The German 8th Army was sent back home, along with their Field Marshal to recuperate from their hard fought victory. While simultaneously, the logistics department of the German Army would be transporting their equipment to the Italian Theater of War.
Where Bruno would next find himself deployed to, along with the Austro-Hungarian, and Russian Forces who had been fighting in the Balkans and the Caucasus.
As for the Hellenic Army, the bulk of their forces would be sent to the Sinai Peninsula to work with the Arab Rebels to maintain authority over the Suez Canal until the war came to an end. Along with the newly reformed German Marine Corps who by the Spring of 1916 should be well prepared for the expedition.
A few Divisions of Austro-Hungarian forces would remain in the Balkans, along with a Brigade of Greeks to continue anti-partisan operations in an effort to stabilize the region which was only now beginning to recover from the chaos that had been sewn there over the course of the last few years.
Meanwhile, Heidi had gone all out to prepare for her husband’s return to Berlin. Which was likely to last until the winter. As the date set for the conference on the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire was set for December.
Knowing her husband’s humble tastes, she was dressed quite comfortably, as were their children, as they arrived at the Berlin Grand Station to pick the man up in their family’s inconspicuous automobile.
That, of course, being the first production model of the Volkswagen Type I which Bruno had been most responsible for bringing into this life much earlier than it had appeared in the previous timeline which he had endured.
Bruno himself had the time on the train to change into a proper set of civilian attire. And as he most certainly preferred the comfortable clothes of the working class, rather than the pristine suits of the civil nobility, especially after wearing his field uniform for the past year or so. Bruno had arrived in clothing that would cause most to not even cast him a second glance.
Who would have ever though the man wearing a wool shirt, with denim trousers, leather work boots, suspenders, and a worker’s flat cap was actually a Prince in Russia, the soon to be crowned Grand Prince of Transylvania, and the Generalfeldmarschall who had won the war in the Balkans for the Central Powers?
While entertaining the same thought experiment, who would believe that the woman dressed so modestly, whose age appeared nearly ten years younger than the so called “Angel of Berlin” would be his bride?
Because of this, Bruno’s family reunited with an exceptional display of public affection that caught the eye of nobody. Maybe a few cast a glance questioning why this seemingly normal laborer had just come home from the front lines of war after being away from his family for God knows how long.
But they dare not give it a second thought. Because of this, even Bruno chuckled as he looked at those who ignored him as if he was just another man on the street, and not the Wolf of Prussia, Red Scourge, and Butcher of Belgrade.
As his face finally warmed up, for what could have been the first time since his youngest children had ever witnessed, Heidi couldn’t help but make a comment recognizing the fact.
“I see you have found your joy again… Have you truly missed us that much?”
Bruno could not stop smiling since the moment he saw his family waving at him, hell it took an ever ounce of his strength to let go from his embrace of them all, and from kissing his wife on the cheek endlessly until the heat death of the universe compelled him to stop.
Though, despite Heidi’s joshing tone, Bruno could not help but admit defeat this time as he confirmed he indeed missed her, and their children as much, if not more than she was purposely exaggerating to make him seem strange because of his sudden outburst of emotion.
“You have no idea…. I could recite you endless poetry straight from the heart about how much I thought about you, and our children while I was away, so much so that by the time we sat down to dine for dinner you would want to jab your fork in my eye…
But alas, I will not. I am simply happy to be home, here with you all. Come, let us go home and enjoy the brief time we have together as a family before once more matters of national security drag me away from your arms…”
Whatever had happened since Heidi had last seen Bruno, he seemed to have changed, in a way so slight that only she would notice. The weight which had burdened his heart for years seemed to have been lifted.
Perhaps it was the blessing bestowed upon him by God in heaven for the liberation of Constantinople. Or maybe he had just been through so much recently that he had personally learned to let go of what had been bothering him for so many years.
But there was the slightest trace of genuine joy in Bruno’s eyes, and smiles, which was a rarity in the past, something he only seemed to express around his family. Yet unlike at those times, it did not seem to be fleeting, haunted by forethoughts of the doom looming in the near future.
Rather, it seemed unaffected by the burdens of tomorrow, in a way that Heidi realized she had perhaps never seen before. And because of this, she did not pester the man any further, instead allowing him to be happy to a fault. Hoping silently in her heart that this newfound, yet subtle change would persist through whatever future horrors awaited the man.
Heidi could never truly understand the horrors of war, nor would she desire to. For war was the province of men, and her own realm, small as it may be, was to be protected by those men like her husband.
While she herself was there to comfort him when he returned. And that was exactly what she would do, as Bruno recuperated from all that he had seen and done while away from his family, his home.