I would like to thank my reviewers once more for their kind reviews. Aeschylus, I love your reviews. There is know need for you to think I am annoyed. Anyway, here's another chapter.

It was early afternoon. The sky was grey. Estonia was lying on his bed in Poland's house. He was thinking hard on all the sins he had done over the course of the week, so he could roll them out when he was with the priest. He wanted the time that he was closed up in that stuffy room to be as short as possible. Over and over, he spun the words in his mind. This new confession was not much different than others he had made. He was not a good enough brother to Latvia, he had said something nasty to Lithuania, he had laughed at Poland behind his back, his eyes had strayed to Ukraine's ample breasts. But, he regretted them almost immediately. Latvia would cry. Poland would scold or punish. Lithuania would give him a look that left him cringing. Ukraine well, she did not usually notice his gaze, but if Poland or Lithuania did, he would usually receive a rebuke or a sharp glance. Anyway, he knew that he felt more shame at those moments than later when he talked to the priest, when he was usually thinking about warm he was, how the boards beneath his knees were giving him splinters, and how loudly the man behind the grate was yawning.

"Polska, stop it," he heard from the next room. The walls were thin. From his room, Estonia could easily overhear conversations held in the adjoining bedrooms. The others could hear him too he figured, if they cared to listen. No one really thought that much about him though. He was just a thin boy with glasses who worked in the house. Any secret he had could easily be read from his face.

"Liet…"

"Just stop it."

"Like, I just want to kiss you, that's all."

"I don't want you to. Not now."

"Why not?"

"Because I have to go to confession this evening and…"

"We're married. It's like all right for us to kiss and like do other things too…"

"You're a man! I'm a man. It's strange."

There was the sound of a bed creaking as Lithuania stood up. He started pacing the floor.

"Do you not like it?"

"I don't."

"But I'm like your husband, and..."

"I don't think when they married us together, they meant us to take it up physically…"

"Would you like it better if I were like, the wife?"

"I think I'd rather be dead."

"Are you that disgusted by me?"

A pause. Estonia noticed that he was biting his lip; his arms were clutching his knees to his stomach. Why was he so nervous? This had nothing to do with him. And yet they were his guardians. A blown out fight between Poland and Lithuania could alter his whole existence. After all, if they broke up…where would that leave him? And yet Poland and Lithuania argued a lot. Lithuania would complain Poland was too bossy. Poland belittled Lithuania's concerns, and than the shouting started. Though the fights were frightening, they didn't last long. He wondered if all couples fought like this. Sweden and Finland did not seem to. Then again, Finland was Sweden's underling; he usually did what he was told.

In the next room, Lithuania sucked his breath in, sat back down.

"No, Polska, that's not it. It's just that…when I married you I gave up a lot of things for you, my religion, my ways…"

"So what? You improved. My God is more awesome than all your gods put together."

"You never listen do you?"

"I try…but you bore me, Liet. Why are you making such a fuss?"

"You just can't pounce on me whenever you want. Can you understand that?"

"So, you would like rather be in control and decide like the time, and stuff?"

"I guess that would work better, but…"

"Good. So, like from now on, you get to decide when we kiss."

"If ever."

"Hey, like that's not fair, Liet."

"I wish we could just be friends, all right?"

"Is this because of Belarus?"

"Why would it be about Belarus?"

"I've like seen you two together. I saw you slip your hand into her skirt."

"I was smoothing out the petticoat."

"Liet, I am not that stupid. You know, I can play that game just as well as you…"

Poland was cut off. Estonia wondered for a moment what had happened, then he heard the two of them kissing—passionately. He felt his chest empty of air as he kept in a gasp. Why had Lithuania had started kissing him? Was he just trying to distract Poland? If so why with such fervor? If he did not like it, how could he make it sound so good?

"There how was that?" he heard Lithuania whisper hotly.

"Much, much better."

"Good, because you're going to have to hold onto that minute for a while now."

"Just a little more?"

Their lips pressed one last time. Lithuania stood up. Estonia could hear the door screech as he went out into the hallway. And then Lithuania was calling his name. Estonia froze completely, hoping that he would not peer into his room. It would be more than awkward if Lithuania found out he had overheard the conversation.

"Estonia!" Lithuania was beginning to sound frustrated as he moved towards the kitchen. Estonia got off his bed and tumbled out his window onto the thin grass. His room was downstairs so the fall did not hurt him, but it left him sprawled out on the cold ground.

"Hello, there," a cool voice said from above him. He glanced up into the small, sharp face of Belarus. She was a queer, pretty little creature with shifting ice blue eyes. She was standing with her head cocked to one side with a pink bow hanging off of her white blond hair, dressed like a doll in a white gown tied with a rose colored sash and small white shoes.

"Hello," he said absently and sat up.

"Are you in trouble?" she asked eagerly.

"Not yet," he said.

"Oh," she looked disappointed, and then, "will you be soon?"

"Maybe," Estonia said with a shrug.

"You're being mysterious today," she said grabbing the branch of a tree above her. She started snapping the twigs off it, "what did you do?"

"Nothing."

"Liar. You did something…I can see it on your face."

"Well, I wouldn't tell you, Belarus."

"Are you going to tell it to the priest?"

"I don't think it's important."

Belarus snapped one last twig and let the branch go.

"Poland says that we ought to tell all our sins, so we'll have a free conscience, but I don't know…I think it's stupid. I mean what if you can't remember them all? What do you do then?"

