A/N: Your first reward for being so understanding and patient for chapter 7! Enjoy ^_^


I linked arms with Dean and we strolled leisurely through the forest and back to the house. I let me head rest on his shoulder and he hummed a tune I wasn't familiar with.

"What are you humming?"

"It's called Free America. The soldiers were singing it on our way in."

"It's nice," I smiled up at him as we finally reached the end of the forest.

As we walked, I could see a figure darting out of the forest on the other end and running into a house, Adam's house. Dean stiffened next to me and I assumed it was because he saw the figure too.

"Coward," Dean mumbled under his breath.

"There you are!" my mother swung the door open, finding me wrapped in Dean's arms. "Where's Adam?"

"He ran off when I showed up. He was forcing himself on Elizabeth."

"I think you just saw it wrong. Adam is a nice boy. He would never do something like that. He is good for Elizabeth; he is for Elizabeth."

My mother's blind faith broke my heart. She was so sure of him, almost proud. Tears sprang to my eyes as Dean and my mother began to argue. He pulled me closer and I buried my face in his chest; I couldn't distinguish a word of their conversation. I pulled away when I noticed they weren't speaking anymore and I could hear hooves coming closer. I turned around to find the post master riding toward us.

"Letter for the Walters!" he called out just as I felt a drop of rain hit my face.

I reached out to him and grabbed it, another raindrop fell. I was from my father's regime's corporal. I went to tear it open and read it but remembered my mother didn't know I could read. I handed the letter to Dean and asked him to read it aloud.

"There's a couple letters in here. One addressed to each member of the family from you father and the corporal. It must be about his tour being extended." he smiled and handed me my letter. "Now, let's go inside and pass out the rest of the letters before I read the one addressed to all of you from the corporal."

"Good idea, it is starting to rain." I smiled as yet another raindrop fell.


Dean quickly read the letter before reading it aloud. His breath hitched and sorrow flooded his face. How long were they extending his "tour", as Dean called it.

He cleared his throat and began in a unstable voice:

Dear Walter Family,

I am most saddened to inform you of the passing of Mr. James Walter. He was a remarkable soldier and a wonderful man. I am sure I and the rest of the regime will miss him almost as much as you miss him. I feel such sorrow for you and I hope that you all pull through this loss.

Sincerest Regards,

Corporal Sampson


Dean's voice quivered and I felt my whole body go numb. My father had passed. I didn't know how it was possible. He was immortal in my eyes. That's when it hit me, the rain. My father always said he hoped to become rain after he died. I always found it to be rather morbid, but now I felt sickness. My stomach was in knots and my breathing was faulty. I could see Dean's stature growing fuzzy and eventually everything went black.


A/N: Shorter than I promised, but I am being forced to get off the computer for the rest of the night. I'm leaving it on a kinda-sorta cliffhanger, but it will be resolved tomorrow. A quick thank you to my amazingly awesome reviewers! You keep me and the little squirrel in my brain happy and creative! At the rate I am going with this, I predict it to have maybe 15 chapters, maybe more but definitely not less.