Author's Note: I didn't see too many fan fics for Switzerland's birthday, so I figured I'd write one. It's also my friend Christine's birthday (happy birthdday, Christine, if ya reading this!) so I guess this could be considered a terribly-written and depressing birthday present for her (she likes Hetalia, too). I would like to point out, though, that all the cool people share a birthday with Russia ^.- So, anywho, I wrote this pretty fast, so it's not very good (lol, like most of my stories ^.^), and it's pretty short, but it's something. Kinda mean, though, to write something depressing on the character's birthday...

Anywho, I know, this isn't really cannon, but whatever. It's also not comedy. And that kinda makes me sad. I got the idea while listening to "Hero" by Skillet. Ironicly, I found the song from an AMV for America...

Disclaimer: I own, like, nothing! Really! Oh, I do own a Hetalia deck of cards, though ^.-

(Random underlined 0's are the best way I could think of to put gaps in time...Just so ya know...)

Vash's eyes were filled with tears. "Stop!" he screamed. His father looked up at him.

"Oh, so you choose to speak up? Well, young man, you'll soon learn that speaking up means nothing," his father chuckled deeply.

"Th-then what does?" the ten year old asked.

"Standing up," the older man replied, not stopping what he was doing.

Vash stood. "I said stop," he said, his voice over-flowing with command.

"Haha, it's too late for that."

"It's never too late," and he blocked his father's next punch with his own body. "She did nothing!" he gasped, the air knocked from him.

His father momentarily stopped. "I said it's too late for that," and he shoved his son away from his daughter.

"V-Vash?" Annabel said. "Please, help me." The girl's eyes were fluttering, and she was having trouble staying focused.

"Y-yes, Anna, brother will get you out of this." He didn't know. He was only ten years old.

"Goodbye," his little sister said, and he heard her stop breathing. His father threw one more punch, then left the room.

Vash grabbed the girl's hand, "no, Annabel, no, no, NO!"

0000

Vash woke up, sweat covering his face. "Never again," he mumbled to himself.

He stood up, placing his hands on his dresser and staring at his reflection in the mirror. "Never again," he repeated.

0000

The young blond man stopped his car in the parking lot of his favorite shooting range.

"Back again today, eh, Vash?" the man at the door said. Vash nodded once.

"Bad dream."

"Oh, that explains it. I've noticed you usually only come once every-other day, but three days in a row is a new one."

"Have you been monitoring how often I come in?" he said with what he hoped sounded like a light-hearted laugh.

"I'm just worried about ya', kid. You're only 23, and yet so much on your shoulders…." The man truly looked sympathetic. He doesn't even know the half of it, Vash thought.

"Well, don't waste your worries on me," and with that he left to release the stress that had built up from that awful memory.

0000

BANG! BANG, BANG! Vash's gun just kept shooting at the poster of a person. Doesn't really look like a person, he thought to himself, more like a tracing of a person….Like the ones those police do on the sidewalk when someone dies there….Like they did with dad when they found him….He felt himself tear up. What an idiot. Did he really think the police wouldn't come after him after what he did to Annabel? Well, I guess me reporting him didn't help too much, but he got what he deserved. Well, actually, it would have been nice to see him rot in jail. Stupid fucker, running away by shooting himself. And ye he taught me to stand up for myself. Idiot. His thoughts fuelled his shots.

He eventually stopped, taking his earmuffs off and straightening out his cap. Enough of those bad thoughts for one day.

0000

He was walking back to his car when he realized he hadn't eaten lunch yet. He didn't have much money, and that that he had usually went to his school funds or the shooting range, so he usually ate food at home, but he wasn't in the mood to be by himself today, so he decided to splurge and try to find a cheap sandwich shop. When he looked down he noticed a stray five-dollar bill float onto his foot. Fate wants me to get a sandwich, he thought with a smile. What he didn't know what that fate sent him that money for a different reason.

0000

Vash was walking down an alley on his way to a sandwich shop when he heard a low moaning. Sounds just like when Annabel was-….He shook his head, willing the thought away. Then he heard it again, and he rushed forward. When he reached the end of the alley he saw her. In his confusion, he thought it was his little sister for a moment. No, that's not right, Vash, you're going insane. She was so young….Seven. Seven and five months. He looked back up at the girl in front of him as a distraction from his own thoughts. When he got closer, she slowly lifted her green eyes to land her gaze on his face. She looks just like her….Same emerald-green eyes, same dusty-blond hair….Same feminine version of me….It was true, his little sister had always looked like him, and this girl looked a lot like his sister. His heart softened.

"Are you okay?" he asked her. Once he said it he realized how stupid it sounded. She was beaten up, and was a complete mess. Just like the last time I saw Annabel, he thought.

The girl didn't respond, she looked like it would take too much energy.

Vash knelt down next to her. "What's your name?" he whispered.

"Lili," she responded. "Please, help me," she coughed out the words, and Vash knew this time he really would help her. Even if I couldn't save you, Annabel, I'll save her. I'll save her because I know how to stand up.

Author's Note #2: All done ^.^ So, please review. I really, really like reviews ^.^ They make me very happy ^.^

Oh, and I don't know much about shooting ranges. That's why I gave Switzerland such a random age, was because I don't know how old you have to be to go to one...I've never even shot a gun (I'm such a good little girl ^.^)