What is... "Home"? (Hetalia Fanfic, Part 2)

Chapter 126~!

His eyes were so wide, they would have popped out of his sockets if that were physically possible. "Wh...?"

I tried to sit up and winced at the soreness in my back. "Mattie? Did you hear me?"

"Y... Yeah, I heard you..." he whispered, glancing at my practically dead legs. "Y-You're sure?" I nodded, covering my eyes with my hands while falling back against the throw pillows. "So... You can't feel anything... if I do this?"

I assume he poked my leg, but I shook my head when nothing seemed to happen. "N-No, nothing."

"How... How could this happen?" he asked urgently, and if I didn't know any better he would have just sounded distressed. But I did know better, and he was scared. Scared and angry and confused all at once.

I lifted my hands and offered him a small smile; I'll bet the cuts on my face didn't help my attempt at being reassuring. "It happened after he shot me. It must have hit my spine in the right place."

Then his arms were around me and his body was shaking. I heard his whispers in French next to my ear and put my own arms around him, hugging firmly. Al hung up his phone and returned to the living room, I hadn't caught any of his conversation.

"Uh, hey, what's goin' on?" he asked, mildly concerned but still worried.

"I'm... paralyzed from the waist down, Al," I said calmly, proud that my voice had only caught once.

And that's when my older brother blew a gasket. "Aw, hell no! Alice, don't you dare make a joke like that!" he said.

"Alfred, I'm not kidding," I replied after a sigh. "I took a bullet to my spine and I can't feel my legs."

America gaped, shut his mouth, pointed a finger up, then just sort of fell into a chair and rubbed his eyes with an index and forefinger. "Oh my god... This isn't happening..."

"Sorry..." I said quietly, scooting closer to my boyfriend as best as I could.

"Gosh, this is ridiculous," he whispered, pulling back barely. "I would think you'd be crying, but your eyes aren't even wet. Heh..."

"It's harder than you think not to cry right now," I said with a weak smile. Then I gasped and propped myself up on my elbows, looking around frantically. "Taleah? Taleah, where are you? Are you alright?"

Omniscient POV~

"Angel?" Taleah said happily upon hearing Alice call for her. She tried to get down and Arthur picked her up, setting her on the ground gently. "Thank you~" She ran out of the kitchen and into the living room, her arms out to either side like an airplane. "I'm right here, Alice~!" 

Alice sighed and smiled in relief, hugging the little girl. "Thank goodness..." 

"Lookie, lookit!" Taleah held out her arms proudly, a huge grin on her face. 

"Your arms aren't injured anymore!" Alice said happily, turning one over to look at it. All the bruises were healed, as well as the cuts and scrapes. "Did E-Arthur do that for you?" 

Taleah nodded rapidly. "He is Brivish just like my daddy, and he can do magic!"  

"I know, but I need you to understand something, sweetie." Alice turned serious, looking Taleah right in the eyes. "You can't tell people about the magic, Taleah. It wouldn't be very good if grownups learned about it. It's a secret between us kids, okay?" 

"But why?" Taleah tilted her head a bit in confusion.  

"Grownups don't understand magic like we can, and they might get upset. You don't want to make your parents upset, right?"