Author's note: I figured I should probably mention really fast who the fuck some of these characters are. A short list of the ones in this chapter:

Australia: Wynn

New Zealand: Demarco

New Guinea: Jett

Tasmania: Lambson

Wy: Amelia

And there will be more later, I'm sure. I'll be incorporating Arthur's brothers soon as well and a few others. So, here's this to alleviate any confusion when you see the name "Jett" and go "Australia?" I really didn't like that name for that country but it was an appropriate name elsewhere. Anyway, I'm done rambling. Also, ha ha. Yeah, I am alive. Year-long writer's block and I am so sorry. Hope you enjoy! Please review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia or characters thereof.

~xXx~

Alfred (Friday, April 28)

"I'm sorry, boys, but no," Arthur said, looking upset that he had to give that answer as I deflated. "We've got guests coming in tomorrow night and they're staying for the week."

I wrinkled my nose in confusion and, as per the norm, Matthew spoke my thoughts, "Who's going to stay here for a week?" Or, in an alternate translation, who the fuck is that important that they get to?

For a moment, Arthur floundered. Then he settled on, "You'll see tomorrow," before he vanished into the kitchen to start on dinner.

Matthew looked at me and said, "You get to tell them. I have history homework." I glared at his back as he scrambled into the family room. With a resigned sigh, I headed up to my room. Once the door was shut, I flopped onto my bed and pulled out my phone. I twirled it in my hands for a minute before I typed and sent a mass message to Gilbert, Ivan, Ludwig, Feliciano, Lovino, and Antonio. "Sorry, guys. Party's a no-go. We're having people over for a week."

Antonio was the first to reply with, "That's OK, amigo. I was getting the feeling we were celebrating too early, anyway. Have a good night!"

Feliciano and Ludwig had similar feelings while Ivan sent, "That's too bad. It was a good thought."

I smiled a little and answered, "Yeah, I hoped to raise our spirits. Maybe after our performance." He didn't reply and neither did Lovino. However, several minutes later, Gilbert messaged me with, "Who's coming over for a week? Family?"

The thought was a bit foreign and I felt a little stupid for not considering it earlier. "Probably," I replied. "Maybe grandparents or somebody. Ha ha."

His response of, "Probably Wynn… Good luck!" with a too-happy smiley icon did not comfort me. Nor did his refusal of a reply after that. "Who the hell is Wynn?" I muttered in frustration.

~xXx~

It was around noon the next day when Francis left to the airport, leaving Matthew and I to watch as Arthur fussed over the state of the house and the two guest rooms. Finally, as he finished making the second twin bed, I asked, "Who's Wynn? Is he the one that's coming to stay?" Arthur looked at me in surprise. "Gilbert offered up the name."

Instantly, he seemed annoyed and yet also defeated as he sat on the end of the bed with it's bright yellow comforter. He bit his lip as he debated in his head and the answered, "Yes, Wynn. I suppose I shouldn't just surprise you without a story. Wynn is your older half-brother, from a previous relationship I was in. He's a really nice guy; got a wife and three kids… This is just a bi-annual visit from them. I haven't...haven't told him that you two are back yet…"

I balked at him, suddenly feeling extremely angry for reasons I couldn't quite identify. Matthew let out a soft sigh and I glanced at him. "That's going to be a bit of a shock for him, I think…" he muttered quietly and I felt my anger fade because he was right. "Is his family coming too, then?" Arthur nodded. "How much older is he than us?"

Arthur didn't look like he really wanted to divulge this information and the words tumbled from his lips with a bitter tone to them. "Seventeen. I was twenty-two when I had him."

I quickly did the math and raised my eyebrows in surprise but what came out of my mouth was, "Was he here a lot after we left?"

"Alfred, that's his story…" he said softly, expression fading into one of exhaustion. "I can't tell you why he changed the frequency of his visits without speculation. You'll have to ask him some questions."

"Why didn't you tell us we had an older brother to begin with?" Matthew inquired timidly.

Arthur pursed his lips and leaned back. "It hadn't come up in the questions and conversations and I didn't quite know how to bring it up. Throwing out, 'Yes, you have a sibling' into the air doesn't sound like it would go over well. Then I happened to glance at the calendar… I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. It's not really fair to you two…" I glanced at the bedroom door, feeling my insides squirming. Arthur stood up suddenly and said, "I should probably start snacks or something. They had a long flight and they're always hungry when they get here…"

"I'll help," Matthew offered and they wandered downstairs. I stood there for a moment and then went to the other bed, climbing over it to look out the window that overlooked the driveway. The thoughts that had first started surfacing when the DNA tests had come in were threatening to tidal wave me again. I was feeling overwhelmed and angry. Matthew and I hadn't just been a fluke - he'd had another kid before us. I rested my hand on my abdomen and imagined the possibilities and the fears. I slipped off the bed and headed toward my room to take a nap before the guests arrived.

