Uh… Sorry it's so late... I went to Ottawa for the weekend and vacations make me lazy. But on the bright side, I went to the Museum of Civilization and there was an exhibit on Japan. There was a lot about anime and robots and on one wall there was a huge shelf of every type of manga you can think of… and… well…

I READ HETALIA IN A MUSEUM!

So anyways, everyone seems to feel really bad for Ivan XD I didn't actually expect that, since he is being a bit stubborn and a slight jerk.

Now enjoy this boring little chapter… it does introduce two new characters but other than that… it's not all that eventful :(

I do not own Axis Powers Hetalia.

...

As he walked home, Ivan knew that trouble was waiting for him. Still, he didn't really mind that much. He had made a friend, and somehow his anger seemed like it could be controlled a bit more. He was ready to face his family, although getting along with them wasn't exactly something that could be achieved quite yet. Just because one person seemed to understand him a bit didn't mean that they did. Until they at least tried, Ivan wasn't going to change his attitude around anyone. They didn't like him, it was obvious, and he was a bother to everyone.

Once Ivan entered the house, he looked around and didn't see anyone around. The Russian teen slipped off his boots and decided to grab a snack in the kitchen. After getting an apple from the fridge, Ivan heard someone walk inside. He turned and saw Katyusha, her expression firmer than usual and her arms crossed. He stood up straight and stared blankly.

"Da?" he mumbled to her. She pursed her lips.

"You were gone all night… Natalia said you were with… someone…." She stammered, obviously trying to sound mature and serious. But she was trying a little too hard, Ivan knew this. Katyusha could be very motherly, but only when it came naturally to her. She was angry with him no doubt; she just didn't know how to express it.

"Da." He answered simply. This made her fidget, playing with her skirt as she always did when stressed or nervous. Then, the older woman put on a brave face.

"Don't leave for the night without telling me first." She scolded. He stared at her for a while before nodding.

"Da." He said for a third time, and began to walk away, but Katyusha balled her fists and opened her mouth again.

"I'm serious, Ivan. Don't walk around as if you can do whatever you like." This time her voice was steady, and Ivan stopped in his tracks when he heard it. She was defiantly mad, for Katyusha had never sounded so firm before. He was about to open his mouth to answer with another half-hearted "Da" but instead decided it wasn't worth the effort. He had a bit of homework to do on the computer, anyways. Ivan turned to his elder sister, glared, and then walked quickly up to his room.

This, he decided, was war… a war against his family. After all, a lot of wars were started over lack of understanding and compromise. Ivan would not back down until his enemies understood that.

…Even if he himself held a bit of blame for the lack of compromise… he wouldn't give up until they at least tried to think about his side of the story.

…

Ivan was just turning off his laptop when Eduard walked in. The Russian wasn't sure why he was there, but didn't react that much anyways.

"Could I come in?" Eduard asked tensely. He was ringing his hands together, but other than that showed no sign of anxiety. Ivan nodded mutely. Eduard slowly over and, rather than sitting at the edge of the bed like Katyusha usually did, he just stood there.

"You were angry before… when Katyusha asked if you wanted to go back to Russia… so I just wanted to ask you one more time if you would-"

"Nyet." Ivan cut in simply, staring at his laptop screen that was actually blank… but he didn't want to look Eduard in the eye.

"Ivan, if you want to ignore or hate everyone around you then might as well live there." Eduard sighed wearily. Ivan played with the keys. Now that his mind was clear, Eduard did sort of have a point; maybe going back to Russia would be better than sitting here fighting but…

"There's something I've started that I don't want to end yet. It's something that I've been trying to get for a while." He said simply. That thing was a friend. That thing, apparently, was Madeline.

"Alright, just behave yourself." Eduard sighed again, turning his back to Ivan and walking towards the door. He was tired… it was obvious. He was a young man with a big job and a family to run on top of that. There was always that to consider about Eduard, and Ivan decided he'd make a small offer just to show he wasn't necessarily trying to be the enemy.

"I won't lash out any longer." He said simply. Eduard stopped at the door for a second.

"Thank you." He responded quietly, walking away. And that was that.

