A/N: Thank you bethrodrigues77 and Jayden for your reviews! (Jayden, I'm including you in here for a review, even though it's not working out on your end?)

I'm glad you still like the story! I'm updating early, simply because I am going to be MIA for a couple days, and if there is a freak snow storm, as it is still possible to have here, even in May, I wanted you to have another chapter!
So, here it is...enjoy!
Reviews make for happy days!

Later that afternoon, the Airborne division had assembled into a hanger to discuss the pending jump into occupied territory. Lieutenant Meehan had taken control of Easy Company, as there were some issues involving Sobel.

I had heard rumors of Lieutenant Winters getting a court martial, but nothing ever came from it. The next thing I had heard, Sobel was being sent to Chilton Foliat to be the next training commander for new recruits.

When I heard this news, I was ecstatic! I couldn't have asked for anything better than to be rid of that horrible man. I no longer felt the need to walk on eggshells or fear that I would get into trouble over something trivial. I knew that the men of my company were just as happy to see him gone. I began to wonder if they had something to do with Sobel's dismissal, like they were with Jefferson.

I didn't know much about Lieutenant Meehan, but I had heard enough from the men to know that he was a good man and a good leader who wouldn't let us down. It was enough for me, and I hoped that he would stay true to his word by leading us through the war to the best of his abilities.

Meehan had addressed all of us in the hanger, telling us what our objective was going to be. He suggested that we study the sand tables and photos as well as the maps so that we would know the lay of the land once we were on the ground.

After we were dismissed, I approached the sand tables to look them over. An hour or so had passed by from looking over the information, that my eyes began to glaze over and I couldn't stare at any of the materials any longer.

That night, I tossed and turned in my cot. I couldn't sleep. There was too much going on inside my head. I knew that we would be jumping into Normandy tomorrow evening, and I feared what might happen.

It all seemed so surreal to me. We had been training for this moment for the past two years, and now we would be putting it into action in less than 24 hours.

I rolled over in my cot, when I heard a sigh coming from across the room. I heard Darla groan, "Em...if you can't sleep, would you just walk it off, or do something? I can't sleep with you tossing about like that."

"Sorry!" I whispered to her as I stood up and got dressed. Once I pulled my boots on and tied them. I grabbed my jacket and pulled it on. I opened the door to our barracks and stepped out into the chilly night.

I walked around for a little bit until I was standing by a fence alone. I peered up into the night sky, but couldn't see any of the stars. It was so foggy that I couldn't see above the tree canopy of the woods across the field.

The air was dank and I chuckled as I realized that Darla was right. There was a certain smell about this country that you just couldn't get away from no matter the weather. To me, the wetter the weather, the worse the smell.

"It's a little late to be walking about, don't you agree, Nurse Banks?" a voice spoke behind me.

I turned and watched as Lieutenant Winters approached me. I nodded and replied truthfully, "I couldn't sleep. I was bothering Darla, so I decided to try and walk it off."

He nodded as he stood next to me. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm a little anxious...scared, even," I admitted.

He looked at me and asked, "Why do you think that is?"

I shrugged as I admitted, "I don't know. To be honest with you, I think that I'm more worried about what's going to happen to everyone else."

Winters met my gaze and stated, "I have the same fears."

"You do?" I asked surprised.

He nodded and explained, "I've always been the fond of the men in our unit, you know this. No matter who has been in charge of the company, I have always taken it upon myself to be a good leader and a role model for these men. I have put them before my own needs."

"And you've done an amazing job, sir," I pointed out.

He smiled and added, "So have you."

"Sir?" I asked, clearly not sure what he was saying.

"You have done the same thing. You put others before your own needs. You've always made sure that everyone was taken care of. When they are hurting or tired, no matter how hurt or tired you are, you've been there to help them through it. I think that I speak for everyone when I say that we're all very lucky to have you in our unit," he stated.

I smiled and said, "Well, I think they would say the same thing about you. In fact, I think that by the actions of the men, it shows how much they appreciate and respect you."

He nodded, smiling warmly at me. "You're a great girl, Emmeline."

I looked up at him, surprised. "Thank you...sir."

"You're going to be all right out there. I promise you that. You have a lot of men in the division who are going to make sure of that," he promised.

I asked, "How can you be so sure?"

He replied, "Because we all love you."

With those words said, Dick Winters turned and walked away from me.

His words echoed in my mind. I chuckled as I realized that everyone in my life here, has said something to that effect. Darla had been saying it for a long time, as had Webster. Randleman admitted that when I was patching him up from his fight with Jefferson, and now Winters had said it. I smiled as I realized that they were right. I would be all right out there behind enemy lines, because I had people who loved me.

I suddenly remembered one of the last memories of my mother. We were at the post office placing a stamp on the envelope addressed to my father who was on the front lines of the war.

I asked her, "Why is it so important that we mail letters to Papa? Why can't we just tell him we love him when he gets home?"

My mother smiled down at me and replied, "Because it's our love that helps him fight. It's with our love that assures us that he will return to us."

"What happens if he doesn't get our letters?" I asked.

My mother's smile faltered slightly before replying, "Then he's got no reason to live."