I do not own Hetalia, okay? Been a little bit since I updated this one, not so much as some of my others that takes a little more effort for but yeah. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

"So, you know the deal, anyone with an Italian accent from the south side, and especially with the last name Vargas is not allowed." Arthur said looking at Ivan as he stood by the doorway. Gilbert was right this man was intimidating, even with his pleasant seeming smile. But they needed security, and he was the only one that anyone knew anything about. It was more effective than Feliks and Toris who while had the fighting skills, Arthur had to admit sometimes just looking tough was what was needed to reduce trouble. As much as he hated Julius, and how much Gilbert wanted to blow him away when they first saw him, he had to admit, that despite his age, he was an impressive man. And sometimes just the idea of danger was enough to keep it away. And that fact was what Arthur was wanting to bank on to keep danger away. A firefight breaks out, then the police would be alerted, and he didn't want that to happen.

"Of course. It's so nice of you to give me this job boss." Ivan smiled. "It has been incredibly hard since I had come to this country."

"Yes, I am sure. I understand as well." Arthur said, keeping composed, while terrified of the man he had hired for security.

"I do hope one day to find my older sister. It's just me and my little sister right now." Ivan said.

"Yes, what happened?" Arthur asked.

"We got separated in Odessa." Ivan sighed as he looked at a few people walking by, paying no attention to him. "I think she got sent to Canada, but I am not so certain."

"Well, if we do well, you will get paid well and maybe we can find her for you." Arthur smiled.

"Spasibo" Ivan smiled.

"Huh?" Arthur said. "Forgive me but my Russian is not good."

"Oh, it means Thank you." Ivan said.

"And the password?" Arthur asked.

"Tartan Rhubarb" Ivan repeated.

"Correct." Arthur said. "And if they don't get it right away or they seem to be just guessing, feel free to handle them as you see fit."

"Understood." Ivan said as Arthur went inside. As he turned, Ivan addressed him. "Oh, Mr. Kirkland sir."

"Yes Mr. Braginsky?" Arthur said, keeping the formal air he strived for with the people working with him.

"That girl signing, what's her name?" Ivan asked.

"Amelia…." Arthur began.

"Amelia…." Ivan replied. "She has a lovely voice."

"Indeed." Arthur stated.

"I may have to meet up with her for something to drink one of these days." Ivan said.

"Yes…. just get back to work Braginsky." Arthur said, tone changing.

"Seriously Artie, you want Amelia so bad, you have to make a move. She isn't going to wait forever for you." Gilbert laughed.

"I cannot possibly provide…. I live with my brothers…." Arthur stammered as Gilbert smacked him. "What the bloody hell?"

"Damn it Artie, why I am giving advice to you on this matter, I don't know but here goes. You are not acting like a man who is fearless. Which you have to put that air on. Julius sure as hell didn't get to where he is by making excuses like that and you're trying to be the North Side's Julius!"

"I don't see where my love life comes into this." Arthur said. "And my tea please."

"If you weren't the boss, I'd kick you out for that." Gilbert said. "And it does because that's one of the scariest things a man can face, coming to terms with love. Besides, if you don't make a move someone from a place ending in -ussia might." He smirked knowingly. Arthur took it as Gilbert was meaning Ivan, but he and Ludwig had grown up in what used to be Prussia.

"You're right." Arthur said as he drank his tea. "I mean Alba took a chance on his own out in Versailles which is why we have the supplies we do." He then took a breath and turned to Gilbert. "Another tea but add a shot in there. I need some courage if I am going to ask her."

"And don't let that whole 'danger' thing get in your mind. Because we're all as fucked if Julius finds this and so far, I'm the only one who might even slightly be on his watch." Gilbert said. "And you know Amelia is not afraid of anything."

"I know, but I am…." Arthur said.

"Maybe she'll rub off on you." Gilbert laughed.

"Piss off." Arthur said as Amelia came over as the song ended. "Amelia!" He said jumping up.

