band of brothers 20th anniversary event
day one: favorite enlisted soldier ≡ eugene roe
Lord, grant that I shall never seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, or to be loved as to love with all my heart. With all my heart.
i’m watching the day of days zoom reunion right now and of all the adorable things that happened for this event, i think my top moments would have to be:
nick aaron talking about the first time he met the real bill and babe (who were holding hands at the time!!!), and he didn’t even have to introduce himself because they immediately went “oh!! oh, bill, look, it’s popeye!!”
donnie recounting how nick was their (his and kirk’s) little brother because he was so young then, and nick saying how he spent every single day with those two until filming wrapped
neal getting so excited that donnie had entered the zoom and yelling “DONNIEEEEE!!!!” with a big smile on his face
donnie talking about how he has to go #2 whenever he gets nervous, and he was definitely nervous before the audition, so he went into a bathroom and did his business, and when he walked out, tOM FREAKING HANKS was washing his hands at the sink and said “wow that was a tough one”
donnie read for speirs and toye!!!
dude i can’t imagine anyone else playing lip wth donnie-as-toye is just freaking me out
donnie spoke with lip every single day and apparently he never did a scene without talking to lip first
donnie doing an amazing dale dye impression
apparently dale dye almost fell under a fREAKING TANK and richard loncraine had to save him
TIL that neal met his wife on the very first night he got to england, so BoB really has so much meaning for him fuck im soft
kirk going 🥺 when they brought steve toye (joe’s son) on-screen, and steve praising kirk about how well he portrayed his father, especially since they never got to meet and kirk had no contact with the family while they were filming
when the real dick winters visited the set, he asked for kirk because he played joe toye, and when he saw kirk in his fatigues, he started tearing up
dick winters. cried. because he saw kirk. as toye. let that sink in.
nick saying he could break freddie joe farnsworth in half now, and farnsworth entering the zoom at that moment and essentially going dAFUQ DID U SAY
all the boys being so excited that farnsworth was in the zoom and yelling over each other to say hi to him
farnsworth scolding nick for not knowing where his hat was during bootcamp, and making nick wear his hand as a hat until he managed to find it
neal telling the story of how a weapon went off in his face during boot camp and when he started bleeding, he called shane taylor to patch him up, complete with neal’s impression of shane panicking and saying “NEAL IM NOT A DOCTOR IM AN ACTOR I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO”
when they took him to a hospital (because the wound got infected), he gave his name as ‘lynn compton’ along with buck’s serial number
neal saying that when he did the infamous “helmet drop” scene, he wasn’t thinking of anything else other than the fact that kirk was bleeding, kirk was hurt, and he was gonna have to say goodbye to kirk (because filming had wrapped for him), and that was enough to draw out the emotion they needed + neal getting kinda choked-up when he was telling it
neal and kirk exchanging “ i love you”s after that story 🥺
Easy Companyyyy, school circleee!!! Register now if you haven't yet! It's totally free and it's happening tomorrow 💖💖💖 the last time I was able to watch free content from the BoB cast was 10 years ago, no joke, so this is very special indeed!! Check out the program to see which of your faves are attending (*ahem ahem Liebgott simps, Ross is in nearly all the events agsjshnss*)
Event Program here: https://www.nationalww2museum.org/events-programs/events/128621-band-brothers-20th-anniversary-symposium?&_ga=2.108172160.329197387.1657039805-502667733.1645801003#program
A/N: If you can’t tell, I’m obsessed with Band of Brothers right now! I highly recommend this show! It is so amazing and will make you thankful for the sacrifices our soldiers made during WWII. This isn’t my best work, but here it goes! Anyways, sadly, I do not own any of these amazing characters other than (y/n). Enjoy! Please leave me feedback!
Summary: You and Joe Liebgott’s feelings towards the other have developed a lot over the past few years, so when something happens to you, how will he react?
