Oh man…this is really late…I'm really sorry guys! I just fell out of my fanfiction writing stage…I worked on my Ouran fanfiction because my friends were there to help me…and I started writing original stories for myself again…which I will never finish most likely…I feel like I've improved on my writing a bit. So this chapter is where things go from humorous to drama and more serious. I started writing this chapter in May actually and the last time I touched it was the beginning of June…Once again I am really sorry, and I shouldn't be making up excuses for myself…so…I'M SORRY!

Chapter Ten

"So why are we at the mall Mattie?" Alfred questioned his step-brother.

"My husband's birthday is in a day. It's his last day of relaxation before we have to get ready for New Years. Unfortunately I haven't gotten him a birthday present."

"Wow you suck. But he doesn't need a present! It was Christmas four days ago."

"Alfred. If your birthday was this close to the holidays you'd still want a birthday present." Matthew spoke.

"Yeah but that's because I am Alfred! Your husband is just another floating Commie from Commie-land!" Alfred declared.

"I didn't have to take you shopping. Now let's go buy the present already." Matthew hadn't been having a good week. His boss had kept him overtime every day, so when he came home Matthew was tired as hell. Ivan was busy preparing for his extended family's visit, like making sure the house was in good order, having to say good-bye to most of his prized vodka collection, showing some of his family, that came to America a few days before the actual New Years, around, actually trying to get some of his work done, trying to pay off the stupid holiday bills, etc. etc. etc. So in the end he couldn't be there to comfort Matthew. Plus the kids didn't have school and Jamie's attention span matched a squirrels and all he wanted to do was have fun and go out. Unity just wanted peace and quiet and to bop her younger brother on the head so he'd shut up.

Alfred and Matthew walked around the mall going into numerous different stores trying to find something. Matthew had been getting annoyed. After trying ten stores Alfred groaned.

"You know Mattie. Screw the shopping, I'm tired and hungry, just go fuck his brains out like there's no fucking tomorrow!" People started to stare when they heard this.

"Alfred shut up. You're causing a scene."

"Why should I care? Hey people, you don't mind if I talk about my brother fucking his husband right!" Alfred started yelling. Matthew's face turned red. Going through the shopping mall was "What is wrong with you?" or "Go away homos!" or "There are children here!" or "Mommy, why are two men married?" or "Mommy, what does fucking mean?" and the most favored by homophobes, "Mommy, Daddy? Why are there homosexuals in a public place?" (A/N: Stupid homophobes…)

"Al! Be quiet!" Matthew sneered.

"I don't wanna!" Alfred yelled. Matthew sighed.

"Alfred… if we go rest and get something to eat then can we go continue shopping?"

"Yes! Food is good. And after we eat you can get to shagging, as Arthur likes to call it, your husband, because it's official. Shopping sucks ass." Another thing that was official was that Matthew or Alfred could probably never show their faces in this mall again…

Today was Ivan's birthday. Ivan mentally sighed as he opened his eyes to the warm morning sun. He looked over to his side and saw the love of his life asleep while snuggling into his arm (A/N: So cute!). Using his free hand he gently stroked Matthew's hair.

"Happy birthday Ivan…" Matthew spoke quietly.

"Did I wake you Matvey?" questioned the birthday boy.

"Non… Ivan? Can we stay in bed all day?" A chuckle.

"That'd be nice… wouldn't it?" Ivan questioned. Matthew nodded, stretched and then sat up on the bed swinging his legs over on the side.

Vanya looked at him confused, "Weren't you the one who wanted to stay in bed today?" Matthew nodded. But before any more confusion could enter the Russian's mind his Canadian lover pulled out a small black velvet box. Ivan felt like he was being proposed to. Before Ivan could blink Matthew handed him the box.

"Open it." Matthew whispered. Ivan followed his directions and opened the box to find a silver ring with the words "Je t'aime Ivan. Joyeux Anniversaire" engraved into it. Even though the burly Russian didn't know much French he understood these words. Matthew found himself being embraced in a hug by the Russian.

"Thank you so much Matvey. You don't know how much this means to me."

Ivan Braginski's birthday went nice. His son made him a nice card while his daughter decided to cook something for him. And of course there was the ring that Matthew gave him which he wears on his left thumb. But now that it was no longer his day he had to prepare for his family. Some of his family had already come to the states and he had been showing them around for the past week(s).

From the moment he woke up he was preparing. Matthew had been worried for him, especially when his husband started to hug each prized, precious vodka bottle from the cellar and was going to end up being chugged down by a bunch of Russians in a matter of time. Other than that the house had become spotless and the good couch was moved downstairs into the basement and old chairs were put out instead. The dining table had been pushed to the side of the wall for more space. Luckily Ivan and Matthew weren't the only ones doing the preparations.

