here to offer cake, then. And apologies.

smiles brightly. "Thanks! Cake definitely makes things better!"

can't help but smile just a little bit as well, nodding. "I didn't get you a gift, though..."

"It's okay! It's really just great to have you here."

"Of course. I wouldn't like it if someone missed my birthday." He frowns. "Is there anything you want?"

for a moment. "Well, I've heard that you are in to videogames. I've never really played any before, so maybe we could do that?"

"Uh... Are you sure you want that?" He doesn't mind either way. "I was going to take you out to the mall or something and get you what

you wanted."

straightens up. "Yes, now that I'm older I should be learning from my elders. I'm not a kid anymore."

"Well..." He chuckles a little, scratching his forehead. "I'm not... I can't be called an "elder". Not that old, you know. I'm still a kid

compared to everyone else. 'Sides, if you are older, it means you have to be more independent." He sighs seriously. "You have to choose your

own likes; don't follow someone else's."

ponders that. "Well, how did you discover yourself?"

... thinks that of all the questions she could have asked... that was the most inappropriate. "When I had my Revolution."

"I'm certainly not strong enough to revolt against Australia... there must be another way..."

"Ahaha... of course not. I didn't mean it like that. Like I said, start with something small. For example, choosing your own gift without

copying me." He smiles.

"Art supplies then...?"

pats her head fondly. "Yes, that works. Let's go then. Don't hold back. This is my treat, okay?"

grins up at Alfred. "Alright, then... oh, and I was wondering, have you seen Seborga lately?"

chuckles and leads them into the store, but shakes his head. "Seborga...? I don't even know what that is... that's a nation?"

nods vigorously. "M-hm, he's related to the Italy brothers."

"Oh... then probably not. I've been keeping to myself lately."

for a moment she has a knowing look in her eyes that doesn't befit her young body. "So I've heard..."

surprised at that. "You have?" Huh. "Who told you?"

looks away in embarrassment. "Well... nobody told me, I just sort of heard." (from eavesdropping, naturally)

... "I... see." He frowns, now he's going to have to recheck all his security cameras. "Well, uh... right, art supplies. Go ahead and choose

some."

picks out some brushes carefully. "Okay..." and after an awkward pause, "So, forget I said anything about Seborga, alright?"

blinks at that. "Why would I?"

turns tomato-red. "No reason, just... nevermind."

"Huh?" Now he's extremely curious. "Tell me," he demands.

looks like she might just faint or explode. "Um... well, it's really nothing... I-I dunno. Just a precaution I guess..."

"Precaution?" Now he's slightly worried. "He's not planning on declaring war with you, is he?"

"NO!" She laughs nervously. "Nothing of the sort! It's just... I scared your brother away by being obsessive..."

blinks.. oh right, she had that little crush on Mattie. "So wait, what does Matt have to do with Seborga?"

"Nothing at all... so, how about the weather?"

pokes her a little. He's not going down that easy. "It's the same as usual. Now, tell me."

"You have to promise not to tell anyone..."

nods. "'Course. A hero can keep secrets, after all."

"Okay, then." Cups her hands and whispers in Alfred's ear. "I think I might like him..."

's eyes widen in realization before he shakes his head and chuckles. "Ahh, is that so? That's cute. Good for you."

"Yes, it would be, if he noticed me at all..."

blinks. "Then... get him to notice...?" He never really had that problem, since well, he is the USA.

"That's easy for you to say, you're America!"

"Well... uh... then just go over to his house and get him to notice...?" He wasn't any good at this.

sighs, but then turns around with a smile. "Why am I bothering you with this anyway?"

chuckles and shrugs. "I don't really know. I'm hopeless with anything romantic..." He cringes at that, looking away.

puts a gentle hand on his arm. "You are not..."

surprised by the gesture and just sighs. "Yeah, I am. I haven't had time for it since I'm a superpower and all. It was a mistake."

"Nothing's a mistake!"

her a pained look. "I am."

"No you're not! I'm a-- well, I was a kid just three days ago, and even I can see that!"

refuses to believe it. "Prove I'm not. All I've done is make mistakes, ergo, my entire existence is one giant mistake."

"You're the land of the free! You went from a bunch of little colonies to the most powerful nation in the world!"

"Yeah, and? Anyone can do that if they tried hard enough, really." He shrugs, but inwardly, he's sort of proud of being called "the most

powerful nation in the world".

"Oh, please! Everyone HAS tried to be you, but it hasn't worked. Ever heard of Americanization? Everyone wants to be like you

but only you can be you!"

"I... I guess..." He shakes his head still. "But all that still wasn't enough..." Whispering, he clenches his fist. "It didn't really

matter in the end, did it?"

