A/N: Ooh, my little chickens…just you wait!

To josephineb: I had considered accentuating his accent a little more while I planning out this story, but once I got started I felt that by writing his thick accent that it took away from the story so I just decided not to, but I definitely see where you're coming from. I tried to throw in a few more twangs in here and there though and I even threw in a 'wicked' just for you, haha.

Anyways, you dudes know I own nothing…enjoy!

Klara made sure to hide her face in The Bear Jew's shoulder as they wound their way through the streets of her neighborhood. Though it was (thankfully) late enough to where there were hardly any people walking strolling around, she still didn't want anyone to see her face should they pass too close. Not like it would have really mattered anyway; everything about them, from their bloodied clothes to the blood-soaked bat The Bear Jew carried in his free hand, screamed LOOK AT US! They looked as though they'd just massacred somebody, which was true where he was concerned.

"Go right at this street." She said when she took a quick peek around, pointing to the designated street they needed to turn on.

"I remember now." He confirmed to her quickly.

She wasn't sure if it was because she was in shock or not, but being this close to him was making her head spin. He wasn't too much taller then her so she fit perfectly under his protective arm. His body was warm against hers and though he strongly smelled like both the forest and the blood from the dead soldier, she could still detect just the tiniest hint of some sort of after-shave. It was quite pleasing to the senses and she found herself unconsciously pressing her nose further into his jacket. When they turned the corner, Klara was both glad and disappointed to see that they were rapidly approaching her house, but then he tightened his arm around her and she forgot to be disappointed. She instead leaned into him as they approached her house and allowed him to help her up slowly up the stairs.

It only took a moment to locate her key and unlock the door but The Bear Jew remained on alert and scanned the area for anything out of the ordinary, making sure to keep a supportive hand on her back. This gentler side that he was showing had thoroughly caught Klara off-guard, especially since she now knew just how malicious he could be, but knew better then to comment on it. He helped her through the doorway once he was satisfied that they had made it back to her home without raising any alarms then turned to shut the door and lock it. He then ushered her towards the couch and forced her to sit before striding for the kitchen as though he owned the place.

What in the world was he doing? Klara stared after him in confusion, listening as he rummaged around in her kitchen, and brought a tentative hand up to her swollen lip. She winced when she touched it and pulled back her fingers to check for blood – at least she wasn't bleeding anymore. Klara looked back up as The Bear Jew re-entered holding a wash cloth in one hand and cold piece of meat in the other. He sat down on the coffee table in front of her, which caused her to thank everything that was holy for having decided to hide the picture of Landa and Kurt again, and held out the piece of meat to her.

"Here. This'll help the swelling." He said, passing it over. She accepted it and pressed it against her cheek, wincing at the temperature for a moment before relaxing as it began to numb the throbbing pain there. He watched her for a moment, fiddling with the wash cloth, before reaching up to her face to start wiping the soldier's blood off her skin. She didn't even attempt to hide her surprise but he ignored her reaction and turned his eyes to concentrate on what he was doing. "Did he do anything…else? Ya know…anything other then hittin' ya?" He asked.

It was easy to understand what he was asking her and Klara shook her head. A brief look of relief flashed across his face but it was gone in a second as he nodded his understanding. "What made you decide to follow me home?" She asked him after a couple of moments of silence.

He just shrugged at her and raised a brow. "Pretty German girl walkin' home all by herself late at night? Figured it wouldn't be a bad idea to make sure no one tried anything." He explained. "Obviously, I was right to follow my gut."

So he thought she was pretty? And he was concerned enough to make sure she made it home safely? Klara smiled but then winced when it caused a strain on her swollen lip. But when he eyed her mouth for a long moment, clearly inspecting the area that the soldier had struck, the pain in her lip was forgotten. Instead, they began to tingle with their want to feel his lips on hers and she had to clear her throat and turn her eyes away, reminding herself that he was only concerned and definitely not thinking about her in that way.

"Thank you." She told him gratefully, looking anywhere but at him in an attempt to distract herself from her temptations.

