" Every river leads to the ocean. Stars do burn out. So yes, everything ends, But do you want to know a secret? Everything - and I mean everything - begins again."

- Erin Van Vuren

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" Joe."

" Joe."

" Joe." George called out towards Joe Liebgott who sat on the edge of his foxhole laughing beside Alley. Joe slowly turned to George.

" Hey, Luz." Joe called as Alley smiled widely, " What's up?" George's gate slowed as he gently stepped in front of George and knelt down by his side in the snow.

" Can I talk to you for a second?" George said and Joe's gaze turned from playful to serious.

" What's going on?" Joe said, watching pain and conflict flip through George's eyes like a novel.

" George what's going on?"

" Just, please, can we talk?" George said softly. Joe glanced back at Alley, before taking George's extended hand and letting him help him up to his feet. George and Joe walked side by side through the snow, as Joe's mind turned to absolute crumbles.

What was going on?

George's hand stopped him from his confused walk forward. Joe slowly turned to George in the darkness of the morning.

" What is going on?" Joe said, his voice strained, his eyes searching George's for answers.

" Joe, she...she.." George stopped and for the first time in months, Joe heard George's voice crack. Joe's heart cracked it felt.

" Who?!" Joe yelled, hands on George's shoulders. George looked up at Joe's eyes.

" Hazel." George whispered softly, " She got wounded."

Joe's world stopped, his entire world fell to his feet, his arms went slack, his body went into withdrawal.

" Hazel?" Joe whispered softly. George nodded, gently placing a hand on Joe's shoulder. Joe felt anger boiling up inside him. Those Krauts had done it to her, they were the reasons he was injured, in a field hospital, all alone. When George met Joe's eyes again, George saw angry tears in Joe's eyes, ones he tried to conceal.

" Did she go to a field hospital?" Joe managed to say, biting back his tears, blinking as many times as he could to stop them.

" Yeah, Gene and Lizzie took her there." George said softly. Joe nodded, placing his hands on his hips, as he stared angrily in the snow. He sniffled, wiping at his eyes before looking away from George back into the filled in trees of the Ardennes.

Joe had never felt the pain he felt in that moment, just the want to completely break down, fall to his knees and cry out.

But she was wounded, she wasn't dead like so many other Easy Company members.

She was alive.

And if Hazel were here now, Joe knew she wouldn't want to see him crying for her.

When Joe met George's eyes again, George gave a slight smile.

" She'll be back, she's got to." George said and Joe nodded, a forced smile quirking up at the corner of his lip. Joe looked off, thinking of a few days ago when Hazel was telling him about the stars like she always did; she had never looked more excited just talking about something she loves.

And the way her eyes lit up, they were glowing even in this harsh wasteland, they were like embers, burning so bright under the night sky. Joe glanced back at George.

" C'mere buddy," George said, gently stepping forward and wrapping Joe in a warm hug. Joe gently hugged George back and shut his eyes.

" I miss her," Joe whispered softly, only so George could hear.

" I know you do." George said back as Joe sucked in a shaky breath. Everything was going to be okay, but it didn't stop the dull pain in his heart, when he thought of her face, how innocent and pure it was, and how fast that was ripped from them.

Joe let a tear roll down his cheek as he let his eyes close.

Staying strong was the only was to get through out here, though.

Hazel's injury was just adding onto the fact they were in the cold, in a war, and people were dying or getting injured left and right.

Joe felt his heart cry that morning.

Joe Liebgott had cleared up that morning, into the angry, hot-headed self, pissed that the Germans had gotten Hazel, an innocent, pure woman who didn't deserve any of that pain, wounded.

But he had been angry for a while; seeing Bill and Joe, hearing about their injuries, hearing Skip and Penkala were gone, had struck a nerve in him. Everyone they had lost, had hurt Joe, Hazel was just someone who kept his pain at bay, kept his anger tame, the lion that pawed at his heart, under control. But now Hazel was gone, and he finally felt all the pain catching up to him and he hated it.

