Disclaimer: I do not own the Band of Brothers mini-series or book, not do I intend any disrespect to the real men of Easy Company or their families. I only own the original characters.
This story is based on the mini-series and I have done some additional research to try and keep is as historically accurate as possible. However since this is a fiction there are some interpretations of and changes to actual events in order to make the story work.
Chapter 4
Amelia POV
Autumn turned into winter which changed to spring. Every morning Amelia woke with a sense of immense gratitude, tainted by a creeping dread which she could never quite shake. She knew in her heart that this time of peace was a blessing, but inevitably it would come to an end. Every night she prayed for the war to pass her and her friends by, even though she had little hope of this prayer being answered.
Meehan pushed them hard, but the men respected him and, from what they could see, he would be a capable combat leader. He had taken an immediate interest in Derek and Amelia, thinking of different ways to utilise the team and taking the time to learn from their combat experience.
Most of her free time was spent with George, Gene, Bill or Joe. She wasn't sure how it had happened, but somehow she usually found herself in their company, one way or another. She was glad to see that Derek had formed a bond with Harry, Nix and Dick. Amelia spent time in the company of the officers, due to her living with Derek and all, however their difference in rank always meant there was a slight distance between them. The only officer that didn't stick to that rule seemed to be Nixon. Amelia found she shared his fondness for Vat 69 and they had a fallen into an easy routine of sharing a glass and talking about all manner of things.
Mrs. Whitehall nudged Amelia lightly in the ribs, bringing her back to the present day. It was a bright spring Saturday afternoon and they were standing in the Whitehall's cozy kitchen, baking biscuits for the men.
Amelia always loved baking and Mrs. Whitehall adored the chance to spend time with the young woman since she never had a daughter of her own.
Christmas was the first time Amelia had baked for the men. She wanted to give them something which would remind them of home and their own families. When she'd opened up the tin in the mess hall she was nearly trampled. Since then, rationing being what it was, the men would occasionally drop off ingredients at the Whitehall's asking Amelia to bake for them, with the understanding that she would take her cut of the baked goods as payment. The arrangement suited her very well.
Derek walked into the kitchen and peered over her shoulder at the ball in front of her. "What you making?" he asked innocently, trying to sneak a finger into the batter. She swatted his hand away.
"Peanut butter biscuits for Bull." She placed emphasis on the Bull part.
"So how many do we get to keep?" he asked, almost giddy. Gosh he loves sweet things.
"I get to keep four." She gave him a lopsided grin, unable to keep a straight face.
He pouted. "Aaaawww, but Em you love me. Can't I get just one?"
Trying her best to glare at him, and failing miserably, she ruffled his hair. "You know I can't say no to you. There's one for each of us."
He practically jumped up and down he was that excited.
Accepting the cup of tea Mrs. Whitehall was holding out to him he asked, "So, you coming out to the pub tonight?"
"Mmmmm…I don't know. Probably not."
"C'mon, you haven't been out with us once. We only ever see you at the barracks or the mess hall. Are you ashamed to be seen in public with us or what?" He looked genuinely hurt.
She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Don't be silly. It's just…well," she could feel her cheeks getting warm, "I don't have anything to wear." She looked down at her feet as she finished the sentence.
The army didn't like her wearing her uniform when she wasn't on official business. They said they didn't want any 'unnecessary attention'. Whatever the hell that means.
"That's a terrible excuse. Just wear what you've got on now." He gestured at her outfit.
She shot him a flat, unimpressed look. She was wearing a faded yellow sundress, which she had bought from one of the neighborhood woman, to wear around the house. There was no way in hell she was going out to the pub dressed like this. She had her pride.
Mrs. Whitehall looked appalled at Derek's suggestion and replied on Amelia's behalf. "She cannot go out to the local pub in that dress. This is a dress a lady wears at home, not out on the town."
Derek looked at each of them, clearly not grasping the problem. "So, you're not coming out because you have nothing to wear? That's silly."
"Well what do you suggest? I cannot wear my uniform and this is the only civilian clothing I have."
