Chapter 67

Gil stepped into his boss's office. He wore his uniform, crisp and pressed to near-perfection. He didn't want his boss to think he wasn't capable of handling himself. He felt powerful in the uniform. Powerful and in control. He never felt in control anymore. He liked it. Power felt safe. He was in charge again. At least, he tried to tell himself that. He turned to look at his boss's face an winced internally. The man looked smug.

"Well, GDR, here you are again," His boss sighed.

Gil shrugged, "Looks like I am. So? No decision yet? Good. What do I have to do to take exchanging my brother as a hostage off the table?"

"What are you willing to do?"

"Anything," GDR nodded.

"Good…" his boss smiled.

Gil felt a chill go down his spine. He tried not to show it.

"Are you also willing," his boss continued, "To kill innocent women off the street to cover up your crimes?"

Gil froze, "I-I'm sorry sir, I don't under-"

"Oh yes, you do. Don't play stupid with me, Beilschmidt," his boss snarled, "I know you didn't kill Gisela."

Gil said nothing, setting his jaw, staring at the wall behind his boss. He shivered a little, trying to hide it as his boss stood and walked closer to him, "You forgot one little detail, GDR."

Gil said nothing.

"Gisela has a tattoo. It's a shame you never saw it… she really is very good-"

Gil grabbed the man's shirt, roughly, "Don't you dare talk about her like that!" he snapped, his voice cold.

"Oh, so you do like her? Or is it just guilt for executing her sister?"

Gil slammed the man against the wall, swearing at him, his voice hot with rage. "Don't you DARE bring up Adelaide!"

"Looks like I'll have to tell Russia about what you've done. Not only did you let a woman over the wall, that woman was Gisela Muller, and then you killed an innocent woman to cover it up. You shot her face to pieces so I wouldn't know the difference, dressed her in Gisela's clothes…"

"Shut up!" Gil held the man's collar, trying to stop shaking. He wasn't sure if it was fear or anger. He didn't really care.

"Russia would want to know all of that, don't you think?"

Gil pressed his arm against his boss's throat, "Do you know how much I want to kill you? Do you know how easy it'd be…?"

"That wouldn't go well for you…" his boss choked.

"Oh really? And why is that?" Gil loosened his grip a little, letting the man speak.

"Because only I know where your drugs are. Russia put me in charge of making sure you get them. And you need them, don't you?"

Gil pulled his arm away, releasing his boss, stopping back from the man, anger still flashing in his eyes.

His boss laughed, "It's that bad? You would give up so quickly?"

Gil looked away. He hated this. All of it. He couldn't risk it. He couldn't risk his boss taking away the drugs. He needed them too badly for that. He didn't know if he could even survive without them.

"For now, you're to stay in your hotel room," GDR's boss straightened his suit jacket, "I don't want you getting into any more trouble!"

"Sir, my brother…"

"I'll handle it! Go back to the hotel. Schulz is waiting for you there."

WHAT!? Why… Gil sighed, turning towards the door.

…

Germany let Italy help him as he walked through the door of the conference room. He tried to stand on his own, trying to hold himself like the soldier he was, but he could barely put one foot in front of the other. He nodded his thanks to Italy as the redhead helped him into a chair, his bodyguards taking their place on either side of him immediately.

"I want to know how it's going…" Germany nodded, "It's been three days. Please… please tell me we have answers-" His voice broke as he leaned into his elbow, coughing until it sounded like his lungs would break. He looked back up at his bosses and leaders, his eyes tired and bloodshot. His eyes met his boss's. He wasn't thrilled to see the worry on the humans' face.

"We're still working on a solution, Ludwig…"

Germany tried to slam his fist on the table, but he was too weak to give the action the impact he wanted it to have, "That's not good enough! Why hasn't RAF replied to my offer?" He tried to choke back another cough, clearing his throat, trying to keep the scratch in his throat down. He turned to Italy suddenly as the redhead set a glass over water in front of him. He nodded gratefully towards Italy, who returned a smile. He looked back at his boss, "Why haven't they replied…?"

"We're not entirely sure. They aren't communicating with us much. As far as we've-"

Germany cried out in pain suddenly, gripping his head. He went weak, falling off the chair onto the ground.

"Germany!" Italy screamed, kneeling beside his friend, lifting his head, biting his lip as he saw a red mark on Germany's forehead where he'd hit the table as he fell. Italy looked up at the leaders as they gathered around to see if Ludwig was ok. "Something's happened… find out what happened…" Italy looked up at him, his brown eyes terrified, "Please, please find out what happened…"

The phone rang suddenly. Germany's boss nearly ran to it, holding it to his ear, listening silently. He hung up the phone, returning to the group still gathered around Germany, who was just starting to stir.

