Enigma (closed)

[heartofcourage]

"You know what I want, Jim." Victoria murmured, whimpering as he pumped his fingers into her wet entrance, slowing his pace to match what she was doing to him. "I want you loving me deeply."

She turned her head to capture his lips again, tugging him by his cock gently until they were both relaxed back on the bed. She grinned up at him, sighing as his heavy body settled over the top of hers in such a reassuring way. Nearly every night they found themselves like this, him nestled in the cradle of her hips, their lips trapping one another until they were both breathless. It was truly beautiful.

She guided him towards her entrance, biting her lower lip as his fingers pulled free from her body. The feel of his smooth, velvety head pressing against her made a small moan burst forth from her lips. She would miss him while he was gone, but she was sure that he knew that. The long hours and uncertainty that surrounded them both would take a toll, but it would make their reunion all the sweeter.

 

[KiwiD82]

"And you know I want nothing else."

James let Victoria lead him. He adored resting atop her, the pair of them naked as the day they were born, entering sexual bliss.

He kissed her slowly but hungrily as he entered her and began to gently thrust into her. If they had fucked in the kitchen, then they were making love in the bedroom as they so often had, savouring each other's body and all the sights, sounds and smells that came along with the experience.

They pleasured one another in the way that only lovers who know each other's desires could possibly manage. The slow pace allowed them to prolong their intimacy late into the night.

This, James decided, was paradise. After the war, he hoped to return here every night.

The world outside had fallen quiet by the time they had both climaxed, and James lay down beside his queen, a sheen of sweat reflecting the moonlight across both of them as he nuzzled in beside her.

"You, my love, are perfect."

He was exhausted from the night's activities and it wasn't long before he was drifting off to sleep.

 

[heartofcourage]

Victoria smiled serenely as James pulled the blankets up around them, nuzzling against her cheek as they both finally drifted off to sleep. Sleeping next to him was one of her greatest pleasures. He was warm, her head fit just right against the crook of his shoulder. When she was cold, she could place her toes under his legs and he never once complained. That was what true love was.

The next morning, Victoria was up with the sun. In their line of work, sleep was a luxury and it didn't matter if she had spent the night in bed with him, there were things to be done. She had dressed warmly that morning as a grey rain fell outside. A tweed skirt fell to just below her knees, a white button up blouse, and a warm grey cardigan were chosen before she slipped downstairs to start breakfast for the both of them.

"Jim? You better hurry if you want to catch your bus!" She called up the stairs as she fried an egg for both of them, placing it on a plate with toast and a thick cut slice of ham.

She placed jam and butter on the table as well as a cup of tea for both before she sat down to eat without him. Some days she wondered how she could be ready to go so much before him when there was more to do. She had makeup, hair, pressing her clothes...he would always remain a mystery to her.

 

[KiwiD82]

James wasn't a morning person. He never had been. Even as a young boy with his first paying job, he frequently had to be woken up by his father to ensure he had newspapers delivered to houses before the local newsagent's shop opened for the day.

He was no longer in need of someone to stir him, but he did enjoy lying in bed in the morning sun. It also meant the unique pleasure of watching a naked Victoria get up in the morning: her breasts bouncing gently; her bottom jiggling temptingly; her hair loose over her neck and upper back. It never got old and it was well worth waking up earlier for.

By the time Victoria called out, James was dressed, shaved, and making his way downstairs.

He smiled at her when he saw the generous spread on the table. She always spoiled him when it came to his appetite.

"It smells delicious," he observed as he approached the table. "But I know it won't taste as good as you."

James bent down and kissed his lover gently on the lips, letting the moment linger all too briefly before finding his seat and breaking his fast.

"I'm going to miss you terribly while I'm away," he continued between mouthfuls of the cooked meal. "I'll telegraph you when I know what day I'll be returning. I do hope you'll be able to meet me at the station that day."

 

[heartofcourage]

Victoria smiled when he finally appeared, clean shaven and dressed in a fresh suit. He always looked so dapper first thing in the morning. Then he bent to kiss her and she let out a sigh as it lingered. He certainly wouldn't make the bus at this rate, she thought to herself as he finally took his seat to start on his breakfast.

"I was thinking about going to the country for a few days while you were gone. Perhaps you could join me there if you get done in enough time. My father always likes having you around." Victoria mentioned as she took a sip from her teacup, giving him a little grin over the rim of it.

It was true. Her father did enjoy having James around. He was an extra set of hands. She was the oldest of six, two brothers off the war with the RAF and three younger sisters who were still back at home on the farm. Her father would put him to work the moment he set foot in the barnyard and James would do it without question.

