My head spun from the unexpected movement as America was nearly instantly staring me down. His expression was dead serious and that honestly scared me. Not necessarily for my own safety, but the child. The last time I had seen him so serious he had practically ejected me from his life and took his freedom. This little connection set off little alarms. Little England was in danger. He was in danger and I needed to protect him. I needed to-

"England."

The grip on my shoulders tightened as he practically hissed at me. His voice unnecessarily and oddly quiet. My heart was pounding. My breathing shallowing. Muscles clenching as my eyes wandered to the staircase.

"Snap out of it."

My eyes locked with his as he shook me to gain my attention. However I'm sure it wasn't the attention he wanted as I was judging his 'threat level' along with the frogs. He was strong. No doubt about that. He was much more of a threat than the frog could ever be. I needed to find a way to at least stall him enough to get the child out of here. He needed to be safe. He was always top priority.

"I need you to fight this. I can't help you unless you do a little for yourself. Just put up a little resistance and then I can fix this. I can save you."

Save me?

"I don't need saving."

"Iggy, you're dying. You need help whether you believe or not."

"I do Not need saving from that child. He needs saving from you." My dull if slowly graying emerald gaze darkened.

"I am not going to lose you to this just because you're being stubborn." He glared back without fear. "That thing has no right to take you from us and I won't let it."

"And what right do you have to decide what is best for me, you selfish brat! He is my child. He is Mine and only I get to decided what he can and can't have. Only I get to decided what to do with him."

America gave a rather bitter laugh. "Selfish? I'm being selfish? You're the one who's being selfish. Just deciding to leave Everyone without so much as word. What did you think that everything was going to be just fine and dandy after- You can't just decide to kill yourself. What are your people going to do when you're gone? What are the other nations going to do? What am I supposed to do? What about me, dammit?"

"Since when have you ever cared about me? No one has ever given me a second thought. All I've ever gotten was betrayal. Pain. Unless they want something from me I might as well not exist at all and that includes you. What is the point of going on like I have been when everything just keeps getting ripped away from me? What's the point if I keep getting left? I may as well give the child a chance to fix all of this. He can do this country good and he won't be taken from me as well. He's all I have left and I won't allow you to touch him."

I shoved away, nearly falling due to my own unsteadiness as he seemed genuinely hurt by my spiteful rant. Good. If felt good to have some power back for once. He deserved it for threatening a childs life.

"I… I didn't… I'm sorry."

"America, don't listen to him. He isn't thinking clearly. He wouldn't be saying this if that leech wasn't around." France intervened with the same harsh tone as before. "We can't waste time trying to reason with him when he's like this. He's too far gone. The only chance he has is for us to get rid of it while it's premature. It's the only way now."

"No. I won't let you." I growled dangerously.

"America, I need you to keep Angleterre here."

"You are not to lay a finger on that child."

I turned my back to the stairs to stare both of them down. All self doubt seemed to be diminishing rather swiftly within the American.

I'll take care of it myself." France was then heading toward me or rather the stairs behind me.

I drew into a ready position. I needed to think of something fast. I needed to keep his safe. I- I needed to get to him. I turned to run. I only got two steps before I was yanked back rather roughly. France passed me and he took the stairs rather swiftly.

"Don't let him trick you. This is our only shot."

"France!"

I attempted to jerk out of the strong grip and follow him. I pulled several more times before I finally turned my attention to America.

"Let go of me! Can't you see what you're doing?! You're allowing him to kill a Child! You're killing a Child!"

I was breathing hard as I struggled and clawed at his grip on my arm. I could practically feel the frenchmen drawing closer to my child. He was in danger and I had to save him.

"He's going to Kill him! I thought you were supposed to be a hero! Do heroes in your country let innocent children be slaughtered like cattle?!"

"Arthur, stop it."

"You're the evil ones! Not me! No one good could ever allow this!"

"Arthur."

"I should have just let France take you that day! It would have spared me a lot of pain!"

"Iggy, please. You don't mean it."

"Why does my Child have to suffer?! Why can't you just leave me alone?! Why can't I have just a Shred of happiness?!"

"I don't want you dead!"

"So you'd rather I suffer?! Is that it?! You sick bastard! I-"

I faltered. America caught me, but I was hardly aware of it. Just the soft relief that seemed to wash away the pain for the briefest moment. He'd been found. My struggling reawakened full force when little England called for me. He was panicked.

"No! Let him go! Let him go!"

America easily held me back.

"Let go you git!"

He started pulling me toward the couch.

"We're just trying to save you."

"Just let me go! Let me go so I can help him!"

Another clash between the pain and relief. I was starting to panic myself as he screamed for me.

"He needs me! He's so scared! Let go! Let go!"

I kicked and fought as he pinned me. He winced at the once kick that actually seemed to do something, but other than that all of my efforts were in vain. He was still alive. There was still a chance that I could save him. He was waiting for me to save him. I couldn't just let him down.

