Disclaimer: the usual apply
Chapter 6
Jessica POV
Walking through the English countryside a lazy smile spread across her face. She could easily chalk it up to the soft, late morning sun warming her face or the beautiful scenery, pastures on her left, a thinning forest on her right. But none of those reasons would account for her feeling like she was walking on air. She was smiling because since she'd run into Nixon and Richard her brain kept replaying the way he looked at her, every word he said, whenever she wasn't actively concentrating on something else.
"What are you so happy about?" John asked.
The two of them, along with two new recruits were moving along the treeline while the rest of the team, with the exception of Clark who'd been called away, were moving through the centre of the little forest.
"I'm enjoying the last bit of sunny English weather."
"We haven't slept in nearly three days and I'm starving, so I'm gonna call bullshit on that reason."
She glanced over to him, catching the eye of Sergeant Roberts who was trying to hide the fact that he was listening in on their conversation. To her surprise she actually liked their replacements. They still had some way to go, but they were off to a good start.
"You know; I've forgotten how cranky you get when you don't sleep enough. Such a little darling princess."
John scoffed. "Look who's talking! I clearly remember you ripping a tank crew to shreds when they dared to start their tank's engine when you were trying to catch up on some beauty sleep."
"It had been months of fighting, and they were making a bloody noise. I didn't hear you complain."
"Of course not. I was fucking exhausted and you got them to shut up."
"I can be very convincing when I need to be."
"Convincing or scary as all hell?"
She grinned devilishly over to him, earning her a chuckle from Roberts and the other replacement, Parker.
"I'm warning you lads. The ones that look all sweet and innocent, are the ones you need to watch."
She was about to retort when a single shot, followed by an angry shout shattered the calm atmosphere.
The two replacements had dropped to one knee, but she and John had stayed standing, waiting to hear what happens next. They weren't in enemy territory and the area had been cordoned off just for their use so they had no real reason to be on high alert. The shot was expected, they'd brought the replacements out for a live ammunitions exercise where they find and shoot targets placed inside the forest. Her little team had completed their round first.
"Someone must have cocked-up a shot," John remarked as the silence continued to stretch out.
Just as she was about to turn a second shout reached them. This one didn't sound surprised, but rather angry and she didn't recognise the voice.
Without saying a word, she sprinted in the direction of the noise, the footsteps of the men sounding in her ears as they followed.
Fuck, if I get shot because of some idiot I'm going to be so annoyed, she thought, realising she was running into an ongoing live ammunitions exercise.
She could tell she was getting close because the shouting was getting louder with every step. Whoever this was they loved the sound of their own voice, not once did she hear anybody else get a word in edgewise.
Spotting the large group of soldiers she slowed her pace, buying herself some time to assess the situation.
"What the fuck is an entire Company doing on our training grounds," John hissed in her ear.
She scanned the uniforms, noting the screaming eagle patch on their arms. Paratroopers.
All the men she could see were either crouched down or standing awkwardly, none of them looked happy or comfortable. Her eyes found two familiar faces in the crowd, Talbert and Malarkey. She couldn't see Arlene or the rest of her unit, but assumed they were standing near where the noise was coming from.
Well, at least if it's their CO screaming bloody murder they won't mind if I put him in his place.
She removed her helmet and clutched it under her left arm as she slowly and deliberately approached the group.
Bill POV
He'd never understood why people said they wished the earth would open up and swallow them whole, until that very moment.
He cringed every time Sobel directed another insult at the two lieutenants standing in-front of him. They all knew they were in the wrong place and he was sure someone was going to point it out soon enough. The whole spectacle was made even worse by the fact that the one lieutenant was the woman Joe had left with on their last night back home. You could practically see the anger rolling off of Joe in waves as Sobel flung another insult in her face.
He's gonna kill him. Joe is actually going to fucking murder him.
Movement to his left drew his attention away from Sobel. At first he didn't recognise the woman striding towards their CO. Here wasn't the gorgeous blonde with the stellar smile that had welcomed them to her table, but rather a determined soldier whose eyes were so hard and cold they would make Hitler himself flinch.
Toye nudged him in the ribs and he turned to look at him, mouthing 'I know' to his friend.
