Regrets

Date/Timing: 12 November 2007
Setting: Sabine & co.'s flat, Gottlieb house; Berlin, Germany
.
== Revised text ==
Dietrich rings the bell while, beside him, Bastien hops in place, patting his mittened hands together.
„Cold?“
„Yes! It's /freezing!“
The locks buzzes—
Bastien yanks the door open and dives through.
Dietrich sighs fondly, steps inside the building, follows Bastien's fading footsteps up the stairs and along the hall. He knocks on Sabine's door.
Bastien bounces.
„„They're here!““ shrieks Lisa.
„„They're early!““ wails Rose.
„„Calm down!““ hollers Sente.
Sabine opens the door with a bright smile. „Hi!“
„Hi,“ sighs Dietrich, leaning in—
Sabine dodges the kiss, flees to the kitchen, calling over her shoulder, „Make yourselves comfy! I've got to deal with the salad!“
„Can we help?“
„„No!““ chorus Sabine and her flatmates.
Dietrich snorts, strips off his coat and boots, stows them properly in the entryway, and strolls to the living room.
Bastien stands in front of the bookshelf skimming titles.
„See anything interesting?“
„Not really.“ Bastien twists around. „It's all medical stuff.“
Dietrich settles on the couch, legs stretched out in front of him. „Don't want a head start on being a doctor?“
Bastien shuffles over, sits down beside him. „Not really? I think I'd rather be a detective.“
„Really? Why's that?“
„I like puzzles.“
„It's a dangerous job, you know.“
Bastien shrugs. „I'm a Gryffindor. I'll be fine.“
Dietrich tousles his hair. „I'm sure you will.“
Clattering and a yelp from the kitchen.
„Everything alright in there?“ calls Dietrich.
„„It's under control!““ yells Rose.
More rattling and banging.
Dietrich sighs.
„They're not usually this noisy?“
„Today's a big deal.“
„Why's that?“
„You'll find out later.“
„Aww ... please?“
„In a bit, Bunny.“
Bastien pouts.
Lisa pokes her head into the room. „It's ready!“
Bastien cheers, launches himself from the sofa toward the table, which's laid out with a glorious meal of German and Turkish dishes.
Everyone eats their fill and then sprawl a little in their chairs.
„I suppose we should clean up,“ sighs Sente.
„I have something I'd like you to see first.“
„Oh, really,“ drawls Rose.
„Really.“ Dietrich pushes back his chair, stands, announces, „Everyone into the living room.“
Everyone goes, with Bunny in the lead.
Dietrich kisses Sabine's cheek. „Ready for this?“
„Yes. Definitely.“ She kisses his lips.
He heads to the entry, retrieves the little box from his jacket pocket, palms the ring inside, then joins the crowd in the living room.
Rose, Sente, and Lisa sit side-by-side on the sofa, Bastien on one of the armchairs, Sabine on the other.
Dietrich goes straight to her, kneels beside her chair.
Sabine wipes away a tear with a shaky hand.
Dietrich smiles, rasps, „Sabine Bachar, I love you with every atom of my being, so, please, marry me.“ Offers up the thin gold band with its little pink stone.
Sabine looses a nervous giggle. „Of course I will, beloved.“
Dietrich exhales, threads the ring onto her finger.
Sabine leans forward, hugs his head tight.
A chorus of coos from the audience.
Dietrich gets back to his feet, perches on the arm of Sabine's chair.
„This's wonderful!“ squees Rose.
„It's about time!“ declares Sente.
„Congratulations, you two!“ cheers Lisa.
„Thank you,“ replies Sabine.
Dietrich just glows.
„Can I see your ring?“ chirps Bastien.
Sabine offers her hand.
Bastien skips over, admires. „Is that a diamond?“
„A garnet.“ Sabine beams. „I like them better.“
„Cool. It's a really pretty colour.“
„Thank you. Dietrich—“ Pecks Dietrich's cheek. „—picked it without any help.“
Dietrich runs a hand through his hair.
