Hans Landa hated going to events, he would rather spend his free night by the fire, drinking a brandy, and relaxing than mingling with the men he saw on a daily basis. He got dressed slowly, in no hurry to make it to the event on time. Herman was already downstairs getting the car ready, trying to send the message to Hans that he needed to hurry. Hans looked in the mirror as he buttoned his jacket over his tuxedo. He was a very vain man, and enjoyed looking at himself in the mirror, now being no different. He admired at his reflection and noted how distinguished he looked. Although he did not have a date, he was sure he would no lack of female company tonight. Beautiful women were the only positive thing about going to these party's, and he usually came home with one, at least.
Herman opened the back door of the shining black staff car and waited for Colonel Landa to enter. Herman was his personal assistant and Landa worked him to the bone, but Herman didn't seem to mind. He actually enjoyed his job, he was able to work with an important man in the military without having put go out onto the front-lines. Herman was naive and gullible and he truly believed in the Third Reich, but he was also a coward and didn't want to put himself in any danger. And he had no regrets as he drove Hans around to parties like these, 'everyone has different parts to play' he thought to himself.
They arrived at the party over an hour late and the party was already in full swing. Hans liked showing up late because that way he wouldn't have to suffer through too much small talk. But, he always arrived in time to have at least one drink before dinner, and tonight he was going to need all the alcohol he could get. He had a bad day at work earlier, discovering that the Basterds had captured and mostly murdered another group of soldiers. He felt like he was failing with his new assignment. He should have found these asshole Americans by now. The last thing he wanted to do tonight was go to a fucking party, but even though he was upset now he had a feeling that he would relax once he went in.
It was true, as soon he entered through the large front door he felt instantly better. One glass of champagne and he was even laughing with the other colonels. But, about a half an hour later he was beginning to get bored. He decided to leave the company of the other colonels and walk up stairs to people watch from above. As a detective, people watching were one of his favorite hobbies, and it was always extra entertaining when the Nazi Elite was involved.
He had been upstairs leaning against the railing with a glass of champagne in his hand for a few minutes when he spotted her. For once he was caught so off guard that he nearly let the glass slip form his hand. He took a moment to recompose himself and watched her walk around the room, an air of boredom followed her. It was the girl he had interrogated almost two weeks before. He had thought of her often since that meeting, but he didn't expect to see her in a place like this. It was a welcomed surprise and he decided to enjoy the coincidence to the fullest.
He watched her for a little bit longer to gain as much information as he could before making a move. It was almost as if he was a cat and she the mouse, and he was looking at her as his next prey. He took note that she was definitely with Fredrick Zoller the war hero, the he was actually set to do security for his movie premiere. He thought they made quite the odd couple, the war hero and the suspected American spy. True, he had already written her off as any type of threat, but it was still funny to think about. Fredrick looked happy, which he always did, he had a child-like personality which Hans found personally annoying. He thought it made Fredrick weak, even though he had gained some of his respect with his actions in Italy. But, either way Hans wanted the girl and he was not afraid to assert his dominance over Fredrick.
Pushing Fredrick out of the way would be easy, but getting her to accept him would be the difficult part. After their last encounter, Hans was sure that she was not very fond of him at moment. But, he would make sure that would change very soon. He was brought out of his deep thoughts by their movements down below. They were now walking towards the stairs and he knew that this was the time to make his move. He headed towards the stairs going down, while they made their way up, meeting in the middle of the stairwell.
"Fredrick Zoller!" called out Hans in feigned surprise. "How are you doing this evening? Good I hope, it is a party after all. And who is this lovely lady by your side?" he said smiling at Elizabeth as he took and her hand and kissing it gently.
Fredrick instantly stood taller at the sight of Hans and saluted him. "Colonel Landa, pleasure seeing you here. This is Elizabeth Himmel," Fredrick said proudly as she did everything in her power not to yank her hand from the Colonel.
