Finding Out (Addie/Open)

[Heidi]

Onkel Mac. According to this German-speaker, the word was not of a formal nature. Did that mean, then, that just as du could be used for friends and what the nuns called a "family", the word "Onkel" could be used instead of "Herr"?

Adelheid's mind was whirling. Never had she met someone willing to let her be so...informal. The nuns...had always liked it when she was formal, except for Sister Kiel...she was the gentle one like, He - Onkel Stephan.

"Die Nonnen sagten, dass sein Name Rhys war. Sie sagten, er etwas war, der einen Vater angerufen wurde - sie sagten nie wirklich, ein welcher Vater ist, aber ich denke, dass ich, weil Rhys mein Vater ist und ein Vater ist, was Rhys ist, recht herausfand? Die gleiche Sache?" the girl explained, her head once again tilting to the side like a puppy's as she smiled. She took the chocolate from the man, but did not make a move to open it, and kept on explaining instead.

"Sie sagten jemand, das ein angerufen wurde "Mutter" gab es ihnen, um zu geben mir. Ich weiß nicht, was ein "Mutter" ist, aber ich sehe einige kleine Jungen und Mädchen, die heraus auf den Gebieten manchmal spielen, und es gibt Frauen, der sie für das Abendessen und Material hinzuzieht, und sie benennen ihr "Mutter". Sie rufen Leute wie dieses an "Mama" auch aber ich weiß nicht, wenn eine Mutter und eine Mama die gleiche Sache sind, es kann sehr verwirrend sein."

The girl's head tilted to the other side, and she blinked, beginning to pull back the tin foil that covered this next treat.

"Ich weiß nicht, wem dieser Rhys Mann ist, nur der er ein Vater ist, und dass ein Vater und ein Rhys die selben sind. Ich bin traurig, dass ich Onkel David mehr nicht erklären könnte."

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OOC - DBev said he doesn't mind being skipped over.

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Translations:

The nuns said his name was Rhys. They said he was something called a father - they never really said what a father is, but I think I found out, because Rhys is my father and a father is what Rhys is, right? The same thing?

They said someone called a "Mother" gave it to them to give to me. I do not know what a "Mother" is, but I see some little boys and girls playing out in the fields sometimes, and there is a women that calls them in for supper and stuff, and they call her "Mother". They call people like that "Mama", too, but I do not know if a Mother and a Mama are the same thing, it can be very confusing.

I do not know who this Rhys man is, only that he is a father, and that a father and Rhys are the same. I am sorry I could not tell Uncle David more.

[S.SGT David Bevan]

David was confused. He had asked Sergeant Bargett to find out where Adelheid had found the picture not what she knew about Rhys.

"If you want something done properly do it yourself" thought David.

"Wo bekamen Sie das?" asked David to the child pointing his index finger towards the picture.

He watched her eyes. He had to pay attention while she answered.

David wondered why Mac had insisted on the girl calling them uncle. None of them were sure to be related to her and to David it didn't sound right.

"Was he just doing it as a joke or something?" thought David.

The girl didn't seem to be as afraid as she was minuets earlier. She had just given a fairly long answer to Mac's question. He thought that maybe the chocolate was making her trust Mac. David drew his own bar of chocolate from his pocket and offered it to Adelheid. If she was a spy earning her trust could be essential.

"Tun Sie Sie wissen, wo das Waisenhaus war" asked David to the girl.

When she told him he would probably go on a small expedition to see if there really was an orphanage there. If she had it wrong it would be obvious that she was a spy. he had to keep trying to find flaws in her cover story.

Translations

"Wo bekamen Sie das"
"Where did you find the picture"

"Tun Sie Sie wissen, wo das Waisenhaus war"
"Do you know where the orphanage was"

[Mac Bargett]

As Adelheid explained about the photograph, Mac translated for Stephen, “She says that the nuns told her about Rhys, and he’s a father. But she doesn’t know what a father is, just that that’s what Rhys is.”

Before he can asked his next question, Bevan butted in and asked for him, "Wo bekamen Sie das" Before continuing, the girl took Mac’s peanut butter cup and he reached into his pocket for more, but the paper bag was empty. He took note to write home for more as Adelheid started speaking, and again he translated for the benefit of Stephen, since it seemed like the Staff Sergeant knew German, “They said a mother gave the picture to her, she says. I guess she means the nuns. Mother Superior maybe?”
“Or the SS,” Mac thought to himself as he continued to translate. “Like father she doesn’t know what a mother is, so that’s explains what she was saying when I walked in. But she says that there were boys and girls playing in the field and mothers would call them to supper, and that‘s it.”

