"Better slow down there Libby." Matthew warned the tot as she shoveled the food into her mouth, "Or not."

He saw Marissa smiled at the child, hearing her grandfather chuckle at her as Libby ate the meal before her, "See Munch, told ya kids love me cooking."

"Just lucky in this case."

"Bah! I got ya to eat with yer nan all the time. There wasn't a thing you didn't eat for us." he gave back.

"Except that pond thing and that black pudding. Ugh, I can still taste them."

"Those are British, not Scottish." Matthew noted.

"Aye, yer right. But Katheleen loved to cook whatever she could find. She was always tryna find new things to gag me with. Swear she was tryna kill me at one point."

"Granda."

"Oi, ya know how she was." her grandfather pointed his fork at the two of them, "Every time those damn cooking shows came on, she was determined to cook what she saw. Failed or not."

Matthew chuckled at him, "Well, British food is an acquired taste."

"Un Arie can't cook a Maddie." Libby added.

"That's not nice Libby."

"Is too, daddy say so." as she placed another large spoonful of stew.

"If he's English then it's shotty grub."

"Granda!" Marissa chided him, "Don't encourage bad behavior."

Matthew tried not to laugh at the bickering between the two as he and Liberty shared glances. It was something he missed, seeing family at the table like so and enjoying one another. It made him remember the times with Arthur when he was younger or Francis even. It was those days that stuck in his head the most, the ones that Marissa was giving him now really. And he didn't want to leave it.

"She can have a wee bit Marissa, it won't kill the girl." her grandfather complained as Marissa shook her head.

"She needs to finish everything on her plate to get it. Ya never broke the rule with me as a child-"

"Oh now come on Roon, she's a wee tot. Her not finishing it won't hurt the world, I'm happier she ate the meal to begin with. Being American and such, they got the fast food tongue ya hear. Let the girl have the shortbread now."

"But granda-"

"Muncharoon." his tone changed as he gave her a sort of puppy look.

Yet Matthew watched as Marissa gave a heavy sigh and bent to her grandfather, "Fine, but I don't want to hear it later from ya that I spoiled her."

"Yay, cake!"

"Close child, caramel shortbread. Right out of the heart of Scotland it is." the old man's eyes twinkled as he ruffled her hair.

He could see where Marissa got her love of children from, it was written well on the man as he beamed over his niece. The moment they walked in with her, he was like a kid in the candy store over Liberty. Having her sit on his knee as he read book after book while things finished up, how he poked and teased her with funny faces. He really was a child at heart himself.

"Oi, Matthew."

"Yes, sir?"

"Oh now, none of that sir business, just Walt." the man stated, "When this is all done, mind if I have a word with ya?

Ok, that was shocking, "Uh sure."

"Right then." he smiled as Marissa came back in the room with the small deserts.

After speaking more about the life in Scotland, how things have changed over all the years, and a little bit of embarrassment for poor Marissa, he finally gained the quiet alone time with the man as Marissa and Liberty worked together in the kitchen.

Nervous didn't cover what he was as he sat with the man. It didn't help watching him gasp for air as he tried to gather his breath, the man waving him away to just let him rest. He knew Marissa spoke of it before, but hearing and witnessing were two different things to him.

"Just...give me...a moment...to catch...me breath." he panted out, "Bloody...hell. This fucking...sucks."

All he could do was sit there and wait as the man fought for his breath. In his lifetime, he never thought he'd witness something close to the war again, but this was damn close to the effects of the gases the Nazi's threw at all of them. Memories he'd rather not live again.

"Finally." the old man got out, "Right then, Matthew."

He gave his full attention to the man, having a feeling it pertained to Marissa in some sort, "Now boy, I think ya know what I'm after here."

"Marissa I'm guessing."

"A smart one ya are. Good girl hooking ya." he smiled at him, "But I'm wondering more than that. I wonder what she's told ya."

"Well, she's told me about her past and what happened to her parents and how you and your wife gained her. I must say you taught her beautifully about herself and others, just wish more were like her, to be honest. So bright and beautiful."

Walt chuckled at him, "Ah yes, this is why I like ya. Ya, remind me of me when I would speak about Kay."

"Well then that's a good thing then I'd say."

"That it is, which is why I want to speak with ya." Walt leaned a little closer to him, "Did Marissa bring up her dreams?"

"Well, she told me she wants to be the best that she can in her field and help as many-"

"No, no. Her other dreams. I mean when she goes to sleep and closes her eyes."

Now things started to puzzle Matthew, "How do you mean?"

Walt sighed as he glanced back at the kitchen, "I always knew she was special. Never could put me finger on it. It didn't come to me until she was about six or seven, asking if it was ok to have the same dream over and over again. I asked her if it was scary which she said no. She told me she felt happy in her dreams, that the women were nice to her."

