DISCLAIMER: I only own Emily and Maggie. No disrespect is meant. This is a work of pure fiction, in which I'm going to change marital status a little faster than real life. Hope you enjoy.

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Prologue-1941

Dearly beloved we are gathered here today to witness…

To witness the end of my life as I've known it, to witness the end of my dreams for the last four years. Why am I here, I could have stayed home and drunk myself into a stupor, instead I'm standing here watching the man I love marry another woman.

If anyone here knows any reason why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold their peace.

Yes, I know why, I love him, I love him more than her…I've always been here oh please Lew don't do this to me.

Do you Lewis take Katherine…

That should be me, I've known him longer, why can't it be me.

Margaret "Maggie" Grayson stood in the back of the church alone watching the man she loved marry another woman. She knew why she was here, he asked her to come. He told her she was his dearest friend and he really wanted her to be here.

Ugh, God he is going to kiss her, right in front of me, I think I'm going to be sick. He's never seen me, as more than a friend…I'm Maggie the brat, Maggie the shadow, little Maggie who was always there…

Maggie felt her chest tighten as she watched Lewis Nixon kiss his new wife in front of God and half of New Jersey society. Somehow she managed to stay dried eyed and show no reaction. He looked so handsome in his uniform and now he was gone to her forever. She even managed a smile as he passed her on the way out of the church and winked at her.

Goodbye Lew, I'll always love you.

Maggie stayed in place as everyone left the church and then she was finally alone. She had no idea what she was going to do now. Every since the wedding invitation had arrived her father had rallied at her about managing to lose the rich young Nixon. She wished she'd had the strength to remind him that Lew was never hers to lose, but since that invitation she'd had little interest in anything, but now she had finally come to a decision, she gathered her things and left the church.

Chapter 1 Aldbourne, England-1944

"Maggie, you have to come with me, it won't be any fun without you." Emily propped a hip on her desk in a move that clearly said she wasn't leaving without an answer.

Maggie looked up from her typing just long enough to give her best friend Emily Morgan a look that clearly said 'leave me alone.'

"Maggie, all you do is work; you have to be one of the hardest working nurses in the entire Army. All work and no play will make Maggie a single girl for life."

Huh, shows what you know, without him there is nothing. Gees, how long can you carry a torch for someone. Maybe she's right I should get on with my life.

Sighing and giving up on typing Maggie turned to face Emily. "Why is it so important that I go out with you? Besides, what makes you think I don't have a gentleman waiting on me tonight?"

"Please Maggie, if you had someone I'd know it by now. I just want you to come out with me, please."

"I'll think about it. Now will you let me get back to work?"

Smiling Emily bounced out of the room and Maggie was able to get back to work. Yet when she tried to refocus her attention on the report in front of her, she couldn't think. Every time someone brought up going out and meeting someone, she lost focus for a while. There was only one man she had ever wanted and he had been well out of reach for three years now.

Maggie had arrived from Italy only a week ago and she would be leaving again with the invasion of Europe that was all the talk but no firm date as of yet. When she had walked out of that church in New Jersey three years ago, she had joined up as a nurse and immediately went to Africa with Patton and from there to Sicily. Now here she was joining up with the Airborne for the big invasion. Life had not been boring.

Refocusing her attention on her typing she was almost complete with the report when the sound of throat clearing drew her attention back to the door.

"Excuse me are you Lieutenant Grayson?"

"Yes, I'm Lieutenant Grayson, what can I do for you Corporal?

"Ma'am I need you to come with me, Colonel Sink would like to speak with you."

Maggie looked at all the paperwork on her desk and sighed. There went the hope of her getting out of the office early tonight.

"Lead the way Corporal."

Maggie had never met Colonel Sink but liked him immediately. He was a no nonsense leader who cut to the important aspect.

"Grayson, I need you and however many nurses you can find that will agree to this mission. I would love to put a nurse in every company, but I think the best I can do is every battalion. What do you think?"

Having seen the benefits of early treatment for wounded Soldiers in Italy Maggie agreed that it was a great idea.

"Sir, I can have an answer for you tomorrow and from there we can assign the nurses to the units and let them begin training. If I don't miss my guess we don't have long."

Sink laughed, "No you're not wrong, in fact I think you have about three days which will let you get to know your units and learn the basics of jumping."

"Wow, we'll guess I'd better get busy then."

Maggie left Sink's office lost in thought. She knew that not enough nurses would be willing to meet what Sink was asking for but she knew of about five including Emily. She was mentally reviewing the list of things she need to do and was so lost in thought that when she collided with a solid mass she nearly ended up on her butt.

Two strong hands grabbed her before she hit the ground.

Maggie quickly gained her footing and started to apologize. "Oh gosh, I'm so sorry I wasn't looking where I was going."

"No problem, I don't believe there was any damage done. Are you okay?"

Maggie looked up into the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. "I'm fine; I guess I need to start watching where I'm going. I'm Maggie by the way."

