They had left on schedule a few hours before sunset in Willow's truck, the three of them on the bench seat with windows down and wind blowing across their bodies on a warm evening in November. Hitch and Kieu-Linh had bought gold with their credits along with a few supplies. Hitch bought his wife a new rifle with a scope and it thrilled her to talk about going hunting again. They'd picked up ammunition and clothing, food and a small camp stove to use on the journey east.

He'd worried a bit that they might find trouble at the checkpoints heading out of Denver, but Willow's identity made it easy to proceed without incident. They were approaching Kentucky a couple of days later, all of them in a rush to get to their destination.

South of Lexington, they decided to park the truck and bury the gold and any supplies they couldn't carry with them on the hump south. Willow's small fortune had meant a heavy load, and she used some of the credits on jewelry and other valuables which weighed less and might be useful in barter with the mountain traders. They packed heavy rucks and tied clothing onto straps, burying the rest, and headed on foot through the hills of Kentucky.

They camped the first night under the stars. It was warm for November and the air was perfectly comfortable as Kieu-Linh and Hitch cuddled together, Willow a few feet away. Without thinking, he started to kiss his wife passionately, the romantic mood broken only when he remembered that his daughter was just to his side.

Still, he let his hands play over Kieu-Linh's chest, unable to keep from touching her gently, her quiet sighs making him grow hard despite Willow's presence. He whispered to his wife, “wish we were alone right now...”

- - -

Willow could hear them kissing and knew that she was listening to something which deserved privacy. When she heard her father's words, spoken in a whisper but still audible enough to make out in the still air, Willow knew what she should do.

“You don't have to stop because of me,” her voice said softly. “I'll go for a walk.”

“No, no, it's ok, Willow, we just... uh...” her dad started.

“It's alright. I'm not sleepy right now. And I like to think about things while I pace around. Does me good.” Willow pulled out of her sleeping bag and stood, stretching. She walked down the edge of the field in which they'd made camp, the night warm despite the late month.

It was odd to think about her father being intimate with a teenage girl. Girl, she thought, no, she's not a girl anymore. She's a veteran and a hero. Kieu-Linh is a woman. Still, other than the time she'd encountered them in their tent weeks earlier, the young woman with a drop of her father's cum on her face, she'd never thought about whether her father had those urges.

Willow herself had suppressed those needs for a long time, only once in the last couple of years so much as masturbating. She let herself fantasize a bit as she walked, wondering what else might await her in the future. Might she find a lover or at least someone who felt about her what her father felt for Kieu-Linh? She didn't need a man, to be sure, but the idea of it was nice and left her with thoughts about her own life and those in it which had little to do with the way she'd been cold and methodical as a leader of men and women fighting for their lives.

Willow stopped along a tree line and leaned back against a thick oak. She sighed and let her fingers draw down over her crotch, the sensation pleasant, and she slipped her pants down to her knees, bearing her private flesh in the warm, still night.

She played with herself idly, not seeking orgasm. Willow had only rarely done such things, and when she did, it usually was rushed and more for release than sexual pleasure. Now, suddenly without the overriding stress and responsibility, she found her movements almost cautious, exploring her flesh like she hadn't since she had when she was a girl, touching herself in a light, carefree way that made her feel young again despite her sore hips and tired legs.

Willow dipped a finger into her vagina and drew back her wetness. She sniffed her scent, found it as pleasant as she remembered, then tasted her juices, the sweet, pungent cream no longer the delicate flavor from her youth, but still wonderful on her tongue.

She spent long minutes doing nothing more than sliding her fingers through her slit, dipping into her opening and spreading wetness onto her erect clit. She heard pleasant moans from the camp and knew she was hearing Kieu-Linh's cries as the young woman orgasmed. It made her horny, more than just enjoying her own touch. Another cry from her father's wife made her circle her clit rapidly, soon bucking against her finger, stifling a long moan as she started to cum.

“Mmmmmmm... mmmmm... mmmmm... mmmmm...”

