A/N: Thank you Queenie and Wildflower Field for your reviews. Glad you're still with me!

Also, it would be super fantastic if you guys wouldn't mind heading over to Inkitt and voting for We Were There once more. They've started another fanfic contest, and this time, I've actually submitted the story earlier than a week before it's over. =\ I thank you all for helping me out for sure on that, including last time. I don't have a url to post here for you, but if you search for the story by We Were There or even Emmeline, it should pop up.

Thank you guys for being awesome! Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers, and here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy!

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The travel day was not as quick as I had hoped it would be. The soldiers drove me to the naval yard and made sure that I boarded the ship in which I was to ride over to Europe. I began to wonder why there was such a tight leash on me, but then I remembered that Roe and I had spent the day together, almost hiding from everyone. It most likely got us into some trouble.

The drive was quiet. The men didn't speak a word to me. Not even to ask if I was okay or if I needed a break. I suppose it was better for all three of us to not speak at all. If Roe was correct in his assumption that these men held a grudge against me for what happened with Sobel, the last thing I needed to do was get myself killed while in their 'care'.

When we finally arrived to the naval yard and I was inside my room, I pulled out my journal and began writing all about the events that led me to this very moment. It had been a while since I had written anything and as I continued writing, the pages began filling up and the time had begun to fly by. The moment I closed the cover to my journal, word had gotten to everyone on board that we were heading out into open waters, ready to make our mark on history.

I wasn't told what was going to happen once we neared Europe. I didn't know who was going to be attacking first, whether it was the Airborne or the Seaborne, but I knew that it would be quite a while before I would set foot on solid ground again. I would have to wait until our men had secured the landing zone, and no one knew how long that was going to be. The only thing that we knew for certain was that the enemy would be expecting us and many men would die trying to secure the area. I prayed that everyone would be safe, even though I knew that people were going to die. I prayed most of all that my friends, especially Eugene, would survive their jump into occupied territory. I wanted Roe to survive. I needed him to survive.

Very early the next morning, I felt the ship rolling to a stop. I grabbed my bag, slinging it over my shoulder and headed up to the deck. I stood on the deck with the officers as we looked out across the ocean at the mainland.

I could see the bright flashes lighting up the dark morning sky. I could hear faint booms echoing across the waters. I stood there in dumbstruck awe as I watched the beginning of war unfold. It suddenly occurred to me that I should be taking pictures. This is why I was here after all.

I pulled the camera from my bag and began taking pictures of the scene before me. I wasn't confident that much would turn out as I took the pictures because of the hour, but if they did turn out, these would be surreal.

I heard a familiar voice speak beside me. "Miss Finley. Nice of you to finally join us."

I lowered the camera from my face and looked over. "Yes sir. Sorry about that."

Sink smiled as he turned back to watch the mainland. "You have become quite difficult to locate."

"Well, you said lay low..." I started.

"Not that low," he replied under his breath.

I smiled and asked, "What happened to Sobel?"

"Reassigned."

I knew better than to press my luck with getting more information than that. The fact that he had already pushed the boundaries of what to tell me was obvious and the last thing that I needed to do was to put him on the spot with his COs nearby by asking for more details.

"How long until we join the men on the mainland?" I asked.

Sink shrugged. "Depends on how quickly they work. We've already received word that something went wrong with the drop zones for the Airborne. We're not sure what happened, but we are hoping that didn't impact them too severely. As for the Seaborne...well, as long as they push hard and fast up the beach to the bunkers, they may do just fine."

I studied his face. He seemed confident, but there was also that obvious fear spread across his face. I turned back to watch the battle from the safety of my boat, suddenly more afraid for the men who were over there than I was just a moment before. Hearing that things were already not going according to plan had me panicked for those I cared about...like Roe.

I hadn't spent all of my time with him, but we had spent a lot of what little time we did have together and there was certainly a connection there. I never realized how strong that feeling was until this moment where I was worried for him, more so than any friend would feel for someone.

