A/N:
Thank you MASHlover23 for another review! I'm glad you enjoyed those parts! I felt kind of bad for Welsh and Winters, but in the show Roe was really giving them an earful, so I can imagine Marie would do the same lol.
Thank you CarolinaBrooke for following the story and for adding me to your author alerts!
Thank you missavc34 for another review! She did sign up for it lol, but her break is coming soon! I'm glad I was okay with the details! I always find it hard to write down the right amount without it being too wordy or too vague. Perhaps there'll be more Em and Tab to come, along with some Malarkey and Marie scenes :)
Thank you Chrupy23 for the story follow!
Thank you ZimmyZam for the story follow!
Another fictional chapter, I hope you all enjoy! Sorry for the quick updates, I should really start pacing myself. Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read! Reviews are always appreciated! I think you guys are really going to like this chapter ❤ (At least I hope you guys will!)
Mourmelon, France
November 1944
After being stuck in Holland for over a month, Easy Company finally got relieved. Late November the company piled onto trucks that would drive them all the way to France. The trip took fourteen hours, but Marie was far too tired and relaxed to feel any sense of irritation for the long ride. She slept most of the way, as did Malarkey. The two of them nodded off, leaning on each other for comfort until they were stirred awake by a bump in the road now and then.
Showers, hot food, and warm beds – it sounded almost too good to be true. Marie couldn't wait; they hadn't had a break since September. As the trucks pulled up, Marie jumped out excitedly and went to find her quarters, stretching out her cramped up legs while she walked. Naturally Emilia was going to be staying with her in a room, which she was thankful for. Circumstances always felt brighter when Marie and Emilia were together; it just made the times feel like Toccoa again, back when they were all innocent and wet behind the ears. The first thing Marie did when she got into her barrack-like room was go straight for the bathroom to take a shower. She felt her skin tingling with anticipation at the thought of lathering herself in soap and rinsing off all the dirt with hot water. Emilia waited outside the bathroom door, holding some fresh, Army issued towels. Everyone was ecstatic that their first day off the line was greeted with showers and cleaned laundry. Usually Easy wasn't so fortunate when it came to the small luxuries that most take for granted.
Marie wished she could stay under the shower faucet forever, but it wouldn't be fair to hog all the water from Em. Marie climbed out, catching her reflection in the large mirror that was propped up against the bathroom wall. As odd as it was to say, Marie hadn't looked at herself in the mirror in months. She studied her body, observing the transformation that had been made over the course of two years. Her pale body had lost weight around her stomach, thighs, even around her breasts. She could see the slight definition of abs travel down her midsection, followed by the natural wide curves of her hips. Her wet hair stuck to her neck, reaching the length of her shoulders now. Other than the scars she had, and some noticeable large pores on her face, she'd never seen herself look so healthy. Her body looked strong; hardened by war and discipline, same as her resolve. She was no longer the shrinking violet that she'd been years before.
Emilia knocked on the door. "Hey, you want your towel or what?"
"Sorry!" Marie responded, snapping herself out of her wandering thoughts. She opened the door a crack, just enough for Em to hand her a towel. She dried herself off, and then tightly wrapped the towel around her body, securing it like a dress. She switched with Em, as she watched her friend practically dash into the bathroom.
"Oh God, I can't wait to shave again!" She heard Emilia cheer from behind the closed door. "Our own room and shower, damn. We're getting treated like some newly graduated officers from OCS."
Marie chuckled, placing her hands on her hips. "Don't go too fast like I did, I nicked myself with the blade a couple times." Marie heard the squeak of Em turning on the faucet, followed by the sound of the water pouring down on the acrylic bath. "Did you hear anything from HQ?" Marie shouted so Em could hear her above the roaring of the shower.
"About what?" Emilia called back. "Oh, this is heaven!" She cried with glee to herself as she stood in the shower.
"You know, what our agenda is? And about the new CO?"
Emilia didn't respond right away. Marie asked again, only to be told she'd talk to her when she got out of the shower. Marie sighed, then headed into the small room that her and Em were sharing. It wasn't as nice as the hotel room back in Aldbourne, but it was a close second to anything else they've had. Marie noticed a pile of envelopes lying on Emilia's bed – it was just like the envelope she saw back in Holland. Emilia never told her whom it was from, or who kept writing her, but Marie already had a pretty good idea. She lifted up one, feeling the thickness of the letter that was sealed inside. As Marie was staring down at the letter, she heard the door to their room swing open. Her gaze shot in the direction of the entrance.
