Thank you to ApeculiarChild2 for her help in giving me more insight into Hawaii for this chapter. Y'all should go check her out.

Updated 12/13/24

This was officially one of the most confusing and infuriating days of Canada's life.

America's states were alive, personified, and that had been since before he had become a country. America lied to Canada, multiple times, to his face, about Vermont and Michigan. America let Canada think his children were dead. America let Canada grieve and mourn, all while keeping Canada's children under his thumb.

Canada wanted to know why. More than just the vague references that James and America made to Britain, more than just the idea of 'they weren't safe if people knew about them.'

It sounded like bullshit.

Controlling bullshit.

Canada knew that well.

But so many people knew. So many of Canada's siblings, his niblings, his family knew and still kept him in the dark.

It...it hurt. Canada had never kept his love and grief for Michigan and Vermont a secret, and that fact that much of his family was knowingly keeping him in the dark about their survival? It hurt.

It hurt so badly.

Why were they allowed to know when Canada wasn't? Why wouldn't anyone tell him about it?

Canada just wanted answers, but it seemed like the answer to why America never told anyone about his children was something James didn't want to tell. Not the whole truth, at least.

"The states didn't want anyone to know. It might come as a surprise to some of you, but the states have had bad experiences because of countries and just preferred keeping it secret, and even the ones that didn't were pretty willing to keep their mouths shut for their siblings." James said, dark eyes glancing towards Canada. Not Britain, but Canada, as if he had hurt his children or any of America's children.

Canada scowled, fingernails digging into the table in front of him as he tried to bite down an angry growl.

"So it wasn't your choice to keep it secret?" Saudi Arabia asked.

"Oh no, I wanted to keep it a secret," James said. "I was one of the biggest supporters of it. Between Britain, Canada, the Cold War, the World Wars, and a bunch of other shit involving some of the biological parents of the states and territories America adopted."

Canada bit down his growing rage, trying to prevent himself from making a fool of himself in front of the entire UN. He would get his meeting with his sons, but that was a matter best discussed in private unless America or James or any of the others tried to keep Canada from his children.

"Aren't you close with Canada and Britain?" Bosnia and Herzegovina asked. Canada let out a small huff of amusement at that. Maybe they were "close" now, but America had betrayed them before, and James saw them as horrible people.

"That's a recent development," Père said.

"We have fought wars with Britain and Canada, and due to our history...they get personal. As Texas said, we are on good political terms, not personal ones," James said, his voice even. "Even though we are allies, we have a pretty shitty history together, and it's hard to forget about what has happened between us. None of us want to see the states get hurt."

Canada sighed. That was as good a reason as any. He loved his father, he did, but...he could understand the fear, even if it only came from America being a spoiled brat about taxes in the first place.

Canada could still see himself doing the same thing if his provinces had been under threat from other countries close to him. It was hard to have complete trust in other countries. Sometimes, it was hard to have trust in your own provinces.

"You said another reason was the biological parents of the states and territories. Which states, and who?" Nepal asked.

"I hope none of them are Dad's kids," Barbados said.

"Well, no matter what Britain will claim, the State of Hawaiʻi is not Britain's daughter, adopted or otherwise, so let's dispel that rumor now," James said, causing Canada to roll his eyes. Was Hawaiʻi really still insisting she wasn't his sister?

"So, she's America's then?" Barbados asked. France laughed.

"Of course not. The territory was the kingdom, so she is of her own lineage, right?" France asked. James nodded.

"Hawaiʻi is not America's daughter either, adopted or otherwise. She's...her relationship is complicated, especially with the colonization of her land. But she is a state regardless," James said.

"Can we not talk about this and go back to talking about America's adopted kids?" Père said, his voice hard, most likely due to his anger over Hawaiʻi's refusal to recognize that he was her father.

"I would like that. One of them is related to Denmark, right? The Virgin Islands?" Norway asked. James nodded as someone let out a small noise of amusement.

"Yes! America's adopted kids. I guess we'll start with Vee since you brought her up. She's Denmark-Norway and French Kingdom's daughter."

Of course, it was French Kingdom. The only other option was one of Spanish Empire's children. Because if it's in the Americas, and it's not Père, it's one of those guys who's the parent.

"So she's my sister?" France asked. James shrugged.

"She feels no connection to you or French Kingdom. Now Louisiana, on the other hand, is way more French, and is also the child of the French Kingdom, and was adopted by New Spain when they became a Spanish territory before briefly being owned by France and then being sold to us." James explained.

Canada startled at Louisiana. He hadn't even thought of her, his last biological sister, in years. He...he felt like an awful brother for a few minutes before pushing aside the guilt and replacing it with anger toward America.

If America had just told them about the states, Canada could have reunited with his biological sister sooner.

"I thought she died," France said, her voice sounding sad.

"Louisiana said you wanted them too," James responded. France didn't respond, leading to an awkward silence that was broken by United Nations.

"Maybe...maybe you should continue, James." United Nations said. James nodded.

"Right. So next, we have the Spanish ones—Florida, who's New Spain's son. Then you have Puerto Rico, who is Spanish Empire's son. There's California, who's Mexico's kid," James continued before being cut off by Mexico.

"What? I don't...I...I don't have a kid named California...aside from Baja California and Baja California Sur. But not your California!" Mexico said, seemingly caught off guard by that.

"California is your child. They were their own republic briefly during the Mexican-American War and originated your land. They became the Mexican Cession before becoming the State of California. They are your child." James explained. Mexico looked stunned.

"¡Dios mío!" Mexico said, running her hand through her hair.

"Sorry about dropping that on you." James said awkwardly, "I thought you knew. Do you want me to continue?"

Mexico nodded and went to sit down in her seat, rubbing at her forehead with a hand.

"The last state America adopted was Alaska. He's uh, he's Russian Empire's son. He was Russian America. I think some of you had met him before when he was Russian Empire's colony." James said. Père nodded.

"Russian Empire?" Finland asked. James nodded.

"Yeah. Russian Empire." James said, raising an eyebrow in Finland's direction.

"Is that all?" Seychelles asked. James nodded. Canada exhaled, thinking over what they had just been told.

America's states were personified, and he claimed to have kept them secret because of their own wishes and prior experiences some of them had with other nations.

But how much of that was true? And how much of it was just a ruse to allow America control over his states, to keep away the adopted ones away from any other family.

Canada didn't know, but he wanted to find out.

And who the hell was Alabama's son?