So, I guess this is the end to a wonderful adventure and sorry if it's a bit long. I was saving the back story of her family for the end so for those of you who were confused, now you'll understand. It's a little sappy so I hope you have enough pancakes for it. Enjoy!

I climbed onto the empty subway car, managing to find a seat as the doors shut. It had been like this every morning now that I had a job at the Embassy. I had to get there early and always caught a subway car that happened to be empty. Sometimes there were stragglers in my car, but that didn't happen often.

But today I wasn't going to work. I was headed to Dr. Jess. She had scheduled another appointment because she thought we had made progress.

As I arrived there she waved me into the bulky and ugly chair. I crossed my legs and she smiled.

"How have you been?" she asked sweetly.

"Good. The nightmares aren't that bad anymore and I've been doing that thing you asked me to do with the journal." She nodded. Dr. Jess scribbled something on her notes. I had seen it a million times.

"Now that we're past your adolescent years how about we go into adulthood and maybe the end of high school." I froze.

"Well, when I turned sixteen, as I told you, my grades were great, but they went downhill when I turned seventeen."

The doctor folded her hands in her lap. "And why is that?" This is what I wanted to avoid. But it couldn't be. Every other doctor had said the same thing.

"My father became worse with his drinking problem and Robbi teased me a bit harsher because I didn't have much of a social life. They were harsher on me about school and the fact that I didn't have a job or a boyfriend. They would either grill me or ignore me completely. Then one night," I licked my lips. "I had an odd dream that seemed to last a very long time. In it, people were countries and I had fallen in love with America. I interacted with them and everything. A strange woman had brought me there. My dream felt so real. But, after what felt like maybe a year in that world I woke up and entered the hell I had been in for so long.

"I finally stood up to my father and he slapped me. Robbi, who wasn't one to be on my side, was shocked and screamed at my father. He was nineteen so he could legally live on his own. We moved out and he got custody of me in September. I moved out three months ago and now I live in an apartment by myself. Things are finally normal in my life."

Xxx

I arrived at work and just went through the pain of hearing something that sounded like one of the countries names or what sounded like Alfred's voice. He seemed to be everywhere now. His name, his face, and I couldn't stop thinking about him. But I knew it was all a dream anyway.

When I boarded the subway train there weren't many people on. Manhattan was a weird place so I never knew how many people would be on when I was going home. But it was strange that day. I got off and out of the corner of my eye, I caught something. A familiar face.

The old lady smiled and walked back into the crowd. It took me a second before I lunged into the crowd in search for her. To my dismay she wasn't in sight.

People moved around me and I sat on a bench in utter confusion and disappointment. She had smiled at me. That meant she knew me. And she looked just like the woman from the dreams. But how? I sat there for some time before exiting the underground and emerging into a warm night full of stars. A few clouds scattered the sky as I walked across the street to my apartment building. Now I would be up all night and the physiatrist would keep on with her questions, trying to drill into my conscious.

The next morning I got on my subway car and a man sat at the back with his newspaper in his face. I shook my head and sat at the other end. I shoved the ear bud of my iPod into my ear, leaving one hanging so I could listen to otherwise.

"Don't need my health, got my name and got my wealth. I stare at the sun just for kicks all by myself. I lose track of time so I might be past my prime." I sang. "Boy, I'm feeling oh so good-yeah! Oh my feels just like I don't try. Looks so good I might die, all I know is everybody loves me—"

"Yes they do." Said a voice that sent chills up my spine. I heard footsteps, trying to push that all too familiar voice out of my head. His face was right there and the man that was reading the newspaper now stood in front of me with his gorgeous blue eyes and trademark bomber jacket.

"Hey babe." I could have sworn my mouth had dropped open. He couldn't be standing there yet he was. I gulped and closed my eyes.

"You're not here." I said. He blinked. "You can't be here. I dreamt it all. Dr. Jess said so." America sat next to me and intertwined our fingers. He felt real. My breath caught and I watched as he leaned forward and pressed his lips gently against mine. I knew it was real. In my dreams I could never get the feel of it but here it was.

