"Alfred, lad, supper's ready!"

Arthur stood on the porch of his colony's house, hands on his hips and tapping his foot impatiently. The young boy had a tendency to run off into the woods, playing with his animal friends or such lark, and it was rather frustrating. Ever since he had found the boy in the fields and Alfred had chosen to stay with him, Arthur had felt responsible for the young boy, and it didn't help that he ran off at every possible oppourtunity. Just as he was about to step off the porch to go look for him he heard the rustling of leaves and a little ball erupted from the brush, laughing and beaming at him.

"Dinner, Art! Dinner!"

Arthur couldn't help the way his lips quirked upward as the little colony launched himself at him, wrapped his arms around Arthur's legs and would have tipped him over if Arthur hadn't braced himself for the tackle. Alfred beamed up at him excitedly, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Come on, let's go eat! I'm hungry!"

Arthur chuckled, ruffling the little boy's hair and nodding, taking his hand to lead him back inside.

"I, ah, hope you don't mind that it's a bit burnt." Arthur cleared his throat, the tips of his ears going red, but Alfred just giggled.

"That's okay! I'll eat anything as long as you make it!"

Arthur's entire face went red at that, turning his face so that Alfred couldn't see it. The boy was so innocent and adorable when he smiled like that, always say things that would make Arthur get rather flustered. Arthur wasn't used to being around little ones-he tended not to stay too long with any of his other colonies, and he didn't get along too well with a majority of the European nations. But Alfred was different, Alfred was the only one who'd somehow wormed his way into his heart, who made him smile, who he actually looked forward to visiting. Alfred was grinning as he let go of Arthur's hand and hopped over to the table, scrambling onto the chair and sitting down, turning to smile at Arthur.

"Thanks for the food, Art!"

"You're quite welcome, lad." Arthur flushed a bit, smiling fondly and ruffling the small blonde's hair, walking back toward the kitchen to clean up. After a few minutes of washing of the dishes and pots he heard a cry of dismay and the sound of something scraping along the wooden floor and poked his head back into the dinigng room.

"Alfred, are you o-"

He froze, rubbing his eyes, but the image he saw was still the same. Alfred was still sitting down in his seat, but the table was lifted almost a foot off the ground, and Alfred was holding onto it with his right hand only, the other reaching toward the ground where his fork had fallen. When he heard Arthur speak he looked up, smiling innocently.

"Art, get my fork! I dropped it!"

Arthur just gaped, his mouth opening and closing several times before he simply closed it, swallowing and walking over, picking up the piece of silverware. He moved out of the way quickly as Alfred set the table back down with a bang, a bit of food spilling off his plate. He just grabbed the fork from Arthur's hand, beaming at him.

"Thanks, Art!"

Arthur just nodded, giving Alfred a tiny smile as he backed up out of the room.

"O-of course, lad…um, you just finish your meal and bring your dishes in when you're done, okay?"

"'Kay!" Alfred nodded, digging his fork into the (slightly burnt) potatoes and humming happily as he ate, swinging his short legs. Arthur just turned, walking back into the kitchen swiftly, putting his hands down on the counter with a sigh and hanging his head. Alfred's strength always caught him off guard, he was just so small and he looked like any other child, or nation, he'd ever met. But he picked up buffalo with ease and swung them around, and he was also known to pick up other animals and such he found in the woods. He'd never found an explanation for why it happened, since no other nations really had any special abilities beyond those they all shared, such as the longevity and connection to their people. But Alfred had his strength…and Arthur had no idea why. He wasn't to find out, either, for another two dozen years.

Arthur walked down the plank of his ship to the docks, smiling when he saw the little blonde ball of energy rocking back on his heels at the bottom. He always tried to be patient, since Arthur always scolded him otherwise, but…yep, there it was, he'd given up waiting and simply darted forward, wrapping his arms around Arthur's middle with a bubble of laughter.

"Arthur! You're back!"

"For a few months, yes." Arthur said, smiling and ruffling his hair, covering up his awe in how tall the young colony had gotten since the last time he'd been there. Alfred just looked up at him, beaming excitedly and grabbing onto his hand as they headed to the carriage that would take them back home.

"I'm glad you're here. The maids get all fussy and don't let me play outside with my friends."

"Well, Alfred, you do know that there are dangerous animals and people about." Arthur replied as he helped Alfred up into the carriage, following him and sitting on the seat next to him, knowing Alfred would fuss if he didn't. Alfred just huffed, puffing out his cheeks.

"They won't hurt me! None of my friends have ever tried hurting me!"

"Yes, Alfred, but…just be careful, alright?" Arthur sighed softly, and Alfred just smiled.

"I'm always careful, Arthur."

"Of course you are." Arthur said softly, smiling at his little charge fondly and brushed his bangs back. He frowned a bit, looking at Alfred's ear. "Alfred…have your ears always had such a point to them?"

"What? Of course they have, Art." Alfred laughed. "You're just being silly."

"No, I mean…never mind." Arthur shook his hair, tucking a few strands of hair behind Alfred's ear. He knew for a fact that Alfred had always had very rounded ears, but no matter how many times he blinked or rubbed at his eyes or such, his ears still had a slight point to them. He frowned but made no further mention to America, shooing the boy off to play as soon as they got back to the house. Alfred sulked, but when Arthur told him he could play outside he perked up and ran off. Alfred normally would have smiled at how chipper and excited he was, but he had more pressing business to do.

"Azalea? Azalea, I know you're there, I need to talk to you."

