Everyone had eaten and Bill were cleaning up while Ray played with the children. Everything was calm and peaceful until the others returned from their patrol. They all looked tired, sadly they wouldn't be sleeping in this makeshift aid station- too out in the open. Ray rounded up all the children who were able to carry equipment and sent them with the soldiers to their trucks.
"Sunshine!" Bill called as Ray was doing a headcount, "What about the babies?"
"I'll take care of them." Ray responded.
"But how? We can't protect them from bullets and all that!"
"I'll figure something out!" Ray hissed angrily.
"Is that how you talk to your sergeant, private?" Cpt. Nixon joked, causing the blonde to jump.
"Wa-wait!" Ray stuttered looking between Nix and Bill, "Him!? My sergeant?!"
"Problem, Sunshine~?" Bill retorted with a sing-songy voice, "Or do ya want me to kick your ass?"
"Sh-Shut up!!!" Ray fumed as his face turned red with embarrassment. Bill and Nix burst into laughter as Ray hissed demonically at the both of them. From the distance George, Joey and Joe were watching with their full attention, "You guys thinkin what I'm thinkin?" George excitedly nudged his boyfriend's side.
"Jesus, George," Joe groaned, "If I can't read your mind then how do you expect Lieb to read your mind?!"
"If you're thinking that these two have some kinda spark, Luz," Joey gave off a pondering sideways smirk, "Then yes. I do think Gonorrhea maybe has the hots for our little Pearl!"
"What the hell, Lieb?!' Joe furrowed his brows, "They hate each other!"
"Think about it, Joe," Lieb replied as the three of them walked, "Remember when Guarnere jumped me after I rejected the kid?" Toye nodded skeptically.
"So?" Toye shrugged, "What does that prove?"
"Bill didn't yell at Ray for crying." George added, "He even held the kid!"
"Huh. Ya got a point, bitch babe." Joe smirked.
"Wait, did you just call me a bitch?"
Ray had come to the decision to send the orphans back to the states and wait at Camp Taccoa to be sent to an orphanage there, soon all of Easy packed themselves in their trucks and were on the move.
That night...
Everyone huddled into a designated foxhole for the night, they'd be watching the line and fighting there in the morning. Ray was going from foxhole to foxhole just to spend time with those he cared about. Whether it was Luz, Liebgott's and Toye's hole or the tumbling trio's, it didn't matter- Ray's assigned foxhole was with Blithe and sergeant Martin- as long as it was someone. George and Joe were snuggled close together in their foxhole, seeing them so carefree and peaceful brought a smile to Ray's face, "You guys are adorable," the blonde chirped, "Mind if I get a photo of you two?"
(When Ray is with Lieb, Toye and Luz the pronouns are female)
"We don't mind at all, Sunshine!" George beamed, "We could use a couple's photo!"
"Since when were we a couple?" Joe growled angrily, although there was a hint of embarrassment as well.
"Uh, since Currahee?"
"What?!"
"You literally pinned him against a wall and smooched him, Toye." Joey chuckled, "Admit it, you like ol' Luz."
"Bite me." Joe hissed. Ray giggled cheerfully causing all of the tension to cease and draw everyone's attention to her, just seeing her happy made everyone else happy. Ray raised the camera up to her eye level, George snuggled closer to Joe who was blushing softly whilst giving his boyfriend the death glare, snap! The flash went off and the sound of a photo being processed could be heard, Ray hummed in contentment as she gently waved the freshly printed photo in the air to get it to develop.
"Here you go!" she smiled as she handed it to Toye, "Fresh off the press!"
"Your photography skills never cease to amaze me, Sunshine." George complimented, "What photos do you have so far for that newspaper of yours?" Ray's face lit up like that of a child's during Christmas. The blonde began rummaging through her journal and briefcase for her photos and stories to go with them; from her journal she produced photographs of her friends, the scenery she saw, the children and last but not least Bill's wide and goofy smile. That last one was the most important to her.
