It rained that night, though it was still summer there in Austria so the rain was rather cool instead of freezing. I left the window open, having us hear the rain softly play us a tune as we both were in bed together, my head on his chest and his chin on top of my own head, both of our arms wrapped around each other and just…listening. All, I could hear, was out breathing, Luz's deep breathing since he was still out of it and asleep on the couch, and the rainfall that was so soft it reminded me of the sprinkles of rain we would get at home from time to time.

It had to have been at least two in the morning, but I couldn't sleep. I was too occupied with the fact that Eugene asked me to marry him. A girl can dream all her life when she would be asked to be married, but for me, it was different. I never thought I would, not like the rest of the girls really. Most of my female friends were already married at this point and having their second or fourth kid, and then there was me. The spinster who was reading medical books and having seizures that were out of her control. I could say my chances of getting married, or even going on one solid date, was very slim to none.

Not that I'm putting myself down or anything that foolish, but I was more grasping the reality that I would be seen as undesirable to the other Jewish boys in town around my age. Before I left for the army, my brother and I weren't dating anyone serious or even thinking about marriage. That was taboo enough to be fair, and now I was engaged at the ripe age of 30. Eugene was younger than me, yet not it didn't seem like a bad thing. Now I was thinking about it, and it was making me paranoid. Was I ready for marriage?

"You okay?" Eugene mumbled into my hair, his arms around me were loose enough for me to move yet secure enough to keep me there with him. He could tell something was up with me, that I was thinking since I was far too still for my own good.

"Yeah." I merely replied though I knew that wasn't going to be bought by him.

"I can hear ya thinkin'." He commented. That made me grin into his shirt that he was wearing as we were still under the thin covers.

"It's nothing, Liebste." I reassured him soothingly, rubbing his arms with my fingers but not feeling him move against me.

"Well, I think it's somethin', since you're still awake. Tell me, I wanna hear." Eugene urgently gently, his accent ringing in the room. I snuggled into him more as he placed one of his hands on my short hair, touching my neck every once in awhile.

"I'm 30 years old," I explained to him calmly, though he said nothing and kept holding me there, "Which means, that most of my friends at home would be having their 4th kid by now."

"And yet you're over here fighting in a war in Europe," Eugene commented back in a smooth remark, having me feel his smile against my head and I grinned as well, "Since when do you compare yourself to other girls, Jemima?"

"I don't know…since now I guess." I admitted to him with a shrug of my shoulders. There was silence again between us, and the rainfall was making a rhythm against the rooftop and hitting the pavement beneath our window.

"Is this because I proposed to you?" He asked me sheepishly, having me suddenly fear that he was now scared that I was regretting what he did. I moved myself away from him, rolling over to be on my stomach and placing one of the pillows underneath me so I can face him more. The night light was giving him a tint of blue on his pale face, and his blue eyes were intensified as they were showing concern and fear. He stayed on his back, the covers moving away to show his shirt that he as wearing and the muscles he too developed over the period of the war.

"Don't think that I made a mistake when I said yes to you, Eugene Roe." I explained to him, reaching over to lace our fingers in the middle together as he watched me on his back, the black hair on the pillow shining in the night light.

"So you do wanna marry me?" He asked me, making sure that this was real enough. I grinned against the pillow that was next to my cheek, nodding my head and kissing his hand that was in my own. It seemed silly for him to wonder if it was all true, that I did want to marry him and be with him for the rest of our lives.

"I don't wanna marry anyone else, only you." I reassured him.

"Even if I not Jewish?" Eugene asked me, having my raise an eyebrow to him.

"You know that I was raised Catholic, right?" I asked him back, seeing him slightly smile nervously.

"I know that, but you know what I mean." He explained more, though I just shrugged my shoulders.

"Honestly, my folks are just glad that they found someone who is at least interested in me enough to marry me." I replied back to him, seeing another grin on his face as he shook his head in disbelief.

"That can't be true." Eugene said back in a light manner.

"I'm serious, as sad as it sounds, they had no real thought of me being married…just becoming a nurse for the rest of my life." I admitted to him in a light manner, though in the back of my mind it was haunting to think about. They did love me, I knew that for certain, but they never saw marriage as a way of life for me. They accepted that, but I didn't. A part of me, the part that was not consumed with books and my seizures and my fear of being so awkward, wanted to find someone who took me as I was and loved all of me.

"If it helps, my ma and old man honestly were trying to get me to go out on dates with girls…real nice ones they met at church. I never found a good enough one I guess," Eugene admitted to me softly against his own pillow, his one hand resting on his chest as the other was still holding my own hand on top of the bed.

