A/N: So, one, sorry that my notes for this chapter are really long. Two, thank-you for still reading! And three, WE ARE NOW IN MY KNOWLEDGABLE AREA. You can expect a lot more from me now that I know all about this stuff. So, anywhoo, enough of my rambling, ENJOY CHAPTER 3!

1864.

"Neutrality; clearly, of course."

A small silence.

"I know you better than that." He replied, his arms crossed angrily. "There's something in it for you, I know there is."

Arthur sipped his tea, ivy green eyes peering at his guest across the table from the ridge of his teacup. "Why do I need to be involved in your affairs?"

"Look, this isn't some game!" Alfred stood up, slamming his palms down firmly against the table. His hands shook fervently, trembling through the wood. "It's war! You can't be neutral if you're interfering!"

"Alfred, sit down." Arthur said, teacup in hand. "You're being irrational."

"No." Alfred replied.

"Sit down, Alfred!" Arthur said louder.

"I said no!" Alfred shouted, pushing objects on the table onto the floor. Tea trickled out from the teapot, amber liquid pooling at their feet. "My lands are being ripped apart and you're taking sides!"

Arthur placed his cup upon its saucer, the slight clink of porcelain ringing through the heavy air. "You are a country now, not a colony! These are your matters, not mine!"

Alfred's shoulders were shaking now, his blue eyes narrowed underneath his messy blonde hair. "All of America is at war! Doesn't that matter to you?"

"You tried to invade British North American territory based on your anger towards me! I have no sympathy for a country that makes an enemy out of a colony of the Crown!"

Alfred went quiet, his hands slowly curling into fists. "…You think that you're better than me, Arthur?"

"I never said that."

"Of course you didn't say that!" Alfred mocked. "You're a fucking god damn bastard! All you care about is what your colonies can give to you! Because, really, you're the important one here, isn't that right?" He pounded his fists to the table. "Where is he, Arthur? Where the hell is he?"

"Alfred! Listen to me!" Arthur now cried, standing up from his seat. "Leave Matthew alone! You're in the midst of a civil war! He has nothing to do with this!"

Alfred ignored him and continued to speak, growing louder and louder with each word. "He belongs to me more than he'd ever belong to you!" He looked around wildly; in his eyes, a glint of malice twinkling like a star. "I should have taken Matthew when I had the chance!"

Alfred ran to the door, pulling it open. It slammed against the wall.

He stopped.

There was silence.

Facing him was Matthew.

Alfred grabbed his brother by the shoulders. "Listen, Mattie… please." He said as if speaking to a child, desperately trying to engrain the words into Matthew's mind. "Join me. You have to, please!"

"Arthur..." Matthew called, pleadingly, rustling under Alfred's grasp. "Please..."

"Alfred! Stop this!" Arthur cried, lunging towards Alfred.

Now Alfred was shaking his brother. "Join me! We'll be so great! It'll be one great North American nation!"

"A-American nation?" Matthew questioned, slowly bringing his gaze to his brother's face. Like clockwork, his face became more animated, ticking away whatever patience was left inside of him. He narrowed his eyes. "…I will never join you."

Arthur stopped in his tracks.

Alfred hardly noticed. "I'll make you, Mattie! I will!"

"Stop, Alfred."

"Mattie, we're so close! Don't you see? Arthur is keeping us apart!"

"I said STOP!" Matthew screamed as he pushed Alfred away.

Alfred stumbled backwards. Arthur looked on in disbelief.

"You'll be mine someday!" Alfred shrieked back. He made a dash for Matthew once more.

Arthur quickly intervened, forcing Alfred into the wall. One of the paintings on the wall fell to the ground, the frame splintering into tiny pieces. "Leave." Arthur said firmly.

"See, you always gotta be better than me, Arthur." Alfred shrugged it off, hastily prying Arthur's fingers from his collar. "You know nothing about this land."

"I said leave." Arthur reiterated.

He glared as he watched the American saunter to the door. Alfred's voice rang through the lobby. "Next time, Arthur won't be there to save you, Matthew!"

