A.N. - I own nothing except Shade. Please R&R!

Vietnam

As Davey walked down to the river without his platoon he remembered all the years between wars that he'd lived off the land. He'd hunt his own food, bathe in rivers or lakes, he lived in the wilderness alone without other people to complicate his life. It was simple, easy, relaxing. However he'd stop in a town every once in awhile and because of how young he looked someone would sucker him into staying with them for awhile and be their "adopted" child but every time something went wrong. Usually it was somebody taking something too far or not respecting him. So he'd run away and if there was a war starting he'd join the military because he was loyal to his country. Although he was contemplating moving somewhere else, maybe see how that worked, see if the people there were any different. The problem with joining the military this time was he looked so young nobody really believed him but with some good intimidation of the right people he got in and the one thing nobody knew about him was that he was technically not allowed in the military, or at least not on the front lines. He was a she and she was general of a platoon of men that had no idea who she was or what she was but defiantly knew that she could and would kick their ass if they stepped out of line with her. Right now they were at a permanent camp that happened to be on their way to the front lines. That was why she was at the river to bathe instead of the showers. She slowly stepped into the river and dipped her head under to wet her hair. However, when she popped her head back up the air reeked of tunnel rat and… Victor? She hated Victor. He'd stare at her and watch her too close for comfort. She especially hated his eyes. Those black eyes would mercilessly lock onto hers and it felt like they were looking at your soul and reading every deep dark secret you had. The worst part was she knew if he knew ANYTHING he would not hesitate to use it to his advantage. Suddenly she spotted the tunnel rat but the tunnel rat hadn't found her yet just her clothes on the bank. He moved farther down to scan the river and Davey, with only his eyes and nose out of the water slowly moved towards his clothes and his gun. At the edge of the river he jumped out of the water grabbed his gun and shot the Viet Cong dead.

Once he was sure he was dead and there was no more Charlie he relaxed the slightest bit. However, at the sound of clapping behind him he tensed right back up. He turned to find Victor with his infamous smirk on his face.

"Nice work General Koons." He said.

"Victor! Go back to camp! Now! I'll be along in a minute." Davey said frustrated.

"But-"

"NOW!" Davey snarled like a rabid dog. Luckily she was smart enough to keep her bounds and underwear on while she bathed. She dried off, especially her feet, and headed back to camp getting cool and collected, once again.

Once inside camp he stopped, it was quiet. Almost too quiet. Just as he was about to walk on, a hand grabbed his shoulder. He grabbed the hand turning around, bringing it almost to the breaking point and quickly pulled his knife from his boot and brought it to the attacker's throat in one fluid motion.

"Woah! Easy there tiger!" Jason said. Jason was Victor's brother but he was different. He smelled familiar to Davey but he couldn't place from where. It drove him so insane sometimes that he couldn't sleep at night. Sometimes he'd go days without sleeping and when he finally did sleep he dreamt about her father and Daniel and she knew that Jason and Daniel connected somehow but she couldn't get that puzzle piece to fit no matter how she tried.

"You really shouldn't sneak up on your commanding officer like that, Corporal Howlett." Davey said smiling back, releasing Jason's arm and sticking his knife back in his boot.

"Sorry you looked suspicious. Yer really wearin out the greenhorns of the group though, Sir." Jason mentioned.

"Well they better get up cause we're movin camp. I found a tunnel rat at the river." Davey said moving for Victor's Barracks, "Could you get the rest of the men up for me please? Thank you."

As Jason went to get the men up he was nervous for General Koons. Him and Victor were special but then again the general smelled like a feral too. He also smelled female and familiar. He was pretty sure that he was the Leah Alexis he'd courted before the civil war for an investigation headed by a man named Stryker. Ben Stryker. He was almost jealous of the fact that Victor was alone in a barracks with the general, as the general had kicked the rest of the men out to speak privately with Victor. Jason also worried for the general's safety because if he was a woman posing as a man Victor could and would figure it out and use it for his own gain. He wanted her to be a man for safety reasons but at the same time he wished he could be open with her. Every time he looked in the general's bright green eyes he was reminded of Leah's eyes. He could still smell her father's scent and the smell of the big house in the woods. He remembered her father always reeked of alcohol and he'd figured he was a drunk. He desperately wanted to get her out of that house and way from her father. He was almost positive that he beat her when he was drunk enough and he made her take care of him if the maids weren't around. He was even more desperate towards the end but he ran out of time.

()()()()()()

After Davey kicked everyone out of the barracks he turned to stare at Victor.

"What were you doing at that river?" Davey asked keeping himself calm and his temper reined in for now.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you, Sir." Victor smirked at her from his bed.

"You need to tell me solider!" Davey growled getting ready to show his VERY intimidating fangs.

Victor's smirk slowly spread into a fang bearing, all knowing, rare grin.

Suddenly Jason burst through the door.

"What are you doing?" Davey and Victor asked in unison, very surprised.

"Keeping you," Jason pointed at Victor, "outa trouble. He was doing some rounds because we had a hunch that there was a gook tunnel near but we wanted solid proof before we concerned you with the matter, Sir."

Davey looked from Victor to Jason and back suspiciously, "Alright but don't let it happen again you hear?!"

"Yes Sir!" Jason and Victor replied together.

Once Davey was out of earshot Jason turned on Victor angrily, "What were you doing down there?!" he hissed.

"Seeing if our noses were right. They were." He grinned lazily at his younger brother.

"Victor no. Please I know her from before the civil war. I don't want her hurt." Jason pleaded.

"Now you're not gonna let a woman boss you around are you? Well I'm sure not and I don't care if you know her or not, I could use a woman soon as we get to the next base camp." Victor teased but with real intent behind it.

