The meeting continued the next day, neither Canada nor Prussia attending. They assumed that heartbreak was an acceptable reason to skip out on one meeting. The meeting was less than productive, as America had refused to say anything… leading everyone to think that the world was coming to an end. He said nothing during the entire three hour period, England doing his best to console the younger brother. After all, the only sibling the American had now hated him more than anything else. Even then, America stuck to his word and refused Matthew's company to the albino.

Matthew was still clung to the sheets on the hotel bed and stared hopelessly out the window when he finally realized that this was not even his hotel room. This was Gilbert's room. He stood, gathering his things and sat on the floor next to Gilbert's suitcase. It was a black suitcase with a huge gray eagle emblem on one side, a few yellow bird stickers on the sides to brighten it up, and strangely enough it smelt just like Gilbert. Matthew took out his cellphone and texted Gilbert.

[I didn't realize this wasn't my room… I'll be gone by the time you come to get your things though. I… I'm gonna leave you something on the bed] Matthew retrieved the rest of his things and before leaving he collected Gilbert's gun as a token of that day and left a gift for his ex-lover as he had said. On the bed he left a picture, one he took of Gilbert and himself a few days before. A picture of them locked in a chaste-appearing kiss. On the back of it Matthew left a hastily-scribbled note and then he exited the room, his sorrows remaining behind to seek out the remainder of love still flickering within Gilbert's heart. He went back to his own hotel room, lying on the bed motionless for the remainder of the day. Nothing meant anything to him anymore.

Gilbert sat out on the corner of the street watching the sidewalk opposite his hotel. He'd slept there, hoping Matthew would come down to see him, but he knew the blonde wouldn't for fear of America. He didn't even notice Matthew leave the hotel, walking away from him and tears once again leaving his eyes. He checked his phone and saw the message, running up to see if Matthew had not yet left, but was greeted with an empty room. He kneeled down over Matthew's side of the bed, near the window, and bunched the sheets in his hands to bring it to his face. It still smelled like maple syrup and pine trees. It smelled like Matthew. He let go of the sheet with one hand and looked around the bed for the something Matthew spoke of in his text. He found a picture of them. Sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at it like an idiot, he touched the part with Matthew's face on it and smiled at how happy they were together. How happy they used to be.

He missed seeing that smile on Matthew's pretty face. He went to set it on the nightstand and caught that there was writing on the back. He turned it and his grip on it increased in pressure as he read on. How Matthew could put a knife in his heart without thinking about it.

Hey Gil.
I miss you. You know, you told me something and I think
you need to hear it now more than I did then.
I love you, and don't believe if anyone tells you any different.
Don't you go and forget about me, okay?

Gilbert held the picture to his head as he finally shed tears of his own, their bitter trails leading to a small soaked piece of the carpet where Gilbert's hope for the future lie dead. Without that love to keep his head up, there was nothing he could do. Matthew had been everything to him, the most vital piece of his hope… and nothing meant more to him than that he'd lost. As most people did, he threw off his shoes and jacket and picked up his phone to call a friend. He needed to tell someone that he hurt. Someone that would actually listen and care. He looked through his list of contacts until he reached France's number. Surely the older nation would know what to do. He waited for it to ring, his eyes staring into the cloudy gray sky as it cried, the raindrops mimicking his feelings to a point.

"Bonjour?" Gilbert sighed.

"Hallo. You got a minute to talk?" With obvious surprise, France agreed to talk. "America forced me and Canada apart and I don't know how to deal with it. I've never felt this alone in my entire life… Mattie was the only thing I had left…" Francis sighed.

"He's always been one for protecting the weak. I can tell you something that'll bring him to his knees, but you have to promise me that you'll marry Matthew in exchange. I won't let you mess with my son the way you did with everyone else." There was a weak, dry laugh.

"I planned on marrying him anyway." He could hear Francis smiling.

"Right. Well, as a romantic, I know that everyone has a weak spot for someone. Amérique's weak spot is for Angleterre. He can't do anything without him. I'm not saying threaten him back, but I want you to expose Amérique to him and to make sure to use the smallest details. If he already knows about this, it's even better because you can get him to side with you. As you should know, England raised Canada too. His parental instincts will kick in when he learns that America had a gun in the same room as Matthew. Hopefully, if you can get him to talk to America, he'll allow you a visit with Canada. This is the only way I can think of to get you and Matthew back together unless…" Gilbert's breath hitched.

"U-unless what?!"

"Unless you're willing to face him head on. A battle of strength. That's suicide though! Don't you even think about doing that Gilbert!" Prussia sighed.

"But I need my Mattie back, and if beating the crap out of America is what does it, then I'm in. I don't want just a visit, Francis, I want him back." He heard the Frenchman sigh, the atmosphere weighing heavily on both pairs of shoulders.

"Just think about what you're doing. Where will Matthew be if you lose? You'll leave him alone, ignored…"

"But then at least America will see that what he did was wrong. I'll see my little Birdie again." Francis sighed. "And I know for a fact that Matthew is pregnant. I know it was his first time and all but he's got your genes. I can smell it on him." Francis gasped.

"You're kidding right? How would you know if he was pregnant or not? Especially when not even Matthew knows!"

"I've been around enough pregnant people to know exactly what it smells like. I didn't mean for it to happen, honestly, and even you should know that it was a one-in-a-million chance! I mean, I'm not a nation anymore so the chances of having kids are really, really low for me. When Matthew finds out, I'll tell him that I knew, and I'll tell him that I want to keep the baby. Many nations now don't think about having kids because it happens so rarely, but the one thing I've always wanted is a kid of my own. And hey, if I lose the fight, Birdie with have the baby to remind him of me." Francis grunted.

