February 20th, 1959
England had no warning. It was a beautiful day, far too beautiful for him to be expecting trouble. He had been having tea with Canada, who'd come to visit and escape the cold. They were out in the garden, making polite conversation about nothing in particular and enjoying some rare London sunshine.
Suddenly Canada's eyes went wide, his pupils narrowed to pinpricks. The young nation fell out of his chair with a cry of pain and curled up into fetal position. He was shaking like a leaf and looked like he was about to vomit.
"What's wrong lad?" England crouched beside his former colony, tense with worry. Canada had been perfectly healthy when he arrived; something terrible must have happened in his country.
"Hurts…" Canada whimpered. He was starting to cry. England gathered his son in his arms and held the shaking youth. The island nation noted that Canada was clutching his lower abdomen; the problem was mostly in Ontario.
"Hush now, you'll be alright. Tell me what happened."
Canada turned to bury his face in England's shoulder. His tears soaked the older nation's shirt. "They cancelled the Arrow project," he whispered. "They cancelled my baby."
England froze in shock. The Arrow project, or CF-105 Arrow, was all Canada had talked about for over a year. It was a prototype airplane, the cutting edge of technology, which Canada's boss had ordered to defend the north against Russian bombers. When the specs had been laid out most people said it was impossible. The only company willing to give it a try was A. V. Roe Canada, a relative of Britain's own Hawker-Siddeley company. They had succeeded beyond expectations and even the original specs without even having the right engines yet. Hell, some of the engines were in one of England's warehouses being tested right then!
Thousands of Canadians had been employed in that project, building everything within their homeland. It was no wonder Canada was in so much pain; in mere moments, a significant portion of his population was suddenly unemployed. England couldn't remember ever feeling something similar outside of war.
"Why would they do that love? Why would they cancel your plane? Your people loved it so much."
"New P-Prime Minister," Canada wept. "H-he said it was too expensive. When F-France offered to buy some of our n-new engines I th-thought he would give us a chance… He s-said he would. Why England? Why would D-Diefenbaker lie to me?"
"I don't know lad. Come on now, let's get up. We'll pack up your things and I'll go back with you, see if we can't sort this out."
Canada looked up at his former guardian. "Thank you England."
-line break- -transatlantic flight- -line break-
It wasn't unheard of for England to meet one of Canada's bosses. In fact, it was rather common. However, it was rare for England to do so while wearing his old pirate expression, heavy eyebrows attempting to assimilate each other over his blazing eyes. Canada's hand clasped England's in a death grip as they entered the Prime Minister's office. The younger nation was still shaky and in pain.
"Why?" Canada asked as soon as the door was closed. "Why did you cancel the Arrow? You know how much it meant to me- to the people."
His boss's intense gaze seemed to dismiss the nation even as it focused on him. "Not all the people felt the same you know. And it was too expensive. The United States offered to sell us Bomarc missiles for much less than your Arrow was costing. And they'll be more efficient to boot."
England could feel Canada shrinking up. He was about to cry again. Before that could happen the British gentleman released his ward and stormed over to the human, slamming his hands down on Diefenbaker's desk.
"Look here you bloody git! Can't you see how much pain you've caused? Almost thirty thousand people were just unemployed and a lot of them are already moving to the United States. You've just hurt your country and lost many of your best and brightest minds. To America! Quite frankly, I'm disgusted, and the rest of the Commonwealth will be too once I tell them what you've put your country through."
Turning his back on the human, England retrieved Canada. His face softened. "Come lad. Let's have a word with your idiot brother about this; then we can go tell the queen. She is, after all, technically your head of state."
-line break- -cross the border- -line break-
The meeting with America did not go well. England and Canada were barely off the plane when they were met by the hyperactive nation. America was overjoyed that they were visiting (he didn't know why) and wasted no time in starting his rant about what he was doing and how much of a hero he was.
This lasted all of thirty seconds before America's face met Canada's fist. The northern nation, usually quiet and polite, put all of his landmass behind that punch. America was knocked flat.
"You hoser! How dare you do this to me! I don't want your nuclear warheads on my tundra! Stupid things can't even fire straight! What's the big idea eh?"
America stared up at his brother. "But weren't those planes costing you a ton of money?"
"I don't care! My people had jobs and pride! We could deal with the money; France was gonna buy our new engines. Hell, even you offered to buy the Arrow. It's better than your planes after all."
"Dude, you can't have better planes than me." America's eyes glinted dangerously as he got up. "I'm the hero. It's not allowed."
"That's all you ever care about! Being the hero! All I wanted was something of my own, something my people could be proud of. It wasn't like I was going to use my baby against you!"
"I couldn't take that risk."
Growling, Canada pushed America down again. The northern nation pulled a lighter from his pocket and began to play with it. Both England and America were mesmerized by the tiny flame.
"If you ever do something like this again America, I swear, the War of 1812 will look like a pillow fight compared to what I'll do." Canada stormed off, probably to pick up plane tickets back to his own capital. England shot America a look of half rage, half pity before following.
-line break- -a little less than two months later- -line break-
His phone rang in the middle of afternoon tea. England picked it up with the intention of giving the caller a piece of his mind. One does not simply interrupt a gentleman's teatime! But the sound of sobs from the other end stopped him. He recognized Canada's voice.
