France

FADE IN

ARTIOS, FRANCE 1944 – MORNING.

EXT. ROAD LEADING up to ARTIOS. 

A light snow covers the ground, craters are scattered around the road.  A U.S. military convoy travels the road. 

CUT TO:

INT. U.S. JEEP.  CORPORAL LOTHAIRE FRANCO of the French Army sits beside CORPORAL MIKE THOMPSON.  They wear combat fatigues with the ranking of corporal.  LOTHAIRE, 30, has dark hair and dark eyes.  LOTHAIRE has a broken nose and a scar on his right cheek.  MIKE, 27, is missing his right ring finger.  Mike is driving the Jeep.  Lothaire stares straight out the window, ignoring the ruined land.

Mike leans over. 

MIKE
You alright?

LOTHAIRE
I’ll be alright.

Lothaire wipes his eyes, a silent tear rolls down his cheek.

LOTHAIRE
I just… I never thought that I would be here again.

MIKE
Yeah.  It must not even look like home.  Isn’t that the town right over the hill?

Mike points to the ruined building up ahead.  Lothaire nods, but says nothing.

MIKE
I am sorry Lothaire.

LOTHAIRE
Do not be sorry, I never thought I would ever be home again for another Christmas.  I was afraid those Nazis had me for sure. 

MIKE
Well, Uncle Sam didn’t agree.

LOTHAIRE
I can not thank you enough for saving me from the Nazis.

MIKE
It’s nothing.  What are allies for?

LOTHAIRE
Mike, I thank you for doing this for me.

Mike
You saved my life… twice.  This is the least I could do.

Lothaire drums his fingers on the side of the car.

MIKE
You nervous?

LOTHAIRE
I just… do you think that?

MIKE
Lothaire, I would make no bets about your family.

LOTHAIRE bows his head.

EXT. ARTIOS

Rubble and debris litter the streets.  A group of US soldiers builds a bonfire.  A PRIVATE LANGDON comes over to Mike’s Jeep.  The private’s name tag says Langdon. Langdon gives a crisp salute.  Lothaire stares at the ruins around him.

LANGDON
Can I help you gents?

MIKE
Yes, actually.  The convoy is on its way to Berlin, but we are making a road trip through here to drop off this Frenchman, this is his home.

LANGDON
Was.

MIKE
I still see a city, private, and by God if there is a single brick wall left intact in this place then it is home.

LANGDON
Yes sir.  Proceed ahead.

The convoy begins to move up, across the ruined streets.  Lothiare looks on, his face grim.

EXT. OUTSIDE LOTHAIRE’S HOUSE

A once proud building, all that is left is ruined walls.  Craters from bombings dominate the front and back yard.  The roof of the house is completely missing, the highest point is now the chimney, which is only half intact.  The front door is broken off at its hinges, half on and half off. 

Mike’s jeep pulls up at the driveway.  Lothaire jumps out of the jeep.  He stands, dumbstruck.  Mike is calling his name, but his calls are ignored.  Lothaire walks slowly to the front doors.

FLASHBACK 1936

EXT. OUTSIDE LOTHAIRE’S HOUSE – EARLY AFTERNOON.

It is snowing outside, as a young couple walks up to the house.  One of them is a younger Lothiare, without the shrapnel scar and the broken nose.  The woman is his wife, LAUREN.  She is blonde and has big blue eyes. 

LOTHAIRE
Do you like it Lauren?

LAUREN
It is beautiful, but there is no way that we can afford it.

LOTHAIRE
Are you sure about that?

LAUREN
Lothaine, there is no way we can afford a house like this.  It would take a whole lifetimes savings to buy this mansion.

LOATHAINE pulls out a pair of keys.  LAUREN gasps.

LAUREN (cont’d)
Lothaine, you didn’t!

LOTHAIRE
Merry Christmas.

Lauren grabs him and kisses him.

FLASHFORWARD – Present day.

Lothaire chokes back a sob as he pushes past the ruin doors.  Mike sits in his jeep.

MIKE
Poor guy.

INT. LOTHAIRE FOYER

The ruined room is littered with bricks and splinters of wood.  Lothaire bends down to pick up something off the ground.  His hand finds the doorknob to what was his front door.  Next to the doorknob, lay bullet casings.  Lothaire stands up to better exam the door knob.

