Author's Notes: The lyrics in this chapter are from the song "May It Be" by Enya, written for the movie The Fellowship of the Ring. I don't own them either.
"Ha! Twenty-one! Hand it over, mates!" Liam was cleaning up at cards again, much to the surprise and annoyance of all the more experienced players. Hogan, sitting in his office with the door open, smiled at the groans and angry mutters from the three other men as they turned their life savings over to the young cardsharp.
Liam had been back at Stalag 13 for almost two weeks now, and he seemed to have bounced back admirably from his numerous injuries. The switch back had gone off without a hitch as well, with Dr. Freiling even returning to remove Kieran's casts and giving him a 'clean bill of health' before the twins switched places once again. The switch, unfortunately, meant that Hogan would have to arrange for Liam's transfer and escape soon so that the Falcons could head for home and their next big assignment. He really did hate to see them go. Kieran had been a great help on quite a few missions in the past month and a half, and the two of them were an amazing spy team that had afforded Hogan's group several important sabotage opportunities that they would have been unable to pull off otherwise. Not to mention they were quite the pair of mischief -makers when they got together. They were always laughing and joking around, which helped to keep everyone's spirits up, especially during this time of the year when everyone's thoughts turned towards home and the holiday cheer their families would soon be celebrating without them. However, Kieran had had a long conversation with his commanding officer at MI-6 yesterday, so Hogan assumed that orders would be coming through soon to send the Kincaids on their way.
Liam finally decided to bow out graciously from the card game, leaving his new friends with some, but not much, money and dignity. A small part of him felt badly for making them all think he was new to gambling at card when in reality he was every man's most dreaded opponent in any pub in Dublin. Besides, it wasn't as if he was planning on keeping most of his winnings. He didn't smoke, so his winnings from tonight's high-stakes game were of absolutely no use to him. The men would simply have everything returned to them, and chances were that they wouldn't really even notice anyway. The card games were mainly a way to keep the more surreptitious side of his nature in practice.
He knew Kier had talked to MI-6 yesterday, and he was curious as to what the C in C had told his twin in regards to their next assignment. He went down into the tunnels to talk to him about it, but couldn't find him anywhere. A bit anxious, he went to talk to Colonel Hogan.
"Sorry ta bother ye, Colonel, but 'ave ye seen mah brother anywhere?"
"Yeah, he's on the roof. Went out there to think, he said."
"On th' roof? But tain't that just a wee but dangerous, sir?" Wasn't it just like Kier to take such a brazen risk as that!
Hogan just smiled and shook his head. "Not at all. The entire back side of this barracks is a blind spot to the guard towers. Just climb up through the window and pull yourself up there. As long as you don't make too much noise, the guards will never know you're there."
"Thanks, Colonel," Liam said as he pulled on his coat, for November was a bitter cold month in Germany, and hoisted himself through the window and onto the roof.
Shines down upon you
May it be when darkness falls
Your heart will be true
You walk along a road
Oh how far you are from home
Liam found his twin just where Colonel Hogan said he'd be, lying on the roof just above the window, gazing up at the star-strewn sky. It was a cold, clear night, and each glittering spark looked close enough to touch.
"Mind if ah join ye, leth-aon?" Liam asked softly as Kier glanced down to see who had found him.
"Not at all," Kier smiled. "Ah was wonderin' how long it'd take ye ta find me up 'ere. Beautiful night, isn't it?" he said as he motioned to the stars.
"Aye, 'tis." Liam replied as he settled himself into a relatively stable and comfortable position next to Kier. Then, to broach the subject, he asked nonchalantly, "I understand ya talked ta Headquarters yesterday?"
"Aye, that I did."
"And…?" It wasn't like Kier to be so silent on any matter concerning their current profession. He took great pride in being a spy, and in the assignments they were given.
"Well, it gave me a lot to think about. I'm actually glad you decided ta come out 'ere." His voice had gotten very serious, and he turned and looked straight at Liam, a pensive look on his face. "Li, what would you say ta staying here?"
Believe and you will find your way
Darkness has fallen
A promise lies within you now
"Stay 'ere? You mean, as members of Papa Bear's unit? But why?"
"MI-6 doesn't have any new assignments lined up for us. They were pretty evasive as to the reason why, but ah think that they think we're losin' our touch. No mention of how well we've done, or all that we've accomplished, or how we pull off th' jobs that no one else could possibly do. It's all about the mistakes we've made; first in Berlin, and now in you endin' up in a German prison camp when we were supposed ta be undercover in Paris."
