" I'm not telling you it is going to be easy - I am telling you it is going to be worth it."

- Art Williams

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By the 17th, the company was housed in various homes in a tiny town, Schoonderlogt, Holland. Hazel was put into a house with Easy Company's 2nd platoon, housing with 2nd squad, which consisted of Toye who was filling for Bill who took a joyride on a motorcycle and took a hit to the leg, Babe, and Chuck, plus a few others. She was cuddled up in blankets with her longer hair splayed out behind her, clutching the pillow to her chest tightly. She was snoring, but the boys didn't mind, it was her stuffed up nose causing it and the end of the sickness, as she continued fighting every battle they got engaged in. She woke up after the men had, and was achy and exhausted, which wasn't anything new.

" Hey Tiny," Toye said from his bed next to hers as she rolled over to look at it, and let out a huff.

" Still feeling like crap?" he asked her and she nodded.

" Wanna get some breakfast?" Chuck called to her and she nodded, as she slowly sat up and moved her legs to the side over the bed. She carefully began pulling her boots over her feet, and lacing them up, before pulling on her layers and slowly getting to her feet.

" I'm so achy." she groaned at as she finally stood up and began walking, feeling her head swim.

" You just keep resting up, Tiny, and you'll be feeling better in no time." Babe said, " That's what my ma always says."

" Thanks, Babe." Hazel said with a smile to him. Catherine was walking through the town that morning when a truck stopped nearby and she turned and saw a driver, as well as Nixon and Winters in the truck.

" What's up?" she asked.

" Colonel Sink." Nixon said through a grumble, of sleepiness she thought.

" Oh." she said, moving in to sit next to Winters with a smile. The minute they were moving, so was Nixon's mouth.

" I mean, we're the only unit in the group that's got the Germans on the German side of the Rhine." Nixon exasperated as Catherine glanced at Winters through her side eye as the two saluted a higher up.

" If we'd have taken Antwerp, and I'm not saying that that would have been Easy, we would be over the river, well supplied, and have the Krauts on their heels." Nixon said, puffing another smoke, " Now, if I can just get Ike on the phone. Are you listening to me?" Winters moved from the truck the minute it stopped and Catherine smirked, patting Nixon's shoulder.

" Hangin' on every word." Winters said with a slight smirk and Catherine chuckled as she hopped out of the truck to follow Winters inside. Catherine followed Winters into Battalion HQ, Nixon slowly catching up to her after jumping out of the truck.

" Hey, Moose, you too?" Winters asked Moose Heyliger who was standing just inside.

" Yeah, whatever's going on, Sink is not happy." Moose said, giving a smile to Catherine and she gave him a friendly smile back.

" Nixon, Heyliger, McCown." Sink called, rather angrily. Catherine glanced towards Nixon as he raised a brow with the coffee that was in his hands. Catherine glanced back at Winters before walking forward.

" Meet Colonel Dobie, British 1st Airborne." Sink said as the trio stepped forward.

" Captain Nixon is our 2nd Battalion S-2." Sink said, " That's 1st Lieutenant Moose Heyliger, and this is 2nd Lieutenant Catherine McCown, she works with Easy Company and 2nd Battalion."

" Pleasure." Dobie said as he shook their hands, seemingly surprised when 'McCown' stepped forward and happened to be a girl, with long brown hair.

" It appears the British lost 8,000 men when Market Garden fell on its ass. Which is why Colonel Dobie has been tasked with coordinating some kind of rescue operation for the Red Devils who were trapped when Arnhem fell." Sink explained as he sat down and Catherine peered closer at the map.

" Dutch Resistance are harboring 140 of my chaps here," Dobie said as he pointed to a location and both Nixon and Catherine leaned down against the table eyes narrowed looking at the map. Catherine studied in a quick period.

" Just outside a Jerry-held town 15 miles north of the river. They'll make their way to the riverbank and assemble in the woods here, tonight." Dobie explained, as Catherine narrowed her eyes.

" Pick a team from Easy Company and get them back across the Rhine as fast as possible." Strayer said.

" 140 men?" Moose asked.

" Canadian engineers have supplied six boats. The rendezvous point is isolated and landable. I swam it myself last night." Dobie said as he stood and walked over to a map. Catherine slowly walked over as she let out a puff of her smoke, standing near the map, eyes narrowed.

" At approximately 0030 hours they will signal the V for Victory with a hand-held red torch." Dobie said before turning to Nixon and Catherine, " That would be a hand-held red flashlight." Nixon glanced at Catherine as she smirked, her cheeks turning a bit red.

" Alright, we'll call this thing Operation Pegasus. Bob, your 2nd Battalion is on the spot. Get it done." Sink told Strayer.