There was a light humming noise and then a little fairy appeared in front of him, emitting a fushia light as she fluttered her wings.

"Need something, Arthur?"

"Has there been any Fae activity in this area in the past century?" Arthur said briskly. Azalea just tittered, hiding her mouth behind her hand.

"Well, of course there has been. There's Fae activity in almost every corner of the world, even the areas you humans have yet to discover."

"Yes, but any major activity?" Arthur asked her, crossing his arms. He wasn't in the mood for nonsense, and Azalea could sense that. She fluttered over to his shoulder, landing on it and crossing her legs.

"There's a small dwelling of my kind and another of Elves near the edge of the woods, by the field."

Arthur frowned-the field was where Alfred had first been discovered by Finland and the others. That coupled with the ears…

"Azalea, have your folk been taking human children?"

"You mean replacing them with changelings?" Azalea shook her head. "No, not in this area. The Elves used to, though I haven't noticed anything recently."

Arthur nodded, sighing softly and turning his head to look at the small figure perched on his shoulder.

"Please take me to them."

Azalea led him through the woods until they reached a small clearing. No one else would have noticed anything, but Arthur had had the Sight for as long as he could remember, and he could see the slight shimmer in the air that indicated magic had been used in the area, for a rather long time too, judging by the way it seemed to wrap over everything. He cleared his throat, noticing his little fairy friend had vanished-probably didn't want to associate herself with the situation, which he didn't blame her for-and he walked into the clearing. He saw nothing for a good long moment, but then a little child ran past him. He started, staring after the little figure-they had black hair, so obviously it couldn't be the one he was looking for (at least he assumed he was). He followed after the child, discovering several more along the way-how had anyone not noticed them being switched out? Then he remembered that the Fae could alter time, keep the children ageless, so they would never change. It was why they took them in the first place, for pure amusement. He glanced at all the children, and then his eyes widened-Alfred was there.

Not the Alfred he knew-no, this little one was about the same age as when Arthur would have first discovered him, a chubby little tyke with bright blue eyes and wearing a little white shift. He has a little crown of flowers on his head and he was giggling, chasing after a little brunette girl. Arthur scowled, suddenly furious-how dare they kidnap a nation? The Elves had to have known what they were doing, the Fae could sense his kind, he had learned that, so why had they gone so far as to kidnap the representative of the land they currently resided upon?

"What are you doing here, Great Britain?"

"You have taken one of ours." Arthur snapped as the elf who had seemed to simply appear in front of him. The Fae creature was shorter than Arthur himself (who was considered short by most standards), and his skin was tinged green, his ears pointed and slightly elongated. He looked mostly human otherwise, although his eyes were golden and flickered in the dappled sunlight.

"What of it? The child is ours now."

"He belongs with his own people!" Arthur retorted, but the Elf just gazed at him coolly.

"Here, the young America is safe from all of the toils of your world. He will never age, he won't be affected by the changes of his lands, and he won't know pain, or fear, or the hatred of war. Tell me, Great Britain, how is that so bad?"

"But his lands need someone to represent them." Arthur argued, looking the Elf right in the eyes. "If he is kept here, another will be born as soon as something changes more dramatically."

"Then they shall be born, but the young one will remain with us." The Elf replied calmly. "The boy already has a known affinity, though I'm afraid not for our kind. He can see those who have passed. He also has an affinity for animals and other natural resources, an almost insatiable curiosity and want for more. Tell me, Great Britain, do you really want someone like that among your kind?"

Arthur just glared at the Fae in front of him, already his mind whirring as he tried to think of a way to fight him off, so that he could grab the little colony and bring him back home. He knew spells, although he wasn't the greatest spell caster, and he usually only did them well when he had a controlled circle. Still, he couldn't leave the poor boy here, he was one of his own kind, he was his charge, and it was his duty to bring the real Alfred back.

"I don't mind any of that, and he is my responsibility, my charge. I have given his people some freedoms, and I know that they are a curious people, but that is one of the beauties of this land. I refuse to curb the child and force him to be something his country is not, that would be absurd."

"So you wish to put him through all that, all the troubles of your world?"

That actually got Arthur to pause for a moment-did he really want to let Alfred go through all of that, all of the pain, the stress, that he had gone through in his many years as a nation? He could just let him stay here, let him believe that the world was happy, remain a child all his life…but no, Arthur couldn't do that. Alfred was a nation, he had a responsibility as one. Arthur would raise him, he would make sure that Alfred had a better childhood, that he was happy and content as a colony of the British Empire. He swallowed, standing up straight and holding his head high.

"I will be taking him back. I suggest you step aside-you have no jurisdiction on our kind."

The Elf growled at him, leaping forward, but Arthur just pulled out the small knife he kept on his belt, made of pure iron. He sliced the Fae across the chest, the creature shrieking and yowling in pain before vanishing. Arthur sighed in relief, though he didn't put the knife back just yet. He walked toward the children, most of them staring at him in wonderment, but only one who gazed at him mattered, the one who's blue eyes seemed a reflection of the midday sky, whose hair was the same colour of the golden fields of his vast lands. The little tyke toddled over to him, a very familiar smile on his face as he recognized Arthur as someone like him, as a nation.

"Who..?" The tiny colony queried, his voice high and inquisitive. Arthur just smiled fondly, bending down so he could look the small blonde in the eyes, holding his hand out.

"I am Arthur Kirkland, the British Empire. Would you like to go home now?"