I was crying the entire time I was writing this, so I apologize if it is not quality work or rushed.

I really hope you enjoy- and thank you for your support! :)

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Pistol Whip

"Jesus…" The doctor lifted Grant's bandage as he lay motionless on the operating table. Essie clutched Tab's jacket as tears steadily rolled down her cheeks. Tala had her fingers laced with his as Eugene held up a bag of plasma.

"What?" Speirs asked, holding Charles' other hand.

"He's not gonna make it?"

Eugene protested, "You can't operate on him?"

"Not me," he pulled a cigarette from his teeth. "You'd need a brain surgeon. And even if you had one… I don't think there's any hope." The useless doctor rubbed his drowsy eyes.

Taletta let out a sob, grazing her thumb along his cheek. Speirs looked over and saw her holding her pregnant stomach, the undying love in her eyes. He pointed abruptly to Tab and her, "You find the shooter. I want him alive."

Ronald began lifting the blood soaked stretcher. "What are you doin'?"

"We're gonna find a brain surgeon!" Talbert grasped the handles around the bottom half of the stretcher, hastily carrying their dear friend. Taletta was left to herself, miserable sobs wracking her body. Her short dark hair stuck to her face with the tears, her hands trembling as she held her stomach. Essie saw her and reached for her hand. Reassuringly she led her down the hallway, her nose following the smell of Talbert.

She looked over her shoulder, "I'll go help Tab… you go with him. He needs your love now."

Taletta showed her agreement by nodding, and jogged off. Essie met up with Tab after Chuck was loaded onto a jeep.

"He wants a Non-com guarding on every road block," Talbert started.

"And at least two men watching every road out of town," Essie finished the order as if the two had rehearsed it.

"Bull, Malark- each take a squad on a house-to-house search," a flood of pissed off men strutted down the hallway.

Malarkey held a jacket in his hand, his strong arms showing, "Can we shoot this bastard on site?"

Essie grabbed Floyd's pinky finger as they paused in the lobby, "No, try and take him alive."

"Where's Grant now?" Luz asked through his Lucky Strike.

Floyd's voice calmed, "They took him to a Kraut hospital, see if they could drum up any good doctors."

Bull approached her, "How's Taletta?" Essie felt her heart sink into her boots. All she could do was solemnly shake her head. Bull understood the response and dashed out the door, seeking revenge.

Speirs knocked the muzzle of his pistol against the window pane of a civilian home. With no response, he knocked loudly again causing a dog to bark. A light flickered on, and a man pulled back a shielding curtain.

"Open up," Ronald warned. Taletta soothingly stroked Grant's face as Eugene looked down at her. He knew at this moment that she loved Charles Grant more than any other man in the world. His Cajun heart sunk for her.

"What happened?" The German peeled back the soaked bandage wrapped around his head.

"He was shot in the head."

"Half hour ago," Speirs added. He jabbed the gun into his gun, "Let's go."

He glared at the impatient Captain, "Let me drive… we'll get there faster." Speirs agreed, closing the leather flap over his sidearm.

"I don't know who's taking a bigger beating, me or him?" Luz slapped down a hand of card on the coffee table, lighting up another cigarette. Talbert's face was beaded with sweat as he heard the captor cry out.

"Wanna play a different game?"

George shook his head, "Nah, same game. Shuffle 'em up good." Floyd was nearly loosing it, so he loudly slapped the cards into his other hand. He bunched his pant leg together, turning his head towards the shouts.

"You alright?"

He lied, "Yea, I'm alright."

"Wanna go in there and join in?"

"I should go stop this."

Luz's cancer stick wiggled as he spoke, "Floyd, just play cards, alright?"

Essie fisted her fingers together, impatiently awaiting her turn to unleash her wrath. Blood was guzzling down the pathetic G.I. from Item Company's chin. Esther thought again to Taletta holding her growing stomach, and she pushed through the crowd. She couldn't hold in the anger any longer.

"The man you shot? He was about to be a father…" she spat out at him, and a sickening smile grew on his face.

"You the girl he fucked?" Without hesitation, Essie yanked out her Colt and struck his jaw with the grip in response to the foul remark. He coughed, blood gushing from his split lip.

"When you talk to a lady, you say ma'am!" She viciously warned. He laughed, blood bubbling through his yellow teeth. Easy Company back up against the wall, dodging the blood she was about to draw.

Unleashing her anger at his disgusting remark about her best friends, she pounded her small, white knuckled fists into his face. Her bones made a sickening crack with the forceful contact of the two. With pain she bit down hard on her tongue, tasting steel in her mouth. With his cowardly arms tied back, the disgraceful trooper was fair game to her bloody fists.

