The sounds of men marching on the parade ground outside woke Maria at the crack of dawn the next morning. Although she had spent months around servicemen, there was nothing quite like the sounds of base life to remind her instantly that she was home.

Shorncliffe Camp’s Mess had guest quarters for visiting Officers and it was in one of those small but neatly appointed rooms that she now found herself. Sitting up, she stretched and listened to the cadence of the marching soldiers outside and simply enjoyed the old familiar atmosphere. There might be a war on, but England felt so positively peaceful on a bright sunny morning.

Before retiring for the evening, her brother had arranged for her to board at the mess. One of the stewards had even been sent to acquire toiletries and night clothes for her. When she finally made it to the room just after midnight, she had collapsed into the bed and slept like the proverbial dead.

So far, nobody had been outwardly hostile towards her, but she had sensed a general unease from those who knew her origins. She knew it was unavoidable, but it made it no less unpleasant. A small part of her brain missed their time in Europe. Despite the danger, there she had just been Maria and nothing more. Now that she was home and her reality was known, she could tell that to some, she was viewed as a thing.

She had spoken with her brother Christopher for several long hours the night before. She had missed the man a great deal and was overjoyed at his positive reception of her. When they had spent time together, she had initially attributed their easy compatibility as siblings to their reunion. However, as the evening drew on, she began to realize it was because they now worked at a fundamental level. As brother and sister, Christopher and Maria worked.

Before, she had been the runty little brother that had to be tolerated; a burden to be protected at school out of familial obligation. Now, as a sister, she felt closer than ever to the man. She knew in no small part that her actions had earned his respect, her new preference for skirts aside. Chris had always been a man of deeds and action; that she had overcome such odds most certainly earned his approval.

Yawning, Maria slipped out of bed and stretched. She had slept in a lot of places over the last seven months, but this had been the first one that had truly felt safe. Being back in England had finally let her release a tension that she had carried since she first awoke in that French hospital in another lifetime.

Slipping her feet into the provided slippers, she wrapped the dressing gown about her shoulders to ward off the morning chill before setting off to locate the facilities.

As unfamiliar as the mess was, Military architecture in England was somewhat universal. The old buildings she found herself in reminded her almost of RAF Cranwell. Before long, and with a little logical extrapolation she had located the ablutions block. The room was cleaner than she had expected and its white tiled surfaces were warm. The air within was humid and the mirrors were fogged as though the space had only just been vacated by a prior visitor.

Leaving her belongings by the sink, Maria took her wash kit and a towel through to the showers and turned on the faucet. Stripping out of her night clothes, she stepped under the hot water and delighted as the heat worked the tension from her tired muscles. Her body ached, she was surprised how much given the prior day’s activity.

As she washed, she glanced down at her body; she was in awe of how much she had changed over the previous months. Rather than the shame she first felt, she now felt pride when she looked at her body; the softness of her skin and the smoothness of her curves fitted who she was meant to be, minus one small exception.

As she rinsed her hair, her mind turned to Andrew and their burgeoning romance. She wasn’t entirely sure how she was going to keep herself from showing her feelings when she visited him later with Christopher, but she would cross that bridge when she came to it. It was a bridge she would come to far sooner than she wished, and she was more than aware of that fact.

She was turning off the water when the door to the ablutions block creaked open signifying the arrival of another tenant of the guest quarters. Quickly wrapping her towel around her body, Maria peered out of the showers to see who had entered.

A brunette woman shuffled over to the toilets and smiled at her in passing, “Morning love.”

“I’m, ah, sorry, I won’t be long.” Maria stumbled, pulling her knickers on under her towel. “I didn’t know anyone else was staying here.”

“Just me and you I think,” the woman called from out of sight. “Giving a lecture to a bunch of new Scaleys on new radio procedure, what about you?”

Maria felt slightly unnerved by the woman’s lack of concern. “I’m not sure yet, I’ve only just gotten back to England.”

“Oh, where were you? America? Canada?”

“Germany.”

