Hi everyone!

Now I know you probably want to kill me because it has been FOREVER since I have updated. I give you permission to do so because I am so sorry and I would be mad at me to. But yeah I am sorry, school just got crazy and life just got crazy. The length of time between updates will probably be long now because of everything that is going on in my life. Once summer comes again I should be able to update frequently once again. I am sorry please don't hate me lol, I am going to try my best!

Please let me know what you think of this chapter. I struggled with this one a bit. I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 7 – The Turning Point

Klaus continued to run until he could no longer run anymore. He slowed his pace as his chest heaved heavily while beads of sweat rolled down his face and into his burning eyes. The dirty blonde continued to gasp for air as he stopped his pursuit in order to wipe the excessive perspiration from his face. Klaus had been running from the moment he jumped off of the moving train. While he was thankful at the time for the wild bush that surrounded him, Klaus felt like he was eventually going to get caught as nothing but tall grass could be seen for miles. In order to make it out alive, he knew he needed to find shelter and protection; he needed a place where he could hide from the German soldiers currently occupying the land. While the soaring weeds hid him in the moment, it would not hide him forever.

Then there was the momentary collision he had with the mysterious blonde woman. When they first collided, Klaus thought the worst. His mind immediately thought the German soldiers had finally tracked him and tackled him to the ground. For a moment he saw his life flash in front of his eyes as he thought he was going to be shot right then and there. That was until he looked up to see a curtain of golden hair surrounding his face. A pair of blue eyes pierced right through him, just inches away from his face. Completely mesmerized, Klaus remembered being helplessly paralyzed for the moment as the woman's eyes became the only thing in the world he could see. He felt safe and at peace for the moment. But with all fleeting moments, it was shortly lived as the blonde quickly pushed herself up and off of him.

As he stood up, Klaus expected the woman to scream and draw attention to their location, but as Klaus analyzed the features on her face, her expression suggested otherwise. Instead it seemed as though she was filled with curiosity and wonder. If Klaus looked hard enough, he would've been able to see the internal struggle that the woman was having within herself.

The British soldier found her reaction, or lack thereof, to be extremely unusual. In Klaus' mind, if a woman ran into an unknown man in the middle of nowhere during the time of war, the logical thing to do would be to panic and attempt to get away from the man as quick as possible. But instead, the mystery woman who was standing in front of him did not do any of that; she did not look scared but brave. It seemed as if she was ready to fight off whatever came in her direction. Klaus could only conclude that the woman standing before him was a strong willed woman.

He had not seen a woman in months. Sure he had seen nurses from a distance and even spent time with prostitutes, but he had been drunk during those times and not really aware of his surroundings. The prostitutes were just an object at Klaus' disposal, they meant nothing to him. A means to an end. The woman standing in front of him seemed to be an angel as her tussled hair fell in waves cascading her face with soft pale skin and rosy cheeks that seemed to shine in the light. As he continued to gaze at the stranger, the darkness surrounding Klaus began to drift away.

But that was only for a moment.

As much as Klaus' curiosity wanted him to stay and speak to the woman, his brain and instincts told him otherwise. Klaus turned around and took off before the woman could mutter a word; he would not risk being caught because of some stranger that he ran into, no matter how angelic she may appear. He glanced back as he ran away, the woman was nowhere to be seen.

The moment had passed as quickly as it had started.

Catching his breath, Klaus continued to walk in the direction that he originally took off in. As he walked he wondered how far he would have to travel before the tall grass disappeared. The land was foreign to him, for all Klaus knew he could be walking right toward a town full of German soldiers or, he could be walking toward a forest where sanctuary could be found. Several moments later Klaus unknowingly stepped out into a clearing. Puzzled by the vast amount of emptiness that surrounded him, Klaus looked around and realized that he was out in the open, visible for the world to see. The soldier quickly retreated his steps back into the tall grass in order to hide himself. Once he was back into safety, Klaus poked his head out of the weeds and decided to analyze all that surrounded him.

