Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia Axis Powers.
It's been a while since I've worked on American Copies. … It's been a while since I've worked on anything…
American Copies
Chapter 4 – Another One
Arthur sighed softly as the cool breeze gently tugged at the golden strands of his hair. His knees were pulled up to his chest and the sounds of the multiple variations of Alfred laughing and shouting seemed to blur as his brain comprehended the general locations of the boys. The sand was hot at the first touch, but as his bare feet sunk deeper, the cold sand below bloomed up around his pale skin to caress it. Despite how agonizingly bright the sun was and despite how warm the sand was, the wind kept Arthur comfortably cool – especially when paired with a light colored baseball cap he had found in Alfred's closet. Slowly, his eyes slipped open to see the shimmering waters of the lake in front of him.
The splashes and rough housing in the water urged Arthur to pay attention to the multitude of Alfreds. The greens and whites of the lake scattered with each splash and there seemed to be no immediate danger.
Arthur scanned the horizon for the youngest of the bunch. Briefly, he panicked when he didn't immediately see a toddler, but he was at ease once he saw the eldest Alfred caring for the youngest. Thankfully, the man kept the toddler in a shallow part of the water.
One, two, three, four, five, six…
Arthur's gaze fell to his left side to see the white mochi basking in the sunlight.
Seven.
It seemed that no one would die on the water this day.
Breakfast had been a rather terrorizing ordeal. Arthur could only feel anger throughout it, though the food was absolutely delicious. He had not yet told Alfred that he was an extremely accomplished cook. A slightly egotistical smile stretched Arthur's lips before weakening. It was true that Alfred had started with only his cuisine… No, even that was false. It was the Native Americans that first taught Alfred the very basics of survival. Arthur had only opened Alfred's eyes to the world – or at least to English cooking. Then one by one the other countries influenced the boy.
Arthur's smile had flattened again and he watched the eldest Alfred with a rather dull and thoughtful expression.
Was it all the time that Arthur had spent away from Alfred that gave Alfred the time to change into a combined version of various countries? Maybe… Arthur gulped softly and his arms wrapped tighter around his knees. …Maybe if he had been there for Alfred more… Maybe if he had scolded him less... Maybe if he had better ways of disciplining him- Maybe if he fed him something different- Maybe if he tried to see eye to eye with him more- …Maybe if he was different… Maybe then Alfred would have wanted to stay…
"Arthur!"
Arthur lifted his head, shocked from his consuming thoughts. His eyes were a bit wider and much less dull than they were before. Other than that, his expression hardly changed. He watched as the eldest Alfred run over with the fussing toddler in his arms.
The English man cocked his head to the side and he gave Alfred a bit of a smug smile. "Can't handle a simple toddler?" He teased.
"Ha, ha," Alfred rolled his eyes as he gave out a sarcastic laugh and squatted down in front of Arthur. "Very funny. So I put the rancher in charge of everyone while I go inside to make lunch. Can you handle this kid? He keeps fussing about something hurting and since I can't get him to tell me, I figure the Great Child Whisperer could help me out."
Arthur huffed and reached out to take the youngest Alfred from the most modern Alfred's hold. He stood and cradled the precious child in his arms. Lightly, he dusted the backs of his fingers along the powder soft cheek of the toddler. "Sunburn." He stated with a sigh. He knew he forgot to nag them about something. "I'm taking him inside. You need to go fetch some sun screen and make sure no one else gets a sun burn. I won't have you all moaning about how it stings when you're too dense to even put any protective lotion on in the first place."
Alfred's eyes widened ever so slightly at Arthur's reaction. A deflated pout formed on his expression and he walked alongside the – what he assumed to be cranky – Englishman. "Touchy," He exaggerated the syllables. The two walked in silence back up the stairs to the cabin's first floor veranda. After a few quiet moments, Alfred chose to speak. "So all you have to do is gather some magic from the next full moon and send everyone back?"
Arthur made a noise of acknowledgement before opening the door and stepping inside the cabin. As he spoke, he headed to the kitchen. "In a very basic way of saying so, yes. It's not going to be easy, Alfred. I don't have to just snap my fingers and send them on a wormhole back to their general time period give or take a few decades. Fetch me the Aloe Vera gel, would you?"
"I didn't think it'd be as easy as pie," He spoke as he went to the fridge and reached to the very back. "I hoped that you would know how to reverse it before you made the mistake of doing it in the first place." Alfred's hand grasped around the gel container and he pulled it out, placing it in Arthur's waiting hand.
Temporarily ignoring the older Alfred, Arthur concentrated on the younger Alfred's whines. "Shh, it's okay, Alfie, dear. This is going to be very, very cold, but after a while, it'll feel good, okay?" After a sniff and a nod from the young one, Arthur proceeded to spread some of the gel on the toddler's skin, earning a startled squeal from him. "Well, gee, Alfred," He looked to the most modern Alfred as he spoke, "it appears as though I'm not the only one capable of making a mistake that causes others to suffer for it."
