So things happen in this chapter. There's going to be some time jumping around, so I'm putting the dates in.

Enjoy! :)

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November 6th

Today is the day that they complete their main objective in this fight. Today, they are sure, they will capture Sedan and the railroad hub. And then they will finish the battle that has been dragging on for so, so long.

Mush and Spot are ready.

Their division is with the French forces right now. The French, who are better trained at fighting, and will probably be the ones who make this mission a success. Not that any American has any hard feelings about that.

Now, here, the French rush forward to capture the hub.

All the American forces capture the surrounding hills, securing the French's position.

They did it.

They captured Sedan. They all cheer.

Mush and Spot exchange glances, overjoyed. This is what they've been working toward this whole time. And they are here to see it through.

Of course, the fight is far from over. It's not like the opposing forces will come quietly.

So they'll continue to fight.

They'll fight until this over, once and for all.

----------------------------

November 7th

Race has a feeling that the war is going to end soon. He says this to Ermal and Antonio. Both of them raise their eyebrows at him, wanting him to continue. 

"I don't know. I just ... I have this feeling. I have this feeling that something big is going to happen soon. Like, the tipping point is going to happen at some point, and it will all go downhill from there, and someone will come up on top. I don't know when that'll happen, but I am sure that it's going to happen soon."

Between the three of them, they have at least five, six, different languages. So sometimes they switch languages when they talk without realizing it, but they all understand the meaning nonetheless.

"Who do you think is going to be the one to come up on top?" Antonio asks quietly.

Well, Race wants it to be the Allies; because that means that the Axis powers will fall, and that they'll be released from the prison camps, and they can go home. But from in here, there's no way of telling how the war is going.

He sighs. "I don't know. I just don't know."

---------------------------

November 7th, 17:00/5:00 pm

"Cover for me, okay?" David says to Sardinia as he gets in his plane, trying to get through everything as quickly as he can.

"You know they won't like it when I tell them that you've run off to rescue your boyfriend," Sardinia warns him.

"So don't," David replies breezily, still flipping switches. "Besides, if you knew where Dave was, wouldn't you try to get to him this very instant?"

Sardinia sighs. "Okay, you got me there."

David stops, and turns to Sardinia. "Hey. You will see him again."

Sardinia smiles. "I know." He motions for David to go. "Now you go find your lover. I'll come up with something to tell them. Just do me a favor and not have this all be for nothing."

David smiles gratefully. Then, he finishes his pre-flight check, gets on the runway, and takes off.

I'm coming for you, Jack. I knew I would see you again.

------------------------------

November 7th, 18:00/6:00 pm

Jack has only been here two days, and he's already a part of Bruno and Noemi's family. Bruno calls him my son and Noemi calls him my child, and they give him everything he needs, and more. He feels so, so loved.

And honestly, it feels nice to have an older couple take care of him. Being a newsie and all, he didn't exactly have an easy childhood. So now, in his mid-late thirties, he enjoys the feel of having loving parents.

Right now, he and Bruno are playing chess while Noemi is cooking dinner.

"Thank you, by the way," Jack says, for what must be the hundredth time, "For taking me in."

Bruno smiles. "Of course, my son."

"We are happy to have you here!" Noemi beams. "Because of you, our house has been filled with merriment and happy moments again."

Jack smiles. He loves this place.

"Oh, and thanks for letting me send that letter a couple days ago," he says. "It's just ... the person I sent it to ... really matters to me. And I wanted to make sure that person knew I was alright."

He doesn't know how to tell Bruno and Noemi that he's in a relationship with a man. He's scared that they'll kick him out. True, it seems very unlikely that that will happen, but Jack still really, really does not want to take that chance. He doesn't want any of this to change.

"Tell us about them," Bruno says. "You haven't talked about your friends that much in your time here."

"You do have friends, right?" Noemi asks, worried.

Jack smiles. "Yeah, yeah I do."

In truth, he hasn't talked about them that much, because he knows that if he starts talking about them, he'll never stop. But, now that he's been asked about them, he might as well follow through.

"I have this group of friends," Jack begins, "there are five of us. We met when we were all kids. We all sold newspapers." He swallows. "But then when we became adults, we drifted apart for sometime. We found each other again four years ago, and we've been nigh inseparable ever since."

Or at least they were nigh inseparable, before the drafting separated them.

"When was the last time you saw them?" Noemi asks, coming behind Bruno so she can be an active part of their conversation.

"Well, one of them was in the prison camp with me," Jack answers, "but then he got moved to a different one."

Bruno and Noemi both nod empathetically, listening to him. They try not to pry too much about his time in the prison camp. They know that he had two other friends in there with him, and one of them died before his eyes. So they don't bring up the prison camp unless he does first.

"So it was before the war when you were with all your friends?" Noemi asks.

"Yeah."

He hesitates. And then he lets the dam flow.

