Homeless (a Hetalia Fanfic, Book Three)

Chapter 22~!

"Mary, do you know where Alice and Willow are?" Finland asked the taller girl, who looked around contemplatively for a second. It was the day after the meeting that England had led.

"I think I know where I can find them," she replied. "Why?"

"I need you to go get them both for me, please," he requested quietly, cupping his hand around one side of his mouth. "But don't tell anyone, okay? I'll explain when you get back."

Curious and even a bit wary, Mary accepted her mission and went off to find the two sisters. 'Hopefully they're not too busy...' Mary thought as she walked.

Approximately fifteen minutes later, Mary returned to Finland with the two states in tow. "Okay, we're all here," she announced.

"What's up?" Alice asked him curiously, her mismatched arms folded casually over her chest. Willow nodded her agreement with this question.

"Okay, so I don't know if you all know this," Tino began, "but the other Scandinavians' birthdays are all right around each other." Mary let out a small gasp when she remembered that fact suddenly; she did spend most, if not all, of her time with the five of them. "I thought it would be a good way to get everyone's spirits up if we had a party. Wouldn't you agree?"

"That sounds so cool!" Willow cheered in a whisper. "How can we help?"

"I've got the job of setting the whole thing up," Tino explained. "What I need you three to do is distract the others and keep them away from the ski resort Switzerland said we could visit while we all were here."

"Oh, that's perfect," Mary complimented giddily. "Yeah, of course! And we can't let them find out about any of this at all."

"How do you think we should distract them?" Alice asked him. "Because I think I have an idea already."

"As long as it keeps them all busy for the next couple of hours, it doesn't matter at all what you do," Finland granted, his smile huge and very contagious. "Just make sure they don't find out anything. It's all going to be a big surprise."

"Roger!" Willow said, saluting formally. "We are up to the challenge, sir!"

"Have fun!" Tino called after them, and the three of them chorused in return with, "We will!"

"What was your idea, Alice?" Willow asked her big sister, who grinned mischievously before beginning to explain the ingenuity of her plan.

~

"Care to tell us what we're doing all the way up here?" Emil grumbled as he trekked through the deep snow that, as this time of year, only existed in high altitudes such as the tall mountaintops of Switzerland. He wasn't the only one who was curious about this sudden excursion, either. Matthias chimed in with his agreement, and Lukas silently nodded.

They didn't get their reply for a moment as Alice hurried forward and scanned the area. "... This looks like a good spot," she announced.

"For what?" Matthias asked, looking around for some sort of obvious answer. "There's nothin' here."

"Gentlemen," Mary began, turning to face the four of them, "you have been brought to the summit of this here mountain because you have answered the call."

"The call... of war," Willow clarified dramatically, standing next to Mary. "Should you choose to accept it, riches beyond your wildest dreams await the victor."

"Do you accept?" Alice asked boldly, taking Mary's other side.

They were met with silence for a second, and then...