Northern Germany 1942

Stalag 13 Barrack 2

"You sound almost like a German officer." Hogan grinned.

"I'll have you know I consider that a grave insult," LeBeau groused after practicing his lines.

"At least you aren't portraying a German officer this time, so there is that." Hogan looked over the corporal's uniform approvingly.

"You should be fine, mate. This bellboy's uniform is a piece of art. No one should be able to tell the difference. Not even Klink was he to see it." Newkirk said from the floor where he was finishing the last couple of stitches on LeBeau's pants.

Hogan shook his head. "But we aren't trying to fool Klink. And LeBeau will be going in alone this time."

LeBeau sighed. "I prefer playing the sidekick. It's much less wearing on the nerves."

"You're up for this. Besides, you're the only one who understands French and German fluently, so you're the only one that can communicate with the captured French scientist. Once we find out more about the German's plans for him, then we can come up with a way to get him out."

LeBeau grimaced at the colonel's words. "And me along with him."

Hogan nodded. "Well of course, LeBeau. We won't leave you there. It wouldn't be very sporting of us, would it?"

LeBeau rolled his eyes as Newkirk stood up and dusted off his hands. "All finished, Guv. He's as ready as he's ever gonna be."

"Thanks, Newkirk. Now we wait."

And of course, waiting was the hardest part.

Later that evening LeBeau, Carter and Newkirk were playing cards when Carter sighed at another losing hand, thanks to Newkirk's not-so-subtle cheating.

"Gee, Newkirk, you must really like me." Carter grumbled as he folded once again.

Newkirk grinned and splayed his hand over his heart. " Carter, me lad, I could not be more fond of you if you were my brother."

Andrew looked askance at the Englishman. "Ah, but that's the question. Do you like your brother?"

This caused Newkirk to nearly fall off his seat laughing. "Good one mate, good one. As a matter of fact, I would have to say I am fonder of you then I am of some of me brothers, but not as fond as of others of me brothers, if that makes sense. You see, I have several brothers to choose from, so there you have it. But you would fit right in with the gang. I also have a few sisters…and they would just love you. So, what I said, I meant."

Andrew shook his head a little and smiled. "I think I would like your family too, Peter."

Newkirk nodded, "I bet you would, lad, I bet you would." He then laid out another hand of poker.

Carter asked LeBeau, "So how do you feel about having to portray a German bellboy for this mission?"

"Sometimes in war, one is forced into strange positions."

Carter scratched his cheek. "That's true, I guess."

Kinch came upstairs just then with a message for Hogan. He dispatched it and then poured himself a cup of coffee. He was shivering from the cold downstairs.

"It really gets nasty down there sometimes."

Carter looked up from the game. "When I would get cold at night back home, Mom would let me sleep with my dog, Fritzie. Or sometimes, if it was really cold, she'd let my brother and me pile into one bed with Fritzie and his dog Brownie."

Kinch chuckled at the image. "All right, that's what I'll do. I'll get a dog." He finished his coffee and headed back downstairs.

"Gee, I hope the Germans don't catch him," Carter worried.

Now it was Newkirk's turn to roll his eyes. "Ruddy git!"

Hogan came out of his quarters. "Bad news boys, looks like our bellboy mission is on hold for a while. They sent the scientist back to Berlin. Hopefully, we'll get another crack at him."

Just then Schultz came shouting at the door, demanding that Hogan was wanted by Klink.

Hogan looked at the German sergeant. "What does he want, Schultz?"

"I know nothing," the big German stated emphatically.

As Schultz scurried away and Hogan strolled over to the Kommandantur, General Burkhalter's car pulled into the yard and parked. Hogan wondered what was up, but figured he'd know soon enough.

He stepped inside and found Klink all a-flutter as usual. "Hogan, this is all your fault!"

Burkhalter strode inside and yelled, "WHAT did you do this time, Hogan?"

"General, I have no idea." Which was the truth, since he hadn't done anything, yet.

It turned out Hogan really hadn't done what the general was upset about…he was there to chew Klink out about something else entirely and kicked Hogan out. Of course, they had the coffee pot going, so the boys found out the juicy details. They wrote them down the best that they could, although it wasn't easy.

Finally, the general left, and Hogan shut himself into his office to untangle all the threads of the conversation between Burkhalter and Klink. And speaking of Klink, there was something odd about Klink lately. He seemed somehow different… like his conscience was gnawing at him. Because he had given the men extra rations of white bread and lights this week for no reason at all and allowed them to chop wood for the stoves in their barracks. This was not like him at all. The coup de grace was when Klink pulled a surprise inspection on Barracks Two and found Carter's teddy bear on the floor. He shook it at the men and ask whose it was.

"I don't have a teddy bear." This was the chorus that came from all the men… except Carter, who boldly spoke up. "Mine."

Klink stared at him for a moment, and instead of confiscating it, handed it to him… and turned and walked out of the barrack. This sent the men into a bit of chaos, as they'd never seen Klink act that way. Carter placed his teddy under his blanket and life got back to normal in Barrack Two.

The End