(This whole time difference thing is killing me. My New Yorker body has been saying it's time for bed for the past 10 hours, but every time I look at a clock, it's not even dinner time.)

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Ten lords-a-leaping

Nine lady's dancing

Eight maids-a-milking

Seven swans-a-swimming

Six geese-a-laying

Five golden rings

Four calling birds

Three French hens

Two turtle doves

And a partridge in a pear tree

Something was definitely up. Mostly definitely. The weirdest things were happening lately and they were happening in sequence. So it was definitely not a coincidence. Like last night. Spain suddenly springing tickets to a dance. Not that Romano didn't enjoy the dance (it was amazing) but just, Spain just couldn't seem to relax through the show. No one else would've seen it, but no one else know Spain like Romano does. He would ask Spain what was going on , but something told him that Spain wouldn't tell him. In fact, Spain had seemed rather stressed lately. Sure it was Christmas time, but he didn't have any work to do, Belgium and the Netherlands weren't coming this year, and there was nothing else that they had planned.

So then, what was going on? Romano couldn't stop asking himself that question. Was Spain keeping something from him? Was he unhappy?

…Was he cheating on him?

Surely Spain wouldn't do that. He constantly shouted to the world how much he loved Romano, so there's no way that Spain would do such a thing.

…right?

But Romano needed to find out. And if Spain wouldn't tell him, then Romano would go snooping. Although it wasn't really snooping when it was his house, too. So it was really more of… reassuring his doubts. So it wasn't wrong.

Peeking into the library, Romano double checked before walking fully into the room. He wasn't entirely sure where Spain was today, so I'd he was going to snoop, he'd have to actually be sneaky about it. Luckily, Spain wasn't in there. Although, Romano wasn't entirely sure if Spain even went in the library anymore. Not since his pirate days. If Romano had to guess, Spain probably felt bad memories when he came in here, since Spain would come in here before he went off to fight.

Just like a few days ago, nothing seemed changed. those two books where on the table and the mahogany desk was still just as dusty as it was when he found those rings. But it wasn't the desk that needed his attention. Veneziano had mentioned something about 12 days of Christmas a few days ago, during that whole cow business. Whatever the hell that was all about.

But still, that whole 12 days of Christmas thing sounded kind of familiar. Like, Romano had heard it before. Which made him wonder for the last few days where he had heard it or seen it. Which, in turn, made him wonder where he had been in the last few days where he would've seen or heard of it. Which, as a final result, allowed Romano to remember walking into the library and see something that had to do with the 12 days of Christmas. Which (enough with the 'which's already!) is why Romano was in the library presently.

Looking for the book that he had seen out of the corner of his eye not too long ago.

It was obvious that Spain hadn't stepped foot into the room since the golden rings episode, which mane it much easier for Romano to spot the book laying on the coffee table, just like last time. Picking up the book that may or may not diminish his fears, Romano opened the book and began reading.

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree…

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree…

And so on and so forth. The whole book was a set-up for the 12 days leading up to Christmas Eve. Well that certainly wasn't what Romano was expecting. Although, he wasn't entirely sure what to expect anyway. But this certainly wasn't what he might have thought of. Although, it did explain what had been going on for the past week. The birds, the rings, the France. It all made sense now.

Spain was giving him the 12 days of Christmas!

But, then what was he going to get today? Or had Spain already given him the gifts for today and Romano just hadn't noticed?

Maybe he should check the bo-

"Lovi? Are you in here?"

'Shit!' Throwing the book under the coffee table, Romano quickly grabbed another book from the table and pretended to read. "Yeah. I'm in here."

Immediately, a dark set of Spanish curls poked into the room. "Ah! There you are Lovi! Come with me, I have a surprise for you!" And before Romano could protest, Spain grabbed his arms and raced downstairs to the front door. Pausing to look at Romano, Spain pushed the door open, revealing what Romano had been expecting while at the same time, not expecting.

There were maybe 10 men, in tights, leaping across the front yard. Somewhere in sync, but most were just prancing around like the little queers they were.

Was this apart of the whole 12 days thing? Romano made a mental note to check the book once Spain fell asleep that night. But suddenly, a hand interrupted his thoughts. Or, more correctly, what was in the hand.

Spain was holding in front of him, a box of wursts.

What the hell?

Seeing the confusion on Romano's face, Spain cleared his throat and explained himself. "Well Lovi, I thought that you'd like to throw these very disgusting German wursts at these men who seem to think it's O.K. to prancing around our front lawn." Reaching into the bag, Spain brought out and handed to Romano a browned wurst. "So, what do you say Lovi? Are you in?"

Staring from Spain, to the wurst in his hand, to the prancing gay men on their lawn, Romano just smiled his mischievous smile and grabbed the smelling German food. Pulling his arm back, Romano decided to take out one particular gay prancer that was decked out in a full hot pink jumpsuit. He seemed like the best person to start with, wanting his first throw to count.