Why, hello there, readers! I've got a chapter for you that you may or may not like, since it's less funny and more...sad. The brightest thing about this chapter is probably the minor mention of the Russian cartoon, "Vinnie Pukh," which as one can guess from the wording, is the Russian version of Winnie the Pooh. There are three episodes that I know of and all of them can be found with English subtitles on Youtube. Go watch them. They're diabetes-adorable.

And in great contrast to the cutesy statement above, beware the fact that this chapter takes a dark turn (hey, if you want a serious rendition of Russia's character and personality, this can't be avoided). There's rather extensive talk of rape, death, and all the horrific things that can occur in between. Unfortunately realistic details below.

It had been a grand total of a day and half since China had rescued frail Latvia from being dragged with his guardians up to the freezing town of Oymyakon. This space of time included waving goodbye to Russia, hugging and then tearing free from a goodbye from Korea, Latvia bowing excessively and thanking China for "rescuing" him, eating lunch together in an Italian restaurant—China had not had Italian in a while and it was just time—chatting and napping for ten hours on a plane, driving in a taxi for another hour upon landing in China's homeland, and giving Latvia a tour of his home and the room he would be using as his own for the next month or so.

They were standing in the doorway of Latvia's room presently. China waited for him to ask something, to comment, to say the view from the window was nice. Latvia instead told him, "China…I've never felt so safe. Not in my entire life."

He had to grin a little; his humility had been drilled into him long ago and had pleasantly stuck there. "Ah, well, I couldn't let a kid like you go to a place like Oymyakon, aru, even in springtime. Their weather up there doesn't shoot up twenty degrees just because spring arrived, aru."

"That's not what I mean. It's not the cold I was dr-dreading..."

"Yes, Russia. Of course. I'm certainly not so infatuated with him that I would ignore what he may do to a little one like you." China said, so that Latvia didn't have to. He felt a foolish, selfish desire building up in him, and perhaps because he knew Latvia was much safer and happier here, he dared to ask. "Would he have been…meaner, in a colder place?"

"More dangerous is the phrase." China observed Latvia's shoulders press towards his head, his legs barely begin to shake. "H-He acts the same, but we must watch ourselves all the m-m-more. If it is very cold, he will get angry at us for the most trivial things…for forgetting to lock a door. For coughing when it's quiet."

'He feels safe here. If he gets scared, I can console him, aru,' was what China thought, knowing full well it wasn't right to potentially frighten him as he was just about to, but his curiosity was nearly too much. "What does he do when he is angry, Latvia? Even when we stuck by each other in Communist days, I only saw his wrath once, aru." Twice. But explanation of the second time would bring Latvia to tears if anything would. For the sake of fairness, he elaborated his single, open example. "We were eating together once, I want to say in late 'sixty-nine. Winter was beginning, aru. An official came in to tell him about Americans successfully putting their flag on the moon."

He paused to gauge the reaction he was getting. Latvia was still standing facing the room, but had his eyes positioned toward China. Listening. Curious.

"…He looked at the official for only a moment before screaming, screaming like a demon for the official to get out. He took his plate and threw it at him, across the entire room. The fellow wasn't fast enough to get out of the way."

Here he paused, aware that the next piece of the story could be too much for his listener, but Latvia was in the same position as before. Listening. "It hit him on the leg, hyperextending his—ah, bending his knee the wrong way. It made a sound like…like a little bridge cracking its beams. And Russia went over and slammed the door, and came back and sat down, aru…and I waited and watched him. A few minutes later he stood up and suggested we go outside to watch the snow fall. And he was smiling, just…just fine."

Outside, birds were chirping and enjoying the warmth of April that could not reach China and Latvia where they stood in quietude. It was clear Latvia did not have the strength to overcome that story with any of his own words.

"That was a while ago, though, and these are not such hateful, competitive times as those, aru. Now he is much better, and even better for us, he's not here," he added, aware Latvia needed to hear such a thing.

"Yes. He's not here." said little Latvia, and did not elaborate his own examples, China noted. "Could…could I possibly take a n-nap in here for an hour or so? I can help you make dinner once I'm awake again, it's-it's-it's just that I'm still feeling the jet lag."

