" Eye contact is way more intimate than words will ever be."

- Faraaz Kazi

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George had rolled down the windows of the old Nissan, letting in the fresh mountain breeze in. It was like they were in Austria again, strolling the cobblestone streets as the sun shone brightly down on top of them, watching a freed country, a war-free world finally feel the liberation that they had deserved years before.

George softly glanced over to look towards Catherine and he swore his eyes softened at the sight. Head looking out the window, as her hair flew out behind her, her face glowing like the sun, the center of his universe, and looking so free - so free. He couldn't remember the last time a smile was unmaintainable on his lips, his corners poking up onto his face, glee filling his soul. It was a euphoric feeling that he wished would never disappear.

George let his eyes briefly move over towards Catherine again and smiled softly, eyes filled with an ethereal and a tender love.

His mind wandered back to Aldbourne - after Normandy had taken so much from the company, after they had returned battered and filled with the horrors of war - after Catherine had finally made it back to the company. George remembered the feeling that had flooded his system the minute Hazel had told him about Catherine and what had happened to her.

Of course, admiration from afar was not something George was keen on taking up, he rather flirted his way in, rather confidently too.

But with Catherine, it was no secret that she had intimidated a majority of the guys upon introduction, but for some reason, that drew George's eyes more than normal - where ever she appeared, or even went, his eyes were on her. He had been infatuated.

So upon hearing she was injured, wounded, distraught and taken from a battle she was born for, he was saddened. And seeing her come back, bright eyed, so joyful, so unbothered seemingly from that wound, made a smile appear on his face - he remembered how that smile had felt. It was quite a nice smile.

George remembered that night, late August of 1944, where the sun was still out late into the evening, the towns women and towns men, gathering at the pubs after working long hours in the shops or fields, and the crickets chirping gently, their quiet symphony a hum in the breeze.

Yeah, George remembered that night vividly - it was the first night he had properly spoken to the Lieutenant that his eye always managed to catch ahold on. It was like it was yesterday.

George had sat in the corner in one of the booths in the bar, a joking grin spread on his lips, as Bill leaned forward a bit to tell one of the jokes he always seemed to throw around. A cold beer in his grasp, George slowly lifted the glass to his lips, briefly pulling from the conversation to let his gaze linger a bit on the townspeople packed into the tiny pub. His eyes stopped suddenly, catching the figure of a familiar Lieutenant slipping into the bar, trying her best it seemed to remain unnoticed.

But George noticed her - immediately.

The way she tried to subtly close the door behind her, almost without making a sound, the pristine uniform softly pressed, her wings on display for all to see, catching the light that shined from the ceiling every so often, and her dark locks, gently brushing her cheeks - like she had just rushed out from somewhere to make it in time to the pub.

George's breath caught in his throat as he realized the faint blush on her cheeks, the nervous way she tucked the strand of hair hanging in her face a bit behind her ear, and the cautious way her eyes seemed to travel around the pub just like what his own had been doing previously.

" George," a voice said and immediately George snapped his head back to look towards the group who was now watching him, rather curiously, trying to pick out what George had seen himself. Bill raised a brow towards him, and Joe Toye's slight smirk was something to scorn at. Joe Liebgott and his stupid grin wasn't particularly enjoyable either, as Malarkey and Skip, without their third partner in crime, Penkala chuckled with each other briefly.

" Sorry," George said letting his eyes roam for a brief moment again, only to feel his neck flush a bit when he noticed her approaching the table and he swallowed what flush he could, to at least conceal it below the uniform for what it was worth.

" Hey guys," a voice said and the group looked to see Lieutenant Catherine McCown there, a slight grin on her face as she stood there, " mind if I join you?"

" Hey there, Lieutenant, yeah, yeah, c'mon.." Bill said, sliding over a bit to make room for her, a bit into Toye's side, earning a disgruntled complaint from the man.

" Thanks," Her answer seemed breathless, a bit tiredly, exhaustedly, yet relieved. George glanced over towards her briefly from where she sat, an almost effortless smile on her face as those few pieces of hair framed her flushed cheeks, a calming aura circling the table of men as she sat like an angel amongst the weary.

" How's the leg?" Liebgott asked, leaning forward a bit, as he sipped his beer, taking in a few gentle gulps, as he raised a brow.