"I may have a solution dear." Amelia turned to look at Mrs. Whitehall a little suspiciously. She loved the woman, but she was not wearing any of her dresses. She'd rather wear the yellow sundress.
As if reading her mind Mrs. Whitehall let you a chuckle. "Our neighbor, Beth or Mrs. Cooper, her daughter is working in London. She left some of her things here and they're selling them to raise some money. I think you're the same size."
"Oh, if you're sure. I don't want to step on any toes." Amelia was still a bit skeptical, but she really wanted a night out, so she was more than willing to give it a go.
Mrs. Whitehall clapped her hands and beamed at Amelia. "Of course I'm sure. You finish up here and I'll run over to let Beth know you'll be coming over to try on some dresses. She'll be so excited."
She took off her apron and quickly left the kitchen. Turning to look at Derek Amelia couldn't help but mirror his idiotic smile. "Don't look so smug," she added, rolling her eyes.
He just ignored her look and continued sipping his tea. "I need to run to HQ to sort out some admin before we head out. I can meet you back here and then we can walk together."
"No-no, that's silly. There's no need for you to walk up and down like that. I'll just meet you there."
"You cannot walk alone," he said matter-of-factly.
Amelia put the biscuits into the oven, replying over her shoulder, "Yes I can. I go into war zones, remember. I'm sure I can handle the mean streets of Aldbourne."
He sighed, rather dramatically she might add, "Em, we are not in a war zone, so there's no need for you to act like you are. I'm going past Easy's barracks. I'll get one of the men to meet you here at 20:00."
Closing the oven door she let out a sigh of her own. Turning to look at him she held his gaze for a few moment before responding. "I'm not going to win this fight am I?"
He gave her a smug smile. "Glad we're on the same page." Walking over to her, his face suddenly became more serious. He pulled her into a light hug and kissed the top her head, speaking into her hair he said, "When we're here, just allow me to take care of you, please." He stepped back, meeting her eyes. "While we're here, you don't always have to act like a soldier. You are allowed to just be a woman."
Standing on her tippy toes she pecked him on the cheek. "Thank you," she whispered.
XXXXXXX
Turning around in a circle, looking into the mirror, she hardly recognised the woman staring back at her.
She had been in luck. The Cooper's daughter was clearly a woman that loved fashion and she'd left behind some lovely dresses. Amelia couldn't choose just one, so she ended up buying three dresses and shoes to match.
For that evening she had chosen a royal blue tea-length dress, with a sweetheart neckline, tightly cinched in waist and slight flare out over her hips. She paired it with black heels, curled her hair and used the little make-up she had to emphasize her eyes and lips. She was probably a bit over dressed for the local pub, but she didn't know when we she would be able to wear a dress again.
She heard someone knock on the front door, followed by Gene and Mr. Whitehall's voices. Quickly grabbing her coat and bag before turning off the light, she stepped into the hallway. Seeing Gene, she stumbled slightly over her own feet. Nothing like a man in uniform.
Quickly regaining her composure she greeted her friend. "Hey there Gene. You look very handsome tonight."
"Hey Em, you look…" Gene ran his hand through his hair like he was searching for the right words, "real pretty." He had the most adorable smile and she thought she saw him blushing. I'm going to take that as a good sign.
Mr. Whitehall held the door open for them as they stepped out. "He's right Amelia. You look lovely. You kids have fun tonight and don't rush home."
"Thank you sir. Have a lovely evening." Amelia smiled fondly at him before turning towards the road.
The night was cool and she was glad she'd remembered to grab her jacket. Gene offered her his arm and she casually slotted her's into his. They walked in silence for a moment before he spoke up. "I'm glad you can join us tonight Em. The men will be happy to see you."
"Thanks Eugene. I'm really looking forward to it." She hadn't been out on the town, so to speak, since returning from Italy. She really was quite excited.
"Although, we're gonna have our hands full keeping the men from the other companies away from you." He gave her a shy smile and this time it was her turn to blush.
Amelia nudged him. "Gene, there'll be other pretty girls at the pub. I've heard the stories the men tell. I'll blend right in."
He raised his eyebrow skeptically and shot her sideways glance. "You chéri, couldn't blend in if you tried."
