A/N: Hi, guys! I'm back with a new fic! I got the idea the other day and I just had to write it. I really hop you enjoy it. I'm already about halfway finished with Chapter Two, so that should be up sometime this weekend. A bit of background: Emma is 16 and Will is 18. Will's father walked out on him and his mother when he was four years old. Will's current caregiver is his grandmother. Emma's OCD is hinted at, but not really a huge factor yet.

ALSO VERY IMPORTANT: though the year is 1959, I am not using any real war in this fic. It's just a war, not one historically specific.

Also a big thank you to my kickass beta, Nicole!(: You rock, ma'am!

As always, Read&Review is GREATLY appreciated! -Tay

Chapter 1: Goodbye's the Hardest Part

He walked into the café, his mind in a haze. He couldn't believe that this was happening – he was barely eighteen years old. He felt like he had his whole life ahead of him. He'd been accepted to the top schools in the country, and it was all shattered. Who knows when he'd be able to pick back up again? Would he be able to pick back up again?

His duffel was heavy; his uniform was stiff and hot. The summer heat in the café made the air stale and a sweat formed on his brow as he sat down at a table, looking around. His eyes fell on the back of one of the waitress. Her hair was copper and shiny, pulled back into a ponytail with a perfectly tied white bow on top of it. In spite of the day he was having, he smiled. She was a sweet girl. They were best friends. They'd been on a few dates, but nothing too serious, yet. He was going to ask her to be his girlfriend this weekend. He'd harbored feelings for her for so long. He could remember back to elementary school, sitting next to her when she'd read at recess instead of playing Cowboys and Indians with the other boys on the playground.

Will ran out to the giant sandbox on the playground, thankful that it was recess. Today, they'd started doing long division and his young brain felt like it was going to explode. Why did they have to do things the long way? Wasn't it easier to take a shortcut? He'd just been about to jump onto a huge hill of sand when he saw a little girl sitting awkwardly on the corner of the sandbox. Her hair was red and she had two pigtails, each held up by a tiny bow. She had a book open on her lap and the idea that she was reading instead of playing confused him. He scampered over to the little girl and stood in front of her, putting his hands on his hips.

"Why are you reading?" He asked, not bothering to introduce himself.

The little girl looked up at him, squinting in the sun.

"I wanna be smart!" She was seven years old and all she wanted was to be super smart like her older brother Chris. He was in middle school and everyone thought he was cool.

Will considered this for a moment and shook his head, his little curls on his scalp bouncing around.

"You can get smart in school. But it's outside time. Make friends. Come play Cowboys and Indians. We need a girl to be Annie Oakley."

"I don't wanna make friends and be Annie Oakley. I don't wanna get dirty." She looked back at her book, deciding to ignore the boy before her as she attempted to read her book. She was wildly advanced in her reading, mainly because she liked doing so rather than playing outside.

"You're really weird." Will said, laughing.

The little girl looked up at him and smiled. "Okay." She looked back at her book.

Will moved and sat down next to her. "Well you can't be lonely. My mom says that boys are supposed to take care of girls, and if I leave you here by yourself you might get hurt."

"That's what my mommy tells my big brother! She tells him that he can't just kiss girls and that we are special presents and we have to be taked care of." The little girl smiled, excited by the coincidence.

"So I'll take care of you, then. I'm Will, and I'm nine and a half."

The little girl looked at him and smiled. "Okay. I'm Emma and I'm seven and a quarter."

"That's a pretty name, Emma."

"WILL! COME ON WE NEED YOU TO BE JESSE JAMES!" A boy ran up to him, yelling in excitement, a huge smile on his face.

"You be Jesse James. I'm gonna play here with Emma." Will nodded.

"But she's a girl! She's a tiny, little girl!"

"So?"

Will's friend looked at him like he was crazy and turned around, running back to his pals, "WILL SAYS I CAN BE JESSE JAMES!"

Will looked over at Emma and smiled at her. She shyly smiled back.

He'd been teased because she was a "little girl," being two years younger than him, but he didn't care. At that young age, he was pretty sure he knew what love was. Love was Emma Pillsbury. The girl turned around, her yellow dress swishing slightly as she set her pad and pen in the pocket of her apron, holding a few menus in her other arm.

"Right, I'll get that order in for you." She flashed the man and woman seated at the table one of her breathtaking smiles. When was the next time he'd see that smile?

