A/N: This chapter has been floating around between myself and a friend and has been put through so many additions and reviews that we finally decided it was good enough. I hope you enjoy this.
Summary: Lovina gave up everything for her chance at happiness, but time and fate are cruel, willing to pull her into a storm of suffering. In the end there can only be one price to be paid, but choices can change it. The question is: who is willing to tempt it?
Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia Axis Power, but I own my overly random plotline and any OCs I throw in.
A Thousand Reasons
Chapter 2: To Find the Truth
Sadiq rushed through the streets of southern Italy, not caring that another nation, if not a few, were following him. He had to reach her as quickly as he could, because he could not trust someone to not notice the oddity in her injury, possibly injuries. Northern Italy had just been devastated, the people were in shock, and the land itself had destroyed buildings and had probably killed more than a few people. South Italy was still closely tied with Spain, should Spain fall due to the rising crisis of the European Union and the Euro crisis, Italy itself would not be far behind. Just moments ago when he had been in the World Meeting he could see it taking its toll on the nations, England put on a good show but he was pale, France had not been as flamboyant as he normally would have been, and Spain had looked sick, though whether that was because of his economy, the political issues, or the fact that he couldn't remember why he felt so empty Sadiq hadn't the faintest idea.
As he got closer to the house he could make out the two worried forms of Antonia and Lovino. He sighed, they were such good and faithful children, they didn't deserve to have something so terrible to happen to their family…as he thought about it, it was his family too. A family, something he had never really thought to have considering he was always at odds with the other nations, including the lovely personification of southern Italy, yet it was true. Lovina had let him in, clung to him as though he were her lifeline, and he knew he very well could be, because without Antonio, that hell's blasted Spaniard, she had pretty much fallen apart. Sadiq vaguely knew he was her support, just as she was his confident. He may not love her as he once did and they may have a bit of an abnormal bond, but they cared about each other and they had raised the twins well.
"Tio Sadiq!" the twins cried out as he ran towards them and enveloped them in a hug.
"I'm here, I'm here," he whispered consolingly. "Take me to your mama, si?"
"Si, tio, mio madre is in the kitchen here," said Antonia, leading him to her.
From what Sadiq knew of the economic situation was that Europe was slowly dying, drowning from their own debts with no way of repaying them anytime soon, Europe was slowly falling Spain would not be far behind the damned Greek and if Spain fell Italy would follow, something he knew was worrying Germany as well.
Turkey cringed as he caught sight of Lovina's small form. She had always been small and was resigned to that fact, but seeing her curled up in pain with droplets of blood, made her seem so much smaller. Lovina was a proud woman, a woman he knew to be of courage that always spoke her mind and gave her opinion, wanted or not, comforting or not, she would state it. She was a nation so much younger than he was but in her life he knew she had seen much more than she should have and almost wished he could have protected her from that but also knew he couldn't have done much better, she'd still be the same.
Turkey could hear a few other nations crowded outside the door, trying to talk in low voices and the children were both worried for their mother, this was something they couldn't handle. "Did you call the doctor?"
"Of course we did, bastard!" snapped Antonia. "We need mama!"
"I'm just as worried, Antonia, do not take this out on me. I need you to go get me some warm water in a bowl and a cloth. Lovino go get a blanket and a pillow. I don't think we should move her, just in case…" his voice trailed but they understood. Getting up he swiftly went to the door and saw both England and America outside and raised his eyebrows behind his mask. "What are you two doing here?"
"This stupid git dragged me here," started England, but America cut him off, "We were worried. You were talking to some children right?"
Reluctantly, Sadiq found himself nodding. "Do either of you know how to perform a medical assessment? Their mother collapsed and is bleeding; I don't know when the doctor will get here."
America and England both exchanged a look and furrowed their brows, but England nodded. "I know some, but it might not be enough if it's serious."
"That's fine, follow me," he said, leading them through the door and towards the kitchen. He was greeted by a scowling Antonia and a worried Lovino clinging to his sister, the items he requested lay near their mother. He cleared his throat, "These are some people I work with. Arthur here," he gestured to England, "is going to take a look at your mother to see if he can find what's wrong with her since we don't know how long it'll take the doctor to get here or how serious it is."
Lovino nodded and a little relief fell over his features, but Antonia's scowl deepened, "We don't need these fucking bastards! What if they hurt mama? She was upset earlier crying about papa and her fratellino!"
England and America had been staring at the twins and the young woman who was on the floor before England immediately took action and went to check her pulse. Her forehead was sweaty and she was kind of clammy and cold to touch, but she was breathing, no matter how labored, and she wasn't burning up which were good signs that while she was in pain she wasn't exactly sick, but that didn't really put her in the clear since she could have internal injuries.
