Another morning spent with Battalion Intelligence, another lunch taken alone. Alice sighed as she grabbed her tray from the Corporal who pulled KP duty. Nixon had been required to report to a second meeting in Intelligence. Dick, Harry, and Meehan had run a maneuver the last of those had decided Easy needed more work on. So with no one else to talk to, Alice slipped into a table near the back of the small mess hall they used.

Swirling the less than appetizing soup with her spoon, she frowned. The current estimation by Battalion for the invasion was two more weeks. The men didn't know any of that, just rumors floating around of the ever-nearing drop day. No official date had been set, though. Alice felt a pit form in her stomach every time her mind wandered to the invasion.

On the one hand, going back to France meant going home at last. But a nagging voice in her head kept reminding her that it had been two years since she'd been home, and quite possible it wouldn't look like the home she remembered. Add to that the fact that jumping into France meant she'd lose some of her friends, and Alice didn't know if she wanted it anymore.

But she did. When she even considered the idea of not going back, anger and a deep depression replaced the apprehension. In the end, it didn't matter what she wanted. The invasion of France would be happening no matter what, with herself as a part of it.

That morning, those officers involved with Intelligence, herself included, had been told of the decision to move the paratroopers to Upottery by the end of the week. That gave about three days. They'd tell the men tomorrow. She could feel her leg bumping up and down under the table as she continued to stare at her soup. But she couldn't stop it.

"Can't say the soup impresses me much, either."

Alice glanced up to see who had spoken to her. She was met with a stranger: hair so blonde it put her own to shame, blue eyes, height to rival Dick Winters. He looked strong, his stance confident. He had Second Lieutenant's bars. She must've looked confused, because he spoke up again.

"You're Lieutenant Klein, right?"

"Yes."

He held out his hand. "Lieutenant Buck Compton. I just arrived. Colonel Sink told me to find you. Apparently everyone else is out in the field?"

Her spoon slipped into her soup as she realized this was the new lieutenant replacing Moose Heyliger. Alice shook his hand after looking down at the bowl. "Alice Klein."

"Can I sit?"

She shrugged. "Sure." As he did so, she grabbed the roll next to her soup and took a bite. She hadn't wanted her soup anyways. Watching Compton sit down, she saw him hesitating. Alice smirked. "You can ask."

"Ask?"

She didn't dignify his thin lie with an answer. Instead, Alice just waited for him to continue. It didn't take long.

"The Colonel told me about your job," he admitted. Buck put his elbows on the table and watched her. "I'd rather hear it straight from the source. Why are you here?"

"Me, me? Or me, as a woman?"

"Both."

"The answer's the same for both," Alice said. "I'm good at what I do. I'm a translator, a sniper, and heavily connected in the Resistance for France. I've got contacts in Germany I can call on, too. Germaine put my name forward and the Maquis agreed. So here I am."

"Germaine?"

Alice shrugged. "We don't know her real name. She's an Allied spy, though she's currently in hiding."

Buck Compton nodded. He looked at her carefully. "And now you're an American Paratrooper?"

"Congratulations, you can see my jump wings."

Buck grinned. He leaned back off the table with a small laugh. "Okay, okay. What I meant was, why did they decide to let you into the paratroopers?"

"They didn't. Not officially. Officially, I don't exist." Alice leaned back in her chair as well. She watched him carefully. With Harry, she'd connected almost immediately. This Buck Compton had a different personality, but she didn't feel anything off with him.

"So that's why the States don't know about you. Makes sense. What do you do with Easy Company?"

"I'm a sort of liaison to Intelligence. I as a woman don't command anyone officially, if that's what you're asking."

Buck shook his head. "No, I'm not asking that. I just want to know what your place is, so I know when and what to ask you for."

Alice sighed. "Sorry."

He shrugged. "Don't be."

"A former officer of Easy Company, Lieutenant Nixon, and I are both in Intelligence. He's still connected to the company, but does more with Battalion where as I do more with Easy itself."

"Makes sense." He paused and glanced up as loud voices sounded outside the relatively quiet mess hall. "Any advice on the men?"

Alice smirked and shook her head. "Not really. Don't be a jackass. Get to know them. They're all very different kinds of people, but I trust them with my life."

"High praise. But it's good to hear. I trusted my teammates like that."

"Teammates?"

Buck grinned as he shrugged, sitting in his chair comfortably. The mess hall became crowded with enlisted which he watched with interest. Finally, he leaned back into the table. "I'm an athlete. Did a lot of sports growing up, in college and all that. Before I joined up, we went all the way to the Rose Bowl."

"Rose Bowl?"

With a chuckle, he explained further. "It's a famous game for college football. Football, you know, where you throw this brown ball down the field and... No?"

"Clearly we don't have the same in Europe," she muttered. "Football is where you kick a black and white ball down a field to score goals. Les Bleus are our team."

Alice glanced up and saw the other officers of Easy Company grabbing their food. Waving them over, she nodded their way. Harry joined them first. He looked at Buck carefully.

