Lowell, Massachusetts

December 1956

Marie examined herself in the large antique room that hung on the forest green walls of the study. She impulsively picked at her button-up red sweater, hoping it was warm enough to brave the winter cold outside. She watched her long, blonde hair sway with a critical eye as it fell well past her chest, boldly contrasting against the color of her winter clothes. She sighed, smoothing out her sweater, and feeling satisfied. She checked the clock on one of the shelves.

8:02 am. I've got about twenty minutes to kill before I have to leave. I hope Dr. Hill's session isn't too long today. She thought, determining the time she had before she had to leave.

Marie thought about her therapist and about last weeks visit and how she was nearly on the brink of a panic attack. After all these years she still would wake up feeling like she was in some cold foxhole, huddled up and waiting to die. The feeling of complete desolation was hard to shake, even with Dr. Hill's assistance. She shook the thought violently from her mind. She glanced around the cozy study, her eyes automatically landing on that famous picture of Easy Company. That old photo from the summer of 1943 made her shudder more than bring fond memories. The ghosts of those who died would stare at her with their frozen, smiling faces; it seemed even more ominous now that dust had collected over the wooden frame over the years. Beside the frame the cross necklace and ring rested beside it, slowly losing their shine as age and dust began to take over. Part of her wasn't sure why she placed those things on display in the first place, though the thought of storing them away would automatically make her feel guilty.

Remember the friends you abandoned, Marie? Right when they needed you most. You're pathetic, pretending they don't exist.

She tore her eyes away. It had been eleven years, but the pain still managed to hold her captive. The pain had considerably dulled since 1945 and was starting to be replaced by numbness and indifference as time ticked on. The therapy helped, but Marie's battle against her demons was far from over, she still needed the consoling and maybe she always would.

Faint shuffling from coming from the kitchen snapped Marie back into reality. She smoothed out her sweater once more, and listened to the dragging sound of feet on the tile floor. Marie looked down at her wedding ring, twisting it and admiring the gleam from the room's light.

Sounds like Giovanni is up already.

"Marie?" A sleepy voice echoed from the kitchen.

"Coming." She called, leaving the study room and heading straight for the kitchen. She rounded the hallway and was greeted by Giovanni sitting at the small, round kitchen table. A mug of coffee sat beside him as he drowsily glanced at the morning paper. He held the newspaper with his good hand. Like Marie, Giovanni had served only he was discharged after getting his arm blown off. Now all that remained of his left hand was a nub from the elbow down to the shoulder.

Marie hugged him as he remained sitting, burying part of her face in his curly, black hair. She inhaled his musky scent, which resembled white pine. The kitchen phone began to ring, this early in the morning it sounded as if it were blaring through the house.

Marie groaned, not wanting to answer the phone. "Who on Earth would call this early?" She questioned.

Giovanni laughed, skidding his chair back as he lazily stood up. "I'll get it."

Marie watched him with a faint smile of amusement on her face as Giovanni answered the phone.

"Hello?" Giovanni answered, his voice still gruff from sleep. Marie didn't listen to her husband make small talk, she tested his coffee by taking a sip, but grimaced at the taste. He took his coffee black, and after all these years she still didn't enjoy the taste of coffee."Oh, okay. Yeah, I'll tell her." Giovanni looked slightly puzzled as he pulled the phone receiver from his ear. "Honey, it's for you." Marie was about to ask if it was Dr. Hill, but his facial expression already answered her question. She got up and went to the phone as Giovanni returned to his seat.

"Hello?" Marie said uncertainly into the receiver.

She heard a sharp intake of breath from the other end of the line, as if whoever called her was astounded to hear her voice. The person chuckled in disbelief. "Marie, you're a hard person to track down. Damn, what has it been? Eleven years!"

That voice.

Marie froze, her hand gripping the receiver tighter as she steadied herself against the kitchen wall for support. Could it really be? Marie stuttered for a moment, unable to gather the words. "Don?" Marie's voice barely came out a whisper. She could feel her legs lose all strength as she leaned up against her kitchen wall even more. For a moment she thought he didn't hear her, but she heard him chuckle again.

