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The sunlight trickling in her window was what woke Béatrice up the next morning. As she did, it almost hit her instantly. What had happened the night before came flooding back to her thoughts. James knew everything. Somehow, he had learned the truth. Everything that he had said to her was replaying in her head. He was so angry at her. If she didn't know better, she may have thought she had broken his heart. She moved slightly and realized something. She was in her bed. She didn't remember getting into bed. The last thing she remembered was Alexander asking if she was alright and then nothing. She turned her head to the side and her eyes went wide. Sitting at the table across from her bed sat Alexander and Colonel Phillips.
"Good morning Agent Faust" Phillips nodded his head at her.
"If this is a dream, I expect it will not be a good one" she groaned quietly.
"Hate to disappoint you Faust, but this isn't a dream" Phillips mused staring at her. "If it was, you might want to go to psych then."
She smiled slightly at his comment. "Colonel, to what do I owe the pleasure. We weren't aware you were coming at all." She pulled herself up from bed, so she was sitting up.
"As I told McPherson, I'm not technically here at all" the colonel explained. "After I received the last weather report from you, I figured it was time for me to discuss our next moves. I asked McPherson to come and bring you to me, but apparently, he found you unconscious on the floor with a fever. Doctor said you should be fine in a day or so." Béatrice's face fell and her eyes flicked towards Alexander's own. She was confused. He hadn't found her on the floor. He was with her. Next moves? What did Phillips mean by that? The colonel must have realized that she was confused because he looked over at Alexander and then back at the German before speaking.
"Vacation's almost over Faust. In three weeks once these recruits graduate, you and McPherson are back in Europe. There's been a lot of HYDRA chatter. Something big is coming. We've also received reports of Jewish deportation. It's starting." The last comment caused her to look at him in shock. She felt her heart stop. It was happening, it couldn't be. The Jew's were being moved. But to where and what was going to happen to them?
"Where are they sending them?" she asked after a moment.
"They're not sure yet" Alexander spoke up. "We've got people working on it though."
"However, I'd personally feel better if it was you two working on it" Phillips sighed looking between the pair. "No one else has any more experience with this than you two. When you get back, this and the weather reports are your top priority, understood."
"Yes sir" Alexander and Béatrice said together nodding.
She bit her lip and kept silent for a moment. The next question that was plaguing her mind was not something she was prepared to ask, but she knew she had to. Phillips probably knew it was coming, but she would regret it if she kept silent.
"Something on your mind Faust?" Phillips raised an eyebrow at her, snapping her out of her thoughts. He obviously already knew she was contemplating her next comment.
"I understand Captain McPherson informed you of the unexpected information that came with the last weather report?" she spoke confidently looking directly at him.
Phillips sat back in his chair and tapped a finger on the table. "If you mean the code words of your father being watched and your brother having returned, I am aware of it. The answer is still not yet Faust."
She felt her face fall once more. No matter how many times she heard it, she always felt disappointed and upset. She wanted her family out of Europe more than anything. She was an idiot for thinking this time would be different.
"But it is understood how critical things have become correct Colonel?" Alexander looked over at his superior officer.
"Of course" Phillips said standing up. "We're working as fast as we can Faust. Trust me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm needed in D.C. for a meeting with the president." He began to walk toward the door of her quarters. "Rest up Faust. Captain. See you both in a few weeks." With that he opened the door and walked over, shutting the door behind him.
The pair kept silent for a few moments, taking in the fact that they would be leaving soon and what was to happen next. Béatrice looked over at Alexander in confusion slightly. "You didn't tell him what really happened?"
The blonde only shook his head before walking over to her beside. "Doesn't concern him, so why bother? Now, tell me, how are you feeling?"
"Like all of Germany has had a go at me" she smiled meekly at her friend. She moved over to the opposite side of her bed and patted on a spot with her hand. Alexander made his way closer to her and sat down on the bed beside her.
The blonde solider looked at his friend sadly. She looked utterly exhausted. Her eyes were filled with nothing but sadness as opposed to the glowing sparkle she normally had. He wanted nothing more than to go find James Barnes and beat him to a pulp. She didn't deserve it any of it. He took a deep breath and looked down at the comforter and then back up at her. "Darling..." he began. "You...you just say the word and I'll..."
"No" Béatrice interjected shaking her head. "He's not worth it Alexander. Promise me. Don't do anything that could get you in trouble. He's not worth your career. Maybe it's better this way."
Alexander looked sadly at her for a moment before slowly nodding. "I promise, but I don't think you actually believe that for a second" he raised his eyebrows at her, not buying what she said at all."
"It doesn't matter what I believe" she shot back at him. "We're leaving in a few weeks. I'm going home. That's what I should be focused on. Not some stupid American soldier that chances are I'll never see again. I was foolish for even thinking that maybe..." She stopped as she felt the tears well up in her eyes.
He put his arm around his friend, holding her close. He felt helpless and unsure of how to help her. "It's okay" he began. "Despite what we do, there's nothing that says we can care about people. It's allowed. Even if I want to skin him alive now, you were happy when you were around him. You're not foolish. You're simply human."
By now the tears were rolling down her cheeks. "I don't understand why he's so angry. He knew I couldn't tell him anything" she sniffed. "Are all American men like this?"
Her friend smirked at her last statement and pulled her away to face him. "We aren't all this dumb" he chuckled at her slightly. "Some know how to keep something good when it comes their way. If you want my honest opinion, I think it's just the fact that he's worried now. He cares about you and knowing what you do now may scare him. You're not the person he thought you were. You something else entirely. It's a good thing. He's just too much of an idiot to realize it. He's the one who eavesdropped after all I suspect." Her lip began to tremble as more tears began to form in her eyes. Alexander pulled his best friend back towards him, hugging her tightly. "It'll be okay darling."
Bucky felt as though he was going through the motions the next morning. Having barely slept thanks to his newfound knowledge, he was exhausted. Harrington and Samson had taken notice that something was wrong, but he brushed them off just as quickly as they had asked. He didn't want anyone to know the truth. It was enough that he knew the truth about Béatrice McPherson. The rest of the camp didn't need to know. It was probably too dangerous anyway, not that he owed her that, but he figured if he opened his mouth that was a sentence to a dishonorable discharge from the military.
He was dreading going into training today. One because he didn't want to see Béatrice at all, but more of the fact that Captain McPherson would probably make his life a living hell in some shape or form. He would soon realize how right he would be. Walking over for self-defense training, he spied McPherson immediately. No Béatrice, but her best friend was there. He hadn't noticed him yet, but it was only a matter of time.
"Gentlemen, thank you for coming today for another self defense training seminar" McPherson announced at the group trickled in.
"Hey Cap, where's your German friend" one of the privates yelled out suddenly.
