A/N: Hey, folks! First off, may I say it is beyond freezing here. They say Antarctica is warmer than it is here where I live currently. Talk about world breaking records! I wrote this story four years ago and was just now skimming through it. I love the plot, but the writing is TERRIBLE! I have made it my assignment to rewrite and update this story to make it the best it can be. Many things will remain the same, and some big changes may occur along the way. Either way, I want to thank everyone who has read this story in the past and excited for you guys and new readers to dive into this story. Please stay safe and warm and, as always, leave a review! I like the reviews! :)
Chapter 1:
It was late at night and around 1:00AM. Colonel Robert Hogan was just returning to camp from meeting with an underground agent regarding a new Gestapo interrogation method instated by Major Hochstetter. He was to gather as much information as possible and report it back to London for further analysis. They wanted to know anything and everything, even the tiniest of details. He had just spent the past two hours speaking with Water Geyser, currently working undercover as a Gestapo captain, regarding the assignment. Some of the information had been highly intriguing, and others the colonel would have preferred on forgetting about.
The October wind was cool and crisp. The temperature was frigid and piercing. Far from what it should have been for that time of the year. No one could survive staying out in this weather for too long. Hypothermia would be a lingering danger in less than twenty minutes had someone paused for just a moment. Hogan shivered as he rubbed himself with his hands to get warm. Even in his hat, leather jacket, white scarf, and gloves he was still as cold as could be. The breeze made his face and ears sting, his thumbs burning like wood on fire. He shuddered a little, trying to fight back from chattering his teeth. The less noise he made getting back to Stalag 13, the better off he would be from being picked up by a Gestapo patrol. He was almost towards the fake tree stump just outside of camp, when he heard a faint cry coming from somewhere off in the nearby distance. He looked off to his right, to the tree stump a few feet in front of him, then back to the right.
"What the?" Hogan asked himself, in a soft whisper.
Curious, the American colonel turned on his feet and beginning walking to the north of Stalag 13. When the crying got louder and closer, he quickened his pace. He was determined to find out what was causing the crying and how he could make it stop. By the time it was less than 12 feet away from him, he assumed it was a small animal. A domestic cat or wolf pup crying for its mother. He started walking slowly and silently, making sure to step over anything that would cause a loud snap, crunch, or rustle. He did not want to scare the animal off, and if it was in trouble, he wanted to help it. Hogan finally got into an open clearing that was surrounded with several pine trees, wooden logs, and twigs and branches scattered all over the ground. He saw a little bassinet sitting near one of the logs, and his eyes dilated in size instantly at the sight, his jaw slightly hanging.
"Holy cats," Hogan gasped. "Is that what I think it is?"
He made his way closer to the little basket, then knelt down beside it. He lifted up the thin curtain and saw a tiny baby lying behind it. A girl from what he could tell. The amount of light the moon was giving off made it difficult to make certain of. She looked extremely young; no more older than a month or two. He was baffled and concerned as to why a tiny, defenseless little baby was out in the middle of a forest on such a cold, brutal night. He gently rocked the basket and softly hushed the crying newborn.
"Sshhhhhhh...sshhhhhhhh; I know, I know...I'll get you out of this cold weather really soon. Just wanna check if you have any identification or something on you first." Hogan cooed. He looked outside the bassinet and found nothing more than a bunch of twigs and dirt; nothing useful to him. He scanned inside the bassinet and eventually noticed a sheet of paper folded up beside the blankets swaddled around the little one. He picked it up, unfolded it, and read the note tediously. It was brief, incomplete, and unable to figure out whatever it was someone was trying to say. Knowing there was not enough time to sit there and try to comprehend the brief message, he tucked the note inside his jacket pocket, then took his arms, gently lifted the baby out of the bassinet, and cradled her in his arms. He continued hushing her as she slowly stopped crying. He bounced and swayed her side to side until she fell asleep. Satisfied she would not cause anymore noise for the mean time, Hogan walked off and made his way quickly back to the tree stump. When he got back to his starting point, he looked to make sure the guard tower light was far from his direction. He had just missed it in the knick of time. Hogan lifted the lid to the tunnel entrance and carefully climbed down to the ground. Once his feet touched the ground, he took his one available hand, closed the lid, and locked the emergency exit before walking off to another part of the tunnel network.
Hogan sat on a cot in one of the private rooms he had agents or downed flyers stay in while waiting to get out of Germany. He had long since removed his gloves and scarf and put them inside his jacket pockets. He looked down at the little girl he was holding and could not help but find her adorable and pure. Innocent as could be. It still concerned him why it lead her parents, or whoever it had been, to abandon her in the middle of the forest with nothing more than an unfinished note attached to her on a night like this. He continued rocking and smiling down at the little baby asleep in his arms, when his team of four turned a corner down one of the tunnels leading into the room and found him. Kinch sighed with relief, seeing his commanding officer was all right.
"Colonel," he gasped, trying to catch his breath.
Hogan turned his attention to his radioman and smiled.
"Nice to see you, too." He replied casually.
The group of flyers hurried to his side and stood agape when they saw what he was holding.
"Where did this baby come from, Colonel?" Kinch asked.
"I found her coming back to camp," Hogan answered, turning his eyes back to the baby.
"Her? It's a girl?" Carter remarked, his mind all aflutter.
"Don't you think it would be a little weird for a boy to be wrapped in a pink blanket and another one that's white with pink lining and tiny pink flowers on it?" The colonel responded, with a raised eyebrow.
The technical sergeant rubbed the back of his neck, shifting uncomfortably in his spot.
"You make a point, Sir," he said.
"Gov'nor, what are we gonna do with a little baby?" Newkirk asked, still coming out of shock.
