Chapter 21

"Hey, we're got the code to pull back." Eduard called to Toris and Raivis. The other two Baltic's were in the midst of 'cleaning up' some pockets of resistance while Eduard fiddled with the radio. Well, he would say he was using it correctly, but in reality he was pounding it with his fist in frustration because it wouldn't do what he wanted it to do. The code word of "Maple", seeing as Matthew had cursed when they were trying to decide it because Gilbert had snuck his arm around his shoulders without him noticing before dragging him in to try to kiss him, keep sounding out in Morse across the airwaves. They went with 'Maple' because no one could come up with anything better at the time. Ivan had wanted 'Kremlin'. Silence had been the only response to that suggestion.

"Thing won't work." Eduard bit back his curses. "I can't send a message back telling them we have it."

"Let's just go." Raivis shouted. When they see us running hell for leather they'll know we got it."

"Good. Let's go before we bump into any more of these bastards." Toris was about to turn on his heal and run after the other two Baltic's when he spotted a bag with files poking out the top. "What the …?" He asked as he picked it up and quickly rummaged through it. Documents? "Mr. Ivan might want to see these." Toris spoke to himself as he zipped up the bag and thrust it under his arm for safe keeping before running off down the corridor.

…

"Antonio, we like totally have to go, like now." Feliks said, his voice still sounding like it was sauntering around in a pink frilly dress.

"One moment, let me just punch this ass's lights out." Antonio growled. "That's for Romano! This one is for upsetting my dear Romano! This is for making me come down here to kick your ass because you hurt my Romano!" Antonio found it near impossible to stop punching the man. It was a great way of relieving stress and frustration.

"I think he like now has, like, total brain damage." Feliks commented flippantly.

"What do you care?" Antonio snapped.

"I like totally don't care." Feliks twirled a strand of blonde hair between his fingers. He obviously found it more interesting than watching Antonio beat someone into the dirt. "I totally would like to get out of this damp, dreary place though. Like OMG, it like totally smells down here."

Antonio huffed. "Okay. One last punch." The assailant was already unconscious by this stage; Antonio now was only venting frustration. Feliks didn't reply, but instead shrugged his shoulders and thought about Toris.

"Feliks!" Feliks' head shot up and around to see the three Baltic's running towards him. Toris had caught up with Eduard and Raivis and had even over taken them. Toris had a grin plastered across his face as he ran up and hugged Feliks, delighted that he was okay. He, Raivis and Eduard had run a few close calls, so to see his friend (though a very annoying friend at times) still stood up and untouched, Toris could think of no other way to show his relief.

"You should like totally see your face. You totally look like you're gonna cry." Feliks commented, laughing. Toris pouted as he stood back up straight. He wished that for once Feliks could refrain from being such an insensitive bastard, though he was pretty sure that half the time he wasn't even aware that he was doing it.

Holding on to what dignity he felt he had left, Toris rolled his eyes. "I'm just glad to see you is all." He held back the words 'because I worry about you' because despite them being true, he knew Feliks well enough to know that he would just taunt him with them. He decided that it would be best to keep them to himself. "Where's Natalia?"

"We like totally lost her." Feliks shrugged his shoulders.

"Nothing to worry about. That is one woman who can take care of herself." Eduard commented, remembering all the times Ivan had run away from her. He'd even sat on the roof in the middle of a Russian winter for several hours before Toris found out and promptly dragged him back inside. It was a team effort. Raivis, trembling, had told Natalia that Ivan was in a meeting with his boss to get rid of her. Eduard was stood at the bottom of the stairs as though he was trying to land a jet on an air craft carrier.

"Well, we can't leave without her." Raivis interjected.

"Ivan would be delighted if we did though." Toris reminded them. How many times had the three of them found him cowering in the broom closest because she was stood on the door step?

"Nether the less, we can't leave her." Raivis said.

"Oh yes we totally can." Feliks butted in. "And we are like totally doing it now! Antonio?"

"I need to go back to Romano. He needs me." Antonio had calmed down again and had reverted back to his usual self; his usual self being obsessed with tomatoes and Romano, though the tomatoes weren't getting a look in at that moment in time.

"Natalia …?"

"You said it yourself Eduard, she can handle herself. God help the fool who thinks she needs help. Chivalry only gets you hurt with her. She's a one woman wrecking team." Antonio crossed his arms and nodded in a matter of fact way, stunning everyone. They all had been under the delusion that the Spaniard hadn't been listening to them.

"Okay then, let's go back up." Eduard said, the rest nodding and following his lead. Since everyone was following him, he just hoped he could find his way back without getting them lost and in need of a rescue party themselves.

…

Toris sat beside one of the lorries, his back pressed up against a wheel for support as he quickly flicking through the files that he had found. There was a file of just profiles of all involved with the odd other piece of paper thrown in. Seeing Ivan walking towards him, he quickly placed that file behind the wheel of the lorry before standing up to greet Ivan. With Ivan appearing so suddenly, he hadn't even had the time to scan down their names and nationalities.

"Preevet, Mr. Russia." Toris stated. "We found this on one of assailants." Toris handed over the files. Ivan smiled his creepy smile as he quickly flicked through the pages in one of the files, putting Toris on edge. The nerves were starting to creep back in and he felt his hands shaking behind his back.

"Da. This is good work." Ivan's smile was one of insanity. Toris was used to those smiles, but now he was hiding information from Ivan the smile really terrified him. "Well done Toris."

"Brother."

Ivan froze. Toris leant to the side to see around the Russian only to spot Natalia.

I thought we left her down in the bunker? She has a nose like a bloodhound!

"Let's get married brother."

"Ee vee neet zee!" Ivan screamed and raced away. "Ee vee neet zee! EE VEE NEET ZEE!" Toris witnessed Ivan pick up Feliks and throw him to the side in his haste to escape, Natalia hot on his heels.

Toris knelt down and retrieved the file from under the lorry before standing back up, Ivan's screams still audible to his ears.

"Is there such a thing as a normal day anymore?"

A/N: Short chapter! One last chapter now! *dances* Oh! And Ee vee neet zee is Russian for excuse me. You're being awfully polite there Ivan. O_o Well, hopefully that's what it looks like phonetically. Hahaha, Hope you enjoyed. ^o^ Also, thank you to the reviewers. Some of you are so far into my good books; I'm dedicating stories to you!