"You know what I like Gil." Amelia said. "Artie, something on your mind?"

"Yes Artie…." Gilbert said as Arthur looked at him with an angered glare.

"How about you and I talk somewhere more private?" Arthur said as he took Amelia by the shoulder and walked her to a storage room where they kept what they needed for this gig. By keeping the show moving around, it would be harder for Julius and his gang to pinpoint where one was happening at any time. If his power and influence grew over the North side, then Arthur may have more solid establishments he could protect but as for right now, he was just a thorn in Julius's side. Something that could be ignored. But he wasn't going to ignore them forever. The storage room was dusty and as Amelia walked in and broke up a spider web. She looked at Arthur who sighed.

"Something the matter?" She asked.

"Your bloody concern." He added with a smile. "Well, I must say this, it's been haunting me for some time." She looked at him curiously. "Amelia, bloody hell…." He sighed closing his eyes knowing he had to be more courageous and take risks. Amelia can handle herself. Besides if-not if when-I get powerful enough I can just have someone protect her for me. Maybe that Braginsky if he won't try anything on her. It's as Gilbert says, sometimes all you need is to look scary to keep people away.

"Is everything okay?" She asked worried.

"Bollocks…." Arthur began. "Amelia, I must confess, I have harbored feelings for you for a long time. It angers me to hear other men talk about you wanting to ask you out. It is because I want you. I want to be your lover. Look after you and make sure that you are taken care of. So that one day you will live with me in a beautiful manor and not have to live in the scruffy apartment or I have to live with my brothers, sharing a bed with one of them." Amelia giggled. "Yes, yes that came out rather rudely, but you know the situations I face."

"I do." Amelia said. Then the words he was trying to say hit her. "Are you saying you love me Artie?"

"Yes…" Arthur said suddenly flustered and looking away. "I mean I understand if you are not and would want to stay friends…. I do hope you continue singing as your voice is lovely…" With this Amelia rolled her eyes and gave Arthur a light smack on the cheek. He looked at her annoyed as she added a light kiss where she smacked him.

"Calm down." Amelia reassured him. "I have liked you too Artie. You were just getting too flustered for what a boss is supposed to be like." She laughed. "I don't mind that you aren't rich. Honestly if you want space from your brothers, I would be more than happy to have my man stay with me, if he doesn't mind my small apartment." She added kissing him on the lips.

"So does that mean…?" Arthur asked.

"Yes, I like you Artie and I would not mind dating you." Amelia sighed. "Can I make it any plainer for you?

"No, I guess not…." Arthur laughed.

"And if you need to get away from your brothers, then you can stay with me. I can make room." Amelia smiled. "It's not much, but you're used to that."

"I guess I am…." Arthur sighed. "But I will make this work, so we do not have to suffer in the rot that we are."

"If what the past has shown is true, you might be able to pull that off." Amelia said kissing him on the cheek. "But the break's almost over and I need to get out there again. See ya."

"I will be listening." Arthur waved as he sat back beside Gilbert who looked at him. "Don't think of it." He growled.

"So, you plucked up the balls to ask her out?" Gilbert said.

"Indeed, I did." Arthur said.

"And she said she liked you?" Gilbert said.

"I'm not heartbroken." Arthur smirked. "That should be your hint."

"Ah well. "Gilbert sighed. "But hey a good woman can give you the strength to do what you need. I know Amelia will push you to be the boss we need Artie." He placed a cup of tea on the bar for him.

The next morning, Lovina sat with Helena while Heracles pet a kitten he was feeding. "So, your grandfather tells me you are engaged to that Alfred boy now."

"Yes." Lovina said plainly.

"Are you not happy?" Helena asked.

"I'm not sure about it." Lovina sighed. "My grandfather has been dragging him around to everything since he found out. I hardly see him." She sighed. "I hope it isn't a sign of things to come." She looked at Helena who seemed to know just what Lovina was thinking. "He said he needed Alfred to meet with the priest at the church. Fine. One of the requirements for my hand as Grandpa put it was, he convert to Catholicism."

