#wexbandxofxbrothers

[msmercury84]

"I Double Dare You" "The Guarneres Reminisce About the Peeping Tom of Aldebourne"

*Author's note: This story came from my imagination. Warning: Small scene with smut.*

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One autumn evening in 1945, as Bill and Leigh were seated on the couch listening to the radio, lyrics from one song made Leigh laugh. She told him,

"That reminds me of Aldebourne. Honey, do you remember the peeping tom that had the village in a bit of an uproar?" Guarnere chuckled,

"I sure do, Baby. That's (he pronounced the word as "dats") when I thought he was spyin' on us the day we had the picnic."

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Training was over for the day on a Friday in May, 1943. The men of Easy Company were looking forward to having a much needed break the following day.

Since the men knew in advance about their day off, Leigh planned a picnic for herself and Bill. She made sandwiches from homemade Italian sausage and homemade bread. Spencer found some onions and garlic in the farmers' market in the village that would be cooked with the sausage.

Bill bought a good, relatively inexpensive bottle of red wine from Andrew Herriott, the owner and bartender of The Blue Boar. Leigh improvised a primitive type of antipasto from vegetables and some ham that was sold in the farmers' market. She also had a few apples and some freshly baked pizzelles.

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One month before the picnic, American servicemen stationed in the Aldebourne area, the girls they dated and a few residents of the village became concerned about a peeping tom.

A soldier from Dog Company and his date thought that someone was spying on them. One week later, the same thing happened to a soldier from Charlie Company and his date. Both couples had been enjoying each other's company in a secluded pasture on a country lane.

On both occasions, when the men looked around the pasture, there was no sign of a peeping tom. The young women refused to go out with the soldiers again until the peeping tom was apprehended. The servicemen who had to wait until the suspect was nabbed by the village constable were extremely eager for this person to be caught.

Two local sisters, the Taylors, sold their parents' farm after the deaths of their mother and father. They moved into a stone cottage not far from Leigh's and Melissa's house in the village. Both women were in their early 30s and were attractive and shapely with brown hair and blue eyes.

One evening, as the eldest sister, Jean, was locking the front door, getting ready to go to bed, her younger sister, Ava, was in her downstairs bedroom. Ava preferred to sleep with the window open for fresh air. She kept the blind pulled halfway down the window for privacy.

Standing with her back to the window, Ava removed her clothing and put on a nightgown. She was planning to put her clothes into a hamper that was close to her bed when she heard the sound of footsteps outside her window.

Ava thought that someone was walking home from one of the pubs and thought nothing of the incident. She placed the clothes in the hamper and was on her way to turning off the light in her room when she froze in her tracks.

The sound of heavy breathing was unmistakable and it seemed to be outside her window. Ava went to a closet and got out her father's shotgun, sticking the barrel out of the open window. She startled Jean by shouting,

"Get away from here, you pervert or I'll shoot your bollocks (balls) off!" The sound of heavy footsteps walking away relieved Ava. Jean came into her room, asking,

"Did you see who it was? Are you OK?" Jean learned that Ava didn't see the heavy breather and that she was unharmed.She told her younger sister,

"Good job you have Father's gun and you know how to use it. I don't think we need to worry about being bothered again. Even if this peeping tom isn't in his right mind, he isn't mad (crazy) enough to risk losing his bollocks." Jean went to her bedroom and both women were soon asleep.

Early the next evening when Bill arrived for supper, Jean introduced herself and said that she was coming to speak to Leigh. Guarnere opened the door for her, telling Spencer,

"Sweetheart, Miss Taylor, the lady from next door want to talk wit'ya." Leigh welcomed Jean into the house and asked her to have a seat in the living room. Spencer offered her visitor a cup of tea and Jean accepted it. After Leigh made the tea and brought in a tray with cups, milk, the tea pot, and napkins, she served her guest, herself and Bill some tea. She told her neighbor,

"I'm sorry that I don't have lemon slices and sugar. Lemons are hard to find and sugar rationing is taking its toll." Taylor smiled, commenting,

"It's fine. We've the same situation at our house and we're all doing our bit for the war effort." She took her tea with a small amount of milk. Guarnere and Spencer preferred their tea without milk.

Jean told Bill and Leigh about her sister's experience with the peeping tom and asked the couple if they had heard or seen anything the previous evening.

Both Guarnere and Spencer said that they noticed nothing out of the ordinary. Leigh told Jean,

"We were listening to the radio. Sorry, the wireless, and the blinds were down, so we didn't see anything." Then, Jean laughed, telling them what her sister said to the stranger outside her window. Leigh laughed and Bill asked,

"No disrespect intended, but what are ya callin' 'bollocks'" Jean slightly blushed,

"It's male anatomy, two, erm...items." Bill laughed as he realized what Jean meant.

"I'm not laughin' at ya, Miss Taylor, I never heard 'em called that name before. You ladies ain't got nothin' to worry about. A man doesn't wanna lose important parts like that."

"That's what I told my sister."

"I'll keep an eye on your place. If you ladies ever need help, just call Leigh an' I'll be glad to help ya." Spencer wrote down the telephone number and handed it to Jean. She thanked Bill and Leigh, then left while she could still have enough light to feel safe walking outside. Guarnere offered to walk her home if she was scared, but Jean assured him that she was fine.

The following day, news of the heavy breathing outside the neighbor's window made its way through the village. Colonel Sink decided to send a few servicemen to help patrol the village with the constable. The soldiers who were denied recreation with their girlfriends until the peeping tom was caught eagerly volunteered.

One month later, the colonel decided to discontinue the servicemen's patrolling of the village. The constable and Sink thought that the peeping tom was discouraged from his activities due to the inclusion of soldiers who were being trained to fight in the war.

The following weekend, one soldier and his girlfriend were sitting under a tree near a rural property lined by a fence and some trees. While the couple began to remove a few items of each other's clothing, the young woman heard someone walking near the fence line that was obscured by trees.

She looked up and was startled to see a shock of red hair. Then, she noticed brown eyes gazing back at her. She screamed and her boyfriend immediately put on his uniform shirt. He told her,

"Stay here, I'm gonna teach this guy a lesson he won't forget." As the young woman buttoned her blouse and tucked it into her skirt, the soldier walked toward the fence, loudly saying,

"Clear out of here, buddy, or you're asking for trouble." He heard the sound of someone walking away from the fence line. By the time the soldier climbed over the fence, there was no sign of the peeping tom, only cattle standing in the field.

His girlfriend was in no mood to return to their previous activities and she insisted upon going home. As they walked to the village she said,

"He must have been very short because his eyes looked to be at the level of a child." Her boyfriend replied,

"He was probably bending over to peer through the leaves." Word soon spread throughout the area that the mysterious "peeper," the name given by the residents of the village, was a "ginger" (red hair), having unkempt, long hair and brown eyes.

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On the day of the picnic, Leigh packed the food into a large basket along with cloth napkins, two plates, two wine glasses and a medium sized blanket. She wore a red day dress, along with the usual undergarments, stockings and a pair of low heeled black pumps commonly called 'flats.'

Spencer brushed her hair, touched up her make up and reapplied her red lipstick. Bill soon arrived with the bottle of red wine. He insisted on carrying the large picnic basket. They left the cottage and held hands as they walked on a road leading from the village to a secluded country lane.

Neither Guarnere nor Spencer had been in this area before. Leigh told Bill that the lane reminded her of home.

"If this is where ya wanna have the picnic, Sweetheart, it's fine wit' me. Let's look for a nice, quiet spot in case we wanna get up to somethin' later."

"In case we want to get up to somethin'? Are you falling out of love with me already, Sergeant Guarnere?" Bill noticed the impish twinkle in her eyes and he grinned.

"Ain't no danger o' that happenin', Baby. You got my heart for eternity. I love seein' ya in red. You look good enough to eat."

"Is that a promise? " she slightly blushed before adding, "I mean the part about 'eating.'" Guarnere had a wicked grin as he said,

"Oh, I guarantee it. You ain't the only one enjoyin' it. You taste so damn good!"

"Bill, not so loud, a farmer might be working close by."

"I'm tellin' the truth. 'course I don't wanna encourage somebody to watch us. Sorry 'bout that. I'll try to keep it down so everybody don't know our business."

