I do not own Band of Brothers. This story is based upon the mini-series; not the real men of Easy Company.


December 26th was a proud day for me. I managed to complete the jump and after a large ceremony we were all officially paratroopers. I doubted that there would ever be a prouder moment in my life. Not only was I proud of myself but I was proud of all the men who had also made it through with me. Wings Day would be something in which we never forgot.

I'd never forget the wind blowing through my hair as I fell towards the earth The last jump was seared into my brain, mainly because it was the day that I proved I belonged. Unlike all the men who'd signed up, all of us ladies had passed. None of us had dropped out or been forced to quit. We'd proved that we were equally as strong and that we had the potential to make it.

That night was special to us all. It was the celebration of all our hard work and we had finally began to reap the rewards. To celebrate we were allowed to the local tavern where everybody seemed to be drinking. Everybody's spirits were high that night and a few of the men had even been promoted on recommendations made by both Winter and I. It was a good of an evening as any to celebrate and the atmosphere seemed to ward off the cold weather.

I was sat, beer in hand by newly promoted Sergeant Guarnere and the other men. It was a hearty atmosphere which everybody was invited to join. For tonight, there was nothing standing between Officers and enlisted men as we were all celebrating on even grounds. We were all just as proud of each other and glad that we had such a fine group of men to get through the war with.
"One thousand! Two thousand! Three Thousand! Four thousand!" They chanted as Guarnere gulped down his beer to retrieve his jump wings that had been placed at the bottom. We all cheered as he smiled, revealing them between his teeth.

"Hi-ho Silver!" He shouted, mocking the absent Sobel. I shook my head at his mockery but I couldn't help but smile. I took a swig of my drink, finally finishing off the glass. I tapped Bill on the shoulder, letting him know that I was leaving, before I stood up. He gave me small nod before turning back around to the table and allowing me to climb out.

Chatter filled the room but as I passed I couldn't help but hear the words that were exchanged between Perconte and Martin.
" lf you had style like me, somebody might mistake you for somebody." I heard Perconte say to Martin, placing his boot on the stool where Martin was tying his. I couldn't help but look at the pair, intrigued as to what was going on. Martin could be unpredictable at times but he was a loyal man and you could ask for little more.
"You mean like your fucking sergeant?" He said seriously, pointing at his new stripes. For a moment the area around them quietened, watching what was occurring. For a moment, Martin's expression told us that he was being deadly serious.
" l'm just kidding." Perconte squeaked at the sight of Martin's expression.

Martin held the serious face for a moment before his face softened he winked at Perconte. I let out a breath that I'd not even realised I was holding. For a second I'd half expected Martin to explode on Perconte.
"Congratulations, Martin." I smiled, walking past Martin now that I was sure the danger had passed. I'd only hung around to ensure that Perconte could be dug out of any trouble, even if he had partially brought it upon himself.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked me, a smile on his face. I stopped, raising one eyebrow at the Sergeant before me as I stared down at him.
"To get another drink." I smirked, showing him my empty glass.
"Another? You've already drank loads." He laughed. raising an eyebrow. "I don't think I've ever met a woman who could drink as much as you without already being passed out.
"Watch yourself Johnny, I could drink you under the table." I smirked.

"Is that a challenge?" He asked with a smug smile, standing up and straightening out his uniform. He looked me straight in the eyes and I gave him a small nod.
"Those sound like fighting words to me." I winked, my smile growing. Johnny's smile mirrored my own for a second.
"Oh you're on Lieutenant." He said, taking my arm and pulling me towards the bar. He instructed me to wait there as he went to push through the crowded bar to get me my first drink. I'd already drank a fair amount of alcohol but I was still confident in my unladylike ability. Normally it wouldn't be something that I was proud of but it certainly seemed to be helping me to integrate myself amidst the men.

