Switzerland April 1968

Hochstetter and Angie walked back into the living room, sitting down on the couch as she gathered her thoughts. How best would it be to explain why Hogan agreed to keep her secret? She could still see the entire story in her mind's eye.

The war had been over for five years, but at times it felt like it had just ended. Parts of London were still torn up from the bombings, and some wondered if it would ever fully recover. Angie decided to walk to work that day, taking a detour to see how the new construction was coming in her old neighborhood. The home she'd grown up in had been completely destroyed by the blitzkrieg in March 1941, her parents and brothers never made it out of the house. Since London had been taking such severe strikes her family usually made their way down to the bomb shelters at the first sirens warning the bombers were on their way. But that night was her youngest brother's eleventh birthday and her parents had gotten him a puppy. From what Angie had been able to piece together, the puppy had become scared at the loud sound of the alarms and hid; and her brother wouldn't leave without him. She knew her father must have thought they had time, but they never had a chance because some of the first bombs to fall that night hit her street. She'd been on assignment and didn't find out about their deaths until nearly a week later.

She saw that most of the street had been cleared and homes were being erected, for new families to live. Continuing on her detour, she walked the three streets over to where Nimrod had grown up. His family's flat had somehow survived the war and his mother still lived there alone now. In her youth, Angie never liked the woman; now she just felt pity for her. Perhaps she'd ask her lifetime friend how his mother was doing, if he even knew. She turned and briskly walked downtown to MI-5, leaving the past on those streets. There was enough trouble in the present without digging up things best left buried.

Although the war crime trials had officially ended last year, her unit was still looking for people who had slipped through the cracks. Fortunately, her Wolfgang was so far down on the list that his name wasn't even on the watch list sent out to MI-6 and other countries. She walked a fine line, and only a small handful of people knew her children were fathered by the Gestapo Major. The rumor mill had worked overtime when she returned from Germany pregnant, but with Nimrod as her biggest ally and co-conspirator those rumors were squelched quickly. Then the whispered rumors started that she and Nimrod were secretly married, Angie always smiled and held her head high, never disclosing any information when asked about Nimrod.

Arriving at her headquarters, she was pleasantly surprised to see a dear friend waiting for her in the lobby. "Rob, what brings you to my office?" She asked receiving a hug from him. "How is the family?"

"Everyone is doing well, Louise sends her love. Robbie and Kat are growing like weeds," he answered like the proud father he was. Lowering his voice he continued, "Angie, we need to talk privately and confidentially. I don't know if you even want to have this conversation in the building." The dark look in his eyes made her hesitate for a moment. Then nodding her head she led him to a nearby park where they could speak freely. "I just got back from an assignment that led me to a small town in Switzerland, where the person I was looking for was hiding. He's now in custody, but I came across some information I needed to show you." He pulled out a picture and handed it to her.

She took the picture and all the fears she'd held inside since returning to London came rushing to the foreground. He looked well, but if Hogan knew his whereabouts, was Wolfgang in danger or even in custody?

"You knew he was alive and there?" Hogan deduced from the look on her face.

"I didn't know for sure, but I suspected. Where is he now?" Her face showed no hint of the anxiety hidden inside.

"He's still there for now. Had I the opportunity, I would've already dragged him back here to stand trial. Angie, this puts me in a bad spot. How much do you know and who knows about it? Why haven't you put him on the list, if you knew where he was?" Hogan threw out angrily. Hochstetter made his life a living hell for three years and he intended on making him pay for his war crimes.

"I didn't know for sure, and no one else knows about my suspicions." Sparks flew from her eyes directed at Hogan, and then they softened as she lowered her voice. "I couldn't put the father of my children in prison. You know as well as I do that he'd never survive from the conditions in there. Prisoners die all the time from violence and sickness. I..I..couldn't do that to him or my children."

Hogan glared hard at her. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I hope you don't expect me to keep his location a secret. I have no trouble putting Hochstetter into or under the prison," Hogan saw no emotion in her face but didn't miss the small catch in her breath at his declaration. "My only concern is how to keep you out of trouble when I bring him in."

