A/N: Oh, my lovely readers! Can you ever forgive me?!

So here's the deal: I moved into a new apartment a few months ago and for a long time, my time was preoccupied with getting situated and making sure everything was in order...and thus far, the only thing we don't have going for us here is INTERNET. That it my sole reason for not being able to update my stories.

Unfortunately, lack of internet made me depressed and made it hard to write, but lately I've been having ideas out the whazoo. So expect more updates (as long as I can find location with internet!)!

Disclaimer: You guys know I don't own anything.

Enjoy!

Donny's POV

A Nazi.

A fucking Nazi.

There had been a Jew-hating, Jew-hunting, and Jew-killing Nazi officer right under his nose for close to a month now and he had been none the wiser. When he and his comrades had taken this mission and come to France, they'd been given a list of those most desired for execution – Kurt Bathurst was number six on that list.

And Klara had been lying to him about it the whole time.

Donny didn't know what to do with himself just then. He was simply staring at the back of the bookshelf as he stood in this dark little room that he'd never known about. His fists were clenched and his teeth were grinding, but he made no other movements just then. And while he stood there seething, Klara was on the other side opening the door for the Nazi fuck she was related to and they were speaking in their native tongue so he couldn't understand a damn thing they were talking about and it only served to the fuel the fire inside of him.

How was he going to get out of this situation? How could he have been so ignorant? Why had he gone against his better judgment and gotten involved with this woman? Despite all the thoughts already running through his head, Donny couldn't help but begin to wonder what else Klara could have been lying to him about. Was she a double agent? Had she lured him in under false pretenses just to hand him and his men over when the time had come and the price was right? He certainly hoped not – it made him shudder to think that she, the one woman he'd found that had caught his interest in a way no other woman had, would be that heartless.

He knew her brother all too well, though, and began to doubt Klara's legitimacy completely. He'd seen pictures of Kurt Bathurst in the newspapers and had heard stories about the work he'd been doing with Landa. And Donny had never thought to ask Klara what her last name was, otherwise he would have made the connection a long time ago. Now that he knew the same blood ran in her veins, he wanted to rip his hair out for getting tangled into her web. For a moment, he considered storming out into the living room to confront the kraut bastard but then decided against it since he had no idea how many people Kurt Bathurst had with him and didn't exactly feel like getting himself shot up right then.

So Donny then started to take in his surroundings with a frown, peering around in confusion.

…Where the fuck was he?

Donny finally turned and began to look around, his eyes squinting in the dark to see what was in there. He couldn't see much, just some spare clothes and a stockpile of food near him that the dim lighting from her living lit up as it shined through the cracks in the bookshelf.

Just as Donny began to write the room off as a storage area of some sort, dark figures in the corner made him freeze immediately. He brought his hands up to his eyes and rubbed them for a moment, convinced he was seeing things, before looking again only to discover that he was indeed not seeing things – there before him, in a hidden room that was owned by Klara Bathurst, the only sister of one of the Nazi Officers he had on his list to hunt, was a family that was obviously in hiding and looking absolutely terrified at that particular moment.

And then it hit him like a ton of bricks. That was why she snuck around at night so much, that was why she was always delivering letters to someone, and this was why she was so keen on keeping tabs of the Nazis in the area – she was hiding Jewish families in her own home.

She'd always said that he would find out what she was all about in due time and now he wondered why she'd waited so long to tell him. Any anger he'd felt for her, any doubts he'd had, were immediately wiped clean. There was absolutely no way she would be helping Jews escape if she was siding with the Nazis in any way.

The family was looking at him like he was some ax-murdered coming to slay them all so he motioned for them to keep quiet, to which they nodded, and then turned to face the bookshelf again and wait for her brother's departure. Donny had no clue what was happening on the other side of the bookcase, but suddenly he couldn't wait to get Klara in his arms again.

