-1Author's Note: I LIIIIIVVVEEE! Sorta. You know, last time I updated any real stories, I was just finishing my senior year of high school. Now I'm into my second semester of college. Crazy, huh? Anyway, for those who read 'Just One Word' that too will be updated soon. Yep. I'm gonna finish that one soon, hopefully. But here's a new chapter to tide ya over.
Title: Big Brown Eyes
Rating: T (PG-13) Yeah. For language, death and probably violence. But mostly language. I've been cursing like a sailor recently. (Looks confused and wanders away)
Summary:
Disclaimer: Since these are real people, I own nothing but my characters. This story is purely fictional, and I hope no one is offended by it. Thank you. You know what I own? I own this weird little ceramic bunny that keeps staring at me whenever I sit at the computer. (Freaks out)
Chapter 11: Weird Dreams and Flying Planes
Mary's POV
I guess it made sense, when you think about it.
I mean, Ella and I had never had combat training, or jump training. And hell, I'd never even been in a plane before. So it must've been for the best. But it certainly didn't mean I was happy about it.
And apparently, neither was Ella.
She'd thrown a quiet, yet wholly angry and uncharacteristic tantrum. I was shocked, to say the least, at some of the choice words she used to describe Sink as she complained about not being able to stay with our company. She was pretty mad about the entire thing, and I'm sure she went to bed still fuming about the unfairness of it all.
Although I was accepting it, I still felt the same way.
That night, before I went to sleep, I contemplated where I was so far. Thoughts of our order to stay behind aside, this was the weirdest experience of my life. I kept thinking I'd wake up and be back at home in my own time. But every time I pinched myself, - just like the first time – I didn't wake up; and it hurt like heck.
I still didn't know why I was here, or how I got here. I didn't want to question it, and I didn't like thinking about it. I felt as though, if I just took things as they came, I'd make it through whatever odd situation I was going through. But when left alone to my own devices, coupled with the fact that I had nothing to do but think before I went to sleep, made my brain whirl with strange thoughts.
Was it a coincidence that I had not only watched the HBO miniseries 'Band of Brothers,' but also been plunked down right into their company? Was it coincidence that Eugene and I were together, that we knew one another? Or was it some cruel twist of fate that would tear me away from the man I'd come to care for deeply over the past few weeks.
Weeks.
It sounded odd to me. To think, I'd find myself falling in love in less than 21 days. I'd never thought it was possible, but apparently, it was. I wasn't sure what this relationship felt like to Eugene on his side, but to me, it felt like something real.
But I couldn't help but wonder more and more often; was this all real?
My sleep was troubled and plagued with strange and terrifying dreams. I remember every one of them.
---
There it was again.
That flash of brown; the smell of an animal; a soft bark somewhere in the darkness. I know I wasn't hallucinating, I was pretty positive that it was here. But I didn't know where 'here' was.
Everything was pitch black, and I couldn't make out any visible or familiar shape in the dark. I groped around blindly, until my hand came to rest on something solid. Shakily, I sat down on it, hoping that, perhaps, if I stayed put, someone might find me.
Turns out, someone did. But it wasn't who I was expecting.
"Hey there, Mary."
I looked up to see…A large brown dog. It was looking at me oddly, it's head tilted to the side. I recognized him, and I flew from my makeshift seat, finger pointing accusingly in his direction. "Y-you!" I spluttered, anger coursing through my veins.
The dog offered me a doggy-grin, and sat back on its haunches. "Me," it agreed solemnly, to which I replied by losing my voice. The dog looked amused, and wagged its tail.
"Suppose your wondering why you're here, aren't you, Mary?"
I blinked. "How'd you know my name?" I muttered softly, confused even more. "And how the hell are you talking? You're a dog! Dogs don't talk!"
The dog gave me a baleful stare. "On the contrary, dogs do talk. It's just that you humans can't understand us. It's rather frustrating really, you see. Because things like this happen, where, if I want to talk to you, I must explain why I am talking first. Let's just keep it simple then, shall we? I am a dog. I brought you here. I talk. End of story."
"Wait," I blanched. "You brought me here? You're the one who did this? Why? How?"
The dog blinked its large brown eyes, and offered me a wilting glare. "You were unhappy," it said with a doggy equivalent of a human shrug. "I know I didn't make your life any easier in your time, but I've made up for it now. Think of it as an apology gift. Besides, aren't you happy now? You've got a good life, and good things going for you. Why complain?"
