*Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Be-*

I slowly opened my blury eyes and peered at the alarm clock. I made out the foggy image of a red number seven. I layed in bed for a minute as I tried to think of the reason I had for setinbg an alarm so early in the morning. I was about to go back to sleep when I heard Ivan shuffle around on the other side of the bed. I picked my head up to look at him.

"Morning Vanya." I mumbled tierdly.

"Morning Fredka. I don't know why you set alarms so early when you know you have a hard time getting up." He smiled at me.

"Shut up, I can get up. I just don't like to." I growled half heartedly. "Why are we getting up?"

"To go shoping for the deti." He reminded me.

"Oh yea, thats right." I perked up quite a bit at that.

I was at the end of my 30th week and still haven't gotten the room done yet. I have everything picked out, just not set up yet. I am waiting on a couple of things from Sweden, such as the cribs and dressers, so that was the main reason why things wern't set up yet. The paint part is because Ivan hasn't had enough time yet to paint the room.

We decided that we wanted foresty nature theam. I'm hoping to implant a love for nature at a young age. I had the old grey carpet replaced, even, with a thick, soft, dirt brown one. I bought a couple of leaf green rugs to go with it. I'm going to finish the decorating as soon as I get everything that I needed, so when ever Sweden send us the cribs and dressers.

"Help me up?" I asked as I stratched out my arms. He smiled and came over to help. He grabed my for arms to help pull me into sitting position, then help for me to stand. At 30 weeks with twins I look like I'm about to pop at any moment, which actually isn't too impossible. It has made it harder for me to do, well, anything. Not to mention I have to pee every five minutes now. Speaking of which, I waddled semi self consusly into the bathroom connected to my room.

A few minutes later I came back out to finish getting ready for the day. Ivan wasn't in the room anymore, so I asumed he when down stairs to start on breakfast. I put on the looses pair of hippy pants that I had, a nice big long sleave shirt, and a bra, much to my distain. Just as Mattie had predicted, I had started to lacktake. Yippe. Luckily for me they were still small. Just enough to hide under a bagy shirt or hoodie.

I huffed at my reflection, glad that non of the other nations have seen me since they've developed. I could already hear their mockery. I left the room and stood at the top of the stairs. Ever since maybe a week ago when I had missed a step when going up the stairs and almost came back down again like a bouncing ball he hasn't let me go up or down with out him. I know he was like that since the begining, but now if I do it anyway I get an hour long lecture from him.

"Venya! I'm at the stairs!" I shouted for him.

"You better stay right there, Fredka." He shouted back, obviously from the kitchen.

"You bette hurry then." I teased. I wasn't going to actually go down, but he didn't know that.

"I am here now." He huffed as he took my hand. "You are so impatient, my love."

"Hey, when you are consently carring ten extra pounds around your waist that causes your back to ache and then someone makes you wait while standing, call me and tell me to be more patient." I sassed good naturely, causing him to roll his eyes. "So what did you make? It smells really good."

"Just some baccon and eggs with toast." He answered as we entered to room.

"With hot sauce?"

"With hot sauce."

Tweny minutes later we were in the car an on our way to the store. I watched the trees pass us by with mild interest. The radio played softly in the background. He had my favriot station on.

"You know, your sisters and my brother will be comming over soon. About four weeks from now." I commented off handedly.

"Da. Then you will have a small army to help you up and down those stairs." He chuckled as he glanced over at me.

"Oh haha. I slipped once." I growled.

"You've slipped twice."

"No, I tripped over the cat. That is not slipping." I huffed and crossed my arms.

"Fine, you almost fell down the stairs twice." He corrected as he turned the car.

"Well, either way, arn't you excited to have our family over, at least for a little while?" I asked.

"Very. It will definetly make things easier on the both of us. With their help you can catch up on some of the paper work of yours that I can't do." He reminded me.

"Uhg! Don't remind me about that crap!" I groaned loudly. I had months of paper work to catch up on. "At least the girls will be in good hands while I'm catching up on it. Their is no one out their scarier then our family." I chuckled.

"Very true." He agreaded with a big smile. "Look, we're here. Do you have the list of things we need to get?"

