I told you this was coming soon ! I had a great time writing this one and I hope I succedeed in communicating what I wanted. This is one the most important chapter of the whole story. Actually, when I first devised it, I thought this one had to be still far from a ''romantic-side'' of Bea and Dick relationship, but words came by themselves and... I don't want to tell something more. I only want to say that I wanted to communicate all the feelings that really make Dick and Bea's relationship, including fear, sweetness, rationality and passion. These are hard feelings to link, and I hope I succeeded in :)

What's more...well, since I told you that ''words came by themselves'', I guess my grammar is not going to be the best you have seen; just remember I'm not a native speaker, that I'm italian which very, very far from English :) just forgive me and, if you don't mind, you can tell me some (or all) errors that I made; actually, criticism and reviews in general are always well-accepted and if you want to make me happy...well, some English-tips are even more accepter hahaha

Ok, that's all. Enjoy ! :)

Bea still felt guilty, since Operation Market garden didn't go as they all wanted to. She knew part of the problem was due to the bad collaboration between the British Army and theirs, but she had to admit the Intelligence Officers had their part of the fault, since they hadn't foreseen such resistance by the Germans. What was done was done, and she had to carry on. They were still in Holland, protecting their areas. It was a tough task, since they could not fill all the gaps on their lines and Germans soldiers could penetrate in their areas easily.

They had landed in Holland in the early October, and it was November now. Things were drastically changed in a month. For example, Dick was promoted to Battalion XO; that meant he got a larger responsibility, since he now commanded three companies. He should've been so proud of him, but everyone (also Colonel Sink)knew that he missed Easy a lot. Moreover, since he was an executive officer, he just had to help Lieutenant Colonel Streyer with all the paper- stuff he simply didn't care of doing.

Lewis was promoted to the Regimental Headquarters, and everybody wondered why Bea didn't succeeded in taking that place. Nor did Lewis know why he over ranked his Captain.

It happened some days later Dick's promotion. They both worked for the Battalion, and this put them very, very close. Dick needed Bea to fill all his reports since he was not so familiar with them. They had worked together before that, but this was different: they now worked next to each other, and Dick needed her every day and night, lost in his sheets of paper that he had started to hate very soon. And Bea tried to help, when he was not caught by his anger against all that paper-job that he could not stand. Bea thought he was so cute: confused and frustrated, he looked so tender when he gazed at her, exhausted, and begging for help. There were times, when she was trying to explain him how to fill a detailed report, when he looked at her tenderly and smiled at her, a smile she returned almost sheepishly. These were the only stolen moments they had for themselves since their staying in Holland. One day, Colonel Sink irrupted in her office, made her some questions and exalted her talent and activity as Intelligence Officer.

''Captain Laurenti, I have to admit I was perplexed when they sent me a woman, an officer. When I first met you, I saw a petite woman with small shoulders, unable to support the weight of a war. But now I know I was wrong. You're a hell of a great Officer, and the greatest Intelligence Officer this regiment could ask for. Despite what happened with Operation Market Garden, you've been excellent.'' He said, sitting at the chair right in front of her. Bea didn't know how to react at those words. She was a bit uncomfortable at knowing that his superior didn't want her in his regiment, but she had to admit she was highly glad and proud that he had changed his mind and that considered her as a ''hell of a great Officer''.

''Thank you sir'' she only answered. Sink smiled at her and got up. He got close to the window, watching some soldiers training and screaming.

''You know, Captain, we have a gap at the Regimental Headquarters. We may need you.''

''Are you offering me a S-3 promotion, sir?''

''Let's say yes.''

Bea was taken aback. She was a twenty-five- years old woman, the first and only Officer in the entire Army and God knew why she was already a Captain, working for a Battalion. She could not lose the chance. Suddenly, a flashback crossed her mind: her and Dick, around a desk, working so close, his dreamy eyes looking for hers. If she had accepted the job, she would have not helped Dick anymore.

''Sir, I'm so glad you thought of me for that place. But I'd prefer to stay here, with the Battalion. Moreover…I know someone else who could behave even better than me.''

Colonel Sink had a great consideration of Bea. He said he was sorry she hadn't accepted but took her suggestion. That's how Lewis Nixon got to the Regimental Headquarters.

When Lewis was promoted she started to feel guilty: she was so concerned to have Dick all for herself that she didn't think she had put his best friend away from him. Then, Bea figured why the Regiment wanted an Intelligence officer in more: since the gaps on their line, an Intelligence officer was needed to bound the second battalion and the regiment, so Lewis was still around Dick, maybe even more, and she regretted not taking the chance.