There was the sound of a flush and the woman reappeared, tossing her dressing gown over a railing as she made to brush her teeth in only her nightdress. “You’re with those POWs that came in yesterday, aren’t you? Talk of the camp that; Jerry fighters and crash landings and what was it? Luftwaffe uniforms?”

“Not much secret around here I see,” Maria smiled sheepishly.

“Doris, by the way,” The woman offered, giving Maria a finger wave, “Sublatern with Fifty-Second Signals.”

“Pilot Officer Campbell… Maria.”

“Oh, you’re WAAF eh?” I swear I saw you in ATS togs last night in the mess?”

“It was all they had,” Maria admitted. “I have basically nothing; what little I had, we left in France.”

“Oh you poor dear,” Doris smiled sadly as she brushed her teeth. “That must be bloody awful, nothing at all?”

Maria shook her head.

Doris smiled kindly, “Look, why don’t you go get yourself dressed, I’ve got some bits and bobs with me, we’ll sort you out eh?”

“Are you sure? Really?”

The woman nodded, “Sure I am love; we girls gotta stick together right?”

Thanking the woman, Maria collected her belongings and returned to her room to dress. With few possessions besides the contents of her pockets and the photo album she had managed to bring with her, she was dressed in record time. The ATS uniform still felt wrong for her, as though she was betraying her own branch but it was surely better than a German one. She left the night clothes and towels neatly folded on the bed and made her way back to the bathrooms to find Doris.

When she arrived back at the ablutions, she fought the urge to knock before entering. A small part of her brain still told her that this was not a place for her, despite every piece of evidence to the contrary. Steeling her nerves, she pushed the door open and stepped inside. The space suddenly felt extremely warm, although she couldn’t decide if it was the humidity or her own embarrassment.

Doris was drying herself off from the shower when she entered and seemed utterly unapologetic about her nudity in front of the young pilot. “Welcome back, oh, that uniform does suit you.” she grinned.

“I’d still rather it be my own,” Maria admitted, unable to look at the other woman. “But at least it fits.”

“Certainly does,” Doris observed with a raised eyebrow.

“It really feels good to be home you know, I didn’t realize just how much I missed it.”

Doris looked over as she fastened her brassiere, “So how did you get captured? In the retreat to Dunkerque?”

Maria shook her head, “No, I bailed out over France in August, Jerries captured me and tossed me in a camp in darkest Deutschland.”

“You got shot down?” Doris asked, furrowing her brow, “How’d you manage that?”

Maria realized her misstep and panicked, “I uh… I got lost over the Channel in bad weather, and ended up over occupied territory.”

The other woman seemed to accept the explanation and appeared to dismiss her panic as emotional trauma from her experiences. “I’m really sorry to hear that love, that sounds bloody awful.”

“I met some good people,” Maria admitted. “Without them, I don’t think I’d be here today.”

“Those gents you were brought in with?”

Maria nodded.

Doris finished dressing and broke out her makeup bag. She set about unpacking her collection while studying Maria’s face. “We won’t do too much, got to stay within regs, but you deserve to look your best after all that mess.”

“Thank you,” Maria offered, trying not to move as the woman attacked her face, “What little I had… it’s all gone now.”

“Anyone you’re looking forwards to seeing now you’re home? Family, a sweetheart?”

“My brother is here; he’s a Captain with the West Yorkshire Rifles. I do hope to see my parents again and my little sister too.”

“No sweetheart?”

Maria blushed at the idea of admitting her feelings, “well, perhaps.”

Doris grinned broadly, “Oh you do, don’t you! Oh, go on, share!”

Maria flushed pink as Doris worked on her eyes. “Well, one of the gentlemen I escaped with, a Navy pilot… he and I grew rather close.”

“Oh, pulled together by the horrors of war and on the run together; awfully romantic that,” the brunette enthused. “Sounds like a right paperback bodice ripper that does.”

“Maybe just a little,” Maria conceded with a grin.

