***A HOPEFUL THOUGHT***

Humans never consider what comes after the darkness

All they see is that moment of misery that they're in

Everything else seems to be blotted out

But In the wreckage of their lives, hope blooms again

They just never think it will

Liesel absentmindedly thumbed the edge of the dress she was sewing. The lace caressed her fingertips and for some reason she was reminded of sewing in Herr Steiner's shop. The peaceful clack of shears was once more around her as was the slowly cracking fireplace and Herr Steiner muttering to himself as he measured out suits.

The memory was familiar like a well worn road, but Liesel gladly allowed it to fade away, because she already knew where that road led as well as all the others. It was full of ash, dusty smoke, torn twisted bodies and broken smiles.

It was better not to dwell on the past. And while the future was somewhat uncertain. At least she and Max were together.

And that made up for it all…Liesel closed her eyes and brushed her fingers across the fabric covering her abdomen. It was smooth, just barely noticeable over the slight bulge in her middle. In truth she wouldn't have even noticed if not for the change in her body that had accompanied the protuberance.

A faint blush graced her cheeks as she imagined what Rosa and Hans would say if they knew. Hans would stare at her with a twinkle in his eyes and then he would smile and tousle her hair before giving her a hug. She shivered in the cool flat she could almost feel his arms around her now and they were both comforting and haunting. Rosa would glare at her, hands on her hips and say "Now, you've got yourself in trouble Saumensch" but her lips would be wanting to ease the permanent frown into one of her rare smiles. And Liesel was sure Rosa would show affection in one of the few ways she was capable of…an extra ladleful of her god-awful-beautifully disgusting pea-soup.

Liesel, felt acid rise in her throat and it wasn't only from the thought of the soup…it was that she would never taste it again. Not as it had been before in all it exquisite puréed, mealy repulsiveness. Not as it has tasted of home.

The only thing she couldn't imagine was Rudy. For her he was always frozen where she had seen him…a young boy—brilliantly mischievous, terribly brave and the one path she had never had and would never be able to explore fully…their journey had ended that day on Himmel street in a crash of broken-dead bomb-dusted lips and live ones covered in ash and tears.

Moisture streaked down her face, and no matter what she did she couldn't stop it. The needle she was sewing with pricked her finger and bright red blood welled out of the injury, soaking into the flowered print she was holding. She stared at the blood…and then saw again the pools of greyish-red , dust-covered blood lying in the rubble and swamping the bodies. Sobs welled anew and she pushed the cloth aside. Her arms wrapped around herself, rocking back and forth…it didn't soothe her. It wasn't the same as when Max did it.

His touch was warm and gentle. His head rested in her hair. His fingers gently brushed away the tears. His mouth carefully sought her lips and his hands tenderly gripped her as he banished the memories with the tender reminder of how they both were alive.

The clock chimed out and Liesel glanced up through a haze of tears…Hastily she dried her face even though that was almost impossible. The tears still fell as she hurried to the stove and put on dinner. Tears were still falling, as she chopped vegetables and simmered meat.

She wasn't even sure why she was crying anymore…usually she didn't fall apart like this, not even after a particularly bad nightmare. She was awake... the memories had faded back to their former place, at the front—always the front of her mind…but the achy bitterness they held didn't leave. It lingered in her bones.

She heard the door open and hastily dried her cheeks on a dishtowel. She could hear somebody moving around behind her. Max's quiet footsteps appeared behind her. His voice was tired—it almost always was—but his words were bright.

"Liesel?"

"Yes," She didn't dare turn and show him her tear—splotched face…she knew he would understand, he always understood, but today was supposed to be an anniversary. It was the same day as when they had met again in Herr Steiner's shop...It was the same day as when they had gotten married. It was supposed to be a happy day and she didn't want to ruin it. They had so few happy days.

Liesel felt Max slip his arms around her waist. His face rested in her hair and she could feel him sniffing as he inhaled the lavender scent of her hair wash. "Hmm, you smell good."

Liesel didn't respond. At that moment the sob she had been trying to stifle burst forth. She felt embarrassed as Max carefully turned her around his face creased with worry and looming over. She tried to speak but all she could do was press her face into his slightly musky shirt and drown her sobs.

"Liesel what is it?"

The words wouldn't come…She felt Max pick her up, his arms easily slipping under her hips and back. She burrowed her head further in his shoulder and closed her eyes. The scruffy stubble on his cheeks scratched her face and neck. And that only brought back another time…She had been only 14 and in a horde of marching half-dead people she had found the one face she sought. His eyes were gaunt in his face, making him seem much older than his almost twenty-six years. His cheeks were covered in a scraggly beard. He was almost unrecognizable, but she had recognized him…she always would. And the pain of the lashes falling on her shoulders and back was a crux she was willing to bear to give Max some of the hope back that she saw had fled his soul. And he had given her back the same.

Now even though she was twenty and he almost thirty-two some things hadn't changed. Each day they pushed forward, silently with their presence reminding the other why they still existed. It wasn't because they were survivors or blind luck. They had each lived because of the other and they still did so.

Liesel managed to sniffle back the tears until they were merely a trickle. Abruptly she reached up and brushed her hand against Max 's face.

He caught her hand in his and held it. His voice was quiet and tinged in worry. "Liesel what is it? What happened?"

"Nothing…" Liesel fought to avoid telling the truth, it spilled out anyway…Max was the keeper of her secrets…He understood them and locked them away just as he did with his own. "I just miss them."

