First of all thank you to everyone who favorited and followed this story, means a lot to me.

I started a chapter of When we met, so keep an eye out for it

Happy new year to ya'll

Easy moved to the marshalling area. I was in the back of a rumbling truck. I knew this was it and they would be confined to the camp until the made the big jump.

The truck pulled up to the gate at Uppottery airfields and the guard waved them thru. The camp consisted of pup tents.

A tall blond lieutenant opened the tailgate and yelled for the men to get down.

I was the last one to jump of the truck. The lieutenant looked up and his steel blue eyes met mine and he reached over and grabbed me by the hips, I put my hand on his shoulder and the lieutenant lifted me down. My eyes never left the lieutenants.

A smirk spread thru the lieutenant's face and he took my hand.

"Buck Compton" He said

I opened my mouth "I am, but before I could answer him welsh pulled me behind him "Not interested"

Welsh glared at Buck.

It was funny to see the 5, 2 lieutenant glaring up at the 6 feet tall blonde.

I found my tent and much to my delight Karen was there

"Ah easy company" Karen hugged me

I patted her back "Ok, ok Meehan is at CP"

Karen winked and stepped around me and ran out of the tent.

There was a light knock on the tarp and I turned around. Grant and Talbert entered the tent.

"Nice place you got here" Talbert said and sat down on my cot.

"Not as nice as yours I bet" I smirked

"Yeah because in my tent there are like 12 men and no room to move around," Grant mumbled

I looked around my tent. I guessed I was lucky. I only had to share a tent with Karen and two other nurses.

"There is a poker game in 15 minutes, want t join" Talbert asked me

"You know I want to" I responded, I picked up my jacket and the three of us exited the tent.

The area was bustling, soldiers were running everywhere, English, Canadian and American, there were English soldiers dressed as Germans, to get the men used to the German uniforms.

I walked with Tab and Grant to a tent in the middle of the area. Talbert opened the tarp to a dimly lit tent... I walked in, the first thing I noticed was Malarkey, and the next she noticed was Buck Compton's broad back.

I sat down and joined the game. The mood was light, nobody thought about the war the topic of the night was where and when they would jump.

Hoobler was bragging about how he was going to get a luger.

2 hours later me and Buck were the only ones left in the game. Buck had a strong hand and he took me to the cleaners.

Harry was waiting for Winters to pick him up. He was standing outside of his tent waiting for Winters to pick him up. He was scanning the area hoping to get a glimpse of Chris, he hadn't talked to her since yesterday and he was dying to see her.

Winters pulled up in front of Harry, he got in the jeep, before he was all the way in Winters motioned for him to get in the back.

Winters were quiet, even more than usual.

"Ok Dick…what's going on?" Welsh asked his friend

Winters sighed, he was mad and he was trying not to explode. "Do you know where your girl was last night?"

Dick looked at Harry "I think she was with the men last night"

"She was gambling Harry, with Buck and the men; she wasn't do anything the other NCOs' wasn't doing" Winters told Harry.

Harry smiled, he was proud of Chris she could gamble with the best of the men, she was strong and tough, yet she had a soft caring side to her.

"I know, but Buck should have known better, and here he is" Winters stopped the jeep, Buck got in the jeep, and Winters took off.

"Harry has Chris ever told you about the time she was busted gambling at Toccoa?" Winters asked his friend

"No…is there something I should know?" Harry looked at Winters.

"Well it was the first week after we all discovered Chris was really a girl…"

….

Toccoa 1942

"Come on Chris you got him" Grant urged Chris on.

A poker game between Dog and Easy Company had been set up and the last two players left in the game was Chris and a sergeant from Dog Company.

Chris was winning and the sergeant was starting to get nervous there was heap of cash riding on what would be the last hand of the game.

The sergeant called and Chris won. The Easy Company boys were cheering, Chris was smiling, that is when the doors to the barrack opened, and two MP's walked followed by Sobel. Sobel smiled he was surden that this was all he needed to get rid of Chris. That only lasted until one of the MP'S cursed under his breath and smiled

"Lauren what the hell are you doing here?" He asked Chris

Chris ran towards the MP and hugged the living daylight out of him "I weaselled my way in and Pat is here as well"

The MP was Pat's best friend from back home.

Pat got up and hugged his friend; the MP turned to his partner "I don't think anything illegal is going on in here"

The second MP looked around the barrack "Nope I don't think so either" he hated Sobel, he had some prior run ins with Sobel.

"Of Course Sobel was mad as hell after that and I think he was trying to kill Chris there for awhile" Winters told Harry

"But she got away with it like she always does" Harry sighed

"I know, but she is going to get in trouble at some point Harry and there won't be anyone to save her when she does."

Winters stopped the jeep and looked at Buck "these men has been thru Winters started to reprimand Buck "These men has been through the toughest training the army has to offer, under the worst possible circumstances, and they volunteered for it

Christ Dick I was just shooting craps with them. It's not like..."