The man holding her released his grip, "Hi, I'm Buck, and I have to say it's very nice to meet you. Uh, you looked pretty serious is there anything I can do to help?"

Maggie laughed, "Not unless you can turn yourself into a nurse, then volunteer to do a mission. You're not a nurse are you?"

Laughing, "Not the last time I checked, but I am a paratrooper and we do some impossible things. So where are you headed maybe I can walk with you?"

"Oh well I'm just heading back to the hospital, but if you would like to, that would be nice."

Emily watched as Maggie came back in the door with the large blonde Lt who would have guessed that Maggie would ever talk to a man.

"Hi Maggie, so who's your friend?"

Maggie rolled her eyes and realized if she didn't introduce them she'd never get rid of Emily.

"Emily this is Buck Compton. He is with Easy Company. Buck this is Emily Morgan, one of my more aggressive nurses."

Catching the jab at Emily, Buck laughed. "It's very nice to meet you; I was just trying to talk Maggie into going to the pub with me tonight."

"Oh she never goes anywhere but I'm free. Oh, guess that didn't come out right, you know what I mean."

Note to self, do not assign Emily to Easy Company.

"Actually I was just about to accept. I'll meet you at six is that a good time?"

"Sure see you then Maggie. Emily, it was very nice to meet you."

Maggie made sure that Buck was out the door before she turned on Emily. "Well thank you so much for trying to embarrass me. Now if you can wipe the drool off your mouth we have work to do."

Emily shrugged good-naturedly. "I wasn't trying to embarrass you, but how did you meet him. Yummy."

Pushing Emily toward her office, "never mind how I met him. Now I've something to discuss with you and the other nurses."

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Running for the front gate in a dress and heels was probably not smart, but she was late and she really didn't want Buck to think she'd stood him up. He was funny and for just a little while, he made her forget.

"Hi Buck", I'm sorry I'm running late but Colonel Sink needed some info first thing in the morning and well, you know how it is."

"It's okay Maggie, I knew you would be along and I must say it was well worth the wait. You look lovely."

Blushing she dropped her head. No one had told her she looked nice in a long time. "Thank you Buck, so are we heading off then?

Holding out his arm to escort her, Maggie took his arm and let him lead her down the street.

Nixon was sitting in the back of the pub enjoying some of his favorite drink. Dick had decided to pass, not a huge surprise there and to be truthful, the only reason Nixon was here was so he wouldn't have to cut into his stash.

He watched as Buck Compton entered and headed over the table containing most of his platoon's sergeants. Nixon was about to turn back to his drink when he realized that Buck had a woman with him.

He studied the woman more because she looked so familiar. He guessed her height at about 5'6 or possibly 5'7 based off where she came to on Buck's shoulder. Her dark blonde hair was pulled back at the sides and left loose down her back. He watched amused as the men jumped to their feet to let her sit. Lucky him she choose a chair facing his way.

He almost dropped his glass when he finally saw her face. The cat shaped eyes were unmistakable even at this distance. He might not have seen her in three years, but Maggie the brat was sitting not ten feet from him.

He couldn't believe it. He'd asked some friends about her and the response he'd gotten was that she disappeared the day after his wedding and not even her own father had heard from her. Well at least he knew where she was now. However, it didn't explain why she had disappeared without a word to anyone. Well maybe he should go over and ask her why she had disappeared.

Maggie had to admit she was having great time and Buck was very attentive. She could almost forget that she owed Sink an answer in the morning, for now she was going to live in the moment.

"Well brat, it would seem that I had to come half way around the world to find you."

Maggie couldn't breathe, she knew that voice, it was the voice that had haunted her lonely nights for more than three years. Of all the places, what was the man doing here? Okay Maggie, you can do this, remember he doesn't know how you feel, keep it that way.

Maggie turned around to face him, he looked even better than he had three years ago. He'd lost some weight and appeared to have put on more muscle. "Well, I see you're still drinking Vat 69. So how's what's her name…oh Katherine isn't it."

Nixon's eyes flared in surprise. Maggie could be difficult but she had never been cruel, but he when he looked at her pale green eyes there was no emotion behind them.

"Well it's nice to see you too Maggie. I wanted to come over and…"

"Hey Nixon, are you trying to hoard in on my date?"

Maggie saw her small opportunity open up for her to escape, "Actually Buck he is, how about you, and I go somewhere else."

Buck helped her from the chair, which brought her chest to chest with Nixon. "Well I would say it's nice to see you again Lew, but my mother told me not to tell lies so I'll just say good night."

Taking Buck's arm, they left the pub together and Nixon speechless.

Buck had walked her back to the house she where she was staying after she claimed a headache. He really was a nice person and she hated to lie to him, but she had to think. The last person she had expected to run into was Lewis Nixon. Oh, why did he have to look so good? I really thought I could get past this. Okay, tomorrow I find out whom he is with and stay away from that area.

It was much later that night when she was almost asleep that it came to her that Buck and he knew each other. Oh no, they are both in the same unit. Just my luck!