The early summer heat was almost unbearable. Evelyn wondered how she could still see snow atop some of the mountains in the distance when the sun was dancing high up in the sky, blanketing them all in a warmth that somehow seemed inconceivable for the time of year.

"I didn't know Austria could be so warm."

"Neither did I," Evelyn turned away from the window and smiled at her patient. "I'd take this over Bastogne any day though."

"I do so wish you all hadn't had to go through that," her patient murmured sadly.

"I wish we hadn't either," Evelyn nodded, the sounds and smells and sights of that place flashing through her mind just like they did numerous other times during the day. Forcing a smile onto her face, she looked at the clock on the wall. "Eugene should be here any second now. He's always at least ten minutes early, but more often than not twenty."

"That sounds like Eugene," her patient chuckled. "That man is a real stickler for time keeping and organisation."

At that moment, the man who was a stickler for time keeping and organisation pushed open the door to the aid station, and Evelyn hurried out from behind the privacy screen that separated her patient from the rest of the ward, which was currently devoid of patients.

"Hey Gene," she greeted him.

"What have you done?" he narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"What? Nothing," she frowned.

"You're lying," Eugene didn't believe her. "You're bouncing up and down like a puppy and that smile you gave me just now was almost serial killer like."

"Wow, that's rude," Evelyn scoffed, trying her hardest to act normally. "And just for that I'm going to leave early and let you deal with the monstrously disgusting rotting toenail of the patient in the bay by the window."

"I don't think so," Gene told her firmly. "You have twenty one minutes left of your shift, and I'm only here to make sure I'm all set and ready for mine."

"Well you can make sure you're ready by giving me your opinion on the rotting toenail then," she smiled sweetly, motioning for Eugene to follow her.

A quiet mutter of something in French that sounded like annoyance made Evelyn grin to herself even as she heard his footsteps following her.

"Why is there a divide when there isn't even anyone else in here?" Eugene questioned when they reached the room divider.

"This patient is fussy, what can I say?" Evelyn shrugged and motioned for him to go ahead of her. "Ladies first."

"Very funny," Eugene rolled his eyes and moved the divide aside. "Vera?! What the-"

"Surprise!" Vera and Evelyn shouted at the same time.

Beaming with delight at Eugene's dumbfounded expression, Evelyn watched Vera jump up from the bed she had been sitting on and throw herself at Eugene who caught her reflexively before realising that she really was there.

"What are you doing here?" his voice was tight.

"They were looking for more Red Cross nurses to help out here so I came," Vera was crying unashamedly as Eugene set her back down on her feet and kissed her once, aware that they had an audience. Even if said audience was his closest friend, that didn't mean he was comfortable with such an overly public display of affection. "Evelyn helped me to plan the surprise. You're not mad, are you?"

"No, of course not," Eugene was quick to reassure her, his brow furrowed as though he was still having difficulty processing what was happening. "I can't believe you kept this a secret, Evelyn."

"I know," she grinned. "I didn't even tell Joe."

"You didn't?"

"No, he's more of a gossip than I am," she laughed. "But by the end of the day I'm pretty sure everyone in Easy is going to know all about the lovely Mrs Roe."

"You know, I'm still not used to being called that," Vera chuckled, her eyes barely leaving Eugene's.

"Well, we haven't spent much of our marriage together have we?" Eugene smirked. "Not all of us get to marry people in our company."

"Oh yes!" Vera clapped her hands together excitedly. "I expect to hear all about married life when I catch up with you at some point later, Evelyn."

"We don't get that much time to act like a married couple, to be fair."

"They do," Eugene disagreed with a smile.

"Right, well you two need to get out of here and go and enjoy the mountains or the lake or an empty room," Evelyn announced. "I'm taking over your shift, Gene, so you kids go and have some fun."

"Evelyn," Eugene murmured, the look on his face almost unreadable. "I… thank you."

"Thank me later when you're fighting off everyone else from hitting on Vera," Evelyn winked. "Now get out, I have things to do."

… … …

"Vera is a stunner, isn't she?"

"You do know who you're talking to right now, don't you?" Evelyn scowled at Joe as they walked around the lake underneath the light of the waxing moon.

"Oh, don't be jealous," Joe snorted and brought their interlocked hands up to his lips to brush them across Evelyn's knuckles. "You know I think you're still the most beautiful woman on the earth."

"But you fancy Gene's wife as well as your own?" she muttered petulantly.

"Like you don't fancy other guys, Ev," Joe rolled his eyes.

"Not ones we know," she lied, almost tripping over as Joe yanked her suddenly into the thicket of trees to her left and slammed unceremoniously against one, banging the back of her head on it in the process. "Ow, Joe, what the fu-"

Joe kissed away her question with his mouth on hers and his hands yanking at her uniform, unbuttoning it hurriedly as his tongue fought with hers for dominance over their kiss.

"Joe," she panted when one of his hands finally found its way inside of her OD's and beneath her underwear.

Joe's teeth grazed the side of her neck as two of his fingers slid inside of her at the same time as his thumb found her sensitive nub and began to manipulate it in slow circles that had her toes curling inside of her boots as the fingers inside of her moved in and out.

"Fuck," she squeezed her eyes shut, embarrassed that she was already so close, only to go right over the edge when Joe's nose nudged her brassiere out of the way so he could take a pebbled nipple into his mouth and suckle hard.

Before she could even form a sentence or begin to try and recover, Joe had pushed his length inside of her and was already pumping furiously, not caring that her head was thumping against the tree with every movement. This wasn't gentle and or tender lovemaking, this was pure unadulterated sex and Evelyn didn't think she was going to survive it.

"Joe," she whined she could feel that pleasure building within her again, coaxed forth by Joe's hand touching her in between their bodies as he fucked her at a brutal pace.

"Not yet," he growled, his hand gripped at her throat, holding her in place as his eyes seared into her until she almost couldn't continue to look at him. "No, look at me, Ev."

"I… I…" she closed her eyes only to have Joe's hand around her throat squeezing harder as he demanded that she open them again. "With me, Ev. Not until I say."

