" A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be."

- Rosalynn Carter

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New Years Eve of 1944 was different. Last year they'd been in Aldbourne and now here they were in this frozen tundra, hoping 1945 would be a better year than 1944, even though a lot of good had come out of the year in the end. Joe Liebgott returned from his job as a runner and Hazel had immediately went searching for her best friend.

" Joe," she said as she approached him and he turned at the sound of her voice. Joe's eyes were sunken in and his mouth was in a thin line. He didn't light up like he usually did. He remained mellow, eyes downcast, slightly shaking.

" Hey, Tiny," he said rather exhaustedly.

" You're back," she said, slightly shocked.

" Yeah, I guess they didn't want me fighting with those fucking Krauts." Joe said and Hazel raised a brow.

" What?" she asked softly. Joe looked at her in despair.

" Winters removed me from being a runner, I got too mouthy." Joe said shaking his head. Hazel bit her lip; this war was taking a toll on everyone.

" Joe-"

" Those Krauts are hurting my people, Hazel. They're hurting your people too." Joe said quietly looking into her eyes, trying to hold back his anger from what Hazel could tell, " They deserved a jab or two from me." Hazel offered a small, sad smile his way. Joe's eyes softened and realized he needed to calm down. Staring at Hazel, really looking at her, even in the dark forest, made him realize his love for her, even if she didn't know. Joe sucked in a shaky breath.

" How you are though, you doing ok?" Joe asked looking at her. Hazel snapped out of her trance, slightly confused.

" I'm okay," she said as Joe looked at her bright red nose.

" Good." Joe said with a small smile, and she smiled. But she knew Joe was frustrated and angry and upset. She slowly placed a hand on his arm and watched his eyes droop.

" You know you can talk to me right?" she whispered softly. Joe looked up towards Hazel and looked at her eyes which were shining like stars themselves.

" I can't even describe my hatred, I just, I feel it, it deep down." Joe said softly watching her.

" It's okay to feel that, I feel it too," she said softly rubbing his arm," your emotions, they're important, it's okay to feel that way."

God, Hazel made him so happy, even with just a sentence like that.

" I don't think I've told you thank you enough," Joe said glancing at her. She quirked an innocent brow.

" Just, you're always there for me and my bullshit," Joe said shrugging as she smiled.

" And you're there for mine." she said with a toothy smile from under the brim of her helmet. Joe's heart warmed. They'd be okay for the day. They all would be.

Hazel worried about him the rest of the day, but she didn't tell a soul that.

Joe Toye got taken off the line, thanks to a German sniper that dinged him in the arm. Hazel had been the one to find him wandering through the woods, a bit aimlessly, and decided to get him to Gene to be taken back to an aid station.

That night Hazel was walking around through the foxholes, as she heard the men's quiet chatter filling the air. She stopped by Bull's foxhole that he shared with a replacement and gave him a warm hug, wishing him a happy New Year, even though that was hours away. Hazel did that to many of the Easy Company men and women. She was thankful for each and every one of them. So when the little hand on her watch reached 12, she let out a sigh. 1945 arrived and it felt no different from 1944, she hoped that changed soon.

In the darkness of the night, the men and women went around, shaking hands with each other, hugging each other, giving kisses on the cheeks, mostly the men getting it from the girls. Hazel got hugs from all of the NCOs, and Lip and even a few Lieutenants. Even though Peacock was a little lost at the leadership spot, she still gave him a warm hug when he came around. She got a few kisses on the cheek, but she just smiled, and let her cheeks warm up, mildly embarrassed.

On January 1st, nothing felt remotely changed from 1944. They got up and worked through the normal onslaught of the cold, and dealt with it really. However, on January 2nd, they were moving back towards their old position. Since they had moved from their previous one a day after Christmas, they had to move back, mostly on Sink's orders, on pushing the Germans back through the Bugle. Catherine was standing right behind Buck and Lip, her eyes watching the map they had on Malarkey's head.

Convenient right?

