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Chapter Fourteen
Surely He Isn't That Stupid

"Hey, you." I called to the first servant I saw in the hall. They looked over at me a bit startled, "Yes, Sir John.." Their eyes dropped down to my clothing, it was soiled to say the least.

"Don't worry about the blood it's not mine." I rolled my eyes, taking in a deep breath.

"That's why I'm worried." They whispered under their breath, "I walked past them, taking my jacket off, "Just clean it up and don't say a thing, understood? I'm going to get cleaned up." I said, exausted.

"Yes, Sir!" They replied, taking my jacket and heading towards the room.

I walked to my room, cleaning my face and hands off then changing into something more suitable, I then headed off to speak with the head I put in charge of searching for _____ and her kidnappers.

I entered without knocking, I didn't have to, I'm important. The men sat around a table, looking at files and maps with points on it, the hairpin sat patiently on the map on near the place it was found at.

"Well someone's been busy." I spoke, causing some people to turn towards me, the rest continued working.

"Any word? At all?" I asked eagerly.

"Well, it appears not, Sir, a the hairpin is all we have but it seems that no one knows anyone who is French. Even so, a hair clip still isn't enough to go on. Her mother has confirmed it's hers though." A man spoke.

I nodded, staring at it momentarily before looking over to see the person I needed to speak to. I walked up to him, "Hey, I would like you to stop searching for her." I stated.

He took his eyes off of a notebook and he dropped his pen, "Excuse me?" He asked.

"I said that-" I was about to repeat myself when he cut me off, "No I heard you, however, you do understand that by doing that, she can remain missing for god knows how long? Not only that, but her kidnappers or murderers for all we know, will get away with what they did!"

I nodded, crossing my arms, "I understand."

He kept his frowning glare before his eyes widened slightly, he gently set his had on my shoulder, "Johnny," he began, I twitched, it's Sir!

"I understand how defeated you must e feeling about this situation, I mean, as progress shows, we are not any closer to finding _____ today than we were yesterday. We will however, find her, umderstand?" He spoke.

He must have thought that I felt defeated about how we haven't get found her, I really wasn't, I'm sure I know where she is at, I just need to get there and I need them off of my trail.

Francis is an important figurehead I'm France, and as that is their location, I'm sure that people will be able to connect te dots, dare he be murdered, then before I know it, French people will connect me to the scene of the crime because Francis is in a way the only one the search party is looking for - even if they don't yet know that.

"I don't care." I frowned, pushing the man's hand off of my shoulder, "I will pay you extra to stop searching. She's probably dead by now anyways." I spoke. Of course she's not, but I'm running out of things to say here.

He kept staring a minute longer than I found acceptable, finally breaking the silence, "Fine, but please, there's no need to pay us, I understand completley. Besides, you've been through quite a lot." He said sincerely.

I felt like bursting out into laughter, in fact I had almost completely forgotten that he didn't say the 'Sir' part first and that he had touched me. What a gullible man.

I nodded, turning around and heading out of the room, "Oh." I said aloud as I turned again, I headed over towards the table where the men all now stared at me, "I would like to keep this..." I said, picking up the hairpin, "As a memory." I smiled slightly.

I then headed out, I have a letter to write while someone plans out the rest of the month for me. As I will be taking a trip south, it's been a while since I've visited France afterall...

---

After a while, Arthur had finally made it down to eat, he was wearing the outfit that I bought him, causing me to smile, "Hey!" I called over. He smiled as he walked towards me, "The clothes smell strange, but I fancy them." He spoke, admiring the outfit.

I clasped my hands together, "Good! Now come on, we have to eat because I spent a good amount of time helping decorate the food with little animals made of berries."

We entered the dining room to see Francis reading a letter, Lovino and Feliciano were standing behind him, reading it with him, while Antonio sat a chair away, he looked disappointed.

"What's that?" Arthur asked as held onto his arm, pulling him into the room.

"It's a letter!" Feliciano responded.

"From who?" I asked.

"...Johnny." Lovino responded after an ackward silence, leaving Francis's side and walking to lean against the wall.

"What's it say?" Arthur asked, slowly, understanding the mood in the room.

"He knows we are here and that _____ is here, I don't know how though... And also, James is dead. He was stabbed, by Johnny... And..." His voice faded out as set the letter down on the table.

"James?" Arthur asked, walking up to the table and grabbing hold of the letter, "Unbelievable!" He shouted, frowning more and more as he read through the letter.

I looked at the letter, reading it over Arthur's shoulder, it was written a week ago, and it was uncomfortably detailed on the parts with James... I felt my stomach turn as Arthur crumbled the letter in his hands.

"Surely he isn't stupid enough to come here to face us though?" Francis asked.

