October 19th was Kieu-Linh's sixteenth birthday. They celebrated with a small tinned cake which Hitch had picked up over the Summer from Mountain City. He'd bartered for it, not in anticipation of consuming it, but because he expected he could probably trade it later for something of more value, such treats rare from what he'd seen. With a long shelf-life and a dwindling supply of such things available, Hitch had wagered that it would be worth significantly more the following Spring than it had been months earlier.

But it was worth sacrificing the trade item to see the teen's eyes light up as he cut into the tin and carefully pulled out the sticky coconut crème cake, cutting a big slice for her near the fire, a smaller one for himself.

“Happy birthday. I don't have anything else to give you, I'm afraid,” Hitch said, “but I hope you know how much I care about you.” And he did care. He loved the girl even as he wrestled some days with the age gap and the concerns for their relationship. They still had only shared kisses and light touches, nothing sexual at all. But it was romantic and warm, a slow progression which found him becoming more and more smitten with his young partner.

Kieu-Linh giggled and took a bite, “mmm... wonderful!” They ate quickly and shared a sugary kiss. Miller had included a small package of coffee in his daughter's pack, and they shared a rather weak brew to wash down the cake.

Outside, the weather was cold but clear. Hitch prepared for another day on the hunt, hoping to bag a few more fat deer before it became more difficult to track game in the snows soon to come.

Kieu-Linh went to the outhouse a moment, and came back with her pants held in her arms, naked from the waist down, a slightly-disgusted look on her face. “I'm bleeding.”

Hitch's reaction to that sort of information was ingrained in him from long campaigns where his men were wounded far too often. He rushed to her, his mind already plotting where to grab the medical supplies, ready to apply pressure, momentarily preparing to call for a corpsman. When he saw the red, wet stains in the crotch of her jeans, then noticed that the teen's inner thigh showed a trail of the same, he relaxed and understood. “So I see... ok... Did you... bring any pads. Or tampons?”

Kieu-Linh shook her head. “No... Mom had me use some old cotton we had saved up. I've got a little with me...”

“Ok... uh... here, I'll take the pants. Do what you need to do, okay?”

Kieu-Linh nodded, moving over to where she had emptied the spare contents of her pack near the far wall. While she dug through the small pile of clothing and other supplies she'd brought, Hitch turned the jeans completely inside out.

The smell and sight of blood on her pants made Hitch pause. So many times he'd had to patch up a Marine in the field. The corpsmen were overworked and were special targets of the Imps. Every Marine had to know basic first aid, and most of them had learned, by necessity, how to field dress serious wounds. The blood in the crotch of Kieu-Linh's jeans made Hitch recall how he'd barely saved the life of one of his riflemen during Third Colorado.

Jimmy Kingman was a skinny black kid from Chicago and a damn fine Marine. He'd taken a round through his pelvis and lay bleeding a few feet beside the hastily constructed sandbag wall. It had taken Hitch almost fifteen minutes to get to the kid, finally getting enough suppressing fire to dare to charge over, bullets still zinging overhead, to pick up Kingman and drag him by his arms to a more secure position.

He'd been bleeding everywhere, his fatigues coated in the dark-red fluid. The Marine had kept calm, despite his painful wound, insisting he could still fight. Someone handed Kingman a carbine and while Hitch ripped open his pants and tried to stop the bleeding, Kingman emptied several mags over his head.

It had been a butcher's shot. Parts of Jimmy's penis and testicles were shredded and Hitch had to apply pressure to the area for several minutes before he managed to stem the flow. Kingman had lost a lot of blood, but he was still hanging in, somehow ignoring his pain and his destroyed genitals. A corpsman finally rushed in and took over, and Hitch had gone back to shoring up his line and forgot about Jimmy for some time.

The kid had survived the battle and was one of the three who had managed to stick with Hitch all the way along the retreat to Tulsa and then, a couple of years later, back to the mountains, saying goodbye to Hitch five years earlier when they disbanded their brigade.

Jimmy's genitals were destroyed, the kid would likely never have sex again. Hitch couldn't imagine how that must have hit Kingman at some point, how difficult that had to be. The man had never married, never so much as commented about his sexual conquests, at least not where Hitch could hear. But Jimmy was a consummate Marine, leaving the lines only long enough to get sewn up, and Hitch took a lot of inspiration from the way Kingman had pushed through and stayed with his brothers.

“Hitch?” He heard her voice as if through water, bubbling, slow and heavy, into his ears, arms feeling heavy and light at once, finally turning to see that Kieu-Linh was staring at him with a concerned expression. He was holding the bloody pants in front of him near the back of the bunker.

