Eloise went down the row of patients, doing her nightly routine checks on the remaining patients. The silent stranger occupied the furthest bed. His icy stare met with hers. The blueness in his eyes held a certain familiarity, which Eloise couldn't place. She stopped in front of his bed and overlooked him. Her eyes were instantly drawn to the glistening medals that rested loosely on his chest. They were those of a German officer. She knew of their importance from her time spent with the Germans. It was clear that he cherished them by the way he held them. Her curiosity grew wondering as to where the man obtained them. She knew that ordinary soldiers would not be in possession of such meticulous awards.

She sat down beside the man and began to redress his few injuries. He made no effort to speak as she quietly worked on him. The moments between them passed quickly and she bid him goodbye. A familiar smile came onto his face as he thanked her. She took a deep breath as she stared closer at the man. In his grateful smile she saw Albert's image. The uncanny resemblance took her back for a moment.

The room became dark as the night fell. Eloise sat at her chair, which was her post for the rest of the night. She listened to the sounds of the men, some moaning in pain, others. Amidst the darkness she could see the silhouette of the stranger sitting upright in the corner. Concern came to her as she went to check on the man.

Beneath the flicker of her candle, she could see his face beaded with sweat. He pointed to the bucket of water at the bedside, showing her exactly what he wanted. She retrieved it for him and sat down beside him. Helping him sup the liquid, she could see more of Albert in the man. As she sat the bucket down, he frantically began to pat the bed around him.

"What are you searching for, sir?"

He gave her no answer as he continued searching vigorously. A sensation of peace came to him as he retrieved the medals that had been lost within the fabric of the sheets. With a gentle hand he tucked them into the pocket of the uniform hospital shirt.

"You're a German soldier, aren't you?" Eloise straightforwardly questioned. She eased herself into the nearby wicker chair and placed the flickering candle onto the bedside table. She could see the whites of the man's growing eyes in the darkness. Just as he went to shake his head, she spoke hushed, "You don't have to lie anymore, sir. I know for a fact that you are a German. I can tell because of those medals you have in your possession."

"Who says that I didn't steal them from a dead German?" He hollowly retorted, masked by a thick German accent. "You can't throw a stone without hitting a dead German. You know that better than anyone; and you also know that men steal trophies from them all of the time." The words came fluently from his once perfectly sealed lips.

Eloise nodded respectfully as she listened carefully to his well-developed argument. She could not deny what he addressed her with, but the medals he possessed didn't come from a common foot soldier, rather those of a decorated German airman.

"You could have stolen them," She began calmly, leaning closer toward him. "but you didn't." the finishing statement she made was whispered in German, causing his eyes to become even wider. "You don't have to hide your identity from me, sir. I know exactly what you are and I respect you."

"Then what am I?"

She offered him the kindest smile she could muster up. "You are an airman, are you not?"

He took a deep breath as a straightforward answer came, "Yes ma'am. I am." He rolled his head to the side upon the admittance of his true identity. "I have made it this far through enemy land and not a single soul ever noticed me; no one except for you has figured me out."

"You have played the part of an injured Tommie rather well, sir." She addressed him. "No one here believes you can even speak. I am truly surprised you broke your stern act with me."

"Honestly, miss, I never aimed to. My intentions were to remain silent until I was free to leave." He nervously admitted, dropping his head. "I suppose you are going to tell one of those patrolling generals of my being."

She raised a brow and shook her head. "Your secret is safe with me as long as you will carry an important message back to a German for me. I am certain that this will confuse you, but you are the only hope I have for my message to be carried."

A puzzled expression instantly appeared on his face. A silent nod came from the man as he listened carefully.

"Since you are an airman, would you happen to know Captain Albert von Brandt?" The sentence was forced from her mouth as nervously bit her bottom lip, anxiously awaiting his response.

His stare held reluctance, but he gently nodded his head. "I know him all too well, ma'am. He is actually my commander; and—" He sighed and lifted a single finger, before speaking the words Eloise least expected to hear, "he is my brother."

Eloise's eyes grew wide, astonished by the information. A breath of air dispersed from her lungs as she let his words seep into her mind. Brother—she was in utter disbelief. Her mind could not process that Albert's brother was laying before her. She glanced around the still room hoping to remain calm. A mixture of fear and excitement flooded her pounding heart. Her eyes locked back onto the reluctant man before her.

"What I am about to tell you is going to be hard to fathom but I need you to listen carefully to what I say." She began to speak. The man stared at her intently, focusing on every word she spoke. "My name is Eloise Keller. I don't know if Albert has ever mentioned me to anyone, but he was a dear friend of mine. I was the one who found him when his plane went down I Belgium and I nursed him back to heath in my cottage."

A familiar smile came onto the face of the man, "I have heard quite a bit of you. I want you to know that Albert has high respect for you, and he doesn't have that for everyone."

She beamed with joy as she lifted up her white apron and reached her hand into the wide pocket. She pulled out the small brown photograph. She glanced down at the image she held in her hand and ran her finger along the face of her son—their son.

