I Don't Want It To Hurt Anymore... [Jonas]

[Heidi]

Country: Northern France, Axis-held territory
Area/Setting:
A dirt road, surrounded by fields on all sides, torn and muddy from warfare. There is the occasional tree, but it is not frequent. Barbed wire fencing lines the road, and in between the road and the fence, shallow, foliage-filled ditches.

Current Time: 20:30
Weather Conditions: Clear night, with a cool temperature of 10 degrees Celsius. It's still early spring, after all.

++++++++++++++++++++

She tried to breathe, but her windpipe was squeezed shut beneath the hand of the young Nazi. He looked to be no more then sixteen or seventeen, yet he could still pick her up off the ground like she was a doll. Nearby, her slingshot lay useless, snapped in half by another young Nazi's heal. Silber had been stomped into the ground, and the Rhys picture was long gone, taken by the not-Nazis that had been so rough with her.

"Was denken Sie uns sollten mit ihr tun?" asked one of the Nazis, nibbling on the chocolate bar his prey had received from another soldier before running away. "Sie ist nicht dass viel Spaß. Nicht sogar quietscht."

"Wissen Sie nicht. Möglicherweise möchte der Kommandant sie haben? Sie hat nichts, das in ihren Taschen, das kleine Gör gut ist. Gerade ein dummes Spielzeugpferd und ein Slingshot."

"Ooh, ooh! Ich benenne Beutel auf dem Slingshot!" chirped another, quickly running over to where the broken thing was. Out of the corner of her eye, the girl caught his movement, and gave a pained squeak.

"K-Kein…is-ist es…das e-es…ist, meins…gibt ihm z-z-zurück…es zurück…" the nine-year old wheezed, a hand weakly reaching out to try and pry the Nazi's hand off of her neck. It was grabbed, however, and held up and away, just as the Nazi slammed his knee into the child's stomach. The gasp that came from the young one's lips was sickening...but to the Hitler's Youth boys, it was thrilling.

"He, quietschte der Zwerg!" said the chocolate-chewing one. "Wiederholen Sie es!"

The one who had his hand around the girl's neck grinned malevolently, and tightened his grip. He continued to push his knee into the girl's stomach, and the girl mouthed the air like a fish out of water. Suddenly, she lost all feeling in her arms and legs, the world went cold, and her skin turned a sick shade of beige-ish blue...

Adelheid had wanted nothing more to escape the pain. The not-Nazis, they had grabbed her roughly, told her to keep moving or they would shoot. They said she was going somewhere, just to make sure she didn't do anything "funny". Terrified, she ran.

And she would never go back.

The not-Nazis, the Nazis...they were all the same. They only picked on little girls and women and other children. None of them cared, and none of them had a speck of compassion in their soul. Adelheid didn't need that.

Unfortunately, she had gotten lost, and the boys had seen her walking along nervously...she hadn't had a chance to fight back when they jumped her...

+++++++++++++++++++++

Translations:


What should we do with her?

She is not that much fun. Does not even squeak.

Don't know. Maybe the commander would like to have her? She does not have anything good in her pockets, the little brat. Just a stupid toy horse and a slingshot.

Ooh, ooh! I call bags on the slingshot!

No...it...it's...is mine...give it back...it back...

Hey, the runt squeaked!

Do it again!

[Jonas Merhoff]

CLICK! CLICK! CLACK!

Jonas sighed as his throbbing fingers slid off the typewriter. The paper was tangling to the far right and he tore it off holding it beneath the lamplight of his luxurious French quarters. A report to his superiors, he was obliged to spend most of the day typing away on the fancy new contraption. At last, finished, Jonas leaned back in his chair to relax. Being able to actually steal a house from a French man to live in for the duration of his service in France was a welcome change to the living quarters in Africa. His eyes flickered shut and slowly the rest of the world faded away.

