Wolves of the Pacific

by greenpeach20

In 1902, Renesmee Cullen grew tired of the tedious life of moving around with her family and decided to make the journey west as a mail order bride. Yet a chance encounter with a reddish brown wolf would change her life forever.

48. Chapter 48

Chapter 48

"Crabby shit eating dunce," Embry muttered under his breath near Kevin and Seth when they were all going to bed for the evening.

"Embry, you didn't follow orders, you were punished for it. Simple as that," Seth said, less than sympathetic.

"So I had the 'nerve'," Embry went on sarcastically, "to finish my breakfast. Big deal."

"You took too long, kid, and that's your problem," Seth answered.

"So what am I supposed to do? Shovel it in? I like to enjoy my food, thank you."

"Embry," Kevin laughed, "there's nothing to 'enjoy' about the food."

"Except that sweet potato," Embry sighed. "I miss mom's potato cakes."

"I miss eating real food, period," Kevin said.

"Only been a week and the two of you are complaining already," Seth sighed.

"Oh, shut up, you complain all the time," Embry said.

"I was drafted, you two signed up of your own accord. Your own stupid accord, but your own accord nonetheless. You made your bed, so you two will lie in it and, frankly, the two of you have no right to lay in that bed with any less than big smiles on your faces."

"Well, fuck you too, Seth," Embry sighed and then looked at Kevin. "I really hope you're right about this paying off later on."

"It will if we play our cards right and we work hard," Kevin said. "I know this will pay off."

"Well, it better," Embry said. "I'll follow you through hell and back, just like I said, but I reserve the right to kick you if this doesn't end up working out."

"Embry, if this doesn't end up working out, I will personally agree to any demands you deem appropriate for correcting my mistake."

"Can I get that in writing?" Embry joked.

"Next time I have a pencil and paper," Kevin replied. The three of them laughed a little and entered the bunks with the rest of the men.

"Sleep tight, Tatter," one man said as they entered.

"Don't let the bed bugs bite, Tatter," another man said. Laughter proceeded and Embry felt his cheeks burn red from embarrassment.

"How about a snack before bed, Tatter?" someone said as they passed. Just as he asked, Embry's stomach growled and moaned a little.

"I know he's making fun of me, but that sounds really good."

The teasing continued until they all reached their beds. Embry got on the top bunk where he'd designated his spot. Kevin went up to the top bunk with Embry and stayed close to him.

"What?" Embry asked. Kevin reached into his coat and pulled out a sweet potato.

Keep quiet, Kevin pushed his thoughts into Embry's head. Then he placed it near Embry's pillow so no one would see it. Make sure to eat that quietly. I know it's not much, but it's better than nothing.

"Thanks," Embry whispered back in Quileute. "Enough teasing me, Kevin," Embry said to cause a distraction of sorts.

"Night, Tatter," Kevin played along and jumped down from the top bunk with a laugh.

Once the light was turned off, that was everyone's order to go to bed. In the dark, Embry ate his sweet potato with relief. He was still hungry, but at least he wasn't starving. They remained there for roughly a month. It was a month of training, running, sometimes starving, bathing being hard to come by, less than ideal living conditions (not that the front would be much better) and being constantly yelled at. Some men didn't make it through training. There was a brief graduation ceremony of sorts congratulating them for completing their training and officially reaching the rank of Private. Sgt. Stanley was quick to remind them not to get a big head. Like he said before. Sgt. Stanley was a man that liked getting to know his men and, through the course of yelling at them, putting them through hell, and turning them into worthy men, he grew to care about all of them in his own way. He insisted on personally handing each and every one of them their uniforms that they would wear at the front. Seth was the first of the three he'd gotten to as he went down the line with a man behind him carting around the uniforms in carts. He picked up the uniform labeled Seth Jagger and handed it over.

"Congratulations, you have joined the ranks of the greats Pvt. Jagger."

"Thank you, Sir!" Seth replied as all the others had and accepted the uniform. Then the Sergeant handed Seth a pencil and a few sheets of paper.

"Use this to write your family and tell them of your accomplishments. We will dispatch tomorrow for France."

"Yes, Sir!" Seth answered and eagerly accepted the paper and pencil. Then the Sergeant moved on to Embry. He grabbed the uniform labeled Embry Call and the paper and pencil and handed them to Embry.

"Congratulations, Pvt. Call, you have joined the ranks of the greats!"

"Thank you, Sir!" Embry answered.

"Write your family and tell them of your accomplishments! We will dispatch tomorrow for France!"

"Yes, sir!" Embry answered.

"And I'm proud of you, Tatter," Sgt. Stanley said in a quieter voice.

"I don't like that name, sir," Embry answered and Sgt. Stanley laughed.

"I know." Finally, Sgt. Stanley reached Kevin. He took out the uniform, with Kevin's full name no less, listed on the uniform. It even had written in the Sergeant's handwriting 'his royal highness' as a joke right above Kevin's typed out name.

"Congratulations, Pvt. Black, you have joined the ranks of the greats," Sgt. Stanley said, not yelling as he had with the others. "You know, boy, it's a shame."

"What is, sir?"

"You told me when you came here that I wouldn't be disappointed in you, and I have to say, you delivered in spades. Frankly, if it weren't for being an Indian, you might have been able to make something of yourself." The sincerity and sound of regret in the sergeant's voice was the only thing that made Kevin remain calm.

"With all due respect, sir," Kevin began. "I have nothing to be ashamed of. If anything, myself, Embry and Seth have worked harder than anyone in this platoon. Do you know why, sir?"

"Why is that?"

"Because we knew we'd never be seen as equals if we didn't. And if there's one thing that I've learned from my father that all the years of my grandparents teaching me reading, writing, science, math and even French haven't taught me: it's that we are a proud people. You might not see that, sir, but we are strong. And we are worthy. And as you said, I've proven that in spades. And with all due respect to you once again, sir, I've learned more from my father about being a strong, proud man than the month I've spent here. You taught me military discipline and you taught me the ways of trench warfare, but my father gave you the raw materials to work with."

"That's quite a speech, your highness," Sgt. Stanley teased.

"It's not a speech, sir. It's a promise that I will prove you wrong." The two looked at one another until Sgt. Stanley smiled proudly.

"You'd better, Pvt. Black," Sgt. Stanley said. "You'd better." Sgt. Stanley finally placed Kevin's uniform and paper and pencil in his hands. "You write to your father and you tell him what you've done. And make him proud. We dispatch tomorrow."

"Thank you, sir," Kevin answered.

"I didn't hear you!" Sgt. Stanley returned to business as usual.

"Thank you, sir!" Kevin answered and the sergeant finally moved on to the next man.

The uniform they were all given was nothing grand. It was a solid green uniform and the color of green was, frankly, unappealing. It was nothing compared to the uniforms he'd seen in pictures. He remembered the picture of Jasper he would see sometimes from when he was a confederate soldier. Granted that didn't necessarily count as an 'American' uniform rather than a confederate uniform. Of course, Jasper had reached a high rank rather quickly. He knew Jasper, assuming he wasn't as made at Kevin as he knew his parents and grandparents were, would be pleased to hear about Kevin's progress thus far. Even if it was a small step forward that everyone had taken. Along with the uniform were beige/light brown boots and two pairs of socks with a utility belt with lots of pockets. Kevin would remember to make a point to keep his socks clean and dry. He'd heard of trench foot from the papers and the mere thought made his skin crawl. After the makeshift ceremony, the men were ordered to go to bed for the night.

"You sure told him," Embry joked as they returned to the bunks.

"I couldn't just let him say that."

"Hit you where it hurt, I see," Seth said with a chuckle. As they were walking, someone ran forward.

"Pvt. Kevin Black, you are to report to the Sergeant's office."

"What's the matter?" Kevin asked.

"The sergeant has demanded to speak to you, so get your ass to his office."

"Yes, sir," Kevin answered and left the group to go to the Sergeant's office.

"What does he want?" Embry asked the soldier.

"Hell, if I know. He just asked to see him. The rest of you report to bed."

Embry and Seth complied and went to the bunks for the night. Kevin walked alone to the slightly nicer building on the other side of the base. The door was a ajar and there was a light shining through. Still, Kevin knocked on the door and waited for Sgt. Stanley to give him permission to enter. Sgt. Stanley was at his desk when Kevin entered and appeared to be writing something. Then he looked up at Kevin.

"Please sit, your highness," Sgt. Stanley said and Kevin did as he was told.

"You asked to see me, sir?"

"Yes, I did," Sgt. Stanley said. "I wanted to speak with you a little more about what you said when I gave you your uniform. I've got to tell you, kid, I've never been spoken to that way by a subordinate."

"I only meant to defend myself, sir. It wasn't my intent to offend."