"My friends are David, Race, Spot, and Mush--we came up with names for each other when we were younger, and the nicknames kind of stuck.

"Race is--was--a gambler. He's super smart, and he works at the circus, doing trapeze. He and I had always been super close, so it hurt a lot when we were a part all those years.

"Spot also used to be a part of the circus, but he quit a little bit ago. He's great. He's strong, both physically and mentally, and stays strong to what he believes. He and Race get along really well.

"Mush is the friend who looks out for all of us. He lost his lover a few years ago. Now he spends his time making sure that none of us feel alone.

"David ... David and I were best friends. We had gotten into a bad fight, and that's why we didn't talk to each other for years. But when we got back together--when we all got back together--we realized how much we missed each other. David is the one I sent the letter to. He's ... he's the person I'm closest to in this whole world."

Noemi puts her hand on Bruno's shoulder. He puts his hand on hers.

Jack had tried not to say too much about David. But then the words kept going. And he could have continued on forever about all of them.

"Is David your lover?" Noemi asks quietly, kindly.

Jack's breathing hitches. So he wasn't as subtle as he thought. He's about to start panicking, but then notices how there is no sign of hostility or disgust in their eyes, just openness. And so he realizes it's safe to trust them. But he's still so, so scared. Wordlessly, he nods.

They smile at him.

"Is he the person in the world who makes you happiest? The one who is your favorite person in the whole world?"

Jack nods without hesitation.

Noemi smiles sadly. "I'm so sorry that the world is cruel to you."

Jack looks down.

"Our daughter, Leonie, has been in love with a girl for years," Noemi continues. "A lovely girl named Océane. Of course, they cannot show the world that they are in love. But that does not diminish the love they have for each other."

They cannot show the world that they are in love. But that does not diminish the love they have for each other.

Jack smiles. He is so, so relieved. It feels so nice to be accepted.

"They come here every year for Christmas," Bruno adds. "Océane is just as much a part of our family as our daughter, just as much a part of our family as our other kids' spouses."

"Just as much as I am?" Jack asks jokingly, innocently.

Bruno and Noemi chuckle.

"Just as much as you are," they reassure him.

And so, Jack has now joined a second family not by blood, but by choice. Now he knows that he'll be welcome here always. He will always be grateful for this couple who took him in when he had no one.

Suddenly, there's a knock on the door. They all turn to look, all curious for who it is.

"I don't remember anyone meaning to coming over today," Bruno comments, eyebrow raised.

"I'll get it," Jack volunteers, and stands up. His heart is beating fast. If it is who he thinks it is...

"Whoever it is, they're getting all wet in the rain," Noemi says sadly. "Poor thing."

Jack opens the door.

Standing there in the pouring down rain, soaking wet, is David Jacobs. The love of Jack's life.

"Jack!" David shouts out with delight at the same time Jack cries out "DAVID!" and rushes forward.

He hugs David with all his might.

David closes his eyes and hugs back just as tight. "I found you. I really found you."

"I missed you so much." A tear rolls down Jack's face.

They hug like they're the only people in the world, like they're the only things that matter in this world. They're the only ones who matter.

Finally, they pull back so they can look each other in the eye. In their very teary eyes.

"Aw, Davey, I missed you so much."

"I have so, so many questions," David says, and then they both laugh.

"I've been staying here for the past couple days," Jack says quickly, "these nice people Bruno and Noemi-" he motions back at them. They wave. "-they took me in." Then, in a quieter tone, "They know about us. And they're okay with us."

David's eyes widen. And then, that being enough encouragement, he leans forward and kisses Jack with all his might.

Jack closes his eyes and kisses back. His hands are on David's face, David's arms are wrapped around him. Usually, it's the other way around; but this time Jack needs someone holding him.

They kiss like there's no tomorrow. They kiss to make up for all the time they've spent a part.

Jack will explain everything to David. He'll tell him about what he's seen in the war, how he got to the prison camp, how he ended up here. He'll even suggest that they wait out the war here--at least for a couple of days; they can stay in Bruno and Noemi's hospitality a little longer.

But that's not this moment.

This moment is Jack and David. This is them reunited.

This is them finding each other again, and staying together throughout it all.

And right now, that's all they need.

------------------------------------

AAAAAA THAT WAS SO SWEET

My heart-

<3333333

That was so sweet. So, so sweet.

I was so excited to write that.

And, as you probably figured out, I am in love with found family tropes haha.

I love Bruno and Noemi even more now.

Enjoy this happy chapter while it lasts.

So I'm going away for a few days, so I won't be able to write anything, but when I come back, I'm wrapping up this story (oh dang, how is that even happening??).

So what did you all think of this chapter?

Please, no homophobia, profanities, hate etc in the comment section at all times.

Best,

~Your Beloved Author (who was listening to a lot of wholesome music while writing the best parts of this chapter)