#bandofbrothersfanfic

[sennavich]

WEBSTER / LIEBGOTT

[hxad-ovxr-hxart]

Pistol Down: Chapter 3 - Cockiness Seldom Makes Friends

Warnings: based on the fictional depictions of easy and the show only, mentions of war/violence, mentions of death (nothing major), mentions of Nazis, language, let me know if I missed anything

Word Count: 2607

Summary: Ellie gets transferred back to the US but isn't working the job she was promised when she joined the SOE. Then, she meets Sobel which makes things all the more interesting as she tries to navigate the strange world that is Camp Toccoa, Georgia.

tags: @xjustanotherartistx

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a/n: it's longer! idk that's about it, I've been gone for so long I don't even remember what my original goal for this chapter was and then I just kinda wung it and now I'm here so...yeah, hopefully y'all like it! &lt;3

May/June 1942

“You’re being transferred stateside.” I sucked in a breath, refraining from speaking up until invited to. “To Camp Toccoa, Georgia. Colonel Sink has requested you specifically for your specific skill set. You leave at 0300 tomorrow. Say your goodbyes, it is highly unlikely you will see these ladies again. And say goodbye to your spy as well, he’s being reassigned to another.”

        “Yes, ma’am. Um, ma’am, is there a status report on the codename Athena? I was told that you would have the answer to a question like that.”

        The woman in front of me simply shook her head, waving her hand at me as to dismiss me. As I crossed the threshold, she cleared her throat prompting me to turn around. “You are a very smart young woman, I wouldn’t suggest spending your free time worrying about MIAs, they’re not worth it.”

        “All due respect, ma’am, they are to me, especially this one.” Once I was sure my words had hit home for her, I continued towards the office door, nodding at the old woman behind the pastry counter as I reentered the storefront our operation hides behind. Not our, the…

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        I picked at my nails, nerves causing my adrenaline to uptick and send my mind spiraling. The boys in the front of the vehicle both seemed a little too cheery for the circumstances, but then again they hadn’t just been uprooted for the fourth time in a little over a month, had they?

        As we approached the bustling part of Camp Toccoa, I hit the side of the car twice, signaling them to stop. The driver slammed the brakes as the man in front of me prepared to hop out and grab my things. 

        “No worries, I’ve got it. See you boys around,” I called as I hopped over the back of the vehicle to grab my two bags secured o the back, my rifle strapped to the side of the larger one. I hung the latter in the crook of my elbow, slinging the other over my shoulder as my boots kicked up dust. I found my way to Colonel Sink’s office, taking a deep breath as I entered, coming face to face with a sweet-looking woman not much older than myself.

        “Morning, ma’am, I’m-”

        The woman stood abruptly, cutting my introduction short. She quickly circled to my side of her desk and offered me an eager hand. “You’re the woman I’ve heard about, then? Um, Diana Banks! It is such a pleasure to meet you, and please, I should be calling you ma’am! The Colonel is in with Easy Company’s First Lieutenant, although I believe he’s been promoted. I do have to warn you, though,” her voice dropped to a low whisper, leaving me to lean closer to hear her words properly. “That now Captain Sobel, he’s an interesting man. Just stand your ground and you should be okay.”

        I nodded thoughtfully, offering her a smile despite the confusion that flooded my brain. Had the rumors that Easy was one of the best been wrong? The door to the Colonel’s office opening shut my train of thought down, a man exiting, two shiny bars adorning his lapel. This must be the man of the hour. “Captain Sobel?”

        I pulled him from his own thoughts, grimace only deepening when he saw who had called his name. “Can I help you?”

        “You can, my name is Diana Banks, SOE. I’ve been transferred by request of the US Government to aid in your training and eventually your fighting on the front lines. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Captain. I do hope we can pass any prejudices and find a commonality.” 

        My cadence threw him off, the abundance of experience with assholes in London and Germany aided greatly in my attempt to throw the Captain from his high horse.

        “Right, well report to me after you speak with the Colonel.”

        I nodded, watching as the woman sat back in her chair, hand covering her mouth to stifle her giggles. “What can I call you, by the way?”

        Her eyes rose to mine as her hand fell to her lap. “I’m Dorothy, but you can call me Dottie or just Dot.”

        I smiled, a slight tilt to my head as I slowly approached the Colonel’s office. “Alright then, it’s a pleasure to meet you Dot, I do hope I’ll be seeing more of you. We do have to stick together after all.”

