Living With the Unexptected

Summary: Mattie and Alfred's baby has finally arrived! But parenthood is a whole different ball park. Mattie's depressed, Alfred's becoming a house-dad, and...wait, what's Hungary doing here?

Genre: Family/Hurt/Comfort

Rating: T - M (if I feel like giving the romance side a little attention ;3)

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, or any of it's characters, and I never will. I don't think I'd want to. It's perfect with the author it has. And for the chapter, I don't know a lot about the proceedings in hospitals, so I got most of my info from the internet. If there's anything wrong, please, no flames. I will merely use them to fuel my sadly deflated ego, like a hot air ballon! ;D

*This is a sequal/continuation of the first half, "Unexpected". If you haven't read it yet, I highly suggest going to read that story first.*

Chapter 1: Name

As she listened to the gentle sound of Alfred's breathing, Mattie knew that all was right with the world.

She found it humerous that in the six hours since their daughter's birth, the two of them had switched positions rather easily. She was seated in the grey upholstered chair that Alfred had previously been occupying, and likewise, he was now resting in Mattie's hospital bed, spent from all the commotion the day had brought them.

As always, news traveled fast between nations. In next to no time at all, the entire world (figuratively speaking) had become aware of the newest addition to the Jones-Williams household. Alfred had been swamped with calls from practically everyone they knew, and even a few nations they didn't know all that well.

Mattie had given birth sometime around 1:30 in the afternoon. She'd been allowed a small amount of time with her baby before they had taken her away.

"Do you have a name for her yet?" Doctor Jane Doe asked, cleaning up.

"Not yet," Mattie replied hesitently. She looked to Al for some kind of guidance on the matter, but he only gave a sympathetic smile. She understood. After everything Mattie had been through, Alfred believed she deserved to name their child. Mattie couldn't help but agree. She wanted to name her, so badly it ached, but she just couldn't decide yet. "Do I have to know it now?"

"No, she'll just have to go nameless for a while, that's all. Until then, I can use your room number to identify her."

Doctor Doe lifted the child up, who had long since fallen asleep in her mother's arms.

"Wait, you're taking her?" Mattie argued, though she made no motion to stop the doctor.

"Easy," she said in a reassuring tone. "We just need to run some tests to make sure she's completely healthy. Standard procedure, I assure you. Plus, you need to get some rest. I doubt that'll be possible if she wakes up again."

Mattie agreed, but that didn't mean she had to like it. She'd finally met her baby after eight months, and now she was being taken away from her. Something deep inside her stirred, like a primal motherly beast that wouldn't stop pacing until it had it's cub back.

That beast inside her was still pacing, but at least, with time, it had become less restless. Mattie had taken on and off naps the majority of the time since then. She remembered Francis and Arthur coming in at some point, but by then she'd been exhausted and had fallen asleep in the middle of their visit. When she woke back up, Alfred told her that they'd gone off to the nursery to see their new granddaughter.

They didn't talk much after that. Alfred had been too busy answering everyone's calls, and it had taken everything Mattie had just to stay awake long enough to eat.

The last time she'd woken up had been a little over twenty minutes ago. Those naps had done her a world of good, but now she didn't know what to do with herself. She'd already gone to see her baby at the nursery, Francis and Arthur had returned home, and Alfred was out cold.

With nothing better to do, Mattie crossed her arms lazily around her now flat stomach and watched the digital clock on the bedside table as the tiny neon digits ticked away the seconds.

58... 59... 00... 01...

It was 7:30 PM now.

She sighed.

The day had been crazy; Mattie had either been upset beyond reason, in labor, or asleep. Not much room for thinking. Of course, now that all was calm, she had nothing but time to sift through her thoughts.

There was so much going on inside her head. Where did she even start?

'Alfred came for me. But does that mean he's staying?

'He can't ignore his boss...can he?

'If he does leave, where does that put us?

'I still love him. I don't think I could stop, no matter what he chooses.

'But how would I take care of a child all on my own? This whole time, I'd assumed he'd always be there next to me...

'How am I supposed to raise her?

'What if I screw something up?

'What if she's not like us?'

A sense of dread fell down into the pit of her stomach.

'What if she doesn't stop aging!

'If I had to watch her grow old and die...'

"I couldn't," she whispered to herself, tears already silently sliding down her cheeks. "I'd go mad first."

She curled up into the chair, pulling her knees against her chest, and sobbed, allowing the depressing thoughts to consume her.

.~.~.~.

Alfred began to stir. He brought a lazy hand up to his eyes to rub sleep from them, careful of his glasses, as they cracked open, millimeter by millimeter.

He looked over at the clock.

8:42 PM

'That late, huh?'

At first, everything was quiet. Then, a soft padding noise drew his attention to the opposite end of the room.

Mattie was there, walking leisurely to and fro as she gently rocked their sleeping child in her arms.

"You got her from the nursery," he asked, voice slightly hoarse from lack of use.

"Yeah," she whispered, never taking her eyes off of her baby. "I woke up about an hour ago and... I missed her."

"I see."

Alfred sat up. There was something off about the tone in her voice, and the way she looked at their daughter so hungrily worried him, but at the moment, he decided to let it pass. He figured her hormones were still just making her moody or something.

"I know what I'm going to name her," Mattie said, breaking her pattern to walk over and sit next to him. She shifted the baby slightly so she could lean against him.

"Really," he questioned, honestly curious of her choice. "What?"

"First name, Jeanne, and middle name, Elizabeth."

"Jeanne Elizabeth Williams-Jones, huh?" Alfred tested the waters, deciding he liked the way it sounded.

"Yep," she giggled slightly. "I figured she should have a little of both English and French in her name, you know?"

Al grabbed the back of Mattie's head, and leaned forward to kiss her tenderly on the forhead. She blushed, as expected. It was adorable.

"I love it."

A/N: It's here!

I've finally gotten the sequal up, and it's thanks to you lovely people and all your support.

Sorry for the delay. Like always, I kept getting inspired by the randomest experiences, and had to continuously go back and edit.

(P.S. - According to 'someone' who will not be named, I'm apparently human and make mistakes when I write. Who knew? So if there's anyone out there interested in being my beta for this fic, send me an IM! I'd really appreciate it!)