Worldwide Secrets

Chapter 17 - The Third Break

A break is called, and Southwest, the Midwest twins, Romania, and Moldova all go to prepare supper.

Poland approaches Germany, fiddling with his uniform.

"I'm sorry-" both nations try to speak. Poland holds his hand out to shush the German.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you. I didn't know about everything you did to try and like, stop your boss. Thanks for convincing Switzy to take us instead of letting us go through what you did. And like, sorry that you had to go through all that. If you like, need someone to like, talk to about that, I'd totally listen." The Pole is sincere in his apology and his offer, despite  the way he talks. 

"Thank you Poland," Germany says, taking in everything the cross-dressing nation had said. "And I'm sorry as well for being less than considerate about your own wartime plight. It should have been obvious that there was lingering damage from the war."

"Don't think too hard on it, we can work it out," Poland says optimistically. "Maybe you could join Al, Feli, and I the next time we work on cars."

"Ja, maybe," Germany offers Poland a small smile before the two go their separate ways. However, Germany isn't alone for very long before Northeast joins him.

"Hey Ludwig," the American greets with a tired smile.

"Hallo Alfred. You're doing better than this morning it seems."

"Yeah, sorry about that. I've been running on fumes lately," Northeast sits down in a chair.

"You work too much," Germany comments, sitting in the seat next to him.

"Says you," the other teases.

"I don't work myself to the point of exhaustion," Germany retorts with a raised eyebrow.

"I was making a joke," Northeast mutters.

"In all seriousness, you need to take care of yourself better. Delegate some work to your siblings," Germany suggests.

"They have their own regional issues to deal with, I don't want to put more pressure on them."

"And you don't? You take on national and regional work, something no one else does."

"I'll be fine, Ludwig," Northeast says firmly, ending the conversation.

--

The Italy brothers, Spain, France, Portugal, Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Macedonia, and Egypt find themselves sitting in a cluster. They've somehow gotten started talking about life under Rome and their parents.

"Well I don't remember much of my maman," ("Mother" - French) France admits. "Rome took me away when I was young.

"Well Carthage killed nuestro madre," ("our mother" - Spanish) Spain recounts. "Then he took us in as servants."

"And then Rome killed Carthage and we lived with him," Portugal finishes.

"I knew my mother for a long time before her death. She didn't fade when Rome conquered our land." Egypt has a wistful look on his face as he remembers his mother. "She died under Roman rule though."

"Rome found me after my father faded with his empire," Macedonia says with a shrug.

"Well mom's situation was like Ancient Egypt's," Cyprus speaks. "She died under Roman rule."

"We didn't know her though," Greece comments sleepily.

"And Rome married them both," Turkey supplies.

"He did?" Egypt asks.

"Oh yeah. I remember when they both found out. The poor sod was kicked out of their villa for a week."  Turkey shrugs with a smirk. "They faded at the end of the first century AD and Ancient Greece left you guys to your older brother Byzantium."

"Rome was devastated  when they died. He started getting really clingy and never let West and Byzantine out of his sight. But, they both grew really fast and soon Byz had enough. He left Rome, became his own empire by taking half of Rome's." Portugal says.

"He spoke Greek just to piss his old man off, and he took Greece, Cyprus, Macedonia, Egypt and I with him," Turkey recalls.

"Ve~ where do we come in?" Veneziano asks.

"Western Rome found you two cuties just before Byzantine split in 476." Spain recalls. "Probably in 400. He left you both with Rome until the split, then took Romano."

"Rome and Germania killed each other in the early 700's, just before the rise of the Holy Roman Empire. No one knows what happened to Western Rome." France finishes as the Nordics and Germanics approach.

"The bastard left me with the rest of you  before he faded," Romano comments. "That's all I remember about him." 

"Kesesese are we talking about our parents?" Prussia  asks, pulling up a chair.