Germany had been having a relatively peaceful night. He'd managed to get Prussia off the computer at a fairly early hour. Austria, who was staying with them because Hungary had decided that their home needed major renovations (she was out of town visiting Poland), had retired early to his room to read. So there really was nothing to disturb his sleep. Until he felt a hand on his cheek, that is...

"Cut it out, Gilbert," Germany growled. What was his brother up to now? He still hadn't forgotten the time that he woke up with his face covered in shaving cream... Prussia had been standing over him, snickering, with a feather in his hand. The hand stayed on his cheek, and Germany began to grow annoyed. "Gilbert," he hissed, "go back to your room right now, or I'll..."

"Hmm?" a voice that wasn't Prussia's, or even Austria's for that matter, replied quietly. Germany's eyes fluttered open and he was startled to see a tall, muscular man with long blond hair sitting on the edge of his bed. The man smiled lovingly at him and said, "Luddi, you don't remember me, do you? I know you don't, I can tell by the way you're looking at me."

"No," Germany replied in a barely audible voice. The man looked so very familiar, but why? Germany's normal reaction in a situation like this would have been to grab his gun and aim it at the intruder... but in this case, he couldn't even move. It was as though he were hypnotized...

The man spoke again. "Luddi, it's been a very long time... and a lot has happened since the last time I saw you. You were so small then. I'm sorry I haven't been here for you..."

Germany just stared. He didn't know what to make of all this. The man looked and sounded just like someone he knew, but who was it? His train of thought was derailed as the door to his room swung open and Prussia appeared, blinking, hair disheveled and in his pajamas.

"You're talking in your sleep again, West, and loudly, might I add," Prussia exclaimed in an irritated tone. In that split second, Germany looked up through the open door of his room and caught a glimpse of the full-length mirror hanging in the hall. He and the mystery man were clearly reflected in it... Germany gasped. It was him! The mystery man looked and sounded just like him.

Germany looked up again to see his brother staring open mouthed at the man. "Vati?" Prussia gasped. "Vati?"

The man laughed. "Oh, Gilly," he said, gazing very tenderly at Prussia. "What a fine young man you've become! And now I can tell you that face to face!"

"West," Prussia shouted, grabbing Germany's shoulders, "West, that's our Vati!" He then embraced the man, grinning, and exclaimed over and over, "Vati, I'm so glad to see you!"

"And I you, Gilly," Germania answered. He then looked over at Germany and chuckled. "Poor Luddi is so confused... my poor little fellow."

Presently Austria shuffled to the door in his pajamas and dressing gown, squinting and looking disgusted at the interruption of his restful sleep. He, too, stopped dead when he caught sight of the man. "Vati," he said softly, with a shocked expression on his face.

Germania looked close to tears when he caught sight of Austria. "Roddi," His voice dropped to a whisper. "When you were small, I never knew if you'd live to be a man... my child..." Austria approached his father slowly, holding his hands out to him. Germania reached out and pulled Austria into his arms, holding him and rocking him a little like a small child.

Suddenly Germania drew back from his son and looked toward the door with a frown. "There are two missing... where is my Basch? And Berwald, my other child?" His face held an expression that was more than a little anxious. "Are they well?"

Prussia stopped dancing around the room long enough to answer,"Oh, they're both fine, Vati! They just live in their own houses now."

Germania laughed a little sheepishly and said, "Yes, I suppose they would, wouldn't they?" He hesitated for a moment and asked tentatively, "Is there... any way... that I could see them? In person?" His expression turned wistful. "I've been able to watch over you all some, but... I just want to see my babies all together again."

"Of course, Vati," Prussia crowed. (In case one couldn't tell, he was in rare form at that moment... as much as he had loved and respected Old Fritz, Fritz could never truly replace his Vati.) "Come over here and sit," he told Germania, pulling him to Germany's desk and sitting him down in front of the computer, switching the webcam on at the same time. Prussia then grabbed Germany's phone off the desk (Germany was still too befuddled to protest) and dialed a number.

"Basch!" He shouted when the person he was calling answered. "Get your cheapskate self out of bed and turn your webcam on! Someone wants to see you!"

"Gilbert, what the..." Switzerland grumbled.

"Basch, Vati's here! He came to see us! Just like Feliciano's grandpa visited him!" Prussia bellowed excitedly.

"Are you lying to me?" Switzerland demanded. "Because if you are, I'll shoot your..."

