Winters and Emma were extremely bored being the battalions XO; there was too much administration and not any contact with individual paratrooper what so ever.
Emma and Winters shared a loft in the town where the 506th was currently stationed.
Emma was sleeping when; Winters opened the door to the bedroom.
"Get up, we are needed at Regiment" he said
"Go away, they just want to throw more paper work at me" Emma pouted
"Emma you need to get up and get back to your battalion after our visit at regiment" Winters dragged her out of bed and Emma got dressed.
When they walked in to the Battalion HQ, Strayer, and Sink, Nixon, Heyliger and a British lieutenant Colonel was there.
"Ah Captains, good you both have some reports due, and we need a rooster of any supplies we have, and what was left behind by the Brits" Sink told them.
"Yes sir" Emma said.
She walked over to Nixon and looked at him "How are you holding up" she asked him.
"Good, now that I know Charlie will be ok" Nixon said.
They had heard from Camilla, that Charlie was in England in full recovery and she would be back with them within a month.
Sink started to explain about market garden "The Brits lost 8000 men when Market-Garden fell on its ass, which is why Colonel Dobie has been tasked with coordinating some kind of rescue operation, for the red devils who is trapped at Arnhem side" Sink told Nixon and Heyliger
"The Dutch resistances are harboring 140 of my chaps here, just outside a Jerry held town just 15 miles north of the river. My chaps will make their way to the river bank and assemble by the woods here tonight" Dobie said and pointed to a place on the map placed before them.
"Pick a team from Easy company and get them back across the Rhine as fast as possible" Strayer said
"A hundred and forty men" Nixon said
"The Canadian engineers has supplied six boats, the rendezvous point is on isolated land. I swam it myself last night. At approximately 0030 I will signal the V for victory with a hand held red torch, that would be a hand held red flashlight," Dobie said and turned to Nixon.
"All right, we call this operation Pegasus, ok Bob your second battalion is on the spot, get it done" Sink said to Strayer.
Strayer turned to Nixon "Captain Nixon assist Colonel Dobie in any way possible, you need anything at all, you come to me" Strayer said to Nixon
"I can hardly ask for more" Dobie said
Emma and Winters hung around the HQ; Dobie was explaining the operation.
They walked out of the HQ and walked over to the aid station, to get Camilla on the job with making a supply list.
Camilla looked at them "I know why you are here" She said and held out a piece of paper to Emma
Emma looked at it, Camilla smiled "A complete list of medical supplies and what was left by the 43rd" Camilla said "So get out of here I have work to do" She continued.
Winters and Emma went their separate way. Emma walked back to the CP for third battalion, she felt a little guilty not spending the night at the CP, but they knew where to find her, if she was needed.
She walked into the CP and saw there was a lot going on. Her battalion commander greeted her when she walked in "Captain Hunter, just the person I needed, we have been tasked with making inventory of our supplies, and I delegated the task to you" He said
"I know, I just came from HQ" Emma said
Her relationship with the CO was strained, not because she was a woman, but because Emma was a better leader than the CO, she had put him in his place on her first night at Battalion and she now wished she was back with Easy.
While Emma was busy taking inventory, Dana spend some time with her men, they were teasing her about Speirs getting shot in the ass and Dana was just laughing at them and told they should accept as a an honorary Easy company member, since it was kind of a tradition in Easy to be shot in the ass.
Dana was in the process of field stripping her Thompson, when Heyliger appeared at the door to third platoons billet.
"Captain Grey, a word" Heyliger said
"Yes sir" Dana said
Dana was a little upset that she didn't get Easy when Winters was promoted, she had tried to talk to Sink about it, but there was no changing his mind.
Easy needed at least one experienced platoon leader and she was the best they had.
Peacock and Shames was too inexperienced and Buck was still in the hospital and Welsh was just… well himself, he served as Company XO.
Moose studied the Captain, she looked tired and the light in her eyes had disappeared, he figured it had something to do with the fact Speirs was gone and she was worried about him.
That wasn't why, Dana had combat fatigue and needed to be somewhere else, preferably with a tall, dark, Lieutenant.
