Sitting down next to Speirs in their OP basement, Dallin smoked a cigarette and watched the patrol clean their weapons, drink hot coffee or grab a bite to eat. Winters and Nixon were due to arrive in ten minutes to give them the briefing. Dallin wasn't looking forward to it and neither were the men. Cobb had sobered up, thankfully, and Lieutenant Jones was enjoying a small conversation with him. Of course, the men looked alert. But Dallin could still see they were weary from last night.

She stubbed out her cigarette and looked up when Winters and Nixon walked into the basement. Feeling her stomach churn, Dallin rose to her feet with the other men. Winters took off his helmet and gave the men a nod;

"I want you to know, I'm proud of the job you did last night". He started off by saying. "You pulled it off perfectly. The loss of Private Jackson was an unfortunate tragedy. Colonel Sink's proud, too. So proud that he wants another patrol tonight".

Rubbing her lips together, Dallin briefly looked around the room.

Her friends were trying hard not to look so glum.

Frowning, she looked back up at Winters.

Who continued;

"so, here's the plan. You'll cross just like you did last night, same place. With the Kraut OP knocked out, you'll have to move deeper into town, look for another objective. When you grab the prisoners, pull back just like before and blow the signal whistle. The covering fire will make the Krauts keep their heads down again. Jump-off time will be an hour later than last night".

Winters paused and took a deep breath before he spoke again.

"Now relax; get a good night's sleep".

Dallin looked just as confused as the men.

Winters gave her a nod;

"Dill, when you report to me tomorrow morning, you'll tell me you entered the town as planned but could get no live prisoners".

Blinking a few times, she nodded slowly.

"And if anyone asks any of you about the patrol, you'll tell them just what I told you. The patrol was unsuccessful. Understood?"

The men nodded.

Smiles appeared on their faces.

Winters turned to go, paused, then turned back to them and said;

"we're moving off the line in a day or two. I will not lose another soldier".

"Yes, sir". Someone said on their behalf.

Dallin thought it was Jones.

Winters always put his men first. Ever since she first met him, he was always doing right by the men he led. He had done a lot for them and he had done a lot for Dallin. He even applied make-up to her face when she was too afraid to try again. And no matter how weak she may have felt, Winters always saw her as a brave Paratrooper and a strong woman.

With no patrol set for the night, the men could sleep. Dallin put that as their top priority. After some supper, she ordered her squad to bed. The room they shared looked a lot bigger without Jackson. Feeling a lump form in her throat, Dallin walked out of the room. She closed the door and headed off to her own bed.

Grant was already snoring when she entered.

Malarkey was smoking by the window.

Rubbing her hands together, she sat down on the windowsill beside him.

"Want a smoke?" He offered.

Dallin shook her head;

"no…you keep them, Donnie".

With a small sigh, Dallin looked out of the window and asked;

"you know what Winters did…yes?"

"He's a good man". Malarkey mumbled, "a really good man".

"Strayer would never…".

He snorted;

"no, he wouldn't".

Licking her bottom lip, Dallin looked at her friend;

"how are you?"

"Me?" Malarkey raised his eyebrow, "why'd you ask?"

"You are…very quiet".

"I've always been quiet".

Shaking her head, she mumbled;

"not like this".

Malarkey looked away from her.

He sighed into the glass on the window;

"I'm not…I won't talk about this, Dill".

Dallin took hold of his hand and whispered;

"he loved you…like a brother, Donnie. We were family".

"Don't, Dill…". Malarkey murmured, "I can't hear it".

"When you remember meeting me…I remember meeting you and Skip. And I remember you both explaining music to me…and I feel safe".

He didn't respond.

Malarkey only bit down on his lip.

"Donnie you…you are remarkable". She said, "you and Skip…take me in, like the stray dog Skip finds on the street…and you both nurture me. I want you to know…if you ever feel bad, then you have to remember…everything good you have ever done to others"

There was a moment of silence.

But it was broken when Malarkey changed the subject completely;

"Dewitt Lowrey pulled a knife out on me once".

Dallin frowned;

"he did not…".

Malarkey snorted;

"he did…before Normandy, in Aldbourne".

"Why?"

Facing her, he sighed and mumbled;

"well…fella was crying. I went over to check on him and he got angry".

Nodding slowly, Dallin said softly;

"yes…I believe that".

Malarkey's eyes lightened a little;

"Joe was there…he grabs him and threatens him". He said, "I think if it had been you, instead of me, Joe Toye would have skinned Dewitt alive".

Her eyes softened;

"I miss them both".

"Me too". Malarkey said, "even Dewitt…the kid loved his animals".

Dallin huffed out a laugh;

"yes…more than people".

He let out a tiny chuckle;

"that much is clear…kid might've stabbed me".

The sudden noise of a shell exploding startled them both. But they turned to the window, wondering which house got hit. Dallin was confident it would be okay because as far as she was aware, the house was empty. However, soon they saw men rushing towards that blown up house and moving bricks out of the way, all in a frantic motion.

Frowning, she looked at Malarkey;

"that house…is occupied?"

He shrugged;

"far as I'm aware, no one from Easy is settled there".

Dallin faced the window;

"it is…too dark to tell".

"Want me to go and look?"

She nodded;

"yes…I will stay here, Donnie".

By the time Malarkey got outside, the men had brought out a body. Dallin felt her heart speed up, her mouth went dry and her throat tightened. She sat and watched, anxiously waiting for Malarkey to give her the news. When the Sergeant did return, his face was pale.

Shoulders dropping, Dallin whispered;

"who?"

And he whispered back;

"Bill Kiehn".

Only one thought came to mind when hearing her friends name.

Pushing by Malarkey, Dallin raced down the stairs and out of the house. Turing up the street, she ran towards 3rd Platoons OP and reached the front door. Entering the house, Dallin almost collided into Popeye.

Taking a step back, she looked at him and demanded;

"where?"

Taking off his helmet, Popeye told her;

"upstairs, Dill. He's taking OP".

Pushing passed her friend, Dallin ran up the stairs and entered the room. Shifty sat alone, staring out of the window. The enemy had been quiet. And after shelling that one house, which Kiehn happened to be taking a nap in, the Germans decided one was enough. Closing the door, Dallin crossed the room and sat down next to Shifty. He hardly acknowledged she was there.

Though they had lost plenty, Shifty lost his best friend.

They all knew the pain he felt. And Dallin wanted to take that pain away.

She could see his eyes were burning.

That there were tears, which Shifty refused to let fall. Because no matter what Lipton had told her, tears still frightened some men. They were trained to stay strong. That anger was a good emotion, but tears were a sign of weakness. But Dallin had seen tears roll down Shifty's cheeks and she had even wiped them away.

Her hand went to the side of his face.

Jaw clenched, Shifty faced her.

"Bill was very proud…when he shot his first squirrel". Dallin reminded him softly, "I enjoy that trip…very much, Shifty. We sleep under the stars, just us three".

His bottom lip quivered.

Shifty croaked;

"he sure did like it there, Dill".

"He was…a very good man". Dallin whispered, almost fiercely, "you both are".

When a tear rolled down his cheek, the tip of her thumb caught it.

"I wanted him back home, Dill". Shifty said, voice breaking. "Hell, I wanted him back home".

Nodding, she swallowed down the lump in her throat;

"yes…I did as well".

Shifty closed his eyes.

Bending, he pressed his forehead against her shoulder.

Dallin pressed her hand on the back of his neck, fingers gently grabbing the ends of his hair. She could feel him shake, while Shifty tried to suppress his tears. His helmet fell to the side. Dallin pressed her lips on the top of his head and mumbled softly;

"it's okay…it's okay, Shifty".

"Will you stay?" He asked quietly.

"Yes…I stay here, Shifty".

He lifted his head off her shoulders.

Dallin wiped the tears off his cheeks and under his eyes. Taking his hand, she pulled them both up onto their feet and led Shifty towards a bed. He stood still, while she unbuttoned his jacket and took it off. She then took the buttons off his shirt. Dallin folded his clothes and set them down on the ground, before gently pushing Shifty down on the bed. Getting onto her knees, she untied his laces and slipped his muddy boots off.

