Thank you times a million and ten to the reviewers so far! I'm extremely happy you guys like this story because I'm pretty content with it myself.
this is for you guys.
I'll try and have a new chapter up tomorrow afternoon or evening before OR after degrassi.
Disclaimer on page.
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The familiar melody of Fur Elise filled the air of the dance studio as Jude sat in front of the upright piano playing as Thomas sat beside her on the piano bench, listening intently. They'd been there for a few hours, they'd danced, she sung, and they both exchanged stories. Now she'd told him that she would play the piano for him. "I used to play when I lived in Germany, taking classes from one of the best teachers in the city." she explained, her fingers dancing over the ivory keys. "Then when we moved to Holland, my parents put me in dance classes. It was nice to be good at something besides school. Then one thing after another happened when Katinka was born, and the classes disappeared like my bike just did." she said, referring to the natzi's taking citizen's bikes in the middle of the night.
Thomas smiled, looking at the side of her face admiring her beauty. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, never messing up the keys. He smiled and blushed lightly, quickly looking out of one of the windows where snow had begun to fall. She giggled lightly playing all by memory.
After a while, she stopped playing and turned to look at Thomas. "Do you think something bad will happen? Like my Vati said? That the gestapo will come..or suspect?" she asked, her voice suddenly shakey and child like. Her blue eyes glossed over, looking at him questioningly. His heart fluttered looking back in her eyes, past all the walls she put up.
He could see that inside she was just as scared as he was, that she feared for her family as he did his. He seen that they weren't that different at all, but what did make them different made a huge deal right now. Her fingers reached up to finger the gold cross around her neck.
"I wish I had a reassuring way of telling you yes, that everything would be okay..just so I could see that smile again. So that worried look and tears would disappear." he took one of her hands and held it against his chest. She felt his heart beating hard under his knitted sweater. "But, girl..I'm just as scared as you are.." he confessed quietly, stroking the top of her hand with his thumb. "We can do nothing but hope..hope and on your part, pray." he said, gesturing towards her cross. She chuckled sniffling, and smiled half-heartedly. "Ready to go?" he asked, reaching up and wiping a tear from her cheek. "School is out and my mother will be worrying if I'm not home right away.."
She nodded and stood up as he did, straightening the skirt of her dress looking down as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. Thomas walked to the middle of the room where they'd discarded their coats on the floor when they were dancing. He held hers open so she could slip hers on first. "danke." she said, buttoning the buttons and pulling the scarf out and tied it around her head. She walked over to the piano, covering the keys and walking over to the door where he was waiting patiently. She pulled the door open and a gush of cold air came through. He took her hand in his as they walked through, closing the door behind them.
She blushed lightly as they walked down the steps carefully, smiling as she pointed out the snow falling. Just as she was about to open the door that led to the alley, the doorhandle began jiggling and a banging accompanied the jiggling. Jude froze in her spot, while a look of bewilderment covered Thomas' face. He heard a fast very mean german approaching whoever was at the door. A bit of the wood cracked as the annonymous person kicked at the door. Thomas knew if they were to get caught together, even if they were just friends, he'd go to Buchenwald six days too early and Lord knows what would happen to Jude. He hadn't know her that long, but he could tell she would have a spunk to her.
Thomas' other free hand clamped over Jude's mouth just as a string of half sobs half whimpers left her mouth. "Shh, Jude!" he whispered in her ear, backing them up until they sat on the second step. The angry german went on outside and Jude closed her eyes, trying to imagine herself away. Suddenly she heard the cocking of a gun, and a loud shout then a shot. Thomas was quick to pull her to his chest as the shot rang out, and she let out a blood curdling scream muffled by his hand and jacket. Thomas swallowed heavily, hearing a spitting sound then the clack of his boots walking out of the alley.
He pulled her up to look at her red face, wet with tears. She reached up pulling his hand off her mouth, but keeping them intertwined. "Take me home...please." she whispered, her voice gravelley and hoarse. He nodded helping her stand up, wrapping an arm around her waist for support. "Let's go then.." he murmured as she leaned her weight unto him. He pulled the door open, poking his head out before stepping fully into the alley with Jude in tow. Her eyes caught sight of the dead body, evidently a jew, laying sprawled out in the middle of the alley.
