Hey look! Another one! Dear god, and I thought I was supposed to be editing my other stuff today but oh well, I guess it'll have to wait. Here's the next one.

March 3rd, 1953

Something wasn't right. It had been far too quiet for far too long and it was making Berlin, as well as Lithuania and Latvia, very jumpy. She couldn't move around the house before looking around every corner lest something leap out at her. For the longest time she couldn't figure out why and then it hit her. Russia hadn't come down from his room all day.

She hadn't really noticed since she brought him breakfast and lunch everyday so she still saw him. Besides, nothing seemed off about him that morning…well, no more off than usual that is. If he told her nothing was the matter, she didn't want to pry lest bodily harm come flying towards her. However, she was worried about him so despite her better judgment, she ascended the stairs and navigated the hallways before stopping outside Russia's door.

She hesitated for a moment. Maybe she should leave him alone. After all, Belarus had been giving him a hard time lately and god knows what kind of trouble she was stirring up. Berlin wasn't one to pass judgment but that girl was crazy, or as England had once called her, 'barking mad'. Other than that, there really wasn't anything too serious that she could remember. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else that she should be remembering that she wasn't.

Shaking off the absentminded feeling pushing down on her shoulder, she knocked three times on Russia's door,

"Ivan? May I come in?"

She received no answer. Perhaps he's asleep, was her first thought but it was late afternoon so that conclusion made no sense to her. She knocked three more times,

"Ivan, are you okay?"

Still no answer. Berlin actually was worried now but her caution still persisted that she be quiet. Her curiosity got the better of her though and she silently and slowly opened the door. She poked her head in and looked around. Russia wasn't at his desk, nor was he standing in front of the USSR map. She risked a few steps in, making sure to be absolutely silent as she did so. She was so used to the silence that she nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard coughing.

She put a hand over her heart in an attempt to calm its terrified thundering and turned around. Then the fact that she had forgotten earlier came rushing back to her so fast it nearly knocked her down: Joseph Stalin was dying. When a country's leader is ill, so is the country. It's an odd occurrence but it happens. This explained why Russia was in bed coughing. She sighed, cursing herself inwardly for forgetting and making her way over to him and sitting on the edge of the bed,

"Do you want me to get you some water?"

He shook his head no.

"Anything?"

The same answer. Again she sighed, getting to her feet and leaving the room. Both of her brothers had gone through this many times. There really wasn't anything anyone could do except watch over them until the ordeal was over. Once thing was certain though. Nothing good ever came of a change of leaders, at least not immediately. Berlin could only hope that whoever took Stalin's place was more benevolent.

Not knowing what else to do, she went back downstairs and got a book from a random book shelf and then returned to Russia's room. If there was one thing that seeing her brothers through this very same ordeal had taught her it was that she should not leave them alone. So, she sat on the edge of the bed and silently read both books twice, keeping an eye on Russia. She only left once to help fix dinner and then promptly returned with food for him. She made sure he was asleep before heading to bed herself. Once in her room she let herself fall face fist onto her bed, a tired groan escaping her.

She guessed that her mind had forced her to forget that the leader of the Soviet Union was dying. Why? The answer was simple: Berlin had helped to poison him in hopes that his death would cause enough turmoil and confusion that she and Prussia could return to West and they wouldn't have to worry about Russia anymore, that they would get away form all this. Unfortunately, that little voice in the back of her mind was screaming at her that she was an absolute idiot.

Berlin agreed with the little voice today. She wasn't proud of what she did but it made her feel better to know that she wasn't the first to do something like this. England had ended quite a few of his rulers by enabled rebellions and her own brother, once he'd regained his conscience and common sense, had taken matters into his own hands at the end of the last World War although very few knew this. The whole suicide in the underground bunker thing had been a reuse. Berlin knew because she had been the one actually get the poison. Ah yes, the things you learn during the eighteenth century that you think you'll never use.

Still, she felt bad to a certain extent but if this was the only way to help herself and Prussia then so be it. He'd never find out it was her anyway. Not unless three people within the USSR desired to have a vengeful German sneaking through their windows and bludgeoning them to death with an old flail. That thought made her chuckle a bit before she finally closed her eyes, letting sleep wash over her at last.

Perhaps she should've done this sooner…

Tsk, tsk, tsk Berlin. You're going to get in so much trouble! Hey look, Berlin actually is beginning to show a little bit of her war face, yeah? She'll tame down for a little while but after the wall goes up (which will be soon), she'll pretty much lose it and start to do some pretty crazy things. Russia, of course, will be there to try and stop her every step of the way. Let's wait and see what happens when you set an all out psycho and a secretive sociopath against each other. :D