Berlin, Present Day

Anna blinked herself awake, swatting at John's grinning face. "You'd sleep the whole way too if you'd been pulling the hours I have."

"No judgment." John tucked his laptop away as the flight attendant shot him a nasty glare. "I've already submitted part one of my exposé on the life and trials of doctor in Kandahar."

"Not sure it's a trial in those terms but I do hope you left my name out of your article." Anna stretched as much as she could in the seat. "I'm not having others take the mickey out of me when it gets published."

"You won't take flak for it." John grinned at her, "I wouldn't want that."

"Sure you wouldn't." Anna settled into the seat as they started the descent. "I am curious if you've found anything out about our…"

"Rapist?" John mouthed and Anna nodded. "Nothing yet. The problem is the locals I know get concerned about the drunk and disorderly ones. Not the quiet and lethal."

"Our loss." Anna leaned back into the seat as the plane turned to land. She looked out the window, "It's been a long time since I've been in Berlin."

"I didn't know you'd been to Berlin." John flipped through the magazine in the pocket in front of him before snorting at an advertisement. "What brought you here in the past?"

"Mary and I did a gap year." Anna laughed, "It was more of a gap three months since I got my commission early and had to get back for training. Cut our backpacking trip short but we managed to get to the border of Turkey before we had to turn back."

"Did Robert get your training moved early?" John tucked the magazine away as the plane bumped and jostled them during the landing.

"I think he wanted to make sure Mary stayed out of trouble." Anna shook her head, "Not that it worked."

"Was that the trip that started the whole Pamuk Problem?"

"I do remember you using that phrase when you wrote about it… rather respectfully I'll say."

"I tried." John leaned back into his seat as the plane bumped and skidded on the tarmac. "I wanted to wring his ass up a flagpole but I managed him well enough in that article I wrote for him when he became a junior minister in Turkey."

"I heard it's why you're not allowed in Turkey until the sitting Prime Minister finally gets out of office."

John shrugged, "It was worth it to tell the world the horrible things he did to women. And watching that clip of one of them beating his ass to the ground with a crutch… I took that as all the payment I'd ever need."

"You're a particularly interesting man John Bates." Anna sighed, going to stand as the plane taxied to a halt but John caught her hand. "What?"

"Wait for the people who need to make connections get off. We've got time."

"I don't like sitting and I don't like waiting."

"Then you'll have to get used to it." John sat back, smiling at her.

"What's got you grinning like that?"

"You'll get a week in my world."

Anna pursed her lips a moment and then nodded, "I guess after six months of you living mine this seems fair."

"I enjoyed every moment of it." John turned over his shoulder, watching for the end of the line. "We're good to go I think."

They grabbed their things and hurried into the main terminal. Anna tipped her head back and basked for a moment in the direct sunlight there. "I may never go back if I get this much sunlight here."

"Welcome to the Tegel airport."

"Please don't tell me you're about to my tour guide." Anna adjusted the strap on her bag and grabbed her roller bag tighter. "I can stand those."

"I've only made connections in this airport so no." John pulled his messenger bag closer. "Heathrow on the other hand, I know the ins and outs of that place."

"You travel a lot."

"So do you."

"I meant out of normal airports instead of those airstrips attached to an airbase or under heavy fire." Anna stopped for a group of tourists speaking rapidly in a Scandinavian language and a clump of Chinese tourists that appeared petrified of the idea of leaving their group or having to speak with the Scandinavians. "I enjoy the few times in my life I can leave an airport or sit in a cramped and uncomfortable chair waiting for a flight instead of rattling in a tin can with nylon straps tightened over your chest."

"I've actually taken a couple trips inside those cans and I'll be honest, not the best way to travel."

"What is the best way to travel?" Anna kept up with John as they wove between shoppers, tourists, businessmen, and a host of students either screaming to one another or paying each other no mind at all. "On camel?"

"No, it's in first class luxury seating." John held a door open for her.

"And when did a newspaper columnist get the wherewithal to afford that?"

"There was a Singaporean businessman who wanted me to ghostwrite his autobiography. Flew me out, put me up in the nicest hotel, and then told me his life story."

"Did you write the book?"

"I make it a policy to never write about drug lords." John's brow furrowed, "Let's just say, the ride back crammed into an economy class seat was worth my dignity and the article I wrote on him."

"Was that the one who got twenty years in a Malaysian prison?"

"That's the one. Although," John cringed, "He'll be running the place so there's really nothing to worry about too heavily in his case. It might slow his business a bit but he'll be fine."

"His state is not what matters. I wanted to make sure his drugs weren't getting out to the streets."

"Not through him anymore. The government there is very… robust in their crackdown on that kind of thing. Plus, with the Chinese to help them there wasn't anything else they could do but destroy it all."

