Summary: Stella O'Leary was told her medical talents could be used elsewhere instead of miles off the action. Little did she know the trials she was about to face, the sacrifice that would be made saving the men she called her brothers. Through it all she finds her sanctuary when all turns dark.

Chapter One: The Late Arrival


July 1942

Stella O'Leary was used to the stares directed her way, throughout her short 20 year span of life. She knew what it felt like to be given odd looks, considering a "pretty dame such as herself" should not be playing Football in the middle of a downpour of rain and should be instead "fussed with giving more attention to your looks" before stepping out her front door instead of opting for a simple ponytail.

She didn't do it for the attention.

She didn't like the attention, which was why her cheeks were growing hot, walking down the dusty track, with her belongings slung over her back, having a large majority of the United States Army giving her the bulge-eyed look on their face... and the odd wolf-whistle much to her dismay.

She didn't do it to get anybody's attention or sympathy, or confusion. She was simply the way she was. Slightly unconventional for an ideal woman, and certainly knew being recruited for the United States army would put the nail on the coffin. But she knew she had a place amongst these men. Whether they would all accept her really wasn't her problem.

"Why on earth is she wearing a goddamn US Airbourne uniform?" a whisper erupted, and Stella pretended that she did not hear that snide remark. Toccoa was already looking to be promising, she thought glumly to herself.

Her green eyes scanned for Cabin 13, having no hope so far.

"Hey um, Miss?" a young man to her left addressed. "Yeah you" he smiled, noticing her peering around her not to mistake the address. "Are ya lost?" he asked, taking his hands out of his pockets and walking closer.

Stella peered over the young man's shoulder, noticing a group of his friends watching with amused expressions in a large clump.

"Why would I be lost?" she questioned, not wanting to appear too stand-offish. The bright sun was making her eyes ache from squinting all day. "I was told to report to Cabin 13 to Easy Company's barracks. You wouldn't happen to know where that is?" Stella added, with a kind smile.

"You're Easy Company?" the young man replied, not sounding either surprised or disgusted, almost pleased, which was a little bit encouraging for Stella, thankful that he wasn't being sexist, so far.

"Yes I am, or so it says on here" she beamed, checking again that it was all on the paper held in her hand.

"Oh you're the new medic! I'm impressed. You've caused quite the stir around here" he answered, meaning no harm, taking off his helmet to reveal his dark brown tousled hair and slight face. She was surprised and a little embarrassed that she had caused a bit of talk around Toccoa.

"I'm Joe Liebgott" he added, offering his hand to shake. She took it gladly and returned her shake with a grateful expression. He was certainly handsome but Stella immediately quashed the thought.

Flanking to his right, he was joined by another man who added in "Winter's told us we were to expect an additional Combat Medic". He had kind eyes and clean-cut auburn hair which made her immediately think of her younger brother Charlie.

"I'm sure you weren't quite expecting the medic to be a female" she cringed, noticing the few men still giving her odd glances, in her uniform. Her response made the young man's smile widen, which was infectious for Stella too.

"Well when said female out-scores most male contenders in application, it's hard for the US military to turn her down" he immediately responded, earning an impressed nod of approval from Liebgott. Her ears were heating up and was thankful she wore her hair down in loose curls to cover them. "Well we all were curious as to how they let you in so had to ask... sorry" he added, noticing her shyness to the attention. It made his grin multiply.

"We're not sorry. Have to warn ya though some of the boys are already seeing who will pop the question first" Liebgott added with a devilish grin.

Before Stella could so much as ask by what he meant or introduce herself to both of the men, a loud voice interrupted shouting "Malarkey! Liebgott! Meeting was outside the mess hall! Why do I find two of my soldiers off onto the side?". Immediately both stood straight, averting their gaze from Stella, standing rigid and saluting.

Stella was too startled to react or know what to do as a tall man with dark eyes stormed over, death written all over his expression. As he came closer it was apparent that this man must've been their C.O. which only made Stella panic more. She'd always prided herself on dealing well with first impressions but felt queasy as this fuming man came closer.

"Explain yourself Private Malarkey!" he shouted, standing far too close for him to shout in their faces.

"We were to expect a Combat Medic in our company, Sir and noticed that she was lost finding her way" Malarkey replied evenly, keeping his gaze dead straight ahead. As the man's gaze averted from Malarkey and Liebgott to Stella, she dropped her satchel to the ground and her posture instinctively straightened. Out of nervous habit, she was chewing the inside of her cheek to stop herself from wavering.

This explanation did not offer any comfort for the man, as it was clear as day but her eyes still met his evenly.

"Why are you not standing at attention, woman?" the last word coming out as if it were meant to insult her. She responded almost immediately, following his orders, out of fear of getting socked in the kneecap. To her dismay he stepped closer, lowering his voice to a warning.

