Red Roses2: I know I should be writing on the next chapter for The Yaoi Brigade, but I couldn't help but write this for Father's Day.

Summary: It's not easy being a father country, but that doesn't mean that England isn't loved.

Characters: England, France, China, America, Canada, Sealand, Seychelles, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Austria, Sweden, and Finland.

Pairings: France x England, China x England, America x Japan, Sweden x Finland.

Father's Day

The third Sunday in June. Father's Day. England had a lot of conflicting feelings about this day. It reminded him of the days when his children still loved him and looked up to him, but it also reminded him of the days when he felt like he could love other countries freely and raise a family with them. . . . He smiled bitterly as he remembered bringing Canada and America into the world.

"Uh oh. . . ." Austria said, hands positioned in the proper place for catching a baby.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'UH OH'!" England snapped at him – he hadn't thought his body could possibly be built for this!

"Well . . . you have twins."

England thought he was going to pass out. TWINS?

"Uh, why is that bad?" France dared to ask, his right hand in England's death grip.

"Well, the first one came out just fine . . . but the second one is up pretty far. It's going to take a while for him to come out. . . ."

England tried to breathe like Hungary taught him to, but it was hard; at least he knew why they called him "Mother" England now. . . .

Three days later, America finally popped out, and England was fully prepared to behead France and raise the two future countries all by himself. Somehow, France both escaped England's wrath and managed to lose both of the kids. Then, later, Finland came to them saying that they found a small child in the New World. . . .

"NO WAY IN BLOODY HELL WILL I LET YOU TAKE CARE OF HIM! YOU LOST HIM IN THE FIRST PLACE, YOU BASTARD!"

Unfortunately, France got to Canada before England could, but he quickly rectified the matter.

Canada looked up at England with sad eyes as France disappeared from view.

"When will I get to see Papa again?"

England refused to look at Canada as he said "never." He pretended he couldn't hear the young nation crying.

England frowned as he remembered the American Revolution . . . and Canada asking for independence afterwards. . . . Maybe that was why he had tried so hard to build another family. . . .

England breathed hard as he went through the pain of child labor once again, the only difference being that it was one child and China held his hand, speaking to him in Mandarin, telling him to breathe.

"Ah, he's so cute, aru! I'd like to name him Hong Kong, aru!"

England muttered a vague agreement before closing his eyes for some much needed rest.

After the First Opium War, England took Hong Kong away from China and took him to his house, devoid of other children, far away from his brothers and sisters. Hong Kong didn't say much, but the looks of indifference and a simple deadpanned statement of "I want to go home" killed England on the inside. He eventually gave Hong Kong back to China, and that was the one time he actually saw his child smile.

England gritted his teeth as he remembered returning to France's arms and having two more children with him. Seychelles seemed to like France more than him, just like Canada, and Sealand would rather be adopted by Sweden and Finland.

He sighed. As much as he loved being a father, it didn't seem like he was really cut out for it.

The door bell rung, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Huh?"

England got up and answered the door, his eyes widening.

China, Hong Kong, and the rest of their family – minus Japan – stood on his doorstep. China rubbed the back of his neck, and Hong Kong walked up to him, holding out a gift.

"Happy Father's Day, Father England."

England accepted the gift and told himself he wasn't about to cry.

"Thank you, Hong Kong," England said, bending down to hug him. Hong Kong hugged him back.

Before he could say "the Queen of England", his living room had turned into a party room, complete with English tea sets serving green tea and an assortment of Asian snacks. England opened his present to reveal a Harry Potter book in Cantonese, Hong Kong smiling slightly.

"Hong Kong's become obsessed, aru," China said.

There was another knock on the door, but the fact that England didn't have to get up to answer revealed who it was before he even rounded the corner.

"Sacre bleu, I didn't expect you to already have a party going! And here Mathieu and I thought we had an original idea!"

England's jaw dropped as Canada, France, and Seychelles walked into the room, Canada and Seychelles also holding gifts. It looked like France had already opened his own, seeing that he was wearing a new shirt and barrette.

"Happy Father's Day, Daddy!" Canada and Seychelles cheered in unison.

Now England really felt like he could cry. But he didn't.

France got himself settled down, and Canada and Seychelles quickly got into interesting conversations with Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. South Korea joyously tackle-hugged China repeatedly as China tried to have a simple conversation with England and France, Hong Kong sitting quietly between China and England.

The doorbell rang once more, and Canada said that he'd get it, so England sat back down as his oldest ran to answer the door.

England leaned over to try to see who was coming in as Canada exclaimed, "Wow, this is a surprise! Come on in!"

England's jaw dropped as Sealand skipped into the room, followed by a smiling Finland and a stoic-as-ever Sweden.

"We th't th't y'w't t' see h'm t'd'," Sweden said, England barely understanding a word he said, but he got the gist of it.

"Here!" Sealand chimed, handing him a gift.

England accepted it with a smile.

"Thank you. All of you," England said, looking up at Finland and Sweden. Finland grinned back.

England unwrapped the gift to find a build-your-own-boat model kit. He drug Sealand into a hug, Sealand protesting.

England could think of only one thing to make this a better day that it already was. . . . But it probably wasn't going to happen. America hadn't truly acknowledged that they were family since the end of the American Revolution.

China gripped his hand and gave him a smile.

"Japan doesn't acknowledge it, either," he said; it was amazing how China could read his mind sometimes.

The doorbell rang once again, but England froze, trying to keep himself from getting his hopes up.

The person at the door tried the doorknob and let themselves in.

"Ah, that's weird! Usually he has it locked!" came America's voice from the entrance hall.

"Are you sure he won't mind me being here?" asked Japan; China dropped his teacup, spilling green tea all over the rug.

"Nah, he'll just be glad someone actually showed up!"

"America-chan, isn't that Finland's bag?"

"Huh?"

England stood up and ran to the entrance hall.

America and Japan turned around, and America grinned brightly at him.

"There you are! I was wondering if you wanted to go out to eat today!"

America blinked, his expression becoming confused as England felt tears rolling down his cheeks.

"S-sure," England said, doing his best not to let his emotions pour into his words too much. "As long as you don't mind paying for everyone else!"

England grinned as the rest of his family poured into the entrance hall, everyone talking at once. America's and Japan's eyes widened, Japan turning a faint pink color. America just laughed nervously.

"On second thought, maybe we should just stay here!"

Sometimes it paid off to be a father. This was certainly one of those times.

Red Roses2: Japan calling America "America-chan" is just something that I like to have; America acts the most child-like aside from Sealand, who actually is a child, so I think it would be natural for Japan to refer to him as America-chan. America also wouldn't realize what that means exactly, so he'd really like the nickname.