Heyy :) Sorry this chapters taken a while to get up, school's starting soon, and seems I've caught that darned salmonella bug from those darned eggs here in the US. Thanks to all my amazing reviewers they are truly amazing :) Hope ya'll enjoy this next installment.
-Carlene
...
Another day passed by and I found myself in a tent, being briefed by Nixon on the jump into Holland. I was pressed between Don and Grant, almost nodding off on account of not getting much sleep the night before.
"In any case, say goodbye to England. I don't think they're going to call this one off." I felt Don sigh in exhaustion, holding his head in his hands.
"Too much to drink there brother?" I asked sarcastically, rubbing a hand on his back.
"Maybe." He moaned, causing me to laugh. I felt this trip was going to be an easy one, the way Nix had described it, it was going to be a piece of cake, mostly kids and old men.
...
"Hey, who's that sexy thing in the parachute?"
"A woman who's willing to kick your ass Luz." I smirked, a smile spreading across his face.
"Need any help?" He questioned, motioning for me to spin around once.
"Am I missing anything?"
"Nope, am I?" I scanned over his short frame as he spun once, looking for anything out of place.
"Only thing your missing is a pair of balls there Luz." I laughed, patting him on the shoulder.
"Well, I could prove they were there, but I'd need help taking off this gear." Luz winked in my direction.
"Oh, whatever." I rolled my eyes, walking up to get in line, passing Don who seemed to be having a conflict with Sobel. The stupid son of a bitch was back to bug us again.
"Hey Johnny, could you make that big ass move any faster?" I asked, watching Johnny walk up the ladder onto the plane.
"Well, depends.. if I've got the energy.." he sighed, making a theatrical attempt to climb the ladder.
"Why Johnny why?" I cried as a joke, causing him to laugh and finally make his way up the ladder. "Bout time." I laughed, climbing the ladder myself.
"Hey Arabella, think you could make that big ass move any faster?" Johnny smirked from inside the plane.
"Well, depends if I've got the energy.." I sighed.
"I can help with that." A hand appeared before my face, I grabbed it and was hauled onto the plane by Skinny.
"Thanks." I smiled up at him then took a seat between him and Buck.
"God, why do they make us take those stupid air sickness pills?" Skinny asked, leaning his head against the plane as the engines started.
"Because I'd rather not have you puking all over my nice boots." I smirked, lifting my feet to prove my point.
"Those are rather nice boots, seems I have an identical pair." Skinny raised his feet too.
"Seems you do." I laughed.
"Yep, woah, did you noticed everybody does?" Skinny looked around the plane sarcastically, his eyes wide.
"No way!" I giggled, hitting him softly on the shoulder.
"No way what?" Buck asked over the roaring engines.
"Everyone here has the same boots." I stated, crossing my arms.
"I always knew you were a strange one Malarkey."
"No, that's my brother your thinking of there Buck."
"Maybe so." Buck shrugged.
...
"Woo, I made it." Webster smiled, sitting down across from me. The jump had been Easy's smoothest on record by my standards.
"Yeah, barely." I rolled my eyes, as a bunch of planes roared over head.
"Wonder if they hit anything.." Hoobler thought out loud. Wed said something, but I kept my eyes on the planes, watching them fly away. I wondered if this was going to be as easy as Nix had said it was going to be. It seemed to be going smoothly so far.
"Hello? Arabella." Gene knocking on the top of my helmet stirred me from my thoughts to see everyone else leaving through the field.
"Oh, sorry." I tried to duck next to him to conceal the flush in my face.
"Everything alright up in that head of yours?" He asked, walking besides me.
"Yeah, just thinking is all."
"Ah. Anything you want to talk about?"
"No, Eugene I'm fine. I was just wondering if this whole thing is going to be as easy as Nixon said it's going to be."
"Hm, I guess we'll see pretty soon huh?"
"Heh, yeah I guess."
...
"Oh my god, Gene this is amazing!" I shouted over the calls and cheers of the people.
"That it is!" He smiled, popping his collar up.
"Awe Eugene. Don't want any kisses from the local ladies?" I asked sarcastically, although following in his footsteps and pulling my collar up as well.
"Nah, I think I'm good." I saw a red blush come over his face as a young woman walked up and planted her lips on his unprotected cheek.
