Hello everyone! First, I want to say a big thank you to Lyrapup, who took the time to review! Always love to hear what you guys think. :)
And then second, just a short heads-up: After some thinking, I've come to the conclusion, that I will let this story end in one or two chapters. This has gotten way too long and with the long gap between starting off in 2013 and taking it back up in 2024, I'm aware there are some aspects of discontinuity: I've done more "research" in the past few weeks than I've done back when I started this story. My background knowledge of the military, Easy in general and Dick Winters was rather limited and I'm a little annoyed with all of my past mistakes. Also, I'm feeling a shift of interest towards what I want to write. On top of it all, I've made some continuity errors and I hope they aren't as annoying for you as they are for me. Well, long story short, I think it's time to bring this story to an end.
BUT: I do plan a sequel. It might be quite different in tone, but of course my OCs will be in it as well. I feel that a fresh start might be good for the story and good for me. So I really hope you will come along for this new story that I'll probably start some time in April.
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Lizzie felt a little nervous as she raised her hand to knock on the wooden door of the old stone house. Tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear, she straightened up and coaxed a smile onto her lips when she heard footsteps approaching. The door opened, and Dick stood there in his dress uniform, smiling a little and holding the door open for her.
"Lizzie, I'm so happy you could make it. Dinner is almost ready," he said, giving her a chaste peck on the cheek, while whispering under his breath, "Just pretend you've never seen the inside of this house."
She nodded slightly, grinning at him. An older couple appeared behind Dick, smiling politely at her while scrutinizing her from head to toe. God, this really felt like meeting the parents back in her high school years!
"Lieutenant Weiss," the matronly woman spoke, shaking Lizzie's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. When Lieutenant Winters announced that he would like to bring a friend to supper, we weren't at all sure whom to expect. But you seem to be a very lovely young lady. Please, come in."
"Thank you very much, Mrs. Barnes," Lizzie replied in the most mannerly tone she could muster. "The pleasure is all mine. Dick has spoken very highly of you, and I'm so happy you have me over for dinner."
She stepped inside, handing over a small box of chocolates to Mrs. Barnes and shaking Mr. Barnes' hand before they went inside. The gift was greatly appreciated, especially since rationing had made it rather hard to get one's hands on chocolate. As they passed the stairway that Lizzie had stumbled up quite a few times while being smothered by Dick's kisses, a ten-year-old girl came running downstairs. Lizzie found herself smiling at the blonde girl.
"You must be the other houseguest," Lizzie said. "Elaine, right?"
"Yes, ma'am," the girl replied a little shyly, hiding behind Dick.
"No need to call me ma'am, I'm just Lizzie," she offered, smiling at Dick as he tousled the girl's hair and earned himself a reproachful look. That was such a big brother thing to do. "So, I hear you're good at chess?"
"Yes," the girl replied, taking a step forward, a half-smile on her lips. "Dick has taken me to the officer's mess two weeks ago, and I've won four out of five games."
"That sounds great, Elaine," she told the girl, then looked at Dick with raised eyebrows. "You've never taken me to the officer's mess, Dick."
He chuckled, giving her a little wink and a shrug. "Yeah, true. Can't take another girl each time."
Of course, there were good reasons for Dick not flaunting their relationship in front of the other officers' eyes. But she still gave a mock-hurt gasp, which earned her a giggle from Elaine.
"Alright, everyone," Mrs. Barnes announced, stepping back into the hallway. "Please, sit down, supper is ready."
After they all took their places, Mr. Barnes spoke a short prayer, and Lizzie noticed that Dick had his eyes closed and mumbled his own "amen" at the very end.
"So," Mr. Barnes said as they began eating their meal of roast pork, potatoes, and cabbage, "the two of you met when Lieutenant Winters fell ill last autumn?"
"Yes, exactly," Lizzie answered, smiling at Dick sitting opposite her. "He was my patient. Quite an uncooperative patient, I have to say."
