Hey guys!
I'm soooo sorry I didn't update for such a long time. The last few weeks were very stressful with exams and stuff, I really had no time at all to write. But you need to know that I haven't lost interest in this story and I'm determined to finish it.
A very special thanks to all my dear reviewers who kept my conscience awake and ringing, so I had to pick up writing again as soon as my schedule allowed: beth-rodrigues.77, Crazyforkasey, ChocAndSnow19, ScarletLeon, indifferentshell and Haley (welcome to the story!)! I'm a bit in a hurry, but still wanted to post this chapter today, so I'll reply to all of you in more detail next time. You all made me very happy with your reviews, thanks so much for that!
Merry Christmas to you all and happy New Year!
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"Lizzie! Wait!", she heard from behind her before she got into the car. Sighing, Lizzie let go of the door handle and turned around to face a contrite looking Dick.
"Lizzie, please, don't leave like that", he implored, then checked his vicinity for unwanted listeners. There was no one around beside Jean, who was waiting in the car, and some of the other women who were out of hearing distance.
"Look", she replied, crossing her arms in front of her chest, "I have to get back to the hospital, I got the afternoon off and I promised Greta to spend some time with her."
Lizzie could not help but notice that her voice sounded rather aloof. But then again, he deserved it. She had looked forward to this battlefield training, especially since it was the first time she saw Dick again after more than a week. However, he had behaved like a complete ass right from the beginning. She could have lived with him ignoring her whenever she was close to him, after all she had not expected him to kiss her in front of his men. She could understand his fear of someone finding out about their relationship. But, what she could not understand was his unfounded jealousy whenever one of his men had gotten a bit too close to her and the ensuing harshness of his reaction. This tyrannical side did not fit him at all.
"Don't you have time for a short walk?", he asked her hopefully. "I'll bring you back to the hospital later."
"So you suddenly have time for me again?", she asked, but almost immediately regretted her comment. It really had not been his fault, she knew how tight his schedule had been in the last few days.
"Now you're being unfair", Dick replied quietly, slowly turning from contrite to defensive.
"And you were not, back there with Luz?", Lizzie shot back.
"This is something completely different", he replied, beginning to sound animated. "I want discipline in my platoon."
She could not help but give a snort of mockery, then pointed out, "This wasn't about discipline, Dick, you utilized your position to reproach Luz for an innocent comment."
"Innocent?", he asked disbelievingly. "You don't know these boys at all. They're soldiers, not puppies, and none of them is innocent."
Lizzie could practically feel the next argument coming while she quickly led him away from the car into a small nearby wood, away from curious eyes. Despite the almost unbearable urge to get her point across in whatever way seemed fit, she suddenly paused. Greta was right, they really argued all the time. It was mostly just about whose head was harder. Maybe it was time to change tactics.
"These men", Dick continued intently while they walked deeper into the forest, "make it a sport to get as many women as possible to their beds. They want to make them their trophies. Regiment tolerates it, but I don't want to see such behavior in training, they..."
"Dick", she interrupted him, suddenly starting to smile. "You're overprotective. And maybe a tiny little bit jealous."
This made him pause and stare at her, stunned. She smiled even more as she saw him opening his mouth and closing it again without uttering a sound, looking like a fish out of water. Finally, he stuttered, "I'm... I'm not overprotective. Or jealous. I just don't want them to do or say something... indecent to you."
"That's what I meant with overprotective", she told him, grinning.
"I'm not", he denied, finally getting over his bout of stuttering, and coming closer to her. She could feel his warm breath moving the strands of her hair.
"What would you have done", she asked slowly while her eyes hung on his lips, "if one of them had touched me?"
"I wouldn't have tolerated it", he answered with a voice that was almost a growl. His eyes looked a shade darker than usual and she thought that his breathing sounded slightly rougher than before. It made her heart beat faster. Still, she thought that this matter was important enough to tackle it while it was still fresh. She was working on a base filled with cocky young men and her job demanded it to get physically close to them. He needed to accept that.
"Dick", she tried, "you've got to understand that..."
She did not get farther because his lips were suddenly crushing down on hers. Damn, she only now realized how much she had missed him! His hands were everywhere on her body and every thought of continuing this talk were driven from her mind. Nothing seemed more important than feeling his lips an hers and his hands roaming over her body, all the while having his musky scent in her nose.
