Thank you for the very kind review! You are correct - Jaclyn is a bad ass :)

September 17, 1944

Not only did the Luz-Mackenzie Peace Treaty last overnight, but Guarnere seemed to be spot on - Jaclyn and Luz became fast friends. Even if I've seen him naked, she added to herself ruefully.

Jaclyn was pleased that the situation with Luz had reversed into such a positive way. Before they lost their clothing (and my good sense), she had thought him charming in that bar months ago. Along with Guarnere, she found herself spending her free time with Easy's two biggest rascals - and she felt herself smiling more in the last week than she had in the course of several months.

A rock of dread fell into her stomach, remembering the last time she felt this carefree. Her mind screamed at her to push them away, but she didn't have the heart - and she was also too selfish. It felt nice to have friends again. And nice to have someone to talk to besides me, myself and I.

The day had come for Easy to jump into Holland. The company was scheduled to enter Eindhoven and meet with the Dutch Resistance before moving on to secure the bridges towards Nuenen. Jaclyn had her own assignment as well from the British First Airborne.

They jumped outside of Eindhoven and almost walked into the city. Inside the walls, a celebration was being held.

Luz walked next to her, hugging his rifle to his chest. "You'd think they were liberated or something," he muttered, moments before a pretty girl stepped up to him and kissed him on the lips.

Jaclyn grinned, watching as the girl moved to Liebgott. She pulled away again to reveal his goofy grin covered in lipstick. "Yeah, imagine that."

Jaclyn wasn't exempt from the thanks of the girl. She moved in and placed a smooch on her cheek. Before Jaclyn could do more than cry "Oh!" another girl came over and kissed her on the mouth.

By the time the line of giggling girls was through, their three faces were covered in lipstick smudges. Jaclyn turned with wide eyes to Luz and Liebgott before giggling at the sight of them. Each had a dazed, yet pleased look in their eyes. Liebgott grinned at Jaclyn, "See Georgie, I do make her laugh." He walked away, following the line of women.

Jaclyn smirked at Luz, her feisty attitude emerging as if awoken from a long nap. "Lipstick looks good on you, pumpkin," she said, sickly sweet.

Luz grinned back, batting his eyelashes. "Not as good as on you, doll. You could almost pass for a woman."

Jaclyn smacked his arm, but continued to grin. They walked together through the crowd. From across the way, they heard chanting of some sort. The hairs stood up on her arms. "Let's walk around that, shall we?" she said. He nodded, more concerned about her stricken face than the mass of people.

Finally, they arrived across the square and to a small gathering of Easy soldiers. Winters saw Jaclyn and motioned for her to come over. Luz followed, curious.

Jaclyn walked up to the group and saw Winters to be joined with Compton, Lipton, Nixon, and a Dutch Resistance officer. "Peter, this is Officer Jaclyn Mackenzie of British Special Forces. She will be accompanying you today."

Accompanying where? Luz asked silently, his eyes taking in the young man in front of them. He looked at Jaclyn, but she didn't seem surprised. "Where you goin', Mack?"

Jaclyn shushed him with the side of her mouth before holding out her hand to Peter. "Nice to meet you, sir."

"Please, Officer, call me Peter. We are going to be working together over the next few days. We should be informal, no?"

She smiled. "Then please call me Jackie."

Winters continued. "Jaclyn and Peter will rendezvous to Neuen tonight and secure their checkpoint. Dutch Resistance will remove the current occupants and bring them to safety." He paused, looking at Jaclyn only. "From there you will pass encrypted messages back to us via messenger."

Luz looked around, completely lost. Checkpoint? Rendevous? Messenger? He watched as the Dutchman motioned for a young boy, no more than eight or nine, to step forward. The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. "You have got to be shitting me. A kid?"

Nixon gave Luz a hard look. "Shut the trap now, Luz or skedaddle. If I wasn't about to repeat this all to the men, you'd already be gone."

Luz closed his mouth sourly, looking at the kid. Then he looked to Jaclyn, who didn't seem surprised. Am I the only one with any goddamn heart?

Winters sighed, not looking too pleased himself (It's a start, thought Luz), before continuing. "You already have the details of the mission, Jaclyn?" She nodded. "Good. You three leave at 2100." She nodded again, before turning away.

Luz followed her. "Mack, what the hell was that?" She didn't answer, just kept walking, reading her mission letter again. "Did you see the fucking kid? A kid! Did I mention that he's just a kid."

Jaclyn sat on the front steps of a quiet building. She looked up and sighed. "The Dutch have been using kids as spies for years now, Luz. I know it's not ideal, but it's what I have."

Luz scoffed, sitting next to her. "Not ideal? This is war for Christ's sake. What the hell they thinking?" Jaclyn shrugged. He peered over her shoulder, trying to read the letter. She moved it away. "So what's your mission anyway?"

He tried to peer around the other shoulder. She moved the letter away again, chuckling. "I'd have to kill you if I told you, and we just became friends. It's too much effort to find another George Luz."

He snorted. "As if there's another one."