"But those were both totally unforeseen and out of our control. The can't expect us to…"
"But they can, an' they do! They don't see us as 20-year-old fighter pilots who just 'appen to have many talents conducive ta bein' undercover spies; they see us as spies first and spies alone, age and prior experience be damned!"
Liam didn't understand where this lack of trust had come from. "We've never compromised an objective, never revealed our true intentions while on a mission, never failed to do exactly what we were sent out to do. What else do they want from us?"
"I don't know. They said they'd get back to us," Kier snorted clearly disgusted by the whole situation.
"But what does that 'ave ta do with stayin' 'ere?" Liam wasn't quite seeing the connection.
"Over the past month or so, I've gotten the chance ta see the colonel's operation 'ere firsthand. I've seen how his team works together, the missions London asks him ta pull off, and the fantastically bizarre an' innovative ways he accomplishes them every single time. The opportunity to still be involved directly in the success of this war has been dropped right in our laps, Li! Colonel Hogan values our experience and the unique opportunities having identical twins on his team could present to 'im. We 'ave a chance ta still make a difference! Is that an opportunity you would pass up?"
Will fly away
May it be you journey on
To light the day
When the night is overcome
You may rise to find the sun
"Well, of course not, but that can't be everything, Kier. I know you better than that." Kier was the one who had always insisted on a solo act. He wanted the freedom to make his own decisions on what risks to take and how to pull off the tough assignments. "Whatever 'appened to 'Blood is thicker than water,' or the fact that outside help only complicates things? That's what you've always said before, just like da always used to tell us."
"I suppose you could say I've 'ad a bit of a revelation. Being here, workin' with the colonel an' his men… it's all so much different then ah expected." Kier rolled over on his side, propping his head up with one arm as he looked directly at his twin, his gaze uncharacteristically intense. "You're right when you remember that da always used to tell us not to trust anyone but family. 'Blood is thicker than water' must 'ave come out of his mouth at least once a day as we were growin' up. But you can't always rely on yourself or your family. Every fighter pilot knows that; ah just think it never really registered with us because we always flew together. Our mistrust of people has done us many a disservice, and ah doubt it's ever really helped us either. This past month or so, working an' living with these men has shaken mah belief in Colonel Kincaid's 'infallible' saying. Blood is NOT always thicker than water. Just look at the camaraderie these men have with one another. They are a family, not by blood, but by necessity and circumstance. Colonel Hogan has earned the respect and trust of every man in this camp by his actions, not his rank. His life, and the lives of every man in this camp, are in constant danger as a result of the responsibility he's taken on, and yet they trust him implicitly every day to keep them safe. And he will, even at the risk of his own safety. You certainly can't count on me ta do that, nor our father, for that matter."
"What do you mean by that, Kier? Of course I trust you. I'd trust you with my life any day of the week!"
"But you shouldn't. If the Gestapo caught any of Hogan's men, he wouldn't go into hiding and do nothing until they were released or killed. He would go in there and break them out. He has, on several occasions, which is more than you can ever say for me." His voice was full of despair.
"But Kier, ye know as well as ah do that there was nothin' ye could have done! You're just one man, after all."
"Exactly mah point. An' so are you. An' when we're together, we might as well be just one man for all that we're alike. An' ah'm beginnin' ta think that that's as much a liability as a blessing in our line of work. But it's a liability we can get rid of if we stay 'ere! We'll still have our job, an' our talents, an' each other, but we'll also have a great team to work with who'll watch our backs, and, most importantly, we'll have a great commanding officer. I, for one, would welcome the chance to take orders again, especially from a man like Colonel Hogan. So whaddya say?"
Believe and you will find your way
Liam lay back and gazed up at the sky, processing everything his twin had just told him. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about staying, or if he could survive being a prisoner of the Germans again, and until the end of the war, at that. He had been looking forward to so many things when he got home; could he give up the chance to see his family and his fiancée until it was over?
He turned away from his brother, lost in thought. Then, he caught a slight glimpse of some of the other buildings out of the corner of his eye in the glow from the searchlights. There had to be over a thousand prisoners in this camp, and every single one of them had pledged himself to Colonel Hogan and his cause. They gave up their chance to go home as well, all of them, when they could be flying again, or at home with family and friends. That was a hell of a price to pay for one man and one mission when it would be so easy for them all to escape. He supposed that had to say quite a bit about the importance of their operation here.