…

The next day, Madeline was sitting quietly in a chair beside the window. She was far too tired to get dressed out of her pyjamas, and defiantly wouldn't be able to walk to the park, so she merely held Kuma tightly in her arms and stared out the window that gave her a view of the courtyard. Random patients walked around and spoke to visitors that came for them, or merely sat alone like she currently was. The Canadian had at least brushed her hair in case Ivan came, and she also kept her glasses on due to her terrible sight. Madeline didn't know if Ivan would come today, after all she didn't expect him to come each and every day of the week. Just once in a while would be pleasant enough for her… of course… she secretly hoped he would come more than just once in a while… but that would be too much to expect from someone, wouldn't it?

The door opened and her heart pounded a bit faster. She turned and saw… it was only a nurse here to collect her plates from lunch which she had hardly touched. Madeline felt a shred of disappointment and turned back to the window, pulling Kuma closer to her chest.

"You should be in bed." The nurse stated and walked away. Madeline sighed. She was so tired; she didn't want to get up from her chair. She felt so heavy and worn-out… yet she had slept so well last night her body just wouldn't allow any more of it. More footsteps approached her, and she expected it to be yet another nurse or doctor.

"I thought you seemed like a person who did what they were told." A more familiar voice stated quietly. Madeline made a little squeak and snapped her neck around. Ivan stood before her with just a hint of a smirk on his face.

"… I'm just tired, eh?" she responded quietly, but couldn't help the smile that came to her lips. Ivan still wasn't quite smiling, but his face was light and eyes kind. He held out his hand.

"You do look exhausted." he agreed. She took his hand and stood up, allowing him to help her to bed. As she walked, her legs were shaky and she almost leaned right against him if it weren't for the embarrassment.

"It's my heart problems… sometimes I get tired easily." She answered, sitting gently on the edge of the bed and pulling Kuma tightly in her arms once more.

"You don't feel hot though… no fever this time?" he asked as she laid herself on the bed, not bothering to pull the blankets over herself.

"No… that doesn't have much to do with my heart. I guess I'm just weak…" she mumbled, not seeming to be all that concerned with the conversation about her health.

"Your immune system is weak, maybe?" Ivan asked.

"The doctors said that, too." She agreed quietly. Ivan raised an eyebrow.

"You don't seem to care much about your health." He mumbled, walking over the other side of the room to the chair and lifting up. He began to walk over as Madeline responded to him.

"It's not that I care… there's just nothing I can do about it. I'm just sick, eh. Even the doctors don't know very much about my health, they just treat me with whatever seems to work. Pills, special diets, and lots of sleep… that's just how my life is, eh? I don't really care what's wrong with me. So far I'm slowly getting better, but for all I know I could just drop dead any minute." She sighed, stroking Kuma's fur. Ivan dropped his chair, letting it fall with a loud clank. Madeline jumped a little and looked up, seeing his expression was worried and shocked.

"You could just… die at any time?" he asked, voice shaking a bit. Was she going to just leave him?

"N-No… I… no… sorry! I'm just tired, eh? I-I… well… I… if I was going to die I'd know… I won't… my health's not that bad!" she stammered.

"Are… are you sure? You won't… just leave me here, will you? Because you promised… you can't die…" he insisted, sounding just a bit like a small child. Madeline smiled a bit.

"The doctors may not be able to give be an accurate diagnosis for my heart… b-but they know enough… they said I'm likely to get healthier as I grow older… I'm never going to be completely healthy but I might… I might be able to live a normal life outside of this hospital one day. Not that I really think about it that much…" she assured. He seemed to calm down.

"Don't speak like that again, da? I know you've been in the hospital for a long time and this sort of talk is probably tiring for you but… I'm worried…" he blushed and pouted. Madeline giggled.

"Okay… here's a summary: weird-acting heart, weak body, and weak immune system. That's basically it, okay?" she smiled. He sighed and nodded, picking up his fallen chair and standing it next to Madeline, and then taking a seat afterwards.

Ivan finally noticed that beside her were the sunflowers he bought, each of them placed neatly in a plain glass vase. He felt a bit of a smile tug his lips, secretly feeling proud of himself for the way they brightened the room. He turned to the girl lying on the bed and then stared at the little bear in her arms that her small delicate hand was stroking.

