I don't own Hetalia, okay? I know it's been a while since I updated but you know, life and all that in the way. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

Ivan smiled as he looked at the picture of Alfred he had on his bedside as he packed to take the train to Kiev to meet up with his sister. She had practically begged him to come and visit for the Easter holidays, to the point of crying over the phone because she had just wanted him to spend time with the family, that she would get their younger sister to come too, and she just wanted his approval for the man she was with now. I told Katyusha just what I need and she said she would have it for me to make what I said I would….and I have to wonder if she wasn't crying to get me to do what she wants. Sighing, he finished packing and looked back at the picture. What I wouldn't give to have you here with me. Katyusha wants to meet you so…. Ivan thought. Looking over at the family picture he had next to the picture of Alfred, he saw Natalya and frowned. I am not sure how my baby sister would take it. She is rather attached…. Closing his suitcase, he smiled at the picture of Alfred. "I do hope you have a very happy Easter yourself." At this he the annoyed honking of the cab driver and headed out, shutting and locking the door behind him. "Train station." Ivan said as the cab driver gave an angry grunt to show he knew where Ivan was wanting to go.

Meanwhile, Alfred stood at the train station and sighed. Why couldn't Mattie and Emma just fly down? It's what a 13-hour train ride? I think the flight is only 2 hours or so. As he was waiting, he put in his brother's address and the house's address and driving is only 6 hours. Looking at his watch again, he sighed and sat down and swiped though his picture, seeing all the ones Ivan had sent from his house and things in Moscow he had liked to go to and of the train he himself had to take when he was heading to his sister's in Ukraine. The countryside looked beautiful, and he said that he would take Alfred along when he came to visit, mainly because he had told him that his sister had insisted that she meet him. Laying back on the stiff bench, he sighed as he put on his playlist and put his earbuds in. Scrolling through the playlist, he growled as he tried to find the song that Ivan had told him he had loved and thought that Alfred would like too, even though he likely could only understand some of the words. He had been studying Russian and had gotten a few phrases down, but Ivan still said his accent was terrible. Wrapping his hands around his phone, he lay back and closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep wondering if Ivan could see his thoughts.

Ivan was in a field of sunflowers with Alfred smiling and lying on top of him. It felt like they had been there for hours, a blanket laid with a picnic basket on it. "I could lay here forever." Ivan said as he wrapped his arms around Alfred pulling him in closer. Ivan smiled and pondered just how lucky he was. Alfred was his, all his. No one else would have him. And he was going to make sure of it.

"Let's not forget about lunch." Alfred said eagerly. He broke free from Ivan's grip and with a slight frown Ivan looked over at Alfred digging greedily through the basket. Out of it he pulled a bag from McDonald's along with two cokes and a mcflurry each. "It's from our first date. Well, we didn't know it was per say but…."

"I love the sentiment…." Ivan smiled. Although we had brought that basket with us when we left this morning, how did he get that in there? He pondered. Alfred took a big bite and left a pickle dangling in the corner of his mouth. Ivan smiled and grabbed it and ate it. "You can be such the pig sometimes Fredka…."

"You love it though." Alfred laughed, taking an even sloppier bite. With this Ivan placed his Big Mac down and then grabbed Alfred close and kissed him deeply.

"You're right." He smirked. At this, he felt a lurch and Alfred looked at him.

"My pribyli v Kiyev. Pozhaluysta, organizovanno vyydite nalevo, kogda poyezd otkroyetsya na stantsiyu." Alfred said.

"That makes no sense…." Ivan said as he started to wake up.

"What doesn't make sense?" The conductor said. "We have arrived. So, get up and get out." He said with a gruff tone.

"I'm leaving, I'm leaving…." Ivan said as he got up and began to take his bags to where his sister would be waiting for him. With that Dimitri…. how many men have loved her and left her over the years… He thought with a note of disdain. If there was one thing, he hated was that when something bad happened to people, he loved. If he could keep them close, he could ensure that nothing bad ever happened to them. A voice that sounded like Alfred's came to his mind. You know Vanya, if we can work it, I wouldn't mind your sisters moving in with us when you get over here, that way all the people you love are with you together forever. Ivan smirked as he heard his sister call from the other side of the train station.

"Vanya! Vanya! It's you!" Katyusha said running up to him and hugging him tightly and spinning him around, pulling him off the ground. This always caught him off guard. His older sister did not look like she could twirl a man of his size around like that but there she was, hugging and spinning him as if he was a young child again. "I am so glad you could make it."

