I had a dream of my life with George, or the life I thought I was going to have with him. I was in a small house that was tight but comfy at the same time, having me feel the warmth of the sun on my skin as I walked down the hall and saw the plenty of pictures that were hanging on the wall. I looked at each one, seeing that George and I were in each one of those pictures now and smiling like nothing else mattered in the world. I wondered when we took those pictures, seeing the youth within those images and how we were enraptured with each other, almost like we were teenagers again.

I somehow made me way over to the living room now, seeing the couches and chair arranged to be looking out at the open living room window now that was showing the sea and the ocean rolling in softly against the beach that was so close I could reach out and touch it. Knick knacks were all over the place, fleece blankets over chairs and the couch and a fire going in the brick fireplace. I looked left and right, somehow making this place feel like home and yet I had no idea what kind of place it was.

A faint sound of music was heard from the record player that was playing in the corner now as I heard someone running over in my direction along the hardwood floor, having me look and see, in what felt like slow motion, a little girl running across the living room with a big grin on her face and a long cascade of strawberry blond hair flying behind, looking soft in the wind and her long cotton dress going along with her like she was an angel. I knew that face, I somehow knew that face now as she was running past me like I was a ghost now, going to the side door that was going to lead her out to the front of the house that had a patch of green grass I grinned from my spot, seeing that she was taller and yet looking more mature within her face and her arms. It was Beth, and now she looked like she was at least 9 or 10 years old.

I was finding myself following her out of the door, seeing her skip over to two smaller children who were younger than 5 years old, the two of them were playing together and then seeing Beth and smiling. One was a girl, long brown hair that was curly and short around her face and to her jawline that made her look like a doll and bright brown eyes, giggling in glee as she waddled over to Beth who hugged her close. The other child was a boy who looked a bit older now, strawberry hair swept away to the side and dark brown eyes that made me instantly think of George and how his eyes looked. It made my own heart swell from seeing the three children because something inside of me told me that they all were my children.

My children with George.


I woke up, still already being embraced by George in the same bed as me now as the morning was creeping up on us again, early morning as I felt George stir next to me. I was still seeing the images of the dreams in my head now, those children and how they looked like myself and George in the perfect mixture and combination.

"You have a bad habit of waking up too early for my liking, sweetheart," George mumbled to me against my shoulder now with his lips and I chuckled, feeling reach over and laced his fingers with my own now in front of me and I felt him snuggle into me more, "I don't wanna do more drills todays."

"Lucky for you, I have to go and seal my fate with Sink and see what he wants to do with me." I replied back to him as I rubbed my eyes with my spare hand and sounding a bit bitter about it. I was going to meet with him and see what he was thinking about doing with me, yet I knew it was probably going to end up with me being sent home and I was not going to look forward to it. It was just as close to getting a root canal, and George stayed quiet for a moment or two before he spoke up again.

"What do you think is going to happen?" George asked me tentatively now, almost like he was afraid to ask me since he knew it was a sore subject for me to talk about.

"I don't want to say I know what's going to happen, but I do." I said back to him, facing the window how and hearing some of the men already walking around outside on the sidewalk and they were already having their one lives to worry about. I was not really looking forward to getting out of the bed like the rest of them and put on a brave face.

"Would it be bad of me to tell you to think more optimistic about it?" George questioned me as I then shuffled around to move to face him on my side, seeing him look at me in worry. He hated it too, that I was going to be kicked out of the army not instead of earlier because of the fact that rules were no longer needed for me. I was also getting the hint that the other boys in Easy were getting the hint too and they were catching on to what was going on, I only hoped that they didn't know the whole thing because it would be more awkward for me.

"I don't think so," I answered him back softly, biting my lip in the process now as I was thinking about it more, "I'm just feeling sick about it."

"I would be too if I was dealing with a bunch of old men too," George joked with me with a smirk on his face. I giggled, seeing that he was trying to lift me off from this awkward feeling and day that was already blooming in front of me, "I would just walk out of the room before I could imitate one of them and get in more trouble than I am worth."

"I would pay to see that actually," I replied, breathing out slowly and just hoping that I knew what I was doing that day in front of the other officers. Was this going to be my last day in Berchtesgaden, with the men in Easy?