"Don't apologize, boy, I'm congratulating you," Sgt. Stanley replied. "If there's one thing that I value in a young man, it's pride. And I don't mean being an arrogant little shit who's daddy get them out of the draft. I mean men that come from humble beginnings or are the underdog and, rather than sit in a corner and cry, they pull themselves up by their bootstraps and prove they're worth a hell of a lot more. Usually, that's in the form of a boy coming from a poor family or a boy that was born in Germany or Poland or Ireland or Italy or wherever these kids are coming from."

"Frankly, sir, a man in my position faces a lot more roadblocks than a man fresh of the boat from Ireland."

"You've no idea how true that is," Sgt. Stanley said. "My father had fought in the civil war."

"Did he?"

"Yes, as a confederate. That man would backhand me across the face if he heard this, but no greater treasonous act was ever committed since the south removing itself from the Union. After he died, mother took me and my brother up north to live in Delaware. I joined the military determined that I would make my father proud when he looked down on me. I thought I knew it all. Funny thing is, I knew men in the service that worked harder than me, were better than me and even prouder than me, but they never made anything more than low ranking nobodies. Do you know why?"

"Because they were Indian or black?" Kevin asked.

"Exactly that," Sgt. Stanley said. "Well, Black specifically. I don't think I saw a single Indian in the military since the three of you. But when I was a boy, I never thought anything of the double standard. In fact, I dare say I considered myself more deserving of it than them." Kevin didn't say anything. Neither did Sgt. Stanley for a moment. Then he took a deep breath. "But the longer I've worked and the higher I've gotten, the more men I've seen and the more men I've trained. And I've trained a lot. I've trained poor men, rich men, smart men, dumb men. Although, they've always been white. Blacks are usually trained separately. Segregation, you see. It's just the way of things. You're the first young man I've ever trained that was an Indian."

"I suppose there's a first for everything," Kevin answered.

"Indeed there is," Sgt. Stanley agreed. "And may I say, of all the men I've trained, not a one of them was as determined as you."

"I have a lot to prove, sir," Kevin answered. "We all do."

"But you," Sgt. Stanley pointed a finger at Kevin, but not condescendingly. Rather, it was proudly. "You were just that much more. Pvt. Jagger? He's here because he was drafted. Pvt. Call? He's here because the two of you are thick as thieves. What was it he'd said about you? You were like a brother to him, blood relation or not?"

"The feeling's mutual, sir," Kevin answered.

"Indeed," Sgt. Stanley said. "But you? You weren't drafted. And you weren't brought here by a friend. You came because you know what you want and you're grabbing it by the balls."

"Thank you, sir," Kevin said.

"Having said that," Sgt. Stanley said, "I think it's about time I got to the reason I brought you here. I'd said to you today that it was a shame you were Indian since you would never accomplish anything."

"And as I said, sir, I've proven more than anyone that my race is not a setback but a tool."

"Indeed you did," Sgt. Stanley agreed. "Which is why I'm honored to promote you to the rank of Private Second Class." Kevin stared at the man a moment, surprised.

"Promoted, sir?" Kevin asked, not sure he believed what he was hearing.

"You're damn straight, promoted," Sgt. Stanley smiled. "You're right: you've worked harder than most and proved yourself more than most. And I know you're smarter than most. You were even about to answer my little math question your first day here, weren't you?"

"I was going to ask their distance from one another, then I could answer."

Sgt. Stanley laughed, "Fucking smart ass." He took a moment to stop laughing and sat up a little straighter once he did. "And you said your grandparents taught you French?"

"Yes, sir, they have. Them and my mother."

"And how well do you speak?"

"Couramment, monsieur," Kevin answered with a cocky smile.

"Pardon?"

"I said, 'fluently, sir,'" Kevin answered and Sgt. Stanley laughed again.

"All the more reason, then," Sgt. Stanley said. "When we're there, you being able to speak French will be an asset."

"I'm honored for the promotion, sir," Kevin answered.

"And I'm honored to promote you," Sgt. Stanley replied. "Now go to bed. And write your family." Then, Sgt. Stanley reached into a drawer in his desk and pulled out more paper. "Send your father a special letter. He'll be proud."

"I don't know," Kevin said skeptically. "Embry and I ran away to join."

"Yes, I heard about that little spat at the train station from the officer. Your fathers caused quite the commotion."

"Yes," Kevin nodded. "I'll bet they're still trying to have us brought home."

"They're not," Sgt. Stanley said. "I thought to look into this a little more. The officer had told me what happened, you confirmed you were underage, so I thought I'd call city hall where you and Embry signed up. According to them, your father and Embry's father came barging into city hall with a birth certificate in hand for a Kevin William. I assumed that was you."

"Yes sir," Kevin answered.

"It's funny actually," Sgt. Stanley chuckled. "According to them, Forks City Hall and called earlier that day asking you be sent back and when they refused, your father threatened to scalp the man on the phone. Then later that day, they came in with your birth certificate and you father slammed it on the table. Caused quite the scene."

"I knew he was angry," Kevin answered.

"Then, a few days later, a Mr. Edward Cullen came in the with the same birth certificate demanding you be sent back."

"Why didn't you send me back?" Kevin asked honestly.

"Truthfully?" Sgt. Stanley said and Kevin nodded. "Because I wasn't about to throw away one of my best men. And you can tell your father I said that when you write him." Sgt. Stanley stood up and Kevin did as well. Then Sgt. Stanley held out his hand and Kevin accepted it and they shook hands.

"I'll make sure to tell him that sir," Kevin replied. "And thank you for this."

"You earned it, your majesty," Sgt. Stanley teased and Kevin chuckled.

"And sir?"

"Yes?"

"I discussed it with Embry and we agreed you would look far prettier in purple." Sgt. Stanley laughed out loud and Kevin joined him. They released their hands as the laughed and eventually, Sgt. Stanley finally breathed and stopped.

"Purple you say? I do prefer it over pink."

They shared another laugh before Sgt. Stanley told Kevin to go to bed with the other men. The lights were still on when he got back. The Sergeant was letting everyone remain awake an extra hour to write to their families before they got on the train to the east coast to board the boat and be deployed. When Kevin got back, Embry had already finished writing his letter and addressed it to go to the General Store where he knew it would be received and forwarded to his parents. He'd kept his letter rather brief. More than anything, it was just him letting them know he was still alive. Seth was more detailed and was writing his last page by the time Kevin got back.

"So what did the sergeant want?" Embry asked when Kevin sat on his bed.

"He promoted me to Private Second Class," Kevin answered. Kevin said it loud enough that a few men across from his bunk overheard it and stopped his letter.

"Wait, he promoted you?" Embry said, turning onto his stomach and looking at Kevin over the edge of his bed. Seth stopped writing his letter and looked at Kevin.

"What got him to do that?" Seth asked.

"What did get the sergeant to do that, your highness?" the guy, now Pvt. David James, across from them asked meanly, standing from his bed and approaching with two men behind him. Now the whole bunk was looking in Kevin's direction.

"He said because he was impressed with my hard work," Kevin said.

"So the rest of us aren't working hard?" Pvt. James asked sarcastically. "The way I see it, we're all bustin' our asses."

"And as I recall, you couldn't finish a ten minute mile your first day, James," Kevin spit back. Now the whole bunk really was at attention.

"There certainly won't be any running in the trenches," Pvt. James argued. "Especially not for you."

"You watch your tone, James," Embry said in Kevin's defense. "You're speaking to one of your superiors."

"Like shit he's one of our superiors," a man behind Pvt. James said. "He's not even supposed to be here and he's already a higher rank than everyone? I don't think so."

"If you've got a problem with it, I suggest you take it up with the Sergeant," Kevin spoke up.

"I think I will," Pvt. James said. "I'll sooner quit than rank under a redskin who's balls haven't even dropped yet."

"Whether my balls dropped yet or not is none of your fucking business, James," Kevin said. "Get back to writing you letter and fuck off." Pvt. James looked as though he might say more, but he stopped. Kevin wasn't positive if he was doing it right or not, but he gave James the look his father would give either him or the pack if they were out of line. It was a strong stare that had never failed to scare the shit out of him. It was the look he or his siblings would get if they were really in trouble and that look told them they were in for an ass-whooping if they didn't step back in line and quick. It appeared to Kevin that it was doing exactly as it was supposed to and Pvt. James stepped back. His wingmen did too.

"Fucking red-skinned little brat," Pvt. James muttered under his breath and returned to his bed. Embry and Seth both looked at Kevin, realized the face he was making, and left him alone. Embry averted his eyes off the 'alpha stare' as his father had called it until Kevin said something.

"Did you already address your letter, Embry?" Kevin asked.

"Yeah," Embry answered.

"Okay. We'll make sure ours are all sent together. Where did you address it to?"

"The General Store," Embry said. "That where Seth said to address it to."

"I'll address mine to the General Store too, then," Kevin agreed and went onto his bed to write his letter. By the time he was finally able to started writing his letters, there was only twenty minutes left of the hour the Sergeant had permitted. But Kevin kept writing after lights out. He changed into his vampiric form and used the heightened sight to finish both his letters. His first letter was address to Mother, Father and Cullen Family. His second letter just read Jacob and he saved one page for a letter that he addressed to Kyle.