"These are my personal photos," Ray stated while storing them away and going through her briefcase, "The ones for the papers are in here." She pulled out the photo of the destroyed 88mm, another photo of the children, one of Doc Roe fixing up a soldier's knee and one of the captains crowded around a map. All of them which their own stories accompanying them. The three men gazed at the photos in awe, these photos were her pride and joy and it showed in her smile.
"I know they're not that great," Ray chuckled awkwardly as she scratched the back of her neck, "But it's just for a story, not some runway show."
"Ray," Joey smiled, "You're too modest."
"Really? But my photos aren't that great! Honest!" everyone around the blonde chuckled and laughed, Ray felt like she had a family again- an actual family. After their little banter Ray said her goodbyes and started to leave.
"Where ya going next Sunshine?" Joey piped up.
"To see the tumbling trio," Ray smiled, "Then Ri- Winters and Nixon."
"What about Bill?" Luz smirked, "Heard you two have a foxhole together." Ray couldn't help but roll her eyes at the tone her friend held.
"Yeah? So?" she hissed, "It's not like I have feelings for him."
"Sure you do."
"Go choke on some needles why don't ya?" The three men laughed as Ray shook her head and flipped all of them off before walking to the other Trio's foxhole. Malark, Muck and Penk were just as close to the blonde as the other three were.
Back at Ray's foxhole, Blithe, Bill and Martin were sitting about just enjoying the night air when they heard some troopers singing obnoxiously. "The hell they got to sing about?" Bill grumbled, Blithe shrugged in response, "You don't talk much do you?"
"No sir." Blithe mumbled.
"That's fine, better than that Pearl fella for sure. He just gets on my goddamn nerves!"
Just then the peace was disturbed by some poor guy's agonizing screams. Blithe jolted in his spot and poked his head out of his foxhole curiously, he looked back to see Martin trying to sleep peacefully but was scowling with his eyes closed, "Should we go check sir?" Blithe squeaked, "He sounds like he's in pain."
"Christ," Martin grumbled, "Who is that?"
"Sounds like Tab." Bill replied as he poked his head out as well, "Blithe if ya wanna go look then go take a look." he nodded his head in the direction of the screaming, Blithe nodded and started to climb out of his hole and started trudging off. About 3 yards into his walk he ran into Speirs.
"Where ya goin, private?" the man said in a monotone voice.
"T-to see what all the screaming's about, sir." Blithe stuttered. Sure, people have told him stories about the frightening Captain Speirs but he'd never thought that he would actually run into him.
"There's nothing to see, private. That's all."
"O-okay, if you say so sir."
"Let's get you back to your foxhole."
As the two soldiers strolled back to Blithe's foxhole, Ray was sitting with the Tumbling Trio and laughing with them as they told their stories.
"Wait," Ray interrupted Skip in disbelief, "You swam across the Niagara?"
"Of course I did!" The man frowned as he chucked a leaf in Ray's direction, causing everyone to laugh.
"What's one life story of yours, Pearl?" Penkala asked politely, Ray shrugged and smiled softly before clearing his throat. This story was one of his fondest of memories, he was proud of it, he just wished that it didn't have to end the way it did...
Rachel was just starting 5th grade that year, Mr. and Mrs. Winters were both proud of their adopted daughter and their biological son. Richard 17, he was a junior in high school, his daily chore was to drop Rachel off at school and to pick her up. It was a hassle but it was one he could deal with.
After the first 3 months of school, the Winters began noticing that little Rachel had been mentioning the same girl over and over again. The girl's name was Lillian and she was beautiful, she was kind, she was smart and she found Rachel very amusing. Rachel adored her, one would think that she was in love with this girl- that part was true. Rachel was ashamed that she felt this way, she was already good friends with Lillian and she didn't want to ruin it- or worse she didn't want her family to abandon her- she kept silent about it.
"Richie?" Rachel was sitting in the car with Dick one day, "Can I tell you a secret?"