"So, living in Massachusetts now, huh? And you're no longer Ms. Docherty. I think some congradulations are in order, Mrs. Mancini."

"Yes…" She answered, awkwardly. Her thoughts ran a million miles per hour. "I'm so sorry I never wrote, when I moved I lost the addresses, and when I returned home…" Marie bit her lip, feeling that old, familiar bloom in her chest. She cursed herself for being such an idiot for never keeping in contact, for cutting all ties thinking it would help her recovery, when in actuality it just made things worse.

"I know, I know." He soothed, stopping her from rambling on in apology further. She heard him draw a heavy sigh. "Adjusting was hard, wasn't it?"

"Yes, I'm still adjusting." Marie dared a glance at the kitchen clock, only to see that she was going to be late for her therapy session. "I'm going to a therapist trying to work things out, I've been going for a decade now." She admitted.

Malarkey was silent for a moment, making Marie feel anxious, afraid she'd said something wrong. "You're not alone there, Marie. Me, and some of the guys are still having our usual bouts of depression… very serious depression."

She could sense the age in his voice as he spoke. She swallowed, sad to hear that everyone else was still going through the aftermath the war had caused. Marie glanced back at her husband, whom returned her stare with knowing eyes. He knew this had to be someone from her old company. Giovanni polietely averted his eyes to look back down at the morning paper.

"How are you? How are the guys?"

"Well, the ones I've been able to keep in contact with are surviving, some better than others. Floyd Talbert has dropped off the map, no one has seen or heard of him since leaving Austria."

Marie sighed sadly. "Tab had never recovered after Emilia…"

The cracking sound of two bullets hitting a solid target erupted, sending Emilia's arms flailing upward as her BDU above her chest started to soak with blood. Her eyelids stretched open wide, her mouth formed an 'O' shape. She toppled to her knees, as if she attempted to get her bearings and catch her breath, her helmet falling off her head.

No, no, please… I don't want to see it anymore.

The back of Emilia's head had exploded as the bullet passed through and traveled out of her forehead, right above the spot in between her eyes. Emilia's lifeless body fell forward onto the cold ground, her expression forever frozen in surprise-

ENOUGH!

Marie was fully shuddering now, almost unaware of the tears that were now spilling down her cheeks. Just mentioning Emilia's name had triggered another terrible, and vivid flashback. Marie sniffed helplessly, worried that she'd lost Malarkey on the other line. She could still hear him breathing, and for a moment she swore she could hear him crying, too. She wanted nothing more than to change the subject desperately. Marie straightened up and adjusted her grip on the telephone, hoping to redeem herself. "So, are you married?" Marie quickly asked, feeling awkward once again.

"Yup, I married Irene in 1948. I met her when I went back to college. You'd love her, Marie. I also got children, one boy and three girls, God help me." Malarkey laughed. She was happy to hear a positive shift in his tone of voice. "I ran for county commissioner of Clatsop in 1954, and was elected, much to my surprise. Now I'm working insurance and real estate, not very exciting, I know. What about you? Are you still a nurse?"

"You're a daddy now, Don." Her voice sounded dreamlike and faraway she realized. She didn't answer his question right away, she sighed, wondering how to explain everything. "No, I'm not a nurse anymore. I worked from a nurse until 1947, but after that I couldn't take it. I work in a quaint little bridal shop, it's quiet and the atmosphere is nice."

That's not what's bothering you. He would've been a dad in 1945… Marie shushed the antagonizing voices that echoed in her mind, not wanting them to take away from Malarkey's happiness.

"That's great, Marie. Hah, yeah, I'm a daddy. What about you? Got any little ones running around?"

Marie clutched her abdomen, feeling hollow as she usually did when she was asked this question. Turns out losing Malarkey's baby was the first of many miscarriages. She went to the doctor after her third miscarriage to find out she's unable to have children. The news broke her already wounded heart, she couldn't stop apologizing to her husband no matter how many times he reassured her. This made her look over at Giovanni again.

"No… I don't have any children." She managed to say in a low, mechanical voice. Giovanni gave her a saddened look, knowing the years of torment this fact had put her through. Marie looked back at her kitchen wall, feeling her throat turn bone dry. "I can't have children."