        My smile dropped as she nodded her head and I turned my full attention to the door in front of me, the constant clicking of a typewriter on the other side melded with that of a man mumbling no doubt to himself. I stepped forward, the bag on my right arm bumping the doorframe, causing a loud clack to surface, bringing all eyes on me.

        “Ah, Miss Banks, a pleasure. Colonel Sink.”

        His mustache twitched, accentuating the wrinkles by his nose and eyes, his forehead already deeply creased. His looks matched his voice, a deep drawl masked by no doubt masked by heavy and recent use of cigars and alcohol. 

        “The pleasure is all mine sir,” I answered, letting my bags drop to meet his hand in a firm handshake. He gestured to the seat to my right, sitting down on his own across the desk. 

        “Now, I’m not going to sugarcoat things, you’ll be housed near Easy’s barracks in a supply closet converted into a room. You’ll use the communal latrine just as the rest of the men, but if needed you may request a few easy men to stand guard outside while you shower before 0500 or after 2200. I’m sure it’s nothing compared to what you had wherever you were before but this is war, after all.”

        I let out something between a laugh and a sigh, shaking my head slightly. “Frankly, sir. Where I came from, I was sleeping on the floor of a half-destroyed Abbey on top of unmarked graves. So Camp Toccoa sounds like paradise right now.” 

        He let out a laugh of his own, something I have a feeling seldom happens in the presence of others, as he slid a folder across the desk to me, folding his hands afterward. “This is everything you need to know on Easy and it’s men. You will not be taking orders from anyone other than myself as your superiors at SOE have given me all permissions over your doings from here on out. You will be working alongside Captain Sobel and First Lieutenant Winters. They can answer any questions you may have and will show you to your quarters. If you have any concerns or problems, please see me promptly. Any questions?”

        I ran through the information once more in my head before shaking it twice, standing as he did. “Not one, sir.”

        “Wonderful, you’re dismissed, Miss Banks.”

        I shook his hand once more and then made myself scarce, knowing good and well he had much more to do than he let on. I waved at Dot as I exited the building, laughing as she scurried off to his office with a comically large stack of papers for the Colonel to go over. I looked around outside, all the buildings looking painfully similar despite how confident I had been in being able to find my way on my own. I spotted three men in PT gear, all standing in a small group discussing something they found to be quite funny. 

        “S’cuse me, boys!” I called, hoisting my bags back into a slightly more comfortable to position as I walked toward them. “You wouldn’t happen to be able to point me in the direction of Captain Sobel, would you?” The two shorter men glanced between each other as the tallest of the three wiped a hand over his face. “Oh, I’m sorry, where are my manners? My name is Diana Banks, I’m from SOE. I’ve been assigned to Easy as an advisor, since apparently you all are the best of the best, though I’m not sure how since none of you have said two words to me yet. I thought the best of the best had manners but I suppose not so I’ll just go find someone else to help me since you three are clearly not part of Easy Company.”

        I turned around to go find the proper place to be when one of the shorter ones jumped forward, successfully blocking my path. “George Luz, future paratrooper, and your new best friend. And one of Easy’s finest.”

        I snorted, smiling at him. “Oh! Well, since you are one of Easy’s finest, I don’t suppose you could show me where Captain Sobel ran off to?” I asked, eyeing the three of them. George nodded, waving me to follow, the other shorter on holding his arms out in a ‘you first’ type fashion. “While we’re on the topic,” I said, bringing my voice down so as no one else in the area could hear me. “That Sobel is quite the imprudent, forgive me, asshole, is he not?”

        The group went silent and for a split second I thought I had officially signed my death certificate. Until all three of them burst into laughter. George stole my bag with my rifle on it, the other shorter friend slinging an arm around my shoulders in its place. “You know, you’re not so bad, Banks. I’m Bill Guarnere, that’s Joe.”

        I smiled at Bill, giving him a nod before turning to ‘Joe’, and offering him my hand. “Pleased to meet you all. I hear you all run something called ‘Curahee’, mind telling me what that’s about? I’ve been told I have to stick my ground with Sobel and I figured what better way than to not be sitting around all day doing nothing.”

        Joe scoffed, shaking his head at me as we turned a corner, a few men ogling me as we passed. “You don’t want to run Curahee, no one wants to run Curahee. You can make up for it in the obstacle courses and the shooting range though.”

