Helmut was well aware that Amelia's mind was on anything but the mission they had as Christmas soon came around. November had drawn to a close and Helmut had continued deciphering the files realised by Black Widow, trying to figure out if there was anything else that he could find useful. He had looked further into the Winter Soldier programme and he knew that he had to find someone who had more knowledge about it. He had also started to decipher something interesting about Howard Stark, but that was many years ago and there was limited information.

Amelia had tried to help him decipher the work, but he could see her often staring into the distance. He knew exactly what was going on. He watched her often enough, looking out of the window and over the sea before her. And then he had looked at her laptop screen when she had gone to the bathroom and he had seen why she was so worried.

She was spending money and she had nothing coming in. Yes, Lukas's family had been kind enough to leave her some of his money, but Helmut knew how much his friend's family was worth and the amount they had given her would have been a pittance to them. Amelia had quit her job too. She was paying rent on the apartment. She had bills. She needed food. And then there was her grandmother's care home that was costing her a small fortune.

Helmut didn't know how to approach the subject with her, knowing that she was a strong woman who prided herself in making it on her own. She didn't rely on other people. She didn't want people to see her as a charity case. But Helmut felt bad. He was living in her apartment and she had insisted on him giving her nothing for it. Plus, he had more money than he knew what to do with recently.

"What're you doing?"

He hadn't meant for her to catch him prying as he hunched over her laptop and looked at her accounts. He straightened himself out and glanced over to her as she stood in the doorway of the living area.

"Why did you not tell me?" Helmut wondered.

"There's nothing to tell," Amelia responded, brushing by him and closing the lid to the laptop to stop him from looking. "And you shouldn't be prying."

"And you shouldn't be so proud," Helmut retorted and he saw her fold her arms in defiance, clearly angry with him. But he just wanted to help her. "You could have told me that you were worried about your finances."

"I'm not."

"What I just saw on there proves differently," Helmut said, pointing down to the laptop once more and she ground her teeth together in annoyance at hearing him. "I am not judging you, Amelia. In fact, I would never judge you. There is no shame in admitting that you are struggling."

She said nothing back to him then and moved around the flat, tidying up pieces of paper from the coffee table. "It's only a blip," she said, avoiding his gaze as she adjusted the papers in the folder. "Once we have finished what we have set out to do then it won't matter…I'll…we'll either be locked up or dead…so long as there is enough money to keep my grandma where she is then I don't care about anything else."

"You think that when this ends you won't have a normal life?" Helmut questioned from her.

"How can I? If we're going up against the Avengers then they're likely to throw us into a jail cell…if not for what we do to them then for what we've done to HYDRA. Crime is still crime, Helmut…and anyway, when it's done, then what else do we have? Lukas is gone-"

"-Don't," he interrupted her. This wasn't the deal that he had made over Lukas's grave. The deal he made never involved Amelia being locked in a cell or even contemplating death. He had promised to keep her safe and he was going to do that as best as he could. "Once we have done this then you'll come back here and you'll rebuild…make a new life for yourself. I won't even let you entertain the notion of anything else."

"And you? What do you think you would do?"

"I haven't worked that out yet," he said.

But it was a clear lie. He had thought long and hard about what it was that he intended to do. There was nothing for him after he had completed their mission. He told himself that his job would be done and then he could rest. He could go and he might even see his wife and son again. He would have avenged them and then he wouldn't know what to do. The idea of living a life without them wasn't one he wanted to think of.

He'd had it planned out, but that was until he found himself spending more and more time with Amelia. She seemed to be putting a spanner in all of his plans. But he wondered if he was being foolish. He told himself that he was only feeling this increasing pull towards her because he was lonely and, after all, humans craved companionship. Plus, there was the fact that he found her to be quite attractive. But he had never denied that, even when Heike mentioned it to him.

"She might be pretty, but she's nothing on you, my love."

"But we're not changing the topic," Helmut said to her. "This is about you and you're going to accept my help."

"I'm not a charity for you, Helmut," Amelia said to him.

"You're my friend and I want to take care of you," Helmut said to her. "Can you at least allow me to do that?"

