Forever Evergreen: Meet the Territories

The journey westward to California was pleasant, to say in the least. The railway workers were slowly nudging their way across the Great Plains, but they had yet to complete the Transcontinental Railroad everyone was looking forward to. So Alfred had to travel the old fashion way, the perfect chance to test his proud new stallion! Packing for the trip didn't take long, he'd ridden the trail so many times by now Alfred knew exactly which supplies he had to bundle into the saddle. It wasn't long until he was ready to set off from Missouri's house in Independence, and begin the trek to San Francisco, California's pride and joy.

Taking the Oregon Trail never ceased to amaze Alfred. With perilous dangers everywhere along the road, like beastly thunderstorms and unfriendly Native Americans, he often had to suffer through the 6 months of no bathes and no good food. But the lovely California always greeted her dirty, exhausted father with a bright smile and a hot bath to ease his weary bones. Ah yes, the energetic state was worth the trip, Alfred thought as he rode his valiant stead across the grass fields. Not that he didn't enjoy his visits to the other states, they all had a special place in his heart. Delaware was his dashing first state, New York was practically his brother, and California was the brightest of all his cute little states. With her outgoing nature and cheerful outlook on life, her sun-tinted curls that frolicked in a gentle breeze, its no wonder Alfred nicknamed her the 'Golden State'.

As Alfred reached the midpoint of the trail, he was quite surprised to find that the journey was not as treacherous as it had been only the year before. True, the weather refused to change (his horse was nearly struck by lightning on their 7th day), but there were many towns and small villages along the route that had sprung up amongst the never-ending expanse of wheat and barely. To think, that his citizens were hardy and determined enough to settle in these conditions…oh, it made him proud to be America! All of the people had been so friendly and understanding in the towns, since they had traveled the Oregon Trail as well, and knew how tiring the trip could be. Having a bed to sleep on every now and then was refreshing, even if it wasn't high-class quality.

'France wouldn't survive three days, with his prim and pampered self!' Alfred chuckled at the thought of the Frenchie fussing over the mud. His own cowboy boots were caked with a layer of muck, grass, and who knows what else from having to walk a few miles. The horse couldn't run the entire way after all.

Weeks later, Alfred finally rode through the border of Nevada into California, his horse panting and wheezing from the long haul from Missouri. Relieved to be within reach of his destination, Alfred took off his ranger's hat and fanned himself. He was sweating bullets in the sun's rays, his golden locks flattened from hat hair. The Nantucket sprung up after being released from the hats weight, stubborn as ever. It wasn't long until the city of San Francisco loomed in the distance, the streets bustling with people going about their daily routine. Hundreds of people from the eastern coast arrived each day during this season, eager to buy pick axes and begin mining for gold. In this time and day, everything revolved around gold, and California always bragged about how every hillside in her state was filled to the brim with the precious metal.

But Alfred wasn't here for gold, for the disguised nation quickly trotted his stallion towards the center of the city, where the mansion of his beloved state stood proud next to the city hall. Styled after the classic Victorian ages, California had requested that the mansion be a whopping three stories tall. Inside, there were six master bedrooms partnered with four bathrooms on the second and third floors, and a dining hall, kitchen, and two living rooms on the first floor, Decoration inside the house was exquisite to say in the least, with paintings of her beaches and majestic mountain ranges placed throughout the house to warm the atmosphere. Sculptures of galloping horses, flying eagles, and her state animal the grizzly bear could also be found inside the rooms of the mansion, especially in her cozy bedroom. Alfred had visited the mansion enough times to know the house inside and out, and as he handed his fatigued stallion to the stable boy, he could've sworn he could smell her freshly baked corn bread wafting through the front door already. Drooling at the thought of food, America flew up the steps to the porch, and knocked on the front door three times, grinning wildly as he heard footsteps stomp down the staircase…

Wait a minute…California didn't wear heavy boots, so why was she-

Before he could finish his thought, Alfred leapt back from the door when it was practically thrown open by the stranger, staring incredulously at a man who was OBVIOUSLY not California! California NEVER wore a flannel shirt, she NEVER wore dirty jeans that were worn out at the knees, and she most CERTAINLY never wore cowboy boots inside a house. After the two stared at each other, the stranger's eyes wide with disbelief while Alfred's were narrowed in suspicion, Alfred straightened himself before asking with an angry tone, "Who the hell are you? There's supposed to be a fine lady greeting me right now, what have you done with her?"