“Ah... Sorry, just...”

“There you are,” she said, “what is it?” Hitch looked over her body, seeing again the blood trail down her thigh as she slightly parted her legs and wiped her vulva. Even the sight of her menstrual discharge did nothing to diminish the sexual beauty he saw there. “Hitch?”

“I... just a memory...”

“Tell me... please... like you promised...”

As the teen finished wiping and stuffing loose cotton into her vagina, Hitch managed to describe Jimmy Kingman. It wasn't easy, talking about those parts of the war, the horrible things he'd seen. But Kieu-Linh's soft voice, her big, dark eyes made him find the strength to tell her. By the time he'd finished, she was holding his hand and leaning against him.

“That's awful... did Jimmy make it?”

“He was still alive when we broke up Turtletown a few years ago. I certainly hope he's still kicking. He was heading somewhere further north and east, maybe up around Asheville, but there's no telling where he is now.”

Hitch still held her bloody pants in his hands, could still smell the metallic, slightly-fishy discharge, the strong scents of the girl's monthly cycle filling his nose. Despite the horrid memory it had brought back, the odors were not wholly unpleasant. “I, uh... I'll wash these up. Listen,” he said, “we hunt today, but I think tomorrow, I need to make a run to town. We need a few things and we've got enough hides and meat to trade.”

“Mountain City?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay... You'll take me with you, right?” The tone in her voice made it clear that it was a rhetorical question.

Hitch was debating. On one hand, the bunker was the safest place he knew, largely because it was remote and difficult to reach. On the other, the thought of leaving the girl by herself, even for just the half-day or so it would take to make the round trip, was not appealing. “Yeah,” he said, finally, “you should come with me. I could use a second set of eyes.”

She smiled and kissed his cheek. “Good.” She looked down her body, and Hitch's eyes followed. “I should probably clean up better, first. Don't want the deer to smell me coming,” she said with a laugh. Hitch couldn't help looking down at where the teen's dark pubes had grown in thicker, the hairs more straight than curly.

“Good idea,” he said, trying to ignore his arousal. “Tell me something... where is your mom from? I've never asked that before. I know a bit about your dad, but so little about Kim-Ly.”

“Santa Barbara. My grandparents were from Vietnam, they came over sometime back to start a business. That's about all I know...” Kieu-Linh's voice trailed off.

“What is it?” Hitch asked.

“Not sure... I mean... Mom told me that once, but when I asked other times, she kinda... didn't really answer me. I never met them. Mom said they had died when she was younger, but... she kinda dodged the question. It used to bother me. I kinda wanted to know about them.” Kieu-Linh shrugged. “Maybe you can ask her when we see her again, maybe she'll tell you more. I kinda feel like maybe she's ashamed of them, or didn't get along with them, I dunno. She didn't really want to tell me anything about them.”

Hitch nodded. “Okay. I'll ask when we see her in the Spring.” The strong smell of metal and fish hit his nose. “I should get these cleaned up. I'll be at the creek.”

“Right behind you, just need some pants.”

- - -

Ever since Kieu-Linh's arrival, Hitch had taken to shaving daily. It gave him a focus, a return to the days when he was expected to set the standard for his men. The years he'd lived alone had seen his beard grow long and unkempt, but he found that he wanted to look his best for the girl, a thought that made him smile as he finished removing the day of growth from his chin.

Her jeans were draped over a large boulder beside the bank of the creek. He'd managed to get most of the stains out, some redness still evident on the inside of the crotch. It was in those moments of scrubbing out Kieu-Linh's menstrual blood that he realized that, like he had for his Marines, he'd do anything for the young woman. There had been no disgust or regret or hesitation when one of his men was in need, and he felt the same for the girl. Putting her health and happiness on par with what he'd felt for his Marines was a big thing for a man who would have braved anything for his men. Kieu-Linh had become an integral piece of Hitch's world, and he realized that his happiness, a state of being that just weeks earlier held little meaning to him, was tied strongly into Kieu-Linh's.

She washed up nearby. Hitch's eyes were drawn to where she had removed her clean pants, pulled out the cotton, and, shivering, quickly splashed cold water over her genitals. Her teeth were chattering, her legs spread wide. Hitch couldn't look away from where her thighs parted and the sixteen-year old's thin, dark-red labia had parted as well, a small trickle of blood leaking from her vagina. He grew hard, and she caught him looking at her.

