Chapter 26: Ein Licht, Das Nie Erlischt [A Light That Never Goes Out] - Elizabeth.

Elizabeth and the girls sat in the waiting room of the Spacelab in Düsseldorf. Never mind the fact they were back home--what all mattered to them when the men they loved were at the mercy of the Creator above? Each other? Of course, but they would be alone. And considering that they were now at home in Düsseldorf, given all the emotional torments they suffered at the hands of men that could've cared less, if the guys died... then what?

"Florian... please tell me you're alright" she begged her beloved as the train swiftly made its course for home. But the Roboter, in his weakened state, could only open his eyes and smile sadly.

"Florian... Florian, please tell me you're alright..."

But he said not a word as his eyes closed and his skin went cold.

"Florian...!?" she whispered, then looking to the other girls feared the worst of the matter. Tears spilled from her eyes, all hope was lost. Finally she looked at the lifeless face of the only man she ever loved... and cried in inexplicable despair.

"FLORIAN!!"

Her eyes reopened, the memory of the fight of the century, the fall of the courageous running through her mind. She looked to her best friend, then to her neighbor, and finally to her younger sister. They all were silent, somber. Professor Henning had advised the girls to wait in the waiting room while the guys recovered--if there was any possible chance of recovery. Quietly, and fed up, she stood up and straightened out her skirt, wiped a few tears from her face, and looked to the other girls.

"Anneke... Rebekah... please look out after Johanne," she instructed.

"Where are you going, Elibeth?" her best friend asked.

"I'm going to cry over a dead soul."

With that she quietly found Florian's room and, as she entered it, closed the door. She went to his bed and, sitting down at the side, looked him over, her eyes taking in the sight of her true love--wires attached to machines at one end, his body at the other. Wounds slowly healing, cuts and scars from the final fight.

"...my God" she whispered, "what has this all done to you?"

Closing her eyes for a moment, she recalled their first staring contest, fearing that she'd never see the blue eyes that challenged her green eyes boldly...

Elizabeth and KW070447 kept their eyes on each other for a while. Finally she spoke. "You know, I'm not one for staring contests."

"Neither am I, liebling," he replied with a polite smile.

"You must be our guardians on the Trans-Europa then" she said. He nodded in reply, took his hand in hers, and kissed it.

"I am Florian" he spoke, his kind gaze now fixed on hers. She smiled.

"Elizabeth Korinn" she introduced herself, then looked to her sister and KW200846. "And over there... my sister Johannes, who was born blind." Florian nodded in acknowledgement, still holding her hand.

She reopened her eyes, drowning in the memory, fixing them to her dying friend.

Taking his hand in both of hers, she kept his eyes on his calm yet lifeless face. For the first time in her life, worse than the death of her parents, she truly felt alone in the world, unable to go any further. She felt unable to stand strong as she once used to.

For the first time in her life, it was as if life was no longer livable.

"Florian," she spoke softly, "I know you can't hear me... yet I only wish you could. I really wish you could hear me, I really just..." For the moment the words died, and all she could do was sigh for a moment before speaking again.

"We're home... in blessed Düsseldorf yet... I am not happy to be home. I don't know if it is even worth returning home anymore. If anything is of any worth. It just...

"This life just doesn't feel so livable anymore."

Closing her eyes again she recalled their first night in Paris, when they had an argument over her fear that the Darkstrom would find them and destroy them all. They argued now and then over that dark and violent fear, but he understood where she was coming from--that she had watched her parents die in the hands of darkness, with no way to help her younger sister whatsoever. But her concern to look out after others were cause for unnecessary verbal fights as well, as she recalled their first night in Venice...

Fed up with his tendency of silence he finally stormed up to her and stood in front of her. She fixed her gaze to his eyes, which was in the meantime fighting tears.

"...Elizabeth, I'm sorry."

"...for what, Florian?" she asked quietly.

"For... for being the bastard that I shouldn't be" he answered, lowering his head. "I didn't mean to push you away and snap at you and act the way I did. I was wrong to do that. And...

"and I'm truly sorry. I just... I just don't deserve you."

Elizabeth blinked and tried to look him in the eyes. "--what?" she whispered.

But Florian shook his head. "Really, Elizabeth... I just... I didn't mean to hurt you the way I did. I...

"I knew better than to have acted like that--and even Ralf knows me damn well I would never do that. Hell, if he heard about what I did today he'd sock me in the jaw and scold me half to death. And I damn well deserve that but..." Finally the words died. "Damnit to hell, I don't know what else to say. I'm miserably in love with the one woman I acted so coldly to. I'm..."

The young woman blinked her eyes at what she was hearing. This wasn't the Florian she knew, who kept quiet about his feelings and often could've cared less about his actions. This... this was the Florian that not even Ralf would've seen.

"Florian..." she whispered, and with a sigh took his hand in one of hers and, with her other hand, lifted his chin so that their eyes met. What she saw had put her speechless--a small river of tears down each cheek, his face pale and filled with remorse. Her heart now broken altogether, she placed his face upon her shoulder, wrapped her arms around him, and consoled him as he wept silently in her arms. Now which pain was worse than enough for him to bear--the pain from the gunshot wound to his arm, or the pain of the heart that he unnecessarily broke?

With a sigh, she spoke again.

"Florian... for most of my life I've been watching out for Johanne, Anya and Rebekah. After the parents were killed it was us four looking out for us. We were captured, sent to Lisbon. Three years of hell later we meet civilization. We knew different people, we were different people then to now.

"But you... I never met anyone else like you.

"The very moment we fixed our eyes on each other I noticed... a sense of silence yet a sense of guardianship. And admiration--a strong sense of admiration.

"One that I... I guess I was a bit cowardish to show myself."

Time out--what was she saying!? Florian blinked for a moment, not believing his ears. Did Elizabeth mean to say that... she had fallen for him as well?

"I always enjoyed your company" she continued sadly. "And you always made sure I was alright, that I would be okay after an attack from the nightmare. You looked out for me when I had a tougher time to even consider looking out for myself when I was more concerned about the others.

"It hurts me even now to admit all this yet..."

...yet? he asked mentally, the tears escaping whatever was truly left of him until all that remained was in the safekeeping of the woman he loved.

She hugged him even tighter as she quietly confessed--

"...yet, I love you too dearly, Florian."

And quietly, she sobbed against his shoulder, her embrace even tighter as she whispered the three words over and over. The mensch-maschine was moved enough to embrace her just as tightly, knowing the pain in her heart was the same he'd felt in his own nerve.

"I am so sorry I hurt you, Elizabeth--" Florian started, but she quickly pressed a finger to his lips, her eyes finally meeting his.

"Really, you can call me Eliza, Florian" was her quiet answer.

The semi-human being was stunned beyond thinking--had her temper finally ceased to burn after all that had just happened? He could only think of one answer as he took a deep breath and, carefully holding her face in his hands, planted a bittersweet kiss on her lips. She blinked but for only a moment, then closed her eyes and smiled a tiny bit into the kiss.

"I... won't forget this" she whispered, remembering the feel of his warm lips against hers in that little kiss. She opened her eyes again and, with one hand, held his hand tightly against her own heart, her other hand carefully touched his cheek. He still felt terribly cold as if in death's final sleep, yet with some strange warmth to him. But the warmth meant nothing to Elizabeth as she ran her fingers along his silent lips. Tears fell down her cheeks again as she looked at him with longing eyes.

"Florian... take my soul with you, please. I love you too much to hurt this way... if you must die, so be it. Just... don't leave me here... don't leave me alone here.

"I can't survive this miserable world alone. Even if I had Johanne and Anneke and Rebekah... I still wouldn't have you. And at this point... you are the one person I'm holding on to the most.

"I don't want to live in this terrible world alone."

When he didn't respond she gave up on the whole matter and leaned over to sob against his chest as she had done many times before in her times of weakness. Holding herself tightly to him she cried the tears that she wouldn't ever tell her parents about if they'd still been alive. For her, losing the one she loved more than anyone else hurt her more than anything.