"Name?"

"Private Stella O'Leary, Sir" she replied evenly, too concerned that hesitation would lead to being shot, just by the indication on his face. His eyes narrowed and voice lowered so only she could hear, but it was clear that Malarkey and Liebgott could hear, judging by their stares.

"Lucky for you princess I'm your C.O. Captain Sobel. You follow my orders. Colonel Sink told me of your qualifications in nursing, however we are yet to see if you'll stand the test of my company at Toccoa. If I receive any indication that you uphold your weak willed womanly status you will leave immediately. And if you end up fraternizing with any of my men," he stole a side glance at Malarkey and Liebgott "I will seek to have your case sent to Court-Martial! Have I made myself quite clear enough for you?"

"Yes sir" Stella replied, her voice not wavering, as much as her fist ached from clenching tightly and anger bubbling up inside of her. She wasn't here to mess around and find a godforsaken husband.

"Good. I'm hoping that this is all a little hiccup so I may proceed without having a woman in my company. It's very unethical having the weaker sex amongst my men" he spat, stepping away swiftly to turn to Malarkey and Liebgott, who straightened. Stella dared her eyes to avert their way, noticing Malarkey working his jaw.

"You've both earned yourselves with the honour of your weekend passes being revoked. Back in formation!"

"Yes sir" both muttered, shooting Stella a quick glance before leaving. She firmly kept her eyes off their gaze in case another wave of embarrassment overcame her. The last thing I bloody wanted was getting both men in trouble, she thought glumly.

"At ease" Sobel instructed, a small smirk gracing his features. So he likes being a bit of a bully does he? Oh swell.

"Report to barracks and let's just hope you're not more than five minutes, otherwise you're running up Currahee!" he barked, cocking his head in the direction of the large hill.

"Yes sir" Stella quickly added, picking up her satchel and walking away as fast as possible from Captain Sobel, in search of Cabin 13, already lost once again.

She dared herself to turn around and observe Easy Company and her eyes landed on Malarkey who was looking right back at her, mouthing "Cabin 13" and pointing to her right. A thankful smile graced her features and she went as quickly as possible, not finding the idea of running up that hill all that thrilling.


Standing in the scorching Georgian heat was making Stella's head spin and there was that persistent bug flying around her, making her nose twitch. The urge to swat it away was burning a hole into her brain.

"You people are at the position of attention!" Sobel barked, snapping Stella out of her tortuous daze. Well at least he didn't just address the population of men in this company. Everybody except me.

"Private Perconte, have you been blousing your trousers over your boots like a paratrooper?"

"No sir" Frank replied.

"Then explain the creases at the bottom" Sobel bit back.

"No excuse sir".

"Volunteering for the paratroop infantry is one thing, Private Perconte, but you've got a long way to prove that you belong here. Your weekend pass is revoked."

Well shit.

Onto his next victim, the clown Luz.

"Name".

"Luz, George" he replied, looking as if he was in the midst of shitting his pants from what I could see.

"Dirt in the rear-side aperture. Pass revoked" Sobel bit back. He proceeded to scan, prowling for his next victim to be a certified asshole to.

"When did you sew on these chevrons, Sergeant Lipton?"

"Yesterday, sir".

"Long enough to notice this. Revoked". Was he pulling on the tiniest thread?!

"Sir" Lipton replied grudgingly.

"Name".

"Malarkey, Donald G." His voice sounded out right next to Stella, catching her off guard.

"Malarkey is slang for bullshit, isn't it?" Sobel asked in such a manner that any other reply would've had his ass in the dog house. He's sensitive about his surname you dickhead.

"Yes sir" he diligently replied.

"Rust on the butt-plate hinge spring, Private Bullshit. Revoked."

Skip turned around as Sobel sauntered off, catching Malarkey's eye and mine. It wasn't until Sobel's pace paused in front of Stella did she realise it was her turn for the onslaught. Fucking hell.

It wasn't as if I was mourning the loss of my weekend pass as much as I was dreading what tactic Sobel had of humiliating me in front of the company this time around.

His eyes were scanning and criticizing her up and down making her skin crawl. The silence made her worries ever the more multiplied.

"Name" he asked, his voice lower than before as if it were revolting to talk to her.

"O'Leary, Stella A." she diligently replied, removing the rifle from her arm sling.

"Have you had your hair trimmed since I last requested?" he asked, and to Stella it seemed he was standing taller than before, looking down on her. Keep that chin up for pete's sake.

"No sir". Her caramel brown hair barely went past her chest and dreaded what he was about to ask her to do. Please no male hair cut just to let me keep the little dignity I have left in this goddamn infantry.