"No, I don't-"

"-My God, woman, can you please stop being so stubborn?" Helmut demanded from her and she stood up straight, blinking numerous times as she watched him advance towards her. "I have money. I have too much money and it is mine to spend how I choose and I want to help you. I want, at least, to try and see you smile once before Christmas without worrying about everything."

"Why?" Amelia asked from him.

"Because…do you not get it?" Helmut asked from her. "We're in this together. So let me help you."

"I…" Amelia trailed off as she thought about what he was asking from her. He was asking for nothing. In fact, he didn't expect anything in return. He was just being a friend and she should accept that. She knew that, but she was still much too proud. "I will pay you back."

"I do not-"

"-Please," Amelia interrupted him. "If I'm going to accept your help then I need to pay you back. It'll make me feel better and that's the whole reason why you're doing this, isn't it?"

He said nothing, sighing as he nodded his head and she did the same. "Fine," he relented. "If you insist."

"And I do," she replied. "But…thank you…"

"You're welcome," Helmut said and he stepped towards her as she closed the distance and embraced him. Pecking him on the cheek, she squeezed his upper arms before leaving the room and he watched her a go, his lips curving into a smile as he knew exactly how he could play dirty.

"Helmut!"

She screamed his name and Helmut picked up the bookmark from his bedside table. Calmly, he slotted it into the book he had been reading after he had showered. He was lounged on the bed, a white towel wrapped around his waist as he dried off naturally after his shower the following evening. Placing the book down onto the bedside table, he heard footsteps grow louder and muttering. She didn't bother to knock as she pushed the door open and looked into the room.

"What the hell…oh…shit…" Amelia trailed off when she saw that he had moved to his feet wearing nothing but that towel around his waist. She instantly turned around, but it had been too late. The image of his bare chest was ingrained in her memory. And, rather reluctantly, she found that she didn't mind all too much.

"Have you forgotten how to knock?" Helmut asked, not in the slightest bit bothered at her having seen him.

"No," she replied. "Well…yes…but just for a moment considering I'm pretty annoyed with a certain Sokovian Baron."

"I assume that you are talking about me?"

"Who else would I be talking about?" she retorted, still keeping her back to him as she heard him moving around behind her. But the item he was looking for was in front of her and hung up on the back of the door.

"Well, if we are going to have this discussion then can you pass me that robe?"

She wondered what he was talking about before she noted the blue silk in front of her. She reached for it and pulled it down, turning back around but closing her eyes as she pushed it out in front of her and Helmut took it from her fingers, noticing her reddening cheeks and the way her lips parted as his fingers brushed over hers. He wondered if she could feel the warmth from his body considering he was just inches away from her.

He slipped the robe over his shoulders as she turned back to the door and dropped her hands to her hips in annoyance.

"I'm decent," he said to her.

She turned back around and she swore that he almost looked smug. Grinding her teeth together, she jutted her chin out as he tied the sash around his waist, chest hair still peeking out from in between the robe. He slicked his hair back onto his head and Amelia wondered if he found this entertaining? Did he have any idea of the effect he had on her? Or was he enjoying playing a game?

"Right," Amelia said, gathering her thoughts and letting her anger boil to the surface once more. "You put four million pounds into my bank account, Helmut."

"Yes."

"Just yes?" she snapped the word back to him. "Helmut, this isn't me asking you to pay me back for a pint of milk. This is four million pounds. I wouldn't even know what to do with four million pounds…and how the hell can I pay you it back?"

"I suspect it might take a while."

"Try forever," Amelia retorted and he didn't want to tell her that wasn't entirely accurate. "I will never be able to pay it back, even if I ended up getting my old job back and send you all my earnings."

"Well, it seems that you are just going to have to forget paying me back," Helmut shrugged ruefully as Amelia rolled up the sleeves to the long, checked pyjama top that she wore over her matching bottoms.

"Why did you do that?" she demanded from him. "Is it some game to you that you have to win? Try to make me feel worthless because I'll never be able to repay you?"

"What?" Helmut asked.

Not once did he think that she would have taken the news as she was doing. He knew she would be angry, of course, but he hadn't expected her to be angry and also hurt with him. He didn't want that.

