Disclaimers: all the usual apply.
Chapter 33
Amelia POV
With her helmet tucked underneath her arm, her pack and her rifle each slung over a shoulder, she took a deep breath of the warm late morning air as she exited the apartment block they'd occupied for the last few days.
As the sun kissed the skin on her neck her mind drifted back to a few hours earlier when Babe's lips were tracing a path down the same stretch of skin. Her lips floated into a smile and her eyes closed softly as she tried to relive the moment.
"Hey chérie, what are you smiling about?" Gene's melodic voice disturbed her daydream.
Opening her eyes she hoped he'd attribute the heat rising in her cheeks to the spring sun and nothing more.
"Hey Gene, darling. It's a beautiful day, no one's shooting at me and I'm surrounded by all of you. What more reason could I need?"
He raised an eyebrow at her and she averted her eyes for a second as she tried to wipe the memory of Babe's strong hands from the forefront of her mind for a moment.
Gene came to a stop next to her and took her pack from her shoulder in one easy movement. "And here I thought it was because three hundred thousand German's had just surrendered."
Her head snapped in his direction and her mouth fell open. She stared at him dumbfounded for what must have seemed an eternity because he furrowed his brow and waved his hand in-front of her face.
She blinked and shook her head, "Sorry. It's just, did you say three hundred thousand?"
"Yip."
"Holy shit," was in the end the best response she could think of.
"That seems about right, yes."
"Hey doc," Luz greeted as he joined them, "what did you say to Em? She looks like she's seen a ghost."
"Told her 'bout the Germans that surrendered."
"Oh yeah. That would do it. Want one?" he asked, offering them each a smoke as he lit his own.
Gene gladly accepted his but she declined with a casual flick of her wrist.
Luz shrugged and lit Gene's before handing it to him.
Glancing over Luz's shoulder she saw men loading packs and themselves into waiting trucks. "We'd best get going," she said, patting her friends' shoulders.
The three of them casually walked over to the trucks. She knew she'd have a spot saved for her next to Babe, and since neither man had his pack with him she assumed they'd already saved their seats.
"Do you think this means the war's over?" Luz asked between drags.
"The soldiers surrendering?" she clarified and her answered with a grunt.
"Officially, no. The German army hasn't officially surrendered yet. Although this is probably most of them. I'm sure some fanatic will hold out until the bitter end."
"The Krauts can't have much fight left in 'em. I mean three hundred thousand surrender while we sleep in their beds and with -," she cut Luz off before he could finish the sentence.
"I don't need to know details of how the German people are making you feel right at home," she playfully teased him with a wink.
"What can I say? I'm charming!" Luz exclaimed.
Gene chuckled on her other side, shaking his head lightly at Luz. She threw her arm casually over his shoulder and said, "You sure are Luz darling, and if ever anyone says anything to the contrary you send them straight to me."
"You got yourself a deal Em. Hey, when we get back to the States you gotta come out on the town with me one night. You can tell all the ladies of America how charming I am."
"You'll buy me a drink and save me a dance?"
"For you? Always."
"Then you got yourself a date."
He smirked and shot her a wink as he blew out a long cloud of smoke.
As they approached the trucks, dodging men and vehicles buzzing back and forth, a loud bang made her head jerk around.
"It's my dog! She's taking my dog!" Nixon shouted, drawing everyone's attention to him as the men around her stopped what they were doing to stare.
"Ummm….I'll catch up with you," she said hesitantly as she turned in Nixon's direction where he was climbing into a waiting jeep with Dick.
"I'll give your pack to Babe," Gene called out.
She shot him a raised eyebrow which was met with a grin from him and a sly smile from Luz.
"Save me a seat," she retorted over her shoulder as she continued to walk away.
"Pretty sure a certain someone's already done that," she heard Luz shout after her, but she resisted the urge to shoot a retort his way in favour of reaching Nixon before they moved out.
Reaching the jeep Dick looked up and caught her eye. For a second he gave her a knowing look before returning his attention to some orderly he was giving orders to.
She took a deep breath and turned to Nixon who was already sitting in the back of the jeep, a piece of paper clutched in one fist and he used his free hand to shield his bloodshot eyes from the morning sun.
"Hey Nix. Everything OK?" she asked, purposefully keeping her tone as light as possible.
Her friend turned to her, his eyes taking a few seconds to focus in on her face. "She's taking everything," he answered, his voice now subdued after his earlier outburst.
"Your wife Cathy?"
Nixon's lips twitched into a thin lipped smirk and he ran his hand through his messy brown hair. "Yeah. She'd divorcing me just like I knew she would."
She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, searching for the right words to say.
"I can't believe she's taking the dog. She doesn't even like him," he said, his voice almost a whisper as he dropped his head in defeat.
"Oh Nix, I'm so sorry. Listen, I know it feels like hell right now, but in the long run you'll see this is for the best. You said it yourself, the two of you were never really perfect. Now, you'll be able to find that person when the time is right."
He turned his head so he could look at her and she gave him her most reassuring smile.
"Let's move out!" the order came from behind her as the air suddenly erupted as trucks and jeeps started their engines.
"I've got to go. But we will talk more later. OK?"
