Okay, then, time for the continuation of Hoist the Colours! I was really surprised, actually, at how many wanted to see that continued, so I hope I do all right here. After all, there isn't much to work on about America in the books, except that it's neutral, and has a fusion of Clanker and Darwinist technology.

Hoist the Flags

"Life can be bright in America,

If you can fight in America.

Life is all right in America,

If you're all white in America."

~Westside Story Song "America"

Stepping off the boat to enter America for the first time, Deryn decided right off the bat that they were all barking mad.

And she'd thought Malone was a bit cracked in the attic.

After over a week at sea, she, Alek, Volger, Klopp, Bauer, and Hoffman had all been rushed out of the boat and through immigration services on Ellis Island. The whole place was an absolute mess.

Everyone had their papers in order, though they all had to undergo a name change to slip past the sensors. After all, they were wanted men…and one woman, though that was yet undisclosed.

Deryn didn't mind the name change they'd thought of back in London, having already changed her identity once before. Now, she was John Dylan Warren, who occasionally went by his middle name, Dylan.

Alek's first name had been obvious, and they chose a simple last name as well. Alexander Jones.

Volger was Alexander's uncle, a mister Evan Jones.

Otto Klopp was John's stepfather, Oscar Fielden, whose brother was known as Henry Baker, alias Hans Bauer. And lastly, Hoffman was Charles Ashmore, Alexander's other uncle, on his mother's side, as opposed to Evan Jones, the brother of his father.

All were refugees of the war, seeking a new home in America.

And the Americans just passed them through. Deryn could have sworn they'd check over them, was terrified they'd ask for more information besides what was on the fake papers they'd had forged in London, and was dead scared that for some reason, they'd have to do some kind of safety measures that would involve taking off her clothes, in which case her secret would be revealed.

But no. They were waved through, with a 'Welcome to America!' and were free to start their new lives.

Barking mad, the lot of them.

Now, the six of them stood on a sidewalk in New York City, trying to figure out what to do with their lives. Between them, they had one briefcase, containing a fair bit of money Volger had managed to secure from Alek's second bank account, something that had been created under a false name for Alek to draw upon in times of need, and of which he would learn about when he turned eighteen. Naturally, Alek was shocked when he found out, but was also extremely glad. With the money his father had set aside, they had the funds to travel to America and start over in completely new lives.

"What in the name of barking spiders are we supposed to do now?" Deryn asked, glancing around her.

Volger answered. "Find an apartment big enough for the lot of us. After that, find jobs. Start over. Live new lives. Shouldn't be too hard now should it, John?"

Deryn rolled her eyes, saying, "Aye, I suppose so. Wonder where we should start looking."

Klopp pointed back towards the immigration offices, right behind them. They'd left a few minutes ago, but had stayed put, trying to decide what to do. "I see a…table in there, with papers." He tried to somehow mime his meaning, which was difficult to do, and glanced around. The man was a bit apprehensive at speaking German now that they were in America. Even if the Americans were neutral, he could bet they were probably on the Darwinists' side of the war.

Speaking quietly in German, Alek asked Klopp what he had meant to say, or that's what Deryn guessed. Though she knew some German, he was speaking so softly, she couldn't hear him. When Klopp said what he'd been having trouble saying earlier, Alek translated for Deryn. "He said he saw a desk in the immigration offices, with several brochures and the like. We may be able to find out information about housing there."

Walking inside again, they spent a while talking to the attendant, trying to figure out the most affordable place for them to go. Turns out, living in New York City wasn't cheap, but there were some nice apartments a ways outside of town. It'd be an expense cab ride, but well worth it, she assured. Plus, the area hosted a lot of immigrants coming from Europe, and was always welcome to more. There was a lot of work open in the area as well, as it was constantly expanding.

Thanking the attendant, the group left once more, heading for the streets to catch a cab.

Deryn almost couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the main streets for the first time.

The whole place was a mess, filled with traffic of all sorts. Mechanical Clanker transportation took up most of the street, with strange, thin, creatures that looked almost like a cross between a cat and a horse weaving their way through the traffic, supporting passengers on broad backs above the machines, the tall legs providing an astounding amount of support for being so thin and flexible.

