Disclaimers: all the usual apply.
Chapter 9
Early July, Utah Beach, Normandy
George's POV
Half of the Company was spread out on the beach sand, lying around, shooting the shit and soaking up the sun. They were all blissfully content, having had warm showers and hot chow for the first time in weeks. They'd been pulled off of the line a few days earlier, after weeks of relentless fighting that had cost them more good men than he cared to count.
Looking down, his smile grew even wider. Amelia was lying on her back, her body stretched out on the warm sand, her head resting in his lap. Her eyes were closed and a content little grin played across her lips.
They'd been close even before the jump into Normandy, but after everything they'd been through over the last month their bond had grown stronger. He'd been happy to see her finally opening up to all of them, willingly sharing stories of home and family, two subjects she had avoided like the plague when she'd first joined them.
For their part the men came to trust her wholeheartedly. Whenever they had to take another village or some bombed out farmhouse they took some comfort in knowing she was there with them with her rifle and fearlessness. Somehow she'd gone from being a skirt that was fun to have around to a deeply trusted and loved comrade. One of them. For his part, looking down at her peaceful face, he thought of family. He considered her family now, the little sister who could out shoot him and yet he had a fierce instinct to protect.
The breeze picked up and blew a piece of her long hair across her face, making her nose crinkle. He automatically reached out and tucked the wayward piece behind her ear. She opened her eyes and grinned lazily up at him. "Thanks handsome. It was super annoying but I was just too damn lazy to do anything about it."
"Anytime you have a hair emergency, just call me, beautiful."
"Unless I need a cut, in which case I'm not letting you anywhere near my hair with a pair of scissors. I don't want to look like a badly groomed poodle."
George gave a deep rumbling laugh, finding the image of Amelia looking like a poodle far funnier than he normally would. Man, sleep deprivation does a number on your sense of humour.
"Yeah, I'll leave that up to Joe. You know, him being a barber and all."
For a brief second her smile faltered and her brow furrowed together, but she recovered quickly and joked, "Oh no, I don't want some Mohawk. That would not be a good look on me."
"I don't know, I think we could make it work. We cut a little bit here," he lightly tugged on the hair on her left side, "and a little there," he tugged on the hair on her right side.
She giggled and playfully smacked his hand away.
He loved the sound of her giggle, it reminded him of children playing outside on a hot summer's day. After Carentan she hadn't laughed as much or as easily. At first he'd thought it was just the fighting and dying that surrounded them, but then one night, just before they were called off of the line he'd asked her about it.
They had been alone in a foxhole and he'd made a particularly great impression of Bill and Joe bickering. She'd smiled, but it was one of those fake polite ones that never reaches your eyes.
"Ok, c'mon! That was hilarious, if I do say so myself," he'd exclaimed. A little panic creeping in that he'd lost his touch.
"It was George, sorry. I'm just tired." She hadn't met his eyes, hers firmly fixed on her boots.
He'd had enough, they were all tired and he knew she was lying. "I call bullshit."
Her mouth had opened and closed, looking for the right words to get him to drop it. Finally she'd just let out a defeated sigh and said, "I have feelings for Joe and he doesn't feel the same. It's no big deal, stupid really considering where we are. Anyway, it just brought up a whole lot of other stuff as well."
"You really like him?"
"Yeah, I really like him. It's not love or anything, and my feelings for him are jumbled together with my feelings over this place. So it's a bit messy."
When he hadn't said anything for a long time she'd looked up, finally meeting his gaze.
"Shit Em, I'm sorry. I don't know what he's thinking giving up a chance with you."
She'd scrambled over to his side of the foxhole and he'd reached out, tucking her small frame into his side. The last thing he'd heard her say was, "It's OK Luz. It's no big deal."
He had to admit that, if he didn't know what had happened he never would have guessed it by the way they acted around each other. The only clue was the way her eyes briefly clouded over whenever his name was mentioned and he wasn't looking.
Try as he might he never couldn't figure out why Joe had rejected her, it was pretty damn obvious the guy liked her. No wonder girls think men are idiots.
"Amelia," the sound of Derek calling her name made them both look in the direction of his voice.
"Here," she shouted, not bothering to get up.
"George," Derek nodded in greeting.
"Sir," he replied, the man still scared him a little bit, even after all this time.
Looking over Derek's shoulder he spied Winters and Nixon standing close by. The worried looks on the two officers' faces made his stomach twist uncomfortably.
"Derek, I'm really comfortable. Is it a state secret or can you just tell me here?" she asked him.
He sighed and looked forlornly at the navy vessels set to take them back to England. George had to consciously stop himself from shifting uncomfortably at the gesture, the pit in his stomach growing with each passing moment. The men around them had stopped talking, everyone now listening intently in on the conversation. Not trying to hide their eavesdropping in the least.
Derek crouched down and Amelia lifter her head from his lap, resting her weight on her elbows.
"Fine. We're not pulling out with Easy. We're heading back in-land with another Company. There have been reports of German snipers harassing the advance and we've been ordered to go find them and take them out."
