Charlotte woke up confused the next morning.
She was still curled up in the armchair, where Winters lived. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes and let out a tiny yawn. Checking her watch, Charlotte saw that it was almost nine. Frowning, she wondered why Winters didn't wake her and then came to the conclusion that perhaps they had the day off. Charlotte could have curled back up and went back to sleep for an hour, but the man himself soon appeared;
"oh, good, your up". Winters said, "I was 'gonna send in for a medic, to see if you were still breathing". He joked.
Shaking her head, a lazy smile lifted Charlotte's face;
"I'm up, sir". She said, "no need to work our medics today".
"Major Winters?" A familiar voice called.
"In here, Lip".
Charlotte got up from the armchair, blanket still wrapped around her shoulders.
Lipton entered the room, a bright smile on his face;
"morning, Lottie". He greeted, "glad to see you up".
Charlotte used the corner of the blanket to rub the sleep out from her eyes;
"I had a braw sleep, sir". She said to him, "proper nice comfy chair that is".
"You fell asleep after your hot drink". Winters told her, "I was in the middle of telling you a story".
Charlotte huffed;
"now you know how I feel, eh, sir?"
"Get ready". Winters told her, "I 'wanna show you something".
As it turned out, Major Winters had done some exploring that morning. He had come across Herman Goering's officer's quarters and club. Leading Charlotte and Lipton down into the cellar, Charlotte had never seen so much expensive wine and liquor in all her life. All the shelves were stacked up high with bottles. Charlotte snorted and picked up one of the bottles;
"Jesus". She whispered, "this stuff must cost loads of money, eh? Bet it tastes posh too".
Lipton gave her a nod;
"why not take a sip?"
Shrugging, Charlotte popped the bottle open.
Taking a sip, she nodded;
"yup". She said, "tastes like wine…and I hate wine".
Charlotte then added;
"but I'll drink it anyway. Cause it'll piss those bastards off".
After viewing the cellar, Charlotte explored each and every room inside the house. She came across a dead Nazi officer, who had shot himself. Besides from the dead General, Charlotte, Winters and Lipton were the only ones inside the house. Walking into Goering's office, she saw a head statue of Hitler. Charlotte gave the statue a little glare;
"can I destroy it?"
"Hold on, Lottie". Winters told her, "got something else to tell you".
Clearing his throat, he ordered her to;
"stand fast".
Turning to face the Major, Charlotte straightened herself and stood at attention.
A small smile spread across his lips, while Lipton grinned.
"Are you ready?" Winters asked her.
Frowning a little, she nodded;
"aye, sir". She said, "what for?"
"German army surrendered". Winters smiled, "the war in Europe is over".
Charlotte stared up at him, with a blank look.
A moment of silence went by.
She could feel her knees start to shake a little and her mouth felt dry.
Letting out a shaky breath, Charlotte leaned back against the sturdy piece of marble Hitler's head rested upon. She leaned against the pillar too heavily though, and Hitler's head came crashing down onto the ground, breaking the side of his face.
Blinking a few times, she looked behind her.
A tiny smile reached her lips;
"is it?" She whispered.
Lipton smirked;
"you'd better hope it is, after breaking that, buddy".
A short burst of laughter escaped her lips.
Shaking her head, Charlotte looked back over at the officers.
"This is mental". She choked out, "how the fuck did I survive?"
It was a question which lingered among all the men.
And, by the time the news swept around Easy, everyone was in the mood to celebrate. All the wine down in Goering's cellar was shared out between 2nd Battalion and the men were drinking the expensive wine like water. Charlotte sat with her three drinking buddies for the majority of the day. Heffron, Martin and Grant were telling her about the Eagle's Nest.
And they did save her a bottle of champagne.
It almost felt like old times again. Like sitting in that old English pub and drinking rancid warm beer. But of course, it wouldn't be complete without Guarnere. And their conversation did turn towards their friend a few times. Guarnere was going to be okay, as was Toye. They were already making plans to visit Guarnere once the war ended.