Amelia rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help but smile at the compliment. She was so used to spending all her time with these men, it was nice to know they didn't always see her as one of the boys. She might be a soldier, but she still wanted to feel like a woman every now and again.
As they entered the pub Gene took her coat and hung it up at the door. Placing his hand lightly on her lower back he guided her past some men from Dog Company. Out of the corner of her eye she thought she saw him glare at them. Peeking over her shoulder she gave him a soft smile, which he quickly returned with one of his own.
The main room of the pub was warm, almost stuffy and filled to the brim with men in uniform. Smoke hung in the air, giving the room a hazy quality, and she could barely hear the music over the men's voices. She saw a handful of women intermingled with the men, one already sitting on Tab's knee. What a heart breaker, she thought to herself, smiling at her friend's good fortune.
Spotting George and Don at the bar they made their way over to them.
"Hey there fellas." She greeted them, flashing a smile at each one.
"Holly shit Em, you clean up good." Don was clearly so shocked at her appearance he didn't even notice he'd sworn in-front of her. She giggled at his slip of the tongue, she knew he always tried his best not to swear when she was around.
"Well beautiful, thanks a lot for making my relaxing night out a whole lot more complicated. This place is full of D and I company boys and all of them are looking your way." George smirked and gave her a wink.
She slapped him playfully on the chest. "Oh hush handsome. They're not looking at me." She could feel herself blushing, again, and quickly looked at her feet to try and regain her composure. Why am I blushing like a naïve school girl? Pull yourself together woman. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear she looked up at her three friends. "Besides, I'm here to spend the night in the company of the most handsome men in the all of the 506th. Those other boys don't stand a chance."
All three laughed in unison. "That's our girl," George exclaimed.
"What can I get ya?" Don asked her
"Ummm…a beer is fine. Thanks Don." She smiled at him.
Don turned to the bartender and placed their order. Gene spotted Spina sitting at a table with some other medics she didn't recognize and excused himself.
"Hey, you wanna play some darts?" George asked her pointing to the dartboard. She saw Bill and Toye standing close by watching Joe and Muck play a game, talking and laughing animatedly.
"I'd love to. Wanna bet?" she replied as Don handed her a glass filled to the brim with lukewarm beer.
"What are we betting on?" he asked, joining their conversation.
"I asked Em if she wanted to play some darts and she asked me if I wanted to bet." George had to speak up to be heard over the increasing noise in the room.
Don laughed and slapped George on the back. "Oh yeah, playing darts against a sniper. That's gonna end well!"
"You know what, I bet those D Company boys standing over there don't know I'm a sniper." Amelia pointed to two soldiers who were standing close to the dartboard waiting, impatiently, for Joe and Muck to finish up. She gave her friends a mischievous smile and raised one eyebrow.
George tried to make his face look like the picture of innocence, he failed miserably and ended looking guiltier than ever. "You know what Amelia? I don't think they do."
Don let out a deep laugh and slapped George on the back for the second time that night. Turning to look at Amelia he said, "You, are a very dangerous woman. Remind me never to bet against you."
She smiled innocently and made her eyes as big as they could go. "Why, Mr. Malarkey. I don't know what you're talking about?" There was a split second pause before they all just burst out laughing.
"I'll go tell the other guys the plan. You two wait here until I give you the signal." George quickly strode away from them. Amelia could see him speaking quietly with Bill and Toye, who in turn tried to hide their smiles behind their glasses of beer.
Toye walked up behind Joe and relayed the message to him. He smirked and had a devilish look in his eyes when he turned to look in her direction. His face quickly turned into one of shock as he saw her for the first time. Shocking Joe. I either look pretty damn good or pretty damn ugly. She chose to believe the former. Smiling and winking at him she turned her attention back to Don, not wanting to give away their game.
George winked at Don, who in turn placed his hand on her waist and guided her towards the other men. As she approached she heard Toye and Bill explain to the D Company boys that Joe's girl wanted to play a game, so they would have to wait. Joe's girl huh? Ok, this should be easy enough.
She stopped next to Bill as Don went to tell a confused looking Muck what the plan was.
