Rating: T-ish because of a slightly darkish writing, mention of rough sex, and sex toy. I am not sure how to change ratings within the chapters of the same stories. So, I am going to let it remain in K, as that is most of the chapters' ratings. If the rating needs to shift, I will just state it at the beginning and hint at why the rating is thus.

Anyhow, here's the Prologue. Enjoy. :)

"Come on, Frankie! It's perfectly safe. The log will hold the both of us." Jane beckoned to her younger brother to follow her up the fallen tree trunk. The creek beneath it was calm and still. It wasn't that deep too, and both Jane and Frankie could have easily waded across. But, being Jane, when she spotted the log, they just had to cross it.

"You sure 'bout that? What if I fall in? I don't wanna drown!" Frankie wailed back.

"Oh, come on! You won't fall unless I either push you, or you lose your balance. Just trust me on this. We'll get across."

Frankie pouted and reluctantly put his foot forward. The other foot followed closely behind. He shuffled awkwardly until, slowly but surely, he made his way to where Jane was – the middle of the log.

"There, see? It wasn't that bad ain't it?" encouraged Jane. She turned around, practically ran to the end of the trunk, and jumped off onto the forest floor. Frankie, now confident that he was stable enough, followed suit. However, he did not keep his eyes open and ended up tripping over a branch, causing him to tumble onto the ground. He lay there, stunned for a moment.

Jane came running up to him. "Frankie! You all right?" she asked as she shook his shoulders. His head lolled back and forth, and he was not responsive "Uh, Frankie? You'd better not be playin' with me now." For Jane was seriously starting to get alarmed.

Frankie couldn't stand it anymore. His body shook as he chuckled. "Ouch!" He yelled when Jane punched him in the arm. "What was that for?!"

"That was for faking it just now. Thought you were really conked out there." Jane offered her hand to Frankie and lifted him up. "Let's go look for them berries that we chanced across the last time." Jane said.

They tramped through the woods, keeping their eyes peeled for the berry bushes that they had seen the last time. They weren't worried about getting home in time. Far often than not, they gave their mother a royal headache when they crept out of the house in the late afternoon and wouldn't show till the next day.

Jane preferred to camp out under the stars, and now that Frankie was old enough, she'd let him accompany her. When they did return back home, their mother would, without fail, start up one of her famous lectures about safety and that the next time they sneaked away, she would tan their breeches. She rarely ever carried out her threats. For she was always busy with the household cooking - especially since all Jane could cook was corn bread and boiled eggs – and their youngest brother, Tommy, was still a year old and still on breast milk at least once a day. Besides, Jane and Frankie usually managed to appease their mom by giving her a bucket of berries or a bunch of wildflowers that they picked from the woods.

As night began to fall, and the moon kissed the sun till it faded away, Jane stopped at a clearing and decided to call it a day. They had managed to fill both their buckets with berries.

She flopped down on her back and stared up at the sky. Stars were starting to litter across the sky. She studied the sky carefully before she found what she was looking for. "Hey, Frankie, you see that two stars on top, followed by three below, and another two below? That's called Orion." She pointed out the constellation that she found.

Frankie looked at where Jane's finger was pointing. "Man, he looks real weird. There ain't no head." Jane laughed at his comment.

Her head snapped up when she suddenly had a weird feeling. She liked to call it her gut talking. Over the years, she had learned to trust this instinct whenever it came up. And now, it was telling her that something was really wrong back home.

She nudged Frankie. "I think we should go back home. Feels like something's happening."

"Feels? I'm tired already, let's wait till tomorrow." Frankie grumbled.

"Fine, then I'll go by myself and leave you here alone." Jane replied as she stood up. Frankie decided that he didn't want to be left alone. He grumbled even more as he stood up too and took after Jane.

The closer she got to home the more nervous she became, and she also smelled smoke. As soon as that smell wafted over to her, she took off running. She ran and ran. She didn't care that the branches were slapping and scratching her face. She only cared about getting home.

The sight stopped her dead in her tracks. The house was on fire. The flames were licking and tearing the house apart. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure blending back into the forest.

A beam fell down and caused another shot of flame. That snapped Jane out of her shock, and she ran down the small slope. "MA! PA! TOMMY!"

She couldn't see anyone standing around outside the house. Frankie joined Jane a minute later. "Frankie! Get into town now. I'm gonna go in and see if I can get to them." Jane said as she was about to dash into the burning house.

