The Way Back

- 6 -

Easy Company returned to Aldbourne with fourteen additional soldiers in tow; including the two women of war. Piper spent her time getting to know the men of the company, easily settling into the group. Lia spent her time with her own thoughts and scaring the men.

Lia sat outside of the mess hall with Piper and Laurier. The trio enjoyed the fire free horizon; a town deaf of gunfire. For three years, Vitale hadn't been free of the onslaught of war. They had never been pulled out of France. 

"When do you think we'll finally get to get out of this shit?" Laurier asked, leaning back to look at Lia. "Discharge papers and all." 

"I don't think Vitale is leaving until the war is over with. Guess they hate us that much they don't even want to see us anymore." The lighthearted joke from Lia made Piper smile. "Aldbourne is as good as it gets for us." 

The three soldiers grew quiet. It was unnervingly true that Vitale Company was never getting pulled off the front lines until the German surrender. Their squad was too successful at their job. Seeing as now they were placed within Easy Company who was also good at what they do, they didn't see the light at the end of the tunnel of a ship ride back home.

Noise arose from inside the mess hall, and Piper stood. She smiled at Lia, nodding at the building. 

The two women entered the building, followed by their Vitale companion Laurier. Piper immediately took off to sit with the men she had grown close to, pulling Laureir along with her. Lia held back, settling in next to Lipton. He smiled at her, to which she returned a small nod. 

"The night was filled with dark and cold, when Sargeant Talbert," Smokey started. "The story's told, pulled on his poncho and headed out." 

Lia filtered the story out. Their laughter hit her hard. She wanted to be with them; to be like them, but she didn't know how. She didn't know how to filter out the things she saw, the things she did. 

A life filled with darkness was not what she asked for. A life of loneliness. Of self-isolation. Incapable of being truly happy. She was forever destined for the cold, but she so desperately wanted to have the fates change. To let her smile like the men in the room. 

A tap on her back had her spinning around, Lipton doing the same next to her. 

Nixon leaned down, speaking low so only the two of them could hear. "We're pulling out of Aldbourne, heading back into France." 

Lia glanced back at the soldiers, at the wide smiles on their faces, and her heart sank. They were so content, so happy to be away from the lines. She focused her attention back on Nixon. 

"Lipton, let them know that we will not be returning back to England. Training and weekend passes are canceled, wills, all that lovely shit." 

Lipton nodded, turning back to face the room. Lia followed suit. She could see the same feeling blossoming on Lipton's face. He didn't want to have to tell these men, to break their spirits. 

"Bearer of bad news, huh?" Lia spoke low, a solemn smile on her face. 

Lipton huffed out a small laugh. "Yeah, I guess that's me." 

Once Smokey had finished the story Lipton stood, giving the men the same information Lia and him had just attained. The mood in the room had immediately shifted, the soldiers glancing around at each other. This time, their smiles were now vacant. 

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Days went by without a trip to Membury, halting the soldiers in place at Aldbourne. The spirit of the men slowly lifted with each day passing, knowing it was one more day they weren't fighting for their lives.