Author's Notes: So, it's really late (as far as time goes...I should go to bed) but I'm posting this anyway because it has been sitting on my computer for a few days (beta-ed and everything) and it's about time I put it up.

Everyone let out a "whoop whoop" for Capt. Hasting and his amazing beta-ing powers! XD

Disclaimer: I don't own Axis Powers: Hetalia.

Casey (Washington DC) belongs to RubberChi.

California (Ashley) belongs to Chika.

Michael (New York) partially belongs to YoriMei (I be stealing some personality traits from his/her awesome OC Crystal [New York]).

Marcus (Washington) belongs to the Deadly Brothers of Doom.

Northern California = Andrew (for this story there are indeed two Californias)

Oregon = Jacob

Hawaii = unnamed (any ideas?)

Alaska = Ethan

"I'm sorry, what did you just say?" the red head across from Washington DC asked.

"You heard me Michael, I want you to tell the Pacific States that Dad is missing."

New York glared at the stone faced blonde before him. Who did Washington DC think she was anyway? Ordering him to tell the other states that Alfred was MIA. It wasn't his job, plus she could do it herself. Or not at all, for all he cared. They would probably be better off not knowing anyway.

When he really thought about it though, he'd want to know if something like this was going on. He had only just found out that Alfred was still missing but he was trying to hide his shock. It was really disturbing to know that his scatterbrained father still hadn't shown up; however, that didn't mean it was his job to tell the younger states.

"No way. Not my job. Find someone else." he said, turning his nose up.

"Stop being a drama queen."

"I am not a drama queen!" Michael exclaimed, his voice raising a couple of octaves.

"Says the guy with a Broadway addiction."

"You wouldn't understand!"

"You're right, I wouldn't but we're getting off topic. You are telling them because I said so and I am the Capital. Plus you need to start acting your age."

"You need to start acting your age." Michael mimicked in a nasal voice.

Casey rolled her eyes. "The younger states look up to you Mike and they need you to tell them."

"Why me? Why not send...Massachusetts or something?"

"Caroline has other things to worry about. Now look, you're one of the best known out of all of us and you command a lot of authority, whether you think so or not. They'll listen to you. Plus, it is your job as one of the oldest states."

"Fine…I'll do it. Who do I have to tell again?"

"The Pacific States, you know, Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington."

New York groaned and buried his face in his hands. Why did it have to be them? He could probably handle four out of the five states.

California, on the other, hand was a whole other problem.

It was the only state that had been given two representations instead of one (unless you counted the Dakota Twins, which he did.).

Northern California wasn't so bad, it was his younger sister, Southern California, that really pissed Michael off. Ashley was almost your typical dumb blonde. She wasn't particularly intelligent, enjoyed tanning more than the average person should, and she would spew celebrity gossip whenever she had the chance. She also liked to brag to New York about the "wonders" of Hollywood. They would argue constantly over which was better, Broadway or Hollywood. It was not an activity Michael liked to engage in, mainly because Ashley's arguments never really made sense and because the normally pleasant Northern California would back her up.

Andrew was a good kid; smart, well read and, as an added bonus, wasn't Southern California. Anyone who wasn't Southern California was good in New York's book. Pennsylvania constantly teased him, saying the only reason he didn't like Ashley was because he was jealous of her. That was just stupid. How could he, the most famous state, be jealous of someone like California? New York was a great state, he had awesome baseball teams, dashing good looks, and the city with the highest population in the country. In addition, the ladies loved him (How could they not? Just looking at himself gave him butterflies).

"Don't complain." Washington DC's voice snapped New York out of his thoughts. "You need to start getting along with Ashley, now is not the time for the two of you to be fighting."

Michael sighed, "Yes, mother."

"I told the Pacific States they have a meeting with you at six o'clock this evening in Los Angeles."

"Well, it's not like I can make it." He tried to keep his tone even but on the inside Michael was jumping for joy. There was no way he could get to Los Angeles by this evening nor could he catch a flight on such short notice.

