Story Summary: In a future desolated by a terrible war, America could never allow himself to go on living, knowing that he was responsible for England's death. With determination and countless hours of experiments, America has finally done it. He has created a device that allows him to time travel. But this ability comes with a price, and now back in time, America promises himself that he will do everything it takes to protect England. No matter what the cost…

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

The Price I Must Pay

How long has it been now? Two years…twenty years…two hundred years? I can't remember how long it's been since England died. I don't even bother to check the calendar anymore. The only things that even register in my mind are the rising and sinking sun every day. The cold moon as it slowly crawls across the dead sky. The open range of my ruined lands.

England...what would you say to me if you saw what had become of our world? If you saw what I had become without you. When you died I...I lost something more important than I could ever have realized. And I…

I no longer have that one person to yell at me for making a dumb choice.

I no longer have the joy to smile at my people whom I once claimed to protect to the very end.

And I no longer have the will to do anything else but strive to find a way to see you one more time…

That war. It all started with that damned war. Our last war...

Simply known as The Endless Wars by any survivors it... it consumed everything. How quickly it spread, within years. And then, the world burned. Until there was nothing left but death himself.

The nations began to immediately point their fingers at me for starting it when the fires stopped. When the bodies couldn't fall to the floor anymore because most had been lying on the ground already.

Admittedly, I will take credit for starting part of this war…or rather part of the wars. This wasn't simply one war. It was many. When one simmered down, another began to rage in another part of the world and half of the time, we nations didn't even know who we were fighting or who was our current enemy. All we knew was that we had to keep fighting, or risk losing our country. And no matter who won or who lost, another war would quickly ensue after the victors.

It just never ended. It was such a miserable world we lived in. Our people watching with slivers of hope aimed up at their government officials, silently begging their leaders to bring all this torture to an end. Yet, behind closed doors, away from the terrified masses, those very leaders would be signing secret pacts and alliances, hoping to gain an upper hand against their enemies with their new allies. It was pathetic how so many of these people could go out to the public and give them such false hope. Telling them, "This is the last war. The war to end all wars is within reach!"

But, I really shouldn't be speaking so badly about them. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't believe them at time, because even I was just as eager to see my enemies fall, if not vanquished. After all, I couldn't trust anyone.

The world we had created with the first war had caught fire with the first spark of self-interest. Resources were growing slim with every passing day, and on bad days allies to my nation would refuse us what we mostly needed through trade. Sometimes, I wondered whether they were allies to begin with. I guess that's what greed does to you. Makes you believe that everything is owed to you. Eying certain nations for the rich resources they had…and then invading them with the reason that they had somehow wronged us. Yeah…that's what happened…

But perhaps…my part of the war was most likely the worst. I was so paranoid. So…very paranoid. I couldn't trust anyone. I even doubted my own brother at times. And when I started doubting my own brother's loyalty, I had just about cut all ties to my only allies. Japan and England.

England...

During the constant wars the world faced, the paranoia I felt never once left me. Not after that incident...when England declared that we no longer shared similar interests one day. When he started to decline my offers of help through military occupation or even refused to see my officials... that almost felt like a slap to the face. Well, to my people anyways. I knew England well enough to see this coming. It's what I didn't expect from him that broke all my faith and trust in him. To think... England would plot with others. Against me. Me.

I was the problem.

If England lost all faith in me then surely there was nothing left to hold him back from taking action against me. I should have listened to my government when they said that the United Kingdom was straying from us. That our relationship was over. I didn't want to believe it, really. But when evidence came out from my intelligence unit that England was going to try to intercept some of my armies...and when he didn't deny it after I confronted him about it...

That was it. Our relationship was severed. My government did always push for more weapon development. Weapons that could cause devastating results without reaching nuclear status. With no allies or friends to protect or to call for back-up in dire situation there was no one else I could rely on but myself. I didn't care what the end results were as long as they worked.

When my leaders would nod their heads, approving a new weapon to be used in war, I would always give them a hollow smile, mentally hoping that this last one would wipe off my enemies from the face of the world. Only then, could I rest. And every time, I would play the newest accusations off as if the others were just crazy. Even when they got in my face and screeched how my latest bomb murdered endless innocent civilians that had nothing to do with the war, I continued to grin. I continued to play the naïve idiot. Because if I didn't get rid of them now, then eventually they would build up their armies until they were strong enough to take me down. I had to strike before they did…

It was astounding how even through wars and battles no one used nuclear weapons.

