You guys are so lucky...I almost didn't get this chapter out tonight!

This week has been ridiculously hectic, but I'm not really sure why. I think work has just been stressful (we have our big annual dinner party coming up on Monday...a party I had to completely put together but don't get to attend) so stuff's been crazy. THEN I realized this chapter had been messed up and needed to be rewritten so that took up more time. Ughhhhhh. I literally just finished writing this all right before posting it, so please excuse any spelling/grammar errors. My mind is so dead from this week that I can't even read it over again haha. OMG That makes me such a bad person as a writer...

Anyway, here it is! It's shorter, but I wouldn't describe it as filler. It's sort of laying everything all out for the next few chapters. it's setting stuff up.

Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-Six

It was an eleven hour drive from Paris to Berlin, give or take a few minutes. Meg slept most of the way, hoping that she wouldn't look too disheveled when they arrived. Already it felt like all of Lynette's hard work had gone down the drain. So much for that nice bath she took.

She was quick to realize that the reason for the odd hour was so they could slip into Germany unnoticed by anyone. However, by slip, she really meant casually drive right across the border in the dark of night. It distressed Meg a little to realize that the German's had found a very lax place to sneak through, so she made sure to note the location to put in her first letter. They didn't need more German's getting wise and slipping over to attack the Allied forces in France.

Meg was under strict orders to write to Marco weekly, filling the letter with anything important. She hoped the Germans wouldn't question it, especially once she told them she was only writing to her father to inform him of how wonderful Berlin was. Adam would take on his usual role of brother, allowing her to write to him almost as much. If the letters caused too much suspicion with the Germans, Meg was ordered to pass the letters along to her IIA contact to send.

The IIA contact was a mystery to Meg. She knew an agent was stationed within Hitler's staff somehow, but no one was able to give her more information before she left. Now it was too dangerous to send documentation so Meg would just have to hope she could figure it out. Every member of the IIA had been taught a certain phrase to use to identify each other, but Meg hoped the agent would know the role she was playing and approach her first.

It might be slightly awkward for her to go asking every member of Hitler's staff what they thought of the weather in London. Besides, most of them would probably speak German, the one language she was supposed to not know.

"We are here miss," the driver said suddenly, causing Meg to look up with a small gasp. She had zoned out and hadn't even realized how long they had been driving. Were they really already in Berlin? It seemed like minutes ago they had just been crossing the border.

The driver seemed to pick up on her startled face. He chuckled as he pulled the car to a stop.

"You fell asleep for about an hour," he told her and she frowned. She had? Ignoring her own question, she allowed the driver to get out and help her out of the car, remembering to act excited. All she needed now was for someone to come out and shout "action!" and she would feel like she was in a movie.

The building they were parked in front of was very large. In fact, to Meg it resembled a large castle made of stone. On the drive over, the driver had told her they were going to Hitler's bunker. This did not look like a bunker to her, and she wondered what exactly Hitler thought this would protect him from.

"Vivian," a voice said and she turned to see the General walking toward her. She felt her skin crawl and quickly plastered a look of excitement on her face. She seriously needed to keep it together and play her part. She had never been in a situation as deep as this before, she couldn't afford even the smallest slip up.

"General!" she cried, practically leaping away from the car and rushing to him. "How wonderful is this!?"

The General chuckled, brushing her away as she tried to hug him. She plastered a frown on her face and tried to look put out and being denied. Inside she was pleased. She wouldn't mind waiting as long as possible before touching him.

"Remember, I am a general, we must keep propriety," he said and she nodded, acting embarrassed at his statement.

"I'm sorry, I'm just so happy to be here," she said, turning to look all around. "It is a breath of fresh air from Paris, that's for sure."

"Well come in, come in. We can get you settled up in our chambers and then it will almost be time for luncheon."

"Is that when I will meet Hitler?" Meg asked, her voice showing genuine excitement. Even though she despised Hitler with every piece of her body, it was still a big deal to meet Hitler. She didn't think anyone could deny that.

"No, the Fuhrer is not here yet. He will be arriving within the next month or so," the General said as they walked up the stairs.

"Oh," Meg tried not to let her disappointment show but she knew it was written all over her face. Everyone had been under the impression that Hitler was already here; that she would be spying on him from the minute of her arrival. Now it seemed as if she would have to wait a while.

"Don't look so upset my love," the general said and Meg resisted the urge to shudder. "This will give us plenty of time to get you trained on how to behave in the presence of the Fuhrer. We don't want you slipping up, do we?" His tone was patronizing, but Meg just put a fake smile on her face and shook her head. "Good," the General said before leading her up the stairs to their chamber.