Willow's vagina dripped light cream into the crotch of her panties before she sank down onto the ground, not caring that her ass was pressing into the soil at the base of the tree. She laughed to herself, feeling very good suddenly, flushed with her orgasm. Willow let her hand move around her own crotch, teasing out old feelings of desire and enjoyment. Maybe she might find a lover again, maybe she might even share her bed and her private flesh with someone who wanted it. It didn't need to be love, she imagined, only a kind man who would share in her pleasure.

She thought about the way a man's penis looked and realized that almost all of them she'd seen had attached to her men in the brigade, either seen briefly in showers, or, more frequently, below cut away pants as a medic tended a wound.

Willow pushed those thoughts aside, remembering her last lover and how his cock had felt in her hands, in her mouth. She remembered taking it inside her body, but the memory was fuzzy and hard to recall. She slid a finger into her pussy, and soon added a second. She humped against her own penetration, soon shuddering into a second orgasm and flooding her fingers once more.

- - -

Hitch had stayed inside Kieu-Linh again when he came, filling the teen's vagina with his seed, knowing it was the middle of her cycle, her most fertile time. They'd not talked about it, but after the events in the west, they'd both accepted the risk, that they wanted that shared experience, and if his seed found purchase in her egg, Hitch found himself becoming accepting and even excited by the prospect of having a child with his young wife.

Regardless, as he slid from between her legs, he knew his semen had flooded her channel and left them both shaking and very satisfied. Kieu-Linh slid onto her side and kissed him, then rested her head on his chest. They breathed together deeply, quietly, listening to each other and the noises of crickets and bats and critters scurrying through the field.

Kieu-Linh was asleep quickly, but Hitch stayed awake until his daughter returned some time later. She walked up quietly, practiced in the silent movements, but he heard her from a distance and smiled in the darkness at her return. He whispered, just loud enough to be heard, “thank you, Willow.”

Her reply was just as quiet, “anytime, Dad. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

- - -

It was the forth day in when Kieu-Linh's leg began to throb in pain. It was still healing fine, but the exertion was taking its toll and it left her walking with a limp which she tried to hide as much as possible. Willow noticed it first and without asking and without being noticed, took on some of the young woman's load while Kieu-Linh went to urinate nearby. If Kieu-Linh had noticed that her pack was lighter when she picked it up again, she didn't mention it.

During another stop later that day, while Kieu-Linh leaned against a tree and closed her eyes, Willow pulled her dad aside and whispered, “she laboring on that leg.”

“I know.”

“We need to take more rests. Otherwise, she'll be lame and we'll have to figure out another way to go south.”

“Agreed. It might slow us, but she needs to rest. I'd rather not bring it up. She's pretty stubborn and proud, she'll be a bit defensive if she thinks we're doing it because of her.”

“Sounds a lot like someone else I know,” Willow stated, looking at her father.

“That makes two of us,” he grinned.

“You doing ok?” she asked quietly.

“Yeah. I'm hanging in. We haven't hit the hard parts yet. Moving into the big mountains below us will be tough, but I'll manage.”

His hand rose to touch her neck gently, tracing over the Marine Corp symbol she'd had tattooed on her skin when she was sixteen. “Never could have guessed you'd become a Marine in all but name. You'd have done the Corps proud, Willow. I know you made me proud.”

She smiled, the innocent touch enjoyable and welcome. “Thanks, Dad... I was always proud of you and Mom for what you did. I always wanted to live up to your example.” Willow glanced back at Kieu-Linh, and added, “she's good for you, you know.”

“You have no idea how deep it goes. She's helped me deal with... myself.”

They started to walk back into the woods a bit so that they could talk, Kieu-Linh snoring softly where she rested against the tree. “What do you mean,” Willow asked.

“After the war... it can hit you what you've done, Willow. The deaths, the sounds, the terror... the 'what ifs.' You don't think about that too much, if you're lucky, when you're fighting, but it creeps up on you and can hit you hard. Some people... it happens quickly, while they're still on the line. Some, like me... it happens later... I... I sometimes space out... I remember... people who died in my arms... decisions I should have made... the way it felt... that rush of combat and death and blood and fear and the thrill of the fight... it can be overwhelming.”

