Hi everyone! I am so excited that so many people like my story! I just wanted to thank my reviewers, Amanda, Dreamcloud123, skymoon1977, Horsesareamazing, Molly and someone who didn't leave their name. I love all you guys and I do this for you! Hope you enjoy!
As always, Unfortunately, I own nothing but Adriana and now Hattie.

All Adriana wanted was to be in Luz's arms. She had been sleeping for an hour when she opened her eyes. The reality of her situation hit her in the face and tears came again, but she pushed them away and sat up.

Hattie was across the room looking out the window. She turned when the bed squeaked. Her arms were crossed and her face was tear stained.

"What's wrong?" Adriana asked suddenly concerned.

"Nothing, I'm fine. How are you?" she asked wiping her eyes.

Adriana set her jaw and stood.

"What's going on?"

Hattie sighed.

"My CO doesn't want me to stay here. He has ordered me to come back to Charlie Company."

Adriana felt the little strength she had gained from her nap leaving her. Tears stung her eyes again.

"Hattie no. You can't leave," Adriana said reaching out a hand to her.

Hattie crossed the room, took her hand and sat beside her.

"My CO is coming to pick me up in the morning."

Adriana didn't know why Hattie leaving seemed to be affecting her more than her father's death. Maybe it was because Hattie was sitting right in front of her, maybe it was because she seemed to have a strange bond with Hattie because they were the only females either of them had met in almost three years. Either way the last thing Adriana wanted was Hattie to leave. She needed her almost as much as she needed Luz.

Adriana looked into her friend's eyes. The usual chocolate brown color was brighter with new tears. Her pale complexion was coated with a layer of dirt, with clean patches on her cheeks where she had wiped her tears away. Her normally tame hair fell in unruly red waves across her shoulders. It was much brighter than Malarkey's Ginger hair. Hattie was a true red head. She squeezed Adriana's hand.

"I need to find Luz. And you should tell Liebgott," Adriana said standing.

Hattie nodded her agreement and they left the room. They made their way down the stairs and out of the building just as Perconte came running past. He saw her and changed direction.

"Frank what's wrong?" Adriana asked taking in his ghostly appearance.

"Where's - Winters?" he asked through gasps.

"At HQ I think," Hattie said

They set off at a run, turning a corner and almost knocking Winters off his feet.

"Roosevelt. McDurman. Perconte what is going on?" Winters asked, also registering Perconte's face.

"Sir we found… well I don't know exactly sir. Out on patrol… we were,"

"What? What, Frank what is it?" Winters asked trying to calm him.

"I don't know sir, I don't know. You need to come see for yourself."

"Ok let's go," Winters said starting to move forward.

"Sir, we are going to need help. Everybody," Perconte said, his dark eyes worried.

Winters glanced at Adriana and Hallie who shrugged in unison.

"Roosevelt, gather the men. We are moving out in ten minutes. McDurman, find Speirs. Tell him what's going on. Perconte, go with her. Tell them to meet at the trucks."

"Yes sir," the three responded and took off.

Adriana had the men assembled in five minutes and they began to drive, Perconte in the lead jeep with Winters and Hattie and Adriana in the back. He directed them into the woods. As they went along, Adriana began to smell something.

It got progressively worse as they continued to drive. It was a warm, sickening odor that seemed to settle on everything. Adriana could almost feel it working its way into her pours. Twice she had to work very hard to hold her lunch down because she was even beginning to taste the smell that was hanging in the air. Every once in a while she would glance behind her at the following vehicles and someone would be retching over the side of a truck. She felt Hattie slip a hand into hers and squeeze. She met her eyes. They were huge. Adriana realized hers probable looked the same. Perconte seemed almost unfazed by the smell until they rumbled out of the forest onto what looked like a giant cage where animals should be kept.

The rest of the men were just as perplexed as Adriana as they stepped out of the trucks. Hattie stepped out of the Jeep with Adriana, hand in hand until she spied Liebgott. She ran to him. Adriana spotted Bull sitting with his back against the fence looking at the ground. Luz was not far off pacing. She jogged to him. When he didn't immediately notice her she laid a hand on his bicep. He looked at her with sad, confused, brown eyes. His jaw was clenched, his lips pressed into a hard line. They held her gaze for a few seconds until he turned to the enclosure. Adriana followed suit and noticed something she hadn't before. She gasped, finally realizing what the smell was.