"Agent Faust unfortunately is unable to join us today. Feeling a little under the weather" McPherson said before his eyes fell directly on Bucky's own. He was in for it, he could already tell. "Anyway, we'll be pairing you up. Johnson and Barnes, you're up first."
Bucky shook his eyes and sighed deeply. So, this was how things were going to go. Pairing him up with one of the only recruits he couldn't honestly stand. But then his reason of his dislike only had to do with a certain brunette he had taken a liking to. He walked over and stood in front of Johnson, who was smirking at him.
"Now boys, I want a nice clean fight" McPherson told the two of them.
"That can be done Captain" Johnson smiled. "Besides this time, Barnes doesn't have his girlfriend to show off too. Is she really sick Barnes or is she too busy screwing another German for information? I wonder if she's actually good in bed or not. I wonder if Hitler and his other officers just share her."
Something inside of him set off at that comment. He felt his blood boil and he punched Johnson as hard as he could when he was least expecting it. Johnson stumbled backward in confusion for a moment. He wiped the blood from his dripping nose and shook his head at his opponent.
"Still defending her I see" Johnson growled before he threw another punch hitting Bucky directly. The two men wrestled one another to the ground and typically while other recruits would cheer for a fight, everyone looked at the scene in silence. No one really knew what to say.
Alexander sighed heavily and rolled his eyes. Looking at his watch, he shook his head. It was too early for this. He looked over at Harrington and Samson. "Get them off one another." The two privates obliged his commands with Harrington pulling Bucky away from Johnson and Samson pulling the other away. Both were breathing heavily at one another and Bucky shook Harrington off of him.
"Private Barnes. A word?" McPherson announced looking at him with complete disdain. Bucky sighed heavily, following the Captain away from the group. If he wasn't in for it before, he surely was now. He already began to prepare himself for another punch or worse.
"So is she really sick or is that another cover for something else Nazi related" Bucky asked smugly.
Alexander stopped in his tracks and turned to Bucky. "You ought to get another punch from me after what you said to my friend last night, but you know what? I won't because I promised her that I would leave you alone" McPherson told him lowly.
Bucky rolled his eyes and let out a puff of air. "Well isn't that kind of her."
"Trust me I'm still considering going against her wishes. Like I said, you deserve more than a punch" McPherson shot back at him.
"Then punch me. I don't know why though, I'm not the one who lied" Bucky lashed out at him.
Alexander just looked at him in silence. He was three seconds away from ripping him in half. Oh, how he wanted to. His friend deserved better than this. So much better. "How can you be this way?" he looked at the young soldier in confusion. "She cares about you and you hurt her. You're overreacting. That's exactly what you're doing. You think you know everything, but you don't. You don't know a damn thing about her. You had no right to say the things that you did last night. She's a good person. Probably one of the best people your sorry ass will ever meet. She was protecting you. That is what she does best. Protect those she cares about" he hissed at him. He shook his head as Bucky kept completely silent.
"What she saw in you is beyond me. You're going to regret that you let her got away and I think you already are. Otherwise you wouldn't have fought with Johnson after he insulted her for the millionth time" With that the captain turned and left Bucky to his thoughts. It took seconds, but he soon wondered how right the Captain was about everything. Deep down he knew that Captain McPherson was right. About a lot of it.
Bucky always liked the stars. One of his favorite things to do was to stay up late and just look at them from his bedroom window or go find a place where he could see them perfectly. He had found himself back at the bench in front of the lake, smoking a cigarette. He couldn't sleep again. For the first time in weeks, he was back to the sleepless nights as it had happened when he first came. Only this time, it was not because of his new surroundings. A certain German woman and the truth he had learned still plagued his thoughts. He couldn't get what had happened out of his head. He wanted nothing more than to forget what had happened, forget Béatrice Faust and what she did, but he couldn't. Did he do the right thing? Was McPherson right? Had he truly overreacted? The guilt was starting to sink in and it was becoming too much to handle.
The sound of the crunching caused him to sit up looking behind him. He felt his heart stop. Behind him stood Béatrice. She stood quietly before him, not uttering a word. She must have been in shock by seeing him there. Her eyes were puffy, blood shot, and looked as though she had barely slept herself. Frankly, she looked awful and he was the reason behind it. Maybe in some other world, this would have been the part where he threw his cigarette to the ground, walked over to her, and scooped her up in his arms, apologizing for what an idiot he had been. But that wasn't the world he was in. He was still angry. Very angry. It wasn't something he could forget. As a result, he went to a much different approach.
"Well look who it is" he rolled his eyes getting off the bench to face her. "Come to tell me more bullshit about your life and what you do?"
Béatrice stood her ground and glared directly at him. However, soon her face fell. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she noticed the cut on his cheek with a bruise forming around it. "What happened to your face?"
"That's classified information" he shrugged smugly.
The brunette rolled her eyes and Bucky could have sworn he heard her mutter something in German. "You're being ridiculous" she stated.
"I'm being ridiculous?" he shot back angrily at her in disbelief. "Sweetheart, you just don't get it do you? I'm not the one who's been lying about their entire life for the past four weeks."
Béatrice groaned loudly at him. She walked straight up at him. "You have no right to be upset with me James Barnes! What I do doesn't concern you at all! You are not a member of my division. No one is supposed to know what I do. If anything, I'm the one who should be upset, because you overheard a private conversation. I told you one lie and said that my work wasn't dangerous. I don't think it is though. I'm doing something important useful. What are you really upset about? This or the fact that I'm not living up to this perfect picture that you have of me in your head? I'm not perfect James. None of us are and like everyone, I've done things I'm not proud of, but were necessary."
He was taken aback by her boldness. No woman had ever spoken to him like that at all. He just stared at her silently in shock, at a loss of words. Béatrice just shook her head and sat down on the bench. "I didn't come here to fight with you" she sighed heavily. She looked down at the ground, licking her lips. She looked as though she was contemplating what to say next. He sure as hell wasn't going to say anything at this rate. He threw the cigarette to the ground, turning to face the lake as the two fell into silence.
He heard Béatrice sigh loudly. "My father's name is Oskar Faust" she suddenly spoke causing Bucky to turn to her in confusion. She looked directly at him. "I wouldn't expect anyone here to know who he is, but he was and is a prominent mathematician in Europe. During the first war, the German military recruited him to be a strategist. He was quite good at it, but as you know we still lost. After the war, my country was faced with an economic crisis as a result of the Treaty of Versailles. It was hard on my family during those years. I don't remember it much as I was too young as was my brother. But during that time, my father realized what a mistake he had made. As a result of his plans, many lost their lives. He felt guilty. So, he made himself a promise. He would never be involved in something like that again. Wars are never truly won. Each side loses greatly and he didn't want to have that responsibility on his shoulders anymore."
