Chapter 15:

Klink loved fatherhood right from the get-go. The minute he came home with Kalina from the hospital, his whole world revolved around his little girl. He rocked her to sleep, danced with her in the living room, snuggled her while he listened to the radio at night, his favorite was singing to her every night before bed. The smile he got from her only made it that more special of a time for him. Sometimes he brought Kalina to work with him and would even let her play with the other kids when she became five months old and more sociable. Seeing her first smile, hearing her first laugh, watching her take her first steps, it was the most magical feeling to Klink in the whole wide world. He loved watching her grow and learn about the world around her, and he only hoped she kept that curiosity as she got older.

Infancy came and went, and soon Klink was able to do more things with his daughter on top of what he had always done. Take her for walks through the city (Kalina always being carried while her father did the walking), playing games like doctor and hide-and-seek around the house, going to the park to ride the swings or build a snowman during the winter, getting ice cream, or teaching Kalina how to play the piano while she watched and listened to him sing. By the age of four, Kalina could play all her scales, her arpeggios, and was even learning German folk songs like 'Muss i denn' and 'Hänschen klein'.

Being a father was everything Klink had imagined and more. He absolutely adored his baby girl and could never get enough time with her. And once his divorce with his wife (whose schizophrenia became a major safety hazard for a tiny toddler) was finalized when Kalina turned three, the two of them were joined at the hip. Some of his colleagues dreaded being off work in order to be with their kids, but Klink practically counted down the days until he had a day off with Kalina. They would bake cookies, sing with each other to songs on the radio, and play and play and play all day long. It was never a boring day for Klink and Kalina when together. The duo became a fantastic team of two, and as long as they had each other, nothing in the world could stop them.

Unfortunately, with Kalina's growing age, it also brought the uprising of one of the most horrific leaders that would forever go down in history. In January 1933, one month before little Kalina Klink turned five years old, a man named Adolf Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany. He quickly rose in popularity among the German people as he helped dig them out of a crippling Depression, brought new jobs back to the country, and strengthened the small military by ten times over. Germany would eventually rise to great success and become one of the strongest countries near the end of the 1930s, but a devastating nightmare called World War II was hidden among the horizon. A predator lurking in the shadows that would eventually emerge from the darkness when Hitler invaded and conquered Poland in 1939.

It was a chilly night in March 1933, and Klink sat in his living room listening to a mandatory speech being given by his country's new leader. As 'Horst Wessel Lied' was sung by a chorus of SA soldiers being broadcasted from Berlin, the retired colonel tried to come to terms with how he felt about the new man in charge of his Germany. He did not know much about Hitler or his political beliefs other than what Burkhalter had warned him of five years ago. If Burkhalter was weary about Hitler, though, then the man had to have some dark agenda hidden beneath the surface...right? Klink was not sure what to think currently, but the churning in his stomach as he listened to each speech of Hitler's was a clear indicator to him that something bad was forming in Berlin. A vicious hurricane of danger slowly headed for Germany, and it would not be known of until it was too late.

Klink took a sip of his tea and waited for Hitler to begin speaking, when he heard little footsteps come down the stairs from behind him. He turned his head to the left and found his five year old daughter coming to his side, dressed in nothing but her nightgown, fuzzy pink socks, and clutching her baby blanket to her chest. Her little face wore a long frown, while her baby blue eyes shone with some kind of fear.

"Kalina suße, what are you doing up so late?" Klink asked, setting his cup of tea down on the table beside the sofa. "I thought I put you to bed an hour ago."

"I had a bad dream, Papa," Little Kalina said, meek. "That scary man Uncle Rudi is always talking about was in it."

Knowing she was referring to Hitler, Klink gave her a kind smile and brought her into his arms, gently placing her on his lap. "You don't have to be afraid when I'm around, baby," he promised her. "Papa's here, I won't let anyone hurt you. Just forget about what your Uncle Rudi said; none of it concerns you, anyways. You just let us grown-ups handle all of that."

"Papa...you think Herr Hitler is a good guy or a bad one?"

Klink shook his head and combed his fingers through his daughter's thin, teddy bear brown hair. "I don't know, baby," Klink answered. "I think he's going to try and help Germany out of the mess she's in, but I don't know much about him yet. We'll have to wait and see for now." It was then Burkhalter's words began to haunt him again. His warning about reading 'Mein Kampf'; letting Kalina listen to any of Hitler's speeches when she was old enough to understand words and meanings. If what Burkhalter said was true, and Klink was more than certain it was, then Hitler was a man that needed to be carefully observed. Someone not to tread water with. Someone his innocent baby needed protecting from.

