A/N: All right, so I know that I like promised to type this up a few weeks ago, but I lost the notebook it was written in. Now, obviously, I have found the notebook and am typing it up. It is, as said in the blurb thing you clicked on, an Ashes & Wine one shot. Now here's the thing, I kind of have an sequel in mind for this story, but I'm not sure if I should actually go for it or not. I was planning on taking a break from B.o.B fanfics for awhile after finishing Return, but apparently my muse has different ideas (literally because I started a future girl/Toye/Tab love triangle story a day ago, lol). Any way, how many of you are interested in reading a sequel to Ashe s& Wine? Just curious if I'd have the readers for it or not. Okay now that I've digressed enough without further ado I bring you Meet the Nixon's.
Disclaimer: I don't own Band of Brothers and this is based on the miniseries. I do own Eve Nixon though.
"We should've let Bill and Frannie come with us." Eve muttered as Babe turned the car off into the exit leading to Nixon, New Jersey. He glanced at her.
"You're the one who told them they didn't need to." He reminded her.
"Yes, well," Eve sniffed, "I'm beginning to think we might need the backup." Babe reached over to give her hand a reassuring squeeze.
"It's going to be fine."
"How come you're so calm? You're supposed to the nervous one; I'm supposed to be the calm one."
"Oh I'm plenty nervous," Babe admitted, "I'm just hiding it better." Eve sunk a bit lower in her seat with a pout, crossed her arms. Babe had to bite back a smirk at her sulky expression. Truth was he would rather be facing Krauts again then meet Eve's parents.
Seeing the Nixon family "house" (he used the term house lightly; it appeared more like a castle) Babe felt even more out of his element. He pulled the car to a stop, turned off the engine and just stared up at the structure looming before him.
"Jesus." He muttered, not even realizing that Eve was already out of the car.
"Babe?" She asked, tapping on his window. He shook his head to clear his thoughts before climbing out of the car only to have pin him against the car; they kissed. "Can we please go home?" She asked in a murmur, resting her forehead against his, eyes closed.
"There's nothing I'd love more, but no." Eve sighed and pulled away.
"Fine." She grumbled. Babe smiled and brought her hand to his lips to brush her knuckles with a kiss.
"I love you." He murmured.
"Yeah, let's see how you feel after you meet my family."
*** *** *** ***
In true Nixon family fashion they were greeted by a maid, who took their coats and informed them the Nixon's were in the back garden.
"Back garden?" Babe repeated, muttering through the corner of his mouth as they followed after yet another maid. "Does that mean you have more than one?"
"Four." Eve informed him.
"Holy cow." He breathed. "No wonder you feel at home in the flower shop." Eve, whose arm had been resting around Babe's waist, reached her hand lower to slip into his back pocket and gave him a squeeze. Babe jumped and looked at her with wide eyes. "What was that for?"
"I'm feeling frisky." Eve murmured, kissing his shoulder. They were in the process of passing an open closest and it took most of Babe's self-control not to push Eve into it and be frisky right along with her. Since his return from Europe they hadn't been able to keep their hands off of each other and Babe was used to being able to be affectionate whenever he felt like it, but he felt like he should keep his hands to himself here at her family house. He sent her a look, but she just gave him an innocent smile. Babe knew better.
"Don't give me that innocent look--"
"Eve!" A bejeweled brunette came flying into the hallway, throwing her arms around Eve. Babe looked on, startled by the sudden interruption.
"Hello Blanche." Eve greeted the woman dryly, hugging her almost reluctantly. "I wasn't aware that you were going to be here."
"Oh, well, you know," Blanche pulled away, fixed her hair, "I hadn't planned on coming, but then mother called to tell me that your gentleman friend was going to be coming as well and I just had to meet him." Babe shifted on his feet as Blanche focused her glitzy gaze on him. "Oh my!" She exclaimed. "He is adorable." Babe grimaced. He hated being called 'adorable'. "Babe is it?"
"Yeah," Babe forced himself to grin a greeting, "And you must be Blanche."
"Guilty." Blanche giggled, shaking his outstretched hand before locking him to her side by slipping her arm through his elbow. Babe cast a anxious glance over his shoulder at Eve who looked thoroughly annoyed, but gave a helpless shrug.
"Sorry." She mouthed as Blanche pulled him towards the garden.
*** *** *** ***
Stanhope Nixon wasn't overly fond of the engagement between his youngest daughter and the son of a prison guard, but Eve seemed happy which was mattered in the end. Still as he watched Blanche drag the young man outside Stanhope couldn't help but be a bit disappointed.
Edward 'Babe' Heffron was not at all what Stanhope Nixon had envisioned for his daughter.
He cast a glance at his wife who was practically bouncing up and down in her seat. Doris, who had given up on Eve ever getting married once she joined the nurses corps, was beyond thrilled that she was engaged, even if it was to some no-name family. Eve was walking behind her sister and stolen fiancé and Stanhope was glad to see that she was wearing a dress and not her usual pants.
"Look who I found." Blanche cried as soon as they approached.
"Can I have my fiancé back now Blanche?" Eve asked.
"Oh!" Blanche exclaimed, releasing Babe. "Of course, I'm sorry." Eve took Blanche's vacated space, looping her arm with his.
