I do not own Hetalia, okay? I know it has been a while since I updated this fic, but I do plan to have this story go to the end. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

June 1st, 1919

(From the diary of Natalya Jones nee Arlovskaya)

I was mad that Fredka did come home so late last night. Putting 3 children to bed yourself is not easy. The twins are still having some teething pains and kept waking up and it woke Nikolai up and when he gets up, he is not one to go to bed easily afterwards. Luckily Fredka came back and explained what had happened. I will be honest, I did doubt him. I saw how amazed he was with just how they had Nikolai's party. I am grateful Lucille did that as I think that was the spark needed for Vanya to start to hopefully recover some of what he used to be before the injury. Katyusha still thinks that it will heal, and he won't need the wheel chair. She says she sees him reach for a book and rise out of the chair of his own vallation ever so slightly, but I think she is being overly optimistic. Yes, it would be wonderful if Vanya could walk again, but it's been how long since the initial injury. I am not a doctor, but you'd think it would have healed by now…

It had been so long since I had seen Vanya smile. He was teaching Nikolai to shoot the BB gun. Back in our village he was a very good shot himself and I had convinced Fredka to let him help teach Nikolai. He felt it was his duty to do so as his father, but I cannot tell you how much Vanya needed something to help him feel like he used to, and I knew how much he loved playing with Nikolai. And apparently, he is a decent shot. To be honest, it is a bb gun, and they are not very accurate of themselves. Nikolai was being held steady by him which I am sure helped. But when they were done Vanya was so happy and going on about the shots he made. Fredka was so proud.

Once they were done, Vanya was given the twins to hold, they were playing on the ground most of the day, and we had named them after him. I was skeptical about it. I worried it might curse Vanya to death. It's not often back in Russia that children are named after living family members due to fears of cursing. It took a lot of convincing from Fredka for me to do so, we didn't know if Vanya was going to live through it. I had hoped he would and was praying he would, but war is hell. He told me it would be to honor him no matter what happened to Vanya. We had told him this while Nikolai played with his younger siblings and Katyusha and Matthew watched them. Fredka swears he saw Vanya tear up at that, the fact we said we respected him so much that he was the inspiration for our children's names. Honestly, why wouldn't he be? Once Fredka talked me through my superstition fears, it was only the sane choice and because Katyusha could remember what name mama and papa had if he was a girl, I agree it was a perfect name. But having twins can really wear you down, especially with a young child. Vanya did apologize for making us worry and said he would try to do better. I reminded him we were there for him We are his family, and he is no burden on us. And the children love him so. I do hope this is a sign that he is making progress. Although soon he won't be able to drink himself away with that damn Volstead act…. I've been stocking some Vodka back, but I do not want to see him fall to drink to feel better about himself.

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. This story is intended to stand independent of both The Longing of the Heart and The Healing of the Heart which this story will have a difference from both naturally. Now if this will be as long as those, that I do not know yet and I won't update as fast as some of the others I have. But anyway, remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm