August 6, 1945

Alice guessed they didn't know she was standing at the edge of the lake, beneath the trees. Many of the enlisted men had been given the day off, and Tab had suggested they go down to the water. Her smile never died as she watched Tab, George, Lieb, Alley, More, Babe, Garcia, Hashey, Perconte, and Spina splashing around in the lake. They were loud. Not that it surprised her.

Gene sat on the dock, watching them with a smile. Johnny and Bull were heckling the others from the side of the lake. They threw rocks out, and she couldn't decide if they were trying to hit the men, or trying to skip the stones.

When she'd walked down to swim, she hadn't expected the spectacle she found. But she couldn't complain. At least they were having fun. Still, the fact that they'd taken over her favorite swimming spot was slightly annoying, especially considering she had gotten into clothes for a swim already. Torn between joining them, and walking further along the lake to a quieter spot, she hesitated.

On the one hand, she saw no issue swimming with the guys. She'd lived with them for three years. It was more that she didn't want to interrupt their fun. They had a right to their own brand of craziness without her around. But on the other, the dock was the closest and least secluded area around the lake, and the spot thus felt safer than anywhere deeper into the woods.

In the end, the decision was made for her as Talbert caught sight of her through the trees. He stood up in the water and grinned. "Enjoying the view, Alice?"

Had she not lived with them in close quarters for three years, she'd have blushed at the insinuation. But as they all turned her way she just shook her head. She wasn't blind; most of them were shirtless and they looked damn good. But she rolled her eyes and moved down the path to where it finally joined up with the dock.

"You all seem to be having fun," she commented, moving onto the dock. With a smile, she looked out where More, Alley, and Liebgott had started racing each other. Then she turned back to the men closer. "Enjoying a day without training?"

"Yeah, about time, right," joked Babe.

She settled down on the dock next to Gene. The warm stone warmed her. George and Perco were arguing over something, Les and Tony making a scene further down. But Talbert, Babe, and Spina just hovered closer to the dock.

She glanced at them. "How's the water?"

"You getting in?" Spina asked.

"Depends on the water!"

Alice didn't notice that George and Perco had moved over on her right. So when a splash hit her in the face she shrieked. The entire group of men started downright cackling. All except Gene, who looked almost as irritated as she did. Alice noticed the water dripping from the side of his face as well.

"How's the water?" George asked.

She narrowed her eyes. Standing up, Alice set her towel down and took off her boots. Her silence made those closer to her quiet down, except for George who kept giggling. From the side, Johnny heckled George, saying he was in for trouble.

"Gene," she said.

"Yeah?"

"Don't let anyone take my towel."

He chuckled. Wasting no more time, Alice leapt into the water. Even at midday in the warmth of the sun, the water still had a chill. She shivered briefly before sending a large splash straight at George's head.

"She got you pretty good, George."

Alice froze. In fact, they all froze. She whipped around to find the source of the voice. She recognized it. They all recognized it. With a grin, she found him: light blonde hair, blue eyes, and a million dollar smile.

"No fucking way!" George shouted.

She almost squealed. "Buck!"

Alice totally forgot about the fight with George. Even as the others turned to see what the commotion was, she scrambled to the dock and pushed herself up. She couldn't stop smiling. He grabbed her arm and hoisted her the rest of the way up the tall dock.

She grabbed her towel and tried to dry off a bit as the others moved closer in the water. George was still shocked. After a moment, he had pushed himself to the dock as well. Alice held out her arm.

When he took it, she pulled him up and then dropped him. The splash when he fell back into the water was large enough that it got all over Talbert next to him. Alice cackled when he came back up in the water. "That's what you get."

Buck started laughing at George, and Talbert next to him. "That was a good one."

"Damn right it was," she agreed. As George hauled himself off, soaked from top to bottom, she turned back to Buck. "So what the fuck are you doing here!"

"Heard Speirs was in charge, and had to see that for myself," he joked. With a shake of his head, he pointed out over the lake. "You guys are enjoying yourselves though."

With the towel around her shoulders, she laughed. "Yeah, it's nice, right?"

The other guys had reached the dock, so Alice stepped back a bit. She let them swarm Buck. As she moved towards the back of the dock, drying off a bit more and putting her boots on, she felt her throat clench. Watching the remaining Easy boys she was close to mob Buck, someone who returned to them that they never expected to see, moved her to tears. So many were missing: Guarnere, Toye, Muck,Gordon, Penkala, Hoobler, Grant, and Malarkey. Not to mention all the other men she'd known and lost.

