Home Is Where The War Is.
Hey guys! I regret to inform you that updates will be extremely slow for a while considering the fact that I'm currently diving head first into my examinations and study is becoming extremely serious ):
I will try to squeeze in a few chapters during my exams and before I leave for the USA. Also, while I'm in America I will write the rest of the chapter on paper so they'll be good to go for when I come home ;]
Also, thank you to everyone who voiced their opinions through reviews and favourited my story. You are encouraging me to continue the story by allowing me to notice that people are enjoying my story!
Adele was able to pull herself from bed without ease for once. She was extremely anxious and eager for the day ahead. After she found herself satisfied with her appearance, she hopped down the stairs towards the dining room. She was frozen in place by the presence of Hans Landa. Even though he didn't bother to gaze from his newspaper to give her his attention, she was still extremely uneasy. She sat on the table as Landa completely ignored her presence. The frail Madam Neville struggled to pull herself into the dining room and quickly took Adele's request for the morning after placing a basket of pastries before her.
"Seems like you're getting old, Neville. We might have to look into replacing you while we're looking for a new soldier." Landa's gaze remained on the paper as he attempted to push salt into Adele's wounds.
Although anger was building up within her, she decided towards ignoring his comment. Besides, the worst you could do to Landa would probably be to ignore his existence and career.
"Very well." Was all Madam Neville said sadly before disappearing into the kitchen to pass on her request.
Adele felt a fire burning up inside of her over her uncle's attitude as she struggled further to bite her tongue. She couldn't understand why he would enjoy being such a heartless old man.
Madam Neville returned to her presence with her breakfast before fleeing from the intense tension.
"Merci." Adele called out to the woman before she passed through to the kitchen.
Hans Landa sin front of her with a grin of victory as he flicked through the newspaper. He knew that he was irritating her even with his presence and he adored the tension. She ate quickly before grabbing two croissants and began to leave the dining hall.
"Going to see Hugo in his final moments, I'm guessing?" He laughed obnoxiously.
She continued walking as if she was unable to hear him. Before she left the room, she turned to close the dining hall doors to witness an unsatisfied look upon the Colonel's face.
She slammed the front door in impatience before running towards the barracks. She was delighted to witness Hugo waiting for her arrival in his cot. She began to approach him with a smile on her face as he stood to her attention.
"I was wondering when you were going to awake." He smirked.
"It's extremely early." She pointed out knowing that it was nine in the morning.
"Early for you." He commented.
That was true. She noticed that the barracks were completely empty except for herself and Hugo. In silence, they both sat on his cot as she held out the croissant, offering it to him.
"Thank you." He showed his gratitude before taking the croissant from her right hand.
She picked the croissant with her fingers while looking towards the floor.
"Do you think you would be able to visit me?" She questioned.
"I doubt it, Adele. We're being stationed in Paris for the first two days before being shipped off to the outskirts of Chaumont." His horrible French accent was in practice once again
"You didn't tell me about going there." She whispered.
"I didn't want to worry you."
There was silence.
"He has something planned. I know it. You must be careful while you're in Paris." She warned him.
"Don't worry, Adele. I will be able to protect myself. I'm more worried about you though."
"Now it's my turn to tell you not to worry. I'm surrounded by soldiers and the great, Hans Landa." She said in a mocking voice.
"That's what I'm worried about." He told her with a serious tone.
"I don't think Landa would go as far as to hurt me physically." She attempted to tell herself more than him.
"Honestly, I wouldn't put it past him. He is already going through great attempts to damage you emotionally."She remained silent, knowing that he was correct.
"I think I should teach you how to defend yourself." He thought.
"I know how to protect myself from a male." She stated.
His eyes widened. "That's just unfair."
She laughed a little at his reaction. "Well, it's the most efficient. You must admit that."
He nodded his head slowly. "I suppose. But nonetheless, just in case you get into serious trouble, I think you should learn to shoot."
Her eyes lightened. She's always wanted to learn how to shoot a gun but no one was willing to teach her.
"Since I won't be there to protect you, I should at least give myself a peace of mind knowing that you will be okay in some sense."
"Given. So, you should teach me how to shoot." She said almost too excitedly.
"On second thought, I think that might be a bad idea." He laughed.
"I'm not going to accidentally shoot myself or something." She mumbled stubbornly.
"Well, now that you put that into consideration I believe that it would be a horrible idea to allow you to possess a firearm." He teased.
"I promise not to shoot myself or you now for that matter." She grumbled.
He simply laughed full-heartedly in response.
"Come on so, I'll teach you." He stated while standing up.
She couldn't help but jumping from him cot in excitement. He quickly grabbed a handgun from the personal footlocker at the end of the bed that contained mostly artillery. He skimmed his eyes throughout the collection before deciding on the handgun, Mauser C-96. Satisfied he loaded the handgun before walking towards her.
"I believe this would be the best. It has little recoil and is easy to shoot." He told her.
He began to walk away from the barracks and she followed him.
"Nothing bigger?" She pressed.
"Nothing bigger." He clarified.
"Unfair." She sighed.
"It's not unfair, you're expectations are just too high." He told her the truth.
