Ad Astra Per Aspera [2] - Band of Brothers

39 | the whole pie

" Standing alone is better than being around people who don't value you."

- Unknown

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George had snuck into Catherine's room again, which wasn't any surprise as he was sneaking around regularly just to see the woman he loved. But Catherine had asked him to come; she'd been stress and George with his teddy bear hugs was a nice destresser.

So there Catherine sat, staring at George with a smirk on her face.

" You're not going to make me laugh," she said shaking her head as George watched her with playful eyes.

" Oh really," he said and suddenly forced the impression of Sobel across his face.

" Uh, hi, yes, it is Mr Sobel," George said as Catherine bit back her laugh, " uh, yes, I'd like to tell you that there is no laughter allowed in my company." Catherine watched him with glowing eyes.

" Yes, sir, that is what I said, sir, absolutely no laughter allowed." George said, and then made a signature Sobel face that Sobel pulled where his face filled with panic. Catherine let out a laugh, falling back onto the comforter of her bed, before rolling to her side as she laughed, tears almost escaping from her eyes.

" I said no laughing allowed in my company, Lieutenant!" George called as he fell down onto the comforter beside her laughing, trying to hold it together, but Catherine couldn't stop laughing.

" No!...no laughing!" George said through breathless laughs, before full on breaking out into chuckles himself as the two lie on their sides cackling practically. Their laughter slowly died down as they looked at each other with soft smiles on their faces. George smiled at her smile.

" I like it when you laugh," George said, " you didn't laugh much before this." Catherine watched him.

" I was too stressed to laugh," she said, picking at a spot on the comforter in between her and George on their sides, " but now, with you? I feel like I can be happy again, for real this time." Catherine met his eyes again, which seemed so soft. She loved when his eyes went soft.

" I don't think I can forget this war George," she whispered, " that scares me. With everything that happened to us, what we all went through, I want to forget it but I know I can't." George watched her softly.

" It'll be the war that brought us together," George said, " I'll always remember the war for more than the sadness it brought, I'll remember it for us, the girls, the rest of the boys." George smiled at her and Catherine smiled softly back. He was right.

" You ever think about going to the Pacific?" she whispered softly to him.

" More than I want," he told her and Catherine watched him sadly.