Warnings: blood, major angst with a little fluff
(y/n) your name
(y/l/n) - your last name
(y/n/n) - your nickname
(y/h/c) - your hair color
Italics - flashbacks
When Joe met you in Toccoa, he was surprised and somewhat annoyed that a woman would be joining easy company. You were training to be a field medic like Eugene Roe so you had to split your time between the medic station and Sobel’s training. Liebgott would often make snarky comments like, “Thanks for showing up, princess,” or, “What’s wrong, sweetheart? Is this all too much for you?”
Although he was annoying, you realized his anger and hostility was just a defense mechanism. Everyone was scared of what could happen to them in Europe over the next few years, including you. Every comment from Leibgott frustrated you, and most of the time, you came back with a comeback of your own.
You’d quip, “Wow, Joe. Did you really miss me that much?” or “Don’t worry, Lieb, I’ll hold your hand.”
As much as you wanted to hate him for the way he talked to and about you, you just couldn’t. He was the only person who could get under your skin and it ate you up. There was something about the man that pulled you towards him. Was it his cavalier attitude? The hair? The smile? You didn’t know, but you did know you were in trouble.
There were times he’d doubt your ability, but others that he would be shut up by your dedication and hardheadedness. One time, while running Currahee, he had fallen and gotten a nasty cut on his knee that was bleeding steadily....
Two years ago:
By the time he got back to the barracks, Joe couldn’t take a step without wincing. He tried to hide his obvious pain when people like Bull and Lip came to check on him. He’d just dismiss them with an “I’m fine,” or “It’s just a scratch.” They all believed him and went on with their nightly routine, but one person saw through his facade; you. As you cleaned the mud off of your boots, you saw him wince with every movement. Trying to conceal a limp, he made his way to the outhouse. After a few seconds, you grabbed your medic bag and got up, silently following him.
When you reached the outhouse, you heard a sharp hiss of pain followed by some curses. Taking a deep breath, you walk into the room to see Joe with his foot on the sink. He’s using a washcloth to try and scrub the blood off of his shin. He hears the door open but doesn’t turn around.
Letting out a huff of air, he keeps his back turned towards the sink, deciding not to turn around and face you. “I told you I’m fine, Lip. Just leave me the fu-“
“You’re a terrible liar, Liebgott.”
Spinning around, he has a look of confusion that soon changes to annoyance as he turns his back to you once again. “Of course it’s you, (y/l/n). If you’re here to make fun of me, do it and get out.”
Joe thought you came to give him crap about his fall, but in all actuality, you were worried about him. You wanted to immediately run over and help him up when he fell, but Sobel barked at the company to keep moving. It hurt you to see him in pain, no matter how demeaning and downright mean he could be at times. Taking a risk, you slowly walk towards him. Although he hears you, he keeps his back turned. Reaching him, you tap his shoulder.
“First off, I’m not here to make fun of you, and second off, I’m a medic remember, so I can tell when someone’s hurting or hiding the pain. Let me help you.”
“It’s just a scratch. I don’t need your help.”
“Joseph!” His eyes widened as he turned around to face you, “Stop being so damn stubborn for once!”
At the use of his full name, he knew he would have to let you help him. There was something about the way his name rolled off your tongue that sent chills through his body.
After rolling his eyes, he hops up on the counter. “Fine, woman. Ya’ happy now?”
Opening your bag, you get a alcohol wipe and start to clean the blood off of his shin. As you worked silently, Joe couldn’t pry his gaze off of you, and he didn’t know why. Maybe it was the side of you he’d never seen before, or maybe it was just your natural beauty. Whatever it was, it caused a shift in his feelings toward you.
“This is gonna hurt, Joe. I have to clean it or it could get infected.”
“Alright,” he tilts his head back, taking a deep breath, “Go ahead.”
You take the wipe and clean out the rather large gash, making Leibgott groan quietly with his eyes clenched shut. It hurt you to hear his almost silent whimpers that he was trying to suppress. You acted like you didn’t hear them, of course.
“I’m so sorry, Joe, but this is going to need stitches.”
