Disclaimers: all the usual apply
Chapter 9
Jessica POV
"They did what?!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.
The five officers had just arrived back in Aldbourne from their business trip to London when Hunt and Parker found them. With a hasty salute the two replacements quickly brought them up to speed on what they'd missed.
Richard had gone through with his threat and requested a trial by court-martial, that much hadn't surprised her, he seemed like the type to mean what he says and say what he means. What had caught her off guard was the news that followed. The NCO's had all tended in their letters of resignation in protest. An act of mutiny which was punishable by firing squad.
"What happened next?" Clark asked in a measured tone.
Good, so he's formulating a plan.
"Colonel Sink called them into his office. Transferred one out and busted another down to Private but otherwise nothing more than a slap on the wrist," Hunt answered.
"When was this?" Arlene asked, everyone trying to learn all there was to know as quickly as possible.
"Sink's meeting? This morning. So far nothing else has happened that we know of," Parker replied.
She exchanged a look with Clark and Arlene. Their imminent meeting with Sink suddenly even more important and delicate than before.
"Thanks for bringing the news to us. We'll handle it from here. Get back to barracks and change into your OD's. Alex, John and Arlene will be taking you through to the shooting range once they've changed out of their dress uniforms. Tell the rest," Clark ordered their newest members.
The two men nodded before quickly turning and jogging in the direction of their barracks.
"We'll meet you at their barracks when we're done. Be ready for night training," Clark said to the three lieutenants.
"And this mess?" John asked.
"We'll deal with it," she replied, not sure what they could do, but knowing something had to be done.
Her friend nodded and turned to leave, Alex and Arlene following him after the latter gave her upper arm a squeeze.
"I assume you have a plan?" Clark asked her once they were alone.
Her initial shock now fading she responded calmly, "We stick to the plan. Give Sink our honest assessment and provide him with a reasonable alternative."
Clark raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"I just assumed you would go with the kicking ass and taking names approach after the latest development."
"Well, that's still plan B."
His lips turned up into a lopsided grin.
She rolled her eyes. "We better get going, being late won't help our case."
"Lead the way," he said, gesturing in the direction of Battalion HQ and Sink's office.
As they ascended the stairs of the old manor house the battalion had commandeered she briefly noticed the sidelong glances they were receiving. She was used to it, hardly ever noticed it anymore, but every so often she'd be reminded of the fact that to those around her, she wasn't where she belonged.
She lifted her head higher and held the stare of two young soldiers that were gaping at her. The boys quickly realised they'd been caught and looked away, turning their heads so fast she was sure they'd have whiplash.
Clark chuckled beside her just as they entered the building.
She briefly glanced over at him, shooting him a wink.
"Colonel Sink's office?" Clark asked an orderly stationed near the door.
The young man stood and saluted them. They quickly returned the gesture. After years in the field they often forgot how formal the military could be.
"Down the hall, last office on the right Captains," the young man replied, to his credit keeping his face neutral.
"Thank you," she said, turning sharply on her heel.
The building was busy, everywhere you looked a soldier was handing out or receiving an order. In the few seconds it took them to get to Sink's door she saw more paper flying around than she had in years.
An intelligence gold mine, she thought.
When they reached the door leading to the Colonel's chambers Clark opened it, allowing her to step in first before he followed, neatly shutting it behind them.
"Ah, Captains Clark and King. The Colonel is expecting you. Please follow me," a solider greeted them as soon as they stepped through the door.
She nodded to him and followed him through another door, entering a large parlour. Two large bay windows spilled light into the wooden clad room. The floor and walls were made of a dark stained wood, and a dark carpet damped their footfalls. Large brown leather chairs situated across from an already burning fireplace dominated the centre of the room, while an impressive desk sat tucked into the furthest corner. A butler's tray perched on-top of a serving trolley stood directly opposite them and a tall officer leaned over it, his back to them.