She smiled, but continued to read. She could feel his eyes on her. Sighing, she turned to him. "Fine. But you have to keep that big mouth shut." He animated locking his lips and throwing away the key.

Smiling again, she continued. "Peter and I are being placed in a farmhouse in Nuenen. The German officers in town have requested the farmer's wife to start bringing them lunch every day. Apparently they have a soft spot for the farmer's cheese." She paused, lying a bit. "I'm the farmer's wife."

Luz shook his head. "But…"

She shushed him. "The Germans haven't met the farmer's wife, Tessa. The commanding officer had met the farmer, Nick, once before, but he's on leave. Peter is now Nick."

Luz's eyes grew wider and wider. "And the kid?"

Jaclyn sighed. "He's our son, Johan. Lucky enough, that's his real name. He will be the lookout in town. Peter will act as messenger."

Luz slumped back against the steps. "Jesus, so this is what you do?"

Jaclyn nodded, some pride welling in her chest. "This is what I do. I told Guarnere it wasn't that exciting."

Luz shook his back and forth. "Not that exciting? It's way too exciting. There is so much that can go wrong." Jaclyn shrugged. Luz looked at her, hard. "You sure you'll be OK?"

Jaclyn rolled her eyes and stood. "Don't get soft on me now, Luz."

He stood up, following her. "But don't you think they'll notice you ain't Dutch?"

"Er is veel dat je niet weet over mij, George Luz," she murmured, walking out of sight.

"Everyone clear? We will keep the town of Eindhoven for the next three days while we clear the bridges. On the fourth day, we move to Neunen," Winters said to the men. "By that time, Officer Mackenzie should have the location of the Germans zeroed in and ready."

Jaclyn nodded with the rest of Easy. She only had a few hours before she had to go with Peter and Johan. The nerves started to build.

Jaclyn was good at her job. She knew this, but past traumas had started to affect her nerves when preparing every time. As she began to change out of her uniform in the extra room of Peter's home, her mind traveled back.

Faces of those she'd lost flashed behind her eyes. Faces of enemies most likely still alive flashed brighter. Faces of her current comrades came next, potential victims in this war.

She shook her head, ridding herself of her damning thoughts. Get it together, Jackie. Not everyone you meet will die.

Jaclyn walked out of the room and outside into town. The soldiers were being fed outside; there wasn't a building big enough to accommodate them all.

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph," said Malarkey when he saw her coming. "I think God just sent an angel."

Guarnere smirked and whistled. "Damn girl, what you trying to do? Kill the krauts with those legs? They don't stand a chance."

Jaclyn rolled her eyes, but blushed involuntarily. It's been awhile since a man had noticed her. Yeah, and he's standing right across from you. She blushed deeper, avoiding Luz's eye. "You act like you haven't seen legs before."

Malarkey shook his head. "Not like those."

Toye nodded. "They don't make them like that anymore."

Jaclyn huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, but that only pronounced her breasts more in the thin, cotton dress she was wearing. She immediately put her arms to her sides when she saw their smirks. "Ogle all you want. None of you will ever get a piece of this." Again.

They laughed and whistled again before leaving her alone. Only Luz remained quiet, not sure if avoiding the conversation helped or hindered his progressive friendship with Jaclyn. If he added his two cents about her legs (mighty fine legs that they are), he might get a knife to the balls. If he didn't say anything, the guys might notice, point it out, she gets mad and he gets a knife to the balls. Lose, lose, Georgie.

Turns out, no one noticed him. They all sat in the square for awhile, shooting the shit, until Peter and the kid walked up to Jaclyn. Standing, she smiled shyly to the boy, before kneeling in front of him.

"My name is Jaclyn. But those guy over there call me Jackie. You can too, if you'd like. What's your name?"

The boy was shy, but had some grit. "Johan. I'm excited to work with you, ma'am."

"Jackie," she reminded him. He smiled softly before repeating her name.

Jaclyn stood and looked at Peter. He nodded. "We're ready if you are."

She nodded back, gathering a small, feminine knapsack. Inside were only more pieces of clothing. The risk to carry a weapon was too great.

Jaclyn turned towards Easy, awkwardly waving to them. "See you in a few days, boys."

Ignoring her formal wave, Guarnere stepped up and gave her a big hug. Jaclyn froze, not sure what to do. He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Stay safe, kid."

The others followed his lead, giving her a quick hug before stepping back. Jaclyn remained frozen until Luz walked up to her last. He looked her in the eye before grinning. "It's a hug, not a grenade, Mack." He leaned in and hugged her tightly to his chest. He could feel her loosening up a bit, but she was still as a statue. He leaned his lips to her ear so that only she could hear, "If a kraut is fresh with you, remember you can always threaten him with a knife to his cock. I've heard it works wonders."

He pulled back, an evil glint in his eyes. She gaped, but then surprised them all by laughing out loud, a first since she joined them.

She quickly covered her mouth with her hand, but another giggle escaped her. She grinned at Luz. "I'll remember that." One more smile to everyone, and she turned to leave.