Part III - Escape

It was late afternoon when they arrived at a small farm house on the edge of a village. Hanks let them out and then said he was going to keep going and loop around on back roads to get home. Cumore knew what his car looked like and the bullet holes in the back were damning evidence, so leaving it parked outside was too risky.

Flynn ran to the house while Yuri, whose abuse of his leg had settled in during the long drive and left the limb a useless throbbing ache, had to wrap an arm around Judith's shoulders and hop one-footed. Inside, they were introduced to a young couple named Kellas and Teagle. A son watched them from the corner, and Kellas quickly drew the curtains shut when they were gathered in the kitchen.

"There aren't many soldiers in the village now," she explained as they all sat down. "They're off fighting a few miles away. There might be some, though, so we'll be cautious."

The young boy sat next to his parents and stared at Flynn and Yuri with curiosity. Yuri smiled at him and said, "What's your name?"

"Pauly. You're pilots, right?"

Yuri nodded. "I am. Flynn is actually a navigator. That's for people who weren't good enough to become pilots!"

Flynn looked over and said, "I heard my name, aviator, and navigator. Are you telling people I washed out of the pilot program again?"

"Me? I would never do that."

Flynn turned to Judith. "Mademoiselle Judith, could you please tell me what Yuri just said?"

Judith gave a small smile and said, "I wouldn't want to come between you."

Pauly and his parents watched blankly until Yuri looked back at them. "Ok, I lied. Actually, being a navigator is really hard. You have to do a lot of math and science and read…" Yuri faltered because the technical things Flynn had to know to navigate properly were beyond his grasp of French. "His job takes more thinking and planning. He can tell exactly where in the world we are by looking at the stars and a…" He glanced at Judith. "How do you say 'sextant' in French?"

"Sextant."

"Oh. That's easy. Stars and a sextant. It's pretty amazing."

Pauly frowned. "What's a sextant?"

Ok, maybe translating didn't matter anyway. "It's a… thing." Yuri made a triangle with his fingers. "For checking angles."

"So he does boring math and you fly aeroplanes?"

Yuri thought about this. He really did think Flynn was exceptionally talented and he certainly couldn't do anything at night without his partner watching the radar and manning the wireless. Yuri could never had handled all the classwork and training Flynn had gone through, and he fully deserved the commission that made him an officer. Flying had come naturally to Yuri and it had taken only a few months to feel like the plane was an extension of himself when he looped through the air. Flying took skill, sure, but it wasn't really difficult the way Flynn's job was. "Basically."

"You sound like you're really proud of him," Judith said.

Yuri shrugged. "He's a pretty amazing guy. He was still a few weeks away from being seventeen when he joined. Officially too young, but they didn't actually care. He worked really hard, too. Most officers are rich kids, and only the very top of the class gets offered a… what do you call it, a post as an officer." He couldn't say 'commission' in English, of course, or Flynn would know he was talking about his achievements. Yuri spent a lot of time insulting Flynn to his face and he couldn't ruin it now.

Flynn just sighed and leaned back in his chair. "If you're still talking about me, I deny all of it." He closed his eyes and pressed his hand against his wounded arm.

As they talked, Kellas left the table to prepare food. Yuri felt the urge to jump up and offer assistance, but after gouging open his wound and walking around on his knee (and Cumore was hardly considerate while marching him to the jeep) he didn't think standing up was in his best interest.

"Judith," Flynn said, "please tell Kellas and Teagle I'm grateful for their hospitality and I hope they won't get in trouble for this."

She relayed the message and then Teagle nodded briefly. "We've been part of the resistance for years. Besides, we've been hearing explosions all morning. The Allies will be here within a few days. The Germans have more things to worry about right now than people like us."

Judith translated for Flynn's sake while Yuri thought about how stupid Cumore must be. The joint forces of the United States and the United Kingdom were bearing down on them and driving them out of France, and he was caught up with antagonizing one downed airman.

"Our plan is to leave tonight," Judith said. "We need to cut through the trees north of the village. Then we'll sneak past the guards at night and find Allied soldiers who can give us a ride to the hospital."

"That's going to be dangerous," Teagle said.

Yuri explained the plan to Flynn, who then looked to Judith. "Are you coming with us?"

Judith nodded. "Of course."

"You might get hurt."

She raised her eyebrows. "As opposed to the rescue operation we pulled this morning? Besides, I don't have a choice. Cumore has proof I was harbouring airmen now, so I can hardly go back to my village before it's liberated. Plus, your government offers a reward for returning airmen."

