12th December, 1918
I am walking home from school. The war is near Tartu already. Sometimes I can hear the gunfire, when I am at home or at school. I can hear it, I can feel it, I can smell it coming onto us. I can smell the death, the damage and blood. She could almost feel it. Almost.
Kate, Ziva and Abby had some kind of thing at school, so they'll be coming later. They were scared. They were scared of her family. My family is really in the danger. My dad is somewhere in the war and my mother is... not around. I am the one, who should really be worried. I should be worried of my dad. I should be, but the fact is that I know that he'll be alright. He always comes back to me. And I believe that he'll do the same this time.
I look up to see myself walking pass the school, where the boys go to. I look up at the building and see the clock on top being still. It's a few minutes before 3 pm. Also looking up I see Estonian flag instead of something that was there before. Blue-black-white striped flag is there flying in all of it's glory. I feel my heart getting warmer.
I am not the only one looking at the sight. There are others looking up like I do. Some of them are students, some of them are older people, some of them are little kids... One of them is some kind of important man, because he is in the uniform, I'd say it's German, but I might be mistaken.
The sight is seen, so I can start walking again. I feel someone's hand on my shoulder. I look around to see Jethro there. Tony and Tim are looking up.
"Like what you see ?" Jethro asks.
"Is that your work ?" I ask.
"Yep. I took the flag out there with Tony. And while we were up, we might as well stop the clock too," he explains. He looks proud. I am proud of him too.
I just nod and look at him. There is something he isn't telling me.
"Me and boys are joining the army," he says.
I sigh. I know they are doing the right thing, but I don't like it. They are just boys, they are kids. They don't know what to do, how to shoot or how to kill others. They will go as boys and come back as men, if they come back at all. They won't be the same.
"You don't like it," Jethro says. It's not a question, it's a statement. He knows me that well.
"I don't want to lose any of you," I admit. He probably knows it already.
"You won't. We'll do good," Jethro says and smiles. He kisses me on the temple.
"When are you leaving ?" I ask.
"Today is the meeting and then probably we'll be sent to the battle," Jethro says.
"Then go to your big meeting," I say and walk away. Somehow I don't want to be around him. I don't want him to get killed, but I can't hide my feelings any longer.
"Jen !" He shouts after and I hear him running.
He catches me and stops me.
"Jen. Don't be like that. Give me a reason to come back. If I got one, then you know that I'll come back," he says.
"Then go find something," I say. I am angry, but I can't deny how gorgeous he looks and how beautiful those blue eyes are and how badly I want to kiss those lips.
I look away.
He keeps on looking at me.
Then his hands touch my face and turn it so I am looking at him. He closes his eyes and brings my face closer to his. He leans in and that's when the magic happens. His lips meet mine. I close my eyes. My hands move to his neck as he lowers his, so they are resting on my sides. I feel the magic. And I melt. If I could stay like this forever. His lips on mine, my lips on his, our bodies pressed together tight, his warmth on my, my warmth on him... It's like a dream come true.
My lungs fail me and I need to breathe, so I pull away.
"Gibbs, we need to go," I hear Tony shouting.
"Seems like now I have something to come back to," Jethro says and gives me a quick kiss on lips before leaving.
"Coming," Jethro says to guys.
I take a look behind. I see Jethro going with Tim and Tony and some other guys I don't know. I watch them go and I realize that this might be the last time I see them. This might be the last time I see those guys walking away.
I hear familiar voices and I see Kate, Ziva and Abby rushing towards me.
"You're still here," Ziva states.
"I ran into boys. They're going to fight for Estonia," I say.
Silence.
"I hope they'll come back too," Kate says.
"They will," I say. I don't know if I try to reassure myself or the others. That I don't know as the kiss still lingers on my lips and the picture of boys walking away in front of my eyes.