The way he felt.

Everything about it. Because he would do anything for Hazel and now here he was.

That morning was dreary, worse than any of the others. Not to mention it was the day before the assault on Foy, but after all the losses, that Easy was still reeling from, they had to combat the fact that Dike would be their leader in combat. And there was supposed to be a sense of patriotism, that they'd finally be making the assault on Foy after watching it over for a month, but no one was merely enthused by it. The losses had taken a toll and Hazel was the last straw.

Catherine watched Joe sit alone at breakfast, ignoring Chuck and Alley and Tab, sitting on a log away from everyone, angrily eating the food he had. Hazel's injury was eating away at him, Catherine could tell it was.

Hazel was Joe's rock, and everyone knew it. He had a smile just for her, and he smiled more around her; he was happier by her side. They had inside jokes, they stargazed, they talked about some of the deepest things together. They were total opposites who understood each bit of each other. And now, Hazel wasn't there and Joe still was. And it hurt Joe too much to be able to begin to comprehend it all.

Catherine forced herself to swallow any emotion she felt however because she knew if she didn't then as a Lieutenant, there would be a break in the company, and while assaulting Foy that was the last thing they needed.

Malarkey had been there for her that early morning, as she had, to her regret, sobbed into his arms, when that was the last thing he needed. But Hazel was like a sister, she was her sister, and it hurt. It hurt too much. But Catherine had been there for Malarkey, sitting by his side, as the man held her hand tightly, without having to say a word, just needing a friend there.

So, Catherine went around that day making sure each man was ok, sitting with them if they needed to talk, taking in whatever pain they bore to her, letting them know it'd be ok, everything would be alright.

Her emotions were important, but making sure everyone else was okay was important, especially after what had happened. She was a human, but she was a Lieutenant about to lead a group of soldiers into battle with an incompetent CO. She had to try her best. She sat with Lizzie for a while on the side of her foxhole, talking, letting Lizzie get whatever she had deep inside her out. And it had helped.

Even if Catherine bore all the pain of the people around here, she didn't care; if they were better able to fight this stupid war than she'd take it all in, from everyone.

The night before the assault, Easy was a bundle of nerves, mostly because of their incompetent CO, Lieutenant Dike. Catherine had spent that night at dinner, praying. Her family was not heavily religious, but she did it for Hazel's sake, for Bill and Joe and Buck and Hoobler and Skip and Penkala and for the assault of Foy. If they didn't pray, if Catherine didn't, with all that pain she held, she didn't know how she could live with herself. Hazel would want them all to continue, even without her.

That's something she would say.

She would've prayed as well.

Catherine began to focus on her duties as a Lieutenant heading into the assault. Lip would be leading 2nd Platoon, and after the loss of Bill, Joe, Skip, and Penkala, and Hazel many people were thinking that after this, Chuck would be moving up to lead 2nd platoon. Catherine believed that as well. Catherine did her rounds like that as usual, filling in for Lip. He was going to Winters to let him know about Dike and the worry that surrounded the company because of it. Catherine made sure to visit Lizzie again, as per usual.

And she even went to visit Joe, who had refused to talk to anyone really. Catherine approached his foxhole he shared with Alley who was on OP duty. Joe was sitting his foxhole, holding something tiny in his hands. It was the tiny bracelet from Mrs. Burnett that Hazel loved so much. Joe was holding it so gently in his hands, rubbing his fingers over it, eyes seemingly memorizing it. Catherine didn't know that Hazel had even given it to Joe.

" Hey, Joe." Catherine said and she watched Joe look up towards her with tear filled eyes. Catherine had never seen Joe cry, nor really any of the men. As Toccoa veterans they were tough, the women knew that, but hearing about Hazel had clearly struck a bone in Joe Liebgott's system.

" Hey, Mack." Joe said as he shoved Hazel's bracelet into his pocket and wiped at his eyes, sitting back and looking away. Catherine bit her lip.

