"What are you doing?" Dick leaned in the doorway of Rachel's room, the girl- now 14- was swiftly tossing things in a duffel bag.

"I'm running, Richie." Rachel replied flatly, "Don't you dare tell your parents."

"Our parents you mean?"

"Dammit, Richie," Rachel hissed as she angrily threw a shirt into the bag, "You know what I mean! I don't belong here, I'm not even your real sister!"

"Where are you going?" Richard changed the topic as he stepped in the girl's room to help her pack.

"I don't know yet," Rachel muttered, "Somewhere far away from here. I was thinkin' maybe Santa Fe or somewhere in North California. Maybe southern Oregon."

"And how will you get there exactly?"

"Jesus, Richie. I don't know, alright? I don't know how I'll survive, how I'll get there or how long it will take before I end up dead in a ditch!" she hissed.

"Then why do you want to run away?"

"I... I don't know..."

"Ray!" George called out as he ran after his friend, "Ray, wait!" he had caught up with her and gripped her wrist, she shot him a look of anger and sorrow with her red tear stained face.

"I wish I were dead, Georgie!" Ray wailed as she pressed her sleeve against her face to shield her from embarrassment. "I wish I never existed!"

"Hey! Now you stop that!" George gripped her shoulders, "Sure, Winters may be a... Dick but you shouldn't let that get to you. Sure, you're a girl but you're also one helluva damn soldier!" by now the other two had caught up to them, George was the first to pull Ray into a tight hug. Then Joe and Joey joined in the group hug, all of them doing their best to comfort their friend.

"Ray," Joe rubbed her head, "Older brothers are the worst."

"Yeah." George added in.

"Winters doesn't know how good of a soldier you are!" Joey commented last. Ray sniffled and wiped her tears with her sleeve, thanking her three friends before they let her go.

"You guys," she blinked away some straggling tears, "You guys really think I'm a good soldier? Even though I'm a woman?"

"Yeah!" Joey ruffled her hair, "You're a pretty adorable soldier too!"

"Agreed!" George and Joe chimed in unison.

"Thanks you guys. You're the best."

"C'mon, Sunshine," Joey smirked, "We gotta get back before they come after us." Ray nodded and the four of them made their way back to the pub. Ray hid behind the three men as they entered, Cobb was the first to notice.

"Hey, Rachel!" the man sneered, "Soldiers aren't supposed to run and cry!" a couple of other men chuckled at this and watched with amusement as Ray shrank behind her friends.

"Hey," Joe snarled, "Back off, Cobb!"

"Why are you protecting her, Toye?"

"She's a good soldier, that's why!"

"Or is she good in bed?" Cobb smirked, this took the three men to the edge. Joey lunged at Cobb but Luz and Toye quickly grabbed him.

"You prick," Joey hissed, "Wait until I get my hands on you..."

"Liebgott," Joe struggled to restrain him, "Liebgott stop!" Ray glanced around but Dick was nowhere to be seen, if only he had heard what Cobb had said he'd kick him out of the army and have him court martialed!

"You're disgusting, Cobb." Skip growled from across the bar, "She's here to fight a war, not to get into bed with you!"

"Yeah!" Malarkey joined in, "Ray's a good kid, right Penk?" Penkala just nodded.

"Cobb," George was now standing face to face with the rude man, leaving Joe to deal with Joey on his own, "You do know that Toye and I are together, right?" Once Cobb processed what Luz meant he stepped back in disgust.

"Ugh! Get away from me!" Joey finally calmed down and Joe threw his arm over George's shoulder and pulled him close to land a peck on his cheek. George smiled happily and glanced over at Ray, beckoning her over. After the little spectacle most of the men dared not harass Ray, all but Cobb and Bill.

Ray sat back down in the back of the pub to remain out of anyone's peripheral vision and range of sight. She sighed as she felt everyone's eyes on her, an all too familiar gaze nagged at her; it was cold, harsh and grazing, she turned around to see him. Bill's blue eyes scanned her face before he spoke.

"It true?" his voice held a pained and crushed tone, Ray had lied to him, "You're a girl?"

"Yes it is," Ray sighed as she turned back around, "Say what you want, just don't think I'm here to get into bed with someone."

"I trusted you, Sunshine."

"Oh, so now that you know I'm a girl, you can't trust me?"

"You lied to me, to all of us!" Bill took a step forward.

"I had to! Okay?!" she turned and pointed a finger at him defensively. Silence was the only response Bill could give as his mouth opened and closed, he could see the tears forming in Ray's eyes and he hated himself yet he was still upset. Upset with her.

"Yeah," Bill grumbled, "Whatever." and with that he left. Ray could feel her heart shatter as she watched him leave, she wished that he would stop and look back at her. Not once did he even stoo to glance back at her and it hurt, she didn't know why it did. Bill was a jerk, he was a hothead and a loud and scrappy boy from South Philly, but it hurt so much...

Hours later the soldiers mounted their trucks and jeeps and departed for the planes, Ray was silent for the whole ride. The person she could always depend on, always run to in these kinds of situations, didn't even dare look at her once. All she wanted was to go back in time to that day she had her bag all packed up, she was ready to run away from home but he stopped her. She wished she had just pushed him out of the way and ran, she wished that she could forget her emotions and just drop everything and run. Her brother- Richard never cared at all...

Later that day

Winters and Nixon were explaining the plans of Operation Market Garden; the jump in Eindhoven, Holland and that the British would be helping. Bill glanced to the side, his face painted with that of "what the actual fuck?" once he heard this. Normally Ray would giggle at his facial expression but she stayed silent and in the back, wishing to god that she were dead. They'd crossing the Rhine to attack the Germans, hopefully ending the war by Christmas.

