The Soldier's Hostage

Chapter Thirty

Arthur decided that a tattoo would be better than a scar. A little more permanent. So he called up Tony and explained to her what we were after.

Tony took on the project with a good deal of excitement, quickly sketching out our design and telling us to meet her at her shop when she was finished. Arthur sat me down while Tony dug out the sketchbook and happily showed us what she had. "What do you think?"

I looked over the fierce looking eagle with the words 'WIR SIND EINE' surrounding it. I grinned at Tony, then up at Arthur. Arthur regarded it pensively, then seemed to reluctantly nod. Tony rolled her eyes and waved him off.

"You know you like it."

Arthur shot me an amused look when Tony dropped her head back over the sketch. I grinned back, then leaned to see what Tony was doing a little better. She added a few finishing touches and then looked it all over again. "How big do you want it?" I glanced at Arthur, directing Tony's gaze that way as well.

Arthur studied me, more specifically my chest, before holding up his palm. "About that big, excluding the fingers." Tony's eyes studied his hand, judging the distance, then she nodded and scanned her drawing into a computer to re-size it. Then she was printing out a new paper with the design on it in purple ink.

"Shirt off Tucker." I quickly complied with Arthur's order, then held still while Tony shaved the area she would be tattooing and placed the special paper over my heart to transfer the ink to my skin. When she pulled it away, her design was left behind as a guideline before she started inking. She made sure we were both happy with the size, position, and design one last time before sitting down to get started.

"Got a color in mind or just straight black?"

I hesitated. I hadn't thought about that. Scars didn't come in colors after all. I glanced at Arthur for his opinion. He just cocked his head in question. I bit my lip and glanced in the mirror that hung behind Tony. Then I was meeting her expectant gaze. "Straight black. We aren't much more complicated than that."

Tony chuckled and nodded, dipping her tool in the black ink and waiting for me to get comfortable. Then she started inking Arthur's mark into my flesh. We hadn't gotten too far before the silence got to Tony. She glanced up at Arthur in a space where she wiped ink from my chest. "I thought the only thing you kept of Germany was the language Arthur."

Arthur shook his head. "I loved my mother country. Just because I was pulled from there and ushered into your family doesn't mean that changed."

Tony pulled the tool from my skin to grin at me. "Lured and seduced is more like it. Poor thing wasn't left with much of a choice in becoming a part of our family."

I nodded as she bent back over her work. "I heard some of that story."

Tony hummed, her eyes fixed on her work. "Not the whole story? Shame on you Arthur. Poor guy is probably burning with curiosity. Go on. Tell us a story."

"It's boring."

"It is not. It's actually kind of romantic. You want to hear it, right Tucker?"

I felt Arthur looking at me and glanced at him. "You don't have to if you don't want to." Arthur narrowed his eyes at me, finding my true curiosity beneath my desire to allow him his privacy if he wanted it.

He finally shrugged. "I was born in Germany. I was orphaned early on and grew up on my own. I met an older woman when I was about nineteen. She seduced me with promises to love me and take care of me. I knew better, but I went along with it, hoping to get what I could out of it. One day, she decided we were going to go to France. I wasn't opposed. Germany was falling head first into the second world war after all. I loved my country, but I didn't want to die in a war."