"Duly noted." Dieter lit a cigarette and tried to pay attention to the conversation at hand but all he could think of was Alma and the fight they'd had the night before. He felt he hadn't mended it enough when he visited her this morning. He felt he had not expressed his deepest regrets after his ridiculous accusations. He was stupid to believe that she was harboring Jews. Rumors get started all the time, they had most likely been the result of another shop owner who knew of Alma's relationship to him and had wanted to ruin her reputation.

At least thinking that made him feel better. He watched momentarily as Goebbels spoke to Frederick and the woman he'd just picked up. Dieter did his best not to sneer at the revolting man. When Dieter had met the infamous Herr Goebbels it took every fiber of his being not to punch him in the face.

Though they stood for the same cause, Goebbels had a very punchable face - not to include a personality on top of that. Dieter hated to admit it but Alma had changed him. Three years ago he would not have thought twice about giving his full and undivided loyalty to Goebbels upon meeting him, but now since Alma was in his life - her neutrality and kindness made him reconsider his own thoughts and philosophies. Though he'd never tell her that, it'd go too far to her head. He smiled just thinking about her. Oh how he missed her, her beautiful face, her soft skin, soft hair...

He sighed out loud, earning a side glance from the Emmanuel woman next to him. He lit another cigarette. The woman looked at him once more, a slight scowl on her face. He recognized it because Alma often scowled like that at him. Though after her scowl, Emmanuel's eyes raised in gentle recognition.

A waiter approached Dieter's side before he had a moment to question her about her peculiarities.

"For you, sir." Dieter looked at him, confused as he spotted a small letter in the man's hand. He took it, nodding in thanks, and tore it open.

Back storage closet. 5 minutes. Loosen your belt, Major.

A

Dieter sucked in a breath, biting his lip, and slipped the letter into his coat.

"Excuse me, Herr Goebbels, Private Zoller." He stood. Goebbels eyed him, but shooed him away either way.

"I tell you that man is as jumpy as a Jew in an attic." He muttered as Dieter walked away.

As he walked through the restaurant to the back he was getting more and more nervous. But he was also getting more and more excited. He finally spotted the back storage door and opened it.

The lights were off, it was complete blackness as he shut and locked the door behind him. Suddenly he felt hands reach out and hold his, pulling him deeper into the closet.

"Alma..."

"Shh..." She said, "No talking." She placed her finger on his lip and brought his hands to her waist. It was then that he realized she was completely naked. All of a sudden he couldn't control himself and he grasped her hips and crashed his lips into hers. She moaned into his mouth and Dieter had never wanted her more than this moment.

Alma pushed his coat from his shoulders and unbuckled his belts. He was impressed, by now she had become an expert on the removal of his uniform. She could take it off of him faster than he could.

Dieter pushed her down to the ground, using his coat to separate her back from the floor. He kissed all down her neck and breasts, massaging them and kissing them. He loved the taste of her, still - after all this time. He kissed further down and slowly spread her lips with his fingers, playing with her clit oh so gently.

Alma moaned, though she muffled it he could still hear it. As he licked her she struggled to contain her moans, biting onto her knuckles for support. He loved licking her, tasting her. He loved kissing her right after, so she could taste herself on his lips. He had a feeling that she loved it just as much.

Quickly Alma came violently into his mouth, her hips bucking up and down. Dieter crawled up to her face and kissed her fully. And without warning entered her. Alma groaned into his lips as he fucked her.

"Yes." She whispered. Dieter's fingernails dug into her shoulders as he held onto them for leverage. Alma's fingernails ran down his back, giving him chills.

"I love you, Dieter."

"I love you, Alma." He could feel her smile underneath him, just as he felt her walls tighten around him. Within moments they both came together, sweaty and clutching each other.

He kissed down her neck, and kissed in between her collarbones, because he knew she loved it so much. When he did he felt her moan so deeply it sounded like a purr.

Dieter rolled off her and sighed happily. Alma slipped her hand into his and breathed out.

"Hope I didn't interrupt anything important." Dieter smiled and laughed.

The next morning.

Alma leaned against a tree in the middle of the woods thirty miles outside of Bordeaux. The sun was just rising and she was still tired from the night before. The realization that Alma might have to knowingly let Dieter die was weighing on her. Every moment spent with him from now until then was precious. They were up nearly all night making love over and over again.

