We had to switch cars halfway to the city. Something about needing extra protection in an 'international setting.' There were three guards in the car with us: two for America and one for Mattie. They basically ignored me, not even giving me a sideways glance. I guess they were used to other people hanging around the Personifications. Maybe there was some kind of etiquette rule they had to follow, and they weren't allowed to talk unless spoken to. I would have to ask America and Mattie about it later.

I took in the scenery, trying to keep my mind off the impending meeting. The traffic was terrible and, for a big city, all of the buildings were really small. There were monuments at every corner, and there seemed to be protesters on every other street. The city was probably more lively than I made it out to be, but I was too preoccupied with my own thoughts to notice.

The car dropped us off in front of a large, marble building. I didn't know much about American history, but I assumed it was important by how well kept it was.

"Now remember," Mattie whispered to me. "Everyone here isn't quite used to humans sitting in on meetings. Except for bodyguards and attendants. A few Personifications might. . . stare at first, but they don't really have anything against you. They're just-"

"Not used to humans, especially ones who break their number one rule. I got it," I huffed. "Honestly, you're making me more nervous than I already am. Just shut up and make sure I don't look like a complete idiot." He nodded, trying to give a reassuring smile.

"You'll do fine. I believe in you." When he opened the door, I was met with a wall of sound. There must have been hundreds of people in the room, all dressed in suits and fancy wear. Quickly, I could tell who were the Personifications and who were the guards. There seemed to be about one guard for each Nation, and they all wore sunglasses.

Only a few people stared, and most of them were guards. But there were a few Nations who looked my way. A man with near white hair gave me a slight glance. Another with auburn hair looked me up and down, sneering slightly. A guy with a scraggly blonde beard widened his eyes then shook his head sadly at me, giving me a wavering smile. I was one of maybe a dozen women in the room. These Nations all smiled at me.

I am ashamed to say I did not smile back.

I let Mattie lead the way, but I stayed by his side. I never walked behind him, keeping my head high and face blank. I learned from Allen how to seem confident in a crowd, even if I didn't feel like it.

We sat in a circular table, Mattie at my right and America at my left. I felt extremely uncomfortable, especially considering that I was the only human at the table; all of the guards stood lined on the walls. My palms begin to sweat, and I tried to keep my face as neutral as possible. I couldn't show weakness, especially not now surrounded by powerful, near-immortal nations.

At that point, almost all of the Representatives were staring at me. A few were obviously trying to avoid my gaze. Some gave me a small, pitying smile while others looked at me like a bug underneath their foot. But most just gave me indifferent, business-like looks. America stood up, back straight and face expressionless.

"I call this emergency United Nations of Representatives meeting to order. The first item on the table: a terrorist group by the name of the 'Anti League' broke into the home of four nations: the counterparts of America, Great Britain, France, and Canada. This occurred on November 15 at around 1600 hours Eastern Standard Time in the city of Montréal, Québec. A human girl, legal name 'Maelynn Bonnefoy" The entire table turned to the blonde man from before. France, as his name tag said, merely shrugged. "-was found to have been legally adopted ten years ago by the Nations in question. She discovered the terrorists that day in her designated living quarters and has been taken into custody by the Republic of Canada for her own protection. Maelynn, would you please stand to identify yourself?"

My mouth went dry, and I felt my heart hammer in my chest. I looked up at America, wondering where the bubbly, air-headed blonde had gone. No, this wasn't Alfred anymore. This was the true Personification of the United States.

Mattie squeezed my hand reassuringly, nodding at me. I stood up quickly, trying to smooth out my skirt. Just stare at the wall, girl. Pretend like you aren't in a room with the most important people in the world. I gave a small nod of acknowledgement, sweeping my eyes across the room. I sat down before I could make a complete fool of myself. I gave a deep breath, trying to calm the buzzing feeling in my chest.

"If I may ask," A voice to my right rang out. He had a snobbish accent, as if he thought he was better than anyone else in the room. His nametag said 'Great Britain.' I wondered why they had nametags in the first place. Surely they knew each others' titles by now. My cheeks warmed as I realized they were probably for me. "Why is the human girl sitting at the Nation's table? Surely she should have a separate seat prepared for her, being the guest of honour at this meeting." They way he said that last part sounded like an insult. My eye twitched and my mouth moved before my brain could process what I was saying.

"The human girl has a name, good sir. I should suggest that you use it." I could tell that I messed up because all conversation stopped. I think I heard a few of the attendants gasp. Both Mattie and America cursed under their breaths.

"Mind your tone, young lady. You are seated with some of the most important people in the world. Please act like it." I couldn't tell why, but I felt very bold at that moment. Nation or not, no one was going to talk to me like that.