"Oh Bill, I don't want to cause any trouble. If these boys want to play it's fine. I'll wait. I've never played before so Joe was just going to teach me." She smiled at the two D Company men, feeling them looking her up-and-down.
The blonde one spoke up first, after taking a drink of his beer, "You know what ma'am, you should go first. We can wait."
She smiled gratefully up at the man. "That's so gentlemanly of you. Say, what's your name?"
"Tom ma'am, and this is James," he said pointing at the dark haired man standing next to him.
The one called James took her hand, kissing it softly. "What do you say, when he's done teaching you, you allow me to buy you a drink?"
Amelia had to suppress the urge to roll her eyes, instead she smiled shyly and giggled like a teenager. At some point during their exchange Joe must have come up behind her, because she suddenly felt him place his hand around her waist and pull her to him firmly. "Move along buddy, she's here with me." He was glaring at James and neither man was going to be the first to look away.
"Now boys, that's not necessary. Darling," she turned to look up at Joe as she spoke, "what about you and I play in a team against these two gentlemen? That way you can teach me and they can play a game." Amelia turned back to look at them, smiling enthusiastically, "That's if Tom and James are happy to play with a novice of course."
She could feel Bill shaking on the other side of her trying to contain his laughter. She shot him a warning look disguised as a sweet smile. Keep it together man.
She continued before any of the men could respond, "Besides, you're so good Joe, these boys will still be in for a tough game."
By the looks on their faces she knew she had them and when James spoke he did not disappoint. "Yeah, why not? How about we make it interesting? We win, you give us each a pack of smokes. You win, we'll each give you a pack." He was speaking to Joe and not to her.
Joe took a big swig of his beer and smirked at the two men. "You got yourself a bet."
As Joe turned towards the dartboard to collect the darts, Amelia quickly looked around to see where the other men were.
George, Muck and Don had taken seats at the table closest to them and turned their chairs so they faced the players.
Toye was leaning against a wooden beam, maybe three feet away from her, and Bill was busy walking over to join him.
She had to give them credit, to the casual on-looker they looked thoroughly relaxed. Like the game was just a little distraction. Catching Bill's eye he winked at her and said something to Toye who started to laugh.
Joe and Amelia played their parts perfectly. He showed her how to shoot and encouraged her when she managed to hit the target. She laughed at his jokes and clapped enthusiastically when all his shots hit their targets. Bill and Toye bantered with the D Company guys throughout and Luz chipped in with a few choice comments of his own. By the end of the game, which they lost by a decent margin, Amelia was hitting most of her targets with ease and Tom commented on her being a quick learner. "I have an excellent teacher," she replied, beaming at Joe.
"Pay up boys," James said, gulping down the last dregs of his beer and slamming his glass down on the table.
"I'm so sorry darling," Amelia said to Joe.
"Don't worry about it baby. You were getting real good. I'm sure that if we played them a second time we would have won." Joe smiled sweetly at her.
James took the bait. Men and their egos, bless.
"How 'bout double or nothing?" James asked them eagerly, sensing another easy win.
Amelia looked at Joe as if waiting for his consent, he shrugged, giving her a small nod. She went in for the kill. Looking up at both men from underneath her eyelashes she said, "Mmmm, OK. I have one additional demand though."
Tom nodded and James said, "Sure."
"In addition to the four packs of smokes, if we win, you have to buy all seven of us a round of drinks." She gestured to her other friends.
James scoffed and smirked. "OK, but when we win, I get to buy you a drink and you owe me a dance. Tonight."
Joe stiffened up next to her and clenched his jaw. He looked like he was about to punch the guy, not that she would blame him. Amelia replied quickly, before he could say anything. "Deal."
Joe handed James the darts and without breaking eye contact said, "Each team gets three shots at the bull's-eye. Whoever has the most shots on target, wins."
James looked like a kid in the candy store and Amelia had to control herself to not reach over and slap that smug look off of his face.
"I'll take our shots and Amelia takes the shots for your team," he stated confidently.
Joe hesitated for a moment before replying, "You OK with that baby?" He wore a slightly worried expression.