"I thought you grabed it." I said questionly. He groaned and faceplanted into the steering wheel. "Hey, you know that I haven't been able to remember to do even the smallest of things for the last month. But don't worry, I remember what we need."

"Then list it." He challenged and looked at me out of the corner of his eye.

"Fine. Baby bathing suplies, plastic baby tub, baby lotion, baby oil, beds to go with the cradels, blankets, some stuffies, and a baby gate. I don't want them to get to those stairs. I've almost fallen down them twice now!" I exclaimed.

"I know, Fredka. We had a conversation about it on the way here."

"We did?"

*HHHHHHHHOOOOOOOONNNNNNNKKKKKKKKK*

"Are you okay? You faceplanted that steeringwheel hard." I asked consern.

A few minutes later we entered the store. It was quite busy for early morning. I expected their to have been way less people around. Seeing how many people their were here made my anxiety flare up. I wraped my arms around Ivan while he pushed the cart. He looked down at me in consern, so I smiled to show I was fine. He didn't look convinced though.

"Are you okay?" He asked me.

"I'm fine, theirs just a lot of people here and feels like they are all staring at me." I said quietly as I glanced around.

"We can leave if you're not comfertable." He offered as he gave me a conserned look.

"I'll be fine. Lets just get this done quickly." I told him. "I think the baby gates are this way. We'll probably need several boxes of them. Only bedrooms and bathrooms have doors."

"I've noticed. Even the stairs to the bacement and attic don't have doors." He added on as we turned down the isle.

"Yep, so should we go with this one or this one." I asked as I pointed to two different ones.

"This one for the the stairs and this one for the doors." He said after a moment of looking at them. The one for the stairs was would be harder for them to eventaly figure out.

"That seams right. Mind grabbing, oh say, four for the stairs and two for the doors." I asked him and he nodded. As he loaded up the boexs with the baby gates in it I looked around the isle. I noticed a couple down the isle looking at me and pointing. I did my best to ignor them, but it was hard. As soon as he was done I ushered us out of the isle.

"Fredka? Are you alright?" He asked even more conserned.

"Yea, I'm fine." I muttered half to myself. "Oh, look at those stuffies. They're so cute." I said trying to distract him. It semi worked.

"I do like these ones. They'll match the forest theam we have going." He said picking up a couple of wolves and bunny stuffed animals.

"Uh huh. And how about this cute mama duck and duckling set." I said holding them up. It was a mama duck with three little babies. The mama was a natural brown while the babies were a light pink, light purple, and light blue. "I can crochet a little pond blanket to go with them."

"I think that would be very nice." He smiled with a nod. He then looked up past me a frowned. I turned around to see the same people from the other isle pointing at us again.

I pursed my lips and turned back to the stuffed animals. I picked out three more, a squirel, a deer, and bear to go with the five others. I then dragged us over to the next isle. This one was filled with cloths. I was picking out a few when the couple followed us into this isle as well. Not wanting to be chased out of another I opted to just ignor them. Well, at least I tried.

"I do hope you plan on giving your baby up for adoption. Heaven knows they don't need to be raised by a pair of cross dressing faggots like you." The woman sneered.

"Funny, I was about to say the same thing to you. Heaven knows your child doesn't need to be raised by a self righteous bitch like you." I snapped back.

"Who do you think you're calling a bitch?" The man  nearly shout as he tried to square me up.

"I belive my dear Fredka was calling you're little shlyukha a bitch." Ivan said stepping in front of me. He easily had a good foot over the other man, who was not short by any means. He backed down quick enough when he relised Ivan was definatly not one to mess with.

"The two of you are going to Hell." He hiss as he ushered his girlfriend down th isle.

"We'll see you there." I said back in a sing song voice.

"And what makes you say that?" The woman sneered again.

"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." I said smugly while pointing to my ring finger. She looked down at hers and huffed before storming off.

"Are you okay moya lyubov." Ivan asked me once they were out of sight.

"Yea, I'm okay. Let's just leave and come back another time." I sighed tiredly as I turned the cart twords the check out lane.

"I had thought that your country was more tolerant." Ivan commented while we waited in line.

