I do not own Hetalia okay? You know the drill if you had been on this long, foreign languages obtained via Google Translate and there will be a guide, yada, yada, yada... I don't forsee there being but a few more chapters so anyway, enough with this A/N, on with the fic!
Alice dragged Alfred and Ivan back into the cabin. Alfred gave Ivan a nervous smile as if to say "Told you so." She then sat both men down in a few chairs in the small cabin and turned to them. "So, just where to begin with you..." Alice said sternly.
"How about your impatience!" Francis said dragging the basket in the house, laundry stuff in haphazardly. "It would have taken them about 10 more minutes to make it where we were." He turned from Alice to Alfred and Ivan. "Oh hello, you must be Alfred's guide. So sorry to hear of your loss."
"Well, it was Fredka here who suggested a change of scenery would be good for me after that." Ivan said, slightly concerned about Alice and Francis's behavior. He shrugged as to ask Alfred if this was normal. Alfred cast a look as to say, 'I told you about them' and sighed.
"Well, let's cut to the chase." Alfred said jumping up and digging in his pack. "There's a few things here that we brought back and one of them was a request of Mattie..."
"How is Matthew anyway?" Alice asked.
"Doing okay. I'm sure he's told you about his partnership and the family of course." Alfred said noticing the picture on the wall that they had sent down. "But each of us made a promise when we left and one that was closest to our hearts was this one Papa." and he pulled out the box that contained the prosthetic arm. "Mattie promised that it would be the first thing we got when we got to Seattle."
Francis looked at the box with an anxious excitement. "Did you boys really?" He took the lid off.
"We did." Alfred said as Ivan put his hand on his shoulder. He then got up and helped Francis put it on. "Now if you need any adjustments, let me know and the clerk told me how to make it fit better."
"Nice, now you don't have to wear those silly capes anymore." Alice teased.
"I think they look good." Francis smiled as Alfred laughed at his mother. "I've worn them for over 30 years now, so why stop now? Especially if the doctor is correct, I haven't got much longer anyway."
"WHAT?!" Alfred stood up shocked. "Just what has been going on?"
"Oh, apparently back during the war your father became infected with a form of malaria that lay dormant for over three decades. He had a nasty flu last winter and according to Doctor Stoner, that helped to bring it to the forefront after all these years." Alice explained. "Don't worry yourself too much Alfred, as long as your father takes the medicine as prescribed, he should make it longer than he gives himself credit for. You do know we are not as young as we used to be. You and Matthew are the only children we were able to have."
"Although I think the problem was with you Alice. Especially seeing how quickly after marrying Matthew started his..." Francis smirked with his new arm on, pointing it toward her.
"Oh ho ho ho, you want to blame me for it taking so long?" Alice said back.
"Well I won't say I didn't mind it taking that long, we got plenty of chances and attempts which are pretty fun on their own but..." Francis said as Alfred and Alice both grew redder in the face. Her from anger, his from embrassament. Ivan reached into his pack for the first book he could find to look busy while this rather personal argument broke out.
"Now it won't work like your other arm but as long as you put pressure in the right spots the fingers will move a little. We had a good haul too!" Alfred said stepping in between his parents as he wanted to diffuse a fight he knew would break out. Please don't bicker in front of company. He thought as he placed the share for them on the table, causing both Alice and Francis to stop speechless.
"Sacre bleu..."
"What the bloody hell?" Alice looked over at it. "This certainly can't all be real, can it?"
"It is. Verified and valued at 14,000 dollars. All for you guys." Alfred said. "Just like we promised and Mattie and I would never break that promise."
"Do you know how much you can get with that?" Francis said.
"Well it's for you guys. For you to do with whatever you want. Move out, improve the place, just whatever. Hire a cook so you don't fight over who makes what better, you name it." Alfred said as his stomach rumbled.
"Speaking of cooking, when did you last eat?" Francis said.
"Just some jerky and left over beans this morning..." Alfred shrugged.
"Well I will not hear anything else." Francis said. "Seeing as we have company, company who risked a lot to make sure our little boy came home, I will handle supper tonight. Also have to break this baby in." Alice pouted as he wrapped both arms around her. "And when have I ever been able to do that?"
"Never since we met..." She looked away with a blush.
"Well I can start doing for real, or as close to real as I can get, now. You don't have to imagine it anymore." He said kissing her on the forehead. Alfred looked away and stuck his tongue out as Ivan laughed.
