Bloodstained Battlefield (April 9, 1865) [Alfred]

[Virginia]

Battle of Appomatox
Virginia, April 9, 1865

If it hadn't have been for the fact that she'd heard the sound of cannon fire, the sable haired youth wouldn't have even left her home that day. April 9, 1865, early in the morning, and fog hung over the ground. It was a thick white blanket, disguising the red that spattered the ground, the men who fell hidden within the tendrils of white that clung to wet earth. Of course, she hadn't known that was what was occurring on her own soil. A young thing, at merely 11 years of age, the girl was clad only in a white nightgown, and a teddy bear, about half the 4'11" girl's height clung in thin arms. Her pale blue eyes were looking about as she exited the house she'd been living in, an extension of the house that Alfred lived in.

Setting her bare feet on the wet ground, she made her way slowly across the forest floor, weaving slowly between trees. Most who saw her in the morning of the battle thought her a specter, wandering its way through the trees. Erin Virginia Northshire was frightened. Only a child, she was far too familiar with war for her own good. Her short black hair hung long about her shoulders, a little too shaggy for anyone's good. Walking for the noises of the guns and cannons, she let her toes dig into the dirt. And she would have never seen it, had she not passed the bushes. Staring, horror ripped into her chest, and she was rooted to the spot.

She was rooted to the spot from the moment blood spattered onto her face from a body being knocked off his horse and onto the ground. Blue eyes widened, white dress covered in the liquid, as her eyes took in the terrifying sight. The sight of General Lee, and General Grant locked in battle frightened the girl, as the men who were dying were her own. Trying not to scream, she stared at everything, tears watering in her eyes. They snaked down her face as she saw a familiar head of golden hair pushing its way through the battle. Her feet touched the land of Sayler's Creek, as she watched Sheridan's cavalry, and the Confederacy struggling against the Union.

Now Virginia knew she technically wasn't one of Al's any more, since her idiot bosses made the decision to secede from the Union…but….She really didn't want to EXIST right now. Blood, war, death, all too much for her young mind to comprehend. Alfred in the middle of it all…it near killed her inside to watch it. It wasn't until the sound of gunfire hit her ears that she realized she'd been screaming. Screaming out the only name she knew at the moment, "ALFRED!" As the smoke subsided and the battle slowly ended, she sunk to her knees at the edge of the battlefield, sobbing, and clinging to the now-soiled teddy bear that England had sent her for her birthday not too long ago. "Alfred…." The child whimpered, hoping the man would come save her from this….from all of this.

[America]

It was the wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in
_____________________

It was finally almost over, he could feel it. He hoped and prayed that this was the end, he now at least understood what England felt like when he declared his own independence from him not even 100 years ago. However, that was a war between two people. This war. It was a war with himself. Through the course of the years, he could only watch as the people...His people...Fighting amongst themselves over something so asinine. He knew that not only his states, but also the people didn't realize how much this war affected their leader. Every day. Every night. Every battle. Every death. A dark, crazed voice cooed in his ear, it felt as though he were at war with himself; a war for his own sanity and state of being. There were days that he didn't even remember, only black and to wake up in some strange place that he didn't recognize; sometimes lying on the grass, pistol in his hand, uniform covered with dried blood. Grass where a battle had taken place, blood from felled men. He could tell from whatever uniform he was in he could at least guess what had happened, but that didn't stop him from looking up at the sky and just scream as loud as he could. From the very beginning, he could feel that soon not even his own state of being would be safe. He wanted to stay neutral, he felt as though he had to stay neutral; he couldn't be on one side and then the other.

That didn't happen.

There were days when he looked into the mirror and just wanted to throw his fist into it to smash the glass to get rid of the reflection that he had come to hate. He had changed, he could tell though he tried his hardest to keep it out of sight of the army's leaders and of his states. There were days when he could even see changes of the color of the blue of his eyes, Alfred could at least tell which one was which by then. But neither were him, his mind had split into three parts. One the Confederacy, one the Union, and one being just him himself. He didn't even hold the key anymore, it was being fought over by three completely separate people. The walls were closing in and turning into sand in his grip, all three parts feeling as though they were beginning to run together and fight each other.

This was it. This final battle would determine...Everything.

The battle was coming to Appomatox, he could see the fires the night before from the burning of what he could only guess were from the court house. Grant and his army were there, all waiting for word from Lee and his army. When they finally had...Grant's words he knew from that night on, he could never forget them.

"It looks as if Lee still means to fight."

