"Quiet! You'll wake 'em!"

"I just got to hang this last streamer!"

Georgia finished hanging up one final streamer over the twins crib before glancing down at the wide eyes of DC who was awake.

"Mornin' baby!" Georgia cooed reaching down and picking up the government. "Guess what day it is?" DC gurgled in response.

"It's you and your sissies first birthday!" Georgia announced before watching a toddler get tossed up in the air.

"IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY!" Kentucky cheered, catching IDC and making her giggle. Georgia laughed as Kentucky quickly handed IDC off to him, took DC, and tossed him as well.

"You like the decorations we put up?" Georgia asked IDC showing the baby all the streamers dotted around the family's shared bedroom. IDC looked at the colorful pieces with wonder, reaching out and trying to touch them.

"We're goin' to have a party, and all the states are gonna be here." Kentucky said with a smile, adjusting his hold on DC.

"Are you sure this is a good idea Tucky, especially with....."

"Hey, it'll be okay. They're not goin' to cause a ruckus, especially with the twins." Kentucky pointed out. Georgia bit his lip but smiled at DC who giggled when a streamer brushed against his cheek.

"You're right." Georgia smiled. "How long we got until Ohio gets--" The front door slammed open and shut.

"WHERE'S MY FAVORITE BIRTHDAY TWINS?" The pair heard the midwestern state yell downstairs.

"Two minutes ago apparently." Kentucky said with a sigh hearing a thundering coming up the stairs and Ohio bursting through the door.

"THERE'S MY TWINSIES!" Ohio called to loud squeals. The midwestern state grabbed the government twins and spun them around, making them laugh with joy.

"IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY! YOU'RE GETTING SO OLD!" Ohio announced.

"Ohio, stop they're going to get sick!" Georgia scolded as he stopped.

"Relax, nothing good old Uncle Ohio can't handle." Ohio said proudly.

"We appreciate you comin' over early, Ohio." Kentucky said following the midwesterner out of their bedroom and back downstairs. "But we can handle this...."

"What with twins? Y'all would be neck deep if I wasn't here." Ohio pointed out.

"No really Ohio we got this." Georgia added as the five made it into the kitchen. "All we got to do is get the twins dressed, cake baked, and food prepared."

"And clean." Kentucky muttered running a hand down his face.

"Oh and the farm chores..."

"Y'see? I got this, I'll watch the babies, you do what you need to do to get ready." Ohio said with a smile. Kentucky and Georgia looked at each other then sighed.

"Thanks Ohio." Kentucky said with a soft smile. "You're savin' us."

"Anything for my favorite twins." Ohio smiled before leaning in with a grin. "And y'know if you want to sneak away later for a quickie...."

"OHIO." Georgia yelled as Kentucky went bright red.

"JUST A SUGGESTION!"

Georgia opened the oven stove door and smiled at the two pans.

"Perfectly risen." Georgia whispered, taking the pans out and placing them on the stove to cool. The day had run smoother than anyone had expected; Ohio fed, dressed and entertained the twins while Kentucky and Georgia took care of the details surrounding the party, and any other normal things around their house. Currently Georgia was finishing up food prep while Kentucky was outside taking care of the animals, and Ohio was playing with the babies in the living room. Georgia was about to start on the icing when the front door opened and a young woman stepped inside with a bunch of bundles.

"WE'RE HERE!" The woman announced dropping all the bundles on the little storage box Kentucky drug up from the basement to use as a gifts table.

"Betsey! I'm glad you're here!" Georgia said with a smile, wiping his hands and approaching the young woman.

"Well of course, it's my niece and nephew's first birthday!" Betsey Hamilton said, putting her hands on her hips and allowing an older boy to step around her.

"Hey Gov, how's it going?" Georgia asked getting down to the eight-year-olds level.

"The animals smell." Gov said a matter-of-factly and Georgia sighed.

"He's just not used to farms." Betsey said with a laugh before turning to the twins who were currently squealing over Ohio's antics. "THERE'S MY LITTLE GEORGE AND JENNIFER!" The twins made grabby hands at their approaching aunt who scooped them up and showered them with kisses as they squealed. Georgia snickered and went back to the kitchen, out of the corner of his eye noticing that Gov followed.

"Uncle Geo, you sure it's safe to have the states here?" Gov asked.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Georgia asked, grabbing some sugar.

"Teacher's been talking about what's going on, you guys are threatening to leave." Gov pointed out. Georgia bit his lip, if Gov was any indication his babies were going to be smart.

"Don't worry about it, Govie, Uncle Geo and Tucky will take care of it." Georgia said with a reassuring smile, even if the little boy didn't look reassured.

"ADAM! Come over and say hi to your cousins!" Betsey yelled, distracting the little government.

"Mama they're boring." Gov whined but obeyed his mother. Georgia sighed and looked out at the scene in the living room just as Kentucky entered the house.

"Sheep are going to need shearin' next week." Kentucky announced kissing Georgia's cheek. At no response, he looked confused at the state. "Geo?"

"Tucky this is a bad idea. We can't have everyone in the house, especially now." Georgia pointed out.

"Love no one will act out, especially with the babies." Kentucky pointed out.

"Yeah and I'll kill 'em if they do!" Ohio added spooking the couple dipping into the sugar mixture.

"I just have a bad feeling." Georgia whispered as Kentucky kissed his head.

"Relax Geo, everything will be fine." Kentucky smiled and Georgia sighed. That damned smile, it was the reason he was in this mess to begin with.

"Okay....okay I believe you." Georgia whispered and smiled as Kentucky kissed him again.

"Man Geo this stuff is really good." Ohio said on his third dip into the bowl.

