Lovino had hardly left the house. He had been out to the garden a few times and once to the place Antonio was captured. Lovino meandered through the house, almost in a trance, confused as to what he should be doing, crying about Antonio, or in his room doing either of these, or drifting through a restless sleep. He had been trying desperately trying to think of something - anything but Antonio so he wouldn't feel the pain of his absence, to no avail. Antonio was still the center of Lovino's thoughts as he had been for the past five years.

Lovino had hardly left the house. He had been out to the garden a few times and once to Antonio house. Lovino meandered through the house, almost in a trance, confused as to what he should be doing, or drifting through a restless sleep. He had been trying desperately trying to think of something - anything but Antonio so he wouldn't feel the pain of his absence, to no avail. Antonio was still the center of Lovino's universe as he had been for the past five years.

Lovino sat on his bed, thinking of Antonio, then thinking of an escape, thinking of the pressing hopelessness, thinking of Antonio with the Germans, and then thinking of just Antonio again. Sometimes Lovino cried, and sometimes he he felt as if he had spent all his tears already.

Grandpa had said they would try anything he could to get Antonio out, but Lovino had seen very little evidence of this. Lovino wanted to help but he didn't have any way to get to Antonio. He had spent a great deal of time brainstorming for a good escape plan. Nothing had come to him.

"Lovino, how are you today?" Roma had walked into Lovino's bedroom where he sat, in his haze of Antonio.

"Fine," It was a complete lie, and no one knew better than Roma, who had comforted Lovino, in his various states of sadness and broken grief.

"Look, I have talked to one of Antonio's informants, and he says he would like to speak to you. He says he has a plan that he would like you to hear, in order to get Antonio out."

"Where is he?!When can I see him?" Lovino was wide awake, no longer in his trance.

Roma seemed a bit surprised at Lovino's burst of energy, but continued, "He says for you to meet him in the Cantina Verde."

Lovino looked around the room for his coat and Pulled on his shoes, "Tomorrow at noon."

Lovino feel back onto the bed, eyes closed in frustration. A day of waiting... he could wait... he could wait for a few more hours... it would have been longer if Rome had not talked to the informant... Lovino nodded, and Roma left.

Lovino sat on the bed, his moor improved with a new hope. Hope to see Antonio, a hope that Antonio might be okay, that maybe this horrible nightmare would end, and Antonio would be safe. That Lovino would be safe. That maybe they could both make in out of this alive.

.

Lovino stood at the Cantina Verde, the clock showing eleven fifty-six. He scanned the room, looking for the man he was supposed to see.

Sitting in the corner of the cantina was a man, eyes locked on Lovino, alone. Lovino strolled over and sat down.

"Hello, boy," the man said.

"Hello, I've been told you can help me."

"Whom would I be helping?"

"I aim to help Antonio Carriedo," Lovino explained.

"Excellent. Your Grandfather has already covered payment, so let's get right to the plan. Firstly, this is going to be a lot more dangerous, than anything you have done before. So, how far are you willing to take this, what are you willing to give to free this man?"

"Anything."

The man took a deep breath and began to explain.

"Firstly, you're going to go to this address," The man slid a paper across the table to Lovino. Lovino Began to unfold it, "Not here, kid."

"Oh."

"You really don't know what you're doing, do you?"

"I mostly just drive when I go on missions..." Lovino muttered.

"No kidding... Okay so you're going to drive to the place and then you're going to wait for two men to show up with your prisoner. They will ask you for information and money. You will hand them this envelope," The man handed it to lovino under the table. Lovino's eyes widened. Information... "don't worry kid It's false information and the money is counterfeit. They won't notice in the dark," Lovino nodded, "Then you're going to take your prisoner, and shot the men."

"I'm what?!"

"Look, I know it's harsh on them, but you can't have any witnesses. Besides, you'll be saving them from something far worse. Once you have your prisoner You need to carry him to the car and get out of there fast. He won't be able to walk."

Lovino's head was spinning in confusion. What was he getting himself into. The bastard across the table was being very confusing.

"What do you mean 'something worse?'"

"I'm going to be bribing them to save carriedo, which means they will be betraying the German military. The germans are not kind to tractors."

"Also, you said Antonio won't be able to walk."

"The Germans are not kind to traders. They are still crueler to spies and resistenza."

"I understand," No, he did not understand. He did not understand how his problems could have gone this far or how he could have let this happen. But he understood what he had to do to undo them.

"Met your guards out at the address I gave to on saturday night at eleven. Don't be late."

.

Lovino had waited until almost a week had passed. tHe waiting was what pained him most. Knowing that Antonio was with the Gestapo and he had to wait until he could do anything.

Lovino was so nervous he could hardly sit still. The plan was rather straight forward...All he had to do was find the guards he was supposed to meet and then... and then... man up, damn it, he was going to have to kill them.

Lovino thought back to the time he followed Antonio on a mission. The man in the Cantina Verde had said that Lovino had to be able to kill the guards. That wasn't something Lovino really thought he was ready to do.

Lovino had decided that he would go with the man's suggestion. He didn't have any better way, and he didn't have time to come up with anything better. Lovino had to get to Antonio as fast as he could and he didn't think he would have any better ideas anyway.

.