If they still wanted to fight along with Lee claiming that he would rather die a thousand deaths than see him or General Grant...Then so be it. This would be the end, the final roll of the dice. It had to be, not only for his own sake, but for everyone's.

The fog hung heavy and low that morning, the cool wind blowing on his back with the sounds of drums filling his ears. Standing next to General Grant, he could only watch as Lee's army marched over the hill toward the soon-to-be battlefield. Alfred wished that there was another way to end this war, but he knew he had no choice. This war had drawn out for to long, he wasn't sure how much longer either army could hold out or how much longer he could hold out physically, mentally, and emotionally.

He could only watch as men ran forward to lock in combat; sounds of yelling battle cries, metal clanging, gunshots filled his ears. He hated that he could only watch as the battle took place, watching as sharp pains seared through his own body as if he was the one being stabbed and shot. Hissing as he clutched to his chest, he struggled to keep his footing before falling onto one knee on the dew-covered grass; the two conflicting voices only growing louder and more violent as they fought, his head feeling as though it were splitting in two, unbearable pain shot through his body as his hands clutched tightly to his head with his fingers clutching tightly to his own hair. God DAMN it!

Shaking violently, he looked out at the battlefield again and out of the corner of his eye he saw a little girl in white and clinging to a teddy bear. It...It couldn't be. It couldn't...Trembling as he tried to shakily push himself up to his feet, he took a second to keep his balance before carefully walking forward, to a jog, then to a full-out sprint as he pushed through the sea of bodies locked in battle. Eyes widened when he heard her scream his name, pushing even harder to get to her before yelling himself as he pushed through the crowd, "GINNY! HANG ON GINNY I'M COMING! OUTTA MY WAY!"

Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn't believe what I'd become
_____________________

[Virginia]

Gotta fight another fight
Gotta run another night
____________________________

The tiny girl was shaking like a leaf, unable to hear him over gun-fire. She knew he'd heard her….or she hoped he had. Tears fell from her pretty, blue eyes, the daughter of England falling where she stood, to her knees. Her dress stained with mud, and blood from the soldiers, she was crying, afraid, and feeling the pains throughout her own body as well, as her land was ravaged and torn, her men killed by guns. The sound that rang loudest in her head, fighting her own feelings, was that of the General Lee, the head of the Army that faced off against her 'brother' who'd become her new father-figure, when the Revolutionary war had ended. She tried to pull herself to her feet, mind reeling her stomach loosing its contents onto the ground.

Dragging her bear behind her, Ginny fled into the woods, only a short distance, pressing herself against the bark of a tree, sinking down and clinging to the now-soiled present, murmuring to it in childish babble, trying to comfort herself. One so young did not understand the repercussions of what went on here, nor why it was occurring, simply that it hurt her. She wondered why she wasn't breaking, why she wasn't dead yet from all of this pain. How did her papa, and Alfred handle all this hurt? Curling into a ball around her long-time plush companion, Virginia let herself sink into the earth as much as she could. Eyes fluttering shut, her breath came uneven, as silent sobs wracked her body.

What else was she supposed to do? Erin was only eleven after all, and though she'd already seen war, she had no idea how to deal with the conflict of her mind.

______________________________
It's okay, I'll find a way,
It ain't gonna take me down, no way.

[America]

Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
_____________

His frantic yells to pass as he struggled to push through the mass of fighting bodies were only masked by the sounds of the firing of guns and the crash of canons, curses and the clanging of metal against metal...Lead piercing flesh, strangled screams, groans, breathless gasps of dying men (No...Boys barely his own age) as they fell with a dull thud onto the crimson-stained grass beneath them. This place that was once so peaceful had turned into a blood-stained battlefield.

Searing pain shot through his body with each felled soldier, his skull feeling as though it were repeated being bashed in by a hammer; threatening to crack and shatter both from the actual battle and from the battle with himself. His teeth gritted with a loud hiss when a bullet hit its mark on his shoulder, brows furrowing and one eye squeezing shut when the trickle of blood began to flow from the wound and seeping into his uniform. He tried to block out the pain, Death's hand all around him, the battle occuring all around him...

Ginny. He had to get to Ginny.

Intense blue eyes narrowed behind his glasses and after many grueling minutes, he managed to push himself through the sea of blood, lead, and death. Eyes were transfixed on the forest, running as fast as he could actually muster toward the trees where the little girl was waiting for him...Needing him to hold her, comfort her, tell her everything would be ok. A little white lie he knew, it wouldn't be ok even when the war ended. It would take a long time for recovery the whole country to recover, now even longer since they were still recovering from the war for their independence.