"That's fine. If I lose, it'll only be one dance." She pecked him on the cheek. Turning her attention to James she smiled sickly sweet at him. "James, would you mind going first? I just need a moment to collect myself."
"Sure thing doll," he replied, looking absolutely certain of his imminent victory.
James stepped forward, pausing between throws to line up his next shot, he hit the bull's-eye two out of the three times. Not bad, she thought.
Bill pulled out his darts from the board and winked at Amelia. Joe squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Just remember what I showed you."
She smiled up at him, stepping into the space James had previously occupied. Barely glancing at the dartboard she let all three darts fly in quick succession. Tom stepped towards the board and looked over at her with a surprised look. "Three for three."
All her friends cheered, immediately placing their drink orders. Amelia shrugged and turned to James, looking him up and down critically. His jaw was slack and his eyes wide, disbelief written all over his face. She smirked and said, "Just so we're clear. It would take a real man to keep me happy, and you honey, are a little boy pretending to be one." She turned around slowly to see Tom smile, he clearly wasn't James' biggest fan.
Joe and Bill had heard what she'd said and were staring at her with amused expressions.
"What? He deserved it and it's the truth."
Bill took a drag of his cigarette and laughed. "I stand by what I said. You're little hustler." He ruffled her hair affectionately.
Stepping closer to her, his voice low and husky, Joe asked, "So, would any of us meet your criteria? For a real man?" She saw his eyes go two shades darker as he spoke and a little thrill ran up her spine.
Amelia smiled up at him coyly, "Now-now darling, a lady can't give away all her secrets." She winked and he smirked. Oh boy, you are trouble Mr. Liebgott.
He never took his eyes off her, daring her to look away first but she held his gaze, refusing to be the first one to cave. All of a sudden George came out of nowhere and draped his arm around her shoulder, ending the staring contest. "Here are your winnings. Four packs of smokes." He held the cigarettes out to them. She saw he already had a full beer in his hand. No doubt the other part of their winnings.
Joe took his two packs, opened one and placed a cigarette between is lips. He spoke as he lit it, "Em, I've never seen you smoke. What are you going to do with those?"
She looked down at the packs in her hand and then up at Joe and George. "Oh, I smoke. When the moment calls for it."
"Yeah? When does the moment call for it?" George asked, taking a drag of his own cigarette.
"When I'm being shot at," she answered them with a lopsided smile.
Joe smirked and shook his head while George muttered something about her being a crazy broad. Truth be told she really only smoked when things got really bad, but she'd found that once in combat, soldiers would do a lot for a cigarette, so she hoarded hers to use for bartering.
She placed the two packs in her bag as George pulled her towards their table. Sitting down next to Bill, George flopped down on the seat next to her. A moment later Joe placed a full beer and a shot of something in front of her. She eyed the amber liquid and cocked an eyebrow at him as he took the seat opposite her.
"The beer is from the ass, and the shot's from his friend Tom. Well, I'm using the term friend loosely. Don't think he likes him much." Joe smiled at her with an un-lit cigarette hanging from his lips.
"What is it?" She drew out each word, a little bit suspicious.
"Scotch," he replied, lifting his own shot to his mouth. "Three miles up, three miles down." He threw it back and chased it with a drag of his cigarette.
She was going to regret this in the morning, but she threw back her shot anyway and chased it with half a glass of beer, scrunching up her face in disgust as the liquid burned all the way down. Man, I hate shots.
All the men burst out laughing and promptly decided to make fun of her for the next few minutes and by the end of it she was surprised to see her second drink was already finished. Before she could push the glass away another full one magically appeared in front of her. Looking from the direction it had come she found Grant smiling at her. He, Tab and Penk stole seats from a nearby table and joined the one Gene and Spina were already sitting at, which was right next to theirs.
Seeing that he now had a new audience who hadn't witnessed the whole event, George proceeded to tell them the story of how they'd hustled the D Company soldiers. She was really impressed with his impersonations, especially the one of her, which was weirdly accurate. By the end of it he had both tables in stiches, bent over double, banging their fists against the tables. She had to massage her cheeks they were so cramped from smiling.