Doris stepped back and smiled with satisfaction. “All done, take a look darling.”

Maria turned to the mirror and stared at her reflection. The young woman looking back was beautiful. Her own feeble attempts had been passable but they had been nothing compared to the practiced hand Doris clearly wielded. Her eyes appeared larger and her lips were red and shiny. Her cheeks carried the hint of a blush against her pale skin that made the line of her cheekbone seem more pronounced.

“Wow”

Doris grinned and began brushing her hair. “Not too bad if I do say so myself, although you were an excellent canvas, I must concede.”

“I don’t think I ever looked this good before,” Maria whispered, fighting the urge to touch her face. “Thank you.”

“Oh, it’s nothing love, just glad to be able to help.”

Finishing her hair with a few clips, Doris stood back and regarded her handiwork, and smiled broadly. “Looking smashing! That Navy man of yours isn’t going to be able to keep his hands to himself!”

“Thank you, honestly,” Maria enthused, turning to face the other woman. “I don’t know what I’d have done otherwise.”

“Oh don’t mind it,” Doris smiled pulling her into a hug. “Go see your gent and your family. Lord knows we all lose so much in this bloody war. Means we need to cherish what we got when we have it. You got lucky love; you got home, so many didn’t.”

Maria squeezed the woman back and nodded sadly. “I know it all too well.”

 

 

Captain Campbell leaned against the door of the Humber staff car, drumming his fingers on the side of the bonnet. He had agreed the night before to meet Br... Maria to drive…her, over to see the Navy chap hurt during their escape from Europe. This whole mess confused him more out of habit than actuality. Everything he saw made him want to refer to his sibling in the feminine, but his memories were taking far longer to convince.

The family had learned of Brian’s capture only a week after he had been reported missing. During these uncertain times, a report of a pilot missing in action usually meant that they were, in fact, dead. When they received news of Brian’s disappearance they had like most, feared the worst. The entire mess had hit their mother very hard indeed. She had always been close with Brian; the eventual news of his capture had given her hope, but the truth was none of them had expected to see him again before the war was over. What that world would even look like, had been a mystery.

The war had changed them all. Seeing their younger brother go off to fight had been the strangest part of all for Chris and Richard. Brian had barely survived boarding school when the war broke out and like the rest of them, he went off to do his patriotic duty. Their younger brother had never been the military sort, nor had he shown the fortitude to fight. Chris would freely admit that he had been shocked to see the boy go to war.

Brian had always loved flying and it was one of the few things he had excelled at as a child. He had always loved being alone up there in the blue, dancing amongst the clouds. That he ended up in a front-line fighter squadron had certainly surprised them, but they had been proud of him all the same. To learn he had gone down alone in a dogfight over the channel had seemed like such a tragic end.

Little Brian had always been a gentle boy; he had never shown interest in sports like Richard or himself. Moreso, they both had to regularly intervene on his behalf at school when people picked on him. On more than one occasion they had joked that he was more like their sister Anna, but now that was no longer a joke.

When he had received word that Brian might have escaped and made it home to England he found himself equal parts shocked and overjoyed. If true, it was wonderful news, but it was certainly out of the ordinary: Escaping a prison camp and fleeing across an occupied continent had never seemed like something Brian might do.

When the MP’s had explained that this Blonde Fraulein was claiming to be their brother he had laughed at the very idea. That was until he had listened in to her interrogation. Even before he had given the questions to Captain Welgate, the woman had seemed undeniably familiar. She wasn’t Brian, that much was certain, but he was positive that Brian was somewhere inside her. Whoever had gone down in France, had returned changed. The changes had been more than merely physical; the young woman who was his newest sister had a confidence that Brian had never before possessed. She had a certainty and a drive that had never existed in the youngest Campbell boy. She had a completeness to her where once Brian had seemed like a missed opportunity.

The heavy Mess door clunked in its frame causing Christopher to glance over. A pretty blonde in an ATS uniform walked casually down the steps and began to stroll across the parade ground. It took him a second to realize that it was Maria. With her hair and makeup done, the difference was stark; he was looking at the spitting image of his mother as a young woman.

