Disclaimer: all the usual apply.
Chapter 36
Roe POV
Walking along the cobbled path his heavy legs found the way back to their billet by themselves. His mind was still replaying the events of the evening over and over again like a nightmare he couldn't wake up from.
He roughly wiped his hands against the rough material of his wool uniform, they were clean now but he could still feel her warm blood spilling through his fingers. Briefly closing his tired eyes he instantly regretted the decision when Amelia's ragged, shallow breathing invaded his senses.
Letting out a deep sigh he glanced over to the soldier walking next to him. Babe must have aged years in the span of one night. His shoulders were slumped forward and a dark shadow pulled at his features. He swore the man hadn't even looked this worn after their frozen weeks in Bastogne.
He reached into his jacket and took out a pack of smokes. Clumsily he took out two cigarettes and lit them, handing one to Babe without looking over to him.
He felt the cigarette being lifted from his fingers and a moment later heard the familiar hiss that followed someone taking a deep drag.
More moments of silence passed and he started to rehearse the speech he'd need to tell the men who were surely waiting for their return.
"She was going to take the points. Go home," Babe said out of nowhere.
He looked over to him, but the young soldier was staring ahead at some invisible memory.
"She'll still go home, she just won't need the points," he said.
Babe grunted and took another exhausted drag.
"Is she going to make it? Be honest," Babe asked.
He shrugged, only able to repeat what the surgeon had told them. "She lost a lot of blood and they had to fight to get her through the surgery. There's a chance she may not wake up. The next few days will tell."
"I know what the surgeon said Gene. I was there remember? I'm asking you what you think."
"Honestly?"
From the corner of his eye he saw Babe glance over to him as if deciding whether he really wanted to hear the answer. "Yeah, honestly," he finally responded.
"I think she shouldn't even have made it to the hospital. I've seen big men die from less. The fact that she made it through the surgery is a miracle I can't rightly explain. She's stubborn as all hell, and she'll fight, but the odds aren't in her favour."
There was a long pause, neither man saying anything as they both weighed up the truth of his words. He honestly didn't know how she was still alive, all he knew was one of his worst fears had come true when he'd seen her lying in her own blood, men scrambling to keep her alive.
"She is stubborn. And a fighter. She'll make it. She has to," Babe said, the last few words sounding more like a plea than a statement.
"She has to," he added his own plea.
XXXXXXX
Nixon POV
It had been two days since Amelia's shooting and by now he was able to walk the path to her room blindfolded. She still hadn't woken up, and every day you could see the doctor's face become more downcast.
His footfalls echoed through the hospital's hallway, his fists tightly clenched at his side as he tried desperately to stop himself from hoping for the best because he knew the all too familiar bone crushing disappointment that would follow.
Pausing for a second outside her door he took a deep breath before turning the corner. His eyes shot straight to her face as if drawn to it, and when he found her eyes closed he felt his heart sink into his stomach. It was only as he took a tentative step inside the room that he noticed the soldier sitting next to the bed, his back to the door.
All the men visited her room daily, a fact the nurses reminded them about every opportunity they got, but a handful were there more than most and Heffron even more so.
The young solider briefly glanced over his shoulder as he walked past him to the chair pushed up against the opposite side of the bed. Heffron flinched, monetarily letting go of her hand until he waved him off. Since Bastogne it had been clear that something more was developing between them. An affection they didn't share with anyone else in the Company. They were discreet which made it easy for the higher-ups to ignore, not that he considered himself a higher-up.
He took a seat, the wooden legs of the chair scraping against the tiled floor.
He took her other hand, gently holding her motionless fingers. The three of them sat in silence for a long time, his eyes drifting between Amelia's face, Heffron and the brightly lit hallway behind him.
A scraping of a chair made him look away from her face to see Heffron getting to his feet, his eyes still firmly fixed on her.
"I have drills," the soldier said, really to himself it seemed.
He nodded, not that Heffron was looking at him to see it.
Just as the soldier reached the door he stopped him, "Heffron."
Heffron turned around, cap clasped in his hands, "Sir?"
"Did you hear? They got the guys responsible. The Germans identified them and it lined up with what Amelia had said. You know, the other night."
He saw the young soldier's chest rise and fall, his knuckles turning white as he wringed his cap. "I heard. It's uh….it's something I suppose."