"You're not going to get out of this that easily. I've booked you a flight. It leaves in a little over an hour."

"WHAT? What if I said I couldn't make it because I have…plans?"

"You don't have "plans". I checked your schedule." Casey smirked as she pulled out Mike's smart phone from her pocket.

"How did you—give that back!" New York demanded, snatching his phone from her hands.

Washington DC smiled. "Now then, you'd better hurry if you want to get to your plane on time."

"I hate you."

"I know. Have fun!" Casey offered him his plane ticket as she pushed him out the meeting room door. If he had known in advance how their meeting was going to go he would have skipped it entirely. What was the point in him telling the Pacific States? Ashley would call him a liar and start another argument and the rest of them probably wouldn't believe him either. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to tell them all "true stories" about the horrors of his sewers. It had been funny to get them believing his tall tales in the pastbut now it was coming back to bite him the ass.

Michael glanced at the plane ticket in his hand. His flight was at 2:45 pm. It was 1:30 pm now which meant he had to get going or he was going to miss the flight. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing but it would really annoy Casey, something he didn't feel like doing right now. The arrival time was expected to be 5:16 pm, according to the ticket. That was really cutting it close considering he had to meet the others at six.

Once he was outside, Michael got to work hailing a taxi. He glanced at the inconspicuous building he had just left. Although they were arguably some of the most important people in America, he and Casey hadn't had their meeting in a very fancy place like the meeting room in Alfred's house. It was obvious that Casey wanted to keep everything on the down low and New York could respect that. It would be chaos if anyone found out about anything that was going on, especially the president.

They would have to tell him soon but Casey was probably waiting until all the states had been told first. Once they did tell the president, there wouldn't be much he could do except try and hold things down until they found Alfred. One wrong move and the whole country could be turned upside down. With Alfred gone they would all be more prone to fighting so it would be a strain for all of them to try and remain peaceful towards one and other.

Washington DC had warned him of this earlier in their meeting and it scared him a little. Sure, they got into arguments all the time but they were never serious arguments that affected anything. Casey had explained that if would be like functioning on a bad night's sleep; their tempers would be short, their emotions would be harder to handle, and they would all feel a little tired.

Personally, Michael didn't think that was so bad compared to how his dad would probably be feeling. He remembered at their earlier meeting with the Thirteen Originals, New Jersey and Pennsylvania had explained how Alfred would be in a considerable amount of pain if he was separated from his country for too long. It was likely that he was just beginning to feel it, just as the states would being to feel their own symptoms.

Now that he thought about it that was probably why it was so crucial that he told the Pacific States now, any later and arguments much worse than those of their pasts would start and they would have a lot more problems on their hands. By catching it early he could explain to the Pacific States without upsetting them too much.

"You gonna get in or what, buddy? I'm not gonna wait around forever."

Michael blinked and stared at the yellow car on the road next to. He had forgotten that he had been trying to get a taxi. He climbed into the back.

"Sorry. Dulles International."

"Aww, how nice. Goin' on a trip? Where to?" the cabbie asked without turning around.

"Los Angeles." He replied with a frown. It always unnerved him when cabbies tried to make conversation. He didn't dislike them but they always made awkward small talk and there was no point to those kinds of conversations.

"The Golden Coast. Got a sweetheart out west?" In the review mirror Michael could swear he saw the grizzled man wink. He snorted.

"More like a pain in the neck."

"Things not goin' good for the lovebirds?"

"I'm visiting family actually."

"Ah yeah, family can be pain. I should know I'm Italian." The cabbie chuckled at his joke butMichael had stopped listening as the man droned on about his doubtlessly boring family.

With a family like his, everyone else's just seemed dull in comparison. He swore half his siblings suffered from some type of psychological disorder and the other half were probably on drugs. It was a bit of an exaggeration but sometimes, that's what it felt like.

