Disclaimer: all the usual apply

Chapter 21

George POV

Mourmelon, France

Easy was pulled off the line in late October and sent to the relative peace and quiet of the military base in Mourmelon, France. They had warm showers, hot chow and something which resembled actual beds.

He for one had mixed feelings about being back in France and away from the line. Their time in Holland had been an unmitigated disaster as far as he was concerned. They'd lost Winters to a promotion and Heyliger to a jumpy sentry who shot him multiple times before they pulled back. In his place they got Norman Dike. He wasn't a bastard, he just seemed completely uninterested in Easy. Like they were just another box he had to tick before he could move on-up the ranks. They spent most of their days doing parade ground style drills on the base and most of the company consisted of raw recruits who couldn't stop yapping about jumping into Berlin. They could still forgive the replacements for their over eagerness. What they wouldn't forgive were the comments some of them had made to Amelia on their first night with Easy.

Usually she shared a tent with Derek, but the base was full to capacity and he was already sharing a tent with all the other Easy officers so Amelia bunked with the men.

It wasn't an issue, they'd spent months with her already sharing foxholes and deserted buildings. None the less he'd made sure to get her the bunk between him and Bull so no one got any ideas. When the replacements streamed into the tent they were all big talk, each one having to one-up the other in-front of the veterans. So when the two loudest ones noticed the blonde woman sitting alone on her bunk staring at them, they swaggered over to her and started to try and pick her up.

At first they all stayed out of it and just hung around close enough to overhear the conversation. But then the one wouldn't take no for an answer and before you knew it Don was standing between him and Amelia, Bull was holding Amelia back from killing the replacement with her bare hands and he'd clocked the kid right in his big yap. After that all the veterans shared a few choice words with the new boys and there wasn't any more trouble from them.

He thought back to that night and a wicked smile tugged at his lips. He caught the eye of the replacement with the beautiful shiner and the kid visibly flinched, which only made him smile more. After a day of mind numbing drills with Dike he took more satisfaction than he should have in eliciting that reaction from the new kids.

He looked away from the replacement and scanned the faces for Amelia's. Since Bill was still in the hospital and Doc had his hands full at the aid tent they spent most of their free time together in one way or the other. Not that she was ever deprived of company. Wherever she went one of the guys would be with her. It was a mixture of wanting to keep her safe on a base full of bored, sex starved soldiers and how she managed to remind them of their lives back home where they didn't kill men but held doors open for ladies whose laugher was light and carefree.

When he found her animatedly talking to Johnny and Bull the smile that crossed his lips rivaled her own dazzling one. She patted Bull and Johnny's shoulders and turned in the direction of the Easy barracks. He altered his path so he could intercept her and he watched as Babe shoved past her without so much as looking in her direction. He saw a flash of hurt and confusion run across her face for a split second before she wiped it off.

He didn't know what was going on with those two. In Holland he was sure something was going on between them. In fact, he'd been so sure he'd started a pool over when Babe would get the guts to make a move.

He picked up the pace and broke into a light jog to catch up to her. "Em, what's that about?"

She stopped walking and turned to him with a confused look. "What?"

"What's going on with you and Babe?"

"Oh, nothing," she said and they continued to walk in the direction of the barracks.

"Please, I ain't blind. You two have been avoiding each other since we got back from Holland."

"He's been avoiding me. I've just been staying out of his way."

"Um, OK. That clarifies things."

She gave him such a dramatic eye roll he was sure her eyes were going to get stuck in the top her skull.

He stared at her with an unwavering expression which he hoped mimicked the one his mother always gave him when she knew there was more to a story than he was letting on.

She let out a defeated huff of air and said, "I don't know. Since the night with the Red Devils he's been avoiding me. He only talks to me when he has to and even then it's painfully formal. Well, that or some cryptic remark I don't know what the hell to do with. I tried to ask him about it once but never really got an answer."

"Well that's a load of bull. You want me to talk to him?" he asked through a lit cigarette.

She reached over and grabbed the smoke from his lips. She took a long drag and blew out the smoke slowly into the late afternoon air. "No, if he can't talk to me like an adult all by himself you shouldn't have to chase him."

She handed the cigarette back to him and as he took it he asked, "Thought you only smoked when someone was trying to kill ya?"

She shrugged but didn't say anything.

"You sure you're OK though?"

"After the last few months I'm just tired. I'm tired in my bones. I just need a break from all of this. The base, the war, the drama. I don't have energy for any of this right now."

He didn't have anything to say to make her feel better. He was usually quick with a joke or smart remark but seeing the dark circles under her eyes he couldn't think of a good one.