"I don't know," Hogan answered. "I found this note with her in the bassinet I found her in." He dug his hand inside his jacket, pulled out the note, and handed it to Kinch to read out loud.
"Take care of our daughter. We're being chased by Ge-" he stopped reading.
"What? Being chased by what, mate?" Newkirk asked.
"I don't know. There's a squiggly line that was starting to form a letter, but it's not finished. Looks like whoever was after them got to them before they could finish the note," the staff sergeant answered.
"Do you think the 'ge' could be for Gestapo?" Carter asked, his brain starting to turn.
"It's a good guess, Carter," Hogan said. He turned his head back at the little baby he was holding. "Poor baby...not only is she alone, she's also an orphan."
Kinch looked at his commander and smirked.
"Seem to like her, Colonel," he said.
Hogan looked up at Kinch and smiled back.
"I've always loved kids...hopefully I'll have some of my own after the war," he answered, dreaming of the day he would become a father. Snuggling his little kids tight, singing softly to them as they fell asleep, playing sports and music with them, chasing them around the house as they giggled and toddled around, he wanted at least four of them. Take them with him for a plane ride once and awhile, raising them to become doctors, scientists, writers, military officers themselves, whatever it was that made them feel happy. He wanted to be there for every part of it. He wanted them to know just how special and loved they were and encourage them to do whatever it was they wanted to pursue, no matter how ridiculous it sounded.
"You would make the best papa that ever existed, mon Colonel," LeBeau said, beaming with pride. "Your children would be the smartest, most loved people on the planet."
The colonel gave a wide smile, his heart warm and touched at the comment.
"I hope so," he answered.
The five of them left the private room and made their way towards the radio room.
"Anything from London while I was gone, Kinch?" Hogan asked, sitting down on a stool by the radio table.
"No, just a lot of worrying when you were late in returning," the sergeant answered.
"Sorry to have worried you guys...I just couldn't leave this little girl out there all alone. Poor little thing would've froze to death." Hogan replied, turning his eyes downwards at the baby.
"There's just one problem, Gov'nor; how do we explain a baby to Ol' Iron Eagle up there?" Newkirk asked, gesturing his head slightly up.
"We don't. Link found out about her, who knows what he would do to her. Klink may not be corrupt or evil like Hochstetter, but he's still a Kraut nonetheless. I'll keep her in my room until further notice. Besides, I think a little rest would do this little bit some good. She's had a very busy night, after all...just need something to prevent the guards from hearing her outside the barracks."
"I got some sound proof pads I was fumbling around with we could put over your windows," Carter answered. "It's not much, but I can make more if necessary."
"How soon can you have more made?" The colonel asked.
"Probably tomorrow afternoon at the latest."
"It'll do for now. Grab them before we go upstairs for the night. You and Kinch can install them over the windows in my room before we go to bed."
"Colonel, she needs a name," Kinch said.
"Can't have this sweet, petite mademoiselle go without a name." LeBeau added.
"We could call her Millie," Carter suggested.
"Millie?" The Englishman remarked, appalled. "Andrew, what kind of bloody name is that?"
"What? It's a nice name. It's even the same name for Lady Peacock of Australia has," the technical sergeant answered. (1)
"Oh, charming; let's just name the poor baby after a bloody peacock."
"I say we call her Monique; it's French for 'Monica'," LeBeau mesmerized.
"I think we should name her Doris. She reminds me a little of Doris Day." Kinch said.
"Doris! No way; she's a Monique. Trust me, I know these things." LeBeau replied, sure of himself.
"Yah know a good name for a little bit like herself is? Elora; little baby Elora," Newkirk said.
Hogan looked down at the baby girl and smiled, a name immediately ringing in his head.
"I've got it," Hogan said, rocking the infant.
"What do you got, Colonel?" Kinch asked.
"How about Gracie? It means 'miracle', and it's a miracle she made it through the cold as long as she did."
"Gracie...I like it; good choice, Sir." Kinch replied, smiling.
"Where's she gonna sleep, Colonel?" Carter wondered.
"Poor little thing can't just sleep on the floor." LeBeau cooed, waving his finger at a peaceful Gracie.
"Kinch, do we have anything that could work for a crib?" Hogan asked, turning to his second in command.
"We've got a few baby supplies from when we had the couple in here we got out of Germany," Kinch answered.
"Good. Newkirk, Carter, grab the crib and those sound proof pads for my office windows. I want blankets and diapers inside the crib, and put it all in my room quickly and silently."
"Yes, Sir," Carter said, leaving the radio room.
"Right behind him, Colonel." Newkirk added, following after his best friend.
"LeBeau, grab some baby clothes, a bottle, formula, and a pacifier if you can find one," Hogan ordered, his eyes turning to his French chef.
"Oui, Colonel," LeBeau answered, then went off to find the items his commanding officer had requested. Hogan and Kinch were the only two that remained. The colonel turned to his second in command, who had seated himself across the table in his chair looking at him.
"Kinch, what do you think? Think the five of us can raise a baby until we can get in touch with London?" Hogan asked.
"I think we can all manage for the mean time. Do you want me to send the message now, Colonel?" Kinch replied.
"No, it can wait until morning. It'll give us more time to think of what to say to them."
Kinch smiled as he looked in the crook of Hogan's arms.
"Looks like someone likes you, Colonel." He chuckled.
Hogan raised a suspicious eyebrow, puzzled by what his friend and radioman was referring to. He looked down into his arms, and a wide smile grew on his face. Gracie was fast asleep in his arms, but she was smiling and leaning her head against him.
(1) Millie Peacock, also known as Lady Peacock, was the first elected woman to the Parliament of Victoria, Australia. She was born in 1870 and died in 1948 at the age of 77.