Disclaimer: I do not own The Book Thief.

Author's Note! (Skip if you want)

Hey guys! Multiple times I've been meaning to update this story, I've gotten so close where I've started up my laptop and sat in front of it as if willing the words to materialize itself. A couple things happened, such as me losing my Book Thief book, which has been my inspiration to even write this fanfic, other times I've lost my little outline or prewrite I made for this story that I look towards to continue you my plot (I lost it today but I still want to write). Others times I've gone through my story, and I get hung up on little errors in my story, like time inconsistencies, spelling errors and I just think my story is awful because of these little faults. Being a perfectionist can get in the way of progress to be honest. Not to mention I was experiencing a terrible breakup, that left me not writing much of anything or feeling inspired anymore. But just know I look at every single one of your reviews, sometimes I reread them and show them to close friends, smiling at how honest, funny, smart or insightful you guys can be. I love all of you guys and you inspire me to come more out of my shell and put my work out there. So this is for you. I'm posting this to tell you that I am working on chapter 13 today and it will be posted today after over a year hiatus. Thanks for believing in me when I had trouble believing in myself. UPDATE; FULL CHAPTER POSTED. Please note, The narrator, Death, writes in bold.

Love, Victoria

A/N #2: PLEASE NOTE IN THIS FIC: LIESEL IS NOW 16, BETTINA IS 14, VIKTOR IS 18 AND RUDY IS 16 YEARS OLD!

Chapter 12: I'm Going

Cont'd from Dominoes and Darkness (page 407)

They finally finish setting up the full formation when one of Rudy's sisters accidentally leans in too far. She knocks the candle over onto the dominoes, pre- maturely toppling it all over. The formation clatters down in the darkness. "Karin!" The girls all shout in unison, angry that she messed up the game. Never mind the fact that they are waiting for the other two sisters to return before they start anyway. "I-Im sorry." The smallest one, apologizes weakly, tears threatening to fall. She is always a sick child, and often picked on by the other sisters because of her stutter and frail nature. "I-I c-can f-f-fix it," she grabs the candle, to upright it. "Wait, don't!," Rudy is too slow. She burns herself. A voice of darkness emerges from the hallway. "Oh great here come the waterworks. Bettina returns and Anna-Marie follows close behind, surprisingly quiet for once. "What a crybaby." Bettina sneers as Karin starts crying.

"Crybaby!"

"Crybaby!"

"Crybaby!"

They all start chanting. Even sweet Anna-Marie. "Das reicht!" Rudy finally snapsat them. He had enough of this. Bettina always had a habit of riling up all the other sisters to misbehave. The room dead silent, besides leftover muffled sobbing from Karin. Rudy lets out a long breath of air he wasn't aware he was holding in."Bettina you've been acting horrible lately." Rudy scolds her. She only smilesback as if that is a compliment, happy that she finally got attention from him. What were his parents thinking for fostering troubled kids like her? She isn't his blood related sister, but then again none of them are. There are quite a few orphans scattered around Himmel Street due to the war. However, Bettina is different. All they knew was that Barbara Steiner was actually a friend of the family, who decided to visit her friend, she had not heard from in weeks. Instead, she found his daughter abandoned in the house. Bettina's mother was found dead in the basement and her father was missing. It was rumored that her father murdered her mother. Rudy is not sure of this and he never asked. That was just a rumor after all and he feared his mother's response to asking about such a thing. Some things are better left unsaid. And Bettina certainly never showed any trauma if the rumors were true. As far as they know, her father had just abandoned his family. He strikes another match and reignites the candle. After, he repairs the fallen domino section from Karin's previous blunder. Rudy and his "sisters" each tap a different domino, watching them fall until the tower in the middle collapses from the stress. The girls squeal in delight. Kurt walks in observing the moment.

***THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS***

It would be one of Rudy's final moments with his family.

