I LOVE history. 'Dig' is based on one of the missing Faberge Imperial Eggs. 'Pieces of Eight' is a Delena story built around the recovery of the 'Nuestra Senora de Atocha'. 'St. Helens' was built around the 1980 volcanic eruption. I love writing things like this. When 'Flames' is complete, I will be posting another Delena period piece, 'Phoenix Rising', set in the 1800's, is also built around a real life event.

This story takes place at the end of April, early May 1945. The objective of the mission is based on fact but needed a little tweaking to throw our favorite characters into the mix.

'Over the Rainbow' Part 1 "I've Got My Eyes On You".

Having been notified to get his backside over to his CO's office, Stefan Salvatore hurries down the hallway at the Pearl Harbor Naval base. After spending the morning wracking his brain wondering what he may or may not have done to be awarded such a summons, he's at a loss. As soon as he reaches the office, he enters it and takes his hat off when the secretary smiles at him.

"Captain Salvatore?"

"Yes, I was told to be here at two," Stefan says, his hands clammy and his belly alight with butterflies.

"Won't you sit down? I'll tell the Admiral that you're here."

"Thank you." And with a nod, he takes a seat, his foot tapping against the floor in a nervous cadence. Minutes pass like hours as he waits to speak to the man. Finally hearing a buzz he looks up, standing at attention when the woman tells him that he may go inside now. With a nod, he steps around the desk and enters the man's office.

"Have a seat Capt. Salvatore," Admiral Nimitz says, gesturing at the chair with his arm. Looking around the room, he sees pictures of the man receiving all manner of commendation as well as pictures of people that he assumes are of his family. When he looks over his shoulder to see the man watching him, he apologizes and sits down, his posture stiff as he watches him take a seat too.

"I'm sure you're wondering just why I asked you here today?"

"Yes, sir, the thought did cross my mind," Stefan adds, trying to keep a serious face.

"This is strictly confidential, Captain. Not a word of this is to be mentioned outside of this office. Are we clear?"

"Crystal, Sir."

Nodding, the man walks over to his door, telling his secretary to bring another person in. Once he closes the door, he sits down at his desk and lights up a cigarette. Although he offers one to Stefan, he refuses, having never picked up the habit. Hearing the doorknob twist, Stefan looks over his shoulder, standing up when he sees a woman entering the Admiral's office. If he wasn't married, Stefan wouldn't waste anytime asking her out on a date.

"Major Gilbert, this is Stefan Salvatore."

"Captain," Elena greets, offering her hand. "I work for Army Intelligence."

"Major," he says, returning the salutation before sitting back down when his CO gestures for him to do so.

"The reason you're here Captain is because of your brother," Elena informs him, leaning back against the Admirals desk and directly in front of him.

"My brother?" Stefan asks, looking at the man incredulously. Seconds pass before Stefan lurches upright, fear causing his heart to stammer against his chest. Shaking off his stupor, he asks, "Is he okay?"

"Yes, as far as we know. We know that he's in Germany and works for the axis powers. But after observing him for a very long time, we've come to the conclusion that he's no Nazi. We want to recruit him to spy for us."

"What?"

"This is top secret, Captain. You are not to breathe a word of it to anyone. Do you understand?"

"Yes, he already told me that," Stefan affirms, his eyes drifting to his commanding officer.

"Our government is trying to locate Hitler's rocket scientists. We want your brother to help us."

"I haven't seen my brother since before the war started when I came back here with my mother. I mean, I wouldn't even know where to find him."

"He's in Berlin. As I said, we've had our eye on him for a long time. With Hitler dead and the country now in occupied hands, it is less dangerous than it would have been a year ago. That said, this isn't a walk in the park either. The Soviets also want what we want."

"And what would that be and what is my role in all of this?"

"We want you to get in touch with him and set up a meeting. I will be his contact. I speak fluent German and if anyone would happen to see us together, they'll think he's just spending his free time with a pretty fraulein."

"Are you sure him receiving a wire from an American isn't going to set off any alarms? I won't do anything that could potentially put his life in danger."

"No, you're going to Berlin with me. After you introduce us, you will be sent back here to your normal duties."