"I don't have high expectations." She huffed.
"Yes, you do."
"I settled with you, didn't I? Therefore, I don't have high expectations at all." She laughed.
"That was just harsh." He looked slightly shocked.
"Here." He announced.
"Is this not too close to the lot? Wouldn't Landa hear?" She questioned, curiously.
"Who cares what he thinks. Besides, his head is so far up his own that he might not hear the gun firing." Hugo stated.
She laughed loudly. "That is very true."
She stopped for a moment.
"We can definitely fake your own death." She seemed serious.
Hugo looked towards her with a questioning glance before laughing.
"You are being serious?"
She dropped her eyes to the floor. "I think it's a great idea."
"You have to consider how complicated it is." He laughed.
"I suppose."
"Now, come here." He instructed.
She complied his request by moving towards his side. He pulled his arm around her waist, making her heart race uncontrollably. He then pulled her towards him, pressing her back firmly against him. He held up the gun for her and she took it into her hands. He then quickly repositioned his fingers and placed his hands over hers to prevent her damage from the recoil. She looked up towards him for reassurance and he nodded his head down to her with a firm expression of concentration.
"Just inhale while you're shooting and keep your arms firm and then you'll be fine." He promised her.
"Okay." She said in a whisper.
She pulled her hand over the trigger, squeezing against the pressure. Once she nearly completed pulling the trigger completely, she could only push her eyelids together as the gun jumped backwards only slightly. She secretly thanked the aid of Hugo.
"That wasn't so difficult now was it?" He whispered in her ear with humour.
She opened her eyes to reveal her arms intact. She smiled at her success.
"Ready to do it again?" He pushed her confidence.
Without warning she squeezed the trigger once again while watching the gun jump. Hugo jumped slightly while she laughed with delight, only to do it once more.
"A little preparation would be nice. Would you like to try it alone?" He asked her.
She nodded her head eagerly. Once he let go, she found herself doubting her abilities. She glanced towards Hugo who encouraged her with a firm and confident nod. She looked down the line of the firearm once again while her hands begin shake as she put pressure on the trigger. She squeezed the trigger until it clinked the metal lightly underneath the boom of the gun that caused her arms jolted backwards violently. Shocked, she looked towards Hugo with shock plastered in her eyes. He could only laugh at her shocked expression as she shook out the pain from the recoil out her arms.
"A rush, isn't it?" He questioned while he reminisced on his first gun shoot.
She nodded her head while excitement.
"Do you like the Mauser C-96?" He asked her.
"Very much so."
"Then consider it yours." He offered.
"Really?" She asked with excitement.
"Yes, of course." She smiled while he began to approach her.
He pulled out two extra magazines from his uniform's pocket and handed them to her.
"Make sure you use it, wisely and no foolishly, Adele." He warned.
"I promise." She beamed a smile towards him.
He couldn't help but find her smile contagious as he found her smile reaching his face also. He couldn't help but lean towards her to capture her lips within his. He quickly pulled away as Adele begged for more as her face was almost dragged as he pulled away.
"Come on, I know somewhere we can go." He offered as she hopped beside him.
While they were walking side-by-side, Hugo pulled her tiny hand into his and pulled her ahead gently. Her heart began to thump lightly with the contact. He pulled her into a clearing with flat grass. Once he found a placement that he was comfortable with he pulled her to the grass with him. They sat themselves on the floor together, only half a foot apart with a silence attached.
"Can I write to you?" He questioned.
"I was assuming you would." She laughed lightly.
"Only if you're okay with it."
"You're too modest. Of course I'm okay with it."
He smiled towards her in response. He placed his arms behind his torso to support himself while she placed herself against Hugo's shoulder.
"I will have to write to you first because obviously I will be moving a lot to unknown places." He told her.
"Of course. I'm going to be extremely bored while you're gone." She admitted.
"Well, you could contemplate ways on escaping your uncle." He laughed.
She considered the suggestion as if he was serious.
"If I did that then you wouldn't be able to find me." She told him.
"I suppose you have a point. What if you move?" He questioned nervously.
"I doubt we'd be moving."
"I'm just saying, I think we should discuss this issue. It's not like you're uncle would give you notice to prepare to tell me." She had to admit, he was right.
"I doubt that would happen, Hugo."
"But if it does, you're to leave something behind here to direct me to you." He instructed.
"I suppose."
"Leave something here." He finished.
"Okay." She rolled her eyes at how cautious he was.
"Although it is probably extremely unnecessary, it would give me a peace of mind. The last thing I need it to be worrying about you twice as much." He told her.
"Okay." She agreed even though she still found it extremely unorthodox.
He looked at his watch, sighing.
"Isn't it horrible thinking that we only have a few more hours together?" She broke through the silence.
"I don't think it's horrible because we will be seeing each other soon afterwards."
"Hopefully." "No, we definitely will." He promised her.
"Hopefully." She repeated.
"You need to learn that everything will go according to plan."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because, I'm in control." He stated with confidence. She had to admit, that Hugo did seem like the kind of guy that made everything go according to his thoughts. She had to admit, it was also true.
