Hello again! I'm back with a new installment! :)

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Disclaimer: I do not own Band of Brothers. This is purely of entertainment. It is based on the HBO miniseries and no disrespect is meant towards the real men of Easy Company.

I hate when it's this severe

When I wanna get out, but I'm stuck right here

'Till death do us part, so right now my feelings are clear:

For better or for worse and the worst is here...

Maron, "For Better Or Worse"

Chapter Eleven: Don't Let The Sun Go Down

I was the last one dragged out of the plane. I struggled to set myself free, but I wasn't strong enough. Before I found out what was happening, I was thrown on the hard ground outside, while a German was aiming straight at me.

All of a sudden, he tilted his head and looked at me a bit closer. His dark eyebrows soon arched in surprise. He muttered something in German, before he came closer and touched a strand of my hair. He was obviously shocked that I wasn't a lad.

Holy smoke... As he held it between his fingers and stared at it, I almost shivered in horror. Three more Germans were standing just a few steps away – and they were holding Joe and Eugene at gunpoint. The medic looked at me, while his eyes were wide with fear.

A drop of sweat slid down my forehead. I'm in real trouble now.

The German raised Joe's pistol, which he had taken from me. And then he touched my temple with the barrel. I swallowed thickly, feeling tears welling up in my eyes. But, the man beside me wasn't the only reason.

I had had a chance to warn Bill and the others. And I ruined it, because I wasn't fast enough. I did my best not to imagine Bill lying somewhere like Rob – motionless, with his lifeless eyes staring at something. I bit my lip hard, trying to keep my tears under control.

Meanwhile, the German said something which I didn't understand. However, Joe did. He shouted something back.

The German beside him obviously didn't like it. He kicked Joe hard, making him bend on the ground in pain.

"Jesus, Joe...!"

I tried to crawl towards him, when the German behind me grabbed my hair. I screamed when he yanked me back, telling something in his strange language. I grabbed my braid, in hope of stopping the pain.

But, I saw that the other three men were nodding. They had just agreed about something... but, what?

That was when I saw it. With his free hand, the man holding me moved the pistol – and aimed at Eugene.

No...

I wasn't thinking at all. I just grabbed his arm, jerking it sideways. The gun fired with a loud bang, making me wince. But, the bullet whizzed far away from Eugene. The three Germans looked at me, taken aback.

Their gaze lasted for only a second.

However, that second was more than enough for Liebgott.

In one swift move, he snatched a gun from one of the men. Before I could blink, he pulled the trigger and all three of them crumpled to the ground. The fourth one grabbed my neck, pressing his barrel against my forehead.

All of a sudden, a shot rang.

I yelped when the German collapsed in front of me. Meanwhile, the pistol he had been holding ended up in my hands.

"Jess?" Joe quickly got up and ran towards me. "Jess, you okay?"

I turned around, almost lost for words. That was when my stomach coiled.

Another German had appeared behind tbe plane wreck. He raised his rifle, ready to open fire at us.

Before Liebgott managed to turn around, I raised the gun in my hands. My heart raced as I levelled the tip with the German. And then I pulled the trigger.

With a sharp ear-shattering bang, the pistol suddenly jerked, making me almost drop it. But, the bullet missed.

However, when I fired again, the man crumpled to the ground.

And then everything went silent.

"Oh, my goodness...", I muttered under my breath.

My lip trembled when I looked at the weapon in my hands. It didn't last long when they both trembled. Jesus, I've just shot someone.

Meanwhile, Eugene made a step towards me. But, instead of his voice, I heard a loud blast behind my back. I turned around, just to see more Germans in the distance.

They had heard the shots. And they were now running after us.

"Jess, get up! Come on!"

My breath hitched when Joe pulled me back to my feet. Before I knew it, I was already running through a field, as far from the plane wreck as possible. I could see Eugene just a few steps away, while his bag swayed after him.

We were barely a few meters away from the plane, when a Jeep appeared – almost out of nowhere. With its tires screeching, it stopped right in front of Gene. I bit my lip and raised Joe's gun again, when I saw the man behind the wheel.

