Can't fall even harder (Band of brothers/Richard Winters)

XI. See you in Normandy

Aldbourne England, the night of the 4th of June 1944, the night before the jump

As she lit up her cigarette a voice echoed behind her.
"You shouldn't smoke" she turned her head as a puff of smoke exited her mouth.
"Yeah, and you shouldn't drink that much" she replied looking as Nixon laughed.
"Touchè", he answered sitting next to her, they were outside of the barracks, she sat on the grass with her legs crossed while looking at the sky, it was full of the star, what a day before her run into death there were so many stars, it was a sight so beautiful.

"What's on your mind little one?", he asked looking intently at her features she stopped looking at the sky and started staring at the cigarette in her mouth, "What's in my mind you ask, I don't know, a lot of stuff" she laughed, but it wasn't a happy laugh it was more like a sad, stressed and gloomy laugh. She continued staring at the cigarette while it was consuming, he didn't know what to say, it has always been Dick to comfort her whenever it was needed, he was more the laughing or drinking type of a friend.
"And is any of this stuff something about jumping out of a plane behind the krauts line?" he asked worried, still looking at her reaction. "Some yes" she lifted up her chin "You know lots of question" "Such as.." "Why I'm here, Will I be able to save everyone, Will something happen to the people I love, Will I be able to protect my friends, Will I come in time every time, will I be able to sustain the weight of it all, yeah you know lot of stuff.", she said taking a deep breath trying not to cry, Isabelle was a cheerful person, she was funny, happy, she could transform a pout into a big smile just with one or two words.
But right now what Nixon saw was a person who cared so much for everyone that couldn't cope even with the thought of losing one of his friend, a person so pure that didn't deserve all this madness, a person so caring. He couldn't watch her like that, it was breaking his heart. he hugged her, tightly.
She was gripping on his shirt for dear life, there was a moment of silence, then when he felt her tears starting to flow down on his shirt he said:

"I don't know, God, I don't have all the damn answers, I'm just a damn dude who makes plans, I don't know if everything will be alright if everyone will be..."
"Alive"
she flinched, still crying.
"I don't know anything. But what I can tell is that you are fucking good at what you do, you're perfect, jeez, everybody is lucky to have you as a doctor, so stop stressing about saving lives and start saving them"

She looked at him, tears in her eyes.
She nodded, unsure of her abilities, but sure that she was going to give everything she had to save those men.

They interrupted the hug and the Lewis sighing said:
"Oh, finally, How did I do?" Nixon asked causing a laugh to escape her mouth, this time it was a real genuine laugh, "You did good Whiskey man" she answered, he left a breath he didn't know he was holding, "You know doll, I'm always scared of comforting women, they are strange" "yeah, yeah we're pretty strange, but you did good, yeah good."

They continued talking a little bit, then Isabelle was really tired and decided to go to bed.
"Good night plan boy"
"Good night sweetheart"

They laughed at each other and went their separate ways, ready to face the day before them.

Bill finished talking to Marty about the letter, he was sad for his brother, but he was so strong. Isabelle looked as Bill approached Marty, giving him the letter and probably telling him something about his brother, Isabelle felt sorry for him, she too had a brother in the Marine, but she didn't have news from home, they stopped sending letter since Toccoa ended and she was in England.

After preparing herself properly, she started looking for Richard, she spotted him and like yesterday, he was having a problem with his belt. She started walking to him, she wanted to help.
"Hey handsome, is someone having a problem with his belt for the second time in two days?, he turned his head, blushing a little, "Well gorgeous, it seems so, maybe you know some beautiful woman who can help me?", she laughe turning a light shade of red.
"Well sweetheart I heard that Nixon is free", ha laughed and replied "Yeah Honey, but that's not my type you know."And what that might be pretty boy?", "I don't know treasure, maybe more feminine."
They both laughed.
Since you've come to this beautiful island your flirt happened more often, Lew constantly mocked the both of you about it, but neither of you was ever going to admit that it was an actual real flirt.
"Well I know a beautiful woman who can help you" And who that might be?" he asked, leaning a bit closer to her, looking straight to her eyes.
"Me" she whispered.
"Yeah she's pretty gorgeous, I might actually accept your offer", he said smiling down at her, she smiled too.
They were pretty close, she then started tightening his belt, completely ruining the mood.
He coughed and then asked her: "How are you?"
She knew that he was going to ask, she was an open book to him, she was a newspaper, he could see through her like a piece of glass. "I'm.... fine, I guess"
"Lew told me about your encounter last night", it was, in fact, true, when Nixon came back Richard wasn't asleep, he asked the man what he was doing and he told him their conversation. Richard felt a little bit of jealousy, he could've helped her, he could've been there, why wasn't he. Lew immediately noticed his behaviour, but didn't do anything, he preferred to stay silent.
"Yes", she was looking at his belt, caressing her fingers on the cold metal,
"DO you want to talk about it?" He put his hand on her shoulders, lowering his head trying to make her look him in the eyes, without success.
"No"
"You know you can always tell me everything?"
"Yes"
"Do I need to worry?"
"No", she said, instantly taking up her gaze to look him in the eyes.
"Then okay, I just hope Lew was of help." "Yeah, it helped to talk to him.", here it is again, this thing in his stomach, Isabelle noticed his look so she added: "Well he wasn't you, but it was helpful," she said caressing his cheek. He smiled and blushed a little, that feeling of jealousy went away, replaced by a wave of pure love.
She finished helping him and much to their dismay they had to go o their planes.

"Stay safe, please," He said.
"I will, don't worry, and stay safe you too" she replied,
"If you get killed I will come to punch you in the ribs," she said causing him to chuckle.
"Don't worry, I'll try my best"
"No but seriously, I can't imagine what I would do without you", she said staring into his eyes.
"Me too, I could do nothing without you."
They hugged, tight, as it was the last hug of their entire life, they were scared.
they didn't want to leave each other embrace, afraid of not feeling it again, afraid, scared.
They had to separate, he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, she then did the same.

She started walking away, he was looking at her figure leaving him, capturing every single moment.
Then she stopped, she turned her head and said:

"Ehi handsome, see you in Normandy"
She waved goodbye and started running to her plane. he waved back still captured by her.
Normandy, he was going to see her in Normandy, he was sure.

However, he had to repeat it to himself for the whole flight.