"So that's why you chose to go into the army?" I asked him in a coy manner, seeing him eye me and then smirk. I giggled, seeing him shake his head from the answer.

"I don't even know why I joined anymore, but I'm glad I did," Eugene explained as he then thought to himself some more, "I wouldn't have done all I did when it came to being a Medic, met all the guys in Easy who turn out to be great friends….and wouldn't have met you." I blushed again when he mentioned that to me.

"You know what it was, that made me interested in you? Other than your looks," I shoved him when he commented on that and I heard him chuckle, "I think it was how kind you were to me, instantly going out of your way to helping me out that first day and getting my satchel looking like a proper one than total shit."

"None of the other nurses were kind to you?" I asked in confusion.

"Not in the way you were. They were kind, but they all gravitated to the good looking guys in the army, almost leaving me in the dust." Eugene explained in sincerity as I wrinkled my nose in the thought of him calling himself plain. I moved the pillow out of the way now, shuffling closer to him and I traced his nose, thin lips and jawline with my fingers, then going to the circles under his eyes and his forehead gently.

"I thought you were such a handsome, timid little thing," I said softly as he wrapped one arm underneath me and pulled me closer to him, his fingers spread against my skin under my shirt, "That's what I saw in you that I liked: you weren't cocky at all, nor were you loud or boisterous like the others in Easy. You were quiet, more reserved and careful in how you spoke."

"Such a babe magnet," he joked, then rolling to hover over me on the bed with both of his hands on the sides of my head, peering down at me as I traced his dog tags around his neck. I loved being there with him, seeing watching each other and no needing to say many things. We could say a lot to each other by just staring at each other and reading the eyes.

"You were to me," I admitted, seeing him peer at me and look down at me with the gentleness in his blue orbs that would make me feel so safe and secure in times of uncertainty and fear, "I just hope you know what you're going to get yourself into if you marry me. I'm a horrible cook," Eugene rolled his eyes and kissed my nose gently as I kept listing out things about me, "I almost burned down the house once by lighting the fireplace, I prefer to sleep in boxers and shirts and never in the nude, sorry about that."

"Are you trying to get me to take back the proposal?" Eugene asked in a coy manner, an eyebrow raised as I was looking up at him with a shrug in my shoulders, "Because it's not working. You're stuck with me, get over it."

"I'm just saying', you need to you know how I am if we are gonna get married and all. I'm cranky in the mornings, which means I'm going to need a lost persuasion to get out of bed." Eugene chuckled again at me as he moved the hair from my eyes and had his fingers linger near my forehead, next to the scar that I got from the bullet and the helmet incident in Market Garden.

"And if I go to the Pacific, are you willing to wait for me until I come home? So I can marry you properly and love you for the rest of our lives?" Eugene asked me, though it made me grimace a bit when he mentioned he would be going to the Pacific, and I wouldn't. Was he going to be okay there, without me there to watch over him.

"Although it's gonna kill me, I'll wait for you." I admitted to him, my voice was a bit on the wavy side since I was trying so hard not to break in front of him from the thought of being separated from him. Eugene could see this was killing me, his own eyes were showing a bit of pain there and he leaned down carefully to kiss me. I held it there, my hands were touching his shirt near his collarbone and his other hand cupping my cheek. I could feel it in this kiss: he was promising me that he would come back for me. I never doubted Eugene when it came to a promise. He always fell through, and this was another one he was making for me.

"I'm sorry." He murmured against my lips as I shook my head.

"No, I'm sorry for not being there with you, and acting like a total girl about the whole situation. It's just….I don't wanna be away from you." I confessed, seeing him search my eyes and then nodding his head in agreement.

"I don't wanna be away from you either, but it's not going to be that long. From what they told us about the war over there, by the time we get there it should be done." Eugene reassured me, trying to make me feel better about the whole thing, but it was still making me feel crappy.

"Yeah, and I hope they keep you in the hospital and nowhere near the battle." I muttered, closing my eyes with the mental pain and Eugene rolling off of me to go back on his back, though he kept his arms around me and pulled me close to him.

"And I thought I was the protective one." Eugene commented.

"I'm not really liking the fact that I have to watch the love of my life and fiancé go off to war while I am going home. I don't wanna let go of you yet." I explained into his arms as we held each other again on the bed. Eugene sighed, having me feel and that I was dumping this on him after having a blissful moment with him in our bed. Just trying to think about we were going to be separate from each other, it felt like heartache over and over against my chest.

