Alright this is my first attempt at RussiaXFem!America. That's right, not slash but hetero just fyi. Hopefully this doesn't suck cause the plot has me by the horns and is making me write. Reviews are appreciated and feed my muse. Enjoy!

Ch 1: So Happy I Could Die

"Very well then. If no one else has anything to say-" Germany began as the World Conference came to an end.

"But what about the vote to file a restraining order against Sealand!" England shouted.

"As I was saying," Ludwig said tightly as a vein began to throb in his forehead.

"Don't ignore me Kraut!" Arthur ground out as America put a hand on his shoulder.

"Dude you gotta get over it," she laughed.

"How anyone can ignore that juvenile delinquent wanker is beyond me!" Arthur muttered while

Amelia snickered.

"Geeze I didn't know you hated kids so much. You hid it pretty well when you raised me," she said in a mock serious tone.

"That's not…I do not.." Arthur sputtered.

"I'm kidding," she winked as he blushed. "Francis must be losing his touch if you're this uptight."

She turned to her right and grinned at Russia who had overheard the entire conversation.

"Am I right?"

Ivan merely chuckled while Arthur shot dirty looks at the former Soviet state.

"I say why are you being so nice to him anyway?" Arthur whispered as Russia got up and walked over to Ukraine and Canada.

"Duh, in case you hadn't heard mate, his sister is dating my brother," Amelia said rolling her eyes. "It's like we're in-laws or something."

"That's very grown up of you considering the Cold War didn't end too long ago," Arthur remarked.

"I'm over it," she shrugged indifferently.

"Just be careful. There's a difference between being polite and trusting someone like Braginsky."

"I wouldn't go that far," Amelia said as she snapped open a can of coke.

"I'm glad to hear it," Arthur sniffed as Francis reached his side and ran a hand down his shirt front.

"Did I hear that my little Angleterre is being cranky?"

"Yup. That's our uptight Limey," Amelia smirked.

"Oh I will have to remedy this mon amour," Francis purred as Arthur blushed.

"It's none of your business!"

"I am making it my business tonight."

"Please behave yourself! We're in front of god and every country on earth," Arthur chastised as Amelia sauntered off sipping her drink.

She was actually happy for Arthur and Francis. She didn't know when that had happened. Maybe because her heart barely hurt anymore when she thought about them together.

She belched and earned a few dirty looks from several of the nations but most of them ignored her behavior as she made her way over to Japan.

"Sup Kiku?"

"Hello Amelia-san," he replied quietly. "Are we still having game night on Thursday?"

"Oh yeah definitely. I'm gonna whup your ass at Mario kart," Amelia laughed in anticipation. "You bring the sake and pocky. Hey that kinda rhymes!"

"Your personality is still very robust and loud and yet I am able to overlook," Kiku responded. "I look forward to our meeting."

"Me too," she agreed giving him the thumbs up. She sauntered off, intentionally walked around Cuba and waved to Katya.

"Hello Amelia!" the Ukrainian greeted her.

"Hiya lady. So how's my brother been treating you these days?" she said.

"Matvey is wonderful," the girl said blushing prettily.

"That's good. I'd hate to give him the noogie of the century for making one of my best friends upset. And then I'd have to disown him which you know would make family reunions really awkward!"

"You're so funny, like your brother," Katya smiled. "I should be going but we should have girls night soon da?"

"For sure!" Amelia called waving as she headed out the door where she nearly ran into the backsides of two trembling Italians who were facing Russia. He was trying to speak to them with his most earnest, friendly smile but it didn't look like it was working. She watched as the scared Italians finally produced white flags and then ran like hell around the tall nation as if fleeing for their lives.

That's when she saw it. It was brief, but Ivan's whole demeanor changed in that instant. His smile faltered, his bottom lip quivered and his shoulders slumped in defeat. In all the years that she had known him, after everything they'd been through including the fall of the Soviet Union she had never seen him look so defeated.

(Section Break)

At home in her D.C. townhouse Amelia laid out on the floor with a giant red pillow behind her head as she stared at the ceiling. Her legs were propped up on the couch next to the alien playing Pacman on a gameboy.

All afternoon she had been thinking about Ivan Braginsky. She could not get him out of her head no matter how hard she tried. Ice cream with potatoes chips couldn't make her forget. Even blogging about how America was the best hadn't helped at all.

Why did she even care? Russia was her former ally turned enemy turned neutral nation in law, nothing more. They had history and sure there were a lot of feelings there, but sympathy had never been one of them. Well almost never.