"Yes and no. Remember that my country is the melting pot. People of all different races, religions, and ideologies live here because they have the freedom to live how they want. In very few other contires is it as comon to see ten people of vastly different backgrounds live in the same street. I always found it wonderfull to see actual proof that everyone can get along. It does not matter where you came from nor where you're going, or who you are right now. We can live together as one.

"But their is also a down side to it. Their are a houndred million different point of veiws and ways of thinking. Some good, while others are bad. Yes, my country is more tolernet then most on a whole, but once you get down to the individual, well. You're going to get people like those. People who take only one thing from the bible and use it as an exuse to spread hatred and anger. People who belive that their should only be one point of veiw; theirs. Then they try to shame others who don't want to conform to their ways.

"Now, I know that their will always be someone who hates something. Their will always be people who hate others of a different skin tone, or religion, or any one who falls under the LGBQ. And that is okay. They can think however they want to think. It's their lives and they can live it how they deam fit, as long as they respect others. What is not okay is for them to try to force feed others their point of view or to attack others who are different then them. And it breaks my heart seeing my people do that to each other.

"I'm trying so hard to make a country that everyone can be happy in. A country that any one can make a home in and feel right at home. It's hard and far from perfect, but I am trying. And maybe one day everyone will understand that. Maybe one day everyone will just say 'Fuck it. We're not that different after all' and start getting along. I'm trying. I'm not quite there yet, but I am trying." I sighed heavily.

"Whoa, that was deep." The obiously high cashier comented.

"Thank you." I nodded my head to him as we left.

"I have faith in you Alfred, America. You are a wonderful person with a heart bigger then this world. I trust that you will always do what you think is right." Ivan said before reaching down to give me a kiss. I hummed happily as I returned the kiss. He broke it off with a small smile. "Now, wait in the care while I load everything up."

"What are you, my big sister?" I teased as I got in the car.

The ride back home was calm and uneventful. We chatted about potential interest the girls might have.

"Well, I can almost garuntee at least one of them will have some inclintation to fighting and weapons. Everyone of my siblings were warriors by birth. So, no, it is not that far fetched to thing that one of them could end up being a kungfu master that fights evil ninjas." I argued as we stepped out of the car.

"I am not arguing over their potential abilities, I am simply saying that I highly doubt their are many evil ninjas left in the world." He deadpaned as he grabbed the bags with the stuffed animals and cloths.

"That is exsactly what the evil ninjas want you to think!" I said as I started to unlock the door. "One second you're living a clam life, next thing you know-"

"SURPRISE!!!!" A bunch of voices shout all at once.

"EVIL NINJAS!" I shreeked as I stumbled and fell backwards. I crashed into Ivan, who was also startled, causeing us to fall backwards off the porch. Ivan quickly wrapped his arms around my waist and kept me close to him so I wouldn't be hurt in the fall. I landed right on top of him, thankfully both of us remained uninjured. I stayed laying on top of him, hyperventalating, as half a dozen nations came running out of the house in a panic.

"Alfred! Alfred! Are you okay?" I heard Matties voice, but I was still too freaked out to pay much attention. "Alfred. Look at me. Come on Alfred, look at me, everything is okay." I focused on my brother, barely noticing that I was now sitting up. "That's it, everything is okay. Everything is okay. Just breath in, and now out."

I slowly calmed down enough to focuse back on to the real world. When I did I noticed several things. One, I was in Ivans lap, who was slowly rubbing my back in a soothing manner. Two, the twins were going crazy in my stomach. Three, their were at least a dozen nations surounding me. And four, both North and South Italy had baby bumbs.

"Mattie."

"Yes?"

"What is going on?" I asked my twin.

"Well, we threw you a surprise baby shower, so, surprise and stuff." He said awkwardly.

"Alfred, cher, are you alright?" Francis asked me, consern clearly on his face.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just don't like surprises. They really freak me out." I said as I slowly stood up with Ivans and Matties help. I put a hand on my stomach, slowly rubbing it to calm the girls down.

"Sorry for the spook, Alfred. We just wanted to surprise you." Dane said with a sheepish grin.

"Consider me surprised." I said flatly.

"What was that about evil ninjas?" Germany asked me.

