Hey everyone!. Wow, it has been awhile, sorry about that but I've been quite busy with the preparations to my confirmation, school, and I have just got Fringe season 2 and Game of Thrones season 1 so I've seen that for awhile. Who knows, maybe a fic's coming up with some of that at some point?
I just wanted, again, to thank everyone who spends their time reading, reviewing or are putting the story on their Story Alerts or Favorite Stories, AND huge thanks to piratecowgirl1010 for putting me on as Favorite Author. WOW, I don't know what to say, honestly... I'm speechless, thank you everyone, I had never expected this! :')

And please after reading, write a review and tell me what you think, tell me how I'm doing of a Dane, what I can do better and that.

Appreciated :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Band of Brothers, only Olivia Mae and her story. All credit goes to Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, Stephen E. Ambrose, and everyone who were involved in making this incredible true story about friendship, brotherhood and the bonds you make with one another while in the horrors of war.

Enjoy ;-).

Chapter 21:

January 3rd, 1945 – The Ardennes, Belgium:

"Congratulations Lt. Peacock. I can't think of anybody who deserves this more," Bull spoke as everyone were standing around Lt. Peacock, congratulating him on getting a 30-day off back to 'The States'.
One officer from each regiment who had fought in Bastogne had been picked to do so. The boys had told me that it was some sort of way to show and tell the people in America what was going on in the war in Europe and other places.

"Thanks," Peacock smiled sheepishly. "Really glad that you're going home," George also spoke.
"Best news I've heard in weeks. Hell of a guy," Pat Christenson also put in. "Thanks guys. It really means a lot to me, you know?," Peacock smiled thankful. "Ahh, get outta here," Bull smiled,"Three cheers for Lt. Peacock."

"Hip,hip, hooray,hip hip, hooray, hip hip, hooray!."

"If they come by here, smile for the camera. Got to keep the morale up for the folks back home," Colonel spoke back at CP. Some men with camera's had come and were filming the boys. The guys didn't seem to mind at all. They were smiling and waved at the camera. I hadn't seen them so happy for a long time. I couldn't help but smile when they smiled. I kept away from the camera's though. I was too shy, so I was now sitting in the little ruin we used as headquarters it seemed, along with Colonel, Lieutenant and Nix. "Why?," Lieutenant questioned. Colonel turned from the map he was looking at. "Damned if I know," he replied smiling, "All right, Nix. What's waiting for us in Foy?."

"At least one company from the 10th Panzer Grenadiers. They've also got one 88, although we haven't been able to spot it," Nix told, pointing at the map. Then I stiffened. It just couldn't be. Joe had been wounded in his arm on New Years Eve. Gene had told me it would take a least a week before Joe came back, but there he was, walking in the direction of the little foodplace we had.

I tugged Lieutenant's sleeve. He looked questioningly at me and then I moved my eyes in the direction of where Joe was walking. I saw Lieutenant's eyes widen a little. He had also heard what Gene had said.
"What about Armor?," Colonel asked, but I wasn't really paying attention more. "As of last night, three Tigers," Nix replied.

"Would you excuse me for a moment, sir?," Lieutenant asked. "Yeah," Colonel winked. I followed Lieutenant who was walking against Joe. I didn't hope he came in too much trouble.

"How do I feel about being rescued by Patton?," I heard Joe question to one of the camera-men,"Well, I'd feel peachy if it wasn't for one thing. We didn't need to be fucking rescued by Patton. You got that?."

I hit shyly behind Lieutenant. "Joe," Lieutenant greeted. "Sir."

"Excuse us for a moment," Lieutenant spoke politely to the camera-man. Lieutenant, Joe and I walked a bit away. Joe smiled when he saw me, but I didn't smile. Why had he come back when he wasn't healed completely? He had a 'sling' to support his shoulder and arm. It wasn't safe back here like it was on the aid-station.
Well, there was always a small risk for the aid-station to get hit but it was very small. "Sorry, sir," Joe spoke. "Sorry about what? Patton? I couldn't agree more." At that Joe smiled," The thing is, what are you doing here?."

Just what I wanted to ask but Lieutenant did it for me. "I wanted to be back at the line,sir," Joe replied in his raspy voice. It had become even more raspy since we came here.
"Joe, you don't have to. Get back to the aid-station," Lieutenant scolded softly. I'm not sure he was scolding, though. "I'd really like to head back with the fellas and Livy, sir," Joe said. It was like he was pleading with his eyes. Lieutenant looked down at me and then sighed," All right. Then go."

Joe smiled," Thank you,sir." I nodded at Lieutenant who smiled softly, knowingly. He wasn't the one who would be scolding Joe. It was me, and he knew that. I started walking away from Joe. I could hear his footsteps in the snow following me. "Hey, Livy, wait up!," he called.

