I woke up to sunlight playing on my face – a strange feeling. The fading images of pleasant dreams were a welcome relief. I was so used to the nightmares I almost felt like something was missing.

If the painful nightmares had eased, however, they only made way for a new kind of pain. My head ached terribly, and my throat… It hurt to swallow. It hurt to breathe. And it definitely hurt to talk. Even the small moan that escaped my lips left me breathless.

The rest of me ached in various ways. I considered trying to move my arms or legs to a more comfortable position, but I finally decided it wasn't worth it. I didn't even bother to open my eyes when a shadow fell across my sunlight until I had a familiar cheerful voice.

"Good morning sleepyhead! How are you feeling?"

I cracked my eyes open to see Alfred's bright blue eyes right in front of me, his cowlick falling forward and almost tickling my forehead. Good thing it wasn't quite. Otherwise I might have killed him. I was not a morning person.

"Mmmphh." I tried to bury my head in the pillow.

"I'm sorry dude. But never fear. The hero just got back from shopping! I've got soup, pudding, mac & cheese, medicine, and Gatorade."

At the mention of all this I perked up slightly. I was desperately hungry and thirsty. Alfred stacked up pillows behind me so I could sit up. Then he made me take the vile medicine. I tried to gag it up, but he made me wash it down with Gatorade. If I hadn't been sick I would have killed him.

"Be sure to drink all of this, okay?" he ordered enthusiastically.

"It hurts to swallow," I whispered.

"Yeah, I know." He brushed hair from my forehead gently. "But you need to keep hydrated. It'll help you get better faster."

My hands shook too much to keep from spilling the bottle of Gatorade, so Alfred covered them with his hands to steady them. This brought a flush to my face that had nothing to do with my sickness.

It was only after I finished every freaking drop of Gatorade that Alfred let me move on to pudding. I wondered how long it had been since I'd had pudding for breakfast. No, how long had it been since I'd just had pudding? Or breakfast, for that matter?

As Alfred said, the Gatorade did help. I was worried the pudding might not, but the first bite he fed me slid down my throat easily. It actually brought a smile to my face.

At first I tried to take the spoon away from Alfred so I could feed myself, but it was a hopeless endeavor. I didn't want to admit it, but it was actually kind of nice to be taken care of. And the best part was that I could justify it all as speeding recovery for faster completion of my mission.

My mission… I grimaced as I accepted another bit from Alfred. He had offered to help me, but what would he think when he learned what I had to do? Those eyes looked so innocent. And so warm. I didn't want them to turn cold.

"Natalie!"

I snapped back to reality, sheepishly wondering how many times he'd had to call my name.

"Yo dude, you okay? You totally spaced out there for a moment."

I smiled weakly and gave him the thumbs up. I could worry about the future later. For now, I would just enjoy the present.

I felt something soft brush my forehead as I drifted off to sleep.

The next two days passed much the same way. Even when my condition improved, Alfred insisted on giving me medicine and feeding me. He did seem to like playing the hero. I had to admit; so far he had made a pretty good one.

When I wasn't sleeping or being fussed over, we watched movies, played video games, looked up funny videos on the Internet, and even had a thumb war, which he was sweet enough to let me win. I found myself wishing that this could last forever.

And then, everything changed.

I stretched my arms out like a cat and yawned. Every part of me felt better, including my injured leg. Time to get up. I was tired of lying in bed all day.

Getting up reminded me of the mission I still had to complete.

"I won't fail you master," I whispered.

"Dude! You're up!" Alfred burst out from the kitchen.

I grimaced. "Isn't that obvious?"

He smirked at me, tapping his fingertips together as if he had an evil plan.

"Maybe… but not for long!" Then he jumped me.

"What the hell?" I muttered, lying back on the bed with Alfred on top of me. He was grinning and laughing. For some reason it reminded me of something.

"What is my mission to be, master?" I asked, pulling myself back into a kneeling position as he came towards me, emerald eyes sparkling menacingly.

"You will know when I tell you," he said darkly. He crouched over me. "But first things first." He pushed me down and straddled my hips.

I gasped. I had experienced his attentions before, even looked forward to them, but this time, when he was so displeased with me, I couldn't expect him to be gentle.

"What's wrong dude?"

Alfred started to pick himself up, maybe thinking I was annoyed at him like I had been before. But this time was different. Before he could get off me, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. He froze in surprise, but after a moment he kissed me back. When I started to pull off his bomber jacket he pulled away.

"Natalie, are you sure about this?"

I brought my lips close to his ear and breathed my answer.

"Yes."

Finished with me, he pushed me away and threw my clothes at me. I didn't need to be told what to do. Sore as I was I slipped them on quickly. Soon he would tell me my mission.

Lying in Alfred's arms after making love, I felt safe. It was a strange feeling, but a welcome one.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too." When I said the words it shocked me to realize that I actually meant them. What was wrong with me?

"I loved a man once." Master's voice had a tense edge. "But he never returned my feelings. Even though I took care of him and taught him all he knows he still turned against me, in the end. At that time, I didn't have the courage to shoot him. Since then, much has changed."

"Natalie, there's something I want to tell you."
"Yes Alfred?" I snuggled closer.

"I may look normal, but I'm actually the personification of a county – a country called…"

"I want you to bring me his heart. Can you do that for me, Natalie?"

"Yes master. Whose heart shall I bring you?"

"Bring me the heart of the man they call…"

"…America."