A/N:
Thank you drovingallday96 for the review! I know, I know, I'm awful! Yeah, Lipton was harsh and snapped out of frustration, and everything got even more depressing than before. Marie's recovery has taken a few dramatic steps back, unfortunately. I'm glad you thought Marie's anger toward Dike was good, I was hoping it would be realistic. Thank you again for your encouragement and support! The sadness will be over soon :)
Thank you BobtheFrog for the review! I know, it killed me to split Tab and Emilia up, but I've had it planned since the beginning :( It makes me happy that you grew to love my OC Emilia so much! Thank you for your compliments, it felt rocky when I started writing this chapter, but it's nice to know I was able to keep things both emotional and intense. After all these depressing chapters, I wouldn't blame you for wanting to read fluff! Thank you again for your compliments! :)
Thank you Deathbatdrone for the story follow!
Thank you algebrakraken for the follow and the favorite!
I know, I know, I'm evil for what I did to Emilia. I'm sorry! I've had that planned since day one, but trust me, it wasn't easy to write! This chapter is solely based on Malarkey's book because the TV series doesn't cover what Easy Company went through in Noville and Rachamps. Dialogue from Malarkey's book mainly for this chapter. I hope everyone enjoys! :)
Noville, Belgium
January 14-16th, 1945
The morning sun had risen, and Easy Company didn't want to leave the small sanctuary that had become Foy. For the first time in over a month the worn down soldiers were able to sleep inside actual structures. It was a nice change going from the snowy floor of a dugout foxhole into an actual building that sheltered against the cold. Marie stiffly woke herself up, her eyes so swollen that she could barely open them fully. She rubbed the crust out of her sensitive eyes then proceeded to stand, hearing the hay rustle from beneath her as she pushed herself up. The other bodies around her began to stir as the sun shown through the glass windows and flooded through the spaces of the wood that surrounded them. The place Marie was sleeping in was an enormous barn that was still intact despite the heavy artillery that had been launched a day earlier. The battle fatigued soldiers started to slowly dress themselves with their gear so they could find their company and move out.
Marie scanned the barn, seeing soldiers from different companies in one place felt strange to her. Easy Company hadn't had much interaction with the other companies from the 101st since Normandy. She stood up, almost toppling over, surprised about how unpleasantly heavy her head felt. She slowly bent over, her muscles tight and sore as they pulled against her. She let out a stressed groan as she picked up her helmet and plucked out the stray pieces of hay from it. Marie put it on her head and adjusted it so it wasn't sitting crooked on her head.
"Hey there, stranger." A feminine voice behind her said.
Marie froze in place, recognizing the voice. She knew that thick Arkansas drawl anywhere. She turned to see Barbara making her way over to her friend in her usual cool and collected demeanor. Her helmet was tucked under her arm; her platinum blonde hair was in a low ponytail that reached all the way down to her rear. It was frizzy and knotted but still shown in beauty that Marie didn't think she could find out here. Dirt streaks on Barb's face made her pale blue eyes stick out even more. Even though it was obvious she'd gone through hell, she still managed to appear looking all right.
"Barbara." Marie said in breathless disbelief as she embraced her friend. It had been so long since she'd seen Barbara.
Barbara pulled away, observing Marie with her tired eyes, a smile still plastered on her face. "I've got some news for you."
"What?"
"I've been transferred to your company and your platoon." Barbara answered, pulling the neatly folded official papers from her pocket and holding them up to show Marie.
"What? How… you got transferred that quickly?" Marie was in shock.
"Actually Speirs wanted me transferred awhile ago, Winters agreed that it was a good idea. After what happened, they figured it was a good idea for you to be around someone you knew well." Barbara's eyes softened as she explained, her expression growing as if she was pitying Marie.
Marie then understood. Barbara was transferred because Muck and Emilia had been killed, and the higher ups wanted Marie to be comforted with a familiar face. She was surprised that battalion had accepted the transfer, but she wasn't complaining. This also meant that Barbara knew what happened to Emilia. Marie broke eye contact with Barb, afraid that she'd start crying again if she held her gaze too long. Barb's knowing eyes explained enough; she didn't have to be told in graphic detail about Emilia's grim fate.