CUT TO: FLASHBACK 1936.

The room is now in perfect order, the walls have paintings decorating them, the hardwood floor glistens.

Lothaire opens the door for a group of guests.  The crowd shuffles by with a few words to Lothaire, Lothaire ignores them until he sees his brother.  Lothaire’s brother, ROLAND 25, walks into the foyer.  The two brothers look almost exactly alike. 

LOTHAIRE
Merry Christmas brother!

ROLAND
You have a beautiful home Lothaire!

The two brothers embrace each other.

LOTHAIRE
You’re looking well.

ROLAND
I should be, I am engaged.

Lothaire stops.

LOTHAIRE
Engaged?

CLAIRE, 21, a blue eyed blonde emerges from behind the door.

CLAIRE
Yes, to me.

Claire and Roland kiss.

LOTHAIRE
What a surprise!  Do come in!  We are going to need more wine.

The guests pile in, and Lauren comes into the room, greeting them all.

LAUREN
Roland, you made it!

ROLAND
You know I would never miss your first Christmas party my dear.

CLAIRE
What a splendid house.

LAUREN
I know, Lothaire picked it out by himself.

Lothaire blushes.  Roland comes next to LOTHAIRE.

ROLAND
May I talk to you for a second in private.

LOTHAIRE
Of course.

The two brothers go off to a corner.  Leaving the two women to converse with the other guests.

ROLAND
When you asked me for that money, I was expecting you to blow it on a ugly house, but this… this is an amazing purchase.

LOTHIARE
I promised to pay you back, and I will.

ROLAND
Money is nothing, seeing my brother with a roof over his head and a wonderful woman by his side is all I care about.  What is life without a brother to see it through?

CUT TO: FLASHFORWARD PRESENT DAY.

Lothaire is squeezing a dog tag in his hand.  There is another set of dog tags around his neck.  He kisses the dog tags and puts them to his forehead. 

LOTHAIRE
What is life without a brother?

Tears well up in his eyes, as he moves into the next room, while carefully tucking the other set of tags in his pocket.

INT. DINGING ROOM

This room looks much like the first in desolation.  The once proud red walls are covered in soot.  What is left of the dinner table is propped on its side through the window.  The china cabinet has bullet holes through its sides.  Red stains drip down one of the sides.  Lothaire inspects at the holes and sighs.

CUT TO: FLASHBACK 1937

The room is perfect again, there is a red paint on the walls.  A large dinner table, the same as stated above, is in the middle of the room. 

Lothaire is sitting at the table, reading the paper and eating a croissant.  Lauren enters and sits down next to him.

LOTHAIRE
Hello my dear.

LAUREN
Hey.

Lauren rubs her stomach and looks at him with great interest.  Lothaire notices and folds his paper.

LOTHAIRE
Are you sick?

LAUREN
No.

LOTHAIRE
Then why are you holding your stomach?

LAUREN
I am pregnant.

Lothaire jumps up and hugs her.

Lothaire
I am going to be a father!  A father!

FLASHFORWARD PRESENT DAY CONTINOUS

Lothaire is running through the house now, at a desperate pace.

LOTHAIRE (shouting)
Lauren!  Lauren! Daniele!

Lothaire runs by a ruined table with a picture on it.  The picture of Lothaire with Lauren, there is also a girl about six years old in it.  She looks exactly like Lothaire.

CUT TO: FLAHSBACK BACKYARD

Present day Lothaire stumbles onto his small brick patio. There is an orchard in front of him.  The sun is shining, and all is well.  DANIELE, 13, comes running up to him.   has on a white dress.  This is the same girl from the photograph.

LOTHAIRE
Daniele!

Daniele grabs onto his legs and cries with joy.  Lauren comes up behind him and hugs him. 

DANIELE
Welcome home papa!

LOTHAIRE
My aren’t you big!

DANIELE
I have grown papa.

Lothaire lifts her up gently so that she is resting in his arms. 

The perfect world dissolves into reality, as Lothaire does a 360 to show the world as it is present day.  Lothaire stares at two wooden crosses covered lightly with snows.  Lothaire sinks to his knees and weeps.

FADE OUT.