Fucking Babe Heffron. I'm gonna kill the kid.

"How 'bout you? How you holding up?" she asked him after a few moments of silence.

"Well, if I have to do one more parade drill on the tarmac with Foxhole Norman I may kill someone, but other than that I'm fine."

She gave him a lopsided smile. "That seems reasonable."

He chuckled and when her lopsided smile morphed into a full on grin he felt his shoulders relax an inch.

"Have you been sleeping?" she asked him and his smile slipped.

None of them were really sleeping. Sure most nights they'd pass out from sheer exhaustion or boredom, but eventually you'd wake up in a cold sweat from a nightmare. It happened to everyone and everyone had the decency to pretend like they didn't hear you mumbling and moaning in your sleep.

On their second night in Mourmelon he had a terrible nightmare of their jump into Normandy. He must have been screaming or something because the next thing he knew Amelia was next to him, holding him tight and murmuring into his ear that he was safe. They stayed like that for the rest of the night and if anyone saw her climbing quietly out of his bed in the morning they didn't say anything about it. He would like to say that was the only night it got that bad, but that would have been a lie. Some nights he held her as she tried to chase the demons away and other nights she'd stroke his hair until he was so tired he fell into a dreamless sleep.

"You know; some nights are better than others. I got a letter from home today."

"Oh wow, that's great news! Everyone doing well?"

"Oh yeah, they're doing great. You know when we get out of here you gotta come home with me to meet the family. They'd love you, probably more than they love me."

"That is not possible. You are the most lovable man I know. And of course I'd love to meet them." Her eyes fell to the ground and for a split second a dark cloud ran over her eyes before she pushed it aside and half-heartedly smiled back up at him.

"Shit, sorry Em. I didn't mean to upset you by bringing them up."

"No-no Georgie, I love hearing about your family. Really I do. Somedays I just miss mine. I kinda wonder what it would be like to get a letter from home."

He stopped walking and grabbed her hand, pulling her into a warm hug. "Come here."

He felt her bury her face into his neck and he instinctively kissed the top of her head.

"You sure you don't want me to knock some sense into Babe?" he asked into her hair.

She pulled away from him so she could look into his eyes and said, "Tell you what, I'll consider it while I'm walking the streets of Paris and get back to you on it."

He smiled down at her before letting her go and they continued on their way. "When you going to Paris?"

"Tomorrow. I've got a 48-hour pass."

"Mmmm….impressive. Just don't pick up some Fly Boy while you're away from us. Got to keep your standards up."

"I think I've had my fill of boy drama for a while. You know I thought that once things got sorted with Joe it would be smooth sailing. But no."

She'd told him about the kiss she'd shared with Joe and the subsequent talk they'd had. He was a little surprised it hadn't worked out, but he was happy for both of them that it ended amicably. From what he could see they just kind of picked up where they'd left off before the jump into Normandy.

"You know I'm always here to take Babe's place. Zero drama," he offered.

"You're too good for me handsome. Any girl would be very lucky to snag you."

He lightly nudged her without breaking their stride. They took the long way back to the barracks, swinging past the buildings the officers used as makeshift offices.

A man came out of the one building and he recognized the distinctive swagger immediately. "Well-well-well, look what the cat dragged in."

Amelia bolted forward before the last word had left his mouth and as she threw her arms around the guy's neck she exclaimed, "Bill!"

"Whoa, hey there princess," Bill said through laughter as he tried to regain his footing so they didn't go tumbling to the ground.

He put her down and she eyed him suspiciously, "Princess?"

"Eh, some of the fellas told me what those Brits call you. I like it."

"You know what, if you promise me you'll never do something so stupid again, you can call me whatever you want."

"I'll try my best."

"Good."

"Hey'ya Bill," he said and he warmly took the Philly man's extended hand.

"Luz," Bill replied with a firm nod and a warm handshake.

"I thought you weren't going to be back for a few more weeks?" Amelia asked him.

"They can't keep ol' Wild Bill locked up in the hospital forever. Went AWOL to get back to you lot. Don't know what stupid stunts you're pulling without me." He shot Amelia a knowing look and George couldn't suppress his smirk.

She folded her arms defensively over her chest. "How long have you been here and who have you been talking to?"

"Ran into Babe when I got here. He caught me up."

"Oh, so nice to know he still knows my name," she retorted.

Bill's eyebrows shot up and his voice took on that older brother quality he had when it came to Amelia. "What?"

She waved it off. "Nothing, it's not important. The most important thing is that you're back!"

"Not important huh?" he said under his breath which earned him a side eye from her that could have killed.

Bill looked between them but finally gave up and asked, "So, you heard of a place called Lulu's."