She gripped at Joe's arms, her teeth clacking with every thrust he made and her orgasm desperately close to taking her over the edge again.

"Now," Joe grunted, pressing his forehead against Evelyn's as he spilled himself inside of her, his hips grinding slowly as he dragged out both of their releases.

The hand around Evelyn's throat loosened and Joe brushed loose wisps of her unruly hair back from her red face as he smiled at her softly, making her heart leap. This tender Joe was the one few others saw; the Joe who was going to make the most wonderful father to their (many if Joe had his way) children one day.

"We didn't use a condom," Evelyn blurted out before she even realised it. "Sorry, way to kill the mood, right?"

"Shit," Joe grimaced. "I just was caught up and-"

"It's ok," she kissed his cheek. "Given that we haven't remembered to do it the last two times though, I think we really need to make a conscious effort to be more careful in the future. Or just not have sex."

"Fat chance of that," Joe's smirk turned into a frown when Evelyn started to strip off the rest of her clothes and kicked off her boots. "What are you doing?"

"Going for a swim," she grinned. "You gonna join me?"

"I'm not getting in there, it'll be freezing," Joe scoffed.

"Fine," Evelyn shrugged and took a running jump.

Joe wasn't wrong, she thought, as the water swallowed her up and she kicked her legs to get back up to the surface. It was freezing but it wasn't unpleasant. It was refreshing and it was freeing. She gasped when she finally came up for her but her beaming smile must have been enough to convince Joe that it wasn't too unpleasant and she squealed when he dived in moments later, grabbing for her legs immediately beneath the water.

"Fuck me, it's even colder than I thought," he complained, treading water as Evelyn wrapped her arms and legs around him.

"I'll keep you warm," she promised, taking in every line of his face beneath the silver glow of the moon. He was perfectly imperfect and he was hers.

For now and for always.

… … …

"Hey guys, look at Ev's pussy."

Evelyn rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue at George as the rest of the guys laughed as though his immature joke was the funniest thing they had ever heard.

"Boys are stupid," she muttered to the fluffy black feral cat curled up in her lap. "Isn't that right, Bill?"

"Bill?" Babe frowned. "You've nicknamed the stray cat Bill?"

"Yeah because he has a nasty growl when he wants to," Evelyn answered with a grin. "And because he has dark fur, well hair, like my brother."

"In that case I need to inform you that I think it's highly inappropriate the way you're stroking Bill in your lap like that," George announced.

"You're just jealous you're not stroking Bill in your lap," Johnny teased.

"Can we all stop talking about stroking my brother, please?" Evelyn pulled a face. "You're ruining Bill the cat for me."

"What are you going to do when we have to leave him?" Babe asked, reaching over to scratch the cat in between his ears and yanking his hand back quickly when the cat hissed at him viciously. "Yeah, the name is definitely right."

"Don't mention the 'L' word?" Joe dropped down on the grass beside them, cigarette dangling from his smirking lips.

"What?"

"Leave," Joe explained. "I can't deal with any more tears about this fleabag."

"Bill is not a fleabag," Evelyn smacked Joe in the chest. "And just because you don't like Bill my brother doesn't mean you have to dislike Bill my cat."

"I dislike the fact that he's slept in bed with us for the last three nights," Joe took a long drag on his cigarette and blew the smoke out right into Evelyn's unimpressed face.

"Better Bill the cat than Bill the brother," Babe muttered.

"Depends on what floats your boat," Perconte grinned.

"Right, I'm going," Evelyn stood, holding Bill the cat in her arms. "Me and Bill aren't putting up with anymore of this nonsense and we're going to the aid station where normal people are."

"I'd hardly call Eugene normal," George tittered. "I watched him walk right past his wife this morning in the mess hall and barely even so much as smile let alone bend her over the table and-"

"I can still hear you!" a stone launched itself at George's head as Evelyn's voice started to get further away.

"Your wife is a disgrace, Joe," George rubbed his temple. "I hope you don't let her get away with assaulting you like that?"

"He enjoys it when she assaults him," Johnny smirked.

"And on that note, I'm going as well. My turn for guard duty," Babe stood next, his face red from the hot sun.

"I'll walk with you," Liebgott decided. "I only stopped by to see you unruly bunch for a few minutes anyway. I have somewhere to be once I find Webster and Skinny. Come on, Heffron."

Nodding goodbye to the others, Babe and Liebgott started the walk down the hill and towards camp, the silence between them somewhat uncomfortable but bearable. The two of them were friendly enough with each other, more for Evelyn's sake than their own, but usually that was in front of her. When she wasn't around there wasn't any need for them to pretend to be friends. After all, Babe was always going to be the man who once had feelings for Liebgott's wife, which was why what came out of his mouth shocked Babe to the core.

"I'm glad I got the opportunity to get you alone, Heffron," Liebgott began. "Because I wanted to talk to you about Ev."

"Why?" Babe frowned. "Is something wrong? Is this about the fact that I caught her crying yesterday about the miscarriage. Look, when I hug her you should know it's only as a friend. I just was trying to comfort her and-"

"Heffron, calm down," Liebgott clapped a hand on his shoulder and brought them both to a halt for a minute. "I didn't know that she got upset yesterday but now I do know I'm glad that you were there for her. I know what happened with the baby is still tough for her and I know she tries to hide her feelings from me to protect me. So if she can't tell me then at least she has someone else she can trust."

"And you're not mad about that?"

"Once upon a time I might have been," Liebgott admitted. "But I know Evelyn loves me and I trust her. I also trust you, Heffron. And that's why I have something important to ask you. It's to do with Evelyn."

"Alright," Babe nodded. "Go ahead."

"Evelyn is everything to me and I want to spend the rest of my life taking care of her –even though she thinks she can take care of herself– and making her happy. But there's a very real possibility that I might not make it back from the Pacific to be able to do that."

"Don't think like that," Babe tilted his head sympathetically. "Nothing will happen to you; Ev wouldn't let it."

"Heffron, we both know that what will be will be and no one can change that," Joe shook his head. "I can't control what happens when we get over there but I can control what happens if I don't make it back. Which is where you come in."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you. I know you care about Ev. I know that maybe you even loved her once, and maybe you still do. And I also know that you would go above and beyond to make sure she was alright."

