In his hotel room, Georg lay awake on his bed. His mind was still racing on finding Maria and the closeness he felt about finding her this time. All his thoughts, hopes, and dreams of finding her, however, were becoming defeated. He didn't understand why it was so difficult to find the one he loved. This was his last shot at it, is what he promised himself from the beginning of this adventure. His thoughts wondered to his home country and how much happier he was there. Even though being there loomed old memories of her, he still loved his country very much.

Shaping his hands into a heart he stared at the empty middle. For a brief moment he could have sworn that he saw Her face and hear Her laughter through the heart. Staring harder She disappeared and her laughter faded away. He didn't want to cry, not that he could anyways. It was time. Time to stop running around and looking under stones. Time to let go. Time to be free. It was over.

Groaning as Georg lifted himself out of his bed he began to pack his suitcase. It was time for him to go home. It wasn't so much as him quitting, he was retiring.

"What are you thinking?" Maria asked Gretl with a apprehensive eye.

"You have to see him! It would make him so happy," Gretl pleaded.

It was getting late and Gretl would have to be leaving soon, to the hotel. But, the girl refused to leave without Maria. She had, in fact, blocked the door from Maria who was threatening to carry the girl back if she didn't move. Maria didn't want any search parties out looking for the girl and for Maria to ultimately get in trouble for visiting with the Gretl so late.

"I can't!" Maria cried.

"Why not?"

"You won't understand, you're just a child!"

"I won't understand?" Gretl burst out. "I have been at home with my father since you left. The light in his eyes are gone. Every new search he starts for you there's a spark but it's not ignited! You want to know why? Well, I'll tell you why! It's because you aren't there to love him!" Gretl stepped back a tad embarrassed by her out burst of a speech towards her old governess. Her look softened as she watched Maria fall apart in front of her.

Maria's eyes were swelling with tears and she could feel her knees giving on her. Her head spun around hardly believing Gretl's words but then whole heartedly soaking in every one as the truth. Finding her voice Maria uttered, "Is that true?"

"Of course it's true! I'm not a liar Fraulein Maria."

"Well then, it's getting dark, let's go see your father," Maria said as she wiped her cheeks from the tears.

"Oh, thank you Fraulein Maria" Gretl shouted with glee and wrapped her arms around Maria's waist.

Georg stepped out of his hotel room with his suitcase in hand, his hat on his head, and his jacket hugging him lousily. Locking the door he turned and head to check out of the hotel. His children could fend for themselves, he hadn't been much help over the years for them anyways, he figured. The most he would do was leave them a letter telling them where he was and a sum of money that could suit another pair of seven kids along with his own.

Georg got inside the elevator as the doors started to close a man and his dog came running down the hall. The man was wearing large dark sunglasses and close that didn't really match. His dog was a brave looking German Shepard that wore a harness around its chest.

"Hold the elevator please!" The man said running wildly towards Georg with his hand grasped firmly to the dog.

Georg held the door as the man pulled roughly on his dog to stop running and they each slowed down to a halt inside the elevator. The dog sat down to the click of the mans tongue and waited for his next command.

"Mister, I'm blind, can ya press the first floor button for?" the man asked looking straight ahead.

"Already did, that's where I'm headed," said Georg. "By the way… How did you know I was a man?"

"That's easy," the man said with a smile, "I have a 6 sense. I can detect people's sex without even looking at them!"

"Really? How so?" Georg asked a little interested in the man's sixth sense.

"Okay, it's not really a sixth sense… I could smell your after shave as I came running down the hall." The man laughed. Georg snickered and quietly sniffed the air trying to smell himself. "Being blind heightens your other senses. So, I wouldn't worry to much."

"Thanks," Georg said. The elevator game to a stop on the third floor a woman and her son were waiting in the hall to get on. She gave one look at the dog and told them that she would wait for the next one.

"That happens a lot, you get used to it," the man said. "Where are you going back to?"

"Home," Georg said. "How did you know I was leaving, another sixth sense?"

"No, I almost fell over your bag there."

"Oh, sorry."

"It's okay. Why are you going back?"

"My search is over," Georg said rubbing the back of his neck.

"The search is never over my good man!" he said as he patted the head of his dog. The elevator doors tinged open and the man bid Georg a good day as he walked out and head to the streets.

Writer's Memo: Okay… Here's the problem. I have been brain storming endings for this story. I have managed to come up with two good ones! But, I'm having such a horrible time picking and choosing which ending I should put up and which one you all will prefer over the other. So, I'm just going to have to put them both up for you all. I hope you enjoy one for them or even both!