“Bloody hell Spud.”

Maria raised an eyebrow, “Something wrong?”

“You look…”

Maria smiled coyly, “What is it, Chris? Cat got your tongue?”

The elder Campbell shook his head and grinned. “Don’t do that Spud; it’s not right you know. You looking like that… and you sound like Anna right now.”

“I do?”

Christopher nodded. “You know just when to tease your brother, it’s unnatural.”

“I mean it all happened somewhat naturally.”

“You know what I mean Spud,” Chris sighed before turning to the car. “Anyway, in you get, we’ve got visiting time at the Navy Hospital so you can see your friend.”

Maria carefully climbed into the car beside her brother and turned to face him. “I suppose I hadn’t asked, but how do you think Mother and Father will react to all of this?”

Christopher started the car and pulled away before answering. “I don’t know Spud; they will be glad that you’re alive of course, but they will certainly be shocked. Father, well, he will struggle with it I suspect. You returning as the conquering hero might soften that, or is it heroine now? Mum? She will probably be fine.”

They drove along the streets of Folkstone for a moment in silence before Maria dared to bring up what she wanted to say.

“Chris, I have to tell you something.”

Chris Campbell glanced over at Maria as they drove, “What? That you’re a woman?”

Maria rolled her eyes, “No, well, but it is related though.”

“You’re going to tell me that you’re sweet on this Navy chap eh? You’re afraid that, on top of being a girl, liking boys might somehow be a step too far for me?”

Maria wasn’t sure what to say to her brother. Obviously, he’d hit the very difficult nail right on the head.

“Yes, I suppose that is what I’m saying.”

Chris smiled kindly, “Good for you Spud. You showed almost zero interest in romance before all this mess, I won’t begrudge you some happiness.”

Maria reached over and squeezed her brother’s hand. “Thank you, this… isn’t too strange for you?”

“Honestly, it just means less competition for me and Richy-boy, so I'm all for it.”

“I’m serious!” she pouted.

Chris shrugged. “It took me a lot longer to get my head around the fact that you’re a girl, Spud. Once I got my head there, it didn’t make sense any other way. This way, it just seems correct, no? If you’re a woman, you’d be expected to want to find yourself a gent.”

“It took me a lot of soul searching to get my head around it,” she admitted quietly, watching the houses pass from the window.

“Is he good to you?”

Maria smiled at her brother, “I wouldn’t be here without him.”

 

 

They arrived at the Royal Naval Hospital in Dover a little after ten that morning. The hospital was a large whitewashed building located right in the middle of the city by Pencester Gardens. Like most larger buildings at the time, its ground floor was heavily cladded with sandbags.

A stressed receptionist checked over Christopher’s credentials before admitting them and directing them up to the correct floor and ward. As they wandered the corridors bustling with nurses and orderlies, Maria was saddened by just how many men were missing limbs and disfigured by the horrors of war. Having been in Europe for the last eight months, she felt so utterly disconnected from the reality back at home.

Andrew was sitting up in his bed reading the newspaper. He felt rather guilty for taking up a bed, but the doctors had insisted on keeping him in overnight for observation. Apparently, he had lost rather a great deal of blood. He was finishing catching up on the sports section when he first spotted the pretty blonde ATS officer enter with a Captain. Not being an Army man himself, he had initially ignored the pair before realising quite to his surprise that the pretty blonde was none other than his Maria.

She caught his eye as she walked over, a broad smile on her ruby-red lips. Her hair and makeup were perfect and the uniform, while not her own, looked a damn sight better than the Luftwaffe blue-grey she had been wearing for most of the past week.

“How are you feeling?” she asked as she sat delicately on the edge of his bed.

“I’ve been worse,” he admitted dryly. “I feel a damn sight better now you’re here though.”

Maria blushed and glanced up at the Captain beside her. “Ah, Lieutenant Commander Matheson, this is Captain Christopher Campbell, my older brother.”