Bucky felt his eyes widen at the new source of information. He slowly made his way back over to her, sitting beside her on the bench. This was what he wanted. The truth and now he was finally about to hear it.
"Being so good at his job, it was no surprise that when the Nazi's came to power, the military wanted him back. He..." she stopped and looked down at her hands with her eyes shut. "Hit...he..."
"Hitler wanted to recruit him" Bucky finished for her. "Didn't he?" He looked down at the ground. The fact that she even struggled to say Adolf Hitler's name said a lot. There was more this than he realized. His name must have been like poison to her.
She turned her head and nodded silently. "He was very persistent. Writing to my father often, showing up in Berlin unexpectedly. My father kept refusing him. But there's only so many times you can say no to the Führer before it becomes dangerous."
September 1940 Berlin, Germany
Béatrice walked towards home with her friend Rifka Dreyfuss. The two girls were huddled together, arm in arm, giggling in German about an encounter with a young man in one of the stores they had just visited.
"He was flirting with you Béatrice" her blonde friend continued to giggle. "He was so handsome."
The brunette just rolled her eyes. "He was, but I think he was just being nice."
Rifka just sighed heavily and shook her head. "You need a boyfriend. Please find one! You've had so many handsome boys interested in you and yet you refuse to go out with them."
"You're right. They were boys" Béatrice looked over at her. "I don't want an immature boy. I want a man. I want someone to sweep me off my feet. Not someone who thinks they can bat their eyelashes at me and I'm instantly their girl."
"Béatrice Faust you are one of the strangest young women I have ever met" Rifka let out another laugh. She turned her head and stopped dead in her tracks, her face falling into fear. Béatrice turned her head to what her friend was so upset at. As she did, she gasped. Coming out of her house was Hitler. Why was he there? What did he want? She quickly pulled her friend into the alley near them, hiding behind the wall. She knew how dangerous it might be if she had been seen by the leader of Germany with a Jewish girl. She didn't want Rifka to get hurt. Her father feared the Nazi's and as a result, she did too.
"Why is Adolf Hitler in your house?" the blonde looked at her in shock.
Béatrice shrugged. "I...I...don't know. My father is not a Nazi sympathizer."
"I hear rumors" Rifka began shaking. "That they want to kill us all. The yellow stars are only the beginning."
Béatrice shook her head at her friend. "You know my father would never work with them. He's done with that life. He is a friend to the Jews. He won't let anything happen to anyone in the neighborhood. I promise you that." Despite her assurance, her best friend did not look so convinced. However, she still shook her head in agreement and put her arms around Béatrice, hugging her tightly. She thought back to her own words, praying that she was not wrong. Something was coming. She could feel it and it was extremely dangerous.
Élodie Faust sat a plate down with the family's only servant, following suit on the dining room table. As she did, she head the front door to the house open. "Béatrice? Is that you?" Seconds later, the woman saw her daughter pop her head into the dining room.
"Yes mama" she replied walking over to her mother to give her a hug.
"You and Rifka had a good time?" she asked before pressing a kiss to her daughter's forehead. Béatrice nodded her head slowly and her face fell. Her mother noticed the change in her demeanor quickly. "Darling what is it? Is something the matter?"
Béatrice licked her lips and nodded slowly. "I...I...saw them leave. Why was he here?"
Élodie quickly put a finger to her daughter's lips and shook her head. Before she could protest as to why, the door to the kitchen opened. Out came walking a tall young man with brown hair.
"Well look who's finally back" he smirked between the women.
"Christoph!" Béatrice exclaimed happily running over to her big brother and flinging her arms around him. "I didn't know you were coming home!"
"I wanted to surprise you" he said happily hugging his sister in return. He pulled her away beaming at her. "I have so much to tell you!"
She smiled brightly at her big brother before she really got a look at him. She felt something around his arm, causing her to frown. She pulled her hand away and saw the swastika band around his arm. She had never seen Christoph wear that. She wasn't even aware that he was supporting the Nazi's.
"Why are you wearing that?" she looked up at him after another beat of silence.
Christoph opened his mouth to speak, but another figure emerging from the kitchen cause him to stop.
"Father" Béatrice walked over and hugged the older man tightly.
"Hello my dear" he replied pulling away, looking directly at her. He automatically could see the worry in her eyes. However, he kept silent and turned his attention to his older child. "Have you told her?"
"I was just about to" Christoph nodded happily. "Béatrice, something wonderful has happened. I have been offered a job to become one of Adolf Hitler's personal aides."
No. That was the one word that popped into the young woman's head. She was dreaming. No, this couldn't be happening. This was not real. Christoph would never join the Nazi's. No one in the family agreed with the policies especially when it came to the Jews. They had both grown up with the Jews. Had Jewish friends. The man standing in front of her was not her brother.
"What do you think?" Christoph said noticing his sister's silence.
"I...I'm not sure what to say. I...I'm just surprised I suppose" she managed to get out somehow.
"We all were" Élodie interject. "It is quite the opportunity that is for sure."
"But that's not even the best part. Adolf Hitler himself was in this house. Tell her what he said father. Go on" Christoph urged him quickly.
"Béatrice" Oskar took a deep breath to begin. "I have been offered my old position in the government. Hitler has asked me to be one of his top strategists. I told him it was an honor of course, but I would need to consider it." She could only feel herself nod her head. She gave her father the best smile she could, but she threw her arms around him. Her worst nightmare was coming true.
November 1940 Berlin, Germany
She watched as her father poured wine into her brother's glass. Christoph had returned home for the first time in two months. He had been traveling throughout the country with Hitler and his inner circle. Her brother had spent most of dinner discussing his travels and Hitler's beliefs regarding Europe and of course the Jews. Hearing everything made her sick to her stomach and the more she listened, the quicker Béatrice had lost her appetite. At that point, she was simply picking at her food, wanting to be anywhere else at the present moment.
"Béatrice you've been quiet this evening" her mother suddenly spoke up. "Are you feeling alright. You've barely touched your food."
The brunette only shrugged at her mother in response. "I'm just tired I suppose."
"Well you did have a long day out in town" her father commented. "It's understandable."
Christoph turned to her sister and looked at her curiously. "Who were you with today?"
"Rifka of course" Béatrice replied nonchalantly at him, avoiding eye contact.
Her brother's eyes narrowed at her in disgust. "Why were you spending time with a Jew?" he exclaimed at her in disbelief. "Have you heard nothing that the Führer has said about the Jews. They are impure. Tainted. You of all people should not be associating with them."
"We grew up with Jews. Many of your friends were Jews" she shot back angrily at him. "Or have you already forgotten in order to prolong your career?"