Kieu-Linh laughed and said, “is this part of taking it slow? You staring at me while I wash my bloody crotch?”

Hitch smiled, “yes. Goddamn... you are so beautiful, Linh...”

“I'm bloody.”

“Bloody beautiful, the Brits would say.”

She laughed and stared at him a moment, shivering harder.

“Hurry up, don't need you getting pneumonia. We'll warm up inside before we head out.”

He finally managed to draw his eyes away from her young, maturing genitals and made his way back to the bunker, carrying his razor and the wet jeans. Inside, he added wood to the fire and sat down. His cock was still hard from the sight of Kieu-Linh's beautiful virgin pussy. He slowly caressed his length through his pants, debating in his mind whether the slow progress they'd made in their relationship was to the point of going the next step.

He heard her come in and he turned, letting his hand drop. Her eyes drew down to his crotch and he wondered if she could tell that he was erect. Kieu-Linh smiled but said nothing. She sat in front of him and he wrapped his arms around her body. She was chilled, shivering, and for long moments he held her, using his body to warm her from behind while the fire toasted her front side. His cock pressed rigidly in his pants where her lower back had settled snuggly against him.

She purred, and he knew she felt his arousal. They began to rock together as she grew warmer. He kissed her neck and slowly brought his hands up to caress her small breasts through her flannel shirt. She moaned and leaned her head back against him. His penis strained for release.

Her mounds were soft and wonderful, even through the fabric. One hand slid down slowly, resting a moment between her thighs, just over where her genitals were swollen, wads of cotton slowing the blood which trickled out. He unzipped her pants and slid a hand inside. She wore no panties, as always. He doubted she even had any. Hitch stroked her pubes, the soft hair tickling his palm as he slid his fingers lower.

Kieu-Linh's hard clit met his touch by swelling and rising from under its hood. She moaned and her hips rose automatically as he started to circle her sensitive flesh. He buzzed from arousal, the sixteen-year old's body tensing as she approached orgasm. He nuzzled her neck while his fingers twirled, her cinnamon skin suddenly sweaty, the salty flesh like sweet cream on his tongue.

“Oh... oh... oh... oh...” Kieu-Linh leaned against him hard, twitching. His cock swelled and pushed against her lower back. His own hips moved in circles, the light friction making his penis leak precum into his jeans. “Oh... oh... oh... mmmm... mmmm...” He felt her jerk, then her body arched, her ass pressed back, and she climaxed with a long moan. “Uuuuuuuuhhhh... Ooooohhhh...”

Hitch felt himself tense unexpectedly. He pushed his groin against Kieu-Linh's backside, thrusting against the pressure of her body. Semen surged up his shaft and exploded in his jeans. “Ohhhh... Linh... Ohhh... ooohmmmm...” He ejaculated, the warm cum splashing against the front of his pants, coating his flesh and running over his balls.

They sat breathing heavily, his fingers gently massaging her clit as he flushed with pleasure. Slowly, he withdrew his hand and brought it to his nose. Hitch inhaled her odors, the strong smell of her flesh invigorating and exciting him. “I love you, Linh... oh, God... I love you...”

She turned her head and kissed him, her eyes dancing, her pupils dilated. “I've wanted you to touch me there for so long,” she said, “mmmm...” Kieu-Linh rose to her knees and turned around, then looked down to where a dark wet spot had formed on the front of Hitch's blue jeans. “You had one, too?”

He smiled and kissed her lips, “yes... it was wonderful...”

She giggled and touched the spot with her fingers, drew them away damp. She sniffed her hand and smiled again. “Next time... I want to touch you, too...”

“I'd like that...” Hitch let out a long breath, said, “well... that was an unexpected pleasure...”

“Happy birthday to me,” she said, grinning.

“Suppose we should get moving if we hope to find game.”

Kieu-Linh pushed her head against Hitch's chest and hugged him. “I wish we could just stay in and touch each other...”

“Me too,” he said, meaning it, “but we need to keep hunting while the weather holds. There will be time in the snowy season when we have no choice but to stay in and make love...”

“Make love... like... more than just touching?”

He smiled. “Yes. We will make love. But,” he said, kissing her forehead, “I think we're both rather enjoying taking it slow, yes?”

“Yes,” she said, purring, “but... I can't wait to do more... I want it so bad...”

“I know... I promise we'll get there... I love you, Kieu-Linh.”

“I love you, Hitch... best birthday ever, even with me bleeding...”

- - -

They bagged two deer and a turkey that day despite the late start, and had settled in late, planning to head to Mountain City at first light.

