For One Last Ride

One-shot

There was a deafening silence in the room as both nations set out quickly in the morning. Just a day earlier England had arrived at America's Florida home and noticed the immediate shift in attitude the minute he set his bags down. The other only smiled feebly when he opened the door for him, quietly asked what the older nation would like for dinner and that was all for the most part.

In the night their usual monthly reunions were filled with passionate need for the other and desperate love making, but that night England held on, wounding his arms while caressing the American's back, and allowing the bigger nation to burrow his face into the inviting warmth of his neck as complete silence enveloped them.

He could vividly remember the day he confronted the younger nation. It was right after a world meeting where the usual 'nothing' was accomplished and America had been serious and tight lipped about what he planned to do with his debt ceiling and what programs he would have to cut.

The Brit leaned against one of the walls America sat preciously on the ground by. They were outside and taking a glance up England could see that the sun was hiding away in the clouds, "So you're really packing it in?" He asked suddenly.

America didn't glance at him, but looked up, up at the sky, at the puffed up cumulus clouds hanging low almost as if they were reachable, "That's what they've been saying." He said lowly.

England stepped closer, "Is it what you want?"

"What I want doesn't matter much at this point, I've been getting what I wanted for 235 years now and look where its got me." He hung his head no longer able or willing to stare at the sky, knowing he would never reach it again.

When they made it to their destination it was 10:30 and hordes of news reporters and average Americans were already waiting. Some were young children in astronaut costumes, but most were adults wearing shirts with the NASA insignia printed on the front.

England didn't need to look around to see the huge space shuttle at a safe distance away from the crowds.

"It's called the Altantis," America said, hands on his hips as he stared discreetly at it, "Fitting name don't you think?"

The blonde Brit felt awkward then and stopped to look at the people sitting and standing on the lawn of the Kennedy Space Center. The children were the ones he focused on, while the older generation's faces sagged in despair at the loss of one America's greatest accomplishments, the children played and roamed in the grass pretending to be astronauts in space and staring at the shuttle in awe. Perhaps there was hope in the children, he glanced back at America to see his sullen expression and mentally replaced it with the simple and curious smile of his once hopeful colony.

"It'll be exactly 11:29 when it launches." America sighed, sitting down on one of the lawn chairs they decided to bring last minute.

It was England's first time watching a shuttle launch live and he didn't quite know what to expect, "Do you always watch it like this, with your people on the lawn?" He asked, sitting down himself.

The younger nation was mute for a long period of time as if the question had not reached his ears until he suddenly coughed, "Uh, no. I was always up close and personal, but for the last go I thought I might as well enjoy it with my people."

That was the most he had spoken since England's arrival and it worried him. Though what would he know about last shuttle launches anyway? He remembered those cold words America had said to him that same day after the meeting, he knew he didn't mean it, but it still rung loudly and painfully in his ears.

The older man decided to sit down next to the American and coax him out of his pouting, "Don't hang your head like that, you haven't gone to the moon in decades anyways, it's a waste of tax dollars and think about how you will benefit from it in the end." He lectured; he secretly hated being the one to say "I told you so" but did it nonetheless.

America openly scowled, his eyebrows creased together and he snarled, "What the fuck do you know! I had dreams goddammit! And now…" He turned his face away, "Now what am I? Nothing but a fucking quitter! What are people going to call me now? The has-been nation?"

England effectively grabbed hold of the other's glowering face with both palms and tugged him closer, "Yes, America what do I know? What could I, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland possibly know about a dying empire with rotting institutions? Hmm?" He gripped the other's face tighter, nails digging and creating moon shaped indents, "Tell me! Tell me I don't bloody fucking know!"

The younger nation was visibly shaking, his face reddened and tears accumulated quickly as they ran down his apple colored cheeks, "I don't wanna be like you!" He wailed finally, then buried his face in the island nation's chest clawing for any sort of comfort, "I don't wanna, I don't wanna!" England was left baffled, but quickly tucked the other into his warmth. He knew he often said it but, he never realized how much of a child America still was until that moment.

To have one's dream dashed away like that, it was a terrible thing to witness. America always had a strong affinity for the unknown, from moving westward in the 1800s to the depths of space. Although England was not part of the space exploration, he too understood America's love for the unknown, except to him the unknown was not stars up above, it was the New World he had been interested in.

He understood the wonder in America's eyes when he would look up at the night sky and reveled in the fact that one day he would be up there, reaching stars light years away and discovering the impossible, because that was exactly how England felt when he stared at his young colony those few centuries ago.

He understood America now as well, the crushing truth that he would never be able to reach those stars, and he would never discover the impossible, because that was exactly how England felt the day of July 4, 1776.

But…

Perhaps…

The island nation extended his hand and laid it gently on the other's lap beside him. The launch was to go as scheduled, 11:29 am on July 8, 2011.

The people around them were beginning to quiet down, all eyes on the shuttle, waiting, anticipating. America had done nothing with England's hand on his lap, but the instant the shuttle began to produce clouds of smoke America clasped the other's hand securely.

Wind blew everywhere and the shuttle's rockets boomed to life, England could hear nothing but the roar of the shuttle's engines as it traveled across the sky. It was amazing, beautiful in fact, and England could not rip his gaze away even for a second.

Once it was up and over the clouds America's grip lightened, "There go my dreams, for one last ride." He whispered monotonously.

The Brit understood exactly how America felt, accepting the fact that his dreams were dead, that his beautiful memories were now tarnished by the truth that he would never feel that way again, but the world worked in mysterious ways. He never imagined having a future with his ex-colony ever again after he had gained his independence, and yet here they were together with new memories to last them to eternity.

Perhaps…

Just Perhaps…

America too would one day understand how England felt, the day when his dreams were reachable again, the day he got America back.

But for now America was left misty eyed, glaring at the sky bitterly as if it was taunting him, "I wanna go home," he croaked.

The island nation nodded, but for now his dreams were traveling distant speeds up into space, for one last ride.

"Space shuttle Atlantis lifted off from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:29 a.m. EDT, July 8, 2011 on the STS-135 mission and final flight of the Space Shuttle Program. Atlantis' final flight will cap off an amazing 30-year program of exploration, which launched great observatories, built an International Space Station, and taught us how humans can live, work and thrive in space."

AN: I wanted to cry when I heard about this. I really do hope it's not NASA's last, last mission. I have hope in future generation American's to make a difference and remember their country's accomplishments.

PS: Also sorry its so short and late.

"You're right, what does England know about a dying empire with rotting institutions?"- Quote from John Oliver.