Grunting with each blow, she didn't hear her boys begging her to stop. The man under her reign was now nearly inches from death. Babe Heffron grabbed her shoulders and pulled her away with her arms still swinging. Still not done, Esther spat into the cowards face. "Rot in hell you worthless motherfucking piece of shit…"

Her memory flashed as she remembered Market Garden and how she had done the same to the female Tab had kissed. Her heart ached for Bill, for Tala, Grant and Dixie. In this blood curdling moment, Easy Company knew she needed to go home. She couldn't handle anything more.

Her breathing was uneasy as she wiped his blood on her pant leg. She calmly left the room, fear lingering in the stale air. "Grant's dead?" More asked her as she licked her lips.

"No. Kraut doctor says he's gonna be okay." Essie sat down, totally exhausted. Talbert tried to sit next to her to offer his loving comfort, but she pushed him away. She knew he was sorry, but the vivid scars of him kissing somebody else still burned her soul. The thought of her lips on Nixon's also made her crumpled into a tighter ball. "I want to go home…" she sobbed, like a small child throwing a tantrum.

B.o.B.

"Christ, I feel like a third wheel guys…" Taletta teased as Essie sat in Talbert's lap. A red checkered tablecloth was under them, the fresh smell of green spring grass filled their noses. A large squad of surrendered German soldiers stood at attention, their General talking to a nodding Lipton.

Sobel strutted past them, making both her and Talbert's stomach and heart do a trapeze act. "Holy shit…" they murmured in unison, raising a question in Tala. They saluted him; his eyes fixed in a death glare. Though their time at Toccoa was hell, they could thank Sobel for making them such fine soldier.

"Is that the asshole you told me about, Es?" Esther's index finger flew to her lips, worried Herbert would hear her. Instead she silently nodded, amazed to see him at the same place and same time as her.

"Esther! Care to translate with Liebgott?" Winters called for her, making her scramble to her feet.

She leaned carelessly at Joe's side, watching as the Generals sharp jaw rocked back and forth, searching for words.

He began, looking proudly over his men, "Men, it's been a long war… it's been a tough war. You have fought bravely, proudly for your country. You are a special group," Essie choked up, realizing their enemy's story was the same as theirs.

Liebgott took over, "You've found in one another a special bond that exists only in combat. Among brothers… you've shared foxholes, held each other in dire moments. You've seen death, and suffered together."

"… and I am proud to have served with each and every one of you. You deserve long and happy lives of peace…" Essie finished, the powerful words getting caught in her throat. Everything he said was true. They had suffered, died, struggled and succeeded together. Now, they deserved the good life. If only, brave men like Hoobler, Muck and Penkala and so many others, could have enjoyed a life without war.

B.o.B.

"BUCK!" Essie sprinted to the broad shoulder man. She jumped into his arms, holding on tightly to her neck. She began happily laughing in his shoulder, "It's so good to see you!"

He grasped her waist tightly, "I missed you, Bastonge Baby." He gently sat her down, looking down at her as the sun illuminated the glee on her face. She took a few steps back as Eugene slid into home. Bull promptly smacked his ass, tagging him out. Essie smiled broadly at him as he good naturedly hobbled away.

"C'mon Pee Wee- let's get Webby out!" Johnny Martin called, clapping his hands together. Esther chanted happily, watching the ball fly up into the glorious blue sky. Esther tightened the strings of her not-so-beloved PT shorts. Johnny flung himself to the ground, throwing the baseball towards Luz with flying sand trailing behind it.

Ramirez tapped out the bubbly and happy man that had made everybody laugh more than once during the war. A smile cracked across her face as she watched Eugene successfully hit the ball across the field. He tore off, sand flying behind his boots rather than bloody snow. Though Essie had had some rough times with Frank Perconte, she couldn't help but chuckle as the loveable short man pumped his arms in a sprint. She would miss him, believe it or not.

Liebgott let a Perconte (with a mouthful of sand) know he was out. He stood up, brushing his pants off. Frank jokingly winked at her, making her playfully roll her eyes. Yup, she was gonna miss him. Essie sucked a little harder on her cigar as she noticed Bull's wiggle his own in the corner of his mouth. He snapped his suspenders against his chest, making Esther giggle. With ease, the ball loudly cracked across high in the sky, and Essie was sure he splintered the bat. She was proud to have served with such a fine soldier.

When Tab tapped the slugger to the dirt, Essie let out a loud cat call, "Hit it, baby!" Easy Company roared their laughter, and her face burned red. God, I love these men. Lipton and Harry shouted for Floyd to run faster as he slipped and slid in the deep sand. As Tab slid into 2nd base, Alton More offered a helpful hand.

"EASY COMPANY! Form circle!" Ronald Speirs called, startling Essie in her complete bliss. Winters lifted himself from the jeep, seeming to have something weighing on his chest. They all trotted around him, sweaty arms faithfully around each other.