"Of course I would," Babe agreed.

"Which is why I'm asking you now to take care of her for me if I don't make it home," Joe's throat felt thick with emotion at the thought of that scenario. "And before you tell me that you'll take care of her and that she'll have her family and Gene and George and everyone else, I need you to understand that I'm asking you to take care of her in the way a husband would take care of his wife."

"Joe, I…" Babe was flabbergasted and also slightly terrified that this was some ploy for a fist fight.

"Look, Heffron, I want Evelyn to have a future where she's happy and where she can have the family she wants and the life she wants, and I need to know that if I'm not here she'll have all of that with someone who won't hurt her and who won't try to change her," Joe explained.

"Liebgott, I understand what you're saying but this is crazy," Babe choked out a nervous laugh. "You can't just tell me you want me to marry your wife if you die and have a whole life with her. And who's to say Evelyn would want that anyway? You're the love of her life and I don't think she would forget that in a hurry just because you were dead."

"Which is why you have to be the one who doesn't let her mourn and waste away her life," Joe was undeterred. "The thought of imagining Ev married to anyone else and living the life I want with her with you or anyone else is like a knife in my heart. But I need her to live and I need her to move on. And I want her to do that with you because then I know she'll be ok."

This wasn't a decision Joe had made lightly. It was a decision made after stolen hours watching Evelyn sleep after he had awoken from nightmares of seeing her standing over his bullet hole ridden body, screaming for him to wake up. It was precious moments of listening to her talk about the trips they were going to make when they were a family; beach days and fairground rides. It was understanding that when she told him he made her feel safe enough to fulfil whatever goal she set herself in the future, what she really meant was that she knew someone would be there to catch her if she fell and help her get back up again.

While he knew her family would take care of her if he was gone, they wouldn't love her the way he would. The way he suspected Babe once had loved her. They wouldn't give her the emotional connection she needed or the physical one either. And while Joe didn't relish anyone else sharing the moments and the love with her that he did, his Evelyn didn't deserve to live out the rest of her life alone and pining for him. Not when she could find happiness with someone else.

As much as it painted Joe to admit it, he knew that Babe would be the perfect chance of that happiness. Not only did he care about Evelyn but her brother –and by extension most likely the rest of her family would feel the same– was his best friend.

No, Joe was certain that what he was doing in asking Babe was the right decision.

"I'm not sure that… Joe, this is…" Babe let out a huge overwhelmed sigh.

"I know it's a lot, Heffron," Joe empathised. "But I need to know you'll do this for me. For Evelyn. Please. You gotta know how hard this is for me to ask and I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't think this was necessary."

"Can I think about it at least?"

"I suppose that's only fair," Joe conceded. "But I need to know sooner rather than later so I can get something else in plan."

"Oh so if I say no you'll palm her off on someone else?" Babe was shocked at just how much he didn't like the thought of that.

"Fuck no," Joe scowled. "I mean, I'll palm her off on Doc or George but not the way I'm asking you."

"Well that's something I suppose," Babe muttered. "But Joe, whatever my answer is I need you to know that it means a lot that you think I could look after her. Or that you would even want me to. But just so you know, I don't think it'll be necessary. You and Ev are meant to be together and I don't think even the Japs could destroy what the Germans couldn't."

"I hope you're right, Heffron," Joe nodded. "I really hope you're right."

… … …

That night

Joe was curled up on his side in their bed and his posture reminded Evelyn of a small child. Shoulders hunched into themselves and anguish radiating from him and permeating the air all around.

Toeing off her boots, she climbed into bed behind him, wrapping her arms around him and pressing a kiss to the back of his head. He didn't react at first, but eventually one of his hands found herself and she smiled even as tears dribbled down her cheeks.

"I thought it would make me feel better," Joe's voice cracked. "But it didn't."

Webster had guilt written all over his face. As did Skinny, and Evelyn couldn't ignore the strange niggle in her lower stomach when they appeared in the doorway of the aid station.

"What have you done?" she frowned at them both, drying her wet hands on the paper towel she was holding and tossing it in the trash can on her way towards them.

"It's not us, it's Joe," Skinny started.

"He's fine," Webster reassured her quickly upon seeing the way her eyes started to widen with panic.

"When you say fine do you mean he's injured but he's alive or do you mean-?"

"We mean that he's completely intact… physically at least," Webster answered.

"Would you stop speaking in riddles and tell me what's happened with my husband please?" Evelyn demanded.

Webster and Skinny eyed one another uncomfortably, and when Webster turned back to look at Evelyn, Wayne couldn't even pretend to try and meet her gaze.

"Web?" Evelyn begged him quietly.

"It wasn't supposed to go the way it did…"

Joe's entire body shook with the force of his sobs and Evelyn could do nothing to take away his pain. Nothing to take away the nameless faces that haunted his thoughts just as they did everyone else who had been at the camp.

Only it was different for Joe. They were his people. They could have easily been the people he loved; his family and his friends. Seeing what they had seen had affected everyone, but Evelyn couldn't even begin to try and comprehend how much harder it was when faced with the knowledge that you and your family were only safe due to living in a different country.

"The worst thing is that I'm angry it wasn't me," Joe gritted his teeth angrily. "My gum jammed so Skinny had to do it."

"I know," she brushed his hair back from his head soothingly, stroking his back gently. "He told me. He and Webster told me everything."

"I know we were only supposed to talk to him but-"

"But you naturally looked into his eyes and saw the only person you could physically hurt in blame for what we uncovered at Landsburg," she murmured softly.

"Yeah but I should have listened to Web and just talked to the guy and let someone higher up decide his fate," Joe muttered. "I should have made sure he suffered for the part he played, instead of letting him have a quick death."

"Yeah, maybe you should have but in that moment you needed to hurt him. You needed to hurt him not just for you but everyone we saw in that camp and for everyone in camps all over Europe. You needed to hurt him for the people that you love and that's ok, Joe," she assured him. "He's dead but he'll be rotting in hell that's for sure. And as for punishment? There'll be others just like him who are going to be punished for what they did, Joe. I can promise you that."