The next morning, all the men's letters were collected and were to be mailed for them. That morning, Sgt. Stanley officially announced to the whole group of Kevin's rank promotion and that all soldiers were expected to defer to him if immediately needed. Kevin would, of course, defer to the Sergeant rather than the other subordinates unless it was needed. This seemed to make some men in the group's blood boil. So, from what they could tell, his rank was only Private Second Class, but he was earning privileges to the level of the Private First Classes or, dare they compare, the Corporals. They all got on large carts and were hauled to the train station where they boarded a train to New England. Even if he'd only be seeing a little of it, Kevin was excited to see the east coast. He remembered Renesmee speaking so fondly of it and he'd always wanted to see what it was like. It was another week before they finally reached the east coast. Within a day of arriving, they were all put on a large boat with a few other men. Besides the small boats they had made from wood and the small fishing boat his grandparents had gotten for whale watching, the Titanic was the only boat he'd ever seen a picture of. He remembered it looking huge and when the papers wrote of it, they called the ship, 'the grandest ship ever built'. The ship they boarded for Europe was, by no means, anything grand.

It was a drab grey color, though perhaps one could argue the color wasn't bordering on putrid like their uniform color was. Kevin had received a little badge that he'd sewn onto his sleeve that announced his PV2 rank at least. That added a little much needed color to the otherwise monochromatic uniform. There appeared to be men boarding that he had not seen before, meaning they were one of several units boarding the same ship. When they were all off the large carts and ready to go on the boat, Sgt. Stanley told all the men to gather round so he could have some words.

"This is it!" he said. "I've done all I can and taken you all from boys to men! Now, when we get there, there will be no 'second chances'! There will be no re-do if you fuck up! If you die, there's no going back! Look after yourselves, but look after each other too! There is no power in the individual finger! It is only when all five come together to form a fist that it is strong and joined in a single purpose! Now join as one fist and we will see our enemy crumble beneath our punch!"

"Yes, sir!" everyone barked back.

"Now get on the boat!" Sgt. Stanley yelled and started walking with the men all following behind him.

When they approached, the Sergeant spoke to someone at the helm and they were eventually asked to board. They weren't scheduled to depart until that night. Kevin, Embry and Seth were all assigned to one cabin along with another young man from another platoon. Kevin didn't have a chance to talk to that man and only dropped off his things and returned to the top deck of the ship on the starboard side to admire the city. He saw lighthouses, he saw islands, he could even see the Statue of Liberty if he looked really hard. It seemed to be everything Renesmee described. When he breathed in the ocean air, it reminded him of home.

"What're you doing up here?" Embry asked after following Kevin on deck.

"Just enjoying the view," Kevin said. The two were silent as they stared out into the city. Embry and Kevin both leaned against the railing as they watched people gather to say goodbye once the ships all set sail.

"This is the last we'll see of home, isn't it?" Embry asked.

"Only until the war's over," Kevin said. He looked at Embry. "We'll go home, Embry. Don't worry about that. No matter what happens, I'll make sure we go home."

"I'm glad you're confident," Embry smiled.

"Embry," Kevin said. "I know I dragged you into this. I promise, I'll make sure you go home alive and well."

"You didn't drag me, Kevin," Embry smiled. "I told you, I'll follow you through hell and back. I meant it."

"Really?" Kevin asked.

"Really," Embry affirmed. They smiled at one another.

"All the same, this was my idea. I'll make sure we get home."

"I know," Embry answered.

A few hours later, the ships were finally departing. People had gathered to wave goodbye to all the men as was tradition when ships set sail. Kevin and Embry waved like the others did at no one in particular. It was just for the sake of feeling like they were being sent off. Then when the ships left the harbor, they began the risky trip to Europe. They knew once they landed, they would be deployed to Paris and, once in Paris, they would be sent to trenches all along the western front. Of course, where specifically, they wouldn't know until they arrived.

At the tribe, it had been a month and a half since the boys had left. Renesmee and Caevia spent more time together than they usually did as a comfort to one another. Renesmee helped Caevia with Gaeli and the twins most of the time. The Cullens had moved back into their house and frequently went to the village with loads of food and assorted activities to keep minds occupied, particularly Renesmee's, Caevia's, Jacob's and Embry's. When Hailey brought the paper one day, stories confirmed they men would soon be making their way to France. The first wave had already arrived in July. The men that would leave soon were men that had been drafted and very quickly trained. None of them found any comfort in the news. When they heard, Renesmee and Caevia were both very nervous and seemed to close off a little. Then, one day, Hailey came to the tribe with, if one could believe it, good news. Leah was the first to meet him and he gave her the letter that Seth had written her, which she eagerly tore into and read.

"What's going on?" Jacob asked when he approached.

"We got letters from the boys," Hailey said.

"We did?" Jacob looked stunned.

"Yes," Hailey nodded. "This is from Embry for his parents. Make sure they get it. Kevin sent three. One is for all of you. There's one in here that's just for you and there's one just for Kyle."

"I'll take them," Jacob nodded and took the letters. He put the letter to him away and walked over to give Renesmee and Caevia the letters for them to read.

Jacob went to Renesmee's side while Embry went to Caevia's and they read their sons' letters. Embry Jr.'s was, as per usual, rather brief. It just said that training was rough, but he, Seth and Kevin were okay, and they were all of Private rank and would be deploying the next day for the east coast to set sail for France. Kevin's letter was more detailed, but it remained rather the same. He apologized, first and foremost, for scaring everyone, but told them everything would be fine and that he'd been elevated to Private Second Class, which he said he was rather proud of and that their sergeant had seen fit to elevate him due to his hard work and willingness to prove he was better.

"Sounds like they did alright," Jacob smiled weakly.

"I'm glad he did well," Renesmee said. "Let's just hope he continues to do so."

Kyle and the other children ran over to read the letters when they realized that's what was going on. Jacob handed Kyle his letter, which Kyle was surprised to see, but accepted. Jacob used that moment to finally walk away to be alone, claiming he was off to get wood or some arbitrary task of that notion. Kyle did the same, going back to the house so he could read his letter. Jacob knew Edward knew why he was really going, but said nothing. Jacob wasn't sure why Kevin would write him separately, but just in case it was something serious, he wanted to ensure he could filter it to Renesmee. He went to the tree that he'd spoken with Kyle at previously and climbed up to the previous branch so he could read in private. Initially, he stared at it. His name was written on the envelope in a calligraphy the boy had mastered taught to him by Edward and Renesmee. Renesmee and Edward both had gorgeous handwriting. Kevin's had developed into the same graceful look, but he'd made it all his own. Jacob finally opened the envelope and took out several pages of letters written on front to back.

Dad,

I owe you and everyone else an apology for running away with Embry. I know it must have been hard for all of you. But I don't want you to think that I did this because of something anyone did wrong or anything of the sort. I'm doing this because I really believe this will be good for me and for everyone. I've already made firm and good impressions upon my sergeant.

From there, Kevin talked about their first day on the base, getting introduced to their sergeant and how he made sure the sergeant knew Kevin would be someone worth paying attention to. He talked about all the hard work and training they'd been put through, the strict schedule, the Tatter story, which made Jacob chuckle, and some unfortunate things, like people that didn't think Kevin, Embry or Seth belonged there. Then he talked about their small ceremony where the sergeant walked from man to man and presented them with their uniforms personally and, sometimes, said some encouraging words. What he wrote about the most, though, was what Kevin had said to his commanding officer.

You should have seen when he got to me, dad. First of all, he wasn't screaming at me. It's not often Sgt. Stanley doesn't yell. Jacob chuckled a little after he read that, then continued. He congratulated me like he did everyone else. But then he said 'it was a shame'. I asked him what he meant and he said that, if I weren't Indian, I might have been able to make something of myself. You know what I said to him? I told him that I have nothing to be ashamed of. I told him that being Indian made me work harder because I knew I had to. And I told him that you made me the man I am. I told him that you made me the man that works hard and works to be better. I told him that he may have taught me about warfare and trained me, but that you'd given him the raw materials to work with. He was actually really impressed with me.

He was so impressed, in fact, that he gave me an elevated position. He'd promoted me to PV2! He told me he was proud and he told me that I needed to ensure I told you about all of this because you would be proud of me. I hope this does make you proud. I don't know when I'll be able to write all of you again, but just know that I WILL. I love you, dad, and I miss all of you. Give mom, Kyle and the twins a big hug for me. Please let mom know that she doesn't have to worry and that, next you all see me, I'll be a hero. That's a promise.