China blinked and scoffed with a little grin. "The cook around here is me, aru. I cook for myself and my six servants. You can help if you like, but for your first night I think a batch of standard, hot dumplings would suit you well, and I hardly need assistance for that, aru. The window's lock is on the left side, if you'd like it open for a breeze. I'll see you later." He bowed briefly, accepted an awkward imitation from his guest, and left the door open a crack.

Truth be told, he was a little relieved to have Russia out of his hair for a day or so—the amount of time it would take him to get to Oymyakon by train and then car—and decided to get to making the dumplings early. In fact, he could make an entire hotpot in celebration of Latvia's first day at this "safe house." He'd like that.

Late late late late late late latelatelatelateLATE! China was late and Russia would probably not like that!

It had been a sunny and wonderful day with Latvia. He was overcome with awe and curiosity upon visiting the Forbidden City that morning, and commented on every colorful or tall or elegant or strange item that they passed. Rickshaws really caught his interest; once riding in one, China heard Latvia's laugh for the first time and wondered how long it had been since Latvia himself had heard it. When they had eaten out after, Latvia asked China to please order him some jiu of some kind—one of five Chinese words he knew: alcohol—and China, conceding only once on this pleasant day, let him have one glass, and forced him to get milk afterward.

They were back at his home now, full, exhausted, smiling and in general enjoying the internal buzz of a day well spent. Latvia asked if he might perhaps watch a movie, and one of the servants, Meiying, took him upstairs to find one that would suit his taste. China himself headed up to his room thinking to do the same thing but stopped halfway up the stairs. And shivered.

'Oh, Tian. The time difference. He's already been there half a day. Expecting me half a day.'

China had sped up the second half of the stairs as though the monster Nian was behind him. He tore open the door to his room, found the number of the hotel Russia and his two charges were staying at, and punched the numbers on his cell phone like he meant to injure them.

Ring. Ring. Ring. The soft, clicking sound of someone picking up the phone. A sigh. A pause.

"Hhhel-hhello," came a literally chilled voice that was either Estonia's or Lithuania's.

Taking a chance, he replied, "Lithuania xiansheng? Hello?"

"China?" came, thankfully, Lithuania's literally chilled voice. "Oh. Oh, thhh-th- thank goodness. You're just in time. Russia's…sss-seething. He left the room a minute ago and he could be back any se-second. You meant to talk to him, right? Because he mentioned yy-you only once today, and that could be j-just as meaningful as t-talking-g-g about you all day long—"

In the background, Estonia complained about something, and a television turned on, creating pleasant background noise.

Lithuania let the television fill in for his voice for a few moments and then picked up again. "He knows your n-n-number, China, so I don't know wh-why he wouldn't just call you, and I'm sorry but that frightens me a b-bit. If he were in a happier mood, h-he would just pester you and call and c-call till you answered. B-But he waited for you."

"So he's in a darker mood, I would assume," China replied awkwardly. "When he comes, tell him I called. He'll call back and I'll talk about something nice and happy, put him in a good mood, aru."

"Don't mention h-his work here, please. The crime here is worse than we thought and…and it's affecting him."

A perfect time for little Latvia to be out of the way. "What sort of crime is it, aru?"

"Rape. Of little girls. All of them below twelve." Lithuania's voice was dark and steady, and China's mouth parted in horror. "There's four men at least, doing it in gr-g-groups, and there are ten victims th-that we know of. One has been caught. R-Russia…Russia was told by both the mayor and the people of the town that he'll be granted full amnesty for punishing the men how-h-however he likes—oh. Russia, he's on the phone—" Lithuania's voice stopped short, and the volume of the television in the background dropped significantly.

Then: "Hello?" A normal, completely unruffled tone of voice (for Russia) as though he'd been interrupted folding his laundry. "Estonia, you may have the television volume up if you like. It doesn't bother me."

And with a slight increase in the volume of the television in the background, Russia spoke again. "I am sorry I wasn't here when you called. I know this sounds an odd excuse, and certainly gruesome, but I was busy gouging a man's eyes out. But I am sure you don't want to hear about that. Please tell me what you and Latvia have been doing. You have had a lot of fun, da?"

A forked path suddenly appeared: the choice of enlightening Russia with pleasant tales of his and Latvia's warm, happy escapades, possibly making Russia darkly resentful of their good mood or possibly thankful for Latvia's happiness, and also the choice of…of…

"I'll tell you everything we did once you tell me what you did," China chose to say. "Your upbringing has been dark, but that's no reason to pretend more dark things aren't happening to you today, aru. You should tell me what's happening, or it'll eat at you, endlessly." Maybe.