- - - -

The sound of an innocent child being beaten awoke Jonas abruptly. His eyes burned with rage as he slammed his right fist down on the oak wood table before him. Pain surged through his right hand, but he never truly felt pain anymore since he was a child. It was a faint sensation to him now after years of physical torment. The sounds of a girl crying out in pain consumed the Hauptmann with hatred. He had seen Jews executed for sneezing on Germans, houses burned to the ground, women raped, and people maimed in work camps. None of those had ever even brought to light a speck of compassion within the cold, aged man. A merciless soldier... who had participated in all of that.

But this was different. This sent his memories flushing back to his mind and made him pulse with anger. He stood up with such force that his chair was thrown across the room as he hurriedly approached the door. His uniform was all in order as he rushed down the narrow corridor that led to other bedrooms and bathrooms and took the final steps down into the lobby area of a rather small, but wealthy French inn. A previous French inn. Few heads peeked out from the door, but those that had been bold enough to do so retreated back into the room upon the sight of the infuriated Hauptmann.

Jonas found himself raising his arms in front of him and forcing the front doors open, bursting onto the scene in a split second. The small group of Hitler Youth boys were greeted by a sore sight for eyes and caught off guard as the doors to the inn flung open. Confused and startled they stepped back away from the "filth" and thought to greet their superior. But as the eldest boy, the leader of the group, began to speak he was cut short. "WAS DENKEN SIE SIE TUN? CAN' T SEHEN SIE SHE' S-DEUTSCHER! IHR EIGENES RENNEN EINSCHALTEN? UND EIN KIND NICHTSDESTOWENIGER? VERLASSEN SIE EINEN MEINEN ANBLICK! JETZT! JETZT!"

Frozen in place the boys glanced over to the young German girl, who was sprawled out on the ground barely able to breathe, and then back to the fierce German Captain. One step forward from Jonas was all that was needed to send them running for their lives like the disgrace to the German race they were. Hitler Youth. Hmph. Jonas was fed up with the seeing such boys think they had the right to whatever they pleased. He still hadn't realized how close they were similar to the SS... and the rest of the German race.

Approaching the small girls side, he got on one knee and placed his right hand on her shoulder. The first ounce of compassion he had shown in a long, long time. "Sind Sie gut? Jene Hitler-Jugendidioten sollten einen Deutschen nie angreifen! Besonders ein Kind! I' m sicheres you' bezüglich eines Hitler-Verfechters? Was tun Sie vollständig heraus hier in Frankreich?"

Translations:

"WAS DENKEN SIE SIE TUN? CAN' T SEHEN SIE SHE' S-DEUTSCHER! IHR EIGENES RENNEN EINSCHALTEN? UND EIN KIND NICHTSDESTOWENIGER? VERLASSEN SIE EINEN MEINEN ANBLICK! JETZT! JETZT!"
- "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING? CAN'T YOU SEE SHE'S GERMAN! TURNING ON YOUR OWN RACE? AND A CHILD NONE THE LESS? GET OUT OF MY SIGHT! NOW! NOW!"

"Sind Sie gut? Jene Hitler-Jugendidioten sollten einen Deutschen nie angreifen! Besonders ein Kind! I' m sicheres you' bezüglich eines Hitler-Verfechters? Was tun Sie vollständig heraus hier in Frankreich?"
- "Are you alright? Those Hitler Youth idiots should never attack a German! Especially a child! I'm sure you're a Hitler supporter? What are you doing all the way out here in France? "

[Heidi]

OOC - Small note, Erik - don't use contractions when you type into a translator, or add the apostrophe-s to end of a word showing possession. Write it out as "x of x", and write out the contractions as words (e.g.: "don't" - "do not").

++++++++++++++++++++++++++


Adelheid gasped loudly, her black eyes nearly bulging out of her head. She wheezed harshly, coughing loudly, a chill running down her spine from the sudden intake of air. Despite the fact she was lying on the ground, it felt as if the blood was rushing to her head, and her eyes screwed shut.

The child barely just heard the footfalls of the fleeing Hitler's Youth boys. Her ears were mostly full of the roaring of her blood, and her heart was hammering hard against the inside of her chest. Painfully, Adelheid swallowed, gasping once more with a wince. From the pain that racked her neck and stomach, the girl vaguely guessed that there would be a few bruises there in the morning...or evening...or afternoon...She couldn't remember what time it was, there wasn't enough air in her lungs yet.