For one short moment, reason came back and she realized they were out in the woods with the risk of being detected at every moment now.
"We should be careful", she moaned softly while he nibbled at her throat. "We can't stay here..."
For one moment it seemed like he had not heard her, then he unwillingly stopped, leaving her a panting and giddy mess.
"You're right", he whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her spine. "We could go to my billet." He stopped, then added with slight hesitation, "The Barnes are visiting relatives in London. We'd be alone."
Wait... Was he really suggesting what she thought he suggested?
"What about waiting?", she asked him softly, the thought making the blood rush in her veins.
"Scratch that", he replied huskily, kissing her again, hungrily. There was no doubt, he was thoroughly fed up with waiting.
Lizzie felt herself smiling against his lips.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
His hand was lazily caressing her arm, evoking from Lizzie's lips a content sigh. If she had been a cat, she surely would have purred. She was cuddled up against Dick's naked chest, the sweat on their skin slowly drying. Another sigh came from her lips while she nestled up against him to feel him more closely. This movement provoked an equally satisfied and decidedly sleepy grunt from his throat. Although she had her back turned to him, she betted he had his eyes closed and looked entirely relaxed. Lizzie smiled.
It had been wonderful. Exciting. Maybe a tiny bit rushed, but that was understandable, after such a long time of just teasing each other. He had definitely known what he was doing and she had enjoyed every bit of it. But there was more to it than just pure fun. The connection they had shared before had deepened with their bodies' union. He had been a part of her, that was not something that could ever be made undone. It had felt natural, intuitive. She felt affection bubbling up in her, so strong it almost brought tears to her eyes. He filled a place in her heart that she had not known had been left empty before.
"Dick?", she quietly asked him, turning around to face him. His eyes fluttered open and he looked at her with hooded blue eyes. "I lo..."
She did not get further because there was a knock on the door and one moment later the door opened.
"Hey Dick", she could hear Nixon's voice and at the same time watched Dick's eyes turn panicky. "Shouldn't you be... whoah!"
She never got to see Nixon's face (although he must have looked shocked, judging from the sound of his voice) because a blanket was thrown over her, naked body and head likewise. Nice move, Dick, she thought, mentally rolling her eyes. As if that would make her disappear. The only thing resulting from that was her suffocating under the heavy blanket.
"Get out!", she heard Dick bellow.
"Oh lover boy, I can't believe you forgot to lock the door!", Nixon answered gleefully.
"Out!", Dick snapped again, then the blanket rustled. "You've got another second then I'll throw the shoe!"
The resounding bang told Lizzie that he had made good on his threat. She could not hold back the giggle that threatened to explode from her throat and struggled free of the blanket to look at the now closed door and then to a wild looking Dick.
"I'm so sorry, Lizzie", he instantly started to apologize in a whisper. "This is not..."
"Dick?", Nixon's voice could be heard again through the door. "You don't need to whisper, I know who's in there with you. How are you doing, Florence?"
"Fine, Lieutenant Casanova, and you?", she called out with a grin while Dick beside her looked mortified.
Nixon did not get a chance to reply, because Dick shouted, agitated, "Darn it, Nix, have some decency!"
"Cool down, okay?", his friend replied through the door. "Your lady's honor is intact – well, at least when it comes to me. I haven't seen a thing. Just answer one question and I'm gone, alright?"
Dick blew angrily, then took a deep breath before he called out, "Alright."
Lizzie knew Nixon well enough by now that she realized that the best way to get along with him was to humor him. Looked like Dick had just remembered that.
"Good", Nixon said neutrally, then asked innocently, "You do know your night maneuver with Easy starts in twenty minutes?"
Lizzie looked to Dick and saw him freeze. Oh oh. It took a few seconds before realization sunk in and a single, half-whispered "Shit!" broke forth from his lips. Then he sprang into action and hurriedly collected parts of his uniform strewn all over the place.
"Did he just swear, Florence?", she heard again through the door.
"He did, Lieutenant Casanova", she replied patiently while she got up to get herself dressed.
"Have to put a big mark on my calendar", came the muffled comment through the door.