"I want to ask you to take this photograph to him and to tell him that this is his son." She rested the image on his chest and retrieved a pencil from a nearby journal. As she began to scrawl simple words onto the back she continued, "His name is Ulrich Albert Keller."

"My brother is a father?"

When he looked up at her, confusion filling his face. He began to examine the image in his hands. Eloise carefully studied his reaction, hoping for the best. Soon his eyes lit up with excitement and a smile formed.

"I guess my brother is a father." He remarked. With a careful finger he touched the face of Ulrich. "It is as if Albert is looking back at me."

Eloise nodded, "I know that this must be incredibly hard to believe, but you must take it as the truth. I want Albert to see our son more than anything. I don't know how else to let him."

"I would like to see his son as well."

Eloise glowed with excitement, "I will bring him her tomorrow. The soldiers enjoy seeing him. It makes them forget about a war."

"I would greatly enjoy that." He remained in disbelief. "I cannot think of Albert being a father. They all said that I would be a family man first. I am proud for him."

"Well it is true," Eloise smiled. "You should try and rest, now. We will talk more tomorrow."

♠

As Eloise dressed Ulrich, a nervousness began to fill the pit in her stomach. Her secret was known by another. Her fears increased as she worried that her secret would be found out by more. She took Ulrich into her arms and placed a soft kiss on his head. She wanted nothing to happen to her son.

Softly, she treaded down the spiraling stairs. A nippy draft filled the area, brushing against her face. At the end of the hall she could see Albert's brother seated. His eyes were fixated outside. Her heart leaped with both fear and excitement as she neared the man. She wondered what his reaction was going to be. She wondered if he would like Ulrich. She hoped that he could not sense her internal fears that turned in her pounding heart.

"This is Ulrich." She whispered from behind him, hoping not to startle the man.

He slowly glanced over his shoulder. His eyes grew wide with astonishment as he stared at the child. A wide smile slowly formed on his stiff face as he neared them.

"He is his father's child." He trailed a finger along the child's smooth face. "The resemblance of them is uncanny."

A silence fell between them as the man played chipperly with the child. The nurses in passing watched them in disbelief, which gave Eloise worry. She made no effort to speak when the eyes of people were on them; but in quiet moments, she conversed with him.

"What is your name, sir? I don't believe you have ever said." Eloise questioned quietly, looking around them.

"Augustus." He said calmly. "Augustus von Brandt. The younger brother of the notorious Black Knight. He is a hard man to follow in the footsteps of, you know."

"You should not compare yourself to your brother;" a pause came to her voice, offering him a smile, "You are unique in your own way. I bet there are things you can do that Albert cannot."

She watched as a pleased expression came onto his face. "I wouldn't be certain of that, Eloise. Albert can do everything." He shrugged, "He even got an incredible woman and a beautiful son."

Eloise felt her face growing warm as he stared at her. "Albert is a very special man to me. When I found Albert, I was terrified. Somewhere during my time with him I found the most beautiful peace."

"Albert is lucky to have found a woman like you."

Eloise shook her head, unsure of his words, "I was lucky to find a man like Albert."

"How did you manage to get here?" Augustus asked, surveying the field hospital.

"I was captured on the western front." Eloise sighed with a pause. "My punishment for being a German was a sentence as a nurse for the British. I have been here ever since." A light chuckle rolled from her lips, "the irony of the matter is that I am not even a German, I am a Belgian woman."

"You will be a German now."

Eloise shook her head confused.

Augustus passed Ulrich back to Eloise, "You do realize Albert will come for you once he learns of his son. Albert won't let his family stay with the enemy."

"Please don't let him come." Eloise quickly stated, fear written in her eyes. "If he comes, they will take him. I fear what they would do to him. I cannot risk his safety for a moment with him."

"I believe they would treat him kindly."

"No." Eloise remained short. "Tell him that when the war is over, I will come for him. I still wear the ring he gave me." She reached her hand outward. The small diamonds glistened in the sunlight. "I think of him often when I look at it. There are many men who come and offer me a chance at love, but I show them my ring and deny them any feelings. I wish to be with Albert every day."

"Although he has never spoken it to anyone, I truly believe he wishes to be with you every day. Your name will appear in conversations that it is completely out of context."

Eloise smiled, patting her son on his head. "I just want Albert to know Ulrich. I fear that he will die and never know his son. That would completely break what is left of my heart."

Augustus placed his hand on her shoulder, "I promise you, Eloise, I will do my best to take the message to him. If it is up to me, my brother will know of his wonderful son."

♠

The following day, Eloise went to find Augustus. Upon entering the room, she could the bed was no longer occupied. The few possessions that he had were missing. She frantically looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of him.

"Where did he go?" Eloise questioned, motioning at the empty bed where Augustus once was.

"The quiet man left in the night." Adeline shrugged, "We none no where he went. None of the nurses saw him leave. It is as if he just vanished into thin air."