"You're gonna need a Penicillin shot if you go there," Amelia warned as she scrunched up her nose and gave them each a disapproving look.

Bill cackled and reaching over to ruffle her hair he said, "You only live once princess."

She playfully slapped his hand away with an adorable little scowl on her face. "I have to go see Derek. There's an empty bunk opposite mine, saved it just for you Bill."

"Already claimed it," he replied with a smug look on his face.

"Why am I not surprised. Keep a seat for me at dinner? I wanna hear all about how you went AWOL."

"Sure thing princess."

She winked at Bill and squeezed George's arm before turning to go find Derek.

When she'd turned a corner Bill nudged him and asked, "So what's that about? When I left those to lovebirds were going strong?"

"Who knows. He's been avoiding her and she's too stubborn to force him to tell her why. You would think now that Joe's out of the picture we wouldn't be able to keep him away from her."

"Fuck, Joe's out of the picture? I'm gonna knock the kid's head in."

"Yeah, that was the plan. Just waiting for Em to go to Paris tomorrow. Otherwise she'll knock our heads in."

"She can be quite scary that one. Just like my ma before she smacked us over the head for being fools."

"C'mon, chows up and the other fellas will be happy to see you."

XXXXXXX

Amelia POV

Paris, France

After a day spent immersed in the sights and sounds of Paris, Amelia was starting to feel like she was slowly but surely waking up from a bad dream.

When she'd climbed off of the train at Paris station that morning she'd bought a book at the first stall she could find that sold something other than French literature. There'd only been one to choose from, it was one of those cliché romance novels, but she didn't mind. She just wanted a story to lose herself in, and a Romance seemed oddly apt considering that she was in Paris.

From there she'd bought some decedent, ridiculously expensive pastries at a local bakery and made her way to a park from where she had a magnificent view of the Eiffel Tower. She spread herself out on the cool grass, the early winter sun warming her skin, and lost herself in the absolute indulgence of being alone in Paris with a book and baked goods.

Hours passed before she decided to get up. She walked along the streets and admired the city. Of course it was beautiful, but there was a magic in the air which even made the war scarred buildings look like works of art. As expected you couldn't turn a corner without running into a soldier from some military branch of one of the Allied armies. She didn't mind though. As far as she could see everyone was here to celebrate being young and alive and their joy was infectious.

Finding a spot on a bench she soaked up the last few rays of late afternoon sun. Another young couple walked past her hand-in-hand and her heart involuntarily twinged painfully. When she'd been at the base she'd been so tired that it had been easy to push her feelings aside. But after a day of reading a romance novel in one of the most romantic cities in the world she felt just refreshed and nostalgic enough.

As her eyes followed the young couple's meandering path she thought back to Babe's sudden change. She was almost certain it had occurred the night they'd rescued the British. She was sure he'd seen her and Joe talking that night, but what he'd heard or taken from that heaven only knows. The uncertainty and unfair rejection made her anxious and feel slightly sick, so she tore her eyes away from the blissfully happy couple and stared back into the distance. Admiring the beauty and vibrancy of the city she took a few deep breaths to try and untangle the knots in her stomach. She'd come here to get away from the war and Babe for a few days. To gather herself and figure out the way forward.

She took out a worn piece of off-white paper from between the pages of her book. She'd received the letter the day they'd landed back in France. It had been waiting for her in their barracks like some unwelcome guest. Since then she'd read and re-read the letter dozens of times.

When she'd originally signed up to be a guinea pig to see if women could fight on the front with men they'd told her she would need to serve for a minimum of one year's active duty, excluding her time in training. She vaguely recalled the British Captain that had handled her enlistment mentioning this a few times, but between trying to survive basic training and the Germans, as well as winning the acceptance of the men she worked with, she'd all but forgotten about this clause. That was until the letter had arrived.

Her time was up. Between the time she'd spent with the British in Africa and the Americans in Holland she's served her year. She could choose to be discharged and go home now, not that she knew where that was, or she could forfeit the option and stay with the men. She had a get-out-of-jail-free card and it was tearing her apart.

She didn't have a family to go home to. Easy had become both of those things to her so leaving them didn't feel right. On the other hand, she knew hundreds of men would kill for the chance to go home instead of heading for another fight so she felt guilty for not taking the opportunity.

Scanning the piece of paper another time, hoping it would be able to tell her what to do, she sighed in frustration when it didn't provide any more answers. She wasn't going to bother talking it over with any of the guys, even Derek, she already knew what their advice would be. And as soon as one knew they all would and then she'd never hear the end of it.