He nodded half-heartedly, but managed a wisp of a smile. "OK."
With a final squeeze of his shoulder and a smile at Dick she turned back to the waiting trucks, quickly spotting Babe and Joe as they stood in the back of one, smiling and waving her over.
She picked up her pace into a half jog, nearly running into Speirs as he headed for Dick and Nixon, Lipton close on his heels.
"Everything alright?" Speirs asked her in passing.
"No, but it will be. Could be worse," she replied, turning around while walking backwards.
He nodded and Lipton shot her quick smile. She turned back and jogged the last few steps to the waiting truck and Babe's outstretched hand.
Just as she climbed on the truck lurched forward, making her lose her balance and fall into Babe.
He grabbed onto the railing with one hand to steady them as his other one protectively wrapped around her waist.
"You know, if you wanted to get closer to me all you had to do was ask," he playfully whispered in her ear.
Regaining her balance she pulled their bodies slightly apart so she could look up into his smirking face.
Feeling her lips glide into a wicked grin she replied, "Please, you and I both know you can't stop thinking of excuses to get close to me again."
"Is that so?"
"M'hm, because you can't stop thinking about last night."
He cleared his throat and a deep blush crept up his neck to his cheeks.
She slowly moved past him, their bodies grazing in the confined space of the packed truck. He turned his body to follow her movement, and just before taking a seat she stood on her toes and whispered into his ear, "I know, because I can't stop thinking about last night and all the others still to come."
He coughed, but she could see the smile that ran across his full lips from the corner of her eye.
She chuckled to herself as the took the open seat next to Bull, Babe quickly slotting in on her other side.
Glancing his way she found him looking at her, his eyes running over her face before settling on her eyes.
She raised an eyebrow in question and he threw a casual arm over her shoulder, a mischievous smile on his lips as he turned to talk to Johnny sitting on his other side.
As the trucks rumbled out of the quiet town the men started to sing, everyone in high spirits after a few days of what felt more like a holiday than a war.
She smiled fondly at all of them, joining in when she knew the words or softly humming the melody when they escaped her.
The sky was almost azure it looked so blue, providing a perfect backdrop to the snow-capped mountains and rolling emerald fields broken up by lush green forests. She relaxed further into Babe's side, the morning sun warming her muscles until they felt heavy from relaxation.
Reaching into her jacket she pulled out two beige envelopes. The letters had been dropped into her lap that morning at breakfast. She usually didn't receive mail, so she'd cautiously turned each envelope around in her hands trying to decipher who it was from before tearing it open.
She'd quickly recognised the bold, looped handwriting on the first envelope as belonging to Bill, but the second one still remained a mystery. She hadn't gotten the chance to read either one though before they had to pull out, so now she weighed up which one to open first.
Plopping the unknown letter on her lap she decided to start with Bill's. She'd written him when they'd arrived back in Mourmelon for their short break. She'd hoped to visit him in Paris at the army hospital, but he and Toye had been shipped back to the States days before.
Making quick work of the envelope she unfolded the letter and smiled when she saw her friends familiar handwriting.
Beautiful,
Doll, I miss you something crazy. My day just ain't the same without one of your smart-ass comments.
I'm sorry I missed your visit. Would've been great to see you and Babe (since I assume you would have dragged him with you).
Me and Toye are doing well, had the run of the whole hospital and the troop ship they brought us back on.
I'm at the hospital in New York now, Toye's got the bed next to mine. He says "Hey" by the way, and says next time you'd better write him his own letter.
Hopefully we'll be going back home soon. I wrote my ma about my leg. Didn't want her getting a shock when I got home. She sounds fine, says I mustn't feel sorry for myself 'coz lots of boys lost a lot more. She's right of course, but it's still difficult. But don't you go worrying about ol' Guarnere, I'm one tough son-of-a-bitch, I'll be just fine.
Listen, send my regards to the boys and tell them I expect to hear from all of 'em. When you and Babe get to Philly, I'll be picking you up at the train station. Before you start, this ain't no argument, I'm doing it so deal with it.
Write soon and be safe.
Love you doll
Bill
She ran her fingers over his letter, trying to reach out to her friend by touching the words he'd written.
"Who's the letter from?" Babe's voice interrupted her thoughts.
She turned to him and replied, "Bill. He's back in the States, New York. He'll hopefully get to go home soon."
"That's good news," he said, but is face darkened for a moment, his eyes glazing over as he relived a frozen, hellish moment in time.
She grabbed his hand and squeezed it hard. "He's going to live a full life filled with love and family and friends. He'll be just fine and we'll be there to make sure of it."
His eyes refocused on hers and a faint smile crossed his lips. "Yeah, you're right."
Hoping to change the subject she continued, "He insists on collecting us at the train station when we get to Philly. I don't think we're going to be able to change his mind on this one."
"Nah, when he makes up his mind there's no changing it. It'll be great to catch up with him before all the mayhem of going to my folks."
"Oh gosh, don't remind me," she replied, nervously biting her lower lip at the thought.
"C'mon, you can't be nervous of meeting my family. I told you, my ma already loves you and that's really all you need."
"Well, for now. But what if the real me isn't quite what she'd pictured for her darling boy. What then?"