"Hey Amelia, here you go." Bull placed another beer down in front of her. Shit, how many have I had, she thought, looking around at the empty glasses littering their table.
She smiled at her friend, "Thanks Bull. What did I do to deserve this?"
He removed the cigar he'd been smoking from his mouth. "I heard some Dog boys talking about a pretty blonde cheating them out of some smokes. Figured that had to be our pretty blonde and for that, you deserve another drink."
She couldn't help but smile devilishly. "I did not cheat. I simply preyed on their pride." Bull just shook his head and continued talking to Johnny.
Turning her attention back to her table she found Joe, Bill and George all smirking at her. "What?" she asked them.
"Oh yeah, you were the picture of innocence," George said in a rather dramatic fashion.
She laughed, shaking her head. "No-no, I never said I was innocent. I just said I didn't cheat. Those are two very different things." This brought on a fresh wave of laughter from the men.
All of a sudden the area immediately around her fell quiet. Looking around confused she found Lieutenant Speirs standing right behind her. She turned her body so she would face him and met his eyes. And what eyes those were. Dark and intense. Doing her best to hold his gaze she greeted him with a polite smile, trying to sound far more sober than she truly was. "Good evening Lieutenant Speirs."
She thought she saw his lips twitch slightly, but it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. "Good evening Sergeant Jones. Call me Ron."
"Will do Ron, but only if you call me Amelia."
This time he did smile at her and his gaze softened. She sensed all the men collectively exhale and relax once they figured she probably wasn't in some kind of trouble. Ron cocked his head slightly to one side, "So I heard a story that you hustled two of my men at a game of darts."
Now it was her turn to cock her eyebrow and roll her eyes. "Men can be so dramatic," she scoffed before continuing. "I did no such thing. Those men saw what they wanted to see. I was surprised they didn't recognize me. How many woman are training with a company of paratroopers? They should have known better."
"Hmmm, so you're saying it's their fault?" he asked her, his tone holding a hint of playfulness.
Amelia lifted her chin defiantly and narrowed her eyes slightly. "I'm saying, next time, they won't assume a girl can't play darts."
Ron started to chuckle softly and took a drink of his beer. "I couldn't agree more."
Amelia relaxed and returned his smile. She noticed that he had a fantastic smile, such a pity you didn't see it more often.
His laughter suddenly stopped and he turned his attention to the men around him, "You men take care of her."
He nodded at her and walked away before the men could say anything. Even so they all added a quick "yes Sir," before continuing with their previous conversations.
"That was odd," she said to no one in particular. Turning back to her table they all shrugged, not really knowing what to make of the strange interaction.
"Anyone interested in a game of poker?" George asked, already shuffling a deck of well-worn cards.
"Count me in," she replied, sitting back in her chair and waiting for the game to start.
A few games and another beer later Amelia had won one pack of smokes and lost two pounds. Her limbs felt heavy and her head was buzzing slightly from the alcohol and noise.
She heard the first few notes of That Ole Devil Called Love start to play. She smiled and started to sway slightly to the music. George stood up from his chair and held out his hand. "May I have this dance?"
Smiling up at him through the smoky haze and placed her hand in his. "I thought you'd never ask."
He pulled her up and led her to the small impromptu dance floor. Placing his free hand around her waist he pulled her to him. As they swayed gently to the music she rested her head on his shoulder. She could feel him looking down at her so she lifted her head to meet his eyes, smiling softly at her friend. George wore a serious expression, like he was deep in thought. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I've never told you how glad I am you decided to stay with us. I hate the idea of you being anywhere near the fight, we all do, but I'm glad you decided to stay."
What could she say? The thought of going back to the fight kept her up at night, but this was the life she had chosen. The only thing that petrified her more was the thought of her friends, these men, going to fight and die. She was holding onto these moments they had together like each one was a precious gift. Trying to fully immerse herself in them so she could to commit them to memory.
In the end she said the most honest thing she could. "Me too handsome, me too."
She laid her head back down onto his shoulder and he pulled her closer, resting his cheek against the top of her head.
As the final notes played and they pulled slightly apart she saw Derek approach from the corner table where he'd been sitting with the other officers. "May I cut in?" he asked George.