Christoph glared at her and then looked over at his parents. "You should make her get involved in the party. There are many women who are devoting their time to the cause. If only you would listen to reason little sister. They could help you see the truth."
"There is nothing wrong the Jews" she replied lowly. "There never has been. It's all lies and you know it as well as I do!"
"Just thinking like that will get you killed" Christoph snapped angrily at her, shaking his head. "Father are you really going to sit here and let your daughter speak this way about our great leader?"
Béatrice looked over at her father for his response. He wiped his mouth with his napkin and took a deep breath. "Your brother is right" he nodded slowly. "Béatrice, as of today I have accepted our great leader's offer to become one of his top strategists. As a result of this, you will be expected to uphold yourself to a certain standard. You mustn't think or ever say these things. You will change your mind, I assure you."
She felt her heart stop. It was too late. Looking over at her mother, she expected her to speak. Instead there was complete silence at the dinner table. It had happened. Her family had turned against her. The Nazi's propaganda had poisoned everyone. Standing up from the dining room table, she dropped her napkin on it.
"I've suddenly lost my appetite, excuse me" she spoke quietly. With that, she quickly exited the room, leaving her family to their own personal thoughts.
Christoph watched as his sister slammed the dining room door shut before he went back to eating. "She'll come around" he shrugged before taking another bite to eat.
Béatrice tossed and turned in her bed. She couldn't fall asleep. Sitting up, she looked at her clock. It was almost one in the morning. The dinner conversation continued to plague her thoughts. This wasn't her family. It was impossible. Her family was kind. They didn't believe in the Nazi's. How did this happen? How did everything become so wrong? She sighed and got out of bed, grabbing a robe off of her chair. Sleep would not be a luxury tonight for her. She tip toed out of her room to take a walk downstairs, when her father's light in his officer caught her eye. Slowly, she walked to the door. He was inside sitting in his chair by the fire. He looked up and smiled at her.
"Can't sleep either?" he motioned for her to enter. She did so and walked over to the chair in front of his own. Her father sat quietly, smoking a pipe looking between the mirror and his daughter.
"You seemed quite upset at dinner" Oskar began quietly. "Tell me Béatrice. What do you think of Adolf Hitler."
She stared at her father quietly. She slowly frowned at him in confusion. Why was he asking her this? Was this some sort of trap? A way to get her in trouble perhaps? She continued to stay silent and frown. Something told her that being quiet was her best option.
Oskar gave his daughter a small smile. "Would you like to know what I think of him?" Slowly, he saw his daughter nod her head in response. "I think he's a monster. I think that he makes the devil look like an angel. He is a horrid man with horrid ideas. He shouldn't have this power. No one should ever have this power."
She looked at her father in shock for a moment and blinked. Did she hear him correctly? Did she hear him say he hated Hitler? She slowly opened her mouth. "Then why are you going to work for him if you hate him so?"
Oskar stood silently and walked over to his desk. He picked up a piece of paper and walked over to his daughter to hand it to her. He stopped and held the paper in his hands for a moment. "What you're about to read, you must keep secret, especially from your brother."
Béatrice nodded her head at her father. He then handed the piece of paper to her. She looked down and read it. Her brows furrowed in confusion and she looked up at her father. "I don't understand."
Oskar smiled at her. "I am not working for Hitler. I am working for the Americans" he began heading back to his chair. "When Hitler first reached out to me, I knew that it would only be so long before I would be forced to accept. As a result, I reached out to the Americans. A special agency called the Strategic Scientific Reserve. They specialized in the more, strange aspects of what our country is dealing with. There is an organization in the Nazi's called HYDRA run by Johann Schmidt. They are trying to use science and the occult to take over the world. If I am close to Hitler, I learn about HYDRA and Schmidt's plans. The Americans will get the information on HYDRA."
"But the Americans aren't even in the war yet" she frowned at her father once more.
"Yet my dear. Yet" Oskar replied to her. "They offered to get us out if we provide information. We could leave this horrible place and start a new life in England, America...really anywhere."
Béatrice let out a small gasp, staring at her father in shock. It seemed too good to be true. She didn't think there would be a way out, but now there was. They could leave Germany and start a new life away from the Nazi's. Away from the hate and suffering. But there was one thing she still did not understand. "How are you to get information to them?"
Oskar sat back in his chair and licked his lips. "I gave them a recommendation and they have accepted it" he started looking directly at her. "We're going to use you. You're the only one who can do this. You're the only one we can trust to do this. You're kind, strong, and you will do what is necessary to protect the people you care about. It has to be you Béatrice. You understand. No one else will."
Béatrice licked her own lips and sat back in the chair. She felt faint for a moment, unable to process everything. "I...I...I can't. I don't even know how to do any of this. I'm not a spy for God's sake."
Oskar got up at his seat and kneeled before her. "You can do this. Deep down you know it. Béatrice you can save so many lives. You can help this country become the place we used to love. You can save your friends, all of them including the Jewish ones. You are the only person who is capable. It will not be easy, but I know you can. I would not have asked you if I didn't think you could."
Béatrice sat silently at her father. He took her hands in his own and looked at her pleadingly. Deep down, she knew he was right. This is what she needed to do. She was capable of it. She was tired. So very tired of seeing her country drown itself in hatred. She couldn't sit back anymore. She had to do something. Sitting around and waiting for her friends to die or to turn into Christoph was no way to live anymore. She looked directly into her father's eyes. "So, when do we get started?"
Bucky silently ran his hands through his head taking a deep breath. He slowly turned his head over to the brunette sitting beside him, waiting for the next part of her story. He already felt that he was at a loss for words.
Béatrice opened her mouth to continue to speak. "For the next month, my father corresponded with the Americans to get me out safely. The cover was that I was going to go to Paris to study. That way it would be easier to get me out, but also give my father a reason to write so often" she began. "As the details were worked out, the two of us created a code to use when sending me information. The information was disguised in the form of weather reports. The story would be that I just missed home so much that my father would send me weather information to have a small piece of home. However, when he described the weather, the words would correspond to a number. Then the number would correspond to a word relating to the military. For example, if there was a thunderstorm due for say a Wednesday, it meant that Hitler was planning on moving more troops." She stopped speaking and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it. She inhaled deeply, shutting her eyes. Her nerves were starting to overcome her. She could feel it.
"My father's letters were normal. When we realized no one would intercept them, he was very honest and open regarding what was occurring. We were still cautious though. We came up with code words that he would slip into the letter if something was wrong. We used words and phrases from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" she sighed looking over at Bucky. His eyes met her own for a second before they flicked down to the ground.
