I took my time to write this chapter; I tried hard to be more accurate, especially in the descriptions. I hope I succeeded in ! (Just remember I'm not a native speaker, hehe). Anyway, here it is! I hope you like it, since I struggled hard to write it and, if you have some free time, I'd enjoy your reviews. Thanks :)

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Training was hard. As she had thought, years of smoking for too much anxiety and running made her training a real suicide; or homicide, since Lieutenant Fox, the one who was following the non-combatant units in training, used to push them to the limit, yelling orders here and there, allowing reluctantly a break every one hour and half. What was even harder, it was being always invited by the nurse of the group to sit with them in the mess hall. Laura could not simply refuse to, since it may have seemed a bit impolite and she had no one to sit with anyway. She spent her lunch breaks surrounded by women on their 24's or 25's, who were supposed to save lives during the war, and that forgot to eat what they had in their dishes just to gossip on whoever their eyes caught. They all looked so ridiculous, making inappropriate comments about the shape of their patients' butts, instead of actually learning how to give them an injection. Laura just kept the silence for the whole time, snorting when the comments started to turn too awkward. Sometimes, one of them would've asked her what she thought about that guy's hands, or arms, or legs, just to hear her replying: ''I don't really give about it.''

It was one of those days, when they were all focused on giving their impressions on whoever entered the mess hall's door.

''Have you seen doctor Roe? He helped me a lot today. Goddammit, that smile!'' the blonde one in front of Laura said with dreamy eyes.

''Smile? Have you seen those arms? God, he must push-ups a lot!'' the robust brunette next to her exclaimed. She was supposed to be the older and more experienced one among them. Then, she added, '' Which surely helps him a lot under the sheet'' she pointed, as it was a scientific axiom, provoking general, low giggles at the table, followed by Laura's snort. The brunette noticed it, and gave her a glance, asking her ''and what about you, Laura? Haven't you set your eyes on someone yet?''

Laura found herself really, and oddly, thinking about it, but then as the brunette noticed it, sending her a knowing look, as Laura immediately shrugged and denied it.

''Are you serious?'' the brunette kept teasing ''with those two Lieutenants you live with?'' she asked, hoping to get some delicious detail from Laura. She just snorted in mockery, as it was the most stupid idea she'd ever heard.

''I like Winters. He looks so shy! I love the shy types. They're always so quiet in the everyday life but wait to get more intimate and they're like lions!'' the brunette exclaimed, meeting the other nurses' the consents. Laura just pictured in her mind Dick Winters in such situation. At first, already feeling like a brother, or a close friend since they lived together and managed to live in peace, she was kind of disgusted at the idea. But… No. Disgusting. So inappropriate.

''Well, since you don't want to use the chance, I will do it'' the brunette declared. Laura could not really control herself from making a face, which clearly seemed of disapproval, that she soon hid. She could not explain herself what she was feeling at the moment. Maybe it was just the way that brunette talked: it was too obscene. Maybe it was more. Maybe Laura was peeved at the idea of that brunette hanging around her Dick. No, Dick. It was not the kind of woman she imagined Dick with. Laura thought Dick was the kind of man that wanted to discuss books with his girl, as he liked reading very much, or important topics. She didn't think he was the one-night-of passion type. And he was way more smarter than that brunette. Clotilde. A nurse on her 26's; she was clearly disproportionate since she was skinny, but had very fat hands. No, she was not his type.

''Do you know if he has a boyfriend, Laura?'' Clotilde asked.

''Actually not. I don't think so, anyway'' Laura replied directly.

''Perfect'' the nurse said, with a smirk on her face staring at Dick Winters who was some tables away from them ''Maybe I should make a try on him'' was all she said, before moving her attention to someone else who had just entered the mess hall, and leaving Laura all peeved and jittered at the sound of those words. Laura gave everyone a sheepish smile, getting up and greeting all, using the excuse she had ''stuff to do''. Visibly upset, she left the mess hall, giving Dick a small nod in salute when she passed near his table.