"Have you not been paying attention?" I asked in a whisper, touching the necklace gently. I didn't know James that well, but I could recall he was dressed as a servant at that party. I couldn't live knowing that Johnny would go unpunished for his crimes.

Arthur took in a deep breath before calming down, "Fine then, if he wants to come and try to kill us, then I think it'll only be fair if we return the favour."

"He wrote the letter a week ago, maybe he's on his way here already? But even so, there's no telling when he will be here." Antonio thought aloud.

"Exactly, so let's not waste another minute, lock every entrance and exit besides the front door, that's the only way he will be aloud inside, then we will ambush him." Arthur spoke.

Francis nodded, "I'll get started on the second floor since the first floor has no windows a person will be able to fit through, Antonio will have the third, Lovino and Feliciano, the forth, and you two," he looked at Arthur and I, "You two will have the fifth floor."

We all nodded and Arthur followed behind me as we walked to the fifth floor.

It was a quite walk, he was angry, I knew he wasn't mad at me, but still.

We approached a row of windows that looked out to a lake surrounded by tall trees, though the trees were pretty huge, they looked small from here. We closed all the windows and locked them. After we had finsihed, we made our ways to the rooms to lock the windows in there.

It took a good while, but when we finally entered the final ring, I let out a sigh.

Arthur turned towards me, and I began, "Arthur, I'm sorry about what happened to James, but-" he quickly cut me off with a charming smile, "Don't worry, I'm fine, afterall, Johnny will get what's coming to him soon enough."

I smiled slightly, causing him to take a step closer towards me, "Look, ____," he said warmly, brushing my hair behind my ear, I looked up into his sparkling emerald green eyes, what was happening to me? I usually felt calm around him, but now, my heart was beating rather quickly.

"I know that you might be nervous-" he continued speaking but he threw my brain into an endless spiral of paranoia by saying that he knows I might be nervous. How does he know? Oh god, I bet he also knows how I feel.!

"-we will defeat him as soon as possible, and I know how you feel-"

Oh no, he knows how I feel now!

"-but if anything else, just remember that I will protect you no matter what." He finished.

I nodded like an idiot with a giant grin on my ace with my heart pounding in my ears, I felt a sudden boost of happiness.

He leaned closer and kissed my forehead like he had before, but this time, it felt entirely different.

"Come on now, let's go check on the others and tell them that we're done locking up this floor." Arthur spoke, he reached his hand out to me, which is quickly took.

Dang it, I grabbed his hand too quickly, I bet he thinks I'm desperate, I should have waited at least another second before I took his hand.!

-

We had all finally made it downstairs after a few minutes, we met in the living room while a strange man sat in the corner beside Lovino, drinking tea. Antonio was scolding Lovino, something about that man being strange and unable to live here, but I didn't catch the entire argument.

I looked back over to Francis who was talking to us all about how we should prepare and what we should do say something didn't go as planned.

I was trying to listen, but with Arthur sitting beside me on the couch with his arm on the couch, it felt like he had his arm around me, which caused me to continue panicking.

"____? Are you okay?" Feliciano spoke out, causing Francis and Arthur to look at me.

My face heated up, "yes!" I exclaimed egerly, "I'm fine, perfectly fine! Why? Do I look un-fine? Are you trying to tell me something Feli? Is that it?" I asked eagerly.

Feliciano jumped back, raising his hands in front of him, "No! You look fine! I'm sorry!" He cried out.

I covered my face with my cool hand and tried to calm myself down, "I'm sorry for shouting." I mumbled with my hand over my mouth.

I leaned back on the couch to try to relax, but when my arm came into contact with Arthur's arm, I jolted foreword and stood up, "I just need some air." I spoke, quickly leaving the room.

"Because obviously there's no air in here!" Lovino muttered.

Arthur looked over at me and sat up, "I'll go check on her." He spoke, before Francis cut in, "No don't, she probably needs some time alone. There's a lot of things happening and it is quite a bit to take in."

Arthur nodded slowly and sat still as he watched me leave.

I took in a deep breath as I opened up a window in the hallway, it was cold outside, which helped cool me down.

I took in a deep breath and looked down at the necklace momentarily before looking up at the moon.

"I just want took know if he feels the same." I whispered below my breath while the wind whistled in my ears.

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Summer Vacation is near, so enjoy these thumb crippling chapters I had waiting for you!! :D

Also, I want to stay a new story after this one, but I'd like to know what you would all like to read, so here are the options I had in mind and comment which you want!
1.) Gravity Falls (doing this one anyways, so it's a pointless option)
2.) Another Hetalia story, as if there aren't enough already •-•;
3.) for me to finish that other story I have that you've probably never heard of, Mistaken
4.)You comment your idea because I literally have none!! :DD

I'll see you all in the next chapter now! Goodbye ;D