"He wants that drink at his local with us". Charlotte told them, "so, we're 'gonna have that drink with him, eh?"
"We are". Martin confirmed, "in good old South Philly".
Heffron smiled;
"you'll get to meet my 'ma too".
Rolling onto her stomach, Charlotte faced the flameless fireplace.
"Me and Winters are 'gonna be living together".
"That's good". Grant said, aware that Charlotte only had Winters left for family back in Lancaster, "what's his plans, Lottie?"
She shrugged;
"he wants to work and that, eh? Just live normally, like we all 'wanna do".
"Do you think that's possible?" Martin questioned quietly, "after everything?"
"Yeah, I do". Grant said, "we all 'wanna go home, right? And if we want something that bad, then it's 'gonna work out".
"We all have scars from war to live with, though". Charlotte reminded her softly, "but I get your point, pal. It is possible".
Sighing, Heffron grabbed a bottle of wine;
"we ain't drunk enough".
"We're not". Martin agreed, "we've got 'till tomorrow".
Charlotte snorted, "we're 'gonna be fucked tomorrow".
Grinning, Grant held up his bottle of wine;
"here's to that day!"
…
Charlotte and the men from Easy spent the next week doing nothing but drinking. She went to bed drunk, woke up hungover and then cured that hangover with drinking. It was a vicious circle, but she wasn't alone. On the seventh day, Charlotte had enough of drinking. Waking up on the floor in the living room, surrounded by cushions and empty bottles, she decided enough was enough. Her body was wrecked, and her mind was fuzzy and forgetful.
Charlotte had her own vomit stuck to her hair.
After a long bath, she got dressed and left the house.
Just as she closed the door, Vest called her over;
"morning!"
Flinching, she turned to face the eager man;
"alright, Vest?"
It was only then; did she realise he was carrying a large box.
A smile reached her pale and tired face and Charlotte met him halfway.
"It came?"
"It did". Vest handed her the heavy box, "that guy must really like you, Lottie. You've got around ten bottles".
Charlotte snorted;
"I'm not even sure if it's needed any more, man".
"It's the thought that counts". Vest reminded her, "you given up on day seven?"
"Aye". She said, with a tiny laugh, "think spending seven days straight drunk, is enough time, don't you?"
Vest shrugged;
"hell, Lottie…I'm still fucking drunk".
With the box in her hands, she knocked on Winters front door.
The man answered shortly after and spied the box;
"special delivery service". Charlotte told him, "this is for Captain Nixon, sir".
Huffing out a laugh, Winters eyed her suspiciously;
"are you still drunk?"
"I've given up". She said, with a shrug, "time I start listening to my body, sir".
"Good choice". He approved.
Opening the door wider, Winters let the girl inside.
Treating this as her own home, Charlotte slipped off her boots and wandered into the living room. There, she spotted Nixon sitting on the couch, with a cold and wet cloth over his eyes. He was probably hungover, like the rest of them. Charlotte placed the box down on the coffee table.
Winters walked into the living room shortly after and told his friend;
"Nix, mail for you".
Nixon sighed;
"look, is it from the ex? You can always tell by her handwriting".
"Nope". Winters said, "it's from Lottie".
The cloth left his eyes.
Nixon sat up and noticed the box.
He frowned;
"what's in there?"
With a smile, Charlotte shrugged;
"open it, sir". She suggested.
Leaning forward, Nixon opened the cardboard box. Inside, above straw to protect what was underneath, Nixon found a letter. Curiously, he opened the letter up and read out loud;
"Captain Nixon;
It has come to my attention that you rather like our family's brand of whiskey. It has also come to my attention that you have run out of our whiskey. I, being a whiskey man, couldn't imagine anything more annoying. So, seeing as you are out there, fighting off the Huns, I've decided to give you a little present, free of charge.
Enjoy Captain Nixon and God Bless you.
Yours sincerely;
Kenneth Sanderson".
Huffing softly, Nixon looked at Charlotte.
"What the hell?" He whispered, not quite believing it.
Charlotte shrugged, with a tiny smile;
"I know a guy who knows a lad, sir".
