A/N:

Thank you drovingallday96 for the review! I'm glad you enjoyed all the little Malarkey and Marie moments! I'm so happy to finally be able to write the two of them as a couple lol. I hope you're ready for what's coming next!

Thank you BobtheFrog for the review! Yes, shame on Abernathy lol. I planned her out and made her up sooo long ago, I'm pretty excited to have her enter the story. I'm also glad you liked Marie's constantly shifting thought process; poor Webster being treated like a replacement.

Thank you kEs-2717 for the review! Haguenau was so hard for the boys, I always feel so bad for them whenever I watch/read that part on Malark's book. Thank you for the compliments! :)

Thank you cutiepie102 for the follow and the favorite!

Thank you LauRa-ReaDinG-XoX for another review! I can't wait for everyone to get to know Abernathy, although you can see there's already a rocky start. I'm happy you liked that last scene between Marie and Malark, there's definitely more to come!

Dialogue mainly from the book in this chapter. I hope everyone enjoys and is ready for what's going to happen next! :) Happy holidays! Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this story; I can't express how much it means to me!

Marie stood there glaring at the flustered looking woman before her. Marie's posture became rigid in aggression still irritated that her private moment with Malarkey had been cut short because of the unexpected intrusion. Abernathy slinked back somewhat, appearing to be slightly frightened by Marie's initial reaction to her arrival. Abernathy's eyes were a generic brown hue, large and shaped in almost perfect circles that seemed too close together. Her small nose curved with a slight hook at the bridge, following her long and narrow face. Her body was thin and lanky, her uniform looked as if it were a few sizes too large for her. Her dark, curly hair was pulled back in a bun but was coming undone in unruly strands.

Marie crossed her arms after studying the stranger's appearance. "So you're the replacement joining Easy Company."

Abernathy didn't respond at first, too nervous to speak. "Ye-Yes, ma'am. I'm supposed to drop off my belongings here then report right to CP. I will be working there primarily as far as I know, ma'am." She stammered. Marie noticed Abernathy's eyes land on Marie's sleeve, seeing her multiple chevrons. Abernathy then knew that she was speaking with two noncoms in the room, making her become more anxious.

Exactly what Emilia used to do. Marie thought bitterly, regarding Abernathy's job.

"What's your specialty, Harper?" Marie questioned, her voice on the verge of being demanding.

"I make maps and I translate, ma'am."

Marie balled her fists, turning away from Abernathy. This woman, this replacement had swooped in just to take Emilia's old job and erase any trace that a person by the name of Emilia Valdez even existed. Her eyes felt heavy as tears threatened to form, she clenched her eyes shut, avoiding Malarkey's gaze as he observed the scene from the bed. Abernathy stood immobile in the doorway, confused as of what to do. Marie swallowed thickly, trying her best not to lash out and just let her emotions explode all at once. It was all just too much to take; the upcoming patrol, Malarkey's involvement, the replacements… she could just feel her body start to tremble as she thought about everything Easy has endured and how much more was being added to the ever growing agenda. Abernathy waited awkwardly for Marie to reply, standing erect with her hands folded in front of her. She watched the sergeant warily, noticing Marie's sudden muteness and how her body seemed to quake.

"You'll never replace her…" Marie's said in a hollow voice. Abernathy didn't respond, clearly confused and unwilling to push the stressed sergeant any further. She quickly dropped her supplies on a nearby bed. Marie could hear the bedsprings squeak at the weight shift from behind her. The sound of boots scurrying out on a wood floor followed, and then finally the door closed. Abernathy had left in a hurry.

"You didn't have to be so hard on the poor girl." Malarkey sighed. Marie opened her eyes and tilted her head up in his direction. She relaxed her fingers and felt herself start to calm again. She wiped her forehead with her arm, moving the strands of still damp hair from her eyes. "It's not her fault, you know." Malarkey added. Marie shot him contumacious look. "I know she's a replacement, and we're not too fond of replacements, but don't treat her like shit. Give her a chance, let her learn the ropes, then we can judge her character." He continued, unfazed from Marie's defiant attitude.

