Author's note: I normally don't do an author's note in the middle of one of my stories, but I think a bit of an explanation is in order. It took me a long time to post an update on this story. I haven't forgotten it, but RL and a writing muse on vacation made it impossible for me to write at all. A part of this chapter has been written a month ago, today I tried to write some and while I did write some, it's not as much as I wanted to. I decided to keep this chapter as short as it is, and post it anyway, keeping my fingers crossed, that my writing muse will end her vacation soon.

CHAPTER 9

Shelagh came downstairs and went over to Sister Julienne's office. When she knocked on the door and received no reply, she opened the door. The office was empty, so she headed over to the dining room. There she saw the Sisters and nurses enjoying their afternoon tea. Angela was happily sitting on Sister Evangelina's lap, drinking the little bit of tea that was left in Sister's teacup.

When Angela noticed her mother, she enthusiastically stretched out her arms to Shelagh. "Mommy!" This made everyone in the room turn towards Shelagh.

"How did it go?" Sister Julienne asked.

"We started talking," Shelagh replied. "It is babysteps we need to take, I guess."

Sister Julienne nodded. "I understand, it has certainly been a long time since you have last seen each other."

"How long has it been?" Trixie asked genuinely curious.

"More than ten years." Shelagh responded.

"More than ten years?" The blonde nurse exclaimed. "What happened for it to be such a long time?"

Shelagh shook her head. "That's still something we need to talk about. Now it is time for Angela to meet her aunt." She lifted her daughter from Sister Evangelina's lap and made her way back to her sister.

"I wonder what happened, for them not to see each other for more than ten years." Trixie said when Shelagh had left the room.

"We shouldn't pry into their lives." Sister Mary Cynthia said. "If they want to share their story, they will. If they do not want to, they will not."

"I guess you are right." Trixie huffed in exasperation, but she knew Sister Mary Cynthia was right.

Shelagh carried her daughter up the stairs. The little girl kept babbling the whole time, up till they stood still in front of the door that led to Aislinn's room. She asked her daughter if she was ready to meet her aunt. The little girl looked at her mother with wide eyes. "Aunt?" She said the foreign word with wonder, not yet knowing its meaning.

"Yes, your aunt." Shelagh whispered. "Mommy's little sister."

"Mommy," Angela said and she wrapped her arms around Shelagh's neck.

Shelagh opened the door and entered the room. Aislinn looked up and when she noticed her sister entering, she put away the book she had been reading. Shelagh walked over to the bed and resumed her place in the chair next to it, adjusting her hold on Angela, so the girl could sit on her lap.

"Angel girl, meet your auntie Aislinn. Aislinn, meet your niece Angela." Shelagh said with a smile.

Aislinn stretched her arm and gently touched Angela's face. "Hello Angela, it is nice to meet you."

Angela looked at Aislinn with genuine curiosity. "Boo-boo?" She asked and pointed to Aislinn's face.

Aislinn nodded and replied in the affirmative. It was then that Angela started writhing out of her mother's grasp, trying to climb onto the bed.

"Are you all right with Angela climbing on the bed?" Shelagh asked and when Aislinn said it was all right, she helped her daughter onto the bed. The little girl instantly crawled closer to her aunt, who made sure her niece wouldn't fall off the bed. Shelagh looked on how her daughter crawled towards her sister and how she, when she was close enough, placed her little hands very gently on Aislinn's face. "Boo-boo over."

Aislinn smiled. "Soon." Then she looked at her sister, who had a beaming smile on her face.

Lunteren; The Netherlands - 1944

Shelagh anxiously sat down in one of the chairs that the room provided. After she had been interrogated, the German soldiers had left her alone. She had stood up and checked the door, not really surprised to find it locked. It was then she started pacing around, a maelstrom of thoughts entering her mind. Aware that there might be recording devices placed in the room other than the one that was on the table, she kept quiet while she paced around, trying to form a plan of escape.

Shelagh sighed in defeat. Her elbows were resting on the table, her head rested in her hands. She wondered how her sister was doing. When they had arrived, they had placed her sister in one of the first rooms, when they had entered the building, while she had to walk further into the hallway before being placed in another room. There was no way she could communicate with her sister.

A racket outside made her alert and turn towards the door. When the door opened, the two people she had not expected to see, where standing in the door opening. While William was standing guard at the entry, Allister walked in, grabbed her hand and pulled her with him. When they stood in the hallway, the two men made their way towards the back entry of the building. Shelagh stood still, not making a move. And because Allister was still holding her hand, he noticed her not coming with them. He raised his eyebrow in question and Shelagh softly said the name of her sister.

William was keeping the door of the back entry open and getting impatient, letting the other two know they needed to hurry. Allister motioned him to go ahead and then explained to Shelagh that the Germans were interrogating Aislinn right this moment.

"But I won't leave without her!"

"We'll come back for her tonight. Right now, we need to go!"

Shelagh looked back, while she hesitantly walked the way Allister was softly dragging her to. The sound of a door opening made her realize that both men were risking their lives to get her out of there and she finally started to run, making a silent promise to her sister to get her out of there.