Over Here

"Take care of yourself, Kevin." Katie said solemnly as she looked up into his eyes.

"I will, honey." He kissed her long and hard before setting off up the road with Nick.

The weeks passed, Katie was surprised to receive a letter from Kevin's Mum. She asked if Kevin was looking after himself properly and if there was anything he needed. Katie was able to write and reassure her that the men were very well provided for at the Air base. They began to correspond on a regular basis.

Every so often, Kevin would check with his senior officer about his application to get married. But there was no news. It was taking a long time to get applications approved at the moment.

As more time passed Katie began to suspect that she was pregnant. She kept it to herself, not wanting to worry Kevin. She did not want him distracted when he was flying.

She didn't even tell Colette; instead she hugged the secret to herself. She was only a couple of months gone, no need for anyone else to know yet.

More and more troops were being brought to the Airbase. A couple of Mr Dixon-Smith's fields were taken over for the training. Every day, the men were put through their paces.

In the evening the pubs were filled to overflowing with GI's, some of the men were extremely young, and were "adopted" by local families. They would go round for Sunday dinner and spend time with the family. A lot of the men were very homesick, so far from home.

The village seemed to be overflowing with Americans. They would give the children gum and loose change. The children would follow them all over the place, and even spend time up at the Airbase. They would come home with all sorts of bits and pieces. The GI's even managed to build one child a bike of his own, from spare parts around the airbase.

It was as though they had become a part of the village. As time went on, and Katie saw the new recruits arrive and train. She began to think of what it would be like when they all left.

She was sure something big was imminent, and it worried her.

Chapter Nineteen

By the end of March, Katie visited her doctor, who confirmed that she was pregnant. He did not look very surprised. She was not the first local girl to get herself into trouble.

"We are going to get married." She insisted.

"Yes." Said the doctor as though it really had nothing to do with him. He advised her on eating well, and arranged for her to see the midwife on a regular basis.

As Katie walked home she realised it was time to tell Kevin.

Kevin had been to see his senior officer again that day, to ask about his wedding application. But once again there was no news. Granting permission to marry was not high on the Air force agenda at the moment.

He was fairly sure that the invasion was drawing near. They were bombing everyday. But tomorrow he had a day off, and he had been given a pass for the night. He was on his way to Katie's house when he saw her walking along the road.

"Hey, baby." At the sound of his voice Katie looked up and smiled. He ran to catch up with her and they continued towards her house. "Where have you been?"

"To the doctor."

He stopped her by holding her arm. "Are you OK?"

"Yes, Kevin, I am fine. Shall we go in?"

They were outside her house, so she let them inside. Hamish ran up to welcome her home. She made a fuss of him for a minute or two then he wandered off underneath the table.

"So what did you need to see the doctor for?" Kevin persisted.

She sat him down on the settee and looked him straight in the eye.

"I'm pregnant."

Kevin sighed with relief. "Is that all? I was kind of expecting that."

"You were?" She was incredulous.

"I didn't know for sure, but you've been...different lately." He pulled her too him for a cuddle, "and of course we were pretty unprepared that first time weren't we. Are you happy about it?"

"Yes of course."

"Your not worried about us not being married yet?"

"I'm not the first unmarried woman in the village to be pregnant." She said blatantly, "and I probably won't be the last."

They could hear the sound of raised voices upstairs. Katie and Kevin exchanged worried glances. It was obvious Colette and Nick were arguing.

"I think we should go back out again." Katie whispered, "Let's take Hamish for a walk."

Kevin nodded, they slipped the dogs lead on and let themselves quietly out the back door.

"Nick," Colette pleaded, "Why do you want to go and fight? You'resafe here."

"I know, but I want to fight for my country, I don't want to have to say that I spent the war cooking! Where is the pride in that?"

"But you could get killed!" She pleaded, "Please don't do it Nick...I don't want to lose you." Tears ran down her face as she saw him shake his head.

"Colette, I watch the planes fly out everyday, and I watch them come back, and the crews are all full of pride for what they have done. They know they are making a real difference to the war effort. What am I doing? How can I be proud of what I am doing?"

