Hanna VS Real Life

Hanna VS Documentation

Shopping: The activity of buying things from shops

Hanna watched fascinated as the carousel moved slowly round. Bag after bag moved past her. Occasionally someone would step past her, pick one or two up and lug them off towards the exit. She looked out for David's bag. She didn't have one of her own. She was wearing her only possessions in the world. A thin jacket, a thinner shirt, jeans and trainers. The same clothes she had been given by Sophie what felt like a small lifetime ago. The only visible difference was that they were slightly cleaner.

"Where the hell is it?" He mumbled. Probably think she couldn't hear.

"There!" She said excitedly as it tumbled down the chute. She skipped forward and lifted the bag easily from the conveyor belt.

"Thanks." Said David with a smile as he hefted it from her grasp. He looked down at the bag and back at Hanna.

"What now?" She asked expectantly.

0

David led Hanna out of the Airport towards a black car parked in a VIP spot, The CIA logo emblazoned on it's side. Getting Hanna to the car was rather difficult as she kept walking into things and people. Her attention had been thoroughly grabbed by the huge glass and concrete structure that was Washington international airport. As they slowly approached the car a tall dark woman climbed out of the driver side. Her long black hair held back tightly, not a single hair was out of place. A stark contrast to Hanna who's shock of blonde hair only added to her skins ghostly paleness.

"Agent Miles." She greeted with a smile.

"Agent Hollis." He greeted back with a tired sigh.

"That bad huh?"

"I swear to god the guy next to me smelt like a used diaper." Muttered David "At least she slept well." He pointed a thumb towards Hanna who had since become fascinated by a parking meter.

"So that's the talk of the office." She stated more than asked. "She really killed Wiegler?"

"Yep." Answered David "With a bullet from her own gun no less."

"I met Marissa once. She was a scary woman." She looked at Hanna closely "She looks like an odd one."

"Hanna!" Called David. The young girl scampered over and looked up at Agent Hollis. "This is Agent Sarah Hollis." Introduced David "Sarah, this is Hanna... We haven't come up with a surname yet."

"What do you want to be called?" Asked Sarah.

Hanna's eyes danced for a moment as she thought deeply. "I don't know." She answered finally.

"Well. We'll get to that." Said David with a smile.

0

Sarah watched as Hanna became increasingly fascinated by the sights rushing past the car as it travelled through Washington. David was sat next to Hanna observing her closely.

"The city stifled her." Muttered Hanna, almost to quiet to hear.

"Stifled who?" Asked Sarah.

"Rachel." Breathed Hanna "Emotionally, creatively, spiritually."

Sarah and David shared a glance via the rear view mirror. "Rachel was Sophie's mother, wasn't she?" Asked David quietly. Hanna just nodded.

David cleared his throat before speaking again "Hanna. I'm afraid you have a somewhat busy day ahead of you. We're going to a State Department office to get you a passport, a social security card and a certificate of US citizenship."

"I'm a US citizen?" Asked Hanna quietly.

"Technically yes. Your mother was German but your father is American. As your only living relative you'll be living with him so we thought it was best to make you an American citizen."

"With my father?" Asked Hanna. "Who is he?"

"We'll get to that." Said Sophie "But first we have to get your documentation. Then we're going to the shops to get you some clothes." Sophie smiled at Hanna before turning into a large car park.

0

Hanna looked down at her passport and a memory flashed. A man with straggly hair, wild eyes and a large paper flower. In a thin room, in a fairy-tale house.

"Not you. Not you, my dear, but everyone else. We need paper and computers so we don't have to ask people their names or look them in the face. You have a good face. You look just like your father. And you walk like him, too."

Hanna wondered if she did look like her father. Or if she looked like Eric Heller. She looked down at her name. Hanna Zadek. David had asked her what she wanted to be called. When she said 'Zadek' he had looked surprised.

"Why not take your father's name?" He had asked.

"I want to be like my mother." She had answered.

Sarah looked over Hanna's shoulder. "Not a very nice photo." she said matter-of-factly "But then again they never are." She sighed "Mine makes me look like a fish." She giggled. Hanna looked at her owlishly. Sarah looked away sheepishly "But now we get to go shopping."

