"..."

A young man, looking to be around the age of 19 sat in his home, staring at the telephone on the side table in front of him for what has felt like, (and very well may have been) hours now.

The light haired Canadian was none other than Matthew Williams.

He stares at the phone with such intensity, it was surprising the device didn't burst into flames. He was seriously contemplating making a phone call that he's desperately been wanting to make for hundreds of years now, but he wasn't sure if even after all this time, if he has worked up the gut to go through with it.

Matthew sighed quietly, and reached over, placing his hand on top of the phone...and them took it away, holding his hand to his chest nervously.

...h...he couldn't do it! He just couldn't. He wasn't willing to face the bone crushing disappoint that would wait on the other end of the line.

He took a step away, dragging his hands down his face with a groan. Ugh, he was stressing himself out over this so much, he was sure he felt a headache coming on.

"Ugh...I already know the answer, so why would I even bother...?" Matthew mumbled to himself in the empty room.

"But, it also couldn't hurt to try, right...? I mean the worst he can do is say no, right?"

He fell silent after that,

"..."

He wasn't sure if he could except no as an answer.

Finally, after much debating, and convincing himself, Matthew picked up the telephone, hesitantly punched in the phone number, and held it to his ear, feeling his heart race as it rang. No going back now! ...somewhere in his head, he was hoping he wouldn't pick up.

His hopes were crushed to dust when the ringing was cut off, and a heavily accented voice answered on the other end.

"Hello?"

"...ah..." The Canadian tried to say something, but only a squeak came out. He rehearsed what he would say to the Englishmen a thousand times in his head, but now his mind was blank, and his mouth full of cotton.

"Hello?" The other repeated, sounding more confused this time around.

"..."

"...Canada? Canada, is that you?"

"...yes..." Was his mousy answer.

"Ah, so it is you and not some foolish prank call. What do you need, lad?" England replied smoothly, in a level, patient voice.

"I..." He paused, taking a deep breath through his nose. "I just felt like talking was all...with you, I meant."

He cringed at his awkward reply, having hoped that when he finally talked to England, it would be full of courage and confidence, but for some reason, he felt so unsure of himself.

"...very well. But it will have to be quick. I have things to do, as I'm sure you know. I'm a busy man."

"Y-yes, of course..."

",.."

"..."

If he listened closely, he could hear the Brit sigh quietly, and lean back in his chair as he waiting on Matthew.

"...so..." Matthew began. "My birthday is tomorrow..."

"I know why you decided to call me, Matthew."

He froze, the hand holding the phone nearly dropping it to the floor. The way the other called him by his human name, dropping any formalities, it made him feel more nervous, less like an adult...it reminded him that he was talking to his former caretaker.

"...uhm..."

"Matthew, I know you better than you think."

"So...what's your answer?"

"...I don't think it's a good idea."

He knew it. He knew that this would happen, and for some reason, he just couldn't help himself. Nervousness forgotten, he raised his voice into the phone.

"Why?! Why not? What do you think will happen if you just allow me to see my brother?" Matthew felt hurt, and angry and he felt like there was a huge something missing from his life since he betrayed his own twin.

"Matthew, I guarantee you meeting him will just make him confused. This meeting you're hoping for will not be what you're expecting." He promised in a level tone.

"I don't care! I don't care if he's not how I remembered, I just want to see him! You've hidden him from us for so long since the revolution! If I knew it was your intention to isolate Alfred from everyone else, I would have never sided with you against him!" There. He said it. He finally said it after thinking it and keeping it to himself for so long, and now that it's out there, he doesn't know how to follow that up, so he kept quiet, holding his breath as he waited for the others reply, hoping he wasn't too angry.

"..."

He heard him sigh, and he could envision him pinching the bridge of his nose in stress, massive brows furrowed.

"...alright, fine."

Matthew almost didn't believe it.

"Really? You mean it?"

"Yes, yes, just don't make me regret this. Just let me decide a date and time, and I'll have the two of you meet up. But I did warn you Matthew. You can't blame me if this reunion isn't everything you were hoping for."

"No, I understand, I'll be alright. Thank you. Thank you so much, Arthur."

"England." He corrected him.

"Right."

He hung up the phone, and let out a breath,feeling something heavy lift off of him. After all these years... He'll be able to see his twin brother for the first time since the revolutionary war between America and Britain

Over 300 years ago, on a rainy day in America, came the end of the long and bloody war between two nations who used to get along so entirely well.

The ground was loose and muddy, stained with blood, and littered with bullets and bodies. After many lifes lost, after such a long and ferocious struggle, it was over...and it was obvious who had won.

A certain American sat kneeling in the mud, his normally bright golden locks soaking wet, dirtied with mud and sticking to his face. His blue eyes twitched in pain as he pressed his palm against the red blooming from his navy blue uniform. He stared up at his former caretaker who was staring down at him.

"England...you shot me..." The voice was completely stunned.

The man he was addressing, otherwise known as Arthur Kirkland narrowed his green eyes at him and pointed the musket at the others face so Alfred was staring down the barrel.

"You've already lost, Alfred. Your "army", if it can even be called that, has fallen, and you're still my colony. Stop now, and your punishment for this silly rebellion won't be so severe." The Englishmen promised bitterly, he stern, demeaning gaze never leaving the American.