Mac stands up and continued to talk, “So if she doesn’t know what parents are and lived with nuns… she lived at a church? Or an orphanage? That would explain her clothing and her lust for chocolate. A nation in total war doesn‘t leave much in the bank to give to homeless girls. Stephen, you have any chocolate? I‘m out.”

[Stephen Colly]

Stephen felt glad that so one was translating for him, he didn’t understand a word any of them were saying, it all sounded rubbish and words mixed up together, to him. He stood and listened, watching with a faint smile on his face as the other two men gave the girl chocolate. Chocolate was a lovely gift, especially to someone who hadn’t had it in a while, or maybe had never had it but Stephen found that hard to believe that no one had ever had chocolate before.

He listened to what Mac was saying, ”She doesn’t know what a mother is?” he said, finding that very hard to believe, he had never heard of someone not knowing what a mother was, ”Sounds like something out of Peter Pan.” Stephen muttered, more to himself then to the others.
”Yeah, I’d say an orphanage, as you say, the way she is dressed and how she was running away from some farmers, she had stolen some milk.” Stephen said, smiling a friendlier smile at the young girl.

Mac then asked if he had any chocolate and the man nodded, reaching into his pocket to get yet another bar of the delicious treat. He took it out, he was nearly all out of chocolate but he didn’t mind, it wasn’t like it was expensive or anything…
He bent down, stretching out his hand to the girl, smiling and waving the chocolate in front of her face.
"Here." he said softly.

[Heidi]

Adelheid gratefully took the chocolate and put it into her skirt pocket; she was getting full, for never before had she tasted something so rich. If she wasn't careful, she'd get a stomach ache, or worse, throw everything back up. There had been an incident back at the orphanage with some dry-tasting fudge that had ended with the latter.

"Danke, Onkel Stephen, Onkel David, aber mein Bauch ist voll."

The girl then looked back up at David, slightly intimidated by his expression. She reflexively inched back behind Stephen, but complied with the soldier's wishes and answered his questions.

"Ich bedeute nicht, unhöflich zu klingen, Onkel David, aber ich sagte vorher, dass die Nonnen es mir gaben. Wenn Sie wissen möchten, warum, ich nicht wirklich mich erinnern kann, aber ich, denken Sie, dass sie dass das 'sagten; Bemuttern Sie' Frau sagte, dass I einen Vater, möglicherweise einen Tag und gerade…nicht sie benötigte. Ich nicht wirklich verstehe, was sie durch das bedeuteten."

The girl's mouth was dry and tacky from all the sugar. She licked her lips, then worked a ball of spit up in her mouth and swallowed.

"Das Waisenhaus, weiß ich nicht, auch nicht. An alles, das ich mich erinnern kann, ist, dass es "genannt wird; Heiliges Peter's-Hafen" oder etwas Ähnliches. Einige sehr schlechte Männer, die Nazin, kamen sie jeder wegnehmen. Ich lief weg, als sie anfingen, den zu tun."

The girl blinked and tilted her head again.

"Aber wie kannten Sie mich waren eine Waise?"

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Translations:

Thank you, Uncle Stephen, Uncle David, but my tummy is full.

I do not mean to sound rude, Uncle David, but I said before that the nuns gave it to me. If you want to know why, I can not really remember, but I think they said that the "Mother" woman said I needed a father, maybe one day, and just...not her. I do not really understand what they meant by that.

The orphanage, I do not know, either. All I can remember is that it is called "Saint Peter's Haven", or something like that. Some very bad men, the Nazis, they came and took everyone away. I ran away when they started doing that.

But how did you know I was an orphan?

[S.SGT David Bevan]

David noticed that the girls eyes had not moved down wards as she answered the question. It was a sign that she either telling the truth or a trained liar. She certainly seemed believable but David wasn't taking any chances. He would have to check with someone weather St Peter's Haven was nearby. If it was most of the local inhabitants would probably know where it was.

