Nations these days

A/N: Encounter 2: Denmark knew the kid needed help, so he made sure the kid knew how to be a proper diplomat.

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"Wow, this is exciting! Thomas, can you believe that Denmark acknowledges me as a nation!?" The young America was dancing around in his coat, fiddling with the ends of it, and Thomas Jefferson watched the boy with light amusement. "I can't believe you are letting me go to his house! It's been ages since I've seen another nation!"

Dolly Madison, bless her heart, was struggling to brush the young countries hair. "Can you please hold still, young sir!" The President looked at Dolly with sympathy. The young nation had always been a little hard to control. He remembered vividly the first day Washington had brought him to the meeting. "Trouble" was how he described him, and that was all too fitting.

"Thank you for doing this, Dolly. Ever since Martha died….I lost my touch when it came to raising children." He murmured,

"It's no problem at all, Mr. President." She pulled America's strand of hair the right way, and the boy went limp in her arms. "That's better, Alfred."

"Right, madam.….. Sorry madam.….." America groaned in pain as she tucked the stand back with a bobby pin.

"If you're late, young sir, I wonder if the Danes will even let you on their shores." Dolly teased the boy lightly, before getting up, and pushing the thirteen-year-old over to where Jefferson was standing.

Thomas knelt down and gripped the boy's shoulders tightly. "Remember America. You are an Ambassador until you are sure you can trust them. Alfred, please listen to me, and try not to reveal yourself to anyone else."

The blond boy nodded with determination, giving himself whiplash. Mrs. Madison laughed quietly as he rubbed the back of his neck with a bit of regret for being foolishly impatient. He smiled wider though, pleased he had amused the older woman.

He said his farewells to the president and his Cabinet, and ran out to the carriage.

The little American got onto the carriage waiting outside for him, and dozed.

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America didn't even remember getting onto the ship. The elder, true ambassador picked him up and carried him. He slept through most of the trip as well.

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When he woke up, it was literally the second they had entered the docks. He sat up and practically threw on his breeches, actually sticking both of his legs in the same leg and falling over. The crash that resounded through the room woke the other Ambassador, who proceeded to help the American get dressed. America thanked the man profusely, and booked it out of there, and though the elder man yelled for him to wait, America did not listen. He wanted to know if Denmark would be anything like Netherlands.

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When America finally got off the ship, he ran on to the foreign land and ran straight into a strange looking man, who had been holding up a thirteen-starred American flag. He had almost spiky blond hair, and big, surprised blue eyes.

"Oh, I think you're the guy I'm supposed to be meeting with! Hi, I'm America, pleased to meet ya!" America cringed when he realized what he had just done.

Oh, for the love of God, Jefferson was going to kill him for that! And then he would toss him around the room a little bit…. With George, Madison, and John, all waiting for him…. Actually, by the looks of it, the entire Continental Congress was going to be after him!

"Well, that's good, I guess." The young man stood up and looked over him, as the young America was patting his coat down nervously. "Since I am Denmark, we won't be having any problems."

America wrapped the elder man in a big hug, forcing the air out of the elder nation's lungs and hurting him, in much the same way he had always done with John, and when he was done, the elder was practically limp in his arms.

"Denmark? Denmark!? I didn't kill you, did I?" The American fretted over the spiky haired country.

Once Denmark had gained his breath, he took his battle axe out and glared scarily down at the young country. "No…. But I will kill you!" He jumped suddenly, and began chasing the strong young country, arms outstretched to catch him.

The young America ran as fast as he could in circles, with the other Ambassador just standing to the side as he watched America almost get killed. The Danish ambassador came running behind where the elder nation had been, and shook his head.

"By the looks of it, they won't get anything done." The Danish ambassador said.

"You said it." Replied the American Ambassador.

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When Denmark finally calmed down enough to talk to, he sighed heavily. "If you go around making enemies like that America, you aren't going to last very long." All of a sudden, the northern country looked as if he had had an epiphany, looking at America-who looked pretty guilty, and was putting ice on his black eye (one that Denmark actually felt a little guilty for- before grabbing him by his waist and dragging the boy off to his house.

"H-Hey Denmark, you aren't going to go hide my body, are you?" America looked nervous, and Denmark decided to joke with him.

"No. I haven't figured out how I want to kill you yet!" Denmark grinned broadly at that, looking down at the boy with a friendly kind of insanity.

"Oh boy, because that's reassuring!" America cried out to the northern country.

Denmark just laughed. "Oh, come off it! I'm just playin' with ya kid!"

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Denmark plopped the boy down on a chair, and brought out his papers, to explain to America what exactly he needed to learn. England had most likely not explained anything to the boy, as he had intended to live with him. However, since America broke off from the blond empire, he was now going to have to learn all about what the elder had never taught him.

"Now then, I suppose you know at least a few other countries, right?" Denmark plopped down his big heavy "official" book of nations down on the desk in front of him.

America put a small hand against his face as he thought about that. "Hmmm…. I know England, France…. Netherlands…. Prussia….Sweden and Finland…." Denmark growled a little at that, still a little sore when they were mentioned, and America paused until he got his attention again. "Canada…and you!" The small boy laughed, and Denmark rubbed his hand down his face.

"England really wanted to stay with you, didn't he," Denmark muttered, and America made a questioning sound in the back of his throat. "Right, there are a lot of other nations out there, you know that, right? While you mostly got the important ones, you're missing a lot too."

America nodded, "But the thing is, they mostly don't recognize me as a country yet…." He looked forlorn, sighing softly.

Denmark grinned broadly at that. "Thing is, America…. You can use that as an advantage!" He laughed at his own ingenuity. "They'll never see you coming! You can hide yourself from them for years! Imagine the look on England's face when he sees that you can handle yourself!"

America was delighted at that. "That's perfect! I want to see England betrayed the same way he betrayed me! I'm not a stupid kid anymore!"

"Yep, kid, that's the spirit!" Denmark brought out a piece of parchment and drew a vague picture of Russia. "Now then, time for a little lesson on something called, 'Stranger Danger.'"

Denmark held the younger country rapt with his tales of all the other countries in the world, and America found that there was a lot of thing that were going to be against him, but as long as he stayed away from any long-term alliance, he would be alright.

Just like George told him.

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About two weeks after America had met the eccentric, possibly insane, northern country, it was time for him to go back to his house- and the poor, confused Ambassador walked in on a wrestling match between the two. Denmark held America in a tight hold around the boy's neck, and America was kicking the elder nation with everything he had.

"Alfred, it's time to go, we need to make it to the ship, lest they leave us both here."

In unison, the two nations spoke and groaned.

"Aw, do I really have to?"

"Does he really have to?"

The ambassador, thoroughly amused by the situation, nodded, and picked up the younger countries things and began to walk to the pier, knowing America would follow.

The two countries untangled themselves, and faced each other.

"Well, Denmark, I hope I can see you again soon!" America laughed, and Denmark grinned.

"I look forward to seeing you grow up, America." Denmark noogied him, and America laughed.

"Well, I gotta go!" America smiled, and ran out of there as fast as he could, leaving Denmark in a bit of a daze.

"I really look forward to it, don't I?" Denmark mused on the subject, and turned back into his home once the American had run out of his sight.

America was a young country, and as long as he was around, Denmark would be sure that the kid knew how to pretend he was an actual Ambassador. He had taught him well enough for him to be good for at least another couple decades.

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A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews!