This is the last few chapters for this story. Honestly, I posted this story in chapters as I wanted to give myself time to finish. I had no idea that once I started writing again, well the words just came tumbling out.

Which means, for now anyway, this posting will be the end to this part of our story. I am hoping to continue this story as, again, in talking with Janice, we have come up with an awesome idea. But we well again, wait and see.

I will bid adieu with this...

Merci goes out to both Sue Rodriguez and Eva Weaver for so kindly giving up their time to proof read our story.

So until next time, mon grande soeur Janice and I, Éclaireur, wish to say to all….

Merci et au revoir pour le moment.

"The Song of the Nightingales"

Chapter Fourteen

Hearing the second gun shot from the room down the hall, the Major stopped what he was tending to. He looked towards the door as Hans walked back in. Hans was wiping his hands on a towel. His pants and hands were covered with the blood of the American soldier he had just executed in cold blood, or so the Major was led to believe.

"Hans, where is the other woman? I heard two shots fired. Was there a problem?"

The Major's hand had returned to what he was doing. He did not seem totally interested at the moment in listening to an explanation as to the whys and wherefores of what took place in the other room. This is what Hans had been hoping for.

But before he could answer the Major's questions, Karl let out a blood curdling scream of his own. As both men turned their attention toward Karl, Karl's hands flew up to his neck where a scalpel now was protruding.

Karl had been following the Major's orders to a tee. He had made sure Rhonda had kept up her screaming for the Major's enjoyment. He had been roughly grabbing, twisting and even roughly biting Rhonda's exposed breasts. He had done such a "good job" at inflicting pain to his victim that both her breasts were bruised to the point of a sickening shade of purple.

He had worked himself up to such an excited, frenzied state that when he felt it was time to show her how a real man seduces a woman; he forgot what he was doing. He removed his hands from Rhonda to fumble with his belt to rid himself of his pants. When he did this it gave Rhonda that one fraction of a second to grab one of the scalpels that Gabriel had used to clean out the Major's wound.

With the adrenaline pumping faster and faster through her veins, Rhonda reached down the very second Karl had released his viscous grip on her. She grabbed the scalpel in her left hand and with strength that materialized out of nowhere, plunged it deep into the neck of the monster that had been brutalizing her body.

Karl, mortally wounded by "the little one" crumpled to the floor.

His Commander, shocked, fumbled for his pistol that was tucked into the pocket of his trousers, which were slightly pulled down during his excitement in watching Karl assault Rhonda. His fingers barely had time to wrap around the butt of his pistol when…

BANG!

The Major slumped over.

With a single shot from Hans's pistol he had put an end to the SS Commanders reign of terror once and for all.

Hans, visibly shaken by what he was forced to do, laid his pistol down on the table.

Chapter Fifteen

With Doc driving the transport as fast as the rough terrain would permit, they were finally close enough to the little hospital that when Hans took his pistol out and killed the Commander, the sound of the gun going off could plainly be heard by all in the ambulance.

"Sarge?" Doc looked at Saunders with fear marking his features.

Both Kirby and Littlejohn also heard the shot. They both stuck their heads out of the canvas curtain that was between the back of the transport and the driver.

Kirby asked the question that he already knew the answer too.

"Sarge, was that a Luger?"

Saunders nodded his head.

"I believe so."

He turned his attention to Doc,

"We need to get to the aid station now."

Doc, as scared as he was, came back with a remark that even he was surprised came out of his mouth.

"Don't ya think I know that?"

Doc was close to tears. But he was aware also that he needed to stay in control.

"Sorry Sarge, I know, I know. We're just a few more minutes away. I'm going to punch it. Kirby, Littlejohn, hold on tight!"

With that, Doc slammed his foot down as hard as he could on the accelerator and the transport roared down the dirt road.

Doc managed to cover the last couple of miles in record time. Finally, they were in front of the abandoned aid station.

