All Things Nice » Band of Brothers

78: Undoing

Posey smiled softly and nodded. "Yeah." She wasn't sure whether he believed her but he let her go nonetheless.

Johnny's hug was shorter than George's but no less fond. She'd hugged him once before, she remembered, entirely against his will after he'd first found out about her back at Toccoa. Smiling at the memory, she pressed her face into his shoulder in an attempt to keep the tears from spilling from her eyes.

Posey pulled back and that was it. George and Johnny said their quick, causal goodbyes and set off for their foxholes, ready to turn in for the night with the promise of checking in with her tomorrow morning.

She watched them go for a moment, her arms wrapped tightly around herself, before turning and getting into her own foxhole, offering a smile to Bill.

"You alright?" he asked, ducking to meet her gaze. She nodded. "The guys ain't gonna tell, they promised."

"I know," she whispered, biting into her bottom lip.

Bill sighed. "C'mere."

She crawled into his lap and melted into his embrace. "This is all my fault," she mumbled, fighting the frown on her lips.

"No, it ain't," Bill replied sternly. "It's fuckin' Talbert's fault for shovin' into the OP without warnin' anyone and runnin' his goddamn mouth about things he don't understand."

Posey laughed but she knew it wasn't true. It was her fault, all of it - from being here in the first place to getting herself found out. There was no one to blame but herself, but she appreciated that he tried to make it seem otherwise.

"I'm going out on patrol tonight," she said, snuggling closer so that he wouldn't see her face.

"What?"

"I'm going on patrol," she repeated, even though she knew he'd heard her the first time. "There's a German sniper who's been causing trouble for patrols so I'm going out to get him."

"By yourself?"

Posey nodded. "Yeah, but Gene'll be nearby just in case. But I know exactly where I'm going and the intelligence is coming straight from Nixon, so I'll be fine. It's not even really a patrol, I just need to go and get him and then I'll come straight back."

Bill shifted beneath her and she knew he was about to object. "You ain't goin' by yourself -"

"Bill, please don't become one of the many men who'll now question my ability to do my job. Shifty went out on patrol earlier so I'm going now and it'll be fine."

She hated hurting him like this.

She sat up and turned to look at him and only then did he nod, reluctantly. His eyes were soft as they gazed back at her, set firmly on her face and refusing to deviate elsewhere. Those eyes, that face, that smile. She'd always known they'd be her undoing.

He leaned forwards and kissed her, and she smiled against his lips. She loved him so desperately. He'd be a part of her forever.

The pair of them passed the hours in small acts of affection, in kisses and hugs and smiles. As they sat there together, tucked snugly into their foxhole, Posey became certain that what she was going to do was what she had to. There hadn't ever been a choice, really. She knew it had all been leading to this but only now could she recognise it.

She tucked her face into the fabric of his ODs and nuzzled as close as she could, smiling sadly to herself at how much this war had changed her. She'd been so naïve at the beginning, so foolish and reckless and optimistic. But maybe that girl had had a lot to be optimistic about - she'd had a great deal of sorrow ahead of her, but a great deal of happiness, too. But she was wiser now, and it was only after experiencing what she had that she could truly recognise how fragile life was. She'd need to hold on tight if she wanted to keep it.