A/N: Okay, so, just a head's up, that this is only the first part of a two part chapter. And, I'm sorry, but there's no Easy Company in this chapter. It's all Eve. But it had to be written. Well that and it's somewhat of a filler chapter, lol. I also noticed that the last time I did a two part chapter was for chapter 26, which is exactly 10 chapters ago. Just a strange little side note. Anyway, read on.

Disclaimer: I don't own Band of Brothers or the Nixon family, save for Eve. I also own Dean Price, Blanche Nixon's made-up fiance. Also, this is based on the characters in the mini series, not the actual people.

Chapter Thirty Six
Part One

Blanche and Dean came over for dinner that evening for an impromptu 'Welcome Home' celebration. In reality, it was only a family dinner but, regardless, Eve didn't at all want it. Mostly because she didn't want anything done in her honor. But there was no getting around it so Eve slipped into a dress and sat down at the dinner table to grin and bear it. Across from her sat a very glitzy Blanche, an overly large diamond engagement ring on her finger. She gave Eve a toothy smile.

"My, how grown up you look!"

"That's what war does, BB, makes men out of boys. Well, in your case," Dean grinned across the table at Eve. "...a woman out of a girl. How are you, Eve?"

"I'm alright."

"You must be glad to be home." Blanche ventured. "We're," She motioned between herself and Dean. "...glad you're home. Now we can set a definite wedding date, since April has already come and gone. Thank you." The 'thank you' was directed at Dean, who had just finished pouring her a glass of wine. Dean held up the bottle to Eve, offering her some.

"No, thank you."

"No wine?" Doris asked, brow furrowed.

"Just not in the mood." Eve replied as she draped her napkin over her lap.

"Well, at least you aren't drinking that God awful blended alcohol that your brother loves so much. What's it called, Stanhope?" Doris asked, looking across towards the other end of the table where her husband sat.

"Vat 69." Stanhope and Eve replied in sync.

"Yes, that's it. Such a...vulgar drink." Eve smiled as an image of Lewis toasting their mother's opinion of his beloved Vat 69 flashed through her mind.

"And what's that little smirk about?" Blanche asked, smirking over the rim of her wine glass.

"Oh I was just thinking about Lewis." Eve responded. "It's odd not seeing him everyday."

"You two always were close." Blanche commented before glancing at her fiance. "I was a bit jealous growing up."

"Is that why you followed him overseas?" Dean asked Eve, somewhat teasingly. "Couldn't bear to be parted from your dear older brother?"

"Technically," Eve smirked. "...he followed me. I was, after all, in England first." A chuckle went around the table.

*** *** *** ***

Dinner progressed uneventfully and, by coffee, Eve was thinking that the affair hadn't been so bad after all.

"So, Eve," Blanche asked, placing her coffee mug down and clasping her perfectly manicured hands around it. "Now that you're back from the war," Blanche broke off with a giggling glance at Dean. "...what are you going to do?"

"Settle down I should hope." Doris interjected. "That war has provided her with enough excitement for life."

"That war?" Eve muttered under her breath. "It's not over yet."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"They're looking for nurses at St. Frances. She could work there." Dean suggested.

"Excuse me?" Eve tried to interrupt but they ignored her. She clenched her jaw, annoyed.

"Don't be absurd." Doris scoffed. "She belongs at home, making babies."

"She needs a husband first, mom." Blanche countered.

"Why don't all of you be quiet and let Eve tell us what it is that she wants to do." Stanhope said loudly. All eyes turned to Eve. "Eve?"

"Well, I mean, the war isn't over yet." Eve began, somewhat awkwardly.

"Of course it's over." Doris snapped. "V-E Day was--"

"About the victory in Europe, yes." Eve interrupted. "But the war in the Pacific is still going on. If Easy Company is shipping out there, I'd like to re-volunteer and go to the Pacific as well." Even if she couldn't be with Easy Company, at least she'd be nearby.

"What?!" Doris exclaimed, horrified. "Re-volunteer?! Eve, you--" She broke off as Stanhope raised his hand, his eyes still on Eve.

"Is that what you really wish to do?" He asked. Eve nodded slowly.

"Yes, sir."

"Well then, you have my blessing."

"Stan!" Doris cried as Eve smiled, shoving her chair roughly away from the table. "You can't be serious!"

"Doris, Eve has earned the right to do what she will with her life. God knows I don't want anything to happen to her but it is her choice."

"She should find some nice young man to marry!" Doris pressed. "Not continue this wartime silliness." Eve decided to step in with some news to ease her mother's upset.

"Actually, I'm already engaged." Once again, all eyes were on her.

"What? You are?" She nodded.