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Mr Barnes had given Laura a special ointment for her muscular ache. She was massaging her legs in her shorts on her bed, and thinking of the words that Clotilde spoke that day. She was still upset, absolutely. She was upset at the idea of that fat-hands woman giggling around Dick. How couldn't she see they were so different and that he would've never talked to her? No, maybe Dick would've talked to her; he was too polite to just run away from someone, even though that someone got annoying. So maybe he would have, but he would've not liked her. Surely. All caught up in her thoughts, she didn't even hear the knock on his door, so she almost fell from her bed when she saw Dick in her room.

''Sorry'' he said ''But in my defense, I knocked on your door a few times'' he continued chuckling. She smiled back to him in response and kept on massaging her aching legs as he walked over to her to sit on her bed.

''Sorry if I'm asking'' he said, chuckling ''but what are you doing?'' he asked studying her movements and visibly amused.

''Oh…this'' she said ''Well, my training has proved itself physically demanding. I'm so sore all over that I can't find the time to do what I'm here for. I haven't checked the situation for a little while. I'm always too sore or too busy running upside-down'' she said, turning a bit frustrated and aggravated.

Dick looked tenderly and emphatically at her ''well, you don't need to practice for your real job, at least. As far as I know, you're very good at. But you'll need all this training when the time will come'' he said, trying to reassure her and to make her understand the importance of what she was doing.

''I know, I know. I just…I just would like doing my job. You know, what I've studied for'' she replied, still visibly frustrated ''Anyway… I've never enjoyed physical movement. It's hell to me'' she said playfully to soften the blow of her words and trying to stray from such topic.

''Really? So don't you like sports ?''

''No, definitely!'' she said, with the features of her face visibly relaxing and a much more good-natured tone ''I hate them all. Except for swimming. I love swimming'' she pointed with a dreamy look in her eyes, reminiscing the old times when she was nothing more than a little girl, and she used to swim in a lake located in town where her family spent the holidays, feeling the cold water on her skin and the fishes swimming next to her, tangling with her legs.

''Really? I love swimming too'' he replied, eluted by the fact they had something in common.

''Oh yes. I used to take some swimming lessons when I was a baby. I liked swimming, it made me feel so free. You can do whatever you want in the water, everything, since there's no gravity. I used to pretend to be a dolphin'' she said, with her eyes still twinkling at the memory. Dick could not help himself from smiling at the view of that woman with dreamy and nostalgic eyes, and a tender, dazzling smile that lit her face.

''Listen'' he said, clearing up his throat '' There's a swimming pool at the base and…''

''Really?'' Laura exclaimed, visibly surprised and eluted at the news.

''Yes'' Dick said, chuckling and inexplicably not being able to find the words. He felt his cheeks burning and knew they were probably turning as red as his hair ''we should go, if you want to.''

''Yes!'' she exclaimed, happy as a child on Christmas day.

''Perfect…so, get ready. We move in thirty minutes, ok?'' he asked, getting up from the bed and already walking over to the door.

''What? Do you really want to go now?''

''Yes, what's wrong with that?'' he asked forcing himself to smirk, but inwardly fearing she could decline.

''Well, it's too late. The base must be closed and…''

''Well'' he interrupted her ''Since the base is closed we'll be free to swim with no one disturbing us, don't you think?''

Laura smiled sheepishly at him even though she didn't know why. The idea of the two of them alone, swimming, made her feel quite uncomfortable but she accepted anyway, as an unknown force was controlling her actions.

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''Here we are'' Dick said, standing some meters away from the water in his swimming trunks. The lights were off, but Laura could see the water still twinkling, lighted by the moonlight that penetrated through the big windows. As she was almost enchanted by the clarity of the water, she stood next to Dick with her mouth a little opened, studying the big swimming pool. Dick turned to face her, noticing how visibly eluted she was.

''I've always dreamed to swim alone in a pool. With no one around, no swimming instructor telling you what to do, you know'' she said almost whispering, as she was speaking to herself.

''Your wish is granted now'' he said, smiling at her ''so, what are you waiting for? Should I throw you in the water?'' he said playfully, receiving a smile from her followed by a bad glance that said ''don't dare to''.

