This is my attempt at a history-based NedCan fanfic. They're my OTP and I don't feel like there are enough multi-chapter fanfictions that focus on their historical relations. I'll try to be as accurate as possible but I'm more interested in the characters and their relationship than giving the readers a history lesson, I believe that should be left to textbooks. Anyway, history sources will be at the end of every chapter for reference. The title was inspired by song for 70 the anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands. Look up "A Flower in the Fray" by The Life of Pearls on YouTube. It's such a sweet song and it's perfect for NedCan.

I hope you enjoy the story!

Names: Andries [ahn-drees]=Netherlands

CHAPTER 1

1945, Amsterdam

The first thing Andries realized was that he was somewhere warm. He found that strange. He was pretty sure he remembered being cold. Then he also realized he was lying on something soft. That made no sense either. He was supposed to be lying on the hard stone floor of the prison cell. Finally, he realized his eyes were closed, so he carefully opened them, his eyelids feeling unusually heavy as he did.

He found himself looking up at a ceiling. It wasn't the cell's ceiling, though. He glanced down on himself and the first thing he noticed was the iron railing of the end of the bed he was lying in. He was tucked in with a soft blanket, with his arms wrapped in bandages and resting on his abdomen. There was an IV plugged into his left arm and as he slightly turned his head he could feel there was a bandage wrapped around it as well. A small plastic bag full of clear liquid hung on a metal pole next to his bed. Drops on the liquid went down the tube and into his veins one by one.

He already came to the conclusion that he was in a hospital but he couldn't remember how he got there. It was daylight outside but the curtains on the window were closed, so the room was coated in a hazy light. He tried to move but his body felt stiff and sore and he let out a small grunt in pain.

"What the Hell happened?" He thought.

Andries tried to think back. He remembered German soldiers throwing him in prison after they found him helping his people in the resistance, but not before they made an example out of him by beating him to a pulp right there on the spot. That happened on a day in November and although he tried his best to keep track of time in prison, he eventually didn't know anymore. He also remembered the hunger, a kind of hunger he never felt before. He was used to going without food for a long time, it's not like he could die from not eating anyway. When he used to be out at sea for months, he'd often offer his share of food to his human companions, since they needed it more. But this time it was different. This time he actually felt like he was going to die of starvation. Later he realized that it was his people's hunger he was feeling.

Although the beatings and torture continued in the prison, none of that broke him as much as the feeling of him failing his people did.

Then there was a glimmer of hope. He overheard the guards talking about the Allied forces getting closer to the Netherlands. That much he could understand in German. As the weeks went by, the guards sounded more and more desperate and one time when they were talking right outside his cell, Andries made the mistake of laughing. As much as he was weak, hurt and emaciated, he couldn't stop himself from mocking the fear of his captors. The last thing he could recall was a blow to his head with the end of a rifle and him falling to the cell's floor before everything turned black.

Andries closed his eyes for a second before opening them again. He felt like he could fall back asleep any second but he wanted to know how he got here. He tried to look around to see if there was someone else around. That's when he noticed a young man sitting next to his bed on a chair. He must've been there for some time, since he was asleep as well, with his arms crossed, his chin-length blonde hair falling into his tan, freckled face and his glasses slightly slid off on his nose as he leaned forward a little. There was a patch on his left cheek and his right hand was in bandages.

Andries wanted to say something to get the young man's attention but he only managed to get out another grunt. That seemed to be enough though and the other man slowly awoke and raised his head. His eyes went wide when he noticed that Andries was conscious and quickly got up from his seat, fixed his glasses and went to his side.

"You're awake, thank God." He said quietly with a wide smile and relief in his voice. "How are you?"

Andries tried to answer but he ended up coughing pretty badly. The blonde man helped him sit up and carefully rubbed Andries' back until the coughing stopped. Then Andries leaned back against the pillows and the man poured him a glass of water from the carafe on the bedside table.

"Here, drink a little." He said as he held the glass to Andries' mouth. Andries took a few gulps before he coughed again and the other took the glass away. He placed his free hand on Andries' cheek, feeling how warm it was. "You have a fever. Aren't you cold?"

"A little." Andries answered with a hoarse voice. At least the water eased the dryness in his throat enough for him to talk again. "But who are you?"

"Matthew Williams." The young man answered. "But you might remember me more as Canada."

"Matthew…" Andries mumbled. Of course, Matthew was one of Arthur's boys and a member of the Allies. Andries knew of Matthew also giving shelter to his princess and her little daughters but it's been quite a while since he's seen Matthew face to face.

"Where am I?" He asked.

"In a hospital in Amsterdam." was Matthew's answer.

Andries frowned. The prison he was held in was in Scheveningen.

"Did you bring me here?"

Matthew sat back down on his chair and gave a nod.

"Yes. Well actually, I and some of my men did, after we found you in the prison. Then most of them continued north to liberate the rest of your country but they told me I'd be more useful if I stayed here and watched after you. They said that's my duty as your fellow nation representative."

