Erich was a large man, and he had made sure his sister was safe before he let himself have a moment of peace. It was not a moment he wanted, not in the place he wanted, and he spoke no English. He managed to get the people here to give him a couple glassed of water though by pointing and grunting. They were reluctant to give him much else though. That was alright, he would make due.

He turned and looked around the bank, his blue eyes managed to settle on a woman who looked much like him sitting on a bench against the far wall. He made his way over to her and spoke in German.

"How much money are we supposed to earn for these people? I was always alright with making money show up out of nowhere you know. I could give you half of what I make, and we could then give them the same amount every day. That way, you aren't the favorite for being the smart one and I'm not the favorite for being the big one."

It was then he decided they were safe as they could be and sat on the floor beside her.

Adele smiled warmly at her brother.  They had gone through so much in the last few days.  He was truly all she had left in this world and she was all he had.  Somehow though she knew that as long as they struck together they would make it.  She would make sure of it. 

She spoke back to him in their native German tongue.

"That sounds like a wonderful plan!  As for how much, probably the more we can give, the more we will be recognized and asked to do more important jobs.  That seems to be how it is done around here."

Adele laid a gentle hand on him.  "Are you okay with this?" 

She looked around at the others in the HQ.  Some people in the room had a harder look than others.  A few even had a look in their eyes like the boys she had known in the brown shirts back home.  The thought of them made her unconsciously shiver and she rubbed her shoulder to make it appear like she was cold.

Erich shrugged.

"What else do we have? We cannot go home now, not unless we want to pretend to be something we are not. We could go to a place they call Minnesota. The men there, they work as lumberjacks. I could do that work. The women though, they are housewives. You were not meant to be a housewife, you were meant to be much more than that. One day you will be more than that. For now, I am just happy that we have water, we can find food, and we can sleep under a roof. Everything else we will make with our own hands. Everything that was taken will be ours again because of you sister. You got us out and kept us alive."

He patted his sister on the leg then and leaned back against the wall.

"So what work are we meant to do first? We cannot let these Americans think we are gypsies or that we are stealing their water."

He did not smile, but finished his glass and placed it gently beside his sister's foot on the ground.

Adele leaned back against the wall too.  Absently she rubbed her forefinger over the bracelet that she wore around her left wrist.

"The woman, Donna Bryne, she said that she would be having some messages we can deliver for her.  Important messages.  She said that if we did a good job there would be more work available for us.  She is a very powerful woman here.  She runs this bank.  Banks have lots of money and they control many things."

She nodded to herself as if assuring herself that this was the right course of action.  A step at a time.  Take each day as they come and don't worry about tomorrow for today has enough worries for itself.

"I have over heard some of the men talking about some of the jobs they have been doing.  I think very soon they will be asking us to do jobs that you are more suited too."

Erich looked his sister in the eyes.

"I am faster than you are. There is no job more suited to me than running important messages to people. I will get this done fast, and you can stay safe inside. We will have to find a home. We will have to make it a new home. We will have to be like these people if they are to accept us. No more childish games or memories of home."

He then closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I will start now. Where can I find these packages?"

The young woman looked away from her brother's intense gaze as he spoke of making a new home here in America.  Her brother always seemed to have a way of knowing what she was thinking and feeling.  Tonight his words struck to close to a truth that she did not want to face.  She did not even know if she could face it.  She doubted this place would ever feel like home.  She doubted if anywhere would ever feel like home again.

"We will go together.  Safety is in staying together.  Besides you won't be able to read the street signs to know where you need to go."

She turned back to look at him.  "You need to start learning English if you want to fit in here."

Erich looked around the room and then nodded.

"You are right. I will learn to read, but I do not need to speak their language on my tongue. They will know I am not from here when I open my mouth and they will look down on us. If they think I am only a mute, they will still not know that and they might be scared of my size."

Erich was no small man, he stood tall, and he stood wide. None of that mattered where they came from, nor did it matter here where they were. His sister thought it might make a difference where they were going, but Erich knew one thing. His size only helped make things worse. It made him easy to spot in a crowd. It made strong men want to fight him to prove their worth. It made weak men want to run from him so he could befriend noone and get no information from people he could not catch. He was a cursed man with a large frame, good for beating down on those he could catch, and that was about it. His sister, on the other hand, could catch almost anyone by talking to them, or batting her eyes at them. At least, that's how it seemed to Erich. He did not mind. After all, that is how he caught them most of the time, they were distracted by her.

"So when will we start?"

He turned away from his sister then and looked out toward the rest of the bank. He was eager to make money and put the past behind him. There was no good that would ever come of it except his sister. None at all. He raised his right hand to touch the bracelet on his left.

Did he not hear her thick accent when she spoke? Most of the time she had to speak slowly and repeat herself for these Americans to understand her.  No she stuck out like a sore thumb as was evident by those thugs at dock.  Those racist bastards thought they could rob and beat up those "Nazi-scum."  It was bad enough that Erich knew that they had meant them harm, but she could not tell him that they had accused them of being the very people that stolen everything away from them.

