"We're closing in on them," Lincoln announced, an expression of such relief on his face that it was almost tangible. "Lee's a brilliant man. He'll soon realize the futility of his position."

"It's almost over," America breathed, leaning back in his chair, feelings matched to those of his president. "I don't believe it."

"Don't," Lincoln advised, running a hand through his graying hair. He looked so much older than he had only several years ago. How fast stress could age a man. "The fighting may be over, but the effects will last. This isn't something that will ever vanish or be forgotten with time. And there is much healing to do."

"I know," the young Nation agreed, glancing out his favorite window. "I know."

"Let us judge not…that we will not be judged."

~Abraham Lincoln

"I met you once before, General Lee, while we were serving in Mexico," Grant greeted, after shaking Lee's hand. "I have always remembered your appearance, and I think I should have recognized you anywhere."

"The war in Mexico," Lee smiled wistfully, letting his hand drop to his side. "It seems so long ago. Almost another life time, so many years have passed. But I remember our meeting, General Grant."

America watched and listened to the two as they reminisced over their time in Mexico, smiling and laughing together as if they were the best of friends. Union and Confederate, the very leaders of the troops that had so bitterly engaged each other mere weeks before. It warmed his heart to see them getting along so well. Able to forget their troubles of the past year, if only for a few moments. How America wished the rest of his people could be so resilient.

"As much as I've enjoyed reliving old memories, we have other business to attend to," Grant voiced after awhile, his reluctance evident as he dropped his grin, though his amiability remained. "President Lincoln wishes only that your soldiers lay down their arms. They may return home in peace."

Lee nodded numbly, a wordless agreement. "Tell him thank you," Lee brushed something from his eyes. "My men…would benefit greatly, if you would allow them to retain possession of their horses."

"Of course," Grant smiled back at him, his own eyes seeming to have gathered some form of debris. "Of course they can."

The two of them glanced to America then, waiting for his response to the happenings. He looked back at them with his signature smile, before speaking from his seat. "I speak for both Lincoln and myself when I say…all I want is for our country to be whole again. Back as it was before this whole conflict, but better for the struggles we've made it through. I want us all to get along again, as you both have. I want us to work together to rebuild."

"And to get America back on his feet," Grant added with a wry smile, sensing the Nation was done. And the three of them chuckled, even Lee. It seemed decades since America had laughed, an action that had become almost as forgotten to him as running.

"Let's see," Lee said finally, stepping forward to extent a hand to his seated country. When America reached for his crutches, Lee shook his head. "Without those. Something tells me you might not need them anymore."

With only minor hesitance, America took the hand of the man who had once been his "enemy". Not truly, no. There had been no enemy, only misunderstanding and division as he had said to Lincoln.

His feet felt odd beneath him, flat on solid ground. His legs shook and felt stiff, so foreign as he tried to shift into a better position. How would it feel to be able to walk again?

"Come on, let's test them out a bit," Grant suggested, slipping his hand around America's remaining one. "If you fall, we'll catch you."

"We've got you're back," Lee agreed.

America smiled, trying to convey all the happiness and gratefulness he felt in that one expression. No words came to mind, and so he simply nodded.

It was an indescribable feeling, both alien and familiar, new and old. He felt like a healed cripple, amazed and excited. But different. He was not yet completely better, not completely back to normal. Somehow he knew it would take years before he was able to walk casually and without thought again, able to run.

But it was a step, the first in the long path of reconstruction and acceptance. And he wouldn't have to do it alone. His people were behind him, even those who were unhappy with how the war had ended. He had people like Lee and Grant. And Lincoln. He wasn't alone, suffering on his own in his mind, lost and confused.

Not anymore.

Historical Notes: On March 4th, Lincoln took the presidential oath and delivered his second inaugural address. With victory certain, he encouraged tolerance, mercy, and reconstruction. He urged all Americans to let go of malice and work together to mend the damage and create a fair and lasting peace between the sections. Photographs were taken around this time to show how four years of war had changed him. He had become both gentle and steel-tough, both haggard and inwardly calm.

The Confederate troops around Petersburg could no longer withstand federal pressure. Desperately, Lee tried to pull his forces back to the Richmond and Danville Railroad at Lynchburg, but he was quickly surrounded by Grant's army. Richmond fell on April 3. With fewer than 30,000 men left to oppose Grant's 115,000, Lee acknowledged the futility of further resistance. On April 9, he and Grant met by prearrangement at Appomattox Court House. Lee was noble in defeat, Grant sensitive and forgiving, despite his tough exterior. That first line of his is a direct quote from my book. The two spoke of their time in Mexico, before Grant passed along Lincoln's terms. All they required was that the Confederate soldiers lay down their arms: they could return home in peace. When Lee hinted (he was "too proud" to out-rightly ask) that his men would profit greatly if they could keep their horses, Grant agreed to let them do so.

The war ended, costing the nation more than 600,000 lives, nearly as many as in all the other American wars combined. It also caused enormous property losses, especially in the Confederacy. Because of the destruction, many became bitter and hateful. Wartime conditions had generated corruption, materialism, and selfishness. Although their were many examples of charity, devotion, and self-sacrifice generated by the war, the effect overall from 1861 to 1865 on the moral atmosphere was bad.

Slavery was dead. After 1865, Americans tended to see the United States not as a union of states but as a nation. After Appomattox, secession was almost literally inconceivable. As Lincoln has expected, the northern victory encouraged supporters of republican government and democracy worldwide. A better-integrated society and a more technically advanced and productive economic system also resulted from the war.

"Abraham Lincoln took actions that had many people calling him a dictator; he suspended the writ of habeas corpus and jailed opponents of the Union with no trial and violating their rights. He raised an army without getting congress approval and took illegal action against the south by blocking its ports. Lincoln claimed the Constitution gave him the authority to do what was necessary to preserve the union." ~ courtesy of Yoly :]

So I guess Lincoln went about ending the war through some rather questionable means, but since it all worked out in the end, he wasn't thought of too badly for it. Such is the way of History. But in my mind, he just wanted to get the war over as soon as possible, because he saw what it was doing to America, and wanted to do everything in his power to stop him from suffering any longer. Even if it was not in his legal power. Yeah. I don't know.

I think we all know what's coming next chapter :/ I shall try and do it justice. I have it pretty much planned out, more or less. And I will not stand for it to be as half-baked as I feel these last two have been ' Going to go sleep now to ensure that.

just another fma fan: I wish there was a creative writing class at my school… Glad to improve your morning ^^

That's a neat idea, to celebrate children growing up. Thank you for clearing that up :] And a Japanese teacher, too. You're school actual offers Japanese classes o: That's beyond neat.

That's brilliant, and sounds totally like the kind of paper I would enjoy writing. But my History teacher would never go for it, since it's all of US History, and he'd much prefer a paper on the Salem Witch Trials or something of the like. Which is a fairly interesting topic…-reading the crucible now- So I think I'm going to go with the Japanese-American Internment camps. Though I had been toying with the idea on improvements in American-Japanese relations since the bombings, I'm afraid he might not take to that.

Thank you for the review ^^