"You like that bear very much." He commented. She hummed softly in her throat and looked down at the little toy.

"I've had it since birth, actually." She smiled. Ivan made an impressed sound.

"It doesn't look that old." He said. She nodded.

"I never played or went outside much as a child."

"Ah, so you've been like this your entire life?" he asked. She frowned.

"Sort of…"

"Sort of?"

"Yes…" she whispered. Ivan was getting a bit frustrated with the fact that Madeline didn't speak much about certain things… but he calmed down shortly after. He had just met her, he had time.

"I like the sunflowers…" Madeline brought up with another gentle smile. She was obviously avoiding the other subject, so he just went along with it.

"Da… you know, they're the same colour as your hair." he told her. Madeline looked confused. She took a strand of her hair, looked at it, then looked at the sunflowers. Ivan didn't think much of it… until she repeated the motion over and over again with a very, very serious look on her face. It was odd, something a child would do. He didn't know how it started, but he suddenly found himself laughing at the action.

"What?" Madeline asked curiously. Ivan snorted.

"Nothing…" he smiled, standing up. He remembered the main reason he had come now, and grabbed a large bag he had left at the door when he entered. He held it up for her to see.

"These are games I used to play in Russia. Some of them might be the same as the games here but… I was wondering if I could keep them here so we could have something to do when you can't go outside. We don't have to today since you're so tired but…" he trailed off, not thinking of a way to finish.

"No, it's fine! Leave them here and we can play another day!" Madeline smiled. He nodded and placed the games away on the counter, then sat back down. For a while they merely sat in silence, with Madeline seeming a bit too tired to do much. Eventually the familiar Dr. Bonnefoy-Kirkland strode in, and once she took a look at the two she made an obnoxious "Oh hon hon!" sound.

"What an adorable little couple!" the blond giggled as she posed and twirled dramatically.

"Hm? Why are we adorable?" Madeline innocently. Ivan wanted to smack himself. This girl… she was smart in some things and stupid in others.

"Friends. We're friends." He stated, more directed to the doctor. Madeline smiled.

"I know that silly!" she giggled. This time he really did smack himself, right in the forehead. The doctor before them began to laugh.

"…Is there a fly on your head?" Madeline asked. Ivan sighed.

"Nyet." He mumbled.

"…Oh."

After that, Dr. Bonnefoy-Kirkland checked a couple of things and the room stayed peaceful and calm. Ivan almost smiled in pleasure… until yet another annoying noise was heard.

"Kesesesese! Awesome is here to see birdie and Franny!" a voice even worse than Alfred's and coated in a thick German accent sounded near the door. A young albino man with a snarky grin stood there, and judging by his attire he was a doctor… although there was a little plush bird on his shoulder, for some reason. Maybe he worked with children? Behind him was another young man with dark wavy hair and a more innocent smile… but it still seemed suspicious to Ivan. It was similar to his own fake smile… but his was in a more genuine way. Perverted, maybe?

"Hi Dr. Gilbert, hi Dr. Toni." Madeline waved lightly. Ivan noted they probably used their first names to be addressed. The Canadian girl then turned to Ivan to explain, "These are paediatricians that work here, Doctor Gilbert used to help treat me when I was younger. I don't see him much nowadays, though. They're both Doctor Bonnefoy - Kirkland's friends. "

"Sorry, birdie! I've been busy! You know my gramps is the owner of this place and he expects a lot from me! So, who's this kid?" the albino pointed to Ivan suspiciously. Ivan glared, and the man didn't hesitate to glare back.

"He's Ivan Braginski!" Wow, she remembered his last name. "He's my friend, eh!" Gilbert's glare went even deeper.

"That's totally unawesome, birdie! He looks evil!" he cried.

"Kolkolkolkolkol."

"Now, you two! Madeline is old enough to have a friend of her own choice so stay out of it, Gilbert!" Francis cut in.

"Aren't you acting so mature lately, Francis! Don't you remember the rebellious life we used to have before you got married?" Doctor Toni randomly stated with a laugh. He had a Spanish accent, Ivan noted.