"What, I thought you liked it when I do that to you?" Ivan whispered so that Francis and Alice couldn't hear.
"Yeah but you aren't my parents." Alfred said. "Mother, Papa, there's company here!" He spoke up. "Can't you save that for your bedroom?"
"Sounds like an idea for later Alfred." Francis laughed as he headed to the kitchen. Very French indeed... Ivan thought as he looked at Alfred who was red with embarrassment. "But I must get started. Lucky some of the spring vegetables are coming in. Those Martins were smart about what to put out early." Alfred was still red with embarrassment from how his parents acted, face in his palms.
Alice then sat in front of Alfred and Ivan and looked at the hunk of gold on the table. It was indeed large and more than she had ever seen at once in her life, except for one of her later blockade running days when some Confederate gold was to be sent to South America and some select members of a secret group where to meet them in Barbados. Alice never asked what they were doing with it, navigation was her job. She sighed and looked at Alfred. "Just how did you come by so much?"
"Well it was actually Mattie's connections. Remember those guys I told you about he headed to Dawson City with?" Alice nodded. "Well they had a deal that any claim either one of them found would be split 3 ways. After he left for Valdez, that summer one of them found a huge claim. I was able to find a good bit of my own in their area, they let me pan before we headed to Valdez, but when they found the motherload they split it up 3 ways and saved Matthew's share. When I got there, they gave me his share believing him dead almost as if they expected me to come after him."
"Funny." Alice said. "Most people would have terminated that agreement when he left. Matthew wasn't there, how would he know?"
"My mother believed that things happened for a reason. That we will get what we need, although sometimes not obviously. According to her, she and my sisters were having very hard times when Matthew entered their lives. He had made a partnership with one of the bigger businessmen in Valdez who started a store at the time. As much as I don't like the fact he married my sister..." Ivan growled slightly, "He has been nothing but honorable to her and provided well."
"Just like I raised him to be." Alice smiled. "Well now, shall I show you to your rooms?"
"I know where my bedroom is Mother." Alfred said.
"Indulge me son." Alice sighed. "You and your brother have been gone for a combined two years and while the Martin family are very good neighbors and helped keep us sustained while you were gone, they are not my boys. Taking care of your ailing father is not the same." With this Alfred and Ivan followed her to the bedroom he grew up in and she opened the door widely. "As you will see, I have kept this room spotless and ready for your return. I even disposed of all the candy wrappers and organized your dime novels." Ivan laughed.
"Mrs..."Ivan began and Alfred whispered 'Kirkland. Mother likes to be called Kirkland.' "Mrs. Kirkland, I had the same issue with him on the trail. Even after he saw a properly organized pack, while weighing the same carries easier."
"You two are just set on embarrassing me." Alfred sulked as he set his back down beside his old bed and lay down.
"I will let you know when your father is finished with dinner." Alice said as she headed out. "I can only imagine how exhausted you two are."
Alfred lay back and look up at the ceiling he had so many years and over at Matthew's bed. "Funny, things seem so different now." and with this he dozed off to sleep.
"Fredka?" Ivan asked poking at the now napping form of his beloved. "Well I guess I'll lay over there for awhile," He said as he grabbed one of the dime novels from the shelf and started to read it until he was overcome with sleep himself. A few hours later, a stern voice opened the door and beckoned them awake.
"Boys!" Alice yelled as Alfred and Ivan jumped up. "Good, you're awake. Your father has finished dinner.
"Oui!" Francis called. "Now come out and let me have another person to say my cooking is better than your mother's." Alfred just shrugged and led Ivan back into the kitchen. "You will see it is pheasant primavera, with the first of the spring peas a few wild greens the Martin boys gave me in a creamy sauce with some potatoes and rolls. Bon Appietie!"
"You did this on purpose to outshine me." Alice growled.
"We have guests mon ami. Of course I would do something grand, especially considering what Alfred and Matthew and even Ivan did for us with that gold. Sure it took a lot to get it but any worries we had are now gone."
"Well not all the worries..."Alice said thinking of the malaria slowly eating at Francis's health.
"Well ones we can manage here on Earth love. And besides, would the usual "fry up" as you call it, be suitable welcome home for Alfred when he probably lived on jerky and beans for a year."
"Well Mr. Bonnefoy, Fredka is an expert hunter so we didn't suffer too bad." Ivan was sure to give the credit Alfred deserved and make sure his parents knew he was in little danger. "And this is delicious."
"I win." Francis said.