"Hun, do you wanna co-" Muck started, his hand on the doorknob. His sentence ended as he noticed she wasn't completely decent. "-And you're not dressed…" He finished awkwardly.
Marie was surprised that her face wasn't turning scarlet at this moment. She had a towel on, it was no big deal, but Muck's comment and facial expression made it priceless. She couldn't help but crack a smile and chuckle, unable to stop herself from reacting. She picked up one of her undershirts and chucked it in his direction.
"Learn to knock, Skip!" She jeered.
"Not my fault you didn't lock the door." He countered. "Too bad Malark isn't with me to see this."
Her face burned hot from his reply. Muck noticed her blushing face; a triumphant grin spread across his face.
"Okay, ask me whatever you want to ask me when I'm done here. Out you go, come on." She ushered him out the door, still trying to hold back a laugh despite her reddened face from his Malarkey slur. After she shut the door she heard the bathroom door open. Emilia came out, covered in a towel, looking confused.
"Did I hear Skip?" She asked, sticking her pinky finger in her ear, trying to get the water out of it.
"Yeah." Marie laughed. "He barged in without knocking. Good thing I wasn't getting changed yet." That being said, she locked the door to make sure that didn't happen again.
Emilia barked a laugh. "I think if it was Malark, the two of you would've fainted. Don't even get me started if he saw you in the nude!"
Marie shot Emilia a look, her and Muck had now said the same thing, much to her annoyance. She put her OD's on, savoring the feeling of the cleaned fabric on her bare skin. Emilia did the same, sitting on the bed when she was finished, towel drying her long hair. Marie sat on her bed, playing with her hair, wishing that it were shorter again. She kept forgetting to ask Liebgott to give her a trim. It was a hassle to keep out of the way, not to mention how unprofessional the dead ends looked when she tried to pin it up.
"You were asking about the new CO, Norman Dike?" Emilia questioned. Marie nodded, but kept her attention on her damp hair. "I don't know much about him. He was just transferred to us a couple weeks ago, but he's never spoken with me directly. Apparently he's popular with some of the brass, so he was sent to us to get experience or something. That's all I've heard."
"He got any plans for us?"
"Light practices and patrols, like marches, PT drills, maybe some classroom instruction - things of that nature. But we're mostly getting a break as far as I know." Emilia responded with a shrug.
"Hmm." Marie muttered in thought. She wasn't sure how to feel about Dike yet; she thought if she judged him ahead of time she'd be completely wrong like she was with Moose. Marie's eyes wandered back to the pile of envelopes sitting on Em's bed. "Who are those from, anyway?" Marie asked, cocking her head in the direction of the sealed letters.
Emilia sighed, picking one up. "Who do you think? Lover boy won't stop writing me."
"Tab?"
"No, Franklin Roosevelt." Emilia replied with great sarcasm. "The guy doesn't know when to admit defeat. All these apologies about what happened in Eindhoven." Emilia opened some of them, showing Marie one of the long and desperately written-out letters.
"He looks like he feels really bad, Em." Marie commented.
She dug out one letter, smirking as she held it up. "He even wrote me a poem."
"Nuh-huh, no way!" Marie chuckled, an amused smile spreading across her face.
"Yeah, I kid you not." Emilia said as she scanned the contents. "I would almost pity him."
"You should talk to him, Em. Give him another chance." Marie told her honestly. "I think it's worth a shot."
"I'll tell you what. The day you tell Malark how you feel, I'll forgive Talbert." Emilia concluded, gathering up the letters and stuffing them in her footlocker.
The next day was greeted with light marches in full gear, but it wasn't drastic to the point where it felt like the infamous march to Atlanta. Dike watched the company with vague eyes, scanning the details to see if the reputation of this company matched his caliber of discipline. Dike kept his distance from the men, watching them like a bored child almost. As Marie marched in formation with her platoon, she noticed him yawning a couple times out of the corner of her eye. That was a red flag for her; she was afraid he saw the company as just an obstacle to complete before he climbed the ranks.
After the march, Easy was allowed to disperse and go rest or eat. Marie went to find Malarkey, Muck, Penkala, Luz, and Eugene Jackson all gabbing in a circle. Marie wasn't the only one who was unsure about the new CO. When she came into view, Muck catcalled her as a joke from yesterdays encounter. She flipped him the bird in annoyance as she joined the group.