"Please... don't leave me in this world alone" she cried softly. "Don't... leave me... alone here."



Elizabeth woke up the next morning to dried tears, a warm hand against her back, another still gripping hers tightly. She still had more tears to cry--she'd cried them all night, and still more to spare. But something felt so strange--the hand she held tightly felt warm. She recognized its warmth, its familiarity. His hands were hers to hold, and she slowly turned her head to look into the eyes who'd watched her sleep in tragedy... only to awaken in mysterious hope.

"...Florian?" she whispered, unsure if she was still lost in sleep wide awake as ever.

"Yes, Shortcake?" he answered with a warm smile.

"You're... you're alive... right?"

"Yes, I am, Liebeling."

She blinked for a moment, then smiled softly, still crying the tears that now came in small streams. But Florian in all his love for her hugged her at the waist, moving her face closer to his. With one hand he dried the tears she cried, smiling all the more.

"Florian, you... you wouldn't leave me alone in this world... would you?" she asked in momentary hesitation.

"Never, not even if my wired soul was depending on it. My heart depends more on you, Eliza."

She smiled with a happy sigh, hugging him tightly when she noticed something new, something... special about him... that wasn't there before. She kept her ear against his chest, and tears of joy resumed falling from her eyes.

"What... what is it, Shortcake?" he asked with a slightly alarmed look.

"Your heart... is beating...!" she whispered with a smile. "Florian, you have a heart now!!"

He blinked--wait, a heart!? He put his hand to where his heart was and, behold! he felt a beating, living heart. He had survived the pains of the glitch attacks--he had truly become a Mensch-Maschine in its finest form.

"Wow... that's pretty damn good news!" he laughed gently. Then he took her face in his hands and pressed his forehead against hers. "And I promise, I won't ever leave you alone in this world. Not as long as you don't leave me alone in this world."

But Elizabet simply smiled, her pale-green eyes fixed to Florian's blue eyes. After a moment the two giggled again and she hugged him tightly, basking in the joy of being with him again.

"Sugarplum?" she spoke again after a moment of silence.

"Yes, Shortcake?" he responded.

"I love you" she whispered with a grin.

"I love you too" he whispered back with a kiss.



*writer's notes--memory excerpts are from Chapter 2 [We Are The Robots] and Chapter 13 [A Sense of Understanding].*

Kapitel 25: Helles und Schwärzung. [Chapter 25: Light and Darkness.]

12 o'clock noon. On board the Trans-Europa. Four half-human robots. Four young women. One conductor. One orphaned boy. The future hope of Eastern Europe.

"They're catching up. This can't be good" Rebekah said as their faces watched the trees, ruins, and chaos fly past them, the Darkstrom troopers hot on their trail as the Trans-Europa sped for home with the gang on board.

"By damn, there's the General!!" Anneke noticed as she glanced through the window, binoculars in hand. "And there's a lot of officers in high rank too!!"

But everyone else sat there, bracing themselves for what would be a final round ahead of them.

After a moment more of thought, Ralf looked to his fellow Roboter and took a deep breath. Reaching into his shirt, he pulled out a small Radio-shaped locket. He looked at it for a moment, wondering if this should be the appropriate moment to see what they're capable of, what they could do. When he looked outside the window at the growing forces of Darkstrom troopers and officers, he was overwhelmed. After glancing to Johannes, who was worried about the safety of all left behind in Athens as well as all on the train, he looked to his best friend and sighed.

"Florian," he said, "I think... I think it's time."

"Ralf, you can't be serious" the flutist remarked. "We don't even know how far ahead we have until we have fully evolved to Mensch-Maschinen! There's no way we'd come out of this alive!!"

"We have no other choice. If we don't do something we'll be in worse matters than worrying about the state of our own health!"

"Ralf Hütter, you've gone mad."

"Then you damn well better think of something. Fast."

Florian glared at his best friend when he presented the challenge. His glance went to Karl and Wolfgang, who looked back.

"I say we annihilate the bastards" Karl said quietly. "And quickly, if we want to stay alive and get home to Düsseldorf."

"But don't forget" Wolfgang chimed in, "we don't know how much we can handle as full-spirited Mensch-Maschinen so, if we're to do anything, we'd better be careful not to overdo ourselves or get worse than wounded."

The flutist sighed, then looked to Ralf. "Alright genius," he said, "you lead, we follow. Happy?"

His best friend simply sighed. "Florian, for once, stop being a stubborn bastard. Guys, let's do this."

Florian shrugged. Karl and Wolfgang nodded, and the four guys each held their Radio lockets. The lockets shone with a small glow, which grew quickly and, in a flash, the guys were dressed in red long-sleeved button-down shirts, black ties and gray pants. They looked different, not exactly the same as their mild-mannered selves were. They had, as if to say, evolved...

from

to

All the while Alessandro watched what was going on. He knew in his heart that the guys would be able to survive the final bout against the Darkstrom, but he also hoped that they would not have to go through the round alone as the mensch-maschinen quickly got their guns and started to make their way a couple of train cars back.

"RALF!!" Johannes called out to him from her seat. "Where are you going!?"

The semi-human being quickly turned and ran back to her. "It's okay, princess" he whispered as he hugged her tightly. "I have to stop the enemy from pestering us any further."

"But what if anything bad happens!?" she asked, her eyes filling with tears.

"Nothing bad will happen, meine liebe Prinzessin, I promise" he said calmly, his bold blue eyes looking into her gray lifeless eyes. "It's okay... we're gonna be alright. I promise."

Sadly sighing, she kissed his hands. "Geben Sie, Ralf acht" she said softly. "Please, please be careful."

"I will" he said as he kissed her forehead. "Ich liebe Dich Johanna."

Tears fell down her cheeks as he kissed her lips farewell. "Ich liebe Dich auch, Ralf -- immer" she replied.

His eyes widened a bit with her words. "Al--always!?"

She nodded. "Always. Always thine. Remember?"

He hugged her tightly as he remembered their little vows, how he promised he was always hers, how she promised she was always his. Releasing her from the hug he kissed her lips one moment more before looking to the girls.

"She's under your care now" he instructed. "Keep her guarded well. Guys, let's go."

And with that the four mensch-maschinen marched onward to the final round.

"Johanne..." her older sister spoke, "how'd you know he was leaving?"

"Because, he promised me..." the blind woman recalled, "that as long as we're both on board this train... he wouldn't let go of my hand. That he'd always be with me."

The women sat in a worrisome silence, fear surging through them. Was it worth it to not simply just sit there, worth getting up to help the ones they loved? To sacrifice their lives for the cause of freedom, in the name of Liberty, for the sake of Eastern Europe? The dread for a while overwhelmed them.

But after a few moments Elizabeth looked to her sister, best friend and neighbor, then to Alessandro, who was quiet. Suddenly an idea came to her, and she looked to Anneke.

"Anopheli," she said, addressing her by an old nickname. The resident jokester looked to her best friend.

"What is it, Elibeth?"

"Get out the guns. We're going in."

"But what about Joseraph!?" chimed in Rebekah regarding to the younger sister.

"I've got just the friend for the task" the older sister answered, looking to the orphan. "Alessandro, come here quickly!"

The young boy glanced to Elizabeth and quickly ran to her. "Yes, Miss Elizabeth?"

"I want you to look out after my sister, please" she begged. "I'll be damned if the guys attempt to fight this alone, and behind every good Mensch-Maschine..."

"Is a just-as-tough Frau-Maschine!!" he finished with a grin.

Elizabeth smiled with surprised eyes to Anneke and Rebekah. "I think he's got us set on maschine-hood someday!"

The neighbor shrugged with a smile. "Hey, in this day and age you never know!"

Alessandro ran to Johannes and explained to her the situation as the girls armed themselves and ran to the car where the guys were.

