#dick winters x valerie landry

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Bitter Pill to Swallow

Chapter 25 (Chapter Masterlist)

Thank you as always to @tvserie-s-world for her lovely screencaps

A very special shoutout to @wecomrades for offering to be my editor❤️ Your time and skills are appreciated more than you'll ever know. This one's dedicated to you 💕

"Well, why don't you fire on them when you see them, commander?"

"Because, when we fire on them, they just fire back. Blimey, it was a nightmare the other day."

Valerie had to turn away and stifle a laugh when she saw the look of horrified disbelief on Dick's face. The 506th had been moved to Driel, relieving the British unit who'd been stationed by the riverbanks. Dick had brought Valerie and Lipton to talk to the British Commander and get an idea of what to expect.

"I see. Well, thank you for the intel, commander," Dick replied tersely. "Now, we'd better go and get ourselves set up on the bank."

"Godspeed to you, chaps," the British Commander saluted them as they left.

Dick was shaking his head in disapproval as they walked away, and Valerie could contain her laughter no longer. Dick tutted in disapproval as it bubbled out of her.

"It's not funny, Val," Dick admonished. "They've been way too relaxed in their approach to Holland since before we even got here, and it's cost us dearly."

"I know, Dick, I know. But you gotta admit, it's pretty laughable that they don't fire on the Germans because they fire back when they do. They do realise it's a war they signed up for, not a tea party, right?"

"You do have to laugh at how ridiculous it is," Lipton agreed, "but this whole thing is shaping up to be a real shitshow. I can't wait to get the hell outta Holland, and I know the rest of the men feel the same."

"Well, for now we're stuck here," Dick sighed. "We just have to make the best of it and try to push through to Arnhem. Easy is being kept on the right flank, for now. The line bends at an acute angle there, so Moose will only be able to have two platoons on the line and one in reserve. Make sure he's aware of that."

"Don't worry, Dick, Easy can handle it," Valerie assured him. "Ain't that right, Lip?"

"Absolutely," he agreed. "And we won't be too scared to fire across the river either."

Dick huffed out a small laugh at that, but his face quickly returned to the strained look Valerie had seen him sporting more often than not in the last few weeks. Desk work didn't suit him, and it was plain to be seen to anyone who knew him. She'd seen him peering out his office window when they'd been celebrating the success of Operation Pegasus. She'd been tempted to go up and check on him, but after the awkward way they'd ended things the night before, she'd thought better of it.

"Anyway, we won't get anything useful done standing around here," Dick sighed, backing away. "I need to find Nix, and you need to get yourselves set up on the line. Make sure to give 'em hell."

-----------

"I swear, if I don't get out of this foxhole, I'm gonna lose it."

"Yeah, and if I hear Arnhem Annie telling me to cross the river one more time, I'm gonna lose it."

The weather had been far from ideal the moment they'd set up in Driel. It had barely stopped raining for more than a few hours, and they were confined to their foxholes during daylight hours because the Germans had the high ground across the river. They were cold, wet, hungry, and morale was starting to wane. Valerie had taken to crawling between the foxholes, both to keep the boys' spirits up and to make sure they were alright. That was how she'd found herself tucked up between Gordon and Mellet one rainy afternoon.

"Look on the brightside, boys," Valerie chuckled, "at least they're playing American music for us in between all those surrender messages. And the supply guys have started bringing Stars and Stripes for us. We've got a regular home from home set up over here."

"Oh, yeah," Gordon snorted, "If it weren't for all the rain, we could almost pretend it was a holiday."

"Could be worse, I suppose," Mellet chimed in. "We could be snowed under. Now, that would be a nightmare."

"At least we'd be somewhat dry," Gordon groused. "I'd rather be cold and half dry than soaked to the skin in a mucky foxhole."

"Alright, I've had just about enough of you two complanin','' Valerie sighed, pulling herself over the lip of the foxhole and crouching down. "Try to stay positive boys. I know it's hard out here, but we're not the toughest damn company in the battalion for nothing."

As Valerie got back to the CP, she was stopped in her tracks by Heffron.

"Lieutenant Landry, ma'am," Heffron started, "Lieutenant Heyliger sent me to find you. He wants you back at Easy CP, quick as you can, ma'am."

Valerie thanked him and sent him back to his foxhole, before making her way to find Heyliger. She moved quickly, worried that there was something wrong. It wasn't completely out of the ordinary to be called to CP, but they didn't make a habit of calling her unless it was urgent.

"I'm here, what's happenin'? Is everythin' alright?" She called, roughly shoving the tarp door aside as she entered the CP. Heyliger was waiting for her inside, his arms crossed.

"Yeah Valerie, everything's fine, don't worry." Heyliger assured her. "But, it's been noticed that you've been refusing hot meals and I'm worried about you. You need to eat, Valerie, to keep your strength up out there."

"Is that all this is?" She sighed, exasperated. "I'll eat with my boys when the third rotates back into reserve. Until then, I'm fine. It's not fair for me to come back for a feed, while the boys are out there with nothing but soggy rations. It ain't right."

"I know, it's not right," Heyliger agreed. "If I could find a way to get hot food out to all the men, I would. But I can't. I can only get it to my officers, and it's important you take it. We may be at an impasse now, but we don't know when they'll strike. When they do, the men need you at your best, and you can't be at your best if you're not eating enough."

Valerie knew he had a point, despite how much she disagreed with him. She'd been refusing meals for days while they'd been out on the line. She'd also been offering most of her rations to some of the hungrier looking replacements. Thankfully, Heyliger didn't seem to know that, or he'd chew her out good and proper for it. All in all, she was starving, but she was willing to stick it out with her platoon for as long as it took.

"Moose, I... "

"Don't argue with me, Valerie," he cut in, shaking his head at her. "I'm ordering you to battalion CP for a hot meal. For once in your life, don't be stubborn. Just go and do it."

She rolled her eyes in exasperation, but she knew he wouldn't let it go. "Fine, fine, I'm going," she grumbled, holding her hands up in defeat. "I don't think it's fair, but if you're really gonna order me to go then I have no other choice, do I."

"No, you don't. Now, get going."

Valerie left with a sigh, trudging reluctantly to the battalion CP. She had to admit to herself, the smell of the food wafting from the mess as she approached was mouth watering. She grabbed a large serving of spaghetti, and was just about to tuck in when Dick dropped into the seat across from her.

"About time you came to get a hot meal," he commented, disapproval evident in his tone. "I haven't seen you around here once since we dug in."

"You have too much time on your hands, if you're keeping track of who comes and goes for dinner, Dick," she quipped, grinning as his cheeks turned red.

"Well... I just... I don't like the idea of you starving yourself out there on the front line. You need to keep your strength up out there," he stuttered, the pink stain on his cheeks deepening.

"I'm fine, Dick. There's no need to worry yourself over me," she assured, shaking her head. "And, my point still stands. They clearly need to give you more paperwork if you're able to track who comes and goes from the mess hall."

"Oh, paperwork is the one thing I'm not lacking in," he grumbled. Valerie paused, taking a moment to survey him. He had a furrow between his brows that seemed to have made permanent residence there lately, and his fingers were tapping an incessant rhythm on the table. In all the time Valerie had known Dick, she was sure she'd never seen him fidget.

"Is everythin' alright, Dick?" She asked gently. "You haven't really been yourself since you moved up to battalion."

"I'm fine... it's... fine," he sighed. "It's just... not what I expected it to be like."

"Well, yeah, I'm sure there's less action, but... "

"There's no action to speak of," he interrupted, shaking his head morosely. "All I do is administrative work. I miss being out there with you, making decisions and getting involved. It feels less like a promotion and more like a punishment at this point."

Valerie nodded, her eyes softening in sympathy. Dick had been in the thick of everything since Toccoa, aside from his brief stint with a clipboard back in Aldbourne. He was good at making quick decisions, and he always led from the front. She'd seen that back at Brecourt, and at the Island too. He enjoyed the satisfaction of a well executed plan, and she could see how being deprived of all that would start to wear him down.

"I get that," she agreed. "You get used to the adrenaline of bein' on the front line every day, and when that's suddenly not there anymore it can take some gettin' used to. Give it time, Dick, you'll adjust."

"Thanks, Val," he replied gratefully, his lips tilting up slightly at the corner. "It's nice to talk to someone who actually understands. Most wouldn't."

"Well," she chuckled, "I'm not most."

"No, you certainly are not."

Valerie's heart started to pound erratically from the fond look he was giving her. Her thoughts inadvertently flitted back to that moment in his office, where he'd given her a similar look and she'd been sure he was going to kiss her. Her palms clammed up as the memory resurfaced, and she could feel the heat rising up her neck.

"Well, on the brightside," she said after a beat, "at least you get to spend plenty of time with Nix."

"Yeah," Dick laughed, looking away from her, "I'm not sure yet if that's a blessing or a curse."

----------

Valerie was discussing movements with Welsh at the Easy CP when they heard the gunshot pierce through the silence of the night. Their heads snapped up in unison, and they shared a concerned look.

"Jesus, Harry, that sounded close," Valerie breathed shakily. "They've hardly decided to break the stand-off with an ambush, have they?"

"Doesn't sound like it," Harry disagreed, "there was only one shot. But, Dick and Moose said they were coming down here to do an inspection, so we better go and make sure they're not in trouble."

Valerie grabbed her rifle and swung it over her shoulder, before following Welsh out into the night. As they jogged down the narrow path, they started to hear a commotion up ahead of them. They slowed, pulling their rifles into their hands and creeping forward cautiously. The shadows started to solidify as they got closer to the noise, and it was clear that there was no enemy ambush going on.

"Dick, Moose, is that you?" Welsh murmured, swinging his rifle back onto his shoulder as they approached the pair of shadows.

"Yeah, Harry, it's us. Moose is down, some jumpy private shot him because he forgot the passphrase," Dick called back.

"Jesus, is he bad?" Valerie asked, closing the distance between them and falling to her knees beside Dick.

"His shoulder is a clean wound, but his calf is pretty cut up," Dick huffed. "We need to get him back to battalion quick, give him the best chance we can of making it."

"We gotta give him morphine, he's in agony," Welsh said as he started wrapping bandages around Heyliger's calf. "He won't make it back to battalion unless we give him some morphine to dull the pain."

Everything after that was a blur, and they were all so frantic in trying to save Heyliger that they became erratic in their actions. Valerie left Dick and Welsh as they picked Moose up to carry him, running ahead to call an ambulance and a medic.

"Gene, there's an emergency," she called loudly as she ran into the med-bay. Roe dropped the bandages he'd been carrying and ran straight over to her, worry evident in his eyes.

"What's happened, are you alright?" He asked, giving her a frantic once over.

"I'm fine, it's Moose," she replied, "he's been shot in the shoulder and the calf. His calf is pretty bad, and he's lost a lot of blood. Dick and Harry are carrying him up now but he'll need an ambulance to be evacuated."

Roe sprang into action without another word. He called for the ambulance driver to get ready to go, then went to gather the supplies he'd need for the journey. Valerie followed close behind him as he rushed out to the ambulance and jumped into the back.

"Tell the driver where they are, chérie, we'll meet them halfway. We gotta give him the best chance we can."

Valerie and Roe sat in anxious silence as the driver sped down the path. She was so caught up in her worry for Moose that she jerked violently against the back door of the ambulance when the driver stopped suddenly. Roe pushed past her and opened the door quickly, turning and pulling the stretcher out with him. Valerie jumped out behind him, searching to see where she could step in to help.

"Valerie said he's lost a lot of blood," Roe said as he grabbed Heyliger and helped the others put him on the stretcher. "You did the right thing bandaging him up to stem the blood flow. Have you given him morphine? I don't see any syringes, where are they?"

"Uh... Jesus, I... I'm not sure," Welsh stuttered.

"Could have been two or three, we didn't... "

"Two or three?" Roe exclaimed, his nostrils flaring. "Jesus, you could've goddamn killed him. You'll be lucky if he survives as it is after that. What were you thinkin'?"

"We didn't know what to do, he was in so much pain, we... " Dick said frantically

"Well, you are grown ups! You are officers, you oughta know!" Roe shouted, glaring at them as he loaded Heyliger into the ambulance and slammed the doors closed. Valerie, Dick, and Welsh watched in astonishment as the ambulance sped up and left them there, the silence echoing in the night around them. She had never seen Roe get that angry, not in all the years she had known him.

"He's right," Dick croaked, "it was so stupid to give him that much morphine. But he was in agony, and I just... "

"It's alright, Dick," Valerie assured, placing a comforting hand on his arm. "You did your best, given the circumstances and the shock."

"It's not alright," he groaned, shaking his head in disappointment. "We could have killed him with a dose that high. I should have kept my head and handled it better."

"It's not your fault, Dick, we just panicked," Welsh sighed sadly.

"He's gonna make it," Valerie assured as confidently as she could. "Gene will take good care of him on the way to the aid station."

"If he even makes it to the aid station," Dick grumbled. "It'll be a miracle if he does."

"Dick, don't be... "

"You two better get back to Easy, tell them they've lost another CO," he cut in tersely, resentment clear in his voice and demeanour. "I'll probably need to write a report on this, so I better get back. I'll see you both tomorrow."

Valerie watched him go, his usual aura of self assurance replaced by sagging shoulders and clenched fists. If anything happened to Heyliger, he would blame himself. He always took it hard when he lost men under his command, and this would be no different. Part of her wanted to follow him, to make him see that it wasn't his fault and he'd done his best. She knew she shouldn't, though, that he'd probably prefer some time alone to process the whole ordeal.

"C'mon Val, we better head back," Welsh said quietly, breaking her from her thoughts. She took one last glance at Dick's retreating frame before turning and heading back to the Easy CP with Welsh, neither of them uttering another word.

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Bitter Pill to Swallow

Chapter 24 (Chapter Masterlist)

Screencap from the ever lovely @tvserie-s-world it's been awhile but I hope this chapter makes up for the very long wait 💕

There was something off about that Colonel Dobey. Dick had been watching him since he'd walked into HQ with Nix, and though he couldn't put his finger on what the issue was, he'd taken an immediate dislike to the man. There was just something about him that put Dick on edge. It didn't take too long for Dobey to prove his suspicions correct.

"So chaps," he started once they were in the jeep back to batallion, "I'm to have Easy Company along on this excursion? "

"Yes," Nix replied, placing a hand on Moose's shoulder, "Easy are one of the finest outfits in all the army, ain't that right Dick?"

"Sure are," he smiled, a little bubble of pride forming in his chest at the thought of Easy. He may not be their CO anymore but they would always be his company, and he'd always be happy to sing their praises.

"Aren't they the company with the lady Lieutenant?" Dobey continued, a curious glint in his eye that put Dick's nerves on edge. Surely he wasn't going to make an issue of a female Lieutenant after he had asked for their help on his rescue operation?

"Yes," Dick replied, a sharp edge to his voice, "Lieutenant Landry has been with Easy from the beginning and she's a model officer."

"Oh I'm sure she's quite the model officer alright," Dobey smirked as the jeep pulled to a stop,"I shall look forward to working closely with her then. Who knows, perhaps we'll become rather friendly after all this. Now how about we source a spot of tea and run through the intelligence for this operation Nixon?"

"Eh...sure," Nix agreed after a moment's hesitation, his gaze lingering on Dick as he waited to see if he'd respond, "Moose and I will go through it with you in my office. Dick here has a mountain of paperwork to do so he gets a free pass." Nix spared a final glance at Dick before leading the British Colonel away, Moose falling into step beside them.

Dick remained silent throughout this exchange, his temper continuing to rise in response to the Colonel's flippant comment. Clearly Dobey had a few ideas about Valerie and how he could...befriend her, but Dick would be damned if he'd let him have the chance.

"Moose, can I have a quick word," he called at the retreating party as he finally climbed from the jeep. Nix glanced back at him with a raised eyebrow but continued on his way without comment. Dick knew he'd ask Moose about it as soon as he had a free moment.

"What can I do for you Dick?" Moose asked, straight to the point. Dick appreciated that about him, that and his all-in style of leadership. Dick had often seen him out on patrols and doing nightly checks on the outposts since he'd taken over Easy, and it eased his worries somewhat to know that they were in good hands now.

"Keep Lieutenant Landry out of this operation yeah?" Dick instructed. Moose's brows rose in momentary surprise before furrowing in confusion.

"But Lieutenant Landry would be -"

"I know she would," Dick agreed with a sigh, "but she can sit this one out alright? There'll be other operations."

"Yes sir," Moose conceded after a terse moment. He looked like he wanted to question the order but ultimately thought better of it and followed after Nix and Dobey.