Frankie caught her arm and grabbed her into a bear hug. "Jane. What do you think you are doing? There's no way I am going to let you go in. It's too dangerous!"

Jane struggled against Frankie, trying to break free. "Jane, please, don't do this. You know that there is no way you can go in there and just walk out again." Frankie reasoned.

Jane knew that what Frankie said was true. She would probably catch on fire as soon as she entered. She relaxed and stopped her struggling to let Frankie know that he could let go now.

Dropping to her knees, she sobbed aloud as she watched the tendrils of smoke curled its way up to the full moon that hung above it.

Eight years later – Civil War

BOOM BOOM BOOM

The cannons fired close by. From whose side? Jedidiah wasn't too sure. All he cared about was staying alive. They had been fighting for over an hour. Gunpowder smoke hung thickly over the battlefield. This wasn't the hardest battle that Jedidiah had been in, but it was one of the smokiest. He coughed into his elbow as he reloaded his musket. Please be over soon…please be over soon…please be over soon…

As if on cue, there was a sudden blare of the trumpet. It took quite a few blasts before the fighting subsided and three figures came into view. There was the bugler, a soldier carrying a white flag, and the captain of the enemy they were fighting – the Confederates.

Jedidiah sighed in relief. A win for our side this time! Wearily, the soldier picked themselves up and got to work in clearing up the battlefield and collecting the surrendered prisoners.

Jedidiah felt a hand come to lay heavily on his shoulder. He turned around and found one of his comrades, Thomas, standing beside him. "Hey, Jed, me and the other guys are heading down to the saloon down town. Forgot what its name is. Anyways, if you're coming, wait by the front road."

"Sure thing, Tom." Jedidiah replied.

The road back to the camp was dark, as Night made an appearance. She enjoyed the times like this, where she could get temporary relief from all her nightmares.

Images of the rough sex with one of the call girls and the booze imbibed were still stuck in Jane's mind. The guys that went with her had cheered when Jedidiah the soldier had called for a room and brought that girl up. Jane always made sure that the lights were all out and that they made out in the dark. That way, girls would never know what was really giving them pleasure.

She was still thankful for that time she bumped into that roving gypsy trader. She had come upon him when she was on her way to join the army as Jedidiah. She had spotted that thing and immediately asked about it, knowing that it would probably come into use.

The gypsy saw that gleam in her eyes and instantly knew what she was going to aim for. He explained to her what is was used for, how useful this would be for a disguise, and that this was called a dildo. Jane bought it on the spot.

The entrance to the camp came into view. Sergeant Vince Korsak greeted her when he caught sight of her walking towards her tent. Out of the entire world, only Korsak, her lieutenant, Cavanaugh, the emancipated slave who was also her closest friend - Frost, and her brother, knew who Jedidiah really was. In fact, she owed it to Korsak that she was in this regiment. He was the one that managed to clear things with Lieutenant Cavanaugh, and explain what Jane's true purpose for joining the army.

Jane waved back as she ducked into the tent. A chloroform soaked handkerchief was immediately clasped over her mouth and nose as she entered in. What woke her up next was a pain she never, ever wanted to experience again in her life. She couldn't scream, for a gag was placed over her mouth.

She looked over at her right hand, where the source of her pain was coming from. To her horror, there was a shiny scalpel sticking out of her hand. The left hand was the next to be impaled, and the pain nearly made her black out again.

The face hovering above her suddenly came into view. The surprise at seeing him punched her in the gut. It was none other than the surgeon that was within the same regiment. Jane had only glanced at him once or twice before when he was helping the wounded after the battle.

"Jaaaaane! You remember me?" his cold voice sent shiver down her spine. That voice brought back a memory that went back eight years ago. Just a week before her house burned down, she had heard that same voice call out to her when she was in the woods. She had never found out who had called her. Now she knew.

Out of the darkness, another voice called her name. "Jane!" It was Korsak.

The surgeon snarled as he realised that someone would be approaching soon. He was so abrupt in his departure that he did not even bother to bring the scalpels with him.

What happened next was all a blur to Jane. Korsak discovered her, crucified to the ground. Jane only remembered snatches of chaste whispers between Korsak and Cavanaugh.

"Where is the nearest place we can bring her? She's bleeding real badly from her hands."

"I think there's this make-shift hospital near here. Think it's ran by this lady named Maura or something."

"Let's bring her there then." The gag was removed first, followed by the scalpels.

That was the move that finally made her black out.