Hi guys, sorry I'm so late, I had a really busy week, what with school starting again and all, then I went to take a nap for like, 10 mins and woke up 9 hours later. And my USB broke and ugh… life happened…

Many, many thanks to elizabeta H. Austria for following and your four (four!) reviews, your sympathy touched my heart. This chapter is dedicated to you!

Much thanks must also go to The Damned Goddess for following and favoriting and to Mr or Ms Tanuki for following. You guys rock!

Thanks also go to Jridn for reviewing. In answer to your question about how I get the time to write all of these; you know that wonderful, lovely thing called sleep? …Yeah, I don't do that. Except for just recently! Thank you, I'm glad you liked the fic btw.

Anyway, I'm here now, so enjoy, I don't own.

Chapter 9: Lavender Heather

Kiku Honda, also known as Japan, was busy with paperwork when Russia, of all people, burst through the door of his study.

Japan jumped about three feet in the air and instinctively reached for his katana, thinking he was being invaded.

Then he realized Russia was unarmed and alone and relaxed cautiously, "Good evening Russia-san, what bring you here?" He asked politely, slowly replacing the katana back on its stand. Then Russia said three words that made Japan's blood run cold.

"China's been attacked."

"And that is how you make steamed rice balls-aru," Yao said, placing them on a tray in front of Kuro's riveted eyes.

Maroon orbs widened, "I had no idea it was that simple!"

China gave the 'other' Japan a pitying look, "are you Japan or aren't you? Aiya! How did you not know how to make steamed rice balls?"

Kuro crouched until he was eye-level with their western-style table, he watched Yao set down the rice balls and then watched the steam rise from them, mesmerised, "amazing."

"Not really," Yao sat down at the table and bit into a rice ball, "aren't you going to eat?" She asked after she had chewed and swallowed.

Kuro immediately shook his head, "no thank you. I'm not hungry."

You're never hungry, thought Yao, yup, this guy was definitely Kiku's opposite.

Yao smiled slightly as she thought about her little glutton; she hoped he wasn't worried about her.

She knew that was unlikely, unlike Ivan, Kiku trusted that she could take care of herself. Not to mention the little introvert probably didn't know she was missing. A little slow on the uptake her Kiku…

"What are you smiling about?" Asked Kuro, his voice was demanding but not rude.

Yao smiled at him too, "oh nothing, I was just wondering where things were going to go from here."

Kuro shrugged, they had moved from the abandoned warehouse the day Yao had been kidnapped, that had been about a week ago.

The two-bedroom apartment they had moved into was small but it had enough space for the two of them and all the electrical and plumbing appliances needed to sustain them while Kuro figured out what he what he wanted to do next.

Kidnapping a personification of China from China was one thing, but kidnapping a personification of China (even if it was the wrong personification) from Russia might send a message that Kuro didn't want sent and might end with heat accidentally coming down on Kiku.

He didn't want to unintentionally start a war between this world's Japan and Russia over his China. If Ivan and Kiku started fighting then Kuro and Vadim would inevitably end up fighting also. The personifications of the countries might be completely different, but the events that played out were exactly the same, the Allies had still won WWII and Russia was still one scary ass motherfucker in Kuro's opinion. So that counted out kidnapping Yue the same way he had kidnapped Yao. This led him to his next biggest problem…

He'd considered just putting Yao back where he found her but she had been incredibly useful to him so far. It was only because of her that he had any idea of where his older sister actually was.

Plus she had taught him how to make rice balls, something that he –shamefully- hadn't known how to do previously, though he probably could have figured it out if he tried.

He had been in contact with his younger siblings, of course, and had been incredibly irritated when he found out that the last slice of pie actually was Vietnam's all along, they didn't need Yue after all.

Of course he was going to bring her back anyway, he worried about her when he wasn't around to watch over her, a trait he found Yao exhibited for Kiku as well. That being said the time he had spent with Yao had been quite nice. It was almost like having a real older sister. Still, he needed to get to work; he couldn't be gone from his own country for too long.

He knew Yue wouldn't care but he was honestly surprised Vadim, Olivia and Jean weren't flipping out.

Then again, he wasn't sure how much the last two cared about their countries either.

Well, it wasn't so much that they didn't care, they all cared of course, they were their countries after all. It was just their level of work ethic and responsibility he wondered about.

"When I figure it out, you'll be the first to know," he muttered. Yao nodded, she was sure it wasn't healthy to accept her own kidnapping so calmly but things really could be worse.

She cupped her chin in her hand, she had been enjoying her time here with Kuro too, her time with Yue hadn't been bad and Heaven help her but she really had grown fond of Vadim, but Kuro was so like Kiku yet so completely different.

It was like having her little brother back.

When Russia had calmed down a little and fully explained the situation to him Kiku's heart started to beat again.

When Russia had uttered the phrase 'China's been attacked," Japan had automatically assumed that he meant that China had been invaded. But no, Russia had meant exactly what he said; China, the person, Yao, had been attacked. Attacked, knocked unconscious and abducted to be more specific.