        I hummed, taking the oncoming silence as a chance to look the three men over once more. George has a comedic look to him, and this entire interaction he’s had nothing but a goofy grin plastered to his face, complementing the deep brown of his eyes. Bill looks more city-like. As if he hailed from Brooklyn or the Bronx. He has a very defined jaw and a mischievous look to him, as if at any moment he could pull so trick out of his sleeve and destroy everyone’s day with a smile on his face. And then there’s Joe. Joe is much more stoic than the other two, a scowl of sorts permanently stuck to his face. But, despite the three of them being so different, they seem to fit well together and in their surroundings. 

        “Alright, missy, here we are. We’ll take your things to your little shack if ya want while you check in with big man, in there?”

        “That sounds like a wonderfully gracious plan, Bill, thank you. Now, wish me luck as I attempt to not piss off the Captain.” 

        I took one large step towards the door, listening in from the other side. “Captain, are personal letters to be considered contraband?”

        “These men aren’t paratroopers yet, Lieutenant. They have no personal property…what is this? Anybody?”

        There was a beat of silence from the other side of the door, giving me the impression that the people inside either did not know what the Captain was referencing or didn’t want to answer in fear he would just yell at them again. “Uh, it’s a can of peaches, sir.”

        “Lieutenant Nixon thinks this is a can of peaches. That is incorrect, Lieutenant. Your weekend pass is canceled. This is United States Army property. Which was taken without authorization from my mess facility and I will not tolerate thievery in my unit. Who’s footlocker is this?”

        “Private Parks’, sir.”

        My stomach dropped as I anticipated exactly what Sobel was going to say. Bastard on his high horse, acting like he’s God. “Get rid of him. All weekend passes are canceled. Officers included. Carry on.”

        I quickly moved away from the door and yanked it open, making a slightly more dramatic than necessary entrance. Four out of the five men were already halfway across the room when they turned to look at me, Sobel and who I assume is Lieutenant Richard Winters, both stood not even five feet from me. “I’m glad I caught you, Captain. You seemingly ran after you left the Colonel’s office and I thought the worst had happened, thankfully it was just a can of peaches. I was instructed by the Colonel to speak with you as soon as possible about my sleeping quarters and the training regiments for the week and I suppose the weekend as well since you revoked all weekend passes for your men. I’ve got to say, you run a tight ship, tighter than the SOE I dare say.”

        The pride in Sobel’s eyes drained as he took in my words, my ability to hold down a smirk just about disappearing before he cleared his through to compose himself. “I’ll speak with you after I speak with Lieutenant Winters, you may-”

        “Oh, I’d love to sit in on the talk if you don’t mind. After all, we are working as a team from now on,” I spoke, a cheery smile making its way onto my face. The four other men in the room practically ran for the hills as the tension rose.

        “Fine…” I followed the two men back outside as they adjusted the caps on their heads. “Colonel Sink has seen it fit to promote you. As First Lieutenant, you’ll serve as my executive officer.” I coughed, eyeing Sobel as he glared at me from where he was standing. “And Agent Banks’ as well. Congratulations.”

        Winters suppressed a smile, folding his hands behind his back at a half-assed attention. “Thank you, sir.”

        “And, as a test of your organizational skills and command potential, I am designating you Mess Officer for fourteen days. Report to the mess kitchen at 0515 hours, company breakfast can be served at 0600.”

        “Yes, sir.”

        “Oh, and Dick, there’s rain forecast tomorrow so the company will have a light afternoon of lecture and classroom instruction.” I followed them, accidentally stepping in a puddle, grimacing to myself as the mud squelched beneath my foot. “I think uh, a special meal before their afternoon off would be a welcome change of pace. Would you agree?”

        For the second time in the past five minutes, my stomach dropped. Oh shit. “Yes, sir.”

        “I like spaghetti. Oh, and please show Banks to her living quarters. That’s all.”

        I watched as Sobel walked away, dodging running men and the puddles that covered just about every square inch of the ground. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, First Lieutenant, and Congratulations.”

        The redheaded man before me smiled, offering me his hand. “Thank you, ma’am, and you can call me Dick.”

