Russia arranges for Prussia to check up on Paulus again. He does not look good but it doesn't look like anyone has hurt him.

"I can't help but think we have been used," Paulus says a moment when Russia is out of hearing range.

Prussia doesn't like to hear that, not when he is already extremely nervous over discussing his future with Russia's boss. Russia insists it's not going to be any problems.

Prussia quickly learns that Russia is very wrong and Paulus had a good point.

"Our zone of occupation will not be called Prussia," Stalin says. He only looks at Russia. "There were... issues with that name from the allies and I felt I had to give in a little, at least in something as unimportant as this."

"I never agreed this this," Russia says.

"We agreed that keeping Lithuania was the most important thing, didn't we?"

Lithuania is the most important thing, fucking Lithuania who still wages guerrilla war against the Soviet Union who saved him.

"There are many issues with Prussia's involvement in the Great Patriotic War as well, you must realize that. We should put him on trial for his war crimes along with the other Germans and fascist collaborators."

Even Prussia has understood by now that if Stalin personally puts you on trial you are not going to be found innocent, no matter the circumstances.

"No," Russia says and tugs a shocked Prussia close to him. Russia holds on so hard that Prussia feels like he is going to choke or be crushed, but for once he doesn't protest. "You promised!"

Stalin replies in another language Prussia suspects is Georgian, a useless language he never bothered to learn. His tone fits very well with his chosen name but this time Russia yells back.

In the middle of a sentence Russia stomps off and drags Prussia behind him. Prussia thinks his arms are going to bruise where Russia clutches him but he isn't going to complain about that either.

"And here I thought your boss was nice," Prussia bitterly says when they are so far away that they can't hear Stalin order Russia to come back anymore.

"He is. Sometimes. Most times not. But he worries a lot about me. It's hard for him when there are conspiracies everywhere."

Russia sighs and Prussia is happy to let him talk, to try to make some sense out of this.

"People confess the most horrible betrayals against me. Promise you won't ask Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia what they done. You must promise!" Russia insists when Prussia assumes it's a rhetorical question.

"I promise."

"I'll forgive them, they must have been so confused. But they all confess such horrible things," Russia says. "I don't want to hear anything more. We're not safe anywhere and that's why my boss must be cruel sometimes. He does it to protect me."

When Russia pick up all three Baltics the apartment suddenly gets very crowded with them and the three dogs Russia insists on keeping. Prussia disapproves, he wants to talk to Russia alone about how very wrong everything suddenly is going. Then fucking Lithuania starts to dominate the conversation and takes Russia's attention and upsets him.

"Thank you for helping us mister Russia," Lithuania says. "But we need to go home now."

"To what home? Your houses are in ruin."

"We can rebuild," Lithuania says.

"Yes," Russia says. "Everything is in ruins and we need to rebuild. You'll stay here now, we'll build a house together. It will be better. Safer."

Lithuania closes his eyes and breathes out hard.

"I want to go home!" Latvia protests.

"You will stay here and you will be happy for all I done for you. I will be merciful and you will be grateful I will forget all about how you let me down."

Estonia says nothing at all. That's why he is the insignificant one.

Latvia sobs quietly and Russia's expression remains dark. Prussia goes after him when he leaves, it's not a good idea to let Russia's bad mood fester. He catches up right outside the apartment.

"Perhaps you shouldn't be so hard on Lithuania?" he says. "I don't think he hates you as much as you think."

Lithuania did want to get out of Russia's shadow and influence but he doesn't seem to hate the other nation. Lithuania express worry about what would happen to Russia when Prussia's offensive went well. It would be so much better if Russia just accepted Lithuania as a slightly unwilling ally and focused on the nations who actually liked him instead.

"I saw with my own eyes he did. He was happy when you showed up."

"Hating your boss is not the same thing as hating you."

Russia reacts worse to that idea than Germany had. When the temperature begins to drop it's a warning to run screaming in the other direction. Since Prussia doesn't Russia hits him in the face instead. It was the last thing Prussia suspected and he stumbles, losing his balance and falls down in front of Russia. He wipes his face, looking at the blood in disbelief.

"Be quiet now. We could have you all sent to Kolyma for your fascist sympathies and wrecking."

"I'm Prussian, not fascist!"

"It's the same thing now," Russia says and kicks him twice before Prussia gets the hint and doesn't try to get up again.

It must be some kind of ritual of passage to be beaten up by Russia because when Prussia drags himself back the Baltics look much more sympathetic at him. Prussia hates it, because he's not like them, he's not Russia's hapless victim.

He gets the blood off his face and does not offer to help the Baltics clean up the mess he and Russia made before and they just accepts as their responsibility. That's not how he is going to end up, not even if Stalin refuses to give him his country back.

"Did you see Poland? Is he alright?" Lithuania asks, taking a break from cleaning up all the mud footprints on the floor. So that is why none of them demanded he should help out or berated him for not cleaning from the start. They want information.

"Yeah, not good but alright I suppose," Prussia says, because this is hardly a secret. "I think he's getting better and Russia left a lot of troops there to make sure there won't be any more trouble."

"I'm sure he did," Lithuania says. "But, that's alright I guess. As good as I could hope from Russia."

Prussia considers to tell him to not be such a bitch to Russia, it just causes them all problem. If the Baltics could at least acknowledge Russia did a good thing to throw out Germany perhaps Russia would be in a better mood and not take it out on the closest person. Prussia settles for a bit more underhanded approach.

"You know your friend America sold you out, right? It's not just Russia."

"He sold out Poland as well," Lithuania bitterly says. "America is not nearly as good as being a hero as he thinks. We're not friends anymore, if we ever were."

"Maybe we should let Russia protect us as he wants then," Prussia says, because at least he knows for certain that Russia is trying.

"The question is who will protect us against Russia."