I knew this would happen one day. Ever since I fell here, I knew that I'd wake up one day in Francis and Arthur's house in the comfort of my bedroom and realize it had to end. I just didn't think it'd be so soon. However, as unfortunate as this is, it's time. I think they'll be ok. At least I sure as hell hope so. Nevertheless, it needs to be done. I pushed myself out of my bed and walked into the drawing room, figuring that's where I'd find my two gracious hosts. To no surprise, there they were. The fire going. A cup of tea in Arthur's hand. A cup of espresso in Francis'. Arthur with his cross stitch. Francis with a newspaper. Like the cute, boring, married couple they are.

"Good morning, boys," I joined them, a gentle smile on my face.

"Well," Francis put his paper and his coffee down, making space on his lap for me, "Good morning, Terra. Did you sleep well, cheri?"

"I did," I lied. I knew this was coming and I couldn't sleep a wink. Don't let them see you sweat, Terra. I took my usual seat in Francis' lap.

"So, darling," Arthur asked, putting his sampler on the end table, "What would you like to do today? We have all day to do whatever you want. Our schedules are cleared."

Quit making this harder, Arthur…I don't want this any more than you do, "Do you think you could call a world meeting?"

"A world meeting?" Francis wondered, "Why would you want to do something so dull like that?"

"Because," I kept my head about me, "I want all of you in one place. Is that too much to ask for?"

"Of course not," Arthur assured, "Unless it's going to be like our slumber party. I don't think any of us are up for that again."

"I think Berwald's still asleep under the piano," Francis teased.

"No," Arthur rolled his eyes, "I've checked. He's back home."

"Good," I worried about that one. It's not often I hear ABBA in its native tongue.

"Why would you want to call a world meeting, Terra?" Arthur asked, "Is everything ok?"

"Yeah," I nodded, "Everything's fine. Again. I just want all my babies in one place again. That's it."

"Alright," he allowed, "I can call Alfred and he can spread the word. Say, three o'clock local time?"

"Sounds good to me."

That doesn't mean I'm dreading it any less. I'm just glad he didn't make it sooner. Or maybe I'm not. Maybe doing this faster would be easier. It'd be less time for me to stew on it. As long as they all take it well. That's all I ask. It's not going to be pretty. I can already tell. But one thing had to be done without Arthur knowing.

"Hej. Det är Berwald," the other end of the phone barked at me.

"Hello, Berwald," I smiled, "It's Terra."

"Oh," Berwald came to, "Hello, Terra. How can I help you?"

"Do you think I could talk to Peter for a moment please?" I requested.

"Please hold."

I waited for a brief moment for Berwald to bring me my little bundle of joy, "Hello, Terra!"

"Hi, Peter," my heart melted, "How are you, sweetheart?"

"I'm wonderful!" he chimed, "How are you?"

"I'm doing well," I bit the inside of my cheek, "I have a surprise for you. Really, it's more like a secret."

"A secret?" Peter wondered, his voice dropping to a whisper, "What kind of secret?"

"How would you like to attend a world meeting today?" I offered.

"Really?" he squeaked, "I get to go to…!"

"Peter…" I hushed him, "Remember? Secret. Between you and me."

"Oh!" Peter caught himself, going back to his whisper, "I'm sorry. Really, I am, Terra. Can I still go to the world meeting?"

"Of course," I assured, "I want you there. No matter what Arthur says. I'm sure you could hide under Berwald's jacket and he'd be none the wiser."

"You think so?" he thought, "Berwald's pretty sharp."

"But his leg could be in the process of being chewed off and he wouldn't know," I pointed out, "It's at three o'clock. Can you make it?"

"Absolutely!" Peter promised, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Good." Why do I make things harder on myself? Why am I that kind of masochist? Regardless, I did a good thing today, "I'll see you then."

"You sure will!"

