YAY more chapters!

Please read and review! I own nothing but Adriana!

As Adriana sat there catching her breath she decided to pull her boot off. She realized halfway through that it was a bad choice, but there was no turning back. After a few very painful moments, she was breathing hard as she nursed her foot as best she could. It was bleeding freely as she tried to stem the flow with her camo bandana. She was so preoccupied, she didn't even hear Malarkey, Muck and Penkala come around the corner until they yelled her name.

"Hey Sgt. you alright?" Muck asked jogging up to her.

"Got shot through the foot," she grunted.

"Would you like some help to the Doc?" Penkala asked squatting next to her.

His eyes were sparkling, and a smile was slowly spreading across his face. Adriana shook her head and had to smile.

"I would love some help Penk," she said letting him put an arm around her back and hoist her up.

Malarkey got on her other side but she pushed him away.

"Go find someone else to help boys. I don't need three of you to help me walk."

Malarkey and Muck smiled at each other then left them. Penkala helped her out onto the street and away to find Roe.

"So how the hell did you get shot in the foot?" Penkala asked looking down at her.

"A sniper missed my head," she snarled.

"Jesus I didn't shoot you," he said defensively.

Adriana sighed and looked up at him.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly looking up at him.

"Remind me not to help you to the aid station next time," he said good-naturedly.

She laughed and took a tentative step on her hurt foot. It was a bad choice. She gripped Penkala's shoulder and let out a small moan. He glanced down at her then back at the trail of blood she was leaving. Without asking her permission, he reached down and picked her up.

"Alex Penkala put me down!" she shouted flailing.

"Nope. You would do the same for me. Or you would try," he said after thinking about what he had just said.

"Penkala! I order you to put me down."

"Sorry Sgt. You don't look fit to be giving orders. You might be talking crazy," Penkala said smiling.

"Alex Penkala if you don't-"

"We are here!" he said seeing a few medics coming out of a building.

All Adriana's shouting had attracted the attention of anyone walking by. They had even passed Winters who had smiled but did not interfere. Penkala carried her through the door only to receive a hoot from Perconte, who was leaving.

"Carrying your bride over the threshold there Penk?"

"Shut your trap Perconte," Adriana barked. "And Penkala put me the fuck down."

Penkala finally obliged and once her foot was on the ground, she smacked him then smiled.

"Thanks," she said winking at him. "And if you ever do it again, I will knock you on your ass."

Penkala laughed and followed Perconte out of the room. Adriana hobbled into the next room where she heard the unmistakable Cajun accent talking to injured people. She used the door frame to hop in to where Roe could see her. As soon as he did, he left the person he was talking to in the care of another medic and came to her side.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Got shot in the foot," she said simply.

Roe immediately helped her over to a table and she jumped up. He propped her foot up on his thigh and began the process of cleaning it. He poured sulfate powder in the top and held a bandage on the bottom so it wouldn't come out. He packed it with powder then wrapped it up.

"Stay off it for awhile yeah?" he asked.

She snorted.

"What are ya' laughin' at?" Roe asked helping her put on her boot.

"I was laughing at your joke," Adriana said with a grin.

"I wasn't jokin'," Roe said looking up at her from under his brows.

"Awe come on doc, I can't just sit around and do nothing!" Adriana protested.

"You want me to tell Luz?" he asked.

Adriana sighed and shook her head. She got to her feet and Roe frowned at her.

"That ain't staying off of it," Roe said crossing his arms.

"I'm going somewhere where I can rest. I promise Doc," Adriana assured him.

He gave her the 'you better be look' then went back to other men. As she was leaving, Winters was hobbling in.

"Sir are you alright?" she asked.

"Yes Roosevelt. I'm fine. What about you?"

"I got shot in the foot sir. Well through the foot actually. Made a nice hold in my boot, but Doc fixed me up," she said showing him the small hole where the white bandage could be seen.

"I caught a ricochet in the ankle," he explained.

"Do you want some help sir?" she asked.

"No, no, Sgt. Go get some rest. That's and order," he added with a smile.

"Yes sir," she responded with a smile.

She left the building, limping a little bit but it was better wrapped up. She leaned against the building to gain her bearings and saw Liebgott pass. She half limped, half jogged after him.

"Hey Lieb!"

He turned and waited for her to catch up. His face was dark and there was dried blood on the right of his uniform and face. She almost didn't ask about Tipper, but her curiosity for the well being of her friend outweighed anything else.