"Too bad for drug dealers. All that money they won't get from rich Singaporean kids who can't waste their lives and fortunes on drugs now."

"Don't think I didn't hear your sarcasm there." John brushed off the men and women offering 'best rates' for the taxis they drove and moved them into the official queue. "And I've done a couple stories on those you know."

"I read them." Anna responded to his surprise with a forced furrow in her own brow before making it a smile. "I followed all of your writing after Bangkok, not just the story you told me there of the war reporter and his German mistress."

"We don't know she was his mistress." John handed over his roller bag with Anna's before holding the door open for the back of the taxi. "We don't even know if they were lovers."

"Okay, I'll accept your lack of information on the condition you NEVER use that term again."

"Which term?" John frowned and then grinned at her, "What, lovers?"

Anna shuddered, "It's a horribly troubling word of the same distressing nature as moist. We accept it's a word and therefore all decide never to use it."

"I thought it was apt."

"We'll leave it at that and just say, from now on, that we don't know if they were having sex."

"It's not like they were just shagging each other." John ducked into the taxi with her and passed over a card with the address of the hotel. "People didn't do that back then."

"Oh my goodness, you're one of those!" Anna turned in her seat toward him, mouth hanging open.

"One of whom?"

"Those who think that people before the Internet were wholesome and only had sex after marriage." Anna laughed, "You do realize that birth records will have dates less than nine months after marriage before you were born, yes?"

"I know mine was, yes." John put a hand to his heart, "My parents who married because my mother got pregnant and my father adored her."

"Did your mother adore your father?"

"Not until later but that's not the point. But I'm talking about this couple and their experiences."

"What, you think because he shares your name he's got your ideals and your sense of dedicated honor?"

"I was actually hoping he'd be better than me." John shifted in his seat. "And didn't make the mistake of falling in love with an unobtainable woman."

"Who said I'm unobtainable?" Anna furrowed her brow and then pointed at him, "I do hope you've not been talking to Mary."

"You say that like Mary and I are even friends." John settled in his seat, "When I say 'unobtainable' I mean that it would be difficult to get someone like you."

"Why?"

"First off, you just spent six months in Kandahar. I can't see that ending well for a man who wants to buy a bunch of flowers and take you to dinner while you're trying to finish an emergency surgery with no electricity so you're using a pen light and a Swiss army knife."

"You make it sound so dramatic."

"Isn't it?"

Anna paused, "I regret sending you that email."

"See?" John dodged the playful punch Anna aimed at his arm. "Second, how does a man handle the fact that you're smarter than them?"

"That one's easy." Anna shrugged, "Just find a man dumb enough not to notice."

"Men always notice that."

"And yet they don't notice when their fly is down or when they're being so obviously rude at holiday parties."

"Fair enough."

"As for how they date someone like me," Anna grabbed her bag as the taxi stopped outside the hotel. "They'd just have to be someone like you."

"Someone like me?" John climbed out after her, pulling the necessary bills to pay the driver. "What does that mean?"

"Someone who travels as much as I do, isn't worried about how much smarter I am than he is, and is really good at sex."

"I'll take that compliment and match you with the idea that you and I could have a lot of fun on this trip."

"I'm here on holiday." Anna took her roller bag and passed him his. "I'm not here to impress anyone."

"You don't have to impress me. I've already experienced your finer abilities." John winked at her and then yelped when Anna landed a blow on his kidneys. "Ow!"

She passed him, walking into the hotel and stepping just to the side as he joined her. They walked to the front desk and John handed over his passport as Anna slipped hers over the counter as well. The woman there, typing at speeds Anna thought impossible, then smiled at both of them before passing back their passports.

"You're room is ready."

Anna frowned, "Wait, roomsingular?"

The woman nodded, "Yes, just the one room."

Anna turned to John, tapping the counter. "You booked one room?"

"All the rest were booked and it was cheaper."

Anna turned to the woman, "Is there a way to get a cot in there?"

"There's a sofa. It's part of the package that includes a large Jacuzzi tub, a walk in shower with no less than fifty jets and five settings, and a large television."

"And that was cheaper than two rooms or one with twin beds?"

John sighed, "I'll take the sofa."

"Thank you." Anna smiled at the woman behind the counter, "And thank you."

"Have a nice day."

They walked to the lift in silence and Anna reached forward to press the button. She faced the lifts and John turned to her, about to say something but thought better of it and turned back to face the lifts. A ding sounded and they entered, pivoting so John could press the button for their floor.

When the doors closed John turned to her and opened his mouth to explain but Anna held up a hand. "I'm going to see this room before I make a judgment."