"I have some time coming to me from Bletchley. Or I could save it and the two of us could get away to the shore for a few days." She suggested, thinking of all the possibilities to be had with James and a little vacation time.

 

[KiwiD82]

"The country sounds like a great idea," James replied between mouthfuls, even as he tried to hasten his eating. "I'll be sure to send my telegram there instead of here."

Victoria's grin and the confidence with which she invited him to spend time with her family always put him at ease.

James genuinely enjoyed her family. Though he had yet to meet her brothers, he found her sisters more than pleasant, and her parents had always given him a fair shot. In fact, James viewed Victoria's father as if he were his own.

Of course, the man was Scottish, and James only had English blood flowing through his veins, but his own father had been wounded in the Great War and had often felt distant. When his father had eventually passed a few years after the war, it wasn't a sudden sense of loss that had struck James, but a sudden realisation that he'd never had much of whatever it was he was supposed to lose in the first place.

Even two decades on, seeing Victoria with her father had reminded James of how the family dynamic was supposed to work. Contributing a little sweat to get some of the farm tasks done was the least he could do.

"It'll be good to see your father again," he continued as he finished his breakfast and rose from the table, reaching out to gently caress Victoria's cheek. "But a vacation with you would be perfect. We deserve a break. Let's make plans when I get back."

James bent down again and kissed her on the lips once more. He paused to inhale her perfume, then stood and turned.

"Now I must be off, Miss Stirling, or I'll miss my bus, and MI5 won't be happy!"

 

[heartofcourage]

Victoria was pleased that he had agreed to come to the country with her. It would be a good chance to get away from the city and all of the stress that came with that. There was fresh air out in the country, space to get away from other people, and the opportunity to sit and simply talk without work getting in the way.

She knew that James enjoyed being around her family. Her father treated him like one of his sons and her mother had always said that he was the perfect match for Victoria. They completed each other in a way that few people ever enjoyed.

Victoria glanced up as James stood, finished with his breakfast. She gave him a smile as he caressed her cheek, bending down to kiss her one last time before he had to head off. She stood as he turned, moving around in front of him. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly, letting out a soft sigh at the fact that he would be gone for so long.

"I love you, Jim." She murmured softly, in a loving voice. "Come back home to me safely."

 

[KiwiD82]

It felt good to be held in Victoria's embrace, just like it always had. Clothed or naked, her arms slid around him in a gentle, familiar way. Leaving such an embrace always took some getting used to.

"I love you too, my queen," he whispered in response, his own arms encircling her petite form. "You needn't worry about me. I'll be back in these lovely arms of yours before you know it."

One last quick kiss - for good luck, James secretly decided - and the embrace ended as he rushed out the door.

+++

James tried his best to appear calm to the inspector looking over the ticket. The MI5 agent knew the ticket itself was fine, but he was still terrified.

It had been a week since he'd left Milton Keynes for Edinburgh, but the return journey seemed as though it was happening at a painfully slow pace.

He should have been reflecting on another successful mission: not for the first time, a German operative had been turned and would soon be sending misinformation to his former masters in Berlin.

But something that had been said during the operation was still bothering him. It was of course ridiculous, but James knew his superiors wouldn't take it lightly.

Consequently, neither could he, even if it had meant sending Victoria a rather cryptic telegram to collect him from the station. He knew he was taking a huge risk, but he had to talk to her himself.

This information, if true, was baffling at the very least. At the very worst, it was treasonous and - for James - personally heartbreaking.

The inspector clipped his ticket, then turned to leave as he spoke: "We reach Milton Keynes in twenty minutes, sir."

 

[heartofcourage]

Victoria had been in the midst of planning her trip to the country when she had received word from James that he was coming back. Her bags were packed and ready to go. All she needed was for him to walk through the door and she would whisk him away to some much needed time in the country with just the two of them.

It was a little worrying that she had gotten a telegram from him that simply said to meet him at the station. She hadn't heard a word from him since he had left and then that impersonal message made her worry slightly. What had happened while he was gone to Scotland, she wondered to herself as she rode her bicycle to the station to meet him.

It was still raining, much like the day he had left. Her brown overcoat and jaunty brown hat saved her from most of the rain, but it did nothing to raise her spirits. She was worried for her lover and she was worried about what he meant. It was the only thing that was going through her head. What had happened?

When she arrived at the station, she parked her bicycle in the designated area and quickly walked into the station. His train would be there any moment and she waited on the platform, straining to catch sight of him for the first time in a week.

 

[KiwiD82]

James spent the last minutes of his train journey hurriedly scribbling down a note. His heart was racing and he still didn't understand what was going on, but he wanted to take every precaution.