"What was your plan?" Amelia continued pushing him on it. "Because-"

"-There was no plan," Helmut interrupted before she could become even more upset. "My only plan was to give you enough money to keep you comfortable…to keep you from feeling you had to pay me back because I don't want you to. I just wanted you to accept my help. If you think my intention was to try and humiliate you then I question if you know me at all."

And now Amelia felt bad. That had never been her intention either. She sighed and shook her head, looking to the ground as Helmut studied her. "That hadn't been my intention either," she said to him. "I don't think that about you. I know that's not who you are and I…I'm sorry…I was just lashing out because I'm…this kind of thing doesn't happen, Helmut."

"Perhaps not, but I never meant to cause offence."

"Nor did I," Amelia said. "But that is far too much money."

"Just accept it and enjoy it," he urged from her. "Now, I do not intend on spending the rest of my evening arguing with you about this. I had poured myself a nice glass of whiskey and had intended on reading a book."

"I don't want to spend the night arguing with you either," Amelia promised him.

"Then let's consider the matter closed," Helmut said. "Now, what did you have planned for this evening?"

"You don't want to talk about?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Helmut said.

"But-"

"-Because if we talk about it then we might just argue and as much as I enjoy seeing you angry because you become quite adorable, I want a quiet night."

Amelia huffed at hearing him. "I am not adorable when I'm angry."

"Oh, you are. Your cheeks puff out and you get this little crease on your forehead," Helmut said and the smirk was back on his face once again.

"If you don't want to argue then you're saying the wrong thing," she warned him.

He chuckled and held his hands up defensively. "Apologies," he said to her. "Consider the matter dropped. Now, tell me, what were you going to do this evening?"

She ground her teeth together again but suspected that this was the end of the conversation. She folded her arms over her chest and shrugged. "I can't say that I have any plans," she said to him. "I might go and watch television. I don't want to interrupt you if you already are doing something…but…what the hell are you reading?"

She moved around Helmut and towards his bedside table. His room was always so presentable. There were never any stray clothes laying about and everything looked as if it had its place. She suspected that stemmed from his time in the military. She caught a whiff of his cologne as she walked by him and picked up the book.

"The Life and Times of Napoleon…" Amelia read the title and held it up in his direction. "Are you seriously reading this?"

"It's historical."

"It looks dull," Amelia responded.

"And may I ask what is on your bedside table?"

"Emma."

"A futile romance novel," Helmut said back to her.

"That's not true."

"Yes, it is," Helmut retorted. "You put up such a strong exterior but inside you're just a hopeless romantic who has a thing for Austen. I imagine Bronte is on your shelf too?"

"Wuthering Heights is a classic!" Amelia defended herself.

"I rest my case," Helmut said, picking up his discarded towel and folding it up, placing it over the radiator underneath the window.

"Whatever," Amelia said with a roll of her eyes. "I'm going to go and watch TV. Enjoy your boring book and bottle of whiskey."

"I'll try my best," Helmut promised her and he watched her leave the bedroom with a wave of her hand. He smirked at the sight of her retreating from his view and did his best not to think about her as he sat on the edge of his bed and looked down at his wedding band. "She's testing my patience, Heike…she's constantly testing my patience."

"You know that you didn't need to come with me."

Amelia opened up the trunk of her car and picked out the gift bag she had packed. She had a long red coat on and a black, pleated skirt with a white shirt tucked into it. Thick black tights covered her legs to keep her warm and she had black boots on her feet. She had left her hair to hang loosely down her back, the curls bouncing around by her shoulder blades.

"I wanted to come," Helmut told her. "Besides, where else am I going to go so close to Christmas?"

"You could go anywhere else," she said to him.

"I would rather be here," Helmut assured her as she closed the trunk and adjusted the strap of the satchel she had over her shoulder.

Helmut had ensured he looked smart, wearing dark trousers and black, leather shoes. A deep purple coloured shirt was tucked into the waistband and he had a blazer on over it. He followed Amelia back into the care home and let her take the lead, finding himself looking around at all of the Christmas decorations.