That was when my jaw dropped. This bloke wasn't a German.

Meanwhile, Eugene blinked in disbelief. "Tipper?"

Before he could answer, the Germans fired at us. All four of us ducked, while the rounds whizzed somewhere above our heads.

"Get in!", Tipper shouted, "NOW!"

Staying low, Eugene got into the Jeep. As soon as Joe got inside, he grabbed me and pulled me after him. Just a second later, Tipper pushed the throttle and the engine rumbled like mad. That was when it darted across the French field.

Crumpled in the back part of the Jeep – and trying to get my breath back – I glanced at Gene and Joe. They both looked horrible, covered in grass and mud. I assumed that I didn't look too different.

"Hey, Tip!", Joe suddenly shouted, "You're still alive, I see!"

"It's good to see ya, too!", Tipper shouted back, turning the steering wheel, "Jesus, you really were in a tight spot!"

Joe grinned. But, I couldn't, although I was relieved that I wasn't dead. My jaw clenched as the Jeep roared and rumbled underneath me.

I had definitely messed things up – big time.

XXX

"Oh, don't tell me that's the assembly area..."

Gene glanced at me. "It's just a barn."

"It's a barn, with one half blown up."

"Well, Jessica, all the hotels were occupied."

That made my lips purse. I narrowed my eyes at him. Meanwhile, Tipper turned off the engine and got out of the Jeep. Joe followed him, still grasping the gun he had stolen.

"Come on", Eugene said in a lower voice.

Hesitating a bit, I hopped from the Jeep. And then I went him down the muddy track, which led to the ancient barn.

I know that I should be happy for reaching a safe place. But, the sight of the barn still worried me. It looked like it just waited to collapse on us. Wincing a bit, I went past Gene and approached the open door.

The inside looked almost like a ruin. The cracked walls had a dark, almost grey colour, while the floor was covered in hay. Its strong scent lingered in the air as I walked. Glancing around, I spotted a few makeshift cots, as well as a bench in the corner. And that was all.

Soon after, I realised that we weren't alone.

I suddenly stopped. Two men were sitting on a nearby crate. What mattered worse, they were both staring at me. One of them got up, with a cigarette poking between his lips. And then he elbowed the man next to him.

"Hey, look at this..."

"Jeez, Lieb...", the other man muttered, "You just got here, and you found a stunning French broad already!"

"Fuck off", Joe snarled.

The two men suddenly went serious. That was when another man appeared from a corner. He was wearing a bad with a red cross on his arm, just like Eugene.

I could feel my heart jump. I wouldn't miss that face in a crowd...

"Speen?"

Ralph's eyes bulged when he saw me. "Jessie?"

"Hello." I somehow mustered a smile.

He blinked a couple of times, trying to figure out how I ended up here. But, he soon turned his attention to Gene.

"Hey, good thing you're here. I need your help. There's a guy from the 82-nd, he was pinged in the..."

Eugene tightened his grip on his bag and quickly nodded. Still talking, Ralph ushered him somewhere outside. Meanwhile, Liebgott went on his own way, probably looking for some of his friends.

"Ummm... Miss?"

I turned around and saw Tipper standing nearby. He timidly smiled, before he said:

"I don't know if you remember me. My name's Edward." He shuffled his feet for a moment. "I was with Malarkey and Powers when you had that... landing in Aldbourne."

It took me a second to recall that day. I tried not to cringe at the thought that I had almost crashed into the Jeep he was in.

"Oh..." I swallowed harder than usual. "I remember."

"Would you come with me?", he asked.

That made me frown a bit. "Where?"

"To get ya fixed up. To tell you the truth, you look like a real mess."

"Oh, that's really charming of you!", I scoffed.

However, I let him lead me to a bench in the corner. Unlike the rest of the barn, this part was slightly more quiet. As I sat down, he brought an old crate closer, probably planning to use it as a chair. And then he shouted to a group of lads further away:

"Hey, guys! You go some iodine to spare?"