        I took his hand in mine, shaking it briefly before letting it go and turning to look around me. “Well then, Dick, you can call me just about anything you want. No need for the formalities, especially since I’m pretty sure you’re at least three years older than me,” I laughed, smiling up at him. He nodded at my words, holding his hand out just as Guarnere had done earlier to show me in the direction of my living quarters. This should be a very interesting next few months…

[sennavich]

I was wondering in post Matarazzo (Eugene Roe fanfiction) fanfic here in tumblr but I don't know how I do it

HELP

[hxad-ovxr-hxart]

Pistol Down: Chapter 2 - Secrets Burn Only in the Night

Warnings:based on the fictional depictions of easy and the show only, mentions of war/violence, mentions of death (nothing major), mentions of Nazis, language, let me know if I missed anything

Word Count: 1675

Summary: Ellie has to navigate her way through the abandoned streets of France and dodge the enemy. But what happens when the enemy becomes her new mission?

a/n: I lied, this chapter is shorter than chapter one and i don't even know how that happened so don't ask me. also, this is just sort of a filler chapter because of the time gap between chapter one and chapter three so chapter three will actually be longer than these past chapters bc we finally get to see Ellie interact with Easy Co. so uh yeah lmfao hae fun reading ig...also this is literally so short why

April 1942

I can’t help but let the thought that my mother may have been right in saying I am not cut out for a job like this consume my thoughts as I duck into a storefront long destroyed by the Nazis. My boots crunch shattered pieces of glass underneath my feet, my sudden dip in weight not appearing to affect the sheer sound the glass makes as I navigate my way around broken tools and a half rotted teddy bear. I hold my breath, praying to whomever may be out there, that I am not heard as I crouch behind an overturned cabinet. It’d be simple, he said. In and out in a jiffy, he said. Jiffy my ass. 

As the thunderous stomping approached my hiding spot, I shut my eyes, hoping that the childish logic of ‘if I can’t see them, they can’t see me’ would somehow save me if they happened to search the store. And by some miracle, whether it be by god or my own dumb luck, the marching never stopped and around the corner it disappeared. I let out a sigh, my chest heaving as I try to catch my breath before making the last of my journey to the railroad station before having to find my way back to the edge of town and to the set rendezvous.

My fingers curled around the small box of matches in my trouser pocket, Claude Anouilh’s words bouncing around in my head. There is no time to waste, you must find the railcars and burn them to the ground, mon chéri. A simple task in most times, but here, a mere few hours away from Troyes, the simplest of tasks become those that bring death and despair to unwitting passerby.

Find the railcars and burn them to the ground. 

I peeked above the cabinet side, making sure there were no lurkers before taking off towards the last block that separates me from delivering the flaming fate to their railcars that hold secrets I will never hear uttered, nor will anyone else. 

There is no time to waste.

I dart around the corner to my left, coming face to face with a man, no, a boy, no older than nineteen, in a Nazi uniform. He opens his mouth to scream but before he can utter a word I have him pinned against the wall, the roof above casting a shadow over the two of us. And though in training they tell us to kill without remorse, for it’s either us or them, I can’t help but hesitate when the fear in his eyes reflects that of a child’s. He utters something in German under my hand. Help…family…killed. 

“Listen,” I whisper, silently scolding myself for what I’m about to do. Keep the French accent. “Surrender your gun and whistle, find the Abbey about a mile Northeast from here, tell them Minerva sent you. They can help.” His eyes scanned my face, the gears visibly turning in his head as he attempted to comprehend what just came out of my mouth. Damn language barriers. “Die Abtei…nordost…gib, uh, gib deine Waffe…und Pfeife auf. Help, die Abtei help.” 

As if a wave of knowledge washed over the boy, his rifle fell from his shoulder to his forearm, his head bobbing up and down as if agreeing to my words. I haphazardly collected his rifle and whistle from him as he dug through his pockets, handing me a carton of cigarettes, a sort of peace offering I assume, as he muttered in quick German that was beyond my disgraceful capabilities. He ripped a patch off of his shoulder, offering it to my hand grasping the matches. “Burn.”

His eyebrows dipped as he offered me a wave before taking off into the night. And burn it shall, my friend. I turned, slinging the rifle strap over my shoulder and draping the whistle around my neck by the string.

A can of gasoline sits next to the nearest railcar perched on the tracks, not a single guard in sight. The bell in the tower of the nearest church rings out, signaling midnight. You have seven minutes until the next rotation arrives. A simple nurse sent in from the outer regions of France is about to set secrets ablaze, and they shall be none the wiser. Covert Operations require elaborate backstories and watertight alibi, mine being a French nurse sent to help with the ill, whereas I have actually been tracking these railcars for months, meticulously gathering information under the blanket of starless nights to find the perfect time to strike. Which is now, the same night Theo’s platoon is rumored to arrive In Italy under their own blanket of secrecy. 