"Lovino what are you planning?" Grandpa was the one driving Lovino, so he was bound to ask Lovino question, But he didn't really know what he was going to tell him, "Lovino, I've been asking about this all week and you have been avoiding it, but I need an answer. I can't just send you into the middle of a Gestapo camp, And have no clue how you're going to get out. You can't do that to me."

"Fucking watch me," Lovino was reaching his maximum tolerance for Grandpa's hovering and he knew this wasn't the best time to argue, but he didn't care much right now.

"Manors," And then, "Lovino."

"Look Grandpa, I have a plan and I know what I'm doing. I need you to trust me."

"You really are growing up," Lovino looked at Grandpa in surprise. Grandpa almost never made that kind of speech.

"Oh."

"Please just be careful."

"I will grandpa."

.

Lovino slipped out of the car and closed the door gently. It was cold and even the moon couldn't be seen on account of the trees. For a minute Lovino worried that the bastard gave him the wrong address, but as he walked forward into the dark he saw the two figures standing by a tree. And... and another figure slumped against it. Antonio...

"Lovino Vargas," The voice was cold and heavily accented. Lovino fingered the gun on his hip. He couldn't see the car anymore through the trees and the night.

"Yes?" Lovino's voice came out smaller, much less confident than he wanted it to and he winced.

"We have brought you Antonio Carriedo," The men walked forward with Antonio being pulled between them, "Do you have what we asked for?"

Lovino nodded and stuck his hand out, holding the packet from the man and the cantina. God damn it, Lovino really didn't know what to do, "Antonio Carre..."

"Here," the men tossed Antonio onto the ground at Lovino's feet and he mowned as Antonio hit the dirt. Lovino bit his lip and knoded. Then the men turned and began to walk in what could be assumed was the direction of their base.

Lovino pulled out his pistol and gritted his teeth. Bang. The first man fell forward. The second turned drawing his own pistol only to see Lovino, pistol leveled, hand trembling. The man froze

"You don't know what you're doing, boy," This wasn't the same man that had spoken before. This man's voice was soft and terrifyingly even and controlled. And right.

"No, you don't know what you're doing. You run around trying to work for some greater good, for some kind of sick utopia. But your building it out of corpses," Lovino was shocked by his words and the man standing in front of him looked equally surprised but quickly recovered.

"Stupid kid, I'm not fighting for anything. I'm fighting because this is a war. An you fight during a war. Or you can die."

Lovino stared at him for a minute and then shook his head.

"No. You chose to live or to die based on what you become. This war has made you a monster. Or maybe you always where," Lovino didn't wait for the man to speak. He was a monster. Moster monster monster... Lovino could kill a monster...

The monster opened his mouth but Lovino didn't wait to see what happened. He fired at the man and turned away.

Antonio. Antonio was still laying in a heap where the men had thrown him. Lovino rushed over to him and tried to lift him. Lovino couldn't. Antonio was x tall and strong, but lovino was short and weak... "Damn it..."

Lovino dragged Antonio by holding under his arms and walking backwards.

"Lovi..?" Antonio's voice was cracked and whispered, half asleep.

"Bastard. You nearly got yourself killed."

"Oh! So i'm not dead. I thought I was dead. I may as well be dead... better off... no one to have hurt..." Antonio's eyes were distant and his words terrified Lovino. Antonio wasn't like this. Lovino looked up

"Antonio, tell me about the constellations," Lovino needed Antonio to stop talking like that.

"Stars... I... I like Venus...and... and..."

"The big tomato?"

"Yes! The big tomato!" Antonio giggled and looked up at the sky.

Lovino looked over his shoulder and saw the car. He began to move faster, filled with new energy. Roma had already opened the door, and Lovino pushed Antonio in then quickly hopped in himself. Roma started to drive as soon as Lovino was in the car and headed for home - with the headlights off so no one would see them.

Antonio was slipping away, his head in Lovino's lap, consciousness fading.

"Antonio, don't go, stay here... we'll be home soon, please!"

"Lovino..." Antonio's tired voice slurred his words, his eyes glazing over they way they had before. Lovino felt his heartbeat pick up in fear. He had just got Antonio back, he couldn't just let him leave again.

Lovino searched his mind for something anything to keep Antonio conscious... anything to catch his dimming mind's attention.

"Besame, besame mucho...

Antonio seemed to come back to himself just a bit and he hummed with Lovino's voice, eyes closed. Lovino sang each word with his whole breaking heart, each line with purpose.

Antonio's humming stopped slowly as Lovino reached the second verse and Lovino started to panic. Besame, besame mucho... Kiss me, please kiss me....

Lovino's voice broke off half way through forever, and he felt a sob rise in his throat. Antonio couldn't just disappear as soon as Lovino had got him back. Lovino silently begged the stars and the heavens any god there was for just a few minutes more. Anything.

"I'm sorry, Lovino," Grandpa said from the front seat, "We'll help him, though. I said we would do everything we can for him, and I meant it. We'll get him help."

Lovino nodded, then realized that Grandpa Roma couldn't see him, "Okay."

Antonio was completely unconscious. Lovino couldn't talk to him, Antonio wouldn't be able to say stupid sweet things, and Lovino couldn't really do anything to help. And it was completely the Germans' fault.