Love,

Kevin

Jacob read the letter a couple of times, wishing more than anything that he could write Kevin back. If nothing else, he wanted to just wish Kevin good luck and that he'd be welcomed home when everything was over. But the letter said they'd be deployed, so by the time he even received the letter, Lord only knows where he'd be. Jacob hoped Kevin would write again as soon as they landed in Europe. Maybe then he could send a reply. He wanted Kevin to know he was proud. He wasn't happy with him, but he was proud of him. He might not like it, but he understood by Kevin did what he'd done. He even respected Kevin for leaping at the opportunity to improve his life. Jacob smiled, realizing it was just like something he might do. He'd done so with Kevin's mother after all. He knew what he wanted and he took it. He'd always wish he could have done things differently and he would always wish things could have gone smoother, but he would never regret taking Renesmee because it meant he could marry the love of his life and have their four beautiful children. The more Jacob thought about it, the prouder he was. Yes, he would need to write Kevin and tell him. Jacob jumped down from the tree and went to the house. He might not be able to send them yet, but he'd make sure Kevin got plenty of letters from him and from Renesmee and even his grandparents. He figured, being in a foreign country during wartime, Kevin would need all the support he could possibly get. Back at the house in their room, Kyle read the letter from Kevin.

Kyle,

I want to thank you for keeping mine and Embry's leaving a secret. I know that wasn't easy for you and if you ended up getting in trouble for it, I'm really sorry. I promise I'll make it up to you one way or another when this is all over. I'll even send you a souvenir of sorts once I'm there. Maybe a book in French or something. I'll see what's there for the taking and sending. Embry, Seth and I are doing alright and we'll be deploying tomorrow. I imagine we'll be in France by August at latest. Let mom and dad know that we'll all be writing as soon as we've landed somewhere permanent. Probably once we're at the front. I know for sure we'll be in France, but otherwise I'm not certain. I told dad all about training and I know the general letter I sent had all that, so I won't bore you with repetition. I miss all of you already. Try not to worry about me too much. I promise everything will be fine and I'll be home before you know it.

Your Big Brother,

Kevin

Once Kyle was finished reading, he went to the desk in their room, pulled out lots of paper and a pencil and started his response letter. He could always send it as soon as they knew for sure where he was. As Kyle was writing, he heard someone come into the house. He looked down the stairs and saw that it was Jacob. He put back his letter and went downstairs to talk.

"So what did Kevin say?" Kyle asked.

"Told me about training, people on the base, they're getting deployed, he's earned rank PV2, whatever that means, and he made a good impression with the sergeant. Mostly the same thing he told us in his original letter, but a little more detail. What about you?"

"He just told me he was sorry for making me lie for him and that he'd make it up to me one day. He'd better is all I'm saying." Jacob chuckled and Kyle joined in. "It's weird not having Kevin around. I don't like it."

"Neither do I," Jacob agreed.

"You're not still mad at him, right?"

"No," Jacob said. "I haven't been made at him since you and I talked. I'm not happy, but I'm proud of him. I know he'll do well and I know he'll be okay. Even so, it's really nerve racking."

"Yeah," Kyle agreed. "How are Uncle Embry and Aunt Caevia handling things?"

"Caevia's disappointed Embry's letter was so short," Jacob chuckled. "She was hoping for a little more than 'we're doing fine, see you when we get back'. It wasn't that brief exactly but it certainly left a lot to the imagination."

"That's Embry for you," Kyle chuckled. "What about Leah? Did you get to see Seth's letter to her?"

"I saw a little," Jacob said. "It just told about training, the people, the sergeant, missing us and not being able to wait to come home. He seems to be alright."

"That's good to hear," Kyle said. "I was working on my response letter upstairs."

"I was going to get to that too," Jacob said. "We'll send them as soon as we know where the boys are and when they'll be staying in a certain place."

Kyle agreed and Jacob got to work on his letter. Later, he told Renesmee he'd written Kevin and she wrote her own to include. Edward, Bella, Jasper, Emmett, Alice, and Rosalie all wrote their own letters as well, both to Kevin and Embry Jr. Embry Sr. and Caevia also wrote response letters that would be sent. They had the kids write a letter to their brothers too. They all agreed, the more support those boys got, the better. Leah made her response, Hailey wrote a response, Jacob penned a letter from Sara and William on their behalf, Mitch wrote a letter, and anyone else that wanted to send the boys their best wishes. By the time all the letters were written, there were at least 100 letters all together. They'd all be sent to moment they knew where the boys were. Sadly, they wouldn't receive anything until December that year.

The boat ride to Europe was what one might consider unpleasant under the best of circumstances. They were kept below deck most of the time and if it stormed, there would be water everywhere. Embry discovered much to his dismay that he got seasickness rather easily. The trips on Kevin's grandparents' boat for whale watching was nothing like this. The boat tossed and turned and moved from side to side almost every minute of the day. No matter how hard Embry tried, he was usually never able to keep food down. By the time they landed in France, Embry ran off the ship with his things and was ready to kiss the dirt, so relieved to finally be back on land. Embry was one of 15 men that were just as relieved and had much the same reaction, hence the reason, most likely, why they didn't get into any trouble with the Sergeants. One sergeant had spent most of the trip with his head over the side of the boat too, so they weren't in much of a position to judge. All the men were put on a train soon after to make their stops. The men were separated by cars and would be dropped off at their stop to go to their assigned portion of the front. Kevin, Embry and Seth were finally made aware they were being sent to Reims, France near the southern part of the front.

"I never want to go on a boat again," Embry sulked to Kevin when they were finally on the train.

"It'll be a while before we do again," Kevin said.

"No thanks," Embry said. "I'll just fly back, thank you."

"Good luck getting away with that," Kevin chuckled. "I imagine they'll all notice if a giant bird took off from the boat," Kevin responded in Quileute so no one would overhear that part of the conversation.

"I'll risk it," Embry said in English. "What do you think the trenches will be like?"

"Loud, muddy, almost certainly cramped and I imagine French will finally come in handy," Kevin answered.

"Ick," Embry grumbled. "I'm not confident."

"You learned French just like I did," Kevin said.

"Yes, but the big difference is you always did better. If these people speak English or Quileute, I'll be in good shape."

"English maybe, but I'm guessing Quileute will be a long shot," Kevin joked. "I'm sure we'll barely speak to the French soldiers. I doubt under those circumstances anyone's in the mood for small talk."

"We'll see I guess," Embry said and looked at Seth. "You don't think you being German will be a problem do you?"

"I doubt it," Seth said. "From what I've heard, because of the Rhineland's and that messy division, French and German are so intermingled, that French are fighting with the Germans and Germans are fighting with the French."

"That's where we'll be right?"

"Actually, I think we're going to Chateau Thierry," Kevin confirmed. "I'm not certain where that is, so I'd have to look at a map to be sure. Either way, I doubt we'll be seeing much of anywhere above ground."

"We get to see Paris at least," Embry said.

"Briefly, but that's true."

"Do you think the Hunchback is still there?" Embry joked and Kevin chuckled.

"I doubt it," Kevin smiled. "I hope we can see a little bit of the city before we're sent to the front."

"I doubt it," Seth said. "As Sgt. Stanley would say, 'This is war, not a vacation. You're not here to site see.'"

"Sounds like him," Kevin smiled.

They finally arrived in Paris two days after they landed. It was everything Kevin had pictured. There were buildings on cobblestone streets and fire street lamps that weren't currently being used. He smelled bread being made, but the line for said bread went on far longer than what he would imagine. Aside from the look of the city, it seemed so dismal. Most of the people were in less than lavish clothes like what Kevin had pictured or from royal paintings he'd seen in textbooks his grandpa had procured for their studies. They stopped in front of Notre Dame and were just down the river from the Eiffel Tower. The cathedral was just as beautiful as he pictured and the Eiffel Tower was a site to see. He wondered if, perhaps, when this was all over, he might convince his grandparents that a family trip here would be nice. Actually enjoy Paris. They were ordered to line up by their individual platoons and the sergeants from each platoon spoke with a general getting the groups organized to be deployed to their assigned portion of the Front. After everything seemed to be agreed upon, Sgt. Stanley came to them and had all of them boxed together in four close lines so he could speak to them all in a reasonably toned voice.

"Alright," Sgt. Stanley said. "We deploy to the Western Front tomorrow morning, 4:00 a.m. sharp. We'll be going to Chateau Thierry with the rest of the 'doughboys' that came here in June. More fleets with be coming. We'll be using tonight to rest. As you can see, behind you is the Notre Dame cathedral, so if any of you wish to pray, you're more than welcome to. Otherwise, we go to the base for the night. Does anyone in the group wish to go inside and pray?" Every man in the platoon rose their hand. Kevin just wanted to see the inside of the church, Seth was willing to pray to anything if it meant he'd be alright, and Embry raised his hand because Kevin did. "Alright. Inside to pray and then we go to the base."

