by Kitty Parker
Klara blushed, giving Grandmere a quick nod, then made her way downstairs. Jack looked handsome in his dress uniform, waiting for her patiently in the living room. He jumped from his chair when he heard the clack of her high heels, she teetered, not exactly comfortable in the shoes that were more like death traps.
"You look...great." Jack sighed, a small laugh lingering on the final word.
"Thanks...I think..."
"Sorry, I did mean it to be a compliment. It's just, before you came down, I was kind of remembering our water fight. And in that memory, you were soaking wet, so when I saw you come down the stairs, with you hair up and your make-up done, I got a little stupid. I'm sorry."
"You're forgiven." she smirked. "But don't let it happen again."
"Never. You really do look beautiful, green is a great color on you, and I don't think you wore that much makeup on our wedding day."
"Well, you can't exactly wear green eye shadow with a white dress."
"Good to know. If my next bride tries it, I'll know she made a fashion faux pa." he laughed.
Klara suddenly felt anxious and strange. Somehow, him talking about his future wife triggered something inside her. It wasn't as if they'd never talked about hopes for the future before, besides children. They'd talked about dreams and goals, all of which included a spouse they loved. Jack lead her to the car waiting outside, the army had sent it for them, since they lived so far away and it was a special occasion.
"You realize we'll be pretending two things tonight." Jack said heavily, starting the car. "That we're happily married and loyal to the Nazi party."
"At least we won't have to pretend we're happy."
"That's true." he smiled, his gaze turning from the road to her for a brief second.
"Do many of them speak English?"
"A good number will. We'll have to make sure we only let you dance with those who do."
"Dance? With German officers?"
"Or course, they are always cutting in, and we can't refuse them every time."
"Are you sure?"
"You'll be fine, and I promise I'll keep my eyes on you the whole time."
Klara nervously twisted her fingers the rest of the ride, her mind making a list of how she needed to act at the ball. She was glad that Jack would be there, surely he wouldn't let anything happen to her. All too soon they arrived at the fancy hotel, crawling with German soldiers. The mere proximity of them made her heart palpitate. Jack took her inside fastening her arm to his own. The ball room already smelled of booze, and the evening had only just begun. Jack guided her to their table where five men and a woman sat. Jack introduced them all except the lady who was later introduced by her husband as Mrs. Susan Gruber.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Eiffel." she smiled, as Klara sat in the chair beside her. "I'm so glad someone else brought a date."
"Please, it's Klara. Most officers come alone?" she asked.
"And I'm Susie. Yes, most officers come to meet eligible German women, for the cause, you know..."
"Of course! I'm terribly sorry for my ignorance. Jack and I are newly married, I've never been to a ball. I don't exactly meet the standards." she smiled, pointing to her brown hair.
"Don't tell my husband I said this, but, it's their loss. I've always wished I was brunette." she whispered. "Colors just match your hair better."
"I don't know about that...but thanks."
Klara split her conversation between Jack and Susie as they ate dinner. The food was spectacular, the finest cut of roast beef with seasoned boiled potatoes and fresh asparagus. The champagne and wine seemed to be overflowing, for whenever anyone emptied a glass, it was filled moments later. As plates began to empty, Klara's stomach began to tighten, knowing very well that dancing would follow. Sure enough, the band struck it's first chord and couples spun onto the floor.
"May I have this dance?" Jack whispered in her ear.
"Of course." Klara smiled, getting up from her chair as Jack pulled it out for her.
He took her hand and lead her to the floor. He held her waist possessively as they began to glide and twirl. In a spin, Klara glanced at the couples around them, and, upon seeing how they danced, she laid her head on Jack's chest. He smelled like soap and cologne, a smell she didn't usually associate with him, he never wore cologne. Respectfully, he pulled her in closer, forcing her body to align with his. He rested his head on hers and they swayed to the slow song. Klara could have stayed that way all night, her feeling of security growing with each shared heart beat. They were interrupted far too soon by one of the men Jack worked with, and so the rest of the evening passed.
