America the Beautiful (United States of America #1)

Delaware

Although the Delaware river and bay were first explored in 1609, two human years after the founding of Virginia, Delaware's soil was not colonized until 1638 when the Dutch colonist Peter Minuit and the New Sweden Company arrived. This lead to the creation of a new American child.

Josef Jones/Oxenstierna was his father's son all right, with his often unnerving stare, calm and silent personality (but he was playful and easily flustered deep down), and short blonde hair. He also enjoyed making furniture, glass crafts, and art, just like Sweden.

It really made sense that Sweden would be Josef's father, obviously because of the New Sweden Company that would lead to the creation of the colony that would eventually become the state of Delaware. Even if America didn't know that, Josef's striking resemblance to Sweden would be enough proof that said older nation was the father.

Josef also proved that, while still a child around the time of the thirteen colonies, he was anything but stupid and naive, just as his mother was when she was around the age he was then. He knew what was going on with his mother and her would-be former caretaker, England, and knew war was coming, sooner or later. Luckily for America, the war didn't happen until the thirteen colonies were old enough to take care of themselves, but she couldn't say the same for the little children she would have during or shortly before that time.

Once, Josef was a part of New Netherlands in 1655 until the English took over about nine human years later. This way, Josef was knowledgeable about the cultures of not only his father's country, but also of the Netherlands and of the English, and allowed him to blend in much easier with the people. However, he often couldn't hide the fact that, like America and Josef's older half-brother, Rhode Island, he could see spirits. Though he was much more accepting of this gift than his mother and half-brother, that didn't mean it didn't bother him from time to time.

"Emotional pain is often worse than any physical pain," America remembered Josef telling her and his siblings.

She wasn't lying when she said she knew some talents were more of a curse than a gift, something of which she informed Rhode Island of before Josef was born.

Well, but at least they could all go through it together.

If only she could say the same about the war that was coming faster than America thought or the threat of her true identity and her children being discovered.