Dallin pushed him back, so he was lying on the bed.

Taking off her own jacket and boots, she got in beside him and covered them up with a blanket. Dallin sat up a little and ran her fingers through his hair, while he stared blankly up at the ceiling. She pressed a gentle kiss to his temple. Her fingers smoothed back the skin on his forehead. Shifty blinked a few times, sinking into the thin mattress below them.

She cared about him.

Dallin would never stop caring about Shifty.

She cared about a lot of men in Easy. Dallin had put her neck out for them because they had done the same for her. She had formed a strong bond with the men. However, some bonds were stronger than others. After Liebgott kissed her, he never tried to kiss her again. Dallin wasn't hurt because Liebgott was always going to be her friend. And Speirs liked her because he was curious.

But Shifty had loved her.

She remembered when they first met.

It was after Dallin had failed to do pull-ups.

"This your new friend, Skip?" Shifty had asked, in a smooth voice.

"Sure is". Skip had beamed, "Shifty, this is Dallin Gorski".

And he smiled at her;

"nice to meet you, ma'am".

Dallin had been confused;

"ma'am?"

"Of course, ma'am". He had said, "you're a lady, are you not? Well, you 'oughtta be talked to like one".

She could remember being furthered confused.

"You've got real nice blue eyes, Miss Gorski. Almost like a blue crystal lake".

A small smile met Dallin's lips.

Looking down at Shifty, his eyes were closed.

Dallin thought he was sleeping.

Sliding down on the bed, Dallin leaned into his side.

Her arm went around his waist, head resting on his chest.

Soon, Shifty's fingers drew circles on her shoulder. She felt her lips twitch. Dallin didn't peek to see if his eyes were open because she could feel his stare on the top of her head. Dallin traced her fingers against his hand, which was resting by her head. They didn't say anything for a while and simply lay in each other's hold. Hours could have gone by; Dallin had lost track of time. But then, Shifty moved.

Dallin sat up.

And he climbed over her, getting off the bed.

Frowning, she looked up at him;

"what is…wrong?"

Letting out a shaky sigh, Shifty rubbed the back of his neck;

"you 'oughtta go, Dill…fellas are 'gonna be thinking thoughts if we ain't careful".

Frowning, she tilted her head to the side;

"and you…care?"

Shifty shrugged;

"yeah…if you care".

Licking her bottom lip, Dallin pulled the rest of the blanket off her.

Swinging her legs around, she soon left the bed and stood up.

Her feet caused the wooden floor to creak under the sudden weight. It sounded loud when the room felt very quiet and tense. Dallin could see a series of emotions cross Shifty's face. Not one of them was regret. Shaking her head, she took a step closer to him and said;

"I don't…care, Shifty".

With a frown, he whispered;

"what're we doing, Dill? Look what happened last time, huh? I broke your damn heart…cause I was being stupid. I reckon you think I used you".

She nodded;

"yes…you did".

"And you forgive that, huh?"

Again, Dallin nodded.

Shifty's frown deepened;

"why?"

"Because…it was mistake". Dallin put it simply, "and we all…make them. You never ask me to be yours, Shifty. You tell me you want to marry me one day, yes? But you never ask me".

"I would've". He whispered, eyes shining with tears, "I…I would've married you when I first lay my eyes on you, Dill. You know, cause you took my breath away. I ain't ever seen a girl like you in my life. You could get all covered in mud, the fella's blood…but you sure still look like a diamond".

Staring up at him, Dallin said;

"before we drop into Normandy…you remember those words, Shifty? You tell me, we were meant to fall in love…that it was written in the stars when God creates the earth, yes?"

Swallowing, Shifty nodded.

"Before…we were very good friends". Dallin added softly, "my Ima…would always tell me, friendship is the foundation of love. But Abba only wants me to marry boy from Israel. I listen more to Ima because…she is right".

Taking another step closer, she said;

"we become good friends again…we go to Paris, Popeye throws cat at waiter-"

Shifty huffed out a tiny laugh.

Dallin felt her lips twitch.

"And then…you save me, once again".

She gave him a nod;

"that is why…I forgive you, Shifty. Because you are…loving".