Open fields stretched for miles; the rolling hills appearing entirely undisturbed as the beautiful meadows showcased their vibrant coloured flowers that seemed to dance in the wind. On the horizon, a line of trees could be seen that indicated some sort of forest. Excitement filled Klaus as the view in front of him gave him hope; if he could just make it to the forest, he would have a chance of outliving the war and gaining his freedom. Maybe escaping all of this. All Klaus needed to do was remain hidden. Judging by the distance, if he ran the whole way he could probably make it to the tree line in a couple of hours. However, he would have to be out in the open which would significantly increase his chance of getting caught. His best chance was to wait until night, but he only hoped to find shelter before the animals decided to come out and hunt him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Klaus noticed a small white farm house in the near distance. He turned his gaze toward the structure and analysed all that was around it. A variety of crop fields encircled the tiny house as well as a barn that Klaus assumed held animals. Maybe there is a nice fat chicken in there I can cook up tonight. Klaus let his thoughts wander mindlessly, his mouth nearly salivating with the thought of food alone. It was in that moment that his stomach made a thunderous grumbling noise. He couldn't remember the last time that he ate, it had been that long. Klaus glanced back to the little house and noticed that a gigantic apple tree loomed on the edge of the property. It was far enough away from the house that he could possibly sneak an apple or two without being noticed.

A much safer alternative to perhaps the chicken.

Klaus paused for a moment and contemplated his options. He could make his way towards the forest, but he would not reach the woodland area for hours. Not only would he become an open target for the German soldiers, but he also had the chance of falling weak due to the lack of food and rest he had experienced over the course of the past couple of days. Fatigue would surely be a factor. And even if he did make it to the forest, there would be a small chance that his next meal would be scant and unreliable. He had no weapons to catch game, and didn't know what sorts of wild fruits would be safe for him to eat. Klaus looked back to the house as he thought about his second option; he could steal food from the house before he descended into the wild, but he had no pack with him. Even then, the fact that he had no weapons or knowledge of the land around him still presented itself as a threat to Klaus. Suddenly, a new thought emerged in his head; was it safe—far from, but it offered him the most protection as well as the best chance of survival.

Klaus decided that he would find a place within or around the little white farmhouse to hide. He would observe the people residing there and get to know their routine. When the moment was right, Klaus could enter the house and take whatever he needed and then easily retreat back to his hiding place. Judging by the appearance of the house, it was relatively old. Klaus smirked wickedly at the thought. Old houses had a lot of nooks and crannies that would be perfect for hiding. Surely the residences did not use all of them, who knows, maybe they didn't even know about them all.

If there was one good thing about Klaus' childhood, it was that it taught him how to hide and not be seen. Essentially he learned how to be invisible, to be a ghost. Whenever Mikael was in a temper, Klaus would often look for the best hiding spot so he could escape his father's wrath. Eventually, Klaus explored his house well enough that he discovered all the secret passages and rooms his home had been created with. His parents did not even know about them. Klaus recalled the one time he spent a full two days hiding in a small cubby he had found in his home – he had stocked it with food and a sketch pad to keep himself entertained, and only snuck out when he had to use the washroom. Klaus' location was so well hidden and unknown that his parents eventually gave up on trying to look for him. His mother and father came to the conclusion that Klaus ran away and it seemed that they accepted the fact without any concern. Klaus was so hurt he only came out of hiding to piss them off.

Klaus glanced back to the little white farmhouse and smiled at his new sanctuary. His new plan lit a fire within Klaus and made him feel like he was back out on the battlefield. His plan was dangerous, it was demanding and it was life threatening – where would the fun be if everything just went according to plan and provided him with safety. Klaus knew that he would have to wait until he knew the residences well enough before he could sneak into the home and analyze its layout. So for now Klaus decided he would just hide around the property or find comfort within the barn.

Sticking his head out of the wild bush for the last time, Klaus surveyed his surroundings ensuring the coast was clear. With nothing to be seen for miles, Klaus stepped out into the opening and began to move toward his new life.

Being out in the open made Klaus feel uncomfortable, and even though there was no one there with him, he felt as if there were millions of eyes watching his every move. He eventually broke into the slow run so he could achieve shelter sooner.

The soldier eventually reached the edge of the property where the apple tree loomed. Not being able to help himself, Klaus began to climb the tree in order to gather as many apples as he could. Once he was hidden from sight he began to pick the delicacies in front of him. After he picked his first apple, Klaus could not wait to take a bite. As he brought the sweet fruit toward his mouth the apple fell clumsily out of his hand toward the ground. Frowning, Klaus looked down to see where the apple landed and instead of noticing the fruit, he saw a young blonde standing with her hands on her knees.

Shock overcame Klaus; it was the same blonde that he had run into mere minutes ago. Remaining as still as possible, Klaus kept his eyes trained on the angel below him to see if she was the occupier of the farm. There is no way a little woman like that could take care of a farm like this on her own. The idea made Klaus curious; he began to wonder if the mystery woman had a significant other, or if she was merely on her own. Surely all the men were conscripted and fighting in the war, even if she was with someone the heavy burden of work would have still fallen on her shoulders during this time.

