*Chapter One *

"Hey, are they going to be okay? The babies…."

"Don't worry sir, I promise everything will turn out fi-"

The Doctor was cut short by a woman's scream from the other side of the door.

"That's it! Let me through!" Roman Empire said as he pushed the doctor to the side.

"No sir, you'll only make things more-"

"THAT'S MY DUAGHTER AND MY GRANDCHILD!" Roman Empire yelled when suddenly the door opened the nurse came out with two small bundles in her arms.

"Ah! Twins! ",Roman Empire gasped.

He didn't notice but the nurse was crying softly.

"Ma'am," said the doctor, "what's wrong?"

"I-I'm s-so s-s-sorry…" she cried.

"Sorry? About what? The children seem healthy." He said as he plucked them from the nurse and gazed at their soft sleeping faces.

"No. th-their perfect l-little girls.. The-the mother un-unfor-tunatley.." She turned and cried into her dress.

The doctor opened the door and looked inside, "Oh… oh dear."

"What?" asked Roman Empire, "What's wrong? Why-" He stopped when he saw his daughters body in the bloody mess of sheets.

He walked up slowly while still holding the twins and held his daughters wrist. She did not move and her skin was cold, no pulse.

Tears weld up in Roman Empire's eyes. Even with all the grief that weighed him down, he could hear the twin's gentle breathing and feel it against his skin.

The day after the next, he watched his daughters casket be put into the ground. He tried very hard not to cry, to not disturb his granddaughters.

For a three day old newborns, they acted very odd. They seemed aware of what was going on around them. The older of the twins, who had green eyes, watched fiercely at the coffin and tried very hard to get a peek to what was inside. The younger one, with brown eyes not unlike Roman Empires, actually had her eyes open all the way for once. She seemed a little confused, but did not ask anything. They both seemed to know that something very important was taking place.

"Hey, Roman Empire." A voice called from behind.

"Ah, yes, hello Germania. It's nice of you to come." Rome said with a brief nod.

"It would've been rude to not have. I see that the children survived."

"Yes, they are cute aren't they? Must take after my side of the family." He chuckled quietly but then noticed the two young boys by Germania's leg.

"Hey, now I don't think we've been introduced. My names Roman Empire, what's yours?"

The blond haired boy who was obviously the younger one looked at Germania hesitantly but the older one with white hair and red eyes said, "Hi! I am the awesome Prussia! And this is-"Germania knocked him on the head, "Let him say for himself." He looked at the young boy, who really couldn't have been much older than the newborns, and nodded.

The boy stepped forward and looked at Roman Empire with pleasant blue eyes, "Sir, I am Holy Roman Empire."

Roman Empire was quiet, "Now don't tell me you're my replacement or anything. Let me find out for myself." He looked at Germania, "Are they yours?"

"Yes, and unless you didn't figure it out. They are countries."

"Don't talk to me like I don't know anything. Of course I knew that."

Germania looked at the twins and said, "They sure seem to be aware of their surroundings. Only three days old you say?"

"Well, yes."

"I see, this is the exact same way the Prussia and Holy Roman Empire acted."

Holy Roman Empire tugged on Rome's toga.

"Oh yes?"

"Well, sir… I… Can I meet your granddaughters… Sir?" He was having a hard time keeping eye contact and kept looking at the ground.

"Well…. I don't see how it could hurt." And while still holding them he kneeled down and let HRE look at the babies.

The older one seemed a little cold toward him, always hiding into Rome's toga when he tried to get a better look. But the younger one seemed to like him. She even seemed to want to let him hold her. HRE seemed to like her too.

"Okay that's enough of that." Said Roman Empire noticing the bond, "Well Germania, nice to see you again."

"Same to you."

And Rome and the twins watch Germania and his sons walk away.

Well, if Germania meant what he said, then I guess I have a couple countries to look after. He thought when he looked down at the two little girls.

A feeling of great love and pride grew in his chest. Then he looked at his daughters grave, I promise I will do anything to protect you. And he kissed both of his granddaughters foreheads.

He looked at his daughters grave for a last time, then walked away with a baby in each arm.

"Hey! Just be careful okay!" Roman Empire called to his precious granddaughters as they ran off giggling and playing to the playground.

It was almost a year, and he still didn't have a proper name for them. Apparently he was bad at naming people other than himself.

While watching them run he sighed, "They really are cute aren't they."