As the man turned the orderly shut the door behind them. Every time she met the Colonel she found herself liking him more. He had thick brown hair with streaks of grey and a thicker moustache. His eyes held no malice or ill will, and he always treated her with the utmost respect.
They snapped to attention and were about to salute him when he waved them off by holding out two tumblers to them. She smiled politely and took the glass, happily eyeing the amber liquid splashing back and forth.
"Please, sit," Sink said, gesturing to two of the chairs.
They took their seats and he, with his own glass in hand, took one across from them.
"How was London?" he asked.
"Good," Clark replied.
"I believe the Red Devils tried to convince you to stay with them?"
The man had contacts.
"They tried, but we're American and would prefer to fight alongside our own if possible. They understood," she replied.
"I'm sure they were damn disappointed and after getting my hands on your files I understand why. Quite an interesting concept your unit. A bit of an experiment I gather. "
She smiled and took a sip of her drink. Cognac, the good stuff.
"At the time the unit was formed yes, but less so now. The British have something similar but far more established in the Special Air Service," Clark replied, approvingly eyeing his own glass.
Sink nodded. "I heard about that. Covert reconnaissance and direct action mostly if I remember correctly."
She smiled politely. "That's mostly right sir."
"What I'm still trying to understand, and I mean no offence Captain," Sink continued, tilting his glass in her direction, "was how you and Lieutenant Walker joined the unit."
"Oh, no offence taken Colonel," she replied, quickly swallowing the mouth full of Cognac she'd been sipping. "We had actually both enlisted prior to the formation of the unit. Initially our role would have been similar to that of an SOE agent, however when our unit was formed the powers that be decided to assign us to them. I guess they were already experimenting, figured they should go all out."
The Colonel nodded, mulling over her words. After a few moments of contemplative silence he said, "Well, you ever get a hard time from the Brits for turning them down, let me know."
"Oh, they took it pretty well. Said if we ever changed our minds we know where to find them," Clark replied.
"You ever feel like it's going to come to that, you come to me first. General Eisenhower holds your unit in high regard and I'd never hear the end of it if you left under my watch. Although I would get a Christmas card from Montgomery."
She smiled. "The General is being generous in his opinion."
"Now, you and I both know, when it comes to combat, that isn't his style," Sink replied.
She nodded and took another sip, waiting for the real reason for their meeting to come around.
As if reading her mind the Colonel said, "Now, I've read your reports and overall I'm pleased with your assessments, but I have a question. Something I need clarified."
"Please," Clark replied, gesturing for Sink to continue.
"In your report you state that Easy Company shows the most promise, however you also state under its current condition you would not consider working with it. You understand my confusion."
She and Clark looked at each other. They'd purposefully left the reason for their assessment out. Not only did it guarantee them an audience with Sink as they were sure he'd need clarification, but it was also one of those things best left off of paper.
Turning back to Sink she found the officer staring at them intently over the rim of his glass. She took a deep breath and eased back in the high back chair, her own glass casually hanging between her fingertips. Now was not the time to look nervous.
"All the Airborne Companies we had the privilege of training with are exceptional. The men are well trained and incredibly well conditioned, Easy Company more so than most. We believe this is due to the rigorous training Captain Sobel put the men through in preparing them not only physically but mentally for the pressures of combat."
Sink nodded and leaned forward.
She looked to Clark as he continued where she'd left off. "However, it is our professional opinion based on years of experience that Captain Sobel is not fit to lead that Company into combat. He simply does not have the necessary temperament and we cannot in good conscience allow our men to work with anyone that will diminish their chances of success."
The Colonel eased back in his chair, looking out of the nearest window.
"Permission to be blunt sir?" she asked.
She could feel Clark looking at her and she sensed his unease, but now wasn't the time to leave anything up for interpretation.
The Colonel turned to face her and said, "Please do. I'm tired of all this political back and forth."
"Sir, the Germans are excellent in what they do and they do not need anyone to help. Captain Sobel is excellent at what he does, but leading men into combat is not it. Whether or not we work with Easy Company is irrelevant, what's important are the lives of all the men under his command, and by extension your command. If you send those men into war under Sobel fewer of them will make it home alive."
