Traveling Soldier – Colonello

Disclaimer: I'm just playing with the characters, I don't own any of them.

AN: This is an AU, obviously, where Colonello is American and went away to fight in the Vietnam war.

Colonello grimaced as he nervously tugged on the collar of his new green uniform, as he was waiting for the bus that would take him to boot camp for the first time. This was a good idea, he reminded himself. This was his dream, it had been his dream since he was a small boy; and now that he was 18 years old he could finally go out and be the hero that he wanted to be.

But the bus was still over two hours away, he was just too early.

He slowly made his way over to the café on the other side of the street and gave his order to the waitress, a pretty young teen with a blue bow in her hair.

He must have come off as a little shy, because she gave him a bright smile as she served his coffee and pancakes. Colonello wasn't entirely sure what came over him when he opened his mouth and said, "Would you mind sitting down for a while and talking with me, I'm feeling a little lonely…"

The girl smiled at him brightly as she answered, "I'm get off in an hour, and there's a place not far from here we can go!"

An hour later the odd couple was sitting at the end pier at the lake, just talking and laughing, when Colonello spoke again, "I bet you have a boyfriend, but I don't really care right now. You see, I don't have anyone to write letter to. Do you…would you mind, very much, if I sent one back here to you?"

The girl beamed at him, "No. I wouldn't mind at all, in fact, you could send more than one, if you'd like…"

Colonello grinned at her.

Colonello was thrilled. Being in the Army was everything that he dreamed, and he was still sending letters to his lady back home. He knew all about her troubles at school, and how her parents claimed that she was too young for him, but she was waiting for her traveling soldier in spite of that. He wasn't the least bit ashamed to admit that her words made him feel 10 feet tall.

He sent her letters from California, and then, eventually, from Vietnam…He told her everything. He told her about his parents, and his family. He spoke about his hopes and dreams. And he told her about his greatest fears, and how his friends were dying…and that it was so hard being away from her. And then, at the end of one letter, he told her that he might be in love with her, and that when things started getting rough, he would close his eyes and see her pretty smile.

'Don't you worry, but I won't be able to write for a while. I love you. All my love, Colonello.'

It was Friday night at a football game, with all the prayers having been done and the Anthem was sang, a man stood from the crowd and walked to the front of the audience, "I know you are all looking forward to an exciting Football game, folks. But before we do that, would you all bow your head, for a list of local Vietnam dead."

Sitting with the marching band was a pretty little girl with a blue bow in her hair, she kept her head down, and her face averted…until she heard one name that sent daggers into her heart. She managed to escape from the band, and slipped under the stands, before collapsing and sobbing her heart out.

Because there was one name read, and she was the only one who really cared.

In her mind's eye, she saw bright blue eyes, blonde hair and a laughing smile…and he was gone.