A faint voice came to her ears, one that was in German. Question after question was thrown at her, and the girl's head spun. In response to the voice, Adelheid gave another pathetic wheeze, and her eyes opened the smallest crack.

There, standing over her, was a blur. The blur smelt faintly of cigarette smoke and alcohol...or...did it? Adelheid couldn't tell, a headache had started to come on. One of the boys had smacked her hard across the side of the head with a rifle butt.

"Wa...Was...?" the child finally managed to wheeze, trying to focus on the blur. It was hard, though...

++++++++++++++++++++

Translations:

Wha...What...?

[Jonas Merhoff]

OOC: Didn't quite know what they would do to help Adel back in WW2. I know that CPR wasn't invented at the time, but think people already knew about CPR and I'm not sure if there were oxygen tanks or anything so the Doctor will magically make her better.

Jonas found it difficult to look over the young German girl who was struggling to breathe. Obviously she couldn't understand a word he was saying and only managed to wheeze to try and take in any intake of air, but no she was in a terrible condition. He feared that if he didn't help her now, she could die. But how... how could he help? Jonas felt incompetent as his eyes, beaming with anger and sorrow, studied the girl. He didn't know what he could do to save her...mouth to mouth resuscitation? So he slid his arms under her back and scooped her up into his comforting arms. Compassion.

For once, Jonas was holding someone close to him for warmth and a sense of protection. He was physically showing to his girl, that he seemed to care for her. In a strange sense of pity and connection to the girl, he was the second human being that he ever showed compassion for. Behind his late-mother of course. He managed to walk at first, but then he broke out into a trot making sure the young girl was firmly in his hands. If he remembered correctly, a German Doctor for Jonas's division was living only a block away.

He came upon a small, tranquil French house and climbed up the steps to the front door. Holding his right knee up to support the child's legs, he forcefully knocked on the door to ensure the Doctor would hear on the first three knocks. While waiting in relative silence, listening to the faint wheezing of the small girl, he watched as a light flickered on inside and the sound of a bolt being pulled back until finally the door slid open a crack. "Ja?"

"Doktor, habe ich ein Kind hier, wer Ihre Sorgfalt benötigt. Einige… Jungen sprangen das arme Kind. Sie wurde und Schlag eingeschnürt. Bitte kann sie kaum Atem." Please. A word not normally in the harsh Captain's vocabulary. The Doctor sighed and nodded before opening the door all the way welcoming his superior into his temporary home. Jonas found the young girl being removed from his hands and placed on a small couch. At first he was hesitant but then he finally gave in and allowed the Doctor to take the child from his arms. He was lid into a small room with a couch, table, and radio and asked to wait as the Doctor went back to help the girl. Jonas placed his hand into his palms as he waited impatiently.

Some time later he was called into the room and a glum Jonas entered the room to find the same girl sprawled out across the couch still. She didn't look fully recovered but it was obvious she was in a much better state, now being able to breathe and all. But she must still be in pain. Jonas approached her and got down onto his knees to her eye level. In the kindest tone Jonas could ever remember using Jonas spoke to her, "Hallo dort, kleines Mädchen. Mein name' s Jonas, was ist Ihr? Sind Sie gut? "


Translations:

"Ja?"
- "Yes?"


"Doktor, habe ich ein Kind hier, wer Ihre Sorgfalt benötigt. Einige… Jungen sprangen das arme Kind. Sie wurde und Schlag eingeschnürt. Bitte kann sie kaum Atem."
- "Doctor, I have a child here who needs your care. Some... boys jumped the poor child. She was strangled and beat. Please, she can barely breath. "

"Hallo dort, kleines Mädchen. Mein name' s Jonas, was ist Ihr? Sind Sie gut? "
- "Hi there, little girl. My name's Jonas, what is yours? Are you alright?"