"Of course sir," George replied.
She gave him a peck on the cheek. "Thank you for the dance George."
"Any time," he smiled, letting go of her hand.
The next song started to play and Derek pulled her close to him. In the years they'd known each other they must have danced together dozens of times. They took a few easy steps, he let go of her waist and spun her out, pulling her back to him gently. Amelia let out a small laugh, throwing her hair back, allowing him to guide her around the small dance floor at an easy pace.
"You having fun?" Derek asked her.
She beamed at him, "Yes, lots."
He had an adorable smile, she hadn't seen that smile of his in a long time. Relaxed, slightly drunk and happy. "And you?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yes, lots," he mimicked her.
They continued to dance, one song blending into the next until she had lost track of time. She loved him, in the truest sense of the word. There's nothing she would not do for him, and he for her. There was nothing romantic between them, they would never be lovers. Maybe there was a time where they could have ended up in each other's arms, but that time came and gone that night in London many years ago. The love they shared now was one of deep respect and shared experiences. They've each seen the other person at their most triumphant and most vulnerable.
"I should start heading home. It's getting late," she finally said.
"I'll walk with you," he replied.
She looked over to the table where Nixon, Dick and Harry were sitting deep in conversation. They're not going anywhere, anytime soon.
"That's ok. I'll ask one of the men to walk me back. You have fun." She squeezed his hand, smiling up at him to emphasize the fact that she really wanted him to stay and have a good night further.
He hesitated for a moment before replying, "Yeah ok, but only if I see you leave with one of the men." He gave her a serious look which she knew better than to argue with.
Giving him a small, mock salute she replied, "Yes sir."
He rolled his eyes and pulled her into a tight hug, speaking into her hair, "Wise ass."
She giggled, her voice slightly muffled by his chest. "You wouldn't have me any other way."
Derek let her go and she turned to find someone who looked like they were about to leave. She knew he would be watching her like a hawk to make sure she had a proper escort.
Seeing Bill lead a very drunk looking Don to the door, she saw her chance. Greeting Derek, she grabbed her bag from the table and walked after them before they could disappear out the door, quickly saying good night to the men she passed on her way out.
"Hey Bill, you leaving?" She helped to steady Don as Bill reached for the door, trying his best to open the door and hold his friend up-right at the same time.
He gave her an appreciative smile before replying, "Yip, got to get this drunk Irishman to his bunk."
"Huh, and here I thought the Irish were supposed to be able to handle their drink," she said, trying to coax Don out the door while Bill held it for them.
"Guess not," he said dryly, shooting a Don look. Once outside she saw Bill had her jacket in his hand. When did he grab that? Maybe I shouldn't be judging Don too much.
Resting Don against the door, while Bill held the jacket out for her, she quickly shrugged into it. Turning to him she asked, "Once we drop this one off would you mind walking me home? Derek will kill me if he finds out I left on my own."
"I'll kill ya if I find out you walked home alone," Bill spoke as he placed Don's arm over his shoulder, the latter signing some traditional Irish song at the top of his lungs.
Amelia placed his other arm over her shoulder and they started to guide their friend back to his bed.
She swore they somehow managed to trip over every loose stone in Aldbourne, Bill letting of a creative string of curses every time. She of course found the entire situation hilariously funny and by the time they got to the men's barracks her sides were hurting from all the laughing.
They unceremoniously dropped Don onto his bed and Amelia managed to take off his shoes before covering him with a blanket. On her way out she placed a glass of water next to his bed, she had a feeling he was going to need it.
Bill walked her home and when they got to the front door she hugged him tightly. "Thank you for taking such good care of me Bill. I really appreciate it."
"Don't mention it doll, I'll be here any time you need me."
"Sweet dreams Bill."
"Sweet dream beautiful."
She opened the door and stepped inside, closing the door softly behind her. She thought she heard Bill whistling as he walked away.
Smiling to herself she quickly slipped out of her dress and got ready for bed. Crawling underneath the soft bed covers she fell asleep still slightly drunk and utterly content with life.
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I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Thank you for the continued support, I really appreciate it. See you all soon.