Meanwhile the guys glared out of the windows, two to each side--Ralf stood beside Florian, while Karl and Wolfgang rounded out the other side. Their train of thought was interrupted, however, by three women dressed in red coats with black coat-fronts and gray skirts. One of them fixed fixed her usual braids in black ribbons instead of her traditional purple ones. The guys blinked and Karl, noting the girl in the black ribbons, spoke up.

"...Sweet Mother of God, no freckin' way."

Anneke grinned to her beloved. "Better believe it."

"But what about Miss Johannes?" Florian asked as Elizabeth stood between him and Ralf.

"Alessandro is with her" she reported. "Fritz is on the communicator with her. She's a big girl. She'll be fine."

"I can't believe you're helping us out, Reki!" Wolfgang said as she stood beside him with Anneke's gun. "I mean, it's jawdroppingly wonderful and whatnot but still... you know, you girls could get killed out here..."

"It's no different from Venice, Vienna, or Paris" she remarked. "When you give it some thought we've been at risk of death all along. But... I'm not afraid to die. If I do die, it's in the name of Eastern Europe, for the cause of freedom. I'm ready." With that she gave him a small smile. "And, I'm a lot stronger than when we first met. I'm the courageous, daring young lady that I am now, because of you.

"Thank you eternally, Sweetheart."

Her boyfriend blushed for a moment when he realized that, she was right--but how!? The thought perished as the youngest of the Quartet lock-and-loaded her gun, her glare now towards the madness outside.

"Lilibeth!! Annie!! I think we know what time it is!!"

Anneke nodded, aiming her back-up gun towards a group of troopers in a carriage. Elizabeth also nodded and, aiming a shotgun at one of the officers, said "Sound it out, Reki-Nova!!"

Rebekah announced, the girls sounding in reply--"Ladies, Game Time--"

"GAME ON!!"

The mensch-maschinen all nodded in agreement, as the fight for Eastern Europe began.



In the meantime as shots began to fire, Alessandro sat with Johannes while Fritz spoke with them through the Übermittler. The orphan wanted to keep watch but the train conductor advised against it, opting instead that the two stick to keeping below the window if they want to see the next sunrise. The blind woman agreed with the conductor, the orphan thought he had a point. That ended the discussion topic as the orphan helped the blind woman to the floor, to keep away from the window.

"Alessandro," Johannes spoke.

"Yes, Miss Johannes?"

"I'm scared. Very, very scared. Not good."

"I know that feeling. Don't worry though. We've got the best guardians in the whole wide world. Your sister, neighbor, good friend, boyfriend, and your boyfriend's best friend and their two best friends too! Things are gonna be alright. You'll see!" he affirmed with a grin.

And how the hell did I wound myself up in this hellhole!? she thought to herself unamusingly--and unimpressed.



"GODDAMNIT!! FLORIAN'S DOWN!!"

Elizabeth stopped firing at enemy troopers for a moment to dodge a bullet as her guardian angel fell back, having been hit in the shoulder. Anneke glanced to Rebekah--"Rekah!! I'll cover ya. Go help Florian!"--and back to the enemy officers she aimed at as the Secret Florence Nightingale of Düsseldorf knelt down to check the wound.

"...not too bad. Very shallow wound" she diagnosed, placing a hand on the wound. "Give it about a minute or two and it should be just fine."

"We ain't got a Goddamn minute, Reks!!" Karl snapped as he dodged another bullet, firing back. "Let's go!!"

"Calm the fuck down, Karl!" Wolfgang retorted. "Just focus on putting the enemy to their eternal rest."

The young percussionist sighed and nodded. "Ja, sorry 'bout that" he said humbly as he fired another shot at an enemy trooper. "I'm just... frustrated, you know?"

"Typical Karl Bartos" his friend replied. "But you gotta hang in there. You've been doin' good on calming down too." The drummer fired a couple of shots into a Darkstrom officer. "I'm impressed and proud of ya."

"Heh... thanks, Sparky" Karl said with an amused smirk.

"Anytime, Short-stuff" Wolfgang answered with a nod and a grin.

Anneke chuckled with a smile to the two as Rebekah ended up with the bullet in her hand and Florian felt as good as new. She helped him up to rejoin the fight and, grabbing her weapon, regrouped with the rest of her team. "Sorry 'bout that, guys" she apologized, firing a couple of shots into the heads of some Darkstrom troopers. "I had to play nurse for a bit."

"Understandable, Reks" replied Karl. "Sorry 'bout my attitude a while ago."

"Forgiven and understandable, Karl" she said kindly. "Right now, I just want to--"

"EVERYBODY DUCK AND COVER!!" Ralf shouted for dear life as he quickly ducked and everyone in the train car followed. Karl huddled his beloved, along with Wolfgang and his girlfriend, in his arms, glaring at the windows.

"The hell are you doing, Karlos!?" Anneke asked, exasperated.

"I swore I'd guard my friends with my life" he answered, looking to her with a loving smile. "I'm keeping my word."

"Now that's guts" complimented Rebekah.

"Agreed" Wolfgang chimed in as above them, from one end of the enemy line, shots were fired just seconds after all had ducked. But the enemy bullets soared across the train car, out the other side's windows, and accidentally hitting their fellow soldiers. Some of the soldiers, hit in the head and heart, fell to their deaths.



"CONDUCTOR HILPERT!!" Elizabeth shouted onto the Übermittler. "If you can hear me above the gunfire I have a request!!"

"What is it, Miss Korinn!?" Fritz asked.

"Get this train going--FULL SPEED AHEAD!!"

"Full Speed Ahead... YOU GOT IT!!" he cheered as he pushed a couple of buttons and pushed the FSA lever forward. The Trans-Europa began to accelerate... faster... faster still.

Alessandro meanwhile poked his head up to look out the window for a moment--and giggled in glee as he ducked again. "There's less than a third of them now, Miss Johannes!" he reported, but Johannes was quietly crying to herself. More than anyone else she wanted desperately to see Ralf, but knew that she couldn't. The orphan boy, sharing in her misery, hugged her tightly in consolation.



"Everyone, let's go!!" Ralf cheered the rest of the gang on as they stood back up to take on the remaining Darkstrom troopers, as they had taken down all of the officers. But as more shots were fired the mensch-maschinen suffered what could only be described as "glitch attacks"--slight problems with their programming which only worsened through time. Pains that only the brave few that underwent the transformation from human to full-spirited Mensch-Maschine suffered. In any case, Ralf's hand wouldn't work right--and the pain surged right through to his head. The pain that Florian underwent from his bullet wounds returned--at an even worse rate, causing him to stop in his tracks. The same happened to Wolfgang for, though he suffered only one bullet wound, he felt the pain, which caused him to cough up blood. Karl felt a burning jolt throughout his body and, trying desperately to move in dodging the bullets, caused himself even more pain. The girls, in a panic, looked to the guys and then to each other.

"I don't like the looks of this!" Rebekah spoke up, reflecting the thoughts of Anneke and Elizabeth as the three tried to help the guys. But in a last ditch effort to combat the glitch attacks the guys stood in harm's way as bullets were fired from the remaining troopers. The girls fired back from between the unlikely safety surrounding them, despite the fear and chaos surrounding them. They had all endured glass cuts and dodged bullets, but this was something that the guys prayed would've never happened to them in front of the girls. The worst thing that the Roboter could ever suffer--watching their loved ones suffer while they're unable to do a thing about the pain they themselves felt.

Courageously the three women took on--and defeated--the last of the entire Darkstrom fleet. But it wasn't until after all the shots had been fired, all was said and done, when the four guys in their worst state tried to stay standing. Karl, in all his pain, collapsed in Anneke's arms while Wolfgang slumped into a chair when Rebekah tried to help keep him up. Elizabeth caught Florian's fall and quickly got herself into a chair with him in her arms, begging him to hang in there.

But Ralf, in all his courage, struggled to stay standing and, keeping himself up along the chairs, tried desperately to reach the door, to run back and see if Johannes was alright. Yet as he coughed out blood from the wounds and his vision blurred, he somehow knew she was alright, but more than anything else at the moment he simply wanted to be with her. And then he heard voices...