The approach of foot-falls drew her attention and she looked up to see a man approach with a box.  In a gruff voice the man shoved the box at Adele and said, "Take this to the baker on 12th and Cherry and be quick about it.  He will give you an envelope which you will bring back here, unopen.  Capisce?"

Adele nodded, "Taken sie das box to 12see and Cherry.  Gifen it to sie das baker.  Getten sie das enfelope.  Brinken sie das enfelope back here."

The man furrowed his brow trying to understand what the young woman was saying and finally gave up.  "Whatever.  Just don't screw up, you hear?"  He stormed off like a grumpy old bear.

Turning back to Erich she said, "Lass uns gehen!"

Erich looked to his sister and nodded, once again speaking only in German. He would eventually learn the mean grinder of a language that was English, but for now he was content to stick to his own.

"Alright, but where are we going?"

He looked down at the box his sister held in her hand.

"Doesn't look very important, whatever it is. What did he say we were supposed to do with it?"

He opened the door to the bank and stepped outside before his sister did, holding it for her to follow. Whoever came up with the rules of chivlary, in Erich's opinion, was an idiot. Who would let the woman walk outside, or inside for that matter, into the unknown. And in the new line of work they found themselves in, the unknown, especially in America, often was going to mean guns pointed in their direction. he didn't cross half a continent and an entire ocean just to watch his sister get shot.

Adele looked at the box from every angle and agreed with her brother that there did not seem to be anything about it that would mark it important, but Donna Bryne had said that it would be.  Speaking in German she said, "We are suppose to take it to the baker down on 12th and Cherry and that the baker will give us an envelope that we are to bring back here un-open."

She picked up her pace to a fast walk.  The faster they did this job the quicker they could finally get some real food.  It had taken just about everything they possessed just to purchase passage on the ship that had brought them here.  Truth be told Adele could tell how much looser her clothing were fitting since they had started their flight to the new world.  She suspected that if she looked in a mirror she would be able to see the same gauntness in her face that her brother now wore. 

"This should not take to long if we hurry."

As the pair made their way through the city, Erich noted a good many things. First, the streets were not paved with gold. They were dirty, and lousy with outcast groups of society, just the same as they were in Germany. It was no wonder that the criminal world was so powerful around the globe. There was no other choice for many.

The long bread lines, the soup kitchens, the people trying their best to sell half-rotted fruit that they knew would not earn them a day's wage. It was the same world he had left. He could make a home here, and he knew that his sister could make all of this better. She knew what she was doing, and she had big dreams in her head. She always had.

"You know, this is not so much unlike the old country."

He let his sister know his thoughts a moment.

"Other than the fact that I don't speak the language, we could close our eyes and pretend it was home."

He squeezed his fist then. He was wrong, this WAS home now. He reached out and took the box from his sister.

"You do the introductions, I will protect the things. I have to be worth keeping around, and I can't do much else."

He shrugged and looked up at the building she had stopped in front of. The smells of fresh bread were something he hadn't had in his memory for a long time. Their parents had been well off, surely, but fresh bread? Well, that was something that very few people managed, even in the upper echelon's of Germany's aristocracy.

So he was not as stalwart about this being home as he had tried to make her believe earlier.  It was one thing to know the truth, but it was another thing entirely to accept it.  The truth of the matter was that there was no home to go back to in Germany.  Death was all that remained there now.  This place; filled with it strange people and strange ways; had to become home.  Adele pushed down all her self-doubt masked her features with an aura of confidence and self-determination.  Her brother needed her and she would not let him down.  

"Do not say such things about yourself brother.  You are strong and quick.  You have always been better than you let yourself believe.  A protector is always something that will have value and they will soon see how good of a protector you really are."  She gave her brother a quick smile before looking up and seeing that they had arrive at the bakery.  

As they walked into the store, she was assaulted by all the wonderful aromas instantly her stomach grumbled and her mouth started to saliva.  For a brief moment she forgot why they were there and looked longingly had a sweet roll.

The baker greeted the new arrivals warmly, and asked what he could do for them.  However, as his eyes took in their appearances his smile slid off somewhat.  No doubt he could tell they had no money and that soon he would be needing to toss them back out into the streets for loitering.  

The greeting pulled Adele out of her hunger-induced trance and quick flash the baker her best smile.  Speaking slow and using her best English she said, "Zee Donna sait to gife sis to you and zat you voult be expectink it."  

The baker's smile was quickly restored upon hearing that they were from the Donna and he quickly ushered them to the back as he cried out to his wife to bring their guest some fresh break and honey.  He spoke quickly and excitedly as he led them to a private room in the back with a table and Adele had difficulty keeping up with his words.  Thankfully it seemed that mostly he was just telling them what an honor it was to have the Donna's people in his shop.  He gestured for the twins to have a sit as he took the box from Erich.  "I will be right back with the envelope.  One moment.  Please accept our hospitality.  It is the least we can do for the Donna's people."