"You are feeding a whole army Nick! Can't you be proud of that?"

"No, I'm afraid I can't, not any more. I see these new boys arriving and training, they are full of enthusiasm and courage. I am going to ask my senior officer if I can join in with the next batch of recruits, I want to start training as soon as possible. I need to do this Colette, and I need you to understand"

Nothing she could say would change his mind. She felt desperate; she felt she was losing him. She sat down on the edge of the bed, sobbing.

Nick looked down at her, "Why couldn't she understand?" He thought. He needed to do this. He needed to be proud of himself, and serve his country.

He quietly left the room, and then Colette heard the front door close behind him.

She made her way downstairs and put the kettle on. She was making a pot of tea, when Katie and Kevin returned from their walk.

It was obvious from Colette's red-rimmed eyes that she had been crying.

" Are you OK?" Katie asked, laying her hand on her friends arm.

Colette shook her head; tears hesitated on her lower eyelids momentarily, before falling down her cheeks.

"Come and sit down." Katie led her by the arm and sat her down on the settee, she nodded to Kevin and he went into the kitchen to make the tea.

"Katie... Nick is going to ask to leave catering. He...he wants to train with the others, so he can go and fight."

"I see..."

"I've asked him not to, but he won't listen. He says he needs to fight for his country. But Katie, why can't he stay where he is? He is safe here."

"I can see why he feels he needs to do his duty..."

"But he could be killed!"

"I know lovey..." She didn't know what to say. She knew how Kevin was proud of what he did. He had to block out the thought of the innocents who were killed. But he knew that they were bombing important sites, airports, munitions, demoralizing the German Army and cutting off communication lines.

"He needs to do this." Kevin said as walked in with the cups of tea.

"You knew about this?" The girls both asked.

"He has been talking about this since the new recruits have been arriving and training."

"He hasn't said anything to me, about this 'til today." Said Colette.

"He knew how you would feel, it hasn't been an easy decision for him, but he doesn't feel a part of the war effort, he wants to make a difference."

"He has already made up his mind hasn't he?" Colette looked at him with a helpless look in her eyes.

"Yes, he has."

"I'm going to lose him, I know I am." Colette sat back, defeated, on the settee.

Katie looked at Kevin, and he shrugged his shoulders. She glared at him, pleading for help; she didn't know how to comfort her friend, to reassure her.

"Colette..." Kevin began, sitting down beside her. "He will be well trained before he goes, you know he will be careful, because he has you to come home to. This war can't go on much longer, but you have to understand how he feels. If you make him stay...he might never forgive you. He needs to do this."

Colette nodded. She knew what this meant to him. But it didn't make it any easier to deal with. Although it would break her heart, she had to let him go.

Chapter Twenty

Katie decided not to tell Colette about her pregnancy yet. She wasn't sure how she would take the news just now.

When Nick came home, he was very quiet. He came in and kissed Colette. When he slid his arms around her, she held him tight and tears came to her eyes again.

"Come on." He said, "Let's go up to our room and talk."

Taking her hand he led her upstairs.

Katie watched them leave the room, she felt desperately sad for them both. She could see both sides of the disagreement. How she hated this war and what it did to people.

Colette sat on the side of their bed and Nick sat beside her.

"I have been to my senior officer and told him what I would like to do." He stated calmly. "He says I can start training in a few weeks when the next batch of men arrive."

"A few weeks...so soon?" Colette's shoulders were slumped in defeat.

"I need you to understand why I am doing this." Nick pleaded. "It is not easy for me either, but I feel I have to do this."

"I know. Kevin tried to explain, while you were out." She said. "I think I understand, although I am still not happy about it. I wish you would stay here where you are safe." She raised pleading eyes to his. He returned her gaze; his blue eyes seemed to be looking deep into her soul.

"I love you so much, Colette." He told her. "I will come home safe, I promise you."

He leaned forward and kissed her lips. She closed her eyes and leaned into him, kissing him back. His warm hands ran up her arms and settled either side of her face, as he deepened the kiss.

