TDTLBU Chapter Sixty-Four

"We've what??" Sandy cried in horror, his jaw dropping. He was the only man in the entire unit that actually managed to find his voice long enough to say anything. The others were staring at Ronnie in mute shock.

"We've been called back to front lines," Ronnie repeated calmly. This time, his announcement was met with a surge of disgusted complaints. They had been promised several weeks of rest and they hadn't even got their full winter equipment yet. And here they had only been in camp for a week and already called back to the front.

"But... why?" Dan called above the chaos. 

"This morning, the Krauts attacked our lines in Ardennes. Most of the men there are green troops and we're in training. There's no way they'll be able to hold out. They've called our entire division to Ardennes immediately. We leave tonight." Ronnie paused, looking pointedly at the men around him. "Guys... this is it." His voice was deadly serious. "This is Germany's last stand. If we beat them back here, we might... end the war. We're facing the end right here, right now. There's no backing down now. What we do from here on out will decide the fate of the entire world."

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The entire camp, vast as it was, was completely down by early evening. Rations were restocked, the meager winter supplies distributed, and prayers said. Josh vanished for a few hours, but he was back in time for the march and no one asked any questions. Ronnie wouldn't let them. It was generally supposed that the lieutenant had sent Torpedo on some sort of a secret mission, although why Torpedo, of all people, would be chosen for such a task was beyond them. 

Only a few hours hadn't seemed nearly long enough for Josh and Emma, and it hadn't been at all what they planned. The orders to the front had been so thoroughly unexpected. Emma had shown up for her wedding more ashen-faced than Josh had ever seen her before. But she was smiling in spite of it all and looked radiantly beautiful, dressed in her white uniform and, miraculously, with flowers in her hair... winter flowers, found growing beneath the snow. Josh lost all traces of sense he ever had in his mind when he saw her and just stared, speechlessly. He was wearing his combat uniform, simply because there was quite literally nothing else. But he had her wedding ring and the license he had gotten in England. And most importantly, they had managed to find a minister... a military chaplain sworn to secrecy. 

"Now, Mrs. Campbell-Hayes," Josh had whispered between kisses as they said goodbye. "If I die, then you can say you're a widow instead of just a grieving fiancé."

"I don't want to be either," Emma whispered back, looking almost as if she wanted to slap him. But she kissed him instead. "I'm a wife, and a wife I shall stay, and don't you forget that, Mr. Campbell-Hayes."

As units set out one by one, Ronnie stopped his men and together, they knelt in the snow that had just begun to fall.

"Lord God," Ronnie prayed as those around him bowed their heads. "What we do now, we commit to Thee. Use us for Thy purpose and if it be Thy will, give us the strength and courage we need to fight this evil until we conquer it. In Thy name we go forth in faith. Amen." 

The men were to be transported to the front in trucks and they climbed on, grateful they didn't have to walk. It was a long way to Belgium.

"Kinda scary, isn't it?" Sam grimaced as the trucks rumbled off across the snowy landscape. "I mean... this feels awful big."

"It is," Ronnie grinned crookedly. "Maybe the biggest yet. But be strong, soldier. We will win this war."