"As long as you have the ability to keep him safe. We've never been particularly close but I don't want him to die either."

"I won't lie to you, Capt. Salvatore. He's going to have to do some digging inside the former Nazi headquarters to find out where Professor Wilhelm Saltzman and Dr. Von Braun, among many others, are being held. We need to find these men before the Soviets do. Many of them would be extremely valuable to our own weapons programs."

"What if the information you're seeking was destroyed when the allied forces bombed Berlin?"

"That's entirely possible but we're hoping he can do some snooping and find out anything and everything he can to put our guys on the right path."

"Do I have a choice?"

"No," Elena answers succinctly, her voice firm and unwavering.

Resigned to his fate, Stefan relaxes his posture and asks, "When do we leave?"

Finishing up his duties, Damon salutes his boss and then excuses himself to leave for the day. As soon as he steps outside, he pulls a cigarette out of his pocket and lights it up. With the Soviets in control of the city, Damon is just trying to stay under the radar long enough to save up enough money to get to America to join his brother. As he starts walking down the block and even though he hated the Nazi's, he still hates to see the city in ruins. At one time, Berlin was a beautiful yet modern city. When his best friend and his Jewish family were rounded up in the middle of the night, Damon grew to hate them even more, that hatred intensifying exponentially when he found out that they died in one of Hitler's concentration camps.

As soon as he rounds the corner amongst a huge pile of rubble, someone pulls him into an alley. Although he digs for his weapon, he can't quite get it since he's in choke hold. Once they're far enough into the alley and shrouded in shadow, the man relaxes his hold on him. Spinning around with fists drawn, Damon is about to pummel the man till he sees who it is. Too stunned to speak he just stares, his mouth opening and closing till he's finally able to utter, "Stef?"

"Hello brother," Stefan says, pulling him into a hug.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Damon asks incredulously, still not quite believing who's right in front of his eyes.

"Would you believe me if I told you that I'm on a mission for the U.S. Government?"

"Huh?"

"It's true. They know all about you, Damon. They want your help to track down the scientists that were working on Hitler's missile and weapons programs."

"Me? You can't be serious?"

"Deadly serious, brother. They want you to be at this pub tonight at nine pm. Someone will be waiting for you."

"It all sounds so cloak and dagger. I don't know anything, Stefan."

"They seem to think that you can help given your position in Nazi headquarters before Berlin fell."

"The only reason I came here in the first place was to help the Italian resistance. When the American's came and Mussolini was dispatched, I stayed on to help the French and the Americans. I'm kind of a man without a country now," Damon explains, his mind wondering back to the day he entered Berlin. With his cover firmly in place, he arrived in Berlin in 1943, immediately starting to attend Nazi party rallies in hopes of protecting his cover. When one of the higher ranking officers was almost assassinated, as much as Damon didn't want to do it, he pushed the guy out of the way to earn his trust. It was his belief that the man would be more valuable if Damon could wrangle a job inside the Reich's Chancellery. The man was very grateful and while Damon played it cool, initially refusing the job. However he soon learned that one does not simply refuse a member of the Nazi Hierarchy. With access to classified materials, Damon was able to get information to the resistance as to German troop movements and locations.

Once the Soviets entered Berlin, he was rounded up and imprisoned for over a month till one day he was just released, taken blindfolded to a secluded mountainous area. He'd seen Nazi propaganda films of Hitler and his top men at the Eagle's Nest near Berchtesgaden. Because of that the area looked familiar to him but to this day he's uncertain if that's where he was held captive or not. He knows it was a woman who freed him and installed him back at the Chancellery to help Soviets go through mountains and mountains of Nazi files. As much as he didn't want to do it, he thought he'd be able to help the allies if he stayed in that position, at least until the opportune moment arose, one in which he could escape to the west.