Klaus continued to get lost in his thoughts as he stared at the beauty below him catching her breath. He felt pity for her. In his mind, no woman that beautiful and strong should be bound to a farm. He could picture her within all the major cities taking in culture, art and beauty. Seeing her amidst the fields in the outskirts of Poland made her seem out of place.

Klaus' thoughts were interrupted when he heard a loud banging noise come from the house. He glanced over to see a mass of curly brown hair running toward the mystery blonde. Klaus froze as he thought that the brunette may have spotted him in the tree, but his mind was eventually put at ease when he saw the brunette wrap her arms around the blonde in a hurry.

Attempting to be as quiet as possible, Klaus moved around the tree in order to get closer to the woman. After getting as close as he could he attempted to listen to the conversation that the strangers were having. However, the brunette was speaking in a soft tone that made it almost impossible for Klaus to hear. The British soldier could only pick up a few select words from the conversation, three very distinct ones beings; Germans, you, and killed.

As the brunette released the blonde from the hug, Klaus noticed that she began to shake. After hearing the words the brunette spoke and analyzing the physical response of the blonde, Klaus immediately concluded that she was in some sort of trouble with the Germans. Maybe that was why she was running frantically in the wild bush at such an early hour? Klaus questioned. Maybe the blonde was attempting to run away but gave up when she could not find a way out…

A million different scenarios ran through Klaus' mind about what sort of unfortunate situations the golden angel could have gotten herself into. If the mystery woman was in some sort of trouble with the Germans, Klaus would have to get as far away from the farm house as soon as possible. The woman could attract Germans soldiers, or they may even take occupation of the house if they so wanted to. Klaus also hoped that whatever misfortunes the woman got herself into, she would not speak of running into him out in the wild earlier that morning.

Suddenly Klaus noticed that a man began to walk out of the little white farm house. With just one look at this man, Klaus immediately identified him as a German soldier. Klaus silently cursed himself for picking the farmhouse; in the moment it seemed like his chances would have been better if he just ran to the forest. The soldier wore the German crest with pride, but there was something extremely different about this man, Klaus could not seem to put a finger on it. Klaus suddenly feared for the blonde; even though he did not personally know this woman, he did not necessarily want to be a witness to her murder.

However, what the soldier did next was the last thing in the world Klaus expected to see. He stood still, completely shocked in the tree as he witnessed the German grab the blonde woman and embrace her in a hug.

"Oh thank God Caroline, you're back. I was beginning to get worried."

Caroline, Klaus repeated the name in his head as he could finally put a name to the blonde woman that had been plaguing his mind all day. Klaus could hear the German soldier clearly as he spoke in a strong authoritative voice. How wrong his thoughts were; Caroline was not running away from the Germans, she was with them.

Klaus watched as Caroline hugged the soldier back. So much for having her significant other conscripted in the war; her significant other was the enemy, one Klaus was dedicated to destroy. The couple remained in their hug until the brunette spoke up.

"I contacted Tyler once I noticed you were missing from your bed this morning. I informed him that you have been sleepwalking the past couple of months but this was the first time you actually left the house. I was so worried Caroline."

The brunettes comment once again confused Klaus. Surely if the German was with Caroline he would know about her sleepwalking habits. Also, the brunette seemed to have already expressed concern before the German arrived, so why was she stating it again? Klaus continued to watch the scene below him in hopes to gain some answers to the questions that were taking over his mind.

"It is a good thing she contacted me. If you were found wandering, especially in the wilderness, the Germans would have shot you on site. A prisoner has escaped and we think he may have taken off in that direction. Best to keep this secret though, you are not supposed to know any of this."

Klaus paused as her heard the second half of the soldiers comment. Fuck, Klaus silently swore. The German knew and now Caroline knew. The sandy blonde silently held his breath as he awaited Caroline's response. She could give him away and then a full scale investigation of the area would be called. If that was the case, Klaus would have no chance of survival. He can't hide in a tree forever. He stared down at the blonde eagerly awaiting her response.

"Oh," was the only thing that the blonde said. Klaus let out a silent breath of relief as the angel below him did not reveal their encounter to the Germans. She really was an angel sent from above.

Klaus noticed her looking down as her feet in silence. Her actions made Klaus nervous as he began to wonder if she was second guessing her response.

