The Spirit of the Corps » Band of Brothers

44: The Way of War

"Nothing to be embarrassed about here, Charlie," said Skip. "You're in love, nothing shameful about that."

"I'm not in love!" Charlie said, stamping her foot petulantly into the ground.

"Well, someone better go tell that to Private Replacement before he signs your name in his will with his last name attached to it," commented Alex drily.

"Don't be mean!" Charlie exclaimed.

"Who's being mean?" Alex retorted, grinning. "Not me. I'm being completely sincere."

"About as sincere as a little boy with chocolate all over his face swearing he didn't eat the last cookie."

"Lancaster," Malarkey cut into the bickering with a laugh, "you gonna say goodbye or what?"

Charlie turned to him with a mock scowl. "Well, my plan was originally to come and say goodbye, but now I'm not so sure that you deserve it."

"Aw, Charlie, don't be like that," Alton drawled sarcastically.

"You're all so annoying," Charlie accused, pointing at each of them in turn, "but, out of the kindness of my heart, I'm still willing to give out one hug, so anyone who wants one better pile in before I change my mind."

"Just a hug?" Alex asked playfully. "How come the replacement gets special treatment?!"

"Shut up, Penky," Malarkey said, slapping him upside the head.

The four of them gathered around Charlie, arms over each other's shoulders, and formed a group hug. Charlie giggled the entire time.

"Well, this is cosy," Skip deadpanned from Charlie's left once they'd all scrunched up tightly and bowed their heads together.

Charlie rested her head on his shoulder and giggled some more. "My boys," she said through her laughter, feeling sentimental as she was hit with a wave of worry for their safety. "What will I do without you?"

"You mean in the three days it takes you to follow after us?" Alex joked from her other side.

"Might just shrivel up and die," Malarkey said from opposite her, matter of fact.

"I'll try my best not to," Charlie promised faux-seriously. She gave Skip and Alex one last squeeze before they all drew apart, then made quick work of saying goodbye so as not to make herself cry.

"This was fun, we should do it again sometime," Alex commented as she walked away.

Charlie glanced back over her shoulder so that he'd see her laugh, then carried on pushing her way through the gathering crowds of men. Time was wearing thin and she still had someone else she needed to say goodbye to, even after how poorly they'd left things the night before. As she searched for him, Charlie wondered briefly why they always seemed to elude each other until the very last minute.

Eventually, she found Floyd directing his squad onto one of the trucks. She grabbed onto his sleeve to let him know she was there and, after the last of his men was seated on the troop transport, he turned to her with a small grin.

"Fancy seeing you here, Freckles."

Charlie smiled. "Look after yourself, okay? No more walking around in German raincoats in the middle of the night, or anything equally as idiotic."

"Now, that ain't fair -"

She cut off his objection with a loud laugh, and whatever words he'd intended to say next died right there on his lips.

"I'll be good as gold, Freckles," he said once she'd regained composure, smiling softly down at her. "Promise."

"Good," Charlie replied with her own small smile.