"I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set it free"~ Michelangello

~'~

Germany, Berlin

"So where are you taking the birthday girl, Mr. Guide?," Akane asked.

"The topography of terror"

Takumi made a face at the guide. Agnes laughed.

"It's alright! I'd love to see new places on my birthday. The evening's going to be pompous, let's enjoy simple now," Agnes said, happily. Jason nodded.

"The Topography of Terror" was an outdoor and indoor museum in Berlin. It was the headquarters of the Gestapo and the SS during the Nazi era.  They reached the museum and looked around.

It was an open air exhibition in the trench alongside the excavated segments of cellar wall on the Berlin wall. Along the flat- roofed building was a façade made of metal lamellae, which opened the building in such a way that it was possible to look out of it to the surroundings anywhere of the ground floors of the building. In the basement was the seminar centre and the library with about 25,000 volumes.

"Wow, now that's quiet impressive," Agnes remarked as they were led to the main exhibition which focused the central institutions of the SS and the Gestapo and the crimes they committed throughout Europe.

"Nazi Germany was the period in Germany when the dictatorship of Germany was under Adolf Hitler," the guide said. They nodded as they looked through the list of crimes.

"Humans were experimented- the prisoners were submerged in ice cold water to see the effects of hypothermia, were injected with poisons to see what their effect was and were vivisected with anesthesia. Jews were even made to use soap made from the fat of the previous holocaust victims," he continued.

Akane winced. "That's inhumane"

"And that's not even a scratch as to what the Nazi did to the Jews," Jason replied.

"You are very right there, Mr. Marbles," the guide agreed.

Agnes went through the entire information, absorbing it all in like a porous rock does with the water.

"I didn't know so much, " she finally said. "The information here is splendid"

"You read it all?," Akane and Takumi asked, alarmed.

"Yep"

The looked at Jason. "What did you do to her overnight?"

Agnes and Jason laughed together and dictated the entire story to them.

They visited the 'people's court' which Hitler had constructed. It had jurisdiction over a rather broad array of political offences which included crimes like black marketeering , work slowdowns, defeatism and treason against the Nazi. The crimes were viewed as disintegration of defense capability and were accordingly punished severely, the death penalty being meted out in numerous cases.

After visiting the entire museum, the guide said it was time to visit another place.

"We aren't going with the guide, Agnes," Takumi said.

"Then where are we going?," she asked.

"Birthday surprise," the three of them said in unison and laughed.

The took her to the 'House of Cultures' in Berlin. It was a beautiful place where the four of them sat on the first row seats, the V.I.P ones to watch the show.

"Watch," Jason said to her. "It was all done by them"

Agnes looked at the stage as the curtains opened. It was a musical performance.

Its started with a boy and boy talking to another couple in an aeroplane. Then, they danced and showed them trekking on a mountain to watch the rays of sunlight. The mountains were projected on a screen with the dancers dancing in front, making it look all so realistic. Slowly they danced away again showing them walking on a beach, the hot air balloons, climbing on trees and diving into the waters.

Agnes realized that she was seeing nothing but their journey of the world tour. The actors representing Agnes and Jason danced and hugged each other on a cruise. Blood ascended Agnes' cheeks as they did that. Then, she looked at Jason. He smiled, embarrassed, and then wore his frameless glasses. She looked back at the stage, not wanting to drool at him in such a beautiful moment of her lifetime.

In the end, the dancers climbed into a pyramid. Finally, Akane and Takumi emerged from beneath the stage, white fog and bubbles accompanying them from behind. All of them screamed,

"Happy birthday Agnes!". The confetti burst in the stage.

"We might tease you to death, Agnes. But we love you," they said.

Agnes laughed and embraced them. "I love you too, idiots"

Then, a butler bought a big wrapped box on a table with rollers. Akane and Takumi picked it together and handed it to Agnes. She took it and because of the weight, stumbled. Jason held her back, giving her support.

"You both can't control, can you?," Akane laughed.

"Oh don't you start again," Agnes said, laughing along.

~'~

"My my," Akane said. "Agnes you look gorgeous!"

Agnes had worn a full length light blue gown with sleeves reaching up to her elbows. The bottom of the gown had tulips of white colour and embroidery.

"After all, it's gifted by you," Agnes said, hugging her. She laughed.

"Thank you so much," she said to her again.

Agnes had her hair on one shoulder , pinned up with white rose clips. Even though she hated looking so 'girly', she appreciated Akane for being such an amazing stylist. Whether she agreed or not, Agnes looked beautiful. Beautiful enough for the universe to halt and look at her.

"Yes, my daughter looks beautiful," a deep, masculine voice interrupted them.

"Dad....," Agnes said, a big smile approaching her lips instantly. Akane smiled and left.

"Happy birthday, Cherry," her dad said to her.