A heavy silence fell over the room. She held Sink's gaze, never flinching or showing the nerves gnawing at her insides.
The Colonel eased back in his chair and for the first time she noticed the strain around his eyes. He had his own doubts and concerns. "A jump school is opening up in Chilton Foliat for non-combat military support personal. The position of commander is open," he said.
We know, she thought, they'd been the ones to make sure the news crossed Sink's desk.
"Well sir, we can't think of anyone better to run it than Captain Sobel," Clark said as if it was the first time he heard the news.
Sink nodded to himself as he took another sip of his drink. "It would solve the unpleasant business of Lieutenant Winters' court-martial."
Swallowing her own drink she said, "We know the men respect the Lieutenant and it would boost their morale."
The Colonel placed his glass down on the side table nearest his chair. "In your reports you didn't say which Company you would want to work alongside. I assume you have one in mind?"
"Who would take command of Easy sir?" she asked.
"Lieutenant Meehan is senior, he'll take over."
They both nodded and Clark said, "Meehan's a good man and a good officer. He'll do well."
"Well then?" Sink asked as he stood.
The both placed down their glasses and stood, taking the Colonel's que that the meeting was officially over and they had to make a decision.
"We'll start training with Easy as soon as Meehan takes command of the Company. It's important the men get used to working alongside us as soon as possible," Clark gave the answer they'd agreed on days earlier.
The Colonel's lips twitched into the faintest of smiles. "Good to have you on board."
The both snapped to attention and saluted the senior officer. He quickly returned the salute and they turned to leave. Once outside HQ she filled her lungs to capacity, feeling like a weight had been lifted off of her chest.
"Once Meehan's promotion is formalised we need to have a meeting with him. Make sure he's given access to our files, well the parts that haven't been redacted. We also need to ensure he's comfortable with our role and how we fit in with Easy," Clark said.
"And then he can brief the other officers. We can help him prepare what to say and what not to say."
"Well, the one list is significantly shorter than the other one."
"Let's focus on what he can say then, less to remember."
Clark smiled and they started in the direction of their billets. As badly as she wanted to go in search of Richard and find the Easy NCO's so she could give them a piece of her mind they had to change and get to the rest of their unit. The uncertainty surrounding their future assignment had, had them all on edge so they needed to hear the good news as soon as possible.
"Jess," Clark said softly as they neared her billet.
"Yes?" she replied, a little nervous at his uncertain tone.
"Do you think Arlene will be able to work with Easy?" he asked, refusing to look her way.
She grabbed his arm, stopping him and making sure he looked her in the eye. "Arlene is a consummate professional. She was able to train with Joe and she'll be able to fight alongside him, but you already know this so what's really the problem?"
He visibly swallowed.
"Ok jeez, what is it? The last time you were this nervous lots of people died and I very nearly drowned."
He pulled a face and his eyes darted around before settling back onto hers. "You should know the SOE asked for you and Arlene to join them for operations in France in preparation for the coming invasion of Europe."
She dropped her hand from his arm and took a deep breath. The Special Operations Executive, or SOE for short, was formed at the start of the war by the British government to conduct espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance in occupied Europe. Because of their specific training and the work they'd done with resistance movements they'd often crossed paths with SOE agents which had eventually led to them working the odd mission with the SOE. She and Arlene didn't really mind it. A large part of their training before the men had joined them had been in those areas the SOE specialised in so it wasn't far outside their comfort zone. What she did mind though was taking any of the men with her. They hadn't been trained to be spies, it was really something they'd learnt on the fly as it had become clear the defence of Europe wasn't going to be fought in the traditional manner any time soon.
"When?" she asked.
"You can say no. You're not SOE or British."
"I know, but it'll help us to know first-hand what the situation is on the ground. We didn't come up with all those fancy protocols to communicate in secret for nothing. I lost a lot of beauty sleep for those!"