Marie let out a heavy sigh, knowing deep down that he was right. Hell, Malarkey was usually right. She walked toward the bed and sat down next to him, keeping her head down toward the floorboards. She felt his hand caress her back, softly running up and down her spine. She started to reflect on her conversation with Abernathy, feeling a little bad for how she treated her. Part of her was afraid that the woman would go blab on catching her and Malarkey in an intimate moment to seek revenge. Marie dug the heels of her palms in her eyes from stress, trying to push the negative thoughts that seemed to plague her mind so much nowadays.

"I just don't want Emilia to be forgotten. I don't…" Marie started, feeling her throat begin to get choked up. She took a deep breath and continued on. "I don't want their view of her place to be expendable. These are human lives… just because we're not men…"

"I know, I know." Malarkey soothed, his voice a gentle lull. He pulled her into a hug as his hand continued to trace up and down her back. She listened to his breathing, feeling his chest rise and fall as her body was pressed so closely to his. Her eyes fluttered shut for a moment, drinking in the peaceful simplicity of just listening to him breathe. "Oh, I got a letter from Joe Toye today." He brought up, suddenly remembering.

Marie shifted away from him so she could look into his face. "Really? How is he?" She asked eagerly.

Malarkey's stiff smile made her heart pound with fear. "You know how he is, always writes with one-syllable words. He keeps things short and sweet." Malarkey shook his head, pitying Toye and his lack of literacy skills. Marie waited for him to go on, her lips pursed in worriment. "Poor guy…"

"Don. How is he?" She stressed.

Malarkey sighed. "You know they cut his leg off after Bastogne, had to do some amputation to fix parts of his shredded leg. He had another part of his leg amputated when he arrived in England… and now he's in the States and he got gangrene. They had to cut it again." He paused seeing how miserable Marie looked by the news. "He said 'they're cutting it for the fourth time, and if it's not successful, I've already been told that's it. I die.' "

Marie was quiet, casting her eyes back down to the floorboards.

"Guarnere is recovering fine. He lost his leg, though as I'm sure we already suspected." Malarkey added.

Marie nodded, getting up from the bed and walking over to a nearby nightstand. It was somewhat lopsided, built with cheap lumber and was obviously a rush-job from an amateur carpenter. Stacks of envelopes that had come in the mail lay there, all addressed to Marie. She hadn't had the energy to open them and read the contents of the letters, but now she wanted to read them even less. She picked up the top envelope from the stack, seeing it was from her Dad. Malarkey watched her carefully, her back facing him as she stared down at the sealed envelope.

"General Taylor is coming to inspect us. I'm sure that'll be fun. It's only going to show how little the pencil-pushing brass know about the frontlines." Malarkey attempted to change the subject, his tone sarcastic. "After that there's a briefing for the patrol at 1700 hours. Perconte is back and Vest is going to be sent on the patrol."

Marie felt her insides tighten at the mention of the patrol. Her fingertips clamped down on the envelope, causing it to become wrinkled and almost completely crumble up. She heard Malarkey sit up from the bed and make his way over to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, but she didn't look up. He waited for a minute, waiting to see if she'd speak again or break from her sullen trance, but she didn't move a muscle. He finally left, closing the door softly on his way out. Marie needed her space to digest what was going to happen tonight, and he had to go prepare for the ridiculous inspection from a clueless General.