She kept her eyes on the ground as they walked through the thick of people on Prinsengracht. The yellow star on his jacket and the non existent one on hers, and their intertwined hands were clear in the open. As they approached their apartment building, she spotted natzi's outside just standing. It made Thomas's heart jump to his throat and stay there. He dropped his arm and her hand, as they got closer and in sight. She put her eyes down as she walked past them, noticing their spit shined boots and straight legged pants, the rifle and the natzi badge sewn onto the arm of their jacket.
She pushed the door of the apartment building open and once Thomas was in the small lobby, she collapsed on the black and white tiled floors sobs wracking her body. "It's not fair.." she whimpered, her forehead on the floor and her hair covering her face in a curtain. Thomas didn't say anything, just stood there for a second before stepping forward to scoop her up in his arms. He smiled sweetly as she curled up towards his chest, holding onto the flap of his jacket crying.
After three flights, he knocked on the door of The Harrison residence. He heard a clack-clack-clack of heels and the door swung open. Victoria's eyes first noticed Thomas's distressed look and Jude curled up within his arms. "Oh come on in.." she whispered, pulling the door fully open and letting Thomas walk through. He stepped through, walking to the sitting room and setting her on the couch softly. He bent down beside her, pushing a thick of blonde hair from her face. "Jude.." he whispered, and her eyes opened up. They were filled with tears and glossed over with fear.
She knew how closed they'd come to death..or something equally terrible. Victoria's hand went immediately to her mouth seeing her daughter's state. She tugged at the buttons of her jacket, but unsuccessful in getting them undone. Thomas sat her up straight and unbuttoned them gingerly, and peeling the jacket from her shoulders. She seemed to sag to the front, and he layed her back down. "Don't go.." she whispered, holding onto his arm with the little bit of strength she had left.
He nodded, and looked over at Victoria. "What happened?" she asked quietly, looking from Jude to Thomas. He glanced quickly back at Jude, and she shook her head. "We seen someone get...shot." he said, taking her hand in his. He rubbed the side of her head softly and looked at her. "She'll be fine, Mrs. Harrison. She just needs some rest.." she nodded, and he sat down on the floor beside the couch.
Jude couldn't sleep as she layed there on the couch in her living room, she stared invalidly at the light green wall across the room. Sometime after that, Edward walked through the door. "Victoria, Jude, Tinka..I'm home." he called, hanging his jacket and hat up. He walked into the sitting room, glancing at Tinka doing plie's near the window then at Jude and Thomas on the couch. He fluidly walked over to Jude and sat down beside her, scooping her up into his arms. "What's the matter, süsse Torte?" he asked, kissing her hair and holding her to his chest. He hated seeing his daughter like this, it didn't make him happy at all. He'd had enough of this war, and in the back of his mind prayed that it wouldn't last long.
She didn't speak, she just held onto his jacket, burying her face in his neck finally feeling completely safe. Her eyes closed, and she drifted off into a sleep without realizing it.
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Jude sat up on the couch, noticing the curtains were drawn and the sitting room was empty, besides Thomas sitting in the chair at an angle to the couch reading her book, Farewell To Arms. She smiled at him as he read, and she pushed herself up. The movement caused his eyes to lift from the page. "Hey there.." he said softly, closing the book and moving to sit beside her. She nodded, rubbing her eye. "You feel better?" he asked, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "Yeah.." she said, smiling a little. "Has my father.." she began, and as if reading her mind he cut her off. "Not yet, Katinka should be going to bed soon, I heard your mom tell her..and then." he nodded, and she leaned into him.
"Jude.." he said, and she sat up looking at him. His brown eyes reflected her blue ones and he leaned in just the tiniest bit, until he heard Katinka's feet pattering through the dining room into the siting room. They pulled away quickly and they averted their eyes to other corner's of the room as her mother and Katinka passed, her singing some song in dutch. When they were both out of the room, Jude's face immediately flushed a deep red and Thomas let out a heavy exhale. Close call, as much as her parents hated the natzi's and all they stood for, she wasn't sure how her mother would react to her crushing on a jew boy. She made a mental note to ask her about that later.
Thomas knew all too well that if he were to get tangled up in Jude, especially in these times, things would get complicated..or mistaken. He couldn't break their friendship they had spent the afternoon building with some stupid kiss. He respected her too much to do something like that, and in the back of his mind he feared that the events in the upcoming months would do just that.
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