"Yeah, don't mention it, blondie." He responded. Once he was finished wiping the blood from her face he folded the cloth up and began to clean his own face. Klara did turn her eyes back to him then, taking advantage of his momentary distraction to admire the stubble on his face and the way his dark lashes accentuated his eyes. "Who was that guy anyway? Friend of yours?" He asked with evident sarcasm.

"I have never met him before tonight." Klara said with a shrug, fighting back a blush when he met her gaze again. What was wrong with her? She was usually much more collected then this around attractive men – why was The Bear Jew affecting her like this? "He was saying things to me when I was on my way to meet you but I had assumed he would be gone when I came back."

He immediately looked at her as though she had three heads instead of one. "And ya didn't notice him followin' ya all the way to that bar?" He asked in disbelief.

"I was distracted." She said defensively. Then she frowned and crossed her arms, cocking an eyebrow at him. "If you were behind us for so long, why did you not stop him?" She demanded.

He had the good grace to look a little guilty but the look was gone in a second and replaced by a much more defensive one. "I didn't know what he was gonna do and I didn't wanna draw too much attention to anyone." The Bear Jew retorted. "And I didn't even figure out where you guys had gone until ya started screaming ya head off." He defended.

Klara regarded him for a long moment before nodding and accepting his explanation, at least to a certain degree. After that an awkward silence fell between them, where she fiddled with one of the broken buttons on her blouse with her free hand and he toyed with the rag in his hand. When he cleared his throat he caught her attention again and she turned her eyes back to him, waiting to hear whatever he might be about to say. He held her gaze for a second and then averted his eyes to glance around her living room – unlike the first night, he regarded his surrounding with interest rather then suspicion.

"And what would your, uh…husband…fiancé…think about all of this?" He asked seemingly off-handedly.

It was more then obvious to her that he was prying and Klara smirked before looking at the empty space next to her and putting her arm up in the air as though placing it around an invisible person's shoulders. "I am sure if he existed he would be very grateful. In the meantime, though, you are welcome to ask my friend here." She teased lightly, motioning to the space of air next to her.

The Bear Jew looked at her for a moment before letting out a short laugh and standing up, nodding his head in understanding. "I see – not involved with anyone." He clarified.

"Precisely." Klara answered.

The Bear Jew then pointed towards the kitchen, silently telling her he was going to put the cloth in his hands away before turning to walk away from her. She watched him move and wondered at this new side of him. The last time he'd been in her home he'd been rude and egotistical; now he almost looked at ease to be in her home. He sent her one last calculating look her way over his shoulder before entering the kitchen and she knew he was trying to decipher if she was really as stable as she claimed she was. Considering that he'd mostly treated her with distrust and suspicion, it was a little strange to see the concern in his eyes (even though he seemed to be doing his best to hide it).

When he returned to the living room his hands were shoved into his pockets and leaned against the doorframe, meeting her gaze steadily.

"Pretty wicked place ya got here." He complimented. "Perfectly running water, nice furniture…what exactly do ya do to be able to afford this place?"

"Thank you." She said with a smile, finally moving the cold meat away from her face and then eyeing it with distaste. "And it is actually my brother who pays for it. He does not think I should work." Klara added with a shrug.

Now he looked interested. "Ya brother, huh? And what does he do?" He pried.

"He works with a detective." She answered vaguely, hoping he wouldn't pry any further.

He nodded his understanding and then ran a hand through his hair. "We'll have to find a new way to meet." He said matter-of-factly as he changed the subject, much to her relief. "If something like this were to happen again, I can't promise that I'd be there to stop it a second time. This sneaking around at night shit isn't a good idea." He warned her.

"I agree." Klara responded even though she knew very well she would still be sneaking around at night for her other duties. The knowledge that she and The Bear Jew would be meeting more often left her hampering down a rush of excitement. "We will work something out."

His eyes were trained on her as she stood from the couch and, as she began to head towards him, he pulled his hands out of his pockets and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Once she was close enough he let his eyes scan over her face again. "Ya sure you're alright?" He asked her uncertainly. Klara smiled at him as best she could with her swollen lip and nodded, stopping just in front of him. "I have to hand it to ya; you're one tough cookie, Klara." He said with a smirk and an impressed look on his handsome face.