As they approached the door, a wave of dread washed over her. How soon was luncheon? Would he be planning to spend alone time with her? She had hoped to have some time in his presence to become more comfortable, but it had been so long since their last meeting she was sure he had missed her company.

Sure enough, as soon as they were in the doorway, his hands were on her. Meg gasped in surprise, being caught off guard despite expecting it. Dropping her things on the floor, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer.

Just like almost a year ago, Meg let her mind wander; let herself think it was Lew in the General's place. The only difference was that this time she had actually experienced being with Lew. Now that she knew what her favorite Captain was like, it made it harder to imagine the General as him. Still, she squeezed her eyes as tight as they would go and used all of her willpower to think of Lew instead.

"Vivian!" the General's voice shouted, immediately followed by a sharp slap on her cheek. That certainly brought her back to reality. "I said go get on the bed."

Choosing not to respond to his harsh order, Meg turned and walked over to the large bed, slipping out of her shoes as she went.

"Take off your clothes," the General demanded as he quickly took of his own.

No foreplay tonight, Meg thought wickedly to herself as she unbuttoned her dress and dropped it to the floor. Glancing up, she blushed when she realized the General was naked. No matter how many times she witnessed this sight, she would never grow used to it.

As he walked quickly toward her, obviously eager to get things started, Meg held back a sigh and tried to clear her mind.

Think of Lew. Think of Lew.

For the next two weeks, Meg spent her spare time wandering the halls of Hitler's bunker, becoming familiar with her surroundings.

Her evenings were spent in the bed of the General, but he was busy during the days, giving her plenty of time on her own. While the General and his fellow officers commanded Hitler's armies, Meg took in the bunker's secrets, planning to use them against the men who invited her in.

She had hoped to find her IIA contact soon after her arrival in Berlin, but it was now two weeks in and she had yet to even suspect someone.

Three days after her arrival, Meg had approached someone she thought was acting suspicious, a driver for one of the other generals. She had approached him cautiously, not wanting to draw attention to the conversation.

"Excuse me, but what do you think of the spring weather in London?" she asked in French, trying to make it less obvious that she was talking to him. To a passerby, it might look as if she was admiring the sleek black car he was washing.

"Uh…sorry?" he responded in German, stopping mid-rinse to gap at her. "I do not speak French."

Shit, Meg thought, wondering how to diffuse the situation.

"Sorry?" she replied, keeping her French accent perfect. "I do not speak German."

"Vivian!" the General's voice echoed sharply across the open yard. Both Meg and the driver jumped at the harshness, each wincing. At that moment, Meg realized that the General didn't treat only her as roughly as he did. It was evident that she took his anger out on anyone and everyone below him.

"Yes sir?" Meg asked, turning and putting on a face of innocence.

"Why are you talking to that boy?" the General asked as he approached them. "Get back to work!" he shouted and the driver didn't need to be told twice. Jumping in the freshly-washed car, he was quick to put his foot to the gas, disappearing around the corner in the direction of the garages.

Alone with the General, Meg looked up at him and realized he was waiting for her to answer his question.

"I saw him washing the car and just wanted to come see it," she said, lying perfectly through her teeth. "It's a beautiful car and I just wanted to touch the shiny blackness of it."

Shiny blackness? She asked herself, trying not to roll her eyes at her poor use of words. Still, the General seemed to buy her excuse, simply reaching out and grabbing her arm tightly.

"You shouldn't be outside when it is this cold out. Besides, the driver is below you. You don't talk to those kinds of people here."

Meg wanted to shout to him that most people considered whores lower than servants but she held her tongue. She couldn't go getting the General mad at her after such a short amount of time here.

Christmas came and went, but Meg barely noticed. Other than a fancy feast in the dining room that night, the Nazi Generals didn't celebrate the holiday at all. To them, the day was an extra day to spend strategizing their next military move.

Meg spent the day keeping to her room. She watched the snow out the window and thought back to the year before.

"Merry Christmas," Lew said, holding the small box out to her. Meg didn't know what to do, so she just stood there. "Are you going to come see what it is? I swear it won't hurt you."

"But I didn't get you anything," Meg said softly, realizing she should have known they were going to be exchanging gifts. She should have gotten him something. Instead of commenting on her statement, Lew simply walked over and handed the small box to her.

"Don't worry about it. I saw this and immediately thought of you, so I figured I'd get it."

Meg unwrapped the box as he talked, silently wondering what it could be. As she held up the beautiful silver necklace with the delicate dartboard charm, Lew smiled at her.

"Because the first night we knew who you were, you played darts with the boys and I couldn't take my eyes off you."