She huffed and Tony looked over at her and tilted its head.

"You should have seen the look on his face. Like he was devastated," she muttered to herself.

"Who?" Tony asked.

"Eh Russia," Amelia groaned sitting up. "I don't know why I feel like I should help him out. It's not like I care, but…"

She got to her feet suddenly with a glint in her blue eye and pumped her fist.

"That's it. I'm the heroine after all! It makes sense, that's what we do. We extend a hand to people who need it because that's just a part of being heroic!"

Amelia grinned while Tony got up and walked into the next room.

"This calls for some thinking food yo," Amelia announced as she pulled a box of cold pizza from the fridge.

With a slice of cold pizza hanging from her mouth she moved to the living room where Tony had pushed out the translucent dry erase board.

"Oh America why are you buying an erase board like the one in House? It'll just be a waste of time cuppa tea cuppa tea cuppa tea," Amelia mocked in an English accent as she took a red marker and began to write.

"We have one Ivan Braginsky, former head of the Soviet Union and embodiment of Russia. He has two sisters and three terrified underlings," she said out loud as she wrote furiously. "Lives in a cold region, lots of land, likes vodka, fan of figure skating, hockey…former communist…possibly had sex with Yao. Well that should do it."

She stood back and admired her work while she pondered what her next move would be given the information she had available at her fingertips. Tony texted from the couch while the female country remained deep in thought. When she pumped her fist excitedly the alien finally looked up.

"Dude I've totally got it!" she said jumping up in excitement. "Everybody loves getting presents and you know who gives presents? Santa! All I've gotta do is surprise the Commie like Finland and fly in a present to warm his black cold heart up!"

She turned to Tony who gave her the thumbs up and high fived the alien.

"Alright so we'll fly in covert and drop in vodka!" she said triumphantly. "He likes that booze so he'll totally love it if he steps outside and finds it raining down!"

She frowned slightly when Tony shook its head.

"What if he just thinks it's raining and never goes outside?" Tony inquired.

"Crud," Amelia said chewing on her bottom lip thoughtfully."Maybe we could drop in figure skaters?"

(Section Break)

Ivan had to blink several times just to confirm that what he was seeing was real. Everything certainly seemed real enough. The harsh cold air on his skin felt real as did the minty taste of toothpaste in his mouth. It was the sunflowers falling from the sky that seemed so dreamlike. There were hundreds, maybe thousands, raining down around his home. It was so very beautiful he could not help but stand in awe and watch as they fell around his home.

He had been in his bathroom getting ready for the day when he had first noticed. He had just gotten up from bed, his hair mussed and still wearing his striped pajamas when something outside his bathroom window had caught his eye. When he'd realized he was seeing sunflowers he'd dashed out into the cold morning light in his barefeet, toothbrush in hand.

It was so beautiful. The most lovely gift he had ever been given. With a bright childlike smile on his face, his purple eyes stared at the flowers as time stood still up until the last blooms hit the ground. After what felt like hours had gone by he looked up at the cargo plane above him that had been distributing the flowers. He was going to find out who it was exactly who had crossed into his homeland to deliver them.

"Farewell for now," he waved up at the departing plane. "I will find you later."

And with that he went back inside to make some important calls.

(Section Break)

Ivan gazed at his living room in satisfaction. Every surface from the mantel on the fireplace, to the tables and even the windowsills were covered with vases filled with sunflowers. It certainly brightened his day and it made him smile each time he saw the blooms.

"M-Mr. Braginsky sir!" a voice squeaked behind him.

He turned around and smiled brightly at Latvia who started shaking like a leaf, his arm outstretched with a manila envelope.

"Is that for me?" Ivan inquired, taking no notice to the terrified state of the Baltic country.

"Y-yes sir," Ravis whimpered.

"Thank you," Ivan said taking the envelope and perhaps a little too firmly ruffling the young man's hair before wandering in the direction of his home office.

He opened the door and made his way to his desktop, which was also covered with vases. He took a seat and at last extracted the contents of the envelope.

Ivan stared at the photographs spread out before him on his desk of the mysterious airplane. His intelligence agencies had been able to take many pictures of it before it had entered Finnish space.

He smiled predatorily. The only reason the plane had been allowed to leave Russian space was because he had allowed it. He could have had it shot down, but he was curious. It would have been a shame to end this new game so quickly. No one ever did anything so lovely as to literally shower him in flowers.

He certainly loved a good game of cat and mouse and he planned on enjoying himself as he worked to discover the identity of the person behind this whole thing. This was going to be fun to say the least.