Willow was quiet a while, staring out into the dense trees surrounding them. “I worry about that, Dad. Sometimes... I feel it in me... I know it's there... like a shadow... growing thicker and darker. I'm scared of it.” She exhaled slowly, calming herself. “Imps I can kill. And I can face my own death. Those don't scare me anymore... but what's in there,” she said, tapping her head, “I'm scared I can't control it.”

“I thought I could... for a long time. I didn't notice what was going on, when I... went away... Linh noticed... I think it scared her, at first... but she didn't let it scare her away, and she didn't make me aware of it until we got to Denver... I think it was time, then. She seemed to know, and she told me what she saw me do, the way I stared and muttered. I didn't really remember it. But now that I know... it scared me for a while... maybe, when we are home and I have time to think about it again... It might scare me again.”

“Does it ever get better, Dad? Remembering?”

“I don't know. I can't really judge it. I mean... some days, I'm fine, and since we joined the fight, I don't think I've gone there again, not since those days. But... I know it's in me... I know it's all there...”

Willow felt sad. Not for herself, but for her father. She didn't like to know that he struggled with his trauma, that he suffered for his sacrifice in the war. “Maybe it's better to die on the field. Maybe it is more honorable... less... of a burden on others to go down in the fight...”

“I used to think that... until her,” her father said, a small smile on his face. “She didn't solve everything, Willow. She wasn't a magic pill which cured me. But the essence of it is there... the way she knows how to talk to me when it comes on... her patience... her persistence... her love... all that adds up and it can... take the edge off. It makes a silver lining in the darkness, not enough to clear out the night, but enough to find my way back. And she's made me happy, too, Willow, not just being my nurse when my mind went back to the memories...”

“I know she's good for you, Dad. I see it. I'm so happy for you.” Willow looked back to where Kieu-Linh had roused and was rising to her feet. “We should move on.” She paused and looked into her dad's eyes. “I think it will help, Dad, talking to you. You always gave me an honest answer when I asked you questions as a child, even when you didn't really want to tell me why I felt funny between my legs, or why the dogs were stuck together.” He laughed and so did she. “Really, I always appreciated that honesty... hearing you talk freely now... I hate that you deal with this... but it helps me understand myself better, and you as well... thanks, Dad.”

“It helps me, too, Willow. Believe me, coming to find you was worth all the effort.” He took her arm and she held onto his elbow. “Shall we?”

- - -

Hitch knew Kieu-Linh was struggling after they had started into the mountains. They were stopping every hour or so, and reduced to ten or twelve hours a day of a measured pace. Hitch was carrying her pack himself, but she was wearing down. They were only about seventy miles from the cabin, but it had reached the point, when their hump would be at its most difficult up into the higher elevations, where they made a decision to stop and stay in place a few days.

Kieu-Linh didn't argue, which said a lot about the pain she was in. Willow had swiped a carton of morphine lollipops in Denver and insisted Kieu-Linh take one as they made camp. It took effort to get the young woman into the tent and into her sleeping bag as the opiate kicked in strongly. The weather had grown cold in the first week of December, and while no snow fell, the wintry chill had Hitch aching, as well. He and Willow made a quick meal, a half ration each, as they huddled together for warmth around a small fire. They used a tarp stretched between trees to block the wind, and used ponchos around them to help add layers.

“How long do you think she needs?” Willow asked.

“No idea,” Hitch replied, “hopefully just a couple of days. We'll need to hunt, regardless. We're almost out of food.”

Willow nodded, warming her hands over the fire and pushing herself against his side in an effort to conserve body heat. “Been a long time since I've hunted.”

“I seem to recall,” Hitch said, “that you weren't much on killing animals.”

“Still don't care for it. But... I'm willing to do what it takes not to starve.”

“That's the only reason I ever hunt. I eat what I kill, and I make clothing or blankets or shoes out of what's left.”

“Good. I'm looking forward to it, actually. I... I rarely fired my weapon the last few years, being the Colonel and all. Might be a little rusty with a rifle.”

