We lined up beside our planes, and I had Perco in front of me and Muck behind me. There was a slight buzz of excitement in the air along with the idle chatter of the men as they waited to board their aircraft. Tash was a couple of people in front, with Luz behind her.

"Hey, Tash, you wanna watch that creep behind you when we do equipment checks," I called.

"Your sister gives good advice, Tash," Luz laughed. "I think it's the one behind you that you gotta watch, Dicca."

"Hey! I am a perfectly well-mannered young soldier," Muck objected. I laughed with the guys, and at that moment the order came to board the planes.


"Get ready!" the jump instructor yelled over the rumble of the engines. "Stand up!" Each man stood up, their hooks ready to be connected. "Hook up!" A succession of clicks followed as everyone clipped their line to the overhead cable. "Check equipment!" The person behind patted down the man in front, knowing that if anything was wrong, they'd die before they even got to war. Muck behaved himself, but I decided to grab Perco's arse. "Sound off for equipment check!" The numbers echoed down the line, and reached Webster at the front. "Stand in the door!" the instructor directed at Web, who stood where directed, waiting for the red light to turn green. As the men began shuffling restlessly, a familiar feeling of adrenaline began to course though my veins. Even though I was used to more modern aircraft and much more modern parachutes, this somehow felt better. As the light colour changed, Webster jumped from the door with no hesitation. "Go, go, go!" The men jumped in quick succession, and I watched as Tash jumped free from the aircraft, and in no time, it was my turn. I flashed the instructor a smile, to which he returned a wink, before giving me the nod. I launched myself from the door, and the euphoric feeling of weightlessness flooded my being. It freed not only the physical body, but the mind, as the only thoughts that span around in my head were those of complete freedom. A sense of happiness found its way to my face, and I laughed to myself as I watched the men - my men - float to the ground. I landed near Perco, and as I was bundling up my 'chute, he came up behind me and grabbed my arse. I spun around, raising an eyebrow, but not being able to hide my smile fully.

"Hey, I owe you that," he smiled cheekily.

"So, how'd you enjoy your first jump, Perc?" I asked as I put my arm around his shoulders.

"Well, first off I swore, then I took control, then I swore again. So yeah, I actually enjoyed it," he laughed as we walked back towards the airfield to complete four more jumps.


Hours later, the men had finished all five jumps. We were on the way back to the barracks to get into our dress greens for the drinking later tonight, though to be fair, they would probably be completely messed up by the time it was over.

"Pvt's Zhukavitch. Colonel Sink asked me to deliver these to you. He says he's proud of your achievements under such trying circumstances," Pvt. Smith said, approaching us just before we stepped into the hut. He handed us each a flat, square box.

"Thanks, Smithy," I said, handing him a cigarette and a smile. He nodded politely before returning to the office. "What the fuck is this?"

"Gee, I dunno, T. My x-ray vision hasn't come into play yet," Tash replied.

"Asshole." We walked into the hut, which was mostly empty. Many of the men had gone to take a shower, leaving only Gono, Roe, Penk, Skip and Cobb. Completely ignoring the latter, we made our way over to our bunks.

"You two got an admirer?" Skip asked.

"Compliments of Sink," I said, opening the box. A letter lay at the top, which Tash quickly grabbed, once again saving my bacon.

"An offering of complete acceptance into Easy Company, and the chance for a new beginning. Sincerely, Colonel Sink," she read. Under the letter lay a layer of brown paper, and after peeling it away, my fears were confirmed.

"Fuck."

"What the hell is it?" Bill asked, coming over.

"It's a goddam dress." The thing I hated most in the world. "I cannot fucking wear this. I've never worn a dress in my life!"

"T, if we don't wear these, Sink will take offense. We have to," Tash said. "Besides, it's kinda nice." She lifted her's out the box. It was a velvety material, a dark purple colour, and tight fitting. If mine was anything like that, I'd find a way to become ill extremely fast. I rolled my eyes at her not-very-well concealed excitement.

"Come on, Dicca, get it out the damn box!" Penk exclaimed.