After his mother died and his father remarried and had Stefan, they packed up to go to America. With the winds of war blowing and the Nazi's gathering strength, Giuseppe began to explore the possibility of leaving. It was after the Anschluss, the annexation of Austria and the Rome-Berlin axis of 1939 that he packed what little they had and traveled across the border into Switzerland then boarded a boat to get to the United States where Stefan's mother was raised of Italian parents. Choosing instead to fight the coming evil, Damon stayed with his mother's family till they were killed when a German plane crashed into their little home. Snapped out of his reverie when he hears Stefan's voice again, he faces his brother head on, his mind trying to comprehend what's being asked of him.

"I was told that you've been on their radar for some time and now they want your help. Will you be at this pub tonight?"

"Are you able to contact them?" Damon asks, looking up and down the alley to make sure no one is approaching.

"Yes, why?"

"You tell them that if they want my help, my price is a ticket to America and cash to get me by till I can find a job there."

"I'll tell them." Glancing at his watch, Stefan looks around too, before giving Damon his full attention again. "Listen, Damon. I have to go, I'm meeting your contact and then I'm being ordered to get on a plane to go back to the States. Take care, brother," he adds, pulling Damon in for a hug before taking off down the alley. Damon tries chasing after him but loses him when Stefan dives into a car and disappears in cloud of dust.

Feeling his gut churn uncomfortably, Damon is more than a little anxious as he skirts along the edges of buildings to get to the pub Stefan mentioned. The Soviets are patrolling the city to keep the peace but it's still dangerous as people are starving and looting is a big problem. With garrisons all over the city, Damon does his best to try to avoid attracting any undo attention. As unobtrusively as possible, he makes his way down the side streets, staying in the dark, his hand clutching his pistol the entire way. By the time he arrives at the place, it's just after twenty one hundred hours. With his heart slamming in his throat, nearly taking his breath away, he walks into the place. Trying to keep a low profile, he strolls up to the bar to order the darkest most stout beer that they carry. When the bartender slides it to him, Damon pays him then takes a long pull, closing his eyes as he savors the taste.

Just as he orders a refill, out of his peripheral vision, he sees a woman slide into a booth. Subtly looking over his shoulder, his eyes widen when she nods to him. Sensing that she's his contact, Damon orders two more beers and then walks over, sliding into the opposite side of her booth.

"Damon Salvatore?" she asks, taking the beer that he offers her.

"Who wants to know?" he asks, taking another swallow from his stein.

"Mr. Salvatore, I'm Elena Gilbert, US Army Intelligence. You and I are going to be working together, Mr. Salvatore so you might as well cooperate."

"I'm just supposed to stroll into what's left of the Reich's Chancellery that's now teaming with Russian soldiers and just walk out with what you need?"

"Something like that. I speak fluent German and Russian. From what I know, you're multi lingual too. So yes, Mr. Salvatore, you and I are going to do just that."

"Are you being serious right now? Do you think they're just going to hand over what we need? Hell, they're Russians, they get shot if they smile," Damon adds, taking another swallow of his drink as Elena watches, mesmerized by the way his Adam's apple bobs as he drinks. Shaking herself out of it, she picks up her own stein to take a long pull, not wincing at all by the stoutness of the nearly black beer.

"This is serious business, Damon. You would do well not to make light of it."

"What exactly is it that you want from me? Stefan said something about the Third Reich's rocket scientists."

"That's exactly what it is that we want. Now are you playing or are you folding?" Elena asks, focusing her gaze firmly on him.

"Did Stefan tell you my terms?"

"He did," Elena acknowledges and continues, "You want to come to the States. Is that correct?"

"It is," he affirms, swallowing back the last of his beer. Turning away, he signals the bar maid for refills then turns back to Elena, giving her his full attention again.

"Since you already ordered a refill, as soon as we're done, you and I are going to exit this place as if we're lovers and once we're certain we're not being watched, we'll go to your place," Elena tells him firmly, leaving him no room to protest.

Seeing this as his only chance to get to America, Damon finally nods his consent, thanking the barmaid with a tip when she refills their steins. After they finish, they get up to leave. It's a chilly evening so Damon wraps an arm around her shoulders and leads her out of the bar. Taking off down the block, he pulls her into a heady kiss when he sees a Russian platoon coming towards them, guns drawn.