"Let me know how it goes after it's all over, okay?" George asked me close enough for me to hear him as we were staying so still in the bed and more light was coming in to make sure I was fully awake and fully alert. I nodded to him, sneaking in a kiss to his head now as he was staying close to me. All I could do was carry on what I knew I did right and what I did fully. I was going to survive, whether I was sent home or not.

I was going to survive this.


"Adaline, O'Malley," I was standing in front of all of the officers that were assembled there in one of the grand offices of the apartment complex, the rest of the floor was closed off. I was standing alone there with my hands behind my back and my stance still stiff now as I only had Major Winters behind me as my support for my side of the conversation. He was standing in attendance for me, as by request from Sink since he knew I would need another set of eyes and ears. The rest of the men I have no met yet, except for Sink who was the head of the conversation now.

"You records have been addressed and looked through thoroughly since we spoke last some time ago," Sink explained to me now as I was still watching him with hopefully a open head and heart about what was going to happen,"You have served with the American Air Force since 1942 where you trained at Avenger's Field and then you were transferred to be one of the drivers and transporters for Easy Company, is this correct?"

"Yes, sir," I replied back to him, seeing him nod his head as I watched him look down at the huge file in front of him on the top of the desk, having me wonder if that was my own file that he held in his hand.

"Your role here in the arm with Easy company has been nothing but grateful for us in helping the men with your leadership and willingness to serve. However, we are calling your service to the army as a matter of some urgency, because there are laws that were needed to be in place for you to be under our protection and service." Sink explained some more, having me squint inwardly again to hear that they were really hating the fact that they had to provide more laws and rules just for me, once again making it sound like a burden more than anything. "I hope you do understand that this is not some form of punishment, Sergeant O'Mally."

"I understand, sir," I replied to him once again, seeing him look over at the other officers who were present and they were giving me a gruff look, like they were intimidated of me and what I was doing there within the army under their very nose.

"Giving the circumstances and the need for more soldiers now in the army, you can be used as a liable Sergeant for Easy, and the Air Force is also wanting you back on their good graces because you would be one of the last WASP members that are still working in the war since others were either sent home, or killed in action without any real army ranking. You are the first to do so, which also raises some question on our part." Sink explained, now having me raise an eyebrow to him now in confusion.

"What kind of questions are being raised, if I may ask sir?" I brought it up to him, instantly seeing some of the officers looking at me in shock and shifting a bit now since I was speaking out in front of him Sink now. But he knew that about me, so he wasn't scared or shifted about it as he looked at me directly in the eye.

"If there is now going to be females of a higher ranking in brutal, not to mention high staked battles and missions of wars, then we are going to have safety regulations and how far we are willing to go with men and women under our command, moral questions that I know will be brought up to us when this war is over or even before it ends." Sink explained to me as another officer was now going to speak.

"We are already having other majors and even the general himself wondering if we can even allow women in battles and operations that are originally meant for men—" He was about to tell me and I could feel like I was about to counter back with him when Sink raised his hand for him to fall quiet and Sink looking behind at me Winters now.

"I want to hear from Major Winters himself, since she has been under his command for most of the war since January now," Sink said to the group as Winters walked up a bit to stand next to me. I kept my eyes ahead, but seeing Winters from the corner of my eye made me feel a bit safer being in a room with a bunch of strangers.

"Sergeant O'Malley has been under our care and supervision since she crashed in Bastogne and Colonel Sink assigned her to us and placed her in charge of our transportation," Winters informed the group now as I stayed so still to hear what he had to say about me, "She is a good soldier and works to the best to her abilities, I know for a fact that she saved some of us through dropping some rations in our favor. If it wasn't for her, some of us would be dead from starvation and lack of medical supplies."

"But what about her being a soldier?" One the officer said to him now, looking at me like he was trying to kill me with those eyes and as if I was lower than him.

"She fought for her country while she was flying a plane and shooting down the German plane that was about to assassinate our men in Bastogne, also providing aid to the camp survivors in Landsburg," Winters answered him within seconds, having me hear the seriousness there within his tone and how he was trying to carry the both of us now in his fight for me to stay with the men, "She served us with her intense training of flying and learning now to navigate, which is far good enough for me as her major in Easy Company." I wanted to smile and hug Winters when he said that, but once again I could do nothing as Winters fell silent again and some of the officers were looking at each other to try and silently tell each other what to do and where to take this conversation.

