Hello everyone! It's so wonderful to see how many of you take the time to review, you're awesome!
Beth-rodrigues.77 (Hehe, you're probably the most loyal Lizzie-fan out there, I'm so happy you like her and the kiss she shared with Dick. Yeah, I think it was hard for the boys, to be stuck with Shames (or at least they think they are...), but then you're right in believing there are better days to come... :-))) Loved your review!), AnimeGirl 144 (Yes, the guys have to suffer a bit in this story, all of them. But since I won't make this story totally AU, they'll eventually be back with Winters again, so no need to worry. :-))) So glad you liked the last chapter, despite its dreariness!), coffee14 (Yeah, I think the guys were just very frustrated and disappointed (Guarnere most of all, I just love to write him) to think Winters would betray them. But sure we have others there to keep the company together. :-))) Sooo happy you liked the kiss! :-))), ChocAndSnow19 (I loved that you thought the kiss scene was well written, I was sitting quite a long time over that one until I was more or less content. :-)) And yeah, things will get better, I can finally promise that. :-)) But I can't guarantee for how long, the evil streak in me likes to be fed... :-))) And yes, certainly, everything the boys do now is a dangerous game and they know it. As to Nix: I won't say anything right now, but I loved that you thought about him first. *lol* When it comes to doing something daring and illegal, Nix comes to mind. *lol* Hehe, you're welcome, about Gene in the last chapter. I'm just not as confident when writing from his perspective than from writing Lizzie's or Dick's POV, but I'm all the happier when you think it's alright the way I wrote Gene. Have a lovely day/week, too!), Jayden (Hehe, so glad I could make your day again, hopefully I'll succeed again with this chapter! :-)) Yeah, Bill is just much too distrustful when it comes to Dick, but it's so much fun to write him. So happy you loved the ending. :-))), ScarletLeon (No, I'm not at all tired of you reviewing, I just love your reviews, they always make me smile! :-))) So glad to hear you loved Nix and the boys. Hehe, and very happy to hear you loved the kiss. More of that in this chapter...:-))).
I know I was a bit tough on our dear boys (and girls) in the last few chapters, that's why we finally get to a more lighthearted intermezzo. The chapter is again rather short, but this way I can keep up my update schedule. Hope you enjoy!
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Lizzie had been really mad at Dick, no, she had been downright furious. Just as she had been ready to turn around and just leave him in his uptight, closed off mood, he had completely shocked her by leaning down and kissing her. And what a kiss it was! Passionate and deep, maybe a tad desperate, without holding back or hesitation. It stole her breath away and for a moment she was too stunned to do anything else than just experience the sensation of his wonderful, amazing lips on hers. Then instinct took over and she kissed him back, opening her lips to let him in, which he did immediately. She suddenly felt his hands on her back, drawing her close to him, and she could feel his body on hers full length. A small moan of desire escaped her lips and her teeth started nibbling his lips, while his hands roamed over her body.
God, he felt gorgeous! She felt every part of her body pulsating madly under his touch and leant even more heavily into the kiss, which elicited a low growl from his throat. Before she knew it, her hands were exploring his neck, his back and his nicely shaped butt. He guided her backwards while still kissing her and she suddenly felt something soft bump into the hollows of her knees. Forcing open her eyes, she saw that they were standing in front his bed and he slowly leaned even more into her, making clear where he wanted her to be. Maybe it was that she became aware of the desperation in his kiss or the slightly frantic touch of his fingers, but she suddenly realized that he was deeply troubled and not thinking all that rationally. And that he would deeply regret it if they progressed too far too fast.
"Dick, slow down", she whispered, swallowing heavily. Damn it, her own treacherous body was practically panting after his touch and would have rejoiced in feeling him even closer, as close as possible! It did not make staying reasonable any easier. However, she cared for him too much to just let one moment of passion destroy what they had built up together.
He did not seem to hear her, but continued kissing her even more fervently. Lizzie had to suppress a moan when his hands started roaming over her breasts.
"Dick, stop", she repeated breathlessly, already on the verge of just giving in to what her body demanded.
Somehow she reached him and he suddenly pulled back from the kiss. While she already missed his touch on her skin, she could see him coming to his senses and a look of horror spread over his face. Before she could say anything, he broke away from her and walked over to the desk, turning his back to her. She could hear him breathing heavily and saw him run both his hands over his face. Lizzie, too, needed a few moments to compose herself and sat down on the bed, feeling all jittery and confused with her hormones more than ready to party on. God, she needed a cold shower, right now!