Sink whispered, "I think you best head back to your bunk, Jane. We'll send for you when it's time to head to shore."

I nodded and took one last long look at the battle on the beach. I said another silent prayer for those landing before turning back into the boat. Waiting was hell, and it would be a long wait before I was sent for. Waiting meant that my mind had time to think and worry, and worrying meant that I was thinking up scenarios in which many turned out badly for those I cared about. There was nothing to do but wait and worry, and it made me sick to my stomach.

The time had finally arrived when I was sent for and brought up to the deck of the ship. Sink and a few of his orderlies were ready to sail to the shore. He had explained to me that I would be sticking with them until they could reach Easy Company further inland.

I secured my helmet to my head and was ready to go. Truth was, I needed to get off this damned boat before I lost what little sanity I had left. I knew that it was all due to the anxiety I had while waiting, but I never was one to wait.

The boat ride to the mainland was rocky. I felt a bit queasy as the boat crashed about on the waves and finally understood why so many had gotten seasick riding in these. I hoped that I wouldn't throw up on the way over. It was bad enough that I was getting nasty stares from some of the men for even being here, but it was also challenging when some of those men were fond of Sobel and held a grudge for what happened, even though I wasn't to blame.

I stared at the horizon, watching the mainland get bigger and suddenly, I began seeing the bodies floating in the red tinted water. A lump had formed in my throat. If I didn't want to throw up before, this certainly would have caused that feeling to arise.

The boat's driver shouted, "You're going to have to climb out here! There's too much debris to push through!"

Sink nodded and they began lowering the door to the boat. The moment it crashed down onto the water, the scene that lay before us was horrifying. My stomach lurched and fell, my heart stopped, and I wanted to cry. I was beginning to question why I was here, why I was stupid enough to think that I could do this job. I didn't know if I would be capable of taking pictures of the effects of war, the dead men that lay on the sand while their blood stained the beaches. I wasn't sure of anything the moment the doors had opened.

Sink had jumped into the waist deep water and turned to see me staring out before me. "Jane! Let's go!"

I forced myself to move forward. I didn't want to. I wanted to go home but I remembered that I couldn't go home. As I jumped into the water behind Sink, I began to remember why I chose to come here. I was here seeing what war was like, knowing that it was seeing images like this to understand the severity of the issues. I wanted to make people aware back home just how awful war was, why we were under the restrictions we were, and show them that no matter how much the news tried to tell us that things were going well, that they weren't. People needed to see the truth.

It was at this very moment that I remembered that I needed to take these pictures, not just for the people back home, but for the people who died, and for the people in the future to understand just how horrible war was, the impact that it had on everyone and everything, and to make a difference in how people perceived the world.

The moment my shaky legs reached the shore, I started taking pictures of everything I could. I took pictures of medics trying to mend wounds with wet bandages, of men gathering the dead, of men smoking and talking about what they had just endured these past few hours. I took pictures of the damage to the beach, to the bunkers in the hills, and the boats in the water, waiting for orders. I wanted to capture everything and the more I took pictures, the more invested in my mission I became.

I heard the camera click, knowing that I had already used a whole roll of film, and it needed to be replaced. I used two and a half rolls of film on this beach alone. I suspected that I would be doing the same in the future as we continued inward. This was only the beginning of this war. There would be many more battles over an extended period of time so I would have plenty to document, should I survive long enough, that is. I also knew that I would need to be careful not to blow through so much of my film as I wasn't sure how frequently I would be restocked by The Times.

"Jane!" I heard Sink shout.

I looked over my shoulder and spied him waving me over to him. I jogged over to him.

"We're going to be heading out with the 10th Armored Division. They said they have heard that men are gathering at an old farmhouse a few miles from here. My guess is that Easy Company has assembled there," he explained.

I nodded and followed Sink to his Jeep. Climbing into the back seat, I stared out at the scene we were leaving behind. We had lost so many men on that beach and I was afraid of how many we had lost behind the lines.