"OHIO LEAVE IT."

Things were tense.

Things were so tense you could cut it with a knife.

Georgia knew this was a bad idea, and Kentucky was slowly picking up on that was well. All the states were there, even the ones DC and IDC's age, and no one was speaking to each other. All the northeastern and midwest states that didn't support the war were on one side, and all the other states were on the other with the border states mingling around. The only saving grace was the twins who were so distracted by Ohio and their cousin, and the other state babies, that they couldn't pick up on the atmosphere in the room.

"I don't like this Geo." Betsey whispered to the state who regulated himself to the kitchen to avoid talking to the rest of the south.

"I know, but things are okay for now." Georgia whispered, picking at a roll from the food platter. "As long as no one says anything, everything should be fi--"

"Georgia." Georgia's head snapped up and he groaned. Virginia, of course Virginia would make the first move. The southern state smiled and walked over to his fellow thirteenth colony, not noticing Betsey slightly backing away.

"I was hoping you catch you alone." Virginia announced.

"Betsey and I are cleaning up." Georgia lied as Betsey grabbed some plates, pretending they had been tidying up all this time.

"You can still listen." Virginia pointed out and Georgia groaned. "It's about the plan..."

"I told you Virginia, I'm not doing it." Georgia announced. "Do what you want with the rest of the south, I'm not seceding."

"You might not have a choice." Virginia pointed out. "Your politicians are talking about it."

"I've talked them out of it before, I'll talk them out of it again." Georgia hissed. Virginia furrowed his brow before smirking.

"And what about the twins?" Georgia froze and turned to the state.

"What about them?" Georgia whispered.

"They'd be in great danger if we all seceded, I assume those pesky northerners wouldn't take too kindly with us breaking up the union." Virginia pointed out. "If we secede, your children need all the protection they can get."

"Are you trying to use my children to get me to secede?" Georgia hissed.

"I'm reminding you who you're fighting for..."

"No. Who you're fighting for, I have a family now. And I've never believed in your cause." Georgia pointed out. Before Virginia could respond, a crash came from the living room. Georgia shoved the southern state away and rushed through the door to find the source of the noise.

"Look what you fucking did!" Massachusetts yelled pointing to the shards of glass on the ground.

"Me? I was trying to get to the punch, your clumsy ass knocked over the cup." South Carolina sneered. Massachusetts was about to swing at South Carolina before Kentucky stood in-between them.

"STOP IT, both of you." Kentucky ordered. "I need to clean this up before the babies get to it." Massachusetts and South Carolina both glared at each other but allowed Kentucky to start gathering the glass shards, things going quiet in the living room once again.

"Figures, a southerner doesn't know how to act at a party." New Hampshire whispered to Oregon who snickered.

"OH THAT'S IT." South Carolina yelled. Instantly the living room was awash with confederate and union states, fighting, arguing, and ready to smash the next thing closest to them over the other's head. Ohio had the quick sense to grab the babies (who were on the floor just playing) and hand them off to their cousin before jumping in the fray.

"Y'see? If you secede with us, your babies will be safe from...this." Virginia pointed out. Georgia glared at Virginia and then at the chaos around him before stomping his foot.

"I just wanted to have a NICE BIRTHDAY PARTY for the twins!" Georgia shouted over the noise. Instantly everyone stopped.

"It's DC and IDC's first birthday! The most important day of their lives! And y'all had to RUIN it." Georgia yelled tears in his eyes.

"Well maybe if you didn't invite so many southerners it wouldn't have been ruined!" Pennsylvania yelled.

"Same goes for your northerner!" Alabama yelled.

"GOD ENOUGH!" Georgia screamed before storming off upstairs. He got to his bedroom and slammed the door, some streamers falling down from the impact of the slam. Georgia sank to his knees on the floor, putting his head in his hands and allowing himself to cry. This is what he gets, this is what he gets for trying to keep the peace.

Georgia sat up in his room for what felt like an hour, not caring if the guests had left or stayed and finished fighting. He wanted a good day for his babies, a day that would celebrate their first year of life, and it was all ruined by the war hanging over the horizon. The southern state sighed and wiped his eyes, ignoring the sound of the door opening and someone approaching the bed before feeling something cooing next to him. Georgia looked up and smiled; IDC was sitting next to him making grabby hands and begging to be picked up.

"Oh Izzy." Georgia whispered, picking up his daughter as Kentucky sat next to him holding DC.

"I'm sorry." Kentucky whispered. "I should've listened."

"Tucky it's not your fault." Georgia pointed out.

"I should've known they would cause problems." Kentucky muttered. Georgia cupped a hand on Kentucky's cheek before smiling.

"Hey, we haven't given the babies our gifts yet.' Georgia pointed out making Kentucky's eyes light up. He jumped up, gave Georgia DC, and hurried over to the dresser, pulling open one of the drawers and pulling out two small wrapped packages. Kentucky returned to the bed and knelt to the twins, holding the packages out.

"This is from daddy and me." Kentucky whispered. Georgia leaned forward and untied the ribbon letting the cloth fall. In the cloth bundles were two tiny stuffed bears; both yellow and both with white ribbons around their necks. The twins squealed as Kentucky gave each twin a bear, which they immediately snuggled.

"I think they like 'em." Georgia smiled as Kentucky ruffled their hair. Kentucky sat back on the bed and brought Georgia close to him as the twins happily waved their bears around.

"We're ready if this war comes, right?" Georgia asked.

"I won't let anything happen to you three." Kentucky whispered, kissing Georgia's cheek and hugging all three close. Georgia smiled at his boyfriend then back at the twins who were laughing and unaware at what was going on around them.

For a second Georgia let himself believe it.