I've never heard Peter so happy. It's too bad that it's going to be a room full of melancholy. It feels like yesterday that I woke up in the alley. I mean, I kind of want to go find the bitch that spit on me and the asshole that thought I was going to pickpocket him and kick the shit out of them, but that goes against my alignment. True neutral. I'm on no one's side but my own and I stay out of everyone's business. I simply tend to my garden and stick to my knitting.

Speaking of business, I have a world meeting I needed to get ready for. Since this one shall be my last, I might as well go out in style. Instead of peeking in my own closet, I figured I'd sneak into Francis' side of his and Arthur's closet. I might as well. As much as I love Arthur dearly, Francis had a sharper style than Arthur did. I could see why he wanted to burn half of Arthur's wardrobe. There's nothing wrong with living in technicolor, right?

But what's the first thing I grab? A white button up. That seemed to be the safe route. Black and white with one pop of color. That doesn't sound half bad. I just had to decide which color it'd be. I could go for the obvious red or blue that seemed to adorn the flags of many of the nations I'd be seeing today. I could go for green for the thirty percent of my surface that isn't covered in water. I'm thinking purple. Something about purple seems right. Black, white, and purple would do very nicely. How do I do it?

I ran back across the hall and dug in my closet with a white shirt and a purple scarf from Francis. A pencil skirt would be too uppity. And I'm not here for uppity. Life's too short for that much structure. However, I'm not in the mood for pants, so it looks like I may need to go with a skirt. I did have a black leather skirt in my closet, but I feel like that'd be too much for the middle of the afternoon. Personally, I wouldn't have a problem with it. I look damn good in leather.

"Hey, Francis!" I called downstairs, "Can you come here please?"

"Of course!" Francis skipped up the stairs and down the hall to my room, "What seems to be the problem, cheri?"

"Is a black leather skirt too much to wear to a world meeting?" I asked, holding it against me, checking myself out in the mirror.

"I don't think so," he picked, "You look cute in leather…Hold on. Is that my shirt?"

"Yeah."

"And my scarf?"

"Yeah," I shimmied the skirt up my legs and tucked the shirt into it, tying the scarf around my waist. Damn, I looked cute, "Why?"

"You didn't think to ask?" Francis gave me a look.

"Come on, Francis," I checked myself over, "You can't tell me I don't wear it better."

"It's not that," he fixed the shoulders that were already big on me, pulling them a little further down, "It's the principle. Did we not teach you anything?"

"You had me dressed for the Moulin Rouge," I reminded him, undoing just enough buttons to show a conservative, yet not so conservative amount of cleavage, "Consider us even."

"I did, didn't I?" Francis winced, "That's right. But you also looked absolutely stunning, Terra. And that was before I knew you were my mother."

"I'm no Gaul," I shrugged, "But she was a pain in the ass to give birth to. Exhausting."

"You know," he gave me a little spin, "You don't look half bad. You did this all yourself?"

"You're not the only snappy dresser in this house," I gasped, mildly offended, "You'd be amazed at what I could do with unlimited resources."

"You practically have unlimited resources," Francis pointed out, adjusting the scarf around my waist a little more, "You need a jacket, cheri."

"You think so?" I looked into the mirror, "I don't know. I think I could do without the jacket. I'm feeling like being half naked today."

"You're not half naked," he giggled, "You're only showing a little leg and a little chest. It's not like you're going streaking."

"I would need a jacket for that. You wouldn't happen to have a trench coat and a Halloween mask I could borrow, would you?"

"No," Francis put his foot down, "My mother or not, you're still our adoptive lovechild, Terra. And I will not let you go streaking."

"I never said I was going streaking," I settled him, "But thank you for looking out for my virtue. I have multiple children, so I'm pretty sure that ship has sailed, but it's appreciated."

"I still think a jacket would do nicely, though," he spun me around some more, "Are you sure you don't want one?"

"If you want," I allowed, "We can try. But I don't see the point."

"Jackets can do wonders, cheri," Francis dug through my closet, "Just some polish."