[Heidi]

Adelheid's head was still spinning as she felt someone pick her up. She grunted, her brow furrowing as everything suddenly whirled around faster and faster, and she gave a half-gasp, half-swallow. Not only did she feel like she was going to be sick, but it also felt as if she was...flying. It was almost as if her stomach was the only thing anchoring her to the ground below.

Despite feeling like ice all over, Adelheid noticed that she was pressed against something warm. The smell of smoke and liquor seemed to be stronger, a hint of sweat now noticeable as well. A firm grip kept her from falling, and in her muddled brain, it was the oddest thing. What was going on? What had happened after the boy had pinned her to the ground? Where was she?

There was a slightly bumpy feeling, as if the one carrying her was travelling over rough ground, and a faint knocking sound. Adelheid's eyes - which had been only open a crack - fell shut, and there was nothing but darkness. Everything turned warm for a minute, and the girl felt nothing but blissful peace.

++++++

"Hallo dort, kleines Mädchen. Mein name ist Jonas, was ist Ihr? Sind Sie gut?"

That was the first thing Adelheid's ears registered, as well as the sound of footsteps. A sudden, near-silent intake of breath indicated that the girl was stirring, and a pair of ink-black eyes opened. They flickered over to the face of "Jonas", and Adelheid's brow furrowed slightly, her focus on him light.

After a few moments, the girl's head turned, her breathing not quite up to par. Working up a ball of spit in her mouth to moisten her tongue, Adelheid said in a croak, "Ad..elhei...heid..."

She smiled weakly at him, unable to do really anything else. Her head was smarting fiercely, and the girl was still unable to think straight. It was like someone had dropped a brick on her...

[Jonas Merhoff]

The young girl's dark eyes flickered open as she recovered consciousness. She was alive... thankfully. Jonas cursed the Hitler Youth boys in the back of his mind. Who did they think they were? Jonas found himself almost cussing in front of the young girl but then he caught himself and recovered. His faint smirk transformed into a rather bright smile. "Adelheid. Der ist ein hübscher Name. " Jonas found it challenging to look upon the young girl who was writhing in pain and struggling just to speak up. His tear-filled eyes glanced over to the Doctor.

"Gehen Sie jetzt. Sie ist eine Geldstrafe für die Nacht. Stellen Sie einfach sicher, dass sie nicht stoppt, mitten in der Nacht zu atmen und sie fein ist. Gequetscht aber fein." Jonas smile faded but he nodded at the Doctor who was obviously annoyed Jonas had barged into his house in the night. Jonas was crouching down next to the crouch, but he furrowed his brow at the girl wondering where she even lived. Questions race through his mind. Why was she in France? Why was she out in the middle of the night? Where did she live? Why did the Hitler Youth boys jump her? But he sighed and realized she wouldn't be able to answer the questions. It was hard for her to even say speak her name.

Jonas's eyes wandered over to the Doctor who was standing near the door his arms crossed and frowning with impatience. Jonas shrugged and the Doctor finally realized that Hauptmann had no idea who the girl before him was. Agonizingly groaning the Doctor screamed, "Erhalten Sie sie einfach heraus! Nehmen Sie sie überall! Gerade nicht hier." Prepared to verbally assault the Doctor, he held himself back when he caught the girl in the corner of his eye. What would she think of this insane Nazi screaming in front of her. He would appear just like his father... frightening. "Äh, Adelheid…wo Sie Phasen tun?" Jonas murmured, in a silent, peaceful tone.

Translations:

"Adelheid. Der ist ein hübscher Name. "
- "Adelheid. That is a pretty name. "

"Gehen Sie jetzt. Sie ist Geldstrafe für die Nacht. Stellen Sie einfach sicher, dass sie nicht stoppt, mitten in der Nacht zu atmen und sie fein ist. Gequetscht aber fein."
- "Go now. She will be fine for the night. Just make sure she does not stop breathing in the middle of the night and she will be fine. Bruised but fine."