In the meantime, Dick had managed to get himself dressed, though some parts of his clothing were askance. He came over to her while she buttoned up her shirt and took her face in his hands before he gave her a kiss.
"I'm sorry I have to leave like this", he whispered and looked deeply into her eyes. "This... everything... means a lot to me. You mean a lot to me."
Lizzie smiled at his muttered words.
"As you do to me", she replied softly and saw him give her a smile that made him look boyish. "And everything's fine, just go. You've got to hurry."
"I know", he said, then gave her a last kiss, before he opened the door to storm out of the house.
"You're welcome!", Nixon called after Dick when Lizzie stepped out of the room more slowly.
"Thanks, Nixon", she told him and leaned against the door frame.
"No problem, Florence", he replied with a smirk and a wink.
"Lizzie", she offered. "My name's Lizzie."
"Nah... Florence suits you better", he quipped, but gave her an open smile all the same.
"Whatever makes you happy, Lieutenant Casanova", she sighed and made a show of rolling her eyes at him while at the same time returning his conspirative wink, before she turned away from him to leave the house. "See you around, lieutenant."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Three hard, training-filled days later, Sobel had finally decided that Easy company also needed to learn about the more theoretical and technical aspects of warfare, besides the never-ending physical drill.
Dick had actually looked forward to the bodily less taxing weapon instruction, but then in the evening had to realize that he was feeling restless with too much pent-up energy. His thoughts kept circling around either the problems he had to face daily in Easy company or about Lizzie and the fact that he missed her badly. The way he had left her after their last, exciting meeting was still lying heavily on his conscience.
Shaking his head to himself, Dick decided that he needed to free his mind and changed into some workout gear. It was another two hours until dinner, he might as well get everything out of his system. It was dark already when he left the base at a light run, heading for the farm track leading across the pastures and towards a small forest. He steadily increased the pace and was already breathing roughly by the time he entered the forest. The trees cast dim shadows on the gloomy path and he was so focused on where he put his feet that he only realized that there was someone else running in the forest before him when he had almost caught up with the other. The runner suddenly tripped and, with a decidedly female cry, fell to her knees.
"Bloody roots!", the runner muttered under her breath and Dick recognized the voice at once. He stopped beside her and bent down to her.
"You alright?", he asked as smoothly as possible with his breath coming in gasps from the running. Lizzie snapped up her head and looked at him with wide eyes, before a smile lit up her face. It was only a moment later when he felt her in his arms and her lips on his. Despite him enjoying every second of it, it only took a moment until he realized that they could be detected any moment. The way it looked, Lizzie came to the same conclusion and took a step away from him with a sigh.
"So...", Dick tried again, clearing his throat because his voice sounded slightly hoarse, "you're alright? You're really fast with picking up local swear words."
Lizzie gave him another smile so that even in the dimness of the forest he could see her dimples.
"Yeah, I'm fine, just scraped my knee", she replied. "And yeah, I got a talent for languages and words, you know."
Dick found himself grinning back at her like a fool and was hard-pressed not to kiss or touch her again. Seeing her standing so close to him was wonderful, but he could not get himself to stop thinking about the way her warm and delicious body had felt under his hands. Memories of their last encounter rushed through his head, making him take a deep, steadying breath because he feared that his body would betray him.
"How have you been?", he asked her hoarsely, wrenching his mind away from such thoughts. "And what are you doing here in the forest?"
Lizzie gave a small laugh and slowly started walking. He followed her automatically.
"I've been good. Missing you, I guess", she answered and smiled another dimply smile that warmed his heart. God, if only she knew how much he had missed her in return. "And I'm running. Come on, it must be obvious! I have to get in shape, I can't just let scrawny Jean beat me every time. The last few times we went running with Teller, I felt like a granny hurrying on the bus. Probably sounded like that, too. I could practically feel your men smiling behind my back although they struggled for straight faces whenever I watched them closely."
Dick snorted. That sounded very much like Easy.
"Don't let the boys harass you", he told her with a chuckle. "You should've seen them on their first few running trainings, they weren't much better. Of course they can laugh now that our CO has chased them to hell and back. But they're just making fun, they don't mean any harm."
She all of a sudden watched him closely, giving him a more tentative smile.
"So, they're innocent puppies all the same now?", she asked carefully.