"Yet it doesn't bring back all those people, does it?" he laughed bitterly. "It doesn't change the fact that those who survived it are ruined for the rest of time now, because how can anyone ever think to function normally after living through that? Hell, I don't know how I'm gonna live through it after just seeing it let alone fucking having to live it."

"Joe, I…" Evelyn didn't know what to say.

"It's alright," he rolled over and reached out to stroke her cheek. "There's nothing to say, Ev. At least nothing to make any of this ever go away."

"I know," she croaked sadly, placing her hand over his. "And I hate that I can't take this away from you. But I can always be here to listen."

… … …

"I can't believe that was the last thing I said to the guy," George grimaced.

Everyone was sitting around playing cards when Evelyn had come to tell them the sad news about Janovec. While each one of them was upset at the senseless loss of another of their own, George had taken it much worse given their conversation earlier that morning during training.

Evelyn hated running. She hated it more than anything. And it didn't matter that the hills they were running up and down were so ethereally beautiful, because the running was still torturous.

"George, please Sobel me," Evelyn begged for the third time.

"Sobel me?" Randleman frowned.

"Yeah, he starts calling me names while doing his impression of Sobel and then I remember how much I hate that idiot and I pick up the pace again," Evely explained.

"Just when I think you can't get any more peculiar," Bull smirked.

"Who's Sobel?" Janovec asked.

"You've been with us for like a year and nobody's told you about Sobel?" Evelyn couldn't believe it.

"I mean I've heard his name mentioned, and always in that 'we hate this guy' tone of voice, but I don't know exactly why you all hate him so much," Janovec panted.

"Do not get her started for the love of god," George rolled his eyes.

"Oh like you don't have plenty to say about him, George," Evelyn nudged him.

"Yeah, but you just take it to a whole other ranting level," George pushed her back and sent her knock into Janovec, who steadied her.

"It's ok, I wanna hear," he smiled. "Might make this run go quicker."

"Well it's your funeral," George muttered.

"That's just shitty timing, Luz," Malarkey told him sympathetically.

"Well shitty timing or not, I feel awful about it," George was genuinely upset.

"Hey George, he would have laughed about it, don't worry," Vest assured him, and given that he was Janovec's closest friend in the company it was most likely true.

"Maybe but I just…" George shook his head. "It's just a fucking waste, you know. People dying and getting hurt all over the place and we aint even doing anything. And the shittiest thing of all? there'll be more to come. You mark my words."

It turned out that for once, George wasn't wrong.

… … …

"Hey Ev, you need a knight in olive to give you a ride back to base?"

Evelyn grinned when Chuck brought the jeep to a stop. She had just finished a double shift at the aid station on the other side of town after a stomach bug had brought down most of their staff one by one. The change of scenery wasn't unwelcome but the long walk back to barracks was. If she was lucky, someone would give her a ride but other times she had no choice but to walk, and lie to Joe and the rest of the guys about it.

"Only if he's as handsome as you, Chuck," she blew him a kiss and climbed in beside, smiling briefly to the two replacements seated behind them.

She hadn't seen these two before, but then again the replacements just seemed to blend into one person these days. There were more of them coming in by the truck load, all desperate to get their OD's dirty in the Pacific and enjoying the alcohol and ladies while they waited.

Unlike the replacements that had joined them after they dropped into Normandy, these newer ones had clearly heard about Easy's female medic and as such barely even reacted to seeing her. Well, she presumed it was that and the warning looks from her husband and her friends that kept them from saying anything untoward.

"I was just telling these guys about your brother."

"He sounds like a crazy son of a bitc… er, a real character ma'am," the younger of the two mumbled.

"He is a crazy son of a bitch," she finished for him with a smirk.

"What happened to him?"

"Got his leg blown off in Bastogne," Ev answered before Chuck could.

It was funny really because the more times she said it the less it hurt. Being without Bill had only made her realise that him missing a leg was better than him being missing completely. If anyone could get through life with one leg and be all the better for it then her brother could.

"Wait here," Chuck stopped the jeep quickly as they came upon some sort of accident.

Only it wasn't an accident.

"Are you okay, Mac? Do you need some help?" Chuck edged slowly towards the soldier, who Evelyn recognised but couldn't place.

"They wouldn't give me any gas," the soldier laughed, and that was when Evelyn saw the gun in his hand. "Krauts."

Chuck must have heard the creak of the metal as she went to climb out of the jeep because he waved her off without even taking his eyes off of the drunken soldier. Indecision gnawed at her. The German soldier on the ground looked to be dead but she couldn't be sure and she needed to check. Ally or enemy, she couldn't leave someone without help if they needed it. But the erratic look in the soldier's eyes made her rethink. After all, it wasn't just her who could be hurt here.

"I tried to explain," the soldier continued to ramble, walking towards the back of the other jeep. "This fucking limey wouldn't listen. I think he was a major."

"Look, Private, we've got a problem here," Grant's voice was firm but calm.

"Do you have any gas?" the soldier frowned at him.

"Why don't you give me your weapon?" Grant urged gently, and Evelyn felt like her heart was about to leap out of her chest. The atmosphere was so tense but she had to hold out faith that if anyone could reason with this man it would be calm and dependable Chuck Grant.

"Well, I guess I'll just use his jeep," the drunk soldier began to walk away. "I don't think he's gonna be needing it."

"Hold on a second there alright," Chuck reached for him.

Evelyn heard someone screaming when the blood spurted from Chuck's head. Even as her legs carried her as quickly as possible to Grant, she didn't hear her own desperate sounds nor the soldier who had wounded him reversing away. All she could hear was the loud whooshing of in her ears and the frantic thud of her wildly beating heart.

Her shaking hands didn't know where to begin, what to do. It was like everything she had learned over the years just disappeared from her brain. When one of the replacements lifted her up and into the jeep while the other did the same to Grant, laying him in the back and doing his best to stem the bleeding, Evelyn could do nothing but just watch as though the scene before her wasn't really happening.

