A/N: This is a short chapter, I know, but this is the last relatively calm chapter before the storm of strong narrative engine. Keep reading and reviewing!

Thirteen

Maria and Dr. Falk exited Mina's room in heavy silence. Maria had held Mina's hand during her full examination by the kind doctor, and it had been heartbreaking to learn the history and stories of her abuse. But both also felt relieved that she would have no lasting physical scars, and she was now safely away from her father forever.

What they did not expect upon exiting the room was to find Liesl waiting for them in the hallway. She looked anxious and almost terrified. "Fraulein," the sixteen-year-old said upon seeing Maria, immediately going to her and taking her hands with her trembling ones. "Please come and speak to Rolf now."

"Liesl, what is it?" asked Maria, who couldn't understand what had Liesl so antsy. Dr. Falk stood silently by.

"He says he has information about Father," said Liesl urgently.

In a split second, Maria caught Liesl's anxiousness and turned towards Dr. Falk. "You'd better come, too."

Dr. Falk nodded, and all three of them hurried down the stairs, Liesl leading the way to the drawing room. Entering the room, they found Rolf sitting in an armchair, his restless legs and tightly clasped hands telling Maria and Dr. Falk right away that whatever Rolf had to tell them would be important. The look on his face told them it wasn't good news.

The young man stood up when the three entered the room, and looked hesitantly at the doctor.

"You can trust Dr. Falk, Rolf," said Maria. "He and the Captain are very good friends."

"We've known each other since we were your age," said Dr. Falk. "Helped each other out a lot in our training days, even saved my life once. I would gladly do the same for him, if I can."

The doctor's look was kind, and Maria nodded at him, so Rolf knew that he would have to trust him. After all, his sister was now safe and he had the money, so…there was nothing to lose. He took a deep breath and tried to begin, but words only stuck in his throat.

Maria spoke gently to him, her eyes sparkling with fear. "Just start from the beginning, and tell us everything you know."

Again, Rolf took a deep breath, and now he was able to speak. He chose his words very carefully, and his eyes never left Liesl, willing her not to direct the inevitable anger towards him.

Mina lay in her new bed in silence, fingering the edge of the comforter. The emotions running through her tired body were mostly relief, for being in a safe place at last, and compassion for what she knew her brother was telling the people who had been so kind to her. She hoped that they would not be angry at him for not informing them right away. She didn't really see that happening, though; both Maria and Liesl were such good people.

A soft knock sounded on her door. "Come in," she said absently, trying not to pick at a loose thread at the edge of the comforter. It wasn't until the door shut that she looked up to see who had entered the room. Immediately she gasped and pulled up the comforter to cover everything below her wide eyes, which stared at Friedrich.

"Please," he said immediately. "I want to explain myself about…that day. I promise it will be worth your time, and I hope it will change your mind about me."

Mina gave him a long, searching look, and saw nothing but sincerity and repentance in this boy her age. If he had any idea that I used to have a crush on him before that happened…For that reason, Mina wanted to turn him out there and then. But also for that reason, the stronger part of her wanted to hear any kind of explanation. So she just nodded, lowering the covers so they didn't hide her face.

Friedrich took a step closer to the bed, stopping at the foot of it and not daring to come closer. But his pleading gaze never wavered. "You remember Fritz and his gang from school?"

Mina nodded with a grimace. She had avoided those boys at all costs at school, for they were nothing more that ignorant bullies hiding behind a cool façade. "You hung out with them quite a bit last year."

Friedrich now grimaced, too. "Yes…I don't know now if I was fully aware of what they were capable of doing when I was with them…either I didn't see or I wouldn't see…Until the day when they planned to dump fish scraps from the roof onto the first person who came out of the building." He sighed heavily. "I didn't know they were going to do it until I came to the roof and saw the bucket. I tried to stop them, especially when I saw you had come out, but they wouldn't be stopped. I looked over the edge to see if you were all right, and didn't know that the others had all run away…so they wouldn't think they had done it, and I had…I cut all ties with them after that." He held up his right hand. "That's the honest truth, Mina. I hope you can accept that, and how sorry I am for what happened."

While he had talked, her eyes had never left him, looking out for any sign of a lie or falsehood. But she found none, and couldn't deny the tremendous relief she felt at that. But there was something else that just made no sense to Mina. "But…why did you fall in with those boys in the first place? I was so surprised, and so was everybody else."

Friedrich bowed his head, his face full of shame. He stepped closer to Mina as he looked up again, wanting and needing her to understand what still shamed him so much. "I didn't really know at first…but I think I do now. It's the same reason my siblings and I always pulled pranks on the governesses my father had brought in for us…

"You see, I've always looked up to my father. I grew up hearing of how he was a naval hero and a good man, and when I was young he was a great father. After my mother died four years ago, he changed completely, and treated my siblings and I like sailors on his ship. I wanted to please him so much, make him the way he was before…I worked hard in school, played well in sports, looked after my little brother and sister, tried to do everything right so he could be proud of me. But when that didn't change him…it made me angry and hurt. If I couldn't get his attention by doing everything right, then I would get it by doing something wrong…It's the same reason we always pulled pranks on our governesses in the summer…Does that make sense?" he finished, his eyes praying that she would.

Mina did indeed understand, and felt any last traces of anger for Friedrich fade away. "Did it work?" she asked softly.

To her surprise, Friedrich smiled and almost laughed. "Not until Fraulein Maria came. I still don't know what exactly made my father change that day we fell in the lake…but I don't care. He became our father again."

A small smile came to Mina's lips, even as her heart twisted. Thinking of where his father was now, and that he didn't even know what was happening, made her eyes fill with tears. But somehow, she knew that it wasn't her place to tell him right now. So, she merely nodded to show her understanding, and asked, "How in the world did falling in the lake lead to his change of heart?"

To her relief, Friedrich chuckled and scratched the back of his neck – the same thing his father did when embarrassed. "Well, that's a long story…"