"I'm so sorry, Lizzie", Dick apologized ardently while turning back to her, still looking mortified. "This is so inappropriate, I don't know what came over me. I.. I can't tell you how ashamed I am of myself right now."
It was totally unnecessary that he was beating himself up over the kiss. She got up from the bed and slowly walked towards him, but he was retreating a few more steps away from her into the corner of the room.
"Hey, it's okay", she tried to reassure him. He looked so downcast and guilty that she would have liked to give him a hug, but then he even shied away from her gaze, so this was probably not such a great idea. "Dick, you don't need to apologize, it's fine."
"It's not", he denied vehemently, staring at the ground. "I forced myself on you. This is intolerable."
"You didn't force yourself on me", she replied wryly. "You would've known if you did, because you would've felt my knee somewhere very painful before you could've even opened your lips. The kiss was wonderful, Dick."
He slowly lifted his gaze from the floor and looked at her hesitantly. His blue eyes shone with so many emotions: tenderness, hope, fear and a good portion of desperation. How could she have thought just moments before that he was impassive?
"You're troubled", she told him gently and took a small step towards him. "That's why I asked you to stop and not because I didn't like what you were doing. It felt like taking advantage of you when you're this upset."
A shaky snort came from his throat and his gaze suddenly turned wry.
"The way I see it, it's more like I was taking advantage of you", he replied uncertainly, quirking a tiny smile.
"Yeah, that's because you guys always think you're so totally in control of everything when you start kissing a girl", she answered lightly and received another short snort of amusement from him at that. "You're not, I tell you."
"I see", he slowly said and took a small step towards her. "I loved what you did to me, then."
Lizzie could not help the peal of laughter she felt bubbling up inside her. This must be the most awkward talk she had ever had with a guy after they had just made out, although both were obviously giving their consent. It would probably take some time until Dick would shed his uptightness, if she would ever fully succeed in loosening him up. But then again, the kiss had told her that he was much more experienced with women than she had given him credit for. There was no doubt he knew what he was doing and her body had given full approval of his ministrations.
"This is so awkward", he finally sighed, voicing her exact thoughts. His comment and the rueful look he gave her sent Lizzie off laughing again. His hair was all messed up from her hands and he still looked slightly flushed from the kiss when he sent her a small smile that made her want to bubble over with warmth and affection for this man.
"Your very red hair is sticking up in all directions", she told him gently.
"Certainly not worse than yours", he replied drily. He reached out a hand and brushed a strand of her hair out of her face. The fleeting touch of his fingers on her cheek made her breath catch for a short moment and she looked at him spellbound. She could see that the closeness to her did not leave him unaffected either, because his lips were quivering, before he reigned in his emotions by pursing his mouth into a thin line.
All of a sudden he seemed deep in thought, his eyes far away, then he braced himself visibly and squared his shoulders. He gently took her hand, his fingers caressing her hand, before he led her over to the bed and sat her down on it. Puzzled, Lizzie let it happen and watched while he fetched the chair standing in front of his desk and went to sit opposite of her.
"Two things have happened", he slowly began and she realized that he was finally taking a leap of faith. "First, the men from my company and partly even from my platoon were involved in the bar fight I split up yesterday evening. This was why I was so irritated. I'm sorry I let it out on you. Second, today I was transferred out of my company to staff. This means I've lost command of the men I was training with for over a year and they're now stuck with a lieutenant who is totally incapable of leading them in battle."
When he told her about it, his voice was carefully neutral and she could only tell from his eyes how much the loss of command over his men must hurt him. Not knowing what else to do or say, she took one of his hands in her own and gently stroked his fingers. He looked down to her hand, then up into her eyes and there was again the desperation in his gaze that had made her stop the kiss. A sudden and heartfelt urge to help him, no matter the cost, rose in her.
"I'm very sorry to hear that", she said quietly, squeezing his hand. "Is there anything I can do?"
Somehow she had found a sore spot, because he jerked his hand away from her and got up to pace in front of her.
"No, there's nothing you can do", he bit out tautly. "There's nothing anyone can do, that's the problem."
"Dick, you're doing it again", Lizzie told him gently and gestured to the chair. "You're shutting me out instead of talking to me. Come on, sit down."
First it looked like he would refuse, then he sighed and came back to her, sinking down on the chair.