Or at least that was what they had managed to make out from what Russia was now referring to as the 'Crime Scene.'

Give me a heart attack why don't you? He asked Russia mentally, his thoughts more cryptic and snarky then they usually were, but hey-he'd just had a pretty big scare.

"I see," Kiku took a sip from his cup of green tea, "thank you for telling me this. I will look into it immediately."

Russia's expression became dismayed, "that's all you have to say? Don't you care?!"

Of course I care, I just don't feel the need to yell it in someone else's face, Kiku thought, but was to polite to say, though he wasn't going to stop being a snarky asshole until his heart rate was back to normal, and that could take a while. Damn you high blood pressure!

Russia set down his own cup of tea and rose, "well, thank you for the tea, Mr. Japan, but I really should be going. Both Yue and Vadim are staying at my place now, they're devastated and they need watching." Throwing his scarf back over his shoulder Russia headed for the door.

"Who are Yue and Vadim?" Japan asked, they would have to know China fairly well to be 'devastated' by her loss and yet he didn't recognise their names.

Strange, he thought he knew everyone associated with Russia who was fond of China.

"They're the other dimension versions of Yao and me," Russia told him, hand on the doorknob, "so naturally they're very upset. Vadim was even the one who noticed Yao was missing and checked the security cameras. We saw her get hit but we couldn't see her attacker."

Russia's hand tightened on the doorknob and his eyes blazed with fury, though he didn't let Japan see it. When he found out who had taken Yao…

But Kiku was still miles behind him, "the other dimension versions of China-san and yourself?" He shook his dark head, "I'm sorry Russia-san but I don't understand."

Ivan turned back to him, expression carefully innocent, "didn't China tell you? Another world's counterpart of Miss England opened a portal between her world and ours and sent herself, and another version of France, myself and China here. It turns out that another world is running parallel to ours and the two can be accessed by the other side with enough effort. They've been staying with us for quite some time now." He opened the door, "I thought Yao would have at least told you, after all, you're her favourite." The door shut behind him.

Kiku scowled at the door, "that was helpful, and not strange at all," he muttered to himself, taking another sip of tea, his pulse was still racing.

He set the cup down and rose from his work desk, he strapped the katana he had almost used on Russia to his hip and picked up his phone. He had to make a few calls, then when he knew where China was he was going to go find her and bring her back home.

Unlike Russia, Japan had confidence that China was okay, he knew she knew how to defend herself and was an intelligent woman-something that Ivan seemed to constantly overlook.

But after all these years she was still his big sister, and even though he may not act protective, usually, if someone had hurt his nee-san in any way God have mercy on them because Kiku certainly wouldn't.

"Aiya! I win again," Yao said, throwing down her cards and smiling, Kuro growled in annoyance and shoved the chocolates they were betting across the table to her. Now Yao was actually enjoying herself, she never beat Kiku at cards and even Ivan kicked her ass nine times out of ten, she had no idea why.

"You want to stop?" she asked, stacking the chocolates neatly by her elbow so she wouldn't knock over the huge pile.

Kuro glanced at the three chocolates he still had left and shook his head, "never! I will beat you this time!"

Yao smiled; if Kiku had ever gotten himself into this situation he would have called it quits by now. Much smarter, but not as fun.

Just then they both heard a knock on the door, they both glanced at it, "I'll get it," Kuro murmured, he went to rise from his chair and then stopped and shot Yao a suspicious look. He decided to take his cards with him.

"Just a second!" He called as he walked swiftly over to the door, Yao pouted, he didn't trust her.

Not that she'd have taken any chances if she were losing that badly but still…

She couldn't see the person at the door past Kuro, which meant the person he was now speaking to in a lowered voice, was as small or smaller than he was.

A child maybe? She teased mentally, even though he couldn't hear her thoughts.

"Sure, she's right here," she heard Kuro say in a mockingly-sweet, overly polite voice, in Japanese, jerking a thumb over his shoulder to the dining table where Yao sat.

Her brow creased, had someone come looking for her? She set her cards down and rose, worried.

Just then Kuro came back, his brown-eyed, white-wearing counterpart by his side.

"Kiku!" Yao ran around the table and hugged her Japan, he didn't return the gesture but nor did he pull away.

As China let him go Japan half hugged himself, placing his hands on the opposite elbow and tapping his right pointer finger thoughtfully.

"So my sources were true," he murmured, "you really had holed up in here with another man, how very…thoughtless of you, China-san. You had a great many people worried for your safety."

Yao winced, China-san? Japan wasn't usually that formal with people he was close to, not when he was in a good mood with them anyway. She stared into her 'brother's' flat, emotionless eyes.

Why do I get the feeling I'm really in for it now?

I can't believe I'm a full day late. I'm so embarrassed, don't look at me! I'll never do it again, I swear! R & R people and let me know what you think. What parings do you guys want to win?

P.S: I named this chapter 'Lavender Heather' because it means 'admiration & solitude.'