opened his mouth to speak.

"No, it's alright, Feli. Lovi, I'll save you a seat, si?" That said, he made his way towards the dining room. Lovino continued to glare at the German bastard while he moved around the kitchen helping his brother finish making breakfast. Ludwig just grinned at him and then resumed watching Feliciano work.

Arthur opened his eyes slowly and winced a little at the pain he still felt throughout his body. After adjusting to the light, he looked around to assess his surroundings. He was in a huge room, it maybe it just seemed that way because of his small size. The drapes on the windows were pulled and through them many trees could be seen. He had to admit it was a beautiful view. He almost yelled out to Alfred to get his camera and take a picture, but then he remembered the reason for why his body ached. To his right was the door, presumably to the hallway. When he looked to his right he was startled by the sight of the candelabra known as Francis. Oh right. I was bunked with this plonker. He mentally rolled his eyes as he looked at the object before him. This man emitted a pretentious attitude even when he was a candle holder so Arthur couldn't imagine he was in real life. Insufferable, I would say. He could feel his attitude starting to get worse when Francis cleared his throat.

"Bonjour!" He said cheerily, a smile etched onto his face. "You have seemed to come out not nearly as dull as I thought you would. But it is certainly humorous. Who would think Braginski would turn you into an English clock? That clever bastard." He continued lightly, "You'll be sore for a few days but I'm sure you're used to being sore for a few days." He broke off to laugh at his joke.

Arthur scowled but he knew that Francis was his only way to navigate through this mansion and learn the 'rules' around here. Swallowing his pride he curtly answered, letting his disdain seep into his words. "I'm fine. What time is it and when can I go see Alfred?"

"Votre fils?You can see him whenever you are ready to. You woke up sooner than I thought you would. It's only breakfast." He hummed, "I should check the time just to make sure though." He hopped next to Arthur and stared at his abdomen and read the time with a coy smile on his face. "I was right of course; it is only time for breakfast. Then the others start their job or lounge around."

Arthur gave him a questioning look. "Others? You mean there are more people living here? Well, I do suppose that this place would need a whole crew of people to keep it running. Alright then. How do I get to the kitchen? Or wherever you people eat." He muttered quite aggravated.

Francis' face grew serious as he continued to stare at Arthur. His eyes were empathetic. "I know very well that he really wants to see you right now. Mathieu was just like that when I was changed. My boy is very sweet and he's looking over yours. He'll do a perfect job. You have no need to worry." He said softly.

Arthur looked back to Francis with a blank face. He gave a short nod and then tried standing up. After a few hesitant efforts, he was finally able to stand up straight. Next was to practice moving the stubby little nubs that were supposed to be his feet. When he could function enough without falling over, he gestured to the other that he was now ready to leave. "We can see our boys now, right? Let's be on our way then, shall we?"

"Ah! C'est vrai. We can go see them at breakfast. This way, limey." He said making his way to a door. "You will be able to meet some of the others there as well. Breakfast and dinner are when we come together. Lunch is on your own." He said sagely. "Though we don't have the need to eat or drink, it's still nice to be with everyone."

"Watch it, frog. Your incessant name calling is severely childish and you need to act your age, whatever that is. You're probably an old arse with wrinkled skin. He said with satisfaction due to the scorn clearly written on Francis' face.

Francis continued to stare incredulously at Arthur. The other couldn't hold back any longer a let his sneer break his otherwise blank façade. Outraged, Francis abruptly turned around and headed towards the door. If he were human, Arthur swore he would have been stomping the whole way. Well that certainly made me feel a bit chuffed. He smiled to himself as he tried to follow the angry French candelabra through the hallways.

Back in the dining room only Alfred, Matthew, and Antonio were at the table. The atmosphere was relaxing because of the lightly flowing conversation being held. It wouldn't be long before everyone sat down and began to eat.

Matthew slightly turned to his look-a-like and made sure he had his attention before talking. His voice no higher than a whisper, he told Alfred of the other people who could also be attending breakfast. "Well of course Feliciano and Lovino will be here, but not Ludwig. He doesn't eat with us unless Feli really really wants him to. Obviously Tonio will be here. Lovino usually sits next to him. Then we have Elizaveta and Toris. Toris is Mr. Braginski's personal servant, so you may not see him so much. Elizaveta is sort of like the mother figure around here. She's really nice. You'll like her, I think. I'm not sure if she's coming though." He trailed off for a second to see if Alfred was keeping up with the information. "Am I confusing you or saying too much?" He asked cautiously.