" Fine, just fine. I have bigger issues up at Battalion to worry about than this thing." she said, Bill chuckling a bit at her comment as Malarkey snickered.

" Care to enlighten us?" Skip urged on, as George glanced back own towards his drink - his palms were sweaty - why were they SWEATY?

" Gladly," Catherine said - there was that laugh again, " it seems we're putting our trust in the Brits after all."

" Your kidding me right?" Toye said, leaning forward a brow arched up as he watched her.

" Wish I was." she answered him with a small nod, and George watched as a small frown seemed to fall on her lips a bit. George studied her from the corner of his eye.

" Well then maybe this bullshit will be over by Christmas then," Liebgott retorted, leaning back in the booth a bit, as he sipped the beer in his grasp.

" Well, I admire your confidence, Joe, but it's easier said than done." Catherine said with a smirk, as Liebgott rolled his eyes.

" Anyway, you seen Hazel?" Liebgott asked, as he took down the rest of his beer, " She beat me in darts the other day, and well it's time for revenge." Catherine snickered.

" She's probably not here," Catherine said, " She was helping Grace the last I saw of her." Liebgott's eyes softened briefly at the thought and he nodded.

" Well, looks like I'm calling it a night." Liebgott said as he moved himself out of the bar stool and George watched him with a raised eyebrow.

" Already?" Skip pondered and Liebgott glared.

" Yeah. So the fuck what." Liebgott said, the heat that had been on his neck, crawling to his cheeks, reddening faster and faster.

" Tell Hazel hello for me." George said with twinkling eyes, a smirk on his face as Joe couldn't contain the blush anymore.

" Shut up." snapped Joe before turning and trudging out like the hot-head he was. The table burst into snickers the minute Joe was gone.

George caught Catherine's eye briefly and for a moment, he nearly choked on the air inside of his lungs as she laughed, laughed at his joke. And there was the heat rising in his neck again, attempting to claw at his cheeks somehow.

Then a small smile bloomed on Catherine's face, a sweet one, where George swore that flowers could grow, but then she was turned away laughing at Joe Toye's joke. George felt his heart clench as he glanced back down towards his beer.

" Hey, guess who got beer!" a voice called and the table turned to see Lizzie and Tab, loads of fresh beer in their hands as they paraded off like a load of saints.

" The two stooges." deadpanned George, making the table cackle at his comment as the two chuckled

" Man I wish." Tab said as Lizzie clambered into Joe's empty seat and Tab followed, resulting in a shoving match of who was taking up more space.

" What took you so long?" Catherine said with a smirk, leaning forward to take one of the beers from their stash as she had nothing, but an intoxicating want to grab the drink from the table over.

" Hey, aw c'mon Lieutenant." complained Tab as Lizzie glared.

" Don't be so butt hurt, Tab, you got plenty more beers coming your way, don't you worry." Lizzie said sarcastically as Tab rolled his eyes.

" And I spent my early days of the Normandy campaign with you."

" That's called a blessing not a curse."

" What dictionary did you read in school?"

" Not the one you read."

" Ok, you two, lord have mercy." Skip said, halting the chatter and banter from their side, making the medic and the Sergeant glare at one another briefly, before passing a beer back and forth - at least it was mutual.

" There's no way you two are taking in all this beer alone." Catherine said, eyeing the large bottles of lukewarm beer and then looking at the two fairly drunk people in front of her as Bill snickered.

" Ever heard of a drinking contest?" Bill stated and George immediately looked towards Bill within seconds, eyes studying Bill as he proposed it.

" I don't live underground, Sergeant, I'm not an idiot just yet." Catherine said back making Bill chuckle.

" You on, then? Back in '42, I took down one in under 9 seconds." Bill said confidently, as Catherine smirked.

" Sounds like the time to beat." she said as Bill smirked. George's gentle eyes watched Catherine laugh at Bill - for a moment, he couldn't deny it - there was a sprinkle of jealousy where George wished it were himself beside Catherine making her laugh. His heart pounded ruthlessly inside his chest, and he blamed it on the sweaty hands.

" You on, Lieutenant?" Toye asked leaning forward, as he slid a fresh drink across the table, which she caught cleanly in her palm. Catherine smirked at the challenge and brushed the few strands of hair from her hot cheeks with a grin. George watched as Catherine looked to Bill and smirked.