"Frankly I don't care much about that title. Don't disrespect me and I will treat you accordingly." Mattie sighed, putting his head in his hands.

"Why are you always like this?" America quickly butted in before either of us could say anything else.

"Canada and I are perfectly comfortable with Maelynn sitting by each of our sides. Being her temporary guardians, she has a right to be with us. Besides, we don't want 'our guest' to feel alienated from the discussion." I was surprised by the professionalism America held, even though he was visibly upset. He kept his tone level, only narrowing his eyes slightly at the opposite Nation.

"Now, if we could please discuss the problem at hand without further squabbling." I heard laughter around the entire table, but I didn't understand why, though I was glad that the tension disappeared slightly. "This terrorist group is not a new one. They first emerged during the 1950s but became a large problem in the early 2000s. They are an international group, but their main bases are primarily located in North America."

"What have we done in the past to address this problem?" a woman said. Mattie spoke up this time, his voice quiet but strong.

"We've relocated a few Personifications to more safe areas, usually within an ally's or neighboring country's borders. The group appears to be targeting small Nations, States, and Provinces. We've noticed that the Southeastern Asian countries and the North American States and Representatives are at particular risk, as well as a few Central American Nations." There was lots of mumbling, and the Asian and Latino Nations seemed agitated.

"What are we going to do to combat this group? Will we take offensive measures against them?" Someone said. 'Republic of China,' I read.

"And who says we need to fight? Perhaps we could talk this out diplomatically. We could come to some sort of peace agreement. What are their demands?" Britain said, seeming to have completely forgotten me.

"What does it matter?" China retorted. "It's clear that they want us wiped out. They are specifically targeting Personifications. For power or from spite, the cause does not matter. We need to deal with them swiftly and without mercy."

"If we deal with this problem without forethought or negotiations, this will only end in misunderstandings and unwanted bloodshed," the Personification of Germany said. For some reason, I shivered. Mattie didn't seem to notice, but America gave me a sideways glance.

This entire exchange was dizzying. Their conversation ran in circles, and they spoke too fast for me to understand.

"Are we just supposed to compromise? Who's to say their demands are too high? And if we don't stop them by force, then they will never end their terror. We must crush this group before they do any real harm. They've already attacked the home of four Nations. Who's to say one of us isn't next?" There was mumbling of agreement around the table until someone spoke up. Israel.

"Those were 2P Nations, though. Was it really such a bad thing that their house was taken?" I raised a brow.

"What does he mean by that?" I whispered. Mattie stiffened, his face going pale. He avoided my gaze, and I saw him share a worried glance with America. I knew they were hiding something from me. America finally spoke.

"We'll tell you later." My eye twitched, but the conversation around the table continued. Slovakia spoke up next.

"What does that matter, though? If the Anti League feels comfortable enough to attack the house of our counterparts, then we are next."

"But think about it," Norway said. "Our counterparts have been our near enemies, save for a few," he looked at Mattie and another man at the far end of the table. "For centuries, if not millennia, they have aided in our downfall. Civil Wars," America flinched. "Rebellion movements. They represent all that is evil within our borders."

"We have been having this conversation before," I could barely understand the thick accent to my right. He had near white hair, reminding me of snow. "There is nothing we can do. They are immortal; we cannot kill them. And if we hurt them, we hurt us."

"Easy for you to say, Russia." Britain muttered. "Your counterpart isn't completely insane." A few of them nodded in agreement.

"Is he talking about Oliver?" I whispered. Mattie sighed, nodding. "But he's not," I paused, running a hand through my hair. "Okay, so maybe he is a little crazy. But he's not really dangerous, is he?" Britain turned to me, narrowing his eyes. Suddenly, I felt like pissing him off wasn't the best first move.

"And what about you, Maelynn Bonnefoy? You've lived with them for a decade. Illegal adoption. Do you know your situation goes completely against our rules as Personifications?" I gritted my teeth.

"I've been told."

"And how old are you? Fifteen?"

"Seventeen," I tried not to glare at him, trying to keep my voice professional. I could tell I was failing my miserably.

"So were raised by the 2Ps. For how long?"

"Twelve years."

I see. And would you say that you are loyal to them?" I raised my head high, confident in my answer.

"Of course. They're my family. I would do anything for them." Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say. Chaos ensued, and everyone began shouting in languages I couldn't understand. A few people even began to throw things like notepads and pencils. My eye twitched. America laughed nervously. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Yeah. It's always like this."

"What did I say?" America rubbed his neck, not meeting my eyes. "Alfred?" He didn't say anything for a while, then he sighed.