"Tell the ones you remember, I guess."

"Hah, then the worse the person's memory is, the shorter time they spent with the priestman, well I guess something has to go right for the fools."

"I wouldn't say things like that. I mean…"

"You think lightning will fall from the sky?" she asked glancing up at the heavy clouds, "it could I guess…"

"Poland might hear you."

"Oh, yeah," she mumbled and hugged herself. She was probably cold. He knew he was.

"Hey," she whispered, "how bad do you think I would have to be for the priest to give up on me and condemn me to hell?"

"What?" Estonia exclaimed, "Why, why would you want him to do do that?"

"You're stuttering," she said with a smile, "it's so funny when you stutter."

Estonia just stared at her, guessing there was probably something seriously wrong with her head.

"I was thinking," she continued gravely, "that if the priest gave up on me, maybe Poland and Lithuania, they would give up too…and then they'd let me go home. I would like to see my brother again."

"Couldn't you ask them if you could visit?"

"I have," she snapped, "don't you think I've tried? They won't listen to me."

She pressed her hands over her eyes to hide tears.

"I am sorry," Estonia said.

"Yeah," she said. She let her hands back to her sides and then wrapped them around her again, "You do sound sorry."

"I am."

"Estonia, do you think I am pretty?"

"Of course, of course, you're pretty."

"Lithuania said that I am very pretty. He said he loved me. When I was hanging laundry, he came and he kissed me behind a sheet."

She spoke these words quickly as if she were afraid of them.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, but I don't want…I don't know. I mean I can't be his wife. He's married. I don't even like him. Why is he doing this to me?"

"I don't know. Maybe he's lonely."

"He shouldn't have…Poland wouldn't be happy…I…I liked the kiss though. It was warm."

"Well, I wouldn't encourage…"

"No, no, I won't be his mistress. But he is stronger than me you know. Sometimes I am afraid…"

"I am sure he wouldn't do anything to hurt you, Belarus."

"Wouldn't he? I don't know. I wish it weren't so cold."

She shivered violently.

"Are you all right?"

"I don't know, Estonia."

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

She shook her head.

"Let's go inside," he said, "It's warmer inside."

He took her hand and led her towards the door. Just then, Latvia came charging up towards them, his red cheeks glowing with the cold and a smile. Ukraine was not far behind him.

"It's snowing!" Latvia cheered. And it was, large flakes were spiraling down from the solemn sky, "It's snowing! It's snowing."

He did a small dance in a circle. Ukraine laughed, a soft, honeyed laugh, her blue-grey shimmering in a plain face, half hidden by a rough wool scarf. No, she was not as pretty as her sister, but there was something about her, well besides those breasts. She was kinder and more self-assured.

"It's snowing," Belarus repeated gazing up into the clouds, her face blank.

"Ah, come, little sister," Ukraine said, walking up behind Belarus and wrapping her arms her, "cheer up a little. It's the first snow."

Belarus shook her head.

"It will be a cold winter," she said.

"But the snow is beautiful," Ukraine said, "look it's like fine lace falling from the heavens. Perhaps the angels crocheted them."

"I want to go home."

Ukraine frowned, shifting awkwardly in her boots. Estonia wished he could help her. He wished that he could say something to make Belarus less sad, just so he could see Ukraine smile again.

"We have our home here now," Ukraine said. Her voice though had gone dry of feeling, like she was reciting lines that had long gone dead.

"I want to see my brother," Belarus said. She yanked free of Ukraine and marched back towards the tree whose fingers she had been breaking earlier, stood under it, glared up at the branches.

"Natalia…" Ukraine said, walking after her, "please, I am sorry…"

It isn't your fault. Estonia wanted to tell her, but his mouth would not speak those words. He just could not talk when he was around her, but he was following her, and Latvia was following him, back towards the tree.

"I am sorry," Ukraine repeated.

"What's wrong?" Latvia asked. Puppy eyed as ever, he looked from one face to the other, bewildered by this sudden change in mood.

Belarus whirled on the young boy.

"Will you shut up? Will you for once shut up! I hate you! I hate all of you!"

Latvia burst into tears. Ukraine glared at her sister and pulled Latvia protectively against her, so his little head was snuggled against her chest. Estonia suddenly wished he were cute and small.

"You don't mean that," Ukraine said, her voice still soft, "you are just saying that because you are upset, what is wrong, Natalia?"

Belarus just shook her head.

"Why don't you just leave me out here to die?"

"I couldn't do that."

"Oh," Belarus hissed, "why do you have to be so good? Why do you always have to be so good? It makes me look horrible. Like a slug on the leaf of a flower."

She voice died off at the end, and her gaze dropped to the ground.

"I am not always good," Ukraine mumbled.

"Yes, you are! Yes, you are!"

"No."

Ukraine fidgeted again; as if she were trying to decide to try to control her sister or keep on comforting the child she was holding. Finally Estonia saw a way he could help. He carefully disentangled Latvia from Ukraine's embrace and held him himself. Latvia glared up at him, but Estonia did not care. If he couldn't hug Ukraine, Latvia shouldn't either, and at the same, he looked like a caring older brother. He had helped her. He was not sure what the priest would think of it, but he didn't care.

It was snowing. Ukraine was chasing Belarus across the yard. Lithuania was just stepping outdoors looking puzzled. For now this was home.

I was thinking of maybe writing about Christmas next chapter, maybe. Anyway please review.