He pulled back and I almost leaned back in. Alfred put his forehead to mine and I bit my lower lip.

"How are you here?" America sat back in the seat as the subway rattled to a stop.

"How about I tell you as we walk to your house?" I thought about it and grinned at him.

"Okay."

America and I got off and walked up to my apartment. He waited outside my door while I unlocked it and we walked in.

"Well, you live quite close with not enough time to explain." Alfred remarked. I pulled him to sit down with me on the couch.

"Tell me how and why you're here." I said, straight to the point.

"When you left I was devastated and couldn't stop thinking about you. It was so sudden and no one knew what was going on. I was so heartbroken and asked every night that there be some way I could get you back. I went to sleep one of those nights and some strange woman asked me all these questions.

"I was given a proposition by her. If I truly loved you then I was to come here and then set you up with a deal." I sat there and sighed.

"What does the old hag want now?"

America hesitated. "She said that if you loved me back then you had a choice. Either come with me back to my world and everyone here forgets you or I stay here and everyone from home forgets I ever existed. It would be the same here. It would be as if we never even entered the world at all." I stayed quiet for some time. I couldn't beg my baby to stay here and leave all his friends behind. His brother Mathew or Arthur. Not any of them.

But I couldn't just leave my world either when everything had just gotten back on track. I had a life now and my brother didn't hate me. What were the odds? But now I would have to choose between forcing America to leave the ones he loved or just abandoning the life I had started to rebuild.

Alfred put his head down as if I had just rejected him. I put my hand on his leg and smiled.

"We need to find the witch that started this all and figure it all out with her. But first…"

Xxx

I rang the doorbell over and over as America fidgeted behind me. The door opened and a tall man leaned against the doorframe. His shaggy auburn hair was wet and his brown eyes were barely visible.

"Hello," he said dully.

"Hey. Um, you know how I haven't had a boyfriend for the past few years?" The man laughed. America shifted.

"Please, you've never had a boyfriend." He said.

"Don't be rude. Anyway, Alfred," I pulled the country forward. "Meet Robbi, my older brother." It had just occurred to me that Robbi was six foot one and a half which stood him about four or five inches taller that my lover.

A shy smile was plastered on America's lips. I could tell he wasn't one to meet my brother. "It's nice to meet you." My brother held out his hand.

America shook it. "You too, dude. Um, I'm Alfred F. Jones. You know the hero. So anyway," I could tell he was getting more comfortable. "Do you play Left 4 Dead?" Robbi scoffed.

"Lame. The new Halo Reach is SO much better than some lame excuse for a scary game." It was my turn to scoff.

"Dude, that sounds awesome." Robbi grinned his sly little grin. "Come on in." I followed behind my boyfriend and watched my brother being friendly with the man of my dreams. It was kind of odd, yet reassuring.

So, for the rest of the night I watched them play that dumb one person shooter game that irritated the fuck out of me. All the while, I pondered what I was going to do. How in the hell would I be able to choose between my brother or Alfred's life. It would be stupid to be selfish, but I didn't want to see my beloved brother leave.

"August," I looked up at America. "We're leaving." I nodded and I waved goodbye to Robbi he closed the door and I heaved out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

"Are you okay, babe?" I licked my lips.

"No, I'm fine. We need to find the woman that sent us on a wild goose chase." America snorted.

"Okay, I know we went in circles metaphorically speaking but I don't remember there being birds in this situation." Oh America, how you could make any situation be okay.

We searched the subway and other transits before collapsing on some bench in god knows where. I sat my head back and rubbed my face. If we didn't find this lady then we were both screwed and he might just vanish in the night llike I did. When I had thought all hope was lost I opened my eyes.

Upside down was a sign that read: FORTUNE TELLING. Just what we needed. I grabbed Alfred's arm and pulled him into the quaint little shop. And there in her chair hands hovering over a crystal ball was the woman who was haunting my nightmares.