"Not fair. The competition has to be the same dish." Alice sighed. "even if yours is quite good..." She mumbled to herself, causing Alfred to laugh but stop suddenly at Alice's glare. "But boys, just what do you have planned for the future now?"
"Ummmmmm..." Alfred and Ivan began.
"Let them relax." Francis said. "They will have time to think of that later. They had undertaken a long and excruciating journey and as long as they pull their weight, I couldn't care less if they both stay here."
"You have a point." Alice said. "I missed you so much Alfred and Ivan, thank you for bringing my boy back to me in one piece. God only knows how he would hurt himself otherwise."
"Mother!" Alfred blushed as Ivan laughed.
Over the next few weeks, Alfred showed Ivan the finer points of tending the ranch and the woods where he spent much of his time hunting or just thinking about things and enjoying nature. One day he had taken Ivan on a hike deep into the woods. "Just how much longer?" Ivan said as the heat of May turned into June and temperatures rose.
"A place Mattie and I had for days like this." Alfred said as he took Ivan to a clearing in the spruce forest where there was a small lake. "Our little swimming hole that only the two of us know about. Well you know about it too." Alfred said as he took off his boots, jacket and shirt and set them and his rifle on a rock beside the pond. "Come in in Vanya." Slowly, Ivan did the same. "And the scarf. I know about and don't care about the scars and there's no one around." Rolling his eyes, he did so and headed to the edge of the lake where Alfred jumped and pulled him down into the water with him, kissing him on the lips. "I love you Vanya." He whispered, water dripping from his hair.
"Ya tozhe lyublyu tebya, dorogaya" Ivan replied.
After the day spent swimming in the old spot, they headed back a little bit before sunset to find a small wagon at the farm. "Just what the hell is that?" Alfred said holding his rifle higher on his side, water dripping down.
"I don't think they're bandits Fredka. Bandits wouldn't have a wagon like that one." Ivan said as Alfred held him back and cautiously walked forward.
"I don't trust them." Alfred said, the memory of the last time they dropped their guard coming up in his mind.
"AL!" A voice yelled from the wagon.
"Mattie?" Alfred said running up to his brother. "Just what are you doing here? I thought you had a decent job back in Valdez?"
"Well I got bought out. Ludwig saw what trouble was brewing with him and Feliciano and I so he decided to buy out my share of the business. He even paid for all the stuff I had built as well. It ended up being a good sum so I figure that since Katy hasn't seen much else and missed you dearly Ivan, why not head back to my homeplace growing up and start something of my own out in town or like Boise or something like that? I already know how to do it, so with what I took and what Ludwig paid me, apparently if you are a manager of the steel mills in Pittsburgh willing to do whatever the boss wants, and I mean whatever to striking workers, you get paid well. He said he got paid decently when he said why he headed to Valdez himself and this Frick guy paid him a lot to "get the hell out and never come back". Must be bad. But long story short, I'm home again and Mother and Papa are nuts for their grandkids."
"Well now, this looks like a good start for the family huh?" Alfred laughed as they headed back into the cabin and grabbed Ivan's hand.
"Oh and I figured you two out." Matthew said making a few kissy noises. "But I'll let you tell who you want when you're ready. I do think you're so sweet together and perfect for each other."
"Oh shove it." Alfred said pushing Matt's hat down.
They headed back into the now crowded house to see Alice and Katy talking and Francis playing with the twins. "Glad to see you two back. Matthew told you everything correct?" Alfred and Ivan nodded. "Well this is our family homestead and whatever you want to do, let this be the start of it. I'm just so happy to have the whole family home."
"Oh and you owe me 5 bucks bro." Alfred laughed.
"Should have known." Matthew sighed seeing his father with the new prosthetic still wearing the goofy cape.
So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. Now as there isn't any other foreign language other than French everyone knows, the one sentence of Russian, Ya tozhe lyublyu tebya, dorogaya, used translates to I love you too darling. The person who paid Ludwig off is based off the real Pittsburgh Steel Magnate Henry Clay Frick who got a lot of scorn for how he handled the unionization riots at the Pittsburgh steel mills so if you want to keep your manager who did everything you wanted by the book safe, what better way than to pay his way to his brother's in Alaska? Now this was the last chapter of the main story but I do have an epilogue planed that will be posted next. This has been my pet project over the past few months and I am glad I am getting it wrapped up. I have a few other things coming up and I just wanted to get this pushed out of the way. So anyway, remember to read, (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,
otherrealmwriter
aka
Realm.