Chapter 47

Gil stepped towards the simple pine-wood door, painted white like the rest of the doors along the hallway. He reached up to knock, pausing for a moment. He sighed. It was his fault again. If he hadn't been so weak, none of this would have happened. General Winter would have left him alone and none of it would have happened. He knocked on the door, reaching for the knob. He knocked again, hearing a faint 'enter' come from inside. He opened the door, closing it behind him without turning to look at the bed, looking down at the sliver of light from the hall as it disappeared. The room was lit only by the single lamp on the table beside the bed. Gil sighed, turning around slowly.

Latvia laid on his bed, bandages wrapped around his body. He smiled as he saw Gil walk into the room.

Gil sighed in relief, glad to see Latvia wasn't angry with him. He walked to the bed and sat in the chair already beside it. He smiled at the boy, "Are you… ok?"

Latvia nodded, smiling back, wincing a little as he turned to look at Gil.

Gil bit his lip, worried. His eyes drifted from the boy's face to his shoulder, closing his eyes with another sigh. The gash on his shoulder from years ago had scarred. He hadn't seen Latvia without his jacket since then, and he'd hoped the wound had healed fully, but he wasn't surprised it hadn't. He looked at the bandages again, "I'm so sorry…" he whispered.

"For what?" Latvia shook his head, "for for for for General Winter nearly k-killing you? B-because that's silly!"

Gil sighed again, looking away.

"I-I-I'm healing fast. Don't worry about me," Latvia smiled, looking up at Gil with another wince. He inhaled sharply, letting out a small squeak of pain.

Gil closed his eyes, looking back up at Latvia.

Latvia smiled at him again, blinking hard and slowly, exhausted.

"You should sleep," Gil nodded, standing.

Latvia didn't let go of his hand, "Stay until I'm asleep?"

Gil smiled again, nodding, sitting back down.

Latvia closed his eyes, holding Gil's hand tightly.

"Latvia…?" Gil whispered.

"Hm?"

"Why do you want me to stay? I'm no better than Russia… a monster, just like he is… if you knew the kinds of things I've done-"

"We we we we we're all monsters, Gil," Latvia looked up at him, "Russia's right about that. We've all done t-terrible things… I'm not not not a-afraid of you. I…" he paused, taking a deep breath, "I don't like being a-a-a-alone. That that that's w-what I'm afraid of. Being alone. Please… s-s-st-st-s…" he stopped, frustrated, trying to talk, trying to breathe against his broken ribs, "Stay until I'm a-a-a-asleep?"

Gil nodded, smiling gently. He sighed as Latvia closed his eyes again. The blond country looked even younger when he was sleeping. Gil reached up and pushed the boy's hair away from his face, smiling softly as Latvia relaxed. His own chest burned with pain, but he didn't care. He looked at the small country, petting his hair, sighing deeply. He looked so much like Ludwig…

Prussia pet his little brother's cheek with his left hand, pressing a cold cloth into his forehead with his right, wiping away the sweat. "Can you hear me, Luddy?" He asked, biting his lip as the boy didn't respond. He looked up at the door as Bavaria walked in, holding another tray of clothes and some water for the child to drink. Prussia stood, walking up to her as she set the tray on the chest at the foot of the bed. He wrapped his arms around her as she grabbed him, sobbing on his shoulder.

"Sh… sh… he'll be all right…" Prussia glanced back at the bed. He didn't know if he believed that. Luddy was dying.

Bavaria looked up at him, "But he's not… He's not getting better, don't lie…"

Prussia sighed, shaking his head, "I don't know what to do…"

"He's not strong enough… he shouldn't be here. He represents all of us united but we're not… We're not united, half of us barely speak to each other…" She shook her head, looking back at her little brother, "Prussia he's dying…"

Prussia set his jaw, "I know. We'll figure something out, something! We'll save him, I know we will."

"Prussia I've already called a meeting for all of us… we…" she looked back at Luddy, "All of us have already talked about a solution…"

"I wasn't there when you discussed this," he said almost sternly. They were going behind his back now? He was supposed to be the leader.

"No, you weren't… because it involves you…"

"And how exactly does it involve me?"

"Come to the meeting tonight at 6:00…"

"That's in an hour!"

"I know. I'll take care of Luddy right now, you go get ready for the meeting." She nodded, sitting in the chair beside Luddy's bed, petting his face with the cloth she took from Prussia.

…

"Nein! Nein I won't let this happen! You can't do this!" Prussia slammed his fist on the table.

"IT's not your decision to make, Prussia!" Württemberg shook his head, "Tensions are growing, and he has to be strong enough to survive. If he dies, we all fall apart it has to be this way!"

"Nein! I said I won't allow it!" Prussia shook his head, standing, slamming his hand into the table again, "You. Can't. Do. This."

"We've already discussed it with the government, and everyone but you agrees this is the best solution!" Saxony stood, pleading with Prussia.

"Well, I sure as hell didn't agree!" Prussia snapped.

"We knew you'd object," Hesse sighed, looking up at him, shaking her head, "So we made the decision without you."