Instead of an answer, somebody tossed him a small bottle, some cotton swabs and a small bundle of bandages.

"Thanks!" Tipper sat on the crate in front of me. Soon after, he picked up the bottle and slowly twisted it open.

I had to raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know you're a medic."

"I'm not." He spilled some iodine on a swab. "But, I know how to clean cuts... and you have a few nasty ones. Now, try to be still, okay?"

He gently tilted my head, so he could see me better in the light. Frowning slightly, he begun cleaning a cut on my forehead. I grimaced in pain when my split skin stung like mad.

"I thought there would be more of you here", I muttered as he worked.

"Yeah, it should. But, lots of them are unaccounted for." When he started cleaning a cut on my cheek, I noticed that he seemed concerned. "Even Meehan's missing. Can you believe that?"

"Who's Meehan?"

"Easy's commander. Lieutenant Winters is missing, too. As well as Malarkey, Toye, Gonnorhea and..."

I suddenly felt my chest becoming tight with dread. I had no idea which look I had on my face. But, whichever it was, it made Tipper frown.

"Jess? What's wrong?" His eyes slightly widened. "Have you seen them?"

You have no idea. I swallowed thickly, hesitating.

But, then I told him.

I told him how Eugene, Liebgott and I had been hiding from the Germans. Tipper's hand stopped in mid air when I mentioned the ambush and how the three of us tried to warn Winters about it. In the end, my voice was trembling so much that I couldn't control it.

"I... I didn't get the chance to warn them, Edward."

I felt hot tears welling up again. But, this time, I couldn't hold them for long. They were already on the rims of my eyelids. Running my hand through my hair, I barely managed to add:

"I didn't have time to say what was waiting for them. I was late... and now they're all gone. And Bill is gone with them..."

Eventually, I caved in and started sobbing. My tears kept falling when Edward sat beside me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. But, that couldn't comfort me. Nothing could do that now. I crumpled on the bench and dug my head in my hands, hoping that nobody would hear me cry.

Whatever I had to do, whichever task I received, I messed it up. That included this one. I had let Bill simply walk into that ambush. If the ground could somehow open up under me and swallow me, I would be more than grateful.

"Shhh... shhh." I heard Edward's voice trying to soothe me. "It's gonna be all right, Jess. Don't let the sun go down."

Sniffing, I moved my head a bit. "What?"

"That's my ma's favourite saying." He moved his hand and rubbed my back a little. "Don't let the sun go down. That means... well, you know... don't let the darkness get to ya."

I tried to wipe my tears away. However, more of them quickly came. "I think I'm already in that dark place."

"Well, get out of it. You can't be like this."

"But, it's my fault that..."

"What happened ain't your fault."

I forced myself to glance at him. He seemed also shaken by the news about Bill and the others. His face had clearly become pale in the meantime. But, in spite of that, his voice remained level.

"Trust me. You did everything you could out there. Hey, look at me." He took my chin between his two fingers and slowly made me look at him again. "You're..."

"What are you doing here, private?", a voice asked.

Tipper suddenly froze. And then, after a second of silence, he turned his head and looked at the owner of that voice.

A man, dressed similar to him, was standing next to us. He was tall and he seemed handsome under all that camouflage paint. However, something in his gaze made Tipper look like a startled little rabbit.

"I... ummm..." He glanced at me, and then back at the man. "Lieutenant Speirs..."

The man gave him a glare even scarier than Liebgott's.

"Tipper, I still know my name, in case that you're wondering", he said in a surprisingly quiet voice, "And why are you sitting here? As for you..." Soon after, his gaze shifted to me. That was when he frowned. "You're a... girl?"

"And what if I am?", I lashed out at him, "Is that a bloody problem for you?"

Speirs looked at me in a way twice as intimidating than before. On the other hand, Tipper looked terrified, as if I had done something inexcusable. However, I didn't even flinch. Hand on heart, I was fed up with everything.