No.

That would be too easy. Too quick. We had to draw this out for as long as we could. Draw as much blood as we could from every soldier until the ground took on the color red forever. Burn everything to the ground so our enemies had nowhere to hide. Then, we'd be forced to fight until the very end. Until only one side stood.

After all, war wouldn't be war if we could easily smear someone off the face of the earth with a nuclear weapon. It would only ensure mutual destruction.

With every darkening day that passed, even though we were no longer allies something about England always confounded me. He would say that my purpose would be proved when I stopped this war, not continue it. At first, he yelled at me a lot and threw so many insults at me, especially when I stopped smiling and simply stared at the others. On occasions, if he remembered his main purpose passed all the anger, he would add that I needed to stop what I was doing. Then, once the wars started taking their tolls on everyone, England's tone changed. Its like I didn't even exist to him anymore as he refused to look anywhere in my direction. The only times I ever caught a glimpse of him staring at me were curt but everlasting enough to leave me flabbergasted. Instead of his usual snarl or glare it almost appeared as if he had a pleading look. It was faint in his dull eyes but I could make it out before he'd turn away swiftly. By then, our meetings had ceased and even if we were forced to come face to face, words never traveled between us anymore. A lot of his people had been killed at this point but I still refused to listen to him. I always reasoned that if I stopped now, the others would gain an advantage eventually. They would overpower me before dealing the final blow to my heart. I couldn't let them do that. What if England...

I should have listened to him from the start.

When he was finally under attack from neighbor nations, allies like France and Italy, now turned enemies, I continued to ignore him. This is what he deserved for betraying me. If he had just stayed on my side and trusted me I would have been on his lands in a heartbeat with an army behind me. Instead I watched him on the news slowly wither; reporters shouting out the number of casualties grow with every passing minute before taking cover themselves from exploding bombs.

Yet... I couldn't help but feel a small pang in my chest as the news flickered on daily about "England this" and "England that." I swear, I think the pain grew tenfold when I started to receive message after message from the Briton himself saying that he needed my help. Wasn't I his enemy?

But I never replied. I had already lost most of my trust in him, regardless of any sympathies I may have felt for the man before.

But that was my biggest mistake.

Instead of helping others, I was creating more conflict. The world should have known better than to make an enemy of me. Of all the nations, I was the only one to go the furthest with weapons, destruction wise. Before the war I always thought myself as the hero…that as the hero it was my duty to protect the world from anyone, or anything. My reason to go farther than anyone else was that only the good guy could use the strongest weapon, because he would use it for good reasons. Never evil.

That's what I did…I used biological warfare for "good" reasons.

I first tested the weapon on some of Russia's people. It didn't matter to me what it did to them because they were always my enemies to begin with. And its effects were far more destructive than I care to describe. With such "promising" results, my government was soon using the stuff left and right, until nations finally stopped trying to kill each other and banded together, against me. My government quickly stopped using the disease, once they saw the terrifying consequences of its use.

It killed people slowly and painfully. And it also affected the nations too.

I had gone and done it. I had opened Pandora's Box, with little regard for anyone's lives but my own. Now, nations and people were dropping everywhere, struggling to move or even breath. Something about the disease I created made me immune to it though. From there on, my government, or at least what was left of it, strived to find a cure for the very disease they had first created.

They achieved that much, but for a lot of people, it was too late. Nations, along with their people died before they could be given the cure.

Included in the endless list of casualties was England…

By the time I had reached his nation, France was already exiting his home; a livid look on his face when he saw me. He tried to punch me but I easily side stepped it, the Frenchmen too weak from the diseases effect. He cursed me to a horrible death and then spat at my face, before hobbling away. The last thing I heard from him was that I didn't deserve to have someone like England, and that in his last moments of life, he still continued to believe that I would do the right thing. Even when I had helped kill millions in these wretched wars…

Other nations had perished too. Germany, Japan, Romano, Ukraine, Belarus…and more… I almost lost Canada too. But he pulled through.