Hitch was up before dawn, getting ready. The truck was tucked into a thick grove just down the rise, hidden amongst the trees and covered with thick brush. Even in the darkness, he was able to slowly peel back the layers of limbs and foliage and by the time light started to show in the east, he had the truck ready to go.

Kieu-Linh came out carrying the first armload of hides they'd use to barter for supplies. Twenty minutes later, they had packed everything in the bed and tied it down. They had hides and some aged venison which Hitch hoped would trade for a solid amount of grains and other items they needed for the Winter.

They piled into the truck and Hitch handed Kieu-Linh the M4 carbine. She looked at it with steady eyes. She'd never handled an automatic before, but Hitch was confident that, should they face a threat, she was a solid rifleman and would know how to hit a target. He'd previously showed her the safety and how to switch out magazines. There were several loaded mags in the glove box, more under the seat.

“I know we went over this last night, but it never hurts to be certain what we are doing. Follow my commands if I think we are being threatened. Only fire the weapon if I say so or if it is clear that we are being attacked. Stay with me and don't get separated. The Imps weren't around last time I went down the mountain, but we never know. We get in and get out as quickly as possible.”

“Understood.”

“Good.” The truck's heat had finally started to blow over their chilled bodies. As he did every few minutes, Hitch patted the M9 on his hip for reassurance. It was a habit that went all the way back to his days in Afghanistan and Iraq. It settled him, gave him a moment of steadiness that allowed him to focus and keep control. Even though he was long past needing that reassurance, he still felt better every time he touched the sidearm's cool metal on his finger. “Let's go.”

The truck ground into gear and they rumbled slowly down the tricky dirt path that hugged a steep ridge before quickly descending into the valley.

- - -

Hitch parked the truck just over the knoll above Mountain City and stood in front of it, compact binoculars scanning the buildings below. He could see a couple of old cars slowly traveling west out of town, three or four old men walking together down the main strip. There was no sign of the Imps. Still, his training and experience led him to wait for more observation before concluding it was safe to proceed.

Kieu-Linh stepped out of the cab and pulled her pants to her calves, squatting down. Hitch could hear her piss splashing onto the nearly-frozen ground while he watched the community below. When she finished, she stepped up beside him, whispering, “anything?”

“So far, it looks calm. No Imps. But that could change quickly. Keep your eyes open.” He'd taken the scope off his Weatherby before leaving the bunker and Kieu-Linh brought it to her eye, using it to scan the town.

They waited another half-hour before Hitch decided it was worth proceeding. The truck rumbled down the knoll and they pulled up next to where the town's merchant held shop. Hitch exited the cab and Kieu-Linh followed him. He kept his sidearm in plain view, knowing it did a lot to discourage anyone from a desperate action against him. Kieu-Linh hid the carbine within her jacket, slung so that she could quickly bring it up in defense.

Hitch opened the door to the shop and the two stepped in. He'd told Kieu-Linh to watch the street from the door, and as he strode up to where the merchant eyed him wearily, she hung back and kept her gaze out of the shop.

“Morning, Hitch” the merchant said, his eyes tired and his voice without enthusiasm.

“Morning, Javier.”

“A second trip this year? Didn't expect to see you again before the Spring.” His eyes cast to Kieu-Linh, staring silently a moment. “Picked up a stray?”

“Something like that.” Hitch quickly sized up the spare goods on the shelves. “Heard from Nelson lately?” Lance Corporal Nelson was the Marine from South Carolina who Hitch had bartered with earlier in the year, the young trader hauling goods from town to town in an old industrial van.

Javier shook his head. “Haven't seen him since you were here last. Think he was heading north towards Kentucky. Dunno.” The man nodded his head in the direction of the truck. “What'd you bring?”

“Three dozen hides, sixty pounds of venison, some dried berries and nuts.”

Javier nodded again. “Ok. I can work with that. What do you need?”

“The usual. Flour, oil, canned goods. Anything fresh?”

“Just got a load of smoked hog from a guy who came by three days ago. Said he's been hunting south and killed a mess of wild ones. Good quality. Also have some potatoes, pickled squash and cukes, a few sacks of corn. Only flour I've got is a bit mealy, but I'm sure it can be picked through.”

“Ok. This guy, anyone I know?”

Javier shrugged again, “no idea. Never saw him before, went by 'Jimmy.'”

“Jimmy Kingman?”

The man shrugged again. “Dunno. Skinny black fella, looked like a grunt, the way his eyes moved. Carried a carbine.”

