From the diary of Griselda Vargas-Beilschmidt

42

We wrap up the Fred's Vati arc

"What does that mean?" I asked, looking at Vati. "Vaaaati?" he didn't answer, I recognised his face as in a state of deep disfunction, like his brain stopped working or was thinking too many thoughts at once. Mr Canada, my Uncle Canada, buried his face further in his gloves, Uncle Prussia's face had more colour than ever before - he looked like me when I get sunburnt. Mr United states kept staring between Ashleigh, Canada and Prussia, on a loss for words for once.

Fred had had enough. He looked like he was targeting a prey. Gabriel looked no different, like Holy pasta, he reminded me of the conquistador times, especially after I asked my question. Anni slowly got up.

Then it was a blink and Anni held Ash in the air by her shirt.

"You," she said in a low voice "just had to phrase it like that, didn't you?"

Ash looked very much regretting that.

"Fred?" Gabriel asked in a dangerous growl "could you borrow me one of your crutches?"

"Sure, man, but I'll need the other one."

"Gracias, amigo." Gabe lifted the crutch high so it was directly facing Ash.

"Sh- shit!" she gasped. "I'm sorry, okay?! I just- that- don't tell me that didn't happen, because I'm pretty sure that's essential for kids to be made, is it not?"

Fred frowned. "Don't. Go there. Don't you DARE!" he yelled, grabbing Ash's throat.

"...guys, please don't commit murder," Faroe tried to lighten the atmosphere, grabbing Anni's shoulder. Anni let her friend go in the same time as Fred, making Ashleigh fall hard in the floor with a thump!

"Ow," she rubbed her butt "that hurt."

"Good!" Fred growled.

"Wait, WHAAAAAT?!" Mr United states yelled.

"It's a long story," Gabi sighed "can't we just go eat already, leave this.." he waved his hand "here?"

"I couldn't agree more," Fred nodded.

"That's the idea of the day," Andrias agreed, glad no one was killed.

So we did.

"No, seriously, dudes, what just happened?!" we could hear the American's voice asking the silence as we left.

"How did I not know?" I was still wondering how could I be so blind!

"Because apparently everybody except me and Lars are idiots," the Spaniard sitting next to me, eating a yoghurt, replied.

"Highfive?" Lars, exiting the supermarket, asked, and Gabe hesitantly lifted his hand and let himself be highfived. I'm so proud!!

"I'm still s h o o k!" Ashleigh stopped sipping her slushie and waved her hand dramatically to sell the point.

"And here I thought George is the dramatic one," Andrias grinned.

"It's called soulmates?" Fred winked. Ashleigh glared at him. George was still buying ice cream with Ingrid and Greenland, so he couldn't comment on that.

"I'm still surprised you guys take it so..." Fred started.

"So good? Bitch, you're still the same, no matter who your dad is," Gabe replied. Only he can make the term "bitch" sound friendly.

"D-Dankeschön, Gabriel," Fred fake-gasped and leapt forward to hug him, which Gabriel was not having and reciprocated with a slap.

"Ice cream!" Greenland sang and plopped down on the bench next to me and Gabe, arms full of various ice cream boxes.

"Kuya, you're the best," Lars smiled.

"Very true," Faroe lifted his coffee in the air in a Leonardo DiCaprio in The Great Gatsby sorta way. (I haven't seen that movie, only that one scene. Dads forbid me from watching the rest.)

Both of our "magicians" appeared behind the sweet Greenlandic boy, Ingrid counting the money and George holding the rest of our food.

"So, uh, we didn't know what kind of ice cream you'd like, so Greenland insisted on buying almost every single one," George explained.

"So Frederick," Ingrid began "did they hide it from you, too? And why exactly was necesseary for it to be secret? That sounds just like Prussia didn't want to take responsibility to me," she opened one ice cream cone from George's arms.

"Well, I don't really know myself why it had to be like that. But no, I always knew who my Vati was, thankfully."

"Our theory is he didn't want to fight France and America," Gabi grinned.

"Seriously?! Him?! The fuck sense does that make?!" Ingrid got frustrated. Fred shrugged. "Who knows."

"Und du?" I asked.

"What about me?"

"How do you feel?"

"Relieved. And also kinda scared of how the others will react."

"Oooh, shit," Ash intervened "do you think we started the third world war?!"

I couldn't tell if that was meant to be a joke or if she was serious.

"Hopefully not," Anni smiled.

After a few hours consuming all the ice cream Greenland bought -and several brain freezes- we decided it's safe to get back to the meeting again, as now it was about the time when it was supposed to end.

"I'm a bit scared," Ashleigh admitted.

"A bit?!" Fred asked.

"Don't. Don't go there," she replied. Oh how the tides have turned! "And Freddie..."

"I'm listening," Fred tilted his head and made Gilbird's nest a bit messed up by the action.

"Sorry. For...that."

"...buy me maple syrup and you're forgiven."

"Hey! You blackmailer!" she laughed and punched his back.

"...I'm serious..."

Back in the meeting room it looked like there's been a tornado while we were gone.

"I'll find Arthur and Franny and we're getting the hell out of here," George announced.

"I've got this!" Ash said and kicked the meeting room door. It didn't open. Anni coughed and opened the door easily, it opened to the opposite side that Ash kicked.

"Are you alive of some sort?" Andrias yelled into the room.

I looked in it and saw France and Prussia laying on the floor while Vati was trying to make Uncle stand up. The other nations chatted or discussed what they've come to discuss, but kept an eye on the scene. George marched to England. "Take me home, please?" England complied, looking shortly at France, who was...sleeping? Passed out?

"He'll get through it," they both agreed.

The Nordics already found their families and headed home. They said their goodbyes to me as they left the battlefield.

I found Papa with Uncles Romano and Spain in the corner. Gabe looked at me, I looked back and we headed over to them.

Meanwhile, the two passed out nations just wouldn't wake up. Until Fred stepped on the scene and took all the spotlight, other nations whispering. He sat beside Unc- his Vati, observed him for a moment, then bitchslapped him with all his strength, which means a lot.

"W-wha-?" Prussia mumbled as he woke up to see a very pissed off Fred glaring at him.

"Where's dad?"

Prussia furrowed his brows in concentration. "Mit Amerika, ich denke."

Fred turned on his heels and marched away. Vati had enough of Uncle and turned to us. We all wordlessly left. I saw Ash, Fred and Canada with America outside.

They were hugging.

With a strange feeling in my tummy I grabbed my Papa's hand.