Katyusha came over and started working on food with the help of Darya. Boris helped Ivan move the good furniture, knowing from past experiences, don't leave the good furniture out while the Braginski-Arlovsky family is drunk. Natalya was helping clean with Matthew and the kids. Anna (Turova) Nosova, Ivan's first cousin, came with their aunt Irina (Braginskaya) Turova, Anna's husband, Oleg Nosov, and Daniil Nosov, their nephew, and these people started decorating. At one point Daniil was sent to go clean with the others.

After a couple of hours the house was spotless and the good furniture wasn't in sight. Everybody went to go make themselves look presentable, aka showers for the extremely sweaty (Boris, Ivan), and dirty (Natalya, Matthew, Unity, Katyusha, Darya (cooking like crazy!)), and other things like that. Ivan had gotten out of the shower and left it for somebody else and he had started to get dressed. He had been stressed, not because of losing his vodka, or his family trashing his house, okay maybe that was part of it, but because of his large crazy family that he'd have to deal with in an hours' time.

Ten minutes until the party officially started Natalya stood in the bathroom and looked at her reflection through the mirror. She wore a black turtleneck dress that reached mid-thigh. Her dark black stockings had not been ripped and hopefully they would stay like this. Natalya's outfit was complimented with a pair of black oxford heels. Her hair was not hanging out as usual but was pulled into a messy bun. Natalya Arlovskaya was a beauty on the outside at least. On the inside she was cold, selfish, and traumatized, turning down the affections of Toris Laurinaitis, and paying him into a fake relationship with her older sister, making enemies easily, etc. She truly was an Ice Queen.

Natalya held her prescription pills in her hand and popped a few in her mouth. It was the same routine every day. Take the pills to keep her scarred history locked away. Pretend that she was okay for everyone else's sake. As long as she didn't look like she was hurting it was fine. But it wasn't.

She sighed and put the pills away into her purse. She exited the bathroom and descended down the stairs after leaving the hallway. Guests had already arrived, friends, family, and neighbors, all of them she had to pretend for. This is going to be a show alright. Natalya thought.

All throughout the night Ivan had been greeting his family and had barely seen his own husband and children. His vodka stash had been going down and down and he was ready for the crazy drunk Russians to attack his furniture. What surprised him was when his aunt Nastya had stopped the music and had called everyone to the living room for some family photos.

"Thank you all for gathering up. Hopefully you should all know that my nephew's birthday was yesterday and since most of the family is here now I've decided to set up a slideshow of family photos all throughout the years. Of course of Ivan's family since it was his birthday. I also want to thank Klara for sending me photos too." A very heavily accented older woman with short wavy pale blond hair and blue eyes spoke. Once Darya heard Klara's name mentioned she instantly glared at her older sister.

"This better be good." Boris mumbled before he took another sip of his drink.

"So…cold blooded killing brother-in-law of mine, we're just basically going to see baby pictures of you?" Alfred asked who had been sitting next to Matthew, who was sitting next to Ivan. Ivan sighed.

"Unfortunately…I think so. My aunt is odd like that…" Ivan muttered. Soon before anyone could object the slideshow started. It started off with a black and white photo with two little blonde girls with twin braids dressed in traditional Russian clothing holding hands. Darya slightly grinned at a photo of her and her sister. More childhood photos of Darya and Klara, and the Braginski children including Nastya and Boris, along with Irina and Ivan's father, etc.

After childhood photos it went to a young Darya with a young Mikhail, holding hands, or whatever else a couple in love would be doing in a picture. Maybe a romantic smooch or sitting on a bench cuddling, etc. Once it got to these pictures Darya grimaced and slowly turned her head away. Romantic dating pictures lead to romantic wedding pictures.

"Dude your mom was hot in her wedding dress," Alfred spoke. He received confused and concerned looks from both Ivan and Matthew who started to slowly inch away from him. After wedding pictures it led to happy family pictures and a little toddler Katyusha and eventually to a kid Katyusha and a little baby Ivan.

"You looked adorable as a baby," Matthew whispered into Ivan's ear. Ivan felt his ears turn pink. Even though this family seemed to play along happy for the sake of their guests, they hated what Nastya Braginskaya was doing right now, especially Natalya. Natalya grimaced and leaned back into her seat, arms and legs crossed with a scowl on her face. Little Natalya Arlovskaya had heard her brother and her brother-in-law's conversation. How could Ivan act all calm?

