Travellin' Soldier

Chapter one

New Love

BPOV

Table three, table three, table three…ah there it is, just over near the window to watch the men go off to Vietnam for war. Just as I reached table three the most pale God like creature with messy bronze hair and green eyes, his features were square and I couldn't find a flaw in them walked through the doors of the café. He slid into a booth far away from the windows. That's when I saw what he was wearing, he was wearing Army Greens. That's why he chose that booth, trying not to see the men he would be fighting alongside and see die. I totally understand if I had to fight alongside others and watch them die, I wouldn't want to remember all that much about them. I straightened the bow that my mother put in my hair this morning and walked over to the God. He looked up and gasped, I have no idea why, I'm just ordinary, no good looks that earn me a boyfriend or husband which annoys my mother. The only thing I'm good at is playing the flute or piccolo and serving tables at the local café. I took down his order and before I walked away I heard a voice like velvet flowing from the Gods mouth "would you mind sitting down for a while and talking to me I'm feeling a little low" he asked I looked up at the clock on the wall.

"I'm off in an hour, and I know where we can go," I answered and he smiled a breathtaking smile and looked away. I finally had a chance to go back over to his table and handed him the café latte. He smiled and thanked me with a kiss on the hand. When my shift ended I walked back over to him and he stood up. I held out my hand and he grabbed it with his. I gasped when I felt the connection between our hands when they touched. I shock it off and led the soldier down to a pier that only I knew about. We sat and talked. I found out that his name was Edward Anthony Masen, that he was departing in three weeks but he had to wear his uniform until then, that he didn't want to join the Army his dad forced him to join, that he just turned 18 two days ago (I know that Edwards actually 17 but I cant say 17 when in the song that I'm taking this off the guys 18, just run with it) and that he would be trained in California before being transported to Vietnam for war. I also found out that he was a music person and that he would much rather stay and become a musician than a soldier. I told him that I was a musician, that I would rather spread my musical talent than be a waitress at the local café, that my older brother Jacob was going off to war soon as well and that I was just a plain person who had to stay and be a 'good girl' and do what my parents said. "I bet you got a boyfriend but I don't care I've got no one to send a letter to. Would you mind if I sent one back here to you?" he asked me and I almost screamed out yes but instead I was polite and softly said. "I would love that," he smiled another earth-shattering smile and I smiled back after blushing. He chuckled softly and hugged me tightly to his chest. Suddenly he realized what he had done and apologized quickly. I giggled and said, "It's quite alright," and at that he blushed the most gorgeous shade of red.

During the three weeks that Edward had left with his family and friends we had gotten close. We went out for dinner and a walk on the beach, all of a sudden he got down on one knee, he went into his pocket and pulled out a box "Bella, when I first meet you I fell in love with you straight away I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you" he opened the lid of the box and I was the most beautiful ring, it was very simple with three diamonds on a silver band. "Isabella Marie Swan will you marry me" I could feel happy tears running down my face, I looked into his beautiful green eyes "yes I will" I said as I jumped on top of him. Lets just say that night, we didn't sleep much. All too soon the day arrived when Edward had to leave me to go to war. Just before he jumped on the bus I made him promise me that he would stay safe, he did and then the Sergeant came up and Edward had to leave me. I cried that night holding the shirt and pants that Edward had given me. In return I gave him my favourite ribbons that I wear in my hair and my favourite shirt. Just so we wouldn't forget each other. Only a week had passed and his first letter arrived.

To my loving Fiancée,

I miss you so much. I wish I never had to leave you. I have kept the ribbons close to me at all times, under my boots around my ankle so they don't get dirty. At night I hold your shirt close to my chest and inhale your lovely scent. I miss you ever so much, it feels like my heart has been ripped out and given to you. The gaping hole in my chest won't go away unless I write to you or hold your shirt. Jeez that sounds scary even to me. I promise to write soon dear. I know this letter is short but promise me that you won't throw it away, that you'll keep it close. Our love will never end.

Edward

P.S. I love you. (I know it's a take off from P.S. I love you but it just fits)

I cried every time I read it, I wrote back seeing that he was at the Army Camp in California.

Dearest Edward

I miss you more than you can know. I can't keep my mind off you, it's terrible. I always wear the boxers you left me. I never leave the house without wearing a pair. I know how you feel with the gaping hole in my chest; it just won't leave unless I write to you or hold your belongings. It kills me to be this far apart from you. You better keep your promise or I'll fly over to where you are and stay with you no matter what! I promise to keep all your letters close, I won't be able to just leave without them, and I'll read them every night just to remember you. I have a surprise for you but it'll have to wait for when you come home to me. Never gonna hold the hand of another guy.

Bella

P.S. I love you!