"No, I'm going over there!!"

"But Miss Johannes!! What if they're still fighting them!?"

"I don't care! The one I love is there, and I can't just leave him out there alone!!"

As Ralf approached the door it was quickly opened by Johannes, who was followed by Alessandro. The young boy's eyes widened in shock--"Madre Dolce del Dio..." he whispered in his native Italian.

"What... happened?" Johannes spoke in a soft voice, but the girls couldn't say a word.

"Jo--Johanna..." Ralf stammered in his pain, "Are... are you--alright?"

"--yes, are... are you, Ralf?"

"Just... barely... my..." --but his words stopped short as he stumbled. Unaware of what went on the blind woman stepped a couple of paces forward, arms open in a longing to hug him. The mensch-maschine in his weakness too had his arms open, wanting just as much to hug her. Yet as he hurried to her, in all his pain--

"Johannes--"

he collapsed into her arms, her name being the last word to have escaped his lips. Sitting on the floor carefully, with Alessandro's help, she took her true love in her arms and realized his warmth was dying, that he began to feel cold as ice. The orphan meanwhile ran to tell Fritz what all had happened, and the conductor kept full speed ahead to hurry them to the Spacelab in Düsseldorf in hopes that the four brave Roboter might be saved.

"Oh my God..." she whispered, "what happened... what happened to you!?"

But no words were needed as the girls began to cry over their loved ones--Rebekah unable to heal their wounds for some unknown reason, Anneke feeling the pain of her first lost love, Elizabeth hurting over the possibility of losing her loving rival, Johannes in her fear of realizing that she had just lost her true love.

Chapter 24: Versuchung. [Temptation.]

Rebekah took a much-needed shower before calling it an evening, considering all the insanity she had just survived. After arriving at the station she helped the four mensch-maschinen unpack and settle for the night, assisted Fritz in registering Alessandro as a fellow semi-human being on the roster, cooked dinner for the gang in the hideout's kitchen--in which her only flaw was that she didn't cook enough and thus gave her plate to Alessandro, and brushed up on her Greek outside while everyone opted to talk amongst themselves. The youngest of the women, however, opted to busy herself with some knowledge of the ancient city and refresh her memory of the language she once learned as a child but had since forgotten. After all of this, she was quite the mess and, not wanting to go to bed in such a wreck, went for a warm shower.

In her quiet demeanor she emerged out of the bathroom wearing her dark-blue night skirt and, which she never really wore, a blue sleeveless corset which her neighbors' mother had made for her birthday some years back. At first the youngest of the Quartet swore to herself she'd never wear something so daring, no matter how pretty it was. Yet the memory of her neighbors' mother provided enough reason for her to wear the corset. A lopsided smile crossed her face as she tried it on and saw her reflection in the mirror just moments before she exited the bathroom.

Daaammmn, Reki-Nova! she thought to herself, that actually looks and fits and feels pretty damn good!!

Going to the mirror in the room she stayed with Wolfgang in, she fought with her damp red hair and, fixing it into a loose bun, secured it with bobby-pins. The city lights from outside illumined the dark room with a bright glow, which reflected in her emerald-green eyes. Afterwards she grabbed her book on Greece from the nightstand, sat down on the bed, and, turning on the bedside lamp, read for a while.

Wolfgang, who had fallen asleep while she was in the shower, blinked his eyes open when he noticed he wasn't alone. Turning his head he saw Rebekah and, in his shock, didn't say a word. His eyes were fixed on the redhead sitting next to him, knees hugged to her chest, bright red hair in a makeshift bun, her own eyes fixed to the book she was reading. But what shocked him was what she wore--he never thought to see her in a corset, of all things!! Yet... it fascinated him at the least, at most shocked him to the nerve.

After reading for a while she put the book on the bedside table, turned off the lamp, and simply sat on the bed, hugging her knees to her chest. The Roboter kept his eyes on her, but she knew she was being watched.

"Johanne's mother made the top for me years ago" she spoke quietly. "At first, back then, I swore to myself that I'd never wear something so out-of-character. But it's been years since I saw this. This is the first time I actually wore this.

"I'm a little beside myself that I actually fit well into this."

"Well" her boyfriend said hesitantly, "it's... well, it suits you well."

She gave a small smile. "Thank you" she said.

After more conversation she lied down on the bed and, closing her eyes, attempted to sleep. But her companion, now unwilling to sleep, kept his eyes on his unlikely temptress. How could an outfit turn a panic-happy young woman into a green-eyed redhead devil in a blue dress!? ...or, something close to it. In any case, there fell the problem with something inside of him called self-control.

"...so help me God, my heart is overwhelmed" he whispered as he trailed a finger along her cheek, along her mouth, down her chin and her neck. But even that did no justice to his admiration, and quickly gave in his own silent whim, he held the sleeping redhead in his arms and kissed her along the trail his finger had once led.

--sweet Mother of God!?

Rebekah's eyes darted open, the thought crossing her mind as her dream was distorted, she never expected Wolfgang to do this to her! And worst of it, he was shirtless!! But she said not a word and held him to her as he trailed kisses along her shoulders.

However, exhausted from the day, it got the better of the semi-human being, and he rested his head over her heart and closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep. But his girlfriend simply held him to her, face to the window, wondering what went on in his mind... was it something she did? She couldn't be too sure. The thought trailed on as she closed her eyes once more in sleep.


Morning broke in a quiet manner as Rebekah took her early-morning shower. She really wasn't thinking about waking up at the earliest moment as she usually did, but her mental and physical clock wouldn't allow much time for sleeping in. But inasmuch as she had to wake up, she couldn't. She didn't want to--not after the second attempt at sleep, which failed after about an hour, when Wolfgang woke up once more to kiss her. First time around, she hadn't reacted much. But that time, the moment his lips met hers she opened her eyes then and there for a moment. He'd held her hands above her head, clasped them tightly for a moment before letting them go and holding her body next to his. The next handful of minutes were a blur--she felt his hands warm against her, she felt his kisses through her dark blue outfit. But whatever else happened... was a blur. All she felt were his hands, his lips.

His inner struggle to keep his self-control.

She hugged herself tightly. No one had even dared to consider doing that to her. But she never guessed that the one man that she'd ever love would try to love her the way he did. She still had her innocence. And it took everything in his power to keep his self-control, knowing he'd never thought of her the way he did. But it must've been something she did to make him want her the wzy he did also. It chilled her to the nerve to think that someone could love her this way--it also warmed her soul to know that there was no other person she'd known that could do this to her. For that, she smiled a bit as she finished her shower and shut off the water.

Wolfgang blinked his eyes open to see that he was alone a moment later, but his eyes caught through the slightly open doors to both their room and the bathroom that she was busy preparing for the long day ahead. But the sight of her was what made his eyes widen in even more shock, and he buried his face in his pillow for a moment.

Bloody hell, Wolfgang!! he mentally scolded himself. Reki. In a towel. And nothing freckin' else!? This was quite more than enough torture for him. Finally after another few minutes' thought he got up and took matters to his own hands. Within seconds he was in the bathroom with her.

"Guten morgen, Wolfgang" the young woman spoke with a smile to him. "How'd you sleep?"

He raised a brow. "Now hold up just one minute, sweetheart" he replied with a smirk. "I'm not the one who turned into Princess Temptation last night!"

She blinked for a moment--Okay, NOW I know what's up! she thought to herself, and spoke up in humble defense:

"Well now does it look like I knew that a rare out-of-character moment out of me would challenge your self-control?"

