[MillietheWarrior]

"I am an American."

Joe Toye blinked in disbelief.

Had he not just found this German woman hiding behind a rock, in the middle of the God damn German lines? How in the hell was he supposed to believe a word she said? She was probably lying.

His dark eyes narrowed slowly, and he peered at her from beneath his large, green helmet.

She looked like she had been on the line as long as he had. Her features were drawn, and her face looked tired. However, the smile that flickered across her lips was warm, and the light in her eyes told of her joy.

(Continuation of; Prologue)

[MillietheWarrior]

She was happy? For what reason? She was a German, for heaven's sake. And he was pointing a gun at her!

The young solider was certainly confused. "Come again?" he questioned softly, still pointing his rifle at this strange, enchanting woman. She smiled again, and lifted her hands in the air, a universal signal for surrender.

"I'm an American. Don't shoot." Her voice was calm, reasonable, but there was a hint of urgency lacing the undertones, and if he hadn't been keyed in to every subtle change in the enemy's countenance, he might not have caught it.

[MillietheWarrior]

Motioning with his gun, he pointed at the bag. "What's in there, explosives?" She seemed to be rather protective over the sack, for she placed one foot in front of it, and slid it backwards, behind her. Her dark curls bounced around her face as she shook her head.

"No. I can't tell you what's in it, but I can assure you I mean you no harm. Look." She motioned at her body, and then at her coat. "I have no gun. How can I shoot you without a gun?"

She had a point.

[MillietheWarrior]

Joe considered his options. He could just shoot her, and be done with it. But then, if she really was an American, then he'd be in for one hell of a time with the Major. He narrowed his dark eyes, and watched her for a moment longer. She only smiled her unnerving smile, and held her hands in the air.

"If you're going to shoot me, then shoot me. I'm freezing," she grumbled, rubbing her hands together. Even such a small move made him jump, and he pointed his gun in her direction once more.

[MillietheWarrior]

"Come with me, then," he growled, his voice a deep rumble in the chill of the winter air. Obligingly, she picked up her bag, and nodded at him. "You go first," he instructed, touching the muzzle of his M-1 to the small of her back. She began forward immediately.

The two trudged across the open grounds. Unhindered in their progress. The Germans had retreated, and fallen back to a more manageable position, leaving behind their forgotten nurse. The Americans would not attack one of their own, and already, the men who had rushed across the open field to drive back the German lines were returning, their pace slow, their spirits high.
[5]

[MillietheWarrior]

As they marched across the deep snow, sinking and sliding, slipping and turning, another man trotted alongside Joe, his helmet flashing in the sun as he observed his buddy's prisoner. "Er, Joe. I think you're a bit confused. We was goin' after the Germans, not their women."

Joe growled under his breath, and chanced a look at his friend. Bill Guarnere was grinning from ear to ear, and offering the woman marching in front of him a very appraising eye. "She's one of their nurses, all right, Bill? Found her hiding behind a rock. I think she knows somethin.'"

[MillietheWarrior]

Bill's face turned from jovial to grim in a matter of moments. His black eyes flickered to the woman, and then to his friend, and without a spoken word, he raised his M-1 and aimed it at her as well. The woman didn't seem to mind, for she glanced over her shoulder and smiled briefly.

"Scared?" she questioned slowly, her eyes facing the American lines. "I don't blame you. I would be too." Her lips curled up into a dark smile, and Joe glanced at his buddy. Bill shook his head, a shiver running up his spine, before allowing his troubled gaze to resettle upon the woman once more.

[MillietheWarrior]

There were a few odd looks from the returning GIs, and many of them offered to help guard her, throwing in their own lewd comments and innuendo every now and again. But the woman merely smiled, and continued moving forward, both hands resting comfortably on the back of her head.

As they reached the front lines, they were greeted by a red haired private, who, to say the least, looked quite surprised to find a woman in their midst. "Hey, look what the cat dragged in. Where'd you find this one?" He chuckled and elbowed Bill in the ribs. The man shrugged him off, and punched him amiably in the shoulder.

[MillietheWarrior]

"Lay off, ya Mick. Why don't you go find Captain Winters. Make yourself useful like, you know?" He smacked him lightly on his helmet and with a low whistle, the red-haired youth jogged off, presumably to find Captain Winters.

Joe led the woman over to a sheltered area, and she noted, with annoyance, that the American lines weren't as well fortified as the German lines. Sure, they were both taking cover in their foxholes, stuck in those hell holes right across from one another. But she had thought the Americans would have more…well, everything. She saw no ammunition strewn around, the men that moved about had no winter clothing, and if they did, it was poor. She wondered how many had succumb to trench foot, or frostbite whilst they huddled in their foxholes, praying they didn't get hit.

[MillietheWarrior]

There as no aid station that she could see, but then again, she hadn't gone very far into their main lines. Her eyes wandered the American position, landing upon soldiers that sat around here and there, some outside their foxholes, some inside. Many were rubbing their hands together, trying desperately to warm themselves up as they huddled in groups or on their own.

She was acutely reminded of her own predicament. Although she was considerably better off than many of these soldiers, her winter clothing was lacking as well. It wasn't as thick as most of the German clothing, and it certainly wasn't as warm. She placed her gloved hands on her arms, rubbing fruitlessly to increase the circulation in them and warm herself up.
[10]

[MillietheWarrior]

It was pretty hard to stay warm when you were surrounded by nothing but cold.

Joe stood beside her, his M-1 resting on his hip and arm, his dark eyes darting across the line, and falling to land, every now and again, on the woman he was guarding. Before long, however, Bill joined the two. Rubbing his hands together, he cursed loudly.

"I hate this God damn cold. And this whole God damn forest. If I ever get home, I'm moving to a tropical island." The woman smiled lightly at his words, but hid her amusement well. She certainly did not blame him.

[MillietheWarrior]

After another few minutes of aimless waiting, three men seemed to materialize out of the forest. At first, the woman hadn't known they were even men, so poor was the visibility. She had mistaken the for trees. But as they strode towards her, she knew, for certain, that these were no trees.

The two men beside her saluted half-heartedly, and the man in front of the three person group waved them off with a tired smile. "What's this all about?" he questioned wearily, his blue eyes flickering towards the woman. The man behind him stepped forward, dark haired, and dark eyed. He looked sleepy, and like he truly didn't want to be here.

[MillietheWarrior]

But then again, who did?

"What do we have here?" The dark haired man bent down, his black eyes probing the woman for answers as he searched her face. She did not flinch, nor did she move. Her lips remained sealed shut, though they did turn up into a small, worn smile.

"You tell me," she murmured. "Because even I'm not so sure anymore." The man frowned darkly, and straightened up, offering the red-haired captain a look that seemed to convey his thoughts directly to him.

[MillietheWarrior]

"All right," the young captain said, stepping forward. He stood before the woman, who, in turn, stood before him as she raised herself from the seat she had taken. "I'm Captain Richard Winters. This is Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne. This is Captain Nixon," he motioned to the dark haired man briefly. "And sergeants Joe Toye and Bill Guarnere." He did not introduce the red-haired man behind him, for he seemed to have forgotten he was there. It was the man from earlier. But the woman didn't seem to notice or care.

[MillietheWarrior]

"That's nice to know," she commented slowly, raising a brow in question. "Is there a reason you told me that? Because I can't do much with names." She crossed her arms over her chest, dark eyes boring into his bright blue ones.

He pursed his lips, and regarded her coolly. "Well, Babe here told us you were important, for some reason or another." He turned to Joe, who was watching the exchange in an unobtrusive fashion. "Joe? Care to explain?"
[15]