Hello my loves, after a horribly long wait, here is the next installment of The Adventures! Just a reminder, in case it happened to slip any of your minds: I do not own Band of Brothers. I merely own Faye, Violet, Mal, and Roger. Also, I've mentioned it before in this story, but I wanted to let you know that I'm changing the relationship with Lewis and his wife Kathy. I know what I write in this story isn't always historically accurate, but it makes the plot smoother so oh well.

Let us begin.

Faye

December 30, 1944

When one is stuck in the middle of the woods with the same group of people for weeks on end, one tends to notice even the slightest changes in behavior. In this particular instance, it had come to my attention that Mal and Lewis, who had until only a short time ago been stuck together like white on rice, were avoiding each other. Rather, Lewis would stare at my friend from afar with sad puppy eyes and Mal would pretend not to notice him. On top of that, they weren't sleeping well and hardly eating. Mal had dropped a couple pounds in the past few days alone.

It was due to this observation that I wasn't in the least bit surprised when Richard subtly asked me during one of our daily walks if I could try to figure out what was wrong with my brother because his uncharacteristic solemnity was making him nervous. That was how I found myself trekking through the snowy woods in search of Lewis Nixon instead of spending time with a very handsome XO.

Eventually I found him sitting alone on a fallen tree, forearms braced on his knees as he stared off into the distance with an air reminiscent of angsty-mysterious-protagonist-who-smokes-cigarettes-and-uses-an-abundance-of-metaphors.

"What's eating you, el Capitan?" I asked as I approached him. He barely spared me a glance when I sat down on the log beside him. His hair was disheveled, from running his hands through it -in frustration, no doubt- and the dark circles under his eyes were more pronounced than they had been the last time I spoke to him.

Lewis remained silent, eyes focused on the trees in front of him. Shrugging, I merely sat beside him, willing to wait for as long as it took him to gather his thoughts. As it turns out, I didn't have to wait very long.

"I tried to kiss her," he said eventually, shifting on the log a little. "Mallory, I mean."

Their behavior suddenly made complete sense.

"Ah."

Lewis rubbed his face with both hands, exhaling in a tired sigh.

"She hasn't even looked at me since then," he admitted, bloodshot eyes meeting mine for the first time since I approached. "How do I fix this, Faye?"

I sat for a moment, contemplating the best way to respond. Since Mal hadn't spoken to me about this particular situation, I couldn't say for sure exactly what was going through her head, but I had a decent idea.

"Mal is…complicated, Lew," I began, tentative. I wasn't sure how much I could tell him without breaking my vow of secrecy to Mal.

He huffed, as if I were telling him something he already knew.

"I don't think you realize how complicated," I chided gently, silencing him. "She's been hurt before, badly, and she's afraid of letting herself get too close to anyone else. I think she feels that she was getting too close to you and it terrifies her."

"I would never do anything to hurt her," Lewis insisted, eyes wide and earnest in his pale face.

I patted his hand, comforting him.

"I know," I assured him. "But, Lew, you're married."

"But I don't-"

"I know that!" I cut him off, getting slightly frustrated. "I know that, Lew. But you're still married, bound in a legal contract to another woman. That makes Mal the homewrecker, if you will, and I think she feels that her affections for you, a married man, are inappropriate and," I fumbled for the right word here. "And, I don't know, trashy?"

Lewis buried his face in his hands once more.

"She definitely has feelings for you, Lewis. Non-platonic ones. If you're serious about Mal, you need to do right by her. Talk to her and figure it out, but do right by her, or there will be hell to pay. I don't care if you're my brother; I will not hesitate to kill you if you hurt her."

I stood, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of his disheveled head. Before I could straighten up, however, he caught my hands in his and turned his face up towards me.

"I don't know how I got this far without you, Faye," he admitted seriously.

Pleased at the admission, I beamed down at him.

"You've done just fine without me, Captain. I'm just here for moral support and the occasional ass-kicking."

Lewis swatted at me halfheartedly as I returned the way I had come.

With one obstacle down I faced one more, perhaps even more complicated, roadblock. Swinging back through CP, I informed Richard that Negative-Nixon was probably going to be around for a while longer.

"What's the problem?" the Captain asked, crossing his arms to fight the cold wind that blew around us.

"I'm working on it," I assured him, leaning up to press a kiss to his pale cheek and enjoying the blush that followed before turning back towards E company's foxholes. "Consider the situation under control."

A handful of minutes later, I found myself at the edge of my foxhole, staring down at the second obstacle: Mal.

"We need to talk."

The woman in question looked up at me. The dark circles under her eyes made her tanned skin look strangely pale in comparison.

"I know what you're going to say, and I don't want to talk about it," Mal muttered, closing her eyes and leaning her head back against the side of the hole.

"I don't care if you don't want to talk, babes," I replied, sliding down to sit across from her. "You and Lewis have been sulking for days and I intend to get to the bottom of this. Tell me what happened or so help me I'll push the two of you in a foxhole and have Bull sit on you until you make up."