“Andrew,” he offered, extending his hand to the elder Campbell. “Maria here has told me a great deal about you.”

“Chris,” he replied taking the hand. “I hope it wasn’t all bad, knowing her.”

“She was quite complimentary of Big Brother” He conceded before turning to Maria. “Although you never told me, is this the one that wet the bed, or the one that cried in the school play?”

Maria went to slap Matheson’s arm before rethinking her choice and scowling instead. “That’s mean, I never said that.”

“Heard you got winged on the way back old boy, how’s the arm?” Chris asked.

Andrew shrugged and winced at the movement, “Could be better, but no permanent damage. They’ll have me out of here in a day apparently. They need the beds for real wounded men probably.”

“Good to hear old boy.” He gave Matheson a serious look. Tell you what, I’ll leave you in peace to catch up. Do me a favor, look after my little sister, would you?”

Andrew exchanged a look with the elder Campbell that carried a great deal of meaning, “I will.”

Maria watched her brother retreat back toward the entrance to give them some space before returning her attention to the man who meant so very much to her.

“I missed you so much,” she admitted, squeezing his leg.

“It was only one night,” he chuckled. “And you went and changed branches on me.”

“This?” she asked, plucking at the uniform. “It was all they had at the time.”

“It looks amazing on you; you, look amazing.”

Maria blushed and bit her lip, “thank you.”

“God, I love it when you do that,” he whispered softly, stroking her cheek. It drives me bloody wild.”

Maria smiled shyly back, “I can live with that.”

“When I’m out of here and we’re all settled, I really do want to make a go of things.” Andrew insisted. “Sod anyone else, I won’t pass this up; I love you.”

“You… love me?” She asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

Andrew nodded and took her hand in his. “I’ve loved you for some time, but it only made sense on the way home in that bloody tin can. There was a moment where we thought it was all over, when I thought were were all about to buy it. I knew right then that the only thing that mattered was you.”

Maria felt her stomach flip. “I… love you too,” she whispered.

 

 

By the door to the ward, Chris Campbell stood watching the exchange between his little sister and the wounded Lieutenant Commander.

“God that’s adorable,” the nurse beside him opined. “You’re positive that she’s Brian?”

“Maria is what she uses now,” he corrected, not taking his eyes off the two young lovers. Brian really doesn’t fit her anymore.”

“I always wanted a sister,” the nurse smiled, looking up at Chris. “Three brothers was always such a bore. I used to pretend he was my sister when we were little; there was always this… I don’t know, feeling about him?”

“I didn’t see it at the time, but now, I can’t unsee it.”

“Something like that,” Anna Campbell agreed.

“Ready to go meet her?”

“I really don’t want to interrupt that,” the youngest Campbell sibling replied as she watched the heartfelt exchange between the two lovers.

“Come on, she’ll have plenty of time to be soppy later.”

 

 

Maria leaned in to kiss Andrew on the tip of his nose. Displaying affection in public was still new for her, but she decided she quite liked it after all.

“I’ve got orders to return to Biggin Hill tomorrow to debrief,” she admitted sadly. “They want me to sit down with a bunch of intelligent bods. Will you visit when they let you out?”

“Just try and stop me.”

Andrew glanced over Maria’s shoulder at an approaching nurse, accompanied by Chris Campbell, and raised an eyebrow. “I only just had my dressing changed, please tell me that you’re turfing me out already?”

The nurse shook her head and smiled. “You’re not I’m afraid, but you’ll need far more than a dressing if you break my big sister’s heart.”

Maria spun around and came face to face with her youngest sibling.

“Anna? Oh my god, Anna!”

The young woman smiled as the blonde hugged her tightly. “Oh Anna I’ve mi… sister?”

Holding Maria at arm's length Anna inclined her head and grinned. “Well I don’t think brother really works now does it?”

“How are you here? You’re a nurse?”