"Nothing important. Let's just go inside. I need a water." I sighed.

"I'll get you one!" Sealand offered as he ran back inside. The rest of us slowly followed, with me in the lead.

When I entered the living I gasped in surprise. The whole room was decorated in streamers of purple and pink. Their were baloons everywhere along with confetie. A table was set up with presents, drinks, and food on top. Happy, bubbly music was on in the back ground. Above, it bright multi color leters was a baner that sait 'It's and girls' with an obiously added on s. Even that cats sported cloths that whent with the theam.

"Wow, this is amazing." I told them in awe.

"We did this all just for you." North Italy said cheerfully. "Well, what are we waiting for? Lets get the party started!"

"Finally. We though we were going to have to wait all day." South Italy growled, but a small smile was on his face. I let them drag me to the couch where both Ivan and Mattie joined me.

The party was a blast. So many of the nations were there. The G8, the Nordics, Gilbert, China, Romano, Spain, and Sealand. Unfortunetly Ivans sisters weren't able to make it. The food was absolutly amazing. The cake even better. Everyone had gotten me the things that I needed, meaning I didn't have to go back to that store again. They even got me a basket with all sorts of different hot sauses in it as a sort of joke. That had gotten a laugh out of everyone in the room. Even Sealand, but I think he thought it was for a different reason.

"So, how far along are you two?" I asked the Italy twins.

"Ve! I'm 14 weeks while big brother Romano is 13 weeks." North Italy said cheerfully.

"Wow, I can't belive I'm not the only one anymore. I guess that means I can give you guys advice then." I laughed.

"I hope so. I have absolutly no idea what I'm doing." South Italy growled.

"What, do you think I have a better clue?" I asked with a small smirk and a raised brow.

"Ooh! Ooh! Ludwig! Is it time yet?" North asked excitedly.

"Ja, I supose so." Germany said as everyone stood up. An excited murmer whent through the crowd.

"Time for what?" I asked as I stood up as well. I walked over to where everyone was gathering by the stairs and Ivan was quick to follow.

"Ve! Come and see America!" North Italy said as he quickly walked up the steps.

I followed after as fast as I could. Wich was very fast actually. Not with the twins and Ivan holding me to make sure I don't fall. I followed the crowed down to the nursery. With a raised brow I entered the room and stoped dead in my tracks.

It was built exsactly how I wanted it.

The walls were a nice forest green with trees, birds, and forest animals painted all over it. The ceiling was a sky blue that had clouds pinted into it. The window had a matching green to blue curtain. The stuffed animals sat in a pile in the corner on top a green rug. On a shelf was small nick nacks from all across the world. Two big sturdy dressers stood on either side of the roon. Complex drawing of the forest and animals decorated it. At the far end of the room, under the large window, where two large cribs. Intriquit desings were carved into every part of the cribs. Carvings of animals, plants, the sun, and the moon decorated every inch of it. And right at the head of each crib was a carving of a crest that had me in tears.

"Sweden did all of this, except this part." Dane said pointing to the heads of the cribs. "I added that for you. Had to fight him just to get close enough, but I knew you'd love it."

"This, this, this is amazing." I whispered as tears fell down my cheeks. I looked up at him. "Thank you Danemark." I smiled and turned back twords Sweden. "And thank you too. They are beautiful. I knew I could trust you." He nodded his head and steped back with a small blush. "Thank you all for everything."

I got a chorus of you're welcomes and no problems. They all chatter happily, some comeing into the room to admire the art work, others when back down stairs to enjoy the rest of the party.

I stood in that room long after every one else had left. Their room will have something from every where in the world, just like my country. They will have a little peice of their big, wonderfull world right withing the safty of theri room. And for now on, thanks to Dane going out of his way to include something very personal, they will always have a little peice of my past and of the aunts and uncles they will never meet, right here with them. So in a small, small way, they will be connected to them.

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The pic up top is the family crest that Vinland made for them. The fist leter of each oth their names, next to the sibling that they were closets too. 13 is made around is as she is the one who helt the family together while Vivikas V stands the bigest in front, because she was the protecter of the others.

Hope you enjoyed!