Women? He couldn't mean? "Women, Walt?"

"Aye. She used to describe them to Kay and I, we just let it go off at first but the more she spoke of it the more we got curious ourselves. Others were concerned with it, thinking that she was a bit looney, but I always knew she was meant to be different. After a bit of research after she told us the women in detail and what they were doing, we found out they all had something in common."

A solid lump was lodged in Matthew's throat, the knowing sitting at the back of his head, "And that was?"

"They were all from Canada." he smiled at him, "And with it was her love of the nation as well. Never did we not see a book of the nation in her hand or on her desk. She probably did more homework on this land than her own born in."

Dear god, his mother was right. There was a reason that Marissa was there and that one made him nearly fall out of the chair.

"We never pushed far with her on the subjects but let her tell us what she wanted and such. Which is why I am hoping you will take good care of her, Sgt Williams."

Wait, did he say, sergeant? "Um, Walt, I think you have me-"

"Confused? No, I deeply remember that day." he said with a small smile curving his face, "What a gloomy, dismal day it was for us. One that proved all courage and little fear. Oh, no doubt about it we were all terrified but we knew what we had to do against the Nazi's."

Matthew was wide-eyed, he wasn't sure what to say or if he even could, "But-"

Walt raised his hand to him, motioning him to be quiet as Marissa and Liberty went into another room as they giggled at one another. The man's deep steel blue gaze met his as time seemed to have melted into the past around them, bringing forth the battlefield he remembered so well as he spoke.

"It was June 6th, 1944 when he hit those beaches. The bombs screeching towards us as the bullets whistled by. Terrified really didn't cover what I was when we were let off that boat. We could see the American's storming up the way, always known that they'd make their break up first before the Canadians, British and French Forces. I fought my way up as best as I could, tripping over bodies and missing shots and more. All I knew was that if I finished this war, I could go home to my girl. Ya see I faked me age along with many other rascals in that war, way too young to fight but we knew what was right. All the way up I saw soldiers, brothers in blood and bond rise and fall as we stormed Normandy, it was both terrifying and yet awing that no religion or race or nationality was divided on that beach, for we were all brothers there. A united country of men to free their lands from the hell that was soon coming.

"I was about halfway up when a bomb landed next to me, shook me whole body it did. Pretty much sent me into a panic as I gripped my Lee Enfield to me chest. I couldn't tell ya what was up or down, left or right, nothing at all. That was until a set of strange violet eyes met mine and the quietest, calmest voice came to me ears. It was you. Ya gripped onto me hand and told me that I was alright, that I needed to press forward. I couldn't even move, there was no way until ya pulled something in front of me. I didn't realize that me helmet fell off with the blast but ya reached in it and got my picture of Kay out of it. Ya smiled down at me and said she was my reason to keep moving. And like a switch to a light, I did by damn. I ran up the beach beside ya, meeting my platoon and doing what I could to save my nation and lass. For years I wanted to thank you better than I did on that beach and I swore that I'd never forget a face or voice like yer own. And now as we see, I'm not wrong."

He couldn't believe it. This whole time visiting her grandfather and the times before, he knew who he was and he remembered him as well. The frightened soldier on the beach, looking so lost and scared that he couldn't leave him behind like the others around him. It took him a bit to break him out of the state but once he did, it was like he unleashed a tiger out in the wild for the man was gone. Well, boy, in that case.

"You know who I am." was all he could get out.

"Aye, I do. I wanted to always give ya proper thanks in my mind but never could find ya. The only reason I knew you were different than most was later that day I saw you with three other men, they seemed important to the whole cause that was the war. After looking at their uniforms I realized they were from the other nations beside my own. It wasn't until years later as I walked London for business I saw the very same English soldier in the streets conversing with the boys of Scotland Yard, never aged in any sort. Saw the Yankee bloke years later as well when I had a meeting in New York City once. So I knew when I saw ya, it was really you."

It was a true first. Never had Matthew had a human remember him from years ago, it was mainly just impossible. Let alone during that point of time. Yet there sat Walter before him, remembering D-Day like it was just yesterday, smiling at him as he tried to gain his thoughts all in one spot.

"Like I said, I knew who ya were and I figured ya keep company of humans here and there but the way ya look at Marissa, I see more." the man spoke up, "Now that being the case of what ya are, ya wouldn't go falling head over heels for a lass unless it meant something, am I right?"

Finally, he found his voice, "Not entirely. Let's just say we all learned something new."

"So then my Marissa is special then?"

"If my hunches are correct, yes. Very much so."

Walt nodded as his gaze wandered to the large window, "All I want to know is that she's in good hands."

A set of giggles caught his attention, pulling his sight over to Marissa and Liberty as they played a small game with one another. Something in him seemed to come forth over the thought of her, the need to protect and cherish like no other and with it, slowly he started to understand how his brother looked at Amber, but how Walt spoke of his beloved wife.