He laughed and placed a kiss on her head. She scowled up at him, not sure he was taking her concerns seriously.
"They're going to love you because I do. It's as simple as that," he reassured her.
Scrunching up her nose she considered his words for a second, before relaxing her face and beaming up at him.
I'm never going to get tired of hearing him say he loves me, she thought, butterflies tumbling around her stomach.
He squeezed her shoulder and turned back to the conversation the men around them were having.
Placing Bill's letter back in her jacket she stared at the unknown one for a while, trying to scrape together enough courage to open it.
It was ridiculous really, that a piece of paper could cause her such apprehension, but not knowing who it was from left her feeling uncertain.
Stop being stupid Amelia. You can face German bullets but not a damn letter. Pull yourself towards yourself and open the damn thing.
She cautiously pulled opened the envelope and took out the neatly folded single page letter. Opening it she noticed neat, small handwriting running perfectly across the page.
Taking a deep breath and swallowing hard she started to read the letter.
Dear Amelia
I hope this letter finds you well.
We've never met in person, but my name's Veronica Smith, Derek's mother.
She briefly shut her eyes and held her hand to her chest, giving her heart a moment to stop thudding uncomfortably against her ribs.
Taking a deep, determined breath she opened her eyes and continued reading.
Over the years I've become accustomed to writing two letters at a time. One to Derek and the other to his brother fighting with the Marines in the Pacific. I couldn't bring myself to only write one letter, it made it all feel too real. So I hope you don't mind if I write this letter you, selfishly, to give myself some comfort.
Even though we've never met I feel like I know you very well. Not one letter went by that Derek didn't dedicate a paragraph, or a page, to you. He was so terribly fond of you my dear, I honestly thought that when the war ended he was going to tell me he'd proposed to you. You made him very happy even when he worried himself sick about you.
I hope you don't mind me saying, but I know about your family, and I find it terribly sad to think of you never receiving a letter from home. From your loved ones. So hopefully this letter can bring you some comfort as well. Because you were loved by my son, and through his words I came to love you to dear.
When you get home, please come visit us. It would mean the world to us to meet you. I suspect I'll be able to see a bit of my son still alive in you.
Do be careful dear and if you can, please write.
Love
Veronica
A drop of water smudged the last word and she turned her head up to the cloudless sky expecting to see dark clouds. Frowning she felt a warm tear run down her cheek and she realised she was crying. She quickly dashed the tear away and the one that followed. Keeping her eyes firmly fixed on the sky she took deep, purposeful breaths to try and bring her emotions back under control.
Finally feeling like she could breathe without bursting into hysterical sobs she lowered her gaze to find Gene staring intently at her. His lips set into a thin line as he furrowed his brow, worry etched into every inch of his face.
She forced herself to give him a small smile, but it didn't do much to set his mind at ease by the looks of things.
He got up from his seat and kneeled down in-front of her. She could sense Babe shift next to her as Gene's movements caught his eye, but he didn't say anything.
"It's a letter from Derek's mom," she whispered to her friend.
Gene reached for her hands with his and held then tight for a moment, his dark eyes holding hers as he tried to silently comfort her in the middle of all the men.
"I'm here if you need me," was all he said, but it was all that was needed right then.
"I know."
He nodded before letting go of her hand and returning to his seat, his eyes darting to her every so often.
Without looking over to Babe, because if she did she knew she's start to sob like a child, she said, "When we get back home, will you come with me to meet Derek's family? I know you weren't that close to him, but I….I need you there with me."
He leaned over and rested his lips against her hair. "You don't even have to ask."
"I miss him. Every day," she whispered, her voice cracking.
"I know baby, I know."
Still clutching the letter in her lap she closed her eyes and rested her head against his shoulder, knowing she wouldn't sleep but waiting for the dull ache in her chest to subside so she could breathe again.
XXXXXXX
Babe POV
He knew the second Amelia fell asleep. Over the last few months she'd made a wonderful habit out falling asleep on his shoulder during long drives. Her body would slowly melt into his, the resistance in her muscles fading until all her weight pressed into his side. Her breathing would deepen and somehow a whips of hair always managed to escape it's confines to tickle his face as the breeze blew past them.
He glanced down at her, but instead of a blissful expression she was frowning, her eyes twitching behind closed lids. He saw she was still clutching the last letter she'd read, her tiny fists holding onto it for dear life even in sleep.
He wasn't sure what was said in the letter, she didn't tell him and he didn't want to intrude on her privacy, but he had a pretty good idea what it was about. Derek. The one man she'd loved long before him and would continue to love until the day she stopped breathing.
When he'd first joined Easy he'd been sure they were a couple. Not just because he'd found her irresistible from the get-go, but because of the easy intimacy they'd shared. He'd been jealous of how Derek could touch her, kiss her cheek or play with her without a moment's thought. Each action coming as naturally to him as breathing.
Over time he learned their relationship went far deeper than romance, they were bound to one another and it was a bond forged in the hell of war over years. When Derek had died something in Amelia had shifted. A part of her never really laughed and there was a deep recess in her dark eyes that never lit up. He didn't blame her, she'd lost her family over and over again and Derek was the last straw.
