(Author's note: This is in response to "Mavis' Missives," chapter 10, by LE Wigman. It's a departure from the letters format because it seemed like the most efficient way to bring Hogan into the scene.)

July 22, 1944

Colonel Hogan was absorbed in a letter from his dad when he heard a rap at the door. "Come in," he said.

It was Newkirk, doing that thing he did with the hem of his shirt when he was anxious. His eyes were down. Hogan suppressed a sigh. He didn't need an off-kilter Newkirk. Especially not tonight. They had work to do.

He'd been pleased to see Newkirk had received three letters in this week's mail, because they'd been warned by London to expect fewer of them in coming months. One of the letters must have held bad news. He put down his dad's letter. This fishing was always good on the Cape this time of year. He missed weekends with dad in that ramshackle beach house, but he'd get there. Maybe next summer.

"Read all three letters already, Newkirk?"

"No, Sir. Just this one. From Mavis."

Mavis. Dear Mavis. He almost felt like he knew her from her letters. He almost felt he was falling in… well, never mind that. That thought could wait.

"Is she all right? Is your family OK?" Hogan knew he'd hear directly from the brass in London if anything dire had happened to one of the Newkirks. He'd insisted on that once the V-1s started falling. But he worried anyway. There were lots of little things that could happen that wouldn't measure up as mission-critical in terms of their impact on one of his key men.

"She's upset with me. For writing to my Da."

Hogan smiled to himself whenever he heard that word from Newkirk. Da. You never heard that in America unless you had tribes of off-the-boat Irish relations, which he did. He heard his mother's Kinsale lilt. He'd never realized it was a Welsh thing too, the way Peter sometimes also let slip a Mam. He'd never realized anything was a Welsh thing, in point of fact, because he'd never met a Welsh person in America. He was looking forward to meeting Newkirk's mother after the war. And Mavis. He had plans with Mavis.

He shook off his thoughts to concentrate on what Newkirk had just said. "You had to write back to him, Peter," he said softly. "It was time. You can face him."

Newkirk didn't open up easily, but he'd been unusually worried about his family ever since that letter from his father had arrived. The bombs that were now raining down on London weren't helping. Loath though he was to admit it, he realized he needed—wanted—guidance. Talking to Colonel Hogan about his messy feelings toward his father was both difficult and a tremendous relief. It was better than stewing, he thought, especially when their mission was more critical than ever. And Hogan knew how to get to him — one "Peter," and he was nattering like Carter.

"Mavis says he came to the house. Spent hours with Mam. Talked and … talked. And bleeding well cried, Sir. He said he never knew he'd hurt us so badly." His voice fell to a whisper. "Hurt me so badly."

"That's good. That means you got through to him."

"But she's angry at me for starting it! And I understand why. I'm over here. I don't have to deal with him. But she's there, and now he wants to talk to her and spend time with her and bleeding well live with Mam again," he said. "But what if he does it again? What if he just hurts them all and walks away again? Who's going to pick up the pieces? She'll be doing it all alone, just her and Mam, without me to lean on because I'm bleeding well over here."

"Maybe he's changed, Peter." The first name again. Newkirk noticed, and it settled him a bit. It was like a hug, only without touching.

"People don't change that much."

"Oh, I don't know. You've changed."

Newkirk finally looked up at Hogan. Yes, he had changed. Hogan and LeBeau and Kinch and Carter and His Majesty the King and The Prime Minister had all seen to that. He knew he was a better person today than the scrapper who went into the RAF in 1939.

"I suppose I have, Sir, but I had a lot of help," Newkirk replied.

"The job of a family is to help each other. That includes helping your father. Mavis can understand that. Let's look at the letter. We can figure this out."