Remember this story?

I don't even know how long it has been...and I am really sorry about that.

But a few night ago I had a dream about this story and I wrote this chapter.

Actually that's a bit of a lie because I had the premise of this chapter since I wrote last chapter but that was all and then the dream helped me to articulate the words.

Anyways I hope this chapter makes up for my absence and future absences!

Warnings: Alfred's grammar is atrocious.

Disclaimer: I do not own hetalia and I, sadly, never ever will.

Itallics=Flashback

"Fwancis, where we going?" Alfred asked his hands clasped over his eyes.

Francis sighed and shifted in his seat, still uncomfortable that his son was referring to him by his first name. His hands clutched hard on the steering wheel which managed to turn his knuckles a shade of ashen white. He masked his frustrated with a smile and a pleasant "it's a surprise."

"We thewe yet?" Alfred asked swinging his feet in the back seat of the car to an unnamed cadence.

"For the fifth time, no. It will only be about five more minutes."

The two sat in silence as Francis' black mini cooper pulled into a spot. He craned his neck around to face Alfred and said "okay, we are here!"

"Can I open my eyes now?" Alfred asked innocently.

Francis shook his head. "Not right now. I will help you out of your booster seat."

"Okay!" Alfred said keeping his hands clasped around his eyes.

Francis struggled with the multiple belts, numerous times, but finally got Alfred to squirm out of the restraints. He still could not imagine why Arthur bought the most complicated seat, but Francis really had no argument against his husband's love for his kids.

Francis took the wheat-blond boy's hair and guided him into a large department store."Okay, open your eyes!" he said as a rush of cool air whipped onto their sweaty skin.

Alfred rubbed his eyes, focusing on the colorful scenery of every kid's dream: a toy store. The flooring alternated a nauseating rainbow shade with an off-white that matched the bland walls. It was quite noisy considering the unsupervised children rushing around with toys in hand and squeaky carts that were infamous in toy stores. Not to mention the aisles upon aisles of color assorted toys neatly stacked on shelves that soared up to the ceiling.

"Look at all of the toys! I nevewr seed so many toys! Who toys?"

Francis chuckled at his incorrect grammar, something Arthur would have corrected if given the chance. "No one's. It's a toy store."

"What a toy stowe?" Alfred asked naively.

Francis looked at his son, quite concerned that he had never been toy store before. It seemed like a necessity for every child! Francis wondered what kind of childhood Alfred and his brother experienced before adoption; although it was probably one of neglecting parents.

"You've never been to a toy store?"

Alfred shook his head, his blond locks dipping as he did so.

"It is a place where you can buy toys, silly," Francis said, ruffling the child's hair.

"Oh! What about Captain Amewica toys?" Alfred asked with wide cobalt irises.

Francis giggled at the boy's excitement. "Of course! I think the superhero toys are in the back."

Alfred nodded and held onto Francis' hand quite tightly, still overwhelmed in such a store.

"Wow! Look!" Alfred exclaimed pointing at each of the toys with chubby, sticking fingers.

"Since you've been so good how about you pick out a toy for you and your brother?" Francis suggested noticing the pleasure that budded in Alfred's juvenile and innocent eyes.

"Weally!? I'm getting my own?" Alfred asked, his eyes lighting up bright like a skyline.

Francis smiled toothily. "Of course. Now which one would you like?"

"Um…" He scanned the shelves with wide eyes, never comprehending that there could be such a selection of superhero toys as this. He took one of the action figures off the shelf, examined the price label that was glued lazily to the side of the box. Alfred stuck his tongue out at it before replacing it back on the shelf and moving on to another toy.

"What are you doing?" Francis asked, his eyebrows furrowing at the scene.

"It too expensive," Alfred explained sadly, his eyes adverted to his hands.

"What do you mean?" Francis expected Alfred, of all kids, to take as many toys as he could and whine if he could not have them all, but this was far worse.

"It twenty bucks. That a lot."

Francis bent down to the boy's height. "Alfred, it is very noble of you to think about the price, but if you like it I will buy it for you."

"Weally!?" Alfred asked with delight obvious in his inflection. "Not too much?"