"I hope you don't feel it suggests anything."

"It suggests a lot but I'm still deciding if I like what it suggests." The doors opened and Anna stepped out, dramatically moving her hands, "Lead on sir."

John dragged his bag behind him, Anna trying to keep her sniggers to herself, and stopped in front of a door. He slipped the key into the holder and dragged it out as the light blinked green so he could press forward. Anna waited for the door to open and then her mouth dropped.

The large room held a bed big enough for her entire hospital staff to lay out and a sofa large enough to fit Anna and John lying side-to-side. She left her wardrobe in front of a chest of drawers almost tall enough for her to fit into them laying lengthwise. Pushing into the bathroom she saw the large shower and the Jacuzzi tub before turning to face John, catching her hands on the doorway.

"This was cheaper?"

"Are we not going to talk about how I'm trying to impress you?"

"I think you impressed me when you dug out this story and when you came at your friend's request to sleep on a cot for six months in Kandahar." Anna walked to the bed, sitting on it before laying herself back on the surface. "Personally, I think that was more than enough to impress me."

"Then if I'd brought you some rice in a soup at the clinic…?"

"It'd be enough." Anna closed her eyes and let her breathing ease, "But I might take back everything I just said after considering the way this pillow sucks me in like a cloud."

"Do you want to shower or anything or-"

"Shhhh," Anna held up a finger, her eyes still closed. "I can't leave. The mattress and I have an understanding and I finally earned its trust. If I leave now it'll be suspicious."

"We've got an appointment with the archives."

"Just ten minutes."

"You won't wake up in ten minutes. You'll be as dead as anything." John's hand grabbed hers and helped her stand. "Shower and you'll feel better."

"Maybe." Anna sighed, dropping her carryon on the bureau and bringing her roller bag up to unzip on a table. "But I won't be more comfortable than I was on that bed."

John grinned at her, opening his bag on the sofa. "Still think we should've gotten separate rooms?"

"Don't rub it in, it's unsporting." Anna grabbed her things. "And I hope there's no peeking."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

"Dream all you want." Anna winked at him, "It's all you've got for that sofa tonight."

"Tease."

"Seducer." Anna pointed at the bed, "I know what that means."

"What?"

"You want a repeat of Bangkok on a real bed."

"Who wouldn't?" John came toward her and Anna let her breath catch when he stood over her. "Don't you?"

"It's a thought. But not one we're having now." She put a hand to his chest.

He covered it, "Then when?"

"I don't know. I guess it'll be a surprise." Anna closed the door, her smile splitting her face.

Battle of the Bulge, 1945

John shivered, the two other men in the hole with him pressed as close to him as they could manage. They bundled together, burying fingers in their armpits as the wind blew over their hole to chill right to their bones. The man at his right chattered his teeth so loudly John was sure they would break out of his head.

"Alright there Branson?"

"I thought I was in Belgium." His arms fluttered under the meager blanket, trying to pull it closer as if to keep in the little semblance of warmth he managed to trap internally. "I didn't think they took me to Russia without telling me."

"We'll get through it."

"We'll lose all of our fingers and toes doing it." The man on John's left hissed through clamped jaws that shuddered his whole body with shivers longer and larger than John had ever seen. "I knew I should've told my father yes to that chance to go to Bletchley Circle."

"And join some cryptographic team?" Branson scoffed, "You're meant for more than numbers Talbot."

"Says the man they tried to recruit before the war started." Talbot snipped back, "I never thought I'd see you deride the chance to be warm and still do good work."

"I didn't want to be trapped in rooms with paper and maps and algorithms. Much as I like maths I wanted to feel like I was doing good. Not having people point and jeer when I passed because I wasn't doing my duty as a whole and healthy male."

"What about you Bates?" Talbot nudged John and it almost rocked their rough trio over with how tightly they held together. "What brought you to the Bulge?"

"I'm trying to get to Germany." John chattered, forcing his teeth together in the hope it might stop the hot air leaving his body in puffs.

"Who wants to get to Germany?" Branson shook his head. "Personally I just want to chase all the Jerries back there so we can build a sodding big wall to lock them in and toss away the key."

"No," John shook his head, "There are good people there. People who deserve to be free."

"Didn't you live there awhile back?" Talbot buried his head in his arms, forming a little cave between his chest and arms to try and heat his reddening nose.

"It reported for the Manchester Guardianthere." John shivered again, fingers quivering as they gripped his trousers. "Just like I'm reporting for them here."

"When they told us we would have a journalist with us I thought we were doomed." Branson laughed, "But you're not bad at this. Fought before?"

"I served during the Great Arab Revolt."

"The one in Palestine?" Talbot risked a head up, "You went to the Holy Land?"