I hummed to myself as I tossed gasoline onto the outsides of the rail cars, soaking the wood to a deep brown color. I started to sing quietly as I became excited, the long months this mission had taken finally coming to a close. “The last time I saw Paris, her trees were dressed for spring. And lovers walked beneath those trees and birds found songs to sing.” With the last bit of remaining gasoline I made a line of the flammable liquid on the cobblestone road, dragging it a few feet out before lining six matches top to bottom. “I dodged the same old taxicabs that I had dodged for years. The chorus of the squeak horns was music to my ears.” I lit a single match and laid it down at the end of the line I had created, pocketing the rest and then quickly making a run back the way I came, making sure to dodge puddles and shards of glass as I went, a sense of glee filling my bones as the seconds ticked by. 

Three more blocks, three more minutes. I willed my legs to carry my faster as I rounded a corner, taking note of the sudden quietness of the nightlife. 

One more block, one more minute. I pushed myself down the last street, practically tackling my partner and lookout, Jeanette, to the ground before grasping her wrist and dragging her along behind me. 

Three, two, one…boom. An explosion can be heard from blocks away, shaking me to the core as Jeanette and I continued to race down the streets under the midnight sky, the moon smiling down at us, as if congratulating us on our victory in France. 

Yet, Jeanette pulled me to a halt when the face of the boy I let go came into view, fear once again etched on his face as he raced towards us. 

“They aren’t supposed to be down this block for another hour!” Jeanette hissed as she corralled us both into an abandoned building. “I will distract them, you get yourself and him out of here.”

I blinked at Jean in shock as she stood to go attack a full squad of men armed to the teeth with guns, only a small knife grasped in hand. “No, Jean, no one will come looking for you! The Abbey knows we’re leaving, I-I can’t leave you.”

She gave me a stern look, one that a mother would give to her disobedient child. “You can and you will. Take the south exit out of the town and get to the rendezvous point. If you really must, wait ten minutes for me as long as you’re not followed. If I don’t show up, leave,” she ordered, her words barely out of her mouth before she went darting out of the store, causing a frenzy in the street.

Bullets whizzed outside as I grasped the boy’s hand in mine, leading him to the back exit and out the gaping hole in the wall. I turned to the boy before dragging him to what could possibly be his death. He stood almost a full foot taller than myself, dark green eyes and pale blonde hair sticking out every which way, the absence of a helmet making his hair look particularly white in contrast to his dark uniform. 

“Uhm, okay, let’s see. Gefährlich, uhm, damn it to hell why didn’t I pay attention to her when she would talk? Why can’t I just-”

A hand appeared in front of my face, disappearing to reveal the boy’s face instead. The fear had been wiped away, determination taking its place. He nodded his head firmly, giving me enough indication to not feel horrible about the decision to drag him to the rendezvous point. Jeanette will be fine, but if you don’t go you won’t. 

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The apple tree that we stood under with Elias did little to shield us from the moonlight, making this an adept place for an ambush, the overgrown fields behind us no doubt hiding secrets of their own. Perhaps that’s why when Jeanette hadn’t shown up ten minutes after the boy and I, we abandoned what little hope of her arrival and climbed atop the horses Elias had brought for Jean and I. Except, Jean had been replaced, a new face and story filling the void she had left when she sacrificed herself for me.

Jean never ceased to be selfless, I only wish that I had stopped her this one time. Because little did she know, she had become like a sister to me, and her absence, though only in a short time, had left an aching feeling in my stomach, just as Theo’s departure from the train station had. My grandmother often said the pain we feel when someone leaves is our brain reminding us that we should never forget them, for they are too important to be forgotten. Perhaps that’s why, when rapid gunfire echoed across the fields of overgrown weeds sporadically over the course of seven hours, an orange tint appearing in the sky brought what little peace one could be granted in the middle of a war to me. Theo and Jean both spoke fondly of the color orange. The color of a sunrise, of a new beginning.

