#frangie marr

[icantpeopletoday]

Hey someone who can draw!; I need to see bad ass Rio because honestly this description sounds amazing!

[annabreaksthings]

😍😍😍😍

[soldiergirlscorned]

Call Me Rio and I’ll Call You Jack Ch. 1

Call Me Rio and I’ll Call You Jack Ch. 1

AU Note: THIS HAS MANY SPOILERS FOR PURPLE HEARTS, IF YOU HAVE NOT READ IT, DON’T READ THIS.

Now that that’s taken care of: we didn’t get to see a lot of the budding relationship between Rio and Jack after the war. But guess who has a few ideas about what happened. Me. The answer is me.

So, this little story will have a lot of fluff and maybe a little smut. Maybe? I lied. It will have smut, but later on. I’ll tell you when it’s coming and when it’s done so you can bypass it if you don’t want to read.

 1964

Kid knew something was familiar about the man that limped up to her desk, cane in hand. She knew the signs of veterans, being one herself and working with them for almost ten years now.

But, studying the man, she knew that him being a veteran wasn’t why he was familiar.

“Can I help you?” she asked, noticing that he wasn’t in uniform, when he had pressed up against the desk to get out of the traffic in the room, “Sir, how did you get in here?”

The red-haired man smiled and pointed to the man right behind him, battling the many people trying to push him out of the way, “Frank let me in.”

“Not even close,” the supposed-Frank said, “Child, right?”

She nodded.

“He’s here to see your boss.”

The caned man turned to her and smiled, “I’m here to see your boss. I’m assuming it’s Rio?”

Kid made a confused face.

“Richlin. Rio Richlin. West Point. Medal of Honor. I don’t know what her rank is anymore. She was a sergeant when I knew her.”

“And what’s your purpose for being here?” Kid asked.

“Well, Child, a scary Sam—“ he turned around fast and the man behind him shook his head, “Damn. I’ll guess it right, don’t you worry. Anyway, this scary man in the suit showed up at my flat in London and told me by order of Rainy Schulterman that I was to pack a bag and leave with him. I got on a plane and now I’m here.”

Kid was silent for a second and then, “I’m sorry. Are you--?”

“Jack Stafford, at your service. You are?”

“Sergeant Melinda Child.” She shook his hand, “Wow. Okay. I had read about you, from, you know, the memoir, but I never thought…. I’m going to see if Colonel’s available.”

“Please do.”

Kid almost ran to Richlin’s office, knocking softly before entering and closing the door quickly behind her, “Colonel.”

She shot a hasty and somewhat sloppy salute towards a bewildered Rio, “There’s someone here to see you.”

Richlin looked back down at the papers in front of her, “Tell the major that whatever it is, I don’t care.”

“Ma’am. It’s not the major.”

When Rio came out of her office she was both the most happy and nervous that she had ever been in her life. The folks in the office were known for pulling pranks, but never against her. And the way that Kid had seemed completely flabber-ghasted meant that he was really here. He had to be. It would be a cruel joke if he wasn’t.

But there he was, still so utterly recognizable even if his face had aged and his clothes changed. It was still Jack. And it was still his smile.

“Hey, Sarge.”

Rio’s awe-filled gaze changed to one of pure joy, and before she knew it she was across the room and in his arms.

The whole room stopped. Literally. People stopped moving, phones dropped from ears, conversations died instantly as everyone watched their lieutenant colonel throw herself into the stranger’s arms.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, finally withdrawing, but not really letting go.

“Well, I am a gift from Rainy.”

“Rainy?! That bitch. You know she’s working for the ‘commerce department’ now?”

“No shit.”

“Just saw her about a week ago.”

Jack turned to look over his shoulder, “Bob, do you work for the commerce department?”

The man in the suit crossed his arms, “My name is not Bob. And sure, I work for the commerce department.”

Jack twisted again to look at Rio, “You know, he also told me that his name was Ben, but I didn’t believe him then either.”