She'd tried to make light of what they both knew was a very dangerous assignment, but Clark didn't budge, he simply kept staring at her, a deep frown running between his eyes.
"I assume they've put in the request with the American command?" she asked.
"They have and once I confirm our assignment with Easy they'll let Sink know. Everyone agreed it's up to you, but it's both of you or nothing."
She looked over his shoulder to two boys riding their bikes down the street, their smiling faces reminding her of home. "I'll need to talk to Arlene first, but I'm sure she'll be willing to go."
Clark took out his pack of smokes, aggressively tapping it in the palm of his hand.
The sound drew her attention and she turned away from the boys to look at him. "If we ignore the fact that they asked specifically for the two of us, you're in command so you can't go. They want two women which makes perfect sense. Grown men of fighting age, who clearly know how to handle themselves, would only lead to trouble."
"Jessica," Clark started but she cut him off. "No Clark, this is my call. Besides, this way if the mission goes South you'll still have Alex and John and five excellent replacements."
"But it's you and Arlene."
She smiled at her friend, they both knew she was taking the assignment, he'd known it the moment the request had crossed his desk.
"So, when?" she asked.
He relented with a sigh. "Sometime after Christmas. Early Spring probably. You'll just have to be ready."
"So the usual for SOE then?"
He cracked the beginning of a smile. "Yeah, the usual."
"Right, well, you can tell them we accept."
"You don't want to wait to talk to Arlene?"
"If she knows I'm going and that they want her as well Roosevelt himself wouldn't be able to keep her in England."
"You sure?" he asked hopefully.
"Yes, because if the roles were reversed I'd already be packing my bags."
He nodded.
"I'll talk to Arlene tonight and then we can tell the rest of the team."
"SOE won't be happy with that. Everyone knowing."
She shrugged. "They'll live. Besides, it's better our team knows the truth. Otherwise they'll go digging around and raising eyebrows. You know how nosy those bastard can be. At least this way we can brief them to keep the real assignment secret."
"Fine, but for the record I'm not happy about this."
She stood on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll miss you to."
He rolled his eyes at her but she saw him smile. "C'mon, we're gonna be late."
Arlene POV
"I'll meet you at the firing range," she shouted over her shoulder to her men as she jogged in the direction of the barn Easy Company was using as a mess hall.
The moment Hunt had told them about the NCO's resigning from Easy Company her stomach had dropped into her shoes. It had been a desperate act of mutiny by desperate men. She understood their reasoning, but during her time spent with Easy she'd become friends with some of the NCO's and the thought of them endangering themselves sent the all too familiar feeling of panic clawing at her insides.
Mutiny, damned mutiny. I'm going to kill them, she thought as she neared the mess hall, her panic and concern for the men quickly turning into anger towards them.
She spotted three familiar soldiers ambling in her general direction and she sped up so she could cut them off before they joined another group.
"Hey, Lieutenant Walker. Nice to see you again," Bull greeted her in his warm Southern accent. She liked Sergeant Randleman, he was naturally a warm person even though he wasn't very talkative. His nickname Bull perfectly summarised how physically imposing he was, but with his curly blond hair and round face he reminded her of her little cousins.
He was walking with Sergeants Lipton and Martin. The first time she'd met Lipton she'd thought he reminded her of an exasperated mother trying to keep all her children from getting themselves hurt through their own stupid antics. He was a good soldier and a fine leader with a sensible head on his shoulders.
Johnny Martin was a short man and if looks could kill he'd be even more deadly than he already was. He almost always had a scowl on his face, and where Lipton reminded her of a mother hen Johnny reminded her of an Italian mother about to scold their son for being a complete damn fool. Most of the men were a little weary of him, but she knew he only kept them in-line the way he did because he wanted them to get home alive.
The three men had stopped walking as she approached them, and when she didn't return Bull's greeting she could see them exchange glances.