I couldn't formulate a coherent reply. "Er…Well…Thanks, I think. That's all well and good though. But HOW did you get me here?"I stepped closer. "You're a dog. You're not supposed to talk or…or transport people to different times. So how'd you do it?"
The dog looked thoughtful for a moment, before its tongue lolled out of its mouth in a wide smile. "I have…Gifts. I have lived a very long time, Mary. I was there when Rome was built, and I was there when it fell. I have lived through multiple wars, famines, droughts, and other unimaginable things that bring only pain and suffering to the ones who bear the brunt of the impact. I have seen misery and unhappiness. I have seen death and pain and destruction. I was simply tired of it. I was tired of seeing you, a girl who had done nothing wrong in her life, go about unhappily form day to day as everything around you worked to make your life miserable."
The dog took a long, deep breath. "I am not what I appear, and I will let you take that as you will. Just know that where you are is where you are meant to be. I'm tired of you second guessing everything I've done. Just accept it, embrace it. You won't be going back to your time, ever. The woman you replaced no longer exists. Mary Masters is all a ruse, created for the sole purpose of destroying that old life. You are not Kerri. You are Mary."
I could only stare with my mouth agape. "A ruse? I…I replaced someone? She doesn't exist? So…So you mean…you mean I'm going to stay here? I…I won't be going home?"
"You had nothing to live for there anyway," the dog replied, tilting its head. "And you have plenty to live for here. Just remember that. I have done you a favor that asks for nothing in return. I gave you life, love and happiness. Don't question my motives. Besides, Mary Masters never really existed until you came along; everyone just thought she did."
He paused. "Be wary of your actions, Mary. Your knowledge of future events could greatly impact the decisions and timeline of this war. Try not to get killed. I know there would be quite a bit of heartbreak if that were to happen. Besides, I may wish to speak to you again. I can't do that if you're dead…"
With a giant bark, and a mighty leap, he propelled himself towards me, and I felt like I had on the first day I arrived in 1944; confused, frightened and pissed that I'd just gotten tackled by a dog.
---
I sat bolt upright in bed, sweat pouring down the sides of my face. I had so many damn questions, and the dog had just ended my dream, abruptly, like it was nothing. Cursing, I leaned back in my cot, and thought about going back to sleep. But I couldn't.
No matter how much I wanted to talk to the stupid dog again, and to ask him what the hell he meant by all that, the events of the dream were too vivid and heart pounding to allow me to sleep. Adrenaline coursed through my veins and every time I tried to shut my eyes, images flashed behind my eyelids, startling me into the world of wakefulness and prompting me to snap open my eyes.
With a growl, and then a pitiful sigh, I swung my legs over the edge of the cot and rustled around in my pack. Finding the clothes I wanted, I threw on the trousers, the shirt, and the jacket and inched over to Ella's bed. I peeked down at her wristwatch, where her arm was laying by her head and noted the time; only 4:30. The sun wouldn't be up for a little while yet.
Quickly throwing on and lacing up my boots, I snuck out of the tent, careful to make as little noise as possible. It took me about ten minutes to weave my way through the maze of tents and find an opening of grass, creates and sky. And when I did, I found that I was not the only one with an idea about getting up early.
"Hey there."
Lewis Nixon looked up from where he sat on a large crate. He had a canteen in one hand, and was staring blearily up at the sky. He blinked when he saw me, looking down as if everything was all a haze and he couldn't quite make out who I was. I climbed up and sat beside him.
"How goes it, Captain?" I asked, leaning forward a bit to get a good look at him. Damned if he wasn't good lookin'. I grinned at the way his eyes seemed to blink at different times. I was vaguely reminded of something resembling a drunken chameleon.
"Hey there, nurse," he replied, mirroring my cheeky grin with one of his own. "You can just call me Lew, you know. Or Nix. Whichever one suits you." He leaned back, and resumed staring at the sky.
"All right, then, Nix," I replied, mimicking him. "Then you can just call me Mary. Not 'nurse.' What're you doing out here anyway?"
Nixon swirled his canteen around, and I heard the tale-tale swish of liquid inside the steel container. "Just thinking…And not sleeping. I could ask the same of you, you know." He peered at me blearily from beneath dark eyebrows.
I reached over and took his canteen form his hands, to which he did not protest, and sniffed the lid. "Well, apparently, I came to tell you that drinking is bad for you and that I couldn't sleep either. Bad dreams."
Nix reached for his canteen, resting his hand on his thigh. "Yeah. I heard about your temporary transfer. It's for the best you know. What we're doin'…It's not for people like you, Mary. You wouldn't like it. And I'm sure the doc is much happier knowing your staying behind."