This woman. He'd had no idea where their relationship was going and knew it could've been the biggest mistake of his life to have gotten involved with her, but lately he'd been having trouble picturing his future without the sharp-tongued, strong-headed German woman that had all but taken over his thoughts. He'd thought she was a force to be reckoned with before but now this? She'd probably been living a life where she'd undoubtedly been surrounded by Nazis for only she and God knew how long, yet she still was risking her neck and helping his people. She was amazing, she was unlike anyone he'd ever known, she was fucking perfect…

She was going to be the God-damned end of him someday.

"I have to leave." Kurt said with a regretful tone as he barged into her home. "And I apologize for the early call, but I am leaving first thing and did not want to leave with such an impersonal goodbye like one you would find through a letter."

Klara nodded distractedly, her mind racing with a million different thoughts as she watched him near her bookcase. She didn't want Kurt to come further into her home, knowing fully well that Donny had multiple things lying around her house at the moment, but him being near the bookcase wasn't much more of a comfort. If Kurt discovered Donny had been there, or was still present, it would be the end for the both of them. She had once hoped that Kurt would show mercy on his only sister if he were to ever learn of her secrets, but now knew very well that Kurt would put his country over his 'traitorous' sister any day of the week.

The part of her that wasn't worried beyond comprehension that Donny would be discovered began to wonder just what the man in question was thinking of her right then. She knew he had to be furious at the knowledge of Kurt and the fact that she was his sister - he probably thought she was a liar or a double-agent, something of that sort. As Klara worried over all the conclusions Donny could be jumping to, she very deeply began to regret keeping so much information from him for so long. He'd probably throttle her the moment he left the room.

Kurt began to toy with some books on the bookshelf and it quickly snapped her out of her thoughts and back to reality. She decided to stop worrying about what Donny was thinking and concentrate on more important matters at hand, like the fact that a Nazi soldier was separated from a Basterd and a Jewish family by nothing but her bookcase. She had to distract him.

"Has something happened?" She asked loudly, gaining his attention again.

"No." Kurt said with a shake of his head as he turned to face her. "At least nothing that has not been occurring for some time now – Landa has a new job for us that requires immediate attention."

Ah. They were going to hunt down more Jews. Klara nodded. "I see."

Kurt watched her curiously for a moment then stepped forward, pressing the back of his hand to her forehead. "Are you alright, sister? You seem flustered." He commented with a slightly suspicious gaze.

Klara heart pounded in her chest and she nodded her head, forcing on a smile. "I am fine. I suppose I am still recovering from your unexpected visit." It wasn't much of an excuse, but Kurt seemed to buy it. Klara watched with growing relief as Kurt fixed his uniform hat back over his blonde hair, obviously preparing to leave. "When will you return?"

"I shall return again for the premiere. We will not be separated for long." He said with a nod. Then he moved a bit closer to her and met her eyes steadily, pinning her into place with his pointed stare. "And I trust you will have very good news for me on the subject of Emmerich when I return?" He asked with a quirk of his eyebrow.

She wanted to scream at him for being so insensitive and for no longer caring about her happiness, but instead pursed her lips and nodded. She'd say just about anything to get him out of her home right then. "I shall try my hardest. That you can be assured of." She lied right through her teeth.

Kurt smirked and nodded once before grabbing her by the shoulders to pull her closer. She winced at the contact, waiting for a return of his harsh treatment, and knew that he noticed it. But he simply pressed a kiss to her forehead and then turned to depart, closing the door behind him without another word.

Klara stood frozen to the spot, her heart pounding, and listened for the departure of his car. Once it was no longer in earshot, she ran to the door and dead-bolted it, resting a hand over her pounding heart for a moment before mustering up what was left of her bravery and walking over to the bookshelf. She paused, closing her eyes to prepare herself for the wrath that awaited her, and then pushed the bookcase to the side.

"I am so sorry. I did not –" She started to say.