"Thanks, Honey. You're very good at that...you know what I mean."

"You bet I know!" Spencer laughed,

"Smart ass." They walked past a small house with a gate surrounding it. After passing the house, they went around a curve in the lane and found an ideal spot for the picnic and privacy.

An isolated pasture with three large trees was a short walk from the road. The pasture was lined on three sides of its perimeter by trees instead of fences.

Someone must have owned the pasture because the grass wasn't tall and choked with weeds. Bill looked around to see if there was a farm house tucked away within sight of the pasture.

He didn't see a house close by and he decided that this area had enough privacy for a picnic and some erotic activity. Bill and Leigh walked toward the trees in the center of the pasture.

They decided to sit under a large oak tree that was flanked by two other oak trees. A gentle breeze was blowing and they sat in the shade after they spread the blanket on the ground.

Leigh unpacked the picnic basket, setting out the food, plates, silverware, napkins and two wine glasses. Bill got the bottle opener and the bottle of red wine out of the basket. He opened the wine bottle and poured some wine in each glass.

Guarnere grinned as he noticed the sandwiches.

"Homemade bread an' homemade Italian sausage. It smells great! You're one hell of a good cook." He stopped himself from saying what he thought, "You'll be a perfect wife, Sweetheart" Bill didn't think it was the right time to propose to Leigh. Although he was fairly sure that she would agree to marry him, he thought it best to wait and find out how she really felt about marriage.

Leigh got out a dish with a small lid and opened it,

"I made a kind of makeshift antipasto from your mom's recipe. I hope it turned out OK."

Guarnere got a fork and put some of the antipasto on his plate. He sampled it.

"This reminds me o' Ma's cookin'. You done a good job wit' this, Baby." Leigh was pleased that he liked the side dish. They enjoyed the sandwiches and they casually talked while they ate their lunch.

Leigh got out a small box and opened it.

"How about a few pizzelles, Honey? If you don't feel like having cookies I brought apples, too." Bill got two cookies out of the box,

"You're spoilin' me, Sweetheart. Ya shouldn't have gone to so much trouble."

"It was no trouble at all. I like to make your favorite dishes." Spencer laughed at Guarnere sneaking another cookie out of the box.

"Eat as much as you want. I won't slap your hand if you want another cookie. I saved the sugar rations to make them."

"I gotta keep my cookie swipin' in good shape for when we get back home. It's kind of a joke wit' me an' Ma. When I was a kid, she wanted to make sure everybody got equal amounts o' food.

Pizzelles have always been my favorite. I'd eat two of 'em real fast. When Ma wasn't lookin', I'd swipe a few more. One time, when I was real little, Maria an' Teresa were watchin' me so I wouldn't get into the cookies.

I started cryin' 'cause I wanted another cookie. They felt sorry for me, an' they said,

'Oh, the poor baby! He must be hungry.' Then they each gave me half a pizzelle. I made out like a bandit an' I showed those dirty (he pronounced the word as 'doity') rats. I was smart, like a fox." Leigh giggled at the story,

"How many times did that work for you?"

"Just a couple o'times. Ma got a real kick out o'it, so I didn't get in trouble." He noticed that Spencer's glass was empty.

"Would ya like a little more o' the wine?"

"Yes, just a little bit. It's really good."

"The guy at The Blue Boar said this was a nice red wine. It ain't bad. I think I'll have a little more, too." Guarnere poured the wine. He leaned back against the tree. Leigh moved back to sit with him and Bill put his arm around her shoulders.

They sipped the wine and relaxed, enjoying the sunshine and the peaceful pasture. When they finished the wine, Bill decided to recline on the blanket. He rested his head on Leigh's lap.

She stroked his hair and had her arms around him. Guarnere reached up and gently pulled her close for a kiss. The kiss quickly deepened and he sucked the tip of her tongue into his mouth.

Bill reluctantly broke off the kiss,

"Stretch out beside me, Baby. It'll be easier than bendin' down to kiss me. He moved aside and Leigh lay beside him. Guarnere put his arms around her and the kissing resumed.

They enjoyed the slow, sensual kisses. Leigh sighed into Bill's mouth as his tongue explored her mouth.

Guarnere moved his hands down to Spencer's hips, pulling her as close to him as possible. He paused to kiss her eyelids, then he gently nipped at her ear before kissing her neck.

Bill loved the little gasp from Leigh when his lips touched the soft skin on her neck. He unbuttoned the top button of her day dress, kissing every inch of exposed skin as he unbuttoned the next button on her dress.

Leigh was caressing Bill's back, loving the feeling of his lips on her skin.

"If you keep this up, I'll be tempted to strip off everything and ask you to make love to me. We've never done it outdoors." Guarnere found the idea extremely arousing.

"I love the way you're kinda wild. Sweetheart, I don't wanna disappoint ya, but I didn't bring anything' wit' me for protection, 'cause I wasn't sure if ya would wanna make love outdoors."

"You're not disappointing me, Bill. I'm sure we can think of something. How about I do what you promised to do for me? I enjoy it, and I need to practice so I can be good at pleasing you that way."

"Only if ya really wanna do it, Baby. I don't want ya to think ya have to do that."

"I love all of you, and you taste pretty damned good, too."

"Then, I'm all yours. Do whatever ya want wit' me. Seems like I was gettin' ready to do somethin'..." He moved down and started to slowly trail kisses up Leigh's leg, moving her dress up a little.

Bill repeated the same actions on her other leg and Leigh felt herself becoming wet. She moved her dress up above her knees.

"Looks like my angel is tellin' me to move a little faster." He chuckled before kissing his way to her thigh. Leigh opened her legs slightly to accommodate him. Bill lowered his voice for only Leigh to hear,

"I think my beautiful baby is already nice an' wet. I'm gonna enjoy takin' those panties off so I can taste you." He moved her dress up further and licked the silk fabric between her legs.

" Baby, you taste good!" Bill sucked her silk covered clit.

"Oh, my God! That feels wonderful." Guarnere continued sucking her clit. A few minutes later, Leigh came. Bill enjoyed her sounds of passion. He began to remove her panties.

Suddenly, she heard the sounds of heavy footsteps near the line of trees in front of them. Keeping her voice down, she told Guarnere,

"Somebody is on the other side of those trees." Bill turned away, to rearrange himself in his trousers to hide the sign of his arousal and swore under his breath. Spencer quickly pulled her dress down to cover herself.

"Where did ya hear the noise, Baby?" She pointed to the trees closest to them. Bill looked in the direction Leigh was pointing, keeping his voice low as he told her,

"I don't wanna scare ya, but I see some brown eyes an' red hair. That guy almost has hair in his eyes. He must be a nut. No wonder he's watchin', no girl would go out wit' somebody lookin' that bad. I know one thing, his peepin' days are over!"

Guarnere got up and quietly approached the area where the peeping tom stood. Leigh followed behind him, not feeling afraid since Bill was with her. She was angry that the peeper spied on them and she was ready to give him a piece of her mind.

Bill used a type of hand signal that was becoming second nature to him. He had his right hand, palm down, pushing in a downward motion.

"What does that mean?"

"It means stand down, stay back. Sorry, Baby, we've been learnin' all sorts o' hand signals lately." All at once, a large tongue appeared from behind a branch. Guarnere replied,

"What the hell...?" Leigh started laughing,

"It's a cow!"

She moved a small branch and revealed the face of a bovine absorbed in eating a few leaves. Leigh quickly looked down, wanting to see the underside of the animal so she would know if it was a cow or a bull. Bill told her,

"I see horns on that thing. It's a bull. I may be from the city, but I know bulls are dangerous. We gotta get movin'!"

"Cows can have horns, too. I looked at its undercarriage, so to speak, and I saw udders. You're right, bulls aren't something to mess with. If I'd seen something else, I would've kicked off these shoes so I could run faster and told you to run like hell." She looked at the cow, still munching on leaves,

"I wonder if this is the local peeper. Think about it, the cow has shaggy red hair and brown eyes. It walks with a sort of heavy step and sometimes cows sound as if they're doing some heavy breathing."