“It’s-“ he takes a breath, “It’s okay.”
Once you got all the dirt out of the wound, you began stitching him up. With each stitch, he let out a curse and tightened his grip on the counter he was sitting on, knuckles white. When you finished, you wrapped a bandage around the stitches and start to pack up your things.
“All right. You might want to take it easy the next few days. The last thing you need is to tear your stitches, so I’ll tell Winters to get something worked out with Sobel. Roe should have more bandages is you need them.”
As you turn and start to walk away, a warm hand grasps your wrist. You look over your shoulder to see Joe with an expression he’d never seen before.
“Thank you, (y/n).” He lets go and just stares at you.
Not breaking eye contact, you respond, “It’s nothi-“
His voice lowers to almost a whisper and his expression changes to serious, “I mean it. Thank you.”
This was the first time you’d ever seen a sliver of tenderness in the man, and it left you craving for more of it. With a nod and a slight smile, you make your way to the barracks. That night, your reoccurring thoughts of the night wouldn’t let you escape into a world of sleep, a world that would soon be filled with dreams of a certain Californian.
*end flashback*
From then on, he began to deeply admire you. Your spunky attitude with him but cool demeanor with everyone else drew him to you, along with the way you cared for others. Soon, admiration turned into something else that he never would have expected; a crush.
Before he even knew it, he dialed back his sassy remarks aimed at you and began to complement you on the smallest things. His sudden change of heart really confused you. Part of you thought he was trying to get under your skin you and another thought he was being genuine and actually cared.
3rd person pov:
Present Day: December, 1944
“(Y/n/n), are you awake?” A voice whispers.
A second voice groans softly. “Now I am. Thanks a lot, Joe.”
“Sorry. Are you warm enough? I mean, do you want my coat?”
“That’s yours, Lieb. You need it. Make sure you’re moving your feet around, okay? I don’t want you to get trench-foot.”
“Don’t worry about me. You’re shivering, doll. Look at your hands.”
The girl glances at the blue ice sickles she once called fingers. Letting out a pitiful sigh, she puts her hands under her armpits, trying to warm them up. Quietly scoffing, Joe gently pulls her wrists to him before wrapping her hands in his.
The temperature in Bastogne was beyond frigid. It felt like needles were constantly pricking any exposed skin that the air could touch. The Allies’ lack of supplies was devastating, especially for the troops on the line, Easy Company.
Since Toccoa, (y/n) and Joe Liebgott became best friends. Some people say “opposites attract” but everyone knew why they became so close, except them. Now in Belgium, (y/n) was in her foxhole with Liebgott, snuggled close for warmth. The action exhilarated both of the young people but also enveloped them into a slight feeling of safety, even when kraut bullets whizzed above their heads. Unbeknownst to the other, both of them had feeling for their foxhole partner.
They made it through D-Day and the battle of Carentan, but their current objective was to hold the line overlooking a town called Foy. It was German occupied and crucial to getting into Germany to end the war.
Gently taking her hand out of his, she cleared her throat, “All right. I’m gonna go see if Gene ever found those scissors he was looking for.”
“Okay. Keep your head down.”
She smiles and clumsily salutes, making Liebgott’s heart skip a beat. “Yes, sir!”
He laughs and hits her lightly on the shoulder. “Really though, (y/n/n). Please be careful. They’re not above shooting medics.”
With a nod, she starts to opens the cover of the foxhole but stops at the sound of his concerned voice.
“I’m coming with you.”
Rolling her eyes, she scoffs, “I’m not helpless, Joe. I can go by myself.”
The Californian furrows his brows, “I never said you were helpless. I would just feel better if I was with you.”
“Fine. Let’s go.”
He hurries to get his gun and exits the foxhole with her. As they went from hole to hole looking for Gene, (y/n) couldn’t stop thinking about how protective Liebgott had become over the last few weeks. She wasn’t complaining, especially after the way he treated her when they first met, but she was curious. What could make him change his attitude all of a sudden?