Francis pecked the boy's forehead. "Nothing is too much for my Alfie."

Alfred giggled and wrapped the toy in his arms. "Thanks Fwancis."

"Now…what do you think Mathieu will like?"

"Would you like some ice cream?" Arthur suggested as the two peeled off their coats. Arthur and Matthew had both taken a long and silent walk in the park and Matthew was about ready to collapse onto the couch and take a nap.

Matthew nodded, still rejecting to speak to his adopted father, much to Arthur's dismay. As much as Arthur was constantly annoyed by Alfred's obnoxious conversations, the Englishman still wished Matthew would speak to him.

Arthur exhaled, still not exactly familiar with Matthew's silence. "Now come along into the kitchen, lad. We wouldn't want to stain the couch," he explained pantomiming for the purple-eyed blond to follow him.

Matthew nodded, hopping off the sofa and followed the older with curious eyes.

"Now, what flavor would you like?" Arthur asked opening the freezer. Thanks to taking Alfred food shopping on the weekend, the family had a grand selection of ice cream ranging from classic chocolate to putrid peanut butter and jelly, which Arthur believed to be an absolute waste of ice cream.

Matthew scanned the selection before pointing at the tub of plain vanilla.

"Good choice," Arthur answered, closing the freezer. Arthur scooped out two clumps of vanilla for both Matthew and himself before putting the tub back into the fridge and grabbing two spoons. "Would you fancy any toppings?"

Matthew nodded, pointing at the maple syrup in the refrigerator.

Arthur placed a hand on his hip and chuckled. "That is maple syrup."

Matthew nodded feverously now.

"Alright," Arthur said with a sigh and slathered the ice cream with the viscous syrup.

Matthew took the bowl into his hands and lazily half-smiled as a sign of appreciation.

"Would you like to watch the television?"

Matthew continued to idly lick at the spoon.

Arthur sighed. It was so much easier when Alfred was home where his twin could translate for him; it had been quite hard with only the few expressions he had shown. He could not fathom how Francis could comprehend the boy as he so frequently did.

Arthur flipped on the television set with the controller and scrolled through the channels and stopped at Sesame Street, one of the only shows he allows the two twins to watch.

"The letter of the day is R," one of the puppets said.

Arthur turned to Matthew. "Can you say 'R'?"

Matthew nodded.

"Come on, lad," Arthur encouraged. "Let me hear it."

Matthew shook his head, his wheat-blond tresses bobbing as he did so.

Arthur's eyebrows furrowed. "And why not?"

Matthew shook his head once more and buried his face in his stuffed animal polar bear.

"We're home!" Francis announced walking through the front door.

Arthur smiled at the two as they entered, quite relieved. He noticed the shopping bags and asked "oh, and what do you have here?"

"Fwancis buyed me toy! And I getted one for Mattie!"

Matthew perked up at the sound of his name.

"I buyed you a toy!"

"I thought you might like this," Francis said holding up a hockey stick.

Matthew tilted his head.

"It fowr hockey!" Alfred exclaimed handing it to his brother.

Matthew took the stick and held it tightly around his arms.

"Do you like it?" Alfred asked impatiently.

"Oui," Matthew said in a voice no louder than a whisper that made his sound as if he had not used his voice in quite a while.

Arthur's eyes widened. "Did he just speak?" he mouthed to Francis.

Francis bent down to Matthew's level. "Parlez-vous Français?"

"Peu," Matthew responded after a period of hesitation.

"Magnifique!" Francis exclaimed. He picked up the honey-blond twins and hugged his son close to his heart.

Things were beginning to become normal.

"So…how was your first day at school?" Francis asked setting a plate in front of Alfred. Ever since the Alfred and Arthur moved into the house, Francis had been concocting news meals to serve. Although it was typically French cuisine, Alfred had been grateful it was not Arthur's food. That would not end well for any of the family members. Tonight was just a typical Cornish hen with salad on the side that Francis lathered in some French sauce.

"Good," Alfred murmured staring at his food idly. Usually the corn-colored blond would devour his meal within mere minutes, which led Francis to believe there was something lying underneath his false façade.

