Albert lit a match in the darkness and lit the nearby candle upon his desk, illuminating a small area around him. The vanishing morning darkness from the outside penetrated into his quarters. His eyes traveled amidst the stillness of the room and eased down at the desk. He propped his elbows up upon the cold wood, staring blankly at the brown envelope he clutched in his hands. The letter had arrived in the early morning hours and with every passing second of the dawn he dreaded to read the contents that the message held. The fancy penmanship on the outside did not bring comfort, knowing that someone with a status had sent him the letter. He reached for the silver watch that was placed strategically upon his black leather gloves. His long fingers clicked open the front. The hands read five-thirty.

He could no longer hold the letter, the angst in the unknown was killing him inside. Carefully he slid the brown paper open and began to view the contents.

To Albert von Brandt,

I was very displeased to hear that you had gotten injured once again, but I am glad to know that you survived. Without you, we would not have a star pilot to encourage our men on the western front. I assume that in this past few weeks you have become well enough to fly once more. Since this assumption, I am informing you, along with the rest of your squadron that you will be relocated soon. Also, your younger brother has graduated from jastaschule and he will be taking a place in your unit squadron. I hope that this news finds you well. I will send more information when I learn of it. Stay safe and fly high.

Signed,

General Ernst von Deidrick

He laid the paper down on the table and stared at it. Everything was happening so fast. The stress of knowing his brother's life would be at risk made him begin to worry, as well as the news of relocating. Transferring was usually easy for him; but in that moment, it was the one thing he dreaded greatly. He tugged anxiously at the bottom of his lip, thinking silently to himself. What could make him feel in such a way, he wondered?

His eyes began to circle around the dimly lit area and locked on the handkerchief that was slightly showing from his uniform pocket. In an instant, he reached out and took it into his possession. His gentle touch ran across the dainty embroidered E on the corner. His eyes shut tightly as he clutched it into his hand, thinking of Eloise. His mind began to wonder how she would react to his news. He wondered why he cared so much about her opinion. He had only been acquainted with her for four months, yet he felt like he had known her all of his life.

He sat in silence for a great amount of time, recalling back many memories he had stored. He was never a man to express feelings. In fact, he avoided anything that sparked emotion; but in that moment something felt different inside him. He had used plenty of time to think about his current state. He was a bachelor who stayed alone most of the time and generally felt nothing. When Eloise came around him it was as if she lit up the world around him and he was no longer in the night.

After the time passed with his own internal thoughts, he knew that he didn't want to leave his current location without having Eloise to return to. He knew that he wanted to see the rest of his time with her and hoped she wanted the same.

"Captain!" A familiar voice called from the opening of the tent, jolting him back to reality.

Albert quickly released the cloth and looked over his shoulder. The shadow of Moritz loomed in the opening. Albert could see that Moritz already wore his flying gear and was ready to embark on his daily mission.

"Three is my goal today, sir." Moritz announced confidently, straightening the goggles that were atop his dark hair. "The other men have also set their goals for the morning excursion, as well."

Albert nodded accordingly, rising from his chair. "I suppose that I should set my goal as well."

"Your goal?" A puzzled look appeared on Moritz's face.

"I am going to return to the air today." Albert announced boldly, retrieving his flying gear from the nearby chair. "You will need to help me ready my plane, Moritz."

"But Albert," Moritz instantly retorted, shaking his head as Albert approach him with his things. "you are still not yet cleared to fly. Eloise will worry greatly about you if she comes and finds you gone."

Albert thought to himself for a moment, but shrugged it off. "She will know that I am well enough. I can't stay in the bed no longer. A squadron without its commander is like a horse without its rider. Who will be there to take lead for when you need it? I must return to my men."

"You should not return to quickly, sir."

Albert blew out the candle. In a matter of seconds, he reached the entrance, standing eye to eye with Moritz. "I assure you, Moritz, I am well enough to return."

It had been four weeks since his accident and he had barely moved during that period, let alone operate his airplane—but he was confident enough to attempt it.

♠

A calming morning breeze blew steadily, brushing serenely against Eloise's face as she stepped from her tent. The white linen that covered her head blown partially out of place. She straightened it as she began to walk down the path toward Albert's tent. Her eyes looked to the sky when she heard the familiar sound of planes roaring in the distance. The familiar echo calmed her and she felt a kindred connection with it.

She thought at how much he life had changed from the moment she met Albert. A plane had changed her life forever. Her mind wondered how much more her life could change before the war would come to an end. A yearning in her heart wanted peace to return to the quaint villages and she wanted to return to the quaintness of her Belgian cottage more than anything.

The days passed seemed to pass by quickly at the airfield as Eloise continued to nurse Albert. Within three weeks, Albert's injures had begun to heal nicely. The pains had left the wounds and the bleeding had ceased—he was well on his way to returning to the air. She assumed that her days with flying squadron were numbered, so she made the best of everyday she had there.

She began to hum a tune to herself as she walked the dirt path. Her eyes roamed around the camp, studying every careful detail. She stopped beside Moritz's tent and looked inside. Propped up on a pedestal was a large propeller and beside it was a part from the engine of his plane. She could see his head of dark hair bobbing behind Seated behind the shiny steel parts was Moritz. She could see the familiar stains of black grease smeared across his square face.