Marie sat down on her bed, tearing open the letter with ferocity as she angrily thought about the stupid patrol and the new replacement Abernathy. Her father's letter had the usual news about events going on back in Georgia, about how Anna was doing and how much they missed Marie and loved her. He also wrote about Dave, stating that he had finished Basic at Fort Sill in January, and was going to be shipped to either Europe or the Pacific soon. He stated that he'd tell her immediately once she got the news. She felt terrified for her brother, but she was glad that he had missed out on Bastogne and was entering the war when things had appeared to be dying down. She didn't know much about the developments in the Pacific, she'd rather he be sent to Europe where he'd have a chance to run into her. But part of her didn't want her brother to see her like this. War had changed her into someone detached. She folded up the letter and slipped it in her pack along with her other collection of letters from home. Jane and Florence had also sent her letters, but its contents only made Marie feel sour. They went on about their lives and everything they reported was so humdrum that Marie had trouble holding interest and grasping the basics of their normal lifestyles. Her friends that had once roomed with her in Toccoa had been discharged before they experienced combat, so they had no idea about the hell that Marie had endured. They were too caught up with the ideas of raising families and society gossip to understand the conditions of fighting the Germans across the sea. Marie knew she shouldn't be upset with them, they didn't know. Marie felt her heartache knowing that neither her family, Florence, nor Jane knew about what happened to Emilia. Marie hunched herself over, burying her face in her hands. She didn't think she could ever bring herself to write down about that horrific day in Foy. A fierce wave on nausea hit her at the thought of picking up a pencil and writing out the details of Emilia's death, but part of her wanted to write it down. She wanted them all to know that life wasn't as tranquil as they thought it was. It wasn't fair that they weren't feeling pain when everyone else around her was. It was a selfish thought, but she wasn't going to let those who died be forgotten.

Marie found a scrap of paper lying by a dusty drawer, with only an empty bottle of cognac in it. She took out a pencil from her pack and sat down on her bed and pressed the blank paper against her nightstand. She licked the tip, her mind reeling with what she was going to say, how she was going to explain how much her and her friends have suffered. She cleared her mind and let her feelings take over.

'Hello to everyone that this concerns,

I'm sorry I haven't written in a long time. The hazardous conditions I've been placed in along with my company have made it nearly impossible to write. I can't give away too many details about where I am because of the risk of compromising the safety of my company to the enemy, but I can tell you a little bit about what has happened.

The truth is I'm not fine. Nothing is fine, and I don't think things will ever be fine again. I'm not even sure I can remember the exact definition of the word 'fine.' I think this also goes for everyone else who has been in combat with me and has walked beside me while the Germans have been fighting back. We are not fine. If you were to see me now I would guarantee that you wouldn't recognize me. My face has become weathered from battle along with the rest of my company. We are shadows of who we used to be, as if we never had a normal life back in the United States. Sometimes I forget that I wasn't born a soldier. I'm not trying to scare any of you, I just want to be honest. Trite letters stating that I'm 'okay' and doing 'great' would only be lies, and I don't wish to lie to any of you. You all deserve to know the truth, even if you don't like what you're reading.

Last month my two best friends were taken away from me forever. Skip and Emilia were both killed a couple of days apart from each other. A bomb had landed in Skip's foxhole – the death was instantaneous, he never stood a chance. Emilia was shot three times by a German as we charged in a field – twice in the back, once in the head. It was her first day back on the line in months, she was excited to be aiding us in combat again. It's just Don and I now, and we don't know how to cope. They aren't the only ones we've lost on the line, all of our loved ones just keep being taken from us either from death or injury. I've had a few close calls, but I'm still alive somehow. I guess I should be thankful for that at least.

On a brighter note I finally got to bathe for the first time in over a month today, so that is something to be 'happy' about. We might not be served navy bean broth tonight, which is what we've been eating for the past two months almost. Barbara Goode has been transferred to my company, so it's nice to know that she's alive. I was afraid for a while there that I'd have to add her name to the growing death toll of people I once roomed with in Camp Toccoa. Diana and Emilia are on that toll, and I'm wondering if I'll be next. These are natural thoughts for a solider, all of us think it. It's strange waking up with the same thought in the morning: am I going to die today?

