DISCLAIMER: I still only own Nikki and David, and no disrespect is intended to the real men of Easy Company. I've taken some liberties with the story, there is no wife in England if you were wondering about that and I also created some other events to improve my story line.

Thanks again for the reviews, they keep me motivated.

Chapter 4 England to Bastogne

The next day Easy Company came together for a briefing on an upcoming operation. Something the British had named Market Garden. It would involve a daylight jump into The Netherlands, just outside Eindhoven and would progress driving the Germans back into Belgium

After the briefing, Dick had asked for volunteers from the translators, explaining that not all of them were needed for this operation. They would return after this operation and pick up the others but would prefer to take those who spoke both French and German. David and Nikki both volunteered. David had spoken with Speirs and made it clear he wanted to go with Nikki, surprisingly Speirs had agreed.

Nixon pulled Nikki off to the side after the briefing. "You know you don't need to go, we'll be back I promise, we won't head to Germany without you."

Nikki smiled and patted his cheek with her hand. "Lew, I'm going. I volunteered for this a long time ago, and besides you never know if you'll get back or not. I speak French and German so I really think I can help. Don't worry, you said yourself this would be an easy jump. I promise no more trees."

Nixon laughed and pulled her into a hug. "You're right; I don't know why I'm worried about you brat, you've made it this far."

Nikki let herself enjoy the hug but when she looked over Nixon's shoulder, she was unfortunate enough to meet Ron's eyes. Yep, David had been right, he was jealous. Nikki raised an eyebrow but didn't break eye contact. She saw Ron's posture stiffen, and then he turned and left the hanger. Oh yeah that little jab probably would cost her another visit.

David fell in beside her, as she was walking back to Mrs. Stewart's house. "You know you're playing with fire right?"

Nikki shrugged but kept walking. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

David just shook his head. "Right, you've got no idea what I'm talking about. Well then little miss; you all but flaunted that hug Nixon gave you."

Nikki gave an exasperated sigh, "I'm not going to stop being friends with someone just because he doesn't like it. He has no right to lay claim on me."

David grabbed her arm, "Love you don't understand, when a man like him gets it in his head that you're his I really don't think he'll give up easily."

"Look, we jump tomorrow and I don't believe we are coming back here again, so the chance of me running into him again is probably going to decrease. Stop being an old woman, everything will be fine."

David watched her walk off, "yeah well guess we'll see who's right now won't we."

Later that night when Nikki was repacking what she thought she would need for the jump, Mrs. Stewart came to tell her a young man was here to see her. Thinking it was probably David she came downstairs with a smile on her face, only to have it fade when she saw who it was; Ronald Speirs.

Note to self; kill David tomorrow!

"Well Lt Speirs, once again you've made a point to find me. What can it possibly be this time? As you can see, the bruises have all healed, so there is no reason for you to be concerned over my health.

Ron just grinned at her comments. "Don't you think I might just want to see you before you jump tomorrow?"

Before she could respond, he had grabbed her hand and pulled her outside.

"Gees, what is it with you and manhandling me? Is this another attempt to intimidate me?"

"Nope this is an attempt to get you alone and do this." Ron quickly cupped her face in both of his hands and kissed her.

Nikki couldn't believe she was kissing him, but holy cow could the man kiss.

He ended the kiss as quickly as it began, then he ran his thumb over her lower lip.

"I've wanted to do that ever since I saw you that night before D-Day. Be safe and I'll see you soon."

With that, he released her and headed off down the street. All Nikki could do was watch him go. Oh, he was a fantastic kisser. Guess David was right about him having feelings for her. With a smile on her face, she went back inside to finish packing.

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The next morning they were loading up in the C-47, and this time she would be jumping with Nixon and David. Just prior to entering the plane, she happened to glance off to the side and saw Speirs watching with those intense eyes. Giving him a small wave, he smiled raised to fingers to his cap in a mock salute and turned to walk back into the hanger. She had no idea why that simple movement had pleased her but when she dropped down next to David, she was still smiling.

"So do I even need to ask what has you so happy this morning? Or would it have something to do with tall, dark, and brooding over by the hanger?"

Nikki actually blushed. "Maybe, he came by last night and well let's just say it was…WOW!"

"You will give me details when we get on the ground love; you know I can't stand a mystery."

"Sure, if this goes like they briefed I'll give you the full story over a delicious cup of Belgium hot chocolate."

Nixon had dropped down beside her just in time to hear the last comment, "so what story are you going to tell?"

"Nixon it's nothing that would concern you."

"This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with Speirs interest in where you lived would it?"

