Liesel lay awake with her eyes wide open. She had barely slept all night and was exhausted. The only thing keeping her calm was Max's warm body pressed up against hers, his head tucked perfectly in to her neck. She found comfort in studying him, how his ebony hair fell in front of his eyes to rest on his thick lashes, how his pink lips parted gently and suddenly she wanted to kiss him awake. But he was so peaceful she couldn't bear to wake him.

He had sent her to sleep the night before with a soft humming as he ran his fingers through her hair, it was the most comforting feeling she ever felt - to be that close to someone, to be theirs. To know that they loved you more than anything on the planet. All she wanted was to be in his embrace forever and feel his touch on every inch of her body.

Her dreams were always about him. He would always be there, protecting her from the dangers of the world and melting their lips on to one another's. She sometimes dreamt that the awful Nazi's would find him and tear him away in to the shadows leaving her stuck with her parents hands on each of her shoulders. But when she would wake he would always be there with his body wrapped up in hers, his warmth radiating on to her.

This time after he sent her to sleep she woke up all too soon to find him also asleep. She had been in and out of slumber ever since.

It was seven o'clock and the first train out of Molching would have left an hour ago meaning Fritz Goldenhaan would well be on his way to France. At least Liesel hoped for this.

She could hear her mother moving around upstairs, probably impatient to hear about the party but she couldn't face her with her injuries. When she heard the door open and close signalling her mother's leave for the morning paper she quickly ran upstairs to get washed and dressed. Her bruises had darkened overnight and the cut on her head had scabbed. The bruises could easily be covered, the cut would have to be explained with an excuse and Max would have to back her up.

She made breakfast for the three of them and took a tray down for her and Max. He was awake and rubbing the sleep from his eyes, pleased to see she was up and about.

"How are you feeling?" He brushed the hair from her face to inspect the cut, placing a soft kiss to it. A flutter flew through her stomach.

"Fine. Just worried."

"You must have scared him off, he will be long gone by now." He tried to reassure her but he couldn't even convince himself.

"I won't let anything happen to you, Max. If they come for me I'll make a good enough distraction for you to escape."

"Hush." He put a finger to her lips. "It won't come to that. You assaulted an officer if he had reported you they would have been for you by now. It was different with your father, he didn't do anything other than show compassion to the wrong person."

Liesel let out a deep sigh, he was right after all. If Fritz had reported her she would have been dragged away in the dead of night. She leant forward and kissed Max deeply latching a hand to the back of his head. They kissed for several minutes and were left breathless when they parted. It was beginning to pain them that they had to stop before things got too passionate.

Rosa had arrived home to see fresh tea on the table and called Liesel to the kitchen. She noticed the cut on her head straight away and demanded an explanation.

"I may have had a few glasses of champagne last night and I'm not an experienced drinker as you know. I tripped coming in the door I'm surprised I didn't wake you." Rosa ate up her excuse and smirked at her daughter's fake drunken antics.

"I'm glad you had such a good night. Did Fritz look after you?" Liesel froze.

"Yes. He's gone to war today so he made sure to have fun last night." She poured another cup of tea and gulped it down, ignoring the burning down her throat.

"He's going to be fighting? Oh, I don't wish that on anybody." Liesel bit her lip to stop a rude remark escaping her lips. She was still too anxious, she imagined soldiers bursting in through the doors and dragging her away kicking and screaming. To calm down she went to the basement and read next to Max, both completely lost in their stories for the next few hours.

At around midday when the whole house was quiet and Liesel had just fallen asleep with her head in Max's lap, Rosa was shrieking from upstairs. At first, Max heard the door open and something smash to the ground, then he heard Rosa frantically calling for Liesel.

Liesel woke in fright but Max refused to let go of her fearing this could be the last time they ever saw each other - again.

"What is it?" Liesel leapt up in fear with Max in front of her, guarding her.

"I don't know. But it's got your mother in a fright." Liesel pushed his arm away to go to the stairs.

"No." Max begged. "You can't." But she was already running up and through the door. He shrank back in to the darkness, nerves over coming him as his fists clenched by his sides. He would be ready to take on whoever came down those steps that wasn't Liesel.

He heard her make the same noise as Rosa. With his back pressed against the cold bricks it took everything in his power to not dash up the stairs and fight off any one who was harming them. As he went to reach for a metal rod to defend himself with Liesel was calling his name.

He dropped it and rushed to the foot of the stairs. Her shadow got closer, but there was another following her, a man. Max stepped back but he stopped when he saw Liesel and a person he never thought he would see again.

"Hans?"

"Max! You're still here!" Hans Hubermaan limped down the stairs with his step-daughter and wife in tow, all grinning from ear to ear.