"Listen, we should go find 2nd platoon, I don't want to keep the boys waiting any longer." Marie interjected, suddenly feeling the need for fresh air. The inside of the barn had started to feel stifling.
The two women walked outside. Marie took note of the light snowfall and the sharp chill in the air; the frostiness of the gusts felt like they were cutting straight through her. Foy was a flurry of activity as soldiers hurried in al directions to meet up with the correct companies and what was left of their platoons. 2nd platoon had lost so many that Liebgott had been moved to it, and Marie was sure there was going to be more shifts amongst Easy Company to fill in the huge gaps. Eventually Marie spotted Malarkey's profile among the sea of soldiers that surrounded them. She led Barbara over to the small group of remaining members. Lipton was speaking to Malarkey, Babe, Jackson, Liebgott and Bain about what to expect in Noville. Seeing how few were left of 2nd platoon was truly a sad sight. Marie fell in line next to Malarkey as Barbara followed in step, the two newcomers not uttering a word as they listened to Lipton's quick briefing.
Lipton coughed, covering his mouth. "Noville is a larger village that's just down the road from Foy." He coughed again, the deepness of it made Marie slightly worried. "Making it to Noville has been our objective since we first made it to Bastogne, as I'm sure you're aware." He said, clearing his throat and brushing the tiny snowflakes that had gathered on his overcoat sleeve. "Entering Noville is going to be just like entering Foy – a large, open field. Be on your toes." He concluded.
2nd platoon grunted in unison, unenthusiastic about the approaching invasion, other than Barbara. There was a wild look in her eyes, as if she was actually excited to partake in the upcoming combat mission. Marie shuddered at Lipton's words: 'just like entering Foy.' Entering Foy had been so hellish that Marie didn't think she could handle another loss like that. She felt that if she watched another friend be killed, her heart would fail because of pure misery. Lipton tapped Marie on the shoulder, disrupting her from her thoughts.
"Hey, I just wanted to apologize for what I said yesterday. I was really hard on you, and I should've been more understanding. I'm sorry, the stress got to me." Lipton sincerely told her. She could see the regret in his eyes, knowing that he genuinely felt bad for being so harsh with her yesterday.
Marie tried to casually shrug it off, but her shoulders were too achy and stiff. "It's okay. I shouldn't have broke down like that…" She attempted to sound strong, but Emilia's death was still too raw. She felt her words choke up, forcing her to turn away from Lipton so he wouldn't see her eyes well up with tears.
"No, you did nothing wrong." Lipton replied, his tone growing serious. He coughed again, pounding his chest in annoyance. "All right, we've got to move out. Lieutenant Speirs doesn't want any delays."
"Yes, sir." Marie muttered, sadly falling in pace with the rest of 2nd platoon.
Beside her Barbara wiped her rifle off her shoulder, checking it over like it was a newborn child. Marie noticed since Toccoa that Barbara had been a woman that always seemed eager for combat, but it slightly scared her seeing Barb now. Even after the dread she'd went through in Bastogne, Barbara still looked pumped at the chance to pull the trigger. She wasn't hyper per se, Barb always had relaxed movements, she just looked blissfully eager.
Marie decided to shrug it off and be content with the fact that her friend that she used to share barracks with was alive and well. The war affected everyone differently - some suffered from it, others thrived off of it.
The entire hike to Noville Malarkey stuck to Marie like glue. The pair had become almost inseparable, both leaning on each other for support. The two broken soldiers were shells of their former selves, but together they were able to keep their last bit of sanity in check. Marie figured as long as she still had Malarkey, she'd emotionally be able to pull through the rest of the war. The wide field soon came into view and before Marie had time to catch her breath, they were crossing the snow and heading toward Noville. 1st platoon took the lead, advancing far ahead toward 2nd platoon's left. As they all desperately plowed ahead, German 88s zeroed in on 1st platoon, slaughtering some of the unfortunate soldiers.
"Fuck, not this again!" Liebgott flared, his voice out of breath as he ran in front of Marie.
Marie watched out of her peripherals as Barbara swiftly ran beside her, taking such wide, light steps that it looked like she was prancing across the field. She held her trusted rifle as steady as she could in her hands, aiming through her scope at any German that had come into view from Noville. One unlucky German happened to wander to the edge where the field ended, right into Barbara's line of sight. She pulled back on her trigger and shot him dead in the chest.
