I would like to state that I do not own HBO's Band of Brothers nor do I intend any disrespect. I am basing this story on the HBO mini TV series.

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Previously on 'Angels with Dirty Faces'

'I know that I can't force you to stay' George said quietly, his ears turning bright red, 'But I just want you to know that I'd really like you to stay.'

Her face shot up, the look of surprise on her face turning quickly to anger. He had hurt her with his selfish request.

'Rose. Stay?' he said seriously and she stared at him for a moment.

'Just stay away from me Luz.' She hissed, brushing past him and following Tab out into the night.

Shaking his head, George's face fell and placing his helmet on his head, followed the squad out the door.

And it seems as though
I'm on my own
And time transcends, oh!
And it seems I speak
like waters leak
And I'm losing friends, oh!

Charon by Keaton Henson

Chapter Twenty-One

Okay so creeping around Kraut infested Holland in the middle of the night was not Rose's idea of a good time. They had been walking in silence for nearly an hour, staying alert and low. Alley had been wounded in this area which meant only one thing: Krauts.

As they settled down in a ditch to wait for Winter's signal, Rose closed her eyes briefly, allowing her a selfish moment to reflect on her fight with George. George who was currently trying to get her attention by waving at her. Turning her back, so she faced Liebgott, she met her friends amused face.

'Lovers quarrel?' he asked mildly with a small smirk. Rose just rolled her eyes and set her rifle down before reaching towards Joe's bandaged neck which was soaked through with blood.

'Nice bandaging' she commented sarcastically as Skinny turned around to laugh at Joe.

'Just watch the goddamn line Skinny' he snapped quietly as Rose giggled.

'Lovers quarrel?' she asked, throwing his previous question back at him. He just glared and Rose began to peel the white material away from his wound and hissed in sympathy at the nasty gash running vertically down his neck.

'You're a damn lucky man Joe Liebgott' she said, pulling out a fresh bandage and tried to apply it just like she'd seen Gene do.

'He's just worried bout you that's all.' Joe said quietly, catching her wrist with his hand. 'we all are.' Rose looked down, knowing who he was referring to.

'I've made a terrible mess of things...haven't I?' she whispered, shooting a quick glance at her best friend who was deep in conversation with Tab.

'Sometimes you don't know you've crossed a line until you're on the other side and can't go back.' Liebgott said wisely and Rose just looked at him.

'Then what do I do?' she asked sadly 'where do I go from here?'

'The only way that you can go.' He flashed a wide grin. 'Forward.'

George was an idiot. He knew as soon as the words were out of his mouth that as far as morons went, he topped the list. He didn't know what it was about her that drove him to say and do those stupid things. Things that he normally would never...ever do. But it was like as soon as he saw Rose, all rational thoughts went out the window. The truth of the matter was, he was glad that she was there...close to him. He hated that she put herself in dangerous positions by the choices that she made but that was a part of who she was. George understood that and it was a part of why he liked her, her concern for others outweighed her sense of self preservation. It didn't help matters that she was a magnet for trouble.

It bothered him how fixated on her he was. He was there to fight a war dammit, not make puppy eyes at his fellow soldier. Even if that fellow soldier was a pretty woman. A pretty woman who was currently ignoring him.

Shaking his head slightly, George was annoyed with himself as he heard machine gun fire ahead of them, shooting at something in the dark. George was just glad it wasn't at him. He needed to focus and stop thinking about a pair of dark blue eyes framed in long lashes with...

'oh for Christs sake' he muttered to himself.

He watched as Winters jumped out of the ditch and ran up the steep grassy embankment. As soon as he moved, Tab turned to him.

'Holding here. Wait for a signal.'

Nodding quickly, he faced the rest of the men and made the appropriate hand gestures to indicate that they had to wait for the signal from Winters.

'You're a real idiot George Luz' Tab muttered to him as he settled down, waiting for the signal. He rolled his eyes as he watched George try to wave at Rose.

'Tell me something I don't know' George replied glumly. His attempts to get Rose's attention were ignored as she turned her back on him to talk to Liebgott.

'Why don't you just do us all a favour and tell her.'

'Tell her what?' he asked, giving Tab a questioning look.

'That you're in love with her you fool.'

George's eyes widened in astonishment. He knew that he felt something for Rose but he didn't realise that he was actually in love with her. Finally putting a label on the strong feeling that had been overpowering him for weeks actually made him feel pleased. It was like he'd solved a complicated riddle. He found that the knowledge of him in love with Rose didn't bother him.

Smiling, George's eyes followed Rose's movements as she reapplied Joe's bandage. He could see her small but capable hands working quickly, and as she reached behind and rubbed the back of her neck, George noticed a few loose curls had fallen out of its confines and was sitting on the nape of her neck beneath her helmet. But he frowned as he remembered how hurt she had looked when he'd asked her to stay only hours earlier.

'She keeps walking away from me.' He said softly, looking up at the Sergeant.

Tab lost his patience with the man sitting next to him.

