"Really, Francis, we'll be fine," Arthur smiled weakly to his stubborn husband, watching the man as he tried to think up an excuse.

"I would still rather be here while he's here. What if he tries something?" Francis' eyes shot to their daughter, whom was still doing work assigned to her from one of her teachers, so that she could become a proper country embodiment. It was probably from Roderich, he insisted on teaching her the proper manners of a lady. Arthur and Francis would have taught her themselves, but the Austrian claimed that no one else could teach her correctly, whether manners or music. (Though both Francis and Sophia played the harp and violin marvolously.)

"What could he possibly try, Francis? I'm perfectly capable of protecting myself. And, if the need arises my magic has settled and Sophia has trained enough for protective spells, so we could fight him off if need be. Now, out! You have a meeting to go to." Arthur pushed his husband closer to the door for the eighth time that morning.

"But-"

"No. If you are late for that meeting, your boss will skin you. And then I'll skin you. Go. Allistor won't do anything. I just have a few questions for him, and I think he deserves to meet his niece. Sophia deserves to know a piece of my side of the family." They glared into each other's eyes once more. This would begin another fight, Arthur could already see it growing in Francis' eyes. He decided to say the one thing that would end it before it started.

"Not in front of Sophia."

They watched her head tilt in a way that clearly said she was listening. Francis scowled, turning away from them and leaving the home. Arthur sighed after him, waiting in near silence with the sound of Sophia's pencil scratching the page being the only noise.

"I don't think you needed to do that. You could have been nicer, Dad." Sophia's voice continued along with the scratching of the pencil, "And I wish I knew more about this uncle that has both you and Papa acting strangely. Did he do something?"

Arthur turned and headed for the kitchen, completely ignoring his daughter's questions, "Come get me when he gets here. I'm going to make tea."

He could hear Sophia's sigh from the kitchen, and desperately hoped that this would be the right thing to do. For Sophia and himself.

They were staring at each other. That was. . . good? Maybe.

Allistor looked as if he were trying to figure out a very difficult puzzle. Sophia glared at her uncle with distrust, and a look that clearly said she was going to get as much information out of him as possible.

"You certainly look like your father," Allistor finally spoke, his voice easing some of the tension in the room.

"I know. Everyone tells me that. It's not new information. Unless you mean Dad, because if you did I recommend you get your eyes checked." Sophia snapped at him, a clear sign that she didn't think she would end up liking her uncle.

Arthur felt deep concern for a moment, worrying that his plan might not work. Then they smirked at each other, a look Arthur had never seen on his daughter's face. He hated to say it in such a way, but it was a look that was purely Kirkland.

"So, Arthur. Tell me why I was invited here. Surely it wasn't to just sit and have a nice chat with tea?" Allistor, always straight to the point.

"No, no. There were a few things I wished to discuss without Francis' ever watchful gaze, and this was the only time I could schedule such a meeting."

He could see Sophia's shocked look from the corner of her eye, but she needed to hear this. All of it. "Francis doesn't need to know about any of this, unless it happens."

Sophia was full out staring at him now, and Allistor's amused look turned serious. He leaned forward, arms resting on his knees, and chin on his hands. He nodded, staring Arthur down.

"You. . . know exactly what my past is like. You helped me through most of it, though during the time I would have argued that you were doing the opposite. I am fearful that my past may catch up to me once again, or worse," Arthur eyed Sophia as he continued, "As you probably know, Sophia has the Kirkland magic, and when I say Kirkland magic, I really mean Kirkland magic. From father's side, not mother's."

Allistor's eyebrows rose slightly, taking his time to watch Sophia and sense her magical abilities. The confusion in her eyes clearly meant that she had no idea what her father was talking about, and didn't understand the situation at all. She didn't even know what the point of the meeting was.

"You know how serious that magic is, Allistor. You know what that situation could mean." Arthur quickly grabbed his brother's attention again, his voice getting darker, "I am always fearful of losing myself again, you know this. But, I'm even more fearful of something similar happening to Sophia. So, right now I am asking you for this."

Arthur took a deep breath, looking at his confused daughter sadly, "If I ever lose myself again, I would like you to leave me in Francis' care. I want you to take Sophia. She may be French in nature, but she is a Kirkland, and has the magic of one. You and the other's could take care of her. But, also," His eyes traveled back to his brother, "I think there's a chance Sophia could lose herself too, and if that were to happen. . . I don't know what would happen. There would be no way I could take care of her. So I would like you to take her into your care if that were to happen as well. Francis and I would never be able to care for her in that state, we just aren't. . . strong enough."

