Softly I walk downstairs. When I reach the bottom I find Lily fast asleep. But the girl is gone. Panicking, I give up on stealth and race around the house, trying to find her. What if they followed us, what if Vash is right, what if she will kill us in our sleep? I sprint to the kitchen, the first place she would go to get a weapon. I collide with her head on and knock her to the ground. Her screams I quickly muffle.
"Why are you here?" Her eyes are wide with terror, and she is shaking so bad.
"I was hungry." As if on cue her stomach grumbles painfully. I can feel her bones under me, ready to crack at any second. She looks so scared, this can't be a façade. Carefully I get up. She backs into a corner and sinks to the ground, hands ready to ward off blows. She doesn't even try to run, but she keeps her eyes on me the whole time. Oh, God, what have I done? I feel like a brick wall just hit me. Hesitantly I reach out my hand.
"I'm so sorry, it's just I didn't know if I could trust you. This whole situation is rather weird, don't you think?" She doesn't accept my hand, but a small amount of fear seems to be gone. "What do you want to eat?" Silence on her end. I debate about whether to scoot forward or not. Throwing aside my fear I grab the first thing in the fridge, and apple, and give it to her, sitting next to her. She shrinks from me, but takes the apple. Slowly she takes a bite, but speeds them up as the hunger takes over. When she finishes I take the core and throw it away. When I come back she speaks.
"Thank you." Her voice hasn't changed, that is just that nail on the coffin. "I'm sorry I scared you." Her apology stops me cold.
"Why are you apologizing? I'm the one that attacked you." She looks down. Her chocolate brown hair falls over one shoulder revealing scars on her shoulders. I can't stop myself; I reach out and touch them. She stiffens, and I pull my hand away."What's your name? How did this happen to you?"
"My name is Bridget." Struggling to form words, she leans her head back. Tears stream down her cheeks. "Is it true? Is it safe, or are you no better than them?" I wince. I will regret this day for the rest of my life.
"Bridget, my name is Ludwig. My friends and I are perfectly safe." She raises an eyebrow. "Honest. I didn't trust you before, I'm so sorry about that. I really don't want you to be hurt." The tears still stream, but she nods.
"I've been an orphan all my life. I never wanted to really be adopted by any of the people that "wanted" me, so after each failed interview, I was sent to another orphanage. Eventually I was sent to one of the more shady ones, I guess you could call it. They sold me to some men at the age of 16, and for the last 3 years I have been their slave, their toy." She chokes on the word toy. Oh no, they did not do this to her. "Sometimes when they got bored they would tie me to that pole. Whoever came would have to rescue me. There was no cell service, no way for them to get help. When they came up the hill they were shot in cold blood. Just because they were trying to help me; just because my captors were bored." She's crying for real now, and I gently pull her into my arms. I don't know why my cell worked that day, but I'm so glad it did. This torment needed to end.
"Do you remember when you were eight, and you went on a field trip to visit a Holocaust grave site? You met two men and told one of them that the dead doesn't rejoice in tears?" I feel a small nod on my shoulder and the shock waves going through her body. "That was me." She looks up. "You were the wisest kid I've ever met." Softly she grins. "What you did helped beyond what you will know. But would you be willing to let us help you like you helped me?" Again she nods.
"What the hell is going on down here? We heard some banging earlier." Roderich, Vash, and Gilbert poke their heads around the corner.
"Where's the girl?" Lily's eyes are wide but still tinged with sleepiness. When they see us they stop cold. When they finally got over their shock and surprise, the story had to be retold. By the time they finished questioning, it was 5 am. Bridget fell asleep and I carried her to cot, while the rest of them nurse cups of coffee, stunned. We all quickly agree to take her in and to pay a visit to her captors.
Kindness came a full circle that day. Not only did Bridget erase my pain, she revived German brotherhood, something we haven't really had in a while. I guess I we rescued her, but that was only by a stroke of luck, or something else. Whatever it be, stroke of luck, God, or fate, I am thankful for tt.