Rhonda, hearing the roar of the transport, and then the squeal of the tires as it came within a few feet of hitting the building, quickly turned to Hans and said,

"Hans, you must leave. After all that has happened, when they come in they may shoot first. You are the only reason we are still breathing. I want to return the gift you have given us. Please Hans, leave."

Hans, taken aback by Rhonda's offer, looked at her.

She was bruised from the waist up. Even though she modestly held what was left of her blouse in front of her, her ordeal was plainly visible and Hans knew that what she said was true.

If the men from the ambulance were to walk in at this moment and see Rhonda with the hellish markings on her body that the sadistic Karl had put there, the only logical thing for them to do would be to kill the only German left standing in the room.

He took one of Rhonda's hands in his; leaving her other hand to hold what remained of her ripped blouse in front of her badly bruised breasts and said,

"When I first met you, I referred to you as a child. You are no child. You are a very strong woman. I thank you for this gift of my life 'little one.'"

He gently kissed her hand then said, "Good bye."

With that, he picked up his pistol and was gone.

Chapter Sixteen

Doc, even though it had been agreed upon that he would wait in the transport, was the first man to storm through the hospital doors. He also had managed to obtain a pistol. And it was plainly obvious to all he was well prepared to use it.

The first thing that greeted Doc's senses though was Rhonda. His eyes got big and started to fill up with tears as the sight of her badly bruised body burned into his eyes. He rushed over to her and ever so gently started to remove the blouse that she was holding up to cover her exposed frame.

She gently stopped him and looked deep into his eyes.

"Please believe me, I'm okay for now. But Gabriel and Private LeMay, they're in a room down the hall. I don't think they're okay."

"I think the Lieutenant's boyfriend," She stopped, and her voice began to waver a bit, "I think it might be too late for Private LeMay."

Sergeant Saunders, spotting the two dead Nazi's as he walked in, ordered Littlejohn and Kirby to fan out.

"Be careful. We know there was at least three German's and I'm only counting two."

Rhonda raised both her hands up to Doc's face and kissed his cheek and then moved him aside a bit so she could see Sergeant Saunders.

"Sergeant," she began, sounding much older than the little girl they had left at the aide station this morning.

"Sergeant, please, there were only three men. The third man I told to leave. I will explain to you why later. But for now, my Lieutenant and your Private are in a room down the hall. I know Private LeMay is in need of medical attention. Please Sergeant, take Doc down to him. I'm fine for the moment, but I am afraid Private LeMay is not."

Saunders walked over to where Rhonda was standing with Doc and took hold of the medic's arm in an attempt to lead him to where Caje was in need of his care. Doc gave Rhonda one last look and then turned away to follow Saunders.

As the two soldiers walked out the door, the little girl quietly returned. Rhonda slumped down to the floor, put her throbbing, badly bruised face in her hands and started to silently cry.

Chapter Seventeen

Kirby and Littlejohn had already checked out the remaining buildings at the aide station. In doing so, they had found where Hans had stashed Gabriel and Caje. As the sergeant and Doc opened the door to the room they had been hiding in, they both stopped dead in their tracks.

What greeted them was what they had prayed they would not find.

Kirby was kneeling in front of the lieutenant, who was sitting on the floor in a corner of the room. She was up against a wall softly rocking back and forth. She had tears falling freely down both of her cheeks. And in her arms she was cradling what appeared to be the lifeless body of their scout.

She was humming softly and her hand was gently stroking Caje's hair. His eyes were closed and his head was tilted a bit in her lap. His right arm was lying on the floor with his palm turned upwards. His left arm was still tucked up by his wound and his palm and fingers were stained red from the many hours he'd been forced to sit with a towel, trying to stop his bleeding.

Hearing Doc and the Sergeant walk in, Gabriel stopped rocking and looked up at them. She had a distant, shattered look in her eyes.

All she could say was "He's dead."