David still thought that Adelheid knew more than she was letting him know. So many things she claimed she didn't know like what a mother is and where the orphanage was. David was considering the fact that they may need to keep keep her in the camp until they knew she was not a spy.

"Aber wie kannten Sie mich waren eine Waise?" asked Adelheid.

"Ich wusste, dass Sie eine Waise waren, weil Sie Ihren Vater oder Ihre Mutter nicht kennen"replied David to the child's question.

Translation

"Ich wusste, dass Sie eine Waise waren, weil Sie Ihren Vater oder Ihre Mutter nicht kennen"."I knew you were an orphan because you don't know your father or your mother".

[Mac Bargett]

Mac took out the Reese’s paper bag and snatched a fountain pen off the desk. In his small, tight handwriting he wrote, “Adelheid German orphan SSGT Rhys Bevan KIA .” He glanced over the drying ink as the other men handed out their chocolate ration. That was a pretty good outline of today’s events.
A German orphan named Adelheid says she was told that she was the daughter of a name named Rhys who looked just like the deceased Staff Sergeant Rhys Bevan who was the brother of one of the Non-commissioned officers of the division she stumbled into.
If he hadn’t written it all down he would probably think it was all just a dream tomorrow.

As he thought about all of it, he was aware that the child spoke more German, and that means Stephen would need a translator.
“She says thank you, but she is full.” Mac put his full attention back on Adelheid and David, “She says the nuns gave the picture to her, and the mother said she needs a father, but not her? Again she doesn’t understand.” He used the break she took to write “Mother?” on the bag. She then continued to explain and he continued to translate, “She says the orphanage was called Saint Peter’s Hafen, -er- Haven. Saint Peter’s Haven. Men, Nazis came and took everyone away, but she escaped.” Mac thought she was done, but she added a short question to the end, “She didn’t know how ‘Uncle Bevan’ knew she was an orphan. You better watch what you say sarge, you might have to give her the talk.” Mac laughed as he picked up the pen again, and wrote “Heiliges Peter's-Hafen” on the bag. Once Mac is spearheading the charge towards Berlin, he’ll have to remember to look that up.

[Stephen Colly]

Stephen looked at the young girl who spoke German again to him; he frowned and looked over at Mac who was translating for him again. ”Oh right.” he said as Mac said that the girl had said that her stomach was full. ”I still can’t believe she doesn’t know what a mother is.” he muttered, more to himself then to the other people in the room.

Stephen felt slightly pleased with himself that he had found a girl of such a young age and that she claimed to be the daughter of Rhys Bevan…maybe she was the daughter, maybe she wasn’t but she looked too young to be a spy, surely those Fritz didn’t send young children to do their dirty work?

”Bloody Nazis.” Stephen said bluntly as Mac explained about the girl running away from them, they sounded awful, he wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of them, no way. ”What do we do with her serge?” he asked Mac, coming closer to him and muttering.

[Heidi]

"...Oh," Adelheid said quietly, blushing a little and donning a small, sheepish smile. He was right...orphans didn't have mothers and fathers, and she said she didn't have them either (well, except for Rhys, but she had never met him).

But...but if she did...

"Onkel Stephen sagt, dass er meinen Vater kennt," the girl began, "und ich, könnte wunderte ich mich ihn einmal treffen? Ich weiß, ich ihn nie getroffen habe, aber die Mutter, sie sagte, dass I ein 'benötigte; Vaterfigur'…was auch immer DIESES bedeutet."

The girl's head tilted to the side, and her smile grew, inky eyes staring up at the older men expectantly.

"…Bitte? Ich würde sehr nett sein, und ich kenne meine Weise, seit den Nonnen, besonders Schwester-Burr, sie beibrachte mir alle meine Manieren, wie Sprechen 'bitte' und 'danke' und Ihren Mund und…und…und ein Bündel anderer Sachen abwischend."

Oh, if only she knew. If only she knew that her father had never known that she had been conceived, and that he had found love again, only for that love to be killed by the Nazis Adelheid had run from. If only she knew that Rhys Bevan now lay six feet under, blown to almost nothing by the grenades of his greatest rival, and that he would never meet her in this world. If only she knew what her sudden waltzing into these soldiers' lives had done, and how everyone was still reeling from the death of Rhys that had happened but a year before.

If only she knew.

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OOC - Hopefully, I made that gut-wrenching enough for the characters.