They had gone all out, large Christmas trees in each room that were decorated in different coloured babbles with twinkling white lights. There were other decorations dotted around including wreaths, singing stuffed animals wearing Christmas jumpers and foil stars dangling from the ceiling.

"Well this is festive, grandma," Amelia commented as she greeted the woman sat in her wheelchair at one of the grand tables in the dining room. It had been covered in a tablecloth with Christmas crackers at each set place. There was a vase of flowers in the middle of the table and miniature plastic snowmen.

"It's a lot more than I ever had as a kid," Margaret said as Amelia pecked her on the cheek. "You know that you didn't have to come here, darling."

"And miss a three course Christmas dinner?" Amelia checked with her. "I wouldn't miss this for the world. Besides, I'll be back on Christmas morning, but I wanted to bring your gifts today so you'd have something to open."

"You didn't have to," Margaret said. What she really wanted to tell her was that it would be a waste. She wouldn't be around long enough to use them.

"I did," Amelia protested. "Besides, I brought Helmut with me."

"So I see," Margaret said, almost with a knowing tone to her voice as she eyed him. He inclined his head gently in her direction. "Are you staying here for Christmas, Helmut?"

"I am," Helmut said and he sat down next to Amelia. "Amelia is insisting on taking me to a Christmas market on Christmas Eve."

"In Norfolk?"

"That exact one."

Margaret chuckled. "She used to love going there as a child," she said. "I remember I took her once with her mother to see Santa there. She cried at the sight of him. Daniela couldn't get her out of there soon enough."

"I was four, grandma," Amelia defended herself.

"Oh, your mother was so embarrassed. I've never seen anyone apologise so much to Father Christmas," Margaret concluded.

Amelia rolled her eyes and looked to Helmut with a shrug of her shoulders. He found himself sucked back into conversation with Amelia and Margaret as more people arrived for the family Christmas meal that the care home had organised four days before Christmas. Other people sat down at the round table for nine and the manager of the home thanked everyone for coming.

Helmut had to confess that it had been a strange affair compared to his Christmas in Sokovia. They were usually filled with the finest of foods and the most expensive wines. He had questioned the point of Christmas crackers as Amelia read out the bad jokes from hers. The dinner was served and Helmut found the turkey to be too dry and the vegetables too mushy, but he said nothing. He ate with no complaints and drank water, telling Amelia to enjoy the wine and he would drive back home.

"I don't think I can eat anything else," Amelia commented, leaning back on the rickety cushioned chair she was at on and placing her hands against her stomach. She pushed the remainder of her Christmas pudding away from her. "I mean, I am seriously stuffed."

"I think you might have a taker to finish it off," Margaret said and Amelia handed it to the elderly man sat on the other side of her grandmother. "So, what are your plans for Christmas Day? You never said."

Amelia shrugged. "I don't think we have any plans," she confessed to her grandmother. "I'll come here for a few hours and then I guess…I don't know…a bottle of wine, tub of chocolates and bad TV."

"You're not cooking a dinner?"

"Grandma, I never could cook Christmas dinner. I tried once when I moved to London and messed the timings up completely…my turkey was overcooked…the stuffing barely cooked and the gravy was a watery mess," Amelia said. "I think that Helmut would prefer me not bothering, trust me."

"And I wouldn't say I am entirely bothered," Helmut declared. "A quiet day in sounds nice enough for Christmas."

Helmut had to admit that he didn't want to celebrate. He had spent the previous Christmas alone and it had been torturous, but at least this year he would have Amelia with him. He wondered if she felt the same.

"You two are quite the pair…living such a quiet life," Margaret said and Amelia smiled into her wine. If only her grandmother knew what she had really been getting up to.

As the plates were cleared away, music started up and Amelia looked to the corner, seeing that there was an old fashioned band stood there, playing music from the early 1950s and late 1940s. Amelia watched as some of the people in the home began to hum along, swaying to the music as members of their family asked if they recalled the songs.

"This takes me back to when I met your grandfather," Margaret confessed, looking to the band with a sad smile on her face.

"Really?" Amelia asked and Helmut listened with intrigue.

"We would go out dancing so often," she confessed.

