A War Worth Fighting Part 32
May 1, 1945
Burying the sharply pointed end of the shovel into the ground, Trowa appraised his work. The lone grave in the center of the field just outside of Mannheim was marked with a crude cross that had been made by the wood splinters of debris found in the city street.
What with their location being in the heart of Germany, the Infantry could not find a means of transporting Juan's body out so that it may be returned to his family. Until the war was over, he would have to rest there until the remains could be exhumed and taken to Puerto Rico.
Standing at the foot of the grave, Trowa did not shed a tear. He had not since his friend's life had been taken right before him. All that remained once the shock and grief had passed was an urge to see that there was not another loss like his.
As long as he remained in Germany, he had to look out for himself. He had to look out for the remainder of his team. He still had a job to do while locked in the middle of enemy territory. To stop and allow himself to mourn would put him at great risk of joining Juan in that lonely field.
More than all of that, however, Trowa knew his friend well. And he knew that he would not have wanted him dwelling on his death. He would not want him 'over thinking' as he always teased the sniper.
Even in the middle of a war, Juan lived his life to the fullest. Young as he was, he lived a longer and more rewarding life than most soldiers. Countless others were not as fortunate.
No, this was not a time to grieve. It was a time to appreciate having ever known Juan at all... Time to really take in what he had taught without realizing what he was teaching.
Life was far too short. Every soldier knew that. But it had an even more profound reality behind it when something like this happened. Every second needed to be appreciated and treated like it might be the last.
For Trowa, his 'over thinking' days were over. All that he was worried about was doing what he had to do to the best of his abilities without trying to reason everything.
Yes, he had taken lives. But it was simply a matter of kill or be killed. To constantly wonder over his victims' lives and families was slowly chipping away at his sanity. Instead of focusing on those thoughts, he needed to just be thankful that he was still alive to see another day with a respect for the deceased.
Those men from the Infantry gathered in the field that helped with the burial stood around the grave with their helmets over their hearts and heads bowed in silent prayer. Then, one-by-one, the group began to split off and head back to Mannheim.
Once only he and Trowa remained, the Sergeant placed his own helmet back on his head of dark hair and gave a firm pat to the younger soldier's shoulder. "You all right there, Barton?" he asked in that deep voice of his.
Raising his head to meet the brown eyes watching him, the sniper gave a small smile and nodded sincerely, "Yea. I am." A smile spreading on his own face, the officer nodded firmly before turning on his heels to head back to the city.
With one last look to the grave, Trowa gave a stiff salute and said quietly, "Good bye, friend.... Thank you." That appreciation far extended beyond Juan's saving his life. It was also in appreciation for how he had opened his eyes.
Bending at the waist, he gathered up his rifle to strap it over his back then secured his helmet on. Suddenly taken by a reminder of how his friend would deal with a passing like this, he smirked, "I'll be sure to enjoy a drink on your behalf tonight."
Sharply turning away, Trowa followed after his Sergeant. Each step he took became easier and a bit lighter than the last as he left his thoughts and dwellings behind him.
* * * * * *
Pausing at the top of the hill they had climbed, Howard took in a deep breath of sea air and sighed, "There she is, boys." Just beside him, Heero and Duo blinked in surprise when they came to a halt.
Below them, there was a simple cluster of homes just at the edge of the forest they had been traveling through. In the center of them all was a simple looking garage. Certainly nothing of the scene looked at all impressive or special.
Sharing a look, the couple shrugged between one another. From the corner of his eye, Howard caught the exchange and chuckled deeply, "That's exactly the reaction I get from the locals and soldiers around here. Exactly how I like it. If it remains so unassuming, they have nothing to be interested in."
Unable to argue the logic in that, Heero and Duo offered the old man sheepish grins for their quick judgment of his facility. Waving a hand, the old man was descending the hill as he called, "Let's get moving so we can make dinner."
After three days of traveling, the thought of a 'home-cooked' meal had the pair's stomachs grumbling. Without needing to be told twice, they were quick to follow after their friend while nearly running to catch up.
Whilst the cluster of buildings had been in sight, it still took another two hours to actually reach on foot. By then, the ground finally became smooth without a rise or dip to be found anywhere. It was quite the nice change from the rugged terrain they had been traveling.
Finally, they reached the first of the homes in the haven just a few miles from the ocean. Grinning from ear-to-ear, Howard rubbed his hands together in anticipation as he made his way up to the porch. He gave a couple of knocks on the front door and folded his hands behind his back.
It was a short wait before the door opened. A stocky, blonde-haired man in his mid-thirties peered out with widening blue eyes. "Well look at what the cat dragged in!" he laughed in a bright, friendly voice while stepping out onto the deck. Both men cheering and embracing, they patted each other's backs in greeting.