Dick knew exactly what she was referring to. And he knew with the same certainty that he owed her an apology.
"I'm sorry about that", he said and watched her closely. "I... was a bit harsh that day and maybe a tiny bit overprotective. Look, I really like the boys but there are some things I can't really appreciate. The way some of them treat women is one of them. But I can't change their views and I shouldn't even try to. They're going to war, so I won't go preaching morals to them. However, suddenly seeing you as a target of their... desires... well, it wasn't easy to bear."
Now it was out and it had cost him quite a bit to utter these words. He still thought that he was right about protecting her, but then he also knew, rationally, that she did not need his protection. If only he could remember that whenever it mattered.
"It's okay, Dick", she replied with a smile and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, before he could caution her. "I think I understand. It's just that you have to accept that my job asks that I get close to other men. Of course I like it when they behave themselves, but then I can't really blame them for flirting a bit. There aren't so many women on the base and for some of the boys it might be the last female contact they'll ever have. So... I just... try to cheer them up a bit. There's nothing more behind it."
"Yeah, I get that", Dick replied with a sigh. "Doesn't make it easier, though. I know the boys would behave more decently if they knew we're together. But we can't make this official... I hate it, hiding all the time."
"I know", she said with a small laugh. "You're not very good at hiding, by the way."
He just snorted and shook his head. Only Lizzie could get him to see something amusing in his own shortcomings. Another thing he loved about her.
"So", she continued, "you stopped giving George Luz a hard time?"
"Yeah", he replied with a crooked smile and a shrug. "I caught him giving me funny looks once or twice the day after, which is a bit strange, but other than that we could settle it, I think."
Now it was her cue to snort and shake her head.
"Just as I said, Dick, you're not very good at hiding..."
Before he could think about how she meant that, he noticed a shape coming their way. He thought he could make out an uniform, but other than that it was too dark to see who it was.
"Someone's coming", he whispered to Lizzie, just in case she thought about giving him another peck on the cheek.
When the other person came closer, he suddenly recognized his CO in the uniform. Cold apprehension surged through him.
"Captain Sobel, sir", he greeted his CO in a neutral voice and saluted.
"Dick", the captain drawled in response. "Wouldn't have reckoned seeing you here. And this is...?"
"Lieutenant Elisabeth Weiss from the ANC", Dick hurriedly introduced Lizzie. "Lieutenant Weiss, this is Captain Sobel, CO of Easy company."
"Sir", she replied almost as neutrally as Dick and saluted as well.
"A nurse?", Sobel asked slowly. "You're still feeling unwell, Dick?"
"No, sir, I'm perfectly recovered", Dick answered through gritted teeth. "I know Lieutenant Weiss from the hospital and the battlefield practice for the women's non-combatant units. We met by chance a few minutes ago while running in the woods."
It was true after all, but he still could not quite shake off the feeling that he was lying to his CO.
"I see", Sobel replied, then turned to Lizzie. "You like your profession, lieutenant?"
"Yes, sir, very much so", she answered, sounding calm and patient to Dick's ears. "The wish to help the wounded has brought me here, sir."
"Have you ever helped amputate a limb?", Sobel asked on in a voice that made Dick frown. What was the captain getting at?
"Back in Boston, I've once been present when we had to take off half a man's hand, sir", she replied willingly. "Work accident. The man had..."
"So you've never had to hold down a man screaming in pain and trying to wriggle out of the grasp of those who are about to inflict even more pain?", the captain interrupted her in a low, but intent voice. "Never had blood spurting over your clean blue gown by a severed artery that you needed to compress with your own bare hands?"
Dick felt the need to intervene and said, "Sir, Lieutenant Weiss has only been here for..."
"I'm not talking to you right now, Dick", the captain interrupted again, almost leisurely. "I'm asking Lieutenant Weiss."
"No, sir", Lizzie replied, apprehension now thick in her voice. "Luckily enough, I've been spared so far from any such experiences. However, I receive the best training possible, so I'll be ready when our soldiers return in need for help."
"I'm not sure anyone can ever get fully ready for what lies ahead of us", Sobel said, turning his back to both Lizzie and Dick. "None of you can really imagine what it'll be like when we're out there. It'll be chaos, godless carnage. It'll be a wonder if even a handful of us will return home with a sound mind and body. Even the thought of it should scare every soldier in my company. Strangely enough, it doesn't. My soldiers are more than ready to just forget about what lies ahead of us. They act as if there's nothing to fear, as if we're planning a stroll. And that's dangerous. The only thing that might help us out there is strict discipline and a rigid hierarchy."