Adele had not even got all the way down into her chair before the baker's wife was setting down a platter of fresh baked bread and a small dish of honey with a stick to drizzle it onto the bread with.  She hardly let the young woman say thank you before she was offering them drinks.  It was all an unexpected whirl and she looked at her brother with wide eyes.  Who was this woman they now worked for that she would command such devotion.  

Erich had never felt the pangs of hunger as strong as he had standing behind his sister against the wall. He was there for one reason and one reason only. To make sure she was safe. The bread smelled so delicious though, and the honey looked fresh and sweet. The people here were kind enough to offer, but Erich did not let his feelings show. He could not. That would betray their purpose, and it would hurt his sister if the enemy knew they had something that the twins needed. No. He would remain a good and loyal brother, and he would not indulge in the food offered to them.

Besides, what if it was a trap? What if it was meant to get them to take it so that the Donna knew they could not be trusted.

"Das ist eine Falle. ISS nicht. Die Donna wird nicht glücklich sein, wenn wir ihren Namen sehen."

He did not want his sister to starve, but they had not earned this food. If she ate it, they would lose any respect or good will from doing the job.

She knew the warnings from her brother were true.  Food had often been used as a tool by the Sturmabteilung.  Nothing in this life ever came free.  She used her brother's warning as a foundation to shore up the cracks in her self-control.  When the man came back into the room with the envelope Adele stood.  He handed her the very thick packet over to Adele and glanced questioning at the bread and then at his wife. 

Adele diplomatically made their decline, "Zank you for your vonderful offer of hospitality, but sie Donna needet us to return quickly."  The young woman hoped they did not offend the elderly couple with the rejection and was glad to see the old man seemed to understand.  In fact it looked like he was relieved they he had not in some way offended his guests.  He asked if they could wait just a moment as he wanted to send a gift along to the Donna.  Adele nodded and before long she was being handed a small basket of food.

She saw the concerned look that her brother gave her and she quickly told him in german that it was a gift to the Donna.  He nodded slightly and Adele thanked the couple before the twins quickly left the store.

As soon as they were out of earshot of the bakery Erich looked at the basket.

"The envelope I am not worried about, but we should find a beggar on the street and give him a small piece of that food. It could be poison."

It was certainly not an unheard of tactic. In fact, there were some rumors that it was common among the preeminent party now controlling Germany.

"If you want, I will do this. Give me the basket, and you go back to the bank as fast as you can. I will feed a man this food, and I will watch over him to make sure he does not die. I can explain to the Donna when I return. She will understand it is for her best."

He held out his hand to take the basket from his sister then and gave her a reassuring nod.

Erich took the basket and made his way down the street to where he saw the breadline before. He hid round a corner until he caught the eye of someone toward the end of the line. He motioned for them to come along to him and showed them a hunk of break from the basket. They looked at the line in front of them and then made their way round to him. He nodded and handed them the hunk of bread he was waving. There was plenty more in the basket, the Donna would not be upset at one missing for her safety.

The man in front of Erich eyed up the basket itself, but Erich just shook his head and made an eating motion. He pointed toward the bread in the man's hand, and to his credit the man understood. Erich didn't understand a word of what the man said to him, but the guy did eat the bread then. There Erich stood for a solid ten minutes to make sure nothing happened. He followed the man down the street, and around another corner before he was satisfied and turned back to head toward...

That's when he realized he was lost.

Nothing to being lost though, he would just head in one direction. He knew the word bank was the same in English as it was in German, so he had that on his side.

It took him the better part of two hours to find his way back, by then the bread was no longer warm, but it was at least fresh. He handed it off to someone in the hall leading to the bank offices. As he did he pointed.

"Donna."

Lucky for him, the young boy in the hallway did not ask questions, and instead seemed to bring the basket straight away.

When he turned to look around the bank, he could not see his sister. His right hand lifted to touch the cold bracelet on his left wrist and he decided to sit at the bench they were at earlier in the day. She would be fine, he told himself. She would be fine.

A half-hour later Adele comes back into the bank and looks around for Erich when she sees him she quickly crosses the floor to where he is. 

"Brother, there is a hotel just down the road that has a room we can have for the night.  I even got the manager to throw in a free meal if I am willing to play the piano during the diner hour."

She use to hate that her mother made her take all those lessons over the years, but tonight she found herself thankful.  It had been several months since she last played, but it would come back to her.  She was certain.  For a change she would be the one to make sure they had food on their plates tonight.  

"Everything go alright?"

Erich nodded.

"Yes, it was not poison. And now a man out there somewhere has a fully belly as well. The basket was given to the Donna. I almost got lost though if I am truthful. It is not easy not being able to read, and not being familiar with the land. I am lucky to know the word bank is the same in both our languages."

He touched his sister on the arm.

"If you are to play the piano, what am I to do? It is a hotel, they will need people to run luggage around maybe? Or if there is food there, they will need someone to clean plates yes?"

He was not above any sort of work. Erich had been a ditch digger for a while back home. There were times where you needed to take whatever work you could get. This was going to be one of those times for a little while.

"I cannot let you take all of the burden. Let me help in some small thing."