"O'Malley…have you ever shot a gun at another person, a German soldier?" One of the officers asked, no one talking and watching me for my answer. I was thinking this was some kind of test on me as I breathed out slowly through my nose now.

"No, sir," I replied.

"Have you ever been through Combat training before the war?" He asked me again.

"Not though the army, sir," I replied back to him cooly now.

"Do you consider yourself as one of the members of Easy company?" He had to ask me that question now, seeing Winters look over at me now with a look in his eyes and I could see it. He was whining what I was going to tell him and the others and if I really did want to stay with the men throughout the rest of the war. I knew I was the wildcard, first being a pilot and then a driver, and ending as a Sergeant who has never killed a person in the war or even was involved with one.

"I don't know what I consider myself anymore, because I have been moved around far too many times to have once place to be called my permanent Company," I replied back calmly and with a boost of confidence since I knew this was going to be the only time I was going to tell them all how I felt before they were going to seal my fate, "I understand that I am a liability to the army and maybe to the Air Force as well, but all I wanted to do is serve the best I can wherever it was needed. I'm only a pilot who was caught in a more unusual circumstance in this war, and I know that I have no real say as to if I should stay here or if I should go. But I do want it to be known that I was treated with the utmost respect and fairness within Easy Company while I served with them, and I showed them the same."

They were quiet again now as I was watching each of their faces to see what was going to happen next, if they are going to ask me more question and see if I was worth enough for them to keep in the army. I would say more about it, how thought it was rude that they would want to send me away because I was a Goddam female and I could make the army look less of a resource and safety sigma than anything.

"Given the evidence that is used along your name and your history with the men, and the fact that this war is closer to going to an end, we have made our decision and it is final." Sink replied to me, having me now feel like I was about throw up all over the floor now because I was waiting to hear my answer and where I was going to be heading out.

What was my fate?


George's POV

"Where are they off to?" I looked up from my seat in the small cafe that we were sitting in, seeing three soldiers walking over to a jeep now and I was surprised to see how it was. Webster, Joe, and Sisk were talking together in a tight huddle, Joe leading the way now with a vengeful look in his eye as I was sitting across from Perconte now and we were drinking some of the alcohol that we found there in the cafe. Well, Perconte was drinking it, I was mostly sitting there thinking about Adaline and her meeting with the senior officers. Damn, it was liking throwing a lamb to the wolves, or in Adeline's case, a fox really since she was smarter than the average soldier. The three of them whisked off in the jeep now in such a fast pace and Perconte kept his eyes on the jeep.

"I wonder where they are going," Perconte voiced as I was looking back at the cafe cup in front of me, "you okay, Luz?"

"Just thinking is all, Perconte." I replied, hearing him chuckle.

"Well that's never a good thing with you, maybe you're thinking of how you're gonna intimidate Sink?" he asked me in a cheer in his tone. I could feel the heavy object, at least it felt heavy to me really, in my jacket pocket there against my rib and I was trying to hide it in front of Perconte since I didn't want to open a can of worms.

"I think I can intimate him in my sleep," I joked back, hiding what I was really thinking about and Perconte chuckled, drinking in another mouthful of the drink as I was just taking a sip now.

"So what do you think he's talking to Adaline about?" I snapped my gaze over to my friend on the other side of the table, hearing her name be brought up in the conversation.

"Adaline?" I asked.

"Yeah, he's talking to her isn't he? It's why we can't go over there in that lobby and play fucking poker now, selfish bastards." Perconte commented as he looked out the window like it was another day at the town and we had nothing else to do.

"What else would they talk about with her other than the fact they don't like her being in the army," I added to the conversation.

"I don't see why they wouldn't want her in, she's extra hands for us to use you know? She's not an idiot, like O' Keefe, or hates the sunny side of life like Cobb," Perconte explained to me, sounding bitter about the two soldiers that he mentioned and it made me chuckled from how he talked and how eh sat there. Perconte was never an optimistic kind of guy, not from what I learned from him over the past couple of years serving with him. He was more on the snarky, judge you with both eyes open, kind of guy. It made sense we were friends, beret sense really.

