My muse Cecilia and I would like to thank EllieMay and Ber1719 for their reviews they've kept this machine running. Thanks again :)

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I'm not going to cry, not gonna shed one tear well, at least until he's gone. Katharine kept this train of thought while sitting in the back of her famillies car with Sid and Eugene. They were driving to the train station where Sid was to leave from to go off to war.

"Well, here we are." Sidney's dad stated, parking the car.

The five people piled out of the car and made their way through the station, standing at the edge of the tracks.

"Kat, I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too Sid." Katharine looked up at her little brother, still seeing that flash of innocence, of childhood, in his blue eyes.

"I'll write you every chance I can okay? All of you." Sid looked at his family and his best friend.

"I'll write you every day." Katharine promised as the train rolled up, opening its doors.

"I will too." Eugene spoke softly.

"That's good." Sidney nodded, beginning to pick up his bags. That's when it hit Katharine that this could be the last time ever to see Sidney. She broke down in tears at the thought, well there goes not crying..

Katharine watched Sidney hug their father, then there mother, whose cheeks were stained with running mascara. He shook Eugene's hand then pulled him into a quick hug. Sid looked up to see his big sister crying. He'd rarely seen her cry, and the sight made him want to stay home and not leave.

"Katharine, come here." Sidney pulled Katharine into a big bear hug. She broke down even more.

"Please, come home Sid. Come home." Kat mumbled into his shoulder.

"I will, don't worry. I'll write every day. I'll stay safe for you. I'll come home. I promise. I love you Katharine." Sid said trying to calm her.

"I love you too Sid." She finally pulled away, thinking that she was making too much of a scene.

"Eugene," Sid started, picking up his suitcase, "take care of Katharine okay?"

"I will. I promise." Eugene nodded.

"And Katharine? Keep Eugene in line."

Katharine chuckled at the thought of a trouble making Eugene, "I will." she smiled.

"Well, goodbye." Sidney gave the group one final nod before lifting himself onto the train.

"Goodbye.." Katharine whispered, unable to lift her voice.

The tears kept rolling even after the train began moving away from the station. Katharine felt her father wrap an arm around her shoulder and begin to lead her and her mother towards the car. Eugene followed, walking closely besides Katharine.

That won't be the last time I'll see him. Eugene smirked, it wouldn't be, not if he had his way. But he was going to take care of Katharine while he was still here. She'd always taken care of him when he was sick. He could still recall times when she'd come over just to end up sitting listening to the radio with him because his father thought him too ill to go outside. He knew he had to repay her somehow.

Eugene held open the car door for Katharine before sliding in himself. Katharine sat in the middle seat, not the other side, but Gene wasn't about to complain. The tears were somewhat beginning to dry on her cheeks, except for the occasional escapee. Eugene stared out the window of the silent car. Then he felt Katharine place one of her hands on his.

"Thanks for coming today, I'm sure it made Sid happy." Kat smiled.

"Its no problem, I didn't want to not say goodbye."

"Yeah.." was all Katharine could get out before she felt her throat tighten, bringing the threat of more tears.

Sidney wouldn't want you to cry, just think of it as him going off on a trip. No, it wasn't that easy. Katharine pulled back the picture of Sidney at the train station, the glint of a chil in his eyes. What if he came back and that glint was gone? What if he didn't come back at- No, he said he was going to come home. He'd promised her and Sidney had never broken a promise to Kat in his life.

But that isn't really something you can promise... He promised, and his promises are true. He was going to come home. Katharine kept arguing with her self, pushing back any bad thoughts.

Eugene just sat silently, noticing Katharine hadn't moved her hand from his. He understood that that could be the last time he'd ever see Sidney, but he also understood that it wouldn't be. He was either going to go fight and meet up with Sidney on some tropical island or he was going to see him come home after the war. He continued to watch the familiar scenery of Mobile go by, the drive through main street, then turn onto Washington, then onto Bowar, left on Xylite, and a final turn onto Quemoy.

Once the car pulled up to Eugene's house Katharine had taken her hand back. "Goodbye Eugene. See ya later." She smiled at him while he slid out of the car.

"Goodbye Kat, see ya later. Goodbye Mr. and Mrs. Phillips, thank you for driving me."

"Oh, it was no problem Eugene, say hello to your mother and father for us." Anne put the best smile she could bare on her face.

"I will." Eugene shut the door gently and watched the car pull away before making his way towards his house.

Eugene walked inside, the feeling of waking up early hitting him, making him tired. He walked past the entry ways to the kitchen and den to walk upstairs to his bedroom. The yellow walls and his big bed seemed very inviting. He layed across his bed, not minding to cover up with a blanket, allowing sleep to over take him peacefully.

