Title: Capture

Rating: T

Notes: Probably not true to historic fiction of how England came to be part of Rome's mighty Empire.

Summary: England is alone, his family split up, but he's the youngest and thus the weakest, how can he and his people stand up to Rome?

The young nation hid in the bushes, as his people fought the invaders as well as they could, but the Roman's had the advantage, they were trained to fight together as well as alone, his own people had no chance against them. Of course they did catch them off guard, but that didn't provide a secure win to keep them safe.

"Come out little nation!"

He knew that accent, too well, all the invaders had that accent, but this one was different. This voice was one of the most powerful. That was the Roman Empire that was calling him out, the one trying to rule over him.

Why can't he leave us alone? His men hate it here! All they ever do is complain about the weather. The blonde nation thought to himself, his green eyes widened in fear as Rome pushed the branches back and looked down on him.

"Well?" He glared at the youngster; "Come out,"

He had no choice; slowly he moved out into the open and stood before the conquering nation. He began to shiver in fear as the adult nation just looked at him for some moments.

"Hiding is foolish," Rome began to scold him as the youngster tried to fight back the tears; "Your own people are risking…"

"How can I help them?" The child cried out, his anger over taking his fear, surly if Rome was going to kill him then he might as well tell him exactly how he felt; "How would giving myself up help them? You'll still just take them off to be killed or make them slaves for your own people. They don't want that! They would rather die in battle than become Rome," He wiped his eyes on his ripped cloak; "Just do it,"

Rome looked at him, startled that he would suggest such a thing; "Do what?"

"Don't play games! I know you were the one who killed her!" The tears began in earnest now, he was able to be strong when his people were being killed, they were trying to save him and also keep their own honour, but his mother… His mother tried to save him and his brothers, but in the end she never returned and all of them felt the connection with the people strongly, that was when they all realised that their mother was dead, fallen just the other's.

Rome just looked at him, noticing that the nation never looked up to him, just yelled at him; but then he came to another conclusion, this young nation was completely alone, it would be irresponsible of him to let him continue his existence alone, he needed to learn what it was to be civialised.

"You will come with me," He said firmly, refusing to allow any weakness to show through, the boy was older than his two grandsons, but it didn't do to treat a colony the same as one's own family. Give one special treatment and other's will use it against you.

The child now looked right at him, his green eyes full of fear, terrified of what would happen, not just to himself, but his people too.

"Oh, you can run if you want," Rome said and grinned; "But I will find you and drag you back…" He stroked his chin as he noticed that the child nation didn't run, just bowed his head in defeat; "Good. Now, what is your name?"

"I'm… I'm England,"

XXX

England looked at the older nation, surprised to be seeing him here; "Rome? What… How…?"

The nation smiled at him; "I have watched you grow up England, just like I've watched my grandsons…"

The blonde nation just looked at him, for a moment feeling like a child once more, but then he shook it off; "Why are you spying on me? Why not those who have taken care of your grandsons? Like Austria, Spain and Germany!"

"Oh, I have, I learned that Germany is a fan!" Rome said cheerfully and England rolled his eyes, remembering that doing anything to falter Rome meant you were in his good books; "He's a saint!"

"Who? Germany?" England questioned, not sure how Germany could be a saint.

"He doesn't… masturbate," Rome said as though it was amazing.

"How much spying have you been doing? In fact have you been stalking the rest of your former colonies?"

"No, too much to do," He then focused, remembering why he had shown himself to England; "I'm rather touched though, you conquering the nations, making new colonies from young nations… Following in my footsteps…"

England bristled; "I never followed your footsteps! I did what I had to…"

"As did I," Rome never argued with him, it seemed to be something that England never did manage to get right, Rome never became angry at him; "I wanted to make the nations I found be civilised, to better themselves, was that wrong?"

He shook his head; "It doesn't matter, those days are gone now, every nation has the right to freedom, to grow as they wish,"

"Si, times have changed haven't they?" Rome commented and sighed; "It's nice, the wars aren't as deadly as they used to be,"

"Yea, now we fight together to take out some nation repressing their people," England said with a slight nod.

"No empire is truly gone," Rome said with a grin; "I'm still here, people remember, you'll be remembered too,"

England shook his head, he had been great, but over time he gave back what he had taken, things had changed to such a level it was pointless to keep nations under his flag, he needed to focus on his on nation, not other's.