Alright peeps, I revised a bit of the last chapter. So go check that out first, yes? Alrighty. Moving on. My many thanks go out to all my readers, whether you review or not. XD

So now- IT'S STORY TIME.

It was late evening when we arrived back at the military camp and Jamie was, as usual, a bundle of frustration and irk-iness. He asked James why we had taken so long and what sort of trouble we'd gotten ourselves into considering we'd been gone for "such an extended period of time." I rolled my eyes.

"Jamie, getting fitted for air-constricting, breast-compressing torture devices takes longer than five minutes. If you don't believe me, then go get fitted for one yourself."

I snorted, trying to contain the howl of laughter I desperately wanted to let out. But that would've been "inappropriate". James chuckled and turned his back on his back on his friend as he tried to conceal his laughter. Our eyes met for a minute and I inched closer to him.

"Your friend is quite witty," he breathed in between laughs.

"Tell me about it. I can't take her anywhere," I joked.

Jamie, as per usual, was pissed off (to put it indelicately). He stumbled over his incoherent words as his face turned bright red before he stormed off. At first, Narmada said that it served him right for being an annoying dick. To which I replied, "Maybe you can make him less of an annoying dick by apologizing, hm?"

She grumbled, annoyed, in reply. But when James urged her to do so as well, she muttered that she would and ran off after him. I sighed and looked back at James. "They're surprisingly similar."

He nodded. "Startlingly so."

He held out his arm, silently inviting to walk with him. I smiled, gently placing my hand in his elbow as we stepped forward. I opened my mouth to ask him where we were going when my stomach rumbled in protest at not having a meal for a good three hours. "Um, would it be too much to ask that we stop by the kitchen?"

The captain smiled down at me and nodded. "No, of course not. I, myself, am quite famished."

We ate together in semi-silence, sharing a few jokes and thoughts but remaining silent for the most part. Even though where we were sitting was separated from where the other soldiers sat, we were still on the receiving end of numerous stares and whispered comments. After all, a well-known captain with a perfect reputation eating with a strange woman dressed like a man was not your everyday occurrence.

"Jamie! Jamie, wait! Please-"

Jamie turned on his heel and glared down at Natalia, making the girl stop short to keep from literally running into him. "Why? So that you can spew more witty insults?"

"Jamie, I'm sorry. Ar- Diana told me that I needed to apologize for what I said, said it was rude or something, so here I am."

"Ah, so you're here because your friend forced you to? Not because you actually found it necessary to apologize."

Natalia sighed. "No, I-. That's not what I meant."

"Isn't it?"

"Will you let me explain?" she exclaimed, exasperated. The major shut his mouth and blinked. "Thank you… Look, I spew insults and sarcastic remarks like there's no tomorrow normally. It's just what I do, what I'm used to. I kind of can't help it. Okay?"

Jamie stared silently at her, eventually reaching up to ran a hand along his jaw. "I suppose I understand, Miss Cumberbatch."

"Jamie, can you please not call me that?"

Jamie stared incredulously at her. "Then… what shall I call you?"

"Narm- Natalia. It's my name, isn't it?"

He forced a smile. "Yes, it is. Natalia."

He couldn't help but think, It is a beautiful name. And she is as well. But Jamie immediately scolded himself for even contemplating the thought. Do not think such things about her, especially since she is apparently of low social class. She doesn't even remember where she comes from. It would be wrong to take advantage of that.

James walked me back to our shared rooms, being the sweet gentleman he is and holding doors open for me and wrapping an arm around my shoulder when I started to shiver from the cool night air of England's countryside.

"I hope you sleep well tonight, Diana," he said softly as I stood in the doorway of his bedroom.

I blushed and shook my head slightly, making some of my longer strands of hair fall across my face. Which was really quite futile considering my hair only barely reached past my ears in the back and barely reached my mouth in the front.

"T-Thanks," I mumbled softly. "You too, James."

We exchanged smiles and I closed the door, padding over to the cot and sitting on the very edge. My cheeks were still warm and I pressed the backs of my hands against them to cool them down. "Dammit, why did I have to fall in love with him? But how could I not?" I mumbled. "He's so sweet and handsome and gentlemanly. He's respectful and knows how to treat a woman. So different from… From Dad."

I sighed, angry with myself for bringing my father back up to the front of my mind. Trying to distract myself from the subject at hand, I hummed a short song from a Disney film and pulled the raggedy blanket up to my chin.

Another chapter for y'all. Cuz I love you. (And James. ;D)

Reviwes are so appreciated, you have no idea.

-Artemis Sherwood