"No..." The hurt teen breathed a shuttered breath, cold from the rain and blood loss. "Th...this can't be happening..."

He couldn't believe it. His shot at independence. At being a country. Lost.

The Brit grit his teeth and grabbed a fistful of Alfred's hair, yanking upward. "Stand up!"

The other sloppily tried to comply, to try and stand on shaking legs, letting out a small cry of pain at the other yanking him around harshly.

"Arthur please!" He finally cracked, looking up at the others who's fist was gnarled in his hair. "You have to let me go! I need to be free, dammit!"

"IS THIS WHAT YOU NEED?!" The Brit hollered, forcefully twisting the American to look at the bloodied battleground in front of him. "Look at what you've done, Alfred. Your little hissy fit has cost the lives of your people. If anything, you have only proved that you need me more than ever. Because face it, /America/, you tried and you failed. If you would have just done as I said, listened like a good little colony, none of this would have ever happened!"

Even with the heavy rain soaking everything it could touch, it was still obvious that the American had begun crying.

"You still need me, America. And you know something? You probably always will." Arthur released Alfred, letting the other crumple to the muddy ground in defeat.

"Come. There are consequences to be faced." With a single gesture of his hand, two red coated solders had him by both arms, and yanked him from ground harshly, leading the broken man away.

Alfred cringed, and struggled, not wanting to face this reality. He could have never imagined it would turn out this way.

"No! Let me go! I won't go back!" He cried out. He tasted freedom and it was slipping away from him in an instant. "Arthur, let me go!"

His cries were ignored, and though he was normally as strong as 10 men, with his body injured, and his land in ruins, he was simply to weak to break free.

The Americans tear streaked face disappeared into a carriage that Arthur had waiting. Even in war, he would never travel in anything less than the most comfortably transportation.

Somewhere not to far off on the battle field stood an almost identical blonde in a red uniform, musket in hand, staring at the spot where the scene had just taken place. He had watched Alfred get taken away and for some reason he couldn't help but think he just assisted Arthur in something terrible.

He had no idea that that would be the last time anyone would see Alfred for a very long time.

After assisting Arthur in fighting against the Americans during the revolutionary war, he was cast aside and forgotten about again by the Brit. Sure, the thick browed blonde insisted that he was grateful, couldn't have done it without him, and what not, but the elder made no attempt to act thankful afterwards. He went back to ignoring the Canadian just as he always had, and only spoke to him when Matthew was the one to initiate conversation. And even then, he only ever replied if he actually heard him. His voice was soft as ever.

He had attempted to see Alfred again many times after the war. Right after his defeat, years after the event where he was positive Alfred had already forgiven and forgotten, on Alfred's birthday, on his birthday, during Christmas, on weekends when he had nothing to do. But every time he attempted, Arthur denied him access to his brother, and turned him away, not budging no matter how much Matthew had begged.

He wasn't the only one either. Other countries were interested in seeing America after his defeat, if only a select few. Alfred had gotten to attend a few world meetings before his defeat. He was so determined to prove that he would become a good country...a friendship between Japan and America blossomed quickly, and as for Italy? Well, the country thought everybody was his friend. During his absence, Gilbert, Kiku, Feliciano, Francis, along with a few other curious countries went off in search of the American. Sometimes, other countries would go just to support the ones who truly missed Alfred. Germany would tag along with Gilbert, Feliciano, or Kiku. Sometimes Yao would come along with Kiku to try and convince Arthur to see things their way, like a stubborn guardian.

Despite everything, Arthur denied anyone entry into his home, to Alfred's old home, no one even got a chance to catch a glimpse of the nation, and sometimes Matthew worried that his brother wasn't even there. He worried that Arthur might have done something truly awful to him. What if he had Alfred tied up somewhere where he wouldn't be able to cause England anymore trouble? What if he decided to just bury Alfred alive? He was a nation, so he couldn't die of suffocation, but the constant burning I'm his lungs for air would eventually drive him to madness. What if he somehow truly broke the strong willed brother of his, and Alfred just sat in bed all day with dead eyes?

He scared himself a lot, thinking like that.

Time had went on without Alfred in his life. England's crazy reign as empire died out. Plenty of his colony's grew up and became nations that didn't need him anymore. Even America, in a way. Without the personification. The American people, after many years, and making many exceptions so they got the short end of the stick, they finally got their motherland to agree to let them become a country as well. With extremely close ties to England, of course.

But even after Alfred finally got what he had wanted 300 years ago, the personification didn't appear. He never showed at the world meetings, and England promised he'd handle anything that involved American affairs. Arthur insisted that Alfred still lived with him, healthy and happy, and of course the others had their suspicions, but nobody was ever able to check out the Brits home to see if it was true. A large iron gate enveloped the house, (like a cage, Matthew thought) and it was always locked. If one was able to get over the gate, one of the many security cameras would alert England immediately that there was an intruder, and he'd contact the authorities, having any trespassers arrested on the spot. He knows. Matthew has tried before.

After all this time of keeping Alfred so isolated from everything, hearing that he was finally allowed to see the American, it was almost unbelievable.

He wondered what made Arthur finally change his mind?