Doc walked over to the grieving woman and went down on his knees. He first looked at Kirby, then looked up at Littlejohn and said,

"Littlejohn, could you give Kirby a hand here?"

Littlejohn walked over and stood by the little group sitting on the floor and waited for Doc to tell him what he wanted him to do.

Doc then turned his attention back to Gabriel.

"Lieutenant," he said softly, "I need for you to let Littlejohn help you up. But first lieutenant, I need for you to let go of Caje and let Kirby hold him so I can check him out.

Gabriel, lost in all her grief, only heard a few of the words Doc had said. What her poor grieving soul heard was, "let go of Caje." onto which her response was to hold on tighter and start to sob.

"No," she began, "NO please, please don't take him from me. Please, please, oh please, don't take him…please."

Doc knew how grief could take a rationally sane person and sometimes turn them into someone who would not, or better said, could not put two and two together and come up with the answer that He was only trying to help.

"Lieutenant, listen to me." Doc gently tried again,

"I don't think Paul is dead. I think he's in a coma. But I think he is still alive. Please lieutenant, let me check."

Something in Doc's gentle voice pried through her muddled brain and she replied,

"He's not dead?" she paused and looked up at Doc and repeated, hope filling her voice, "He's Not Dead?"

Doc gently picked up Caje's hand that was lying on the floor. He then moved his fingers over Caje's wrist, trying to locate a pulse. Finding one, he looked into Gabriel's eyes and reassured her.

"No Lieutenant, he's not dead. He has a pulse. He has a chance. But we need to get him to the hospital."

Chapter Eighteen

Doc looked up at Littlejohn and nodded his head. Littlejohn understood and bent his massive frame down and gently took hold of Gabriel's arm. At the same time, Kirby slid his frame sideways and stretched his legs out so as to be able to slide them under Caje's back for support.

Before Littlejohn helped Gabriel to stand, Kirby gently took hold of both Gabriel's hands in his. He lightly squeezed them in a gesture he hoped would let the lieutenant know he was not going to let anything happen to Caje once she released her tight, protective grip.

Kirby looked at her, and then smiled. With that reassuring smile of Kirby's and the gentle tug from Littlejohn to let her know they needed her to move, Gabriel finally released her hold.

Littlejohn walked Gabriel back into the next room where Rhonda had been waiting. He then turned his attention back to Sergeant Saunders.

Sergeant Saunders knew he had no time to waste if they were going to keep Caje alive. He quickly ordered Littlejohn to go and fetch the stretcher out of the back of the transport. They needed to get Caje on that stretcher and into that ambulance and high tail it the hell out of there, now.

And that is exactly what they did.

With Caje and the two nurses, along with Doc and Kirby safely tucked into the back of the transport, Littlejohn and Sergeant Saunders, with Littlejohn climbing into the driver's seat, took off. In less time than any of them thought the old transport could accomplish it, they were at the new field hospital and Caje was whisked back into surgery.

Chapter Nineteen

After a couple of hours had passed, and after each one of the occupants that had ridden in the transport with Caje to the field hospital at one point or another, got up and walked over to the door of the room to take a quick peek in where Dr. Reynolds was working on him, Dr. Reynolds finally came out of the room to let them know how Caje was doing.

As he walked out, he was wiping his hands on a clean towel. He stopped in front of the group and said,

"That, my friends, is one lucky man."

All who had been waiting for word on Caje's condition could not help but break into smiles. Dr. Reynolds, knowing that his head nurse and Caje had become very close, walked over and sat down in an empty chair next to her. As he stared at no one in particular, he continued,

"Gabriel, I don't know how or why, but your friend in there, unless some other catastrophe materializes before he is well enough to get the hell out of here, well he's going to make it."

Gabriel lowered her head into her hands and started to cry. The release of all that had been building up causing her to slightly shake. Dr. Reynolds, confused at first by her reaction, again tried to explain to her that Caje was going to live.

The nurse that had been assisting Dr. Reynolds came out just then. Shaking her head, she walked past him and went over and knelt down in front of Gabriel.

