I don't own Hetalia okay? You know the deal from previous chapters about foreign languages and such. This is the final chapter for this story, but I am always looking for new ideas, especially featuring the RusAme pairing (Why oh why do my OTPs in fandoms always have less stories than they should?) But rant about lack (in my opinion) fics aside, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!
San Francisco, California, 1925
Alfred pulled into the driveway, slamming the brake as he headed home from the office. "Vanaya should be home." He said as he noticed the mail box empty. After he had gotten home from Valdez over 26 years ago, he and Ivan decided to take a trip over the west seeing the things like Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon to name a few. But realizing that one could not live their lives by traveling the west, they knew they needed to find a career. It was also rather annoying in Alfred's mind that Matt already had a steady life with his shop and growing family than he did. So thinking back to the remark he made in Dawson City about knowing how to just phrase things so he wasn't technically lying he went to law school while Ivan seeing that he loved being outdoors (even though he had enough cold for one lifetime) took up becoming a surveyor. After he passed the bar, Union Pacific had picked Alfred up as one of their legal staff and he managed to get Ivan signed on as one of the railroad's surveyors as well. Having found he possessed a natural charisma and could talk people into what he wanted. Often there were times Ivan would be away for weeks at a time, depending on the assignment. But it seemed he was home already. Opening the door to the modest bay side home, he heard a familiar voice call out to him.
"Dobro pozhalovat' domoy moya lyubov" Ivan said from the sitting room.
"Bozhe, ya skuchal po tebe" Alfred said back, having picked up on Russian and had gotten fluent in it himself. He always loved talking sweetly to Ivan in his native tongue. "So, you get the mail?" He said laying back on the couch. They had moved to San Francisco in 1905 a year before the Earthquake and while they were relatively unaffected, Alfred made sure he was heroic enough to help those who were and had lost everything. The city was normally beautiful and a climate that wasn't too hot, too cold and could see a whale every now and again from the shore.
"Yes. Seems Fredrick is coming over again." Ivan said.
"Oh boy." Alfred sighed. "Poor kid had it rough."
Fredrick was now 26 but with World War 1 breaking out when he came of age at 18, he was impressionable and willing to sign up. And the war had not been kind to him. When he had made it home after the Armistice, he had taken a shrapnel bomb in the right side, which made it hard to move his arm and his leg and nearly blinded him in his right eye. He had also developed breathing issues after a gas attack and a case of shell shock that would flare up at times, often scaring the rest of his siblings and parents. Yvonne had soon married after he came home, but he had 4 other siblings the two youngest, Francis and Alice, another set of twins named for their paternal grandparents being only 8 when he had come home. Often Fredrick would blow around working whatever jobs he could until either his injuries or shell shock made it so he couldn't. Often Matthew would offer his son a job in one of the stores he now owned all over Idaho, having been able to grow his simple general store into a chain over the years of economic growth and prosperity the first 25 years had brought, but Fredrick would not accept it feeling like it was charity and given to him because he was the son of the owner. But whenever he was in between jobs or just having a hard time, he always found solace with his Uncle Al and Dyadya Ivan as he called them and they always made room for him.
"I don't know how we got Katysuha to survive the war." Ivan said. "I still have some of the socks she knit." When Fredrick was shipped off to fight, Katyusha, overcome with worry had taken to knitting some socks for her son to have. Only thing was that it became almost compulsive after awhile and while not tending to one of her other 5 children, all she would do was stare into the distance and just knit to calm down. By the time Fredrick came back, many of her pairs were either given to family, or sent in care packages to him or
"I offered to enlist with hopefully able to look after him, but they said I was too old." Alfred sulked. "I was only 39. Not that old."
"Oh the gold rush, and helping after the 1906 Earthquake wasn't exciting enough dorogoy?" Ivan smiled as Alfred pouted.
"I guess you're right Vanya." Alfred smiled looking at his and Ivan's rings. While they weren't legally married and only those closest to them knew how they were, Alfred wanted to have something like Matthew and Katyusha had and using the gold he had brought back from the Klondike, he had a matching set of bands cast. A symbol of how they met and what brought them together. "So how was...where did they send you?"
"Snake river up in Idaho." Ivan said as Alfred laughed. "Nice this time of year. Stopped in Boise on the way home."
"So how is Matt and Katy?" Alfred asked looking over Ivan's shoulder.
"Doing well. Yvonne is married to a young oil worker and getting sent down to Texas. Emily is a school teacher herself, Paul is in his final year of high school and the young twins Francis and Alice are 13." Ivan said.
"I feel so freaking old now. Papa made it until Paul was born. Surprised me." Alfred said.