The drive to this old farmhouse was challenging. We ran into some of our men, we ran into some of the enemy, we had to detour around debris and roadblocks, but we eventually made it to our destination.

We knew we had taken control of the farmhouse when we spied more and more of our men about. I began to release the breath I had been holding when I started to see our men. Many of them looked completely untouched, but there were a few who had seen better days.

When we drove into the property and the driver parked the Jeep, I jumped out of the backseat and looked for familiar faces.

Sink looked at one of the soldiers and ordered, "I'm looking for the COs of each Company gathered. Bring them here as soon as you find them."

"Yes sir," the man said with a salute before running off to find the men.

I looked at Sink and asked, "Should I look for members of Easy?"

Sink nodded. "That would be fine. There should be a few of them around."

I began my search for familiar faces. I saw so many men around the grounds, but none of them looked familiar to me. Many of the men gave me strange glances and I knew it was because I was the only female around for quite possibly miles.

I rounded the corner and spied someone I actually knew. "Luz!"

He turned around. "Hey! You made it!"

I approached him, giving him a hug when I reached him and asked, "How was your jump?"

"Oh, you know, like training, except we had people firing at us," he joked.

"Who else is here?" I asked, looking around.

"Maybe ten of us walking about out here, looking for someone to tell us what we need to do," he replied.

It wasn't the answer I was looking for, but I wasn't about to ask him specifics. If 10 men from Easy Company had survived, I knew that more would most likely be around soon. It was just a matter of time before they started showing up.

Loud booms echoes nearby. They were pretty close as it rattled my ribcage. I cringed with each explosion that was heard. I asked, "What is that?"

Luz shrugged. "They think there's a battery nearby. I'm thinking it's over that way." He pointed towards the fields and added, "And I bet you that we're gonna be the ones to go out there and silence 'em."

I smiled. "Well, you are the best, aren't you?"

"Always," he replied, smiling at me. "You joining us out there?"

"And do what? Shoot the enemy with my camera?" I joked.

He laughed. "At least you'd be shooting something."

"Hey! Look what the cat dragged in!" another familiar voice shouted.

I looked over Luz's shoulder to see Liebgott. He smiled as he approached us. "Hey Lieb."

"When'd you get here?" he asked. "You're late to the party."

"Looks like I'm arriving just in time from the sound of it," I said, referring to the battery in the fields.

Liebgott smirked. "Eh, maybe. Should be interesting to see who they choose to go out there. I'm thinking it's not us."

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

"There's only a handful of us here. I think there's more men from Dog Company here than Easy," he pointed out.

Luz took a drag from his cigarette. "We are the best, Lieb. Don't you think they'd send their best?"

I waited for Liebgott's response. It was what I had said to Luz not seconds before, but Lieb didn't see to think it was true. "Maybe," he muttered.

I saw Winters walking over to Compton and exchanging some words. Compton nodded and started to head towards us. When he neared, he ordered, "Easy Company! Gather at the barn. We've got work to do."

Luz looked over at Liebgott. "Shoulda put money on it."

Liebgott groaned as he headed over to where we were ordered to assemble.

I followed them, unsure of what else I was supposed to do. I was assigned to Easy Company. I knew that I wouldn't be physically going into battle with them to take out the battery, but I also knew that eventually, I'd have no choice but to participate with some battles. It was inevitable. Whether that time was now or later, who could say.

Once inside the barn, Winters gave the run down of the mission. He assigned the men to specific groups and the men headed out to get ammo.

Winters looked at me. "I think it's best if you stay here for the time being."

I nodded. "I figured as much."

He asked, "Do you have a watch?"

I nodded again, raising my wrist so he could see it.

"Wait ten minutes after we leave and then request ammo to be sent out to us. We're going to need it," he stated.

"Okay. I can do that," I replied, unsure of who I would mention this important piece of information to, but I knew I'd figure it out somehow.

Winters offered me a kind smile. "It's good to see you, Jane."