As though in a daydream, she had no recollection of moving the replacement begging her for help out of the way as they sped frantically back to camp. She didn't remember hearing the doctor in the aid station telling them that there was no hope for Grant without a brain surgeon. She didn't recall the tenderness and gentleness of Speirs holding Chuck's hand. She didn't even hear the Austrian surgeon giving Speirs a good telling off even at the point of his gun.

All she remembered was the bang and then now.

Sitting on the step of the hospital while her friends and comrades searched for the soldier who had hurt one of their own. Sitting on the step of the hospital watching the comings and goings but not really seeing. Not hearing, not feeling.

"Sergeant Liebgott."

She blinked.

"Evelyn."

Speirs' face appeared in front of her own.

"Ev?" he frowned, touching her shoulder gently as he peered into her face with concern. "He's gonna be alright. Grant. He's gonna make it."

Nodding, Evelyn said nothing. Just continued to stare at Speirs, blinking and swallowing down the lump that had appeared in her throat.

"Evelyn, it's alright," his eyes were as gentle as they could be for a man with a storm of enragement and injustice brewing inside of them.

Taking her by the elbow, Speirs helped her to her feet and walked with her until they reached the jeep, the back seat covered in Grant's blood.

"Doc Roe is staying here for the night to keep an eye on things," Speirs started the engine. "Let's get you back to barracks and see where we're up to with finding the bastard that did this."

The jeep roared to a start and the cool air whipped across Evelyn's face as the trees whizzed past them. Speirs' clenched the steering wheel so hard that it was a miracle he didn't pull it off, and Evelyn could hear his teeth grinding angrily even over the sound of the vehicle.

"I froze," Evelyn whispered once they were on the outskirts of the camp.

Speirs turned his head briefly to look at her and when he saw she was crying, he stopped the car abruptly, slamming on the brakes and holding his hand out in front of her to stop her flying forwards.

"I froze when Chuck needed me," she croaked. "I just stood there."

"Evelyn," Speirs sighed, tilting his head sympathetically. "It's ok."

"No, it's not, Sir," she countered angrily. Anger that was aimed at herself. "I'm a medic and I just stood there. I don't even know how we got to the hospital. I don't remember any of it."

"Because you were in shock. You had just watched-"

"Grant get shot in the head? Just like I watched countless other people I care about losing limbs or dying or getting wounded in other ways. For the best part of two years I've dealt far worse than what I saw happen to Chuck, and yet I've never reacted that way before. Even in Normandy or Carentan or fucking Bastogne, I kept it together. So why now? Why, in the midst of all of this relative calm we've found ourselves living in, did I freeze up and do nothing to help?" she spat. "Chuck would have died if those replacements hadn't had their acts together. He wouldn't have lasted the time it took to get him to that hospital, and that would have been my fault."

"No it wouldn't."

"Yes, it would. You know and I know it and those fucking replacements know it! I fucked up and it nearly cost Grant his life!"

"Alright, you fucked up," Speirs agreed. "Sergeant Grant nearly died because of you! Is that what you wanna hear, Sergeant? Is it?"

"No!" she shouted, her chest heaving with emotion.

"Then what the fuck do you want?" Speirs roared.

"I want to go home!" her voice cracked.

Shoulders shaking with the force of her sobs, Evelyn didn't even have it in her to be embarrassed at such a display of weakness in front of the man who was not only her superior, but who was the man who had ran across an opening of Germans shooting at him in order to connect with another company. This was the man who had saved Easy and given the leader they deserved after weeks of surviving Bastogne without one. But she didn't care.

"I don't wanna do this shit anymore," she cried. "I can't do it. I can't watch anymore of the people I love get hurt."

"Says the woman who refuses to use her points and go home," Speirs huffed out a dry laugh, and then he did something that Evelyn would never have expected. He wrapped his arms around her and held her as she sobbed.

She could tell by the way he held her that he wasn't comfortable but the fact he did it anyway meant more to her than anything ever could. And the fact that he didn't hurry to push her away did as well.

"You can't tell anyone about this," he muttered quietly when her tears started to abate. "I have a reputation to uphold, Corporal."

"They wouldn't believe me anyway," Evelyn pulled back and gave him a wobbly smile. "I'm sorry, Sir."

"If you were sorry you'd be saying goodbye and going home," he smirked when a look of indignation flitted across her face. "Oh don't start getting up on your high horse and giving me a mouthful. I'm not telling you you should go home, I'm telling you that if you really wanted to go home then you would. Problem is you know that those guys would fall apart with you and you can't have that. So accept that what happened with Grant was out of your control and move on from it. Don't let it consume you otherwise you'll be no good to us in the Pacific. Got it?"

"Yes sir," she nodded. "And… thank you."

"No thanks necessary," he started up the jeep again. "Now let's give the men the good news."

But Evelyn knew that sharing the good news about Grant wasn't what Speirs really wanted to do. The vicious clench of his jaw and the determined march that she struggled to keep up with reminded her that capturing the soldier who had hurt Chuck was all he was interested in.

"Where is he?" he demanded the second they walked into the building where the soldier was being held.

George and Tab stood instantly, concern etched upon their faces and their card game long forgotten as they waited to hear the fate of their friend.

"How's Grant?" Tab asked, as George looked at Evelyn.

"Where is he?" Speirs was undeterred.

"Is Grant ok?"

"Where is he?!" Speirs shouted.

Talbert motioned towards the closed door with his head and Speirs marched towards it, pushing it open angrily.

"He's gonna be ok," Evelyn told the boys, flinging herself down on George's seat and putting her head in her hands.

"You ok, Ev?" George knelt down and lifted her head gently, cupping her cheeks and looking into her eyes with concern.

"Yeah," she forced a tired smile onto her face, putting her hands over his before smiling up at Talbert too. "Just a long night. But Grant's gonna make it and that's the main thing, right?"

"Right," George agreed, kissing the top of her head. "And we've got the fucker that did it as well."

"Replacement from I Company," Talbert told her. "Found him trying to force himself on some poor girl. The guys have been in there for an hour roughing him up"

"Good," Evelyn spat. "I don't think I could stand to even look at him."