She had been so focused on Luz and what was wrong with him she hadn't cared to notice what was behind the fence. There had to be at least a hundred men wearing what looked like pajamas, although the stripped clothes were falling off of their skeletal figures. They all had their hair hap-hazardly chopped off, and from what Adriana could see, they were all men, although it was hard to tell. They were all speaking German and reaching through the wide spaces in the fence. The fence, Adriana noticed with horror, was made of barbed wire. She took a few steps toward their outstretched hands.

She looked imploringly at Winters who was staring, wide, blue eyes at the men. As if he knew she was looking at him, he turned to her. Continuing to hold her gaze he instructed Perconte to open the gate. He did, and it seemed the stench hit them all harder once there was no fence holding it in. Not that it had been doing much good in the first place. As Christenson gently parted the prisoners so they could get in Adriana got a glimpse of how big this place really was. Though the fence was high, Adriana couldn't see the fence on the other side. For a moment no one moved, but with a look exchanged between Winters and Nixon, they entered.

As the rest of the men slowly entered and Roe and the other medics got instantly to work, Adriana hung back. Her jaw and fists were clenched and her lips were in a hard line. She knew her eyes betrayed her. She could feel tears threatening to overflow, but she kept reminding herself that she had to be strong for her men. Finally, with a quiet sigh, she slid in.

She watched as the men from Easy began to mingle with the prisoners. The men seemed almost afraid of the soldiers at first. Eventually though, they seemed to realize they were Americans. She heard Winters yell for Liebgott. She glanced around and saw Liebgott, followed closely by Hattie, make his way to Winters' side. As she was watching, a prisoner crawled up to her on his knees. She had to clench her jaw again to keep the tears at bay as this fragile shell of a man slithered up to her. She stepped forward and closed the space between them and helped him up.

When he was in her arms, she was able to feel the lack of muscle, fat, even his skin seemed thinner than it should be. She could put her fingers between every vertebra on his back like the laces of a football. He was sobbing something into her shoulder. Adriana didn't know a word of German, but she could guess it was something like thank you.

"You're going to be ok," she whispered holding his sickly form close to her.

She hoped she wasn't hurting him because she was hugging him so tightly. It was all she could do to hold him up he was so weak. She looked over his head for help and saw Roe. She shouted his name and he jogged over.

"This guy doesn't look good. Help him Roe," she implored as she sank to the ground with him still in her arms.

Roe helped her lay him on the ground and did a quick once over on him, but before he had finished the man was gone. Adriana frantically felt for a pulse, but was at a loss.

"We have to do something Doc," she said as tears flowed freely down her face.

Roe watched her search frantically for a pulse for a few seconds then covered her hands with his, stilling them. She looked up at him with doe eyes.

"There are more we can help," he reminded her gesturing with a nod to the rest of the camp.

She leaned back on her heels looking at the man for a moment, then up at Doc Roe. She abruptly stood and put her hand down to help him. He took it and stood there holding her hand between them until she pulled free and threw her arms around his neck. He closed his eyes and leaned his head down on top of hers. He let her sob for about a minute then she pulled away and wiped the tears.

"Go on," she said, her voice hardly above a whisper. "Go help some people. I'll be fine."

"You sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, go."

He nodded and jogged away toward the sound of his name. Adriana was being too strong and he knew it, although he knew why as well. She took her responsibilities as a Lt. very seriously. In most cases this was a good thing, but Roe could see her cracking under the pressure of helping all these men. He made a mental note to talk to Luz about it later and see if he couldn't crack farther into her hardened heart.

Adriana walked through the camp for half an hour, watching her men interact with the prisoners. She dimly heard Winter's and Nixon yelling orders to get the men food and water, but she was to numb to do anything about it. As she walked, her eyes landed on a prisoner lying in a ditch hugging another frail figure to his chest. He was wailing as the limp man in his arms dangled lifelessly. The next man she looked at was just as malnourished as the man he was carrying. While watching them, she tripped over something. She landed hard on her knees and turned to see why she had fallen. She came face to face with a boy who couldn't be over ten, and he wasn't going to get any older.