“I'm sure you'll find your aim true. You were a sharpshooter even when you were twelve. I remember you knocking over one can after another, barely patient enough to wait for me or your mother to set up more.”

Willow laughed, “yeah, I remember. At least the can wasn't shooting back, right?”

“Amen to that. Neither will the deer, though if we find a bear, they can be a bit more dangerous if they get agitated or a mama bear is protecting her young.”

“Suppose that's understandable, really. I'd have done the same...”

They were quiet a moment as Hitch dished out the canned soup into their field cups. He asked his daughter, “ever think you might want a child, Willow?”

She shrugged, spooning the hot soup into her mouth. “Maybe... not something I've thought about since I was a girl. I kinda thought it might be fun, then. Now... I'd be scared to bring a child into this world as it is.”

“I know what you mean.”

Willow turned to him and asked, “are... are you and Kieu-Linh... wanting a child?”

“Wanting? Not specifically...”

His daughter pressed, “but... not exactly avoiding the chance?”

Hitch shook his head. “We were, for a while... avoiding what would cause that... at least... the greatest risk, but... now... after what happened out west...”

“I get it... just wondering.”

“If it happens, Willow... I'll welcome it, you know... I know I'm getting old and won't be around long in his or her life, but... I gotta admit... I think I would like for Kieu-Linh and I to have at least one.”

“I'd have a sibling. Never had that. Might have liked a brother or sister,” Willow replied.

“You were spoiled, you know. Your mom and I spent what little time we had with you, no one else to crowd you out.” He smiled at her, finishing his soup quickly. “I think you turned out all right.”

She grinned, “I suppose. Depends on which side you're on.” She shivered against him, running her hands down her legs and brushing his thigh. “I'm freezing, I think we should huddle tonight in one tent. It's going to be very cold otherwise.”

“Agreed, I'll take down yours while you get in next to Linh.”

“Gonna pee first,” Willow said, “then I'll be in.”

By the time Hitch had taken the tent down and stored it with their gear, Willow had pulled her sleeping bag into the tent he normally shared with Kieu-Linh and had slid in beside her. He could see his wife was sleeping and had turned onto her side, curling against his daughter as if she was Hitch. Willow had an understanding and kind smile on her face. “Keeping her warm,” she told him.

Hitch squeezed in and zipped up the tent, quickly into his sleeping bag and pressed into Kieu-Linh from behind, throwing a blanket over them all. “Good night, Willow.”

“Good night, Dad.”

- - -

Willow went with her father hunting deer on their third day in the camp. They'd kept Kieu-Linh on the morphine as needed, but didn't want to try having her put too much weight on the leg for another day or so, hoping they'd be able to make the last few dozen miles before she needed to stop for more than the night. Kieu-Linh had said it was feeling better that morning, but Hitch felt it was smarter to take one more day and give it just a bit more rest.

They were down to their last can of potted meat, a good-sized stick of hard salami, and just a few late-season berries they'd picked earlier that morning. They were in need of fresh meat.

Willow crept behind her father slowly. They'd picked up tracks down the slope from where they were camped. Her dad had voiced a concern about being behind enemy lines and firing in unfamiliar territory, but they needed to eat and the risk had to be taken.

The trail led them along a steep bank before turning down to where they could hear a stream rushing below. A klick downhill, they spotted a buck and doe together, the doe drinking while the buck stood vigil nearby. Her father dropped to his knee, whispered back, “do you want the shot?”

“Take it,” she hissed, not wanting him to miss the opportunity.

His rifle clapped and the doe dropped instantly. The buck scattered downstream and was gone.

He showed her how to field dress the kill. She vaguely remembered the lessons from her youth, but had never had much chance to put them into practice. The dressings Willow knew in the field were usually those wrapped around human limbs and torsos and heads.

They brought the deer back to camp and found Kieu-Linh sleeping in the tent. She'd refused a lollipop that morning, but her pain must have crept back up on her because Willow saw that she had unwrapped a new one since they'd left. She frowned to know that the young woman was probably not as pain-free as she'd earlier suggested.