"You might be on to somethin', Sweetheart. It makes sense. No wonder nobody saw the guy when they went lookin' for him. A cow standin' in a field ain't an unusual sight around here. How can we prove what you said?" Leigh thought about a solution and carefully went through the branches to get closer to the cow.

"This always worked when one of my grandpa's cows got out of the fenced in pasture or if he was trying to get the cows into the barn to milk them." She gently swatted the cow's rump, telling it,

"Go home!" The cow turned around and started walking away. Leigh followed it,

"Don't worry about the basket and the blanket, we can get it later. Let's follow the cow home and we can talk to the farmer. Once you're in this pasture, remember to look down frequently or you could have fresh cow pie on your boots.

Cows 'go' whenever and wherever the notion strikes them, and there might be several smelly 'land mines' scattered around." Bill chuckled, thanking Leigh for her tip.

"I learned somethin' new today. Too bad we never had the chance to get Sobel in this field an' not tell him about those land mines. It would have been funny as hell to see his boots covered in cow shit." He took Leigh's hand as they walked across the pasture.

As they strolled toward the barn, Bill noticed a man who appeared to be in his late 60s walking toward the cow. The tall, slightly heavy set man was bald with a fringe of white hair and blue eyes. He wore sturdy boots, well worn brown trousers, suspenders and a light brown shirt rolled up to expose his sun tanned arms. Both Bill and Leigh heard the man say,

"So there you are, Delilah. I see you broke out of the barnyard again. I've half a mind to sell you next market day." He noticed the American soldier and presumably his girlfriend approaching him, asking,

"Young man, are you and your young lady lost?" Guarnere smiled,

"Sir, my name is Bill Guarnere, Sergeant Guarnere, an' this is my girl, Leigh Spencer. No, Sir, we ain't lost." The man introduced himself to the couple,

"My name is James Alderson and this is my farm. If you don't mind my asking, why are you following my cow?" Leigh grinned,

"This will sound as if I'm crazy. Have you heard about the local peeping tom? I have reason to believe that your cow could be the 'peeper'." Alderson looked a bit puzzled,

'Yes, I know about the peeper. Why do you think Delilah is the perpetrator?"

"Mr. Alderson, as you know, the peeper is supposed to have unruly red hair and brown eyes. Delilah wasn't in your pasture when she made her presence known during the picnic we were having.

The peeping tom is supposed to have a heavy footed walk and is also known for heavy breathing. I grew up in a rural area of Ohio and I'm familiar with cattle. I'm guessing the heavy breathing is Delilah sort of snorting, for lack of a better word.

Does she have a habit of getting out of your pasture?" Alderson considered what Spencer told him, then he started to chuckle. The chuckle grew into loud laughter as he said,

"I never dreamed that my cow would cause havoc in the village." He laughed again, "She flummoxed the constable. He couldn't find a man and even got some of you Yank soldiers to help find the elusive peeper." He opened a gate to the barnyard and Delilah walked in, heading for some food in the barn. Before the cow got past him, Alderson patted her back and chuckled,

"You made quite a stir." Then, he answered Leigh's question, "Yes, Delilah has a bad habit of getting out of the fenced in area near the barn. She likes an occasional stroll in the village, too." Spencer asked,

"There were no peeping tom reports for a month, did you find a way to keep her at home?"

"I kept Delilah in the barn during that time. It seemed the perfect solution to her escaping, but she was unhappy. She didn't eat as much as she normally did. I rang (called) a veterinarian, thinking she was ill.

He said that she was depressed, not physically ill. I never realized that cows could feel depressed. The doctor also told me that she's getting out because she's looking for companionship. Delilah should be very happy next week, I'm getting her bred with a bull who lives down the road." Bill made Leigh blush a bit when he asked Alderson,

"In other words, Sir, are ya sayin' that she's lookin' for some action? I know I'm happier..." he noticed that Leigh was blushing and decided to leave well enough alone, adding, "Never mind, Sir, I'm talkin' too much." Alderson tried to suppress a grin as he figured out why Spencer was embarrassed.

"Yes, that's another way of saying the same thing. No harm done, Sergeant Guarnere. If you or your young lady see Delilah again, just send her home. I'm going into the village to speak with the constable and clear up this peeper situation.

Would you and your young lady like a lift into town? My vehicle isn't working at the moment, so I'm taking my horse and wagon." Both Guarnere and Spencer thanked Alderson, declining the ride back to the village. Bill replied,

"We appreciate ya offerin' to take us into town, but we need to get the picnic basket an' some other stuff. It ain't that much of a walk." Alderson excused himself in order to go to the barn and get the wagon and horses ready for the trip into the village.

Bill and Leigh left the farm and went back to retrieve their items from the picnic before they walked back to the house Leigh shared with Melissa. Residents of the village were relieved to learn that the peeper situation was over and they were amused to learn that a cow straying from her pasture was their suspect. Leigh was jokingly called "Sherlock Holmes" and "Cowgirl" by George Luz since she figured out the identity of the peeping tom.

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After Bill and Leigh finished reminiscing about the peeper, Bill told Leigh,

"I had another run in wit' a cow in Normandy. The krauts shot a cow on some guy's farm. We were hungry an' a guy from C Company was fightin' wit' us. He got separated from his unit an' he tagged along until he caught up wit' 'em again.

This kid grew up on a farm an' he said we could eat some fresh beef instead o' those lousy rations. He told us that he would dress the cow an' then we could start cookin' the meat.

I didn't know he was talking' about cuttin' up the carcass for meat. I thought he was nuts an' he was gonna try to put a dress on the cow." Leigh laughed,

"Was the meat good?"

"It was real good, but we had to be careful eatin' because there was a lot o' shrapnel in it. We cooked it over a fire we built. I wonder if that guy got back home?"

"I hope he got back. I'm glad you got home, you're somethin' else, Honey. Even if you did tell Mr. Alderson that we were sleeping together." Guarnere smirked,

"Are ya telling' me you don't feel happier after gettin' up to somethin'?"

"Of course I feel happier, you adorable smart ass!" Bill winked at her,

"That's my baby!"

*Author's note: The story of the cow in Normandy came from Bill's and Babe's book. I paraphrased the story. The story about Bill's older brother and sisters giving him extra cookies is true. I changed it from doughnuts to cookies. The quotes about "Oh, the poor baby" and "Smart like a fox also came from his book.*

@marycorleone @billguarnereimagine @hbowar @william-guarnere @billguarneresmut @bellewintersroe @wildbillguarnere @footprintsinthesxnd @alluringmoonlightbabe @cielie-voss @breadsprinkles @belladonnange @wexbandxofxbrothers @f-1-and-shiz @brassknucklespeirs @leksi-rae @cagzzz107 @lenabob @lizziebitch33 @vibing-away

[dcyllom]

thanks for tagging me @jump-wings :)

Rules: Refresh your pinterest and save the 3rd pic, 4 times. That's your aesthetic.

i cheated a little because my third image was a shitpost about prometheus and his eagle and i couldn't quite bring myself to include it lol. this tagging game was chill because i've been making a moodboard for my ocs so my feed was relatively singular.

tagging (no pressure!!): @wexbandxofxbrothers, @noneedtoamputate, @506thpir, and anyone else who'd like to :)

[msmercury84]

*Author's Note: Before I post my new chapter, here's a Christmas chapter from last year.*

"Christmas and New Year's Eve in Aldebourne" from "I Double Dare You-A Rendezvous With Destiny."

*Author's Note: Smut warning at the beginning of the chapter. Not for readers under the age of 18.*

Leigh awoke in the middle of the night with a need to visit the bathroom. She very carefully climbed over the back of the couch to avoid disturbing Bill. Spencer made her way upstairs and turned on the hall light so she could have an easier time seeing. Once she finished her business in the bathroom and washed her hands, Leigh decided to brush her teeth. She didn't want to have bad breath from the extra Limoncello she drank.

Once Leigh finished brushing her teeth and rinsing out the sink, she turned off the hall light and quietly went downstairs. On her way into the living room, Spencer noticed that the fire was dying down. Bill had stacked some firewood by the fireplace. She got several pieces and used the poker to break up the fragments of the wood that was nearly gone.

Guarnere turned over, expecting to put his arm around Leigh. He sat up, looking for her and saw her bending over fixing the fire. Bill noticed that she didn't need help with the fireplace and he grinned as he took in the view of the silk tap panties moving up slightly to show her behind.