At the bottom of the porch, Heero and Duo smiled at the tender moment. Pulling away, Howard slapped his son's shoulder and said, "Good to see you, Scott." An arm stretching out to the soldiers, he stated, "I certainly hope you and the missus do not mind having me and my friends, here, for dinner."
His large fists planted on his hips, Scott grinned to the young men. "Any friends of yours are friends of ours, Old Man. You know that." Turning, he led the way into his home with a called, "Come on."
When they stepped inside, Howard was greeted by a lovely Japanese woman and several children as they also reunited happily. Allowing her youngsters to have her father-in-law's attention, the lady of the house turned to her other guests. Bowing at the waist, she smiled kindly and said in English, "Please, take those packs off and make yourselves at home."
Bowing at the waist in return, the soldiers offered their thanks and gladly shed their bags. Scott wrapped an arm around the woman's shoulders and addressed the youths, "Well, you both know my name and this is my wife, Rai."
First to extend his hand, the braided private nodded, "Duo Maxwell."
"Heero Yuy," the sergeant followed up when his lover had a chance to shake the married couples' hands. "Very nice to meet you both." Gesturing to the five children that were hanging all over Howard as he tried to walk around the room, he chuckled, "I'm sure Howard would have minded not being the one to introduce us if he was not so preoccupied." Their hosts snickered as they looked to the old man.
Turning back to their guests, Rai grinned, "Judging by the looks of you, you have been through a lot. We can become more acquainted over dinner and learn of how you came here."
Scott suggested, "Probably something the rest of the Sweepers should hear, too. Knowing my Pop, he would never have brought you here if he did not mean for us to be involved." Peering to his wife, he told her, "Looks like we'll all be eating in the shed."
Rai's smile grew at that. "I'll let the others know," she offered. "It is about time we all had a little get together over dinner."
* * * * * *
That 'little get together' looked like a Thanksgiving get together for an army. The Sweepers,-twenty in all- piled into the large, metal building with their families. Overwhelmed by the sheer number of the crew and families, Heero and Duo tried to remember all of the names.
Of the crew, four of the men were Howard's sons. They were Scott, the oldest, Henry, Charles and Brian. All about the same age and every one with a different shade of blonde hair, they also shared a stocky build from their physical labor in the garage. Like their father, they were all friendly and welcoming to their guests.
All of the other Sweepers consisted of crewmen that the brothers had come to know from their shop work in the States. When their father and mother retired to Japan, their sons followed years later when they were in their twenties. Not far behind them were their coworkers, all looking for a chance to make something of themselves during the Great Depression.
For those crewmen that did not arrive with wives, they soon met their partners after moving to Japan. Those women were now only hoping for a peaceful resolution to the war, regardless of the victor. Against the war from the beginning, they were more sympathetic with the Allied views in the struggle. More than anything, though, they wanted their homeland to be left alone. Even if that meant a surrender, a shame in the general publics eyes.
When all of the introductions had been made, the families stayed together as they took to the long tables in the main room of the massive garage. All around there were scavenged parts and machines that they were being used to create. It was every bit like a garage anywhere in the world. The perfect place for the mechanics and handymen that made the Sweepers.
The food that had been made was spread around between everyone with more than enough for all to have their fill. As the meal went on, eventually all of the eyes in the room focused on Heero and Duo. A bit uncomfortable at being the center of attention, the pair remained quiet and tried to ignore the suspicious looks as they were unsure how to explain their being amongst them.
Luckily, Howard came to their rescue there.
Not leaving any detail out, the old man explained to his family how the couple came to literally fall on his property. From there, went on to share how his new friends had been on the run and why. All around, eyes widened and jaws fell.
How anyone, let alone two people, managed to beat the odds and escape the way that their guests had was nothing short of amazing. It was a true showing of how strong and brave the two soldiers were. One for surviving as a prisoner of war in enemy territory. And the other for doing the right thing in the face of being persecuted and hunted by his own people.
"So, we're going to need to take the Blue Gale," Howard concluded. "I noticed some storm clouds making their way to the area, so we may have to wait out some weather for a few days. But as soon as it's safe for takeoff, I'm going to be getting these boys to Hawaii so that Duo can connect back to the States from there."
Determination in the eyes around the table, heads nodded and smirks tugged lips. The wives were drying their eyes from hearing of the harrowing experiences of their new friends. Being mothers themselves, they could only imagine what the mothers of those boys must be going through. This gave them an opportunity to help the two soldiers reunite with their families and finally leave the war behind them.
Clearing his throat, Howard turned to Rai and told her, "I believe that Duo has a letter to his mother that he would like to see off so that she knows that he is all right. Would you please see to it that that letter goes out as soon as possible?"
Hands shaking, the private removed the folded letter that was several pages thick before looking to the young woman. Nodding, Rai all but whispered, "I would be honored." Reaching over, she wrapped the trembling hands in her own and smiled warmly, "We can have that sealed away and addressed after dinner so I can deliver that when I go into town tomorrow."