"He needs me! He needs me! You can't do this! He needs me!"

No matter what I did I just couldn't throw him off. I couldn't get free. I was tiring and my struggles failing. My child was being murdered and I was going to lose it all. Again.

No. Not again. America practically flew off me when I set my hands on his chest. His eyes were wide and he hit the floor hard. I could feel the uncomfortable pressure that was already starting to build up. But I couldn't waste time. I needed to hurry. I was off toward the stairs before he could process what had just happened. However due to his endurance and reflexes he was quickly back up. I blindly lashed out as I started up the first steps. I didn't stop to see if he had dodged it or if it had made contact. All I heard was something, possibly expensive, breaking with a sharp snap. Upon reaching the top of the stairs I set another down with the same result.

Little pinpricks of pain and a much more thick cloud of sleepiness were making themselves known as I forced myself up the rest of the staircase. It took me far too much time to get to his room where I found France struggling with the child who was fighting for his life despite his injuries. I rushed forward.

"Get Off Him!"

The moment my hand made contact with his shoulder he was sent very roughly toward the wall where he hit with a solid thunk. He didn't get up like America had. I was never more grateful for force magic than I was right now. Quick and didn't take as much to cast. I turned my attention to the crying and whimpering child. He was bleeding and I needed to hurry. I needed to heal this. Healing spell. Healing spell. Think think. Come on you have to know at least one! I softly placed my fingers on the wound and he whimpered.

"Auxilio integro medeor. Confervo sana percuro colesco."

He took a firm hold of my shirt as the would slowly stitched back together. My head spun. Healing took too much energy and effort. I had to get him out before I had no energy to protect him with.

"Can you stand?"

He looked up at me with a tearstained face and nodded.

"Then lets go."

I took his hand and he followed without question. France shifted as I shut the door behind us. We moved quickly down the hall and toward the staircase. America blocked the path and I let go of his hand.

"When I tell you to run, you run and get as far from here as you can. Do you understand me?"

"Bu-"

"Do you Understand?"

He nodded and sniffled.

"Good. Find the Rights of the People Group and they'll help you."

With that I charged America. One hand gripping my wrist as I prepared for the expected kickback. America easily saw it coming as I swung. He caught my arm, but I didn't need to make contact to hit him. The eject was force magic. Defensive. Just to push away close foes. Not not cause pain. We shot off in opposite directions. Both landing on our backs though America did so more gracefully. But he was away from the staircase.

"Run!" I gasped and he hesitated a moment before racing for the stairs.

His steps were clumsy and loud. I forced myself up and squinted to try and see more clearly. America dove for my child.

"No!"

I swung my arm and knocked the air out of myself as much as I did America and my sight left me. I bit my tongue as the pain grew.

(Author note! This is where it changes!)

My little doppelganger screamed. I couldn't see a thing, but I knew I had missed and America had caught him. I nearly wasted my breath on screaming a curse as I rose as swiftly as I could. I could hear him whimpering and crying. I needed to do something. I needed to do something, but I couldn't see. I couldn't just fire off spells when I could risk hurting him.

"America, you let him go. This is between you and me. Leave the child out of this."

I had never spoken so darkly in front of the child before, not matter the situation and I was sure it was quite the shock to him. Hopefully he would find some form of comfort from my need to protect him. Hopefully he wouldn't be afraid of me after all of this was over. I don't think my heart could take it.

"Arthur."

He was scared. His voice was hushed like he was afraid of being heard. He was begging for my help again. He needed me. I needed to do something. I opened my mouth to speak but I was cut off. The loud, sharp snap of a gun going off made everything stop. Nothing happened for the longest time. It all seemed frozen. No one was breathing. No one was moving. It was silent. I listened for him. For my child. There was nothing. I couldn't sense him no matter how far I struggled to extend my own aura. All I felt was America and France.

"You Bastards!"

I let loose energy I didn't know I had at America.

"Who gave you the right to take him from me?!"

I lashed out at everything and anything. Any sound I heard or thought I heard I threw what I had at it. Items were breaking, things were shattering. Nothing was safe. I could feel a numbness starting to set in within my fingertips. Slowly it traveled up my arms.

"He was mine! He was the only one that I had! I wasn't alone anymore!"

A ringing in my ears was starting to form. I was feeling much warmer though it was a cool night.

"What did I ever do to make you hate me so much?! Why must I suffer?!"

All sense was lost. I just wanted to hurt them. I wanted them to suffer how I was. How he did. I wasn't sure if I had hit them at all. My head was spinning. There was a sharp pain that I was struggling to ignore. Then I met the hardwood floor. A soft buzzing numbness had taken form. I didn't bother trying to get up. I was done. I had lost my sight. My hearing was beginning to leave me. I couldn't move. My body couldn't keep up. I had used too much magic and my body couldn't take it. I gave in.