A/N: Surprise! I wrote THREE chapters today and yesterday, and since this one is less eventful than the next few will be, I figured I'd give you guys a present! Chapter 10 is here! yeahh double digits! Anyways, I hope you like it! Reviews really help, so thank to you who have given some!

It took two days to reach Nadine on foot. The men set up camp in a woodsy area just outside of town at around noon, and Ella retreated to her tent. Today she was headed into Nadine to scope out the town and find a collar and leash for Ace. No escort today, mostly because the two men that spoke German were going to meet Von Hammersmarck in the tavern later that night, and two sightings with different women would raise some suspicions. Her backstory this time was that her grandparents in Chartres were ill and infirm, and she was just travelling through on her way from Paris to take care of them and their business. Her brother had sent along his dog as protection, and his collar had broken, so she needed a new one. She would go into town and visit the house of a veterinarian first, a man who had been helping Jews get out of France for years and, once upon a time, was a friend of the British army. She would pretend he was an old family friend, and since he had no wife or children, the Basterds would be sneaking in after dark and camping out there while the meeting happened in a tavern across the street. She would then go to the tanner and a cafe to wait.

As far as makeup, she went through the works. A little rouge, mascara, eyeliner, and a light application of lipstick. She slipped into a navy blue halter dress with small white designs on it, the bodice wrapping from one side to the other and dropping low in the back. She had a small leather belt around her waist where the dress' seam sat, and the same cream gloves that she wore when they had learned of Hugo. She had made sure to take a dip in the river the night before so her bare skin didn't show the signs of hard travel. She was taking out her foundation to cover the scar on her arm when the flaps to her tent ruffled and a familiar hand was on her shoulders.

"You sure I can't come with you?"

"Yes, Donny, I'm sure. You'd be recognized in seconds."

He kissed her cheek. "Damn. I'd show you off on my arm."

"Oh, hush." She brushed the pad over the powder and then over her right bicep. "Aldo told you about what we're doing here?"

"Yeah."

"And this German actress? What do you think?"

"Not quite sure what to make of her. What about you?"

"I don't trust her for a second," Ella replied. "I don't want our officers in a tavern with her. I don't know what they're thinking, whether she's a spy or not, I don't care." She snapped the compact shut, reminding herself of Aldo and his snuffbox for a brief moment. "I tell you what, any of my men don't come out of there and I'm going to Churchill himself to complain."

"It might mean the end of the war if this whole theater thing turns out."

"Then it better turn out. I heard that Hans Landa is going, though. I'd like to watch him explode."

Donny laughed. "Me too, El. I just wanted to tell you to be careful out there. I don't like that you're going alone."

"Are you worried about me, Sergeant Donowitz?" she teased, reaching into her bag and pulling out a finely woven straw Panama boating hat. She had been waiting for the opportunity to wear it. It had a black band and ribbon falling down the back, and would go nicely with this dress, especially in the spring. She placed it lightly on her head, making sure not to press down on her hair too much.

"Maybe, maybe not." He shrugged.

"Oh, thanks for your concern," she groaned, rolling her eyes. "My boy Ace'll take care of me."

"He will. And you can take care of yourself."

"Yes sir, I can." She looked at the mirror in the compact once more, making sure everything was perfect. "I better go. Aldo's gonna get after me if I wait too long."

"Be careful."

"I will." She kissed him on the cheek and exited the tent in the same heels she had worn in Chateau-Thierry, her clutch purse tucked under her arm.

"Au revoir, men. See you tonight. Ace, come on, boy." She started towards the road, the fast-growing pup following closely, and from behind her, she heard Utivich - "Nice lipstick, Sarge," - and smirked.


After checking in with the veterinarian, Ella made her way to the General Store. They may not have what she was looking for, but they would know where to find it.

She opened the door and the bell rang, and two German soldiers turned to look at her. Paris was only fifteen minutes away by car, so it was perfectly normal to see them here in Nadine, but she was still a little startled. Ace's ear perked up - all of the Germans they had run into, he had helped terrorize.

"Ace, non," she murmured. "Bonjour," she said to the soldiers, giving a little curtsey before going up to the counter.

"Un moment," the clerk called from the back. Ella saw a tool that was used to make evenly-spaced holes in a belt on the counter, so she hoped that the leather shop was inside the store itself.

"Bonjour," a man said, coming from the hallway that led to the storage room. "Comment puis-je vous aider?" (How may I help you?)

"Bonjour. J'espérais que vous pourriez me dire où je pourrais obtenir un collier et une laisse pour mon chien." (I was hoping you could tell me where I could get a collar and leash for my dog.)

"Ah, vous avez le bon endroit, mon cherie!" (You have the right place, my dear!) "Je suis le tanneur. Est-ce l'animal?" (I am the tanner. Is this the animal?)

"Oui. Il est le chien de mon frère, mais mon compagnon de voyage." (Yes, He is my brother's dog, but my travel companion.)

"Un beau chien. J'ai un collier fait déjà depuis la semaine dernière, mais j'aurais besoin d'une heure ou deux pour couper et coudre la laisse." (A handsome dog. I have a collar made already from last week, but I would need an hour or two to cut and sew the leash.)

"Très bien, j'ai le temps. Y at-il un café voisin où je pouvais attendre?" (Very well, I have the time. Is there a cafe nearby where I could wait?)

