Hello, everyone! :)

Many thanks to my lovely, steadfast reviewers: bethrodrigues.77 (Oh, my... your review was wonderful! Thank you! :) I dislike Denham as much as you, but I thought this story needed a bad guy. Yes, you are right, things will get much worse, so expect tough chapters after this one... but, don't worry, Jess won't be alone. She'll have Easy at her side. :) ) and AwesomeBlonde89 (Thanks for the review! Yes, Jess will be with Easy from now on. But, she isn't a person who can easily avoid trouble, is she? ;) I wish you a lovely day, too :) ). Your support makes this story up and running! ;)

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.

Chapter Seventeen: This Is My Vow

Dear Jess,

How on earth did you manage to crash in Normandy? I know that you have a talent for getting into trouble, but this broke all the records! Are you all right? I heard on the radio that there are more battles coming your way. Stick with Bill, he'll keep you safe. Say hello to him from me, will you?

Anyway, I'm just fine. Except for worrying all the time. Now, before you start rolling your eyes, don't wind yourself up, I'm eating enough vegetables. Mike insisted that I stay with his family for a while. And you know what his mum is like... (By the way, relax, I haven't sold the house. It's still waiting for you.)

Speaking of home... when are you coming back? Nixon sent me a letter, but he didn't write anything about that. Are you going to stay there for a few more days? Or maybe weeks? Please, answer me as soon as you can. And write something to Mike, too. Since he found out that you didn't fly back home, he started nibbling on his fingernails – which isn't a good sign!

Take care. And remember that I love you, my big sister.

And, please, try not to get into more trouble.

Neve

I carefully folded the letter, when George saw me.

"Hey!" He smiled in his boyish way. "Whaddya doing here?"

"Oh, nothing." I forced myself to smile. "May I sit here, chaps?"

Don shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

George playfully winked at me when I sat down between them. Joe, who was just a step away, lit his cigarette.

"How's our pretty girl?", he asked.

A corner of my lips curved. "I'm not that pretty, Joe."

It was true. I wasn't. My bruises had gone dark, slowly, but surely. One part of my jaw and the skin under my left eye already had a deep shade of purple. And I had a few stitches on my forehead. I definitely looked awful.

"Well, this might cheer you up." My eyes widened in surprise when Don took out a few crackers. "I have some cheese, too. Want some?"

Before I even said anything, he placed two of them in my hand. All I could do was mutter a 'thanks' and begin nibbling on them.

"Jeez, it's so quiet here...", Joe muttered.

I glanced around. The square where we were sitting was incredibly peaceful. There was hardly any people there. What was more strange, there was no shouting in the distance, let alone gunfire. Nobody would guess that bullets had been flying and explosions shaking the streets just a week ago...

"Jess?"

I turned around, just to see George looking at me.

"Are you okay?", he asked.

Frankly, I suddenly found it hard to swallow.

"I... I just got a letter from my sister." I raised the folded piece of paper, so that everybody could see it. "She asked me when I'd come home." I shook the letter slightly in my hand. "What should I tell her, huh? That a bloke had enlisted me, because I might be useful in this bloody war? That I might be already dead when she gets my letter?"

Don's auburn eyebrows furrowed. "Don't say that."

"Why not?" I shrugged. "It's true, isn't it?"

George slowly moved and sat closer to me. With a reassuring smile, he wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"This ain't gonna last forever, Jess", he said, "I passed the HQ yesterday and heard Winters talkin'. It looks like we'll be in Berlin by Christmas." His smile soon turned into a boyish grin. "Hey, we might be exchanging presents and dancing jigs!"

I scoffed. "Yeah, if I don't get shot in the meantime."

George frowned. But, he didn't have the chance to say anything, because a tall shadow covered both of us. Wondering what was going on, I glanced over my shoulder.

A man was standing right behind us, in full gear, while the edge of his helmet cast a shadow over his eyes. Just by looking at him made Don, George and Joe almost freeze.