"Really Alfred, haven't I told you not to lie," Arthur said with a scowl and picked the skin off of his chicken wing.

Alfred rolled his cerulean eyes. "Look, Artie, I told you it wouldn't happen again! Can we just drop the subject?"

"What are you two going on about?" Francis asked quite confused, yet his oceanic eyes landed towards his own son.

"Alfred got in trouble," Matthew exclaimed in French.

"Mathieu," Francis said quite appalled at his son's behavior.

"I don't know what you two just said but Mattie is a liar!" Alfred defended, glaring sapphire daggers at his twin.

"Now don't put the blame on your brother," Arthur said defensively.

Francis sighed, interrupting before a full-fledged war broke out between the two. "Alfred, can you please just explain to me what happened?"

Alfred sighed. "So there's this teacher that's really scary and I really don't want to be in his class-"

"But you could've responded in a mature fashion," Arthur interrupted in a lecturing tone.

Alfred rolled his eyes. "I didn't even want to take arithmetic anyways," he muttered stuffing himself with a forkful of chicken.

"But is advanced chemistry such a good choice?" Arthur asked taking a sip of his iced tea.

"It's better than being with him," Alfred spat distastefully, on the verge of tears that built up in his glossy aqua eyes.

"Oh, Alfred," Francis began, his hand resting on Alfred's shoulder for comfort.

Alfred wiped Francis' hand off of him and sighed as pushed his porcelain plate towards the center of the table. "I'm not hungry. Can I be excused?"

Arthur exhaled. "Of course."

Alfred stood up and shuffled away, three pairs of multicolored eyes watching him with worry.

"Matthew, could you please comfort him. I think he needs his brother right now," Arthur explained with an exhausted inflection.

Matthew exhaled, pushing out his seat.

Arthur waited until Matthew had closed the door behind him and stated "Francis, I'm a bit worried that this wasn't the right thing to do…"

"Artie, what do you mean?" Francis asked. Francis grabbed the two plates of food and dumped them into the sink. He returned to his position at the table, eyes wide and his chin rested in his folded hands.

Arthur sighed rubbing his temples in a circular motion. "I mean, you heard what happened to Alfie at school today."

Francis raised both of his eyebrows. "Really now?"

"I think that he might be having a relapse," the Englishman said all too bluntly.

"Relapse?" Francis asked waving his hand dismissively. "Don't be crazy! You said he's been fine."

"Yes, before he saw Matthew again."

"We can't keep them separated forever," Francis explained, his tone unable to be contained with each passing word.

"Yes, I very well know that. But do you think it was too soon?"

"Ten years? Too soon?" he asked throwing his head back in laughter quite scathingly.

"I'm serious!"

"As am I."

Their eyes locked together. Blue against green.

Arthur furrowed his eyebrows, breaking their gaze. "I am serious, Francis. We should not be thinking of our own selfish motives."

"Are you saying this was merely selfish?" Francis asked waving his hand carelessly. "Arthur, they should know each other."

"Yes but-"

"But what? Do you really want to find another job? Another house? Just think about your son! He has to start all over at a new school and make new friends. Not to mention he just found his brother and now he is going to be taken away, again?"

Arthur buried his face into his hands. "I don't know what to do anymore."

Francis rubbed circles onto his back. "It will only get worse before it gets better."

TBC?

A/N: Yes? No? Maybe so?

This is just a bunch of filler F.A.C.E. family, but is quite important!

There are a bunch of subtle hints about Matthew and Alfred's past life.

Anyone who could guess gets a giant cookie and a personal hug from yours truly. LOL

In response to my awesome reviewers:

Guest: Sorry to keep you waiting so long :( But thank you!

Alexisz: ACK Thank you! OMG Really? That was one of the nicest reviews I have ever gotten!

Child of the Fay: Thank you so much! I hope this chapter was satisfactory...

I personally thank everyone who is still keeping up with this story, whether by review, adding this to your alert or favourites list, or by simply reading this. Thank you!

By the way, I do not know if this will be hiatus-ed or not. I have so much work and what not and URG!

Before you click that little red [X] please be so kind as to leave a review! Pretty please~

That's all, folks!