A/N: Just some Papa America being overprotective of his state when the countries come around.

"Vhere is America?" Germany demanded, his eyes glaring over the heads of the countries before sighing in defeat, "I don't know vhy I even ask anymore... Alvays late..."

"Mr. Germany," The room dropped in temperature as Canada spoke, his bangs covering his forehead and his voice low but deadly, "please do not talk about my brother that way right now. It is very inconsiderate given the circumstances."

Germany frowned as he looked around the room and saw that a few of the countries were glaring at him as well. "Did somezhing happen in America?"

"You don't know?" England questioned, a bushy brow raised in disbelief. "If even the bloody frog keeps up with the world news, I thought you would as well."

"A volcano erupted in America this month," France said, confirming England's words, "America is taking care of his state, Hawaii."

Germany and the few others that didn't know looked shocked, this was the first time they had heard this news. Germany scanned the other faces, seeing Japan, China, and Spain.

"Should we be holding this meeting then?" Spain asked, standing up. "Shouldn't we go to see how they're doing?"

"I don't zhink zhat vill be a good idea," Prussia -for once- murmured. He had been visiting with America when the volcano erupted, he had seen the way it affected him... America wouldn't want anyone to see him in that way now.

Unfortunately, no one listened to Prussia and they FACE Family were too worried about their brother and wanting to see how he was doing to really consider how he would react. So Prussia was outvoted and dragged onto a plane with all the others.

The plane stayed away from the volcano for safety reasons, but the group of countries could still see the smoke in the distance when they landed on the island. England led the way to the house that the State of Hawaii lived in, knowing that America would be there as well.

It was a medium-sized house, but it looked cozy. A few of the countries weren't expecting it to be small, considering how big all of America's houses were. Was he neglecting his youngest state?

England pulled out the spare key from under one of the many flower pots on the porch just as a small scream was heard from inside. The countries unlocked the door and ran to the sound, soon crashing into a bedroom.

The room was different shades of pink and blue with flower stickers all over the walls. Toys were strewn haphazardly across the floor and stuffed animals were piled onto shelves. America sat on the purple bed, his body hiding Hawaii from them as he stood up.

"What are you all doing here?" He asked, his voice bordering on anger and his eyes narrowed as he looked at each one of them.

"We wanted to check on Hawaii," Russia smiled but it only caused America to scowl more.

"I don't have time for all of you! Get out, you're only making it worse for her!"

It was then that they caught a glimpse of Hawaii buried under her purple blanket... She was a small girl, around the human age of seven or eight, with tanned skin and midnight hair. While almost all the countries had visited this state many times while on vacation, they had never once been able to see the personification. Only a select few, hand picked by America, had seen her.

Hawaii started whimpering loudly, her small body squirming around on the bed. America turned back to her and knelt next to her, placing a gentle hand on her forehead, his face filled with worry and caring, something none of the countries had seen in him before.

"Shh, it'll be alright. It'll be over soon..." He whispered to her. Her honey brown eyes opened to look at him, before drifting past him and seeing the others. Her eyes seemed to lock onto Japan, suddenly trying to move backwards in bed as she started screaming in utter terror.

The countries were all shocked at first, not understanding why she reacted like that. Then it hit everyone at once... World War Two, the reason America joined the war. Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii with no warning.

"Leave," America commanded, barely sparing a sideways glare at them, "Now."

Prussia and Canada started ushering everyone out of the bedroom and back into the living room. Japan seemed to be in shock, not knowing that the state he attacked was so young. And that she still remembered him as the enemy as well. All this time, Japan had thought that he and America were friends... but he had never been introduced to Hawaii and was still viewed as a threat. Could it be that America had been lying to him all this time?

The other countries were thinking along the same lines, all sulking around the living room and waiting for America to show himself again. While they waited, it was made pretty clear that Hawaii was still in a lot of pain. She screamed and moaned and whimpered so loudly that they could still hear her from so far away.

"Don't blame America," Prussia suddenly spoke up. "He vas cold to us because ve suddenly barged into his sick child's room. Imagine back to when jou had colonies and zhey vere sick; jou vould have done anyzhing to protect zhem.

A few of the countries nodded in agreement, starting to chastise themselves for thinking so selfishly. There was a small child suffering in the other room but they all were just thinking of themselves.

They waited patiently after that, hoping and praying for the small state in the room. It seemed that God was listening because an hour later, the pained noises stopped. A little longer after that, America came out. 