"Lieutenant Buck Compton, Lieutenant Harry Welsh," Alice said. "Heyliger's replacement."

"We go from a moose to a buck," Harry joked. Setting his tray next to Alice, he slipped into the bench. Then he shook his hand. "What are the odds?"

"Moose?"

"Heyliger's nickname," explained Alice.

Dick joined them next. "You must be Lieutenant Compton?"

"The one and only." Buck shook his hand as Dick introduced himself. "Any idea when I can meet Lieutenant Meehan?"

"He should be back at Battalion by the time we finish up here. I'll show you the quickest way back."

They fell into easy conversation, though Alice opted to listen more than participate. She learned a lot about Buck. It surprised her how easily he talked about himself, and not in a bad way. He approached them openly, honestly. That sort of easy trust made her like him instantly.

Dick took the initiative to be Buck's guide around Aldbourne that day, leaving Alice to her own devices. Harry had lectures to lead that day, Nixon holed himself up in his office, so in the end she just spent time with Millie, Percy, and Madeleine. It felt wonderful.

Over the next few days, she spent her days with the paratroopers and her nights with Millie. The woman grew more and more antsy over each day. Alice hadn't been able to tell her they were jumping soon officially, but nothing could get past Millie. In the six months they'd lived together both had grown incredibly close. Percy called her Auntie Alice, and she had spent time teaching Madeleine French after each school day.

But at last it came to be the night before their move to the staging area at the Upottery airfield. Alice promised to say goodbye the next morning before the move, but Millie insisted they go out that night. She said it'd be good for both of them.

So in her nicest bright red dress, Alice stood before a mirror in Millie's house, applying the last bit of makeup. Her hair had been curled in ringlets neatly to her shoulders. The fabric fell easily about her body, and when she twirled and moved, it danced with her. She nodded in satisfaction.

They decided on the club they'd been to their first night together. Two dozen soldiers at least moved about inside, likely trying to take advantage of their final day in beautiful Aldbourne. Alice didn't see anyone from Easy. After they'd grabbed drinks and a table, though, a few men did join them.

"Fancy meeting you two here," Nixon said with a wink. He turned around and flagged down the guys who'd come with him. "Hey! Harry, Buck, over here."

Millie chuckled as she scooted over to make room for a fifth chair around their table. Before long, all three officers had slipped in. Buck made introductions with Millie. Conversation between Millie and Buck came easily, and soon the whole table chatted with each other.

An hour and several drinks later, Buck and Millie decided to dance as a particularly fun swing song came on the radio. Alice watched them in amusement, her wine glass just resting against her closed lips, forgotten.

"That's a nice smile," Harry joked. "Millie is quite the character."

"I love her," Alice agreed, laughing. "I'll miss her and the family."

"Any idea when we're jumping?"

Nixon broke in with a smirk. "Now Harry, we could tell you, but then we'd have to kill you."

He just scoffed. Getting up to grab another drink, Harry left Alice and Nixon at the table. They were quiet for a bit. The song had changed to yet another good dancing one. Nixon turned to her.

"You owe me a dance, you know."

Alice rolled her eyes and turned to Nixon. "You're asking for it now? A year and a half later?"

"Oh come on, we could die in a week. If I'm going to die, I'd like the dance first." He just chuckled as she looked at him more carefully.

"You're not going to die," she stated flatly. "Don't talk like that."

"We might-"

"No, Nix. You're not going to die." She looked away, trying to hide her frown with a drink of her wine. Her heart beat rapidly at the thought of any of them dying. But the thought of Nixon dying hurt her even more deeply.

He didn't say anything right away. The music changed again, slowing, and the steadily growing crowd of couples danced slow along with it. Finally, he turned back to her. "Come on. One dance, before we both don't die."

Turning back to him, she saw he was serious. With another frown, she considered saying no. But he was right; she did owe him a dance. So she stood and joined him on the dance floor. As the music filled the room, they danced.

Nixon led well. She guessed he'd had plenty of lessons as a child, given his family's wealth and prestige. It didn't take long before she was smiling again. His voice a whisper, he would make snide comments about the other dancers, especially Buck Compton, and it took all her strength not to break down in tears of laughter.

When the song started winding down, Alice came to the startling realization that she didn't want to let go of his hand. She wanted to stay in that moment forever. Two years and plenty of both wonderful and hurtful moments later, she realized she felt safe around Nixon, safer than maybe with anyone else.

And then she remembered he had a wife. Alice broke apart immediately, the song ending. She played it off well, not wanting him to realize what she felt. Even if Nixon's marriage was arranged, and rocky at the best of times, she knew they couldn't cross those lines. She wouldn't cross those lines.

"You're a good dancer," she decided to say. "Plenty of lessons as a kid?"

Nixon laughed. "Something like that."

They took their seats back at the table, Harry waiting for them. He looked between them curiously, but made no comment. It took another half an hour for Millie and Buck to come back over, laughing and chatting like old friends. No one wanted the night to end.

But it did.