“We'll take what we can with us. In this cold, it will be fine so long as it gets wrapped and stored overnight and protected. Might need to fend off racoons and other varmints who like to steal the meat,” her father told her.

They cooked it in batches over a modest fire, a light snow sprinkling down but the wind thankfully calm. The smell of the venison brought Kieu-Linh from the tent with a sleepy smile, and soon the three of them were huddled together and filling their bellies.

The morphine made Kieu-Linh constipated, which added to her discomfort. The rich meat on top didn't help, and Willow wished she knew how to help the young woman. While Willow's father kept watch over the meat and fire, Willow helped Kieu-Linh down to a spot they'd used as the latrine, and held her arms while she tried to defecate.

“I wish you didn't have to see me like this...” Kieu-Linh told her, grunting, the effort and discomfort making her sweat. “I hate this...”

“It's fine, Linh. You know I've seen it all in my life. I've seen men and women so bound up they needed a doctor's intervention to get things going. You're not there yet, but don't think I won't stick a finger up your ass if that's what you need.”

Kieu-Linh laughed loudly despite her pain, and Willow smiled to see it. “Thanks,” Kieu-Linh replied, “I think...”

The young woman tried for a while before giving up again, and Willow helped her back to the fire. “No luck,” Willow said quietly after helping Kieu-Linh lay down in the tent. “She might need some... assistance... if you know what I mean...”

Her father stared at her a moment, then nodded, “if that's what it takes,” he said, trying to hide a small smile.

“She'll let me know when she wants to try again. Poor woman!” Willow knew what it was like to be in such a state. Often, on field rations and dehydrated, she'd gone days without moving her bowels, and it made her irritable and uncomfortable until she was regular again.

Once more, they curled up together in the tent and huddled for warmth as light snow fell onto the ground and began to pile up.

- - -

By morning, Hitch knew they were all but stuck. The snow had picked up in the night and came down steadily, wet and piling up several inches by daybreak. The wind had picked up, and it made it miserable to go outside. Even with Kieu-Linh proclaiming that her leg was feeling fine and her constipation cleared up, the treacherous ground would only encourage further injury to her should she slip. For the moment, at least, they had to stay camped a few dozen miles from home.

They spent a lot of time in the tent, eating cooked venison and playing cards together. Other than stepping out to relieve bladders or, for Kieu-Linh, a couple of times for bowels, the wet wind and blowing snow made life outside the tent miserable quickly.

It was two more days before the weather warmed a bit and they started to move around more, even as the stubborn snow refused to melt. Kieu-Linh's leg was really doing better, though they had yet to test it on any extended walk. Hitch hoped they were close enough that when they finally got going, they would be home before it became a burden again.

The benefit of the snow was it kept the venison fresh. There was plenty for a few days, though Hitch knew well that if they didn't start to supplement their diet soon, their bodies would begin to rebel.

Four more days passed before they decided, together, to make the call to head south again. The weather was growing colder, the snow not melting, and worse, they'd twice heard the rumble of heavy armor moving somewhere west of their position. The unmistakable sounds of tanks could be heard for miles, and both Hitch and Willow had agreed that was what they were hearing. It made him uneasy to stay much longer.

They set off, carefully, and picked their way south through the snow. Regularly, they had to stop and take as much as a couple of hours to find a trail which would lead them up a ridge or down a slope. Deer helped by leaving tracks on the stable ground, but where that was lost, there was no guide in many cases. They tended to follow creeks, some of which still ran though most were frozen over already.

Snow fell again their third night after leaving the previous camp. Kieu-Linh's leg was holding up, but it was causing some pain again as the tough slog through the snow added extra effort to their journey.

At one point, Hitch lost his way completely in a blinding snowstorm. His compass showed him the general direction of home, but they had gotten close enough that he wasn't sure exactly whether they had gone too far east. The snow covering the ground and the inability to climb a ridge and get his bearings left them stranded for two more days while they waited for the weather to turn more friendly.