I just continued walking. Oh, how I loved doing this. I loved being mean after I had turned ten. Now, I was older and allowed to do more I thought. "Hey," he called," Livy, stop."

I didn't obey, just kept walking. "Olivia Mae, stop right there!." I stopped. When any of the boys used my full name I knew I were in somewhat trouble or at least made them so upset.

Joe walked up to me with confusion and hurt in his eyes. "What's wrong? What have I done?," he asked.
"Why did you come back here? You're not completely healed," I scolded. Yeah, I did scold a man who was almost the double as old as I was. "Livy, I'm-."

"No, you're not!." I had tears in my eyes now. Why couldn't he understand? At the aid-station he was safe - he wasn't around here. I stamped on the ground with my foot like a little child. I knew that it wasn't what a ten year old would do, but sometimes I'd just wish I was little and helpless again. Until now I had wished to be older so I could do more and were allowed to more. But now, I just wished I could be the little girl I was when I first had met those guys. When I didn't knew what we would go through over the past year. I had grown older ever since I was in the first combat with the boys, and still I would act like this little innocent girl at times.

Joe studied me with a concerned look and crouched down to my small size. "You miss being little, am I right?," he asked, wiping the warm tears on my cheek softly away with his finger.

I nodded. I didn't know how he did it. He had always seemed to be able to read my mind.
He smiled,"But you still are. You're only ten years old, Livy. You're not even teenager yet, luckily." I smacked him softly on the arm who wasn't in a sling of the last comment. Joe chuckled," You're getting stronger, sweetheart." I smiled, hugging Joe like I never would let him go again. He had this effect on me. No matter what, I couldn't stay mad at him for longer than minutes. All of the boys had that ability, though.

"Hey, Joe," Bill greeted when we had reached that little foodplace the boys called the 'mess'.

"Hey, Bill," Joe greeted, shaking Bill's hand. "Good to see you, pal. What you doing back here?," Bill asked. "Making sure you're on top of things, and that you're not corrupting Livy too much," Joe smiled. Bill just smiled of Joe's comment about me. "I'm on top of things. Tied my own boots once last week. All by myself," Bill said proudly.
"Liar. It was me who tied your boots," I smiled playfully. Joe chuckled, ruffling my hair while Bill stuck his tongue out at me.

"Hey, fellas. Look who I found," Bill smiled as we reached where the others were standing in line for some food. "Hey!," Skip greeted, smiling," Joe Toye. Back for more."

Joe shook several men's hands. "How are ya', Joe?," Penk asked. "Pretty good. Escaped from the aid-station," Joe smiled. I shook my head. Of course he did. "Where'd you get hit?," Webb, a replacement asked. Joe looked confused at Skip," What's this?."

"It's Webb. Replacement," Skip explained. "Really?," Joe questioned,"Thought it was some guy I've known for two years and then forgot his face."

"Joe got hit in the arm," Penk explained to Webb,"New Years Eve gift from Luftwaffe."

"Lot of you guys been injured?," Webb asked curiously. "It's called wounded, Peanut," Pee-Wee corrected,"Injured is when you fall out of a tree or something." Well, falling out of a tree did hurt as well, I guessed.

"Don't worry. There's enough crap flying around here, you're bound to get dinged some times," Skip assured. "Almost every single one of these guys have been hit at least once," Skip continued, "Except for Alley here. He's a two-timer. He landed on broken glass in Normandy and got peppered by a potato masher in Holland."

Webb looked a little confused by 'potato masher'. I didn't know what it was either. "You'll find out,son," Moe smiled,eating his food. "Bull got a piece of exploding tank in Holland," Skip continued walking around to the different guys," and George Luz here has never been hit. You're one lucky bastard."

"Takes one to know one, Skip," George smiled. "Eh, consider us blessed," Skip smiled. "Hey!," I protested. Skip chuckled," and Livy here. She got shot by Hinkel back in Bastogne, and she also got a huge flying trip in Bastogne-."

"Consider her lucky since the only thing she got was a bad headache," Joe put in, smiling.

"It wasn't that bad," I assured, smiling at a bit terrified and pale Webb. "Aww, brave as a lion," George smiled. "Lioness," I corrected," I'm a girl, if you didn't knew, George." The boys chuckled and George held his hands up in defense. "Well, Liebgott, the skinny little guy, got pinked in the neck in Holland," Skip continued," Right next to him, the other skinny little guy. That's Popeye. He got shot in his scrawny little butt in Normandy." Skip paused for a second, then he pointed to Buck," And, uh, Buck got shot in his rather large butt in Holland."

"Yeah, kinda an Easy Company tradition, getting shot in the ass," Penk put in. "Yeah, even 1st Sergeant Lipton over there. He got a couple pieces of tank shell burst in Carentan. One chunk in the face. Another chunk almost took out his nuts," Skip smiled. "Muck," Joe warned.