"Oh, look. You're all still alive. For a moment I thought I was going to have to interrupt your execution long enough to tell you all what colossal idiots you are," she said as she stopped in-front of them.
They all opened their mouths to respond but the look she gave them told them it was best to keep their thoughts to themselves. They may look like the type of men you'd think twice about crossing, but right then, she was the woman none of them would dare to cross.
"The only reason you are all still breathing is because one, Sink is an intelligent man and two, everyone has bigger problems to deal with, namely the German army. You were all damn fools!"
She stood there, watching the three of them her chest heaving slightly as she tried to catch her breath.
"Hey, if it aint' the pretties Lieutenant," a familiar Philly accent came from behind her.
As she slowly turned around to face Bill she saw Lipton shake his head and Johnny mouth something to her approaching friend.
"You okay Arlene, you look like you're about to kill someone?" Bill asked, stopping next to her.
She tilted her head slightly to one side and smiled sweetly. "Well yes Bill, I am. Would you like to get in line?"
Johnny dropped his head and Bull ran his hand over his face as Bill looked confused between the group. "What?" he asked when no one explained what was going on.
"Now Bill, I would think committing mutiny would be more memorable."
Bill's face dropped and for a few seconds he lost his usual confidence.
"Arlene," Lipton started tentatively, "we had to do it. If you knew what had happened with Winters you'd see that we didn't have a choice."
She sighed, she could feel her anger starting to wane and she wasn't ready to let go of it just yet. "You think I don't know what happened with Winters? Jeez boys, I knew before you did."
"Then you understand why we did what we did. Why we resigned from Easy. We couldn't follow that man into combat," Bull said, picking up where Lipton had left off.
"And what about the men depending on you? What about them?" she asked, hitting them where she knew it would hurt most.
"That ain't fair," Bill said, but she could see the guilt eating at him. "We figured if we did this Sink would have to do something. We did it for all of us."
She looked between the four men and she could see Bill's guilt mirrored in all of them. Her own anger finally vanished and she let it, suddenly feeling tired. "I hate the fact that any of you are going to be in danger soon enough, I'd prefer it if you didn't bed danger before then."
"You were worried about us?" Johnny asked.
"Boys, a woman won't come all the way down here to give you a piece of her mind if she didn't care. Of course I was worried. Annoyed and royally ticked off, but also worried."
"Aaawww….doll. I knew you had a soft spot for us," Bill said as he pulled her into a side hug.
She rolled her eyes but didn't struggle out of the embrace.
"Not that it helped much. Sobel's still in-charge, Winters' been assigned to mess duty and we're still going to war," Bull said.
She wondered how Jessica and Clark's meeting with Sink was going. She was in on their plan, and she hoped it would pay off, she'd hate to see these good men go into war under the leadership of a man they didn't trust.
"You never know Bull, things can change quickly round here, sometimes for the better," she said, extracting herself from Bill's side.
Johnny lifted an eyebrow and said, "What'ya know?"
"More than you do, but nothing that I'm sharing right now."
"You're outnumbered doll. Spill," Bill replied, softly nudging her in the ribs.
"Oh boys, it's cute that you think you can make me talk. I've faced far, far worse than the four of you."
"Really?" Bull said, a twinkle in his eyes.
"Yes," she replied simply.
"Oh c'mon! Give us something?" Bill pleaded on everyone's behalf.
She paused for dramatic effect, feeling the suspense build in the air around her. "Fine," she said, sighing dramatically. "Let's just say there was me, eleven SS officers, one Dutch Resistance member and a grimy bar in Holland. By the time everything was said and done all the liquor in the place was on the floor, the SS were all dead and I'd received two marriage proposals."
There was a moment's silence and she could see the cogs turning in their heads as they tried to make logical sense of what she'd said.
"I have so many questions," Lipton mumbled.
She smiled, all her anger from minutes before now well and truly gone. "Well, I'm glad you're all still in one piece. Promise me when any of you get the urge to do something stupid again you'll come talk to me first? Hopefully I can knock some sense into you."
