Genesis: the Beginning and the End | Band of Brothers

【Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ２２ － Ｐｌａｎ】

Chapter 22 - Plan

She hadn't slept. No. She'd sat under a tree and replayed every moment of the day. It distracted her from how she was feeling for a while.

The day had been so confusing, but definitely ended on a high.

Margaret couldn't help but smile. She was sure Bull believed her, something in his eyes told her so. Martin was still hard to read, but she hoped he trusted her too.

Maybe this wouldn't be so hard, making friends.

Morning came and she had no idea how Welsh found her but he did.

Apparently after she'd left The Blue Boar, the Lieutenants had formed a plan. Nice of Nixon to tell her.

He took her back to the farm house being used as their HQ, and they waited outside of Lieutenant Winters' door. Then she was being ushered in and standing before a group of men, some of whom she knew their names, some of whom recognised her. Only one made any sort of noise, Guarnere, before he was silenced by a glare from Winters.

"This is Margaret Watkins. She will be with us for the foreseeable future, and will be training with you once training resumes. Treat her with the respect she deserves, we wouldn't have been able to execute Operation Overlord were it not for the work of her and others. Any questions?"

"Yeah. I got one." Margaret stiffened, and a million questions rattled through her head, trying to find an answer to any questions Guarnere could ask.

"S'that even your real name?"

"Yes."

"See, now why don't I believe ya?"

Oh dear. It was shaping up to be one of those mornings.

"It's ok if you don't believe me, in fact it is probably safer that way. But just know that if the Service finds out you know my name, and the fact that you know I'm a spy, I could be shot. In fact, I probably will be shot. So it doesn't matter if you trust me or not, or if you even like me because I'm a dead woman walking and will be gone soon enough."

It was, funnily enough, dead silent after she finished. Not one soldier that had filed into the room that morning had even dreamt they'd hear that.

The next question was about where she would be sleeping. Margaret didn't have an answer to that but before anyone could so much as think she didn't know what was going on, Winters stepped in with an answer.

"Since, for all intents and purposes, Watkins is an enlisted, she will be sleeping with you and the rest of the men."

There were various mutters of what?! and she will?! and Margaret was just as shocked. But she was better at hiding it. However there was a glaring flaw in this plan. She couldn't not speak up.

"Sir, with all due respect, I look like a woman. Literally everyone is going to notice. And with that I might as well go around shouting from the rooftops that I'm a spy and that both the Service and the Gestapo should come after me if they think they're hard enough."

Everyone just stared at her, a few of the NCOs failing to hide their gaping, and she very nearly asked them what had happ- oh. She'd called him Sir again. Well if she was an enlisted now they'd all have to get used to it. It was Nixon who answered this dilemma.

"Anyone know if Liebgott is still cutting hair?"

The question made her blood turn icy cold, and the nods it was met with made her stomach drop through the floor. She wasn't sure she was ready for that.

There were no further questions, so Winters told them all that she would go home today and get her things, and that there would be a bed and uniform waiting for her.

"This is not something you will openly discuss, nor are you allowed to ask her questions where those who don't know or could be listening in are around. Watkins, how long will it take you to get home and back?"

"It's a 6 hour round trip, give or take some. That's taking three buses to get there, and another three back, provided I don't miss the last bus from my nearest stop."

He didn't seem happy with that, as he sighed and asked how long a journey by car would take. But she didn't know. She'd never been in a car for the journey. Winters asked for someone to drive her, and she was pleasantly surprised to see Bull Randleman volunteering.

Everyone was dismissed, Bull lingering for a moment before deciding to just wait outside. Margaret didn't leave.

"I'm sorry."

The Lieutenants all just looked at her, waiting for and needing her to elaborate.

"For last night, for this happening, for everything. It shouldn't be like this, this shouldn't be happening-"

"But it is."

"But it is, Buck. I am at a loss. I don't know what to do or what to say. It feels so weak, but all I can really do is thank you. All of you. For this, for helping, despite knowing what could happen to me, to you. Because you'd be well within your rights to not, I wasn't exactly kind."

She made to leave, but turned at the door. She was glad she did. The warm smiles she was met with were unlike anything she could remember, and four of them too. Margaret very nearly cried.

"Well you didn't have to rush here upon reading your orders, when you were finally home, just to tell us that you were worried you're going to be ordered to spy on us."

She lent against the door frame, looking at each of their faces. They all...All of them thought that. Not just Buck Compton. Not just Lewis Nixon. Not just Harry Welsh. Not just Dick Winters. They all thought that. They had all believed her. They all trusted her!

And she returned their warm smiles with a brilliant beam of her own when she realised this.

"Genesis didn't. But I did," she said softly, and then closed the door behind her.