"If you say so," I fell into my bed and waited for whatever he had for me. Although, I applaud the leather on leather action. I am here for it, "Excellent choice, Francis. Very nice."

"I do what I can," he threw me the black leather jacket, "Are you ready for this afternoon?"

"Yeah," I nodded, "I think so."

"What is this world meeting for?" Francis sat next to me.

"You'll see," I stopped him, "You'll see when we get there."

"But what if I'm horribly impatient?"

"Then, suffer," I got up and wrapped myself in leather, "Well? How do I look?"

"Gorgeous as ever," Francis kissed my cheek, "Do you think I could finish?"

"You or me?"

"You, of course," he scoffed, "You're way more fun."

"Alright." I couldn't say no to him. Not that face. Not with what was about to go down. It's going to crush him. It'll crush all of them. Let them take the news well…That's all I ask. Soon enough, three o'clock had come and Arthur and Francis brought me back to the world meeting hall. I can do this. I can handle this.

"Terra!" Peter jumped into my arms the second he got loose of Berwald.

"Hi, sweetheart," I hugged him tight, trying to fight the shaking, "I'm so happy to see you."

"What are you doing here, Peter?" Arthur stepped in, "You know you're not allowed in world meetings. You're too little."

"I invited him," I defended him, "He stays. Like it or not, Arthur."

"Yeah!" Peter taunted, maturely sticking his tongue out at his older brother.

"Peter," I scolded him, "No, no. That wasn't necessary."

"Sorry, Terra…"

"Alright then," I gave him a nudge, "Go sit down."

"Yes, ma'am." I scanned the room and did a quick body count. By the looks of things, everyone's here. Good. Good…I think.

"So, Terra, dude," Alfred kicked his feet up on the table, "What did you want to talk to all of us about? Are we throwing another party? Because that would be AWESOME!"

"No," I shook my head, "I'm sorry, but we're not throwing another party."

"What is it, Terra?" Matthew looked at me with those big, pretty eyes of his, only making this harder.

"Well…" I braced myself for the minor mass chaos that was about to ensue, "It's time for me to go…"

"Go?" Antonio wondered, "But you just got here, Terra."

"That's not what I mean," I explained, "I need to go."

"The bathrooms are down the hall," Gilbert directed me, "You could've kept that to yourself."

"Also not what I meant," I rolled my eyes, "I have to go back. Back home."

"What?" In the last few months that I've been here, I've seen things I never thought was possible. The reincarnations of two of my sons. One of my actual sons that I've given birth to. A good portion of them wasted off their asses. But something about seeing Arthur Kirkland, my baby Britannia's crown jewel, damn near shed a tear because of me leaving? I'd be lying if I said that didn't cut me to my core.

"Yeah," I wrapped my arm around him, hoping to cushion some of the blow, "I need to be going, sweetheart."

"No," Arthur gripped my shirt tight, "You can't…You can't go."

"Terra," Alfred jumped in on it, "Why? Why can't you stay?"

"You've made things so much better for us," Matthew added, "You can't go."

"I know, baby," I put my hand to Matthew's little, round cheek, "I know. I have to go, though. We all knew this day would come soon enough. I'm sorry, but it has to be this way."

"No, it doesn't!" Lovino growled, "You're not going anywhere, Terra. This is some kind of twisted joke and you're actually staying here. Go on. We've seen through it."

"I wish it were true," I confessed, "But I do need to be going back. It'll be alright."

"No," Lovino threw himself between Arthur and me, "It won't."

"Lovino," I ran my hand down his back, "I know it will. Look, what you all fail to understand is how simple your problems really are. And how easily they can be handled. You're all just too stubborn to see it."

"Oh yeah?" Lovino glared up at me, "How do you figure?"

"Like Alfred," I peeled Arthur and Lovino off my waist, turning my attention to another son, "Alfred, sweetheart, all you need to do is back off from being the asshole of the world once in a while."

"What do you mean, asshole of the world?" Alfred gasped, "What did I do?"

