Amelia looked up at the hotel and frowned, placing a hand against her forehead to stop her from being blinded by the morning sun. She had no idea what time it was, her body completely jetlagged after the journey to Madripoor. They had arrived in the city that morning and somehow made it through the airport, collecting their luggage and then finding the car Helmut had arranged to take them to the hotel. Amelia stood by the door of the car and looked at the large skyscraper, mouth slightly agape at the sheer size of it.

Helmut stood by the trunk of the car and paid the driver after he had taken their cases out for them. Handing the driver a wad of notes, the young man thanked him before climbing back into his vehicle. Helmut pushed the remainder of his cash into his wallet and slipped it into his back pocket before picking up the two cases, one in each hand.

"You might want to close your mouth or you'll catch flies," Helmut warned Amelia as she looked over to him and he chuckled at the sight of her.

"I know I left you to take care of the accommodation, but you couldn't find somewhere a bit fancier?" she was clearly joking with him and Helmut's lips arched at hearing her. He had to admit that he found her entertaining. She remained silent for a moment as she looked back to the building. "But seriously, Helmut, how much is this place costing you?"

"What have I told you before? It doesn't matter," Helmut said to her and she frowned, her forehead creasing as she made the motion and Helmut let his lips arch at seeing her. He somehow found her to be quite endearing whenever she let her face scrunch up. "Come on, we need to check in and get some rest."

"I can agree with that," she said.

She tried to take her case from him, but he insisted on carrying it. Amelia walked besides him, tossing a hand through her hair as she looked around the lobby of the hotel. It was all marble floors with expensive artwork on the walls. There was a grand staircase that branched off in two different directions in the middle of it. The elevators were hidden to the other side. Sofas and chairs were dotted around, people sat on them and drinking morning coffees and reading the day's news. The chandelier dangled all the way from the second floor ceiling, members of staff running around and catering to guest's demands.

Amelia continued her observation as Helmut spoke in a low tone, checking them in for the next five nights. Once he had the key card, he insisted he was fine carrying their luggage and with a nod to Amelia, walked with her to the elevators.

"You ever seen Pretty Woman?" she asked from him.

"Can't say I have," Helmut said, pressing the button to call the elevator.

"Well this hotel reminds me exactly of where Julia Roberts stayed in that film."

"You're not telling me Lukas never took you to fancy hotels?" Helmut asked from her and she shrugged, stepping into the elevator. "It's floor five."

She pressed the button for him considering he was still carrying their cases and she folded her arms over her chest, turning to look to him once more. "I always did the planning so I never booked anywhere that fancy. Besides, I insisted on paying for half of the bill, something I fought him on vehemently."

"Something you also insist fighting me on," Helmut told her. "But somehow I've won."

"Yeah, I don't know how you've managed that," Amelia said and stepped out of the elevator and Helmut led them down the plush carpeted corridor. He found their suite and unlocked the door. He held the door open with his back, allowing Amelia to step inside.

He let the door shut behind him and he watched as Amelia wandered further into the suite. He left their cases by the door and tossed the key card on the sideboard by the wall. Amelia whirled around, looking at the large living space that had a grand, beige sofa and two floral patterned chairs. The far wall was made completely of glass, looking over the river. There were three rooms going off a small corridor and she wandered down that way as Helmut headed to the window, looking outside and letting his gaze wander into the distance and towards Lowtown.

"This place is massive!" Amelia shouted from another room.

Helmut chuckled and turned to look back to her as she padded back into the living area, pulling her sneakers from her feet and tossing them into the corner. Sinking into the fluffy beige carpet in her socks, she went to stand on the other side of the window across from Zemo, leaning against it and folding her arms.

"You know that the bedrooms are probably bigger than my entire apartment?"

"I trust that you'll be comfortable here then?" Helmut asked, a glint in his eye as she shrugged.

"I think I'll cope," she said and he couldn't stop himself from chuckling. "So, what's the plan?"

