Title: Dreams of the Future

Fandom: Hetalia: Axis Powers

Rating: K+

Warnings: Original Characters. Not beta'd. Use of human names.

Characters: Alexander Jones (New York State OC), Netherlands/Holland, cameo of Chirika Carriedo-Jones (Territory of Guam OC), mention of Benjamin Jones (State of Pennsylvania OC)

A/N: Another idea that came to me in class. IDK. Chirika and Ben belong to Khaos and Chesh respectively. Story based just after Sweden came and took Pennsylvania for New Sweden, leaving New Netherlands/New York all alone by himself. Colony!NY is so adorable, ohmygawhdsocuteIwantone. ;~; Enjoy!

Vader = Dutch for "Father"

"Vader, Vader! Vader, Vader!" A child's cries pierced the night, causing Netherlands to look up from his book. "Vader, Vader!" Small arms wrapped around his legs as bare feet scrambled against his own booted feet. A small boy hauled himself into the country's great lap, sobbing for his father.

"What is it?" Holland asked as his colony buried his face in the country's shirt. "Alexander, what's wrong?"

"I . . . I had a d-dream," the child sniffled, rubbing his runny nose against the sleeve of his nightshirt.

"Well, it was just a dream."

"But it wasn't!" The colony exclaimed tearfully. "There was a man . . . a man like you, but not. His hair was like this-" The small boy reached up to his caretaker's head and pulled the blonde-brown hair down to form bangs across the countries face "-with a tail in the back. He had eyes like the sky that hid from behind framed panes of glass. And he was always smiling. Like thish." The boy stuck his fingers in his mouth and pulled his cheeks apart in a wide faux-grin. "And he wore these black trousers covered with caverns with jagged edges. He could open and close them with a pull of a tab."

"Did he tell you his name?" Holland asked, playing along.

"He shared mine," Alexander replied seriously. "'Cept he had a different sur. He lived in a tower of glass and metal with a beautiful woman of chocolate hair and tea-stained skin. They were wed, 'cause they had rings. They took me from the tower through a lowered box which closed by itself! And then the man led me onto black streets boarded by hardened sand. There were these multicolored boxes that raced past us, and many people who were all different colors rushed by us constantly. Black and browns and tans. There were so many shades, and nobody was the same color! And the woman wore trousers, Vader, trousers!

"And then the man put me on his shoulders and he showed me buildings that touched the sky like his tower, made of the same materials. And he showed me a lady in green who lives in a harbor, and a great tower which he called his second name! And then he took me to a crater and he cried and said it was the saddest day of his life... my life. I told him I didn't understand and he smiled and said I would when I grew up! Then he took me and the beautiful woman to a darkened building and we were shown a huuuuge painting that talked and moved and told a story. We ate small clouds that tasted like salt and drank sweet liquid filled with air. Then I rode on his shoulders again, and he took me back to his tower."

"We rode in the box, up this time, back to that room of his. And then we sat on the couch and he watched more talking paintings... and then I fell asleep and woke up back here... It was so scary, and wonderful and amazing... what did it mean, Vader?"

The country stared at his colony. "You didn't get into my plants, did you?"

"No!" The young boy pounded his fists on the man's chest. "Vader, what did it mean?"

Holland stared at Alexander for a while. "I'm afraid I don't know."

"But you know everything!"

And for once the stoic Netherlands laughed; a deep, throaty laugh that reverberated in his chest. "I don't know everything. Far from it."

The little boy's face fell, his idol lowered somewhat in his eyes. "But... Vader..."

"I'm sorry, Alexander. It was just a dream, though. You should go back to sleep."

"B-But-" Tears pricked in sky blue eyes, "-it's lonely without Ben! I c-can't sleep well by myself... C-Can I sleep with you?"

Holland stared at Alexander some more. Finally, he sighed and stood up, one hand going to support the boy who looked so much like him, the other holding the book he'd been reading. Alexander buried his face in the nation's scarf, clinging as if for dear life to Netherland's jacket. When Netherlands lay down to sleep, the child snuggled close to his chest and was asleep within seconds. The great nation looked down at the small child who called him father and ran a hand through his ash blonde hair.

'What on earth did he dream of?' Holland wondered. What had been that strange land Alexander had seen, and who was that strange man who had guided him? The nation shook his head before settling down to sleep a troubled slumber.

-/-

Alexander Jones sat up in bed, breathing a bit erratically, blue eyes bleary with sleep. Beside him, Chirika stirred and after a moment sat up as well. "Alex? What's wrong?"

". . .I had a dream."

"About..?"

Alexander ran a hand up his face and through his light brown hair. "I dreamt . . . that myself . . my younger self, y'know back when I was a Dutch colony and lived with Vader Nederland . . . I dreamt my kid self came to the future and as my current self I lead him around . . . showed him the sights of New York and what he'd become . . . You were there . . ."

Chirika looked slightly confused. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Nah, babe. Just weird." Alex turned and wrapped an arm around his wife's waist, nuzzling her and showering her neck with butterfly kisses. "Felt like I'd dreamt it before."

"Mmmmm…" Guam leaned into his touch. "Maybe you have."

"Yeah, maybe."