How could it have gotten worse?

Francis POV

Francis had gotten used to strange calls regarding, or from, Alice. They were most commonly from the nations who had been both of their colonies. So when he answered the phone to hear Sealand on the other end yelling unintelligibility about Alice in the kitchen. So, with sigh he took the next flight to London to help his friend/enemy/love for all eternity deal with the energetic micro-nation.

When he reached the Kirkland manor he was met with the familiar sight of smoke billowing from the kitchen window. Then when he opened the door he was met with a set of even more familiar sounds. First there was Alice, who was cursing enough that it sounded like she was trying to relive her decades as a pirate. Then there was Amelia who was shouting about how they should have followed her recipe instead and how this wouldn't have happened if Alice could spell correctly. Suddenly, Mathieu slipped into the hallway carrying Peter over his shoulder like a Fireman.

"Papa, Maman was trying to cook foods from another country again" the quite nation explained softly.

"That jerk Alice messed up Karjalan Piirakka! Tina said anyone could make that and those two light the kitchen on fire making it!" Peter said frowning at the door.

"Peter be nice to your soeur, and Mathieu how bad is the fire? Have your Maman and soeur put out the fire yet?" Francis quizzed while shooting the youngest nation like boy a firm look.

"It was just the stove when I was in there, and Amelia was getting the fire extinguisher." Mathieu reported calmly, even though both men were quietly wondering how the two women could do this every time they tried to cook. Especially after the last time, when Francis and Mathieu had gone out and bought Alice an electric stove with a glass top and everything try to prevent the fires that were always started.

"Since theirs a fire going anyway, does anyone want flapjacks?" Was the sudden call from the kitchen. With a nod to Mathieu, who by now knew the routine he marched into the kitchen as if it were a battle. It was almost a dance by now, Mathieu would go get new food supplies and Francis would get the kitchen under control. Or at least put out the fires.

Taking a deep breath he stepped in, grabbing the spare fire extinguisher kept in the cabinet by the door. Amelia had found a cast iron skillet and seemed to be frying eggs and Alice, who was still cursing, was putting out a fire that had somehow started in the refrigerator. How did those two do this every time?! It wasn't even like they made difficult dishes.

"What was in the refrigerator, ma Cherie?" He asked, trying to pull their daughter away from the flames while ignoring her arguments.

"Fruit salad. Where did Mathieu and Peter go?" Alice asked, unconcerned by the fact that her fruit salad lit the entire refrigerator on fire. Looking at her he could see she had entered the pouting stage.

"I can't even think of anything to say. Amelia stop that, this fire is releasing all kinds of chemicals," Francis started, but then off to the side he saw it. Crawling off the baking sheet was another one of Alice's accidental monsters. Grabbing a large metal dish cover he slammed it over the creature and it's fellows before they could get loose.

"What? They look so bad you can't stand to have them uncovered! Tina said that they are Peter's favorite, I wanted him to eat something he enjoyed while he's over." Alice said pitifully, looking at the covered baking sheet that Francis was still holding the lid to.

"If you wanted him to enjoy it, maybe we shouldn't have tried to make it. We probably should have bought some instead." Amelia said as she looked at Alice, trying to discern if the older woman was going to start crying. Most likely not understanding that her little jab didn't help matters.

Before Alice could dissolve into tears, Mathieu came through the door, grocery bags in hand with Peter trailing behind. "Why don't you, Amelia, and Peter go and set the table. Then, mon lapin, why don't you show Peter your pirate sword. I'm sure you still have it and he would be very excited. Mathieu and I will make the Karjalan Piirakka," Francis said, trying to signal to Mathieu that there was something under the dish cover without alerting the others. He could hear them scratching and crawling from inside.

As soon as the other three left the room the two men jumped into action. The younger of the two grabbing the metal trash can, making sure it was empty. Once the creatures had been dumped into the trashcan and a ten pound bag of flour was used to keep it shut the two of them started cooking.

~~~~~~~~~ Late that night~~~~~~~~~~

"Peter, there is one thing you need to understand about your Soeur and Amelia," Francis started explaining as the three of them carried the rattling trashcan between them. "Don't ask Mon Lapin to cook foods that aren't from England."

"It also works out better if Amelia only cooks on a grill, or on a campfire." Mathieu added helpfully off to the side.

"Why are we carrying the trashcan out here in no-where land?" Peter asked pouting at the fact that the three of them were taking a hike in the night. Soon a familiar meadow appeared before them, a burnt dug out circle that, at this point, was as dangerous as a nuclear dump zone site near the center.

"Mathieu and I created this long before you were born little one, back when he was your age," Frances started to explain. Pulling on long thick gloves, he then overturned the trashcan into the circle and Peter jumped as the Karjalan Piirakka tumbled out before crawling around like a bunch of spiders that had their hiding spot found. Thankfully they were unable to climb out of the shallow pit. The older two started the well-practiced dance of "disposing" of the creatures and then stacking up a small bonfire.

"The jerk and Amelia did that?" Peter asked, looking shocked at the turn of events as he sat in-between Francis and Mathieu.

"They don't need to know they have this power, Peter," Mathieu said simply and all Peter could do was nod in agreement as he stared at the blaze in front of them.

AN: I had just had to write a current day food monster after the last chapter and then on my day to cook I was going to make something Finnish and found Karjalan Piirakka.

Karjalan Piirakka= are a type of pasties are made from a thin rye crust with a filling of rice.