As usual, training was hell. Layla got used to her body being numb most of the time pretty quickly. Today, they were lined up in front of the practice range ready to start their fire-arm training. Sobel had given Easy a warning that they were dealing with live ammunition before having them assume position to start firing.

Easy company has already gotten through weapon training. They already know how to assemble and disassemble their M-1's like the back of their hands. The 101st infantry regime made sure to minimize the chance of accidents caused by 'friendly fire'. All the men were excited about finally getting to put their skills to practice.

Layla was at the end of the lineup, waiting for the order to start shooting. She gripped her rifle, lifting it up to look down the sight. The M-1 wasn't as heavy in her hands compared to the first time she held it. Layla altered her stance, expecting the recoil.

She took a breath in.

"Start firing!" Sobel ordered.

Layla squeezed her finger on the trigger.

Crack

She heard the audible whizzing of bullets around her as the whole company started shooting. She lowered her rifle to get a good look at the practice target.

Shit. The bullet was nowhere near the center. It was lodged near the bottom of the target. She took a breath through her teeth before resuming to empty the rest of the clip. Layla hoped that she would at be able to hit a shot within the circle at least.

She let go of her M-1, checking the target again only to find her hopes were in vain. She still missed every shot. Layla huffed, disappointed.

"You're doing it wrong" commented a friendly voice over her shoulder. She turned to face the man, a hand on her hip waiting for his explanation.

The man gulped, nervous at being the focus of her attention. "You see" he began as he held his M-1 to demonstrate. "You're holding the rifle too tightly. It's making you forget to follow through with the pressure of your shoulder." He continued before taking the shot. She turned, looking at the target. The bullet was dead center.

Layla picked up her rifle, following his instruction. She loosened her grip a bit, adjusted her weight so that she would be able to easily support her shoulder, looked down the sights and squeezed.

Ping.

She lowered her M-1 to look at the target again, finally finding the bullet lodged within one of the outer rings. She smiled to herself, proud. It was nowhere near the center, but she took it as a major improvement. Layla turned to the man who helped her.

"Thank you." She said, waiting for his name.

"Darrell Powers, ma'am."

"Well, thanks for your help, Darrell."

"No problem." He nodded, smiling at her.

Layla nodded back at him before taking a new clip and loading the bullets in so she can get as much practice as she can.

By the time, Easy was done with their day, Layla couldn't feel her arms. Everything hurt. She just wanted to lay in and rest, all day. She sighed loudly as she flopped on her bed face first.

"Ya okay there, doll?" Bill asked.

"Don't call me that." She snapped, turning to look at him. Why is he asking her? Is he gonna ask every man in here if they're ok? No. So why is he treating her differently?

"Geez. Okay. No need to get all pissy about it." He said, raising his hands up before going back to talk to Toye.

Fuck. Layla closed her eyes, sighing again. Guarnere was only asking because he cared. He didn't mean anything by it. Why did she have to immediately go on the defensive?

"Hey, Layla" Luz called out. "Ya wanna join us for a game of poker?" He asked.

She turned to lay on her back, thinking for a moment.

"Sure, why not?" She shrugged as she got up.

Walking towards him, Layla saw Malarkey, Muck, Perconte, Toye, and Guarnere sitting around him.

"But I have to warn you, boys. I'm gonna wipe the floor with all of you." She smirked, sitting down beside Luz and Perconte. She took her two packs of cigarettes out of her pocket and added them to the pile. Layla didn't smoke anyway.

"Don't get so sure of yourself." Guarnere warned her.

An hour later, she stayed true to her promise.

"Read em' and weep, fellas." She grinned, showing her hand. Groans came from around her, the men throwing their cards down. "I told you I'd win, boys." She brought her hard-earned prize closer to herself.

"What the fuck! What could ya want em' for? Ya don't even smoke, Layla" Toye gruffed out.

"You're right. I don't." She turned to the 'dealer' of their game finding him already paying attention to her with a smoke between his lips. "Hey, Luz."

"Hey, Layla." He grinned at her.

"I seem to have found myself an abundance of cigarette packs and have no darn idea what to do with them." She paused, feigning contemplation. "Wait a minute. You like to smoke, right?"

"Sure, I do"

"Well then, it's your lucky day, pal" She pushed most of the packs to his side, still pocketing her original two.

"Well gee, thanks, Layla."

"You got it." She winked, patting his back as she stood up to go back to her bed.

She heard the men behind her start to talk.

"Jesus, there's two of em' now." Bill complained.

"Told ya Snowy was fun." Luz huffed out, laughing.

"Shut up, Luz" Perconte said.

Snowy? She pondered the name to herself as she laid in bed. Layla wasn't even going to start to try and understand the men's logic behind the choice of the name. It wasn't long anyway before she found herself drifting to sleep.