He spent the rest of the taxi ride in deep thought while the cab driver continued on with his grievances. Michael was still sure that Alfred had been kidnapped and that it was by someone he knew well and trusted. This was exactly the type of mystery he loved to solve, he just wished the person who had been kidnapped was some normal person instead of his father. This was one puzzle he had to solve.

So far the only person he had well and truly ruled out as a suspect was Canada, and that was based on what he knew about his uncle. The quiet nation to the north was not the type to be kidnapping people, especially not his brother. It was obvious that Alfred got on Matthews nerves a majority of the time but the two were on good terms for the most part. They had meetings twice a month to discuss a variety of issues. From what Michael had heard, lately they had been discussing the difficult economic situation as well as the war in the Middle East.

That had always been a tough subject for New York. He would never forget the day those men from the Middle East had attacked him. It had been one of the most painful experiences of his life.

They would never have his forgiveness.

Virginia and Pennsylvania could relate but they had begun to move on, much like Alfred had. For whatever reason, Michael couldn't let it go. The scars would always be there. For months after, he and the people of New York had been stuck in a dreary, gray world. They were all scared. Why them? What had they done? What if it happened again? That last question was one Michael asked himself everyday. What if it did happen again? Security had certainly improved since 2001 but there were no promises that something like that wouldn't occur once more.

He liked to think that the attacks hadn't changed him too much but that was just a lie he told himself. September 11, 2001 had changed him forever. Suddenly, the planes flying over head weren't just planes, they were enemies. Michael tried not to let it show but he had become paranoid. Everyone could be a threat. The growing crime rate in many of his cities hadn't helped his pessimistic view. The streets weren't safe and there seemed to be nothing he could do.

"Here we are. Dulles International."

New York shook himself out of his thoughts and pushed a wad of bills into the cab driver's outstretched hand. As he walked into the large airport he tried to keep calm. He hadn't been good with airports or airplanes since the attacks on the Twin Towers. Over the past few years he had defeated his debilitating fear of airplanes to the point where he could fly regularly without worrying about panic and anxiety attacks. That didn't mean that he enjoyed this mode of transportation but he was able to do what he needed to, even if it meant getting inside one of the flying death traps.

Michael couldn't help but feel awkward by his lack of luggage as he moved through the busy building toward the security check point. This was the one part of the airport he actually liked; it was the part that made sure something like 9/11 never happened to anyone else.

He would gladly wait in line for ten minutes just so he could remove his jacket, shoes, and other miscellaneous items from his person to be scanned. He would walk through the metal detectors with joy and even stick around to let them pat him down so everyone could be certain there was no way he could put other passengers in danger. He could continue on with his journey toward the terminal with a sense of ease in knowing that every passenger was put through the same process.

After he had made it through security and thanked as many airport personnel as he could for their efforts in keeping the airport safe, he made his way toward the gate where his flight would be boarding. It took a little cardiovascular effort on his part but Michael was able to catch his plane in the nick of time. He settled into the economy class seat (not his ideal seating arrangement but it would have to suffice). When the plane finally reached it's cruising altitude Michael allowed his mind wander to pleasant places far away from the cramped aircraft he would be spending the next several hours on.

It was then that a baby began to cry.

Los Angeles, CA.

It was 6:15 pm and New York was late.

Alaska grimaced at his watch, it wasn't like New York to be late. Michael was always a city boy, occasionally a drama queen, and often a troublemaker but he was never late. Ethan sincerely hoped he wasn't having flight trouble. Michael didn't think anyone noticed his anxiety over flying but Ethan had seen it in the few times the older state had come to visit him for meetings. He hoped he would arrive soon or else the meeting room he was currently in would probably go crazy.

Accompanying him were his siblings who were also classified as Pacific States. They all sat at a round table with only one empty spot reserved for New York. On his left was Washington, who considered himself to be one of Ethan's closest friends. Marcus and he were relatively close but Ethan wouldn't classify them as best friends. He couldn't shake the sensation of feeling on the outside when it came to interacting with the continental states.