Yuri gave her a look. "Is that why you were helping us? For the reward money?"

She smiled sweetly. "It certainly helps."

After supper, Yuri sat at the table with Pauly, feeling useless. Kellas had gone to get supplies from a friend while Teagle and Judith cleaned up the kitchen. Yuri was told to keep sitting, because they were going to be doing a lot of walking tonight and he needed to rest his leg as much as possible. Flynn stayed seated as well, and Yuri couldn't help noticing how pale he looked. Across the table, Pauly sat with his chin resting in his arms.

"You're looking sad," Yuri said.

Pauly's eyes swivelled up to him. "I'm just…" He glanced to his father at the kitchen sink. "I'm thinking about what you guys were talking about at supper. About the fighting that's coming."

"Are you scared?"

Pauly nodded. "I don't really remember the first battle. When the Germans first came, I mean. Dad says there's going to be fighting in the village."

Yuri nodded slowly. "I know… it can be pretty scary when the fighting is happening around you."

Pauly scowled. "It's not scary for you. You're a soldier."

"I am now, but I wasn't a few years ago. I have a friend who was about your age when our city got bombed. We were all really scared."

"Even you?"

Yuri smiled. "Sure. Bombs falling from the sky would scare anyone. You know what I did?"

"What?"

"Exactly what the… what do you call them, Air Raid Wardens… the people who make sure everyone is following the safety rules. We did exactly what they told us to do. When things got dangerous, we ran for cover and we stayed there until they said it was safe to come out. Even when it was pretty scary underground and I wanted to make a run for it instead of sitting there."

"And everything was ok?"

"Sure." Except for Mr. and Mrs. Heurassein, who'd done exactly as they were supposed to and still didn't make it. Pauly didn't need to know about that. "So when the fighting comes to your village, you need to do exactly as your parents tell you. If they tell you to hide inside, don't try to run away. You'll be all right. The man who's coming is called Colonel Whitehorse. He's freed a bunch of towns already. He's unstoppable."

"And you'll be there too, right?"

"Sure." Not really. Invasions happened in daylight, while Yuri had made his career as a night fighter. "Maybe the Germans will even run away as soon as they see the army coming."

Pauly smiled. "I really hope so."

A few minutes later, the front door opened and Kellas hurried inside with a pair of crutches. "A German captain arrived in town. He's searching all the houses. You need to leave now."

"Damn, I thought we'd have more time," Yuri said.

Flynn looked between them. "What's happening?"

Yuri stood up with help from the table. "Cumore's here. Time to skedaddle."

Kellas handed the crutches to Yuri. "Here. I stopped at the nurse's house for these."

"I can't take these. I won't have a way to give them back."

Judith said, "I'm not dragging a lame man through enemy territory. Take the crutches or stay here. You can return them after this village is liberated."

"Fine." Yuri took them and positioned them under his arms. "Flynn, you ready to go?"

He nodded while Teagle opened the back door.

"When they come here, we'll hold them up. We'll let slip that you're hiding here and keep them searching while you escape."

"Thanks. Let's head out." Judith led the way out the door, followed by Flynn. Yuri looked back to give Pauly a smile and then hurried into the warm night.

Judith crept to the edge of the house and peeked around the corner before waving them across. Yuri moved as stealthily as he could while hobbling on crutches. The wooden feet seemed to land on every dry leaf. Flynn wasn't moving much faster, and he stopped to lean against a house and catch his breath after every dash across open space.

At the edge of the village was a stretch of about thirty feet to the trees. They sat on the dry grass behind a house, listening to shouts in German not too far away.

"We're going to need to make a run for it," Judith said.

Yuri glanced at his leg and then glanced at Flynn, whose eyes were closed. "Running might be asking too much. Flynn, are you all right?"

Flynn opened his eyes and nodded. "Yes. Just… tired."

Yuri scanned the meadow they needed to cross. The grass was just long enough that they might be able to hide under it. "We'll crawl. Go for stealth over speed. Sorry, but I don't think either of us is going to outrun anyone."

"You're right. Ok, follow me." Judith pressed herself into the ground and crawled on her stomach into the grass.

"You sure you're all right?" Yuri asked as Flynn hefted himself to follow.

Flynn hesitated for a moment and then said, "No, but I'll be even less all right if the Jerries catch us, so let's go."