"Honey, you're so self-centered," I pointed out, "There's no way you haven't noticed that."

"I'm not self-centered!"

"Yes, you are," every other nation agreed.

"Oh…" Alfred hung his head, "But…I thought I was the hero…"

"And you are," I assured, "You've been a beacon of hope for centuries. For so many people wanting to better their lives. Through the years, you've seemed to forget that. That's where you're the hero. That's what heroes do. They give people hope. I'm not absolving you of the things that you've done in your past. Those are there. But some of those were because of who came before you. You take that and you don't allow it to be in vein and you try your damnedest to make things right. Also, if you could take any opportunity to be hella petty to your boss, that'd be ok, too. Trust me. That's definitely a way of making things right. Your government is supposed to be for the people. Be the people, Alfred. Be the voice the people need. And be loud."

"Ok…" Alfred hardly spoke above a whisper.

"No, no, no," I smiled, "That didn't sound like the Alfred F. Jones I know and love. What's that F stand for, baby?"

"FREEDOM!" There he is, "For everyone…"

"That's my boy," I kissed his cheek.

"So, you solved Alfred's problem," Lovino scoffed, "That's one problem."

"I could do that with everyone," I shrugged, scanning the room for my next victim, "Mattie, come here."

"Me?" Matthew shuffled nervously toward me, "Wh…Why?"

"Because," I took a seat on the table, "Your problem is easy, too. It's ok. You can speak up a little louder. It's alright to make noise. If there's something bothering you at a world meeting, tell them! Scream it at the top of your lungs if you have to. It'll be alright. And to the rest of you, LOOK AT HIM! HE'S NOT A GODDAMN GHOST! HE'S HERE! And he's also not Alfred. He's his own person. They may look alike, but he's not Alfred. Mattie, who are you?"

"I'm…" Matthew spoke softly, staring down at his feet, "I'm Canada…"

"Louder."

"I'm…" he looked up a little more, "I'm Canada."

"Louder!"

"I'M CANADA, GODDAMMIT! I'M NOT ALFRED! I'M NOT AMERICA!" A certain sparkle shined in in Mattie's eyes, warming my heart to no end, "I'M MY OWN PERSON, TOO!"

"That's right, schatzi!" Gilbert chimed in, "You tell them!"

"I'll get to you in a minute, Gilbert," I settled him, giving his (I'm assuming. If that little outburst didn't prove it) boyfriend his due cheek kisses, "But first…Ludwig."

"I don't see how I have any problems," Ludwig gave me a look, "How do you figure you can solve what's already been solved?"

"It's not necessarily that," I brushed him off, "We'll call these my parting words to you if that makes you feel better."

"What do you mean?" Oh, Ludwig…More brawn than brain. That's ok.

"Because," I told him, "I know what makes you tick. You're so much like Germania and I wish I could've told him this in person while I had the chance. You don't have to constantly be strong, Ludwig. And it's ok. I know one thing that will always make you soft no matter what. And that's ok, too. Just…Do me a favor. Be good to him. We went through a lot of trouble to put you here. The least you can do is be good to him."

"I don't understand," Ludwig and I took a seat on the floor.

"He's special to you, isn't he?" I wondered, "And he always has been, but you could never understand why. You knew you had to find him one day. And you did. Your box of tomatoes. And he'll always be yours. Destiny is a funny thing, isn't it?"

"What?" he perked up. I think someone may be making connections in his head. Some things are becoming clearer. Good for you, Ludwig.

"You know damn well what," I merely smiled, bringing his older brother to me, "Gilbert…"

"Ja?" Gilbert joined us.

"You don't need to be so self-destructive," I put a hand to his face, "Your manic energy is beautiful, sweetheart, but there's a fine line between manic energy and self-destruction and it's drawn in chalk. We don't need that. And whether your brother wants to admit it or not, he needs you. And you have to be around for him. Ok? And Ludwig's not the only one that needs you."