"Has there been some sort of delay at the salon for your cut and colour?" Sobel asked, making her work her jaw, concealing the sudden urge to spit on his face for his sexism.

"No excuse, Sir".

"Pass revoked, and will continue to be until that hair is above your shoulders" he finalized and staunched off, making her let out the breath she didn't realise she had been holding.

"Un-fucking-believable" A familiar voice whispered once Sobel was out of ear shot. Looking beside herself she met Malarkey's gaze, which had the look of somebody very clearly ticked off by that exchange. She offered her friend a small smile which explained enough for him to figure out it was okay and that he shouldn't get worked up over it.

Malarkey had been Stella's friend for the good part of one month and by this time Stella had learnt that treating her like dirt set him off and the majority of the time it was from Sobel. She could easily say all the men in Easy found him infuriating and sometimes wished they could punch him in the face, but Stella felt particularly warmed that Malarkey cared and watched out for her.

In response his eyebrows dropped from creasing and the grimace instantly vanished from his mouth as Stella offered him a smile. She rolled her eyes in amusement, blowing and shaking her head as if to get rid of an imaginary hair out of her face. His response was a small huff of laughter with a wide grin. Quit staring at him! Especially at his hazel eyes. Break. The. Contact.

She instantly snapped her head back to the front, wiping that involuntary smile off her face, shaking her head. Thank god Sobel was too preoccupied bullying Liebgott not to notice their small exchange. So much for standing at attention.

"I wouldn't take this rusty piece of shit to war" Sobel began, yet another lecture, Malarkey straightening beside her. "And I will not take you to war in your condition. Now thanks to these men and woman and their infractions every man who had a weekend pass has now lost it. Now change into your P.T gear. We're running Currahee".

"Second platoon fall out. You have two minutes" Winter commanded, with everybody proceeding in a hurried fashion.


Stella felt as if Sobel was trying to make everybody at this point hate each other for taking away their passes, which in turn made her mood highly pissed off. Didn't help that Perconte was whinging like a school boy with a smacked bum either. "I ain't going up that hill".

"Hey Perconte. What are you thinking of blousing your pants?" Martin jabbed, already in his P.T gear.

"Hey, shut up Martin, he jigged everybody!".

"Yeah well you should know better! Don't give him no excuses!"

"Excuses. Well why don't you-"

"Cut the whining you two" Stella muttered harshly walking past and throwing her combat jacket angrily onto her bed. "He took a jab at everybody for no good reason and it's no point bitchin' over it, so move before he grills us even further".

Martin and Perconte didn't look impressed to say the least but before any of them had a smart retort Lipton walked in shouting "Alright let's go on the road. P.T formation! Let's move move move!".

Stepping out the cabin first, Stella sauntered over not following anybody in particular ignoring the stares of the other men from other companies. She hated the P.T regulation gear as the short's felt like they rode halfway up her ass, not giving her legs any decency.

Wolf whistles sounded off in front of her making Stella grit her jaw, choosing to ignore the jabs. "Heya dollface, with an ass like that I'd show you a good time, waddaya say?"

"Hey toots, at least let me take you for a wine an' dine before you show me that much leg".

Cheeks flaming and fist clenching, she pushed onwards to her assembling area with the crowd of Dog Company irritably in front of her.

"Ah Easy Company" one called from a metre in front of Stella making her sigh in relief. Never walk Camp Toccoa in P.T by yourself ever again, Stella O'Leary. "While you're running, don't worry we'll take your dames to the movies for ya".

"Asshole" Stella muttered under her breath slowing down her pace so she walked safely beside Liebgott. Thank god for his sass full of remarks "Yeah good. They need some female company".

"Speaking of the movies, toot's waddaya say?" the loudest one called, and knowing her was addressing Stella made her look up from the ground. She could almost feel some of the men around her bristle in anticipation.

She looked the prick straight in the eye with a smirk. "Oh gee I don't know. Let me know when you put on some big boy pants and train like a real fucking soldier and then I may reconsider, sweet-cheeks". To top it all off, flipping the bird was her finale. She felt a hand give her a hard pat on the back and the grand ol' Luz's laughter rising from behind her. Malarkey behind her was also smiling with glee, relishing the sharp-tongue she had inherited.

"Don't think we'll need to worry about her falling for any bloke" Liebgott smirked.

"What a shame, ey Malark?" George Luz whispered to Don beside him.

"Can it, Luz" Malarkey shot back, following Joe's lead as they ran past the Dog Company members, worried that they were late to their assembling. He hoped Stella hadn't heard that.

And what he found so annoying is that all during that blasted run up Currahee is what Luz had said. Even if it was a small thing he bloody wished it didn't bother him so much.


So let me know what you all think :)