Once the world began to recover from this merciless disease that I had wrought on everyone, people began to cry. And cry. And cry…

They cried for all the loved ones they lost. They cried for all the time that was wasted in war. And they cried simply just to cry. Because they knew life would never be the same.

But I never shed a tear. I was far too gone in my own madness to realize what everyone was mourning over.

It wasn't until my brother slapped me one day that I finally noticed that the world was gone. That England was gone. And so many others as well. However, even then, I couldn't cry. The guilt was there no doubt but my emotions had long been sealed away during all the war that transpired. When Matthew saw this he hugged me and cried for an hour, never letting go of me. I only wish I could have cried along with him, but I think any humanity I had left in me died along with England.

A week later after that event, I finally saw why he didn't want to let me go. Why he cried for so long.

The world was coming after me.

They needed someone to hold accountable for all the atrocities that occurred within so many years and I was their best scapegoat. Maybe their only scapegoat.

Nations like Russia and China sneered at me when the remaining UN members got a hold of me. Others like Italy, Greece, and France only held hate in their dull eyes.

As the last nations brought me before a court, a court that held every surviving nation as the jury, I can never forget the words they growled out towards me.

"Alfred F. Jones, representative of the United States of America, you are hereby charged with crimes against humanity. What do you have to say in your defense?"

Standing there, in a small box like area, all alone, I said nothing. And they found me guilty for every crime. They moved on to punishment.

They knew that the disease they all suffered through had no effect on me. They argued over many ideas.

Hanging while shot continuously until my body ran out of blood.

Dismembering and stashing all my body parts in various places of the world, like I was a demon that could never be allowed to unite physically.

Or even tying me to the heaviest object they could find and dropping me into the deepest part of the ocean, swearing to never allow another human being into the cursed waters I would inhabit.

All the ideas were quite creative really. If anyone deserved to die like that, it was me. But I found a different option. Through my own brother.

He knew I deserved to die. He knew it. But he still came for me, the night before I was to be executed, and helped me escape. After that, I did everything in my remaining power to help hide him. The world would be sure to hunt him down and execute him as well for aiding in my escape.

We did well for a while. But Matthew was getting tired of it. Tired of life. There was no point to suicide really. Anytime a nation tried killing themselves, they would always come back to life. Only through their people and their lands could one possibly die. Canada was lucky in escaping a brunt of the wars that seared most of the lands bare but he really felt like it was a curse the longer the days continued.

But the nations… they wouldn't go so far as to sacrifice any survivors just to kill off one person. That's why the punishment of execution got to be real extravagant at times. I did my best to hold Matthew back. I really tried. But eventually I let him go… Before he left, he promised not to tell the others where I was hiding.

After that I never saw him again.

The lands everywhere were torn. People could barely make a living from them, regardless of the country. But…they managed to start somewhere. The people were rebuilding again, their nations desperately looking for me still.

But they wouldn't find me. No…I had something more important to do.

What was my purpose in life again? Did I even have one? I spent so much time arguing with myself about whether I should choose life or death. The war was over and all my loved ones were gone. I had no one but myself. Most of my memory of a better life was a blur now but... something told me this wasn't... right. I really didn't want to spend the rest of my immortal life living this life. No, I had to fix this. But how?

One day, while looking up at the blue sky and wondering what my life could have been if the wars never came, if I had listened to England and if I hadn't been so mistrusting of everyone around me…I saw a new beginning.

Somewhere…far away from the pain and suffering. Away from all the hatred and dying.

I saw…the past.

And with what technology I could muster from all around my ravaged lands and what I was able to amass from places where people would not find me, I built my own future. I still remember those days, the days when I would still have Matthew around, talking to him about how beneficial it would be if we could go back in time and stop everything from happening. Change the end result. Matthew would joylessly agree with me when the silly thought came up, silently dismissing it as a joke. Sometimes he would even smile as he considered that perhaps, I had indeed felt some regret or remorse for all the bad that had transpired in our future. Soon, however, he would turn away from me and strain himself to hold back the tears that threatened to fall whenever I mentioned some form of changing our future. What hope would time travel offer if it didn't exist?

