And were off with the next chapter. Thanks for still reading. I still don't own Act Combat and all that other stuff. Enjoy this chapter. Also please review, according to my stats over 335 people have read my story and no one has given me one comment. Also I school starts today so it may be a little while before I update again, sorry. If anyone cares, which I'm strating to think you don't.

Chapter 9: A Drunken Confession

"Today, April 1st, 1995, 1200 hours all soldiers on Sudenberg Air Force Base will be given a 12 hour leave" Mieke read from a notice on the bulletin board. I looked at the board too.

"You wanna go?" I offered. Normally I wouldn't want to go, but I still felt bad about yelling at her.

"I need to do some paper work, but it would be nice to get some diner or something from town" she said with a smile.

"Okay it's a date" An awkward silence fell and I tried to correct myself, "Uh… what I meant to say was… to go out… uh…"

I was turning very red and for some reason so was she.

I sighed and muttered, "Never mind, just do your work and I'll see you later."

She gave a nerves smile and walked off. Now what? I don't have any friends other than her. Mmmnn... I could hang out with von Klein.

I knocked on the door and entered. He was sitting at his desk and reviewing some documents. He looked the same usual, tired, poorly shaven, and tried to keep clean and neat, but too busy working.

"Guten tag, Herr Hauptmann" I said as I sat in front of his desk.

"What happened to Ruhrman?" he asked without looking up from work.

"Paper work, but I'm taking her into town later" I said.

He paused, looked up, and with an uncharacteristic sly grin said, "A date?"

"Nein?!" I yelled leaping from my chair. He just chuckled a little and went back to reading from a file. I saw some dog-tags and I.D. card.

"Whose are they?"

"Foulke's."

"Why?"

"You know the Ustian mercenary who has been shooting down a number of our planes?"

"Ja."

"It's his first cousin, his name is Larry Foulke. Unless you want our favorite cook/pilot get taken away from by the Grey Men he's now to be known as Wolfgang Foulkern."

"You only added an R and an N?" I asked.

"If I change is name too much it would raise suspicion, but if I change it a little they will think the name was only a error on they're end and the one I have is the real name" he answered simply.

I saw a picture on his desk. It was a picture of a family of five; a small dark blonde woman in her forties, a portly man with graying black hair and glasses, a girl of 14 with dark blonde and glasses, a boy the must have been von Klein at 12, and an another boy with black hair and grey eyes about 10. "Is this your family mein herr?"

"Ja, but my parents and sister died at the beginning of the rebellion. I lost track of my little brother for a while after the rebellion in the east ended, but I think I know where he is now" he said. then came a silence. Clearly he didn't want to talk about it.

"So what's new in the war?" I asked to end the silence.

"The Ustian capitol, Directus, fell to our troops yesterday. The Ustian Army broke ranks and retreated giving us a much easier route to they're capitol than expected. Most of their military has been destroyed and now the Ustians are relying on the mercenaries to do the fighting. Tomorrow 57th Bomber Squadron with their B-52s will try and knock out Valais Air Base, the last functioning air base in Ustian hands. Speaking of which, Larry Foulke or Solo Wing Pixy should be at that base. I warned the 57th leader about him, but I don't he took me seriously about Pixy or a new pilot known as Cipher."

"What's important about those two?" I asked curiously.

"Pixy has shot down some our ace and elite pilots and Cipher… is… let's just say he is someone I remember from the Osten Rebellion" he said. I could tell there was a lot more to this story, but he wasn't sharing. That was von Klein in a nutshell, he had a lot going on in his mind, but he didn't talk about much with anybody.

"What's his name?" I wanted to know that at the least.

He looked at me with that piercing stare of his and after a while he shook his head, "I don't think it's a good idea to tell you."

He wasn't going to tell me anything. I sighed, "Our we helping out with that mission?"

"Nein. Command doesn't think that will be necessary. The Ustian only have this one last base. We've almost beaten the Ustians and taken their whole country. The Oseans and Yuktobanians now the main threat so we'll probably be sent against them instead" he said, but he didn't seem pleased by the news.

"You don't sound happy."

"… I think this was over before it began."

"For the Allied Forces?" I asked, thinking we almost beaten the Sapins, Oseans, Yuktobanians, and Ustians.

He gave a sad tired smile and shook his head like I was being stupid. I just couldn't figure out what he was talking about.

Von Klein seemed to finish writing reviewing a file, sat up, and walked over to a corner in the room. He picked up a fishing rod and tackle box.

