"Jean? When will we be able to go outside and play with Mommy and uncle?" A young Oliver asked, giggling when the elder ruffled his golden locks playfully. "I'm sure we'll be able to go outside soon. It's just Papa France is really busy, and doesn't want us to go outside where we can get hurt." Jean responded, "I'm sure we'll be able to go outside again when Mom and Papa finish sorting things out with that British guy." Oliver nodded, grabbing onto the stuffed bear that was handed to him by the elder. "Okay, I will be a patient good boy and wait for them to sort it out like you told me to!" Jean smiled, kissing the younger on the forehead, as he yawned largely. "Alright, now you go to sleep alright, Oliver? I'll make you some pancakes tomorrow." Oliver smiled, "With lots of maple syrup?" Jean giggled, "Of course! As much as you want. As long as you go to sleep and wake up tomorrow."
They were interrupted by a loud bang from downstairs. Oliver yelped clutching his bear tightly, "J-Jean? What was that?" "I don't know. I'm going to go check out what happened—" As he was getting up, he felt a tug on his sleeve. "Don't leave me Jean." Oliver cried as Jean shushed the younger child, "Don't worry Oliver, I'll be back. Just stay here, I need to change out of my clothes anyways. I'll be back." "Promise?" Oliver held out his hand towards the brunette, who held it gently as he leaned over to kiss the younger's forehead. "Of course. I'll only be a minute." Jean left the room, pulling the door closed gently, so as to not make any sound.
'I'll just go check on what's happening.' He thought, 'It's on the way to my room anyways.' He crept quietly down the hallway and down the stairs to the conference room where he knew his Mother and Papa were discussing things over with the British guy. 'If that limey hurts Mom, Papa, or Oliver, I'm going to punch him!' Jean thought as he quietly creaked the door open, peering inside carefully at the events unfolding in front of him.
"So you're saying that I'll have a choice?" He heard his Papa Francis ask the man with the thick eyebrows. "Yes. You can chose between you precious little girls, or Canada. I don't care which one you chose really. Whoever you don't chose, I'll have. You're lucky I'm doing this for you frog. It's just…I owe you for that one time at that party…"
"But Arthur-! Won't you let me keep both? I love all my children equally! I can't bare to separate with either of them!" Jean gasped quietly as the man called Arthur slammed his hands down against the table angrily, "Listen here frog. I've told you once and I'll tell you again. You get only one. I've given you enough time to think about this alright? You had better decide now otherwise I`ll take them all and leave you with nothing!" "Alright! Fine if you want Canada so badly you can just have him! Why do you want Canada so badly anyways? It`s only just miles and miles of useless, frozen wasteland?"
"But Papa-!" Matthew cried as Francis shushed the blonde child. "Well then. I guess that seals the deal then. You can have your daughters. I shall have Matthew and his children then." Arthur smirked, grabbing the blonde`s colony`s arm tightly and dragging him over. Matthew looked sadly over at France, "But, are you sure you want to give us up, Papa?" Francis glared, "I wanted to keep you all. But to tell you the truth, I guess this is a good deal for me. You were getting pretty costly anyways. No one needs furs anymore. And that was all you were good for."
Matthew sobbed quietly, tears running down his face like rain, "Then what did we mean to you? Was all you said to me fake? Did you only want me for the profit? Did you even care about Oliver and Jean? They loved you more than the world!" France frowned, "Listen Canada, I did care about you once upon a time. But there comes a time when every colony has to grow up. It also happened to me many moons ago. You will have to face reality sooner or later." A loud bang interrupted the conversation. Jean had slammed the door open, surprising everyone, including himself. Matthew looked up at his child sadly, "Jean…you…?" Jean glared angrily at his so-called `Papa`, "So then why did you adopt us in the first place? Why…if you didn`t care from the start, why did you pretend? Why would you pretend that you gave a damn?" Francis stared at his ex-child blankly, "Well, you didn`t think I`ve thought it through? I needed to make sure that you would be good, obedient little colonies, and that you wouldn`t go against me, no matter what, and do what I order, without question." Francis laughed, "I wanted you to become the perfect puppet! That would help me even at the cost of your own life! To become perfect-!"
"Damn…how foolish I`ve been…just following you like a puppy…son of a b*tch, did we not mean anything to you!`All the time we spent together…it was all a lie wasn't it?" Jean barked angrily at the man he used to look up to like a hero. "I loved you. I f*cking loved you, you stupid man! Me and Oliver loved in you! We believed in you! We trusted in you! And you f*cking threw it all away…" The room feel silent, save for Jean`s sobbing. Matthew shrugged out of Arthur`s hold to go to hold his child, "Oh Jean…" Jean pushed Matthew`s hand away gently, smiling, before glaring back at Francis, "I want you to leave! Leave now and never show your repulsive face around here ever again! I don`t even want you to save goodbye to Oliver! Just leave and never come back! We`ll do just fine on our own!" Jean stomped out of the room loudly, leaving the rest of the rooms inhabitants stunned. He ran into his room, slamming the door shut and locking it, before falling heavily onto the bed. He was so exhausted from the prior events that he began to drift into darkness as his head hit the pillow.
A knock interrupted his peace. He felt his anger grow as he stomped over to the door, slamming it open, causing the person behind it to fall back. "What the hell do you want?" Jean screamed loudly, scaring the child below him. Jean`s eyes widened in realization as big blue watery eyes widened in fear. "I…I`m sorry for disturbing you, J-Jean. I`ll just…head to bed now..." Little Oliver ran in the opposite direction, crying loudly.
Jean began to feel very guilty, `I shouldn`t have lashed out so quickly…plus, I did say I was going to sleep with him tonight...` "Oh…! I`m such an idiot!" He cursed loudly, before running after the younger child. He continued running down halls, searching worriedly, until a scream broke him out of his trance. "That was…Oliver!" He followed the screams to Francis` room, where he watched as his former guardian held the young child in a choke-hold. "Papa-! That hurts! Please stop it! I can`t…breathe…!" Jean saw red. He went through the bedside drawer knowing that Francis kept a pistol there for safe keeping, and pulled it out, aiming and shooting said Frenchman in the side, startling him as he dropped the young blonde. "Get out Oliver. Listen Francis, don`t you dare move or the next one I will not miss."
He glared as he ran out of the room, grabbing Oliver`s hand and pulling him down the hallway roughly, not stopping until they reached his room. He motioned for Oliver to get inside, before closing the door and locking it. He then sighed, placing the newly acquired pistol on a high dresser and taking a seat beside the younger boy on his bed. "What happened to you Oliver? Are you alright?" Oliver nodded, tears still flowing through his eyes like the St. Lawrence, "Papa….he…I couldn`t breathe…I was so scared Jean!" Jean hugged the younger boy, rubbing his back softly to calm him down. "Don`t worry Oliver. You`re safe now. Let`s go to sleep, alright?" Oliver rubbed his eyes, as Jean pulled him down into a lying position. "You don't have to worry. I`m going to protect you okay? No matter what. I love you. Don`t forget that Oliver." Oliver nodded, leaning into Jean`s chest as Jean wrapped his arms around the younger boy. "Goodnight Jean. I love you." Jean smiled, as Oliver was lulled to sleep by the sound of Jean`s heartbeat, "Goodnight Oliver. I love you too."