I smacked my face with the palm of my hand. "How does everyone automatically know about me and him? Sheesh, how many people did they tell?"
"Did who tell?"
"Never mind," I sighed, closing my eyes as I leaned against the back of the crate. "It's not important. And you're right. Staying behind is…is for the best, I suppose. I'm not happy with it, by any means, but I know you're right. I don't think I'd do too well jumping out of a plane anyway. Seems like a waste of a perfectly good plane ride to me."
"And doc's happy."
"Yeah, and Eugene's happy. That's what counts the most, I think."
"But your not."
"No." I opened my eyes and stared at him. "I'm not happy with the decision. Anything a man can do, a woman can do…Sometimes just as well. Exceptin' maybe picking up someone who weighs two times our body weight and mass. Besides, I'd be more of an asset over there than sitting behind over here. I guess no one sees it the way I do. Ella sure was upset about the decision."
"But you'll be deployed right after us. Your new company will make sure you two find ours. We shouldn't be apart for more than three or four days, you know. It'll be fine, kid." He patted me reassuringly on the shoulder, and I frowned as the sun started to come up.
"Three or four days isn't a bad estimate," I replied, sliding off the crate and grateful I hadn't worn a dress. Nix looked down at me as if suddenly seeing me for the first time.
"Well I'll be. You look more like a solider than a pretty army nurse now, don't you?"
I chuckled, flipping my long brown curls behind my head. "And don't you forget it, Mr. Nixon. Now, I'm off to find Lieb. I got some business with the man."
"What business?"
"Let's just say I need a new 'style.'"
---
"You sure 'bout this, Mary?"
"Positive. Just do it before I change my mind."
"Okay…Doc prolly won't be too happy about this but…Here goes nothin'!"
---
It was nearing mid-afternoon, and two hours after I'd sat and talked with Nixon, I had found Liebgott and gotten exactly what I wanted. I was a little nervous about meeting up with Eugene. What would he think about it? Nervously, I fretted with the hem of my jacket, sitting down beside Buck on a small crate.
The boys were all gathered about, playing some kind of card game; I'm guessing it was Old Maid, since most officers weren't too happy with the gambling that went on in the lower ranks. I peeked over Buck's arm to see his hand, and then grinned. "Threes," I whispered conspiratorially, leaning back to resume sitting innocently beside him.
"Got any threes?" he asked, his face breaking out into a whimsical smile as he stared at the crestfallen faces of George Luz and Joe Toye. Malarkey simply whistled tunelessly to himself, happily rearranging his cards in his hand; obviously, he didn't have any threes.
"I swear you're cheatin', Buck," Luz complained, handing over his threes as Joe did the same with a grumble.
"Nah," Buck replied, winking. "But who's to say I don't have lady luck on my side, eh, George?"
George shot me an accusatory glare, to which I replied by raising my hands in surrender and trying my best to look innocent. "I know nothing," I chirped, my curls bouncing around my face. Muck and Penkala looked up as the sound of approaching footsteps caught their attention.
"Hey, Mary; Gene's comin'," Bill called from where he sat, cleaning his M-1 with a crooked grin. I blinked, panicked, and shoved Buck's helmet on my head, to which he promptly replied by laughing heartily and rapping on it with his knuckles.
"Any of you seen…Mary! There you are," Gene drawled as he came around the corner, a small smile on his face. I suppose he'd been looking for me for a while, because his face just seemed to light up with relief. My suspicions were confirmed at his next sentence. "I been lookin' all over for you. You been hidin' here all this time? And…Whose helmet is that?"
I silently pointed at Buck. "His. And maybe he'll let me keep it a while?" I asked hopefully, staring up at Buck with large, puppy-dog eyes. He sighed, but his face broke out in a smile.
"Sorry, Mary. Gonna have to go with a 'no' on that one. I'm probably going to need that sometime soon." He reached over and plucked it off of my head.
"Gaaaah, jerk!"
Eugene, however, had gone completely silent. He was staring hard in my direction, his eyes scrunched up as they riveted on my head. "Gene?" I asked nervously, fiddling with my jacket. "What?"
He seemed to shake his head, and then motioned for me to follow him. I waved to the boys, getting a few wolf-whistles in the process, to which I promptly responded to with; "Shut up Luz, Buck. I know where you sleep." Both men fell silent, but their smiles didn't fade.