"It is my favorite book after all, so it was perfect" she gave a small smiled. She took another puff of the cigarette. "Christmas of 1940 was the last time I saw my family. Shortly after I went to Paris. Few weeks after, I just kept to myself. Made a few friends here and there and attended some classes. Tried to act as normal as possible. The Americans got in touch with me after I had been there for about three weeks. Someone would come forward and meet me. They wanted to get me out by the end of January through the Swiss boarder since they've insisted on remaining neutral throughout this whole mess. They also were in the process of finding a decoy to make it seem as though I was still in Paris. My father kept me away from many German officers so finding someone who had dark hair and eyes and said their name was Béatrice Faust wasn't a problem. When I finally left Paris, it was on January 28, 1941." She smiled to herself and paused. "I considered it to be my first mission. It was exciting and new, but...but...there were complications."
January 1941 Paris, France
Béatrice sat on a bench quietly looking up at the Eiffel Tower. She remembered climbing it as a child. She remembering being exhausted when she finally reached the top, but she had only been 8 at the time of her journey. She, her parents, and Christoph had spent time in Paris together as a family. When times were much simpler and easier. Now life was not like that at all. The tower was closed now due to the German occupation, so no one was allowed to climb it. At the top of it was the Nazi flag. It was a horrible sight to see.
Paris was not the same place she had such fond memories of. It was almost as the German's had managed to suck the life out of it. It seemed quieter. Gloomy almost. German soldiers were at almost every street and many of the Parisians did their best to ignore them or avoid them at all possible costs. She had done her best to avoid it as well. She had kept to herself for the most part. She had made a few friends, but she had kept her socializing to a minimum. Any day now she would be leaving and she didn't want to cause a scene due to her sudden disappearance. She didn't need people asking questions. It was too dangerous.
From the corner of her eye, she saw a man in a suit sit down beside her. He too looked up at the tower as well and sighed deeply. "It's a shame, don't you think" he suddenly spoke to her in French. "Such a great monument and no one can even go up it anymore."Béatrice looked over at him silently. She slowly nodded her head in response.
The man smiled at her and opened his mouth once more, only this time speaking in perfect English. "Nice weather we're having aren't we Miss Faust?"
Her eyes went wide at him. He knew who she was. She quickly stood up and prepared to leave, but he caught her arm before she could go anywhere. "Don't worry. I'm a friend. We're about to go on a little trip together." Her face turned into a frown and she felt her heart stop. The man chuckled at her slightly and shook his head. "They didn't tell you I was coming did I?"
"I'm sorry, I have no clue what you're talking about" Béatrice told him, not believing a word coming out of his mouth. She was too paranoid. Was he an American? Was this a trap? "Please let me go or I'll scream."
"Why is a raven like a writing desk?" the man looked directly at her. Her mouth fell open as he gently let go of her arm and put his hands into his pocket. He was part of the S.S.R. The phrase he had just spoke was one that her father and her had come up with when someone wanted to be revealed as an agent. "My name is Collins." He looked around for a moment and looked back at the German girl who was staring at him intently. "We probably don't have much time. I'm here to get you out. Do you have a bag packed?"
"Of course" Béatrice nodded her head. "When do we leave?"
"Tonight" Collins told her lowering his voice. "I'll come by your place around midnight. Tell no one. Understood?"
She nodded her head quickly. It had started. Her new life was about to begin. It was time to get out of Europe and help her country, her family, and her friends.
For midnight to come, it felt like forever. For hours, Béatrice paced around her tiny apartment. She felt nervous for some reason. Something in the pit of her stomach would not cease. She was worried. What would happen to her if she was caught trying to flee? What would happen to her friends and family? It was not something that was easing her mind at all. Anything could happen. What she was about to do would be one of the most dangerous moments of her life.
A knock on the door caused her to jump. She quickly turned her head to the door. Walking over slowly to the door, she put her hand on the knob, turning slowly. Opening the door, she saw Collins standing on the other side. He pushed the door open and walked into the apartment.
"Ready to go?" he asked her looking at her.
She nodded her head and walked over to grab her bag and her coat. She shut her door and placed a key under the mat that was at the foot of the door as she had been instructed to do in a letter when she had first arrived. Following Collins down the steps of her building, the two emerged outside to where a black car was waiting. Collins took her small suitcase from her and put it into the back of the car. Béatrice walked over to the passenger seat of the car and Collins in the driver's seat. Turning on the car, the two drove off down the streets of Paris in complete silence.
"So why does the S.S.R want you?" Collins asked breaking the silence between the two of them.
Béatrice brows furrowed and she looked at him. "You mean they didn't tell you?"
Collins shook his head. "Not my job to ask questions. I'm just here to extract people. I get told where to go, who to get out, and where to take them."
"So, you just wait until you meet the person you extract to ask?" Béatrice smirked over at him.
"Exactly" he flashed her a smile. "So, what are you like some wife of a Nazi higher up or something?"
Béatrice laughed and shook her head. "Not at all." She looked straight ahead and her face fell. Ahead of them in the darkness were two German patrol officers on motorcycles blocking the upcoming road. It must have been for a paper check or something. To ensure that no Jews or anyone suspicious were able to get out of the city. Her heart began to race.
"Stay calm" Collins spoke slowing down the car. "Let me do the talking." The car came to a complete stop as the two officers walked over to the car. The pair both took deep breaths, trying to remain calm.
One of the officers motioned for Collins to roll down the window. "Bit late for a drive isn't it?" the first officer spoke to Collins in French. The second walked over to the passenger side of the car and stared at the brunette intensely.
"Yes. My wife and I just received a call from my mother in Switzerland. My father is quite ill, so we are hoping to get across the border this evening" he told him calmly.
The German officer stared silently at Collins for a moment and looked over at Béatrice, eyeing her as well. "Papers please." Collins nodded and reached over to the glove compartment, pulling out a few pieces of paper and handing them to the German officer. He took them and looked them over before looking up at the pair. He motioned for the other officer to join him and he did so. The two men spent about three minutes looking over the papers together, muttering to one another in German in a distance away from the car, still she could understand everything they were saying.
"They're trying to make sure that the papers aren't fake" Béatrice suddenly spoke up listening to the conversation. "Apparently they've had problems with that."
"Do they think they are fake?" Collins asked staring at them.
"They are debating" she shrugged simply. The two officers then turned to the car and walked back towards it. They both came to the driver's window and handed back Collins the papers.
"How long have you been married?" the second officer suddenly asked.
"Almost a year" Béatrice replied immediately, smiling brightly.
The second soldier eyed her closely once more and muttered something in a language she didn't understand. The first soldier looked between the two of them and nodded.
"Then where are your wedding rings?" the first officer asked.
Béatrice felt her heart stop and the next thing she knew, the officers had opened the driver seat doors and grabbed Collins out of it. "Run!" he exclaimed to the German. She quickly opened the door and ran towards the nearby alleys. The first officer yelled and commanded the second to run after her in German. She looked behind her and saw he was gaining on her. She darted to one of the nearby alleys and dropped to the ground behind some nearby trash cans. She put her hand over her mouth to conceal her breathing. She listened for any sign of the soldier. But there was nothing.