[hxad-ovxr-hxart]

Pistol Down: Chapter 1 - Goodbye for a While

Warnings: based on the fictional depictions of easy and the show only, mentions of war, mentions of death (nothing major), mentions of Hitler, slight language, let me know if I missed anything

Word Count: 1830

Summary: Ellie Banks learns that people cope with hard news very differently. She also learns that being the "family disappointment" is harder than she thought.

a/n: okay so I know this chapter is super short but I promise the ones after this are longer, my first chapters just usually have a tendency to run shorter than the rest for some reason lol...also i put my user as a sort of watermark over the graphic simply because I'm a paranoid mf and it helps calm my nerves don't @ me. anywho, please let me know what you guys think! I'd love to hear whatever feedback you have, just as long as you keep it positive! &lt;3

March 1942

My grandmother taught me the sin of stealing.

Oh how she would be praying for my soul as I descend the stairs of the university’s main hall, a letter encased in a red envelope. A scarlet letter, quite literally. Scrawled on the pages of tear-soaked paper lies the dirty, dying truth, much like that of Dimmesdale as he lay dying in Hester’s arms. My brother’s girlfriend had committed treason to my bloodline according to my sister, Lila. Lucile even confessed to my mother just last night, to whom called me in a frantic blunder, begging me to speak with Theo before he retrieves the mail. Now if these allegations were true, they would have taken place months ago. So why now? Why has she gone about causing this big ruckus knowing he could easily be dead in the next year? I assume she intended to formulate a quick means to escape the impending future of my brother; she’s afraid of a Theodore Banks-sized hole being torn in her heart so to speak. My grandmother however seldom spoke about sticking your nose in the business of others, something I observed her do quite often in the pews of the church I attended as a child. Instead, she encouraged it. Hence my thievery. 

I know deep down that Lucile Edwards had not gone behind my brother's back and slept with any of the men she claimed she did in her letter and I intend to see to it that he never discovers these self-inflicted allegations per my own conscious. After all, what kind of sister would I be if I let my brother go off to war with the sting of a heartbreak that should never happen?

I make a sharp right onto Park Row, weaving in and out of the early morning foot traffic, the clock tower in the distance shaking me to my core as the hour hand struck eight. Just a left turn and you’re home free. I slow to a brisk walk, silently praying that no one stops me on my short journey back to my small apartment where Lucile is supposed to meet me in the next two hours. Perhaps if-

“El? What are you doing on campus?” 

I blinked in surprise, frozen in place as I stared my brother in the face. “Oh, hey, I just needed to, uh, pick up a letter for Nancy. You know Nancy, right?” I asked, flipping through the thousands of faces in my mind, hoping to find a Nancy. Nancy Drew is going to have to work. “Red hair, great sense of style?”

“No, I don’t recall ever meeting a Nancy. Are you sure you’re okay? You look exhausted.” Theo’s brow creased, watching my movements carefully. 

No, mother kept me up all night frantic about you. “Yes, I, yes I’m okay. My downstairs neighbor, Nancy, whom I thought you had met at least once before but I suppose not, just, um…had a baby! Yes, they had a beautiful baby girl but she was up all night crying to seemingly no end, hence my apparent exhaustion,” I explained quickly, my hands flying rapidly in every direction. 

“Oh, well, send my congratulations her way. I have to get to class but I’ll be seeing you this weekend at the family gathering before I leave, right?”

Right, he’s leaving Monday. “Like I would miss such a momentous occasion, Theo.”

I gave his shoulder a quick pat before quickly disappearing around my designated left turn, a sense of panic rising in my stomach. However, the panic was quickly replaced when I spotted a Women’s Army Corps poster taped on the eastern wall of the movie theatre across the road and the faint vision of the rent notice that was haphazardly dropped outside my front door this morning. I’m sure mother wouldn’t mind too much and I have plenty of time before Lucile arrives.

I looked both ways before hurrying across the street, dodging a woman pushing a baby carriage dangerously close to the road. I followed the address posted on the sign to a smaller health clinic that had been converted for the health inspections needed for certain jobs assigned to WAC members. 

A small bell jingled above my head when I pushed the door in, all eyes falling on me in an instant. Every other woman in the clinic wore some sort of comfortable day dress and a variety of jewelry adorned most of them sitting inside. I approached the desk, despite the heavy feeling of looking highly out of place, setting my hands on the counter in front of me. 

A man-no a boy dressed in an Army-issued dress uniform sat on the other side, scribbling an array of notes onto a sheet of paper. “How can I help you today, miss?”

“Hi, yes, um I suppose I’m here to enlist…”

“Right, before your interview, are there any special skills you have? Perhaps something with mechanics?”

