It was another world meeting and Ivan was sitting coldly in his corner of the room watching the other nations file in. He watched with a seeming lack of interest as he saw Alfred, no it was America now, enter the room with England hot on his heels. For the past several meetings Ivan had noticed England was getting closer to America, his Alfred. Internally Ivan cringed, he had given up his right to claim America as his own the moment he had made the decision to break up with him. And despite all that England hadn't even waited for America to move on, not that he was aware of what had transpired. The only thing that really kept Ivan from acting on his anger toward England was the fact that Alfred seemed to be warding off the other nation's advances. That or America just didn't notice them.
Throughout the meeting Ivan often found his gaze shifting to America and more than once found it was met by blue eyes filled with hurt and betrayal. Oh how Ivan wished he could cross this room and hold the other. Apologize and explain himself. Instead he would turn away so he would not have to see that look in his eyes. He would remind himself of just why he couldn't, that if he didn't follow his boss' orders it would be as good as launching the missiles himself. And he knew the world could not survive a war between America and Russia. Regardless of what Ivan wanted he knew America would understand someday, he hoped anyway.
He held onto that hope through the subsequent years. Hope that one day this stand off would end between their nations. Hope that something would change. Hope that when it was all finally over he would be given the chance to apologize and earn forgiveness from the one person he needed in his life.
So he watched as England made advances on the American through the sixties and seventies, when the eighties came he watched as Japan joined in the efforts of wooing the blonde. Many others were soon jockeying for America's attention, despite many of them finding him annoying somehow they all were attracted to him for one reason or another. Be it his power, his money or the more physical attraction of his youth and vitality.
Ivan felt himself grow weary through the years. Communism was failing him, not that he was sad to see it going down the proverbial drain. With his communist government on its way out that hope he had held through the last fifty years began to grow. He didn't care that he was weakening from it, all he cared about was that his patience was going to be rewarded. And finally it all paid off when his government collapsed allowing a democracy to takes its place. He immediately began to encourage the rebuilding of diplomatic relations with America.
Ivan had thought that it would take many years for the damage wrought to be repaired. He hadn't anticipated that one evening he would hear a knock on his door in that first year after his new government took its place. Curious he made his way to the door, opening it with caution, thinking it might very well be Belarus. When he opened the door though he just stopped and stared in surprise at seeing America on his front stoop with a young woman standing beside him. the woman had long straight hair that was just a touch darker blonde than his own. Her eyes were a brilliant blue framed in a perfectly heart shaped face with skin pale as snow.
"May we come in Ivan?"
It took him a moment to register that America was asking him a question, but he stood aside and motioned the two inside.
"I'm sorry I was not expecting company. Would you like something to drink, coffee, tea, I do not have any soda."
"Um, some water would be nice. It, uh, was a long flight."
Ivan noticed how nervous America seemed to be at being here and his companion seemed equally nervous, shooting him odd glances every now and then that seemed to be scrutinizing him for whatever reason. As Ivan showed them to his sitting room before excusing himself to fetch a pitcher and glasses to serve his guests, he couldn't help but wonder who she was and why America had brought her with him. He mused on it while he carried the tray in with the drinks, thinking she must be a bodyguard of some sort. Or, given how nervous the two of them were, could she be something more to the American, a lover perhaps? No, why would he bring her by just to rub it in his face that he had moved on. America had never been so cruel.
"So, uh, you're probably wondering what brings me here?"
"Da." Ivan makes it a point to direct a look at the young woman seated beside America and seeming to be fidgeting with the hem of her overly long sleeves.
America catches the look and reaches over to grab the girl's hands, stilling them. The action causes Ivan's heart to sink to his stomach, It was a much more intimate action than one would give to a bodyguard or other government worker.
"I, I came in hopes that we could talk. I, I know the past fifty years has been hard on both of us." Ivan catches the look America sends to the girl as he speaks and feels his fists tightening at his sides.
"Da. I am aware. I know that I hurt you America. And I am sorry for the words I spoke all those years ago. I ask only for forgiveness and hope we can remain friends."
Ivan looks down at his lap as he speaks, missing the look of confusion crossing America's face as he listened.
"Ivan, you know you can call me by my name. I'll always be your 'Fredka'." Ivan jerks his gaze upwards to see America adopting a timid smile. He almost speaks up but America cuts him off. "Ivan, what you said, what you did, it didn't just hurt me. You hurt Anya as well."
Now Ivan was confused and he glanced to the girl that was squirming in her seat even as America held her hands gently on her lap.
"Anya?"
The girl nods slowly.
"I wanted to tell you sooner. But, well, Mattie convinced me that bringing it up before now would be a bad idea, especially given how our governments were towards one another. It would have only added fuel to the fire. Ivan, I'd like to introduce you to Anya Braginski-Jones. She's our daughter, Alaska."
Ivan was shocked and America and Anya stayed quiet to allow him to fully absorb the information that he had just been given. He had a daughter. He and Alfred had a daughter. He felt tears prick at his eyes and his nose got slightly itchy. Eventually it was too much for him and he brought his hands up to cup his face as he gave a shuddering sob. His previous government had taken so much from him, so much he never knew. He had missed out on spending time with his daughter because of their fear mongering and hate. Ivan noticed the warm arms wrapping around his shoulders, accompanied by a warm body settling in next to him on his sofa. He leaned into Alfred's warmth, clinging to him as he let out the pain of the last fifty years.
"I am sorry, so sorry. I did not want any of it. Fredka, please forgive me for hurting you and Anya."
"Shh, Ivan, its alright. I forgive you. I forgave you before I even came over here. Mattie told me why you did what you did. He told me how much it had hurt you to do and say what you did."
"I forgive you too, Papa. Dad always was telling me how much he loved you. He good you were and how much he wished I could meet you."
"You did?" Ivan looks up from Alfred's shoulder to meet the eyes of his daughter.
She nods at him with a small smile.
It wasn't long after that that Ivan began asking questions of the two, he was a bit surprised to learn that Anya wasn't born like nations usually were, but actually birthed by Alfred within the year after he sold Alaska to the United States. He listened as they explained the reasons for hiding it, even from America's bosses.
"And we didn't tell anyone after we revealed Madeline was Vinland because I wanted you to be the first to know about her Ivan. I didn't want to tell the others before you and Mattie also mentioned it would be a bad thing to bring up during the Cold War."
"Da, he was right. Had my bosses known they would have tried to take her from you or..."
"Or they might have tried something just as bad. What if's don't matter anymore. The people responsible are long gone and dead. We've lost enough time together already, let's just try to begin as a family."
"Da, I like that idea very much."