"Hey, do you wanna fucking wear it?" I glared at him.

"Maybe I do," he replied, making me drop my stony exterior. I sighed, before lifting the dress from it's box. It was the darkest black I'd ever seen, and as opposed to Tash's velvet, this one was a silky satin material. The top was a halter neck style, and body tight until the hips, where the skirt had under netting and flared out. The back of the dress was a lace screen, coming down to the dimples in my back. A daring dress for this time period. It was also slightly shorter than Tash's, meaning it would come to just above the knees. "Yeah, I somehow think it will look better on you," Alex said.

"Fuck," I repeated.

"Hey sis, I know you hate them, but at least it's black right?" she shrugged.

"I am only doing this for you. And because Sink is a decent guy."

"Am I missing something in here?" a voice sounded. Christenson walked into the hut, walking over to us. "You ladies sure know how to get the gifts off the guys," he joked, earning him a shove.

"It's a present from Sink. Apparently they deserve one over us," Cobb sounded from down the hut.

"Shut your yap, Cobb. You didn't travel back 70 years and have to deal with scum like Sobel. Besides, they teach us combat training. And they're girls," Gono argued. Cobb just shrugged before exiting. "You girls should probably get to the showers," Bill winked.

"I'm headed there now, I'll keep an eye out," Gene said.

"Yeah, sure. Any you guys got a cigarette I can steal?" I asked, still staring down the dress.

"Here you go, Dicca," Christenson said, handing me a cigarette and lighting it.

"Cheers. Right, if any of you feel like destroying that while I'm gone, feel free," I directed towards the dress as we left the hut.

"Come on, ma cherie. Let's get you tidied up," Gene smiled.

"Hey, Doc? You know if any of the nurses can do make up?" Tash asked.

"Nope, not happening, never," I objected.


"I hate you. I swear to christ, I am actually gonna kill you." Tash had somehow managed to get the nurses to do our make up and hair, and my normally braided dark hair was now curled and in victory rolls at the top. The dress, admittedly, was actually ok. It didn't reveal too much, but at the same time held class as well as a slight mystery. Tash, as always, looked stunning. The guys had cleared out of the hut to let us get ready, and left only two of the guys outside to escort us to the bar. I wasn't sure who they'd left, but I'd heard them flipping coins for it.

"So, you ready, sis?" Tash asked. Her hair was in an up-do, the tight dress showing her curves.

"I feel like an idiot," I deadpanned.

"T, trust me, you look great. I never lie to you, besides, you can tell when I do. Honestly, Tash, you look fine. The lace screen is thick enough to cover the scars on your back, and the ones on your legs and arms are hardly noticeable any more. Anyway, we have a hidden talent that none of them know about," she winked. I laughed despite myself. One of the things the League made us do was dance. It helped with co-ordination and balance, especially because we were younger at the time. And swing dance was my favourite. Sighing, I shot her one last look before heading towards the door.

"Who'd you think they've left?" Tash asked.

"God knows. Safe to say I don't think Cobb will be one of them," I laughed. "Right, let's fucking get this over with." I opened the door, and stepped outside, my heels clicking onto the concrete. In front of us, Luz and Web stood having a cigarette, their backs to us, too caught up in a conversation to realise we were there. I slipped up behind Web, putting my hands over his eyes.

"Which one is this?" he laughed, before turning to face me. "You look amazing, T!" His bright eyes lit up, and I rolled my eyes.

"Thank you, David. Now, let's get this freak show on the road?" I asked as I took the cigarette out his mouth. Web looked good, like really good. He had a lot of class, and was a very attractive man. Meanwhile, George hadn't said anything, rather just kinda stared at me and Tash.

"Hey, earth to Georgie!" I yelled. He snapped his eyes to mine, that grin spreading over his face. He also looked good, his hair kinda messed up; he was a handsome guy, and had that charm that ladies apparently loved.

"Well, I'll be damned. I think our warrior queens have turned into princesses of epic proportion," he laughed. I shoved him in the shoulder, before smiling at Tash.