Hitch felt a surge of relief. “Bet that's him. One of my Marines. Haven't seen him in a long time.”

Javier nodded. “Could be. Let me see what you've got and let's get you out of here quickly.”

“Trouble?”

Javier eyed him a moment. “Dunno. Imps been out of sight for a year, but there's rumblings of a new offensive. They're eyeing the coast again. Not expecting them up in these parts, but you never know. Some people claiming that they've turned a few coats and have more eyes and ears round here than before. Others saying the Imps are going to leave and Chicago's moving back in. Who knows? Dangerous times.”

“Dangerous times. As usual.”

“Aye,” Javier said with resignation.

Kieu-Linh stayed in the shop while Hitch and Javier unloaded the hides, meat, and other goods from the bed and took them inside, stacking them in a corner. While Javier gathered up what he would offer in trade, Hitch stood with the teen and watched the street.

He never really got used to the way the town felt abandoned. There were a few hundred people in and around, but they were rarely seen. Women, especially, were scarce. Too many of them had been kidnapped and raped over the years by Imps and locals alike, and it reminded Hitch of his days in Afghanistan where women were kept locked in homes and rarely seen.

An old man shuffled down the street past the shop, his cane keeping him balanced as he shakily placed one foot in front of the other. Nothing else moved.

Javier piled up the goods near the counter and Hitch eyed them. “Not as much as I expected.”

“Tough times, Hitch. Not getting things in quantity like I used to. Best I can do.”

Hitch looked over the shelves. “Throw in a couple more things, if you have them.”

“Perhaps. What do you need?”

“Cotton, cloth, pads, tampons, if you have anything like that.”

Javier eyed Kieu-Linh but said nothing about her. “What else?”

“Salt. I'm almost out.”

Javier shifted uneasily. “Can't really throw in much more, Hitch. Sorry...”

Hitch looked at the piles of goods again, not happy with the exchange. “Come on, Javier. That's half the rate I got just a few months ago.”

“Times are tough. Supplies are drying up. Was a hot summer, crops failing all over. People are not coming in to trade like they used to. Best I can do.”

Hitch fretted, looking back at Kieu-Linh, her eyes watching him a moment before turning back to the street.

He looked down at his hand. “What would this bring me?” he said, the gold band on his finger held up for the merchant to see. Hitch stared at the ring a long moment. It had been there since he'd married Julie so long ago. He had never taken it off. Slowly, with more effort than it should have taken, he slid it from his finger and carefully placed it on the counter.

Hitch suddenly felt naked.

Javier leaned forward and examined it a moment. “Well,” the trader said slowly, “I can work with that. I know a guy who comes 'round a few times a year. He has an eye for these things. Dunno what he's doing with them, but...” He trailed off and gathered a few more sacks of goods, including a forty-pound bag of salt. “All the salt I have left.”

“What else? Come on, I know you can get more than that, Javier.”

The merchant hesitated, then added small bags of cinnamon, pepper, a few small jars of honey, and a small sack of garlic. “Best I can do, Hitch. Take it or leave it.”

Hitch looked at the ring again. It was hard to part with it, but it was time, he knew. His relationship with Kieu-Linh had progressed to the point where the symbol of his dead wife was less important to him than it once was. Still, his fingers trembled as he slowly pushed it across the counter. “Throw in the pads or cotton or whatever you have, and we have a deal.”

Javier nodded, quickly snatching the ring and pocketing it, then went into the back room, coming back with a bundle of torn rags and a large metal tin holding cotton balls. “All I got.”

Hitch still felt like he should have gotten more, but the merchant had made it clear he could do nothing further. They shook hands and in minutes, Hitch and Kieu-Linh were back in the truck, their supplies tied down in the bed.

“You sold your ring?” She said quietly.

“Yes.”

She looked out the right window as they started moving up the rise out of town. “Why?”

“We needed supplies.”

“Was it hard?” she said in a soft voice.

“Yes.” Hitch tried not to think on it too deeply. He'd clearly crossed some barrier, some emotional boundary, but wary and alert, he couldn't delve into the confusing moment with any clarity. “It had to be done.”

Kieu-Linh said nothing further, but she took his right hand in her left and held him tight as they rumbled on with snow beginning to fall around them.

- - -

The truck barely held onto the tricky path with the snow falling heavier as they climbed the ridge. Twice the tires spun loosely, the right side of the dirt road only a couple of feet from a steep drop. Hitch was focused and managed to keep control long enough to avoid allowing the truck to move sideways and over the edge, but it was close.