Through tear-filled eyes, a small smile reached Shifty's lips.

His finger trailed down the side of her face.

Dallin smiled back at him;

"when this war ends…I'm coming home with you".

His hand rested on the side of her face.

Shifty's eyes softened into hers.

Moving in closer, his head tilted ever so slightly to the side.

Dallin stood on the balls of her feet, wrapped her arms around his neck and brought their lips together. She tried not to smile into the kiss. Shifty's hands dropped until they were grabbing a hold of her waist.

The kiss deepened.

As if they had been longing to kiss each other once again.

The next morning saw Jones's departure. He had been promoted to 1st Lieutenant and was transferred up to Regiment. Once again, 2nd Platoon found themselves without an officer, but they certainly weren't short on leaders. On the same day as Jones's promotion, Easy witnessed another promotion.

1st Sergeant Lipton.

Now an officer, Lipton would remain in 2nd Battalion but unfortunately, he was transferred out of Easy. Though the man deserved the promotion, they were sad to see him go. Saluting Lipton, Dallin couldn't help but beam up at him proudly. When the salute ended, they shook hands.

"Well done, sir".

"Thanks, buddy". Lipton smiled, "feels strange now".

"I am sure…you will get used to it, sir".

Everything was going to be different. Easy was heading off the line, 3rd Battalion was relieving them. Dallin was glad of the break. The men were exhausted. She packed up her things the night before they were set to leave, Jones had long said goodbye to the Platoon. And he thanked Dallin for bringing him along to the patrol. She wanted nothing more than to forget that patrol across the river.

"Dill?" Wally poked his head into her room, "you're wanted at CP".

"Thank you, Wally".

Leaving the dentists home, Dallin crossed the street and entered the hotel. Inside, it was busy with men grabbing what goodies they could before they left tomorrow. She spotted Luz, who nodded towards the dining room, a large grin on his face. Knocking on the dining-room door, Dallin waited for permission to enter.

She wasn't surprised to find Winters and Nixon there.

But seeing Welsh shocked her.

The small Irish man grinned;

"miss me?"

"You are…better, sir?" Dallin asked while closing the door.

"Fit as a damn fiddle".

Nixon grinned and handed him a glass of Schnapps;

"don't be fooled, kiddo…old Welsh is walking with a little limp".

Welsh chuckled;

"it's not so bad, Lew".

Winters approached Dallin and stood before her.

Clearing his throat first, he said;

"well, I think it's about time I give you this, Dill".

Taking her hand, he placed a Chevron on her palm.

Three stripes.

Dallin was a Sergeant.

"As your old Platoon leader and Captain, I can't tell you how much you deserve this promotion, Dill". Winters, "as your friend, I'm so proud and happy for you".

Rubbing her lips together, Dallin stared down at the Chevron.

Nodding slowly, she promised him;

"I will not let them…or you down, sir".

"I know". He said, "you never cease to amaze me. Watching you grow has been a privilege, Sergeant Gorski".

With a tiny huff, she mumbled;

"I say…the same for you, sir".

Winters put his hand on her shoulder and crouched in front of her;

"they'd be proud of you…all of them".

Looking at him, Dallin felt her eyes sting.

Swallowing thickly, she croaked;

"they would?"

"No doubt about it, trooper".

For a moment, Dallin reflected.

She thought back to their journey to Bastogne and how she promised herself to remain hopeful. For Dallin, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. She might see the end of the war. But for many of her friends, for her fallen brothers, they were buried in snow. Or in Holland, where they thought the suffering couldn't get any deeper. Dallin was proud of every single man. It wasn't all down to luck, that Dallin was still alive. Her friends kept her alive too.

"Thank you". She whispered to Winters.

And he knew there was a lot of meaning behind her words.

"And not just for…promotion". Dallin said, feeling the need to explain herself. "You listen to us; sir and you care…a lot. So, thank you very much".

Squeezing her shoulder, Winters got back onto his feet and took her hand;

"congratulations, Sergeant".

Shaking his hand, Dallin smiled up at him.

For the first time, she was sure what was next for Easy Company.

A rest.

And the end of the war.