"Yes, yes sestra it's good to see you too." Ivan said as he tried to pull away from his sister.

"Yes, and how is Alfred." Katyusha asked as Ivan blushed and looked around, not wanting anyone to hear her. He knew that Eastern Europe did not share the same views America did on it.

"He's fine, his brother and fiancée are coming to Easter dinner there." Ivan said.

"And you're worried?" Katyusha said as she took his suitcase and walked along with him out of the train station.

"I met him at the hotel I was at for my business trip last year. He was very drunk because of how his father reacted when his brother had come home from the holidays." Ivan began.

"You told me about this." Katyusha said. "And I agree, it was awful to favor one brother over another as a parent…." She paused, knowing how it was with Natalya how she had a favorite sibling, even though they were the only family they had in the world. She then looked at Ivan and continued. "And I think you are afraid that something similar will happen again at Easter."

"Yes." Ivan replied. "I won't be there for him to be the shoulder to cry on, to be the one who comes to his defense when his father forgets his place! The one to tell his brother he isn't so perfect after all!" He began with a passion. "The way I said that man off, I am sure that was what helped him to come around."

"Didn't you also say that his father invited you to dinner and gave you something for your flight?" Katyusha asked as they reached the parking lot where Katyusha led him to an old soviet pickup truck with a wooden bed. Ivan looked at her annoyed. "It's Dimitri's. It rained a bit before I came to get you, and this was the best thing to get out of the driveway."

"I thought you said he had more modern equipment?" Ivan said, his respect for the man Katyusha was involved with going down.

"Ivan you are being rather stupid." Katyusha scolded. "This truck is reliable and can be easily fixed. Yes, Dimitri has gotten some more modern equipment, but he isn't getting rid of something reliable and helpful for bad weather. Seriously why are you so harsh on a man you do not know!"

"I know what happens when you get involved with a man, they use you and leave you and I'm left picking up the pieces." Ivan said.

"You know, you don't need to protect us. Natalya and I can handle ourselves." Ivan looked at Katyusha sternly. "I know you will never believe me, but Dimitri is indeed different. I hope that you will believe me once you meet him."

"I will make my own opinions once I do meet him." Ivan said gruffly.

"And do not think he is like any of the other men I have dated before." Katyusha began. She sensed Ivan rolling his eyes. "Wait until you meet him." She ordered.

"Fine." Ivan sighed as he looked out the window, seeing the grain fields, imagining how they would be in the summer, and how it was remarkably like Alfred's hair. He smiled as he looked at the fields, wondering how Alfred was handling this.

"Hey, Alfie!" Matthew said as he shook Alfred up.

"Ivan!" He said sitting up and looking around.

"It's Matthew." Matthew smiled. "Have you been dreaming of your beau?"

"So, what if I have?" Alfred said. "Why did Emma have to take the train? You could have drove in a shorter amount of time." He yawned.

"Well, neither one of us felt like it, we don't drive much as we live in the heart of Montreal." Matthew smiled. Alfred rolled his eyes. "And I didn't feel like going through the border checkpoint in the car..." Alfred smirked at this.

"Well, it's legal medicinally in this state." Alfred said. "And I was able to talk the cop into thinking you were just somebody's poor proxy in them ditching their stuff, so they didn't take you in and tell Dad and Papa what you were doing?"

"Mathieu?" Emma asked with a slight laugh. "Did your brother have to get you out of trouble?"

"You must be the Emma that Matthew has told me so much about." Alfred said, a quick flash in his mind to a letter Lien sent about a record agency run by an Emma and Abel came to mind. "Say, you don't run a record label or have a brother named Abel, do you?"

Emma's eyes widened. "No, of course not. You must have mistaken me for someone else. My full name is Emilie."

"Ah, well glad to finally meet you in person sis." Alfred said. She looked on curiously. "I mean you are marrying my brother after all."

"Your brother is so friendly." Emma laughed.

"Well, I am your driver, so I will be ready when you are. I do hope you will give my car some consideration. You know that Dad's car doesn't have the room for the bags and the back seat would be so much better for two lovers." Alfred smiled.

"Oh, as if you would know that..." Matthew smirked.

"Shut up!" Alfred said. Besides, it was too cold when Ivan was here...and he's a big guy, would we even have the room to do this... His mind wondered, remembering the time he spent and kept his mind thinking of how when the summer came, he would be seeing Ivan again and bringing him home to be with him at his brother's wedding. He arrived at his car. "Sorry for it being my ol' beater," He blushed. "But trust me Emma, this thing is reliable as fuck." He reassured her as Matthew rolled his eyes and Emma laughed.

