Special thanks go to my reviewers: bethrodrigues.77 (Thanks for the lovely review! From now on, Mike will go wherever Easy goes - and he'll add an extra twist to the story. But, I don't think Jess will be too happy about it ;) As for Denham, you're right, his threats can't pass without consequences... all I can say that something will happen in the next chapter. :) ) and dustori (Thank you so much! I'm more than glad that you like Jess's story so far. :) For now, I'll say just this: expect the unexpected in the chapters to come ;) )

My dear readers, your reviews and support really mean a lot to me. It would be nice of you if you tell me what you think of this chapter :)

Enjoy!

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 Twenty-Four: Just To Get Up

Oh, my giddy aunt... that really is Mike.

"Jess?", Nixon asked somewhere beside me, "Are you okay?"

However, I couldn't answer, even if I wanted to. I was completely gob-smacked. The only thing I could do was gawk at Mike, with my jaw almost touching the runway below me. I almost asked myself if I was having a hallucination. Unfortunately, he was really there, along with the maroon beret on his head.

Now I knew why he had gone so suddenly, without a word – and why he didn't write back for months. I slowly clenched my fists, digging my fingernails deep in my palms.

Meanwhile, Mike let his angry colleague walk away. And then he smiled at me. His smile lasted even when I slowly approached him. But, it begun to falter as soon as he saw the look on my face. Nevertheless, he spread his arms, waiting for a friendly hug.

"Jess…", he muttered.

He didn't see the slap coming. I raised my hand and hit him so hard, that his head jerked to the left.

"You TOSSER!", I shouted, "Have you lost your damn mind?!"

It took me a moment to notice that the fight had stopped. Lieb and the angry British had stopped shouting swears to each other. They were now standing still and staring at us, along with the rest of the men. Even Nixon gawked at me, clearly taken aback.

As my face was slowly becoming as red as a beetroot, I shot a glare at Mike's direction. And then I hissed:

"Follow me. Now."

He was still rubbing his sore cheek when I grabbed his shirt and pulled him away. Passing between the bewildered men, we went behind the nearest plane. That part of the runway had also men walking around, but I didn't care. At least they weren't from the same bloody company.

"Hey, was that a way to greet a friend?" Mike looked at me with a frown.

"Don't you lecture me, you…!" I shifted my gaze from his eyes to his uniform. "The British Airborne? Holy smoke, Michael, I thought you were smarter than this!"

"I told you, Jess. I won't let you fly there on your own."

"And what about Neve?", I lashed out, making him step back, "Have you thought about her, even for a bloody second?! You promised that you'll take care of her while I'm gone! You promised, goddamn it!"

"Of course I did! And she will be taken care of. She'll stay with my family."

"While you'll be on the other side of the damn Channel!"

Mike's gaze seemed to have turned to ice – unlike the burning red hand print on his cheek. I must have hit him really good.

"Let's be honest here, Jess." Speaking of ice, even his voice had suddenly turned cold. "You need my help more than Neve. Unlike you, she won't be going in the middle of a battlefield."

"And how did you plan to help me, eh? By enlisting yourself? By picking up your dad's dusty old rifle and playing a hero?" I almost laughed at that thought. "Jeez, that's bloody brilliant…!"

I gasped a little when he grabbed my wrist. He wasn't planing on hurting me – I knew that. However, his hold was more than just firm.

"I'm serious, Jessica."

"No, you're not. You think this is a game, where you can just leap to my rescue and carry me back home!"

"No! Do you really think I'm that stupid?"

"I think you're insane. And I think your superiors are, for letting you do this!"

"They have nothing to do with my...", Mike begun, but I cut him off. Making one step closer, I continued even louder:

"Have they told you what's going on the other side?" I pointed my finger somewhere in the distance. "Have they told you that you might end up dead as soon as you touch the Holland soil? That the first blood you and your friends will see might be your own?"

Mike's brow slowly furrowed. His determined, almost solemn look became laced with a bit of worry.

