DC Headcanon's 6: Sparkle Sparkle!

The Pride

Dear West,

I know I haven't written to you in a long time, in fact I can't remember the last time I wrote to you. I know we had some bad blood, and you'll be tempted to just toss this letter but before you do hear me out.

West I have a family now.

West Virginia's eyes scanned the letter as he sat at the kitchen table, listening to the soft sounds of eighties rock playing from the driveway.

"In-Indiana!" West Virginia looked up out at the window over the kitchen sink, at his cousin who just popped his head out of the car. "Don't tighten those! You'll break the sparks!"

"But last time I didn't tighten them tight enough, the car broke down." Indiana whined. Kentucky rolled his eyes and walked over to the midwestern state, taking the engine part from him.

"God let me do it..."

Georgia and I settled down in his home state, and remember Confederation's wife? Diana? I know you aren't allowed at meetings yet but it was decided we'd care for her until the baby was born. Unfortunately she passed but she gave birth to twins, and, by some grace of God, we've been selected to care for them.

West's eyes flicked up again to the outside; Kentucky had finished tightening the bolts and handed the part back to Indiana.

"That's what I was doing." Indiana whined as Kentucky took his cigarettes out of his back pocket.

"Sure Indi, sure." Kentucky mumbled lighting up.

The twins are beautiful West, they're a boy and a girl. The oldest is Jennifer, but to the government she's IDC. She doesn't like to sit still for long, even at this young age, and is looking around exploring. Georgia thinks she's going to be trouble as she gets older. Her 'little' brother is Georgia, or DC, and he's so quiet, sometimes I'm afraid he passed if I don't hear from him in a while. He doesn't like being separated from his twin, and will cry if we take him away from IDC too long.

I couldn't be happier.

"I'm going to go in for a drink, want something?" Kentucky asked, making West Virginia's ears perk up again.

"Nah, I'm good." West Virginia heard Indiana reply, then footsteps heading up the back porch steps. West quickly put the old, faded envelopes closer to him, and hugged the letter closer to his body to make it look like he was just reading a bill as Kentucky stepped in the house. The cousins didn't acknowledge one another as Kentucky went into the kitchen, opening the fridge and looking at the contents inside. West briefly looked back down at the letter, continuing to read.

West, I know we had our problems in the past. I know this letter won't solve anything, nor will it solve any of the problems with Virginia either. Georgia thinks I'm mad for even trying this. But I have hope.

If you receive this, I'd love for you to meet the twins.

"Florida cheaping out on the beer again." Kentucky mumbled, scaring West Virginia away from his reading. He knew he wasn't speaking to him, the two barely said two words to each other if they could help it, but West so badly wanted to comment back, make his cousin laugh, like in the old days. Instead he just went back to his letter.

Please West, maybe we can try to put our pride aside for a little bit if it means you can be in the twin's lives. I'd love them to meet the state who I consider more of a brother then a cousin, and I'd love them to meet Virginia too. We can't repair what we had, hell I don't think we can become the Virginia Family Company again, but we can at least be civil.

Listen to me, talking about civility when the last time you saw me I was shoving Virginia and storming out in a drunken rage. You'll be happy to know I don't even drink that much anymore, having a family really slowed me down.

Kentucky pulled a bottle out of the fridge and opened the cap, taking a hefty swig before swallowing. West glanced up from his letter again, watching his cousin close the fridge and take another drag from his cigarette.

"DC said no smoking in the house." West Virginia muttered, hating himself as soon as the words left his mouth. Kentucky rolled his eyes and glared at the young state.

"Fuck off West." Kentucky muttered storming off. West Virginia sighed and looked back at the lette.

So if you can, come down to meet the twins. Georgia will be happy to see you too. Maybe we can even get Virginia down as well, us three together again.

I don't know how, but I'd like us to try and be a family again.

West Virginia jumped as the backdoor closed, signaling his cousin had just stormed out back to his car. He breathed a sigh of relief before looking down at the letter he just read and then at the yellowing envelopes in front of him of all the ones he didn't.

He didn't know what to expect when he went digging through an old chest he found in his closet but he hadn't expected to find a bunch of old letters from Kentucky. He wondered if the rest said the same thing; talking about the twins, how happy he was, how he wanted Virginia and him to come down and meet his family.

West briefly glanced over the oldest letter of the group, fearing reaching it, fearing whatever it said.

"Indiana, try running the engine again." Kentucky called, snapping West Virginia's attention back to the window. He watched his cousin go back under the hood, and Indiana got into the driver's seat, revving the engine and getting it to start. West looked back at his letters, looking at the old yellowed paper, bowed his head, and finally let the hot tears he was holding start to fall. Pride did nothing good for his family.

Pride tore his family apart.