"Hey, I think Dike is looking for you." Luz informed her, taking a Lucky Strike out of his mouth.
"Me?" She questioned, making a face and pointing at herself. "Why?"
"I don't know." He shrugged. She glanced at Malarkey and Muck for clarification, but they both shook their heads, not knowing what he wanted either.
"Do you know where he is?" Marie asked.
"Probably CP." Jackson suggested.
Marie walked off to find him. She asked around but no one really knew where he was. They all said the same thing: try CP. Marie didn't understand her CO's disappearing act, or why he was making such an effort to stay separated from the rest of the company. She stepped into the temporary CP, but she didn't see in in the entrance. She saw Vest busy scurrying around the building doing his usual errands.
"Vest, have you seen Lieutenant Dike?" Marie asked him.
"I think he's making a phone call in the back." Vest pointed, keeping his attention on his work.
Marie followed where he pointed until she found the CO in a corner, a phone receiver up to his ear. He was stirring a cup of tea on a saucer with a spoon with his free hand. Marie waited patiently at the entrance at attention, hoping for him to notice her presence. She tried her best to block out the conversation he was having on the phone, hoping that he wouldn't get mad at her for eavesdropping. He hung up the phone with a clang, then took a delicate sip of his tea. He spotted her, his expression looking a little uninterested.
"You must be Marie Docherty." He remarked.
Marie nodded cautiously. "How did you know that, sir?"
"It's not everyday that women join the front lines of the United States Army. The press is all over you back home. Women are springing at every opportunity to follow what you and those others did." He grunted. "More and more women want to sign up for the war effort."
Marie fidgeted awkwardly. There was something about his tone that she didn't care for. It was almost inwardly patronizing.
"Personally, I think women fighting against the Germans along with the men is ludicrous, just a waste of money. I don't know what the President and Colonel Sink were thinking, but he's the one in charge, not me. If it were up to me, I'd have you and that Latino pulled immediately." He sneered to himself, amused by the fact that women were part of Easy Company. He took another sip of his tea.
Marie clenched her fists at her sides, unable to stop herself from openly glaring at the CO. Marie and Emilia worked very hard to get here and prove themselves. Dike had done nothing, he had no experience, so who was he to sit up on his high horse and point a glowering finger at her because she was a girl?
"Colonel Sink usually makes good decisions, sir. Ones that usually don't involve others questioning his command." Marie answered curtly, keeping her voice from being too malicious.
His smile faltered as he raised his eyebrows at her. The smug look being wiped from his face almost made Marie want to smirk, knowing that he had expected her to respond in a submissive manner.
"I was wondering if there was something wrong with you two." Dike clipped. "Women your age are supposed to be married, popping out kids and supporting your husbands. What happened back in the States to force you to want to act like a man and join the front lines? It's not normal. Do you have some kind of mental illness? Or are you two just some radical suffragettes?"
Marie forced herself not to roll her eyes. Being a housewife was not her style, same went for Emilia. There were more women than people realized that want to help the effort up front, not just work in factories and stay at home while the men are shipped overseas. But Dike had the old breed mindset of war, and she knew his ignorance on the subject wouldn't be easily changed. She was growing more and more offended the longer she stayed there talking to him, all she wanted to do was finish up this conversation quickly so she could get out of there.
"As long as you two women don't screw up on the front, I will tolerate it. You're a medic aren't you? I'm not sure how confident I am putting my life in your hands, but you better live up to the battalion's expectations." Dike added.
"Sergeant Valdez and myself have experienced combat firsthand since D-Day, I believe we're more than capable, sir." Marie responded testily, her voice low and angry.
"We'll see. Dismissed." Dike waved her away like a fly, sipping on his tea again. Marie snapped her hand in a mock salute before turning on her boot heel. She stomped out of CP, disgust rising in her throat. She knew she was out of line and could easily get court-martialed for her outward display of behavior, but she didn't give a damn in her current state.
The group she was talking to hadn't moved, most likely waiting for Marie to come back and give them the details. They saw how livid Marie looked, and instantly braced themselves for the fury she was about to unleash.
"Damn, you looked pissed…" Penkala pointed out. Marie was practically fuming as she stopped before them.
