Disclaimer: I own nothing but the original characters in this story. I have great respect for the real men of Band of Brothers.

Spoken German is written in Italics so nothing is lost in translation. :)

Thanks so much to everyone who has read and reviewed or just been reading. I especially want to thank ber1719, without her….I'd have given up.

Epilogue

Zell Am See, Austria

"You know Colonel, I'm not so sure you telling him is the best idea I've heard lately. He can be…well let's just say he doesn't react well to bad news." Nixon crossed his arms and leaned against the door blocking Colonel Decker's escape. The man had shown up less than an hour ago and told him that Amanda had died without ever regaining consciousness and now he wanted to be the one to tell Speirs. Not even Nixon was going to volunteer for that duty.

"Look Nixon, I'm sorry I had to be the one to bring the bad news, but hell I felt it was the least I could do considering it was me that sent her there in the first place."

"See all the more reason it shouldn't be you. Look, there have been a couple of things happen lately, the latest was one of his soldiers being shot in the head, why don't you let Dick and I handle this."

Matt rubbed a hand through his hair but nodded in agreement. Maybe Nixon was right; it was better that someone who could read the situation pass on the news. "Okay then I'll wait here and when you're done I'll head back, again, I'm sorry to be the one to bring bad news."

Nixon waved him off and went to find Dick; this was the type of news that required two people. Lew knew that Ron was not going to take this well, they'd had to practically pry her from his arms when she was wounded, now…he really didn't want to think about it.

Finding Dick on the patio Nixon dropped into the chair across from him, "we've got a problem."

Dick patiently laid down his pen and gave Lew an expectant look. "Yes and that would be? I mean aside from supply problems and well getting men sent elsewhere."

"Well Colonel Decker has paid another visit and once again is the bearer of wonderful news. Amanda died yesterday and this fool wanted to be the one to tell Speirs. Something about he felt that was the least he could do for Amanda."

Dick frowned and steeple his hands in front of him, "well that is unfortunate I'm really sorry Lew I know the two of you liked each other."

"Yeah well I'll deal with that later, but how do we tell Speirs? I mean he isn't exactly known to take things well and he's been asking me every day if I've heard anything and well now…after Grant…need some help here Dick."

Dick nodded his head, "I'll send for him and we'll do it here. I think it would be better just to tell him Lew. Kind of like ripping off the band aid, do it quick and then deal with the pain."

"Alright then, I'll be waiting."

It hadn't taken long to track down Speirs and get him to the headquarters, the look on his face gave him away when he saw both Dick and Lew standing there looking at him. He even guessed why they were there, "she's dead isn't she?"

The two men exchanged looks and then Dick turned back to him, "yes. We only found out Ron, I'm sorry."

He nodded his head and swallowed hard. Part of him wasn't surprised, she'd been shot in the chest and didn't look good when they pulled her away from him. She was something he'd wanted more than air and as with most things in his life it'd been ripped away from him.

"Thanks for telling me. If there is nothing else I need to get back to the men." Turning on his heel, he left the room not waiting for permission.

Lew snorted and lit the cigarette he'd been holding, "well that went well. Wonder who he is going to shoot?"

Dick shook his head, "no I think it's going to be okay, he didn't seem surprised Lew. Remember Doc told us how bad she'd been shot, I think he'd been more surprised had she lived."

The next day Ron told Dick he'd made his decision. He'd be staying in the Army and staying with the men, there was nothing left for him on the outside anyway.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Aldbourne, England-November 1945

She wasn't awake but she wasn't asleep either. Voices floated around her like a bad radio frequency that she couldn't seem to tune in. She was aware that someone was holding her hand and that she was in a hospital, the smell of disinfectant burning her nostrils and throat.

Swallowing hard she forced her eyes open and tried to focus on the person holding her hand. The fuzziness around the edges of her vision kept everything from being clear but she could at least make out the shape of a man.

Trying to speak it only came out a croak, "Ron?" The hand holding her tightened and then slid away from hers. Instantly she knew she'd made a mistake.

"No, it's not Ron. Damn it Mandy, you've had me scared for the last five months and the first thing you do when you wake up is ask for him?"

Holding up her hand, she tried to wave him off. "No, just thought, what do you mean five months? Where am I?"