No, he just desperately wanted to find a way, anyway to relieve some of her pain. All he wanted was to make her not only happy, but blissfully content.
"Hey," Gene said carefully as he leaned over the small gap separating the two benches.
He cocked an eyebrow at him.
"How is she?"
He glanced back down to her and gently brushed the wayward strand of hair behind her ear. Looking back to Gene he replied, "Fine, as always. I think the letter was about Derek."
Gene rubbed his hands over his eyes and through his thick hair. Looking from him to Amelia the Cajun finally said, "He's always gonna be the one thing that'll get to her. The thing she'll regret."
He nodded. "Yeah. I just wish I could make it better, ya' know? Fuck that sounds ridiculous I know."
"It doesn't. It sounds like love and compassion."
Gene patted his knee before sitting back in his seat, his dark eyes resting on Amelia for a few minutes before Spin started up a conversation with him.
All I wanna do is make her happy, he repeated to himself over and over again as he watched her struggle with her nightmares.
XXXXXXX
Amelia POV
"Hey you! Hey! You!," the angry male voice crashed into her nightmare, adding to the chaos and brutality.
Her eyes snapped open, her heart pounding painfully against her chest as her breathing hitched and she reached for her rifle, scanning the faces for the enemy.
A strong hand grabbed her arm and she jerked away, head turning towards her assailant, but instead she locked eyes with Babe.
"It was just a dream," he whispered, his face so close to hers she could feel his breath on her skin.
For a second she considered leaning in and kissing him, pouring all her pain and anger into him. He must have read her thoughts because his eyes flicked from hers to her lips as he licked his lips.
She rested a hand against his strong chest and dropped her gaze, not trusting herself to hold his for a second longer and not do something about it.
"That's right!" she heard the shout again and this time she was sure she was awake.
With her face set into a vicious scowl she turned to the offender to find Webster standing upright in the back to the truck, screaming insults at the passing Germans.
It was only at that moment that her brain truly registered what was going around her. Line after line of Germans stretched out in-front and behind them as far as she could see. Men in grey uniforms marching in perfect unison, their perfect lines broken only by horse carts carrying the officers and wounded.
"Shit, so this is was three hundred thousand Germans looks like?" she said in awe to no one in particular.
"You stupid Kraut bastards!" Webster continued his rant, "that's right! Say hello to Ford! And General fucking Motors! You stupid fascist pigs! Look at you! You have horses! What were you thinking?"
"Webster," she said loud enough to be heard over the noise.
He glanced in her direction but quickly turned his attention back to the German army. "Dragging our assess half way around the world. Interrupting our lives. For what?! You ignorant, servile scum! What the fuck are we doing here?"
Garcia tugged him back down and Webster dropped his head into his hands.
She took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders back.
He's right. What the fuck are we doing here?
She looked down at her hands and noticed she was still holding the letter. She loosened her grip and ran her fingertips over the crumpled paper, trying to smooth it out before putting it back inside her jacket.
"You alright?" Babe asked.
She hated making him worry, and it seems in the last few hours he'd asked her that question, in one way or another, more times than she'd like to admit.
She turned her face up to his and smiled softly at him. "You're here. So I'm safe and sound and just fine."
He planted a kiss onto her forehead and she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to inhale as much of him as she could.
His lips leaving her skin felt like a terrible loss to her, but she promised herself she'd kiss him the first chance she got, consequences be damned.
He smirked, a half-cocked smile that spoke of trouble.
"What are you smiling about?" she asked.
Leaning in closer so his words wouldn't be overheard he replied in a husky voice, "Kissing you."
She giggled, the sound catching her my surprise.
He chuckled, a deep rumbling sound that coiled inside of her.
"You're asking for trouble," she whispered back.
"Good," he replied cockily as he sat back.
She rolled her eyes, but pressed her body in closer to his none the less.
XXXXXXX
Rolling into the town she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. The place was pretty enough, as they'd all been so far, and the locals watched them with apprehension and curiosity, which was to be expected, but something in the air just felt off, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.
"What is it?" Joe shouted from his seat a few people down from her.
"I don't like it here."
"You have an issue with Germany? Seems pretty decent so far."
"No, this town. Something isn't right."
He looked away from her to the surrounding village. She could see his eyes and mind scanning every window and alley for signs of the enemy.
Finding none he returned his gaze to her and shrugged, but she noticed his grip on his gun tightened a fraction.
The trucks pulled to a stop in the town centre and everyone jumped out of the vehicles, waiting for orders.
A hand pressed into the small of her back and she leaned into it, hoping the pressure would settle her nerves.
"Beautiful," Luz called to her as he and Bull approached them.
"Right here handsome."
The two men smiled down at her, Luz with a cigarette stuck between his lips while Bull chewed on his ever present cigar.
"Speirs wants us on patrol. He specifically asked for you to come along," Bull briefed her, his words forming around the cigar.
"Sure thing. Be nice to stretch my legs after that ride." Glancing around the town she added, "And get out of this place for a bit."
"You don't like it?" Luz asked, thoroughly confused.
She shrugged. "Gives me the creeps."
The three men glanced around the place, but finding nothing untoward shrugged without commenting.