"Vivian!" the General's voice called from outside the door. "It's time for dinner."

Snapping herself from her daydream, Meg scurried from where she was seated and began getting ready. Her hair was a mess and she knew the General would want her to wear something nicer.

She hated meals with the other Germans. Even though she was there as the General's guest, they all knew what she was, and they treated her like that. If it got too out of hand, the General would step in and tell them to leave her alone, but for the most part he let the jokes and teasing go on. It was in these moments that Meg felt horrible about the girls at Lynette's. Was this how they were treated on a regular basis?

Still, she knew she had to put up with it. It was her job, and she had dealt with worse before.

Dear Adam,

I'm sure by now you've heard (either from Marco or from Lew) that I've been sent to Berlin. This is what you meant when you said Marco had big plans for me! Before you ask, don't worry about me writing to you. I explained to the General a few days ago that with the Allies all over Europe, father gave me a code to write to the two of you so the letters wouldn't be intercepted. I have played my part perfectly these last couple years and they all think I'm an uneducated, simple French whore so no one suspects me of writing anything that would cause the German's harm. I don't know whether to feel relieved, or disappointed that the German's are so careless.

Please tell Lew that I miss him terribly. I know you don't completely approve, and will probably get annoyed at me for risking everything to let him know, but please tell him that for me. He sent me a lovely letter right before I left and I only wish I could send him a letter in return without risking questions. Just let him know that I appreciated his letter and I look forward to the day when we can be together again. I only hope that that day actually comes. Please don't tell him that last part, I don't want to worry him, or make him mad at me…again.

For now I'll keep this letter short. I promise to write to you as often as possible; at least once a week. No one really knows how long I'll be here so I don't know what to expect to keep my days busy.

I love and miss you,

Meg.

It was the second week of January when a buzz filled the entire bunker. Hitler was coming. He was planning to arrive within the next week and everything had to be spotless.

The servants worked on overdrive, cleaning every room at least three times to ensure its cleanliness. The General and the other Germans were angered by this, but Meg actually enjoyed it. Even if she wasn't allowed to talk to the servants, it was nice having them around.

"Excuse me sir?" a voice called one morning while Meg and the General were enjoying breakfast in the small study that led to a patio.

"What is it?" the General asked roughly, causing Meg to wince. She had been lucky so far and the General hadn't hurt her too much. She knew it was because they were around his people, but she was still wary of anything that angered him.

"I've been ordered to clean this room," the maid said softly. Her soft blonde hair and striking blue eyes caused Meg to roll her eyes. Hitler's perfect specimen.

"Well alright," the General said as he strode from the room. "Come Vivian!"

Jumping up at hearing her name, Meg scrambled to set her napkin on the table before turning and heading to the door. As she passed the maid, the girl stepped sideways and Meg brushed shoulders with her.

"The spring weather in London is too brisk for my liking," the maid said in a jumbled French whisper. Meg's eyes widened and her eyebrows rose.

"VIVIAN!" the General shouted again.

"Go," the maid whispered, shoving Meg to the door. And before Meg could say anything to her new IIA contact, she was in the hallway being dragged away by the General.

"What have I told you about speaking to the servants?" he chided as they walked, but Meg ignored him. She knew she'd pay for it later, but she was too excited to obey.

After all her searching and worrying, she had found her contact.

So what do you all think of Meg's mission so far? Yay? Nay? I know not much happened, but like I said, it's setting it all up

LovingBOBThePacific - I'm glad you loved the chapter! Thanks for the review! As for your oldest bro's childhood friend, that IS cute! It's fun when you run into people you haven't seen in a long time!

IceColdInAlex - Ah yay! Such a nice compliment! I hate sickly-sweet stuff, but I also hate non-sweet stuff too. It's so hard to find the middle ground when you're writing (at least it is for me) so I'm so glad that you think I do it well! As for Lew and Meg's separation, I know, annoying. But they both need to go off and do their own thing, and they can't do that if the other is nearby. They'll still think of each other (obviously) but it might be awhile before they see each other again. Thanks for your review!

G. - Oh heyyyy. Geez that WAS 3 or 4 years ago. Time has seriously flown...wow. I think you, more than anyone, know that all Meg's internal babble/freak-outage is something I would most likely do. In fact, I'm pretty sure I've acted like her on many occasions...and then you have had to hand me tissues while I cry hahaha. (Weren't you so lucky?) And I'm pretty sure I remember a couple times when I was the one handing over the tissues haha. Anywho...I wonder how you and I would legit act if one or the other of us had a Lew in our lives... Could you imagine that situation? hahaha. Sanks for the review!