Chapter 1:
A cozy fire from the barracks stove. Fluffy marshmallows shared amongst friends. Laughter and funny stories exchanged all around. The atmosphere in barracks two that Friday night was filled with warmth and peace as Hogan and his friends had their monthly camp outings in the common area. Newkirk and Kinch had moved the table and laid it against the far left wall of the barracks, cleared the area for pillows and sleeping bags, then after the dismissal of evening roll call, the festivities began.
LeBeau made a spectacular dinner everyone had enjoyed, a few games of gin were played among Hogan and his gang, a long and hysterical round of charades to finish things up before lights out, now the six of them were all gathered in a circle on the barracks floor and were in the middle of a game of 'truth or dare', while the furnace gave off a warm glow and just barely lit the area. A game Kinch had suggested and had to explain the rules to everyone except Hogan. The colonel was very familiar with the game after all the college parties he attended in his youth. He was highly interested to see how it would fan out with his men and little girl.
"Andrew," Newkirk, who sat off to Carter's right, started. "Pick your poison."
"Truth," Carter said.
"Blimey, Andrew, that's the eighth time you have picked 'truth'. Do a 'dare' for once, would yah?"
"Oh no," Carter said, shaking his head firmly. "I choose 'dare', and you're gonna give me some outrageous thing that's gonna get me laughed at for the rest of the war. I'm not doing it."
"I'd do no such thing, you're overreacting, mate."
"My answer still stands."
"Carter, I swear on me father's grave I will not give you something outrageous to do."
"Pinkie promise?"
"Pinkie promise."
The technical sergeant fell silent for a brief moment, let out a surrendering sigh, then nodded. "Fine, dare."
"I dare you to kiss LeBeau," Newkirk answered, gesturing his head to the Frenchman on his right. He earned a hard glare back from Carter, and a squeamish look from LeBeau himself, all the while Kinch was doing everything in his power to keep himself from laughing.
"I am using my 'chicken' to get out of this," LeBeau retorted. "I can not waste kisses for my girlfriend on another man."
"Which one: Éloïse, Joëlle, or Madelaine?" Kinch asked.
"That is classified information I do not need to give out," LeBeau said, crossing his arms in a huff.
Kalina giggled, while Hogan playfully rolled his eyes. He looked down at the little teenager to his left when she addressed him. "Colonel Hogan, truth or dare?"
"Dare," the colonel answered.
"I dare you to imitate Papa for 30 seconds."
Hogan pursed his lips to keep himself from bursting into laughter, then finally answered when he had it under control. "If you say so," he said, grabbing a stray quarter off the ground. He wiped it with the bottom of his pajama shirt, then put it over his left eye and raised his fist in the air. "Hogan, what are you doing in my office?!"
The five of his friends split their sides as he so correctly imitated their 'illustrious' camp kommandant. Hogan said a few more lines, then took the quarter off his eye and looked down at Kalina again. "That meet your standards?" He asked.
Kalina giggled while nodding, then wrapped her arms around her second father and snuggled next to him, Hogan holding her close and rubbing the top of her back and shoulders.
The colonel looked up at his French chef. "LeBeau, what do you pick?"
"Truth, Colonel," LeBeau said.
"How many girlfriends do you actually have?"
Kinch, Newkirk, and Carter all cried out as they turned to their friend.
"Now you've gotta give it up, Louis," Kinch said.
"Can't lie to Colonel Hogan, no siree," Carter added.
LeBeau shook his head, his eyes blazing with flames, but his mouth was doing everything it could to keep himself from smiling. "Je vous déteste tous," he remarked, causing everyone to laugh again. LeBeau opened his mouth to answer, when the door to the barracks opened, and Schultz marched his way inside. The sergeant's eyes widened a bit when he saw the group of six sitting in the dark and still awake and alert. (1)
"What's going on here?" He asked, confused.
"Excuse me, did we invite you?" Newkirk replied.
"Jolly joker."
"It's the last Friday of the month, Schultz," Hogan said. "We're having our monthly camp out."
"Inside?" Schultz questioned. "What kind of camp-out is it when you're not outside?"
"You really think Klink would let us camp out in the middle of the compound, Schultzie?" LeBeau asked.
Schultz let out a breath through his nose before noticing the bag of marshmallows in Newkirk's hand. "You may be right," he said, reaching his hand out for one, when the corporal lightly slapped it away.
"That ain't for you," Newkirk remarked.
"Oh, come on, Newkirk. He can have a couple," Kinch said.
Newkirk sighed softly, then handed the German three marshmallows. "Fine, but you saw nothing."
"Oh, I see nothing, noooooothing." Schultz then smiled as he left. "Danke." He closed the barracks door behind him, leaving the six of them again to themselves.
Hogan yawned before looking down at his watch. "We better head on to bed," he said. "It's 10 minutes passed midnight."
"Aw Colonel, do we have to? We're having too much fun," Carter said.
"Sorry, Carter. Someone's already made up their mind on my decision."
"Who is…" the sergeant stopped when he saw Kalina asleep in Hogan's arms, her head resting against his chest as if it were a pillow.
"Come on, guys," Kinch said, gesturing to their sleeping bags. "We can still talk as we're falling asleep."
Carter, Newkirk, and LeBeau all nodded, then the four flyers made their way to their sleeping area as Hogan tucked Kalina in for the night beside him. He placed her pink blanket she always slept with beside her, then gave her a kiss on the forehead and gently rubbed her shoulder.
"Sleep tight, my little one," he softly said. "I'll be here when you wake up in the morning."
Hogan crawled into his own sleeping bag next to the little Klink, then lay his head against the pillow, and placed a hand on his belly after he was all snugged in. "Goodnight, guys."
"Goodnight, Colonel," came a chorus from all four of his men.
"We'll do our best to keep the volume down, Colonel," LeBeau promised.
Hogan smirked as he began to fall asleep. "I'll hold you to that."
"Hey LeBeau," Carter said, rolling onto his side. "You never answered the Colonel's question."
"What question?" LeBeau asked, already forgetting what the sergeant was talking about.
"The one about the girlfriends," Newkirk said. "Just how many do you actually have back in Paris waiting for you?"
LeBeau gave his British counterpart an annoyed stare and lay back down on his pillow. "Bonne nuit, Pierre."
(1) Je vous déteste tous - "I hate all of you."