A/N: So, I started work on this piece back some months ago but never finished. I was originally going to slide it into a chapter of "The Lies My Boss Told Me", but decided it was getting too long and would disrupt the flow and pace of that story. Recently the mood struck me to finish it, so here it is, for your enjoyment.

Like all of my one-shots — with the sole exception of "Beyond Reason" — it's canon to "The Lies My Boss Told Me", but it's not essential that you read that before reading this. It can stand on its own. However, reading "The Lies My Boss Told Me" will help you understand it better.

To all my new readers, welcome!

To all the fans of "The Lies My Boss Told Me", the next chapter will be ready sometime in June. My life has been crazy-busy lately, so I've not had the time I need to do the exciting, action-packed chapter I have planned justice. Hopefully this can help tide you over…I am truly sorry about the wait.

German-English translations:

Ja = yes

Nein = no

Deutschland = Germany

Frau = Mrs.

Bis später. = See you later.

The ranks and some titles are in German as well, because they're supposed to be speaking German and I want to show that without writing everything in German. You can Google them if you're curious.

August 20, 1942
Berlin, Germany

I can't believe this is even happening, Germany thought as he made his way through the crowd towards the woman in the stylish red-black-and-gold sundress, his stomach turning over in revulsion at the very idea of what his boss wanted him to do. He can't expect this to go over well, he can't.

Nearly three full months had passed since "the man with the iron heart" had been ambushed by Czech rebels in Prague. The attack had left him badly wounded: mortally wounded, as luck would have it. Despite the doctors' best efforts his wounds had gone septic, and he'd died in the hospital a week later.

When news of the assassination attempt had reached him Ludwig had had to make a sustained conscious effort to hide his true feelings on the matter from his compatriots; at a time when most Nazis were viciously condemning the attackers and wishing their hero a speedy full recovery he had been secretly congratulating those brave insurgents and wishing Heydrich every drop of the slow and excruciatingly painful death that he deserved, that he himself would have loved to have given him. When he'd heard the bastard had finally died he'd had to suppress the deeply satisfied smirk which had tried to slither onto his face. Deep down he felt a little guilty, because he was a nation spirit and no nation spirit should ever take such delight in the death of one of his own citizens, but damn, where Heydrich was concerned he just couldn't help it. The man had made Russia look like his best friend, managed to outdo even the Einsatzgruppen in wickedness and cruelty. He and his people were much better off without him.

Best of all, Ludwig had had absolutely nothing to do with it. He hadn't contacted the men responsible, nor had he had Gilbert or anyone else do it for him. He hadn't leaked any information to the enemy or played any role in any stage of the planning or execution of the attack. He hadn't known of the plot in advance and therefore wouldn't have been able to warn or protect Heydrich even if he'd wanted to. All of this had served him well because Hitler had been swift to interrogate him, just as he'd known he would be. The Führer had been genuinely surprised by his total innocence. Thankfully he still possessed enough decency not to punish him for not being sad or angered by the turn of events and had sent him back to the front.

And that had been that.

Or so Ludwig had thought.

Days ago he'd received orders to return to Berlin and meet up with his boss for his next set of instructions. Hitler had had a few public appearances and speeches lined up and was feeling more nervous than usual about them, probably because of the assassination of his favorite general. Like most heads of state he was prone to summoning his nation to his side to serve as his personal bodyguard every time he felt that the risk to his life was especially high, and Ludwig had been expecting as much, but what he hadn't been expecting — what had totally knocked him for a loop — had been Hitler's attempt to play Cupid.

Yes, at some point somewhere the Führer had decided that it would be a good idea to set Heydrich's widow up with one of his worst enemies. Not only that, he'd picked Ludwig when he knew full well that he didn't want to be romantically involved with anyone right now and dreaded the idea of having children. Granted, Frau Heydrich already had children, so perhaps his aim was to keep one of his favorite Aryan families well protected, well provided for, and in high social standing? The widow of Heydrich marrying one of the only two eligible bachelors of the High Command would look good in the public eye, and it wasn't as if Ludwig would be home enough to poison Reinhard's kids with his "un-German" values and "Jewish" compassion.

That had to be it.

Whatever the case, Hitler, the Görings, the Goebbels, and some of the other high-ups and their families had all gathered here with the public in this beautiful park on this gorgeous summer day, and now that the main event was over — Hitler had given his rallying motivational speech and taken questions — the scheduled party/picnic could begin. Security was naturally extremely tight and omnipresent, but this fact did nothing to dampen the mood. In every direction men, women, and children were allowing themselves to relax, have fun, meet new people, and catch up with friends and family while enjoying good food and drink. Conversations were upbeat and very pro-Nazi. The delicious aroma of wursts cooking over open flame floated on lazy warm air.