We are all suffering but in different ways. Some are physically, others are mentally. Please do not worry too much about me, I'll do what I can to survive.

Marie'

She ended her letter, rereading it and copying it down two other times so she could send it to her Dad, Jane and Florence. The letter wasn't pleasant, and part of her was writing it out of spite for their ignorant bliss. She also wanted them to know what was going on with her. Jane and Florence had been friends with Emilia, they would want to know what happened, and news about Barb would be good. She sealed the envelopes, feeling a great weight lift from her chest.

Marie sat on top of a pile of sandbags watching members of her company rush back and forth in preparation for the patrol tonight. She dropped off her letters to Vest, part of her wanting to go and take them back. She was so forward and unfiltered in them, but she didn't want to hold back how she felt. It felt good to vent and explain what was going on and how awful she had been feeling lately. It forced her to think about Emilia, Muck, Diana, and even her Mother. Home didn't even feel like a real place anymore; she wanted those back home to understand how alien it seemed to read about things going on back in the United States. Barbara's thick drawl suddenly carried in the wind. Marie peered up to see Barb leading Abernathy around. Abernathy still appeared to be timid, taking light steps as she curiously listened to Barb as she gave the replacement a tour of Haguenau. Barb spotted Marie much to her annoyance and led the taller woman over to where Marie was resting. She groaned internally as the two women neared, she just wanted to be alone and collect her thoughts before all hell broke loose tonight.

"Hey there, grumpy." Barb teased as that familiar wide grin spread across her face. A cigarette dangled between her lips; she took it with her fingers and blew out a stream of smoke directly into Marie's face. Marie waved the smoke away, coughing from the noxious fumes of tobacco. She shot Barb an aggravated glare, not in the mood to deal with her joking antics. Abernathy stood behind Barb, afraid to come forward. She looked shocked by how Barb teased Marie. Barb laughed seeing Marie's displeased reaction.

"Give it a rest, Barbara. I've got a lot on my mind right now." Marie grumbled, looking away from the mischievous private.

Barb chuckled again. "Is that so? You know you're not part of the patrol tonight."

"I'm well aware of that."

"Then you shouldn't get so worked up about it." Barb stated, giving her shoulders a shrug as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.

"I'm worried for those participating in the patrol." Marie snapped.

Barb removed her cigarette again, holding it in between her pointer and middle finger. She shot an amused glance back at Abernathy, whom just returned her stare with a scared, wide-eyed one. Barb looked back down at Marie, seeing her slouching figure face away from the two of them.

"Malarkey's not leading the patrol."

Marie whipped her head around. "What?"

"That young lieutenant from West Point talked the higher ups into letting him replace Malarkey." Barb explained coolly. "He and Johnny are going to be leading the patrol now."

Marie got to her feet. "Are you sure? I don't see Speirs and Winters agreeing with letting a rookie lead something like this."

Barb nodded in affirmation. "It's true. I'm sure you'll hear more of the details after the debriefing tonight."

Unimaginable relief flooded through Marie. She knew that Malarkey would be safe for at least one more day. He doesn't have to partake in a dangerous patrol, instead he'll be resting in OP2, safe and sound. Barb could see the emotion on Marie's face, she gave Marie a quick hug, patting her friend on the back.

"I know, dear. I know." Barb murmured, sensing Marie's overwhelmed emotions.

"Thank you for telling me."

Barb nodded, smiling once again. "Go find him. The sky's getting dark, which means the briefing, is going to happen soon. The two of you need some good rest."

Marie hurried past her and Abernathy, feeling optimistic for the first time in weeks. Malarkey would be able to sleep in a bed tonight and not worry about his life. Of course he'll be worrying about his platoon and their friends that still had to participate in the patrol, but he himself would be safe. As she made her way toward CP she heard someone following behind her, trying to catch up with her quick pace.

"Sergeant Docherty!"