Dick watched him go with mixed emotions. Knowing Valerie she'd be the first to volunteer for the operation, and she'd have no fear in questioning why she wasn't permitted to go. Moose would of course tell her the reason, and he fully expected her to be banging his door down by the end of the day to give him an earful about it. He stood by his decision though. Dobey clearly had plenty of ulterior motives when it came to Valerie, and Dick could not in good conscience let her walk into something like that. He'd happily take a hundred of her angry tirades if it meant she was safe from Dobey's wandering hands.

~~~~~~

"Alright listen up," Moose called as he walked into the barn, "The Brits are staging a rescue operation across the river in three days, and they want Easy to run it. Welsh and Shames, you'll be on this one with me so pick out fifteen men and bring them to CP for briefing at 1700."

Valerie knew it was irrational and childish, but she couldn't help her frustration at being left out of the mission. She'd been with Easy longer than Shames and Harry both, yet somehow she always seemed to be overlooked. This would be a hugely important mission for Easy and it grated that she'd been excluded. She tried to get Moose's attention then, but he quickly averted his eyes and looked anywhere but her before walking out of the barn. Valerie narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously before following him out.

"Hey Moose, wait up," she called as she jogged to catch up with him. He came to a reluctant stop, sighing quietly before turning around to face her. "What's up Valerie?" He asked carefully.

"At the risk of insubordination," she started, "I was wonderin' why you passed me up for the rescue mission?"

"Well I..." he started, clearing his throat awkwardly before stumbling on, "I just..."

"If you think I'm not capable or somethin' then I....."

"Jesus no Valarie," he interrupted, shaking his head vehemently, "you're one of the most competent officers in this outfit."

"Then why did you pass me over?"

"You're not going to like it..." he sighed, defeated, "and if I tell you you have to promise to not get angry..."

"Moose," she deadpanned, "spit it out."

"Well y'see Dick he.....he told me to leave you out of it. I dunno why but..."

"He what?" She whispered, deadly calm. She clenched her fists so tight her nails dug into her palms hard enough to draw blood. The pure unadulterated rage was rising so quickly inside her it burned in her chest, and her body began to tremble with the effort of holding it all in.

"Now Valerie you promised you..."

"I promised no such thing," she quipped sharply, "now I'm sorry, but I have somethin' I need to do."

Without waiting for a response she marched purposefully towards the house where the batallion officers had set up shop. She drew immediate attention as she stormed into the house, but nobody made a move to stop her, too wary of drawing her obvious ire in their direction.

"I'm looking for Captain Winters," she said tersely to the first aide she came across, "can you point me in his direction?"

"Uh...in the attic ma'am. Only door on the top floor," the aide replied warily. She gave him a rigid nod in thanks before purposefully marching up the stairs, her heavy, stomping footsteps rattling the wooden frame. When she finally reached the top floor she rapped her knuckles on the door and barely waited for the 'come in' before entering the room and closing the door harshly behind her.

Dick stiffened as his eyes met hers, his fingers crumpling the edges of the report he was holding in his hand. "Valerie..." he started warily.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" She cut him off abruptly, "what goddamn right do you have to tell Moose to exclude me from that operation?"

"Valerie please..."

"I've been here since the goddamn beginning, and I've worked my goddamn ass off every goddamn day for this goddamn company and you," she spat furiously, pointing an accusatory finger at him, "have the goddamn gall to order Moose to cut me out of an important mission."

"Valerie if you'll just..."

"How dare you," she hissed, "I knew you were on some kinda newfound power trip but this just takes the..."

"Dammit Valerie I did it to protect you!" He snapped, slamming his palms on the desk with an audible smack, his chair banging off the wall as he stood up abruptly. Valerie was stunned into silence by the sudden outburst, and Dick's heaving breaths were the only sound to pierce the thick blanket of silence that had come between them.

His eyes softened when they met hers, and he pushed himself away from the desk with a sigh before coming to stand in front of her. "I knew you'd come storming in my door to chew me out the minute I made the call but I had to alright? Colonel Dobey was a little too interested in the 'Lady Lieutenant' from Easy and he heavily implied he wanted to get a bit more than friendly with you. And after what happened in London...I didn't want you to be in a position like that again so I made the call. I'm sorry I upset you and made you feel like you're being overlooked, but I won't apologise for trying to protect you from unnecessary discomfort or harm."

Valerie found that for once in her life she was unable to speak. Her heart was hammering a mile a minute in her chest and her throat was tight. This wonderful man, despite all the grief she had given him and all the spiteful comments she had thrown at him, had without hesitation done his best to keep her safe from harm. It was the most thought anyone besides Gene and his family had ever given her, and her heart felt like it was going to burst with the weight of it.

Before she could second guess herself, she flung her arms around his neck and burrowed her face in his shirt. She closed her eyes and exhaled shakily as he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight against him. She turned her head slightly, her nose brushing gently against the edge of his collar, and she heard his breath hitch. "Thank you Dick," she whispered against his neck, and he gave an involuntary shudder, "Thanks for lookin' out for me."

"No need to thank me Val," he murmured, his thumb rubbing small, gentle circles on her spine, "just doing the right thing. I....I care about you too much to let someone take advantage of you."

Valerie could feel his heart thumping against his ribs, and her own started to beat in tandem with it. She knew they had been holding each other far too long for it to be considered normal, but she didn't want to be the one to break away first.

"I'm sorry for what I said the other day," she said quietly after a moment, "I didn't mean any of it. You know me by now, sometimes my mouth starts runnin' before my head catches up. I just...I guess it just took me by surprise and I worried that with your fancy new desk job...well I guess I worried I wouldn't see you no more because you wouldn't have the time."

It was a rare moment of vulnerability from Valerie, and she felt embarrassed that she'd perhaps been a bit too honest, that he'd read between the lines and see the feelings she was hiding. She squeezed her eyes shut and hoped he wouldn't notice the blush rising rapidly on her cheeks, but alas he pulled back far enough so he could give her an earnest look.

"There's no deskjob they could put me on that would allow that to ever happen," he promised quietly, and Valerie felt the knot in her stomach tighten as though he'd grabbed it and tugged it sharply.

"Well I'm glad about that," she whispered.

They were far too close together, she realised, with her arms around his shoulders and his hands resting on her spine. It was all far too cozy, just the two of them in his tiny attic office, and her heart began to thump so hard and fast she was certain he'd feel it through her back. For the first time she noticed the subtle little flecks of darker green in his eyes. She was so intently focused on his eyes that she noticed when they briefly flickered down before coming back up to meet hers again. If she didn't know better she'd think he'd glanced at her lips, and they parted unconsciously at the thought.

"Val I..."

A loud bang from downstairs caused them to spring apart, their eyes widening. Valerie's cheeks felt like they were about to melt straight off, and Dick ran his fingers through his hair roughly.

"We'd better go check that out," Dick said hoarsely, clearing his throat and looking anywhere but at her.

"Uh yeah, we should," Valerie agreed, her voice pitching. She spun around and made to grab the door, Dick following behind her, but she stopped abruptly in her tracks as the door swung open and Nix appeared at the other side. Her sudden stop sent Dick crashing into the back of her, and he instinctively put his hands on her waist to steady both her and himself.

Nobody spoke for a beat. Nix's eyes flitted between them and a slow, amused grin lit up his face. "Well, if I knew I was interrupting something I'd have come back later."

"You're not," they said in unison, and Valerie cringed as Nix's grin widened.

"In fact I was just leaving," she continued, side stepping around Nix and out the door, "I'll see you both around." She walked down the stairs and out the door without a backwards glance, her heart stuttering unevenly in her chest. For a brief second she'd thought maybe he was going to...no. That was a completely ridiculous thought which she needed to forget all about.

~~~~~~

Dick watched her go down the stairs, pointedly ignoring Nix and his ridiculous, smug expression.

"Hell Dick, about time you made a move," Nix chuckled.

"Nothing happened," Dick insisted, the tips of his ears burning red hot.

"Sure, whatever you say," he teased, "but based on how flustered you both looked I think it's safe to assume something almost happened."

"Shut it Nix," Dick said tersely, rubbing the back of his neck and walking back towards his desk, "she just came to chew me out about leaving her out of the rescue mission. When I explained why I'd left her out she was actually grateful."

"Yeah, a regular knight in shining armour you are Dick Winters," he snorted, "never thought you'd let jealousy get the better of you."

"It was not jealousy," Dick huffed,"Dobey had less than professional interests in Valerie and I didn't want her to end up in an uncomfortable situation so I stepped in."

"Yeah I know," Nix agreed, "he did seem a little too interested in Val. Kept asking about her in the briefing too. Was a good call you made on that one."

Dick stayed silent for a beat, and Nix knew there was something else on his mind that he was debating telling him.

"Val she...." Dick started, scuffing his boot on the floorboard, "she apologised for what she said the other day..."

"Val's spent an awful lot of time apologising to you lately," Nix laughed, "she say why she lost it?"

"She..." Dick hesitated, "she said she was worried that she wouldn't see me anymore, that I wouldn't have the time now I've got a 'fancy batallion deskjob'. But I don't know, maybe I picked her up wrong. She's probably worried that Easy will.... "

"Christ Dick," Nix laughed incredulously, shaking his head, "the woman basically told you she has feelings for you and you're standing here trying to explain it away. She couldn't have made it more obvious if she'd slapped you with it."

"Nix we've been over this," Dick sighed, "I can't.."

"Yeah yeah yeah, duty and honour and commanding officer and all that crap, I know. But Dick, she clearly likes you so..."

"So nothing," Dick insisted, "I can't put her in that position. Its bad enough I almost..."

"Almost what?" Nix jumped in, raising an eyebrow, "You may as well spit it out Dick because I knew the minute that door opened and I saw your guilty looking face that something had happened."

"I...almost...well what I mean is I considered..." he stuttered before his shoulder sagged in defeat, "for a brief moment I thought about kissing her...but it was a stupid idea and I..."

"You're completely hopeless," Nix sighed, rolling his eyes fondly, "trust you to over complicate it. You like her and she likes you, it shouldn't be so difficult."

"Yeah, I know," Dick sighed in defeat, "but we've had this discussion before and I'm too tired and too busy to have it again, so just drop it alright?"

"Fine, fine," Nix conceded, holding his hands up, "but just think about it alright? Now why don't you hand over those reports you have due before the good Colonel gets a stroke. You know he loves his paperwork."

Dick was glad the subject had circled back to work matters, but he knew the warm feeling of Valerie in his arms would be haunting him long into the night.

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Bitter Pill to Swallow

Chapter 23 (Masterlist)

Screencap courtesy of the always lovely and dear @tvserie-s-world

"Are you out of your goddamn mind?"

Dick spun around and came face to face with a furious Valerie, eyes blazing and hands placed firmly on her hips.

"Val what..."

"Could'a been picked off runnin' across open ground like that," she continued, her voice shaking, "the hell were you thinking doing somethin' so reckless and stupid? Where the hell would we be left if you'd gone and gotten yourself shot huh?"

"Valerie listen to me..."

"I can't believe you of all people would do something so goddamn stupid and..."

"Now hang on just a darn minute..."

"Am I interrupting something?"

Two heads turned to face Nix, who stood watching the pair with an amused tilt to his lips.

"Not at all..."

"Yes actually," Valerie cut in harshly, "I'm in the middle of tellin' Dick how goddamn stupid he was to..."

"Now hang on," Dick balked, "it might have been a bit reckless but it certainly was not stupid."

"Oh I'd beg to differ," she quipped with a scoff, crossing her arms over her chest, "It was actually incredibly stupid."

"It was a standard bayonet charge Valerie, I'd hardly call it stupid," he replied defiantly, his jaw clenching.

"Clearly you've been watching too many re-runs of 'All Quiet on the Western Front' because you're stuck in the past with your goddamn bayonet charge. We don't do those anymore because they're too goddamn dangerous, or did you conveniently forget that bit?"

"Well I damn well had to do it Valerie," he snapped, "or we'd still be stuck on that cursed island."

"You didn't have to charge out on your own like fuckin' John Wayne though did ya?" She exclaimed

"As entertaining as this little tiff is," Nix cut in, stepping between the two of them with a chuckle, "I need to sweep Dick away to HQ to get him settled in to his new office."

"New...new office?" Valerie questioned sharply, her gaze flickering between the two of them.

"I'm sure if you'd given the man the chance he would have told you all about his promotion to batallion," Nix laughed, clapping Dick on the shoulder fondly.

Valerie felt like she'd been punched in the gut when she met Dick's eyes and saw the truth of Nix's words in them. It was true; Dick was really leaving Easy for a nice cushy desk job up at batallion. She took a step back, her throat feeling like it was squeezing closed. Her mind felt like it had been caught up in a twister, so many emotions jumbling around in her head in such a short space of time. As the seconds ticked by and the two men watched her with wary eyes, she settled on the one emotion she felt most comfortable with in that moment.

"Well I'm glad your glory run in the field had the desired result," she hissed icily, her eyes narrowing and glaring daggers at Dick, "now if you don't mind some of us have to look after our men." With that she turned on her heel and marched away from the pair. Her fists were clenched so tightly that her nails would surely cut through the skin on her palms, but she didn't care. At least the sting was a mild distraction from everything else going through her mind.

"Valerie wait, hang on a minute," Dick called as he jogged in front of her and cut her off, "you seriously think I did that maneuver just to get a promotion?"

"I dunno Dick," she snarled, "that's certainly what it looks like to me."

"How can you honestly think that?" He asked quietly, a vulnerable crack in his voice, "after everything we've been through how can you think I would ever do that?"

"I don't know Dick," Valerie snapped back, refusing to acknowledge the hurt in his eyes, "wouldn't be the first time you did something questionable to look good to the brass."

He faltered, a dark and wounded shadow overcoming his face. "Dammit Valerie I thought we'd moved past this," he pleaded.

"Whatever," she grumbled, "Don't you have somewhere more important to be? I know I certainly do."

Without a backwards glance she stormed off, leaving a dumbstruck Dick in her wake. As she got further and further away from him she felt the walls begin to crack and her eyes stung with hot, angry tears. She swiped furiously at one as it spilled down her cheek before taking a deep breath and pulling herself together. There was no time for pointless tears in the middle of occupied Holland, and it wasn't even worth it anyway. She had a job to do and that's all that mattered.

~~~~~

"Hey Val, how ya doin'?"

Valerie looked up at the sound of her name and couldn't supress her grin when she saw George and Lieb coming towards her.

"Hey boys, nice to see ya," she laughed, pulling them both in for a hug.

"Jeez sweetheart didn't realise we'd reached the huggin' stage," Lieb teased, but he hugged her back tightly all the same.

"Well it's either that or a punch in the arm," she warned, "so choose wisely."

"Don't listen to him," George butted in, throwing an arm over her shoulder, "its good to see ya."

"You see me all the time George, we're in the same company," she teased, shaking her head at him.

"I know but we never see you," he persisted, "you're always so busy being bossy or off with the other officers. Clearly you've decided we're no longer important enough for you."

"Aw quit your whining Luz," she mocked, elbowing him in the side, "you know you'll never be replaced in my heart."

"I should hope not," he sniffled dramatically, but his cheeky grin gave him away, "now why don't you make it up to me and come help me beat Don in a game of craps?"

"How could I turn down such an offer," she chuckled, stepping out from under his arm and linking her arm with his.

"You two are fuckin' ridiculous you know that?" Lieb scoffed as he lit his cigarette.

"Shut up, you're just jealous," Valerie smirked, "now are you gonna offer me a smoke or do I have to do everything myself around here?"

He shook his head at her but pulled one out all the same, lighting it up for her before the three of them made their way towards the barn that was serving as one of Easy's shelter for the night. 

"Well look what the cat dragged in," Don called as the trio entered the barn, "if it isn't Lady Landry herself."

"Better shut the hell up Malarkey or I won't be so inclined to go easy on ya when the dice comes out."

"Fighting talk Val," he grinned cheekily as she settled onto the wooden pallet beside him, "now put your money where you mouth is and let's get down to business."

Ten rounds of craps later and Don looked like he was about to explode.

"You two are definitely cheating," he grumbled as he passed over another five cigarettes to George.

"You can't cheat the dice Don," Valerie teased, "don't blame us cause you're crap at craps."

"Aha good one Val," George laughed, reaching across the makeshift table and giving her a fist bump.

"Oh sure, laugh it up at my expense," Don grumbled, throwing a doleful glare at the offending dice before pilfering a cigarette from the pile in front of George.

"Say Val," Don started a few moments later, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between them, "since you're always with the officers nowadays you surely must know already who's replacing Winters as CO?"

"Don't know a thing about it," she replied, keeping her tone even.

"Sure is shit that we're losin' him," George chimed in, "can't imagine too many other CO's running headfirst onto an open field on their own."

"Well maybe its a good thing then," she huffed, taking a long drag from her cigarette, "cause pulling a stunt like that just to get a promotion is stupidly irresponsible."

"Aw hell Val you don't honestly think he did the bayonet charge for a promotion do you?" Don asked incredulously, "Winters ain't like that."

"Well all I see is he's gotten a cushy little desk job at batallion and left us in the shitter," she grumbled, "but who cares right? Long as he gets to put his feet up in a nice warm office at HQ."

"C'mon Val, don't you think you're being a little harsh?" George asked, his brows furrowing.

"No," she sighed, standing up and crushing her cigarette under her boot roughly, "I don't. Now it's been fun guys but I got a few things to follow up on. I'll see you soon I promise." With that she walked out of the barn, taking in a long deep breath of the cool evening air as she did.

"Hey Val wait," George called as he ran to catch up with her, "is everything okay? You just seem a little off."

And wasn't that the million dollar question. Was she okay with the fact that Dick had up and left them, left...her? She knew that she should be okay, knew that she should be happy that he was getting the recognition he so clearly deserved. But all of that had been swallowed by the overwhelming and inexplicable hurt she felt a the thought of him moving on from Easy and forgetting all about them.

"I'm alright George," she sighed wearily, "I'm just tired and stressed, just like everyone else."

"Seems like more than just the usual stress to me," he persisted, "you're clearly upset so just talk to me Val, tell me what's up."

"It's nothing George," she reiterated, shaking her head, "honest."

"Is this about Winters moving to batallion?" He asked gently, "because I know you two had gotten close lately and -"

"Why would it be about that?" She snapped, crossing her arms tightly across her chest, "I couldn't give a damn what he does."

"Seems I've hit a nerve which means my guess is probably a bit too close to home." George chuckled. "You're allowed to miss him you know, hell we're all sure as shit gonna miss him."

"I don't miss him," she insisted sharply, "I told you I couldn't care less what he does or where he goes. He's proved yet again he's a glory huntin' risk taker who only does it to look good to the brass."

"You're fooling nobody but yourself there Val," George told her knowingly, "cause you and I both know he's not like that. He's a good man Val, one of the best of 'em even, and a blind idiot could see that you care about him. But if pretending to be mad at him helps you sleep at night then who am I to stop you. All I'll say is you should talk to him and clear the air because life's too short out here for pointless fights you don't even wanna be havin'." 

Valerie felt a lump forming in her throat and had to look away from him, unable to respond. He was right of course, she was being ridiculous and falling into her usual trap of ignoring her feelings and reverting to anger to protect herself. It was easier to just be mad at him than to dwell on how scared she'd been when she'd heard about the bayonet charge, or how confused she'd felt when she'd learned he was moving to batallion.

"I can see the little cogs whirring in your brain Val," George interjected with a laugh, pulling her out of her reverie, "but you know I'm right. I always am."

"Debatable," she scoffed, but she couldn't resist the small smile that rose on her lips.

"You know you can come to me anytime yeah?" He said, pulling her in for a tight hug, "I know you've got Doc but if you ever need to talk about anything then I'm here."

"Careful George," she teased, squeezing him back tightly before pulling back to look at him, "you're startin' to sound sentimental."

"Aw hell Val get lost," he laughed, shaking his head fondly, "but don't be a stranger 'ya hear? I'll be seeing ya."

"I'll see y'around George," she replied softly, turning away from him to head to her bunk, "and...thanks by the way."

"Anytime Val," he called after her, giving her a cheeky salute before heading back into the barn. Valerie glanced up at the moon and sighed as she trudged back to her quarters, her shoulders sagging wearily under the weight of her worries.

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Bitter Pill to Swallow

Chapter 20 (Chapter List)

A/N: FINALLY! I have finally gotten through my writers block and produced a chapter I'm actually very happy with! I'm so sorry for the long wait, I assure you the next chapter won't be so far away

"Grip those binoculars any tighter and you'll snap them in half."

Dick sighed and lowered the binoculars from his eyes as Nix stepped up beside him and leaned his arms against the railing of the bell tower.

"Can't help it," Dick sighed, continuing to scan the horizon for any signs of offensive movement, "They've cut the highway and they could head our way at a moment's notice."

"I have no doubt you'll be ready for them when they do," Nix quipped, plucking a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it. "Anything else you'd like to get off your chest?" He asked nonchalantly after a beat.

Dick was about to turn to Nix with an incredulous look when he spotted the tanks rolling down the road towards them. "Aw hell Nix they're coming right now," he hissed, already running for the stairs of the "a patrol of them. We need to set up a counter offensive and push them back."

"They don't waste any time now do they?" Nix griped as he fell into step beside Dick on his way down the winding staircase.

"Unfortunately for us, no" Dick sighed, his mind already going into overdrive. "Hey Harry, gather the platoon together," he called as he came to a stop in the street. He was considering how to quickly place roadblocks on the way into town when Harry returned with the platoon in tow.

"No need to panic men, it's just another normal day for Easy; we're surrounded by Krauts." A ripple of laughter passed through the gathered group, and he was glad to have at least momentarily alleviated some of the stress and tension. "We need to set up roadblocks on every road leading into town, leave them no openings. Then we hit them head on with everything we've got and push them back.  Sergeant Lipton, find as many men as you can and set them up on the perimeter line."

On his command the group quickly separated, rushing to set up the required roadblocks. His thoughts briefly landed on the group in Veghel, but he didn't have time to worry about them on top of anything else. He just had to hope that they had it under control without him.

