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 11: To Be Heard
"Feel better Lovina?" Alfred smiled, running his fingers through her hair, while her face was still buried in his shoulder, making her blush hotly as she pushed away.
"Stupid hamburger bastard, you just had to ruin the moment," she huffed, but a small smile was on her face showing she didn't really mean it.
Alfred grinned. "It's the Hero's job to cheer up pretty damsels!"
"I'm not a damsel bastard!" she shouted, drawing the attention of the other inhabitants of the house. Footsteps could be heard as they made their way to her room and she glared at Alfred because now they wouldn't be able to talk alone about what needed to be said at all. She had questions and she knew the nosy bastard did as well.
A knock on the door interrupted before America could say anything. "Come in," Lovina called, as the two people she didn't expect walked in…well that's not true she expected Antonia, but not for Arthur to be with her as usually Sadiq would be the one to come. She raised an eyebrow at her daughter.
Antonia looked at her mother's questioning gaze and blushed a bit before shrugging. Lovina sighed in acceptance that it was something she had in common with her daughter. While her instincts generally cried run from the crazy British bastard who has no sense of taste and once conquered a third of the world, almost succeeding in taking the world itself, she knew they had many personality traits in common that would be all too easy to make them friends.
"Hello Arthur," Lovina greeted cordially. "I take it you have questions?"
"Yes," Arthur said curtly, causing Antonia to lift a brow at the change of character. "When I was here and examined you the other day I noticed something odd and wished to examine you again, with permission of course," he added when Lovina looked at him oddly.
Lovina weighed her options. She could either let England examine her and get it over with, letting them research to their hearts desire to working out the oddities of her illness that he would likely never figure out unless he realizes she's a country and the other secrets she's been keeping or she could refrain from it and let him wing it. Personally she didn't really have the faintest idea what was occurring either so leaving it alone could be risky.
Finally, she nodded her ascent. "Try to be careful when you undo the bindings as I will be of little help. The doc said I shouldn't stress my ribs too much and I should limit my own movement. Alfred maybe you could help me sit up a bit more to make it easier?"
Lovina's voice gave nothing away, but her eyes pleaded with America. She needed him to help her because really, she doubted she was strong enough to do it on her own.
"Mama, are you sure it's okay?" Antonia asked hesitantly. She liked the two men well enough, they had been nothing but helpful…but at the same time they were still strangers to her and she didn't trust them with her mother. She didn't trust them not to hurt her, even if by accident.
"I'll be fine sweetie," Lovina waved her daughter's concern away with a strange but confident look. "Why don't you go and tell your uncle Sadiq what is going on and keep an eye on your fratellino?"
"Si, mama," Antonia answered, knowing her mother was keeping something from her but unable to ask with the two men here.
"I'll be fine 'Nia," Lovina said, trying to ease her daughter's worries. "I trust them."
Oddly enough the statement was true, though it drew raised eyebrows from her daughter and England, Antonia understood and left. America was glad. He was glad to finally have the chance to prove that he could be a hero to someone, that he could protect someone. He was glad to have her trust, because no one else had ever considered he meant was he said and believed in him so much as Lovina had just said she did with the simple statement.
America maneuvered himself behind Lovina's body, holding her against him and lifting the shirt just enough for England to unwrap the bandages around her torso and reveal her lower back. Conversationally England asked, "So how did you and Alfred meet? You obviously know each other."
It was something that stung England without the uncovered memories Lovina realized, though Alfred remained oblivious as he said, "Oh, we've known each other a while. She's a special friend."
Lovina elbowed him before he could say more. She could see the hurt in England's eyes and she remembered a time she too had bore that look. Whenever Spain had said he loved someone other than her, whenever Spain had admitted to wishing it was North Italy he had rather than her, and whenever she wished the one she loved would just look her way and realize she loved him all along. It was a painful sort of love when you loved the ignorant, but it was also the sweet and innocent kind that breaks your heart without fail.
England burned with jealousy. He had always questioned the bond between he and Alfred after the war, but America…he always seemed to hate him. What's more, England was bitter about America cutting ties with him. He had loved America with everything he had, given him everything, and that bond was shattered. Yet…England could not help but still love the childish man for his idealism, strength, and optimism. America was the change that took the world by the storm and he drew them in and changed them with him.
