Audrey had taken to the bed when she arrived home, devastated that she had had the lips of the man who had destroyed her life on her skin. She couldn't fathom the calculated cruelness that Hans Landa ran through his mind. He had orchestrated it simply to see her react, thrilled to watch her panic, squirming beneath his boot. She had acted so brashly, her slap could have easily cost her her life, but it wasn't about her life. If he wanted her dead he could come to her apartment at any time, rap the door with a flourish, and then wrap his hands around her neck, strangling her to death in her own hallway. He hadn't. It had all been a delightful experiment by him, a hypothesis in an attempt to scratch the veneer she wore while in his presence. She thought she was smart, but she realised with dawning dread that she wasn't. She had underestimated him to her own detriment, and she felt a cool fury at herself for doing so.

Her conversations with The Basterd's ran through her mind. She should be friendly but not too friendly, interesting but not too interested. Never let him see you scared, never let him fluster you. Keep him involved. Keep him engaged. Keep your cool.

Instead, she had slapped him across the face in the middle of the SS headquarters of Paris.

Audrey buried her head against her pillow with a long sigh. It didn't matter now. She wouldn't need to be on high alert for 'coca cola king kong'. No. She was sure she had destroyed any chance of her espionage.

She heard the knock at the door at 8.50 pm. She was in her pyjamas already, images flowered in her mind of her being dragged down to the Hotel Letitie in her night things, perhaps put to the firing squad. The knock issued again. She tensed in her bed and finally screwed her courage to the sticking place, tentatively walking down the hall to open the door.

Doctor Oscar Clément stood in her doorway. Tall and tanned, with curling hair and hazel eyes, he gave her a cheeky grin. He stood in his fashionable clothes, looking every bit the scholar and junior doctor that he was. He had been a naturalised citizen of Marion's apartment, a brash and brave young man, pitching in here and there to help the resistance.

"Bonne Nuit Audrey," he said with a wide smile. "How are you?"

"You can't be here," she uttered flatly.

"Why, you have company?" he asked, looking thrilled at the prospect that he had maybe caught the cold and distant Audrey Loewe with a lover. He'd seen her in the corner of his eye on his many visits, her beautiful but utterly unapproachable face and figure a common feature of Arthur's home. He once had asked if she was seeing anyone and Arthur had snorted out a laugh, shaking his head in disapproval.

"They're watching the house," she whispered, increasingly agitated. "Oscar, they would have seen you come up-"

"They? Oh... 'they'…. hmm, ok, so, tell them we are sleeping together-"

"If you leave after curfew they will arrest you."

"You are sounding paranoid," he tutted playfully. "Audrey, that isn't like you to fall for that nonsense."

He barged past her, grinning with overflowing charm. She flinched with panic, locking the door behind her with a long exhale.

She turned to look at him, her gaze exhausted, but he was already gone, disappeared into the house. She followed the sound of knocking, finding him in Arthur's bedroom, bent-down and tapping the skirting board.

"Oscar-"

"Shh."

He continued, knocking and pausing, knocking and pausing, knocking-

A hollow sound emanated from the wood.

"Ah," he grinned. "Bingo."

He pried it away and behind sat papers, hiding in a compartment dug into the wall.

He pulled them out, stuffing it into his coat pocket. He placed back the skirting board and stood with a hop, grinning gregariously at her.

"And plenty of time to spare!" He said, glancing his watch as he swept down to kiss her cheek.

She looked anxiously upon him but followed him out the front door, snatching her coat as she went, pulling it over her shoulders as she ran down the stairs after him. She couldn't keep up with his lean long legs, sweeping him effortlessly ahead of her. She burst out onto the street, padding quickly in a fruitless attempt to grab him.

"Oscar!" she called out.

"It's ok Audrey!" He called back, head turned while he smiled warmly at her. "You worry too much!"

She hurried forward, her bare-feet freezing against the pavement.

"Oscar," she called once more, the frustration evident in her voice. He spun around once more, walking backwards with spread wide arms, grinning softly.

