Surviving Winter

Chapter 5

Memories

Author's note: I write different languages Romanized because I like the verbal impact, even if you can't understand what it's saying.

Columbia didn't make a sound the world slowly came into her awareness.

"U vas ne bylo bol'shogo vybora ..."

She tried to move something. She felt weak and heavy. Were her limbs made of stone?

"Eto raznyye..."

Her throat burned, her head hurt, she rolled around and moaned lowly because she felt it was all she could accomplish.

"Tak chto zhe nam delat'?"

The hell was that? She tried to think. It was impossible. Every scrunch of her eyes or nose sent white hot lighting through her temples.

"I told you...hat." A calm voice broke through, and she barely registered it. It was familiar though.

"Ivan?" The name was strange in her mouth.

"Calm, calm..." A females voice, similar accent, chanted. "You're all right." A cool cloth patted her forehead and neck, and she groaned in response to the soothing coolness. "Shhh...you're all right. It's just a fever..."

Fever? Ah.

"Rum- " She started, trying to dig a hand out from under the covers. It was shaking badly.

"No, no...just try to sleep."

"Rum." Columbia repeated, knowing the alcohol was one of the best ways to sleep. It worked for her, at least.

"No." The voice was stern and demanding.

She tried to say it again, but the word was incoherent as her delirious mind spun further downward. "Hot tea. Honey. Rum. Lemon." She chanted the words, forcing it out of her throat. "Better..."

Blackness.

The next moment she felt herself being lifted from the back, a cup pressed to her lips. Even from the heavy fever she knew what the concoction was, the sour - bitter taste making her squirm but she drank eagerly. It was the perfect temperature too, and when she finished she settled back into the pillows and sheets, anxious for the drink to take effect.

Columbia blinked herself awake, her eyes burned at the light and she felt oddly refreshed. Messy, but refreshed. Like a layer of crust had just fallen off of her. Her awareness came so fast it kind of surprised her, usually she was slow to wake. She sat up, rubbing her gunky eyes and yawning deeply. Sitting up, she realized something odd.

This was not her room.

The bedding was lavish, rich red comforters and pristine white sheets that were soaked with her sweat. The windows were tall, looking out into what seemed to be a richly decorated courtyard at least one story - maybe two! - below her. Her brow knitted together in serious confusion, trying to piece together where she was and why she was here. A grandfather clock was in the corner of the unfamiliar bedroom, and she squinted at it. Did it read two-thirty? As in P.M.? She whipped her head around to stare out the tall, open windows. The sun was high in the sky. Shocked, and a little more than pissed, she kicked off the covers. "FUCKFUCKFUCK!" She jumped up, sloppily falling to her butt and wincing as her legs acted like jelly. "What the hell?! What did I do?!" She grasped the strands of her thin hair that stuck to her face like glue. She noticed she was also in a long white nightgown. Real cotton.

"Columbia?!" A females voice rang, the clicking of a door opening pulled her attention to the far side of the room. A woman she vaguely recognized bounded toward her, her well endowed breasts swinging freely. "Are you all right?" The platinum blonde woman rounded the bed, looking worriedly at the collapsed frame in front of her.

"You...you're...the lady from town hall."

"Da..." She approached the fallen girl, helping up, to sit on the bed.

"Where...am I?" Columbia asked calmly, trying to assess the situation.

"Braginksy manor." The woman was still fretting over Columbia worriedly, looking her over top to bottom.

"Manor?" She repeated, a little surprised. "So Ivan..."

"This is his house. He inherited it from his deceased father."

"So...you live here with him?"

There was a slight pause. "No, I...I stay with him on occasion. But I have my own place, other side of the town I'm afraid. You need a change of clothes..." The woman stood, starting to go through drawers in the large dresser.

Columbia's brain was working in overtime. Thinking hard, she did think she remembered something...

"Columbia, we are home." Ivan gently opened the door, trying to soothe the young woman awake. "Columbia? I know you are tired, but..." He squinted. Something was off. The flush on her face he had thought was from the alcohol was deeper than he thought, and her breathing had become rough. Hesitantly, he grasped her wrist, tugging on it slightly, hoping it would shake her awake. When the limb fell dumbly to her side without so much as a stir, he tore his glove off and placed his wrist to her forehead. The heat was searing.

Recognizing the symptoms, it took him a split second to decide what to do. He slammed the door shut, minding her loose limbs, stomping around the still running car and fumbling in his many pockets to reach for his phone. The ringing continued as he backed the car onto the roads once again, flying on the empty country roads.