When Derek stopped talking the only sound came from the crashing waves, no one believing what they'd just heard. They were supposed to be going back to England, all of them. The thought of Amelia and Derek staying behind to fight while they all sailed off into the sunset was like a punch to the gut.
Amelia let out a sharp breath and laid her head back down into his lap, closing her eyes she spoke. "When do we move out?"
"Two hours from now. I've got a runner grabbing kit for us." Derek reached out and patted her shoulder, the regret at what he was ordering her to do written all over his face. "Meet me at HQ in an hour."
She smiled a little, reminding him of how his mother had smiled to stop herself from crying the day he'd enlisted. Reaching up she touched the hand still resting on her shoulder. "OK."
With that he got up and walked away, Winters and Nixon falling in beside him.
As soon as the officers' backs were turned Gene spoke. "This is bullshit chéri."
Hearing the soft spoken medic swear and use a nickname in one breath made a few men glance at him in surprise.
Amelia sat up and stretched over to touch his knee. "It's fine Gene. It'll just be a few days and then we'll be in England with you. Besides, it'll give you all a chance to miss me."
"Christ Amelia, you don't even know what Company they're going to pair you with!" Bill exclaimed, his South Philly accent coming out thicker than usual and a deep frown etched across his forehead.
"I'm sure they'll be fine Bill. It's not like I'm going to be alone."
Bill stood abruptly, flicking the cigarette he'd just lit to the ground.
"Bill, where are you going?" she asked.
"Finding out which Company you're going with so I can have a few words with them."
"Bill, this really isn't…" he cut her off mid-sentence. "No Amelia, it's bad enough that you're staying here while we all go back to England. I'm gonna make damn sure whoever you're working with knows that if they get you killed, they may as well never come back to England themselves."
"I'm coming with you," Don said, getting up.
Soon Joe, Bull, Toye and Johnny were all standing up, ready to go put the fear of god into whoever she was going with.
Watching them leave he was about to go with them when Amelia placed her head back onto his lap.
"I've still got fifty minutes George. I intend on spending each one enjoying the sun and your lovely company. Now, why don't you tell me a funny story about home?"
He resigned himself to the fact that this was what she wanted and the other guys would be able to scare the living daylights out of the unlucky Company they found.
When her fifty minutes were up Gene held out his hand and pulled her up, straight into a fierce hug. Their close bond surprised George. The medic kept himself slightly distant from the other men, but he realised she'd never given him that option.
Letting her go without a word Amelia turned to George. "Whatever bets you make with the replacements, remember I want my cut." She smiled gently and gave him a peck on the cheek.
Wrapping his arms around her waist he whispered in her ear, "Be safe Em."
He felt her smile against his cheek and he reluctantly let her go.
She said her goodbyes to the men who were crowding around them before walking off in the direction of the HQ.
As she crested the top of the dune he saw the guys that had left intercept her, already back from their mission. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he saw each one give her a farewell hug. It didn't escape his notice that Joe held onto her a little tighter and longer than the rest.
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12 days later, Aldbourne
Bill POV
Bill saw George come running into the mess hall, making a beeline for their table.
"Heya fellas, guess what I just heard?" George asked, breathless.
"What is it Luz? You finally found a girl that's willing to go on a date with you?" Don joked, earning him a glare from George.
"Screw you Malark," George retorted.
"Man, don't talk about screwing. You're gonna make me homesick," Muck said.
That earned a round of jeers and lewd jokes from the men around the table. For once George didn't jump in, the way he was tapping his finger on the table showing his growing impatience.
"Will you all shut-the-fuck-up for once!" George exclaimed, finally losing his patience.
A hush fell over everyone and they all turned to him expectantly.
"Amelia and Derek are on their way to England. They're supposed to land in the next few days," George practically shouted the news. Reaching over he grabbed the smoke from a shocked Muck's hand, a triumphant grin plastered over his face.
"Well it's about god damn time," Bill said, emphatically smacking his hand against the table to emphasize the point.
They'd been back in England for almost two weeks and every day someone mentioned the two snipers, especially Amelia. Leaving her behind in France had left them all feeling like they'd somehow abandoned her. Besides with all the new replacements coming in and Amelia being gone the Company felt off, like something vital was missing.
Looking over to Joe he saw the relief in the man's eyes and for once he had a genuine smile not a smart-ass smirk on his face.
One drunken night just after their return to Aldbourne George had spilled the beans to him, telling him all about Amelia and Joe. Bill, never being the subtle type and a few beers down, had confronted Joe, two second away from clobbering him in his stupid face. Joe had backed down, not even trying to put up a fight. Eventually he just said, "Yeah well, we all make mistakes." He didn't elaborate and Bill never asked.
Hashey, one of the new replacements piped up from behind Bill, "Amelia's the skirt that fights with Easy right?"
All the veterans slowly turned their attention to the table of replacements, the silent warning coming across loud and clear.
"Don't call her a skirt," Toye said, his voice low and menacing.
The replacements all visibly recoiled, none of them meeting the veteran's eyes.