The man, who was the same height as Alfred, raised a blonde eyebrow at his question, before bursting out laughing, throwing his head back as he cackled. Alfred, not finding this funny in the least bit, glared at the man as he composed himself, looking over his face that looked very much like his own…!

"Hold on…." Alfred snagged the man's handkerchief that was tied around his neck and tugged it towards his face, bringing the man closer so he could see his eyes. Bright blue irises sparkled with humor as the man pushed at Alfred's chest lightly.

"Aw, shucks Papa! I know it's been a long time, but don't you remember your one an' only 'Lone Star State' when ya see him?" The southern drawl was the dead give away.

"Texas? What are you doing here?" Alfred released the state, allowing the sandy blonde to take a few steps back until he was at the door again. "Where's California?"

Texas chuckled a bit more, taking a step to the side and waving a welcoming, calloused hand in towards the foray. "Well, if ya'll would come inside, I'd be happy to explain, Pa!"

With that, Alfred entered the mansion, looking around as Texas closed and locked the door behind him with a soft click. The sunlight flooded through the window above the door, lighting the foray and glimmering off of the polished wood of the grand staircase that led up to the second floor.

Taking America's sweaty jacket from him, and placing it on the nearby coat hanger, Texas began a casual conversation. "I heard from Nevada that you were passin' though. Thought for sure you'd wanna checkout the new Oregon Territory, but here ya are!"

"Sorry for the surprise visit, Texas." Alfred said, glancing back at his most iconic state. "But I'd like to meet the kid first before I intrude on its land."

"You mean kids."

Alfred furrowed his eyebrows in thought, confused from Texas's response. "What do you mean? There's only one territory…"

Grinning like a sly fox, Texas shrugged his large shoulders and walked past Alfred. "Don't worry, ya'll see soon enough."

The carpet silenced the sound of Alfred and Texas's boots as they moved off towards the doorway left of the staircase, where they entered the first of the living rooms. Making his way to the nearest sofa, Alfred settled himself in the cushions while Texas took the cushioned seat across from him, a mahogany coffee table separating the two.

"So, not that I'm not glad to see you Alex, but really…Where's California?" Alfred asked again, still curious as to where the blonde teenager had wandered off to.

Taking his signature hat from his head, Texas played with the cowboy hat America had given him when the state was only a territory, before looking at Alfred with a smirk. "California went off to the nearest store to haul ova some apples from the Oregon Territory. Since she's got her hands all tied up with the little devils in the house, she asked me to baby-sit them till she got back."

When Texas mentioned the 'little devils', Alfred's eyes widened dramatically, and he gasped. "You mean…"

"Yep. It's the territories! We found the new siblings!" Texas's smile broadened, and he leaned back in the seat with a genuine grin that brightened the room. Alfred on the other hand eagerly leaned forward, his eyes sparkling with newfound joy. The children had been found!

"Territories? You mean there's more than one? How many are there? Are they boys are girls, are maybe both! What are they like, what kind of hobbies do they have? Are they brunettes or-" Before Alfred could continue with his excited rambling, Texas raised his hands in exasperation.

"Whoa, slow down ya big stallion! They're right in the next room ya know, go find out for ya'self!" Texas motioned towards the second doorway, where the sounds of soft giggling could be heard now that Alfred had quieted. "But you'd best be quiet, they're all a shy little bunch."

Looking towards the door with awe and listening to the mumbling voices, Alfred turned back to Texas with an expression of sheer joy on his face. Slowly rising from the sofa, the nation painstakingly made his way to the door, and peeked into the next room. The ecstatic nation nearly exploded like the Forth of July with glee at the sight that greeted him.

