Alfred released Matthew from his grasp. "You sure you have to go?" he asked his brother with a sad smile.

"I'm afraid so," Matthew replied solemnly, "but I'll be back as soon as possible. I had a lot of fun with everyone!"

"Well, I'm glad to hear it, bro . . ."

Canada rolled his eyes, giving America another hug after seeing that his brother was clearly asking for one in his head. The other four Americans watched with a variety of smiles on their faces, each trying to picture themselves in a situation with their own siblings. Everyone but Charles. That was a position he'd never found himself in, and never would.

"I'd best get going. My flight leaves in forty minutes and my boss'll confiscate my maple syrup if I'm late again." Matthew meekly said once the fifth of the last half-hour was over.

"Give my best to Gil, yeah?" Alfred responded as he walked Matthew to the awaiting taxi. "And bring him along next time, will you? I need to get my head around you two being an actual thing!"

"Of course," Canada replied with a laugh, "but in the meantime, look after everyone." — he glanced back to the others as he climbed into the rear of the car — "You've got a good bunch there. They just need some support and kindness if you want them to open up more."

"Note taken." Alfred smiled. He closed the door to the taxi with a blunt slam, the open window allowing them both to still talk. "Don't be a stranger, Mattie. It was good having you here."

"Farewell, Al."

Alfred backed away and the taxi's engine revved as it set into motion, trailing carefully along the make-shift lane and towards the main road about a mile away from the isolated house. He waved and his brother waved back, and the other four waved amiably too. Most of the Americas were happy to see the Canadian and had enjoyed his company just as much as he'd enjoyed theirs. Once the car was out of sight, Alfred walked back towards the open door of the house, past the others, and entered back into his quiet sanctuary.

"So, what's the plan?" Amelia asked, following after him. "Like, is there anything we can do for either fun or to help?"

"Can't think of anything off the top of my head, sadly," Alfred answered, "but it's nearing 7pm now, so I can't imagine that there'd be much to do anyway."

"Fair enough . . ." she responded.

She couldn't help but feel like Alfred's mood had plummeted in the last hour. Matthew had received a call just after the group had finished eating dinner after the cleanup of their paintball match, and had re-entered the kitchen saying he'd been requested back in Toronto by 10pm. Of course, they all seemed a bit down about it, but Alfred was especially so. Amelia could only assume that the brothers were close and didn't get to see each other as much as they probably would've liked. It had been the same for her and Maddie—

"I'll be upstairs if anyone needs me." Charles said as he made his way up the steps, no doubt heading towards the library once more. "Which means leave me alone."

"I second that." Alex remarked, soon following the other blonde onto the second level of the house in silence.

Amelia stifled a sigh, disgruntled that her trail of thought had been lost, and looked back out towards the green fields surrounding the house. It was still light outside thanks to the time of year, and a new, exciting thought gently floated into her mind. A thought of the fields of sunflowers to the other side of the house, more specifically. They weren't far at all, and she was sure that some of the flowers had surely started to bloom since they were now in Summer, so why not make an effort to see them while she could?

"Hey, Allen, fancy going for a walk?" Amelia said, turning to the auburn as he came into the house.

"Uh, where to?" he asked.

"To see the sunflowers." she smiled. "It's not far, and I reckon they'll be starting to spread their petals now. Right, Alfred?"

"Sounds about right to me!" Alfred replied as he headed towards the kitchen to get a drink. "It only take a couple of minutes to reach the field. The sun'll be up for another two hours or so, so if you wanna head out, it's fine with me!"

"Well?" Amelia said after thanking Alfred and looking back to Allen. "What do you say?"

"Sure," he responded with a meek smile and a shrug, "if you want to."

Celebrating internally, Amelia walked through to the kitchen and its door to the outside world, Allen in tow, and they exited once more into the warm, calm air of the fresh outdoors. They walked together in silence for no more than a minute before Amelia sparked a conversation and eased the awkwardness, to both of their reliefs.

"What do you make of this, then? Being here like this?" she asked.

OK, so maybe Allen was suddenly less relieved that Amelia had started with that subject.

"It's cool and all," he replied with a light sigh, "but it's not the same as home. I don't think it could ever be."

"What was home for you?" Amelia pressed further, as their paces slowed to a gentle and more casual stroll. "I remembered you saying that it wasn't all 'sunshine and rainbows', but surely it wasn't quite like that, right?"

Allen halted and paused for a second. "No, it's very much like that."

Amelia stopped too, and looked to him with a slight frown. She thought that maybe he'd just been exaggerating when the subject has been brushed over the day before, but maybe that wasn't that case at all. Maybe she'd jumped the gun with her assumptions . . . She asked for him to elaborate, and waited patiently as Allen tried to think of the right things to say without provoking any of the bad, unsavoury memories from his other life. That was easier to say than do.