At first, Russia didn't say anything, and the other end of the phone was filled with the sounds of a nature documentary full of loudly-chirping birds. China began to regret his decision and wish he could turn back time, just a few moments—it would make the greatest difference to talk about something nice instead of rape for God's sake, and he should have known that—

"Do you really think that?" Russia asked eventually, his voice low. China had heard such voices directed at him before, voices that regarded his opinion as higher wisdom. He hoped he deserved such a pedestal.

"I do." he replied immediately.

He sighed slightly into the phone. "I trust your words. I will tell you." The volume of the background TV show went up slightly. "Did Lithuania tell you anything about what is going on in this town? Because I doubt he could capture the stark truth of things. This began with two little girls who were friends, and these girls didn't come home from school one day."

There was a creak and faint thuds of feet. Russia had either sat down or stood up. "They were found the night after, naked and with their genitals stuffed with metal rods. One of them lived long enough to say one of the men who stole them had brown hair with one streak dyed blonde, and then the blood loss at last took her, when her father had left the room to get her some water. He came back and she had died."

It wouldn't do to say nothing at this time. China had initiated this. He could not be the speechless one. "…How old were these girls, aru?"

"Nine. Both of them."

"This man deserves to die, aru."

"I agree. So I killed him."

China was then the speechless one. Five seconds later he was still speechless.

"Oh, I do not expect you to say anything. Remember, the governing forces here granted me very legal permission to deal with the criminals as I please. Even in such a remote place as this, people know I do not give second chances to the undeserving. And this is not the only crime, you see. Ten other girls of about the same age were stolen and found with their innocence torn from them. I was called here to aid in hunting the criminals who are tainting my homeland."

China gripped the headboard of his bed. Why did so many dark crimes throughout time have to take place in Russia's land?

"And I have found one of them already." Russia went on. "After the citizens suggested many methods to me, I chose to drive my thumbs into his eyes. I waited for a few minutes, so he could sit and feel that pain and contemplate his mistakes, and then shot him in the mouth. I was very angry, though, so I my hands shook and I missed. I had to reload the gun and shoot him again. I believe the people will have his body cremated."

"Russia…"

"Excuse me, but my request still stands."

"I—what?"

"I do not want you to revert to the neutral and distant 'Russia' ever again. It bothers me."

He had just killed a man, justly, and wanted only to be called by name? Fine. Fine. That was nothing. "Ivan. I'm glad you've said this to me…and I wish I could be there to help you—"

"Me too," said Russia forlornly. "I—I think it is selfish to want you near a place where such evil things are…are happening…but I cannot help it. I wish you were here anyway. If I could just hold you near me, or even seen you talking to me in person, anything, it would make me feel so happy. I would hate it here less."

China unconsciously put both hands on his phone. "That's so nice, aru. But you don't need me there." Russia interrupted with the word, "I," but he didn't have time to go any farther. "That you can tell this to me and not break down is itself a great strength. That you found one of these demons within a day of arriving shows how effective your investigation force is, aru. How many men do you think are a part of this crime?"

"There are three remaining at least. There was a single girl who we found alive after the first. Her name is Larisa, and she described each of the men in such detail that artists were able to draw individual profiles of them. She is a hero."

"Well, because of Larisa, these criminals will be caught and given what they deserve that much sooner. And you will be home that much sooner, yes?"

"Da." Another noise appeared in the background. It was a knock on the door. Russia said something in his own tongue instead of opening the door; the knocker then opened the door himself. He spoke both quietly and quickly, and through the troubles of translating fast talkers whose mouths were not near the phone, China was able to hear only the words for "now" and "find."

Russia barked something angrily and the television flipped off. He came back on the phone. "Yao, someone is bothering me with something he wants to call evidence, which seems like nothing but an excuse to put his stepbrother into jail. If I were not obligated to investigate every given clue, I would not leave you for something trivial and probably fabricated." China tried not to gulp, imagining the vicious glare the door-knocker was receiving. "I must go. Please, call again tomorrow night? I hope we can talk about something nice then."

It was a question, not a command. "Of course, my friend." China replied.