"Holy shit where'd you fine this girl?" Liebgott marveled, his voice still rattling from running. The accuracy of the shot seemed almost unreal; unnatural that someone could be running and still hit a moving target like that. Marie knew Barb was the best shot while she was in Dog Company, but she didn't fathom that she was this good.
Machine guns started firing at Easy Company from Noville, and the fun was over. This was all too much like Foy. Once again soldiers were dropping like flies around Marie; she felt like she was reliving the nightmare that was yesterday. She started to hyperventilate, her lungs unable to get enough air and keep her body going at its current pace. She felt herself slowing down and fall behind, wheezing as she tried to push her legs to catch up. The flashbacks had appeared too vividly; she couldn't do it. Marie stopped running, falling forward to her hands and knees as her boots caught and stumbled on the uneven snow. The snow had offered a soft landing, but standing still in the middle of this firefight was a definite death wish. She tried to stand up, her boots sliding as she attempted to get a grip on the slushy surface.
"Marie!" She watched Malarkey come back around and lift her up from under her armpit, pulling her hastily to her feet. The two of them took off in a mad sprint as he held onto her, though their uneven steps in the snow proved to be difficult. The two soldiers managed to catch up with 2nd platoon, which were now taking cover behind a machine gun that Speirs had set up. It relentlessly fired back at Noville; the pounding sound of the bullets release throbbed against Marie's ears. She felt so dizzy in the middle of all of this. Marie watched Speirs converse with Barbara, but she was still too out of sorts to pick up on any of it. This felt too much like Foy, only now they weren't hiding behind a haystack.
In the middle of the crossfire, a stray horse wildly ran right into the line of fire from both ends. It shrieked in pain as it harshly fell to the ground. Marie watched the poor creature struggle in the snow, attempting to roll over and stand up but its legs had been shattered from the artillery. The neighs of pain mixed with the gunfire made a horrific blend of terror that made the nearby soldiers stir with discomfort. Marie covered her ears but she couldn't block out the merciless noises.
"Someone please put that horse out of its misery." Marie moaned.
"Can't right now." Speirs answered briskly, keeping his focus on Noville.
Marie tore her eyes away from the injured animal, unable to watch it flail in agony in the middle of the field any longer. In a way the horse reminded Marie of Emilia, the two of them had been in the wrong place at the wrong time and had both suffered because of someone else's doing. The screeching animal made Marie start to tremble as Emilia and Muck found their way back into Marie's mind. Then the neighing stopped. Marie dared a glance back at the horse, seeing that a noncom had shot a pistol into its head, putting the animal out of its misery.
"This is going to be a long day." Babe groaned, reloading his M1 as fast as he could. Easy Company fired off their rounds and watched them disappear amongst the snowy fog and into the buildings that lined the edge of Noville. As far as Marie was concerned they were wasting rounds, but they had no choice but to offer some sort of offensive strike.
Easy Company continued to fire until it was clear it was a stand still. The sun began to dip into the sky, and the Germans had started to slowly stop shooting off rounds of artillery one by one, but the American troops hadn't made much progress moving forward. The Germans were still there, waiting for them to even dare to take a step toward Noville.
Babe was right; this was going to be a long day.
The night offered little relief for Easy Company. Just outside the town, the company found themselves tucked underneath some land, waiting for the possibility of a morning assault. Easy Company had fought back with machine gun fire, but still hadn't been able to penetrate the town. There was no enemy fire that night, but the temperature had plummeted in a few short hours. It was the coldest night Easy Company had ever experienced. Everyone huddled together, desperate to feel any shred of warmth they could. To make matters worse, everyone had worked up a sweat just moving across the field earlier that day, so the sweat only made the frigid temperature even worse on the skin.
Marie and Malarkey were pressed together, shivering violently in their ill attempt to get warmth from each other. Marie could barely hear her thoughts over her chattering teeth and the sounds of the men complaining of freezing to death around her. The cold made Marie too drained to even carry on a conversation, she was surprised that anyone was able to carry a complaint, even in this situation. Malarkey's jerky movements from his muscles shivering with sudden spasms made it uncomfortable to sit beside him, but she didn't care. She wouldn't want to be fighting against the cold with anyone else.