Layla found herself sleep walking as she trudged along the line for breakfast. She could feel the pang in her stomach becoming stronger, hungry for food. When she got to the end, she took her tray and stood in front of the hall, searching for an empty seat.

"Snowy, over here!" Luz called out to her with a wave of his hand. He made the men around him scoot over, making a seat for her. She took the seat and started digging in her food, unaware of her surrounding as the chatter continued. It wasn't long before they turned their attention to her.

"Ay Snowy, lemme introduce you to the rest of the fellas." Luz clapped his hand on her back as he pointed at the men. "This is Floyd Talbert." The good-looking dark-haired man sitting next to him. "That's Johnny Martin." He pointed to the one across from him on the table.

"Carwood Lipton, Bull Randelman, Donald Hoobler and of course Eugene Roe."

"Nice to meet you all" She nodded at them before turning to Luz. "What's up with the nickname?"

"What? Snowy?" He asked, faking ignorance. She tilted her head at him, waiting. "We thought it was quite clever, y'know? Because it snows in Winter. Get it?" Layla gave him an unimpressed look. "What? It was either that or Lady Winters and that's a mouthful." He shrugged. She shook her head at him. Of course she was going to get a nickname like that.

She turned her attention back to her breakfast before asking.

"Say, Liebgott, you used to work as a barber, right?" Joe nodded in affirmation. "You think you can cut my hair for me?"

"What?" The men stopped their conversation, staring at her.

"Y'know, I was thinking maybe cutting it up to here." Layla grabbed her ponytail and put her finger around it until she reached her shoulder. Her hair currently reached the middle of her back. It was a nuisance. It got stuck to her back and neck as she poured sweat while training. Her training would go much smoother, if she didn't feel her hair stuck to her body every time she trains. It was miracle she didn't just cut it herself.

"I mean, I haven't got any experience with ladies but sure I can try my best." Liebgott gave her a hesitant reply.

"What about your husband?" Malarkey asked. She felt her eye twitch before looking at him.

"What about him?" Layla replied, sharply.

"Well, what's he gonna think abou-" He stopped when he saw her purse her lips in annoyance.

"You don't need to worry about him, ok?"

Silence descended upon their table, the men not knowing what to say in reply to that. Shit. Why did she have to make things so fucking awkward? It didn't take long for someone to try and break it.

"So, Snowy" Bill began, sitting across from her. "Ya got any family back home?"

"Aside from my mother in law, no one really." She hummed as she took another bite.

"What about yar pa n' ma?"

Layla paused for a second before replying. "They're not really around anymore." She saw the confused looks on their faces.

"Automobile accident" She clarified

"Well, shit" Guarnere cursed, rubbing his head sheepishly as he noticed the men shoot glares at him for pushing. "I'm sorry for yar loss, Layla."

"Yeah, it's ok. Life happens." She stood and went to dump the contents of her tray before turning to walk out of the mess hall to get ready for training. Layla felt heavy with sadness, her time with them yesterday probably means nothing now. They probably want nothing to do with her with the way she's been treating them. She needs to stop and be less defensive about these things.

"Nice going, Gonorrhea. Ya scared her off." She heard Luz hiss.

"Yea? Well, what about this dipshit? He's the one who made the situation bad in the first place, bringing her husband into it. What were ya thinkin'?" He grumbled back.

Layla went out the hall's open doors and started walking to the barracks.

Dick found himself standing in Easy's barracks in the early morning along with Lewis and the rest of Easy's officers. Easy was currently having breakfast in the mess hall. Dick and the rest of the officers were getting chewed out by their CO for no apparent reason, watching him throw things out of the footlockers and flipping the beds' mattresses over.

Dick internally winced when he noticed the 'Captain's' Pin on Sobel's collar. It seems he is going to be staying with Easy for a long time. Although, he can't help but be slightly amused at the sight of the CO holding a pin up magazine with a woman posing provocatively.

"Pornography, contraband."

Picking up a tie, now, "Non-regulation clothing, contraband."

Sobel took a box, "This man had 200 prophylactic kits in his footlocker. How in the name of God would he have the strength to fight the war?!" and proceeded to throw it across the room.

"How is it Private Tipper has spare time for so much correspondence?"

"Captain, are personal letters to be considered contraband?" Dick asked. Sobel seemed to be going overboard with this whole thing.

Sobel put his nose to one of the letters and sniffed.

"These men aren't paratroopers yet, Lieutenant; they have no personal property."

The CO made his way to another bed, searching its locker. He paused as he found something, turning his head to look at Dick

"Tell me, Lieutenant. Why is it that your wife seems to find it appropriate to take her ring off as she's surrounded by a company of men?" He held up a silver necklace with a wedding band hanging on it.

Dick gritted his teeth at what Sobel was trying to insinuate.

"She didn't want to lose it while training, sir." Damn it, Layla. Why couldn't she just have given it to him to hang on to?