I followed Eugene through the never-ending maze of tents, trotting a bit to keep up with his brisk pace. "Aw, come on Gene. Aren't you gonna say anything?"
The young medic paused, opened his mouth, and then closed it. He turned abruptly, and stared at me with a grim smile. "How come you cut your hair?"
I nervously played with the small curls, fiddling with the ends of my now eyebrow length hair. I'd asked Joe to cut it for me, to which he promptly responded by making it completely uneven. So I'd ask him to fix it and…Well, it ended up shorter than anticipated.
"I…Well, I figured it'd be more practical…You…You don't like it, do you?"
Eugene's smile turned from grim, to almost happy. He reached forward, placing his hand under my chin, and lifted my head. "O' course I like it, Mary. Suits you jus' fine. I was just…Startled, I 'spose. But it looks good." He ran a hand through the short curls, seemingly transfixed by them. I leaned into his touch.
He smiled, pulled his hand away, and kissed me gently on the lips. I grinned brightly, wrapping my arm around his waist and bumping him with a hip in a friendly manner. He wrapped his own arm around my waist, and we started off towards the medical tent.
I placed a hand over my heart, letting out a long breath as we mosied along. "Whew, thanks goodness! I was worried there for a minute. Thought you didn't like it…Does it make me look like a boy?"
Eugene laughed, his arm tightening around my waist ever so slightly as he gave me a gentle squeeze. "If it made you look like a boy, you wouldn't be my girl, now would ya?"
---
Eugene's POV
It'd been nearly five days since we'd arrived in Upottery, England.
I knew that, eventually, we'd be making the big drop. I just didn't know it'd be so soon. Seemed like tonight was the night. I nervously sat in during the quick pre-jump briefing, mentally making a checklist of everything I needed for the jump into Normandy.
Yep. Normandy.
I'd been a bit surprised to find we were jumping there, but maybe there was a reason behind it. I guessed it was because it was the best place for the landing crafts; at least, I thought the beaches were. I wasn't so sure about the terrain.
I, like every other man in every airborne company, knew everything by heart. The other regiments missions, their objectives, their DZs, every foxhole, anthill and bush in Normandy. We'd been studying the maps for days and days, until I thought I might go crazy if I saw one again.
We'd been scheduled to drop the day before today, but unfortunately, the weather conditions didn't allow for it. Mary and I had said a rather easy goodbye; I was surprised she wasn't more...emotional. But she only smiled and said she knew something I didn't. When the jump was called off, she was waiting for me near the tent, a knowing grin on her face. I wondered if she'd predicated the call off, but then shrugged it off and asked her to help me out of the heavy gear.
That 'almost jump' really frayed my nerves. Mary and I joined Ella, Joe and Bill in a large hall to watch a movie, which really, none of us watched anyway. I think we all felt the same way; confused, apprehensive, nervous, and just plain scared.
Lucky for me, I had Mary. She made it all pretty bearable.
Speaking of Mary...
The two of us sat alone in the tent. It was nearing five o'clock, and I was decked out in all my gear for the second time in two days; which, if I may say so, was really heavy. It was pretty hard sitting down and standing up, let alone maintaining my balance, but I hardly cared about that at this point.
I could tell Mary was still upset about not being allowed to go. No...I knew she was; I could see the look in her eyes, not to mention the fact that she kept squeezing my hand tighter than a rattlesnake. I winced mentally, knowing it'd be sore later on.
"Gene, I wish I could go with you," she murmured softly, staring down at our hands linked on her lap. I managed to get my arm around her; an amazing feat for a person who could hardly move. Mary leaned in closer to me, and I felt her place her head gently on my chest. She gave a few shaky breaths, and I lowered my head so I could see into her eyes. Seeing her this way really broke my heart. I wished I could do something to make her happy again, but I really didn't know what I could do.
We were alone in the tent; in Mary's tent. Ella had gone off to say goodbye to Bill and Joe, proclaiming that she 'wanted to tell Bill something important.' Mary had only smiled knowingly as I watched Ella run off towards the C-47s, a confused look on my face. What did Ella have to tell Bill?
That aside, Mary and I sat together on the cot in her tent. I suddenly heard her soft, shaky murmurings, and realized she was...crying. It startled me somewhat, and I really had no idea what exactly I was supposed to do. Blood and bullets I could deal with. But I wasn't used to crying women; and frankly, this was a lot scarier than dressing a wound. "Aw, c'mon now, sweetheart," I reassured gently. If she'd been any one else, I'd probably have been able to better handle this situation.
