Women of War - A Band of Brothers Story

The Island

A/N: Please note that I don't speak Spanish. I can understand little bits and pieces, but that's it. So if there are any mistakes, please tell me :)

Bill Guarnere was a nosy person by nature. He liked being in the know and that included gossip. He was always privy of the latest rumours and up to speed on foxhole talk.

So of course, he had heard all the stories about Lieutenant Speirs from Dog Company that were circulating in the battalion (and further). And as a Toccoa veteran, it was old news to him that Speirs and Mia Arricante, Easy's most elusive medic, had some kind of connection. But the exact nature of that bond, now that was something not even Wild Bill knew for sure.

Maxine had told him that they were friends, but Bill honestly found that rather hard to believe because how would that work? Mia, the soft-spoken and kind girl that shied away from too much attention, friends with Speirs, the man with the blank stare that had shot his own sergeant?

Even after catching a small glimpse of interaction between them, Bill wasn't quite sure what to think.

Speirs had spoken to Mia after she and Bull had returned from being MIA in Nuenen. Bill had only witnessed the scene from afar, but the lieutenant had looked at the medic's injuries, cupping her chin to turn her head with something he was hesitant to describe as care.

Mia had tolerated the physical contact despite famously preferring her personal space. She had smiled and probably assured him that she was alright – at least that's what Bill had guessed from her body language.

Speirs had withdrawn his hand and they had exchanged a few more words before the lieutenant had given her a smile – Bill would have thought he'd been dreaming if it weren't for the fact that it had been bright day – and briefly put a hand on her shoulder before leaving.

Naturally, Bill jumped at the chance to investigate the mystery that had most of the company scratching their heads. Apart from a select few more insightful and/or knowledgeable individuals like Lipton, Maxine and Louise. Though the sniper wasn't saying anything and Lip was too considerate to discuss what wasn't his business.

So when he ended up sharing a foxhole with the young woman one night, Bill seized the opportunity. After all, it wasn't just about satisfying his own curiosity, but also to have something to shut down the more maliciously inclined whispers about Mia.

***

He waited until she had settled after coming back from her rounds, drenched from the thunderstorm the skies were bestowing onto them tonight. Then, he asked: "What's the deal between you and Lt Speirs?"

She looked at him. "The deal?", she questioned. She sounded somewhere between confused and surprised, but it was difficult to read her face in the dark.

"You know, what's going on with you and him", he clarified with a shrug, tone nonchalant and neutral. He was pretty sure that there wasn't a romantic side to their relationship because neither she nor Speirs struck him as the type of person to stupidly risk their position like that.

Comprehension lit up her eyes just as a flash of lightning briefly illuminated her face. "Oh", she made, smiling softly. "I don't know. I think we're friends?"

The questioning inflection had Bill raising an eyebrow and he probed: "You think?"

"Naja...I don't know if that works", came the halting explanation, almost drowned out by the thunder rolling above them. "He's an officer...and I'm not completely sure if I'm his friend."