"Is that so?" Sobel puffed his chest.

"Yes, sir."

"Well, you better make sure she doesn't lose it." He held the necklace to him. "Afterall, no soldier in my company will be given any special treatment. She just has to be reminded of her place." He paused. "Is that clear, Lieutenant Winters?" Dick clenched his hands into fists after hearing that, furious for letting the Captain continue talking about her that way.

"Yes, sir."

Sobel returned his attention back to ransacking the barrack, only to find a can of peaches in a Private's locker.

After ordering for the Private to be kicked out on the pretense of the can being a stolen US Army property and for the companies passes to be revoked, the officers were finally dismissed.

"Lieutenant Winters." Sobel called out.

Dick stopped and made his way to the Captain.

The CO turned his back to him and walked out of the back door expecting Dick to be right behind him. Once outside, both officers put on their side caps.

"Colonel Sink has seen fit to promote you" Sobel started. He stopped, turning around to face Dick. He took out a pin. Dick recognized it as one of the First Lieutenant rank. The CO began to put it on his collar.

"As First Lieutenant, you'll serve as my executive officer." He finished putting the silver bar and stood straight to stare him in the eyes, "Congratulations."

"Thank you, sir."

"And as a test of your organizational skills and command potential, I am designating you mess officer for 14 days. Report to the mess kitchen at 0515 hours. Company breakfast to be served at 0600."

Dick knew the new task was meant as an insult. However, he couldn't bring himself to care. "Yes, sir."

Not seeing any anger in Dick's gaze, Sobel started walking, trying to carry on the conversation.

"Oh, and, Dick, there's rain forecast tomorrow, so the company will have a light afternoon of lecture and classroom instruction."

Sobel stopped and turned towards Dick.

"I think a special meal before their afternoon off would be a welcome change of pace. Would you agree?"

"Yes, sir."

Sobel paused before continuing

"I like spaghetti."

Layla was well on her way to the barracks when she heard the footsteps of the men behind her. She sighed. Of course, she was not going to get a moment of peace alone. She's in the army for fuck's sake. They probably have the same idea as her. That's to get ready as soon as possible for the day ahead of them.

She felt emotionally exhausted. All she feels recently is her body aching all the time. Layla couldn't even find the time to talk to him. It's not like she knows what she's gonna say in the first place. Ugh. She feels out of her depth.

That was before she walked in the barracks and saw it absolutely trashed. It was like a hurricane had just swept through the whole fucking place, wreaking havoc on everything in its way. Layla felt the men still as they entered after her.

"What the fuck?" shouted Talbert as he saw his footlocker ransacked. "God-fucking-dammit!"

Layla felt her heart sink. Oh no. She rushed to her bed, kneeling beside her locker. Her fingers shaking with anxiety as they scrummaged through it, praying to god that it was still there. She threw anything that wasn't what she was looking for out of her locker, not caring of what the men might see. Layla felt desperation sink in her bones as she emptied her locker, not realizing she was making a scene.

"Fuck, Fuck, Fuck"

The men were starting to turn their attention towards her, noticing her strange behavior. She couldn't give a damn what they thought right now. She just needs to find it. Layla gave up with the locker, crouching on her knees, peeking under her bed. Maybe it just got misplaced.

Fuck

She tried checking under the beds of the men next to her. Nothing. She checked under her mattress this time. It's nowhere to be seen. Layla huffed as she stood up, combing her hand through her hair, closing her eyes. She can't believe she lost it.

"Hey, Snowy?" Luz approached her, worried. "Everything alright?"

"It's nothing you need to worry about, Luz."

"Ya lose something?"

She paused, letting out a resigned sigh. "Yeah"

"Well, hey." He tried to cheer her up. "Maybe ya can ask the officers about it. They were probably with Sobel when he ransacked the whole place."

Of course. Layla perked up, hopeful. If Richard was there during the inspection, he probably took it with him. Feeling much lighter than when she first entered, Layla gave up her search and started repacking her things back into her footlocker.

Seems like she's finally going to talk to him. Layla was surprised at him and herself for lasting this long without contact. At last, the perfect opportunity presented itself.

As she got ready for training, she couldn't help but feel tense, anticipating what is going to happen later today. She let out a deep breath. Layla needs to focus or else she's not going to get much done today. She took her place among the forming crowd outside of the barracks, starting to pick up the pace as she ran alongside the men, hoping that at least everything will work out in the end.

I know! It has been too long since I last updated. 12 days to be precise. However, I'll have you know that it wasn't all for nothing. I was finishing my finals.

Anyways, what are your thoughts on the new chapter? The moments between Layla and the men of Easy were so fun to write. I just wanted this to be a light chapter before we get started on the main event. *wink* Layla and Richard's confrontation.

P.S. Don't forget that I read every single on of your reviews and I appreciate them all. They really get me fired up and ready to go write the next chapters.