Dick huffed at that, making Elaine giggle again.
"Really?" Mrs. Barnes asked doubtfully, looking at Dick questioningly. "I have quite a hard time believing this, as he's usually such a well-mannered and well-behaved young man."
At least Dick had the grace to look a little abashed at this description. Seeing this, Lizzie had to bite back a grin. He was really something else! Here he was, playing the innocent lamb to this well-meaning family, while she knew exactly that there was also another side to him that he usually hid quite skillfully. Just how many times had she visited him in this house and done all kinds of not-so-well-behaved things while the owners had been away? If the Barneses knew that about their lovely dear boy, they would probably look at him with new eyes.
Thing was, that was not an act that he pulled off. That would not be like him at all, to be willingly deceitful to these people. But it seemed like this aura of uprightness that he carried with him all the time made people blind to other aspects of his personality. For example, his bullheadedness or pedantry in certain matters, character traits that she had become quite familiar with since getting to know him.
"Dick," Elaine piped up, looking at him earnestly, "are you going to marry Lizzie?"
This question made him sputter a bit as he had been in the process of drinking some water.
"I don't know, Elaine," Dick replied slowly after he had recovered a little, giving Lizzie a tender look from across the table. "We haven't talked about this yet. There's a war raging, just across the channel. It wouldn't feel right to discuss such things right now."
"I've seen two American soldiers marrying their girlfriends just last week," Elaine said, wrinkling her forehead. "They didn't seem to mind the war."
"You know, not everyone is on the same page here," Dick explained. "There are no restrictions, I guess it just comes down to personal views…"
Before he could continue, the front door suddenly opened, and Nixon stormed in, taking all of them aback. He was looking a little disheveled, as if he had hurried all the way out there to his billet.
"Nix?" Dick asked, slightly alarmed. "I thought you wanted to head out to the pub? What's going on?"
"Sorry to disturb your supper," Nixon apologized before facing Dick. "There's news. You might want to hear this."
Dick looked at him expectantly, but Nixon motioned with his head to the door, obviously not feeling safe to speak up with all of them present.
As Dick got up with a murmured excuse, Lizzie could not resist and also excused herself, following Dick and Nixon outside.
"Well?" Dick prompted, a little impatient, once the door closed behind them.
"The NCOs have done it, they've handed in their stripes," his friend explained. "Sink has cited them in his office. He was furious, from what I've heard. Demoted Harris and Ranney, but it seems like he's let the others off the hook."
Dick winced a little at that, but also gave a short nod, "That's not too bad. Actually, that's better than I feared."
"There's more," Nixon continued. "There's a rumor that Sobel has left the base. That Sink took Easy away from him and that the plan of the NCOs has worked out just fine."
Dick raised his eyebrows at that and said slowly, "Wow, that would be great." He paused, looking rather torn, then added, "But I don't want to get my hopes up as long as the rumors aren't confirmed."
"We'll probably know more tomorrow," Nixon said with a nod and then, with a smile to Lizzie, added, "I don't want to keep you from your little event of meeting your future in-laws."
"It's fine," Lizzie replied. "It's a little creepy, actually. Dick has wrapped them all around his little finger. They think he's leading the life of a saint."
Nixon just huffed a laugh and told her, "Welcome to my world! The place next to him – not easy to fill, I have to tell you. You'll always come out looking worse."
"Oh, you poor thing, suffering so much in my presence," Dick commented ironically, rolling his eyes at his friend, before saying to Lizzie, "We really should get back in. The food is getting cold."
Nixon gave her a little quirk of an eyebrow that seemed to say 'see?' She gave a laugh, then waved at him and followed Dick back to the table.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Another three weeks passed quite uneventfully, without anyone being the wiser what was going to happen to Easy Company and who would be its new commander. All Dick knew was that Sobel was definitely gone, the rumors had proven themselves correct. This news had filled him with a feeling of immense relief. Dick regarded himself as a patient and rather good-natured person that got along with many people – at least professionally – as long as they remained polite. But Sobel had somehow managed to push his buttons, igniting a hatred Dick had not known he could feel towards another human being. If he never saw his former CO again, he would die a happy man.