At least they're not telling me I'm going nuts.
"If we need to stay the night I'll take care of your pack," Babe said beside her.
She smiled up at him, the percussion of his voice settling her for a moment. "Thank you."
He gave her a lopsided smile and wink.
"Shall we?" Luz asked, motioning to the small group of men waiting off to one side.
"We shall," she replied as she grabbed her rifle and some ammo.
Half an hour later their party of six was treading carefully through the dense forest surrounding the town to the East.
The men were all striding casually, making small talk as they went. It wasn't protocol, but they had no reason to believe they were in any real danger. Yet she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling building in her stomach.
"Hey George," she heard Perconte call out behind her.
"Yeah?" Luz replied lazily.
"Kinda remind you of Bastogne?"
She looked over her shoulder and shot Perconte a look like he'd lost his damn mind. Luz caught her eye and shook his head before replying.
"Yeah, now that you mention it. Expect of course there's no snow, we got warm grub in our bellies and the trees aren't fucking exploding from Kraut artillery, but yeah, Frank, other than that it's a lot like Bastogne."
"Right," Perconte chimed in.
"Bull, smack him for me please?" Luz asked and she smirked.
She heard the thud of a helmet being smacked and smiled to herself.
"Thank you," Luz said behind her and the men all chuckled at their antics.
When the laughter died down the quiet smacked her right in the face. She stopped dead in her tracks as she reprimanded herself for not noticing it sooner.
From years of training and a trust earned in combat the men all stopped, their laughter now completely gone.
"What is it?" Bull whispered.
Releasing the safety on her rifle she replied, "It's too quiet. Something's very wrong."
She heard the chorus of familiar clicks as the men released their own safeties.
At that moment a breeze blew through the forest and she scrunched up her nose as the all too familiar smell hit her. "Do you smell that?" she asked the group.
She sensed a presence come to stand on either side of her, and without looking she knew it was Bull and Luz.
"It stinks," Luz said after a while.
"It smells like death," she added.
"Spread out into a line. Be on alert," Bull ordered.
They continued walking towards he edge of the forest, the horrid smell and the pit in her stomach growing with each step as she sky grew darker as if to match her mood. Never in her life did she want to turn around and run away as much as she did in that moment.
Breaking through the edge of the forest she dropped to her knee and raised her rifle, her brain trying franticly to understand what she was seeing.
"What the hell is it?" Perconte asked.
In-front of them was a large fenced in compound, acrid black smoke rising from some of the hovels set up within. She could make out people in blue and white striped uniforms leaning against the fence as if they couldn't stand on their own.
"Perco, run and get Winters. Now," she ordered and he was off without even waiting to acknowledge the order.
"Wait here," she ordered the men.
Luz grabbed her arm, his fingers digging into her flesh, "What are you doing?"
"My job. Whoever they are they know we're here. I'll rather know now if it's safe to get closer than when the entire Company rocks up."
He dropped his hand from her arm, shooting her a look in the process.
Rising up she cautiously jogged closer to the fence, rifle at the ready. Once she was within spitting distance of the compound she stopped, her feet unwilling to go any further.
The fence was higher that she'd guessed, and there wasn't just one but two massive fences. The smell was even more intense, breathing through her mouth she could taste it. But what made her stop were the occupants.
She'd been right, they were leaning against the fence to keep themselves up. They were emaciated, their bones protruded from their faces at such jagged angles she was worried they would cut through their own paper thin skin. All their heads were shaved and their eyes were overflowing with pain and torture.
She took a tentative step closer and one prisoner reached out his arm, pushing it through a hole in the first fence. His bony fingers tried to reach out to her, and a sound escaped his lips that reminded her of a wounded animal crying for help.
She stopped and turned slightly back to the Easy men waiting on the edge of the forest. She signalled for them to move forward and as they did she turned her back on the camp and walked towards them.
Luz and Bull were the first to reach her. "What is it?" Luz asked, his eyes darting over her head every second.
"I…I don't know. Prison maybe?"
The wind picked up again and washed the smell of the camp over them in a wave. Her stomach clenched and recoiled. "I'm gonna be sick," she blurted out the words a second before bending over and emptying the content of her stomach onto the ground.
Luz rubbed her back and Bull took her helmet with his one hand and handed her a canteen with the other.
She accepted it and took a big swig, washing out her mouth.
Straightening back out she handed it back to him, "Thanks."
Bull nodded. "That bad?"
"It looks like a living nightmare."
Luz squeezed her shoulder as they silently moved past her, closer to the camp.
She stayed rooted to her spot, petrified to turn around and face the place again. She heard someone else retch and O'Keefe and Luz walked past her, both crouching down on the ground facing the camp. Their faces were a mixture of shock and horror, hers must have looked the same.
They stayed like that until she heard trucks rumbling closer. The sound provided her something real and known to focus on so she willed her muscles to walk towards them, steeling her nerves and her stomach as she went.
Dick, Speirs and Nixon were the first to jump out of their jeep. She waited for them a few feet from the locked entrance of the camp.
As her friends' eyes scanned the camp behind her she could see the horror and disbelief settle in their features.
"Amelia, what is this?" Dick asked, his eyes still looking behind her.
