A/N: Surprise, surprise! I bet you didn't see this coming! :D A treat because I need a break with my essay writing.

Lena

Chapter 5: Just when you get comfortable…

I walked alone until the sky started to turn a burnt orange, signaling nightfall. I wondered if the boys thought that I just left. Donny is probably glad to be free of the burden, as well as Aldo. Hirschberg will be sad if I never went back. I imagine Hugo would just be indifferent as usual, while Wicki would have a sense of understanding.

I kicked a stone and looked back. There was nothing left for me in France. Not even Shosanna, I would only bring grief and a painful reminder. I huffed and turned back the way I came. I heard the men before I saw them. They held no fear of the woods or detection, they welcomed it.

I pushed back a branch and entered the camp. The talking stopped when they saw me. Hirschberg smiled, as did Wicki and my heart felt funny when I looked at him. Strange. Donny was the one to approach me, surprisingly. He handed me a bowl of stew with a smile of sorts. It seemed that my little speech had more of an effect then I thought.

"Thank you," I managed in broken English.

"You are welcome," he answered slowly so I would be able to remember. I grinned. Maybe he wasn't so bad.

I sat down on the log next to Wicki and Hugo. I took a spoon full of the stew and gagged. I tried to cover it up, but I had already drawn the attention of the others. My cheeks darkened in embarrassment. I tried my head away and Wicki's chest happened to be closer than I thought. I jumped away as if I was electrocuted. My whole face went cheery red. I heard a wolf whistle from the group. I sounded like Donny. I took back what I said about him not being so bad. I still hate him.

I went back to eating my stew and refused to look at anyone much to their amusement. Due to my lack of interactions, I did not notice Wicki stealing glances of me while Hirschberg glared at him. I was too busy hiding my blush and trying to stomach the worse than usual stew. I vowed that I would volunteer to do the cooking.

That night, my dreams were very confusing. I dreamt of my schooldays. When I would steal glances of Dieter as he would read, ignoring the world. How I would draw his name on my school paper, and then erase it quickly in fear that someone might see and tell him. I used to dream about being his wife. Welcoming him home after a long day at work with a kiss on the cheek, loving him completely. Loving him the way momma should have loved papa. But when I dreamt of my fantasy home, I expected to see Dieter. However, I saw another man. I woke up before I could place the man's face. But I had a feeling that I already knew him without having to see the him.

-o-

Over the next four months, I have traveled with the Basterds. Life with them became home for me. They had slowly opened up me and I have learned quite a bit about each of them. I was so proud of myself that I was able to understand most of what they said. Thanks to the constant immersion and my tutors; Donny and Wicki. Wicki taught me conversational words and grammar, while Donny taught me every curse and dirty word under the sun.

Aldo told me about his family back in Tennessee. How he had to little girls, June and Maddison. I asked him about the scar on his neck and he asked me why I had nightmares every night. We left it at that. When Donny finally warmed up to me, he went from only glaring at me to talking my ear off. He told me all about his life back home. He talked about his girl, Angelic. He talked about after this war was over and if he was still alive, he was gonna go right up to her and demand that the world's most beautiful woman marry the world's most handsome man. Donny sure was something else.

I even had two new dresses and some new underwear. Some of the Basterds went into town to get some needed supplies. Donny, Hugo, and Wicki were the ones to go dressed as soldiers. I hated seeing them in the awful uniforms but it had to be done. They wanted me to go, but I told them the minute I stepped into town all hell would break loose. They had returned with supplies and gifts for me. Wicki got me a blue dress and Hugo got me a floral dress, which made me giggle to no end. I pictured them shopping for dresses and Hugo holding up the God awful ugly floral dress saying this was the one he liked. I only wore it because it made him smile. It was entirely too ugly for words. Donny was the one that got me new underwear, much to my embarrassment and his delight.

I now knelt by a nearby river with bundle of clothes. I decided to play mother to the boys and wash their clothes. They smelt awful and had about an inch of grim that layered the clothes. I was scrubbing one of the jackets against a rock when a twig snapped behind me. I knew it wasn't one of my boys. They would have announced themselves. I tried to scream for help but my mouth was covered before a single sound could escape.

"Well what do we have here?" asked my attacker in German. I knew it was a Nazi patrol soldier. Now I wished I had accepted Wicki's offer to come with me. I wondered if the man would kill me or rape me. The man cupped my breast and now I wondered if I would be raped and killed. I bit his hand and he howled in pain. He spun me around and slapped me. I fell to the ground, my head spinning. I could taste blood in my mouth.

"You little bitch! I will make you sorry for that. But first…" he said unbuckling his belt.

"What is going on here?" said a new voice behind me. My attacker quickly stood straight and saluted the new presence. The man must have been someone of importance to cause such a reaction from the soldier. At first, I thought it was Landa, but I will never forget his dangerous sugary sweet voice. I turned around to look at the man. Dieter! Mein Gott… He looked down at me with a curious expression. Did I say my thoughts aloud?

"How do you know my name?" he asked, humor lacing his voice. Fuck a duck, I did.

"Ughhh…" I said. Real smart, Lena! Can you make it any more obvious that you are about to tell a lie. Might as well tell him the truth. "We went to school together, when I still lived in Berlin," I said honestly.

"What is your name?"

"Mina Hofmann," I lied smoothly.

"I don't remember Mina Hofmann," he said in a voice that implied that he knew something I didn't. It scared me. He crouched where he was eye level with me and smiled. "Pity for you that I never forget a face or name. Hello again, Lena Zimmerman. You are probably thank full that I saved you from rape and that we know each other," No. I wish for nothing more than to have never come across either of you, I answered in my head. "But don't start thanking me. I am afraid that you are not getting out of this. Even if I liked you in school. But my duties come first and we have been looking for you for quite a while. I am sure you know the man that gave me the orders to find you. You remember, Colonel Hans Landa?" My heart stopped and I screamed as loud as I could. I felt a blunt object hit the back of my head and everything went black.

-o- Back at camp (Same time this is going on) -o-

"Where is Lena?" asked Hirschberg coming into the camp. He was holding up a couple of dead rabbits. "I want to know how she wants me to skin them for dinner." It took a while to convince them to try my cooking, but when they did, they were hooked. I was on cooking duty from that moment on.

"She said somethin' about washing some clothes at the river," Aldo said. "She said that if they weren't clean our stench alone would blow our cover." Hirschberg laughed.

"She should be back by now," said Hugo as he sharpened his knife against a leather strap.

"She is probably picking flowers," joked Donny. A piercing scream cut his laugh short.

"Lena," Wicki said as he grabbed his gun and without a second thought, ran into the thicket. The other men quickly followed. When they made it the stream, there were the clothes but Lena was nowhere in sight.

A/N: I know I said that I wouldn't have this out until the 14th, but I took a break in my essay writing and produced this in a couple hours. Sometimes I amaze myself. Lol and besides I couldn't leave you without a cliffhanger. mwahahaha Till next time -Macbeth