Erwin Rommel's Worst Week

[Qualerei]

At last finished (and not a minute too early), here's the story I've been working on these past two weeks... Fiuuuh... Now, maybe I can start drawing Mount Mataiur...

Edit : censorship seems to do quite a few funny things. To avoid that, I've broken the incriminated words in two (eg : hel_lo, and such). Otherwise, some of these words were completely incoherent.

---

Germany - Pottsdam Kriegschule - September 1935


The car came to a stop, in front of a big, obviously ancient building. Hans Gehrken, the feldwebel, who had been driving, pulled the handbrake and quickly got out of the car so as to open the door to his passenger, but the short, stocky blond man was already out as well. At this point, the young feldwebel hesitated ; he had been assigned to this officer very recently - just after his appointment to the Pottsdam kriegsschule had been made official - and he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do now. Should he go and park the car, or was he supposed to await his officer's orders ? Confused, he glanced at the other man with the hope he would help solve this dilemma.

Erwin Rommel, freshly appointed instructor and newly promoted lieutenant-colonel, took a slow breath in as he studied the building, unaware of the stammering and pathetic glance of his batman. He felt his heart hammer in his chest for a second. There he was, at last, and he had the occasion to give his knowledge and experience to young and promising military men, who'd be the future fighting force of the Reich. He would make soldiers of them, even if he had to hammer the rules of strategy into their heads until they begged for mercy. Yet, he knew no military man was a real soldier until he had been to battle, until he had seen death surrounding him. Until his hands were bloodied. He had learnt this lesson long ago, when he was barely a grown man. He had never forgotten that.

He eventually bestowed a glance to his batman, and gave him a slight nod.

"Park the car somewhere. I'm going inside."

The young man clicked his heels and saluted sharply before complying, at the same time pondering whether he should point out to the lieutenant-colonel that it was 11 p.m. and nobody was likely to be up to greet him. But then, he remembered what his comrades had told him before he left to his new duties. Never speak when not asked to, and you'll live to see another day...

Rommel wasn't quite paying attention to his batman. He hadn't had time yet to really speak to the man and get better acquainted, and right now was not the time - not to mention he had other things on his mind. He, his wife Lucie and his seven years old son Manfred, had just moved in earlier that day, but in spite of Lucie's protests and the late hour, he hadn't been able to resist seeing the place where he would work. He couldn't have waited, as he was pretty enthusiastic about his new job. He liked to teach, even though he sometimes ran short of patience with the stubborness and stupidity his students occasionally displayed.

This would not be his first experience as a teacher ; he had already been a military instructor in Dresden, up until two years ago, and that experience had given him the motivation to write his book about infantry. He looked forward to having another go at it.

He climbed up the stairs that led to the main hall of the building. It was closed, of course, but he had had the presence of mind to ask for the key, and he unlocked the door, as he felt a pleasing although childish excitement send a tremor up his spine.

The sound of his heavy boots on the wooden floor echoed in the empty hall when he finally entered. The room was plunged in darkness, and he reached gropingly for the light switch. The hall filled with light, to Rommel's delight. It was clean, stark yet comfortable, just like it should be. He headed forward to another room, and then he found what he was looking for ; his office. The name of his predecessor was still written on the glass : "Colonel Werner Debauer". He would have to have it removed, but the place already felt homelike.

He opened the door. The place felt kind of empty and grim, since all traces of its previous occupant had been carefully eradicated, but he would bring it to life once he got installed in there. He hesitated for a second ; it was late, and he should be going back to Lucie. But what harm could do one more minute ? Besides, the empty chair was just too much of a temptation. He slid his light frame in the seat, and allowed himself a pleased smile. He would like it here.

"What the h*** are you doing here ?"

Surprised by the harsh voice, Rommel raised his glance, and met the dark eyes of a man glaring at him. He wore a uniform with a major's insignias, and in spite of the late hour, he was perfectly dressed, up to the peaked cap on his dark hair. He seemed to be in his thirties. When Erwin rose, he noticed the man was as short as he was, maybe even a bit more.

"Lieutenant-colonel Erwin Rommel. I am a newly appointed instructor in this school", he introduced himself.

The dark haired major didn't relent that easily.

"You didn't answer my question", he said, but in a slightly more amenable tone.

"Well, I just arrived, and I wanted to have a look at the place", Rommel retorted, starting to feel a bit irritated.

He outranked the major, and technically shouldn't have had to explain himself. But there was something he liked in the thoroughness the man showed in the application of his duty.

"I see", the other officer muttered. "A perfectionnist." A sudden grin made his features brighten. "I like that. I am Aldrich Kaltenhorst, teacher in strategy and military history."

He offered his hand, and for a second Rommel was tempted to refuse it, in retaliation for this unwarm, not to say frosty reception. But it would have been petty and mean, and after all Kaltenhorst's reaction was understandable, so he shook hands with him.

"I teach infantry tactics", he replied.

"I know, we were notified of your arrival. But I certainly didn't expect to see you already - we were told you'd need a few days to move in."

"As I said, I just arrived, but I just had to come and see the place", Rommel replied with a foxy grin of his own. "Although I didn't expect to see anyone up that late."

"I often stay here late", Kaltenhorst shrugged. "I like to work when there's no one around to bother me. But since you are here - and I was nearly finished anyway - would you like to take a closer look ?"

"I'd love to", Erwin replied sincerelly.

****

Lucie rolled on the bed, and couldn't refrain a weary sigh. She was so accustomed to Erwin's presence nearby that she found she had trouble sleeping without him. She liked to feel his warmth against her skin, and to have his hand on her waist ; that made her feel safe, loved and protected. But ever since last october, he had been burying himself in work, coming back home later and later. The first time he had come back well after dinner, she had been worried he hadn't eaten anything. But as it happened again and again, she started to feel angry, feeling driven away. She knew how important it was to him, and how devoted he was to his work, and she had tried to be tolerant. But she didn't want him to forget his family. She had told her husband he should play more with Manfred, like he used to, and he had merely replied that he would try, but that it might be a few weeks before he was accustomed to his new duties. That sounded too much like a way out for her liking.

She checked her watch, and realized it was half past midnight. She heaved an angry growl, and rolled once more to find a more comfortable position. She'd be tired, the following day, but she'd have to be up when the remover would arrive. They didn't have too many things, but the furnitures were heavy and cumbersome, so they had deemed better to ask a professional to do it. Well, Erwin would be even more tired, but she wouldn't let him oversleep. If she had to bear the exhaustion, the fuss and everything, there was no reason he shouldn't as well.

Suddenly, she heard a faint noise near the door, then a slight creak as someone entered the bedroom. At last, here he was, but Lucie felt in a sulky mood, and she pretended she was asleep. She certainly managed to fool him, as he tried to make as little noise as possible. He slid in the bed near her, and she couldn't help but feel better when he lay his hand on her waist, as he always did.

Tomorrow would be another day.


Three weeks later - Pottsdam Kriegsschule


"... And when in this situation, don't forget to always surround the ennemy whenever possible, while keeping a cover. Here, let me sketch an illustration -"

By now more or less used to his habit to sketch countless drawings to illustrate his course, the cadets waited patiently for Rommel to quickly schematize the situation he had been lecturing them on. When he was done, he switched the projector on, so as to display it for all his students to see. Most of them started to recopy it on their notebooks.