"Winters considered us attacking in the darkness…" Lipton piped up through the darkness, stuttering badly from the cold. "But he's afraid that fear would cause friendly fire…" He finished before succumbing to a fit of deep coughs.
"You need to get that checked." Marie told him, but he ignored her comment.
"Are we even going to make it through the night?" Jackson asked, his voice trembling both from the frost and fear.
"We'll be fine." Lipton assured him, though no one could ever be sure.
Malarkey stroked the strands of Marie's hair that were coming undone and fell from under the cover of her helmet. Her hair had started to freeze, becoming stiff and collecting frost the longer the night dragged on. She kept her face buried in his chest, feeling the wool material slightly warm her face. There was a good probability that they would freeze to death in the night, their bodies failing from extreme hyperthermia, but she tried to push that thought to the back of her mind. Marie shifted slightly so she could see 2nd platoon. She scanned the shivering, dark figures of the platoon, seeing them all sitting up and trying to keep from freezing to death. Marie spotted Liebgott, his eyes on Barbara, whom was squished up beside Marie. She'd already fallen asleep somehow, despite the uncomfortable temperature. She saw a mischievous glimmer in his eyes.
"Don't even try, Lieb." Marie muttered.
"What?" Liebgott questioned innocently.
Marie rolled her eyes, careful not to move too much so she wouldn't wake up Barbara. "I'm talking about Private Goode. Stay clear of her."
"What? I wasn't thinkin' nothin'!" He replied defensively. "Besides, if I was, why does it matter to you, anyways? The other girls were allowed to chase after whoever they wanted."
"Really? I recall fraternizing not being allowed." She shot back, raising her eyebrows.
"Well I see that's not stopping you." He grumbled.
Malarkey chuckled but the cold made it waver. Marie stuck her tongue out at him in a joking manner, making Liebgott grin that wicked grin of his. She wanted to counter his response with a witty comeback, but she was too exhausted and cold to come up with anything clever. At least Liebgott couldn't see her blushing in the darkness.
"Let's just say she isn't your type, and you're really not her type." Marie concluded, closing her eyes in slim hope to catch some sleep.
Liebgott started to protest, wanting more of an explanation, but it was something Marie didn't want to fully explain aloud. She just wanted to sleep and pray that the nightmares would stay at bay. The faces of dead friends and the German constantly haunted her; she wanted a break from the horror, even if it only lasted a moment. Sleep slowly crept its way to Marie, but her dreams were quick and restless as the cold chill constantly stirred her awake.
Marie's eyes opened to Malarkey trying to stand up while holding onto her. She shook the snow off her that had heavily collected on them overnight. The sun bore down on the snow, casting bright and uncomfortable rays as it reflected at her eyes. She shielded her face as she clumsily stood up. She looked around, surprised to see that most of the company was already in Noville. Had there been a battle while they were all asleep?
"Where are the krauts?" Barbara asked, thinking the same thing Marie was. They all cautiously entered Noville, only to see an abandoned village. The deeper they walked into the village, the more apparent the Germans had left while they were sleeping. 2nd platoon stopped, a busted Sherman tank catching their attention on the side of the road. Jackson shook his head in disbelief, his eyes following down the road only to find that there were several more Sherman tanks that had been knocked out.
"What the hell happened? Did someone fight them off while we were sleeping?" Jackson asked no one in particular.
Liebgott lit a cigarette. "Don't know. I don't understand why they wouldn't just finish us off last night."
"I was thinking the same thing." Malarkey replied, feeling slightly uneasy. "We need to keep moving." He led them forward, following where the rest of the company was headed.
Marie scanned the ghost town, seeing remnants of battle scattered all over the place. Bodies littered the streets, frozen from the temperatures and rigor mortis. They looked like plastic soldiers, frozen in positions that made them seem like they were still alive. She saw Lipton with Luz, speaking into his radio. 2nd platoon approached him, hoping he'd have some answers.
"What's going on, sir?" Babe asked.
"Apparently the Germans are gone." Lipton sighed, not fully understanding either.