" Watch and learn, Sergeant Guarnere." she said, and quickly, slid the top of the beer bottle right down upon the edge of the table, popping the top clean off onto the wooden surface, with a wide smirk. Drawing up the beer bottle in front of her, Catherine held out her beer towards Bill as if it were a toast and smirked pridefully.

" Ready?" she asked and Bill's eyes widened for a moment. Intimidation - she always intimidated. But Bill wasn't one to back down from a challenge.

" Always, Lieutenant." he said as the two clinked glasses. And with that they were taking down the beers.

George watched with wide eyes, just like the general majority of the rest of the table, as Catherine, with her pink cheeks, sickly sweat hair clinging to her neck and forehead, beads of perspiration falling from her forehead, finish the bottle with ease, before slamming it down on the table with a grin.

George's eyes grew as Catherine briefly glanced at the table - in a second their eyes were interlocked with one another and she winked cockily, almost like she knew she'd win this, before turning back with a challenging smirk to Bill who slammed his own bottle down.

George's cheeks flamed with heat suddenly - she had WINKED. He was sweating all over, the uniform suddenly itching at his neck as he sat there, watching all of this.

Toye slid two more beers towards them as Catherine and Bill watched each other with equally intense smirks on their faces.

" You scared yet there, Sarge, you look a little pale." Catherine said, as she hit the top of the bottle again, against the wooden table, her eyes glowing like a lion ready to prowl, jumping out from its cage, claws at the ready. Bill grumbled.

" You wish." he said and Catherine smirked. Lizzie leaned forward grinning, and George watched Lizzie send a wink to Catherine with an equally intense smirk - they knew Catherine would win. And then they were drinking again, taking down the liquid in the bottle.

George felt his heart beating, faster and faster, his pulse rising, the heat barely enough to be held back by the collar around his neck, as he watched her slowly pull the bottle effortlessly from her lips and smirk at Bill, who managed to finish his, grimacing a bit as Catherine grinned.

" Damn, Lieutenant." Malarkey muttered, eyes wide as he watched her grin, looking like a child again, not the Lieutenant downing drinks with ease. George's heart gave a bit, he wanted to say something funny, to make the whole tale laugh, but his mind was preoccupied with the prideful brunette.

When the third beer had been slid into their hands - mind you Bill had previously been 2 drinks in already, and Catherine had come from Nixon and Harry's company where there was bound to be a flask already passed around - everyone knew this was far from just a third. The only one showing evident signs was Bill, as Catherine sat upright, taking the third bottle into her hand and knocking the top off with ease. Bill squinted a bit, before doing a double blink and readjusting himself properly.

" Ready?" Catherine asked, a grin on her rosy cheeks as Bill grumbled.

Catherine finished first again, and watched as Bill struggled to even finish the third. Finally slamming down his bottle, he put a hand to the bridge of his nose and let out a sigh, as liquid sloshed around in that half filled bottle.

" I can't drink anymore of that." Bill said, shoving the drink away as Catherine grinned.

" How the fuck you not feeling like shit?" Bill said watching as Catherine brushed hair behind her ear and smirked with a shrug.

" Guess you could say I was fun to bring to bars." Catherine said with a shrug, " Parties were a big no, but bars - now you're talking." The group chuckled as Bill smirked.

" Well you win this time Lieutenant," Bill said with a chuckle, as Catherine smirked.

" Round two." offered Catherine pulling his half finished beer into her grasp and taking down the rest with a smile.

" That's my Lieutenant!" cheered Skip as George let a smirk dawn on his face, glancing up softly towards Catherine who lowered the bottle from her lips and grinned looking towards Skip. But it seemed her own eyes caught on George again and she grinned, almost nervously biting back her lip, before her cheeks grew to red to bare it anymore and focused again on Skip who was telling a joke.

" I always knew you were crazy, Lieutenant, like a god crazy." Skip said.

" Like the crazy that would definitely be identified as 101st crazy." Malarkey said as the group laughed.

" Yeah, crazy got us through some shit didn't it." George joked as the group broke into snickers, and he briefly watched Catherine let out a laugh that sent her eyes shut as she chuckled.

" Nah, nah the best was that impression of Horton, out in the fields, oh god Cath, you should've heard it, Sobel looked like a total jackass, listening to this guy play a Major for a minute." Skip said laughing as George smirked. Lizzie chuckled, slapping the table as she did so.