Sgt. Stanley as well as a few other Sergeants led their men inside the church to pray where they were met with Priests that were happy to allow the men the chance to confess their sins and pray for a save journey and safe battle. The inside of the church was breathtaking. It was better than he'd ever imagined. All the candles were lit and more were being brought out for soldiers to light. They all went to the front and to available pews kneeling down to pray. Most of their time, Kevin just admired the stain glass and the art work. Since he was the only one among the three that was Catholic, he was the only one to join a line of men that were partaking in the blood and Christ and body of Christ ritual. He performed the ceremony as expected, then started playing with his cross around his neck between in fingers. They remained at the church for an hour before Sgt. Stanley led them back to the base. It was the first time since they'd left home that they were really able to relax just a little. Kevin decided to use that time to sleep. Embry and Seth joined in the relaxation. It would probably be the best sleep they'd get for a while.

After his nap, Kevin went to Sgt. Stanley and begged he be able to obtain a souvenir to send to his brother and asked if there was any way to convert the money from his first pay to francs. Sgt. Stanley insisted that Kevin not go alone and joined him into the city. Kevin was able to trade a small amount of his money for francs at a bank and used that money to buy a French copy of Les Miserables. It was another Victor Hugo novel, and since Kyle had enjoyed Hunchback, he suspected he would enjoy this. He packed and addressed it to Kyle and put down the General Store's address with a little note letting him know they'd reached Paris and would be deploying to the Front the next day and he'd send another letter once he was settled. Kevin and Sgt. Stanley had the chance to talk a little on their way back. Kevin found out that Sgt. Stanley had a wife he'd not seen in over a year and a half, four children and seven grandchildren. Kevin told the Sergeant about his siblings and the trouble they'd gotten into when they were younger. Sgt. Stanley especially appreciated the little incident of Kevin telling Natalie that a frog may be able to turn into a prince with a kiss and the time Nathan told Natalie that the black licorice candies would create a rainbow when eaten.

"Well, given he was forced to share his candy, the boy can hardly be blamed for acting out," Sgt. Stanley had joked. Sgt. Stanley even took them on a detour so they could pass the Eiffel Tower and get a better look. While they were there, Sgt. Stanley decided to discuss more prudent matters. "I'm curious," Sgt. Stanley said. "What were you hoping to accomplish by joining the army at your age? You just turned 14 did you not?"

"I'll be 14 in October," Kevin said. Sgt. Stanley took a long hard look at Kevin and chuckled.

"You appear much older. Had I not known better, I would think you're at least 17. Pvt. Call too for that matter."

"We had a wild growth spurt," Kevin said. "Clearly it worked to our advantage."

"Indeed," Sgt. Stanley and Kevin chuckled. "But what was the goal? You'd said for opportunity. What opportunity did you mean?"

"I have no idea," Kevin said honestly and Sgt. Stanley chuckled.

"I can't say it's the best plan I've ever heard," he joked. "I suppose only time will tell what will happen. But I will promise you this: if you continue to excel and you live through all this, I will gladly work to give you a high rank in the army. A man of your talents simply can't be wasted by returning home with nothing."

"I appreciate that, sir," Kevin answered with a smile.

"Did you write your father?"

"Yes," Kevin nodded. "I wrote everyone. I told them I was sorry for running away but that it would be all worth it in the end. You just gave me that reassurance."

"Pleased to be of assistance, your highness," Sgt. Stanley joked and the two shared a laugh. "So how did your parents get together? It's not often you hear tale of a red man having a child with a white woman and having a happy family."

"Honestly? My father saw my mother when she was traveling to Washington as a mail order bride and when he saw her, he was in love instantly, so he took her back home with him. Mother was not receptive at first, but little by little, father won her heart. They married less than a year after mother was brought to the tribe and they've been madly in love ever since." He looked at Sgt. Stanley and realized the man looked oddly thoughtful.

"Your mother wouldn't happen to be a Miss Renesmee Cullen Wallis, would she?"

"Yes," Kevin answered. "That's my mother."

"Well," Sgt. Stanley said. "I heard all about that. I was still just a corporal when all this happened. I'd heard the woman was kidnapped by Indians and her husband and Sgt. Lovejoy and two men searched high and low for that girl. I'd thought she was brought back."

"She was," Kevin said. "She was pregnant with me at the time. My grandpa was already demanding a divorce be granted and mom was insisting she wanted to return to my dad. So after grandpa finalized the divorce, mom returned to my dad and I was born at the tribe. Our tribe believes a child needs to be born in the family home. It's bad luck if they're born away or somewhere else."

"Interesting," Sgt. Stanley said. "Whatever happened to Sgt. Lovejoy? I heard he'd gone to arrest an Indian at your tribe for assault and he never came back, or so they say."

"I don't know," Kevin lied.

"No one seems to," Sgt. Stanley said. "As I recall, a clutch of men went to the tiny town near the tribe and the Quileute tribe to look for him and no one found him. They couldn't even find a body or his equipment. Apparently, the townspeople said they recalled Sgt. Lovejoy arriving and leaving for the tribe and never returned. But the tribe insisted they'd not seen him and they couldn't find a trace of him. It's as though the man disappeared."

"Perhaps he did," Kevin suggested. "Or perhaps Dask'iya got him," he joked.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Dask'iya. She's an ogress that my tribe fears. She's dead now, or said to be dead now. But she used to kidnap naughty children and take them up the mountain in her basket and would cook them over the fire. My grandma Sara used to say that if we were bad, she might come back. Dad even showed me the cave in the mountain he thinks she used to live in."

"That's quite a story," Sgt. Stanley smiled. "How does he know that was her cave?"

"There was a spot for a fire and wood for gum to put over the eyes. Dad says if we were to go deep enough into the cave we would definitely find bones, but he never let us explore too far."

"Probably for the best," Sgt. Stanley said. "I doubt an ogress ever lived there, but I wouldn't be surprised if a bear or mountain lion did."

"Maybe," Kevin said.

The two chatted a while longer before Sgt. Stanley said they needed to return to the base for the night. They needed to wake up early and the days, months, or more likely, years ahead of them were going to be rough. The next morning, as promised, the men were woken up horribly early, 4:00 a.m. on the dot, and they were transported to a train and taken to Chateau Thierry. The ride wasn't more than an hour and when they arrived, they were put on carts and taken to the front. When they arrived, they were all handed gasmasks and told that, the moment the bell rang, they needed to put them on or the mustard gas would blind them. They were checked to make sure they all had their dog tags in the event anything happened to them and they needed to tell home, and then they were marched into the trenches in a line.

The moment Kevin set foot below ground, the first thing he noticed was how muddy it was. It had apparently rained a few days ago and they'd only recently been able to get rid of some of the water. Kevin also quickly realized they weren't at the front lines. Nowhere near, in fact. As he'd walked in, he saw trenches spanning miles ahead of them until he finally saw barbed wire in No Man's Land. Following being entered into the trenches, the men were put through more, far more grueling and unrelenting training on how to fight in the trenches, what to do in what scenarios and what each bell meant. Kevin had glanced at Sgt. Stanley, not remembering going over any of this. The man appeared stone faced, but he could tell the man was just as surprised by this development as he was. Kevin looked at Embry and Seth and noticed immediately that the two of them were starting to look nervous. So Kevin made sure to pay close attention just in case.

The General told them not to fret, for they'd all be at the front line soon enough. By the time they finished training, it was nearly dark and they were being showed to the bunkers where they'd be sleeping and the makeshift mess hall where they'd be eating. All of this was under ground. The food they were given was, also, something that left a lot to be desired. They'd not eaten all day and when they could finally eat, all they had was bread, more gruel, and water. The bread and water Kevin didn't mind, but the gruel? He wasn't sure what hateful monster created it, but he hoped they suffered terribly for their crime to the soldiers.

Back at home, people were starting to really feel the effects of the war already. Some men had come to the General Store explaining that a number of food items that they provided as well as the grocery store, would be expected to provide a large percentage of their food to the government to sent to the soldiers. Seeing as both Hailey, Mitch and the owners of the grocery store who's son had been drafted, had loved ones in the lines, they gladly complied. They were compensated to a degree as well and they were also given several propaganda posters they were asked to hang on their walls. One was a poster telling people to buy war bonds to support their troops with a young woman wearing the American flag with her arms open as if welcoming someone to hug her. The other poster they were given was the same message, but it was a grandmother with her arms open and the message asked the women of America go buy war bonds to help the troops. There was one more poster they were given and this one advised rations would soon begin. It was a picture of a young man drinking from a canteen cup holding it up as a toast with a big smile. And the message said: Do with less, so they'll have enough! Rationing gives you your fair share.

