Part One
A/N: AU fic. Hope you guys like. I will be continuing with 'Breathe Me' as well but inspiration struck so I just had to go with the flow.
Manchester, 1940Hazel sighed and watched Jackson pull on his green jacket, his brown boots shining and green pants without a single crease. She sighed nervously and looked at him anxiously.
'Are you sure that this is what you want to do?' She urged, her eyes shining with fear.
He nods and rolls his eyes at her incessant worrying.
'Yes Mum, now leave it. I need to do this. It's my duty, isn't it?' he says with a smile, trying to soothe her nerves a little.
Hazel shakes her head.
'No, it's not your duty Jackson! You're a young man with your whole life in front of you! Don't go doing this if its only to play the hero!' she pleads.
He frowns at her and closes the buttons of his jacket up.
'Mum, my country needs me. She needs young men. Please stop, I'm doing the right thing.' He says finally, firmly closing the subject.
Hazel sighs heavily and nods slowly.
'Fine. But you better write my boy and try, I mean really try, not to get yourself killed. You're all I have.'
'Love you too Mum.'
X0
EmmerdaleSergeant Henshall marched across the village towards the bus stop where he would meet the new recruits from Manchester. He nodded at the very beautiful Katie as she passed.
'New recruits?' she asked with a pretty smile.
Henshall nodded and rolled his eyes.
'What else? I swear, if I have to deal with one more bawling teen who misses his mother I wont be held accountable for my actions.' He teased.
Katie laughed and pulled her jacket around her tighter.
'Well, just give Declan a call when you need them to be trained on the horses. I'd be more than happy to help.'
Henshall was about to thank her when he saw two of his Privates, staggering out of the local pub.
'OI! LAMB AND BARTON! GET OVER HERE AT ONCE!' He roared, spinning around and marching towards them.
The pair giggled tipsily and stumbled over as best they could. Henshall fought the urge to shoot the pair of them there and then.
'Explain yourselves.' Henshall snapped.
Pt. Lamb squeezed his eyes shut in an obvious attempt to stop his vision from spinning.
'Well…see…Sir, we…last night of freedom…last night was, wasn't it? Now we have to train the new…the new…boys? Right?' Ryan stuttered, his head pounding.
Henshall stared at them in disbelief.
'Are you two only leaving the pub now?' he demanded, his eyes wide.
Pt. Barton nodded.
'Sir, yes Sir.' He groaned.
Henshall didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He looked between the two for a long time before shaking his head.
'Go back to your quarters, get a couple of hours sleep and clean yourselves up. And don't breathe a word of this to Major Dingle, do we understand?' he snapped.
The pair nodded and started to hobble away. Henshall shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. How could he begrudge them a night to themselves? They were young men who were about to sacrifice themselves for a dying cause. He wasn't completely heartless.
XO
Aaron sighed and took of his hat, knocking on his uncle's office door tentatively. He gave his uniform a quick once over and decided he was clean enough.
'What?' grumbled the voice from behind the door.
Aaron rolled his eyes and pulled the door open, sticking his head in around it first.
'You got a minute?'
Cain looks up from his paperwork and nods irritably.
'Yes, but make it quick.'
Aaron nods gratefully and steps inside, closing the door behind him.
'I've finished makin' up the new beds but we're short three. Where will I put 'em?' he demands.
Cain growls something under his breath and glares at Aaron.
'Move 'em in with the Privates. There's a spare bed in your quarters and there's two in 2E. Move them there.' He ordered.
Aaron nodded in thanks.
'And next time use a bit of initiative, yeah?' Cain snapped.
X0
Jackson walked in with all the rest of the newbies. There was a skinhead standing in there sleeping quarters with a miserable look on his face.
'Right, there ain't enough beds here, so three of yez are coming with me.' He announced.
Jackson's felt his heart sink a little. He didn't want to be moved, he was only just getting to know his Company. He looked over at Gary, his newfound friend. Gary winced.
'It's going to be me. I know it is.' He groaned.
The skinhead stepped forward and pointed at Jackson, Gary and Seán.
'The three of you, don't unpack, ye're coming with me.' He ordered.
Jackson rolled his eyes and looked at Gary.
'You obviously jinxed it mate.' He half joked.
Gary nodded miserably.
'Wouldn't be the first time.'
XO
Aaron looked at the three soldiers who were following him. One was small and chunky with a weird moustache thing going on, another was tall and slim and blond and looked like a pain and the third was a well built, handsome man with friendly eyes. Aaron looked at his nametag and nodded.
'Right, you, Walsh, you're staying with Fox Company, the other two youse are staying with Hound Company. It's in quarter 2E. Think ye can find it?' he asked condescendingly.
Gary nodded cheerfully.
'Yeah, shouldn't be a problem, Sir.'
Aaron nodded, dismissing them. Jackson looked at Aaron nervously and offered him a small smile.
'Think they'll get lost?' Aaron asked, biting his lip, looking anxious.
Jackson chuckled and shook his head.
'No sir and if they do, it's not like they can go far before they realize they are.'
Aaron half smiled and looked Jackson up and down. He had a feeling he would like this one.
XO
Adam groaned and sat up in his bed, his head pounding.
'Fuck…' he whined, his vision spinning, his stomach churning.
A young man with brown eyes turned around, a look of concern in his eyes.
'Are you ok? Do you want me to get a medic? Are you injured?' he gushed, a panicked look on his face.
Adam looked at him in confusion.