All she wanted was some respite from seeing the people she loved getting hurt until they were shipped out again.

Was it really too much to ask for?

… … …

Driving looked easy.

That was what Evelyn had thought before some of the guys took it upon themselves to teach her how to do it.

"What does she need to drive for?" Joe had muttered. "I'll just take her anywhere she needs to go."

But training was done and boredom was eating at them all. There was only so much letter writing and flirting the men could do before they were fed up.

"The only reason you guys are fed up with trying to flirt is because all of the girls around here have realised what a bunch of dirtbags you are," Evelyn had rolled her eyes when Perconte told her such. "But if you boys need an ego boost by teaching me how to drive then I'm up for it."

But the enthusiasm with which the driving lesson had begun had quickly dissipated as they realised, one by one, that their attempts at teaching were futile.

"She really brings new meaning to the phrase 'women drivers', doesn't she?" Nixon smirked at Lipton as they watched from a safe distance.

"Oh I think that's a little unfair," Lipton murmured. "On other women."

Nixon guffawed at Lipton's joke, drawing a quiet chortle from him as they watched Doc's wife motion for Bull to get out of the passenger seat.

"I can't bear to watch another one of you fellows fail to teach the easiest of things," Vera climbed into the jeep.

"When you've been in that vehicle with her for five minutes you'll realise we're not the problem, Vera," Liebgott commented.

"Firstly, Joe, as her husband you should be supporting not belittling," Vera eyed Joe pointedly. "And secondly, you lot most definitely are the problem. Too many cooks and all that."

"Christ, Doc, your wife is scary," Luz commented.

"Yes and he loves me for it," Vera winked before lowering her voice and murmuring quietly to Evelyn. So quietly that the rest of them couldn't hear.

There was a lot of frowning from Evelyn followed by some dubious nodding and smiles of encouragement from Vera, who sent death stares to anyone she heard muttering about how it was ridiculous for a woman to think they knew more about driving than they did.

The jeep engine roared to life and Evelyn's look of trepidation quickly turned into one of determination as Vera whispered more directions at her confidently.

"Would you look at that," Liebgott laughed as Evelyn manoeuvred effortlessly into second gear and drove off as though she had been doing it all her life.

"It's a fluke," Martin was having none of it.

"Aint no way we've spent three hours at this and your wife just comes along and does it in two minutes," Perconte scowled at Eugene who simply shrugged.

"Hate it to say it boys but I think maybe we were the problem," Bull smiled proudly as Evelyn gave them a little wave on her way past.

"My mom does always say there's nothing men do that women can't do better," Malarkey muttered.

"I can think of plenty of things," George scoffed.

"Anyone for a game of craps? I need to feel like I'm good at something again," Tab stood up with a huff.

"And losing craps to Malarkey is gonna make you feel good?" Martin raised an eyebrow.

"Fine, I'll go and go and find something else to do it."

"Or someone else," George chortled.

"I may or may not know where there is a large stash of alcohol still up for consumption," Skinny announced, glancing warily at Nixon. "Uh, what I mean to say is that-"

"Oh go and have fun," Nixon waved him off. "I'm sure there's a report or something I need to be writing anyway. Hey Evelyn, care to give me a ride back up to regiment?!"

"Not really!" she shouted back before rolling her eyes at something Vera said and making a shaky U-turn back towards the men. Stopping in front of Nixon and Lipton, she grimaced nervously. "Sir, it's nice that you trust me to drive you somewhere but I don't wanna be responsible for something happening to you."

"I think I'll be fine," Nixon assured her, reaching a hand to chivalrously help down Vera as he turned to smirk at Eugene. "Good job you've put a ring on this one, Doc, or else I might be tempted to. Now come on, Ev, and put your foot down."

… … …

"You look how I feel."

Evelyn looked up from the paperwork she was filling out and smiled wearily at Vera, who was pale faced and had bags under her eyes. Much like Evelyn, she looked as though she had the weight of the world resting on her shoulders.

"I mean this in the nicest way, Vera, but you look like shit," Evelyn told her, setting down her pen and opening the bottom drawer of the desk so she could pull out a bar of chocolate and two bottles of lukewarm cola. "Care to join me on my break and tell me what's up?"

"That would be heavenly," Vera nodded, pulling up a chair and sitting down.

With something in between awe and disgust, Vera watched Evelyn pop off the cola bottle tops with her teeth and then snap the chocolate into small squares before tearing open the wrapper and setting it on the table.

"God, I needed that," Vera closed her eyes in delight as the chocolate taste hit her tongue.

"Me too," Evelyn downed more than half of her cola and let out a quiet burp. "So, what's wrong?"

"It's Eugene," Vera took a sip of her own drink tentatively. "I think he's having an affair."

"An affair?" Evelyn pulled a face. "We are talking about the same Eugene, right? Average height, dark hair, beautiful accent? That Gene, yeah? Well in that case, I'll tell you now that the Eugene I know would sooner pull off his toenails one by one than ever do anything like that. What on earth would make you think otherwise?"

"I heard him talking about some woman when we were in bed last night," Vera murmured. "Sounded something like Ronnie, which I presume to be short for Veronica or-"

"Renee?" Evelyn supplied for her.

"Oh god, he is having an affair, isn't he?" Vera looked like she was about to burst into tears. "And I've ruined it by coming here and now he's-"

"Renee is dead," Evelyn cut her off with a hand on her arm. "And Gene also wasn't having an affair with her."

"No?"

"No," Evelyn shook her head. "She was… Renee was a nurse back in Bastogne and she… Eugene felt a bond with her, a professional one I mean, and I think she reminded him of you. She was formidable and gentle all at once and she was one of the bravest people I've ever met in this war. Gene felt the same way about her and when she died it was… I don't know who much Gene told you about Bastogne but it was hell. Worse than hell, in fact, and I think Gene took the brunt of everyone's pain and everyone's fear for so long that it almost broke him. I've never seen Gene like that before and I know that he feels guilty that we lived and Renee didn't, especially because I think he saw you every time he looked at her. Not in a romantic way, I mean, but she reminded him of you nonetheless."