"I don't know. Hell? There's been no signs of Germans."
Dick nodded faintly and continued past her, Nixon following in his footsteps. Speirs stopped next to her.
"Stay with one of the men at all times," he ordered.
"These men are barely strong enough to stand, they can't hurt me."
"I know, but it'll make me feel better," he replied.
"OK," she conceded.
With a nod he walked towards the sound of the locks to the camp being cut open. She took a deep breath, turned around and followed.
Someone took her hand, steady and strong.
She looked up to find Babe staring at the entrance of the camp. Without looking down at her he said, "I heard the orders. Stay close."
She nodded feebly, untangling her hand from his so she could reach for her canteen. Entering the camp she quickly realised the horror she'd seen standing on the outside was nothing compared to what waited inside. Those men which had leaned against the fence were the stronger ones, because dozens more came pouring out of huts, some so weak they had to crawl or be carried by other inmates. Dead bodies which resembled skeletons more than men were strewn everywhere, the black smoke rising from some of the huts standing testament to those men who'd died in them.
Two inmates stopped her, grabbing onto her jacket with long fingers and speaking franticly in a language she didn't understand.
"Here, here," she said handing them the open canteen, "You're safe now."
The first one took a drink before handing it to his friend. His friend wasn't strong enough to hold the canteen and for a second it looked like it would tumble to the ground. She quickly reached out and grabbed it, holding it to the man's mouth, allowing water to slowly trickle out.
The men's eyes saw something behind her and slowly, almost as if they were in a daze, they shuffled past her and Babe.
Their places were quickly taken up by more inmates. Some walking, others being carried, all desperate and looking for some form of salvation and hope.
She and Babe did what they could, giving them water or whatever rations they had on them, holding them as they cried or fell to the ground from the sheer exhaustion of walking a few strides. They never said a word to each other, what they were seeing couldn't be described in words.
Her water finished she looked back to the main gate and noticed the officers and Joe speaking to an inmate.
"I need more water," she told Babe.
"OK. I'm going with Don," he answered and she noticed Don pausing as he moved past them, handkerchief covering his nose to keep out some of the stench.
She glanced back at the interior of the camp and swallowed down the bile rising in her throat. She'd been afraid in the past, but never like this. What she felt now was a fear so strong it nearly paralyzed her, the only thing keeping her moving was her sense of duty towards the desperate people surrounding them.
She squeezed Babe's hand and turned back to the main gate. Walking past the group of officers she took of her helmet, the weight of it suddenly unbearable.
A feeble hand shot out and stopped her. The prisoner who'd been talking to the officers and Joe was holding onto her with one hand while his other reached for her face. He ran his fingers along her cheek and tentatively touched her long plaited hair. Tears were welling in his eyes, one sliding down wordlessly.
From the corner of her eye she could see the men tense up, unsure of what was happening and aware of the other inmates now stopping to stare at her, some reaching for her and holding onto her jacket and touching her hair.
Dick cleared his throat and started to move forward to intervene when the inmate they'd been talking to started to rumble of a string of words in German.
"Sir," Joe said, stopping Dick.
"What is it Joe?" he asked.
"He says she looks like his wife. They haven't seen their wives, sisters, daughters in a long time. They were taken to another camp."
At his revelation her heart dropped and she reached out to touch the man's face. He lent his cheek into her touch, closing his eyes as his tears mingled with the grime on her hands.
"Does he know where the women's camp is?" Dick asked.
Joe said something in German and the inmate reluctantly lifted his face away from her touch to answer.
"The women's camp is at the next railroad stop."
The inmate turned away from them as if he was going to try and walk to the women's camp, a heart-breaking wail trailing behind him.
There was this long beat of eerie silence that descended on their small group, the men touching her hair and grabbing onto all of them fading to the background.
"Speirs, get a message to I Company. Tell them about the other camp and get them out there."
Speirs nodded and was about to turn away when she stopped him.
"I'm going with I Company."
They all turned to her, objections already forming on their lips.
She held up her hand before they could start and said, "There are women in that camp that are going to be met with men they don't know and who don't speak their language after they'd been subjected to God knows what. I know I'm only one person but I need to be there."
Dick looked to Speirs and Nixon and she looked to Joe who was looking at her like she was his lifeline back to reality.
"Fine," Dick conceded, "My driver will take you. At dusk I'll send someone to fetch you and you'd better get back to the town with them. That's an order Amelia."
She nodded.
"Speirs, tell I Company she's joining them there."
"Sir," Speirs confirmed and strode away to relay the orders.
"Who are they?" she asked, realising she still didn't know.
They all looked to Joe who answered, "Jews, Poles and Gypsies."
"Joe," she said, taking his hand in hers and intertwining their fingers. Joe was Jewish, this was horrible for all of them but she didn't even want to imagine how this felt for him.
He tightened his grip on her, a silent conversation passing between them.
"Sir, the jeep you requested is ready," a young private said.
"I'll come find you when I get back," she told Joe.
"Be careful," he said, his voice hoarse as he choked on his emotions.
She let go of his hand. Nixon touched her shoulder and Dick gave her a curt nod.
