The Courage of Italy

~4~

Almost two weeks had passed since she has met the girls and learned the truth of herself. Slowly she had been getting on her feet and understanding what was to come for her and defending herself like Feli asked.

Well, trying to defend herself as the wind left her again after Harper threw her on her back for the umpteenth time that morning.

"Jesus, I think you snapped me spine." she wheezed out.

"No, just left you immobilized for a moment." the woman smiled down at her.

"You're bloody dangerous you know."

"Hai, I do."

She heard the others giggling along as she finally got to her knees, "Can't believe you can throw my fat arse around like that."

"Rules!" she heard Marie yell.

"Feck!" this was one thing she did hate most.

Feliciano was quite nice enough to tell them how she viewed herself and hoped that they could boost her confidence. Sadly, Marie had other plans.

"Ten each." the woman said standing next to her.

"Remind me to tell Feli he sucks for letting the strictest military personnel know of this." Chloe said as she readied herself for the reps of push-ups and sit-ups.

"Keep calling yourself fat in front of her and it'll keep happening." Brie stated, "Say it within, then she'll never know."

"Want to join her?"

Chloe ignored the laughter as she pressed out the ten Marie demanded, hearing the woman count in German above her, moving to the next set.

"I will." Nora chimed in, "I'll go along with her."

"Nein, Yao will kick my ass if I let you do anything."

"Oh, come on. I never get to do anything fun anymore. He mother hens worse than a woman, I swear."

Finally giving the last sit-up, Chloe laid on the cool ground, welcoming its soothing comfort to her aching muscles. She couldn't stop the chuckle leaving her as she heard Yao earlier scolding her for even shooting an arrow at a target.

"Never have I seen so many rules for a pregnant woman." Nora whined.

"Be in Russia, I'd have traded." Lily smiled at her.

"I think they are similar in ways." Harper pointed out.

Sitting up, Chloe saw the side door open as a child walked in, "Mutti?"

"Ja Adeline?"

"Sophie ist verärgert." she girl came in with another in her arms.

The babe she held was red in the face with anger as she attempted to squirm away from her, "Gib ihr hier Addie. Wo is dein Vati?"

"Ich weiss nicht." she replied as two others came in.

Chloe smiled as the children slowly came in one by one. It was funny to her, how they all looked like one of their parents and yet how old they really were. It shocked her really, learning the children aged so fast, never really experiencing the wonder of childhood. She watched as Jeanne practically danced in as Satine followed suit. Alexei had Grigori tagging along as he tried to speak with Liberty, just to have her attention pulled away by Lincoln. Jacque was slowly reading a book to Pierre as the little boy listened intently as Adeline joined them. Thomas carried Elizabeth over to his mother just to bring himself over to Chloe.

"Hello laddie." she said to him as he plopped himself in her lap.

"I told you the moment he heard you talk he'd be all over you."