Okay, so this was a challenge I got from a forum. We're supposed to write a fic about a certain character and a board game. I got Scrabble and Ukraine. I hope you guys enjoy :)

"Hmmm, Y. R. O. S. R. M. I." Katyusha rested her chin on her hand, which was propped on her elbow, as she sighed and eyed the board of Scrabble in front of her. She didn't have the slightest clue as to what she could spell with those. Oh well, Ivan should be coming home soon so maybe she could take a little break to talk to him. Maybe, just maybe, she thought, I can cook him something for dinner! Katyusha has been aware of her brother's habits lately, eating less and drinking more, and she tried to be understanding about it. Ivan was going through a hard time right now, considering he was having trouble with the Soviet Union and keeping it together.

Just then, the front door to the house slammed open, revealing a fuming Ivan; bottle of Vodka in hand. Before Katyusha could even finish saying "Ivan, are you alright?" the Russian had stormed across the living room and went straight upstairs. From where the Ukrainian woman sat, she could hear a door slamming shut; which she already knew was his study. It would seem he was spending a lot of time in there, which was worried Katyusha so much. Ivan was never one to be too dependent on people, that is, until he got to know them well enough. It took awhile before he even spoke to his sister when they first met. Oh, Katyusha remembered those days so well. Ivan was barely as tall as her knees but he was just as stone faced when it came to meeting strangers. The little country, who no one could think was such a brutal man at first glance, was too timid to even shake Katyusha's hand when she extended it outwards to him.

Eventually, with enough time and patience, Ivan had begun to warm up around Katyusha; following her around and letting her touch him. The Ukrainian was the only one who could touch him without him going into some fit, or upsetting him. Say he needed help tying his shoe, or doing up a winter coat, Katyusha was there to help since he wouldn't let anyone else. Katyusha still remembered seeing the boy smile, or how he would always be open towards her; willing to tell her what was bothering him. Now though… Katyusha sat back on her heels and looked towards the stairs that Ivan just went up. It's such a shame, really, that her brother had stopped being so open with her. Either he'd run, like now, avoiding all questions, or he would shrug it off. The Ukrainian woman hated the mask Ivan wore. It was that same stoned-face, blank of all expression, mask that concealed his emotions and made him look like he wanted to kill everyone; which was not necessarily false.

Katyusha stood from her spot on the floor, smoothing her wrinkled pants as she went to find Lithuania, Toris, or Estonia, Eduard. Surely they could help her with making Ivan feel a tad bit better, right? Even if both Baltic's were afraid, she knew that deep down they cared for Ivan as much as she does. Well, maybe not that much. Katyusha was a very passionate person, trying to love everyone because no one was truly 'evil.' Maybe their motives were different, Toris and Eduard, because it was done out of fear. Make sure Ivan's happy, live another day. It saddened the Ukrainian woman to think people thought such things of her brother. Ivan was not a bad person. He has had a rough, brutal past; filled with cruel, corrupt bosses and a lifetime of pain and misery. Being the powerhouse that he was, his bosses just assumed he was heartless which was proven to not be the case.

Watching a person die, right before your eyes, is not something that is taken lightly; by anyone. What's worse is having to watch your own citizens die, that is something no country likes seeing, and Ivan has seen it too many times. Was he insane? No, not at all. Even the other countries have break-downs. Take France for example, the country of love that is always polished and always in control of his emotions but not his hands. When Jeanne D'Arc was burned, a human he happened to fall in love with, the Frenchman was in a state of a coma; in a sort. He wouldn't talk, wouldn't eat, when he attended meetings you could see just how drained his was, and he did not make a single move on anyone; jokingly or otherwise. Francis had actually stopped caring about his appearances for a sort while before he snapped himself out of it, not for himself but for Jeanne. No country can watch their citizens die without having to feel the consequences of it afterwards. Ivan was no exception to that! Although, Katyusha had a feeling it was more than that now.