Inside, the space was aglow with bright lights from both the extravagant chandler hanging from the ceiling, and the daylight streaming in from the windows on two sides of the room. Rainbow patterns waltzed off of the crystals that chimed with a gentle breeze, since one of the windows had been opened slightly to let the fresh air in. All of the curtains had been drawn back, allowing the light to drown the room with warm beams of sunshine. But not even the sun's rays could compare to the bright, round faces of the young boys that were quietly playing with wooden toy horses on the coffee table, both children giggling as the horses raced across the wooden frame of the furniture. The boys had hair of different shades; the one with his back turned to Alfred was a rich chocolate brown while his smaller brother was a cedar brown that could've been mistaken for blonde. Occasionally, the boys would allow their horses to collide with a sharp "CLAP' from wood slapping together, making the two giggle as they went back to their sides of the table.

"Ma horse is a young stallion, stwong and fwee as ta wind!" the younger boy said, throwing his horse into the air while shouting "WHOOSH! No one can win against ma horse in a wace!"

The dark brunette turned his head to the side, letting Alfred catch a glimpse of his dark brown eyes. He sat by the table, calmly admiring the shape of the horse with tiny fingers that traced along its shape. "My horse is the wisest of all the horses, for he's lived for over one hundred years. He's seen the world in all it's glory, and all it's tragedy…"

"Geez, bwada!" The younger sibling said, his amber eyes flashing with annoyance as a small frown was set on his face. "Why do ya have ta wuin the story with all dose depwessing lines! No wonda Washington never plays with us…"

The elder glanced at the younger sibling, before turning his head back to the horse in his palm. "You shouldn't speak so loudly, Idaho. She's sleeping right on the window sill."

'Idaho~! What a cute name!' America grinned to himself with glee at his child's name, watching Idaho turn his head to the open window just behind them with a surprised face. "Alweady? She sure does sweep a lot, doesn't she?"

Looking towards the windowsill, Alfred noticed a small figure in a dark green dress curled up next to the gaping window. The girl had a fragile frame, with long auburn locks flowing in the small draft that wafted through the room. Her head was leaning against the beam at the edge of the windowsill, as her legs stretched out in front of her, her arms limply placed in between her knees. The expression on her face was one of utter bliss, her eyes were lightly closed and a neutral frown was on her lips. The faint rise and fall of her chest was a sure sign that the little girl was fast asleep, basking in the warmth of the sunlight.

"Well, what do you expect?" the elder sibling's voice carried Alfred out of his daze, and the nation focused back on the brunette. The boy was now walking quietly towards the sleeping girl. "She was up there all day waiting for big sister to come back with those apples. We both know how obsessed she is with her apples."

"Oh yeah. Apples apples apples, all day long. Doesn't she ever think about anything else?" Idaho said with a sarcastic grin, turning his focus back to his toy horse. "Besides weading, all she does is stawe out that window."

"She just wants to go home." The brunette was now standing next to the girl, gently brushing a stray lock off of her round cheek. "She misses her forests, and her mountains. I feel the same way…"

"I don't weally have anything to miss, just fields as faw as tee eye can see!" Idaho decided to abandon the game and joined his brother standing next to their snoozing sister, leaning forward until he was only a few inches from her nose. "Washington sure is pweety though, ain't she Oregon?"

'And his name is Oregon, suits his cool nature perfectly!' Alfred nearly squealed from learning his little boy's name, but his manliness kept him from doing so. All that was left was…

Alfred's lips formed a small grin, as he gazed at the little girl napping in the sun. 'Little Washington… a proud name, yet adorable in every way.'

Oregon hummed in agreement, nodding his head slightly, before his head suddenly perked up. Slowly, the territory turned his head to look in the direction of the door, and glared at Alfred with steely brown eyes. Caught off guard at the sudden sign of aggression, America straightened his shoulders, and stared back at Oregon with caution. This was strange, never before had a territory glared at him. Before now, they all seemed to know by instinct that America was the father, and greeted him with affectionate hugs on their first meeting. Didn't Oregon recognize him…?

"There's a stranger at the door." Nope, guess he didn't.

Idaho leaped back from Washington with a yelp, whipping his head around to stare at Alfred like a startled rabbit. "W-wha? How long as he been there?"

"Don't know." Oregon said in a stoic voice, his hard gaze fixated on Alfred. Stepping in front of Idaho defensively, Oregon asked, "Who are you? What do you want?"

