Upottery, England - May 31st, 1944

Jess' boots squelched in the mud, rain ran down her helmet onto her face and her wet plait dripped down her back. All around her, Easy had sent up their tents in accordance with Lieutenant Compton's orders. As she walked around, Jess saw Hoobler talking with one of the British soldiers who was dressed as a German. She smiled at Hoobler's excitement about the Brit's Luger and carried on trudging through the thick English mud, thoughts running through her head.

"St. Marie du Mont. Causeway number one. Causeway number two. The ultimate field problem. The estuary of the Douve River divides two beachheads, code-named Utah, here, and Omaha here. Seabourne infantry will hit these beaches in force at a date and time to be specified. H-Hour, D-Day. Airborne's objective, gentlemen, is to take the town of Careltan, or Carentan, thus linking Utah and Omaha into a one continuous beachhead." Lieutenant Meehan, the new commanding officer for Easy, stood addressing them of the plan to invade Normandy.

"Each trooper will learn this operation by heart and know his and every other outfits' mission to the detail." Jess, who was sitting next to Guarnere, turned her head as Dukeman stood and asked the question that every paratrooper had been wondering. "Sir, are we dropping tonight?"

"When it's time for you to know, we'll let you know. In the meantime, study these sand tables, maps, and reconnaissance photos until you can draw a map of the area by memory. Now, we will drop behind this Atlantic wall five hours before the fourth infantry lands at Utah. And between our assembly area and the battalion's objective, there is a German garrison right here in this area, St. Marie du Mont. Easy Company will destroy that garrison."

Meehan finished his address and Easy rose in a loud scuffle of chairs and murmurs. "Glad they keep us so informed about when we're jumping," grumbled Guarnere as he and Jess followed the crowd back to their row of tents. Jess nodded in agreement. "Don't suppose you know when the big jump is?" chimed in Malarkey as he appeared at Jess' other side. Jess turned her head to face him and raised one eyebrow. "Why would I know Malark? You heard Meehan. We won't know until the brass believe we should know." Malarkey shrugged his shoulders and the trio arrived back at the tents. "Just thought, what with your husband being Easy's first Lieutenant and your best friend being the Intelligence Officer, you might have more of an idea than us," he explained as Jess started to leave after bidding them goodnight. She turned back towards Malarkey and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Well Malark.. I can tell you this; one of the days before we jump I'm gonna find you and beat your ass at a game of cards."

Jess left the sound of Guarnere's laughter and Malarkey's disbelief behind her as she continued to wander through the rows of tents. She smiled and waved at Luz and Lip, checked a few nerves and bruises on various other Easy members before she finally arrived back at the tent where she had left her belongings. As she rummaged through, searching for something, Jess heard a squelching of mud behind her and turned to see Nix approaching with his dark bushy eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "Lew!" Jess called out and her friend looked up from the churned up ground, smiling slightly when he noticed her.

"Hey Jez, you alright?" Nix greeted as she reached out her arms for a hug. He reciprocated the action and Jess breathed in the scent of coffee mixed with whiskey. Clearly, even the looming jump couldn't stop Nix from finding time to drink his beloved Vat 69. "What are you up to Lew? Shouldn't you be with the other officers, finalising the details of the jump that the rest of us poor schmucks aren't allowed to know?" Jess teased her friend. Nix laughed sarcastically at the jab towards the officers. Personally, Nix agreed with the well worn belief that officers were too stuck up for their own good, caring nothing about the men under their command. Still, Nix was one of those officers and he did his best to try and subvert the stereotype.

"Nah, you should know the Intelligence Officer is never needed when planning a high risk invasion," Nix joked which caused Jess to smile and laugh softly. "Anyway, you avoided my question, how are you doing with.." Nix paused to think, "everything I guess. Dick mentioned in passing that he hasn't even seen you since Sobel was transferred." Jess' smile faded and her gaze fell to the object she had been clutching in her hands. Her pendant glinted faintly in the setting sun, the three rings gently knocking against each other.

"I'm ok Nix, just.." Jess struggled to find the words to describe how she was really feeling. How could she explain the turmoil of emotions coursing through her body. She was terrified of what was going to happen when they eventually jumped, she was apprehensive about what her parents would think about her if they were still alive. She was worried that she wouldn't be able to heal her friends when they inevitably became wounded. Most of all, Jess was scared that she wouldn't make it out alive or, even worse she survived but Dick was.. Jess couldn't even think of that possibility. Instead she took a deep breath, burying all of her conflicting feelings and looked up at her friend's worried face. "I'm just tired," she finished, which was technically true.