Luckily she had until Christmas to make up her mind. By all accounts they weren't supposed to see any action until the following year so she had enough time to sit around base and decide what to do.

She gave up on finding an answer at that moment and put the letter back between the pages of her book. Holding the book in her lap she stared off into the distance when a familiar figure in an American Airborne uniform caught her eye.

For a moment she hesitated but then she grabbed her things and skipped after the soldier. "Captain Winters!"

He turned around and his expression quickly went from confused to happy as his face broke into a striking smile. "Amelia, I heard you were in Paris. You look like you've had a good day?"

"Oh, well a day laying around in the sun reading and eating does wonders for your complexion, sir."

"I can imagine. And please, call me Dick, we're not on base."

A few excited shouts made her look around just as a group of young soldiers ran past them. The men were so engrossed with whatever game they were playing they nearly ran into her. Dick reached out and deftly pulled her out of their way. She laughed at the young men's antics which wiped the scowl from Dick's handsome face.

"C'mon, I saw this little café a few blocks that way," she pointed in the direction the group had come from, "and they're food looked really good."

"Lead the way," he said with a small smile that almost reached his tired eyes.

XXXXXXX

She studied her reflection in the train window, not thinking of anything at all but completely lost in her own world.

Running into Dick had been a wonderful surprise. They'd never really spent much time alone together before today, and she'd been worried their dinner would be filled with awkward silences. As it turns out, once the captain was away from the strict rules and regulations the military required of him he was wonderful company. He was sharp as a tack with a dry sense of humor she'd never really appreciated before today. After one meal with him she finally fully understood why he and Nixon were such close friends. They were more alike than different and she could imagine them verbally sparring for hours.

After their food, and her two glasses of deep red wine were finished, they'd gone for a walk along the river. The military had put them up in the same hotel so they took the long way back, which ended up including a short ride on one of the trains that laced through the bustling city. Their walk had been peppered with short burst of conversation but mostly they were both content to walk in comfortable silence. And once on the train each one slipped even further into their own little worlds.

"Amelia," Dick said as he lightly touched her folded hands.

She tore her eyes away from the window and was startled to find that they were the last people left on the train.

"I guess we missed our stop," she tried to joke and he rewarded her with a twitch of his lips.

When they exited the station a young boy was waiting for them. She guessed he was sixteen and he had dark brown hair and large doe eyes. When he saw Dick he straightened out and saluted him in his best impression of military protocol. She started to return the salute when she saw the ghostly look on Dick's face. Instead of returning the salute he gave the boy a thin lipped smile before walking off into the night. The boy's face fell and she gave him the best smile she could muster, hoping that it would cheer him up. It seemed to do the trick because his face lit up a fraction.

Satisfied that she'd done what she could for the kid she hurried after Dick. He was waiting for her on the corner, staring blankly ahead of him.

She touched his arm and without looking down at her he said, "He looks just like a German I killed in Holland. The kid I killed in Holland."

"Richard, you did what you had to do to survive. War is a terrible thing and it forces good men to do terrible things. But that doesn't make you a terrible person. For every life you take you save the life of another kid that will get to go home because of you."

He looked down at her, "Do you really believe that?"

"I have to. Otherwise what's the point of it all."

The silence stretched between them as they stood on a street corner in Paris trying to reconcile the people they wanted to be with those they'd become.

A feint smile crossed Dick's lips and for the first time that day his blue eyes smiled along with his eyes. "We'll be fine, somehow."

"Somehow," she repeated.

"Now do you have any idea where we are?"

She burst out laughing at the absurdity of two decorated soldiers getting lost in Paris. "Umm…not really. But if I remember the map of the train lines correctly if we head east we should get to our hotel. Or close enough at least."

"Let's go," he said offering her his arm.

She hooked her arm into his as he added, "Don't tell Nix we got lost. I'll never hear the end of it."

"Deal," she agreed enthusiastically.

XXXXXXX

Bill POV

Mourmelon, France

He was growing more and more irritated by the moment. A couple of the guys had decided to visit the local joint called Lulu's. Babe had eagerly agreed to go along but now he was sitting around pouting like a snotty brat.

Slamming his full beer down onto the wooden table some if its content spilled over, which only darkened his mood further. "Babe, quite sulking would ya."

Babe looked up from his beer and shrugged. "Yeah, sorry Bill."

"Goddamnit," Bill swore under his breath. He'd come here for a good time, not to play love doctor.

He shifted his chair closer to Babe's so they could talk without half of the joint overhearing them. He'd hoped to have this talk with him the next day when they were both sober, but if he was going to have a good time this would need to happen right now.

