*~*Gerard's POV*~*

With the trouble I was involved in with Pierre, none of his friends, who I was starting to consider my own friends, talked to me anymore since Pierre was their leader. I didn't care, though. I had Ray and Jared, who I started out knowing, and both of them were my friends, and the less friends one had in this situation, the better.
My life was starting to sound like something Lindsey would tell me after spending a day with her friends in town. I didn't like comparing my life to that.
Since things went down with Pierre, I started working harder, doing anything to prove that I wasn't as weak as he said I as. I worked harder at training, and I was getting a hell of a lot better, almost hitting the middle of the target dead on. At one point, Ray had asked me if I was trying to get the officer position, but I shook my head, the thought ridiculous. No one would pick me as an officer, I just wanted to prove myself to everyone.
Jared seemed proud of what I was doing, like he had somehow planned it, but I just thought he was glad that I was trying to stop myself from being killed.
Most of my time was spent doing my duties, and practicing my shooting. I hardly sat idle, which was good, I liked working. Working was good, it kept my mind off of things.
The only time I took a break was when I would go sit with Ray after guard duty at night, knowing he'd be awake since he would get the night shift, and we would both write a letter. I hadn't gotten a letter back yet, but I figured it was just because of the bad weather. The snow was falling heavier after it stopped each time.
One night, though, when I went to go see Ray, he was sitting on the cot, smiling up at me. I furrowed my brow, and he held something out to me.
It was a letter. From Lindsey.
I sat down next to him, practically destroying the envelope to get the letter inside. I unfolded the letter, and was hit with a wall of text. I smiled, glad that I knew she was still alive, and she missed me enough to write a long letter. Or maybe she was trying to scold me in the whole letter. There was only one way to find out.
My Dearest Gerard,
You write me now, but not weeks ago when I needed to know you were alive? There has been news in town of battles all around us, and every time they speak of them, I wonder if my Gerard had been involved in any of them. Then I find out you had, but you never told me until now? Do you even miss me, Gerard?
I miss you, along with Bandit. She misses her dad as much as any little girl would. She's torn up about your disappearance, and the lack of letters you've been sending. I hope that changes, or you have a good reason, mister.
I promised myself I wouldn't get too angry in this letter, since I was glad to find a letter from you, but what you put me through, thinking you were dead was too much for me, Gerard. I need reassurance that you're alive.
Things for us have changed greatly, Bandit will soon be enrolled in the local school for girls with Annie, sometime after her next birthday she will be attending morning classes there. She's not excited about it, but Annie will be with her, so she'll at least enjoy it a little. Their tutor is moving, which is the cause for the change, what a shame, I like her.
Bandit has lost her front teeth as of this moment, and it's the most adorable thing to see her smile now.
I've sold more paintings as of lately, and we're both spending the money wisely, don't you worry. Your money for being in the service has come lately, which I didn't know we'd get, but we have. It's a very good pay, Gerard, keep doing whatever you're doing.
Before I go pick Bandit up from Annie's, I have news for you, Gerard, fantastic news, even. Since you left, I've been sick and miserable, that's not the fantastic news if you couldn't tell. For a while, Bandit had to live with Annie at her grandmother's since Christa would spend her days taking care of me. Both of us thought my time was up, but I started getting better, and my appearance started changing, along with my routine and diet.
Gerard, I'm with child.
I stopped reading their for a minute, rereading the last sentence over and over, not quite believing what she was telling me. Ray looked at me knowingly, I think he knew from a letter from Annie.
Yes, the child is yours, Gerard. Remember that week before you left? Yes, it's from then. I'm telling you since you have a right to know that when you come home there will hopefully be another child for you to love and I want you to pick out the name, or at least give suggestions. I don't have many in mind. In your next letter, please give a few name ideas for me, dear.
Come back soon, sweetie. I miss you with all my heart.
~Lindsey and Bandit"
I set the letter down and finally looked up at Ray for real. He was grinning again, his smile contagious. I smiled, "Ray, I'm having a baby!"
"Congratulations!" Ray said as excitedly as I felt. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and half hugged that way. I felt on top of the world at that moment, and was telling Ray to hand me a piece of paper when the alarm bell rang. I jumped to my feet quickly, forgetting the letter for a moment as I ran out of the tent and watched people running for their weapons.
"What's going on?" I asked a random soldier as he tried running past me. He went on past, and it took longer than expected to get the news. I had to grab some poor guy's shoulder as he ran and yank him back before getting an answer. He was so young and looked scared, it made me feel sorry for him.
"There's a Confederate army coming this way, sir," he yelled over the chaos of the camp. I patted his shoulder, and let go as soon as I got the information. I had my gun already slung around my shoulder, I had started taking it around with me so no one could catch me by surprise and kill me before I had a chance to get a shot in.
