Author's Note: Oh my goodness, I had forgotten how much fun this pairing was to write. They are so dang dramatic. This chapter is just miscommunication city. I'm sorry for the hiatus but I have a good idea on where this is going now. I had to take a step back to reroute a few things.

"Do you have any plans for tonight?" He asked in his crisp accent.

Lucille glanced up from the clipboard with a furrowed brow. Giving a tentative smile, the British officer tightened his double handed grip on his hat. He restlessly shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He wasn't as confident as he sounded. She shrugged.

"I have some packing to do." She commented before walking down the hall.

"Oh yes. Ruby mentioned your train was leaving tomorrow afternoon." He followed close behind.

Charlie Ramsden had recovered from his wounds and was awaiting orders. Lucille liked him but was acutely aware of the crush he had been harboring for her. She paused at the nurse's station. Ruby was sitting at a desk pushed against the wall. Her gaze casually drifted towards them.

"I guess that means you will be busy for most of the evening?" He scratched the back of his thick neck.

"No, she won't." Ruby muttered, biting the end of her pencil as she surveyed some paperwork, "She's almost finished with her trunk."

Lucille set down the clipboard and shot a glare at her flat mate. Her fellow nurse didn't glance up but a hint of a smile tugged at her mouth.

"In that case," Charlie's honey brown eyes widened, "Lucille, would you allow me the honor of taking you to dinner this evening?"

Lucille's face relaxed, her eyes drifting to his boots. She honestly couldn't think of an excuse to turn down such a gentlemanly request. Charlie was a good man; solid, sensible with an easy smile and an honest way about him.

"My shift ends around five this evening." Lucille conceded meeting his eyes once more.

Charlie smiled widely, "Then I'll be around your place say 5:30?"

"That will work."

"Good, very good then." He stepped back, studying her with a grin, "5:30, I'll be there."

He pivoted and strode towards the hospital doors. Lucille watched him for a moment, bringing the clipboard to her chest and hugging it. He had the exact build as Buck; tall and broad with arms like machine gun barrels. She had heard somewhere that he was an athlete as well. He could play a mean game of cricket. But that was where their similarities ended. Even their coloring was different; Charlie was as dark as Buck was fair.

"Now that-" Ruby approached, bumping their shoulders together and pointing in the direction he went with her pencil, "That is the kind of man you marry. You know where you stand with a bloke like Charlie Ramsden."

"You certainly do." She replied simply, "He is nice."

"That would be a change for you." Ruby chirped before clipping down the hallway.

By the time Lucille left the hospital, a damp snowfall was spitting from a partially clouded sky. The western horizon was soft yellow like crocuses in spring. Lucille pulled her mittens on, smiling to herself as she strode out into the cobblestone courtyard. Her mother's garden would be overrun with green buds in a few months. Despite her intense focus their victory vegetables, Mrs. Swain could never put aside her flowers. The memory left a bittersweet ache in Lucille's chest.

"What are you so happy about, Lucie Swain?"

She halted hard in front of the covered archway leading to the street. A broad figure moved out of the shadows, one hand in a pocket while the other lightly held a cigarette at his side. Her mouth went dry. A drift of smoke escaped from his mouth as he chuckled lightly.

"I could knock you over with a feather." Buck smirked, the crinkles around his sky blue eyes deepening, "I have to say, I missed that smile."

Lucille's heart lurched. Her jaw tightening, she marched forward. She brushed past him coolly.

"What are you doing here?"

"I just got released from the hospital in London." He tossed the cigarette to the damp ground, skipping a step to catch up, "Hey wait a minute, where you going so fast?"

"I have a date."

"You have a what?" He gently grasped her forearm, bringing her to a stop on the sidewalk, "Slow down. Don't you want to know why I was in the hospital?"

"I already know." She snapped, tearing herself from him with a roll of her eyes, "Ruby told me. Hoobler wrote about it in one of his letters. Hear those key words there, Slick? Letter? Wrote? You should try it sometime."

She swiveled but he caught her arm again. This time she didn't wrestle it away.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, Lucie." He wet his lower lip, gaze shifting across her face, "I just- it wasn't easy, over there. You don't know."

"I will soon enough."

"You told me." His Adam's apple jumped up his throat, "When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow."

He snorted and let her go, "Do you think this is going to be some kind of adventure?"

"No, they need us over there."

"They need you."

"Yes."

"They need you. Lucille Swain. Nobody else could do it."

"I was asked explicitly!" Her tone was shrill as she stomped a firm step towards him, "I'm one of the best girls in there and they all know it."