Liam thought back to what Kier had stated so vehemently just a few moments ago, the antithesis of their father's life mantra. "Blood is NOT thicker than water," Kier had said, and Liam knew that he was right. He'd never really understood that saying anyway; the way he saw it, blood and water were two entirely different things. The men here in this camp weren't bound by 'blood,' not by family or duty or orders. They were bound by what he supposed could be considered 'water;' a common goal, a purity of purpose, friendship, honor, and loyalty to the cause. And that bond was as strong as any bond of blood, possibly even stronger because it was voluntary and created out of mutual camaraderie and necessity . Were he and Kieran to stay here, their loyalty to the cause would have to be bound with ties of both 'blood' and 'water.' They'd have to be in it 100%. And a cause that genuine had to be worth something.
A promise lies within you now
He glanced to the sky again, letting the infinite darkness with its tiny pinpricks of light fill his entire field of vision. He knew then that the best, the most honorable, possibly even the only course of action was to stay. He turned his head to look at his twin, who was also staring off into the infinite sky. "Let's do it, Kier. Ah'm ready for a change of pace. Let's stay here."
A small smile turned the corner of Kier's mouth, but he said nothing right away. Then, he slowly asked, "Do you see what I see, leth-aon?"
Liam looked back up at the sky. "What is it we are seeing, Kier?"
"The future, I believe. That even in this darkness of war, ever blow we strike against Germany is another star we place in the sky, lighting the way until the sun rises and the war ends." Then, he turned to his twin and shrugged, breaking the mood completely with a matter-of-fact "At least, that's what a poet would say, which I surely am not."
Liam laughed at that, then sat up and headed back towards the window. "Come on! Let's go tell Colonel Hogan the good news!"
Colonel Hogan looked up in surprise as two curly-haired, rosy-cheeked boys tumbled in through his open window, their emerald-green eyes sparkling with laughter and the cold. "Aren't you a little far south, leprechauns?" he asked with a smile, a teasing reference to the Irish folktale.
"Oh, not a'tall, Colonel," they said in unison, in the thickest Irish brogues they could muster.
"We 'eard ye could use a bit 'o the luck 'o the Irish 'round 'ere," Liam added.
"Aye, so we thought we'd pay ya a visit and stick around for a while," Kier finished. Then the two of them stood there, hands behind their backs and smiles on their faces as they waited for his answer.
It took a moment for Hogan to realize what they had just said, but his eyes finally widened as he caught on. "And just how long would you be staying?" he asked.
"Well, we sorta figured until Allied tanks come through those gates out there," Kier said with a mischievous grin.
"We both talked it over an' decided that it would be a great honor to be part of Papa Bear's operation," Liam continued. "That is, if you'll have us, sir."
Hogan stared at the Kincaids, surprised at this turn of events. "You want to stay? But what about the Secret Service, and your other missions?"
"Well, that's just it, sir," Kier explained. "MI-6 doesn't have a mission for us right off, so we'd just be sittin' on our thumbs once we got 'ome. We both discussed it an' came ta the conclusion that we'd be doing the exact same job 'ere as we would anywhere else, only here we wouldn't be fightin' the Germans alone. So, to confirm what my brother just said… it would be and honor to serve under your command, Colonel, if you are willing to have us."
"Well, of course I'm willing to have you! And glad of it, too." Hogan smiled broadly, extremely pleased at this unexpected turn of events. "I assume this means you're planning on getting captured, Kieran?"
"Yessir. I figured ah could go out the emergency tunnel, muss mahself up a bit, an' surrender at the gate as a pilot who's been shot down. An' you can make sure that Klink keeps me, right?"
"Oh, most certainly. And you'll contact London about your 'new assignment?'"
"Yes sir!" They both snapped to attention and saluted their new commanding officer. "Pleasure to be on board, Colonel."
"And it's a pleasure to have you both," Hogan returned their salutes. "Just try not to do anything unexpected for a while, OK? I don't think I can handle any more surprises." He almost laughed as he saw them both trying to keep straight faces. "At ease, gentlemen. I'm sure there are some men out there who would love to hear the good news as well. Or bad, if you're still planning on playing cards with them every night, Liam." At that, they all laughed. "Also, I think Kinch is down in the radio room, if you want to contact your headquarters in London, Kieran."
