Healed By Love

4|Choose

The nations slowly went silent. Kylie buried her face into Britain's chest, whimpering at the many eyes landing on her. "Uh...Dude?" America asked. "What's up with the Tiny girl?" "It's okay," Britain comforted her, then turned to the countries. "Her name is Kylie. She...She needs help. "Vat kind of help?" Germany stood. The girl glanced up, than hid her face again quickly. "I-I rwan away fr-frwom t-the shwop that I wived in. I jwust want s-swome fwood, pwe-ease." Murmurs from the countries as Britain took his seat and set her on the table with his handkerchief still draped over her like a blanket, and Italy set a napkin of pasta in front of her. It was his lunch, but she obviously needed it more. "Ciao, my name is Feliciano! Eat some pasta bella, it will make you feel better!" She gaped at the food, and began eating the warm meal grabbing a pasta noodle and sitting on Arthur's hand. Germany nodded. "Vhy don't ve begin ze meeting now und let her eat? Brita-erm...?" He didn't know the Brit's human name. "Arthur. I'm fine right here, thank you," He waved his free hand, leaning back in the chair above her. The German nodded again. "Let us begin then."... Kylie finished her portion, sending a smile to the nice man with the curl who gave it to her. He sat directly across from her seat, and smiled back. He took the napkin. On her left was a man with glasses and a lock of hair sticking straight up. He introduced himself earlier as Alfred, and seemed pretty nice. On her right was the end of the table, next to the blonde man with the funny accent who seemed to be in charge. They talked about boring things, with different countries and topics Kylie didn't understand very well. Even Arthur, who sat behind her the whole time, bored her with his speech about trade agreements and global warming. She laid her head down and soon fell asleep..."Britain," Germany ventured, using his country name only because she was still asleep. The meeting was virtually over, other than the subject of Kylie. "Vat happened to ze Tiny child?" Said country was leaning back against the chair, careful not to push Kylie around with his hand anymore. "Kylie told me she's two. Um, she ran away from the shop where she lived, but started crying and begged not to go back there-and she's obviously been abused, pretty badly in my eyes. She stayed out in the freezing rain all night in that damn dress, I'm positive she's sick. Poor girl was shivering violently, still is...I think the warm meal helped," He nodded to Italy, who Ve~ed in return. "So shouldn't we turn her in to the police?" Japan asked. Protests were shouted. "They would hurt her, aru!" "Dude, if they get a hold of her they'll probably do something really bad!" "I suggest she become one with Mother Russia." "Dummkopf! The police vould give her back to the shop, or even a lab und make zings even vorse!" "The ragazza can-a stay with me!" North Italy silenced the room for a split second with this comment before further arguments were whisper-shouted, as to not wake up the sleeping toddler. "Le petite fille can live with me!" "NO bloody frog, you'd probably drive her insane!" "No more than your cooking would!" Spain whisper-shouted, "She'll stay with me!" "No, us!" The Nordics chorused, glaring at each other upon realizing it came out at the same time. "I'd like her!" Sealand exclaimed. "Hey, you're still a kid yourself!" Britain whisper-shouted, pointing at the child. "ALL OF YOU SHUT UP!" Germany bellowed, slamming a fist against the table and waking Kylie fully, who had latched onto Arthur's hand as some sort of safety mechanism. "Ze first question is vhether or not Kylie vants to go back." "Easy little one," Arthur said softly, gently rubbing the little two year old's back with a knuckle, soothing her until she released her death grip on him. "Yeah dudes," America rubbed the back of his neck. "I know there's some pretty shi-crappy stuff that goes on with Tinies in my country, but it still isn't legal to just take a Tiny little kid from a shop..." "NO!" The two-year-old shouted. "NO THWERE!" She stood on the chair, tearing up and shivering still. "H-he hwurts m-me. He-he dwoesn't wike me." Japan crossed his arms, looking at her with concern. "I do not want you to suffer either. But it is still not legal to simp-ry take a child from a shop! Don't you have relatives back?" "No." She stated coldly; too coldly for a toddler. Britain winced. "I think we-" "No!" Kylie shouted again and turned to Britain, the tantrum turning her face red and tears wetting it. The countries all watched her explode, standing up on the table and wincing from her sore ribs. "Polwice dwon't hwelp! Th-thwey dwon't wisten to me! Awnd wif ywou dwon't want to hwe-hwelp, thwan lwet me g-go! You're awll jwust wi-wike hwim and the rwe-rwest of the wowrld, ywou wonly want to-to hwurt me! No owne cwares! Nwone of ywou cware, so dwon't pretwend! Jwust lwet me slweep in my awlley!" Silence rang clearly in the air as Kylie crossed her arms across her chest, shaking. The (many) men and (oddly few) women in the room were deathly silent, and she imagined that Arthur's face matched that of the rest of the room. She didn't know the word, but it was horrified. "Screv zat," Germany was first to act, by picking up a brown paper bag from beside his chair, used to bring extra supplies for the meeting. He dumped these objects out (a few pens, pencils, paper...) and set the bag down, putting a cross necklace from around his neck in there. "Everyone, put an object in ze bag. Vhoever's object Kylie chooses vill take her home. If none of us can decide vho she vill go to, zen zis is hov ve vill settle it." Sniffling and surprised, she sat back down as said bag was passed around the room. She glared down into her lap, wiping her eyes and nose, shivering. Why was it so cold in here? She was tired now, and still angry despite the new course of action they were taking. They were almost going to take her back to the man who hurt her on a nightly basis. She ran away from a cruel place and into a cruel world. So would a life with one of these people be cruel too? Would she spend the rest of her life with one of these men? Arthur showed kindness by taking her here, but the man also showed kindness when he had customers in the shop. Lies. Maybe they were lying to her. What if she was just choosing who would take her back to the shop? 'Prwove me wrwong.' A small voice in her head said. 'Mwaybe I'll jwust rwun bwack to my awlley agwain if twey do trwy...' Her little mind made up, she decided to do just that if they took her back. Go back to "her" alley. And if they didn't? Well, it would be a miracle...Nobody loved her... Germany was handed the bag back, and gave it a few shakes to mix the items within. He stood and set it on it's side in front of her. "Go ahead und choose, Kylie."