The theater was dark during the film for even the picture itself was very dark. The film companies had figured out how to use cameras in low light and were taking full advantage of it by using many night scenes. Doc Redfern sat on the left with Barney at the center seat and Valancy to his right. Barney looked tired now, this dark room would soon put him to sleep. This was not how Valancy had envisioned how their night together would go although she was happy to be so near to where he was.

Valancy was not accustomed to seeing the violence of war on a big screen and so at times she would divert her eyes elsewhere. During one fight scene, she lowered her eyes to her hands that were crossed on her lap. Barney's right hand clutched the arm rest between them. She examined his hand, the shape and form of his long fingers and thought about all the beautiful words that it had written which had comforted her long before she even knew him. She wanted to know that this was real, that he was real and this wasn't some fantastic dream that could be taken away from her at any moment.

She needed to touch him. She lifted her left hand and delicately stroked his fingers with her own feeling the joints, then the veins of his hand. She couldn't stop herself. He made no reaction although he seemed to be more awake now. After a few minutes of this, his hand raised to catch hers. She pulled away fast. Her searching fingers returned to their soothing caresses. He tried to catch her hand again. She was quick. A small laugh escaped her mouth. Doc Redfern was engrossed in the movie, he didn't notice the lover's game that was taking place. Barney closed his eyes at the third time of caressing motions upon his hand. He leaned in to his wife's ear.

"If you had any idea what that is doing to me, you would stop it right now, dear one."

Valancy only giggled. She did not stop it, her curious fingers desired to touch his beautiful creative hand. Then he caught hers.

"I thought that you were tired." She whispered.

"Not quite. Let me show you what you've been doing - now."

He flipped her hand over so that the the palm was facing up. His fingers were now stroking, caressing from the finger tips across the soft center of her palm, the wrist, the arm and then starting another course of the same motions. Each time, his hand seemed a little less satisfied to stop where it had before. A little further up her arm, and little closer to her side. Valancy felt as though the the electric connection between them could power the projector in the room just above where they sat.

"You win, this time." Valancy conceded with a sigh.

Barney laughed in the triumphant way that he had earlier that day in the Stirling's parlor.

Their game of hands made the second part of the film far more enjoyable.

"I will let you try to win next time when we get home." Barney teased seductively.

Valancy hoped that the dark theater concealed her blush. He noticed it anyway.

"I hear that footsie is all the rage with the youth. I will be better at that." She teased.

"Don't count on it, dear."

They laughed, feeling silly about their theatrical flirtations. Doc Redfern joined in laughing for he had thought they were amused at something that happened in the film. Barney kissed Valancy's hand and they waited anxiously for the film to reach 'the end'.