Gaping, the six of them were jolted awake again as one of the creatures, with an empty back, pulled over to the side walk. It lowered itself, its knees folding in to allow the creature to come down to their level. A cheery man sitting between it shoulder blades greeted them. "Need a lift?" he asked. "Only one dollar a mile as fare."

"We would like that very much!" Alek said with a smile, only to have his expression turn to one of bewilderment as the man's face darkened.

Nudging his creature in the side with his foot, it raised itself up again. "Sorry," he said, "I just forgot I have business elsewhere."

Watching him go away, Deryn clenched her fists. That bum-rag. Alek, meanwhile, couldn't figure it out. "Why did he just up and leave?"

Deryn shook her head. "I can guess. Best let me do the talking from now on, alright? Your accents're a bit of a giveaway, and Clankers aren't exactly America's best friends at the moment."

Sighing, Alek did as she instructed. The group walked a ways, down a different street, and hailed another cab. "Mind giving us a lift?" Deryn called out, and the cab driver nodded, lowering the creature down.

As the creature whickered a bit, its cat ears twitching, the driver indicated a small ladder rolling off its back. "Climb on!" he said, waving for them to get aboard.

Once they were all on board, in a sort of basket type thing, really, a wooden box with sides and benches secured to the creature by ropes, the man between the creature's shoulders tapped his boot to the creature's flank, and it stood up. Holding the reins, the man began to chat affably to them as he steered the beastie through the streets of New York. "So, are you all new here?"

Deryn nodded, answering, "Aye. Just hopped over the Atlantic from London. Mind if I ask a question?"

"Not at all," the man replied.

"What the bloody blazes are we riding on?"

The cab driver laughed. "It's called a feliquus. Weird little thing, isn't it?"

Deryn snorted. "I wouldn't call this a wee beastie, sir, not in a long shot."

"True, you're right there, young man. Now, may I ask you a question in turn?"

"Not at all," she parroted his response back to him.

He chuckled. "Why're your friends back there so silent?"

Deryn paused a moment, then answered, "They don't know English too well. The lot of them are from Scandinavia, extended family, you know." Grinning, she pointed at her blonde hair, which could very well pass for Scandinavian ancestry.

The man chanced a glance backwards. "Don't look much like it."

Alek shifted uneasily in his seat, while Deryn answered, "Aye, 'cause they're not Scandinavian. They've got Russian ancestry, but their family's been in Sweden for generations now. Me, mine moved out to Scotland. These fellows ran into a rut back at home, got scared of the war, came to Scotland. My ma was on her deathbed, told me to move out to America. Heard it's a nice place, safer than Europe at the moment. So here we are!"

Grimacing, the man sighed. "I'm sorry, boy. I didn't realize you were an orphan."

Deryn felt bad for lying so much to the man, but it was necessary. "It's okay. I've had a little while now to get used to it."

"Well, if you lot ever need help getting around New York, I can give you the information to get a hold of me. Name's Greg Smith. Yours?"

"John," Deryn replied.

…

Greg dropped them off at the apartment building in the brochure, and they'd negotiated a fair price for a nice, three bedroom apartment. "Welcome home, lads," Deryn said, spreading her arms out.

Shutting the door behind them, Klopp set their briefcase down, and sat upon one of the chairs in the main room. The place was fully furnished, with the main room they first walked into being large, and spacious. There was a couch, some chairs, a table and dining chairs for eating, and a small kitchen. After exploring a bit, they discovered that there were two bathrooms, one branching off the living room, and one connecting two of the bedrooms.

After a while, it was decided on the living arrangements. The two bedrooms with the connecting bathroom had two beds in each of them, that could be pushed together or left separate. Volger and Klopp were staying in one of them, Bauer and Hoffman in the other.

Unfortunately, the last room had only one bed, a standard queen size. Deryn and Alek were to share it.

Sitting on the bed, head in her hands, Deryn really wished that Volger had taken her side. He knew she was a girl! Why on earth would he stand by, smirking, as she futilely tried to explain how maybe she could room with Klopp, or something, in one of the two bed rooms.