And with a slam, Alfred was gone.

Arthur turned, looking back for his colony.

Matthew sat on the ground, holding the painting in his hands. The pieces of the frame lay on the floor, now rearranged awkwardly into the shape of the canvas.

"I'm sorry, Arthur." Matthew muttered, fumbling with one of the finer pieces. He had returned to his quiet self, avoiding eye contact as he fidgeted with one of the wooden pieces. "I didn't mean for this to happen."

Arthur knelt down, staring at the young man in front of him. "You have nothing to be sorry about." He reached out, placing a hand on Matthew's shoulder. He could feel the tense muscles through the thin cotton shirt. "He's going through some tough times now."

Matthew looked up, staring intently. In his eyes blazed a fire Arthur had not seen before. "I have to do something before he does."

Arthur could feel the tension winding inside of the boy. The fear. The determination.

"I understand." Arthur said.

1867.

"We do ordain, declare, and command that on and after the First day of July, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Sixty-seven, the Provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, shall form and be One Dominion, under the name of Canada."

Arthur stood up, shaking Matthew's hand with a smile beaming ear to ear. "Congratulations, Matthew. Or should I say, The Dominion of Canada?" He let out a sheepish laugh, pulling Matthew to his feet. "I'm very proud of you, m'boy."

"Thank-you, Arthur." Matthew said very politely, grinning like mad. He shook Arthur's hand with enthusiasm. "I'm going to work very hard to make this the best nation it can be! I'm going to build a railroad, and settle the west, and modernize and… and…!"

"Now, now, Dominion of Canada… no need to get ahead of yourself." Arthur said, still smiling. "What's your first order of business?"

Matthew laughed. "How about a beer on me?"

"For a new nation," Arthur replied jovially, "That sounds like a pretty good plan."

July 1st. 1867.

Arthur could not have believed that he had forgotten.

Matthew was not smiling. Instead, he stood up from the bench and moved towards the dock, his face sombre and apologetic. He was not happy.

A woman stood there already, pulling Matthew into a tight embrace as he walked into her open arms. The man next to her stood awkwardly on his heels, almost dazed as he stared at the ground.

Arthur watched from a distance.

Matthew was speaking to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

Ross and Heloise, respectively: first, children of Scotland and France; later, colonies of the British Empire; now, provinces of Canada.

How could he forget that this would happen? This should have been the first thing Matthew heard when he became a nation. How stupid of himself. He frowned, crossing his arms.

Heloise let go, and stood back, trying to put on a smile.

"Congratulations, Mattie." Ross exclaimed, looking Matthew straight in the eye, his lips curving into a lopsided grin as he extended his hand. He laughed, almost nervously.

"Thank-you." Matthew answered, heartily shaking hands with the man. "And thank-you for being here."

"We couldn't just let you become a nation without seeing you off." Ross said, tipping his cap. It revealed his unruly red hair. "Who knows? One day, you might be a great country because'a us."

A flicker of a smile crossed Matthew's face, but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared. "What will happen now, to the both of you?" He asked sadly. "I-is it true? Is it true what Arthur said?"

Arthur flinched.

Heloise bit her lip. "I'm sorry, Matthew."

Matthew let out a nervous laugh. "No. No. You must be joking. We're a family now. You… you can't!"

"Matthew… we can't stay." The tone in the man's voice was soft and empty.

"But, w-where… where are you going?" Matthew stumbled out, his shoulders drooping as he started to cry. "Whatever I did, I'm sorry! I'll work harder, I swear! Just please stay with me! Y-you're part of me! You can't leave...!"

Heloise stepped forward, cupping Matthew's face in her hands. She wiped away a tear from his cheek. "We'll always be with you."

"Always." Ross added quietly. "We're your provinces. We need you as much as you need us."

"B-but… but…" Matthew sobbed.

Heloise slowly let go of Matthew.

Ross placed a hand upon Matthew's shoulder. "You're a strong one, remember?" Ross said. "Stand tall and proud, Matthew. You'll be a great nation someday. I know it."