"Oh." Malarkey answered, sounding flustered as if he didn't know how to answer. "Have you always had this since, you know…"

He read your letter, Marie. After all these years he knows about the miscarriage that you were too much of a coward to tell him about.

"The miscarriage…" She finished.

Marie could hear Malarkey shift on the other line. "I have to admit something to you, Marie. I read that letter you gave me back in '45, you remember, the one you gave me at that fancy garden party, or whatever it was? When I read that you were pregnant, lost the child… dammit, I was so mad at you. I was angry that after everything we went through, after how serious our relationship felt, how real it was, that you would hide that from me."

He's calling you just to let you know he hates you. Here's your closure, sweetheart. Hi-ho silver.

Marie let him go on, feeling her heart constrict with every beat, afraid for the malice in his voice. She shushed the antagonizing voice again, waiting to hear what else Malarkey wanted to vent.

"It took me awhile to get over that, I'm so sorry Marie. That's one of the reasons I never tried to contact you, not right away at least. That was really shitty of me, I'm so sorry Marie." Malarkey's voice was full of so much emotion she could hear his voice crack. "We've lost so much time, and I know it's wrong for me to enter your life again after all these years."

Marie didn't respond, she wasn't sure how to. This felt so strange, especially with her husband sitting at the kitchen table right behind her.

"Anyway, I contacted you to invite you to a Easy Company reunion. Old Guarnere has been trying to put one together for years now, and we've finally were able to track down enough people. It's going to take place on December 31st, in Paris." Malarkey continued on. "I'd be honored if you'd attend, Marie. It would be great to see you again. The guys miss you, too."

"I, uh…" Marie couldn't articulate a proper response. Fly out to Paris? Just like that? She glanced back at her husband, feeling helpless on what to answer. Giovanni looked confused, ready for Marie to fill him in on what was going on. She was sure the two of them could make the arrangmenets to fly to Paris for a few days, just to visit her old friends. Maybe this would give her the "closure" Dr. Hill so often discussed with her.

"Please don't feel any pressure. Just so you know, the expenses are on me. I'm such an idiot with how I asked you, sorry." Malarkey quickly apologized. She could hear the genuineness of his voice, which made her heart settle down from her anxiety-ridden state. "Like I said, there's no obligation, we're just all dying to see you."

Marie felt a ghost of a smile trace at her lips. For once the antagonizing voice didn't have a venmous remark to cut her down with. "I'll be there." She stated, surprised with the certainty in her voice, she hadn't even talked it over with Giovanni yet.

"Great! I know I promised you New Year's in Paris."

Marie laughed at this, but not a lighthearted, cheery laugh, but an emotional one that made her realize the tears still on her face. With the sleeve of her red sweater she wiped her eyes. She could Malarkey chuckle on the other line, and his voice sounded flowing with emotion as well.

"Only took over a decade." Marie joked, though the cracking in her voice drowned out the humor.

"Hey, Hun, I gotta go. I'll call you back about the transaction details, and I'll be sure to call Guarnere with the good news. It was wonderful to hear from you again, Marie." Malarkey replied.

Marie smiled to herself at the sound of her old nickname. "Likewise, Don. I'll be seeing you in a few weeks. Bye." Marie hung up, feeling her heart stutter with anxiety, excitement, and even confusion. Had all that really happened? Is she really going to Europe to see Easy Company again? Marie turned to face Giovanni, not even bothering to check the clock. She knew she was definitely going to be late for her therapy session now. She sat down at the kitchen table, exhaling heavily as she did so. Giovanni waited patiently for her to explain the phone call to him.

Marie reached out and gripped his hand. "Looks like we won't be spending the holidays with Mama Mancini."

The taxi drove right up to the large banquet hall, hugging the curb of the sidewalk closely. Noise of merriment and laughter could be heard from within the car, as the bright lights of the building shown with empowering radiation on the quiet Paris street. Marie gripped the taxi handle, feeling jittery with nerves with how close she was about to come to visiting her past. She felt Giovanni's hand rest on her bare shoulder, ushering her to go on.