They both moved slowly. Flynn had only one arm to work with while Yuri struggled to drag his leg and crawl with the crutches in hand. Stealth over speed, he reminded himself. A half-moon rose, making the field dark enough to creep through. Cumore and the Tweedles would still be banging on doors in the village now, and as long as they moved slowly and quietly, it didn't matter how long it took them to reach the trees.

Despite those thoughts, it still came as a relief when he passed into the darkness of the woods. He and Flynn leaned against trees to rest while Judith hid behind a bush and peered at the village.

"Let me see your arm," Yuri muttered.

"It'll hold out until we get to the hospital."

Yuri leaned over. "I said let me see it." He rolled up Flynn's sleeve and winced at the fresh red spot on the white bandages. "It's bleeding again."

"I know, but not excessively. I'll be fine."

Yuri frowned, but there wasn't anything to do now. They could hardly walk back to the village and ask for medical help. Whether or not Flynn could hold out until they reached the hospital, it was their only option.

"Merde," Judith whispered. "They're coming this way."

Yuri shot his head to the village and saw the beams of torches dancing over the field. "Keep moving."

"I think the German regiment is camped about half a mile east of us," Judith whispered. "But stay on guard just in case."

They darted from tree to tree, using the stars as a guide. Every time they came to a clearing, Flynn checked the sky to make sure they were still heading the right way. The forest was far too quiet for comfort, and Yuri wondered how many animals had run away as the cannons got closer.

Animals were the least of Yuri's concerns. Cumore and the Tweedles were behind them, an entire regiment of Germans was beside them, and their own infantry was in front of them. Yuri, who as an Air Force man had a dim view of any armed service member who kept their feet on the ground, didn't trust the brownjobs in the infantry not to shoot first and ask for ID never if they saw them sneaking into Allied territory.

They had to move slow. Flynn spent most of the trek clutching his arm and growing paler every time enough light made it through the trees to see his face. Yuri's crutches twisted on roots and he wobbled on the uneven ground.

They heard footsteps behind them. Yuri checked over his shoulder and saw the glow of torches through the trees. His heart skipped a beat; the Tweedles were catching up. "They're coming," he hissed. "Let's split up. There's three of us and two of them; at least one of us ought to make it."

There wasn't time to argue. Flynn and Judith scampered to the sides, leaving Yuri to keep going straight since he had the most trouble moving. They disappeared into the underbrush and Yuri dropped to the ground. He'd crawl and make himself as unnoticeable as possible.

Safety was so close he could taste it. He was still too exposed where he was, so he crawled toward a bush. If he sat tight until the Tweedles moved on, he could make a break for friendly territory. Yuri pulled himself over a root and began sliding into a hollow between the trunk and a neighboring bush.

"Halt, ich sage!" came a shout and then wood splinters dusted him as a bullet hit the trunk.

Yuri pulled himself the rest of the way behind the bush, but he didn't have a plan from there. Bullets would easily go through leaves and he didn't have the means to fight back or make a run for it. More bullets hit the ground so close that the dust hit him. The only thing he could do was surrender and make sure the Tweedles were preoccupied with him so Flynn and Judith could make a break for it.

Yuri shoved his arms in the air so they waved over the bush. "Don't shoot! Uh – shooten Sie nicht!"

"Steht auf!" Tweedle B shouted.

He was ninety-percent sure that had been 'stand up', but that was easier said than done. Yuri pushed against the ground and struggled to get upright without hurting his leg any more than it already was.

Another warning shot whizzed past his head. "Steht auf jetzt!"

"Christ, give me a second!"

Another gun fired, but this time it came from the right and made the Tweedles scatter. The air reeked of gunpowder as bullets flew through the trees. Flynn and Judith fired from both sides and Yuri was starting to think this was going to work out when he heard a grunt and a thud.

"Don't shoot!" Flynn shouted. "Nicht schießen!"

Footsteps stomped through the trees and more bullets came from Judith's side. Tweedle A ran to Yuri's hiding place while Tweedle B dragged Flynn into the clearing. Flynn clutched his arm and gritted his teeth, and a fresh streak of blood dripped down his shoulder.

"Come out with your hands up!" Tweedle A shouted in French. "We will shoot your friends!"

Yuri looked up at Tweedle A. "You guys speak French?! This could have saved me so much trouble!"

Tweedle A ignored him until a pistol was thrown into the clearing and Judith stepped into view with her hands raised and her head held higher.

"I was out of bullets anyway."