He lightly nudged Babe's am with his elbow and asked, "What's going on with you? The guys tell me you've been sulking since Holland."

"Nothing," Babe mumbled without looking up from his glass.

"Kid, I ain't gonna drop this so you may as well tell me what's eating you."

"It's nothing, really."

He felt his temper rise and decided to take a more direct approach. "Fuck Babe, it's Amelia isn't it? It don't take no genius to see the way you've been acting around her. Christ, I was back one night and I could see it. What's going on?"

Babe's head snapped up and he hissed, "She and Joe kissed. There, you happy?"

"When?" He'd heard a rumor from George that Amelia and Joe had kissed once during their stay in Holland. George was never one to keep a good story to himself, but this one he'd only told Bill when they were trying to figure out what was going on between their friends.

"Holland."

"Did you see it?"

"No, just heard Amelia and George talking."

"And was this kiss before or after they ended things?"

Babe's eyebrows shot up in surprise and Bill chuckled.

Slapping Babe's back affectionately he said, "I know everything kid."

Babe rolled his eyes. "Before."

"So you're pissed because Joe kissed her once before they ended things?"

"Yeah."

"And have you told Em how you feel about her? Or showed her? And I mean really show her so the woman knows exactly what your intentions are."

"Umm…no. Guess not."

Leaning back in his chair he looked his friend over while taking a long drink of his beer. Putting the glass purposefully down on the table he said, "Right, you need to get over yourself."

"What?"

"Listen, she ain't your girl and this thing with her and Joe had been coming a long time. You can't be pissed at her for kissing another fella when she doesn't know you want her to be your girl. So you better get over it because if you don't, she'll move on and I promise you there are a few guys who won't make the same mistake you and and Joe did. And who are you gonna be pissed with then? Yourself?"

Babe stared at him with a dumbfounded expression. "Fuck, you're right."

"Of course I'm right!" he exclaimed and slapped Babe on his shoulder again for good measure.

Babe laughed and shook his head. Taking out a few notes he slapped them down on the table, "I'm gonna head back to base. Next round's on me."

As he watched his friend walk out of the crowded bar he could feel himself gloating. Of course he wanted his friends to be happy and he knew they could make each other very happy. But he also had money riding on those two getting together so they'd better get their shit together fast.

XXXXXXX

Amelia POV

Mourmelon, France

When her shoes touched the tarmac at the base in Mourmelon she felt both depressed to be away from Paris and relieved to be back with her family.

She'd spent her second day in Paris much as she had the first with the notable exception of Dick's company. She can't say they talked for hours, even though they'd spend the majority of the day and a good chunk of the night in each other's company. Mostly they each read their own book or watched the people move about the city. Every now and again one of them would point out something notable or remark on an overheard conversation. But mostly it was just utterly relaxing having someone close by who knew you and everything you'd been through with whom you didn't have to talk to feel like you were in great company.

"Home sweet home," she said to the tall officer standing beside her.

"Yip," Dick replied.

"I'm really glad I ran into you, sir. You were lovely company."

He quirked his eyebrow at her and she gave him a lopsided smile. "We're back on base."

"So we are. You take care of yourself Amelia. Thank you for the wonderful few days."

"Good luck with the paper work," she said with a sly smirk and Dick groaned at the prospect of the mountain of paper that was waiting for him in his office.

She headed straight for her barracks. With every step she took she grew more and more apprehensive at seeing Babe again. The down side of being well rested for the first time in weeks was that she now had the emotional capacity to think about how much his rejection stung.

She paused outside the door for a brief moment and she heard men's voices talking excitedly over each other. A small smile crossed her lips when she realized she'd missed the familiar sound; this little chorus of male voices had become as familiar to her as the sound of her own.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open. Her foot barely touched the floor boards when a strong set of arms encircled her waist in an iron grip and picked her clean off of the ground.

She let out a playful little scream and started to giggle hysterically as she tried to get a good look at her assailant. Malarkey was twirling her around in a little semi-circle with a cheek splitting smile all over his face.

When he finally put her down she was out of breath from laughing and being crushed in his arms. "Hey Don! I need to go away more often if this is the welcome I get when I get back."

"Em, we just missed you so much. This place is far less entertaining without you."

"Thanks hun. And for the record, I missed you all too. Paris wasn't the same without you lot. We have to try and all get a pass together."

"Already on it," Don replied with a sly wink.

It took her a good twenty minutes to walk the short distance from the door to her bunk. Every one of her friends she passed greeted her with as much enthusiasm as Don did, just in their own way.

By the time she stopped opposite Bill and George she was breathless from laughing, her sides felt bruised from all the men picking her up like a rag doll and he cheeks were cramping.