Silence was the only sound that she heard. Slowly she moved to see if there was anyone near, but there was nothing but darkness. She was safe. For now at least. She stood up and let out a breath. As she did, she was grabbed and thrown against the nearby brick wall before a hand was wrapped around her throat. She finally was able to get a look at her attacker and it was the German officer. She kicked him in the stomach hard, but it did nothing.
"You bitch!" he yelled at her. She kicked him once more and scratched his arm as hard as she could, causing him to scream out in pain. He let go of her and Béatrice ran down the alley again. She felt her entire body slammed to the ground once more as the German toppled on her. She was flipped over and saw him wrap his hands around her throat. She gasped heavily for air and her hand flexed on the ground. She felt something sharp, a piece of glass beside her. Using all the strength she could, she grabbed it and slammed it into the neck of the German soldier. He screamed loudly as blood gushed out of his wound. He got off of her before hitting the brick wall with his back and fell to the ground dead.
She slid down the wall with tears in her eyes. He was dead. She starting shaking and her mind kept replaying the scene over and over again. A hand them grabbed her, causing her to jump and scream. She looked up and only saw Collins. His head had a cut on the top of it and he looked as though he had just come out of a fight.
"Are you alright?" he crouched down in front of her. Béatrice looked down at her bloodied hands, breathing heavily. She had never killed someone before. She had never imagined that she would have to. But she had to. To protect herself. She had killed someone. She looked up at Collins and nodded quickly. This was her life now.
Béatrice threw her finished cigarette to the ground. "We made it to the Swiss boarder eventually and then took a plane to London. I was shaken when I arrived, but despite that...I was still very determined. They spent the first few days debriefing me, making sure I understood that I knew what I would have to do. I think they were afraid I would back out at any moment. Once they finished, I just started waiting around for letters from my father. As I did, they started prepping me for the field. How to flirt, do my makeup, how to act. Not that it wasn't useful, but they should have done more. But I am a woman" she rolled her eyes and sighed. "I'm starting to learn that the mindset towards women is just...well frankly...it's unfair. I'm more than just a pretty face. I just wish the world would see that one day. However, I had a friend. Another agent. She understood my frustration and decided to do something about it. Taught me how to fight and shoot. Actually...when I was learning to shoot...that's how I met Alexander."
Béatrice tapped her pencil boredom on her desk. For days, she had patently been awaiting a letter from her father, however, nothing had come get. As a result, she was dreadfully bored. It seemed as though that this would be her life now. When she wasn't decoding letters from her father, she was a glorified secretary or doing absolutely nothing. She looked up and saw Peggy Carter coming towards her desk.
Stopping, the British woman smiled at her. "You look like you are having the time of your life currently. You keep tapping that pencil hard enough, they may even decide to give you a new one."
The German shot her a look of disbelief and sighed. "Is this what it's always like?"
Peggy shrugged slightly and nodded. "Some days yes unfortunately. But other days, some people actually realize we are more capable than just sitting around."
Béatrice put her hands in her face and sighed loudly. "I wasn't aware that this is what I signed up for. I feel completely and utterly useless. Why am I here? There's talk of putting me out in the field, yet they won't teach me how to survive. It's almost as they believe I'm expendable."
"Trust me, I know the frustration. Dealt with the same thing when I first arrived" Peggy explained to her. The British agent stopped and then looked at her curiously. "However, you're a bit luckier than I was. I would say."
"Why do you say that?" Béatrice frowned up at her.
"Because you've got a friend who's going to teach you some tricks" she smiled brightly at her. "Come with me." With that Peggy grabbed her hand and pulled her off to God knows where.
Peggy took Béatrice to an open field. At first, she was completely confused as to why she was taken there, but as soon as Peggy pulled out a small pistol from her handbag, it became clear. She was going to teach her how to shoot. Peggy had taken the time to set up some targets that consisted of glass bottles, clearly something that she had done before teaching the German. She had explained how to pull the trigger and load the gun and now all she had to do was hit her targets.
The first few times proved to be unsuccessful. Béatrice hadn't even managed to hit anything at all. Lowering her hand, she sighed deeply.
"You're thinking about it too much" Peggy commented walking over to her. "You just need to clear your mind. Take a deep breath." Béatrice nodded her head and turned to the targets.
"Peggy!" she heard a voice exclaimed. She turned around and saw a man with blonde hair in an Army uniform running towards them. He must have been another officer or agent, she thought.
"Alexander" Peggy responded happily. "Welcome back!"
"Thank you" he nodded at her in response. He looked over at Béatrice with curious eyes, his eyes wandering up and down her. "Who's your friend?"
"Captain Alexander McPherson, meet Béatrice Faust. She's a new agent" Peggy introduced her.
McPherson's face fell slightly. "Faust? As in Oskar Faust? This is the daughter?" Peggy only nodded and McPherson looked over at her and offered her a hand. She took it and shook it. "Nice to meet you" he said quickly. "I see you're teaching her to shoot."
"Yes, she is" Béatrice interjected, smiling. "I'm afraid I didn't know how to."
"Well better to learn than not know how to if the situation calls for it, I suppose" McPherson shrugged. "I suppose you and I shall be working together on some missions I hear."
"I beg your pardon?" the German frowned. "I will be?"
Peggy let out a loud sigh. "No one has told her yet Alexander. She hasn't been briefed for missions yet."
"Oh" his eyes went wide. "The Colonel just informed me this morning. I wasn't aware. I just wanted to know what I would be getting myself into and I guess she's it."
Béatrice continued to frown at him. What he would be getting himself into? What did that mean? She found this American to be quite strange. He was almost off putting to her in a way. He didn't look at her in fear as many did, but more with an annoyance. She wondered why he felt that way about her. "Well, I look forward to working with you" she suddenly spoke up.
"Yes" he began looking her up and down with a strange look on his face. "Should be interesting...anyway, I've got to run Peg. I'll see you around. Agent Faust." With that he turned a heel and began to walk off. He was very strange Béatrice decided. Very strange indeed.
"He's odd" she commented as she watched him continue to walk into the distance. "Is he always that..."
"Strange?" Peggy spoke. "Not really. Alexander's well...he's got himself a girlfriend back home. He's got it in his head that he can't even look at another woman. For some reason he thinks that every woman is a threat. He's almost like a teenage girl trapped in the body of a man." She turned her attention back to the targets. "Now try again. Breathe. Don't think."
Béatrice nodded and raised the pistol once more. Her mind went completely blank. She took a deep breath and aimed at one of the bottles. She took another deep breath before she pulled the trigger. A shot was fired, followed by the sound of breaking glass. She smiled brightly. She had done it.