Rio laughed, “It’s good to see you, Jack.” Realizing that it was too quiet, she turned towards the soldiers working, “Don’t you all have a job to do? I can give you one!”

Jack smiled as the government building returned to normal (while still watching the Colonel of course). “Well, some things just never change, now do they?”

“I thought I had gotten a lot better at that!” Rio said, half-heartedly offended.

Jack laughed, “You doing that yelling anywhere else these days?”

“What do you mean?”

“Kids, of course.”

Rio laughed, “The only kid I have is Kid,” she said, pointing to Melinda Child, “I got out of screaming households a while ago.” At Jack’s raised eyebrows, Rio explained, “I’m divorced.”

“Oh, yes! The pilot. Castain sent me a letter. Told me you were getting married and also told me not to worry because it wouldn’t last long.”

“You’re kidding me? She did that?”

“I’m not lying.”

“Oh, God!” Rio covered her eyes mortified, but before long was smiling up at him.

“Say, Rio, do you have a lunch break soon?” Jack asked.

Child was right behind Rio, “She already went to lunch.”

“But coffee will do just fine,” Rio smoothly interjected. “Let me grab my things. Kid, if that major shows up, tell him to fug off. I’ll be back before the meeting at two.”

“Got it, Colonel.”

As Rio came back, tying a scarf around her neck, she turned to Rainy’s agent, “Tell your boss that she’s not being very subtle.”

Then, the whole building watched as their boss left work early for the first time.

 (*&*)?><>?><>?><>?><>?><>?><>?><>?><>?><>?><>?><>?><>?><>?><>?><>?>>?><>?><>?><>

 “What have you been up to, Jack?” Rio made sure to slow down her pace to match Stafford’s limping steps.

“Working mostly. As a real-estate agent in London.”

“Really?”

“Shocking, I know. Your job, however, is not shocking. I always knew you were bound to abandon your own and become an officer.”

“Ouch, Stafford. That hurts!” Yet, they both laughed at the familiar joke. “Any kids of your own?” she asked, looking straight ahead.

“Never married actually.”

Rio looked up, shocked, “Really?”

Jack shrugged, looking straight into her eyes, “I never found anyone that measured up. I went on a couple of dates, of course, but no one ever stuck around.”

“I can’t imagine why they would ever leave.”

Rio realized her mistake as soon as she said the words. “I would assume you wouldn’t have to imagine, since you should know.”

“Look, Jack, I—“

“Did you come visit me? When I was at the medical station back in Germany?”

“You don’t remember?”

Jack thought back to that time, “I remember the shape of you, but I don’t know if that was real or a dream. I didn’t know what to believe I was on so many painkillers.”

“You had a whole conversation with me. And I sat by your bed until they knew without a doubt that you were going to live.”

“What did we talk about?”

“You. Going back to Britain. I told you that your job was done, and you told me that you weren’t going to give up fighting until either the war was won or I left it. Then you went back to sleep and I made sure you were on a ship headed home before you woke up.”

Jack was silent for a moment, “I don’t remember that.”

Rio looked up at him as they entered the coffee shop, “For what it’s worth, the whole platoon went home after that. What was left of it, at least. Those who were POWs got released a week after the Russians took Berlin.”

“You didn’t let me come back with you,” Jack stated.

Rio shook her head.

“Why?”

Richlin shrugged, “For lots of reasons: Britain was your home, you were injured, I was your sergeant, I had already given myself to someone else—“

“I thought you didn’t care about that. That’s what it said in the memoir.”

“God, I hate that thing.” She took a deep breath, “I didn’t care when I was on the battlefield, but back out here…I knew it would mean more. I knew that people would expect me to marry Strand and if I had brought you back here, you would have married a fallen woman.”

“Maybe I wouldn’t have cared.”

“Maybe. But other people would.”

Jack laughed, stepping up to order his coffee. Even by the time they were sitting down with the steaming cups, Jack was still shaking his head, “I should have known. I should have known that it wasn’t that you couldn’t have been happy with me. It was because of your stupid sense of self-sacrifice.”