()()()()()()

That night Davey dreamt of that old house in Canada. She saw the doctor come in that old waiting room and tell her and her dad that her mom was dead. She couldn't believe it. Her dad made the funeral arrangements for the next day and they went home. That was the first time she'd ever seen him drunk and it was the first time, of many yet to come, that he'd hit her. The drunkenness and the hitting went on and became more frequent and got worse as the years went on. Until Daniel Hayes showed up. He was the one little glimmer of hope she had but she didn't want it. All she wanted was to die or erase all her memories and just start over.

"What's that?" Daniel asked her one day when they went for a walk as he noticed a bruise on her cheek.

"Nothing. I just bumped myself when I was petting one of the horses is all." She'd lied and hoped he wouldn't ask questions.

"Really? Then what is this from?" he asked pointing out a bruise on her arm that looked like fingers that had wrapped around her arm tightly. You could see where the palm had been and where the fingers had been placed.

"Nothing."

"This doesn't look like nothing. Who hurt you Leah?" he asked his blue eyes filled with concern.

She jolted awake, breathing rapidly. She was finally sure that Jason and Daniel were the same person. She knew she wasn't going back to sleep for the night so she decided she'd give her greenhorn watches a break. She could probably do a better job then all of them put together anyway. Her sharp eyes could see the slightest movement and know if it was human or not. Her nose would pick up the slightest hint of a Viet Cong and be able to tell if it was Charlie or good guys. The Viet Cong had a certain smell to them and it stank to high heaven, at least to her it did.

()()()()()()

Jason lay awake on his cot. His mind was too busy remembering Leah and worrying about what Victor might do to let him sleep. He decided to go take watch since he wasn't able to sleep anyway. Why waste time trying to sleep when you know you're not going to sleep? May as well do something useful and let someone else sleep. He walked out to find General Koons at watch.

"Hey General, you can sleep. I'll take watch for you." Jason said coming to stand beside his General that he knew more about than anybody else, including Victor.

"Can't you sleep either?" Davey asked, never taking his eyes off the terrain.

"No. Can I ask you a question, Sir?" Jason asked not able to keep it in any longer. In fact much longer with the General standing beside him and he might explode. He had to know for sure… NOW!

"Jason… You're my best solider and the only one I trust with my life. You can always ask me anything… So what's on your mind?" Davey asked Jason finally looking at him a few minutes before returning his eyes back to the dark terrain.

"Are…Do you… Were you born in Canada?" Jason asked not sure where to start.

"Actually… yes. Why do you ask?" Davey's brow creased even though he didn't look at Jason.

"I'm from Canada too! Do you remember a Daniel Hayes?"

"Yes? Where are you going with this solider?" Davey was getting suspicious.

"I'm Daniel Hayes and I remember you Leah." Jason whispered hoping he wasn't making a huge mistake.

Davey turned to look at Jason, "Daniel? You… You remember?" She asked her eyes misty with memories and tears she refused to let fall.

"How could I forget you? I never stopped thinking about you from the first time I laid eyes on you. Even though it was too long ago." He said as he took her chin in his fingers. He leaned in and gently kissed her soft lips that he had longed for over the years.

Suddenly she ripped away from him and her gun went up, pointing into the dark wet forest. Her body was rigid and her senses on high alert picking up the slightest thing. A minute later Davey shot and they heard a pained cry and a Viet Cong swearing. Davey shot again and he was dead.

"Go get the men up and tell them to be prepared for a fight and a move." She growled and went back to searching the surrounding area ferociously.

()()()()()()

The next day as the platoon rested, after marching all night and fighting off Viet Cong, Davey pulled Jason aside and out of earshot of all the soldiers including Victor.

"Hey, last night…it… I… we can't" Davey never stuttered and always knew what to say or not to say anything.

"I know we can't be together. At least not now. I know last night shouldn't have happened and I promise it won't happen again." Jason said trying to put the general out of his misery.

"Thank you but… so you know… if I die I want to go to Australia." Davey added.

"Why are you telling me this?" Jason asked confused.

"I know something's going to go wrong… soon. And when that something goes wrong you're going to take my place and you're going to be in charge of what happens to me and I want to go to Australia." Davey explained.

"Okay. You have my word."

When the men walked back over Victor approached.

"Can I help you Victor?" Davey asked even though shivers ran down his spine.

"Yes…" Victor hissed like a hungry snake stalking its prey, "I think Bubba might have gang green on his foot but I'd like your opinion first."

"Sure. I'll be right back." Davey said to Jason, "Where is he?"

"In the barracks." Victor smiled and led the way.

"What the hell?!" Davey growled when Victor led him into an empty barrack.

Before Davey could defend himself or cry out Victor had closed the door, locked it, and tackled her to the ground covering her mouth. He kissed her and she bit him sinking her inch long fangs through his tongue and cheeks hoping to get him to let go of her. Victor simply chuckled and brought a long sharp fingernail down her chest cutting open her shirt.

"Let me go you son of a bitch!" She screamed.

"Come on… we both know I'm not going to." Victor purred against her freshly exposed collarbone.

She pushed him off and stood over him, "You DARE disrespect your commanding officer!" She roared.

"Helps if my commanding officer isn't a woman. A damn good lookin one at that." He whispered in her ear.

Suddenly the door burst open and Jason tackled Victor off of her. He growled and took a protective, primal stance over her. Victor picked Jason up and threw him out the window before dragging an extremely sharp nail across her throat.

Both ferals continued to fight over the dead body until the other soldiers were able to break it up and Jason made the arrangements for her body to be sent to Australia like she wanted. He was going to miss the only woman he ever really loved.