Bill and her were helping 2nd platoon out, greatly, especially with all the added replacements, and Lip was going through the map layout where they'd come from.

" We were here this morning and then we came this way." Lip explained as his finger followed a road on the map. Catherine bent down only a bit to see clearer.

" Right, so, right here's gotta be the logging road," Buck stated, pointing to two areas, " coming into here..."

" Yes, sir." Lip said.

" Which means we get right there." Buck said and jabbed at the map on Malarkey's head.

" Hey, take it easy!" Malarkey called to them as Catherine smirked.

" Stop crying, Malark, or I'll nail it to your head." Buck said and Catherine snickered to herself.

" Hey, you should, it's made of wood." Bill commented, and Catherine smirked, shaking her head as she glanced towards Skip and Penkala who were hanging around.

" Guarnere, move 'em out, let's go." Buck said, and Catherine glanced back towards 2nd Platoon.

" Yes, sir." Bill answered as he stood to his feet.

" 2nd platoon, let's go!" Bill called, as Catherine motioned her arm back and forth to show a stand up maneuver. As they moved on the 1,000 yard walk through the woods near Foy, Catherine felt her heart racing. They could be hit by anything at this very moment as they moved through. And even though it was just the woods, they knew attacking Foy would come soon, but they weren't sure how soon. It could be in the next week, or in a few days, or maybe a whole other month. You never knew.

As they walked, there was a few cases where there was sporadic German machine-gun fire, but everyone managed to stay somewhat calm, there was only a few minor injuries that were quickly taken care of so the company could focus on the march through the woods.

So when the company finally reached where they would be setting up their foxholes, Catherine had to let out a sigh of relief that there was no major fire on them and no major casualties that came from it. Catherine and Bill began supervising, making sure foxholes were dug and built, and in the same time Hoobler was walking around with his Luger that he had wanted since Normandy.

Supposedly, he'd shot the German off a horse and gotten it. Hoobler had come up to the two as they were talking, showing off the Luger that was now in his hands, letting the dim light hit it and showing it off in all its glory. It was fairly impressive.

Hazel and Shifty remained foxhole partners, they'd done it for so long, they didn't even need to say words when they started digging together. But they were both fairly tiny, so Lip decided to give them a hand and they were grateful. And then Hoobler came by with Hashey and Hazel caught the Luger than he doned in his gloved hands.

" What's that, Hoobs?" she asked quietly, as she tried catching her breath for shoveling dirt out of the pit.

" A Luger, something I've always wanted." he said with a smirk and cocked it to show it worked. Hazel nodded with a smile and began digging again.

" How'd you come upon it?" Shifty asked.

" Hashey and I were with Christenson, checking out the edge of the line and some German comes riding through on a horse. So I pulled up my gun, and down he goes right out of the saddle, like a sack of potatoes. Outstanding accuracy on my part, if I do say so myself." Hoobler said.

" Which you do." Lip said as he stopped shoveling for a moment.

" Which I do," Hoobler said, " Hell, Shifty, Tiny, I think maybe I could have even given you two a run for your money, right?" Hazel and Shifty glanced at each other out of breath and Shifty cleared his throat.

" No, no, I'm not a good shot. Now, Dad, he was an excellent shot. Excellent, I declare, he'd shoot the wings off a fly." Shifty said and Hazel smiled as Hoobler looked to her.

" I'm not that great," she countered, " it's just my job."

" Hey, Lip, that German, what'd you think he was doing?" Hoobler asked Lip.

" Probably a little recon." Lip said as he staked his shovel, " He must have figured nobody would hear a horse."

" I think he was just trying to get the hell out of dodge." Hashey commented.

" Yeah." Hoobler said.

" What happened to the horse?" Shifty asked and Hazel turned, curious as well, hopeful eyes.

" I don't know, probably still running." Hoobler said and worry struck Hazel.

" Hope he's ok." Shifty said and Hazel nodded in agreement.

" Me too, hopefully someone takes care of him." Hazel said as she let out an exhausted sigh, shoveling out more dirt.