And she was straight back to business. Helmut forgot about their light-hearted discussion and he followed her as she moved over to the mini bar and pulled out a bottle of water. Holding it in Helmut's direction, she silently asked if he wanted one and he nodded. She threw it over to him and he caught it with one hand. Unscrewing the cap, he took a sip as she grabbed her own bottle.

"We head to Lowtown tonight," Helmut said to her. "I've been able to work out that there are a number of criminal leaders there who might be able to give us information on the super soldier serum. One of them owns a nightclub, her name is Selby."

"How did you find that out?" Amelia asked and moved to sit in one of the chairs, drawing a leg up to her chest and drinking the bottled water.

"I have connections from EKO who helped me," Helmut said. "One of the commanding officers left Sokovia and joined Russian intelligence. He owed me a favour for saving his life."

"You know, the best favour I could pull in is probably a first-class rail ticket," Amelia said and Helmut smirked once more.

"You never know when that will come in handy," he responded and shrugged out of his black jacket, leaving him in a grey top over his dark jeans and boots. Raking a hand through his hair, he pushed it from his forehead and then scratched at his unshaven chin. "And tonight will be dangerous, Amelia. You need to be prepared for that. The people we're going to come in contact with will not hesitate to kill us if they see us a threat."

"How do we deal with them?" Amelia questioned from Helmut.

"We try and bargain our way through," Helmut said. "The documents that Black Widow released contained a number of HYDRA weapon experts who, no doubt, would prove useful to the criminals of Lowtown. We can give them their names and locations."

"Shouldn't we give them to the police? Besides, how do the CIA not have their details? Or the FBI? Heck, why aren't the Avengers tracking them down?" Amelia questioned, putting the lid back on her water and toying with the bottle in her hands.

"Because people like that can hide well. Look at Petrov," Helmut reminded her. "He was in London in plain sight and operating without fear."

"Good point," Amelia muttered. "And this scientist we're after?"

"Jonathan Daniels," Helmut told her his name. "He worked on the Winter Soldier programme in the bank. I think that he might be useful for us. He will have an insight into the Winter Soldier…be able to tell us all of their secrets…there might be something there that we can use."

"I hope so," Amelia said to him. "Anyway, we should get some rest before tonight. I don't know about you, but I feel like I could sleep for hours."

"Agreed," Helmut said. "Which room would you like?"

"I don't mind," Amelia said and Helmut went to grab hold of her suitcase.

Taking hold of it in his hand, he picked his own up as Amelia stepped towards it, placing her bottle of water down on a coffee table as she passed it by. "I can take that, Helmut," she said to him.

"Permit me," he said. "Now, pick whichever room you want."

Amelia was about to argue with him again and say that she didn't mind. But she kept quiet. She moved to the room at the end of the corridor with the four post bed and Helmut followed her, laying her case down on the luggage stand in the corner.

"Do you mind if I use the bathroom first?" Amelia asked.

She had undone the top button of the black jumpsuit she wore, one hand toying with the button as her other hand stuffed in her pocket.

"Go for it," Helmut urged from her.

"You know," she drawled, following him out of her room as he moved past the bathroom door and towards the other room. "You could have gotten a suite with two bathrooms."

"I am sorry to disappoint," Helmut said, stood in the doorway of his room as Amelia loitered in the bathroom's door.

"Yeah, maybe next time don't be so tight?" she teased him and he saw that smile on her face as he returned it, nodding his head with a chuckle. She disappeared into the bathroom and he listened to the door close before he moved into his own room, still smiling at her comment.

Standing in front of the mirror, Amelia shifted uncomfortably as she pulled at the sleeves to the jacket she wore. She turned from side to side, trying to work out her best angle to check if her outfit didn't look ridiculous. She sighed in exasperation before hearing the knock on the door.

"Come in," she shouted.