"She's in the best hands in the world, Walt. No doubt about it."

"They're being bad aren't they Libby?" Amber asked the child as the two of them watched her play in the snow, hearing Alfred and Matthew out on the lake.

"Aren't men always getting into trouble?" Marissa added.

"Daddy no like ice." Libby stated, "A Maddie do."

The two women laughed at her as they heard the duo challenge one another, on the slippery top, to a small game. Since the meal at her place, Matthew made a notion for her to speak with his sister-in-law, well, after learning that her grandfather told him about her dreams and such. As much as it irked her that he got Matthew involved, it felt, well, right.

It was strange, after the meal, Matthew seemed to be a little lighter on his feet and determined for something to happen like he was waiting for New Year's to pop around and the world explode in cheers, yet he said or did nothing to her. Only telling her she needed to talk with Amber.

"You seem puzzled." Amber pointed out.

"Not really, just feel tugged around for no reason of why."

"Mattie?"

"Aye."

Amber sighed as the two men tapped the hockey sticks against each other, beginning their game, "Well, anything out of the ordinary come up?"

A hint of sage wavered under her nose, bringing her head up at an alarming speed. Since that afternoon that smell had hit her constantly, and to make things stranger, on their way here she dozed off in the car only to dream of her women and a new one. This one, however, spoke directly toward her, telling her to hang onto Matthew for he meant more than she thought.

"Ya know, in my profession, I label people as such with basic life skills and see if they are able to function past certain areas, if not I point them where they belong. But as of today, I feel like I need to be judged and tested."

"Why's that?"

"I swear, I dreamed of a Native American woman, who directly spoke to me in deep detail yet left so much out of the picture. I just can't get her out of me head."

Marissa looked back over at her, seeing the woman smiling, "Oh I see, ya find me mad, don't ya?"

"Far from it."

"I feel like all I did was insult ya instead."

"Why's that?" chuckled Amber."

"You're part Indian, yes?"

"And?"

"Doesn't that bother ya?"

"No, actually makes me really happy, to be honest." she replied, "Finally not alone."

"Alone?"

"Tell me, when you dreamed of her, did the scent of sage come to you, and did she call you something else or tell you to care for someone?"

Well, that was weird, "She told me to hand onto Matthew and yes to the sage part. What's it got to-"

"It deals with a lot of things actually, might be easy to show you this way though." Amber said raising her ring, "Liberty, want to see Unci?"

Marissa didn't know what to say as the tot bounced in their laps, chanting unci to them as Amber held out her ring, "Touch it and thing of the scent and the woman."

This had just gotten weirder than she could have imagined, yet there sat Amber and Liberty, smiling at her as they waited for her to do what they asked. Shaking her head, she touched the dazzling wedding ring of hers only to find her mind swimming with the woman from earlier. Things seemed to just stretch for all eternity as voices overwhelmed her ears, yet as it all began, it ended. Ended right in the middle of the plains of the west, vast untamed wilderness around them as buffalo and bison walked freely with the deer and more around them. To say Marissa was awed was a lie, for she was beyond that.

"My God!"

"Come on, plenty more sights to see. Liberty left us in the dust by the way." Amber said as she moved on.

Marissa wasn't sure what to do as she looked over the land, yet her body moved without her to Amber as the woman made her way down to a flowing riverbank.

"Don't ya find this a bit odd?" she called to the woman.

"No, but I saw this every night when I slept so I grew used to it."

"Hold on!" Marissa darted for Amber, finally grabbing hold of the woman's shoulders, "You dreamed too?"

"Yes, I did. My number is a bit larger than yours but still dreamed of women from America, while yours come from Canada."

Now she was stunned, "But how can that-"

Amber silenced her with her finger, just to point over to the water's edge. Following the direction, Marissa gasped. For there along the water's edge was the woman and dancing around her legs were two little boys, their golden blonde hair waving in the sun as a set of glittery blue and purple eyes looked around with their happy laughter.

"Marissa, that's Matthew and Alfred." Amber said, "And the woman with them is their mother. Mother Spirit, Native America."

"That's not possible."

"It's very. Look behind you."

She didn't argue with the woman as she glanced over her shoulder, just to have her jaw drop. Behind her was all the women she dreamed of, as if chunks of times had dropped themselves before them and gave witness to the rich Canadian history she lived every night. This had to be a dream, nothing like this was completely real, it couldn't be. Yet the more she stared, the more it felt it.

"It is real, Ottawa." someone broke her thoughts.

Looking back, the woman approached them as she held Liberty to her, "Your history is before you just like Amber's is next to her as well."

Marissa's eyes drifted over Amber's shoulder, seeing the very same thing with so many women that she couldn't keep track of them, yet she was more surprised that the woman spoke to her.

