The Spirit of the Corps » Band of Brothers

46: Exactly Like This

"How much do you want to bet that this one gets called off, too?" Autumn asked, grinning into her coffee.

The group of nurses had found out a little under five minutes ago that the company was due to be deployed again, but the usual foreboding effect was gone. After their party in the rain, the men had been told they were being deployed to France a third time, only for their deployment to then be cancelled, this time before they ever even left for the airfield.

By now, the threat was empty.

This time, the destination was apparently Holland, but that didn't do much to convince Charlie that it would still go ahead.

If any silver lining could be found in the whole cancelled jumps debacle - which, in Charlie's opinion, many could be, though James disagreed with her every time she said so - it was that the pattern of cancelled jumps meant the replacements were no longer terrified when they were told they were being deployed. Charlie was certain that when she saw James later - they were going on a date, their second date, and she was almost bursting at the seams with the urge to go home and start getting ready early - he wouldn't be nearly as frightened as he had been that first time.

"It's definitely gonna be cancelled," Mabs agreed with Autumn around a mouthful of her sandwich. They were all taking lunch outside, as they tended to now that the heat had calmed down, and Mabs was swinging her legs where she sat on a bench beside Boo.

Charlie hummed her agreement, taking a sip of water from her canteen.

"How many times is too many times to cancel a jump, though?" Boo asked. One of her feet was bouncing where it was crossed over the other at the ankle under the bench. "I mean, can they really justify doing it four times?"

Mabs snorted. "The Army don't gotta explain itself to no one."

"I'm sure it will be called off," Charlie said, adding her two cents. "I mean, we only just started liberating France, why would they change to Holland all of a sudden?"

"Charlie," Autumn began, sitting with her legs outstretched in the grass to Charlie's left, "you are aware that Easy Company aren't the only military force operating in Europe right now, aren't you?"

Charlie gave her a gentle shove which only made Autumn laugh. "Ha ha," Charlie drawled with a roll of her eyes.

"It'll be called off," Boo said, setting the conversation back on track. She was nodding to herself as she said it, though she looked like she was trying to convince herself as much as she was agreeing with everyone else.

Once they were finally dismissed for the day, Charlie was buzzing with excited energy all the way home. There was something about a second date that was even more exciting than a first. For one, she wasn't nearly so nervous this time; she knew James well enough to know what to expect of him and not worry that he'd ask too much of her, and she liked him enough to know she wouldn't be completely bored the whole time. But at the same time, a second date held promise, held... uncertainty, and that was exciting.

Mabs helped Charlie get ready as Boo and Autumn made dinner, and when she made her way down the stairs, ready to leave, she did a spin for them with a shy smile.

"Ta-dah," Mabs said, her arms extended to present Charlie to them.

Both Boo and Autumn clapped, giving little whoops and cheers of appreciation.

"Knock him dead, darlin'," Mabs said, fluffing up the skirt of her dress. She all but squealed when there came a knock at the door.

"Bye!" Charlie chirped, starting towards it.