"I'm sorry. I awoke behind my field. I am just so shaken because I didn't know what was going on at the time. I am fine really." The blonde stated as she let out a heavy breath of relief. Caroline looked extremely tired and exhausted from the day's events. Klaus deduced that the woman was up to something that went against German orders and if she revealed their encounter to the German, then she may as well been handing herself over.

"I should get her inside." Klaus watched as the brunette wrap her arm around Caroline. "Thank you for all of your help Tyler, really, you are the only one Caroline and I can count on in this war."

Caroline once again looked down at her feet after the brunette spoke her words. Klaus analyzed her as she absentmindedly kicked the little pebbles and stones between her feet.

"Good day Miss." The German nodded as he tilted his hat toward the brunette. Caroline looked up from her feet as the soldier stepped into her line of sight. "You be careful okay. I really don't think I could handle myself if anything happened to you."

Klaus noticed that a smile found its way to Caroline angelic face as she looked toward the soldier and responded to him with "I will." The smile was a genuine smile, there was nothing forceful about it. This made Klaus wonder if all of her smiles replicated what he saw moments ago, or did this young woman genuinely feel something for this soldier.

Both of the women turned away from the man and disappeared into the comfort of their home.

The German soldier remained still for a few moments after the women announced their exit. A smile was on the Germans face as he continued to look toward the secluded farm house. Klaus knew all too well what was going through the Germans head. The smile that was idiotically plastered on the soldiers face was one of lust and want. Without realizing it, Klaus' blood started to boil; he did not like the look that was in the man's eyes. Caroline was more than just a woman for men to take advantage of. She was someone who deserved to be courted and taken care of. Klaus hoped for her sake that the soldier would drop his obsession with her sooner rather than later and move on to some other woman to take advantage of.

After a couple more minutes of stillness, the German soldier turned away and made his way back to town.

Once the German was out of sight Klaus began to relax a little in the tree as the event he just witnessed replayed in his mind. It was obvious that Caroline meant something to this German soldier; the man barely paid any attention to the brunette that was before him. The only question that remained was whether the German meant anything to this Caroline. At this point in time, Klaus could not tell. While it did seem like the blonde felt an inkling of something for the soldier, Klaus knew that it was far from love. Who knows, maybe the two of them were just really good friends, or possible a brother figure to Caroline. As he continued to contemplate what he just saw, a grin spread across Klaus' face. If he was going to hide here for the time being, at least he was not going to be bored. It was like having his own personal soap opera; clearly the two ladies residing in the house were anything but ordinary. They were both out in the early hours of the morning doing something they were not supposed to be doing and made up lies to cover their tracks.

Klaus quickly climbed down the tree and silently made his way to the barn. The runaway soldier thought about all of the possible events and scenarios that could occur within the next few days. A mischievous smile crept upon his face as he even contemplated the thought of manipulation situations. Even though it could increase his risk of getting caught, the temptation was too strong.

This also gave Klaus the perfect opportunity to get back at the Germans soldiers. They had completely ruined his life ever since they declared war. The ruthless Germans took Henrik away from him, tore apart his family and took away the only man who Klaus considered to be a brother. Even if Klaus just made one German suffer, he could consider it justice for everything that they have done. If they can rip away the important people in Klaus' life, nothing was going to stop him from doing the same onto them. Klaus would take everything that they loved and rip it to pieces in front of their eyes.

And he would do it to Tyler, regardless of who he had to hurt along the way. Klaus' vision eventually turned red as the thought of revenge completely took over his body. He would analyze the soldier's weaknesses so that when the time came, Klaus could easily exploit them and make him feel the unbearable pain that has plagued Klaus in the past couple of months. For the blonde's sake, Klaus hoped it was not her that the German truly loved but if it was Klaus had no problem destroying her in order to get to him. Klaus would get his revenge and he would do whatever it took to make them feel like he did.

When Klaus entered the barn, thoughts were still running rapid through his head. The revenge and hatred eventually began to subside as he noticed a beautiful black horse out of the corner of his eye. The animal seemed to be hiding in the corner of the barn on its own away from all chaos that the other animals seemed to bring. The British soldier noticed that this was the only horse inside the barn; there were at least two types of every animal in the barn. Klaus made his way over to the horse and gently started to pet it; he knew how the horse felt, like he did not belong with the others inside of the barn. The animal neighed in appreciation as he laid his head gently into Klaus' hand. They were two lost souls locked in confinement and in a place where no one took the time to understand them. His picked up some hay in order to feed the majestic creature. As Klaus continued to stare off into space his mind wandered back to listing every single scenario that occur during his time here, except for one, one that would drastically change his life forever.

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