"Adieu Audrey-"

"My feet are cold, come back here," she called loudly, looking grumpy.

He laughed, and paused, nodding softly as he bounded back to her.

She didn't let her eyes rest on the silent car at the end of the street, peaking from around the corner. It's black sheen shining beneath a street lamp. She looked for less than a second before turning her full attention to Oscar.

"Come back inside," she said as he reached her, looking up at him softly.

He tilted his head, looking down at the pretty Luxembourgish girl.

"I'm fine, you worry, you've always worried," he said. She raised her hand to rest it softly on his coat lapel.

"It's not worry..." she said quietly, fluttering a soft look at him.

"Well, what is it?" he asked, suspicion in his tone.

"I get lonely," she said quietly, looking up through her lashes. "Come back inside."

He looked confused until she leant up on her tippy-toes, pulling him down by the lapel of his coat and kissing him softly. He was momentarily still, surprised, before folding her into his arms, hands running down her back, into her hair.

"Come inside," she whispered against his lips.

He didn't need to be asked twice, kissing her in swoops as he stumbled her backwards to the building, lifting her while playfully shouting "Let's get your feet off the ground." She laughed loudly, sighing when his lips kissed her neck. Her legs wrapped his waist, her arms around his neck as her fingers wrapped into his curling hair. He kissed her softly, stumbling up the footpath.

His feet fell back into the lobby at 8.59 pm.

She kissed him the whole way up the stairs, never breaking appearances for nosey neighbours or hiding eyes. When they reached the front door, he set her down, and she idly pushed it open. She pulled him in by his coat, kissing him once more.

The moment the door snapped shut behind her she pushed him away from her.

Oscar looked shocked, blinking in surprise at her sudden turn.

"You're an idiot," she hissed, eyes furious. "There was an SS staff car right outside. They would have followed you and the moment it turned nine they would have caught you, and whatever is in your pocket, for breaking curfew."

Oscar's initial irritation faded to embarrassment, before turning to disbelief.

"Why would an SS staff car be outside your building?" He asked dubiously.

"Because one of them has taken an interest in me," she muttered, quickly walking to the living room. "You'll have to stay here till the morning-"

"Audrey… you're not… are you?" He stuttered awkwardly.

She paused, turning slowly to him. They stood facing one another and she pointed a hateful gaze to him.

"No," she said icily. "I'm not."

Oscar nodded, looking apologetic as he let out a light cough.

"What are those papers?" She asked, ignoring his awkward expression.

Oscar paused, watching her nervously.

"Why?"

She blinked, considering him with agitation.

"Because they're in my walls-"

"They're in Arthur's walls-"

"Arthur is dead."

The two stood in silence. She saw the pain cross his face before he crushed it, turning his gaze from her, the burning intensity of expression too much to take.

"If I wanted you caught by the SS, I would have let you be caught by the SS," she whispered, eyes narrowing. "I lost my parents at their hands so if you are daring to suggest that I would turn my back on you all for those monsters-"

"You're right," Oscar interrupted, dropping his eyes. "Sorry, Audrey… I'm sorry, you don't deserve that from me."

He looked down at her and sighed softly.

"You've lived it," he murmured, a blush catching his cheeks. "I should know better."

She nodded, eyes still firm. She dipped her hand into his coat and removed the papers, unfolding them and glancing at what was inside.

Papers for an 11-year-old boy. She looked at them carefully. They were perfectly made, the young boy staring forward from a black and white photo.

"He's under the floorboards at a friend's apartment," Oscar said quietly. "We'll get him out, cross the border to Spain. We have agents, resources. Get him to safety…. Like people did for you."

"No one did that for me," Audrey corrected quietly, eyes still focused on the papers in her hand. "I got myself to Paris. I did it."

She snapped it closed with a sigh, nodding softly to herself.

"I'm sorry-"

"I was 19," Audrey interrupted. "I was…this is different. This I child... It's fine."

She turned away, running her fingers through her hair as she tried to think, blocking out his agonised gaze for a moment.