Tweedle A pulled Yuri out from behind the bush and said something to B. They had a brief discussion in German while Judith sat next to Yuri.

"Sorry," she said in a low voice.

"It's all right." He should be the one apologizing. It was their fault she'd been pulled into this mess, and she would be in more trouble if caught. Unlike Yuri and Flynn, she actually was a target for the Gestapo with all her resistance activity.

Tweedle B ripped the sleeve off Flynn's shirt. The new wound wasn't as bad as the first; it looked like a bullet had grazed the skin without actually penetrating. Blood was soaking the bandage, though, because it seemed that at some point in today's activity, Judith's amateur stitches had come undone.

"Sit still," Tweedle A said to Yuri and Judith. "We will attend to your friend first."

They had time. A few minutes perhaps, but it was something they could work with. There were more soldiers back in the village and once they were in Cumore's custody, there wasn't much they could do. He felt guilty for thinking it, but he hoped Flynn's injury was serious enough to hold them up for as long as possible.

"Maybe this is for the best," Yuri said casually to Judith.

"Why do you say that?"

"We're still about sixty miles to the airfield and the RAF. We'll have to deal with the army first, and they might shoot us on sight."

Judith cocked her head. "Your own men?"

"It's the colonel in charge, Whitehorse. He's ruthless and the sentries along the front might have orders to shoot anyone on sight."

"I heard you mention him at supper. Is he really that bad?"

Yuri cast a quick look to the Tweedles to check if they were listening. "He's a great commander but he's a real butcher. According to rumour, he had a wife and daughter who were killed in the Coventry bombing a few years back. His son was killed on the beach back in June. He's basically an unstoppable mountain of anger toward Germans. I heard he unofficially told his officers not to take any prisoners."

"My goodness. And everyone says the British are so polite."

"It's not all of us. My Squadron Leader, Niren, is a great guy. Any Luftwaffe pilots shot down over our territory are treated well, I know for a fact. I'd much rather get captured by the Air Force than the Army."

Judith yawned and stretched her legs. "Doesn't really matter to me. Maybe I should make a run for it and force them to shoot me. It would probably be better than going to the Gestapo."

"Could be. I don't think they'd spare you for being a woman."

"Not likely. After all the trouble you've caused Cumore, I bet he'll find some excuse to accuse you of being spies still."

"Looks like all three of us have getting tortured to death to look forward to. Lucky us."

"Maybe only two of us. I doubt Cumore will put any priority in getting Flynn to proper medical treatment. He'll bleed out within hours."

The Tweedles finished replacing the blood-stained bandage on Flynn's arm and then stood up. They looked down at their prisoners and Yuri hid a satisfied smile at the apprehension on their faces.

Tweedle B looked up at his taller companion and then said something in German. They huddled close and had a hurried conversation which included a lot of glances at Yuri and Judith and even more mentions of Cumore.

Yuri crawled closer to Flynn, lying in the leaves. "How're you doing?" he whispered.

Flynn cracked his eyes open and took a deep breath. "I can't believe I got shot twice."

Yuri cracked a grin. "What did I tell you about that photo? It's a bullet magnet."

The Tweedles turned around and glanced at each other, each urging the other to speak first.

"We've been discussing…"

"And we've decided this is for the best."

"We'd like to… well…."

"I say, please accept our surrender!"

"We didn't want any of this!" Tweedle B said. "We enlisted to help our country, but Herr Kapitän Cumore is taking it too far. Giving downed airmen to the Gestapo is a crime!"

"Plus, he would have let you kill Boccos," Tweedle A said.

Boccos nodded fervently. "And we don't want to be accused of being complicit in his crimes. He would have had us shot for disobeying orders, but transporting you to the Gestapo is wrong."

"Take us as your prisoners. The war isn't going to last much longer anyway, and I'd rather surrender now than fight civilians in the village."

And though they were too proud to say it, Yuri was willing to bet part of the conversation in German had been about the pros and cons of surrendering to the Air Force versus waiting for the evil Colonel Whitehorse to slaughter them. Yuri didn't actually know anything about Whitehorse other than that he was the leader of the nearest infantry regiment and had a reputation as a firm but fair commander, but the Tweedles didn't need to know that.

"Very well, I accept your surrender," Yuri said. After Judith helped him to his feet, he added, "Give us your weapons."

Flynn stared up at them in confusion and wearily said, "Someone please explain in English."

"We're taking them prisoner."

"We're what?"

"They're our captives now." Judith took the rifles and pistols from the soldiers.

