Matthew was busy making Lauren's room clean. They headed back to Drumheller after a night and a half, and the next day after that, the Canadian decided that Lauren should sleep in her own room. Lauren helped for the fist few minutes, then became "tuckered out" as she referred to it, then just jumped onto her new bed and fell asleep. She seemed to be really lazy, like Heracles, a certain Greek that Matthew knew from his business as a nation.

Lauren had a dreamless sleep, one of those sleeps where you close your eyes then open them immediately, but hours have gone by between that split-second length of time. Matthew was amazed at how cute Lauren looked when she slept. She was wearing a normal t-shirt with normal jeans, normal sneakers, and her hair down like usual. Lauren's t-shirt, though, wasn't all that normal; it had the design of a British Flag on it. Matthew wasn't bothered by it, and it did look cute on her, and even American girls wore shirts with English flags on them-he saw it before, no lie-but the fact that Lauren wasn't English made the shirt bother him. You didn't normally find Ludwig Beilschmidt wearing a shirt with an American flag on it.

Matthew threw some old scrap papers into a white, lightly-scented garbage bag, until the room looked presentable. Now that it was clean, Lauren could decorate it as she pleased.

Standing in the doorway, a white polar bear, Kumajiro, stood. Matthew saw the bear and gasped, saying in his soft voice, "K-Kumajiro! I-I'm s-sorry for l-leaving you!"

"Who are you?"

I'm forgiven, Matt thought sadly. He left the room, closing the door behind him.

Gilbert was on his computer, talking to one of his now-blessed fans, "Yeah, I know, I'm that awesome, huh? Well, my bro, Ludtz, is coming over the day, and I know I should tell Matt, but this will be an awesome surprise when he shows up!"

Matthew knocked on his door, and Gilbert nearly jumped, surprised. Was it possible that Matthew could somehow know what he was thinking? No way, he wasn't awesome enough.

The German got up, answering the door, with Matt standing there, polar bear in his arms. Looking Gilbert directly in the eyes, Matthew said, "I'm going to go to town for groceries, gas, to check the mail, and everything." Still not looking down, Matt added, "And put some pants before you leave this room. Lauren isn't going to be seeing you in your underwear."

Abruptly, the Canadian closed the door in Gilbert's face. Gilbert huffed, folding his arms over his chest, and thought, Geez, so unawesome. He turned around and finished his blog. Then he actually got up to put on some pants-he actually didn't want Lauren to see him in his underwear, mainly because if she saw, she would tell Matthew, and last month's hockey game would be repeated.

Once "properly" dressed, Gilbert headed outside into the hallway and down the stairs. His room was a whole story above Matt's room, and two whole stories above Lauren's room. He went down into the living room and sat down on the sofa. He was watching some show called Lost Girl on the science-fiction channel, when about thirty minutes later, Lauren came walking out from down the hall, yawning and stretching as she walked, and into the living room. She and Gilbert merely stared at each other as she crossed in front of him to get to the kitchen. Gilbert's view now blocked by the bar, he turned his attention back to the TV.

About ten minutes later, Lauren came walking into the living room, a plate with a really cheesey grilled cheese sandwich on it in her hands, and she sheepishly asked Gilbert, "Can I sit by you, sir?"

Sir? Gilbert wondered, also wondering why he never noticed her title for him. He merely shrugged and said, "Fine, soak up ze awesomeness."

"Thank you," she said and sat down at the right arm of the sofa, Gilbert at the left. Gilbert eyed her distance and asked, "Hey, vhy did you ask if you could seet by my if you vere going to sit all the vay over zere?"

Lauren furrowed her eyebrows at him, obviously confused. What did he mean, "all the wat over there"? She asked, "What do you mean?" Do I seriously just quote my own thoughts?

Gilbert crossed his arms, saying, "Vell, sitting zat distance avay ist not sitting next to somebody. Zis" he jumped over into her personal bubble "ist sitting next to somebody."

Instantly hot, Lauren avoided eye contact, Gilbert pressing right against her. Lauren said plainly, "I got it, thank you, sir."

Against her wishes, Gilbert didn't move. Maybe he was only lingering? Well, the lingering finally lasted for about a minute before Lauren continued to eat her sandwich, thinking to herself, Pretty please, scootch back over? Please? Will it work in Engrish? Prease, Mister Girbert? Girbert Beirschmidt? Prease? Ret me eat my sandwich, prease, in peace...

