A/N: Tribute to 9/11. Sorry it's so late.

Edit: Hehe, fixed my spelling mistakes. Suggestion: Don't write things at eleven o'clock at night when you're half asleep.

Warning: Genderbending Ahead

England stared.

Germany stared.

France stared.

Okay, everyone was staring.

Everyone at the entire world conference was staring at the one nation they stated at far to often.

America.

Why?

Four words:

America was wearing black.

A lot of it.

Okay, that's eight words, but screw you.

"A-Alfred?" England stuttered in disbelief.

America looked at his girlfriend, "Hey, Ally. Wassup? And why's everyone staring at me?"

All the nations who had been staring quickly shuffled papers and cleared their throats.

Except Prussia, cause he's awesome.

And Romano cause she's rude.

And Russia because he's...Russia.

"Nothing," England said quickly, "J-just sit down."

America shrugged and took a seat between England and France, effectively protecting his girlfriend from wandering hands, as well as kicking France off his seat.

The meeting started, Germany standing and bring everyone to order.

The meeting proceeded as usual with only a few quick glances at the blonde nation who was being uncharacteristically quiet.

England had just stood up to start her presentation when-

"So I put my hands up~

They're playing my song~

And the butterflies fly away~!"

Everyone turned to America, who extracted a white iPhone in a star-spangled-banner case.

"I'm noddin' my head like yeah~

I'm movin' my hips like yeah~!"

"Sorry," America hissed to England, "I'll be right back!" and he raced out of the conference room.

Only, America wasn't right back.

Thirty minutes later, England was starting to get seriously concerned.

"Hey, um, has anyone seen Alfred?" she wondered aloud.

Poland, who was presenting at the moment, looked over.

"Not since-" the blonde nation paused to think, "No. Like, where is he?"

Suddenly, a thought occurred to England.

"What's today?" she demanded.

"Tuesday?" France offered.

England shook her head, frantically searching for something in her stack of papers.

"Today's the eleventh!" she exclaimed.

Now, all semblance attention on Poland was destroyed and the nations were staring at England.

"The eleventh?" Japan asked, "Is this important, England-san?"

"Quick!" England shouted at Korea, who was playing with the TV remote, "Turn on the American news!"

Korea obeyed, flipping to the channel to the appropriate number.

A blonde reporter filled the screen, speaking into a microphone.

"-here is New York City, a Mr. Alfred Jones will be speaking in honor of the event. On his left, the President of the United States and his wife and children." The reporter was saying.

"Al," England gasped, bolting out of the room.

Everyone else remained glued to the TV screen where America was speaking.

"Uh, hey guys," he said awkwardly, "Well, I guess the best way to do this is to start with the truth. I don't think anyone who is old enough to remember what happened today, eleven years ago, will ever be able to forget. Stuff like that just sticks with you, you know?

England stared up at her boyfriend, one in the crowd of hundreds gathered to hear America speak.

America chuckled, "I remember exactly where I was when I found out. I was here, actually, getting my morning coffee. When all of a sudden I get this call from my Boss telling me that the World Trade Center's been hit."

England smiled. No one else knew that America meant he received a call from the President himself.

"All I could think," America continued, "Was 'hit? What does he mean, hit? It's the Twin Towers for goodness sake!' But then, he explained more and I knew I had to get down there. I had to help. So, I started running. I ran all the way to the Trade Center and there was this crowd of people just…watching. And no one really knows what's going on."

The American smiled sadly, "So, first thing I do, I call my girlfriend."

A chuckle rippled through the watching crowd.

England laughs with them. She remembered that call like it was yesterday.

"I told her to turn on the news."

…

"Alice! Ally, you there?"

England rolled her eyes.

"I'm here git, what do you need?" England asked, "I was just about to go to a meeting."

"Cancel your meeting," America said urgently, "Turn on the American news ASAP."

England's eyes widened at the urgency in her boyfriend's voice.

She turned to the appropriate channel just as America muttered, "Oh, shit."

England's eyes widened as something small and dark hit the South Tower.

"A-Alfred…what was that?" she muttered.

"Boss says it's a passenger plane. That's the second one this morning," America said, a slight tremor in his voice.

England sank onto the nearest couch, "God help us."

…

"I swear that girl's the best thing that ever happened to me," America smiled, "You know what she tells me when she sees that? She says, 'Alfred F. Jones. I swear if you get yourself killed, I'll murder you. Now don't move and so help me if I'm not there in the next ten minutes'."

Another collective laugh through the crowd.

"To tell you the truth, everything past that is almost a blur," America said, "I just remember the disbelief. No one could believe what had just happened. No one said it, but I knew we were all thinking the same thing: 'They wouldn't have the balls'. But I remember the aftermath. Oh, that I got clear as day."

America shook his head sadly, "I was so busy, I didn't sleep more than four hours tops in the next week. I can't even begin to count how many cups of coffee we were all chugging. And all we had were questions. 'Who did it?' 'How'd they do it?' 'Why?' 'What can we do to stop it?' 'What can we do to make sure it never happens again?' 'How are we going to make them pay?' No one had any answers, but everyone had plenty of questions. It was like the longest Q and A session ever. Minus the 'A'."

The crowd was completely silent as America sighed, "I've always wondered how it didn't take me years of therapy to get though this. But I think the answer is the same for everyone. We're the United States of friggin America, screw therapy."

Now everyone laughed for real.

America spoke for a few more minutes before handing the microphone to the President and exiting the stage.

England jumped as a pair of arms circled her shoulders.

"What'd you think?" he asked.

"I think," England turned to kiss her boyfriend on the lips, "That your country should be so proud that they have you as a Nation."

America beamed, "Well, I am the hero!"