"Mom, dad," Eve began, sending a smile Babe's way, "This is Edward Heffron, or Babe." Stanhope rose slowly, keeping his eyes focused directly on Babe as he walked over to him. He was satisfied when he saw Babe gulp a bit.
"Hello Edward." Stanhope greeted stiffly, sticking out his hand. Babe disentangled himself from Eve in order to stand up a bit straighter as he shook his soon-to-be father-in-law's hand.
"Hello Mr. Nixon." Stanhope held onto Babe's hand just a bit longer than was necessary, but he wanted to make sure that the boy knew that if Eve was hurt at any point, Stanhope would be finding Babe to blame.
"Oh stop trying to intimidate him Stanhope." Doris chided, stealing Babe's hand away from her husband. She smiled at him. "Hello Edward. It's nice to finally meet you. Eve's said such wonderful things about you. Please have a seat." Eve made sure to get a seat next to her fiancé.
"How's the flower shop doing?" Stanhope asked, nonplussed by his wife's chiding behavior.
"Very well sir." Babe replied.
"There's going to be an article written up about us in the newspaper next month." Eve added. "Apparently we make for an interesting story." She shared a smile with Babe.
"About you?" Stanhope asked. "Or the flower shop?"
"Both." Babe replied. "They want to know about how Eve and I met and why we decided to open up a flower shop after the war."
"Even though Babe isn't going to be working there for very long." Babe bit back a groan. He really didn't want to talk about this right now.
"Oh?"
"I was offered a job at Publicker Industries." All of the Nixon's-minus Eve-continued to look confused so Babe continued with, "It's a whiskey distillery."
"It is a good job." Eve admitted reluctantly.
"What made you decide to stop working at the flower shop?" Doris asked, genuinely interested.
"Well," Babe began, casting a glance at Eve. He was unsure as to what exactly he should say.
"It's actually a mutual decision." Eve took over, turning her parent's and sister's attention on her. "As much as we love each other we need time apart because that's healthy for a relationship. Or so we think. Besides the extra income certainly couldn't hurt."
"Is the flower shop really doing well?" Stanhope asked. "Or are you just lying to make me feel better?" Eve sent her father a small glare.
"Yes dad, it's doing very well."
"You should come down and see it sometime sir." Babe interjected. "Eve's done an amazing job."
"Oh believe me, we'll be coming down as soon as I can get away without much trouble."
"Lunch is ready!" Mary called from the nearby gazebo.
"Shall we?" Babe said, offering Eve a hand up. Eve smiled and accepted his offered hand, said,
"Thank you Mr. Heffron."
"How am I doin'?" Babe asked in a whisper as they walked to the table. Eve squeezed his hand.
"You're doing great."
*** *** *** ***
Lewis strolled out to the garden about halfway through lunch. He was clean-shaven and well dressed, two things Eve wasn't used to seeing in her brother. She smiled as she rose from her seat to hug him.
"I was wondering if you were going to show up." She commented as they pulled apart.
"I meant to get here earlier, but things are a little crazy at the Works." He glanced at Babe, nodded.
"Hey Babe."
"Si--" Babe trailed off, flushed a bit. "Lewis." Eve and Lewis both chuckled as the rest of the Nixon family looked at each other in confusion.
"It's an army thing." Eve explained as she retook her seat and reached over to intertwine her fingers with Babe's. He smiled at her and raised their interlocked hands to kiss the back of her hand. No one at the table could stop a small smile from coming onto his or her face; it was obvious that the two were very much in love. "How's Dick doing?" Eve asked Lewis who was in the process of pouring some of the Vat from his flask into a maid-provided glass.
"You know Dick," Lewis shrugged, "Ever the perfect fit." Eve giggled.
"Dick is perhaps the best thing that happened over there in Europe to you." Stanhope muttered, eyeing his son's flask with irritated eyes. "I only hope that his influence will continue to exert itself over you."
"I'll drink to that." Lewis joked, raising his glass in a mock salute.
"Here here." Eve agreed with a giggle, also raising her glass.
Lunch was a short affair since Lewis had to return to work and Eve and Babe had to return to Philadelphia that night, but a lot was said. And by the end of the lunch it was clear that Babe had impressed her parents enough for it to no longer be an issue on their weekly phone calls. Still Babe and Eve all but ran out of the house once they were "dismissed" from lunch.
*** *** *** ***
"It's over." Eve breathed in relief once they had reached the safety of their car. "And it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be."
"What does that mean?" Babe asked, his tone teasing. "Did you think I was going to make a bad impression?"
"Of course not." Eve crawled over the middle seat to sit in Babe's lap. "You-" She kissed him, "-did-" Another kiss, "-great."
"Eve," She cut him off with another kiss, "We're still in your parent's driveway."
"I know." Eve bent down and began kissing his neck. Babe groaned and ran his hands up her thighs, under her skirt.
"Hey!" Both Eve and Babe jumped, startled, and looked over to see Lewis standing at the window, a grin on his face. "Don't you have a house to do that in now?" With his teasing out of the way, Lewis laughing himself back to his car. Babe, the tips of his ears bright red, started the car and sped out of the driveway.
A/N: It felt nice to write Eve and Babe again. I missed them, lol. Love it? I hope so. Hate it? Cow I hope not. Review away and let me know if you think a sequel to Ashes & Wine is a good idea or not. I will warn you now it would be Speirs-heavy.