"Women and shopping aye." Cut in David. He walked up the corridor holding a big brown envelope which he passed to Sarah "Here's the rest of her documents. Where are you taking her shopping then?" He asked.

"Target. I've only got a budget of a hundred dollars." Sighed Sarah.

"What's Target?" Asked Hanna, handing her passport to Sarah.

"A shop that sells everything." Answered David. He turned to Sarah "I'm off, I've got to debrief with Joe."

"Your leaving?" Hanna said, with a note of confusion.

David smiled warmly at her "I'll see you again tomorrow, before you meet your father and his family. Well I suppose they'll be your family soon."

"I'm not meeting him today?"

"It'll be a bit late in the day to meet him once we've been shopping. He lives almost an hour away by car." Supplied Sarah. "We'll be spending tonight at a motel and tomorrow me and David will drive you down to Fountain. It's the town where you'll live."

"I think you'll like it." Says David, tying to cheer Hanna up. But she doesn't smile, she only looks back down to her passport photo. "Anyway, I've gotta go. See you tomorrow Hanna." David gives her a small smile before turning around and walking off to call a taxi.

Sarah tentatively threads an arm around Hanna's shoulders "Don't look so glum Hanna." She says quietly "We get to go shopping. Even if it is Target."

0o0

"Hey Joe." Greeted David with a smile. The bedraggled and visibly tired agent waved back absent mindedly. David chuckled quietly at the older agent as he gave his computer an angry growl. "The computer fighting back?" He asked, suppressing a laugh.

"Are you sure she said she was from Galinka?" Asks Joe while continuing to frown at his computer.

"Positive. Why?" Asked David.

"Because this place doesn't seem to exist."

David pulled a chair from another desk and sat beside Joe at his computer "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Said David, annoyed "I tried the CIA database, I tried the FBI database, I even tried Google. All I got was some Russian model. Did you know that galinka is old Greek for 'calm'? Because that's all I found out!"

"Did you try the old paper files?" Asked David thoughtfully.

Joe gave David a cool look. "I'm not going rooting through almost sixty years of boxes in a dusty warehouse for some sixteen year old girl."

"Her name's Hanna." Commented David with an infuriating smile "And I'll go look for it. You're obviously busy doing... whatever it is you've been doing."

Joe's cool look turned to a look of annoyance. "I've been co-ordinating with the Child Protection Service to get William Walkers home checked for suitability. Without letting anyone who might alert the press know why." Joe buried his head in his hands "It's been a fucking nightmare!"

David gave Joe a pat on the back "It'll get easier. She'll be out of our hands soon." David stood up to leave "I'll go see what I can find in storage."

0o0

William Walker sighed as the shockingly fat woman wobbled up his stairs. The oak floor creaked as she stepped across the landing towards his old study. He was not happy that his files, computer, hunting trophies and liquor cabinet were now scattered around the house until he could find a new place for them. Except the liquor itself which was hidden on the top shelf in the kitchen. The fat woman, apparently named 'Janice', finally waddled over to his old study.

"So this is where she'll be sleeping?" Asked Janice. Looking around the room from the doorway. It contained a reasonably sized bed, a chest of draws and a bedside table. They were a mix of primary colours and clashed horribly with each other and the dark pine wood panelling 'which I won't even be able to enjoy now' thought Walker to himself. "It seems nice. You've clearly spent a lot so far."

Walker put on his polite public voice "Well yes- wait? What do you mean so far?"

Janice turned and spoke in an annoyingly calm voice. "Well she'll require a school education, possibly some new clothes and a similar level of disposable income to her new siblings."

Walker almost exploded in rage 'I don't even want her here! Why should she get the same as my real kids!' But he didn't. She was a voter, and possibly a whistle-blower to the press. So instead he said "Of course, we wouldn't want her to think she was unwanted." In his 'press conference' voice.