Adriana's hands inadvertently came up to her face, smearing the dirt already on her cheeks with her tears and grime from her hands. It seemed the moment she dragged her eyes away from one horrific scene, one that was even worse met her eyes. She wasn't quite sure how she was going to go on in this camp seeing as she couldn't even get her feet under her. She slowly came out of her numbness and realized there was someone sitting next to her. She turned to face him and was met with green eyes.

"You alright Adri?" Shifty asked putting a hand on her arm carefully.

"I knew the German's were bad, but how could they do this, Shifty?" Adriana asked almost too quietly for Shifty to hear her. "These are people."

"I don't right know Adri. I don't right know. Do you want to wait outside?" he asked.

"I want to help. I-" but she was interrupted by Malarkey.

"Rosie! Where are you?"

"Here Malark!" she yelled back, suddenly getting her feet under her.

"Winter's wants you up front," he said jogging to her side.

She nodded grateful for something to do. Malarkey registered the ghostly appearance of her face just as Shifty had when he had first come up.

"Hey are you alright Rosie?"

"As alright as any of us Malark," she said stiffly.

Malarkey and Shifty followed her to the front of the compound where all the officers were gathered around Hattie and Liebgott. Adriana got there just as the two walked off shaking their heads.

"Major?" Adriana addressed Winters.

"Lt. are you alright?" he asked.

"Fine sir. You needed me?"

"Yes Lt. There is a woman's camp up the road."

This information earned a 'Jesus Christ' from Shifty and a 'shit' from Malarkey.

"The woman's camp sir?" Adriana asked, not believing the words that were coming out of her own mouth.

Winter's nodded.

"I need you to take some men and check it out. I believe the women will be less frightened of you."

"How many men sir?" she asked.

"Half," Winters said shortly. "Get them and move out. We need to get as much help to them as we can. Take one translator and two medics."

"Yes sir," she answered and turned to Malarkey and Shifty. "Find Talbert, Bull, Martin, Christenson and Lip. Tell them to get their boys ready to move and meet by the trucks in ten minutes. And if you see Doc Roe tell him he and Spina are with us as well."

"You got it Rosie," Malarkey said and jogged away.

Shifty nodded to her order and followed Malarkey. Not being left to her own thoughts was a good thing for Adriana. Her mind had a chance to focus on the order from Winters. As she searched for Luz, she found Perconte and Babe and told them to meet her by the trucks in ten. After that she ran across Liebgott, Hattie and Webster.

"Liebgott lets go. We need a translator with us at the women's camp. Web you stay. Winters needs one here too."

"Yes ma'am," he answered respectively.

Adriana nodded and turned back to find Luz. He never seemed to be around when she needed him the most. She looked back into the camp and was relieved to see him shadowing Bull. Malarkey and Shifty were leading an army of Paratroopers. Among them were, Martin, Talb, Bull, Christenson, Popeye, Genovitch, and Speirs. Luz jogged to her side first.

"You alright Bell?"

"Fine," she answered curtly. "Is everyone ready?" she asked.

The men around her nodded.

"Good lets go."

She turned on her heel and made her way toward the truck. Speirs jumped in the driver's side and Adriana let Bull slide in the passenger side. She clambered up into the back with the men. She assumed Speirs knew where he was going, so she leaned back and watched the prison begin to disappear into the trees. The tall fence had only been hidden behind the trees for ten minutes before another fence was visible in the other direction. The stench seemed to hit them harder than the one before as well.

Some of the men leaned over the side and wretched. Adriana sat as still as she could, praying she would be able to stand seeing women in the same shape as the men. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't feel Luz elbow her in the ribs. Finally he was forced to say her name, shattering the strained silence. The harsh sound of someone's voice shook everyone by surprise.

"Bell, we are here."