Emma disappeared back behind the counter, calling the order to the cooks in the back before turning her attention to the café's house. He saw her smile as her eyes fell on him, but upon taking in his appearance, Emma's smile fell. He watched as she rushed over, her eyes slightly wide.

"Will, no."

He nodded and swallowed. The look of sadness on her face was too much. She was so sweet and innocent and cared so deeply for everyone.

"How long?"

"The bus is coming by tonight at seven."

Her teeth caught her lower lip and she nodded. It was only noon. "Okay. I'm off in an hour. Wait for me here? Please?"

Will nodded and looked at her. "I promise."

Emma gave Will one lingering look before nodding her head. She turned and went back behind the counter, getting a cup and filling it with coffee, taking it and putting it in front of Will. She then went to tend to her other customers. Her heart was racing and she could feel tears threatening to break through her tear ducts. A lump formed in her throat and made it hard for her to breathe. How could he be drafted? There'd been rumors that it could happen, but why to Will? Why now? They'd just celebrated his eighteenth. They had a date this weekend; she was going to surprise him with cookies like she knew he liked. How long had he known? Why hadn't he told her sooner? They all knew how war worked, and a lot of the men who went to fight never came back. She desperately hoped that Will would be the exception to the rule.

Will watched Emma for the rest of her shift. He could tell that she was struggling with the information she'd been presented. Her brow was furrowed and her usually cheery and perky demeanor was slightly off. When she finished her shift, she tossed her apron on the rack and walked over to Will, taking a breath.

"Since we have time, I know where we should go," Her voice was strained and Will knew she was trying to hold back tears.

"Anywhere, Em."

Twenty minutes later, they found themselves sitting on the edge of the pier at Lake Lima. The water was murky and there were bugs flying around the surface of it. Normally, this would have made Emma squeamish, but in this moment, it was perfectly silent and still aside from the hum of the bugs and their breathing. It was calm.

The pair remained silent for some time, each of them in what they thought was their own little world, but each of them was thinking of the same things. Will wondered if Emma knew he loved her. He wondered if she returned the feelings. He wondered if he'd ever be coming back to her. Emma wondered if Will loved her like she loved him. She wondered if she was reason enough for him to fight hard and come home to her. Emma wondered if he'd ever come back. A tear slid down her cheek and she closed her eyes, taking a breath through her nose.

"Emma…" Will's voice was gentle. He'd been watching her while her eyes looked anywhere but at him. His heart broke, seeing the tear and he reached over to wipe it away.

She swallowed and opened her eyes, looking at him. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be crying. You're the one who has to leave. I just – Will, I am going to miss you so much." He was so much to her. He was her best friend, and she loved him. She loved him as more than just a best friend.

Will's eyes pricked with tears at her words. He reached over and pulled her into a hug. "Emma, I am going to miss you more than anything." He kissed the top of her head. "You are my best friend, and I don't know where I would be without you."

Emma returned Will's tight embrace and rested her face in his shoulder, breathing in the scent of Will. "You're mine, too." She sniffled as more tears came.

Will pulled away and looked at her. He held her face in his hands, each hand gently cupping a cheek. He took in the color of her eyes, her red cheeks, the spattering of freckles across her nose, the way her eyes were so big and beautiful. His thumbs wiped away tears as they fell onto her cheeks and he took a deep breath, feeling a lump form in his own throat.

"Emma, I know we had a date this weekend," he nodded slightly, swallowing the lump, "And I was going to wait until then, but I guess I can't now." He paused, gathering his thoughts. He could feel his eyes threatening with tears again as hers continued flowing, but she stared at him, unblinking as if memorizing him just as he was memorizing her. "Emma, I want you to be my girlfriend. I know I have awful timing and I'm leaving tonight, but I can't leave without knowing what I'm fighting to come home to. You know I don't have anyone else besides you and my Grandmother. So, please, Emma. Will you be my girlfriend?"

Her tears came faster and thicker at his words, but she nodded. "Y-yes." That was all the response she could muster for fear of breaking down. Will's heart swelled at her words; he knew what he was fighting for now. It wasn't just some war that was started by other people. It was now, in his mind, a fight to come home to Emma. He leaned in to kiss her lips and she returned the action gently. Her heart was both swelling and breaking at the same time. It was all too much.

When they broke away, Will lay back on the pier and Emma laid against him, her head resting on his shoulder. They remained silent; what could they say? Anything they said or did would just make this harder on them. It was bad enough being torn apart as best friends, but now it was more difficult, because it meant their harbored feelings were out in the open. The pair laid there for hours in silence, Will randomly turning his head to kiss Emma. He had to kiss her as often as he could before he left, get all of the kisses that she deserved in before it was too late.