Janice smiled, convinced. "Of course we will be making regular visits." She said as she hobbled past Walker to the stairs. Walker gritted his teeth as she began to descend them even more slowly than she had ascended them. "Hello Mrs Walker." she called to the woman at the bottom of the steps. Mrs Walker stared not so much daggers as broadswords as the CPS woman and Walker.

Nicole Walker took a small sip from her wine and replied "Nicole, please." icily.

Janice gave a small huff as she reached the bottom of the stairs "It's nice to see you again Mrs Walker." She said, oblivious to Nicole's cold demeanour.

"So Janice." Began Walker as he ushered her towards the door "the CPS will be discrete about all this won't it?" He asked worriedly "It's just with my career..." He heard Nicole give a short mocking laugh from behind him and he once again gritted his teeth in annoyance.

"Don't worry Mr Walker. You can rely on me to keep this a secret." She tapped her nose consiprationally "Anyway, I'm no one to judge. The stuff I get up to when my husband is away." She laughs as Walker suppresses a grimace "It would curl your hair. Anyway I must be off."

Walker opens the door as quickly as he can and Janice squeezes herself through the doorway. Walker smiles and waves as she trots down the garden path. Past Jenny and Simon Walker as they play with Frank the Doberman.

"So now we tell the kids." Calls Nicole from the dining room. Walker slams the door shut and follows the sound of wine being poured into a glass.

"How many bottles is that?" He asks acidly.

"Only my second glass today." Replies Nicole calmly. "But now we have to tell the kids." She reminds him "No, wait. You have to." She looks at Walker with a vicious smile as she takes a sip from her glass.

"We'll both do it." He says.

"HA! Like that's ever gonna happen!" Laughs Nicole "This is your mess, you can deal with it. What's it you say in your campaign messages." She begins to imitate his gruff voice "Like I tell my kids. You've got to own your decisions." She laughs "And when I'm in congress you'll see. My office will make sure you know what's happening. That rich. Makes me laugh every time now."

Walker sighed as Nicole walked past him to the living room. He knew she was right. He'd have to tell the kids tonight.

0o0

Sarah smiled as she and Hanna stepped out into the sun of the parking lot. "You know you are really easy to shop for." She comments to Hanna who was inspecting one of her bags contents. Mostly they contained plain t-shirts and denim jeans. "We've still got some money left. You know what, I'll take you down to American Apparel. See of we can't get you a set of clothes for occasions."

"What would be the difference?" Asked Hanna, confused.

Sarah shrugged her shoulders "They'll be nicer. And better made."

Hanna thought back to something someone had told her;

"The better made something is, the longer it lasts and the more use you get out of it before you need a new one."

Eric had told her that.

Sarah saw Hanna's face fall somewhat so she added "Come on. You might learn to enjoy shopping if you do it at a good shop."

Hanna smiled up at her shyly "Ok then."

0o0

A brown A4 envelope smacked into Joe's desk. "This was surprisingly easy to find." Said David with triumph.

Joe grabbed the envelope "What is it?" He asked.

"The only CIA file that has the keyword 'galinka' attached to it." He answered "It's just a list of names."

Joe opened up the envelope to find a single sheet of paper. The words 'project galinka' was printed in black across the top. And underneath was a list of names including Marissa Wiegler, Eric Heller and a few others. Mostly they were German sounding names, all prefixed with 'Dr'. But a couple were more English.

"I've checked most of the names already." Commented Joe "Researchers in genetics, most of them would have been Nobel Prize winners if it weren't for the fact they were Nazis."

"Nazis?"

David sat down opposite Joe "Smuggled out of Germany after World War Two for Operation Paper-clip."

Joe looked at the paper in front of him. "What does this have to do with Hanna?" He asked himself, out loud.

"I'm willing to bet that Dr Somers can tell us." Answered David. Joe looked at him questioningly "He's the only guy on the list who's till alive. But not by much, he's almost a hundred."

"Where is he?"

"Florida, a retirement home in Jacksonville." Says David.

Joe stood up suddenly "Well then we'd better get moving before he dies on us."

0o0

"This is nice." Said Sarah as she showed Hanna a long white dress "What do you think?"