~~~~~

"Seems we scared them off," chuckled Harry as he made his way over to Dick and Nix, "they weren't long high-tailing it back down hell's highway."

"There ain't a Kraut in all of Europe that can get the best of Captain Dick Winters," Nix grinned, slinging an arm around Dick's shoulders, "in fact it seems the only person that can get under Dick's skin is a certain Lieutenant Landy."

"Oh not this again," Dick huffed, shrugging out from under Nix's arm and frowning in dismay.

"Aw c'mon Dick," Harry grinned, "you have to admit that nobody riles you up like she does."

"That's because she's..."

"The love of your life?" Nix chimed in with a grin, "the most beautiful woman you've ever laid your eyes upon? The itch you need to scratch or you'll explode from frustration?" Harry was laughing so hard beside him that his eyes were welling up.

"No!" Dick sputtered, the tips of his ears flaming, "she's very confusing and hard to read is what I was going to say."

"Yeah," snorted Harry, "that doesn't mean you don't like her though."

"If you two are quite done disecting my non-existent romantic life," Dick grumbled, "I have checks to go and do. I suggest you both do the same. " With that he turned on his heel and made his way towards the bell tower, ignoring the burning in his cheeks with vehement determination.

"Aw c'mon Dick, don't be like that," Nix called as he followed him up the stairs of the tower, "you know Welshy and I just want you to be happy."

Dick ignored him as he stepped up to the balcony and brought his binoculars to his eyes. He hoped that Nix would take the hint and drop the subject, but alas it seemed luck just wasn't on his side.

"If you both weren't so stubborn then...."

"For the love of God Nix will you just drop it?" Dick snapped, turning to Nix in exasperation, "this is neither the time nor the place for such ridiculous...."

Dick's rant was cut off by the eerily familiar sound of the German planes approaching. He leaned out over the barricade and watched on in horror as the planes bypassed Uden and dropped their payload on Veghel. He raised his binoculars once again and observed as the German tanks arranged themselves around the other town. 

"Holy shit," Nix gasped as the tanks opened fire with a deadly vengeance. Dick didn't respond, unable to speak around the thick knot that had formed in his throat. "Ideally we could send them some reinforcement," Nix murmured.

"But we can't," Dick whispered in defeat, his heart sinking at the truth of it. They didn't have enough men in Uden to send reinforcements and also hold the town, so his hands were truly tied. No further words passed between Dick and Nix for what felt like hours as they watched the most intense display of firepower they'd seen since they'd landed in Europe.

"I really hope they managed to take cover," Dick murmured into the thick silence. Darkness had begun to fall, but the tanks were relentless in their barage. Dick absently noted that his knuckles were white from how tight he was gripping the balcony railing, but he found he was unable to unclench them from around the cool metal.

"Yeah," Nix sighed, lighting a cigarette with shaky hands, "you and me....shit!" They both leaped back from the railing in surprise as a bullet whizzed past their ears and pinged off of the bell behind them. "Great," Nix cursed as another bullet flew into the tower, "looks like we've lost our spot to a sniper."

They rushed towards the stairs of the tower and took the steps down two at a time, the clanging of the bell ringing in their ears. "Dropped my damn cigarette up there," Nix huffed once they were a safe distance from the tower, "couldn't he have waited 'till I'd finished my goddamn smoke at least?"

Dick couldn't help but laugh at Nix and his usual ridiculousness, but he quickly sobered up again as he heard the distant sound of the tanks beginning their barrage on Veghel once more. The adrenaline of fleeing from the bell tower had begun to wear off, only to be replaced by the sinking feeling of worry and dread for their friends in the other town.

"Careful or you'll give yourself frown lines," Nix commented, unable to ignore the unease on Dick's face.

"I think I'm well beyond the point of avoiding them by now," Dick sighed, folding his arms across his chest, "anyway I need to check on the road blocks and everything else, I'll see you back at CP later." Nix tried to stop him from leaving but Dick ignored his protests. He couldn't afford to stand about and be idle. He had to make sure everything was in order. He had to keep himself busy because if he didn't he'd be swallowed by the knot of dread that was clawing at his insides.

Unfortunately keeping busy didn't nothing to soothe his fraying nerves, in fact it only made him all the more stressed. The British tank on the northwest roadblock had been left unattended, and when the stray Lieutenant had the cheek to ask him if his tank was still there, Dick couldn't keep his temper in check.

"Perhaps you would know that if you were manning it like you're supposed to be Lieutenant." he snapped, his eyes narrowing dangerously, "I suggest you return to it now, or you'll be having a court martial on your hands." The Lieutenant in question scrambled to his feet and rushed out the door without a backwards glance, mumbling his apologies to Dick as he passed. After attempting to apologise to the Dutch woman who'd been serving dinner, Dick swiftly exited the house and went in search of Harry and his men.

When he walked into the tavern and noticed them all fast asleep against the bar he saw red. He marched over to Harry and grabbed his collar roughly, pulling his stumbling form out onto the street after him.

"What the hell are you playing at Dick?" Harry grumbled irritably, pulling himself free of Dick's grip.

"What am I playing at?" Dick hissed furiously, his clenched fists trembling, "what the hell are you playing at Harry? I told you to man the defensive perimeter and I find you sacked out in the damn tavern. I know how lacksy the Brits can be, but I at least thought I could depend on you to keep the ship afloat. You're in there sleeping your troubles away while the group in Veghel are getting absolutely bombarded. They don't get to sleep in peace and quiet, so why the hell do you think you deserve to? Its completely irresponsible and careless and I can't believe you of all people were the one to do it."

Harry was stunned by Dick's outburst, but he had the good graces to look contrite and ashamed. "Aw hell Dick I'm sorry," he replied sheepishly, "you're right it was totally irresponsible. I'll get them up and moving again, you have my word on that."

"I better not find you sleeping on the job again Harry, I mean it."

"You won't," Harry assured, "you got my word on that boss." Harry rushed off, and as he did Dick found his anger begin to dissipate. He walked down the street towards CP, but the distant booming of artillery stopped him in his tracks. It was a relentless barage, and the longer it continued the more Dick succumbed to the sickening thought that most of the group in Veghel may not see the morning. His thoughts couldn't help but drift to Valerie despite his best efforts, thinking with regret on the last time he'd seen her. They'd been so angry with each other, and as he sat himself down on the footpath he wondered if he'd ever get the chance to make it right between them, to work out whatever it was that had made her so angry.

He rested his elbows on his knees and held his head in his hands, his heart thudding nervously in his chest. This was his fault, all his fault. If he'd made better decisions, if he'd kept the Germans occupied for longer, if he'd just been better, then maybe it wouldn't be playing out the way it was. Maybe if he'd done things differently the group in Veghel wouldn't be under such hellfire.

"Tell me you're not sitting here blaming yourself," Nix sighed as dropped down on the ground beside Dick.

"If I had just..." he started, not looking up from the ground.

"Just what?" Nix interrupted, bringing his cigarette to his lips, "you did all you could given the shit hand we were dealt."

"I know but if I hadn't been so..."

"Why don't we just acknowledge what this is really about huh?" Nix commented lightly, arching an eyebrow at his friend. Dick picked at a piece of lint on his pants and determinedly ignored Nix's pointed stare. "You know just because we all think you're a saint doesn't mean you need to act like one. You're human Dick, you have feelings and you're allowed to have them."

And wasn't that just the crux of it all? He had a standard to uphold and an example to set, and they were at war for Pete's sake. Sure, there was nobody that got under his skin like she did. And sure, he couldn't deny the swoop he'd felt in his stomach when she'd held his hand so delicately in her own. Dick was not in the habit of lying to himself, so denying his evident feelings for her any longer was a fruitless act. She was quite honestly the most remarkable woman he'd ever met. But they were in the middle of war torn Europe, and as her commanding officer there was no viable route for him to follow those feelings down.

"Even if I did," Dick sighed, picking up a stone and twisting it around in his fingers, "it wouldn't be appropriate. I'm the CO, I'd be taking advantage..."

"Oh don't tell me that's your excuse," Nix scoffed, shaking his head scornfully, "you're an idiot if you think she's not interested." 

"I don't need you to prop up my ego with false platitudes Nix, it's abundantly clear that she's not even remotely interested in me," Dick huffed, throwing the stone across the street. She'd barely even looked at him with any warmth since that day she'd held his hand that day by the bridge. Whatever about himself, there was clearly no romantic interest on her end. "It's just I'd thought we'd gotten to be pretty good friends," he continued dejectedly after a beat, "but now she's chewing my head off everytime she sees me and I...."

"Wow you really are a dense idiot," Nix chuckled. Dick's jaw clenched and he stood abruptly, dusting himself off and turning to walk away.

"If you're just gonna sit there and mock me then..."

"Alright, alright cool your jets," Nix placated, gesturing for him to sit back down. He grumbled a few half-hearted protests, but ultimately conceded and dropped down in his spot again. He rested his elbows on his knees and bent his head in defeat. "I just mean that for someone so smart, I don't understand how you can't see what's staring you in the face."

"And I suppose you know just what it is," Dick mumbled, "you being the intelligence officer and all."

"Of course I do," he bragged, "what did she see you do in Eindhoven that would make her so completely furious with you out of the blue?"

"I don't know Nix, you're supposed to be enlightening me here."

"She was jealous," Nix stated plainly, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, "she saw you kissing that woman in the street and she got jealous. And she clearly didn't know how to deal with those new feelings, so she did the only thing that made sense and she lashed out. If she was so busy being angry with you on some bogus charge then she wouldn't have the time to think about the real reason she was angry with you."

Dick's breath choked him in his throat, his spine stiffening. It was not an option he'd allowed himself to consider, because it was of course completely preposterous. He and Valerie were friends, and just because he harboured an ill-fated crush on her did not mean the same could be assumed of her towards him.

"That's completely ridiculous Nix," Dick scoffed, "Valerie doesn't have those kind of feelings for me."

"Look Dick I could sit here till the cows come home and list out all the reasons it's obvious she feels the same way about you as you do about her," Nix sighed, standing up and stretching his back, "but unless you're willing to admit it to yourself then I'm wasting my breath." Nix began to saunter down the street before stopping in his tracks and turning to Dick once more.

"She'll be okay you know," he assured Dick, "she's made of tough stuff. She'll roll into town tomorrow on the back of a jeep like the Queen of Sheba and tell us all we couldn't have handled it better than her, just you wait and see."

Dick had to chuckle a little at that, because it did sound like something she'd do alright. And Nix was right, she was a very capable soldier and smart as a whip, if anyone could keep it together it was Valerie. He just had to hope she'd make it through, and that the next time he saw her she wouldn't be so angry with him.

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Hey there! Could you write something for dear Dick Winters and a girl who has a crush on him based on the following: said dude has something on his face, and after ignoring it for awhile she points it out and tries to tell him where it is but eventually she reaches over and helps him out and *of course* sparks fly.

Obviously, I could use some fluff today. :) But, if this doesn’t inspire you, then absolutely no pressure.

Hello dear anon, thank you so much for this absolutely lovely request, and sorry its taken me so long to get to!! I hope you don't mind I'm going to write it as a little stand alone one shot for my OC Valerie 💓

Sparks Fly

Valerie had noticed it halfway through dinner, but she didn't want to point it out in front of the others lest she embarrass him. However once dinner was over and the others had left, she felt it best to tell him about it before he went to his meetings.

"Hey Dick, you've got a little something there on your cheek," she said quietly, pointing towards his cheek.

"Oh dear," he said, swiping at his cheek roughly, "did I get it?"

"No no," Valerie chuckled, pointing again, "you just missed it."

"How about now?" He asked, and Valerie couldn't help but giggle fondly at the silliness of it all. Dick was usually so fastidious about things, so to see him struggle to wipe tomato sauce off his face was oddly endearing.

"No it's just..." she started, before scoffing and leaning across the table towards him, "I'll get it myself." She swiped her thumb across his cheek without a second thought, but when her eyes met his she was frozen in place.

She'd gotten much closer to him than she'd realised, and having his earnest blue gaze so close sent a shiver down her spine. She stroked his cheek with her thumb gently, her heart beginning to thud when she noticed the heat of his blushing cheek under her palm.

The sound of a smashing plate startled them both, and Valerie quickly pulled back with an awkward cough, unable to meet his eyes as she stood from her seat. "Got it," she squeaked, cringing at the high pitch of her voice, "now I'd better go and make sure third platoon haven't done anything stupid."

"Yeah," he croaked before clearing his throat roughly, "yeah I ought to get to my meetings too."

"See you later then," Valerie replied before rushing off and out of the mess hall, her hand still tingling where it had touched his face.

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Bitter Pill to Swallow

Chapter 21 (Chapter Masterlist)

Screencaps for this little colour palette I made are from the always wonderful @tvserie-s-world

Valerie woke the next morning with a crick in her neck and a stiff back. The artillery barage had continued all through the night, and they'd all barely managed a few hours of broken sleep at best. She sat up with a groan and stretched her sore limbs, sighing in satisfsction when they made an audible crack. Gene shuffled around beside her but ultimately remained asleep, and Valerie smiled fondly at him before peering out over the edge of their foxhole. The horizon was just beginning to brighten with the pink tinges of dawn, and the air around her was eerily still. She looked through the fog and tried to spot movement, but there was none. She knew they were still out there though, she could feel it.

As the day began to break others began to rise, and Valerie jumped from her foxhole and made her way through the town in search of Speirs and Robertson.

"Hell of a night we had eh?" Speirs's voice came from somewhere behind her, and she turned to find him leaning against a wall with a cigarette in hand.

"That's one way to put it," she sighed as she approached him, leaning against the wall beside him with a tired huff.

"Cigarette?" He asked, offering the box to her. She smirked as she took one and allowed him to light it for her, breathing out the smoke with a sigh and letting her shoulders sag. "Suppose its only a matter of time before the Krauts wake up and it all starts again," he continued, and she groaned morosely.

"No doubt," she grumbled, "let's just hope someone sees fit to give us some support today because if they don't then I'll be having words with Ike."

"Now thats a conversation that'd make news headlines," Speirs snorted, shaking his head in amusement, "'Easy Company Lieutenant gives Supreme Allied Commander the what for.'"

"Y'know Speirs I like the sound of that," she chuckled, "has a nice ring to it." He was about to retort when they heard the roar of plane engines heading their way. "Aw shit here we go again," she cursed as she and Speirs ran across the street towards a cellar door. But before they reached it the planes flew over them, and she huffed out a disbelieving laugh as she watched the British planes dropping artillery over the German position.

"Guess you won't get your headline after all," Speirs smirked, and Valerie shook her head in amusement.

"Guess not," she sniggered, "I better head back to the boys in case they come in on foot, I'll see you around Speirs." He gave her a lazy salute before taking off in the other direction towards his own company. Valerie hurried back to the foxholes at the edge of town, and slid in beside Guarnere when she spotted him.