"How is Tip?"

"He's going home," Lieb answered. "He will never walk again and may never see again. Damn Krauts."

"Sorry Lieb. Did he go to the aid station yet?"

Liebgott didn't answer but stopped walking. Adriana stopped and turned to him. His entire body was shaking.

"Lieb?"

He didn't move. She moved closer to him, her gaze careful and calculating. The skin over his jaw was taught and his bottom lip was quivering. Both fists were clenched at his sides and his breathing was shallow. Adriana watched him for half a second longer then gently covered his hand with both of hers. He looked down at her hands, his brown eyes filled with uncharacteristic emotion. He leaned into her slightly. She found his eyes with hers.

"You can cry Lieb. We are all going to miss him."

His eyes searched her face. For what, she was unsure.

"Could'a been you," he said quietly.

"Could've been you," she said matching his volume.

He dropped his eyes to their hands, still entwined. Adriana saw Luz walk up across the road. She shook her head at him and he stopped. He leaned one shoulder against the wall in the shadow of the building and waited.

"Never thought I'd have a little sister in this shit," he said with a small laugh, then looked up to her eyes again. "Can't stand the thought of loosin' you to all this."

"I'm not going anywhere," she assured him.

"That's what Tip woulda' said too."

Adriana sighed and looked at her feet, but Lieb caught her chin with a fingertip.

"I will do everything in my power to keep you safe, yah hear?"

Adriana blinked a few times, unsure of how to respond.

"We promised da president."

"My father?" Adriana said, stunned.

Liebgott nodded.

"After you left, your daddy asked a bunch of us to stay. Got all emotional. Made us promise to take care of yah."

Adriana shook her head, not sure how to feel.

"Told him, he didn't have to ask us. Obviously, we would. He made us swear. Told us he was real proud of you, and all of us, but made us swear to watch out for you and each other."

"You all already have, in your own way," Adriana said with a smile.

Liebgott heaved a deep sigh.

"You think we're gonna make it to the end?"

Now it was Adriana's turn to sigh. She looked at their hands and ran her thumb across a thin scratch on the top of his hand, removing some dried blood.

"I think as long as we have each other, we have hope."

"Hope is dangerous," Liebgott scoffed.

"Sometimes its all we have," Adriana said, squeezing his hands.

"We got you," he responded meeting her eyes with fierce conviction.

She was caught off guard by the belief in his eyes. Belief in her.

"Thanks Rosie," he said pinching her cheek gently.

She nodded, still speechless as he walked off. Adriana stood there for a moment thinking. It must have been for longer than she thought, because she felt a hand on her arm.

"Rosie?"

She shook her head and met the chocolate eyes of her Radio man.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Lieb was upset about Tipper," she said quietly.

"What happened to Tip?" Luz asked.

"Almost got blown to shit," Adriana responded absently.

"He's… is he."

"He's on his way home," Adriana said quickly. "Probably lost both legs and maybe his vision."

Luz sighed and pulled her into a wordless hug. She grinned into his shoulder as one hand found its way to the back of her neck and the other snaked around the middle of her back.

"you know how much you help everyone here?" he asked.

She shook her head against his shoulder. He pushed her away to arm's length so he could see her face.

"You think if I would have gone over to Lieb that he would have been so open with me?"

She frowned, thinking hard about what he said and Luz laughed.

"You remind the men of their sisters or mothers. That is such a huge help for Easy company."

"So I remind you of your sister?" Adriana said with a small grin.

Luz opened his mouth and closed it a few times before he pulled her back into a hug and answered.

"From the moment I saw you, you've been so much more than a sister."

Adriana shivered, and Luz hugged her harder; bone crushing even.

"You've always been more than a brother too," Adriana confessed, pushing her cheek against his.

Luz turned and quickly dropped a kiss on her cheek then leaned away from her. They started to walk over to the square in the middle of town, but Adriana cried out, forgetting about her injury.

"Are you alright?" Luz asked holding her up.

"I'm fine. Just got shot through the foot is all. I forgot about it till now"

"You're sure you're alright?" he asked, a shadow of worry still on his handsome face.

"I'm fine. Doc just says I have to find a place to rest before we move out."

"Well lets go find a place to rest," Luz said resting his hand on her waist and lifting slightly.

She held tightly to his jacket as they headed toward town square.

EEEEEE I love Luz so much! Thank you for reading!