"Look, Lynn. What you don't quite understand yet is-"

"Enough!" A military-like voice screamed. I jumped, and everyone went silent. It was Germany that had spoken up, and he looked like he was about to punch someone. Even from far away, I could see a few veins bulging in his forehead. "We must settle this diplomatically. We are Nations. We need to act like it." He took a deep breath. "Now, I believe we should take a ten minute recess and discuss the topic of illegal adoption afterwards. You are all dismissed."

Well, that was fast. I looked at the clock. We had only been in the meeting for half an hour before all hell broke loose.

Immediately, all the Personifications got up and headed out the door. Mattie put his hand on my shoulder, looking completely worn out. He turned to America, shaking his head.

"America, I think we should tell her." He nodded.

"I know." I raised a brow, looking between the two.

"Tell me what?" Mattie pointed out the door.

"Come on. We only have ten minutes. I know a place we can go." America turned to me, a strange look on his face. "Lynn, there's still a lot of things you don't know. We tried to keep you in the dark to protect you, but I don't think that's possible anymore. Let's just talk about this in private." He tried to grab my hand, and I quickly pulled it away. I narrowed my eyes, stepping backwards in instinct.

"Don't touch me." I turned. "America what's going on?"

"Look. I'll explain everything. For real this time. But right now, I just need you to take my hand and trust me."

For a minute, all I could hear was the hammering in my chest. Blood rush through my ears, and my hand twitched. My breath quickened, and for some reason, his words seemed to trigger something in me, like a memory long forgotten.

Suddenly, I wasn't there anymore. I was looking at a different America in a different place. He was dressed in a bright, blue military suit, brown staining his uniform, holding his hand out to me.

"What?" Vision America gave me a sad smile, but also one filled with hope.

"I just need you to take my hand and trust me. Can you do that for me, please?"

My mind jerked, and I was back in the meeting room. America still held his hand out to me, the hopeful expression still on his face. I didn't know why, but I knew it was the right thing to do. Closing my eyes, I took his hand in mine, holding onto him tightly.

"Let's go."

••••••••••

"Okay, what's going on? What are you two talking about?" Mattie turned to America, and he raised his hands in surrender.

"What? I wasn't going to tell her. You're her country and all." Mattie gave him an, albeit pathetic, glare. Nevertheless, America sighed, rubbing his neck.

"Look, Lynn. Some of the Personifications don't really have the best relationship with their 2Ps. By nature, the 1Ps and 2Ps are almost always polar opposites. During Civil Wars, they often take opposite sides. Allen," he gulped, his voice lowering. "Well, he eventually became the Personification of the Confederates during the War Between the States." My mouth went dry.

"But he's from New York. Why would he ever-"

"We were different people back then, Lynn. He's changed a lot over the years." He shook his head. "But that's how it's been for millennia. Personifications of the same territory end up fighting with each other, trying to end the other and gain power. The first time, after all the treaties are signed, they usually make up and work with each other again. But after so many times of fighting, there are just some things that compromises and peace treaties can't heal. Do you get what I'm saying?"

"A bit. But you're still Nations of the same country. Don't you have to work together, or something?"

"Not necessarily. We tried doing that a while ago. It didn't work. There was too much fighting. Countries were torn in half and citizens were choosing sides. It wasn't pretty. Eventually we just agreed to leave each other alone. We wouldn't get in each other's way or try to fight. We just went our separate ways for the good of our countries. Some of us haven't made contact in decades."

I paused, letting it sink in.

"That's so fucking stupid." America gaped at me, his eyes bulging.

"Maelynn," Mattie whispered.

"No. It is. So what? You're just going to pretend like the 2Ps don't exist just because you've fought in the past? That's just running away from your problems." I rolled my eyes, hearing a bell go off in the ceiling speakers. "Come on. The meetings about to start."

Mattie and I just left America there to gape for a while until we eventually heard him running to catch up with us.

"So wait. You're not mad at us for not telling you?" My eye twitched.

"Oh I'm pissed. More than pissed." I heaved a sigh. "But right now, I've got other things to worry about." The Nations would question me about my past and about the 2Ps. They would try to pick apart everything about me. I could tell some of them already hated me just for being in the same room with them.

But I would have to forget all of that and stay strong. I set my jaw, eyes staring forward, pretending like I was ready to face the world. Because at that moment, I had no choice but to do just that.

••••••••••

"What is the full name that your adopted family gave you?"

"Maelynn Bonnefoy."

"Why did they give you that last name?" I shrugged, trying to calm the pounding in my ears.

"We live in a French province. It helps be blend in better, I guess."

"I see. And who were your guardians?" I rolled my eyes. We'd been over this at least a million times already.

"Matt Williams, Allen Jones, Oliver Kirkland, and François Bonnefoy."

"And how exactly did you fall into their care?"

"What do you mean? They adopted me."