"Sure," Dick shrugged, "I'd probably forget anyways."
"I... I think I'm in love."
"Who's the lucky man?" Dick teased.
"No, you don't understand," Ray snapped, "It's not a boy." silence followed shortly. Dick gulped down his shock as Rachel began to pick at her already scratched up nails- a bad habit of hers, picking at her nails until they were nothing but nubs or until they'd bleed- tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Is it Lillian...?" Dick finally breathed out, Rachel nodded silently. "You like her?"
"Please don't tell mom and dad!" the girl cried, "Please don't hate me! Please, Richie!"
"I don't hate you, Race. I just don't want you to be hurt."
Weeks after that conversation, Rachel was happier than she ever had been. Dick noticed this, "You seem rather chipper today," he said whilst driving, "What happened?"
"Lilli likes me back!" Rachel giggled, "She loves me, she loves me, she loves me!" the girl squealed and kicked her feet happily.
"Oh." Dick was happy for her but also scared, "So are you two sweethearts now?"
"I don't know. Do 10 year olds date?"
"You're too young yo date."
"Oh."
"So you and this Lillian dame," Malarkey interrupted, "You were together?"
"For a bit..." Ray sighed.
"Rachel," Lillian and Rachel were sitting at the park that day, "My parents found out about us."
"And?" Rachel choked on her words, she was scared, "Nothing they say can make me love you any less."
"They're sending me away." Rachel felt her heart shatter.
"What? No! They can't, Lillian run away with me!"
"Rachel you don't understand!"
"I love you!"
"And I love you as well but, Rachel... If I stay then both of us will be in trouble. This is goodbye, Rachel."
"G-goodbyes are temporary," Rachel sniffled, "You're coming back right?"
"I don't know."
"And that..." Ray ended his story, "I never heard from her again..."
The three other men fell silent, Ray shrugged and smiled softly.
"That's my story. Well fellas, I should probably be heading back now. Goodnight!"
"Night." the three responded awkwardly as they watched their friend waltz off cheerfully.
"Hey, Malark," Muck turned to his friend, "Do you think Ray is a bit... Odd?"
As Ray was rounding the corner to his foxhole he caught a glimpse of Speirs, he quickly pulled himself behind a tree and listened.
"You hid in that ditch because you think there's still hope," Speirs said as he knelt before Blithe, "But, Blithe, the only hope you have is to accept the fact that you're already dead..."
Ray couldn't believe what he was hearing, all he wanted to do in that moment was to yell at his CO to leave that poor boy alone, but he was too scared to do anything.
"...Without mercy, without remorse. All war depends on it." and with that Speirs got up to leave, Ray saw this as a chance to approach, "You must be Pearl." Speirs' eyes landed on the blonde.
"Yes, sir." Ray gulped harshly, "May I help you sir?"
"No, no," Speirs glanced back at Blithe, "Just passing by. Goodnight gentlemen." and with that he was gone. Ray stood there watching him until he faded into the distance, he took a deep breath and hopped into his hole to see Blithe curled up close to the wall. His face hidden in his arms resting on his knees.
"Oh, Blithe," Ray sighed before kneeling in front of his friend, "Don't listen to him." he placed a hand on Blithe's cheek, gently lifting his face into the moonlight. "Who knows, there could still be hope for this hell forsaken world, but we never know."
"I'm just scared..." Blithe mumbled, "I'm scared."
"We all are, Albert. Try to get some rest." He kissed Blithe's cheek, the latter blushed a bright red, and took a seat between Guarnere and Blithe. Bill had noticed this, his blood began to boil and his anger began to swallow him, he gritted his teeth and glared at Blithe.
"Well!" Bill hissed to Ray, "Y'know he ain't that special. There's a bunch of other guys who are like him." a hint of jealousy lingered in his tone.
"Why do you care, Bill?" Ray sighed as he curled up, "It's not like we're a couple."
"I- You- Goddammit! Nevermind!"