Alfred shook his head rapidly. "N'ah I'm keepin' up." He said truthfully, playing with the edge of his sweater. "Mattie, you hardly said anythin'. I mean I've been around some talkers in my life and you sure ain't one of 'em." He said nudging him playfully.

His mind drifted to Elizaveta. As a child, it was always just him and his father as far as Alfred could remember. Well, there were always flickers of the orphanage in his memory but those were pretty hazy. It wasn't that he didn't think his father was enough. He was more than enough and seemed to do a great job raising him, yet he always wondered what it'd be like to have a mother type figure around him.

"Well yeah. That's because I only really talk to the people I like." He said jokingly while pushing him back. "Back to what I was saying. There aren't many of us here, but we all help each other out and act like a family. You'll be able to see for yourself if you choose to stay for a while. You don't have to worry about not fitting in either. Just tell me if someone is giving you trouble. I have your -" He trailed off as he eyes became glued to the doorway of the dining room. Alfred furrowed his eyebrows at the sudden stop of the other's words and followed his line of sight until his gaze landed on the doorway.

Alfred watched with wide eyes as the candelabra and a small miniature grandfather clock walked into the room. The scene sounded like it should have been something taken straight from a comedy and yet he lacked any feelings of humor. His bright blue eyes followed the two small figures as they hurried their way over to him and Matthew. The clock couldn't have been his…His father. A tremor of fear ran down his spine. It would only make sense for an English man to turn to a clock, he thought to himself grimly.

The two figures finally arrived to the table and Matthew picked up his father and placed him in front of him on the table before hesitantly doing the same for Arthur.

"Dad?" Alfred's voice came out weak and cracked slightly.

"Alfred." He said hesitantly as he slowly made his way over to him. "How are you? Are you hurt? Are you okay?" He asked with concern in his eyes.

"You're alive an' okay…I mean you're a clock and shit but that doesn't mean that you aren't okay right? It probably sucks cause now your legs are so stubby and you'll trip over useless shit and you know I didn't know if you were gonna come back. It's sorta scary but that's okay cause you're not a demon or a ghost and those are only scary at night so we're really okay and-"

"Alfred. It's okay. I'm okay. It seems like you're doing quite fine as well." He noted with relief. Arthur knew if he didn't stop his son's ramblings then no one would. "It was worth it, you know. Even if that bloody knob head turned me into this. Don't feel bad. I know you were worried but it was nothing. Hardly felt a thing actually. I was more concerned about you." He moved closer to Alfred and waited for a response. It was then when he looked at what Alfred was wearing. It shocked him to be honest. "Alfred…are you wearing one of my sweaters?" He asked cautiously. "It looks nice on you."

"Dad…" Alfred whispered before rapping his arms around the figure tightly, seeking comfort from his father. Arthur stifled a groan at the tightness of the hug but ignored the pain and focused on being with his son. "Sorry I took it without askin'." he whispered into the hug.

After the embrace reluctantly ended, Arthur faced Matthew and gave him a smile. "Thank you for watching over him. I appreciate it."

Mattie shook his head from side to side. "You don't have to thank me. I'm glad to help." He said offering an honest smile.

After a few minutes, Feliciano and Lovino made their way into the dining room with the food on platters. Feli sat down at the table while his brother went back into the kitchen to bring out the pots of coffee and the other drinks. As the older brunette sat down in between Antonio and his brother, Toris walked into the dining room. To any further awkward situations, Francis greeted Toris and explained who the new object was as well as his son.

"Toni!" Francis waved at him merrily. "This is Arthur. He's English." For a moment, he and Antonio share a brief look of shared feelings towards the English. He then turned to the others and continued his explanation. "But for a flavorless fool, he isn't that terrible."

Antonio laughed lightly, "Hola Arthur." He said in a lightly, his voice no longer strained from his encounter with Ludwig. "Nice to meet you. I'm Antonio and this is Lovino." He said nudging Lovino playfully.