She took a deep breath before speaking the words she'd carefully chosen years ago, knowing that this day would happen eventually. "Rob, I won't tell you what to do. Nor will I try to influence your decision one way or the other. You're going to have to decide on your own what you can live with."

"I know damn well what I'm going to do. I only hope you can live with it and don't lose your freedom over it. Damn it, Angie, what did you think would happen?" Hogan started pacing around the bench they sat at, his mind milling over every conceivable outcome.

"Rob," she started and stopped, "I…I don't know what I thought would happen. You do what you have to do, I'll survive. I always have." She looked at the photo one more time and handed it back to Hogan. Taking it he shook his head in dismay and walked away needing time to think.

Later that evening, Hogan went to Angie's house arriving at bedtime for the children. Wolfie talked him into reading a story and as he watched the young boy fall asleep, Hogan thought, how much he looked like his father. Over the years he'd forgotten how similar the two were until he saw Hochstetter last week. This sweet little boy was nothing like his father, and Hogan promised to make sure the two never met as he gave the five year old a kiss on the top of his head. After checking in on his twin sister sleeping across the hallway, he went downstairs to deliver his news to their mother.

Angie was finishing up the dinner dishes as he came into the kitchen. Walking over to pour himself a cup of coffee, he asked, "What evidence do you have showing that Hochstetter is in Switzerland?" He refilled her cup as she dried her hands and joined him at the breakfast table.

"No real evidence, only the names on some passports he picked up from Gestapo Headquarters in Berlin's Section Eight about three months before the war was over. One was for Switzerland and the name on it made me think he was planning on trying to escape there when the time came," she replied looking down at her coffee.

Hogan took a deep breath, he had no choice but to turn the Major in and let the chips fall where they might. "What name did he use? And where is the list?"

Angie stood up and walked over to her pantry moving back some boxes and then removing the back panel. Inside was a wall safe where she kept the only evidence of her lover's escape route. Turning the knob first to the left, then to the right, then to the left again entering the secret combination she moved the lower handle into the right place, and then reached down the side of the box to deactivate a motion lever that would destroy the contents of the safe if not correctly opened. Once that was done, she removed the paper and handed it to Hogan.

He took and unfolded the document reading down the list of names and knew instantly which one Hochstetter used, Wolfgang Berger. "Has anyone else seen this? Is there anything else anywhere?" Angie shook her head no. Hogan walked over to the stove and turned on the burner and held the paper to the flame until it caught fire. Then he let the burning evidence fall into the sink adding the photo and negative he'd taken. As he turned around, he saw a single tear trickling down her face.

"I couldn't turn him in," Angie started then took a few breaths to even out her voice. "I hate what he did to you, and I did everything I could to protect you. But…he's the father of my children." Hogan put a comforting arm around her shoulders letting her talk. Unbeknownst to either, Wolfie had come downstairs and was listening to their conversation. "Part of it was that he's always going to hold a tender spot in my heart, but mostly I couldn't let Lisal and Wolfie be stigmatized by what he had done. I have to protect my children. Can you understand?"

"Yes, I can. You did a lot to protect us, and you're protecting your babies as any mother would do. But can you understand why I have to turn him in? A lot of people were hurt and they deserve some justice. If it was just me, well, we'd settle our differences man to man. But it's not and I have a responsibility too," Hogan hoped she could accept his explanation. He never understood why she had feelings for the man.

Outside the kitchen sitting on the bottom of the stairs, little Wolfie heard every word. He'd always known in his heart that his father was alive. Although he didn't understand what was happening between the adults, just knowing his father hadn't died in the war was enough for now. Sometimes late at night he could hear his mum crying into her pillow. He would stand at her door until the sobs stopped. He wondered why his dad made his mom cry and never came around. That was something he'd have to think about later. Standing up and squaring his shoulders, he had a mission. For some reason, Uncle Rob was making his mum sad, and as the man of the house, he had to take care of her.

"Mummy?" Wolfie said in a small voice making his presence known and walked over to her. He reached up for a hug and she took him into her arms. "Mummy, you're face is wet. Why are you so sad?"