"If ti's about her being a girl and helping out a bunch of guys, it's all bullshit if you asked me," He replied, taking another sip as I eyed him.

"Nobody did ask you," I countered back at him, seeing him eye me now with confusion.

"What's up your ass?" He asked me, "You're not your cheery self lately."

"Nothing, I'm fine," I replied back to him calmly now, seeing him not convinced at all we heard a couple of whistles blow, Percolate sighing in annoyance as he got up from his seat at the table.

"Goddamn it, I don't want to do another round of push-ups and climbs over ladders, even if it does get us ready for The Pacific," Perconte said in a snort now as he readjusted his jacket and cracked his neck in the process. I was about to get up too, but I didn't as Perconte looked back at me again.

"Going to the Pacific is going to be entertaining in time, don't you think?" Perconte asked me now before he walked out of the cafe and down the street to where the rest of the men were meeting up for training. I was still stuck there, thinking about the Pacific now and how I was more likely to go than anything. I was never shot, so I had no points to go home, and Adaline was probably going to go home herself. It made it very clear that we both were not going to be together for some time, having me sigh heavily now as I pulled out the small velvet box from my pocket and placed it on the table, seeing it sit there alone and make me wonder what was really going to happen to the both of us.

"Yeah, I guess so." I replied out loud to myself.


Adaline's POV

I walked out of the building there, taking in a shaky breath and feel like I was both released from the bounds that were holding me down, and suffocating because of the results that just happened there. It was still warm there, having me feel very hot there in my jacket now as Winters stood next to me, looking a bit off himself from what we were just talking about.

"I'm sorry about what happened back there, Adaline," he said to me in an apology, having me shake my head now as I was trying not to show that I was breaking down here and having any kind of sadness left on my face to show.

"It's fine, sir. They made a decision that was best," I answered him back now as I looked down the road a bit to see if I could find anyone else there, but no one was in sight.

"And you believe that?" He asked me now, having me freeze from walking away from him, hearing him not as my major in the army, but somehow as a friend. I looked at him now, seeing him watch me with his blue eyes that were always kind and soothing for someone to look at if they felt lost. I felt so lost within that moment, but watching him was bringing me back to the surface now.

"I don't know, sir." I replied back with a shaky breath, seeing him nod in agreement.

"Walk with me," He said as more of a suggestion than a command. We both walked down the cobbled road, almost shoulder to shoulder and having me replay the meeting within my head to see what I should have said, or what should have happened to make the other choice instead of one that was already made. But no matter how much I thought about it, I knew the decision that was made was the right one.

"Adaline, I want you answer me honestly," Winters started with his cool tone, having me look over at him as he asked me, "Did you ever think of coming this far in the war?"

"Not really, sir," I replied back, seeing him give me a questioning look, "Given my circumstance, I never thought I would be flying on D-Day, let alone tagging along with a Company this far along in the war and still being alive since I'm not fit for combat."

"I wouldn't call it 'tagging along', more like assisting us when we needed it," Winters answered back to me, having me just smile and shake my head.

"Sir, I know there were times when I felt more like a baggage to you while you were trying to lead the men—" I wanted to get it of my chest now and make sure he knew what I was feeling about when he placed his hand on my arm to stop me from going any further with both my feet and my burdens.

"Adaline," He said to me to get my attention as we were standing face to face on the street, "You were never once seen as a burden, not to any of us in Easy and I hope not to anyone in the Air Force. We accepted you as one of our own since we were in the States back at Benning, I hope you know that." I remembered then, the moments of the training in Benning and how they would want to come over and talk to me after their own training and just get to know me. They were so young and innocent then, wanting to hear and talk with me and have me join their world. They instantly adopted me and made me part of their family, their own bond that they would hardly do to others. So who was I to say that about them and question them in that?

"When do you want to tell the men?" He asked me, snapping me out of my thoughts as I looked at him in question.

"Sir?" I asked him, trying to follow.

"I'm leaving it to you to tell the men in Easy, it's not my place to say so," Winters explained now, having me knit my eyebrows together in confusion since I had no real good time to tell them all, let alone George since I knew he would be the one who was going to be affected by it the most. I shrugged my shoulders, not knowing what else to do this conversation since it felt so fragile to talk about and think about with my major there.