Moose and Dana walked over to the Company CP and sat down on an old couch.
"The operation is set to go off tonight, have you picked your team from your platoon?" Heyliger asked
"Yes, twelve men as ordered" Dana said
"Good and are the ready? And more importantly are you ready?" Moose asked Dana
She turned and looked at him, "I believe so" she said
Moose looked her straight in the eyes "You look like shit, you know that right?" he said
Dana looked at him "Thanks, just what I needed to hear, Moose" Dana said and nudged Moose playfully.
Before she knew it Heyliger's lips was on hers and he gave her a passionate kiss, at first Dana kissed him back, but then she realized what she was doing and pushed him away.
"Let's just say this never happened" Dana said
Moose looked at her and ran his fingers through his hair, he wanted to do more than kiss the Captain, but he knew she was in love with another man "Yeah let's do that" he agreed.
Dana walked back to her men, she was very confused, and why had she kissed Moose back? she wasn't interested in Heyliger in any way, she just felt lonely she guessed.
When she walked back in OP3 the men looked at her and immediately noticed Dana was somewhat flustered.
"Ok those of you who are going on the mission tonight, we will meet with the rest of them at CP in half an hour" Dana said and sat down on a wobbly chair, she was staring into space feeling pretty guilty and didn't know if she should spill the beans to Speirs or not.
Talbert came over and sat down next to her "What's up Captain?" Tab said
"Nothing, I am fine Tab" Dana said and smiled at the young sergeant
"I know you, something has happened" Tab said
"Ok do not breathe a word of this to any one, Heyliger kissed me and I kissed him back for a few seconds" Dana said
"And know you feel guilty?" Tab said
"Exactly" Dana said
"If I was you, I would keep this under wraps, you and Heyliger has to live with it, Speirs don't need to get hurt by this" Tab said
"I know" Dana said and settled down to get her gear ready for the operation, she felt guilty as sin, but she knew Tab was right, this was something she had to figure out for herself.
It had gotten dark out and Emma and Winters was in his office when Moose and Nixon came knocking on the door.
Zeilinsky, Winters orderly was there and Nixon came running up the stairs "Hey Dick you finish your novel yet?" Nixon said referring to Dick report of the incident the attack at the crossroad.
Moose came walking in after him "I thought executive officer was suppose to be a fun job" Moose said.
Nixon turned to Zeilinsky and asked "Who are you?"
"Zeilinsky sir" The orderly answered
"Who is he?" Nixon asked Winters
"Zeilinsky is my orderly," Winters said
Nixon let out a whistle and looked at Emma "Do you have an orderly"
"Well rang does has I privileges" Moose said
Emma smiled "Yes I do, I took Vest with me when I went to third" Emma said
Winter and Emma asked about the mission and Nix teased Winters about wanting to be back with Easy.
"Well now that we have this whole mission out of the way, I have a confession to make" Moose said and sat down on the chair in front of Winters desk.
"I did a stupid thing, I might have kissed Captain Grey" Moose confessed to three officers in the office
That statement earned him a slap on the back of the head, what the hell was you thinking and you do have death wish don't you.
"I know it was incredible stupid" Moose said
"Just be glad Speirs is in England or he would hunt you down and kill you" Nixon said and slapped Moose on the back
Emma looked at Moose with anger in her eyes, Winters noticed it and looked at Moose "You better get out of here" He said
The young Lieutenant left and Winters looked at Nixon "Are we sure on the intelligence on this?" He said
"I think it's pretty good" Nix said
"Is Easy walking into another company of Germans no one can see?" Emma said
"Why don't we ask Moose when he gets back" Nixon said and started to leave
"Yeah, and if they do run in to any troubles will you let us know?" Winters said
At 00.30 Dana had assembled her men along with Welsh's men and was ready to cross the Rhine. They got in the boats and crossed, when they got to shore, they jumped out of the boats and secured the line.
Dana hooked up with Welsh and Heyliger and Dobie.
"I got the 30 caliber on the left flank" She said
Moose looked down the Line "Move it down another ten feet" He said and Dana did as ordered.
