Category : Books-Fiction

Sub Category : Romance

Gabe

Another four months had passed uneventfully. Captain Cooper and Private Morgan were now openly engaged, they were planning to be married as soon as they returned to Los Angeles. Ella and I were frequently spending nights together where we could simply be ourselves. We had long since finished From the New World or any other book Ella had brought with her, but we still found excuses to be together. There had been no reported issues with the smuggler since the issue with Amani. Amani was still undergoing treatment, but Ella said he was recovering quickly. The medical team also managed to find the village that Amani grew up in, there had been a tuberculosis outbreak there and many people had died. They were able to take in another seven patients that appeared to have the best chances of survival (mostly children). Due to that, Ella had never been more busy than she was these last few months. 

Of course the medical team had been enraged to find out that they weren't allowed to return home, but they were getting over it. I was secretly glad that Ella had an excuse to stay longer. I hadn't told her or anybody else, but I was sure I was going to spend the rest of my life with her. I was hoping that this smuggler thing would blow over soon; if in a month, this was over, I could take her home with me. She could meet my family, and I could meet hers. 

I smiled at the thought as I fingered the ring box in my pocket. I had told Samantha my plans to spend my life with her, and Samantha had gotten all giddy. She squealed and told me to ask Ella to marry me. 

"Sam, I've only been seeing her for four months! That's too early!"

"But you've been in love for nine years! I think you're taking it too slow," I could basically hear her rolling her eyes through the phone. "Look, I'm gonna send you Nana's ring in your next care package. Do what you know you want to."

The package had come in a week ago and I'd been carrying the ring with me since. I sat was in the barracks with the other men, all of which were laughing and messing around. Private Frank looked over at me, confused, "Sergeant, what's wrong? You seem distracted."

"Bet he was thinking what Nurse Anderson looks like naked," laughed Private Thomas.

"Don't even--"

The door to the barracks swung open and Private Garay rushed in, "There's a fight! By the mess hall!"

The barracks had never emptied so quickly before. I was one of the first of the floor to reach the mess hall. As promised, there was indeed a fight. I immediately recognized Private Morgan's blonde braid and Ella's dark curls.

Two men were fighting, grunting angrily as the two smaller females tried to pull them apart, screaming at them to stop. Suddenly Ella fell backwards, clutching her left eye. 

"Ella!" I exclaimed, running forward, grabbing her. "are you okay?"

She nodded, "Gabe that's Captain Cooper."

I looked up and recognized Captain Cooper. I got up and got between the two, trying to hold them apart. "Don't just stand there! Fucking help!"

Private Garay ran in and held the other soldier back as I grabbed Captain. The Captain had a busted lip and bloody nose. His eye looked like it would bruise soon, and he spat out blood, "Don't you ever talk to them that way again, you son of a bitch!" he screamed at Private James.

"James," Private Morgan said, seriously. "That's enough."

I helped Ella up, her dark hair was messier than usual and she had scrapes on her legs. Her left eye looked like it was beginning to swell up, "Come on, you should get your eye checked out. You guys too," I nodded at Captain Cooper and Private James.

~oOo~

"I'm okay, really!" Ella insisted as Dr. Bradley fussed about her eye. "You really don't have to worry."

She pressed an ice pack to her left eye as Dr. Bradley glared at me, "Did he hit you?"

"Wait, what? Did Gabe hit me? That's stupid!" she snorted.

"I agree," I stood up, crossing my arms across my chest. "What kind of man do you think I am?"

Dr. Bradley kept his eyes trained on mine, "A dumb one if you can't figure out--"

"Keith, don't," Ella looked up at us. "Can we not do this?"

I wanted to snap back at Dr. Bradley, but Ella's eyes pleaded me. I felt guilty and held my tongue.

"Why him?" Dr. Bradley asked angrily. "Why did it have to be him, of all people?"

Ella looked up, surprised, "Keith what are you talking about?"

"Do you really not know?" he asked, stepping forward to touch her hair. Ella cringed away.

I grabbed his wrist, stepping between the two, "Don't touch her, Dr." Ella looked up at me gratefully. 

"Ella," Dr. Bradley called over my shoulder. "We have something. We do. You can't deny that."

"Keith--"

"No," I cut in firmly. "You don't. Ella and I have something. In fact," I pulled the ring box out of my pocket, showing the ring to Keith and Ella. "This is my grandmother's. It's gonna be Ella's soon."

Ella gasped and clapped her hands over her mouth, dropping the ice pack, "You're fucking with me."

Dr. Bradley clenched his fists, "This isn't over."

He slammed the door behind him as he stormed off.

~oOo~

Ella and I sat in her room, she was wearing my jacket because the warmth of day had sank with the sun. She seemed incredibly giddy although her eye had been positively blackened. I myself felt quite giddy as well; I had basically asked Ella to marry me, and her reaction basically said yes.

"So..." Ella giggled. "When can I have that ring?"

I looked at her incredulously, "I haven't proposed yet."

"That was basically a proposal!"

"Basically isn't a real proposal. Besides," I grabbed her hands and kissed her forehead. "when I do propose, it's gonna be perfect."

She pouted, "But I want to be your fiancé."

"Patience, young one," I hugged her to my chest. "Soon."

"I'm not young, you're just old!"

The two of us laid together in her bed, just talking and laughing. It was the simple moments that made everything between us so special. We never needed to do anything but talk to each other and that was simply amazing.

As the moon came out from behind the clouds, Ella and I decided to take a walk. We walked hand in hand through the base, enjoying the stillness of the night. I always felt guilty that in our four months, I had been unable to take her on a real date. I wanted to take her to a movie and share a few drinks, or maybe to a military ball one day. I wanted to buy her jewelry and take her to meet my family. I wanted to give her the world, but here, there was only so much to give.

"Its so quiet," she murmured, letting go of my hand and stepping forward. She was laughing as she chased a butterfly before she turned around to see me on my knee. "Oh my God," she covered her mouth.

"Ella...will you wait for me to tie my boot?"

"I hate you!" she smacked me lightly as I covered my head, laughing with her.

My proposal would be magical. I would make sure.