" I know you're upset, Joe. About Hazel." Catherine said as she crouched beside the foxhole. Joe was quiet.

" Do you want to talk about her?" Catherine asked him, slowly sitting on the edge of his foxhole, " I know she's your best friend." Joe sniffled at that mention.

" Tell me what your fondest memory of her is," Catherine said, as she glanced towards him.

" Paris." Joe whispered. Hazel had never said much about Paris except that she had some of the most fun there, especially with Joe. It was like their own little thing.

" What was Paris like?" Catherine asked Joe.

" I had never felt happier, Mack." Joe said softly, " You know, she's...it's Hazel. Who can't be happy around her?" Joe sniffled again. Catherine watched Joe sigh, shaking his head.

" You know I danced with her, the first time she'd danced in a while." Joe said, " She's really good at it."

" And she smiled." Joe said, as Catherine watched him wipe his eyes, " She has a beautiful smile." Catherine smiled, her heart ached.

" Hearing...hearing she got hit," Joe said, biting back his trembling lip, " I hate the way I feel."

" But she's ok," Catherine said and Joe looked up at her with raw, pained eyes, " Gene and Lizzie know so." Joe looked down at his hands and sniffled, and nodded. He looked down again and reached into his pocket and pulled out the tiny bracelet.

" This was hers." Joe said, as he wiped his eyes again.

" It's beautiful." Catherine said.

" Yeah," Joe said, and she smiled a bit, " it is."

" She'd be upset if she knew she was in a field hospital and not here with us." Catherine said.

" It's why I'm gonna fucking destroy those fucking Krauts tomorrow, Mack. They're the reason Hazel's hurt." Joe said, a bit of anger in his tone.

" Use that anger tomorrow." Catherine said softly him as Joe looked towards her, " Show those assholes what true anger is, what pain is." Joe looked up at her and smiled a bit.

" Yes, ma'am." he said with a nod.

" Try and get some sleep." Catherine said as she slowly stood up and brushed off her pants a bit, before pointing to the bracelet, " Keep that safe." Joe nodded. Catherine left Joe behind, feeling better herself, just hearing him talk about her, from her best friend.

The next morning, it was the morning of the assault and everyone was on edge. Catherine would be in the attack. Winters had told Lizzie she could stay back, she was severely sick, but she told him that she'd rather fight, than hang back and have people die.

So Lizzie would be moving with Dike and George, but it was only because Dike said if he went down he wanted to be worked on immediately.

Selfish bitch.

At the moment, Catherine would be 2nd in Command to Lip for 2nd Platoon. Lip had come to her late last night, asking if she could join him. She had of course said yes. When Easy Company moved out into the open, the firing had already started.

" Covering fire!"

" Let's go! Keep it moving!" Lip yelled to the group of men and women that ran across the field. As Easy Company ran forward towards the town of Foy, machine guns began opening up around them. Catherine was a little behind Lip, making sure that men were moving across the field, when a man fell to her feet in front of her, causing the girl to trip and plummet to the ground. She let out a groan.

" Keep moving!" she called to the men that ran past, shoving up from the guy, and positioning him behind the hay barrel nearby for protection until a medic could get to him.

" Let's go! Let's go!" Lip began yelling as Catherine caught up to him, as bullets whizzed past their heads, sizzling and smoking as they did so.

Lizzie was moving back near Dike and George. Lizzie's ears were ringing from each little explosion that went off, but she wasn't surprised, they always did that.

" Keep 'em tight, Shames!" Dike yelled, as a tank shot with full force blowing up near a group of guys to their left. Lizzie grumbled to herself as she followed closely behind George, her weapon out in her arms. The artilley kept shooting towards them, blowing up tiny huts on the outskirts, causing debris and shrapnel and snow to explode into the sky and overtop of Easy Company men.