She took off her shirt and trousers revealing the black swimsuit she was wearing. It covered most of her body, pressuring a little bit on her breasts. Dick found himself unable to look away, captivated by the small figure that was standing next to him. She was slender but her legs and shoulders seemed to be muscular, surely trained by the years she said she spent taking swimming lessons. Dick very struggled to look away, feeling the heat on his cheeks, but she wasn't noticing him since she was still too absorbed in admiring the water. As she made a step forward the pool, Dick came to his senses and watched her sitting on the poolside. The water was cold on her thin legs thus she hesitated for a little while before diving into. Then, she slowly slipped into the cold water, freezing a little bit before she could adjust to the temperature. While Laura finally started to swim, Dick stood now on the poolside, his bare foot a bit wetted by the water. He just enjoyed the view of that little figure, that he often saw so austere, acting like a child, turning somersaults, diving even more to touch the bottom of the pool, then coming up fast to the surface, swimming here and there, free as a fish in the ocean. It was a delightful to see. Dick found himself musing about the innocence and the secureness she could find in that pool: the memories of her childhood, the memories of a time when child didn't even know the meaning of war.

''Dick'' she cried ''come on! The water is beautiful!'' she exclaimed, before diving again to swim some inches away from the bottom of the pool. Dick threw his towel somewhere far from the water and repeated the moves Laura made prior to sinking into the water. It was not so cold on Dick's skin, mainly because he spent all his childhood swimming at the lake, whose water reached icy temperatures, and he liked swimming also during the winter. He sank into it very soon, staying away from Laura anyway. Dick didn't know what was proper to do: had he to reach her? Just to play in the water like children? As though they were not children; they were both grown-up, a woman and a man, and Dick didn't want to cross the line, doing something he was not supposed to do. It was in the air, in the mood. A woman, and a man, being alone in a swimming pool, at night. Alone. Dick could not clearly explain why he felt the urge to reach her, and just giving up to what his body and mind were demanding. The question was, he didn't know why. Sure she was a beautiful woman: fair skin, slender; long and black hair in contrast with her big, blue icy eyes; a small tip-tilted nose was covered by freckles, just like her cheeks, and a full, red mouth, also in contrast with her pale face. Sure, he had noticed it before, but those thoughts never crossed his mind. And now, he found himself almost clung to the poolside, deciding what to do, what not to. And in her re-found innocence, Laura swam over to him, as Dick felt an unknown heat fulfilling his whole body.

''What's wrong, Dick? You said you can swim!'' she teased him. Dick smiled sheepishly at her, as his body, without his permission, started to swim over to her too; as he came to his senses and found control over his body, he decided to just dive into the water to avoid the strict contact with Laura. The water moved his hair, and its freshness calmed down his heat. As he felt himself again in ''safe territory'', he came up to the surface gasping for air. Brushing his eyes, he found the young woman with a shrewd look at few inches far from his nose; he could've betted she could hear his heartbeats multiplying, pulsating strongly and loudly against his chest. As he felt her eyes all on him and noticed her mouth smirking in defiance, Dick felt a shiver running down his spine, and guessed it was not because the water.

''Do you know what I did to boys, when swimming all together?'' she asked in a teasing tone. Dick swallowed hard, trying to figure out what the hell she did when she swam with boys, struggling to not let his thoughts stray too far, picturing imaginary calloused hands on her fair, soft skin. Dick swallowed even harder as he noticed Laura was now dangerously close to him with that shrewd look of her still hanging on him.