Pulling out the straw, Nixon was met with ten bottles of Vat 69, his favourite type of drink. He chuckled and held one up, almost kissing the glass;
"I didn't know when I'd be seeing this bottle again".
Setting the bottle down carefully, Nixon got onto his feet.
Moving towards Charlotte, he stopped in front of her.
With a large grin, he pulled the girl into a tight hug.
Charlotte huffed into his stomach;
"Jesus". She mumbled, having not expected that reaction from him.
However, she smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"It's alright, sir". Charlotte said to him softly, "you deserve it, eh?"
Nixon choked out a laugh;
"not sure about that, kiddo".
Giving her hair a gentle ruffle, the hug ended.
Nixon sat back down on the couch and picked up his bottle again.
Looking away from Nixon, Charlotte's eyes landed on Winters.
The Captain had already opened the bottle and was taking his first sip, with a content sigh.
"Can I use your bathroom, sir?" Charlotte asked Winters.
"Yup". He replied, "and stop asking, alright?" He added with a tiny smirk.
Smiling back at him, she nodded and headed out of the living room.
Winters sat down on the armchair, eyes drifting towards his friend.
Nixon shook his head;
"she didn't have to do that". He mumbled, "why the hell does she care that much about me?"
Winters shrugged;
"why wouldn't she, Nix?
A moment of silence went by, while Nixon took another sip.
He sighed;
"no idea, Dick". He muttered.
"She looks up to you, Nix". Winters said to him, "she didn't call for me when she got arrested, did she? Lottie called for you. And she didn't run to me with help during my court-martial. She came running to you, Nix".
Bringing out a cigarette, Nixon said;
"she needs a better guy to look up to".
"Oh, I don't know". Winters said, "I think she's smart enough to make up her own mind".
Taking in a drag from his cigarette, Nixon said;
"you do realise the kid loves you, right?"
The Major nodded;
"I know, Nix".
"You're the only family she has left outside of Easy". Nixon said, "so, as her family, tell her to quit looking up to me, huh?" He was letting the humour slip out from his voice.
Winters chuckled;
"if I had any say in how Lottie acted, then I wouldn't let her drink so damn much".
…
Ten o'clock the next night, found 2nd Battalion loading up into trucks.
They were bound for Austria, Zell am See.
As always, Charlotte had no idea what it was like over in Austria, but she didn't expect it to be as stunning as some of the places in Germany. When the first rays of sunlight hit the men, they were welcomed in the picturesque town of Zell am See. The morning sun rose up behind the alps and hit the large and clear lake. It was like arriving in heaven.
Zell am See, was heaven on earth.
The men of Easy found houses around the town, many houses near the lake. Charlotte and 2nd Platoon found themselves a large farmhouse to live in. It sat near the forest and only a few feet away from the lake. Winters set up HQ in a large hotel, looking over the lake. It was grand and luxurious but not over the top, like the one in Berchtesgaden.
Never in her life had Charlotte seen such beauty.
Especially in the woman.
They were absolutely stunning; Charlotte was sure Grant was drooling.
The war truly did feel over.
To further celebrate, a handful of men jumped into the lake. The sun had warmed up the water, giving them a pleasant swim. Webster had even written to his parents to bring him a pair of swimming trunks and he refused to go in the water without them. But Charlotte was having none of that. Webster was standing on the deck, watching his friends swimming around and having a good time. When Charlotte ran up to him, wrapped her arms around his waist and tossed them both into the lake.
Webster got the shock of his life.
He came up to the surface, gasping for air;
"why?!" He yelled.
Charlotte grinned;
"you looked pure sad watching us have fun, man".
Webster wiped the water from his eyes;
"dammit, Lottie!"
Charlotte leaned back, until she was floating and staring up at the blue and clear sky.
Shrugging, Webster figured he'd join her;
"thanks for pushing us in". He told her, after a few moments.
She smiled;
"you're welcome, Web".