"Um…I never said I needed…"

"Ludwig, you're killing the moment," I hushed him, looking over toward Matthew, "You see the cutie over there?"

"Yeah," Gilbert smiled a bit, "What about him?"

"He needs you, too," I told him, "He doesn't have much in the line of confidence. Boost his ego a little once in a while. Not to Alfred's levels, but a little isn't too bad."

"Hey!" Alfred whined, "What do you mean, not to Alfred's levels?"

"Your ego has its own orbit, Alfred," Arthur chimed in, "You know it. I know it. We all know it."

"Mom!" Alfred groaned, "Arthur's being a dick!"

"Arthur's being truthful and you don't know how to handle it," I clarified, "It's not him, baby. It's you."

"HA!"

"Arthur, you're not helping."

"Oh…"

"Anyway," I brushed them off, moving onto the next one, "Antonio…"

"Me!" Antonio's face lit up, craving my attention, sliding into my lap.

"Antonio," I wrapped my arms around him, "Mi Tio España…"

"Si, Mama?"

"Tu es no mi tio, cariño," I explained, "Comprende?"

"Bien…" he let it go, "Is that my problem? That I see you as a baby even though that if it weren't for you, I wouldn't exist?"

"Partially," I mulled it over, "It's more so about Lovino. You don't need to hover over him. If he needs you, he'll let you know."

"I don't…!"

"Lovino, non nunc!" I snapped, knowing what Latin does to Feliciano and Lovino both.

"Scusa, Mama…" Lovino apologized.

"Also," I whispered to Antonio, "If you really want to get Lovino to listen to you better, pick up Latin. It'll remind him of Rome and it'll click so much quicker in his brain. But all the babies need to leave the next some time. Take comfort in the fact that you did your best and hope something stuck."

"You think so?" Antonio looked over at his favorite little Italian.

"Definitely," I assured, "And I think Lovino can handle himself. To a certain extent. The important thing is to be there when he needs you. Lovino, come here. Feliciano, you, too."

"Si, Terra?" Feliciano threw himself in my lap with almost the same gusto as Antonio. You're so much like Rome, Feli.

"What?" Lovino slid in next to me, cuddling into my side. They really are making this hard on me, aren't they?

"I just want you two to make me a promise," I begged, "Don't become like Rome and Germania. It scares me how similar you are to them and I don't want to see history repeat itself. I've seen two brothers tear each other apart, but I don't want that to happen with you two. Lovino, accept your brother's love, but Feliciano, understand when he's had enough. Don't force it. No means no. But salty and sweet work best when they're together. Got it?"

"Si, Mama," Feliciano laid his head in my shoulder.

"Si, Mama," Lovino followed suit.

I threw my arms around my boys, "I'm going to miss you two…"

"We'll miss you, too, Terra," Lovino stretched up, kissing my forehead.

"Will we ever see you again?" Feliciano looked up at me, those big eyes of his killing me just as bad as Matthew's.

"One day, maybe," I thought, "Go on. I got a few more to go through and not a whole lot of time to do it."

"Ok," my babies got up from my lap and I checked the room for my next victim. Well…I say victim. It's not like I'm kicking the shit out of them. And I knew where my next one was. He always did say it was a cozy spot. I got up from the floor and checked the potted plant in the corner, "Ivan…"

"Da?"

"Get out of the plant, mishka."

"Ok," Ivan climbed out of the plant and joined me on the floor.

"Oh, Ivan…" All of the others slightly cowered as he laid his head in my lap, "You really are so sweet, baby…And it's a shame that the others don't see that. But unfortunately, people aren't so easily swayed. If you're nicer to them, over time, I'm sure that opinion will change. And they'll see you for the delightful little jellybean you are. Because you're not scary, sweetheart. There is a truly kind man behind that sweet face of yours. I hope you know that."

"I do," he nuzzled his face in my hip. "I try, Terra. And thank you for seeing things that way. Does that mean I don't hide in plant anymore?"

"That's right."

