So, I've done some MAJOR editing to this story and added in an entirely new scene/chapter and the implications of the added scene change some of the dialogue in the next chapter(s). This chapter (the added one) is my favorite because, well… it's good.

William POV

While we were on our way to Gettysburg- almost everyone had found out by now- I tried to distance myself from Susannah. As much as I felt I loved her, the right thing to do was to try and detach myself from her so that she would be safe. Everything changed now that danger was looming on the horizon. I avoided her and when we did come face to face I did nothing to encourage her even though all I could think about was how wonderful it had felt to carry her in my arms that night during the storm and how I longed for that closeness again. Every time I saw her, my heart ached and begged me to run to her and tell her everything, but in case I should die or have my cover blown, I did not want her to be in danger. One day, General Lee happened to send both of us off into the woods to search for anything- or anyone- that could either be of value to us or cause harm. It was that day I chose to take the final step with Susannah, and it was the hardest thing I had ever done.

Susannah POV

We walked alone together in silence while scouting the forest. We had been walking forward for an hour or so and I felt as though we were in the middle of nowhere because, well, we were. Major Davis had been staying away from me for the past few days and he seemed displeased to talk with me. I was desperate to know why the man I loved was trying to shun me from his company. We stopped momentarily in a clearing to rest. He sat down upon a log while I stood next to a large tree with leaves extending all around. It seemed the perfect time and place to ask him, so I did.

"Major Davis, forgive me for being so forward," I said, "but are you avoiding me?" He took a deep breath as though it pained him to talk to me. "Yes, I have been avoiding you," he said coldly. If he had only looked at my face as I heard him speak, then maybe he would have known, maybe he would have seen how much his answer hurt me. "Why?" I whispered, defeated and with a breaking heart. "Why?" he repeated angrily, raising his voice and standing up, "Because your beliefs about slavery are completely foolish, your intelligence is lacking in areas and your beauty," he paused and lowered his voice again, still speaking in a harsh tone, "Well, your beauty is the one thing that I am unable criticize." The tears stung in my eyes and I struggled not to lose my composure. "How could you say such things?" I yelled incredulously. "And to think that I thought I- Ugh!" I looked away, unable to admit that I loved him after he had slandered me so. The tears started to flow freely from my eyes.

He walked over to me and I raised my hand to push him away, but he just took hold of my arm and lowered it. He whispered in my ear, "To think that you thought what, Susannah?" His tone no longer seemed as angry and instead sounded gentler like his usual self. I turned my head so that I could look in his eyes and I noticed how close we were. I also realized that I no longer wanted to pull away. I glanced at his lips, so close to mine and his eyes, so full of fire and passion. "That I thought…that I…" I closed my eyes. I could feel his breath on my face grow closer and I could feel my toes raising me up slightly as our lips spanned the few inches and touched. We stayed that way for what seemed like forever until I rested my forehead against his and whispered, "Loved you."

He held me for a few minutes while the tears drained from my body before I summed up the courage to ask, "Did you really mean what you just said?" His eyebrows furrowed in concern that I had thought he spoke the truth, "No, of course not. I only wanted to protect you. If I were to die…or…" I put my finger to his lips and told him I understood. We agreed to talk no more on the subject and we didn't even bring up that he was a Confederate officer and I a Union woman- whose brother was a Colonel in the army, no less! I held William's hand as we walked back through the forest. Only when we could hear the men from the camp did I relinquish my hold.

That night, Eliza was busy, as were the rest of the women, so I had our wagon all to myself to think in. I could not get the events of that day out of my head; mostly the kiss that I shared with William. It was not my first kiss, but it was the sweetest. My first had gone to Cabot, who kissed me just after he proposed. It was his last effort to get me to change my mind and accept him. It was, I felt, awkward seeing as he was my friend and as a child I would try to play and wrestle with him and my brother. I was tormented by the fact that the people who I loved were the very ones putting their lives on the line for what they believed in.