Title: Crack, Snap, Plunge
Characters/Pairings: Jennifer/Workbitch
Genre: Romance, Angst
Ratings/Warnings: T for swearing
Summary: Jennifer and Workbitch's ice skating lessons a.k.a. "first date" takes an unexpected turn, and Workbitch is faced with the possibility of losing someone he cares more about than he realized.

Disclaimer: Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya, and the International Academy of Hetalia Fanfiction belongs to the Ultra-talented Lily Winterwood, as does the character of Jennifer. Megan belongs to LolliDictator and Lucia belongs to ILoveAnimeVeryMuch123. Some of the dialogue at the very beginning is lifted directly from the end of Chapter 14 of IAHF itself.

Notes: This is a one-shot fanfic based on Chapters 14 and 15 of Lily Winterwood's fic "The International Academy of Hetalia Fanfiction" with her character Jennifer and WorkBitch (the fan name for England's secretary from last bloodbath on Kitayume). Go read her fics first, at least up to that point, so you won't get spoiled (that, and it's seriously addicting)

Crack, Snap, Plunge

WorkBitch watched, suppressing a laugh as he watched the young Asian fangirl flail about on the ice. He stated over as the Anglophile lost her balance completely and fell on the ice, a look of mixed annoyance and embarrassment crossing her face, partially obscured by her glasses which seemed to slightly fog in the cold weather.

"O-ow," Jennifer stuttered as hesitantly stood up, clearly nervous about falling in an even less comfortable manner. WorkBitch had the urge to whip out some cheesy line about if she fell again he would catch her but decided against it, envisioning Arthur and France putting aside their differences to beat the shit out of him for saying something so unbelievably cliché. Instead, he held out his hand and she gratefully accepted his steady frame to lean against.

"There's a patch of thin ice over there, near the dock," WorkBitch remarked, as Jennifer eased her way into skating more independently from him. Though they were no longer holding hands - and how he wished they were still holding hands – she continued to lean against him for support. "We'll have to try and avoid it… but all I know is that it's near the dock. I don't know the exact location."

"Well, that's comforting," Jennifer stated in a bitter tone of voice, and WorkBitch momentarily shifted his focus to the area in question, where Pirate Spain and Pirate France were skating in what appeared to be dueling offensive positions – each staring down the other as if challenging an attack.

"You still have to teach me how to stop."

WorkBitch looked down at Jennifer, who was no longer leaning against him and seamed to be trying to balance herself on her own next to him. "I'll cover that once you can skate confidently," he said, unable to contain the smile that spread across his face. He felt himself flush and his heart skipped a beat as Jennifer smiled back at him.

And then his heart stopped.

He had been so distracted by the Pirate's mock-war games that he had failed to notice how close to the dock they had gone. Jennifer's smile was replaced with a stunned expression as she slipped and plunged through the ice.

The lake instantly went from a lively peace to hysteria as nearby skaters immediately rushed over to see what had happened. WorkBitch heard some screams nearby, though he couldn't place where they came from, and he was only half aware of Pirate France and Spain ushering curious bystanders away from the thin ice, their standoff forgotten.

He stared at the dark water only a foot away from him, spider cracks forming on the ice that hadn't separated from the main shelf when Jennifer fell. He felt himself getting pulled away as the ice he stood on dissolved into the lake below.

Others weren't so lucky. It didn't register until later that the students who fell through the ice then wanted to end up injured in order to get to their lust objects who resided in the wing adjacent to the hospital. Had he known, he likely would have lunged forward and held them under himself, enraged that they were thinking of their libidos in a life-or-death situation.

"Let me through!" WorkBitch heard a student shriek near his ear, and he realized that he had grasped the girl's jacket, unconsciously keeping her from falling into the depths below. "I can save her!"

Numb, WorkBitch released, and noticed as the girl plunged into the water that instead of legs she had a set of fins. Lucia?

WorkBitch felt his legs buckle, and he fell onto the solid ice, knuckles white against his knees. This is all my fault. This is all my fault. This is all my fault. – the message kept repeating itself in his brain as Alfred and Matthew restrained some of the more eager students and Ivan attempted to fish those who regretted their choice out of the water.

His mind flashed to the image of her smiling face, her body leaning against him, her hand in his. He never wanted that moment to end, and now she was gone. Gone because he couldn't fucking pay attention to where they were skating.

His thoughts broke as Lucia broke to the surface, carrying a limp figure in her arms. No Please no.

Her lips her blue, her body limply conformed as Lucia lay her down on the solid ice and began checking for a pulse. Please don't take her away from me. Not now.

There were so many things they hadn't gotten the chance to do. Go to fancy restaurant, walk along a beach not infested by nudist mochis, and share a bottle of wine while cozied up near a warm fire as the snow fell outside the window. And of course make dual photocopies. He was WorkBitch after all.

He was snapped out of his despair as he heard the sound of a choked breath, he looked up and saw Jennifer lightly breathing as Megan, having appeared at some point in the chaos, covered her in a thick wool coat that was obviously intended for her pre-alien-like form.

WorkBitch pushed his hands against the ice and slowly pushed his way past a flustered Matthew and collapses next to Jennifer and embraced her. He had never been so happy in his life. So happy that she was alive. So happy that they were together.

Next Time… WorkBitch promised as he lifted her up, carrying her away from the diminishing chaos on the ice, I will catch you when you fall. I promise.

Author's Note: What you didn't see after the fact was Mr. Hugh reminding him that she could just be revived and getting kicked in the junk. I sure know how to ruin a moment don't I?