When he tried reasoning our future could not be fixed and that we had to move on with what was left he had accidently mentioned England; something about him not wanting us to dwell on the past. That's when the floodgate of his name opened in my mind. If England wasn't here then how could we move on with our lives? I began to talk about him every day after that. What would England do in our situation? Would he find a way to fix things, or move on? How would he go about all this? Would he do a better job than us?

Why wasn't he here?

That question alone caused Matthews eyes to grow into the size of saucers when I uttered it one cold September day. "I want to see England again..." I continued, unaware of the fear that was quickly growing in Matthew. He was finally convinced that my madness had consumed me whole. And that I was no longer his loving brother. I was merely a man with no sanity in his life left; desperately striving after an impossible dream. That was truly the last straw that drove my own brother away from me. With Matthew gone too, the only other person who still held some form of love for me, I knew I had to see England again. He wasn't dead. He couldn't be. He was still alive. Just...not in this future.

Because my future only lies in one last place.

It lies in the past…

Year - ?

Inside a grungy shack of what could have once been called a pretty house a young man rummaged around pieces and parts of various mechanics and unknown technology. America glanced at some random part in his hand, its metallic surface cold to the touch. He carelessly tossed it to the side of a grand table that covered a majority of his make shift house, hidden deep in a dying forest. It was a mystery how no one had managed to find him yet. He didn't know the year or the date, and he wasn't even sure if the nations were still looking for him. It didn't bother him too much though. He would be alright.

Tapping a tinkering watch that lay innocently in the middle of the table, America allowed something similar to a smile fall on his lips. Any living creature within his vicinity however would have thought it was more crooked if anything.

With a clicking sound, Alfred opened the pocket watch that held a dear spot in his dead heart. Teeth peeked out from behind his lips although it still couldn't be called a smile.

The American grabbed a few tools that littered his home and began to mess with the watch, adding a petite chip to the back of the devise. A few more adjustments and America clipped the case back onto the clock and watched with amazement, how the thing emitted a soft glow before a solid click echoed from the watch.

America stared at the little memento; his eyes wide as the precious object grew dull and settled to its usual color of bright gold with silver linings.

Is it...done? He turned the object around in his hand, examining it for any rejected reaction but found none.

"I…Its done? I -I…I did it? I did it." Realization soon took over his initial reaction of surprise as America began to tremble.

"I did it England." The blue eyed nation called out to no one. He had completed the necessary technology that would give him the ability to time travel. And he gave the beautiful honor of time travel to a dear pocket watch that he had been gifted with long ago, by a reluctant Briton.

"I really did it England…" At that moment, something wet fell down his face. Wiping the substance away, the American thought it was a tear until he felt another plop on his head, this time on his forehead. The roof was leaking again...No matter to him. He would soon leave this workshop anyways, despite the countless years it supported him and his experiments regarding time travel.

He clutched the beloved item to his trembling chest. Were these emotions that he was feeling, he could not tell. The war had done well in reaping what little emotion he had left to spare after forcing himself to become stone cold to the world around him. Was he happy…sad…angry…or scared?

What lies beyond my time? The future has already been written but is it really possible to rewrite it…And to a time where I don't belong.

He pulled the watch away from his chest and looked at it with tired hope embedded in his eyes. "If only you knew how hard I worked to make this come true…" He spoke to the object. It was the last link he had to England. Everything else he had was destroyed during the wars and if not from that, then from all the times the other nations raided his broken home. They made sure to leave nothing behind, going as far as to burn the place down to ashes. But at least he had saved his most precious gift from destruction.

The lovely pocket watch twinkled under the light that came through the shattered windows and revealed the intricate designs that decorated it, as a faint rainfall pattered against the decaying building.

Carved into the golden watch were the delicate shapes of the sun and the moon, connected together by a wheel that covered the front of the watch. Popping the watch open, Alfred gazed at the inside cover, lifting a petite photo that he had also saved, and read what the inscription said on the rim of the cloak.

"To the bloody idiot who gave me hell from the very beginning"

"From England, With Love"

America quietly chuckled as the clock ticked away. He silently rubbed the decorations of the watch, an unreadable expression settling on his face. "England…why did you ever put up with me?" No answer would ever be received but at least he could turn back to the happy memories that barely survived all the trauma of the future world he inhabited. To a better time period.