Despite this positive development, Dick remained in limbo - confined to battalion mess. No one had filled him in on what was happening with Easy. It felt as though he had no connection to the company at all. The situation left him on edge, though he tried his best to stay patient. In Nix' opinion, Sink was setting an example by leaving Dick in the dark. Undoubtedly, the colonel viewed him as complicit in the mutiny, given that his transfer to battalion mess had sparked the upheaval. Dick also knew that usually, in a situation like this, an officer would not be allowed to return to his old company, since military hierarchies had been undermined, which couldn't be tolerated. But if this was the case, Dick asked himself, what was the delay? Couldn't they just assign him to another unit? Why letting him stew at battalion mess? Right now, everything seemed better than withering away on this assignment that was so far below his talents and capabilities. A monkey could do his job! And all this while the first signs of spring appeared and the big jump drew closer daily.
Trying to deal with his anxiety, Dick had started to increase his physical training. He now went for a run not once, but twice a day, early in the morning and in the evening. In addition, he had also intensified his other workouts, sweating out his frustration in exercises of calisthenics. His efforts bore fruits in so far that he was both in his best physical shape since leaving the States and Lizzie could barely keep her hands to herself whenever they were together. So that was at least something.
"You're already at it again?", Nix asked him in a gruff voice, rubbing tiredly at his eyes. It was early morning in Aldbourne and since Nix – as usual – had taken ages to shower, shave and dress, Dick had resorted to doing some pushups and squats in the small garden of the Barneses. This both helped him to stay warm in the cold morning air and to pass the time until his friend, not at all an early bird, decided to leave the warm nest and finally join him for their drive to the base.
"Yeah", Dick forced out, just finishing his one hundredth pushup, before getting up. "You could join me, you know? Would do you some good, with you sitting behind a desk all day long."
Nix just snorted and got into the jeep, not even dignifying him with an answer. It was only after a few minutes of driving in silence, before Nix commented meaningfully, "I should talk to Lizzie about tiring you out more efficiently."
Dick shot him a warning look at that. "Don't you dare, Lew."
"Ah, I'm just kidding, relax", his friend, even raising his hands from the steering wheel for a moment. "But really, you're not training for the Olympics. Give yourself a break from time to time."
"What else should I do?", Dick asked him in return, annoyance with his friend and with this whole situation creeping into his voice. "I can't improve myself in weapons practice, field exercises or troop maneuvers, since I'm stuck with kitchen duty. All I can do is study all the manuals I can get my hands on and stay in shape until someone in this regiment starts to see reason. Which I hope will happen sometime in this century."
His exasperated last comment earned him another snort from Nix.
"Okay, okay, I see", his friend relented, slowly pulling into the driveway of their manor-turned-HQ. "You do your thing, but leave me out of it, okay?"
"Never actually did expect you to join", Dick replied with a faint grin, before hopping out of the jeep.
An orderly came out of the building just as Dick wanted to leave for the mess hall and called out to him, "Lieutenant Winters? Colonel Sink expects you in his office."
Dick exchanged a surprised look with Nix, feeling hope bubbling up. "Right now?"
"Yes, right now", the orderly replied, motioning for Dick to join him.
The three of them climbed the stairs to the first floor together before Nix wished Dick a good day and reluctantly headed towards intelligence. Judging by the curious look on Nix's face, it seemed to almost physically pain his nosy friend not to know what this meeting was about. Dick was pretty sure Nix would hound him down for information in no time. Following the orderly to Sink's office and entering, Dick found several people waiting for him: the colonel himself, Major Strayer, and a faintly familiar-looking young man with a lieutenant's bar. Dick stood at attention and saluted before Sink asked him to sit down.
