Chapter Text
Like an apple on a tree
Hiding out behind the leaves
I was difficult to reach
But you picked me
- A Fine Frenzy, "You Picked Me"
“I can work. Hard. I'm a fast learner,” he had said.
He impressed her. His long hair, the leather jacket - there was this determined look on his sharp face, no compromises his eyes seem to say...
“You're not from here?” she had asked, after a pause.
“All I'm asking for is a chance.” He had his hands shoved in the pockets of his jacket.
'He's so cool,' the voice of her teenage daughter had echoed in the back of her head... a little too cool.
“I'm sorry. We don't need anyone at the moment. But maybe we will soon. Where can I reach you?”
“I'll just come by again tomorrow.”
“And then he just left!” Claudia Doppler exclaimed.
At the dinner table, her audience looked at her in expectation.
“Well,” her husband said, “that's interesting.”
“Do people often come into your office to ask for work?” her daughter asked.
A book lay next to her plate and instead of holding the silverware, she was about to mark a sentence.
“No, it hasn't happened before. Please Regina, start eating, before it gets cold,” she said and the girl put down her highlighter reluctantly.
"Does he has training?" Bernd Doppler asked.
"Metalworker," Claudia stabbed her fork into the potatoes.
“Do you think I can just employ him?” she asked.
“The institute is yours. You can hire whoever you like,” he replied.
“Sure. But do you think I should?”
“I'm grateful, I don't have to deal with personnel management stuff any longer,” he sighed.
“And I'm grateful for your constructive advices,” Claudia rolled her eyes impatiently.
Bernd laughed.
“My darling,” he put his hand over hers, “I don't know. Trust your instincts, like you always do. If you feel right about it, it will be right.”
His words seemed to appease her. She smiled at him,
“We'll see. Who am I to judge? If Papa can't find criminal charges against him-”
“You asked Egon to do some research on him?” he said surprisedly.
“Of course!”
“Wow,” Regina said dreamily, “Do you think he's on the run, Mama?”
“You should spend more time in front of your books, than in the cinema, dear daughter,” her mother amused.
“I don't think so,” she said seriously.
“The oddest was,” she continued and smoothed a hand through her ginger hair absently,
“It felt like this situation happened before. Like I already seen him, but that can not be possible...”
“Like a déjà vu?” her husband asked.
She nodded, “Yes, kind of. Very peculiar. Anyway, did I mention he's handsome?” she looked in Regina's direction and Regina shoot her an irritated glance in return.
“What's his name?” Bernd asked.
“Aleksander Niewald” she replied.
And the words caused an unexpected shiver, which ran through Regina's body...
A few days passed. Studying, fencing class and the recent drama at prom committee were enough to distract Regina from the story about the new one at her parents work place.
Her mother was the director of the research centre for renewable energy in Winden, which Bernd Doppler founded in the 50's.
Her parents had full work schedules, despite these they tried their best to give Regina a great amount of family time.
Usually Regina loved these happenings.
But tonight she was distracted.
Instead of playing board games and cards, all Regina wanted was to phone with Hannah about math homework or to listen to the mixtapes, Katharina had borrowed her.
She barley followed her parent's conversation in front of her.
“One of the boys did it,” her mother said loudly, interrupting Regina's thoughts.
“The metalworker you hired?” her father asked.
“Yes. He's really good at fixing problems. He's about to construct broken parts of the processors from scratch.”
“Impressive!”
“Maybe we can help him to get a scholarship? To study engineering – oooh Regina,” Claudia tried to get the full attention of her daughter,
“There's such a great young man working with us!"
“The mysterious man on the run?” Regina asked, her eyebrows raised.
“He isn't on the run. Your grandfather couldn't find anything against him. He's very nice and he isn't that much older than you.”
The feeling of déjà vu, connected to the name Aleksander Niewald, stayed with Regina during the following weeks.
Her mother spoke very often about him. Regina doubted, she worked together with anybody else, except him, any more.
“Has everyone else quit?” she asked snappy.
Claudia pursed her lips in disapproval,
“I promoted him, as my assistant. He's the best we've ever had. I started calling him Aleks. Funny with a K, except a X, isn't it? You two should meet.”
'Oh here we go again', thought Regina.
“Mama, stop it,” she said vehemently.
Her mother wasn't the only one. Her father mentioned him in their conversations as well.
“Aleksander is a good worker. I looked at his results and it's really impressive – and your mother didn't lie, he's indeed handsome.” he said out of nowhere.
“You two are the worst.” Regina answered.
“I really don't get what you hold against him, Regina. You never met him,” Claudia expressed her frustration.
Regina sat at the dinner table and was studying for an exam. Friday night and not an evening of the week had gone by,
where she hadn't gushed about her assistant, in an enthusiastic manner.
“Mama, I don't care! I don't want you to set me up with someone!” she snapped.
“I'm not... I just thought... you should get out more often.”
“Do you really think I'm bored!?” Regina pushed the pile of textbooks towards her mother.
“Who wants me to become the new future Dr. Doppler? You or me? I'm totally fine by not having an average grade of 1,0.
If I can skip the educational part of YOUR plan for MY life, then I might have time to date someone!”
The following silence was uncomfortable. Regina's heart pounded fast in her chest.
Her mother looked as shocked as she felt, both of them surprised by the sudden display of anger.
Regina got up and left.
“That's just another phase of defiance. Puberty.” Claudia said helplessly out loud.
“Leave her alone, Claudia. Let her take her time.” her husband told her from the living room.
“...and that's why I can't stand being in the same house with her. She's just so annoying!” Regina finished.
“I don't get your problem,” Katharina complained. “My mum doesn't even allow me to go on dates.”