He gathered his suitcase with the note in his other hand as the locomotive whistled its arrival and slowly pulled to a stop, steam billowing onto the platform.

James looked out through the rain spattered windows. His heart skipped when he saw Victoria, dressed for the cold but hot enough to melt the icecaps. He yearned to rush over to her; embrace her; kiss her.

But not until he knew they were safe.

Catching the arm of a small boy running along the platform, James handed him the note, along with a halfpenny, and directed him towards Victoria. Then the MI5 agent, cautious as he'd ever been, left the train and departed the station by the opposite way. Even if she was to see him from behind, she wouldn't have seen the pain etched on his face as he literally turned his back on the love of his life.

Once Victoria was able to read it, the note's contents were as follows:

To my queen,

Please don't be alarmed. I am fine but we need to discuss a rather urgent matter.

Get to my place tonight after dark. Go a different way than usual, and double check that nobody is following you.

Come to the back door.

I'm probably overreacting but I need to ensure your safety above all else.

I love you.

James

 

[heartofcourage]

Victoria's heart skipped a beat as the train pulled to a stop. She had wanted to see James for days and it seemed that the moment had finally arrived. She would have launched herself into his arms if they had been alone, but since the train station was full, she simply stood there with some level of decorum.

She waited as the train emptied. When James didn't appear, she frowned slightly, wondering if his telegram had been wrong or she had been on the wrong platform. That was when a little boy came up and handed her a note before he scampered back off into the crowd around her. Opening the folded piece of paper, she was startled by what she read.

Was this a game, she wondered to herself. It wasn't like James to do this sort of thing. He hated puzzles and he had wanted to see her, so why was he sending her to his house after dark instead of meeting her there on the platform. Perhaps her teasing about another woman had really come true.

The ride back to her apartment seemed long and endless. She chained her bike back up on the outside railing before she entered into the warm and inviting space. What was going on? What had gotten into James? She pondered that as the day drew on and shortly before dusk, she called for a cab. The cabbie arrived and helped her to load her luggage into the vehicle before they took off into the night heading towards James's home. She hoped that when she arrived, he would give her some kind of explanation as to what was going on.

 

[KiwiD82]

James spent the rest of the day worrying. He didn't know what to expect.

Was Victoria okay? Would she come? Would she be on her own? Was she even who she claimed to be?

He hated the thought of worrying her, and he'd done his best with his rushed note to reassure her, but he knew she'd be confused and concerned.

When the quiet, late night knock finally came at the back door, he was quick to open it. Victoria's worried face greeted him, but he was just so grateful to see her that he swept her up in his arms and held her in a tight embrace, his heart pounding against her as the gentle rain lazily blanketed them both.

 

[heartofcourage]

When Victoria finally arrived at his home, she wasn't sure what she was going to find. The note had concerned her but she knew that she had to give James the benefit of the doubt. He had never lied to her in the entire time that they had been together and this had to be no different.

After the cabbie had unloaded her luggage and she had paid him for his service, she turned towards the door and knocked on it softly. When James opened the door, she looked at him with a mixture of confusion and relief. He swept her up in his arms, her cheek pressed against his chest as the rain fell around them.

"Jim, what's going on?" She managed to get out, turning her dark brown eyes towards his own. "Why were you not at the train station? What's going on with the note that you sent me?"

 

[KiwiD82]

James held Victoria close for several quiet moments, savouring what he could in the dark wetness of a night that gifted them weather in the same miserable mood that they each found themselves in.

In one way, it was just like it always had been. But in every other way, it was nothing like it.

When he finally opened his mouth to speak, the words should have come easily. He had always felt comfortable with Victoria and he'd been practicing what he might say for much of the afternoon, but when he opened his mouth, he initially faltered.

He was risking so much. They both were.

James glanced quickly at Victoria's luggage, then leaned in closely to whisper: "You'll think I've gone mad, but just play along as if you were an actor at the theatre. I'll explain more on the morrow."

Then he stood upright again, and spoke in his regular volume. His tone was warm and relaxed.

"Just a silly planning error on my part, my dear. Tomorrow, we shall take to the country as planned for our weekend getaway. The Thames Valley is supposed to be beautiful this time of year."

He stepped back slightly toward the house.

"Cup of tea?"

He knew she must think he had lost his marbles, but he hoped she would give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

[heartofcourage]

Victoria's brow crinkled slightly as James whispered against her ear, telling her to play alone and he would explain more in the morning. Whatever had happened in Scotland must have been huge and it was all part of his job, which is why she wasn't privy to instant information. She simply nodded at his request, watching as he looked over her shoulder before he turned his attentions towards her with a bogus explanation.