"My superiors pretty much accused me of manipulating the men so they would not accept any other officer's command", he continued tonelessly. "They're wrong. The men would accept any new leader, as long as he wouldn't get them killed the first moment they went into battle. It's not like they really need me, they just need a competent officer."
Lizzie believed him, she really did, but she could still see that he was protective of his men and that he would not want just anyone to lead them. It was probably rather difficult to find another officer that would make Dick content with the way he was leading. Despite their situation, she found herself biting her lips to suppress a smile. Dick really was a control freak.
"But can't they see that the new officer isn't up to the task?", Lizzie asked hesitantly, hoping she would not set him off again. She had met Shames after all and she had seen more about his shortcomings than Dick knew.
"Yeah, they see it alright", Dick answered with a derisive snort. "But the new one has the protection of my CO." He stopped, then muttered quietly, "Well, former CO. Still, staff put the new officer on a trial period of two months. If he fails, he loses command of second platoon again."
"But that's good, isn't it?", Lizzie asked, seeing a faint silver lining on the horizon.
"No, it's not", Dick answered roughly, then started staring at his hands. "I don't want the men to do anything stupid. Least of all for me."
She shook her head minutely at that. He was really something. Here she had thought he did not care about others and he had proven her completely wrong.
"So where have you been transferred to?", she asked him since he had made no mention of his future station.
"Intelligence", he replied with a deep scowl. "Sitting at a desk, reading letters, writing reports, looking at maps, doing crosswords while the men get shooed from one exercise to the other."
"Come on, it can't be that bad", Lizzie exclaimed while she had to smile at the look of contempt the word "desk" had produced on his face. "I would give my right hand to work at intelligence."
"It's not really all that exciting, believe me", he told her. "Nix loves it, meddling in other people's affairs, putting himself in the enemy's place and mind, comparing statements, drawing maps, planning routes and stuff."
"Sounds great to me", Lizzie replied with a small smile. "Want to change job with me?"
She was delighted to see him return her smile before he shook his head.
"No, definitely not", he answered. "I think it's great what you do, I really admire your work and the doctors' work at the hospital, but I could never do it myself. You always have to deal with sick, injured and wounded people, as soon as they get better, they leave. That's pretty hard, it would depress me."
"But then you have a hand in making them get better", Lizzie said cheerfully.
They sat a short while in silence, before Dick asked her hopefully, "Could you maybe get Dr. Coombs to clear me for light duty soon? I need to work, even if it only means writing reports, to get my mind off things."
"I'll talk to her", Lizzie promised, understanding his motivations better than ever. "And after all, I could just convince myself that you're well enough to... get physical, I guess."
This made him blush a brilliant shade of red and she snickered to herself, while he did not know where to look out of sheer embarrassment. Maybe she had some evil streak in herself, but she definitely enjoyed it way too much to make him uncomfortable. It was so adorable.
She decided to release him from his discomfiture and got up, saying, "It's getting late, I need to get back to the hospital and catch a few hours of sleep."
"Yeah, of course", he replied, still flushed, and got up as well. "I'll accompany you downstairs."
"Okay", she said lightly and turned towards him before he could open the door. "But I'll have to say my proper goodbye here."
With that she leaned in for another kiss. It was a gentle, innocent kiss, much different from the one they had shared before. Dick reacted to it anyway, his lips softly caressing hers while he cupped her face in his hands. Her body's response, however, was not all that different, his touch left her weak in the knees. He felt so good, she loved his slightly musky scent and the way his lips fitted so perfectly onto hers.
After some time and a considerable amount of restraint they separated again. His eyes opened almost at the same time as hers, a soft and dreamy look of wonder in them that woke the urge in her to kiss him again, only to perpetuate that look forever. She held herself back, however, and finally made a move to open the door, but his hand on hers stopped her.
"Wait", he bade her in a husky voice. "Just give me a moment... to collect myself."
It made her smile, warmth radiating from every part of her body. She leaned into him again, but this time just rested her head on his shoulder while he stroked her hair gently. It was all she could do not to sigh in contentment.
She finally pulled away, because it was really getting late, and gave him a questioning look that he answered with a single nod. She opened the door and silently walked down the stairs of the quiet house with Dick trailing after her. It was in the middle of the night and she hoped that everyone was sleeping. Light was coming from the kitchen and just before Dick opened the front door to let her out, Nix appeared in the kitchen doorway, radiating smugness and grinning so widely it almost split his face.
"Thanks again for bringing me back my reports, Florence", Nix drawled lazily, leaning on the doorway and waving the brown envelope.