Just as she turned she remembered Babe. She lightly touched Lipton's arm and said softly, "Please tell the men where I went."
He nodded. "Sure. I'll make sure the message gets to the right people."
She gave him a half-hearted smile in thanks before pushing her way through the throng of soldiers and inmates gathered around the entrance.
She reached the waiting jeep, the driver and Speirs having a quiet conversation. At the sound of her approach Speirs broke off what he was saying and handed her a full canteen and some rations.
"He has orders to bring you back at dusk. He'll drag you back if he has to."
"I understand."
"Good," he said, his strong eyes holding hers in place for a heartbeat before he walked back to the camp.
She climbed into the passenger's seat and the driver sped off.
"What is that place?" the man asked after a few minutes of silence.
She said the first thing that came to mind. The only word that described the feeling she'd had since arriving in the town, the smell and the atrocities she'd witnessed. "Death. The place is a death camp."
XXXXXXX
It was late at night when she finally arrived back in the village. The driver had arrived at dusk as ordered, but she was busy helping a medic with a woman who'd gone into labour in the middle of the camp so the driver had to wait. By the time she'd pulled her exhausted body into the jeep she was completely numb after the day's continued onslaught of horrors and emotions.
The driver pulled up outside the hotel the officers must have designated for themselves, because she recognised four shapes waiting for her.
With a deep breath she climbed out of the jeep and walked over to the waiting men.
Dick, Nixon, Speirs and Lipton all wore the same exasperated expression. They'd expected her hours earlier and here she was now. For a second she wanted to laugh, imagining them waiting for their teenage daughters to return home after sneaking out of the house. The laughter quickly died in her throat when she smelled the scent of the camp clinging to her clothing.
"You're late," Dick said bluntly, disapproval written all over his face.
"I know."
"We gave you an order."
"I know."
He blew out a huff of air and crossed his arms over his chest, either deciding what to say next or waiting for her to explain herself.
She dropped her gaze to their shoes, too tired to fight. "I had to help," she whispered feebly.
"Amelia-," Nixon started.
"No," she exclaimed, cutting him off, as a wave of emotion hit her in the stomach. "I had to help a woman give birth to her baby next to a pile of dead bodies! I had to help."
"My God," Nix said under his breath.
Speirs' shoulder visibly slumped forward and Lipton shook his head in disgust. Dick closed his eyes for a moment, running his hand through his hair.
Opening his eyes his face morphed from angry to exhausted. "The army's been finding camps like this all over the place. Some worse, bigger."
She couldn't imagine anything worse than what she'd seen, didn't want to.
"General Taylor declared martial law. The locals will start burying the bodies tomorrow. 10th Armoured will supervise."
"What about us?" she asked, almost afraid of the answer.
"We're moving out to Thalem tomorrow."
"Do you think we'll find another camp?"
"God I hope not," Nixon answered on Dick's behalf.
There was a stretch of silence as they all imagined finding another camp, or at least she did. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts she said, "I'm sorry for worrying you."
"It's OK. You had a good reason," Dick replied.
"I should go shower, change out of these clothes. Do you think I can burn them?"
"There's a clean uniform in your room. Everyone was issued with one. These ones are being discarded," Speirs said and she audibly signed in relief.
"Where's my billet?" she asked, looking around the town and realising he had no idea where to go.
"That building," Lipton pointed to a large building half a block down the street, "You're on the first floor. Sharing a room with Gene, Luz, Joe, Heffron and Shifty."
"Best get going. Sure I'm in for another lecture."
They smiled and wished her goodnight as she turned and walked down the street to her billet.
Pushing open the front door she looked around. The building was almost dark and quiet inside, the men either sleeping or lost in their own thoughts after the day's events.
She tried to climb the stairs as quietly as possible, almost dragging herself up each one as her legs felt like lead.
The dimly lit first floor had five doors, three on the one side and two on the other. Walking down the hallway she noticed all thee doors on the one side were closed, but if she listened carefully she could hear whispered conversations coming from behind them.
The other two doors were open. Flicking on the florescent light of the first one she peered inside, findings two showers and toilet cubicles. Assuming the other room was the same, she switched off the light and turned her focus to trying to find her room.
She pressed her ear to each of the closed doors, trying to recognise the men's voices until she found her roommates'.
Reaching the door at the very end of the hall she decided that, by process of elimination, this had to be it.
She slowly turned the knob and pushed open the door, silently thanking her lucky stars that the hinges never creaked or whined.
Poking her head inside she couldn't make out faces, but she saw three red embers dancing in the dark.
"Em, that you?" Shifty asked from the bed closest to the door.
Her shoulders relaxed and she took a step into the room, leaving the door open behind her so the little bit of light streaming in could help her find her way to her bed.
"It's me."
There was shuffling and Babe appeared in-front of her. He took hold of both her shoulders, and even though she couldn't clearly see his eyes she could sense them looking her over.
"I'm fine," she said.
"You're late," he retorted, but there wasn't any anger in his voice.
"I know."
"How was it?" Joe asked from her left.
Now that her eyes were adjusting to the dark she could make out him lying on his back, cigarette in hand.
"The same. Worse. I don't know."