"I don't know, sir." I replied, seeing him nod his head.

"I'll let you know when Easy is going to move out from the town over to The Pacific, that will give you enough time to tell the men your decision, agree?" He asked me.

"Of course, sir. Thank you, sir." I thanked him, seeing him give me a small but warm smile now as we started walking again down the road and my hands were shoved back within my pockets. I have to think of when I will tell all of the men what's going to happen to me, and most of all, I had to tell George. How I was going to tell him, of all people, that we were no longer going to be together.

That I was going home?


"How did it go?" Doc and I were talking and walking together along the lake near a town in the late afternoon that very day. Doc had medic training with Spina and then he came over to find me as I was staying in the lobby of my apartment, thinking to myself about what I was going to tell the men how I was going to tell them. Doc wanted to go on a walk with me and help me clear my head, and there we were walking together with the rays of the sun touching our faces.

"He told me that they decided to send me home," I replied back to him now as I could hear the distant small waves of the lake coming along the beaches there. I had my combat jacket rolled up on the sleeves now and my hair was back in it's messy bun near the top of my head again.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Doc said to me now as we were talking shoddier to shoulder, "But at least you don't have to go to the Pacific like we do."

"That's true, but it still sucks you know?" I asked him, seeing him eye me with his dark eyes and how his pale skin too was shining in the sunlight, "I mean, I did see it coming since they would never send me over with you boys because I'm…"

"A female?" He asked me, "A woman?"

"If memory serves," I muttered back to him, feeling him nudge me with his shoulder.

"Think of it this way, you can be home with Beth, you can start all over again with a new life for yourself. With us, we have to wait a little while longer to do something like that," Doc tried to reason with me and with hope there in his voice.

"It's not that I don't want to go home because I do. It's just….it's how they wanted me get home now that was crappy." I admitted to him now as we stopped near one of the beaches that was rather out along the forest and curving along the edge of the land.

"That wasn't right of them to say it like that to you, bastards." Doc said to me now in a grumble as I smacked him to the arm to stop him from cursing since it was not like him. Doc chuckled and grabbed his arm in the area where I hit him.

"Sorry, mother." he mocked me as I stuck my tongue out at him and we laughed together along the lakeside there. it seemed like a light moment for the both of us to share, and I have missed his company for some time since the last time we were in the same room I was seeing him try and address my two bruises and demanded me to tell him all that happened to me with the drunken private.

"I'm glad you're going home, Adaline," Doc said to me in a more sincere tone now, grinning at me and having me smile back at him, "You get to go home and have some peace with your brother and your daughter."

"Peace?" I asked him, looking out on the water now and seeing the small rumbling of the water breaking on the beach now, "What kind of peace am I going to have after all I went through in the war. I already have nightmares about what happened to me, and I think it is going to be much worse."

"Look at me," Doc urged me now with a hint of a demand behind it, having me look over at him again and see how he was watching me in the way my own brother would watch me, with the affection a sibling would have. It showed that we were close within our own bond together as friends, along with the same thing I had with Joe.

"Adaline, you know how bad of a toll the war is on us," he explained to me now in a lower tone that was more serious manner to me, "No one should be going through what we are going through right now, I can admit to that. And with you, it's gonna be harder for you to get back to normal," He poised, having me feel him hold my hand within his and give it a gentle squeeze.

"But I ain't saying it's impossible, not for someone like you who's fought to hell and back to get back to her daughter," Doc explain to me in a soft manner now, seeing that it was affecting me as he was telling me this. I smiled at him weakly now, thinking that one person was bad enough to tell about my departure and it was only Doc. Who knew what the others were going to be like, and now I was going to figure it out when I saw someone walking over out way along the small lake beach area. He was wearing his combat pants, boots, a white shirt with his dog tags out on his chest now and a grin on his face. I smiled widely.

George.

"Sorry to break up your little pow wow," he said as he joined us there on the beach. Doc shook his head and waved him off as he looked back at me,

"I need to head back to town anyway. Babe hasn't been feeling good and I'm gonna check up on him, I think he caught a bad case of food poisoning." He explained to me as he gave me one more squeeze of the hand to silently tell me that it was going to be okay. I squeezed his hand back before we realized hands and he walked away, George slapping him on the back as he passed George on his walk. I was left alone with George now there on the lake shore and it made me feel a sense of uncertainty as to how he was going to react to the news I was giving him. How was I going to do this?