The door opened and Helmut walked in a second later. He was wearing dark trousers and a dark purple shirt, a woollen coat thrown over it. She looked at him in the mirror as he glanced around her room. The bed was still unmade, the crisp white duvet now crumpled and the pillows still indented from where she had been resting. Her clothes had been unpacked and now covered most surfaces in the room and the floor. The dressing table was covered with boxes and bottles, brushes sat next to them.

"Are you ready?" Helmut asked her. "The car will be here in a few minutes."

"I feel ridiculous," Amelia complained to him, still looking in the mirror as he looked at the back of her.

She was wearing the bright blue suit she had bought, the pants flared out at the bottom and the toe of her black boots just poked out from them. The jacket was double breasted, the brass buttons standing out. She had a white top on underneath that sat just on her chest.

"You look very chic," Helmut told her and she turned to face him.

She had pulled her hair into a high ponytail, the curls bouncing down her back and coming to her shoulder blades. She dropped her hands to her hips and gave him a sceptical glance.

"I look like an idiot."

"You look exactly as you should," he told her. "You look anything but an idiot. Besides, you insisted on a pantsuit."

"Because the fitted dresses were ridiculous," she reminded him. "Anyway, why could I not have gotten this in black or…I don't know…grey?"

"Because that is boring," Helmut told her. "Now come on, you look perfectly fine."

He wanted to tell her that she looked better than fine. In fact, she almost looked like a different person compared to her usual attire. The jacket fit her perfectly and Helmut had found that whenever her hair was pulled back from her face, she had the most striking cheekbones. Pushing those thoughts to the side, he insisted on her hurrying along. She did so, but before she could go, he grabbed her wrist.

"You might want to take that off," Helmut said to her, holding up her left hand and motioning to her engagement ring. "I don't want anyone to try and use that as a bargaining chip against us considering it comes from a great family dynasty in Sokovia."

Amelia nodded, looking down at the band and the gleaming stone. She slipped it off of her finger and moved to the safe in the bottom of the wardrobe. She locked it away and then straightened herself up, closing the wardrobe door and following Helmut out of the suite. He placed the key into his pocket and they walked in silence down to the car.

He held the back door open for her and she climbed in. Moving to the other side, he settled in his seat and saw her fidgeting with her hands, her fingers lacing together and drumming against her knuckles. He watched her intently and then moved one of his own hands to sit on top of hers, stopping her from nervously tapping.

"You need to be yourself, Amelia, if not a slightly more confident version of yourself when we arrive in Lowtown," he warned her and she looked to him. "I know you can do this. I've seen you walk into a room of Sokovian socialites. They're a lot more dangerous than the criminals you're going to face in Lowtown."

She knew he was trying to put her at ease by the way his lips quirked and she returned his smile despite herself. He gave her hands a squeeze and then pulled back when she nodded at him, silently promising him that she would be fine.

They crossed the bridge into Lowtown and Helmut looked around. He had to confess that he had never been to a place like Madripoor before. The walls were lined with graffiti, the streets littered with dumpsters and cardboard boxes. The car pulled up as close as it could get to the main street and Helmut paid the driver once more.

Climbing from the car, he smelled something like acid as Amelia followed him. She moved to stand by his side, looking at the brick buildings with neon signs outside of most of them. The darkness was almost foreboding. She could hear the loud noise of music alongside the vibrations of it. There were people laughing and shouting in the street. Helmut slipped his leather gloves onto his fingertips and looked to Amelia once more.

"Ready?"

"Ready," she responded.

"Remember, just be confident," Helmut urged from her.

He watched her fall into step besides him and he walked with a confident swagger, Amelia alongside him. He looked around as they took the steps up to a bridge and Amelia looked down along the main street, a train track running in the middle of it. She suspected it was an abandoned line as people stood on it and chatted. There were people carrying guns in broad sight, holding onto them and others selling weapons and other kinds of things.

"Keep your head up and your eyes forward," Helmut whispered to her once more.

"I'm fine," she promised him.