I just couldn't tell him over a letter that anyone can read. Its better this way, I hope. I didn't know how to write it either, 'oh Edward remember that night before you left, yeah well that night we had made a lovely bundle of joy otherwise known as a child, whatda know!' not how I would tell him, I love him but I will never tell him that I'm going to have his child in a letter, that's just not right. I went to walk to the post office. On the way there people started giving me weird looks, I glanced down at my stomach and realised that I was starting to show. Fuck. I ran the rest of the way to get away from their piercing stares. I finally posted my letter and ran home, I hate peoples' stares, they burn into my back like a fire. I reached my house and slammed the door, then slid my way down the wall. My mother walked into the room and looked down at me, I hid my stomach from her glares, she didn't know about the child inside me. "Isabella we have company, come child, come" she said and I pulled on a jumper that was hanging from the table next to me. I hate it when I'm called Isabella, I rather Bella. I walked into the living room and saw a Sergeant sitting on our couch. I collapsed in tears, could it be Edward, could it be Jacob, I sobbed at the two possibilities that I hated the most. "Ma'am I have some news, a couple of night ago we got infiltrated by the enemy and they took a few of our best soldiers and one of them was your son, gunnery sergeant Swan, and we believe that they killed all of them, but we can't be sure. We're ever so sorry for your loss." He told us. And my sobs became louder, but then I realised something, he hadn't said anything about Edward. "Sir, how is Edward Masen, I need to know" and he looked at me like I grew a second head. "Mr Masen is still strong" he said and left. Well that was…pleasant. My mother picked me up from my very comfy spot on the floor, and told me "Isabella-" cringe "make us dinner, while I go get your father." Damn I hate that bitch. I made dinner and all of a sudden I was starving, I ate the whole plate before my father even made his way down the stairs. My mother was mad, she kinda looked like a dragon, it kinda looked like there was smoke coming out of her ears. I ran out of the room and locked myself in my room. I sat down in the corner which Edward called dibs on. I pulled out his latest letter which the sergeant placed in my hand before he left.

Dear love

I miss you ever so much; I wish to be in your arms again. I just wish that this stupid war was over so that I could be home with you and so I can tell you how much I love you every chance I have. I long for your embrace again. It makes me sad that I can't see you smile at me, or blush. You go the sexiest shade of pink. When it's getting kinda rough over here I think of that day sitting down at the pier and I close my eyes and see your pretty smile. Don't worry but I won't be able to write for a while. I will never stop loving you, you are the most important person in my life, I don't care about my life, it's only you.

Edward

P.S I love you

P.S.S you are my life now.

I held it close to my chest and let the tears fall. I needed him back, I just can't live without him, and Mason needs a dad in his life. I moved my hands down to my stomach and quietly said "it's your daddy Mason. He will come back, I promise" I rubbed the little bump that was slightly showing.

*The Next Day*

I had just came home from band practise when my mother came rushing over with a letter that was addressed to me. My heart dropped, Edward can't have died, he promised me he would come home. I snatched the letter from my mothers' hand and ran up to my room, hoping that it would be another letter from Edward. I opened it and it explained that the war was going our way and some of our troops would be sent home. It was addressed to me because I was to marry Edward. My travellin' soldier is coming home! My spirit was as high as the clouds, that was until I read the next line.

A reading of local dead troops will be said at the football game this coming Friday

My heart sunk. What if he had died? How will I survive, how will I explain to my mother that I'm pregnant, what about Anthony; he needs a dad in his life! My head was spinning; I guess I will find out if Edward survived in two days when I will be playing my piccolo at the football game. I hope to God that Edward is one of the soldiers coming home. I quickly said a prayer. 'God I know that I haven't been all that faithful to you, but please make sure that Edward comes home. His child needs a father in his life. Please God, I'll do anything, anything at all, if you make sure that Edward comes back to me. Please God, he's my everything.' I quickly finished my prayer and jumped into my pyjamas and slid in between my sheets and fell asleep.

*Fast Forward To Friday*

I was just getting ready to go out and march and play in front of hundreds of people. We got ready for the music interval just after the Lords prayer was said and the anthem was sung when a man walked out and took hold of the microphone. "Folks would you bow your heads for a list of local Vietnam dead." He said to the hundreds of people standing in the stands and waiting for the game to start. I was crying under the stands waiting for the list to be finished and hoping to all that was holy that Edward had survived. The footy players walked out and bowed their heads and everyone else followed suit. That's when he pulled out a list of the local Vietnam dead. He said many names and many people cried out in pain, I thought I was in the clear until…"Yorkie, Eric-" cry in pain "Newton, Mike-" cry in pain "Masen, Edward…" the world stopped. I collapsed onto the ground in pain; the hole in my chest became a wildfire. I screamed louder than anyone else in the whole place had. I looked around and saw that no-one cared that the man that I love has died trying to defend this country. These people make me sick. My life, my world, my everything shattered in that one instant. I never stopped crying, I couldn't. I pulled at my hair, I pushed away anyone who tried to get close enough to hold me, I clawed at the ground wishing it to eat me whole, I sobbed until I was sure that my eyes would fall out because of the flow of tears that wouldn't stop, I clung to my stomach that was holding the last thing that would ever remind me of Edward, his child. I was thinking of jumping up and killing myself but I remembered that I would be killing two people, one of which hasn't seen the light of day yet. The fire inside my chest had become worse, making me claw at my chest to make it stop. Is this a sick joke? Because if it is, it ain't funny! Why aren't people upset about this? I ripped the ribbon out of my hair and hurled it to the ground. I rolled around in agony wishing for myself to wake up from this nightmare. My heart was given to a man of whom I loved with everything I had, and I would never get it back, he had it forever. I kept clawing at the ground and rolling in the dirt, tears rolling down my face until someone lifted me up when I wasn't paying attention and sat me on a seat under the stands. I looked up at the person and saw Angelia looking at me worriedly. When I found my voice I weakly said "I love him, and he's gone. I LOVE HIM!!" finally my voice became stronger and I cried out for the world to hear "I'm never gonna hold the hand of another guy, Edward has my heart, no-one else will come close to him!" and that's when I blacked out.