"I had no idea," tears dripped down Vera's cheeks. "I know from what I read in the papers that Bastogne was bad but Eugene's never talked about it really. I think he likes to shield me from these things and I don't like to push him."

"Typical man," Evelyn shook her head. "And maybe I shouldn't be telling you this but if it stops you thinking Gene would ever do anything to hurt you then I'm happy to do it."

"So this Renee wasn't… you're certain Eugene didn't have any feelings for her that went beyond friendship?"

"I swear to you. Vera, he's crazy in love with you and I don't think anyone could ever make him do that to you. Heck, if he wasn't swayed by my beautiful face then what makes you think anyone else could do it?"

"That is true," Vera smirked, wiping her face delicately. "God, I feel like an idiot now because I knew he wouldn't do that but he was so quiet last night and then he said her name and I just panicked."

"I would have done the same thing, Vera," Evelyn promised her. "But I swear to you now, you're it for Gene."

"I know, and I'm so lucky to have him," Vera smiled genuinely. "I just wish he'd talk to me about the things he's seen because I do so want to help him."

"Just loving him is enough. Nothing can erase what he's seen and what he's done but having you to love him is more than enough to help him through it. I know that for a fact."

"No wonder he loves you so much, Evelyn," Vera reached out and took her hand. "You're so wise."

"Immature, spoiled, irrational are just some of the words I think Eugene would use to describe me," Evelyn scoffed. "But wise? I don't think so."

"Well, alright maybe I can't speak for Eugene but I think you're wise," Vera decided. "Now are you going to tell me why you're not feeling your best today either? A problem shared is definitely a problem halved; I can confirm that."

"Oh, it's nothing," Evelyn sighed, shoving some more chocolate into her mouth. "Just… stupid stuff."

"Well if it's upsetting you then it's not stupid," Vera pressed gently.

"I know," Evelyn agreed. "It's just that… Well, I had my first period today since the… I'm sure Gene told you what happened but yeah… that's it really. It's not even like a real period, just a few spots of blood but it just brought back feelings that I try to tell myself I've dealt with when I don't think I actually have."

"Of course you haven't," Vera tilted her head sympathetically. "Evelyn, I don't pretend to understand what you've gone through or how it feels but I can most definitely imagine that it's not something you ever truly deal with. How can you? It's probably one of the most awful things any woman can go through. Your monthly coming has undoubtedly stirred up feelings and I'd think you were more bizarre if you were absolutely fine with it."

"I guess you're right."

"I know I'm right," Vera smirked. "And Evelyn? I want you to know I think you're the bravest person I know; even braver than my Eugene, and I really hope that everything you've done here and what you'll do over in the Pacific will show countless more men that us women are as good as they are."

"I think the rest of you women do a great job at showing them that as well. You especially, Vera. I mean look at the way you put them all to shame when they were teaching me to drive yesterday."

"Yes well let's just hope they didn't find out it was just pure luck," Vera said modestly.

"Nothing lucky about it."

"Well luck or not, I'd hardly compare teaching you to drive to everything you've done over the last few years."

"Hey, there have been plenty of women like you and Renee and thousands of others who've worked in field hospitals or took up jobs when there were no men left to do it."

"Well let's just agree that all women are far superior to men then," Vera lifted her cola bottle.

"Cheers to that."

… … …

Evelyn read the letter over and over again. This was a disaster. A genuine, Bona fide fucking disaster. She could literally feel Bill's rage through the paper, and she felt like she was five again. She couldn't believe that this had happened; not one everyone was sworn to secrecy about it until they got back to the States.

Pacing up and down, she read and reread it until she could almost recite it off by heart, all while the men surrounding her either watched her dramatics with amusement or they just closed their eyes and enjoyed the sunny day.

The beautiful mountains and hills of Austria were something that none of them were fed up with enjoying.

"He'll be alright once he calms down, Ev," Babe didn't sound all that convinced. "He's probably just shocked."

"Nah he just hates me and he's pissed he's got me for a brother in law," Liebgott snorted, snapping the blade of grass in his hands into small pieces as he lay back and started up at the blue skies above them.

"How are you so calm about this?" Evelyn was beside herself. "He's told my mom and all my family. He wrote, and I quote, 'our dear mother's tears could have flooded the Phillies stadium such was her level of hurt'. So now not only is my mom upset I got married without her and to someone she's never met, my brother is gonna use the fact you've never met any of them to his advantage and tell them all sorts of shit about you!"

"I don't care," Joe shrugged. "We know the truth and when they meet me they'll know the truth."

"Joe, do you even recall anything I've ever told you about my family, and more specifically my mother?" Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "Because I'll tell you now that she might quickly see through whatever crap my brother's told you but she won't let you forget that you married her daughter without her being present. She'll use that as a reason to guilt you into doing stuff or making us live with them or something ridiculous. And my dad? Well, he'll see through Bill as well but he won't care because he'll want as many reasons to hate the fact that you married his daughter, his baby, without his permission."

"Babe," Joe sat up and reached for her, holding his arms out until she dropped to the ground and sat in his lap. "All of this was gonna happen when we got home and told them anyway. Maybe actually this way is better because now they have time to think about it and deal with it."

"Did you just hear nothing I said?" She exclaimed. "Gene, what do I do?"

"Nothing you can do," he answered.

"Vera, tell your husband to help us," Evelyn scowled.

"I'm afraid he's right, dear," Vera agreed with a scrunch of her nose. "What's done is done and now you'll have to accept whatever comes next. I actually think that them having some time to get used to it is rather splendid, combined with the fact that when you eventually return home they'll be so overjoyed to see you they won't care about you being married or anything else for that matter."

"That's a pretty good point," Babe commented. "I mean, your brother is a hot head but he does love you and he does want you to be happy. Even if that means you're married to, what was it he called Joe in the letter?"

"An Ernesto's Philly steak sandwich," Evelyn huffed.

"And Ernesto's Philly steaks are bad?" George asked.

"Worse than bad, they're dire," Babe explained. "No real Philly would ever be caught eating one from there. No offence Joe."

