Hey guys, thanks for your patience, review please. ;)

smartyjonescrzy:Haha thanks so much! I'm trying to make Robert boy-scouty, and Forbes funny. Btw, I think that you'll like this chapter. I added more Charlie for ya. ;) I feel so sorry for Rob's mom, thouhg. Thanks so much again. Oh yeah, I think that their kid's name was Frank.

shadowxofxdarkness: Thanks so much! Glad you liked it.

Beagle Bug:Haha, I know right? Rawlins is so grampa-ish.

YarisVamp: What did she copy off of? I don't get it. I'm so glad that you like ti that much. ;D

I followed Robert out of the toasty, noisy mess hall and into the crisp, silent November air. I had to run to keep up with his long strides, until I could match them and fall into step with him. I looked around, everything was wet and muddy, and there were puddles the size of the Great Lakes here and there. Okay, not that big, but still. We walked silently for a few minutes until we reached the very edge of the camp, where a wooden shack stood next to the entrance. Robert stalked up to the the building, his leather boots making sloshing sounds in the melting, muddy snow. He pulled open the door and held it for me. I raised my eyebrows, I don't know why I was so surprised.

"Thank you." I murmured. He didn't say anything as I went passed him inside, he didn't even respond. I walked into the small room, there stood a long desk, with three officers, Charlie, and two others that I did not recognize. After muttering a hello to Charlie, I went to stand next to the burning coal oven, drying myself off. Robert walked in behind me and shut the door. Charlie and the other two officers immediatly stood up and saluted him. Robert looked slightly annoyed and gave them a hurried salute.

"At ease." he murmured and approached the desk.

"Did he arrive yet?" Robert asked Charlie.

Charlie shook his head."Not yet, but he is due any minute now."

Robert nodded and leaned over on the desk."What about the mail?"

Charlie nodded and pulled out a single yellow envelope from the desk. He handed it to Robert, who seemed to be restraining himself from snatching it."Thank you."

He walked toward the door and looked over his shoulder."Carry on." then he glanced in my direction."Miss Janiero, if you please." I nodded, and when he turned around I waved a goodbye to Charlie, before following after Robert's retreating, navy-blue-overcoated back.

His head was hunched low, the hard black brim of his kepi-hat covering his deep brown eyes. His mouth was pressed in a tight thin line, and his forehead was creased with worry as he walked briskly toward the officer's sleeping barracks. Once inside, he marched past the neat rows of beds straight to his quarters, pulling the tan piece of cloth away from the doorway he marched inside and sat down at his desk, starting to tear open the envelope."Come in." he told me, without so much as a glance in my direction.

I looked around his room. It was kind of nice. He had a heating stove, a desk, a small window by it complete with glass, a nice chair, a large wooden chest, a more comfortable-looking bed with better pillows and blankets then ours, and a bookshelf. I walked right up to it and ran my fingers delicately over the large books with their intricate covers. There were copies of Shakespeare novels and poems, Bleak House by Charles Dickens, one big black book of Edgar Allen Poe (the goth of the 1800's), even a few Jules Verne, a copy of Uncle Tom's Cabin (which they made us read that in history), and last but not least, a bright red book with gold letters "The Art of War." I kneeled down next to the bookshelf and just stared at it in awe, my outh hanging open. These were the oldest books I've ever seen, or at least will be in the 21rst century. Robert cleared his throat, and I looked up.

"Ahem." he had finished reading, he looked worried and sad.

"Sorry." I mumbled as I stood up."What's wrong?"

He looked a little overwhelmed, and surprised that I asked. Oh come one, chill out dude, it's just a question. He folded his arms and stood up."Nothing, nothing at all. I'm just a bit worried about my mother." he shrugged.

"Why?" I asked.

He stared at me."It doesn't matter." the harshness was evident in his voice. I don't think he meant it though.

"Psshh...sorry." I muttered.

He regained his composure and looked at me, something seemed to be on his mind, for when he watched me he didn't see me, his eyes went right through me."Have you ever ridden a horse?" he asked me suddenly.

"No, but I-"

"Have you ever done anything useful?" I thought I heard him mutter under his breath, but when I looked at him I also could have sworn that it was just my imagination.

"At least I don't look like Ferris Bueller." I mumbled at him.

"Excuse me?" he leaned in. Oh no, he heard me."You'll have to speak up Miss Janiero." Oh good, he didn't.

I frowned."I drove my parent's car before." My eyes widened at the realization of what I just said, and I smacked my hands over my stupid, big, fat, mouth.

He stared at me intently."A car?"

Was this an interrogation?"I meant my parent's...er...buggy. But when my car...er...horse broke down, they stopped trusting me." What was I saying?

He opened his mouth but Charlie burst through the doorway. I had to restrain myself from saying 'thank-you' outloud. Charlie and Robert saluted each other."Mr. Mulcahy has arrived sir."

"Sargent." Robert corrected."Thank you Captian Morse." he glanced back at me."Come with me."