Even once the snow stopped and the sun came out, the snow was, in places, over a foot deep, and it made their walks much more slow, cautious, and dangerous. It took most of a day for them to get to the top of the closest ridge, and even then, it took Hitch a long time to be certain where they were. But he found his bearings and felt confident they were close, no more than a dozen or so miles from the cabin.

- - -

“Almost there!” Hitch called back as he led the way through the piled snow which had been only lightly tamped down by two or three deer before them. Willow had fallen several times in the last couple of days as the sun melted just enough snow to form a layer of ice, further slowing their progress. Kieu-Linh's two falls were thankfully away from her recovering thigh, but she was starting to lag behind the earlier pace. When Willow's father told them that they would arrive by midday upon setting out from the night's camp, it had lightened everyone's spirits immensely.

They rounded a long set of pines and elms to enter a small clearing. Steam rose from a good-sized pool of water which sat next to a mostly-frozen creek rushing down from the higher ridge. “Is this your hot spring?”

Kieu-Linh looked back at her, smiling, “yes! We're home!”

Willow could see they joy in the young woman's expression, and she felt her own emotions beginning to soar and felt giddy, a sensation she had rarely felt since she was a girl. Hitch trudged ahead through the snow around the spring and through a narrow pass between overgrown shrubbery and heavily-laden tree branches weighted down by snow and ice. They passed through quickly and climbed a steady rise.

Willow saw smoke above the trees, then finally, the cabin came into view. She smiled to herself to know they'd made the long trek and had reached their goal. Kieu-Linh burst ahead, no longer worrying about her leg, so excited that she sprinted without regard for the snow and ice. “Mom! Dad!” the young woman called to the cabin as she ran.

The front door opened before Kieu-Linh could get there, and a woman close to Willow's own age and resembling the teenager stepped out onto the front porch. Her expression went from amazement to joy in a second. “Linh! Oh, Linh! And Hitch! Oh, thank God!” Kieu-Linh leapt into the woman's arms.

A man stepped out behind the woman, an older man with a wild, white beard and a weathered, tanned face. “Well I be a... Hot damn! Kieu-Linh an' Hitch! Hot damn!”

Willow's father stepped up the stairs and before he could shake the man's hand, the woman hugging Kieu-Linh added him to her embrace. “Hitch, oh, Hitch!”

“So glad to be see you both, so glad...” He broke away from the woman slowly and finally slid his hand into the older man's. “Miller, you are a sight for sore eyes, my friend. How are you?”

“Well as can be expected, my friend. Canna' believe ya have'a returned. Thought we migh'a seen tha las' o'ya both.” Miller's eyes caught sight of Willow and he asked, “who's this, now?”

Her father turned and nodded towards her as she followed up the stairs. “This is Colonel Willow Hitchens, my daughter.”

Miller saluted her and instinctively, she returned it. He grinned, “Colonel Hitchens, ay? Jus' like yer ole' man, ay? Come on, come in! Too col' outta 'ere ta be standin' 'round shiverin'. Come on, now!”

Miller led them inside where the woman who had been hugging Kieu-Linh embraced her suddenly. “Willow... it is wonderful to meet you. I'm Kim-Ly, Miller's wife. Kieu-Linh is my daughter. Please, sit!”

Willow sat on the edge of a chair as she watched the joyful reunion take place. Miller's laugh was hearty and full, though he saw the man pause as he looked at the scars on his daughter's face and neck. He didn't ask, though Willow knew they'd talk about them soon enough. She thought back to her conversation with her father and hoped that Kieu-Linh was able to deal with the stress which would come from her experiences. At least, Willow thought, my dad is here to help. He understands it well, and I'm getting to know that difficult mix of emotions, as well.

Willow saw a young man step out of a small room to her side. He was a teenager, a smooth, dark face, a weary expression in his mouth and eyes, but still, they boy looked friendly.

“Ah!” Kim-Ly exclaimed, “Willow, please meet Diego!”

“Hello, Diego,” Willow said, rising to her feet.

“Hello.” He said nothing more, his eyes darting around at her father and Kieu-Linh.

Willow could see that Kieu-Linh's eyes were drawn to look behind Diego, into the bedroom beyond. “Where's Catalina?”

