Shades of Family
By
Jennaya
Author's Note: Thank you to ColHogan and Waikiki23 for all your help on this storey.
Written for pleasure only and no copyright infringement is meant or implied. I don't own any of Hogan's Heroes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Someone asked what the title of the storey meant. It's to represent the different types of families we have. The family we're born into, the friends we choose as family and co-workers who become a different type of family, and the family we marry into including the new family that starts when children are born. All the various facets of family we have in our lives thus various shades of family.
He entered through the front doors of the building; people milled around and a few acknowledged him. One walked over requesting a signature; he took a deep breath to steady his nerves before signing the paper. The floor was well worn with no shine left on the boards. His feet pounded the timber as he turned into his corridor, his heart beating at a rate so high it had to be heard by all those in the hallway. It wasn't exactly warm but beads of perspiration had formed above his brow. His eyes scanned the people observing their reactions. Could anyone detect his panic? A colleague asked him a question, but he ignored it continuing on to his destination.
In a few long strides he made it to his office. As he walked in the door, his secretary greeted him and handed him a folder. "Would you get me a sandwich?" He asked with a forced smile taking money out of his wallet and handing it to her. She took the marks and left, and then he went into his office and turned on the radio. The Fuehrer's speech would cover his voice; hopefully, it would last long enough.
Opening the cabinet he kept his transmitter in, he tuned it to the right frequency. "Papa Bear, come in. Papa Bear, come in please," only static responded. He tried several more times with the same result. He lowered his head willing Kinch or one of the other men to pick up. Perhaps he'd have better luck on the emergency frequency. As he reached the correct setting, two Gestapo agents barged into his office.
Robert Hogan sat at his desk reviewing the coded message from London he'd translated. He picked up his code book and triple checked his work, then ran a hand through his slightly greying hair and blew out a deep worried breath. This couldn't be right, it must be a gag or something, oh please G-d let it be a joke, he prayed, but it wasn't. This was a real as the war got. He drummed his fingers on the edge of the table trying to think through the new assignment which might be one of the most important his unit would ever have. It felt like the responsibility of the free world rested upon his shoulders, and with the ability of his men to carry out these orders. A knock on his door broke him out of his thoughts, "Enter."
"Colonel, is everything all right?" Kinch asked. He thought he'd seen a look of apprehension on his commanding officer's face before he expertly wiped it away.
"Nothing to worry about. What can I do for you?" Hogan gave him a quick smile to cover his concern. He wasn't ready to explain the mission. He could barely believe himself what the orders contained.
"Dinner is ready, sir." Kinch answered studying his commanding officer's body language. He knew the message from London had Hogan worried despite his words.
"Is Carter back yet?" Hogan motioned for Kinch to come into his office.
"No, sir, but he should be here any time now," Kinch replied closing the door behind him.
"This evening I need you to contact Bluebird and ask him to come out. Tell him it's urgent. We will need his help on this one. I'd like to see him tonight if it's possible. That'll be all; I'll be out in a moment." Hogan turned back to the decoded paper, his eyes scanning the words once more, and then he carefully folded it and put it in his shirt pocket.
"Yes, sir," Kinch left the office wondering what type of assignment it was that Hogan would risk the high value underground member's cover on.
A moment later the colonel came out of his quarters and joined his men at the common table, "What's for dinner tonight?"
"A real treat, mon colonel. Tonight we eat steak! And Klink has to serve potato soup to his guest," the little Frenchman laughed as he pulled the steaks out; every man in the barracks 'ooo'd' and 'ahh'd'.
"I don't even want to know how you managed this," Hogan said while his mouth watered. He took a piece of steak off the plate and passed it on.
"That's probably best, Gov'nor," Newkirk chuckled taking a piece remembering how they pulled the con on the Kommandant. The trap door in the bunk bed opened and Carter came up.