"Remember than, whenever confronting an ennemy force, the victor is most of the time he who starts firing first. It might cost more ammunitions, but they are easier to replace than soldiers. Firing at the ennemy first always has a psychological impact."

He checked his watch and realized it was time for the end of the course.

"Well, seems like we are a bit short on time... I want you to write down what you would do if you were the ennemy, in that same situation, and I expect you to hand these back next time. The class is dismissed."

The students gradually left the room, chatting with each other enthusiastically, but one or two stayed behind to ask Rommel about a few details. Some had intelligent questions, some others had misunderstood something. He never let them away before he was certain they had understood completely, and at the same time took mental notes to add to their file. For instance, there was this Helmuth Freyer, who was pretty clever, but that wasn't necessarily an advantage, because he never had had to work much to get good marks, and was a bit of a lazy cadet. His worst subject was undoubtedly physical training. But he would probably make a good officer at any rate. However, a good officer also had to earn the respect of his men, and that came through hard working and physical fitness too. Freyer would understand that in time.

Erwin finished answering the cadets's questions, then headed for the instructor's private salon. That was the best place in the school for whomever wanted to work, or talk quietly with a fellow instructor, or just sit down and listen. The room was almost empty but for another instructor, Kurt Hesse, who taught history of Prussia. Erwin had quickly befriended him, and they had got close. They also spent a lot of time with Aldrich ; Rommel liked his dry wit and ruthless irony as much as Kurt's erudition and slyness.

"Here, have a drink", Kurt said, hardly raising his head as Erwin entered, and he gestured towards the bottle of schnaps that stood on the table nearby.

"We're not allowed to drink while on duty", Rommel replied mechanically.

"Yeah, but it's friday evening, six o'clock, so technically, we're no longer on duty", Kurt retorted with a sly grin, and his fellow instructor couldn't help but smile back.

"Well, I could use a drink", Erwin admitted as he grabbed the bottle. "This week's been hectic."

"Yeh work too much", Kurt responded absent-mindedly as he turned a page of his book. "I've never seen anyone spend so much time preparing their courses."

"I have to make it interesting for the students", Rommel defended himself. "As long as I'm an instructor here, I won't have cadets falling asleep on me, and if that goes through well prepared courses..."

"Whoa ! Quiet, my friend", Kurt said, raising his hand. "I didn't mean anything by that. And your students certainly do seem to enjoy their time with you - I think I could get jealous."

"Hmm, anyway, thanks for the drink, but I've got to go back home now", Erwin replied as he gave Kurt his bottle back.

"What's the hurry ?"

Erwin had a grimace.

"Lucie was a bit angry this week, because I stayed up a bit late working. I'd better be home before seven if I want to spend a peaceful week-end. Not to mention I promised to spend some time with Manfred."

"Really", Kurt muttered. "One would think that a man who can face hundreds of cadets each week wouldn't be so thoroughly cowed by his own wife..."

"Maybe, but she's prettier than our boys", Rommel replied, amused.

"I won't argue that !" Kurt exclaimed with a laugh.

Erwin gathered the papers he might need for the week-end and after saying goodbye to is friend, he headed to his car. As he walked out of the building, he shuddered slightly ; the weather wasn't improving, and he couldn't wait to be back home. Or, even better, in a warm bed with his wife curled up by his side.

His home was about forty-five minutes away by car, which left him plenty of time to be back in time. Or at least, that was what Rommel thought, until he noticed a road sign that by no means should have been there.

When the h*** did I take the direction of Spitzburg ? With all these clouds and the night falling earlier, I probably took a wrong turn... Where am I ?

He eventually concluded that the only choice he had was to continue until he reached Spitzburg, and there ask for directions, unless he saw another road sign before - which was, unfortunately, quite unlikely.

It took him about thirty minutes to read Spitzburg, which happened to be a small village of barely a few hundreds inhabitants. Including the sheep. There weren't many people in the street, and most of them seemed busy, going about their business. Dispirited, he tried to find someone willing to give him directions, and eventually settled for an old woman walking slowly, a bread tucked under her arm. Old people were the most likely to know the place.

"Excuse me", he said politely. "I was wondering if you could give me directions to Pottsdam ?"

The old woman raised her head and met his eyes. Her face was distorted by a strange, wistful smile as she looked hard at him.

"You remind me of my son", she said casually.

"Oh... uh... really ?" Erwin said uncomfortably, starting to think he should have adressed someone else. Anyone else.

"He was a military too, you know. Killed during the great war. The war to end all wars, they say !" she laughed. It was an unpleasant, hollow sound. "There will always be wars. As long as there is people like you to fight them."

Rommel stared at her. He was starting to feel a bit exasperated. Respecting the elders was all good and nice, but that was no reason to listen to a woman who obviously wasn't in her right mind. On the other hand, leaving now felt a bit like fleeing, and he didn't like that either.

"You know, I just wanted directions to Pottsdam", he said irritatedly.

"Of course, of course", she muttered, almost to herself. "Go back this way, then take the third intersection on your right. Follow the road, it will turn a lot. Then, you'll arrive on another road, and you'll take left. You'll arrive to Pottsdam. You can't make a mistake."

***

Three hours later, as he parked the car in front of his house, Rommel was still wondering if the old woman had misled him on purpose, or if he had taken a wrong turn somewhere. But the indications she had given him sure as h*** hadn't taken him back to Pottsdam. Unless Pottsdam was also the name of this stupid forest where he'd got even more lost.

He checked his watch, and winced. It was almost ten, and Lucie wasn't going to be pleased with him. That was even an euphemism. For once it wasn't even his fault... but he somehow doubted she would be very sensible to that argument. Well, no sense in delaying the upcoming and unavoidable quarrel, so he should as well go inside and let that be over with. He got out of the car and went to the door, but he didn't have the time to draw his key as the door flung open, and a very angry-looking Lucie stared at him from the doorstep.

"Hem -- hel_lo", he said, squirming uneasily under her scathing glance. When she spoke, in a dangerously low voice, her tone could have made he_ll freeze over.

"You promised you'd be home by seven. You promised !"

"Well, I -"

"But I should have known that would be the same thing tonight ! What will it be, this time ? You were working ? A cadet asked you a question ? You had a drink with your colleagues ? That's one time too many, Erwin !"

"But I -"

"What am I supposed to tell Manfred when he asks why his father isn't here to have dinner with his family ? Or when he wants to show you something, only you're never here, or busy with something ?!"

"To tell the truth - "

"Oh, yes, that would be good for a change ! I won't bear that much longer, Erwin !"

This time, he felt hurt, and irritated too. He may have his shortcomings, but never, ever, had he lied to Lucie. He knew anger made her say things she did not really think, but that hurt nonetheless, and all the more as he felt that was uncalled for. When he was guilty, he would gladly let her scold him, but she could at least hear what he had to say. Or was it his fault for coming home late too many times ? He suddenly felt very tired. He'd had a long day, then driven for almost four hours, and know he had to bear that... And eventually, he had no patience left.

"Well, I'm sorry if you're not happy with me, and I certainly wish it were otherwise, but right now I'm tired, so I'm going to bed. Good night !"