He looked around, knowing that people were watching them. He suspected that in Lowtown, unfamiliar faces were regarded with caution to begin with. Heading down the steps, he ensured Amelia was close behind him as he continued walking. She placed her hands into the pockets of her trousers and kept her strides long, heels clicking against the floor. She held her head high and ignored the stares sent in their direction before she heard Helmut tell her that they had arrived. Entering the Brass Monkey Saloon, Amelia did her best not to let her breathing become laboured with worry. She took steadying breaths as she heard the dull thud of the music.

Looking around the bar, she could only see people having fun, dancing to the music and trying to order drinks. There was a wall lined with monkey skulls and Amelia noted how apt that was considering the name of the bar. Helmut led them forwards, constantly turning his gaze over his shoulder to make sure Amelia was behind him as if she would dare do anything but stick to his side.

"We should have a drink before asking to see Selby," Helmut said to her. "It might also calm your nerves."

"Agreed," Amelia said as they finally came to the bar.

"What do you want?"

"I'll have a gin and tonic," she said and Helmut nodded.

He ordered her a gin and tonic and he opted for a whiskey. He handed her the large glass that was filled with ice and her drink. She held it in her hands and sipped on it slowly as Helmut paid for them. He turned to face her as she did the same. Looking her in the eye, he gave her an encouraging nod.

"You alright?" he checked in with her.

"Perfectly fine," she promised him.

"You're sure?"

"Positive," she said with another sip of her drink. "You're sure this Selby will see us?"

"If she's a clever woman who knows good business then she will," Helmut promised Amelia. "Just drink that and try to relax. We've already attracted a few stares since entering this place."

"How much?"

Amelia wondered what was going on as she turned to look behind her and saw a tall, lanky man stood behind her. He had long blonde hair and Amelia's brows knitted together on her forehead as Helmut set his empty whiskey glass down on the bar. Amelia hadn't finished her drink, but she placed it down next to his as the man eyed her up and down. Folding her arms over her chest, she jutted a hip out in annoyance.

"Excuse me?" Amelia demanded from him.

But he looked over her and towards Helmut. "You're here for Selby, right?" he checked with Helmut, almost as though Amelia wasn't there. "I heard you talking, but no one gets to Selby without her knowing why they're here and paying a price."

"So you're her guard dog?" Helmut checked.

"If you want to cell me that," the man chuckled and Amelia could see a gun poking out of a holster from around his shoulders. "Name's Jacob. Jacob Wood. So, tell me, what do you have that Selby will want and, more importantly, what do you want with Selby?"

"I believe that is business I will conduct with Selby," Helmut said. "Inform her that I am Baron Helmut Zemo. Me and my associate will disclose our business, but only with her."

"Associate?" Jacob asked, a smirk on his face as Amelia ground her teeth together. "Is that what they call whores nowadays?"

"I beg your pardon?" Helmut asked and Amelia's hands clenched into fists by her side as she felt an anger build up inside of her.

"I'll tell you what," Jacob drawled. "I'll let you talk to Selby, if you leave your associate with me for an hour or so? I'll even pay you what you were going to pay her."

"I don't think so," Helmut retorted. "She's not who you think she is."

"Everyone has a price," Jacob said and moved his hand out to a loose curl dangling by her cheek. He twirled it around her finger and Amelia reacted then. She grabbed hold of his wrist and remembering everything Helmut had taught her, she moved quickly, kneeing the man in the groin and weakening him. Twisting his arm behind his back, she heard him shout in pain as she managed to bend him over against the bar, keeping his arm firmly bent as she reached for his gun and tossed it to Helmut.

"I'm not his whore," Amelia snarled into the man's ear. "And don't fucking touch me again."

Helmut watched as she kicked him in the shin and his leg gave out for a moment, the only thing keeping him upright being Amelia pinning him against the bar. He looked around, knowing that they had attracted attention from Amelia's previous outburst. Placing a hand to her arm, he tried to calm her down. He drew her gaze to his and she let go of Jacob, watching him try and regain his balance before letting her eyes settle on Helmut.

"Selby will see you."

