So this idea popped into my head one night when I couldn't sleep and after mentioning it in a chapter of The Clinic the response was "I need this!" So here it is! A slightly longer (but less crazy than usual) intro while I explain a few things for anyone who doesn't know WWII as well as I do.
I'm fascinated by WWII and as a kid who spent a lot of time with her nanna, I know the importance of the incredible talent that entertained our troops and kept the British spirit alive at home. Vera Lynn was known as the Forces Sweetheart, one of her most popular songs was the perfect title for this AU fic. In this piece, I've taken some artistic freedom and have opened up the army to allow all sexes and sexualities. Bernie is openly lesbian and Serena openly bi – though there will still be some people who don't like it. It's not a focus though.
Bernie is a soldier with the British Airborne Division who were also known as the Red Devils. They wore red berets and my nanna always said, if you saw a man in a red beret you bought him a drink because they were some of the bravest soldiers in the war. They would parachute into enemy territory, many of them being shot before their feet even touched the ground.
Serena is taking the place of Vera Lynn as the Forces Sweetheart. Entertainers during the war were often flown around the world to entertain the troops. They were broadcast over the radio, acted in movies and were often the only source of comfort or reminder of home for many soldiers.
With all that in mind, here is the first chapter of We'll Meet Again. I hope you all enjoy it and please do let me know if you like what you're reading.
As always, be kind, be strong, be supportive and keep the faith xxx
Chapter 01
The first day of leave of was always the hardest. There was a mixture of feelings that battled each other in one's mind. On one hand, you were grateful to be away from the front lines, excited to be back among civilians. The joys of once again sleeping in a real bed and the pleasure of taking a bath with hot water and soap were simple things any soldier would gladly give their right arm for. But at the back of your mind you couldn't get rid of the images of what you'd left behind. The comrades you may never see again, the faces of the soldiers you had killed, the cries of the friends you couldn't save. Leaving it behind seemed to get harder and harder each time.
Berenice 'Bernie' Wolfe, now a lieutenant with the British Airborne Division, sat at a cafe staring into her empty coffee cup. She had been given two weeks leave, along with a few other soldiers from her unit, some of them being good friends of hers. Most of the unit had immediately left base to visit family, spouses, loved ones but this time, Bernie had decided to stay at base. She hadn't even bothered to let her family know she was back. She had seen so much since being sent to war that she was no longer the same person. It didn't feel right to sit at home and listen to your mother and sister talk about wedding preparations. She was of course happy for her sister and her husband to be, who was currently fighting in Italy. She was glad they had found each other. But it was times like this that Bernie remembered that just 30 hours ago, she had killed 22 men. She wondered how many of them had fiancés planning weddings at home. How many of them had wives and young children who they would never lay eyes on? How many of those men, boys most of them, had never had the pleasure of being kissed by someone who held their heart?
These thoughts and questions were the reason Bernie was sitting in a quiet cafe and not at home with her family.
"Oi, Bern!"
Bernie couldn't help but smile at the sound of Fletch's voice. She knew it wouldn't be long before they found her. She turned to look toward the door of the cafe to see Fletch, Raf, Dom and Arthur making their toward her. There was a look of excitement amongst them and Bernie wondered what mischief they'd gotten up to this time.
"That bird you like so much is singing at The Blakemore tonight," Fletch winked at her.
"So is Mateo Rossini," Dom sat down next to her and sighed. "What I wouldn't give for just one kiss."
Fletch punched Dom's arm. "Get off it you big softie," he laughed. "He don't swing your way boy!"
"A boy can dream," Dom smirked.
"Aren't you seeing Morven?" Bernie asked Arthur. He was a sweet kid and she had grown very fond of him. He'd only been with the unit for a few months and while he'd been quiet, he talked about his new wife, Morven, every day.
"I'm seeing her tonight," he said with a shy smile.
"You going to start working on that family she wants then?" Dom elbowed Arthur playfully.
"I don't want to start one until I know I'm back for good," he said.
"They say it'll be all over by Christmas," Fletch patted Arthur's shoulder and tried to smile.
All five of them were silent for a moment. It had been two and half years since Bernie's Commanding Officer first promised her unit that. It will all be over by Christmas. It never was though and yet they still clung to the hope that one year, it would be true.
"Where are you meeting Morven?" Bernie asked after a moment.
"The Blakemore," he smiled.
"That's how we know about the woman of your dreams," Dom said.
Bernie's frown prompted the most sensible man of the group to start talking. "Morven is a makeup artist," Raf said. "She's currently employed by none other than the Forces Sweetheart."
Bernie's stomach fluttered with butterflies at the mention of her. Serena Campbell.
"So what do you say, Wolfe?" Fletch nudged her and winked.
Bernie had wanted to spend her leave alone. To dress as a civie and forget about the war. But as she watched the men who had become brothers to her, she was reminded that on their next leave, not all of them would still be there. They had already lost so many. Ollie Valentine, Ric Griffin, Sacha Levy. Even sweet Essie Harrison. Life was short. They had no choice but to watch Alex Dawson bleed out in the middle of a field while the unit hid from enemy fire. One minute they were there, then they were gone. Like they never existed in the first place. It was a harsh reality but one they were all familiar with.
"You cling to that radio whenever she's on," Dom said, bringing her from her thoughts. "Are you really going to pass up the opportunity to see her in the flesh?"
"I do not cling to the radio," Bernie muttered.
"Come on," Raf cajoled.
Bernie sighed as she looked at the eager faces of her friends. If this leave was to be their last, maybe even her last, perhaps she should go. Her brothers were right, despite what she'd said. The soft, warm voice of Serena Campbell had kept her warm on nights when she'd lost hope. The postcard picture she had in her breast pocket kept her calm while they hunkered down in their foxholes during a shelling. If this was the only time she'd get to see her in person, she shouldn't deny herself that.
"Alright," she said finally.
Dom and Fletch let out a loud cheer as Raf pulled her out of her chair and Arthur paid her bill.
The first day was never easy. But with her brothers by her side, and her fallen comrade's faces in her mind, she promised she was going to enjoy their company while she could. She'd live every moment of her leave as if it were her last.
Putting this out there, neither Bernie nor Serena will die! I hope you enjoyed this first chapter and please do let me know what you think.
Thank you to everyone reading this! I love you all x