Elsie stayed the night in Nixon's foxhole, with the okay from Winters. She knew Winters would tell Colonel Sink, he had to. A group of easy company men were huddled around talking when she walked up. Guarnere took a few steps towards her when he saw her. She didn't say anything just hugged him tightly and sunk into the hug as his arms tightened around her.

"What's wrong?" He asked. She pulled away slowly and looked him in the eyes.

"Winters knows," she said as the men gathered around her. "He's obligated to tell Colonel Sink."

"What are you saying?" Liebgott asked.

"There's a good chance I'm going to get sent home." She looked at Liebgott and her stomach twisted.

"Like hell you are." Toye said. "We won't let that happen."

"Yeah, we'll mutiny if we have to." Guarnere said.

"No, you won't." She said. "You all have to promise you'll let this go. Colonel Sink has enough to deal with."

"Winters knows what?" Grant asked. She realized few of the men there didn't know the full story. So she told them the short version of what happened to her in France.

"How did Winters find out?" Christianson asked. She looked at the ground, and then back to the men.

"it doesn't matter." She said.

"The guy you saved last night," Ally said. "That was him, wasn't it?'

"Yes." She sighed.

"You should have let that son of a bitch die." Liebgott's voice was low.

"I couldn't do that."

"Why the hell not?" Guarnere half shouted.

"Elsie that man attacked you." Liebgott said. "What he was going to do to you."

"I know." She snapped. "I know what he did, what he was going to do. I wanted to leave him there to die, but I couldn't. I just couldn't, okay?"

"If I ever see him again I'm going to kill him." Liebgott was furious.

"Promise me you won't." She stood in front of him and looked him in the eyes. "Please."

"Elsie," He started. The anger in his eyes died out at her words.

"Please?" She said again.

"I can't promise that." He said.

"If he doesn't kill that son of a bitch I will." Toye said. The others all agreed.

"No, you won't." She scolded, though she knew there was no point in arguing. To lighten the mood she joked, "Or I'll come back and stab you with a bayonet."

"Do you really think you're going to get sent home because of this?" Grant asked her.

"Yes." She sighed. "Even if Colonel Sink doesn't want to do it, It's not just his decision. Uncle James is already regretting his decision to let me join, he'll use this as an excuse to send me home."

"It was one guy, and he can't hurt you now." Martin said.

"I don't think it will matter." She sighed. Liebgott wrapped his arms around her. She leaned into his chest as she fought back tears- she wasn't going to let any fall. Being wrapped in Liebgott's arms like that brought back the memories of London. She wished she could go back to that. To lying in bed with him- tangled up under the sheets. Just the two of them.

Elsie continued like normal, expecting at any moment she would be called away. The news had spread through easy company quick enough. She was sitting with Hoobler and Luz when Winters and Nixon called the men to gather round.

"General Patton has secured Bastogne." Nixon said. "The good news is we're no longer surrounded. Circle's been broken."

"We have orders to clear the woods around Foy." Winters informed them. "We move out tomorrow at zero five hundred. I suggest you get some rest."

"Seriously, you think they'd give us a break after this." Luz said.

"No kidding." Elsie sighed.

"Hey, you'll be gone soon any way." Hoobler laughed as he shoved her arm lightly.

"I don't want to get sent home Hoobs." She smiled at him. "I just want us all off the line for a rest."

"Well in case you are sent home," Hoobler smiled. "Can you tell me who would have won the bet?"

"Are we seriously still on about that?" She laughed.

"Yes, we are." Luz joined in. "I'm quite curious myself."

"No one." She said. "No one would have won the bet."

"I don't believe you." Luz smiled.

"And why not?" she asked.

"Gut feeling." Luz said.

"Yeah, you're thinking bout it right now." Hoobler laughed. And she was. She had pictured Liebgott in her head the moment they brought up the bet.

"Don Hoobler I am doing no such thing." She lied.

"Liar." Hoobler and Luz laughed.

None of them noticed Liebgott staring at them. He found himself watching Elsie at every chance he could. She was so sure she would get sent home, what if he never saw her again? He didn't want her to leave, but at least she would be safe off the line. Maybe it was for the best.

Guarnere was also watching her. He didn't want her to go. He had already made up his mind- he would talk to Colonel Sink himself. She wanted to stay, and he'd do anything to make that happen.

"Who do you think will confess their love first?" Skip asked amused. He was sitting with Penkala and Malarkey.

"What are you going on about?" Malarkey asked.

"Look at them." Skip pointed to Guarnere and Liebgott.

"Two lovesick puppies." Penkala laughed.

"You really think so?" Malarkey asked.

"They've barely let her out of their sights since she said she's getting sent home."