After a morning swim, the men settled back into their farmhouse. Webster made them iced tea, loaded with alcohol and it was the most refreshing drink, Charlotte had ever tasted. She sat on the balcony, sipping on an iced tea and stared out at the view in front of her. Many mountains and the crystal blue lake is what her eyes saw.
Lounging next to her was Grant.
The pair of them clinked their glasses together.
"This is the life". Grant commented, through a content sigh.
"Sure is, man".
Charlotte put on a pair of sunglasses she had found inside the house.
Leaning back on the deck chair, she took another sip from her drink.
Smiling, Grant looked away from her;
"we're living like the damn Royal family".
Charlotte chuckled quietly;
"almost, Chuck". She mumbled, "we don't have butlers, do we?"
"That can be arranged". He said, "let's see what Jan's up to".
"Hey – don't be a dick, man". She said, with a chuckle. "Leave my kid alone".
Grant laughed;
"I'm kidding, of course".
"Of course".
A moment of silence went by.
Save the singing of a bird, who flew by their balcony.
"Have you seen the DP's?" Grant asked her, "the survivors from the camp?"
Charlotte shook her head;
"not yet, no". She replied, "how?"
"Oh, we're 'gonna see them tonight". Grant informed her, "we got them some nice places to live. Austrians ain't so happy about that".
Charlotte snorted;
"they wouldn't, eh?"
Turning to face her again, Grant told her;
"you should go". He said, "everyone's 'gonna be there".
"Where'd the survivors come from?"
"All over". Grant told her quietly, "they're mainly Polish, German and Russian".
That sparked some interest within Charlotte.
Lowering her sunglasses down to her nose, she looked at Grant;
"Polish?"
He nodded;
"yeah, loads of them". His lips twitched, "you thinking about going now?"
Rubbing her lips, Charlotte looked away from Grant.
Shaking her head, she covered her eyes with the glasses again;
"nah, man". Charlotte mumbled, "I don't 'wanna get disappointed if she's not there".
Grant frowned;
"I don't get it, Lottie". He said, "I mean, I get that she's your friend, you know? But if I knew my friend might be there, I'd go and see, you know?"
Leaning back against the chair, Charlotte went quiet.
Grant sat up and turned to face her;
"maybe it's different for girls…I 'dunno. I still don't understand women".
Giving her head a tiny shake, she mumbled;
"it's not". She whispered, "it's just different for me".
Taking in a deep breath, Charlotte took off the sunglasses.
Sitting up, she swirled around until she was facing Grant.
Clasping her hands together, she said;
"I don't think I've outright told anyone, eh?" She said, "except from that German lassie…".
Grant frowned;
"told anyone what?"
Biting her lower lip and trying to put words together, she started off by saying;
"I guess…it's never easy, eh?"
Grant's frown deepened.
Leaning forward, he took her hand;
"you can tell me anything, Lottie".
"Can I?" She whispered, tears reaching her eyes, "hope you react like I think you will, Chuck".
Grant shrugged;
"what could be worse than war, Lottie?"
Charlotte searched his eyes, looking for a lie.
"I used to hate myself, Chuck". She whispered, "used to think I was so fucking wrong, you know? Cause people paint us to be evil and I always thought I was…thought I'd end up in hell, or some shit. And when I joined Easy, and I was around all you brilliant lads, I figured I might just end up in hell".
Licking her bottom lip, a tear rolled down her cheek;
"but…then Bill found me kissing another woman".
Grant's hand tightened in hers.
She sniffed;
"one of the best things about Bill, is his open mind, you know? He didn't care, Chuck. He didn't love me any less, eh? Still my best pal…hope you are too".
Letting go of her hand, Grant reached forward and wiped the tear away from her cheek;
"course I am, Lottie". He murmured, "I think you're pretty brave for telling me, you know".
"It was actually pretty easy, man". She said tearfully, "you're like Bill, eh?"
Giving her a soft smile, Grant placed his hand on her shoulder;
"if you don't 'wanna look for her down there, then I will".
With a tiny smile of her own, Charlotte nodded.
And felt grateful, to have a friend like Grant.