Matt took a deep breath and reigned in his temper. Bottom line is he had all the time in the world to bring her to his way of thinking. Losing his temper would only push her away. "I'm sorry sweetheart let me explain. When they found you, you were in bad shape and it was touch and go for almost a month, before we could move you back to England. The doctors have kept you mostly sedated, not too heavily, but they said the longer you slept, the better you would heal."

She nodded her head and finally was able to focus better. Matt looked tired, but not as stressed as he had been during the war. She knew asking about Ron would start an argument but she wanted to know what happened to him. The last she remembered was his face at the Eagle's Nest.

"What…what happened to Ron?" Her voice felt stronger but even she didn't recognize the hoarse sound. It was almost as if her vocal chords had rusted from disuse.

Matt stood and moved to the window. He knew if she could see his face, she'd know that he was lying. Everything from here on depended on him convincing her that he was all she had left.

"Well sweetheart, like I tried to tell you in France, he was using you. Hell, once he passed you off to the medics he went back to his men and never looked back. I mean he could have stopped to see you before they went to Austria and didn't." He could hear the sounds she was making and he knew he couldn't turn to face her yet. He was breaking her heart, but he would mend her heart, if she only gave him the chance.

"I might as well tell you something else while I'm passing on bad news, or things that will hurt you. Turns out you were pregnant, apparently around three months, but the blood loss was too much." Finally turning he steeled his reaction to face her. Nothing could have prepared him for the utter devastation he saw on her face. Moving swiftly he sat next to her on the bed and put her hand in both of his.

"Don't cry baby, in a way its good news, it means there is the potential for you to have children, if you wanted. I'd like to help you get through this Mandy, just tell me what you need and it's yours."

"I need you to leave."

The flat emotionless voice scared him. He wanted her weak, but he might have gone too far. Her eyes that had once shown every feeling were completely empty. Leaning in he kissed her cheek, "okay I'll leave you alone for now. I know all this is a huge shock and when you ready we'll talk. I'll stop by later."

When the door closed, she slid her hand over her stomach. She'd been pregnant, after all the doctors had told her she never could, and well frankly never had, but with him…with him it'd happened. The tears came then, silently, but they still came. She'd been so sure he felt something, she could still see his face at the Eagle's Nest. What had happened to turn him away? Why didn't he even bother?

Closing her eyes, she tried to think, tried to figure out what happened now. Obviously she had to find a way to go on, one thing she refused to think on anymore was why Ron hadn't loved her enough.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Berlin-1956

He hated these social functions. Had they told him he would be required to attend them he'd have turned down the job, regardless of the language school they'd sent him too. Glancing around the room, he took another sip of the wine he was holding. Grimacing he put it down and decided to head for the bar. He'd not drunk wine since France and had no idea why he'd picked it up.

Ordering a Scotch he glanced around the room and was slightly amused at all the men and woman dressed to impress. He'd been in Germany for a month now and still had found nothing that interested him. If he was honest with himself other than pure physical release, he hadn't been interested in any woman since Amanda died.

Closing his eyes he could have kicked himself for bring her name up. Germany was hard enough without being reminded of her, yet she'd never been far from his thoughts. Smiling he realized had she lived they probably would be celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary, maybe some kids in school. Growling at the direction his thoughts were taking he forced himself to mingle and moved away from the bar.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mandy pulled her arm out of Matt's grip. "Look, you need to stop being a possessive ass. I'm not yours Matt and if a man wants to talk to me and I want to talk to him I will."

"Yeah well, talking and him grabbing your ass are two different things. Now get back out that and do what you're getting paid for."

His voice clearly conveyed how annoyed he was, and as far as she was concerned, that made two of them. Letting him lead her back out into the main room, she tried to smile and introduce him to people who would keep him occupied, because right now she really needed a drink. Pulling away from him, she moved to the bar and ordered a glass of wine.

Looking around the room, she noticed there were several new American officers here tonight. She'd heard that they had exchanged their Russian Liaison officers and that the new personnel should be here tonight.

Glancing around the room she eyes were drawn to a group of three officers standing together, the two facing her were older and really not that interesting, but the one with his back to her…well now that was another story, dark hair, nice build. Hmm, maybe she should introduce herself.