"They're gonna scrap it!" the distraught young nation whispered. "They've been burning the blueprints and stuff and tomorrow they're gonna bring in wrecking equipment to break up all the planes and tools!"
England gasped. "Why would they do something like that? Isn't it bloody expensive to break down titanium?"
"I th-think they're scared of something. You or America m-maybe. When I asked D-Diefenbaker said "There n-never was an Arrow." The h-hoser."
Then Canada's voice suddenly brightened. He took on an almost maniacal tone, like Russia on a sugar high. "But my people are more resourceful than that. We hid things, pictures and plans. And he doesn't know you have some engines. Or what the guys and I are planning."
Worried, England almost dropped the phone. "Canada, I don't like the sound of this. What are you going to do?"
"They can't have my baby! My Arrow!" Canada was practically shouting. His voice then dropped back to normal.
"I'll see you in a couple days England. You still have an RAF base near Kent, eh?"
"Yes, but-"
Click. The line went dead.
-line break- -time skip- -line break-
England stood near the main runway at Kent. It had been three days since Canada had called him and the island nation was getting worried. Canada wasn't usually one to make rash decisions. That was America, the idiot.
Something was humming up in the sky. England looked up and saw a lone airplane approaching. That was odd. It was rare for his pilots to do solo drills. Although, as it got closer, the profile didn't look like one of his planes.
Twin jet engines roared as the plane set down. A white parachute opened behind the plane to help slow it down. England watched in awe as the white behemoth rolled to a stop. The delta wing interceptor was beautiful.
The cockpit opened and he saw two head. England himself brought a ladder over so they could get down. Much to his surprise the people were Canada- and Poland?
"I'm, like, so glad you let me fly her one more time. My pilots were totally in love with this plane Canada."
"Thanks Poland. I couldn't have gotten her here myself."
England felt it was time to butt in. "Wait a minute you two… Is this the Arrow? Canada, did you steal a plane from your own government?"
Canada nodded and shrugged. He was grinning. "It's my plane anyways. I couldn't let them destroy my baby."
"And it like, totally doesn't matter," Poland added. "They're all like, "there never was an Arrow," so they can't admit one got stolen. If they do their cover will be like, totally blown."
"Not that my people will ever let the government get away with that," Canada smirked. "We may be peaceful, but we've got long memories. My people won't forget the Arrow."
Hands on his hips, England frowned at his ward. "That's all very well and good, but why did you bring it here?"
Now Canada looked sheepish. "Well, I was hoping you could hide it for me. From America. He's still upset that I built it in the first place. If I tried to hide it in Canada he'd find it eventually and try to destroy it, no matter how my government felt at the time. I need somewhere to keep my baby for a century or two until America forgets."
"And since you're part of my Commonwealth no one will suspect a thing if you occasionally pop over here to take a joy ride, is that it?"
Canada nodded. "Please England, please, please, please?"
The island nation sighed. "Alright, I'll hide your plane. But don't get mad if I let my boys use it sometimes, okay? Your Arrow's a fine piece of machinery."
"Thank you!" Canada hugged England tightly. The young nation was so happy he forgot to curb his great strength; he nearly crushed the smaller country. But for once England didn't mind.
-line break- -time skip to 2011- -line break-
The London meeting had just started. Everyone was shouting and arguing as usual when the doors suddenly burst open. In stormed a raging Canada (whose absence had not been noted until he entered). A thin sheaf of papers was clutched in his white knuckled hand.
"England, what's this about the seat of my plane being sold on E-bay?"
Everyone froze. It took a second for England to figure out what Canada was talking about. The older nation frowned.
"I told you years ago that I was replacing the seats. Bloody hell, you've even flown it since then! Isn't the other seat in one of your museums in Toronto?"
"E-bay!" The look on Canada's face was murderous. England sighed.
"Very well, I'll get your seat and put it somewhere people can admire it. Happy?"
Canada deflated. "Yes England, thank you. Sorry for shouting at you. It's just, I get really worked up about my baby."
"I know love. I know. How about we go down to Kent after this and you can take her up for a while, okay?"
"That'd be great. Thanks England." Canada smiled and hugged the island nation. When England was released, both of them saw everyone staring at them.
"What was that all about?" America wanted to know. England and Canada both smirked at him.
"Git, you don't get to know. Until… oh, about 2059… what's at Kent is a secret between Canada, Poland and myself."
"So I can like, totally come too, yeah?" Poland burst in. Canada beamed at him.
"Of course Poland."
The rest of that meeting consisted of the other nations trying to figure out what was hidden at Kent. They begged for hints and made many outrageous guesses. The three who were in on the secret never answered their friends' questions with anything more than a mysterious smile though. Even America, who must have known that Canada had only ever called the Arrow his baby, never guessed that it was still around. After all, according to his influence on the Canada's government at the time, there never was an Arrow.
-line break-
Author's note: I apologize if anyone finds the portrayal of America offensive in this. No one truly knows why the Arrow was scrapped; it's just a popular conspiracy theory that the Americans didn't want Canada to have the best plane in the world. Don't give me that look; it was the best at the time. As for the one that got away, we can confirm or deny nothing about whether that actually happened, though many Canadians hope it did.