A/N: This chapter was supposed to be posted yesterday but our internet randomly decided to be all annoying and stop working. It's all better now (I hope!). Anywho, here is the next chapter. I tried to make it long...I really did...

Disclaimer: I don't own Band of Brothers and this is based on the miniseries.

Chapter Two

"What are you doing here?" Eve asked, sounding completely caught off guard. Which was she, of course, was.

"Well that's not a good sign." Ron laughed nervously. "Do you want me to leave?" There was just the tiniest bit of reluctance within his words and Eve knew then that to tell him to leave would only serve to hurt him so she said,

"No, of course not; I'm just surprised. Give me a moment to change." She turned to walk back into the dressing room.

"Wait just a moment, please." Eve turned back around watched Ron warily as he strode forward. He looked her over for a moment and then met her gaze with a smile. "I've never a more beautiful bride." The heat rushed to Eve's cheeks and she mumbled out a 'thank you' before all but running into the dressing room. There was no talking in the dressing room once Eve left and the air was beyond awkward. The saleslady actually breathed a sigh of relief when Eve reemerged and handed her the dress.

"I'll just box this up for you then." She walked out of the main part of the dressing room, the wedding dress spread over her arms. Frannie looked between Eve and Ron and then began to open her mouth, but Eve grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her off the side.

"Can you take my dress home please?" Frannie frowned.

"What? Why? What's going on? Who is that?"

"I'll tell you later, I promise." Frannie looked past Eve, towards Ron.

"He's very handsome."

"Yes," Eve sighed, "I know." The two women locked eyes for a moment and at first Eve thought Frannie was going to argue with her, but she Frannie nodded.

"All right, well, do I at least get to know his name before I leave?" Eve smiled in relief.

"His name is Ronald Speirs."

"The Ronald Speirs?!" Frannie squeaked. Eve cringed as Ron looked their way.

"Frannie." Eve groaned when she saw Ron's lips tug up into a smile. He had heard them.

"I'm sorry," Frannie apologized, "It's just...what is he doing here?!"

"I don't know," Eve replied before turning around to glance at Ron, "But I'm going to find out."

*** *** *** ***

There was something strangely familiar about walking beside Ron, even though the location couldn't be more different. Philadelphia was nothing like Europe. Eve risked sneaking a glance at Ron and saw that he was looking straight ahead, but there was a look in his eyes; a look that made Eve's stomach kick up butterflies. He glanced at her and Eve flushed, quickly turning her head.

"Your friend seems nice." Ron commented lightly as they walked down Congress Ave.

"Small talk isn't your style Ron." Eve replied.

"It isn't small talk," He protested, "I'm curious. Who is she?"

"Frannie Guarnere." Eve replied, crossing her arms.

"Guarnere? As in Wild Bill Guarnere?" Eve nodded.

"Yes, she's his wife."

"Ah. So you're still in contact with Guarnere?"

"We live next door to one another."

"Oh."

"Mmhmm." Eve agreed.

"You and Frannie seem close."

"She's my best friend, next to Eddy of course." If Ron thought it was strange for her to call Babe 'Eddy' his face didn't betray it.

"Well that's convenient." Eve nodded again as the conversation lapsed into silence. "Why are you here Ron?" She asked after a few minutes of walking quietly. "I thought you said that you couldn't come to the wedding which is still a month away."

"Well," Ron began, sticking his hands into his pockets, "I wasn't going to come to the wedding, but then I changed my mind."

"Why?" Eve pressed, her curiosity piqued. Ron sent her a surprisingly teasing smirk.

"I have my reasons." He replied cryptically. Eve let out a huffy sigh.

"Well, as I said, the wedding is still a month away." Ron nodded and then suddenly stopped walking, fixing her with a serious look.

"A month is a longtime." A frown graced Eve's features.

"Yes I suppose it is."

"A lot can happen in a month's time." There was a promise playing in his dark eyes and Eve suddenly realized that that her heart was racing. "I've missed your seeing face." Ron added quietly, his hand reaching out to stroke her cheek, but he apparently thought better of it and let his hand drop.

"I have to go." Eve declared rather abruptly, taking a step backwards. "I have to make dinner for Eddy."

"Of course." He nodded, his expression and stance going stiff with politeness.

"You should join us for dinner tomorrow, if you can."

"I'd like that."

"Here, let me write down the address for you." Eve fumbled around in her purse for a minute before pulling out a tiny notepad and pencil stub. She jotted down the address and then handed the slip of paper to Ron. "Is there anything you'd like?"

"Whatever you want to make is fine with me."

"All right, well I..." She broke off under Ron's intense gaze.

"You have to go." Ron supplied.

"Yes," Eve nodded, "I have to go." She turned and started to speed walk away, but Ron called her back. "Yes?"

"What time?"

"Oh, um," Eve flushed, feeling embarrassed for some reason, "Would 6 o'clock be all right with you?" Ron nodded.

"6 o'clock would be perfect."

*** *** *** ***

Eve was mincing garlic when she felt Babe slip his arms around her waist and kiss the side of her neck in greeting.