"Thank you so much, dad," she replied, hugging her father who she loved and admired. "I missed you"

"I missed you too"

Mr. William Fotaine was a respectable and handsome man. He was six feet two, with black rimed glasses and grey beautiful eyes. His white hair was neatly combed to one side and his French beard adorning his face to perfection.

"Come on, Cherry. The ball is going to begin," he smiled. Agnes put her hand into his. They walked down the stairs.

Even though only close friends were invited, the crowd basically consisted of famous celebrities, authors and models. Agnes greeted them all with a warm embrace and smile. How beautiful she looked.

Suddenly she felt being pulled. Jason pulled her lightly to a corner, Fidel standing beside him.

"You didn't tell me you called her," he said to her.

"Surprise surprise," she laughed, looking at Jason. She couldn't take her eyes off him.

Jason had worn a white tuxedo with a black shirt inside. Lecturer? Nah. He looked like a model.

"Happy birthday, Agnes," Fidel said, hugging her.

"Thank you for coming, Fidel," she said.

"Come on Agnes! Dance ceremony is starting!," Takumi said pulling her. His eyes landed on Fidel. Her black hair, her marble green eyes looking intently at him as if scrutinizing him. He wanted to look at her more, to talk to her.

Agnes danced with her father in the center of the magnificent hall.  They danced in the circle, the boys holding the girl, whirling them in the beats of the music and the girls tuning around to dance with the other one that came in line.

She turned and landed into Takumi's hands.

"Whose that girl?," he asked.

"That's Fidel, Jason's sister"

"She's beautiful. Shame I missed meeting her that day"

She laughed. "Jason's going to kill you if you flirt"

"I won't," he said as Agnes turned around again. She thanked Jason and the two of them in her head for teaching her to dance.

After a few turns, she landed in Jason's hand. She smiled.

"Thank you, Jason"

"No problem, Cherry"

She looked around. "Oh God.. look at that"

Jason looked at Takumi, all tall and handsome in his black tuxedo, dancing with Fidel and never leaving her. She shook his head in mock disappointment.

"Now the birthday girl with dance with her man," Akane spoke on the mic.

"What man?," Agnes said, alarmed.

"Jason Marbles!," she said. The crowd left the stage and looked at them.

"Oh for the name of the holy river, what did she do?," Agnes said.

"Don't worry, just stand on my feet," he said. She nodded and slid her heels off.

And in the music which was so melodious and soothing, the couple danced, moving around in circles. They were very close, a consequence of Agnes standing on Jason's feet on her toes.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to him.

"Don't worry, Cherry. You're very light"

She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. He smiled, moving around slowly, keeping balance. How Agnes was controlling her budding feelings towards him was beyond her comprehension. He was too good to resist. But she did anyway.

And in the music, the couple danced and whirled, moving and laughing, loving and hiding.

~'~

"Goodbye, dad," Agnes said, slight tears in her eyes as her father handed her a small wrapped box.

"Goodbye, Cherry. Have a great trip, alright? Take care," he said, kissing her daughter's forehead.

She nodded as she waved, her father's limo vanishing into the oblivion.

She then walked towards Jason who was sitting by the window, staring at the moon. She walked towards him.

"Where are Akane and Takumi?," he asked.

"Akane is sleeping. Takumi is with Fidel," she answered.

He frowned. "What exactly is he doing with my sister?"

She laughed and shuffled his hair.

"Oh," he said. "Happy birthday" . He handed her a box, wrapped in red velvet.

She opened it.

"To the only girl I know who is so insanely obsessed with dark chocolates" , a note said. She laughed.

A dark chocolate smiled at her. But what was more marvellous was her face engraved in it.

"Wow," she whispered. "This is beautiful. Did you make it?"

He nodded. "Anytime, my majesty"

"Did you meet dad?"

"Yes"

"What did he say?"

"So  you're the one my daughter keeps talking about"

She laughed, taking her heels off.

"God, these shoes hurt. And not to mention, they were very girly"

"You are a girl, Agnes"

"I know but... never mind" , she replied, shaking her head. "I wish I was perfect"

He turned towards her. "You looked beautiful, today, Cherry. Beautiful enough to bring anyone's heart to a halt", he looked at her in her eyes. She blushed.

 "And as for being perfect? No. No one is perfect Agnes. But you know what?"

"What?"

He smiled. "I think perfect should try being YOU"

~'~

Helloo ! :D I know it was quiet a long chapter. But I wanted to finish the birthday scene in one, so yes. I hope you liked it! Well, at least my characters got to dance under a roof! The ones who have read my previous stories know how obsessed I am over making my characters dance on the streets, right? xDD

Happy new year to everyone, by the way! I hope 2016 will be great for all of us! New year, new hopes ^^

Lots of love. Thank you for reading this <3

~'~