Dick beside her looked so caught that he could probably only stammer if he opened his mouth now, so she took matters in her own hands and answered through her teeth, "It's no problem, Lieutenant Casanova, just try and keep a better eye on your things next time."
"Oh, I'm keeping a very vigilant eye on everything", he quipped while he gave them another self-complacent grin.
"Good for you", she answered, for once at a loss of a comeback, then turned to Dick. "I'll have to go now. Take care, ok?"
"Yeah, you too", was all Dick managed to get out under the watchful gaze of his friend. She gave him a smile and left the house.
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"Are you humming?", Greta asked suspiciously, suddenly appearing in the doorway of the storage room where Lizzie was taking stock of their medical supplies.
"No", Lizzie denied and made a show of shaking her head indignantly. Damn it, the song had been in her head since she had woken up this morning, but then she had thought she had only followed the tune in her mind. "I never hum, you know that."
"But you're in a good mood", her friend pointed out while watching Lizzie closely. "Normally you're all grumpy in the mornings, even more so when you had as few hours of sleep as you had last night. Where have you been anyway?"
"I told you already, I returned Lieutenant Nixon's reports", Lizzie answered, concentrating back on the shelf so she did not have to face her friend's probing gaze.
"And that took you more than two hours?", Greta asked doubtfully.
"Yeah, we chatted for a while", Lizzie replied and winced a bit to herself because of fibbing to her friend.
"True, since you're such good friends", Greta remarked ironically, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "I don't believe one word of what you're saying, Lizzie Weiss. Come on, tell me the truth."
Lizzie sighed and stopped counting the bandages on the shelf in front of her. Her thoughts circled endlessly around the kiss she had shared with Dick last night, the memory making her whole body bubble with giddiness. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw his face with that dreamy look in his gaze in front of her and all she wanted to do was just go back and kiss him again. And again. But then they had not talked about how they would proceed and it was certainly too early to proclaim them to be in a relationship. Maybe the kiss had been a one-time thing. She was sure she would bawl her eyes out if Dick told her something of that sort, because he had felt way too good to just go on with her life without feeling his touch on her skin ever again. Anyway, it seemed too early to tell anyone about it. Problem was that Greta had a sixth sense for sniffing out secrets.
"Lizzie, I'm your best friend", Greta cajoled softly, coming closer and shutting the door to the storage room behind her. "You used to tell me everything, remember? And I always told you everything in return, like that I'm pregnant and such. You know you can trust me."
Lizzie knew exactly what her friend was doing, Greta was trying to make her feel guilty. And Lizzie sighingly had to acknowledge that her friend was succeeding.
"If I tell you", Lizzie began slowly and saw Greta's eyes flashing victoriously, "will you promise to do me a favor in return?"
"And you won't specify what this favor will be?", her friend asked, looking slightly dubious.
"No", Lizzie answered, "you'll just have to trust me, I guess. But it's not such a big favor."
"Alright."
"Winters and I... we kissed", Lizzie finally revealed.
"I knew it!", Greta replied with a triumphant smile on her lips and Lizzie was slightly miffed to see that her friend did not look surprised at all. So much to her well kept secret. "Took you long enough to finally get that one going."
"It was that obvious?", Lizzie asked almost petulantly.
"You have no idea", Greta commented and sat down on a footstool. "You were mooning over him for weeks and I swear I couldn't stand the longing looks you gave him any longer. Or, for that matter, his looks for you."
"I wasn't mooning over him for weeks", Lizzie denied and scowled at her friend. "I know him only for a month and I'm sure I'd never have guessed from our beginning that we'd end up making out."
"So now it's making out already?", her clever friend pried, the knowing smile annoying Lizzie to no end. "And you were pretty smitten right from the beginning, then you somehow got it into your hard head that he's irritating, but I think you were just put out that he wasn't as bewitched with you as the rest of our patients in here and dared to defy you."
"That's not true!", Lizzie exclaimed, fumbling for words.
"Yeah, it is", Greta replied nonplussed, then leaned in curiously. "So, he's a good kisser?"
"Yes", Lizzie slowly answered and then suddenly could not hold back the silly smile that had threatened to break through all morning. "He's amazing! I thought he'd be a bit on the shy side, but then he was all of a sudden all over me... God, I almost lost it then and there!"
"Tell me more!", Greta urged her, beginning to giggle with excitement, and Lizzie had that vision of herself in sixth grade, telling her friends about her first experiences with fleeting pecks on the cheeks in summer camp.