Hans pulled Max to him for a hug, never thinking he would see the day to come home to his family.

"Welcome home. It is so good to see you."

"I am very happy to be home. I missed you all very dearly. Liesel, my child, go to Steiner's shop and get a bottle of wine. Tonight we are celebrating." Liesel winked at Max and turned away following her orders.

Max immediately relaxed. He was so relieved Hans was finally home and the family was reunited. Rosa could relax and Liesel didn't have to be scared when she left the door.

That night they set up a small picnic table in the basement and ate a meal that Rosa cooked accompanied with a tall glass each of white wine. It wasn't the best but Liesel gulped it down knowing how different the day could have gone.

Hans told stories about his time in war even though Rosa didn't want to hear. Max enjoyed them, he enjoyed the male company he hadn't had for so long.

Hans had told them that he saw Fritz Goldenhaan board a train to France as he was getting off. Under the table Max and Liesel gripped hands, acknowledging their worries were over.

When the celebration was over and after Hans played the accordion for his grinning family all he wanted to do was curl up in his own bed next to his dear wife. They went to bed early leaving Max and Liesel alone. All their worries had been put to rest and they both couldn't stop smiling.

Liesel pulled herself on to Max's lap and poured all her love in to him with her sweet, deep kisses. They remained in a tight embrace for several minutes before breathing heavily and resting their heads together.

"Who would have thought this day would come? Papa is back with us where he belongs."

"I will admit I didn't think it would happen, but here he is."

"Maybe one day you will come home to me like that. Home from a day of work and I'll have your dinner on the table."

"And then we'll take a moonlit walk around the garden?"

"With our little dog in front."

"It doesn't hurt to dream, right?"

"It'll happen. It has to." Max sighed. He was so hopeful when Hans came home that the war would be over soon, but it was a false hope.

"Let's hope we get a letter tomorrow."

The following morning Liesel got up early to help Hans gather all his paint supplies in to a wheelbarrow and follow him from house to house. Hans wanted to get out and help those who needed it seeing as most of the men were at war and no officer would dare offer to get their hands dirty.

They went from street after street and painted the windows black in exchange for anything people could give. By the time they returned home they had two apples, five cigarettes, a few rations of bacon, a pencil, a hair tie and a lump of coal.

Hans continued about his day, even convincing Rosa to go to the pub with him on the little money they had left.

"Who knows when this pub will be blown to pieces?" He said to her.

With a tea cloth Rosa swatted him, not happy with his choice of words. But she went with him anyway wanting to spend every moment with him now she had him back.

"Liesel, a letter arrived for you." Rosa handed it her as they were leaving through the door. Liesel almost snatched it desperately from her hands.

"Anything important?" She eyed it curiously.

"It's from Frau Hermann, she promised to keep in touch." Rosa nodded and left with Hans and Liesel couldn't get to Max quick enough. She sped down the stairs skipping a step with each lunge and stumbled as she landed.

"Liesel, are you alright?" Max put down his paint brush as he saw the letter in her shaking hands.

"She has replied?" His hope was back, his desire to see the sky was bursting through his body.

Liesel tore off the envelope and unfolded the letter in eagerness. Her heart was drumming at the thought of getting Max to a safe place, a place where she could join him and they could be together in the wide open.

"What does it say?" Max's voice was urgent, desperate, he needed to feel the summer air on his skin. Liesel spent a minute reading through both sides of the paper twice, making sure to not miss a single word.

"Well?"

"She said you can go. Right away."

"What?" Max couldn't believe his ears and Liesel couldn't believe her eyes. This was really happening.

"She said you can go straight away, her husband… he's been working in Berlin with Hitler's central command. He wanted her to join him but she didn't want to leave the country so they agreed to separate. Things had been strained with them since their son died." Liesel gave the letter to Max whose eyes were like saucers, wide with astonishment and excitement.

"She lives in that big house all alone, Max. It's just her and some maids. You can go and be safe there she's promised to protect you. She said no one comes to her house except the grocers."

Max threw the letter on the desk by the paint brush and picked Liesel up, twirling her around.

Her giggles echoed the room and was joined by his bell-like laughter.

"This is it, Liesel. I can be free." Her laughter stopped and she couldn't hide her sadness at the risks ahead.

"You know I have to go."

"I know. You'll go tomorrow night when the parade is happening, it should be a good enough distraction."

"Yes. I'll be safe you know. I'll write to you as soon as I arrive."

"I'm scared, Max. I'm so scared. I'll pray for you every second of the day."

"I love you. That's all I need is your love. Your love will get me to Frau Hermann's and keep me safe."