"We met a few years ago, just before I moved here," Lovina said, creating a cover story. "He cheered me up when I was feeling distressed because I gave up the man I love."
England looked at her, but she just looked at him with eyes full of understanding. She knew, because she too had been in that position. She had loved and she had lost, but she still loved the man who left her. Just as England still loved America, just as Arthur could never hurt Alfred by trying to hold him again, because someone free lived that way, they would never consent to the life of belonging solely to one person; they would always belong to everyone.
"What does it look like Arthur?" Lovina asked, trying to change the subject.
Arthur prodded her injury a bit but not enough to hurt her. "The doctor was right about you needing the rest to heal. I have a question for you though. Do you by any chance have Gypsy blood in your family?"
Lovina shifted uncomfortably at the prod, but froze at the question. "I may…might I ask how this is relevant?"
"It is relevant because it seems that you have had contact with a strong magic that is influencing you," Arthur replied. "Also because your daughter is portraying similar traits as well that indicates old blood."
"I see," Lovina said softly. "Why would she not tell me of this?"
"She most likely did not wish to worry you," Arthur shrugged off the reply staring at the marking that he realized her daughter was quite correct about. It was there…but it wasn't. It was symbolic to something that he couldn't guess and he would need far more research to figure it out. America was right as well, he'd need to bring in help from Norway and Romania…possibly the descendants of ancient cultures as well.
"Thank you for telling me," Lovina responded. She hadn't had any time to think to the old days of the travelling gypsy camps in a long while, nor had she portrayed the talent her daughter now seemed to possess in abundance compared to her own paltry supply of magic. "Is that everything?"
"Yes, I believe so," Arthur responded as he wrapped her bandages again, careful not to aggravate her sides.
"If that is all Arthur, I need to speak to Alfred alone," Lovina muttered, thinking of ways she might be able to help her daughter. Magic was unstable at the best and at worst it was destructive. It took away sanity, life, and it affected the user's life greatly. She had to find a way to help her daughter, even if it meant coming clean and returning to the countries.
England nodded, but before he could leave fully she said, "Arthur, the greatest gift in life is the freedom to be happy. Don't throw away a chance at happiness by being too afraid to take a risk. That's how I lost my love. I took the risk too late."
England left, but the words struck him deep. He hated to think he was similar to the woman that America was in there acting a hero for, because a long time ago America had promised to be his hero, it felt like he was being replaced. He shivered at the cold finality of her words and he wondered, just how far down the path of loneliness had she gone to be so certain, to know enough of his feelings, to compare himself to her.
"We need a plan America," Lovina said.
"You can call me Alfred," he said. "We're friends aren't we? Besides, I have half a plan."
"Half?" she queried with a raised eyebrow.
He chuckled sheepishly, "I'm still working on the other half. So far the plan is for me to go with Arthur and help research that crazy symbol on your back he insists is there and search out help in figuring out what it means and how it affects you. You will stay here under the watch of Turkey and explain things as best you can to your children until I can figure out the why we have our memories and what your children represent since as far as we know nations can't have kids."
"For someone who plays an idiot, that's a really good plan," Lovina praised him. His answering smile was infectious.
"Thanks! Now then, I am off to put the first part of the plan into action and we shall contemplate where to go once we have some answers!" he exclaimed, carefully laying her back down in bed as he bounded off to join Arthur on their 'quest to help the damsel'.
Lovina smiled at Alfred's eagerness. He was still so much the same, untouched by the worldly troubles and optimistic and such a loveable idiot. He made it nice, having someone to talk to. He didn't drown her out or outright ignore her, he seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say and Lovina felt a rising happiness at the thought that this is what it was like just to be heard.
A/N: Yay! Another chapter done and out of the way of like…you know I think this story might reach 40 chapters unless I make each chapter longer…hmm…fewer updates and longer chapters or frequent updates that are somewhat short? What do you guys think? Oh and if I don't get any votes for the children's pairings, they are going to look about 16 in a few chapters due to…well that's a secret until I get the chapters out, but if there's no votes I am putting Antonia with Iceland so that I can have Norway teach her magic and force a bond between the brothers and Lovino with South Korea…because they'd be cute and a bit cracky…