"Ah, yes hello Elizabeth, nice to see you again." Elizabeth glared daggers, while Fredrick looked confused.
"Wait, you two have met before?" he asked.
"Yes," answered Hans. "Only briefly although I enjoyed every minute of it," He smirked.
Elizabeth knew that he was toying with her and she was not in the mood for it. But, she was also too terrified to say anything against him no matter how rude he was being to her.
"Well, since we all know each other, maybe it would be nice if we could all sit together at dinner. I'm sure something can be arranged," said Fredrick.
A look of terror crossed Elizabeth's face, while the Colonel looked rather pleased with himself. "Naturalich, it would be honor to be seated with a hero such as yourself," Hans said gallantly. This is going to be easier than I thought, he said to himself.
The host ordered everyone into the dining room for supper at that exact moment and slowly everyone began to file into the room. It was set beautifully, lit by only candle light the room glowed and the crystal china reflected the flames to create a warm and inmate mood. But, Elizabeth couldn't enjoy it knowing whom she was going to be sharing it with. And since Fredrick was such a celebrity among the Nazis now, he was given his own table with only those who his chose to be seated with him while everyone else was given assigned seating. So it was just the three of them at the table.
Fredrick and Hans began to small talk, while Elizabeth sat between them. Since they were talking about work she wasn't able to understand what they were talking about, and was left to her own thoughts. She couldn't believe the situation she was in. She had prepared herself to see some the people she hated, such a Joseph Goebbels but she never thought of seeing Colonel Landa here. And she especially didn't expect him to have the gull her speak to her after the way he treated her earlier. She thought it had to be some type of trick. He said he would be watching her. Had he been planning this meeting tonight? Had he known that she had been seeing Fredrick? She tried to look confident and comfortable in front of him, but she was sure that he could tell that she was scared.
Hans looked over at Elizabeth and smiled mischievously. He could tell by the look on her face that she was uncomfortable, but Fredrick didn't seem to notice at all. He seemed so oblivious to everything; it was another aspect that annoyed Landa about him. He wondered what Elizabeth saw in him, was it because he was a war hero? He doubted it. She didn't seem like the type of person who placed much importance into those matters. It was probably his boyish charms, he thought, which made him slightly annoyed at her as well. He had taken her for a person who was stubborn, blunt, and someone who stood up for herself and was strong. He would think that she would want someone who was strong as well, not naive like Fredrick. But, he had to admit to himself that he really didn't know much about her. And although he was usually able to pinpoint someone quickly, he wasn't able to do so with her. As much as it frustrated him, it also intrigued him as well. Tired of speaking about work with Fredrick he decided to change the subject and learn a little more about Elizabeth.
"So Elizabeth," he engaged her, bring her out of her deep thoughts. "What brings you to Paris? Not many women come here alone, especially with the war going on."
It took her moment to answer, he had surprised her by speaking to her directly, and also she was debating on how to answer. She was certain that he already knew everything about her. If he had dug deep enough in her past to discover Hugo than there couldn't be much more he didn't know. "I came here about a year ago to dance. It has always been my dream to be a ballerina in an accomplished company, but unfortunately my village didn't offer much promise in this respect. And Paris is famous for its dedication to the performing arts, so naturally when I was told that Germans were allowed to come to Paris after the occupation I jumped at the opportunity." She was afraid that she had said too much, but it was hard to tell how much information was too much with Colonel Landa.
"I see, that's very respectful that you followed your dreams like that. Did you end up finding a company here to dance in?"
She really didn't want to tell him where she danced, because that gave him an opportunity to find her more easily. But, she knew that it would look suspicious if she didn't give an answer, especially in front of Fredrick too. "I dance at the Ballet de l'Opéra de Paris. I'm currently just a student right now so I haven't had a chance to dance in a production yet." Hopefully that would keep him from tying to come to ballet looking for her.
"I'm sure that with passion such as yours that you're a beautiful dancer, and will be dancing in productions sooner than you know it."