"Bout time the Brits gave us some support," she huffed as she landed beside him."

"Yeah tell me about it," he grumbled, "not like we've been out here all night gettin' blown to shit or anythin'."

"At least they're here now," she sighed wearily, "get your squad ready in case the Krauts come in on foot, we're not out of the woods just yet."

"You got it ma'am," he replied before leaping from the foxhole and rushing off to gather his squad. Valerie flitted between the foxholes, barking orders and making sure everyone was alert and ready for any eventually. The Germans did attempt to attack on foot, but Easy kept them from pushing too far forward, and a raucous round of cheers went up when the British Shermans rolled in and finally sent the Germans packing.

"Alright 2nd batallion, we're moving out to Uden in fifteen," called Major Strayer as the companies regrouped in the town centre. Valerie felt her stomach drop at the thought of Uden and what they might find there.

"Easy company," she called out, fighting to keep her voice from wavering, "pack it up. We're moving out in fifteen." Once she was sure everyone was cooperating she wandered down the street and took a few shaky breaths.

"You alright chérie?" Gene asked gently as he came to her side, "you look a little shaken up."

"I'm fine," she croaked, shaking her head roughly, "just tired is all."

"You're worried about goin' to Uden aren't you?" He asked knowingly, and Valerie couldn't bring herself to respond. "Well whatever we find there, you know I'm always here right?"

"Yeah Chouchou," she sighed shakily, "I know." Gene gave her arm a firm squeeze before heading off to gather his supplies. Valerie took a few moments to compose herself before marching back towards the trucks with determination. She kept herself busy with loading supplies and making sure everyone was accounted for, and only when the last Easy trooper had jumped on a truck did she finally acknowledge that it was time for her to get on the move also. She felt sick at the thought of going to Uden, but she knew she'd have to get it over with eventually.

"Lieutenant Landry," Speirs called from the back of a jeep, "need a ride?" Valerie swallowed the lump in her throat roughly before jumping into the back of the jeep with him. She clenched her fists tightly as they took off down hells highway, trying and failing to prepare herself for what might lay ahead of them. 

The road between Veghel and Uden was littered with the charred remains of trucks and tanks, and Valerie felt the pit in her stomach widen to a chasm. She could barely breathe as they made their way towards the town, looking ahead anxiously for signs of damage. But as they pulled to a stop on the main street of Uden Valerie realised that the place looked a hell of a lot better than the town she had just left.

She jumped out of the jeep on trembling legs and looked around in disbelief at the smiling faces of her fellow Easy troops. They were ok. Somehow they had made it through unscathed. As she looked around she spotted Lew and Harry standing together a bit down the road, watching the trucks roll into town with a look of delighted disbelief. Valerie barely suppressed a relieved sob as she ran down the street towards them, throwing her arms around Lew in a tight hug and almost winding him in the process.

"Hey Val," he chuckled, wrapping his arms around her waist in a tight hug, "hell if we're not glad to see you."

"Yeah," Harry chimed in as she turned to him and dragged him into a fierce hug, "we thought you guys were done for with all that shelling."

She sniffled as she pulled away, looking at the two of them as though she were afraid they might disappear if she looked away. "It was awful, but we made it. It's you guys we were worried about. We thought you'd all be dead," she croaked, a lump forming in her throat, "we thought they'd have...have blown this place to bits considerin' how few of you were here."

"Got lucky we pushed them back quick enough that they never realised how low our numbers were," Nix explained. 

"We could see the planes as they flew over and rained hell on you guys," said Harry mournfully, placing a hand on her arm, "but we didn't have enough men to send support. We thought most of you would never come back."

She took his hand and squeezed it tightly, having to look away then lest her emotions overwhelm her. She looked down the street and caught sight of a familiar redhead, and her heart hammered so hard in her chest she was sure it might leap out. As though he felt eyes on him he looked up, and when his eyes met hers he froze in place.

"I think there's someone else who might want to see you," Lew said softly, putting a hand on her back and gently pushing her forward, "he was real worried you wouldn't make it, didn't sleep a wink from the stress." 

Valerie stumbled forward slightly, taking slow deliberate steps towards him. She came to a stop about two feet away from him, and neither of them said anything for a moment. "Hi Dick," she murmured eventually.

"Hi Valerie," he replied softly, his eyes roving over every inch of her face. They looked at each other for what felt like forever, neither one sure what to do or say. But then as though a switch had flicked they moved in tandem. Valerie threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, her head coming to rest against his chest. Dick wrapped his arms around her back and held her close, resting his cheek on the top of her head. He exhaled heavily and closed his eyes, hardly daring to believe she was right there and she was ok.

"Val, I'm so sorry..."

"Dick, I'm so sorry..."

They laughed as they pulled away from each other, both trying to figure out what to say.

"I'm sorry I didn't do more," he said earnestly, "perhaps if I'd...."

"Dick stop," she cut in, shaking her head firmly, "you didn't have enough men to help us. And what could you have done about the artillery barage? There's no need for you to be apologisin'."

"But I should have done more," he croaked, "I should have planned for the possibility that they'd bring in the heavy artillery. If I hadn't been so..."

"So what?" She snorted, "there was nothing you could have done. Anyway it's me who owes you an apology."

"Val..."

"I spent all night over there worryin' I'd never see any of you again," she continued, a thick lump forming in her throat as she remembered the previous night, "I spent all night feeling guilty that the last conversations I'd had with you had been so tense and that I might never get to make it right. So I'm sorry Dick, I'm sorry I was so short tempered with you."

Dick just gazed back at her for a few moments, unsure of how he wanted to respond to her sincere apology. "Why were you so angry with me?" He eventually asked quietly, his conversation with Nix the previous night coming to the forefront of his mind, "what did I do that made you so angry with me?"

"I..." Valerie started, her heart thumping so hard she thought it might break out of her ribcage, "I was....I mean it was just....I just...." she cursed herself for her silly stuttering, and her cheeks blazed red at the prospect of him finding out the truth.

"Val?" He asked, his brows furrowing with worry, "whatever it is you can tell me, I want you to be honest with me. I want to work it out and go back to how we were before this whole mess."

Valerie chewed her lip subconsciously as her heart sank with guilt. He genuinely looked remorseful for whatever had caused her anger, which made her feel all the worse because he hadn't even really done anything. It wasn't his fault that that woman had kissed him and she'd seen it happen, gotten jealous, and hadn't known how to handle it.

"It wasn't important Dick," she replied carefully, "you didn't even do anything, I was just...."

"Just what?" He continued, and she wished that he would just let it go before she said something stupid.

"Just....I dunno I guess I was....acting irrationally."

"But why was it just me that you were angry with? You were perfectly fine with everyone else. There's obviously something you're holding back," He persisted, and Valerie could have strangled him.

"I don't know Dick," she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in irritation, "I guess I was just annoyed in general and I took it out on you  and I'm sorry OK. So can we please just leave it behind us and move past it?"

"Sorry," he conceded, his shoulders sagging, "I just....promise me if you're ever angry with me in future you'll just tell me so we can avoid any more arguments? Believe it or not I don't enjoy arguing with you."

"Really?" She asked sarcastically, "cause I seem to recall many times where..."

"Alright alright okay," he chuckled, shaking his head in amusement, "I didn't enjoy it, you just went out of your way to get under my skin."

"Yeah yeah whatever you say," she teased, punching him on the arm playfully. They grinned at each other for a moment, and Valerie couldn't help but notice what a nice smile Dick had. Such a pity that this war meant he didn't get to show it nearly as often as he should.

"Are we good Val?" He asked quietly, his eyes showing a hint of vulnerability and doubt.

"Yeah Dick," she sighed, smiling up at him softly, "we're good."

Taglist:  @tvserie-s-world @geniedocroe @generousdreamlanddestiny @sunsetmando @cagzzz107 @stolemyspoons @alejodi0nysus @sunflowerchuck @now-im-a-belieber @delreyleclerc @50svibes @eugene-emt-roe @pennyllane @televisionboy @francois-ceverts @ask-you-what-sir @parajumpboots @mads-weasley @tetragonia

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Bitter Pill to Swallow

Chapter 22 (Masterlist)

I know it's been ages but I'm finally back with a new chapter and I hope you all enjoy it ❤

"Hey, Mr intelligent intelligence officer, please tell me you know when it's gonna stop goddamn rainin'."

"It seems you've confused the job of an intelligence officer with a weatherman there Val," Lew chuckled, a wry smile on his face.

"Then maybe you can tell me how much longer we're gonna be in this goddamn woods," she quipped, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Well why don't you head across that road there and ask the Krauts how much longer they're planning to stick around."

"Touché," Valerie laughed, bowing sarcastically in defeat. She huffed out a disbelieving laugh when she noticed Lew lifting a bottle to his lips and taking a deep slug from it. "Jesus Lew, tell me you're not drinkin' a bottle of Schnapps in the pissin' rain in the middle of active combat."

"What can I say, it just fell into my hand," he smirked, taking another long swig from the bottle, "would be a shame to let it go to waste."

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't see that," Dick sighed as he approached them through the trees, his shoulders tense. They'd been under almost constant fire for the majority of the day, and Dick had been doing his best to keep the show running. Ultimately though they'd had to pull back into the treeline, and he'd been on edge ever since. "I sent a Sherman to try and take out that Tiger Royal we spotted earlier but no dice. Damn Tiger took him down with two shots, then took a potshot at one of the others and got that too."

"It's gonna be a long night, isn't it?" Valerie sighed in dismay, meeting Dick's pitying gaze with one of her own.

"Afraid so Val," he replied, "I'm gonna need you to check in with your mortar squad, make sure they've got enough rounds to keep them going. We can't let up the pressure on the highway."

"You got it boss," she agreed, giving him a lazy two finger salute as she headed off through the trees. Dick watched her go for a moment before turning back to Nix with a disapproving frown, but he chose not to say anything to his friend.

"Glad to see you and Val have kissed and made up," Nix commented as he swigged from his bottle. Dick rolled his eyes at him before responding.

"We talked," he said pointedly, "and we're all good."

"She admit why she was angry?"

"Well...not necessarily no" Dick sighed, refusing to meet Nixon's amused gaze. She'd been incredibly cagey when he'd questioned her, but he hadn't wanted to push any further lest they end up in another argument. But that didn't mean that Nix's theory was right. Maybe it was just something really personal that she hadn't wanted to tell him about. There could be a thousand reasons as to why she'd avoided his questions.

"Right," Nix commented dryly, "well at least you're friends again. Now all you need to do is pull your head out of your ass and tell her you like her and all will be well in the world."

"Nix," Dick huffed in exasperation, "I already told you..."

"Yeah yeah, I know you did," Nix butted in, clapping him on the back before making his way towards the trees, "told me all about honour and duty and all that other crap." Dick shook his head in exasperation, refusing to even dignify Nix with a response. Nix to his credit didn't seem inclined to wait for one.

"Nix?" Dick called to his friend as he watched him amble off through the trees, "Take it easy on the Schnapps. And please try not to get caught with it." Nix gave him a half-hearted wave before continuing on his trek through the trees, Dick watching him go with concern.

~~~~

"Hey, Lieutenant Landry,"

Valerie stopped in her tracks and waited for Shames to catch up to her. He'd been with her in third platoon since they'd dropped in Holland, and Valerie found they got along well enough together. He'd been nothing but nice to her since they'd met, and she appreciated his competency in combat.

"Everything alright Shames?" She asked as they fell into step beside each other.

"All good," he replied, "just checked in with the mortar squads and made sure they were stocked up on ammo."

"Great, one less job for me to do," Valerie chuckled, clapping him on the shoulder, "I'll check in with the machine gunners and the others, you go on and have something to eat."

"Thanks Valerie, I'll check in with you again later." With that he was off through the trees again, and Valerie changed her course slightly to find her machine gunners.

"Hey Smokey, how are things lookin'?" She asked as she slid into the foxhole beside him and More.

"No real moves yet, just firing mortars back and forth across the road," he sighed, leaning his back against the edge of the foxhole.

"Gonna be a long night if that's the case," More chimed in, shaking his head, "Any chance they might just get sick of it and piss off?"

"No telling at this point I'm afraid," Valerie sighed, patting them on the back before pulling herself from the foxhole and continuing down the line.

"All good Shifty?" She asked as she passed by him, "you need anything?"

"Yes ma'am, all good here," he replied, giving her a small smile and a short nod. She moved to the next foxhole, and so on until she was satisfied all her boys were ok. Only then did she take a moment alone to catch her breath. She slid into her own foxhole with a weary sigh, leaning her head back against the side of it. Closing her eyes she settled herself into a more comfortable position, hoping she could squeeze in a few hours shut eye before she was needed on the line again.

~~~

Ironically, Alton More got his wish in the end, when in the early hours of the morning the Germans pulled back from their position across the highway.

"Pack it up third platoon," Valerie shouted wearily, "we're moving out." By the late afternoon Easy and the rest of the 506th were on the highway and marching back towards Uden once more. The rain pounded down on them relentlessly, and it served to exacerbate the already tired mood of the company. They'd only been in Holland for a week but it had been nothing but hardship ever since they'd gotten there, and the moral of the men had fallen low.

"Alright boys settle in," she called as they trudged their way into the town, "we're here for the night and maybe tomorrow so make the most of the rest while you can, you've more than earned it. I know the food situation isn't great right now, but if you're real nice and polite to the locals, they might take some pity on you and spare you some rations. I hear a whisper of one of you bein' rude to a local and there'll be hell the pay y'hear me?"

"Yes Ma'am," they chimed back wearily. Once she was sure third platoon were settled in she wandered down the main street of Uden. She spotted Dick and Harry heading into a house so she followed them, traipsing over the threshold and down the hall towards what she assumed was the kitchen.

"Don't suppose there's any good food lying around?" She asked as she sunk into one of the chairs around the table, "man what I wouldn't give for Maman's shrimp 'n' grits right about now."

"Oh don't even start on food," Harry groaned, resting his head against the tabletop, "Kitty makes the best chicken pot pie you've ever had in your life."

"Well there's good news and bad news," Dick commented as he rifled through the cupboards, "Bad news is there's no shrimp, grits, or chicken pot pie. Good news is there is some stale bread that doesn't seem to have any mold."

"What a feast," Harry snorted, but he still picked at some gratefully, "beats army rations that's for sure."

"Hell Harry, just about anything edible beats army rations," Valerie chuckled, picking at the crust of the bread. There was a comfortable silence for awhile as they each ate their share, before Harry proclaimed it was time to hit the hay and wandered off down the hall to find a bed. Valerie and Dick shared a look, silently questioning if they should also get a kip in, but neither of them made a move to go.

"Do you ever wonder what the hell we're doin' out here Dick?" She asked with a weary sigh, and he ached at how bone weary she looked in that moment.

"I wonder about that at least once a day Val," he replied, shaking his head and leaning his elbows on the table.

"You'd never realise it with you though," she mused, "you always seem so put together, so in control of yourself and everythin' else too. Meanwhile I feel like I'm startin' to crack and everyone's gonna see it sooner or later."

"Is this because of Veghal?" He asked, and when she nodded he sighed, "I promise you, we've all been struggling since that night. We're all worn out and hungry so trust me, nobody would think any different of you for feeling a bit weary from it all."

"You really think so?" She asked, a hint of vulnerability in her tone.

"I know so. And anyway, you wouldn't be saying I was put together if you'd been in Uden," he snorted, an almost shy look in his eyes as he made the admission.

"I find that hard to believe," Valerie snickered, her curiosity piqued, "care to share?"

"Well.." he started, his cheeks reddening, "the whole thing was quite stressful and I...well I...I chewed out a British Lieutenant for abandoning his tank for a cozy tea, then I...I dragged Harry out of a pub by his ear and chewed him out as well for sleeping on the job."

"Aw hell Dick" she laughed, her eyes crinkling, "I'd've paid good money to see that."

"I bet you would," he chuckled, "Harry was certainly taken by surprise that's for sure."

"See that's the thing with you," she mused, a teasing glint in her eye, "you're so quiet most of the time, so it takes 'em by surprise when you lose your temper. Not me though, I've known all along you had a mean streak."

"Oh is that so?" He snickered, raising an eyebrow at her sceptically.

"Sure is," she grinned, "but then again, I'm a special case. I seem to know just the right buttons to push."

"You certainly are a special case," he replied, a soft smile on his lips. Valerie smiled back at him, her eyes lingering on his for a beat too long before she looked away shyly and cleared her throat, her cheeks beginning to heat.

"Well I dunno about you but I think it's time I tried to get some sleep," she proclaimed, standing and dusting the crumbs off her pants. She stepped around the table but paused and glanced at Dick once more.

"Goodnight Dick," she said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder, "and thanks for the chat." She gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze before continuing out of the kitchen and down the hall towards the staircase.