A new voice spoke and Amelia saw another man behind them, watching them intently. Nodding his head, Helmut followed the man as he began walking off down the corridor and he took Amelia by the arm, ensuring she was walking alongside him. Saying nothing, the two of them moved to the back of the bar and Helmut pocketed the man's gun into the waistband of his trousers, figuring it could come in handy and let his coat fall back around him.

Amelia looked at the corridors they walked down, seeing rooms peeling off of them with a number of monitors showing images from security cameras in the bar and what looked like other clubs and casinos. Coming to the room at the back of the bar, Amelia saw a woman sat there. She was dressed in a black suit with white shirt, a number of necklaces around her neck and rings on her fingers. Her hair was cropped short and was white, her face long and pale.

"I confess, I'm impressed," she spoke, her accent seeming to be British. "Not many people get the best of Jacob. Then again, we don't get many women coming in here who we don't know."

"So you assume that they're just prostitutes?"

"Most of the time, but I can see in this instance we were wrong," Selby said. "And is that a British accent I notice?"

"Pretty obvious, isn't it?" Amelia retorted.

Selby chuckled and Helmut wondered if this rapport was something they could use to their advantage. "Where about are you from?"

"Live in London, born in Norwich," Amelia lied to her, but Selby didn't seem to care. She gave another thoughtful nod and draped an arm over the sofa as she indicated for Helmut and Amelia to sit down. They did so, Helmut settling back on the couch and throwing one leg over the other as Amelia sat forwards.

"And what brings you to Madripoor with a Baron, nonetheless?" Selby continued enquiring.

"We're looking for someone," Amelia said.

"Jonathan Daniels," Helmut added on. "A former HYDRA scientist."

Selby nodded thoughtfully. "I've heard of him. And what is it that you want with a HYDRA scientist?"

"Let's just say that we have a score to settle," Helmut said to Selby. "Where is it we would find him?"

Selby chuckled darkly, shaking her head and looking between the two of them. "You think that I intend on giving you that information for free? What is in it for me?"

Helmut nodded, reaching into the inside pocket of his coat and pulling out two sheets of A4 paper. Holding them in his grip, he knew what was coming. "When Black Widow leaked all of HYDRA'S secrets, I deciphered most of the information," he said, leaving out the fact that he had called in favours. "These men are the top arms dealers for HYDRA…creating weapons that are far more advanced than S.H.I.E.L.D. could ever dream of creating."

Selby's interest was clearly piqued, judging by the way she leant forwards. She clasped her hands together and watched Helmut for a moment as he held the papers in his hands.

"And you would just give over this information?"

"In return for Daniels location, yes," Helmut agreed with her.

"And you know the damage that could be done with those weapons?"

"We have no concern for such information," Helmut told her and Amelia chewed down on her lip, wondering if they were doing the right thing. She hadn't thought about the consequences of a woman like Selby getting hold of such information.

"Let me see," Selby said and Helmut handed her the papers. She took hold of them in her hands and looked over the information. Seeming to be happy with what she was reading, she placed the documents down to the side of her. "Daniels left Madripoor. Last I heard he had gone to Paris, but I can give you more information in time. Give me a day or two."

"And how do we know we can trust you?" Amelia asked her.

"I suppose you don't."

"Then I suppose you don't know if you can trust us," Helmut told her. "If you think that information is complete then you would be wrong. You have the names, yes, but not their locations…the very thing that would be useful to you."

Selby's gaze narrowed. "You think that I would need that information?"

"I think it would be helpful. These arms dealers are clever men…they move around…hide underground. Why waste time hunting for them when I have what you need? I just need that information from you and you can have this from me."

Selby seemed to consider him then and she nodded, still smiling. "You two are quite something," she drawled in a low voice. "Come back in two day's time. I'll deal with you then."

"Pleasure doing business with you," Helmut said and stood up, Amelia doing the same.