They unpacked their supplies quickly and ducked inside as the cold snow came down wet and heavy.

They sat around the fire eating quickly-boiled potatoes with a bit of salt.

“Will you tell me about her?” Kieu-Linh said between bites.

“Who?” Hitch responded.

“Your wife.”

Hitch didn't really want to discuss it right then. Selling the ring had been the right thing to do, but in the quiet safety of the bunker it had caused to him to start remembering all the things he'd loved about her, all the things he'd lost when she died.

“Linh... I don't know that I can right now...”

She was quiet a moment before saying, “alright... Sorry you had to sell your ring...”

“It's ok. I don't really know why I kept it on all those years. I... I guess it gave me some hope. Not that I would see her again, I knew she was dead... just... hope that maybe... maybe there was some part of me left to have hope. It's silly, I know.”

“I don't think it's silly. I think it's sweet. You loved her a lot, didn't you?”

“Deeply.”

“She was a Marine?”

“Yes,” Hitch replied, staring at the stove, “she died doing what she loved. She was a helluva Marine.”

“Where did she die?” Kieu-Linh asked softly.

“I don't know. She was in Intelligence and I rarely knew where she was deployed. Middle East somewhere, most likely. But I'll never know. I found out while I was in Israel.”

Kieu-Linh set down her bowl and leaned into him. “I'm sorry you lost her... I really am...”

“Me too... but... that was a long time ago. I've lived without her much longer than I lived with her. Just one more lesson that life takes away the things you love without any reason or explanation. It just happens.”

“Is... Is that why you wanted to take it slow with me?”

“Partly... yes,” he replied. “I... I can't bear the thought of loving someone that way again and losing her. It makes me feel sick that I might lose you one day... I hate that part of life...”

“Kinda like war?”

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“You said that you hated combat, but part of you found it thrilling, too. That the risk of death made it meaningful and every decision mattered.”

“Yes, that's true.”

“Isn't love kind of like that? The risk of losing someone... makes you find value in the experience... makes you see meaning in everything you do?”

Hitch was silent a moment, not wholly certain the analogy held, but he was impressed by the girl's ability to connect such disparate events. He didn't respond with words. Instead, he pulled her to him and kissed her deeply. “I didn't want this, Kieu-Linh. I didn't want to fall in love with you. I didn't want to risk my heart again. I can't tell you how hard it has been to open myself like this.”

She stared at him with soft, dark eyes.

“But... you've convinced me, Linh... you've convinced me to take the risk... I hope you understand that... I don't hold back from our relationship out of anything personal. You're amazing, beautiful and sharp, and... I find myself loving you more each and every day. I hold back only... because...”

“Because you fear you'll lose me...”

“Yes.”

She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. “I'll never leave you.”

“Not intentionally, I know.” Hitch kissed her cheek. “But sometimes you can't control that.”

“I know,” Kieu-Linh said softly, “but I'll do anything to be with you always. I'll never leave you. I promise.”

“I'd like that, Linh... I'd really like to believe that...”

The sadness in his voice came through strong, his resignation to the day when Kieu-Linh was ripped from his arms deep-seated and already festering.

Slender fingers slid over his crotch, tentative and gentle. She looked into his eyes, “please... let me make you feel good...”

He said nothing as she slipped down his zipper. Hitch leaned back as Kieu-Linh pulled his flaccid penis from the opening. Her hand moved carefully, uncertain. She watched him for clues to what felt good. His hips rose slightly, his cock hardening against her palm as she rubbed him slowly.

Kieu-Linh unbuttoned his jeans, then pushed his length down and held it against his body, lightly rubbing the skin of his shaft up and down. Hitch groaned, the teen's inexperienced movement incredibly erotic. Precum leaked from the tip of his dick and pooled on his skin. “Oh... Linh...”

“Like this?” she said, continuing to move her palm up and down against the underside of his penis.

He nodded, not willing to break in to show her how to wrap her fingers around and jerk him off. Hitch found it amazing, the girl's hand slightly rough from years of laborious work, but still tender and soft, too. He watched her, Kieu-Linh's eyes moving from his face to his cock. Her flesh slipped along his, teasing the head of his dick, sliding down to the top of his hairy balls, then back up again.

He came in long spurts, groaning, his fingers tensing as she watched him ejaculate onto his stomach. Creamy cum splashed against his shirt. He pulsed and moaned, his eyes closing finally, euphoria sweeping from his groin to his limbs.

