"I was. I'm sorry." England hugged America tightly, and America got why England had been so stunned--he was actually a little taller than England now. When had that happened? He remembered when England left, hadn't he only come up to England's chest then?
For a few minutes, America experienced bliss, in the comfort of England's embrace. Everything was going to be alright, America was certain; England could fix all of America's worries: Virginia's disobedience, how exhausting caring for the baby was, all the hiding America had had to do from the countries and his citizens, how he was going to continue providing for his children now that there were two. All that was over now.
Or so he thought. America hadn't considered he might be investing too much faith in England.
Virginia walked into the room, carrying her baby brother. Confused over why her father was hugging this man she'd never seen before, she simply stared at England, who, for his part, took one look past America at Virginia and couldn't not notice that this child had suspiciously similar eyebrows and eye coloring.
England let go of America and lost all coherency once again. America was wondering how badly England was going to take this when England was able to quit stammering and nervously demanded, "Who are these two? You know the settlers aren't supposed to be here! Why are you inviting them to the house? How often have you done this?"
Damn. That bit of happiness had been short lived. "They live here."
"What would possess you to do such a thing?"
"Relax, they're not settlers."
"Then what are they?" England appeared to be in no mood for games.
In America's defense, this wasn't a game. It had been so long since he'd seen England that he'd never bothered to think how he was going to break the news of Virginia to the country. "They're mine," he answered, deciding being short and to the point would be best, in this situation.
"Yours. Funny. Whose are they really?"
"They're mine. Seriously." America was a little concerned that England wasn't believing him.
England gave America an impatient look like this was the stupidest thing he'd ever heard anyone say. "You took in settler children? Has it even occured to you just how bad an idea that is? Where did you get them from? They need to go back!"
"Go back?" Virginia said. "I'm not going anywhere, this is my home! Why don't you go back? Alfred, why is this man yelling and giving orders? Who is he?"
For a moment, America thought England was going to direct his yelling at Virginia, but then he focused his gaze back onto America. "See how rude that one is? You're a bad influence already! Those children need to go to people who will discipline them!"
"I do not need discipline!"
"They're not going anywhere. When I said they're mine, I didn't mean I found them and took them in. They're mine."
He could tell England was trying to come up with any other possibility, rather than take America's words at face value. Did he truly not believe him, or did he just not want to believe him? "They're...yours?"
"Yes." Was he actually accepting it?
"You...had them? You did?"
"Yes."
Virginia frowned. "This is my father? He's England?" She glared at England. "Why are you yelling at America?" It was the first time she'd ever called her father by his real name.
England did not seem to hear his daughter. He was staring at America in shock. "Why aren't you dead?"
Unable to believe he'd heard right, America watched England uneasily, hoping he'd laugh awkwardly and say it was just a bad joke, or he'd apologize and try to help America figure out how this had happened.
Virginia was angered enough to challenge England's question when America could not. "Why would you say something like that? How dare you go on about rudeness, then ask him such a thing! What's your problem?"
All is Not As it Seems - 6b
For a few minutes, America experienced bliss, in the comfort of England's embrace. Everything was going to be alright, America was certain; England could fix all of America's worries: Virginia's disobedience, how exhausting caring for the baby was, all the hiding America had had to do from the countries and his citizens, how he was going to continue providing for his children now that there were two. All that was over now.
Or so he thought. America hadn't considered he might be investing too much faith in England.
Virginia walked into the room, carrying her baby brother. Confused over why her father was hugging this man she'd never seen before, she simply stared at England, who, for his part, took one look past America at Virginia and couldn't not notice that this child had suspiciously similar eyebrows and eye coloring.
England let go of America and lost all coherency once again. America was wondering how badly England was going to take this when England was able to quit stammering and nervously demanded, "Who are these two? You know the settlers aren't supposed to be here! Why are you inviting them to the house? How often have you done this?"
Damn. That bit of happiness had been short lived. "They live here."
"What would possess you to do such a thing?"
"Relax, they're not settlers."
"Then what are they?" England appeared to be in no mood for games.
In America's defense, this wasn't a game. It had been so long since he'd seen England that he'd never bothered to think how he was going to break the news of Virginia to the country. "They're mine," he answered, deciding being short and to the point would be best, in this situation.
"Yours. Funny. Whose are they really?"
"They're mine. Seriously." America was a little concerned that England wasn't believing him.
England gave America an impatient look like this was the stupidest thing he'd ever heard anyone say. "You took in settler children? Has it even occured to you just how bad an idea that is? Where did you get them from? They need to go back!"
"Go back?" Virginia said. "I'm not going anywhere, this is my home! Why don't you go back? Alfred, why is this man yelling and giving orders? Who is he?"
For a moment, America thought England was going to direct his yelling at Virginia, but then he focused his gaze back onto America. "See how rude that one is? You're a bad influence already! Those children need to go to people who will discipline them!"
"I do not need discipline!"
"They're not going anywhere. When I said they're mine, I didn't mean I found them and took them in. They're mine."
He could tell England was trying to come up with any other possibility, rather than take America's words at face value. Did he truly not believe him, or did he just not want to believe him? "They're...yours?"
"Yes." Was he actually accepting it?
"You...had them? You did?"
"Yes."
Virginia frowned. "This is my father? He's England?" She glared at England. "Why are you yelling at America?" It was the first time she'd ever called her father by his real name.
England did not seem to hear his daughter. He was staring at America in shock. "Why aren't you dead?"
Unable to believe he'd heard right, America watched England uneasily, hoping he'd laugh awkwardly and say it was just a bad joke, or he'd apologize and try to help America figure out how this had happened.
Virginia was angered enough to challenge England's question when America could not. "Why would you say something like that? How dare you go on about rudeness, then ask him such a thing! What's your problem?"
England gave no answer.