You guys are the best readers a girl could wish for – thanks so much for all your fabulous reviews. I really am thrilled and very flattered that you have embraced this story the way you have.

So I promised you another chapter...

Charlaine Harris owns the rights to these characters.

"All human sin seems so much worse in its consequences than in its intentions." - Reinhold Niebuhr

Eric – October 1941

St Peter Port was a harbour town filled with steep cobbled streets and pretty chocolate box houses, in many ways very similar to St. Helier. It lacked the vibrancy of Jersey though. Most of Guernsey's children had been evacuated to the British mainland before the war and a large contingent of the town's residents had also fled in anticipation of the invasion, so there was an eerie, empty feel to the town that I hadn't been prepared for.

Corporal Mott and I had both been billeted upon Bud and Ruby Dearborn, a dour Scottish couple in their sixties; we each had a dank, shabby room in their rundown guesthouse which overlooked the harbour. Also staying with the Dearborns was Elsa Ludwig, a nurse in the German army. Elsa was a tiny pit-bull of a woman, with a pinched face and hair cut into a severe bob, who could outdrink a sailor and silence even Mott with a steely glare. She also had a razor-sharp sense of humour and my interactions with her were one of the few redeeming features of my new posting.

I didn't bother to hide my distaste for the fact that Mott and I had been posted together. He was generally respected by his superiors, including Andre, for being an excellent soldier but to me he was a rabid dog, seemingly good at following orders but in reality too dangerous to control. I had disliked him from the day I met him and that dislike had turned into something close to loathing after the incident with Sookie. Unfortunately men of his ilk seemed to be more and more common in the Wehrmacht these days and it didn't take him long to find a group of zealots in Beck's regiment with which to spend his time. That said, if it kept him away from me, then it could only be for the best.

Andre had been right about one thing, Colonel Beck was as humourless as they come. A consumate Party man, my mother would have described him disdainfully as a 'social climber' and she would have been entirely accurate in doing so. Once again my reputation, or that of my father at least, had preceded me and Colonel Beck never missed an opportunity to be utterly obsequious while, at the same time, squarely reminding me that he was my commanding officer. By day three, I'd learned to simply switch off every time he mentioned his connection to Hermann Goering.

It also became apparent very quickly why he needed my help. He seemed to surround himself with sycophants rather than capable officers, men who would listen attentively to his buffoonery without actually getting much accomplished. Still in one way it was a good thing: I was able to throw myself into the defence wall project, working exhausting hours each and every day, in a bid to take my mind off Sookie.

I just missed her so much. Even when she hadn't been speaking to me, it was a comfort knowing she was okay and nearby. But now, not knowing how long I would be here, or how long the damned war would last, I could feel my sense of hope begin to ebb a little more each day. The last night we were together, I had watched Sookie as she slept, trying to commit every curve and line of her face to memory. It was no substitute for the real thing but, for now, that memory of her was the only thing I had to keep me going.

0-0-0-0-0

I was sat alone at the table in the communal dining room, playing with the watery tongue and parsnip soup Ruby Dearborn had left for dinner. Elsa traipsed in, two bottles of beer in her hand, and flounced into the chair beside me. She was still in uniform, with pants instead of a skirt. From not very far away you could have been forgiven for assuming she was a young boy. She placed one of the beers in front of me, making a hilarious face of disgust as she eyed the contents of my bowl.

"Do you think she spat in it?" she joked. "It looks like she spat in it... Or worse."

I ladled some of the murky liquid into my spoon and let it dribble out, back into the bowl. "To be honest, I'm not sure it would taste any worse if she had spat in it. There's more on the stove in the kitchen but I wouldn't really recommend it."

I smiled to myself as I thought of Tray and what he would have had to say about the meal; he could handle the Russian front, but Ruby's cooking probably would have pushed him to mutiny by now.

"It doesn't matter really," she sighed. "I'm not sure I could eat anything after a day like today, anyhow."

I raised an eyebrow in her direction. "That bad?"