" Keep moving!" Lip yelled to the group as Catherine pushed a guy forward as an explosion rattled off from where he had almost remained standing.

" Wait a minute, wait a minute, where's Foley?" Dike began calling out, stopping in open fire, as Lizzie looked at George crouched to the ground. Lizzie looked over, Foley was right where he should be.

" Where the hell is 1st platoon?" Dike yelled, slamming into Lizzie with such force that propelled her to the ground in Dike's freak out. Lizzie grumbled to herself as she pushed up from the snow and George looked as Dike raised a hand to his mouth.

" Hold up!" Dike yelled, and Lizzie narrowed her eyes.

" Keep moving!" Lizzie heard Lip and Catherine yelling.

" Easy Company, hold up!" Dike yelled and crouched to the ground as Lizzie and George squatted beside him.

" What the hell?" muttered Lizzie as George looked at Dike, agitated.

" Bull shit." George muttered.

" 2nd platoon, hold up!" Lizzie heard Lip yell, signaling for the platoon to stop moving. She watched as Catherine did the same, following Lip's orders before hurrying over to Lip and crouching by his side. She could see Catherine's anger from here.

" Will you move!" Winters yelled as he stood from where he crouched next to Sink.

" Get me Foley on the radio." Dike told George.

" Get out of there, move!" Winters yelled again.

" Sir, I think we should take cover." George told Dike.

" Find some cover!" Lip began yelling, as Catherine bounced back and against a bail of hay. More explosions were still blowing up dirt and snow in front of them and getting closer to the sitting company who wasn't moving.

" What?" Dike yelled at George, as an explosion went off behind them and Lizzie crouched down the ground, as the impact hit her. The explosions were going off and taking out men at the same time. Lizzie squeezed her eyes shut, they were in the open, they'd be killed.

" Easy Red, Easy, Easy Red..." George began calling into his radio. Lizzie forced herself up to her feet as they collapsed against a bail of hay, breathing heavy at the same time. George was in front of her, yelling into his radio as Dike was next to her, not even focused on what was going on. Dike grabbed George's phone on his radio from his hands.

" Foley, Foley, you get back...here where I can see you, goddammit!" Dike yelled. Lizzie's eyes widened. What was going on?

" Fall back!" Dike began yelling, as Lizzie's anger nearly boiled over. She looked at George flames in her eyes, and she had to bit back her lip as to not say a word. But George looked equally as pissed.

" Lip!" Catherine called as she collapsed by his side and he made sure she crouched standing up again next to him.

" The fuck's going on?" she asked him.

" I have no clue." he said looking toward where Dike would be.

" Go forward!" Winters yelled again.

" Stay on my ass!" Lip yelled, tapping a private and Catherine, " Hold fast, 2nd platoon!" Lizzie looked up as Lip came crashing into Dike's side and Catherine followed, eyes filled with overflowing anger.

" What are we doing, Lieutenant?" someone yelled.

" Why are we stopped?" spat Lip at Dike.

" Fall back! Fall back!" Dike continued yelling and Lizzie held herself back from smacking him. Lip grabbed his shoulder and yanked him his way. Just then Shames and Foley appeared, and Gene came crashing in next to them, already worn out yet looking extremely confused.

" Lieutenant, what's the plan?" Foley yelled as he came in next to George.

" I don't know, I don't know, I don't know!" Dike began yelling. Lizzie's eyes narrowed.

" You'd better get Dike on the radio to me now." Winters snapped through the radio to George. From Lizzie's position, she didn't have a clue what was going on, as the group huddled around a hay bail and the company lay spread so thinly out along the perimeter of the town. She was confused.

This wasn't the plan.

" Lieutenant, what's the plan!" Foley yelled.

" Captain Winters, sir." George said shoving the radio in Dike's face.

" What's the plan?" Shames shouted.

" Okay, okay, Foley," Dike said as Lip gripped his by the shoulder, as Catherine glared down at him, snow falling in her eyes, like sparks.