It took him less than twenty minutes to reach the long driveway, and he thanked his favorite car for that. It still took him a moment to input the long security code at the entrance and on the garage door. Pulling the fever-ridden girl from his passenger seat, he all but kicked the door down. "Katyusha!" He voice rumbled in the long hallways, and his sister and a woman dressed in white rushed to him.

"God, how sick was I?" Columbia murmured, vaguely recalling the brief fit of hysteria that had interrupted her much-needed sleep. "And on that note...why did he ever bring me here?"

"It was just a bad fever." The woman stated simply, still digging through drawers. "I used to care for Ivan when he grew sick, when he was young. So the first thing he thought to do was to bring you to me. It was not a bad call."

Columbia tried to recall the woman's name. "Ka...Kat?"

"Katyusha."

"Oh. Right. Um." She frowned. He probably knew there was no one at her house to take care of her. And she couldn't see him being comfortable staying at her place. But bringing her to his personal house... "So where is he?"

"Working. You probably want to shower and change, da?"

"Um...yeah." Fresh clothes were passed off neatly to her hands, and the taller woman pointed to the door next to the dresser. "I'll be outside waiting. Just call." And she left.

Columbia stared at the clothes, curious. They looked nice. She nearly dropped the materials in her hands opening the door however, as the bathroom was freaking huge. A large circular jacuzzi tub was what she spotted first, and she couldn't wait to jump in that. Running the water took awhile, and she admired the decorated light tile floor, the dark wood cabinets and gold accents. She plopped into the tub, let the warm water relax her stressed and strained muscles. A variety of soaps stared her down, and she lathered her hair richly, not minding dunking her head underwater to taint the crystal clear water with suds.

After a while her stomach growled, and the gnawing of hunger bothered her to leave the cooling water. She didn't want to, but wanting food was a good sign, so she dried herself with a hanging towel, draining the tub and pulling on the available clothes. The white top was button - up, frilly at the ends and chest. She blankly stared at her small breasts, feeling a tug of jealousy after noticing Katyusha's massive chest. Having a bra didn't matter in this kind of situation, so she guessed at least she didn't have to worry about that. A black vest fit snugly over the shirt, the ruffled front puffing out splendidly, and the black slacks were nice as well. She checked herself in the mirror, smoothing her still wet hair as best as she could.

"...I look like an old Englishman..." She muttered in dismay, again feeling her front again at the lack of curves. Pushing thoughts from her mind, she left the bathroom, placing the used nightgown in a hamper before crossing the bedroom. The carpet was plush, really soft. A pair of socks and black belted flats were waiting for her in front of the door. She slid them on.

"K-Katyusha?" She hoped she was pronouncing it right. Holy crap. Even the hallways were large and expansive. Red's and golds so vivid and bright, paintings decorated the walls and empty vases sitting on small tables next to open windows. Curious, she approached one such vase, noticing the thick layer of dust that was building. Couldn't he afford house cleaners? With a place like this it would be necessary.

"Over here, Columbia! Sorry, I know the place is large...easy to get lost!" Katyusha had appeared at the end of the hallway, waving frantically. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes, thank you!" She raced towards the taller woman.

"Oh my. You look good in that outfit! Ivan will be glad."

"Katyusha, this place is HUGE!" Columbia started, her eyes wide. She usually tried not to get overexcited about things, but this was not something that happened every day. "Who were your parents?"

She looked a little nervous at the questions. "It's really not for me to say..."

"...Aren't you siblings?" Columbia liked the nice woman. She wondered if they could be friends, like she was with Feliciano. She hoped the young man was doing okay without her for now.

"Half siblings." Katyusha's face fell. "Natalia isn't full blooded to either of us, as well..."

"Oh." The word felt empty as she said it. Like Ivan, Katyusha seemed reluctant to talk about the family.

"I can tell you a little, at least, pertaining to our mother. Ivan inherited the estate from his father. Our mother had divorced my father before she married into the Braginksy's. But we're still rather close...my father is a distant cousin of the Braginsky family, my last name is Braginskaya. Mother met Ivan's father at a large family gathering. Her first marriage was arranged. She fell in love with Ivan's father and that is why the divorce happened..."

Columbia stared at her. "Wow. That's pretty complicated."

"It was a delicate situation at the time. I was nearly seven when Ivan was born. Everyone agreed it was mean to keep the siblings apart though, we were brother and sister after all, so we spent much time together. It was good."