Klara spent her night uncomfortable, in the arms of men entirely unfamiliar to her. They made ridiculous comments about her attractiveness, or lack there of, depending on how devout they were to the Aryan race. Klara kept a smile plastered to her face and made sure that she didn't get too close. After what seemed like a lifetime, Jack interrupted, asking to dance with her to a faster song. She laughed at his flailing arms and boyish smile, and the memory of the night began to fade, until they were interrupted again.
"May I cut in?" Colonel Mitchum asked in a thick German accent, the smell of cigar wafting over her.
"Of course." Jack smiled, taking Klara's heavy sigh and graceful smile as a cue that it was alright. "I'll be waiting at the table. Don't keep her too long, alright Colonel?"
He grunted an inaudible response, taking Klara from Jack. Before Jack completely relinquished control, he pressed a kiss on Klara's cheek and whispered, "Be careful, he's drunk."
Klara swallowed roughly, allowing herself to be lead away by the rough hands of the Colonel. "I don't care if you're not Aryan, you're by far the most beautiful woman in this room. If you weren't married to Eiffel, I'd take you in the bathroom and have my way with you." he laughed.
"Excuse me?" Klara asked in a shock whisper, choking on a harsh breath.
"You've got a slender waist and curves in all the right places, that tells me you must be a dream in the sack. Come on, lets have a go, forget about your husband, find out what it's like to be with a real man, the kind that makes you groan and sweat and beg for more." he pulled her closer, roughly.
"I'd like to go back to my husband please." she whimpered, flashing Jack a terror filled look. The look registered with him immediately, and he set off in her direction. Klara tried to wriggle free from her captor, but that set him off even more. He put both arms around her waist and pulled her harshly toward him again. His hands began to ram downward, grabbing hold of her backside, using it to draw her closer still. She cried out in humiliation and fear as his mouth lunged toward her bare neck. Before he managed to taste her, she was ripped from his grasp and shoved backward by Jack, who was now landing a fierce punch to the Colonels face. The Colonel retaliated with a much more powerful blow to Jacks face, then stomach, then his face again. Finally soldiers came to split up the brawl, pulling the Colonel off a bloody Jack, who was sprawled helplessly on the floor.
"Jack!" Klara cried, her dress pouring around her as she sprawled on the ground next to him, carefully assessing his wounds. "Are you alright? I'm so sorry, I'm so, so sorry!"
"I'm ok," he whispered, "are you?"
"Sure, fine, don't worry about me, we've got to get you out of here." She reached under his arm and attempted to pick him up. One of the other men Jack worked with helped her, but as soon as he got on his feet, they were stopped by the military police.
"Arrest him, for assaulting a superior officer." Colonel Mitchum spat.
"No! Please, no!" Klara screamed, clawing after Jack, who was being drug by the police. "Didn't you see what that man was doing to me? Didn't you see that he was just trying to protect me? You don't have to arrest him, please!" She raced forward, clutching at his shoulder as he was being put into the car. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys to the car.
"Get into the car, and follow me, they're just going to take me to the station, overnight, for hitting a s
uperior. Follow so you know where it is and you can get me in the morning." he groaned.
"Ok." Klara agreed, grabbing the keys from his hands, racing to the car that was thankfully, parked near by. She had no intention of going home and coming back in the morning, if they wouldn't let him out, she would wait all night with him, she wasn't about to leave him like that, after rescuing her from the crudest man in the German army.
Klara screeched the car into the parking lot, following the police and Jack into the small office. Inside she saw a tiny cell in the back, it obviously wasn't normally used as a prison. There was nothing in there but a cold bench and a hole in the floor. Klara dashed back out to the car, grabbing a blanket she put in the back seat for the cold ride home. She brought it inside, waiting to give her testimony for Jack.
"He didn't do anything inappropriate! He was merely trying to protect me. Please let him go, can't you see he's hurt?" she said forcefully.