Prussia held the phone to Germania's ear. Germania recoiled slightly from Switzerland's angry yelling, but when he recognized the voice he asked Prussia, "Is that Baschy?"

Now everyone in the room could hear Switzerland through the phone. "VATI? WHAT... HOW..."

Germania replied softly, "Basch, liebchen, you're hurting Vati's ears with your shouting..." Switzerland immediately hung up. A few seconds later his face appeared on the screen, wide awake and looking very shocked. Germania asked Prussia, "He can hear me if I talk?" (Germania had been able to watch the progression of technology from the afterlife and wasn't completely clueless as to its workings.)

"I can hear you, Vati," Switzerland exclaimed.

"Basch, my little man, I've missed you so much," Germania said softly, his eyes getting a little misty.

"Can I come over, Ludwig?" Switzerland shouted at Germany as he had caught sight of him behind their father (he was so startled he forgot to lower his voice). "I mean, if Vati wants to see me that is."

"Um... yes..." Poor Germany's brain struggled to wrap itself around what was happening.

"I'm leaving now," Switzerland said. "I mean, as soon as I get Lili awake and ready to go." At the mention of Liechtenstein, Germania smiled. She was his oldest son's child and his first grandchild. Switzerland's face disappeared from the screen again.

"Call Berwald too," Austria told Prussia. Prussia nodded and dialed the number.

Germany swallowed hard. "Vati." His voice croaked out weakly. Germania turned around and walked back over to Germany, looking at him more lovingly than anyone ever had.

"Yes, my precious child?" he answered, stroking his son's cheek.

"Would you like something to eat?" Germany managed to get out in a slightly more normal tone of voice. He felt his eyes watering a little.

"Oh, Luddi, don't trouble yourself for me," Germania answered softly, ruffling Germany's hair. Germany noticed that Austria wasn't in the room anymore... at that moment Prussia hung up the phone.

"Vati, Berwald is coming over too," Prussia told him.

Germania looked thrilled. "I'll have all my babies together again... and my little Lilichen. She's such a good girl."

"Vati?" Austria returned to the doorway. "I have coffee and cake for you. All of us, actually."

"Roddi," Germania exclaimed anxiously, "sit down, please. Don't work yourself too hard, you'll get ill again." Austria crossed the room and took his father's hand.

"Vati," Austria replied, "I haven't been sick in a very long time. In fact, I've been quite well." He led Germania out of the room and as he took him down the hall he called over his shoulder, "Coffee and cake out here."

Germany got up slowly and shuffled to the door. His head was spinning... he felt an arm around his shoulders and realized it was (one very overjoyed) Prussia.

"West, you look lost," Prussia chuckled. Germany could only nod dumbly. "I think this is so awesome," Prussia continued. "Feliciano says his grandpa gets to come around and see him, so why not our Vati as well?" Germany remembered all too well when Sir Rome showed up in his house in the middle of the night... that had spooked him too.

But this, this was even weirder. Prussia told him stories about their childhood and their Vati all the time, which Germany quite enjoyed (seeing that he had no memories left before that day when he woke up, covered in blood and ashes, with Prussia holding him in his arms and weeping*). But actually having his father here? Now? Germany tried to sort his thoughts as he was pulled along by his very ecstatic brother.

Notes:
Very nice, huh? Rome wanted his best friend to get to see his kids in person again, and here he is! Yes, Germania still thinks of his boys as little kids... awww.
* As I said before, IMO: Germany= HRE with amnesia. :P I wish Hima-papa would just come right out and say it. Also, Austria and Hungary are not "officially" married, but they're still together kinda like a common law marriage.

And, inspiration for this and The Way They Were, The Way They Are (which if you haven't read that one it may be helpful to do so to understand where I am going) came from a strip in the Christmas 2011 event showing Germania and Rome having a conversation and Germania thinks of his kids (Hima-boss-man drew Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Prussia and Sweden in Germania's thoughts).

Germania: Yeah, I was thinking of my boys... and all Romulus could think of was picking up chicks.

Rome: Shut up! Like you never...

(Germania, surprisingly, puts his fingers in his ears and starts singing "lalalalala")

Lady: Uncle Germania, you're acting just like Grandpa! That's funny!

Germania: Mein Gott, I am! *turns to Rome* This is what I get for spending so much time with you...

Rome: Aww... Aldrich, you're my best friend...

Germania: Whatever.