When they got out of the first line to the historical camp of Mourmelon le grand, Bea noticed Dick looked even worried. What was troubling him, was the future of his (ex) company: Lieutenant Heyliger, who had taken command over Easy, was shot and transferred to an hospital in Albourne so Easy was now in the hands of a new Lieutenant, a replacement: Lieutenant Norman Dike. Dick didn't know very much about him but he heard he was put in charge by someone, and this was enough to know. Bea and Lewis started to notice that Dick's concern was visibly affecting him and decided to make him a surprise.

''I'm going back to Albourne to see a certain lady. You, my friend, are headed to Paris, the city of lights.''

Lewis threw the pass on Dick's desk. Dick looked at it reluctantly and was about to refuse, but at Lewis' ''bon voyage'' and take-it-and-go-or-you'll-tie you-to-a train look he accepted the offer.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When Dick took the train, he didn't know what Paris would've set aside for him. Anyway, arriving at the station was already a big deal since he figured out he was not the only one who got a pass to Paris; so, he found himself trapped into a mass of soldiers laughing, yelling and pushing him. This first beginning made him think his trip was not going to be funny at all. When he got to the city center things were not so different from what he found at the station and was not even able to enjoy a coffee by himself since there were sole soldiers sat behind him at the bar, pushing, laughing who got Dick even more bothersome. He spent the rest of the day wandering around the city. He actually needed some rest, but the latest events were still scratching his mind: the face of that young kraut still occupied his mind. Someway, Dick could see himself running through the dike, his breath always more heavier till he reached for his objective. The first thing he saw was a young boy, smiling at him as he was his friend; then, the expression on his face changed when Dick grabbed his rifle tight, pointing to him. The sound of the rifle shot which dropped the young boy dead was still reverberating in Dick's mind. Dick decided he needed some rest and headed back to his hotel: a hot bath was all he needed.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He hadn't got the chance to take a bath in a long time, and it felt like a dream to him. In the privacy of an hotel room, Dick felt the hot water penetrating in all his pores, burning and washing away every sin he had made, purifying his damned soul. It felt like a bapthesim, a new born. For the first time in months, he finally had no thoughts tormenting his mind. Every minute he spent in the bathtub was simply regenerating his body. When he got out, he heard a violent knock on his door and rushed at the entrance, thinking that his staying had come to an end, that he was already required back in action.

''Hey, I was wondering: do you have any idea who's the ''young lady'' Lewis is seeing in Albourne? I had this question in my mind for two days and decided to come here to ask you since you probably know something I don't know. Can you invite me in? So that you can enlighten me about it ?'' Bea said without even taking a breath. Dick was speechless: he could not expect her to join him there.

''I'm taking your silence as a yes, ok?'' and she found her way into the room, checking it quickly ''nice place'' she said accomplished.

''What…what are you doing here?'' Dick finally managed to say.

''Well...I guessed a quacker like you may have found hard to enjoy such a city by himself so…I thought you needed help'' she answered and drew a sly smile on her lips. Dick chuckled at her with his eyes full of joy. Though he knew he needed a break from the military world, seeing a known face was a pleasure, especially her face. Bea found her way to Dick's bed, sitting on it. On her way to his room, Bea was more than nervous: they hadn't talked about their relationship for months and just enjoyed the chance to work together; since some days ago, she thought that was all they needed, and all she needed: a simple way to enjoy the other's company, without hiding. She reached him in Paris, and she exactly didn't know why. Working together, side by side, was still very intimate, and his knowing and tender looks were enough to her. They hadn't talked about their conversation happened in Eindhoven, but Bea knew something had changed: they didn't feel the need to touch the feel the bound between them and even though they hadn't shared sweet moments together, Bea knew things were getting serious. But, some days before Dick's depart, her mind was crossed by a crazy idea: to follow Dick to Paris to bring their relation to the next level; actually, she didn't really knew what ''next level'' stood for, but she knew that it was the moment and that had they have the chance to stay alone, things would've been way more different from the last time they got intimate. When she rushed into Dick's room, she hadn't notice in what condition he was, and just in that moment, sitting on his bed, she had a flashback of a day, belonging to a past which seemed very far, when she had entered into his billet to find him half-naked, with just a towel around his hips. She remembered how embarrassed and, at the same time, aroused she was at that view, and that first feeling she felt that day came back to her in that moment, even after all that time they had spent together till that moment. She felt her face turning visibly red and burning and she found herself biting her lower lips and then looking down to her feet in embarrassment.

''Hey, is everything alright?'' Dick asked, noticing that something was up to her mind.