"Do you know who I am?" Speirs's voice was colder than the floor beneath us.

"Do you know who I am?", I replied.

He frowned. "No."

"Then, I guess we're even... sir."

Speirs narrowed his eyes. Judging by his expression, he must have been thinking about shooting me. But, to my surprise, he didn't reach for his gun. Instead, he placed his hands behind his back.

"Where are you from, Miss?", he asked.

"Aldbourne, in England. I was one of the pilots... until I was shot down."

He slightly arched his eyebrows. In the meantime, Edward managed to say:

"I... I saw her flying, sir. She's really good."

Speirs kept gazing at me. He was definitely thinking about something, but I had no idea about what. Eventually, he blinked and looked at the frightened private beside me.

"Are you finished playing medic, Tipper? If you're not, get it done. I need a word with you outside."

Tipper swallowed and nodded. "Yes, sir."

When the lieutenant turned his back and walked away, Edward frowned at me.

"I hope you know that you've just lashed out at Speirs", he said in a low voice.

"Perhaps I did. And?"

"Nothing", Edward glanced at something beside me. For some reason, his face suddenly lit. My brow furrowed a bit when he smiled. "And Jess..."

"What?"

Edward looked back at me. "I think everything will be okay."

And how does he know that? I wanted to ask him. But, before I could do that, a voice came from behind my back:

"Jesus, Jess, you scared the hell outa me..."

My eyes widened in shock. Biting my lip again, I slowly turned around. That was when my breath was taken away.

I opened my mouth, wishing to say something. But, I wasn't able to say a single word. I reached out and touched the face of the man in front of me, trying to convince myself that he was real. When he figured out what I was doing, Bill Guarnere grinned.

"Heya, Jess."

"Oh, my God... Shakespeare!"

Not knowing what else to say, I smiled and jumped into his embrace. He hugged me back tightly and chuckled. Although he looked terrible, with his gear covered in caked mud, I didn't give a sod for that.

He was alive. He was all right, despite everything. As I lay my head on his shoulder, I felt relieved like never before. It seemed as if something heavy had just fallen off my chest, letting me breathe again. As he held me, I almost burst into tears again.

"We understood the message", Bill whispered in my neck, "That Quaker Winters saw a trap waitin' for us. And we came here by a different way."

I looked into his eyes. "So, everyone's all right?"

"Yeah. Thanks to your crazy stunt."

"You should thank Eugene and Liebgott, too..."

I trailed off and blushed when he cupped my face with his hands. But, after just a second, he suddenly let me go. Wiping his smile off, he looked behind me and asked:

"Lieutenant?"

I turned in that direction, expecting to see Speirs. However, he wasn't standing there.

It was Winters.

"We meet again, Miss..." He stopped for a moment, before he asked: "Prichard is your last name, isn't it?"

"Aye, it is", I replied.

He slowly nodded. "I guess you already know our story. And, to tell you the truth, I'm curious to hear yours. What brought you here?"

"You mean, who, sir?", a familiar voice asked.

Even if I knew how to begin, I couldn't answer. Joe, who had stepped between Bill and me, decided to do all the work for me. He retold everything that had happened since he had found me.

But, my eyes widened in surprise when he didn't mention the part with the wrong drop zone. I could have sworn that he would say that first...

When he finally finished, Winters shifted his gaze to me.

"Well... it looks like we owe you our lives, Miss Prichard."

For a moment, I didn't know what to say. I had messed things up pretty much on the other side of the Channel. But, somehow, things came back to its place again.

"You don't owe me anything, sir", I said eventually, "I..."

I went silent when something caught my attention. A man had walked past us, holding his nose.

"Hey, Spina!", he shouted, "Can you help me with this?"

When Ralph eventually came, the stranger moved his hand. His nose was obviously broken. And there was blood... a lot of it.

"Oh, damn...", I muttered, as the barn blurred around me.

That was when I passed out.

This story got its name for a reason - and now you know why...

As always, reviews will be appreciated ;)