"So this is the Trans-Europa?" Elizabeth asked herself as she, the Quartet and the men stood outside the impressive train. Florian nodded, glancing to her.
"Yes, this is the route that'll get you all back home" he replied.
"By the way, where are you girls going?" Wolfgang asked Rebekah.
"We're going home to Düsseldorf, Germany," she replied, "where we grew up."
"Düsseldorf!?" Karl exclaimed. "That's our train then!!"
"Is it really now!?" Anneke asked, eyes widened now at her new friend.
"You... you men are from Düsseldorf as well?" Johannes spoke quietly.
"Yes" Ralf answered, still holding her hand. He hadn't let go since they had met, as he took it upon himself to look out after her. "I suppose this means we will all go home together then?"
"If we are all going home together, then let us all stay together" Johannes replied with a soft smile. "All of us."
Ralf smiled warmly at his companion, likened already to her positivity.
"Well then" Elizabeth announced, "Alle en Bord des Trans-Europa!!" And with that, accompanied by Florian, she boldly boarded the train.
"Seconded!!" chimed in Rebekah, grabbing her travelling buddy's hand. "Come on, Wolfgang!!" she exclaimed as she ran to board the train. "Let's go!!" Wolfgang only laughed as he ran with her.
"Eh... thirded?" Anneke spoke, laughing. She then glanced to Karl. "Ah well, let's go along." Hand in hand, the two entered the train.
"Where... where is everyone, Ralf?" asked Johannes.
"They're boarding the Trans-Europa, Fräulein Johanne" he replied. "They're not leaving without us though."
"I suppose we better hurry then" she said.
"Yes, let's" he reaffirmed, taking both her hands in his. Gently he led the way and helped her board the train. Once on board, she felt her way around a bit.
"Where shall we sit, Ralf?" she inquired.
"Let's sit here" he answered, helping her to an empty seat. He then sat beside her as the train doors closed.
After the doors closed the train started, and the conductor spoke through the intercom. He informed them of their journey, which would be through much of Eastern Europe, and assured them that they would be [God willing!] safely at home in Düsseldorf, Germany.
And with that, the train began to move.
"So where were you before you got on the Trans-Underground?" Wolfgang asked, glancing to Rebekah.
"We were imprisoned in Lisbon's concentration camp" she answered, smiling at him. "Until Gregorio helped us out of there, as he had probably done with so many others."
"He's still got a ways to go, that twerp" he said with a smirk. "But, he's a good twerp!"
"Stop callin' him a twerp, you spazgoid!!" Karl snapped at him with a grin. He then turned to Anneke while Wolfgang and Rebekah had a laugh over that comment.
"So... erm... I forgot your name" he said, blushing a bit.
"It's Anneke" she reminded him, her bright eyes fixed to his.
"Right... Anneke..." he spoke, but whatever else he wanted to say died as his eyes were locked on hers.
Meanwhile Elizabeth and Florian had their own conversation.
"So... what exactly are you guys?" Elizabeth asked Florian.
"Wir sind die Mensch-Maschinen" he answered, rolling up the sleeve of his coat and shirt to reveal his tattoo. KW070447. His identification code. "You see these markings?" She nodded looking to the code, then back to his face.
"This... this is my identification code" he explained. "The KW stands for Kraftwerk, which is the name of my team."
"You mean you and your three friends?" she inquired, blinking. He nodded.
Hesitantly, Elizabeth gently brushed her fingers against the slightly-raised markings. Her eyes began to water. "Did... did the Clandestinians really have to mark you guys like branded animals?" she asked. He just held her tightly, resting her head against his shoulder. She wanted desperately to cry, but somehow couldn't fully shed the tears, no matter how much they welled up in her eyes.
"It is alright, liebling" he said softly, sighing a bit. "It is alright. I'll be okay. We'll be alright. We're all together.
"We're all going home. All eight of us."
In the meantime, Johannes and Ralf had a vivid conversation about food, childhood memories, daydreaming [which they did a lot of as children], and, at this point, falling in love.
"So, what are your thoughts on love, Fräulein Johanne?" he asked, glancing to her.
"To be honest with you, I don't really know" she replied sadly. "I never really had much thought on that. I mean, I love my sister and my neighbor and Anneke, and my parents even though they've since died but... I never really thought much about it otherwise."
"But how so?" he said, blinking.
"Remember--I cannot really judge this world. I don't have much right to tell anyone else that I love them. I... I am blind. I don't know how else to see" she explained, her smile fading to a sad frown. "It's something I would never wish on anyone, but it's a sadness that overwhelms me."
Ralf sat there in silence, somewhat saddened over her humble words. Finally he spoke: "Fräulein Johanne... I pray you don't ever end up alone in this life."
"I am not alone, Ralf" she replied. "I am never alone. I have my sister and neighbor and Anneke with me. I have Florian and Wolfgang and Karl with me. And I also have you with me, which is a blessing." A grateful, humble smile appeared on her face.
He smiled back at her, squeezing her hands a bit. "Fräulein Johanne, I promise you, while we're on board the Trans-Europa, I will not let go of your hand."
"But... why?" she asked, confused. "I do not understand."
"That way you know I am with you" he replied. "I want very much for you to be safe, not just around your family but also with me and my friends."
"I suppose it is not a weakness to want to be protected then?" she implied, blushing a bit.
"Not at all, darling" he reaffirmed, kissing her hands.
"One other thing" she spoke again as he rested her head against his chest, their arms now wrapped around each other.
"What is it?" he said, looking to her.
"...is it wrong... if all I can see with... is my heart?" she asked, her face growing a bit somber.
"No, mein Fräulein" he replied, holding her close to him as his eyes closed and he drifted off to naptime. "Not at all."
Florian glanced to his best friend and Johannes, and sighed a bit. He knew this trip was going to be dangerous, but he also knew that things were going to be alright. That his friends would protect their companions, that he would be strong enough to protect Elizabeth. That his best friend would be able to truly be there for Johannes. He sighed a bit, looking out the window. Elizabeth had fallen asleep, conversation had died down, and everyone [with the exception of Johannes] was enjoying the view.
Finally he looked at Elizabeth, who had fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder as if on a pillow. They had only begun to know each other, but already he had begun to fallen for her headstrong persona, for the courageous woman that she was. He knew he couldn't be fully elusive as far as his feelings for her were concerned. However, he wasn't a man of much words. He had to find some way to get over his silenthood and speak up, to tell her how he felt about her. He would have plenty of time to develop that very nerve. In the meantime, he and the gang would enjoy the trip to their first stop on the Trans-Europa: Paris, France.
Indeed, their journey was just beginning...
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