Dick felt himself bristling and had to grit his teeth so he would not say something he might regret later. Lizzie, however, was not one to just keep quiet.
"How do you know about all this, then, sir?", she asked and managed to keep every trace of cheek out of her voice. "In what war have you had the opportunity to gather your experience?"
"I haven't", Sobel replied and turned back around to face Lizzie. Strangely enough, his voice sounded neither angry nor aggravated, but completely calm. "But my old man has. He served in World War I, was a captain of an infantry company. He only lasted for a week, then a piece of shrapnel took off his arm at the shoulder. Thanks to the blundering of a lieutenant and two sergeants, who were completely freaked out by battlefield. Probably wouldn't have happened if he'd kept a tighter regime on his men and prepared them better. When he came back, he wasn't the same anymore."
The captain paused and averted his gaze to look to the ground. It was by now almost completely dark, but still, Dick thought he could see Sobel's eyes shining with emotion in the sparse moonlight. It was rather disconcerting, to be honest. Dick had never heard his captain talking about family before and so far he had never spared a thought about Sobel's background.
"You know", the captain continued quietly, "most families of returning veterans complain about them keeping quiet and not talking about their experience. My father was different, he couldn't stop talking about the war. Told me everything about it, from the first trace of panic and loose bowels to crawling over dead bodies. About soldiers disobeying orders out of sheer terror and the helplessness of a captain who has to watch his whole company disintegrate."
"I'm sorry to hear that, sir", Lizzie replied and Dick could clearly hear the compassion in her voice. Wait... did she really feel with Sobel? Out of all people she had to pick the one person who made his life difficult. Dick sighed mentally. But then again, if he had only known Sobel from this discussion, he would probably feel sorry for him, too.
"You don't need to feel sorry, lieutenant", the captain almost snarled, voice suddenly harsh. "I'm not my father and I'll not make the same mistakes he did." He paused, then continued sternly, "There's no sense at all in telling you about all this, by the look of you you'll be freaked out by the first charge of wounded to be brought to your ward. Try to be as prepared as you can for this nightmare and say goodbye to your friends..." He gave Dick a long look from under raised eyebrows, "... because you probably won't see them again."
Without another word, Sobel turned around and left Dick and Lizzie standing there, staring confusedly after the captain.
"Well...", Lizzie began slowly when she was sure Sobel was out of earshot, "that was strange. The way you had described him I somehow pictured him more a tyrant and less an... apocalyptic prophet, I guess."
"He isn't normally like that", he replied. "He never talked about his father before. Maybe your winning character got him to open up."
The last was said with a tease and he received a nudge from her shoulder for it.
"Maybe he's not all bad", Lizzie told him, demeanor turning more serious. "Seems like there's some heavy stuff haunting him. Maybe you could try and come to an agreement with him."
"You probably didn't hear me, Lizzie", Dick tried again in an onset of slight exasperation. "This show a few moments ago isn't what he's usually like. And he still managed to insult your professional competence, just in case you hadn't noticed. He's unfair, he's cunning and he's completely obsessed with power. And he's a total disaster when it comes to field maneuvers. Whatever his father told him, it certainly wasn't how to use a map and a compass."
Lizzie paused a moment, then asked innocently, "So you'd know better how to lead Easy than him?"
Dick sighed and rubbed his eyes.
"No, I didn't say I'd be the better leader of Easy, I'm comfortable where I am, thanks very much. Carrying the responsibility for all these men? No, I wouldn't wish for that. All I'm saying is that there might be someone else, someone better out there, a real leader for Easy."
Despite the dark, he could see Lizzie smile at that. She discreetly checked her surroundings, then gave him another peck on the cheek and snuggled up against him.
"Whatever you say, my dear", she replied sweetly. "I still think there's no one around who could please you with the way they'd lead Easy. Except yourself."
Dick sighed again, hearing her chuckle, then smilingly kissed the top of her head.
-tbc-
Please read & review, if you want to leave me a Christmas present... :-)