𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬; band of brothers ✔

PART ONE

Word count; 2,408

Dianne

— September 13th, 1944. Aldbourne, England.

Something gladdened me about the ending of country lanes; the jeep rumbled to a stop as a Corporal waved us down. The darkness of the sky made the village appear smaller, the only light coming from the small outlines of windows where curtains had been drawn. Captain Holloway gave over his papers and, soon enough, we were off again, carefully progressing through the streets.

"Must be somewhere, here," David squinted around, the headlights of the jeep not bright enough to unveil signs until we were a metre from it.

I bend forward to adjust my stocking, only for the vehicle to jolt into a halt.

"I'm sorry, hon," He stifled his laughter, pulling up the handbrake. "We're here."

"Do you really want to be playing games with me, sir?"

"That an offer, Kennedy?" He climbed out of the car, hurrying around to meet my side.

I took his hand, stepping off of the jeep as gracefully as I could and readjusting my skirt. The Captain leant over the door to the back seat, lugging out a black holdall and slinging it over his shoulder. I waited for him to lead the way.

We approached a cottage of not meagre nor vast size, the blinds also drawn to keep away light from the exterior countryside. David banged his fist on the door a couple times, almost breaking it in doing so, and turned the knob. I followed behind him, met with an open-plan living room, kitchen and dining area, a stair block directly opposite the front door. Once upon a time, it would've been decorated, covered in paintings and pictures and old antiques; there were blocks on the walls from where these had been removed. Now, there were a few chairs and sofas, the ceiling creeping with water and mould. Holloway looked back at me, dropping the holdall against the sofa and dusting off his hands.

Distantly, two voices grew nearer, accompanied by their footsteps. They appeared from a room to the right, a conservatory, both Lieutenants and both equally contrasting. Together, they saluted Captain Holloway. David didn't care for it but mirrored the remark anyway. 

"Everything all right, sir?" The redhead probed.

"Looking for the C.O. of Easy Company, Lieutenant Winters."

"That would be me, sir." Winters shook his hand.

"Which makes you Captain Holloway, correct me if I'm wrong." The other Lieutenant extended his hand. "17th Airborne."

"Yes, it is."

"Which makes you Lieutenant Kennedy." Winters regarded me for the first time. "We were expecting you tomorrow morning."

"Earlier flight." David excused.

I shook hands with both men.

"May I speak with you, Lieutenant?" Holloway looked at Winters.

"Of course."

The two wandered back in the direction Winters had appeared from. Once they had left, an awkwardness hung in the air.

"You gotta forgive us, Lieutenant, I would've bought you some gin if I knew you were going to be here tonight."

I smiled even more awkwardly, suddenly stunned on how to act or speak. When Holloway returned with Winters, I escorted him back to the door - a familiar picture, really. The cold outside shot into us as soon as he opened the threshold.