After assuring the Russian soldiers that they were just on their way back to Damon's apartment, they continue walking, finally ducking into Damon's place. The building looks run down on the outside, a perfect cover because the inside is quite comfortable. Although it's not large by any means, it's enough for Damon. As soon as they safely set foot in his apartment, Damon demands some answers.

"As someone working in Nazi Germany, you know what kind of weapons Hitler's scientists were developing. We want to stop them before the Soviets and possibly the Japanese get their hands on them. As you well know, Mr. Salvatore, the war is still raging in the Pacific."

"Even if I knew where they were, why me?"

"Your brother told us that you wanted to get to the States to reunite with your father and that you wanted cash. I'm here to offer you that chance."

"My father left me here. Why would I want to reconnect with him?"

"Did he leave you here or did you choose to stay here? I know all about you, Mr. Salvatore including how your grandparents were killed by a Luftwaffe plane that crashed into their home."

"How do you know all of this?"

"I'm military intelligence, Damon. I know more about you than you know about you," Elena adds cryptically. "I have to get back to headquarters. I'll meet you at the pub again tomorrow night. Will you be there?"

"No, you know where I live now, you can come here. I don't want to raise suspicion by being seen again in the same place with the same woman by the same people. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," Elena affirms. After slipping her hat on, she gives him a nod and disappears out of his door. Rushing outside, he gets there just in time to see her shadow disappear into an alley.

"What is it about these guys and alleys?" Damon thinks, shaking his head. Walking back inside, he closes and locks his door. Although he's tired, he's too pumped with adrenaline after everything he's learned tonight so he pulls a book out and plops down on his bed, hoping that reading will help him drift off to sleep.

"Come in Major Gilbert, did your contact show up at the rendezvous point?"

"Yes, sir, he did," Elena says, saluting her superior officer.

"And is he going to help us?" General McNarney asks, gesturing for Elena to have a seat.

"Both he and his brother confirmed that he wants to get to the States and be set up in his own business."

"Lofty demands would you say?"

"With all due respect, Sir, I don't think they're lofty at all. He's going to be risking his life to help us. The least our country can do is honor his request. But with all that said, I agree that we have no idea if he's trustworthy. So we need to play our cards right as it were."

"Well, Major Gilbert, whether we honor his request or not is dependent on if he delivers the information that we need to find these men," he adds, pointing to the scattered array of pictures that are askew on his desktop. "If he fails, he's not going anywhere. This is between you and I, do I make myself perfectly clear?"

"Yes, Sir. But if he does lead us to Prof Wilhelm Saltzman and Dr. Von Braun? Are you still going to be so cavalier about Mr. Salvatore's life?"

Although he appreciates her spunk, he's a little taken aback by it. "You would do well to show a little respect, Major. I don't doubt your loyalty in the least, you've more than proven your abilities. But that said, what happens to Mr. Salvatore is entirely dependent on Mr. Salvatore himself. We'll talk again after you give my men some actionable intelligence. You are dismissed," he says, pulling a cigar out of his drawer, lighting it up as he watches her leave his office. Pausing at the door, Elena salutes and then walks out chastened and a little frustrated but determined to get her job done and get back to the US. Having only met Damon once she knows that she needs to spend more time with him. If he's going to earn her trust, he's going to have to prove himself. He's had alliances to both the Nazi's and the Italians, both members of the Axis powers. And in addition to that, he's now working for the Soviets in the former Nazi chief headquarters. The man is going to have to show her with deed that he's worthy of her allegiance. Shaking her head, she leaves the building, her mind focusing only on her mission.

Between running into his brother again and the army intelligence woman, Damon tosses and turns the whole night. When the sun creeps in and shines directly over his eyes, he throws his forearm over his face and lays there a few moments wondering what the hell he's going to do and how the hell he's going to do it. Where does he even begin to look for information on the men the Americans are searching for? As he lays there, his mind buzzing a mile a minute, it strikes him that maybe he could find some information in the Department of Archives and Antiquities. Deciding that he may as well face the music as it were, he throws his legs over the side of the bed. After rubbing his eyes with his palms, he drags himself out of bed and into the bathroom.

