Women of War - A Band of Brothers Story

End of an Era

A/N: Hello everyone and happy new year! I hope you all started the year in peace and good health.

I can't believe it, but this is the last chapter that follows the series. It's taken me over three years to get to this point and I want to thank each and every one of you for your patience, your interest and for your investment in this story. Thank you for your comments, your ideas and thoughts.

Don't worry, the story doesn't end here. I have a few more chapters planned to explore the women's lives after the war. So stay tuned for more (in a month or so)!

***

It took Easy Company less than three hours to find the man that had shot Chuck and attacked Ana María and Audrey. They hauled him unceremoniously back to the CP and if the guy happened to have a couple of bumps and bruises more than when they first found him, well, nobody was going to say anything.

"Any word?", Louise asked Talbert, who had stayed behind to coordinate the hunt and act as relay station between the squads.

The First Sergeant looked grim and worn, no sign of his usual cheeky, laid-back nature. "They found Ana and Audrey. Injured but alive. They're on their way back."

"And Chuck?"

"No news."

"Speirs back yet?"

Talbert shook his head and Louise's lips thinned.

The distinct sound of a punch – flesh and bone meeting flesh and bone – came from the next room, with a sharp yelp following.

They glanced at the door. Talbert frowned and said pointedly: "Captain wants him alive."

Louise met his gaze, unperturbed. "He'll get him alive." She had a feral glint in her eye.

Another couplet of sounds, a punch and a grunt, rang out from beyond the door.

"Are you gonna stop us?"

"I should", Talbert told her, crossing his arms and levelling her with a look that was warning and silent concession in one.

Searching his face for a second, she gave him a tight nod and swept past into the adjacent room. Talbert didn't follow her.

Luz, who had watched the exchange while monitoring radio transmissions, spoke up: "Tab."

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he turned. "Yeah?"

"The jeep with Audrey and Ana just pulled up at the aid station."

"Okay. Thanks, Luz."

"Mhm."

They settled in to wait, for updates on their friends' condition, for Speirs to return, for daylight to come and make the whole mess feel less like a nightmare.

***

Suitably distracted by the card game Luz had struck up to release at least some of their pent-up nervous energy, they both startled when Theresa came storming in. Splatters of blood stained her hands and ODs. Her eyes swept across the room and zeroed in on the door on the other side.

"Hey! How's Ana and Audrey? Did you see them?", Luz asked, cards momentarily forgotten.

"Ana's in surgery, Audrey's getting treatment", the squad sergeant replied curtly, striding towards the adjacent room, the origin of the muffled but unmistakable sounds of a beating.

Talbert got up to intercept her.

She stopped, scowl deepening. "Get out of my way."

"Reese," – he lifted a placating hand – "I don't think you should-"