"Well I had to treat three soldiers for syphilis this morning… have you seen what syphilis can do to the male member?... And then someone for hemorrhoids this afternoon…" She used her bottle to shield her mouth dramatically, revealing more in an accentuated whisper. "…Who may or may not be a certain commanding officer we all know and love."

I let my spoon clang down into the bowl and picked up my beer. "Okay, that seals it. I'm officially finished eating."

She laughed. "Thought that would do it… Anyway beer has all the goodness and nutrients a soldier needs..."

I smirked, taking a sip. It was slightly warm but a damn sight better than the soup. "Is that your professional opinion, Nurse Ludwig?"

She smiled, taking a deep swig of her beer. "Of course."

"So, syphilis huh?" I asked with a grimace, taking out a cigarette and lighting it up.

She took the cigarette I offered her and leant into my burning match, before inhaling deeply and blowing out the smoke with a deep sigh. "It's amazing isn't it? All you soldiers are forbidden from fraternizing with the local girls and yet, as if by magic, we have a syphilis outbreak on our hands... I know it's not me that's been putting it about, so unless Octavia Fant has been making her way through the regiment, you've got to wonder…"

I laughed. Octavia Fant was Colonel Beck's secretary. She was a gentille, white-haired lady of at least sixty-five; I doubt she even knew what syphilis was.

I shrugged. "There's always Claudette."

Claudette worked in the infirmary with Ludwig. She was young and very pretty, if you were interested, which I definitely wasn't. Claudette, on the other hand, had made it very clear that she was interested. In men in general, in me in particular.

Elsa gave me a wry smile, little crinkles appearing at the sides of her eyes. "Claudette has access to all the good medication, so I don't think it's her. Anyway, I think you and I both know that Claudette has better taste than those reprobates I had to deal with today. Well, slightly better taste anyway…"

I frowned, taking another gulp of my beer. "I'm not interested Elsa. I've told you that already."

She raised her palms in surrender. "Hey, you brought her up… You never did say why you're not interested though. I mean you're a hot-blooded male and I know Claudette is my friend but anyone can see that she's got curves in all the right places. What's wrong with her?"

I shook my head, taking another pull on my cigarette. "Look, it's not about Claudette…"

Elsa tilted her head to the side, unable to hide her glee. "Major Northman have you got a sweetheart waiting for you at home?" she teased.

I rolled my eyes. "Maybe I'm just madly in love with you Nurse Ludwig… Stanger things have happened."

Elsa snorted. "Not much stranger… But that's it isn't it? You've got a girl back in Berlin…" Her eyes suddenly went wide and she pointed at me with her cigarette. "… or not in Berlin... in St. Helier? Fuck Northman, you've got to be kidding me…"

I laughed dismissively, starting to shift in my chair a little uncomfortably. "You really are making this up as you go along Elsa. I just don't want to fuck Claudette. There really is no ulterior motive."

Ludwig gave me a knowing look, holding my gaze. Suddenly she broke eye contact, glancing behind me, a flash of worry crossing her features. I twisted around in my chair, feeling my stomach sink as Corporal Mott made his way into the room. His face was impassive, as I realized with horror that I had no idea how long he had been there.

"Evening Major… Elsa," Mott addressed us, breaking out into a smarmy grin.

"Mott," I replied curtly, extinguishing my cigarette and making to get up. My heart was hammering in my chest but the only thing I could do was try to play it natural.

"Got one of those for me?" Mott gestured to Elsa's beer.

She rolled her eyes, getting up from the table. "Nope."

"You're not sticking around?" Mott asked, looking between us with a faux pout. "I didn't mean to interrupt your conversation."

"We were done." I tried to sound bored, dismissive. Did he hear Ludwig talk about St. Helier? If he did, did he make anything of it? I couldn't be sure.

Without a further glance at Mott, I made my way to the door, Elsa hot on my heels.

I couldn't help but smile as I heard her parting comment. "Try the soup Corporal. I hear it's really good."

Sookie – November 1941

"Right, that's it," Auntie Evie declared, banging down her knife and fork with a dramatic huff. I looked up from my plate, where I had been picking distractedly at my carrots for the last twenty minutes. I shot a glance at Uncle Cope who had also stopped eating, mid-chew, and was raising an eyebrow at his wife in question.