"That's all," Nixon's voice brought her back to the present, "We leave in 2 hours. Get yourselves ready boys- and girl." he smiled and nodded politely in Ray's direction, everyone else turned their heads to glance at her. Some smirking while others stared in disgust, Ray tensed up and could only think of looking down at the ground but her head shot straight up when she felt a cold gaze fall over her. The private's eyes met with the sergeant's, Ray couldn't tell if she saw a twinge of pain in his eyes or not but once he noticed she was looking right at him he sharply turned his head back to the front of the room.

The men began to file out of the room and onto the tarmac, just as she was about to step out into the sun Dick stopped her. "Race," he said as he stepped in front of her, "Look, I-"

"You don't want me here," Ray cut him off, "I know. Richie, I don't care anymore, if I end up dead- either by enemy hands or my own hands- know this: I'll be glad that I died, that way I won't be disappointing you anymore." and with that she walked off leaving her brother speechless and hurt. The same thoughts ran over and over in his head: what have I done?

On the tarmac men were checking their equipment and gear. Some men were smoking and playing cards, others were checking to see if anyone else needed help.

The mortar squad was checking off their supplies while enjoying Ray's company, the girl was cleaning off her bayonet besides Skip who was telling the three others about some silly story. "Hey, Ray?" Malarkey knelt besides the girl, "Don't pay any attention to what the other guys say, okay? They just don't like seeing a lady fighting twice as much than they already are."

"Thanks, Malark," Ray smiled, "You three- besides Toye, Luz, and Lieb- are the only people who enjoy my company."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Penkala chimed in with a shrug, "Sergeant Guarnere seems to be found of you, even before he found out you were a doll."

"Bill?" one could hear the pain in her voice, "No, Bill never even liked me around." and with that she went back to cleaning her bayonet.

The mood on the tarmac was mostly bright, as if nothing could go wrong. Ray placed her bayonet back on her M1 and stood up, feeling the atmosphere change from peaceful to stressed, "What's going on?"

"He's back, Malark," Skip nudged his ginger friend, "Watch out."

"Shit," Malarkey hissed, "Ray, ya gotta hide."

"What?" Ray looked at the man the two of them were glancing at, "Why?"

"Muck get her outta here." Malarkey ordered once the man saw them, "Now." Before Ray could react, Skip had whisked her away behind a jeep.

"Private Malarkey!" the man said as he walked up to the ginger, "Oh, seems like you're a sergeant now..."

"Skip," Ray whispered as she poked her head out from behind the jeep, "Who's that?"

"That was Easy Company's previous CO," Skip whispered back, "Sobel. Your brother had him court martialed."

"Wow."

"Did you steal this motorcycle, private Bullshit?" Sobel hissed, his words full of spite.

"No, sir." Malarkey replied through gritted teeth.

"Oh really?" Ray couldn't stand seeing Malarkey being mistreated by someone in a higher rank, it wasn't right. She marched out of her hiding place and accidentally tripped and hit Sobel, Skip was trying his best to stop her but it was no use.

"Oh my god!" she cried, "I am so sorry sir, I wasn't watching where I was going and-" Sobel glowered at her with a hint of confusion before scowling at Malarkey.

"Who's he?!" Sobel shouted. Luckily he didn't notice that Ray was actually a girl.

"That's-" Malarkey was cut off by Ray's quick response and goofy salute.

"Name's Pearl, sir!" Ray said with her most serious tone and the goofiest salute, "Private Ray Pearl!"

"Was I asking you Private Sunshine?!" Sobel hissed in the blonde's face, "I was asking your dumbass of a sergeant here-"

"If you excuse me sir," Ray cleared her throat, "But I am capable of introducing myself on my own. Also, don't you think it's a bit messed up to treat your men with little to no respect?" Malarkey was shaking his head at the blonde who kept on pushing the CO's buttons.

"You little-"

"How do you expect them to show you respect when you can't even give them a polite 'good afternoon trooper!'?" in a split second Ray watched as her feet came off the ground. Sobel had gripped her by the collar and lifted her- he was much taller than the blonde- and their eyes met.

"How dare you," Sobel growled, "I should have you court martialed this instant you little-"

"Take your hands off of him." a hand had gripped the CO's wrist, it was Bill.

"Sergeant Guarnere." Sobel blinked, "This is none of your business."

"I will repeat myself, sir." Bill hissed through gritted teeth, "Take your hands off of him." rage coulded his blue eyes and his grip tightened slightly, causing Sobel to wince slightly before he roughly tossed Ray to the ground. Ray wobbled as she landed feet first on the tarmac, Malarkey helped to steady her, Sobel glared down at Bill who continued to stand his ground.

"As you were." Sobel muttered before storming off, Bill's eyes followed him for a good 30 seconds until he glanced at Ray. Her diamond blue eyes held a twinge of relief and hope in them- maybe he still did care about her- it made him sick to the core.

"Bill," Ray sighed with relief, that goddamn voice, "Th-" before she could finish Bill turned and stormed off, leaving her and the mortar squad. Ray's heart plummeted to its death yet again, she pursed her lips and clenched her fists before letting out a cry of frustration and anger. "What the hell is with you?!" she shouted at Bill who stopped in his tracks, his back still facing her, Skip and Penkala trying to calm her, "Fine! Treat me like I don't exist! I guess that promise you made doesn't exist either, now does it?!"

"Ray," Skip tugged at her sleeve, "Let's go, just leave him."

"If you want me gone then just tell me dammit!"

"Ray, please. Come on..." the girl huffed and stomped her foot before turning around and storming off into the plane, Skip glanced at her then to Bill who slowly turned to watch her leave. He was hurt, he wanted so bad to tell her how he really felt and how he was sorry. He wanted to run after her and just fix things but his pride got the best of him. He pursed his lips and gave Skip a nod before walking off...