"Actually, I really should clean the house a little." she said, spying the dust on the furniture coverings and wanting very much to remove those.

"Then you do that," Lewis said, "I'll be back before you know it."

((Maybe he can run into Albert for a bit in the base??))

She nodded and kissed him.

"Be careful."

"Of course I will be," Lewis assured her, "I'll see you in alittle bit."

He made his way out the door.

((To Allies Base))

Seth stood across the stret, staring at house number 16. It was quite a nice house, and pretty spacious. He puffed out a breath and thought, trying to scratch under the bandage tight around his head.

Is the girl here yet? he wondered, not seeing any indication of the nurse he had seen earlier's arrival. He sighed and approached the house, deciding to knock first.

Marianne moved the bin back to it's place by the door and heard the knock, a shiver running through her spine. These were more gentle taps, however, so she looked up and went to the door.

"Bonjour?" she asked, opening it slightly.

"Bonjour," Seth began, then knitting his brows. He knew very little French, "Mademoiselle...do you speak any English?" He knew that it might have been strange for a beaten up soldier, clothing mud-covered and hair wild with dried blood and dirt, but he had to try.

She knew those words and shook her head.

"No English." she said sadly. "Francais."

He scratched his arm, unsure of how he was going to tell her.

Should have saw this coming.. he thought. He lookked at her hopelessy, trying to find words.

"Mademoiselle, er...évacuer? s'il vous plaît?" he said, trying to gesture outside. How do you say 'danger'???

"Evacuer?" Marianne said, turning white. "Pourquoi?"

Seth tapped his side anxiously, wondering how he would explain everything he heard.

"There might be a bomb," he said in English, imitating the sound of an explosion and matching his hands to the sound. Hopefully he did not look like an idiot, or crazy.

She could understand from the sound effects, and hurried out.

"Mon mari?" she asked, looking very worried. "Lewis? Ou est-il? Where?"

Seth shook his head. He didn't know.

"I don't know. Sorry. désolé," he told her, following her at a slower pace.

"Qu'est-ce qui arrive?" she pleaded. "Ou est le bombe?"

Lewis came up on his crutches, noticing a stranger talking to Marianne. "Que se passe-t-il?" he asked upon reaching the steps.

He looked from on to another before his eyes rested on Seth. "Do you speak French or English?"

"Oh, Lewis!" she said, breathing a huge sigh of relief as she ran to him. "Lewis, the man says we have to evacuate. There's a bomb or something here!"

"A bomb?" Lewis stared at her, then turned to Seth speaking to him in English, "Tell me what's going on, I speak both languages."

Marianne clung to Lewis like a frightened child.

- - -

Alexis saw Marie and Lewis in the distance, sighing with relief that she was alright.

Philip Lamarck headed towards the house, following Alexis. He noticed three people standing outside the house, one woman and two soldiers.

----

Lewis noticed the two men approach. "Marie," he said softly, "Alexis is coming towards us."

"Alexis?!?" Marianne said, perking up and looking for her friend.

- - -

Alexis had to resist the urge to run to her and steal her from Lewis' side.

Lewis let go off Marianne so that he could put both hands on his crutches again. "If anymore people get here we could have a party," he remarked making his way over to Alexis, "Hello, are you going to start going on about a bomb too??"

He nodded towards Seth, "Because that soldier has been telling Marianne that someone's trying to blow up the house!"

"Apparently that's the story." Alexis said, secretly wanting to add "Who did you ** off this time?"

Marianne hugged him quickly, their childhood friendship still intact despite his previous infidelities.

"Oh, Alexis, tout le monde disent qu'il y a une bombe! Je ne comprends pas un mot des Anglaises!"

Philip felt uncertain about all the talking being in French. "Bonjour," he said, "Do any of you guys speak English?"

Lewis sighed, "I speak English," he said in his native language, "But Marie only really knows French."

He sighed and looked around the group. "So Alexis, do you know more then I do?"

"Not a lot." Alexis said. "I don't have a clue what's going on."

Lewis looked towards Philip who started the story. "A man named Robert was heard to be saying that he would blow up this house because he hates the two of you. He says that saying Lewis is dead didn't work so that now he is going to have to actually kill the two of them. He says that if either of them are alive then he can never be happy."

When he finished Lewis translated softly for Marianne.

Marianne went even more white and almost looked to faint.

"Ton frere?" she asked, trembling, remembering the night he came to their house.

Alexis looked at Marie and knew something bad had happened.

Lewis put one arm around her, hoping to comfert her. "Oui," he replied, "Mon frere. After he learned that I got back to you he got angry. I think he hoped to pull us apart and break our hearts, now that that didn't work he's planning on going after us. I've got to protect you! Maybe Alexis will help?"

He turned his blue eyes to the other soldier, "I know that Alexis cares just as much as I do."

Marianne looked at Alexis pleadingly, and he sighed. He felt guilty, as if he had gotten her into this mess. He looked at his sweet little Marie and then at the short soldier she called her love.

"You'll stay at my summerhouse." he said. "In Bordeaux."

He gave a half-smile.

"It's not your home, but... it'll do."

Lewis smiled and squeezed Marianne's arm gently, "You'll be safe with Alexis," he told her, "Go have fun and I'll take care of my brother. Don't come home until I've made sure it's safe, I'll contact you down there if Alexis will tell me where it is."

She gave him a tight hug,holding him for longer than Alexis wished.

"Please be careful, love." she whispered, pulling away and looking up at Lewis.

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