"Lieutenant Winters", the colonel began, "this is Lieutenant Thomas Meehan. He will be the new CO of Easy Company. He was transferred from 1st battalion, Baker Company."
The name Meehan had popped up once or twice in Nix's speculations about who would replace Sobel, and Dick found himself watching the other man with newfound interest. Meehan looked very young, with an almost boyish face that seemed more suited to an arts academy than the military. Dick felt certain he had at least three years and forty pounds on the other man, with Meehan looking slim, bordering on the scrawny side. To be honest, Dick found it hard to picture him leading Easy.
"Pleasure to meet you, Lieutenant Meehan," Dick replied slowly, still trying to size up the man. "And congratulations on the promotion, sir."
"Thank you, Lieutenant Winters", the other replied evenly and gave him a short nod. "I've heard quite a few things about you."
This made Dick wince internally and he resisted the urge to let his eyes dart to Sink and Strayer. He doubted it was all good that Meehan had heard so far. So Dick thought it best to just keep his mouth shut and wait how this all would play out.
"Colonel Sink has left the final decision over who to choose as platoon leaders to me", Meehan continued. "You've spent the last two months at battalion mess following some unpleasant incidents in the company, but from what I've heard, you did some great work as a leader of second platoon in the past. You hold the record for the best results in a night maneuver, even though I've been told that was the night you fell ill with appendicitis. That's pretty impressive."
"Thank you, sir", Dick replied, schooling his face into a mask of impassiveness.
"But there have also been mentioned some allegations of fraternization with the enlisted", Meehan carried on, now with a steely undertone that seemed at odds with his rather soft appearance. "It was your transfer out of the company that provoked the NCOs to an act of mutiny. And even before that, you had a hand in removing another unpopular officer, Lieutenant Shames, from the company. Please answer me this question honestly, Lieutenant Winters: Do you think the task of leading Easy Company should be rightfully yours?"
Obviously, this question was a trap, or rather a warning. But hearing it voiced aloud still prompted Dick to think long and hard. Lizzie had told him more than once that she believed he would never be satisfied with any CO of Easy, simply because he believed he knew what was best for the boys. Nix had expressed similar sentiments, albeit in his usual sarcastic manner. True, if offered the position, Dick wouldn't have hesitated to assume command. But that didn't mean he couldn't accept someone else as CO, as long as they did a good job and took their responsibilities seriously.
"No, sir", Dick answered with determination. "I think it is my task to serve my country and my men in the best way I can. While the actual position may not matter to me, I genuinely feel that remaining at battalion mess isn't where I belong. I would love to be back with Easy and I know that I could do some good there."
Meehan smiled a little at that, looking at Sink, who looked both proud and a little annoyed at his reply. After a few seconds, the colonel gave an almost imperceptible nod.
"Then I'm glad to tell you that we've come to the same conclusion", Meehan replied and met Dick's eyes. "Welcome back to Easy Company, Lieutenant Winters. Second platoon is all yours."
Relieved and happy, Dick felt a smile tug at his lips. "Thank you, sir, I won't disappoint your trust in me."
Meehan nodded, then said, "We'll round up the men right now and tell them about the personal changes, effective immediate."
"Yes, sir", Dick replied, with more enthusiasm than he had felt in months.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"I'm going for a short lunch break, Tessa," Lizzie informed her colleague, who was occupied holding a basin under the chin of a soldier in the midst of vomiting up every scrap he had eaten since Christmas two months ago. On top of the flu, a nasty stomach bug was making the rounds among the men, keeping all of the hospital staff busy.
Tessa nodded, struggling hard to keep the disgust from her face, while replying, "Yeah, just go. And enjoy your sandwich."
They both looked at the retching soldier, spittle hanging from his teeth, then shared a brief smile despite the situation. Lizzie responded, "Yeah, I will try. Maybe fresh air will awaken my appetite."