Nikki just turned and stared at him. "It was you who told him where I live?"

Nixon just gave her his sexy smirk. "Well I am the Intelligence Officer and it's my duty to inform all friendly forces where other friendly forces are located."

Nikki could do nothing but growl. Oh, you wait until they did equipment check, I'll get you Lewis Nixon.

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The jump into The Netherlands went as smoothly as predicted. Nikki managed to stay out of the trees, instead landing in an open field. From there Easy went on a short cross-country march to the city of Eindhoven.

David was busy collecting kisses as soon as they entered the town. There wasn't a German in sight and the people were celebrating their liberation. It took several minutes before Nikki could find Dick, having received many hugs and kisses, in fact too many.

"Okay, so when do we get out of here. I think if one more person hugs me I might scream."

Dick laughed and pulled Nikki closer to him. "Don't worry, we'll keep the men moving, and the next stop is Nuenen. Nix reported that German forces had occupied the town and it's our job to move them out."

With the arrival of the British tanks and trucks, Easy hopped a ride and headed onward to Nuenen to secure the town. Unfortunately, when they arrived the Germans had other ideas.

The first casualty was a Lieutenant, who was new to the unit and new to combat, who thought standing in the middle of the road a good idea. He was shot in the throat by a German sniper. By the time Easy pulled out of the town, they had lost the Lieutenant, SGT Randleman, and Lt Buck Compton, who won the prize for being shot in the ass.

Nikki was standing in the road with Nix watching the pullout when Dick joined them.

"Nix, I thought we had better intelligence than this, we've being forced to pull out because we walked into a larger force than predicted."

Nixon shrugged, "We had what the British gave us, and apparently they didn't listen to the Dutch intelligence or just forgot to tell everyone an entire Panzer Division had taken up residence."

Dick shook his head; bad intelligence had led to his men's injures and one missing. Just as he was about to speak again, a shot ran out and Nixon fell to the ground.

"Nix, are you okay?"

Nikki crawled over and reached for Nixon who was already sitting up telling them he was fine.

"Stop looking at me like that, I told you I'm fine."

Both Nikki and Dick sat and staring at him as he removed his helmet and saw the bullet hole that had passed through the helmet without hitting him.

Nikki grabbed him and kissed him hard. "That is just because you are okay, don't get used to it."

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It was official; Nikki had never been this cold in her life. She was huddled around the small fire that she and Nixon had managed to make inside the CP to heat up some water for bad coffee. Bastogne had turned out to be the coldest place in the world. They had moved into the positions an over a month ago, no winter equipment, and only enough ammo that they had managed to carry. The snow and cloud cover had hampered all efforts to resupply them. Tomorrow was Christmas and all Easy wanted was clear weather.

"Hurry up Nix, I've got to get back out on the OP before Dike comes in here and complains to Dick again."

She couldn't stand the new commander of Easy, Lt. Norman Dike, he was always roaming around lost and making Lip's job that much harder. He had received his command more like a political appointment and the men had no respect for him. She couldn't understand why Dick didn't replace him. Therefore, to avoid him, she had started coming to the CP to sleep at night. This was the last place Dike would come to look for her.

Nixon handed her a cup of coffee and put out the small fire. The tiny bit of warmth there had been quickly faded, allowing the bone chilling cold to seep in once again.

"Why has Dike been complaining to Dick?

"Because he seems to think that I should spend every waking moment out on the OP without a break, oh yeah and it might possibly have something to do with me telling him to talk a long walk on a short pier. But then again I'm just guessing."

Sighing Nikki stood up handing Nixon his cup back. "I'm heading back out just in case Mr. Superior comes looking for me. Oh by the way, Dick is sending me back into Bastogne tomorrow with the documents he found, is there anything I can bring you?"

"Yeah, warm weather." Nixon gave her a slight smile but that was all. She was starting to worry about him. The last few weeks he had started roaming the line late at night and wasn't really sleeping in the day.

"Okay, I'll see if I can't find some. Try to get some rest and I'll see you tonight."

As Nikki was heading back out to the OP, just to listen to the Germans trade dirty jokes, the shelling started. Diving into the closest foxhole, she landed on top of Babe Heffron.

The Germans had developed better tactics as the war progressed. They had set the shells to explode at mid-tree level so not only was shrapnel a concern the very large splinters from the trees as they exploded were just as deadly.

"Hey Nikki, I know I was dreaming about a female in my foxhole, but this is crazy." Babe Heffron was grinning like a little boy at Christmas, right up to the point a shell hit the tree above their foxhole, and the whole top fell on top of the foxhole blocking them in. They were both yelling, but with the shelling, no one could hear them.