"I promised you once, Jemima, that I would never let you go. You remember that?" He asked me against my hair once again, having me say nothing at first and remember the talk we had after our fight right after we entered the town and Eugene killed an officer to protect himself. He still loved me then, even when I was too prideful to let him protect me.

"I do." I replied.

"Please don't think I'm not going to try and get myself back home..back to you." Eugene pleaded to me, having me feel his hold on my tighten and how his voice too sounded like it was about to break, "If there's anything I'm going to fight for and that's worth any pain thrown at me, it's what we have together."

"I'm never letting you go, Eugene." I vowed to him then, sounding more like a child to be fair about the whole situation. How could I act like this with him, all because of the impending fear that I wouldn't see him again. It made me sick to my stomach to think that he could be taken from this world without me there to protect and shield him. Now I knew what he was going through in his own mind when it came to me, my seizures and near death experiences, almost made him go insane and become alone. It was my turn now to get a taste of the medicine, the taste of the unknown thoughts of someone's life hanging in the balance.

So I decided to not think like that anymore, looking up at Eugene again and see him watch me with his eyes. Leaning up, I kissed him softly on his lips, hearing him sigh and kiss me back. Our kisses were bolder, but it was building up slowly between the both of us like a small amount of force. He placed his hands back on my waist, though his fingers were touching my skin and making me feel the coil of warmth back within my. My fingers were back in his black hair, hearing him groan as I raked my fingers there and he pulled me closer to him.

We were both trying to breathe each other in and stay sane, only because we were scared that this wasn't going to happen again between us. It was a scary thought, that this could be the one moment that I had with Eugene before it could be blown off in the wind. At first, I thought he was going to be hesitant about it, but he ran his bare fingers against my skin along my lower back, though his kisses were still just as soft and careful. This was not going to be rushed, not in the slightest as he was hovering over me again, having me slowly place my hands on his waist as his kisses were once again on my neck and staying there. Damn, he was making it so hard to concentrate as I was trying to get his shirt over his head while he was sucking on my neck. He pulled away finally, throwing the shirt that I was riding on his back over his head in a huff and I giggled from his antic. His eyes were dilated, lips were red from the kissing and his hair was sticking out all over the place.

"Come here, Liebste." I urged him gently, reaching up with my hand and pulling him back down with a big grin plastered on his face. We both didn't care for the boundaries that were once up between us, not that night. I didn't care if it seemed desperate, or how I was urging for it from all the kissing we've shared in dark corridors or in our bed, but we both stopped caring and just became free with what we were feeling for each other. He slipped off my shirt and I got his own belt with my fumbling fingers. His own calloused fingers unhooked my bra carefully, though he was still kissing me so softly to distract me from being so scared and hesitant. The covers were out shield from the rest of the world, and I was still in wonder and awe on how Eugene Roe wanted to love me and show that to me that night when we made love. I had no regret though,

I had no regret though, I was too much in love to regret what I did.

I woke up in the late morning, hearing the jeeps going to and from the entry of the town, the warm summer air was coming into the room now and having me feel warm all over underneath the one sheet that was covering me. I felt some of my hair frame my face and the rest was on the pillow, having me not want to move for awhile. I was facing the window, seeing the rays of the sun hit the high ceiling and the room was in a glow. My thoughts were suddenly on what happened last night, and a grin spread over my face. There was a body against me, nose pressed against my neck and breathing in and out deeply, one arm around my bare waist and feeling legs pressed against my own from behind.

My brother would kill me if he knew what I did, but I didn't care. What Eugene and I did…though I thought about it plenty of times before, it was almost like we were sealing our fates together. The vivid memories of his lips against my scar along my ribs, which made me roll my eyes to the back of my head and gasp out in both lust and sheer shock, made it feel so real even now. There was no ounce of regret from how we had sex last night, because it was just as passionate as I thought it would be. Eugene murmuring French against my lips, me mumbling back in German before moaning and feel like I was about to burst at the seams. He was carefully with my injury, asking if I was hurt or if he was going too fast. I reassured him with kisses and the running of my fingers over his skin, showing him that all he was doing was making me high on love. Our holds on one another were both desperate and reassuring, locking eyes the whole time and having me think that was some kind of sick dream. But it happened, it was real.

We were real enough.

I finally looked over at Eugene, who was fast asleep on his side, facing me with his face which was once again giving the impression that he was having a nice dream. No longer a concentrated look on his face when he was asleep, he more well rested than ever and I knew why. I smiled against the pillow, watching him there next to me and seeing how the covers are only covering him halfway down his chest. His muscles were there, the ones that developed over the past three years and gave the impression that he ran so many miles to save lives, not to mention lifting wounded soldiers and dragging them with plenty of strengths. He had one of the two freckles on his pale skin, something I overlooked as they were contrasting his skin, one on his neck and the other on his chest on the left side. His black hair, smoothed out against the pillow, his eyebrows relaxed on his face and how his lips were no longer looking pale, but fuller then. I just watched him, thinking of the menu reasons why I got so lucky with him.