He strode past her, taking a furious pleasure in her bewildered expression - he seldom rebelled like that - and climbed the stairs to their bedroom. He was quite hungry, but couldn't stand the idea of going back down there and enduring Lucie's glares, so he gave up and merely drank some water before putting on his night garments. He fell asleep hardly five minute laters.

This night, Lucie did not join him in bed. But he didn't notice.

[Qualerei]

***

The following day, it took Rommel a little while when he woke up to remember why he felt so bad. Then, it all came back to him - his lateness, the few angry words he'd shared with his wife, and his ending her lecture quite abruptly. The day before, that had felt justified in retaliation of her unfairness, but now he felt guilty. After all, that was just an indication that she cared what happened to him - she probably had been worried, the poor thing. And he hadn't thought of any more clever than arguing with her.

Great call, Erwin. Nice tactics. How am I going to make up for that now ? She's never gonna forgive me...

That did not forebide well of the upcoming week-end, and for a short, cowardly moment, he wished he could just go to work and let things work out on their own. Only, that was saturday, and there was no way he could go back to the Academy without it looking like an escape. Not to mention Lucie probably wouldn't let him anyway. He'd have to find another way.

With a sigh, he got up, and noticed Lucie's side of the bed was hardly crumpled. At first, he had thought she had got up earlier than he - although that rarely happened - but it actually looked like she had spent the night somewhere else. In this cold... That made him feel even more guilty.

He dressed quickly, and went downstairs. He could smell the odor of coffee and bread, and that made him realise how hungry he was, not to mention he'd had to skip dinner. He went to the kitchen, and Lucie was there, with Manfred. She barely acknowledged her husband's arrival, except for a frosty "so you're there".

However, she wasn't mean enough to deny him breakfast, and he sat behind his cup of coffee with relief. Manfred smiled at his father, undisturbed by the obvious tension between his parents. Ah, the innocence...

"Dad, why is Mom angry at you ?"

Trust children to ask the question that hurt.

"Well", Erwin cleared his throat nervously.

"Dad misbehaved, Manfred", Lucie said coldly, without sparing a glance towards her husband.

"Does that mean you're going to have to make up for it by taking me for a walk ?" Manfred asked hopefully.

Oh, the little manipulator... but it wasn't as if Erwin had anything better to do, and he really didn't feel like exchanging glares with Lucie the whole morning. Not to mention that would put her in a better frame of mind. She had been pestering him for a few hours with Manfred for days, and he did feel a bit guilty at not spending much time anymore with his son. He missed the complicity they used to share.

"If you'd like", he said carefully. "Maybe we could go horse-riding."

The sound of a angry hiss made him raise his eyes to cross Lucie's hard stare.

"We already talked about that, Erwin ! He's too young."

"But a man..."

"Don't give me any of that."

Rommel stared at her, astonished at her abruptness - in front of Manfred, no less ! But she didn't relent, and he was the first to avert his eyes. This wasn't like her at all. She was usually more retiring, soft-spoken, although she always had known exactly what she wanted, and could be quite persevering in finding a way to get it. But her tactics were usually more on a long-term basis, until he finally gave up and let her do as she pleased - which actually never took that much time. They disagreed on a number of matters, but seldom fought over them. Horse-riding, however, was one of these few matters. Manfred had to grow up, and horse-riding wasn't that dangerous. Erwin remembered, when he was about the same age as his son, dreaming wistfully of riding horses, only he had not been able to fulfill that dream until much later. He wanted his son to have a chance he himself never had. But there was no way he could say that to Lucie.

"Fine, fine", he conceded. "We'll just walk."

He finished drinking his coffee, in an unusually silent kitchen. Lucie pursed her lips, but didn't insist, and he couldn't find anything to say. Usually, he would speak about his students, and their astonishing mistakes in the last test they handed back, but he felt Lucie wasn't in the mood for that kind of small talk. He had intended to suggest they invite his colleagues for dinner, but that would wait another week, else he would never be able to get Lucie to agree.

When he could stand no longer the coldness reigning in the room - and the weather wasn't entirely to blame for that - he rose quickly to his feet, and motioned for Manfred to do the same.

"The morning's the best time to have a walk", he said more cheerfully than he really felt. "We'd better go now. Lucie, we'll be back by noon, I expect."

She cast him a suspicious glance but eventually nodded her assent.

"Manfred, you should take your coat - it's cold outside, especially in the morning. Erwin, don't exhaust him. I know you're never tired, but he's only a child."

"Of course", Rommel replied, a bit hurt that Lucie could think he'd drive his son at an excessive pace.

They left the kitchen once Rommel had gathered the dishes - Lucie was adamant about that, at least on the week-ends - and they headed to the door. Erwin was in uniform, as usual - he felt weird, when he was out of his gray wehrmacht suit, and he never knew quite what he should wear. Usually he asked Lucie whenever he needed to be in civilian clothes. But this particular morning, that would not be a good idea. He absent-mindedly patted his son on the shoulder and they went out.

The weather was grim and cold, with grey clouds hovering low in the sky, and from times to times gusts of wind shook tree branches, making drops of water fall on the ground and occasionally wetting the infortunate people who happened to be under the trees at that time. Manfred, just like the seven years old he was, started to play in the puddles as Erwin led him on the road. Although the kid wasn't really paying attention to their possible destination, the colonel, for one, knew perfectly where he was going.

"Daaaad ! Look what I found !" Manfred showed proudly to his father a chestnut he had found on the road, all brown with spots of white, and Erwin dutifully admired the discovery.

"Good work, Freddie", he confratulated his son.

Then he look back behind his shoulder and, certain he was safe and no one could hear him, he leaned toward the little boy.

"Say, are you ready for an adventure ?" he asked in a conspiracy tone.

"An adventure ?" Manfred warily eyed his father.

He remembered all too well what had happened the last summer at the swimming pool, and the humiliation he had had to endure. On the other hand, he had spent very little time with his father of late, and he ached for his approval. Not to mention that he was a seven years old and he wanted to have fun. His father's ideas were sometimes dangerous and unpleasant, but always exciting. He carefully nodded yes, hoping this time his father's plans wouldn't involve a diving board and a lot of water underneath.

"Good." Erwin patted his son once again, as he liked to do to encourage him.

They walked still for another fifteen minutes or so, and eventually reached another place, which Manfred knew well. It was a place where people could ride horses, and his father often went there to practice, but Manfred had never been allowed to try - his mother adamantly refused. He found the idea both exciting and frightening. These horses were monstrously big, and the seven years old was kind of nervous at the idea of possibly falling from so high. On the other hand, the feeling that he was being treated like a grown-up was quite appealing too.

"Dad ? Mom said..." Manfred started, but his father hushed him up.

"That's a secret. What she doesn't know won't hurt her. If you want to grow up, you need to become a fine horseman, you know", Rommel coaxed his son.

Manfred gulped, but nodded. He didn't want to disappoint his father. One day, he would have a nice uniforme too, with shining buttons and loud jackboots, and if he needed to be able to ride a horse to do that... And his father wouldn't let his fall, would he ?

"Dad ? You won't let me fall, will you ?"

"Of course not", Rommel scolded him. "Come, now, I told them I would come today, and we need to be back before lunch."