"Beautiful, man it's good to see you," Bill greeted her as he pulled her into a, thankfully, gentle hug.

"Glad to see you could stay out of trouble for few days."

George slapped Bill on the shoulder and said, "It was close, but we managed."

"I can't leave you two alone can I?" She tried to steel her face into a disapproving scowl but quickly failed as a smile crept across her lips.

"Come here beautiful," George said as he hugged her and planted kiss on her cheek for good measure.

"They're showing a movie tonight in the main tent. You wanna go?" George asked once he let her go.

"Are you going to recite every line again?" she asked him skeptically. George loved movies. He loved movies so much that he knew all the words to the limited selection the army showed and he had the annoying tendency to recite the lines during the show.

"Who me? Never." He tried to look offended and she and Bill rolled their eyes.

"You know what, I've missed you so much that I don't even care. I'd love to go watch the movie with you."

"You hear that fellas? I got a date!" George shouted with a triumphant grin on his face. A few of the men cheered and clapped and there were even one or two shouts of, "When's the wedding?"

Someone cleared his throat behind her and she turned around without thinking. The silly smile that had been plastered on her face quickly vanished when she found Babe standing close to her.

He stuffed his hands deep into his pockets and looked at her sheepishly. "Hey Em, you look good."

"Thank you," she replied coolly. She placed her hands on her hips and waited for him to say whatever it was he'd come over here for.

"Listen I was thinking. I heard what George said, but maybe we could have chow together before you guys go to the show?"

"Excuse me?"

"Umm….do you wanna have dinner?"

"Oh no, I heard you the first time. You don't talk to me for weeks and now you walk over here like nothing happened and ask me if I want to have dinner with you?"

"Ummmm…" he started to say but she cut him off abruptly. "No Babe, you cut me off without so much as an explanation. So if you want to spend time with me then you're going to have to do better than that. Now if you don't mind, I need to find Derek."

She turned on her heel before he had a chance to stop her. She caught a glimpse of the looks George and Bill were giving each other and Babe, but she ignored them. If he wanted her back, he could prove it. She did not have the time or energy for any games.

XXXXXXX

She found her seat next to George by the ghostly white light of the movie screen. Sitting down next to him he glanced over at her and greeted her with a lopsided smile and a wink before turning his attention back to the screen as he casually draped his arm over the back of her chair.

Glancing around she saw the hall was about half full, with soldiers sitting in small groups or even by themselves. She spotted the familiar face of Buck sitting in an empty row directly across from hers. She instinctively started to form his name on her lips when the word caught in her throat. Taking a closer look at her friend she almost didn't recognize the man. His eyes were staring blankly at the screen as if he were somewhere far away. She'd seen that look in soldiers' eyes before, it never ended well.

"Look at me, I'm John Wayne. The costume department set me up with these great Navy Whites. What d'ya think?" George did his best John Wayne impression next to her and she suppressed the urge to laugh.

Lipton and Toye, who were sitting directly in-front of them, both turned around looking royally pissed at George, which only made it more difficult not to laugh.

"I'm trying to watch this." Lipton scolded him, but he still shot her a disapproving look for encouraging George.

"I've see this movie thirteen times," George retorted.

"Well I haven't, so shut up," Toye hissed.

"Watch the movie. It's fine," George relented.

She glanced over at him and had to bite her lip to stop herself from bursting out laughing at the comical grin plastered all over his face.

She settled herself into George's side and seconds later she wasn't really paying attention to the movie anymore. Rather she found herself wondering what Babe was doing and imagining how it would feel, cuddled up next to him in a dark movie theatre with his arm slung protectively over her shoulder.

George lightly nudged her and she glanced up at him. "My favorite part," he whispered at the screen.

She eyed him skeptically and a wicked little smirk crossed his lips. "Got a penny," he said, mimicking the actress's line.

She felt a giggle rise in her chest as he repeated the line two more times and Lipton and Toye shot him award winning death stares over their shoulders.

Suddenly the bright florescent lights came on and two officers marched purposefully to the front of the hall. She and George quickly glanced at each other as one of the officers ascended the low stage situated right in-front to the jeers of the soldiers.

"Elements of the 1st and the 6th SS Panzer division have broken through in the Ardennes forest. They've overrun the 28th Infantry and elements of the 4th. All officers report to respective HQ's and all passes are revoked. Enlisted men report to barracks and platoon leaders," his booming voice hung in the air even after he'd stopped speaking and marched back out the way he'd come.