Once Hitler had felt comfortable enough to let Ludwig leave his side he'd given him the order to court Lina Heydrich, made it clear that he wanted the sequence of events to unfold in the direction of a hasty marriage. He'd formally introduced the two shortly after arriving, but as he'd arrived nearly an hour late and had been eager to start spouting propaganda the affair had been mercifully brief.

Now…now there was no avoiding the incredibly awkward, phony, and all-around uncomfortable conversation that was about to take place.

Lina noticed him well before he reached her and gave him a coy smile. As women in their early thirties went she was by far no raving beauty, but she wasn't eye-blindingly ugly, either. On a scale of one to ten Ludwig would rate her a three-and-a-half: he'd seen worse, but he'd definitely seen a lot better. She was just one of those women who naturally didn't have a pretty face and for whom makeup could only do so much, and the fact that she wore her golden-brown hair back in a very housewife-y bun and needed to lose somewhere in the neighborhood of eleven kilograms didn't help matters.

She was the first to break the ice. "Oberst-Gruppenführer Herrmann. We meet again." There was a happy and unmistakably flirtatious little flutter in her voice.

Ludwig stopped at a polite distance and frowned. "So we do." Here comes the bullshit parade. He cringed inwardly at what he was about to say and do, had to say and do. "You look…nice. Very nice." Without doubt Lina was thinking it would be nicer if he sounded sincere, but he just couldn't. He stumbled over the next few compliments like a drunkard trying to schmooze his way into getting lucky with a barfly. "Your eyes are like…they're as green as emeralds. Your smile is like a string of diamonds. You're gorgeous…really! You don't look a day over forty, I swear. Oh, and I love the colors of your dress."

Though he had never been all that great at flirting and courtship, Ludwig was going out of his way to make this performance monumentally bad. Hitler had only commanded him to court Lina: he never said anything about having to do it well. Since he found Lina only slightly more romantically appealing than the men gathered around them and would honestly rather marry just about any random young woman off the street if he had to be forced into marrying someone he wanted to make sure they got started off on the wrong foot. And stayed there.

Lina's eyebrows furrowed slightly. Her shy smile vanished under the kind of look usually only seen on the faces of people who weren't sure whether or not the leaf of lettuce they'd just eaten had had a little worm on it.

Ludwig waited patiently for her to answer, let the awkward moment stretch on for as long as possible.

"Thanks, but I only just turned thirty-one the month before last…" Lina trailed off.

Silence.

Ludwig knew what the woman was fishing for, but she wasn't going to get it. His face had settled back into its usual verging-irritated-scowl neutral, and any passersby would have to be forgiven for assuming that he found his present company a tad annoying.

When it became obvious to her that her suitor wasn't going to fix his mistake Lina brushed it off and continued on as though she hadn't just been insulted. "You know, you're very handsome yourself. The most handsome man I've ever seen, actually. I've never seen anyone with blonder hair or bluer eyes, and with such a beautiful face and strong, sculpted body to go with them…you're perfect. Unnaturally perfect. You look like the walking embodiment of the National Socialist Party."

Don't say that! Ludwig wanted to snap. Lina didn't know how close she was to the mark…

Or maybe she did.

It occurred to Ludwig right then and there that Hitler might have elected to let Lina in on his big secret. Her word choice did hint at it.

He had to know for sure. "Lina, did the Führer ever speak with you about me in private?"

"Ja."

"What did he tell you?"

"He said I'd like you, that you were a lot like Reinhard. Said y-"

Ludwig snorted. "A lot like Reinhard? A lot like Reinhard?" The reiteration was stressed in a highly offended, incredulous tone. Incredible. "Literally the only things we had in common were gender, nationality, rank, and hair and eye color. In personality and attitude we were nothing alike. In fact, we hated each other."

Lina's gaze fell to the ground. The news didn't surprise her. "I know," she confessed quietly, frowning. "Reinhard told me that you two didn't see eye-to-eye, that you almost came to blows several times. But you asked me what the Führer told me, and he really did say that you two were a lot alike."

It was Ludwig's turn to frown. "Did Reinhard tell you what it was that we fought over?"

Lina shook her head. "Nein. I only know that it had to do with politics."

Figured. Women had no place — and no say— in politics. Lina either honestly didn't mind this fact or else had assured herself that her curiosity wasn't worth harsh words from her spouse. Ludwig didn't know what their private life had been like, but it was hard for him to imagine Heydrich not taking her for granted.

