Latvia had braced himself for the screams, even before they started. He knew he would hear them before the morning was over. Estonia would cry, would beg, would scream…and nothing would stop Russia until he was ready to be finished torturing the blonde Baltic. This Latvia knew to be certain.

When the screaming started, however, Latvia found that it was harder to ignore than he thought. For some reason, it seemed louder than Lithuania's cries… And then he realized why. Estonia had always been there, covering his ears, even though they had both known that Latvia could still hear the endless screaming.

And Estonia's screams were different, somehow. He seemed to be trying very hard not to cry out, unlike Lithuania, who seemed to be almost used to screaming.

Latvia waited, peeking cautiously through the crack between his almost closed door and the wall. He waited for the moment when either Estonia would limp upstairs to his room, or Russia would carry him there. But that moment…never came.

It was dark when he fell asleep, and it was dark again when he woke. But the darkness was different this time. The darkness he had fallen asleep in had been filled with desperation, with failing strength, with pain. Especially the pain.

But when he awoke, the pain had lessened, and he was in his own bed. But he was still painfully alone, with no idea who had brought him there.

Lithuania knew he could not stay there in the darkness of his room, as much as he wanted to. The brunette Baltic got up slowly, wincing. Russia had hurt him badly this time, but he would heal. He always did.

He checked Estonia's room first, only to find it empty. Given the hour, this was an odd occurrence, and Lithuania began to feel worried.

Then, as he cautiously opened the doorway to Latvia's room, he heard the boy sobbing quietly.

"Latvia?" Lithuania whispered, "What's wrong?"

He went over to stand next to Latvia's bed, trying to discern the cause of Latvia's trouble.

"W-who's there?" Latvia whimpered, and Lithuania could tell that he had been crying.

"It's Lithuania," the brunette replied, "What is the matter?"

He had prayed that this would not happen, that he would never have to hear the words he so feared. But, when Latvia sat up, crying, and clinging to him, he knew that something terrible had happened, even before Latvia spoke.

"I c-can't find Estonia!"

All through the long night, Lithuania stayed with Latvia. He knew he should be sleeping, but he also knew, that if Latvia did not rest, the smallest Baltic would have no strength to face the coming day. And they would need strength, if Estonia had been sentenced to the fate Lithuania feared he had. If Estonia had been locked in there, then God only knew when he would be let out.

Lithuania remembered the pain, terror, hunger…all the feelings that came from imprisonment in the dreaded basement. Had he been asked by anyone outside of their little 'family', he would not have described the basement as a basement, but as a torture chamber. In Russia's house, the words were synonyms. And, as far as Lithuania knew, he was the only one of the Baltics who had been locked in there before. There was a price to be paid for interfering with Russia's punishment of the others, something that Lithuania did…whenever he had the courage. Which was not as often as it should have been.

Yes, Lithuania knew, even before Russia told them, that Estonia had been locked in the basement. And he knew that there would be no escape for Estonia until Russia decided his punishment was at an end.

On the third day of Estonia's captivity, Lithuania decided that he would have to take action. As nations, they could not permanently die from lack of water…but that did not mean that thirst would not hurt them. He remembered all too well being locked down there in the darkness, dying the deaths of all his people who had ever died of thirst.

Yes, Estonia had to have water as soon as possible, and Lithuania would have to be the one to get it to him. He could not possibly ask Latvia to make the journey down to the basement; could not allow the youngest Baltic to see Estonia in such a terrible state.

So, in the darkness, with only a small flashlight to guide him, Lithuania went down into the basement, a place which he remembered all too well. It brought back memories, coming down there, but he could not dwell on it now. He had a job to do, and it must be done quickly. If Russia caught him, then Lithuania had no idea what might happen.

He had stolen the key from Russia's coat the day before, as Russia had mercifully decided to wear a different outfit for once, and had neglected to remove the keys from his coat pocket.

As Lithuania cautiously inserted the key into the lock and opened the door, he tried to prepare himself for what he might find. He had no way of knowing how badly Estonia had been beaten beforehand, and, as he had been in there for more than three days, it would doubtless be a gruesome scene.

Still, Lithuania was shocked by his friend's appearance. Estonia was leaning against the wall, eyes closed, breathing shallow. There was blood on the floor and on his clothes, and, although it had dried long ago, it still added to the gruesome scene. His glasses were gone, and as Lithuania scanned the room, he saw them lying a short distance away from Estonia, shattered.

Lithuania knelt beside Estonia, trying to steady his shaking hands. If he spilled the water he was carrying…

But he did not, and as he cautiously tried to make Estonia drink the water, he began to see the other boy coming back to life.

It was not a painless awakening. Estonia was painfully weak, not surprising considering the circumstance, but Lithuania had not remembered looking so pitiful. When Estonia had finished the water, he leaned back against the wall again. Lithuania had intended to give Estonia the water and then flee, but as he began to get up, Estonia reached out for him.

"Please… Don't…don't leave me…" Estonia whimpered, so softly that Lithuania barely heard him. "I…I can't take this… How do you…stand it?"

Estonia was shaking, whimpering in pain, his left hand reaching up to adjust the glasses that were no longer there, trying to make it so he was able to see Lithuania. And, although Lithuania knew that lingering even for a moment increased his danger tenfold, he did not have the heart to leave the broken boy to the darkness and hunger and pain.

He would stay until Estonia fell asleep, to comfort him. Lithuania had always wished, alone with his pain, that he had someone to care for him.

He began to hum softly, stroking Estonia's hair. He sometimes forgot, although it was painfully obvious now, that Estonia was, after all, only a child. And children needed love, and comfort, something that was very rare when you lived in Russia's house. So he couldn't just leave him, even though he wanted to.

Well, here's chapter two! :) I should not be smiling right now, but...I smile too much. So, I have a question. See, I've actually written two endings for this, because when I tried to write it the first time, it turned into a happy ending, so I tried again and got a depressing one. Still have to write the last chapter of the depressing one though. So, should I upload one first and then the other as an alternate? Please tell me in a review. :)