" Foley, you take your men, you take your men on a flanking mission around the village, and attack it from the rear." Dike snapped, as an explosion set off near the group.

" Dike, we cannot stay here!" Lip yelled in his face, " You understand that?"

" You want 1st platoon to go 'round and attack the village, by itself?" Foley yelled, utterly confused.

" We will provide suppressing fire." Dike yelled.

" We're gonna be kind of alone out there, Lieutenant." Foley yelled at him.

" We will provide suppressing fire!" Dike yelled again. Catherine was ready to pounce on him. Catherine watched eyes filled with fear as Foley let out a breath and shot up and back. He disappeared. It was a bad idea.

" Sir, there is a machine gun in the church and a sniper out there. You send that platoon on a round about, they'll be slaughtered!" Catherine yelled, as Dike stared glossy eyed at her. No response.

" Get going forward!" Winters yelled.

" You need to talk to Captain Winters, sir." pleaded George with Dike. Dike was in slow motion it seemed, his mind not registering things, his eyes flitting everywhere. He wasn't mentally here. He never was. An explosion rocketed off nearby, as Dike remained unresponsive. Lip took initiative.

" Suppressing fire, now!" Lip yelled. George continued pleading with Dike to answer the radio to Winters, whose voice sounded angry from where Lizzie sat.

" Forget him!" yelled Catherine and moved around pulling George to her side.

" Radio Foley!" she told him and George dialed in.

" We lost 5!" Foley yelled through as Catherine held the phone to her ear, " Can you locate?"

" Lip! Locate!" she called to him, handing the radio to George as Winters switched onto the radio.

" The building with the caved-in roof." Lip called.

" The building with the caved-in roof!" George began yelling through the radio. Lip cursed to himself, jumping up and swinging back and turning and slamming into Dike's side.

" Sir, we are sitting ducks here. We have to keep moving!" Lip yelled in Dike's ear.

" You've got to keep moving!" Winters suddenly yelled, wiping around his rifle from his shoulder and running forward.

" Dick! Captain Winters." Sink yelled.

" Godammit, you do not go out there." Sink yelled at him. Winters looked back at the group and began marching angrily back towards them.

" You're the battalion commander, now get back here!" Sink yelled at him.

" Now Dick I understand your attachment to Easy C-"

" Speirs, get yourself over here!" Winters yelled, his voice echoing over the group. The group watched Speirs jump up, like a god almost and begin hurrying over to Winters.

" Get out there and relieve Dike and take that attack on in." Winters yelled at the man. Without hesitation, Speirs turned and went charging towards Easy, to save their asses.

Catherine blinked a bit, not sure if she was hallucinating or not. A bomb exploded from a tank, pushing up dirt from the ground and jumping through was non other than Ronald Speirs.

Lizzie felt a body blast past her and looked behind her and saw Ronald Speirs slam into Dike, grasping his collar and looking at the dazed CO.

" I'm taking over." Speirs said to him quickly. Even his voice sounded authoritative.

" 1st Sergeant Lipton!" Speirs yelled.

" Here!" Lip yelled and Lizzie watched as Speirs moved quickly towards Lip.

" What have we got?" Speirs asked the man.

" Sir, most of the company is spread out here. 1st platoon tried an edn around but they're stretched out, they're pinned down by a sniper." Lip explained, leaning over Catherine and George to point to the roof.

" I believe he's in the building with the caved-in roof." Lip said pointing to it where shots came from.

" Alright, I want mortars and grenade launchers on that building 'till it's gone. When it's gone, I want 1st to go straight in, forget going around, everybody else, follow me." Speirs told him.

" Yes, sir." Lip answered. Catherine watched in relief as Speirs raced forward, confident in his motives.

" Lieutenant McCown, I want 2nd Platoon on the CO!" Lip called to her, as Catherine nodded to him and took off. That's when the mortar group started firing.

