The woman running the inn glanced at the pair again, a disapproving scowl on her face. "How many nights?" she asked coldly.
"Just the…" Luz began, his arm locked tight around Jaclyn's waist, his chin resting on top of her head.
"Week," finished Jaclyn. Luz looked down at her in surprise, but she just shrugged and grinned. "To be safe."
Dazed, he turned back to the woman. "Week it is," he confirmed. At this time he wasn't sure even where he was or who this glowering lady could be. The only real thing was the woman against him. He looked back down to Jaclyn, brushing a hand against her cheek again. She leaned into his touch, closing her eyes.
The innkeeper saw this exchange, and her cold demeanor softened. She handed him a key without another word.
Inside their small room, Luz closed the door behind them without letting her go. As soon as the latch clicked shut, they both sighed with relief, their arms around one another.
Jaclyn buried her face into his chest, squeezing his middle with everything she had. "God, I missed you," she murmured.
Luz didn't say anything, just touched her. He breathed in her scent, something he had never forgotten but it acted as a trigger that hit him all at once. She had returned to him. She was safe in his arms.
He felt something wet on his chest. Cupping her face in his hand, he brought her eyes up to meet his. Her face was streaked with tears. Sucking in a hard breath, he whispered. "Don't cry, sweetheart. Please don't cry." Tears began to fill his own eyes.
Jaclyn chuckled, brushing the wetness from his face. "You're one to talk. Besides," she murmured, "these are happy tears, Luz. I'm so happy to be back with you again, love."
She leaned up on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against his. He took in a shaky breath before she moved to deepen the kiss. After a moment, he pulled back. "Mack," he whispered, torn. "You don't have to. If you need time…"
Jaclyn pulled back, an eyebrow cocked with a familiar fire in her eyes. Luz almost smiled when he saw it, but his concern for her won out. "George Luz, if you think krauts and some distance are going to somehow affect my feelings for you, then I am going to start doubting your love for me. You must not know me very well."
Cobb's word echoed in his ears before Luz shook his head, his fingers in her hair. He was incapable to stop touching her. "If I loved you anymore more, Mack, I am sure my heart would stop beating from the strain."
"Then kiss me, you fool."
Luz traced a finger up and down her bare back absently. They both laid on their stomachs in bed, only a white sheet draped over their hips.
Hugging her pillow to her chest, Jaclyn looked at him quietly. She noticed the dark circles under his eyes, his longer hair, and the ribs on his side that she'd never seen before.
"You've haven't been taking care of yourself," she murmured.
Luz shrugged, his eyes on his finger. "So Doc tells me."
She'd give anything to make him laugh, but she couldn't think of anything funny to say. Instead, she offered him what he always did for her.
She scooted over before turning on her side. She pressed her body against his and gently took his head in her hands. She moved it to lay against her chest and under her chin. Wrapping her arms around his back, she held him. After a moment's hesitation, he hugged her back.
Several minutes passed before she cleared her throat. "If you'd like, tell me about what I missed." She tried to say this lightly, but they both knew she was asking how he was while she was away.
Luz was silent for a long time. His arms crept tighter around her, bringing her closer to him. Tears started to build in his throat.
"It was like half of me was gone. That I had lost it, but I couldn't remember where I put it," he whispered. "Half the time, I drove myself crazy trying to figure out a way to get to you, but I didn't know where to start. They told me that you'd vanished. But I knew you were alive. You had to be."
He took a deep breath, trying to push down the lump in his throat. She felt him freeze up. Absently, she brushed her fingers through his hair. "And then the other half of me hoped you were dead. I was so afraid that you were back in that nightmare that you've tried so hard to escape. I couldn't stand thinking of you in pain again." Tears fell from his eyes. He squeezed her tighter to himself. "I'm so sorry, Mack. I hate myself for it. I'm so sorry."
Luz cried quietly into her chest. She shushed him and stroked his hair and back until he calmed down. Finally, he hesitantly pulled back to look at her, afraid to see her reaction.