He had, indeed, planned this little expedition the previous week. He thought that would be a nice surprise for Manfred, and he wasn't about to let Lucie ruin his carefully planned adventure. She was very bright, and he valued her advices on numerous matters, but on this particular problem, she was just being a mother. His duty, as a fatther, was not to let that slow down Manfred while he was growing up and fulfilling his potential.

Rommel and Manfred were greeted by an elderly man, with brown greying hair and vivid dark eyes. The colonel barely noticed the usual smell of the horses, as he was used to it, but Manfred hardly managed to refrain from covering his mouth and nose in disgust. However, the seven years old knew that would be very impolite, so he made a point of remaining stolid.

"hel_lo, Rudolf", Rommel said quite familiarly.

He often came there to practice, and in the short time he had been there, he had quickly become acquainted with the owner of the place.

"'lo", came the answer in the usual terse manners of the older man. "Yeh came fer a ride ? And yeh brought the kid with yeh."

"Yes", Rommel nodded. "I'd like a pony for him. One docile and obedient."

Rudolf scratched his head, considering the possibilities, then counted on his fingers.

"This one's out, this one just came back from a three day outing... hmm... I can give yeh Jadl, he's a bit racy but yeh can manage him. I'll have Schnetzer readied for yer boy, he'll behave."

"Fine", Rommel acquiesced.

Rudolf came in the barn, then out, dragging two of the quadruped behind him. The first one seemed to be a grey pommeled mare, which shook her head eagerly. She was obviously impatient to get out. The other one was a short chestnut brown pony, with a white mane and socks, and a star on his forehead. He was so cute that Manfred couldn't really fear him, though he still was nervous, and tried to hide without being too conspicuous behind his father.

They waited for a few minutes, as the man skillfully prepared the horses. It didn't take long, and Rudolf was obviously used to that kind of work. His moves had the trained ease of someone that could do the task with his eyes closed and his hands tied behind his back. The horses knew better than try and cross him, too, and they remained obediently motionless, as the man saddled and clamped them. Soon, the two animals were ready, and just as soon came Manfred's first test. His father, arms crossed on his chest, beckoned him to climb on the pony's back.

Now that the time had come to actually do it, the boy felt suddenly much less confident. But the pony was also shorter than he'd feared, so everything should be all right. Hesitantly, he reached for the pommel of the saddle, but almost at once his father stopped him.

"You must always climb on the horse from the left side", Rommel reminded him.

"Oh. Right." Manfred hesitated for a second before going around the pony. If he went behind him, the pony - Schnetzer - might kick out ; but if he went in front of him, he could get bitten, which wasn't better. Eventually, he settled for going in front of the pony, as quick as he could.

"Don't be too abrupt, you might frighten him", his father warned him. That did nothing to ease Manfred's tension.

He grapped the pommel of the saddle, and put his left foot in the stirrup. That wasn't too difficult ; he had often climbed trees, and that was just the same. Except trees didn't move.

"Aaaah !" the boy cried out, as Schnetzer decided he was tired of being still.

"Grab the reins !" his father shouted instead of rescuing him.

Easier said than done ! Manfred leaned forward, still clingling to the pommel with his right hand while he tried to grap the reins with his left hand. That was not easy, because they had slid forward when the pony had lowered his head.

"Try to get seated !"

Okay, his father was definitely not helpful. Manfred couldn't even glare at him, or he would fall. And to top it all, Schnetzer started to trot, raising his head with a triumphal neigh. The good side was that the move made the reins slid closer, and he was at last able to seize them and to pull them so the pony stopped. Obediently, Schnetzer came to a halt.

"Now then ! Good job", Rommel congratulated him.

Manfred cast an accusatory glance at his father, who was now riding easily beside him.

"You said you wouldn't let me fall !"

"And you didn't fall, did you ?" the colonel pointed out. "I knew you could do it. You need to learn to fight, Manfred. When you're a grown-up, you will have to take care of yourself if someone's not here to help you."

"Yeah, but I'm not a grown-up yet", Manfred retorted in a sulky tone.

"That's curious, but I seem to remember you said something different last week when Lucie and I sent you off to bed", fis father teased him with what Lucie often called his "foxy grin".

Manfred muttered a few inaudible words, but Rommel could vaguely make out the words "...doesn't count", and he hid a smug smile.

"But you see, it's not that bad, is it ?" he comforted his son.

And Manfred had to admit, it was rather funny to be carried at this slow pace by the pony. He could feel the warmth of the animal's fur against his legs, and it was weird to feel the muscles move underneath the skin. The seven years old didn't dare to pull too hard on the reins, but so far, that didn't seem that difficult. All he had to do was let himself be carried and watch the scenery.

However, the dark grey clouds seemed to be lingering lower and lower, and the air was thick, warm and moist, without a hint of wind. The incoming thunderstorm made the horses nervous and fidgety, and Manfred apprehensively clang to the reins.

"I think it's time we get back", his father said at last.

They had been going in circles around the farm, so they weren't far - maybe ten minutes by horse. But at that moment, several things happened. Manfred could hear the engines of a plane, first dimly, then quite loudly, as the plane flew lower than usual. Frightened by this sound, while he saw nothing in particular, Schnetzer jumped a bit. Startled, Manfred pulled on the reins, very hard. Now frightened and in pain, and already nervous because of the atmosphere and the lack of assurance of his rider, the pony started to kick out.

Manfred's fall was bound to happen, under those circumstances. He felt himself slide from the saddle, and didn't find anything to grip to catch himself in time. The seven years old, quite understandably, started to scream, which did nothing to calm the pony down.

If Manfred had just fallen on the rather soft ground, he would have escaped with a fright. But as he uselessly struggled to stay on the saddle, he tucked his left foot in the stirrup, then he fell. Bound to the pony, he felt the world spin round as he was being lagged behind. A sharp pain on his forehead made him cry in pain. It felt like it lasted hours, although mere seconds elapsed before Rommel, who had powerlessly witnessed the whole scene, caught up with the pony and managed to stop him.

Manfred felt the pony stop, but he remained on the ground, sobbing, as his father knelt beside him, awkwardly trying to comfort him. His gashed forehead hurt like h***, and when he brought his hand to his face, he saw blood.

"Come on, now, it's over", Rommel said, baffled.

He could handle whole divisions, but a crying little boy was out of his control.

"Y-you said you wouldn't let me fall", Manfred cried plaintively between two sobs.

"Mein gott, I'm so sorry, Manfred ! But I'm sure you'll be fine, it's just a little blood - head wounds always bleed a lot..."

Oh, good job Erwin, the colonel slapped himself mentally. Talk to your son like he's one of your soldiers !

At any rate, Manfred looked like he had hardly been listening, and for one Rommel couldn't blame him. He looked desperately for something to sponge the blood, and found a handkerchief folded neatly in one of his pockets. But Manfred cried even more when his father tried to wipe the blood.

"You make it hurt even more !" he complained, still sobbing and sniffing.

"Let's get back to the barn, and Rudolf will have something to tend to your forehead", Rommel said reassuringly.

But Manfred refused adamantly to climb back on the pony, so Rommel had to drag behind him the two horses, with Manfred's hand tucked in his own. They reached the barn about fifteen minutes later - it might have been sooner, but Manfred had still short legs and he was walking very slowly. Rommel didn't dare to try and make him walk faster.