"That life is one I'm not exactly proud of… but I suppose we aren't called the 'Bad Touch Trio' for nothing, oui?" Francis shrugged with a smile and a wink. They both laughed again, and after they calmed down Toni turned to a still-glaring Gilbert.

"All right, we have things to take care of, Gil. Come on." Toni grabbed Gilbert by the wrist and began to walk out the door.

"Just remember that if you touch birdie you get your ass kicked!" Gilbert warned as he left.

"Oh, mon ami… it is l'amour! You cannot stop l'amour!" Francis sighed to herself and followed them.

Moments passed, and finally Ivan mumbled, "I dislike that Dr. Gilbert. Very much."

"…He's protective but very nice, I promise!" Madeline insisted, smiling. He just pouted.

…

"You go too easy on Birdie, Franny! Letting a kid like that near her!" Gilbert sulked as he walked through the halls of the hospital with his two best friends.

"She's almost sixteen, you know. She's not the little girl she was when she first came here." Antonio reminded him.

"Well… she's just too innocent and fragile!" Gilbert whined.

"Now, now. You've barely met the boy. I know for a fact they're good for each other, I can feel it deep inside of me." Francis smiled gently.

"Oh?" Antonio asked curiously.

"Oui… because you know, when you bring two lonely people together they are lonely no longer, whether they get along or not."

…

Three weeks passed. Madeline was either tired or had a fever, but sometimes they went to the park. Ivan visited almost every day, after all what else did he have to do? They enjoyed each other's company, even if it just meant sitting in silence and doing nothing at all. Sometimes they made small talk about things that didn't matter, sometimes they played board games… there was nothing else to it, really.

It was a Friday afternoon that was a bit too cold to go outside, so Ivan and Madeline sat by the window together. She was knitting something… he couldn't quite tell what… but at least she felt good today. She was fully dressed in a long-sleeved navy blue dress and had pig tails with red ribbons again. Her clothes were quite nice, he could tell Dr. Bonnefoy-Kirkland knew what suited the girl. Her hands worked quickly with the red yarn as she gently hummed "Oh Canada" to herself. Ivan stared out the window blankly as she did, and suddenly a question popped into his head that he hadn't exactly asked before.

"Just how much do you go outside… beyond the park?" he questioned, turning his head towards her. She stopped humming and looked up curiously.

"Not very much. I'm only allowed to go out when the weather's nice and my health's good enough… but… well… I don't know my way around very well, eh?" she laughed lightly. "I can't walk very far without getting tired anyways, especially during this time of year." She shrugged, and then went back to her knitting. She didn't seem to care much, but Ivan found himself feeling a bit bad for her. He thought to himself for a bit, and then he remembered something that gave him an idea.

"The weather is supposed to be nice tomorrow… do you think you'll still be well?" he asked. She looked up again, slightly confused, but nodded.

"Probably… why?" she asked. He merely stood.

"You'll see… I'll be going now…" he stated and walked away. Madeline watched him go out the door curiosly, and then shrugged and went back to her knitting once again. She didn't know what he was doing, but she would probably find out soon, anyways.

…

Ivan didn't go in the large garage of his house very much, but he did remember one object that happened to be in there. A bicycle. It was fairly old, but with a bit of work it would easily be accessible. It was large, after all. He wasn't sure where it came from, nor did he care.

Eduard had heard him go into the garage and walked in to check on him. "Ivan, what are you doing in here?" he asked, wondering if he even wanted to know.

"Can I have this bicyle?" Ivan questioned, pointing to it.

"Well, no one uses it… no one can even fit on it actually… so yes, you may…" he said, raising an eyebrow.

"Da, thank you!" Ivan smiled in relief. Eduard jumped a little, having not seen the boy smile so genuinely for a very long time.

"Are you well, Ivan?" he asked, voice shaking.

"I am fine… I just have some work to do." He turned back to the bicycle with a determined expression.

"A-All right then…" Eduard stammered, walking back into the house. Had Ivan… just been happy with something?

… did he miss something?

…

I feel so bad you guys had to wait so long for a chapter where barely anything happened… and now you have to wait another week because I'm going to a cottage with no internet access ;_; Still, since there's nothing to do there I will TRY to get lots done and post it up! Thank you for your patience!