Numb. Numb and scared.

That's how she looked the day after he graduated high school.

He had just gotten home from hanging out with Allistor and Katyusha to find his younger sister crying in the corner of the front room as he heard the sound of his parents arguing reverberating off the walls from the dining room.

"What made you think that was okay?! Was this family not enough for you that you had to screw your boss?!"

"Oh, don't bother with that bullshit! You never really cared about this family! You only cared about the image that it gave you!!"

"I cared enough to have two children with you!! I cared enough to stay and support them, because you certainly weren't going to!!"

"You only stayed because you don't want to look like an absolute bastard by leaving your two children with your 'struggling' wife! And don't even try to play the innocent card after god knows many DUIs you got brushed under the rug!!"

Louis felt his lip curl in disgust as he heard his parents childish bickering as he scooped his young sister into his arms, pressing her close to his chest as she cried. He couldn't stay here with them, not with her like this.

"Don't worry, (Name). I'm gonna take care of this. I promise."

Letting out a sigh, Louis gave his many files a glance before letting out a groan, leaning back in his desk chair as he sat in his office like he did any weekday. Sometimes, he loved his job. He really did. He found joy putting people in jail who deserved it.

Other times, he was just so tired of seeing what scumbags of the earth were capable of. It almost made his parents seem like absolute saints.

His mother, the emotional abuser who would step over anyone, including her own children, to get what she wanted.

His father, the recovering alcoholic who cared too much about his image to think about what would be best for his family.

Neither of them deserved to be parents.

That night, he took (Name) out of the house to spend the night with Allistor. The Kirkland family was more than welcoming, and a perfect distraction for (Name) as Louis willed himself to go back home and confront both of his parents. Thankfully, the little family that the two siblings did have was able to help them out.

He was absolutely lucky. His uncle on his father's side was a judge several towns over. He was able to help get the two siblings out of the house and straight into family court- but even that had its issues with both parents managing to get (Name) alone and torment her with trying to speak of their non-existent good traits. With the ruling in his favor, his demands were met:

The two would pay for a house for (Name) and him to live in together. They would pay for support until (Name) graduated college. No visitation. He would gain full custody and would maintain it as long as (Name) stayed good- any deviation would lead to his loss of custody.

Luckily, he had nothing to worry about. He was so proud of (Name), she had managed to become such a well-rounded student despite everything that had happened. She had made friends after seeming so quiet. He couldn't have asked for a better little sister.
Shaking his head to try and clear his mind, Louis turned back to his computer in order to try and get some work done. He wasn't going to accomplish anything if he was going to dwell on the past.

Just as he began to type, he heard his phone go off with the notification tone that sounded whenever he got a text. Pulling away from his work again, he pulled his phone from his pocket and glanced at the screen to see who he had gotten a text from.

From: Allistor
Lou! Kat just told me you two are goin on a date this weekend! Nice going, sport!

Louis couldn't help but let out a laugh as he shook his head. Quickly, he replied to the text.

It's not a big deal, Al. It's just lunch.

As soon as he sent the text, he paused before sending another text.

...Did she say anything good about this weekend?

After sending the second text, he just knew that his friend had a shiteating grin on his face. He never heard the end of it from Allistor whenever Katyusha came up in conversation. Even after all these years, he still cared for the woman.

He glanced down at his screen to see Allistor had replied.

From Allistor:
You're an idiot. She's excited, you're excited, it's gonna be a good time for both of you. Just don't screw it up by turning into that awkward goof you become when you get nervous.

Have fun, okay?

