Review Corner!

kawaiiRi: The M rating will come. I have a habit of using a ton of expletives, detailed violence, and mushy romance scenes according to my friends who have seen my hand written work. It is necessary, just not yet.

nadeshikofan: I might work it into the story if it suits the plot line, because I really like the idea. I'm just not sure it applies to this story.

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 10: Never Before

Antonia was familiar with a great many of her mother's habits. She knew her mother was strong and would protect her and Lovino. She knew that her mother would often hum old lullabies under her breath without realizing it, a few of which Antonia knew her mother had probably picked up from the father she'd never met, the only man her mother had ever truly loved.

The appearance of Arthur and Alfred, whom her mother had only recently revealed to her and Lovino as England and America, had brought about several questions she wanted answered. She wanted to know why they were here and helping their small misfit family out. She wanted a reason to blame them, to accuse them of not caring for their own, but she hadn't heard the whole story. It would be unfair and childish, something her mother had taught her to only be when the time allowed and this was not such a time.

When tio Sadiq reentered the room with Arthur, she stood up to greet him.

"Hello Arthur," she said cordially, trying her best to remember the mannerisms her mother had taught her in regards to English.

England looked at her and smiled at her attempt, but his eyes replayed the scene he had just witnessed between the girl's mother and his former colony and brother, the man he had grown to love, talking as though they'd known each other years, yet he knew it to be an impossibility because no more than a few days ago did they see her and America had no recollection of her, not even the vaguest hint of recognition had sparked in his eyes, but something had changed.

"It's a pleasure to meet you miss," England said, taking her hand in his and giving a kiss to the back of it as any proper gentleman would. "I have a few questions about your mother's health that may help me in figuring out what is wrong with her."

Antonia held back a snort of disbelief but her face must have shown it quite clearly as the man gave a gentle smile. "What your mother is dealing with, I may be able to find a cure if I understood it better."

"Oh, of course, how silly of me," Antonia responded distractedly. "Tio Sadiq, Lovino is asleep there on the couch, could you please make sure he does not wake up? I will take Arthur to the kitchen and make some tea so I can tell him a bit about mama."

Turkey nodded in understanding, Antonia could be frightening when she wanted to be and it was obvious that she wished to discuss something private anyway. Frowning a bit England followed her to the kitchen where he sat down at the small table and Antonia walked around getting what she needed to make tea as she set the kettle filled with water over the fire.

"What do you wish to know Arthur?" she asked.

Arthur tried to think of what he needed to know, but he didn't even know the girl's name. "Would you mind telling me your name? I'm afraid calling you girl would be an insult to your intelligence as you are clearly quite mature."

"My name is Antonia," she said with a smile. From what Tio Sadiq had told her while they left her mother alone and Lovino fell asleep, he was quite the gentleman yet he still managed to do things and say things she didn't expect.

"Right, Antonia," England said, though he couldn't help but shake the belief that she looked similar to someone he knew he couldn't place it since she acted so much like her mother, even with her hair braided back compared to her mother's being left down, "has this ever happened before?"

"Not this specifically," Antonia said thoughtfully, trying to remember other incidents in which her mother was injured or sick from nothing, something she now knew was tied to her bond as part of a country, something she had said she'd given up. "Sometimes she gets sick or gets random bruising, but she's never collapsed from fever and possible broken bones before."

England nodded, that was something he had expected. While he didn't know the specifics of the symbols he had seen yet, he knew that there was a high probability that Lovina didn't know it was there or if it was why the attacks were occurring. "Can you explain for me?"

Antonia shrugged as she took the kettle off the stove and poured the hot water into two cups with loose leaf tea. "Mama, Lovino, and I are all a bit clumsy, so sometimes the bruises are written off as accidents when they happen. She doesn't get sick terribly often, but when she does it varies on how long she gets better even with a good doctor and medication."

"I see," England said thoughtfully.

"Do you have any idea why this is happening to mama?" Antonia asked. She was curious. So far there had been nothing to suggest he knew anything about why, but she wanted to help too.

"I have an idea yes, as improbable and impossible as it seems," he said carefully.

Antonia sighed. "Does it have something to do with the symbol mama has?"

"You know of it?" he asked, taking a sip of the tea and deeming it acceptable.

"Yes, but I doubt mama does. It's only there sometimes and sometimes it's not. I've never told anyone, but I think I can tell you," Antonia said calculating.

England glanced over at her startled. "Tell me what exactly?"

"I see things that aren't there sometimes, magic stuff, like runes, and I can tell when someone has been cursed or blessed. It's like seeing double sometimes, it's there but not," she admitted.

It was a shock of course, England had never heard of anyone this far with such a gift except a few wanderers in Greece, though Italy did hold some seers he had never believed there to be any magical talent here. "Can you do anything with the magic you see?"

"I'm afraid to. I don't want to hurt anyone and it's not like it's something I can be trained in," Antonia said looking down, clutching her cup of tea in her grasp. She raised it to her lips and took a sip. It was a bit bitter, but had a sweet aftertaste, just the kind she liked.

"Yes, that is true," England muttered. "I can't really help you except to tell you it's best to practice with it or it could overwhelm you. Meditation can help sometimes, but the more you practice the easier it will be to control."

"You don't seem very surprised," Antonia commented gratefully.

England shrugged. "Where I come from there are people gifted with magic, usually darker magic, and the ability to See magical creatures, such a gift is known as Sight. In other countries there are also practitioners and Italy I believe still has Gypsy blood in it so if you are descended from one it is not too uncommon that you might inherit the gift."

Antonia stared at the man before her. He was honest and didn't withhold any information from her because she was young. He saw her as intelligent and he thought her conversation worthwhile. He was not humoring her as some had done, but he was telling her the facts based on what he knew.

"Thank you," she said. She meant those two words now more than she ever had before. She had known her brother did not have the gift she did, she had known her mother had been under stress and had been too worried to confront her, but the man before her had talked to her and eased those worries. The part of her that was different was not something that she had need to fear, it didn't make her different from anyone else, just unique.

England smiled at her in understanding as there where very few people in the world to hold any claims to magic, sight, and the other gifts that the earth had once bestowed the ancient countries. It made him feel old because she was so young, but she was so grateful to him, because he had told her she was not alone. "You're welcome."

At that moment Antonia resolved she would talk to this country, England she believed from the obvious accent, when it was all over. She would help him because he had helped her, even if he hadn't known it until the words of gratitude left her lips. The world was about to change in a way she couldn't predict even with her mother's teachings and it would take the world by the storm. It would be something to see and see it she would for it would be like never before.

A/N: So far on Turkey's pairing's I've got this:

TurkeyxGreece – 2

TurkeyxEgypt – 6

I still need reviews on the children's pairings as the next few chapters will begin to pick up and they will mature similarly to the countries. If those of you who like USUK would please read my Cardverse fic Regrets and give it some feedback I'd appreciate it. Five reviews, two of which from an author very good at angst, hardly tells me if it's well-written or has any mistakes. I can't say the situation has changed any but I'll probably be living with a friend for a while.