'Well go after her! Fuck! don't sit there and wait for her to forgive you; go after her because that's what you should do if you love someone, don't wait for Rose to give you a sign cause it might never come, she's as oblivious to her own feelings as you are.'

Tab snapped at George before turning back to the grassy ridge where he could see Winter's face peering through the grass, making the signal to move up.

'Okay lets go' Rose whispered to the men behind her as she saw Tab order them up and over the ridge. Getting quietly to her feet, she lifted her rifle and set up the hill, hearing the faint sounds of the men's footsteps behind her. Rolling over the top of the ridge Rose slid down the embankment and was stopped when her boots hit the gravel road. With her back firmly pressed against the earth she waited, gun at the ready as she heard the rest of the men follow her down the embankment.

They all sat there for a moment, breathing heavily before Tab gave the signal to cross the road. Rose was terrified; she could see the German outpost down the road, enemy soldiers standing around, talking and having a cigarette. She could see the faint glow of the cigarette and could smell the bitter scent of their smoke. She didn't want to cross the road, because by doing so, she was completely out in the open. Open to enemy fire.

As Tab raised his hand, they all jolted forward. Rose was a split second behind them. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath; throwing all doubt out of the head as she pushed off from the dirt embankment and stepped out into clear view.

'One, two, three, four, five, six, seven...eight.' she counted her footsteps in her head, watching as her destination, the opposite roadside ditch, came closer and closer. As she threw herself over the side of the road, she heard a burst of machine gun fire and involuntarily ducked; losing her balance and tipping forward; about to go rolling head first down the hill.

She closed her eyes, waiting for the impact of hitting her face against the cold dirt when she felt herself being jerked back by the collar of her jacket. Looking quickly at her rescuer, her mouth fell open when she looked into familiar brown eyes. George's face was expressionless as he gave her a slight push to get her moving. Sparing him a quick glance, she slid the rest of the way down the embankment on her bottom and sprinted towards another ditch where the rest of Easy was waiting. Hearing George jump down next to her, she found herself oddly calmed by the warmth of his arm pressed into hers.

Turning towards Winters, she nodded as he gave the command for the men to split up. Pushing herself up to follow Winters, she missed the quick look of concern cross George's face as he turned and followed Malarkey and Muck to set up the mortars...running in the opposite direction to Rose.

'This was it' she thought as she ran, crouching in the tall grass of the field, towards a German machine gun. She could see Liebgott in front of her turn his head slightly and give her a quick wink before turning back to watch the Krauts who were only metres ahead of them up on the road. Winters made them halt, and Rose could see that they were in textbook position for an ambush.

'How good of a shot are ya Rosie?' Dukeman breathed into her ear; he was lying next to her in the dirt, in the position that Winters had picked to ambush the German machine gun post. Shooting him a quick smile, she brought her gun up and looked down the sight.

'First on the left' Winters whispered to her and she gave a sharp nod to let him know that she'd heard him. Lining up the man who she'd been ordered to shoot, she followed his movements as he walked casually forward. Rose wondered momentarily if he had any idea that he was about to die when she heard the first shot ring out from Winters. Without thinking, Rose squeezed the trigger and the German soldier fell. She managed to get off three more shots before hearing the 'Fall Back' command.

The road in front of them exploded as mortars from behind them began their fire. Feeling Dukeman thump her shoulder to get her to move, she rolled onto her back and slid down the embankment. Reaching the ditch, she ran, following Dukeman who was in front of her. Rose could hear the machine gun fire over her head as she ran, dirt was showering down on them from the mortars. Feeling a bullet whizz close her right ear, she swore; feeling the heat of it on her cheek. Ducking her head lower, she saw Dukeman turn right. They had made it back to the rest of the squad.

'SUPPRESSING FIRE!'

Rose could hear Winters yelling as he ran up and down their line before crouching in the dirt next to George. Grabbing the phone from George's outstretched hand, Rose heard Winter's ordering more men to be brought over. The authority in his voice reassured Rose and she knew that he would get them through the night. Rose wouldn't follow some of her officers into water, let alone battle. But for Dick Winters, he just had to say the word.

Turning back to the open field in front of her, she shot off another clip at the road in front of her where she could see muzzle flashes as the German's fired back at them. Hearing a quick laugh from next to her, she looked over quickly in surprise to see Dukeman smiling as he let out shot after shot over the field.

'Wonderful day for a war eh Rosie?' he yelled over the sound of an explosion in front of them. Rose could only shake her head. Dukeman was a Toccoa man who found the funny side to every situation.

'DUKEMAN...BARKER' their heads turned simultaneously as Winters yelled their names.

'Go get that machine gun on the right flank! GO!' he ordered before turning back to George who still talking into the radio.

Jumping up, Rose let Dukeman pass her before closely following her friend down the line. She could see Christenson on the machine gun that they were meant to man, and she put her head down to sprint forward. As she passed Winters, she heard Dukeman in front of her scream out Christenson's name as she felt a force hit her chest sending her sprawling into the dirt.

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