But no. All five decided that since the two were good friends, and both young boys, it might be more comfortable for them to room together. She was outnumbered.

Barking spiders.

The door creaked, and she looked up, only to see Volger, rather than Alek, standing in it.

Again, barking spiders.

"What do you want?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

He gave her a faint smile. "I was wondering when you were planning on revealing your little secret, Mr. Sharp. Or, rather, I suppose I should say Mr. Warren."

She groaned, and let her face fall back into her hands. "I don't know when," she explained slowly, "or how. Can you do me a favor and give me some time to figure it out?"

Volger's mouth twitched upwards in a one-sided smirk. "Very well. But if you don't do it soon, I will be forced to."

As he turned to leave, Deryn called out, "Stop." He faced her once more, raising an expectant eyebrow. She sighed. "Why would you give your bloody support to them about me rooming with Alek? With only one bed?"

Volger gazed at her, silent. He mulled over his answer for quite a while, to Deryn's annoyance. Finally, he said, "Two reasons, I suppose. One, I presume this might speed up the 'when' of your reveal. Two…Alek is not likely to be a prince anymore."

Deryn's eyebrows knit together in confusion. "What does that have to do with anything?"

The count shook his head. "Of course you wouldn't understand. Very well; know this. He isn't royal, nor do I expect he ever will be. If my suspicions are correct, after he finds out, when he learns to accept the fact, your other secret might become his, and then not a secret at all. In which case, him being a commoner now shall further progress that."

Deryn blinked again. Wait, what?

Volger left at last, leaving Deryn hanging. She sat, mouth slightly open. Had he…just given her his blessing to court Alek once the former prince found out she was a girl?

What the hell?

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. No, he couldn't have. Best thing to do was just forget he'd ever been there.

Like that'd be easy.

Again, the door opened, and she looked up yet again, exhaling in relief as she saw Alek this time. Shutting the door, he sat down on the bed next to her. "So, this is our new home?"

Deryn shrugged. "Aye, I suppose so."

Alek stared at the wall. "What about you?"

Turning, she raised an eyebrow. "What about me?"

"I don't have family at home. But you do. Your mother, your aunts, your cousin…what will they all think, now that you've disappeared?"

Deryn took a deep breath. "I don't know. I've thought about it, but…it's just hard to accept. They'll be worried. Very worried. But I think they know I can take care of myself."

"And my men. Volger may not have any family, but I know Klopp and Bauer do, and I'm pretty sure Hoffman was dating someone before we left." Alek closed his eyes. "What about them? They already had to leave home to keep my safe. Now, they've been forced to flee across the ocean, and start over brand-new lives."

"Gah!" Deryn muttered, falling backwards to lie down on the bed. "Maybe we can contact them after the war's over. A few years from now, maybe. The police wouldn't care anymore, especially if we call under new names. Right, Alex?"

Alek frowned. "Aleks? Multi-oh, right. Alex." He followed Deryn's example, letting himself fall backwards and lying on the bed beside her. "It'll be hard. Even with the money my father set aside."

"Very hard," Deryn agreed. "But there's six of us here. Between the lot of us, I think we can make it. And someday, we won't all have to live together like this. We'll have our own separate lives again. Maybe Klopp, Bauer and Hoffman can go back. Volger will probably want to stay with you."

"And you?" Alek asked, turning his head to look at her.

Deryn closed her eyes. "I know exactly what I want. But I'll keep that to myself for now, thank you very much."

Alek studied her, then rolled off the bed and stood up. Stretching his arms a bit, he said, "I don't know about you, but I think we need to get some new clothes, and supplies for the home. Are you coming?"

Deryn got up as well. "Don't suppose I have a chance, do I?" she questioned.

"No, I suppose you don't," Alek responded, giving her a smile.

Brushing off her clothes, a shirt and trousers they'd bought back in England for her to wear over her middy's uniform (she refused to give it up), Deryn followed Alek out the door.

Their new lives were just about to begin.