"Silly lyubov." Russia said in a way that was not silly at all. "Ah…goodbye."

China said goodbye and pressed the "end" button on his phone. He dropped it onto his bed and dropped his face into his palm. A habit he'd unwillingly picked up from America then surfaced; for once, it was appropriate.

"Fucking God…"

His dreams that night were awful…or was it just one dream? They could not even be pieced together; they were sharp, foggy clips of bears and wolves chasing prey down hills, red fireballs falling from the sky, water filling rooms and drowning terrified innocents, siblings being separated by child-stealers and other things that curled toes and churned stomachs. Just another side effect of talking about rape with Ivan Braginski.

Thankfully and like usual, China woke up with the sun, possibly cutting off even more awful dreams that could have haunted him were he to have slept in. He was grateful to raise and lower his arms in graceful Tai qi movements with Dalong, thinking purposefully of nothing but air, water, movement and the sun, fine things that had always existed, held the earth together, held him. He felt the slightest pinch in his chest when it was time to return to the literal business of life, starting with a visiting ambassador from Spain later in the morning and ending before bedtime with a phone conversation with Russia, which absolutely had to have positive subject matter, and if he didn't think of something, some seriously bad shit would go down, or so America would say.

Latvia was delighted to be left at the house to sniff around in China's personal library and ferret out and read the nation's oldest and newest romance novels—they agreed Russia never needed to know they both had and shared this interest—all day long (he ordered Guang to hide any and all alcoholic beverages just in case). He awaited the ambassador at the Beijing Airport and moved throughout town together, selecting various foods to export more heavily into Spain based on popularity trends in the West.

This took up much of the day, and by the time the ambassador left, China had time only to purchase a quick snack at a street vendor before rushing home. From there, he had less than an hour before Russia would be expecting him to call. This space of time was the one in which he was most conscious of the fact that he hadn't found something nice and sunny to talk about, so he started pacing his room, hoping to Luo Tian that something would come to him soon, right now, any second now, please, please please anything YES!

Perfect. He was ready. Russia would love it. The smiles this brought him—his real, genuine smiles not meant to make people start sweating—would help brighten whatever dark day he'd just experienced. China was smiling when he reached for his phone.

The phone rang for a longer period of time than it had before, but when it was picked up, Russia answered instead of Lithuania, and he was noticeably happier than last time. "Ah, good evening, malen'kii Yao," he said, and gave just enough pause for an interjection, so China interjected.

"Privet, Ivan." China said, adding a touch of casualness. "U vas byl udachnyĭ den?"

Instead of saying whether or not he had had a successful day as he was asked, Russia took in a sharp breath and exhaled in a few short bursts of pleasant laughter. "I haven't heard you speak russkom for so long…" he said; China heard the trailing-off voice of one who was busy remembering.

China laughed a little, too, and proceeded to tell his old friend that he'd this morning—well, a month ago, really, but no need to mention that—seen a video online, a Russian cartoon he'd found just adorable, and he wondered if Russia—excuse him, Ivan—had seen as well. "Pomnish' Vinni Pukh?"

The responding gasp was one of a child spying a wrapped present. "Vinnie Pukh, the little bear—ah, no, I mean the malen'kii medved!"

The conversation was tactfully then all about Vinnie Pukh and how the both of them found it childishly adorable, and wasn't Krolik just so silly and hospitable, and poor Eeyor, getting a broken balloon and a pot for his birthday! That'd just…suck. (Russia was highly amused that China knew the Russian version of that phrase). He had just asked if China knew any other languages, such as Polish, because he'd been wanting to tell off Poland for a few months now, but just then some noise occurred on Russia's end of the phone and China was left staring stupidly into space when he heard what sounded like hurried, high-pitched Russian for, "They are here!"

More people entered the room and made noise; Estonia gave a sudden cry and there was a sound suggesting he had just knocked something over (Russia groaned, "That just doubled our hotel bill, Estonii.") But then an unfamiliar woman came into the picture, saying something far too fast and urgent for China to catch. She and Russia argued back and forth and twice a gruff old man interrupted them. All China could manage to understand was that the woman desperately wanted Russia to go somewhere.