"Erhalten Sie sie einfach heraus! Nehmen Sie sie überall! Gerade nicht hier."
- "Just get her out! Take her anywhere! Just not here. "

"Äh, Adelheid…wo Sie Phasen tun?"
- "Er, Adelheid... where do you live?"

[Heidi]

Adelheid's smile grew a little as the man said her name was pretty. Her eyes had allowed her to focus in more on his face, and although it was still blurred because of her half-swollen face and head injuries, she could see that his face was weathered. It was as wrinkly as ancient parchment, and Adelheid thought she could see a few faint scars. Surprisingly enough, such a face didn't intimidate her like it usually would; perhaps it was because the brutally scarred face of Herr Claude had hammered home not to judge a book by its cover.

Suddenly, a nearby man's voice piped up, harsh and annoyed. Adelheid flinched, a wave of dizziness washing over her, and for a moment, everything sounded vague. Slowly exhaling, the girl managed to bring her focus back onto the world, just as the man beside her spoke again.

"Äh, Adelheid…wo Sie Phasen tun?"

She had been asked that question before by Herr Claude and Herr Daniel. Seeing no reason to lie, Adelheid told the truth, hoarsely whispering, "...Ich...li...lief w-weg..."

Adelheid hoped nothing bad would happen. Between being nearly thrown in jail by the not-Nazis - almost getting shot in the process - and being beaten up by the Hitler Youth boys, she was scared. Even worse, her beloved Silber and trusty slingshot were now gone, too. The former had been her most trusted friend, and the latter...well, the latter was the only thing she was good at using in this world.

++++++++++++++++

Translations:

...I...ra...ran a-away...

[Jonas Merhoff]

"...Ich...li...lief w-weg..." Jonas's eyes were now transfixed on his weak little girl who had not been strong enough to fend for herself. And now she was left in fear and physical torment obviously confused about the world around her. So strikingly similar to Jonas... at her age he had made a pact to himself to be strong and resilient. And now, today... he was a cold, harsh, easily annoyed man made emotionless numb. This small abused child was the only one who ever made his heart do something more then pump blood.

He found it hard for his mouth to say the next word. A simple word that perhaps a toddler could say or at least mimic, so hard to say."Warum?" A simple one syllable word that Jonas had to force out. He was fearful that this little girl was exactly like him. He was fearful that she too was being abused at home to run away with grand expectations for the world only to be shot down by the bitterness and the unforgiving aspect of the world that they both live in today.

"Hören Sie! Sie müssen hinausgehen. Jetzt! Ich werde nicht wieder fragen Sie." The tone of the annoyed Doctor shook the Hauptmann to the core. His head snapped to the right, reddened with anger as he glared at the Doctor who now stood motionless with the door swung open. Instantly, he realized who the man crouched by the Captain was. The false sense of kindness towards the Doctor confused the Doctor into believing Jonas to be a different, cowardly Hauptmann. But now he quickly realized his mistake, gulped and gently close the door before leaving the room.

Recomposing himself, Jonas lost the redness in his face and faced the girl once more with a apologetic face, hoping he hadn't frightened. Jonas who could create so many connections between him and the girl could not make the most obvious connection of all. He had been oblivious for 30 years of his life... about how similar he was to his father. The same bitter shell of a man knelt by Adelheid's same just as his father did at his... once before.

Translations:

"Warum?"
- "Why?"

"Hören Sie! Sie müssen hinausgehen. Jetzt! Ich werde nicht wieder fragen Sie."
- "Listen! You need to get out. Now! I am not going to ask you again."

[Heidi]

The man - no...no, he called himself "Jonas" - asked her why. For a moment, Adelheid was afraid, unsure of what would happen if she went on. The Nazis and not-Nazis hated each other...and the Nazis were of her own people, and his accent was thick, so he couldn't have been anything else but German...

Once more, the other man nearby snapped at Herr Jonas, and Adelheid flinched, wincing as a bruise on her shoulder complained in return. Herr Jonas's head whipped around, and suddenly, there were footsteps and a nervous swallow. The other man was leaving, most likely scared away by Herr Jonas. Terror struck Adelheid, and she immediately blurted out the rest of her explanation, albeit shakily.

