Hi, so here is the final chapter!

I want to say a BIG thank you to all of you who have taken an interest in this story. Your kind words are amazingly appreciated and I do intend to come back to this fandom and write another story sometime soon. Thank you all so much for reading this story and I hope you enjoy this final chapter. Again any historical inaccuracy is unintentional. This story is set in the last days of the 1930s and therefore reflects the attitudes of that time.

Disclaimer-Nothing is mine.

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Uprising

Chapter 17-Next Chapter

The final chapter of this story. Georg takes his family and flees for America. On the boat Liesl makes a decision about her future and this story comes to a close.

It had seemed like a bad dream that wouldn't stop. Even now looking out onto the horizon at the dark land mass that was Switzerland it was hard to believe that she had escaped alongside her family with most of her sanity and her body intact.

Liesl had come out onto the deck of the steamer in order to breath in some air. They had gone in second class so they could share a cabin. Her mother was taking one with the girls and her father with the boys and every day they sat in the main sitting area and played cards or read books until their dinner arrived.

The food was simple compared to what they had had in Austria but one night there was chocolate cake that cheered everyone up and the food while simple was hot and after a week off cold dinner in a hotel room was something and Liesl found that she was sleeping better. The truth of that was that she was feeling better but she didn't know if she had a right to. Rolf was dead and for better or worse he had still been once upon a time a sweet boy with blue eyes who had made her smile and laugh and who had kissed her for the first time. It was hard to reconcile that with what he had been in the end but Liesl had decided to only think of the boy who had once smiled at her with his bright blue eyes and not the man he had become. The times ahead would make men out of all the boys.

However she had decided she was not going to stay in that cabin another moment. Marta was decidedly seasick now the boat was moving in earnest and their mother was tending to her below. Louisa too did not enjoy travelling by boat and had gone to lie down. That had left Kurt and Friedrich who were happy to take care of Gretel and Brigitta who last Liesl had seen had been curled up in the corner of the cabin blankets around her with her nose in a book.

Some things Liesl suspected would never change about her sisters.

She however could not stand to be in the cramped room anymore and therefore she was now standing at the edge of the deck looking as Europe faded from the horizon as the ship turned towards the Atlantic Sea and the United States of America. To freedom. To a new life and she found that she couldn't wait.

"Liesl?" said a voice behind her and she turned to see her mother…her new mother standing there, and she paused when she saw her offering a small smile before she turned back to the shoreline that was getting darker and darker against the setting sun.

Her mother came and joined her. "Your father is checking on the children. Marta and Louisa have fallen asleep. Brigitta is still reading and Kurt and Friedrich are playing cards. I wanted some fresh air and it seems that you and I had the same idea" There was a smile shared between the two of them and Liesl turned so that her back was to the shoreline.

"I am glad that Brigitta has turned back into herself" she said finally. "I…I tried to convince her that all was going to be ok but…I confess I didn't know what the hell I was talking about…sorry" she said remembering that her mother had once upon a time been a nun.

"I do not judge you for some crass language when I think of all that you have been through Liesl. I thank God that you and your sister are unharmed…well…mostly" she said her finger brushing the bruising under Liesl's cheek in which she knew had mostly turned to yellow. Both she and Brigitta had, had a chance to bath since they had returned to the hotel and she was more than happy to see that when she rubbed soap in her hair the dried blood had come out and the dirt and the grime both inwards and outwards had been washed away. The bruising now was mostly healed and she could now see out of her eye fully rather than the squint she had been using when she had spent time in those cargo holds that had taken her from country to country unable to see or know what was going to happen or when or if.

"I am glad that we are safe mother. I am glad that we can go to safety and that we are together again, but it seems like everything has happened in a rush and…and I just need some time to breath in the air and adjust."

Her mother nodded once looking out over the sea for a second longer before she responded. "I do understand that. Leaving Austria, leaving Europe is like recognising that we have done something wrong though I have never judged your father for the choices that he has made. Your Father has always been his own man and he has always made his own choices. I knew that when I met him. But we have done nothing wrong, Liesl. We have done nothing other than say that we will not allow the people who invaded us to take control of us. If fleeing is the only way then, Rolf knew that…he knew what he was getting into I believe. And in that case then you know that you should not break your heart over his death. The boy had become a soldier. You Liesl are not responsible for anything that has happened."