She was surprised by his compliment and wasn't sure how to handle it. She simply replied with a "Thank you".
Fredrick looked over at Elizabeth curiously, "I didn't know that you studied there," he said with a twinge of hurt in his voice.
Hans was shocked at his confession. "You mean you didn't know that she danced? Isn't that a huge part of her life?" He posed the question loving the fact that they weren't as close as he had originally thought.
"Well I knew she danced, just not there," Fredrick answered trying to be as careful as possible.
"What do you mean?" Hans asked genuinely confused now.
Fredrick glanced over at Elizabeth hoping he wasn't embarrassing her. "Well…I knew that she danced at the Peacock Lounge, that's where I meant her."
Now Hans was really surprised, Elizabeth was a club dancer? How had this information slipped by him this whole time? "Now that is very interesting," Hans said with an excited smile. The thought of her dancing in skimpy clothing was almost too much for him to bear.
Elizabeth was quiet, but obviously embarrassed by the subject of her work being divulged to him. She wanted to slide down her chair and right under the table at that moment. But there was nowhere to hide from Hans's now beaming face.
Hans looked at Elizabeth, who was now blushing deeply, "Don't be embarrassed my dear," he told her. "There's no shame in being a show girl. Many dancers got their start from dancing in clubs."
He was genuinely trying to cheer her up, but it didn't seem to have any effect on her. Their salad course was served and it was eaten mainly in silence. The night was not going as planned for Hans and he needed to find a way to get it back on course. "So Fredrick," he began. "Are you excited about you big debut coming up?"
Now it was Fredrick's turn to turn red. "Yes, I'm excited, but also a little intimated. I'm not sure what to expect since Dr. Goebbels hasn't let me see it yet. Also, I'm not very good at boasting about myself. I'm not sure how I will handle all the attention."
"You seem to be handling it well now," mentioned Hans. "Plus you should never be afraid to be proud of yourself. What you did was an amazing feat, not many people could pull that off. All the attention you receive is well deserved. And it is an honor to be in a movie directed by Dr. Goebbels. He is very close to Fuhrer, perhaps you will even to get meet him."
The prospect of meet Hitler made Fredrick all the more intimated. He had never told anyone, but deep inside he felt like he didn't deserve any of the attention. Truthfully, he didn't like what he had done; he did it because it was his duty as soldier. But, the thought of all the people he had killed made him sick to his stomach, and the fact that he was profiting from it only made it worse. Outside he tried to appear as grateful as possible, because he didn't want to offend anyone of the party.
The rest of dinner pasted in a blur of delicious foods and small talk. Hans had initiated conversation, but Elizabeth still remained silent for the most part. She still hadn't warmed up to him, and he was beginning to get frustrated. He was not used to people shutting him off. Even if they had gotten off to a rocky start, it would be in her best interest to try to be friendly.
Dinner finally ended after what felt like forever to Elizabeth. After such an uncomfortable dinner, she was ready to release some energy by dancing. The ballroom was massive, and completely made of white and gray marble. It was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. Fredrick and Elizabeth left Colonel Landa behind at the entrance of the room and immediately joined others onto the floor. Elizabeth was delighted to discover that Fredrick was a good dancer, but even his dancing couldn't completely lift the dark cloud left behind from dinner. She looked at Fredrick as they danced and she couldn't help but smile. He was sweet and easy to like, but she felt there was another side to him that he didn't let her see. And she wondered to herself and she could really fit into his life, into this whole scene.
The music had gained tempo and everyone picked up their pace to match the tune. She was enjoying the fast dancing when Colonel Landa reappeared behind Fredrick. He tapped Fredrick on the shoulder and asked, "May I please cut in?"
It didn't matter if Fredrick liked it or not, since Hans was so high ranking it would have been considered rude to say no. But, Fredrick thought nothing of it and said, "Of course, go right ahead" as he handed Elizabeth off to him.