"Lieutenant?", Joe asked in a quiet voice.

"Do you have something better to do, privates?" Speirs looked at every single one of them. "We'll be moving out soon."

George swallowed hard, while Joe just nodded. On the other hand, Don kept staring at him, as if Speirs had been planning to eat him alive.

That was when the lieutenant moved his gaze in my direction.

"Miss Prichard?"

I looked straight into his eyes. "Yes?"

"You did a good job... at that square." He slightly lowered his head. "Your company is lucky to have you."

The thought of that made my stomach coil. But, I managed to nod and say:

"Thank you, sir."

Without saying anything else, Speirs strolled past George and me and went across the square. The four of us silently watched him until he disappeared among the houses.

Just a second later, Joe broke the veil of silence.

"Am I hallucinating?", he asked in disbelief, "Or this really happened?"

Don stared at me. He looked as if I'd just proposed to him.

"Christ... he told you 'good job' although you spat him..."

This time, George was the bewildered one. "Wait... she?" He pointed at me with a piece of his cracker. "Jess was the one who spat Speirs on D-Day?"

"Uh-huh." Don nodded, slightly shocked.

"And he didn't bite her head off?" George's brown eyes became wider than ever. "Jeez, if you have a lucky star, Jess... it must be a damn good one!"

As Joe chuckled, a smile somehow trod across my lips. Until...

"Oh, damn it..." I stood up as quickly as I could, stuffing one of Don's crackers into my pocket. "I have to go."

"What?" Joe frowned. "So soon?"

"Eugene wants to check on my leg, so..."

Don smirked. "Gene sure has all the blessings..."

"That's not funny, Donald."

I tried to give him a long glare. However, with my cheeks turning bright red, that didn't scare him a lot. In the end, I just turned my back and went behind the first corner. My leg was still a bit sore and stiff, but I kept walking.

Since Denham had assigned me here, the boys were doing their best to lift my spirits up. George was in the lead, especially after he'd brought me some flowers. They all tried to bring my hope back. And I truly appreciated that.

However, that didn't work. Hope was something that I didn't have much over here. I mean, the boys from Easy had spent two years in that place – Tocoa or whatever – preparing just for this. And they also spent extra months in England. In all that time, I was slaving away in a factory. How big were my chances here at all?

For now, they were below zero. As Lieb once said – my arse was in the sling.

It didn't last long, when a brick house appeared nearby. A white sheet, with a red cross painted on it, was fluttering above the door.

Here we go again, I whispered to myself, as I approached the Aid station. Judging by the voices on the other side, Gee and Ralph were there. I could clearly hear Ralph's chuckle.

I wrapped my fingers around the doorknob. However, I didn't open them, because a quiet voice came somewhere from behind:

"Jess?"

My heart skipped a beat. I could recognise that voice anywhere. Quickly turning around, I saw a man being carried on a stretcher.

"Tip!"

As my pulse accelerated, I dashed to his side. However, with an almost constant ache in my ribs, that wasn't so fast. When the stretcher-bearers stopped, I came closer and squeezed Tipper's hand.

I was so happy to see him, that I wanted to smile. But, I couldn't, because I also felt guilt. It was enough to make something suddenly tighten in my chest.

When I'd decided to take out that machine gun, he went after me. He watched my back. And he ended up with his legs broken and a nasty burn on one side of his face.

But, things could have been worse – he could have died because of me.

"Tip, I'm so, so sorry!" I swallowed a lump in my throat. "This... all of this is my fault! I shouldn't have run to that building and..."

"Jess, it's okay. Really." Looking at me, Tipper squeezed my hand tighter. "Listen... I heard everything. Stay strong... stay strong for me. Don't let the sun go down."

I couldn't believe my own eyes. Who had possibly told him about Denham and my assignment? I shook off that thought when he pulled me closer. For as long as I'd known him, Tip never looked as serious as this.