"A cup of tea would be lovely." She said softly as she followed him into his darkened kitchen, her overcoat dripping onto the floor as she simply stood there staring at him.

There was a lot that she wanted to ask him, but for once, she bit her sharp tongue and kept her comments to herself. She shrugged out of her overcoat, draping it over a kitchen chair before she turned to look at her luggage sitting outside the door in the rain.

"My clothes are going to be soaked." She murmured softly, looking up at him as everything just kind of swirled around her.

 

[KiwiD82]

James put the kettle on as soon as they walked into the kitchen, then helped Victoria out of her heavy overcoat.

The worry and confusion in her eyes was impossible to ignore.

"All will be fine, I'm sure," he whispered, more hopeful than confident, caressing the cold skin of her face and gently kissing her lips once.

He turned to look at the luggage, then nodded and went to collect the bags.

"Your clothes should be fine," he replied confidently as he carried her luggage just inside the door. "And besides, it has all night to dry if needbe."

James poured Victoria's cup of tea, then offered it to her.

"Best drink up quickly so we can both get to bed," he smiled.

Then he took a pen and some paper and began to write. They had to communicate somehow, and until he was confident that his lover's possessions hadn't been bugged, this seemed the most sensible solution.

Several moments of silence filled the room as one wrote and the other drank and waited to read.

I will explain everything tomorrow. For now, we must act as if nothing is out of the ordinary. It's possible we are being listened to. We must put on a show as it were - to avoid rousing suspicions. Tonight must be the same as every other night, but we should avoid using actual names, just in case. Do you think you can manage it?

 

[heartofcourage]

Victoria watched as James flittered around the room, unable to sit still. He was trying to reassure her, kissing her on the lips and murmuring that everything would be alright. She was still standing there in the middle of the kitchen as he hurried outside for her luggage, placing it just inside the backdoor before he poured her a cup of tea and told her to drink up so that they could get to bed.

She drank from her cup as he suddenly produced a piece of paper and scribbled something on it in a furious rush before he passed it to her. Her eyes flicked over the words before she glanced up at him, confusion and a little bit of anger crossing her features. She was quick to anger sometimes and it was frustrating now since she couldn't outright ask him what she wanted to.

Her only response was to nod that she understood. She passed the paper back across the table to him, moving out of the kitchen and into his front parlor. It was how he always left it, slightly messy but still the same. Had he been caught up in something dangerous and now she was in danger? What had happened in the week that he had been gone?

"You still need to pack before we leave." She called into the kitchen, trying to act normal. "Shall we go to the bedroom?"

 

[KiwiD82]

James knew Victoria was getting angry. He'd learnt to recognise the signs over the last couple of years. And he hated making her angry.

The only thing worse in that moment about not being able to stop her becoming angry was that he couldn't even tell her why he was being so vague and generally elusive.

He also hated that she was being put at risk, but at least he was there to protect her.

And if they were indeed being listened to, he didn't want their eavesdroppers to hear anything remotely interesting.

"Actually, I've already packed," he replied.

In reality, he still hadn't unpacked from his trip to Edinburgh.

"But yes, we should retire. We have a long drive in the morning."

James took Victoria's hand and held it gently, then guided her upstairs. His fingers were warm and caressing as they climbed. He really did love her, despite keeping her in the dark for the moment.

 

[heartofcourage]

Victoria turned to look at him as he replied that he was already packed. Of course he was, she thought to herself. He probably hadn't had time to unpack from his trip. This wasn't how she imagined the start of their vacation away from the city. It wasn't how she had imagined how their reunion would have gone when he stepped off the train.

She said nothing as he took her hand and pulled her up the stairs towards his bedroom. She said nothing as the door was closed behind them. She said nothing as she placed her tea cup on the side table and turned to look at him with her arms crossed over her chest. She still had no idea what was going on and her pursed lips showed him her displeasure.

"Can I speak yet?" She asked him, waiting for his answer to the affirmative or negative.

 

[KiwiD82]

James silently weighed up his options. If the information he'd received was somehow true - despite all evidence to the contrary - and Victoria Stirling was some kind of German spy, then MI5 would be onto her soon anyway. And if she wasn't, he'd only damage their relationship.

It seemed he had to tell her.

"I think so," he replied, though he still spoke quietly.

Victoria's luggage was downstairs by the door, and he doubted any potential microphones would be able to pick up their upstairs voices.

James sighed heavily and sat on the side of the bed facing Victoria.