As she reached the room that the three Baltics shared, out of choice, might she add, Katyusha gently pushed the door that was left slightly ajar open. When she entered the room, she found it to be empty. Neither Toris nor Eduard were there, not even Raivis! Another thing she found odd was that, there was nothing on the freshly made bed, in the drawers which were neatly closed, and nothing personal on the desk which Eduard used to keep his computer. Were they… Were they gone? They must be, and that must be way Ivan was this upset today. Even if he didn't show it on the outside, he enjoyed the Baltic's company. Well, he enjoyed company in general, but with the Baltic's he had always thought of it as some family; whom he hoped would never fall apart. This was wishful thinking of him, wasn't it? No country could have a 'family.' It wasn't possible.

As much as Katyusha tried, she couldn't keep it together. With pressure from her boss, the Ukrainian woman would soon be following suit of the Baltic's and leave. She didn't want to, especially now of all times, but she knew better than to go against her boss. Perhaps she should leave now, while Ivan is in his study, and avoid a heartbreaking goodbye. She already felt her eyes water as she made her way to her room; luggage bag in hand. When she finished packing, clearing the room of everything she possessed, which wasn't much, a few silent tears had rolled down her face. This was the hardest decision she was ever forced to make. So, wait, was it really her decision then? Did she really have a choice? Countries can't choose their bosses, but whoever it is, they do have to listen to them; no matter the pain it caused. With a defeated sigh, snuffling a bit to conceal her tears, she returned to the living room and spotted the board of Scrabble that she was previously playing. Y. R. O. S. R. M. I...

Meanwhile, in the study Ivan had just finished his bottle of vodka, growling at the bottle which was now empty; much like everything else in his damned life! If it wasn't for Katyusha, Ivan didn't know what he would do. The house itself was quite large, meant for more than one person. With the Baltic's now gone, the house seemed even larger and emptier. The Russian clicked his tongue through his teeth as he looked around the study. That urge returned; the urge to break, destroy. It was only habitual, thanks to his previous bosses, to have violent outbreaks. Maybe that's why everyone was afraid, why everyone thought he was a monster. Ivan swiped his arm across his desk, sending the papers and other various objects flying across the room. They scattered across the floor as he growled and threw the offensive empty bottle of Vodka to the other side of the room; watching as it broke and shattered. The Russian flipped the desk, using all his strength to send it flying across the room until it hit the wall and broke his computer. Whatever, he could buy a new one. It didn't matter.

After his study was destroyed, Ivan felt that feeling deep in his stomach; the feeling of self-loathing that came after all the destruction. His eyes had watered, looking quite glossy, as he groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Nyet, he could not cry. Not the big powerful Russia, no. Ugh, maybe he should go find his sister, apologize for how he acted, and ask for help; he needed her help, so bad! Maybe it wasn't just help, Ivan wanted comfort. No, Ivan needed comfort. Katyusha was always there for him, right? Even when he acted heartless and cruel, she was there. Ivan didn't mean to be so cold towards her earlier but the events of the day had been too much for him. At least he didn't snap at her and do what he did to his study to her. That was the last thing he wanted. His older sister was all he had left, even Natalie had left him, so he didn't want to lose her too. Carefully opening the study door, Ivan stepped over the shattered glass and made his way to the hallway. The large Russian was surprisingly quiet and quick on his feet as he strode down the corridor soundlessly. Once he reached the stairs, he called out. "Cестра?" No answer.

With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Ivan quickly went down the stairs to find the coffee table she was once at, playing a board game, was void of her. Where did she go? The game was still laid out along the table, letters put together to… Wait. Ivan walked closer to the table and looked at what was actually spelt in the small tiles. The tears that he tried holding back fell, one after the other as he clutched his chest and looked down to where his heart rested. His heart, which he had originally hoped was numb by now, was hit by multiple daggers, over and over again. No, no, no, no! Ivan shook his head, disbelievingly, as he looked to the window to see a figure in the distance, bag in hand, as she entered a taxi and left. The words on the board echoed through his mind, haunting him with the image of her tearstained face as he read the message one more time.

" I. M. S. O. R. R. Y."

So, yeah, I hope you guys enjoyed it and I hope I did the prompt alright... Ahaha, I was a little stumped with this one, since I usually don't write about Ukraine, but it was actually kinda fun :) Oh, and I'm sorry that the historic part of it is probably inaccurate ." I don't know the order of who left and when, but I tried to make it seem pausible enough. Alright, so, that's 1 down out of 2. My next prompt should be up soon. xD