"It'll be okay, Marie." He soothed in a reassuring voice.

She gulped and nodded, opening the taxi door and stepping out into the street. She smoothed out her simple, strapless dress as Giovanni stepped out and paid the taxi driver from behind her. The steps to the building hosting the reunion might as well been a mile high; it felt endless as she climbed them with her husband, her arm locked around his good arm so firmly she swore the grip was constricting the blood flow to her body. The bouncer at the door checked her name, and gave a friendly nod, letting the couple in. The color of red velvet struck her eyes, everywhere she looked was red covered with the gaudy color of gold. This seemed too fancy for Easy Company's taste, but she remembered Malarkey telling her that this was the only place that was available at the time. Marie could imagine Guarnere's reaction when he first saw the inside.

Marie's eyes caught on a figure of a man to her left. Both his hands gripped two crutches beside him, holding him up with his one leg. Marie felt her heart flutter, seeing Guarnere after all these years. He turned around, hearing someone enter the door. His eyes lit up at the sight of her, and Marie couldn't help but make her way toward him.

"Marie! Well I'll be damned!" Guarnere bellowed, alerting everyone nearby the entrance. He hobbled over toward her, the two of them embracing each other as old friends should. "Goddamn, girl, take a look at you! I swear you're even more beautiful then when I first met you!"

Marie laughed, blinking away the welling tears in her eyes. "Bill, it's… it's incredible to see you again."

"Is that Docherty!" A distant voice called from across the room. Buck, still tall and handsome with his flashing blue eyes approached with Toye, Luz, Nixon, Winters, Babe, and Grant coming from behind.

Marie greeted all of them with tight hugs, and many tears that all of them couldn't help but shed. She introduced all of them to her husband, whom she was happy to see Giovanni met their expectations. Abernathy entered, and the two of them had an emotional embrace. The last she heard of Abernathy was that she was excepted to Yale. The swarm of Easy Company as astounding, even though there were some missing, like Tab and Liebgott. In the mix of the crowd she spotted the back of someone's head. The red head was turned, facing the bar, ordering a drink. A woman with short, black, curly hair stood beside him. Marie felt time slow down as the two of them stood in the same room.

"Malarkey." She said.

Malarkey turned to face her. Although his face was aged, he still had the warm, dimpled grin. The two of them only stared at each other for a moment, unknowing what to do. Finally Malarkey broke his stance and hugged her, and Marie returned his embrace, feeling dizzy but happier than she would ever be able to explain. And just for a moment, the two of them were back in the forties. Back before the war began, back before Europe, back in Camp Toccoa. Everything was blissful, just as it should have ended.

Currahee.

After such a long wait (sorry) the end is finally here. I admit this was a very hard chapter to write, I got emotional many times while working the draft. I'm sure this isn't the ending all of you were hoping for, but I'm not one for happy-go-lucky, unrealistic endings. Not only that, but reading Malarkey's book and how much he loved Irene, I couldn't separate the two of them, not even in fiction. I hope all of you understand. Nonetheless, I hope you all enjoyed Marie and Malarkey's reunion, and know that they still love each other, even if it's evolved into a different kind of love.

I also wanted this chapter to give a glimpse of Marie's emotional trauma that has damaged her, and many others after the war. In Malarkey's book, he talked about heavy PTSD and how close he'd come to suicide, as many of the other men were. The antagonizing voice in her head is a symptom of her psyche. It's sad, but there's no way anybody can come out of something like perfectly fine. I was originally going to address it more, but I'll just leave the details up to your speculation.

I just want to thank each and every single one of you who read, followed, favorited, and reviewed. All of you have been such a great motivation for me to finish this story, which has been such a big part of my life for the past year. It's hard for me to let go, because I don't want to stop writing about Marie Docherty, Emilia Valdez, or any of the girls that I've grown so attached to. In your messages I read that some of you also grew attached to, and this makes my heart soar. I can't explain how you guys loving my characters and my story means to me. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

I'll be writing more fanfiction in the future, but in the meantime, school, work, and other obligations are keeping me very busy. Until then, I love you all!

God bless,

Ashley (cchickki)