"He was quite wild", Lizzie offered freely, "it could've gone much further if I hadn't..."
Suddenly the door to the storage room opened and Paul stuck in his head.
"Here you are", he said, looking quite confusedly at them. Snapping up her head, Lizzie knew that she and Greta probably looked very much caught red-handed. "What are you doing in here?"
"Lizzie was taking stock of our supplies", Greta replied, biting on her lips to keep from laughing. "I'm helping her."
"Yeah, she's helping me", Lizzie supported her friend, but Greta probably thought that overdoing it, because she suddenly felt her friend's not so subtle elbow in her ribs.
"Never thought it'd take two people to do that", Paul mumbled to himself.
"Honey, I'll join you in a moment, alright?", Greta proposed smilingly.
"Yeah, sure", he replied absently and left them to themselves. The moment the door fell shut again, Greta and Lizzie looked at each other and burst out laughing. It took them quite some time to settle down again.
"God, I haven't laughed this hard in ages", Greta commented breathlessly, wiping away tears.
"Yeah, must've been before the war", Lizzie agreed and felt all of a sudden exhausted from all the emotions she had experienced in the last twenty-four hours. "It's not even all that funny."
"No", her friend said. "But then I could picture us sitting in here in the dark and gossiping like some teenagers... And the look on Paul's face!"
They giggled again.
"Well, let's just say that the kiss was awesome", Lizzie finally ended her interrupted story. "I just hope he won't tell me next time I see him that he regrets everything."
"He better not", Greta replied with a dangerous undertone. "I promised your father to look out for you, so he'd better not break your heart."
"Thanks, Greta", Lizzie answered with a smile.
"And use protection, if... you know", her friend cautioned her with raised eyebrows, making Lizzie groan and roll her eyes. Sometimes she was not so sure if Greta was her best friend or her mother. Probably both.
"Says the one with the big belly", Lizzie pointed out meaningfully. "I know about that, someone gave me that talk years ago."
"Yeah, I know", Greta replied, sounding a bit rueful. "I just don't want to see you get hurt. At least Winters is a decent man and he looks very sensible, so I probably needn't worry."
"Not to forget I'm not sixteen anymore, either", Lizzie remembered her friend and shook her head in exasperation. "You barely know him, but you trust him to be more reasonable than I am?"
"Yeah", Greta answered matter-of-factly. "Just as you said: I know you quite well. And I know that quick temper of yours that can get you into trouble sooner than you can blink your eyes."
"I'm glad you think so highly of me", Lizzie replied with a sigh, but at the same time she could not keep the grin from her face.
"So what was it you wanted from me in return for spilling your heart-rending little story?", her friend asked.
"Clear Winters for light duty", Lizzie answered and watched her friend narrow her eyes. "I know you wanted to wait another week or two, since he tore his stitches two days ago, but he's ready for it now. The longer you wait the more impatient he'll get and at least this way someone can keep an eye on him."
"I'm not sure that's such a good idea", Greta stated reluctantly. "The army will have him back soon enough as it is."
"You promised", Lizzie remembered her.
"Alright, I'll do it", her friend gave in, but she did not look too happy about it. "He's pretty much your responsibility now. When is his next check-up?"
"Tomorrow evening."
"Okay, I'll have the clearance ready by tomorrow then", Greta promised, then got up with a groan from her footstool. "I have to head back, Paul is probably wondering already what kept me so long."
"Thanks, Greta", Lizzie said, feeling grateful for her friend's compliance.
Greta just gave a nod, then headed to the door, before she turned around again.
"Oh, before I forget it: Who do you think will get their vaccinations tomorrow?"
"How should I know?", Lizzie replied, shrugging. "Weepy Peter and Sniveling Jack?"
The two nicknamed soldiers from the Ranger battalion who had crashed their car and were annoying the hell out of the medical personnel were the first people who came to her mind.
"No", Greta answered impatiently. "Paratroopers, 506th, Company E. Let's see if Winters' boys are as stoic as he when pricked with a needle."
Lizzie forced herself to give a smile and watched her friend leave the storage room. Of course Greta could not know that these paratroopers were not Dick's men anymore. In her elation about the kiss she had almost forgotten about his predicament. Maybe fortune was not as wicked as she had thought, since she now got the best opportunity to talk to the boys. Maybe there was even something she could do to help... Slowly, a plan began to form in her head.
-tbc-