He laughed a little, and Rio looked down at her cup.

“Rio. Just answer me one thing, honestly: would you be happy with me? If I stayed here, could I make you happy?”

Rio shook her head, “Jack, you have a life in Britain—“

“That’s not what I asked, Rio. Could you be happy with me? Can we try it? Just for a little while. And see if this, us, is worth looking into.”

Rio looked at him, as he shifted nervously in his chair. She grabbed his hand in hers, “Jack, I would love to try. You just need to make sure that this is what you want. I won’t leave the States, which means if this works out, you would be giving up your life. You need to think about what you’re doing.”

Jack shook his head, “I don’t need to think. I would give up the world for a chance to be with you.”

[frontlinessoldiergirl]

Reasons to Love Frangie Marr

- enlisted in a deadly war to support her family - helps little animals - wants to become a doctor - became an army medic - stayed behind in a camp being overrun by nazis to give comfort to a man who would die either way - treated germans while captured because her compassion is unending - helped miss lion - volunteered to be a field medic rather than stay safe - got hit by a grenade - lost a finger - kept treating soldiers - saved a man who would have died before passing out - learning to accept her self-worth after being pushed down all her life - a true example of black excellence - she's amazing??? how do you not already love her

[booksthrutime]

Frontlines by Michael Grant

“1942. World War II. The most terrible war in human history. Millions are dead; millions more are still to die. The Nazis rampage across Europe and eye far-off America. The green, untested American army is going up against the greatest fighting force ever assembled—the armed forces of Nazi Germany. But something has changed. A court decision makes females subject to the draft and eligible for service. So in this World War II, women and girls fight, too. As the fate of the world hangs in the balance, three girls sign up to fight. Rio Richlin, Frangie Marr, and Rainy Schulterman are average girls, girls with dreams and aspirations, at the start of their lives, at the start of their loves. Each has her own reasons for volunteering. Not one expects to see actual combat. Not one expects to be on the front lines. Rio, Frangie, and Rainy will play their parts in the war to defeat evil and save the human race. They will fear and they will rage; they will suffer and they will inflict suffering; they will hate and they will love. They will fight the greatest war the world has ever known. New York Times bestselling author Michael Grant has created a masterful alternate history of World War II in Front Lines, the first volume in a groundbreaking series.” (source)

[pdfkitapindiroku-blog]

Ön Cephe pdf indir

İNSANLIK TARİHİNDEKİ EN KORKUNÇ SAVAŞTA MİLYONLARCA İNSAN ÖLMÜŞTÜ VE DAHA MİLYONLARCASI ÖLECEKTİ. ONLAR ORTAYA ÇIKANA DEK!   Naziler, Avrupa’yı yakıp yıkmış ve gözlerini Amerika’ya dikmişti. Tecrübesiz Amerikan ordusu, o güne dek toplanmış en büyük güçle, Nazi Almanyası’nın silahlı güçleriyle savaşacaktı. Bir mahkeme kararıyla kadınlar artık askere alınabilecek ve Amerikan ordusuna hizmet edecekti. Üç genç kız, savaşa gönüllü yazıldı. Henüz hayatlarının baharındaki Rio Richlin, Frangie Marr ve Rainy Schulterman, hayalleri ve amaçları olan, aşkla yeni tanışmış kızlardı. Her birinin gönüllü olmak için kendince sebepleri vardı: Rio, ablasının onuru için savaşacaktı; Frangie, ailesi için para kazanmak zorundaydı; Rainy ise sadece Almanları öldürmek istiyordu. Hayatlarında ilk kez evlerinden, ailelerinden ayrıldılar ve savaşa gittiler. Bu üç cesur kadın, kötülüğü dize getirmek ve insan ırkını korumak için üstlerine düşen rolü oynayacaktı. Dünyanın kaderi ince bir çizginin üzerindeyken, Rio, Frangie ve Rainy, onları ön cepheye iten yönlerini keşfedecek, dünyanın şimdiye dek gördüğü en büyük savaşta ölümüne mücadele edeceklerdi.   UyarI! Savaş ve şiddet sahneleri içerir.