"Yeah," Joe responded vacantly, a long line of smoke rising from his bed.
"There are showers across the hall. We left your clean clothes in there for you," Babe said.
"Thank you. I'll try to be quick."
"Don't worry," Gene's deep voice came from the darkest corner of the room, "none of us are getting much sleep tonight."
She touched Babe's hand and walked out the room, closing the door behind her.
Entering the bathroom she switched on the lights, closed the door and walked to the shower furthest from the door. She opened the taps before undressing, shedding each piece of clothing as quickly as possible, allowing them to pool on the floor in a heap of unwanted fabric.
The steam from the warm water slowly started to fill the room as she stepped underneath the hot stream. She tilted her head from side to side and lifted her face into the water, allowing it to scorch away the smell of the camp and the memories.
She thought she heard the door to the bathroom open and close, the click of a lock sliding into place stilling her movements.
She waited, warm water running down her body in rivers, pooling at her feet before running away. She knew who it was by the way he moved and breathed, so she waited with her eyes closed and her back turned to the shower curtain.
She felt cold air on her back as the curtain was moved aside, quickly replaced by a strong chest pressed into her back, arms encircling her waist.
She tilted her head back, resting it on his chest. He reached up with one hand and smoothing her hair out of her face before it trailed down her body, tracing the shape of her clavicle down the curve of her breast and her waist, coming to rest on her hipbone.
His lips kissing her neck mingled with the water. She moaned, pressing herself into him as she reached back with one hand to grab onto his hair.
He groaned into her neck, his hand slipping from her waist between her legs.
"I need you," she rasped into the steam.
In one smooth motion he spun her to face him, lifted her up, his hands digging into her thighs, and pinned her against the wall of the shower.
The tiles were cold against her back and his body was scorching against her front. Their lips crashed together, the kiss urgent, desperate and starving. Her one hand wrapped around his neck as she used it to keep herself up and pull him closer to her, while the other's nails dug into his shoulder.
He dropped her an inch and roughly joined their bodies. She gasped, biting down on his shoulder as he growled lowly into her ear.
His movements were hard and quick, her breathing coming in shallow gasps matching his own.
She clung to him, desperately searching for a release of all the pent-up emotions, something to help wash away all the misery and despair.
She knew he was looking for the same thing as his thrust became harder, slamming her into the wall so she knew she'd have bruises the next day.
The tension in the pit of her stomach built and built, the friction between their bodies pushing her to the edge until all her muscles tensed and lighting shot through her every nerve.
She plunged her face into his neck, muffling her own scream as she pulled hard on his hair.
He followed her a moment later, a choked grunt into the soft skin of her own neck and his slowed movements her only signs.
She clung to him, the water still running over them, and just like that the euphoria of a moment before was replaced by a tidal wave of agony. Tears mixed with water, her chest heaving against his as sob after sob wracked her body. Everything she'd been holding back all day spilling over now that he'd brought her back to life.
He gently lowered her and as soon as her toes touched the wet tiles she fell to her knees, crumbling into a heap.
Babe followed her, pulling her onto his lap until her face was pressed against his chest and her legs were wrapped around him. He held her as she cried until the water ran cold, his arms protectively engulfing her like he could shield her from all the horrors in the world.
Finally she stopped crying, or the tears ran out, and a while later her breathing evened out. Wordlessly Babe lifted her to standing, and using the available soap washed her hair and body as she stood numbly under the cool water.
When she was clean he closed the water, helped her dry and get dressed before dressing himself.
Fully dressed he stopped in-front of her, his brown eyes a shade darker than usual as he searched her face.
"How could anyone do that?" she feebly asked the one question she'd been struggling with since they'd first seen the camp.
He brushed her cheek with the pad of his thumb before pulling her closer, his lips softly capturing hers. He breathed into her, holding her as if to assure himself she was really there. Parting their lips he responded, "I don't know. I don't think there'll ever be a good answer. Not one we'll truly understand."
She closed her eyes and he pressed his forehead against hers.
"Will you hold me tonight?" she asked, knowing the other men wouldn't mind.
"No one and no thing could keep me away. After today, I need you close to remind me that there's good in this world."
He took her hand and led her back to their room and to his bed. At least two of the men were still awake judging by the cigarettes floating around in the dark, but the room was quiet except for everyone's heavy breathing.
Laying down on the soft bed she felt the mattress shift as Babe joined her. She laid her head on his chest and he wrapped an arm around her.
Staring into the dark, watching a red ember dance around she though back to Webster's rant from the morning.
"So that's why we're here," she said into the dark, a chorus of grunts and sighs acknowledging her words.
She snuggled deeper into Babe's side and felt his lips kiss the top of her head. Her heavy eyelids closed, her brain keeping time with his steady heartbeat until darkness took her far away.
XXXXXXX
I hope you all had a wonderful week and a lovely weekend so far. When writing this chapter, I really just went with where it took me to be honest, so I really hope you enjoy reading it.
Thank you for everyone that added me and this little project of mine to their alerts. As always (I know it may be getting old) thank you.
The story is starting to near it's end, although there are a few more chapters to go, so I've started to think of what to write next. If anyone has any ideas or request let know and once this baby is done, I may give it a stab.