"Why are you not flying today?" She questioned Moritz, momentarily startling him.

He glanced up with surprised eyes and came out from behind his part. She could see that he was still wearing his flying gear—a black leather coat and dark gray trousers. The bulky goggles were tossed at his side as if they had just been removed.

"I have already flown my mission, Miss Eloise," He paused looking over at his propeller and engine, laughing slightly. "but the only enemy I had to face in the air was a bird. He took my plane down far worse than any Frenchman ever could."

"I am glad that you are well, sir." She replied kindly, surveying the damage that the bird had caused on his airplane parts. "It could have ended badly on your part."

"I know, but luckily the bird was the only one injured today." His wide smile quickly faded as did his lilting voice, which soon turned serious. "I don't know if I would say that I was lucky, but I arrived back in time to an important telegraph."

The change in expression made a concerning worry fill Eloise's heart, fearing what news he could possess. She slowly approached him and asked, "Is everything alright, sir?"

His eyes immediately met hers, face melting with concern. "I do not wish to upset you, miss Eloise, but—" his words ceased as he looked at the ground and shook his head.

"You can't upset me, Moritz." She replied confidently, resting her hand reassuringly upon his shoulder. "I want you to tell me what is wrong."

Expressionless, his eyes met hers once again as he began to speak. "I received a telegraph from General Beck. He is being transferred to a field hospital near the western front that is lacking medics."

Eloise confusingly shook her head, "What does that have to do with me?"

"In his telegraph he stated that you are to go with him. He has already announced that you will accompany him there." He replied

"What about Captain von Brandt? He is still under my care." Eloise questioned brittlely. "I can't leave an injured man without a nurse."

"That was questioned as well." Moritz informed. "General Beck will evaluate him and if he is not well enough then another nurse will take your place here."

Eloise's eyes grew wide at the information. She could not believe the words she was hearing—she didn't want to believe them. The nursing world she had finally grown accustomed to was being turned around again and it made her incredibly nervous. She stared down at the ground, letting her mind wrap around the new details added to her life.

"When am I leaving?" She asked, glancing up at the fretful Moritz.

He reached out the slip of paper from his coat pocket and spoke solemnly, "You will be leaving tomorrow. They are in need of medical personnel and they can't wait any longer."

She immediately became silent. No words came to her thoughts, only the quietness came into the crevices of her spinning mind. She could not erase the thoughts she had already been forced to see, and she could not picture what she was about to see in the upcoming hours. The miles behind the western front were still very dangerous and it concerned her. She had no desire to take place in war—only now she was forced to attain the position. The thought of what could happen plagued her every thought, making it hard to answer.

"Eloise?" He whispered in the stillness, breaking the tension inside her torn heart.

She blankly stared up at him and forced a smile onto her stiffened face. "Thank you, Moritz, for sharing with me this information." Her voice trembled as she continued. "I will begin my preparations for leaving."

"I think that you should be the one to inform Captain von Brandt when he returns."

Eloise quickly stared back at Moritz, furrowing her brow. She wondered if she had heard is words correctly. Where had to Albert went that he would have to return? Although she wanted to deny it, she knew that he had went into the air—the place he was still not permitted to be.

"Where is Albert?" She bluntly questioned, raising a brow. The silent Moritz stared blankly at her, avoiding a response. "He is flying, isn't he?"

Moritz nodded. "Yes, miss Eloise, but he is feeling much better. These past few weeks of rest has been good for him. I don't believe that he will need much more attention."

Eloise let out a silent sigh before turning to leave. "He is still not cleared to fly."

"It was his decision to go into the air this morning." Moritz rested his hands firmly on her shoulders and reassured her, "If he did not think he was well enough to fly, he would not have gone. He knows his limits better than anyone else. Don't worry about him, Eloise."

"But he is my patient. I must worry about him."

Moritz nodded, slightly smiling. "A patient who you must learn to be patient with. He should be returning in any minute and you can tell him about it." He pointed to a wicker chair nearby and spoke, "You should take a seat and wait for him. There is no sense in you wandering out there to worry alone. We can keep each other company."

Eloise crossed her arms over her chest and reluctantly sat down nearby. She watched as Moritz returned to working on his engine. The intense gaze he held on the machinery reminded her of the way Albert looked at her. Moritz knew what he was doing and he loved what he was doing, Eloise could tell with the way he diligently worked without speaking.

In the distance she could hear the rumbling of engines approaching the airfield. Moritz paused and pointed upward with a grin. Eloise's eyes grew wide as she waited in angst for the sounds to grow closer. Quickly she rushed from the tent and looked into the sky. Appearing through the clouds was the shiny black plane, slowly descending back to the ground. Eloise could tell that it was Albert because of the bright white spade painted on the side.

"Captain!" Eloise shouted over the sound of the decelerating engine. She approached the plane hastily when it came to a complete stop. "You are not supposed to be flying, Captain!"