She looked up at him, her eyes breaking his heart. He felt a lump in his throat seeing all the unshed emotion in her eyes. He let the other men jump out of the truck before he put a hand on her cheek and brushed a strand of her caramel hair out of her eyes. He tucked it behind her ear and leaned his forehead against hers. He watched her eyes close and a tear fall onto his hand. He put both hands on her cheeks, his long fingers reaching the back of her neck. He felt her exhaled breath against his lips.

"Bell?"

"I can't cry here Luz. I can't. I have to be strong."

"You can't be strong forever," he said stroking a tear away with his thumb.

"I have to. It's my job," she said, a small sob escaping her.

"Please Adriana."

She opened her eyes to the use of her real name. She couldn't remember if he had ever used anything except Bell.

"You have to accept help from the guys. From me," Luz pleaded.

"Later Luz," she said lifting her head and looking away.

Luz almost pulled her back to him just because it was cold where her face was pressed against his but he let her go for now. There were people who needed their help. Adriana jumped off the truck and walked up to the gate. The scene was much the same as at the men's camp. The women looked terrified of all the men, but as Adriana approached, they got curious and began to come forward.

Adriana glanced at the men around her. Immediately to her left was Speirs, Bull, Malarkey, Talb, Liebgott, Hattie, Doc Roe and Shifty. To her right was Lip, Babe, Perconte, Spina, Hersey, Ramirez, McClung and Grant. For half a second she panicked because she didn't see Luz. This was stupid because she knew he was there, but she didn't see him. Suddenly she felt him behind her. Not because he touched her, but because she just knew. Later when she would think about it, she wouldn't be able to explain it.

Luz slid a hand down her arm and covered the back of hers. She extended her fingers so he could slip his fingers in between hers. She closed her hand over his fingers and squeezed. She felt his fingers moving on her palm and she smiled. She looked to her left and right again. All the men were looking at her, even Speirs. He realized she needed to take the lead on this one.

"Hattie," she said quietly.

She looked at Liebgott, who gave her an encouraging smile and a little push. She joined Adriana, squeezed Luz's hand once more and after an affirming squeeze in return, she let go and walked forward. She took the bolt cutters from Perconte and approached the gate with Hattie next to her.

The women were quiet as she came forward. There was a different atmosphere about the whole camp. Something Adriana couldn't explain right away. Both the men and the women were afraid and quiet and traumatized. All their eyes were exhausted, and their bodies scarred, but the women were different. Somehow they all looked hopeful. There was still some sort of fire behind their petrified expressions. Adriana couldn't remember seeing anything like that in the men. They were all broken and these women seemed to have some sort of resolve. Like this was just a test for them.

Their appearance was much the same as the men. They were just skeletons with a thin layer of skin stretched over. Their eyes were sunk in and their cheek bones sickeningly pronounced. Most were dressed in stripped dresses, but some were clothed in nothing more than dirty, tattered blankets. None of them seemed to care that most of their chests were showing in the presence of all these men. Adriana had a sick feeling most, if not all of them had been raped.

She reached the gate and put her hand through to show she meant them no harm. They all glanced at one another then back at her hand then up to her face. They seemed confused by her act of kindness. Adriana retracted her hand, feeling the familiar sting in her eyes. Hattie took her hand and gave it a squeeze. Adriana smiled at Hattie and looked over the worn women. The closest one had a toddler on her hip. Adriana almost lost her last meal at the appearance of the child. She was just as thin as anyone there and she couldn't have been more than two.

"Lieb," she croaked.

He stepped forward slowly. None of the women moved as Liebgott stepped up next to her.

"Tell them we won't hurt them," she said quietly, looking into the woman's eyes.

He told them and they all glanced at each other. Some even smiled.

"Tell them to back up," she said.

He did and Adriana was able to cut the lock and open the gate. The women backed away and waited for Adriana, Hattie and her men to enter. The Easy boys stayed a few yards behind Adriana and Hattie letting the women come to them at their own pace. The two women were instantly surrounded by prisoners, but they all kept a respectful distance. They seemed like they didn't want to offend them. The women gave the men an even wider birth until a small child approached Bull. The whole line of men stopped to watch.