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Translations:

Uncle Stephen says he knows my Father, and I was wondering, could I meet him sometime? I know I have never met him, but the mother, she said I needed a "father figure"...whatever THAT means.

...Please? I would be very nice, and I know my manners, since the nuns, especially Sister Burr, they taught me all my manners, like saying 'please' and 'thank you' and wiping your mouth, and...and...and a bunch of other things.

[S.SGT David Bevan]

OOC: Guys could somebody make something. just something small happen as i'm running out odf stuff to write about.

David was deep in thought. He didn't know whether to tell the girl Rhys was dead. It seemed all she cared about was meeting Rhys who she thought was her father and it might drive her insane. David thought about how he would want to be told in her position. He decided to just tell her the truth.He knelled down so he was at eye level with her.

"Es tut mir leid, dass der Mann im Bild tot ist" said David slowly and clearly.

David stood up and awaited the answer. If she took it to well he would count that as suspicious activity although as she hadn't met him before he didn't expect her be very upset. You can't miss someone you haven't met.

David wondered what would become of her after this. That is if she wasn't a spy. She would probably be adopted thought. if they could find proof that she was Rhys's daughter then maybe his parents would take her in. They'd be pleased to have something to remember Rhys by.

"Mac a little off subject. What are those papers you gave me" said David hoping to change the subject for a little while.

He would have to be going in around ten Minuit's so he would have to decide whether Adelheid needed to be checked out or not. He didn't want to take any chances if she was spying for the enemy it would be best that she was kept under watch.

Translation

"Es tut mir leid, dass der Mann im Bild tot ist"
"I'm sorry, the man in the picture is dead"

[Mac Bargett]

“Well Steph, I’m neither the ranking NCO here nor her closest living relative.” He nods to Bevan, “but I would get her cleaned up, get her some new clothes, good food. and perhaps some toys if we can scrounge around for some. I know a guy in supply, he could probable get something. Then we should bring this up with the CO, at the very least he can get her quartered with a local French family. An army base is no place for a child, especially a German one.” Although, Mac made note to himself, angry Frenchman would probably be no better. Too bad all the collaborators have been shot. Mac turned to ask the Staff Sergeant what he thought, but he was asking Adelheid a question.

"Es tut mir leid, dass der Mann im Bild tot ist," and then, just as calmly, asked Mac for the papers he had brought for him. Mac took them off the table and passed it over to Bevan, before responding to David’s comment to the girl, “Staff Sergeant, you don’t just tell a child that her father, the man she has been searching for, is dead. She is just a young girl, and she if didn’t know what a father or mother is, she probably won’t be able to fully comprehend death either.”

Mac looked at his watch, he should really be getting back to the intelligence boys, they probably thinking that Mac had gotten lost on his way to Staff Sergeant Bevan, “Anyone think that we shouldn’t bring this up with the other men? They might be surprised to find some girl wandering around the base.”

[Stephen Colly]

”Yeah.” Stephen muttered, taking his helmet off and rubbing his hair so it stopped sticking to his scalp, he annoyed him these helmets, they always made his head sweaty and horrible so when he took it off, he looked like he had had just had a shower or something wet…eww…

”I could always go to the town and get some toys for her if she is in to them that is.” he said, watching her and then feeling his stomach drop as he heard what Mac had just said of what David had said. ”Oh god.” he said, biting his lip, that was why Stephen didn’t want to tell the little girl what had happened to her “father”, he walked towards the chair again and sat down, he rested his head in his hands as he watched the girl’s face, feeling so sorry for her, how would she take it? She didn’t realize that just by bumping into him, that she would spark off so many happy and sad memories of one Rhys Bevan and to meet his brother who looks exactly like him is even worse…poor love.

”Poor girl.” Stephen muttered, ”It’s up to you serge, if Staff Sergeant Bevan wants her to stay here then maybe you your.” Stephen looked over at Bevan as he spoke, it wasn’t his place to make decisions, it was up to the more, higher ranking officers there, he would be sad if Bevan said that the girl should go back from where you came from, for he liked this girl, she was young and has spirit…like Joey…Stephen put his head into his hands, rubbing his eyes and then looked back at the German lass.