She grinned to herself, proving her point. But the mensch-maschine wouldn't have any of it and quietly, quickly closed the door. Her face then turned solemn in a moment of questioning, which she gladly would've done had he not held her face in his hands and lowered his head to kiss on the lips. For a second, she would gladly have lacked common sense to have him that moment, but while there was chaos outside waiting to destroy them she had a job to do--for the sake of Eastern Europe and, even more importantly, for the sake of the people she loved so dearly. Yet her common sense returned as she held him at the waist and, while she knew her purpose and responsibility as a Clandestinian, she realized also what was happening this moment. And she would've gladly kept this going, had it not been for the chaos outside the safe walls.

Yet she could've sworn common sense had numbed when his lips trailed down her cheek... down her neck... --she had felt this before. But this feeling was even stronger than the night before, she hadn't realized what she had done to him and, ultimately, to herself. She took one deep breath, eyes to the window for a moment before looking to Wolfgang again, who now on his knees had taken her fragile body into his arms and kissed along her chest through her towel.

Again the eyes went for the window, but her train of random thoughts quickly derailed as her boyfriend resumed kissing her down her body. Not wasting another moment she held his face in her hands and lifted his humble face to her courageous own.

"Wolfgang..." she whispered, "I can't. Not here."

His face sobered to understanding. "Not... not now?"

"No, not now. Not here. Perhaps... when we all return safely home to Düsseldorf. But... while our lives are still hanging on strong-yet-thin threading, my heart be gladly yours but... not now. And not here."

Wolfgang hugged her tightly as she planted kisses along his shoulder. "Please, please be patient" she begged in a hushed whisper. "Please be patient. For me. Please?"

"For you, if I have to wait for ever, just say the very word and it's done" he whispered back. "Just as my heart is yours. Gladly and entirely yours."

Her head was dizzy after all she'd been through the past few hours, but she smiled with a level heart and held him to her. "I know I am willing but," she admitted, "not while we're still in harm's way and nowhere near home."

The two shared a small smile until--

*PHWOOOOOOWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!*

A loud siren wailed throughout the city, and Wolfgang stood up, looking around. Then he looked to Rebekah. "Quick shower, and then we see what's happened?" he asked.

"You go ahead," she answered. "I'm gonna go get dressed."

Within five minutes the word had arrived that the Darkstrom and Clandestinian forces had clashed, and that the enemy forces were to arrive shortly to storm the city. The gang all met in the kitchen and, looking to Rebekah, asked what she thought the best course of action would be.

She closed her eyes again, deep in thought, before reopening them and taking a deep breath. Her bright face was set with resolve and, after everything that had happened the night before and all that went on a few minutes ago, she realized that now was their only shot to escape home to Düsseldorf.

"Pack up, and quickly" she warned. "We need to be on that train in fifteen minutes."

Chapter 23: Augen Öffnen Weit Sich. [Eyes Wide Open.]

The next couple of days en route to Athens were filled with conversation, leftover meals from Venice and Alessandro visiting each couple to talk with them. He thought of the gang as "illegitimate aunts and uncles" and were more than willing to keep them company as the train effortlessly made its way on its tracks for their next destination. For one, he got Karl and Anneke to be their humorous, joke-filled selves again, which was his favorite accomplishment.

Meanwhile in their usual train car, Elizabeth looked out the window from where she sat. Across the width of the car, looking out the other window, Florian sat there, his eyes glowing in fascination over the world outside. But after more than enough silence she looked to him, thinking of something that would not only break the silence but also keep him from worse than bored. And then, a smile crossed her face, turning into a grin, as a mental lightbulb went on.

News flash to Florian she thought, you're mine, sugarplum.

"Hey Florian" she spoke, still grinning.

The Roboter blinked and looked to her. "What is it, Eliza?" he asked, wondering about her smile.

"Come over here" she answered. "I've got a challenge for you."

"Oh really?" he remarked, going over to sit next to her.

"Really" she retorted with a proud grin.

"So what is it, then?"

"Simple. A staring contest."

Florian's eyes widened. Wait--WHAT!? he thought, Eliza doesn't do staring contests!! The heck is she goin' on about!? But Elizabeth just smiled smugly.

"Now, seriously, Eliza" the semi-human being said. "You call me over here... just for a staring contest!? What. Is. Up!?"

"Simple" she replied. "There are two rules to this staring contest. Rule number one is, winner gets a kiss from the loser."

Florian grinned to this rule. "Okay, I'm in already!! And rule number two is...?"

"Rule number two is, you can't laugh."

His face quickly sobered. "...at... at all!?" he stammered.

She nodded. "Yep. You can smile. But you can't laugh."

He simply blinked. But she smiled slyly. "Trust me, you know you want to take on this silly little challenge" she taunted.

"Hmph!" he retorted as the two now sat facing each other. "Bring it on, sweet stuff."

"Hey, I'm the one callin' ya sugarplum, sugarplum" she replied with a smirk. With that the staring contest began.

After about five or ten minutes simply staring at each other, Florian broke out into a smirk, while Elizabeth raised a brow and shook her head. Unamused, the semi-human being made a mock-scowling face; in response she rolled her eyes, then stuck out her tongue. His eyes widened for a moment; a smug grin appeared on her face.

This woman is murder on this Roboter's heart! he thought to himself as he shook his head. Then... it was as if he figured it out. Quickly he grinned and then, a second later, broke into a funny face. Undaunted, the usually-well-behaved young lady raised both brows, and a moment later she made a funny face.

Hey, I can be stupid too, you know she thought to herself as the exchange of the funny faces went back and forth for what felt like almost an hour. The funny faces soon turned into mirroring faces as she mirrored whatever face he attempted. Eventually he gave up on the fight and just sat there, somewhat exasperated. And just like that, so did she.

After what felt almost like another hour of simply sitting there, a small smile broke on their faces... and then a giggle at the same moment escaped there once-silent lips. And then the giggle turned into an amusing chorus of laughter as the two laughed without a single care. The contest had ended in the best possible manner; Elizabeth's experiment was a success in every possible sense of it all.

Moments later the train arrived in Athens, where there was an underground shelter at the station. After the gang settled to their rooms for the evening, Florian and Elizabeth sat on the bench at the windowsill, her in his arms, her head on his shoulder. Their faces looked to the city at nighttime, the lights glowing to brighten the ancient city, and on their faces each a content smile.

"Eliza" the mensch-maschine spoke at last.

"Yes, Florian?" she asked, her face now looking up to his.

"Why'd you challenge me to that staring contest?" he asked, an amused smile on his face as he looked to her.

"Because I was bored," she admitted, "and because not only did that give us something to kill time over, it also gave me a chance to do something I usually never do--which was challenging a staring contest."

"But I thought you said you don't do staring contests, Eliza!!" Florian exclaimed in surprise.

"I didn't. At least, for the most part" she replied frankly. "But, sometimes I have to just go off the deep end and do something a little bit different. A bit, if you will, daring."

"Nicht ehrlich, Eliza!!" he laughed. "Not fair!! If you don't do staring contests you shouldn't do that!! That's just not you whatsoever!!"

"I know, I know" she laughed in defense. "I'm sorry I did that." Her laughter then stopped and she fixed her face back to life outside the window, her face now a bit more sober.

The Roboter blinked. Oh my God! he thought to himself, don't tell me what I said offended you!! But she kept silent and, after another moment, stood up.

"Where are you going--" he spoke, but was silent when she turned to face him.

"I'm going to get ready for bed" she replied quietly, but he quickly stood up and grabbed her hand.

"Eliza" he spoke, and she stopped and turned to face him again.

"...yes, Florian?" she asked.

"...I'm sorry if what I said... hurt you in any way" he apologized. "I didn't mean to be offending in any way. I just... I didn't expect you to challenge me the way you did. And... well...

"I actually loved that challenge. I really did. It was just unexpected and fun and humorous as to how long we could keep from bursting out in laughter! It was just... just fun!!

"I just couldn't believe it when you challenged me. And I can't believe it now when my words offended you. And I'm really sorry I said what I said." After his apology he lowered his head, realizing just how much of an idiot he turned himself into.

Elizabeth couldn't help but look at him with a sad smile, squeezing his hand. "Verziehen" she answered quietly. "Forgiven."