With a small smile, Louis replied to the text with a simple "I will." before finally returning to his work.

~~~

The following day of Gilbert's suspension was... surreal. (Name) didn't know what to expect. Without the kingpin of the operation, her multiple tormentors would either retaliate ten-fold, or would fall apart and disperse. Hopefully it would be the later.

Upon walking into the school building, she was approached by Toris and Felix, with Eduard and Ravis in tow.

"(Name)!! Sweetie, did you hear?! Gilbert's gone!!" Felix cried joyously as he wrapped the girl up in a swift hug.

"Y-Yes." She answered quickly. "I heard about it on the spot. How did word spread so quickly?"

"W-when Ludwig walks into the building alone, and when you just see F-Francis and Antonio without h-him, you learn to put the pieces together." Ravis squeaked, giving (Name) a small smile. "N-no one seems to know why he's gone, though... D-Do you know?"

She replied with a quick shake of the head. It wasn't her business to tell, it was Elizabeta's. "No, actually... But thank god he's gone." She answered with a faint grin.

"Damn right. We should petition for school to be canceled. That jerk's suspension calls for celebration!" Exclaimed Felix as he released (Name) from the hug, but slung an arm around her shoulders to keep her close.

A nervous laugh escaped the girl as she patted her friend's arm. "We'll celebrate on Saturday, okay?"

The blond's green eyes widened as his grin grew even larger. "You're coming?!"

(Name) nodded. "Yeah, as long as the trip still stands."

"You bet your sweet ass it does!" Exclaimed Felix as he once again wrapped (Name) into a tight hug. "You're going to have so much fun, we're going to find you some of the cutest clothes that money can buy, it's gonna be great!" He chirped, grasping (Name)'s shoulders as he met the girl's gaze.

"I-I'll take your word for it, Felix." (Name) assured.

With one last affirming nod and a farewell from each of the four boys, (Name) was left waving to them as they walked down the hall to head to homeroom. With a quiet sigh, she turned down the hall to do the same.

The other students continued on as if nothing had changed. Those who had nothing to do with Gilbert didn't notice a difference, whereas those who revolved around him, were nowhere in sight. For that small grace, she was thankful.

"Oh, (Name)!" called a voice from down the hall, in the direction she was walking. Upon glancing up, (Name)'s pleasant smile turned downward as she noticed the menacingly cheerful smile of Ivan in front of her. "Can you please come here for a moment? I would like to speak to you."

Feeling dread creep up her spine, (Name) continued towards him, stopping a mere foot in front of him as she looked up to meet his gaze.

"Seems like for now, you've managed to get rid of one of your worst tormentors... Not bad." Ivan mused, smiling down at (Name). "I have to admit, I hate Gilbert too. He bullied me when I was a kid."

(Name) had to fight the urge to look surprised. Someone as big as Ivan pinned against someone as mean as Gilbert, that must have been something to see.

"But, Gilbert isn't what I wanted to talk about. I want to talk about my sister and your brother." Ivan explained, his smile slowly fading. "They're going to have lunch this weekend, I'm assuming Louis told you."

She nodded. "He did... He was excited for it."

"Good, good... Seems like they might actually reconcile things, don't you think?"

"I-I think it's a little early to say that." She replied softly. "But... I want them both to be happy."

"Oh, you would, wouldn't you?" Ivan chuckled darkly. "Especially with that guilt eating away at your insides since the moment you learned that you're the reason they broke up in the first place."

The statement felt like a punch in the gut.

"But... I guess the only reason you broke them up was because you couldn't handle your parent's divorce." Another chuckle escaped him. "Oh, you and your fragile state of mind just couldn't handle the pressure, could it?"

Feeling her heartbeat beginning to race, (Name)'s fist clenched around her backpack strap. "Y-you don't know what you're talking about..."

"Don't I?" He questioned, looming over the girl who began to shrink into herself. "My sister studied for years what stress can do to a person, what exactly makes them feel better, what makes them feel safe." He paused, his smile completely gone from his face as his dark eyes met (Name)'s. "In that time, I learned just how to make someone break under stress. How to utterly destroy someone."

"Y-you wouldn't... I-If you did-"

Shaking his head, a cruel smile curved the Russian teen's lips once again. "You won't know what I will do, (Name). Afterall, part of the fun will be watching you squirm under the pressure." Stepping forward, he forced (Name) to step back into the lockers. "You need to understand, (Name). I know exactly what to do in order to make you crack. As I said on Monday, I will break your spirit, should I have to."

She blinked, the fear that was rising in her throat from her stomach suddenly paused. "Sh-should?"

Ivan nodded, standing up straight as he watched (Name) press close to the lockers. "I'm surprised you haven't caught on, by now. If my sister is happy, I'm happy. Keep it that way. Screw it up, and I will not hesitate to do what I have planned." With one more smile, Ivan stepped away from (Name) and began to walk down the hall. "Stay out of trouble, (Name). For your own sake!" Ivan chirped over his shoulder as he began to walk to his own homeroom.

Forcing herself to move, (Name) pushed herself away from the lockers to watch Ivan walk down the hall, the feeling of dread slowly ebbing away, even though the chill of the Russian teen's glare remained. The churning in her stomach that was left by Ivan's threat was enough to throw her walk of its steady pace to a shaky mess.

"Hey, (Name)! You okay?"

Upon looking up from the ground, (Name) spotted Tino, Lukas, Berwald, Matthias, and Emil all standing around Lukas' open locker. Matthias' call turned all their attention to what they were talking about to her.

"Y-Yeah, for the most part." She replied, walking to her friends and trying to regain some composure. "How are you guys doing?"

"Good, all things considered." Lukas answered as he closed his locker. "I take it you've heard?"

"About Gilbert?" She guessed.

Matthias nodded. "Yep, that ass is actually gone. Never thought I'd see the day."

"Makes you wonder what finally got him kicked." Emil mumbled.

Before (Name) could say anything, Tino looked over at the girl and gave her a comforting smile. "What matters most is that he's gone. Looks like the school can finally get some peace."

Catching her friend's gaze, and feeling the wash of comfort take over, she returned the smile. "Yeah, finally."