"I can imagine you burning up a hole on the dance floor," Amelia said and Margaret chuckled as some of the residents stood up, swaying slowly with each other. It was clear that the home had gone to a lot of effort to try and transport the residents back to their heyday.

Helmut looked at Margaret's face and he saw all the emotions there as she tapped her fingers against the arm of her wheelchair. Amelia noted the movement too and she gave her grandmother's hand a squeeze. Helmut wondered what he was doing as he stood up, a hand going behind his back and other going towards Margaret.

"I imagine you can still show them a thing or two," he declared and Amelia's brow furrowed as her grandmother chuckled.

"Do you think so?" Margaret asked.

"Of course," Helmut said. "Besides, I know how to dance without treading on my partner's feet."

"Quite the rarity," Margaret said. "Well, go on. I don't have much time left to dance in a good looking man's arms. I've got to make the most of it while I can."

She placed her hand into Helmut's and Amelia looked to her grandmother, worry clearly showing on her face. "Are you sure about this, grandma? You're sure you're up to it?"

"Oh, I'll be fine," Margaret said as Helmut helped her delicately out of her wheelchair, her checked green skirt falling around her legs. Her feet were slightly swollen in her orthopaedic shoes and her green blouse was looking too baggy around her. She was almost out of breath as she stood up and Amelia shook her head.

"I don't know," she said.

"Oh, stop worrying over everything, Amelia," Margaret waved her off.

"I've got her," Helmut promised, his gaze catching Amelia's and she relented. Nodding once, she gestured to the end of the dining room where people seemed to have started using it as a dance floor.

Amelia watched her grandmother like a hawk as Helmut placed her hand into his arm and walked at her slow pace besides her, crouching down slightly and talking to her as he went. He then stood in front of her and took hold of one of her hands as she placed her other on his upper arm and he held her elbow. They only moved from side-to-side, clearly more invested in talking.

Picking up her wine glass, Amelia sipped on the white wine as a nurse sat down in Helmut's unoccupied seat. "Ms Baker," the woman said and Amelia recognised her as the same nurse who had been with her grandmother when they had walked in. "I just wanted to let you know that…your grandmother…well…we're looking out for her as best we can. We check in on her more often than usual and the doctor sees her every day."

"Thank you," Amelia said. And she was grateful. She felt as though she should be doing more. She felt as though she should be caring for her herself.

"And I've never seen her smile as much as she has done today," the nurse said and moved to her feet. "And even dancing."

"She insisted," Amelia shrugged.

The nurse chuckled and laid an encouraging hand on Amelia's shoulder. "He seems a charming man, your grandmother is quite taken with him. He's all she spoke of after your last visit. You're a lucky woman to have him."

"He…" Amelia didn't finish as the nurse left and didn't give her a chance to correct her. She remained silent again and took another sip of her wine as Helmut walked back to the table with her grandmother on his arm. Amelia helped her to sit back down in her chair, noticing that she was short of breath.

"Are you alright, grandma? Do you need anything?"

"Nothing at all," Margaret panted, still smiling. "Now get yourself up there."

"Excuse me?"

"Make your grandmother happy, Amelia," Margaret said. "Just go and have one dance."

Helmut remained stood in between the two women, looking between the two of them before Amelia shook her head. "I don't dance, grandma, and you don't need to embarrass Helmut-"

"-Who is saying I would be embarrassed?" Helmut interrupted and he stretched his hand down to her. "Besides, I can lead. Although I doubt you're as good as your grandmother."

"I like him," Margaret said. "Go, Amelia."

And Amelia had no other option but to place her hand into Helmut's. She stood up as he walked with her towards the floor and she rolled her eyes as he stood in front of her and she looked back to her grandmother as she spoke.

"She might be dying, but she's still meddling," Amelia complained and Helmut's lips arched.

"You've noticed that too?" he checked.

Amelia scoffed as she allowed him to move her hand to his shoulder, laying it there gently as he placed his hand against her waist while his other hand held hers in the air. He curled his fingers around her waist, drawing her closer to him and he swore he heard her breath hitch as her eyes came level with his neck and she inhaled the scent of his cologne.

