Chapter Nine

France 1944

It had been nine months since the Basterds rescued Eleanore out of the back of the German truck, allowing her to join them. Eleanore usually watched the camp while the men played. Eleanore offered to cook their food as well as wash their clothing, which the men eagerly accepted. Hugo and Wicki left on what they called, "a secret mission". Eleanore gathered up the dirty clothing from each tent and hauled them to the lake. As she was scrubbing the rough material, she could hear someone trekking towards her. She looked over her shoulder and saw Utivich advancing towards her, looking downwards as he moved. Eleanore continued her work, after tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

Utivich offered to help which Eleanore elatedly accepted. They talked to each other about trivial things, mostly about what they missed most. For Eleanore it was a warm bed and a running toilet. Utivich agreed and added home-cooked meals to the list. The washing went quicker with an extra pair of hands and Eleanore hung the wet clothes out to dry along a makeshift clothesline that was made from a string of barbed wire. The clothing fluttered in the wind, Eleanore hoped the thick material wouldn't rip along the barbs.

The light from the bright sky diffused, the world becoming deep shades of pink and orange. Wicki and Stiglitz returned without a scratch or bruise, meaning the mission were either incredibly clean kills or they didn't fight. Hugo greeted Eleanore with a kiss and she greeted all the men with food. They ate deer that Aldo had caught and skinned complimented with military eggs.

Living in the camp was so different for Eleanore. The nights were cold and they could never fall into a deep sleep, always ready for an ambush. They couldn't travel without a weapon strapped on them and venturing into the woods was forbidden. Eleanore didn't tell anyone, but when she killed Burnard she had nightmares for a year. Eleanore would look into a mirror to see the decaying body of her former school-mate and upon turning around, he would grab her and rape her. Now Eleanore had nightmares of the Nazi that tried to scalp her, waking up in terrible fits. Hugo would wrap his arm around her and attempt kiss her back to sleep. She would lie in Hugo's arms, unblinking, until exhaustion finally closed her eyes.

Hugo, it seemed, was worse than Eleanore. He would wake up, screaming in German and sometimes became uncontrollably violent. Eleanore would calm him, speaking in soft tones against his ear until he let her go. Eleanore also woke up to him clenching his jaw so hard that his gums would start bleeding. The war, it seemed, was driving everyone to madness. In the nine months, the only Basterds left were: Aldo Raine, Wilhelm Wicki, Donny Donowitz, Omar Ulmer, Hirschberg, Hugo Stiglitz, Smithson Utivich, and Eleanore. They lost the other men to ambushes, their graves lining the camp. (Aldo made sure none of them were buried in their counterfeit Nazi uniforms.)

Hugo excused Eleanore and himself, breaking Eleanore's concentration. He took Eleanore into the woods, leading her to a secluded spot. The sun was nearly departed, a soft light radiated along the tree line before it's final farewell. Eleanore looked around, admiring the tall trees with moss growing up their ankles. The birds were singing their final songs, preparing for sleep.

"Hugo? Are we allowed to be here?" Eleanore looked up at her beloved, who took her hands and pressed them to his lips. Hugo stared into Eleanore's bemused eyes, a smile appearing. His scarce grin always sent shivers though Eleanore when it was revealed.

"I love you, Eleanore. I love you more than anything on this forsaken earth." Hugo touched her face with his rough hands, pushing her hair back from her eyes. He ran his fingers over Eleanore's jaw before softly grabbing her chin. He kissed her cheek, the coarse hair around his lips caused her to inch away. Eleanore laid her hands on Hugo's broad chest, moving her face forward. The fabric was hard against Eleanore's lips as she planted a soft kiss above his heart. Hugo cupped her face once more before taking a small step back.

"Will you marry me?" Eleanore froze for a moment as she watched Hugo kneel before her, holding up a small diamond ring. His eyes stared, unblinking as her heart raced. She had waited so many years for him to ask her that simple question. Every time he arrived to visit her, she hoped he would ask her. (Not to mention, Eleanore's grandmother was becoming impatient.) Hugo's eyes remained fixed on Eleanore until she finally nodded her head, tears in her eyes. He stood, kissing her with a great rush of ecstasy, and pushed the ring onto her finger. He captured the back of her head, her mouth pressing harder against his. He kissed every inch of her face, ignoring Eleanore's obvious attempts to get away from the prickle of his unshaven face.

"Tomorrow. We'll be married tomorrow." Hugo promised, kissed her one last time before taking her to the Basterds. Their fingers were laced as they ventured back to camp, both smiling.

