Australia walked to her parental figure, 'Mum, I don't need you to protect me. I can protect myself fine.'

England glared around at the gathered nations one last time before letting Australia pull him back to his seat.

Once Australia had gathered England back into the chair, she picked up the book and began reading,

Dear Diary,

Zee's suffering. She wakes up screaming and the only thing that calms her down is Ring-A-Ring-A-Rosy. Jeanne's favourite lullaby.

America looked horrified, 'Why would you sing a child a song about the plague?'

England looked confused, 'How is it about the plague?'

America counted on his fingers, 'The line, ashes to ashes, the sneezing – which was a sign of the plague, and the "rosies" were early signs of the buboes.'

'No.' corrected England, 'It's a children's rhyme, meant to teach young children to bow and curtsey at court.'

'What?!' cried America, 'That can't be right!'

Australia nodded, 'Yeah. That's how Mum taught us how to curtsey. C'mon Zee.'

New Zealand and Australia stood up and joined hands, 'Ring-A-Ring-A-Rosy.' They sang, spinning around in a circle, 'A pocket full of posies.' They grabbed fistfuls of their pretend skirts, 'Atishoo! Atishoo!' they ducked their heads on each atishoo, 'We all fall down!' they swept down into pretend curtseys.

England clapped, 'Good job, girls.'

America looked horrified, 'So… it's not about the plague?'

'No.' said New Zealand, 'There's a second verse, do you want to see it?'

America shrugged 'I suppose.'

England stopped his daughters before they started singing, 'We should get back to the diary.'

Australia shrugged and grabbed the book,

So, I sing it until my voice cracks and I can't sing anymore. I sing it until Zee stops screaming. I'll sing until the nightmares go away. Sometimes I think that I'll never stop singing.

New Zealand smiled at her sister, 'Thanks for doing that, Lia.'

Australia shrugged, 'You're my sister. It's my job to look after you.'

England looked guilty, 'But it's my job to look after both of you. I should have been the one to look after New Zealand. You shouldn't have had to do that, Lia.'

New Zealand and Australia shrugged, 'Mum, you were looking after everybody else.'

England looked affronted, 'I was not!'

The former Allies of World War One looked chidingly at England.

'Angleterre,' said France, 'You payed personal visits to everyone of your injured soldiers, and you also were the main strategist behind our attacks.'

America nodded, 'Dude, you were everywhere during the war.'

England looked defensive, 'I was trying to help!'

France raised an eyebrow, 'Angleterre, we can all look after ourselves, you don't need to mother us.'

Australia grinned, 'That's where me and Zee got the idea to call him Mum!'

'Zee and I.' corrected England.

Australia waved it off, 'Zee and I, me and Zee, what's the difference?'

New Zealand elbowed her twin, 'You're gettin' distracted.'

Australia rubbed the spot where New Zealand had elbowed her, 'Yeah. That's where we got the idea to call him Mum. 'Cause he mothers everyone!'

America laughed, 'Good idea, dudes!' he high-fived them.