I started running alongside the group, trying to stay back a ways. I didn't want to start at the front, no, I had a new baby on the way, I couldn't just die now and never meet my baby, or even suggest a name and mail the letter out at least. I couldn't let my family down like that, I just couldn't.
Jared found me before I found him, and I was thankful to have him by my side. He grinned at me as we ran, holding his own gun in his hands in that way that suggested he was ready to kill and he as the best shooter in the whole world, which was true in all aspects.
"Ready?" I asked him, and he nodded. We stopped running for a moment, just enough to catch our breath, and looked at where we were. People were already setting up their stances, waiting for the Confederates to come. They were at the top of the hill just on the other side of the valley, coming down with half on horses and half on foot. They were a giant mess of gray, nothing showing that there were numerous people running towards us, more like a storm cloud on the ground than anything. Jared grabbed my hand and started pulling me towards the front, but to the side. No one noticed us, their eyes locked on the enemy advancing towards us.
We were on the outskirts of the line, and I asked Jared why. He tapped his temple, the signal that he had a plan forming. I wanted to know the plan, and how it involved me, but I didn't get the words out fast enough before all mayhem happened.
The first gunshot was fired from our side. The only reason I knew that was because Jared raised his gun and blindly fired at the enemy. Some of our soldiers started running forward, realizing they had enough time to stop the enemy from coming even closer and still have people back to stop them.
I stayed back with Jared who was reloading his gun. "Come on, Way, be brave. After today, you'll be officer, guarantee it."
His words confused me, but once again, before I got the words out to ask what he meant, he was raising his gun and firing. I started doing the same, shooting at the closest man I could see. He went down, and I didn't let myself feel guilty, moving my gaze away from him so I wouldn't have to look at him.
After what felt like a lifetime of fighting, my gun started to reload itself it seemed, my brain in another world. I didn't know how I was doing, and frankly, I didn't want to know. I didn't want to know how many men I had killed, or about their families back home. I would save that for someone who's first battle this was. I had already gone through bloodshed, and I didn't need to feel anymore guilt than I already did.
Jared had started pulling my arm at one point, and we started running forward to the enemies, stopping every few feet to raise our guns and fight. It was in that moment that I had to start learning how to reload my gun while running, which was harder, which I expected.
Things were going well, or so they seemed. I didn't know who was winning, how could you tell what side was winning before either one side retreated or was dead? There just wasn't a way for me.
At one point, instead of running forward, Jared grabbed my arm and started dragging me backwards, behind some groups of people. I sent him a questioning look, unable to say anything over the sound of all the chaos. I was afraid more in the middle here than I was out front, afraid one of my own soldiers would shoot me on accident.
Jared did a hand signal thing, thinking I knew the made up sign language of his, but I didn't. I shook my head, and he just rolled his eyes at me and pointed to the Confederates. They were advancing.
He was trying to get me out of the way.
The front line started going down one by one, I noticed as the enemy came closer and we started retreating. It wasn't looking good for us. There were handfuls of us that ran back to the camp, but even more of us stayed and took our ground. Jared and I planted our feet where we were and started shooting again. Many who were going to run away took similar positions as us, and were as like leaders of the army for the time being.
It felt good to have people watching me and relying on me to know what to do, even though I was watching Jared out of the corner of my eye.
Although the Confederates were closer than they were moments before, they were starting to go back as we went closer, firing our guns and going for their officers. Many of them started going down, and some of the foot soldiers started getting scared, it was plain on their face, and one could even feel the fear radiating off of them.
"Charge!" Jared yelled and I joined in, and soon the remaining Union soldiers were running forward, their guns pointing forward for the bayonets to be of use.
The Confederates did not stand a chance against us, it was plain and simple.
Jared and I were in the front of the line, and we ran as fast as we could. There were two Confederate soldiers kneeling next to one of their comrades who was on the ground. I only noticed them after Jared pointed them out and took me running towards them. He grabbed one of them by the back of the collar who was arguing the with other one. I quickly grabbed the other before he had a chance to run. They had been arguing about leaving the man who was on the ground by them alone to die, or trying to take him with them.
I looked over at Jared, who was tightening his grip on the man who was a lot shorter than I thought he would be, and he started wriggling in Jared's grip. It was almost painful to watch. The one I held looked scared, which was expected.
"Who is this man," I yelled at the one I held, kicking the one on the ground. The man groaned in pain, so he was alive.
The two looked at each other, and this time I started squeezing his neck until he yelped out in pain.
"Please don't kill us," he screamed, "we have information you need."
I looked at Jared, wanting him to make the call on what to do, but he was no help. "Get him to his feet. You're now prisoners of war, all the three of you."