Hailey mentioned to Leah the posters they'd been given to hang, particularly all the war bond advertisements. He let her know he'd be buying a few. It wasn't much but he figured it was at least a little help. A few days later when Hailey finally went to City Hall to buy his bonds, among the group of people there were all the Cullens. While most didn't spend, really couldn't spend, more than $10, maybe $15, and were praised for their purchases all the same, the Cullens spent $600 on war bonds. Most people in town had not seen that much money altogether in their lives. The young women selling the war bonds were very appreciative and kind and praised the Cullens for their donation. Edward insisted that they find a way to ensure most went to his grandson, but, of course, there was simply no way to guarantee that. In return, they were given hundreds of war bond receipts that were discolored paper with blue ink with the United States of America in bold letters up top, a stamp in the middle a number in the right hand corner and the date they were purchased. The Cullens went back to the tribe with all the liberty bonds and handed a few over to Jacob , Renesmee, Embry and Caevia.

"We bought $600 of war bonds," Edward said. "It'll certainly help."

"Did Hailey get any letters?" Renesmee asked.

"Not yet, but I imagine we'll get some soon. I've heard the boys have landed by now. I'd give it a few more months. Letters take time to travel," Edward said.

"Do you have friends in Europe that could keep an eye on them?" Jacob asked.

"Not that we can reach," Edward said. "Most of our friends are nomads, so reaching them to make that request would be near impossible."

"Just thought I'd ask," Jacob said. "Is there any news from the front?"

"Only that the men have landed in France and more still are being sent."

Jacob nodded and took a deep calming breath. He and Embry were continuing to go on patrol every night. But in truth, they were desperately hoping that, just maybe, the boys would shift for the first time while they were fazed and they could talk. Or at least know they're okay. Of course, they'd not heard anything since the boys left save for their letters.

"Do you know if they've started fighting yet?" Embry asked.

"I wouldn't think so, but I'm sure the papers will tell about it once they do," Carlisle said.

At the front, the men's days were filled with training. They were allowed to wander into town, but only under strict order that they return at a moment's notice and only if their commanding officer gave them permission. Of course, they could never really go past Chateau Thierry and any little houses near town. Even when they did, they were armed with their guns. It was one such day where Kevin, Embry and Seth requested an hour or so to wander around town. They'd been training in those trenches for weeks and they needed a chance to stretch their legs and walk around. The people in town seemed accustomed to them and there were, of course, several French soldiers in the area too. When they arrived, they all noticed the ladies were extremely friendly. A select few, anyway. At first, it was a pleasant surprise, but it didn't take long to figure out they were prostitutes. Already homesick and desperate for any form of affection, even paid for attention, Seth told Embry and Kevin to wait for him near the bakery and he'd be back in no more than 30 minutes. Kevin and Embry did as he asked and went to the bakery to wait for him. Kevin couldn't believe how expensive the bread was when he asked. It became rather clear why so many woman in town were prostituting themselves. He had a feeling they might take money, but it seemed food was a far greater commodity to ask for in return for their services.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" Embry asked.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Kevin said. "I know he said thirty minutes, but if he's not back in fifteen, we'll start looking for him."

Embry agreed and the two continued to wait at the bakery, occasionally being approached by women willing to provide sex for bread or, failing that, money. Seeing as they were unencumbered with bread, they could not pay for their services and Kevin and Embry had already arranged with Sgt. Stanley to have their wages sent directly home. Seth followed the young woman to a little house just down the road. He'd spoken to a couple of women, but this woman stood out to him. She was a bouncy brunette with very loose curls. She was a little on the skinny side, but she had such a sweet face and bright blue eyes. She wore a very plain beige dress under a heavy dark brown coat and brown Mary Jane shoes and dirty socks. It was her smile that won him over, though. Several of the others smiled, but they weren't kind or genuine. They were either sultry or even uninterested. Not her. Her smile was kind and sweet and made him feel right at home. She'd said her name was Charlene but she didn't give her last name. It wasn't really important anyway. When they arrived at the little house, she let go of his hand and went to the tiny kitchen.

"Would you like some water, monsieur?" she asked in a thick French accent. He was so relieved she spoke English.

"That would be nice, thank you," Seth agreed. She dipped a cup into a large bucket of water in the corner of the kitchen section of the virtually one room house. A kitchen was to the left, a small table to the right, a door leading to a bathroom and a hallway leading to another door that he assumed was a bedroom. She made herself a cup and walked over, handing Seth his.

"Did you have bread or only money?" Charlene asked.

"Just money," Seth said. "It's dollars, though. Will that be a problem?"

"Not at all," Charlene said. "I can convert it later." Seth reached into his pocket and pulled out what he had: $25.

"Will this do?" Seth asked.

"With that much, you could buy me for a month," she teased. "$2 is the fee." Seth returned her kind smile and counted out the dollars.

"Here's $3 for being so nice," Seth said.

"Oh, C'est gentil," (how sweet) she said. "You're quickly becoming my favorite customer." She accepted the money and took it with her to the back. "Wait there a moment, please." She opened the door to the back room and saw two twin beds when she stepped away from the door. She returned a moment later without the money and continued to smile.

"Do you live here with someone?" Seth asked curiously. Charlene glanced towards the bedroom and her smile was less vibrant.

"I used to," she said. "My brother and I used to share this house after our parents passed away." Seth looked at her a moment, immediately realizing what must have happened, but he didn't want to jump to conclusions.

"You're brother's a soldier I assume? Is he at the front near here?"

"He was," Charlene said. "No longer." She looked more sad and Seth realized his first assumption was correct.

"I'm sorry, I hadn't meant to upset you."

"Not at all," Charlene smiled again. "It was a year and a half ago."

"You've been by yourself all that time?"

"I've managed," she said, then came closer and wrapped her arms around Seth's neck, going on her toes to reach him. She wasn't a very tall woman at all. "Did you want to begin?" she asked, returning to smiling like she had before.

"Sure," Seth smiled back and wrapped his arms around her. She even smiled at him until their lips met in a kiss.

Seth did his best to make sure not to take too long since Kevin and Embry were waiting for him. He wasn't sure how long he and Charlene were kissing, but it was long enough for him to get an erection and move on with the act. It had felt rather cold, but not on her part. She was very receptive and accommodating. He felt like he must have cheated her in fact. He'd not even removed any of his clothes, just put things aside. She'd not removed her clothes, but then, if he's not, why should she have to? When it was over, Charlene went to the little bathroom to clean up while Seth readjusted. She came back moments later with a kind smile.

"Are you satisfied, monsieur?" she asked sweetly.

"Yeah," he said, though truthfully, he felt slightly unfulfilled. He wished it could have lasted longer. "Thank you for being so nice."

"You're very welcome," Charlene said. She sashayed over to him until she was right by his side. "And if you ever need company again, you know where to find me."

"If I may ask, is there a maximum amount of time you'll spend with a client? I only ask because I would prefer this last longer next time. Were it not for Kevin and Embry, it would have."

"Well," she giggled, "If you're asking for all day, I might have to charge just a little more. But if an hour or two is all you want, then the same price applies. I don't think a customer's ever needed my company longer than an hour."

"Just wanted to make sure," Seth smiled. "And thank you again, Charlene."

"You're welcome, monsieur," she replied.

"You can call me Seth, if that's alright."

"Of course, Seth," she said and walked him outside. Before she closed the door, Seth pulled out another dollar.

"Here's another dollar for all your help," he said and she accepted the dollar.

"Come to me if you ever need any more," she smiled sweetly and Seth finally walked away from the little house. Kevin and Embry were right where he'd left them when he returned.

"So how was your date?" Embry asked.

"She's a darling," Seth said. "I'm not bringing the two of you with me into town next time."

"Seth, you don't have to worry about bringing us," Kevin laughed. "We're not going to fault you wanting some alone time with someone."

"Well, thank you for your consideration, Kevin," Seth said, but he was teasing. "Is there anything here you think that we might be able to send back as souvenirs?"

"I don't think so," Kevin said. "All I've seen of this place is this bakery and a stand selling flour and yeast."

"I guess a letter will have to do," Seth sighed.

That day they returned to the front with nothing but what Seth had left of his pay he'd been saving up and they remained there for several more days, training. A few days later, another group of men came to Chateau Thierry that had arrived not long ago. Among them was a young man named Lt. Alexander J. McCarthy. He quickly established himself to be a rather tough soldier with very high expectations of his subordinates. Sgt. Stanley liked him instantly and that was enough for Kevin. During their dinner a few nights after they arrived, the man and a few others sat with the men at the same table, so Kevin decided to be friendly.

"Evening, Lieutenant," Kevin greeted. "Pleasure to see you here."

"Pleasure to be eating," Lt. McCarthy answered. "I can't say what we're eating is pleasant, though."

"Mother's cooking would be preferred," Kevin joked.

"Not my mother's," Lt. McCarthy said dismissively. "The woman couldn't cook if you held a gun to her head. Luckily for her, Honey Bee takes care of that."

"Honey Bee?"

"She's the negro that works for us," Lt. McCarthy said. "And thank God for her. She cleans the house, she keeps everyone fed, and keeps our clothes clean. Damn house would fall apart without that woman."

"And her name is Honey Bee?" Kevin asked, skeptically.