Colette clung to him as though she would never let go. They suddenly had a desperate need for each other and started to pull at each other's clothes. The only sounds in the room were the rustling of clothes and ragged breathing.

She felt she was losing him, even though he wasn't leaving yet, one day soon he would be gone and she may never see him again.

Their hands were all over each other, seeking and finding pleasure in everything, biting, licking and sucking every part of each other. As their desire reached fever pitch, Nick reached for a rubber.

"No...." Colette cried. "I want nothing to come between us."

"Are you sure?" Nick gasped, breathless with desire.

"Yes. Nick I need you...inside me...now.... Please."

He didn't need a second bidding. He thrust himself into her wet and willing body, causing them both to moan aloud. Nick couldn't believe the sensations he was feeling without the rubber, he had to slow down or it would be over too soon. He eased himself slowly in and out of her body; all the while they were kissing and looking into each other's eyes.

This incredibly slow lovemaking was so emotional, wanting each other so much, but not wanting it to be over. She could feel the heat of him inside her, stretching her to the limits as he pushed himself into her and then slowly withdrew.

Their lips clung to each other, and Nicks tongue mimicked what his body was doing, slowly dipping in and out of her mouth. Colette gasped and gripped his backside, urging him deeper.

Almost as one, they could feel their desire rising, higher and higher, they couldn't hold back much longer. Nick thrust himself deeper and harder, driving them both towards oblivion. Their bodies, glistening with sweat, writhing together, craving each other, desperate for that one perfect moment of bliss, and when that moment came, it seemed to suspend them in space. She could feel his hot essence spill deep inside her; she could hear his gasps in her ear, as every nerve ending in her body exploded into a thousand stars.

As they slowly floated back to earth, Nick gently stroked her back as they lay on their sides. He was still inside her, not wanting to be apart from her yet.

"That was amazing..." Colette whispered, still breathless.

"Darlin', what if you get pregnant?" He asked quietly.

"Then I will have a little bit of you inside me, while you are away." She smiled.

"A bit like you have a little bit of me inside you right now?" Giggling he pushed his semi hard manhood a little deeper.

"Ohhh, yes," She gasped. "Nick, are you getting hardagain?" Her eyes were wide in surprise.

"I can't help it." He told her as his mouth descended once more to her breast, "It's your fault, your drive me crazy."

She could feel him growing hard again, she was amazed he had recovered so quickly, and as he began moving inside her again, she became dizzy with desire.

Nick rolled them both over, and Colette suddenly found herself astride him. She sat up and pushed herself down on him. His hands reached up and cupped her breasts, his thumbs grazing over her nipples.

As she began to ride him harder, he slid one hand down over her stomach, and slipping a finger between them he gently teased her clitoris. She slowed her movements as she relished his touch. His finger slid easily over her wet folds.

When she could feel her orgasm approach, she rode him harder again. Holding onto him for support, she slammed her body down on his, repeatedly. Her walls began to ripple along his length and it sent him over the edge once more. Spilling his seed into her body.

As they lay together panting, they could feel his warm essence as it ran out of her body. Colette moved so that he slipped out of her. Then she went over to the nightstand and poured some water into a bowl. With a cloth she washed away their fluids from his body, and then her own.

Then she slipped back into bed, and they curled up together and fell asleep.

Chapter Twenty-One

As the weeks passed, their lives began to fall into a predictable pattern. Every morning Katie and Colette would go up to the farm and milk the cows. Then during the week, Colette went out into the fields and worked, while Katie went into the farmhouse.

Mrs Dixon-Smith had insisted, having discovered Katie's condition, that she be released from the fieldwork and help her with the baking and household duties instead. She was thrilled to have Katie's company and was also a mine of information about babies, and had promised to go up into the attic and fetch down some of her old baby equipment from her own children.

"I have got an old coach built Silver Cross pram up there somewhere, you may as well have it." She enthused.

Katie really enjoyed her company at this time, with her parents living so far away, and unable to travel due to ill health, it was good to have someone to talk to. Although she wrote regularly to her mother, it was not the same as having her nearby.