By most definitions, Ethan and Hawaii were still young, new states. Both of them had only been given statehood about half a century ago and, consequently, found it difficult to make their way into an already established family. The pair would always stick together when it came to family functions.

Hawaii sat on his right, next to Southern California. The Aloha state was currently trying to prove that his beaches were superior to the iconic "Golden Coast". Neither of the Californias took this well and were ganging up on him to demolish the idea Hawaii had in his mind.

From what Ethan could tell there was no reason for California to have two different representations. It wasn't that big of a state (by his standards) and had never been two states in the past yet, somehow, California was made up of the twins Andrew and Ashley. There was only one other set of twins in the US and they were the Dakotas who had gained statehood on the same day during the same year.

When it came to looks alone, the duo was a polar opposite from Alaska. Where the twins had blonde hair and blue eyes, Ethan had black hair and lavender eyes (a trait from Russia that he hated). Ashley and Andrew were obviously of European decent while Ethan could easily trace his features back to the Inuit and native people of his land.

New York's empty chair was next to Andrew. Oregon sat in the chair nearest to Washington. He was only sates that stood a chance of imposing order if the argument going on next to Ethan escalated. Unfortunately, the brunet was absorbed in a stack of documents he had brought with him and probably wouldn't be of much use. Everyone knew that once Oregon got reading it was near impossible to pull him out of the world of words.

Washington was testing this theory by balancing various objects on their brother's head. Marc could be a bit of a firebrand but he wasn't the worst. There were many states that easily outdid him in the category of "most annoying". So far he had managed to get a pen, an apple core, and someone's shoe to stay nestled in Oregon's hair. Marc nudged Ethan with a giggle and pointed to the comical sight. Suddenly Jacob tilted his head slightly forward causing everything on his head to fall into his lap.

"Ok, whose dumb idea was this?" he demanded, gesturing to the assortment of objects resting on his knees. The room went quiet. He fixed a piercing gaze on each of the states before letting his eyes rest on Washington.

"Don't give me that look. It wasn't me." Marc exclaimed. Ethan wished his brother could see how horrible a liar he was.

"Are you suggesting it was Ethan then?"

Alaska's eyes widened and he attempted to defend himselfbut his terrible stutter imposed his ability. "It w-w-wasn't, it wasn't me." His plea went unnoticed as Washington found someone else to blame.

"Uh…no. It was, uh, Andrew!" Washington pointed dramatically at Northern California

"Was not, you big liar! Just ask, Hawaii. Ashley and I have been discussing the merits of our beaches with him."

"More like bragging about your beaches." the Polynesian state muttered.

"Like, what was that?" asked Ashley.

"Nothing. Nothing. Anyone know when Mike is gonna show up? He's almost half an hour late."

Jacob looked at his watch with a frown. Clearly Ethan wasn't the only one concerned for New York's whereabouts.

"That's weird. He's never late."

"I know! Mikey is totally a—" Ashley was interrupted by a loud commotion going on outside the meeting room. The door swung open and New York strode while murmuring about "damn flying death machines" and "unhelpful Californians". His face looked drained which only offset the shocking mop of red hair atop his head.

The Pacific States watched in silence as New York sat down in his designated seat and began to pour himself a glass of water from the provided pitcher. When he downed his third glass he smiled.

"Hello everyone."

The Pacific States greeted him in unison.

"So, Mikey what the big deal?" Ashley asked.

"Yeah Mike what's going on?"

"Why did D.C. Want us to meet up with you?"

Suddenly the room was filled with voices inquiring about the mysterious goings on. New York tried to quite everyone down so that he could explain but it didn't help in the least. Finally he lost his temper.

"If everyone could just SHUT UP, I'll explain!"

AN: Hope you enjoyed that. Let me know what you think (if you feel so inclined, and I hope you do) in the reviews. :)