"Goodnight Val," he murmured back, his eyes following her retreating back all the way down the hall until she disappeared up the stairs.

~~~~

"Lieutenant Landry, wait!"

Valerie turned around and smiled when she saw Vest jogging over to her, a letter clutched in his hand. "Aw great, we're finally getting mail."

"Its about time I know," he laughed, handing it over and giving her a salute before turning on his heel.

"Hey wait," she stopped him, "you got one for Doc Roe? I'm headin' his way so I can pass it along if you do."

"Oh that would be great thanks," he smiled, rifling through his mail bag before pulling out a matching envelope to hers and passing it to her. She bid him goodbye and made her way over to the medical tent. She was glad to see it was rather quiet in the tent, a good indicator that everyone was doing OK for the time being.

"Hey Chouchou," she called as she walked into the storeroom, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug.

"Always good t'see you Chérie," he replied softly, giving her a tight squeeze and resting his chin on her shoulder.

"I've got  surprise for you," she grinned as she pulled back, holding the envelope out to him between two fingers.

"About time we got some mail around here," he laughed wryly as he plucked it from her grasp and moved to sit on the side of a cot, opening his letter without delay.

"It's nice to see her writing," Valerie sighed wistfully, "almost like I can hear her talkin' to us."

"If I close my eyes I can just about imagine we're sittin' in the kitchen waitin' for her to get home with the groceries," he sighed, a tone of melancholy in his voice.

"Do you think she'd be proud of us?...of me?" Valerie asked quietly after a moment of silence, her thumb rubbing the ink on the page until it started to smudge a little.

"Course she is," Gene replied, his brows furrowing, "Why would you even say somethin' like that?"

"Well you....you're out here lookin' after people and me...well sometimes I wonder if she'd be proud of the things I do."

"You kiddin' chérie?" He exclaimed incredulously, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her into his side, "you're out here lookin' after people too. You're their Lieutenant, their leader, and when push comes to shove and shit gets heavy they look to you. They rely on you because they know that no matter what you've got their back out there. You're smart, you care, an' I know maman would be proud if she could see you now."

"Aw hell Gene," she sniffled, wiping her eye with the back of her hand, "you didn't need to go and say all that."

"I meant every word of it, and you best believe it," he insisted, "no more doubting yourself chérie, this company is lucky to have you and don't you forget it."

"Thanks for havin' my back Chouchou," she murmured, "thanks for always bein' there when I need it."

"Always chérie," he replied, kissing the top of her head gently, "from the Bayou to Berlin, and don't you forget it."

Taglist:  @tvserie-s-world @geniedocroe @generousdreamlanddestiny @sofietargaryen @cagzzz107 @stolemyspoons @alejodi0nysus @sunflowerchuck @now-im-a-belieber @50ssdelrey @50svibes @eugene-emt-roe @pennyllane @televisionboy @nandoalonsos @ask-you-what-sir @parajumpboots @mads-weasley @tetragonia

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As its been soooooo long since Iast updated Bitter Pill, I thought I'd share a little snippet of the next chapter with you all as a gift for being so patient with me💓

"Wow you really are a dense idiot," Nix chuckled. Dick's jaw clenched and he stood abruptly, dusting himself off and turning to walk away.

"If you're just gonna sit there and mock me then..."

"Alright, alright cool your jets," Nix placated, gesturing for him to sit back down. He grumbled in annoyance but ultimately conceded and flopped down in his spot again. He rested his elbows on his knees and bent his head in defeat. "I just mean that for someone so smart, I can't understand how you can't see what's staring you in the face."

"And I suppose you know just what it is," Dick sniped, "you being the intelligence officer and all."

"Of course I do," he bragged, "what did she see you do in Eindhoven that would make her act irrationally angry towards you?"

[holdingforgeneralhugs]

I'M BACK BABY!

I've finally finished my exams and taken a few days to rest my weary brain, and now I'm ready to get back on here and get back writing!!!

I've got sooo many requests which I'm looking forward to working through, and of course I cannot wait to return to my beloved Valerie Landry and Dick Winters with Bitter Pill! X

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Bitter Pill to Swallow

Chapter 19 (Chapter Masterlist)

"There's only enough room on the trucks for one platoon of Easy, so Harry I want you and First in Uden with Nix and I."

"Hang on," Valerie interjected in disbelief, "you're taking Harry and Lew with you to Uden and leaving me here alone with second and third?"

"Yes Valerie," Dick sighed, glancing at her briefly, "do you think you can manage them?"

"Are you questioning my capabilities?" She asked acidly, raising an eyebrow at him and glaring darkly. Lew and Harry shared a look across the table, but otherwise remained silent.

"Oh for Pete's sake," Dick snapped, slamming his pencil down on the table, "you're the one who complained about being left here with second and third so don't turn this around on me."

"I'm just questioning why you get to take them both with you and I get dumped here alone," she grumbled, crossing her arms tightly across her chest.

"I don't have time for this," he growled, "you can think whatever the hell you like, but you'll be thinking it here. Now if you don't mind, we've got to get moving." He stormed out of the room without waiting for another reply. Valerie glared stonily at his retreating back, her fists clenched at her sides.

"Val...." Harry started, but she held up a hand and stopped him.

"I don't want to hear it," she warned, giving him a pointed stare, "I'll see you both in a few days." With that she marched out, her teeth grinding together roughly.

"Grant, Guarnere," she shouted as she marched into the square. She cleared her throat as the men came to stand in front of her, crossing her arms over her chest. "We're going to remain here in Veghel while first go with HQ company to Uden. I want patrols covering all main access routes into town, and lookouts in the church tower."

"You got it ma'am," Bill replied, giving her a quick salute and a wink before turning away and heading back into the group of Easy men, Grant not far behind him. She watched them go for a moment before glancing down the street at the men loading onto the trucks. Her gaze landed on Dick as he climbed into a jeep beside Lew, and her stomach churned with irritation. Her eyes narrowed, and as the jeep pulled away Dick's eyes met hers. He stared back at her for a beat, his jaw clenching as he turned away and sped off.

"I'm guessin' you didn't talk to him then?"

Valerie turned and met Gene's disapproving look. "No, I didn't," she replied, unable to maintain eye contact with him. He furrowed his eyebrows in disapproval, but before he could respond she held up a hand and cut him off. "I don't want to hear any lectures alright? I have enough to be dealin' with."

"Just try'na look out for you chérie," he sighed, holding up his hands in defeat. Valerie softened slightly and squeezed his arm gently.

"I know Chouchou," she said, "but I'm fine. Right now I have more important things to think about than Dick Winters. Now I hate to leave you but I gotta make sure everyone's where they should be."

Gene patted her hand and shook his head fondly, letting her head off without further complaint. He watched her for a moment, his eyebrows furrowing in concern. She'd always been too stubborn for her own good, always having to get the last word. But nothing was ever certain in war, and he just hoped there was never a time she'd have to regret her stubbornness.

~~~~

"We saw a couple of them heading for Uden," Liebgott explained, taking a puff of his cigarette before continuing, "but there wasn't many and they didn't get far. Winters sent them running with their tails between their asses pretty quick."

"I'm sure he did," she replied, trying and failing to keep the bitter note out of her voice and taking another drag of her own cigarette. Lieb huffed out a laugh beside her and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"What's the deal with you and Winters anyway?" He asked curiously, smirking when she bristled slightly, "Well it's just that you two were all buddy buddy until a few days ago, and now you look like you want to scrawl his eyes out. And don't try to deny it, me and Luz saw you two arguin' the other day after Nuenen."

"Do you make a habit of gossiping about your superiors?" She grumbled, narrowing her eyes at him darkly. He didn't pay her a tack of notice though.

"No, just you sweetheart," he grinned, chuckling when she elbowed him roughly in the side, "the more you avoid the question the more likely I am to think it's something scandalous."

"Oh for chrissakes Lieb," she huffed, shaking her head, "we just had a disagreement. There's nothing scandalous for you and Luz to gossip about.'

"I'm sure we'll find something, you never fail to entertain," he teased, laughing again when she glared at him.

"Clearly I ain't giving you enough duties since you have so much time for all that rubbish."

"Aw c'mon Val," he mocked, "you love me too much to do that to me."

"You keep telling yourself that," she grumbled, but she couldn't fight the grin that was rising on her lips. She finished her cigarette and stubbed it out under her boot before turning to him again. "Now if you're done givin' me....."

"Take cover!"

Valerie's eyes widened as Grant ran down the street, waving at everyone to take cover. She shared a worried look with Lieb before sprinting down the road and grabbing Grant's arm to stop him.

"What's going on Chuck?" She asked, looking around frantically.

"They've cut the highway between here and Uden, and the tanks are heading straight for us. And the fucking bombers will get here before them."

Valerie looked up into the sky, and her stomach dropped at the sight of the planes heading their way. "Everybody take cover," she screamed, "try and find shelter in a basement." She began to shove people towards houses, where mercifully the locals were opening their doors and frantically gesturing the soldiers inside. Valerie stood in the middle of the street, trying to make sure everyone got inside before the shelling started.

"Chrissakes Val get the hell out of here," Lieb cursed as he ran over and tried to get her moving .

"I need to make sure everyone's safe first," she replied tersely, eyes roving up and down the street, "now go get yourself into a basement."

"Everyone's inside except you, now come on." He didn't give her a chance to respond, grabbing her arm and dragging her across the street to where a young Dutch woman was desperately waving people into her basement. The woman ushered them in and slammed the hatch closed behind them, and before they even reached the bottom step they were thrown from the force of the first shells dropping right outside the door.

"Goddamit," she cursed as she straightened herself up. As she glanced around the room she counted half a dozen of her fellow Americans huddled by the walls, as well as four Dutch locals. Her eyes landed on Gene and she made her way over to him, collapsing against the wall beside him and closing her eyes. The barage seemed endless, the heavy thud of each shell shaking the walls around them and causing dust to drop from the ceiling.

"How much longer can this go on?" She whispered, hugging her knees tightly. 

"Hopefully they'll break off soon," Gene murmured, rubbing her arm soothingly. And as though he'd wished it into reality, they did break off, and the silence they left behind was smothering. Valerie pushed herself up off the floor and straightened herself up.

"Stay here," she instructed, making her way to the small stairs leading up out of the basement, "I'm just gonna take a quick look and make sure nobody's hurt." She pushed up the basement door and peered out, but she quickly slammed the door shut again as she heard the tell-tale whistle of another incoming shell.

"Goddamn artillery," she cursed as she ran back down the stairs and fell in between Gene and Lieb again.

"Must be the 88's," Lieb grumbled as the ceiling shook with the intensity of the barage. Valerie sighed, wrapping her arms around her knees again and resting her forehead on them. Thankfully it didn't last too long, and Valerie once more made her way to the cellar hatch and peered out cautiously. The church steeple had been blown clean off, and she sighed in dismay at the loss of the crucial vantage point. She turned her head sharply when she heard a jeep screeching around the corner at the end of the street, sighing in relief when she saw it was Colonel Sink. "Get up here guys," she called back into the basement, "the good Colonel just rolled into town."

She stepped out of the basement and made her way over to the jeep, Speirs from Dog and Robertson from Fox coming from the other end of the street. "One helluva barage they sent in, but we've got to get back out there. I want a perimeter defense set up, and by god you shoot anything that moves out there. No matter what, they're not getting in here, ya hear?"

"Yes sir," they replied in unison, snapping off salutes to the Colonel. He replied in kind before jumping back into the jeep and speeding back down the road he'd come.

"So how do we want to do this?" Speirs asked them matter of factly.

"Well Easy is a platoon short," Valerie sighed, "so I'd rather only send out two squads and keep the rest in reserve."

"Fine," Robertson agreed, "Fox and Dog can cover the rest." Once Speirs had agreed and they decided on who would go where, Valerie made her way back to Easy to give them the bad news. She felt a nervous pit start to form in her stomach as she approached them. There was no doubt that the Germans would strike again, she just hoped that all of her friends would make it through when they did. If anything happened to any of them out there she'd never forgive herself for putting them in harms way.

"Bad news boys," she called as she reached them, her gut further sinking as they groaned, "Sink wants a perimeter defense." She turned to Bill and Shifty before continuing on. "I want you two with your squads out on the north flank of town, and we need to hold that main road at all costs. Dog and Fox will be on either side of you for support."

"Goddamn Yokels," Bill cursed, which pulled a chuckle out of the group. Valerie crossed her arms tightly over her chest and clenched her jaw, trying her damnedest to keep her face neutral. She needed to show a strong face for them, because fear was the biggest killer in war and it spread like wildfire. Her thoughts briefly landed on Dick, a constant pillar of leadership in the face of adversity, and her heart gave a nervous flutter in her chest despite the animosity she'd been feeling towards him. Were they okay in Uden? Their numbers were limited and if the Germans were heading for them too then....

"Chérie? Are you alright?"

Valerie's eyes snapped up and met Gene's worried gaze. "Yeah sorry, zoned out for a sec. Everythin' okay?"

"I was telling you that I'm going out with them," he replied, and Valerie thought her stomach might drop right out. She opened her mouth, fully prepared to tell him he was not going, but then she closed it again. The rational Lieutenant in her knew he had to go, that he'd be crucial out there if someone got hurt.

"Alright," she croaked, a heavy lump clogging her throat, "be safe." Gene squeezed her arm reassuringly and then he was gone, jogging to catch up with the two squads making their way out of town. Valerie watched him go and sent a quick prayer to whoever might be listening to keep them safe.

The next few hours were thick with tension, everyone waiting with bated breathe for the next round of shelling to begin. Valerie couldn't stay still for too long, constantly fluttering from one end of town to the other and checking in on everyone to see if they were alright. Webster had found an orchard earlier that afternoon, so she made her way there and filled her pockets to the brim with shiny red apples. They were deliciously sweet, and the repetitive motion of crunching through the apple in her hand gave her mind a brief respite from her worries. 

As she looked up at the dusky sky she froze, the apple core slipping from her fingers as she heard the familiar whistle of an incoming shell. "Take cover," she shouted as she ran down the street, stumbling slightly as the ground trembled under the force of the first explosion. She spotted an open basement door and raced towards it, taking the steps down two at a time. The shells were raining down on them by the time she'd settled against the wall beside Liebgott. Her gut twisted as she thought of the guys out in the foxholes. What hope would they have to survive under hellfire like that? Would she ever get the chance to tell Gene she loved him one more time? Would she ever get to chat with Shifty or laugh with Bill again?

She closed her eyes and rested her forehead on her bent knees, but when she did she was haunted by the image of Gene being blown out of a foxhole, or shot down in the crossfire and her body began to shake despite her best efforts. She felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her and she willingly allowed herself to be pulled against Lieb's warm chest.

"Hey don't worry sweetheart," he whispered into her hair, rubbing her back gently, "everythin's gonna be just fine. Those boys out there are the toughest there is, no need to worry about them."

She wasn't quite sure how he knew what she was worried about, but in that moment she was infinitely grateful that he did. He didn't talk anymore after that, content to just hold her and give her a little comfort. "I'm sorry," she mumbled after awhile, her body finally getting itself back under control, "I'm supposed to be setting an example."

"Honestly I'd be more worried if you weren't afraid because you'd be the only one," he chuckled before sobering up again, "I know you an' Doc are close, but he's tough as nails. He'll be fine, don't you worry."

"Yeah, it's the guys in Uden I'd worry about," chimed in a private from Dog, "if they're facing the same thing we are they haven't a hope of surviving with the small group they have."

Valerie felt an icy pit of dread in her chest at that, because he was right. There were so few of them in Uden they'd never be able to hold it, no matter how clever a leader Dick was. And if the Germans knew just how few of them were holding Uden, which they surely did, they'd rain hell down on them to wipe them out in one fell swoop. The thought of it alone made her stomach churn with bile. What if she never got to see them again? She thought back on her last conversations with them and it made her feel even sicker. She'd been so peevish with Harry and Lew before they'd left, and Dick...oh god Dick. She'd said so many nasty things to him and now she might never get the chance to make it right. She absently felt that someone was gently shaking her, but her mind was reeling and she couldn't bring it back into focus.

"Earth to Valerie?" Lieb asked, shaking her a bit more insistently. She shivered harshly and looked up, her glassy eyes meeting his worried ones. "Jesus Val are you alright?"

Perhaps it was the concern in his voice, or maybe it was the worry on his face, but something finally snapped her out of her daze. She cleared her throat roughly and nodded, looking around and seeing the others settling in to try and sleep. It was then she registered that all was quiet up above them, and she quickly pushed herself to her feet.

"I need to check in with the guys on the perimeter," she murmured, already making her way to the stairs. If he responded, she didn't hear, too focused on the need to get out there and make sure the guys were okay. The dark streets of Veghel were quiet, none of the locals daring to come outside the tentative safety of their homes. As she made her way towards the perimeter line her heart thumped in her chest, and she wondered what kind of mess she was walking into. The knot in her stomach loosened slightly as she approached the foxholes and heard the whispered conversations of her men. She caught sight of Bill walking between the foxholes and jogged up to him.

"How's everybody doing?" She asked quietly, looking both left and right and trying her best to assess the situation despite the darkness.

"All good Val. I ain't gonna pretend it was fun sitting in a goddamn foxhole watching those shells dropping in, but we all made it through."

"Glad to hear it Bill," she sighed in relief, and it felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "Where's Gene?" She asked, glancing around to try and see him. Bill directed her down the row and she gave him a grateful smile before leaving him.

"Hey Chouchou," she whispered as she slid into the foxhole beside him, "hell if I ain't glad to see you." She sighed as she settled in next to him, and for the first time that day she didn't feel the pressure to show a strong face.

"What the hell are you doing out here?" He replied in disbelief, "you should go back into town and get some proper sleep."

"I came out to check in with you guys," she mumbled, "and I'm not gonna get much sleep anyway so I'd rather be out here with you than sitting like a rat in a cage in that basement."

Gene didn't reply for a moment, his searching eyes surveying her and his brows furrowing. "What's going on chérie?" He asked, his gaze never straying from her. Valerie stared at the opposite wall of the foxhole, a thick lump beginning to form in her throat. She opened her mouth to tell him she was fine, but the words just wouldn't come out. She'd spent the whole day holding it all together and in that moment it felt like the dam was about to burst.

"Valerie?" He persisted, placing his hand on her arm. The lump in her throat felt like it was choking her, and though she tried she couldn't ignore the sting of unshed tears welling in her eyes. Her body began to tremble, and when she could resist no more she put her head in her hands and sobbed.

"Oh chérie come here," Gene murmured, wrapping his arms around her and cradling her against his chest. She fisted her fingers in his jacket and sobbed into his shoulder. The worry she'd had for Gene and the guys, the worry she had for her friends in Uden, it all came spilling out of her. She cried until her eyes felt raw and her chest heaved, and all the while Gene rubbed her back and held her close, content to wait until she was ready to talk to him.

"All I could think about while I was in that basement was you out here. I was so scared I'd come out and find you'd been hurt or worse," she croaked after awhile, "Sitting there and hearing the shells drop in...I just...."