"Or in refrigerator?"

"Yes."

"Or behind bushes?"

"Yes," I love this boy, "See? You're already trying. Just wait for them to meet you half way, ok?"

"Ok!" I kissed his forehead and sent him off. Nobody wanted to hear me say it. No one wanted to hear me say goodbye. And I can understand why. Because this next one was going to hurt, "Kiku…"

Without saying a word, Kiku came down to my lap, "Goodbyes are never easy, are they, Mama?"

"Oh, God, no," I held back the tears trying to bubble up in the back of my throat. As tight as I could, I wrapped my arms around one of my first borns, "Kiku, I'm so proud of you. You've made friends. You've gotten out of the house. You're not a complete hikikomori anymore. And I'm so proud of you. You've been shut in for so long. How does it feel to be out in the world?"

"It's scary," Kiku admitted, "But I'm glad Feliciano and Ludwig are here. I couldn't have met them in my house. The world is such a beautiful place, Mama. You made it that way, didn't you?"

"Just for you, koibito," I nodded, "And your brothers and sisters. But they had to go and kill each other. I'm not saying that I'm placing that burden on you, but keep a closer eye on these ones, ok?"

"I will," he promised.

"And no more selling yaoi to Alfred."

"Aww!" Alfred groaned in the distance.

"Yes, Mama," Kiku curled into me. And I never wanted this to end.

"Aishiteru, Kiku-chan," I kissed the top of his head.

"I love you, too." Damn, it's going to suck leaving them…

"Arthur," I forced a smile, taking his hands, "You've been so good to me. And you've been so much fun to play with. I wish I would've known how badly you were struggling before I got here."

"It's alright, Terra," Arthur assured, "I just wish I was better to you sooner."

"I know it's going to be hard to let me go," I told him, "And I know it's hard to let him go. But you know he'll always need you. It's like I told Antonio. He will never stop needing you. Always. But let him come to you. Don't hover. Don't be on his ass constantly. If he needs something, Alfred!"

"Yo!"

"If you need anything, where do you go?"

"I ask Arthur nicely?"

"That's my boy," I praised, "See? He still needs you. You'll be alright."

"Thank you, Terra," he hugged me tight, "And I'm so sorry I wasn't better to you, darling. Really, I am."

"It's water under the bridge," I settled him, "At least until the next time I get you drunk and you're crying over Britannia."

"Oi!"

"I love you, too," I kissed his cheek. Now, I knew this one would hurt. This would be a bandage to rip off. But it's coming off nice and slow. I could see it deep in those pretty blue eyes of his. The tears swelling up. Because I could see my own in their reflection, "Francis…My dear, sweet Francis. The only one that took a chance on me. Unconditionally loved me."

Francis struggled to put a smile on his face, blinking the tears out of his eyes, "Don't do this to me…"

"I have to, sweetheart," I buried myself in his chest, listening to his heart beat out of his chest, "I know it'll be hard, but it'll be ok. I love you so much and I'll never forget what you've done for me. If you can unconditionally love everyone the way you did me, this world would be such a better place. But maybe you start with one. And see where that takes you. You are my hopeless romantic and don't let anyone beat that out of you."

"I love you, Terra," Francis cradled me against his chest, never wanting to let me go."

"Je t'aime, mon fils," I let a few tears escape, watching them soak through his shirt, "Prenez soiin de vous."

"I will," he promised, kissing the top of my head, "Be careful."

"How does it work?" Arthur wondered, "When you go back."

"You're about to see firsthand," I got up from Francis' lap, shaking everything off, "Do you see that door over there?"

"Yeah."

"I can just walk through it," I explained, "And I'll be gone."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that," I put my hand on the doorknob, "I could've left any time I wanted, but I wanted to stay with you. However, now, I have to. I love you all. And I'll miss you…"

I know they wanted me to stay, but it had gotten to be time. Speaking of time…I'm not surprised he was there to greet me as soon as I got home. When I walked into my cozy home in the clouds, a tall, good looking man stood on the other side, ready to accept me again with open arms, "Welcome home, beautiful."