Eugene was my best friend, in which he was someone whom I could share my deepest soul with and not be judged. He provided that sense of safety when we talked, wanting to hear all the good and the bad from me because he saw me as interesting and worth listening to. Eugene was the calm to my storm, and vice versa. We both had times when the other would anchor us down, bring us back to the earth and not lose our own head. It wasn't an instant romantic love, not from what I saw in the movies or even read in a book or two. This love snuck up on us, without either one of us knowing it, and it flooded over us like a drug that would never let up.

My future with him was looking bright, at least in my mind it was. I could see us living in Louisiana, because the thought of the timid Eugene in the bustling city of San Francisco seemed frightening. We would have a simple house, nothing too big or too luxurious, but big enough for the both of us to just live. Summer evenings on a porch drinking tea, mornings having coffee and wrapped in each other under blankets. Sailing in the bayou when it was too hot to just sit in our house.

Would he want children? I would think he did, and he would want plenty to play with and raise. Only imagining our children in my head was enough to have me burst with happiness: a daughter with his black hair that was long and wavy and my brown eyes, or even my brown waves and Eugene's stormy blue eyes. A handful of kids, playing with each other in the yard and yelling in either French or German, Eugene swinging them around with a big smile on his own face. I would teach them how to read, Eugene would teach them how to ride a bike or even how to cook. We would take them to church, Joe would visit the infamous favorite uncle, along with my other siblings and their own children. After going through this war, Eugene and I would be content on staying in one place for a very long time.

Eugene finally woke up, slowly at first and breathing in deeply before seeing that I was watching him. I loved seeing his eyes then, the warm blue that was there in which they were usually dark and cool. He looked right at me and grinned, his arm was still on me underneath the covers and the other arm was under his head and the pillow. If this is what marriage was going to look like for the both of us, waking up to see each other in the morning, I would take it in a heartbeat.

"Good morning." He said in a grumble still waking up, but a smile was still there on his face none the less. Just hearing those two words sealed my fate to him, even after accepting his proposal to marry me and even after the sex. It was all about how he was looking at me in the bed, it was a done deal.

"Good morning, Liebste."

"They're sending me off to France." Malarky explained to me as we were both walking side by side in the larger home that Winters and some of the other officers took over at. I went up there have drinks with some of the men in celebration of Victory in Europe, and for the transition of going towards the Pacific. I was in my best dressed since it was a nice occasion, the new fitted uniform for me that included a skirt and heels along with my hair pulled back in a low enough bun that my short hair could handle. Winters asked me to come so I could talk to him about the decision I made, though I was flagged down my Malarky first and we were walking now along the edge of the balcony with our champagne glasses in hand.

"That's wonderful." I said to him in a light tone as he nodded his head, taking a drink from his glass.

"It's more of a supervision job really, so I won't be doing any fighting there." Malarky went on with his new adventure as we stopped near the end of the balcony, seeing the lake in front of us and how it was lighting the house with the reflection of the sun. Malarky looked young again, clean shaved and with a hint of youth back in his eyes. I have missed this face on him since it was constantly plagued by death and pain since we came out of Bastogne, even before then.

"I'm glad to hear that, Malarky. Truly I am, you get to experience some of that French life." I teased him, seeing him chuckle as I drank from my own glass and grinned.

"But what about you? I heard you're trying to choose between the Pacific or home." Malarky said to me now with the subject on me.

"I'm gonna head home. I don't wanna head over there and not see the guys, worry about them if they're gettin' hurt and me not there." I explained to him softly with a shrug of my shoulders, leaning against the bar railing and tapping the glass with my fingers, "Besides, I think Eugene would want me at home instead of out there in battle where I could get hurt."

"I can see his point," Malarky added, "You've had enough close calls as it is."

"And I don't think he would want his fiancé having another seizure." I mentioned too, but as soon as I said it I saw the shock on Malarky's face. At first I had no idea why he was so shocked, but it was because I said the word "fiancé" that made him freeze. I closed my eyes in a grimace, mentally hating myself for dropping the bomb before I knew I was ready to do so.

"Damnit." I hissed out.

