Following The Map that Leads To You

A Small Surprise

ITS FOURTH OF JULY TOMORROW YOU GUYSSSS

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Whirr...

'Rudy...'

Whirr...

'Rudy, wake up!'

Whirr...

'God, Rudy...'

Whirrrrrr.....

The machine slowly died down as a blond haired, brown eyed book thief stoped the sewing machine. Looking up from the half-tailored suit she was working on, Liesel Meminger sighed as she remembered the Himmel Street bombing.

She stared down at the blue fabric, biting the inside of her cheek.

Alex Steiner, noticing Liesel's sad face, instantly became worried.

"Liesel? Alles gut? Is everything alright?"

Liesel plastered a smile onto her face. "Ja. I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"About Rudy, and Mama and Papa." Liesel had decided a long time ago that it was a better idea to be honest then to lie. Because lying to Alex Stiener was a bad idea- the man usually could see right through you, if he looked hard enough.

Alex walked over to the girl and placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "I do too. If only I had sent Rudy to that school, he would still be alive. If Mex had not been a Jew, perhaps he would not have been targeted. But I cannot change the past, Liesel. None of us can. We can wish and pray and cry, but we cannot change what has already happened. That is the rule of life that no one can break. But I do know that Rudy is in a better place." Alex smiled sadly. "He is probably painting his face and running like Jesse Owens again."

Liesel chuckled softly, but the smile did not reach her eyes. And Alex noticed this. "Another thing I do know is that even though my son is dead, he is watching over you, im Himmel. In Heaven. Verstehst du?"

Lisel looked down, remembering the kiss that tasted of regret. "Ja, Herr Steiner."

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A blond haired boy with blue eyes walked through the crowded streets near the Himmel Street bomb site. It had been two years, and still, some debris was still clogging the street. His clothes were ragged, his eyes tired. He held a small suitcase in one hand, the other hanging limply at his side. Suddenly he saw a shop in the distance, and his eyes brightened instantly. He ran towards the shop until he was standing directly in front of it, across the street.

THE SHOP'S NAME:

Steiner: Schnieder

A BRIEF TRANSLATION:

Steiner: Tailor

Inside the shop, a girl in a red buisness dress (Or a dress that looked like one from afar) with blond hair elegantly tied back into a bun sat at a sewing machine with piles of cloth surrounding her. Watching the young woman, the boy watched her get up and exit the building. A man in a white blouse and suspenders called after her, "Remember, Liesel, come back at three o'clock!"

"Ja, Herr Steiner!" she called back, and walked away. The boy's blue eyes widened. Could it be...?

He ran after the girl, across the street, until he was a few feet away from her. "Saumensch!"

She kept walking.

He tried again, louder this time, instead calling her name. "Liesel!"

No response.

Finally, he yelled out her name into the busy street. "Liesel Meminger!" This time, she froze, and turned around. Her eyes scanned the area, looking for the person that had shouted out her name, until they landed on him, and she looked confused.

Then she paled. "R-Rudy?"

Slowly, carefully, she stepped towards him. "Rudy Steiner?"

He said nothing, tightening his grip on the suitcase.

"Saukerl? Is that you?"

He said nothing, kept his mouth closed, but let out a charming smile, shrugging.

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For a moment, Liesel simply stood there. She had watched him be brought out, dead, nonliving, in front of her, and...

Her head was spinning. She said nothing, thought of nothing, except for one thing.

A PEEK INTO THE MIND OF LIESEL MEMINGER:

Rudy... How?

And the next thing she knew, her lips had crashed onto Rudy's.

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Well there you have it. A nice ol' cliffhanger. I'm trying to write like Markus Zusak here. No flames please.

I think Rudy and Liesel were fourteen during the Himmel Street bombing, so they're probably seventeen in this fanfic.

*sobs* Rudy, why did you have to die?
~dania