"A faster man could've had it, Perco." They all laughed, making Frank shake his head. "Listen up, got some news. This morning… President Truman received a formal surrender from the Japanese." Everybody let out a heavy sigh. The shock hung in the air, and Essie's body locked up. She was going home. They were all going home. Regardless of points, medals, wounds or scars… every surviving man and women of the 101st would be going home.

She looked down at her boys. Babe's clean red hair gleamed in the sunshine, Lipton's broad shoulders relaxed. Buck grasped her shoulder and silently shook it in rejoice. George Luz shook his head slowly in disbelief, and Bull gnawed on his cigar a little tighter. Nixon smiled brightly at her, and she knew she would miss him possibly the most. She had a lot to thank that man for. Taletta took her hand and squeezed it as the infant in her stomach kicked. Essie knew she would live out a beautiful life. Winters curtly nodded, dismissing them all.

Bull playfully chased after her, "Imma gonna get you, Essie!" He chanted, and she let out a delighted squeal. A proud song grew strong in her heart, and she couldn't help but sing as they jogged towards the tents.

"We pull upon the risers, we fall upon the grass! We never land upon our feet- we always hit out ass." Easy smiled, each of them reciting the same verse they chanted through heavy gasps while running up Currahee.

"Highty tighty, Christ almighty… who the hell are we?! Zim zam, goddamn, we're Airborne Infantry!" They slapped each other's back with their shared victory.

"HI-HO SILVER!" Essie bellowed at the very top of her lungs. Easy chuckled their appreciation, throwing their fists into the air in celebration. Most of them knew they wouldn't have survived the war without their beloved 'girl'. First Sergeant Esther Fusillade was incredibly honored by this.

Buck Compton came back to see the company to let us know he was alright. He became a prosecutor in Los Angeles. He convicted Sir-Han Sir-Han in the murder of Robert Kennedy, and was later appointed to the California court of appeals.

David Webster became a writer for the Saturday Evening Post and Wall Street Journal. He later wrote a book about sharks. In 1961 he went out on the ocean alone, and was never seen again.

Johnny Martin would return to his job at the railroad, and then start his own construction company. He splits his time between Arizona and a place in Montana.

George Luz- became a handyman in Providence, Rhode Island. As a testament to his character, 1600 people attended his funeral.

Doc Roe died in Louisiana, in 1998. He had been a construction contractor.

Frank Perconte returned to Chicago, and worked a postal route as a mailman.

Joe Liebgott, returned to San Francisco and drove his cab.

Bull Randleman was one of the best soldiers I ever had. He went into the earth moving business in Arkansas. He's still there.

Alton More returned to Wyoming with a unique souvenir- Hitler's personal photo albums. He was killed in a car accident, in 1958.

Floyd Talbert- we all lost touch with him in civilian life. Regardless of Essie's begging, we didn't see him until he went to a reunion right before his death in 1981.

Esther Fusillade- I was honored to serve with such a courageous young woman. I walked her down the aisle in the place of her father when she married Floyd Talbert in 1945. Essie was a great mother to all seven of her children.

Carwood Lipton became a glass making executive in charge of factories all over the world. He has a nice life in North Carolina.

Harry Welsh, he married Kitty Grogan. He became a administrator for the Wilksbury schooling system.

Ronald Speirs stayed in the Army, served in Korea and in 1858 returned to Germany as governor of Spandau prison. He retired a Lieutenant Colonel.

Lewis Nixon had some tough times after the war. He was divorced a couple times, but in 1956 he married a woman named Grace and everything came together for him. He spent the rest of his life with her, traveling the world. My friend Lew died in 1995.

I took up his job offer and was a personal manager at Nixon Nitration Works until I was called back into the service to train officers and Rangers. I chose not to go into Korea- I had had enough of war. I stayed around Hershey, Pennsylvania until I finally found a little farm… a little peaceful corner of the world, where I still love today. There is not a day that goes by that I do not think about the men that never got to enjoy the world without war…

"To this day, to the ending of the world we in it shall be remembered. We lucky few, we band of brothers. For he in today who sheds his blood with me, shall be my brother."

Well, now I'm sobbing like a baby….

This story, which was my first Fic, meant so much to me. Why? Because I cherish the fact that I got to be in a company of heroes for three months.

Oh, geez… if only you could see me. I'm a mess. Time to break out the good ole Vat69! xD

Do not fear- my beloved readers, for there will be an epilogue. A beautiful, sure-to-make-you-cry-as- hard-as-I-am, epilogue.

Seriously… somebody give me a tissue.

I can't even begin to say how thankful I am for these brave men, YOU, this story and the forever memorable experience it gave me. Ha! Imagine how I'll be when the epilogue is done… oh, God! xD