"That's (he pronounced the word as 'dats') a beautiful sight, Baby." Spencer was startled and she almost dropped the poker. 

"Oh, Honey, I didn't mean to wake you, I was trying to be quiet." 

"You didn't wake me. I noticed my angel wasn't beside me, so I was lookin' around to see where ya were. Seein' ya bent over like that really does somethin' to me, Sweetheart." Leigh put the poker in a metal umbrella holder that was by the fireplace.

She walked over to the couch. Guarnere loved the sight of her breasts slightly bobbing in her silk bra as she strode toward him. He got up from the couch to allow Leigh to get back to the side on which she was sleeping. 

"Baby, how did ya get up wit'out gettin' me to move?" 

"I crawled over the back of the couch because I didn't want to disturb you." 

"If you need to get up again, wake my ass up an' I'll move. You could've hurt yourself." 

"I'm fine and it wasn't much of a drop to the floor if I fell." 

"Promise me you'll ask me to move, OK, Honey?" Spencer agreed. 

"You done a good job gettin' the fire goin'. I ain't just talkin' about the fireplace." He winked at Spencer before he stretched out beside her. 

"I'm sorry that I passed out from drinking too much. That was foolish and selfish. Honey, I really wanted to make love with you." Guarnere pulled Leigh close to him, kissing her.

"Don't worry about it, Sweetheart. I ain't upset wit' ya. It can happen to anybody. Are ya feelin' OK?" 

"Thanks to you, there's no hangover. You're so sweet to take care of me." 

"Anytime, Baby. How do ya feel about me takin' care o' you this way?" Bill traced his fingers down her back as he gave Leigh a slow, sensual kiss. When the kiss ended, she replied,

"Go right ahead, Bill, I'm all yours." Guarnere gave her a tender kiss that quickly turned passionate. Leigh opened her mouth to allow his tongue in. Bill softly groaned as she sucked on the tip of his tongue. Spencer broke the kiss to nibble at his ears. She kissed his angular jaw line.

"Honey, you look good enough to eat." She gently sucked on his neck, taking care to keep any marks below the area that the collar of his uniform shirt covered.

"Baby, I don't care if ya leave marks on my neck. I'm not ashamed to show that my angel loves me." Leigh continued to explore his body with her tongue and lips. She flicked her tongue over his nipples and Bill chuckled. 

"That kinda tickles." Spencer continued to move down his torso, moving the waistband of his boxer shorts enough to allow enough room for her tongue to go under the waistband. Bill's cock was hard and Leigh stroked him through the fabric of his shorts. She reached into the opening on the front of his shorts and gently grasped the shaft of his cock.

She held him as she first licked and then gently sucked the tip of his cock. He groaned louder, trying very hard not to thrust his hips up as Spencer lavished attention on the tip, alternating between licking and sucking. Leigh noticed a few drops of pre come. She lapped them up,

"You taste so good, Baby." Guarnere gently pulled her up.

"Let me make love to ya, Sweetheart." She reclined on the couch as Bill began to kiss the tops of her breasts. He sucked her nipples through the silk bra. Leigh sat up so he could remove the bra.

Guarnere carefully placed the bra on the coffee table. He turned his attention back to Spencer's breasts and her nipples.

"You're beautiful. " She moaned softly, running her fingers through his hair. He wrapped his lips around her nipple, sucking harder. Bill gave her other nipple the same treatment before he pushed the covers back and moved down her body. When he encountered the damp silk fabric between her legs, Guarnere smiled, 

He gently sucked her clit through the silk. Leigh's hips thrust up as she moaned louder. Bill loved to hear her sounds of passion. He removed the silk panties, placing them with the bra on the coffee table. 

"Baby, would you open your legs for me? I love to look at ya, an' it's easier to taste ya this way." She eagerly did as he asked. Leigh felt incredibly sexy and extremely aroused. He stroked the silky curls between her legs, telling her,

"You're perfect, Sweetheart." He bent down to capture her hard clit between his lips. Spencer was moaning louder as Bill gently sucked her clit and worked two fingers into her wet interior. Guarnere continued to suck her clit as he thrust his fingers into her. Leigh's hips raised as she started to come. Bill smiled, looking up at her, 

"Leigh, you are so goddamned gorgeous when ya come." He kept sucking her clit as she rode out her orgasm.

"Oh my God, Bill!" He licked the lips of her sex, working his was back to her clit.

"You taste so good." Guarnere moved up to hold her, giving Spencer a passionate kiss. She tasted herself on his lips.

"That's hot as hell. Baby, I need you inside me." Bill grinned as he got a condom out of the cardboard carton on the coffee table. He carefully put it on and knelt over Spencer.

"Do you wanna be on top, Honey?" She got up and Guarnere reclined on the couch.

"Oh, hell yes!" Spencer straddled his hips, moaning loudly as she slid down his hard cock. Leigh started to circle her hips as she rode him. She would move up until only the tip of his cock was in her, then Spencer would quickly slide down his cock.

Bill groaned, grabbing her hips as he thrust up into her. He adored the sight of her full breasts bobbing. Guarnere moved his hands from Leigh's hips to her breasts, cupping them.Spencer moved faster, circling her hips. Bill loved holding her breasts, but he needed to grab her hips as he thrust up into her, faster and harder.

"Honey, I hate to stop you. Can we try it with me bending over, like I was when you saw me in front of the fireplace?" Bill had a wicked grin.

"OK, you little fireball. First, ya need to turn over an' get on your knees." Spencer eagerly got on her knees, raising her ass up a little bit. Guarnere groaned softly,

"Oh, Baby..." He inserted his cock into Leigh, grasping her hips. She gasped at the sensation of being completely filled by him. Spencer didn't realize what made this position feel wonderful. Bill was stimulating her G-spot as he thrust into her.

"So damned good!" She pushed back against him as he thrust harder and deeper into her. Spencer could feel an orgasm building within her. Bill increased the speed of his thrusting. Leigh felt the pleasure surging through her body.

"Oh, fuck, yes!" Guarnere felt her contracting around his cock and hearing her comment pushed him over the edge. Bill thrust deeper as he came.

"So good!" When her climax ended, Leigh lay atop him. Bill gently turned Spencer onto her side. He withdrew from her and removed the condom. Guarnere put it on a newspaper from the day before. He pulled on his boxer shorts and took the paper to the upstairs bathroom. Bill put the used condom in the toilet and flushed it. Guarnere washed his hands and stopped by Leigh's bedroom, getting a nightgown out of the chest of drawers. He went downstairs and handed the nightgown to Leigh.

"I thought ya might like to sleep in this." She thanked him and put on the gown before reclining on the couch. He put the newspaper in the fire, along with a few more pieces of wood.Bill went back to the couch and stretched out beside Leigh, kissing her tenderly and holding her close to him. He made sure they were both covered with the sheet and the blankets.

"Sweetheart, you're goddamned good at makin' love. All the practicin' we done is really payin' off." Leigh smiled, 

"I have a good teacher." Bill kissed the tip of her nose, 

"I just happen to be crazy in love wit' my student. Baby, honest to God, I wanna take time makin' love to ya like you deserve. A beautiful woman like you should be appreciated and savored like a good bottle o' wine or some top shelf whiskey." Leigh gave him a tender kiss, 

"Honey, the way you make love to me is fabulous. Have you ever heard me complaining?" 

"No." 

"Then there's no need to feel the way you do."

"I love you." 

"I love you, too, Honey." 

"It probably ain't too long after midnight, so that makes it Christmas mornin'. Merry Christmas, Baby." Bill kissed Leigh. She returned the kiss, 

"Merry Christmas, Honey. That's one of the best Christmas presents I've had. It was the right size and it fit me perfectly. I wouldn't think of exchanging it for something else. You gave me a very impressive 'package.'" Guarnere chuckled, 

"The wrappin' could've looked better."

"The ribbon on that package should be blue because it's worthy of winning first prize."

"I'd tell ya to go ahead an' get the ribbon, but I know you would probably do it. I don't wanna wear it around the house." He smirked and added, "At least ya didn't have a tag  on your legs that said, 'Don't Open Until Christmas.' 'course it's Christmas, so I'd just ignore the tag." Spencer slightly blushed, then she burst out laughing at Bill's remark. The more Leigh thought about his remark, the harder she laughed. 