"I'm so sorry for putting you through this, darling, but I have to be careful. I have sensitive information that may end my career - or worse - if it gets out."

He felt as though the world was sitting on his shoulders but the more angry Victoria had become, the more innocent she had seemed.

"When I was in Edinburgh, I came across some information," he continued, clearly choosing his words carefully. "Initially, I disregarded it because of my own personal experience. But I know my superiors won't view it with such a cavalier attitude."

James paused again and looked down, realising he had already said too much. When he looked up again, he was unable to hide his pained expression, and his voice was quiet once again.

"Your name got mentioned."

 

[heartofcourage]

Victoria listened as James spoke, letting him have his say in the matter. When he finally started to reveal what little information he could, she was stunned. Her name had been mentioned during his investigation? Why would her name have been mentioned?

"James, I don't understand." She said, her arms still crossed over her chest as she stared at him.

He looked so down and defeated as he sat there on the edge of the bed, struggling to come up with a way to make things better. Again, she wanted to know what had happened in Scotland that had caused him to come home so different than when he had left.

"How could my name come up in your work?" She asked him, letting out a deep breath as she thought through all of the possibilities. "I carry the same security clearance that you do. They don't take things like this lightly at Bletchley. I would assume things are the same for you. How did my name come up while you were gone?"

 

[KiwiD82]

James knew he'd well and truly crossed the line, now. If it got out that he was sharing operational information before it had been declassified or even reported, he could find himself being tried as a double agent.

Victoria was the most intelligent woman he'd ever known - she had to be aware of the gravity of the situation.

She was also beginning to panic.

"I was receiving information about a German officer. I can't say who. My informant said he had a daughter called Victoria."

He raised a hand as if to counter her impending objection.

"You are, of course, not the only Victoria in Europe, but apart from having a German surname, she and you are identical: both born in England on the same day to an English woman with your mother's first name."

James took a moment to simultaneously catch his breath and give his lover a chance to take it all in.

"This officer is well respected in the Third Reich. British Military Intelligence will be watching him. If this information arrives at MI5, it won't take them long to notice the similarities. I know it's all nonsense, but that's why I wanted to be careful. They may be observing you to see if you are what all of this insinuates: a German spy."

James felt as though his weight had been lifted, but then transplanted straight onto Victoria. He waited with baited breath for her reaction.

 

[heartofcourage]

Victoria listened calmly to his story, struck by the similarities of what he was telling her. There was no way that she was the women that had been mentioned though. Absolutely no way. She let out a long sigh and moved to sit beside him on the bed, staring into the darkened room as she thought about her words carefully.

"James, my father is Robert Stirling. He's the farthest thing away from a German soldier. Hell, he even fought against Germany back in the teens. I understand you have your misgivings about all of this, but there is absolutely no way that I will be connected to this." She murmured as she turned her eyes towards James. "This damned war is going to tear us apart sooner or later."

She was quiet then, turning over all of that information in her head. Perhaps it was a coincidence that this informant had information about a woman with her name, born on her birthday, to a woman with her mother's name. Still, she had no idea how something like that could have been overlooked while her credentials were being vetted by Bletchley.

"You can always talk to my mother and you will hear the same thing. I would think she remembered my birth." She murmured, grasping at straws. "And this is what has gotten you so upset? Jim, you could have talked to me about this without all of the secrecy."

 

[KiwiD82]

James was grateful to have Victoria sitting next to him, and her rebuttals were much the same as his own had been when he'd heard the news.

"I know your father," he replied quietly. "And I know it's nonsense. I just fear that MI5 might jump too quickly to conclusions. I couldn't bear to see you being interrogated."

He hung his head, then took her hand in his own.

"Would you...could we...talk to your mother this weekend? Get this silly madness sorted out? Then I can put the information I received into my report without worrying that someone will start following you."

James felt like a fool. Of course Victoria wasn't a spy - he'd known that at his core - but if her mother could confirm Robert Stirling the Scotsman as the father, it would give him a sense of relief all the same.

 

[heartofcourage]

"You wouldn't see me interrogated. When they find out about our relationship, I would doubt that we would see each other for a very long time." Victoria said softly as he took her hand in both of his own and held it, a soft sigh leaving her lips as she thought about this impossible situation.

"Of course we can talk to my mother. She'll tell you just what I have." She said softly as she looked over at James and reached up to gently touch his cheek. "You look like hell, Jim. Have you slept at all since you left my apartment?"

She could see his worry and concern on his face and she knew just how much this entire mess had effected him. She hated to see him like this but she knew that it all came with his job. There were times when things were great and there were times when things were very, very bad.