As soon as they were back, Rommel let the two horses in a stall, still saddled and clamped - that could be taken care of later - and rejoined his son in Rudolf's kitchen. Rudolf's wife, Inge, cleaned up the wound and disinfected it, then put a plaster on the gash. It looked much better, but Rommel didn't dare to think of Lucie's reaction. She'd already been in a bad mood, but now...

Eventually, Rommel and Manfred found themselves on the way home - the colonel had declined to have a drink, as they were late - to top it all. Manfred had calmed down, although he still sniffed occasionally. Rommel bit his lip. Lucie was going to kill him. And there was no way she wouldn't notice the wound. But what could he do ? Unless... Yes, unless Manfred kept silent about the whole affair. But what could motivate him ? He seemed to be pretty resentful, blaming the accident on his father. Well, he had indeed said he wouldn't let Manfred fall, but what more could he have done ? Yet, Rommel somehow doubted his son would be sensible to that argument.

But then, Manfred might be sensible to another argument. He was Swabian, after all. The colonel searched his pockets for a coin. Two marks. Yes, that should do it.

"Look, Manfred, there's no need to worry your mother over that incident. If you tell her you fell, you can keep that."

He tucked the coin in his son's hand, and after a slight hesitation, it disappeared in a pocket. Heaving a discreet sigh of relief, Rommel walked back home with a bit more assertiveness.

***

As he had anticipated, the gash was the first thing Lucie saw, before even the stains of mud on Rommel and Manfred's clothes - which were to be expected anyway on account of the weather.

"Mein gott in himmel ! What in the world happened to my son ?" she exclaimed, horrified.

Of course, in such situations, Manfred was "her" son, and she was quick to forget Erwin had had any part in his bringing up. On the other hand, whenever he did something silly, he was beyond doubt Erwin's son. That bias was, in his opinion, deeply unfair, but he preferred not to confront Lucie on that when she was in this state of mind.

"He..." Rommel started, thinking it was preferable for him to do the lying. But Manfred's small voice cut him in mid-sentence.

"I fell from the pony ; Dad said he would catch me if I fell, but he didn't, and I hurt my head", he whined.

Manfred's resentful glare matched his father's indignant one, as he was faced by that betrayal. But before either of them had time to add anything, Lucie's voice cut them.

"Erwin ! You took my son horse riding ?! I told you he is too young. Did you even listen to me ?"

She was almost crying now, and that was more painful for Erwin than her reproaches. He took a step forward to comfort her, but she adressed him the glare of a Basilisk.

"That's it ! I'm tired of this !" she nagged at him. "How could you endanger the life of your son ?!"

"But, Lucie, I..."

She didn't let him finish his sentence, as she marched on him, scarier than any ennemy tank he had ever come across.

"Get out ! Now !" she said in a low, dangerously calm voice.

Rommel opened his mouth to protest, but a look at Lucie's eyes detered him. He took in a sharp breath, then decided he'd better give her some time to calm down (better to think about it that way than to call it a strategic withdrawal) and he slowly stepped out of the house. The door was slammed in his face, so hard that he actually felt the vibrations in the ground, and, quite dispirited, he sat on the doorstep. The first drops of rain started to fall from the ominously grey sky.

Later

"Lucie ! Let me get back in !"

Much later

"Lucie ! Unlock this door !"

Much, much later

"Lucie ! It's getting dark out here !"

There was no reply, and Erwin decided it was time to make use of his secret weapon.

"Lucie ! What are the neighbours going to say ?!"

There was still no answer, and Rommel started to get worried. He had expected it would take her maybe a few hours to get a grasp on her temper. But he had waited the whole afternoon, and there was no sign of any door opening coming any time soon. He was starting to suspect he might spend the night out, and he did not welcome the idea. He was cold, hungry, and wet. And very, very mad at his son, while at the same time feeling guilty for his fall.

Well, that was it. He was tired of waiting. He was ready to accept his responsibility in the matter, and to apologize as it fitted, but how could he do that if Lucie refused to talk ?

Rommel angrily got to his feet and headed to the car. He could think of only one place he could go. Not a bar - he didn't drink much, didn't want anyone to see him in that delicate situation, and the bars would eventually close anyway. But there was somewhere that felt almost homelike, and at least no one would lock him out of his office. He started the car and quickly increased his speed, drawing a squeak of protest from the engines. He couldn't care less.

[Qualerei]

Pottsdam Kriegschule - A little bit later this evening

Aldrich Kaltenhorst pushed the door open with a weary sigh. He shouldn't be there on a saturday evening. He shouldn't be even close to the school. Actually, he should be anywhere but there. As much as he enjoyed working on late hours, he didn't usually push the masochism to working on the week-ends. Only, he had these notes he needed to give the headmaster on monday morning, and the headmaster was a stiff old goat. If he didn't get these on monday, first hour, Aldrich wouldn't hear the end of it. So, he had resigned himself for the greater good (and to avoid a blame in his file), and he had come back to the school to pick up his notes.

Only, of all things, he had not expected to see light in the school. It couldn't be a teacher ; he was the one who usually worked the latest, not to mention that was saturday. So, the only explanation... yes, that had to be a thief. Not that there were so many things to steal in the War Academy ; but of course, a burglar wouldn't know that.

Even though the hall was dark, Aldrich knew the school well enough to recognize the room from where came the light. That was Erwin's office. What could a thief find interesting in such a room ? Erwin was spartan, to say the least, and in accordance with his Swabian nature, he didn't leave money in his office. Nor did he keep anything precious there. Still, Aldrich had been standing there for at least five good minutes, and the thief had not yet come out. Maybe he believed the scarceness of the room was intent, meant to mislead potential robbers, and was looking for a secret hideout ?

That was too long. Well then, Aldrich would just have to intervene and put an end to whatever this thief was doing. He drew his Lüger - all the teachers of the War Academy had at least a sidearm whenever in uniform - and padded along, silent as a cat, towards the door. Slowly, he turned the handle, and opened the door very slightly. Then, he suddenly stormed in, Lüger at the ready and aimed at the intruder.

The room was dimly lit by the desklight, and at first, Aldrich could only make out the dark shape of a single man. Wary of any weapon the stranger might target him with, he took a step forward as he issued a warning.

"Hands up, schnell !"

But then, the shape turned to face him, and that was all Aldrich could do to refrain from shooting, as his finger tightened on the trigger. However, at that precise moment, he saw the face of the intruder, and with a start Aldrich lowered his gun, as he realised he had almost fired at his friend.

"Himmel ! I'm sorry, Erwin, I didn't expect to see anyone at this hour... let alone you."

Then, Aldrich noticed that Rommel didn't look half as shaken as he himself was by the incident - and yet, it was him who had been threatened with a gun. Actually, his fellow instructor didn't seem in a very good mood, and Aldrich wondered whether Erwin was mad at him or for another reason. He'd rather it was the second answer, but just in case he cast a fleeting glance at the door. How long would it take him to get out if it turned out that Erwin was really in that mood because of him ? And now that Aldrich got a closer look at him, his friend didn't look that good altogether. Water trickled from his hair down his face, and his uniform was wet through - not to mention the stains of mud, when he was usually dressed up to the nines. He looked ice-cold, too.