"Mmhmm." A smile spread slowly over Doris' face.

"Well, finally," She grumbled as she sat back down, pulling her chair back towards the table. "...some good news."

"You've been holding out on us, Eve." Blanche chided. "What's his name?"

"Edward Heffron." She didn't feel the need to inform them of his nickname.

"Ooh. Of the New York Heffron's?" Doris asked excitedly.

"No. He's from Philadelphia."

"Philadelphia?" Doris repeated with a frown at Stanhope. "Do we even know anyone in Philadelphia?"

"We do now." Stanhope smiled at his youngest daughter. "I'm very happy for you, Eve. Even if the young man didn't ask for my permission yet." Eve smiled and said,

"He did ask for Lewis' permission though. That has to count for something."

"Did he now?" She nodded. "That does indeed help his case."

"Thanks, dad. I can't wait for you to meet him."

"So, is he a lieutenant?" Doris asked.

"Ooh!" Blanche interrupted excitedly. "Or maybe even a Major?"

"No, he's enlisted, as brave as they come." Eve replied, more than a little proudly.

"A regular GI?" Blanche asked, only a hair away from sounding disdainful.

"There's nothing regular about being a paratrooper." Eve glanced across the table at her older sister. "They're the best of the best."

"If they're so amazing," Blanche sneered, leaning forward, eyes glinting maliciously. "Then why did General Patton need to rescue them at that Bulge battle?" Eve jumped to her feet, her hands slamming down on the table angrily.

"We didn't need to be rescued!" She snapped. "And you shouldn't talk about things you know nothing about!" With the mood ruined, and flashbacks of Bastogne running through her head, Eve muttered hasty good nights and went upstairs to her room.

*** *** *** ***

Later

She was struck with yet another surreal situation as she sat before her vanity, brushing her hair.

"It's getting long." Doris said quietly from the doorway. "When was the last time you had it trimmed?"

"I don't know." Eve shrugged slightly. "Mourmelon, I think."

"I could make you an appointment at the salon, if you'd like." Her mother continued into the room.

"I should get it cut." Eve agreed.

"I'll call first thing in the morning." Doris stopped behind Eve, took the brush from Eve and began to brush her hair.

"Is dad in bed?" Doris nodded.

"And already asleep."

"He seems to be doing alright."

"It's seeing you again, knowing you're home safe. Now if only your brother would come home. Well," Doris sighed, gave Eve a small smile via the mirror. "Anyway, I came in to apologize for Blanche's behavior at dinner. I think the wedding planning is finally getting to her."

"Please." Eve snorted. "Blanche is just being Blanche." She turned around on her vanity stool. "And you don't have to apologize for her." There was silence for a moment as Doris regarded her.

"You've changed."

"As was stated at dinner, that's what war does."

"Oh I know, I know." Doris said, waving her hand. "But, it's just, well, it's hard for a mother to see her youngest child suddenly as an adult. It means you don't need me anymore." Doris concluded with a small smile.

"Mom," Eve began, standing. "I'm always going to need you. You're my mother." They shared a smile and a hug. Doris pulled away, kissed Eve's forehead. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Now, get some sleep. You've got a big day tomorrow." Eve frowned.

"I do?" Doris nodded.

"Since you're home now, you've got a bridesmaid fitting." Eve groaned and fell face first onto her bed.

*** *** *** ***

The Next Day
Mona's Dress Shop

The minute she walked through the door and saw the dress, she had to have it. It was almost off-white, but yet not quite. It reached the floor with it's length, had short, flutter sleeves, and a dropped waist. Around the waist was an extra band of fabric, complete with delicate off-white lace flowers. It was, without a doubt, her perfect wedding dress. Eve walked over to the dress, reaching out to rub the fabric between her fingers.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Eve whirled around, startled, as the saleslady came to a stop next to her. Eve nodded.

"Mmhmm, yes it is."

"Would you like to try it on? It certainly would look lovely on you." Eve glanced around. Blanche wasn't there yet so what harm could it do? She turned back to the saleslady.

"Yes, please."

"Right this way." The lady removed the dress from it's hook and started towards the dressing room in the back. "Here we are, dear." Eve stepped into the dressing room once the dress was placed inside. "I'll be right outside if you need anything."

"Thank you." After discarding her clothes, Eve slipped into the dress. The ethereal fabric felt cool on her skin. She realized, fairly quickly, that she could not do up the back alone so she stepped out of the dressing room simultaneously calling for the saleslady, who quickly appeared.

"Who is the lucky gentleman?" She asked as she buttoned up the back of the dress for Eve.

"Edward."

"Edward's a good, strong name. When's the wedding?"

"Oh, not for awhile yet. He's still overseas."