He scoffed, pivoting towards the street. Digging into the pocket of his uniform, he dug out another cigarette.

"Why would you put yourself in danger like that?"

He flicked his lighter several times to no avail. Her breathing evened as she studied him. His brow furrowed and lips curled tightly around the cigarette. With a sigh, she pulled her own lighter out of her pocket.

"Haven't we had that conversation before?" She asked softly, snapping a flame to life from the Bick and holding it to his mouth.

He drew a slow breath. A soft glow beckoned the smoke to life. He met her eyes as she let her hands drop.

"The idea of you out there…" Breaking eye contact, he brought the cigarette from his mouth, "It's hard for me to think about."

"Why is that?"

The edge of his mouth tugged down, "I don't know why."

Lucille's eyes cut to the street as his weak response thudded into her gut. After months of silence, she deserved a direct answer. He had yet to explain what she was to him. All of this left her even more confused.

"I'm already running late." She murmured, pushing back her sleeve to peek at her wrist watch, "Glad to see you're healthy. Goodbye, Buck."

She strode towards home. He didn't try to catch up with her this time.

As they meandered through the dark streets, Charlie reached out for her hand. The evening had been pleasant and she would have enjoyed it more, if she hadn't run into Buck earlier. She smiled and talked about surface subjects. Charlie cracked jokes and she laughed, even though some of them weren't very good. She let him grasp her fingers in his and bit her lip.

Lucille was comfortable with Charlie. However, the hollowness in his pleasant words and the failed expectation for a spark to pop to life between them all fell flat. She swallowed down her disappointment and did her best not to think of Buck.

"I hate that you leave tomorrow." He commented as they walked through the front gate.

"I enjoyed tonight." She managed.

She took the first step up, Charlie remaining on the brick walk. He let go of her hand as she rustled through her clutch for her keys.

"I should get to bed." She shrugged with a half-smile, "We are expecting a long day tomorrow."

"Who else is going with you and Ruby?"

"Masie French? Have you met her?"

"Glasses, right?"

"Yes," Lucille replied curtly, "Good luck to you, Charlie. Where ever they end up sending you."

With her on the stoop, they stood at eye level. Charlie moved forward. She turned her cheek in time for him to give her a peck beside her ear. He pulled back, his cheeks coloring as he glanced away. Lucie smiled a mite too brightly, her feet itching to get inside.

"Well, good night." He broke his grimace with a nod.

"Good night."

Lucille shut the door behind her, closing her eyes to the shadowed foyer. Ruby wouldn't be home till midnight. She strode towards the kitchen. Setting her clutch on the table, she unbuttoned her coat. Lucille moved towards the window over the sink to close the blackout curtains. The soft murmur of music made her pause. She peeked out onto the porch and saw the muted glow of the radio on the floorboards. Perhaps Ruby had been released early.

The door clicked shut behind her as she emerged into the winter night. Lucille peered towards the bench at the end of the porch. There was the glow of a cigarette. His features illuminated.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"I got uncomfortable on the front step." Buck smirked, resting forward on his knees, "I wanted to see you."

She shifted on her feet, crossing her arms over her chest.

"How was your date?" His voice was tense as he blew out a cloud of smoke.

"Fine."

"Who is he?"

"He's from Bath. An RAF pilot."

"A Limey, huh?" Buck ran his fingers over his knuckles, "How will that go over back home? With Pastor and Mrs. Swain?"

"It was just a date. Charlie didn't ask me to marry him."

Lucille felt a swell of satisfaction as Buck's shoulders hunched back sharply. She meandered to the porch post facing him and pressed her spine against it. Lucille lifted her chin imperiously.

"What makes you think you can show up at my house like this?" She snapped, "What if I had invited him in for a drink?"

"C'mon, Lucie." He snarled, "We both know that's not your style."

"It was with us."

A tick in her throat threatened to betray her but she kept her face straight. Buck lifted his eyes, the lines on his forehead softening. His mouth parted, jaw jutting forward.

"Yeah, but we're different." Buck stumped out the cigarette and rose to his feet, "We've always been different."

Tommy Dorsey's Indian Summer slithered into the space between them. Buck closed the distance leisurely till he was standing over her. He didn't touch her but stood an inch away.

"He tried to kiss me, you know." She breathed, attempting coolness, "On the mouth."

"I don't doubt it." Buck smoothed her hair from her shoulder, his worn fingertips grazed her neck, "Did you let him?"

"On the cheek."