"You too, sir," I said, returning the smile. It was true. I was happy to see that he had survived. I always thought he was a good man and a good friend. I hated what happened to him during Sobel's reign, but he had survived, much like I knew he'd survive this war. It was just a feeling to me.

I turned around to look at the men one last time before they were to head out and bumped into a man. "Sorry!"

The man looked up at me and flashed a familiar smile. "Jane!"

I blinked at my name and realized who I had bumped into. "Eugene!"

We quickly embraced one another, happy to see that we had survived day one. I pulled away and asked, "Are you okay?"

He nodded. "It's been a long day."

I smirked at the comment. I could only imagine how tiring it was for him. I had no place to comment as I had been brought to the farmhouse by Jeep and didn't have to worry about getting shot on the way out. "I'm glad you're okay."

He looked down at this feet for a second before glancing over his shoulder at the men. "I should get going. I'm probably going to be needed."

I nodded. "Yeah, of course."

"It's nice to see you, Jane! I'll see you when I return," he stated as he started to make his way to the rest of the men.

We waved to each other and I stood there watching as he headed out to the fields with the rest of the men.

He had survived the jump into occupied territory and here I was, watching him running off into a battle zone. I prayed he'd continue to survive. I felt this pang in my chest as he had disappeared from my sights. It was like looking at a miracle and having it ripped away from you. War was hell, and it wasn't going to be easy watching him risk his life every moment of every day as he helped those around him. I knew that I had to be strong for him.

I glanced down at my watch and noted the time. 0915. Ten minutes of waiting before I had to tell someone to send ammo out to them.

"Miss Finley," a voice spoke behind me.

I glanced over my shoulder. "Sir?"

Speirs stepped before me, towering over me. "Looking for someone?"

"No sir. Just waiting," I replied.

"On what?" he asked, eyeing me.

I felt like he was searching my soul for something. He was intimidating and I knew that if I were to be interrogated by him, I'd probably end up telling him things that I didn't even realize that I knew. "Winters had asked me to send someone out there in ten minutes with ammo."

He nodded as he looked out towards the fields of Brecourt. "And how long has it been?"

I looked down at my watch again. "Only two minutes, sir."

He glanced sideways at me. "I'll take the ammo out to him now."

"He said ten minutes though..."

"He'll need more men too. Thank you, Miss Finley," Speirs said as he rushed away from me.

I watched as he motioned for his men to assemble and he picked a handful of them, ordered them to strip most of their gear off, and take some ammo for themselves as he loaded the rest into a small bag.

Within a couple minutes, Speirs and his men headed towards the fields. I couldn't believe how quick he was to head into danger. I wondered if he was always this reckless or if he just didn't think he'd get killed. Whatever his reasoning was for his actions, I found myself intrigued but scared for him.

I wandered about the farm aimlessly before I took out my camera and started taking pictures of the area. I didn't have a lot to take pictures of, and found myself just sitting around waiting for the men to return.

I learned quickly that sitting around and waiting was one of the hardest things to do when there was a battle raging on nearby. Every sound made you tense up and fear for the people who were fighting. The longer I sat, the more my mind began drifting back to the moments before I landed on the beach with the officers. I remembered how beautiful yet terrifying the whole ordeal was. Then my mind got stuck on those that were still on the beach when my feet finally hit the sand. It was weird that I could still hear the tide crashing onto the blood stained sand, the smell of blood that filled the smoky air, the cries and moaning from those who were severely wounded and still clinging to life. I couldn't get my mind to stop focusing on those images. I felt sick to my stomach just knowing that this wasn't the last time I would feel this way. This was the first of many battles that I would have to endure and capture through the lens of my camera.

I began to feel deep regret in signing up for this. Maybe my parents were right in feeling the way they felt when they tried to tell me not to do this. I didn't listen and maybe I should have. Maybe they were just trying to protect me from this feeling, from these haunting images...but I didn't understand why they just didn't come out and say it. Perhaps there was another reason that was still unknown to me as to why they behaved the way that they did.