"Nein, it's all right", Rommel said in a dispirited voice.

Well, that made it for the matter, whatever it was that made Rommel sound so sour wasn't Aldrich. Actually, he suspected that had to do with the reason why Erwin was at the Academy at this hour. As much as he didn't want to pry, and as much as he'd rather get back home and have a drink with a good book, he couldn't leave his friend in that state of mind. With a silent sigh, Aldrich said goodbye to his favourite armchair and peaceful evening, and he sheathed his gun as he came closer to Rommel.

"What's the matter, Erwin ?" he asked in what he hoped was a persuasive tone of voice.

But his friend averted his eyes and came to sit on a corner of his desk, absent-mindedly playing with his favourite pen. Aldrich narrowed his eyes ; that was certainly not a Rommel-like reaction. Which meant there really was something bad. And that was probably about his private life, so that would be pretty difficult to make him say anything. As if life wasn't complicated enough already...

"I'm fine, Al", Rommel eventually said softly.

Aldrich snorted and said a word that would have made any lady blush furiously.

"Like h*** you are. Don't start being all martyr-like on me, now. You'd better speak, and quickly", he concluded with a mock gestapo-like menacing scowl.

Rommel couldn't help but chuckle dryly at that display, to Aldrich's relief ; if he laughed, that couldn't be that bad, could it ? But Erwin still shrugged off his friend's concern.

"That's not that bad. I can deal with it myself."

Well, at least now he was admitting there was indeed something wrong. Aldrich frowned.

"Yeah, that's why you're in your office on a saturday evening, brooding..."

A revelation suddenly hit Aldrich. Indeed. In his office. Why not home ? He'd be more comfortable, if nothing else. And he obviously wasn't here to work. Meaning, the problem had to do with his family. Now, that was bad. Aldrich knew precisely how much Erwin loved his family, and how far he'd go to please them. If there had been an altercation with his wife... but she wouldn't have thrown him out, now, would she ? No, Aldrich just had too much of a vivid imagination. Yet...

"What did she say ?" he asked intently.

Pretending to know more than he actually did by asking a question vague enough was an old trick, but it still was a good one. Aldrich had learnt quite a few things from that Gestapo inspector who'd come to visit the Academy, two years ago.

"How do you..." Erwin started, raising suddenly his head, then dismissively waved his hand. "Never mind. We... disagreed on a few things."

"That bad, uh ?"

Rommel stared at his fellow instructor, then wordlessly nodded.

"I know exactly what you need", Aldrich asserted with determination. "Follow me."

Moved as much by curiosity as by the imperiousness of Aldrich's orders, Erwin found himself going after his dark-haired friend before he even realised it consciously. He led them to his own office, located a bit further inside the building, and shove him in, before following, and he closed the door behind them. Erwin had rarely, if ever, stepped in his colleague's den, and he peered curiously at the desk, forgetting for a minute his domestic problems.

Contrary to Erwin's own neatly orderly desk, papers lay about everywhere, yet somehow it didn't feel untidy. Quite the opposite, actually ; it gave the room an atmosphere of unformal warmth that made it welcoming. It seemed to be full of its owner's personality - casual friendship.

Aldrich came to a storage unit, and drew a bottle out from it, with a flourish and a wide smile. Erwin shook his head at this so subtle try to cheer him up, although he did appreciate the attempt. But he did glower at the bottle. He wouldn't drop so low as to drown his problems in alcohol. Aldrich scowled at him and shove a glass in his hand.

"I'm not asking you to roll under the table. But take a few sips. You look like a wet cat."

Rommel replied with a glare of his own, but he did take the glass to his lips and gulped some of the liquor down. Then, he raised his head, and met Aldrich's intent dark gaze.

"Now what ?" he asked, for once letting the initiative to his comrade.

"Now, you tell me what happened, and I listen", came the quiet but adamant reply.

"Well, I..." Erwin started, then broke off, at a loss for words. That seemed to happen way too often, these days. But suddenly, a dy_ke seemed to give way, and he finally realised he did need to talk. Not a minute too soon, Aldrich mused. But Rommel wasn't the kind to yield any ground when he could do otherwise.

And eventually, Rommel found himself narrating everything that had happened this past weeks. The words flew out of his mouth of their own free will, or so it sounded like. His dedication to his work, Lucie's impatience and anger at his lateness each and every evening, Manfred's fall that had led to the final confrontation... Aldrich did as he had said ; he silently listened, without interrupting, keeping his thoughts to himself. Once Rommel was done, they sat dumbly for a minute, both thoughtful. Aldrich was the first to break the silence.

"My, you really did it, this time", he sighed. "Although, her reaction was a bit excessive."

"So what should I do ?" Erwin shrugged.

"Dunno if I'm the most qualified to deliver advices - after all, I'm still single. But if you really want to know what I'd do... You, my friend, need to take this step by step."

"How so ?" The older man glared at Aldrich for this so unhelpful comment.

"First, get back inside the house - that shouldn't be too difficult, she can't keep you out forever. Then, get her to forgive you, regardless of whose fault it is."

"Yes, that is so simple, I see now", Rommel snig_gered.

Kaltenhorst shook his head sadly.

"I've had much experience with women - probably more so than you."

"If you say so", his friend muttered.

"Single man speaking, so listen", Aldrich retorted. "Now, what do women like ? Chocolates, flowers, perfume, attention from their husband... in that case, something exceptionnal would be nice."

"Something exceptionnal ?" Erwin repeated stupidly. "Like what ?"

"That, my friend", Aldrich smiled genially, "is your problem. She's your wife, not mine. I don't know her. Although I do hope you'll introduce me to her sometime soon."

Rommel settled back in his chair, thoughtfully gazing at the fire Aldrich had lit at some point in the hearth. Something exceptionnal, valuable, that Lucie would like... Something to calm her down... Chocolate, that was too easy. If she wanted that, she could buy it herself - and she'd say something about not wanting to gain weight. Flowers just wasn't enough. So what did that leave ? Maybe...

"I think I've an idea", he finally said, rising to his feet. "Al, would you tell the headmaster that I'm, uh... sick, and I won't be there until..."

He counted on his fingers.

"Make that wednesday."

"Of course, you can rely on me", Aldrich chuckled. "What do you have in mind ? Or maybe I shouldn't ask."

"Just like you said", Erwin replied. "Perfume. Only, I'm going to make that exceptionnal."

"How... no, don't tell me. Just do it, if you think that's the right thing. But - eh ! Where are you going ? Come back !"

Rommel, who had been leaving the room already, turned back to face his friend, a look of surprise on his face.

"I'm going to get that thing, why ?"

"I'm certainly not letting you out on the roads when you haven't slept and soaked through. You come with me home - I have a spare bed."

For a second, Rommel looked like he would refuse, but he couldn't find a good reason to, save his own natural impatience and desire to get this over with as soon as humanly possible. He eventually relented to his friend's inflexibility and obediently followed him out to his own car.