"This one's yours, sis," I winked.

"Pleasure's all mine, m'lady," Luz said, taking her arm in his.

"Shall we, ladies?" Web asked, offering his hand to me, which I happily took. He smiled at me, a smile that could melt a thousand hearts. "So, you ready to drink?"

"Of course. Though I feel any image created by a dress will be shattered when I begin to down pints," I laughed. "It's a skill."

"I'll bet," Web said, laughing. We walked for about 5 minutes, laughing and chatting, before we stopped outside a building. Inside, I could hear glasses clinking, men cheering, and music playing. "After you," Web said, holding the door open for me and Tash, before following behind with Tash. It took a moment to scan the room for our boys. "I'll grab you guys a drink," Web said.

"You make a great date, Web," I laughed, kissing him on the cheek. Tash and Luz began making their way to the boys, so I duly followed. Some men stared, but none really payed too much mind. Thank god. I could hear them counting down, and saw Guarnere chugging back a beer in impressive time, before getting his jump wings between his teeth.

"Hi-yo, silver," he grinned, as the men cheered.

"Reckon I could give you a run for your money, Gono," I said as we approached the table.

"My God! You scrub up mighty well. You look beautiful, both of you," Muck said, standing up to hug us both.

"You're too good to us, Skip," Tash laughed, as Web came over with my drink.

"Cheers," I smiled.

"So, you gonna prove that you're as good a drinker as you say you are?" a voice piped up. I rolled my eyes as Cobb approached the table, his face flushed from alcohol. Without hesitation, I downed the pint in not exactly a ladylike fashion. The men cheered when I slammed the glass down on the table.

"Good enough for you?" I asked sweetly, before flipping him the middle finger. "And now I'm gonna go get another drink." I walked towards the bar, various shouts from different men not bothering me. Luz was now serving Toye, who looked pretty gone. "Beer please, Georgie." He winked before lifting one up from beneath the bar.

"Ey, looking good, T," Toye said. "Your sister around?"

"Yeah, she's with the lads," I laughed. He sent me a wink before going to sit back down with the rest of the men.

"Here's to the warrior queens and their band of soldiers," George toasted.

"And to the annoying amount of great eyes and cute smiles," I laughed, before we both took a swig of our drinks.

"Ten-hut," a voice sounded, seeing every man snap to his feet and me and George almost spilling our drinks. Sink walked in with Strayer and another soldier I hadn't seen before and stood on the small stage up front.

"Well, at ease, paratroopers," Sink said, glancing around the room with pride. "Good evening, Easy Company."

"Evening, sir!" the men chanted back. I slid through the men to stand next to Lip, who shot me a smile and a wink. Apparently these men do that a lot.

"Now, parachute infantry is a brand new concept in American military history. But by God, the 506 is gonna forge that brand new concept into victory."

"Yes, sir!"

"I want you to know that I'm damn proud of each and every one of you. Now, you deserve this party." He glanced around the room. "Thank you, Sgt. Grant," he said as Charles gave him a pint.

"Sir," Grant nodded.

"So, I want you to have fun, and remember our motto: Currahee!" Sink raised his glass in dismissal.

"Currahee!" the men responded, raising their drinks.

"How's your night, Sgt?" I asked Lip.

"Pretty well. And you look incredible," he said, kissing my cheek.

"Thanks, Lip. Dunno what I'd do without you," I winked. "You seen Lieb anywhere?"

"He's with Martin and Perc," Lip said.

Liebgott's P.O.V

Sink's speech was thankfully short. I hadn't seen the girls yet, but I knew they were here.

"So, money's on the table. Who's getting knocked out first tonight?" Perco asked.

"Oh, definitely Cobb," Martin responded.

"That's a for gone conclusion. But which one of the twins will it be," I laughed.

"Both," Frank said.