She gave him a soft smile. "Never apologize for loving me, George. The next time you do, I'll kick your ass." Finally, a smile. There it is.
He chuckled, giving her a chaste kiss. After searching her eyes and seeing she spoke the truth, he hugged her to himself again, breathing her in.
Jaclyn caressed his bare back up and down. When she reached his hips, her hand drifted lower under the sheet, but stopped abruptly.
"Luz, we need to fatten you up. What the hell am I supposed to grab hold of now?"
Luz laughed for the first time in a long time. That's my girl.
"Whatcha doing crouching, Perco? Think the deer is going to shoot back?" Liebgott snickered.
"Leave me alone," grumbled Perconte, but he straightened up.
"How bout all ya just shut up? Let Shifty kill us some dinner," Randleman countered.
After a few weeks, they were practicing a patrol in the woods, only this time the enemy was a large buck and not a kraut. Jaclyn yawned widely, hugging her rifle to her chest. She didn't have to be there, but the idea of being back in town with nothing to do but sit in her tent drove her crazy.
Luz yawned next to her and caught her eye. With only a wink, he made her blush. She turned away, trying to hide her reddened cheeks. Perhaps I should have stayed behind. I really need to invest in some sleep.
Luz grinned when he saw look away, but yawned again. Damn, I need a nap. Woman is trying to kill me.
He caught her eye again. Another wink and another blush. Definitely my new favorite game.
Jaclyn tried to steer this off course. Before I jump him behind this tree. Again. "Shifty, are you really going to kill this deer?" she asked.
Shifty nodded. "Yes ma'am. Good meat like that is a damn shame to waste."
Jaclyn pouted. "But he's so beautiful. Can't we leave him alone?" All the men stopped to stare at her. She looked back, confused. "What?"
Randleman shrugged before he started walking again. "Nothin', darling. Just never seen you back down from a kill."
Jaclyn placed a hand on her hip and glared at him. "I'm not that bad, Bull." The men stopped again. She looked around at them and huffed. "I'm not a monster."
They grinned. "No one saying you a monster, doll," said Luz, looking back to the forest.
"No one saying you ain't scary neither," added Malarkey. The men chuckled. Jaclyn pursed her lips at first before giving in and joining them.
A twig snapped and their eyes all looked forward to see the buck standing proud about twenty yards away. Shifty raised his rifle, zeroing in on the target. They waited. But he didn't shoot.
Another twig snapped and the deer ran away unharmed.
The guys groaned, smacking Shifty on the head. Jaclyn leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You're the best, Shifty. Don't listen to them."
Shifty blushed deeply. "Shucks, Jackie."
She grinned. "Bet there's a girl at home looking forward to making your cheeks blush like that."
He blushed again. Stammering, "I sure hope so. But I don't know when I'll see her again. I need 15 points." They all got quiet.
Easy was becoming more and more aware that their war may not be over just yet. They watched the news. The battle in the pacific was ongoing and the Japanese would not surrender.
In order to go home, a soldier needed 85 points. Being wounded earned extra points, although not many. Those without enough points were in danger of being redeployed, which included most of the soldiers left.
Jaclyn knew Luz needed ten points. If Easy was headed to the pacific, he was going too.
"How does the RAF work, Jackie?" asked Liebgott quietly. "Can you go home?"
Jaclyn fell silent. She and Luz recently fought about this. They hadn't spoken about it since. She saw him stiffen next to her. "Before I went AWOL from the camp hospital, they told me I was getting honorably discharged."
Perconte whistled. "Lucky broad."
Jaclyn grinned. "I ran away before they gave it to me." She could hear Luz suck on his teeth angrily.
Randleman laughed. "I don't think it works that way, darlin'. You're golden."
Jaclyn fell silent again. She didn't know how the men would react if she told them that she's going if they were. Luz didn't exactly respond well.
