Authors Notes: If you haven't watched 'Pimpernel Smith' this won't make any sense.
In a Heartbeat
Chapter 1
Donali
Back in Germany again the good and respectful Professor Horatio Smith walked through the darkened streets of Berlin. Every so often looking up from the book in his hands to catch a glimpse of what was inside a shop, or paying attention to the traffic around him. Once or twice he stopped for a moment or two then continued on. He did this for about six blocks until he got to a restaurant where he walked in and folded his book and continued deeper in only to hear rustling outside and then a faint scream.
When he walked out and down the alleyway next to the restaurant there were five boys beating up on a rather small girl. The little girl was holding her arm which seemed to be bleeding. She looked up at him, her little legs buckled and she fell to her knees. The boy whose back was turned to her walked over to her and punched her in the face. She fell back and onto the pavement.
Horatio gasped when the boys seemed to close in on her and kick at her. She covered her head with her arms and pulled her legs up to her chest in an attempt to protect her more promising organs.
"Is it German custom to beat on someone not big enough to protect themselves?" He asked the boys who seemed to run off as they heard his voice. "Apparently its also the custom to run away from those asking questions.
Horatio walked over to the young girl who was groaning and coughing. He leaned forward and touched her cheek. she recoiled from his touch and batted his hand away in a obvious attempt to protect herself. It was a wild shot, it didn't even touch him.
"Are you able to stand?" He asked trying to pick her up. She slowly stood up and walked for a few steps only to fall back into his arms.
"Well I always imagined a woman would fall for me, but I didn't expect someone so young." He said and picked her up.
He walked her through the town back toward his inn. He could feel the little girl under his watchful gaze. When he finally had her under a lamp light he could see the wild red hair, and her eyes were only partly closed. She was awake, just not able to move or fight back.
"Whats your name?" He asked the child who breathed deeply for a moment trying to find the energy to answer.
"Donny...people call me Donny." She said.
"Donny...isn't that a boys name?" Horatio asked. She rolled her head from one side to another. In doing so he could see the bruising on one side of her head. She had a concussion, apparently one of the kicks had hit home. "Is there a place you can go? Wheres your home?" He asked. She slowly looked away from him apparently Horatio's German was thicker then he thought. Apparently she thought he was a native.
"I'm hiding...they took my parents...they're dead. Gas chamber and all. Saw it myself from on top a building. they went in...then burned. Been on my own ever since." She said trying to push away from him. She wasn't very strong, actually she was very very light. Perhaps some food will do her.
"So your a Jew then?"
"I ain't anything." She said and stopped pushing away when Horatio put her down. She wobbled for a moment before sitting down on a bench. They were right next to the park.
Horatio looked around for a moment before sitting down next to her. "So no home...where do you sleep?" He asked and pulled a pipe from his pocket. He felt around for anything in his pockets and discovered his good lighter was gone. He sighed and went to put his pipe away when he saw a small flash and he turned to look at the girl who was holding up his lighter, and the flame was bright.
"I survive on the skills I picked up. You ain't gotta worry about me, you can go on your way."
"So I saw." He said pointing behind him.
GROWL!
Horatio jumped up and looked around. He however spotted the young girl blushing under the lamp light. He knelled down and lifted her face to look at him. "Are you hungry."
"I'm always hungry these days." She whispered and stood up.
"Here...let me at least buy you something to eat...alright?" He said and held out his hand. She looked at it for a moment and then took his hand. She didn't' know why, she didn't want to know why. Things were confusing enough these days without to much of that thinking. But...whenever she looks into his eyes she just feels so safe.
"Is there anything you like to eat?" He asked and she pointed to a diner that was close by. "Thats simple enough." He said and walked inside.
Once sitting down the waitress brought Donny over some milk and Horatio a coffee which he pored tons of sugar, and milk into before taking a sip and nodded.
"Want some coffee with that sugar?" Donny asked. Horatio made a soft scoffing noise before setting the cup back down and looked over the menu.
"Hi...my name is Donali...whats yours?" She asked holding out her hand.
"Oh I'm so sorry I never did introduce myself have I?" He took her hand and shook it. "Professor Horatio Smith. I'm here to look over a dig that was found on a strawberry farm not to far from here." He said and moved his coffee from the center of the table when there salad was place down in front of them.
"Your into that history thing hum?" She asked looking at the ring on his finger. It was a large black opal with a golden flower in the middle.
"Well yes, it does run in my family since my great great grandmother Lady Eve Blakeney." He said and looked over the salad as he pored some dressing over it and picked up his fork.
"I well when I was in school I used to love History and art." She wasn't even using a fork, as a matter of fact she didn't even bother to put dressing onto the salad. A few moments later a plate of chicken, potatoes, and corn was placed in front of them with an extra plate of rolls. Donny looked at it all and picked up her fork and began to mix the food together.
"Didn't your parents ever teach you any manners?" The professor asked. The little girl looked at her food and then his and shrugged.
"Whats the difference. Its all going to end up in the same place." She said and began to eat. Horatio was going to have to take this girl very seriously and treat her a bit differently. She wasn't...normal anyways.
"So how long have you been on your own?"
"Oh..." She looked around at a man reading a news paper and squinted before counting on her fingers. "a year and three months." She said and continued to eat and then pick up a roll and scarfed that down before a piece of fresh pie was place in front of her which she promptly scared down too. Horatio was beginning to wonder where she was putting it all.
Suddenly she stretched and yawned. She put down her now empty glass of milk before exhaling. Horatio looked up at the clock, it was two in the morning and he was do at the dig at 8 in the morning. He reached over to put his money on the table before standing up and held out his hand. She took it expecting it to be a hand shake to say good bye. But he helped her out of the booth and walked her out of the diner.
"Well it would seem your in need of a bath and then I suppose on my way to the dig I can drop you off at an orphanage." He said and walked along.
"Orphanage...I'm not going to any stupid orphanage...the one here abuses kids, makes them work for the Nazi's..." She held up her fingers. "I got away after they tried to take my finger nails off!" She said showing him the two missing from her thumb and first finger. He wasn't sure if she was lieing to him or if she was telling the truth.
"Alright then...perhaps...well...I'll ask around." He said and walked up the steps to the hotel he was staying in. He held the door open. "Come on then. You can stay the night in a warm bed for once."
"Hey...my door don't swing that way. Thanks for the dinner...but I don't...do stuff like that." She said. It took the Professor a few moments before realizing what she meant.
"Oh no no...not that. My room has two beds. I was going to be here with another archeologist but he was called away on family matters so I'm here on my own." He said and held the door open again. "Come on then." Donny looked at him again and slowly walked in and followed him up to his room.