Florian lifted his head to face her again, smiling. "Thank you" he said humbly, then pulled her into a hug. But she stared blankly for a moment, wondering if it really was worth the experiment, the attempt at doing something different, to be a bit more than simply a woman whose heart was more set on protecting others than simple humors. Realizing her own failure, she pressed her face against his chest to stiffle the sob that was rising in her chest, the tears that welled in her eyes.

"Eliza--!?" he whispered as his eyes fixed on her. Then he realized what had happened, and he spoke again, smiling sadly.

"You were trying to be a bit more cheerful... to brighten up the silence that was there between us... to do something different. You were tired of simply being someone known for caring about others, for having no sense of humor, and so you wanted to do something different...

"Yet every time you attempt it, it seems to backfire in the end because someone had to chastize you about who you are and how you're supposed to behave.

"I just triggered those memories, didn't I?"

But she gave no answer as he pulled away for a moment to look at her face, his hands on her shoulders. Her eyes were closed, her face just solemn as tears spilt down her cheeks. She simply stood there, silent in her own manner. He was right, but she didn't tell him this. He knew he was right, and that she didn't have to tell him. Finally she opened her eyes and lifted them to his, a twinge of anger in her own.

Florian gave up whatever words he wanted to say at that moment and simply held her against his chest again, as she sobbed quietly. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth... I'm so sorry" he whispered gently, planting a kiss on the top of her head. "I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry..."



After what felt like a few hours the semi-human being finally pulled away again to look at her face. There was only one tear this time, and that tear he wiped away with his thumb. Elizabeth opened her eyes and looked at his hand that wiped that last tear, then up at his face. His heart still filled with regret over his actions, he kissed her forehead.

"What was that for, Florian?" she asked in a hushed whisper.

"Because I'm still sorry, and because I owe you a handful more kisses" he replied.

"How so?" she inquired, raising a brow.

"Because" he answered, holding her face in his hands, "you said the winner gets a kiss from the loser, remember?"

"Yes but, we both ended up laughing at the same time!" she retorted, her face still a bit somber.

"I know but, after all that's happened here, I've given up this round" he admitted. "And anyway, I'd rather I'd lose to you any day, gladly given up the fight, because I love you dearly--and because I'm still sorry."

After a moment of silence she sighed... and gave a small, lopsided smile. "Y'got a point there, Sugarplum" she answered.

He blinked for a moment--"Wait a minute--Sugarplum!?" he asked with a laugh. "Whatever gave you the whim to call me that!?"

"Earlier. On the train. When the idea for the challenge came to my head" she answered with a grin.

"Oh dear God" he said, shaking his head. "I remember that damn grin. You had that grin of pride on there, like you knew you wanted to start something surprising.

"I swear, I am never, ever going to question that move again, now that I've figured out the why of it."

"Well then, good!" she affirmed with a nod. "Now, what did you say about owing me a kiss?"

He pressed his forehead against hers. "Keep in mind I rightfully lost this round.

"However..."

"...however?" she asked with a raised brow.

"...next round" he declared with a proud grin, "you're mine, Shortcake!!"

With an amused smile she shook her head and sighed. Words were not needed afterwards as he gladly pressed his lips against hers in a sweet gesture of defeat from the staring contest earlier in the evening.

Chapter 22: Das Alphabet des Verliebens. [The Alphabet of Falling in Love.]

A couple of hours had passed since the game of Truth or Dare had ended, the couples dispersed with Alessandro keeping Fritz company, and the sun had finally set on an otherwise exciting day onboard the Trans-Europa. In one train car sat Florian and Elizabeth, who sat there quietly to recover from all the insanity that had happened. The Roboter had his arm around her, while she rested her head on his shoulder. While he kept his eyes to life outside the window, her eyes were closed as she was half-asleep.

Finally, Florian spoke--"Eliza?"

Elizabeth opened one eye to look at him. "What is it, Florian?"

With a smile he looked to her. "A is for admirable, B is for brains, C is for cute, D is for darling, E is for educated, F is for fearless."

"Oh my God, Florian" she said with a soft laugh. "You're actually attempting the dare!!"

He nodded and continued. "G is for graceful, H is for human, I is for interesting, J is for judgemental, K is for kind, L is for laughter, M is for... erm... M is for..."

"M is for Marissa, which is my middle name" she added with a proud grin.

He blinked. "Really!? I didn't know that...!"

She shrugged. "Just ask Johanne!!"

He shrugged also. "Anyway!" he said, continuing where he left off. "M is for Marissa, N is for nowhere-near-normal, O is for off-the-wall, P is for pretty, Q could go for quite precise, R is for really cute, S is for the staring contests we almost always seem to have, T is for trains, U is for unusual, V is for very dear, W is for wonderful, X is in the word fix, Y is in the word snarky, and Z stands for what you're not: a zebra!"

Elizabeth laughed and applauded Florian for a job well done on his alphabet.

Meanwhile in another train car...

"Wolfgang, have you figured out anything?"

"About what, Reki?"

"I don't know. I just... about anything. I don't know."

Her boyfriend held her tightly in both arms as the two looked outside the window. "I know that..." he said, "A is for amazing, B is for bright, C is for courageous, D is for dearest, E is for enlightning, F is for fantabulous--which you are, by the way."

She grinned at him. "And you're quite the goober!"

"Thank you for the letter G, sweetheart!!" he laughed, kissing her forehead. "And H is for heartwarming, I is for imitable--which you're not, because there's no one to be you except for you. And J is for jumpy, K for your sugary-sweet kisses, L is for lovable, M is for mornings I wake up to see your smiling face, N is for...

"...uhm..."

"N is for Novalee, which is my middle name!" she giggled.

"Holy cow, Reki!" Wolfgang exclaimed. "Nice middle name."

"Thank you, honey" Rebekah replied, kissing the tip of his nose.

He continued, but not before wiggling his nose out of humor. "Alright--O is for outside-the-lines, P is for perfect shooting aim, Q is for quiet, R is for your bold red hair, S is for sweetness, T is for trusting me for who I am, U is for unusual because it's unusual for a sweet girl like you to love a former playboy like me... V is for a very, VERY darling girl, W is for the world I'd surrender just to stay yours, X is in the word sexy because... well, you just KNOW you are!! Y is in the word sassy, because you can be at times too--and that's alright with me! And Z... well... it's the last letter of the alphabet but..."

"...but?" she said, raising a brow with an amused smile.

"...but you'll always be the first in my heart" he admitted with a blush.

"...aww" she said softly, and hugged him tightly. "Those were the best ABC's I ever heard." He smiled back at her, hugging her close to him, proud at himself as if he wrote the best love letter in the world.

In another car, Karl and Anneke kept their silence for the most part, which was uncharacteristic of the two. For one, they were a bit exhausted after all the madness that the day could've overrun them with. For another, they had said all that was needed to be said when they spent the night together in the abandoned park in Venice. But sitting quietly against the wall, the Roboter stretched out his legs and rested them on the other chair. His beloved, meanwhile, had sat across from him, looking out another window.

Yet as Karl's eyes fixed to the brown-eyed princess of pranks who sat across from him, his soul was moved. How on earth did his heart ever get to be so strung through and through for someone he knew only a handful of weeks, maybe even a couple of months? He wasn't sure how but, when his eyes met hers, ever since their eyes first met, he'd felt a strange yet marvelous linking at the heart with hers--even though, for the moment, he was rewired without a heart.

"Anya" he whispered, and a second later the girl's eyes darted from the window to him. He blinked and gave a small half smile. Returning the smile she got up from her seat and walked to him. He stood up and hugged her tightly.

"A is for Anya" he whispered, kissing her after each letter, "B is for your braids, C is for your confession, D is for being downright daring, E is for the brown eyes I always gladly drown in, F is for friendship, G is for your bashful grin, H is for the heart whose beating I count my seconds in joyful sleep."