“She's coming, just finished nursing,” the boy replied.

There was excitement in Kieu-Linh's expression.

A pretty young woman, mocha-skin, and signs of a recent pregnancy on her rounded body and heavy breasts which rested just below an over-sized flannel shirt. A tiny infant was cradled against her chest. Catalina smiled broadly.

“You're back!” The young woman looked down at the child she carried. “Please... this is Mariana... our daughter!”

- - -

Kieu-Linh rushed to Catalina's side and hugged her gently as Hitch moved to shake Diego's hand. “Very good to see that you two are doing well,” Hitch said, “and that your child is as well, I hope?” He realized as he said the last statement that he was assuming the infant was healthy.

Diego smiled and looked at his wife and daughter. “Yes, thank you. She is well. Isn't she beautiful?”

Catalina had passed the child into Kieu-Linh's hands and Hitch watched with a grin as his wife held the little girl against her, Kieu-Linh's face turning back to smile at him. “She's wonderful, Diego. I'm happy for you both.”

He hugged Catalina, could feel how heavy with milk the teen's breasts had grown. She still carried extra weight which made her features round and soft, and Hitch thought she looked quite beautiful that way. He remembered the moments he'd shared with Kieu-Linh while Diego and Catalina had made love, and the brief glimpses he'd had of the young woman's body in the days before leaving to find Willow. Those had been very special, intimate times, a shared experience unlike any he'd had before. He was very happy to see that the couple had settled in and been able to give birth to their child in the safety of the cabin, with Miller and Kim-Ly close by to see to their care.

Kim-Ly and Miller both looked healthy, as well, though Miller was clearly aging. Even is his small movements in the cabin, Hitch could see he walked more stiffly, a touch more slowly. It pained him to see, but he expected that the alternative to getting older was less desirable.

“Where are my manners,” Kim-Ly said over the excited chatter between the couples, “are you hungry?”

“Yes,” Hitch replied, “it's been a long trip.”

“Tell us everything. In a moment. I'll get supper ready. Please,” Kim-Ly said, pulling out a pot and filling it with water, “sit and relax.”

Kim-Ly, Catalina, and Diego continued to talk excitedly about Mariana and how the birthing had gone. Hitch leaned back in the chair and smiled at his daughter, who looked a touch out of place. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Willow told him quietly, “just not used to... relaxing much. Or being around people who aren't either following my orders, or giving them to me.”

Hitch nodded. “It takes time. Don't worry too much. Listen, if you want to brave the walk through the snow, the spring will relax you. I've not been here during the winter, but I'm sure Miller can attest that it is still warm and wonderful even now.”

Miller eased his stiff body down into a chair across from them and said, “Aye. We've no' been down in'a coupl'a days now, bu' aye. Gonna be a spell before we can get ta supper. I'd suggest jus' tha'.”

Willow glanced back at Hitch. “Alright. I think I'd like that.”

“Kieu-Linh, interested in bathing?”

The young woman nodded several times, “I need it. Give me just a moment.”

Willow stood in front of him and adjusted her jacket which still held tight to her body. Hitch saw Miller cast an eye over his daughter, just a few seconds of measuring her, then the man turned back to Hitch. “Reckon ya seen tha' we finished tha rooms.”

“Aye. They look fantastic completed. Great job, Miller, and everyone.”

Miller smiled, “Diego an' Catalina did thar' parts. Moved in a week after ya lef'.” He leaned in and said, “Do wanna hear yer story, Major. I reckon,” the man spoke more quietly, “ya two weren'a jus' huntin' deer outta thar'.”

Hitch nodded. “There's a lot to tell. Give us some time to decompress, I think.”

“All tha time ya need, Major.”

“Colonel, now,” Hitch said evenly, “though it means nothing out here, of course.”

“Colonel, then, Sir,” Miller said, half-serious and half-amused, “of course.”

“Willow is my CO, though, so you should ask her for permission to debrief me, Sergeant,” Hitch said, feeling quite happy to be home and his humor returning in front of the fireplace, surrounded by friends and loved ones.