She looked up at him, her bright eyes captivating. Suddenly she put her arms up, surprising Bull. He started to kneel down when a woman screamed and ran toward Bull. She snatched the little girl and backed away from Bull with terrified eyes. Adriana turned and carefully touched the young mother's shoulder. She spun around to look at her. When she realized Adriana was a woman she calmed a little, but kept a watchful eye on Bull.

Adriana turned and found Liebgott.

"Translate for me. These men won't hurt your daughter. You are safe with us."

Liebgott translated and the woman looked less worried. Adriana touched the little girl's shoulder. She smiled and said something to her mother. Adriana looked at Lieb.

"She said she can tell that we are here to help," he said quietly.

The mother looked at her child then at Bull who was still kneeling. Adriana motioned for him not to move as the mother finally set the girl on the ground. She happily walked over to him and touched his face.

"Thank you," she said in perfect English.

Bull smiled and opened his arms. Her smiled grew wider as she threw herself into his large embrace. He picked her up and held her against him. He shot Adriana a look. It was a look Adriana had never seen on Bull's face before. He looked like he might cry. He stroked the young girls thin hair and and placed a soft kiss on her cheek.

"Alright boys, you know Winters' orders. Help them."

They spread out across the camp. After the episode with Bull and the little girl, all the children seemed to instantly be attracted to him. He was soon surrounded by all the kids in the camp, their mothers mulling restlessly around. Liebgott was easily talking to the women. They were calmer than the men and therefore were more talkative. When word got out that they had come from the men's camp though, all the women became excited. They were all asking if they had seen any of their husbands, brothers, sons ect. Liebgott had to deliver the difficult message that a lot of the men had been dead. The women hung their heads, but one of them beckoned them to follow.

Adriana turned to Bull and Speirs.

"Take your squads and check out the other part of the camp. Malark and Talb you and your squads are with me. Lip, take Luz and radio to Winters what the status is here."

"Yes ma'am," Lip said. "Let's go Luz."

The Radioman glanced at Adriana then followed Lip. Adriana hated him not being right next to her, holding her and comforting her, but she needed to think of the women first. She, Malarkey and Talb's squads followed the young woman, still holding the toddler. She gestured to a large trailer and reached to open it. Adriana didn't have time to ready herself for what was inside and therefore had to fall back into Liebgott's waiting arms.

The stench was overwhelming. So much so that Adriana turned and emptied her stomach. She was not alone. Hattie and three fourths of the men did the same. All the bodies were charred and filled within an inch of the top. The woman seemed unfazed and pointed to six more identical trailers and then beyond where there seemed to be mass graves.

Liebgott knelt next to the two women.

"You two want to go wait by the trucks?"

She shook her head, wiped her face and answered for both of them.

"No w… we're fine. Thanks Lieb," she said shakily.

He helped them stand and they went to the next trailer and the next and the next until finally they were at the mass graves. The Germans hadn't even bothered to put dirt on them. There were just layers and layers of human corpses. By now, Adriana was not even bothering to keep the tears at bay.

"How deep is it?" she squeaked.

Liebgott relayed the message to the woman. He didn't answer for a few moments after she answered.

"Twenty feet," he said quietly. "She knows because she helped dig them."

Adriana turned to him, open mouthed.

"Twenty feet? There are what? Ten holes? That has to be thousands of-" but she stopped, the full magnitude of this hitting her.

"Lip!" she shouted, anger taking over her emotions.

He was next to her in an instant.

"Don't tell Winters anymore until we have finished."

"Yes ma'am," he answered.

"Go find the other boys and tell them to meet me by the truck."

"Yes ma'am."

As Lip ran off to gather men, Adriana turned to the woman with her toddler. She reached out a hand.

"I'm so sorry for what the Germans did to you."

The woman did nothing but looked down at her outstretched hand. It took Adriana a minute, but she eventually realized that the women here had been living like animals in a cage for so long that a simple thing like a handshake was long lost on them. Once again, struggling to keep her emotions in check, Adrianna blinked furiously and slowly lowered her hand before clearing her throat.

"Do you have any other family here?" she asked.