The four men nodded sheepishly.
"Good. Now you each owe me a drink for all the stress you caused. I swear I aged years in the last hour."
"It's a date doll," Bill said, shooting her a wink.
"I better run. See you around boys," she said as she turned and left.
"See ya doll!" she heard Bill call after her as the other men chimed in.
She was a few feet away from the sergeants when she spotted Joe leaning against the wooden fence that surrounded the Easy mess. He was smoking a cigarette, the smoke hanging around him in the cold, winter air. He didn't flinch when she caught him staring, his dark eyes remaining trained on her, his body turning to follow her path.
She stopped and turned to face him, daring him to make a move. He flicked the cigarette to the ground and stomped it out with his boot. He moved away from the fence and for a moment she thought he was going to walk over to her. Her heart sped up and she stood up even straighter. She hated the effect he still had on her, but she couldn't deny it and she wasn't going to run away again.
He stopped a few feet away from her and she could see the frown etched into his forehead. She badly wanted to close the space between them, but she refused to be the one to make the first move again. As if on cue he turned away from her, marching over to the group she'd just left.
Typical, she thought, the fight starting to boil up inside of her again.
At least I get to shoot things now.
Joe POV
He nervously paced up and down the sidewalk with one hand stuffed inside a trouser pocket and the other holding his second cigarette to his lips as he watched the house on the opposite side of the street.
He'd spotted Arlene the moment she'd neared the Easy mess. His heart had stopped beating for a split second before it starting racing at a break neck pace. He'd kept a safe distance from her, she clearly hadn't gone there looking for him and he had no idea where to even begin a conversation. He always assumed there would be a perfect moment for them to reconcile, that was until he saw the way Bill held her. He'd seen red, at Bill and at himself. Yes, she'd walked out on him, but right now he was allowing her to leave without a fight, and he never walked away from a good fight.
"Fuck," he swore as the hot tip if the cigarette burned his fingers.
Taking it as a sign he quickly stomped it out, straightened out his uniform and crossed the road. As he approached the green front door he took a deep breath. He didn't know where to begin, so he's come to the only person that would have a clue.
He raised his hand to knock on the door, but before he could land one blow it swung open, an elderly lady with a friendly smile looking up at him.
"Dear, you've been pacing up and down for nearly ten minutes eyeing my house. I was wondering if you were ever going to scrape the courage together to walk over here," the woman said.
He felt the blood rush to his cheeks as he replied, "I'm sorry ma'am and I'm sorry for the intrusion. Is Captain King here?"
"And who should I say is calling or has all your pacing scrambled your thoughts a bit?" she said, but he could see a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
"Oh, uh…yes. Umm… Joe Liebgott ma'am."
She nodded and turned to look over her shoulder. "Jessica darling. There's an American here to see you. His name's Liebgott."
He heard footsteps followed by Jessica's appearance next to the shorter woman. He noticed she wasn't wearing a uniform, instead opting for a dark blue dress and thick black coat. A dark blue knitted scarf wrapped around her neck and black gloves on her hands indicating she was probably on her way out.
"Thank you Jane, I know him. Would you mind telling Nixon I'm waiting outside for him. Hopefully knowing I'm standing in the freezing cold will hurry him up a bit," Jessica said as she took a step outside.
The other woman chuckled as she stepped back inside the house, closing the door behind her so the cold air didn't creep in after her. Obviously Nixon took a hell of a long time to get ready.
Suddenly alone with Jessica he felt the nerves start to creep in again. Stuffing his hands inside his pockets to hide the tremor he was sure was there he said, "Sorry for bothering you at home Captain. I can see you're on your way out, I can come back."
"That's perfectly alright. You're here now so we might as well chat. Besides, I was getting antsy waiting for Captain Nixon to finish up. I swear that man takes longer to get ready than any women I know."
Despite his nerves he smiled. He'd half expected her to slam the door in his face, so the conversation was already going way better than he'd anticipated.