" Captain Nixon, Lieutenant McCown, assist Colonel Dobie in every way possible. If you need anything at all, you come to me." Strayer told the two and they nodded.

" I can hardly ask for more." Dobie said looking to the two, as the normally sarcastic two nodded with smiles. As Nixon stepped forward, Catherine glanced back to Winters who was looking their way as Strayer led him in the opposite direction.

She felt bad for Winters. She knew he missed his company these past 12 days. He'd been with them from day one and now they were taken away from him.

Easy was trained with rubber boats provided by the Canadian engineers that late morning in the rather cold water. They were prepared for Operation Pegasus by that night, which was set to take off with Moose leading as well as Dobie with Welsh as another Lieutenant to join along with. Catherine would be going on the Operation, but she had a mountain of reports to work through quickly before that could occur.

So Catherine went up to visit Winters.

She knew he had a quiet area to write and there was an extra typewriter. The man was already slightly upset that he wasn't allowed to lead Easy anymore, the men and women he'd seen from Toccoa and England to now, but he also wasn't going on the Operation; he was holed up, writing a report. Sink continued to send reports for Catherine to work out, because he had noticed in the one report she had been assigned how well she wrote and decided to give her more. She had done her job helping Dobie the best she could with Nixon but eventually she was excused and decided to do what she could to give some company and comfort to Winters, before she was supposed to head out.

Catherine slowly opened the door that lead up to his makeshift office, and shut it before her before climbing the stairs with the report in her hands that she needed to edit. Her head appeared over the top of the wall in the office, her brown hair longer now past her shoulders as she smiled.

" Hey Catherine." Winters said as a slight smile came on his features as he slowly stood up.

" Hey, how're you doing?" she asked him as she stopped in front of his desk, looking up at him with the report bulging in her hands.

" I'm doing good," he said glancing towards the window where Easy Company was slowly prepping for the Operation. Catherine glanced at the window and back at him.

" I figured I'd keep you company, since we both have reports to write and I take hours anyway." Catherine said with a smile and Winters nodded, " Before I have to head out."

" Ok, well, not much happening up here, but make yourself at home. If you need one there's an extra type writer around here somewhere." Winters said as he began looking for and Catherine sat down at a table with a comfy chair nearby setting up her stuff. Catherine looked up as she watched as Winters pulled a typewriter from a box and walked over to her with it before placing it on the table. Her eyes widened. It was new, and clean and filled with ink.

" Wow," she said, " This is beautiful."

" Yeah, brand-new. Sink had a bunch made, and delivered me an extra." Winters explained as he went and sat down again at his desk. Catherine immediately pulled the typewriter in front of her and set it up with fresh paper.

" Wow." she said again, admiring it. Winters smiled as he continued on his own report. The two worked in a comfortable silence, as the typewriter typed from both of their ends. Zeilnski arrived, coming back in and asked Catherine if she wanted coffee and Catherine nodded.

" Yes, please. Black, no sugar, thank you." Catherine said and Zelinski nodded before turning and heading out again. Winters looked at Catherine and she raised a brow.

" Must be an intelligence officer thing." Winters said and Catherine smirked.

" What?" she asked.

" Black, no sugar, Nix got the same thing." he said as he looked back at his typewriter and hit a button.

" Maybe we just have good taste." Catherine said sitting back with a smile, " And you were a bit sarcastic, assuming that you get that from Nixon." Winters laughed slightly and Catherine quirked a smile.

" And he laughs too." Catherine said as Winters shook his head with a chuckle.

Catherine watched Winters get to work on his typing and watched him get into his mood. She wasn't sure if she'd realized it before, but his hair was more ginger than it had been, but the sad truth behind it was because he was clean, he wasn't out fighting with his company in the battlefield. He was in a warm building, up with lights and the comfort knowing he wouldn't lose his life tonight when one of the men from his company could. She had never seen Captain Winters look as sad as he did now. He loved that company with his whole heart.

And now he was watching them go off to battle without him.

" Dick," Catherine said and she watched as he looked up towards her, sitting at the tiny table her feet tucked in under herself in a criss-cross, " I know you miss the company." Her face performed a pained expression as she said those words, as she watched him, watching his face, turned to a sadness she never saw on the Captain's face. Winters slowly pulled his hands back from the typewriter and folding them together watching them.

" I see it in your face," Catherine said. She was observant and sometimes it was a bother to be as observant as she was, but she read people like an open book, even someone as tied down as Captain Winters.

The stress lines, the worry that was constantly upon his features, the looks at HQ this morning when he wasn't a part of the operation discussion. She knew, even if he didn't have the heart to say it.