"You don't know what you're doing Gilbert. What if America finds out? What if-"

"Cool it. America won't find out unless you tell him, because I'd rather die than tell him that Birdie's carrying my kid. I'll get a hold of America and see if I can arrange a meeting with him. I have to go, 'cause I wanna text Birdie and ask him if he and I can go back to Canada for a little while and hang out until America decides to finally take some action. I'll talk to you later okay?" Francis sighed.

"Right. Gilly, don't get yourself killed. There's a lot more at stake here than you realize."

"I won't." Gilbert tapped a button of his phone and started a text to Matthew. It was all going to go down in Canada. He took a deep breath and typed out his message.

[hey Birdie. I'm coming back 2 Canada with u so tell me when 2 get going 2 the airport] He sent it and looked out the window. He hadn't the slightest notion to bring his unborn child into this fight, as he knew the baby's safety was worse in jeopardy than if he just let the situation lie. Matthew was, without a doubt in his mind, the suicidal type. Hopefully, things could come to an okay outcome before Matthew had the chance to do anything too graphic.

[Gil, please don't text me. I don't want America finding out and hurting you. My jet will be leaving at five so meet me at the airport about four-forty-five.]

He sighed. At least Matthew was a little piece of heaven in the hell that was Earth. He fell back onto the hotel room bed with a plop, staring at the blank ceiling with minimal interest until he checked the time and it was finally four-thirty. He arrived at the airport no more than ten minutes later, sitting on his suitcase and waiting for Matthew to find him. A few minutes later, Matthew came up behind him stealthily and cover his eyes. Gilbert smirked and moved his head up, Matthew moving his hands away for them to look into each other's eyes. It had been too long for both of them, (though it had not been all that long) as new lovers they felt a deep need to be near each other at all times. Gilbert kissed him slowly, savoring the taste he'd been missing for several days.

"I've missed you Birdie. You don't know how hard it was without you." Matthew smiled, a tear making its way from his eye to slide down his blushing cheek.

"I do though. It's been hard and I didn't know what to do without you there with me. The plane should be ready, come on." Gilbert grabbed their things and the pair headed to the plane, sitting silently on the bed in the back. Matthew grasped his stomach and sighed. "I haven't been feeling well today. I don't know what it was but I threw up a whole bunch this morning." Gilbert shifted uncomfortably. He had almost forgotten that nations experienced pregnancy symptoms twice as fast and twice as hard.

"That sounds like it sucks. Have you eaten anything weird?" Matthew shook his head.

"Nope. I haven't eaten anything since… you know." Gilbert scowled, his glare directed at Matthew.

"You haven't eaten in four days? Matthew that's not good for th-… you. You're going to make yourself sick!" Matthew raised an eyebrow curiously but dismissed his suspicion.

"I'm sorry… it's just that nothing looked appetizing and I wasn't really hungry at all!" The albino sighed, his rage fading.

"I don't want you to get sick okay? When we get back to Canada we'll sit down and have dinner together okay? I'll make you anything you want. Just… promise me that even when I'm not with you, you'll take care of yourself. That means you have to eat and get exercise and everything!" Matthew nodded.

"Gil, don't worry, I'll be fine. It's you I'm worried about. You look like you're getting sick. You… you didn't sleep out on the curb below your room did you?" Gilbert's eyes shifted.

"Uh…" Matthew's face twisted.

"Why would you do that? Gilbert, you know how easily you get sick! What if the sun had been out? You would have gotten all burned up and I wouldn't have been there to help yo-" Gilbert stopped him with a kiss.

"Hey, you don't worry about anything but you. I can take care of myself." Matthew only nodded and Gilbert pulled him in for an embrace. They spent the remainder of their flight together, sleeping. The pilot awoke them a few hours later and Matthew got them back to his house safely. Gilbert, who had never been to Canada, was surprised at how beautiful the land was in a time of such modernization. Normally, things would have looked much more high-tech. Matthew's house however, was hidden in the forest and away from all the people. It had been just what Gilbert was expecting. The house itself was huge, with many rooms that stretched out along the mountainside. The inside was little less than extravagant, as Matthew's French blood did not allow him to have a normal, drab-looking home. There was a quick tour for Gilbert, as the house was actually that large, and Matthew sighed.

He had started to get hungry now that Gilbert was here and ready to help him out, but he did not want to eat for fear of Gilbert going off about taking care of himself again. Unfortunately, his stomach gave him away and Gilbert volunteered to make him dinner. He made a huge dinner and Matthew was actually afraid to eat it… as Germans were not exactly the best cooks. It turned out to be an okay meal and unsurprisingly, Gilbert ate most of it himself. When it came to time for bed, Gilbert carried Matthew up the stairs and set him in the fluffy bed gently, Matthew complaining all the way that he was not in need of royalties such as that.

The night was peaceful, as the large windows in Matthew's room revealed a view of the pond below and the moonlit forest surrounding both. Gilbert was not distracted for a moment by the lovely scenery, as he spent the long hours staring into his lover's sleeping face until sleep beckoned him into it's depths, his arms still holding the warmth of Matthew's body and the growing warmth of a child deep within. Morning would surely bring a day of rest and for Gilbert… a day of confessions.