Hoping to change the subject to something a little less painful he blurted out, "She took her points, so technically she's no longer enlisted. That's how everyone that matters sees it anyway. She's one of us, always will be, but she's a civilian."
There was a pause, Heffron considering the meaning behind his words.
"Thank you, sir," he said with a firm nod.
"You just take good care of her," he warned him.
Heffron dropped his gaze to his hands, intently watching their stranglehold on his cap.
Slowly looking up he replied, "That's all I want to do."
He nodded and watched Heffron steal one last glance at Amelia before he turned and left the room.
Alone with Amelia he let go of her hand and reached inside his jacket, taking out his trusted flask. Following the comforting motion of unscrewing the cap and lifting the metal to his lips he savoured the bitter liquid burning down the back of his throat.
He tilted the flask in her direction, "You have to wake up Em, I still owe you a drink and you owe me a long overdue conversation."
He waited, half expecting her to shoot a smart remark his way, when he was met with a deafening silence he leaned back in his chair and took another drink.
XXXXXXX
Babe POV
He cherished the few moments he had alone with her every day. In the three days since her shooting he'd spent every possible moment at her bedside. He was often accompanied by one or more of their friends, and often he'd find a few of the officers waiting in her room as well. It was never said out loud, by everyone tried to give him a few moments alone with her, even if they had to make up some poor excuse to leave.
He was holding her hand, his head resting on his other arm which was placed on the edge of the bed. The last few days their training had been ramped up, and when he did have the chance to rest he couldn't, his mind and body constantly on edge as he waited for news on her.
He felt his limbs grow heavy as his exhausted mind and body slipped into a fitful sleep. He tried to resist, but it was futile.
Squinting into the midday sun streaming through the open barn door, he tried to make out the details of the graceful silhouette it framed. The men around him cheered, the sound shimmering across the room and around the edges of the silhouette, slowly bringing it into focus.
The blue of her dress and her flowing golden hair was the first to emerge from the sun, followed by her breath-taking smile that reached the deepest corners of her dark eyes.
He felt his body move of its own accord, his mind completely engrossed in absorbing every detail of her. The way she swayed when she laughed, how she quirked her head to the side when one of the other men approached her. Before he knew it he was standing right in-front of her and this time she quirked her head at him. Without saying a word he reached behind her head with one hand and wound his other arm around her waist. He pulled her gently towards him, meeting their lips as she wound her arms around his neck, their bodies melting together.
The world, the barn filled with soldiers, the ongoing war, all of it faded into nothingness. There was only them. From that moment on there would always only be her.
He was vaguely aware of something moving against his cheek, but he refused to acknowledge it, instead desperately willing his mind to fall back into the dream.
There it was again, the faintest tickle.
Well fuck, now I'm awake.
He groaned, turning his head into the soft linen.
A giggle, soft and weak but a giggle none the less made him pause as his heart jumped into his throat.
He lifted his head and cautiously turned it in the direction of the tinkle.
He found a pair of dark green eyes staring at him from beneath heavy lids.
He forgot to breath, forgot how to speak, all he could do was stare at her, warm tears clouding his vision.
"Hey," she whispered, her voice thick and rough.
He reached for her face with trembling fingers, gently brushing the familiar wayward strand of hair from her face.
"Hey," he croaked out, all the other words he'd rehearse over the last couple of days escaping him.
He leaned forward, his lips softly pressing against hers. He tasted the salt from his tears intermingle with their kiss.
He broke their kiss and pressed their foreheads together, taking all of her in.
"You came back to me," he whispered.
He felt her smile, "I promised didn't I?"
XXXXXXX
Amelia POV
Weeks later she was moved from the hospital to her hotel room under strict orders to rest. The doctor assured her it was so she would be more comfortable, but she was sure it was so there would be peace and quiet again in the hospital.
Every day Easy men would visit her, often for hours on end. They would tell her what she was missing, which really only sounded like training and drinking, or stories about their nights out on the town. Luz was always the first to start, often dramatizing actual events to make the story a bit more entertaining, much to other men's dismay. Joe insisted on squeezing in next to her on the small hospital bed, muddy boots leaving dirt stains on her pristine white linen. Gene kept a constant watch over her, and he always tried to have a few minutes alone with her so they could share a quiet conversation.
The officers popped in every day as well, sometimes they would stay for an hour or so, but mostly it was a quick check-up. Every time he was there Nixon would briefly touch the top of her hand with his fingertips, as if he had to assure himself she was real.