"Bill, that was a perfect comment. If we were home now, we would be visiting our relatives later in the day. I don't think I could keep a straight face if I saw a tag on a gift saying " Don't Open Until Christmas." I would be laughing my ass off and blushing at the same time."

"Are you ready for some sleep, Baby? You wore me out an' I loved every minute of it."

"I'm worn out, too, but it was worth it." She put her head on Bill's chest and he put his arms around her. They soon drifted off to sleep.

Guarnere awoke again just before daybreak. Despite having Leigh beside him, he was too cold to sleep. He carefully got up from the couch, not wanting to disturb Leigh. He put on his uniform trousers, shirt, socks and boots. Then, he put an extra blanket on her after he tucked the top sheet and blanket around her. Bill went upstairs and got his OD jacket and some gloves. He quietly went downstairs, putting the gloves and jacket on the dining room table. 

From there, he went to the basement, found a shovel and began to shovel coal into the furnace. Guarnere hoped the house would be warm before Leigh awoke. He went upstairs, putting on his jacket and gloves and went outside to bring in some firewood. Although it was still dark outside, Bill was surprised to see what he estimated to be over a foot of snow on the ground. He guessed that the temperature was in the single digits.

The road through the village that led to the Army base was completely blocked by the snow. Guarnere didn't envy the person or people who had to clear the road in the icy wind. Once he got back inside, Bill got the fire going again in the fireplace. He took off his boots and placed them on the hearth to dry. Then, he quickly removed everything but his boxer shorts and got back on the couch, snuggling close to Leigh and spooning with her.

Guarnere drifted off to sleep after the house started to warm up. He awoke later, checking his watch, discovering it was 7 a.m. Spencer yawned and stretched. She turned over to face Bill, smiling and telling him,

"Good morning, Honey." He returned her greeting, giving Leigh a kiss. 

"Sweetheart, let me take a quick bath an' shave. After that, I'm takin' care of breakfast. By the time you clean up, everythin' should be ready when you come down to eat.

When I was up earlier gettin' coal in the furnace an' a fire goin' in the fireplace, I wanted to surprise ya wit' breakfast in bed. Well, breakfast on the couch. Then, I got back on the couch an' went to sleep."

"You've done enough work, don't worry about cooking. I don't mind fixing our breakfast." 

"I know ya don't mind, Baby. It was so cold that I woke up early. I didn't want you gettin' up to an ice cold house. It wasn't a big deal to stoke the furnace. You made that delicious feast last night. I wanted to make somethin' we have every year for breakfast on Christmas mornin'. It's called a strata. If you got eggs, cheese, bread an' Italian sausage, I'll get it cooked. It ain't no trouble an' ya know I enjoy cookin'." Bill gave her what he hoped was his best persuasive look. 

"How can I say 'No' to those adorable puppy dog eyes? You probably used that expression to your advantage when you were a little boy. OK, you win, Honey. I have all of the ingredients in the kitchen." Guarnere smirked, then kissed Spencer.

"I can't help it if I'm adorable. Thanks, Sweetheart. I promise you're gonna enjoy the strata."

After bathing and shaving, Bill went downstairs to prepare breakfast. While he was in the kitchen, Leigh bathed, washed her hair and shaved her legs and her under arms.

Spencer put on her panties, bra, slip, garter belt and stockings before putting on another Wiggle Dress that she had made. It was cranberry colored with a sweetheart neckline. She had a clip on each side of the dress that looked like tiny sprigs of holly with berries.

Next, Leigh put on new black open toed pumps that she bought in London. She applied her makeup and went downstairs. Bill heard her walking downstairs and he left the kitchen, going into the dining room. Guarnere smiled, 

"There's my beautiful angel. I wish every dress ya had was a Wiggle Dress. Your body was made for that style. I made fresh coffee an' the Strata has to bake for a few more minutes.

"I wish those things on your dress were mistletoe." Since Melissa was at the house Bull shared with "Popeye" Wynn, Bradford Freeman and Floyd Talbert, Guarnere didn't need to keep his voice down when he added, "I'd enjoy kissin' ya under the mistletoe. Then, I'd put one o' the mistletoe things on the waist of your panties an' do lots o' kissing' under the mistletoe." 

"You don't have to find mistletoe, Bill. You're welcome to kiss those areas whenever you want. I should get mistletoe and put it above your boxer shorts. That way, you might allow me to make love to you with my lips and tongue." 

"Baby, you don't have to do that. You probably wouldn't tell me if ya didn't like doin' it." 

"I want to do it, but you never let me try to please you that way. Bill, I wouldn't insist on doing it if I didn't like it. I really would tell you if I disliked doing something." 

"Most o' the time, I want to be inside ya. From now on, if you wanna do that, just tell me. I'll sure as hell enjoy it." 

"I'll need to practice on you so I can please you as much as you please me." He winked,

"They always say 'practice makes perfect.' OK, you wild little devil, let's have some breakfast, an' then I'll give ya your Christmas present." 

"I need to get your gift and your card from my bedroom." 

"You'll have plenty o' time after breakfast."

"I'm doing the dishes since you went to all the trouble of cooking." 

"Ain't that much of a mess, but we can clean up together, Sweetheart." They walked to the dining room table. Bill had already set the table. He pulled out a chair for Leigh. She thanked him.

"I'll bring everythin' in that we need, Baby." He returned with a pot of fresh coffee and filled both cups. Then, Bill went back into the kitchen and brought out a fairly good sized baking dish with a lid. He put it on the table, removed the lid and showed her the Strata, saying,

"It turned out great. I think you're really gonna like this, Leigh." He asked her for her plate. Guarnere put a serving on both plates and took his seat at the table. Leigh took a fork and tasted the Strata. She chewed and swallowed the food,

"Honey, this is delicious! Is this one of your mom's recipes? It's everything for breakfast in one dish. This is so good that I'll have to have a second helping." Guarnere was pleased that Spencer enjoyed her breakfast. 

"Yes, Ma learned it from my Nonna DiSabato. It's been a Christmas family tradition for a long time. You eat as much as ya want, Baby." He grinned, adding, "Since it's Ma's recipe, I'll tell ya what Ma would say to you if you wanted another helpin', 'you an' Billy are too skinny.'" Leigh laughed,

"That's very accurate. She's so sweet and your mom has a great sense of humor. From the first time I saw her, she treated me like family. Actually, all of your family made me feel as if I belonged with them." Bill grinned, thinking,

"Ma an' everybody else knows that you're gonna be part of the family someday." Guarnere swallowed some food and replied

"Thanks, Honey. My folks are crazy about you, too." They enjoyed breakfast and Bill insisted on getting more coffee for himself and Leigh.

"That's sweet of you, Bill, but you don't need to wait on me hand and foot." 

"I enjoy doin' things for my baby." He was proud that Spencer liked the strata enough to have a second, albeit smaller, helping.

"Would you please show me how to make Strata sometime?" Bill told Spencer that he would be glad to teach her. He turned on the radio, finding some Christmas music. After they finished eating, Guarnere and Leigh washed the dishes. Coming out of the kitchen, Bill heard noise made by some very familiar sounding engines of Sherman Tanks. He looked out of the window, 

"Baby, they're drivin' tanks down the road to clear off the snow. That's a hell of a good idea. Those tanks can get through about anythin'. They need 'em all over Philadelphia, they work better than snow plows." Spencer came out of the kitchen and went to stand beside Bill. 

"Those tanks work better than any snow plow I've ever seen. I wish I had a camera. My grandpa would love to see those tanks going through the snow. He's fascinated with all things mechanical." Guarnere put his arm around her shoulders, 

"Is this the same man who sends that excellent beef to Ma and Pop? I'd like to meet him an' your grandma after the war is over." 

"Yes, he sends the beef to your parents. I know that he and my grandma would love to meet you, too. My grandma has the same kind of caring and giving personality that your mom has. She would cook a huge, delicious meal for you and she would think that we're both too skinny. No visitor to her house goes away with an empty stomach. She is one of eight children and she knew some hard times growing up.