Anna nodded happily and flicked the metal badge on her uniform. “Queen Alexandria’s Royal Naval Nursing Service, yup.”

Maria sighed happily. “I end up in a prisoner of war camp for eight months and the whole world changes.”

Anna cocked an eyebrow and smiled “Really? You escape Nazi-occupied Europe, find a gorgeous chap, and turn up looking like this and you have the gall to say that I’ve changed?”

“I never said I was entirely without blame.” Maria conceded with a grin.

“Right!” Anna announced grasping her sister’s hand. “You boys get to know each other better. I’m stealing this lady for some much-needed catching up.”

Without further ado, the young woman dragged her sister from the ward before anyone had time to protest.

When the dust had settled, Chris turned to the Navy Officer on the bed and shrugged apologetically. “You’ll get used to that old bean. Once her mind is made up, there’s no stopping Anna; she’s a force of nature.”

Matheson smirked. “I hate to tell you this, but the other one is no different either.”

 

 

The hospital grounds were a refuge of peace compared to the oppressive tide of humanity contained within its walls. As she walked beside her younger sister, Maria’s mind flashed back to a very similar garden where she had first been confronted with the news that her life would change forever.

“It’s amazing to see you again Anna. You can’t believe how many times I thought about you while I was over there; you, the boys, and our parents.”

Anna glanced over and smiled. “When they informed us you were missing I cried for days. I didn’t think I could go on without you in the world.”

“I guess I’m not what you imagined when you got the news that I’d made it home.”

Anna stopped beside a wooden bench and pulled her sister down until they were seated facing one another. “No, you’re not, but I want to tell you the truth, so bear with me, okay?”

The young nurse tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and gazed out across the garden. “When we were little and it was just the two of us, I always imagined you as my big sister. You were never like Chris or Ricky, never a boisterous boy. You had this, feminine energy about you.”

Maria made to say something but Anna held her hand up and continued, “I’m not saying that you were terribly girly or anything of the sort, but you just seemed more sensitive, more in touch with your feelings than the other boys. When we used to play, you’d always come up with such wonderful stories for our games.”

Maria smiled at the recollection. “I really enjoyed those times together.”

“Me too,” Anna smiled. “It was always my favorite time.”

“And here I am, I suppose.”

“Here you are… and I must say darling; wow.” Anna enthused with a grin. “You are beautiful, my sister!”

“It feels amazing to hear you say that,” Maria admitted, choking on her emotions. “I never really understood how I felt until the accident left me changing. At first, I was so embarrassed that I really didn’t think about how I felt; all that mattered was I felt shame. I was mostly frustrated that I’d waited that long to feel like a man, and all of a sudden, it would never ever happen. I never stopped to think that I didn’t feel like one for a reason.

Eventually, with the help of a kind doctor, I began to accept that this was the path my body was taking. That with or without the accident, this likely would have happened. My path was never destined to be like theirs and I didn’t need to feel shame at being different. Only then did I realize that I was far happier.”

“You were never like them, not one bit.” Anna opined. I’m sure they’ll work out the why one day, but I can’t help but feel like it was your destiny.”

“That’s one way to put it,” she agreed.

Squeezing her sister’s hand, Maria looked out across the garden’s bushes and trees, their true glory still awaiting the coming of spring. “When I first accepted that this was my path, my truth, I had one hope beyond all others; that you might understand.”

Anna smiled and nodded. “This war, it brings so much pain and suffering. Death and destruction. The Germans; they bomb our cities by night and they torpedo our ships. It is truly the darkest of times. Despite all that horror, I am grateful.

I am grateful because while it took my sweet, sensitive kind brother. it returned to me a wonderful, beautiful, and fearce sister.”

 

 

Maria sat impatiently outside the committee room at RAF Cranfield. She had been called back to speak to a special panel convened to go over the events of what the group now referred to as their Grand European Holiday. For most prisoners of war, they received a pat on the back and got sent back to their squadrons with nothing further to concern them; after all, there was a war on. In their particular case, command was quite keen to hear the true ungilded facts behind their exploits on the continent. It wasn’t often that a prison breakout caused as much damage as theirs had.