The gasp that escaped her was loud enough to draw the attention of the couple next to her. In that moment, she could have cared less. The pain in her chest was overriding everything, including her common sense. The dark haired man she'd been staring at turned his head so that she caught his profile. After eleven years, Ron Speirs was standing less than ten feet from her.

"Miss are you okay, you look a little pale?"

Tearing her eyes away from Ron she stared at the woman next to her, "uh yes, I'm just a little, uh yeah, uh fine. Excuse me." She had to leave and leave now. She couldn't face him, she couldn't face his rejection directly.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Well now there is a something I'd like to have wrapped around me. That's the best looking thing I've seen since we've been in Germany."

Ron turned to look where the other two men were staring to see the tall blonde moving away from them. Something in the way she moved struck him as familiar, or maybe it was just the fact he'd been thinking about Mandy. Frowning he watched her cross the floor quickly and approach a man wearing a tuxedo. The hand she laid on his arm appeared to be a loving gesture. He'd probably would have turned away if the man's face hadn't suddenly appeared in his vision, Matt Decker.

"Gentlemen, excuse me. I think I see someone I know." Moving away from the men, he headed straight for Decker.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Matt we need to leave, now. Ron is here."

Had she been paying attention she would have seen the way Matt lost all his color. "Okay you're right let's go." Moving quickly they made it out the door and down the street. The last thing Matt wanted was a run in with Ron Speirs, especially when the woman he had loved was very much alive and well.

When Ron made it out of the ballroom, he'd lost them both. Frowning he headed back inside. It wouldn't be that hard to figure out where Matt worked, and something about the woman he was with kept nagging at his brain.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Matt wasn't shocked the next day when Ron walked into his office. He knew the man wouldn't let it go, so to cover himself he'd sent Mandy on an errand that he knew would have her gone most of the day. "Ron, good to see you again."

"Don't play with me, who was the blonde you were with last night?"

Raising his eyebrows Matt leaned confidently back in his chair, "well if that's all you want I'm sure I can give you the name and number of the service I got her from."

Before Ron could speak the door opened, "look Matt the next time you feel like running me all over Berlin…oh my God Ron."

Matt watched the two of them stare at each other, he couldn't figure out which one was more shocked, Ron or Mandy. Getting out of his chair he started for the door, he knew his time was up. He'd worked for eleven years to get Mandy, but yet in the end it had all fallen apart.

Ron broke his gaze away from Mandy long enough to grab Matt and shove him up against the wall. "Why? Just tell me that. Why did you tell me she was dead?"

The low growling voice was clearly a threat, the only problem was there was no way for him to escape the grasp currently holding him in place. Now and only now could he see why Nixon and the rest of them had been afraid to tell him. For the first time ever, Matt truly thought he was going to die.

The soft voice and the hand appearing on Ron's arm had Matt nearly weeping.

"Ron, let him go. He's not worth it, I can tell you why he told you that if you'll let him go."

Ron gave him one last hard shove then moved away from him turning to face the woman that he'd thought was dead. Reaching out he gently traced the curve of her face with his finger. "You're really here."

She laid her hand over his and stilled his movements. "I think I could say the same about you. How about we go somewhere and talk, I think we need to."

As Ron took her hand and tucked it into his elbow Mandy looked over his shoulder at Matt and shook her head. "Consider this my notice. I quit!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They walked to Mandy's apartment and once inside Ron had pulled her into his arms and kissed her. The sweet tender kiss he had longed to give her for eleven years. When he finally lifted his head, he saw her eyes were full of tears. "Don't cry baby, it'll be okay I promise."

She pulled away from him and began to pace and talk at the same time; she knew if she didn't get everything out before he touched her again she'd continue to hide the secrets of her past. She didn't know how long she talked but when she finally finished she was hoarse. Keeping her back to him, she realized she was terrified to face him, terrified to see the rejection of her.

When he arms went around her waist and pulled her back into his chest she released the breath she'd been holding. His warm breath caressing her neck sent shivers down her spine.

"None of that's changed my mind. I still love you as much today as I did eleven years ago. My life hasn't been complete without you. Marry me."

Turning in his arms, she pressed her lips to his, her hands moving to the buttons on his jacket. Grabbing her hands, he pulled away from her lips with some reluctance. "So is that a yes?"

Laughing she grabbed his hand and pulled him into the bedroom, "you bet your ass it is."