"The Pacific?"

"No," Eve replied with a shake of her head. "Europe."

"Well then he should be home soon. There we go. All buttoned up." Eve turned to see her reflection in the mirror as the saleslady exclaimed, "Oh my! Don't you look lovely!" Even Eve had to admit she looked pretty good. "It needs to be taken in about an inch at the waist, you're on a bit on the skinny side, my dear. And the hem's a tad too long but otherwise, we're in good shape. What do you think, my dear?"

"I love it." Eve breathed as she ran her hands down and across her stomach, momentarily pausing over the area where she knew one of her scars from being shot remained. It was a strange meeting; the silky fabric and roughness of the scar. A blurring of two worlds that left Eve feeling strange in the dress. And she wasn't convinced that it was simply because she had been wearing OD's for so long.

"You know, it's never too early to buy your wedding dress. Especially something as beautiful as this. It's a one-of-a-kind, of course. As all of Mona's dresses are. If you put it back, it could only be a matter of minutes before some other young woman swoops in and snatches it up." It was clearly a sales tactic but it worked.

"I'll take it." Eve said quickly. The saleslady grinned triumphantly.

"Wonderful! We'll do all the tailoring before you take it home. For free, of course. Which reminds me, dear, what were you here for, if not a wedding dress?"

"I'm a bridesmaid in Blanche Nixon's wedding."

"Oh!" The lady exclaimed. "You must be her sister, Eve!"

"Guilty as charged."

"Is it true that you fought in Europe?"

"I was a nurse." Eve replied, hoping that would be the end of it.

"But you were on the front?" The lady pressed.

"Yes, save for the time I was wounded."

"You were wounded?! You poor thing!" She exclaimed, aghast, a hand over her mouth.

"But here I am, fit and fine." Eve reminded her. "Anyway, if you could bring me whatever dress Blanche has picked out..."

"Oh, right, of course. You just take off that dress and I'll be right back."

*** *** *** ***

Eve left the dress shop just over an hour later, the bridesmaid dress in hand. She'd return for the wedding dress and refitting in another couple of weeks. Blanche had never shown up, presumably because of their little spat last night. Eve didn't mind. As she sat in her father's Lincoln Zephyr Continental, which she had borrowed, Eve realized that the last thing she wanted to do was go home. She wanted to see a familiar face. A familiar face from Europe.

"I want to see Babe." She muttered out loud, forgetting about her own new nickname for him momentarily. But seeing Babe was out of the question. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head and, with a grin, she started the car and sped towards home.

*** *** *** ***

Two Days Later

It had taken some string pulling, but she had found out the information and she needed. And none too soon, she needed out of the house.

"But I don't understand!" Doris cried as she ran out of the house behind Eve, who was heading towards the Lincoln, suitcase in hand. "You've only just arrived!"

"I'll only be gone a few days, mom. I'll be back before you know it."

"What about your father? He needs you."

"Dad's doing much better, Dr. Hodgins said so. And dad is fine with me going. Otherwise I wouldn't be going." Doris stood next to the driver's side of the car, wringing her hands together.

"You shouldn't be going alone!" She blurted out, clearly searching for any excuse. "It's not proper for a young, unmarried lady to visit a young, unmarried man without a chaperone." Eve had to stifle a giggle.

"Mo-om, it's 1945, not 1845. Besides, he's an old friend, hell! He's a war buddy."

"Great!" Doris exclaimed, throwing up her arms. "Now she's swearing! What has the war done to my baby girl?!"

"'Hell' is hardly a curse word."

"I still think this whole trip is a bad idea."

"I know you do, mom. I'll call you from the hotel as soon as I check in."

"Be careful."

"Mom," Eve began as she slipped on her sunglasses, a smile playing on her lips. "...I've faced worse things than a two hour drive."

A/N: Ta-dah! Don't ask. So, some quick notes before I officially end the update:

1) I'm sure that the real Blanche Nixon is a perfectly lovely, aimable woman. But for my story, I made her not so great. And please keep in mind that I have never met any of the Nixon family so I have no clue what they were like. In reality, the only real part of their characters are their names and the fact that they lived and were related to Lewis Nixon.

2) I know that the 'best of the best line' is so Men in Black but whatever

3) Okay, so, the description of the wedding dress was fairly simple, but it's a simple dress. Also, I suck at describing clothes. I'm working on it, lol.

4) The Lincoln Zephyr Continental is a real car, manufactured in 1942. Most car production stopped between 1943-1945 for obvious reasons so I just picked a random, yet nice, car from 1942.

I think that's pretty much everything. Hope you all enjoyed and the second part of the chapter will be posted soon so you can all find out where Eve is going! Thanks!