Meanwhile, Lien was helping her auntie to clean up in her restaurant after the lunch rush. She was on spring break from her college, and she had nothing else to really do. She had caught up with all the work that was supposed to be done after the break and somehow, had managed to get good grades while going through all the work to record and promote the album that was to be released. She had been in contact with Leon as well, the only one who was really going to college while recording. Somehow, he was able to compose new song lyrics, rehearse and keep up a standard that would get his uncle off his back. As she wiped off the table, the mailman came in. "You must be Anh's niece that she has told me so much about. Congratulations on your gig. I think there's something in here from a record company down in LA with your name on it." The mailman said as Anh came out with a smile and a brown bag.

"Ah, Dave! I have your favorite pork. Banh Xeo and spring rolls." Anh smiled as she handed him the bag and he handed her the mail. He started to walk off when Anh coughed. "I may make this knowing when you will come in, but it is not for free."

"I cannot get anything past you." Dave laughed as he pulled out his wallet and handed her some money." Keep the change." He smiled.

Lien pulled open the letter and read it over. As she looked over, she cracked a smile.

"What is it, Lien?" Anh said as Lien handed her the letter.

"We are going to be played over the radio airwaves on rock stations. It's wonderful. And they are even sending Alfred a copy of our latest CD. I mean he said he was wanting a copy and tickets to our show when we are in town." Lien said.

"It's good you have gotten this far." Her aunt said hugging her. "But just remember one can be supportive and just be a friend."

Lien rolled her eyes. Her auntie was still under the impression that she was still in love with Alfred. Sure, she missed him and was disappointed with the fact that he didn't come back as a frontman, but Leon had stepped up and done as well, if not better than they did with Alfred, at least that is what Roderich said, and an unbiased part of Lien had to agree. Leon knew what to look for and had negotiated a good deal on their part and made sure they were going to get a good share of the money that they made. Alfred didn't have the same set of skills and she had to admit that. If Alfred had Leon's negotiation skills, we might have gotten far, and he'd still be with us, and the old band would be as it was... Lien thought as her auntie peered over to the side.

"You are quite dull sometimes." Anh said as she dumped out the envelope and found a CD there as well. I am going to play this all over the restaurant. My niece is the drummer of an up-and-coming rock band." She smiled trying to be supportive. "Something I can have over Yao."

"Yao's nephew is the lead singer..." Lien reminded her auntie of the fact. "And he is the one who negotiated all these extra perks and better pay than normal for a label of this size..."

"Well...Leon is not the drummer now, is he? You have that impeccable skill with percussion instruments. Leon does not have that." Anh said with a smirk as Lien rolled her eyes.

Alfred flipped through the radio stations while Matthew and Emilie sat in the back falling asleep. They took a train ride of how long and they are sleeping in the car? He thought with an eye roll and came to the rock station. He paused as the DJ finished speaking "A new band with their debut single 'Back to the Lab Again'" Alfred nodded as he followed to the beat.

"LIEN?" Alfred said as Matthew and Emma woke up.

"Al, what the fuck?" Matthew said.

"They fucking did it..." Alfred said not quite sure how to feel. Part of him had not expected to find out they actually did it. He was supportive when Lien told him but to actually do it, he did not have much faith they would.

"What?" Matthew asked.

"I told you Lien got a new offer to get the band back together." Alfred explained while Matthew nodded. "I didn't have much faith they would get that far. I know what it's like and they got on with an independent label." Alfred laughed. "I will have a CD soon and if they are in town touring or I am nearby they promised me good tickets. Maybe I can introduce Ivan to Lien and my sister from another mother and my man can get along. I mean he's secured the transfer, so it won't be like I have to go halfway around the globe to see him and we won't have to..." He quickly shut up thinking of the rather intimate calls they had. It was the only way they had to spend time like they had before Ivan had to leave back for Russia.

"Well..." Matthew said. "You must be very happy." He said knowing where Alfred was going with the earlier comment.

"Yeah...I am..." he said, starting to sound unsure of his conviction.

Translation Guide:

(obtained via Google translate)

My pribyli v Kiyev. Pozhaluysta, organizovanno vyydite nalevo, kogda poyezd otkroyetsya na stantsiyu.-Russian- We arrived in Kyiv. Please exit to the left in an orderly manner when the train opens into the station.

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I am sorry for the long wait on the update. Hopefully I can get more done sooner. I don't have much else to say, so remember to read, well you just did, and review. Ciao for now,

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.