A/N: I'm sorry it took so long to write this chapter. My apologies.
Anyway, thanks for everyone who read, 'story alerted' or fav'd my fanfic. I love you guys ^^

Katya opened her eyes slowly, closing them soon again.

It's so warm... I thought the stove would burn out at night...she thought. Suddenly the woman realized how strange the whole situation was, and almost jumped up from the sofa, taking fright for the Russian man who was sitting on the floor.

The woman remembered the previous evening, the proposal... She glanced at the ring she had been given and almost burst into tears immediately. Natalia wasn't going to take this easily. Maybe the news had already reached her and she was on her way to kill her older sister.

Katya began thinking of what she had done. Why had she done it anyway? It wasn't like she had been drunk and said 'yes' as a joke. She had really meant it. She wanted it to happen. And yet she felt so bad...

"Is everything okay?" The Russian asked. He rose from the floor and walked over to the Ukrainian and hugged her. The woman started crying.

"T-this shouldn't be happening... Belarus is going to kill me," she sobbed.

"Нет. Nobody is going to kill anyone. I won't allow it. Trust me," Ivan tried to calm the woman down, wiping away her tears. "Everything is going to be fine."

"I don't want to hurt her... She's my сестра, after all..."

Ivan sighed and went to the kitchen.

"I'll figure out something to eat; you'll feel better after you've eaten."

"But there's almost nothing left..."

"How can you tell? You slept the whole night."

Katya could hear something-laughter, kind in the man's voice.

"N-no way...You went to the shop and bought food while I was sleeping?"

"Да."

She stood up from the sofa and joined the Russian in the kitchen.

"You're a mean, mean person. You shouldn't waste your money on me," Katya said. She wasn't angry, but relieved, because if she had food now, she might be able to work again soon. Then she continued with the worried tone in her voice. "How could you afford it? And the ring?"

"I had some savings," he answered. Ivan just couldn't tell her that he had spent all the money he had.

Suddenly the door flew open. Literally. Both the man and the woman knew who was coming. A younger woman dressed in dark blue dress, a same-colored bow in her hair appeared to the kitchen's door. Ivan stared, his eyes full of fear and despair. There was just seconds of silence before she attacked the man.

"Marry me, marry me, MARRY ME!"

She sounded creepy as always when it came to her brother. Katya couldn't stop her younger sister, but at least she tried to pull Natalia away without hurting her.

"Natalia, please stop... I'm begging you..." The Ukrainian sobbed as the tears filled her eyes.

The Belarusian stopped. But not because her sister told her to do so. She had noticed something shiny in Katya's hand. She took a closer look, silently.

"You've got engaged, big sister," Natalia said. Her voice was now closer to peaceful and relaxed, with a little bit of surprise. "Who is that lucky man?"

Katya was already trembling with fear. She couldn't force the answer up from her throat as she let go of her sister and fell onto the floor. Tears kept flowing, and Natalia stared quietly. Until she realized. She took a quick glance at the Russian.

"It's you, isn't it?"

Ivan stood still. He was scared but he had decided not to show it.

"Да. I proposed to her. And she said yes."

Then there was silence. It seemed to last forever, though it lasted really only a few minutes. Nobody moved, nobody released any sound. Even Katya had managed to stop her crying for a while. Natalia was the first one to speak.

"You traitor! YOU TRAITOR!"

Katya grabbed her sister's ankle to prevent her from moving towards their brother. For her surprise, Natalia wasn't even trying to move. She seemed to be like just floating in the sea of emotions inside her mind. Her eyes reflected disappointment, despair and something no one had ever seen before in that girl: pure sorrow. Natalia didn't cry, but she wasn't far from it. Her leg was released and she was free to move again. Slowly the Belarusian turned around and walked out of the kitchen, then leaving the whole house. She wished her siblings had not noticed the small tears dripping from her eyes.

In the kitchen there was the Russian and the Ukrainian, both confused and staring after that platinum-haired woman.