Klara didn't get to finish her sentence. Donny had her in his arms in a second and his lips on hers in the next. She made a sound of surprise at the contact and returned his kiss unsurely, opening her eyes when he pulled away. He brought a hand to her face and rubbed her cheek tenderly with a look she had never seen before in his eyes. "D-Donny?" She asked unsurely.

"I love you." He blurted out.

Klara's jaw dropped and she suddenly found it quite difficult to breathe. He loved her? As in truly loved her? Their relationship, which she'd always assumed was derived mostly from uncertainty of their futures and loneliness, had just taken a very serious turn. Did he expect her to say the words back? Did she want to say them back? Hell, did shelove him?

"You don't have'ta say it back." Donny said, moving back a bit and scratching the back of his neck nervously. He stared at her for a long moment then motioned to the family slowly making their way towards the entrance, looking very unsure of their surroundings. "Thank you." He said simply, looking a bit choked up. "Ya have no idea what this means to me."

Klara took a relaxing breath and then nodded, a smile growing on her face as she began to realize he wasn't about to bash her head in. "You are most welcome, Donny."

He offered her a small smile before he cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. "I...I need to get my things together. Time to head back soon." He said before he turned on his heel and headed for her bedroom.

Klara watched him go, her body feeling warm and tingly at his confession of love, and then looked back at the family. She told them to stay in the room and that she would make them a hot breakfast before she closed the shelf with one last encouraging smile and headed for the kitchen.

Donny loved her. He'd actually said the words. But the question now was did he mean them? Or was he just caught up in the moment? Was he so overwhelmed at learning of her involvement with helping Jews escape that he said things he didn't really mean? Regardless of all these questions, the biggest one she needed to answer was whether or not she loved Donny in return. They hadn't known each other for long, only a month, yet she found it harder to part with him each time he left. And while he was gone, she constantly worried about him. Seeing him, recieving his notes - it always brought a smile to her face and brightened her day. But was that really love?

"How long?" Donny voice rang out suddenly, making her jump and pause in her cooking.

"A year now. Ever since I moved to France." Klara said with a smile over her shoulder. He was dressed and ready to go, but didn't look like he was in too big of a rush.

"That's wicked ballsy of ya, Klare." He said, smirking at her and looking as though he had a bit more control over his emotions now. "'Specially for being related to that lowlife brother of yours."

"It is my own personal way of telling Kurt to, how do you say…piss off?" She said with a smirk. Donny laughed and then moved closer to her so he could wrap his arms around her. She leaned back into his embrace and sighed, letting go of her cooking utensils to rest her hands over his. "I left Germany because of him. He was trying so hard to recruit me, always dragging me to Nazi celebrations. It was not what I wanted for anyone, let alone myself. And Landa…" She felt Donny tense behind her. "Well, his interest was unnerving."

"He won't touch ya. I can promise ya that, blondie." He said determinedly in her ear.

Klara smiled a bit then looked at him over her shoulder. She knew she probably shouldn't bring it up but considering their circumstances, if she didn't ask now there was no guaruntee she'd ever get to. "Why do you love me?"

Donny sighed and pressed a kiss to her shoulder before resting his chin there. "How could I not?" He finally countered.

Klara smiled to herself, feeling warm and tingly again, and then turned to face him so she could wrap her arms around his neck. "Good answer."

Donny smiled another rare, genuine smile and gave her a lingering kiss before pulling away from her completely. "I gotta go. Lieutenant'll be mad if I'm late, ya know." He said, making his way for the side window often used for secretly entering her home .

"Yes, I know. I wish you could stay..." Klara said with a frown, trailing after him. "Just be careful, alright?"

Donny pushed the window up and started to climb out, a smirk on his face again. "I'm always careful." He said cockily. Then he continued speaking. "We've got some business elsewhere to take of for a while. I don't know when we'll be back on this side of town, but ya know I'll be kickin' down ya door the day I get back." He said with a wink.

"I know, I know," Klara retorted, leaning out of the window as he jumped to the sidewalk. He saluted her with a smirk and then turned to leave.