"What are you all doing here? I thought there was a World Meeting today at Germany's place?" He asked. America looked awful... His shoulders were hunched and head slightly down, the bags under his eyes were even more noticeable by his too pale skin, and he had a slight limp when he walked. But even while looking like that, he still held himself with pride, his tired blue eyes still had a fire in them that seemed to scream for someone to challenge him.

"Ja, zhere vas." Germany nodded, "But ve vanted to check on jou and jour state."

America's eyes widened slightly as he suddenly turned his back on them and started walking to the kitchen that was connected to the living room, a light blush on his cheeks. "Oh?"

"How is Hawaii?" England asked, standing up from the sofa.

"She's sleeping," America answered as he poured himself coffee. A few of the countries cringed when they saw him start drinking it black, knowing that he only did that when he was overwhelmed by work. "It's the only time she gets to rest now, when she cries so hard that she passes out."

England stepped out of the way as America went back into the living room, forcing the younger country to sit in his spot next to France and Canada. America grumbled at first, but couldn't stop his body from relaxing as soon as he sat down.

He sighed as he took another swallow of his strong drink, "I just wish there was something more I could do... I have scientists crawling all around this place, and first responders are still evacuating the island, but I wish I could just lift a big rock and plug the volcano up..."

France and Canada patted his shoulders as the others nodded in agreement.

"How are jou doing, America?" Prussia asked, making everyone look at him. He stood in front of America with his arms crossed, Germany recognized the stance from when he was a child and the few times he was in trouble.

"What do you mean, dude?" America wouldn't look at him as his voice changed into a lighter octave, Canada seeing how his brother was trying to put on his normal hero front.

"Hawaii might be taking the full force of zhis pain, but she is still part of jou. Jou are in pain as vell."

All eyes were suddenly drawn to America's left leg, the leg he was limping on earlier. Under the pressure, America seemed to cave. He sighed and used one arm to roll up his pants leg to show that his knee down was seemingly burning by an invisible fire. A few of the countries, the ones that knew the pain of a volcano, knew what this was. The angry red skin that blistered and wrinkled, the way it seemed to get worse by the second, the way America's eyebrow twitched slightly as he finally saw his injury. The volcano was burning America as well as Hawaii.

"This is nothing, please don't worry about me." He ordered, rolling his pants back down.

"You git! How can we ignore that? Your bloody leg looks like it's been soaked in a fire for too long!"

"This is what's on her body, all over her... This is what she's constantly dealing with..." America looked down at his coffee, his eyes far away. "This is nothing compared to what's on her."

"America," Japan stepped forward, his eyes slightly downcast, "ret us help. Ret me make up for what I did before."

America stared at him for a second before smiling and shaking his head. "Don't worry about it, Japan. What you did was a low blow, but it's in the past."

"But-"

"I haven't been telling Hawaii about you, she only knows you because she saw you in her land during the attack. Hawaii wasn't even mine then, she was her own territory. She's seen almost all of you on her own and made her own assessment of you. What she thinks of you has nothing to do with me."

Those words hurt Japan even more, it was one thing if Hawaii feared him because of what America was telling her, but it was completely different if she feared him from her own thoughts of him.

America didn't know why he had said that while knowing that information like that can hurt more. Maybe he was just bitter, having old memories of Japan's betrayal of their friendship before WWII, Japan had given him and a few of his people medals of Peace and Friendship. He had hurt Japan enough already, but maybe it was just having Japan back in Hawaii with him for the first time in a long time... It just did something to him.

"Okay..." Prussia stepped forward, breaking the tension in the room. "America, vhen vas the last time jou ate? I can make us all somzhing."

"Thanks, dude, but I'm not hungry. You can all help yourselves to the kitchen though." America stood up, downing the last of his coffee, and went to put his cup in the sink. "I need to get back in with Hawaii. The ash from the volcano is making it hard for her to breath and she could wake up at any time."

"Alright," England nodded. "Do your people need help with anything?"

"Not just yet. There's nothing we can do while lava is still flowing." He sighed as he started walking back to the bedroom. "Don't worry, this is something I can handle. What kind of hero would I be if I couldn't even handle my own natural disasters?"

A few of the countries chuckled a bit and nodded as America went back to Hawaii. The FACE Family decided to stay behind and help out as best they could, whether it was making meals for the injured members of their family or cleaning around the house and yard. They stayed out of America's way as best they could, and after many assurances that they didn't need to be here, America finally caved and stopped fighting them.

He would never admit it, but he was grateful to them. They took care of the work he didn't have time for now, and it meant he could stay longer with Hawaii. But I guess that's what family's for, America thought with a smile as he saw France and England arguing about how to tend the flower beds, neither of them noticing Canada already finishing the work.