The pair walked silently through the snowy forest as the fear of being shot loomed over them. Joe was looking around, making sure no krauts were hiding in the trees or shrubs that were littered throughout the line. He kept (y/n) at an arms reach at all times, and this was no exception.
She turned around suddenly, scaring the young man, “What’s your dea-“
BANG!
A gunshot hung in the air as (y/n) yelped and fell onto Joe.
“(Y/l/n)! Everybody stay down! Shifty! Get on the sniper!” Lipton yelled from his nearby foxhole while Shifty started to scan Foy for the sniper. Lip started to get out and come towards the pair but someone pulled him back into it, warning him of the still present sniper.
Liebgott quickly lowered him and (y/n) to the ground where she was crying out in pain. It took him a few seconds to register what had just happened, but be soon snapped out of it and yelled, “MEDIC!” With every one of her cries, his heart broke.
“(Y/n)! Where are you hit!” Joe frantically spurts, looking her over with his hands hovering over her. He about gagged at the sudden wave of nausea that washed over him when he realized she was shot. He couldn’t lose her; not without telling her how he feels.
“My leg, Joe! Aagh! My leg!” She grunted through the pain, throwing her head back against the frozen, snowy ground.
“Okay, okay.” He scans her legs until he sees it; a bullet hole in her thigh. The surrounding material of her pants was already soaked with the sticky, crimson substance. Putting pressure on the wound with shaky hands, he quickly notices the absence of the company’s other medic.
“Damn it! Where’s Gene! MEDIC!”
(Y/n) takes a sharp breath. “Joe. I’m okay, it just.....hurts.”
The Cajun finally appears and slides down next to the pair, replacing Joe’s hands on the wounded medic’s leg. “I’m here. We gotta move, we’re out in the open! Help me, Liebgott!”
Joe was frozen, shifting his gaze from his now shaking and bloodied hands to (y/n)’s paling face. Roe quickly picked up on this, slightly shoving him to get his attention.
“Joe! Come on! We gotta move!”
Glossy eyes snap to Doc. “Yeah, yeah. Let’s go!”
They each pick one of her legs up and hoist her into the air, moving behind some trees. She bites back a scream, coming out as a broken groan. Putting her down, Eugene began working on her leg. He feels around the wound and (y/n) clenches her teeth and hisses through them. When Doc felt the bump in the injury, he knew he would have to dig the bullet out.
“You’re gonna be okay, (y/n/n). I’m here.” Joe soothes, gently brushing the (y/h/c) off of her now sweaty forehead.
“Alrigh’, sweetheart, the bullet is still in there, so I’m gunna have to dig it out. I’m so sorry. I have morphine though, so it shou-“
(Y/n) interrupts him mid-sentence. “No. Save it. I can stand it.”
“Come on, (y/n/n). Let him help you!” Joe tries to reason with the stubborn girl.
“No! Get the bullet out, Gene.”
With a nod and a slight cringe, he digs into the wound for the small piece of metal. (Y/n) clenches her teeth so hard she thinks they might crack as Joe holds her against him, trying to comfort her. With each movement inside her thigh, the searing heat of pain runs down her leg to the point it clouds her vision. The darkness seemed so inviting, but she knew that if she fell into that hole, she might not come out.
Eugene was trying to find the bullet as fast he could, hurting his fellow medic the least he could. Her refusal of the morphine was such a (y/n) thing to do; so selfless. She always put others’ needs before her own, which made her a good medic for the company.
When his fingers felt the hard metal inside the wound he knew he had to hurry and patch her up, fearing she had already lost too much blood. His worries increased as he saw her eyes start to flutter shut.
“Joe! Keep her awake! She can’t go ta’ sleep!”
“Shit.” He softly taps her cheeks, continuing, “(Y/n), doll, stay awake. I know it hurts but you have to stay awake. Please.”
Scared to death, he grabs her hand and squeezes it, trying to make her more alert. His plan is successful when she squeezes back, mumbling something.