XX

I knew the moment Wynn and his family arrived because of all the noise. There was a laughing kid, an older one yelling at him to be quiet, a baby crying, a man telling his kids to calm down, and a deep voice trying to be heard over all of the chaos. And then there was Arthur trying to greet all these people. I climbed out of bed and wandered to the staircase, listening to all the voices a moment before I headed down and stood by my brother who was in the dining room doorway. The family was actually a really interesting bunch. There was a really tall, bulky brunette who was grinning from ear to ear, even as the little boy ran circles around his legs as he tried to walk, and a smaller blond man who was carrying a little baby in his arms, trying to soothe her even as he got after the energetic kid. The kid had light brown hair with blond streaking it here and there and brilliantly green eyes. He looked around three years old and as if he constantly drove his parents crazy. Then there was the older kid. He looked to be in his early teens, younger than Matthew and I, with a quiet expression on his face. He had blue-green eyes and a relaxed posture.

"Wynn, Demarco! How was your flight?"

"Chaotic, as is everythin'."

"Come on, ya little ankle bitah, calm yer shit down."

"Wynn, don't swear at 'im."

"I didn't swear at 'im. I swore in general."

"You really shouldn't swear around your kids…"

"Jett, ya're gonna trip Dad! Stop it!"

And then the little boy ran up to me and paused, wide-eyed curiosity on his face. "Who're you?" he asked, a definite Aussie accent in his voice, like a more childish version of his dad - except he looked a lot more like his mom.

"Uh, my name's Al," I replied after a moment. "Who're you?"

He puffed himself up like he was about to say something important. "Jett Kirkland!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Like a jet plane?" His face practically split in two with the grin that crossed it as he absolutely lit up. "I bet your dad flies you all over the house, yeah?" And he was off, chattering a mile a minute at me. I sat down on the floor, nodding at his words. My ex-dance partner had once brought her brother to a rehearsal and I'd tried being nice to him but he was a six-year-old snob. This kid was what I imagined I'd been like at his age and I adored him.

Suddenly, the blond man noticed Jett's disappearance and turned toward his voice, catching sight of Matthew and I instantly. "I didn't know you had other guests, Arthur," he said above the din and the brunette glanced over his shoulder at us.

"They're, er, not guests," Arthur started, heat rising in his face slightly. "Wynn, Demarco, this is Alfred and Matthew…" I thought for sure the blond would drop his baby in surprise. "Boys, this is Wynn-" he gestured at the brunette and then the blond "-and Demarco." He awkwardly dropped his hands to his sides.

I resisted the urge to shout "surprise!" as I stood up. Wynn looked vaguely close to being sick so I figured that I would need to tone down any obnoxious comments I had for him. "We got a bit more of a warning than you, bro," I said, grinning uncomfortably. Jett had run off and was digging through a backpack I hoped was his.

"You're dead," Wynn blurted and his face immediately turned tomato-red as he seemed to regret his words, eyes flicking briefly toward Arthur. "I-I mean, that's just…"

"Eh, it's okay," Matthew cut in gently. "Nobody believed it at first."

Wynn stared hard at us, turning so he didn't cramp his neck. Even the baby and Jett had quieted down. "But…it's been twelve years…" he finally muttered in awe. "It shouldn't even be possible…"

"I'm sorry, but this is a bit much, even for me…" Matthew interrupted, resting his head in his hand. "Can we sit?"

~xXx~

Demarco came back into the living room after putting Jett and their daughter, Amelia, to bed for the night and sat down beside Wynn on the loveseat with a tired sigh. I kind of felt bad for him; he looked exhausted and anxious at once. Their oldest son, Lambson, was sitting on the floor by Wynn's feet. Our brother stared at us as he leaned back, eyeing us like he thought we'd disappear again. It was making me uncomfortable. To break the silence, I asked, "So… What's your story then?"

He smiled, almost wistfully, and my stomach made a violent lurch. "Well… I'm seventeen years older than ya, Alfred…" He made a twist of his mouth, like he wasn't used to letting the name slip anymore. "I was eighteen when I went on a school trip to Australia where I met my little Kiwi here." He beamed as he glanced at Demarco who blushed furiously and gave a squeak of a protest. "We married when I was twenty and we moved to Australia where Lambson was born and we visited back here once before ya two vanished. We spent maybe five months out here after…"

"Six, Wynnie," Demarco corrected softly, watching us. "We spent Lambson's third birthday here."

"Right," Wynn agreed and patted his son's head. "I'm glad he was too young to remember…"

I felt the need to look at Lambson and apologize, "Sorry, brah." I offered a weak smile.

He stared at me and grinned too brightly. "I was too young to remember," he repeated and I could tell it was a practiced lie. I definitely felt sick to my stomach now. How many lives had we inadvertently destroyed by our disappearance? And, worse, how many were we destroying now with our reappearance? "It's cool that you're back, though. Maybe we'll be able to get to know each otha now."