As always, when Donny departed the realization that this could be the last time she ever saw him slammed into her gut like a ton of bricks. Donny was rough around the edges, had foul language, and had the tendency to be downright barbaric from time to time, but he had let her in and let her see the softer side of him that he obviously reserved for the right person. And she knew that she felt deeper feelings for him then she had originally thought, feelings that only grew stronger each time she was with him. Klara watched him take a few steps and then suddenly felt the worlds tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"Donny, Ich liebe dich." She half-shouted in German, unable to think of the words in English because she was suddenly so nervous and excited all at the same time to announce her feelings. He turned and looked at her in surprise, obviously recognizing the more simple German term of endearment then walked back briskly, hopping on the crate so he was tall enough to give her another kiss. "What I meant to say," Klara started when he pulled away. "Is that I love you." She clarified in English.

"Of course ya do." Donny teased her smugly before kissing her once more and turning to leave for good with a bit more of a bounce in his step. Just before he turned the corner he turned to face her and shrugged. "How could ya not?" He asked cockily before leaving her to laugh and shake her head at him.

Four days later…

"There is something we need to speak of." Klara whispered to Dieter in German as he prepared his large truck to carry the family she'd been caring for to the docks. He looked down at her with a cocked eyebrow then motioned for her to continue speaking. "I have been seeing someone…and he is one of the Basterds."

Dieter immediately froze and looked down at her in shock, pausing in preparing his truck to stare at her incredulously. "You are serious?" When she nodded her head, Dieter sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "We agreed not to get involved with the Basterds' business, Klara."

"And I am not involved with their business."

"But you are with one of them!" Dieter hissed. "It is only a matter of time before they attempt to drag you into their excursions, especially should they find out what we do here." He paused and thought for a moment before shooting her a questioning look. "Do they know what we do?"

Klara frowned and pinched the bridge of her nose before nodding. Dieter made a sound of annoyance and stalked around his truck to continue preparing, obviously irritated with the change in conversation. "Dieter." She said, following him around the truck. "I did not mean for him to find out. He only knows because my brother came to my house while he was inside and I was forced to hide him with the family." He didn't say anything to her words so she tried again. "They know I want nothing to do with their rendezvous and I will make sure they know we need no help." Dieter still didn't respond. "Dieter, I love him."

This made Dieter finally look at her and he sighed before moving forward to grab her by the shoulders. "Forgive me for my anger. You know that I only worry about you and Remy and the families. My worry for you has grown, that is all."

Klara smiled and pulled him into a hug. "I know. And thank you. But I promise you that I can take care of myself." She reassured him. "And if I need help, he will be more then willing…when he is around, anyway." She added with a slight laugh.

"You are lucky he did not ring your neck for being a Bathurst." Dieter quipped a bit cynically before he shot her a smirk, tugging at her hat affectionately and continuing to prepare his truck.

"I think he felt differently on the situation of my last name once he found out about the famiy." She answered with a shrug, reaching up to fix her hat. "Otherwise, I would not be standing here right now."

Dieter nodded and with one last tug on a belt to fasten down a few bags, he patted his truck and then motioned for the family to climb aboard. "Who is this Basterd, anyway?" He asked as his soon-to-be-passengers got settled in the truck. "So I can know whom to address should I encounter him on my travels."

"The Bear Jew." She said proudly.

Dieter quirked an eyebrow and scoffed. "Of all the Basterds to choose…" He didn't finished his comment, only laughed slightly and then climbed into the driver's seat of his car once the family was all settled in. Klara poked her head in to say a quick goodbye, clasping onto Edith's hand for a moment, before backing away. "Please be safe. My thoughts are with you."

"The same goes for you. I will see you soon."

Dieter waved goodbye and then pressed down on the gas to drive away. Klara watched him go, crossing her arms over her chest, until she could no longer see his taillights in the darkness. Then she turned and headed back for her home.

A/N: Review!