Epilogue
Russia stood on Georgia's beach, looking out to sea. The wind played in his hair. He breathed deep, and sighed.
"Why are you here?"
He looked down. Georgia stood beside him, watching the waves break against the sand. Russia shrugged, leaned down and tapped her locket. She pulled it away from him.
"How can I ignore your call?" he said.
Georgia tsked, rubbing a foot into the sand.
"That is a very casual look," she said, disapprovingly. Russia looked down at his jacket, straightened the buttons on his shirt. He shrugged.
"I am tired of uniforms."
"Are you hungry? Thirsty?"
Russia laughed.
"Will there be poison involved?"
She shook her head again, irritated, and walked off down the beach.
"Wait!" Russia called after her. He caught up to her, and kept pace with her, hands behind his back, glancing down at her from time to time. She did not speak. Russia coughed.
"Well. I was sent her to…to discuss something, though my boss was vague about what that something was," Russia said finally as they turned from the beach and headed toward Georgia's whitewashed house. "He said I would know when I got here. He seemed a bit irritated at me, though I am not sure why."
"I think I have a guess," Georgia murmured. They crossed the path through the greenery surrounding her house. She paused at the door, hand resting on the knob. "Russia…there is something that you should know –"
The door flew open. Two small, shining faces appeared in front of Georgia, both cross.
"Mama, I don't WANT to be GROUNDED anymore!" one of the faces screamed, a little girl with big, violet eyes and dark curly hair. "I want out RIGHT NOW!"
"I want out, too!" The other child screamed, shaking her sandy blond hair, tears welling in her dark eyes. "I will run away! I will, I will, I will!"
Georgia sighed wearily.
"Girls, be quiet a moment," she said, pushing them aside, and leading Russia to a chair. "We have a guest."
The girls went silent for a moment, staring up at the big man. Russia stared back, bemused. He sat heavily in the chair and glanced between Georgia as she prepared tea and the girls who started rooting around in his jacket for treats.
"I did not know that you had wards now, Georgia," he said. "Aren't you a bit…small for that sort of thing? Oof!"
One of the girls jumped into his lap and pulled at his cheeks. He pulled her away gently, and placed her on the floor. He squinted down at her, smile set on his face.
"You would think," Georgia said, voice flat. She handed Russia a mug of tea. "But that doesn't seem to be the case."
Russia did not reply. He eyed the girls, gently pulled them in front of him, ran his hands through their hair. The blond giggled and stepped back, shaking her head.
"Georgia," he said slowly. Georgia sighed, and smiled wryly at Russia.
"Girls, this is Mr. Russia," she announced. "Russia, these are my daughters." Russia glanced quickly between the girls and Georgia, and placed a hand on his chest, eyes wide. "Yes. Your daughters. Ossetia, Abkhazia, be polite and say hello." She pointed to the girl with curls and the girl with sandy hair respectively. The girls eyed Russia for a moment, then broke into big grins.
"Papa!" They cried, jumping up on him. Ossetia hugged his neck.
"Mama is so very unfair!" she said, scrunching her face at Georgia. "She won't leave us alone or let us be independent or anything! But you're good, aren't you, Papa? You're fair."
Russia said nothing, holding on to Ossetia automatically, mouth open in shock.
"Pa – But – I…I did not know," he said finally. "When..? How...?"
"I think you know how," Georgia said with lidded eyes. "As for when, soon after your Soviet regime fell."
"But—but I –"
"Didn't know, yes." Georgia shrugged. "Your bosses were aware. And frankly, you were so battered and…I didn't know if the insanity would return if…so I simply never told you."
She sipped at her tea. Russia took a deep breath. His cheeks were red.
"So. Is this why I was sent here?" He said, his voice calm. "This is more than unfair, Georgia."
He stood, lifting Ossetia with him. He tried to put her down.
"No!" she screamed. "I don't like it here at mama's house! I want to go with you, papa! Can I go with you?"
"Well, I –"
Georgia slammed her tea on the table.
"No," she said. "You do not know him, father or not. You cannot go with him."
Russia's face went stormy. His eyes flashed, and he hugged Ossetia close.
"Wait a moment. You tell me that I have…I have children, and then you tell me that they cannot see me?"
"You have never given me cause to trust you with children," Georgia said, rising from her chair.
"How would you know what you can trust me with?" Russia cried. "You have not visited me in many years!"
"Many years? You'll need more than 'many years' to gain back my trust!" Georgia snapped. She crossed the room to Russia and took hold of Ossetia, trying to pull her away. Ossetia screeched and held on tightly to Russia's neck. Georgia pulled harder, knocking Russia off balance.