As the sun began to set, Will let out a sigh and spoke the words they'd been dreading since they arrived at the pier. "Emma, I have to go." He spoke the words gently and regretfully, stroking her hair. She just nodded and stood, extending her hand to him, her mind racing frantically to figure out what to say to him before he left.

He stood and held her face again, looking her in the eyes. "Emma, please stay safe and take care of yourself. You have two years left of high school. Keep doing what you're doing, okay? I want to come home to your graduation ceremony." He let out a small laugh and a smile. "I will write to you every day that I can." He leaned forward and kissed her again, lips lingering longer than necessary. She returned the kiss, swallowing when he pulled away. New tears were on her cheeks and she took a deep breath, willing herself to listen to him. "I promise, I will."

Her arms wrapped around him tightly and she buried her face in his neck. Will's arms wrapped around her waist and he held her close, memorizing the feel of her tiny frame against him and in his arms. Finally, he broke away and held her at arm's length.

"I have to go."

With that, he bent over and picked up his duffel, slinging it over his shoulder. He began to walk away and Emma watched him, her world turning slightly colder as her best friend – boyfriend – got further from her. Was your heart supposed to break like this at only sixteen? When he was almost to the road, Emma took a few steps forward.

"Will?"

He turned and looked at her and she bit her lip, finally deciding on what she'd say to him.

"Yeah?"

"I…" She hesitated. "I love you."

He cracked a smile. "I love you, too, Emma." They'd created the habit of saying so to each other after his mother died back when he was fifteen.

Emma walked up the front porch stairs and knocked on the door gently. Her lower lip was caught between her teeth as she waited for it to be answered. After a few seconds, the door flew open and Will was standing on the other side of the threshold, tears in his eyes.

"Hi."

"Will, I'm really sorry to hear about your mom."

Emma hadn't heard from Will in the past few days and it had worried her. It wasn't until earlier this morning that she heard his mother died in a car accident. When Will was four, his Dad had walked out on them, and ever since then, his mother had hit the bottle hard. She wasn't generally one to drive while drunk, but for whatever reason, that day she'd thought it was alright. Emma's dad told her that in the paper it said she'd parked in the middle of an intersection when a truck rammed into her car. She felt awful and made her way to Will's as soon as she possibly could.

Will opened his arms towards Emma and she immediately stepped through the doorway, walking into his arms and hugging him gently. Ever since that first day on the playground, they'd become the closest, best friends that there ever had been. Sure, she was younger, but they got along perfectly well; they were always there for each other.

Emma heard Will's muffled sobs and she hugged her best friend close.

"It's okay, Will."

No, it wasn't. She knew it wasn't, but she was thirteen – what did she know of anything that could make him feel better? She just hated that he was crying.

"I don't remember if I told her I love her, Emma." Will felt like a baby crying into the shoulder of a girl about whether or not his mother knew of his love for her. "We argued before I went to school…and I…I don't remember."

Emma let out a low sigh and hugged him tighter. "Will, Moms and Dads always know you love them. Remember? You told me that after everything that happened with my problems. They always know."

"But what if she didn't?"

"I promise she did."

Will nodded and hugged her tighter, gripping onto the one constant remaining in his life. She was only thirteen, but she always seemed so much older. The way she carried herself and the way she talked was far beyond her years.

After a few minutes, Emma swallowed and pulled back slightly. "I have to go back home, but I wanted to check on you. Dad says home before the streetlights. But I'll come see you tomorrow for our usual Saturday park visit if you want?" She knew it was possible that he wouldn't want to, but she had to offer in case he wanted a break from the sadness.

"Okay. I'll see you." He released his grip around her waist and watched her walk towards the door.

"Emma?"

She turned around, her hand on the doorknob, "Yeah?"

"I love you."

Emma's eyebrows furrowed and she shook her head. "Huh?"

"I didn't tell my mom and now I don't know if she knows. I need to make sure people know when I love and care about them. So. I love you."

Emma smiled and turned the doorknob, opening the door. "I love you, too."

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I love you."

Her lower lip quivered and a sob broke through her chest. Tears welled in Will's eyes and he swallowed, unable to do anything but nod. He turned on his heel and walked to the road, taking a right turn and heading towards the bus stop a few blocks away.

Emma fell to her knees on the edge of the pier and began to sob.