"So, I assume he didn't come here for my stellar company. What can I help you with?"
"I was hoping I could ask you 'bout Arlene?"
"Sure, but why don't you ask Arlene about Arlene?"
Because I'm scared shitless when it comes to her, he thought.
"Honestly I was hoping you could give me some advice before I talk to her. You being her best friend and all," he replied instead.
Jessica opened up her small black purse and took out a packet of smokes. She offered him one but he shook his head. She shrugged and quickly lit one for herself before closing her purse and turning her full attention back to him. "It's so damn cold out here I need to warm up from the inside. Hopefully it starts to snow soon, then at least the cold is worth it. I do love a white Christmas. So what do you want to know?"
"How do I win her back," he blurted out the thought that had weighed on his mind since he'd woken up to an empty bed.
Jessica sighed as she blew out some smoke and he swore she looked a little sad. He cringed, sure he'd completely embarrassed himself in-font of Arlene's friend and a superior officer.
"I'm going to be completely honest with you Joe. Not just because I think it's utterly adorable that you're here, but mostly because I want Arlene to be happy."
He nodded an waited.
"Now, let me start by stating the obvious. If you repeat anything I'm about to tell you to anyone besides Arlene, I'll hunt you down and kill you. And we both know I'll make good on that promise. Understood?"
"Yes ma'am," he replied, a little afraid of the beautiful blonde.
She smiled. "Good! Now, Nixon's gonna be out here soon to take me to dinner, so I'm going to cut to the chase. You didn't lose Arlene so you can't win her back. Yes, she walked out on you and yes your night at the pub was a right royal cock-up, but despite how well she hides them from you, trust me she still had very strong feelings towards you. Although to the honest, they're not always good feelings."
She took a drag from her cigarette and he swore hours passed before she continued speaking. "Now, the first thing you should know is that she'd been put through hell by a man. She'd trusted him, we all had, and in the end he'd completed destroyed her trust and her heart. So if you say something you need to mean it and stick to it. If you lie or act differently depending on which way the wind's blowing you're done. Understood?"
"Yeah."
"Good. Secondly, man the hell up already. You keep staring and not doing anything. It's wonderful that you're here talking to me, but you really should be talking to her. It's not that difficult, this ain't rocket science."
She did know how to cut to the chase alright.
"Our role in the war isn't as predictable as many others, so when you have the chance to spend time with her you should, because one day you could wake up and she'll be gone again and this time it won't be to catch a boat for England."
He swallowed hard, the thought of what Jessica was implying make him feel ill.
"Arlene doesn't like Christmas, It brings back bad memories for her. So if you could do something to distract her from this time, replace some of the bad memories with good ones, it would go a long way to smoothing things over."
He nodded, the beginning of a plan starting to form.
The door behind Jessica opened and Captain Nixon stepped out wearing his dress uniform, a thick coat slung over his arm.
Jessica glanced over her shoulder. "Took you long enough. Luckily Joe arrived to keep me company."
Nixon smirked. "Thanks Liebgott, but I'll take it from here."
"Yes, sir," he said to Nixon before turning to Jessica. "Thank you."
"Any time. See you around Joe," she replied as she took the arm Nixon was holding out for her.
He nodded to the two Captains before turning and walking blindly back to his barracks, his mind completely focused on his plan.
Nixon POV
"What was that about?" he asked as they made their way to the small restaurant in town. With rationing being what it was their choices were limited, but the food was still good and it was nice to have time alone with Jessica. If Richard wasn't going to ask her out, her sure as hell wasn't going to leave her to wait at home until someone else did ask.
"Oh, he came to ask me about Arlene. Honestly, he likes her and she likes him so I don't understand why they're making it so difficult."
"Maybe he's just waiting for the right time."
"Nix, we're in the middle of a war. Not being a pessimist or anything, but the right time is now."
He shared her sentiments, which is why he kept pestering Richard to get off his ass and make a move.