My great grandpa was a farmer and he worked hard. Sometimes he wasn't able to sell what he grew on the farm because of a drought or other bad weather affecting the crops. They had just enough to survive. That's why she insists on cooking and sharing what she has."

"I understand growin' up like that. She sounds like a really nice lady, Honey." They watched the tanks, then Spencer went upstairs to brush her teeth and get Bill's present and Christmas card. Guarnere brushed his teeth after Leigh was finished. She took the package and card to the living room.

Bill walked into the living room and bent down to get her gift and card out from under the couch. He then gave her the gift and card as he sat beside her on the couch. 

"This is beautifully wrapped." She removed the silver wrapping paper and the red ribbon. Leigh set the ribbon aside to keep. Spencer opened the box. She took out the silver bracelet,

"Bill, this is absolutely stunning! Someone carved the flowers and the butterfly into those pieces of silver. I love it! Thank you so much, Honey! Would you please put it on me?" Guarnere was happy that she enjoyed her gift. 

"Sure thing, Sweetheart. Which arm do ya want it on?" Spencer held up her left arm and Guarnere carefully fastened the bracelet.

"There ya go, Baby. It looks nice on you." She opened the card and read what Bill had written. Leigh kissed him.

"The card is beautiful and so are the words that you wrote. Thank you, Baby. I only wish my gift to you would be as nice." 

"Honey, you gave me that feast last night. Nothin' I could find would come close to toppin' that." Bill opened his gift, 

"Baby, where did you find these cigarettes? I've looked all over Aldebourne an' part o' London trying' to find this brand. You know they're my favorite!" 

"I sent money to my dad and he bought them. Then, he sent them here. As I said, you should have a better gift." 

"This gift is fine. I've been cravin' this brand like crazy. Lucky Strikes ain't bad, but Pall Mall are the best. You're so thoughtful, Sweetheart." He read his card.

"That's so sweet. You're a blessin' an' I love you, too, Leigh. If it's OK wit' you, I'd like to put my card up here on the coffee table to kinda display it." Spencer told him that was fine with her. 

"That's a good idea, Bill. I'll put my card with yours. This bracelet fits as if it had been made for me and it's perfect with my angel necklace. Honey, thank you so much." Guarnere pulled her close to him, giving her a tender kiss. Leigh broke the kiss to tell him,

"Thanks for the delicious breakfast, too."

"I'd be glad to cook for ya any time, Baby." 

"Where did you find this bracelet? I've never seen such delicate and beautiful work like this." 

"I looked all over London, I was startin' to wonder if I'd have to find somethin' else, then I found this jewelry store that was kinda off the main part o' town. I wanted to find somethin' you could wear wit' your necklace. As soon as I saw the bracelet, I knew it was for you. Like I said about that fancy underwear I got ya for your birthday, that bracelet is beautiful an' elegant, just like you." Spencer smiled and kissed Bill again, 

"Honey, I thought that it would be kind of a sad day since we couldn't be with our families, but you made this a very happy Christmas." 

"I got an idea, why don't we call our folks later today?" 

"That's a great idea. It would be nice to talk to everyone."

A co-worker called and told Leigh she heard from her boyfriend who lived at the Army base that the football game was cancelled. The soldiers decided to have a snowball fight that would take place at 1 p.m. She also asked if Spencer could help make hot chocolate o coffee for everyone. Leigh promised to be there.

Later, in the afternoon, Bill and Leigh got a ride to the base in a jeep that was passing by. The men couldn't resist a snowball fight. For those at the Army base not taking part in the snow throwing, indoors was the best place to be to avoid getting hit by dozens of snowballs as they flew through the air. The men in Easy Company wanted to be on the same team as Buck Compton. They knew that the former college baseball star could throw an object a great distance with a great deal of accuracy.

Leigh was watching the snowball fight from the Mess Hall. She, Melissa and three other WAACs volunteered to help one of the cooks make hot chocolate for everyone. The cook took her into a storeroom after getting her to promise that she wouldn't tell anyone about several bags of sugar provided by the Army. Sugar was rationed in both the United States and the United Kingdom. A less than scrupulous person could make a fair amount of money selling the sugar on the black market.

A co-worker called and told Leigh she heard from her boyfriend who lived at the Army base that the football game was cancelled. The soldiers decided to have a snowball fight that would take place at 1 p.m. She also asked if Spencer could help make hot chocolate o coffee for everyone. Leigh promised to be there.

Later, in the afternoon, Bill and Leigh got a ride to the base in a jeep that was passing by. The men couldn't resist a snowball fight. For those at the Army base not taking part in the snow throwing, indoors was the best place to be to avoid getting hit by dozens of snowballs as they flew through the air. The men in Easy Company wanted to be on the same team as Buck Compton. They knew that the former college baseball star could throw an object a great distance with a great deal of accuracy.

Leigh was watching the snowball fight from the Mess Hall. She, Melissa and three other WAACs volunteered to help one of the cooks make hot chocolate for everyone. The cook took her into a storeroom after getting her to promise that she wouldn't tell anyone about several bags of sugar provided by the Army. Sugar was rationed in both the United States and the United Kingdom. A less than scrupulous person could make a fair amount of money selling the sugar on the black market.

Spencer and Adams heard the commotion outside as they got the hot chocolate prepared. Leigh looked out of the window, smiling as she watched Bill, Joe and Buck gang up on George, Frank and Don. The men were running and laughing as they pelted each other with liberal amounts of snow. Melissa looked and told Leigh,

"It's sweet to see 'em playing like young boys. I'd like to think that we'll all be home this time next year." 

"I'm glad they have a chance to have fun and goof off. This brings home the point to me that despite their training, they're still young men. Melissa, from your mouth to God's ear. I hope we're all home by this time next year " Melissa noticed Leigh's bracelet, saying,

"Oh, that's so pretty! Did you get that today?" 

"Yes. This is my gift from Bill. I love it!" 

"Denver gave me this necklace." She untied the top of her apron to reveal a necklace consisting of a small blue stones on a dainty silver chain.

"That's lovely! It really compliments your blue eyes and that delicate chain is perfect." 

"Denver had a tag on it that said, 'Don't Open Until Christmas." Spencer burst out laughing. She kept her voice down, telling Melissa why she laughed. Leigh was blushing and laughing. Adams laughed loudly. The other women glanced in their direction, but said nothing and continued to make hot chocolate. When the laughing and giggling was over, she asked her friend,

"Did Bill enjoy his feast?" Leigh told her about the dinner and about inviting Perconte. Spencer invited Melissa and Bull to supper. She then told her friend about Frank saying how he enjoyed Christmas Eve dinner with the Guarneres. Adams grinned, asking her,

"What did Bill think of that?"

"He asked me if I had heard what Perconte said. Then, he said, 'that's a sweet idea, Baby.' I agreed with him." 

"It sounds like Bill wanted to know how you felt about getting married." 

"I thought the same thing. When I answered him honestly it made him happy. As you can probably guess, I would be all for getting married."

"I thought so. I have a feeling you will be engaged or married by the time the war ends." Before Adams could answer about the supper invitation, the cook walked in saying,

"It looks like the snowball fight is tapering off. Is the hot chocolate ready?" They told him yes. Soon, some of the men walked into the mess hall, hoping to get a cup of coffee. They were surprised to learn that homemade hot chocolate was available. When the cook told the men that some WAACs prepared it, the men were eager to sample the hot chocolate.

The majority of the men enjoyed the homemade hot chocolate and the remainder had coffee. The cook told the WAACs that their help wasn't needed in the cleaning of the utensils and other items used to make the hot chocolate.

Bill and Leigh were preparing to leave. Colonel Sink had a jeep with a driver to take anyone home who did not live on the Army base. The driver was waiting in the warmth of the Mess Hall. Buck Compton was throwing a few snowballs at George Luz. Both men were still in a playful and mischievous mood. Luz asked Spencer,

"Why didn't you join in the snowball fight? " 

"I'm not dressed for it. If I had pants and boots, I would've been out here with you guys. Believe it or not, I don't throw like a girl." Bill raised his eyebrows,

"That so?"