"Sounds like he's already putting up with a lot if that is what happened." Helena sighed. "Changing his religion for you."

"He told me he didn't really mind. He wasn't too devout himself. Claimed to have somewhat lost his faith before this." Lovina said. "And he assured me that that was all Grandpa was doing with him, getting him into the church and making the arrangements for the wedding there. But…."

"Indeed." Helena said. "You're worried he's being forced into your grandfather's business. It is a dangerous one." Lovina looked up. "I hear things. Your grandfather tells me so much once he's relaxed."

"Yeah…. relaxed…." Lovina shuddered. "Thanks for saying it like that though."

"You're not a fool. But I do care about you like a little sister." Helena said. "I haven't met Alfred, but he sounds like a nice young man."

"You sounded like my grandmother there." Lovina sighed.

"I could have been." Helena laughed. Lovina looked at her shocked. "Well in one of our meetings, your grandfather did propose but I like this job too much and I need to protect the women here." She noticed that Lovina was even more confused at this. "You see many girls end up working here for one reason or another, none of it is by real choice but an out of options kind of thing. That's how it was with me. Heracles's father died and I had a child to support. This was the only work I could find. So many of the girls have that problem. They have a family to support, all alone in the world. And it just puts them in the most vulnerable situations one could think of. So, when your grandfather had me run this, then I knew it was up to me to protect them."

"Wow." Lovina said.

"And I want to make sure that you are taken care of." Helena said. "That you are safe, and your baby is safe."

"I think I would be a shitty mother." Lovina said.

"No, you won't." Helena reassured her. "I have seen you with Heracles. You will be nervous, and you won't be perfect, but you will do a good job and take care of the baby well with Alfred by your side. I have faith in him. I have yet to really properly meet him and judge, but he sounds like he's a good man." Lovina put her hand on her abdomen and looked up at Helena. "Oh, you won't feel much of anything but sick yet."

"Speaking of…." Lovina said putting her hand to her mouth.

"Here." Helena sighed handing Lovina a bucket. "I have been there. I will help you through this. And as always, your secret is safe with me."

"I nearly threw up at breakfast. I told my grandfather I was sick with anticipation for the wedding." Lovina moaned through the wretching noises she made. Wiping her mouth with a nearby handkerchief, she sighed, holding the bucket close. "I think he believed me. He seemed overjoyed I was going to get married. Way more than he was when my sister said that potato eating bastard would marry her once the war was over."

"No offense but everyone was expecting you to become a spinster." Helena said as Lovina scowled at her. "It's the truth. You have a personality that many men would not want anything to do with."

"Alfred seemed to like it." Lovina huffed.

Meanwhile Alfred was walking around the north side, looking around at the places, especially an ice cream parlor owned by an albino German man who was said to have had somehow gotten ahold of one of Julius's shotguns that had been stolen. Alfred wasn't Italian or known to have ties to the Vargas family yet so to help prove his worth to Julius, he was to try and get what information he could out of the man, look for clues and see if he had any connections to rival gangs. Julius figured Alfred would be good for this because the connection was not well known yet. If I didn't care about Lovina so much, I would just sell the farm and move out west somewhere…. He thought as he opened the door.

"Ah! Good day, what do you want?" Gilbert asked with a smile.

"Anything. I've had a bad day and need something sweet." Alfred sighed.

"I have just the thing for you." Gilbert said. He bent down to scoop some ice cream and looked at Alfred. "What's wrong?"

"Where to begin?" He sighed.

"It's on the house." Gilbert said placing a sundae in front of him. "Let me know it all."

"Thanks." Alfred said as he took a bite. "Might be here awhile."

"Doesn't bother me." Gilbert said.

"Good." Alfred sighed. "Wish we could still drink."

"Me too." Gilbert replied.

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. Hopefully I can pick up updating here soon as if all goes well, I will finish my classwork by the end of the month and the new semester isn't until December and workloads will ease for a little bit. Anyway, remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.