"It's the name we gave her," Lt. McCarthy answered as if referring to a prized pointer dog. "Which one are you?" he asked, changing the subject. "You're part of Sgt. Stanley's platoon are you not?"

"Yes," Kevin nodded. "I'm Kevin Black."

"Oh," Lt. McCarthy started to laugh. "You're the 'prince' he keeps talking about."

"He has given me that nickname," Kevin nodded.

"You're a redskin too, aren't you?" Lt. McCarthy said. "I'm a little surprised you're with the white folk. I'd think you and your friends would be with the negro division. Would certainly be better for you," he said off-handedly and Kevin did his best to remain polite. Embry appeared as though he might give the man a piece of his mind, but Kevin pushed the thought in his head not to.

"We're here all the same," Kevin finally said. He was prepared for that to be the last of the conversation, but Lt. McCarthy had other plans.

"I hear you also rose a rank above others in your platoon," he said.

"Yes, sir, I did. Private Second Class," Kevin answered.

"Well, you must have done something right," Lt. McCarthy answered and, finally, that was the last of the conversation and they all returned to their dinner.

The next day in the afternoon, Seth went to Sgt. Stanley and requested he be able to go into town for a while. Sgt. Stanley gave permission and Seth left in a hurry with some bread of his that he'd retained from the night before. He tried to keep it hidden, though. He feared he'd never even get to Charlene if anyone knew he had food. When he arrived in town, he went where he'd found Charlene previously, but she wasn't there. He feared she was probably with a customer, but he wanted patiently all the same. A few came over to him and asked if they could be of service, but he insisted he would rather purchase time with Charlene and they left him alone. It was another 10 minutes before he finally saw Charlene. He noticed a man he knew from the front, not by name but by face at least, walk away looking satisfied for the day. She was pleasant as always, and just as sweet when she saw Seth. She walked over to him to greet him once she realized he was there.

"There you are," she said. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me."

"No," Seth smiled back and stood up from the barrel he was sitting on. "I just wasn't able to get away. Are you free to spend time with me?"

"I sure am," Charlene smiled and took Seth's hand, leading him with her to the little house from before. When they entered and were alone, she got down to business, but remained very polite.

"You only have to pay $2, Seth. Being nice to you is free," she teased. Seth took out the two dollars, but he also pulled out the bread.

"How about $2 and a little dinner?" he said. Rather than her chipper look of gratitude, she looked a little surprised.

"Oh, Seth, that's so sweet of you," she finally said and accepted the bread. "I don't suppose I could eat this now could I? I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse," she joked.

"Please, feel free," he said and Charlene went to the table and sat down, then gestured towards the other chair.

"Please, sit down. Would you like some water?"

"I'm fine, thank you," Seth said and sat down across from her at the small table. He watched her begin eating the bread and she was so dainty. She didn't bite right into the loaf, rather she picked pieces off and placed them in her mouth. "Have you always lived here, Charlene?"

"Yes," she said before pulling off another piece of bread. "I don't think I've ever gone further than Reims. That was a nice little town before it was covered in trenches," she smiled. "What about you? Where are you from?"

"I was born in Forks, Washington. It's one of the furthers points of the United States. My father went there after he and his sister left Germany and he married my mother when he found her while hunting in the woods."

"Your father is German?" Seth nodded and she continued on pleasantly. "My father was half German. Grandpa and Grandma were French and German. My daddy came here when he was a teen if I recall. He was raised mostly in Germany. My mother was born and raised here, though."

"Might I ask you last name?" Seth asked curiously.

"Du Bois," she answered. "Charlene Du Bois."

"Is that a German name?"

"Goodness no," she said. "French and German have intermingled in this area for as far back as I'm aware. There are French in Germany and Germans in France. That's how this part of the country is. What is your last name?"

"Jagger," Seth answered and Charlene giggled.

"Hunter, no?" she asked.

"Yes, it's hunter in German," Seth nodded. "I don't remember a lot of German, though. My father died when I was young."

"I'm terribly sorry," Charlene said. "I assume your mother was American, then?"

"My mother was Quileute. I'm half Native American."

"Oh," she smiled, "That explains it," she giggled. "I was thinking you looked a little different for a German."

"I'm told I look a lot like my mother," Seth answered. "My sister Leah resembles our father a little more than I do."

"You have a sister?"

"Yes," Seth nodded. "She's 5 years older than me. I turn thirty next year and she'll be 35. I was a year short of outgrowing the draft."

"Well, that's not nice," Charlene smiled. She picked off another piece of bread. "So what did you do back home?"

"You mean as a job?" Charlene nodded. "Nothing, really," Seth said. "I lived with my mother's tribe and performed daily tasks just like anyone else."

"You've never worked?" Charlene asked, a little surprised.

"No, I'm afraid the army's my first job. I know that may sound strange, but after my parents died, we returned to my mother's tribe and stayed there."

"How did you parents die?" She noticed, then, how uncomfortable Seth looked and when he didn't immediately answer, she waved her hand. "Never mind. You don't need to tell me. Tell me about your sister. Leah you said?"

"Yes, Leah," Seth continued. "She got married a while ago." Seth looked thoughtful. "I want to say she's been married at least 10 years now."

"Is her husband nice?"

"He's as nice as someone like him can be," Seth teased even if perhaps Charlene wasn't quite privy to the joke. "He and my sister saw each other in secret for half a year, or maybe a full year, until my aunt and uncle found out about it and Hailey, that's his name by the way, worked hard to prove how much he loved her. He even made her a bracelet out of copper. In our tribe, a bracelet shows one's married rather than a ring. The groom is supposed to make it himself."

"That's terribly romantic," Charlene cooed and ate another morsel of her bread. "Are you married?" she asked suddenly. He was surprised she didn't seem the least bit offended by the notion, even if he were.

"No, I'm not," Seth said. "Are your clients usually married?"

"If I'm being honest, when they're your age, I just assume they are," she smiled. "But you're not? How come?"

"I…" Seth didn't immediately answer. The truth was he wasn't sure. He'd had maybe a handful if even that of women he'd seen before but he never wanted to marry any of them. They just weren't 'the one'. "I just haven't met the right woman," Seth answered.

"That is a shame," she said.

"Are you married?" Seth asked.

"No," Charlene answered. "I was supposed to marry a young man before the war started, but he was drafted, as was my brother, and our plans were put on hold." Charlene was quiet a moment before she made herself start smiling again. "Unfortunately, unexpected circumstances have caused those plans to be terminated."

"I'm sorry," Seth said but she shook her head.

"No need," she answered.

"Do you mind if I ask what his name was? The man you were engaged to?"

"Raul," she said. "Raul Oxenhandler. He was just as German and French as me, but he was the one with the German last name."

"I can tell," Seth chuckled. "What was your brother's name?"

"Ashley," she answered and Seth looked at her strangely.

"Isn't that a woman's name?"

"It can be," Charlene said. "In France, it can be a woman's or man's name."

"Interesting," Seth said. "I guess we have those kind of names, but they're names like Chris, or Jordan." Charlene smiled and took another piece of bread. "How long were you and Raul engaged?"

"Only a month," she answered. "I was a 17 year old girl with wide eyes and big dreams of a family and he was a young man with a modest job as an undertaker."

"Do you miss him?" Charlene appeared to think about her answer. He feared he may have asked a rude question. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude."

"You weren't," Charlene said. "I'm only a little ashamed. I'd been sad when I found out he was dead, much sadder about my brother. But after I found out, I discovered I was rather…what's the word? Unaffected, I suppose. I think I either only thought I was in love with him or fell out of love with him when he left. Either way, without my brother and him sending money, I've had to turn to my current line of work."

She started eating her bread again, never appearing sad, only less happy. Seth had a moment where he felt like he didn't want to sleep with her. He felt dirty about it now. Even if she was chipper and as sweet and kind as she was, there was no way she liked doing this. He watched her finish her bread in relative silence. At first, Charlene thought nothing of it and continued to eat her bread, but eventually she realized the silence had gone on too long and she looked up at Seth, nearly finished with her bread.

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Seth said and stood up from the table. "Don't worry about today. You can keep the money. It's a thank you for talking to me."

"Are you sure?" she asked. "After the bread, surely there's something I can do."

"No, really, I'm alright. I guess I just needed someone to talk to." Charlene looked up at him and put down the bread.

"Did I say something to upset you?"

"No, not at all," Seth said. "I'll return another day. We can talk some more."

"Well, honestly, Seth, I'll not charge you to talk to me. I'm not that much of a whore."

"Really, Charlene, it's no trouble. If anything, I owe you for wasting your time," Seth attempted to sound humorous but he wasn't confident it came off that way. Charlene looked up at Seth and sighed. She stood up, took the $2 and extended her hand to Seth.

"I can't return the bread, but this I can return. If we've not slept together, then I've not performed my expected service, so you don't owe me any money."