Alfred laughed and shook his head. Normally, his laugh would be a good sign, but now it seemed to be a sign that the two nations would have yet another fight. "Don't you dare say that. Yeah, I forgot to put sun screen on the kid. Yeah, he has a sunburn now. But you're forgetting that he'll be able to be all better within a matter of days. Me, on the other hand-"
"Oh, good, I was wondering how you would wedge yourself into this issue." Arthur interrupted in a bored tone as he finished up applying the gel.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Alfred raised his voice and Arthur immediately covered the toddler's ears.
Arthur shot a glare at Alfred and hissed through his teeth, "No cursing in front of him. If you want to hurl fire at me, then wait until the children are not in the vicinity. God knows you can use work on your temper." He picked up the toddler, careful not to get any of the gel on himself, and carried him to the bean bag chair in front of the television.
Alfred walked swiftly out onto the veranda as Arthur turned on the television, gluing the little Alfred to the bean bag chair. He hurried out after Alfred, prepared to argue until his throat was sore. Until they reached the Camry, Alfred did not speak a word. The only indication of his rage was his tense frame.
They halted by the car and Arthur crossed his arms, prepared to accept all the shouting that Alfred had to give. Alfred spun around to face his former caretaker. Anger was nestled deep in his eyes and it did not seem as if it would leave any time soon. "Well?" He spoke curtly.
Arthur's gaze silently looked off to the side before he frowned a bit and looked back to Alfred, his eyes narrowed in mild confusion. He shrugged.
"Where's your hazmat suit, Saint George?" Alfred asked as his he allowed his anger to take over his expression.
Arthur scoffed and shifted his weight. "You're ridiculous, you know that? Completely and utterly ridiculous."
"Oh, I'm ridiculous?" Alfred raised his voice, partially interrupting Arthur. "Me? I'm the ridiculous one? I was resourceful! I didn't like what was happening so I got some help and I got out of the situation I didn't like! I had to run my own country on my own! I have made mistakes, Arthur, I've made them! Just like any other country, I've made a lot of mistakes. And you know what else? I have become an amazing nation!" He found himself inching closer and closer to Arthur as he shouted, "Look at me! I'm strong! Everyone says they hate me or fear me or what have you but I'm great! A lot of my own people hate my guts, but does that stop me? No!" He panted a bit as he continued to speak, though his voice quieted down to somewhat of a disbelieving whimper. "Everyone can see how big I've become. Everyone can see my strength – my energy – how much I care. …So why can't you?"
Arthur could not find it within him to move away from Alfred or even speak. He remained silent, staring into Alfred's eyes with a relaxed stare. The silence had begun to grow uncomfortable. Arthur gulped softly and finally tore his gaze away from Alfred's. "… I need to use the car. I… I need to go out and fetch my supplies for the spell…"
At that, Alfred yanked the keys out of his pocket and walked by Arthur, smacking the keys against his chest and storming back to the cabin. Arthur let out a grunt and caught the keys. He gripped them and stared down at the gravel that covered the general area between the cabin and the road. The only thoughts that sprung forth was how crudely shaped the general area of the driveway was – if one could even call it that. It was an ambiguous shape with no real function other than to make it more difficult and uncomfortable to walk on than fresh piles of sand. Arthur licked his lips and headed to the driver's seat of the Camry. He opened the door before sitting down and slamming the door shut. For almost a minute, he sat there in complete silence.
Slowly, Arthur's eyes lifted to focus on the trail of gravel wide enough for only one car. What kind of a person made a driveway so tiny? It was unkempt with all the grass growing between the rocks and pebbles. Hesitantly, Arthur looked into the mirror above and off to the side from his head. It was when he saw it was empty that he realized he was terrified of seeing Alfred's face in it. His eyes slipped closed and he rested his forehead against the wheel of the Camry.
He gasped and lifted his head when he heard a knocking on the window beside him. Arthur stared at the Alfred that stood outside the car. He seemed to have a friendly smile on. Briefly, Arthur wondered which one it was. He rolled down the window and spoke wearily, "Rancher, you're supposed to be watching everyone else."
Obviously, the Alfred's smile fell a bit and he laughed nervously. "Um… It's not Cowboy. He knows where I am. Um… So I asked where you were going and I didn't really get an ans-"
"Store." Arthur answered rather curtly, "Revolutionary?"
His smile faltered yet again. "No… Not the soldier-"
"Colony." Arthur stated. If it wasn't either of the other ones, then it had to be that one. "What do you want?" At the time, he didn't realize the biting tone in his voice.
The once suited Alfred laughed breathlessly, though he hated being called Colony. "Could I join you? Maybe?" Perhaps if he could reach out to Arthur, Arthur would forgive him for being so out of line earlier that morning.
