Lenora rest her head on her palm while she graded her papers in the teachers' lounge. But that didn't mean she was really focusing on her work. A deap chuckle was all it took to draw her attention away once more.

"I know vvhat that look means," Uhl opened the fridge and pulled out his lunch.

"I...I don't know what you're talking about..." Lenora avoided his eyes.

Uhl laughed again, "Please, Janeth. Even the students have seen the vvay you look at him."

Lenora blushed and ducked her head.

Uhl sat down across from her, "And anyvone who has ever been in love knows vvhat that look means."

Lenora looked up. The other teacher had set out his food but he wasn't eating. He held the fork in his hand and stared down at the plate. Lenora saw the small smile on his face.

"Uhl? Do you-"

"Ja. I know. You look at him the vvay I looked at my Susana."

"Susana?"Lenora repeated, 'His truck?'

Almost as if he had read her mind Uhl shook his head, "No,not my truck. Susana vvas my vvife."

Lenora's jaw dropped.

"She is the reason I came Arcadia. VVe vvere only married for a year before...*sigh*...before the cancer took her from me."

Lenora covered her mouth to muffle her gasp. She had never know. She wondered if anyone eles did.

"Wh-what happened?"

"I fell into alcoholism," Uhl admited, "But it vvasn't long before I realized that vvas not vvhat Susana vvould have vvanted. I knew I couldn't stay vvhere I vvas. I needed a place to start fresh. I overheard a couple in the bar mention a small, isolated town in America called Arcadia Oaks. They just happened to be searching for a Spanish teacher. So...I left Austria and came here."

Lenora wiped her eyes, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pried."

Uhl wiped his eyes as well, "No. Thank you for listening. There are not many people I vvould feel comfortable sharing that vvith. But you know, there is only vone thing I vvould have changed."

"What?"

Lenora had never heard someone say they regretted finding their soulmate before.

"I vvould have told her how I felt sooner. I vvaited four years before I told her. If I had told her sooner, I may have had more time vvith her. Don't vvait to tell him how you feel. You never know how much time you vvill have."

Lenora looked back at her papers. She had almost forgotten how this conversation had started.

"Wh-what if he doesn't feel the same way?"

Uhl stuffed a forkful of his food into his mouth. Making Lenora wait while he chewed.

"You'll never know if you never ask."

Lenora smiled and packed up her work, "Thank you, Uhl. For the advice and for trusting me enough to tell me about Susana."

"You can call me 'Karl' if you vvant. VVe have vvorked together for five years. I don't know vvhy you all insist on calling me by my last name."

Lenora rubbed her forehead and chuckled quietly, "In that case, you can call me 'Lenora', Karl."

LLB

Lenora made her way up to the music classroom, determined to say what was on her mind this time. When she walked threw the door, Otto was sitting and playing at his piano like he usually would.

"Ot-"

She noticed his shoulders shaking as he played his quiet song. He was crying.

"Otto?"

He sat up and gasped. She knew he was whipping his eyes. Lenora walked up and sat beside him. For the first time since they had met, Otto avoided her eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nozing, Lenora. Nozing for you to vvorie about." He forced a smile.

Lenora reached forward and wiped a few stray tears off his cheek, "Please tell me, Otto. You know you can tell me anything."

Otto tilted his head before reaching up and undoing his tie and unbuttoning the tip button of his white button down. Lenora forced herself not to blush. From under his shirt, the short German man pulled out a silver locket on a thick chain. He opened the locket to reveal a tiny painting of a woman holding a baby. The baby was crystal clear, with bright blue eyes, thick black hair, and a little blue dress. The woman was more faded, only her smile visible and her black hair was mixed with grey, her dress was a dark brown.

"Mein Mama und Baby Schwester," Otto explained, "I painted it from memory. Today is ze day zey...zey vv-vvere killed."

Lenora put one arm around Otto and rest her head on the top of his head.

"I-I vvas out in ze field picking flowers for Mama und came home to...find M-Mama dead. Liza vvas gone. I couldn't find her anyvvhere. Sometimes I zink, if I had been home, I may have been able to save zem."