"Did someone attack them?" Barbara asked with some admiration, seeing the damage that was done to the tanks and some of the property.
"No, these are from a battle that happened a month earlier. The dead you see are Allied soldiers." Lipton answered, covering his mouth as he coughed. He brought his attention back into his radio, speaking quickly to battalion about the strange situation. Right as Lipton was ready to open his mouth to speak, gunfire in the distance started.
"We've got company!" Someone shouted. Apparently the village wasn't as abandoned as everyone thought. The Germans were still there, they were just hiding out.
Surprisingly the resistance was lighter than they thought. The Germans had used most of their artillery the day before. Marie was glad to see Speirs easily leading the company closer and closer to the enemy's position. The Germans started to get cornered as their territory in the village started to shrink. Before she knew it, it was noon and the village was now the Allies. Easy Company didn't have much time to celebrate, Lipton immediately instructed 2nd platoon to prepare to move out again. Easy Company was headed to Rachamps.
Rachamps was only three kilometers from Noville, so the hike wasn't as miserable as it could be. Marie thought she'd feel more excited about heading to Rachamps, it was the last of the three objectives they had received since landing in Belgium. But no one around was really celebrating either; Foy had been a hard lesson learned about premature celebrations. Marie did feel a little more secure, though. The 11th Armored Division joined Easy's flank, adding extra security that the company wasn't used to.
Easy Company came upon a hill, covered with deep white powered snow. They had no choice but to head straight up, walking to high ground as they neared Rachamps. Bain grunted, having difficulty as he tried to hike up the hill. Liebgott laughed, watching Bain stumble and catch himself right before he tumbled back down the hill.
"I can't wait until we leave Belgium and get out of this Godforsaken snow." Bain hissed.
"We're almost to Rachamps, then soon we'll be relaxing in Mourmelon." Babe piped up, relief clear in his voice.
Marie didn't respond as her platoon fantasized about being relieved. It sounded too good to be true to her. The company desperately needed it; they'd been out here in some of the worst conditions a soldier could experience for about a month, but she couldn't see them being plucked from the line. Battalion always seemed to want Easy Company to be at the brunt of every tough situation. The company reached the top, gazing down at the white, treeless fields that led to the tiny village on the bottom. The little town was awaiting them; all they had to do was walk down the hill and shuffle through nearly two feet of snow to get there. The wide-open field was a dreadful sight to a soldier, knowing that meant a perfect line of sight for the enemy, but they had no other choice. Easy Company started their downward descent and slowly started to hike through the deep snow and toward Rachamps.
"Oh shit – 88s!" Barbara suddenly cried, alerting everyone around her.
Marie whirled her had around, seeing some rounds coming their way. As the shells landed, they didn't explode much to the stunned company's surprise. Marie tried to quicken her pace, knowing that the rounds were armor piercing, which could be equally bad news. Easy Company hobbled along, shooting off bullets in the Germans direction, though both sides weren't hitting their targets with any accuracy. All the 88 rounds were missing the soldiers, being shot off too long or too short. That made reaching Rachamps easier, and gave Easy Company the cover they needed against the Germans in the village. Malarkey took Marie's hand, leading her past some fences and behind a building wall. He peeked his head around the edge; Marie did the same, crouching out of fear that a stray bullet would ricochet off the wall. Her eyes locked on a Belgian farmer, standing in the inside of his farmhouse, staring out the window. He started waving his arms frantically as he spotted them.
"What's he want?" Marie asked. The farmer pointed downward, toward the cellar of his house. He held up to fingers and pointed down again, his face looking absolutely panicked.
"There's two krauts in the cellar downstairs." Malarkey answered, moving ahead as 2nd platoon followed his lead. Marie watched as they encircled the cellar door, ready to thrust it open.
"Wait a minute! How do you know it's not a trap?" Marie asked, but Liebgott shushed her. Malarkey gripped the knobs of the door and pulled it open. Wooden stairs leading down to a dark basement greeted them. The company stood at the sides of the doors, checking to make sure no people where heading up the stairs at them.