"So…how did it go with the officers?" George asked me as he walked over, having me see the hope in his eyes now as he was really rooting for me to be able to stay with the boys, with him. But I just stared at him, trying to tell him with my eyes now that it was not what he wanted, or what I wanted. He saw it then, his smile dropping slightly and then I could see it coming: an argument.

"Shit," He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand and he was looking away from me over to the lake now, having me see that he was trying to collect his thoughts. I walked over to him carefully, not wanting to spook him at all really as I watched him.

"They just….let you go just like that?" He asked me as if it was not the truth and more of a trick for him.

"Yeah, yeah they did," I replied back to him, seeing him squint and his hands at his sides making a fist and his stance was stiff now. He was silent once again for a moment or two, having me really hope that he was going to react to this okay, but not terrible.

"It's bullshit…what they did to you," George said under his breath, having me really want to reach out to him and just give him a hug to make him feel better, "Did they even know what you did, how you helped us over in Holland and Bastogne?"

"They know, but it didn't change their mind about me," I reminded him, seeing him look over at me now, "I can't go with you to The Pacific. They see me as a liability for them to look after, and I admit I have to agree with them."

"You're not a liability," George reminded me in a stern tone to me, having me not say a word about as he breathed out slowly through his nose and then sighed in defeat. I could tell he wanted to argue with it some more, but it was better to let the conversation die where it was nothing to fight about between us.

"Well, this does make this conversation a bit more awkward," He said out of wonder, not in pain or in anger, but like he was suddenly thinking of a new idea. I raised an eyebrow at him, shifting my feet a bit.

"What do you mean?" I questioned.

"I mean…I had something planned out for you, for the both of us…and I guess I have no other real choice than to go along with it," George explained to me, a small smile was back on his lips as I was even more confused about what was going on with him and how he was hiding something from me.

"I don't know what you have planned, and I think I should be scared." I said to him, seeing him shake his head now as I laced our fingers together between us, just like plenty of times that we have done this before.

"You know I love you, right?" He asked me, like it was a trick question.

"Of course I do," I replied, seeing him bring out his toothy grin back at me.

"And I know you love me, or at least I would hope you do," He commented in almost a joking manner now.

"To the moon and back, George Luz." I vowed to him, having a small giggle to it now since it sounded so childish yet so true for the both of us. It was then that I saw him sink to the floor on one knee that I felt my knees bulking from underneath me, yet I stayed so still as he was reaching down within his pants pocket and then pulling out a small velvet box within his hands, watching me the whole time as I felt like this was freezing the rest of the world.

"I know I'm not the best boyfriend….compared to others since I know I'm not a good enough person," George tried to explain in a stammer, having me see the genuine fear in his eyes and hear it in his voice, "But I do know that you have really made me a better person by just loving me for who I am and for what I am worth. Adaline, I'm not doing this to replace Adam and be the new father to Beth, that is not right in the slightest. But I do want to marry you and make you beyond happy since you do that to me." He opened the box, having me notice the small ring there nestled between the pillow and how simple it looked yet it was beyond beautiful for me to see. It was a sapphire on the top with two diamonds on the sides and a simple white band there.

"Adaline O'Malley, will you marry me?" he asked me, looking up at me and having me instantly think back to when we first met, back when we were just starting to get our toes wet in the concept of war. I was scared of him, on how confident he was and yet I was shy on the other end of the spectrum. It was from that first meeting now that it all evolved into something that was going to shift and shape my life for the best. George was the best thing in my world, along with my daughter, of course, and I was willing to let him in and try again with a married life with him. I started crying, not saying another word or two before I started to nod my head and a grin spread out on his face as he was still kneeling on the floor.

"Yes….a thousand times yes George Luz." I replied, seeing him shoot up and place the ring on my finger gently, more tears on my face as we embraced on the lake shore and the sun beaming down on the both of us. I didn't care then if I was being sent home early and not going to be with Easy anymore, I was just enraptured with the new bright future I was going to have with George Luz.

I loved my future.