"Hide them again," she murmured methodically, clearly ticking through an ever-evolving plan. "We will figure something out tomorrow... They'll search when you leave in the morning. Tell them we slept together, that I'm lonely. Let them catch you. Act dumb."

Oscar hesitated but finally nodded, leaving the room to hide the papers once more. She walked quietly around the living room, hands coming to rub the bridge of her nose. She didn't have time for this. She was hiding enough from Landa, she didn't need this on top of everything else. She curled on the sofa and rubbed her eyes, trying to drown out the competing fears and plans and concerns and lies.

She heard Oscar return, his footsteps accompanied by clinking. She glanced up to see him holding a bottle of wine in his hand and two mugs in the other.

"Where did you get that?" She asked in confusion.

"Arthur hid it under his bed," Oscar said. "For emergencies."

She relaxed, gladly taking a mug of it with a warm smile.

They had sat together on the sofa, drinking and talking, Audrey allowing herself to smile softly at his stories, enjoying his company for the moment. He was funny and charming, and she noted even to her embarrassment that she bit her lip while he was speaking at one point, her hand coming up to play with her hair. Before the feelings could float up any further, she had bid him bonne nuit, kissing his cheek softly.

She heard him rattle about the house but the sound of another body was a welcome distraction. She laid in her bed and stared at the ceiling, allowing her gaze to soften and herself to doze in and out of consciousness.

His soft knock awoke her, and she looked up to see him peering through a crack in the door.

"Are you ok?" She asked, sitting up with a yawn. He nodded awkwardly, worrying his lip.

"It's silly but…" he begun, opening the door further.

"What is?" She asked sleepily.

"It's Arthur's bed," he muttered. Her face softened in understanding. "I know it's… stupid… but…"

"It's ok," Audrey said with a fresh yawn. "It's not stupid."

"And I'm too tall for the sofa…" he said, looking nervous.

She edged over without thought, throwing the blankets back as she settled down on the left side of the bed. He padded across and slid into bed, laying on his back, making no attempt to touch her.

They lay in silence in the dark for some time, Audrey already feeling sleep begin to drag her under once more.

"Audrey?"

"Oui?"

"Was it true, what you said earlier?"

"Was what true?" She asked drowsily, eyes closed, her body sunk against the mattress.

"Do you really get lonely?"

The question hung between them for a long moment, silence covering the room.

"Of course," she finally replied with a tired sigh.

She felt him shift and she opened her eyes to see him laying facing her, his nose a few inches from hers.

"How do you cope?"

He seemed genuinely curious, eyes shining in the dark.

"With them I take delight in weal, and seek relief in woe; and while I understand and feel how much to them I owe," she murmured gently, eyes fluttering closed.

"Is that a prayer?" He whispered. A breath of laughter ran from her lips.

"Robert Southey," she corrected kindly.

He tutted his understanding and she opened her eyes, smiling affectionately at him.

"One must keep going," she whispered, allowing the silence to cover them in a false sense of safety.

It was a long and comfortable silence until Oscar hesitantly spoke once more.

"Arthur thought you were amazing," he utterly quietly, watching her carefully, his eyes suddenly very serious. Audrey was silent, watching her acquaintance carefully.

She couldn't respond, eyes shining in the dark.

"He didn't tell me much, it's yours to tell," he whispered. "But he thought you were incredible. Sometimes, when it got tough, he said we had to do it because of people like you."

"I annoyed him-"

"He loved you," Oscar interrupted. "Like family. He truly loved you."

Audrey nodded against the pillow, paused by his confession.

They lay in silence, face to face, unable to think of anything to say in the dark.

"I don't want you to feel lonely," he finally said, sounding somewhere between heartbroken and embarrassed at such a confession. She let a very sad smile line her lips. She leant forward, softly kissing him in the dark, her hand laying across his cheek.

"The world is a lonely place Oscar," she whispered. He had embraced her, pulling her against his chest. She let him, allowing herself to feel warmed and less alone for at least a night.

If only for a moment in the dark.