"Thank you sir, ah'll do that right away. And thank you very much for havin' us, Colonel, unexpected surprises an' all."
"Not a problem, Lieutenant, as long as you don't make a habit of them. We'll discuss plans for your capture later. Dismissed, gentlemen!" he said with a grin.
The twins saluted once again and were headed for the door when Hogan suddenly called out, "Wait, just a minute!" They turned, surprised. "Could you do that again," he asked, a thoughtful look on his face.
"Do what, sir?" they asked, confused.
"Salute."
"Sir, yes sir!" They came to attention and saluted once again.
"Do you always do it that way?"
"What way, sir?"
"One of you salutes left and the other salutes right."
The twins turned to each other and grinned. "Ah think he discovered our little secret, Liam," Kier said conspiratorially. Then, he turned back to Hogan and explained. "You're absolutely right, sir. Liam is left-handed and I am right-handed, and we make it obvious in certain ways so that people who know us, especially commanding officers, can tell us apart. I told you you'd catch on eventually," he said with a wink.
"There's one other question I've been meaning to ask you two as well. When we were first sent our orders to look for Liam, they told us you could both be identified by tattoos on your right arms; a falcon with it's wings spread in a 'V.' But Dr. Freiling never found the tattoo. Where is it, if I may be so bold?"
Liam sighed and rolled his eyes. "They got it wrong again? You'd think the General would remember; after all, he's the one who insisted… Colonel, the tattoos work the same as every other way ye can tell us apart. Kieran's is on his right arm, an' mine," he rolled up his sleeve and pulled a piece of skin-colored plaster off his upper arm, midway between his elbow and his shoulder, revealing the promised tattoo, "is on mah left. The doctor dinna see it because ah had it covered while posing as a German an' forgot ta take the plaster off."
"I gotta hand it to you guys," Hogan said with genuine admiration, "your really think of everything. Now, I suggest you get down to the tunnel and call London, Kier. Barracks inspection is in fifteen minutes."
"Will do, Colonel." The brothers saluted and left. Hogan considered as the door closed behind them that this was an interesting turn of events. Now, he'd just have to convince Klink to let the twins both stay at Stalag 13. If everything went well, who knew what Papa Bear's operation could accomplish with the assistance of two trained spies. The Germans didn't stand a chance now.
Three days later, the men had just scattered after morning roll call when there was a commotion at the main gate. Sergeant Schultz headed over there as fast as he could manage to find a bedraggled man in an RAF uniform trying to surrender to the guards. However, as Schultz looked closer at the man, he noticed something remarkably familiar about him.
"I will escort this prisoner to the Kommandant's office," he informed the other guards. "You may return to your posts." Then, he grabbed the soldier by one arm and hustled him into camp and across the compound to Klink's office, muttering all the way. "What were you thinking, Lieutenant, trying to escape? And how did you get out of camp? You were here at roll call not ten minutes ago! Is this some kind of monkey business?… Wait! Don't tell me. I do NOT want to know."
The young man turned and stared at him. "Wot are ye talkin' about, Fritz? Ah wasn't escaping, ah was bein' captured. This war startin' ta get to ye a wee bit?"
"My name is Schultz, not Fritz! And are you trying to tell me that you are not…" He glanced across the compound towards Barracks 2 just in time to see LeBeau, Carter, Newkirk, and Kincaid exit on cleaning detail. He glanced back and forth between the prisoner at his side and the one on the other side of the camp. Unable to explain it, he just stated, "I see nothing!" and hustled the new prisoner into Klink's office.
He left the man under guard in the outer office as he made his report to Klink. "Herr Kommandant, I beg to report that I captured an escaping… no, a new… but he was…"
"Schultz, you dumkopf! I don't have all day! What is it you are trying to say?"
"I don't know, Herr Kommandant! There is a prisoner, but he may or may not have escaped, and I captured him…"
"Never mind! Just bring him in here!"
The new prisoner was shoved unceremoniously into the office, where he saluted both Germans and stated firmly, "First Lieutenant Kieran Sean Kincaid, Royal Air Force, serial number 1474729." Then, relaxing somewhat, he looked Klink straight in the eye. "And judging by the reactions of your guards, Kommandant, I have just one question to ask: Where is my twin brother?"