"Stop this!" Russia roared. He pushed Georgia hard. She lost hold of Ossetia and fell to the ground with a thump. Russia took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
"I am sorry," he said.
He set Ossetia on his chair and ruffled her hair.
"You cannot come with me," he said mildly. "If you do not like mama's house, maybe you can have your own house some day, da? But you cannot come to mine. I can visit you, though. How would you like that?"
Ossetia beamed up at him.
"You can't just promise her a house!" Georgia said crossly, picking herself up off the floor. "She's just a child, Russia! You know nothing about her, and yet you barge in here –"
"Do you plan to keep them here forever?" Russia said, raising his eyebrows. He searched his pockets, found a few chocolates and handed them to the girls. The girls took the candies and ran off upstairs, bickering about who would get which treat. Russia looked back at Georgia. "There was a time I thought you were unable to care for yourself. And yet, here you are."
"That – that was different!" Georgia sputtered.
"Was it?" Russia looked up and smiled. "Perhaps you are right. I know nothing."
There was a pause in the conversation.
"Can I…come see them sometimes?" Russia said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Two daughters I did not know about! I must –"
"I don't know," Georgia said, crossing her arms with a frown. "If you do, they might get ideas."
Russia frowned, fighting back anger.
"I…see," he said, smiling sadly. "But my boss –"
"Yes, and my boss." Georgia sighed and sat on a couch in the corner, covering her eyes with her hands. "Always the bosses. Sometimes I wish so much that I was born a normal person rather than a country. There is so much less heartache, I think. And so much more independence."
Russia hesitated for a moment, then sat down next to her.
"It is less heartache, maybe because they do not live so long," Russia said. "And more independence? Huh. They run around trying to please others, trying to rule, trying to gain power, but what is the use? They all reach the same end. I do not know if it is any better than being bossed around by them, do you?"
Georgia laughed, her eyes still covered.
"That is something I would expect you to say, Russia," she said. "Can't you ever see the good in life?"
"I see good," Russia said, shrugging. "I just do not deny the bad. And I have seen so much bad, Georgia."
He looked down at her and pulled her hands away from her eyes.
"But sometimes, yes, I see good," he said with a smile. "You know, I think I loved you the first time I saw you, running towards me on the beach."
Georgia breathed in sharply.
"If you've come for me again," she said, voice shaking.
"No, nothing like that," Russia said quickly, squeezing her hands and letting them go. "And even if I were, it would not be my choice. Not this time."
They sat in awkward silence for a moment. Then Russia, with a hesitating hand, leaned over her, brushing her hair over an ear. She stiffened, then relaxed, closing her eyes.
"You say there is too much heartache," he murmured. He moved his hand from her hair to her neck, tracing the chain of her locket with a finger. "Why for you, though? You should be happy, Georgia. My sunshine."
Quickly, before Georgia had time to react, he grabbed the locket and twisted the chain around his fist.
"What are you –!" Georgia choked as Russia pulled sharply at the chain. The clasp snapped. Georgia screamed, pressing a hand against her chest, and collapsed into Russia as he flopped over on the couch cringing and gritting his teeth, breathing deeply. The girls came tumbling downstairs.
"Mama! Mama!" they cried, pushing her up and away from Russia. She was dazed for a moment, then shook her head, blinking down at the girls. Russia pushed himself upright on the couch.
"Not so hard this time," he said, voice wobbly. "And I am still all here. That is a good sign!"
Georgia gasped and stood, hand at her chest, marveling at the silence in her mind.
"Why – why did you –"
Russia stood and kissed her, then pushed her gently away.
"If you feel heartache, let it be your own," he said, pocketing the locket. He smiled down at her, a small, sad smile. "I want nothing but happiness for you. No matter what the bosses say, or the people, I want you to be happy. If you will let me, may I visit you?"
Georgia paused, then nodded.
"If my bosses –"
"Yes, and my bosses," Russia said. He sighed and opened the door. "Well, then."
And he was gone, walking off down Georgia's path. Georgia watched him from the doorway, hand at her neck, tears in her eyes. He broke off a sunflower from its stalk as he left and twirled it in his hand as he hummed to himself.
Гори, гори, моя звезда.
Гори звезда приветная!
Ты у меня одна заветная,
Другой не будет никогда.
Gori, gori, moya zvezda,
Gori, zvezda privetnaya!
Ty u menya odna zavetnaya,
Drugoy ne budet nikogda.
Shine, shine, my star
Shine lovely star
You are my only treasured one
Another there will never be