Deadly Secrets

12.

America's POV:
As the call ended I sighed and looked at Dixie.
"This is going to be a disaster," I told him, putting my head in my hands and resting my elbows on the island counter.
"Well, you never know," he said from his seat on the stool beside me, "I'm pretty sure Hawaii and a few of the younger ones actually want to meet their grandpa."
"Yeah, but I'm mostly worried about what the older ones might do. The Thirteen remember some of the things he did back before I got independence and... they've made sure that most their siblings know about some of it too."
"...Right...well, we'll just have to keep them separated as best we can. We might as well break the news to the kids now and hope they don't freak out too much."
I nodded and we made our way out to the living room where I called another family meeting. It only took a few moments for the stampede of states to fill up the living room, this time with the oldest of the states standing behind the couches.
"There's been a slight change of plans," I said, catching their attention, "As you may know, your uncle Nada and cousins have been staying with your grandfather, as well as some other members of our family." Some of the states began to catch on and stared at me disbelievingly, "Sometime earlier today, they noticed they were being watched by Phobos and realized that they needed to go somewhere safer. Your uncle Nada called me a few minutes ago and I agreed to let them stay with us for the time being." Some of the states, mostly the Thirteen, began to protest. "Quiet! I know you don't like this, I don't either, but your cousins are with them and if they stay they could be attacked at any moment." This quieted them down significantly. "I just need all of you to at least try to be nice when they come over, and if it bothers you that much, just don't interact with them." There were still a few grumbles but they seemed to understand the situation for the most part.
"Yes Virginia?" I said as my daughter raised her hand.
"Who all is coming exactly and when are they getting here?"
"Well there's your cousins, your uncle Nada, your great uncles Scotty and Ireland," I was cut off by a few cheers, they hadn't seen their great uncles in years, and it has been awhile since they last saw their cousins too, "as well as your other great uncles, England, and Wales, your great aunt Northern Ireland, your uncles Australia and New Zealand," Florida gave a big cheer when he heard Aussie's name, he's been wanting to meet him for a while. I gave a small laugh before continuing, "and your grandparents, Britain and France." The room went quiet again and many of the Thirteen turned their heads and scowled at the floor, "We will be picking them up from the airport at sometime just after five and should have them here by around six-thirtyish."
"So we'll have to make extra for dinner?" Louisiana asked.
"Yes, we can't leave them to starve," I replied with a chuckle. "Alright, unless you have any more questions, you can go."
As most of the states started to go back to what they were doing before, Hawaii came up to me accompanied by Arizona, New Mexico, and Alaska who stood at the back of the group and watched. "Makuahine, why does everybody hate our grandpa so much?" Hawaii asked.
"Uh... well," I began, unsure how to answer, "your grandpa has done some... bad things in the past...and your oldest siblings were around to see some of those bad things, and they never forgot about them so they told your other older siblings when they would ask about him, and they didn't like that he did those things either."
"But wasn't that a really long time ago?"
"Well, yes, but that doesn't make what he did okay."
"Yeah I know, but maybe he doesn't do the bad things he did back then any more."
"Maybe, but in my experience, people are seldom capable of such change."
"Um, mom?"
"Yes, Alaska?"
"You keep saying he did bad things, what exactly did he do?" I paused for a moment, I had made sure that the Thirteen stopped telling their siblings things about their grandfather by the time that these kids were born, or in Alaska's case adopted. I didn't want my children to feel such negative things for a man who they might not ever meet. I regret that the oldest of the Thirteen ever had to see what happened. During a battle of our revolution, my father had run me through with a bayonet, nearly killing me. The oldest of my children was only physically eight years old at the time and had been watching the battle through the window of a house in a little town we were near, without my knowledge, and saw me, their own mother, almost killed by their grandfather. I don't think he even realized that I was the one he stabbed until after he had done it and I was struggling to stay in the male form I had to change into in order to fight in the war. Even when I was sure he recognized me, he just turned away and left me to bleed out... it was funny to see the look on his face the next time I fought him though. There were plenty of things that I made sure my children never saw though, like when he came home drunk, which was how he usually came home during the visits that he made once every several years since I was a young child, sometimes he would be gone for an entire decade at a time. But I can't tell them that, any of that, I don't want them to meet their grandfather already disliking him.
"I'm not going to talk about that, 'laska. It was a long time ago, like your sister said." She didn't seem satisfied with my answer, in fact none of them did, but she let it go.
"Alright, love ya mom." She said as she began leading her three younger siblings away with her.
"I love you guys too." I called after her.