Andries blinked in disbelief. Was it really this lanky, mild-mannered kid of whom the Germans were so terrified of?

"It won't be long until the rest of your country is liberated too." Matthew continued with a smile. "I have faith in my men."

The older nation turned his gaze away. He couldn't bear looking at the patch on Matthew face, which most likely hid a wound he got while fighting for his country, the dark circles under his eyes, which were probably the mark of several sleepless nights and especially the timid but consistent smile that felt out of place under these miserable circumstances. Andries knew he should be thanking Matthew now but he still couldn't wrap his mind around what the younger nation was doing for him. His men must've suffered severe casualties just to come all the way from Normandy to Amsterdam. He never thought someone would ever do something like this for him… Especially someone he wasn't all that close to.

The first time they met, Matthew was merely a small child, clinging to Francis while the Frenchman introduced his new colony oh so proudly to Andries. While Andries tried to set foot in the North Americas too, he eventually had to give up on that, since he had bigger fish to fry in South America and Asia. After that he only met Matthew a few of times and sporadically, mostly when Matthew was accompanying Arthur on meetings in Europe. Andries wasn't even sure how Matthew felt about him. If he had to guess, he would have said that the younger nation probably resented him for the damage he caused to his native people during his fur-trading days. Yet, here he was…

Andries instinctively pulled his arm away when he felt it being touched. He looked at Matthew again and saw that he was standing next to him again and pulling his hand back.

"Sorry, you just went quiet and I thought something was wrong…" Matthew apologized with a concerned expression.

Andries sighed.

"Sorry. It's just… It's been a while since someone touched me without wanting to hurt me."

Matthew looked like he hesitated for a moment before he reached out again, placing his hand on Andries' shoulder and gently squeezed it. His hand was warm and Andries found his touch surprisingly comforting, relaxing even.

"You're safe now." Matthew said with a soothing voice. "Do you need anything else?"

Andries wanted to shake his head but it felt rather heavy and sensitive, so he replied instead.

"No. I just want to rest."

"Okay." Matthew nodded and stood up. "I have to tell the doctors that you woke up but I'll come back later."

Matthew let go of him and slowly walked to the door. Andries followed him with his eyes and just before Matthew could leave the room, he called after him.

"Hey. How long have I been asleep?"

Matthew turned back from the door to answer.

"For a week."

"And were you by my side the whole time?" Andries asked. He couldn't really make it out in the dim light but it seemed as if Matthew blushed at that question.

"Yeah… for the most part." Matthew mumbled before quickly walking out the door.

xxx

During the next few of days, Andries received several visits from his politicians and officers. They were all glad that their nation had finally came to and they even brought him some good news - such as his sister and brother being okay - but they mostly talked to him about the political and military situation of the country and other things which Andries was not in the mood for at all.

Luckily, his supervisors left him alone for the nights, since he still needed to rest and heal. The only ones who were allowed to visit him after six o'clock at night, was the hospital's staff and Matthew. The younger nation stuck around a lot but always respected Andries' wish to be alone whenever the Dutchman wanted some space. When Matthew talked to him, it was mostly about how Princess Juliana and her children spent their time in Canada. It did put Andries in a better mood, since he hadn't really heard from them after he was taken captive by the German soldiers. But eventually, Matthew had to leave every night and Andries was often unable to fall asleep for a long time. He couldn't stop thinking about how Matthew was able to hold it together and always keep a positive attitude around him, even when knowing that his people were out there fighting in a war. Not to mention that Matthew himself looked exhausted yet he still found the time and energy to visit Andries every day.

One morning, Andries woke up to the sound of loud cheering, shouting and the sound of car horns honking on the streets. He sat up on his bed and stared out the window but since his room was on one of the upper floors, he couldn't see much. Then the door opened and Matthew came in with a bright expression on his face.

"Matthew… what happened?" Andries asked with confusion.

"The war is over! The Germans surrendered!" Matthew exclaimed and threw his hands in the air. "The war is officially over!"

Andries' mouth dropped and he turned his head to the window again. This wasn't a dream, right? The sounds coming from the streets were real and he could feel that long lost strength and hope returning to his mind and body. That sense of his beloved freedom.

"Take me outside." He stated and started to get out of the bed.

"Eh, what? Hey!" Matthew rushed to his side just in time to catch Andries' arm before he fell on the floor. "You can't do that, you're not strong enough!"

Andries looked at him with determination.

"I have to go to my people. If you won't help me, I'll go by myself." He insisted.

Matthew let out a sigh in defeat.

"Fine. I'll go get your clothes." He said and sat Andries back on the bed before leaving the room. He returned with a set of clean clothes, a pair of shoes and Andries' trademark blue-white striped scarf.

"You have this?" Andries asked in disbelief, staring at the scarf when Matthew handed it to him. "I was sure my home was raided and everything there was burned to the ground."

"Well, your home was raided. We went to look for you there first and it was a complete mess when we got there." Matt explained. "But not everything was trashed. I managed to get this out and thought you might want to have it, since I always saw you wearing it."