Biting his lip as his violet eyes shimmered, Duo whimpered quietly, "Thank you." Only keeping his own emotions back so he could be strong for his lover, Heero rubbed his back soothingly.
It began to grow late in the night when dinner was finally concluded. The dishes and utensils were cleared away as the children returned to their homes with their parents. Rai had returned with an envelope for Duo to address. Once the letter was ready to be mailed, she took it home with her as if it were the most precious thing in the world.
Howard and his boys stayed behind in the shed with the soldiers. Pointing to the loft overhead, Henry advised, "We have a pile of hay, blankets and pillows up there for whenever we have guests since all of our homes are filled with rug rats."
With a snort, Brian commented, "Whenever we get kicked out of our beds for the night, we usually crash up there. It's actually quite comfortable, speaking from experience." His brothers all snickered and nodded their heads.
Charles offered, "If there is anything you need at any time while you're here and everyone is away, Tea and I are in the closest house. Just stop over whenever."
Offering their appreciation to Howard and his boys, Heero and Duo took up their packs that they had brought with them and made their way up the ladder to the loft. As described, the spacious room was packed with hay that kept the space warm and comfortable.
As they changed into simple sweats and T-shirts to sleep in and settled for the night, they made a bed of the pillows and blankets before the shed lights were turned out. Natural light peered through a glass window just behind their heads. Outside, a steady rain began to fall, pittering and pattering on the roof overhead in a rhythmic and soothing mantra.
Heero pulled a blanket over himself and his lover as they wrapped themselves around each other. Nestling his head on a strong shoulder, Duo whispered, "'Ro, I... I wish that you could get a hold of your mom, too."
Lightly kissing his friend's forehead, the sergeant reassured, "I know. But we can't overlook the fact that sending anything is a risk." Shuddering, he voiced aloud his greatest fear. "For all we know, she might even be captured. At the very least, I'm certain that her home is being closely watched."
Duo pushed himself up to look down on his partner in worry. "That's exactly why I don't like the thought of being separated from you. You could be walking right into a trap when you go to reunite with her. We would have a better chance of reaching her if we stayed together."
Shaking his head, Heero reached up to run his fingers through the other soldier's bangs. "I would have a far easier time making my way to the city alone. Everyone after is expecting us to be together. They're not planning on us to part ways."
On that logic, the private reluctantly agreed. He still did not like the idea. Not one bit. "But if anything happened to you..." his voice trailed off as he was unable to continue on with that thought.
The officer gently pulled his lover's head down to kiss him soundly. "I promise that nothing will happen to me," he breathed when they pulled back for air. "Whatever it takes, I swear that I'll make my way back to you."
Despite the fact that there were no certainties that the promise could be kept, Duo had to accept that Heero would take every careful measure possible. There was not going to be a way to talk him, out of his plan. All that he could do was hope and pray that their splitting was not going to be a mistake.
A small smile tugging his lips, the braided soldier replied quietly, "I'm going to hold you to that, Blue Eyes." Grinning at his nickname, Heero pulled him close once more with a soft sigh.
Finally settling themselves and allowing the hypnotic sound of the rain falling overhead to soothe them, they drifted off into their first peaceful slumber since they had been on the move.
* * * * * *
May 6, 1945
The USS Enterprise slid back into position off of the Okinawa coast fully repaired and ready for action once again. On the island, the battle continued to rage. The familiar sounds of gunfire, explosions and shouts rang through the air.
Word had already reached the crew that the kamikaze attacks were elevated in a desperate attempt by the Japanese military to keep their attackers at bay. Now more than ever, the airmen were needed to take as many of those planes out as they could.
There simply could not be a loss in this battle. The fate of the war hinged on this one location if the Allies hoped for a favorable stomping ground before storming Japan's mainland.
Revived following his days of rest and putting his friend's death behind him, Wufei tugged his leather gloves onto his hands and squeezed his fingers open and closed a few times. Looking out to the island that seemed to burn in the distance, he had a good view of the enemy planes that were just taking to the air.
Quickly climbing to his cockpit, he secured himself in his seat and closed the hatch. Mask strapped on and a look over his control panel, the Chinese pilot took hold of his craft's joystick controls.
And with a hard push forward, he was blasted ahead and into their heavens once more. Gripping the handles tightly, he smirked behind his mask to the approaching planes, "All right, boys. Let's dance."
* * * * * *
Meanwhile, back in Europe, word was spreading like a wildfire of an unexpected turn in the war.
The man who had been the voice and the push for the war and the leader of Germany- Adolph Hitler- was dead.
TBC...
[1] The whole history of the USS Enterprise is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Enterprise_(CV-6). I used this to know exactly what days the ship was in battle, where it was in battle and what days it was damaged.
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