" They'll be fine without me." Winters said, nodding, silently convincing himself that he was not needed.

" It's okay, if you think the other way," Catherine said softly, " you watched them grow in training at Toccoa, all through England and Normandy. Dick, it's only normal." Winters slowly met her gaze and watched her. Her eyes were filled with evident pain, he could see it all over her face. She was the one to look down.

" I just, I've known you for a while Dick, I know when you worry, especially for this company," Catherine said, gently meeting his gaze again, " I just want you to know, that if you ever want to talk, I'm here." Winters watched her.

Catherine knew Winters normally didn't express his emotions, he didn't let on when he was upset, when he was emotional, he just stayed strong, for the company, for the men and women. Being in command, all alone, is lonely, and sometimes you're forced to shove your emotions to the side and just be in command. But sometimes emotions are the only thing that bring you back. Catherine averted her gaze, she looked back at her typewriter and the unwritten report, and sighed to herself. She had messed up; she shouldn't have even mentioned it.

" I watched them from day one, Cath," a quiet voice said and Catherine looked over to see Winters looking at her as he leaned back in his chair, speaking quietly, " I watched them get past Sobel, earn their jump wings, I watched them become the paratroopers they were made out to be. I watched them make their first combat jump and fight in the war we've prepared so long for, and now they're just, their not my company anymore." Catherine watched the Captain hold a steady gaze with her. Catherine bit back her lip, as finally the weight lifted from her shoulders.

" It's been hard, watching them fight, and I can't be with them." Winters said nodding, " Yeah, it's been hard." Winters sighed to himself and put his head in his hands. Winters loved that company, Catherine knew. Everyone did. Seeing Winters miss it as desperately as he did, upset her. It's why she visited him as often as she did. So he was still connected to the men in a way to the company to Easy.

" Dick, I didn't mean to upset you-"

" No," Dick said, slowly sitting up and looking at her, " I needed to be told that." Catherine watched him, speak that with the full and honest truth, " I just needed to hear someone say it." Catherine's heart broke. She nodded.

" You've always been a great soldier, Catherine," Winters said, as he titled his head to gaze out the window, his gaze gentle, filled with emotion. Catherine watched him, biting back her lip. Her psychology classes haven't prepared her for this. She nodded again.

" I miss them, I do," Winters said nodding, " they're one of the best things to have happened to me out here." Catherine watched him with sad eyes. He could never be CO again.

" I know," Catherine whispered softly.

Winters met her gaze again and Catherine tried to remain slightly positive. But knowing how distraught Winters was, she knew it would never leave her brain. Yet he just wanted the best for the company, even all the way in this position.

A few hours later, Catherine had finished her reports up, even though Winters still had so many, but she had to head out. She bided Winters goodbye and headed down towards where the mass of Easy was preparing. The boats were set up on the side of the bank as Easy loaded weapons, and gathered what they needed. The Canadian engineers moved them across the river to the other side, in the silence under the moonlight.

When the boats reached the shore, the paratroopers rushed out of the boats. Catherine's feet hit the edge of the shore, as the rocks crunched underneath her boots, as she looked towards Tab, who nodded to her.

Tab raced past her as Catherine watched each boat land on the shore, and then men get out, the Canadians the ones to hold the boats in place. Catherine turned and gave the thumbs up to Tab. Catherine hurried up to Tab's side as they crouched side by side with the company behind them, in the darkness. Catherine shifted her helmet a bit on her head as she watched Moose and Dobie meet up with another Red Devil before running off with him. Bull came running back from his call from Moose, and hurried up to Tab and Catherine.

" Brit's are on their way." he said, and Tab nodded. Then they were left in the quiet of the night as the men of Easy waited.

" How're you doing?" Tab asked his 2nd in command, who sat quietly next to him, eyes peeled forward looking at the forest in front of them. Catherine glanced over at him and shrugged a bit before glancing back at where Moose sat awaiting the return of Dobie, and the Brigadier General.

Winters was on Catherine's mind and making her a bit of a wreck if she was being honest. She just felt bad for him, and she couldn't do a thing about it.

" I'm ok, I'm just worn out." she said with a small smile.

" Yeah, the whole sleep things been out the window for a bit longer than I would've liked." Tab said and Catherine let out a tiny laugh.

" Maybe after this, we'll finally get time to sleep." Catherine said looking at him and Tab smirked.

" Yeah, I hope." he said, before glancing back at the rest of the men and women.That's when Dobie, and the men he had left with returned with the Brigadier General, and the 4 sat talking quietly together.

Suddenly, one of them went running down the length of the road and about 100 men jumped out from the forest, red berets shining under the moonlight. Catherine squinted as Moose and the Brigadier General stood and hurried over to the men and women. It was quick, as they moved the British men onto the boats with Easy and quietly sailed towards the other side.

