The men kept stealing quick looks Elise as she braided her fiery red hair into a thick braid, Donny finally leaned over to Wicki, "So what do you think made her snap? She's a pretty girl, has the accent of someone well bred, how the hell does a girl like that end up becoming one hell of a killer?"
Wicki looked up at the girl that had her back to all of the men finishing her hair and thought about Donny's question before he answered, "The only thing I can decide is that the Nazi's killed someone dear to her, the war does crazy things to people, Donowitz ."
Donny just nodded his head as he took another bite of the bread in his hand while he kept staring at her.
…..
When Elise spoke to Wicki about her watch, he informed her that she would be joining Hugo Stiglitz, of course she knew who he was, and she was without a doubt if he found out her real name, he would instantly knew who she was, and he would probably kill her instantly.
So as a younger boy woke her up, I think she discovered his name was Utivich, and told her it was her turn, she stood up and started off into the woods with her guns attached.
Hugo slowly caught up to her and just walked with her in silence.
They walked in silence for a long time before he spoke up, "Are you Jewish?"
"No."
"Me neither."
"I know"
Hugo became silent again trying to decide what he should say next, then finally he decided to become straight forward. "If you're not Jewish, then why are you doing this?"
"The Gestapo took my father, and my life." Elise knew that it was a lie, but it would just have to work.
"Ah, how did you learn to kill? You're too pretty to have gone through military training."
Elise stopped and turned to look at him, "My father taught me everything I know, why are you asking me so many questions?"
Hugo stared at her for a minute, "I can't help but find it odd that a girl of your stature is a killing machine."
"What do you mean my stature?" She put her hand on her hip.
He almost smiled at the gesture, "Beautiful, your accent suggests that you were brought up in a very educated environment, you walk with an air of authority, and you're very well mannered, except for the occasional attitude."
"None of my background is your business." She quickly turned back around and started walking again, he started to laugh, apparently he had hit a sore spot.
"And what do you find funny?" She asked over her shoulder.
"You're trying too hard to not get close to any of us, let us know anything about you, and for once I guessed something right."
"I don't get close to anyone, I don't plan on surviving this war, Sergeant."
Hugo got silent after that.
….
Elise had been with them for almost a month and after the first week, she started coming around. She drank with the men at night, cracked jokes on Donny constantly, and every night, Hugo talked to her about life, she never spoke about hers, but she listened to his and occasionally commented. He knew she didn't plan on living through this, but now that he had started to get to know her in a way, he wanted her to make it. He wanted to spend the rest of his life trying to figure her out, but she was determined to not let that happen.
Aldo knew what was happened before Hugo even realized it, Hugo was falling in love with a red haired demon that killed men faster than he could, without an ounce of remorse or regret. Aldo was pretty pleased about it, he knew that most of these men were far from home and missing a woman's touch, but he knew that these two were in far more need of comfort than the rest. Elise and Hugo were both wounded, in some way or another, betrayed in more ways than one, and they needed someone to trust. Aldo of course knew that Fox was keeping a deep dark secret, but she seemed pretty harmless when it came to them, and he knew that they were making each other happy in some way, so he left it alone.
….
"Are you ever going to tell me your name, or am I to forever call you Fox?"
Elise thought about it, "Rose."
"Is that your real name?"
"No"
Hugo sighed heavily, "Then why am I supposed to call you Rose?"
"I didn't say you had to, I prefer Fox, but if that offends you, then you can call me Rose, I used to own a large rose garden back home, so I thought that would be a good nickname."
"Where did you live?"
"Ireland, France, Germany, I've traveled a lot in my days."
"Where did you call home before the war began, before you started this?"
"Germany"
"Must have owned a pretty nice place to have been able to have a rose garden"
"Yes"
Hugo realized that was as much as he was going to get out of her, "You know we are supposed to meet with that spy next week?"
"Yes"
Hugo finally reached out and grabbed her arm and turned her to him, "If this turns out to be a trap, I don't want to go in there without having kissed you."
He seen her eyes go wide before he pushed his lips against hers in a soft kiss, for a few seconds he felt her stiffen up, then very slowly, she relaxed into the kiss and melted into it.
….
Elise didn't know what to do at first, it had been so long since she'd been kissed, and the fire that spread from her lips to the rest of her body scared her.
Then it hit her, the passion that she had long since forgotten and she started to kiss him back, wrapping her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his hair, holding his head to her.
He pulled away and whispered into her lips, "I love you, Rose. I don't know anything about you, but I love you."
Elise felt her heart explode and she pulled him back into the kiss. Slowly he lowered her on to the ground, and right then and there Elise gave her heart to this man, and they made love underneath the stars, holding each other close, and Elise gave every ounce of love in her to him, she knew she wouldn't have much longer to live, but she was going to die one very happy girl.