After trying French, Gilbert still lingered, casually watching TV. There was a commerical on, advertising some movie called Eight Legged Freaks, and Gilbert threw his right arm around Lauren's shoulders, asking, "Do you zink zat vill be a good movie?"

Burr crap, Lauren thought, and said, "Uh-uh, um..it's about giant spiders, but, the animation looks terrible, sir."

"You are right," Gilbert said. "Ze special effects are not nearly as awesome as zey should be."

Lauren felt like a mean jerk for thinking, Go away now? and instantly hated herself for it. Gilbert, in fact, did not go away. He loitered around Lauren's personal bubble, until she got up to put her plate in the sink. She questioned herself if it would be rude to sit further away from him, or if he just wouldn't care.

There was a knock on the door, and as Lauren heard the sofa cushions sort of squeak, she called, "I'll get it!"

"Danke," Gilbert said casually. Lauren rushed to the door and unlocked it, following quickly with opening the large oak, finely carved piece of art.

A tall, well-built blonde man stood there. He had his hair slicked back, pale blue eyes looking at her with surprise, as though he had expected someone else, which was higgghly likely. Lauren blinked, asking with a faint tremor in her voice, "Excuse me, what do you need?"

Thoughts entering her head, Lauren found herself grinning at the thought that he could be some missionary...that would make her laugh, maybe. The man said in a gruff, yet not unkind, voice with an accent similar to Gilbert's, "Ja, ist Gilbert Beilschmidt here?"

"BRUDER!" Gilbert's excited voice cut through the air, and he came flying out from around the corner, past Lauren and hugging the tall man. Lauren backed up slowly, trying not to stare and look disrespectful.

Gilbert looked around at Lauren and said, "Zis ist my baby bro, Ludwig!"

"Baby?" Lauren found herself pondering aloud, seeing the much-taller Ludwig steam at his brother's hug. Isn't the older sibling supposed to be more mature?

Ludwig noticed how "well-dressed" Gilbert was, first of all. Gilbert usually wore very casual things, like t-shirts and jeans, yet he wore neatly ironed black pants, black shoes, and a black button-up shirt. Quickly ignoring this, Ludwig asked as politely as possible, "Who ist zis young lady?"

Gilbert laughed, saying, "Zis is Lauren, who is Mattie's little sister, Quebec! Say somezing French, Quebby!"

Face turning red, she stammered, "Très bien... Je m'appelle Lauren..."

"Kesesesese, don't sound so threeled, Lauren!"

"Desolé, sir...."

Gilbert thought it was interesting that "sir" never changed from English, no matter what language she was speaking. It wasn't awesome to think about unawesome things like that, so Gilbert ignored her, saying to Ludwig, "Ja, now, vhat have you brought me~?"

Folding his arms, Ludwig asked, "Vhy vould I bring you anyzing?"

"Gilbert?!"

The obnoxious German froze, hearing the familiar accented female voice. He gasped, saying, "ELIZABETA?!"

Lauren could see the small, pale hairs on the back of Gilbert's neck stand on end. She didn't have any way of hearing him think, "Wait, if she's here, then Roderick..."

"Zat car ride vas horrible" a very gay accent huffed. Two people, a pretty young woman with a flower in her pale brown hair and a man with Beethoven-like dark brown hair came up. Gilbert groaned, red eyes wide. Well, at least he had a chance to tick them off.

Now feeling tention in the air and feeling awkward at being surrounded by so many strangers, Lauren murmured "excuse me" and began to walk away.

Gilbert saw her begin to creep away out of the corner of his eye, and he gasped, "Oh no you don't!" He grabbed onto her left elbow, saying, "Kesesese, you get to meet my friends!"

The pretty woman reached the doorway first, smiling brightly at Lauren, and she said in a slight goofy, yet pretty, accent, "Hello, who might you be?"

"Lauren," Lauren said, curtly bowing her head. Her cheeks became hot, and when the last man appeared, she couldn't help but glance at his pretty eyes. He said in the same weird accent as before, "Ugh, are we going to freeze up Mister Villiam's house or are ve going to go een or out?"