"Promise me."

I swallowed again. "I... I promise."

His voice slightly lowered. "Swear it."

I stared at him in disbelief. Although he was in real mess, he had enough strength for the both of us. Despite everything, he didn't give up.

The thought of it filled me up with shame. I was up to my neck in trouble, but I couldn't despair. I was still alive and in one piece. And I still had a family out there, who was waiting for me. I should be trying to get back to Neve, no matter what.

No matter what... the sound of those words made my eyebrows furrow and my lips purse into a line. Hand on heart, I would endure everything to get home, to see her again. But, could I survive months in this wretched place, fighting along side the chaps from Easy?

I wasn't even sure about that. However, I had to find my hope... somehow.

My dry lips trembled when I parted them. That was when I said:

"This is my vow, Edward Tipper... I won't let the sun go down."

To my amazement, a smile appeared on his pale face.

"I'll write to you when they send me home", he said, letting go off my hand.

Tears begun welling up in my eyes again. My vision blurred a bit, but I somehow managed to smile.

Giving a nod to each other, the stretcher-bearers moved and carried Tip across the street. As I watched them moving away, I shouted:

"I'll look out for your letters!"

Before he disappeared behind the corner, Tip raised his arm, showing me his raised thumb in the air.

XXX

The next day came, along with a surprise – the whole town of Carentan went quiet. It seemed as if everybody had left it during the night. However, it wasn't true.

Everybody from Easy had gathered in front of an abandoned school. The front yard was full of men, sitting on old chairs, benches and crates. All of them were looking at lieutenant Winters, who was informing them about their new mission.

When I glanced over the men's heads, Winters spotted me and gave me a quick nod. As he continued talking, I sneaked between the rows of crates and chairs, looking for anybody familiar.

That was when Gene waved at me from nearby. Still holding to my aching side, I squeezed between the rows and sat next to him. His lips spread into a shy smile, before he turned back to Winters.

I soon found out that the lieutenant wasn't alone. Nixon was beside him. He was leaning against a wall, looking more tired than ever. I wondered what was wrong with him, when Winters said:

"We'll expect a counterattack from the Germans. Carentan's important to them. They won't give it up that easy."

One man in front of me raised his hand. "Any idea when, sir?"

"We're not waiting around to find out." Winters's red eyebrows almost touched each other. "Battalion wants us to head east, set up a defensive position. With the flooded fields, it's the direction they'll come from. And..." He paused for a moment. "...we're moving out tomorrow, so you better pack your gear."

"You must be joking!", somebody shouted in disbelief, "Already?"

Every single man in the yard turned towards that voice.

And then it dawned on me. Oh damn it... I was the one shouting!

I swallowed a bit. In the meantime, Winters looked straight at me.

"Yes, Miss... already", he said, "And you'll be coming with us."

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. A moment later, he looked at the rest of the men and said:

"I have another announcement, so listen up!"

Everybody went strangely silent. My hands slightly trembled again.

"Miss Prichard has recently joined our ranks", Winters announced, loud enough to be heard from every platoon, "Easy Company, meet your pilot."

I could swear that my heart stopped for a second. I stared at him, as shock slowly filled me from inside. Is this really happening?

"Sir?"

I couldn't hide how bewildered I was. However, I wasn't the only one. The whole company was also in some sort of shock. Every man from Easy was now staring at me. Some of them looked almost hilarious, with their mouths half-open.

But, I didn't blame them for that. If I were in their shoes, I would also be struck dumb. Instead of a tough and experienced fighter, they ended up with a nineteen-year-old British girl, covered in bruises.

"I personally witnessed how skilled you are, Miss." To my surprise, Winters couldn't be more serious than this. "That's why you'll be our air support."

"But, colonel Denham..." I blinked a couple of times. "He... he told me to..."