More and more noise and arguing went on; China stood there with the phone to his hair and his free hand motionlessly fisting his sleeve. At last there was a period of silence, a click, and, "There is good news, Yao. I will be going home tomorrow morning." China was about to say something positive about this when the woman broke in again. After more insisting, Russia came on the phone again to say, "Put Latvia on the first flight to Moscow tomorrow. The four of us will then drive home together. Also pray for me, please."

Pray? What in the world had he missed in all that fast talk? "What'll you need prayers for?" China asked in what he hoped was a gentle tone.

"I will be cutting throats tonight." Russia said unhappily. "And doing other bad things. I will enjoy it. I know I will, even though they're certainly awful things to do. I do not completely understand your country's religion so I do not know what god you will pray to, but please ask him to help me keep a hold of myself. I do not want to go home recalling these things happily. Please."

"Of course I will," China said passionately—tonight's sweet sleep would now be robbed from him because of worry for Russia, but what did that matter? "No matter what you're doing, imagine me standing beside you, aru. I'll be right there."

A dozen people and a room full of silence lie on the other side of the phone. Again, Russia broke the silence by speaking and said tearfully, "Vy ochen' dobry. Ya tak lyublyu tebya." China could not mind the silly compliment to his kindness and the mindless love confession for all the world. He could say those things a hundred times if it helped him.

"Go do whatever it is they're telling you," he said, in the comforting parent-voice his little siblings had memories of. "When tomorrow comes, you'll be free again and Oymyakon will be a much happier place, aru. Go on." It seemed he was going to; Russia hung up.

China flipped the phone shut and tossed it carelessly onto his bed. 'So much for having fun talking about Vinnie Pukh,' he thought suddenly, and couldn't even smile. Russia's mind would be far from Vinnie Pukh tonight. If he was on the right track, China guessed that more, if not all, of the rapists in Oymyakon had been caught and it was now time for Russia to exact punishment on them. The invaders in his room had sounded very vehement in getting him to do this job quickly, and perhaps that was better.

But he'd asked China to fulfill a part of it, too, and there was no reason in the world why he shouldn't. Immediately he got down onto his knees and turned his mind to the moon and sun, to life, and that which watched over it all. Qing bangzhu ta. Qing…

Perhaps through prayer and perhaps through nothing but thinking about it a lot, an idea came to him. He could do more than sit on the floor and beg unseen gods for support. He'd China stood up and went briskly downstairs, to deliver to Latvia some good and bad news.

It was probable both he and Latvia had had nightmares the previous night, Latvia's consisting of the usual dark oppression his guardian showered him with in daily life, and China's own of everything that went on in America's disgusting movie Hostel, and his mind did not at all appreciate the cruel mockery and gore.

But here they were, heading right for the harbinger of such nightmares. Latvia and China sat next to each other on a plane to Moscow. They were set to land some two hours before Russia, Lithuania and Estonia were to arrive back there from Oymyakon. Latvia and China hadn't announced the fact that they'd be there at the airport to welcome them back.

Latvia had a little suitcase packed with things he'd acquired in China's land, such as the little stuffed dragon he'd acquired in the shopping district of Beijing, pebbles from the Great Wall, a video of lion dancing, and many others. He kept this in his lap and inspected his new things throughout the five-hour flight so that he would not be preoccupied with shaking himself into a seizure. China stared out the window and thought, and planned what he could say and do, and prepared for the worst. He prepared to chi ku.

They landed and wandered the airport and its little shops together, wasting time until Russia, Lithuania and Estonia's plane were set to land. By taking Latvia to a little bookstore where he could shuffle among the romance section, China was able to calm him down. He himself found a cheap copy of Journey to the West in Russian and tried to amuse himself by seeing how accurate the translation was.

But at last came the "Arrive" screens spread throughout the airport began to read "ten minutes till landing" regarding the plane they were waiting on. China and Latvia looked each other over, smiling a little. Their cheerful time together in China's Beijing home was done. "Stay behind this pillar, aru," China said as the doors to Gate 3C opened. "It'll be more surprising if they don't see us at first."

But they both peeked, however. Russia was the ninth person off the plane with his Baltic charges just behind him, and he wore a coat similar to his regular one but darker and unbuttoned. His scarf was very loose, and his eyes stared sleepily at the people in front of him. He looked tired, and that was all. China shivered.