Allistor stared at them quietly, his sad and terrified brother, and his lost niece. He nodded, looking at Arthur, "If you don't mind, I would like to have a conversation with Sophia about what you just asked."

Arthur nodded, smiling at Sophia and touching her head gently before standing and leaving the room. He leaned against the nearest wall, closing his eyes, and hoping to God he didn't start crying. He needed to be strong about this.

Allistor leaned back in his seat, noting how Sophia seemed to be very weary of him. Her eyes showed distrust, and worry, and had turned a sickly green color. Must of had something to do with her magic, he decided.

"So, from your look I can tell you understood nothing of that. That's alright, I'm going to explain as much of it as I can right now, and after I see your reaction, and talk to you about it, I will tell Arthur my answer to his request." He waited for her nod of approval before beginning the explination.

"I'm assuming none of your teachers have told you what it means yet, though I believe it should be including in the basics of being a country. Losing oneself is something a embodiment can go through during their life. It's been known to kill them. It's sort of when their past catches up and they get lost in their pain. Some people can lose themselves several times. Your father is that type of person. When that happens usually their personality just shifts or changes, but sometimes they will hit one they can't get past and it will kill them. Arthur has been through one that has almost killed him already."

Her look had changed, understanding filling her gaze. She glanced to where her father had left the room sadly, "And when he went through that, you took care of him, I'm assuming?" It was like her mind had finally pieced together a large puzzle as her gaze returned to Allistor.

He nodded, "Yes, and with help from others. Your other uncles, my brothers and Vladimir and Lukas. Your siblings, Francis, and many of the other nations helped him. I just watched over him. I will admit, some things happened that probably shouldn't of, because of drunken nights and the idiotic knowlege that even though we are brothers there isn't any shared blood in us because of how we are made."

Another understood moment was shown in Sophia's eyes, "That explains what Papa was worried about. You doing something would mean you acting on feelings for. . ."

"Stop that thought. There are no more feelings like that. It was stupid, and only because of a personality change within him. He wasn't my brother at that time. He was someone else that his mind created because of a past relationship I had had with a human. There's no need in explaining any of this until you are much, much older."

That was a very dark time, where he and Arthur had hurt each other just because they could, and it was not something he wanted to think on.

"Now, the next part is your magic. You do know that you aren't the only one among your siblings to have magic, yes?"

"Of course. Mathew has magic. It can make him invisible and makes him forgetful of very specific things. Alfred has super strength caused by magic. But I don't know much about my other siblings."

"That's alright, you'll probably meet them all and get a sense of them soon enough. But, you see, their magic is safe and specific, they didn't need training, and they don't even know what they have is magic. It's basically a very mellowed out version of my mother's magic. Fairy magic that is. It's very beautiful and simplistic magic. My father had Celtic magic, dangerous and dark, but equally as beautiful if used properly. Four of us have Celtic magic, and Arthur has fairy magic, which he passed down the watered down version to most of his children, except you. You have very powerful Celtic magic, probably more powerful than the Kirkland clan's put together if you train it up properly."

Allistor smirked now, "There's a story that Celt told us when we were lads, that after he died his magic would go to someone worthy of the family name. It looks like you're the worthy one, Sophia, though don't let your parent's know I told you that."

Sophia nodded, "Does that include not telling Papa what Dad asked you here for?"

"That would be best."

Arthur looked up to see Allistor standing in front of him.

"I'll agree to what you're asking of me, even though I know how hard it's going to be when it happens. But, there's something you must do. I need to be in Sophia's life more. She's a Kirkland with Celtic magic. While you, Vlad, and Lukas can train her to a point, she needs someone like me as a teacher. I won't let our siblings in on this, only I will do this." Allistor stared down at his younger brother, daring him to disagree.

"I would be happy if you did that. . . but you know Francis, he would never allow it." Arthur tried to look anywhere but his brother's eyes.

"I'll speak to him, but this will happen."

"Alright." Arthur nodded, shaking his brother's hand, and allowing the magic to make the agreement a contract that they couldn't break without harm.

Well, it's been a VERY long time, but I'm trying to get back into this. Sorry for anyone who actually reads this, it's been such a long time. I miss my characters though. I'm going to let you know though, soon I'm going to try to start moving as many of my fics to archive, and probably rewriting a few. Has anyone missed this fic though?

ALSO a mention to the uh. . . relationship mention with Allistor and Arthur, I mean to really explain that later, I really do, but that is a past thing and will have nothing to do with this story. It's kind of weird but eh.

Also, still completely unedited, forgive me.

-Becca