"He told you all your duties. And you will do them, Miss Prichard. But, not on the ground. You're going to fly above us and make sure that we're the only ones out there. If you see any Germans, get out of there. Leave the fight to us. Understood?"

I opened my mouth to protest, but I quickly went silent. The look on Winters's face was giving me a clear message – this was his way of protecting me.

I would just have to fly from time to time and check the ground below. And then I'd have to get back to the base and report what I'd seen. Of course, that task wasn't completely safe. However, it would be far more safer than the one Denham had in mind.

Hand on heart, Winters was doing the best he could. And I should be thankful for that.

"Yes, sir." I slowly nodded. "Understood."

"Good." His gaze shifted to the men. "Debrief is over. You're all dismissed."

The air was suddenly filled with murmuring and screeches. The men got back to their feet and begun muttering to each other in surprise. Offering himself as support, Gene wrapped an arm around my waist and led me through the crowd.

All of a sudden, a familiar face appeared in front of us. His dark hair was messy, while his lips turned into a thin line.

I could feel myself stiffen a bit. "William."

Bill looked at me in a way I couldn't decipher. However, he didn't say anything. He just stood there and kept staring.

"So, do you still think I'm a weakness?", I asked.

"Actually..." He bit his lip for a moment. "I think I was being an arse."

"Yes. You really were."

"And I'm..."

Bill shuffled his feet. As he stammered, hues of pink begun emerging on his cheeks. What on earth is going on with him?

"I'm..."

I raised an eyebrow. "You're what?"

"Sorry. It's just..." He eventually shook his head. "Never mind. I just wanna say that I shouldn't have told ya those things. I wasn't even thinkin' when I said that. And I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, Jess."

A part of me wanted to spit out: Well, after all I've been through, 'sorry' won't help me, you twit! But, the other part of me stopped it. He seemed as if he deeply regretted for his words. And, on top of that, he had a ghost of his famous boyish grin on his lips.

To be honest, I could kick him in a very painful spot. But, I couldn't hate him.

Moving away from Eugene, I gave Bill a long glare. And then I let myself snigger.

"I might forgive you if you give me a hug."

I was taken aback when Bill's grin widened almost from ear to ear. He engulfed me into a hug, when a loud whistle resonated in the distance.

"It looks like you have to go", I muttered into his neck.

"Yeah, damn orders..." Bill carefully let me go. "But, I'll seeya later, right?"

I tilted my head a bit. "You can count on that... Shakespeare."

Still grinning, he gave me a wink. And then he disappeared among the men.

Just a second later, I could hear Gene's quiet sigh.

I glanced at him. "What?"

"He was scared", he said.

My eyebrows raised in confusion. "You're serious? Bill?"

"I was with 'im when he was lookin' fo you." Judging by his face, Gene wasn't joking at all. "When the shells started fallin', he stormed into da Aid station. I told 'im that I hadn't seen you fo some time. And..." A corner of his lips curved. "Let's just say that he could match Liebgott's temper."

I still couldn't believe what Eugene was saying. I blinked a few times, staring at the raven-haired medic.

"What, the big bad Bill was worried for me?"

"He cares fo you, Angel. We all do. You're our new sister, remember?"

I quietly scoffed. "Oh right..."

Gene parted his lips, probably to add something. But, before he said a word, a voice shouted behind us:

"Jess! Hey, Jess!"

We turned around, just in time to see Nixon running to us. He looked like he hadn't slept for the last two nights. However, in spite of that, he was still smiling.

"What is it, sir?", I asked.

Nixon's smile became a bit wider. "Your plane is here. It's just outside town."

I stared at him in disbelief. "What?"

"Well, I had to pull some strings with the Brits and their intelligence, make a few exceptions..." Nixon cleared his throat. "Anyway, they left a plane here. And I think this one will be perfect for you."

"Why are you so certain?"

"Because it's a Spitfire." Nixon playfully winked at me. "You learned how to fly in one, didn't you?"

It would be really sweet of you if you leave a review :)