"Someone talking about me?" a voice said behind me. I turned round to face it, and found none other than the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. Her hair wasn't it's normal straight and braided look. It was now curled and pinned at the top. Her make up was simple, but the red lipstick did all the work. And her dress complimented her in every way. The tight fit at the top clung to her body, the dark black keeping up that air of mystery, and it flared out at the bottom and came to just above her knees. She wore a black pair of stilettos that made her legs seem even more endless. And she was in every way a picture of perfection.

"Give us a spin then, princess!" Perco broke the silence.

"Do I have to?" she laughed.

"Yeah, get in here," Martin said, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the middle.

"I hate you guys," she said as she spun around, the dress flaring out, the lacy back creating even more appeal. Somehow. Frank let out a low whistle. "Shit. I left my drink at the bar."

"Only thinking of the important stuff," I said. She smiled at me, her eyes lightening, small dimples on each cheek. "Come on, I'll grab you another one," I said.

T's P.O.V

"See you later, lads. And congratulations on the promotion, Sgt," I said to Martin, giving him a smile. I glanced up at Lieb, and holy crap was he fine. His dress greens made him look like very chivalrous, his beautiful eyes seeming even brighter than normal. I smiled to myself, grateful to be in his company.

"Another beer?" Lieb asked. I nodded.

"Can we go outside for a bit?" I asked, wanting to get some time to speak to him.

"Sure, I'll meet you out there." I walked towards the door, and felt a hand on the small of my back. I quickly turned around, relieved to see Eugene.

"Mon dieu, vous regardez absolument magnifique," he smiled.

"That's a compliment right," I laughed as I kissed him on the cheek.

"You leaving already?" he asked in his thick accent.

"Oh, god no, way too early, but I need to talk to Lieb outside," I laughed.

"Ah, of course. Then I'll leave you to it, mon cherie," he said with a smile, before heading off to find the rest of the men. As I left the bar, I walked straight into someone else coming through the door.

"Shit, sorry," I apologised, before looking up and realising it was none other than Lt. Speirs. "Shit. Sorry, sir."

"No need for apologies, Zhukavitch," he said, staring at me with those cold but beautiful eyes. Holy shit, he is damn beautiful. I mean, he wasn't a Lieb, but he was the next closest thing on this base. "May I say, you look very beautiful tonight, Pvt. Enjoy your evening," he said, before nodding and entering the bar. I laughed to myself at how polite most of the men in this time were as I stood by the wall and waited for Joe. In a couple of minutes, he came out with two beers, handing one to me.

"Cheers. You wouldn't by any chance have a cigarette as well?" I laughed. "This outfit doesn't come with a lot of storage space." He laughed before handing me a cigarette and lighting it.

"You look amazing, T." Enough men had said it tonight, but with Lieb, it was different. I looked at the floor, smiling. He put his hand under my chin, lifting my eyes up to his. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Er, I-" I cleared my throat, being to caught up in his eyes to speak apparently. "I wanted to say a proper thank you. For being there for me. I know the other guys are too, but with you, it's different. I don't know how, or why, but it is. You know that. You've been there for me, supported me, got beat up for me," I laughed, earning one of his famous smirks. "So seriously, thank you."

"I think I might have accidentally taken a bit of a liking towards you," he said, making me laugh.

"That makes two of us, Lieb." I looked into his eyes, in a way I hadn't before, and it felt like in that moment, we were connected. What the fuck is happening to me? But I didn't care, because now, we'd drawn closer to each other, and as I looked up, our lips were almost touching, I could feel his breath tickling my skin, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. His eyes drew me closer, so much so that our bodies were pressing against one another, his free hand on the small of my back. Just before our lips locked together, the door burst open, making us both fly apart.

"Shit, we better get you home Skip," Penk said, holding up a less than stable Muck. Despite the situation, I laughed at Skip's predicament. "Give us a hand, Lieb," Alex said. I took his beer from him, as he winked at me.

"Don't let that drink go anywhere, T."

"Would I ever," I smiled, before heading back in. On the way back to the table, the cheers of the men around me, their happiness, their joy was all overshadowed my one emotion I'd felt only once - love. Ew, gross. I had completely fallen in love with Joseph D. Liebgott.