******

Lucie awoke quite early, which was not so surprising since she'd gone to bed pretty early the previous evening - she didn't want Manfred to see her crying. She turned her head, out of habit, to face the other side of the bed, and cringed when the emptiness of the sheets reminded her of what had happened the day before. She didn't quarrel often with her husband - maybe because he usually let her do as she pleased, and let himself be a bit henpecked. She felt a mixture of guilt and anger at the thought of him. She still couldn't believe his recklessness, carelessness, and a lot of other things ending in -ess. With himself, she was used to it, and knew she couldn't stop it. But with his son !

She rose to her feet, shivering as she left the comfortable warmth of the bed, and came to the window to peer outside. It had obviously been raining the whole night, and the garden was little more than a swamp. It would probably be hours, or even days, before all that water was absorbed by the earth. Until then, walking out without getting her dress stained was going to be difficult, if not impossible. She wondered whether Erwin was still on the doorstep. No, she had heard the sound of the car, at some point, while she was already half asleep. He'd probably come back this morning, and she would... well, she wasn't sure what she'd do, but she was confident they could work this out - he would have learnt the lesson, and wouldn't jeopardize his son's life ever again.

Lucie shivered at the thought. She didn't like horses that much, even though Erwin loved them. To her, they were just big and smelly animals, with big and dangerous hooves - imagine this horse had kicked Manfred after the boy had fallen ! Thank god, there were now more civilized means of transportation, and horses weren't so indispensable anymore.

For a moment, she hesitated in front of her wardrobe, wondering what she could wear, then settled for a worn out brown dress, eyeing longingly her favourite white dress. But wearing that colour wasn't the best of ideas in such a weather. Then, she headed down to the kitchen. Manfred would wake soon, and he would probably be as hungry as could be expected of a seven years old kid.

The day drew on, slowly. Lucie couldn't help but gaze outside every five minutes, expecting her husband to show up, and she definitely had trouble focusing on her book. She tried to occupy her hands by knitting, but she never had had that much patience with this typically feminine activity, and she lost her thread more than once.

Lunch was silent and unhappy. Manfred cast sidelong glances at his father's empty chair, and he looked guilty, to Lucie's annoyance. Manfred wasn't the one who should feel guilty - contrary to his father. But she still started at every outside sound.

When eventually she heard the doorbell, she felt a surge of relief. She hadn't even realised how tense she was before now. She settled her face in a stern look before she came to the door and opened it - to find herself facing a complete stranger, a young, tall and wiry man with brown hair and wide black eyes. He made her think of an owl at first glance, but she wasn't in the mood for pleasantries.

"Yes ?" she said in an annoyed tone, that didn't seem to deter him.

"Ma'am, would you be interested in the brand new toaster we can sell you for a price defying all..."

"Not interested", she cut him off frostily, before closing the door in his face. She just loathed these roving salesmen.

Dispirited, she came back to the drawing room, and tried once again to focus on her book - without much success, until Manfred interrupted her.

"Mum, can you help me with my math homework ?"

"Oh dear" she sighed. "You know I never could understand all these numbers... try to solve it by yourself."

She carefully avoided any mention of her husband, in the hope he wouldn't bring it up ; and he was clever enough to do so. She gave up all pretense of reading, and gazed at the fire in the hearth. The wait did nothing to ease her anger, but it did make her worry, even though she had been the one to lock her husband out in the first place.

When the doorbell rang a second time, she was a bit less enthusiastic to go and open it - if it was this salesman again, she wasn't sure what she'd do, but she knew for certain he wouldn't like it.

However, it was a man she had never seen before, clad in a major's uniform - she had grew accustomed to that sort of distinction and was quite good at it, more so than quite a few other soldier's wives she knew. He was short, with dark hair and vivid dark eyes that seemed to stare through her.

"Frau Rommel ?" he asked, as he politely took off his peaked cap.

"Yes", she said cautiously, "but my husband isn't here at the moment..."

"I've come to see you", he replied with a short bow.

"Me..." she murmured, her breath caught in her throat. That man was military - and he wanted to speak to her ? Did that mean something had happened to Erwin ? The road had been slippery due to the rain, last night, and he had taken the car...

The man clicked his heels.

"Major Aldrich Kaltenhorst, ma'am."

"Please forgive me", she managed to say, "I'm forgetting my manners. Would you like to enter for a drink ?"

She wasn't sure how proper it was to have a man she didn't really know in the house when her husband wasn't there, but to h*** with etiquette - she'd just have to make sure Manfred was present at all times.

"Thank you, but this won't take long", he declined. "Your husband asked me to come so you wouldn't worry."

"Erwin ? What happened ?"

"Nothing serious, don't worry", he replied, with what looked like an amused frown. "But he was called on business somewhere, and he might not be back before wednesday."

A new flare of anger expended in Lucie's chest. She couldn't help but feel he had fled away from her - that "business call" was way too convenient. Besides, what "business call" could take away a military teacher so unexpectedly ?

"I see", she said, unable to refrain a hint of bitterness. "Well, thank you for having taken the time to tell me. Are you certain you won't have something to drink before you leave ?"

"Thank you, but no."

He saluted her with the utmost courtesy and left. She stayed a few seconds, staring at his back as he walked to his car. Erwin hadn't even called, or come himself to tell her of his departure. He had sent someone else.

Does he also send his soldiers first in a battle ? Coward !

She knew, deep down, that she was being a bit unfair, but couldn't bring herself to care. And, for the first time in her life, she wondered whether she had made a mistake when marrying him.

*****

Erwin Rommel stopped his car and got out of the car, a bit stiff after hours spent driving. He also felt kind of awkward in civilian clothes that didn't exactly fit him - Aldrich had lent them to him, pointing out that he couldn't go in a foreign country wearing a German uniform. Thankfully, he and Aldrich were both rather short, so he didn't look that bad in this suit, but it wasn't really comfortable either. Rommel hardly remembered wearing civilian clothes at all.

He looked all around him curiously. He had already been in France, but the circumstances were not exactly the same. He hoped the people didn't hold too much of a grudge, but he wouldn't stay long anyway.

On his left, there was the store he had been looking for ever since he'd arrived in Paris ; himmel, this city was a labyrinth. And he didn't even have a map... well, he had found what he wanted, that was what mattered most. Satisfied with himself, he entered the store. At once, a clerk converged towards him.

"Puis-je vous aider, monsieur ?" he asked courteously in French.

Rommel did speak a little bit of the language, but lack of practice didn't help. However, the meaning of the inquiry was quite obvious ; the man probably asked whether he could be of help, or something of the sort. The colonel gathered what little French he remembered.

"Je cherche... uh... une...," ah, to h*** with that ! "Sprechen sie deutsch ?"

The clerk returned him a blank gaze. He obviously didn't. That wasn't going to be easy. However, at the same time, another man, clad in a dark suit, approached. He had dark hair neatly combed, and golden-rimmed glasses through which his grey eyes gazed at the scene.

"Que se passe-t-il ?" he asked, still in French. Rommel cursed the language.

"Rien, monsieur, juste un boche qui veut acheter je ne sais quoi..." the clerk replied with deference, whilst he sent a disdainful glance at Erwin. However, the reply didn't seem to please the newcomer. Well, it didn't please Rommel either, for that matter. He may not speak much French, but he was still able to notice the arrogant demeanour of the clerk, and one of the words he had used was really insulting.