~~~

For the rest of the day, things actually felt normal. Which, ironically, was abnormal.

Upon getting to Homeroom, she was actually greeted by Elizabeta and Roderich and had a whole conversation with them. When Ludwig entered the room, she expected his demeanor to be somewhat different due to his brother being suspended, but he hadn't change. He gave (Name) a nod of greeting before engaging Kiku in a conversation.

She probably needed to talk to him, to make sure he was okay. Even though Ludwig was the more stable of the two brothers, someone can always be shaken up should something happen to their sibling.

As the two walked to English, (Name) couldn't help but glance up at her friend as she tried to think of what to say.

"If you're thinking about apologizing for what happened to my Bruder, don't." Ludwig said suddenly.

(Name) blinked at the sudden response from the tall German. "I-I wasn't-"

"(Name), the reason my bruder got suspended was for being an idiot and making a stupid decision that not only affected him, but someone else." Ludwig explained. "He made his own mess, it's his responsibility to either clean it up, or let it take over. We are both our own person, and as much as I care for him as my bruder, I refuse to let his mistakes affect me."

Upon hearing him finish, (Name) didn't know what to say. As much as she respected Ludwig and thought about how sensible he was, she didn't know if she could ever be that level headed if something similar happened to Louis. "Why do you say that?" She asked him.

"Because," Ludwig said, "You and I both know he's an arschloch. What he's done to you is unforgivable, and what he's done to Elizabeta is also unforgivable."

Figures Ludwig would know, but still. "But, he's still your brother..."

"Even if he wasn't my brother, he's still a dick." He sighed. The two stopped at the door to their classroom, and Ludwig looked down at (Name). "Look, neither of us should be bothered by what happened. The only reason Gilbert was suspended was because he made a stupid decision and he needs to pay the price for it. The best thing we can do is just not let this affect us."

(Name) tried to think of what to say, but it never came. Instead, a small smile made its way to her face before nodding. "Yeah, you're right." She replied quietly.

"I know." He answered, turning to the door. "Come on, class is starting." With that, he entered the room.

Following her friend inside the classroom, (Name) couldn't help but notice that the room was rather quiet. Which was odd, considering everyone was present. She glanced around the room to see that the usual noise maker was actually quiet.

And that he was walking right toward her.

Alfred F. Jones had stood up from his desk next to Arthur and began to make his way to (Name).

"(Name)-" Before he could say anything else, however, she felt a looming presence behind her that seemed to act as a shield against the American teen in front of her. Alfred visibly shrunk back from the glare that he received from the tall Swedish teen behind her.

"Let's sit." Spoke Berwald from behind her, placing a hand on (Name)'s shoulder and escroting her to her seat next to Eduard. She heard a call from Alfred from behind them as he tried to get them to stop, but she was already in her desk and the teacher was beginning class.

~~~

For the rest of the day, it seemed as if Alfred was trying to get (Name) alone, which in turn made her incredibly nervous.

She was on her way out of English when he tried to stop her once again, but Berwald was once again there to walk (Name) to the library.

During break, she was constantly guarded by Elizabeta and Felix as they tried to plan their weekend, after which they walked her to Latin. Upon arriving to the class, she noticed that both Francis and Antonio were quiet, but still together with Lovino at Antonio's side.

I guess even without Gilbert, they're still friends... She thought as she took her seat in between Matthias and Lukas.

"Hey, have you seen Alfred at all today?" Matthias suddenly asked.

She nodded with a sigh. "It's like he's made it his mission to try and talk to me about something... I don't know if I should be worried about that, or glad that people have been coming to my rescue from that."

Lukas hummed in thought as he flipped through his notebook. "Have you talked with Matthew about it? I'm sure he would know about what's going on with his brother."

"He's been busy all day, said we couldn't really meet until lunch..." (Name) mumbled, pulling out her own notebook and pencil.

Matthias shrugged, leaning over and patting (Name)'s shoulder. "Well, hey, at least you have people to watch your back for you in this kinda situation."

"Yeah, I guess so..."

As soon as Mr. Vargas entered the room, her mind jumped back and forth from conjugating verbs to Alfred. Of all the things he could want from her, she didn't know what it could be, and it honestly scared the hell out of her.

On one hand, he could want to actually apologize for everything that's happened between them and everything that he's done to her.

On the other, he could want to actually murder her for helping getting Gilbert suspended and turning his brother against him.

She was a little scared to find out which.