"He's gone back to Mr Russia.."
Lithuania read the note again.
'I'm going back into Russia in the hopes that you and Latvia will be safe.'
Lithuania frowned. He stuck the tip of this thumb into his mouth and chewed on the nail - a nervous habit Russia used to smack his hand for.
Canada had written he was going back into Russia. Not that he was going back TO Russia. Perhaps it had been a mistake, but Toris doubted it. He'd seen the confusion written all over the blonds face the night before. Canada wasn't ready to face Russia again just yet.. he was still scared and angry. And Lithuania knew exactly how he felt.
That didn't solve the problem of impending Russian invasion, however.
Toris began to pace back and forth in his livingroom, thinking hard. His phone began to ring, but he ignored it. He knew it would be NATO calling, asking him to mobilize his military in preparation, as no doubt Latvia and Estonia were already doing.
He grabbed his remote control and turned on the television. Further reports of Russia's movements through Latvia flashed on the screen, and how he was now crossing the Lithuanian border. But no stories of any aggression beyond simply entering the two countries illegally, with a few dozen Russian men riding in the backs of large army trucks.
The Latvia and Lithuania border guards stood aside, unsure of what to do as Russia and his men drove through. They were nervous, and knew that the wrong move could, at any time, bring a whole lot more than just a few dozen men into their countries.
Toris knew he needed to meet with NATO to discuss what should be done, and quickly, but..
But.
There had to be something else that he could do. It didn't have to come down to pitting his military against Russia and his men. There had to be another way. Even if he didn't have Canada there with him anymore.
The phone stopped ringing.
Lithuania sucked in all the courage he could into his lungs and hurriedly picked up the receiver before it started to ring again. He dialed a number he had not dialed in over a decade.
There was no answer.
Toris pressed the 'hang up' button, then dialed again. And again. And again. Then finally..
"Lithuania!" Russia's cheerful, happy sounding reply was, as usual, completely out of place given the present circumstances. "Did you know I'm on my way to see you right now?
"Yes, of course I know." Toris answered in Russian, "You're all over the news, Mr Russia. You've upset everyone. NATO is quickly organizing."
"Are they?" Ivan asked, and Toris shuddered when the larger nation chuckled in his creepy way, "That's sort of drastic, isn't it? I'm only here to visit you and ask a few questions."
"No, you're here to look for Mr Canada."
There was silence on the other end. A long silence. Lithuania could hear the roar of the army truck engine in the background. When Russia spoke again, his tone had changed.
"Where is he?"
No more cheerfulness. No more creepy laughter. Toris swallowed and began to shake.
"He's gone now, Mr Russia. He left last night."
"You're lying."
"I'm not. He left a note, saying he was going back to your country."
"Why didn't you keep him there!?"
Lithuania almost dropped the phone at the shout that blasted his eardrum. He trembled harder, the same way he always did whenever he had anything to do with Russia. He took deep, calming breaths to try and keep control of his nerves.
"Because he's a free country. I don't hold people against their will, Ivan."
Another long, drawn out silence. Lithuania, tho he felt he might crack beneath the weight of his own fear at any moment, knew he had the upper hand. Canada had come to him and confided in him. Russia would want to know what was said in the hopes of gaining any clues on Canada's whereabouts. He had to play his cards right to get any information.
"What did he tell you?" Russia asked, low and deadly.
"Everything." Toris switched the receiver to his other ear. "He was pretty upset. And now he's run off again, away from you. I can't say I blame him. Did you think you could make him love you enough to just hand over his nation?"
Toris could hardly believe these things were coming from his mouth. To Russia!
"I do not want his nation." Ivan growled into the phone.
"Now YOU are lying, Mr Russia. You went into his personal laptop while he was under your control. You had his boss agree to force him stay there with you. You opened the door to greedy human hands with the promise of power and wealth if only Canada were swayed into the waiting arms of the Russian Federation. You want his land and his people. You want total control over his country!"
"No!" Russia shouted, "How dare you speak to me this way, Lithuania! When I get my hands on you I'm going to-"
"You're going to what?" Toris yelled, "You don't have control of me anymore, Ivan. And you don't have control of Canada. Even if you've spent months confusing him into thinking you care about him, he knows better now!"
Lithuania hung up the phone.
He began to hyperventilate. He hugged himself, trying to calm down. He paced back and forth, walking off the shakes.
The phone immediately began to ring. He left it until the sixth ring, then picked up the receiver. He surprised himself yet again when his voice came out strong and sure.
"Yes?"
"Only Canada."
"Pardon?"
"I want only Canada. Not the nation. The person."
Russia's voice had changed yet again. It sounded softer now, almost defeated. Lithuania had to strain to hear him over the roar of the engine.
"Help me find him, Toris.. please. I.. do care about him. I need to find him and bring him back and.."
"And what?"
"...just.. please help me find him. Please."
Victory. Lithuania could hardly believe it. The mighty Russia.. the man who'd terrorized himself, his fellow Baltics, and countless other nations.. was asking him for help. Because of.. Canada.
Only Canada.
Toris sighed.
"Alright, I'll help you, Ivan. But you need to leave my country and go back to Russia because that's where Mr Canada said he was heading. And I don't think he'll have gone back the way he came. He wont go back into Latvia."
"But.." Ivan's voice became small, like a frightened child. "That means he would have gone into.."
"...Belarus."
Both nations gulped nervously. If there was one country in the world that was crazier than Russia himself, it was his little sister Belarus.
"He's dead. He's going to die. She'll chew him up and spit him out! I'll never see him again!" Ivan still sounded childish, and as tho he might start bawling at any moment. Toris remembered Russia's frightened reaction to his sister all too well.
"Wait, no.. calm down, Ivan. This is Mr Canada we're talking about. He's smart and fast and.. um.. honestly not very noticible unless he's right in front of you.. so there's a very good chance he'll just slip right through Belarus and get back into Russia with no problems at all."
"You think so?" Russia sniffled.
"I'm sure of it. I'll send my military out along my borders to look for him in case he's still here somewhere. But in the meantime you should go back to Russia and wait for him. Ok?"
Toris held his breath and clenched his eyes shut tight.
"...Da."
The line went dead. Russia had hung up.
Lithuania teetered on his feet and fell to his knees. His breath exhaled from his lungs like a deflating balloon. He felt dizzy as relief washed over him. And another feeling too. Pride.
For the first time in his independent life.. he'd stood up to Russia. And won.
He'd done it. Russia was going to leave Lithuania and Latvia alone, and it hadn't come down to a fight.
Toris got back to his feet and quickly dialed NATO. He was careful to explain everything that had happened and asked that they stand down. Russia was going to leave peacefully. He called Latvia and Estonia to fill them in on the news. They praised him for his quick thinking and bravery. He said goodbye to them, then called the commander of his military. He asked that his soldiers be sent out to look for Canada, just as he'd promised. Then he called America and told him everything that had happened.
The American was upset, but calming him and getting him to listen to sense was easier than it had been with Ivan. He thanked Lithuania for the information, and said that he was going to fly to Russia right away.
Toris hung up the phone and sighed. He picked up Canada's message and read it again, before folding it carefully. He thought about how lost the blond had looked, sitting on his couch. Beneath the confusion, and beneath the anger over what had happened..
Canada had looked lonely. Lonely, and sad.