Marie peered over her shoulder to see Abernathy jogging up to her. Marie slowed down, feeling irked that she'd followed her and was halting her from seeing Malarkey.

"What?" Marie clipped, not in the mood for the delay.

"I wanted to know if you could introduce me to the rest of the men? Private Goode was going to, but she never got around to it…" Abernathy meekly spoke, her voice shrinking with every word. Marie's eyebrows raised, unable to believe how timorous this woman was. War was not for the fainthearted, how on earth did this girl ever end up joining the Army?

"Sure, I can do that at the debriefing tonight. 1700 hours, don't be late." Marie concluded, spinning on her heel to head toward CP.

"Wait-"

Marie restrained herself from rolling her eyes. She stopped again, growing more impatient than before. Abernathy fidgeted with her hands, averting her eyes from Marie's own. If she was this jumpy now, Marie didn't want to picture her during artillery strikes.

"Do you think I can be on this patrol?"

Marie scoffed. Was she joking? Liebgott was already selected as the translator for the patrol, they didn't need another one.

"Why?"

"I just… I want to help and be useful…"

Marie softened, knowing exactly how Abernathy felt. "Listen, combat isn't what it's made out to be. You weren't selected to be on the patrol, you should be thankful for that. You won't have to experience the possibility of death or extreme fear for one more day. I know there must've been people telling you that you won't make it because you're a woman; you want to prove yourself and keep your place here. Easy Company has lost its drive for combat and war, and for a good reason. Sit this one out, trust me." Abernathy was silent, taking in Marie's words. It wasn't the answer she was hoping for, but she seemed to be considering what she said.

"I've watched many of my friends die. I've watched people I know and didn't know die. I've almost died myself a few times. Trust me, it's not worth it. Wanting to help is fine, I still want to help, I'm a medic it's in my nature. But don't be so eager to spring into every opportunity to head right into the line of fire." Marie continued. A supply jeep raced by, almost splashing the two with slushy mud. The scare snapped Marie back into what she was going to originally do: find Malarkey. She said goodbye to Abernathy, hoping she'd take everything she had told her to heart.

"Sergeant Docherty!" Abernathy called again. Marie turned her head in her direction. "Thank you." She said sincerely. Marie nodded in reply before taking off again.

Most of 2nd platoon was gathered in a kitchen area, wallowing in pre-battle jitters as they sat together in silence. Marie rested her head on her forearm at a wooden table, observing the faces of those participating on the patrol. Barbara sat beside her, her boots up on the table. She flipped a franc in the air with her thumb, watching the coin steadily before she caught it again and again. Malarkey stood over a pot cooking a quick meal for those going on the patrol. It wasn't wise to go into combat on an empty stomach, but most of the guys didn't even want to think about food right now. She watched him stir the ladle, keeping his eyes on the pot and not on his men. She knew part of him felt guilty for getting out of the patrol, but no one was upset with him. Easy Company would rather Malarkey be the one to rest since he's had the most consecutive days in combat than anybody else. Abernathy sat in a corner, scribbling in a notebook beside a dimly lit oil lamp. Marie had introduced her to most of Easy Company, but even then Abernathy had isolated herself and wasn't really speaking with anyone. She knew the replacement was nervous for them and not getting know them was a way to cope with the possibility if they were going to die in the next few hours.

John Martin burst through the door then, his expression stern and already frustrated with the patrol. "Okay, you men going on the patrol-" He started. The guys already got to their feet and had all their gear in check. Martin handed Skinny Sisk a rifle as he made his way deeper into the kitchen. "Nothing rattles, nothing shines, no helmets." He ordered. The men did as they were told, stripping themselves of anything shiny. They left their helmets on the wooden table and began to follow Martin.