Ön Cephe pdf indir oku

[annabreaksthings]

Frangie Marr + Rainy Schulterman + Quotes

[annabreaksthings]

Cover art for Michael Grant’s Purple Hearts released last week 😍

January 30 needs to hurry up and get here!

[soldiergirlscorned]

The 119th future plans and what will actually happen RIO
EXPECTATION: She fully intends on doing what her mother told her she would do. Get married (most likely to Strand), have kids, an hang up the gun.
WHAT HAPPENS: She stays in Europe for a while after the war. There are so many people that felt the sting of war and she wants to help. After that she works in the military, but in the states this time. She works through the Cold War. Eventually, she marries Jack and they have beautiful twin girls. They follow their parents into military service. 
JACK 
EXPECTATION: Goes back to Britain after the war and live a quiet life. 
WHAT HAPPENS: His life is nothing but loud. When he’s not chasing his girls around or making his wife laugh, he’s giving talks about the wars, raising money for the military, and supporting women in the army (how could he not).
ZHENOU 
EXPECTATION: Dies in the war 
WHAT HAPPENS: Ha. Psych! This girl outlives them all, with a successful career as an author. Her and Cat live in an apartment in NYC near Rainy.
CAT 
EXPECTATION: Opinionated Cat lady 
WHAT HAPPENS: talk about a ladies lady. Seriously, her war talks get her a long way with the ladies. Even into a couple of beds. 
STICK: 
EXPECTATION: Long career in the military. 
WHAT HAPPENED: Unfortunately, Stuck gave his life for his country before the war ends. He gave up his life so that his friends/his family could get away. There is no better way Stick could think to die.
GEER: 
EXPECTATION: Becomes a successful businessman. 
WHAT HAPPENED: War takes its toll in certain ways. Geer ends up assaulting a man for talking shit about women in the army, especially black women. He’s in jail for two years before the rest of the 119th manages to pull him out. 
RAINY 
EXPECTATION: Leads an exceptional career as a spy. 
WHAT HAPPENS: Exactly that. She also ends up with the biggest family of them all. Five beautiful, multilingual, rambunctious kids and a more than happy husband. 
FRANGIE 
EXPECTATION: Goes back to Tulsa and starts a job. Doesn’t end up as doctor. 
WHAT HAPPENED: She starts to do that, but a year after the war, Rainy and Rio show up at her doorstep. Turns out, the only thing that was needed to get Frangie into medical school was a forged high school diploma (courtesy of Rainy) and a threat to show up with a gun at the school (courtesy of Rio). She becomes a successful surgeon 
BEEBEE: 
EXPECTATION: Goes on to live a quiet life 
WHAT HAPPENS: Well, quiet in a way. This scavenger becomes a successful broker for the United States. He spends a lot of his time glaring at foreign diplomats across the table

[soldiergirlscorned]

The 119th Headcannons

-Everyone knows Rainy and Frangie are in the squad. It's an unwritten rule. -They have Miss Lion, but after Rio finds a dog in the woods and Frangie takes a thorn out of its paw he won't stop following them. They name him Mister Wolf. -The 119th has a rule: they can be mean o each other, but others can't. This rule has started many a fight. -The 119th hates Strand. Why? He's not Jack, therefore he's not good enough for Rio. -They will also do anything to get Jack and Rio together. -Don't tell me that they have jam sessions when they're marching from one place to another. -They make up the lyrics and even some of the instruments which makes them the best acapella squad in the division. -They may or not have choreographed their songs. -Zhenou is the best singer. -They still hold Richlin's Raid over Rio from back in boot camp. -After the war, they travel the globe before settling down in different parts of the US. -They still get together every year though. Every year. -They have kids and grow old, but never forget the war and what it brought them.