"Jess, I know it was hard for you out there..."

"You don't have a fucking clue, Mike."

I tried to yank my wrist out of his grip, but he was too strong for me. I gritted my teeth and decided to have another go, when something appeared behind Mike.

Somebody's pale hand grasped his shoulder, making him turn around. My lips parted in surprise when I saw Eugene. His eyebrows were almost knitted together, while his eyes had become dark with anger.

However, he wasn't the only one there. Bill was standing just a few steps behind, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth and a bit scary expression.

"Is there a problem?", Gene asked in a surprisingly low voice.

Before Mike could possibly answer, I shook my head.

"No. We were just talking." I slowly moved my gaze from him to Mike. And then, almost whispering, I added: "You can let me go now."

I noticed that Mike's jaw slightly clenched. But, in the end, his fingers moved, letting my hand slip out of his. That was when I turned my back and went back to my plane.

Just a few steps later, I heard somebody running after me. It didn't last long when Gene appeared beside me.

"Are you okay?", he asked.

"Aye." I quickly nodded, trying to look convincing. "Don't worry."

But, I could bet that he knew I was lying.

As we were passing Nixon and the rest of the men, I took a quick glance over my shoulder. Mike was still in the place where I had left him. His face had a look that I found hard to describe. He seemed really concerned, with his furrowed brow and his lips pursed into a thin line. But, he also looked more determined than ever before.

Holy mackerel... I'm going to regret this.

XXX

I spent the rest of the night in my tent.

I didn't move. I just lay on my cot and stared at the green flap above my head. I should probably be sleeping, especially when the big take off was approaching. However, there was nothing on this earth that could make me fall asleep now.

Mike, you daft bastard.

I couldn't even explain how angry I was. And how guilty I felt for telling him about Denham. Everything would have been fine if I kept my big mouth shut. He wouldn't have to volunteer to become cannon fodder because of me – and I would have to flip out. But, there was nothing I could do now, could I? Except biting my lip and cursing myself, of course.

I was still gazing at the flap, watching the dawn peering through the holes in the fabric, when I heard somebody's steps. They were soon followed by a shadow, which probably belonged to one of the shorter lads.

"Hey, Frank." I turned around in my cot and got up. "Shouldn't you be with...?"

That was when I trailed off. The person who had entered my tent definitely wasn't Perconte. This person was a bit taller and skinnier, with long brown hair and a mischievous smile.

"Did you really think I'd let you go without a proper goodbye?", she teased good-naturedly. And then she smirked. "By he way, you know my name isn't Frank, don't you?"

I gawked at her for a few more moments, completely lost for words. Holy smoke...

"Neve?", I managed to mutter.

"Jesus, you sound as if you never me me!", she said in mock surprise, "I have certain ways of getting around unnoticed."

I gave her a slightly bewildered look. Actually, she reminded me a bit of myself – when I had sneaked into Upottery airfield, looking for Bill and the others from Easy. And I wasn't sure whether to snigger at this moment or groan in frustration.

Treading closer, Neve sat on the corner of my cot. When I moved a little to make her some room, I noticed that her smirk had faded away.

"I saw Mike in he tent across yours", she said in a bit lower voice, "I guess he won't use that rifle to hunt pheasants."

"He'll hunt something slightly bigger", I said bitterly, "With two arms and two legs."

Her eyebrows arched. "You mean...?"

"Exactly. I'll fly away with the lads, and he'll follow."

Neve chuckled. But, when she found out that this was far from a joke, her laughter went silent.

"Well, that's wonderful!", she said with a load of sarcasm in her voice, "That idiot... now I have just one more person to worry about twenty-four hours a day!" Eventually, she let out a short angry sigh and turned in my direction again. "Could you smack him for me?"

"To tell you the truth... I already did that", I confessed.

A corner of her lips quivered into something like a smirk. However, I knew that, deep inside, she worried for the both of us. Neve might have been smiling, but her eyes were telling a completely different story. Trying to soothe her, even for a little, I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into a hug.