She was actually looking forward to escaping the sniffles, coughing, and stench of sweat and vomit for at least thirty minutes. She packed up her few belongings, grabbed her sandwich and a recently acquired copy of 'Frankenstein', before heading towards the hospital exit. As she walked down the short hallway, a familiar redhead suddenly came her way. Their gazes met, and even though Lizzie was more than a little surprised to see him here on hospital grounds, she couldn't fight the smile that immediately found its way to her lips. A smile that he returned without hesitation.
"Dick, what a nice surprise," she said, keeping a formal distance of one or two steps between them. "Please don't tell me you've also caught this hellish stomach bug wreaking havoc on the base."
He laughed a little and shook his head. He didn't look sick at all; quite the contrary. It seemed like he practically glowed with life and energy.
"Nope, feeling fine and dandy," he replied with a smile. They seemed to drink in the sight of each other for a moment before he continued, "Just wanted to share some good news: I'm back with Easy, and I have a new CO. No more battalion mess."
So here it was, the news she had both hoped for and dreaded for quite a long time now. Lizzie forced a smile on her lips, replying, "That's great, Dick. I'm very happy for you. Finally back where you belong, huh?"
This was good news, really good news, and she did her best to sound sincere, while her thoughts took a turn that she could not control. Of course, this meant that he was right back in the first row as soon as the invasion started. She had not doubted for one second that he would find a way back to his men, but now seeing that it had actually happened and what it meant – regarding the upcoming attack – still made her heart skip a beat. She was afraid, very much so. But it would be her main task in the upcoming weeks and months to not let him see that fear. Also, he did not deserve to have this happy moment ruined, as he had taken the time to tell her in person.
"Yeah, I guess," he replied, more somberly, sensing her change of mood. "The boys need me. It wouldn't have felt right to just leave them to their own devices."
"I know," she replied softly and gave him another smile. This one seemed to hurt a little, pulling at the muscles in her cheek all the wrong way. It certainly didn't convince him, as he took a step towards her, now definitely closer than what would be seen as proper between two loose acquaintances.
"It will be alright," he told her equally softly. "We'll just take one step after the other, okay? There's no need to worry about the future right now."
Of course, he had read her like an open book. So much for not letting him see her fear. Giving herself a mental shake, she forced her thoughts in another direction.
"So how's the new CO? Is he alright?" she asked him, aiming for a change of topic and a lighter tone.
Dick paused for a moment, scrutinizing her intently before probably deciding for himself that distraction was what she needed right now.
"He's alright, as far as I can tell right now," he replied, shrugging a little. "A bit on the young side for my taste. Not that much experience. But he seems to know what he's doing."
Despite her previous somber thoughts, Lizzie could not suppress a chuckle, "Wow... that's high praise in Dick Winters' book. Seeing that he is leading your Easy…"
Dick rolled his eyes at her, then checked his surroundings to make sure that no one had listened in. "Please don't ever say this in public, not even as a joke," he told her with a meaningful look. "They already think I'm an usurper; we don't want to give them food for their thoughts."
"Well, I mean, they're not totally wrong…," she began with another small laugh.
"Lizzie…," he told her warningly.
"Yeah, yeah, shutting up now," she conceded in a mock-demure tone, raising her hands.
"Thank you," he said, pursing his lips a little in the way he did when he was annoyed.
"Ah come on, don't be cross with me," she cajoled, hating that she couldn't just wrap him in her arms, because this would surely appease him much quicker than her words.
"I'm not," he replied and the small smile he sent her way actually convinced her that he meant it.
"So our date tonight still stands?" she asked back, batting her eyelashes at him in an exaggerated manner.
"Well, about that," he replied with an apologetic wince. "My new CO wants to get to know us officers better and invited us to drinks at the officer's mess at 2000 hours. So I'm afraid I'll have to cancel. I don't think I can skip this thing, even though it's an informal meeting. But you know that I would much rather spend the evening with you."