Flynn turned his head to his bloody arm. "How much blood did I lose? Am I delirious?"

"I'll explain later." Yuri leaned on the crutch and then gave Flynn a hand to his feet. Flynn wavered and Tweedle A caught him. "Oh – I'm supposed to get your names and ranks and stuff, but I think that can wait until we get back to our side."

Judith led the way with her arms full of guns. Flynn leaned on Tweedle A for support, which wasn't how taking prisoners was supposed to go. Yuri limped along in the rear, struggling to keep up until they made it out of the woods and into another field. At the end of the field was a hedge, and when they were about twenty feet from it, bullets peppered the dirt in front of them.

"Drop your weapons!" came a shout and Judith let the rifles fall to the ground as she raised her arms.

"Don't shoot!" Yuri shouted, hurrying to the front as fast as he could. "We're on your side!"

"Oh, yeah?" the voice called back. "Then what's Babe Ruth's batting average?"

Yuri stared blankly at the hedge and then looked to Flynn for help.

Flynn frowned and then said, "I think he's a baseball player. I heard him mentioned in Canada."

"Bloody Americans," Yuri muttered. Louder, he called, "We're British, you idiots! I don't know anything about baseball! But you might notice I'm speaking English very fluently with an obvious English accent. The lieutenant here is injured and we need to get to the hospital right away."

There was more discussion behind the hedge and then they were told, "All right, approach slowly and show us your dog tags."

Yuri had a brief mental image of his tags disappearing into Cumore's pocket. "I don't have mine. They were confiscated."

"What? They can't do that. That's illegal."

"I'll be sure to let him know."

"I have mine." Flynn fumbled at his neck with his good arm.

Judith stepped forward and let him lean on her as he made his way forward. When they got close, rifles and helmeted heads poked over the hedge . He pulled the cord from his neck and held it over the hedge. "I'm Lieutenant Flynn Scifo, 604th Squadron, RAF Second Tactical Air Force, and this is Flight Sergeant Yuri Lowell, from the same. His tags were confiscated by a German officer trying to frame him as a spy. We got shot down two nights ago and need to get back to the airfield up at Picauville. Actually, the nearest field hospital would be better. I've been shot."

"And who're they?" One of them – a corporal based on the chevrons on his sleeve – gestured at Judith and the Tweedles with his gun. "Why you got krauts with you?"

"Judith is a French civilian who helped us escape. These two… sorry, I didn't get their names… are our prisoners."

The Americans exchanged a glance. "Your… prisoners? You're coming back with prisoners?"

"That's right," Yuri said. "They surrendered to me and I'm taking them into custody."

After another confused stare, the Americans broke into laughter. "I don't think anyone's ever escaped enemy territory with prisoners before." He handed the tags back. "All right, get over here and we'll give you a lift."

There was a gap in the hedge a few yards away which they quickly crossed. On the other side, a pair of privates ran to Flynn to help him stay upright on the way to a jeep. Yuri didn't think he had ever been so happy to be surrounded by Americans.

It was close to midnight when they arrived at the cluster of tents in a field, all with big white crosses on the tops. The Americans said farewell and Yuri found himself in the care of his own army. He suddenly realized that despite the pain, frustration, and near miss with torturous death, the last few days had been a nice reprieve from structure. Somehow, even without his uniform on, he seemed to radiate the message 'I am a sergeant who has not been given orders in the past two days', and officers raced to fix that.

He had everything under control, he wanted to argue, but the presence of German soldiers required an officer to swoop in and take command. The Tweedles were shuttled off, presumably to be sent to some prison camp in England to wait out the rest of the war.

Meanwhile, a group of women in blue dresses ran toward them with a stretcher. The nurses took a quick look at Flynn's arm and Yuri's leg and easily decided Flynn was the more pressing concern. They ignored his protests that he could certainly walk and carried Flynn away without another word.

"He's going to be fine," Judith said with a smile.

Yuri pulled his eyes away from the tent flap Flynn had been taken through. "Huh?"

"You look worried."

"I know he will be."

"Yuri!" A new voice shouted his name and dashed between the rows of tents toward him. Seconds later, Estelle crashed into him and nearly knocked him over. "It's really you! I heard the other girls say a couple of injured airmen had made it back, but I didn't know – I mean, I didn't want to get my hopes up…"

Yuri didn't let go of his crutches as she clung to him. "Heh, yes, it's me. Flynn is all right, too."

