Heya, folks! It's Alder Niis, back with more of this thing people seem to like for some reason! Nah, really I am very grateful for the positive reception this has gotten already!

Oh, yes, I forgot to say this last chapter. I do not own Hetalia. In case you couldn't tell.

–––– Count Your Dead as the Sun Rises ––––

"We are gathered here today to mourn the passage of Jason Wendel. I know I am not alone in saying that Jason has affected my life in so many ways. Jason had a good, happy, and richly varied life, in the short time we have here this morning we can barely scratch the surface..." I tuned out the speaker as he continued his eulogy. I shouldn't have been there.

"This is stupid. Jace-Oji wouldn't have wanted this." I tightened my grip on the black skirt I was wearing. My mother put a hand on my leg. I pushed it away.

"We can't know that, sweetheart." That was my father. My eyes blazed with anger. "Your uncle, he–"

"He wouldn't have wanted to die, verdammt!" I shouted. My parents shushed me, sending weary smiles to people nearby, who glanced in my direction at the outburst.

"Honey, really, it's not that simple–" I slapped away my mother's arm, which was starting to massage my shoulders.

"You think I don't know that?" I hissed, dangerously. "Stop treating me like I'm five, Мама, I'm not. I'm sixteen, I can handle it. Why won't anyone tell me how he died?" My mother recoiled, shocked by my animosity. She glanced nervously at my father.

"Alyssa, honey, please, calm down." I puffed up angrily, but he continued before I could get a word in edgewise. "Jason made a lot of decisions in his life, and, not all of them were very good ones. Your uncle– he was diagnosed with lung cancer six months ago. He refused to get treatment. He– he said he didn't want to upset you."

I could not handle it. "I– I–" my voice died in my throat. How did I– Six months!? Six months with cancer, how could I not notice!?

–––– Flashback: Six Months Earlier ––––

"Say, Lysa-love, what do you think comes after death?"

Again with that silly nickname. Where did it even come from? DId he think he was being clever?

"How should I know, Uncle Jace, you're the philosophy nut, not me," I snorted derisively at my uncle's expense. He really was.

"Hey, hey, no! It's Japanese today. How could you even get German from that?" What? I hadn't replied in… oh. I pinked slightly.

"I don't know! Shut up!" I yelled, in the correct language this time. I pouted at the grin my uncle sported at my expense.

"And besides. I'm not asking for the answer, I'm asking you." I grimaced.

"Geh. You and your… nonsense." I replied, mostly for not knowing the Japanese word for 'bullshit'.

"It's not nonsense if it's true, Lysa-love," He spouted cheekily. I threw a lazy punch at him for his troubles. He caught the first and set it at my side.

"Gah, fine," I huffed teasingly. He laughed. "After… death, huh?" I considered the question as my uncle readjusted our course. "Well, don't know about, not-life… uh, place," God damn this language I didn't know. Uncle Jace looked amused, but didn't actually tell me what the word for 'afterlife' was, the jerk. Man, I loved him. "But, guess, well, what you do while live, makes what think you in death, you know, change." He snorted.

"I was hoping for a bit more, honestly." I glared.

"I get to that, jeez," I muttered, pointedly. "Well, like, would be better if, you do lots some-important thing, or few, great-important thing?" My uncle, thankfully did not comment on how terribly I stumbled on that phrase.

"Hm." He intoned, and I wasn't sure if it was a bad 'hm' or a good one. "So, what about the afterlife?" I stared blankly at him. What was that word? "You said you didn't know about one, but what do you think it might be like?" Oh, was that the term for it?

"Well, I don't know if even could be… afterlife," I said, testing the new word. "If your brain controls your… self," Gah, more vocabulary, please, what is the word for consciousness? "Then, if brain dies, could not be self to have afterlife." Uncle Jace looked at me with an indecipherable look on his face.

"Hm. Interesting point." He said shortly, now in English. "When we get home, we'll practice more grammar, as well as vocabulary about death and the brain." I sighed.

"In all three?" I asked, tiredly.

"No, just in Japanese– Of course in all three, Lysa-love, who do you take me for?!" He said with false hurt in his voice. We both laughed as our boat headed back to the harbor.

––––––– End Flashback –––––––

I snapped back to the present, and felt tears in my eyes. "I– I–" I felt like a broken record. "Oh, darling," My mother tried to pull me in for a hug. I couldn't find it in me to pull away. "I'm so sorry. You'll come back to Europe with us, we live in France now, it's simply beautiful!" It was a weak topic change, and we both knew it. "No." My mother pulled away. "What?" She asked. The speaker was done with is eulogy now. "No. Nein, non, нет, nej, iie,what do you want me to say? I- I can't do it, live with you, I mean." My father opened his mouth to say something. I cut him off before he could start. "I mean, I love you, very much so, but, I just can't, not after being away for a year."

"Ally-cat," I twitched at my father's old nickname. "If you blame us for sending you away–"

"I don't, Far, I never have. But, I need to stay at his house, without you. Please." My parents exchanged a short and silent conversation. "Alright," said my father. "Just, let us help provide for you. It wouldn't feel right to leave you entirely alone." I stood up and stared at them for a long minute, all too aware of the tears falling down my face. I stepped forward, and paused. My father opened his mouth again, and I collapsed into his arms. "Oh, Far, Мама. I love you so, so, much." He returned my embrace, and my mother joined as well. We didn't dare move, for fear we would disappear if we let go.

–––– End of Chapter One ––––

Hm. Well, the cancer thing was a bit trite, sorry, I couldn't see a way for it to not be. I hope the foreign words weren't too annoying/jarring. I tried to keep them unobtrusive and mostly recognisable. You guys can tell me how I did with that. (Hint hint review hint hint). The most obscure things were nej, which is no (obviously) in Swedish, and Far, which is father in several nordic languages. Also, The flashback. I was trying to convey that she wasn't that great at Japanese, but I'm worried I either over or under did the mistakes. So. I have almost no clue what emancipation actually entails, so give me the benefit of the doubt, please. Man, I feel like most of this AN is apology. And yes, Lysa-love is supposed to be clever, or at least very punny. Think on it, you'll get it.

likikoari– Hey, a review! Thanks, you gave me warm fuzzies inside~! Although, a 'wonder' might be a bit of an exaggeration.

I will sincerely try to keep up weekly updates.

See ya on the flip side~

–Alder