"There you go, Lieutenant." Johnny smiled when he returned, handing me another glass. I thanked him as I took it. I was about to take my first sip when we were interrupted.
"Ten-hut!" A voice called out, causing us all to instantly jump into the position of attention. Somehow, despite my sudden movements, I managed not to spill any alcohol on myself.
"Well, at ease, paratroopers." My uncle's voice rang out. We all eased up and I allowed myself to take a sip of the beverage in my hand. "Good evening, Easy Company."

"Evening, sir!" We all chanted back.
"Parachute lnfantry is a new concept in military history but the 506 will forge that new concept into victory." He told us. I couldn't see him from my position due to my lack of height but I knew he'd be smiling.
"Yes, sir!" We all beamed, proud of the praise which we were receiving.
" l want you to know l'm damn proud of every one of , you deserve this party." He said, his voice quieting for a moment, becoming inaudible to me from my position. A couple of seconds passed before he spoke again "So l want you to have fun, and remember our motto: -Currahee!"
"Currahee! " We all cheered, raising our glasses as proud smiles etched upon our faces.

Nearly an hour later Martin and I were still at the bar. He was beginning to fatigue now, his words slurring together. I myself was now drunk but only to the point where I laughed like a maniac. The men had gathered around to see what was happening and were now egging us on. I downed my drink and waited for the struggling Martin. It was clear that he wasn't going to give up without a fight but it was clear I had this one in the bag.
"Pour us another one, Luz." I laughed, extending my empty glass to the man behind the bar. He laughed, refilling both our drinks. I sipped it and half way through the pint, Martin began to wobble uncontrollably despite his grip on the bar. Arms extended to catch him but he simply set his drink down on the bar.
"Yeah okay, you win." He laughed, staggering forwards and pulling me into a hug. I snorted slightly, freeing myself from his grip.
"I knew I'd win." I laughed. "Don't bite off more than you can chew Johnny."

As the night drew to an end I was sat at the table, drinking with Malarkey and Guarnere. They seemed to watch in amasement as I continued to drink. The effects had started to catch up to me now so I slowed down, feeling more than a bit light headed. I'd not felt anything for a while but suddenly it was as though a weight had been dropped on top of me.
"I can't believe someone of your stature drank Martin under the table." Guarnere smirked, "All the men here can handle their drink and here you are drinking more than the rest of us."
"Hell you sure are something." Malarkey smiled at me. I laughed at their words, zoning out as they conversed between themselves. Many a man had retired to their barracks, eager for a good rest. We had a late start tomorrow so for once we had the opportunity to stay up late if we wished and still be allowed to have a decent amount of sleep.

"So, Malone." Bill smiled from opposite me. "You got any good stories about home?"
I looked up at him, one eyebrow cocked. Being drunk, my mind didn't exactly filter the words which came out of it.
"Which one are you talking about?" I slurred, my mind not eve associating the two places as being together anymore.
"What do you mean?" Bill asked gently, leaning forwards slightly.
"Before or after I lived with my bitch of an Aunt." I stated angrily, slamming my hand down on the table. They both jumped slightly at my sudden action. Both Bill and Don stared at me, seemingly unsure of what to say now.

As silence engulfed us, I went to take another drink.
"I think you've had enough for tonight." Don said gently, placing his hand on my arm and lowering my drink back onto the table. I looked up at Don, my anger instantly melting away. It wasn't their fault for asking, neither were any of the events that occurred. They just knew nothing of my life before Easy Company and were just curious. Instead, guilt consumed me for my outburst.

"I'm sorry." I sighed after a moment casting my gaze down upon the table. "If you'll excuse me gentlemen, I best get to bed."
I pushed myself to my feet, both of my men offering me a smile.
"Night." They both chorused together. I looked at them for a moment before giving them a small nod and turning for the door. After only a mere few steps I stumbled, being saved from colliding with the ground by Malarkey.
"Come on Bill, we best walk her back." He said, wrapping an arm around my waist. Bill nodded, walking over to me and mirroring Malarkey from the other side of me.