"What do you mean...?"

"In the end, even if I am America, I wasn't enough to keep him from l-leav-... Going away. So there has to be something I did wrong. So

I'm a mistake."

"There's always time to fix things you know! All the time in the world, actually... literally! You don't have to give up... and if you do

all the better! You'll be fine! There are people that love you and I know there are plenty of people who would have you be theirs

and would never think of leaving! But, the main point is you don't need to rely on someone else to be a whole and complete person!"

"I..." His eyes widen as he finds himself completely stunned at her words. Just absolutely stunned. "I don't... I don't believe there is

anyone else who'd want me like that... nations... we're fickle like that... But I guess you're right..." His eyes droop as he looks at the

floor. "It still feels like I'm missing my other half... as cheesy as that sounds.."

Her eyes fill with tears as she takes in his miserable expression. "I know you do! Of course you do! But, don't give up on yourself like

that... anyone would be crushed after what you went through, but if anyone can pull out of this, it's you! You are a hero, after all!"

... somehow, somehow feels a little bit better. For some reason, her words reach her like no one else's has. "You... you really think I

can?"

nods vigorously. "Of course you can!"

deflates again. "But it doesn't feel like I can. I'm just so tired lately and I don't even want to get out of bed... but I do because the

other nations will fall apart if the USA is idle.."

"It wouldn't be normal if you didn't feel bad... that's just human. But, you are more than human, and you definitely can pull through this."

sighs. "Sometimes I wish we weren't human so I wouldn't have to feel like this..."

"I can relate... sometimes I wish I wasn't human too, but then how would I ever see beauty, or feel friendship, or love?"

cringes at the last word, feeling absolutely weak and vulnerable. "I don't want love if it hurts this much."

"But, what about the good times?"

".... Remembering the good times only makes it hurt even more, because I know that they'll never happen again."

"They will too! People change all the time, nations change all the time! Things can't stay bad forever!"

"How can you be so sure...?" He feels really tired all of a sudden. "I don't think nations change that much."

"They do too! Look at you! But, you don't have to believe me now... someday you'll see. All I know is that heroes get happy endings."

better again... and at the same time, not so much. "Happy endings are only for movies. They don't come true in real life."

"Art mirrors reality, I should know that! Of course it happens in real life!"

sighs wistfully. "I really wish that were true... I'd give anything right now for it to be true. Anything."

"It is true, just you watch."

shrugs. "I guess I'll keep waiting for that to happen..." Now he's curious. "What were you saying about art earlier?"

goes into Artist-mode. "Art is a reflection of reality, of life as it is and ought to be... life as it can be. Art is possibility in a

physical form. Those movies you were talking about? Where did they get the idea of happy endings from? Fairy Tales. And where did they get

happy endings from? The only place things happen--- real life!"

"The heart of all inspiration."

Whoa. "I didn't... think about it that way... That people actually do have happy endings... I mean..." He sighs. "I believed it before, but

when... when he left, I lost faith in that... It really seems impossible."

"Well, you'll just have to find your faith again, wont you? Being down all the time wont help a thing! There's too many things in life

to let one bad thing ruin it all for you!"

"But... it wasn't just one bad thing. It was the worst thing that could happen... and that's saying something, when I've been in

wars before..."

looks sadly at the devastated nation. "Well, I didn't say it was going to be easy..."

"Then how is this going to work... It just feels like it'll never happen. I always have to distract myself, or else I get depressed. Which

depressing because I'm never depressed..." Sighing, he looks away, not meeting her eyes. "Do you think he's happier without me?"

"No, of course he isn't!"

glances at her wearily. "How do you know that? He left after all, so there must be a reason. Probably because he's happier without me."

"I doubt it's that simple..."

"I think it is. I said it before right? Who'd want a mistake like me?" He laughs bitterly.

"...you aren't a mistake. You make me want to spit fire every time you say that."

suddenly chuckles. "That would actually be kind of funny to see."

smiles up at him. "Well, it might just happen..."

"You should take a picture of it when that happens," he humours her. Then he gets an idea. "If I buy you these art supplies, will you draw

or paint me something?"

"Of course I will! That's sort of what I do, after all..."

"Great." Changing the subject for now, he looks back at the shelves. "Have you gotten everything you wanted?"

"Yes."

"Alright then, let's pay for them." He leads them to the cashier.

chuckles at the attempt and shakes his head. "Calm down, there."

follows.

carries the bags. "Did you want to eat out or...?"

"Whatever suits you."

shakes his head. "It's your belated birthday party. You choose."

"Hmm... I've never had American food before, how about you take me someplace all-American?

"

brightens up a little. It's rare people want all-American anything. "McDonald's it is.~"