(FLASHBACK) Fifth of July – Midnight – Year? (FLASHBACK)

At the front of his house, America tiredly waved goodbye to the last nation that left his party, a pleasant smile plastered on his face. A lot had actually come this time, surprisingly. He had so much fun but…it seemed like England didn't come to his birthday party. Again…

Closing the door with little energy, America groaned at the mess that was his house. Like it wasn't bad enough that England didn't come to his birthday party, but now he had to clean up this mess. All by himself. Maybe he SHOULD have taken Japan's offer to aid in the clean up. Shaking his head in denial, Alfred went into his slippery kitchen, the floor covered in some kind of alcoholic mixture, hoping to locate the broom when he heard a shy knock at the door.

"Hmmm? Who's here now? Did Canada forget something?" He abandoned his search for the missing broom and went to answer the door. Upon opening it, he was met with a surprise.

No one was there.

"What the hell?" He slowly closed the door, positive that he was just hearing things and returned to his kitchen when the shy knocking sound came again.

Spinning around on his heels he returned to the door, this time a bit faster and opened it.

There was still no one there.

"What? No…I'm probably just hearing things." He reasoned with himself. He grumbled lightly, closing the door behind him. About to turn back into the kitchen, a sudden thought struck America.

"What if it's a ghost?"

He released a not so well muffled scream and was about to run for cover in his room when his door jerked open. Immediately, a hand grabbed his shoulder, causing America's heart to skip a beat.

"America!? Are you ok?! Calm down, you git!" Trying his best to hold onto the American without getting whacked on the face by his waving arms, England chose against releasing the boy despite his screams of 'ghost'. If anything, this daft fool will make a run for it and will not be seen for about a month. England had learned once before, not to scare the American with ghosts or spirit related pranks. That had succeeded in causing the nation to disappear for a whole month, one time during a Halloween joke. No one in the world could locate the idiot. Not even his own people!

"Ahhh! Noo! Leave me a-!" America halted his flailing, as the familiar voice clicked into his memory. "-lone?" He cautiously turned around and met the scowling face of an irritated Briton.

"England? What…what are you doing here?"

"You git! What other reason would I have for coming here if…!" The island nation trailed off by the end of his words, as if refusing to admit aloud his purpose for coming to America's house. Alfred's eyes widened, his smile growing rapidly when he concluded what England's intention were.

"You came to my birthday, didn't you?" Smiled America. It was more of a rhetorical question but it didn't prevent England from answering with an angry stutter.

"Y-you wanker! Like I'd come here for your birth-!"

He was cut off with a bone crushing hug, America laughing all the while in pure joy. "You remembered England! You REMEMBERED!" He exclaimed. For now, he didn't care that tears laced the corner of his eyes. All that mattered was that England came. He came!

"You idiot. Let go of me!" The British man angrily struggled in America's tight embrace, hiding the blush that covered his face by looking anywhere else besides Alfred's face.

"Ahaha! I'm sorry! I'm just so happy!" He tightened the hug until he felt England twitching in his hold. Whoops… He promptly released him.

"Ah…America… watch your bloody strength!"

Alfred grinned in return; deciding to avoid the angry comment with a curious question. "How come I couldn't find you every time I answered the door? It WAS you who was knocking, right?"

Arthur choked on his breathe, and turned his face away. "I wasn't knocking on your door. I just barely got here…"

"Oh really? Well those knocks did sound pretty weak so-.

"WEAK? I am NOT weak, you bloody wanker!"

"So it WAS you!" Alfred laughed at England's red face.

"Well! So what if it was me?" He stammered.

"Ahaha…ha. Why were you hiding from me then?"

"Hiding?! I wasn't hiding! The bushes! I…I fell into them! That's what happened!" Retorted Arthur.

America didn't do much to hide the amused smile on his face.

"Stop that you daft moron! I'm telling the truth!"

"Hahaha! I see someone's nose growing." He teased playfully.

The British nation shook his head in frustration and swiftly started stepping back out the doorway. "I don't need to bloody take this from you! I'm leaving!"

"Wait! I'm sorry! Don't leave…" Pleaded Alfred.

England looked back to America, took a second to think and then sighed in annoyance. There was a reason why he came all the way across the Atlantic Ocean to see this idiot after all.