"We're not asking for your permission," Baden said, his eyes determined, "We're telling you what we're going to do."

Prussia looked around the conference room at all of his siblings, "Bitte…" he whispered, "Please don't do this…"

There was a long silence.

"What other choice do we have?" Bavaria looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"There has to be-"

"There isn't," Saxony cut him off, "I'm sorry…"

Prussia sighed, closing his eyes, "Then let me go with you…"

"Nein, brüderchen… nein, you have to stay here. He'll need you," Bavaria smiled gently.

"I don't think I can do this on my own…"

"You've already been the main one raising him. You'll do fine," Baden said kindly.

"Please…"

…

Prussia ran into Luddy's room after his siblings, "Nein! Don't do this! Please! Please, Bitte!"

Oldenburg grabbed his arms, holding him back as he struggled to get to the others, who already stood around the bed.

"Please, please no…" Prussia fell to his knees. He knew there wasn't any other way, but he couldn't watch this. He couldn't let them do this.

"Prussia, please… please don't make this harder for us…" Bavaria turned to him, kneeling beside him as Oldenburg released him to take his place with the others.

"Liesel please…" he took her hand, "Please…"

Bavaria sighed, touching her brother's cheek gently, tears slipping down her cheeks.

"Please, if you have to, let me go with you…"

She shook her head, "You're the oldest, the strongest… if anyone can protect Luddy it's you… he needs you. Promise…" her voice broke, "Promise me you'll always take care of him?"

Prussia nodded, trying to hold the tears back.

"Now please don't try and stop us anymore… please, can you promise me that?"

He looked into her eyes, closing his own and nodding.

Bavaria kissed his cheek, "Danke, brüderchen, Danke…" She stood, joining the others beside the bed, laying her hand on Luddy's shoulder and taking Hesse's hand. She closed her eyes, looking back at Prussia for a moment, then back at Ludwig, and finally up at Württemberg.

Württemberg nodded, looking down at Ludwig and laying his hand on the boy's chest. He set his jaw, hiding the pain as he looked up to the sky, closing his eyes.

Prussia watched, still kneeling on the ground. He and Bavaria managed one more glance at each other before she was too faded to see her eyes. Prussia ran to the bed and stopped. The room was completely silent. They were gone. All of them were gone. He looked back at Luddy, his hands shaking. He didn't know how to process it, any of it. He lifted the small boy in his arms, leaning against one of the walls, sliding to the ground, cradling his baby brother, pressing his cheek and lips into the boy's soft blonde hair, tears streaming down his face. He looked up to heaven, deep heaving sobs shaking in his chest, waking the sleeping child.

"Bruder?" Luddy asked weakly, moving his head to look up at Prussia. He frowned, "You're crying…" he reached up his tiny, boyish hand, and wiped the tears away.

Prussia nodded, "Ja…"

"I thought you never cried…" Luddy whispered, confusion on his face.

"Sometimes…" Prussia tried to swallow back enough tears to speak, "Sometimes even soldiers cry…"

Luddy brushed the tears away again, wrapping his little arms around his brother's neck, hugging him tightly.

Prussia closed his fists around his brother's shirt, holding him tightly, leaning his head against the boy's shoulder, his whole body shaking with sobs, "I'm never letting go, okay...?"

"Why are you crying?" Luddy asked, kissing his brother's hair.

"Your other siblings…" Prussia could barely speak.

"What siblings?" Luddy looked at him, confused.

Prussia looked at him, stunned. The ache in his chest was almost unbearable. He turned away, bringing one of his hands to his face, holding Luddy tightly with the other. He leaned into his hand, sobbing until his throat burned and he had no more tears. He looked up again, into his baby brother's giant blue eyes, which stared at him with love and worry.

"What happened, Bruder…?" Luddy looked away, trembling.

"Your… your other…" Prussia big his lip, trying to hold back the choke in his dry throat, "Your brothers and sisters… they… they left…"

"But they're coming back?" Luddy asked without a shred of recognition in his voice.

Prussia shook his head, "Do you… do you remember them at all?"

Luddy shook his head back, "Nein…" he bit his lip, "Can you… can you tell me about them…?" He sat back down on his brother's legs, leaning against his chest.

Prussia nodded, "Yeah… they um… all of them… they left me to keep you safe… they left so you…" He let his head rest on the wall, then looked back at Luddy, "They left so you can be stronger…"

Luddy nodded, understanding, "That was brave…"

Prussia nodded again, tears streaming down his cheeks, "Yeah…"

"Tell me all about them?" Luddy cuddled on his brother's chest, letting a tear slip down his own cheek. He didn't like seeing his big brother cry.

"Okay…" Prussia took a deep breath, trying to steady his voice. Luddy had to know… he had to know everything.

…

Prussia knocked on his little brother's door exactly one week later, opening it slowly. He froze, staring.

Ludwig was sitting up in the bed, the blanket wrapped around his waist. He wasn't wearing a shirt and was looking down at his arms and hands. He looked up at Prussia, shaking, terrified.