Originally Maria and the others had been debriefed by intelligence bods at Biggin Hill. Maria’s personal circumstances had played center stage in the proceedings. They had initially been highly skeptical of her story and had insisted on medical verification. As such, Doctors performed tests, psychiatrists drove her potty and her parents had come to terms with the fact that they had in fact, two daughters.

Seeing her family again had been everything she might have hoped for. Her sister Anna had been with her when she returned to the family home in Cambridge to face the music. Her mother had been wonderful about everything and even her stuffy old man had begrudgingly accepted that he had a second daughter. Both girls decided that he had actually given up hope that she would become a masculine sports prodigy many years before she had actually grown breasts.

The doctors had an opinion on that subject as well. She had been poked, prodded, cut open, and analyzed until the cows came home. As far as they could tell, her body’s natural Oestrogen level was significantly higher than the average male. It was slightly low for the female average but within acceptable ranges. The little Testosterone she had produced had masked and overpowered their own oestrogen until its supply had been abruptly cut off, if one pardoned the pun. Without its interference, she had developed rapidly, her body finally getting a straight answer for once.

She was comfortable now; life was as it was meant to be. Maria Lucy Campbell was going to live the life that little Brian never had, and she would live it well. In the weeks since their return, she had found her stride in a world that had once seemed to be so shallow and lifeless.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

Maria glanced over at Andrew. He was wearing his full Naval Officer’s uniform and looked incredibly dashing. He was a long way removed from the goofy stubble cheeked ruffian she had met in the Regensburg camp.

“Hoping they don’t find a way to ground me after all we did,” she sighed. “I might be happier this way but I still want to fight.”

“Whatever may come, I know you will do your best.”

Maria rolled her eyes. “It won’t really be the same.”

“You’ll have me and your family.”

Maria smiled, “At least they seem to like you. Father might get his dream son after all.”

The door to the committee room opened and a Corporal stepped through. “Pilot Officer Campbell? They’ll see you now.”

Standing, she ran her hands down her uniform to ensure it was smooth. She was proud to be wearing RAF blue once again. The skirt and jacket were WAAF issue but presently carried the Insignia and rank of an RAF Pilot Officer. Looking over at Andrew she smiled nervously. “Wish me luck I suppose.”

Matheson stood and gave her a brief hug before pointing her at the committee room. “You won’t need it.”

Maria marched into the room and came to attention before the panel of senior officers who had listened to her testimony.

The committee chair cleared his throat before speaking. “Pilot Officer Campbell, thank you for joining us again. The panel has reached its conclusions regarding your situation.”

She had explained every moment of her journey to these men over the last several days in excruciating detail. They had questioned her about the camp, their escape, and activities along the way. They had questioned her about her very being; her injuries and her changes. No matter what they decided, she was proud to be here.

There were no more secrets to reveal, there was no stone left unturned. The Royal Air Force had been most disgruntled to discover one of their young pilots was suddenly and inexplicably now female. It seemed to bother them more than the documents they had recovered had pleased them. Somehow, Maria got the impression that they blamed her for making their lives difficult.

Air Commodore Michaels shuffled his papers and fixed Maria with a look that reminded her of one of her tutors back in school; a look of dissatisfied expectation.

“Your testimony lines up with that given by Flight Sergeant Hamley, Lieutenant Commander Matheson, Lieutenant Maddox, and Mister Down. This panel finds your conduct in keeping with the highest standards of Royal Air Force traditions and wishes to thank you for your dedication to your country and efforts to continue the fight despite your circumstances. The documents and material collected by you and your colleagues from the German SS Police will prove material to the ongoing war effort. With this in mind, congratulations are in order; you are to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross.”

Maria smiled but sighed internally. While the man waffled, she could sense a significant ‘but’ coming amid his praise.