Auntie Evie glared at me. "Fish pie is supposed to be your favourite. You haven't eaten anything properly in weeks and you're wasting away before my eyes… I think you need to go and see the doctor."

I shook my head. "There's nothing wrong with me, auntie, I promise. I'm just not that hungry." I looked down at my plate, feeling a little nauseous at the sight of all the cod and double cream, but shovelled a mouthful of carrots into my mouth in demonstration. "See?"

Bill looked at me with concern. "Maybe your aunt is right, Sookie. You don't seem to be yourself at the moment. Are you sure you're not unwell?"

I rolled my eyes petulantly and looked over at Uncle Cope, shooting him a look of challenge. "Did you want to get involved in this too?"

My uncle blew out a frustrated breath. "I think we're all just a bit worried about you, Sook. You've gotten really thin lately and, well, you just don't seem to be your usual bubbly self…"

I sighed. "I know you all care but I really am okay," I lied. I tried to think of something to pacify them. "Maybe just a bit tired?" I offered.

It was true, I was exhausted. I hadn't really had anything but fitful sleep since Eric left. I dreamt of him almost every night. My favourite part of the day was always the few seconds after I woke, the time it took me to remember that he was gone. I didn't want to eat; I didn't want to do much of anything. I knew my clothes were starting to look a little baggy, Pam had commented on it the other day in her usual brutally honest manner, but I thought I'd been doing a better job of keeping my heartache concealed. It worried me that I hadn't. The last thing I needed was my aunt and uncle putting two and two together. Or Bill. He'd already been suspicious in the past.

"That Sam's been taking advantage of you," Auntie Evie asserted with a firm nod, seemingly satisfied by my explanation and running with it. "He's working you too hard. You're run down."

"It's not Sam's fault," I defended. "I offered to help out." In reality, I had begged Sam for extra shifts in an effort to keep myself busy and out of the house. Arlene had even complained about him showing me favouritism.

Uncle Cope reached over and put his hand over mine. It was warm and comforting and for the first time in years I wished that I could crawl onto his lap and he would hug me like he'd done so many times when I was a child. I knew she cared now but Auntie Evie had taken a bit of getting used to when I first came to St. Helier. Uncle Cope though, he had made me feel loved right from the start.

"Maybe you should get away for a bit. Take a break?" he suggested softly. "I'm sure Maxine wouldn't mind having you stay for a week or so and I know Amelia would love to have you around."

I smiled; last time I had seen Amelia she was coming very close to murdering Maxine. She would be thrilled to have some company and Uncle Cope was right, it probably would do me some good to get away from the farm for a bit. Everything here reminded me of Eric.

"Maybe that would make me feel a little better?" I agreed.

0-0-0-0-0

Amelia had been overjoyed to see me and her enthusiasm and sense of fun were so infectious that it did perk me up just being around her. Maxine was also lovely in her own way, fussing around me kindly, under orders from Auntie Evie that I was to get plenty of rest. On the third day of my stay Bill had driven up in the van and dropped off my bicycle. Of course, Maxine had almost been unable to contain herself, inviting him to stay for lunch and fawning over him the whole time.

That afternoon, Amelia and I decided to take advantage of the dry weather and go out for a ride.

"I think Maxine may be in love," Amelia joked, looking back at me over her shoulder as we coasted down the hill. The air was cold and crisp against my face but the sun was high in the cloudless sky. A perfect winter's day.

She mimicked Maxine's voice. "Such nice manners and such a handsome man…"

I laughed. "She does seem quite taken with him… It was really thoughtful of him to bring my bike up though."

Amelia slowed down so I could catch her up. "He probably missed you and needed the excuse to come see you," she teased.

I rolled my eyes. "Amelia, that is ridiculous. I've only been gone three days."

"Three days is long enough when you're in lurrrve…" she giggled.

I reached over trying to swat her with my hand, attempting to stifle my own laughter as she swerved away from me. "You are such an idiot."

We pulled up at a junction and Amelia grinned at me. "I know."