Germany opened his eyes slowly, looking up at his boss. "What…"

"Captain Schumann's been shot."

Germany closed his eyes again, "Tell RAF my offer still stands… please… please, I can end this…"

Germany's boss set his jaw. He didn't want to. But he wasn't sure they had a better choice.

"Help me up…" Germany nodded to his bodyguards. Carefully, he let them help him into the chair. He leaned back in it, exhausted. He looked back at his leaders, "Well… if you're not going to trade me… we need a plan. I can't let those people stay hostages any longer. We have to get them out. If they want to play with fire, then we return it."

"Do you have any ideas?" Germany's boss nodded to him. He had a few of his own.

Germany nodded, "Feuerzauber." (Fire Magic)

...

The air was cold. Lithuania slid his hands up his arms, rubbing them gently. It was always cold, but it felt worse. He looked down the hall towards Russia's office. The giant country was upset. It was always colder when he was upset. Lithuania looked at his watch, shivering. He'd been asked to meet with Russia in only a few minutes. It worried him. He had been asked, not ordered. Russia had barely looked at him. He pulled his sleeve over his wrist, making sure the bandage was covered. He closed his eyes with a deep sigh and walked down the hall towards the door. He didn't have to knock. Russia opened the door as soon as he stepped up to it. He shivered again.

"Please, come inside…" Russia motioned into the room towards the chair opposite his own at the desk.

Lithuania walked forward slowly, his fingers almost instinctively checking the edges of his sleeves. The bandage was still covered. He sat in the chair slowly and didn't look up at Russia, trying to hide his shaking hands in his lap. He was so cold. He shivered again as Russia walked around the desk towards him. He didn't look up, cringing and leaning away from Russia as the man stood next to the chair. He braced himself to feel Russia's hand across his face, praying it wouldn't draw blood. He didn't move as he heard Russia kneel beside the chair. He turned, looking into the violet eyes that weren't angry. They looked pained and desperately sorry. He hadn't seen Ivan look sorry in years, so many years. He looked down to see Russia extending both of his hands towards his wrists. He pulled away, shaking his head. He didn't want Russia to touch him.

"Litva… please…" Russia held out his hands still, his voice kind.

Lithuania looked into Ivan's face, then back to his hands. He sighed and gently laid his healing wrist into Russia's palm.

Russia turned Lithuania's hand over gently, pulling up his sleeve to just over the bandage, revealing the healing wound was just starting to dirty the bandage.

"Have you changed this yet today?" Russia's voice was low and worried.

Lithuania shook his head. His eyes followed Russia as the giant stood, walking back around to his desk. He sighed deeply as Russia knelt and pulled a roll of white gauze from one of the drawers. Lithuania pulled his sleeve back over the bandage as Russia set the gauze on the desk, dragging his chair behind him, setting it in front of Lithuania.

"Please," Russia said gently, "Let me help you," he extended his hands again.

Lithuania studied Russia's face. He didn't speak, not trusting his voice to be steady enough to hide the terror that gripped his chest.

Russia said nothing, only reached towards Lithuania slowly, nodding to his wrist.

Lithuania closed his eyes and laid his wrist in Russia's hand. He watched as Russia gently started to unwrap the bandage. He shivered. Russia's hands were cold, and their touch had scarred him too many times for him to find it comforting. He looked away, bringing his free arm around his own waist, trying to find some warmth, trying to reassure himself that he wasn't being threatened.

"Am I hurting you?" Russia looked up suddenly, noticing Lithuania shiver.

Lithuania shook his head, looking down and away from Russia's face. He didn't want his comfort, he wanted to be left alone. "You don't have to do this for me. I can change a bandage myself…" he looked back at Russia, starting to pull his wrist away. His eyes drifted to Russia's scarf as the giant's strong hands reached up to it.

Slowly, his eyes full of pain, Russia pulled down the scarf, revealing the scars it covered. The white marks were left unbandaged, and the collar of the grey sweater he wore left them visible without the soft warm tan of the scarf to hide them.

Lithuania sighed deeply, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them again. He looked into Russia's face.

"How many times have you bandaged these for me?"