"Die...die N-Nicht...Naz-z-zin! Ich...lief weg...v-von den N-N-Nicht-Na...Na...Nazin...!" the girl croak-cried breathlessly, panting heavily afterwards as hot tears rimmed her eyes. If Herr Jonas was a Nazi himself...what would he do to her...and what about Onkel Mac, and Onkel Stephen?

But...but what if they knew...what if they knew she had been nearly put in jail...?

The girl sobbed. "I-Ich...b-b-b-bin nicht...ein sch-schlechtes Mäd...Mädchen…d-das...ich gut bin, i-ich...bin gut…"

It was getting hard to breathe again. Every time she inhaled or exhaled, her stomach would burn. Her neck felt like the boy was wrapping his fingers around it again when she spoke, and her voice had become so hoarse, it was barely audible. Even worse, the room had begun to spin again...

+++++++++++++++++

Translations:

The...the n-not-...Naz-z-zis! I...was running...a-away from the n-n-not-Na...Na...Nazis...!

I-I'm-m-m-m not...a b-bad gi...girl...I'm good, I-I'm good...

[Jonas Merhoff]

"Die...die N-Nicht...Naz-z-zin! Ich...lief weg...v-von den N-N-NichtNa...Na...Nazin...!" Jonas, confused, raised his brow at her but quickly recovered from the shock. Not-Nazis? Who did she mean? The Capitalist Pigs or the Stinkin Brits. Where exactly did this little girl come from. As he opened his mouth to speak she continued on. "I-Ich...b-b-b-bin nicht...ein sch-schlechtes Mäd...Mädchen…d-das...ich gut bin, i-ich...bin gut…" Tears were rolling down her cheek as he realized that he indeed was frightening the young girl. Adelheid. The one person he never intended to inspire fear in... he had.

Quickly he realized what happened. In her fear and sorrow, she was reverting back in her state. She was choking on breath again because Jonas had scared the poor child. "Ja kenne ich… Nicht Nazin sind schlecht. Sehr Schlechtes. " Jonas was frightened she needed medical attention once more, but didn't wish for the annoying Doctor to come back. His mouth formed into a scowl as he thought of the name, but then his eyes focused on the saddened child's face and he smiled once more.

"Es ist gut Adelheid. Ich werde nicht mit Ihnen umgekippt. Beruhigen Sie einfach unten und gewinnen Sie zurück und erklären Sie mir Ihre Geschichte dann. Ist das gut?" Jonas reached his right hand towards her face, a bit uncertain and hesitant at first. He recalled his mother wiping his tears once for a sense of protection... oh how he lacked a mother's love as a child.

Translations:

"Ja kenne ich… Nicht Nazin sind schlecht. Sehr Schlechtes. "
- "Yes I know the... Not- Nazis are bad. Very bad. "

"Es ist gut Adelheid. Ich werde nicht mit Ihnen umgekippt. Beruhigen Sie einfach unten und gewinnen Sie zurück und erklären Sie mir Ihre Geschichte dann. Ist das gut?"
- "It is alright Adelheid. I am not upset with you. Just calm down and recover and then tell me your story. Is that alright?"

[Heidi]

Slowly, the girl nodded, sniffling slightly. She didn't want to talk right now; her throat was hurting too much, and her nose was too runny. Adelheid's arm was too sore to move much, so she didn't bother wiping her face.

She did, however, manage to move one arm enough to gently place it over Herr Jonas's, wincing slightly. There was nothing malicious in the movement, she simply was treating his arm as a child would with their favourite toy. It was a temporarily safety net, something that would help keep the young girl calm and let her head clear. If Herr Jonas did not pull back, she would tilt her head slightly to further lean on his arm - a sign that she was beginning to become comfortable around him.

After a few minutes of pure silence, her inky eyes half-shut, Adelheid spoke again, sounding sleepy.

"Die…Nicht-Nazin…das sie sagten, dass I…war…ein Spion…" the little one said quietly. If Herr Jonas wasn't paying attention, he probably wouldn't have even heard her. She sniffled, then continued.