Feliciano waved excitedly, "I'm Feliciano, but you can call me Feli if you'd like!"

"Do you know if Elizaveta is coming down for breakfast today, Toris?" Matthew asked softly.

Toris smiled at Mathew gently. "Not right now. She and Feliks got into a debate about something so she'll be down for dinner." He said in a gentle voice. He smiled to Alfred, "Nice to meet you, Alfred."

Alfred waved and smiled, feeling more at ease with his father by his side. His eyes darted back to his father as he fiddled with the hem of Arthur's old sweater, feeling cozy and warm at one of the biggest, homiest breakfasts he had ever had.

"D'accord. Bon appetite, everyone! Enjoy your breakfast!" Francis said vivaciously.

Soon the room was filled with voices and occasional laughter could be heard.

Ivan sat at his chess table, moving one of the pieces strategically. He wasn't doing as well as usual this morning. He couldn't focus on the game before him because his mind continued to drift to that boy's father, Arthur. He was the best one to react to transforming out of everyone so far. But what interested him was the selflessness he had for his son.

Crying out, he collapsed onto the table while his body shook uncontrollable. Soon afterwards he found himself on his knees with his free hand giving him support from the floor. Tears formed in his eyes while the pain continued to slash its way through his being. Using the last bit of strength he had, Arthur managed to look up at Ivan's face and asked him one question. The one question that he had forgot to ask earlier because he had gotten caught up in his stupid pride. The one question that mattered the most to him at that moment. "Will Alfred be able to recognize me when this is settled?" He gasped for air in between each word as he spoke.

"Strange…" He mumbled to himself, moving a pawn. All the others had screamed or asked for it to stop and yet this one had not. And that was what fascinated him. That type of personality must've been passed down to his son.

The boy had wheat hair and eyes the color of the sky. His attitude, much like his father had already peaked his curiosity. Albeit the boy probably had the skill to annoy Ivan to no end, he was intriguing. The first American to ever come to his residence… And now he was to stay. Ivan smirked. The boy was obviously far too attached to his father to even dare think about leaving. He doubted that the American would be good for anything, so he'd have to stick him with that one boy who Ivan could never be bothered with to remember at the moment. Ivan took his cup of strong tea and sipped it. Toris, his personal servant, always made really tasteful cups of tea. But he was always jittery around Ivan, especially when he wasn't with that loud mouthed wardrobe.

He glanced at the clock on the wall and guessed that the others would be getting ready to eat breakfast. He leaned back in his chair and wondered if Arthur would be strong enough to attend. However, it was of no consequence. He would need to meet with Ivan later on in the day no matter how he felt. Come to think of it, Ivan wanted to speak to Alfred as well. He wanted to see what kind of person he was and if he would be of any use. Probably not, he thought to himself. But maybe he could find some pleasure in teasing the boy and riling him up a bit. He smirked to himself and decided that after meeting with Arthur, he would make Alfred spend time with him. This could be entertaining. A mischievous smile broke out on Ivan's face as he sat up and placed a chess piece on the board, claiming check mate.

A/N: Hey guys. Sorry about the long wait. It should be better from now on since school is almost over~ We usually don't ask for review, but we want to know what you think. We mentioned Elizaveta in this chapter but we didn't introduce her as a character yet. Her essential role will be based off of Mrs. Potts. We're trying to decide between making her an actual tea pot or a human. So the question is: Which one should she be? Thanks for reading and we'd love to hear from you~!

-Bee & Jay.

Words & Phrases:

Je suis desolé, mon ami. - I am sorry, my friend.

Comment vas-tu aujourd'hui? - How are you today?

Buongiorno. - Good morning.

Hola. - Hello/Hi.

Ciao. - Hello/Hi (also goodbye, but for our story that's not the case).

Fretello. - Brother.

In Italy, boiled eggs is a dish made for children. In a sense, Feli insulted Alfred but meant no harm by it.

Que? - What?

Si. - Yes.

Bonjour! - Good morning!

Votre fils. - Your son.

C'est vrai. - It is true/That's right.

D'accord. - Okay.