Love this wonderfully poignant story of true friendship! Thanks for sharing it!

Addiction and PTSD are tough subjects, but I think you did a good job tackling both here, in a way that fits the characters.

Welcome back. It's been a while. This is a sad but plausible story. You let us in, skillfully, bit by bit. What led Newkirk down this path? Why him? But there is a flicker of hope at the end. From now on we only look forward. wise words. Great job.

Welcome back! You managed to tackle a difficult topic with care and grace. A couple things stood out to me. First, how Newkirk was able to steer the conversation at first so it seemed normal. At lease the words did, but LeBeau's thoughts made it clear there was something serious going on behind the words. The second thing, was the contrast you painted of how they coped with trauma: one with addiction, but the other with work and trying to make a normal life. Lastly, I like the hopefulness of the ending that still acknowledged the difficult road ahead. Look forward - I think LeBeau found a good wife. Good job!

Hi, Fear,

Here from the Forum XIIIc Reviewathon.

Whatever it was in Newkirk’s life, it must have been serious if LeBeau would leave the good life he’d made for himself to spend two weeks on the streets of London looking for his old friend after a call from him. The wording about the call was well done for I missed it and made the assumption without the words being there. When we learn who actually made the call, I think that makes the need for help more apparent and more powerful and sets up the rest of the story.

Once the connection is made, LeBeau had to walk a veritable tightrope to avoid saying the wrong thing. He needed to keep from alienating his friend and making the situation worse. It’s fortunate that LeBeau knew the truth behind it and could step in to help where Newkirk’s sister wouldn’t have a clue. Unfortunately, we the readers don’t know either and the truth we learn makes this sad tale even sadder still. As they talk, LeBeau took a chance and told Newkirk that they can get better together. As sad as this story ended up being, I’m so glad this set up an ending that was still quite sad but which offered Newkirk a lifeline and the readers a ray of hope for the men’s futures.

Not all stories are happy, but sad ones are better when they are powerful and well written like this one. Thanks for sharing it with us.

I'm shaken after reading this. I thought perhaps the addiction was due to the abuse he suffered in Stalag 13. I thought I knew exactly how it was going to play out, and then I didn't. You captured the tension - the lack of words - so well, and when LeBeau finally did know what to say... man, it was so sad. This actually made me cry. Quite a feat; well done.

Oh man. I've always thought that of all the heroes Newkirk would struggle the most to readjust, but you took that to a new level!

Very touching! Hope you'll write a follow up on Peter's recovery.

Very sad because it's very plausible. Well-written... but the idea of them being the only ones to make it out is too sad to contemplate. But you did a very good job keeping the characters real. I also liked your subtle nuances with the switch in how Peter addresses Louis throughout the story. Well done!

Fear! What a delight to see you back on this fansite! This a very touching what-if story. You offered just enough detail about what happened at the end of the war to help us understand Newkirk's pain - and kept enough under wraps to come back to this topic again if you decide to! You have always had a great ear for the characters' voices, and that's still very evident in the dialogue. The sharp change in tone when Newkirk switches from "Louis" to "LeBeau" was particularly effective in helping bring the scene to life. I could feel his warmth and trust retreating.

I noticed some words dropped out in the 1st paragraph of the story, after "storefront." I got what you were saying, but it would be great if you could update that.

I'm so happy to see you writing HH fanfic again. I know you've been busy with university and probably life in general!

Beautiful. Sad, but hopeful. :') Nice job!