Ginny. Ginny. Ginny. He had to get to her. Had too. Had too. Had too.

Finding himself at the edge of the trees, he didn't even feel the sudden pierce of a bullet when he fell onto the dew-covered grass below. Letting out a soft growl and looking back to see a faint, yet growing spot of red staining the dark fabric he let out a quiet, under his breath curse. Shit. Shit. Double shit.

Reaching upward to press his hand against a nearby tree trunk, he slowly pushed himself up so he was at least standing again with his leg slightly bent at the knee before taking a few deep breaths to regain his composure and in an effort to block the pain. He turned for a second to look back at the field, an ocean of gray, blue, and red with rippling as soldiers fall. It was hard to watch...He was slowly beginning to understand now. He thought he could handle himself on his own, sitting on his "throne" over his new "kingdom". Now was just a trial that he had to face as a new leader, they would make it. He would make it. He would make it work.

"Ginny?! Where are you?!" He called, voice holding a hint of a pained hiss as he walked forward, steps holding sharp limps as he walked from tree to tree just to keep his balance and to remain standing.

Had to keep moving forward...Had too.

Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?
_____________

[Virginia]

Why did it all go wrong?
I wanna know what's going on
____________________________

A petite body still trembled, wrapping itself around the large, bloody bear. Anything was better than this pain right now, so when he heard what she thought was a soldier, the girl SCREAMED. What else was she supposed to do? The little girl leapt to her feet, pulling her bear back, as the feeling of pain RIPPED through her. Falling over, as though punched in the gut, Virginia found herself crying out. Looking down at her thigh, the little girl saw a tear in her dress, and a rose of red blooming on her thigh. Ow….What was that? Why did it HURT so much? Was this what 'guns' did? THose things the men were using? The little girl began to sob.

So when Alfred came closer, she reached two arms up to the 'leader' of the country, her eyes pleading and in pain, "A-alfred…" The word was frail and weak, not really passing her lips, more leaving it in a breathy whisper. The blood was tainting her vision, a tiny graze on her forehead going unnoticed, in favor of the pain in her leg. Was this War? It had to stop, "Alfred…I….w-wanna go HOME…" She sobbed loudly, now. The girl should not have been upon this battlefield at such a tender age, spattered with blood and the spoils of war.

But tainted the little ebon-haired girl was, her only hope the blond man before her. The one she was trusting to save her life, and get her home. To a place where she was safe. Twisting and writhing in pain, the little girl felt another of her Soldiers fall, "It hurts…..father…" She'd never called him anything of the sort before….But right now, he was just that. A father…Her brother, the man who could fix anything.

It was a heavy burden to place upon the injured Alfred, but Virginia was still a child, shot and wounded. She wanted sanctuary. She wanted her life. Hell, there were so many things she wanted. Something inside her changed as her attempt to stand failed, and she fell back to her knees, the pain eliciting a screech from her throat. She had to get stronger….better. So that no one could hut her like this ever….ever again. "Alfred….."

______________________________
And what's this holding me?
I'm not where I'm supposed to be.

[America]

I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemies eyes
________________________

Alfred could feel his eyes widening when the piercing scream filled his ears, tearing himself away from the tree trunk that he had been leaning on to try and run forward toward the little girl that he had come to see as a little sister. He barely ran a foot before the searing pain in his leg from the bullet caused him to stumble and fall into the crushed leaves and grass below. He mentally cursed to himself when his jaw hit the ground; the never-ending change of voices that were his own however also not and gunshots continuing to fill his ears. Which side was winning? Which side would try and take over? Which side would take over? How will this final battle end? What will happen in the end? North or South? Union or Confederacy?

No. He wouldn't allow any side to take over, North or South. He had to retake control. He would retake control. He had to take back control of their home. He couldn't worry about that now, Ginny. He had to get to Ginny. God damn his now useless leg!

Pressing himself up onto his elbows and crawling toward the girl as best as he possibly could, the blood-stained leg dragging uselessly behind him. "Ginny, hang on Ginny I'm coming!" He called out to her, not seeing her just yet through the mass abundance of the trees that had blocked his view. Crying. He could hear her crying. Begging. Pleading. Wanting this war to finally come to an end. Wanting to go home.

He could feel his brows furrowing, the corners of his lips growing tight when the pained sounds came from his mouth as he continued to move forward. This was it huh? This is what happened when he finally came to power, when he was beginning to make a name for himself. When he thought that he finally had everything worked out, but no. He wasn't prepared. He wasn't ready. His stubbornness had gotten him into this situation, the stubbornness that caused his states to choose sides and go to war with each other. He was beginning to understand...Understanding better than he had in the past. He now partially understood the phrase "Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!" He was in that position now.

