"Alright, I'm headed out."

Roosevelt looked up from his desk to see America in travel clothes with a small rucksack in hand, a rifle slung over his shoulder, and his favorite western hat.

"No six guns?" The president raised waggled his eyebrows in mock surprise.

The western Nation rolled his eyes and patted his hip. "They're under the coat. It's better to have them be a surprise if there comes a time where I need to show 'em off."

"Hopefully they'll stay under that coat." Roosevelt stood and offered a hand. "You be careful up there-and where will you be if I have to find you?"

"Just past the border of Michigan's upper peninsula," America answered promptly. "Canada has a cabin right near the great lakes on his side that he invited me to."

"That's good," Roosevelt said seriously. "You needed to get out more…But there is one thing I'd like you to do before you go."

Suddenly America was suspicious. "Which is…?"

Roosevelt was careful to keep a straight face. "Read through this, and tell me what you think of it." He picked up a piece of parchment from his desk, and offered it.

America took it with a curious frown, and scanned the words Roosevelt had slaved over the past three days, trying to get the wording just right.

The Restraint Clause:

The anthropomorphic representation of these United States of America is bound to obey any direct order from the President of the United States. that falls within the following parameters:

-It must be a spoken command.

-The phrase must begin with the Nation's full, formal name, United States of America.

-It cannot cause the being that is subject to this document physical pain, or stress his psyche to the point of breaking.

-It is disallowed to rob Alfred of any rights protected by the Constitution of the United Sates.

-Alfred cannot be forbidden from directly or indirectly communicating with another of his own kind.

-When lives are at stake, Alfred may fight past the threshold of obedience for the sake of eliminating or escaping the threat.

America's jaw dropped, fingers running over the aged parchment's new additions that were written in a much more unmistakable and less flourishing hand. "This…you actually found it?"

"It wasn't easy," Roosevelt lamented. "Someone had gone to quite a bit of trouble in hiding it."

"Prob'bly Thomas," Alfred muttered, tone laden with old resentment. "He never quite treated me the same after…that night. They sprung this on me, already signed into law."

Roosevelt's eyebrows climbed up his forehead. "The law is steeped in our revered idea of John Locke's social contract, which requires mutual consent. Forgive me for saying, but quite frankly the very idea of taking away your free will without even informing you first was rather hypocritical."

"That's what I said," America sighed, giving the document back. "Jefferson just told me that I'm not human enough…and that the law was better decided by God-fearing mortals than an ever-changing representation." His voice cracked with emotion. "I felt so betrayed…But it was the one of the things the Democrat-Republicans demanded before they were willing to sign the Constitution in the first place. John told me it was for my own good-that I'd understand one day. And Benjamin, he just…got that look on his face…the one that meant he was upset, but wasn't going to actually say anything about it because the Union wasn't going to happen without compromises."

Roosevelt felt his nails digging into his palm from anger. He'd revered the Founding Fathers since he was a little boy. Role models-brave scholastic revolutionaries that managed the impossible, and placed their mark on the world to such a degree that very few ever could. But the ones America described, and the ones characterized by their own writings…

Fallible. Human.

"Benjamin asked me to forgive them," Alfred continued softly. "Said that they were just scared, and that they'd come to their senses eventually. I told him that I would always love them unconditionally as I do all my people…But I could never bring myself to forgive them completely."

The president was silent for a long time, choosing his words carefully. "That time of your life is over, now. You are now as free as any of our citizens, and I expect you to make the most of it. And I hope those prickly old delegates will someday stop rolling in their graves and realize how proud they should be of the man you've become since then."

America's smile was small, but genuine.

"Now sign this thing and get going," Roosevelt pushed a pen into the western Nation's hands. "I have things to do and you have places to be."

"S-sign it, right." America looked between the pen and paper as though scarcely believing it. He quickly did so, muttering so quietly that Roosevelt almost couldn't hear.

"I finally have a choice."

Roosevelt pretended not to hear. "Now get going. And bring back something for the kitchen."

"Will do, Boss."

America turned and blurred into nonexistence like a mirage, a strangely warm current that came from nowhere making the now-open office door sway.

President Roosevelt stood in that suddenly empty office for a long moment, and smiled. That was one problem taken care of, at least.

And so ends this story, with all the plots and subplots mostly resolved...except for that one thing which I hinted at that will be addressed later on in another story.

Thank you all for the support! So what is your FINAL VERDICT on this multi-chapter historical-ish undertaking of mine?

Later dudes. ^J^