First off: Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Friendship Day (to my best friend who is a Jehovah's Witness), etc.
So, I know I should be working on the big 10,000 word finale for 333 Ways to Get Kicked Out of the UN, but this plot bunny had been grazing at my consciousness and focus so I had to give it some love and let it go free! This is a little spin of the Christmas tale of The Nutcracker and Hetalia/Neotalia. I hope you enjoy this for it shall be done by Christmas! :D Consider this my replacement for the lack of my versions of Christmas Carols this year (I'll put up at least one to please you all).
Anyways, enjoy!
It was 11:47 pm, all of his party guests had gone home, and one slightly tipsy Alfred F. Jones, also known as The United States of America, lay sprawled across his living room couch of his flat in front of a toasty fireplace and red, white, and blue adorned Christmas tree.
Earlier that evening he had hosted the yearly holiday party that moved from nation to nation each year. This year happened to be his turn. Gazing at the fire, he sipped at his deliberately spiked eggnog.
Everything had gone right at the party, well except for one missing Alice Kirkland, but other than that nagging fact he had had a great time. Felicia Vargas, better known as Northern Italy, had caught Ludwig, Germany, under the mistletoe and appeared to be an item now. Russia had been less destructive this year due to the presence of China who sat contently on his lap all evening. Alfred himself had been the proper host: darting from person to person refilling drinks, keeping conversations, checking the window every five minutes much to his brother's notice, etc. Francis had commented that the last he had seen the Brit was right before she had traveled to an undisclosed European nation for Christmas gift advice.
Alfred took another swig of eggnog. It was 11:53 now. He idly looked over at the tree again and among the presents beneath it from his close friends and family was one he had not noticed before. It was a slender package not more than half a foot long wrapped in silver wrapping with a large red bow adorning the top left corner. Attached was a tag that read: OPEN AT MIDNIGHT. He shrugged and took another drink.
"Who put that there?" He wondered aloud. He sat up and looked to the grandfather clock once more. 11:57.
"Might as well." He placed the half empty mug of eggnog down on coffee tabled and got up. Picking up the strange present and heading back to the couch, he shook the silver adorned box. It slightly rattled. Alfred sat and stared while wondering about who could have left the gift there in the first place.
11:59.
It was an agonizing minute as his slightly inebriated state began to fade away with the onslaught of curiosity and anticipation. Alfred jumped slightly out of his thoughts as the clock chimed in the new Christmas morning and Alfred quickly but carefully unwrapped the box only to find a note taped to the exterior of the wooden box.
'Sorry I couldn't make it to the party
~Alice'
He smiled and removed the lid only to find a small ballerina doll.
"Why did she get me this?" He asked himself with a chuckle but pulled the doll out anyway. She was dressed in a green prima ballerina outfit with red ribbons in her messy blonde up-do. Alfred realized that the doll looked exactly like a wooden miniature form of Alice. He smiled warmly and placed a chaste kiss upon her painted lips.
Then she smiled.
Alfred felt an intense case of vertigo as he dropped the ballerina onto the couch as the floor came up to meet him and he blacked out, sprawled out on the hardwood floor.