The young woman looked familiar to America, and the twins kind of reminded him of two of his fellow nations, but it was the woman who held his attention. She was beautiful, as beautiful as a nation, but he knew she wasn't one even though he had a tiny feeling and voice in the back of his head trying to get him to remember. The woman, reminded him of himself during the 9/11 terrorist attack, in so much pain but trying to stay strong, not showing just how much pain she was really in, he had done it to be strong for his people just as they stayed strong to prove they were united as a nation, but he knew she was doing it for her children. Children he knew she would probably give her life for, but he couldn't stop the damn knowing feeling that he somehow knew her, that she was important…
"Well, there's not much I can do without proper equipment," said England. "From what I can tell she's probably got either an internal injury or she's been ill for a while and hasn't had a chance to get proper treatment."
"She's been sick awhile," Lovino said meekly, trying not to look at the strangers. While he got along with outsiders easier than his sister, there was definitely something off about their uncle Sadiq's co-workers.
England nodded in understanding. "We have to move her, make her more comfortable, being on the floor is doing more damage and the position she is in might be affecting any internal injuries she might have that is causing her to cough up blood."
Sadiq agreed to move her to her room, England being shown by the worried form of Lovino where the medical kit and the herbs were. Antonia watched the American apprehensively. "Why'd you come, bastard? You seem to be pretty useless."
"Ouch," muttered America before he smiled brightly. "I came because I'm a hero and hero's always try their best to save people so that others don't get sad or feel pain!"
"Mama's always in pain, she's happy she has me and fratello, but she misses her brother and papa," Antonia said quietly. "She tries to hide it and I don't think Lovino noticed, but I see it. If you are really a hero, do you think you could try and help my mama? Find her old friends and get people back into her life?"
America made a silent promise to help in anyway, before saying, "Of course," and smiling at the young girl who blushed and looked away from him stuttering.
England and Turkey looked over Lovina, spending time prodding her sides and feeling for broken bones. It wasn't long before they discovered Lovina somehow had two broken ribs, though Turkey knew they had been fine just hours before when she had been talking to him. It made him worry. She had given up being a nation, her ties, yet she had not aged, could it be possible for her to still feel the pain of her nation despite this?
"England, hypothetically, what if this was something similar to what we nations experience?" asked Turkey, keeping the worry out of his voice trying to remain calm.
"I don't see how that could be unless…" England's voice trailed off. "Does she have any unusual markings?"
Thrown off by England's abrupt question Turkey shook his head. "Not that I know of, though I think she mentioned she has some sort of symbol on her back, though she can't recall how she got it or when, just that she's had it since she was young."
England cursed and he pulled up part of her shirt trying to find that mark, only to be confronted with a symbol that had both him and Turkey staring in wonder. "What…what is that?"
"I don't know," England muttered, "but I am going to find out."
England stood and left, grabbing America and taking the bloody yank with him, claiming he needed his help to research possible cures for the woman's illness, making him agree immediately.
Sadiq saw them off and noticed that both Antonia and Lovino had fallen asleep on the couch, he carried the young ones to their room and tucked them in together like they had slept when they were younger.
The next morning, Sadiq stood outside of Lovina's door, he looked in through the crack to see Lovina propped up in her bed thanks to the mountain of pillows behind her looking out the window as she sang a song, low in her voice. It sounded like an American song.
"I thought I could live alone
That I'd be fine on my own
I wouldn't cry or think of you
But every day that passes
I see more of what I lost
And I'm reminded that I…
I paid that cost
Now I'm sitting here
And I'm all alone
Even if I called
You wouldn't pick up the phone
We're strangers again
We aren't lovers or friends
Who's that knocking on your door?
It isn't me, not anymore
I closed my eyes and walked away
You never called for me to stay
So, I said goodbye
I refuse to let you see me cry
These eyes they won't shed those tears
It's okay that you're not here
I'm not afraid
I'm not afraid
I'm alone
Thinking about the years that past
Every moment that's gone by
They remind me life's not so bad
But there's the lie
My secret hidden on the inside
That I'm dying alone
I wish I could call home
But I've got my life
You've got yours
Is it everything you wanted?
Is it all you thought it'd be
It's no surprise
Since you're not with me
And all those jokes your friends made
All those things you said
All the things we never did
I wish…
One more chance and one more day
To lay at your side
To be okay
To tell you the truth
It will always be you…
It's always been you."
Sadiq could hear the echoes of longing in her voice, the depth of which she desperately needed that stupid bastard Spain. It was practically killing her inside. Her love for Spain was something Sadiq didn't think he could understand, as a general rule nations didn't fall in love because it would only lead to heartbreak, unions were only made out of necessity and when it was complete the nations didn't really care, well aside from rarities like Austria and Hungary, but even still Austria had been married to that idiot of an ex-nation Prussia for a while when they were younger, just as Spain had once been forced to marry England.
England had worried him yesterday with the abrupt departure and talk of research, but Sadiq hoped that meant they might be able to help Lovina, because he needed her to live, he wanted her to live, and he knew that she had to live so that they could damn well learn the truth about whatever was happening. Yes, he knew that the reality was they needed to find out exactly what was the truth so he could help her and protect her. He didn't need a thousand reasons, Lovina's children were the only two reasons he needed to find the truth.