Mal cracked a small smile despite herself.

"Come on, Mal," I urged, this time softer. "An outside opinion might help clear things up for you. Why don't you tell old Faye what happened, huh?"

The dark haired woman sighed once more before closing her eyes and sagging against me.

"I'm so stupid, Faye," she whispered, defeated. "So, so stupid."

It was like all of the energy left her body as soon as she admitted it. Even her voice betrayed her exhaustion.

"Talk to me," I crooned, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and smoothing her hair.

Mal sniffled and burrowed into my side.

"I'm such an idiot. I've gone and found the man of my dreams but he's already married and now I'm going to pine away forever because I refuse to be the other woman and I'm not going to be the reason behind a ruined marriage!"

I took a moment to digest her sudden outpour of words.

"Did you say all of that in one breath?" I finally teased, smiling when Mal elbowed me in the side with a watery chuckle.

"There she is!" I crowed, satisfied. "Now, everything you just told me is as obvious as Perco's obsession with his toothbrush, so why don't you stop hedging around it and tell me what's really bothering you."

I felt rather than heard her sigh. She was silent for so long I was afraid that she had clammed up again. Worried that I had pushed too hard, I opened my mouth to prod her. Before I could get a word out, however, she cut me off.

"Am I used goods, Faye?"

Her voice was tiny in the cold air, so unlike the warmth of the subtle confidence she had exuded in the past. It frightened me as much as it made my heart ache with sadness and compassion. I pulled her closer to me in return, squeezing her tightly.

"No, Mal, sweetie. Don't you ever think that! There is no such thing as used goods! What asshole put that thought into your head, I'll beat his ass, I swear to god. You tell me who it is right now; Vi and I will-"

Mal sat upright, swiping at her eyes and sniffling.

"No, Faye, no one said anything to me. I'm just being stupid."

That took the wind out of my sails a little, but I wasn't ready to drop the issue.

"It's not just you being stupid, Mal. What is this about? You've been so quiet and down in the dumps lately and it's worrying me. I don't think I've seen you in a slump for this long since…"

Suddenly, the pieces fell into place.

"Oh! Oh, Mal, baby, is this about him?"

From the look on her face, I knew I had hit the nail right on the head.

"Sweetheart, talk to me," I urged her. "Tell me what you're thinking."

Mal's eyes welled up again, brimming. She swiped at them angrily with her sleeve.

"He deserves better than me," she finally sniffed. "Someone whole and undamaged, who doesn't have panic attacks when they slip on the stairs and doesn't flinch when someone moves too close too fast. I probably can't have children anymore, and that's assuming he even wants anything to do with me, because he's married, and," she took a deep, gulping breath, "and I've fallen completely in love with him and I… I can't handle it."

Her tears finally overflowed and rolled down her cheeks, leaving clean tracks on her dusty skin as silent sobs shook her frame. I was struck speechless for a few moments, reduced to merely holding my distraught friend as she trembled beside me. It had been a long time since I had seen her so torn up over something unrelated to Roger and the consequences of their marriage. Knowing how Lewis felt about her, however, made me determined to sooth her fears.

"I haven't known my brother for as long as I should have," I finally offered when she calmed enough to hear me clearly. "I don't know him half as well as Richard does, but one thing I do know is that he is crazy about you, Mal."

She scoffed quietly to herself.

"I mean it, babes," I clucked at her, frowning. "I left him not half an hour ago, sulking on a log because he thinks he ruined any chance of a relationship with you. Yes, he's married, but he's also a miserable drunkard. His marriage was practically arranged by their parents. He wasn't drafted into this war, he volunteered just to get away from home, and he sure as hell wasn't born with such a fondness of whiskey."

I took her cold hand in mine and nudged her until she turned red-rimmed dark eyes up to meet mine.

"I'm not saying that it's the right thing to do to get involved with a married man," I said pointedly, making her frown. "I'm just saying that you shouldn't push Lewis away, because that will only make you more miserable in the long run. He'll be good to you, Mal, I promise. Let him be your friend until life gives him a chance to be more. Do you trust me?"

When she didn't reply, I repeated the question.

"Yes," she eventually sighed. "I trust you."

I squeezed her shoulders once more and dropped a kiss to the top of her frizzy head. "Then believe me when I say that things will work out. I know it'll be tough, but it will be worth it, I promise."

Mal didn't say anything in return, but I felt her nod slightly and relax into my side. That was good enough for me.

When Violet slid into our foxhole an hour later, Mal was still curled into my side. I put a finger to my lips to dissuade her from making too much noise; our friend was finally sleeping peacefully for the first time in days.

"Did you solve the issue?" the redhead asked me in a whisper, ducking under the blanket on my other side.

I looked down at Mal with a small smile.

"I certainly hope so, Vi."

December 31, 1944

The day of New Year's Eve passed, uneventful in regards to the war. In regards to the Mal-Lewis situation, however, I would say that December 31st was quite satisfactory.