"I know, but I want you to keep it. I promise I'll run out of this house rather than take back the two dollars." Finally, Charlene smiled again and even began to giggle.

"Well, if that's how you'll be behaving, I'll just have to go to the front and return the money personally."

"I don't think they'll allow you," Seth said.

"They will," she answered. "I've been there several times. Not a small number of your commanding officers prefer to have me or a few others come to them."

"Is that extra?" Seth joked and she giggled again.

"Quite a bit extra," she said. "Since that is actually an inconvenience and a rather plausible cause for concern, I will charge an extra $10 on top of my usual charge."

"I didn't realize our commanding officers had that much money to throw around," Seth mumbled a little sarcastically and Charlene smiled sweetly.

"For you, only $5 all in," she said. Seth looked at her surprised and she continued to smile.

"If I make that request, you'll accept my $10 plus $2 and you'll like it."

"On one condition," she said, placing her free hand on her hip and smiling mischievously. "You take back your $2." Seth looked at her, then the money, then back at her again. He chuckled and finally took back the two dollars. "Pleasure doing business with you Monsieur Jagger."

"Pleasure's all mine, Frauline Du Bois," Seth replied. "On second thought, do you mind if I stay just a little longer? Just to talk."

"If you have the time to spare for me," she smiled and sat back down. Seth sat back down across from her. "I've never had to argue with a customer to take back their money," she laughed and took another chunk of bread off.

"There's a first for everything, I suppose," Seth laughed. "I admit, I'd assumed the women willing to trade sex would be cranky and mean."

"Some are," Charlene said. "But I believe in providing good customer service."

Seth chuckled, "That you do. And I am sorry about that."

"Are you sure I didn't say anything to upset you?"

"I just felt a little guilty," Seth admitted. "Here you are, having lost your brother and fiancé and needing to resort to prostitution and I'm taking advantage of you."

"You're not taking advantage of me," Charlene reassured. "Believe me, I have had customers try to take advantage of me and you're not one of them. Any man that has is blacklisted from my services. Thankfully I've only had to do that to two."

"What did they do?"

"They both tried to stiff me," she said. "One claimed he didn't have the money, but I checked his pocket and found 6 francs in his pocket. I took all of it without telling him. The other said he'd had the money but turned out he didn't and I didn't find out until after."

"I assume that's why you ask for the money up front now?"

"Won't give you the time of day if I don't get paid first," she joked. The two shared another laugh and she ate another piece of her bread. "You really don't have to feel bad. I've been doing this for over a year now. I'm used to it by this point."

"Am I allowed to ask if you ever enjoy it?"

"It depends on the customer," Charlene said. "Sometimes it's alright, other times it can be dreadful. I've had clients old enough to be my father, I've had clients that had never slept with a woman before and didn't know what to do and I've had clients that were ugly as sin. It's always nicer when they're attractive at least. I can deal with a man that doesn't know how to pleasure a woman as long as he's pleasant to look at."

"I suppose that's true all things considered," Seth said.

"Are you not curious what I thought of you?" she said when he didn't ask the obvious question.

"I'm not sure I want to know," Seth joked.

"Well, I found you pleasant," she said. "And you're a rather handsome young man. Older than me, sure, but far from my oldest customer."

"You're 19 right?" Seth asked after doing the math.

"Yes," she said. "I turn 20 in January."

"And you've had to live with this war for 2 years?" Seth said sadly.

"Well," Charlene said, "when the Germans come banging on your door, it's what you have to do. I've not had to deal with any German soldiers directly in any case. Though there have been times when a bomb has gone off just outside town from the German's missing the trenches. Just last month, a little girl was killed from it."

"Was she someone you knew well?" Seth asked.

"She was my niece," Charlene answered somberly.

"I'm so sorry," Seth said. This time, Charlene wasn't smiling at all. Instead, she looked teary eyed.

"She was outside playing," Charlene said. "I never allowed her to be in the house when I had a client and usually her mother had her. My brother and her mother never married, you see. Katelyn, that was my niece's name, was a love child. I always had her go outside to play with the other children so she wouldn't see anything. I was always embarrassed about having to resort to selling myself. I would never tolerate her learning that from me. But she'd been outside and playing with a stray dog and…well, as I'd said. A bomb landed too close. She died instantly."

Charlene lost her hold of her bread and started staring at the table not realizing she'd dropped it. A tear fell and Seth moved his chair closer and took her in his arms, assuming she needed the contact. In an instant, she wrapped her arms around him and cried on his shoulder. She was a very silent crier, but he felt the tears staining his shirt. Seth rubbed her back trying to comfort her and placed another hand on her head, petting her brown hair. She pulled herself a little closer so she could hold him tighter. Though eventually, she pulled away and appeared embarrassed.

"Mon dieu," she mumbled and rubbed the tears off her cheeks. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me."

"Don't apologize," Seth said. He pulled his chair even closer. Frankly, the fact that this woman was a prostitute was the last thing he cared about. He'd not had someone talk to him, really talk to him, like he wasn't an underling or an inferior since he left home. That is, of course, with the exception of Embry and Kevin. But they were it. Charlene was the first pleasant smile and talk he'd had in months. "I know a little about how you feel."

"Do you?" Charlene said, wiping the last of her tears away. "How so?"

"Remember when you asked what happened to my parents?" Charlene nodded. "Well….you see, my father had it rough in Germany. If I remember correctly, my father was from Nuremburg. All I know is he'd had a really rough childhood. When he came to this country, it culminated into a severe drinking problem. As I'm told, he stopped drinking when he met my mom. As the story goes, my father went hunting in the woods one day, met my mom, and returned back to town swearing he'd seen an angle." Charlene giggled just a little. "Before long, he and my mother got married and had my sister Leah and me. Things were fine for about 11 years. But for one reason or another, my father started drinking again and it made him violent. One day, my mother told him she'd had enough and she was leaving. My father strangled her right in front of me and Leah. He was about to attack us and Leah took his gun and shot him in the head." Seth tried to stay level, but his voice broke a little. "That's one of my earliest memories, seeing Leah shoot our father. But it was either that or let him kill us."

"Oh, Seth," Charlene cooed and came closer, taking him in her arms again and petting his head. Seth breathed so he wouldn't cry, but it was very hard.

"The worst part is Leah and Father were close. Leah adored father. Killing dad was the hardest thing she'd ever had to do."

"She did the right thing," Charlene said.

"I know," Seth said. "It's still hard, though."

"I know," she answered. Charlene continued petting his head comforting him and rocked him back and forth. "You said your aunt and uncle raised you after that?"

"Yeah," Seth nodded, his face very near her breasts. Yet he was more so comforted by them rather than aroused. "After dad was shot, we ran away to the tribe. Our Aunt Sara wouldn't let the townspeople take us when they came looking for us. I think they assumed my tribe must have kidnapped us or something."

"As well she shouldn't have," Charlene smiled. "She sounds like a lovely woman."

"She is," Seth said. "She took care of us like we were her own. We ended up growing up with my cousins in a little tent. One of the boys, Kevin? He's my second cousin. My cousin Jacob's son. He should never have come here, though. He's only 14. At least, I think he just turned 14. It's October, that's all I know right now," Seth joked and Charlene smiled.

"Dreadful. To be so young and at war."

"Well, it's his own fault, honestly. He and Embry both lied about their age and signed up willingly."

"Why?" she asked.

"Opportunity, or so Kevin keeps saying. Regardless, their dads were nearly shot trying to get the two of them off the train to go home." Seth lifted his head so they were looking at one another again. "Truth be told, I'm not sure whether to call those boys brave or stupid."

"A little of both I'd think," Charlene smiled and placed a hand on Seth's cheek. "So were things better once you moved in with your aunt and uncle?"

"Much better," Seth nodded. "I just wish things hadn't happened the way they had."

"Oui," Charlene mumbled a little and nodded. "I suppose looking to the past doesn't help, though. Not for people like us in any case. Just keep looking forward," she smiled and removed her hand from Seth's cheek and placed it on his hand.

"Thanks for this," Seth said. "I think this is what I really needed: just someone to talk to me like a human being."

"I'm pleased I was able to be of service," Charlene said reassuringly. "Are you sure you don't want anything else?"

"I'm sure," Seth smiled. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. "I'll get out of your hair. I should get back to the front, anyway."

"I'll see you out," Charlene smiled and stood from the chair with Seth. She led him to the door and stopped him before he left. "Thank you for the bread."

"I'll make sure to bring it whenever I come over."

"That's very kind of you, thank you," she answered. "When do you suppose I can expect a visit from you?"

"As soon as I'm able to get away again," Seth said. "I don't know when that will be, but I can't wait."

"You know where to find me," Charlene said. Then she went on her toes and gave Seth a little kiss on the lips. Then she opened the door and let Seth leave. "Until we meet again," she said.

"Auf Wiedersehen," Seth answered back, returning her kind smile. They waved goodbye to one another before she closed the door and Seth walked away to return to the trenches.