"He attacked a supervising officer, that's one night in jail, no matter what, and an addition to his permanent record." the smaller of the officers repeated mechanically.
"But he did it for me, Colonel Mitchum was making a pass at me!"
"So?" the bigger officer asked, laughing. "Commanding officers get what they want."
"That's disgusting, you're pigs." she spat.
Fire burned in the big soldiers eyes and he grasped her arm tightly. "You've just earned a night in jail with your husband here. Congratulations, hope you're comfy." he laughed.
Klara stumbled into the jail cell, a sheepish grin on her face as Jack looked up at her. "Brought you a blanket..."
"Thanks." he laughed, but only for a moment before wincing from the pain.
"You need some stitches."
"Tomorrow...you can fix me up tomorrow."
"Deal." she answered, sitting beside him on the bench, spreading the blanket over them, resting her head on his shoulder. "Sorry I keep getting you into fights..."
"I wouldn't have it any other way." he winced, but she suspected he was trying to smile.
"You probably have a concussion." she said, opening his eyes wide, inspecting them as if she was a proper nurse.
"Wouldn't surprise me, he landed a couple of awfully good punches." he said groggily.
"You're tired, aren't you?" she asked, sympathetically.
"Very."
"Here, lay your head on my lap, I'll cover you up and you can get some rest, but I'll be waking you up ever couple hours, to make sure you're still alright." she warned.
"Aren't you going to sleep?"
"Nope, and even if you wanted to argue, you wouldn't be able to, because you'll be asleep in no time."
"And how do you know that?"
"Because if I can put your sisters to sleep in fifteen minutes, I can certainly get you to sleep in equal time, especially with that concussion."
Jack laid his head in her lap as she told him to, and once he was there, she covered him with the blanket. He started to say something else, but she cut him off entirely, gently running her fingers through his hair, and humming a familiar melody, one of the songs they had danced to. Before long, she heard steadied, slow breaths coming from him, he was asleep.
Chapter 10
"Come on, lets get you inside." Klara huffed, taking Jacks full weight on her. He couldn't open his left eye and everything seemed to spin whenever he stood. Klara still smelled as good as she had last night, he was glad it was her, not a drunken soldier that was helping him home. She threw open the door and stumbled inside, barely managing to get Jack seated at the kitchen table before collapsing herself.
"What happened!" Grandmere cried upon entering the kitchen.
"Jack got in a fight over me, then we had to spend the night in jail, because he punched a commanding officer."
"We didn't have to spend the night in jail, I did. Klara just, chose to."
"Well I couldn't just leave him there alone." Klara defended. "He had a concussion. Sorry if we worried you Grandmere."
"I'm just glad you're both alright, not that I approve of this fighting stuff."
"It wasn't Jack's fault, he was being heroic, trust me."
"Very well then..." Grandmere smiled.
"I don't think a hero comes out of a fight looking quite so beat up." he laughed.
"Let's get him fixed up my dear. We might need to call the doctor, it feels like his ribs are swollen, which means they could be broken, or bruised. Do you feel dizzy or tired at all?"
"Both." Jack groaned.
"And like you said, a concussion. We'll have to call for the doctor right away, I won't bother with stitches, because that will only make us look suspicious."
"I'll go right now."
"Oh, that's alright dear, let me. Sit here with Jack, don't let him fall off his chair and make him a cup of tea."
"Yes Grandmere."
Jack watched as Klara filled the tea pot, treading lightly on the cold tile in her bare feet. Her green dress brushed against the back of her legs, wrinkled and curled from the long night. He knew exactly why the Colonel had made a pass at her. He had initially planned to just break Klara away from the Colonel and leave the ball, but when he saw where his hands were, and how close they were, something inside him snapped, propelling him to throw the first punch.
"Here you go. Milk and sugar, just the way you like it." she smiled, handing him the cup. She sat beside him staring distractedly into her own cup.
"Are you ok?" he asked, realizing he had never asked her before.