She took a deep breath and blinked a few times as her brain tried to process the news. With a small determined nod, she pushed herself up out of her chair. She was already going over all her supplies and those of the men. They didn't have enough food or ammunition. Just that afternoon Gene had complained about the lack of medical supplies and they hadn't even been issued their winter kit yet.

She was so in thought as she walked out of the hall she nearly collided with Winters. At the last moment her head snapped up and she gave him a ghost of a smile as she barely side stepped him. He only briefly looked down at her before turning his attention back to a still sitting Buck. She saw the concern barely hidden in his eyes and she didn't blame him. Buck didn't look like the same man who'd been shot in Holland and right now they needed that man.

As she reached the door George was holding for her she pushed all thoughts of Buck out of her mind. She had more important things to worry about right now. Like bullets and food, what a terrible joke.

What felt like moments later she was being herded towards a line of waiting trucks where hundreds of men were running around shouting orders and loading up as snow fell all around them. She'd grabbed everything she could fit in her bag and on her person. She'd thought she was poorly equipped, but she'd hidden some of her ammo from Holland which meant she had more than most of the men did.

"Amelia," she turned in the direction of Derek's voice.

"Here," she waved at him and he strode over to her.

"You got enough kit?" he asked her and she saw his eyes running her over as he took stock of what he could see she had.

"More than some. Not enough. You?" She'd already done her own inventory check of his kit and she didn't like what she saw.

"The same. Here." He held out a jacket to her which looked almost two sizes too big for her.

"No, you keep it. That isn't even my size." She pushed the jacket back to him.

He scowled down at her and shoved the jacket back into her arms. "Don't be stubborn. I bribed some orderly that's staying behind for this."

Still refusing to take the jacket she said, "You could use it too."

"Yeah, most of the guys can. But you're smaller than any of us so you're the lucky winner."

She was going to refuse outright to take it but his eyes softened and she saw the worry behind them. "Fine," she relented as she grabbed the jacket.

His lips twitched into a triumphant little smile and she suppressed the urge to throw the jacket back at him.

"You got your gloves?" he asked and she held up her hands.

When they'd spent the previous Christmas in Aldbourne she'd bought herself a pair of black leather gloves which were lined with wool on the inside. It had been a real treat and at the time had seemed extravagant. Right now though they looked more like the bare minimum.

Derek nodded approvingly and said, "Listen, I'm riding with Winters and Nix. Find Bill and stick with him until I find you with orders. Got it?"

"Got it."

There was a beat of silence between them before he stepped closer to her and pulled her into a rib-crushing hug. Seconds later he let go without a word and she watched him walk away.

She swallowed hard to try and push down the panic that was clawing at her throat. A hand grasped her shoulder firmly and she peered over her shoulder to find a concerned Babe looking down at her.

She turned to face him and the noise of men and trucks faded away to a distant hum. She'd been so upset with him that she'd wanted to slap him whenever he was within arm's reach, but that had been when she'd thought they still had months of loitering around base. Now that they were going back to the front the thought of leaving things on bad terms seemed so petty.

Nothing like pending death to put things into perspective.

She saw his chest rise as he took a deep breath and before she could say anything he spoke. "Amelia, I was an idiot and a real jerk. I know that. I know it isn't enough, but I'm really sorry."

"You're right. You were a jerk and it's not entirely enough. But we're going to the front and I don't want to go into this with us being at odds. So it's a good start."

"So?" he asked.

The faintest of smiles pulled at her lips. "So I accept your apology, but I still need an explanation. Not right now, but soon. We're OK though."

He beamed down at her and his body relaxed.

"I've got two conditions though," she said and his smile faltered a fraction.

"First, as I said, when we get a moment you're telling me what the issue was. I don't do well with uncertainty, drives me crazy."

"OK. And second?"

"Next time something's eating at you, just tell me. I've got many talents, reading minds ain't one of 'em."

He smirked and said, "You got yourself a deal."

"Hey, you two. Get in here," Bill's voice cut through the noise of the base and just like that the spell was broken and the sound of the base rushed back to her.

Babe jerked his head in Bill's direction and she followed him as he led the way over to the truck Bill was leaning against.

Babe slapped his shoulder and jumped into the back of the truck.

"Ladies first," Bill said as he squeezed her shoulder.

She swung her pack off of her shoulder and handed it to Don's waiting hand before she allowed him to haul her into the back of the tarp covered truck. She clambered over the men who were already packed into the back of the troop truck like sardines.

Babe grabbed her hand and she sat down on the truck floor, wedging herself in between his legs and the soldiers on either side of her.