I smiled tightly as Matthew enthused, "That would be so great! None of our cousins ever liked us and most were older so they picked on us anyway…" He paused and corrected, "Fake cousins, that is…"

Wynn was interested now, leaning forward a bit. "What is your story?"

"I guess that… Well, the Andersons, they were the couple that took us, they faked an adoption and raised us as their own kids…" I explained, feeling a bit distant.

Demarco frowned deeply. "How strange…" he muttered, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Where were you living, then?"

"We grew up in Alabama," I replied, maybe a bit too cheerfully because both Demarco and Wynn looked startled. "Sorry…" I wanted to explain how I missed the trees and the humidity of summer and I missed the color of my bedroom and my angry cat. But most of all, I missed feeling sure and secure. Instead of saying any of this, I simply stood and excused myself to the bathroom.

~xXx~

Lambson (Saturday, April 29)

I wasn't focused on Alfred as he walked away; I watched his brother, Matthew, as his face grew red and contorted with embarrassment and anger. I was a bit concerned about the idea that he might try to murder Alfred so as he opened his mouth, I got to my feet and chirped, "I'll go see if he's okay." My dad started to protest so I persisted, "No, come on. Let me try." With a sigh, he waved me off and I sprinted to the restroom. Cautiously, I knocked on the door and softly said, "It's just me, Lambson." I heard the click of the lock and the door opened a bit. I squeezed in and closed the door behind me. Alfred sat on the toilet so I hopped onto the counter. "You OK?"

He shook his head. "I feel sick…" he mumbled into his hands.

"I can't imagine why," I replied, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. "Hey, I know what ya were thinking with that birthday thing." He looked up at me in surprise and I smiled wistfully at him. "I remember it." I tapped my right temple lightly. "Photographic memory. Mum and Dah don't know and I'd be very grateful if we could keep it that way."

His eyes widened impossibly. "Dude, I am so sorry. I can't even imagine…"

"Please, don't start," I interrupted and even put my hand up. "It's a bloody birthday; they happen every year." He still looked far from convinced so I sighed. "Alfred, yes, everyone was devastated when you two vanished. But it's not your fault. Do you know what it?" He shook his head, looking about ready to cry. "Coming back. Yah didn't have to. Yah coulda stayed there, blissfully unaware of this life here and all the people left behind… You made the brave choice - to find out and to stay. You don't realize what a wonderful impact you've had. I've only been here at few hours and I can see it on Gramma and Grampa's faces. They're so happy. And you've changed my life. After you two were taken, Mum and Dah got really scared and protective. I think they might calm down now. Plus, I've got an amazing story to tell all my friends when I get home! 'My long lost cousins are back!' No one will believe me. It'll be funny." I grinned at him. "Then I can tell them what a snot you've become."

"Did you even know me before today?" he asked, seeming to be in better control of himself. I told him that I had not. "Then how do you know I've 'become' anything!?"

I laughed. "Actually, from all the stories I was told, you haven't 'become' any more or less obnoxious," I said finally and he snorted. "Yah can't blame yourself for a decision that was outta your control. Yah can only take credit for your own."

Alfred looked up at me, studying me carefully. After a minute or so, he softly inquired, "How are you that smart?"

I beamed. "I think I got a lot of Mum's genes. Plus, I'm a really good listener. I've learned over the years that listening is important if you want to accomplish much of anything. I've never made the same mistake twice."

"I'm kind of envious of that…" he muttered, turning his eyes to the floor. "Sounds useful."

"It's not," I replied, trying not to sound as upset as I felt. I'd thought a lot about it and every time I did, I always got angry. "People look at it as though I'm less human. Where others will forget and make the mistake again, I remember and avoid it. I've lost friends over it. Sometimes, I wish I could forget things. My head's always so full…"

Alfred was silent for several moments before he stood in front of me. "Thanks, brah. Really. I needed to remember that others have issues, too."

I shoved lightly at his shoulders. "Yeah, don't get creepy over it. Just bite the bullet and know that everyone here loves you - you haven't disappointed anyone yet, that I can tell."

"Aw, cuz," Alfred cooed with the most obnoxious grin I'd ever seen on anyone. "Getting all sweet and lovely so suddenly? I've only known you for a few hours!"

"I will not hesitate to kick you," I replied brightly, swinging my feet slightly to show my point. He backed up, laughing. "I think my dad had more questions for you so we should probably get back…"

Alfred sighed, "I'm sick of questions…" It was about then that I realized something: Alfred was a rather transparent person. He was all show but, below that, he was a cowering child. I still can't forget the look of absolute defeat on his face, no matter how hard I try to file it away. Even the strongest persona could be overwhelmed at some point. And that made me mildly terrified of myself.