As soon as he's dressed, he locks up his little place and heads to work. Once he arrives, he has to go through the security checkpoints, showing them his badge and being patted down to make sure he has no weapons on him. It takes everything in him not to roll his eyes because he wouldn't be so stupid as to bring a gun with him. He'd be dead from a gun shot before he could even utter a syllable in his defense.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he walks up the stairway and towards his office. As soon as he gets inside, he sets his case down and plops into his desk to try to come up with a plan. Dropping his elbows onto his desktop and threading his fingers through his newly shorn locks, he tries to come up with something, anything plausible to explain his presence in the archives should he be seen. As a plan forms in his mind, he gets up to pour himself a cup of coffee before going about his work for the day, cataloging all of the paperwork that wasn't destroyed in the hours before the Soviets over ran the city.

Feeling a little jittery from caffeine overload, Damon walks out of the office to use the bathroom. After emptying his bladder, he zips up his pants and then surreptitiously walks out and up the stairs towards the archival office. Finding the door locked, he breathes a little sigh of relief, hoping that it means no one is in there. Pulling a paperclip out of his pocket, he quickly picks the lock and slips inside. Rather than turning the lights on, he lights a match as soon as he's away from the door's window. Pulling open a file drawer, he starts thumbing through them one by one. As tedious as it is, he finds one labeled, "Peenemunde." Slipping it into his shirt, he figures he's been in here long enough for one day so as quietly as possible, he sneaks out of the office. As he walks down the hall, he's accosted by a couple of guards. When they ask him why he's in this area of the building, he tells them that he came out of the bathroom and thought he saw a shadow so he went to investigate. And after finding nothing, he is on his way back to his own office.

When they tell him not to be found in that area again, he nods and hurries back to his part of the building. As soon as he reaches his office, he lets out the breath he was holding. He spends the rest of the day taking care of his required duties. When the day is over, he walks out as nonchalantly as possible, cracking a couple of jokes with one of his co-workers as soon as they're free of the building. After saying goodbye to Hans Dietrich, he walks home as fast as his legs will carry him, only then pulling the file out of his shirt. With a shaky hand, he opens it up, realizing that lightening must have struck because it appears to be exactly what the Americans want. Instinctively knowing that he needs to find a safe place for it, he wracks his brain trying to come up with the perfect hiding place. Surely it would be found under his pillow or under the mattress or in a cupboard or in one of his drawers of clothes. Starting to pace back and forth and in dire need of a drink, he walks into his closet. Pulling the rug up, he finds the loose floorboard. Pulling the nail out with his fingers, he stuffs the file inside and then replaces the nail and the carpet.

After splashing some water on his face, he grabs his keys and leaves his apartment, making sure the door is secure before he walks away. Finding himself in front of the same bar, he looks over his shoulders before entering. As soon as he's inside, he walks as unobtrusively as he can to the bar and orders a stiff good stiff drink. Raising an eyebrow at him, the bartender chuckles and pulls a bottle out from under the counter, pouring a tumbler full for Damon.

"Thanks," he acknowledges the man before taking a sip. Whatever it is, it's strong and Damon feels his head spin. When he starts to teeter, he feels someone shove a rag over his mouth and nose. Although he tries to fight it, he descends into darkness before he can make any kind of an effort.

Walking up on a straw mattress and feeling his head pounding like a kettle drum inside of his head, he groans aloud. Every muscle in his body aches as he tries to sit up. Just as he does, he sees shadow amidst the sunlight flittering into the whatever room he's being kept in. Looking up, he gasps when he sees a woman. With her hair up in a bun and her tight dress and heels, she's beautiful but...

"You're awake, Mr. Salvatore."

"Who are you? Where am I and why did you kidnap me?"

"Well, it's like this Damon, may I call you Damon?" she asks, looking at her fingernails as if she hadn't a care in the world.

"I don't care what you call me. I demand you release me, I haven't done anything wrong."

"Now, now Damon. That's not quite true is it?"

"Lady, I have no idea what you're talking about?" he asks, grimacing as he presses his fingertips against his throbbing temples.

"I think you do," she adds, teasing him a little more.

"I demand that you let me go. I've done nothing wrong."