Lithuania didn't answer. Russia had never asked him or forced him to treat those scars, to bandage them when he'd scratched at them until they bled. He'd volunteered to help. He sighed again. Russia hadn't always had them. He remembered when he didn't have to hide behind the scarf. He'd been a child, and Lithuania had been a powerful country who'd watched the little violet eyed boy play in the snow. Then the boy grew up and grew powerful. He took away Lithuania's name, his land, his language, his freedom… everything. He looked back at the scars across Russia's neck. He'd seen them appear one by one on the cold skin as the years went by. And he'd cleaned them, bandaged them… he looked down at his own wrist as Russia finished unwrapping the bandage. Old scars were visible around the new wound. Russia wasn't the only one who'd been slowly adding more marks to his skin. He looked up at Russia again as the man inspected the stitches. The wound was healing, but slowly.

"It's my turn to help you, Toris," Russia ran his finger across the stitches, pulling his hand away as Lithuania winced, "I'm sorry, did I hurt you?"

Lithuania said nothing, turning away. He didn't have an answer. He didn't want to answer. He just wanted to leave. He wanted to lock himself in his room and just be alone.

Russia looked at the wound, turning it, almost studying it.

Lithuania turned to look at Russia again, staring, shocked, to see what he thought were tears in Russia's eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Toris…" Russia whispered.

"W-what?" Lithuania didn't move.

"I only wanted to make you stronger. I wanted to teach you how to be strong. I got angry. I'm sorry… I only wanted to teach you, I never wanted you to…" Russia looked down, pausing for a moment, trying to keep from crying. He knew what it was like to be pushed too far. "I'm sorry… I'm so so sorry this never should have happened…"

Lithuania said nothing, his breath catching in his throat.

"I'm so, so sorry…" Russia whispered, reaching forward, looking at the wounds he'd lashed into Lithuania's back, breaking the perfect unmarked skin for the first time.

Lithuania winced as Russia touched his back. He looked away, shaking. He was apologizing? How could he apologize after what he'd just done? Toris looked over his shoulder at the violet eyes staring back at him, tears falling from them down the young country's cheeks. General Winter stood behind him, a smile of approval on his face. The Tsar stood next to him, his face expressionless, looking at his country. Russia's face was horrified, shocked at what he'd done. Lithuania looked away. How long was it going to be this way? He tried to tell himself that once Russia's boss was gone… once the new Tsar took over, everything would be fine.

He was wrong.

Lithuania closed his eyes, looking back at Russia, seeing tears in the violet eyes again, spilling over his cheeks. He looked so hurt, so broken. He hadn't seen that look on Russia's face for years, so many years.

Russia looked up at him, still holding his wrist. He nodded, "I'm sorry. Yesterday when Hungary called for me… I didn't…" Russia paused, "Never do that again. I won't allow it, do you understand?" He tried to make his voice sound stern.

Lithuania looked away, shaking. The voice sounded closer to the Russia he'd grown used to. He wasn't sure if he was disturbed or relieved to hear the cold start to seep back into the giant's voice. He nodded, "Da."

"Khorosho…" Russia's voice trembled. He took the gauze and started to wrap it around Lithuania's wrist. He tore it, tucking the end into one of the folds, standing, looking down at Lithuania, "Now… you don't have to work today. Rest. But you are no longer allowed to be alone. You will stay in Estonia's room until you aren't in danger anymore. Is that clear?"

Lithuania looked up at Russia, angry. He wanted to be alone. He just wanted to be left alone. He sighed finally, nodding, "Da…"

"Khorosho. Now… go rest and… please, Litva. Don't do that again… please…"

Lithuania didn't look up at Russia's face again. He stood, nodding once to Russia, keeping his face down, and walked out of the room without another word.

A/N: A mix of a lot of things here. Starting off with finding out what's been going on for West, what Gil's trying to do about it... then Lithuania. Some healing for him, at least a little bit, and an interesting reaction from Russia. I really enjoyed writing that scene. They've known each other for a long time. They've helped each other, cried with each other, healed each other... their relationship with each other is complex. Very complex. That's what makes it interesting. And Lithuania still hasn't revealed why he's Russia's favorite. He did say Russia has told him. He knows... and we will find out eventually. But yeah... cried writing the scene with them.

Sorry, it's been so long! I've relapsed with the sick a little. So. Much. Coughing. And I've just been exhausted... really wanting to get better soon. All the honey and elderberry syrup and cough meds... and tea... *happy smile* always tea...

As always, reviews are appreciated! I love reading them! I really really do! WOW, 400 reviews came SUPER quickly! I'm thinking of doing another thing for review 500... so keep the reviews coming! XD As for treats... hm... how about grilled pineapple with spicy caramel sauce? That sounds like a good treat to me. And mango smoothies. :)