It was as if the world had suddenly stopped turning. Those four words out of the Austrian's mouth had silenced them better than any atomic bomb could ever hope to. Predictably, it was Alfred who broke the silence first. "What th' fuck d'ya mean, belongs to you?!"

Roderich's lips twitched upwards. The barest hint of a grin, or the beginning of a grimace. It was hard to tell with the man. "Exactly what it sounds like. This was all pre-arranged."

It was Arthur who interrupted this time. "Pre-arranged?" The former pirate parroted. "He knew--" A nod from the Austrian cut him off mid-thought.

"More or less, yes. Ivan does have remarkable foresight --"

"We sure this's th' same Ivan? 'Cuz the Ivan I know jumped out of a fucking plane with no parachute."

"--Most of the time," Roderich finished, looking down his glasses at the insolent states. Really, children should do better to respect their elders! He checked an old-fashioned pocket watch tucked into his jacket at most times, that was kept on a silver chain whose tarnish was only barely visible beneath the shine, and continued. "As we speak, Ivan -- Or what is left of him -- is being brought to my house. He will recover there, and until he is fully well again, I have been given guardianship over his lands."

"Excuse me, Austria-san," Kiku chimed in, "But I thought that Ivan and yourself hated each other."

The aristocrat smiled wanly at the Asian. "Before the Cold War, you mean?" He paused, Alfred cringed. "We did... and then, we did not."

"Huh -- Wassat s'posted ta mean?"

"It means," Arthur gave a weary sigh for the idiocy of his former ward. At least Matthew was more intelligent, even if he did pal around an awful lot with that bloody git, Francis. "It means, Alfred, that if you would pay attention to anyone but yourself, you would know that Ivan and Roderich were what was called, 'hostile neutral', towards each other."

Utterly perplexed, Alfred stood there gaping like a fish for a blissful twenty-two seconds (Arthur counted) of silence, before the inevitable spilled from the former colonys' lips. "Well, how th' fuck's that work? Y'slap each other across the face an' jus' walk away?"

"Well...," Arthur began, but was silenced by the Austrian's hand on his shoulder.

"It's my history, I should be the one who explains it," Roderich explained, and Arthur backed off with a nod. When the pirate had settled himself into a cozy arm chair, plate of tea resting atop his knees, Roderich continued. "Hostile neutrality is not that complex a concept, once you think about it, Alfred. As Arthur so generously provided, that was the arrangement between Ivan and myself during the Cold War. What it essentially boiled down to, was this: If I saw Ivan, or Ivan saw me, during those times, we would fight, or bicker amongst each other, but we would not actively seek each other out -- the neutral part of the deal. After the Cold War was over, our relationship was rocky at best--"

"So then why help the communist bastard now? I mean --" Alfred butt in, only to be immediately silenced by the Austrian's reproachful glare.

"I was getting to that, Alfred. Surely Arthur raised you with some patience? Now, where was I... Oh, yes. Ivan and I managed to smooth things over between ourselves, simply by no longer speaking after the war, assuming neutrality, if you will. And then, in '07, Ivan's boss came to visit. A social call, really, which paved the way for Ivan to be able to come to me once it looked like this war really would begin.

"I still can't believe you all actually went through with that scheme...

"But I digress, on that day when Ivan came to me, he looked smaller than I could ever have imagined him..."

x

Roderich was in his office, straining his eyes in the gloom of the last shreds of long-ago lost daylight, too frugal to turn on the lamp that sat right in front of him at this early hour. The door to his study was open, the wooden door leading into the room like an inviting hand. He left it that in in the silly, nostalgic hope that maybe one day Elizaveta, Feliciano, or even Ludwig would return to keep him company.

When he heard the heavy, hesitant boots scuffing the floor in the hallways, he thought nothing of it. Instead, he returned his attention to his paperwork.

When the sounds stopped, and the shadow fell across his desk, plunging his current work into complete darkness, Roderich was forced to look up.

To meet those violet eyes whose violent shad was barely a fitting cover to the torment hidden within.

The Russian hadn't needed to speak, the father figure in Roderich had already decided to aide the other nation. But it took the man's words for the Austrian, and the aristocrat, to fully acknowledge that urge in himself.

"I'm worried for Natalya and Yekaterina," were the first words from the Russian's mouth. Roderich nodded, through he did not yet understand what could have the larger nation worried for someone other than himself. He was genuinely intrigued.

"I'm listening. Continue." The Austrian spared a moment to also wonder why the Russian had come to him. The two of them were possessed of an awkward history, of sorts.

"More and more of my cities are being destroyed," Ivan continued, as though he had never stopped, violet eyes searching the Austrian's own brown, adding a plea that his words had not yet lighted upon. Help me, please. "I... am becoming weaker. This... is hurting me. And I... I am so large. Yekaterina, and Natalya... They are so small!

"I fear... that they will become one with... nothingness."

"But what can I do?" Roderich asked, his lips pursed. "I am neutral in this war. Helping you to protect them, would...."

"Nyett. That is not what I am asking. I do not want your help in the war, but, after."

"After?"

"After, da. I... I do not believe that I will make it, to the end of the war. I... will need, a voice, when I am...." He played with some papers on the edge of the Austrian's desk, shuffling them around, moving his hands so that such an unpleasant thought might be more bearable. "What the bombs do not claim of my lands, I would like Natalya to have. Belarussia, like she has always wanted, nyett?"

"And, Ukraine?"

Ivan looked up from where his hands were toying with the papers, a lopsided, somewhat wistful smile on his face. Roderich almost thought he saw something faintly wet in the corner of the larger nations' eye, but paid it no heed in a proper gentleman's fashion. "Yekaterina is such a crybaby. She will need someone... someone to look after her, when I am... gone. Could you, perhaps... find her someone, who will? Who will help her to rebuild, who will lo-- be nice, to her?"

Roderich nodded, murmuring, "I believe I may know the perfect nation for that..." It was almost like getting asked to play matchmaker. But, unlike Elizaveta, Ivan wasn't asking him to film it... "And, should you not dissapear? What should I do, then?"

This time, Roderich was certain he saw it, that faint shimmer of wet, a tremor in the shoulder, and a harsh swallow, before the other nation replied, "Could you... perhaps... protect me?" There was a definitive tremor to the Russian's voice, and Roderich wanted nothing more than to stand up and place a comforting arm around Ivan's shoulders. But he didn't. He stayed seated. "I'm scared."

x

"No fucking way," America said, jumping up from his seat and crossing his arms over his chest. Trying to look larger and tougher. Intimidating. Only... he wasn't. "Russia ain't the' kinda ass t' go pansy last minute and be scared of all things. Guy's fucking Russia. Russia doesn't get scared."

"Apparently, America, he did. And his lands are in my care, for now. You should think to revise your 'victory' speech," The Austrian said, laying the papers, (copies of the original, of course, but just as legit), on the table before turning out the door. He had done what was needed, for the moment, to keep the Russian's territory.

Now it was time to do what he could for Russia itself. Roderich had a nagging feeling that the next few months, as the very least, would be very trying. He hoped he was up for that challenge.

A/N: We'll get some "present"-day (in this story's time line) RoddyxIvan interactions in the next chapter. I would like to thank these people who reviewed: LittleLove, NEEDSMORELOVE, XxXChibiBunniXxX, and Gallytrot. And a welcome/thank you to any new readers! Please review. Thanks.