Estelle pulled away, but she wasn't satisfied yet. She looked Yuri up and down, took in the crutches, the dirt smudged into his clothes, and the dark purple bruise under his eye from where Cumore had struck him, and declared, "Come with me right now. I'll get you patched up."

Estelle was in a nightgown and had apparently been sleeping when they arrived, but this didn't seem to bother her as she led him and Judith into another tent.

"This is Judith, by the way," Yuri said as he sat in a chair. "She helped us get back."

"Then I owe you my thanks," Estelle said with a smile. "Oh, Yuri, I was so worried. Your friends at the airfield let me know when you didn't come back from your mission and I feared the worst." She rolled up his leg and examined his swollen knee. "I already sent letters to Karol and Rita, though, right after I found out. I'll have to write them again right away and hope the post goes through quickly. I'd hate for them to worry." She replaced the bandages on his knee and then inspected the gash on his leg. "My goodness, what happened to your leg?"

"That's partially my fault. I got hit by some shrapnel but widened it later."

Her head shot up. "What did you do that for? Tell me the whole story."

Estelle dutifully cleaned him up with Yuri explained everything that had happened, from chasing the Luftwaffe plane too far to nearly getting shot by Americans for not knowing enough about baseball. When he was done, he had a freshly cleaned and dressed leg and new clothes.

Still on crutches, the three of them headed to the medical tent to find Flynn. He lay in bed with his arm in a sling, but he was awake and smiled when he saw them.

"Estelle. It's good to see you."

"Yuri told me everything."

He shuffled and sat up in bed. "We've had an adventurous couple of days."

"Did they tell you where you're going now?"

Flynn nodded. "I'm going to be transferred to a military hospital in England for a few weeks until my arm heals. What about you, Yuri?"

He shrugged. "No one's told me yet, but considering I can't walk I'm guessing I have a couple weeks of leave to look forward to." It was a tricky area, because he wasn't injured enough to need hospitalization, but he couldn't perform his duties, either.

"What about you, Judith?" Flynn asked.

She crossed her arms and shrugged. "Maybe I'll see about going to England with you. I can't go back to my village for another month or so. Who knows, maybe it will be a nice getaway."

Yuri found a chair and rested his leg. "You know, what's really important to take away from all this is that the score now stands at me getting shot zero times and Flynn getting shot twice."

Flynn glared at him. "I got shot saving your life, you know."

Yuri's smile said it all, freeing his mouth to scoff, "I would've been fine." He gingerly stretched his leg and yawned. "I think I'm gonna hit the hay. Estelle, can we take those empty beds?"

"Oh, sure. Unless any more wounded come in, they're free. You're right, you've been up for a long time and you've had a very stressful day."

"Excellent." Yuri took the closest bed and melted into the mattress. It was only a mattress in the sense that it was on a bed and was softer than the springs below, but after a day of getting shot at and arrested, it was a cloud. He'd get a couple weeks of R and R after this - maybe he'd be able to pay Karol a visit.

But he'd be back. This was just a sprain and would hardly put him out of the war. The war often felt slightly unreal when he experienced it in the sky and through radar screens, but crashing down into the thick of it had made him more determined than ever to help the people he'd met.

"I'll leave you to sleep." Estelle pulled the blanket up to Yuri's chin and hugged him again. "I'm glad you made it back safely."

Yuri smirked. "So am I."

She left and Yuri rolled on his side. "You know… I'm rather disappointed we didn't get to see Paris. I've always heard it's a nice city."

Flynn's droll voice cut through the darkness. "Yes, Yuri, I'm sure it would have been lovely. I'm so sorry we interrupted your trip."

"You ever been to Paris, Judy?"

"A couple of times. It's nice enough. A little crowded."

"Let's go sometime, Flynn. We can take Estelle and Karol and Rita, too."

Judith said, "The trip might be a little disappointing right now, what with all the Nazis."

Flynn yawned and said, "Nazis do tend to sober an otherwise enjoyable outing. We'll go when the war is over."

Yuri stared into the darkness of the tent. He'd heard those last five words frequently in the past few years, but they were finally at a point when he could see them coming to fruition. They'd broken into Fortress Europe and were making their way steadily into the continent. It couldn't be long now until a trip to Paris really might be possible. With a twinge of a smile, he said, "Right. When the war is over."

A/N: Thank you for reading! If you're historically inclined, you may be interested in looking up the real life 604th squadron which will give you some idea of what Yuri and Flynn were up to before and after this story.