Katyusha

Chapter XXI

"The pain's in my leg has subsided for now Andrei, but enough about me.... I need to know, I thought you were dead, how did escape Brest alive?" Katya asks, looking up at him in the darkness that has crept up on everyone.

Andrew stares off into the distance, not wanting to make eye contact, then after another drawn out minute he sighs a little.

"Sabotage, and a lot of playing dead in the masses of bodies... I feel more like a coward than anything else really... Yet I'm still happy that I'm alive somehow even though those that fought to the death in Brest are now dead while I'm still here..." He says reluctantly as he lowers his voice down so others nearby won't be able to hear him.

"I laid amongst the dead at the south gate, as I crawled about I collected grenades to booby trap the German dead. Once the majority of the German force walked pass the masses of dead, I escaped Brest from there." He adds before looking off and into the distance, hating himself for having ran instead of fighting.

Immediately after his escape, he ran as fast as he could to a neighboring town to sign up, and positions as a artilleryman was needed, so he joined up from there.

"I don't see a coward if that's what you're worried about Andrei, I see a resourceful man that laid traps for those bastards before making your escape. That easily makes up for running away, plus.. Deep down, I am extremely happy to see my old boyfriend after all, you're alive and now I have a reason to live again." Katya says happily from seeing Andrei's mood swings around.

"Yeah, now that you say it like that, I do feel a little bit better inside at least." He says while petting Bear's head, and the big guy moved over more to nuzzle his hand, demanding more attention from him.

Bear's tail began to wag more as Andrew turned his attention to him momentarily, and after collecting his thoughts quickly, Andrew smiles and looks down at Katyusha from his sitting position.

"I'm surprised when I first heard about a female sniper personally taking the fight to the Germans, and in close quarters too." He says with a amused expression at the mere thought that someone as small and light as Katyusha could take them on in hand to hand combat.

'If that's the case, the fascist must be sending the weak nowadays..' Andrew thought to himself as that funny thought jumped into his head.

Katya, who's only 5'7'' taking on German infantrymen and winning, now that's a riot. He had thought to himself in further amusement.

"I'm not proud about what I've done Andrei, even though they're murderous bastards who deserve every bullet we send their way. They're still human beings, and the faces I see through my scope doesn't easily leave your conscience, it's hard to forget those faces Andrei." She says gloomily, after all it is true for a Sniper.

When one aims down the sights of a rifle's scope, they're shooting the target from a far off distance. But through a scope, it's like you're standing right in front of them pulling the trigger, and it's always been hard on any marksmen, because they'll see the faces of those they've shot.

To change the subject, Andrew quickly speaks up "I'm overjoyed to see you alive Kit, like we both said before... We thought we've lost the other back in Brest." He says leaning back so he's a little closer to Katya.

Seeing that, Katyusha simply says "Just relax and lay down next to me already Andrei, I'd like to spend time with you before you must go at sunrise."

With a grin forming on his face, he complies and gets comfortable while there's a grumble from Bear for being disturbed from his resting place on Andrew's lap.

A minute passes from the two just lying there in silence and neither one of them can wait any longer.

Since the beginning of this war two years ago back in 1941, the couple's lips clash together once more.