"Don't cry. We'll see one another soon enough, y'know. Just stay strong and hang tough; we'll both get through this, I promise." I was panicking on the inside, because she hadn't stopped crying, even when I assured her that we'd see one another in due time. I leaned down and kissed her forehead, before untangling my arm from around her. "I gotta go now. You wanna come with me and say goodbye to the boys?"
Mary sighed heavily, her breath rushing out in a heavy whisper. "All right," she sniffed. "Let's go, then." She stood up, before giving me an odd look, her head tilted to the side and her smattering of tiny, ringlet curls bounding about her forehead. "C'mon, Gene," she encouraged, reaching up to wipe away the trails of tears running down her cheeks.
I blushed slightly when I realized something. "Er, I can't really get up. My gear is...Too heavy."
Well, I was glad at least something made her laugh before I left.
---
Mary's POV
"G'bye, Mary. See you on the other side, huh?"
Luz hugged me tightly, knowing we might never see one another again.
"We'll see ya over there soon," Buck finished, a small smile on his face as he swept me up in a hug of his own.
Joe and Bill stood beside us, Ella at Joe's side. Bill, Joe, Donald, Skip, Frank, Lieb and Penkala had all given Ella and I their own parting hugs, whispering words of encouragement as we whispered them back. I'd miss those boys; if only until we saw one another again.
I stepped back to stand beside Ella as the boys went off to join their companies. I glanced over at my dark-haired friend, a frown on my face when I noticed her tears. Ella was a strong woman; she didn't cry easily, and she hardly ever let her emotions show on the surface. Seeing her break down was a difficult; she didn't have the knowledge of what was going to happen. So, unlike me, she had no assurances about anyone. "Don't worry, El," I murmured softly. "They'll all be fine; you'll see." I pulled her into an embrace, holding her close until the boys were nearly to their plane.
"I know," she whispered back. "I'm just afraid I'll never see Bill or Joe or anyone ever again..." She sniffed. "They mean so much to me."
I patted her on the back. "I know, I know, sweetie. They mean a lot to me too...But they'll be fine. I absolutely promise." She gave me an odd glance, which I chose to ignore for the time being as I saw Eugene slowly making his way over to us to say his final goodbye. Ella hastily wiped the tears from her face, before striding forward and away from me and my embrace. She pulled Eugene into a hug, wishing him good luck, before she made a hasty retreat to her tent.
I sighed softly as Gene came over to stand in front of me, a worried look on his face. "She'll be fine," I said, mostly to myself. "She's just upset..." I turned to face Eugene, who was giving me an odd look, quietly observing me with those big, brown eyes of his. "I'll miss you, you know," I said at last, breaking the silence between us. "Even if it's only for a few days..."
Eugene lifted his arms and wrapped them around me, pulling me closer to him; it was slightly awkward, since his gear didn't allow very close physical contact. I felt like I was hugging him from three feet away. I breathed in his scent; it was warm and musky, and he always seemed to smell like moss and pine trees. I wondered why, then let the strange thought go as soon as it had flitted into my mind. We held each other for a few moments, and I think both of us were trying to soak up as much time together as we could. Finally, he pulled away, holding me at arm's length.
"I'll miss you too," he whispered softly, leaning down and touching his lips to my own. I leaned closer, deepening the kiss, before the sound of roaring engines startled us both out of our trance. I looked up to see the men slowly waddling towards their respective aircraft. Eugene and I looked at one another, and our eyes locked.
"Stay safe," he said, loud enough to be heard over the engine.
"You too," I replied, trying to force myself to continually remember that he really did come back alive. "I love you," I nearly shouted, afraid he might not hear me above the roar of the planes. He looked at me and smiled devilishly, before pecking me once more on the lips.
"Love you too," he replied, before abruptly turning around and slowly jogging over to his designated plane. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to maintain my composure until I was off the airfield and out of sight. Short goodbyes were best, I kept telling myself. Short goodbyes were better than long ones. Less hurt, less pain, less tears.
I wish I really believed that...
As I walked back to my tent, I turned around to the roar of the planes taking off. I didn't know which one was Eugene's; in the air, they all looked alike. I just wished him and all of Easy the best of luck, and prayed, even though I knew what was about to happen, that they'd all come back alive.
---
A/N: Well, another happy chapter. That whole dog thing will come together eventually...I worked on this a whole day. I got inspiration between classes, and for some reason didn't want to stop writing. I almost skipped class for it, but decided I'd better go. Eh heh...