"You bet your ass it's so." Both Compton and Luz laughed at her reply. Buck said,

"You talk a good game when the fight is over. Let's see what you've got." George told her, winking to let Spencer know that he was joking,

"She won't do it, Buck, Leigh doesn't want us to laugh at her when she can't throw a snowball." Leigh asked the men,

"Do you want me to hit a certain target or a person?" Luz was laughing, 

"Buck, don't tempt her, that woman's hands are lethal weapons. You want proof, ask Bill." Guarnere laughed, telling George in a good natured way,

"Shaddup, Moron. Ain't nothin' wrong wit' my baby's hands. She happens to be very skilled wit' her hands." Leigh blushed a bit and Bill quickly added, "Get your minds out o' the gutter. She's a talented musician." Luz had a wicked grin as he said,

"Are you sayin' that she's also a good organ player? She probably gets lots of practice playing with a certain organ..." George was silenced when a snowball thrown by Leigh hit his head." Spencer wasn't offended by Luz and she was laughing as the snowball hit its intended target. Bill laughed loudly and kissed her.

"That's showin' him, Baby. Good job!" Compton grinned, replying,

"Damn good throwing, Leigh." George grinned.

"I didn't even see that comin'. Boys and Little Sure Shot, how about a quick snowball fight?" The men were interested, but Spencer told them,

"I want to do it, but I need pants, a shirt, a coat, boots and gloves." Compton saw Frank Perconte. He called him over, asking if Leigh could borrow the items of clothing she needed." Perconte was glad to help. He asked Bill and Leigh to walk to the house in which he lived on the base. Once they got to the house, Frank escorted Leigh to his room and brought out everything she needed, including socks. Perconte removed his boots.

"I hate to miss the snowball fight, but I only have one pair of boots." Spencer thanked him. Perconte and Guarnere went out of the room to give her privacy so she could change her clothes." Leigh took off most of her clothing and she hung her dress, slip and coat in Perconte's closet. She put her garter belt, stockings and shoes in the closet, then she quickly donned the borrowed OD trousers, socks, shirt and boots. Spencer tucked the surplus material of the trousers into her borrowed boots.

She was surprised that everything fit fairly well. Leigh grabbed up the gloves and the OD jacket, leaving the bedroom. Bill saw her walking into the living room of the house.

"Sweetheart, you look adorable. I wish I could get a picture of ya in the OD uniform an' boots. Frank, thanks for helpin' her."

"I brought a camera from home. Wait just a minute and I'll get it." He soon returned with his camera. Frank took one picture of Leigh standing by herself. In the next picture, Bill had his arm around her. They both thanked Perconte for his help. She wrote down her parents' address so he could send the pictures to them.

Bill helped her into the jacket and Spencer got it fastened. Then, she put on the gloves. Guarnere held the door open for her. They walked back to rejoin Compton and Luz. Both men told Spencer that she looked cute in the borrowed uniform and boots.

Word quickly got around about another snowball fight. By the time everyone arrived, it was Bill, George, Buck, Leigh, Muck, Penkala and Malarkey against the same number of men from Charlie Company. One man from Charlie asked,

"Is it true you got a skirt fightin' with you?" Spencer stepped forward.

"Yes, it's true."

"We won't be rough on you, Doll, but we're goin' after those boys from Easy."

"Treat me like the rest of the boys, or you can suit yourself. I won't take it easy on you guys." The men from Charlie got a good laugh at her reply. Both groups separated on the area normally used for drilling exercises. Two makeshift snow forts, which were big walls of snow made by participants of the earlier game, still remained.

The battle began in earnest. Compton gave the opponents a rapid fire barrage of snowballs. Luz and Bill provided cover for Buck while Muck and Penkala made extra snowballs. Leigh was the unofficial sharp shooter and she made several accurate, rapid shots at the men from Charlie. Bill was extremely proud of her.

"Baby, where did ya learn to throw like that?" As she dodged incoming snowballs, she answered,

"I grew up with two male cousins who are like brothers to me. We lived fairly close together and spent lots of time together playing. They taught me how to throw." Toward the end of the battle, one man from Charlie pointed to the knitted hat he was wearing, telling her,

"If you can hit my hat, I'll give you 10 bucks." He stood near the wall of his team's snow fort. Spencer accepted the deal. She took careful aim and hit the intended target. The Charlie Company paratrooper looked at her in awe.

"Doll, you got a good pitching arm." When the fight ended, he walked over to Leigh, shaking her hand and handing her the money she'd earned. Buck Compton upped the ante. He told Spencer if she could hit a certain branch of a nearby tree, he would give her an additional $15.

The branch was toward the top of the tree. Leigh took her time and hit the branch. Bill grabbed Leigh around the waist and spun her around before setting her feet gently on the ground again.

"Ain't nothin' my baby can't do!" He gave Spencer a passionate kiss. Colonel Sink walked out of the Mess Hall in time to see Guarnere kissing a small paratrooper. He walked over to investigate, grinning as he recognized Leigh.

"Miss Spencer, why are you in uniform?" She explained the situation and Sink laughed.

"How about showing me your throwing skills?" Sink asked if she could throw a snowball over the opposite snow fort. That was a fairly long distance shot, but Leigh made it. The men and Sink applauded. Buck Compton gave her the money she earned. Leigh told him that she couldn't take money from a friend. He insisted, saying that she earned the cash. Spencer thanked him.

The colonel wished everyone a Merry Christmas and took his leave, telling the group that he wanted to get inside his quarters where it was warm. Guarnere walked Leigh back to Perconte's house. He told Frank about Spencer's throwing skills as she went to Perconte's room to change clothes. She thanked him again for all of the items she borrowed. Frank said that he would see them at supper.

They went into the Mess Hall to let the driver know that they were ready to leave. Although the main road was made passable, the deep snow made the colonel decide to ensure that anyone needing a ride into the village wouldn't be forced to walk. Guarnere and Spencer thanked the driver and he took them to the house. They entered the house. Leigh immediately started to get supper prepared.

"You're an amazin' woman, Baby. I wish my folks an' my sisters could've seen ya throwin' those snowballs. Next time somebody says somethin' about somebody throwin' like a girl, I'm gonna tell 'em about my girl. If you threw like that as a kid an' if you was in my neighborhood back then, I woulda fallen in love wit' ya, right on the spot.

Baby, I can warm everythin' up. I've had lots o' practice helpin' Ma. You worked wit' the food yesterday an' you've been busy today. Why don't ya take it easy an' let me take care o' supper." 

"Thanks, Honey. I really appreciate the help. All I need to do is cook the remaining oysters, make a batch of pizzelles and make some fresh coffee." 

"I can make the coffee for ya. You have enough to do, Baby." Spencer kissed him, 

"You're so sweet, Bill. Now, I can get everything ready before Perconte gets here. I just need to get my dress changed to what I wore earlier today." Leigh went upstairs and put on the cranberry colored Wiggle Dress and her open toed black pumps. She touched up her makeup and brushed her hair.

Spencer went downstairs and into the kitchen. She got some water to put in the Christmas Tree stand. Then she plugged in the lights on the tree. She turned on the radio and then she got white placemats with tiny holly leaves and berries embroidered on the edges. She put the placemats on the red tablecloth gracing the dining room table.

Soon, the table was set. She went into the kitchen and put on a white apron with red poinsettias embroidered on it. Bill was busy getting the food reheated.

"You're lookin' beautiful, Baby." Leigh thanked him and got to work making the pizzelles. She giggled when Bill tried to grab a few fresh cookies, sneaking behind her to get to the platter of cookies on the kitchen counter. 

"Honey, I won't smack you with a wooden spoon for taking some cookies. Eat as many as you want." 

"It makes Ma crazy if too many people are in the kitchen wit' her when she's tryin' to cook. I learned how to steal a few cookies when I was a kid." 

"If you got caught, did you stay out of trouble using your adorable puppy dog eyes expression?" Bill laughed, 

"Most o' the time it worked. A couple o' times, Ma hit my ass wit' a wooden spoon, but she didn't hit very hard." Leigh laughed as she finished making one batch of cookies. She had enough batter for a second batch, so she worked on getting the crispy cookies finished.

After the cookies were made, Spencer started to make oysters in polenta. Bill had the food ready and he was making the coffee.