"Don't worry your pretty little head," she assures him, smiling wickedly as she brushes the hair off of his forehead. "Why don't you think about it for a little while. I'll be back with some water and aspirin when you're ready to talk." And with that, the woman sashays out of the cell, pulling it closed with a clank before disappearing from his view.

When he wakes up a second time, he opens his eyes slowly. This time it's dark and dank smelling. Through the barred windows, he can see that it's nighttime. If there's one thing to be thankful for, it's the fact that she took him on a Friday night and he's not due back to work till Monday. Dragging himself off the hard mattress, he stumbles over to the bars and starts to clang at with the metal cup that was laying on the floor. When no one comes, he's about to give up when she comes strutting down the hall again, this time with a bottle of something in her hands.

"You can quit that any time, Damon. It's rather annoying," she mentions, quirking her brows at him.

"I'm thirsty, my head is still pounding and I want out of here."

Taking a key, she unlocks the door. Not one to let an opportunity pass, Damon launches himself at her, knocking her to the floor. He covers her mouth with his hand before she can scream. But unbeknownst to him, she's an expert at defending herself and soon the tables are turned and she's sitting astride him with a shit eating grin on her face.

"Mr. Salvatore, do we really need to play these games?"

"L.E.T. ME GO," he snaps, struggling to get out from under her.

"Tell me what you know about the American. The one you spent time with in the bar the other night."

His mouth drops open when he realizes that he'd been followed. Expelling a deep breath, he casts his gaze directly on her. "She's an American?" he asks, feigning incredulity.

Raising a brow in disbelief, the woman stares at him.

"Her command of the German language and her accent were impeccable. I never would've guessed that she's an American. And as far as the reason I was with her. I'm a guy, I wanted to have a good time. But when I offered to take her up on it, she backed out."

"Oh please, Mr. Salvatore, you can do better than that."

Staring at her for several minutes while he tries to come up with something, anything and praying to God himself that no one saw him with his brother, he sighs heavily. Shaking his head for a moment and with his nerves firing in all directions, he only hopes his voice doesn't betray his anxiety. When he looks at her again, he blurts, "You want the truth, I'll tell you the truth. They're looking for my brother. He disappeared from his military base in the States. Apparently he works with highly classified material and they're afraid he might sell it to the highest bidder. And if you've been watching me, you'll know that I haven't seen my brother in years."

"And that's all?"

"That's all. Can I go now?"

She stares at him for several moments before she stands up and offers him her hand. Once he's on his feet, she tells him to follow her. As soon as she hands him back his house key and wallet, she orders him blindfolded.

"Before we let you go, Mr. Salvatore. We know what the Americans want. If you find anything, we will most certainly double whatever it is that they're offering you."

"Well, I don't like being drugged and kidnapped so if that's what you're offering, I'll pass," he spits back indignantly.

Smiling like the cat who ate the canary, she runs her long fingernails along his jaw line. Leaning in so her lush lips are against his ear, she whispers, "Oh sweetheart, you're playing in the big leagues now. You would do well to remember that. And if I were you, I would think long and hard about which side you're going to help. I'm fairly certain that you have an idea as to where to start looking," she says with a wink. "And one more thing before you leave.. know this, Mr. Salvatore, the streets have eyes."

"Who are you?"

"Katerina Petrova... and I play for keeps," she adds before stepping back and nodding at her men. The next thing he knows, he's being thrown into the back of a car with this hands tied. When the car stops, he tossed out onto the sidewalk and before he can get the blindfold off, he hears the car speeding away, the tires squealing loudly. Finally freeing his eyes and his wrists, he stands up, realizing that he's in front of the bar. Because the bartender was obviously complicit in his kidnapping, Damon doesn't go inside, instead he breaks out into a run, not stopping till he reaches the relative safety of his apartment.

Stepping inside, he pushes the door closed with his back when he leans into it and slides down to the floor. Sitting down, he takes a long deep breath and wonders how many people are likely watching his place and watching him while at work. When he looks up, he gets the shock of his life when he sees Elena Gilbert sitting cross legged on his couch, staring at him.