"Silence, abruti ! Un client est un client. Je me fiche qu'il soit Allemand ou Swahili", the man with the glasses hissed, and the clerk cowered in front of the glare he received. "Hors de ma vue", the man concluded.

It had obviously been a dismissal, for the clerk fled as quickly as he could. The grey-eyed man turned to face Rommel, and he slightly bowed his head.

"I apologize for this man's behaviour", he said in a good but heavily accented German. "That will not happen again. My name is Stéphane Metaine. May I be of assistance to you ?"

"Yes, thanks", Erwin replied with relief. He wouldn't have to make a fool of himself trying to speak that impossible language. "I'm looking for a present."

"For a woman, I presume ?" Metaine queried.

"Well, yes, of course", Erwin replied, a bit flabbergasted at the idea of offering perfume to a man. Well, foreign country, foreign customs...

"Do you know what you're looking for, or do you want to be given adices ?" the Frenchman pursued.

"I know very little of perfumes", the German admitted. "So, yes, I'd appreciate some advices."

"Well, first, I would need to know more of the tastes of this woman. Would she like something rather sweet, or something more discreet, or..."

Choosing a perfume that would please Lucie took about an hour. Rommel had never even imagined that choosing a perfume could take that long. h***, he didn't even know there existed so many different perfumes ! But he had to admit, that was rather impressive. Erwin idly wondered whether there were special schools that taught how to sell perfumes. The task certainly seemed complex enough.

Happy with his newly-acquired present, he climbed in the car, intent on getting back to Germany - and to Lucie - as quickly as possible.

[Qualerei]

****

It had started raining again. Lucie glanced once again at the window, and heaved a sigh. It was now wednesday, the end of the afternoon, and still no news of Erwin. She wasn't sure whether she felt more worried or angry, but she was certain of one thing ; she wasn't happy with her husband. And she would let him know that when he got back. Loudly. Manfred had been exceptionnally quiet, these past few days, and she was worried about him too. If only for him, she hoped Erwin would get some sens knocked into him and come back soon.

The doorbell suddenly rang, and she slowly went to open. She hoped it wasn't this Major something coming to tell her Erwin had been delayed, because if it was she wasn't certain she'd be able to refrain herself. She might say things she'd regret later on. With a sigh, she opened the door.

There he was. Clad in uniform, his cap hadn't entirely prevented his hair from being wet, and a few strands of hair had fallen on his forehead. His breath was erratic, as if he had run to come back home, and when he saw her he smiled. That was the kind of smiles he had adressed her when he was younger, but had then become rarer - full of joy, his eyes sparkling with excitation - especially when he had something in mind. She was always able to tell when he planned something, because he had that look so peculiar.

"Lucie", he breathed, "I apologize for everything that happened last week. You have my word that won't happen again."

"Wh... where were you ?" she finally managed to stutter.

"I left to fetch you a present - to show you I sincerely regret what happened between us !"

He handed her a small, wrapped pack, but she didn't take it. All she could do was stare at him.

"And you left - three days ! If you wanted to give me a present, I'd rather you had come home so we could talk this through. Three days, Erwin ! Do you have any idea..." Her eyes full of unshed tears, she slammed the door to his face, unable to continue the conversation any longer. Once again. Shocked, Erwin took a step backward. That wasn't how this was supposed to happen. Lucie was supposed to accept his present, and thank him, and then they'd have spent the evening together, and...

He angrily shook his head to get rid of these stupid fantasies. Maybe he shouldn't have left like that, doing this impulsive act... But she had seemed so angry ! How could he had just come back home, empty-handed, when she had locked him out, for crying out loud ! Well, obviously he hadn't done what she expected of him, but how was he supposed to guess what she wanted ? That was worse than politics. To guess the enemy's probable moves, that he could do. But his wife's ? If she was an enemy leader, he was willing to wager she'd beat him in no time. She was just so darn unpredictable !

Dispirited, he sat on the doorstep. Here he was, once again. Life was a loop, and he was madly running inside in circles. He shook his head, and cursed Aldrich and his good advices. Now, he was all alone, with a bottle of perfum worth three hundred marks, but nothing to drink. And it was still raining. How he could hate the autumn...

A gust of wind chilled him to the bones, and he glumly considered spending the night here. No way he would return to see Aldrich. Of course, he knew his friend wouldn't deny him shelter, but that would be too shameful. He'd rather spend the whole night on the doorstep. He leaned back against the door, and rested his head against the painted wood. He felt pretty tired after this little trip of his...

Suddenly, with a slight creak, the door opened, and a surprised Rommel, losing his balance, fell backward to find himself lying on his back in the hall. He gazed up, and saw a small, worried face etched with sorrow looking at him.

"Dad ?" Manfred said in a small voice. "Why did you leave ?"

Erwin straightened up and sighed as he ruffled his son's hair.

"I had some things to attend to..."

No need to mention his attempt to redeem himself had miserably failed. It was painful enough as it was.

"Mum was very sad", Manfred added.

Paradoxically, that both pained and pleased Erwin. He wasn't glad to make Lucie sad, of course, but at least his absence hadn't left her unconcerned, and that was at least some kind of consolation.

"I am going to fix this", Rommel said with determination.

He rose to his feet, and picked up his present on the doorstep, where he had left it, before heading with determination to the bedroom, barely aware that Manfred had followed him. He was certain he'd find her there, and he wasn't mistaken.

She raised her head and stared blankly at him when he entered the bedroom. Their bedroom.

"What are you doing here ?" she asked in a toneless voice.

How could things degenerate that much in hardly a few days ? My, we really screwed up this time...

"You said what you wanted from me was come and talk", he said quietly. "I didn't understand that at the time, and I'm sorry if that pained you. But I'm here now, and we can talk. If that's still what you want."

She heaved something that was half a sigh, half a sob, but still didn't answer, and he came to kneel in front of her so he could face her.

"Dammit, Lucie ! We've come through everything together. Even the war. Don't let a few mistakes and unthoughtful words spoil what we have !"

"I'm tired", she admitted. "I don't want to fight with you any longer. But will you listen to what I have to say ?"

His blue gaze crossed her own brown eyes, and he knew she didn't want nice words or empty promises. She wanted honesty, and, to h*** with diplomacy, she would have honesty.

"I can't promise I'll do everything that you want. But I do swear I will listen and at least try."

"Well then, I will have to content myself with that, won't I ?" she said calmly.

"No", he replied, although he was very much tempted to say yes. "If you're not happy with that, there will always be other options - as unpleasant or painful as they may be. You have to want it, or it won't work. No matter all the goodwill in the world, I can only go half the way. The other half is up to you."

She rubbed her forehead and sighed - not a sad sigh, though, more like the sigh of relief of someone who just let go of a heavy burden.

"Why couldn't you just come to me and tell me that three days ago ? That would have made things so much simpler..." she fell silent.

Because you locked me out, you silly, he was tempted to answer affectionately, but knew better. He'd had enough of sitting on the doorstep in the last few days, so this time he passed.

"Well, where is that present ?" she said stolidly, and he understood that was the closest she'd come to a yes. Just like him, she had her pride.

"Come and take it, my dove", he replied teasingly. "Or should I come ?"

He leaned forward and kissed her slowly, lovingly. God, he had wanted to do that for days.