"How was the rendezvous in the woods?" Aldo asked, knowing exactly what was going on. Apparently, the "secret mission" was to find suitable rings for Eleanore and Hugo's wedding. Eleanore replied by holding up her hand, the fire sparkling against the gem. Each of the Basterds shook Hugo's hand and kissed Eleanore's cheek. The rest of the night was spent with toasts, laughter, and congratulations. Most of the Basterds retreated to their tents while Eleanore and Hugo moved to the lakeside.

Hugo lit a cigarette and snaked his arm around Eleanore's waist, taking long drags. They were sitting on the larger of the two rocks that Eleanore normally did the laundry on. The night was dark, the woods around them were still. Eleanore stared at the reflection of the stars in the lake before dipping her feet into the frigid water.

"Is something the matter, Hugo?" Eleanore had never seen Hugo smoke before, inspecting the way he held the implement between between his large fingers. His hands had light scars across them, traversing along his rough skin. She moved closer to him and when he finished his cigarette, she repeated her question,

"Is something the matter?" Hugo finally answered her with a kiss on the cheek. He hugged her body tightly, pressing his face into her neck. Hugo kissed Eleanore's collar, before meeting her with hard eyes.

"I'm sorry," Hugo broke down. He took her hands in his, rubbing them in a slow pace. "I should have been there with you. I could have protected your family and your friends. I curse myself everyday for not being there. I'm so sorry, Eleanore..." Hugo kissed her hands, over and over. But this time, he wasn't looking her in the eye. His gaze was downwards, his cheeks were wet. Eleanore used her thumbs to wipe his cheeks, pulling his gaze to hers.

"Do you remember when Burnard pinned me up against the wall?" Hugo replied with a small nod. "That night in the garden, you told me ' it's not your fault, you should blame those pricks'. Do you remember when you told me that?" Hugo nodded again and Eleanore found his cheek with her lips. "Don't blame yourself, alright?" Again Eleanore was met with a nod.

The next morning, the Basterds woke up early and got dressed in the finest clothing they had. Which mainly consisted of wife beaters, suspenders, and nice pants with washed hair and a good shave. The Basterds were lined up as groomsmen and bridesmaids with Aldo and Hugo in the middle. The woods were misty, the morning was lit by the waking sun. Eleanore had a white dress that flared right at her knees with a tie that cinched her waist. In her hair was the diamond pin, holding up her brown curls. Eleanore walked down the path, reaching Hugo who had a nice button up and high waist pants. He planted a small kiss on her forehead, allowing her to notice his shaved face. He took her hands, squeezing them in his larger ones.

There was no bible at the wedding and the Lieutenant said whatever he thought was appropriate in the situation. Hugo and Eleanore did have written vows, more like words from the heart.

"Hugo... We have been in love for an entire decade, can you believe it?" Eleanore laughed and touched Hugo's face before continuing, "You've saved me so many times and I only seem to get you into more trouble. You make me feel so beautiful when I'm around you, like I'm the only girl in the world. I will love you until the day I die, Hugo Stiglitz."

"Eleanore Vogel... I knew it was wrong when I started developing feeling for you when you were only thirteen years old. I was nineteen and you were the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. I didn't care that you were six years my junior, I knew I had to have you. I wanted to ask you to marry me on so many occasions but I was too nervous and I could never find a good enough ring for you. I know it's been too many years too late but I'm ready... For anything. Anything as long as you're by my side. Eleanore, you're my everything and without you I'm nothing. I will love you until the day my heart stops beating."

After the "I do's" and the fervent kiss, they were showered with rice. She knew it wasn't an official wedding, but in her mind it was perfect. They drank through the day and through the night with the Basterds before retiring to their tent. (Which didn't go unnoticed and without cat-calls.)

The night of their wedding, Eleanore and Hugo made love for hours. As the sun was rising, they could see their bodies intertwined in fiery passion as husband and wife. They laid naked together and Hugo, for the third time in his life, saw the magnificent birthmark on Eleanore's shoulder. Eleanore, even in her state of exhaustion, took Hugo's hand and lead him outside of the tent.

"Eleanore? What are you doing?" He asked as he stared around, completely naked. They ran past Donowitz as if they were still teenagers, Hugo muffling Eleanore's laughter with his large palm. Eleanore pulled him to the lake and jumped in before beckoning her beloved to join her. A smile stretched on Hugo's lips as he jumped into the water. They swam naked while Hugo promised her everything in the world. It was the perfect ending to their wedding and the beginning as Hugo and Eleanore Stiglitz.