"Oui, juste autour du coin. Permettez-moi d'aller chercher le collier pour vous." (Yes, just around the corner. Let me go get the collar for you.)

Ella waited, taking a coin purse out of her clutch. The two soldiers behind her were chatting, something about meeting a man with a swastika carved into his head. She kept her head down but listened much more intently.

"Ja, sagte er, der Jude mit dem Schläger gerade erschienen. Einige sagen, er ist ein Golem. Ich würde es hassen, in die Arme laufen."

"Ein Golem?"

"Ja."

They were saying that the Jew with the bat appeared out of nowhere, and that people said he was a Golem, a shapeshifting being from Jewish folklore. Ella had to stifle laughter. The only shapeshifting Donny did was his belly when he drank beer and ate too much. She loved hearing these rumors.

The tanner came back out with a collar in his hand and Ella asked for a newspaper as well. He rang her up and she paid him, and as he counted out the money, she fastened the collar around the patient Ace's neck.

"Bon. Merci, Monsieur. Deux heures?" (Two hours?)

"Merci, Mademoiselle. Deux heures."

She smiled at him and turned to leave, making sure not to look at the two soldiers as she left. She would have started laughing.

At the cafe, she ushered Ace under the table at the insistence of the waitress and ordered a croissant. She had her nose buried deep in the newspaper when a finger tapped her shoulder. She jumped and looked up angrily at the offending finger's owner, but the look melted into pale shock when she recognized him.

The Gestapo Major standing in front of her, wearing a leather trenchcoat and his full uniform underneath, had a pleasant smile on his face. Any other situation and she would have had her PPK out and shot him through the eye already, but she was in a cafe, civilians going about their business around her, and she was helpless.

"Bonjour, mademoiselle. Je vous ai fait peur?" (Good afternoon, Miss. Did I frighten you?)

"Un peu. Mais je suis facilement effrayé." (A little. But I am easily frightened.)

"Je m'excuse sincèrement. Puis-je me présenter, je suis Major Dieter Hellstrom. Avez-vous l'esprit si j'ai un siège?" (I sincerely apologize. May I introduce myself; I am Major Dieter Hellstrom. Do you mind if I have a seat?)

"Bien sûr, Major." (Of course, Major.) She caught herself - a civilian would have called him Monsieur Hellstrom. She cursed herself for the mistake.

He pulled the chair across from her out and sat down. "Je ne me demandais, étant l'Allemagne, comment une jolie fille comme toi français est venu à posséder un animal comme ça." (I was only wondering, being from Germany, how a pretty French girl like yourself came to own an animal like that.) He pointed at Ace, whose collar Ella was holding onto for dear life. Not that he was going to leap at the Major, but Ella needed something to hang on to.

"Je ne possède pas, il est le chien de mon frère. Il lui a envoyé pour me garder sur mes voyages." (I do not own him, he is my brother's dog. He sent him to guard me on my travels.)

"Ah! Eh bien, il est un beau chien. Où allez-vous voyager, Mademoiselle...?" (Ah! Well, he is a handsome dog. Where are you traveling, Miss...?)

"Oh! Excusez-moi. Mon nom est Elizabeth Silvestre. Pour Chartres. Mes grands-parents sont malades, et je dois aller à trier leur dernière affaires," she said, recalling the name that was on her French papers. (Oh! Excuse me. My name is Elizabeth Silvestre. To Chartres. My grandparents are ill, and I must go to sort their last business.) The questioning was starting to get suspicious. If there was any way that the Major found her out, what they were calling 'Operation Kino' was over before it began.

"Je suis vraiment désolé. Où habitez-vous?" (I am very sorry. Where do you live?)

"Paris. Monsieur Hellstrom, si je peux me permettre, pourquoi me demandez-vous ces questions?" (Paris. Mister Hellstrom, if I may ask, why are you asking me these questions?) She asked this in her sweetest, most innocent voice possible.

"Pas de raison de s'alarmer. J'ai simplement ne vous ai jamais vu avant. Je suis venu vous demander si cette petite ville devaient disposer d'un nouveau résident." (No reason to be alarmed. I simply have never seen you before. I came over to ask if this little town were to have a beautiful new resident.) He grinned widely, looking more like a shark than a person.

"Merci, Monsieur. Vous êtes très aimable. Je comprends." (Thank you, sir. You are most kind. I understand.) The waitress brought over Ella's croissant and a pat of butter, asking if Ella would like another coffee. Ella nodded, and the girl left again.

"Bon. Je vais vous à votre journal et votre croissant partir, mais s'il vous plaît, si vous souhaitez me trouver après votre entreprise à Chartres, je suis normalement stationnées sur la base à Paris. Un homme comme moi serait fier d'avoir une fille comme vous sur son bras." (Good. I will leave you to your newspaper and your croissant, then, but please, if you would like to find me after your business in Chartres, I am normally stationed on the base in Paris. A man like me would be proud to have a girl like you on his arm.) He stood up, tapped his heels together, and strode out of the cafe.

When he was out of sight, Ella let out the deep breath she was holding and shuddered at the very thought of placing her hand in that man's arm. She was going to have to head back to the veterinarian's home earlier than she anticipated to wait for the men - there was no chance she was going to wait around and run into the Major again.