**January 12**
It was 0330 and she barely slept a wink. Being in such close proximity to the Russian made her feel uncomfortable; as if he could come and break into the room. She was shook lightly as she stared into the mirror. "I can do this… I can do this…" She repeated it as if it was a prayer.
She moved to the window, watching the snow fall on New York. It was different than the snow that General Winter brought to Russia. She hated the winters there. She looked at her fingers that had known frostbite more than once. She shuddered before trying to lie back down.
She turned to face her brother, who had chosen the bed next to the door should the larger nation try something. He felt responsible for all of it, she knew. Russia had dragged her to the wall to hear him trying to apologize over and over again, as he murmured all the propaganda in her ear. At first she believed him. Her heart becoming as cold as his winters to her brother, but slowly, as news came east, she stopped believing. America had done wonders to help strengthen the German into a financial power.
She closed her eyes at 0400 and slept until her brother woke her.
It was seven when the deep somber voice of her brother yanked her from the dreamless slumber. "The meeting is in two hours and you need to get ready to go if you're going to have time for breakfast." She wouldn't be able to eat, she knew it but she would try for the sake of Ludwig.
She rolled out of bed with a groan, going to the garment bag in the closet. Today everyone would find out the truth. Every single nation there, save for the three in the know, knew her as 'Prussia, the nation that built Germany' or as 'the army with a nation.'
Her pale fingers moved along the wool that she and France had selected to use to do this. This was her new uniform, and she was going into the harshest battle of her life. She dressed quickly discarding the jeans and bandages she wore the day before. She didn't want to show them her hand too early, after all.
Makeup and her hair would be next. It was still so short but she had figured out ways to make it look feminine, softening the appearance she usually held. She was stunning as she slipped on her heeled boots. "So what's the plan for breakfast, West?" She put her mask up, her painted lips pushed into a grin.
He was shocked as he saw her. He was wearing his own suit, and tie. He could barely believe this was the man, no woman that had raised him.
"I was just thinking here at the hotel, aber we might accidentally meet him." He frowned softly. He wanted his older sister to avoid her former jailer as much as possible. "We'll get McDonalds on the way, this will be your first time having it, Ja?"
She nodded softly. "That sounds quite awesome!" She grinned as she motioned for him to lead the way. Her former captor should be long gone by now. She hoped that America had conceded to make sure that she would be able to sit with her brother than with the other members of the former soviet bloc.
Quite fortunately there was no sign of him or his subordinates. She took a deep breath and looked down at her hands, "I can do this, Bruder."
He nodded and smiled at her. "Ja you can do this, Schwester."
She did actually manage to fight down an egg mcmuffin on their way to the meeting, arriving fifteen minutes before they were set to start. Unfortunately their means of concession of her sitting next to her brother was to seat them between Russia and America, her placard with the words 'East Germany' was directly between 'Russia' and 'West Germany' who was next to the 'United States.' She shook lightly as she looked at her brother. He nodded in understanding.
She was still technically a soviet state, in spite of the new found freedoms that she was starting to have; Though she would be as defiant as she could now that she was breaking free of him. She kept the mask in place even as she could feel it starting to slip. "Hey West, They obviously think that I am still part of the Warsaw Pact." Her voice still had nearly the annoying timbre that she had been known for though she did let her more natural tone ring through. It earned her a strange look from England as well as that kind of ghostly presence that most people didn't see but she definitely knew was there.
"You know you boys should take a picture, it would last longer. I'll even pose." She gave her best Marilyn Monroe pout and a wink, making Canada flush brightly and England look away.
She doffed her coat as she sat crossing her legs at the ankle as France had made sure she knew to do. France nodded his approval. Her brother sat beside her watching vigilant.
Hungary, who was talking to some of the others, looked over in a slight bit of confusion. She stalked over, glaring. "What do you think you're doing? That's Gilbert's…" She noted the red eyes and the soft white hair, and the fair skin she had maybe been a little jealous of.
Maria smirked slightly as she saw the realization cross her friend's face. Though there was a hint of shock as the Elizaveta grabbed her wrist. "Wait, Liz…"
"No, this isn't right!" She dragged the Prussian to the bathroom.
"What do you mean?"
"You're a man. Why are you pretending to be a woman… it's a sin!"
A soft sigh escaped the red-painted lips. "Liz… I've been pretending all along."
The brunette couldn't believe it. This was her first crush! How could Gilbert be a woman? "Prove it!"
The albino looked at her as if she was insane. "How, do you want me to take my underpants down?"
"Yes." Her voice held a matter of fact tone.
She sighed and motioned her friend over to the stall, obliging with a slight blush.
"B-B-But… Gilbert…" she stammered turning pale.
"Actually my name is Maria. I picked Gilbert." She said as she readjusted herself. "We have a meeting to be at, and we shouldn't be late. At least I can have you attest." She grinned again before leading the way to the conference room.
"I guess we're going to have to schedule girl time, then- bond." The woman smiled as she looked at her own frock. "And maybe you and Poland can help me pick out better clothes." She blushed.
"Yeah, didn't want to say… oomph" She hadn't been paying very much attention when she bumped into something sturdy. Her heart pounded as she looked up though she took a sigh of relief when the khaki slacks led up to a brown leather jacket. "Hallo, Al!"
"Sorry Gil." He gave a very American smile and picked the Prussian up in a hug. "Oh, hey. Umm… You've changed…" He furrowed his brow.
"Not really… I just kind of… umm… I've been this all along."
"Oh…" He lifted a brow. He thought a moment. "Well, that's cool. We should get to our places." He suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable.
Finally the Russian entered the room the shivering Baltics, who were apparently unaware of her secret, following behind. "Privyet." He held that usual creepy smile that was so much a part of him. She knew that was the face he wore when he was displeased.
She smirked as she watched him enter. "Guten Tag, Herr Russland, I just thought that since you were going to tell the world about me that I would at least prove you right." The fact that she used German instead of the Russian he had insisted upon was an insult to him as well. Every motion, hiding the fear and anger that he demanded from her, was a slap in his communist face.
He sat down beside her making sure that he was close enough to make her uncomfortable. It was then that her eyes fell upon Roderich, smiling as she caught the lilac eyes, memories of coffee and schnapps on his soft lips, ran through her mind as she took a deep breath.
Across the room he adjusted his glasses, he had been ignoring the uproar across the room. Being a neutral nation he was seated apart from the major powers and their subordinates. Finally he caught the rose colored eyes. His heart was pounding, the pale skin was flushed slightly. He could feel a soft smile crossing his lips as he remembered the taste of beer and wurst. Though, it was strange seeing the lipstick on his lips. He could feel jealousy sparking, thinking that his Gilbert had been with a woman until he looked a little closer. He was dressed as a woman. He furrowed his brows as he heard her voice. "After all I am still your little rabbit- until October." The voice was sultry, he sounded so much like Marlene Dietrich, deeper than most women, but too feminine to be anything but a girl. And though she was talking to Russia, those deep red eyes kept falling on him.
He would have to speak with Gilbert after the meeting; which was at the moment being called to order.
AN: SO here is the updated version of chapter 4. I hope you like it mein lieblings.
On a side note there will be two more updates on this and two updates on America Sleeps before my hiatus in November.
Yep November is National Novel Writing Month so I will be working on my original work then.