"Where have you been hiding for the last twenty four hours?"

"Who wants to know?" he snaps, irritated that he can't have a moment of peace and quiet without more cloak and dagger interfering with his life.

"I do, the United States whom I represent does."

"A man has needs, Miss Gilbert... need I explain more?" he adds, waggling his brows at her suggestively.

"I think not but really, Damon? There are more important things to consider right now? We need to get our hands on those men before the Russians do," she snaps, glaring at him with nearly lethal intensity.

"Why should I believe you? Maybe they're willing to pay more?"

"This is life and death business, Damon. It's nothing to be cavalier about. One side doesn't play fair shall we say.. they'll just as soon shoot you as look at you. Now if you know something or have found something, you need to tell me."

"I haven't found anything yet," Damon snaps, finally dropping his eyes. "I'm tired, I'm hungry, my head hurts and I want to go to bed. Now unless you want to join me, I'd like you to leave or at least get out of my way."

"I'm not leaving you till you go to work Monday morning."

"For the love of," he snaps, grimacing when his head starts pounding even harder.

"Until I know that you're trustworthy, I'm your fucking shadow," she says, quirking her brows teasingly.

Unable to say anything and too tired and in pain to give a damn, he starts to strip right in front of her. With only his underwear on, he disappears into the bathroom. Rolling her eyes, Elena picks up his clothing. Seeing his pack of cigarettes, she lights one for herself, blowing out smoke rings in her frustration with him. She's very attracted to the man but he's a loose cannon. Not willing to let him betray the mission, she's not letting him out of her sight till they find what they're looking for. Although she has no death wish, she would give her life for her country in a heartbeat. Dropping down onto his bed, she takes another drag from her cigarette before pressing the butt into the frame of the bed to put it out. Tired, she closes her eyes, the last thing she feels is his arm draping over her before she drifts into slumber.

Waking up a couple of hours later, Elena finds that Damon's hand is resting on her breast. Although she can't deny the electricity she feels, she shifts ever so slightly, enough to make his hand slip from it. Seeing that it's still dark outside, she closes her eyes again. When she feels a chill, she snuggles back against him, letting the warmth of his body give her some relief. Feeling his breath at the base her neck stirs things inside of her but because she doesn't know if she can trust him yet, she tries to think of anything and everything to tame her now over sensitized skin. The only thing she can do is to put a little distance between them, immediately feeling the loss when she does. Shaking it off, she pulls up the covers and closes her eyes again, falling back to sleep shortly thereafter. The next time she wakes up his side of the bed is cold. Lurching upright, she looks around, breathing a little easier when she sees him.

"Coffee is kind of hard to come by. Do you want a cup?" Damon asks, taking a deep sip from his cup.

"Thanks, I'd like that."

"Were you serious about coming to work with me tomorrow? I mean, I really don't want to die."

"Yes, I'm absolutely serious and no, I don't have a death wish either but this is bigger than the two of us. The free people of the world are depending on us."

"You're really going to place the outcome of the whole world on my shoulders?"

"I don't mean it that way, I'm just trying to stress to you how very, very important this is."

"So if you're sticking to me, what should we do today?" Damon asks, teasing her with a wink.

"I really don't think I should be seen with you in public. If you want to go out, I can't stop you but the streets have eyes," she warns, uttering the same words that the Katerina Petrova cautioned before releasing him. Staring at her for several moments, he finally puts his cup down and takes the seat beside her.

"Look, I know you don't trust me, you have no reason to but I'm not the bad guy here and as I told you, I don't want to be on the receiving end of a bullet between the eyes. As long as we have to stay in, I expect you to tell me exactly what your plans are to get me out of Germany if I find what you're looking for. And frankly, I think I deserve a one way ticket to the States whether I find them or not. I'm the one risking my life here."

"When I deem you trustworthy, we'll discuss all of it. I've been doing this for four long years now, Damon. I've never let anyone die on me and I'm not about to start with you."