Elizabeth was livid, she was mad at Fredrick for handing her off so easily and at Colonel Landa for even daring to ask.
"For once you appeared to be actually enjoying yourself tonight" he said while grabbing her hand and placing the other around her waist.
"I was…" she said not hiding the disappointment in her voice.
And he smiled is cunning smile at her, not letting his disappointment show. He had tried to be friendly, ask her about herself, and even putting up with private Zoller. But it was beginning to look like there was nothing he could do to please her. he liked a good chase, but his was becoming ridiculous. Then the song changed to jazz and everyone in the room roared and began to swing dance. Most of the older men in the room stopped and led their partners off the dance floor. Happy, she stopped dancing expecting Hans to do the same, but surprisingly he pulled her back and began to dance. She was shocked by how much of a good dancer he was. She hated to admit it, but it made him go up a notch in her book, not that it put him up that much higher.
After song was over he allowed he to go back to Fredrick, even though she still didn't look that happy, he had seen the surprise in her eyes when he began to dance to the jazz music. When Elizabeth reached Fredrick across the room she asked him if they could leave. She was tired and the night had worn her down both physically and emotionally.
On the way home in the car, Elizabeth did some tough thinking. She really liked Fredrick, there was no question of that, but it seemed like she would never be comfortable in his world. She felt guilty for feeling this way and she didn't want to hurt his feelings, but after the party she knew what she had to do. When he walked her to her door, he leaned in for a goodnight kiss, but she stopped him. He stood back up straight asked her what was wrong.
She had been planning on what to say on the car ride over, but she couldn't remember any of it so had to wing it. "I'm sorry Fredrick, It's not my intention to hurt you, but I have something I need to say." Shock registered on his face but she continued. "I really like you and I enjoy spending time with you, you're a wonderful person.
"But…" he said knowing what was coming next.
"I don't think I can see you anymore. It not you, I just don't feel like I fit into your world right now. I just don't feel comfortable around all those people, and I know it is part of your job to be around them. I'm just…sorry." She looked into his eyes trying to read his emotions, but he was completely neutral.
He had expected this, even though it hurt him to hear it. He knew his new 'celebrity' status would scare some of the girls away, he had just hoped that it wouldn't with her. He gave her a sad smile and said, "I understand, but I'm not going to lie and say it doesn't hurt. I really liked you and I trusted you, but you can't look past my job, it's a shame really. I thought you thought more of me than just some Nazi puppet."
What? She thought. She had expected him to take it hard, but he was being a little unfair.
"Fredrick, it's not that I just don't think we are in the same place right now."
"Humph… yeah okay I get it. It's the whole it's not you it's me thing. Well I think that's a cheap way to dump me!" he snapped back, his voice rising.
Why was he acting like this? She had tried to be as gentle as possible, but he was just being childish. Maybe he wasn't as innocent as he seemed.
"It doesn't matter anymore, I'm saying goodbye tonight and I wish you luck on everything." She unlocked the door and opened it, suddenly he grabbed her and whipped her around. He pinned her against the wall and placed a hard, desperate kiss on her lips. She tried to fight back and tell him to stop but he just fought her harder. Finally, she managed to pull away long enough to slap him hard on the face. His shock left her just enough time to slip through her door and slam it shut in his face. He cussed loudly and banged on her door, yelling "don't you know who I am?" loudly enough for the whole apartment building to hear. He didn't stay long though, and soon it was quiet outside her door.
She stood by the door until he left and then plopped on her couch. There were tears in her eyes and she didn't know what she was feeling anymore. His outburst had terrified her and she had half expected him to break down the door. He had showed his true colors finally, and she was glad she had ended it when she did. She composed herself long enough to run a hot bath. She slowly got in it, letting it wash off all the night's problems. And as she laid there she thought to herself 'I feel sorry for the next girl he sets his sights on'.
Sorry it took so long to update, this chapter is really long and took a while to write. I hope you all enjoyed it!