It was over too quickly and he became sensitive, reaching down to hold her hand still against him while his cock jerked and leaked cum. He opened his eyes. Kieu-Linh was staring at his face, mouth open slightly, the curiosity and arousal clear on her flushed skin. Hitch pulled her down over him, her weight pressing down on his cock, semen squishing onto her flannel shirt. “Kieu-Linh... oh...”

“I love you, Hitch... I love you so much... I just want you to feel good again... to be happy again.”

He kissed her and held her body tightly against him, letting his cum soak between them, his penis spasming randomly as it slowly grew soft. He had thoughts of sliding his hand into her pants, but he grew very tired, weary from the trip to town and by the weight of his emotions which soaked into his thoughts. He began to doze, Kieu-Linh over him, resting her head against his shoulder, her slender body a welcome warmth in the chill air of the bunker.

- - -

Hitch woke to movement against him. His reflexes fired quickly and he was on his feet in a crouch, hand immediately around the Beretta he kept close by. Kieu-Linh had rolled off of him and watched him silently, eyes tired. He relaxed, realized his pants were still undone. He slid his soft penis back in and zipped up, dried, sticky cum plastered on his pubic mound. He saw more of it dried on Kieu-Linh's shirt.

She pulled him to the mattress and he set aside the sidearm, taking the teen into his arms. He could smell her body, a mix of sweat and semen and menstrual blood. He nuzzled her neck a few moments before her body began to relax and she turned over, pressing her back against him. Hitch curled around her and made a silent vow to never take her for granted, to never forget how lucky he was to have Kieu-Linh in his life. Whatever was to come, whatever grief he might suffer, she was in his arms at that moment, and he wanted nothing more in his life.

- - -

Hitch rose before dawn the next morning and prepared the stove, settling a kettle on top, before opening the door to the bunker and stepping out. The snow had stopped, though a chilly wind blew heavy across the ridge. He listened silently a few minutes, heard little beyond the breeze, and returned to the bunker to find Kieu-Linh stretching sleepily, a small smile on her face.

“Good morning, Sweetheart,” Hitch said, “I love you.”

Her smile broadened. “Good morning. I love you, too...”

He knelt at her side and ran his fingers through her silk, tangled hair. Hitch touched her cheek, then kissed her. “Thank you... for last night... I should have returned the kindness...”

“No, that was for you... I wanted to make you feel good... did I do okay?”

“Yes... I loved every second of it,” he scratched at the dried sperm on her shirt, “can't you tell?”

She giggled and slid the soiled shirt from her body. “I should clean this, I suppose.”

Hitch stared at her small breasts. They still had the puffy quality he'd seen first around the hot spring months earlier, but as her body matured, Kieu-Linh's tits had become rounder, fuller, a young woman's chest where a budding girl's had been. Her dark nipples were tight over her puffy arealoe, the cold air causing her to reach for the blanket. “You are so beautiful,” he said with sincerity. She paused her movement to let him enjoy her naked flesh a moment, then covered up.

It would have been easy to slide back onto the mattress and finally make love to Kieu-Linh, but there was a lot to do. If the weather was going to hold, it should be a good day to track game with a moderate amount of snow on the ground. Tracks would be obvious and well-defined, and the soft crunch of the wet snow made it easier to stalk quietly behind their prey. He kissed her again, then said, “hungry?”

“Yeah. Need to use the outhouse and clean myself up a bit.” Kieu-Linh pulled back the covers, looking down at her crotch. “I might have bled through the wadding.”

She stepped out of the covers and slid on a thick woolen sweater, letting her naked breasts protrude freely underneath. The teen grabbed cotton and a couple of rags, a clean pair of jeans, and a bar of soap, then headed towards the passage to the outhouse.

Hitch made salted oatmeal and portioned out two small chunks of smoked pork along with a few fresh berries, steeping tea leaves in the boiling kettle. By the time Kieu-Linh returned, he had their meal ready to eat.

“Wasn't too bad, just a smear. Should I... reuse the cotton?”

Hitch shook his head. “No, not for the blood. Keep it, though, we can dry it out and use it for tinder as needed.”

“Nothing wasted,” she replied.

“Exactly.”

She stashed the bloody cotton and the rag she'd used in the crotch of her jeans, then they ate a hasty breakfast. A half-hour later, they were moving silently through the trees in search of game.

- - -

Around noon, the sound of jets screeching through the skies turned Hitch's eyes upwards. The four planes slashed through the mostly-clear blue heavens at a rapid pace, soon lost beyond the ridge line to the east. It wasn't common for military aircraft to fly over that area, but it wasn't the first time Hitch had seen them, either. They looked like Typhoons, fighters used by several European nations, including the UK. It was the first time Hitch had seen them in the skies overhead, and pondered what it meant for the war.