The woman looked at Liebgott for a translation. When he had she nodded and turned, Adriana and the men following. The woman took them back across the camp to the last hut in the last row. She entered nodding for Adriana to follow. She grabbed Talb and Hattie, who grabbed Liebgott mostly for moral support and went in. The huts were the same as the men's. Cramped, filthy and smelly. There were dead and sick women lying with live ones, although it was hard to tell which were which. The woman crossed the room and knelt with a group of women. She talked in hurried undertones with them until they all stood up and went out back.

They knelt by a patch of dead grass and to the three American's surprise, they pulled it up. The first woman nodded for Adriana to go inside. She glanced at Lieb and Talb who nodded.

"I'll be right behind you," Liebgott said.

With that confirmation, Adriana dropped into the hole. The only light in the room was coming from the door. As promised, Liebgott dropped in behind her and the woman behind him. She squeezed around him and went into a dark corner whispering something. Seconds later twelve young boys emerged from the shadows. Adriana could hardly believe it.

"Ask her where they are doing here," she whispered to Liebgott.

"She said some of the women got raped and pregnant. If the soldiers found out the baby was a boy, they killed it. This is an only women's camp, so they kept the boys here. There were hundreds, but only twelve survived," Liebgott relayed her message.

"Shit," Adriana cursed quietly.

"Tell her everyone is going to be ok now. The boys can come out."

Liebgott did then turned and helped her out of the hole. Talb took her hand and pulled her into the sunlight. The woman came next, then the boys and finally Liebgott. Talb was shocked to see the young boys. Two of them looked like they were about two and the oldest ones looked about five.

"Well shit," Talb cursed running a hand through his hair.

The boys immediately ran to their mothers. One of the older ones held onto the young woman's hand tightly.

"Your son?" Adriana asked her.

The woman nodded.

"He's four," Liebgott said.

Adriana shook her head, but swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Lt!" it was Lipton.

"What?" she responded, shaken by the sudden voice.

"Winters needs to talk to you!"

She glanced at the woman and squeezed her shoulder then followed Lipton back to the front where Luz was. He held out the radio to her. She took it.

"Winters sir?"

"Roosevelt, there is a doctor here that says we need to put these people back in the camp to keep them centralized while we heal them and get them food."

"What do you want me to do sir?" she asked not believing what she was hearing.

"Make sure they are all back in the camp. We will have the doctors over there as soon as we can."

Adriana paused and looked back at the camp full of joyful women then met Luz's eyes. He could hear the whole conversation and he looked as confused as she felt. Adriana gulped and finally got her voice back to answer Winters.

"Sir I can't put them back in there."

"You have to Lt. It's for their own good. Get it done Roosevelt."

"Yes sir," she gulped.

She hung up and shook her head at Luz then jogged inside looking for her men.

"Speirs! Malark! Lip!"

The three men appeared.

"Get all the men outside. We have to lock them back up."

They glanced at each other.

"Why the hell would we do that?" Malarkey asked.

"You can ask Winters when you see him," Adriana answered. "Do as I say."

The red head sighed and went with Lipton and Speirs to get the men. It took ten minutes to gather the men, but once they were, Adriana grabbed Liebgott.

"You have to tell them to go back inside," she said.

"I can't tell them that," Liebgott said looking hard at her.

"I know how you feel, but its Winiters' orders. You have to," Adriana answered sadly.

Liebgott gave her one last look and climbed up on the truck. He didn't speak for a minute, but a small, pale hand slipped into his. He glanced to his left and met Hattie's eyes. Her eyes roamed his face, and a sad, reassuring smile touched her lips. She covered his hand with her free one and gave a small squeeze. Without breaking eye contact, he told the women what he was supposed to then collapsed into tears as the women shouted at him and asked why. Hattie sat next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. He turned into her and buried his face in her shoulder. The gesture surprised her, but she put her arms around his back and gently smoothed his hair.

Adriana tried to keep them calm as the men pushed them back inside and locked the gates. Women were screaming and crying and reaching through the bars and that was all Adriana could remember for the rest of the day. Those poor, terrified women crying out for her help and she was just leaving them.

