comes to answer the door. He smiles when he sees her and the food she's brought. "Pryvet, sestra!"

"Pryvitannie, brat, I brought you a double batch of pierogi." holds up the large covered pan.

takes it from her happily. "Thank you! Do you want to stay and have some for dinner? I was just deciding what to make."

"Tak, I will, would enjoy sharing a meal with you very much."

smiles and steps back to let her in. "You can put your coat and things in the side closet. I'll go prepare the rest of the meal." He goes_

off to do so.

takes off her coat and shoes, puts them in the closet and follows him into the kitchen. "There is sour cream inside with the pierogi_

in a covered dish."

uncovers the pan to find the pierogi and the sour cream. "They look delicious!"

"potato, cheese and onion filled."

grins as he gets out dishes for the two of them. "Excellent! What do you want to have with them? There's a lot of stuff in the fridge."

"Maybe something to drink?" Is more than happy to just eat pierogi.

would be as well. "There is juice and milk in the fridge or there is also water."

"Milk, I think. What do you want brat?" Opens the fridge and takes out the milk.

begins setting the table for two. "I'll just have water."

pours him a glass of water, then herself a glass of milk." I saw Prussia today ... or what's left of him." sets the glasses on the table.

her an odd look, confused. "What's left of him?"

"Tak, he's about this tall right now." holds her hand down to her thigh. "He looks like he did when he was a little child."

laughs at this, remembering little Prussia. "That's funny. I'll have to drop by and see him for myself later..."

"I suggested he come over to your house with me because I knew you would. He ran away from me." shrugs and looks at her brat. "let's eat!"

grins. "Da, let's!" He serves them both a healthy helping of pierogi and digs in happily.

eats hers with sour cream. "Yum, so much work but so worth it." gives Ivan an almost smile as she watches him enjoy the pierogi.

swallows the food in his mouth and gives her an almost smile back. "It is very good, Natalia."

"Of course it is, I made it." takes a bite of another pierogi, enjoying the cheese and potato filling.

smirks. "Of course." He sips his water, half-wishing it was something alcoholic.

looks at him, then eats her pierogi in silence. Sips her milk and looks at her plate.

like he did something to upset her, but isn't sure...

looks at him. "Do you want more? I made plenty."

nods, hoping the food will help take him mind off the withdrawal. "Da, that would be wonderful!"

spoons more pierogi onto his plate, then puts a few more on her plate. "Will you want coffee or tea after supper, or perhaps some vodka?"

smiles and twitches internally. Stupid temptation. "I'll just have coffee. And you?"

"Tea, I don't drink coffee. Never liked it."

surprised by this. "I never knew that. You seem like a person who would like it."

"Niama, whatever made you think that?" noms on a pierogi.

shrugs. "You remind me of the efficient women who work for the government. They do lots of work and drink lots of coffee to keep going."

"Huh. I've never needed coffee to do my job. I have plenty of energy."

pouts. "Lucky. I wish I could have that type of energy all the time."

"You always seemed full of energy to me. At least when you ran away from me all the time." looks at him.

suddenly feels awkward. "Well... da. You always inspired lots of energy within me..."

"Then I did something positive." feels better now about chasing him all those years.

smiled weakly. "Da, it would seem. You also gave me a lot of exercise..." He doesn't entirely agree that her chasing him was positive, but_

he's willing to let it slide for the sake of not pissing off his sister.

"Are you finished eating? If you are I will put the leftover pierogi away." stands to clear the table.

nods and stand as well, picking up his dishes and putting them in the sink. "Any particular kind of tea you would like?" he asks as he_

begins to prepare their after dinner drinks.

thinks Russia might enjoy some roast lamb?

stacks up the dishes and puts the pierogi in the fridge.

gets two mugs out and makes one nice hot cup of coffee and one nice hot cup of tea.

"Brat, what bugs you?" wonders if he's still nervous being around her.

jumps a bit. He didn't realize his withdrawal anxiety was showing.

"Are you still so nervous around me? I thought we discussed this?" frowns at him.

sighs in relief. "Nyet, nyet. It is not that. I just have... other things on my mind."

sits down to drink her tea. "Not my elections I hope. You know Batka will win. He even said last week he is will get 70% of the vote."

shakes his head. "I know what the results of your elections will most likely be." He remains standing, holding his coffee but not drinking_

it.

"Then what is it?" looks at the coffee in his hand.

bites his lip and looks away. "I gave up drinking and now I'm going through withdrawal," he says quickly, not looking at her.

".............................. shto?"

takes a deep breath and slows it down. "I gave up drinking, so I'm going through withdrawal."

stares wide at him.

really self-concious and stares into his coffee.

"Ivan ... Why?

his cheeks heating up. "Because.. it worries Yao... and I don't want him to worry about me."

"And Yao doesn't have bad habits?" frowns at this. "Brat, you are Russia ... "

continues speaking to his drink instead of her. "He's trying to get rid of his too... we're doing it together."

"Well, wasn't Putin complaining Russians drink too much and something had to be done about it?" sips her tea.

nods. "Da, but I'm not doing it for him. I'm doing it because I want to, not because he said so."

"That's the best reason to do it. Although he will think you are doing it to make him happy."

rolls his eyes. "He can think whatever he wants. I am not his to control."

"Brat, he thinks I am someone for him to control."

sighs. "He thinks he can control everyone, sometimes. But he is still a very good leader."

"I suppose so," looks at her tea.

takes a drink of his coffee. "He has helped my people a lot, at least."

"He hates my boss brat. What happens next month when Batka wins and Russia doesn't like it?"

shrugs his shoulders and sips his coffee as calmly as he can. "I am not a fortune teller, sestra."

sits and looks at her hands. "Siastra is testing the pipeline tomorrow to see if the oil from Venezuela can be pumped from her port to my_

country. I had to pay for it."

grins tersley. "That's nice, sestra. Best of luck to you." His voice holds no sarcasm, but it sounds forced.

looks at him. "Dziakuj." sips her tea.

goes back to staring at his coffee.

"Brat, if you want to drink vodka, drink vodka."

shakes his head. "I don't want it."

"I think you do, you want it very much. But if you insist on seeing this through, then good luck." drinks her tea.

sighs and drinks some of his coffee. "Thank you."