Canadaslighter here :D Hey! Sorry for the delay in this. Check new story for the details of why. As I said there, I'll try to update each fic twice a month, alternating weekly :) I hope this okay :D

Thank you and enjoy :D

Madeline

Ivan was standing on her porch, both hands wrapped around steaming cups of coffee. His scarf was drawn up to his nose like a defence from the frosty morning. It was almost laughable, the idea that a thin stretch of cloth was the only thing protecting him; she was used to seeing him wrapped up in Kevlar and armed to the teeth. But here he was, armed with only two cups of boiling liquid.

He was still a threat to anyone with them, but it was far less threatening.

"Ivan? What are you doing here?" She was still tired, it had only just gone 7am and she was in her maple leaf pyjamas, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Papa was standing behind the kitchen door, eyes creased in vague amazement that a boy other than Gilbert was speaking to his daughter. The boy was usually very protective.

"I thought I could drive you to school, and we could," he paused slightly, eyes flicking to the closed door behind her. He knew someone was listening. "Get an early start on the tour you promised me, da?"

He was all smiles as he shook the scarf lower down his face. She couldn't help but smile back.

"Just let me get dressed."

"Of course tovarishch."

The coffee was delicious; he'd remembered her order perfectly as always. It was a slight relief, she found, as she sank into the worn seats of his car, because it showed her that Russia and Ivan were not that different. Unlike herself and Canada, but those thoughts needed to be saved for worse days.

He broke the silence.

"Do you want me to call you Medlin?" His accent changed her name, but that wasn't why it sounded strange. He'd never said her name before. He'd never known her name until yesterday. This was defying every protocol they knew.

"You can call me Mattie, if you want…"

"Metti? It suits you tovarishch."

The silence once again filled the car.

"Y-you said you had sisters?"

"Da. Two. They're who I… joined for."

"Ah…"

She could sense his confusion, brows creasing as he drove through the snowy roads.

He stopped the car in an empty street, turning too quickly for the road conditions but she knew she had nothing to fear from his driving. His hands were on her almost instantly, familiar and strong, wrapping around her arms. He leaned close to her face, breath tickling her nose, but she didn't react. Madeline stared straight into his eyes in an unnatural sign of defiance before he began to laugh.

"So my Canada is in there after all. Why was she under this malen'kiy tsvetok, hmm?" He fell back into the Russian he had taught her years earlier, releasing her but still staring.

"Because it's a malen'kiy tsvetok that everyone knows me as. And that's who they will know me as."

"Konechno," his grin faded slightly, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "Are we friends here, tovarisch?"

She rested one hand over his and nodded. He smiled back, pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek, reminiscent of what he did every time they set out, before backing the car out into the road and continuing the journey.

"Apparently, I have maths first period. Yebat' menya."

She couldn't stop her laughter.

He was smiling all the way to the school.

Alfred

Alfred Freedom ("Frederic, Alfred, your middle name is Frederic") Jones Bonnefoy-Kirkland was pissed as all hell. He had burnt his toast this morning, found out his favourite pair of shoes had a hole in them and that his baby sister had hitched a ride with the newest member of Washington's Communist Party. And now Gilbert was questioning him about where the fuck Maddie was when that was what he wanted to know.

He'd ran to school, letting his strong legs carry him to school so that he was 20 minutes early. Maddie had left at 7.20, and school started at 8.40. She should have been here by 7.30 yet she was nowhere to be found. The Commie's car was nowhere to be seen (he had had to know what sort of car that Russian had owned for… security reasons) and he was slowly becoming more convinced that that bastard had kidnapped her.

"Al, are you even listening to the awesome me?"

That had to be it. He had managed to get her into his car through his Communist witchcraft! And then driven off while she was still under his spell of collectivisation and now she would become his bride in the terrifying beast that was his classless society! Papa had just let her leave- no he was probably under the influence as well, maybe the whole town was. Who knew how long this scourge had hidden right under his nose.

"Al? Alfred? This stopped being funny in 2nd grade bro. How could you ignore me, your most awesome friend?"

This was a direct challenge to the America. This was a direct challenge to Alfred. And he would respond. He would respond with all the power he had to muster-

"Alfred. Why is your sister getting out of the new kid's car?"

Gilbert had gone very quiet, glaring at the pair as Alfred breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't have a passport so it would have been very difficult to get to Russia to save Maddie. She was safe. And had just spent over an hour in an enclosed space with the enemy.

He was running before her name even left his lips, a rather confused Gilbert trailing behind him.

Madeline

"Madeline Maple Williams Bonnefoy-Kirkland! Just where do you think you've been?!"

Alfred was running across the car park towards them as Ivan helped her out of the car. She sighed, burying her hands in the oversized hoodie she wore before dodging Al's hands. He was trying to pull her away from Ivan, all the while glaring daggers at him. He was so childish sometimes, it was stupid.

"I-I've been catching up with Ivan, Al. Didn't Papa tell you?"

"Catching up?"

Gilbert replied before Alfred could, taking her hand in his and running his thumb over hers. She tell he was worried, but she just smiled at him.

"Ivan is part of the Gifted Programme, we got to know each other there, r-right Ivan?"

"Da. We are partners in the Programme." He spoke through the scarf, having pulled it up as they drove into the car park.

Both Gil and Al tensed slightly at the use of the word 'partners' but Madeline broke the tension by waving at Ivan and dragging her boys into the school. She was worried about the silence between them, but the trio soon fell into easy conversation.

Ivan

Ivan waved at Maddie's retreating figure, thankful he was wearing his scarf around his face.

Alfred was a beautiful boy that was for certain. His hair was brighter than Can-Maddie's, almost like a sunflower.

Ivan smiled.