''Well…it's nothing. It's just…d'you remember our…first kiss?''

Dick smiled tenderly at her and went to sit right next to her and started to caress tenderly her hair ''of course I do'' he whispered in her ear and planted a kiss right on her cheek. The touch of his mouth, that she hadn't forgotten but she had missed so much, sent shivers all along her spine. She felt, just like that day, like a little school girl at her first kiss.

''Well…I had a déjà-vu, you know…that night, you had a towel around your hips and… ok, that's stupid'' she chuckled, embarrassed that she was carrying out such topic.

''I like taking showers, or baths, when I have the chance to.''

''Well…that's good.''

A silence which seemed to last eternally followed her last, stupid comment. Bea didn't exactly know what was happening to her, but she was already getting familiar with that feeling since everything was definitely different with Dick; everything she did with his was like it was her first time doing it. Her hands started to tremble a little, something he didn't notice. What he realized, was how flushed she was.

''why are you so embarrassed?''

''Me? Really?'' she answered ''pfff…and why should I be embarrassed, Mr. Towel?''

Dick made a look of thinking prior to answering ''well…because you have an handsome officer right next to you'' he said, trying to get even closer to her ''kissing you in a hotel room in Paris'' and with that, he started to plant short kisses on her cheek.

''Really? And where's this handsome officer? I want to meet him ! Could you introduce us?'' she said wryly. Dick stopped kissing her for a moment, just to give her a questioning look and then decided to focus his attention on her neck but, this time, his kisses were slow, and lustful.

''So you don't think I'm handsome, uh?'' he whispered while still kissing her. Her fingers grabbed the mattress tight but she could not help but let out a moan that clearly answered to Dick's question.

''I was told your famous for your humility'' she managed to say, even though she found speaking quite hard while he was now biting her ear. Damned.

''Well…'' he said, deciding it was the time for some tease that had been missing for so much time ''since you don't think I am, I am going to stop…I don't want to upset you…''

''Don't even dare to'' she ordered, and she felt his low chuckle echoing in her ear. There was something about him way different from every time they had the chance to get intimate: she could not exactly tell what it was, but his touch felt more secure, the look in his eyes and the chuckle on his lips seemed to tell he wanted to play a little. Obviously, Bea did know what kind of game he had in mind, and was eager to discover what kind of player he was. She knew that conversation in Eindhoven had changed everything, and she could bet that everything he would've made to her was an expression of not just the attraction he felt, but especially of all the things he felt for her, all those things that he usually and hardly tried to suppress, but there and in that moment, the war seemed and aside world, and the way he fiercely bit her neck, leaving her purple hickey that she would've found hard to hide when coming back to the reality. But for now, none of them didn't seem to care.

Bea could not explain how Dick Winters could kiss in such way, communicating lust and love, passion and tenderness at the same time. In the same way, Dick started to unbutton her shirt, and she let him do it. Then again, she could not explain how in the hell she found herself naked, laying on Dick's bed while he was on her. Bea could only tell that Dick Winters was just inexplicable. His whole body on her moved in different ways: the part going from his hips and down was harshly thrusting against her, still teasing but on the edge to find his way in, while his mouth whispered sweet words in her ears, kissing her sweetly, and his eyes shone bright and looked at her like she was the most precious treasure in the world.

His first thrusts were intense and made her moan loud as she had never done, but when their bodies got to move together like one he started to slow, trying to enjoy every minute and looking at her intensely into her eyes. His groans were a sweet melody to her ears since they proved he was liking what was happening; but what really turned her on was his look: even if he had those bright, icy blue eyes, they seemed to burn but, at the same time, they communicated an almost divine serenity as he had reached the Nirvana. When his lips started to move weirdly, she thought he was on the edge but, this weird movement of his lips continued for too much, and so she realized what was happening. Words were trying to find their way out of Dick's mouth. Realizing what was happening made a small tear fall from her eye. Dick didn't say a thing: he just leant down to kiss the part of her face the teardrop had wetted. When they both came and Dick hadn't said a word yet, Bea thought she had misunderstood. Then, he pulled her close to him, planting a kiss on her forehead. His hand constricted her to look at him; Dick took a breath and planted a last kiss on her nose; then he firmly stated, as it was an axiom ''I love you''. Bea was speechless and just let Dick pull her even closer to him.

''Dick? Are you asleep?'' she asked, some minutes later.

''No, I'm not.''

''I love you too. And…I really mean that.''

Bea heard Dick's chuckling and decided to just let the moment be, and felt asleep in his arms.