"It's nothing darling. You're supposed to be asleep," she said rubbing his back with soothing circles.

"I had a bad dream and wanted Uncle Rob," Wolfie replied then pulling back and looking at his mother. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"Yes, baby, something like that. Let's get you back upstairs and to bed," Angie said starting to stand up with her son.

"No, I want a drink of water and I want Uncle Rob to make sure there's no monsters under my bed," Wolfie said with a serious voice.

"Come on kiddo, we'll go slay those monsters together," Hogan said with a smile, grabbing a small glass of water, and then carrying Wolfie upstairs. When they got to the bedroom Hogan sat the water on the nightstand, and then both he and Wolfie got down on their knees looking under the bed. "I don't see any monsters, do you?"

"No. Can we make sure there's none in there?" He asked pointing to the closet as they both stood up.

"Of course we can!" Walking over to the closet and before he opened the door Hogan said. "Any big bad monsters that are hiding in the closet better leave or I'll huff and puff and chase you out of the house." Then winking at Wolfie he took an exaggerated breath blowing it out as he opened the closet door. "See, no scary monsters in here either." He walked over to the boy who was now giggling and tickled him as he put him back to bed. "It's time for you to go to sleep." Hogan tousled his thick black hair a bit.

"Uncle Rob," Wolfie looked up at him with serious eyes laying a hand on Hogan's arm.

"What is it kiddo?" He asked concerned sitting on the bed next to him.

"Please don't do anything to make mummy cry." The request shook Hogan as he looked into the young eyes. "She cries enough. I don't like it when she's so sad."

"Don't worry about your mum; she's going to be okay. I promise," he said tucking Wolfie in and giving him another kiss goodnight. Closing the door on his way out, Hogan stepped across the hall to check again on Lisal, who was holding tightly to her doll. As he pulled the blanket up to cover her, their innocence struck him once more and as one of their godfathers, he couldn't do anything to cause them harm either. Dragging Hochstetter in for a trial would not only stigmatize the children, he could find out he had kids, and Hogan wouldn't let that man anywhere near them. He too had a responsibility to protect little Lisal and Wolfgang from imaginary and real troubles. Sighing, he went to rejoin Angie downstairs.

"As long as Hochstetter stays where he is and doesn't cause any trouble, I won't turn him in," he said with a resigned look on his face. Although he wasn't sure it was the right decision, he felt it was the only one he could make.

"Robert, I'd never tell you to go against your beliefs. I don't understand," Angie shook her head in confusion and relief.

"Just a promise I made," Hogan said giving her a smile. After talking for a few more minutes, he left going home to his own family. He felt the strongest urge to hold his own two babies tonight and make sure they were safely tucked into bed. Arriving at home some thirty minutes later, he took Louise into his arms and kissed her while holding her tight.

"What's wrong?" She asked worriedly. Although she loved the attention, something in his demeanor wasn't right.

"Nothing's wrong, just a tough job this time. I missed you and the kids more than I can say," then he captured her lips for a slow passionate kiss. He'd not been home in a week and a half, and all he wanted right now was to be in his wife's arms and to know the safety of his family.

"I think that says it all," Louise's eyes sparkled back at him after she regained her breath from the kiss. "Are you really all right, mon amour?"

"I'm fine, let's go to bed," he mumbled as he kissed her down her neck and she replied with a pleasant moan. On the way to their room, he stopped for one of his favorite rituals on nights he was home, to check on the kids on his way to bed with his wife by his side. He marveled at the two little lives that they'd brought into the world. Walking into each of their rooms, he made sure they were securely tucked in and kissed them goodnight. Kat reached up and gave her daddy a sleepy hug then drifted back into peaceful slumber. Comforted by seeing his children, he knew that the hardest part of his job was being away from them as he hunted down real monsters. The sound of his wife's seductive voice pushed monsters like Hochstetter out of his mind. He had better things to think about at the moment.

Hochstetter listened as Angie explained how and why Hogan committed treason by hiding his whereabouts to protect his children. Being indebted to Papa Bear was not something he could accept.