Willow offered a small smile, “someone has to keep this old codger in line.”

Miller laughed, “oh, aye, an' I suspec' yer jus' tha one ta do tha', aye.”

Willow grinned and looked at Hitch with a pleasant expression.

“Ok,” Kieu-Linh, “I've got towels, I'm ready.” She paused at the door with Willow behind her. “Aren't you coming, James?”

“Oh, I--” Hitch hesitated, unsure about bathing with his daughter, that awkward situation so far avoided despite the things seen and done along the trek which offered glimpses that fathers and daughters did not usually share. “I'll go later. You two enjoy.”

“Please, James,” Kieu-Linh said, pleading, “I've wanted this moment for so long with you... I love our time together in the spring.”

Hitch knew she was thinking of their moments being intimate there, but he doubted her thigh was in any shape for it. Besides, Willow would be with them, as well. He gave in, though. “Okay. I'll be down in a moment.”

Kieu-Linh smiled and leaned over him for a quick kiss before leading Willow out of the cabin.

“Any problems since we left, Miller?” Hitch asked as he stood.

The man shook his head, “no, no. It's been quiet.”

Hitch told him about hearing the tanks not far to the north, and expressed his concern that maybe the Imps were probing the backcountry to see who was still around. “I know it isn't likely, but this place is not remote enough to keep a patrol from strolling up.”

“We're prepared, Colonel,” Miller said, already referring to Hitch's most recent rank, “as bes' we can be.”

Hitch nodded. “I want to discuss that more later, just in case.” He retrieved a fresh towel from the pantry and stopped at the door as Miller touched his arm.

“Ya wen' back ta it, righ', Hitch? Ya wen' back ta tha figh'.”

Hitch said evenly. “Yes.”

Miller stared at him a moment. “Kieu-Linh, too.” He wasn't asking.

“She did. We'll tell you about it... later...” He put his hand on the man's shoulder. “She did you proud, Miller. Both of you. Kieu-Linh is an amazing, courageous woman. I cannot thank you enough for trusting me with your daughter. That's a debt I can never repay, but I'll damned sure try.”

Miller smiled thinly. “She made up 'er own min', Colonel,” Miller stated calmly, “was jus' a matter of me'n 'er mother acceptin' tha'.”

Hitch grinned. “That I don't doubt.”

He turned to go out the door but Miller exclaimed, “oh! One more thin', Colonel. Yer ole frien' Jimmy is stayin' wit' us now.”

Hitch paused and looked at Miller. “Jimmy? Here?”

“He came'a down a month after ya lef'. Said he had gone ta tha coas' an' didn'a like wha' he seen. Was hopin' ta fin' ya here. He was gonna move on bu' we offered 'im a stay an' he accepted. He's on tha hunt righ' now.”

“Well, goddamn, Miller. I always loved Jimmy, he's a damn fine man, a great Marine. Will be good to see him again.”

James "Hitch" Hitchens, Male, 51

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

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

Kieu-Linh Miller, Female, 17

	- Daughter of Miller and Kim-Ly

	- 5'11, 150lbs, cinnamon skin, shoulder-length silky black hair

Jefferson Miller, Male, early-60s

	- US Marine Corp Sergeant, veteran of The War, Father of Kieu-Linh, husband of Kim-Ly

	- 6'2, 195lbs, tanned pale skin, white unkempt hair

Kim-Ly Miller, Female, mid-30s

	- Mother of Kieu-Linh, wife of Miller, veteran of The War

	- 5'9, 150lbs, cinnamon skin, shoulder-length black hair

Willow Hitchens, Female, 30

	- Colonel of Denver Patriot Brigade, veteran of The War, daughter of Hitch

	- 5'11, 155lbs, tanned beige skin, short dark chestnut hair

Diego, Male, 14

	- Boyfriend of Catalina, father of Mariana

	- 5'8, 140lbs, rich brown skin, unkempt dark-brown hair with bangs

Catalina, Female, 14

	- Girlfriend of Diego, mother of Mariana

	- 5'7, 145lbs, mocha-brown skin, long straight dark-brown hair