The pictures had seemed to be going in time order and after baby/toddler Ivan led to other pictures of the smiling Braginski family. Then after some other photos, (which we are still confused how Nastya got these pictures when she wasn't there for most of them, and who e-mailed these to here…) was a not so smiling family. When did this happen? After Natalya had been born, things really changed. Natalya bit her lip and turned away from the screen and stared at the floor. She would not break down in front of so many people, especially her mother. She could not break down in front of Darya of all people.

She tried to keep her cool, but she failed after seeing a glimpse of a photo of a younger her with the man she called "Papa".

"Excuse me," Natalya spoke feeling the tears rise up in her eyes when she stood up and left the room at a faster pace than she wanted. The tears fell down from her eyes turning her dress wet. The mascara that was put on decided to have a race and see who would reach Natasha's chin first.

Ivan got off the couch once he saw his little sister running out of the room.

"Natasha!" he shouted as he chased the sound of her sobs down the hallway. Ivan found the master bedroom door open and Natalya sitting on the bed with her hands hiding her face as she cried. Ivan sat down next to her. "Natalya…" Ivan spoke. The girl looked up at him.

"What Ivan? Are you just going to say that everything's okay and that Nastya didn't mean to do that, she's not a bitch who hates me and our mother?"

"No. I wasn't going to say that. I agree with you on Nastya. She is just an old cranky bitch and that she needs to go die in a hole sometimes." He said trying to lighten the mood. No laughter or grins came from his sister.

"Ivan. It's not fair…I don't like your family all that much…they think I'm an abomination." Natalya spoke.

"They're our family Natasha."

"Het Ivan, they are your family. They always were your family and always will be your family. I never even met my father's side of the family or my father, and heck; Mama's family is rarely here…I only have you, Vanya." More tears started to fall from her eyes. Ivan wrapped his arms around his sister.

"What about Katyusha or Mama?" he questioned.

"It hurts me to say it but you were there for me more as children than Katya or Darya. Katya was at her work trying to help support the family, or with her friends, and Darya was as much of a wreck as I was. She was drinking trying to get rid of the pain. Vanya, you were there for me…" she told him. Natalya hugged her older brother as she felt more tears pour out. Ivan hugged his half-sister back.

Just like old times Ivan thought. They sat like this for a few more minutes; the only noise was Natalya's decreasing sobs and Ivan's cooing trying to calm her down. After another set of minutes her crying died down.

"Are you better now?" questioned Ivan.

"Yes…but…I don't want to go back out there. I can't."

"No. You will go out there Natalya."

"I am staying here. Nothing you can do can make me go out there. I feel humiliated. I broke down…I just can't!"

"Too bad, Mama's going to want to see you, as well as Katyusha. You're going out there, whether you like it or not." Ivan spoke. Before Natalya could do anything Ivan picked up his younger sister and carried her over his shoulder.

"IVAN! PUT ME DOWN!" she started yelling and kicking him. Her only response was a smirk (A/N: a very sexy one I may add). Natalya kept on struggling as he walked down the hallway. Nothing worked. She stopped fighting. Ivan put her down.

"You stopped struggling. It's not fun anymore." He said and then continued back to the party. Natasha just stood there agape.

After the whole commotion Katyusha had to make sure an angry Darya didn't kill Nastya while Boris had been entertaining other guests with the help of Matthew and Alfred, even though Alfred just ended up flirting with Ivan's teenage cousin Viktoriya. When Ivan had returned to the party everyone's noise and chit chatter died down. Of course Ivan didn't make a big scene, he just continued on like nothing happened and started talking with Katyusha who was confused at her brother's reaction. After seeing the two everyone continued talking. Alfred turned away from his conversation for a second to turn the music back on and went back to flirting.

Eventually conversations led to dancing, drinking and eating, etc. Things had seemed to be going well after the incident, until somebody decided to bring out the karaoke machine.

As said before I am really sorry that this is a very late update. I wanted this chapter to come out for Mother's Day originally…I guess school got in the way of that. Summer vacation is almost over…so that makes me sad. I'm glad I finally finished this chapter because today is my mom's birthday and I'm going away on vacation from Wednesday to Saturday night. I'll most likely be back on Sunday, and my cousin is coming back from Kiev on Sunday so I'm excited to see the little terrorist girl.

I may be catching up with her for a few days…until I get sick of her beating me with pillows and I end up letting her beat up her step-brother instead, then I will definitely spend more time on this story. August is a very busy month for me…

I created a family tree of Ivan's side of the family for this story because I'm introducing MANY OC's this chapter and the next one. I'm not the best at making family tree's so I made my own retarded version of a family tree. Don't worry it's not that complicated and there is a guide to help you solve it.

Here's a link to it:

http :/ image /f/ 703/ raising kids family tree2. png/ (Don't forget to remove the spaces)