After checking for cars, I pushed away. "Anyway, I thought you liked Bill these days?" I asked.

"You're right I do," she admitted, suddenly pensive. "I'll always be grateful for what he did for me that day…"

I nodded solemnly. "Me too."

Amelia held her hand out signalling left down one of the country lanes, even though there was nobody around to see. "Doesn't make him any less dull though, does it?" she added with a mercurial grin.

I chuckled at that, unable to argue against her logic. We rode on for a while in comfortable silence as I took in the scenery around me, until the trees and hedgerows began to look slightly familiar.

"Where are we?" I asked, as we made our way up a gentle hill.

"We're on the way back into town," Amelia explained. "We're less than a mile out."

As I glanced across the field to my right, I realised why I recognised the area. It was a lot less green, the trees had shed their leaves and the ground was muddy from all the rain we'd been having, but it was unmistakable: Our place. Mine and Eric's.

I felt myself wobble a little on the bike, my balance suddenly off as a wave of nausea unexpectedly rose in my stomach. Calling out croakily to Amelia, I stopped the bike, leaping off and discarding it by the side of the road. I managed to lean over into the hedgerow just in time before I vomited violently, my hands shaking and tears streaming down my face from the force of it.

"Holy fuck." Amelia jumped off her bike, discarding it next to mine. "Sook, are you alright?"

She gathered my hair behind my head in a makeshift ponytail as my body convulsed and I decorated the hedgerow for a second time.

"I don't know what came over me," I moaned, trying to steady my breathing. I crouched down on my haunches and glanced over at the trees. For a moment I thought I might be sick for a third time. "It must have been something I ate."

Amelia frowned, rubbing my back comfortingly. "But you only had porridge for breakfast and I had the stew last night too and I feel fine." She put her hand across my forehead. "You're a little sweaty though. Maybe you've got the flu?"

I nodded, holding out a shaky arm for Amelia to haul me to my feet. "Might be… Okay, I think that's all there is."

Amelia nodded, eyeing the trail of vomit with an exaggerated grimace. "We should get you home. We can cut across the field on foot and push the bikes alongside."

"Okay," I agreed, still feeling a little weak. I cast a final glance across the clearing, forcing back the fresh tears that were threatening, and then picked up my bike and followed my cousin across the field.

0-0-0-0-0

I spent the next couple of days at home with Maxine and Amelia. I still felt a little queasy and tired, so I slept late in the mornings, catching up on lost sleep, and took it easy during the day.

After three days at the mercy of Maxine's mothering, I declared myself all better, and Amelia and I decided to go for a walk down to the beach. The sea was foreboding today, dark and wild under a troubled grey sky. I watched the waves crash against the rocks and shivered, linking my arm into Amelia's and pulling my coat around me.

"I worry about you here," I admitted quietly after a moment. "I worry about you being alone."

Amelia shrugged. "It's not forever... And I have Maxine. I know a few people now too."

I sighed. "It's not the same."

She shook her head ruefully. "No, you're right, it's not."

We trudged along the beach in silence, slow as our boots sunk into the wet sand. I faced into the wind as it whipped my hair around my face, the taste of salt staining my lips.

After a while Amelia stopped, looking out pensively over the horizon. She ran a hand through her hair. She had decided to keep it short since leaving St. Helier. It suited her.

"Do you think he ever thinks about me?" she asked softly.

I smiled, hugging her closer into me, not needing to ask whom she meant. "I'm sure he thinks about you all the time."

She pulled away from me gently, reaching down to scoop a small stone off the sand and throwing it resentfully into the water. "Will he be okay, do you think?"

I sighed, shaking my head bleakly. "I don't know sweetie... I don't know if any of us will."

Amelia turned to face me, a devious smirk spreading across her face. "Bloody hell Sook, you're supposed to be cheering me up, not making it worse!"

I couldn't help but laugh. "I know, I'm sorry. I think I'm the wrong person to be doing the cheering up these days."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't think I haven't noticed. Maybe we should both just jump off one of those cliffs, the first corpse to wash up on Guernsey wins..."