"I'm done for now. You wanna join me?"

I shrugged, "I don't have anything else to do until Mieke is done."

I looked at me and said seriously, "You need to tell her someday or you'll explode, you'll only be any to keep your silence for so long. Okay? Let's go." He handed me a second rod and we left. I began to think about his words and knew he was right, but I wasn't sure how to tell her. God... what do I do?

It was 5:50 p.m. and I had long since finished my paper work. I was sitting on my bed typing away on my laptop writing my romantic/comedy novel. I briefly checked the room to make sure Paul wasn't in the room. More then once he asked me what I was writing and couldn't bare the idea laughing at me for this story.

'Robert slowly began to button the blouse of Rachel. Slowly he approached her lips and…' I felt the hairs on the back of my head stand up. I thought I heard someone enter the room, silence so I continued.

'and gently caressed her cheek and then…'

"And then, what?" said someone over my shoulder.

"EEPPP!" I shrieked. Paul was kneeling next to my bed reading my novel. He laughed a little.

"What's so funny?" I asked offended, "I don't need you laughing at my novel!"

"So you're telling me that I guy pants falling down when in an elevator wasn't intended to be funny?" he asked pointing to a previous chapter on my screen.

"Oh. Umm… you wanna eat at The Tavern?" I said embarrassed with myself and trying to change the subject.

He shook his head, "Not really."

Confused I asked, "Why?"

"In the evenings there are these girls that come up to me, smiling and asking me all thses questions. I just I knew why?"

I gasped at what he said. I couldn't believe he had no idea why. I was frowning shaking his head as though thinking. I felt my blood boil at the thought of other girls getting Paul's attention. Mmnnn... I guess this means I need to start to make some moves on Paul or at least keep his attention on me and not some bimbo.

My thinking continued to get angrier with each passing moment, 'Those bitches, how dare they try and pick up my… well they just have no business hitting on him. Wait what if there are hot? Oh no, I can't compete in this uniform, I need to change.' I ran to my trunk and rummaged for clothes. Perfected! I grabbed a blue plaid mini-skirt, tight short sleeve white T-shirt, and unbuttoned light-blue light jacket. I ran into the bathroom almost knocking Paul over as I ran past. I quickly changed and examined myself in the mirror. 'This will have to do, it's the best I can do on short notice. I can't lose him. No one else has been so nice to me and he's treated me like an equal.' I thought. I pulled my hair into a low ponytail that hung over my right shoulder and exited the bathroom. Paul was now wearing blue jeans, olive drab button shirt, and his brown jacket.

"Well? What do you think?" I asked twirling on the spot letting my hair and skirt flow a little in the turn. He didn't answer, his mouth was hanging opening and light gurgling sound was coming out.

"Uuhhh…"

I smiled, roll my eyes, grabbed his keys off his desk, and pulled him out the door to his bike.

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Once we pulled in front of the Tavern Paul shut off the engine and we got out. The Tavern unlike the first time I was there was now nosy and full of people. Paul and I seated ourselves on stools at the bar and waited for Harold the barman. The place smelled like cooking meat, alcohol, cigarettes, and other bar/restaurant smells.

After a while Harold showed up, looking very overworked, asked us our orders and ran off. After a while he brought us a plate of meat loaf and mash potatoes and root beer. (Great now I'm hungry.) We ate hungrily, well Paul ate hungrily, and I ate while looking around that room. I noticed a few girls were eyeing him from various part of the room. Paul had now finished and was now ordering a beer.

"You want one?" he asked.

Embarrassed I said, "I've… never…"

He nodded, "Right, well I just gonna have one. Unless you can drive."

"I can drive a car, but I don't have a motorcycle license."

"Hey there" said a completely unfamiliar voice behind us. A girl, maybe my age, with short red hair had stepped forward from somewhere in the room. She was wearing jean shorts and a foam green polo shirt. Paul looked up from his beer looking confused.

"May I help you with something?" I wasn't sure weather to be happy or not that he was too dense to see when a girl was hitting on him. As for me, I wasn't jealous (denial is so sad, isn't it?), but I did want to break my bar stool over her head.

In a seductive voice she said, "I think you can. Would you care to join me and my friend?" She jerked her head towards another girl with long blonde hair.

"Sorry, but I can't leave my friend here" Paul said indicating me. 'Ah, Ah! Take the bitch! I saw him first and he's mine… well, I saw him before you' I thought savagely, 'just take your over stuffed bra and leave us alone.' Looking a little offended she stormed off back to her friend. I smiled, but almost immediately scowled when I saw her friend walking over. She had long shiny blonde hair, black jean mini-skirt, and a light-pink button shirt that had most of the top buttons unbuttoned showing off the gap between her breasts.