'No use avoiding them now.' Alfred thought, raising his hands in the air to show he meant them no harm. With a bright smile on his face, America stepped into the room, trying to appear pleasant. "Alright, little man, you caught me. There's no need to get all upset, okay?" Lowering his hands, he said in a kindly tone, "I'm not going to hurt you."

Oregon's stance didn't change, although Idaho's trembling stilled, the little territory now watching the large stranger with fascination. Oregon crossed his tiny arms, trying to look big and tough. "Yeah right, that's what all the other nations said when they first saw us. False men keep false promises."

Oh…that's why the boy was so hostile. He still remembered the days before he was a territory. A few of the states started like that, Maryland could still recall the day when Britain first arrived on her shores, and Louisiana often reminisced of the days she spent as a baby with France. It wasn't unusual, but something violent must have triggered Oregon's mistrust. Alfred disguised a gulp, and walked over to the couch slowly, taking a seat so he wouldn't appear so big. He was treading on fire here, the first meeting was always the most important. "Why do you think I'm a false man?"

"Nations are made up of thousands of people, and are puppets for the governments and presidents. You're just a diplomatic toy to swoon us over, aren't you?" Ouch, for a little territory, Oregon sure knew how to bark. The brunette had yet to bite though, thankfully. Idaho tugged at Oregon's sleeve, but the elder state ignored his little sibling, and continued, "All you do is fight one another and cause misery for those around you! You fight over land, over religion, over stupid little things like that! I'd never – "

"Oregon?" Oregon halted his rant when a quiet, hardly a whisper, voice came from behind him, and everyone turned to look at the little girl on the windowsill. Her sleep had been interrupted by Oregon's outcry, and she was now wiping her striking emerald eyes with a tiny fist. "Why are you shouting?"

Alfred decided to remain quiet while Oregon turned to his sister. Idaho had opted to stand to the side, and continued to observe America with an unsure gaze, as if pondering a thought…

"I'm sorry Washington, I didn't mean to wake you up. It's just…" Glaring at Alfred, Oregon scowled. "We have a visitor."

Becoming aware of Alfred's presence, Washington lifted her eyes to see who this 'stranger' was. Her stare wandered over Alfred, scrutinizing his golden blonde hair, his sparkling sky blue eyes, his stubborn Nantucket that was beginning to droop from the negative atmosphere….and she gasped.

"You're that man!" her statement startled everyone, Oregon quickly diving out of the way when Washington suddenly leapt over his head and landed on the carpeted floor, dashing to America's knees. With her tiny hands and small height, she was able to pull herself onto America's lap, and then stared into his face while America stared back with a stunned, yet amused expression. After a moment, Washington plucked the glasses off his brow, before nodding with a satisfied grin. "Yep, you're definitely him!"

"Um, Washington…" Oregon had regained his voice, after his sister's sudden outburst of energy, and was now looking at her with wide, distressed eyes. "Why…I thought you didn't like strangers…"

Turning back to Oregon, Washington's smile fell, her face becoming as stoic as Oregon's just a few minutes before. "That's true…but I've heard of this man. Remember those two guys, Lewis and Clark? They promised me that they'd come back, and bring their nation with them…our father."

Her face still expressionless, Washington gazed into America's eyes, the pools of green and azul drawing him into her hypnotizing gaze. With a blink of her eyes, the trance was dispelled, and Washington's pupils returned to their innocent, emerald green hue. Now alert with childish curiosity, Washington asked, "You are America…aren't you?"

America smiled at the little territory in his lap, and brought her into a gentle hug, cuddling the girl close to his chest. So open and welcoming…his joy soared when shy little arms returned the embrace, wrapping around his neck. Sighing, for at last he felt love radiating from his young territories, Alfred whispered "Yes. I am."

Later that evening, after the trio of territories lavished their father with the tales of their lands, of the misty islands that were shrouded with mystery and adventure, of mountains blowing their tops off and leaving behind a pristine lake, and of endless fields of golden glory, Texas finally entered the room with a surprised California close behind him. A bag teeming with apples wrapped around her shoulder. This was the moment America found out just how fond Washington was for apples; following California around like a little pup, the territory would say nothing while California prepared the apple pie, but her grin expressed unimaginable joy from just a peek of the lovely apples in the bag. Washington then proceeded to sigh and nearly faint from delight, before Texas caught the tiny girl in her fall and set her back on her feet. The large state told her to go play with her brothers while California baked the pie, but again and again, the territory would return to the kitchen, sitting down and watching California scurry around the room. After five attempts of driving the territory out, Texas finally gave up, and made Washington work in the kitchen instead, having her peel the apples much to her delight.

