Deadly Secrets

14.

Britain's POV:
As soon as America and Confederate had finished helping us put our luggage into the beds of the trucks, put the tonneau covers back on, and we had all piled into the vehicles, America started up the van and pulled out of the parking spot to head straight for the main road. I looked back to see that the others had followed, it looked like they were leaving in order, those who had parked closer to America left before the ones who had taken a spot farther away. Odd.

I shifted in my seat, staying in my human form for this long is beginning to feel rather uncomfortable, I don't usually stay in another form for very often without taking breaks. We all have to stay in our human forms until we reach America's house, unfortunately, because we can't have someone looking through the window of our vehicles, noticing we don't look entirely human, and then taking a picture. Something that has happened before and was a pain to cover up. In my human form I look roughly 30, I have light skin, dark brown hair that almost looks black, blue eyes, and a scar above my left eye that try to hide with my hair. Most personifications are able to avoid scarring on their human forms but, if you run into one too many crazies, stuff happens... or wars, of course.

I was mildly surprised to find out that the states had human forms as well, but I spoke to one of the states, I think her name was Ohio, about it earlier and found out that they have holograms like the provinces. It makes me wonder where they got them from, they shouldn't exist, the technology needed to make them work so well doesn't exist yet in human society. I guess it really doesn't matter for the time being, I have other things to think about.

I had spent most of the plane ride wondering what my daughter's children would be like. I had expected an unruly bunch of rude and possibly violent children, going off of what I have heard on the news and such, but from what I have seen from the children here, I was wrong. Oh how I was wrong, the children, well, most of them, definitely seem to display a certain... distaste, for me in particular, but they have an orderly air about them. They acted very friendly towards those of us they already know, like normal, happy teenagers, but when someone else spoke to them, especially me, they would take on an almost military rigidity. It is surprising to witness someone who is no older, physically, than their mid-to-late teens conduct themselves with near military discipline.
I decide not to dwell on my misperceptions for the moment and listen as my daughter turns on radio, probably to disperse the rather uncomfortable atmosphere that had accumulated since we had left the parking lot. Sounds like she likes rock music, no surprise there... wait, is that Pink Floyd?
"Hey grandpa!" A tiny voice practically yelled. I turned slightly to better see the person who the voice belonged to. Hawaii was sitting bolt upright in her seat, beaming and staring at me excitedly.
"Yes? What is it love?" I said, using the nickname I use with all of my granddaughters.
"Mommy says you used to be a pirate! Is that true?" Hawaii's eyes were wide and full of wonder as she asked me, she was even leaning forward a tad in excitement, clearly very interested in the subject. So America did tell her children things about me, I'm glad... though maybe I should be more worried.
"Ugggghhh," Wales complained from the seat behind us, "Don't get him started on that! He'll never stop talking!"
Hawaii's eyes widened even further, which shouldn't have been possible. "So you were!!"
I smirked, Wales was right, I do enjoy talking about my pirate days a great deal. "Yes, love, I used to be quite the pirate back in the day." She gasped and my brother groaned, "Would you like to hear about it?" I asked her.
She nodded her head vigorously, "Uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh," now my siblings and my son gave a collective groan while Hawaii bounced up and down in her seat and a slight giggle emerged from my daughter.
I chuckled and a thoughtful look spread over my face as I wondered which story to tell first. I told her quite a few stories, about Blackbeard, about new lands I had found, about fights on the sea with other ships, I didn't tell her about all of my stories, I want to save some for another time. Eventually I ended with a story about one of the times I fought with a Spanish ship on the Atlantic sea. Hawaii is a very curious girl, asking questions as I told my stories, not that I minded, it is good for young people to ask questions and learn.
"America, how much farther until we get to your house?" I asked, knowing that we have been on the road for at least an hour by now.
"Uhhh," She started, checking her watch and then scanning the road and it's surroundings  more attentively, "We should be there in 'bout... thirty minutes, give or take." I gave a less-than-satisfied grunt to which she responded, "Well, I hope you guys don't mind long car rides 'cuz we're moving east to our Virginia house tomorrow night, and the drive takes nearly 18 hours."
She barely finished her sentence before we reacted, I choked on my own spit while my siblings and wife spluttered trying to voice their concerns. Canada just laughed a little, probably because he was just as used to driving for long distances as his older sister. I know that their countries are quite large, but 18 hours? Really?! I'm surprised the younger children, like Hawaii, are okay with this, as it seems she is. I glanced at Hawaii to see she was calm about the situation, even laughing as she witnessed our reactions. "Well, when, exactly, are you planning on leaving? Surely there must be a place where you stop at halfway."
My daughter spoke again, her voice now sounding slightly annoyed, if not irritated, "No, there is no stopping point, other than rest stops for bathroom breaks, we drive for eighteen hours straight and we bring snacks and things with us so we don't have to stop for food, it's too expensive to buy fast food for over 50 people. As for when we leave, I plan on having us out the door and on the road by six at night tomorrow."
"At night?" I said, "why at night, wouldn't it be easier during the day?"
"No, not really," she replied, "traffic's lighter at night, plus the drive is really long and I find it easier to drive while you're still plenty awake at night so that, come daytime, if you're tired it isn't as easy to fall asleep behind the wheel because the sun's out. Trust me, we do this all the time, consider yourselves lucky that we are doing this in cars and not horse drawn wagons."
I wanted to argue, but held my tongue. Her reasoning was more solid than what I had expected, but I still really didn't want to start an eighteen hour car ride at night. Though, I guess if children as young as Hawaii will do it without complaint I can as well.
We continued on in silence, well, most of us did, Hawaii had taken to singing the songs that came on the radio. It was amusing hearing a child as young as her belting out the lyrics to rock songs, I couldn't tell which songs they were, but she didn't sound half bad. The rest of us hadn't bothered trying to protest the late night drive she had informed us of. She doesn't need to take us in and help us hide, I think the others realize that too, so we need to just do what is required of us for the time being.
I decided to look out of the window on my wife's side, the scenery was much different from what I am used to. At first, I saw fields that seemed to stretch on forever, we went through a few small towns but stayed mostly on backroads, the land reminded me of a patchwork quilt. Drying patches of plants, yellowed by the August weather, sown together with gray roads and ditches covered in green plants. As I watched the land fly by the window of the van, I noticed the distinctive sound of raindrops falling on a vehicle. I turned my gaze to the windshield and confirmed that I wasn't just hearing things and it was, indeed, raining. America groaned from the driver's seat, Canada turned to her.