„Good job!“
„Thank you, Bunny.“
„This calls for wine!“ announces Rose.
Wine and laughter and more congratulations blur past.
And then it's time ....
Dietrich, Sabine, and Bastien put on their coats and shoes, accept hugs from the girls, and set out across town.
On the subway, Dietrich nudges Bastien's shoulder.
He looks up.
„We're going to tell Father when we get home.“ Dietrich takes a deep breath. „I'm hoping it goes peacefully, but ....“
„It might not,“ says Sabine, dryly.
„Right. So I recommend staying in your room at least until Manny gets back from class, though waiting until morning would probably be best.“
„It's gonna be that bad?“
„I'm afraid it might be.“
Bastien chews his lip. „I don't understand why Father can't be happy for you.“ Hangs his head. „For any of us.“
„I'm not totally sure, but I think he's frightened.“
„He doesn't /seem frightened? He just seems /mean.“
„The meanness hides how scared he is.“
Bastien shrugs, 'if you think so'.
They make the rest of the trip in silence.
At the house, they unbundle and Bastien hugs them and retreats upstairs to his room.
Sabine heads to the sitting room, sits on the couch, hands folded in her lap.
Dietrich squares his shoulders, knocks on Father's office door.
„„Come in.““
Dietrich eases open the door, steps just inside. „Good evening, Father. There's something I'd like to talk to you about in the sitting room.“
Father frowns. „Why not here?“
„Humour me in this, please.“
He huffs, but stands and starts around the desk.
Dietrich goes on ahead, perches beside Sabine, takes her hand in his.
Father steps into the sitting room, scowls. „She's not welcome in my house. Why have you brought her here?“ Settles in his favourite chair.
Sabine squeezes Dietrich's hand.
He steels himself, says, „I asked Sabine to marry me.“
„I agreed to marry him,“ she adds.
Father's lips thin and his entire being radiates disapproval.
„We would like your blessing.“
Father scoffs. „You know very well my feelings about this relationship, Dietrich.“
He runs a hand through his hair. „I do, Father, but I hope you can respect my choice.“
„I cannot respect a mistake.“
„This is the right choice for—“
„You aren't suddenly proposing because you've made her pregnant—“
Dietrich sputters, dropping Sabine's hand as his spasm into fists.
„—are you?“
„Of course not!“
„We've been planning this for nearly a year, Father, and waiting for a good time to tell you.“ Huffs, flattens his palms on his thighs. „Apparently, it wasn't.“
„There is no good time for my son to tell me he's ruining his life.“
„I've /always done my best to respect your wishes, Father, but this ... this time I'm going my own way.“
Father snarls, „You are making a mistake and you will regret it for the rest of your life.“
„I know what I'm doing.“
„You have /no idea. This woman will ruin your position—“
Sabine snaps, „'This woman' is right here.“
„This is between my son and I.“
„It's between all of us,“ she corrects. „I'll say my piece.“
„/Fine. Say it, then.“
„You think like my grandfather: it's all about colour and status to you. The world isn't like that anymore and it's still changing. For the better, if you ask our generation.“
Father scoffs. „Wishful thinking. Your people, Miss Bachar, will always be outsiders here and you'll—“
„Father,“ says Dietrich, voice low, „are you forgetting /our family's history? What your grandparents had to do?“
„This is /nothing like that.“
„It's /exactly like that.“
„It is—“
Dietrich raises his voice. „In /fact, it's so much like that, /you had to convince /your parents to approve /your marriage to an 'outsider'!“
„Not heeding them was the worst decision of my life! I—“
Dietrich flinches.
„—won't let you make the same mistake!“
„Sabine is nothing like Mother.“
„We'll see.“
An angry silence.
„I'm sorry you feel that way, but Sabine and I will be married—“ 
Father pushes to his feet, scowling.
„—before the end of next year, whatever you think.“
„If you are so set on this course ... I suppose I must let you make your own mistakes. Do whatever you want.“ Father's footsteps retreat down the hall.
The office door slams.