Max stiffened slightly and she knew he knew what she was talking about without having to explain anymore.

Liesel sat up at little more, her face was flushed… and quietly she confessed to thing that bothered her most of all. She couldn't meet Max's eyes as she spoke. "And sometimes I wish I didn't remember them at all…I wish I had never known them…"

Liesel looked at Max then, she stared into his eyes and neither spoke. Finally Max reached out and brushed her hair back, with his thumb he wiped the tears off her face. His hand was shaking and his voice was thick and hoarse when he replied. "I wish that too sometimes."

Max continued after a moment. "I wish I never had met Hans, Rosa, or even Walter…I wished I had stayed in that goddamn flat and been taken away with everybody else…you don't know how much I wish that Liesel."

Max swallowed sharply and cleared his throat. Liesel saw his eyes were wet now, but pretended she hadn't noticed the tears starting to fall down his cheeks. "I wish every damn day I had just said 'no' to Walter and stayed behind with everybody else…I could have." His shoulders were shaking slightly as he spoke and he bowed his head and dragged a hand across his face. All the gesture did was smear the moisture across his face. Liesel felt guilty as she saw his face twist as he tried to stop the tears falling thickly. She leaned closer…Her lips were inches from his mouth as she whispered. "I'm sorry…"

Max shook his head, and then abruptly pulled her the last inches until their lips met. His kiss was gentle like a caress, the taste of salty tears was in both their mouths. Max shook his head again as he pulled back and said "Don't be sorry Liesel….because every day I also thank God I'm alive…because at least I have you."

They stared at each other and then the moment dissolved as they melted together. His arms twined around her. Her body was pressed against his. Their damp faces and lips were pressed together. Then just as suddenly the moment ended with a most unexpected end. Liesel gasped as a new sensation surged forth. "Oh!"

Max pulled back, his brows knitted together. "Did I do something?"

Liesel hesitated, and then uncertainly shook her head. She held still, her head cocked slightly to the side like she was waiting for something and then there it was again. Like a pencil poking outward from the inside. Or a new person making themselves known. Ignoring Max's startled look Liesel grabbed his hand and quickly pressed it to the fabric covering her abdomen.

"What are you doing? I—" Max broke off as he felt the motion against his palm. He turned to stare at her in disbelief. "You mean—you're –we're—"

Liesel , smiled slightly and nodded. "I wasn't sure until yesterday, I just thought I was stressed and…"

Max sat back and ran a hand through his hair. Liesel watched him for a reaction. His voice was still stammering as he said " I noticed you had –you know gained a little weight—" Liesel frowned. Max saw her expression and hastily explained "I mean you've grown up Liesel and –" Max trailed off, obviously still shocked. Liesel still waited for him to say something—something that actually had a meaning besides his awkward ramblings.

What he did was surprise her. He grabbed her and pulled her back into his lap, kissed her again and then laughed. Liesel stared in shock…it was a laugh she hadn't heard before except for that one time she had brought snow into the basement of Himmel and they had a snowball fight indoors.

It was a laugh of miracles. "You're going to be a mother."

Liesel laughed then and swatted him playfully. "And you're going to be a father. Did you forget that?"

Max's face was aglow. All the weariness he seemed to wear like clothes seemed to have fell away. "What shall we call him?"

"Him? What makes you so sure it's a boy?" Liesel asked pretending to be offended but in truth she was merely happy and surprised by how happy and excited Max seemed.

He shrugged. "It doesn't matter. As long as we don't name him..or her... Ludwig, I hate that name."

"Or Ada" Liesel gave a sniff as she remembered her least favourite teacher.

"Or Theodore"

"Or Isaac."

Max froze at that one…It was…had been the name of his cousin.

Liesel realized what she had said…but before she could speak Max gave a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, and then reached out this time resting his hand tenderly on her stomach. He watched Liesel as he said. "Let's make it something new…something entirely new."

Liesel nodded, and abruptly tossed out a random name that she had made up on the spur of the moment. Max smiled a little wider and then he laughed again. Liesel grinned and tried another. Soon they both were tossing idiotic, absurd names back and forth.

They collapsed in a heap of laughter…that soon turned to a hasty scramble towards the stove as the smell of burned dinner filled the air.

Max tossed the ruined pot in the sink and turned back to Liesel. Dinner hardly seemed important.

There was a whole new path ahead of them. And they were each determined to keep it free of the spectres of their pasts.

They collapsed back on the couch and Max rested his hand on Liesel's abdomen just in time to feel another kick. He murmured half to himself wonderingly "Something entirely new." Liesel smiled and rested her head against his shoulder, lying her hand over his.

There was the wreckage of pain and horror lying around them, but hope was blooming through the cracks.

***A LAST NOTE***
There is nothing that is utterly absolute

Even me…I've seen people snatched from my grasps…

immortalized beyond any attempt of me to take them

And just as I am not absolute neither is your pain

From every wreckage of a life

Building blocks for a future

can be salvaged

Loved it...hated it...let me know what you think. Now onto my author ramble: I love Liesel/Max more than I can say. They're beautiful to write. I'm sorry if this was slightly sappy but hey a little sap once in a while is good, right? More to come starting with the storeroom series in this same fandom. It's a look a Max while he was hiding in the storeroom before he came to the Hubermanns. Until next time...

Oh and almost forgot...if you liked this one check out whispers in the dark it's Max/Liesel too. And no...what are you thinking that was not a shameless plug *shifty gaze my readers*