She loved every exhausting moment spent with her men, but her favourite moment by far was seeing Babe. When the room was full he'd sit next to her bed, sharing a joke with the men or adding even more colour to a story someone was telling. She would feel him watching her from corner of his eye, making sure she was comfortable. And then all the men would leave, and they would have a few moments alone.
This was when he'd take the space next to her, she'd snuggle into his chest as he'd wrap his strong arms around her. In those moments they didn't really say much, they just breathed each other in.
Lying in her comfortable hotel bed she stared out the large window. The curtains were thrown open, sunlight streaming in, casting long fingers on the carpeted floor. She fidgeted, after weeks confined to a bed she wanted nothing more than to go for a walk outside in the sun, but she knew if she did without someone accompanying her she'd never hear the end of it.
A firm knock on the door brought an instant smile to her face. Whoever it was it meant she'd have something to do.
"Come in," she shouted, trying not to sound too excited.
A tall soldier stepped inside her room, his broad shoulders and shocking blonde hair bringing a shocked smile to her face.
Getting up from the bed she tentatively walked over to the soldier with outstretched arms, "Buck!"
He took a few large strides to close the gap between them and when he reached her he enveloped her in a gentle embrace.
"They told me you shouldn't be out of bed," she heard his voice above her head.
"I won't tell if you don't?"
She felt his chest reverberate with a deep chuckle. "Some things never change, huh? Still stubborn as they come."
She nodded, her cheek rubbing against the rough material of his jacket.
His arms unwrapped from around her and he gently held onto her shoulders, his piercing blue eyes scanning her over.
"I'm fine," she said for the hundredth time.
"Yeah, now."
She shrugged.
He smirked and shook his head. Letting go of her shoulders he led the way to the balcony overlooking the valley.
"Dick and Speirs filled me in on what happened. Sounded like you were pretty damn lucky," he said as they took their seats.
"The locals that were there when it happened wanted to take me straight to the hospital. By some miracle I convinced them to bring me here instead. I was so sure I was going to die, I just didn't want to be surrounded by strangers."
"But you didn't."
"But I didn't." There was a beat of contemplative silence then she said, "You look good."
"I feel good. After everything that happened, I needed some time."
"Everyone understood Buck. You should know that."
"Thanks beautiful. So when are they shipping you home?
"You heard I took my points?"
"Yeah, just before you got yourself shot. Great timing by the way," he joked, wiggling his eyebrows.
She laughed as she tilted her head back to enjoy the sun on her face.
"So?" he asked as her laughter died down.
She looked over to him, confused for a moment until she remembered his original question.
"Oh, I have to wait for the doctor to give me the all clear. Originally I was going to wait until the men deployed, but after the shooting everyone thinks it's best I go home as soon as possible."
"And you agree with them?"
She pursed her lips as she mulled over her response. Making up her minds she replied, "For a long time I stayed in the war because I had nothing to go back to, but now I do. It's time I go home."
He smiled, a broad grin that reached the furthest recesses of his striking blue eyes.
"Are you playing in the game the men have planned for later?" she asked, remembering the baseball game Joe and Babe had excitedly told her about the morning.
"Yeah, gotta show them how it's done. Which reminds me, I better get going. Won't do for the star player to be late. You coming?"
She smiled, happy to see her friend back to his old ways, even if there was a new found weight to his words.
"No, I tried to negotiate with them but they all ganged up against me," she replied as she rolled her eyes.
He stood and held out a hand. She took it gratefully, allowing him to easily help her up. As much as she complained about being coddled it still hurt to move and she was morbidly embarrassed at how tired she got from walking across her room.
She walked him to the door, and standing with her hand on the metal doorknob she beamed up at her friend. "Promise me you'll visit again."
He leaned down and placed a peck on her cheek. Straightening he replied, "Promise."
She shut the door behind him, a gentle click followed by his muffled footsteps down the hall.
She turned back to her room and eyed the bed before turning her attention back to the balcony. Slowly she walked to the open door and slid out into the sun. Taking a seat she smiled contently when shade covered her face but the sun warmed her body.
Yip, this is better, she thought, glad to have a break from the bed.
She must have drifted off, the sun warming her into a peaceful sleep, because the next the thing she heard was the door to her bedroom slamming open and excited voices shouting her name.
"Here," she called, pushing herself off of the chair.
