America was restless for the entire flight, finally perking up when he noticed that they were somewhere over Russia. This had been probably the only time he was happy that the meeting was in Germany instead of in North America somewhere. "Are we there yet?" Alfred whined at Russia through the microphone they each had.

"Calm down, Alfred, we will see them soon enough." Hopefully they weren't too much trouble for Lithuania. Without their parents there, it was anyone's guess how they would behave.

Still not calming down, Alfred looked to Canada who was thoroughly confused. It really shouldn't have made him happy, but it did. It just meant that when he met the kids, he would be even more surprised and hopefully more happy. "Are we at least close?"

Laughing, Ivan pointed out the window. "See that black thing over there? That is the forest." Canada hadn't said much the entire flight, but he was sure to when he saw Anya and Dmitri.

Looking out the window, America smiled widely as he remembered it and that the house was very close to it. "Look Matt! We're almost there!" Barely able to stop himself from jumping up and down in his seat, Alfred somehow managed to wait until the helicopter landed so he could get out with Canada in tow behind him. "Hurry!"

"America, why are we here?" Matthew finally got up the courage to ask. This was Russia, it was not America, so why were they here? It didn't look like Alfred was being forced to come here, considering he was practically jumping up and down and pulling him to the door.

Glancing back at his brother, Alfred just winked. "You'll see." He didn't want to say anything in case he didn't take it too well, so he just waited for Ivan to open the door before calling out. "Hey Lithuania, we're back!" Hopefully he was still ok, having to take care of their twins by himself.

Running out of the room, Toris sighed in relief. "They haven't gone to sleep the whole time! And how do you get them to eat, I don't think they drank half a bottle!" And, they just started crying again. How was one person supposed to take care of them?

Canada didn't know what he was talking about, and wasn't quite sure what that sound was coming from a room across the hall. He knew what it sounded like... but that just wouldn't make sense, would it?

Truly happy that he was back home, Alfred just laughed. "It's fine, they probably just miss me." He didn't want to give up too much info before Matt saw his kids. "Canada is gonna get to meet them now!" He exclaimed, pulling him into the nursery without realizing the gasp of shock from his brother.

Before Matt could say anything, he went over to Dmitri who was crying loudly and picked him up and started to rock him. "It's ok honey, mommy's back." He cooed, soothing his child. Going back over to a flabbergasted Matthew, he lowered his son so he could see. "This is your nephew, Dmitri."

Feeling as if he had just been dropped into a tub of ice water, Matthew started mumbling, pointing to the squirming baby. "Wh-you-baby... You're a dad?" So this is why he had disappeared for so long? Because he had knocked some girl up? But that still didn't answer why they were in Russia's house...

"Pfft, I wish I was the dad... It would have made all of this so much easier." Alfred scoffed, rocking his son again. "Really long story short, I'm their mom." Speaking of they, Anya started to hiccup like she did before crying so he shifted his grip on Dmitri and picked her up as well. "And this is your niece, Anya. They're twins."

Swallowing, Canada watched as the girl, his niece apparently, started sucking her thumb. "What do you mean their mom? How can you be their mom?" That didn't make sense, none of this made sense. But they kind of looked like him...

Glad that Matthew was taking it fairly well, he explained. "Like I said it's a long story, but I am their mom. At least, I did carry them forever in my belly." At that he went silent, mourning the loss of their third child. There was no way he would ever forget James, just as he couldn't stop loving his two living kids. "They're about seven months old now."

His brain shutting down any capacity for rational thought, Canada decided to go with it, like what the heck. He stepped forward, looking at them. "C-can I hold one?" If they were his niece and nephew, he should be able to hold them, right?

"Sure!" Alfred laughed, handing over Dmitri since he seemed the most placated. "If he starts to get fussy it's probably just gas." Going over to his bed, Alfred sighed as he sat down, glad to be back despite wanting to get out for so long. Grabbing the small blue blanket that was there, he started to feel it with his fingertips, absentmindedly memorizing the texture.

Laughing lightly when Dmitri started grabbing his glasses, Matthew sat down as well and glanced to America. "Is that blanket his?" He asked, pointing to the blue one Alfred was grasping. It didn't look like it would be for Anya, since it was a darkish blue.

Looking down at his hand, the smile on America's face immediately fell. "N-No..." He stuttered, ashamed he was already feeling so emotional but not being able to do anything about it. "It's James'..."

Feeling the atmosphere change, Canada knew he was walking on thin ice. Alfred looked like he was in pain, and he wanted to help him. Scooting closer, he held Dmitri's hand. "Wh-who is James?" Maybe this would help...

With his eyes narrowed with emotional pain, Alfred managed to choke out. "He... He was their brother." A single tear managed to fall out before others went in its path. "I'm sorry I'm such a wreak." America said, rubbing his eyes with his spare hand. "It's just... It was really hard..."