"We don't know that she is for sure." Malarkey pointed out.

"She seems pretty certain about it." Skip said.

"I'm not." Malarkey said.

The next day Easy company moved out and were met with little resistance along the way to the Bois Jacques. The most excitement was Hoobler's run in with a German soldier.

"You should have seen it Elsie." Hoobler said showing off his Luger again. They just finished digging their foxhole so he pulled the gun out again to look at. "Bang! and he went down. Perfect shot if I do say so myself."

"You finally got your hands on a real luger." Hoobler's boyish excitement made her smile. "That's great."

"Yeah." He grinned at the luger. "I'm gonna go show the others."

"Be careful." She smiled.

"It wasn't long before Elsie heard the gunshot. It was close, and it was one single shot. She waited for another one, but nothing came. She was out of her foxhole when she heard the call for a medic. She ran to the call. Hoobler was on the ground. Few men were around him.

"What happened?" she asked as she fell to her knees next to him.

"I don't know. It just went off." Hooblers voice was panicked. She had his head in her lap and stroked his face as Doc Roe tired to find the wound.

"Did you think it was a German leg Hoobs?" Roe joked, trying to lighten the mood. Buck put his jacket over him.

"You're gonna be okay Hoobs." Elsie said.

"Hey Lip, you said I was a great shot right?" Hoobler asked through his pain.

"You're a great shot." Lipton said. "You're a great shot."

"How we doing Doc?" Buck asked.

"I can't see a thing, we gotta get him back to an aid station." Roe said. He kept working on the leg as best he could. Hoobler stopped shivering. Elsie stared at his face.

"Doc." Buck said, but Roe kept working. "DOC!"

Roe stopped and looked up sadly. He knew there was nothing they could have done.

"Hoobs?" Elsie patted his face. "Hoobs open your eyes."

"He's gone Elsie." Buck said. He took her arm but she pulled away.

"No." She half shouted and patted his face again. Buck pulled her up despite her protest, put his arm around her shoulder and led her away.

"What happened?" Luz asked walking up to them.

"Hoobs is dead." Elsie said bluntly.

"What happened?" He asked.

"The luger went off in his pants." Buck answered. "Hit the artery."

"Shit." Luz said, then looked at Elsie. "You were sharing a foxhole with him weren't ya?"

"Yeah." She said quietly. Hoobler was one of her good friends since Tacoa and he just died in her arms. Deal with it now, grieve later- she reminded herself. But how does a person deal with something like that?

"Well now you're my foxhole buddy." Luz said as he put his arm around her. She looked up at him and smiled softly.

"Thanks," she said. Buck left her with Luz to go find Dike. He figured he should be informed.

A few days had past since Hoobler's death. Elsie stuck pretty close to her boys, afraid something would happen to one when she wasn't looking. She made rounds to check on all of them, she had to make sure they were okay. She was sitting in a foxhole with Liebgott.

"Well, you're still here." He said nudging her arm. "Guess that means you're not getting sent home."

"No, it just means Winters hasn't told Sink yet." She said, then snorted. "Or Sink is waiting to hear from my uncles."

"If you went home you'd be safe." He said looking at her seriously.

"I can't just sit at home knowing you guys are out here." She said. "Not being able to help- it would drive me crazy."

"But you'd be safe." He said again.

"But you wouldn't be." She said looking him in the eyes. There was something about the look she received that made her stomach dance. And then she kissed him. It wasn't long, but it was sweet. The taste of him made her think about London again. When she pulled away she whispered, "You wouldn't be."

"Elsie," He started but she cut him off.

"I need to be here Joe." She said. He just pulled her close to him. She stayed wrapped in his arms for a while before saying. "I need to go check on the others."

"That's not your job." Liebgott said.

"I know," She looked up at him. "But it will make me feel better."

"Okay." He said before she climbed out of the foxhole. He jumped out after her and received a raised eyebrow. He just smirked. "What?"

"Following me?" she smiled as they started walking.

"Nah, don't like ya that much." He smirked as she shoved him. "I'm gonna find Lipton."

They parted ways when she spotted Guarnere and Babe. She didn't know why she let herself be so vulnerable with Liebgott. Was it because she knew she was getting sent home? She knew she shouldn't have for any reason.

"Hiya Princess." Guarnere greeted.

"Hi," She smiled. "How are you guys holding up."

"We're fine mom." Babe laughed.

"Good." Elsie smiled.

"I gotta take a leak." Babe said and walked away.

"Nice chatting with ya." Elsie joked.

"How are you holding up." Guarnere asked her.

"I'm doing okay Bill." She smiled.

"You're even smiling." Guarnere teased.

"I do that sometimes believe it or not."