"Guernsey?" I asked curiously.

"Yeah," Amelia nodded, giving me a knowing look as she pointed out over the sea. "It's too miserable today, but on clear day you can see it across the water. It's only twenty miles or so."

I squinted out onto the horizon, feeling a lurch of disappointment that I couldn't make the island out. It was silly but somehow it would have made me feel better, being able to see where Eric was. I wondered what he was doing out there. Was he happy? Did he think about me as much as I did him?

A clap of thunder rolled off in the distance, breaking me out of my thoughts. Amelia grabbed my hand, pulling me away from the sea.

"C'mon," she yelled, as fat drops of rain began to splatter around us. "Time to get home."

0-0-0-0-0

I stayed at Maxine's for twelve days in total before heading back to the farm. I still missed Eric terribly of course but the time away had allowed my heart to heal, just a little, and I was generally feeling better about things.

Bill came to see me the afternoon I got back. We were alone in the house; Uncle Cope was outside, cleaning out the chickens, and Evie had gone into town to visit Isabel.

"Well don't you look better?" he enthused, a large grin on his face.

I looked up from the book I was reading at the kitchen table, my smile mirroring his as I watched him wipe his boots on the kitchen mat.

"Hi Bill. Thank you, I feel a little better too. And I'm certainly well rested. Amelia and Evie really fussed over me while I was there."

He nodded. "Good. I was worried... We all were."

I tried to ignore the look of tenderness in his eyes as I folded the corner down on my page, closing my book. It was the novel Eric had bought me for my birthday. I had read it at least five times since he'd left.

"Fancy a cup of tea?" I asked cheerfully, making my way over to the kettle and filling it up.

Bill smiled, moving towards the kitchen counter. "You read my mind Sookie. I'd love one. Thank you."

The kettle put on to boil, I went to the fridge, pulling out the jug of cream to add some to our cups. I felt my stomach dip a little as various smells from the refrigerator wafted into the room.

I sniffed at the cream, crinkling my nose, and then proffered it to Bill. "Does this smell off to you?"

He frowned, taking the cream from my hand and examining it. "It shouldn't do. It was fresh yesterday."

I grimaced, poking my head into the fridge to investigate. "Must be something else then..."

Suddenly an enormous wave of nausea reared up inside my stomach. I retched, my hand over my mouth, knowing I was going to be sick. Lurching towards the sink, I made it just in time to empty my lunch into it.

Bill rushed over to my side. "God Sookie, are you all right?"

Flushing red with embarrassment, I reached for a dishcloth to wipe the side of my mouth. I ran the tap on full blast, trying desperately to clear the sink. "Yes," I croaked. "Oh Bill, I'm so sorry about that."

Bill reached out to touch my arm, looking at me through troubled eyes. "Don't be silly Sookie. Are you okay? What can I do?"

I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling carefully. "I'm fine, I'm fine. I think I need to sit down though..."

"Of course." Bill led me by the arm over to the table, pulling out one of the chairs.

I sank into it with a sigh. "Thank you."

"Did you want me to call Evie for you?" Bill enquired with concern. "Or maybe you should see the doctor?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm okay, really. I've just been a bit under the weather lately. I think it's the flu or something."

Bill frowned, his eyes narrowing imperceptibly. "The flu?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I felt a bit sick while I was at Maxine's. I thought it had gone but clearly not." I looked over at the kettle as it began to whistle on the stove. "I should finish that tea."

Bill shook his head, resting his hand on my shoulder. "You stay there Sookie. I can do it."

I gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks Bill. I think I'd better take mine black if that's okay?"

He nodded, busying himself at the kitchen counter. I ran my fingers over the grain of the wooden kitchen table, breathing slowly, trying to settle my stomach. Maybe I was sick after all? Last time, I had just assumed it was because of Eric, the shock at seeing our place again without him here.

"Is there anything else I can get for you?" Bill asked, bringing my tea over to the table. I blew into my cup before taking a sip, feeling instantly calmed as its warmth spread to my belly.