"I'm not a sandwich so I'm not offended, don't worry."

"Evelyn devours your face like you're something she wants to eat though," George grinned.

"Can we stay on topic please?" Evelyn glared at George.

"Baby, it'll be alright," Joe undid her hair from its tight bun and started to run his fingers through it, trailing it down her back, watching with satisfaction when her tense shoulders started to slump slightly. "We survived Bastogne, for god's sake, we can survive your family and even mine, ok?"

"Ok," she sighed. "But promise me one thing? When we find out whichever idiot told Joe Toye who in turn told Bill, promise me you'll help me make him pay?"

"I promise," Joe kissed her as he grinned.

"Did anyone hear that? I think Vest's calling me," George stood abruptly, his ears reddening as accusatory eyes fell upon him.

"George, you did not!" Evelyn scrambled to her feet after him, chasing him down the hill as he started to run. "George Luz! You stop right now!"

"I can't! I have to go!"

"Why did you tell Toye? What's wrong with you?"

"I thought he'd keep his mouth shut! I was just excited!"

"You stop running right now, George!"

"No, you'll hurt me!"

"You bet I'll hurt you, I'll-"

"Do you think we should stop them?" Vera frowned in concern as Evelyn caught up to George and they somehow ended up rolling down the rest of the hill together in a pile of arms and legs.

"They'll be alright," Eugene murmured.

"This is normal for them," Babe explained. "They're like children when they get together."

"Fuck," Joe muttered in realisation. "How did I only just realise I'm gonna wind up having to adopt Luz when we go home?"

… … …

Liebgott was one of a number of men guarding the German army who would be released to go back to their normal lives once their General had formally surrendered. They eyed her curiously for a moment but she didn't pay them any attention.

"You said your goodbyes to Malark?" Joe asked her.

"Yeah," she nodded, her heart clenching slightly at the thought of it.

"Finally getting to go to Paris, huh?" she smiled. "I hope you've still got a lot of money to waste on those French girls, Don. They'll be all over you."

"None of them will hold a candle to you though, Ev," Malarkey grinned. "You've gone from being a girl to a fully grown woman right before my eyes."

"Don, I was almost nineteen when I joined Easy," she laughed. "I was already a goddamn woman, you idiot."

"Yeah but it's different now," he shrugged. "You're different… in a good way."

"And I'm a married woman," she smirked. "You had your chance, Don, and you missed it."

"Something I'll regret forever," he teased, his eyes softening on her. "Seriously Ev, I'm gonna miss you. I'm gonna miss all of you."

"Not as much as we'll miss you," she reached out to take hold of his face, tears filling in her eyes as every interaction they'd ever had together flashed through her mind.

"So much to say and not enough words right?" he placed his hands over hers.

"Right."

"I'll write to you, ok? Tell you about all those hot French girls and about all the delicious cakes I've been eating."

"And I wanna hear about Faye when you finally meet her," she smiled. "And me and Joe can come visit when we get back home and maybe meet her for ourselves."

"That sounds perfect," Malarkey nodded, taking hold of her hands and kissing one of them before letting go gently. "Now get going before you make me cry."

"You mean before someone else comes and sees you cry," she laughed.

"You always did know me too well, Ev. Now you get going and you look after yourself, alright?"

"Good luck, Donald Malarkey."

"We'll see him again, don't you worry," Joe promised her. "Gonna invite everyone to the giant wedding celebration we have when we get home."

"I don't know about giant," she pulled a face. "I don't want a big fuss."

"I know you don't," he laughed. "But this wedding aint really for you, babe, it's for our moms, so you'll have to just suck it up."

Evelyn's answer was to roll her eyes and elbow him in the side, smiling at Lipton who jumped out of the jeep that had just pulled up. Her smile soon fell when she saw Sobel walking in their direction though.

"What the hell is he doing here?" she scowled.

Luckily he was too busy pretending to avoid Major Winters to pay any attention to Evelyn, but that didn't stop her shuddering when he walked past them. Glancing towards Winters' and Nixon, she caught the latter smirking before Winters called them over so Joe could interpret the German General's speech.

"Men, it's been a long war, it's been a tough war," Liebgott began. "You've fought bravely, proudly for your country. You have found in one another a bond that exists only in combat, among brothers. You've shared foxholes…"

"I'm so cold, I feel like my balls have fallen off," George complained, lighting his cigarette with a shaking hand.

"How would you know?" Evelyn snuggled up closer against him, nuzzling her nose into his neck and waiting for him to wrap his arm around her. "Yours were so small to begin with it would be hard to tell."

"Shut up," George flickered here in the ear. "You're a real- incoming!"

The ground shook beneath them and all around them as George's grip tightened around her, his body hunched over hers.

"Medic!"

"... Held each other in dire moments…"

Closing her eyes, Evelyn blinked back tears as the medic from Able held her tightly, his body shuddering in agony as he tried to comprehend the horrors they had witnessed; the people they had tried to help. The women and young girls were so emaciated and hair so short that it was hard to know that they were even females at all. Rubbing her arms up and down his back, she didn't care that they barely knew one another. He needed to be held in that moment just as much as she did, and there was no shame in that.

"... You've seen death and suffered together…"

The replacement was dead before she even reached him. His ice blue eyes stared up at her, pleading even in death and nothing peaceful about them. Throwing her helmet to the ground, she wanted to scream. Barely old enough to shave, barely old enough to have lived.

"... I'm proud to have served with each and every one of you…"

They were a smart looking bunch, no one could deny that. Looking around at everyone in their dress uniforms, Evelyn couldn't believe they had done it. Months of blood, sweat, tears and Sobel had led them to this day.

They were goddamn paratroopers.

"...You all deserve long and happy lives in peace."

Evelyn couldn't help but swallow down the thick lump in her throat as she looked at soldiers before her. Ordinary men who had done their duty for their country, fought to keep their families safe. Unlike the SS, these were men no different from those she had spent the past few years with.

These men looked at each other in the same way she looked at her boys in Easy.

Her family.

And no matter what the future held for any of them, a family they would always be.