Whatever they represented, it changed nothing for him or Kieu-Linh. They'd already killed two deer which they'd left a mile down the trail, field dressed and packed in snow. He knew it was risky leaving them unguarded. Any number of scavengers might steal their kills, but they were tracking a larger prize.

He'd discovered black beer tracks not long after shooting the two does. Only once during his stay in the mountains had Hitch killed a bear, and it had been a fantastic addition for his winter supplies two years before. The meat was tasty, a bit like pork, and had good fat content, a touch richer than venison. The hide was excellent, as well, as were any fat reserves which could be used to fry or thicken.

This was a big one by the size of the tracks, and Hitch knew it was the perfect time to make the kill. Black bears hibernated during the Winter months, especially if the weather was harsh. While they may come out to forage, they tended to conserve energy and wait out the thaws in Spring. A fat black bear would be a capstone which might make the cold months more palatable.

They stalked quietly for over an hour. They found where the bear had urinated, its scat further along. Hitch led the way as they followed the trail past several wild cherry trees, the fruit long gone, and along a dense patch of overgrown brambles and ferns.

The unmistakable sound of claws on bark made him freeze and listen. Kieu-Linh held her spot a few feet behind him. From the sound, the bear was about a few dozen meters ahead and down from them in an area where Hitch knew there was a small spring and blackberry bushes. He spun and crouched, whispering to Kieu-Linh. “Ok, here's what I want to do. Position is really important here.”

She listened carefully.

“I'll slip down the slope just ahead and move down to the line of boulders just there, see them?”

She nodded.

“The bear is just beyond that, to the east by the sound of it. I want you to stay on the high ground and work ahead about fifty meters. Stop there and listen. If you can see the bear, get prone and ready your shot. I'll do the same from your right. Whatever you do, don't fire anywhere close to me, and don't go further down than where you can see that fallen pine.” He pointed ahead and she nodded again.

“If you have a kill shot, take it. Otherwise, wait for my report to fire. It may take a few shots to bring it down. I don't really want to follow a wounded, angry bear leaving a blood trail far. We have to be quick, though. It won't linger.”

“Got it.”

“If it charges, scream and make noise. Shoot if you can, otherwise, use your bush knife if it gets close. Go for the throat.”

“I know,” she said with a smile, “you told me before.”

“Never hurts to hear it again,” Hitch replied, “ready?”

“Yes.”

Hitch slid down the slope and into the trees, losing sight of Kieu-Linh as he made his way to the broken rocks which formed a natural barrier between the trees and the spring. He peered over the stones, and could just make out the bear's black fur through the foliage. He needed to get closer.

He moved to his left so as not to step close to Kieu-Linh's likely field of fire. He strode swiftly, crouched, keeping his footsteps to the lightest of crunches. The bear was behind a tree when he spotted it again, blocking a kill shot. Hitch cursed, debating his next move.

A shot boomed from his left and he saw the bear jerk and fall to its side. It tried to stand. Hitch raised his rifle, trying to get a clean angle. Another shot rang, blood splattered from near the bear's eye. It twitched, jerked again, and collapsed, muscles spasming as it let out a desperate growl.

“Kieu-Linh!” Hitch shouted.

He heard her reply filtered through the trees. “Here!”

“Cease fire! Stay where you are!”

“Okay!”

“Nice shots!”

He crept into the area around the spring, keeping the spasming bear in sight. It was still dangerous, and he cautiously approached it, shouldering his rifle and pulling out his M9. By the time he'd gotten close enough to see the bear clearly, it had stopped moving and was still. He waited a moment, watching for signs of life. It wasn't breathing. Still, he waited, knowing looks could be deceiving.

Finally satisfied that the bear was dead, he called out to Kieu-Linh and had her join him.

She walked in slowly. He grinned at her. “Excellent shots. One through the brain stem, one through the brain. Either would have killed it quickly. Well done.”

Kieu-Linh beamed. “My first bear.”

“I doubt it will be your last.”

James "Hitch" Hitchens, Male, 50

	- US Marine Corps and Turtletown Patriot officer, veteran of The War

	- 6'0, 180lbs, tanned beige skin, cropped brown hair

Kieu-Linh Miller, Female, 16

	- Daughter of Miller and Kim-Ly

	- 5'7, 135lbs, cinnamon skin, shoulder-length silky black hair