"Yeah, at least your mum is cool with it,” Hannah said and blew a chewing gum bubble.
“I could never bring a boy in my home. My Dad would be too embarrassing.”
Regina's anger rose again.
“It's not about this guy! I mean a boyfriend your mother hand-picked out of her colleagues? It's weird!” she said.
“No, worse. She thinks I'm stupid! I'm not a genius like her - she's ashamed of my grades and that I don't get math as fast as she-” The school bell interrupted her.
Katharina looked uncomprehending, “You aren't stupid. Why do you care, what she thinks about your grades anyway? At least she's not –”
Katharina stopped herself from speaking further.
“Not what?” Hannah asked.
Katharina bit her lower lip and shook her head.
“Nothing. Regina, has your mum ever told you those things in person?” she asked.
Regina shook her head.
“See, I don't think she's ashamed of you. Damn Regina, quit saying you hate your mum! By far she's the nicest mother I know in this cursed town and she only wants what's best for you.”
“And don't worry about math. I will help you, I promise,” said Hannah and rubbed Regina's shoulder.
Regina was still angry, but she knew Katharina's words were true. So she only nodded and they went inside the building.
Despite the kind words of her friends, Regina was stressed out, not only because she struggled with homework again. Also her mother's behaviour was exhausting.
“Let's talk about it later, Bernd. Regina doesn't like me to talk about work at the dinner table,” she used to say now.
Her mother had so many academic degrees and yet sometimes she understood next to nothing.
Then her mother told her about the end-of-summer-party the institute hosted.
“Everyone is bringing their families. We would love to have you there as well.”
Regina racked her brain for an appropriate excuse that would satisfy her mother.
To spend an entire evening amongst the institute staff, made her extremely nervous.
Regina had never showed that much interest in science. Sometimes she feared, that her mother might had given up on her to become a decent person.
What if somebody asked her about her hobbies or her grades, in front of her mother?
She didn't wanted to give the impression of a dumb teenage girl with highly intelligent parents...
Actually she had nothing to show off with, in the space of scientist, engineers and so on...
The institute was her parent's home, not hers.
Not to mention her mother's attempts to praise a particular great, young, handsome co-worker.
The whole matter was destined to become rather awkward.
But the pleading look on her mother's face convinced her.
Regina wasn't just brave enough, to tell her about the real reasons, why she wanted to stay as far away from this occasion as possible.
She agreed to accompany her parents. Claudia's facial expressions switched too fast.
Her self-confident smile, made Regina realise that she had no choice at all in the first place.
The next morning, right before school, her mother challenged her again.
“Here look! I got it from your aunt, your cousin isn't wearing it any more,”
Claudia showed her a dress, which she wanted her to wear at the party.
“No way, Mama! It's ugly.”
“Really? I think it's beautiful. It -”
“Wow, I'm never gonna wear this,” Regina said.
“Fine,” Claudia hissed and threw the dress on the couch behind her.
“Dress how you like. But don't you dare embarrass us. This is a huge deal for your father and for me and I won't let you spoil it,” she said.
Regina let out a frustrated groan, took her bag and slammed the door.
The anger didn't last long, soon it was replaced with guilt.
Her mothers taste in clothes wasn't bad. Regina hadn't really looked at the dress... but no. She didn't wanted to be dressed up like a child.
“I won't let you spoil it.” echoed in her head.
Never before her mother had talked to her like that. It hurt. It hurt as if she had heard it before. Was it another déjà vu?
During sports class Regina felt sick to the stomach.
“Can you come home with me?” she begged Hannah and Katharina.
After school, the two girls lounged on Regina's bed and ate chips over magazines.
Meanwhile she tried on every dress, which hung in her closet – the one her mother wanted her to wear, lay abandoned on a chair.
“Why do you make such a fuss?” groaned Hannah.
“Yeah, it's just a stupid party,” Katharina said.
“You two are no help at all,” Regina let herself fell dramatically on the bed between her friends.
“I am ugly,” she told the ceiling.
The girls exchanged glances, got up from bed and grabbed Regina's arms.
“No, you're not!”
“You are beautiful.”
“Come on. We will find something.”
A few moments later Regina looked at herself in the mirror again.
She wore a long cream-colored summer dress. Katharina had adjusted a red belt around her waist and Hannah had helped her into her shoes.
“You look like her”, Hannah showed Regina one of the magazines, they had been reading.
Regina looked at the young woman in the picture and then smiled confidently at her reflection.
She felt good in the dress.
It was another one her mother had gifted her, last year. So she should be okay with it.
“I think, I like it – thank you!” she said.
“Yes!” Katharina and Hannah high-fived each other. Then they group-hugged Regina.
“Regina? Are you ready?” her mother screamed through the house.
“Coming!”
Claudia sat on the couch and searched for something in her handbag. She got up, as Regina entered the living room.
“You look beautiful, my dear!” Claudia said friendly.
“You too, Mama,” Regina replied shyly.
Claudia smiled, she moved closer to her and placed her hands on both of Regina's arms.
“Hey, I want to apologize. I'm sorry, I said these awful things to you earlier.”
“It's okay,” she replied.
“No, it's not. I was really unkind and unfair,” she admitted and then hugged her daughter tight.
Her mother had an unusual way of hugging. Her mother's hugs always felt like she was holding onto her daughter's shoulders, as if she was about to drown.
Maybe it was how she felt, when her feelings overwhelmed her...
“Although, do you have to wear cowboy boots?” she asked, her arms still clutched around Regina.
“Yeah, Frau Doppler – she has to.”
Katharina and Hannah stood in the doorway. Katharina handed the magazine over to Claudia. She looked at the picture and shrugged her shoulders.
“Well, if Vouge says so...”