Marie watched Malarkey offer some food to Jones, but he refused. She could see his face was laced with worry. Martin was leading this patrol, but Jones was going to be right there with him. Malarkey felt bad for the kid, knowing what the first time felt like. He picked up his mug filled with bitter coffee and went over to talk to the nervous lieutenant. Jones attempted to speak evenly, physically making an effort not to show how scared he was. Some big explosions caused the building to shake and dust to fall from the ceiling. The bursts from artillery made Jones jump, almost scaring the kid out of his wits. That was almost like a signal to Martin, he rushed the men out of there while the rest dragged themselves off to bed.

Marie lay awake on her bed that night, staring up at the ceiling. Her blanket was kicked off to her feet as her arms limply dangled off the sides of the mattress. Sleep wouldn't come to her, her thoughts were too focused on death and loss, and her yearning to be with Malarkey. The sleepless nights were getting longer and worse, but tonight she felt her body ache deeply with a feeling that made it impossible for her to rest. Barbara had fallen asleep right as her head made contact with her pillow; she must've had a clear conscience, sleep rarely came to Marie that fast. Abernathy had kept pretty still, but it took her longer to fall asleep. Marie listened to their breathing as they slept peacefully, comfortably snug in bed as most of her platoon was getting ready to cross the Moder River. OP2 was far too quiet, the only sounds were mild snoring heard through the walls and the sound of wood creaking in the night. She tossed and turned, only wearing her white undershirt and BDU pants in an attempt to get comfortable but nothing was working. She closed her eyes, knowing what she wanted and knew a way to stop her from feeling so miserably numb. She needed to feel something again, something that wasn't related to sadness. She sat up and carefully placed her feet on the floor, being careful not to cause the floorboards to creak too loudly. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure that the other two women were sound asleep. She tiptoed out of the room, closing the door as slowly as she could. Marie made her way up the stairs, her heart pounding in her throat at the thought of what she was about to do, and also fear from waking someone up and catching her. She found the men's dwellings door and twisted the knob carefully as she opened the door. She peered inside, seeing that Liebgott and Bain were fast asleep on their beds and were snoring.

She saw Malarkey on the bottom bunk, he was also sleeping under the covers of his bed. She made her way over to the side of his bed and lifted up his sheets at the foot of the bed, her hands trembling and her palms sweating. Her face violently flushed a deep crimson, she could feel the heat radiating off her cheeks as her heart continued to hammer mercilessly in her chest. She crawled underneath them, slowly making her way up to Malarkey's head from under the covers. She stood over him, her hands pressed at the sides of his pillow while her knees dug into the mattress on either side of his body. She stared down at him in wonderment and shock, mostly at herself for what she was doing. If she was caught it would be over, she'd be discharged, but at this moment she didn't care.

I can't believe what I'm about to do.

She lowered herself against his body, locking her lips with his. She felt Malarkey stir, pulling back for a moment as his eyes adjusted in the dark. He drowsily rubbed his eyes as Marie's figure materialized in the darkness of the room.

"Marie? What are you doing?" He whispered through the dark, bewildered. She hugged him, burying her face in his neck, her body pulsing with need and hunger that she'd never experienced before. She needed him tonight, this could be their last chance. Who's to say that they won't die tomorrow? Malarkey remained still, not sure what to do or what was going on as his head was still groggy from sleep.

"Please." She murmured in his neck, blindly bringing her hands up to his face. She lifted herself over him once again so she could look him in the eye. "Please." She said again, her tone desperate. Her hand rested on his chest, initiating what she meant. Malarkey's eyes went wide as he stared into her equally nervous ones, her face went an even deeper shade of red as she watched him gulp. "I need this…" She added, not sure what else to say.

Malarkey wrapped his arms around her back and waist, pulling her into a deep kiss. His hand trailed up under her shirt, exploring her skin as his touch made a chill run through her entire body. She let out a low moan as her lips worked against his. The two of them rolled over, Marie was now the one lying on her back. The bed springs with the weight shift as they were trying to be as quiet as they could not to wake Liebgott and Bain. He gently lowered himself against her as the two of them remained locked in each other's embrace.