"Men." was all Susan said.

Then she continued, "She knows what you said doctor. These aren't tears of despair. These are tears of joy."

Turning back to Gabriel, she took her hands in hers, then said,

"Lieutenant, he's heavily sedated still, but if you would like to go sit by him, I put a chair by his bed for you."

Gabriel smiled, "Thank you, I think I would like to be in there when he wakes up."

As Gabriel left to go sit with Caje, Susan stood up and turned her attention to Doc and her sister.

Doc had his protective arm very gently wrapped around Rhonda's badly bruised shoulders. Susan first addressed Doc.

"Doc, I'm sorry for my outburst earlier. I hope you can forgive me?"

Rhonda looked up at her older sister with a puzzled look on her face. Susan, ignoring her younger sister's look, continued,

"Now it your turn little sister."

Susan smiled down at her still sitting sister. "Come on, I don't want to hear you try and tell me you don't need tending too either."

Rhonda smiled up at her older sibling. Her bright green eyes dancing with mischief as she said,

"What are you going to do if I do, hum? Go tell mum?"

Susan gave her a wicked little smile then said, "Yes, I'll do just that."

She then turned around and shouted, "Mum, Rhonda won't let me take care of her injuries"

Rhonda laughed at her sister's silliness. But then the door to the office of the new hospital flew open.

Rhonda, caught totally by surprise could not believe her eyes. There, standing in the doorway was, yes indeed, their mother.

"Mummy" was all the now sobbing little girl could get out. Susan couldn't help but start to cry also. It seemed their mother, who was English, was also a nurse. But that wasn't the half of it.

Sergeant Saunders had been setting there with his feet apart, bent over with his hands clasped together in front of him. He had been looking down when the door to the office flew open. He didn't get a glimpse of the blonde haired women who's back was to him now.

She had on a nurses uniform, but it was the type the English nurses wore. But when she stopped wiping the tears away from the faces of both her "little girls" and turned around...

"HAZEL?"

Was all the Sergeant could muster out.

Everyone in the room turned to face the sergeant.

"Well hello there ducks" Hazel too was caught by surprise.

Hazel was a bit older, to say the least, than the sergeant. But in times of war, age really didn't seem to matter. So here, standing before him, was the women who both he and HIS Lieutenant had been perusing when they were stationed in England waiting to storm the beaches of Normandy what seemed a lifetime ago.

All the Sergeant could do was laugh at the irony of the situation. Who would have thought that He, Doc and Kirby, of all people, would ever have anything really in common? But one never knows. In times of war, the chances could be very good that when all is said and done, these three men could very easily end up tied together through marriage as one big happy family.

Chapter Twenty

With a small family reunion taking place at the hospital, Gabriel left to go and sit with Caje.

Even though Dr. Reynolds had told her Caje was lucky to be alive, she was not prepared for what greeted her eyes. When she peeked in and saw him propped up in the bed for the first time, she caught her breath.

Caje's coloring, which normally was swarthy, was now pale and pasty due to all the blood he had lost during their ordeal. He had tubes poking out of both his arms as well as a breathing tube in his nose. He's breathing was of such great concern the doctor had given his staff strict orders that at no time should Caje be left lying flat on his back.

As Gabriel walked in, she could hear him struggling with each breath he took. He was also mumbling in French. Spotting the chair Susan had placed by his bedside; Gabriel walked over and sat down. As she sat there, listening to his labored breathing, she laid her head down on his bed and began to cry.

Oh, how she loved this man. A visible shiver went down her spine when she thought of how terribly close she had come to losing him.

'If what you feel is love Rhonda, then I'm afraid I have it to.'

Her thoughts drifted back to yesterday morning. She really never questioned her feelings. She knew, deep in her heart, that she loved this man from day one. And that to live without him would be almost impossible.

