A Soldier of No Importance [ Band of Brothers ] 1

SIXTY SEVEN

Alice grinned down at the four passes she'd just received from Nixon. She'd left him and Harry to go on an inquisition to force Dick to go to Paris too, as he needed a break more than anyone. Confident in their ability to get Dick to take time off, she walked off with a smile. Things had fallen into place rather easily. With all the Commanding Officers, from Strayer to Sink all the way up to General Taylor, off in various areas of the world far from Mourmelon-le-Grand, Nixon had easily gotten her the four, along with passes for himself and for Dick.

With the slips of paper tucked safely in her breast pocket, Alice hurried to grab lunch before finding the men she needed. The food tasted horrible, like cardboard. But as he walked out of the mess hall, her heart nearly stopped.

"Bill!" Her grin widened as he turned to look her way. She noticed his limp immediately. But it didn't stop her from hurrying over and grabbing him in a hug. "You're back!"

With a laugh, he shook his head. "Hey sweetheart, guess ya' missed me?"

"It's been a lot more quiet without you around, that's for sure." She looked at him closer. "How are you already up and around? You got shot and broke your leg!"

Bill scoffed. "I ain't gonna sit in a fuckin hospital for the rest of the war. I told the doctors that and made my way 'ere."

"They just let you walk out?"

He smirked. "Nah. Some fuckin' lieutenant busted me to private for going AWOL, but nobody around these parts knows that, so keep your mouth shut, yeah?"

She snorted but nodded. "I'm not going to report you. But let's pretend you didn't tell me."

"Deal."

They started off towards Easy barracks. As they walked, Bill looked around, appraising the place. Alice stuck by his side. After a moment, he reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small slip of paper.

"Hey, you've not heard of a joint called Lulu's, have ya? None of the boys talked about it?" He looked over at her as he limped along. "I been tryin' to find out about it."

Alice just grinned and shook her head. "Forget Lulu's. I've got something better."

"Better?" He let out a short laugh. "It better be good cause I heard whatever this Lulu's is is fucking fantastic."

"Trust me. It's better than anything you've got planned."

He watched her in suspicion as they approached Easy's barracks. A chorus of voices spilled even from their quarters. When the door opened, she grinned to see the men she wanted amongst the guys inside. George looked her way.

"No fuckin' way." George started laughing as he looked past her. "Hey, boys! Gonorrhea's back!"

Alice stood to the side, leaning against the wall, while the men welcomed Bill back amongst them. Within minutes the barracks had filled with stories and complaints of Foxhole Norman. She waited for them to settle down before picking her way through the men over to George. She leaned over and whispered for him to meet her outside.

George looked at her in confusion but didn't protest. Once he'd folded from the poker match, he shuffled out the door. Alice soon had told Joe Toye and Guarnere the same. Once they were all outside, she picked her way out as well.

"What's up?" George asked, pulling out a cigarette.

Trying to suppress her grin as much as she could, Alice reached into her pocket. With a flourish, she pulled out the papers. She handed one to each. "Pack your bags, boys. We're going to Paris."

"You fucking serious?" Bill stared from the paper to Alice. "Now?"

She smiled and nodded. "We're leaving after dinner. Nix got us train tickets, too."