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winedad16 · 7 months

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14. Broken Bricks, Falling Walls

Masterlist

Warning(s) for:

Alluded Anti-Semitism

April 3rd, 1945

30:00:00:00

Rosie was in trouble. There was no denying that. Looking on in horror, Freddy’s hands trembled as Klaus picked up the bike that laid on the stone walkway.

“I wonder who would leave behind such a nice bike,” The captain wondered aloud.

“It’s Rosie’s.” Freddy quickly said.

He was sure of it. He had seen it propped against the Betzler’s home many times. It had to be hers.

“Rosie’s?” Realization quickly donned Klaus’ face. “Jojo didn’t come in today.”

“He didn’t.”

With no words spared, Klaus handed off his briefcase, slinked his arm beneath the bike, and hastily set off towards the Betzler home; Freddy not too far behind.

“Do you have any idea of what could have happened?” Klaus quietly asked.

“I don’t,” Freddy replied. “Rosie is bold but not stupid.”

Truthfully, Freddy worried that Paul had been caught while away in Italy, but decided that a public setting wasn’t the time to get into such specifics. He was more concerned for the well-being of the remaining Betzler family and what their future would look like if it were the case. He had heard rumors of what would happen and today wasn’t the day to learn if it was true.

A bit breathlessly, they rushed through the already wide-open door and into the foyer of the Betzler home, letting out a sigh of relief to see Jojo standing there. Setting the bike aside, as well as the ridiculous formalities, Klaus did his best to survey the situation, scanning the room for Rosie, who was nowhere in sight, while Freddy considered the best way to get Jojo out of any trouble. Outside of the inspection clearly not being routine as Deertz insisted, neither Klaus nor Freddy could properly assess what had happened leading up to this moment. As Klaus quickly came up with a reason for their sudden arrival, he felt as though Deertz was towering over him, as if he was the officer’s prey, the other man’s eyes intense and focused.

Watching as Deertz stalked down the halls of the Betzler home and into Jojo’s room, Klaus and Freddy followed behind, both wondering what would happen in the following few minutes, on edge, but nothing that they couldn’t mask for the time being. Freddy feared for the worst when he heard the commotion in the rooms above them all, the conversations that he and Rosie shared about Paul flashing through his mind. He could only share a glance with Klaus as they trudged up the stairs, reluctant to learn more, but unable to look away.

“Do you know where your mother is?” Deertz asked, never once looking at Jojo, but keeping a watchful eye upon everything being strewn across Rosie’s bedroom.

As the questions continued, Klaus became frightfully aware of the change in Jojo’s demeanor. When Deertz questioned the state of the young boy’s uniform, it took everything in him to not shout, leave him alone!

Then, suddenly, a female voice rang out, and all eyes were on her, the room silent and its intruders motionless. The “her” in question was a young woman, maybe eighteen years of age, but not any older. In a matter of seconds, everything clicked into place for Freddy. All those times he had heard the house creak when he visited— All those times in which Rosie had referred to something seemingly unimportant— All those times in which he thought nothing of it. He did his best not to stare, but her presence had his attention.

When the young woman had stated her name, Inge, Klaus couldn’t help but look between the two. He was aware that Jojo had an older sister, such information had been shared the year prior by Paul, but he imagined her to be older, possibly out of town, just based on how little Jojo spoke of her. Exiting Rosie’s bedroom, he felt as though something wasn’t right. Following behind Klaus, Deertz and Co., Freddy passed faux Inge in the doorway to her bedroom, making brief eye contact with the girl, praying that Rosie had told Inge about him. That somehow, she would know that he was on her side as Deertz rattled on with his analogies about those he sought to clean the world of… But, when Klaus ushered the order of her paperwork, his heart sank.

Of course, what he didn’t know was how much Klaus was trying to move everything along in time to get to Rosie. When Klaus received Inge’s paperwork, he conducted a routine question, one in which he would normally skip if he weren’t in front of the captain of the Gestapo. Much to his shock, she has gotten her own birthday wrong. He stared at her with realization, not once letting the horror that was creeping into his stomach show on his face, before confirming the information as correct and issuing the papers back to her.

“Wait.” Deertz interjected, making both Klaus and Freddy’s hearts skip a beat.

The relief that Klaus felt when Deertz didn’t go for the young girl’s paperwork would only be enough to subside the anxiety bubbling in his gut momentarily, as when Deertz landed on the book by Inge’s side, it began to come back. He did his best to force a laugh at the despicable content, Freddy echoing one just as fake but believable enough, but couldn’t help but imagine how deep of trouble Rosie had gotten herself and Jojo into. When the Gestapo lackeys exited the bedroom, Klaus issued faux Inge and Jojo a brief goodbye, instructed Jojo to stay home, and quietly exited the home with Finkel by his side.