Buck scoffed softly, bending his face towards hers, "Poor Charlie."

Their noses brushed briefly. He gently teased her mouth with his own, his hand lightly coming to rest below her ribs. A low sound rumbled in his throat, setting her blood humming. She inhaled sharply, gripping the post behind her.

"Why do we keep on doing this?" She whispered.

Grasping her hips, he pulled her against him firmly, "Would you stop asking questions and kiss me, Lucille?"

As his tongue breached her lips, she knew she was a lost cause. She always was where he was concerned. She was clay in Buck's hands and willing to be every time.

Facing the dark window, Lucie lay on her side away from him. Buck was on his back, propped up by a pillow. Her head rested on his forearm.

"What happened over there?" She broke the silence.

He exhaled a cloud of smoke. He had been smoking quite often since she had first seen him that afternoon.

"I got hit." He scoffed curtly, "Nothing really more to say about it."

"How did it happen?"

"Well, you see," He trailed a couple fingertips down between her shoulder blades, her skin prickling at his touch, "There was a man with a gun and he aimed or tried to because he missed everything vital and got me in the ass."

Lucille snorted, flipping onto her belly. She propped herself up on her elbows, her hair falling loose over her bare shoulders. Buck drew the cigarette from his mouth, wetting his lips as his gaze drifted over her.

"Christ, Lucie." He sighed.

Lucille's eyes cut down to her hands. Setting the cigarette on the bedside table, Buck slid down against her. He brushed her hair onto her back and pressed his lips to top of her arm.

"You never answered my question."

"I just did." He murmured into her skin, his arm snaking around her hips.

"The one in the letter." Her breath caught in her throat as his mouth brushed below her ear, "When I asked you what I was to you."

Buck hesitated, briefly burying his face in her hair, "I remember."

"Can you tell me now?"

She slipped onto her back and peered up at him. Her heart thudded hard in her chest as his eyes drifted away.

"I need to know, Buck." She whispered, "Please."

Downstairs, the front door creaked opened. Ruby rustled into the kitchen. With her bedroom lights off, Lucie knew they wouldn't be disturbed. She inwardly cringed at what her friend would have to say about her midnight tryst with Buck. No doubt, Ruby would sulk and give her the cold shoulder for a couple hours before bursting at the seams with her opinion. It was the usual response.

"It isn't fair to leave me wondering." She admitted.

He sighed, "I know it isn't. But I feel if I made any promises right now, it wouldn't be fair either."

"What do you mean?"

Buck slowly rested his head against her chest, his ear pressed to her heart as he had done the night before he had left. Her hand went to his crown, her fingers brushing against his feathery curls.

"It's difficult to explain." His breath was warm against her skin, "Until you see it…over there. You can't understand-"

"I know it's difficult for you to think of these things at a time like this." Lucie interjected, "But Buck, sometimes I feel like it's a convenient reality for you."

"How is anything about combat convenient?" His replied shortly.

"What I mean is that, is it just an excuse to keep me at bay?"

Buck rose on his elbows and stared hard down at her. A harsh blush erupted on Lucie's cheeks. Her mouth went dry.

"An excuse, huh?" He sat up in bed sharply, swinging his legs off the side, "Is that what you think of me?"

"What? No, I didn't mean to sound-"

"Careless?" He stood, tugging on his boxer shorts and reaching for his shirt on the bed post.

"Buck, wait." Lucie reached out, "Let me explain."

"I think you just did." He pulled his arms into his sleeves, "You think I'm the kind of man to sleep with a girl whenever he hops into town then give her a sob story about how horrible war is then hit the road, twirling my mustache on my way out the door."

Hooking up the button on his pants, he reached for his coat. Lucie leaped from the bed. She grabbed her dressing gown and held it to her breast.

"Buck. Wait." She grasped his arm.

His eyes grazed around the room. He let out a heavy breath through his teeth. Swinging herself into him, Lucie squeezed her eyes shut. She rested her mouth against his collar bone as her fingers curled around his hand.

"Please, I'm sorry. That was insensitive of me." She begged.

"Yes it was." Buck growled.

Despite his agitation, his free hand dropped his coat to the floor and pressed into the exposed small of her back.

"I should have let you explain yourself."

"That would have been nice."

"Will you come back to bed and we can start this whole conversation over?" Lucie let go of her robe and drew her hand up around his neck, "Please?"

"Are you sure?" Buck's voice grew husky as Lucie let her jaw rest against his.

"I'm certain."

They didn't speak again that evening.