Love, War and Heartbreak

By Kate Wareham

A/N: This is my first Band of Brothers fic, so please don't judge. It's a story about Winters and Nixon and one of many ways in which their life might be like outside easy company. I welcome any reviews, good or bad. Enjoy :D x

Disclaimer: I do not own band of brothers or any of the characters, however, I do own Amelia and her story.

Chapter One

"John!" Amelia screamed as she felt the tiny hand of her younger brother slipping way into the crowds. Her heart was pounding with the sound of the bombs hitting the rooftops only a few streets away. She could see the deep, red scar of tank trap far in the distance, but she knew that it would be only too soon before she was in the thick of it. "Johnny! Where are you?" The crowds began to depart in to various shelters as she continued to call for her brother; the piercing siren growing louder and louder. Amelia ran back up the street, frantically searching every doorway that was left standing. It would be impossible to go back to her mother and sister without him, so she continued to search until she was alone with only the sound of German aircraft and gunfire in the street.

With her heart beating faster and faster like a deep, heavy thud, and tears welling up behind her eyes, she thought of how she would explain this to her family. Amelia raced back up the street to where they were separated, stumbling to the ground over a man screaming in agony. Her knees and hands cut from the shards of broken glass, scattered on the ground. Amelia looked in horror at the man lying there. He was clasping his neck tightly, which bled profusely onto the ground. His screams became quieter as he struggled to breathe. Amelia knew he would not even last another five minutes, but she could see the look of hope in his eyes. She put her long, royal blue coat around him for comfort and waited until his eyes gently closed.

Amelia stood up slowly, wiping her bloodied hands on her dress. She could feel the pain from her knees spreading down her legs to ankles like a venomous snake that was crawling around her. Looking back down at her knees, Amelia noticed that the cut was bigger than she initially thought. With blood cascading down her tired calves, she managed to run only a few feet before falling again. The crump of shells, the throb of engines, the crash of guns, and the changing note of aircraft noise as they took evasive action, the shower of metal objects that followed from the bursting of clusters of shells above was all but a minor concern to Amelia , compared to the thought of what might have happened to Johnny. The scene of his dismayed face and his anxious, blue eyes fading slowly amongst the people of Fenchurch Street played over and over again in her mind. How could she live with herself knowing that she was responsible for his safety? Not caring whether she was blown into a million tiny pieces, she sat on the wet, muddy ground, her arms cradling her legs to her chest.

Suddenly, she felt two strong hands grip her waist and drag her to her feet. Unable to speak coherently, Amelia let the stranger carry her in their arms into the nearest public Anderson shelter. "Where you trying to get yourself killed out there? You must have heard the sirens, they're loud enough!" In the dim candle light, Amelia could make out the man's face. His eyes were an icy- blue and he had a stern look as he continued to glare at her, waiting for an answer from her. He looked quite young and his hair was a walnut red- brown colour. Judging by his uniform and accent, she assumed he was an American Soldier.

"I need to go back! I've lost my brother!" Amelia screamed at the soldier, trying to pull away from his hands that were gripped tightly around her wrists.

"Are you crazy! You can't go back out there, it's too dangerous and you need to get your leg bandaged up. Stay here and wait until I find a first aid box." He walked further into the shelter, leaving her sitting on a spare bunk bed. Amelia desperately wanted to find Johnny, but she knew that it would be impossible to walk with the state that she was in.

Looking around, she could see many families huddled in groups, trying to keep warm and comfort their children. The dreary atmosphere in the shelter was worsened by the muffled sound of bombs and screaming. It was cold damp and musty, and the light was limited to only a few candles. A few people sat with their hands over their ears, while others just stared aimlessly into space, horrified by what they had seen and what they were experiencing.

"Here we are," said the soldier, sitting down next to Amelia. "We'll have this cleaned up in no time." His face had changed now that she could see him better. He looked concerned and surprisingly cheery, and his eyes turned to a clear, sparkling blue. "What's your name, he asked."

"Amelia," she replied as he gently dabbed the wet cloth on her wounds.

"Well Amelia, how on earth did you manage to do this," he asked, pointing towards her knees.

"I was looking-, "she cut off. "You haven't seen a young boy, about this height, blonde hair, blue eyes, have you?" Amelia asked, remembering how she had ended up here in the first place.

"No I haven't, sorry; there aren't many children in this shelter. Most of them went in the one further up the street.

"Ok. Thanks anyway," she replied.

"If you want, we can look for him once the sirens give us the all clear," he asked, seeing her disappointment.

"Yes, thank you. What did you say your name was?" She asked, curious of the tall handsome stranger that was helping her so kindly.

"I didn't, but its Sergeant Richard Winters, at your service." Amelia smiled, her eyes drawn towards his. The corner of his lips was turned upwards into a little smirk as stared back at her.

"Sooo... how is my leg coming along?" Amelia asked, breaking the silence.

"I'll put a bandage around it, but you must get some rest before you start running about again."

"Is that an order Sergeant?" She asked, giving him a shy smile.

"I'm afraid it is indeed" Richard replied, returning the smile.

A/N: This chapter is really short but it is just because I would like opinions on whether I should carry on or not. Thank You xx