When they reached the other side, they had saved 138 men from the lower end of the Rhine. About half were sent to be checked for injuries. Gene and Lizzie received them, where as Lizzie had a slightly sad gently smile on her face, as her blond hair hung down around her face. The men though, were complete gentlemen as they talked to the girl as she cleaned their wounds or wrapped up parts of their arms or legs. All the British soldiers had agreed that they were surprised that there was a female combat medic working with the Airborne, but the other half was surprised when they found that there were 2 other women besides the female medic. The barn was filled with British and American paratroopers alike. There were drinks and men everywhere, celebrating brother to brother.

" Wahai, Mohammed!"

" Wahai, Mohammed!"

" Moose Heyliger and the American 101st, have done the Red Devils a great service, making it possible for us to return, and fight the enemy on another day." The Brigadier General said as the group cheered.

" To Easy Company....victory and Currahee!" the Brigadier General called as pride filled the American paratroopers suddenly.

" Currahee!" they all yelled, the men of Easy the loudest, as they yelled with their pride and joy. Hazel moved through with a smile on her face as people began talking and drinking together in celebration of the extremely early morning where the sun wasn't even up, but it was only 3 am. She eventually went to bed however, she was freezing and still a bit sick and in need of a good sleep.

Hazel woke up the next morning, later than she had wanted, her mind filled with memories from last night. Hazel slowly sat up and looked around at the bright sunlight that was gently streaming inside. She noticed the rest of the men were asleep as well in their beds. Then she looked down and realized she was in her own bed. But she realized, she didn't feel that sick anymore either. She reached up to touch her forehead and realized that it wasn't warm or slick with cold sweat like she had figured it would be. Instead when she stood, she didn't feel her head swim with each step and she felt like she were awake and alert. When she got down to breakfast she slid in next to Shifty, and inhaled her food, as Chuck looked toward her with a raised brow.

" Are you feeling better?" he asked, slightly disgusted at how hungrily she ate her good. She nodded.

" Oh yeah, can you tell?" she said. Shifty snickered.

" Yeah, mama always says sleep is the best medicine." Babe said as he slid in next to Chuck and began eating his meal.

" Got that right Babe, my ma always put me to bed early when I was sick as a kid. Couldn't go to school or out with my friends, none of that. Mrs Grant is a powerhouse and wouldn't let me out." Chuck said.

" I'm just glad that I don't feel like I'm swimming anymore." Hazel said with a sigh of relief.

" Well, I'm glad you're not swimming either, we don't need you almost falling in the river again like that last patrol." Shifty said and Hazel burst out laughing, nearly choking on her food.

" What?" Babe asked leaning forward, eyes shining, " Almost fell in a river?" Shifty nodded as he laughed.

" It's so bad, I can't say, I'd feel rude." Shifty said as Hazel grinned at him.

" I was dizzy, from the fever about a week ago, and they sent Shifty and I out on a patrol near the Neder-Rijn. I was moving towards it and I guess in my delirium thought my tiny body could swim through the river and was about to plunge when Shifty held me back. It was moving so fast, I almost jumped in." she said as the two others broke into chuckles.

" You sound like Speirs." Chuck said.

" What'd that lunatic do?" Babe asked. He had some Bill in him no doubt.

" Leading a patrol on the 10th, which kicked him out of action, with one of those bullets in his but, the guy swam the river at night, to enemy territory and grabbed a rubber boat the pull to the other side for the men on his patrol. He came back with the bullet, but with that crazy smile on his face. He's brave." Chuck said nodding.

" I've always admired him." Hazel said with a nod. She had to admit, Speirs was admirable, just because he seemed to accept death and despair and rather take it in strides and just go with it. It was his motivator.

If he almost died doing something, it seemed like he'd call it a good experience.

" He's admirable alright," Chuck said, " ran through a bunch of enemy fire a few days before that so he could plant a few bombs, nearly died." Hazel's eyes widened.

" He's got a set for sure." Babe muttered as Hazel smirked, hearing Chuck and Shifty snicker.

He had a want for death, to just slip past it before running from it's grasp.

He played a dangerous game, but it seemed like it was fun for him, slipping past death only to have to trailing in defeat.

Crazy Lieutenant.

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hello! i hope you liked this chapter :) and i felt the conversation with winters and catherine was very much needed, because even though it is not widely talked about in the episode, it is clear winters misses easy, and catherine, being the observant person she is, recognizes it and brings it up, feeling it is a conversation winters needs to have. i just felt it was important since i felt it was prevalent to the plot. thanks for reading!!