"The Jews." He nods his head at the destruction. "What?" Rudy asks, in disgust at the comparison that their humanity was a game of destruction. Kurt ignores his question, nodding his chin toward the kitchen. "Papa wants you." Rudy shoots his older brother a quizzical glance. "Aren't they here for Mama?" Kurt shakes his head no. "She has already gone to bed." Kurt answers cryptically. Rudy winces, hoping she isn't too sick again. At least she isn't taken into custody again. He wonders if it is true. That his family had "bad blood," like his mother's doctor suggested. Well, if it isn't his mother then what would these men want with him? "Ich gehe." Rudy mumbles, getting to his feet. "Keep an eye on Bettina. Die ist nicht gut." Kurt chuckles, "Oh, bitte, die ist ein Engel." Rudy is unsettled, with the way Bettina has been acting he isn't so sure if she is such an angel anymore. Vielleicht ein Teufel. Maybe a devil, but then again so is he. Rudy stumble on into the darkness, stressing at what he is walking into. Luckily, the hallway is not too long or too short and he reaches the kitchen door in no time at all. The door opens before he could even touch the door knob. Rudy flinches from the harsh light.

"You must be Rudy." Sharp eyes, sharp face, sharp teeth. Those damn soldier instincts, must have heard him walking toward the door. They are Nazis. Instinctively, Rudy salutes them with a swift heil Hitler. They return the gesture. "Do you know why we are here?" One of them asks. Rudy sends a confused glance at his emotionless father. "Am I in trouble, Sir?" The Nazi pauses for a moment, and Rudy stiffens in fear under his intense stare. Then after about three uncomfortable seconds of staring too long. He finally cracks an awful smile. "Trouble? Boy, you are far from trouble!" He exclaims, laughing and slapping the boy on the back a little too hard. Rudy sighs in relief. He sports his trademark shark smirk. "You have the best scores in your class. In both the academic and athletic departments." Rudy swells at the praise. It was definitely because of those races he won at the carnivals. It felt good to be acknowledged for his present success. That awful teacher of his would finally be put to shame for doubting him. His torture was what motivated him to push so hard anyway. Damn that Franz Deutscher asshole! It certainly felt better than his previous failures. Finally he is getting what he deserves!

***THE IRONY***

Or so he thought. Fate is cruel isn't it?

"Our school is one of the finest ever established. We're creating an elite group of Germans of the highest caliber to defend der Führer. It would be a giant step forward, that all Hitler Youth students will eventually take." Rudy thinks they are exaggerating a little. Are they recruiting him to join the Nazi party? Tommy Mueller had never mentioned any particular invite to this special school these Nazis are talking about. As a matter of fact, he doesn't known anyone that went to said place. Well, then again who would want Tommy anyway? He twitches too damn much. The dummkopf. Perhaps maybe Rudy is just special in a way that no one else is? "You want me to become a Nazi?" Alex Steiner cuts in before the men could take offense at his blunt question. "We are already adamant about our political beliefs, gentlemen. This is a Nazi home not a Commi home, I assure you." They did not seem too perturbed at the bluntness of the overly spirited boy. A spirit that would most definitely be crushed within the first week, if not days of admission. "This is a privilege, to be considered a candidate for the party. To not accept such an opportunity would not only be an insult to the school, but to der Führer himself." Rudy swallos at this uncomfortable turn of events and hardness in the air. It is obvious that saying no would not be an option. He would have liked to bring this up to Liesel. Would he be going away? And if so, for how long? "Will I be able to visit my family?"

"Our students, take weekly breaks from schooling to visit their family." The Nazi lies to him.

***THE TRUTH WAS***

He wouldn't see her until a year from tomorrow. A year too late.

As soon, as his father signs the contract, Rudy and all of his rights, perhaps even his soul would be property of the government. Alex Steiner knows this, but all he cared about were the Reichsmarks he would be receiving from selling his boy to the Nazi party. No longer would he be starving and scrounging around for scraps to eat. This would provide revenue for the shop with a contract to sell his suits to the school's administration. Rudy eases up a little. This arrangement didn't sound too drastic as long as he is able to see Liesel. "Ja, Ich gehe."

"Ja, well Herr Steiner here is the contract for you to sign tonight. We will be back for the boy in the morning. He is only allowed to pack two outfits. Nothing else." Rudy's eyebrows shoot up, his eyes halfway popping a little. Tomorrow morning? So damn soon? How would he explain to Liesel? She was so tense as of late. He had better ask her what was up with her tonight. If she was keeping secrets.

A/N #3: YOU READ IT YOURSELVES FOLKS... BETTINA IS NOT RUDY'S BLOOD RELATED SISTER!