She loved nearly everything about him; his kindness, his strength, his cleverness, and his charms. And God did he look good smoking a cigarette. Alma was on her sixth cigarette in the past thirty minutes, relieving stress with the oral fixation. She didn't smoke near as much as Dieter did though. In fact, he never failed to taste of cigarettes and coffee. Or cigarettes and beer, for he loved them both equally. Even more so, she loved the taste of herself on his lips.

Alma had only one previous sexual partner before Dieter and he had never treated her as well as Dieter had. It was all about her as far as he was concerned. He'd make her climax two maybe three times whenever they had sex. He loved pleasuring her and Alma always felt so spoiled. She felt so lucky to have someone who cared so much about her, and she felt even luckier that she had found love too. Never did she expect to find love amidst the war, let alone with a German. But here she was.

She sat herself down against the tree and fiddled with her fingers. She would have brought a book if she knew he was going to be as truant as this.

Another hour past before she finally heard gentle footsteps in the distance. They quickly approached her and Alma saw him, for the first time in years; Archie Hicox.

He nodded his head toward her. "Good morning, Miss Antony. Pleasure to see you again." He smiled a handsome smirk, winking at her.

Alma struggled to keep herself from rolling her eyes. "You're late."

"Yes well, better late than never; as they say."

Alma grunted, picking up her backpack, "We have a ways to travel, let's go."

"The Colonel tells me you're dating a German." Archie spoke as they walked side by side. Alma glanced at him then back to the path ahead.

"That's really none of his business...nor yours." Archie gave a thin lipped smirk and sighed.

"See, that's where you're wrong. Germany is Britain's number one enemy, and as one would say, 'sleeping with the enemy' it never ends well...it is quite romantic though, star crossed lovers..." Alma rolled her eyes. "And it is quite the story: German soldier and an English bookshop owner turned British spy, very cinematic."

"Well why don't you write a fucking movie about it, Archie." Alma sped up her pace as he chuckled. She was already pushed to her limit but it bothered her that he called Dieter a soldier. She also couldn't help herself; she had to correct him. "And he's not a soldier."

"A civilian then? Less romantic, still intriguing though."

"He's a Gestapo officer." Archie halted in his steps. Alma sighed and turned to face him.

"You must be joking..." Alma looked up at the sky, cursing herself for volunteering to pick him up. "Alma, forgive me for being crude but are you an idiot?"

"I know exactly what I'm doing, Archie and forgive me for being crude but once again, it's none of your fucking business. Now if you have anything else to say to me that doesn't concern my personal life, I'd love to chat about that instead." Alma turned on her heel and began walking again. Archie quickly began walking again and didn't say a word for the next hour.

As they were walking Alma was on high alert. She hadn't seen any sign of danger in a while and that worried her. And when Archie started talking to her once again, it worried her even more.

Currently he was explaining the plot of City Lights to her. Alma had seen the film before, but she didn't want to indulge him.

Suddenly there was a rustle of leaves not to far away.

"What's so absolutely amazing about the ending, when th-"

"Shut the fuck up, Archie." Alma snapped, looking around. Trying to focus her hearing, she heard even more rustling. Alma quickly hid herself and Archie behind a tree.

"What is it? Germans?" He spoke loudly. Alma's eyes widened as three Germans came rushing their way.

"Mother fucker." She mumbled as she loaded her gun quickly. She leaned out from behind the tree and shot one in the head and another in the knee. The one ran off to try and sneak around her. She quickly shot at him several times but missed. She ran out of bullets after she killed the one she shot in the knee.

Alma quickly shot out from the tree and ran towards the remaining Nazi with all her strength. She kicked him in the chest and he fell to the ground. She grabbed the knife she knew all Nazis had hidden in their belts and slit his throat with surprising ease.

Alma fell down beside the dead man and breathed out. Her heart was pumping a mile a minute.

"Oh my god, I've never seen anyone fight so well, and so quickly!" Alma turned to him, her eyes tensed. She stood and stomped over to him and punched him straight in the jaw.

"Some British Lieutenant you are! I pull you behind cover and tell you to shut up, you better fucking shut up. You almost got the both of us killed, you idiot!" She pushed him.

"I'm - I apologize I..."

Alma sighed. "Get your shit together, Hicox. This is the real deal. You can't fuck around in places like this. German occupied country is dangerous, every corner. Did they not brief you?"

"It has been quite a time since I've been in the field. Forgive me, Alma, I must have forgotten my place."

"Just don't let it happen again...We need to change course, there's bound to be more Germans fuckin' around here."

Archie followed the young woman hurriedly. He refrained from saying a single word until they reached Nadine, on the Northeast side of Paris.