Peggy smiled over at her. "Good job. Now can you do that another four times?"
Sure enough, a mere few days later after her first meeting with Captain Alexander McPherson, Béatrice was assigned to her very first mission in the field with him. It seemed easy enough. The two of them were to go to Poland and make contact with a few Jewish leaders of various ghettos. The ghettos were in need of a number of supplies such as food, any form of weapon that could get their hands on, and information regarding the outside world. The Nazi's had kept them isolated and they were lucky if they knew what was going on outside the walls of their forced occupation.
The two of them sat on a train to Warsaw. The entire trip, McPherson had barely uttered a word to her. Peggy had warned her of McPherson's already strange behavior, but made her promise to be nice to him. He wasn't always this way; he was just worried about his relationship. She was right. He was a teenage girl stuck in the body of a man. She looked over at him from across the compartment as he read over their covers for the mission. He didn't look pleased at all with it.
"It says here we've been married for two years. We met in Germany and are finally taking a honeymoon I promised you because when we got married, I was too busy studying engineering at university" he suddenly announced. "This is very detailed. It's almost like they are expected us to play these parts full out."
"Why shouldn't we?" Béatrice spoke in response. "They are our covers after all. We have to make people believe that we are married and madly in love. It's not that difficult."
McPherson looked up at her and shrugged. "Well we don't have to play them that well...I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but I do have a girlfriend back home. Evelyn. She's my world and I am a one-woman kind of guy...I just don't want to do anything to jeopardize that relationship."
"Oh my god, you're ridiculous" she huffed loudly rolling her eyes. "Do I have to honestly spell it out for you? I don't like you...well in that way. I'm not here to ruin your relationship with your girlfriend. I'm not that type of person. My priority first and foremost is my family. Getting them out of Germany is the only reason I'm here. I'm not here to find a man, get married and live happily ever after. I'm here for my family. To stop the man who has turned my country into hateful ruins. Nothing else."
His eyes went wide with a hint of fear in them, almost as he struck a nerve. "You really need to get over this fear of ruining your relationship" she continued. "If you really loved this girl, being around other women wouldn't be an issue. You barely look at any of us anyway, so I don't understand why you feel so threatened."
McPherson's mouth dropped open and he tried to speak, but nothing came out. "I...I..."
"If you're going to say something, do it" she looked at him crossing her arms.
"Never mind" he spoke looking down at the folder. "You're right. You're completely right...at least...I think...I've never had someone be that bold with me."
"We're in the middle of a war, you have to be bold" she replied looking out the window.
Once the pair arrived in Warsaw, they waited until nightfall to make their way to the ghetto. Carrying suitcases with false bottoms lined with supplies needed in the ghetto. Béatrice didn't know what to expect as they walked to the ghetto, but what she saw shocked her. It was a large wall surrounding the area with guards all around. The pair evaded them with ease as they had been given the information needed to know their movement. They walked around the wall and stopped at the sight of a young woman with blonde hair. She looked at the two of them.
"The weather is getting colder" she spoke in Polish.
"Perhaps it will snow soon" Béatrice responded to her in the native tongue. McPherson looked at her in confusion and it became obvious that he didn't speak Polish at all. It was left to her to converse with the Jewish people.
The blonde nodded and smiled. Their code had worked out and she knew she was with friends. "My name is Frumka. I am one of the couriers here" she spoke. "I am afraid we do not have much time. We have about four minutes before the guard comes back around this way."
"We have some of the supplies you all requested" Béatrice replied to her in Polish, causing McPherson's eyes to go wide again. "It's not everything, but we managed at least the most important items."
"Bless you both" Frumka smiled as she took both of the suitcases from the two. "May God bless you. I have the information regarding the information requested. It is a list of the Jewish leaders and their location in Poland. They are scattered I am afraid, but I hope it will help save my people."
"Any information will help" the German nodded her head. "I am sorry for what is being done. It's not right. I hope the Nazi's will pay for what they've done to you."
Frumka smiled at her sadly. "It's wonderful to hear that from a German. Many believe that they all want us gone. You're proof that they are not."
"You have friends in the Germans" Béatrice began. "They are difficult to find, but we are all not against you." Frumka smiled once more and nodded at her. With that, she disappeared into the night and the two S.S.R agents quickly fled the scene before they were captured. As they made their way through Warsaw, McPherson told her something she didn't expect. He told her she was a fine agent and he was glad to be working with her. Perhaps her boldness had changed his mind about everything.
"Many of my missions were like that. Saving people, smuggling supplies to Jewish communities, getting information to those who needed it, and if I could get them out of the country" she continued to explain staring straight ahead. "Typically, everything went smoothly. I had a couple of close calls here and there. Had to flirt with a German officer or two to get out safely. Create a diversion to prevent myself from getting caught, but nothing that too difficult. But then Vienna happened..."
December 1941 Vienna, Austria
She pulled her coat closer to her while she walked through the quiet streets of Vienna. It was well past midnight by the sound of the clock chimes. Béatrice continuous looked around her surroundings. Nothing was there for now. The wind continued to nip at her face and she wished nothing more to get into the warmth of a house. Christmas was only a mere few weeks away. Though it did not feel that way at all. She had barely remembered it was that month. Thew news of the attack at Pearl Harbor and America finally joining the war as well as her various missions kept her too busy to even think about celebrating the holidays. By theof the decorations on many of the Austrian houses, they were ready for celebrations. She tried her best to ignore the swastika on many of the houses as well, but each time she passed one, she felt herself cringe. Happy Christmas from the Nazi Party indeed. So much for peace on Earth.
As she continued to her destination, she went back and thought about what she had to do. Colonel Phillips had instructed her to smuggle Maurice Adler, a brilliant Jewish surgeon out of Vienna along with his family. Phillips believed that his skills would be useful in the American hospitals and as a result made contact with the family to arrange for a way out of the country. Just like her. Just like her family one day. It was a routine mission. She had been doing similar ones for months and it seemed easy. Nothing to worry about at all.
As she approached the safe house the Adler family was placed in, she continued to look around. It was quiet in Vienna. It wasn't unusual, but something felt off. It was too quiet for her liking. Typically, there would have been at least some noise. She brushed it off and walked up to a house. Knocking on the door, she waited a moment before it slowly opened. An older woman appeared in the doorway.
"It's a clear night tonight" she spoke quietly in a heavy German accent.
"Perfect for looking at the stars" Béatrice replied staring directly at her. The woman nodded and motioned for her to come inside the house. The brunette followed her down a hallway and to a door. Opening it, she walked down a series of steps into the basement. As she did, she saw the figure of a man appear from the shadows.
