There was a place in the woods behind Mathew's house that he considered to be a secret sanctuary of his. Something that he had told no one about before, and as far as he could tell, it was a place that no one else had discovered. It was a small clearing with a large rock probably dropped by the Wisconsin Glacier considering how out of place it was. But it was perfect. The rock was the exact right size that he needed to curl up on top of or beside. He'd dubbed it his "reading rock" when he had found it a few hundred years ago.

Mathew had managed to escape from his family again, after an argument had abruptly blown up among them, and had went straight to his reading rock. He knew without looking behind himself that France had followed. The footsteps he could hear now that he'd stopped running only confirmed that.

Then the footsteps had stopped, and France had sat down in front of him and smiled sadly. "Please stop trying to confuse me, Mathew." He pleaded. "You keep seeming like there are times where you do want us around, and then you push us away again. It's confusing me so much, and everyone else too, I believe. Tell me right now, please, do you even like me? Is there no hope for me to gain any place in your heart besides that of the one person you seem to hate?"

Mathew's face had crumpled up almost before he had even finished talking, and he'd broken down crying.

When Mathew had brought his legs up against his chest and had started holding onto them like he would never let go all the while mumbling out, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry", Francis had moved from in front of him to beside him, leaning up against the rock, and wrapped Mathew into a hug from his side.

"I'm sorry too." He tried to murmur back enough times that Mathew could hear him above his sobbing. Then he'd heard Mathew whisper something.

"Hmm, what was that?"

"Yes."

He could hear Mathew's voice becoming even more muffled with the way his face was carefully hidden behind his knees.

"Yes to what?"

"Yes, I'm lying. I don't not like you. I'm sorry for making you feel bad. Please don't leave me right now."

"I would never leave you."

"You said that once before and now look at what happened."

"You know, Mathew, doing the same action doesn't always get you the same result every time. It's what keeps us nations and the humans trying to get things right all the time."

"And what keeps us failing."

"But sometimes we also succeed. And it feels so wonderful when it does happen that it encourages you to keep going, and isn't that wonderful in and of itself too?"

"That it does, France. That it does." Mathew managed to get out as his sobs seemed to worsen.

But, no, Francis realized. Mathew wasn't crying anymore, he was laughing.

And that made this trek all the way out here all the more worthwhile.

It seemed that leaving the two while they were busy doing something else had become a habit for America and England, for they were gone by the time they came back to the house.

It also seemed that showing up without warning was also a habit now for them because they showed back up on their doorstep a few hours later. Apparently, America had dragged England to the gym for some spontaneous working out.

Mathew did not approve, particularly of the smell it meant his brother now had.

The two were in the living room and Mathew had spent the past few minutes while watching his brother play some video game on the best way to voice his opinion on Alfred's scent. He decided to do it the straight forward way, maybe it would make Alfred wise up about it. Probably not.

When he was sure that Alfred was looking at him, Mathew wrinkled his nose and then glared at the back of Alfred's head when his brother somehow managed to miss his action when his head had whipped back around to concentrate on his game.

That wouldn't do.

"Al?" Mathew cheerfully called out from his position on the couch to his brother sitting on the floor. All the better for him to see the TV. with, he'd said when Mathew had asked him before to just sit on the couch.

"Yeah?" Alfred said as he turned to flash yet another grin at him.

'Smiles will not change the fact that you smell right now, Alfie, or my opinion on that stink.'

"What have you been doing? You stink." Mathew asked even though he knew where Alfred had gone. He needed to build up to this properly after all. He'd made sure he had his facts straight.

"Hey! I don't stink." Alfred tried to defend himself, but Mathew didn't even have to try to think about it to see how weak that counter-argument had been. He would win this. And Alfred would hopefully have a shower.

"I smell awesome, just like I always do after working out." Alfred continued.

"And as I always tell you after you work out, you stink. Get away from me."

"Mattie~."

"At the very least, go put on deodorant."

"But that stuff is full of chemicals. You don't want me getting sick now, do you, Mattie?"

"Your air is already polluted enough I don't think that you need to worry about what's in your deodorant."

"Meanie."

"Realistic." Mathew countered.

"Unawesome."

Mathew paused for a moment before replying with, "That's not even a word, idiot."

"Is too."

"Then look it up in the dictionary and go away from me."

Sorry, sorry. I just had to add in a little bit of humour at the end there.

APBio has vowed to take up even more of my time because we need to rush through our next unit before Easter Break. But don't worry, I won't die. I'll just go into a coma or something for the next week.

I'd just like to say that Krasavitsa is such a great friend. She's helped me out with this and she always brightens my day when we talk together. She's wonderful.