I leaned forward a bit, lowering my voice as I began to speak. “I can speak German and conversational French if that counts for anything.”

“How do you know these languages?”

“My grandmother insisted we speak German in her house and my brother took a few French classes at Bowdoin University just a few blocks away. He taught me the French that I know.”

He pondered my words before rising from what looked to be a fairly uncomfortable chair judging by his obvious slouch and stiff movements. “Follow me.”

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“First you move away and now you want to join the Women’s Army Corps? Are you insane, Diana? You know, I should have ignored your father when he said moving would be good for you. You go and get a useless writing job for some local newspaper, you’re on the verge of being homeless-”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. I never said homeless, just that I’m a little behind on rent-”

“And now you want to join the Women’s Army Corps?! No, absolutely not. When you come home this weekend I expect that you arrive with all of your things and that you inform whoever you need to inform that you are no longer living there.” 

I huffed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "First of all, you bought me my first type-writer, so if you didn't want me to be a writer, maybe you should have pondered on that decision a little while longer. Secondly, if I hear you drag dad into this conversation one more time, I will walk out of this house and I will not come back per your request. He has done nothing but support me and my dreams and I'll be damned if you drag him through the mud."

A sharp pain appeared on my bicep, my mother's hand retracting soon there after. "You watch your tone with me, young lady. I have every right to tell you what you're doing is not how a young woman should be living."

I couldn't do anything else but shake my head as she continued to badger me about my decisions. Then out of some grace of God, I caught Lucile’s eye from across the sitting room, begging for some sort of help. She nudged Theo as if asking for some help. In response he rose to his feet, beckoning all of my family from the few surrounding rooms. 

“I have an announcement to make. Or more so a question to ask, I suppose.” I internally groaned. Of course, he’s proposing. “Lucile and I have been together for quite some time now and I see my impending question quite overdue in many senses. So,” he reached for her hands, bringing her to stand in front of him before digging out a small box from his pocket and dropping down to one knee on the hardwood floors. “Lucile Edwards, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

All the women in the room whooped and cooed as Lucile nodded her head, wiping away the tears that fell from her eyes. She then turned to address my family. “We will have a courthouse wedding tomorrow so when he leaves Monday, we’ll be wed. And then when he returns after the war we can have a proper wedding, reception and all, yes?”

Another round of cheers echoed through the house, but my own cursed future preoccupied my mind, the letter containing my orders with the Women’s Army Corps heavy in my dress pocket. Perhaps I should have thought this through more carefully.

------------------------------------------------------------

The train sat idle at the station while what couldn’t have been less than hundreds of men, some younger than myself, loaded on, departing for what will inevitably be the hardest days of their lives. And what may soon end up being the hardest days of mine as well. 

“Write every chance you get darling. And make sure you eat properly and stay hydrated. We don’t want a repeat of your sophomore year when you nearly ended-”

“Mom,” Theodore interjected, setting his hands gently on her shoulders. “I will write every chance I get. I promise to eat well and stay hydrated. And yes, I will stay safe. Don’t worry about me, okay? Just keep an eye on Luce for me and I’ll keep an eye on El for you. I’m sure I’ll see her roaming about somewhere. I love you.” A strangled sob left my mother’s mouth as she hugged her eldest child for what she was convinced was the last time. 

Theo let her go as she collapsed into my father’s arms. My father and Theo shook hands and exchanged nods before he turned to Lila and I. Lila bid him goodbye first, a sad smile plastered on her face as she fought back tears of her own. 

And as a sort of grand finale for the both of us, he turned to me with a smug smile. “I always knew you’d be the biggest disappointment in the family. I just never thought the day would come so soon.”

I whacked his shoulder with the back of my hand before reaching up to pull him into a bone-crushing hug. “Don’t have too much fun out there. And hey, maybe take a swing at good ole Hitler. Maybe you’ll get a holiday named after you or something,” I quipped, pulling back from the hug to pat his shoulder. Don't die. “Stay safe.”

“You too, Ellie.”

The train whistle blew, beckoning all the stragglers to the train cars. All around me, sons ripped away from their mothers’ grasps just as Theo did, the women wailing and sniffling as they watched their boys go. I raised a hand as a last resort farewell to Theo, who returned the favor as soon as he spotted my hand raised in the air. And then, as if he were smoke in the wind, he vanished along with hundreds of other boys and men as they began their journey to prepare for war.