"You shouldn't be worrying about these things." He warned her.
"Then I would have nothing else to do." She offered a smile.
He smirked while exhaling with humour lingering on his breath. He pulled her towards her while leaning towards her. Adele couldn't help but ignore the rest of the world around her now. No longer was her mind interested in the war, her uncle or Hugo leaving anymore because as of now, it was only concentrated Hugo and his touch that froze her thoughts. She could only think of how warm his lips were compared to hers and the fact that his breath was a strong mix of whiskey and cigarettes. He flinched slightly as his cold right hand rested on the back of his bare neck. His responsiveness to the touch caused Adele to smile into him as she placed her other hand on his right forearm. After only a few moments Hugo unwillingly pulled himself away from her.
"Adele, I should be heading back to camp." He confessed.
"Why?" She didn't attempt to hide that her tone was filled with sadness.
"I have to start packing." He told her.
"Can I help?" She offered.
"You mean by sitting on the bed while watching me?" He laughed, "Of course you can."
He pulled himself from the ground before looking towards Adele, extending his reach towards her. She gratefully took his hand before he pulled her from the floor to place her by his side.
"Thank you."
He simply smiled in response as he began to walk towards the compound with Adele firmly glued to his side. With every step she took, she was desperately trying to break the comfortable silence. Although she did feel like it wasn't necessary to fill the comfortable silence (remind you of another Tarantino movie? ;D), she just felt like she should make some attempt to continue the conversation since he was leaving so soon. Her heart clenched once again at the thought of him leaving while he acted as if he wasn't. She couldn't ignore the sinking feeling her heart felt every time she began to think of the countless days without waking up to his presence. She couldn't but help blame it all on the war. But then again, she couldn't ignore the fact that if it wasn't for the war, him enlisting as a German soldier and for her mother's death that she wouldn't be in his presence at that moment. Even though it was selfish and horrible, she was somewhat grateful of the silver lining.
She quickly found herself in front of the barracks that she would no longer be attending after Hugo's absence. They silently moved towards his quarters as she placed herself on his cot. He pulled out a duffle bag to only flip open his personal foot locker at the end of the bed. He began to pull out items and carelessly through them inside the bag. After he left his footlocker completely bare, he turned his attention towards Adele.
"Do you think you could fit in this bag?" He joked.
She laughed in response.
"I wish."
While smiling, he pulled his hand underneath the sanctuary of his pillow to pull out his knife and securely fastened it to his belt. He once again, he leaned over Adele to place his hand underneath the pillow to only pull out his journal. He looked at it for a moment.
"Would you like some reading material while I'm gone?" He questioned.
"Wouldn't that be an invasion of privacy?"
"Well, you already know how I feel about you so not necessarily."
"Is that all it's about?" She laughed slightly.
"Mostly." He confessed. "I thought it would keep you entertained."
She nodded before taking the journal with a smile.
"A journal and a Mauser C-96 all in one day? I'm a very lucky girl." She laughed and he joined in slightly.
"I guess you could call it that."
He continued to pack his clothing before he was enlisted and a few other useless pieces. Her heart ran cold when she heard the sound of a jeep echoing throughout the compound. He groaned and looked towards her.
"I have to go." He sighed.
"I noticed." She didn't pretend to hide her feelings.
She stood up to walk towards the exit of the barracks by Hugo's side. They stopped before the back of the trunk that reversed into the area. She looked towards him as her eyes reflected how she was feeling. He cupped her right cheek with his large hand.
"I will be coming back to you soon."
She nodded her head as he moved closer towards her. She closed her eyes, pushing tears down her face as he kissed her softly. The jeep beeped obnoxiously, snatching her away from her moment with Hugo. He leaned his forehead against her.
"I will miss you, everyday." He promised her before pulling his thumbs across her cheeks.
With a final kiss to her forehead, she was running towards the jeep. She hugged his journal to her chest as he pulled himself into the jeep to wave her goodbye. She forced her right hand to wave to him. She remained her position as she watched the jeep's lights disappear into the darkness of the forest. Feeling like there was nothing else to entertain her for the night she pulled herself up the stairs towards her bedroom. She closed the door quietly before pulling out the draw of her bedside locker. Confused, she pulled her hand into the back of the drawer to realise that the letter from her mother was absent. She snarled lightly, knowing Landa took it from her. She decided that a more strategic hiding place was in order as she began to look around her wardrobe for a hidden spot. Once that failed, she turned her attention towards the floor for easy moved planks of wood. She began walking on the floor slowly, pushing all her weight onto the planks, putting pressure on them. Once she found a plank that creaked underneath her force, she fell to her hands and knees, attempting to claw at the wood. She was soon to notice that it was a failure of an idea but reconciled the fact that she would be able to move it easily if she had something to loosen the old, rusty nails. She figured that now would be extremely suspicious to be rooting around the manor for construction tools so she decided to rest for a temporary hiding place as she tucked the two possessions from Hugo between a slack of clothing. She decided that even though her uncle was an extremely devious man, he wouldn't sink as low as to slither into her room during her slumber to pry throughout her belongings. Especially clothing since that would be extremely weird and slightly awkward.