“Now, with regards to your… ah, change of personal circumstances,” Michaels continued with mild unease. “You shall be transferred from the Royal Air Force to the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. You will however be promoted to the rank of Flight Lieutenant, pay retroactively applied.”

There it was, Maria thought. The final boot dropped. She was female and thus less qualified and competent than her male colleagues. They decided she was female enough to be considered less.

“We believe that with your combat experience, it would be best to transfer you to a training squadron so that you might pass on your experience to new pilots. In addition to this, we would be quite excited to use you to help drive public support for WAAF recruiting.”

While the committee’s decision stung, she had been most certainly expecting it. There was no way they would allow her to remain in a combat role going forwards, it just wasn’t the way. Serving as a flying instructor was still serving, although the idea of being a poster girl for the WAAF felt like a cheap abuse of her change in status.

The Air Commodore stood and saluted her. “Thank you for what you have done Flight Lieutenant, your country appreciates your service.”

Returning the Salute, Maria turned and marched back out of the hall before she shed a tear over the foolish old men. As the doors closed behind her, she let out a breath that she hadn’t realized she had been holding.

“That bad?” Andrew asked walking up.

“Yeah,” she admitted glumly. “Transferred to the WAAF, promoted to Flight Lieutenant and a stupid gong. No more combat for me; training instructor Campbell at your service!”

“I don’t know, I think your limey medals are pretty snazzy.” Mike Down offered from somewhere behind Andrew.

Looking past the Lieutenant Commander properly for the first time, Maria spotted Mike, Arthur Hamley, and Daniel Maddox standing together by the door.

Maria smiled warmly at the men she considered as much family as her own siblings. “Did you all stick around just to commiserate with me or was it to enjoy the carnage?”

“As much as we’d love to head off to a pub and drown our sorrows with you Flight, we got asked to come back after our testimony.”

“Why?” Maria frowned.

“That would be my doing!” a man in a dark pinstripe suit called out as he hurried down the corridor towards them carrying a stack of files. “Sorry I’m late, did I miss anyone?”

“All here, mister…?” Andrew smiled politely.

“Ah, wonderful! My name,” the man began, offering his hand to each in turn while he clumsily juggled the files in his other. “Is Peter Wescot. I was down here to collect some bits and bobs from your intelligence chaps and thought I’d pop over for a quickie whilst I had the lot of you here together. Didn’t want you all vanishing off to the corners of the Empire did we?” the man laughed at his own joke before coughing and straightening up.

“Hold these for me would you?” He asked Down before thrusting the folder stack at him without waiting for an answer.

“As I said; my name is Peter Wescot, and I work for SOE. That is, the Special Operations Executive. We are a… less than conventional branch of the British Government’s war on Mister Hitler’s little scrap.”

“What was that in English?” Hamley asked frowning.

“We fight a rather unconventional and irregular war. Quite ungentlemanly if you really boil it down to the nuts and bolts of the enterprise.” Wescot grinned. He turned to Maria and bowed his head solemnly. “I must commiserate you on your recent promotion and transfer Flight Lieutenant. It is most certainly a waste of your abundant talents.”

Maria frowned. “I just got out of there… how did you?”

“Know?” Wescot asked quickly, bobbing his head like an excited puppy. “Oh, they decided that days ago. They were just flapping around on how many medals to give themselves for your work and how much credit they could manage to take.”

“So what is it that you want?” Maddox asked, stepping up to stand beside his friend.

“Oh, yes, I suppose that does matter doesn’t it?” he asked shaking his head at his own silliness. “Well, I suppose I wanted to meet the group of untrained, inexperienced airmen that became prisoners of war, managed to escape, masqueraded as Germans, blew up and stole German aircraft all the while pulling off a heist on the SS to rescue prisoners and steal vital documents.”

“Oh, thank you for those by the way,” he added, grabbing one of the folders from Mike and waving it at them. “Really was very good reading this.”

“So you met us,” Maria pointed out. “Was that it?”

Wescot smiled and his eyes twinkled devilishly. “How do you fancy doing it again?”

 

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