"Lieutenant Dike doesn't think Em and I are fit to serve because we're women. He wants us pulled from Easy." Marie stated. "He just stood there talking dribble and sipping tea like a sissy."
"What did you do?" Malarkey asked her carefully. "You weren't too sharp with him, right?"
"I may have subtly let him know that I didn't like his tone." Marie replied tersely. "He needed to be put in his place."
"Goddamn, girl you need to be careful with guys like that." Muck informed her.
"I wasn't going to sit there and say 'yes sir' or agree with him just to appease his stupid, inflated ego." She snapped.
Luz clutched her shoulder. "You need to let people know what you think less." He replied in a joking tone.
"I know it's not fair, Hun, I really do. You and Emilia, not to mention the other women that joined us at Camp Toccoa have proven yourselves time and time again, especially you and Em. You shouldn't have to take criticism like that, but he is our CO now." Malarkey told her. She didn't look thrilled with his answer. "I know, I know. I just don't want you to get taken out of Easy."
Marie nodded, keeping her lips pursed in agitation. The guys were right, even if she didn't want to admit it. Part of her wanted to stand there and argue her point across until the debate grew stale, but she decided against that. She didn't have to worry about what some newly appointed CO thought of her and Em, Easy Company already accepted them and knew where they stood.
"Maybe he thought you two are so pretty that you shouldn't be fighting in the war." Muck added, obviously joking to make her feel better.
"Oh, please." She scoffed. "Well anyway, I gotta go tell Emilia about our glorious new Commanding Officer." She waved goodbye, heading back to where the two of them were staying.
As Marie was heading back, she heard the familiar footsteps of Malarkey coming up from behind her. She turned to him, smiling slightly. She waited for him to catch up. This had become a regular habit of his.
"Hey, I meant to give you something earlier." He muttered, digging through all the pockets on his uniform. "The guys have been playing poker every chance they get, so I decided to join them for a game." He pulled out a ring. It was a silver band that had small diamond studs going around it. Her face morphed into disbelief. "Don't get the wrong idea. Perco found it back in Carentan and put it in the pile. I thought it was nice looking, so…" He shrugged, awkwardly placing it in her hands, fumbling slightly as he did so.
She was stunned, taking it slowly from him. She studied it in her hands, flipping it over and watching it glimmer in the sunlight. She was touched by the sentiment and by how he thought of her enough to do this. All her feelings of anger from before seemed to wash away in an instant.
"I hope you like it." He said, scratching the back of his head. "I mean, I don't have much use for jewelry, obviously. And if I went to send it home to my ma or Bernice, it would definitely be stolen or lost in the mail or something." He rambled.
"I love it, Don." She marveled, almost breathless. Now he'd gotten her a necklace and a ring; if Emilia were here right now she'd be loving this. Marie felt her cheeks blush and her heart warm. Her feelings for him came rushing back, almost as a reminder as she held the ring in her hand. This moment felt so precious to her, and so strange. Something in the air had changed and her senses seemed to pick up on the difference. Her heart beat so quickly that she could hear it in her head. Gazing upon him drew her in, her body needed to touch his. The red blossoming on her cheeks went a few shades darker as the foreign feeling overcame her body.
"Okay, good because I just tho-" Before he could finish Marie leaned in and kissed him abruptly on the mouth; his words catching midsentence. She was so surprised with herself, but the moment felt right, so she seized it before her knees buckled on her. It was a light and gentle kiss, but Malarkey was far too shocked to kiss back. He only stood there, frozen, with his lips still while Marie gently moved hers against his.
She pulled back, her face still blushing immensely while her stomach swarmed with butterflies. She couldn't believe her own boldness, and neither could Malarkey. His mouth hung open, agape as his already large eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. A slight blush crossed his face as he stood there, looking almost stuporous . She felt suddenly mortified that the kiss was undesirable and unwanted. She'd never kissed someone by choice before, especially someone she had such strong feelings for. She started to tremble, taking small and timid steps back from him.
"I'm sorry…" She whispered quietly. Ruining their friendship was one of her worst fears, and now she felt that she'd actually crippled whatever was between them forever. Before he could speak, Marie turned and booked it toward her quarters. Guilt, embarrassment, confusion, and disbelief mixed altogether. She cursed herself, why did she do that? She felt so stupid; all she wanted to do was crawl under the covers of her bed and never come back out.