" You dug in?" Lip asked the two.

" Yeah, yeah." Hoobler said, " Yeah, just thought I'd take a walk, shoot the shit."

" Well, you're a good shot, Hoob." Lip said, " Just glad you're on our side."

" Thanks, Lip." Hoobler answered with a smile as the two turned and walked away. Hazel smiled to herself as she sat next to Shifty actually feeling warm and sweaty a bit and exhausted even in the cold tundra.

" Hey, Lipton?' Shifty said as Hazel glanced towards him.

" Yeah." Lip said, straining to lift dirt out of the pit.

" Thanks for the help." Shifty said as Hazel and him smiled up at Lipton who turned to smile at the two.

" You got it, you two." Lip said before turning and going in to dig again.

" Hey, Lip, you got a sec?" a voice called and Hazel glanced up as she speared her weapon on the ground again. It was Buck, with Malarkey behind him. She waved at Malarkey as he smiled back at her.

" Yes." Lip answered, " Yes, sir." Malarkey threw a pack of cigarettes to Shifty who caught them with ease as Malarkey gave a wink to Hazel who smiled and glanced at Shifty.

" Give them a hand." Lip said to Malarkey who took the shovel and jumped down into the pit with them. But they were all listening in on the conversation Lip was about to have with Buck.

" Where's Dike?" Buck asked Lip as Hazel and Shifty moved around the foxhole a bit to give Malarkey more room. Hazel glanced at Malarkey with a raised brow. He was still missing?

" He's uh, he's around." Lip said.

" Could you be a little more specific there, Sergeant?" Buck asked him.

" Not really, sir." Lip answered.

" Goddammit, I haven't seen him all day. I didn't see him when we were coming through the woods, and I have to figure out how we ended up." Buck said.

" Well, two wounded. Lieutenant McCown is doing the report supposedly." Lip said.

" Who?" Buck asked.

" Brown and Stevenson." Lip answered.

" Goddamnit." Buck said, as Hazel glanced up at them.

" And where's Dike, where the hell is he?" Buck said, " Where the hell does he ever go?"

" I don't know, but I wish he'd stay the hell there." Malarkey said.

" It'd be nice if he took Lieutenant Shames with him, too." Shifty said and Hazel snickered.

" Shut up, boys." Lip told them, and Hazel smirked at them, as Shifty placed the cigarette to his lips.

" Shutting up, Sarge." Malarkey said. Suddenly, a single shot went off in the distance and Hazel felt herself grab her weapon and squeeze in between Shifty and Lip to look out in the distance.

" Oh, hey, what the hell is that?" someone yelled.

" Patrol?" Malarkey called.

" No, we would have heard." Lip said.

" One man, maybe a sniper." Buck said.

" No," Hazel said, she knew the sound of a sniper, that wasn't it.

" That was no rifle." Shifty said.

" What do you see, Shift? Hazel?" Lip asked the two.

" Nobody out there." Shifty said as Hazel adjusted her scope a bit. No one.

" Are you sure?" Buck asked.

" Yep." Hazel answered," Nobody's there."

" Ah, Jesus, it's Hoob, he's shot." a voice yelled.

" Sniper?" somebody yelled, as Hazel sat back from her weapon and glanced towards where the yell came from, her heart racing, as the 5 of them in the foxhole sat quiet.

" No, no, he shot himself!" it was Hashey yelling.

" Stay here!" Lip yelled at Malarkey, Shifty and Hazel, before him and Buck jumped up and out of the foxhole. Hazel watched as the two ran away, her heart pounding. She glanced back towards Shifty and then Malarkey.

" He'll be ok, right?" Hazel whispered, as she turned and let her back hit the frozen dirt wall.

" I don't know." Malarkey said looking toward where the shot had come from biting his lip before putting the cigarette back on his lip. Hazel glanced at Shifty before looking back out towards where the yelling and commotion was coming from.

" It'll be ok, Hazel." Shifty said as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Hazel glanced at Shifty worriedly and nodded, leaning into his touch, keeping her ears alert for yelling.

