Only a Paper Moon [ Band of Brothers ] 3

Chapter Eight

January 26, 1946

When Alice rolled out of bed on Saturday morning, she could already hear bustling about in the kitchen below. Nix still slept soundly on her right. The rise and fall of his chest made her smile. He really could sleep through anything. It was remarkable.

A knock at the door had woken her. When it sounded again, Alice sighed and started to get dressed. Kitty was spending the morning with her bridesmaids. Alice had the responsibility of making sure the men all got themselves presentable on time. Once she'd pulled out a house dress to wear until later, she stood staring at Nixon. 

Alice grabbed her pillow. In a moment of impulse, she smacked his side. He rolled over, cursing, and sat up a bit. Alice laughed as he rubbed his eyes.

"Jesus Christ," he muttered. "What was that for!"

She couldn't help but snicker. "Nix. It's the wedding day. You need to get up and help me make sure everyone else is ready." As he rolled his eyes, she clambered back on the bed and wrapped her arm around his shoulder and over his chest. "Come on. For me?"

"For you?" He rolled his eyes. "No. For Harry? Fine."

Alice laughed. "Whatever you say. As long as you say it while getting dressed." Just as she went to leave, he grabbed her arm and kissed her. Alice startled and laughed as she pulled away and dodged him. "Up!"

As she left the bedroom, she found Dick heading down the stairs. The voices from earlier had gotten louder. When she reached the floor, her shoes adding a note of finality, she stopped. Now she understood the knocking.

"Buck!"

The man turned around and grinned. Alice hurried over and hugged him. It made her feel a bit better, that this time seeing him didn't trigger horrible memories like in Austria. A few uneasy emotions, perhaps, but nothing to keep her from enjoying the moment. 

"Alice you look great!" Buck looked her up and down. "Nixon's here too?"

At his question, she couldn't help but laugh. "Yes. He's upstairs, probably still moping."

"Moping?" Harry asked. He walked in from the kitchen, followed quickly by Dick. "What's he moping about?"

"I hit him with a pillow."

All three of them burst out laughing. But Alice could smell bacon and sausage, and so she pushed through them down the hall into the kitchen. Food scraps lay around, half-eaten scrambled eggs and a few pancakes. 

"This looks good. Who made it?" She moved over to the kitchen itself and started scooping eggs and bacon onto a plate. "Let me guess. Harry?"

"I can cook too," Dick protested.

Alice just laughed. "I'm sure you can."

It had been Harry. She could tell as soon as she tasted the hint of whiskey in the coffee. She just shot him a smirk, and he a knowing smile back. It didn't take long before she'd sat down at the table and started chatting with Buck, who told her all about his time back home. They didn't discuss Bastogne, there was no need, but she could tell by the way they all clammed up around discussion of the holidays that it had taken its toll. She knew it had on her.

"So, you and Nix?" Buck prodded. "When it's happening?"

Alice shot him a smile and shook her head. Diverting her gaze, she found her coffee extremely interesting. "We don't know." Honestly, she wished people would stop asking. But she couldn't say that, not to the men who were like family to her. "We're working on it."