"What's that I smell? Wow real steak!" He was excited as he sat down at the table. Carter was bursting from the news he received having seen Mady. But it didn't start out that way. He had been worried sick when she contacted him through the veterinarian and requested he come and see her as soon as possible. That it was of the utmost urgency. Carter was a nervous wreck from the time he received the message, and Colonel Hogan had given him permission to leave camp for the weekend* until he met with Mady at her home where they talked, and talked, and talked. Actually, it was Mady who had done most of the talking with Carter doing the listening. When she had finished, Carter was speechless which, for him, was a first. When he had to return to camp, he kissed Mady goodbye and practically ran all the way back to camp bursting to tell someone.**
He would tell the guys, but first it was important that he speak with Colonel Hogan. After all, Hogan was his commanding officer and would how to handle the situation.
As the men were all seated around the table enjoying their steak dinner, Carter's eyes nervously looked at Hogan's face. The colonel sensed Carter looking at him. His eyes met those of his young sergeant. "So, Carter, what was troubling Mady? Is she all right? You seemed worried before you left here," he asked, genuinely concerned. Hogan and the others had met the young woman when Carter had introduced them nearly two years ago and they liked her very much. He understood why Carter cared about her so much and sincerely hoped the she was all right. He stared at the sergeant, waiting for an answer to his question.
Carter wanted to tell the colonel right away, he now found himself unable to get out the words. He swallowed nervously. "Uh, colonel...that is...well, sir...could I talk with you later? I mean, it's kinda important and all."
Hogan shrugged, "Sure." His gut told him something was wrong and that the young sergeant didn't want to air the problem in front of everybody else.
Newkirk and LeBeau exchanged worried glances, but didn't push their friend into talking yet. The conversation eventually turned back to the coded message from London. "So what's the new job?" Carter asked glad his friends were giving him the space he needed.
"I don't have all the details worked out yet, but it's a rescue mission. The SS are holding someone we are going to liberate," Hogan started only to be interrupted.
"The SS! Has London gone bloody bonkers? Whoever it is is a lost cause. I say we tell London no way this time," Newkirk said angrily.
"Can't, we have our orders," Hogan responded in a serious tone making Newkirk back down.
"Who are we going after, mon colonel?" LeBeau asked with curiosity written all over him.
"A lieutenant captured earlier this week," Hogan said purposely being cryptic with his answers.
"What makes this lieutenant so important?" Kinch asked thinking about the troubled look Hogan had earlier.
"I can't give out that information. LeBeau, this was a wonderful meal, thank you. Kinch, let me know when you reach Bluebird. I'll be in my office if anyone needs me," Hogan said standing up and refilling his coffee cup. Then he disappeared behind closed doors. His men's voices filtered through the door as they discussed the rescue. He paced his office trying to come up with a reasonable plan where no one would get hurt and they got the lieutenant out safely and alive. His men gave him space to think until time for roll call.
Finally, after Klink's long winded speech they were dismissed, and the men headed back into barracks two. Carter asked Hogan if he could speak with him now privately. In his office, Hogan sat at his desk while the sergeant bounced off the walls with a huge grin on his face.
"What's going on?" Hogan asked with a raised eye. The young man had been acting unusual since he returned from his weekend pass in town.
"Where should I start? This weekend was the best I've ever had in my life. I've got the most fantastic news in the world boy…I mean, sir; you're not going to believe me!" Carter answered bouncing on the balls of his feet.
"Why don't you tell me so we can both enjoy this great news," Hogan said eying the ball of energy in front of him. His mind was trying to come up with whatever had Carter so hyper.
"I'm going to be a father!" He exclaimed excitedly.
"What?" Hogan's jaw dropped, his eyes enlarged, and he shook his head in disbelief. He had to have heard wrong. Carter didn't say that, did he?
"Mady and I are having a baby. She's two months pregnant and I've asked her to marry me. We'd like you to perform the ceremony. What do you say, sir?" Carter gloated like the proudest man in the world.
Hogan grabbed on to the corner of his desk as his mind spun. Shock was sitting in and he was unsure how to respond. Of all the men, he never worried about Carter getting someone pregnant.
* Episode Sticky Wicket Newkirk - Hogan agreed to let the men have weekend passes into town
**Mady is from the episode Permission to Escape