Dietrich sags against the cushions.
Sabine eases back as well, tucks up against his side.
„That went pretty much how I expected,“ sighs Dietrich.
„Honestly, I was expecting worse.“
Dietrich snorts. „The pregnancy thing was a bit of a surprise.“
„Suppose it's good he's not completely predictable. Keeps us on our toes.“
Dietrich laughs his way into a sigh and rests his cheek on Sabine's crown.
== Original text ==
Bastien hears muffled shouting as he works on his biology homework. His heart speeds up and he pushes away from his desk, hurries downstairs.
When he peeks into the sitting room, Sabine sits on the edge of the couch, hands twisting in her lap.
Dee and Father, on their feet, face off across the coffee table.
Bastien pulls back, leans against the wall beside the entry.
„„I've /always done my best to respect your wishes, Father, but this ... this time I'm going my own way,““ grits out Dee.
Father snarls, „„You are making a mistake and you will regret it for the rest of your life.““
„„I know what I'm doing.““
„„You have no idea. This woman will ruin your position—““
Sabine snaps, „„'This woman' is right here.““
Bastien cheers internally.
„„This is between my son and I.““
„„It's between all of us,““ she corrects. „„I'll say my piece.““
„„/Fine. Say it, then.““
„„You think like my grandfather: it's all about colour and status to you. The world isn't like that anymore and it's still changing. For the better, if you ask our generation.““
Father scoffs. „„Wishful thinking. Your people, Miss Bachar, will always be outsiders here and you'll—““
„„Father,““ says Dee, voice so low Bastien must fight to hear, „„are you forgetting /our family's history? What your grandparents had to do?““
„„This is /nothing like that.““
„„It's /exactly like that.““
„„It is—““
Dee raises his voice. „„In /fact, it's so much like that, /you had to convince /your parents to approve /your marriage to an 'outsider'!““
„„Not heeding them was the worst decision of my life! I—““
Bastien flinches; he hears Dee's hiss.
„„—won't let you make the same mistake!““
„„Sabine is nothing like Mother.““
„„We'll see.““
An angry silence.
Bastien lets his shoulders drop from around his ears, takes a deep breath.
„„You aren't suddenly proposing because you've made her pregnant—““
Dee and Sabine sputter.
„„—are you?““
„„Of course not!““
„„We've been planning this for nearly a year, Father, and waiting for a good time to tell you.““ A huff. „„Apparently, it wasn't.““
„„There is no good time for my son to tell me he's ruining his life.““
„„Father ...,““ sighs Dee. „„I'm sorry you feel that way, but Sabine and I will be married—““ 
Bastien stifles a squee.
„„—before the end of next year, whatever you think.““
„„If you are so set on this course ... I suppose I must let you make your own mistakes. Do whatever you want.““ Father's footsteps approach Bastien's lookout.
He flees to the dining room, through into the kitchen, and skids into the sitting room.
Dee and Sabine perch on the sofa, holding hands, foreheads pressed together, talking in quiet voices.
Sabine spots him, smiles.
Bastien waves. 
Dee twists around, beckons him over.
Bastien creeps across the rug, sits at their feet, whispers, „You're getting married?“
„We are,“ agrees Sabine.
„You were eavesdropping?“ says Dee, eyebrow raised.
„It's hardly eavesdropping when you're shouting.“ She pats Dee's hand.
He hangs his head, but smiles.
„Can I see your ring?“
Sabine offers her hand.
Bastien admires the thin gold band and the little pink stone in it. „Is that a diamond?“
„A garnet.“ Sabine beams. „I like them better.“
„Cool. It's a really pretty colour.“
„Thank you. Dietrich—“ Pecks Dee's cheek. „—picked it without any help.“
Dee runs a hand through his hair.
„Good job!“
„Thank you, Bunny.“ Straightens up. „Should we pick up Manny after his class and go out for dessert to celebrate?“
„Yes! I'll get my coat!“ Bastien flies to the front closet as Dee and Sabine follow, hand-in-hand.
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