Grudgingly, England lingered long enough to shove a neatly wrapped gift into America's hand. Wrapped in a bright green paper and adorned with a vibrant red ribbon on top England began to make his way to the door. "It's your present, stupid…"

"Oh my gosh! I get a present too?" Unable to contain his renewed energy any longer, America rushed towards England and yanked him back inside the house. "Let's open it together!"

"What? No! I'm going home! I already gave you the damn present! Isn't that enough?"

America held on tight to England, further dragging him into the house until they stopped at his kitchen table where the finely wrapped gift was carefully placed.

"England…You didn't have to get me a present. All I wanted was for you to come to my party." Smiled America sadly.

Ok…now England felt heartless for being so mean earlier. But even so…

"Can't you open the stupid thing later? Like, when I'm gone, perhaps?" Bargained England. He didn't want to see what America's reaction would be once he opened it.

"Naw! It's no big deal England. Really! Come on!" With one hand holding onto an irritated England and the other clumsily trying to open the wrapped gift, England sighed in annoyance and yanked the gift from Alfred's hand.

"Give me that! I'll open it." He grumbled. One swift tug of the ribbon and the gift came undone neatly. Like it was all planned perfectly.

"A box? You got me a box?"

"No, you idiot! Look INSIDE the damn thing!" England could feel a migraine coming quickly.

Like a child on Christmas day, Alfred eagerly opened the small box and pulled out a pristine pocket watch. His blue eyes widened and his mouth hung open.

Damn it! He doesn't like it! England lowered his head, hoping that America wouldn't tease him too much about the boring gift.

"ITS AWESOME ENGLAND!" He cheered! England couldn't help but do a double take.

"Wha-? I thought you…"

"Psh! You worry too much England. So long as you don't get me scones for a present I'm good to go with anything else." This response earned America a curt smack to the back of his head. "OW! I'm just playing England! Gosh, no need to resort to violence!"

"If you can't appreciate my cooking than you don't deserve this gift!" He scolded making a grab for the pretty watch.

"No way, man! This is mines now!" He laughed as England proceeded to chase after him throughout the house, trying to snatch the gift away from him. Ten tiring minutes later, both America and England collapsed onto the cluttered living room floor, both panting loudly. And America still had the watch in his possession.

"Hahah! That was fun! I thought anything fun died with your humor long ago England!"

"Shut up, git!" Replied England although no malice laced his tone.

"Hehe…Hey. I was just wondering but…why is there a sun and moon design on my watch?" America glanced at England's resting form.

With a small blush England mumbled something incoherent.

"What's that? I didn't hear you."

"I said! It's not important. Just some symbolism. Something you'll never understand."

"Symbolism huh? OK, how bout I add some meaning to them." Pushed America further.

Stupid idiot can't let something rest…He sighed. "And what symbols are you going to give the damn watch exactly? Something stupid like, the moon is something you "conquered," and the sun is your next objective?" The green eyed man grinned, trying to prevent a chuckle from escaping.

"Ha-ha, very funny England. No. I like the idea that…maybe…." He paused, and then smiled. "I'll be the sun and you'll be the moon! And this line that links the two is the link that we share!"

The British nation gaped at the ludicrous idea. "Are you serious? No! I refuse to accept such a ridiculous idea!" His anger seemed to build when America chuckled heartily as his comment.

With one hand resting on his heaving chest, Alfred lifted the watch towards his ceiling and pressed the top. A sturdy click came from the watch and America saw how some writing lined the inside of the watch.

"What's this?" He asked.

England hesitantly glanced in Alfred's direction and noticed that he had opened the watch.

"It says…To-."

"NO! You're not supposed to read it now! Give me that!" Screeched England, reaching for the clock.

"Yeah right!" America jumped from the floor and dodged England's frantic hand. He ran away from the nation, into a bathroom and hurriedly locked the door behind him.

"ALFRED! OPEN THIS DOOR! NOW!"

Ignoring the Britons demand, Alfred glanced at the cloak again and decided to read the writing out loud. "To the bloody idiot that gave me hell from the very beginning! From England with…Love?" America had slowed and lowered his voice as he reached the end of the message, shock taking him over. The incessant slamming sounds that came from the door also halted into silence.