I looked between the men and pondered over why they'd chosen to befriend me. Was it because of my rank or did they genuinely care? Whenever I drank I always got myself into the same rut of over thinking but it was still a genuine question. Whether it was their choice or not, nobody in my life ever really seemed to stick around yet our bonds had only grown stronger with no signs of weakness as the months progressed.
"Did I ever tell you guys how great you are?" I inquired, looking between Bill and Malark. A small smile tugged at their lips but they just shook their heads at me.

"Has anybody seen Lieutenant Malone?" A voice called out. My head instantly snapped around to see Winters stood in the doorway, scanning the nearly empty room.
"Dick!" I exclaimed, breaking free from Malarkey and Guarnere. I was fairly stable but when I nearly reached him I stumbled and tripped again. His arms anchored themselves around my waist, hauling me back to my feet. I found myself stood in close proximity to him, his eyes staring into my own. I didn't seem capable of moving as my hands rested on his abdomen.

He didn't move either, he just stared intently down at me for a moment, his eyes seeming to search my own. My neck was craned as we stared at each other. When he came to his senses he stepped back, keeping his hands on my shoulders. to prevent me from falling once more
"Thanks." I blushed under his gaze before laughing softly to myself again.
"Would you like us to escort her back to your barracks, Sir?" Guarnere asked as him and Malarkey materialised beside me. I smiled at their polite offer.
"No it's okay, I need to speak to Lieutenant Malone." He told them. They nodded and dismissed themselves, turning around and wiggling their eyebrows behind Winters' back causing me to giggle softly to myself.

Winters took my arm in his, making sure I didn't fall over again. As we walked, he stared down at me kindly, seeming to try and figure me out like I was a puzzle to him.
"What did you come and find me for Dick?"I asked, stopping in my tracks and looking up at him once we were outside. The cold air nipped at my flesh as I noticed how cold it was out here. The soft wind blew loose strands of hair around, tickling the back of my neck.
"Captain Sobel wanted me to give you this." He said, plucking a box from his pocket and showing me the badges within. I gasped slightly, my hand coming up to my mouth.

"I'm being promoted?" I stammered, not quite believing it. If I wasn't in such a drunken state I supposed I could have regulated my reaction, rather than acting like he'd just proposed.
"Thank you." I whispered, pulling him into a hug. He chuckled softly, patting my back.
"I think I need to get you to bed." He laughed, placing a hand on the small of my back and pushing me along. The walk back was quiet as Dick just trained his eyes on me, concentrating on not letting me fall and injure myself.

I soon found myself in the barracks, sat on my bed as Dick helped me free my hair. He loosened my tie gently too before slowly easing it from around my neck.
"Thanks Dick." I smiled, letting a yawn escape my mouth.
"You're welcome." He smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corner slightly. I smiled back, peeling back my covers as I did so. He laughed softly as I crawled into bed, pulling my covers around me and quickly drifting off into sleep while still in my uniform.

I woke up in the middle of the night, my uniform clinging to my moist skin. My breathing was laboured as I broke from unconsciousness into reality. For a brief moment, I had no idea where I was as the darkness engulfed me. I just laid there, my breathing being the loudest noise in the room. I kicked the covers back from myself, unable to take the heat any longer. It did little to relieve me though as my shirt stuck to my skin. My head was pounding and I needed water. I knew I had none on me so I quietly crawled out of bed and rummaged through my kit. I managed to pull out a plain white shirt and my PT shorts. I got changed in the dark, the material providing a sweet relief from my bodies moisture.

I left my uniform in a heap on the floor, barely able to think of anything else to do with it. My mouth was dry and I felt as though I could pass out. I stumbled through the darkness, hoping that I'd find either Lew or Dick. I held my hands out in front of me, too afraid that I'd fall. It was a futile effort though as my leg collided with the hard metal of the bed, causing me to lurch forwards. I fell into a body, my hands barely managing to catch me. I scrambled backwards, managing to sit on the side of the bed panting before the unfortunate human spoke.
"Jesus, what's going on?" They whispered, rolling over in their bed to look at me.