"You know why they volunteered, so when thing got really bad, the man in the foxhole next to them would be the best, not some draftee who would get them killed

"Are you ticked because they like me? Because I am spending, time to get to know my soldiers? I mean come on you been with these guys for what two years? I been here for six days" Buck said

"You were gambling Buck"

"So what soldiers do that, I don't deserve a reprimand for it" Buck tried to defend himself

"What if you won?" Winters continued.

"What" Buck Said?

"WHAT IF YOU WON" Winters repeated, and got out of the jeep, he held his hand out to Katie who took and he helped her down from the jeep.

Winters turned and looked at Buck "Never put yourself in a position where you can take from these men" he said and walked off, leaving a mopping Buck behind

Winters stopped in front of tent and opened the flap, he knocked on the tent and opened the flap

"On the last flight I had a compass," he told Meehan.

Two set of eyes looked at him.

Welsh, who had followed Winters into the tent, stopped and gave Chris the what, are you doing here look.

I smiled "I got an order to report here right away"

"And" Welsh asked me

"He wanted let me know he put me up for an promotion" I told welsh

"Lieutenant" Harry asked

"Yep" I smiled

"And" Welsh asked again, this was huge

"I don't know, I mean…wont I have to leave the men?" Chris asked

"I don't know…" Harry said

Meehan turned and looked at me "Well I need your answer now"

"I…I accept" I said

"Great report to 2nd platoon, dismissed lieutenant" Meehan turned and continued to study the maps in front of him.

"Sir…what company?" I asked Meehan. Usually a soldier would have to leave his or her company when they were promoted from NCO to officer.

"Easy, I can't have you leave the company, you are to valuable" Meehan dismissed me.

I smiled and did a little happy dance and left the tent.

Life was good for once things were calm. Meehan was a great commander and second platoon was happy to have me as a lieutenant after Matheson was moved up to battalion S3.

Harry and I were walking towards a large tent. When they walked in, they noticed some sand tables in front of a stage. I knew this was it. this was the real thing. They were to be briefed and that meant the invasion was close.

I felt the butterflies flutter about in my stomach. Was I ready? Were the men ready? Moreover, how many would survive, I knew the expected survival rate for the paratroopers was low.

Harry and I took a seat besides Winters, who had a worried expression on his face and I knew they were thinking the same thing. Would the mission be successful?

Hester and Nixon started "As you can see our mission is to drop into St. Marie du Mont and seize these four cause ways behind Utah beach on the contentin peninsula, each paratrooper need to memorize the sand table and route of advance and the enemy situation"

The company officers memorized everything. I studied the sand table like a religion and I made every man in my platoon do the same. I knew that knowing the basic Intel would save lives.

Second platoon were gathered in their tent, the men were guessing on how the invasion would go, who would survive and which officers would make D. day plus one. I stepped into the tent and sat down between Grant and Talbert, both men were assigned to her stick.

"Lieutenant nice to see you" Grant put his arm around my shoulder.

I smiled and leaned into Grant. I closed my eyes and sighed. This was nice, this felt like home. I didn't have many friends growing up my closes friend had always been my brother. Brother... Chris sat up and pushed Grants arm of her

"Where is Pat?" She asked

Talbert and Grant looked at each other and seemed to have a silent conversation.

I caught the end of their exchange "What? What aren't you telling me?"

"Well Christenson is with the officers," Talbert said

"And by the officers you mean…" I continued

"Yeah" Grant said.

I swore under my breath. Pat was with Buck, Harry and Nixon and that meant problems, the bunch of them were more than likely drinking and gambling. Pat couldn't afford to gamble he already owed me money and Harry couldn't afford to drink, he always got killer hangovers and since I knew that, they would be jumping tomorrow I knew Harry would be in the brick, because he would more than like find a fight somewhere. I had to stop them or at least do some damage control.

I found Welsh outside of a tent smoking. Nixon stepped out of the tent and the two men were laughing. Nixon noticed me and elbowed Welsh, who tried to look sober.

I approached the two men and she heard Nixon mumble, "Someone is in trouble"

"Nixon you might want to leave" I didn't look at Nix

Nixon looked at me he could tell I was more than miffed and he had no interest in being on the receiving end of a telling of from the lieutenant.

Harry looked at me with glazed over eyes and smiled "there she is the prettiest girl at this here marshalling area"

I sighed, "I am the only girl you look at so how would you know"

"Exactly and that is why you can't be mad at me" Harry tried to kiss me, but I stopped him.

I smiled, no

I couldn't find it in my heart to yell at Harry, hell if I had half a brain I would throw caution to the wind and just do what I wanted because tomorrow I could be dead.

I knew what I wanted, but I wouldn't get it tonight maybe not ever, but I would take what I could get from the drunk soldier in front of me.

"Harry how about we say goodnight to your friends" I asked Welsh.

Harry yelled goodbye to whoever was in the tent and the two officers headed towards Welsh tent. Harry were quartered with Winters, so I knew he would be safe once I got him back.

Once they reached the tent I turned and looked at Harry "Promise me you will be careful"

Welsh tucked a strand of hair behind my ear "Promise you will survive" he whispered to me and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips.

Once I had, Welsh tucked in, I headed back towards the place I found Harry and Nix, on my way there I met a smirking Nixon who informed me that my brother were tucked in bed with most of his pay in his pocket.