[annabreaksthings]

Rainy Saturdays are for art and Front Lines

[soldiergirlscorned]

Staffin Headcannons

-After the night in the minefield, they can't sleep unless it's right next to each other. They've even given up a bed so they could sleep next to each other on the floor. -Jack has never been a morning person, so when Rio wakes up at 0600 she has to wake up him. Her favorite way is to lay down in front of his face and lightly touching his nose with her finger. She knows when to do this when Stick says, "Commence the booping." -They stand in front or behind each other in line when marching. It's never been discussed, but it's been understood by their squad. -The later on the in the war it gets, the more the squad stops trying to be subtle about their hints about one another's feelings for the other. Eventually, they lock the two in a closet and Zhenou yells through the door, "Just fuck already!" -They come out looking a little disheveled. -Jack is the one that Rio finally tells that she thinks Strand is cheating on her. Sure, it's always been in the back of her mind, but he's there the first time she actually puts two and two together. -Jack and Rio are by far the best fighting duo the squad has. -Zhenou is the one that finally persuades Rio not to marry Strand, but Jack is the one she has help her write the letter. -They never dated, per say. The whole war was kind of their courting, but, in the middle of a bad fight, Jack asks her to marry him. -She's shocked at first, but then replies, "Hell, yes!" before throwing a grenade. -They're married that night. They have no rings, and no preacher, just a captain on a ship, but it's enough for them. -Their first time was when the two of them found a pond in the moonlight while they were scouting. Truthfully, it didn't start that way. Stick had sent them out after a battle to scout the way when they found it. They were covered from head to toe in dirt and blood and had immediately jumped in. Things led from there. -After the war, their house becomes a common meeting ground for the squad, Marr, and Rainy. Once a year, they all meet there, sleeping on couches and floors and sometimes even the kitchen table to make room for all of their families, but no one ever mentions a hotel.

[frontlinessoldiergirl]

FUBAR - Fugged Up Beyond All Recognition

[soldiergirlscorned]

The best couple names for Rio and jack are Rick and Staffin. Just gonna put that out there

[soldiergirlscorned]

The War Through the Lens Ch 4

The War Through the Lens Ch 4

Rio was having a hard time looking at her boys. She kept her M1 across her chest in front of her and her bruised face turned, trying to hide to damage Strand had done. She didn’t know if she couldn’t face them because of their pity or the fact that she would have to face the fact that she had let Braxton get away with what he did.

“I know by now, probably within the hour that it happened, you all know what happened. I want to make it clear that this doesn’t change anything. I am still you sergeant. I’m still capable, and willing, to beat every one of your asses. And, most importantly, this does not mean you get to butt in on my personal life. I don’t owe you an explanation. I do not want your questions, your input, or your pity. My life is—“

“RIO!” a voice yelled, followed by many other voices joining in, calling after the boys’ sergeant.

The boys stood perfectly still at attention as they watched Sergeant Richlin’s eyes get big before she was suddenly on the bottom of a dog pile.

“Rio! Look at cha!”

“Hey! Killin’ Richlin!”

“You thought you got away from us, didn’t ya?!”

“Alright! Alright! Don’t kill Richlin! Get off of her!” a sergeant said, pulling a large man off the top of the pile.

When Richlin finally appeared again she had a large smile on her face. She was quickly caught up into another hug by a blonde haired girl, who, if it was possible, made the boys stand up even straighter.

“Look at you! I think England looks good on you, what do you think, Stafford?”

A red-haired man, obviously Stafford, smiled and declared with a British accent, “My home country certainly agrees with you, Rio.”

The blonde finally let go, and smiled at her. Until the smile disappeared from her face, “Maybe it doesn’t.”

The bruise. It seemed that Richlin had forgotten about it until now.

The two girls seemed to have a silent conversation with themselves, and by the time they spoke again the blonde seemed to know everything that had happened, “Do we love him or hate him?”

“It wasn’t his fault, Zhen. He…he didn’t realize—.”

“So, we still like him. To do that, I don’t want to know anything else.”