They left the room without another word, preferring not to converse. Leaving the bar, Amelia took a deep breath as they came to the outside night and she wanted nothing more than to get back to the hotel. Helmut moved along the street and Amelia followed him. But Helmut knew something wasn't quite right.

"Don't look behind or act startled. We're being followed," Helmut informed her.

"What?" Amelia asked and he knew she was going to turn around, despite him telling her not to.

He moved his hand to the small of her back to stop her as he veered off down a quiet alleyway. The last thing he needed was for anyone to see what was about to happen. He didn't know if Selby had sent her guard dogs after them because she didn't trust them or if they were following them on their own merit, but Helmut wasn't going to find out.

"Run," Helmut demanded to Amelia as they entered the alley and she looked up to him as he took the gun from his waistband and checked the safety lock was off and there were bullets. "Amelia, do as I say and run. Get to the bridge and get back to the hotel."

"I'm not leaving you," Amelia said and Helmut glowered at her, cursing her stubbornness as he looked down the alley and saw the five men stood there. Amelia followed his gaze as she spotted Jacob moving towards them.

He stretched his arms out wide. "I thought we could have some fun, baby. You left so quickly and embarrassed me…no one gets away with doing that."

"Does Selby know you're here?" Helmut questioned as the men moved closer, splitting up and beginning to circle them as Helmut pushed Amelia behind him and backed them further down the alley. But they were going to be outnumbered and most certainly out gunned.

"Why would she care about the life of some Baron and his whore?" Jacob asked.

"I'll take that as a no," Helmut deadpanned.

"Kill the little lord, but don't harm the slut. We've got some fun to have before I kill her," Jacob demanded.

Helmut moved quickly, shooting the man who had first aimed his gun towards him and nudging Amelia in the stomach, pushing her back and keeping her out of the way. Two other men raised their guns and Helmut reacted quickly, shooting them as Jacob raised his own gun. But Amelia moved faster. Jacob was hardly paying her attention, seemingly shocked at how Helmut had despatched of three of his men with ease, the fourth one fighting him as Helmut ran out of bullets, throwing the gun at him and then punching him in the jaw.

Balling her hand into a fist, Amelia quickly punched Jacob in the face and took him off guard. He tried to wrestle her back, but she used the palm of her hand to push upwards into his nose. He yelled loudly, his hands going to his face as Amelia grabbed the gun from him and shot him instantly in the chest without thinking before turning and looking to where Zemo was still fighting the other man. She pulled the trigger and the man fell from Helmut, collapsing to the floor, blood seeping from his own chest.

Holding the gun in her fingers, Amelia took deep breaths as Helmut looked to her and he moved with haste. Bending down so he was her height, he moved his gloved hands to her cheeks, clasping them tightly. "Are you hurt?" he demanded to know from her.

"No," she said, her free hand going to his chest as she looked over him. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?"

"He didn't have chance," Helmut said, well aware that Jacob would have shot at him if Amelia hadn't have acted. He might have missed, but the risk was still there. "Give the gun to me, Amelia."

She nodded, gulping as he took the weapon and put the safety lock back on. He stuffed it into his inside pocket and took hold of Amelia's neck, his fingers curling around it as he watched her. She was going into shock, he could see that much.

"We need to get out of here," Helmut urged from her. "Come on."

He grabbed her by the hand and dragged her out of the alleyway, hoping that no one had seen what had just happened. There should be no evidence that they had been there. The alleyway was outside of any cameras and no one had seen them go down it. Helmut kept his grip tight on Amelia's hand as they rushed away and he managed to track down a car to take them to Hightown.

Amelia was shaking the entire journey back to the hotel and Helmut hadn't once let go of her hand. He paid the driver when they arrived at the hotel. They took the elevator up as Helmut kept running his thumb over her knuckles, urging for her to keep calm. Only once they were in the hotel room did he relax, placing the gun down on the sideboard and shrugging out of his coat.

"Talk to me, Amelia," Helmut urged from her and he saw that she was still shaking as she wandered further into the room, hand going to run along her cheek. "You can talk to me."

