England

The wind howled around the quiet house rattling the windows in their frames. To Alice, shaking on the bed despite the blanket wrapped over her shoulders, it sounded like someone was trying to get in.

She Glanced at the clock on the bedside table; the illuminated display flashed 3:17 am. She hadn't slept in three days and even then it was short and restless, she wanted to sleep but every time she tried she felt too vulnerable alone in her room.

Her parents were in the room next door she should feel safe. But they had been there on that night to.

Her eyes slowly drifted shut, an image of a faceless man above her flashed across her mind and her eyes shot open, her heart racing.

Its not real, he's not here. She mentally assured herself breathing deeply to, slowly, bring her heartbeat back to normal.

Gradually, she calmed slightly and her eyes started to to close again. This time exhaustion won over fear and she fell into a deep sleep.

Time skip

The next morning she awoke feeling only a little rested. Despite her deep sleep her mind had been plagued by nightmares and flashbacks making it restless.

Downstairs she could hear her parents banging cupboards as they made breakfast. The smell of sausages wafted up the stairs making her stomach rumble forcing her out of bed and down to the kitchen.

"Morning sweetheart, did you sleep well?" Her mother asked as Alice walked in. She smiled at her mother and tried to look more awake than she felt.

"I had the best nights sleep I've had in ages." She lied.

Her mother took in the bags under her eyes and the slightly droopy way she held herself and didn't believe her.

But... she reasoned Alice is an adult now, she knows to ask for help if she needs it.

So she just smiled back, handing her daughter a plate of breakfast and a tea and turned back to her washing up.

Almost immediately she heard a crash from behind her, spinning around she saw Alice passed out on the floor; her plate and cup lay broken about her.

"Alice!?" She yelled rushing to her side. Finding her still breathing she relaxed a bit but continued to panic when she couldn't wake her daughter.

A hand landed on her shoulder shocking her out of her panic.

"It's going to be okay." Alice's father whispered soothingly, "I've called an ambulance they'll take care of her." He watched his wife nod slowly before turning to his daughter; he saw her eyes flashing back and forth beneath her eyelids.

What are you dreaming about? He wondered.

Authors Note: This is my first attempt at a fan fiction so please do not be too harsh with your reviews, I will happily accept suggestions for improvements but outright criticisms will not help to make it any better.

As well as this some of the characters will be dealing with some serious issues (some steaming from recent historical events) none of which I have experienced for myself so if you feel I have represented this issue badly please let me know and suggest ways in which I can make it more accurate.

Thank yo for reading this. I do not own Hetalia only this story.