Hashey tried to cover his tracks, "I didn't mean anything by it. Just heard there's a woman fighting with us."
"Yeah, there is. Sergeant Jones is one of us and she's one if the finest soldiers you'll ever have the privilege of meeting," Bull insisted, the rest of the table nodding in agreement.
Bill saw the sly smile spread across George's face and knew the man must have seen an opportunity to have some fun with the new boys. Nudging Bill to play along he said, "You know, most of the guys here have tried to ask her out on a date, but she shot them all down. Maybe you lot can have more luck?"
The replacements looked sceptical, but they wanted so desperately to make a good impression on the veterans that they took the bait.
Edward "Babe" Heffron spoke up, Bill immediately recognising his familiar Philly accent. "Yeah? Maybe we can bet on it?"
"What are we betting on?" Buck asked as he came to stand next to George.
"Oh, whether or not any of these new boys can get Em to go on a date with him?" Don answered.
Buck whistled. "Good luck with that. She'd eat 'em all alive."
"I'll take the bet," Hashey said.
Bill laughed as George took all the bets, eagerly playing bookie. Turning back to his earlier conversation with Tab he saw the dark look on Joe's face.
If Hashey actually manages to get her on a date, Joe's gonna kill him in his sleep.
"Man, it's going to be good to have Em back home," Tab said and Bill wholeheartedly agreed with the man.
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Amelia POV
Climbing out of the jeep onto the familiar Aldbourne street she seriously considered falling to her knees and kissing the ground.
They had arrived back in England that morning, fourteen days after they had left Easy. Derek had threatened a few orderlies and quickly arranged for a jeep to take them to Aldbourne. Driving through the charming town at dusk Amelia had finally felt her muscles relax for what felt like the first time on months, a blissful smile making its way across her face.
"You coming?" Derek asked her.
She skipped towards him and grabbed his hand, almost dragging him to the front door of the Whitehall's home, barely able to contain her excitement at being back.
Derek was about to knock when the door was flung open. Mrs. Whitehall stood in the doorway, an apron tied around her waist and her cheeks flushed.
"Come here you!" she exclaimed, pulling Amelia into a very tight hug. "Oh dear, you are just skin and bones. What have they been feeding you?"
Without letting her go Mrs. Whitehall continued, "It's a good thing that Company of yours sent a runner this morning to tell me you two were on your way. I had time to cook a proper meal."
Finally letting her go Mrs. Whitehall pushed Amelia into the house, promptly pulling Derek into another tight hug.
Looking around she was momentarily overwhelmed by the warmth that surrounded her. Everything about the place, from the colour of the furniture and the flower print of the wallpaper, to the smell of home cooked food wafting from the kitchen reminded Amelia of home.
Mr. Whitehall appeared from the kitchen, holding two glasses of Scotch. Taking Amelia's bag from her he handed her a glass, saying "It's good to have you back with us."
Mrs. Whitehall finally let go of Derek and came to stand beside her husband. Derek reached out, shaking the older man's hand, and taking the offered glass of Scotch.
"You two go and settle in. Amelia, feel free to use the bath upstairs. I've laid out some clean clothes for you. Dinner will be ready in an hour," Mrs. Whitehall said.
"Thank you ma'am," she replied, not finding the words to express how grateful she was.
Glancing over at Derek she knew he mirrored her expression. They were finally home safe.
XXXXXXX
It was noon the following day when she finally woke up, and it took her another hour to crawl out of bed. She didn't want to leave the comfort of the soft bed, but her stomach was growling and she needed to use the bathroom.
Walking into the kitchen she found Derek sitting at the table, nursing a cup of coffee. He'd clearly just stumbled out of bed by the way his hair was tousled and the bleary look in his eyes.
She poured a cup for herself and sat down across from him, neither of them saying anything for a long time.
"You want to go see Easy today?" he finally asked her.
She badly wanted to see her friends, but she also badly wanted to stay in bed for the rest of her life. It was a difficult choice.
"Won't they be training?"
"They're training until 15:00, after that they've got the afternoon off."
She was surprised that he knew the details of their schedule. "How do you know that?"
"Dick sent a runner with a message and orders," he took a sip of his coffee, "He said we each have a three day pass before we start training with the men again, but that we should swing by the mess today if we can."
Amelia got up and filled her cup again, having downed the first lukewarm cup of coffee in record time.
"Let's go, it'll be good to see everyone. Mrs. Whitehall left a clean dress out for me."
He raised an eyebrow at her last remark.
"What? You heard Dick, we're on leave, so I'm not on 'official military business.' Therefore I am going to wear a pretty dress while I can."
"Fair enough. Let's leave here at 15:00."
"OK. You want something to eat?"
With that she made them sandwiches and it struck her how utterly normal the situation was. Her making sandwiches for lunch in a pretty little kitchen with a handsome man sitting at the table keeping her company.
I hope I can still do normal.
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Hope you all enjoyed the latest chapter. Thank you to everyone who added the story to their alerts and for all the lovely reviews. Hope the last few days of the week goes well!