They had begun walking down the hallway. "What about your other sister? Natalia?"

"I suppose I can tell you about her. And she's not technically my sister, but she was Ivan's so it was simpler to say we were all siblings. She's not an official Braginsky. Well. Mother died when Ivan was very young...less than two." Katyusha looked down, her tone dropped. "There was a problem with her car and she hit a tree. It was a driver side impact...she didn't make it to the hospital. Ivan doesn't even remember her..."

Columbia remained silent, absorbing the information and processing it slowly.

"Braginsky never married again, but he did get this one young lady pregnant. Natalia was always treated well, but she has no official claim to any inheritance. It was part of an agreement. I don't know the details, I was only eleven when that happened. Natalia Arlovskaya is her name, and she is two years behind Ivan. We spent plenty of time together, there were two years where we almost lived together. I was not Braginsky's daughter, but he knew Ivan cared for me and treated me very well on my visits. Something changed after that though...I knew something was wrong when Ivan didn't come to my fourteenth birthday...Natalia was only five but when she showed up she acted so silent."

Columbia continued to stay silent. The girl next to her had started shaking, and she clammed up, her hands rubbing each other obsessively as she held them to her chest.

"Ah...I'm sorry. We should eat." She said suddenly, looking around with a touch of nervousness.

Columbia only nodded. That was abrupt. Obviously something had happened, but Katyusha didn't want to talk about it. She decided that was fine. She looked around the empty house again. Even with how full of furniture it was, it still seemed so hopelessly empty. She wondered if this is what her house would feel like to her.

Feliciano Vargas was on the verge of panicking. He had worked for Columbia for over two months and had never missed a day without warning. He thought maybe she had slept in because of her date, which was fine, but it was well after noon and she had been super insistent on a deadline for finishing the barn this week.

So where the hell was she? He pulled n his jacket and worn shoes, running through town searching for any sign normally hard working girl. Her phone was off, never an answer. He combed the town, asking every store clerk, knocking on doors, ignoring the annoyed and dejecting looks he received, and even the looks of disgust were not enough to shake his worry. Lovino would be worried. Antonio would be worried. He didn't care. She was a friend, a good friend who had - he started to cry. It was stupid, but he did. He knew he might be acting clingy or unstable, and he couldn't help the feeling of paranoia tugging at the back of his mind, reminding him of what happened when people acted stupidly.

No, don't do that to yourself, that's a bad road, a very bad, dark, road. He took in a deep, shaky breath, and stared at the street in front of him. He combed and worked around and walked and his feet hurt because he forgot to put a sock on one foot but he stared at the door to the bakery anyway, mustering up the courage to go into the place he wanted to check least. The problem was he knew this was one of the places he should have asked first, because she knew Ludwig, and he might know something even if Yao didn't, and he felt guilty he didn't have the courage before, but now he was growing desperate.

Shakily, he opened the door.

"Thank you for everything." Columbia said, comfortably seated in the passenger side of Ivan's lush car. She had no idea what kind it was, but she swore to try to look it up. Two guesses bet it was Russian made.

"Is no problem. I am just sorry you got so sick."

"No, it was my own fault. Working too hard..." She sighed, looking down at the brown paper bag that carried her old clothes in it. "You're sister is very nice."

"Katyusha? Yes, I care for her a great deal."

"I think she feels the same." She looked over at him, he was watching the road carefully. She did notice his excellent driving. "So what did you think I was doing? At dinner last night, I mean."

"Ah, that. I apologize. I have to be very careful with who approaches me, because of my inheritance. The family was large, and then there was internal strife...things grew complicated. And dangerous."

"Katyusha mentioned something about your mother and father..."

His hand gripped the steering wheel slightly. "Da. It was sabotage."

"It - what?" Her bewildered stare was unanswered. "I'm...sorry."

"Can't be helped. But father always suspected...is not much matter, those incidents. Must be careful to prevent new ones, though."

"When did you deem me trustworthy?" She asked, betting she already knew the answer.

"You had to drink to talk about it." He mumbled, and in that instance she almost found the way he dug his chin further into his scarf as cute. "No record, either. Nothing to indicate any suspicious behavior. Not really."

She giggled. "Yao seems to think otherwise."

"Yao Wang does not have my connections." The Russian chimed, smiling.

"I bet that's true." She leaned into her car door, resting her head. "Let's get some cake."

"Cake?" He asked, confused.

"Yeah, in town. For some reason those cakes always make me feel better."