"Hard not to notice it," Amelia said as Helmut moved slowly and she naturally followed his lead, moving in small circles and from side-to-side. "Just ignore her. She's convinced there's something going on between us, but she just…she's being a grandma…that's all."

"She worries about you," Helmut said, looking down to her. "She worries that you're not letting yourself be happy."

"That's not entirely true," Amelia said to him.

"Is it not?" he wondered.

"I'm happy…when I'm with her…when we're remembering the past and I forget about everything…when I forget that my parents are dead…when my fiancé is gone…I know today hasn't been the best. The food was terrible, but I wouldn't change it for anything because I've actually enjoyed it."

Helmut nodded thoughtfully and then Amelia spoke once more, avoiding his gaze as she continued looking at his pale neck, examining the soft rise and fall of the veins there.

"And, despite everything…despite the reasons why we're together…I do enjoy spending time with you."

Helmut considered her words, looking down at the top of her head. His chin was so close to being able to nestle against her soft curls. And he almost found himself wanting to. He found himself wanting to feel them against his skin. He wanted to bring her closer and feel her breath against his neck as he let himself forget the pain he continuously felt.

"Sorry, that was too much," Amelia said and shook her head.

She tried to pull away from him, but he was rather forceful. He kept his hand on her waist, keeping her pressed up against him and refusing to let her go. He shook his head as he felt her hand cling tightly onto his shoulder.

"No," Helmut responded. "It wasn't, Amelia…I…I feel the same way."

Nodding her head, Amelia looked up to him and searched his gaze as he peered down to her. He knew that he was treading a dangerous line. He was playing with fire and he knew that he could get burned. But it was loneliness. How many times had he told himself that? It was all that it was. There was nothing more to it.

"You're Lukas's friend," Amelia whispered. "Heike's husband."

"And you're Lukas's fiancée," Helmut responded. "And Heike's friend."

They were just stating facts, but the words had heavier meanings to them. They both knew that. They both knew how they felt. It felt wrong. It felt wrong and it felt as though they would betray their memories. Amelia shook her head. Now wasn't the time or the place to discuss it, especially not with her grandmother watching intently.

"It's just loneliness," she told him and moved her gaze away from him. But even as she said it, she moved closer to him, her chest brushing against his as she looked over his shoulder and he turned his head to the side, his chin brushing against her forehead softly as he made the movement and he made no effort to move away from her.

"Of course," he agreed with her.

But he didn't know if he believed that as much as he wanted to. It might ease his conscience to think that it was simply just that, but as time went on, he began to wonder if there were other things. But perhaps it was simply because she was the only one he spent anytime with.

"And once this is done…we've done what we have to…I doubt you'd want to stick around here," Amelia continued talking, her breath tickling against his neck as he felt his hand slip around her waist to sit in her lower back. "But I guess we could talk about that another day, right? Like when we've finished."

"There's no rush," he agreed with her on that point. "For now, what is wrong with simply being content?"

"Nothing I guess, but-"

"-Just stop thinking," Helmut urged from her.

She laughed softly against him. "Is this coming from the man who does nothing but think?" she questioned from him. "And what is going on with you? You've hardly said anything about the super soldier scientists in weeks."

"Because I suspected you had other things that you needed to think about," Helmut said. "Besides, we have time to find them. They're not going anywhere anytime fast…for now, your grandmother needs you and she should be your main focus. Let me deal with the mission…and helping you through this."

"You know…I know I give you a tough time," Amelia confessed as he ran his thumb up and down the small of her back slowly. "But you…I just want to thank you for everything you've done for me…not just the money, but being here…listening to me…and seeing you with my grandma has been amazing. You didn't need to do any of that."

"You don't need to thank me."

"I do," she said. "Because you've been a rock, Helmut. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Helmut remained silent then as he kept his chin against the side of her head and her hand slipped to his upper arm as she held him tightly and they both knew that they were getting in too deep.

...

A/N: We're going to get back to the action soon (if anyone is reading!) Thanks to the guest reviewer. Pretty please, if you've made it this far, just let me know if you're still interested. It does help keep me motivated to know there's someone there reading!