"Yeah, yeah," she said long-sufferingly. "Of course, we have to cancel all the plans as soon as Easy has you back. What did I expect? It was the same thing last time."
"I'll make it up to you," he promised in a low tone that did funny things to her stomach. Were these the famous butterflies?
"I wouldn't expect any less from you."
Dick smiled at that, then waved a small goodbye. "I have to get back. I'll get in touch with you soon."
Lizzie nodded and gave him a smile in return. "Don't worry, just do your thing. I'll be waiting for you."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
When Dick arrived at the officers' mess at 8 o'clock sharp, the hall was already packed, and thick wafts of smoke greeted him. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. Another reason why he usually avoided this place, except for a few rounds of chess with Elaine on a Sunday afternoon every once in a while.
Dick spotted Lieutenant Meehan sitting in the far end corner, chatting with Harry and Peacock. Pushing through the crowd, he passed Nix and a former Easy officer, Clarence Hester, on their way to the bar.
"Hey Dick," Nix greeted him with raised eyebrows. "What are you doing here? Finally getting bored of your manuals?"
Dick shook his head, then gestured towards his CO. "Meehan invited me."
"Oh, Dickie," Hester teased good-naturedly. "If I'd known all it would take was an invitation, we would have shared a beer ages ago."
"Don't call me that," Dick grumbled, rolling his eyes at Hester. The other man, former XO of Easy Company and now in operations at battalion, was actually a fine officer, one of the few who had Dick's full respect. But he was also two or three years older and loved to make it seem as if all the other lieutenants still had their kiddie gloves on, hence the awful nickname. As soon as Hester was in his cups, it had always been "Dickie" and "Lewie." Dick tried to suppress a sigh. Well, another reason to avoid the officers' mess.
Hester just grinned at him, then asked, "You up for some sparring sometime this week? I miss our little tussles. All the other boys are hardly any competition."
Dick smiled at that. Ever since they had increased their close combat training, Hester had chased him down for sparring matches, since Dick – as a former college wrestler – had acquired the reputation of being one of the hardest opponents to beat in the entire second battalion. This had woken Hester's competitive streak. And Dick, to be honest, had enjoyed the sparring, too. Both of his closest friends, Nix and Harry, belonged more to the lazy sort, enjoying not having to move a finger as soon as training had finished. So Dick's efforts to get them to join him for a game of basketball or a sparring match had always been waved off rather impatiently. Not so Hester, who did not need to be asked twice for a good game or a tussle on the mats.
"Alright," Dick replied pointedly. "If I win, you're never going to call me 'Dickie' again."
Hester laughed at that. "Okay, fair. But if I win, you're going to drink a beer with me."
Nix looked from Dick to Hester and back, before commenting drily, "High stakes on both sides – this will be a match to remember."
Dick did not need to think twice about it. He knew he had a few moves up his sleeves that he could pull if Hester should gain the upper hand. "Deal," he replied, shaking the other man's offered hand. "Friday evening?"
"Yes, that's my Dickie!" Hester joked, earning himself another glare. "And don't give me that look or do you want to take this behind the tents right away?"
Dick sighed long-sufferingly, then looked over to where Meehan was still talking to his fellow officers. "No, I got to go," Dick said, "can't keep my CO waiting."
Nodding to them both, he slowly made his way across the room. He greeted Meehan with a short "sir," before sitting down next to Harry.
"Actually," Meehan told him with a small smile, "I prefer first names and no titles when we're among ourselves. I'm just Tom."
Dick raised an eyebrow at that, but lost no time shaking the proffered hand. "Of course. It's Dick."
He could not deny that he felt intrigued. This was certainly a huge change in leadership style, with Meehan making an effort to meld them into a team. He could not fully get rid of the apprehension he felt, though. Now up close, Meehan looked even younger than when he had met him this morning. Dick even counted two pimples on the other man's chin. Could this man, who looked so soft and innocent, really lead Easy in battle? Dick tried to tell himself to remain open-minded and not let first impressions guide him. But, honestly, it was rough going.