The voice thankfully was familiar, meaning that I'd not fallen and had to explain myself to somebody I barely knew.
"I'm sorry, Lew." I whispered. The bed creaked in protest as Lew sat up. His voice was thick and husky with tiredness but in the dark I could still make out the concern on his face.
"Viv, what's up?" He asked. Before I could answer him though he brought his palm to my forehead. He kept it there for a minute before retracting it.
"You're burning up." He stated as I shifted further onto his bed. He lent over, reaching for something on the floor. He sat back up straight with a canteen in his hand. He unscrewed the lid before sniffing at it. I was confused as to why he was doing so as it took my mind a moment to comprehend even his action.

"It's water." He announced, handing it to me. "But only take a sip."
I did as I was told, feeling the cold water dripping down my throat. It brought a sense of bliss with it as it eased my dry throat. I handed the bottle back to Lew, leaning my head slightly on his shoulder. A small yawn escaped my lips although I felt horrendously sick.
"Just lay down." Lew commanded me after a moment. My eyes were beginning to close but I knew that I couldn't stay here. I needed to get back to my own bed.
"I need my bed." I grumbled, weakly shaking my head. I went to get up but Lew's hand wrapped gently around my wrist. Rather than moving, I just looked down at it.

"You're not very well, I can at least keep my eye on you if you're right here." He told me seriously, his dark eyes fixing on my blue orbs. With my mind still being somewhat intoxicated, I couldn't help but let the next few words tumble out of my mouth.
"I can't sleep in a bed with a married man." I frowned. Lew sighed, one eyebrow raising slightly.
"That's a valid point but what type of a friend would I be if I left you in this state, huh? It's one night Viv and we're just friends. I don't see a problem with it. You're like a sister to me."

I didn't really listen to Lew. I was already too close to falling asleep. I barely heard any of his words anyway. I didn't even know why my own point had come out of my mouth. It didn't bother me as I knew Lew and I were exactly that - just friends. Without protesting I just laid down on top of the blankets. I was still fairly warm but Lew insisted that I crawled under them to spare myself in the morning. I didn't complain. All I wanted to do was sleep. The one simple thing. I rolled onto my side and was once again engulfed by the darkness.

When I actually woke up again, light was streaming into the barracks. As soon as I opened my eyes my stomach growled in protest of all the alcohol that it had consumed the night before. My head was pounding, dulling all my other senses. I groaned, burying my head into what I thought was the pillow. That was until I heard a similar groan come from beside me. I looked beneath me, realising that I was actually asleep on Lew's arm which he had wrapped around my shoulders. His thumb rubbed small patterns on my upper arms as I just laid beside him. I was thankful that both of us had woken up fully clothed, meaning that neither of us had tried anything stupid in our drunken states.

Lew's head rolled over to face me and he offered me a small smile.
"Morning." He greeted, his voice still husky like it was the night before. I just managed a moan, feeling too sick to actually do anything else. "I take it you're still feeling rather unwell."
"Worse." I stated quietly, closing my eyes again. The simple act just made me concentrate on the throbbing more, making it no more bearable. Lew smiled and slipped out of bed before pulling the covers back over me. He moved to his locker for his uniform. He glanced at his watch, muttering a quiet 'Jesus' under his breath.
"What's up?" I asked, keeping my eyes closed.
"Lunch in half an hour and then after that Sink's called a parade." He told me. I cracked an eye open, our eyes meeting for a moment.