The little girl had finally come into sight, a sharp pang rising in his chest when he watched her writhing in pain before spotting the dark red mark on her dress. Blood. He began to chew at the inside of his cheek, crawling toward her as fast as he possibly could. He finally got to her...Pushing himself upward to a sitting position, he carefully wrapped his arms around the girl's waist and pulled her against his body much like a father comforting his child. "Ginny...Ginny...It's ok, I gotcha...I'm here now...Everything will be ok. It'll all be over soon..." He spoke in a soothing voice, abiet pained. It would all be over soon. He could feel it.

Listen as the crowd would sing:
"Now the old king is dead long live the king!"
________________________

A/N: Sorry for all of the Viva la Vida but damn it it fits to well. ><;

[Virginia]

I'm on my way and I don't feel right
I gotta get me back - I can't be beat and that's a fact
____________________________

Ginny curled into those arms, sitting herself on Alfred's lap. The rose of red on her thigh, and the shooting pain in her head were ignored in favor of clinging tightly to the man before her. Small indigo eyes closed willingly, as she sobbed violently into the chest of the man who she'd been waiting for this whole time, "Daddy.....It hurts...." The first time she ever called him as a father was here, in bloodstained woods, with the two of them injured as hell. It should have figured that this would be what changed the small girl's mind. One hand still clung to a teddybear peppered with bullet holes, most of which had likely saved Ginny's life.

As the fighting died down, and the sounds of the end of the war began to rise about them, including the cheers of some of the Men, Ginny's crying began to come to an end. Sniffling, she looked up at Al, the last shots between the skirmishers ringing out in the night silence. Looking up at him, she whispered weakly, "I wanna go home, daddy..." They could go home now....As soon as the two of them were capable of moving. She could tell that things had changed....hear a new voice...a voice of someone named Grant, echoing in her head. He'd won. He'd brought Lee to surrender. Tiredly, she smiled.....Good....This was finally coming to an end.

She pulled the teddy onto her lap, and cuddled it, the eyes falling out, and the mouth's stitching coming undone, "You, me, and Teddy need fixing, daddy...." She may not ever call him daddy for long...but for now, Ginny was Alfred's little girl. For now, the small child was looking to him to fix it all...Looking to the man who, as she saw it, had just saved her.

______________________________
It's OK - I'll find a way
You ain't gonna take me down no way .

[America]

If you only knew how many times I counted
All the words that went wrong
_____________________

Alfred's arms tightened around her when she clung onto him and sobbed into his chest, his own eyes closing behind his glasses. Never before had he seen the girl cry, she was one of the ones who pulled the strong front and wouldn't allow herself to show any such emotions to anyone let alone him. But now she was. He was here. She was here. They were here. They really were a couple of pieces of work, weren't they? Looking like shit, but at least they were alive. Hell, he was proud of her. She, like the rest of them, got through this war. Not unscathed or anything, but they made it. He could practically hear the cheers that he knew would be coming, allowing a small smile to creep onto his lips. "I know it hurts kiddo...But I gotcha, you'll be ok." There was so much promise in the tone of his voice, promise that he fully meant. She would be well taken care of once they were able to get off the battlefield.

The field grew quiet as the last few shots rang through the air, turning his head to look back at the smoke that had risen up into the air through the trees. Was it finally over? He could hear the cheering now, but which side? He couldn't tell at the moment, until a familiar voice came. Grant. Heh, so the Grandpa actually did it without him.

They had done it. They won. Now hopefully with hard work and cooperation, the country could be brought back together and be rebuilt from the seemingly irreparable damage that it had caused. They could do it, he knew they could. North and South were soon to be no more, they would be one entity again. Once again all under the same flag. Yeah...He liked the thought of that, very much.

Looking back down at the girl when her answer came, he gave a quiet chuckle in return before holding onto her more firmly, much like a father would do to his own daughter. "Heh...We really do, don't we? Let's hope that the werewolves and vampires don't find us out here and get us while we're like this." Throw in a joke to try and quell a serious situation to try and make her laugh, that was as least as much as he could possibly do even though he didn't know himself how they were going to get back to the courthouse while they were like this. They'd find a way, somehow. For now, all that mattered was the girl in his protective arms and the fact that the war was finally over.

If you only knew how I refuse to let you go
Even when you're gone

If you only knew, if you will only knew...
_____________________