“Attagirl. You have to keep fighting.” The young Jew’s tear stained face morphs into one of confusion when she continues to mumble under her breath. “What’s that? I can’t hear you.”
Before she can answer, Roe finds the bullet and yanks it out. The searing pain causes her to cry out and squeeze Joe’s hand with bone crushing force but he doesn’t complain.
White spots dance around her vision and she starts to give in to the pain.
“Joe. I’m sor-“ she quietly trails off, eyes slowly closing.
He grabs her face in his hands. “Hey! No, no. (Y/n)! Wake up!”
When she doesn’t respond, he yells at Roe, “Gene! Help her, damn it!” His face falls mid-sentence and tears trickle down the young man’s face. “I’m sorry, I just...I can’t lose her, doc.”
Roe smiles softly while quickly bandaging the wound. “I know, Joe. She’s alright. Probly’ passed out from the pain. She does need to come off the line until it heals, though.”
At Doc’s reassuring words, Leibgott physically relaxed; his shoulders slumped and he let out a shaky huff of air, still holding her in his arms.
“You love her.”
The comment catches Joe completely off guard. He tenses up again, face heating up,“She’s my best friend. Of course I love her.”
Combining a scoff and a eye roll, Eugene responds, “You know what I mean. Your secrets safe with me, but make sure you tell er’.”
Sighing, he gives in. “After this, I definitely will.”
“Ya’ know, she was lucky. Two inches over and it would have hit her femoral artery.”
Joseph Liebgott hadn’t even had the chance to think about what had just transpired. His best friend and love was been shot and could’ve died without knowing how he felt about her. The spunky medic was two inches from being ripped from life and the man she loved. Thoughts of what could have happened swirled his mind until a familiar voice of Lipton yanked him from overthinking.
“Doc! We got the sniper! Take (y/l/n) to the med station! We’ll cover you! Go...now!”
As Easy Company opened fire in the town of Foy, Joe gathered the young woman into his arms and quickly carried her bridal style to the Jeep that had pulled up to take her to safety. Reaching it, another medic hopped off and helped Liebgott put her on a stretcher.
The jeep roared to life and as much as he wanted to go with her back to the hospital, he knew he was needed on the line. Realizing his inner conflict, Roe places a hand on his shoulder, “I’ll keep an eye on er’ for you, Joe.”
The driver calls out to the pair, “You coming or not? We gotta go!”
In a split second decision, Joe yells back, “One second!” Leaning down, he places a sweet kiss to (y/n)’s sweaty forehead before whispering, “I love you. I’ll be waiting when you come back to me, sweetheart.”
Pulling away, he sees her eyes slightly open and her lips quirked up into a small smile. His heart drops at the fact that she’d heard his confession. Out of the million ways he had thought about telling her how he felt, this was not one of the preferable ones. He could feel his heart begin to race as she whispered where only he could hear, “I love you, too. Don’t be too mean while I’m gone, Joseph.”
Right after the last word left her mouth, he leaned down and planted his chapped lips on hers in a soft but desperate kiss that conveyed all the other feelings they had left unsaid. Seconds after they parted, the car began to start down the road. Roe’s smiling face and nod was the last thing Joe saw before carefully making his way back to his foxhole, mind spinning from their kiss and confessions.
Plopping down into his hole, he’s surprised when he sees Lipton in there waiting on him.
“Is (y/n) alright?”
“Yeah. A kraut got her in her leg, but Doc patched her up. She’s gotta come off the line for a little bit though.”
“Good. We all know how much you care about her.” His expression changed to an amused one. “She’ll be back before we know it, so please be careful. If you get hurt, she’s gonna beat my ass.”
“Yeah, she’d beat my ass too.”
Both men let out some much-needed laughs before turning their attention back to the line. In that moment, Joeseph Liebgott vowed that he was going to make it through the snowy hell that was Bastogne for the young medic to whom his heart belonged.