Moving Dmitri to mostly his lap, Matthew pat his brother's shoulder. "It's alright, you can let it out." After all, it wouldn't be the first time he was used as a tear rag. But it seemed that his nephew had caught on to the emotion somehow, as he started wailing.

Watching as Matthew calmed down his son, Alfred smiled pitifully, tears still on his cheeks. "It's a long story. I don't want to bore you." Or end up crying all over him, but if he was going to talk about James, even now it was hard to do without becoming extremely emotional. Damn maternal instincts covering up his heroic self.

Looking up from the crying baby, Canada bit his lip. "Well, maybe you should tell me another time." It seemed like it was still too soon for him to talk about it, but it was also obvious that he needed someone to talk to.

"I guess..." Alfred agreed, wiping his tears with his sleeve. "But anyways, I've been wanting to show someone the reason I've been missing for slow long, and I'm glad Russia finally let me." Patting his brother's back, he grinned. "What a better person than my bro? After all, we're gonna need babysitters every once and a while..." Since it was obvious that just Toris wasn't cut out for the job.

Rolling his eyes, Matthew was glad that Dmitri had started settling down. "Of course, after a year of me taking care of your country for you, you still want me to do things." But he didn't mind really, as long as he would have help. Taking care of two babies was not something he would enjoy.

America's eyes went wide. "Fu-" He stopped himself from swearing just in time. "I totally forgot that you were doing that!" How horrible was he? Obviously being at Ivan's house for so long had ruined him. "How is my country anyways?"

Canada started bouncing Dmitri on his lap. "It is doing fine. You were healthy, so nothing drastic happened. It was mostly just a few paperwork problems."

"Don't think you can ever use this against me, but I'm sorry Mattie... I didn't want to do this, but there was no way I could have run my nation from Ivan's house..." Shifting Anya so he was rocking her, Alfred rubbed her nose softly to get her to doze off. "Not to mention that you're gonna be an awesome uncle."

"You think so? I don't know much about kids..." He could probably ask Francis. Although at the same time, that would bring up some questions about why he needed to know how to be a good uncle, and maybe France around kids wasn't a good idea either.

Scoffing, Alfred laughed. "And you think I knew everything about being a mom before this? Heck, I wasn't even ready to be a dad never mind actually have the kids myself." But Russia helped a lot with his original fears, even if he was the one that created this whole mess in the first place.

Ivan knocked on the door, poking his head in. "Could I steal Dmitri for his bath? Lithuania didn't even want to try." He had just sent the Baltic state on his way, having no more need for him.

Their son blinked when Russia took him, and then grasped his big finger in his little hand. Somehow, Canada thought that looked... right.

.oOo.

Only a week after Anya learned the word Mama, England showed up at their doorstep. It was a surprise for everyone, and Alfred couldn't really make an excuse with a one year old in his arm, throwing her new word around. Eventually Arthur accepted it, though he didn't really like his little boy living with that Russian. He broke down when Dmitri started nibbling on his thumb.

Both twins were blond. Anya had some streaks in her hair of an almost white colour, contrasted by her grey eyes. Dmitri's eyes changed to green, which was a little strange, because Ivan insisted that the woman had had blue eyes.

On the twin's fifth birthday, Russia asked Alfred if he would want another. Of course, the independent nation shot down that idea quickly, but unfortunately for him, Anya had heard it and asked for a little sister or brother. He couldn't very well say no to her pleading, if manipulative, eyes. This time, he made sure that Ivan kept the girl alive and let her go back home.

Nicoli was born at almost exactly midnight. Ivan had given America the choice of naming him, but the bespectacled nation decided that they should pick a Russian name, worrying that if they picked another American name, the baby would die.

All together, they were a happy family. More and more nations found out, and became different uncles and aunts. Ukraine became a big part of their lives after Anya got a bit older, and started worrying about why she was so different, which was nothing compared to when she was thirteen and thought she was dying because she got her period.

Every once in a while, frequently at first, and eventually just once every few months, America saw Ivan looking out the front window on the second floor. It took him a while, but after a few years he figured it out. That window had a perfect view of where they had cremated James.

"Are you certain you wish to do this?" The large country asked, pausing in his digging.

Alfred ran the threadbare blue blanket through his fingers. "Yeah, I'm sure. We couldn't bury him, so this is the next best thing right?" The air was warm, nothing compared to his summers back home, but still warm. Enough so that the ground wasn't frozen. Once the hole was dug, he folded the blanket up, placing it safely in the hole.

Russia started shoveling the dirt on top of it, looking up when a small voice called from the doorway. "Mama, are you coming to play with us? You promised to show us how to make a paper plane!" Dmitri tilted his blond head to the side, holding a sheet of crumpled white paper in his hand.

"Yeah." Alfred took one last look at the blue blanket before it was covered in dirt. "Yeah honey, let's make some planes."

END