Getting lost in one's thoughts made time fly by. Before I knew it, the sounds of battle had stopped. I snapped out of my daze and listened. I wasn't sure if we were successful until I spied our men coming back from the fields. Roe was among them.

I jumped to my feet and started to approach them. Winters immediately began debriefing the officers present while the men sat down to enjoy some well deserved rest and water.

Roe glanced up at my approach and smiled at me. "Jane."

"Hey. How was it?" I asked.

He shrugged. "We lost a guy."

"Who?" I asked.

He replied, "Some guy from Able. I don't really know who he was."

I looked at the men. None of them seemed torn up over this man's death. I asked, "Why was he with you guys, if he was an Able man?"

Roe shrugged again. "I think he and Winters were together after the jump. I think he wanted to help out."

I nodded slowly, piecing the information together. What Eugene said made sense. It was unfortunate that none of the men from Easy had ever met this kid before today, and none of them were interested in mourning him. For some reason, this felt wrong to me.

I didn't get the chance to think things through for very long. We were given orders that we were moving to a small village just outside Brecourt to rest before we would head out.

As we began walking, I asked, "How was your jump?"

Roe looked at me briefly before turning his attention to the path. "As well as could be expected, I suppose."

"Did you...have trouble?" I asked. It felt like a stupid thing to ask, given the fact that we were surrounded behind enemy lines.

He shook his head. "No, not really. I was lucky enough to land nearby some familiar faces."

I felt myself calm slightly from hearing that. "That's good."

He gave me a half smile. "You sound relieved."

"I'm just happy that you made it okay."

"How was your trip in?" Roe asked.

I thought about my answer. What would I tell him, that the explosions in the night sky while he was in a plane was beautiful? Would I tell him about the beaches? I hesitated and he saw it.

"It's okay. You don't have to tell me," he stated.

"What?" I asked, blinking out of my thoughts.

He repeated, "You don't have to tell me."

"Oh, it's not that. I just wasn't sure where to start," I lied.

He narrowed his dark eyes at me. "Sure."

He dropped the conversation, never expecting me to reply to his question.

I looked up from the path, watching the men marching and stopped in my tracks. It took me by surprise just how inspiring the men were. They had just jumped from planes in the middle of the night, heavy artillery firing up at them as they descended onto occupied territory. And here they were, marching with their heads held high, ready for action, regardless of how tired they were feeling.

I quickly brought my camera to my face and began snapping pictures of the men as they marched onwards. Roe stopped and waited for me.

I turned around to face the men as they approached me, clicking the shutter as they walked by. They even began smiling for the camera as they saw me.

When I realized that we were now the last people in the group, I lowered the camera, slowly following them with Roe beside me.

"You seemed really into that just now," Roe stated.

I shrugged. "Seemed like something I needed to capture."

Roe asked, "What happens when you run out of film?"

"I'm sure that I'll be sent more," I started to say.

"I know for a while you will, but what happens if they can't deliver those canisters to you? What will you do?" he questioned.

I thought about it for a moment. "I'm not really sure. I guess I've never given it much thought. Why do you ask?"

He shook his head. "Just wondering, that's all."

I could tell that Roe had something he wanted to ask me, but was almost afraid to. I didn't understand why he was afraid to say whatever it was that was on his mind. Instead of asking him to explain himself, I just shrugged it off. I figured that if it was important to him, he'd tell me.

When we stopped in the nearby village to wait for further orders, Roe had left to tend to any who might have been hurt in the last fight. Being by myself felt awkward. I felt like I didn't belong here. The only thing that kept me comfort was taking pictures of the men as they talked to one another, comparing their spoils of war, and sharing their experiences from the jump.

It was at this very moment that I realized that I was and would always be just an observer, witnessing war from a civilian's point of view. At this very moment, I realized that I might just not make it to the end of it and all that would be left of me would be the pictures that I was taking. The camera was an extension of me...my memories in a small green combat camera and several film canisters.