" Oh my god, Cath you should've heard it. I've told you it a million times but hearing it with your own ears, it's too funny." Lizzie said as Catherine looked over at the man, who, more quiet than usual tonight sat already looking at her with a smirk on his face. She grinned.

" Care to impress?" Catherine said with a smirk and George felt a confident grin spread on his features, chuckling to himself.

" Yeah, c'mon finally hearing about it for months on end anyway." Bill said and George smirked.

" Your wish is my command." George said and cleared his throat. Catherine laughed lightly and George felt his heart miss the slightest bit. George stood and set himself, meeting the awaiting eyes of the people at the table.

" What is the god-damn holdup, Mr. Sobel!" George said, and almost immediately chuckles and laughs were let out around the group.

" Well, that dog just ain't gonna hunt." George imitated, bringing his eyes around the group in his serious facade, making even more laughs escape until George was doubled-over laughing himself, his eyes never failing to draw directly onto Catherine again, who laughed loudly, clapping her hands together, before looking towards George. And for that singular split second, their gazes locked again, where their eyes shined and glowed and George was pretty sure his heart lodged inside his throat.

" Excuse me," a voice said and the chuckles around the table died down a bit as everyone's attention was drawn to the man approaching the table, a dashing smile on his features, and bright, blue eyes, softly gazing right at Catherine.

There was a Lieutenant bar on his collar, similar to Catherine's.

George's heart dropped as he slowly turned to look fully towards him, watching as the man's eyes were on Catherine almost the entire time. George couldn't help but let his jaw clench.

" Hi," Catherine said, rather confidently, but passively in a way, almost raising her eyebrow up to question why he had approached the table.

" Would you care to dance? I couldn't help but notice you when you entered." he said. He hadn't been alone then - George had noticed her as well, he had the entire time. Catherine smirked.

" Sure," she said, confidently standing," I'm quite the dancer, so uh, get ready there Lieutenant." The man laughed at her comment as she took his arm and was lead away laughing.

George couldn't compete with a Lieutenant.

George watched them move towards the dance floor, laughing - and he should be happy for her, seeing her happy, being happy, after the pain she had gone through, but his heart felt otherwise. It ached.

" Hey, you okay, George?" Lizzie asked quietly, bringing his attention back to the table that watched him cautiously, " You zoned out for a bit." George swallowed.

" Fine," he said, sitting back down, " fine, fine, fine, I just remembered one of those towns women was supposed to meet me here, guess she didn't show." His heart gave at the sentence.

There was no towns woman - it was just Catherine.

" Aw buddy I'm sorry, they missed quite the catch." Tab said apologetically. George managed a smile with a nod and then shrugged.

" What can you do." His heart ached, it physically ached more than he would imagine seeing Catherine one minute laughing at his joke and then moving away with a handsome Lieutenant. He shouldn't be bothered. But he was.

" I'm gonna go take a smoke." he said, standing, reaching into his pocket, to pull out one of the smokes he had left over from his pack, " I'll be back." And with that he was moving away, sadness warping his normally happy heart.

What was wrong with him?

What he didn't know was that Catherine was watching him too.

George stepped outside and inhaled a warm gust of night air and sighed to himself, outside of the pub, the warm air and intoxication of grief that filled his heart. Turning he moved to lean up against the cobblestone wall and sighed as he watched citizens walk the streets, chattering in the summer nigh as the crickets sang their pitiful tune. George couldn't do anything except bring the cigarette to his lips, laying it gently there, before lighting it up quickly.

For a few moments, he watched mellowly as people walked back joyful, laughing, talking, store fronts closed up for the night, and cars moved through the streets.

God, what was wrong with him.

He stood there for a while, watching people move in and out, couples, friends, groups, he just worked with the cigarette.

" Hey," a voice said and George was quick to look over and see the pink faced Lieutenant standing right beside him, smiling up at him, her eyes glowing their brilliant blue, a soft smile spreading across her lips.

" Hey," George said, an automatic smile lighting up his own face making Catherine grin wider at he smile on his face, " how's it going, Lieutenant?"

" Oh, c'mon George, it's Catherine." she said and took up a spot leaning up against the wall next to him, making George chuckle quietly.