I waited for Neve to say something. However, she remained quiet, which wasn't such a good sign.

"Look, we won't be away for long, Nevie", I said, trying to sound more confident, "Maybe I'll be back home by the end of December."

Her brow furrowed at the sound of that. "That's one big 'maybe', Jess."

I shrugged. You couldn't be more right than this...

"Well, it's not as big as you think", I said.

"I don't care how much you need to get back home. The point is that you actually get back." Neve went silent for a moment, before she added: "Just take care of each other, will you?"

You know as much as I do that I couldn't make that kind of promise. However, I could say this:

"We'll do our best."

Neve barely managed to nod, when I heard voices somewhere outside. I assumed that the lads had begun preparing for the flight to Holland.

I should probably get ready, as well. Denham and Market Garden wouldn't wait for anyone, let alone me. I picked my messy hair and tried to comb it, when some sort of loud rumbling reached our tent. It sounded like an engine of a vehicle, perhaps a jeep.

„It must be the lads", I said in a lower voice, „I'm sorry, but you should go now."

Neve quickly nodded, pursing her lips into a thin line. I got up from the cot and opened he tent flap for her. But, instead of dashing through it, she hugged me tightly again.

"You have to go now, dear", I almost whispered. I didn't want to let her go, of course. But, I wouldn't be a good thing if one of the COs sees her in the middle of the airfield.

"I'll see you soon", she said.

And then she made a run for it. Rushing below the flap, she made her way among he olive tents.

She barely managed to disappear from sight, when a long shadow covered the concrete beside me. Just a few moments later, Speirs drove past me in a jeep.

Just in time, I muttered to myself. Still holding the greenish tent flap, I watched his vehicle making a turn to the left and disappearing.

"Hi, Jess."

I turned around as soon as I heard that voice. That was when I saw him walking towards me.

"Hello, Mike."

My wingman timidly smiled. Although he had the same gear as the lads from Easy, his dark hair and ice-blue eyes made him stand out in the crowd. After a few steps, he stood right in front of me.

"You're still mad at me", he said. That wasn't a question.

"Of course I am", I snapped, "But, it's too late to just walk away from everything, is it?"

He didn't answer. He kept looking at me. But, I noticed that the spark he had in his eyes was now gone. Eventually, he turned his back on me and strolled back to his squad. However, before he disappeared from my sight, he passed George, Don and Bill, who were going in my direction.

I should have smiled when I saw them. But, I didn't. Instead, I folded my arms across my chest, trying to hide my trembling hands.

I wanted to make sure that all of us would come back home. However, I wasn't so sure that I was able to do it. My recent experience had told me so. Every time when I thought everything would be all right, a new disaster would occur and knock me off my feet.

But, that's how life goes, doesn't it? We fall just to get up again.

"You okay, Jess?", Don asked.

I somehow forced myself to nod. "Aye. I'm okay."

Although he seemed in a much better mood than me, I could guess that he was as nervous as me. That was no wonder, not when the take off was about to begin.

"Mike's gonna be fine, Jessie, believe me." Bill came closer and placed a hand on my shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "'Ole Bull will take care of him."

"Yeah, he will", George added, with a cigarette poking between his lips, "They'll be in a plane in a perfectly good condition. Too bad they're gonna have to jump out of it..."

Both Bill and Don chuckled. Even George grinned at the sound of his own joke. I mustered something similar to a smile. But, they didn't know that, deep inside, I silently prayed for one thing.

Truth be told, I didn't have a clue who'd fly the B-52 now. However, I hoped that he wouldn't drop the men in the wrong zone like me.

XXX

A few days later, I was in Eindhoven, in Holland.

Thank God, the boys had landed in the right place and in the right moment. What was even better, all of us met very little resistance on the way to the town. In the end, after another check from above, I flew there first and waited for the others to come.