"Smells great."

"Thanks."

"Spaghetti again?" Eve flushed. She wasn't much of a cook; in fact she could really only make four dishes and she considered spaghetti her masterpiece.

"I'm sorry," She apologized, turning around and wrapping her arms around his neck, "I haven't had much time to spend with Frannie cooking and I know we've had spaghetti almost every night for the past month, but--" Babe pressed his lips to hers with a laugh, effectively shutting her up.

"I love your spaghetti and I'd eat it three times a day if that's you ever made."

"It pretty much is all I ever make." Eve grumbled. Babe chuckled, kissed her again.

"I love you.

"I love you too."

"Now hurry up and finish dinner." Babe playfully smacked her on the ass and Eve jumped with a giggle, turning back to the spaghetti sauce. "I'm famished." Babe settled down at the kitchen table, unfurling the day's newspaper. Eve figured now was as good a time as any to tell him of the day's events.

"I ran into an old friend today." She began conversationally.

"Oh?"

"Mmhmm."

"Who?"

"Ronald Speirs." Since her back was turned Eve didn't see Babe's grip on the paper tighten, his knuckles turning slightly white.

"What's he doing in town?"

"He said for the wedding."

"But I thought you said he'd already written that he couldn't come."

"He did. I guess he changed his mind." Babe sighed.

"Of course he did."

"I invited him over for dinner tomorrow night."

"Great." Eve recognized the fake enthusiasm instantly.

"It would've been rude not to."

"Did I say anything?"

"I recognized the tone."

"What tone? I didn't have a tone." Eve glanced over her shoulder at him with an eyebrow raised. "Okay," Babe admitted, "I had a tone." Eve giggled. "Are you going to make spaghetti again?" Babe teased.

"Hey now mister," Eve whirled around with the spoon in hand and a gob of spaghetti sauce went flying across the kitchen, hitting Babe in the forehead. Eve snorted in laughter and covered her mouth as Babe sent her a look.

"Oh nice." He muttered sarcastically. "Apparently the German's rubbed off on you; attacking me with spaghetti sauce." Eve's giggles broke through her hand and Babe got his feet, walking towards her with a determined look. Eve held up the sauce-covered spoon defensively.

"I'll use it again. Hinkle showed me how."

"Oh that's it!" Eve squealed as Babe pinned her up against the kitchen counter. They wrestled playfully for a moment before Babe got the spoon from her grip and dabbed her cheek with it. "Ha!" He declared with a cheeky grin. "I win."

"You cheated."

"How did I cheat?" Eve pouted and Babe melted. "Okay you win." She grinned and kissed him, taking the spoon from him as she did so.

"Shoo." She waved him off. "You're distracting me from my meal-making."

"Well," Babe grinned, "Can't have that."

*** *** *** ***

Babe couldn't sleep. His mind kept mulling over why Ronald Speirs had just decided to show up. Babe cast a glance at Eve's sleeping figure before slipping carefully out of the bed. He walked out to the living room and fell onto the couch before running a hand down over his face, sighed. Speirs appearing out of nowhere didn't sit well with him; especially not this close to the wedding. He had a sinking feeling that Speirs wasn't in town for the wedding but for the bride. Babe glanced towards the partially closed bedroom door. He had never told Eve about the conversation between himself and Speirs, though he knew that the latter had shared part of it with her. Speirs had left out the most important part and it was a piece of information Babe had forced from his mind. His eyes traveled to the door once again, his heart clenching painfully at the thought of losing Eve.

"Stop it." He muttered, reprimanding himself. Eve loved him, there was no doubting that fact. And she'd told him about Speirs with confusion and without hesitation. Babe instantly relaxed, let out a quiet chuckle. He had nothing to worry about. Eve was his and his alone.

So why did he still have a bad feeling in his gut?

"Eddy?" Babe glanced up and saw Eve standing in the door, "Is everything okay?" Her voice was thick with sleep and her yawn only accentuated the fact.

"Yeah," Babe muttered, getting to his feet, "Everything's fine. Just got up to get a drink of water." Eve held out her hand.

"Come back to bed with me." When he reached her Babe pulled Eve in for a deep kiss; she sighed against his lips. "I love you."

"I can't imagine my life without you." Babe replied before scooping her up into his arms. Eve let out a squeak of surprise and threw her arm around his neck. Babe chuckled. "Don't worry I've got you." He kissed her again. "I've always got you."

*** *** *** ***

The future Mr and Mrs. Heffron weren't the only ones not that sleeping. Ron Speirs had long ago given up on falling asleep and was currently laying in the bed of his hotel, hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. He wasn't at all sure about how he was going to woo Eve back and he felt like somewhat of a jerk swooping in on her like he had...all other thoughts stopped as the picture of Eve in her wedding dress earlier popped into his mind. Ron sighed. She was without the doubt the most beautiful creature on this planet and one thing was for sure:

The only reason he wanted her to be in a wedding dress was if she was getting married to him.

A/N: I'm just gunna give everyone a head's up and say that I had no idea who she's gunna end up with in this sequel. Yeah.