"It took you long enough," she mumbled. I blinked.

"Who are you, anyway?" The woman laughed.

"My name is Bertha. I am your guide and right now I'm revoking your deal." My heart dropped.

"What?" we said in unison.

"You heard me. I have a better deal for you since you can't decide." I gulped and she continued. "I shall lay it out for you—"

Xxx

I sat there on the couch as America paced back and forth. Her preposition was risky. To put it simply, she had possibly torn away both of our lives. But one of us had to give up our lives for the other. And I knew it had to be me.

America watched as I stood and hugged him.

"It'll be me." I told him, my voice quiet.

"No." he said. "I should do it. I have to keep you safe." I pressed a finger to his lips and looked into his eyes with sorrow.

"I shall give up my life to make room for our future." Bertha stood and walked over to us. We were still in her shop but I felt constricted as she came closer. As if the whole room was drowning me.

"Is that your final decision?"

"No—"

"Yes, ma'am." I cut off Alfred and he stared at me in shock. Bertha pulled out a book and started chanting verses in a foreign language that I finally recognized as latin. I had not taken time to learn it.

"You can't do this." America had his hands holding my head, keeping me close.

"I have to. I have nothing to lose. You have everything."

"And that includes you." I swallowed and wrapped my hands around his neck.

We found each other in what seemed like a neverending embrace. Our lips meshed together and tears welled up in the back of my throat. A flash of light and I didn't feel America anymore. I heard the faint voice before everything around me just disappeared.

"Goodbye, my young granddaughter…"

…

….

I walked around a corner and bumped into someone, no longer caring what happened. We both tumbled to the ground and I looked up to the person I had just run over.

August rubbed her head and smiled.

"I'm sorry," I stammered. She just laughed.

"Nah, it's fine." She cut her hair.

Everything was different about her. Her hair was to her shoulders now and she had glasses. She and I picked up groceries. The store paid no mind to us. The witch had brought us to this place, where I had bought her funny bones and when she rode my motorcycle.

The woman, Bertha, had stripped her of her memory in exchange for coming to my world and letting her bring her most beloved in her own world, which happened to be Robbi. So now we would start over, and she would not be immediately in love with me.

But I could somewhat live with that.

August picked up a box of funny bones and I smiled.

"I love those." I said. She grinned.

"Yeah, for some reason I just had to get them. I've never actually had them before and honestly have no idea what they are. Me and my brother just moved here actually." She blushed. "Oh, wow. I'm sorry. I don't usually ramble."

"Oh, it is okay." I held out my hand. "My name is Alfred F. Jones." We shook hands.

"August Riker." I know.

"That's a very nice name." She blushed again, bowing her head slightly.

"Not really. I hate it." I looked down and smiled at her. She got a shade pinker.

"Do you need a ride home since it seems that you don't have a clue about this town?" she scoffed, but I could tell that it was all in good fun.

"Do you not think I can take care of myself?" she asked. I put a hand up in defeat.

"Not at all. Just a question." August shifted a bit before nodding.

"I would appreciate that," she paused. "But no hitting on me. I'm not some cheap shot in your little game of dating." I smiled. I knew that already. "So, where am I going to put these?" I lauged.

"Let me show you."

We paid for the food and other things. I led her to my motorcycle and she stared at it. I watched her reaction. "What? Haven't you ever riden on a motorcycle? It's not that bad." You won't regret it you know." She bit her lower lip.

"Don't you think it's a bit dangerous?" I put her bags in the large side pouch.

"Not at all." She hesitated before cautiously mounting behind me. August held on to me tight.

"We haven't started the bike yet." I told the anxious girl.

She shifted as if to shake off the nervousness. "I know. You just can't be too safe is all." I kicked the stand and reved the bike. Her grip got tighter and I pushed off, speeding down the street with the love of my llife, soon to be girlfriend holding me. Because she trusted me. Because she loved me.

~The end~