However, I wasn't the only one waiting. This part of Eindhoven was timing with people. Men and women, old people and children, were standing all around me with small orange flags in their hands. The same flags hung from the windows and rooftops, fluttering in the breeze. What was more strange, everybody was more than cheerful. They sang catchy songs and danced as they waited.

Hand on heart, I had expected things more horrible than in France. That definitely didn't include a town that looked like a heart of some festival.

I stepped almost on the tip of my toes, peering over the people's heads, when I heard a loud cheer in the distance. And then my eyes widened in bewilderment.

On the other side of the street, the crowd split in two, letting a large group of men pass. My eyebrows almost reached my hairline when I recognised Winters in front. His red hair seemed almost orange under the sun – perhaps in the same shade as the flags. The rest of the company was right behind him, slowly approaching the main square.

Since everybody is greeting them... I should do it, too. With a growing grin on my face I weaved my way among the people, in hope of reaching my lads.

However, that was easier said than done. I was just a few steps away, when a group of women emerged from the crowd. Before anybody realised what was happening, each of them sneaked on a certain paratrooper and showered him with kisses.

I burst into laughter. One woman was kissing Floyd for so long, that I feared she might eat him. On the other side of the street, Frank stared in front of himself in disbelief. He had just received a kiss from a very big lass, so to speak.

It didn't last long, until I saw my dear medic. Squeezing through the river of people, I went to his side. However, I found out that I wasn't the only one going that way. A slender lass with blonde curls appeared in front of Eugene, which wiped my smile in an instant. Standing right in front of my eyes, she hugged him and prepared to kiss him.

You little... Pushing somebody out of my way, I stuck my arm between them in the last moment. The only thing that Dutch girl could kiss was my hand.

"Oh, no you don't, sister." I sent her a short glare. "This lad is unavailable."

She didn't understand English. However, she understood the message. She frowned at me, before she moved to someone else from Easy. In this case, the lucky lad was Lieb.

In the meantime, Eugene looked at me in bewilderment. And then his lips curved into a little smile.

"Are you a bit jealous, Jess?"

"Me?" I raised an eyebrow in mock surprise. "Well, maybe a little."

"You don't have ta be."

This time, he engulfed me into a hug. He wrapped his arms around me, not taking his eyes off me. However, before we managed to get a little closer, somebody wrapped an arm around both of us.

"Heya, guys! Long time, no see!" Bill showed us his famous grin. "Well, why are ya standin' here? They're gonna take pictures of us!"

"What?"

I quickly turned around. A second later, I blinked in surprise.

Bill was right. A photographer was standing in the square, in front of a few Easy men. Some of them were sitting on a long wooden bench. Gene dashed towards them, pulling me after him. We soon found a free space in the second row, just behind George and Frank.

Meanwhile, the photographer begun counting:

"Drie..."

He also begun adjusting his camera, searching for a perfect angle. As we waited, Gene wrapped an arm around my waist, making me smile.

"Twee..."

"You know, I haven't had my picture taken in years", I muttered.

"Well, that's soon about ta change", Gene whispered.

A few steps in front of us, the photographer disappeared behind the black sheet of his camera and prepared to take the picture.

"Een..."

I flashed the widest smile I could, waiting for the familiar sound of the camera. But, instead of that, I heard a loud shout from the other side of the square:

"Prichard!"

That voice startled even the photographer, who jumped from behind the sheet and turned in that direction. Unlike him, I knew exactly who it was. I could see him waving, giving me the sign to move. Needless to say, my good mood evaporated in a second.

"I gotta have a word with you", he added, looking straight at me.

I felt Gene's hand slipping away before I heard him saying:

"Wha... Denham's here?"

To be honest, I sincerely hoped that he had stayed in England. However, he rather preferred to jump into Holland with the rest of the men.

If only his parachute had refused to open... I watched as he folded his arms across his chest, while a stern look emerged on his face. Just by looking at him made my stomach coil.

"It looks like it", I muttered under my breath.

"What does he want?", Gene asked.

I shrugged. "I haven't the foggiest... but, I'll find out soon, won't I?"