Almost instantly, Arthur denied him, "No. Go inside or back to the lake." He ordered before rolling up the window and starting the car.
Alfred froze in place as he watched Arthur drive off. He stared at the road with dull eyes and a deep frown. He hated it. At least in his own time period, Arthur would have the decency to scold him for a bit longer. Where he was now…he hardly gave him a second glance. It hurt and he hated it. With each try of being serious or helpful or friendly to Arthur, they would all be thrown back in his face and he would be a fool for trying. He did not want to anymore. He just did not want to. Alfred attempted to inhale to sigh, but he could not find it in him to breathe deeply enough. He was sure he would remain in that spot for hours if he did not hear the shouts of the two Alfreds older than him rushing up to the cabin with the child running after them.
He could try again. With a deep breath and a good attitude, he could try to be friendly again. Maybe he could even make a friend. Alfred headed up the stairs of the cabin and stood outside the door, waiting for something. He wanted to savor the last few moments in which the yells and fast talking from inside would be muffled. Taking in another deep breath, Alfred opened the door and stepped inside, quietly closing the door behind him.
As per usual, the cowboy, the soldier, and the pilot were all talking in the kitchen while the child sat on one of the barstools, watching them make lunch in awe. The once suited Alfred's gaze fell to the toddler who sat in the bean bag chair in front of the television. The mochi rested in the toddler's lap and there seemed to be a sticky pink shine to the toddler's skin.
Not wanting to question it, he walked over to the kitchen, hoping that he could be included in on whatever was so fun. He took a seat next to the child and watched – as the child so lovingly referred to it – the Lunch Show. He briefly assumed if each meal had a different show. He propped his elbow up on the counter and rested his cheek in his hand, his eyes bouncing back and forth between the members of the excited trio.
In the midst of their conversation, a shot of pain flashed through the eldest Alfred's skull. With a gasp, the nation gripped onto the counter and squeezed his eyes shut. For a brief second, he felt something close to a hot knife pierce through his right temple. He would have screamed, but the pain was gone as soon as it had arrived. The noise had stopped. Alfred looked up from the counter top to see the four copies staring at him with either a blank or worried expression. At the moment, he did not feel like sifting through the differences.
Seconds later, a crash shook the cabin. Everyone looked around frantically; trying to figure out what it was that shocked them. The eldest Alfred proceeded to assure the others that there was nothing wrong. Of course, that may have been a blatant lie, but he would have preferred his copies not be scrambled and confused. Once everyone was mostly calm, the eldest Alfred headed upstairs on his own. Save for the group of young nations on the first floor, the trek up to the third floor was quite quiet.
When Alfred reached the third floor he looked out of the wall of windows to see a stranger lying on the veranda. With a gasp, he rushed to the sliding glass door and opened it. He hurried over to the person and knelt down beside them. He would have picked the stranger up had they not shifted and groaned a bit.
"Agh…" She sat up and rubbed her sore cheek. "Hey, sorry for crashin' on your deck…" Her eyes widened lightly when she noticed the craftsmanship that went into the veranda. "Hey, are these all screws…? Well. If you're gonna build a deck, better build it right, am I right?" The strange young woman flashed a bright smile at Alfred.
At this moment, Alfred took his opportunity to observe the person. Perhaps he could try to guess who it was? He could not recognize the thick chestnut curls which bounced about her ears nor could he recognize the plump lips stretched into a grin. …But there was one thing he recognized: the wonder and determination that glittered about in her eyes. Where had he seen it before…?
Her grin faltered into a bit of a confused frown. "So… Yeah, I'm right. Nice job, bucko." With that, she used the railing to stand and held a helping hand out to Alfred. Her smile returned. "My name's Amelia. I bet you can't guess what I'm doing on your veranda, huh?"
Alfred blinked a bit blankly before accepting this woman – Amelia's – helping hand and used it to pull himself up to his feet. "Ah… Well, I think I got an idea… Your name's Amelia?" She gave a fast nod and headed over to the sliding glass door. "Right, my name's Alfred. Alfred Jones."
Amelia gasped a bit and looked back at Alfred. "No kidding? Your last name's Jones? Heh, small world, ain't it?" She stepped into the house and headed to the stairs, calling back at Alfred. "My name's Jones, too!"
Alfred followed after Amelia, closing the sliding glass door behind him. "Uh, yeah, it's a common name. Hey, don't you want to lie down for a while? You just crashed onto my veranda…"
Amelia stood by the top of the stairs and gave Alfred a brief shrug. "Well, I could sleep or I could eat. Right now I'm hungry. I'm going to eat. You can sleep, though. I'll just fix myself something easy."
Alfred paused before hurrying over to Amelia and picking her up. He set her aside and stood between her and the staircase. "Now, hold on there, Amelia. I know you're eager to eat an all, but we've got to get you looked at. You could've broken something."