Andries shook his head.

"You continue to surprise me." He admitted. "Would you mind pulling the curtain away while I change?"

"Oh, right." Matthew said with a small blush and did as Andries asked him to, pulling the curtain around his hospital bed.

"If you need help with anything, I can call a nurse." He added.

"I'd rather you don't, she'd probably force me back to bed." Andries replied with an amused voice. Matthew turned his back on him until he heard Andries pull the curtain away.

"I'm ready." Andries said. Seeing him all dressed up and determined made Matthew feel like Andries regained some of his old dignity already, despite his face still being thin and pale and his hair hanging messily onto his forehead. Matthew offered him a smile.

"Come, lean on me. The last thing we need is your wounds opening up and start bleeding again." He said and Andries took the offer, putting his pride aside. While they were going down the stairs, Matthew realized how light Andries actually was, much lighter than one would expect a man of his height to be.

After a few minutes, they reached the crowded streets of Amsterdam. It was a bright, warm afternoon in May. Military trucks full of Canadian soldiers went by on the roads, waving at the citizens of the Dutch capital, who have gathered outside just so they could greet their saviors. Besides the crowds on the street, many were waving and cheering from the houses' windows as well. Andries looked over them as he and Matthew stood next to each other among his people. Then he turned his gaze to Matthew, whose eyes were fixated on his own people who drove by in the trucks, probably wondering how many of them made it back alive.

"How many of yours were lost?" Andries asked suddenly.

Matthew looked at him.

"Uh… I don't know exactly yet…"

"Then about how many?"

Matthew hung his head a bit.

"Thousands, probably."

Andries turned back to the crowd. He knew this wasn't right. He couldn't let all of Matthew and his people's efforts and sacrifices be forgotten. He turned back to Matthew and reached out to cup his chin and gently lifted his head, making Matthew look at him again. He let him go before he spoke.

"I will never forget this day and I promise I'll find a way to repay you for everything." He said solemnly.

Matthew blinked a few times in surprise.

"Oh no, you really don't have to." He said, shaking his head. "I didn't do this for a reward…"

"Well, that's too bad…" Andries interfered. "…because you just saved the guy who always pays his debts."

xxx

A few days after the liberation, Matthew was getting ready to go home. He knew that the images of this war were going to stay with him for a long time, just like the previous one did, but it still felt almost unbelievable that it was over. However, that didn't mean his job was over too. What he considered the hardest part was still yet to come – visiting the families of those who had fallen and give them his condolences.

But before he left, he wanted to say goodbye to Andries. When he walked into the hospital room, he saw Andries was up already, packing his belongings into a suitcase. There were still some bandages on his arms and a patch on his forehead but other than that, he seemed to be doing better. Sure, he was scrawny but with food supplies coming into his country again, he should be able to gain back the weight he lost in no time.

"Hey, they're letting you leave already?" Matthew asked as he walked inside.

"Not really…" Andries shook his head as he folded another shirt and put it into the suitcase. "…but I need to go."

Matthew raised an eyebrow.

"What do mean? Where do you need to go?"

"The Japanese army took control of Dutch East-Indies. I'm going to reclaim what is mine." Andries explained and he shut the suitcase closed.

"What?! You just survived one war and you're going to start another?" Matthew exclaimed in dismay.

"Don't worry, there won't be a war. East-Indies is rightfully my colony; she should come back to me peacefully." Andries said with certainty and picked up his suitcase, walking past Matthew towards the exit.

"B-but what if she doesn't want to go back to you?" Matthew asked, going after Andries. "What if she'll resist? You're not exactly in a position to force anyone into doing anything right now."

Andries suddenly stopped and turned back.

"What the Hell do you know?" He retorted angrily. "You have no idea what I'm capable of!"

Matthew stood still and looked away, clenching his hands into fists. He actually had a pretty good idea of what Andries was capable of. That was exactly what concerned him.

"I'm just worried about you…" He muttered.

Andries let out a sigh and ran his hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry. I appreciate everything you did for me so far but this is none of your business. So please, stay out of it." With that, he turned around and left the room while Matthew stayed there, looking after him until the sound of Andries' footsteps faded into the distance.

To Be Continued

And that concludes the first chapter. Please let me know what you think!

Reviews/favorites/subscribers are very appreciated!

History sources:

- Andries was held captive in the Oranjehotel prison in Scheveningen: www . oranjehotel english / history /

- The Canadian army liberates the Netherlands: www . veterans . gc . ca / eng / remembrance / history / historical-sheets / Netherlands

- Dutch fur trade in North America: en . wikipedia wiki / New_Netherland_Company & en . wikipedia wiki / North_American_fur_trade

- The Dutch princesses in Canada: en . wikipedia wiki / Canada%E2%80%93Netherlands_relations

- Japanese occupation of Indonesia: en . wikipedia wiki / Japanese_occupation_of_the_Dutch_East_Indies