"Because I can make a difference. Because I can't bear to sit at a desk and have people think I'm here only because of you."

"Would that be so bad?"

"Yes! I can't sit idly by while others risk their lives. While you risk yours. I was trained by the SOE, Billy. There's a job for me to do, and I can't do it sitting around headquarters!"

"But you almost were killed-"

"Yes. I was raped, beaten, drugged, and I almost killed myself because of it," she said, rattling off the physical and emotional wounds she'd suffered as if they were items on a shopping list. She faced me. "It was a nightmare, and you rescued me, Billy. In many, many ways. But now I'm better. It's behind me, and it's time I moved on."

"But-"

"But nothing, Billy. I'm going back on active duty with the SOE. I've proved to myself that I'm ready."

"You needed me, you know."

"You bastard," Diana said.

It was true. Diana had done her part, putting the pieces together, but when it came time to hunt down the German and his renegade Egyptian pals, it was my job. Diana had begged to come along. To observe, she had said. There were four of us, all well armed, so I had agreed. It was an adventure, I'd told myself. I hadn't understood that Diana needed to test herself, to see if she could stand up once again to danger and death. She'd passed the test, and ended up saving my life to boot. But that didn't change the fact that she'd used me, no matter how she dressed it up. And that to get me to allow her to tag along, she'd used all her wiles. Succumbing had been a bad move on my part, except for the bit when she'd stopped that Kraut from killing me.

I wanted to scare her, to make her think twice about parachuting into France or Greece or wherever the SOE needed a female agent. I wanted her with me and-I had to admit-I wanted her waiting for me when I got back from wherever Uncle Ike sent me next. I hated the thought of worrying about her once more, of not knowing if she was alive or dead. Or worse.