In this case her ignorance was for the best.

"What else did the Führer tell you about me?"

Lina hesitated. "He said that…that you were not what you seemed, that…" She swallowed thickly and looked up, and when her eyes met his he saw the glint of fearful wonder within. "that you were far stronger and faster than any man, that you healed within days from any wound and could not be killed. He said you liked me, and that if I married you our family would have the best protection in all of Deutschland, that you would take care of us."

What the hell, Hitler?! Don't you think that enough people already know that I'm not human? Of course, even someone as crazy as Hitler wouldn't go blabbing what was possibly the best-kept secret of all time for no reason. By revealing Ludwig's secret to Lina he had probably hoped to kill two birds with one stone: make his nation spirit absolutely irresistible to Lina and — as far as he knew, anyway — make Ludwig more comfortable with the idea.

How terribly mistaken he was with that second "bird".

Still, he might not have told the woman everything.

Ludwig did a quick visual scan of their surroundings. Groups of people talking, laughing children racing by, a table where refreshments were being sold…no one within earshot. A pair of teenaged girls were watching his interactions with Frau Heydrich with interest from a ways off, and when his eyes reached them they quickly looked away and pretended they hadn't been.

Ludwig's gaze came back to rest on Lina. With a face that was as straight and serious as his voice, he asked "Do you believe him?" Realizing that not agreeing with the Führer in the presence of one of his favored generals would make most women in Lina's position too nervous to admit it if they didn't, he quickly added "It's alright if you don't. I won't tell him."

"I…I don't know." Lina stammered. A mix of uncertainty and awe flickered about her features. "You do have a fantastic reputation for someone your age, and though you've been in so many battles and extremely dangerous situations you never seem to get hurt…or if you do you shrug it off as though it were nothing. No one is that lucky. And though he never said that you had any inhuman powers, Reinhard often complained about how you got extra-special treatment from the Führer, how you were allowed to get away with things that would have gotten anyone else — even Herr Goebbels and Herr Göring — jailed or shot." She paused for a moment, mulling it over, before reaching her final verdict. "Yes. Yes, I do believe him."

Ludwig's eyes narrowed. His voice was slow and powerful. "Do you know who I really am?"

"You're Ludwig Herrmann, SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer and General of the Waffen-SS. You're also a Generaloberst in the Wehrmacht." A hint of fear shaded her eyes, and there was a slight shiver in her voice when she next spoke. "That is who you are, right?"

"Ja. But Ludwig Herrmann is only an alias. It isn't my true name. Fewer than a dozen people know my true name. The Führer is one of them. Did he tell you? If you know my name, say it."

Lina frowned and shook her head. "I'm sorry, I don't." She paused, sorrow touching her features. "You don't like me, do you?"

"Like you? Lina, I barely know you. This is longest conversation we've ever had."

"Then why would the Führer say you liked me? Why did you come talk to me? It can't be to offer your sympathies."

A clipped sigh escaped Ludwig's lips. "I'm here on orders. The Führer wants us to get married, told me to court you. Reinhard was his favorite general and he wants to make sure his family is well protected and provided for."

Lina's gaze dropped again. "You didn't mean any of those compliments, did you?" She sounded dejected. Hurt.

"I meant it when I said I liked your dress. Look, Lina…" Though his expression remained hard and unmoved his voice had softened ever-so-slightly. He didn't have any strong feelings for the woman one way or the other, but he hadn't meant to hurt her feelings too much….he'd been hoping for more of an angry reaction on her part. The widow looked up miserably at the sound of her name. "If you truly did love your husband for who he was then you'll hate me. I'm not sorry that Reinhard died. He was a bloodthirsty asshole who got a thrill out of killing innocent people and thought he was God's gift to mankind. I am sorry that you lost someone you cared about, and I hope you and your children are able to pick up the pieces and move on, live a happy life."

"But…" Lina didn't know what to do with herself: her voice became desperate. "but my children need a father. And if it's true that you can't die-"

"If we were to marry I would be home even less than Reinhard, so it would be like they didn't have a father anyway. There would be no romance or sex in our relationship — you're not my type. I would not be faithful to you."

"But if we barely know each other, how can you be so certain that I'm not your type?"