"But this time it's because of him." Guarnere pointed to Liebgott who was talking to Lipton and Buck.

"Huh?" Elsie raised an eyebrow.

"You were just talking to him before you came over here."

"Yes, Bill, I was." She said. "What on earth does that have to do with anything?"

"You're in love with him." Guarnere teased.

"How many times do I have to tell you guys, I'm not in love with anyone." She huffed.

"You can lie to yourself all you want, but you do," Guarnere said. "and you have for a long time."

"Well what about you then Bill Guarnere?" she said.

"Whaddya mean, what about me?"

"People have been asking me if I'm in love with you or him. If I am in love with someone what makes you think that it's him and not you, hmm?"

"London." He said seriously. He couldn't possibly know they slept together. Could he? "That first night at the pub, before you got up you were sitting between me and Joe Toye. When you brought those broads back to our table, you chose to sit next to him."

"I…" She didn't know what to say. She didn't even realise she had done that. That whole night's events played over in her head.

"I'm not saying I'm complaining, I had a great night," He winked at her. "But that's part of how I know."

"Part?"

"When we were in the hospital, and Alley told you he was hit." Guarnere said. "The look in your eyes. The look you two were giving each other before we jumped into Holland. The way you looked at him when you found out about the bet, it was more than just anger. It wasn't like the rest of us. When you…"

"Okay, stop." She cut him off.

"My point is," Gaurnere said. "There's a lot of things that made me realise it. But London is a big one. You didn't want either of the girls to sit next to him."

"That's all nonsense."

She turned her gaze towards Liebogtt. Could she have feelings for him? No, she couldn't possibly, they were in the middle of a war. Then why did she kiss him in the foxhole? Because she knew she was getting sent home? But then why did she spend her nights in London with him? That was a huge risk. Was it to take her mind off the war? Why did she sit next to him instead of taking her original seat at the pub that night? That one she had no explanation for. Guarnere watched her.

"Is it?" he asked. She looked at him.

"I'm not in love with him," she said.

"But you are." He said sadly. "And that's okay."

"What are you two love birds talking about?" Babe said as he rejoined them. It was enough to pull Elsie out of the what ifs. She laughed. She couldn't stop. That's all these boys talked about. They were worse than the ladies back in her hometown. Just because she was the only woman here didn't mean she loved anyone- despite what Guarnere said about her and Liebgott. So what she sat next to him instead? That didn't mean anything. It certainly didn't mean she was in love with him. She almost believed what Guarnere said, but she squashed that though out of her head. It was all just gossip. Why? Because she was the only woman there. And that's what woman were supposed to do right? Fall in love? She laughed so much it drew the attention of Liebgott, Buck and Lipton.

"What's so funny?" Liebgott asked as she slowed her laughter. She didn't answer.

"I just asked them what they were talking about," Babe said confused.

"Beats me," Guarnere said. "She's completely lost it."

She just chuckled as she walked away. She really didn't know why she was laughing either. It just seemed so ridiculous to her. Why can't they just accept that she's not in love with anyone?

"Maybe because you are?" The tiny voice in her head said.

"I am not." She said out loud.

Elsie was Sitting with Luz in their foxhole when the Luftwaffe hit. She covered her head with her arms as her and Luz squished close together. The noise was ear shattering and she couldn't make out a single thing Luz had said. Her whole body shook, though she didn't know if it was from the cold or from fear- maybe both. Think of something happy- she told herself. James, Tony, London. Then it was silent. She lifted her head and looked at luz.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, you?"

"Yeah." She said.

"What a wonderful news years eve present." Luz said, trying to make her smile.

The men slowly started making their way out of their foxholes, Elsie and Luz were among them. She assessed the damage around her. She heard few distant cries for a medic but didn't see anyone who was injured yet. Her heart pounded in her chest. Please let everyone be okay- she thought. Her and Luz walked around, seeing if anyone needed help. She saw Liebgott and stopped walking. Luz bumped into her. He opened his mouth to say something but kept quiet when he saw what she was looking at. Liebgott and Alley were clearing branches off a foxhole that was buried. Liebgott looked up and met her eyes. She smiled to let him know she was alright. The smile she got in return made her stomach dance. Luz winked at her as he walked past, earning him an eyebrow raise that he ignored.

She spotted Guarnere helping Toye towards a jeep, and the dancing in her stomach turned to a knot as she made her way over to them.

"I'm fine," Toye said before she could get a word out. "Got hit in the arm but Spina patched me up. I'll be back before you know it."

"Promise?" She said staring up at him.

"Yeah Princess." He smiled before getting into the jeep. "I promise."

Gaurnere put his arm around her as the jeep drove away.

"You okay?" She asked him.

"Yeah, you?"

"I'm okay."