Eloise locked her eyes back onto the bed. Her heart hoped that he could return the airfield without any problems. He carried a sensitive secret with him. She wished for Albert to know the news of Ulrich, but more than anything she wanted her secret to be kept safe.

♠

Augustus staggered into the camp. The days of walking in enemy land had taken a toll on him. The nights were made for walking, while the days he would hide away in treetops and caves. Sleep was no longer a friend to him and he could feel it in his body. Aches and pains surged throughout his nerves. The injuries he had sustained were still hurting significantly, yet he forced himself to ignore them. The exhaustion was inevitable on his worn appearance. The faces of his fellow comrades looked on him as if they were looking upon a ghost. They rushed to his side and immediately caught him.

"You're alive, Augustus?" one muttered in disbelief. "Albert will be so pleased to know this. He had already informed your mother of your disappearance. They were fearing the worst for you."

Augustus looked up at the cloud filled sky and immediately laid back. A tired groan escaped from his chapped lips as he closed his eyes. The men stood around him, looking over his exhausted body. Just as he was drifting to sleep, the memory of Eloise and Ulrich popped into his mind.

"Where is Albert?" Augustus quickly jolted upright. "I must talk to him now. I carry an important message from him that cannot wait."

Despite the men's suggestions for rest, Augustus pushed himself up from the ground. He began staggering past the tents, passing by men who cheered at his return. The thundering of his heart made the walk even harder than it should have been. Unknowing of how Albert would react caused him great nerves. In the distance amidst the group of officers, the tall, slender visual of his brother appeared. He halted in his tracks and reached into his deep pocket, feeling the sturdiness of the photograph that he carried. His eyes trailed up to the sky, wondering on how he should address the subject.

Hesitantly, he began to approach the small group of gentlemen, taking each step with great consideration for his choice of wording. Albert glanced up for a second from his conversation. In a split-second he instantly turned back toward Augustus's direction.

"Brother?" the words came from his lips, halting the conversation among them. A sigh of relief came to him as Augustus became clearer.

"My dear brother!" he called out, bolting toward his unkempt sibling. He immediately pulled him into a tight embrace. "We had determined you were dead, Augustus! How did you make it over the enemy lines?"

"I escaped under the cloak of darkness." He paused, thinking of Eloise. "and a wonderful nurse helped me greatly."

"It is so nice to see you alive and well. When we received the word that you went down near enemy lines, we feared the worst for our little young pilot." His voice became softer as if he was speaking to a child. He patted Augustus's cheek lightly, smiling widely. "But by the grace of God and a wonderful nurse, you live! We must celebrate your return, brother."

Albert waved the other men goodbye and took Augustus by the arm. The two began to walk in silence toward his tent. The thundering in Augustus's chest was violent. He desired to leave and go to sleep, but he had a mission to accomplish.

When the two had finally reached the tent of Albert, Augustus spoke, "I have something I must tell you, brother."

Albert looked puzzled at his brother, "Well, let us talk." He motioned Augustus into the dimly lit tent.

Albert took a seat at a table, retrieving a bottle of wine from a nearby bin. A tension-filled silence engulfed the room as Augustus began to pace nervously. Albert carefully watched his brother's peculiar actions with concern. He slowly rose from his chair to meet Augustus.

"What is troubling your mind, brother?"

"I don't know how to go about addressing the subject," Augustus began nervously, rubbing his sweating palms down his chest. Albert raised a brow and began listening intently. "but I must speak of it now, while I still have the chance."

A long silence came between them before Albert opened his mouth to speak. "What is it brother?"

"Do you remember how I said a nurse saved my life?"

Albert nodded collectively, resting a hand upon his hip as he waited for Augustus to speak.

"She wanted me to give you this." He quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out the brown photograph, reaching it to his brother. Immediately, he braced himself for whatever would happen next.

"What is this?"

Albert glanced down at the item in his hand, flipping it over to view the image on the back. His eyes grew wide and he drew a breath at the sight of Eloise. Upon realization of who it was, he turned the picture over to read the inscription of words scrawled onto the back.

My dear Albert, upon assisting your younger brother, I am able to send you this portrait of your son and I. His name is Ulrich Albert and was born on May 22, 1917. Much love to you, wherever you may be. Love, Eloise Keller.

"I am a father..." He mumbled under his breath.

His eyes began to roam around the open space, letting the information process in his mind. He ran his fingertips along the writing. A wide smile crept onto his face as he re-read the words of Eloise. Quickly, he turned the image back over and began to study the child that Eloise held. In an instant, he jumped excitedly into the air, cheering loudly his excitement. He looked back down at the picture and pressed his lips against the child's image.

"I'm a father!" he nodded and cheered out loudly, holding his startled brother's shoulders tightly in his grasp. "Did you hear me, brother? I have a son!"

Augustus's eyes grew wide, nodding in agreement.

"I am a father!" He cried out again, jumping once more.

Augustus smiled at the joyful sight his brother made. "I take it that you are happy?"