"Hello, Cronos," I fell into his chest, emotionally spent.

"Terra," Cronos picked my chin up, "What's the matter, my love? What makes you hurt? Were you too late?"

"No," I shook my head, "It's just been a long day."

"Come here," he brought me into our living room, sitting me down, "Tell me. How are they?"

"Just as stubborn as ours," I chuckled to myself, "Maybe even worse. But they're ok. They will be anyway."

"If that's the case," Cronos wondered, "Why are you so sad?"

"I need to see ours again," I wept a bit, "Most of them anyway."

"Terra," he assumed, "All of ours have passed on."

"Not all of them," I wiped the tears from my eyes, "It's Kiku, Cronos. He's still alive."

"Kiku?" Cronos gasped, "Are you sure it was him?"

"Oh yeah," I promised, "It was definitely Kiku. He remembers his brothers and sisters and I know that was my Kiku. He had shut himself up for so long and it protected him. But now, he's with Germania and Rome's babies."

"Ludwig and Feliciano?"

"The very same," I confirmed, "He misses them, too."

"Well, my dear," Cronos thought, "You could always talk to the gatekeeper."

"I don't know, Cronos," I winced, "The gatekeeper and I aren't exactly on good terms."

"I can go with you," he offered, "Put in a good word for you."

"No," I shook my head, "I appreciate the sentiment, but I need to see the gatekeeper on my own."

"Good luck, my love," Cronos left me with one last kiss.

"I can tell you all about it when I come back," I promised, "And I will."

"Go on…"

I only needed one time. Hopefully, the gatekeeper won't be a grade A dick. He has his moments. But I've had enough for today. If he's going to be an asshole, I can always kick him and steal his keys. Plan B? Maybe. Let's hope I don't have to resort to that.

"Well, well…" the gatekeeper droned, "If it isn't you."

"Please," I begged, "I'm in no mood. I just need to see them. Only once is all I need."

"Dare I…?"

"Come on, Gatekeeper," I groaned, "I've had a very hard few months and I need to see them. Please."

Slowly, but surely, the gate creaked open. This was it. I managed a smile out of the gatekeeper and walked right in like I owned the place. Now, I'm looking for a bunch in particular. And sure enough, sitting at a big ass poker table, I found them. Two were arguing over card counting while another sat and watched, a cup of tea in her hand. And if I'm not mistaken, I'm pretty sure one of them had fallen asleep. Yep. That's what I'm looking for.

"Ve…?"

"Was? Tu nicht so, als wäre ich nicht hier!"

"Mama! Salve!" a giant pair of arms wrapped themselves around me, pulling me into a warm, comforting hug.

I couldn't help myself. I broke down into massive ugly tears, "Romae meum…Meine Germania…"

"Mother?" Britannia wondered, "Are you alright?"

"It's nothing," I assured, "Someone pick Ancient Greece up from the floor."

"She's tired," Britannia let her go, "She'll be fine."

"Mutti?" Germania worried, "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm sure."

Because now, I was home. Be good to me, my children. I'm the only mother you have.

A/N: And that's the end, my friends. I know it's been a journey and this is abrupt, but what better way than to end it with a poker game amongst the ancient nations? Right now, I need a hug. A lot needed to be said and I didn't have much time to say it. Both in story and outside story. I'm writing this on Sunday because I'm going on a road trip this week. It was a last minute thing. Don't know where I'm going, but I'll be around the Twitter and such. All of the information is in my author bio. Now, I also have two other updates that need to be done.

So, as far as the mushy shit goes…Thank you for being around for my first Hetalia fic. Because of this one, I've started writing another one. Although, that one has some Fruits Basket mixed in with it and if you're not reading Trouble Comes in Threes, I've started posting it here, too, in case you don't feel like bouncing over to Ao3 to read it. But for now, I love you and I'll see you later. xx