Ivan glanced at her with a shrug, complying neutrally. "If you say so. You will be coming to see me again, da?" He asked hopefully.

"I'd like to. As long as you'd like to." She sent him a sly smile, which seemed to confuse him or embarrass him, it was hard to tell. His chin dipped low again.

It only took a few extra minutes to park in the lot of the bakery, and Columbia was surprised to actually be having a lovely chat about food as they walked in. The borscht they had for dinner was definitely an interesting experience.

The chiming of the bell at the door went unnoticed, inside the bakery was too loud and Columbia had frozen, door left open, at the scene before her.

A white haired, red-eyed man - albino, she guessed, first time seeing one but unmistakable in appearance - was being held back by Ludwig, but not well enough. The thinner, paler man had a gun - a gun - pointed across the counter at a shaking and crying Feliciano.

"GET OUT! VEST, LET ME GO-!"

"Calm down, bruder!" Ludwig was trying not to yell, his hand wrapped around the smaller mans wrist, forcing the direction of the gun away from people.

"GET! HIM! OUT! NOW!"

"NEIN! Calm down first!"

Feliciano was shaking, cowering against the wall with his hands over his head.

"MEIN GOTT, KANN MAN NICHT ERWARTEN, DASS ICH RUHIG SEIN, während ER hier ist!" More strings of angry German were shouted.

Columbia somehow found her feet, sprinting towards Feliciano and wrapping her arms around his thin, sobbing, body. He was muttering in Italian as if they were is final words. She caught 'Mi dispiace' over and over again. Experience told her he was apologizing for something. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" Columbia finally shouted after her grip was secured.

"GET HIM OUT! I DON'T VANT TO SEE HIS DISGUSTINK FACE, UNDERSTAND?!" The white- haired man screamed, pointing his unarmed hand, the other thankfully being held back by Ludwig, towards Feliciano.

Columbia wasn't sure what happened next, Ivan had his freaking water pipe out, nimbly hooking the object under the gun and flying it harmlessly away from the angry German, grinning pleasantly. "Weapons are dangerous, especially indoors." He said simply, calmly. The even stare was intimidating in it's own right, though. The Germans froze, and if the albino had any color left in his face it was gone. Where the hell was he keeping that thing?!

"Braginsky, you BASTARD-"

"Bruder - " Ludwig used a warning tone, and his grip tightened on the smaller man, making the albino wince.

"People who don't behave should not be allowed to roam free, da?" Columbia shuddered at his tone.

There was a moment of quiet contemplation. The tension was so thick that Columbia felt she was under a heavy blanket. Feliciano had turned and was sobbing into her chest, gripping her hard and rooted to the spot.

"FINE." The albino ripped his hand away from the larger German, storming into the kitchen of the store. Heavy footsteps, too loud to ignore, grew quieter until a loud crashing noise echoed from the floor above.

Ludwig sighed heavily, picking up the flown weapon and disarming it in seconds, placing parts on the counter in front of him. "I'm sorry. For mein bruder's behafior."

"He should keep better control of himself, da?" Ivan stated. He seemed to be the coolest head in here, as Ludwig kept throwing the taller Russian weary glances.

"Ja... You aren't wrong, Ivan..." Ludwig moved out from around the counter, approaching Feliciano and Columbia, who gripped him more protectively as he flinched.

Ludwig gently settled his hand on the boy's back, rubbing encouragingly. "I'm sorry."

Slowly, as if there were cricks in his neck, Feliciano carefully peeked from Columbia's chest, only one of his liquid amber eyes visible.

"Are you goink to be all right?" The blonde asked.

Feli's breath hitched, ready to sob his heart out more, but he nodded, unable to speak and turning his head further into Columbia once again.

Columbia and Ludwig exchanged glances. He knew what was going on and seemed tired by it. She felt like there was a huge puzzle sitting in front of her and the most important pieces were missing. She observed carefully as Ludwig rose and he and Ivan began to talk.

"I only have one seat in my car." She heard Ivan say.

"I could take zem both out..." Ludwig responded.

"Feliciano." It was Ivan. "Do you want to stay with Columbia? Or should we call Lovino?"

The answer surprised everyone. "Coli..." Feliciano replied meekly, his voice cracked and his grip on her coat tightened.

"Ja, I vill take zem out zen. Could you watch my bruder? I don't vant him chasink me...or destroying mein schop."

Ivan gave a small nod of agreement. "Oh, fine. I suppose that's acceptable."

"All right zen."