Seconds later the truck lurched forward and the freezing wind cut through her like a hot knife through soft butter. She pulled her knees up to her chin to try and retain as much of her body heat as possible. A pair of strong arms reached around her and draped the extra jacket she had over her legs and tucked it in below her chin like a blanket. She pressed her body back into Babe's and tucked her chin and nose underneath the makeshift blanket so only her eyes were visible.

The jerking movement of the truck over the uneven ground jostled her painfully around and if it wasn't for the fact that she was wedged in between the men she's pretty sure she would have gone flying right out the back on a few occasions.

"Guess the blackout's not in effect. Luftwaffe must be asleep," Buck remarked and she peered over the rim of her jacket to look at him. Now that he was around the men and cracking jokes he looked almost like his old self again and she sighed internally.

He was right though. Normally night movements were all hush-hush and light and noise discipline was strictly enforced. But right now they were driving at full speed with headlights blazing. Wherever they were going it had to be incredibly urgent, which only made her feel worse.

Joe was sitting next to Buck and he caught her eye. He took the newly lit cigarette from his lips and stretched across the rest of the men to hand it to her. She was torn between taking the cigarette, which would mean having to disrupt her warm little cocoon, and waving it off. Luckily she never had to make the call because Tab reached over and took the smoke from Joe.

"Here Em," he said as he held it to her lips for her.

"Thank you Joe," she said through the cigarette dangling from her lips and he gave her a crooked smile in return.

"You got one for me?" Muck asked as Joe lit his own smoke.

Joe just shot him a withering stare in reply.

"Why does she get one?" he asked, still not ready to give up hope.

"'Coz she's Em and that's all the reason I need."

"Yeah, guess that's a pretty decent reason," Muck gave in.

The smoke warmed her up from the inside and her eyelids started to droop when the truck hit a bump and she lurched forward. Babe grabbed her shoulders and pulled her body back to his.

"Christ, I miss those C47's," Bill said from where he was sitting at the back of the truck.

"We got a tailgate jump here," Tab retorted.

She never thought she'd say it, but she really missed those damn planes right now.

"I just want to know where they're sending us and what we're supposed to do with no ammo?" Babe asked from just above her head.

She didn't answer him, no one did really, but in her head she repeated the question to herself over and over again.

The guys started to harass the green replacement who was sitting opposite her for smokes and socks but she blocked them out as she tried her best to get a few precious moments of sleep.

It must have worked because the next thing she knew Babe was whispering in her ear, "Em, we're here. You gotta get up beautiful."

She groaned as her cramped muscles objected to being used as she clumsily scrambled out of the back to the truck. Snow was falling all around them as dozens of men climbed out of the parked line of trucks. It was the type of cold that cut through your clothing and you felt it in your bones.

Someone had had the bright idea to pour gallons of fuel into pits and light them to provide pockets of light and heat to the men. She blindly walked towards the nearest one as she shrugged her extra jacket on over her normal uniform while shifting her pack between her shoulders.

"Hey Em, you gotta see this," Don called after her and she reluctantly left the warmth of the fire to join him at the roadside.

"Don, this had best be good," she muttered but he didn't say anything. In fact, he wasn't even looking at her.

Coming to stand next to him her breath caught in her throat and her stomach flipped violently at the sight that welcomed her. Soldiers were streaming past them, going in the opposite direction from where they were heading.

Some were walking wounded, faces and limbs bandaged up. Others were being carried out by their friends. Even those that had no visible injuries looked beaten and broken.

She took a step forward and stopped the soldier nearest her with a hand placed gently on his shoulder. He looked down at her but she didn't think he actually registered what he was seeing.

"Do you have ammo or medical supplies?" she asked him in a commanding tone to try and snap him to.

The man nodded blindly and handed her two cartridges and a K-ration. "You're gonna need it," he mumbled before stumbling off.

She stared after him for a moment, too shocked and horrified to move. Then she took a deep breath and walked deeper into the ranks of the retreating soldiers, stopping as many as possible and either asking or just taking whatever supplies they had to spare.

From the corner of her eye she saw Babe, Don, Bill and some others follow her lead and she mentally nodded her approval.

Finally, the never ending line of defeated soldiers started to thin and she looked around for her friends.

Babe walked over to her and came to a stop next to her.

He quickly glanced down at her and she saw the way his jaw was set in a hard line. "Stay close."

"Sure," she said.

"Easy, let's move out," she heard the order come down the line.

They fell into a loose formation with the other men as they marched deeper into the dark forest that loomed like an imposing giant in the night as the snow continued to fall around them.

XXXXXXX

Hope everyone had a good week and a great weekend to look forward to. Thanks so much to everyone that added my story to their alerts/favourite lists. I can never say enough how much I appreciate the continued support!