"Who? The two giggling little girls with the curls?"

"Hmmm?" Roman Empire turned around and saw a very pretty lady who was pointing at the twins.

"Yes, those two right there." She's hot. I like hot.

"Oh, are you their father?" She asked.

"Obvious resemblance, huh? But no, I am their grandfather. But I am not married." He said with a devilish smile.

"Oh really." She said batting her eyelashes.

"Yes, hey let me tell you-" and Rome told her about all of his adventurous and about how very strong he was and blah blah blah.

He was about to say something about beds when he heard a child scream from the playground.

Roman Empire turned around and saw a couple of older boys stuffing something down one of the twins throats and dangling the other by her ankles.

"HEY! YOU THERE! PUT. THEM. DOWN. NOW!" Roman Empire yelled while he sprinted towards them.

"Hey is that their dad?"

"He looks ready to murder…"

"Here's an idea. Lets RUN!"

And they ran as fast and as far away as they could.

"YOU LITTLE BRATS! JUST WAIT UNTILL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU!" Roman Empire would've chased those kids down in a heartbeat, if he wasn't worried about the well being of his granddaughters.

Rome hurried to his little girls, one had her hands over her mouth and was crying. The other, the one with green eyes, was trying to get the others hand away from her mouth.

"C'mon! Spit it out already! You couldn't have swallowed it!" She said finally pulling the youngest's hand away.

"Swallowed? Swallowed what?" Roman Empire asked nervously.

The younger of the twins was coughing and hacking and crying, she didn't seem ready to say anything. But the older one looked at Rome and explained, "Those boys started picking one us when we were just minding our business. They said something like, "Hey lets pick on the wimpy girls." Or something like that. The bastards."

Being the good grandfather that he was, Rome cut in, "Now now, no need for potty mouthing."

"Yeah, well they deserved it. So then they took sissy and made her eat a worm. And they dangled me by the ankles… Those…. Those…." But she didn't finish, because she was trying really hard not to cry in front of her grandpa.

"Hey, hey. No need to cry." Roman Empire said cradling them in his arms.

The brown eyed girl looked at Roman Empire, "Grandpa... Th- those boys were mean." She was still crying.

"Don't worry. There not here anymore." He held them gently in his arms, "Alright. Lets go home."

Even though Roman Empire seemed calm, he was turmoil on the inside.

They got bullied? Just because they were girls? If this happened with ordinary boys, what will happen when grow and meet other countries? Seriously? Will… Will they be bullied like today? Get captured by some pedophile country and get used? No… Never… I will not let that happen… But… what if I'm not there to make sure of that. Roman Empire may not admit it, but he knew he was getting weaker. He couldn't get the name of Germania's kid out of his head, "Sir, I'm Holy Roman Empire." He was scared. If, if that kid is to be my replacement. Then I have to think of a plan.

And so he did.

That night before tucking the two girls into bed, he said, "Girls. I think I finally have thought up some good names for you."

"Really?" They asked in excitement. They've been looking forward to this for a long time now.

Roman Empire nodded. He looked to the younger one and said, "Your name is Feliciano Veneziano Vargas." He looked at the older one, "Your name is Lovino Romano Vargas. You are Southern Italy and Northern Italy."

"Whoa, whoa, wait a sec." said Lovino, "Aren't those kind of, boys names?"

"Yes." Said Roman Empire, "And that brings us to something I want you two to do for me." He gave them very serious looks, "I'm not going to be here forever, to protect you."

"BUT-" The twins started.

Rome cut them off, "And after the events today, I took that into consideration. I don't want you two to suffer in life, to be torn apart or thought to be weak. And I thought of a way that might give you a better chance in life then the way you are now." He sighed, "From now on, I want you two to pretend to be boys."

"BUT-" The twins started again.

Again, Roman Empire cut them off, "This is something I wish you to do. A favor for me…"

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why?"asked Lovino, "Why do we have to do this, huh? Are we not good enough for you the way we are? What? Did you want boys instead of girls?" Tears were now running down her face, "Why?... why?..."

"Lovino…" Whispered Feliciano.

Roman Empire scooped his beloved granddaughters in his arms and held them close, "Why?... Because I want you safe."

That night, the twins slept with Grandpa Rome. To scared about what might happen, if they woke up and he wasn't there.

Roman Empire did not sleep well. He looked at his granddaughters to make sure they were asleep before finally crying softly, so he would not wake them.