Slowly, America unlocked the door and opened it to find a quiet England in front of him.

"You arse. Why couldn't you read it when I left…?" He mumbled.

Grinning from ear to ear and placing the pocket watch inside his bomber jacket, America pulled England into a gentle embrace. "I love you too, England."

End Flashback

The watch in America's hand ticked meticulously reminding the silent nation that there was still hope

"Hmmm... Heh." He hummed in thought before he felt his lips lift up. Despite being 99% sure that this would take him back in time there was still a slim chance he would fail. Yet again. But if he succeeded? "England…please don't be mad at me for wanting to see you again. Even if I have to break the laws of time…even if I don't deserve to ever see your face…just one last time. I need to see you." He tightened his grip around the watch protectively. "Maybe then, I'll finally be able to fix all of this. I promise not to stay long." He looked around at his crumbling home with a small frown. "Just a warning. That's all you need..."

He was positive now. He knew that he could make it to the past. He had practiced with numerous trials on various items using similar technology and now, he had achieved the impossible. He was going back in time. Slipping on his dusty bomber jacket and looking himself over, America thought how ironic it was that he would go back to the past dressed in his WW2 clothing. It was basically the only durable clothing he had left that had managed to survive the end of the world…

Walking slowly outside his ruined shack, Alfred glanced one last time towards the house before lighting a fuse that led back towards the building that had served as his home for so many years. Might as well signal to any prowling nations in my lands that I was here. Maybe if they see my house on fire they'll finally give up looking for me and just accept the idea that I died along in the fire.

"…Here I go…" He flipped the watch open, set a certain time to it and clicked the button that rested at the top of the pocket watch. Surrounded in a force field that allowed him to view the house explode within its safe barrier, America felt himself drift away. His body felt…separate from his mind as it seemed to be getting foggier by the second and his surroundings started to get dark. Soon, the environment he had occupied earlier, in his country, disappeared along with all light.

Shrouded in obscurity America could barely make out a voice that started to get louder as he stumbled along in the dense shadows.

"Immortal one…You have defied the laws and order of time..." Whispered an unknown voice. "For your audacity in breaking such a law, I shall send you to a place where you shall never emerge from again."

"Huh? Wait!" America shouted. "I-I don't know who you are but please! Don't…don't send me away! Do you even realize how many years it took me just to reach this point? There's nothing left for me back where I came from!"

"By what reasons do you believe that you deserve the privilege to use time travel? And not be sent to oblivion. You aim to go back to the past, do you not? Why should an immortal one, such as yourself, be allowed this chance?"

At this question, America stayed silent, considering his reasons for being allowed such a second chance. "I-I…don't have a good reason actually. But, if I can just tell you this…I don't plan on staying in the past long. I just want to see if there's any way I can fix-."

"It only takes a mere second for all of history and time to be changed or altered." Cut off the unknown voice.

America paused, his teeth biting down harshly on his lips until blood could be tasted. "Oh. Well… I'm sorry if this is too much to ask but, can I possibly have this chance to just go back in time…and see someone one last time then? I won't interact with them if that's your order but please…let me see someone important one last time. After that, you can do whatever you want with me."

"Is this truly all you wish to do?"

"As of now, yes. Just…please." Whispered America.

"...Do you wish for this gift because of the tragedies you have witnessed in your own period?" Asked the curious voice. The booming command it held earlier had dwindled, giving America the impression that at least he wasn't going to be punished right away for challenging this being.

"What? How did you-?"

"I am the guardian of time. I see all of history's greatest moments and tragedies. I merely waited for the moment that you would appear here and challenge the authority that I hold on keeping time from being tainted. Immortal one, have you come here for the reason that you have awaken to all the sins you have committed? Or are you still unsure of your purpose?"

"My purpose? I don't understand. I mean, I'm finally awake to what I've done. And at first…I wanted to come back to the past and try to prevent my future from occurring but now…I see that I don't deserve such a second chance. I just want to see England again. And my brother too, if it's not asking too much."

Silence dominated the nation's surroundings, deafening in a disturbing way that made America feel uneasy. Finally, a reply came.

"As the guardian of time, I oversea all of history. The gears of time are always protected by me from anyone that dares to interfere with their functions. But alas, I am also limited to my powers and cannot interfere directly with any time periods, unless someone should directly pose a threat to time. Such as yourself."