"Shhh," he soothed, "no need to worry about me I'm just fine."

Valerie nodded and considered ending the conversation there, but when he mind flitted back to Uden and her friends there she felt her throat tughten again. "Do you think they're okay in Uden?" She asked quietly, her fingers tightening in the fabric of his jacket.

"There's no way to know chérie," he sighed, "just gotta hope they make it through."

"God I hope they do," she sniffled, "I wasn't all too nice to Lew and Harry before they left....and Dick, God I was so unfair on him...and the last conversation I had with him was so..."

"Can't let yourself think like that," Gene butted in, shaking his head,"you just gotta hope they're okay and that we'll link up with them again soon."

Valerie nodded slightly, but she couldn't stop herself from dwelling on it all. She'd been poking at him since Eindhoven, but the fear of never seeing him again made her question the point of it all. She thought back to how Dick had comforted her in Normandy, how he'd saved her in London, how he'd looked into her eyes in Son as she'd held his hand in hers, and her heart fluttered as she revisited all those moments. Then she thought of Eindhoven, seeing him kiss that woman, and the flutters were replaced by that cold, gnawing feeling she'd grown so used to. It was only in that moment that she finally had to admit to herself what that feeling really was and what it meant.

"I think you were right Gene," she admitted in a whisper, "when you said I was....jealous."

"I was wonderin' how long it would take you to figure that out," he teased gently. She pulled away from him slightly so she could look up at him, and she huffed at his amused smirk.

"It doesn't matter anyhow," she dismissed, "he's never gonna speak to me again after how difficult I've been, and honestly I wouldn't blame him. I wouldn't forgive me either."

"I think he might surprise you," Gene said, rubbing his palm up and down her spine, "I've seen how he looks at you when you're not lookin'."

"Oh don't be ridiculous," she scoffed, dissmising the notion immediately, "There's no way he...."

"All I'm sayin' is don't be so quick to dismiss it," he cut in, giving her a knowing look.

"Even if that was true, and he did maybe...." she started, ignoring the tiny flutter of hope that had bloomed in her chest, "it doesn't matter. We're at war, it isn't the time or the place for all that. " Gene hummed noncommittedly, but didn't comment further, and Valerie took that as permission to end the conversation and tuck herself against his chest. She hoped the Germans would settle down for the night and she could get a few hours shut-eye before starting it all again.

The shells bean to whizz overhead not five minutes later. It was going to be a long night.

Taglist:  @tvserie-s-world @geniedocroe @generousdreamlanddestiny @sunsetmando @cagzzz107 @howunexpectedlyso @alejodi0nysus @sunflowerchuck @now-im-a-belieber @its1000cuts @50svibes @eugene-emt-roe @pennyllane @televisionboy @sparkyluz @ask-you-what-sir @parajumpboots @mads-weasley @tetragonia

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Bitter Pill to Swallow

Chapter 18 (Chapter Masterlist)

Shoutout as always to the lovely @tvserie-s-world for her lovely screencaps💓

"Are you ready for a ceasefire on the cold shoulder yet?"

Valerie scoffed and shook her head. "That depends," she replied tersely, glancing sideways at him, "are you ready to apologise for being jerks in Eindhoven?".

"C'mon Val," he sighed, "We're not an occupying force, it's not our place to come in and police the Dutch. You can't be mad over something that we couldn't control, regardless of how crap it was." Deep down she knew he was probably right, that they really couldn't have done anything even if they'd wanted to.

"I guess you have a point," she conceded, her shoulders sagging slightly. She peered at Lew from under her helmet and rolled her eyes at the pleased look on his face. She'd found that ever since she'd gotten to know him properly it had been awfully hard for her to ever stay mad at him for too long. She had an awful soft spot for Lewis Nixon, and damn if he didn't know it and exploit it.

"Well that's great Val," he grinned cheekily, "now if you could tell Dick the same thing and kiss and make up with him then that would be the cherry on the cake."

Valerie bristled at the mention of Dick and the idea of apologising to him in any capacity. "Yeah I think I'll pass on that if it's all the same to you." She had not spoken to Dick since their argument in Eindhoven, and she had absolutely no intention of breaking the silence anytime soon. Even if he hadn't been able to do anything about those poor women, he was still a massive hypocrite.

"Why are you being so hard on him Val? he asked, giving her a look of disbelief, "he's taking it pretty hard you know."

"Oh is he?" she said tersely, "well how unfortunate for him because I don't want to talk to him right now." Valerie crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat, looking out at the passing countryside. Sure it was petty, but she didn't care. In fact she wouldn't even care if she never spoke to him again.

Lew didn't have time to respond as the convoy of trucks began to slow as they approached Nuenen. The air around them had grown thick and charged, and Valerie thought it was all a little too quiet. There was a brief moment where everything seemed to be moving in slow motion, and then all hell broke loose.

Valerie jumped out of the jeep and roared intro action, gathering her platoon and leading them into the fray. Bullets pinged by their feet and skimmed over their heads as they ran into the town.

"Shifty," she called as they ducked by the side of a building, waving him forward, "sniper in the upstairs window at the end of that street, think you can spot him?" Shifty peered around the corner and nodded, lining up his rifle and taking the shot with ease.

Things only got worse after that. The whole plan went to complete shit. The German army were swarming in all around them, pushing them back with ease. All around her she could hear the shouts of her comrades piercing through the constant gunfire and explosions. She tried her best to keep her men on the move and out of harms way, ducking around walls and buildings to avoid being out in the open.

"C'mon Valerie, we're pulling out," Talbert called as he came round the corner of the building she was taking refuge behind "goddamn Tigers, we're sitting ducks here."

"They're completely swarmin' us," Valerie cried, peering around the corner and scoffing at the burnt out British tanks, "And the Brits are fuckin' useless." The wall beside them exploded, showering chunks of bricks and wood everywhere. Valerie hissed as a splinter pierced her arm, but she didn't have time to dwell on it. She stood and started to run back towards the road out of the town, shouting for her men to follow.

"Get back to the trucks," she heard Dick shouting as she approached the parked jeeps. She could see the trucks parked not far ahead, and she paused for a moment, frantically waving the men on in front of her so she could make sure they all made it back to safety. When the last man ran past her she turned, and her eyes widened in horror as she saw Lew collapse.

"Lew," she screamed, her boots slipping in the gravel as she skidded around the jeep and fell to her knees beside him and Dick. "Fuckin' hell Lew are you alright?" She croaked, her eyes roving over every inch of him in search of a wound.

"Chrissakes would you two quit looking at me like I'm dead?" He grumbled, pushing Dick's hands off him and pulling himself to his feet, "I'm fine. It's just a scratch on my forehead and a dent in my helmet, so you two mother hens can relax."

Valerie and Dick shared a concerned look, and for a moment she completely forgot why she was even angry with him, her concern for Lew drowning everything else out. But then her gaze flittered to his lips and she was once again reminded of the woman in Eindhoven. Her gaze hardened and she looked away again, watching the last troop truck pull away.

"C'mon Val we need to get out of here, and you need to get that checked out," Lew said, grabbing her by the elbow and helping her into the back of the jeep. Dick took the wheel, and they trundled back down the road behind the trucks at speed, leaving the disaster of Nuenen behind them. They drove in silence, and it was only when they were at a safe distance from the madness that the pain in her arm started to make itself known.

She glanced down at the jagged piece of wood sticking out of her arm, wincing when it bumped against the side of the jeep and shifted slightly. It wasn't even that big, but it was pointed and it was digging into her arm at an awkward angle. She didn't want to pull it out until they were safely back in town, just in case it would bleed too much, so she tried to keep it steady.

Once the jeep skidded to a stop she hopped out, cradling her arm against her chest to keep the wood from moving any more than it already had. She gritted her teeth to try and stay calm, the pain seemingly increasing by the second now that the adrenaline rush of the battle had worn off.

"Valerie are you alright?" Dick asked worriedly, rounding the jeep and reaching out towards her, "you need to go and see Doc." She met his gaze, and for a moment all she wanted was to step into his arms, but then her gaze hardened and she looked away again, backing away from him.

"I'm fine," she said cooly, "and I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

Dick looked away and shook his head, his hands fisting at his side. "I never said you couldn't, I just wanted to make sure you were okay," he said tersely.

"Well I don't need you to," she bit back, her eyes narrowing, that dark gnawing feeling clawing its way through her ribcage and wrapping around her heart like a shell.

"Fine, next time I'll be sure not to bother caring," he snapped, marching off through the crowd without a backwards glance. Valerie watched him go, huffing and kicking at the gravel petulantly. She could feel Nixon's eyes on her and she glared daggers at him.

"Don't you dare," she warned sharply, and he held up his hands in surrender. With a final parting glare she stomped down the road to where she'd spotted Gene bustling about, trying to check on everyone. He looked frazzled and exhausted, and she wished she could wrap him up in a blanket and hug him close like they used to back home.

When Gene saw her walking towards him with her hand cradled to her chest he raced over, his brows furrowed with worry. "Dammit chérie you need to be more careful," he sighed, leading her over to a crate and sitting her down with a hand on her shoulder.

"Sure, next time a building decides to explode behind me I'll be sure to tell it to leave me alone," she snarked, and Gene arched an eyebrow at her tone as he pulled supplies out of his bag. He didn't respond for a moment, concentrating on pulling to wood out without hurting her too much. She winced as he pulled the wood free and quickly poured sulfa on the wound.

"Okay now that that's sorted why don't you tell me about what's very clearly eatin' away at you, hmm?"

"There's nothin' to tell," she replied, unable to meet his gaze.

"Oh I think there is," he persisted as he wrapped the bandages around her arm, "you only get snarky like that when there's somethin' botherin' you. So spit it out."

Of course he knew, he always did. No matter how hard she tried she'd never been able to keep things from Gene, because he seemed to have this sixth sense when it came to her.

"I'm just...." she started, huffing out a breath, "I'm just angry about what happened those women in Eindhoven, and the fact that Winters didn't step in and do something."

"It was bad," he agreed, nodding sadly, "but there was nothin' anyone could do. Its up to the Dutch how they police themselves, and it ain't our place to tell them how to do it."

"That's what Lew said," she sighed, shaking her head. She looked around at all the men bustling about around them, and her eyes fell on Dick. She watched him for a moment, her stomach tying itself in knots.

"Somehow I get the impression that's not the only thing bothering you," Gene observed, his eyes flitting between her and Dick knowingly. Valerie looked away from Dick and met the eyes of her best friend, huffing and shaking her head.

"Chérie..." Gene pressed.

"He's a hypocrite," she exclaimed, banging her free hand on the crate in a fit of temper, and once she'd opened the floodgates she couldn't seem to stop herself from spilling it all, "he's a goddamn hypocrite telling the men not to fraternise and then going around doing it himself."

"You're jealous," Gene stated softly after a beat of silence. Valerie clenched her jaw and glared at him, her heart thudding in her chest.

"Don't be ridiculous," she dismissed him firmly, "I just think it's completely hypocritical of him."

"You should talk to him," he continued, waving off her protests, "There's no room for bad blood between friends when you're at war chérie."

Valerie picked at a piece of dirt on her pants, unwilling to meet his eyes. The rational part of her mind knew he was right, that she should make it right. But every time she looked at him and considered it that angry little monster inside her told her not to, that she was completely justified in being angry.

"Just think about it," Gene sighed, squeezing her shoulder gently as he stood up and fixed his bag, "and you make sure you keep that arm rested."

Valerie rolled her eyes but smiled fondly at him as he left her. She stood then and wandered off herself, checking in with her platoon and making sure they were all alright and looked after. After everything that had happened they were shaken, and Valerie tried to give them what little comfort she could. By the time she'd gotten to everyone darkness had fallen, and she wanted nothing more than to find a quiet spot and close her eyes.

The chilling sound of the Luftwaffe flying overhead drew her attention to the sky, and she watched in horror as Eindhoven was plunged into flame. She walked slowly over to the bank of the dike and looked down on the city. To think those people had cheered and welcomed them as though they were saviours, and now all they could do was stand back and watch while the people of Eindhoven fought for their lives. She glanced down the road and saw Lew and Dick standing on the bank also, watching the nightmare unfold. Her eyes briefly met Dick's sad gaze, and seeing that utter helplessness in his eyes she longed to run down to him and tell him it would he alright. But she didn't. She turned her back on him and walked back aross the road, her stomach churning and her mind reeling.

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Bitter Pill to Swallow

Summary: there's just something about Dick Winters that gets on Valerie Landry's every last nerve. Likewise, she seems to be the only person in the entire batallion who can make him lose his cool. As they travel all the way from Toccoa to Austria, will they ever actually manage to see past their fued? Or will the fight each other every step of the way?

A/N: here it is; my first long fic, and I am excited about it. Thanks so much to @easycompany123 for allowing me to use this prompt and make my interpretation of a story from it. And so, the birth of my first OC, Valerie Landry.

Chapter 1 (Chapter 2)

"Too slow running up Currahee, Landry. Your skinny little girl legs weren't made for combat. Weekend pass revoked."

Valerie clenched her jaw and stared straight ahead as Sobel shouted in her face. She could handle Sobel. She'd grown used to it in the weeks since she'd come to Toccoa. She knew she could do it faster. She just needed to push a little harder. The worst part was she wasn't even the last one up and down, he just had a special sort of dislike for her. Well, she'd prove him wrong if it killed her. 

She glanced to her left and saw Lieutenant Winters glancing her way with pity in his eyes. She narrowed her eyes at him, and he raised an eyebrow at her quizzically.

Valerie clenched her jaw again as she looked away. The one thing she couldn't stand was pity. She didn't need it, and she damn well didn't want it either. Winters had never said anything to her, but she'd seen all the pitying glances he'd sent her way every time Sobel shouted at her for something over the last few weeks. She'd had enough of it. If she saw him do it one more time, she was gonna lose it.

Once Sobel dismissed them, she turned to her platoon and let them fall out. With a huff, she made her way over to George Luz, who was looking at her in amusement.

"Hell, Val, I'm surprised you haven't socked ole Sobel in the jaw yet," he joked, punching her in the arm gently.

"Yeah, well, if he keeps pickin' on me, then my fist may just accidentally slip," she grumbled. She trudged along with Luz towards the mess hall, letting the others pass them out. She and Luz had clicked right away once she'd joined Easy. He'd made some stupid joke about Perconte somehow still being the shortest even now there was a lady in the ranks. She'd socked him in the arm for calling her a lady, and he'd socked her right back, laughing his head off, and that was the birth of a beautiful friendship.

"Now, that's a fight I'd pay good money to see," laughed Liebgott as he jogged past with Grant and Tipper. George then proceeded to do a scarily accurate impression of Sobel telling her off and then recoiling from the force of a punch in the jaw.

"Quit actin' the idiot, Luz, you're gonna get us caught," she grinned, looking around to make sure no one would overhear them. As she looked behind her, she met the eyes of Lieutenant Winters, this time shining with disapproval. She stopped in her tracks and stared back at him defiantly.

"You head on in, George, I'll be right behind you," she mumbled, never taking her eyes off of Winters. Luz looked between the two of them for a second before nodding, clapping her on the shoulder as he walked off.

She stepped up to Dick and stopped a few paces from him, crossing her arms and looking up at him defiantly. He had a few inches on her, but that didn't matter. She wouldn't be intimidated and she wouldn't back down.

"If you've got something to say to me, then spit it out," she stated bluntly. He looked back at her in surprise, clearly not expecting her to be so to the point. He gulped slightly before responding.

"I just think you should be careful what you say about Sobel. Just because you're a lieutenant doesn't mean you're immune to punishment, and he already gives you enough grief as it is. Don't make it any harder on yourself."

Valerie felt her blood begin to boil. She clenched her fists as she felt heat creeping up her neck and onto her cheeks.

"Oh, how thoughtful of you," she said sarcastically. "How kind of you to give me pity advice on how to keep my head down and make it 'easier on myself '."

Dick looked at her in confusion, his eyebrows furrowing. "I didn't mean..."

"Oh, please, you've been sending me pitying looks since my first day here. I ain't no delicate lady. I can handle Sobel and his stupid hatred of me. I don't need you pitying me, and I don't need you giving me advice on how to look out for myself either. I can handle myself just fine, alright?"

She turned on her heel and marched into the mess hall, not giving him a chance to respond and not glancing back at him either. She'd meant everything she'd said to him. The last thing she wanted was for the men to be looking at her like some kinda pity case. She was just as tough as they were, and she could hold her own just fine. She quickly grabbed a tray and plonked herself down beside Luz. 

"What's got you all in a twist, Val?" He asked when he saw the stony look on her face. She shook her head dismissively as she took another bite of her lunch.