Coming out of his thoughts, Klink looked back at Kalina, who was quietly looking up at him, and he gently rubbed his thumb across her cheek. "Kalina, can you promise Papa something? Something I want you to remember for a very long time."

"Jawohl, Papa," Kalina answered softly.

"Promise me that no matter what happens with Herr Hitler, whether it's good or bad, promise me that you will keep that kind, loving heart of yours. That you'll treat everyone equally and never judge anyone for their race, color, religion, and so on. I want you to keep Germany's fighting spirit alive no matter what. To show this world who we Germans really are and bring some good to it. Papa will always be here to help you, but sometimes you may have to do it alone. Can you promise me that, suße?"

Kalina's little face lit up like sunshine, her eyes twinkling from the flickering flames of the fireplace, and she nodded eagerly. "Jawohl, Papa; I promise. I wanna grow up and be just like you," she said, with determination.

Klink's heart warmed at the kind desire, looking down at Kalina with the love that he could only say through his eyes. "Aw baby...you don't want to be like me. I'm just an old German trying to get through life like everyone else," he told her.

"Jawohl, Papa. I do wanna be you," Kalina said. "You make me smile. I wanna make people smile the way you make me do."

Klink felt a couple tears stream down his face as his baby's words touched his heart. He brought Kalina close to his chest and held her tight, kissing her tiny head as she snuggled up against him. "I love you, baby girl...More than you'll ever know."

"I love you, Papa. You're my best friend," Kalina said, nuzzling her face into Klink's chest. She hugged him tight with her little arms and slowly fell asleep as her father rocked her from side to side.

Klink gave his daughter another kiss on the head and continued to rock her as Germany's new anthem came to a finish. He wondered where he had gotten so lucky to have such a beautiful little girl like his Kalina. What had he done that God felt he deserved such a wonderful life? A job he loved, friends that were just like brothers, a nice home, and a precious baby girl that was sweeter than cookies. He didn't think he'd ever know the answer to that question, but he would never take any of it for granted. Every struggle and battle he had ever faced had brought him to where he was now, and he would treasure every one of his blessings for as long as he lived.

Even if Hitler did turn out to be something worse than evil, he would never win. Not against Klink, at least. Because as long as he had his Kalina, he would always win any battle he faced. No fancy promotion to CEO of a flourishing company, no extravagant mansions or yachts, no gorgeous model from Italy or Sweden for a bride. Just his Baby Kalina. That's all he needed. That's all he ever would need.

(Present day)

"You did an amazing job of raising her, too," Hogan said. "Kalina's a real sweetheart. Obviously she took your words to heart all those years ago."

Klink beamed with pride. "She certainly did. My daughter is a perfect angel who doesn't know how to hate. With things the way they are right now, that's a good thing."

Hogan studied his counterpart for a long moment before speaking again. "I've got a question for you, Sir. It's been bugging me for a while, so I'd appreciate it if I could get a straight answer out of you."

"You may ask, Hogan…but I can't guarantee I'll answer it."

"That's fair enough," Hogan replied. Then the colonel cleared his throat. "If Burkhalter warned you all those years ago about Hitler, why do you still..."

"Don't ask me that," Klink interrupted. Surprisingly, his voice was softer than it usually was whenever they spoke. "Please…this isn't the time or the place. Perhaps when the war ends, we can discuss the matter again. It wouldn't be safe for either of us to do so right now, though. That's all I can say."

There was complete silence for a minute or two while both officers contemplated those words. Nothing made a sound besides the pitter patter of rain hitting the window pain, the storm finally starting to calm down. For Hogan, it was a hint that maybe Klink was not the heartless man he often pretended to be. For Klink, it was his way of trying to give his American counterpart the message he desperately longed to speak aloud.

"Okay," Hogan finally said. "You've got yourself a deal, Kommandant."

"Indeed," Klink murmured. "Hogan…maybe sometime you can tell me more about your life before the war. I've read your file, of course, but…well, I would like to get to know you a little better. Anyone Kalina likes can't be all bad."

A genuine smile came to Hogan's face at the request. He had not spoken much of his life before the war since arriving at Stalag 13. Perhaps it was because he did not think anyone really cared to know about his past, so he kept quiet about it. But the fact that Klink was curious and sincerely interested in getting to know him better, it filled a little empty spot inside him. He liked this side of Klink. A human being instead of the egotistical German officer he always paraded around camp as. Maybe the kommandant had been right all along. Maybe they could be friends after all. Never able to admit it to one another in their current predicament, but they would be able to at least show it in their own way.

"Sure," Hogan finally answered, his smile widening ever so slightly. "I'd like that...I'd like that a lot."

THE END