Sorry, I have to cheat again ^_^;; I found a flag shop today, and since I babysat my cousins, I was allowed to go insane. XD I bought the flags of Austria, Hungary, Poland, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Russia, and Azerbaijan (from which I have a friend).

Today's story is "Weather may delay space history" by Jonathan Amos seen on the BBC website at www(dot)bbc(dot)co(dot)uk/news/science-environment-14074459 on July 7th, 2011.

Don't even get me started on how awesome it would be to own a spaceship. *sighs at what could have been*

Rain. Rain from buckets and bathtubs, rain made of cats and dogs and horses and blue whales. Rain that would refill the Pacific Ocean. Rain that could wash the colors out of the brightest city.

Rain that continued on and on and on and on and on until you resigned yourself to a world full of endlessly spattering water bullets.

Torrential, brain-breaking rain.

Canada sighed and stared out the window of a quiet, gray hall in Kennedy Space Center. He wondered if somehow, his brother's heart had summoned it. The cheer from his birthday had worn off quicker than usual in the light of something he loved just ending so abruptly, and now this rain had to drag it out.

He still couldn't believe America was really going through with this. America loved exploring places. Whether it be a prairie, a desert, or the moon, you could trust America to be there and inspect every little inch of it.

It was an aspect of his star-spangled sibling he'd always looked up to; Canada remembered his earlier days when he himself had traveled up and down his spectacular mountain ranges.

"Oh, America," he murmured to himself. "Why did you have to give up space?"

The answer was obvious. America was running out of money (that's what these debt talks and tariff-lifting deals with Mexico were all about), and he couldn't afford to spend it like a teenage girl in a shopping mall.

But still. If there was one thing Canada would never want him to have to let go, it was the ability and means to go and explore new places.

Suddenly he needed to talk to his brother. He checked the cafeteria (not there?), the TV room (no dice here), the gift shop (okay, maybe not).

On his way, he kept checking the windows.

Still raining.

Eventually, he found America sitting cross-legged on a desk in what looked like some sort of control room. For whatever reason, it wasn't being used right now. The Windows computers all displayed the same screensaver- the maze one that sucked in your attention for hours on end.

America was facing the door, though, away from the screens. There were no windows to look out of here. Rain didn't exist in this room. It was kind of peaceful, actually. He was almost sorry to have disturbed it.

"Hi, Canada," America said simply, eyes dead.

"Hi, America," the hockey lover replied. "Are you doing all right?"

No answer.

"Did they say anything about tomorrow?" Canada tried. "Will the storm be letting up?"

A shake of the head. Canada went to sit next to him.

"You know I'm sorry too, right?"

Nothing. After a bit, a small, almost invisble nod.

"It must hurt, America. I'm really sorry."

"It's okay." He had the tone of someone trying not to break down in front of another. "It's not your fault."

"Is there something I can get for you?" Canada asked, rubbing America's back. "Coke? Dr. Pepper? Water?"

Another shake of the head, but he had eased a little into the warm contact.

Canada didn't know what to say, so he decided not to say anything at all.

Eventually, his brother spoke.

"I thought it was so cool when it started. Astronauts were the most amazing people in the world. Like Superman and the President and Babe Ruth. And then I started to take it for granted, and now . . . and now this."

"I know," the northern nation soothed. "It's okay. It happens."

"But I shouldn't have let it. Heroes don't forget things like that."

"Heroes aren't perfect."

"Is this the hero-getting-tortured part? Where I have to wait so long to see the last launch?"

"Maybe. But it's okay. I'm here."

America leaned into a hug. He fit just right in Canada's arms. They each completed half of their human jigsaw puzzle.

"Some weather we're having, huh," he muttered into Canada's ear after a minute, not letting his grip loosen.

They both laughed a little- that laugh you have when you've just taken the right amount of crap over the right amount of time and you simply cannot bring yourself to care much at that point.

"You can say that again," the oft-forgotten maplephile responded. "What were the chances of a delay? 60%?"

"70," he laughed. "Not to mention that thunderbolt that may or may not have hit it."

"Ugh. That sounds real fun."

"I feel kinda bad for all those people who are coming to see it. And the news stations are prolly going insane."

"But don't let it get to you. It's not the last launch forever," Canada reminded him. "I heard talk about turning things over to private investors."

"Yeah, but it's still the end of the program. I'll miss it."

"I know you will."

"Hey, Canada?"

"Hmm?"

"If they delay things 'till Sunday, will you come back to watch the launch with me?"

"I'll make it no matter what."

"Do you swear on maple syrup?"

"On that and Canadian bacon."

"Okay. Thank you."

If anyone had gone looking for either of the blond boys and chanced upon a certain windowless meeting room an hour or so later, he or she would have seen one of them singing "O Canada" in French to himself while rubbing the (sleeping soundly) other one on the back.

But no one did, so they remained that way for a while longer.

Good news! The 30% pulled through and it launched! :D

America and Canada aren't portrayed as particularly close in canon, but I feel like they are that way. America has his sensitive points sometimes (look at those new scanlations of Volume 4 when he receives a present from Iggy!), and I know Canada would know to be a caring brother at a time like this.