An icy wind cut between their bodies and Jessica pressed herself closer to him. "Thankfully it isn't raining."
He glanced down at her, her face now half covered by her scarf. "What are you going to do in a fight when it's cold and raining?"
She looked up at him. "The same thing I've always done. My damn job while telling the men around me to stop their whining."
He gave her a lopsided smile. She had a bit of a temper and he loved drawing it out. It was their own little game.
"But since I'm not in the middle of a warzone I'm going to act like a damsel and complain about the cold."
"Hey, if it means you staying this close to me you won't hear any complaints from my side."
He felt her smile.
They passed a group of women and he recognised one he'd previously gone on a similar date with, expect then his intentions hadn't been quite as platonic. The woman smiled and waved, but both faltered when she spotted Jessica holding onto him. He smiled and nodded, hoping Jessica hadn't spotted the evil look the woman shot her.
"Have you heard from your wife?" Jessica casually asked.
So she saw it.
Jessica didn't bring his wife up often, and she only once said anything about him seeing other woman. She knew his wasn't a happy marriage, but she also didn't see it as a perfect excuse to philander about.
"Not recently. I sent her a gift though. That silk scarf you'd found hidden at the flea market," he replied.
"From what you've told me about her I'm sure she'll love it."
"M'hm," he replied, not as convinced as she was.
"Don't be so cynical Nix."
He didn't reply, he didn't want to spend the next few hours talking about his wife and their strained marriage. Deciding to change the subject he asked, "So you don't have anyone waiting for you back home? Or here?"
She never mentioned anybody, but he still found it difficult to believe she was alone. Not all men were as slow out of the blocks as his friend.
"Well, there's my brother, but other than that no."
"You've never told me you have a brother."
"It hasn't come up I guess."
He shook his head. She was always a little evasive, even when she wasn't trying to be. He'd learned to ask her direct questions. "Is he here on State side?"
"Oh, he's been in England for a few years actually. He's a pilot, and when the war started the RAF asked for any American pilots who were willing to come over and fly with them. Since America wasn't stuck into the fight yet, and my brother isn't the type to wait around, he got himself onto the first ship over. He's been flying with the RAF ever since."
"Shit, you lot couldn't stay away from the fight could you?"
He heard her laugh softly. "Not our style Nix. I'd actually been here a few months before he came over."
"Has he been here and I missed him?"
She shook her head. "No, he hasn't visited me here yet. I saw him in London when we were there and he'll try to come here now during Christmas. We write each other all the time though. Well, when my work allows it."
"What does that mean?" he asked, perplexed by her final statement.
"Oh, it's just sometimes my assignments mean I can't just write to whoever I please. We can't risk the messages being intercepted. But even then I still try to write him and then I'll send the letters when I can."
He'd picked up that some of her work wasn't conventional soldiering, but she never gave any details away, even when he asked her straight-out.
"So besides for your brother there's no one else, 'cause I find that hard to believe?"
"Nix, you know just how to make a girl feel good about herself."
"Thank you. Now stop trying the change the subject."
They crossed the street, the windows of the little restaurant glowing warmly in the cold air.
"I'm not, but I've told you all there is to tell. I don't have some great love, or even mediocre love, waiting for me anywhere. Sure, I haven't lived like a nun, but none of them ever stuck."
He felt a little bad for her, but she didn't sound too bothered and secretly he was relieved because it was one less challenge for Richard to overcome. Although so far Richard had been his own biggest challenge.
Until Speirs decides he's done waiting.
They'd reached the restaurant and as he held the door open for her he noticed the envious glances the other soldiers, all officers, sitting inside shot his way.
Sure, some of them had dates, but they weren't Jessica and they certainly didn't have her reputation.
Okay, Dick may have more problems soon.
XXXXXXX
Hello! Long time no see. I hope everyone had a brilliant weekend! Thanks for the brilliant support and to everyone that's added the story to their alerts, favorites etc. You all rock! Chat soon.