'Who are you?' he demanded.
'Uh…Jackson Walsh…I'm new.' He said, blushing slightly.
Adam rolled his eyes and smirked.
'You ever seen a hangover newbie?'
Jackson blushed even deeper and nodded.
'Yes sir.'
'Then go and get me a coffee from the canteen, if you're so intent on saving me.'
Jackson nodded and marched out of the room swiftly. Adam smiled to himself. He loved the new kids. Ryan whined and opened his eyes slowly in the bed beside Adam.
'I feel like I've taken a number of bullets to the brain.'
'It's good training, eh?' Adam giggled.
Ryan half chuckled, half sobbed.
'I'm never drinking again.'
'Don't lie.'
Ryan shook his head and sat up slowly.
'Uh…do you think I made a fool of myself in front of Debbie?' he asked.
Adam nodded.
'Yup…and if I were you I'd be praying that she doesn't tell her Daddy that a bold soldier was trying to have his wicked way with her.'
Ryan paled and looked at Adam in fear.
'She wouldn't…would she?'
Adam shrugged and smiled brightly.
'For your sake, I hope not.'
XO
Aaron sighed and watched as the recruits ran around the pitch in their shorts and t-shirts. They were terribly unfit and he knew that Cain would expect him to whip them into shape. Jackson Walsh and Gary Thompson were the only two who were able to run the ten laps without collapsing into a heap on the ground.
He marched over to the heaving and gasping group and stared them down.
'That was awful. Ye don't look like fit young men; ye look like overweight, middle-aged women. Now look, I aren't gonna put up with second best. Easy Company will be the best Company in this whole camp and if you don't think you're up for it then leave now, cause I don't listen to excuses, d'ya get me lads?'
All the red faced men nodded miserably, wiping the sweat from their foreheads.
Aaron turned to Walsh and Thompson.
'That was good. Hit the showers.'
Aaron watched as Jackson jogged away and he couldn't help but notice how…nice…Jackson's arse was.
XO
Gary sighed and continued shaving his face, an unhappy look on his face.
'We've been here a week and they still haven't shown us how to use guns. We could be called in to battle at any moment with only our cocks in our hands.' He grumbled.
Jackson laughed and stuck his head under the shower to rinse out the shampoo.
'We'll be fine. It cant be that hard to use a gun anyway.' He decided.
Gary rolled his eyes and put down his razor.
'How's it going in Fox Company? Is Aaron as much as a tyrant in there as he is with us?' he demanded.
Jackson shook his head and chuckled.
'Nope, he's the youngest so they all take the piss. They're nice enough, you know. Plenty of banter in there though, my skin had definitely thickened up a little.' He smiled.
Gary looked at Jackson enviously.
'Hound Company are all dry arses. SSgt. Henshall is in charge. A right knob so he is.' He moaned.
Jackson shrugged sympathetically and patted Gary on the back.
'When we get to France we'll probably be reunited with Easy Company properly. Just keep your head up.'
XO
Jackson walked into Fox Company quarters, whistling quietly to himself. He plopped down on his bed not noticing that Aaron was changing at the bottom of the room.
Jackson lay down on his bed and then sat up quickly.
'Whoops! Sorry sir!' he called, hopping off his bed.
Aaron spun around and shook his head.
'Walsh, it's fine. Nothing you haven't seen before I'm sure.'
Jackson frowned, not quite sure what Aaron meant.
'Okay.' He said slowly, falling back onto his bed.
Aaron pulled on his white boxers and made his way over to his own bed.
'Why aren't you in the canteen?' he asked.
Jackson shrugged.
'I could ask you the same question.'
Aaron threw him a sharp look.
'Except you wont because I'm your superior.'
'Mmm.'
Aaron stepped into his starched trousers and pulled them up, watching Jackson curiously.
'Where you from?'
'Manchester.'
'Family.'
'Mum.'
'That it?'
Jackson nodded.
'Yup. Dad died in mining accident a couple of years back. What about you?'
Aaron shrugged.
'Don't have a mum or a dad. Just me uncle…and Paddy.'
'Who's Paddy?'
Aaron half smiled.
'The medic here on camp.'
Jackson nodded again.
'Oh…you really only eighteen?'
Aaron nodded and started to do up his shirt.
'Yeah, you got a problem with that?' he asked defensively.
Jackson shook his head and before he knew where he was, he was helping Aaron button up his shirt. Aaron frowned and looked at Jackson in confusion.
'What are you doing?' Aaron had meant for it to sound fierce but it sounded more like a whisper.
Jackson looked up at him and shrugged.
'Not sure.' He admitted softly.
Aaron nodded and took a step closer so that their crotches were touching. He looked at Jackson inquisitively, wondering if this was how people did these sort of things.
Jackson raised an eyebrow and tilted his head to the sound, his face calm and blank but his heart was beating hard against his ribcage.
Aaron looked up at him and their eyes locked for a second and their lips followed quickly. Jackson wrapped his arms around Aaron and Aaron leaned in closer.
Neither of them expected this to happen but neither of them wanted to stop.
XO
Mum,
Not much to say really.
Training hard and making new friends.
Everyone is 'super nice' just as you had told me they would be. My company leader is Aaron Livesy and he's fantastic. He pushes us hard, he wants us to be the best because he is the best and he never settles for anything less. He's a great guy and definitely one of the lads.
Miss you lots,
Love
Jackson x
A/N: What do we think? Do we want more? More? MORE?