The rest of the team looked confused and awkward. They didn’t like this conversation, but one thing was obvious to Richlin’s boys: their opinion of Braxton, no matter if Rio and Zhen still like him or not, had shifted.

“These yours, Richlin?” the sergeant asked, pointing to the boys who still stood at attention.

Rio turned and…smiled proudly at the boys, “119th, meet the 154th, also dubbed ‘Richlin’s Boys’. Boys, this is the 119th. This is Sergeant Dain Sticklin, aka Stick.” Richlin pointed behind her at the redhead, “Corporal Jack Stafford. The others can introduce themselves to you, but a word of warning: Geer’s an ass and Castain is completely off limits.”

“Hey,” the blonde said, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Richlin then turned to Stick, “I should get you and Jack over to HQ. She’ll fill you in.”

“Sounds good.”

“Think I can leave Cat and Geer to run beach landings with the boys?”

“If you want them dead.” “Geer, Cat. You have command. Run it as much as you want! Blakely, with me!”

Blakely ran to catch up with his sergeant as the 154th gathered around two members of the 119th.

When they were out of earshot, Melwin cocked his head to the side, “Is it true that you all had a lion in North Africa named Miss Lion?”

Geer smiled.

*&*

Later on, Melwin and Blakely were headed towards the latrine, talking about the day.

“I mean, Stick is a genius. Watching him and Sarge pore over the map and figure the best route for us to go by…it was astounding. They made all sorts of plans just based on how many people will live through the landing. How we’re going to get there, how long it will take, what we do if caught.”

Blakely smiled and shook his head and disbelief, “I’ve never seen two people work that way. Seeing Sarge like that…”

“Seeing them really puts flesh and bones to what she did. And now we have more firsthand accounts of them, although hers are either downplayed or theirs are greatly exaggerated.”

“The stories they tell are kind of out there.”

“Cat told me Sarge spent the night in a minefield, freezing cold, and without a fire. She said if they had moved a muscle, one inch, if they had even breathed wrong, they would have been blown to pieces. Pang told me she took out a Nazi colonel from up on a wall with nothing to balance on and got a literal bullseye.”

“Stafford told me she blew up a B17 all by herself and dragged her high boyfriend away from heavy fire.”

“High? On what?”

“Morphine. He was so high he was singing Christmas carols.”

“See that’s a little farfetched.”

“That’s what I thought.”

*&*

The 119th always seemed to be around. Now that they were there to help run drills, Sarge went into more meetings about the landing and the journey. Everyone on high wanted a full briefing on what they were doing, and Sarge, HQ, Stick, and their corporals had to comply.

Which meant the next time Melwin saw Richlin, she was pulling him out from under two other Privates.

“Are you stupid?!” she yelled, grabbing the two Privates by the ears and glaring down at him. Harris felt like a child being reprimanded by his mother. Around him, the other members of the 154th had stopped fighting at the sound of their sergeant’s distinct voice.

He watched as she sent ragtag team of Privates scattering away like rodents, grabbing guns and helmets they had dropped on the way.

Within minutes, the twelve boys were in line trying to hide busted lips and bruised knuckles from their sergeant and the 119th behind her.

“Never in my life would I think to find my boys in the middle of a tussle that isn’t against Krauts, let alone one in camp! That fight was irresponsible and not only does it look bad on you all, but everyone associated with you. It looks bad on you! Bad on me! Bad on the 119th! Hell, it looks bad on Doc and HQ! What in the world made you think that it was okay to start a fight within a short walk away from Headquarters? Were molecules even firing in the pea sized brain? Can you boys tell with your head so far up your asses?!”

She furiously ran her hand through her hair and Jack, from behind her, lightly pulled on the strap of her M1. She turned back to look at him, then turned to her boys, “I thought I taught you better boys. Dismissed.”

They all hung their heads, dragging their feet as they left, until Rio called them back, “When you’re fighting a Texan company, you aim for the knees.”

She flashed a quick grin at them before turning back to her friends.

Jack laughed heartfully and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, careful of her gun.