Shifty watched her from the corner of his eye. They walked on, but a little while later he whispered to her. "You're going to go anyway, aren't you, Jackie? If Easy goes?"
Her eyes trailed to Luz, his jaw still clenched. She could practically hear his teeth grinding. She looked to Shifty and nodded.
He gave her a commiserating smile and nodded back. He understood.
After patrol, Easy was ordered to gather in the square for attention. On this anniversary of D-Day, a random soldier was to be given a furlough home – a nice surprise for everyone. Dress uniforms were mandatory for this happy celebration.
Jaclyn straightened Luz's tie. "There. Now you look presentable." She took a step back.
She had to hand it to him. He looked incredibly handsome. With a start, she realized she hadn't seen him in his dress uniform since they met in England a year ago.
He seemed to realize the same. A smirk spread across his face. "Last time I wore this in front of you, you were removing my tie, doll."
She smirked back. "I also seem to recall requesting a Navy man."
Luz held his heart with his hands. "Ouch. Still hurts, Mack."
They walked outside together. Jaclyn's didn't have a dress uniform with her. She was already borrowing American ODs. The pants had to be rolled several times at the ankle.
When they got to the square, she watched him go line up with the others. She found herself a place with the officers to watch the formation. Spiers stepped forward and started.
After placing their rifles back down to their sides, he called them at ease. Luz looked over at Jaclyn, giving her a wink. She winked back, still admiring the clean-cut version of her man.
Spiers then announced that Lipton would now choose a name from the helmet of the lucky soldier. Everyone held their breath. Jaclyn closed her eyes, praying for Luz but feeling guilty that the other guys wouldn't get the furlough as well.
"Sergeant Darrell C. Powers!" Spiers yelled. Whistles and yells rang throughout the square.
"That's how it's done, Shifty," Luz shouted. Shifty couldn't help it; he beamed.
"Listen up," added Spiers. "The 101st Airborne will definitely be redeployed to continue the fight against the Japanese. Report back at 0600 to begin training for war."
The air around them shifted. It was official, Easy was headed back to the line.
Jaclyn watched Luz pace back and forth in front of her. She sat on her bed, waiting for him to say something. Well, something besides the bullshit he keeps spewing.
"You're not going." There it is.
She cocked an eyebrow and folded her arms over her chest. "I'm sorry. Did I miss the part when you started making my decisions?"
He raised his eyebrows and motioned wildly between them with a hand. "When we jumped the hurdle from crazy ass friends to crazy ass lovers."
She sucked on her teeth in an effort not to laugh or yell. "If you think that because I let you in my bed, I'd let you control my willpower now, George, you're sadly mistaken."
He stopped short, ready to rip out his hair. "Don't you dare pretend we're just fucking around."
She stood, her eyes flashing. "And don't you dare pretend that you know what's best for me."
"Maybe I do," he yelled. "Maybe it's about time that you stopped trying to blow yourself up or get shot or drown in the hands of a fucking kraut!"
Jaclyn saw red. "And what about you? You think because you're a man that it's OK for you to go back to war? It's OK for you to die?" Her voice cracked.
His anger left him all at once when he heard it. He pulled his hands from his hair and stepped towards her. She backed away and averting her eyes from his. She refused to let him see her cry.
"Doll…" he said, softly. Her knees hit the back of the bed and he took the opportunity to cup his hand on her cheek gently. He dragged her eyes up to meet his.
Luz's heart tore seeing the pain in them. "If something were to happen to you, I don't think I could take it this time. It almost killed me before."
Jaclyn swallowed hard before leaning into his touch. "And what about me? If you think I can survive waiting to see if you come back dead or alive, I can't. I won't."
"You're so much stronger than me. You'll be fine."
Tears coursed down her cheeks and she shook her head. "I won't, George. If you are going across the world, I'm coming with you." She placed her hand on top of his, interlacing their fingers on her cheek. "I won't be deterred."
Luz looked into her eyes for a long time before taking a shaky breath in. Silently, he nodded.