"He would have killed you," Amelia whispered in a soft voice, sinking down onto the couch. "I…I didn't know what else to do, Helmut…he would have killed you and if he killed you then God knows what he would have done to me."

"Don't think about that," Helmut urged from her.

"I should feel bad, shouldn't I?" Amelia checked with him. "I should feel bad for killing them?"

"No," Helmut said to her and sat down next to her, his thigh almost brushing hers. "You shouldn't feel bad for what you did. They would have killed you if you didn't kill them. You did what you had to do to survive. I only wish that you had run. Why didn't you run, Amelia?"

Turning her head to the side, her eyes fell over his face as she took in his features, looking at his narrowed lips and the spot that sat just on his chin. She watched his brown eyes as he watched her back and she shook her head slowly.

"I couldn't leave you," she whispered to him. "We're in this together, aren't we?"

"I could have dealt with them, Amelia," Helmut assured her. "I would have been able to take care of them and spare you from pulling the trigger."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I am EKO Scorpion," Helmut retorted. "It would have been a challenge, but I have experience. You could have shot me instead of him, Amelia. You…it was reckless…pulling that trigger was reckless."

He knew that he was lashing out at her. He was angry with her. He was angry that he hadn't been able to protect her from having to pull the trigger. He was also angry because he didn't know what would have happened to her. He had feared the worst. What if they had killed her? What if she had gotten in the way?

Moving to her feet, she glowered down at him. "Would a thank you kill you?" she demanded to know from him. "I was trying to help you because I thought we agreed we were in this together and I…I was worried…but thanks for the vote of confidence in me. It means a lot."

Before Helmut could say anything back to her, she had stormed off. Moving to her bedroom, he heard the door slam and he buried his face in his hands as he leant forwards, wondering why he couldn't have just said thank you.

It was three in the morning and Helmut had managed just about three hours of sleep. He left his bedroom, changing into his trousers and a grey top. He came to the corridor and saw that Amelia's door was also open. He moved cautiously towards it, poking his head around the door. It was empty. Frowning, he looked to the bathroom and saw that was also empty. There was no sign of her in the living room either. He groaned and wondered if she had left, but all of her stuff was still in the bedrooms. Frowning, he decided to head out and see if anyone had seen her.

Moving down to reception, he asked the woman behind the desk if she had left. Thankfully, the receptionist said that she had been down and asked for access to the pool. Helmut sighed and said his thanks before heading to the basement level where the pool was next to the gym. The entire place was empty as he came through to the pool room and the smell of chlorine wafted into his nose. He could hear the splashing of water and the lights were dimmed low. The pool was large, a small Jacuzzi at one end of it and sun loungers dotted around.

Amelia was in the water, wearing a plain black swimming costume and swimming up and down, head underneath the water. Helmut placed his hands in front of him and waited for her to come up for breath and realise that he was there. Eventually, she stopped at the deep end, gathering her breath and brushing the water from her face as her arms sat on the side of the pool and she floated in the water.

"You could have left a note."

Amelia turned her head to the side and looked to where he was stood at the side of the pool. Pushing off from the end, Amelia floated backwards in the water, avoiding his gaze. "I thought you were asleep."

"Hard to sleep," Helmut told her.

She said nothing back to him as he crouched down so that he was lower and closer to her. She remained in the middle of the pool, kicking in the water gently and letting her arms move around her.

"And I owe you an apology," Helmut said to her.

She remained silent still.

He sighed. "You're not going to make this easy for me, are you?" he questioned her.

"I'm waiting to see what you have to say," she replied.

"I was brash and ungrateful," he confessed to her. "I know what you did in that alley and you…I know that you saved my life. I know what you did and I am grateful for it."

"You said you had it covered," her tone was terse.

"And I perhaps might have done, but you made for certain that I lived," Helmut said. "You pulled that trigger for me, Amelia, and I am grateful for what you did. You helped save both of us, but the fact is that you pulled that trigger and I had told you to run. I told you to run because I was trying to protect you…because Heike…Lukas…what would they have said if I told you to stay and fight? What if something had happened to you?"