"I'm fine, George," she insisted. "Just hungry is all."

~~~~~

Valerie was heading back to her room that evening when she ran into Dick in the corridor. She strolled past him and entered her room without a word. She was fixing her hair for bed when a knock on the door caught her attention. She was surprised to see him standing on the other side of it.

"Can I help you?" She asked shortly.

"Would you mind if I stepped in for a minute?" He asked quietly. She sighed but stepped aside and allowed him in, closing the door behind him. She crossed her arms and leaned back against her locker, looking at him expectantly.

"Look, Landry, I think you misunderstood me earlier," he started. "I wasn't trying to lecture you, I was just trying to help..."

Valerie rolled her eyes at that. "It sure as hell felt like a lecture to me," she grumbled.

"It wasn't, I was just trying to..."

"Help, yeah, I know. And I'll tell you again what I told you today; I don't want pity from anyone."

"Look, I didn't mean anything by it..."

"You men are all the same," she blurts suddenly, completely ignoring him. "You see a woman and you think 'oh, what a poor, delicate flower, I must pity her in her time of distress.' Well, I ain't no delicate flower, and I don't need your pity because I'm not in distress. I've done the same training you have, I'm just as capable as any of those men, so I don't appreciate you thinking I need your pity or your help."

Dick frowned, his cheeks reddening under the tinny overhead light. He rarely got mad, but this infuriating woman was starting to raise his hackles. If she would just give him a chance to explain, she'd realise he hadn't meant any of the things she was rattling off.

"I never said you were a delicate flower. Why are you putting words in my mouth? If you would just listen..."

"Oh, please," Valerie laughed sarcastically. "Like I already said, I've seen those pitying looks you've been giving me, and I don't appreciate it. You're just like the rest of 'em."

"Alright then," Dick grumbled, "since you seem to think so little of me, then I take back my apology. I have nothing to be sorry about anyhow because I didn't do anything wrong. In fact, if anyone should be apologising, it's you for flying off the handle like you have."

"Keep your damn apology," she snapped, pushing off of the locker and standing up straight. "And you're out of your goddamn mind if you think I'll apologise to you for telling the truth."

"You are completely impossible, Landry."

He turned and stomped out irritably, closing the door roughly behind him. He couldn't figure her out. He'd only been trying to help, and there was really no need for her to get so angry about it. He hadn't even said anything bad. He'd tried to apologise and make things right between them, but she'd thrown it back in his face.

He was even more annoyed at himself for allowing her to get under his skin and cause him to lose his temper like that. He couldn't let that happen again. He'd just have to steer clear of her from now on.

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Bitter Pill to Swallow

Chapter 6 (Ch.5.....Ch.1)

Thank you as always to the lovely @tvserie-s-world for letting me use her gorgeous screencaps💓

"Sobel was totally convinced it was Horton, funniest shit I ever seen in my life."

Welsh threw his head back and laughed loudly, and Valerie laughed along with him. She'd searched for Harry the minute they got back from the field exercise because she knew he'd get a kick out of Sobel making a fool of himself.

"Luz really is something else," chuckled Harry, shaking his head, "he's damn lucky he didn't get caught. They'd have his head for pulling a stunt like that."

"Yeah," Valerie snorted, "better hope nobody rats him out." She pulled out her pack of lucky strikes and was about to light one up when she saw Winter's approaching them, making her groan in annoyance. 

Harry looked up in confusion, shaking his head and smirking when he realised why her mood suddenly dropped. "I really don't get why he bothers you so much," he chuckled, "I think Dick's the nicest guy I've ever met."

Valerie sighed and scuffed her feet against the loose gravel. She'd been putting some thought to the whole situation since the incident on the boat, and though she didn't want to admit it she knew she'd been a bit hard on him. The more she'd seen him interact with his troops and have their back with Sobel, the more her dislike of him had started to dim. Of course, she didn't tell him any of this, because she just couldn't bring herself to admit that she might have been a little bit wrong about him.

"Hey Harry...Lieutenant Landry," he greeted, glancing at her hesitantly. She cleared her throat and lit her cigarette, inhaling deeply before replying to him.

"Afternoon Lieutenant Winters," she said evenly, looking at a point somewhere over his shoulder. Harry glanced between them, barely suppressing an amused grin.

"Have you two heard about Sobel?" He asked, "Turns out that wire fence he cut was keeping in cattle. Strayer was giving him the what for last I saw."

Harry barked out a laugh, and even Valerie smirked in delight at the thought of Sobel getting a telling off.

"So you heard about Sobel too then," laughed Nixon as he approached them, leaning his elbow on Valerie's shoulder and grinning at them.

"Sure did," she laughed, "and the best part is I was there to witness the whole amusing event this morning." Nixon chuckled and clapped her on the shoulder. She glanced at Winters and found him with his eyebrows furrowed, lost in concentration.

"I s'pose you're gonna give me the what for since I didn't stop Luz from pulling the stunt in the first place," she commented, taking another drag of her cigarette, "since you do love to point out how un-officer like I am."

Winters bristled slightly, looking as though he was indeed getting ready to lecture her. Nixon and Welsh glanced between the two of them, rolling their eyes and shaking their heads.

"Well...." He started, and Valerie looked away from him, waiting for the blow, "actually I wasn't going to say anything. I was going to say it'll finally show the brass what an incompetent officer he is out in the field."

Valerie's hand paused midair as she was bringing her cigarette to her lips. "Oh," she said, eyebrows raised in surprise, "Well then....you're not wrong there I suppose."

There was an awkward beat where they stared at each other, neither of them sure what to say next. She shuffled on her feet slightly, horribly uncomfortable with the awkward tension in the air.

"Well," said Harry, clapping his hands together and cutting through the tension, "who wants to get lunch?"

~~~~~~

"Valerie, come on in."

She walked into Nix's office and looked around. Somehow it was both tidy and messy at the same time, like some kind of organised chaos.

"You can sit down Val," he said, gesturing towards one of the two chairs in front of his desk. He fluttered around behind his desk, picking up files and glancing at them before tossing them unceremoniously to the side.

"Uh," she started, "why exactly did you call me to your office Nix?"

He paused reading the paper in his hand, glancing briefly at the door before looking back down again. "Oh just a run of the mill meeting," he said casually, "just waiting for someone else."

She was about to ask who that someone else was when she got her answer.

"Hey Nix, what's going on? Harry said you needed to see me?" Dick asked, walking into the room and placing his hands on the back of the unoccupied chair. He eyed her sideways and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Ah good, you're here," grinned Lewis, closing the folder in his hand with a snap and dropping it onto the desk, "take a seat."

Dick pulled the chair out and sat down slowly, raising an eyebrow at his friend in confusion.

"OK so you're obviously wondering why I called the two of you here at the same time," started Lewis, clasping his hands behind his back and walking around his desk, coming to stand behind their chairs.

"Harry and I have been talking," he continued, "and we both agreed that the two of you have some serious shit to sort out. It was bad enough when you were arguing, but you've been hovering awkwardly around each other for the last week and frankly it's ridiculous. So we're taking initiative and helping solve the problem."

He started to back away towards the door, but both of them were two busy listening to figure out what he was planning to do. When he got to the door he started to pull it closed.

"Consider this an intervention," he stated, putting the key into the lock as he backed out further. Valerie's eyes widened when it clicked just what he was doing.

"Nix, don't you dare," she hissed, jumping from the chair and running over to the door. He laughed and pulled it closed, twisting the key and locking them in gleefully.

"Lewis Nixon I swear to god if you don't open this door I'll..."

"Empty threats Landry," he called, and she could picture the smug grin plastered all over his face, "Try not to break anything, yeah? I'll be back...eventually."

Valerie rested her forehead against the wood and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before turning around. Dick was frozen in the chair, staring at the door in disbelief.

"Well," he started, clearing his throat awkwardly, "I suppose he does have a point."

"Alright then," Valerie said tersely, crossing her arms and leaning her back against the door. "Who talks first? Do you talk first or..."

They stared each other down for a moment, neither of them sure what to say now that they were locked in this office with no way out.

"I just..." he sighed, standing from the chair and sitting on the edge of Nixon's desk, "I just want to know what I did to make you dislike me so much."

Valerie appraised him for a moment. She could see no hint of malice or condescension on his face. In fact, all she could see was an earnest wish to make things right. Her face softened slightly and she sighed, glancing down at her toes, the fight draining out of her. The boys were right, they had some shit they needed to work out. They were getting reading to go to war and there was no place for petty squabbles on a battlefield.

"Honestly, you didn't do anythin' wrong," she confessed, twisting to boot of her toe against the hardwood floor, "I just have a bad history with condescendin' and patronisin' men and it got my hackles up when you started lookin' at me like some kinda pity case."

Dick nodded, contemplating everything she'd said. "I'm sorry it came across that way," he said after a beat, "I have nothing but the utmost respect for you, really I do. I just felt bad with Sobel always finding a stupid reason to pick on you."

Valerie looked up and met his gaze then, the ghost of a smile on her lips. "That's the thing though, Sobel found a stupid reason to pick on everyone. I wasn't a special case." He huffed out a humourless laugh at that and she couldn't help but do the same. If there was one thing they could agree on, it was that they hated Sobel.

"I'm sorry for being so hot-headed and argumentative," she continued, "I'm a bit too stubborn for my own good."

Dick nodded at her and pushed himself off of the table, approaching her slowly. "You and I had a pretty rocky start," he stated, stopping a few feet away from her.

"Yeah," she snorted, "understatement of the century." He chuckled at that, and she couldn't help laughing herself. He held out his hand at her then and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Why don't we start again? I'm Lieutenant Dick Winters" He said, meeting her gaze earnestly. She rolled her eyes but smiled all the same and took his hand, shaking it firmly.

"Nie to meet you Dick," she smiled, "I'm Lieutenant Valerie Landry."

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Bitter Pill to Swallow

Chapter 17 (Chapter Masterlist)

A/N: This (and the next chapter or two) my friends, is what I affectionately call a 'Hinge chapter', the beginning of a turning point in the story if you will. I'm so grateful to everyone who's read and enjoyed this story so far, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story just as much 💕

"Okay, we're taking the left side. I want the mortar squads hitting 'em hard while the rest of us push forward. Move out."

Valerie gave Dick a quick nod before waving third platoon forward and getting them into formation. Her body thrummed with adrenaline as the company pushed forward, the sound of the exploding mortars ringing in her ears. She spotted Dick stopping and holding up a hand, and she did the same, crouching down and watching, waiting. They started to move again, but as they approached the bridge it suddenly exploded, chunks of wood and stone raining down from the sky.

Valerie stood and dusted herself off once the debris stopped dropping, looking around frantically to make sure she didn't have any casualties. Her heart stopped as she looked ahead and saw both Lew and Dick flat on the ground, surrounded by debris. her feet had her racing towards them before she'd even really registered what she was seeing.

"Oh my god please be alright," she breathed as she fell to her knees beside Dick. ``Please, please be okay." She placed a hand on his arm and shook him gently, sucking in a strangled breath as he opened his eyes and looked up at her in surprise.

"Just a little dusty is all," he chuckled nervously, coughing harshly from the dust tickling his throat, "are you okay Val?" She just nodded, her mind still reeling from the sight of him lying there. Her eyes roved over him once more, and when she spotted a little cut on his hand she took it in her own and examined it without a second thought.

"You should probably get that bandaged," she murmured, swiping her thumb across the back of his hand gently. Dick stared down at their joined hands, his cheeks turning pink at the site of her much smaller hands holding his own, her gentle touch making his skin tingle. His heart gave a funny little jolt as she looked up and her eyes met his. They both lingered for a moment, both wanting to speak but not knowing what to say.

"I'm fine too, thanks so much for asking," Nixon snarked from beside them, dragging himself to his feet and dusting himself off, "now if you two could contain your concern for me for just a minute, we've got a riverto get across."

They jumped apart like they'd been shocked, both scrambling to their feet. "Yes," Dick agreed, clearing his throat awkwardly, "we should go find Sink for orders. Valerie, you and Harry stay put here and keep Easy on alert for any potential movement from the opposite bank."

"Sure thing Dick," Valerie replied. She gave them both a quick nod before walking off down the road and linking up with Harry. Dick's gaze kept being drawn to her as he and Nixon made their way towards the back of the column where Sink would be. His gut gave another funny swoop as he recalled her gentle touch and concerned eyes.

"So....." Nixon started, smirking at Dick in a knowing way, "you wanna tell me what that was all about?"

"Shut up Nix," Dick huffed, not meeting his friends eyes, his mind trying very hard to forget all about Valerie and focus on the task at hand.

⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓

The march into Eindhoven went very similar to the one into Son, just with what seemed to be ten times more people. The streets were packed, and everywhere they went they were stopped by a Dutch citizen pulling them into a hug. Valerie was desperately trying to keep track of her platoon, but between the distractions of the Dutch women and the free beer they were handing around she was having a tough time of it.

"Oh for Chrissakes Tab," she huffed in exasperation as she walked past him, clapping him on the back of the head and forcing him to pull away from the woman on his lap, "You'd think you'd have more sense. Get yourself together and get moving sergeant, and yes that's an order."

"Sure thing Lieutenant," he replied cheekily, giving her a lazy salute. Thankfully he did get up and start moving again, so she continued on and kept an eye out for the men in her own platoon. She stood up on a café table so she could get a better view over the crowd. "Keep moving," she shouted at the group of Easy men lingering around, but her shouts went unheard over the cheering of the crowd. She spotted Dick standing at the slightly less crowded corner of the street, binoculars in hand, so she jumped down off the table and attempted to push her way threw the mass and get over to him.

Valerie sighed in relief as she burst through the thickest part of the crowd and was finally able to breathe again. She looked down at her person to make sure she hadn't lost anything in the crush before glancing around to get her bearings once again. She started making her way over to Dick at the corner, giving Lew and Harry a wave as they joined him from the other side. She was just coming up to the group when two Dutch women danced out of the crowd and threw their arms around Lew and Dick. The incredibly uncomfortable look on Lew's face as he desperately tried to dodge them caused Valerie to chuckle in amusement. Dick however did nothing to stop the woman from planting a firm kiss on his lips.

Valerie faltered mid-step, and ended up stumbling into Dick's side. She looked up apologetically, and then quickly looked away because her eyes were immediately drawn to the pink lipstick stain on his lips. "How are we planning to get out of here?" she asked tersely, looking around at anything and everything to distract herself. She distantly registered that someone had started speaking and she knew she should be paying attention, but the image of Dick kissing that woman and her lipstick on his lips was replaying like some kind broken movie reel in her mind.

"Earth to Valerie?" Lew asked in exasperation, clicking his fingers in front of her eyes, "Dick just said you need to find your sergeants and get them to start moving people out towards the bridges."

"Oh right, yes, I'll get on that" she replied edgily, still unable to look up and meet Dick's eyes. She marched back into the crowd without a backwards glance at any of them, trying to get her mind to focus. Why should it matter to her who Dick kissed anyway? In fact it had absolutely nothing to do with her at all. But then why could she not get the image of it out of her head, and why was it that every time it replayed in her mind she felt something cold and dark gnawing at her chest?

She firmly pushed the feeling down as she shoved her way through the crowd and pulled her platoon together, getting them on the move once again. As she was leading them through the hoard she heard a commotion up ahead, and she started pushing through quicker to see what was happening, worried that someone had gotten into trouble. As she pushed through the final line of bodies she froze, and watched in horror as several Dutch women were thrown to the ground and their hair was roughly shorn off. She looked around at the jeering crowd in disbelief, and then her eyes landed on Dick and Lew standing on the periphery of the crowd and watching it all unfold.

She felt that cold gnawing feeling in her chest again as she looked over at Dick, and that on top of her confusion and disgust at the current events was just too much for her to take. She clenched her fists tightly as her hands began to shake, her finger nails digging into her palms so hard they were sure to leave indentations. She tried her best to reign in her emotions, to remain calm and focus on the objective, but all the feelings that were simmering under the surface were clawing their way up her throat and beginning to boil over. Before she could stop herself she was roughly shoving her way over to the two of them, her narrowed eyes never straying from them for a moment.

"What the hell is going on here? And why aren't you doing anything to stop it?" she snapped, squaring her shoulders and crossing her arms as she came to a stop before them. Her gaze flickered between the two of them expectantly, and it was eventually Dick who broke the silence and gave her an answer.

"They say that these women slept with the Germans, that they were collaborators," he explained carefully. Valerie shook her head and looked away, because she was sure if she didn't she might explode. How could he? How could Dick Winters of all people stand there and watch such brutality?

"And you decided to just take their word, to stand here and watch while they treat these women like crap?" she hissed coldly, her temper flaring, "How can you be so callous? I thought you of all people were better than that."

"What exactly would you have me do?" he asked tiredly, crossing his arms, "We didn't come here to police the Dutch Valerie, it isn't my place to step in and..."

"Well that's a cowards excuse if I ever heard it," Valerie cut in sharply, her eyes narrowing, "you're just standing here and watching it all unfold like it's some kind of amusing sideshow."

Dick shook his head and huffed in disbelief, his jaw clenching. "I'm standing here and doing my actual job," he said tersely, "which is figuring out how to take the next objective without casualties. It is not my place to tell the Dutch how to police themselves."

"Oh I see," Valerie hissed, unable to reign her temper in and frankly unwilling to either, "screw whatever happens to those women so long as you look good in the eyes of the brass." She knew she'd gone too far the second she said it, that she'd cut too deep. But she couldn't, wouldn't back down, not now. She was the one with the high ground here. Nixon's eyes widened in disbelief, looking between the two of them, unsure of what to do with himself or how to escape.

"You don't mean that," Dick replied, his voice dangerously soft. They stared each other down for a tense few moments, confusion and hurt and anger swirling between their gazes like a tempest. Now that Valerie had opened the floodgates she found she was unable to shut them, and in that moment a vindictive little part of her took vicious delight in hurting his feelings.

"I think you'll find I do," she replied icily, "I mean every damn word of it you goddamn coward...."

"That is enough Lieutenant Landry," he snapped, the fury blazing in his eyes masking the hurt hidden underneath, "Now you will take third platoon and wait at the edge of Eindhoven for further instruction."

"As you wish Captain," She drawled, saluting him sarcastically before storming off, huffing furiously. She'd thought that the gnawing in her chest would have sorted itself out following her outburst, but if anything it just felt even worse then, which made her impossibly more furious. She barked orders at her platoon as she walked up to them, snapping harshly at those who were still fraternising with the locals. Without waiting for a response she marched off ahead of them, not even sparing a backwards glance.

She began to cool down slightly as she got further away from the crowds, the gentle breeze fanning over her blazing cheeks. She slowly unclenched her fingers, wincing at the stiffness in them from being curled up so tightly for so long. A distant corner of her mind began to wonder if she'd overreacted, if she'd been too harsh, but she dismissed it quickly.