Lenora squeezed him, "No. Don't think like that!"

"I know it-it vvasn't my fault. I-I just vvi-vvish I could have done somezing."

"You were just a child! Not like me."

Lenora slammed her hand over he mouth, eyes wide. Otto leaned back and looked up at her.

"Was?"

Lenora looked away, "I didn't mean to say that."

Otto rubbed her back, "Who did you loose?"

Lenora felt her throat contract. Otto continued to rub her back gently and pulled her closer.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't vvant to, Zaubermous. It's alright."

"I didn't lose him. I gave him up."

Tears welled up in her eyes. Now that she had said it, she couldn't stop talking. Tears splashed down her cheeks and she squeezed Otto again.

"Hi-His father. I-I had to prot-*hic*-protect him from his f-father. So I g-g-gave him u-up while I covered our- our tr-tracks."

"Is zere no chance of getting him back now zat his Vater is out of ze picture?"

"I-I keep trying but..."Lenora choked, unable to continue.

"VVas it a closed adoption? VValt und I know People Who might be able to help you?"

"Th-there was no adoption. I had only intended to leave him with her while I got his father off my trail. When I got back, I found out she wanted to keep him. She had even forged the paper work. Saying she was doing it as-as part of covering our tracks."

Lenora wiped her eyes but didn't let go of Otto, "You're good at hugging. You know that?"

Otto chuckled, "Toby und Mary tell me zat often. Now, who am I going to have to fight?"

Lenora shook her head, "I can't fight her. She's my sister. She knows how to undo all the work I did to hide us."

Otto's eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped. Lenora gasped and covered her mouth again.

'I have got to learn to watch my mouth!'

"Eli. Eli is not your nephew."

Lenora shook her head.

"Zat is vvhat you and Maranda vvere fighting about at ze barbecue."

She nodded again. Otto reached up and whipped the remaining tears off her face.

"You still vvant him back?"

"More than anything in the world!"

"Vvell, zen I vvill help you. He is your son. Everyzing you did vvas to protect him."

"But I already told you, if I try to fight her, she'll undo everything and Eli will be in danger again."

"Zen vve'll just have to do it in a vvay zat keeps her satisfied as vvell, vvon't vve?"

Lenora chuckled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Now, vvhy did you co- mph!"

Without a second thought, Lenora kissed him. After recovering from his shock, Otto placed his hands on her waist and pulled her closer.

"So...does zat have anyzing to do vviz vvhat you came to me for?"

Lenora blushed and bit her lip, "Kind of? That wasn't exactly how I intended it to go down... What are you doing on Saturday?"

Otto smiled, "Toby und Mary vvill be vviz zier Gott Parents zis vveekend so I'm free all vveekend."

"Alright. How about we track down the Borito Bandit Taco Truck and grab a bite?"

"Alright. Und, since my house vvill be empty, vve could go back und vvatch a movie."

"Alright." Lenora smiled.

Otto smiled up at her, gold tooth catching the light, before he leaned up and kissed her. The movement blocked them both off balance and they fell off the piano bench. Otto's face hovered inches above her's.

"Es tuit Meir leid, Lenora!" He gasped.

"Damn it, you two! This is a school!" Lawrence groaned from the hall outside.

"I guess you took my advice a little to much to heart, Lenora," Karl teased.

"This/Zis isn't what/vvhat it looks like!" Her and Otto shouted.

"Whatever you to say. Let's give the lovebirds a little privacy," Walt proved to be no help, "I'll pick Toby and Mary up from Nana's for you, Otto. See you at home."

The door closed and Otto and Lenora exchanged a look of exasperation. Otto lay his forehead against her's.

"VVe are never going to hear ze end of zis..."

"Nope."

LLB

That ending was not planed...it was definitely not in the original version of this chapter...I don't know how this happened...

Also, I promise there are chapters about characters OTHER than the Scaarbachs! I promise! There was just a lot cut from their chapters early on. So much was cut...