"Ich…tat ich…nichts falsches…Heiliges Peter's-Hafen…die Nazin, kamen sie…nahmen jeder…das jeder weg…ich erklärte ihnen ging, dass…ich…erklärte ihnen…"

Only a numbskull could tell that Adelheid would probably fall asleep any minute. Her wounds were making her tired, and all the speaking she had been doing was, too.

++++++++++++++++++++++++

Translations:

The...not-Nazis...they said I...was...a spy...

I...I did not...do anything wrong...Saint Peter's Haven...the Nazis, they...came...took everyone...everyone went away...I told them...I...told them...

[Jonas Merhoff]

The girl managed to choke out some more information, which put an end to the Captain's questioning for a while. It was growing later by the minute and the girl was tired, deficient of the normal amount of oxygen to the brain. So Saint Peter's Haven must be some kind of church or orphanage... maybe even hospital. Was she not Pure German? Was she born in this place in an inferior corner of the world? Perhaps she ran away and was caught by the Allies and then ran away once more. He would have to find out in the morning. It would be foolish to question her any further.

He found it hard to free himself from the girl's grip as she rested her head on his hand, but he would have to. "Shh Adelheid. Rest fürs Erste. Sie können die Nacht mit mir verbringen. " Gently he pulled his arm from her grip, resting her head on the end of the cough. Then he reached under her and heaved her up into the couch into his arms, letting her head rest on his chest. He managed to walk over to the door, which had been left open a crack, and slide it open with his right foot and descended the steps into the blackness.

He strolled down the cobble-stone road, walking at a slower pace then before being gentler to allow the girl to fall asleep in his arms if she wished. When he finally came upon the French inn, he spotted someone opening the door, who had probably been awaiting his arrival. It was a women who smiled at him kindly, but Jonas resisted in returning the favor even after all the kindness he had shown for the first time in his life that very night. He merely nodded and walked up the stairs before turning right, making sure Adelheid's head or legs didn't hit the wall as he walked down the narrow hall way.

He reached his room which didn't seem so spacious or luxurious anymore as he entered. Gently, he placed Adelheid down on his king sized bed which appeared way too big for her. He placed her in the middle and then retreated back to his desk. He found the typed report still in the same spot as he sat back in his chair and reclined, facing the little girl as she slept. Soon, he too would doze off.

Translations:

"Shh Adelheid. Rest fürs Erste. Sie können die Nacht mit mir verbringen. "
- "Shh Adelheid. Rest for now. You can spend the night with me. "

OOC: Shall we close it?

[Heidi]

OOC - After my post. We almost filled up a page! Huzzah!

+++++++++++++++++

"Shh Adelheid. Rest fürs Erste. Sie können die Nacht mit mir verbringen.

Adelheid nodded softly, not really protesting as he removed his arm, but wishing she had Silber with her. His little head had popped off, however, when one of the boys had stomped on his stuffed neck, and the toy had been crushed into the ground. Even if she did find the plush horse, the thing would have been nothing more then trash.

As Herr Jonas opened the door with his foot, Adelheid felt herself getting sleepier and sleepier. His movement was somewhat rocking the girl back and forth...It was just like when the babies came to the orphanage, and Sister Kiel and Sister Mallard-Lilienthal - everyone called her "Sister Milly" for short - rocked them to sleep. Adelheid could even remember being rocked to sleep herself, although she was six or seven, and she couldn't remember when it had been. She gave a tiny yawn, and pressed herself lightly against Herr Jonas's chest for warmth.

By the time they reached the inn, she was half-asleep. By the time they had gotten to the top of the stairs, she was asleep, maybe just barely hanging onto wakefulness. Once she was placed on something warm and soft, though, she was dreaming, a peaceful smile on her face.

If only she knew who Herr Jonas really was.

[Edward"Butcher"McMillan]

Moderation Post

The following CP has been issued:

Merhoff - 8CP

Addie - 9CP

-JT