Klara laughed for a moment before reaching up to pat his shoulder. "Thank you. For everything."

She didn't know what gave her the guts to do what she did next – maybe it was the pent up attraction she'd been feeling for him or maybe it was because she was still a little bit disoriented from the attack in the old bar, but suddenly Klara found herself pressing close to him, using his shoulder for leverage, and moving in to place a gentle kiss against the corner of his mouth. His eyes went wide in an instant and he stared after her in obvious surprise as she smiled shyly and then moved into the kitchen to dispose of the meat in her hands. She plopped it into the sink, taking a moment to suck in a calming breath, before searching for something to wrap it up in before throwing it away.

Klara was just reaching for a worn towel when she heard The Bear Jew approach. Her heart began to pound in her chest, her hand began to tremble, and when his hand came to rest on her back she was sure that her body would catch on fire at any given moment - his body heat washing over her did absolutely nothing to calm her nerves.

"Klara?" He asked with a huskier-then-usual voice.

"Yes?" She asked, turning to face him slowly.

There was a beat of silence where neither said or did anything – then he buried his hand into her hair and dragged her mouth up to meet his.

Apparently Klara had not been the only one aware of the heat that lingered between them, as she had thought to be the case. The Bear Jew was kissing her like a man starved and she sighed against his lips, every nerve in her body tuning into him as he pulled her up tightly against his chest with his free arm and anchored her to him. She eagerly returned his kiss, having to cling to his shoulders for some sense of balance, and let him manipulate her however he wanted as he deepened the kiss. A small sound of approval welled up in her throat and when he responded with a growl of his own, Klara was fairly certain her knees were going to buckle.

Their heated kiss ended abruptly when she hissed in pain and pulled away, raising gentle finders up to her lip. The Bear Jew actually looked a bit embarrassed and moved one hand to scratch the back of his neck. "Sorry." He apologized quickly through heavy pants for air. "I forgot for a second…"

"It is alright." She said quickly. She couldn't give a damn if her lip hurt right then; she just wanted to keep kissing him.

He didn't resist her when she pulled him in for another kiss but he did reign in some of his previous passion, kissing her a little more gently so as not to cause her discomfort. After a few minutes he pulled his lips from hers to trail down her jaw and neck, encircling her waist with his large hands and pulling her as close as he could. She ran her fingers through his thick hair, suddenly finding it quite hard to catch her breath, and closed her eyes and enjoyed the pleasurable feeling of his lips on her skin until his lips returned to hers. Klara felt the fire burning in wildly and knew then that the only thing that would put out the flame, the only thing she wanted to put it out, would be him.

She pulled away from the kiss to look him in the eye and smiled, brushing his mussed hair away from his forehead. "Be gentle with me tonight." She said, making him look at her in slight confusion.

Klara gave him a gentle kiss then grabbed his hand and began to lead him out of the kitchen. He followed her willingly, still watching her with uncertainty, and allowed her to lead him towards her bedroom. She wasn't entirely sure where this newfound bravery had come from and never before had she done anything like this, but she did know, without a shadow of a down, that she wanted The Bear Jew. And she'd never wanted anyone as badly before.

She knew the instant that he had realized what her intentions were because he skidded to a halt, forcing her to stop as well. "Wait, Klara –" He started to say.

Klara turned to face him and shushed him with a finger over his lips. He quieted but still frowned, the look in his eyes quite unreadable. "I want this. I want you." She reassured him, moving her finger away from his lips.

He sighed heavily and reached up to run another hand through his hair, looking as though he were struggling with an internal battle. "I want ya too, believe me I do. But…you…I…it's just…fuck." He stammered, repeating the action of swiftly running his hand through his hair.

She wasn't sure if he was just trying to be a gentleman (which didn't seem likely) or if he was just unsure of the entire situation, but Klara put her hands on either side of his neck and forced him to meet her gaze.