"Well that should be fun." I grumbled, my stomach doing flips almost as if to augment my point as I spoke. It would be a miracle if I could make it through the parade in my state. If I'd have known I may not have attempted to kill my liver last night.
"So I suggest you get up." Lew instructed. I groaned, pushing the covers off of me. As soon as the cold air hit my sweaty skin I felt a small wave of relief. I sat up, my stomach churning as I did so. I sat panting on the edge of Lew's bed for a moment, my fingers digging into the mattress as I attempted to hold the contents of my stomach down.

"Just take it slowly." I heard Lew warn me. I merely nodded, unable to force any words out. I got to my shaking feet and attempted to walk towards my bed. My balance was slightly off though so I ended up clutching onto Dick's locker in an attempt to steady myself. I sat down on my own bed now, my body only more sweaty with the effort which it had taken. My head was pounding and I screwed my eyes closed once again. This was going to be an impossible day.

I didn't even notice as Lew walked over and began to rummage through my locker.
"I think you should take a shower." He said gently, causing me to open my eyes again. He offered me a small smile and I simply nodded. He'd got my clothes, towels and toothbrush on his arm. In the other he held my boots which he handed over to me. I managed to tug them onto my feet before Lew decided to help me back up. I was wobbly on my own feet so Lew placed a hand on the small of my back, which he would then use to guide me to the shower block.

After my shower, I felt somewhat more awake. The water had at least allowed me to feel clean again but now I could only focus on the immense pounding in my head and trying to keep the contents of my stomach. As I emerged from the shower block, I could only worry about my dress uniform. Hopefully it would remain as immaculate as it had been when I put it on. Once Lew and I had dropped my stuff off back at my barracks, we made our way for lunch.
Men talked excitedly to themselves outside the mess hall although it just turned into one continuous drone. Lew couldn't seem to help but laugh at the state I'd gotten myself into. I was thankful that none of the men seemed to notice me as they were either too drunk themselves or still on a major buzz over the fact that we now had our Jump Wings.

When I eventually sat back down at a table, it was a relief to say the least. The smell of the food only served to make me feel worse and the loud noises of the men only made my pounding head more severe.
"You look well this morning." Dick couldn't help but smirk as I sat down opposite him. I raised one eyebrow at him as Lew just smirked at his comment.
"This is why you should never drink." I grumbled, taking my fork and shifting my food around my plate. I knew from past experiences that food could make me feel better but I wasn't sure whether I wanted to take that risk or not. Did I go cold turkey or attempt to make myself feel better?

The lunch hour passed rather quickly. I'd eaten some of my food although it was now taking all my concentration to hold it down. Once I was outside the mess hall, Dick caught up to me.
"You sure you're going to make it through this parade?" Dick asked me gently. I stared up at his kind green eyes for a moment and nodded.
"I'll be fine." I whispered. As soon as the words left my mouth though, I regretted it. My stomach churned and I hunched over, my mind set on not covering the path in vomit.

I retched, tears stinging my eyes. I felt a hand soothingly rub my back as I bent double gasping for air. For a moment I was fine but as I began to sit up, a second wave hit me.
"It's okay. Just get it all up." Dick whispered gently, continuing to rub small circles on my back. I stood up, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. My stomach was still on edge but I didn't feel as though I was going to vomit again.
"Thank you." I whispered to Dick, slightly embarrassed that he'd just witnessed me throwing up. He just smiled simply at me, his kind eyes staring at me once again. As I pulled myself together, I checked my uniform. Mercifully it was still as pristine as it had been before.
"Come on." Dick whispered gently, beginning to guide me away. "We don't want to be late."

One thing I was sure of was that my Uncle's parade was excruciatingly painful. I was fighting my stomach, hoping that I wouldn't throw up again. At this point, my main battle was ensuring that I didn't embarrass myself. I'd already embarrassed myself in front of Dick and that was painful enough in itself. With that being said though, I barely heard a word of my Uncle's speech. My ears had only picked up a few phrases throughout the speeches entirety: "stay out of trouble", "You're paratroopers now," "Make us proud." but the one thing I was sure of was that we'd been granted a ten day furlough.