We followed Charlie back into their corner officer by the gate, Robert didn't open the door this time...I beat him to it, or atleast that's how I prefer to put it. He walked inside and saluted everybody, glancing back at me to make sure that I did the same. Robert turned his attention to a large, tall man, with a very intimidating appearance. He had small, dark eyes and a think dirty-blonde mustache. He stood tall and strong, as if he were some kind of a mountain, impossible to move. Robert reached out to shake the man's hand. I acted like a stupid little kid, hiding behind Robert's back."Sargent Major Mulcahy, it's a pleasure to have you here."

"Thank you, sir." Sgt. Mulcahy's answers were precise and to the point, loud and clear, and he didn't speak any more than he needed to. He didn't seem to talk much at all. Or so I thought. After talking and explaining more things to the sargeant, Robert turned to look at me.

"Miss Janiero, would you please carry Mulcahy's suitcases and set them on the empty cot in the officer's barracks?" he asked simply. I looked down at Mulcahy's feet, where two big brown suitcases rested. Those things were huge. I probably couldn't even lift one and he expected me to carry both.

"Um..." I didn't know what to say. Who did he think I was? A bell boy?

"That was not a suggestion Miss Janiero, it was an order." he told me. Touchy? Or just showing off? I stared at him. He was pulling rank, I just know it. I had almost given up on asking him to just call me Alex. Really, how hard was that? I probably would have asked him to just call me 'Alex' again, just to piss him off, but I didn't dare, because he was already annoyed and/or mad at me and I didn't want to push it.

"Okay." I walked over and tried to pick one up. What did the guy put in there? Bricks? With a grunt, I lifted it up about two feet off the ground, and dropped it immediatly, it landed on my foot."OW! Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!" it hurt. By then I had realized what I just did. Holding on to one foot, and standing on the other, I looked around insecurely. That was by far not the most ladylike thing to say. I could probably make a sailor blush. Robert blinked at me. Mulcahy's eyebrows were so high up on his forehead, a little more and they would touch his hair line. Charie was looking down, trying to hide a small smile, and the other two officers pretended that they did not hear me say that.

Finally Robert cleared his throat, I had surprised the heck out of him."Captain Morse?"

Charlie stepped up."Yes sir?"

"Would you mind helping Miss Janiero with the suitcases?" he asked, not even looking at me. Something told me that I was going to get it later.

"Yes sir." Charlie approached me and picked up both of the suitcases no problem, I was surprised that I wouldn't have to drag any of them.

I looked at Robert apologetically, and at Mulcahy, for good measure."Carry on." Robert said quietly. Then he turned around and continued to talk to Mulcahy in army language, saying words that I didn't understand. Charlie propped the door open with his foor, and I held it so that he could pass by. Then I shoved my hands into my pockets, and dug my chin into my collar. I was close to tears. Why does everything happen to me?

Charlie noticed."It happens, you know." I was surprised that he said anything. Well, if he was offering to listen, I can't refuse that.

"No, not to normal people." I spat, not at him, but at myself."Normal people don't step a over people's feet while dancing, normal people don't fall off of podiums, normal people don't shout out 'your mom' at obnoxious creeps, normal people don't get caught 'loitering', normal people don't drop suitcases on themselves and then yell 'dammit.' Normal..."

He cut me off."These things dohappen, to everyone. You'd be surprised at the things Forbes and I did in the 2nd Massachusetts. You'd be surprised at the things Robert did during the course of his life."

"Robert?" I sniffed.

He nodded."Did you know that he once dressed up as a woman to a local ball?"

I burst out laughing, I couldn't help myself. Charlie was also smiling at the fond memory."No I didn't."

His smile got bigger."Forgot to mention that, did he?"

"Hard to believe." I said.

"Oh yes." he said, walking inside the barracks and setting the suitcases on the empty cot."You could say that."

"What happened?" I asked.

"The war." he said flatly."Antietam." he sighed."It will al go away when the war is over." his expression looked so far away, as if he was remembering a forgotten past. I propped myself down on the cot, and that drew him out of his thoughts. He looked down at me and smiled."Don't feel to bad, Miss Janiero, everyone has clumsy moments, and graceful ones too."

I held up my hand."Alex, please."

"Alex it is then." he replied with a smile.

"Thank you, Charlie, you're very nice." I said.

"I imagine that all of us could use a few slivers of kindness in such a cruel war." he had that distant look again. Then it disappeared."We'd better go, unless you feel like getting caught for loitering again." he said.

"No." I replied."Not this time. If Robert catches us he'd probably shoot us this time." I grinned."Besides, it won't be 'fun' getting caught without Forbes."

Charlie chuckled and walked to the door. Then he stopped and turned."Don't think to bad about Robert, he's a good man." then he left.

After a minute, I stood up too."I won't." I mumbled to myself."At least I'll try."

I feel sorry for Alex. I hope that you liked this, guys, review please. Thanks so much! XOXO.