Prussia still stared, "I…" he tried to collect his thoughts, "I think you're going to need bigger clothes…"

Germany nodded, turning bright red. He pulled the covers up around his shoulders, looking at Prussia, his bright blue eyes begging for help.

"Did it hurt?" Prussia asked, more curious than concerned.

Germany shook his head, "Nein, I just woke up and-" he covered his mouth, looking up at Prussia again, scared.

Prussia bit his lips into his mouth to keep from laughing, "Well that's… different…" He smirked.

Germany nodded, lowering his hand from his mouth, "I… I sound… stronger… that was the point… wasn't it?" He let the blankets fall from his shoulders again, looking down at his arms and chest. He wasn't displeased, "I look like I could actually take you on in a fight now," he smiled, still getting used to his much-deeper voice.

Prussia shook his head with a laugh, "We'll see about that! But first… we really do need to get you some new clothes…"

Germany nodded, holding up the scraps of fabric that were formerly his nightshirt.

Prussia laughed, shaking his head, "And I thought America grew up fast…" he rolled his eyes, "I don't think any of my clothes will fit you… I'll see what I can find… maybe I'll see if one of the others could help?" He couldn't think of anyone else whose clothes might fit Germany except Russia, and he was NOT talking to Russia. He glanced back at his brother, who had stood, wrapping the blanket around his waist, and walked into the bathroom. He heard him swear loudly and ran in to see what was wrong, shocked to hear his brother's words.

"What is it?" Prussia asked, worried.

"I look like Sweden!" Germany said, annoyed, looking back at his brother, "I look exactly like Sweden…"

Prussia laughed, "There are worse things in the world. At least your eyes are a normal color, and your skin isn't the same color as your sheets."

Germany shrugged.

Prussia smirked, "Here, I have an idea…" he grabbed Germany's comb from the cupboard above the sink and turned on the water, wetting the comb. "Come here," he pulled on his brother's shoulders to turn him. Prussia reached up, suddenly realizing that Germany was taller than he was, "Hey… wait a second…" he crossed his arms over his chest, "That isn't fair…"

"What isn't?" Germany smirked, resting his elbow on Prussia's shoulder.

Prussia glared at him, "Really? Really!?" he rolled his eyes.

Germany laughed and took his arm off of his brother's shoulder, "I'm going to have fun with this! Wait, can I drink beer now!?"

Prussia shrugged, "I… guess?"

Germany grinned, "Best. Day. Ever."

"You seem awfully excited about this…"

Germany froze, "I um… I'm just… I'm GUESSING it tastes really good, you certainly seem to like it."

Prussia stared at him, shaking his head, "Uh huh, sure. So you've never tried it before?"

Germany shook his head, "Nope. Never."

"Suuuuure you haven't," Prussia ignored it and got the comb wet again, bringing Germany's bangs back away from his face. It wouldn't stay long with only water, but it was an idea, "Hey, I kinda like that on you Brüderchen… it suits you."

Germany grinned, "You think so? I like it too…"

"Yeah," Prussia handed him the comb, "I'll get you some hair gel too."

Germany smiled, nodding, "That would be awesome, like you, 'big' brother," he smirked again.

"Watch it…" Prussia pretended to be mad, punching Germany's shoulder playfully. "I should go get you those clothes…"

Germany nodded, "Danke!"

Prussia walked out of the room, pausing for a moment after closing the door. What just happened?

…

Prussia sat up suddenly, feeling a hand on his head, petting his hair.

"It it it it it's just me…" Latvia pulled his hand back, shaking.

Prussia looked up, trying to process where he was. He looked around the room. He was still sitting in the chair beside Latvia's bed, and he'd fallen asleep leaned forward against the mattress, his head against his arms.

"D-did you sleep well?" Latvia asked, calming a little.

Prussia nodded, "Yeah…"

"You… you should should should g-go… before Russia comes back."

Prussia nodded, "Yeah… that'd probably be a good idea."

"J-just in case…"

Gil stood, glancing back at Latvia as he walked to the door. He smiled at the boy and stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind him. He turned to see Russia walking towards him.

A/N: More flashbacks to Prussia and (formerly!) Baby Germany! Basically this whole chapter, but the flashback especially, is a (slightly!) late birthday gift to a good friend of mine. We had a conversation not too long ago about what happened to the other German states. I know this isn't everyone's headcanon, but it's my favorite. It follows history loosely... but I couldn't figure out a better way to make it fit. Anyway, happy birthday dear friend! You know who you are! :) *hugs*

Some sadness in this one... (I cried writing it again) but then some humor. We haven't gotten a lot of humor in this story in general, and it certainly fit this chapter... (Puberty hit Germany pretty dang hard y'all...) But yeah. Then Latvia being adorable as usual... and... Russia's coming to talk to Gil? Maybe?

Reviews are deeply appreciated as always! I love them so much! 200 wow... I'm still amazed you guys... still absolutely amazed. Thank you to all of you who comment so incredibly regularly! Every chapter! Wow! Cookies and hugs and tea and scones, and everything good you guys, just everything good! :D :D :D