"If ya eat EVEN ONE of those red beauties, there'll be no pie for you! Got that, missy?"

"Yes sir!" Washington saluted, a confident smile on her face, no way she would mess this up!

So while Washington and California busied themselves in the kitchen, America, Texas, Oregon and Idaho chatted away in the living room the territories had been playing in before. The hour mainly consisted of America and Texas watching the two boys rough house with those horses again, and America was surprised to hear from Texas that Oregon carved those horses all by himself!

"Surprised me too, all the little fella did was come up to me an' ask if he could borrow my carvin' knife! I said no at first, but he then pointed out that there were no toys to play with in the house. And by golly, you can't have three kids in one house and NOT have any toys!" Texas said with a laugh, America chuckling with him.

"So true! It was a nightmare when I found out England had no toys in his house. That was a long time before he gave that soldiers set, but I was happy when he made it for me!" America's face fell at the thought of that old toy set. He couldn't believe he still had that in his storage room…

Soon the apple pie was ready, and everyone decided it'd be best if they ate the pie outside to watch the glorious sunset. Oregon, Washington, and Idaho wasted no time in finding the highest hill to sit on, while America, California, and Texas hung back and watched the three siblings cling to one another.

"You know," California began, her apple pie set to the side. "I can't help but wonder how long those three have been alone, with only each other for company."

"Considerin' how close they all are, I'd say it'd must've been decades. Poor critters. Can't imagine bein' by yourself in all that wilderness…" Texas munched on his apple pie, glancing at California's with a glint. "You gonna finish that, Ms. Sunshine?"

Without saying a word, California handed her slice to the eager Texas, who devoured the pie down in less than a minute. California sighed at her brother's table manners. "I wouldn't mind spending some time in a forest, as long as it wasn't with you."

"HEY! I take offense to that, Goldie!" Texas said through mouthfuls of pie, going so far as to call Lizzy by her unofficial nickname.

"Lizzy, Alex, knock it off! I won't have my states fight while I'm here!" Alfred said, finally fed up with the two rivals bickering. Their fights always reminded him of the war he had not too long ago…

Hearing their muffled apologies, America looked back up the hill at the three territories, the last one's he'd have for a while. So tiny and fragile to the outside world, the three children grasped each others hands in a sign of comradeship, their faces reflecting the inner bliss of just being together. The continent was filled with states now, these kids were the last of a dying race, soon there would be no more territories to claim. 'I guess I won't have anymore children after these three become states…' The sun in the distant mountains shimmered with the last light of day, and Alfred watched as the suns light began to fade from the sky. 'But hey…it was fun while it lasted. No country in the world has a family like mine.'

"No country in the world has a family like mine…"Alfred said out loud, briefly losing himself in his thoughts.

"Hm? What was that, Papa?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

Second chapter done! Other nations might be in the next chapter, stay tuned!

I guess you could say, this is a look into lives of the three states that were part of the Oregon Territory: Washington, Idaho, and Oregon

You also got a glimpse at California and Texas as well! Maybe not California so much, but you'll see more of her later on. ;)

Alfred is a bit…tamer in this story, because this was the time of his isolation. He didn't really mingle with the other countries until the early 1900's, during WW1. So until that time, I see him as more of a fatherly figure since he was finding so many of his children during this time period.

By the way, this is set around the mid 1800's, after 1863 because that's when Idaho became a territory, making him the youngest. No, people in Idaho DO NOT talk like babies, that's just Idaho when he's a kid.

Washington became a territory in 1853.

Oregon became a territory in 1849. Therefore he's the oldest of the three.

The tidbit at the beginning, talking about Alfred's trip over to California from Missouri is talking about the Oregon Trail, which was for a time the only way to reach the gold mines in California, and the farming lands in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. It was soon replaced with trains though, which was a much safer way to travel east and west.

Thanks for reading, and please review! Your input and ideas are welcome! THANK YOU to those who reviewed on the last chapter!