Anneke closed her eyes listening to his words, a sweet smile on her face which itself was adorned by light kisses from the one she loved. Karl was apparently attempting the dare yet, whatever surprises came out of his mouth, she loved and took in every word, every embrace and every kiss. It dawned on her that, apparently, he was still lost in the memory of the night she confessed her love.

"I is for inventive, J is for a joyful company of friends, K is for the knuckles that fight in defense of innocence, L is for being lost in laughter whenever I'm with you... M for the memories made so far since we've met, N for the new memories that are yet to be made, O is for... Ophelia, isn't it?" he asked, his eyes meeting hers for a moment.

She nodded. "Yep. You got it. Ophelia. My middle name."

"See, I told you I was paying attention!!" he retorted with a grin.

"You goofball" she laughed softly.

"But meanwhile..." he resumed, "O for Ophelia... P is for purple, Q is for quirky, R is for the ribbons that adorned your hair, S is for the sweetest soul that I'm glad to be with, T is for the tears you cry that I'm more than happy to wipe away, W is for these silly little whispers... X is in the word extremely which goes with 'I'm extremely happy to be with you', Y is for younger-at-heart-than-not, and Z... well, I don't know what we can find with that letter."

But Anneke didn't say a word in reply, but instead held his face in her hands and kissed him on the lips. Karl blinked for a moment over what she had done, and realizing that words were not worthy of saying how she felt, held her tightly to drown for that moment.

Meanwhile Ralf and Johannes talked much of the afternoon away, the conversation ranging from the moment they met to their time together in Venice.

"You know, all that we've been through, it's got me inspired finally" Ralf said wistfully, smiling to Johannes.

"Inspired to do what?" she asked.

"Well, let see" he answered, thoughtfully. "A is for adorable, B is for beautiful, C is for your cheerful smile, D is for this crazy Dare, E is for your enchanting face, F is for the flowers that graced your hair in Venice yesterday..."

"Oh Lordy" she sighed with a giggle.

"...G is for your grace that inspires and captures me, H is for the hope we both share for the sake of Eastern Europe, I is for that infectious giggle!!" he continued, stopping only to giggle with her. She held him to her.

"Oh please" she spoke, "do keep up with your humorous words, Ralf!"

"Gladly!" he responded. "J is for Johannes, that dear sweet little angel who, though blind, can see the world around her. K is for the knowledge that you rightfully possess, L is for the love we've found for each other in each other, M is for missing your company yesterday because I talked with Florian too much!! N is for naptime together well spent, O is the openheartedness, P is for pink which is the color of your cheeks, Q is for the quick-hearted intuition that only you have. And R is for that really jawdropping outfit you wore yesterday!!"

Johannes grinned proudly. "Well, my sis said Mama had made the outfit just for me. And, although I cannot see it, I can feel it. I actually feel a bit like a princess in that outfit. I rarely ever wear it, and I'm glad that Elizabeth saved the outfits Mama made for me."

Ralf held her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. "And rightly so, as you are my princess, and no one else's... well, except for your sister of course, but still."

She snuggled up to him. "Please do finish the alphabet, pretty please" she begged with a giggle. Hugging her to him the mensch-maschine smiled and continued.

"S is for your middle name Seraphim, T is for the truth of angels among us, U is for this unlikely yet undeniably nice romance, V is your vibrant soul, W is for words that sometimes need not be said but felt. I can't really think of anything for X but I do know one for Y, and Y is for you, because as Dr. Suess said, 'there is no one alive who is youer than you'! And Z... I can't really think of one for Z either..."

But Ralf's thinking-through was interrupted when Johannes, sparked by her intuition, placed a finger to his lips. He blinked for a moment while she smiled and, wrapping her arms around him, spoke up in reply--

"A is for awesome, B is for brilliant, C for cuddly, D for dreams, E for endearing, F for funny, G for gracious, H for humble."

The semi-human being blinked and continued to listen to her, eyes widened in surprise.

"I for intriguing, J for joyful, K for my knight in suit for armor, L for love that knows no bounds, M for the music that raises up hope" she continued, smiling contentedly. "N for the joyful noise of birds that sing, O for the one whose heart beats inside me, P for the patience to be there for me. Q for the quiet ways of letting me know I'm loved, R for romantic--just like Ralf, my Roboter. S for the smiles that warm my soul, T for taking my heart and soul just as I am. U for unexpected but mostly pleasant surprises, V for my Valentine, W for the whimsey I can't find in anyone else. I'll agree on X and Z, but I'll also agree about Y--for YOU!"

Ralf smiled and, hugging her tightly, cheered. "Now THAT was what I call a good alphabet!!" But Johannes just smiled, held his face in his hands, and planted kisses along his cheeks.

"I do silly things like that" she explained "because no other force greater than love will make me do this. Love makes people do what no one would ever expect."

The half-human robot then stood up carefully and, helping his beloved stand up, held her face in his hands, and smiled sweetly.

"Then, I suppose, it's enough to allow us to be the unexpected, then?" he asked.

She nodded lightly. "Y-yes, for love is the only force that can help make this chaotic world whole... or at least, in my opinion anyway. And the string that ties hearts in love to each other, no matter what the distance. With love, the distance is immeasurable, as it does not matter."

His own feelings for her overwhelmed him slightly and, leaning against the wall, he pulled her over to him and hugged her tightly. "I pray that there be no distance between us then, Johanna" he whispered before taking her face in his hands. "And even now I fear that words are not enough to say whatever else I wanted to say."

But Johannes wrapped her arms around his waist and blinked for a moment, her usually cold gray eyes adorned with a spark of love. "Words need not be said," she whispered. "In times like these no words are needed."

"And I truly believe it, mein liebe" he whispered as he lowered his lips to kiss her still-smiling mouth.

Chapter 21: Wahrheit, Trauen und Umstand.. [Truth, Dare, and Circumstance.]

The gang all found themselves in a humorous game of Truth or Dare a few moments after Florian joined the lot, as Karl dared Wolfgang to admit to the gang how much he loves Rebekah.

"Well... more than Andelina's sugar cookies, that's for sure!" was the electrodrummer's reply, with a bashful grin to adorn his face. His next target was Johannes, and she was dared to figure out whose hands held hers. The mess of it was, it wasn't Ralf's, so she had to think for a moment before agreeing to the dare. When Florian's hands held hers she closed her gray eyes for a moment. Opening them she squeezed them for a moment.

"Certainly not Ralf's... yet similar to Elizabeth's... and it's not any of the Robots or the girls..." she said softly. "I believe they belong to Florian?"

Laughs abound, Florian nodded. "You got it, those are mine!" he confirmed. Wolfgang's jaw dropped as the blind woman smiled and picked Ralf for the challenge. When he chose Truth over Dare, she asked him what his favorite pasttime was.

"Either it was playing with robots or hanging out with the guys" he recalled, "but the piano lessons were a pain in the neck!!"

"Oh, those were the days" Florian chuckled, shaking his head.

Ralf then smiled to Alessandro, who was then picked to choose either of. After opting for the Dare, the mensch-maschine dared the boy to sing a German folk song. Alessandro, with a grin, began to sing Die Gedanken sind frei in a clear voice...

Die Gedanken sind frei, wer kann sie erraten,
sie fliegen vorbei wie nächtliche Schatten.
Kein Mensch kann sie wissen, kein Jäger erschießen
mit Pulver und Blei: Die Gedanken sind frei!

Ich denke was ich will und was mich beglücket,
doch alles in der Still', und wie es sich schicket.
Mein Wunsch, mein Begehren kann niemand verwehren,
es bleibet dabei: Die Gedanken sind frei!

Und sperrt man mich ein im finsteren Kerker,
das alles sind rein vergebliche Werke.
Denn meine Gedanken zerreißen die Schranken
und Mauern entzwei, die Gedanken sind frei!

Drum will ich auf immer den Sorgen entsagen
und will mich auch nimmer mit Grillen mehr plagen.
Man kann ja im Herzen stets lachen und scherzen
und denken dabei: Die Gedanken sind frei!