Melwin, his teeth a little bloody, turned to Blakely, “I think I like the 119th a little better than her boyfriend.”

[soldiergirlscorned]

The War Through the Lens Ch 3

The War Through the Lens CH 3

 Melwin was dozing in the shadows of a tree when the lieutenant tapped on his boot. He was tall and Melwin guessed he had been a real looker before he entered the war. Now, he looked gaunt, drawn, and guarded with the heavy shadows under his eyes. Melwin assumed he hadn’t acquired the army’s talent of sleeping just about anywhere.

“The gents I was talking to said you were in Rio’s platoon.”

“Rio? Who’s Rio?”

The man draw a deep breath and seemed to spit as he said, “Sergeant Rio Richlin.”

Ah, Melwin thought, he’s one of those types.

Every one of Rio’s boys knew the type. The ones that thought it was insulting to have a woman have the same title as them. The type that thought it was insulting for a woman to be a better killer, better leader, better soldier than any of them. Yes, her boys knew that type well.

“I’m part of Richlin’s Boys, yeah. Sarge is in headquarters right now with Headquarters.”

The lieutenant looked confused, so Harris explained, “Headquarters is one of the other girls that have the Silver Stars. There’s Sarge, HQ, and Doc. I’m sure if Sarge has a name the others do to, but most of the boys just call them their nicknames. Adds a little more mystery to the mysteries.

“So, she’s in HQ with HQ,” Melwin finished with a shrug.

“Take me to her,” the man said. Melwin frowned. With that attitude, the lieutenant wouldn’t get far with Sarge.

“Sir, with all due respect, she’s in HQ, in a meeting with someone literally named HQ. I don’t think it’s a good idea to interrupt her. Sarge won’t like it.”

“She’ll interrupt it for me. I’m her boyfriend.”

Harris stared at him for a second before bursting out into loud, boisterous laughter. Melwin laughed so hard he attracted the attention of Evan, who ran up to them with a smile on his face, “Well, I haven’t heard Melwin laugh like that since Sarge shoved a grenade down Buckeye’s pants and forgot to tell him she didn’t pull the pin! Who are you and what have you done?”

“Lieutenant Strand Braxton. Apparently, Rio hasn’t told you all she has a boyfriend.”

It wasn’t a question, but a statement of the obvious fact written across Melwin’s face.

Evan looked at him for a second, “You’re dating Sarge? You’re kidding me, right?”

“I have been ever since she enlisted. I grew up with her.”

“Uh huh,” Blakely said, disbelieving, “Well, sir, we hear a lot about the 119th and about what happened to them, but we haven’t heard anything about a Strand Braxton. Doesn’t surprise me much though. Sarge tells us stories about what they did so that if we get into the same predicament we’ll know what to do. To help us survive. But I guess the fact that she has a boyfriend wouldn’t help with that.”

“I understand. Rio can be pretty private about some things. Will you take me to her?”

Blakely looked down at Melwin for a second, who shrugged. Neither of them believed the lieutenant.

“Yeah, sure.”

They walked through the crowded hallways of the elementary school the army had turned into HQ . Melwin and Blakely led the way, followed by the lieutenant/boyfriend, and then the camera.

Harris realized that if Sarge in fact had a boyfriend it would be prime shots for the camera. It would show the public that Sergeant Rio Richlin, the first girl with sergeant stripes and a Silver Star, was still a girl. This would be a highlight of newscast! It would line up a whole new batch of women that the army sorely needed.

Blakely knocked on a door quietly before opening it. Inside, HQ and Sarge were standing by a desk, talking comfortably, the stream of their cigarettes climbing through the air.

The moment they saw they weren’t alone, they were on alert.

“Sorry to interrupt, but, uh… Sarge? You got a boyfriend?”

Both of the girls looked confused, “Are you asking out of interest?”

But then, Rio saw the lieutenant behind them, “Well, I’ll be!”

Braxton seemed to swarm his way over to her, crushing her in his arms, and locking her in a kiss.