She came back after moving the .30 Caliber and Moose looked at Dobie "So Colonel where are they" Moose said
Dobie pointed to the hedgerow, and said "Leicester" and in response got the word "Square"
"Come on in" Dobie said and suddenly 140 Brits appeared along the Line
A man came up and greeted Dobie and Moose "I never thought I be so glad to see a bloody yank" he said and then he saw Dana "You even brought girls with you" He said, that earned him a stern look from Dobie "This is Captain Dana Grey, and she is a damn good soldier" the Colonel said.
The man apologized and Dana just nodded.
It took three trips across the Rhine. Winters and Emma kept watching the time and waited for Easy to return, they finally heard them all come back and Gather in an old barn.
Dana was in the middle of the celebration.
An officer stood up and said "Moose Heyliger and the American 101st has done the Red Devils a great service, making it possible for us to return and fight the enemy on another day, to Easy Company, Victory and Currahee"
CURRAHEE the men shouted, the party got pretty rowdy. Dana wished Charlie was there. Emma wasn't allowed to party with men anymore because of her promotion, and Camilla was so caught up in Lipton it was almost tragic.
She had tried to talk to them, but had given up, she couldn't really blame them, the two of them hardly saw each other, Camilla was always busy at the aid station and Lipton was busy as the company first sergeant.
Colonel Dobie came over to where Dana was sitting nursing her drink, "So how did a pretty girl like you end up in the airborne" He asked her
"I wanted to serve and the airborne seemed like the best" Dana said and tried to shrug Dobie's question of, she wasn't going to tell him she was from the future, he would think she was absolutely mad.
"How long have you been with Easy?" Dobie asked
"Since D-Day, we kind of stumbled upon Easy in Normandy and stuck around" Dana said
"So exactly how many women are there attached to Easy?" Dobie asked
"Well now there is only me, then there is Camilla, she a doctor or almost anyway, she is the one with her hands all over the first sergeant down there. Charlie, who is recovering from a bullet to the lung in England, is Nixon's better half at Battalion S2, as well as in real life. Emma was a platoon leader, she got promoted to XO of third battalion and she is the one sharing a bed with Winters at second Battalion's CP" Dana said
"And you, what's going on between you and Moose?" Dobie asked
"Nothing, absolutely nothing" Dana said
"So you are single?" Dobie said and moved closer to Dana
Dana moved further away from him "Ah no, my boyfriend is a Platoon leader in D. Company" Dana said
"Lucky man, where is he?" Dobie asked and looked out over the crowd
"In a hospital in England" Dana said
"I am sorry" Dobie said
"Don't be, he just took one to the ass" Dana said and smiled
Dana and Dobie talked most of night. Nixon couldn't help but smile, well Speirs had some serious competition in the British Colonel.
The 506th moved to Driel, Holland
It was an extremely active sector. Winters called Heyliger and suggested the two of make an inspection of the outposts.
Winters then called Welsh and told him they would be en route that night.
They were walking side by side down the narrow path, when suddenly they heard someone yell Halt.
Moose for the life of him couldn't remember the password and without further notice the private, who was at the outpost, fired his M1. Moose was hit in the right shoulder and the left leg; his calf looked like it had just been blown away.
Winters screamed at the private, who had fired the shot, he needed to get Lieutenant Welsh and fast, and to call an ambulance.
Welsh and Winters bandaged Moose up as good as he could and carried him to waiting ambulance, when they got there, Camilla and Doc. Roe was waiting for them
"How much morphine did you give him?" Roe asked
"Two, maybe three syringes, I don't know" Welsh said
"Well I don't see a single syringe on this man jacket" Camilla said
"You lucky he is a big man, he might just make it" Roe said
"We are sorry ok" Winters said
"We didn't know what to do, he was in so much pain" Welsh said
"Well you are officers and grownups, you ought to know" Camilla said and slammed the ambulance door shot.
Camilla rode with Moose to the field hospital, on the way there Moose started to mumble about kissing Dana and all Camilla said to him was not to tell Speirs when he got to England.