"Herr Adler?" she spoke. "My name is Agent Faust. I'm here to escort you out of the country."
Adler appeared to be in his late fifties. He was bald with circular glasses resting on his nose. He looked at Béatrice in disbelief for a moment and then smiled. "God bless you" he smiled brightly to her, taking his hands in her own. "Thank you. Thank you." He turned to a dark corner and a woman and five children appeared. She assumed it was his family. His wife Anna and their children Adina, Abel, Berel, Chanan, and Fruma. "It's alright. She's here to take us away." Anna let out a happy sob and looked at the German agent and spoke words of kindness to her in Hebrew. It was moment like these that Béatrice loved her job more than anything else. She was helping people.
Béatrice led the Adler family quietly out of the house. Looking around, she saw that the streets were still empty. She motioned the family to follow her. They had about a mile walk to their meet up point with some of the other S.R. agents waiting to take the Adler's to their safe house. The group walked down the street with Béatrice looking around constantly. She led them down a dark alleyway and as they turned a corner, she jumped at the sight of three German officers. They looked at her in confusion and then at the family.
One of them immediately spied the yellow stars worn by the family. "Jews" he spat loudly. The next thing that was heard was the sound of three shots from a pistol and each of the officers fell to the ground dead.
The pistol didn't shake at all in Béatrice's hand. She didn't even flinch. It was too risky for them to be caught. She had been given her orders. Do everything necessary to get the Adler's to safety. She looked behind at the family who was staring at her in shock. She opened her mouth to speak, but the sound of a whistle and the screams of other German officers caused her to stop. Soon there was a group of them who appeared at the end of the alley.
"Come on! Quickly now" she exclaimed to the family. They all began to ran down in the opposite direction of the alley. The sounds of soldiers and sirens were getting louder and louder. Béatrice knew that soon they would have no place to hide. She would have to improvise.
She stopped running and turned to Adler. "Keep running straight ahead for about a mile. There are people waiting. Take your family, don't look back."
"What about you?" the doctor looked at her in confusion.
"I'll be right behind you. Now go!" she told him.
Adler looked as he wanted to protest more, but a look from Béatrice made him not. He quickly grabbed his wife and huddled his children. The family made a break for it. The sound of a whistle caused her ears to perk up again. Turning around, she saw a group of German soldiers running down the alley from a distance. She reached into her bag and prayed that what she was about to do would work. She had no other choice. She hated herself for what she was about to do especially since Vienna was such a lovely city. Pulling out two grenades, she pulled at the top and rolled them down the alleyway before running off as fast as she could. Only seconds later there was a large explosion that erupted throughout the alley. She dropped to the ground and breathed heavily. She took a moment before she got up and turned. The alley was lit in flames and spreading quickly. She took another moment to stare at the damage before running off into the night.
Colonel Phillips looked at the ash-covered agent in disbelief. He opened his mouth to speak and then closed it once more. He stood up and paced around the room, contemplating everything that he had been told. Agent Carter on the other hand looked quite pleased with Béatrice's work, but the other female agent knew full well not to say anything yet. The aging colonel turned directly to face her and he pursed his lips.
"Let me make sure I'm understanding everything Faust" he began slowly. "You almost were apprehended with the Adler family and to prevent it you blew up a portion of the neighborhood and shot three Nazi officers."
"And managed to still get the family to the drop off site, unharmed" Agent Carter spoke up smirking slightly.
Phillips raised his eyebrows to the British agent. "Enough Carter" he huffed. "If I want your opinion, I shall ask for it." He turned his attention back to Béatrice. "Faust, despite the fact that you did get the Adler family to the drop off site, do you realize what you did?"
"Simply improvising?" she shrugged at him. "I did what was necessary to get the Adler's safely delivered. Wasn't that the mission?"
"THE MISSION?" Phillips exclaimed raising his voice. "You were to get the Adler's out quietly, not make so much goddamn noise in Vienna. You're lucky no one saw you. You're lucky you haven't gotten caught. Are you sure no one saw you?"
"Positive" Béatrice nodded her head at him. "Only the three officers and I'm sure they will be keeping silent in the grave." Peggy pursed her lips together and looked over at Colonel Phillips, who was shaking his head.
"You're grounded Faust" Phillips told her point blank.
"Excuse me?" Béatrice looked at him in shock.
"Colonel Phillips..." Agent Carter began.
"Until further notice. You may think you didn't make noise, but I'm not chancing it. Until we get full confirmation that no one knew it was you, you are being reassigned. "Pack your bags Faust. You're headed stateside."
Bucky stared at the ground; his eyes widened as Béatrice finished her story. He couldn't believe everything that he had just heard. Everything he wanted to know, he had answers for. She was risking her life for a country she loved and for people she cared about. It was dangerous, but she was a hero. She wasn't anything that he had expected at all. She was more than anything he ever imagined. In that moment he realized how wrong he had been.
"And that's how I ended up here. Punishment for what I consider to be simply making too much noise. I've been corresponding with my father and decoding messages still. But the last letter I received...something wasn't right. His letter...it was too formal. Two of the code words my father and I agreed to use were enclosed in the letter as well. 'Curiouser and curiouser' meaning that someone was watching him as he wrote. The second was 'Cheshire Cat.' My brother is back. My brother is dangerous now. They've poisoned him" she said looking down at her hands. She took another deep breath.
"I have to get back to Europe. I have to get them out of there. If anyone or Christoph discovers what we're doing. They'll die. The government is dangerous and they turned my brother into someone I don't even know." She paused for a moment and shook her head. "That's everything. Now maybe you understand why I kept everything from you. Not only is it classified, but how do you even begin to explain something like that to someone? You can't really, so I didn't." She looked over at James and saw him just staring down at the ground. It was almost if he was refusing to move completely and didn't want to acknowledge her. It was no use. She got up, taking a deep breath, and turned to head back to camp. She stopped one last time, turning back to him.
"Even though I'm standing by what I said earlier, I am sorry I lied and hurt you. I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me. We are on the same side after all."
He heard Béatrice finally leave from behind, leaving him to his thoughts. He understood everything now. Why she had kept everything from him. Why she was doing this. It was a necessity. She was right. He had no reason to be angry at her at all. He was upset because he cared about her. He didn't want anything to happen to her. That was the issue. He was starting to feel something that he knew damn well he shouldn't. It terrified the hell out of him. His sparked curiosity was something he had never felt for another woman before. She wasn't like anyone he had ever met and that is why he liked her so much. She had said that she hoped he could forgive him, but the thing was, there was nothing to forgive. She needed forgive him what what he had done. For what he had said. He should have called out to her. He should have gone after her and stopped her. But he didn't. Oh, what a fool he was.
There you have it! What do you think about learning more about Béatrice? Read and review!