What is... "Home?" (Hetalia Fanfic, W.A. '13 Finalist)

Chapter 15~!

"Be good, ___. Don't ever forget me, y'hear?"

"Yes, Pa," Little Me replied, hugging the man's neck tightly one last time.

He was tall and wiry, with clear emerald eyes like mine and very dark red hair. He had a scraggly beard on his chin and a farmhand's clothing; overalls and a flannel shirt, the sleeves rolled up past his elbows, and thick but worn boots. A cowboy hat was hanging on his back from the strap around his neck. I wore my white dress with the red bow and no shoes.

The man, Pa, set me on the ground and took my tiny hands in between his larger thumbs and indexes. Pa looked me in the eye, his expression sorrowful but trying not to show it. "___, I love you. Never forget that, sweetheart."

I felt my eyes grow how and tears pricking them. "Pa, pwease don't go," I whimpered, clutching at his fingers desperately.

"Hey, hey, shhhh," he whispered, drawing my small body into a hug. "I'll see ya again soon, right?"

"Pwomise?" I sniffled, and he nodded, putting something furry and familiar in my hands. With a kiss on my forehead he disappeared into thin air, and I felt the first tear roll down my face.

Through blurred vision I looked down at the strip of tanned pelt and gripped it to my chest, looking at the ground with eyes closed as the tears came faster and faster.

I heard the crumbling of dead leaves next to me as someone, my new older brother, knelt next to me. Tentatively, he pulled me into an embrace, petting my long brown hair slowly as he gazed at the spot where Pa had just been a moment ago. Dead brown leaves picked up and twirled in the freezing breeze that blew around the both of us. I shivered and my brother drew me closer, wrapping his jacket around me while still wearing it so his body heat helped me stay warm. Twisting my neck to look at the bare and scary-looking trees, I tried to move even closer to my brother for fear that the trees might reach for me and snatch me away from the only family I had left.

"Don't worry, I gotcha," he murmured, a protective hand on my back. He rose and began walking away with me in his arms, but I looked over his shoulder and memorized the place; that stump with "OTIS" carved jaggedly in the top; those two pine trees that had twisted and grown around each other; the distinctive circular shape of the area.

"Where awe we going?" I asked once the grove was out of sight.

"We're going to my house," he answered with a smile. "I want you to meet your other brothers and sisters."

"I have mowe sibwings?" I asked incredulously, wiping one cheek clean with a fist while I held the pelt in the other.

"Yep, and you'll only get more with time," my brother said.

"Why?"

His expression was mixed; excitement, resolve, determination. "Because someday I'll be the most powerful country ever, and that means you'll get more brothers and sisters as I get bigger."

I saw my tear-streaked face reflected in his glasses when I looked at him. "Y'think so?"

"I know I will," was his reply.

Nodding, I leaned my head into the crook of his neck. "Awright, then." Then I fell asleep listening to the wind's howling and the dead leaves and needles being crushed underfoot.

~~~

I awoke and sat up slowly, making Zip tumble from where he lay curled up on my chest to my lap.

"Another dream..." I said quietly to myself, the dark of the room throwing my words back at me. "America was in it again..."

Zip gave me a tired look and got comfortable on my legs, going back to sleep shortly. Looking over at the light-up clock on the desk, I read the time: 4:49.

"Great," I muttered into the darkness, flopping onto my back once more and shutting my eyes. I stayed that way for a while, trying to sleep but being unable to because of my racing mind.

'I had a father... A /real/ father...'

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And yes, America had Texas by this time. I looked it up. :) But I'm not saying who she is yet~

Muwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaa~

And I'm sorry this is so short, school has been draining my inspiration like a battery. I'll try to keep updating often but if I go a week or so without posting the next chapter then please understand. I'm trying to learn a new language and deal with all my classes and gaaaaahhhh... Sometimes the days never end! So anyway yeah that's that. Please vote and comment and add this to your library, unless you have already done so and are therefore AWESOME!