Two Turtledoves

By the first recess, Seychelles is still none the wiser on who her secret Santa can be. Everyone seems to be acting normally (or as normal as these meetings can get). There is a sinking feeling that it could have been from France. He's the only country she can think of who would come up with such a delicious muffin idea and know pears are one of her favourite fruit. Then again, the pear chucks match the song, 'a partridge in a pear tree'.

She is a little sad actually, Seychelles really wants to thank the person for the delicious snack. Maybe she still can and also figure out who it is without asking.

She makes her way to the door, squeezing between taller nations to get through. There's a trashcan there and she stops to throw away the box. Fishing it from her bag, she's about to toss it but reconsiders. Maybe she can get the box top as a memory. She likes collecting those and souvenirs.

All at once, the little island country is grabbed and lifted off the ground. Someone spins her around for a second before placing her on her feet again.

"Hi, Madagascar," Seychelles says with a small eye-roll, turning around to see her neighbouring island. "You could have just said 'hello' instead of picking me up."

The man shrugs, and gives her a slow, easy smile then reaches up and pats her head. "I could have, put you're so tiny and cute. Besides, I'm the only one who does that so you know it's me."

That's true. Madagascar is the only country in the whole world he greets her by picking her up and spinning her around.

"What's that?" he asks, pointing at the box top in her hands.

"Oh," Seychelles looks at it then hands it to him. "Someone gave me a muffin, a secret Santa."

He takes it from her, reads the inscription and looks back. "I didn't know we were doing secret Santas."

"Me either, but I guess we missed the announcement?" It's not impossible. She and Madagascar were usually the late ones to the African Union meetings. "I want to get them something. Wanna come to the store with me? We have twenty minutes of recess left."

He nods and, before she can protest, he lifts her off the ground bridal style.

"Ack! I can walk."

"I know, but I thought you might like the view from up here better."

He just enjoys rubbing it in that he's taller than her.

In the end, Seychelles and Madagascar agree on getting a card. It's simple and cute with moving Santa arms and legs. Inside, she writes a simple 'thank you for the muffin' and Madagascar insist that she puts 'To: Secret Santa". They also agree on getting back a bit early so she can sit the card in the middle of the large conference table. That way, she can see who it is and thank them in person later.

The plan is fireproof so she makes her way to the room while most nations are still out in the hall chatting.

"Oh," Seychelles in a bit of surprise to find one nation already in there, "hi Canada." She waves and he looks up, equally surprised though she doesn't get why.

"Seychelles," he says with a nod and looks down at his lap then back to her. "You're here early."

She nods too, making her way to the table with her envelope, "Yeah, I have a package to deliver." She jokes.

"A package?"

She laughs and shows him the envelope before sitting it in the center of the table, then walks around to his chair. "It's more of a thank you envelope for my secret Santa."

Canada shifts in his seat and smiles kindly at her as she takes the seat next to him. "I don't think that's how secret Santa's work. It's supposed to be a secret."

"I know, that's why I didn't put my name on it. I just said thank you so they know I got it and like it."

He peaks up a little. "What was it? The gift."

"Oh," she says causally and looks at the doors that open, countries slowly falling in, "it was a muffin with pears in it. It was really cute with the whole a partridge in a pear tree thing." She looks back to him, "it really was good and maybe, just maybe I want to get a sneak peak at who gave it to me…"

Seychelles looks back at the growing crowd then to the table where her envelope…should be. It's gone? It's gone! Her eyes quickly scan, trying to find where the envelope escaped too. Who has it who? She spots it in the hands of…

China?!

Well that is most unexpected. She's never really looked at China in any type of way other than wondering if he really could do those moves she's seen on TV. Why would he give her a secret Santa? It doesn't make sense.

"Who wrote this?" he asks, drawing attention from surrounding nations.

"Wrote what?" a nation asks and Seychelles feels the sinking feeling of dread. This isn't how this is supposed to go!

"It's a card to a secret Santa?'

"Oh, lemme see!" America yells from somewhere and snatches the envelope from China. "you have a secret Santa?"

"Not me!" China grumbles and tries to snatch the envelope but the America holds his arm up high, "it was just sitting in the middle of the table. Stop that!"

"Get it if you can, dude!"

"I didn't know you were such a child, America," England says, Seychelles just wants to fold in on herself. If England sees it, he'll recognize her handwriting and then ask her all kinds of questions and totally ruin her secret note.

She can't let that happen. Seychelles jumps up, apologizing to Canada as she pushes her way to the growing crowd around her envelope. If she can just get through and sneakily take the envelope back…

America's voice gets her attention. "Hey, no fair, dude. You're such a killjoy, Russia."

Russia? Oh no, does he have her envelope? Is he her secret Santa? Sure, he was the first person she went to after her independence but that was more so to piss England off, not that she really considered going the USSR. Maybe he was showing his appreciation?

"To bad you're not taller, Amerika," Russia chimes, "I read now, da."

No. No. No. No!

Seychelles can't see over the crowd now but she hears some scoffs between America and Russia until, finally, Germany steps in.

"Everyone to your seats, now!" he commands and people fall in line. But where's her letter? Seychelles glances around once the crowd dissipates. She spots Madagascar looking at her with a raised brow and she shrugs helplessly as the envelope is lost in the shuffle.

Sighing in defeat she makes her way to her own chair, as the room is still abuzz about the secret Santa. Seychelles, without looking, pulls out her chair and plops down only to pop right back up. What is this now?

There's a box wrapped in brown paper with little birds on them and a straw ribbon. She nearly squashes the thing went she sits. Seychelles picks it up, looking around the room again. Somehow, her secret Santa managed to sneak in her gift amidst the envelope commotion. This box is heavier than the first gift and a bit bigger.

Quickly, she undoes the straw ribbon and removes the lid. Wow, they are really on a ball. She thinks and picks up her new gift, a sturdy new mug. She examines it curiously, turning it over in her hands and finds a potters mark on the base. It's…handmade? She admires the glaze—a richly varied amber that is sparked with darker and lighter flecks and on the front two hand painted turtledoves sit side by side on a tree bark.

Seychelles looks inside the mug and can't help the smile. At the base, in black cursive it reads, 'On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me….'.

"Alright dudes and dudettes," America's boisterous voice announces, "We're going to get to the second item on the agenda—my party—but first I'm gonna read this envelope."

Seychelles' head whips around to face the blond nation. She blushes as he reveals the content of her envelope, the Santa card.

"It says, 'Thanks for the muffin, it was really tasty. Merry Christmas.' Aw," America whines, "I want a muffin from a secret Santa! So, Santa, are you gonna come claim your card? Anyone?"

Seychelles looks around expectedly, as does everyone else. Nobody moves but a lot of people are whispering to each other. It doesn't help her pick out who it could be. Then her eyes land on Canada, who sits calmly between Cameroon and Cape Verde. He finally looks at her and smiles then offers a small wave.

Could it be…Canada?

"Nobody gonna claim this?" America asks, "Alright then, I'm just gonna put it in my pocket. Now about my Christmas party. Only awesome countries are invited so not Russia…"

A/N: Sorry, Russia. ^^