"We have a lot of food. I hope you and Frank have good appetites." She heard someone knocking at the door. Spencer told Bill she would be back after she answered the door. Leigh was surprised and happy to see Melissa,Bull and Perconte. Melissa told her,

I hope this isn't extra work for you, but when Frank told us how good the supper was last night, Denver and I decided to come back here instead of eating in the Mess Hall."

"I was just telling Bill that we had a lot of food. You and Bull are more than welcome to eat here." She greeted Perconte,

"I'm glad to see you, Frank. Would you like some fresh pizzelles and coffee?" Leigh hung his and Bull's coats on a coat tree by the door. Melissa took care of her coat. Adams told Bull and Frank,

"Boys, help yourselves to some homemade candy. We tried to make all of the usual Christmas treats." Bill came out of the kitchen and he greeted Perconte and Randleman. He told Bull,

"You're in for a real treat, Buddy. Leigh made the Feast of the Seven Fishes." Guarnere explained the traditional meal and told Melissa and Bull about the items they were about to eat.

"My Baby went all out makin' the food from Ma's recipes. She even made Limoncello." Guarnere told them about the potent aperitif. Everyone enjoyed their supper. When Bull and Melissa complimented Leigh's cooking, she told them that Mrs. Guarnere sent her recipes for the feast. Randleman told Bill,

"Your mama must be one hell of a good cook!" Guarnere smiled,

"Thanks, Bull. Ma's a damned good cook. Leigh cooks just like her. This is the first time my baby tried to make this feast. It usually takes at least two women to do all o' the cookin' " Spencer thanked Bill for the compliments. The group talked, ate, laughed and enjoyed each others' company. Bill got up to refill the coffee pot and the wine glasses. Frank had a few extra pizzelles.

Leigh brought out the Limoncello and the delicate glasses. Bill told Randlman and Adams,

"This is strong stuff, but it's good. It can knock ya on your ass if you ain't careful." Everyone sipped and enjoyed the aperitif. Bull told Bill,

"Buddy, that's strong as moonshine. It's damned good." Melissa enjoyed the drink as much as her boyfriend.

"Denver is right, it is as strong as moonshine. This puts Tennessee sippin' whiskey to shame." Leigh made sure everyone had plenty to eat. To her surprise, every morsel of the food was eaten, including the pizzelles.

"Tonight, I'm helping with those dishes." Bull, Melissa, Frank and Bill told her that they would all pitch in to get everything cleaned up. Guarnere was also sent to relax, since he helped get everything ready. He decided to call his parents. It took a long time for the operator to set up the person to person call. Guarnere thanked the operator and wished her a Merry Christmas. The phone rang in South Philadelphia. Augusta answered and Bill said,

"Merry Christmas, Ma!" She smiled and told him "Merry Christmas" and asked about the Feast of the Seven Fishes.

"Ma, it was perfect. Leigh done a great job wit' everything. A buddy o' mine said it was his first Christmas Eve away from home an' the feast, so she invited him, too. He's the guy who called the spaghetti at Camp Toccoa 'Army noodles wit' ketchup.'" Mrs. Guarnere laughed,

"I remember hearin' that story. Son, did you give Leigh the ring?"

"No, Ma. I thought about it, but I wanna wait until the war is almost over. How's everybody doin'?" She said that everyone was fine.

"Ma, you would've been so proud o' Leigh. She done everything exactly right. My baby even made pizzelles an' Limoncello. She had me an' Frank back for supper today. That made lots o' leftovers. Her roommate Melissa an' her boyfriend were here to eat, too. Melissa's boyfriend is a paratrooper, too, an' he's from Arkansas. He said to tell ya that you're a damned good cook."

"That's sweet of him. Be sure to thank him for me. I can tell you're really proud of Leigh. That's a lot of work for one woman to do. She told me more than anything, she wanted you to have a good feast on Christmas Eve. Please send her our love, Billy." Guarnere smiled when he heard what Leigh told his mother.

He told her about the snowstorm, the snowball fight and Leigh winning money by throwing snowballs. Augusta enjoyed hearing about Spencer borrowing the uniform, boots and coat, plus the way she could throw.

"Leigh can do just about anything. I gotta tell the girls about her. Julia will love hearin' about this. All of your sisters will be proud of her."

"I'm real proud o' my baby." Mrs. Guarnere promised to give Bill's dad and sisters his love. They ended the call since it was expensive to call from overseas. Guarnere went into the living room.

"Ma sends her love. She's tellin' the girls about you winnin' money throwin' snowballs. The phone's all yours, Baby." Leigh thanked him and went into the dining room to get the person to person call placed to her parents.Cal answered the phone. He enjoyed hearing about Leigh making the feast, the snowstorm and the snowball fight. Spencer asked his daughter,

"Did you put those boys to shame with your ability to throw the snowballs?" Leigh giggled.

"Yes." She added, "Dad, the Army base sent Sherman Tanks driven by men in the motor pool to open the main road. I wished I could've taken a picture of that for Papa (her grandfather)." Cal agreed that his father-in-law would have enjoyed seeing the tanks in action.

Mr. Spencer chuckled when Leigh told him about borrowing the uniform and boots so she could participate in the snowball fight.

"If they had enough sense to allow women into major league baseball, you would be a great pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds." She thanked her father and told him about Perconte taking a picture of her in the uniform. Leigh briefly spoke with her mother, who was busy preparing supper for a house full of relatives and friends. They both sent Bill their love and they wished the couple a Merry Christmas.

After Frank went back to the Army base with Bull and Melissa, Spencer and Guarnere listened to the radio and snuggled on the couch. Leigh got extra blankets for the bed in her room. Since the roads were open, she and Bill didn't want to risk sleeping on the couch. After Spencer washed her face and brushed her teeth, she put on her nightgown. Then she went into her bedroom to remove her bracelet and necklace, placing the jewelry in their proper boxes.

Guarnere stoked the furnace with coal and got ready for bed, brushing his teeth. He got into bed.

"Honey, you gave me some great gifts. Ma told me what ya said about wantin' more than anythin' for me to have the feast. I love you, Leigh. I hope you ain't too upset wit' me, but we need to wait until mornin' to get up to somethin.' I didn't get much sleep an' I'm beat." Spencer got into bed, shutting off the bedside table lamp.

"Thank you for my beautiful bracelet and card. I love you, too, Bill. I'm really tired, too, so it doesn't bother me at all to wait until morning." They snuggled close and Bill wrapped his arms around her before sleep claimed them.

On New Year's Eve, many Easy Company men and several townspeople gathered at The Blue Boar to celebrate. Leigh played the piano and sang while Dexter, Nigel and the owner of the pub played the trumpet, trombone and clarinet. Spencer wore a blue wiggle dress which went well with her angel necklace and her new bracelet.

"This song is an old American Jazz tune, " A Hard Man is Good to Find." Loud laughter came from the audience. Spencer laughed.

"Let me try that again. The song is called ' A Good Man is Hard to Find.' My first statement is undeniably true." More laughter came from the audience and Bill winked at Leigh. Dexter, Nigel and Andrew played the intro to the song along with Spencer. They received a loud round of applause. Leigh asked her fellow musicians if they knew the old Sophie Tucker song, "Some Of These Days." When the men said that they were very familiar with the song, Spencer told the audience,

"I learned the next number from my boyfriend's mother. She does a fabulous rendition and she also sounds like Sophie Tucker. This is 'Some Of These Days." Bill soon found out that Leigh learned a great deal from Augusta on how to sing the song. Guarnere had a big smile on his face as he listened to Spencer. Leigh played and sang a few more songs. Andrew Heriott announced that it was getting close to midnight. Spencer went back to sit at the table with Bill.

As the crowd counted down the last ten seconds of the year, Guarnere stood up and extended his hand. Leigh took his hand and stood up. Bill pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around Spencer and giving her a passionate kiss.

The patrons in the club sang "Auld Lang Syne" as the couple kissed. Bill broke the kiss, telling Leigh,

"Happy New Year, Baby. Here's to another year of bein' together. I love you, Leigh."

"Happy New Year, Honey. I love you, too. Let's hope we're back in the States by this time next year."

"I'll drink to that. It would be great to celebrate New Year's Eve in Philadelphia again." Bill was hoping that Leigh would be his fiancee during the new year.