"He did not seem like the type to pass until he was ready. I guess that is why Katyusha was willing to name the second set of twins after your parents Fredka. Back when she had Fredrick and Yvonne, she said she hated those names."
"And just what does Katy have against them?" Alfred stared at Ivan as a knock was heard at the door.
"That must be little Fredrick." Ivan said getting up.
"He's 26 and as tall as I am. I don't think he'll take well to you calling him 'little'. Never does." Alfred said following him. Ivan opened the door to reveal a tall and lanky young man with short blonde hair and glasses with violet eyes. He looked a lot like Alfred did at the same age, what with his father being his twin brother, and had his mother's hair color. He had not needed glasses until after the war which had helped to save some of the vision in his right eye.
"Hey guys. Guess I'm back again." Fredrick said blushing looking down.
"Come on in plemyannik." Ivan smiled guiding his nephew in.
"You know you're welcome here at any time." Alfred said as he poured him a drink. "What's your poison?"
"It's Prohibition Uncle Al. You're a lawyer." Fredrick said crossly at his uncle.
"Tell that to that Romano Vargas guy." Alfred poured him a glass of vodka. "For your nerves. Seems to help you from what I've seen."
"Be careful with him Fredka." Ivan warned as he brought some tea in. "I think he's in with the mafia."
"Well beats going to San Diego and getting lost at the border. All I get that way is tequila." Alfred said as Fredrick laughed.
"As you see Fredrick, your Uncle Al has a wild streak that will never be sated." Ivan laughed.
"Oh shut up. If I didn't have that, you wouldn't have your vodka and I have seen you go for awhile without it." Alfred stuck his tongue out at Ivan who smacked it back.
"This is why I like staying with you guys." Fredrick laughed. "Mom babies me too much, Dad acts like I'm broken, my older sisters are all off with their own lives, and I don't like messing with the young three's school work. They do good enough, they won't have a thing to worry about..." He stared off and took a sip of the vodka. "Why do they do that?"
"They love you kiddo." Alfred asked. "And I know you don't like me using that term, but I will. I've seen you grow up like they did."
"And they may not know how to handle what happened to you. They don't want to upset you or hurt they want to help. The fact you get along better with us may just be the fact we aren't your parents you've had to live with." Ivan smiled.
"Well I have been thinking. Grandma Alice is still on the old family ranch right?" Fredrick asked and they nodded.
"Can't believe Mother is still alive and handling herself." Alfred said.
"Well now Grandpa won't complain about her cooking." Fredrick said. "I remember that so much, up until he died." He paused and took a deep drink, finishing the glass off. "Well she can't take care of herself as much as she'd like and I was thinking of taking care of it. Maybe some peace and quiet might be good for me." He looked at Alfred and Ivan for their input.
"Sounds like a good idea." Alfred said. "Mother may be easier on you as the grandkid than she was me."
"And one place I found peace myself was out in nature and out of the city." Ivan said. "You are free however to stay with us if you need. Or to call on us. You're our first plemyannik and we care for you like our own." Ivan hugged Fredrick.
"Especially after the war, Freddie." Alfred said. "You went through something no one should ever and if you aren't getting what you need we're here for you. You deserve it."
"Thanks guys. I appreciate your thoughts and will stay a little bit before I got back to Grandma's. I just wanted to see what you thought before I did anything. And the city is so beautiful. Hopefully we can go whale watching too." Fredrick said hugging his uncles. Alfred smiled as Ivan rolled his eyes. Seems Fredrick had the same love of whales that his uncle did. Ivan didn't mind but there was times Fredrick acted more like his namesake than his father. "Now I'm driving you two. There's a new Charlie Chaplain movie called "The Gold Rush" that just came out and I want you to tell me how accurate it is."
"I'm driving my car!" Alfred said as Ivan grabbed both men by their collar and pulled them back.
"I'll drive. I'm the only one who hasn't had a drink yet." Ivan said.
"Fine." Alfred and Fredrick sulked.
Language Guide
Since there was a request in previous reviews, I will post it here. Obtained using Google Translate:
(in order of first appearance)
Dobro pozhalovat' domoy moya lyubov- Russian- Welcome home my love
Bozhe, ya skuchal po tebe-Russian-God I missed you
Dyadya-Russian-uncle
dorogoy-Russian-darling
plemyannik-Russian-Nephew.
So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I wanted to do a little brief kind of epilogue and this came to mind. I know it isn't as long as the other chapters but I wanted to put a little bow on this story. And in 1925 is when the Charlie Chaplin movie came out, so that is why I picked this year. So anyway remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,
otherrealmwriter
aka
Realm.