Richard and I were walking past CP just before dinner, content to enjoy the chatter of the men around us, when I spotted Mal slowly making her way towards one gloomy Captain. She looked nervous as hell and almost turned around twice, but eventually forced herself to perch gingerly upon the end of the log that served as my brother's seat. Even from yards away, I could see his pale face brighten when he looked up and noticed who exactly was disturbing his pity-party.

I couldn't help but allow myself a triumphant fist-pump when she accepted his invitation to move closer, earning a husky chuckle in my ear.

"I take it your mission was a success," Richard observed, eyeing the pair as well. "Excellent work."

I felt my face warm under the praise and smiled up at him, bashful.

"All in a day's work, Captain," I replied, tucking my hand more securely in the crook of his elbow as we skirted around an empty foxhole. We walked in peaceful silence for a few more yards before he spoke again.

"I don't think I've ever asked you," he stated, glancing down at me, "what your plans are. For after all of this, I mean."

I opened my mouth automatically to spout out an answer before I realized that I really hadn't the faintest idea. It wasn't something I had really thought about before. In the past, my plans were always what I was going to do after college, and it always involved Violet and Mal. Now, however, we literally had nothing. No home, no family besides my brother, but that was a detail that still needed some working out. Hell, I didn't even know if we were getting paid to be here like the rest of the men because we technically weren't in the Army. Legally speaking, my girls and I didn't exist.

"You know," I mused out loud, "I literally have no idea. I mean, technically speaking, Mal, Vi, and I don't exist here. We don't have any connections or a place to live, no family, no nothin'. Are we even getting paid to be here, because we kind of just landed on y'all in the middle of a war."

Richard frowned, pondering. He looked as if he were going to say something but changed his mind at the last minute.

"You have Lewis," he finally said, turning his eyes up to gaze at the snow that drifted down in fat flakes. I hummed in agreement.

"I do," I conceded. "As strange as it is, I do. But how would it look if he comes home from the war with a girl who claims to be the sister that was supposed to have died in a fire over a decade ago? What could I say? 'Hi, mom and dad who I barely remember, I'm back. You haven't seen me in a while because I was sent to the future, but I'm here now!' Yeah, that would go over well."

Our boots crunched in the snow, the sound terribly loud in the frigid silence.

"I guess," I continued after a few moments more of pondering, "I'd like to have my own place, you know? Somewhere quiet." I tilted my head back towards the sky and closed my eyes, trusting my companion to guide me. "I, uh, actually really like baking and making preserves and stuff like that. And bath products. Soap, bath salts, shaving cream, you name it; no chemicals, just natural ingredients. I wanted to have my own business someday, and I was only really going to college because it had gotten to the point where you pretty much couldn't get a decent job without one, and even then it was tough."

We walked a little farther before Richard spoke.

"Baking, huh?" he asked with a smile. I rolled my head to the side and opened one eye to peer at him, scrunching up my nose in mock-anger.

"What, do I not look like I could bake?" I challenged playfully.

The redhead held up his hand in surrender with a chuckle.

"No, no, I'm just a little surprised is all. You're good at so many other things it's a wonder you had time to bake between school and singing and dancing."

I nudged him, smiling.

"Well, if you're surprised at that, you'll be stunned to learn that it was actually Violet who taught me how to bake."

"No!"

I laughed. "Oh, yes! She can knock a man out with a single punch and shoot with the best of them but she also makes a mean crème brulee. Just don't let on that I told you, she'd kill me in my sleep."

After swearing Richard to secrecy, I returned to check on Mal. Seeing that she was comfortable and chatting with Malarkey and Skip, I decided to grab some chow and head back to our foxhole, where I found Violet picking dirt from underneath her fingernails with her pocketknife.

"Hey," I greeted, sliding in to sit beside her. She grunted in acknowledgment.

I was halfway through with my K-ration when she finally looked up, bored with her manicure.

"How's the eskimo?" she quipped, stowing her knife away and stretching her legs out in front of her.

"He's fine, thank you," I grumbled around a mouthful of food. "How's Sparky?"

Violet waved a hand airily.

"Oh, you know. Beautiful, stoic and terrorizing the men, as per usual."

"Of course."

The sun fell quickly and so did the temperature, which brought Mal tumbling into the foxhole and under the blanket Violet produced. We spent hours, huddled in the darkness, dozing lightly until one of the men began a countdown from 20. Confused, Mal and I exchanged sleepy frowns.

At the count of zero, every gun and mortar in the vicinity began an enthusiastic barrage in the direction of the German line. From her place beside me, head on my shoulder, Violet groaned but did not even open her eyes.

"Happy fucking New Year."

There it is! Sorry it took so freaking long to update (again). I'll definitely try to get the next chapters out sooner, but I'm just about to start my senior year (and thus, my thesis) so no promises. Thanks for sticking with me, my loves!

-ZoetheBrave xoxo