"Neither one of us knows what the future will bring us, Bear Jew. At any moment, it could be the end for either one of us." Klara explained to him softly. "We can only be sure of now…tonight." He still didn't seem convinced so she decided to finally just be honest with him – there was no point in beating around the bush anymore when it wasn't guaranteed she would see him again once he walked out her home. "You are…different. And though I do not yet know what it is you make me feel, I do not want to look back on this moment and have regrets." When she leaned in to kiss him, unable to keep herself from doing so, she was pleased that he immediately responded. "Make love to me." She said against his lips.

The Bear Jew stared at her for a long moment, seemingly contemplating his choices, before closing the gap between them again and kissing her with a renewed fervor. He had most definitely made up his mind and she smiled against his lips when he lifted her swiftly into the air and carried her to her bedroom. They both knew that nothing would be the same between them afterwards but neither could bring themselves to care. Whether Klara ended up in prison for her treason or whether The Bear Jew wound up on the wrong end of a German weapon, no matter what they would always have this one night together – a night where there was no war, no threats, and where they were just two normal people sharing a night of passion.


They lay in silence for a long time afterwards, with Klara resting her cheek against his chest while his fingers trailed up and down her spine. Their clothes were scattered all over the room, having been tossed carelessly away in their eagerness, and the room was in general disarray. On her nightstand, right next to one of her necklaces, lay the dog tag of a German officer he'd killed that he wore around his neck as a souvenir. She eyed the dog tag for a moment before closing her eyes and snuggling further into his chest. Try as she might, Klara couldn't recall another time that she had been quite this content – he was very warm and smelled absolutely delicious, not to mention he was an excellent choice for a pillow. She never wanted to move again.

Klara glanced up at him as a yawn escaped her mouth and the smug smirk that flicked across his face did not go unnoticed. "Tired?" He asked, sounding very proud of himself.

Klara moved her head to prop her chin up on his chest and glare at him but couldn't find the strength to be mad at him once she saw the state of him. His hair was all askew, his lips were a bit swollen from their feverish kissing, and his cheeks and chest were still a bit flushed from their lovemaking. Klara had never seen anybody that looked as good as he did. "Could you be any more smug?" She mocked him good-naturedly.

A large grin stretched across his features and he nodded. "Probably." He said honestly. Then The Bear Jew grasped her by the shoulders and pulled her up his body until he could reach her lips to give her a kiss, moving her as though she weighed nothing. "Wanna find out?" He asked suggestively.

Klara laughed and swatted at his chest, shaking her head. "Animal." She accused.

"They do call me The Bear Jew." He shot at her saucily.

"Ah, the true origin of your nickname reveals itself." She teased. "Though admittedly it is somewhat disconcerting to learn that men refer to you as such…" Klara trailed off with raised eyebrows.

He poked her side, making her squirm. "Watch it, blondie." He growled in warning. There was a gleam in his eye that let her know he wasn't truly mad, though, and she snickered before beginning to trace errant patterns on his chest, smiling at the way his chest-hair tickled her fingertips.

"I want to know more about you." Klara said a bit sleepily, fighting back another yawn.

He tensed a little underneath her. "Why?" He asked hesitantly.

"I would think it would be obvious." She told him calmly, ignoring the suspicious undertone in his voice. "Contrary to what you might be thinking of me, this never happens. Like I said – you are different."

"Different, huh?" He echoed. She nodded at him and he pursed his lips for a moment before reaching up and smoothing down her hair. "Well…I'm from Boston." He finally revealed to her. "Born and raised. And other then killing Nazis my passion is baseball – the Red Sox in particular."

It was easy to pick up on his reluctance to tell her anything more about himself but she was still satisfied at having gotten him to open up even a little. She smiled at him and nodded, deciding not to push him any further. "The bat-wielding Bear Jew enjoys baseball?" Klara asked in mock-surprise, drawing a laugh from him. It was the first time she'd ever heard him laugh and, admittedly, it left her feeling a little warm and fuzzy. "I might have known…"

The Bear Jew shook his head in amusement and then pulled the covers up higher around them. "The lieutenant is gonna hang me by my balls when I get back to camp." He said even as he closed his eyes and settled further into her bed. "But I just don't really give a fuck right now."