"It wasn't too holy when I was there." John clutched at his knees, trying to compress his body as compactly as possible to stop his fingers and toes going numb. "I liked Berlin better."

"Until they expelled everyone and declared war." Branson leaned over to address Talbot. "What souvenir do you want if you ever reach the Jerries?"

"For them to surrender so we can go bloody home." Talbot's voice muffled, "What about you Bates? What would you want?"

"I just want to find my wife."

Both men jolted away from John in shock, Branson recovering first. "Bloody hell, you never told us you had a wife."

"Because she's German." John reached his trembling fingers into his breast pocket and removed a picture, holding back a moment before showing it to Branson and then Talbot in the bluish light of their hole.

"Careful showing this to us," Talbot warned, "It marks you for death."

"You asked." John tucked it away. "She and I got married but the German government refused to recognize the union and the British Embassy wasn't allowing Germans to come to England. I couldn't stay and she couldn't leave."

"So you left her?"

"She pushed me onto the train." John forced himself to look forward, "Said I was to find her when the war ended and that's what I'm going to do."

"Then Talbot and I've got a job to do now." Branson clapped a hand to John's shoulder before burying it in his armpit again. "Get you to your blonde beauty so you can start having babies."

"I'll help with the first part. I hope you've got the second part managed on your own." Talbot snorted, lifting his blanket to cover his head.

"The second part is well within my abilities, don't worry over that." John pushed himself back to rest his head on the wall of the hole. "I've just got to get the first part done now."

"They'll let up and we'll push through. It's what we do." Branson tipped his head to the side and pointed, "Hear that? That's us, pressing forward."

"Then it's Germany sweet Germany." Talbot lifted his head, "And then home sweet home."

Berlin, Present Day

Anna closed the book in front of her, rubbing at her eyes. "It's amazing anyone can read this."

"It's in German." John responded without looking up from the book he scanned, taking occasional notes on the pad beside him.

"And I read German but this writing is ridiculous."

"How else do you get all of that on one page." John managed a wink at her, "It's what you do when you're writing a lot of relevant information but you've got to keep it uniform and-"

"Thank you for explaining the basics of record keeping to a doctor." Anna shut her book, "This one's not going to help you."

"This one might."

"What one?"

"This one right-" John waved a hand toward the side and then frowned as he realized the pile that was there. He turned to Anna and she pointed to the pile beside her. "How'd you do that?"

"Because I'm a wizard." Anna cringed, "Sorry, I should've told you earlier but they're really specific about the appropriate moment to tell a Muggle you're a wizard and I had to get all this approval and-"

"Okay, okay, ha, ha you're not funny." John turned back to his book as Anna laughed, lifting her stack to carry to the cart next to the table. "Besides, I already know you're a squib."

"Not hardly." Anna pushed the cart away and took her seat again. "I will say I expected a bit more from this trip they were so reluctant to grant you."

"They were afraid I'd ruin something."

"There's nothing to ruin if there's nothing here." Anna put her elbows on the table and clapped her hands to her neck, massaging there as her head hung down and then she stretched her back toward the chair. "Sorry this all seems like a waste."

"It's not a waste."

"I gave up a week of leave to find a lot of people like the name 'Anna' and that Johannes Schmidt was not just the worst villain name in MARVEL history."

"It wasn't the worst." John ticked off on his fingers, "Killmonger, Molecule Man, Rhino, Doctor Doom… could we get any more obvious?"

"Or melodramatic?" Anna blinked at him and then stopped. She seized the book from under him and turned it in her hands. "What does this mean?"

"It means a church marriage not documented by the State." John tipped his neck sideways to read as Anna tried to position the book so both of them could see the contents. "Some of the marriages then weren't State approved since it was meant to hide Jews or other undesirables under better names."

"That sounds made up but I'll take it." Anna traced the line. "And forgive my lack of German proficiency but that seems to say 'Anna Schmidt' married one 'John Bates' right before the British reporters, citizens, and ambassadors were expelled from Germany."

"It does appear to be them."

"Well, well," Anna sat back, a self-satisfied smirk on her face. "Tut, tut Mr. Bates it looks like rain."

John pulled the book toward him, sneaking a furtive look around before slipping out his phone to snap a photo of the book and then the section on the page. He tucked it away before the librarian could see him. "I guess they weren't just shagging one another."

'That's too bad because I was hoping they were just banging for fun."

"No you didn't." John stood up, tucking the book away to slip it onto the cart.

"You're right." Anna stood up, joining him on the way out of the building. "I'm a secret romantic."

"Not so secret." John jiggled his phone at her. "You came all the way to Berlin to find this."

"And all those articles." Anna shrugged, "Only question now, what happened to them after that?"