[Niamh Dunlevy]

Death. She was not unfamiliar to it. Many of the orphans had had their "Mothers" and their "Fathers" die, and that was why they had come to St. Peter's Haven. If you were good and didn't try to be bad on purpose in life, then you would go to heaven after you died. A memory came back to her, one of a dream, of a man with black hair and eyes, and perfectly pearly angel's wings...

"Ich bin traurig, wenn dieses mittler klingt, aber ich verstehe. Ich wusste nicht, dass er, sowieso und ich an Haben nicht…gewöhnt sind, was Sie sie wieder anrufen?"

The girl's face and tone were surprisingly neutral, but the youthful spark she had in her eyes was gone. Even though he was probably her guardian angel, she felt odd. It was a feeling of...hollowness. Of dissapointment, and...something that stung a little bit. It was similar to something back at the orphanage, when some of the meaner children said nobody wanted Adelheid, and that's why she was there.

She became quiet, feeling herself retreat inwards, staring out into the distance ahead of her blankly. This was something she always did when her emotions were too conflicting, or if she was terribly hurt, confused, or upset. It was...a coping mechanism, if one could understand it. Sometimes, things were just a little too overwhelming for her, so part of her mind flicked off like a switch.

It was only when she noticed the air beside was empty did her eyes suddenly widen, and she squealed in fright. Bolting over to Herr - no, Onkel Stephen, Adelheid hid behind him, peeking out at the others like a young kitten would from behind a corner.

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Translations:

I am sorry if this sounds mean, but I understand. I did not know him, anyways, and I am used to not having...what do you call them again?

Edit: Forgot to log out of this account...@_@

[S.SGT David Bevan]

"Mac I think you should get her some clean clothes and i will get her some food. After that Stephen can take her to a village and get her some toys or a book or something. Then we will ask the CO what to do with her. But if she's leaving the camp you will need to keep a close eye on her. For all we know she is a spy" said David whispering the last sentence.

David took the papers from Mac and pocketed them in his map pocket. David was glad that the girl wasn't too sad about her fathers death. But as she hadn't met him before why should she be.

“Staff Sergeant, you don’t just tell a child that her father, the man she has been searching for, is dead. She is just a young girl, and she if didn’t know what a father or mother is, she probably won’t be able to fully comprehend death either” complained Mac.

"Mac, she wont miss him because she's never met him and barely knows what a father is. We'd have to tell her sooner or later and I chose sooner" replied David. "Würde Sie mögen, dass wir Sie ein Essen und saubere Kleidung bekamen?" asked David to the girl.

If Private Colly did take her out of the camp he'd better not lose her. If she was a spy she might already have the information she needed. To loose her would put their lives at risk.

David would have to go soon. He needed to read the papers Mac had given him fill in whatever needed filling in. He was supposed to be going to the firing range soon.

Translation
"Würde Sie mögen, dass wir Sie ein Essen und saubere Kleidung bekamen?"
"Would you like us to get you some food and clean clothes"

[Mac Bargett]

“Well, Bevan emotions are the tricky thing, you never know how they will make someone react. But anyway, I’ll get right on that. I hadn’t planned to use my pass today, but I’ll go into town and find some clothes.” Mac walked over to the door and opened it, “I’ll see you all later, Sir, Colly. Auf wiedersehen Adelheid.” He gave them all a sloppy American salute before exiting.

As Mac neared the guard once again, he took out his leave pass, but a wild motorcyclist in an American uniform and a green Harley Davison with a sidecar roared pass him to show the guard his orders first. Although goggles and his helmet obstructed the man’s face, he looked familiar. “Hey wait!” Mac called out to him as the guard gave him back his papers
“Yes’um?” The man turned around.
“Did you train in Pennsylvania? 1942?” Mac handed his pass to the guard.
“Yes’um, FIG.” The motorcylist took off his goggles and looked Mac over, an American accent in a Brit uniform.
The guard handed Mac back his pass, and Mac stepped in front of the vehicle, “Good, we Gappers have to stick together. You wouldn‘t happen to being going to that French town a mile or so east, would you?”
“Yes’um, I just ran some documents here from there, now I have to go back.”
“Well that’s great, I need to get there two, and since you’re not using the sidecar,” Mac stepped into the tight passenger seat and sat down, “Tally ho!”
“Yes’um.” The messenger released the clutch and the two boys from Pennsylvania accelerated down the road.