"Yes, but where from? At what age? Do you remember anything about your biological family?"

"I was adopted in Toronto. At least that's what the papers say. They didn't know my exact age. I was about five or six years old, I think. And I don't remember anything about my birth parents."

"You remember nothing from before you were adopted?" I grimaced.

"Bits and pieces of it. A few hazy faces. A couple memories that never made sense to me. But nothing really concrete, no."

"Alright. And how did they treat you? The four men, I mean." I pursed my lips.

"Good. I mean, I guess they were like any other set of brothers. They used to tease me a lot, especially as a kid. Well, that was more Allen I guess. But they were good. Taught me how to cook, helped me prepare for my first day of high school, helped me find my first job. They," I felt a lump in my throat. I shut my eyes, putting my head in my hands. I took a deep breath, opening my eyes with a fiery passion. Luckily my tears didn't spill.

"I see. If you feel like any of this is too much for you, please tell us and we can call a recess." I shook my head, my lip twitching.

"No. I'm alright."

"Then if you'll allow it, I would like to ask a few more questions." I nodded. "You said you were adopted in Toronto but now live in Montreal. Are there any other places you have lived before?"

"Yes. We used to move around a lot. I remember we always had our suitcases packed, just in case we suddenly moved. We lived a lot in Nunavut for a while. Matt had a couple of cabins up there. After I was about ten, we moved down south to some of the bigger cities. Before, we kind of just lived in isolation. We moved to Montreal the summer before," I tried to remember. "Just before I turned thirteen."

"Did they tell you why they moved around so often?" I shook my head, narrowing my brows.

"No.They never told me. They were just like 'hey, we're leaving now,' and we left," My voice went low, thinking out loud. "For a while, it almost seemed like they were running from something. Or someone.

"I see. And can you describe the men that you lived with, please." I let out a huff of air.

"Well, Oliver was always cheery. He was never caught without a smile. I remember that he was the one that taught me how to cook from a young age. He was never outside the kitchen." I grimaced. "François, on the other hand, almost never came out of his room. He never talked much, except to cuss at us or order us around." I thought for a moment. He was actually the one who taught me how to smoke. "Allen and Matt were more like real brothers to me. Allen was always messing around with me. Teasing me about my hair or my clothes or my choice of friends. But he wasn't all bad. Just annoying. And Matt," I shook my head. "I was closer to him than anyone else in the world. He was always with me. Always making sure I was okay and cheering me up on a bad day. He and I were practically glued to the hip. We always had to deal with our three other idiot brothers, and we kind of bonded over it."

At that point, the tears had started up again, and I let them flow freely. I covered my mouth, trying not to sob. I didn't even notice that everyone in the room had gone quiet. I missed them so much. No matter how annoying or a pain in the ass they were to deal with, I loved them. And I couldn't bear knowing that I might not ever see them again.

By the time I had calmed down, I noticed that everyone was staring at me. My cheeks began to heat up, and I turned away from their gaze. Mattie and America just sat there wide eyed at me, and I thought I saw Mattie give me a pitying smile.

"I believe that's all we need to hear. Thank you, Maelynn for your words and your courage. Canada, would you please lead her out of the room while we reach a decision?" He nodded, taking my hand in his. I gave a last sweeping look across the table, trying to put on my most indifferent face. I turned to the door, keeping my head held high.

"That was really brave of you, Lynn."

"How so?"

"Not a lot of people could go stand up in a meeting full of two hundred and fifty nations and speak up for themselves like that. It took lots of guts." He chuckled. "Honestly, I think Britain was scared of you by the time you got through with him." My mouth dropped open.

"Really?" The high and mighty British Empire afraid of a human girl? Unbelievable.

"Oh yeah. To be honest, I wouldn't blame him. You looked pretty. . . amazing in there, to say the least. Like you could fight all of them to the death, all at once. With words or with brawns. It was incredible." My face flamed up.

"Thanks, I guess. I was just trying not to piss myself in there."

"You did better than that. A lot of them have definitely gained a lot of respect from you." He let me sit down in a private room. "I have to go. They're going to make a verdict soon."

"How long will that take?" He let out a long breath.

"Don't know. Sometimes it's a few minutes. Others, they can go on for hours. It really just depends. But America and I will come back for you right afterwards. I promise." I gave him a shaky smile, nodding.

"Thanks." He returned the gesture, silently closing the door on his way out. That gave me all the time in the world to think about everything that had just happened in the meeting room. Honestly, I just wanted to curl up on a couch and sleep. Or cry. Probably both was best.

So I decided to do just that. But I was pretty dried up after the meeting. I tried to let the tears come, but they never showed up. Heaving a large sigh, I just kept my eyes shut and waited for the world to fade to black.