Babe's face appeared through the balcony door, his hair tussled and a cheek splitting grin on his flushed face.
"Did you win?" she asked.
He didn't wait to answer her, instead grabbing her face with both his hands and crashing their lips together.
She giggled against his lips, caught off guard by his unexplained excitement.
Cheering and wolf whistles erupted from within her bedroom and she pushed against his chest, aware for the first time that they weren't alone.
She felt the blush creep up her cheeks as she peeked around him. Joe, Gene and Luz were beaming over at them, clapping wildly and cheering their friends on.
She stuck out her tongue just as Don, Bull and Johnny strode through her bedroom door.
She looked back up to Babe who was still holding onto her, arching an eyebrow up as she waited for an explanation as to why seven sweaty men were in her room, all looking like they'd won the lottery or something.
"The war's over. The Japs surrendered," he answered her, sounding like he didn't quite believe what he was saying.
In shock she moved past him into the room, her eyes travelling over all the men's beaming faces. No of them said anything, they waited patiently for her to catch up with them.
She felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist as his body pressed into her back.
"We're all going home?" she asked the silent group, scared of the answer.
"We're all going home beautiful," Luz replied as Babe's arms tightened around her.
She felt the laughter build up in her chest as tears stung her eyes. Then both erupted at once, her laughter and her tears mingling with the men's excited shouts.
It's over. The war's over.
XXXXXXX
Babe POV
Standing on the deck of the troop ship, watching the orange and pink sunset provide the perfect back drop to the New York skyline, he said a silent prayer in thanks.
Amelia stood between him and the railing, wisps of her long hair dancing in the salty see breeze, as he used his arms and body to shield her from the cold and the prying eyes of the other soldiers and nurses.
She sighed into his chest, her body relaxing into his as her head dropped back.
He placed a soft, lingering kiss into her hair, buying himself some time as he scraped together his courage.
Taking a deep breath he lowered his chin so his mouth was almost next to her ear. "You remember that night in Rachamps? You fell asleep on my lap in the convent."
He felt her give a small nod.
"I made a promise that night. To myself and God and Derek, that if we both made it back I wasn't going to waste one more second. And then I almost lost you and I thought I'd never get the chance. The chance to wake up next to every morning, to take you dancing or watch you teach our children to play the piano."
She shifted in his arms, but didn't say anything.
Breathing her in as he admired the picturesque view he willed himself on.
"I believe that you and me were meant to be together. I believe our paths would have crossed without the war because the moment you walked into that Aldbourne barn my world shifted into place for the first time. It just took me a while to catch up."
He closed his eyes, willing the butterflies wreaking havoc inside his stomach to calm down.
With his eyes still shut he whispered, "I'm not gonna waste one more second. I don't have a ring, but, Amelia Jones, will you marry me?"
As he waited for her answer the longest second of his life seemed to drag on into infinity.
She turned around in his arms and wrapped her hands the back of his neck. She looked up at him with those dark eyes that seemed to never end and said, "I would have said yes if you'd asked me in a muddy foxhole."
"So yes?" he asked.
She smiled and sniffed away the tears making her eyes glisten, "That's a yes. It was always a yes."
He lifted her into the air, spinning her around as his heartfelt laughter mixed with her giggles. A chorus of cheers and whistles erupted across the deck, but he didn't care who saw what. He'd survived, found her and she'd said yes.
He put her down gently and before he could even kiss her they were swarmed by Easy. Men came from every angle, shaking his hand and slapping his back.
They all took a turn to hug her, most of them lifting her into the air for good measure. In the split second between well-wishers their eyes met and everything faded away because there was only her. There was always only her.
An officer obscured her from his view and he quickly adjusted his stance, aware that they'd already broken almost every protocol there was and not wanting any more trouble than he was sure was already coming his way.
Winters grabbed his hand, shaking it vigorously, a rare smile on the Major's face. "Congratulations Heffron. And don't worry, she's technically no longer enlisted," he said with a knowing wink.
"Thank you, sir."
"You take good care of our girl."
"Will do, sir."
Always.
XXXXXXX
Hi there everyone. So, first off I have to apologise for the delay in posting the chapter. There are a few reasons but I won't bore you with them. I suspect the next instalment will also be a tad delayed, but hopefully no more than one "missed" weekend at the very most.
Anywho, I do hope you enjoyed the chapter and that this was worth the wait. I love hearing from you all and as always thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the support!
Have a great week!