When the shelling stopped, Lip was there assisting in lifting the tree off and getting them out of the foxhole.

"I should've know you would be somewhere around a tree Nikki." Lipton was laughing at her as she sat and tried to get the pine needles out of her hair.

"Oh gosh, you are so funny Lip. Can I help it if I keep attracting killer trees?"

All of them were still laughing when the shelling started again. This time no one would be laughing when it was over.

When the shelling ended both Wild Bill and Joe Toye would be leaving Easy Company permanently each losing a leg. The company had also lost Muck and Penkala when a shell exploded on in their foxhole. Malarkey was taking it hard as he had lost two of his closest friends.

The following day, Nikki and Doc Roe both rode back into Bastogne. Doc Roe gathered what supplies he could find and headed back out, while she stayed at regiment talking to David, whom had transferred to Colonel Sink's staff when Sink's last translator was killed.

"Hey love, how goes things in the woods?"

Nikki shrugged and moved closer to the stove. "Not that good, everyone is frozen and Lt Dike is useless, if we don't get a supply drop we'll be fighting this war with snowballs."

David handed her a cup of real coffee and sat down next to her. "Sweetie you look exhausted, why don't you get a couple hours sleep."

Downing the coffee and checking the time she decided to take David up on his offer. "Just make sure you wake me up at three, they will be coming back to get me."

David agreed and he covered her with an extra blanket when she stretched out on his cot. He could see how exhausted she was, not counting the fact she was paler than he had ever seen her, the purple shadows under her eyes gave away the fact she hadn't been sleeping much.

David's concern for Nikki was so great he failed to hear someone come up beside him.

"What's she doing here?"

David jumped at the sound. "Gees Ron, you scared me half to death. I think a better question is what are you doing here?"

Ron handed David a folder of papers he had been holding. "We found those on some Germans this morning and I thought I would bring them in and let you have a look at them. Is she okay?"

David got up and pulled Speirs off the side. "She's exhausted. Dike has been keeping her on the OP during the day and then at night she is trying to get Nixon to sleep."

Ron didn't speak but the look in his eyes said it all. He was beyond angry, mostly at Dike but also at Nikki. She knew better than to let herself be run down, especially when facing the freezing cold and too little food. Waving David off Ron sat down on the cot next to her.

He hadn't seen her in over a month. They had gone into the woods around Bastogne that night. The Allied Forces retreating past them like ghost in the night. Moving but not really seeing where they were going. All of the companies had taken what ammo and food they could from the spectral Soldiers and had headed into the woods.

He had seen her standing next to Winters watching the men pass her. Her blue eyes held such a look of anguish for those who had been defeated. He didn't have a chance to speak to her in fact; he didn't even think she'd seen him. As Easy Company moved out, she'd fallen into line with Buck's platoon and headed off into the night.

Now she was in front of him totally exhausted and sleeping like the dead. He gently brushed the hair away from her face. He'd truly missed her, no one stood up to him as she did. Taking a quick look around to see if anyone was paying attention, and finding everyone diverted Ron quickly and gently kissed her lips.

A soft sigh that sounded like his name escaped her lips and she turned her face into his hand without every waking. Reluctantly he stood up and went to find David.

"I've got to get back to the line. See if she'll stay here tonight, I think it would do her a lot of good."

David nodded, "I'll try, but you know how she is."

Ron smiled, "Stubborn. Just do your best, but I doubt she'll leave Nixon."

Without further comment, he left to catch his ride leaving David to wonder exactly how deep his feelings for Nikki truly went.

There had been no need for David to wake Nikki up. She was up and sitting on the edge of the cot putting on her boots.

"Love, why don't you stay here, they won't miss you for one night. Please Nikki, you're exhausted, and you aren't doing the men any good when you're this tired."

"I can't, I'm worried about Nixon, and if I stay here-."

Nikki didn't finish the statement, the first German shell landed in the center of town. When it was over the church that had been the hospital was destroyed and most of the buildings had been damaged. Even Colonel Sink's CP had sustained damage.

When Nikki finally sat up, she could feel something warm running down her face. Reaching up to wipe if off her hand came away with blood on it.

David was quickly by her side putting a bandage over the cut. "Okay sweetie, just be still. It's not that bad and you'll still be as beautiful as ever."

Nikki was trying to concentrate on his voice and what he was saying but the world around her was growing darker. "David, I think I'm about to-."

David felt her body go lax. She had passed out cold. Ron was not going to like this.