"Too late now!" I laughed. This place was an ocean of orange, the national color. People were wearing arms bands, children were wearing orange hats, women with orange dresses, even orange sheets hanging off the windows. Also everyone seemed to have at least one flag of that color.
I shuffled along, hiding behind Eugene and some other guys.
"Hey! Arabella!" I glanced over to see Bill waving my direction. "C'mon get in this picture with us toots!"
"Oh, fine..." I rolled my eyes sarcastically as both Bill and Babe wrapped their arms around my shoulders, pointing at the camera to get the children in front of us to look at it.
"Is she wearing your helmet?" I looked up at Babe, who simply nodded and smiled. It was soon after that I was being shuffled along once again, passing by a circle of people, the women in the middle were having their heads shaved, their clothes torn, even swastika's drawn crudely on their foreheads.
"Oh my.." I whispered, putting a hand to my mouth.
"Apparently they slept with Germans. It's sick." I jumped, looking back to see Skinny walking behind me.
"It is.." I shook my head and continued along with the rest of the group, we made it to the outskirts of Eindhoven by nightfall, men either collapsing on the fresh grass or finding a hay bale here or there to sleep upon. I myself decided on the latter, laying atop a large bale that was besides what looked to be a local farm house. Sleep was just about to take over when I heard the sound of a cellar being opened.
I rolled over, grabbing my .45 aiming towards the opening. A skinny dutch man came out, holding his hands in the air. I heard some commotion from the side and looked over to see Wed, Van Clinton, and Hoobler holding their M-1's to the man, Web talking to him in German before the man began to speak in English.
"Or feed us much.." I heard Hoobler add to some statement of Davids, go figure they would try to work food out of anyone. To my surprise, it worked, the man walked inside his house and returned with jars of food. I saw Webster walk over to what I thought was the dutch man's son, and gave him a chocolate bar. Web and the man exchanged a few words before Web stood and walked back towards his hay bale with Van Clinton, a jar of what appeared to be olives in his hands.
I simply rolled back over in the hay bale, trying to get a comfortable spot and not succeeding in the least.
"Having some troubles up there?" Someones voice came from below, nearly causing me to fall off the bale. I calmed down a bit before looking over the edge to see the owner of set voice.
"Why would you care?" I asked snidely towards Joe.
"Because, I do. Can I come up?" He asked, raising a hand towards me.
"Are you drunk?"
"No. And if you're not going to help.." He sighed, pulling himself up top of the bale.
"Why should I help you?" I questioned, making a small distance between us by sliding over to the other side.
"Look, Bells... I- I'm sorry for whatever I did to piss you off."
"Whatever you did to piss me off? You got totally hammered, started claiming ownership of me which you don't have, not to mention forced yourself on me, and you damn near broke Babe's nose!" I trailed on, my voice raising to a harsh tone.
"Okay, I was an ass."
"You could say that." I mumbled, crossing my arms.
"Arabella, please. I'm sorry okay? Could you accept that?" I looked up into those deep brown eyes of his, those damned dark chocolate eyes.
"I shouldn't be the one your apoloogizing to." I sighed, my anger seething away from my voice.
"Well, I need to apologize to Heffron too. But you're more important to me Bells." He scooted closer to me.
"I shouldn't be."
"No, you should be. And you are. Bells.. I-... I- I love you Arabella."
The wind was knocked out of me, did he just say what I think he did? I looked back up at his face and saw that look, it was almost like the look on Babe's face, but changed. Maybe his was a look of lust, or maybe Babe's was. How was I supposed to know?
"Arabella.." Joe said, almost begging, "I'm so sorry." I saw him slouch, in defeat maybe. He looked weak.
"Joe." I started, causing him to look to me. "I accept your apology, but I need to tell you, I don't know if I feel the same way for you."
"That doesn't matter Bells," A crooked smile spread across his face, "So that means we can actually talk now?"
"Yeah, I guess." I giggled.
"What a relief, you know I've missed you Bells. I'm sorry I didn't talk to you sooner."
"I'm sorry I've been ignoring you."
"That's fine, well I think you're going to be wanting some sleep. Goodnight Bells." Joe smiled, leaning across the gap between us to quickly place his lips on mine before hopping off the hay bale. I sat, stunned waiting to hear his footfalls disappearing. When I didn't hear that I leaned over to see Joe laying down against the bale, soft snores telling me he was sound asleep.
"Goodnight Joe.." I sighed, leaning back into the hay to fall asleep myself.