"Where would you like me to start?" Ludwig's tone carried a bite: his patience was fading fast. "If you truly loved Reinhard you don't have the attitude or personality I could fall in love with. It means that you at best were willing to turn a blind eye to great injustices and the terrible things he did and at worst shared his worldviews, neither of which I find attractive in a woman. I told you just a moment ago that he enjoyed killing innocent people and you didn't even bat an eye — your reaction was the same as if I had told you that he'd once bought a lamp from me. If you didn't love Reinhard and only put up with him for the benefits it netted you, then you're incredibly selfish and deceptive. I can't help but to think you only want me because of my rank, reputation, looks, and possible superhuman abilities. There's also the matter that I don't find you at all attractive and prefer younger women."

At some point during that healthy dose of reality Lina's face had gone slack with shock and disappointment. She stared at Ludwig with the distraught, eager-to-doubt eyes of a little girl who had just been told that St. Nicholas wasn't real and a kitten died every time she didn't eat her Brussels sprouts. "No, no that can't be." She shook her head slowly, uncomprehending. "I heard you the first time, but I didn't believe it. Still don't believe it. You hated him, you would say anything to tear him down, ruin his image…"

Ludwig's almost-a-scowl turned into a full-blown, genuine one. "And just why do you think it was that I hated him? Maybe he didn't tell you about it, but your husband did kill innocent people, even children. I know. I witnessed some of it." His expression darkened. "I know things about him that would make your blood curdle, but since Idon't hate you I'll spare you the details. I'll just say that our differences arose mainly from that fact that, when it came to certain groups of people, he wanted to kill everyone and I didn't. He was also deeply jealous of me."

Lina continued shaking her head. "That…that can't be!" Her rage was sudden and hot. "You're lying! Reinhard wouldn't, he'd never…"

"He would and he did!" Ludwig snapped in a vicious half-whisper. "You know, denial isn't attractive in a woman either."

Lina clapped a hand over her face and turned her head. "Go away!" Her voice cracked, betraying hidden tears. "Just go! Leave me alone."

Ludwig's scowl vanished with his anger. Lina's reaction was that of a woman who had truly thought better of her husband. Clearly she didn't think it was okay to slaughter innocents and hadn't known this awful little secret in advance, otherwise she wouldn't be crying.

Perhaps he'd been too harsh on her. She had wanted to marry him for all the wrong reasons, but he supposed, on some level, that he could understand why she'd felt she had to try.

"Lina…" His voice was calm, almost gentle. He reached out and put a hand on one of her shoulders. "I'm sorry I had to be the one to tell you that. The truth hurts sometimes, but you needed to know. And…and I want you to know that, if things ever get really bad and you or your children need me, all you have to do is send word and I'll help you in whatever way I can. I may not love you, but I do care about you as a person. And I'm fiercely protective of children." Lina turned her head back, and he drew his hand away.

Two sets of eyes gazed into each other again — Lina had given up covering her face and stopped crying. "You…you really mean that?" she sniffled.

Ludwig nodded. "Ja. I'll be irritated if you call me over a cat stuck up in a tree, but if it's important, or an emergency…" He trailed off a bit for emphasis, then relented. "You don't have to be afraid of me." He turned away. "I should go now. The Führer won't want his favorite bodyguard away from him for too long." He started off.

He hadn't taken four steps before Lina called out. "Obergruppenführer Herrmann, wait!"

Ludwig halted and did an about-face. "Ja?" What now?

Lina closed the distance between them, her eyes scanning their surroundings like nervous radar before coming to rest on Ludwig's. "Is it true?" she almost whispered, "Do you really have inhuman powers? Are you immortal?"

A sly smile came to Ludwig's lips. "I thought you already had that figured out."

Lina blushed a little. "Well, it would explain a lot, but you have to admit that it sounds too incredible to be real, like something out of a Greek myth. So, is it true? Please tell me — I promise to keep your secret if it is."

"It…might be true," Ludwig admitted teasingly, enjoying the opportunity to be a figure of intrigue and mystery, "and it might not be. I will neither confirm it nor deny it."

Lina sighed. "I suppose this means you're not going to tell me your real name, either."

"I'm not. It's top-secret. If the Führer didn't tell you then he doesn't mean for you to know."

"Why such secrecy over a name?" Lina wondered, "I don't understand how it could be that important, how sharing it with others could have such big implications."

"You would if you knew what my name is."

"Can you at least give me a hint? Even a tiny, vague one?"

Ludwig considered. A tiny hint seemed harmless enough, especially after all she'd already heard about him. Probably she'd never guess in a million years anyway. "It starts with a 'D'."

"D," Lina repeated thoughtfully, chewing her lower lip. "Is this the letter to your first name or surname?"

"My first. My last. My only." With that final cryptic clue he turned and walked off without so much as a 'Bis später', leaving Frau Heydrich to her guesses at a mystery that would likely tease her and exercise her mind for years to come.