Columbia had tuned them out, returning her focus on the scared Italian. "Feli?" She asked gently, trying to loosen his grip a bit. It didn't help much. "Feli, are you okay?"

He shook his head roughly, and she sighed. "Ivan." She called, and the tall man approached her, using the water pipe as a sort of walking stick.

"Da?"

"Thank you, again. You have my number now?"

"Da, I will be calling you later." He eyes sharpened, falling to the Italian. "I had no idea you two were so close."

At this Feliciano did look up, facing the much larger man. His cheeks and eyes were tinted red from crying so hard, streaks running thickly down his face. His amber eyes stared into violet ones, asking a question.

Ivan shook his head at the boy, face ever so neutral, and stepped back.

Columbia wasn't sure how to feel about the exchange. She helped Feli stand, who still would not let go of her, and they clumsily fell into the backseat of Ludwig's car.

The blonde, thickly clothed, turned back to Columbia. "Ja, vell...vhere exactly is your place?"

She gave him thorough directions, which he followed to the t. Feli was silent. When they were dropped off Ludwig gave another deep apology, and left. Columbia fumbled with her keys, unlocking the door and slowly stumbling into the empty house, Feli gripping her arm in a vice made of his own arms and hands.

She shut the door behind her. "Okay. We're alone now. It's all right..."

The frail man broke down again, not making it past the front door mat. He gripped her so hard they almost collapsed to the floor. "Feli! Feli, Feli, shhh..." She rubbed his back, gently ushering him to the living room. "It's okay. It's okay." There's no crazy German in here with a gun, I promise, she almost added. She looked around a bit. If there was there was gonna be hell to pay.

"Coli..." He hiccuped, sniffing and wiping his his face with his sleeves. She helped him sit on the couch. "Where were you...vee..."

"Ah, I'm sorry Feli. I got really sick last night...my phone was dead and I was...otherwise unreachable."

"S-sick?" He asked, a trembling finger wiping his eyes.

"Yeah. High fever..."

"Grazie a Dio..." He breathed, inhaling deeply.

"Feli...what were you doing at the bakery and why was that man so angry to see you?"

He kept sniffing and wiping his face, his sleeves were filthy. She offered him a box of tissues, which he accepted gratefully.

"Th-that's...it's..." He sighed, slumping his shoulders. "I..." His hands trembled and he shook his head, grabbing at his hair with his hands. "I was in love with their brother. It's my fault..." He whispered.

Her brow furrowed in confusion. Something massive must have happened if it was serious enough for one guy to pull a freaking gun on him. She was still a little shocked that the event even happened. Feli clutched his chest, his shaking resumed, and he cried more.

"I miss him!" He yelled so suddenly she jumped. "I miss him so much! It hurts it hurts Mio Dio it hurts-!" His body convulsed and he curled in on himself, looking like he was going to rip his hair out of his scalp.

Columbia was thrown into another wave of bewilderment. "Feli, it's all right it's - " She stopped though, thinking maybe it wasn't all right.

"Mi dispiace, mi dispiace, mi dispiace, mi dispiace, midispiacemidispiace-!" He chanted crazily.

"Feli, calm down! What are you apologizing for?" She tried to rub his shoulders or something, but he was seriously freaking out and she was at a loss. She expected him to say something or go crazy at this point.

Instead, he let out one last shuddering breath, and snuggled himself into Columbia's chest. They fell backwards onto the couch as he calmed down. She rubbed his back soothingly. "Mi dispiace, Hartwin..." He mumbled. She barely caught it, and her face clouded over. She recognized that name. But where from?
She tried to think back to all the people that she had met since coming to town. Wasn't that one of the delivery guys? No...besides, neither of them looked Ludwig or the albino. She then remembered the painting of the blonde Feli was working on. Was THAT Hartwin? It seemed to make sense. But she had never seen that person before. The young man that had settled into his chest was breathing evenly now. He must have fallen asleep.

"Hartwin..." She murmured. "Hartwin, Hartwi- " She held her breath, eyes growing wide with realization. She remembered the name now. She had just never heard it before, because she had read it. In a newspaper article. Online.

Hartwin had been beaten to death.

Translations - Russian

U vas ne bylo bol'shogo vybora ... - You did not have much choice

Eto raznyye... - This is different

Tak chto zhe nam delat'? - So what do we do?

Translations - German

"MEIN GOTT, KANN MAN NICHT ERWARTEN, DASS ICH RUHIG SEIN, während ER hier ist!" - My God you cannot expect me to quiet while HE is here!