Loudly, Gilbert said, "Come in, Roderick Österreich!"

Making Lauren feel even hotter, Gilbert hadn't yet let go of her elbow. As that occurred, Elizabeta took Lauren's right hand in both of her hands, saying cheerily, "You must be Quebec, yes?"

Nodding, Lauren stammered, "Y-Yes, ma'am."

"Oh, call me Lizzie!" Elizabeta said. Lauren was about to reply when Ludwig interrupted, saying, "I vill do some vork around here to pay for stay."

Stay? Lauren questioned. Gilbert laughed, saying, "Lauren, your face looks so unawesome! Kesesese, close your mouthz before a fly enters!"

Instantly shutting her jaw, Gilbert continued, "Ja, I forgot to tell Lauren! You are staying ze night-but vhy are you two" his voice sounded somewhat harsh in direction to Elizabeta and Roderick "here?"

Ludwig answered for him, saying, "Zey intercepted me and promised to do vork to pay for the night's stay."

Not hearing any of this, Lauren kept thinking to herself, did Matt know? Likely not, or else he would've told her, but then again, how could Gilbert invite people over without Matt's permission? It wasn't his house to invite people into-in fact, it was more of Lauren's house than Gilbert's...

"Vell?" Ludwig's voice interrupted into Lauren's thoughts. Oh no, what'd he say to me?! "Miss Lauren, vhat vork should ve do?"

The Canadian's eyes widened. Oh, he was asking what she suggested he and his friends do...

I have to make a decision?! Lauren was luckily looking calm, and she said, "Well, the kitchen is kind of dirty, and the dishes need to be done...um, the floor out here could be swept, the rug could be vacuumed, and, um..." She lifted her eyes up to the finely-dressed Roderick, and imagined his professional career, instantly saying, "Music could help us work harder."

Roderick stared her in the eyes, obviously surprised, when Gilbert said, "Alright, I can go get my awesome playlist!"

Just before he started racing away, Lauren jumped in front of him, saying, "Please wait, sir! Mister Roderick, Missus Elizabeta, there are some instruments in the back room down the hall...if you can play them, Mister Roderick, would you like to play for us instead of work?"

Gilbert looked like he was ready to shoot himself, while Elizabeta said, "Zat sounds vonderful! Mister Roderick, why don't you go see what Matthew has?"

Almost arrogantly, the formal man agreed, and Lauren led him down the hallway. She awkwardly commented to him, "You dress very elegantly, probably the best I've seen."

"Zank you," the Austrian said. Lauren lead him into the room. A Grand Piano was in the center, several violin-like instruments at the far wall, and some drums on the other end of the room. Roderick seemed mesmerized by the piano, and he sat down at it, gently running his hands over the keys, and he says, "Zis piano is very fine, and in such good condition for vhat looks so old..."

Smiling, Lauren said, "Matthew says that he checks up on all of his instruments weekly, and often plays them several times a week, so neither he or the instruments become rusty."

Roderick nodded, beginning to play a few beautiful notes on the piano. Lauren was held at awe by the sound, and he said, "I vould love to play zis, but a violin vould be easier for me to bring out to play..."

Hurriedly, Lauren knew that she had to hear the piano, so she said in a rush, "I can bring the piano out. I-It has wheels. I can push it."

Looking at her in disbelief, Roderick asked, "You can?"

"Yes, sir," she said. "I can, as long as you play the prettiest piece that you know."

Roderick nodded and said, "I can do zat. Vill you need help push-"

Before he could finish speaking, Lauren began moving the piano away from him. He took the bench and followed her. She showed almost no strain against the piano's weight, and when they came rolling into the living room, Elizabeta cheered, "Lauren, you are so strong! Now, Roderick, why did you not help her?"

As he was about to reply to the scolding, Lauren interrupted, saying, "I insisted on doing this myself, ma'a-um, Lizzie."

Ludwig sighed, saying, "All iz vell un good, now let us all start vorking. I vill take the kitchen, und Elizabeta, you handle the floors."

"I can find you a mop," Lauren suggested to Elizabeta, and they headed off together to start cleaning as Ludwig entered the kitchen, Roderick starting to play the piano.

*AUTHOR'S NOTE*

This is not a very productive chapter, I don't care, okay? Even nations have boring days, so chill...