…

I can't say I'm too pleased with this, for multiple reasons. One, is that there's so much I can write about, following this plotline! I could have written about them back in London, getting ready to go to America, about their boat ride over, if it was even a boat they rode on, and so much more! As for being in America, there's also a ton. I felt like I covered some boring but necessary things in this chapter, but there's still so many ways this story can go! Plus, this is very obviously heading in the direction of romance, which doesn't fit into the rest of this fic. So, I've decided to ask you all something, which I will put in bold so I can ensure that those who don't read the author's notes will read this.

Would you all like me to take this idea out of the drabble series, and make it into a full-blown series, separate from Today?

And now for reviews!

Holly Marie Fowl: Haha, thanks!

Ezqueza: Thanks! And don't worry, I continued the other one. ;D Would you like to actually see a full, separate series for this storyline?

AnimeFallingStar: Thanks! And sure, I can do a continuation. ;)

Person Who Has No Name: Aw, really? Well, maybe next year, Daniel will be replaced with someone a bit more real. ;)

Rue-the-Marauder: Haha, thanks! And you're right, the fireworks are very pretty. ;P

purplerose34: Thanks! And I intend to. ;D

HopelessRomantic: Oh goodness, long review! Haha, not that I mind, of course. It just means you actually bothered to take the time to write such a nice review! Anyways, I'm glad you liked it! Hmm…a lot of people seem to make up a fake person. Easier for me, since I don't have any crushes. ;) And that's great! I like that you like my replies to reviews, and I'm the same way as well. Hate attention in real life, but love it on the Internet. Is it sad that I feel like I really get to be me when I'm on the Internet, as opposed to real life? I'm really shy in real life, but on the Internet, with just words, I feel like I can completely open up (without revealing any personal info, of course) and I feel like I'm just…more of what I feel inside online. Also, I'm the same. Leviathan fanfiction is keeping me going 'til October as well. (On to your third paragraph.) Thanks! I'm glad you liked that part, which I just thought of, and figured would work well with the story. Sure, I'll write a continuation! I've heard of the movie Mrs. Doubtfire. I've never seen the full thing, but my dad turned the TV on at one time, and it was playing at the exact scene where Robin Williams is switching back and forth in the restaurant, which was hilarious to watch. Anyways, how was the continuation of chapter nineteen? Was this chapter okay? Would you like to see it turned into a separate series? (I'm really trying to get a good idea of what to do.) And haha, really? That's strange, because though I'm American, I never say the USA. I always just say America…And that was a ridiculously long reply…^^; My apologies.

Pony:

1. Thanks! I'm glad it's one of your favorites! And as for Alek having a sister, that's a bit of a misunderstanding. It's Deryn saying she has a 'sister', though really, she's just making it up. And happy V-day to you too!

2. Haha, thanks! Now now, Alek isn't stupid. He's human, and we humans only see what we expect to, or hear, I suppose. Though he is silly.

silent romantic: Haha, thanks! I'm glad I made good use of your quote! And oblivious Alek is so. Much. Fun! ;P

Penelope Wendy Bing: Thanks! Haha, yeah, I suppose I couldn't really keep away from it. I'm glad I managed to pull off the mood swings, too, well enough to meet your approval. I didn't mean to make them too prominent, but they were there, and I'm glad it didn't turn out badly. Glad you liked the closing, and I agree with you. I really hope Jaspert's in the third book as well. He's one of those minor characters that, even if you only see him for a short time, you just take an immediate liking to the character. Again, thanks!

Frogster: Thanks! And yep, Dylan just may have to pull his sister out like you said. ;P Also, I like T-Switzy's idea very much, too. I plan to put it in the chapter after the next one. ;) Hmm…I really am starting to think about doing one. After a while, I've actually come up with an idea for one, which I'm pretty sure hasn't been used yet. Actually, I'm positive, since I checked and all, and don't recall ever reading one like this, but still. That one'll probably be after the World Fair chapter.

JayBird45: Yep, they're very cute indeed. As for a reveal, Frogster suggested this as well. I've thought about it for a little while now, and I think I've got an original idea for a reveal, one that hasn't been done before. It'll be a few chapters from now, but yep, I'm now planning on doing one.

See you all in chapter twenty-two, and be sure to tell me if I should move this story arc to a separate series!