Amelia rested her hands in her back pockets and she tilted her head to the side. It was a relaxed position, but she still had a considerate and serious gaze. "Thanks, Alfie." She patted his chest lightly. "Trust me, babe, I've been in tighter situations. One side." With that, Amelia stepped to the side to go around Alfred.
Quickly, Alfred smacked his hand against the wall, blocking Amelia's way. "I really think that we should get you looked at. A girl like you has got to have something broken."
Amelia pouted at Alfred, but she refused wrestle with him at the top of a staircase. "What? I gotta have something broken just 'cause I'm a girl?"
"I- No." Alfred shook his head and leaned close to Amelia, "You gotta have something broken because who the Hell is gonna have everything in tact after falling from the sky into a third story wooden veranda?"
Amelia leaned back, shrugging a bit. "Yeah, I guess you're right there, but there's nothing you have to worry about." She patted Alfred's shoulder. "I'm the United States. I'm pretty durable."
At that, Alfred paused and the color drained from his face. Quickly, he turned and rushed downstairs. Amelia shrugged again and casually stepped down the stairs at her own pace. Once Alfred reached the first floor, he looked to the group in the kitchen and demanded, "Okay, where is Arthur?" It was obvious from his raised tone that he meant business.
As if on cue, Arthur opened the front door and stepped inside the cabin. His arms were weighed down by a few bags and he leaned against the front door to close it. Arthur's gaze traveled from the floor to the kitchen and then to the base of the stairs where a furious Alfred stood. "Yes?" Arthur groaned a bit before heading over to the kitchen with his bags. When Alfred remained silent, Arthur sighed a bit and turned to face the most modern Alfred from where he stood in the kitchen. Before he spoke, he saw the peculiar woman step downstairs.
Alfred merely rolled his eyes and headed out onto the veranda. Arthur quickly followed after him, leaving the underage copies in the cabin with the other only technical adult. "Okay, what the Hell, Arthur?" Alfred turned to face his former caretaker. "Why is there a girl me here? I have never been a girl in my life!"
Arthur sighed and closed the cabin door. "Damn. I was afraid of this." He looked to Alfred to see a rather exasperated expression resting on his countenance. "Alright, while I was pulling different versions of you from certain time periods, another dimension seems to have fallen into the gaping hole I made. I haven't gotten a chance to sew it up, yet."
Alfred's eyes slipped closed and he sighed heavily. "…Okay. Great. When can you send her butt back to her dimension and sew up the hole?"
Arthur took a step closer to Alfred and crossed his arms, glancing away in thought. "In thirteen days. I have to send her back when I send everyone else back, too. I have to make sure each one goes back into their correct time at the same time. After I put them back, I can sew up the hole I made." He seemed to be so confident in the thought process. He seemed to be so sure.
Alfred tore his disapproving gaze away from Arthur. "Great. Can't be too hard. We've got another adult around now."
"Yes. It should be-" Arthur took another step towards Alfred, though he was interrupted when Alfred lifted his hand.
"Hey- Arthur, I really can't be near you right now. I can't do it." Upon hearing those words, Arthur froze where he stood. Alfred could only shake his head and head down the veranda steps to the lake.
Arthur watched as Alfred headed down to the lake. He swallowed a lump in his throat before shaking his head with a mock smile. He was well aware that Alfred most likely could not stand the sight of him at the current moment and that was fine… With a sigh, Arthur headed back inside. He in no way wanted to admit that it hurt much more than he would expect it would.
Alfred stood at the edge of the water, not quite touching it purposefully, but not quite shying away when it shot up onto the sand. He closed his eyes and thought about how easy it was when he was lying on the ground in the middle of his plains. God, he wished he could be back there yesterday. He missed the simplicity. He missed not being nearly irreparably furious with Arthur. It would be awkward later on that night, Alfred was sure. He could not stand to be around Arthur and if last night was any indication on their sleeping habits, he would have to share a bed with the nuisance again.
Of course the night was much less comfortable than Alfred had imagined. The room was dark and quiet. Arthur slept on the right side. Alfred slept on the left. The child and toddler wedged themselves in the middle. Thank God the bed was large. Once every other hour, Alfred would groan softly and open his eyes. He could not be sure of what he dreamed, but the only thought that shot through his head when he saw the dark room was pleading for sleep.
Each time he woke, Alfred would oblige this thought. Each time he fell asleep, he felt himself crash back into slumber. After the sixth time, Alfred stared at the door and the sunshine that reflected against the white paint. He groaned softly and looked behind him to see the rest of the bed empty. It seemed that Arthur had already taken the kids downstairs. With a yawn, Alfred sat up and stared out the window at the nature and decided that he would need at least a gallon of coffee to fully wake up.