I thought about it for a moment. I knew I didn't want to eat anything. I wondered if maybe something fizzy would take the edge off the nausea. I knew Arlene had drunk her weight in Coca-cola when she was pregnant and swore by it.

My cup shattered as it hit the floor, spilling scalding hot tea all over my front. But I didn't feel it.

When Arlene was pregnant...

I sat there, paralysed, not hearing Bill as he fussed around me trying to pick up the fragments of Evie's wedding china from the floor.

Pregnant.

Desperately, I tried to think back to the last time I had my period but I honestly couldn't remember. I'd been so pre-occupied lately, I hadn't thought about it. Before Eric left, I was almost certain of that. Terror rose in my belly as understanding began to creep over me like a thousand tiny insects marching across my skin.

Pregnant.

I wanted to cry out, to curse out loud but the words wouldn't come. I stood up, feeling my legs begin to shake as my body began to rebel against me.

"Oh God," I rasped.

"Sookie?" Bill asked, his expression full of alarm. "Are you okay? Did it burn you?"

"I have to go upstairs and change," I whispered, backing away from him. "I'm… I'm so sorry."

I bolted up the stairs and into my room, shucking off my wet clothes as if they were contaminated. I pulled my dressing gown around me, hugging it to me like a life jacket. My legs were red where the hot tea had penetrated my slacks but I ignored it. I slumped down on the bed, tears of dread and disgrace cascading down my face.

I clutched my stomach as waves of sickness began to ripple through me yet again. I couldn't believe that I was pregnant with Eric's child. Not now. In my daydreams I had imagined us together in the future, happy and married, a whole brood of beautiful blonde children playing at our feet. But the reality couldn't be any different: unmarried and pregnant by a Gerry soldier I would probably never see again. I would be ostracised, shunned, and it would break my aunt and uncle. After Amelia, I wasn't sure that they would recover from the shame.

I had been there for a while when I heard a gentle knock at the door. I ignored it, pulling my pillow into my lap, clinging to it and wishing for the world to go away. There was a second knock, louder this time, and then Bill opened the door.

His eyes met mine as he entered my room. They were full of anguish as he took in the sight of me.

"It's not the flu, is it?" His voice was so quiet, it was barely audible.

My eyes were blurry with tears as I shook my head. There seemed no point in lying to him. It would be obvious to all soon enough.

"You're pregnant," he asserted.

I nodded.

"It's Major Northman's?"

I nodded again, looking down at my hands with shame.

Bill turned away from me, cursing under his breath.

"I'm so scared," I whispered. I wished for all the world that Eric was here. Just to have him hold me, to lie and tell me everything was going to be okay, it was all I wanted.

Bill ran an anxious hand over his face, walking over to me and perching on the side of the bed. He put his arm around me, pulling me awkwardly into his embrace but he felt warm, comforting, as I shook with tears against his shoulder. He rubbed my back with the palm of his hand, soothing me like a child.

After a moment he pulled back. "It'll be okay Sookie. I'll get you through this."

"I don't know what to do," I sobbed, shaking my head with despair. "A baby? What am I going to tell my aunt and uncle? Oh God."

Bill shook his head firmly. "It's okay, Sookie. I know what we need to do."

I looked at him questioningly.

"Just hear me out Sookie, okay?" He held his hand up, placating me.

I nodded, wiping the tears from my eyes with the corner of my sleeve, desperate for any glimmer of hope he could give me.

Bill slipped off the bed, until he was kneeling on the floor beside me. It took me a minute to register what was happening as he took my hand in his. Bill's dark eyes fixed on mine, full of emotion.

"Marry me Sookie."

A/N: *peeps out from behind laptop* Ummm yeah – I went there!

Reviews make my day, so please let me know what you think. Kudos to Wylis for predicting the bun in Sookie's oven. I should emphasise that this is an Eric and Sookie story, so please do bear that in mind before you all start forming a posse to come lynch me!

I should take this opportunity to do a shout-out to TexanLady23 and all those at the Fangalicious Fan Fiction website where I'm "Author of the Month" this month. It's a great website with loads of fab fanfic recommendations so check it out at: fangfics(dot)blogspot(dot)com