Hanna inspected it, not really knowing what she was looking for. "It's white." She said finally.

Sarah sighed theatrically "Yes I know it's white. Would you like to wear it?"

"Why?" Asked Hanna.

Sarah opened her mouth to give an answer but didn't say anything. She waited and thought for a moment before speaking "Well nicer clothes feel nicer to wear. And you look nicer. Which makes you- well it makes me feel nicer." Hanna nodded with vague understanding "Would you like to try it on?" Asked Sarah.

Hanna nodded again and took the dress from Sarah. "Where?" She asked.

Sarah looked around for a changing room and spotted a teenage girl wearing a name-badge. "Excuse me!" She called. The girl turned and spotted Hanna inspecting the dress in her hands. She almost hopped over to the two of them.

She gave Sarah a big smile "Hey there I'm Kate."

Hanna looked up from the dress straight into Kate's eyes. Dark hazel framed by Kate's fiery red hair. Hanna blushed slightly before greeting Kate quietly "Hello. I'm Hanna." Kate blushed back and averted her gaze from Hanna's ice blue eyes.

Sarah took all this in with a small smile. "She'd like to try this on please." She said, stifling a giggle.

Kate and Hanna snapped out of whatever had taken a hold of them. "This way to the changing rooms." Said Kate, embarrassed. She led them through the shop to a bank of curtained off changing rooms. Hanna disappeared inside with the dress leaving Kate and Sarah alone outside.

After a brief moment Kate coughed nervously. "So are you Hanna's friend or...?"

"A family friend." She told her.

Kate rocked on her heels for a moment before speaking again "She's got a nice accent. Where's she from?"

Sarah sat down on a nearby stool. "Why don't you ask her." She answered.

The cubicle's curtain slid open to reveal Hanna in a long white dress. Her straggly hair cascaded down around her shoulders. The only thing that looked out of place on the young woman was the pair of filthy white trainers she was wearing.

"That looks good on you." Commented Sarah with enthusiasm.

Hanna looked down at herself and frowned. "Really?" She asked "How can you tell?"

"You can just tell. And you look very pretty."

Hanna continued to look unconvinced. Sarah nudged Kate in the elbow, gave her a pointed look and nodded in Hanna's direction, who was inspecting herself in a mirror. "You do look very nice." She said somewhat timidly.

Hanna turned to Kate with a smile "If you really think so."

Kate nodded furiously before turning to Sarah, who had a slightly triumphant look about her. "Will you be buying the dress today?" Asked the enthusiastic shop assistant. Sarah nodded and told Hanna to change back into her shirt and jeans while Kate told Sarah where to find the tills.

After Sarah had paid for the dress, she and Hanna made to leave. Just as they reached the door Kate came jogging up. "Sorry." She said to Hanna "I just wanted to ask. Where are you from?"

Hanna looked to Sarah who just gave a shrug. "From the forest." She answered. And for a moment Kate's face became and ocean of wonder and curiosity. Then Hanna and Sarah left.

0

Sarah watched Hanna through the rear view mirror as the young girl inspected the dress in more detail. "So." She said, after a while. "Kate seemed nice."

Hanna answered in her usual quiet fashion "She was nice."

"I think she liked you. Thought you were nice as well." Hanna answered this assertion with a small blush. Sarah swallowed and gathered her courage "Did, Eric Heller ever explain the birds and the bees to you Hanna?"

Hanna blushed even redder "He explained reproduction. But he never explained what to do when you feel, affection for someone."

Sarah suddenly became very aware she was talking to someone who'd had all of two friends in her whole life. And had actually spoken to less than a dozen other human beings. "Well. You just talk to them."

Hanna looked at Sarah, almost pleadingly "About what?"

"Well, anything. Films, books, music. Whatever you're both interested in." Answered the Agent "If I were you. I would wait till the weekend, go to the shop and ask her out for coffee. If she says yes, you both go to the nearest coffee place and talk for a while." Sarah stopped her explanation to pull into a motel car-park. "Just be confident." She added "But most of all be yourself."

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