" Care for some?" George offered the cigarette towards her and she smiled up at him with a nod, and took it from him.

" Thanks," she said and took a gentle puff before blowing it out into the breeze. George watched her softly, as she licked her lips, and then felt her warm cheek briefly before brushing a stroke of hair behind her ear, smiling gently. When she looked back up, he was already looking at her again.

" Were you okay back there? You seemed quiet...at the table I mean, and then you left. I saw you...not to be weird or anything, but just wanted to make sure you were okay." she told him, genuinely concerned for him. Her big blue eyes looked up at his worriedly.

" Oh yeah, me? Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it." he said with a slight chuckle. He wasn't about to tell her it was because it wasn't him making her laugh. Catherine let out a tiny giggle and smirked.

" Well, alright then," she said and passed him back the cigarette," don't tell me it's one of these towns women."

" How'd you know?" George said weakly and Catherine didn't miss the one of his voice.

" Just a guess," she said shrugging her shoulders, " they're missing out on a great guy." Her smile was sweet, genuine and soft. George smiled back a bit.

" Thanks for that." he said as he took a small puff himself and Catherine grinned with a nod. Gently and rather affectionately shoving his shoulder, she smiled up at him.

" I mean it, okay? I'm sorry about what girls do sometimes, I saw it all the time back at Cornell." she told him, sympathetically, and George half smiled as his heart slowly pulsed faster. The two watched each other softly, eyes melting together under the moonlight as the Lieutenant stood beside the Radio Operator. George looked away - he couldn't get caught off guard not yet.

" So, what happened to McDreamy back there?" George asked, forcing a smirk on his face as Catherine, slightly oblivious to his feelings, chuckled a bit.

" He was nice to dance with, but uh...all he could talk about was how beautiful I was. Like...it's a nice compliment, but there's more than a pretty face to a person." Catherine said, shrugging a bit, " It's not for me." George looked over at Catherine, as she bit back her lip, and her eyes gazed off a bit.

" You're really smart." George said - he couldn't contain himself - I mean she was smarter than half the guys combined - and the presentation off the top of her head before D-Day - damn. Catherine looked up at George and chuckled at him.

" Thanks," she said, a slight blush filtering back onto her cheeks that time as she laughed lightly, " thank you for that." George smiled softly.

" Some guys just.....they don't look past the surface I guess." George said looking towards the ground with a shrug, " I mean, sure a pretty face's a pretty face, but there's more to life than what you see." Catherine softly looked up at him and smiled, a soft blow of air following from her nose and she nodded. Then George looked at her quickly.

" You're alright though, right? He didn't say anything to upset you or-"

" George, I'm fine, its okay," she said laughing lightly, " but thanks for being my knight in shining armor there." God she had the purest laugh. George smiled gently and nodded.

" Wanna finish this smoke and head back in?" George offered," Free chance to complain about your favorite topic." Catherine let out a hysterical laugh at him taking the smoke from his fingers into her own and nodded.

" That'd be nice." she said as George chuckled. They shared a cigarette under the spotlight that night - yeah George remembered it well.

Catherine might've not known his feelings or infatuation with her, but to just be alone for once, with a cigarette between them, it had been nice to be with her alone and make her feel better.

George softly glanced over in the vehicle towards Catherine again, letting the sun warm her face even more. Glancing towards him, Catherine met his eyes and smiled.

" What?" she asked with a small grin, " You have that dorky face, the cute one though." George chuckled softly.

" Nothing just...." if he had a camera in that moment, he'd capture the way her eyes seemed to smile and her face glowed, " happiness looks good on you." Catherine blushed a bit and smirked at him.

" Stealing my line, Mr. Luz?" she said and George let out a laugh.

" Yes ma'am." he said and turned, before giving her a solid wink, " Mrs. Luz."

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AHHHHHH YES! i was so excited to post this chapter, just for so many reasons - because in actuality, this was supposed to be a featured scene back in The Soldier of Stars, but I cut it last minute because I thought it'd give too much away far too early - so I figured a flashback in the era of postwar would be much better!! And I'm happy I did it this way :) Plus just some cute George/Catherine moments for you all - i needed it LOL there's two more chapters with these two and then we FINALLY get to see Lizzie and what she's been up to - and fair warning, she's not in the best place :(

Thanks for reading! <3