Katie's parents had taken the news of her pregnancy quite well, considering she was unmarried. But she had explained how the Air force was withholding permission for them to marry, at the moment, but they hoped to rectify this as soon as possible.

Colette still had to work out in the fields, there was not enough work in the farmhouse for the two of them.

Secretly she hoped she would be pregnant herself, before long. She and Nick had certainly been trying hard enough. It was as though they could not get enough of each other.

Since Nick had begun training, Colette felt that he could be shipped out at any time. She felt every day they had together, could be their last and she made the most of every minute that she had him with her.

Meanwhile Nick was finding the training much harder than he had expected, he had always considered himself very fit, but each day they trained, they were given more and more equipment to carry, making it harder and harder to move around.

At the end of each day his muscles ached from the exertions of the day. All the extra exercise, gave him an enormous appetite. They were well fed up at the base, and then Nick would come home and enjoy another meal with his wife.

As his training continued, he volunteered to train as a Para. He had to take a medical to make sure he was physically fit, and then he started going to the parachute training sessions in the training hanger.

The hanger had a circuit of swings and slides, and in one corner, high in the roof, a platform, to jump from.

Behind glass windows, along one side of the hanger were dozens of WAAFS, packing parachutes on very long tables. Above the window was a notice in large print. DO NOT DISTRACT THE GIRLS ATTENTION, SHE COULD BE PACKING YOUR 'CHUTE. No one ever did.

A lot of practise on the ground had to take place before they were even fitted with a parachute. They had to learn how to fall in various positions until finally they learned to fall onto their back; spreading the weight of the body like that made it seem easy, but later with the weight of all the equipment they would need to carry, it would be more important to land this way.

They used the big swing, with a harness to sit in, to practise, and it turned out to be good fun. After a week, it was time to try a real jump.

They were taken away from the Air base and taken out into the countryside. Where there was a balloon with a cage hanging beneath it. It was from here, at a height of 800 feet, that they would do their first two jumps.

Four of them would get in the cage at one time. Sitting in the corners with their legs pulled in, leaving the hole clear in the bottom. It took a few minutes to reach 800 feet, and the wind was stronger. They were advised not to look down. Nick concentrated on the balloon above. The first one jumped; there was a sound like the crack of a whip as their parachute opened.

"Ready Carter." Nick swung his feet into the hole, and the next thing he knew he was falling. He got a huge adrenaline rush; the view was amazing, he could see for miles. Although his parachute was slowing his descent, the ground seemed to be coming up fast.

"Get your feet together, Carter." He heard from a loud speaker below. Nick got his feet together, shoulders round; elbows in...the drill had been hammered into them during training. Nick came in for a forward landing to the right. It was a good landing. He got up, really pleased with himself.

They were taken up for another jump. This time he watched the parachute open up above him. It was all over too soon. He would have liked to enjoy the view a bit longer.

When he got home, he couldn't stop talking of his experience. His eyes were shining as he told Colette what it had felt like. She smiled at his enthusiasm; he was just like an excited child.

The next day they did their first jump from an aircraft. Everything was going fine until Nick jumped, the person who jumped out after him dropped like a stone with his 'chute fluttering useless above him. Once Nick had landed he ran towards where the man had landed. But the ambulance had already reached him and was driving away.

Nick often called the hospital to see how he was, but was only ever told he was comfortable. In the end he assumed he had died.

They had to do eight jumps to qualify for their wings. One jump was in the dark from the balloon. They also had to jump fully equipped with weapons.

Once qualified, Nick had a pay rise, and was also allowed two weeks leave.

Colette and Nick decided to go and visit her parents in Liverpool. Mr Dixon-Smith was not too happy at such short notice, but he didn't stop Colette from going. There were rumours everywhere of an invasion soon, and his wife told him they deserved a bit of time together.

"She will probably come back pregnant." He grumbled to his wife. "These damn Yanks are losing me some of my best workers."

"Don't be such a sour puss." She admonished him. "They deserve some happiness, who knows what the future holds for them."

Nick and Colette packed a bag.