Matthew embraced Ross.

"Goodbye." They both said, holding back more tears as they held each other close.

Then, letting go, Matthew turned to Heloise.

"Please Matthew," She said gently, "…don't forget them."

Arthur subconsciously stepped closer, straining to hear what Matthew mumbled back. He couldn't make it out.

Heloise kissed Matthew's cheeks. "Vive le Dominion du Canada." She declared, her eyes red with tears.

"Long live Nova Scotia and New Brunswick." Matthew answered.

The two former colonies smiled and joined hands as they moved past Arthur, reassuringly calming themselves down like they had practiced many times over.

Arthur had seen this happen many times before, but somehow... this time was different.

They were ghosts of a different kind now, their presence flickering in and out like the ebb of the Atlantic tide. It was as if nature was waiting expectantly for them, welcoming them with the comfort of the waves upon the rocks. Even the seagulls had hushed their squawking, and took to perching upon the poles of the wharf, observing such a sacred thing with respect. As Heloise and Ross glided gracefully along the dock, the seagulls cried, echoing over the ocean. They were mourning too, Arthur thought.

As the two paused at the end of the dock, only Arthur and Matthew watched on, both unsettled by the calmness in the air.

The birds had stopped, and the gentle sound of the tide filled the air.

Ross and Heloise went softly, disappearing into a creeping fog that snuck over the ocean like a whisper.

No battles or wars. No falls from grace.

Only the ocean and sky that belonged to a boy inside the shell of a nation.

NOTES (since FF was all like, WHOOPS I LOST ALL OF YOUR NOTES, I'm just going to mostly copy and paste my own notes from my history class):

Pre-confederation: America was going through the Civil War. Britain was like, 'I'M NEUTRAL'. And then they helped to build a ship (the CSS Alabama) for the confederates. Union America was like, 'NOT COOL YOU'RE PICKIN' SIDES'. So, they were like, 'maybe we should waltz up to British North America and take it over, since it IS called BRITISH North America. That'll teach them a lesson! LOLOLOL' (one of which resulted in a minor invasion at St. Alban's). Also, they had manifest destiny, which was not cool.

This scared B.N.A (British North America), as there was this big gap of land between British Columbia and The Canadas. So, really the only way to solve it was to BECOME A NATION. (There were other reasons too, like wanting to modernize and expand, political deadlock, and the fact that keeping up with the colonies was expensive to Britain, though I didn't really mention these).

I apologize, I didn't want to talk about John A. Macdonald, nor the Charlotte Town/Quebec conferences. Just, these conferences debated the merits of confederation, and John A. Macdonald was there. Ahaha.

More information on Britain's role, just in general (via my history class notes): This might have been the end of the tension between the parties and Britain, but in 1864, the South had planned to attack the North via Canada. One of these attacks happened at St. Alban's, Vermont on October 19th 1864. The 26 confederate sympathizers terrorized the town and then fled to Canada where they were arrested and then released due to a legal technicality. The Canadas had a law passed that aliens must be deported if they had done acts against a friendly foreign state. The North was not happy about this. Britain could feel the tension between these two states, and sent soldiers to British North America to protect her colonies. Since there was no railway, the soldiers had to travel by sled. Britain felt that the colonies needed to assume responsibility for their own defence and to have a link to the Atlantic.

Confederation: New Brunswick and Nova Scotia weren't really sure if they wanted to be part of confederation. The location of power would be central (AKA Ontario and Quebec), and they felt that they would lose their identities. On the other hand, joining confederation would boost their economies. In the end, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia joined because they were allowed provincial power (which would leave them with control over their beliefs, identities, and local issues), and representation in parliment.

To sum it up, I shall quote my history proffessor:

"Canada came together internally due to different political and societal groups joining because of political and economic reasons. It was political nationalism, not cultural. Canada was not a nation, but a nation in the making."

Anywhoo, I hope you enjoyed, and thanks for reading!