"My world is just . . . War-stricken. No one really gets along that well, alliances are usually just military or reluctant family bonds . . ." he eventually said, starting to walk again. The sunflowers were getting nearer, thankfully. "I won't go into much detail since it's depressing as fuck, but I guess the important thing is the family I have there."

"What were they like?" Amelia asked. She was happy she was managing to learn more about her peer, but she couldn't help but feel that maybe she'd targeted the wrong area too soon. "You already mentioned your brother, and he seemed nice enough."

"Present tense, please." Allen responded, reminding her that they were still alive, somewhere. She apologised and he continued. "We are a chaotic bunch. Me and my brother, Matt . . . Well . . . We don't always get along. We fall out basically every week and because we're so stubborn, it can take a few days for us to start talking to each other again." he mused with a faint smile, reminiscing of his crazy childhood. "I care about him, though. He's my brother. I don't have a choice."

Amelia smiled too. It was warming to see that there was a softer side to someone who she'd initially deemed as reserved, tough and basically indifferent to those around him. Her opinion of Allen has greatly changed since they'd first spoken properly on the flight over from England, and she was beyond relieved that he was opening out to her willingly, without any signs of depression or spite for his past. It almost gave her hope.

"Then there's Ollie, the little nutcase who I'm fairly sure must've escaped from several asylums in his lifetime." Allen continued, earning a small laugh from Amelia. "He can be a control-freak, and I will warn you now that his cupcakes will literally kill you if you try them."

"Are they that bad?" she questioned in disbelief.

"No, they taste amazing!" Allen replied. "But you won't say the same once the cyanide takes effect and you die in complete agony."

Amelia paused in half shock, half amazement. "Oh . . . How lovely . . ." she remarked, not even wanting to know how Allen was aware of the deceivingly sweet taste of the cupcakes.

"I guess he is. He has a big heart. Anyway," he proceeded, "Francois is the last of our troublesome troupe. He's antisocial, constantly grumpy, often drunk or at least has alcohol in his system, and really really needs to neaten himself up." Allen said, shaking his head slightly. "He looks like shit, I'm actually amazed Oliver hasn't tried to sort him out, really . . ."

The duo reached the beginning of the large sunflower patch, the tall stems almost reaching their head-height. Determined to try and find at least one bright yellow sunflower, Amelia began to walk between some of these stems carefully, continuing to wander in a straight line for her quest. Allen followed close behind.

"What about you?" he asked. "What's your family like?"

"Crazy in their own right." she replied earnestly. "Alice and Francine are almost always at each other's throats, but I think it's fair to say that they still hold that respect and care for each other, having known the other for so long. Alice is stubborn and socially-inept yet refined, and Francine is just as lively, loving and outgoing as Alfred's France, really."

"I take it you and your sister are incredibly close, then." Allen said, pushing past over forms sunflower leaves. He had no idea where they were going, but didn't want to interrupt the flow of the conversation.

"Oh, extremely!" Amelia beamed. "Just like Alfred and Matthew are! We don't get to see each other all the time, but Maddie and I are closer than two peas in a pod! . . . Though . . . I feel like I left something unresolved when I left . . ." she commented, her voice growing quieter as her contemplation grew louder. "There was something I'm sure I was supposed to tell her . . ."

"If it's any consolation, Matt and I weren't even on talking terms when I left." Allen responded, trying to make her feel less bad or guilty about whatever was now bothering her. "And as usual, it was just a pathetic argument. I'd better apologise when I go back . . ."

Amelia was the one to stop this time. "You want to go back?"

"Don't you?"

She paused. "Yes . . ."

"Charles has spoken to you too, hasn't he?" Allen asked with a small feeling of disappointment, and a faint anger sparked inside him when she nodded.

"I ignored him, but I'm kinda worried about what he's going to do . . ." she stated, her eyes sinking to the ground. "I like it here, but home is where family is, and my family are somewhere else waiting for me . . ."

"You'll see them again soon, I'm sure." Allen responded.

In his mind, he was repeatedly telling himself to stay calm and to perhaps confront Charles again tomorrow when his mind was clear. He, like Amelia, was concerned over how far the ex-confederate would take this issue, and whether things would grow heated quickly or not if he pursued that reckless trail of thought. Allen had seen enough war. He didn't want to see one where war, destruction and chaos didn't belong . . . That wasn't fair, and no one had the right to do that to Alfred when all he'd done was make sure they were all happy and had looked after them.

Allen was about to continue talking, when a sharp, burning sensation raged through his body, blazing up most of his spine. He fell to the floor with a thud.

<><><>

Allen + Amelia
I ship it.
Sue me.

Also RIP Allen.
Sue me again. ;3

I hope you're proud of me for updating, because guess what!
I have one that I aim to release tomorrow too! Because woo, July 4th!
See you then!
^ಒ^