The three walked past China and Latvia without even looking in their direction and headed mindlessly towards the baggage claim, unaware they were being stealthily followed. Suddenly Latvia hung back, possibly understanding China's plan or possibly out of pure fear. China went noiselessly forward without him and stopped at Russia's side, a foot or less out of his line of sight. Perfect.

"I can't wait for the workers to realize I actually want my suitcase back." China commented airily, and made a point of keeping his eyes casually on the baggage carousel as Russia stared at him completely dumbstruck.

"Hhow…here, what are you—doing—" Russia could hardly make sentences, his face was lighting up so. He took one of China's hands and squeezed it, and it was so nice and mild a squeeze China was, firstly, surprised, and secondly didn't mind.

"Delivering Latvia to you," he replied. "And offering my support as I said I would. I'm quite aware this is presumptuous of me to assume you'd want anyone around you at this time, but I think you could use it, aru. And if you do prefer being alone right now, just tell me so and I'll leave you be."

"No." The squeeze started to hurt. "No. Stay. Come to my house."

Just as planned. Latvia, and the others, would still be safe. And Russia would soon, hopefully, be calmed. "Fine, then. I suggest you take a nap first, aru. I kind of doubt you slept on the plane, and resting will do you good anyway."

Russia smiled his typical smile and said, "Yao, will you sleep with me?"

'Iknewthiswasabadideaohlord—' "You…mean lie on the same bed, lose consciousness and dream. That kind of sleep."

"Yes, silly. That is so presumptuous of you. Some other time, da? When I am not in such ruin?"

And here it came. China feigned surprised, feigned the fact that Russia still harboring dark feelings from the previous night was unexpected. "Hm? Why would you be in ruin?"

Swinging their hands a little, Russia replied, "I tore off a man's arm last night. With only my hands." He kept swinging. "I bit off another's fingers. I put a welding torch to another's face. Watched one drown in mud, which is very nasty. All the time, I imagined you beside me." He looked down and so missed the drop of sweat running down the side of China's head. "On the plane here, I…I kept thinking about it, and I think I almost hurt the waitress who served me a drink. Estonia says I almost did something very bad to her, and he sent her off to a different part of the cabin. I don't remember at all."

Well. This was the sort of thing he'd come over here to help. China pulled his hand free from Russia's grip with only a light tug and pushed it gently up through Russia's hair; he received a short, tired sigh in return and a look full of a sort of aching affection that he couldn't look away from. "That's the sort of thing I'm here to fix, aru."

Russia took his hand again. "That's so sweet of you. I need lots of fixing, Yao."

Oh, indeed he does.

Well. There's the whole Russia-has-to-deal-with-something-predictably-dark subplot, and I went way into the dark, I think. I think it's a justifiable thing, though. If you really want to write Russia's character, you can't ignore the fact that he's somewhat insane. Legitimately, dangerously insane. We fans think it's funny and cute but other Hetalia characters genuinely fear him and think he's dangerous. The fact that he readily tortures the rapists (an act I'd say they deserve, were they real people) of Oymyakon and comes out of it looking and sounding only marginally disquieted should testify this.

More into the story, this chapter is where you begin to see China really caring for Russia. Granted a lot of it is sympathy for the dark things he has to deal with up there, but that doesn't encompass it all. This makes Russia's sad little grey heart happy :)

For you language lesson this chapter, we've got "xiansheng," (Chinese characters: 先生) which China used to talk to Lithuania. This is a Chinese way of saying "mister." After that, China uses Russia's tongue to ask him, U vas byl udachnyĭ den? (Cyrillic: у вас был удачный день?) meaning something like "Did you have a good/successful day?" And later he asks Russia if he remembers the cartoon, Vinnie Pukh, "Pomnish Vinnie Pukh?" (Cyrillic: Помнишь Винни Пух) The last two, VP's name, are underlined because I don't know if they're right. Later, when praying for Russia's spirit to hold during the torture session, China says "Qing bangzhu ta," (Chinese characters: 请帮助他) meaning "please help him."

Lastly, deserving its own paragraph because I have to actually explain it: when China and Latvia are on the plane to the Moscow airport, China describes what he's about to do as "chi ku" (Chinese characters: 吃 苦). Chi ku is a Chinese saying, literally meaning "eat bitter." It can be translated as "swallow your pride," "grin and bear it" and other such things. It basically means to endure hardship to reach your goals.

Whew. See you next chapter, which I will try to make less…unhappy.