HQ took that opportunity to excuse herself, stopping outside the room to tell the boys they ought to do the same, but the soldiers stayed.

“Boys,” Sarge said, still surrounded by the lieutenant’s arms, “You’re excused.”

“No ma’am. You all seem to need a chaperone. And you can’t close the door for propiety’s sake so looks like we’re—“ Blakely was suddenly talking to a door.

The two boys looked at each other for a quick moment before they both rushed to put their ear to the door. They could just make out what the two were saying.

“What are you doing here?” Richlin asked.

“Can’t I come see my girl?”

“Not when you use my boys to get here! Strand, I spent weeks for to get them to respect me. It’s not as easy as it looks.”

Braxton said something to warbled for the boys to pick out.

“I didn’t ask to be made sergeant, Strand. I didn’t even ask to be made corporal.”

“Yet, here you are.” Richlin didn’t answer. “I heard about the mission, Rio.”

“What about it?”

“Three girls and a platoon going into hostile territory? It’s a suicide mission.”

“The girls and I have been through worse,” she said comfortingly, “Besides, we make a good team.”

Braxton stayed quiet.

“Is this really about the mission? Or because of the Star?”

“Of course it’s about the mission!”

“You haven’t written me since then.”

There was silence before, “I needed to get my head around it.”

“Around what? Me getting an award?”

“I shouldn’t have let you sign up,” Strand said suddenly.

“Excuse me?”

“I shouldn’t have let you sign up. The award… You only got that because you’ve killed people.”

“I’ve killed people. Yes. I will continue to do so, as well. That’s war. That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be doing it, doesn’t mean I shouldn’t have gotten the Star.” Rio’s voice seemed to have filled with venom.

“Of course not, I just…”

“You just what, Strand? You just what?!” She was screaming now, they both were. Harris and Evan didn’t have to put their ears to the door anymore.

“I shouldn’t have let you be in this position! I shouldn’t have let you come! I should have made you—!“

“Made me what?! Stay at home? Do dishes? Write you sappy letters about how I want you back home, with me, safe and sound? Should I be warming your bed, Strand? Should I be doing that instead of defending my country? Should I be doing that instead of going to save people trapped in a death camp?”

“You know that’s not what I meant, Rio! I should have made you be safe! I shouldn’t have let you put yourself in a position where you have to be put in harm’s way!”

Rio laughed hysterically, “You know why that bothers you so much, Strand? Me being in harm’s way bothers you because it doesn’t scare me. I’m calm in a battle. I take whatever is thrown at me. And it reminds you of how much of a coward you are!”

“A coward?!”

“Yes! Yes! You’re only in this war because you were drafted! You only got up the courage to so much as ask me out because you were going away soon!”

A sharp slap sounded through the wall and the sound of the desk scraping angrily against floor.

It took Evan and Harris about a second before they had the door open, but then they stopped.

Richlin, their sergeant, was still leaning against the desk from where she had slammed into it. Her head was still angled towards the door where the boys could see her shocked face. Lieutenant Braxton’s hand was still raised, and the camera was still rolling.

Strand let his hand drop to his side, and looked at Evan and Harris, “This doesn’t concern you.”

The boys didn’t move.

They waited for their sergeant’s orders. Waited for her to order them to beat up Braxton, waited for her to command them to throw him out of HQ.

Rio stayed perfectly still, until Strand turned towards her, “Rio.”

It was an order of his own. An order to get rid of her watch dogs, an order to obey him, and Rio took it.

“Get.”

“But, Sarge—“

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll get!” she yelled at them, pushing on Evan’s chest to knock him out of the room and slamming the door.

The boys left the compound, but stayed outside of the old elementary school. The others gathered around them, and by the time that Lieutenant Braxton stepped outside he was met with a pack of twelve boys.

But all he did was smile at them and tilt his hat. Then he turned back to Rio, grabbed her by the side of her face that wasn’t bruised, and kissed her goodbye with a kiss that wasn’t proper for being out in public.

He walked away, and all Rio did was look at them before heading back inside.