Amelia groaned and tossed her head back, her hair dripping back into the water behind her. "What have I told you?" she demanded from him, annoyance clear in her voice as she spoke. "I can make my own decisions. I don't want you to have to protect me. You need to get out of that mind set."

"It's not exactly easy, Amelia," Helmut sniped back. "I made Lukas a promise and I take promises seriously, no matter what you say."

"And I told you that I can make my own decisions," Amelia retorted to him and she swam to the steps at the end of the pool.

Climbing out of it, Helmut watched as the water dropped from her body, some droplets clinging onto her skin as she rinsed her hair over the water. The swimming costume was clinging even more to her skin and she grabbed the towel she had tossed over the sun lounger, wrapping it around her midriff and it fell to her thighs.

"And perhaps there is something more," Helmut said to her and she arched her brow, waiting for him to elaborate. "Have you ever considered the fact that I wanted you to run not only because of what I promised Lukas, but because I care for you?"

Amelia looked to him then as he stood up straight, shrugging his shoulders as he watched her. He moved towards her slowly and she watched his face, drinking in the way his eyes were wider than usual and his cheeks seemed slightly redder than normal too.

"And did you ever think that I didn't want to run because I care for you too?" Amelia asked from him. "You're my friend, Helmut."

Helmut kept stoic, his eyes raking over her face as he saw her look down, chewing on the inside of her cheek. "Friend," he repeated the word and she wondered what it was he was thinking as he nodded.

"Yeah, my friend," Amelia retorted as he stood inches away from her and she had to look up so that she was staring straight into his eyes. "So don't ever talk to me that way again because I'm getting tired of it."

"You're bossing me around now?" he demanded to know from her.

"I'm just tired of you thinking me incapable when I've proven that I am more than capable," Amelia said to him. "I helped handle those men tonight and I think you'll find that I floored Jacob in that bar."

"A risky move again," Helmut told her and she was about to snap at him, but he held a hand up and continued talking before she could. "But you did a good job. You held your own admirably, I would say."

Amelia nodded her head at him and he waited for her to say something. She did so, her voice low and soft.

"Just stop undermining me," Amelia urged from him. "I know you care, but I need you to trust me that I can make my own decision. I just need you to trust me, Helmut."

"I do trust you." Helmut promised her. "I just want you to be safe…you…you're all that I have right now, Amelia. You're the only one I can talk to…and I…" he trailed off, not sure what he was trying to tell her.

Shaking his head, he knew it was foolish. It was so ridiculous. He knew what kept him going and that was justice for his family. But getting up in the morning was made easier when he knew that he had Amelia alongside him. He shook his head and turned away from her, knowing that he might have been seconds from making a big mistake.

Amelia watched him turn his back on her and she wondered what he had been about to say. Was it the same as what she wanted to say? The fact that she had found herself enjoying spending more time with him worried her. She would often find herself watching him while they worked, wondering what went through his mind. She found things so much easier when he was with her. There were times when she forgot exactly what was happening when they were just together and talking.

But then she remembered Lukas. Helmut had been Lukas's best friend. Heike had been her good friend too. She was just lonely. She told herself that so often. She was just lonely and he was the only one she had. It was nothing more than that.

"We need to talk about the information you're going to give Selby too," Amelia changed the topic and moved across the room as Helmut spun around to watch her, seeing her grab the robe hung up on a hook. Shrugging into it, she dropped the towel and tossed it into the laundry basket next to the row of hooks.

"What about it?" Helmut asked.

"We need to find a way not to give it to her," Amelia said and he shook his head as she moved past him, giving him no time to respond as she left the pool room and he had no other option but to follow her, knowing that they might be about to have another argument soon enough.

A/N: I don't think anyone is reading, but if you are do let me know. I'd love just a quick review so I know whether to both continuing or to put the story on a hiatus/discontinue it!