“You’ve been keeping quite the eye on that one,” Captain Deertz called out to Klaus from his car, a wide unnatural smile across his face. “He’s the ideal picture of youth that our country needs and it’s clear he didn’t get it from his mother.”

“His mother?” Klaus feigned ignorance. “What of her?”

“She was caught this morning spreading anti-party sentiments. It’s quite the shame, really. I quite liked her husband when he was still with us,” Deertz checked his watch. “Well, we’ve ought to head out. Got to take care of business back at the office. Give us a ring if you need. Heil Hitler.”

Both Klaus and Freddy gave him an unsteady goodbye, watching as the black car drove off with bated breaths.

“There’s nothing we can do now, can we?” Freddy softly asked. “Is there any way one of us could talk to her?”

“I don’t believe so, no.”

Freddy placed his hand over his mouth in thought, the pit in his stomach growing as his fingers trembled.

“Let’s go back to the office,” Klaus suggested. “It’s about time we send everyone home.”

The walk back was silent, and so was their time in the office. Few words were exchanged with Ida, who was already heading out the door by the time they had arrived, and most of the children had begun to filter out without instruction. Klaus paid no mind to the lack of respect for his authority, it didn’t feel that important at the time, but made sure to bade each child a goodnight, watching as each one stepped outside. After Freddy collected their things and locked the office’s doors behind them, they set out towards their flat, backs turned to the gallows that imposed its presence more than it ever had before.

Once the door to their home was closed and locked, the outside world as far away as they could get it, Freddy let out a tense breath and blinked away the tears that threatened to fall.

“Damnit,” He muttered. “What do we do?”

Klaus shook his head and pulled Freddy into a hug.

“I don’t know… I don’t know.”

They both sunk into the hug, the stress of the situation being released from their bodies for only a moment, before returning back to reality.

“That girl— Inge,” Klaus began quietly. “She got her birthday wrong.”

Freddy sighed.

“I’m not surprised,” He took a step back, hands resting on Klaus’ hips. “Inge died last year, Klaus. She was sick. It’s just been Rosie and Johannes.”

“So, the girl, she’s most likely…” Klaus’ heart felt heavier when Freddy replied with a silent nod.

“Rosie hid it incredibly well. I never saw or heard anything out of the ordinary. I wish I knew, I could have done more."

“Maybe it’s best you didn’t,” Klaus suggested. “She kept it a secret for a reason.”

“I guess so.” A moment of silence passed before the sub-officer took a step back. “I ought to go down, to say something, do something–”

“Freddy-” Klaus lightly grabbed his arm. “There is nothing we can do without making things worse for her or implicating ourselves. If we all go, no one is going to be left behind to watch those children. What would Rosie want?”

Freddy took a deep breath and ran his hands over his face, standing with his own thoughts for just a moment as Klaus relinquished his grasp.

“Alright,” He thickly swallowed, defeated. “Alright.”

***

In bed, later that night, Freddy turned to face Klaus in the bed across from him, their blood shot eyes meeting the other’s.

“Do you remember what Deertz said about Paul?” He asked, prompting Klaus to shift a bit closer.

“Vaguely, yes,” He replied. “Why?”

“The way he worded things… It made it sound like Paul was… Well, dead.”

“I'm sure that’s not the case. It’s just the distance from us to him.”

“Hm,” A beat. Freddy furrowed his brow. “I’m sure Rosie would have said something if he was, but… Klaus…” He leaned in closer to whisper, “He abandoned his station. He left to meet someone in Italy.”

Klaus tensed.

“He did? When?”

“Sometime last year. He told me before he left the hospital. I promised to both him and Rosie to never tell a soul but now…”

“I understand,” Klaus assured. “I respect you for it. I can only imagine where he is right now, it seems as though Rosie did keep some things under lock and key,” He paused. “It’s hard to know who to trust these days.”

“Yes.”

A moment passed, any remains of the conversation leaving for another day.

“Freddy?”

“Yes?”

“I love you. I’m lucky to have you.”

Freddy sadly smiled and extended his hand across the empty space between their beds and loosely intertwined his fingers with the captain’s.

“I love you too.”

Time passed, maybe an hour, maybe a little less, and Klaus soon fell asleep, his hand no longer connected to Freddy’s, now lying limp by the side of his bed. This was just enough confirmation for the sub-officer, who quietly eased himself to an upwards position, before tip-toeing out of bed, and kneeling down to pray; For the first time in years.

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#freddy finkel #captain klenzendorf #captain k #jojo rabbit #finkeldorf #ao3 #fan fiction #sam rockwell #alfie allen #klenzendorf x finkel

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