"I know that" Liesl said finally leaning her head on her mother's shoulder and smiling. "But that still doesn't make me feel like I have not lost something. I know what we left behind and if I could go back and change what has happened I wouldn't. I know why we left now. I knew why we were leaving then it's just…now were free. It takes a while to get used to it"

Her mother nodded and then kissed her on the top of her head. Liesl paused. She could not remember the last time she had been kissed like that-as if by a mother. She remembered with a sudden clarity what she had said when she had first met this woman—about how she had not needed any help, or any guidance. She had been right that very same night. She did need help and guidance. She needed a lot of it. Liesl was not infallible, the last few days had proven that. She was human like everyone else and like everyone else she needed help. And the Lord knew there was no shame in asking for it. When she did, she would have her father and mother with her to guide her and help her.

Her mother left her then on the deck to stare out into the black horizon and Liesl paused again chewing her bottom lip a little in between her teeth. She did not know how long she stayed out there breathing in the salt and the clean wind, but she heard her father stand next to her and knew that it must have been a while for him to come looking for her.

"Your youngest sisters are still asleep. I managed to get them some soup, but I hope Marta will be over the seasickness soon—otherwise I fear this will be a long voyage. Kurt and Louisa have gone to get water. Friedrich has managed to drag your sister away from her books and they are getting some soup now. I wanted to see if you wanted to eat as well."

"No" Liesl said finally. "I want to see Europe disappear. It's like the nightmares and the bodies and the Nazi flags disappear. But it's hard as well—do you—do you think that someone will have found Rolf? And taken him back to his parents? Whatever happens or whatever does happen he deserves a proper burial"

Her father nodded. "I imagine that someone will have found the bodies. The details might be ignored, and I doubt Rolf's parents will ever figure out who shot him but no doubt they will be told that Rolf was part of a secret operation but died a hero in service for his country"

Liesl scoffed shaking her head and she turned back to stare at the sea. The land mass was getting smaller and smaller and it seemed every second that she was staring at it her heart got lighter and lighter.

"You did an incredible thing Liesl. Keeping yourself and Brigitta safe, waiting for me even though you had no idea what was going to happen. Keeping it together for as long as possible. You did an incredible thing. I know soldiers and sailors who would not have been able to keep as calm as you had or endure what you had to endure. I am so very proud of you"

Liesl smiled a little at the praise. It no longer felt as condescending as it had done previously but then again, she had been a very different girl then as well. She had been angry and hurt at the world but her father's words in that hotel room had made her think. She had seen the Nazi's up close and read about their plans for the world. They would not stop with Europe, France the Soviet Union, Britain, America and even Australia were the countries that were in good shape or far away enough to fight them. There was going to be another war she had a feeling the same as her mother and her father did that she and her family were going to be caught in the middle of it. The thought made her stomach turn but it didn't terrify her. For Liesl it just made her want to live her life for as long as she could and holding grudges was not how she was going to live it. She had grieved Rolf for three days and she had known him only a little time. Her father had grieved their mother and he had, had seven children with her.

"What I said on the train about you…" she trailed off as her father shook his head and smiled at her even with a tinge of sadness added to the smile. "I do understand Liesl, I do. I was not the best father. I made mistakes. I made many mistakes and I left you and your siblings and…and I took the possibility of losing you and Brigitta to wake up and see what was in front of me. I don't begrudge you your anger, I don't begrudge you a boyfriend or opinions"

Liesl smiled and meant it too. Her father slung an arm around her waist and pulled her closer so that they were hugging. It was the first hug that they had shared in more years than Liesl knew either one of them cared to count.

Finally, her father broke the silence as they hugged.

"So, do you want to tell me who gave you the money to go and buy red lipstick?"

Liesl could only laugh.

Later that night she turned around in her little cot and pulled the blanket to her. From the corner of her eye she could see Brigitta, her little partner in crime from this 'uprising' or whatever she would call this fight that had dominated her for the last few weeks, for her sister this would fade, she would always remember Rolf however. Liesl would always remember Rolf and his bright blue eyes. However, she was not going to grieve him anymore. Rolf was the past; she and her family were the future. The future that she was sailing towards and the freedom that they were desperately seeking.

This was her next chapter she thought to herself. The next chapter of history. The next chapter of her life. And Liesl was going to live it. After everything she was going to live.

She turned over again and smiled into her pillow as finally, she felt her eyes close and she fell asleep still smiling.

There you are, I hope you enjoyed both this chapter and this story and I hopefully will write again for this fandom very soon. Again a massive thank you to all of you and I look forward to writing for this fandom soon. x .