That night, all Luz wanted to do was pull Adriana into his arms and fall asleep. He stood and was about to go find Adriana, when a soft rapping at the door made him look up.

"Come in," he called.

The door creaked open wide enough for Adriana to poke her head in. He smiled as she stepped in and closed the door. He waited for her to speak first, but she didn't. Instead, she turned to the washbowl full of clean water. He watched her plunge her hands into the water. He noticed the dirt, blood and grime caked on them and realized she hadn't washed up since earlier that day at the camps. He waited for her to finished, but after a few minutes she hadn't stopped so he walked over. As soon as he saw the water he realized something was wrong.

The water had turned a dark scarlet. Luz reached into the water and pulled her hands out. He covered them with a towel, dried them and looked down. They were dripping blood from small scratches.

"Bell," he scolded.

She said nothing.

"Talk to me," he pleaded.

He lifted her face with a finger under her chin and she let out a shaky sigh.

"My father. He is dead."

Luz gasped.

"Oh Bell. I'm so sorry. How?"

"Doesn't matter," she answered. "We… we were too late for so many of them."

It took Luz a moment to realize they had changed subjects.

"Yeah we were," Luz agreed.

"There were so many…" she trailed off looking over Luz's shoulder out the window.

"Bell?" Luz asked.

She met his eyes.

"They are safe now."

"All I could think about the whole time was what if I was born in another place? What if I had switched places with one of those women? I wouldn't be here."

Tears were streaming from her eyes. Luz captured her hands and held them.

"Bell, you're here. You're with me. You're safe."

She didn't respond so he dropped her hands and took her face between his.

"Do you feel this?" he asked stroking her cheeks.

He dropped a hand and took hers. He put it on his chest over his heart.

"Do you feel that?" he asked meeting her eyes.

She gulped and nodded.

"That is beating for you," he said.

He watched her jaw clench and she inclined her head. She hovered her lips close to his. He felt her breath catch when he moved his hand to the back of her neck. Oh how he wanted to kiss her. He wanted to taste those lips, and feel them moving against his. In response to his. He breathed in as she breathed out making impossible for him not to inhale her sweet sent. It still made him weak. He would be able to catch her smell from miles away. For so long she had smelled of dirt and blood and cigarettes with a hint of something sweet. It was a smell he had grown to love. As he tried to keep his heart rate slow, Adriana was having the same problem.

"I can't breathe," she finally said.

He looked worried until she smiled and met his gaze.

"But I think it's a good thing," she whispered.

He moved a strand of hair from her face.

"I want to kiss you," she said suddenly.

Luz was so happy he could have done jumping jacks around the room, but he didn't. Instead he asked, "What's stopping you?"

She sighed and touched her 1st Lt. bar on her collar.

"Who's gonna know?" he asked glancing at the empty room.

She looked like she might pull away, but he had never been this close with her, and he wasn't going to let it pass him easily. He grabbed her arm and yanked her back to him. She landed flush against his chest. She was breathing rapidly as he searched her eyes. Without warning, he inclined his head. Her eyes stayed on his, but she didn't move away, so he captured her lips.

They were cold and chapped and tasted like salt from all the recent tears, but it was more than he ever hoped it would be. He felt her hand still pressed against his chest, but now it was wadding up his shirt. Suddenly she seemed to get herself together and pushed away. Once there was a little space between them, she looked up. He smiled, pleased to see her puffy lips.

"Luz-"

"Adriana stop."

He was surprised that she actually did.

"I'm going to fight for your love. There are some things in life that are worth fighting for to the end. You are one of those things. You cannot make me stop feeling the way I do about you."

"I don't want you to stop," she confessed. "I just don't want to get in trouble."

He smiled and touched her face softly.

"If you're too scared to have se-"

"It's not that," was her quick response.

She eyed Luz's cheeky grin.

"Just not now," she said with a smile.

She kissed his cheek and left the room. At the door she glanced over her shoulder.

"And Luz?"

He looked up.

"I love you."

YAY!
thanks for reading guys!
Oh also if you want to see what Adriana and Hattie look like, let me know and I'll message the pics to you! Love you all!

REVIEW!