"Eugene! Eugene! Come on! Come out and play!" Eugene peeked out the window seeing Katharine and Sid, they were both young so he knew this was a dream. "We're going to the river to swim! C'mon!" Sid shouted.

"I'll be down in a minute!" Eugene shut his window, pulling on a light t-shirt and running downstairs. He didn't bother with putting shoes on while he headed out the door.

The three kids made their way to the river bank with the usual pushing and shoving along the way. The boys took off their t-shirts and began wading in the water.

"Come on Katharine!" Sid shouted.

"I'm not wearing a swimsuit!" She called back.

"Your dress will dry!" Eugene yelled, dunking under the water.

"No!"

Sid started walking back towards shore. Katharine wasn't paying attention to her brother until she felt him pushing her closer to the water. She pushed back the best she could but he over took her, pushing her into the river.

"Sidney Phillips! Look what you've done!" Katharine shouted.

"Oh hush and have fun."

Katharine sighed and decided to swim. Eugene kept paddling on his back, staring up at the sky. It was a typical lazy Alabama day. The three kids paddled up and down the river without a care in the world.

Then the imagery changed, Eugene saw himself in a room. It took him a second to recognize it as a hospital room. He was laying in bed, when a nurse walked in.

"Mr. Sledge, you have a visitor." Eugene saw a preteen Katharine standing behind the woman.

"Hey Kat."

"Hello Eugene, sorry Sidney couldn't make it, he's helping dad with building in the basement."

"It's fine."

"So how are you Eugene?" Katharine moved a chair besides the bed, taking a seat.

"I'm good. A bit tired."

"Well, if you need sleep I can leave.."

"No, it's nice to have a visitor besides my mom and dad."

"I bet, this place isn't the most intriguing.." Katharine sighed.

"Tell me bout' it. So what's been up in school?"

"Not a whole lot. Jus' school. Here, I brought you a few worksheets that Mrs. Pierson told me to give ya. She said feel better soon." Katharine dug into her bag, pulling out five colored pieces of paper. Eugene grabbed them, setting them on the table besides him.

The two sat and chatted when Eugene began to hear an ominous voice calling his name.

"Eugene!" Eugene's eyes cracked open. The owner of the ominous voice was his mother.

"Yes?"

"Are you alright?" She called from behind his door.

"I'm fine, just tired."

"Oh. Okay, well I'll come get you when suppers ready."

"Thank you." Eugene listened as her foot steps disappeared.

Eugene stared at his ceiling, recalling the dreams he'd just had. He wished he could go back to the days where they had nothing better to do than swim in the river and soak up the sun. He thought about how much things had changed. How Sidney and Katharine were there through everything. He thought about the hospital trips he made, how much Katharine and Sid would visit him, sometimes even stay the night.

He'd fallen for Katharine a long time ago, just didn't notice it until recently. She was there for him through everything. He was just worried if Sidney leaving them would just bring her apart from him, he wondered if it might even bring them closer. God only knows.

...

"Mom, I'm going to go for a walk, okay?" Katharine called from the front door.

"Okay hun, be home for supper."

Kat slipped out the door, shutting it softly behind her. She had no clue where to go and just left it to her feet. The day was beautiful for being so solemn. She couldn't think that Sid was gone, more physically then mentally. But she kept assuring herself he'd be home soon. He'd come home alive with many stories to tell.

She went over war stories her father had told her and her brother, stories of battles and stories of camaraderie. She envisioned Sid sitting on the couch, blabbing on about all sorts of things. It wasn't long before her feet lead her to the river bank. She thought about the time Sidney had pushed her into the water while she was wearing a brand new dress her mother had made.

She smiled at the memories, sitting down with her toes in the water. Chuckling while remembering the time Sidney had managed to hook Eugene's leg with a fish hook before casting. The time the three fell asleep on the bank only to wake up in the middle of the night and come home to worried parents. Remembering pulling the hook out of Eugene's leg.

Eugene... Eugene Sledge had been Katharines best friend for as long as she could ever recall. She remembered visiting him in the hospital, seeing him so sick and weak. It tore her heart every time. Maybe she was in love. Maybe he felt the same way, she wanted to ask him. But she didn't know how nor did she want to risk anything by doing so. She just kept her thoughts to herself sitting there in the clearing.

Sidney had originally discovered the clearing, and him and Katharine had cleaned it up. Only the three knew about this spot. Their secret hide out. Their shelter from the world, where they could come and forget everything besides being a kid. Katharine felt tears stinging her eyes, she wished she could go back, back to when times were easy, back to when she didn't have to worry if her brother was going to come home alive. She just wished to go back.

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Ah, emotions can be such fickle things. Well, it's now 1 a.m. and I've finished. But I've got to say, thank you for reading :) Next chapter up soon :) Reviews are appreciated greatly 3

-Carlene