After a few minutes of standing at the back, watching them, Alice sighed and smiled again. She pulled the towel closer. Her hair had started growing out again, so she threw it into a quick braid with a rubber band.

The walk to the Hotel Zell took about twenty minutes. The solitude was nice, even if her swim had been decidedly short. Barely more than a jump into the water, really. But she wanted to let the men have their time with Buck. She'd see him later. And honestly, Alice needed to process seeing him again.

As she walked, Alice felt all sorts of emotions crashing down on her. They were like memories, but feelings, not images. Despair, agony, fury, hatred coursed through her. She could see Bill's face as he struggled to hide the pain. She remembered George and Malarkey's stunned expressions after Skip and Alex's deaths. So much of Bastogne that she had fought to stuff down, away, flooded back.

She could feel herself shaking. The desire to physically run away from the scene down on the dock increased even as she did so. She'd seen a ghost. Her heart raced. Her palms sweated, and she tried to wipe them on her towel as best she could. A cold heat washed over her. All she wanted was a cigarette.

When she entered the hotel, Lieutenant Shames nodded to her. She nodded back. Alice took the stairs as fast as she could until at last she stood in her bedroom, dripping just a little, staring at her own face in the mirror.

She looked a mess. A nearly faded scar ran across her cheekbone, white against her already pale skin. She'd gotten that on D-Day. The bullet wound from Eindhoven indented slightly in her left arm, lighter in coloration than the pinker skin around it. Her wet hair, even in the braid, looked less healthy than she remembered it being as a child.

With a sigh, she stripped out of her wet shirt and shorts and stepped into the tub to shower. The lukewarm water made her feel a bit better. It was almost like washing away the emotions, the pain, the memories along with the dirt and grime on her skin and hair. And when she finally pulled on clean clothes, the weight on her chest had lessened.

Alice spent a few minutes smoking a cigarette at the window. It was nearly 1200 hours already. Lunch would be soon, and then she was sure she'd have a briefing or two. Once she finished smoking, Alice grabbed her jacket and left. When she reached the lobby, Nixon flagged her down.

"There you are."

He shook his head as she noticed him. There was no smile, just genuine concern. Alice frowned. What did he need her for? She moved to him quickly. "What's wrong?"

"The Allies dropped a nuclear weapon on Japan."

Alice paused. Her mouth dropped a bit. "They did? Where? Casualties?"

"A target called Hiroshima. Estimated to be about 70,000 right now." With a sigh, he shook his head. "I saw some of the overheads. It's insane."

Her breath caught. 70,000 people. "Are they going to surrender?"

"No word yet," he admitted. "But Sink said he'd keep us all updated as more information is sent to us. The President is set to make an official announcement by tomorrow."

She released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. If the United States had that sort of fire power, the Japanese had to surrender. The American death tolls in the Pacific had been exceedingly high in the past year. They would do anything to win, and to do it quickly.

As they stood in contemplative silence, Nixon sipping at his flask, Dick interrupted them. He had a small smile on his face. "Did you see Buck?"

Nixon removed his flask from his lips. "Buck? As in Buck Compton?"

"Yeah, he was down at the lake," Alice said, forcing a laugh. She gestured out the doors. "He surprised all the boys."

"Buck is back?" asked Nixon.

Dick chuckled. "Yeah, he came to visit. The doctors said he'd be fine for light duty, so he's here for awhile. You must've missed him in your briefings."

Even as he was speaking, Buck walked in chatting with Harry. They were both smiling and laughing. Catching sight of Buck, Nixon started laughing. "Jesus Christ, didn't expect to see you in Austria, Buck!"

"You guys are living soft," Buck chirped back. But he grabbed Nixon in a quick hug. "Goddamn, Austria's a dream."

"Yeah, it's got a good view," Nixon said. He snuck a pointed glance at Alice. "Company's not bad either."

While Harry suppressed a smirk, Dick just gave a tiny sigh at the teasing. He turned to Nixon and then to Buck. "How long are you here for?"

"Couple weeks, probably," he said. "Depends. But I'm here to help, if you need me."

Alice started laughing. "Damnit, Buck. Take it easy."

"Yeah, we certainly are," Harry agreed.

She forced down the fear that had been creeping back in. Letting herself just listen to the men banter, she calmed down. This was Buck. This wasn't a ghost, this was a great man and a good friend who had beyond hope come back to see them again. She wanted to enjoy it as much as she could. And so she smiled. She listened, and she enjoyed their banter, and she tried to remind herself that things would end soon. They had to end. So she needed to enjoy what was left.