"Do not fret, you are just fine in your mind." the woman smiled at her, "And Mother Spirit is what most of my people call me, but I do prefer Adsila from my daughters."

"Daughters?"

Amber laid her hand on her shoulder, "Yes Marissa, we are to be her daughters."

"But-"

"There is a lot that is hard to understand, but before you is the history of America and Canada, and right in front of you is the time before the nations were fully settled in. And yes, that's M and Alfred in the water." Adsila added.

"Daddy!" she heard Liberty squeal.

"Now child, we cannot fuss with history, remember?" the woman spoke sweetly to her.

Marissa wasn't sure what to think or do as her eyes moved from scene to scene, trying to piece everything together and make sense of what was happening. It seemed like a conundrum, something so out of place and unknown that even time itself seemed fake and shotty but deep in her, it seemed to make sense. Her dreams, the women, the pull to Canada and even finding Matthew. It oddly grew to make sense.

"What's puzzling you, Marissa?"

"Plenty to be honest, yet ya called me Ottawa."

"That's is your real title, Marissa." Amber said, "You are to become the embodiment of Ottawa, a personification. Matthew is Canada as Alfred is America and I am Washington D.C."

"I Philly!"

"That's right Liberty, you're Philadelphia."

"So, yer not human?"

"Yes and no. It's hard to explain. I breathe and live like a person but will never age. Well, after that point, yea you're right. I'm not."

"What is all this?"

"Our way of telling you of what you are. You will become the Capital of Ottawa and be like Amber and Liberty." Adsila stated, "You were always destined to be this. It's why you dream the way you do, feel like you do. You're mind and body are trying to tell you what it needs."

"But it doesn't make any sense."

"It won't, not at first." Amber replied, "But tell me, after seeing this place and hearing what you just did, does it feel right somehow? Like the puzzle in your head finally fits and you are just trying to make out the strange picture that it gives you?"

She was right, it did fit and somehow made a strange sense, yet it still was confusing, "So I am to be Ottawa. What then?"

"You will change into Ottawa. That's pretty much it."

"But what about-"

"Matthew is Canada, Marissa. He is the nation. Are you not drawn to him?" Adsila asked.

"Are ya daffy, I could barely keep me eyes off him the first time I saw him."

"Then you are bound. As one would call, soulmate. He is Canada as you are Ottawa, and with that is a lifetime of partnership and love. And I know you love my son, you have that same sparkle in your eye as Amber gets when she speaks of Alfred."

"What can I say, he's my hero?" Amber smiled.

Adsila let Liberty down just to see the child run between the two of them, her little fingers handing onto their legs.

"Things will make sense Marissa, it takes time and patience. For now, let Amber help you. If you ever need me, find me in the past." she smiled at them.

Marissa felt herself swim in her head once more only to hear Alfred and Matthew bickering on the ice over their game as Liberty added her fits of giggles to the mess.

"Bloody hell."

"It's a lot to take in. Don't fret, we're not alone anyway." Amber said, "There's a meeting with other nations taking place in a month or so in Austria, you go there and sit with everyone, and things will truly pull together there. That and you have me."

"It's just strange though. I'm to be immortal and be something that doesn't make even a lick of sense, yet..."

"Yet it does."

"Aye." Marissa sighed as she looked back over the ice, "I hope you're right about it all falling into place then."

"I am." she replied, "If it did it for me then it will happen for you."

Dear god, she hoped so. There was so much on her plate at that moment she wasn't sure if she could handle any more big things like that before her. She felt her nerves fly up, making her dig into the pocket and pulling out a lollipop, popping the sweet cherry candy in her mouth.

"Nervous tick?"

"How'd ya guess?" Marissa smiled at her, giving another one to Liberty.

"I won gold in the Olympics that year in hockey, so suck it!"

"That was almost thirty years ago, you still suck to this day."

Marissa's gaze landed on the boys as they continued to bicker at one another, shaking her head at their silliness.

"Why don't you go be a girly man and dance around out there? You're too soft for sports anyways."

She saw something twitch within Matthew, a look she knew meant business. She heard Amber try and talk to her husband yet it was silenced as Matthew took off for Alfred, aiming low and swooping under him, having the American fly over his back and landing flat on his own with a solid thud.

"Uh-oh, daddy got booboo!"

"Mattie!"

Marissa just sat there stunned as Matthew had a small victory smile on his face as he skated up to his brother, "Who's a girly man now?"

It was then she burst out in laughter, watching as the two of them continued to squabble like typical siblings as Liberty laughed along with her, making Amber shake her head at them all. Marissa couldn't stop falling more for the family she had been pulled into, and maybe, the notion of being a capital.

After all, if it involved this family and Matthew to be by her side for a lifetime, how bad could that really be?