"Hi there Mr. Soldier, how are you doing?" she said with a grin that made me wish I had taken my gun with me.

"Okay, I guess" Paul said densely.

"How about you join me for some fun?"

"Sorry, it's like I told your friend I…"

"Come on, I can rock your world a lot more than that puny thing next to you" she said.

"Huh?" Paul said stunned, I could tell he was finally putting two and two together and he looked like he was panicking. He looked at me, clearly begging for help. I was happy to help and I wanted to help by smash something over her head for trying to steal Paul and calling me puny. Without looking I grabbed my glass, drank it down, and I was going to throw it at her when I realized that root beer shouldn't burn my throat. I started coughing and I also started to feel warm and loose.

'Is this women coming on to me?! What do I do?! What do I do?! I don't want her, I want Mieke' I thought desperately. I heard Mieke coughing and I looked at her. She was holding a glass and I saw it wasn't her drink. I took it, smelt it, and realized with horror that it was a very strong alocohol of some kind. I did some fast calculations in my head, 'Mieke has never had a drink before plus her light body weight equals… oh scheißen!'

Mieke looked up and confirmed my worst fears when I saw how out of focused her eyes were. She stumbled to her feet and drunkenly walked, no pun intended, to the girl was. Mieke glared as best she could despite her state and the fact the other girl was three or four inches taller. She tried to level a finger at her face, but pointed at the girl's shoulder instead and managed to say angrily, "Li… liste' here ya… ya slut! Ba.. ba… back off I sa' 'im firs'… an'…" 'What the hell is going on?!' I thought. (Please take note take Mieke is intoxicated and isn't speaking clearly.)

Mieke continued to rant, "He's ma' mon! Okay… and if ya don'ta' go away… I'll… I'll…" Whatever Mieke was going to do she didn't say because she threw up on the girl.

Thinking fast I tossed some Marks on the table and grabbed Mieke's arm and said gently, "Mieke let's get out of here. Come on we'll go somewhere, anywhere where. Okay?"

She looked at me confused, not recognizing me. After a few seconds she realized who I was and with a lazy grin said, "Aawww, ya so sweet Paul. I knew ya' car' only 'bout me an' not tha' slut."

I almost picked her up and dragged her out of the Tavern as fast as I could go. Her giggled and said, "Ya' holdin' me. Ya' like me don't ya?"

I put her in the sidecar, put the goggles and helmet on her, prayed she wouldn't fall off, and got the hell out of there.

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I finally entered our room with Mieke draped over my shoulder; still giggling a little. I let go of her and wobble on the spot for a moment. She started to fall, but I managed to grab her from behind around the waist. I pulled her to her feet and she slow turned around in my arms. She looked confused and looked up and down at me as though she wasn't sure what I was doing. She suddenly gave me a lazy grin and to my surprise she wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Ya' holdin' me again" she said pulling me down towards her.

"Hey! Mieke what are you doing?" I yelled. She stared at me, her eyes started to fill with tears, and her lip started to quiver.

"Don't ya' like me. Cause I love you." That left me in shock. Was this the alcohol talking or was it her, this isn't fair.

"I do love you, but…" I mumbled. Her drunken smile return and she started pulling me closer. I thought, 'well it's not like I'm going to get another chance like this again.' I let her pulling closer, closer, and then I could smell her breath. Not the sweet scent I remember, but whisky. I can't do this, she's not in control.

"Mieke wait, you can't… Mieke? ... are you awake?" She passed out on my chest. I sighed in relief and started kicking myself for my moment of weakness. 'I can't believe I almost took advantage her' I thought ashamed of myself.

I held her there for a while, running my hand through her long silky hair. I carried her to her bed, pulled back the covers, put her in, removed her jacket, and tucked her in. I brushed some stray hairs out of her face feelinh her soft skin, closed the curtain on her bed, and sat at my desk.

Looking at the curtain she was behind I said, "Was that the alcohol talking or do you really love me? AAGGHHHH! Von Klein was right, I need to tell her or I'll explode."

To Be Continued

Hope you liked it. Will Paul tell Mieke that he loves her? Well of course he will. Please review. I think I said this before, but I really starting to hate my title and if anyone has a better one then FOR THE LOVE OF GOD TELL ME PLEASE!

Respectfully

J. H. Kamiya