July 1st 1768

Matthew had always liked July 1st. He didn't know why, exactly, but it might have had something to do with the fact that midsummer was over or that it was the hottest month of the year and the first day told him that it had begun. So it didn't come as a surprise to Matthew that he liked this one too. Though that was the only thing that hadn't changed over the last year.

Last July 1st he had been at Mr. Arthur's house with only the servants. Mr. Arthur had been somewhere again, perhaps visiting an other colony. He didn't know but he surely cared. Mr. Arthur seemed to forget him and always go on and on about someone named Alfred. Last summer Matthew finally found out Alfred was an other colony, the land to south of his lands.

Now he was here with mére, pére and frére Alfred. Mr. Arthur and papa Francis visited every once in a while and always brought him a gift. From Mr. Arthur it was oftn something from his other colonies, like a boomerang from Australia, a small ape from South Africa, tea from India and china from Hong Kong.

Mr. arthur also brought gifts for Alfred, bigger, more expensive ones too. Diggeridoo, shields and masks of native africans, different animal statues made of jade and traditional chines clothes were just few of the presents Alfred got.

When papa Francis visited, though, Matthew was always noticed. While papa didn't bring gifts he always had a kind word in store for Matthew.

Mére and pére always treated him kindly, didn't forget him, asked his opinions, generally just talked to him (mére more so than pére because pére didn't talk much to anyone, save mére) and made sure that he knew that he wasn't about to be left behind.

From his new family Matthew loved his mére the most. She was the one he mostly spent time with: during the lessons, while she was embodering things and while she was accounting. She taught him cooking, accounting and gardening. She was the one who sat by his bed when he had the flu, tucked him in in the evening and told him stories.

Of course Matthew loved his pére too but they weren't that close. They had some bonding sessions over chess and carpentry but that's it. Though Matthew knew without a doubt he could trust his pére if he ever really needed him.

For Matthew Alfred was the hardest person to form a relationship with by far. Alfred was the kind of boy who simply couldn't keep still and had the most absurd ideas.

Flashback:

"Mattie! Let's go sking down that bumpy slope! It'd be so cool to jump off one of those bumps and flip!"

"A-Alfred! I don't think it's a good idea! What if either of us got hurt?"

"Don't worry about it Mattie! I wouldn't let you get hurt 'cause I'm a hero!"

An hour latter:

Matthew clutched his leg and Alfred stopped by him.

"Are you okay, Mattie?"

"I-I think I broke my leg," Matthew sniffled.

He cried out in suprise when Alfred lifted him off the ground to a piggybsck. "Don't worry about it Mattie! I'll take you home 'cause I'm a hero and that's what a hero would do!"

End flashback:

Matthew smile a little. After that little stunt they had gone skating as soon as his leg was healed and the ice had broken beneath him. Alfred saved him. A month after that they had gone hiking and Alfred had caused a mud slide that had buried him. Alfred saved him 'again'. Just last week they had been tossing ball and Alfred had thrown the ball so hard at Matthew that when it hit him on the head he lost consiousness for half an hour.

It was clear that Alfred never planned on hurting Matthew but somehiw it just always ended that way.

Matthew was broken from his thoughts by a gentle hand on his shoulder. He blinked at it before looking up. It was his mére, ever caring and beautiful.

"Matthew, we're going on a picnik today. What kind of food do you want to take with us?" she asked with a gentle smile.

"Some kind of chicken," he answered quietly and returned the smile.

"I want apple pie!" shouted Alfred from somewhere behind her.

"I already heard that Alfred, I was asking your brother," Aino said over her shoulder and rolled her eyes at Matthew who giggled slightly. "Be ready in two hours."

"Oui mére," he nodded and squeezed Kumajirou, the absentminded polar bear his pére got him last Christmas.

As Matthew watched his mére walk away he came to the conclusion his life couldn't have been better, at the moment at least.

Translations:

mére = mother

pére = father

frére = brother

A/N: It's a day late, I know, but I got it typed yesterday... then my mum stood outside me room to make sure I shut my computer down... If I have the time (and inspiration) the next chapter should be up in three days! Thank you for all those who reviewed! ^.^