Gene had been giving Lizzie penicillin, he'd finally gotten his hands on some. The two rather frustrated and overwhelmed medics were sitting in the foxhole, their hot-headed personalities, creating just an uptick of heat, to the point where Lizzie felt it were more than just the fever heat she had. He injected it into her, and then that's when the call for a medic came. Gene looked at Lizzie.

" Can you finish injecting this?" he asked her, as he began pulling on his bag.

" Yeah, go." Lizzie said and Gene jumped up and out of the foxhole. Lizzie watched as the rest of the penicillin drained into her body. She was sicker than what she thought sick could get, and she knew it wouldn't go away any sooner without consistent penicillin dosages.

When Catherine arrived at the CP, Lip was already inside, giving the report on Hoobler to Winters and Nixon. Hoobler had shot himself with the Luger, an honest mistake, but it had cost him his life.

The first of many.

" Well, I'm gonna go back and make sure the boys and girls are all dug in, sir." Lip said and turned in time to see Catherine walking into the aid station with a small, sad smile. He gave a smile to her as he put on his helmet as she walked in.

" Lip." a voice said and Lip turned as Catherine looked towards Winters.

" Where's Dike?" Winters asked him as he shivered.

" You wanna see him, sir?" Lip asked.

" No, I just would have expected to get this kind of news from him." Winters said, as Catherine glanced at Nixon who sipped his drink.

" Well, I was there, sir." Lip said.

" Oh," Winters said quietly.

" I figured it might as well be me." Lip said and then nodded and turned and left. Winters and Nixon shared a look as Lip walked away and Catherine watched Lip walk.

" He's nowhere." Catherine said, looking at the two with a slight glare, thinking of Dike.

" I went out, all the way to Dog, and then to Fox, asked them both, neither of their CO's have seen him even. One of Fox's Lieutenants saw a man wandering through not too long ago. Probably back up to Regiment." Catherine huffed out as she crossed her arms over her chest and sighed to herself. Winters glanced up at her.

" Thanks, Catherine." Winters said and she nodded.

" You wanna start on those reports?" Nixon asked her and Catherine nodded sitting at the tiny wooden desk available. Catherine worked through the multiple reports she had to write, on the geography of the land, the maps, some of the casualties, things like that. But then Peacock appeared in the doorway.

" Catherine." he said as she turned, making Winters and Nixon turn as well.

" What?" she asked him with a raised brow.

" Dike's back, wants to talk to us all." he said and Catherine looked at Winters and Nixon, before closing the pen cap she was writing with and standing up. She grabbed her weapon, not like she ever needed it, and binoculars and followed Peacock out.

" What do you mean 'Dike's back'?" Catherine asked him as she adjusted her helmet.

" I was digging the foxhole and he scares the shit out of me as I'm standing there. Starts with the 'Peacock! Get the other Lieutenants.' and then walks off." Peacock told her and Catherine let out a sigh.

" Did he say where he was?" Catherine asked him.

" No," Peacock muttered, " he never does."

" Ah, Lieutenant Peacock, Lieutenant McCown, thank you for showing up. Was wondering where you wandered off too." Dike said as they approached where Buck, Lip, Foley and Shames stood.

" You told me to get the other Lieutenants, sir." Peacock said.

" Oh..." Dike said, as Catherine raised a brow, " right." Catherine let out a low sigh, she had absolutely no filter. Catherine stood beside Peacock and Shames, arms crossed over her chest, as she listened to what Dike would propose. She was the shortest evident with her helmet that came a little above Lip's shoulders.

But she had a spitfire of the Titans inside her.

" And I want tight security around the Company CP, Lieutenant Shames, that understood?" Dike said and Shames nodded next to her.

" Now, Battalion S-3 is planning a move so, I will probably be called away....regularly." Dike said and Catherine raised a confused brow.

" Are there any questions?" Dike asked and Catherine had to bit her lip back.