"Me? Of course, not a scratch." she smiled, touching a finger to one of his scratches.
"That's not what I meant. I saw that look on your face, saw where his hands were. I should never had let you dance with him." he took her hands, looking at her sincerely.
"It wasn't your fault, and he didn't say anything."
"It was my fault, I should have been more careful, and he did say something..." he pressed. She squirmed uncomfortably in her chair, an odd look on her face. He didn't think she would answer, then she looked down, and words spewed from her mouth, more words than he expected
"He wanted to take me to the bathroom and have his way with me. No man has ever touched me that way before and I never want it to happen again!"
"You don't mean that."
"How can you say that? I absolutely do mean that! You have no idea how it feels to be preyed upon by a man that you have no hope of escaping from."
"That's not what I meant. I meant that some day a man you love is going to touch you, and it will be...different."
"I don't think that's exactly appropriate to talk about." she blushed.
"Since when is our relationship appropriate?" he teased.
"Still feels strange talking about things like that with you. Besides, what experience have you had with such things?"
"What exactly are you asking Klara?" he tried to lift his eyebrow, only to have a shot of searing pain hit him.
"I'm asking if you've ever been in love..."she said softly, shrugging her shoulders.
"No, not yet. I've been close I guess, but something was always missing. I've been lucky enough to witness love enough to know what it entails, I've never had it, but I know I want it, from watching Maman and Papi, they really love each other, and it makes their life better."
"I understand..." she smiled. "Someday you'll get beat up for a girl you really love."
Jacks eyes lingered on Klara for a moment, watching her green gaze drop to her hands. He felt something in that moment. She wasn't just a way to help the Allies anymore, wasn't a deception, he cared about her. And while he wasn't sure that he loved her, he was sure that he cared for her as more than a friend. He felt like he needed to protect her, care for her, perhaps that was why he snapped when Mitchum assaulted her.
"Thank you for coming so quickly doctor, he's right in here." Grandmere's voice trailed from the hallway. "Klara why don't you go get cleaned up while the doctor examines him."
"She can stay." Jack said quick
ly. "I don't mind."
"That's ok Jack, I'll just go get out of this dress and come back. Promise."
"Ok." he answered, trying to shoot her a smile.
Grandmere looked at him knowingly, a gentle nod signifying that she heard the words he had not said. He might have blushed if the doctor hadn't started sewing the gash above his eyebrow at that moment. Grandmere winced for him throughout his examination, and listened intently to the instructions he gave. After his exam, Grandmere settled him on the couch with pillows and blankets. He fell asleep easily under the spell of the pain medicine Grandmere gave him.
"Jack, you need to wake up, can you hear me?" Klara said gently, a hand on his shoulder.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, you need some dinner, and your cuts need another dose of witch hazel. Then we need to get you upstairs and re-wrap your ribs for bed."
"Are you going to help me to the table? I don't think I can manage on my own." he smiled.
"Nope, I brought dinner to you, Shepherds Pie."
"Without the meat?"
"Grandmere decided to use one of our ration stamps because you're such a hero. She also said it would do those wounds some good."
"And where is she eating?"
"She went to Margarets for the night, said they needed to talk about some things."
"So we're alone again?"
"Sure are Cassanova." she laughed.
They ate dinner quietly, Jack not having the energy to eat and talk. When they finished, Klara dabbed more witch hazel over his wounds, then gave him another pain reliever. She helped him up from the couch, then acted as his crutch as they went upstairs. Once there, she pulled off his shirt carefully, a shiver went down his spine as her fingertips brushed against his skin.. Gently, she unwrapped the bandage holding his ribs. He let out a sharp breath as his pain erupted.
"I'm sorry." she whispered.
"It's ok, it will feel better once you re-wrap them."
She walked around to face him, her eyes glistening with tears. "Thank you for what you did. I was so scared, I thought he was going to take me, I thought...I thought... I'm sorry you got hurt, but, thank you, I don't think I could have protected myself against him, I'm so glad you were there."