With her head on his bed, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Chapter Twenty-One

Gabriel awoke to the feel of Caje's gently hand stroking her hair and sing very softly in French. Not wanting to startle him, she slowly turned her head so he was aware she was now awake. She sat up and took his hand in hers and kissed it. As she looked into his deep, amber colored eyes, she couldn't help it, she started to cry.

'Oh how so very close', was all she kept thinking.

Caje, understanding her tears, gently brought his hand up to her face and with his thumb wiped away a tear that had started to fall.

"Plaire mon amour, ne pleure pas."

Gabriel stood up and gently laid her head on his bare chest. He again brought his hand up and slowly stroked her soft hair.

As she laid there listening to his heart beat, Caje asked her,

"Can I tell you of a dream I once had?"

Gabriel raised her head and smiled, "Of course you can. I would love for you to tell me anything. Just talk to me. I love the sound of your voice. Please, don't ever stop talking to me."

Blushing at what Gabriel had just said Caje smiled at her.

It was funny, with the amount of blood Caje had lost, his skin was so pale. And because of the paleness, she could tell now, well at least for a short time anyway, she could tell that he too blushed.

"Funny," she thought. She had never thought of him as "blushing". She liked that.

She then repeated, "What was it you had a dream about Paul?"

Caje, starting to show signs that he was growing tired already, smiled then began to talk,

"You remember when I was brought in after I had been shot?" He stopped and waited for her to reply.

With her tears so ever present, Gabriel nodded her head to let him know that she remembered.

Seeing that his very first question brought tears to her eyes, Caje stopped.

"I will tell you at a better time. I do not wish to cause you any more pain. You have cried too much already. For me to add to this is something I don't wish to do."

She brought her hand up to her eyes and wiped away another tear, then said.

"I'm done with the tears. Dr. Reynolds told us that you're going to be fine." She then, in a very strong voice announced,

"Private First Class Paul LeMay, I'm done crying. Please", she laughed, "Please 'my soldier' tell me all about your dream."

He gave her a little laugh at the proper way she said his name. He too thought back to their first meeting and smiled. Then continued,

"When I was waking up, you remember, I was calling out in French? I was calling out to Mireille, my wife. She had just told me I was to stay, that I could not be with her and our daughter."

Gabriel had been looking down, softly caressing his hand the whole time Caje had been telling her about the dream. When he mentioned Emilie, she looked up. He had a pained expression on his face.

Caje looked at her then realized he had never told her how Mireille had died. He also had never told her that for a week after Mireille had passed, he had sat at the hospital, day and night, at the bedside of his beautiful, but very fragile, little girl. He prayed the whole time that she would beat the odds and live…she did not.

Now it was Caje's turn for the eye's to fill with tears. For him to talk about his wife had always been a struggle. But to have to talk about a life that was taken away from him even before he was given the chance to hold her? This was something Caje had never prepared himself to do. But for this woman, he was going to try.

As he took in a deep, shaky breath, Gabriel stepped in and stopped him.

"Paul, I'm sorry. Please, when you're better, and only if you wish to do so, then you can tell me about your daughter. Okay?"

"But for now, please Paul, only tell me about your dream."

Caje looked at her and smiled. He knew, someday he would talk to her about the two other women who forever had a piece of his heart, but thankfully, not today.

Now it was Caje's turn to wipe away a tear. He then went on with his dream.

"Mireille told me it was not my time. She said I would make her proud. Then she said I was to stay, to live on and to love again."

He stopped what he was saying just then. He smiled at Gabriel, then took her hand in his and continued.

"Lieutenant."

Caje paused,

"My nightingale"

Again, he paused,

"Gabriel."

Caje took a deep breath,

"I know this is not the proper way to do this." He took another deep breath, "But if I were to wait for an opportunity to properly do this, it may never get done."

As Caje was lying there, holding on to his most beautiful Gabriel's hand, he said,

"Gabriel, would you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

With tears falling freely from both of their eyes,

I am going to have to say…

THE END

(for now)