His sudden sleepiness was infectious and Klara was suddenly having a difficult time keeping her eyes open. "Why would he do that?" Klara asked around her third yawn. It had been a long, stressful day and her time with The Bear Jew had zapped her of any energy she might have had left. But she tried to stay awake, knowing that she wouldn't have much more time with him and wanting to make the most of this moment.

"Because he told me to be careful around ya and not to get involved. Now look what ya gone and done, ya conniving little wench…" He shot at her with a smirk, his eyes never opening. Klara couldn't help it – she leaned in to plant another kiss on him, her fingers rising up to toy with his hair as he happily responded. "Woman…" He growled in warning. She just smiled to herself and pulled away, nestling into his side before finally closing her eyes to give in to sleep. "Ya fallin' asleep on me?"

"Yes. I am exhausted." She confessed. "Goodnight, Bear Jew."

He chuckled a bit and she heard him say, "Night, Klara" right before she fell asleep in the warmth of his embrace and with the smell of his aftershave and the woods in her nose.


Klara blinked her eyes open slowly the next morning. She pulled the covers up to her chin to shield her bare skin from the cold, crisp air in her house, and glanced out the window to gauge what time of day it was and take a peak at the weather outside. It was bright and sunny and it seemed to still be early in the morning, and Klara smiled to herself before rolling over and focusing her attention on the space that the Bear Jew had occupied the previous night.

Even though she had fallen asleep in his arms the night before, she hadn't expected for him to be there that morning. She sighed regretfully, scooting over onto the other side of bed, and welcomed his scent as soon as she laid her head on the pillow he'd used. She had no idea if he'd slept any but it was safe to say that he'd left a long time ago judging by how cold the sheets were. Memories from the previous night flashed though her mind and she smiled to herself, blushing a bit as she snuggled into the sheets.

After lying in bed for another half hour she finally dragged herself up and got ready for the day, though The Bear Jew was never far from the forefront of her mind. There was no evidence that he'd ever been there and had the rest of the bedroom not been such a disaster area, she might not have even believed the previous night had truly happened. It wasn't until Klara made her way into the kitchen to get a glass of water that she spotted something he had left behind and she immediately went to the kitchen table, scooping up the note that had been waiting for her there. She smiled when she recognized the handwriting, having seen it for the first time the previous night, and read it quickly.

Klara –

Don't be too pissed at me for leaving without saying goodbye. As you might have guessed, I couldn't exactly stay for long. I don't know when I'll be back on this side of town but you'll be the first to know when I am. Until then, just know that I'll be extremely fucking distracted. Be safe.

Donny

So his name was Donny. Klara couldn't stop the grin that stretched across her face, even though it hurt her injured lip to do so, and held the note to her chest for a moment. Already she could feel her previous resolve not to become too wrapped up in him beginning to fall apart and she sighed to herself, reading the note again – it certainly wasn't Shakespeare but his words were oddly endearing in a way.

Klara finally snapped back to reality when the loud ruckus of the garbage collectors coming through reached her ears. A glance at her wristwatch let her know she was running late to her breakfast date with Shoshanna and she cursed before setting Donny's note down and hurrying to collect her things. Once she was out the door she set off in the direction of the café.

There was really no way of knowing what all of this was going to mean in the end. Obviously the physical chemistry between her and Donny was palpable but was it really fair for either of them to demand anything more then that? There was more to him then meets the eye, that much she was certain of, but Klara just wasn't sure if allowing herself to fall for him would be a smart idea – hoping for anything more then companionship in these hard times felt foolish and getting involved with him too deeply could potentially create more problems. But then again what if there could be something more between them? Sure, Donny was egotistical, smug, had a filthy mouth and a gruesome hobby (which would have been more then enough to send anyone else running for the hills), but he could be perfectly cordial if he wanted to, nurturing if the occasion called for it, and he was an excellent lover. And oddly enough, despite his temper and her hard-headedness, there was something about them that seemed to just…work.

She decided then that she wouldn't overanalyze anything else from that moment on because frankly, driving herself crazy with all of the 'what if's' that surrounded her and Donny's relationship was the last thing she needed. Whatever was supposed to happen between her and Donny was in God's hands now and she was just going to let whatever was supposed to happen, well, happen. It was as simple as that.

A/N: Reviews = love.