'He had deserved it,' she told herself resolutely. In that moment her mind once again decided to play the never-ending loop of Dick kissing that woman, and Valerie felt that vicious feeling clawing at her chest once more. She growled and kicked her foot against the gravel, trying to shake the image from her mind. She was only so mad because he was a hypocrite, going around preaching to the men not to fraternise and then going and doing it himself. And how many other women had there been before that one, or after her? Had he been going around enjoying the spoils of war just as the others had? The dark pit that had formed in her chest felt like it was trying to consume her.

'Are you sure you're not just lashing out because you're jealous?' her conscience supplied, and she kicked at the dirt again in outrage at such a ridiculous notion. Jealous? That was completely out of the question. For her to be jealous she would need to have feelings for him, and Valerie absolutely did not have feelings for Dick Winters.

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Bitter Pill to Swallow

Chapter 8 (Ch.7.....Ch.1)

Thank you as always to @tvserie-s-world for this extra gorgeous screencap💕

"Hey Val, you're not gonna believe this."

Valerie looked up from the rifle she was cleaning, raising an eyebrow at Harry as he plonked himself down beside her.

"What's happened now and who's fault is it?" She sighed, looking up and meeting his worried eyes. The men had been steadily getting themselves into more and more trouble the longer they stayed in Aldbourne. They were itching to get into action and all the waiting around was winding them up.

"Sobel issued Dick with a court martial," he explained, and Valerie's eyes bugged in disbelief, "some bogus charge about missed latrine duty or something. Anyway Dick insisted on trial by court martial so now he's on KP until they can sort it out."

"KP?" Valerie exclaimed, "that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. We could be jumping into Europe God knows when and that idiot's got one of our officers on goddamn KP?" She was furious. It was undoubtedly the stupidest thing she'd ever heard in her life. They were preparing to go to war for christ sake and Sobel was still blundering on with his ridiculous vendetta against Dick.

"I know," Harry agreed, kicking a stone, "We're out here training for the jump of our lives and Sobel is still trying to prove that he's a better officer than Dick."

"Yeah well he damn well ain't, that's for sure," Valerie grumbled, "He's gonna get the whole damn company killed out there, and now he's put our best chance of surviving on goddamn KP."

"Wow Val," Harry smirked, unable to help himself from getting a rise out of her, "When did you become Dick's biggest cheerleader? If you're not careful people might think you actually like him."

"Oh don't be such an idiot Harry," she huffed, rolling her eyes and punching him on the arm. It was true that she'd grown noticeably nicer to Dick in the last few weeks. He'd often walk her home from the bar and the more they talked about everything and anything the more she grew to like him. He sometimes still got on her nerves with his saint-like ways, but on the whole she'd had to accept that he was just a nice guy who meant no harm to anyone.

"Oh dear," he laughed, throwing his head back and grinning at her "have I hit a nerve?"

"When don't you hit a nerve Harry Welsh," she teased, "I actually can't believe this, surely Sink won't allow this charade to go on? We're preparin' for war we can't afford distractions like this."

"No idea Val," Harry sighed, "but Sink isn't stupid. He probably knows there's something up with this and he's figuring out how to get around it."

"I hope you're right," she hummed.

~~~~~

It was well into the evening when Valerie finally bumped into Winters. He was behind the mess hall, clipboard in hand as he checked off supplies.

"I'd say the clipboard suits you, but given the circumstances it really doesn't."

He gave her a small smile and sighed as he looked up from his list. "So you heard then?" He asked, sitting down on a crate and leaning back on his hands, clipboard abandoned.

"Harry told me this mornin'," she replied, plopping down on the crate beside him, "and I gotta say it's the damn stupidest thing I've ever heard in my life. We could be jumpin' into war god knows when and if we're stuck with Sobel without you there well....I can't imagine many of us will survive day one."

He looked up at her, barely suppressed surprise all over his face. "Oh don't look at me like that," she scoffed, bumping his shoulder, "we may have had a rough start, but I've always thought you were a damn fine officer Dick. That's why I got so snippy when you questioned me on the boat."

He smiled at her gratefully, and if it wasn't so dark she could have sworn she saw a blush creep up his cheeks. "Sorry again about that," he started, but she shook her head to let him know there was no more hard feelings. "As for today," he contined, "It's a bogus charge, and I've done nothing wrong so I just have to hope the brass sees it that way. Until then it's just me and this clipboard counting supplies."

"Well even if things do work out for the best, you should keep the clipboard," she teased, "I'm sure the boys would get a kick out of you doing inspections with a clipboard." 

He threw his head back and laughed loudly at that. Valerie couldn't help but laugh with him. He was usually so reserved and quiet, but he had the most infectious laugh and she found herself enjoying the sound of it. They stared at each other for a moment, matching bright smiles on their faces, before Dick coughed and looked away.

"I'm sure they'd find it amusing alright," he chuckled. He glanced sideways at her again and scuffed his boot against the stones. "Thanks for making me laugh," he said after awhile, "believe it or not its been a pretty rough day."

"I can see why," she commiserated, patting him on the shoulder, "but all goin' well Sink'll sort it out."

"Here's hoping anyway."

~~~~

"Where the hell are my sergeants?"

"Probably the same place mine are," Harry quipped, barely even looking up from the paper he was reading. Beside him Nixon was sipping his coffee and peering over his shoulder at the paper.

"And are you not concerned about that fact that every sergeant in the company is gone with the wind?" Valerie asked in disbelief, hands on the table as she looked between the two of them.

"Not unless they're hanging out somewhere with Scarlett O'Hara," snorted Harry, and Nixon almost choked on his coffee, sputtering out a laugh. Valerie rolled her eyes and scoffed, cuffing Harry on the back of the head before walking back outside and wandering around camp.  She was about to give up when she saw them walking out of a barn.

"What the hell are y'all up to?" She asked, stopping them all in their tracks. She narrowed her eyes at the pile of notes in Liptons hand and the cagey looks on their faces. "What are all those papers about?"

Lipton and Talbert shared a look between them which made Valerie even more suspicious. "You've got about five seconds to tell me the truth or so help me God..."

"We're handing in our resignations," huffed Guarnere. The silence was thick, and she stared at them all in complete and utter disbelief. None of them could meet her eyes, particularly the sergeants from her own platoon.

"Avez-vous perdu la tête?" She hissed, glaring daggers at them all as the wave of rage rose within her, "this is mutiny. You could get yourselves shot you fucking imbéciles. What exactly are you hopin' to achieve here? Other than gettin' yourselves killed that is."

"With all due respect Lieutenant," Guarnere replied, "we go to war with Captain Sobel we're as good as dead anyway."

"Oh so that's what this is about," she snapped, "y'all think a mutiny is the best way to get rid of Sobel and get Winters back. Well lemme tell you somethin', Winters is not gonna be too appreciative when he sees all your dumb asses gettin' shot now is he?"

They had the good graces to look contrite, but she could see the determination in their eyes. She knew they were going to go through with it no matter what she said, but that didn't mean she agreed.

"We're not doing it for Lieutenant Winters," Lipton explained, "not entirely anyway. We're doing it for the company. We might get shot for it but it might make Sink think about all the stupid things Sobel's done and he might remove him."

She could understand their reasons, Sobel was undoubtedly a complete and utter liability in the field. It was a noble idea, but as noble as it was she had to try and change his mind about handing the notes in.

"He's not gonna have time to think about Soebl because he's gonna be so furious about y'all staging a mutiny while we're preparin' for goddamn war."

"I'm sorry Lieutenant," sighed Tab, meeting her furious gaze with determination, "but that's a risk we're willing to take."

She sighed in defeat as she met each of their gazes. "I see I ain't gonna change your minds," she stated angrily, "and I ain't happy about it, but I wish you luck. It's been an honour to serve with you."

~~~~

"Hey Val, you're not gonna believe this."

"I'm getting a horrible sense of deja-vu," Valerie groaned as Harry sat across from her, with Dick and Nixon settling beside him. She raised an eyebrow at Nix and Harry's shit-eating grins, glancing at Dick for a clue as to what was going on. But his neutral expression gave nothing away.

"Well are you going to tell me or are we all just gonna sit here like fools?"

"Do you wanna tell her or should I take the honour?" Grinned Harry, turning to Nixon dramatically. Valerie and Dick rolled their eyes, her banging her palm on the table to get their attention.

"Alright, alright," chuckled Nixon, "Sobel is gone. Shipped off to a new jump school."

Valerie's eyes widened and she barked out a laugh, grinning at the three of them in delight. "About damn time he got packed off before combat," she laughed.

"We haven't even told you the best part," said Nixon, he and Harry smirking as they shared a look, "Dick's back in Easy."

Valerie switched her gaze to Dick. He was smiling shyly, embarrassed that they were making such a big deal out of the whole thing, but underneath it she could tell that he was overjoyed to be back in the company. "That's great news," she grinned, genuinely delighted that the whole mess was behind them, "but I hope you kept the clipboard."

Dick snorted and grinned at her, shaking his head in amusement. Valerie smiled back at him, eyes twinkling with mirth.

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[holdingforgeneralhugs]

Bitter Pill to Swallow

Chapter 12 (Ch.11....Ch.1)

Shoutout to @tvserie-s-world for this particularly lovely screencap😌💓

"Move, get moving!"

He was a complete madman. That was the only explanation as to why Dick Winters was standing in the middle of the road, screaming at them all to get up and get moving, all while the Germans were spraying the road with machine gun fire. Valerie got up and started running down the field, dodging bullets as the whizzed by her head. She spotted Shifty by a chicken coop and ducked in beside him, panting breathlessly.

"Shifty, sniper on the second floor left," she directed, squeezing herself further in against the coop to give him more room. With a quick shots he'd taken them out. Then the machine gun fire started to come their way, and she could feel the chicken wire digging into her back as she pushed herself back against it. Eventually it stopped, and they were able to move out and link up with Lipton. They had Shifty firing at the windows, but thankfully nobody returned fire.

"Lip," she called as they continued through the town, "with me. We're gonna clear that warehouse up there." He nodded and followed her, ducking around corners and racing as quick as they could. When they got to the end of the stairs Lipton grabbed the grenade from his jacket and ran up, Valerie on his heels. He'd just thrown it in when the mortars started dropping.

"Get the hell outta the street, they've got us zeroed," Valerie and Lipton screamed as the raced away from the warehouse, waving frantically at everyone to find cover. As she was running she spotted Gene in the middle of the street tending to a wounded soldier, but she didn't have time to worry about him. She had to hope he'd be OK because she had her men to worry about.

"Move it for chrissakes," she shouted, moving away from Lipton and shoving a few of the guys in the direction of a nearby corner. From behind her she heard an explosion, and to her horror when she turned around she spotted Lipton flying back and hitting the wall with a thud.

"Lip," she cried, racing over to him and reaching him at the same time as Tab. She dropped to her knees beside him, checking him for wounds. He was panicked, and when she saw Tab ripping his pants she understood why. She was relieved when Tab told him he was fine, and she could see some of the tension leaving Liptons face at that.

"I got him Lieutenant," assured Tab, already helping Lipton to his feet. She nodded and raced off again, joining up with Smokey and Mellet.

"Smokey, Mellet," she ordered, "get your MG up to that window and rain hell on 'em." They nodded and raced off into the house. The Germans were fleeing the town, and she fired at them as they ran out from behind a house towards the flooded fields. She watched them go, feeling a fleeting sense of victory at the sight of them running.

~~~~

"Chrissakes Dick I knew you were brave but I didn't know you were goddamn reckless ," she scolded him, crossing her arms as she walked up to him, "could've easily been picked off standin' in the middle of the road like that. What were you thinkin'?"

He glanced up at her in surprise, eyes widening at her tone. "I had to," he stated plainly, "people needed to get moving or we'd have been eaten alive. Harry would have been killed."

"It was reckless and dangerous," she scoffed, her jaw tensing, "you could have been killed and then where would we..."

She was cut off by a loud ping, and her brows furrowed in concern when he hissed in pain and hobbled to the wall and leaned against it. She dropped her arms and jogged over to him, giving him a once over.

"Where are you hit?" She asked worriedly, her prior annoyance completely forgotten,"is it bad?"

"My shin," he hissed, wincing in pain and huffing in annoyance. She knelt down and pulled up the hem of his pants, tutting when she saw the piece of shrapnel lodged in his shin.

"It's a little piece of shrapnel," she sighed, standing again, grabbing his arm and putting it around her shoulder without a second thought.

"What are you doing?" He asked, eyes widening in disbelief. 

"I'm helping you to the aid station," she declared, starting to walk and tugging him along with her. He raised his eyebrow at her but didn't complain, hobbling along and trying not to put too much weight on her.

"You know I could have hobbled over myself," he pointed out, huffing out a laugh at the glare she sent his way.

"Don't you argue with me Winters," she grumbled, "I'm already mad at your recklessness." He shook his head in amusement as they walked into the medbay. She led him over to Gene, who was rifling in a box for a bandage. She was relieved to see him, glad that he seemed to be unharmed.

"Hey Gene," she called, letting Dick go so he could sit on the side of a table, "Lieutenant Winters' got a ricochet lodged in his shin."

Gene came over and sat down in front of Dick, pulling out a tweezers and starting to pull the shrapnel out. Valerie leaned her back against the wall behind him and watched Gene work for a moment, admiring how gentle and diligent he was. She glanced up at Dick's face then, scanning it for any indication of pain. But she saw none as Gene dropped the piece of shrapnel in the dish. He looked up at her then and their eyes met.

"Don't think I've forgotten what I was givin' you hell for before you got hit," she warned him, tutting when he rolled his eyes, "I still maintain it was reckless and unnecessary."

"It was completely necessary and you know it," he huffed, raising an eyebrow at her in challenge. Gene paused wiping the wound, glancing between the two of them with curiosity. Neither of them noticed, too busy staring each other down and neither one willing to be the first to look away and back down.

"Hey chief, what's the plan?" Asked Buck when he walked in. They both had to look away then, and Buck grinned at Valerie when he noticed her.

"We're expecting a counter attack," Dick explained tersely, "Caranten is just as important to them as it is to us. Batallion is sending us East to set up a defensive on the high ground. With all the flooded fields it's the only way they can come through." Buck nodded in agreement, wishing them well before heading back out again.

"What's the matter with Blithe?" Dick asked then, nodding towards the soldier who was sitting against the wall and staring out blankly.

"Nothin," shrugged Gene, "he just can't see." Dick gave Gene a nod and stood up, limping towards Blithe and kneeling down in front of him. Valerie smiled slightly as she watched Dick talk to him gently, reassuring Blithe that everything would be OK. It amazed her, the way he could go from shouting and pushing people into battle to kneeling in front of them and talking to them with such gentleness and care. He was a true leader, and in that moment she realised how grateful she was that they had him to look to in their times of need.

Dick left him then, and she watched in astonishment as Blithe stood up and proclaimed he could see again. She shared a look with Gene, raising her eyebrows and shaking her head at him in disbelief at Blithe's miraculous recovery.

Once he was bandaged up, and with the promise he'd try to stay off his feet as much as possible, Dick was quite ready to leave the medbay and get back to business. Valerie walked with him, biting her lip and trying her best not to laugh.

"Whatever it is you're dying to say," he commented shrewdly, "just go ahead and say it before you burst."

"Well I..." she started, pausing as a giggle burst from her lips, the corner of his lips curling up slightly at the tinkling sound of it, "what with you somehow dodging those bullets before we took the town, and curing Blithe of his unexplained blindness...I reckon you must be the second coming of the Lord himself with gifts like those."

He raised an eyebrow at her, lips twitching as he tried not to laugh. But he couldn't help it, an amused chuckle escaping his lips and his eyes crinkling. She grinned back at him and laughed herself, and they were still laughing when Harry found them.

"What are you two giggling about?" He asked, looking between the two of them suspiciously.

"Oh nothing important Harry," Dick stated, glancing at Valerie and shaking his head almost imperceptibly and giving her a conspiratorial smile, "now you two go gather your platoons and get ready, we move out in fifteen."

~~~~~~

She'd been walking the line when she heard Tab cry out for a Medic. She ran toward the sound and dropped to her knees beside Gene, who was pouring sulfa on Tab's stomach.

"What the hell happened?" She asked Liebgott, who was kneeling on Tab's other side.

"Smith here got jumpy, stabbed Tab with his bayonet," he explained in annoyance, sending a glare Smith's way. Smith was shaking, mumbling that he'd though Tab was a Kraut because of the poncho.

"You'll be fine Tab," Valerie assured him, taking his hand and squeezing it, "we're gonna get you to a hospital so you can rest up and I'll be expectin' you back in my platoon fresh as a daisy with plenty stories about all the nurses you'll be flirtin' with."

"Thanks Valerie," he replied, managing a small, grateful smile. Valerie patted his hand before standing and walking over to Smith. "It's alright Smith, it was an accident," she reassured him, putting her hand on his shoulder to settle him. Once she could see he'd calmed down a little she headed off to walk back down the line and let Dick know what had happened.

"What was all that about Lieutenant Landry?"

Valerie spun around and came face to face with Lieutenant Speirs, much to her surprise. She hadn't interacted with him very much, but she'd heard plenty of gossip about him from the men since D-Day. He did cut an intimidating figure, especially in the moonlight, but she found she wasn't overly frightened of him.

"Just a jumpy private," she explained, looking up at him as he stepped up beside her, "got sergeant Talbert with his bayonet. He'll be fine though, it's nothing serious."

Speirs nodded, looking around before reaching into his pocket. "Cigarette?" He offered, holding out the box to her. She raised an eyebrow at him and bit her lip, hiding an amused smile. She'd heard the men only that day make it an unofficial rule to never take a cigarette from Speirs, so it was with great irony she plucked one from the box and allowed him to light it for her.

"Thanks Lieutenant," she said casually, nodding to him as she exhaled and held the cigarette out to the side of her face.

"Anytime Lieutenant Landry," he replied before walking off down the line. She watched him go with curiosity, admittedly intruiged by the mystery that was Lieutenant Ron Speirs.

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