"Comeinzeout!" Malarkey hollered. Liebgott gave him a funny look, not sure if he was trying to speak German or was trying to mock them. Marie held her breath, waiting for whoever was downstairs to spring out, but nothing happened. Malarkey whipped out a grenade and threw it down the stairs, watching it tumble down each step. It exploded, but still there was no response. Malarkey shouted again, but all remained silent. Malarkey sighed in frustration moving to the front of the steps. He started firing off his tommy gun and make his way down the stairs. Marie watched, aghast by his actions. This was unlike Malarkey, charging right into danger like this. Finally she heard two people talking downstairs, not recognizing the foreign words. The platoon waited, seeing Malarkey come back up the steps, his gun aiming at someone behind him. Two German officers appeared one of them was waving a white handkerchief.
No one lost their life that day, which was a pleasant turn of events for Easy Company considering their hardships the past few weeks. They took sixty-five prisoners and had guards keep watch on them in one of the village barns. As the day grew later, Marie thought everything would go off once without a hitch, but she'd hoped too soon. Sergeant Hale and Liebgott were guarding the prisoners when one of them sprang on Hale, slitting his throat with a knife. Liebgott killed the German, enraged. Marie was called to the scene, securing Hale whom miraculously didn't die. She had bandaged his neck and wrapped a tourniquet around it, marveling at how he could still breath and wasn't choking on blood from his jugular. That had been the most action the company had experienced all day, but no one was complaining. It was time for a break, at last.
Easy Company was now gathered in a convent, resting inside the pews and taking up all the space in the church. It was strange being indoors and amongst civilian company. Some nuns had gathered a choir and were singing beautiful hymns as a thank you for securing the village and capturing the Germans. Marie listened to the sisters sweet melodies, tucked away from the rest as she sat on the floor, her back resting against a wooden pew in the corner. She stared at her hands; her skin dry and rough and stained with blood mixed with grime. Her fingernails were chipped and dirty and her knuckles red and cut from punching the crates the other day. She didn't know what to think or say – for some reasons she'd made it, and she didn't understand why. After a month of enduring some of the worst hell she could imagine, they were being relieved by the 17th Airborne. Easy Company had entered Belgium with one hundred and twenty men, and would be leaving with only sixty. Death, wounds, and mental health had taken so many away from her that she knew. Marie thought about Muck and Emilia, tears threatening to prick her eyes again as she attempted to shake them off. She was tired of crying, tired of experiencing loss. She thought about Hoobler and Penkala, whom had joined the dead. She thought about the wounded: Toye, Guarnere, Gordon, Perconte, and the mentally wounded Buck. Marie covered her face in her hands, trying to focus on the nuns as they started a beautiful verse of 'Plaisir D'amour'. She could hear them singing, but their voices sounded so distant and disrupted from her overwhelming thoughts. Marie thought about the last letter that Malarkey had written to Bernice, he read it aloud, explaining about the suffering of Bastogne and about losing Muck. He couldn't finish reading it, seeing that Marie had started to get choked up. It didn't seem right, she should be happy! They were leaving Belgium, they were heading to Mourmelon, they were leaving this horrible place that had done nothing but turn Marie's world upside down.
Marie heard someone come over to her, sitting in front of her. She still had her hands over her eyes as she heard them exhale a drawn out breath. She already knew it was Malarkey. She felt his calloused hands touch hers, wrapping his fingers around her palms and gently pull her hands away from her face. Marie was met by his dark eyes and tired, and bearded face. He was close to her, his body sitting almost in between her knees that were slightly spread apart.
"What are you doing?" Marie managed to ask, her voice coming out in a whisper.
"I should've done this a long time ago." He answered, his rough hands cupping her cheeks. He suddenly closed the distance between them, his lips instantly locking against hers. Marie froze, not knowing what to do. He had kissed her during New Year's, but this felt different. This was more passionate, more desperate, more personal. Her eyelids fluttered closed as his lips moved against hers, she returned his kiss with a yearning fervor, thirsting to feel something other than numbness and sadness that they had grown accustomed to. She could feel something spark within her as a strange warmness spread throughout her body. For a fleeting moment she was convinced that this feeling was love in its purest form.
Everything faded away for a moment; all the death, coldness, and stress, leaving only the two of them holding their embrace as the harmonious singing of the choir continued in the distance.