America dropped his head in a silent apology.

"However…if an offer was to be presented to you…an offer to work in changing the future for the better, then perhaps…the gift of time travel can be presented to you after all."

The surprise and utter shock that overtook America was so great, he could only reply with a simple, "What?"

"Become an agent for time, and you shall be gifted with this ability. The ability to travel to the past… But I should warn you…you must pay a price for such a gift…"

A price? Alfred stumbled further into the darkness, unable to get a clear understanding as to where he was. It felt like he was…nowhere. Nothing around him and not a single sound except for the hushed voice from before and his own. "…What…What price do I have to pay?"

"By breaking the laws of time and then asking to use its powers to go back to the past…you must pay a price…" Repeated the voice.

"I know that. What price do I have to pay?" Asked Alfred, a little impatience in his tone.

"To travel back in time…you must sacrifice your existence…for time does not tolerate paradoxes…"

"My…existence?" Whispered Alfred. Just as he considered the thought and brought a hand up to his face he faltered in his movements as he could have sworn he felt nothing.

"Yesss…To gain this ability…you will…be erased… from time's design…"

"Does that mean that I'll be…dead?"

"In the timeline you will enter…No…you will simply never have existed from the start of time…and no one will remember or know who you are…this is the price you must pay in order to travel through time…Do you accept this exchange…?" Asked the voice.

"Why…Why are you trusting me to go back in time? Honestly, I couldn't be happier to accept these terms but…why? Aren't you worried that I might mess something up in the past? I..."

"Yes…it would seem that allowing you to travel back in time would seem foolish to one who guards time but should you accept these terms, there will be limits to what you can do…"

Limits?

As if reading his mind the voice continued. "By erasing you from time's design… you will no longer have a connection to any time period. You're only connection will be weaved to time itself. And should you stray too far…from your main purpose…I shall immediately…pull you back here…and erase you permanently. Only then, may time revert back to its previous state. A state where you did not interfere. That watch that you carry shall be your connection to me…and to the world itself."

America tightened his hold on the watch, assuring himself that it was still with him. In the strange void that he wandered around, it seemed best to make sure he didn't lose it in any way. "And if I choose to be an agent for time, why am I only changing my future, but not any other time periods? History has many tragedies, so why is ours any different?" His question ended in a whisper as remorse laced his voice.

"You are the only one to have broken such a law that ordains your world. And your future…it does not completely follow what history would have foretold of. Somewhere along the lines of time…something occurred, that should not have happened. In order to correct such a mistake, I give you this opportunity to change your future. Do you accept these terms…your sacrifice…?"

"You say I won't exist anymore?"

"Yes."

"But England... How will he...?" Added the American with worry.

"That is a dilemma that you must solve on your own, immortal one. Do you accept this offer?" There was little hesitation once the question was repeated.

"Yes. I accept these terms." Any sacrifice was worth seeing Arthur and Matthew alive again.

"Then…so be it…You will be allowed to travel back to calmer times…but be warned…should you allow your ability to fall into the wrong hands…or should you mistreat them…the consequences will fall strongly on you…and you alone."

Alfred held back a nervous gulp. "I'll protect this watch with my life..." He started to feel himself swaying a bit, his mind getting groggier by the second.

"Be warned…you have already violated the laws of time…do not tamper with anymore time periods or events that were meant to occur…you may only interfere in the period that started your whole…ordeal…"

Alfred nodded despite feeling himself slip away into further shadows, if that was even possible. "Ok. I can still see Arthur and Matthew right?"

"As long as you do not stray from your task, then you may. Achieve a brighter future…immortal one... for you shall no longer be known to the world as…America..."

"Fine…I'll be…Alfred…F…Jones…" Alfred answered as he slipped father away from the voice.

"Be careful…young one…although you are still immortal…Your body will not regenerate as quickly as it previous could…Protect your secret…Your secret of time travel…" At last, the voice ended with a hushed tone. Alfred F. Jones was finally alone.

Falling into unconsciousness, Alfred could have sworn that he heard another voice in the distance, but could not make it out as he blacked out in the void that consumed him.

….

"You bloody git…"