" On your feet, 2nd platoon!" Lip called as George and Lizzie followed Lip. Lizzie began racing after Lip and George, her tiny feet carrying her over the snow. Lip began yanking people up from where they hid behind barriers and such, as the group continued racing forward. Lizzie watched Speirs a bit in front of her, his head whip around to look at the explosion flow up the nearby shed, but he kept racing forward, even faster.

Lip continued calling out to people to keep moving, as well as Catherine who seemed to be a force to be reckoned with as she connected with 1st platoon. Lizzie raced forward after Luz, and collapsed next to him where he was with Speirs and now Lip as well.

" Lipton?" Speirs asked the man as he looked over his shoulder. Something hit Lip as George began yelling into his radio.

" What do you see, Lipton?" Speirs asked as Lip blinked a few times and glanced back.

" Armor and infantry, a lot of infantry." Lip said.

" I Company's supposed to be on the other side of the town!" Speirs called, " D'you see any sign of them?"

" No, sir." Lip called.

" Radio anything?" Speirs asked, moving next to George.

" Sir, I think they're gonna pull back. If we don't connect with I, they're gonna slip away." Lip said.

" That's right, wait here." Speirs called, before patting Lip's leg and shooting up like a bullet from his spot. Lizzie watched as Speirs jumped over her and then went running forward, towards the Germans.

" What the hell?" muttered George from his radio watching with Lip and Lizzie. Lizzie watched from her position as Speirs raced forward, running through the smoke and Germans, his feet carrying him through, like he almost was invisible.

At first the Germans didn't shoot at him.

It was like they couldn't believe a man like Speirs was racing through their side of the battle. Lizzie watched as Speirs threw himself over the concrete ledge.

And they waited.

They assumed he hoked up with I Company, because the astounding thing was, that after he had hooked up with I Company, he came back.

Lizzie watched with wide eyes, as shots were fired at Speirs as they missed him. Lizzie watched as Speirs began sprinting back towards them, his legs moving quickly.

He looked like a leader, unfazed by it all, racing towards glory and victory.

Lizzie had to smile. She hadn't smiled in a bit anyway. Lizzie looked up at George and Lip with wide, happy eyes. Speirs was the leader they needed.

In the end, they took over 100 German prisoners. Then it was time to clean everything up. People were singing, the atmosphere was light and everybody felt calm for once, because they had finally taken Foy, the town they had watched for too long. Then a single shot rang out, and another followed, and the joyful singing the group heard silenced.

" Sniper!" someone yelled, and Lizzie felt someone pull her backwards. Lizzie slammed against the concrete building next to Shifty as Lip moved in next to him, breathing heavy. The sniper continued taking shots at them, as Lip rushed another person behind. If only Hazel were here; but they had Shifty.

" Where is he?" Popeye called. Lip peered around the corner.

" Shit, I can't see him." Lip said to Shifty. Lip peered over the corner again and then shot back again.

" Second floor, building on the right." Lip said.

" Don't miss, Shifty." Lip told him and Shifty nodded.

" Now!" Lip called and took off running across in the open. That's when Shifty popped out on the side and aimed his gun. The sniper took shots at Lip and her heart shook with each one praying Lip wasn't hit. The next shot came from Shifty's weapon and the sniper was silenced.

Cheering rose up and Lizzie let out a shaky breath filled with relief. She sighed to herself. She peered around and saw Lip against the wall, he put his hand up, he was ok.

They'd been looking down at Foy for so long that it was finally a relief to have made the assault, even with Speirs coming in as a CO.

With it over now, everyone was filled with a wonderful new-found relief.

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hello! so we've finally seen the attack on foy!! but poor joe :( he really is a lovesick little puppy, but i felt this was the perfect interpretation of his emotions with hazel at least; she's not dead, but she's injured and that still insights some emotional withdrawal. expect one more chapter after this - i have to say it is one of my favorites of the entire series, even though i have plenty of favorites!! thank you sm!! <3