She watched him as he pulled the white silken scarf away from his face. She could see the smile forming on his chiseled lips as he pulled the goggles from his eyes. He pushed himself up from the tight cockpit of the plane.

"I see that you do care about me, Eloise." He remarked coyly, sitting dapperly upon the side of the machine. "I am truly flattered by this." He swung his legs over and eased down onto the ground. "I thought you knew where I was going." He removed the leather gloves from his hands and slid them into his pockets. "I left a letter on my desk in the tent."

Eloise thought to herself for a moment and shook her head as she recalled where she had been. Her mind automatically began to recall the news that Moritz had given her and forgotten that she had not made it to her patient's tent.

"I never made it to your tent," She admitted nervously, looking away from his gaze. "I got caught up by someone."

A puzzled look came across his face. "Well, Eloise," he approached slowly and smiled. "Whatever caught you before, I am glad that you are here now."

She smiled back at him, "and I am glad that you are well enough to fly. That lifts a great burden from my shoulders."

A silence fell between them on the wide airfield. She could not help but to stare at him, studying every careful detail of the handsome man who stood before her. She painted the picture of him into her mind, hoping that it would stay there forever. He had no knowledge of what was about to come to her future, and she hated that she had to tell him.

"Are you well, Eloise?" He asked with concern.

She nodded calmly, "Yes, I am fine Captain." A long pause came over her as she looked into his hesitant eyes. "I am only thinking. I have so much to think about."

"While you are thinking, I have something that I want you to think about." He whispered earnestly into her ear. He knew that she had to know of his transfer.

"What is it, Captain?" she responded with concern.

He gently pulled her closer toward him, securing her small frame safely in his arms. Her breathing began to intensify at the closeness of his person. The pounding in her heart felt like an explosion occurring deep within her chest. His intense eyes drew the life from her soul as she stared into them, losing her mind in his gaze. She was intimidated by his abrupt actions. The silence remained between them as they stayed paused in the intimate moment. Neither of them wanted to let go for they both knew that another moment may never present itself again.

"I need to know something Eloise." Albert said passionately. He studied her carefully, watching as she furrowed her brow with confusion. She nodded before he continued, "I need to know what you feel? Do you feel like me?"

"I don't know, Captain." She replied with a shake to the head. "How do you feel?"

"I feel like I need to kiss you long and hard," he paused to offer a reassuring smile. "then I need to make you my wife before any of these other men do. I would be a fool to let such a woman like you vanish from my life."

She instantly felt her cheeks growing flushed at his comment. Her nervous hands trailed down his arms as she pulled away from him. "I'm not going to lie to you, Albert, as much as I would love to wrap my arms around you and call you my husband," she shook her head, feeling a lump form in the back of her throat. "we can never be together. Our worlds are not meant to be combined. You cannot be dedicated to both I and to your flying victories. Your victories will always mean more to you than anything and I wouldn't want to come between your immense passion for that."

It took all the power within her to pull away from him. She could see the hurt written along his sturdy face. Reluctantly, she began to step from his presence. She wanted so much to wrap herself back into his arms, but she knew she couldn't—it could never be.

"Eloise..." his softened voice trailed off as he reached out for her.

She shook her head and began to walk away slowly. Parts of her heart spilled out there onto the ground as she turned from his pleas. Her mind spun with wild thoughts created by her active imagination, but she pushed them aside and carried on with her slow walk.

"Eloise." Albert sternly called out.

She abruptly halted and turned with ease. She could not bear to look upon Albert's face, knowing that the tears she held back would automatically release. As she opened her mouth to respond, Albert rushed to her side. With a gentle hand he tilted her face to meet his.

As she looked into his eyes, she could sense something different about them. They were like the first time she had met him. The cold, insensitive eyes were hidden by something new. The icy blue had melted away and were now filled with warmth and kindness. The emotion was written along his face and all she had to do was read it like a book.

"All of those victories mean nearly nothing to me." Albert openly confessed, resting his hand on the back of her neck.

Shivers ran down her spine at his touch. She wished for him to remove his had so she wouldn't have to feel, but something also longed to feel his sensitive touch. Eloise locked her eyes on the returned planes that were lined up in the open field. "They mean something dear to you." She glanced back at him, hoping that he wouldn't question her abrupt actions.

His piercing blue eyes stared back into her, reaching a special place deep within her heart. From the moment she looked into them at the cottage, she adored him. The specialness he had was unlike any other man she had ever met—he was like an imaginary man from a fairy tale and she had found him.

"Yes, my victories mean something to me. If the victories I achieve have no meaning to me, I have no reason to go into the air." He gently cupped her face into his free hand. "I have won air battles against many enemies with ease, but I have never been able to win your affections, no matter what I do or what I say. You mean much more than any air victory. You are my greatest victory. What can I do to make you see what you mean to me?"

"Stay on the ground." She answered without hesitation. "I know that you have been offered a position that doesn't require you to fly."

"You know I can't do that, Eloise." He paused and shook his head serenely. "I would do anything for you and you know that I would; but I will not stop flying. It is what I am good at." He took her hands into his and pulled her close to him. "Flying is what I am called to do for my country."