Nix gave her another hug and orders to get some rest before he left Jess to her own thoughts once again. Clutching the pendant between her fingers, Jess raised her head up to the clear sky noting that for once, it wasn't cloaked with the grey clouds that England was famous for.

'Mama, I know maybe I'm not the model Córka you always thought I was. I know you would have reservations about me jumping headfirst into war. Still, I ask you for guidance throughout the coming years. Please Mama, may you watch over Easy Company and the Airborne and all of the brave Allied troops already fighting for their country and freedom. See us through as safely as Yahweh will allow and help be a source of comfort in these troublesome times.

Père, I know you would be proud. You always told mon frère et moi that we could do whatever we put our minds to. Maybe you didn't quite picture war when you taught us this but surely your advice wouldn't have differed? Please Père, as Mama will be our protector and comforter, will you lend Easy your strength as we head into battle. Keep us focused and determined, and with Yahweh's divine blessing allow us to never falter and persevere until the battle is won and the war is ended.

I will always be everything you both taught. Kind, brave, strong and determined as well as everything I have learnt to be in your absence. I miss you both terribly but take comfort in the knowledge that you are always watching over me and, like now, always listening. Merci et do zobaczenia wkrótce. Yiska.'

----

The next day, Jess was sitting with Guarnere watching with amusement as her friends struggled to pack everything that had suddenly been dumped on them. "Does anybody have any idea how the hell this thing works?" Luz asked as he held up an unknown piece of jumping equipment. No one responded and Luz sighed in annoyance. "Cheer up Luz," called Jess from where she was sitting, "anyone would think that you're annoyed about jumping from a perfectly good plane into the middle of enemy territory."

"Alright J, very funny. Just cause your best friend is an officer and he's already packed everything for you," Luz rolled his eyes at her as Jess laughed. It was true that Nix had taken the liberty of helping Jess pack all of her medical gear along with her rations and ammunition when he overheard her complaining about it all to Guarnere earlier on. Now, Jess was sitting with her belongings fully sealed away except the star pendant which she was still clutching in her hands as she watched Guarnere eat his ice cream. They listened to Luz read out the 'encouraging' letter from Colonel Sink to the paratroopers and Jess laughed again at his impersonations.

Meehan had just announced the postponement of the invasion due to bad weather and Dick's men had all piled into the makeshift cinema that had been constructed. Dick had smiled slightly at their antics before slipping away outside to enjoy the last moments of relative peace that he would see for who knew how long. Nix came up and they talked briefly about life back in America and under Sobel's command before Nix had bid him goodnight and wandered off. Dick stood by himself and stared up into the sky, silently praying for the welfare of his men in the coming weeks.

Jess had awoken to find that the film was still going on in the makeshift cinema. Guarnere turned his head but said nothing as Jess stood and headed outside. She wandered around the silent field before she noticed a tall figure standing by himself studying the sky. Jess hesitated before changing direction and heading towards Dick, stopping when she reached his side. Dick gave a soft smile in acknowledgement of her presence but neither spoke. They stood in silence, both studying the stars that glittered above them lost in their own thoughts.

Dick felt as though he had been standing there for hours before laughter and loud voices announced that Easy had emerged from the cinema. He reluctantly turned his gaze away from the sky and towards Jess who was still standing beside him. Her presence was comforting but all Dick could think about was the following day when they would have jumped into enemy territory, never knowing if they would see one another again. 'Stop,' thought Dick angrily. He should have faith and believe that everything would be alright. He would see Jess again in Normandy.

As if sensing his thoughts, Jess waited for the last stragglers from Easy Company to disappear before stretching onto her toes and gently kissing Dick's cheek. "Goodnight Dick," her voice was soft and helped to calm Dick's worried mind. He smiled at his wife and kissed the top of her head in response. "Goodnight Aut," Jess smiled and turned away, following the silhouette of Guarnere who had just emerged from the cinema. Dick stayed where he was for a few more minutes before starting to search for Lew, hoping his friend wasn't too drunk on the eve of the Allied invasion of Europe.