"Hold on….you and Doc?! Are you serious?!" He asked me in shock. I opened my eyes, seeing nothing but a big smile plastered there on his mug and how he looked so happy. I nodded my head slowly and he started to laugh. I hated myself for letting it slip, downing the last of the alcohol in my hand before I saw him rushed over to me. He wrapped one arm around my waist, picking me up and having me cling to his shoulder as he twirled me around, still laughing.

"This is great news!" He said in a gleeful tone though I was more worried that he was going to spill his champagne on me and I was going to loose my glass. But just hearing his laugh made me laugh too and he placed me back on the floor, searching my eyes again with his warm ones and I cleared my throat.

"If you say one word about this to anyone in the company, I will hurt you Donald Malarky!" I warned him, but the smile never left his face as we were staring at each other.

"I won't say a word, I promise! But this is huge!" He exclaimed though the small smirk was still on my own face as we heard someone coming over in our direction.

"What's huge?" It was Joe, such perfect timing as he walked over to the both of us now in his own new set of a uniform. He looked clean cut too, and he happened to be here in the right moment. I have a shooting glare over at Malarky, who saw my look to know not to say a word to my brother. I was going to tell him myself, and I didn't want to do it now. Malarky drank the rest of his own drink in one gulp, avoiding eye contact with Joe and he then gave a nervous smile.

"I'm gonna go talk to Nixon….yep." Malarky said in an awkward manner, then moving away from the both of us without even saying a word or two. WE both watched him stalk off, though Joe looked right back at me and shrugged his shoulders.

"What's with Malarky?" He asked in a snort. I shook my head in return, seeing him chuckle a bit from being next to me.

"No idea," I replied back to him,"I thought you were with the other guys back at the base training camp?"

"I was, but I came over to pick you up since Dr. Kent wants to talk to you." Joe informed me, still in his nonchalant mode as he leaned his back against the balcony railing, shoulders resting on the top and he was closing his own eyes to soak in the sun there on the house.

"What did he want?" I asked him with curiosity, eyeing with him my spot. I placed the glass on the balcony wall to free up my hands.

"No idea, the guy's already a tightwad as it is. I think it's something to do with you going over to the Pacific." Joe replied back to me, having me roll my eyes.

"Great." I grumbled, seeing Joe open his eyes and looking over at me in amusement.

"You sound amused about the whole thing, you okay?" He asked me, tilting his head at me. It made me wonder if this was the best time to tell him that I was engaged since I let it out in the open with Malarky. Was it the same with him? He could be happy about it, beyond happy.

"Just tryin' to figure out what I'm gonna do. I wanna go home since I have the choice…but given the circumstances…" I trailed off, this was going to be harder than I thought. I saw Joe smirk at me then, having me hate that smirk on his face since I knew what was coming.

"Can't let go of Doc just yet, can't ya?" he asked me coyly.

"Don't even go there, Joe." I warned him.

"Oh please. Don't hate on me when you know it's true," Joe replied in his light tone, "I'm not gonna say that I don't like you two together…I'm still stomaching it down." I punched him on the shoulder then, seeing him chuckle and try to dodge the punch.

"This is why I never dated anyone in high school, I didn't want to deal this shit." I grumbled to him once again, though he was still amused about the whole situation.

"Oh, come on, Jemmie. It's adorable: You and Doc a couple together. I gotta tell ya, it even makes my own heart flutter a bit." Joe teased me, though it was still aggravating that I was getting teased by my own twin brother.

"Well, this is a nice way to treat your future brother-in-law," I said nonchalantly, though I knew this time what I was doing. Better to slip it into the conversation than to sit down with him and tell him nicely. Joe's smile was still on his face, but he was not laughing this time. I couldn't tell is he was in shock, or just in denial that I told him the news, but the grin never left the face he had. It made me assume that he was happy from what I told him.

"What did ya say?" He asked me, a bit amused by the whole thing. I kept my cool banter though, still scared about the situation at hand and my brother's own reaction that his sister was getting married.

"You heard me." I cooly replied, seeing the grin on his face that was once small and sincerer break into a huge grin, slowly, but surely. I could tell the look on his face that he approved from what he heard, and that there was no argument that was going to happen. Joe then walked over to me, open-armed, and hugged me close without even saying a word or two. I hugged him back, feeling so much better that my brother liked this and he didn't care about it at all. I could feel it in his hug, the both of us in a nice embrace in the sun at the large home. The brother was always my rock, beyond so, and to see how far he has come since we got off the train together three years ago, made me love him even more as my twin.

"I'm happy for ya, Jemmie. But how are we gonna tell ma you're engaged?" he asked me as he pulled away and grinned widely at me. I then looked like I went into shock then. My parents….let alone my siblings.

Oh shit, this was not good.