The German sniper had just been shot and the young American's blood was pouring thick and heavy from his right lung. The relentless rain streamed down like a shower of metal bullets. Although the two are very different for everyone present their strength and sound only helped increase the similarity, that along with the dead soldier lying in the dirt.

Some of the men stood unmoving by the body totally detached from all but their fallen comrade. The few that were still focused searched the street ahead.

"Get that 30 up the street!"

"Detail!"

"Clear up!"

"Clear down!"

Trying to get back to reality and once again become the detached leader Captain Miller shouted orders for ammo checks and canteens to be filled. The others soon followed, however, reluctantly further up the streets.

They were about to rest in a small clearing when by some unforeseen accident a large stonewall fell to reveal fifteen startled German soldiers. There was only a moment when both groups were silenced by surprise before they moved to act. The noise was indecipherable and unbearably loud, as the men started shouting in English and German.

The shots that were eventually fired and effectively killing the enemy did not come from the ground but from above.

After hearing 'clear down' after being prompted twice, men descended and the other men moved to greet there allies. As Fred Hamill introduced himself a blonde figure, smaller and slighter than the others, moved down to look over the group. The figure soon caught the attention of the new arrivals, for underneath the helmet lay the pale face of a woman. She wore the standard American uniform but she had a distinctly foreign appearance and posture.

"Is that a woman?" Reiben asked in a poor excuse for a whisper. His eyes scanned over her but stopped when he noticed his attentions were not going unnoticed.

She tilted her head to one side and slide her helmet back giving a clear view of her face, her light blue eyes laughing at him. "Yes that is a woman."

Wade who had been standing beside him clutched his friend's arm for support as he silently laughed. With shining eyes he introduced himself.

"You don't sound very American."

"Really Upham we hadn't noticed," Reiben commented lightly after recovering his composure.

"She is actually Russian," Hamill supplied over his shoulder before turning back to Miller. Hearing this encouraged a few more of the men to either take notice or move closer.

Daniel Jackson stood a few feet away, his back resting on the more secure stonewall. His weapon was off his back and offering as a place to rest his arm. From his position he was able to observe the young woman from under the metal of his helmet. He watched as some of the men began talking in what he took as patronisingly slow tunes/

"Please don't talk to me in that way. I have no doubt that I speak better English than you do," she replied unwilling to have men talk down to her even more than for being a woman.

Her attention was drawn to her left when she heard laughing. Jackson was bend over, his arms crossed over his gun with his head down. His laughter died and he raised his head only to lock eyes with the blonde. She stared at him with a look of silent contemplation and amusement.

The sound of feet moving alerted the soldiers to the fact that they were beginning to move. Jackson rose and walked over to his comrades while the female blonde was turning to leave. She was stopped however by a hand being stuck out in front of her.

"Daniel Jackson," he stated in his broad southern accent.

"Vasiliev," she answered with an unrecognisable flourish. When his head tilted a little she smiled. "Anna," she supplied before moving away.

She walked out admiring how the rain had disappeared and the sun was now free to shine. She heard footsteps approach but did not have time to turn before that person was walking along side her.

"Vasiliev, a Russian name but if you don't mind me saying your accent doesn't sound right," Upham said and could not help but smile when he saw her face, happy that he had not offended her.

She smiled back. "My father was Russian but my mother was American so a grew up speaking both. You must be the translator… you pronounced my name correctly."

He smiled as they stopped and were joined by the rest of the men as someone went off in search of a soldier. The next few minutes after the soldier was found were agonising to watch. The soldier called James Ryan cried at the news that his baby brothers were dead, only to discover he was not who Captain Miller was looking for. Anna watched as James Ryan tried to comprehend the fact that his brothers were at least… believed to be alive.

"Miller you should take Vasiliev with you," Hamill suggested, "There is no point her staying here. She may find the rest of her company, as they were all dropped off course somewhere in France."

Captain Miller made to comment but was cut off, "She would be an asset. She speaks German and French with a clear accent and isn't a bad aim either."

Miller simply nodded and called her over to fill her in. as the light began to fade the nine soldiers moved into an abandoned church to get a few hours sleep before nightfall.

Inside the church was very dark with candles being the only source of light. The atmosphere was already tense with the building they were in only magnifying it. the dim, shadowy light cast obscure images onto the cold walls and floor, illuminating faces and stain glass windows. The light, gothic architecture and the overwhelming fear of war did not escape any ones notice, ever when asleep.

Anna sat in an unused pew with Upham behind her in the next row and Wade in the one across from her. She stared into the flame of a lone candle listening to the men talk about sleep and captain Miller involved in a quiet yet sad joke. Having tried to fall asleep but fining her tired body unwilling to cooperate, she found herself thinking back to her family.

XXX

Anna sat by her window, candle in hand watching the rain fall in the garden and the thunder in the distance. The door behind her opened and she found herself smiling at who had just entered. It was a middle-aged woman in a dark blue dress under a white pinafore. Her greying hair was pulled into a bun at the base of her neck, exposing her round rosy cheeks.

"Mrs Petrova," Anna greeted as the woman moved to the blazing fire across from the window.

"Don't you Mrs Petrova me," the woman scolded with laughing eyes, "You will be late and make your мать very cross." Mrs Petrova had been Anna's nurse growing up and being Russian had helped tutor the girl in the language from a young age because her father did not have time. Now that Anna was eighteen Mrs Petrova was more like an aunt than a helper.

"Oh yes, how could I forget yet another yet another of mothers boring parties," Alex cried mockingly while standing and smoothing out her blue dress. "It is just her way of introducing me to all these men in the hopes I will marry one of them."

Mrs Petrova moved and started fussing over Anna's long blonde curls, "She is only doing what she believes is best мой дорогой."

"I know," Anna sighed, "But is now really the best time to be worrying about that?"

"I know what you mean," Mrs Petrova released the hair so it fell to the small of Anna's back, "It certainly feels the same as it did last time."

Just as the atmosphere in the room was in fear of becoming tense the door burst open. Anna's brother Viktor walked in doing a comical strut.

"Mrs Petrova," he bowed deeply in a playful manner before taking her hand and leading her in a spontaneous dance around the grand bedroom. Anna laughed at the expression on the older woman's face and began to clap out a tune.

After their turn about the room Viktor took Mrs Petrova's hand and kissed it lightly. He then turned to his sister, to which he looked very similar and offered her his arm.

"Do not want to keep them waiting, now do we?" he asked with a smirk for he enjoyed these occasions as little as his sister did.

This idea just randomly popped into my head and I thought I would write it down and see what happened. Let me know what you think and I will hopefully update soon. Until next time.