A/N - A big thanks to those who favorited/added to alerts, it means a lot!

Madison collapsed onto her bed, burying her face in the softness of her pillow. Her muffled sobs echoed quietly in the darkened room, adding to the already gloomy atmosphere.

"What did I ever do to deserve this?" She shouted angrily, grabbing her pillow and throwing it against her cloudy-gray bedroom wall. "It isn't fair! Everyone treats my like I'm invisible! Like I don't even exist... I HATE THEM! I hate all of them!"

She slammed her fist against the headboard of her bed, letting lose the emotions she so well concealed each and everyday of her life.

"I'm so sick of this!" She began screaming again. "Everyday I'm ignored by the people who should care, then I'm beaten and raped by a man who claims to love me!" Her screams began to fade back into melancholy sobs. "The world is so twisted... Sometimes I just... I just wish that I could end it all..."

She glanced over at her nightstand as she spoke. It would be so easy to slid the drawer open, take out her revolver and end her miserable existence. She could almost feel the cool metal of the muzzle pressing against her forehead. It scared her knowing how simple it would be to pull the trigger and seal her fate. But she didn't. With a sigh, she lay back down on the bed, slid under the covers and silently bid herself goodnight.

Warm rays of sunshine poured into the dreary room, pulling the tired Canadian from her slumber. With a yawn, Maddie stumbled out of bed, wishing that she could just sink back under the covers and sleep the day away. She slipped into a pair of blue jeans, pulled on a red sweatshirt and threw her short, honey curls into a messy bun on the top of her head. Satisfied with her appearance, she made her way downstairs for breakfast. The meal consisted of maple syrup drenched pancakes and a glass of cold milk, fresh from Ukraine. When she was finished eating, she placed her dishes in the sink, grabbed her notebook and headed out the door for the meeting.

The brush of the cool, autumn breeze against her skin sent shivers down her spine. Today was cooler than usual, but she didn't mind, it was nothing compared to the frigid Canadian winters she was used to. She sighed as she neared the conference building, wondering what horrors today had in store. Her footsteps echoed softly on the cobblestone floor as she made her entrance. She wound through the various corridors and up to the council room doors. One hand place on the door handle, the other holding her notebook and Kumajiro, she stepped inside. Surprisingly, she was one of the first to arrive. She figured that the others must have gotten stuck in traffic, leaving her glad that she had opted for walking instead. Besides herself, the only other nations present were Ludwig, Kiku, and Ivan who sat in his chair grinning childishly while the other two countries conversed quietly. With a huff of confidence, she took a seat beside the large Russian country. While most were intimidated by his size and power, she didn't find him the least bit scary; at least, not compared to Francis.

"Good m-morning, Mr. Braginski!" She chirped, trying to make conversation; he didn't even flinch. Determined to be noticed, she tried again, this time raising her volume,

"How are you today?"

No response.

"Mr. B-Braginski?"

Nothing.

"Ivan?"

This time the other nation looked up, "Did someone call?" He asked. Both Kiku and Ludwig shook their heads and went back to whatever it was they had been discussing.

Ivan furrowed his brow in confusion, he was certain he had heard someone say his name. Bending down to check underneath the table, he spotted a rather contented looking Kumajiro.

"Hello, little bear." He smiled. "Was it you that did the calling of me?"

Kumajiro cocked his head to the side, "Mr. Russia?"

"Da, that is my name."

Madison was half tempted to kick the polar bear.

"Of all people, you remember his name but not mine?" She growled.

"Who are you?" Kumajiro asked, turning his attention to his owner.

"Canada." She murmured, rubbing her hand against her forehead in frustration. Ivan continued to smile eerily at the little bear, no doubt plotting a way to force the unsuspecting creature to become one with himself. Just as well, she thought, it's not like he'd miss me anyway.

Arthur stared intently at the silver necklace in his hand. He found himself extremely bothered by how easy it had been able to forget about Madison, it was almost as though she'd been erased completely from his mind. Last he remembered, the nation had been a small child and now she was completely grown up. It seemed almost impossible, but it was true nonetheless. All night he'd found himself mulling over yesterday's episode with her, leaving him absolutely exhausted. The pain expressed in her violet eyes had been so raw that he could almost feel it himself, like a dull knife being thrust deep into his chest. The shimmering tears that covered her face broke his heart. They had been so close, but now, he felt as though he didn't even know her. They were strangers.

A/N - Hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter, it was great fun to write. Also, I believe I may have just invented a new ship; RussiaxKumajiro. ^_^

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