"Women," Damon mutters in frustration. Raking his hand through his hair, he glares at her for a few minutes. Knowing that he still has the file hidden in his closet. At least he thinks he does unless the Russians were here while he was being held captive. If she falls asleep again or spends some time in the bathroom, he'll have to make sure his bargaining chip is still secure. "I deserve to know what I'm facing here," he repeats, his fuse lit and burning out of control.

"Don't you worry about that. It's top secret," she repeats cryptically.

"If my neck is going to be on the line, I have a right. to. know," he snaps, his heart pounding against his chest in anger.

"Damon, I can't tell you that. It's top secret," she adds, stressing the words top and secret. And look, we won't be walking in the direction of the chancellery together. I will follow you from a safe distance but know this, you won't be out of my sight until you walk into that building."

"Easier said," he retorts, lighting up another cigarette.

"If something goes wrong and I get captured, your name will not leave my lips. And believe me, I'm aware of the danger, Damon," she adds, pulling the cigarette from his hand to take a long puff. "Now do mind if I wash up?"

"No, go ahead."

With a nod, she hands him back his cigarette then disappears into the bathroom. Without wasting a moment, he rushes into his closet, pulls up the rug and floor board and breathes a sigh of relief when he sees that the file is still there. Now he just has to decide if he's going to give it to her or not.

After spending the rest of the weekend together, playing cards and talking about things, Elena gets a little more insight into Damon. He explained how much he hates working for the Nazi's, how their atrocities will be remembered for a millennia but the reason he stayed was to help bring them down and get information to the Italian resistance. He was ready to leave when Berlin but wasn't able to vacate the city in time. The Soviets demanded that everyone working at the time of the Berlin siege stay to help them go through reams and reams and reams of papers relating to the Third Reich.

When Monday morning arrives, they're both up early. After Damon dresses, Elena excuses herself to go into the bathroom. As soon as she finishes, she walks out to find him pacing back and forth. Taking a deep breath, she approaches him. When she places her hand on his forearm, he stops to look at her. "Don't worry, Damon. You'll be at least a block ahead of me. Why don't you go ahead and go? I'll give you a five minute head start okay?"

"What choice do I have?" he asks, feeling his heart begin to pound in his throat.

"Damon? I'm not going to endanger you life needlessly. You need to relax so you don't do something stupid."

"Fine, I'm going to leave now. Help yourself to a cup of coffee before you take off and make sure you lock up."

Nodding, she takes another breath to fortify herself. Before she can talk herself out of it, she closes the distance between them, takes his face in her hands and joins their mouths in a heady kiss. Stunned Damon is stiff for a millisecond before kissing her back. When they break apart, her breasts are heaving. "I'm sorry, I've been wanting to do that since I met you."

"Don't apologize," he adds. His gaze wanders from her to the door and back to her. Latching onto her lips once more, he kisses her as if it's the last time because it may very well be. After letting go, he plants one on her forehead and then leaves without looking back. Hurrying to the window, she watches till he disappears when he turns the corner. After taking a few swallows of coffee, Elena grabs her purse. Pausing to look around a little bit, she sees a handkerchief laying on the floor. Since it's clean, she presses it to her nose to breathe in his scent. Not want to part with him, she stuffs it in her bag and then opens the door to step outside. She double checks to make sure her door is locked before heading down the street in the same direction he went. As soon as she reaches the main one, she looks around finally catching a glimpse of him as he rounds another corner. Picking up her pace so she doesn't loose him, she reaches an alley. Thinking it'll save her some time, she hurries through. Just as she's about to reach the sidewalk, she feels pain and in the next second, her vision blackens as she collapses onto the gravel.

To be continued...

Huge thanks to you, Eva. I love you my dear friend, more than I can express.

Big thanks to all of you as well. And a special thank you to all the anonymous reviewers that I can't thank personally. I do try to respond but it seems between the bedlam at work lately and bedlam at home, I just never seem to find the time. Please know that I appreciate each and every one of you.

Chapter title: "I've Got My Eyes on You" by Fred Astaire.

I have decided to add an epilogue to 'Run for the Roses'. It needs to be written yet. When I get it done, I will post it

"Through the Fire and Flames" will be the next story to update.

Please remember to review.

Be safe and have a wonderful day. Thank you again, you're all the very best.