"You're taking a beer, Dick?" Meehan asked, since the other three had already helped themselves to a pint.
"No, I'm good, thanks," Dick replied, ignoring the sly smirk that Harry sent his way. However, it seemed like Meehan was quite astute, picking up on it immediately.
"You're a nondrinker?" his CO asked again, without any judgment in his voice.
"Yes," Dick admitted. "Just never developed a taste for alcohol. I like to keep my mind sharp."
Meehan huffed a small laugh at that, while Harry rolled his eyes at him. "He's pretty insufferable when he says it like that, isn't he?" Harry quipped to Meehan.
The new CO smiled some more, before telling them, a little wistfully, "My Anne back home would love this attitude. She always cautions me to stay away from beer and liquor. It ruins a man's character, she says."
Picking up on that, Harry drawled, "Oh, Kitty's exactly the same. Though I'll always tell her there's not much to ruin here."
The others laughed at that and even Dick smiled along.
"Is Kitty your wife or your girlfriend?" Meehan asked Harry.
"Fiancée, actually," Harry replied proudly, unable to keep a big grin from his face. "As of last week."
"Congratulations!" Meehan told him sincerely, looking as if he wanted to clap the other man on his back, but refraining from that in the last moment. Peacock also offered his congratulations to Harry, while Dick just gave his friend a heartfelt smile. Of course Harry had told him right away about Kitty accepting the proposal. Actually, he had more or less stormed into battalion mess and announced the good news to the cooks, dishwashers, and everyone else present. He might as well have shouted it from the rooftops. In the evening, they had celebrated the engagement with a night out, with Dick and Lizzie trailing along.
"What about you, Thomas?" Meehan addressed Peacock. "Are you married?"
"Yes, I am," the other lieutenant replied. "Rose and I tied the knot two years ago, just before I enlisted. We have a young daughter."
Nodding gently, Meehan said, "So do I. Little Barrie. She was only two months old when I left."
In Dick's mind, a picture of little Vicky, the Coomb's daughter, popped up, who was about the same age now. Thinking of the baby, he could not imagine leaving such an innocent little soul behind. He felt relieved that he had no son or daughter back home who had to grow up without a father.
"And you, Dick?" his CO eventually asked, turning his gaze on him.
The question was to be expected, but Dick found himself still hesitating about what to answer. On one hand, his relationship with Lizzie had been going so well lately that he was loath to deny her existence. On the other hand, his case was different from the others. His soulmate was right here in England with him. And he would not receive any blessing for this relationship, Sink had made this clear.
His prolonged silence seemed to be answer enough because Meehan spoke carefully, "You know, as far as it comes to me, it is none of my business as long as you don't make it my business, alright? So you don't need to tell me; this isn't an order." He paused, before continuing more somberly, "It's just that I feel a certain responsibility. I thought it would be good to know whom to contact in... the worst-case scenario."
This made Dick think. After battling with himself for another minute, he finally replied, "There's a girlfriend. It's all pretty recent. Should I be killed in action, you can contact Lieutenant Lewis Nixon. He has all the details."
So, it was finally out and official. He also saw no necessity to beat around the bush like Meehan did, covering the harsh reality of what may await them in obscure terms. And he also could have chosen Harry as a go-between, but it seemed better when the information went to Nix, as he was not part of the company and might also be better suited to tell Lizzie the news.
Meehan nodded at that, his face not giving much away of what he thought. But the mood had changed quite drastically.
"This brings us back to what we'll be facing in the next few weeks," the CO finally spoke. "We're reaching the final stage of training. I want you all focusing on getting ready for this war. The drop isn't too far in the future now."
At least with this attitude, Dick could wholeheartedly agree. It was about time they got ready for takeoff.
-tbc-