" Uh, yeah." Buck said just a smidge bit sarcastically.

" Um, what's the formation you want us to go for?" Buck asked him.

" At present, as per usual, but I'll clarify that with you at a later time, Lieutenant Compton." Dike said.

" Yes, sir." Buck said. Then Dike yawned and Catherine felt her eyebrows raise.

" Um, sir," Catherine spoke up. Dike looked at her confused.

" What do you want me to do with all the reports you had me write, sir?" she asked him. Dike stared at her confused. The other Lieutenants were standing around her, waiting Dike's answer as Foley glanced at Catherine. Catherine waited as Dike looked at her.

" Give them to Captain Winters, he'll know what to do." Dike told her.

" I'm sorry, sir, but Captain Winters told me to give them to you." Catherine said, and Dike went quiet. She stared at him, coldly.

" Keep them for now," Dike told her, " we'll deal with it, later."

" But, sir, the reports have to get up to Division." Catherine urged on.

" Lieutenant, just keep them." Dike told her as Catherine shut her mouth as Buck sent her a glance.

" Yes, sir." Catherine said and then looked down.

" Alright, I gotta make a call." Dike said and then walked forward pushing through Lip and Buck. The group of Lieutenants and Lip watched him walk away.

" Keep them where?" muttered Catherine shaking her head as Foley stood by her side. The group of Lieutenants huddled in a circle together.

" What does he expect me to do with a mound of fucking papers in the snow, huh? They touch ice that ink is gone. I work my ass off to make sure they get done." Catherine snapped as Lip glanced at her.

" Winters told you to give them to Dike?" Lip asked her and she nodded. Lip raised a brow, confused.

" Why would he say that?" Shames questioned her.

" Probably because Dike goes up to Division every fucking day." Catherine muttered, as she reached for a cigarette, something she hadn't touched in a while. The cold was too numbing. The group of Lieutenants laughed at her comment.

" Let's get moving," Buck said.

" What the fuck does he expect from me?" Catherine muttered to Peacock and Foley as the trio walked towards the men.

" I don't get it, he goes up to Division all the damn time and then comes back with nothing new to tell us. Probably getting so shit faced up there." grumbled Foley shaking his head.

" Dike's always at Division." muttered Peacock as Catherine shook her head.

" One day, Division's gonna realize that the guy just isn't cut out for combat. I mean c'mon, we went through Sobel, Winters, and Moose, and even though Sobel was a dick and couldn't really lead a group, he still prepared us. And I wouldn't have traded Winters for the world. Or Moose, except for the fact the sentry shot him, but that's besides the point. This guy was just sent here for some experience." Catherine spat, " He's not even getting it."

" It seems were just an annoyance." Foley muttered, shaking his head.

" Oh, yeah, most definitely." Catherine said, shaking her head sarcastically.

" What does he even expect from you, Mack, I mean, you aren't with the company all the time, and so he doesn't tell you everything you need to do. If I were him, I'd make sure to stop by the CP regularly to make sure you're kept up to date." Foley told her.

" You think he'd do that." Catherine muttered, shaking her head," The only thing that guy can do, is ruin my faith in humanity." The two other Lieutenants chuckled.

" You know he's doing some dick sucking up at Division." Catherine said.

" Most definitely, why else would he keep going back?" Foley said as the trio chuckled.

" Well, wish me luck, boys. I'm going to go finish that report I need to give to Winters." she said and faked a cocky salute before turning and heading to Division.

All the Lieutenants enjoyed having Catherine up in their position with them.

Even though she wasn't exactly a Lieutenant who led a platoon, she worked closely with Battalion and Nixon, and always had some sarcastic comment to jab out and throw at Dike.

It made everything easier to cope with for them.

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hello! :) the hoobler scene makes me so sad, i just didn't have the heart to write it out in description :( i hope you enjoyed this chapter though, i'm really trying to show that the lieutenants were struggling with dike just as much as the enlisted men were to get answers from him, and i hope to portray that through this episode! thanks for reading and voting and commenting!