Ich liebe den Wein, mein Mädchen vor allen,
sie tut mir allein am besten gefallen.
Ich bin nicht alleine bei meinem Glas Weine,
mein Mädchen dabei: Die Gedanken sind frei!

Cheers and applause from the gang to Alessandro filled the train car, the child smiled to the guys. "Ralf, Karl, Wolfgang, Florian... Truth or Dare?" he asked.

After a quick glance and a quick nod, all four said in a firm voice, "DARE!"

The boy grinned. "I dare you four to put together an alphabet for your girlfriends," he said, "to be done within the week!"

The girls giggled, the guys blinked. Alessandro just smiled.

Chapter 20: DURCHLAUF!! [RUN!!]

Another morning in Venice. All was well. All was quiet.

Until the sun broke through.

"EVERYONE!! CODE RED!!" Karl's voice sounded through the entire hideout as he ran through the halls, knocking on the doors. "We gotta go, guys!!"

"Was ist es, Karl!?" Florian asked as he poked his head around the corner from his room.

"Darkstrom Troopers have stormed the city. We need to get the hell out of here. NOW."

"...fucking hell. EVERYBODY OUT!!"

In half an hour all had showered and were dressed, packed up, and swiftly en route to the Trans-Europa station. Johannes tapped her Übermittler on the hand that was held by Ralf. Quickly switching hands she spoke onto the transmitter.

"Herr Fritz?"

"Johannes!! Dear child, how are you?" the Conductor spoke.

"We are on our way to the station now," she said.

"Why so early, have you even had breakfast?" he asked.

"No."

"Why not!?"

"Enemy forces are storming the city. Get the Trans-Europa ready."

Fritz's eyes widened. His resolve returned and he nodded. "Consider it done, Miss Johannes. We'll leave as soon as all are ready."

"Thanks, Fritz" she answered, then spoke up louder so that Ralf and the gang could hear her. "I just notified Fritz of the situation. He's getting the train ready. As soon as all is ready we're out of here."

"Smart thinking, sis" replied Elizabeth with a smile. "Thank you."

Suddenly shots were fired and, as Karl, being the one to watch out the rear of the gang, turned his head another shot was fired. The Troopers were firing into the city.

"Son of a bitch!" Karl shouted. "Everyone, RUN!!"

Ralf carried Johannes in his arms while the rest of the couples ran hand in hand to escape the madness and get to the station. A bullet dodging them, particularly Wolfgang, Rebekah glared at the officer that shot the bullet, and looked to Anneke.

"Annie, the gun, please" she asked. Her friend nodded and, handing her the gun, kept running with the others. Rebekah carefully aimed the gun at the officer, who was shooting at an innocent child, and fired a shot into the officer's head. It only hit his neck, and with a low growl she fired one more shot. A perfect hit, and the officer slumped to his death. Quickly the child ran to the gang, and Rebekah took the child in her arms and ran to catch up to the others.

"Where is your mother, little one?" the resident child of the Quartet asked.

"Mama and Papa died. Bad guy almost killed me" the little boy answered.

Tears filled the usual coward's eyes. How could the bastards of the Darkstrom leave children to be orphaned? It wasn't fair. Even to not have anyone to look out after them. Elizabeth and Johannes were lucky to have her and Anneke look out after them. But this dear, parentless boy...

"What's up with the child, Rebekah?" Fritz asked as the gang entered the station.

"An enemy officer was trying to shoot him down" she explained. "His parents were killed. They could've been killed by that same officer too."

"Wait" Johannes spoke in a soft voice. "That voice... is familiar to me."

The boy looked up at the blind woman. "I remember you from yesterday. The kind lady with the gray eyes!" Immediately his face lit up. "Thank you again for getting down my kite for me!"

Carefully she knelt down to catch the dear embrace of the boy, who smiled. "I remember you too. Especially your voice. I didn't know you have no parents."

"They died because they were metà-robot, half-robot. The mean people killed my parents because they would not respect them. I refuse to respect them. They don't like our kind."

Johannes' eyes widened. "Wait a minute--you mean your parents were mensch-maschinen also?"

The child nodded. "Yes. As I am too. Parents almost died while Mama was pregnant with me. They became man-machines. I was born a man-machine."

The eyes of the gang filled with tears. The child hugged the blind woman tightly, but she hugged him gently. She didn't know what to think.

"I... I'm sorry, little one" she whispered.

"It is okay, Miss..." the child answered, unsure of her name.

"It's Johannes" she said with a kind smile.

"Thank you again, Miss Johannes" the boy spoke. "I am Alessandro."

"Well Alessandro, Venice isn't a safe place anymore, I hate to admit it."

"I do not care, I just want to go away from these mean people. I'm scared to die."

"There's gotta be something we can do, guys" Wolfgang said, looking to the others. "But what can we do? seems to be the proper question for the moment."

"He could tag along with us for a bit of ways" Karl suggested.

"Are you insane!?" exclaimed Florian.

"Well God forbid Alessandro stays in this hell and gets killed!! Don't forget he's one of us, Florian!!" the percussionist shot back at the flutist with a glare. "And I myself be damned that he stays here on his own and without a single help. He's going with us."

"And all of a sudden we're a daycare, Karl?!" the flutist retorted.

"It's better than the hell this city's become" Ralf answered quietly. "You wouldn't leave anyone of us fellow Roboter behind now, would you?"

His best friend nodded. "I wouldn't leave anyone of you behind even if it meant my own soul."

"And you wouldn't leave Miss Elizabeth and the girls behind, even though they're only human, right?"

"Right."

"Then why Alessandro, when he himself has no parents because he AND his parents all are just like us? I wouldn't leave my own child stuck in this miserable chaos, surrounded by death's soldiers. Would you?"

"No, I wouldn't if it was my child."

Ralf glared at Florian. "Then, if the child stays behind in hell, so will I."

Ralf's best friend looked at him in shock. Then he shook his head. "You... you wouldn't, would you?"

"I would, even though he's not my own son. But he is of the same thread. We mensch-maschinen have to stick together through this mess. And I'll be damned if we leave Alessandro behind to die in the hands of the Darkstrom.

"So, will the child be left behind?"

Florian sighed. "No, the child won't be left behind."

"Good" Ralf replied. "Then neither will I. Conductor Fritz, the child's coming along with us. We'll find a safe family for him to stay with at the next stop."

Fritz nodded. "You got it, Ralf. Plus, the child could be a blessing to others, since he's got a new chance to live."

Alessandro smiled at Ralf. "Thank you, Sir!!" he exclaimed, hugging Ralf's knees. The Roboter hoisted up the young one and hugged him as the gang all boarded the Trans-Europa.

Along the way to the next station at Athens, Greece, Florian sat by himself, not wanting to sit with the happy lot. He feared that he had unnecessarily angered the gang with his comments. For the most part, he only thought about himself and the gang, and was unsure about anyone else. But his train of thought derailed when a young voice spoke.

"Mister Ralf asked why you are not sitting with the others, Mister Florian."

Florian blinked and his eyes met those of Alessandro, and a sad smile crossed his face.

"I'm sorry I made those comments earlier, little one" he spoke carefully. "I didn't quite consider you one of us at the time. But when I give it some thought, a mensch-maschine is a mensch-maschine no matter what age. You're a fellow soul. I have no right to say things against one of our own."

The child-robot then hugged the adult-robot, in a kind gesture of goodwill. "It is alright, Mister Florian" he spoke in his childlike voice. "We all get mad over stupid stuff, as Papa reminded me and Mama sometimes. Sometimes you need time to think it over, get over it, and move on."

Florian smiled and hugged him back. "I guess sometimes it takes a child for me to figure out what needs to be taken care of" he said, as the child nodded back.

"Now, come on, Mister Florian" the child said, taking him by the hand. "Everyone is waiting for you!!" And with a smile he led Florian to the rest of the gang to join in the conversation.