"I love you too. Always."

Their last night together before Max's burst for freedom was spent first with a dinner joined by Hans and Rosa – they were honest with them and told them of their plan. There was a song from the accordion, a speech from both Hans and Rosa saying how much they will miss Max and that he was the son they never had, tears were shed from them all – although Rosa turned to 'sneeze' and hide hers – and then when they were left alone, Max and Liesel lay side by side and stared longingly into each other's eyes without sounding a single word. It was too painful. They knew if they began their own speech then it would turn in to a goodbye and they didn't want to say goodbye.

In the morning everyone lay in bed sluggishly due to their late night. Hans was well aware of the relationship between Max and Liesel after Rosa filled him in, he was happy they were happy but worried for Liesel in case she never heard from Max again. He didn't want her to suffer from a broken heart.

The day dragged for them but they didn't mind. They stayed in each other's arms until the sun went down and the voices of the outside world floated in to their ears and dragged them out of their dream world.

Rosa came ever so softly down the basement stairs, sweaty hands clenched together as she dreaded pulling them apart.

"Max." She fiddled with her hair, not sure what to do. "It is time." The parade was long gone now and so everyone will be at least four streets down and then soon off to the book burning at the town square. Hans and Rosa were given a free pass seeing as he just got back from war.

As if the energy had been sucked out of them, Liesel and Max stood up. They refused to let go of each other's hands as they made their way to the kitchen.

Max said his goodbyes to Hans and Rosa who gave him a suitcase of necessities and some fresh food to last the journey.

When he turned to Liesel he saw the tears filling her eyes yet refused to spill over. He felt as if his heart were tearing through his chest and falling to the floor.

She looked at him, smiling weakly and clenching her fists so she wouldn't cry in front of him. He dropped his head to kiss her forehead and whispered in her ear.

"Think of our dream. I love you." Before she could respond he was walking out the door in to the black of night.

Hans closed the door ever so quickly. They were all stood in silence, shock and sadness. How, after all this time of sneaking about, of hiding him and keeping him safe could be just be gone in a flash? Just like that?

The loneliness was overpowering. Liesel felt like she couldn't breathe, like he had taken all the air with him.

She turned and ran upstairs to her bedroom, a place she hadn't used in what seemed like forever, and furiously pulled back the curtains to see Max walking down the street.

He turned, as if he knew she was there looking at him and stopped to wink at her before turning the corner and disappearing in to the night.

Liesel was numb, like she had lost him forever. She sat on her bed and cried until she fell asleep, trying to remember his words and think of their perfect world together.

Five days had passed since Max left the Hubermann's. The house had been empty every day as they all kept themselves busy with little tasks and chores before running to the bomb shelter at night.

The bombings had increased. Britain were swooping in to take out the terrifying Nazi's not realising that there was innocent people hiding scared like their own back home in England. They just saw the enemies that must be destroyed.

On the twelfth day Liesel received word from Max that he had made it to Frau Hermann's safely. Her body trembled as she ripped open the blue enveloped letter. In it, Max described how he slept on the train with his coat pulled over his face, luckily the train was next to empty. When he got off there was Frau Hermann waiting for him in a car. She had been coming every day to check the only train that arrived there to bring him to his new home. He said she found it quite lonely in a house so big and was glad to have someone she could talk to. He was free to roam anywhere through the house and garden, there was a library grander than anything he'd ever seen and that Liesel would love it. He promised to write every week until she was ready to come join him.

As she lay on her bed with the letter resting on her chest Liesel noticed how silent the house was. There was no movement downstairs as her parents slept soundly and there especially was no movement in the floor below them.

Not that Max ever made a sound but Liesel was always aware of his presence. Now, she felt completely alone. She wanted to leave everything behind and go to him, to live their dream. But mama and papa needed her now more than ever.

There was an air raid every night now. She could sense her mother's fear as she tried to hide it under her hard face but Liesel saw the way her chest rose quickly, how her lip quivered as the sound of the bombs echoed in the distance.

Papa was used to the sounds by now after experiencing two wars, but even as he played the accordion in the dark of the shelter Liesel felt that his music was sadder than he's ever played.

Plus there was no money. She thought of writing to Max to ask Frau Hermann to send money but she couldn't even afford a stamp. It broke her heart that she couldn't return a letter to Max, to tell him that the bombs hadn't reached Himmel Street, to tell him that she loved him.

She couldn't get there if she tried. She couldn't leave her parents knowing they weren't safe.

Ignoring the ache in her chest she turned over, facing the empty bed opposite her, and fell asleep with the letter in her arms.

Please tell me what you think guys and thanks so much for reading! xxx