''I drowned them!'' she exclaimed, crying it out loud as she put both her hands on Dick's head and used all her forces to make him sink completely into the water. Dick, who was still so thrilled, didn't react promptly and let himself sink down; then, he tried to drown Laura down with him. Dick and Laura found themselves fighting underwater as two kids and only when they could not take it anymore, they came up to the surface, just to keep on with their fight. The last thing Dick remembered was him, struggling to block her wrists while she was flailing. Anyway, somehow, they both realized, almost in the same moment, they were just a few inches far from each other, just like before the fight started, but Laura was trapped into Dick's arms, their bodies touching. Now, Dick thought, they were dangerously close. And once again, Dick lost control of his muscles, his body still demanding for some more contact, his head leaning forward, his eyes set on her cherry, tempting mouth. Dick gave a fast look to her eyes, just to pick up her dismay. But she was leaning forward him as well. Dick noticed both their breathes got heavy, both their heads were slowly leaning into each other, and realized Laura felt just the way he did: as though she had lost control of her body which was eager to feel his lips. And so, Dick had enough of struggling against what was proper to do, as he now felt her breasts on his chest and just fiercely, lustfully but tenderly leant….

Blinding lights brightened the whole area. Dick's heart beat even faster, fearing the worst; some officers finding them there, in the night, all alone: that would be the end. Dick got away from Laura, still visibly confused and unable to move. Four shapes made their entrance out of a corridor, where the locker rooms were located. As Dick recognized his men, he sighed with relief.

The four stopped a few steps away from the poolside, astonished at the sight of their Lieutenant.

''Lieutenant Winters, sir!'' Private Popey exclaimed before unconsciously standing at attention.

''Guarnere!'' Dick yelled, managing to get out of the pool with an harsh look, proper to an Officer catching his men breaking the rules; and he made Bill's name, since Bill was the first that usually came up to his mind every time someone would break the rules.

''Sir!'' the Sergeant replied, but he did not repeated Popey's moves, and did not stand at attention; on the contrary, he looked at Dick in defiance, as he always did.

Dick gave the four an harsh look and then set his eyes on the robust Sergeant again ''Would you explain me why on earth you four gentlemen are in a closed military area?'' Dick asked in admonishment, inspecting the Sergeant. Bill didn't show any hesitation and just kept his well-known straight face.

''We thought we could relax here, Sir, as you are, I suppose'' the Sergeant replied wryly, smirking ''and with a woman, I see'' he resumed hastily, with a mockery look. ''Hello, lawyer!'' Bill waved to her. The three behind him, Popey Wynn, George Luz and Joey Toy caught sight of the female figure that was now swimming over the poolside but still staying into the water. The three could not just believe their eyes and struggled to keep from laughing at the idea of the flawless Lieutenant sneaking into a closed swimming pool, property of the U.S Army, during the night and with a woman, and they were already imagining how their fellows would react at the news. Bill had still his defiance look, knowing that he would win this one, and following Lieutenant's Winters moves, as he struggled to keep up an harsh look even though he was blazing in embarrassment. Dick gave a fast look to Laura who didn't dare to move.

''Ok'' Dick sighted, accepting his defeat ''I have seen nothing. I won't report anyone, and you can stay here, since no one saw anything. But, since I've never been here, you three won't say a word, ok?'' Dick proposed, hoping the three would not want to ruin him, and Laura. Before Bill could say a thing, George Luz made a step forward and patted on Dick's back, at which Dick glared at the Private ''word of honor, sir'' he said playfully. The three, even Bill nodded and gave their consent. Dick sighed in relief and prior to telling Laura it was obviously time to go, he resumed ''And, I'm sorry guys'' Dick said, visibly frustrated and horrified at the idea his men caught him while breaking the rules, for the very first time he did it, the same rules he demanded them to respect, and felt ashamed for he broke the confidence they had in him. The four perceived the grim look in his eyes and it was surprising to hear Bill saying ''Don't you worry, Sir. Everyone makes mistakes. You were just having fun, as we always do'' he said. That was because the Sergeant, who was always so eager to contest Lieutenant Winters' moves just because he perceived the Lieutenant as a God-wannabe, knew Winters was one of the best and he would've never, ever, tried to ruin him: Bill just wanted his little revenge for all those times Winters had looked at him in admonishment. Dick gave him a small smile and saluted the group and the took the towel he had thrown to cover Laura's body, who was now getting out of the pool. She visibly quivered in cold and embarrassment and gave a fast look to the four soldiers, noticing a smirk on the impudent Sergeant she met some days previously, and knowing she had just given him a big satisfaction.