Coming to a stop between Sobel and the two officers she asked, "What is the meaning of this?"
Sobel looked over his shoulder in the direction she'd come from, he clearly hadn't heard her approach over the sound of his own voice judging by the shock on his face.
Partially regaining his composure, he turned back to her. "That sergeant shot at me. I'm lucky to be unharmed. I want his name and your unit. Now."
She quirked her head to one side, eyed him, then looked past him to where they'd entered the forest.
"Well? Are you going to answer me or do I need to find your superior? I assume he's close," Sobel spat, placing a lot of emphasis on the gender of her superior officer.
She slowly turned her attention back onto Sobel. "And why do you assume that?" she asked, her voice perfectly level.
Deadly.
Sobel made a grunting sound before retorting, "He obviously didn't leave you in-charge."
Her lips curled into a smile that never reached her eyes. "Captain Sobel correct?"
He nodded.
"Captain, luck had nothing to do with you being alive. The only reason you're still breathing is because my men are exceptionally skilled and were able to quickly react to your utter incompetence."
Sobel turned red in the face, a blue vein pulsing on the side of his neck. The forest became so quiet he could hear the men around him breathing, and he was damn sure they were all trying to be as quiet as possible, he knows he was.
Sobel was about to start shouting again when she coolly held up a hand and continued, "This area is a demarcated live ammunitions zone set aside for our unit. You are not supposed to be here without my prior consent and I sure as hell never gave it. Had you been shot it would have been your own fault."
"He aimed for my head!" Sobel exclaimed at the top of his lungs.
"No, he was aiming for that target," she retorted, pointing to wooden target hanging from a tree at head height approximately 27 yards away.
As Sobel glanced behind him to see what she was pointing at he kept his eyes trained on her. He watched as her right hand dropped to her sidearm and she unclipped it, her own eyes fixed on Sobel. She raised the pistol just as Sobel turned back to look at her. Ice cold blue eyes holding Sobel's she let off three shots in quick succession.
Sobel ducked his head, most of the men flinched and a deathly silence fell over them. He looked at the target, three shots grouped together, dead centre. As he turned back to Sobel and Jessica he caught the smile Winters was trying to suppress. If he didn't know any better he'd say the red haired officer looked proud, and a little smug.
Jessica calmly placed her sidearm back in its holster, allowing the silence to make her point for her.
"Now, since I've been a Captain for far longer than you have I'm your superior officer. So you will stand at attention before me, address me as ma'am and only speak when you are spoken to. Is that clear Captain Sobel?"
He could see Sobel's Adam's apple bob as he swallowed hard, his face having drained of its colour.
"Well, did I stutter?" she asked impatiently.
Sobel moved to stand at attention as if he was in a daze. He shared a loaded glance with Toye and Malarkey.
"Who has a map and knows where you need to be?" she asked, looking past Sobel to the rest of the men.
Before anyone else could respond Winters moved forward and Lieutenant Welsh followed.
Winters POV
A part of him was shocked by Jessica's action, but the larger part was impressed and a little smug. He wasn't sure why he felt smug, she wasn't his girl, but seeing the respect and admiration on the faces of the men around him he couldn't help but feel a little proud and possessive.
"Lieutenants," she greeted them with a friendly smile, holding out her hand for the map.
Harry opened it up, holding it up for her to see.
"So where are you supposed to be?" she asked.
"Here," he pointed to spot on the map which aligned with the coordinates they were given.
She looked up from the map to stare at them for a second before glancing over her shoulder to Sobel. With a shake of her head she turned back to them and said, "You're here," she pointed to the map, "two miles off."
"Fuck," Harry mumbled under his breath.
She looked up and the shorter lieutenant blushed.
"Fuck is right," she replied.
Harry shot her a relieved smile.
She turned her gaze to him and winked and he swore he almost blushed.
She reached for the map with one slender finger. "The quickest route will be to go East for almost a mile, cross the stone bridge and then turn North East for the last mile. You'll cross countryside for the first part but once you get to the bridge you'll have a dirt track."
She looked up from the map and locked eyes with him. He had so many questions, so much he wanted to know. Every time their paths crossed she intrigued him more.
He cleared his throat before saying, "Thank you ma'am."
She nodded and turned to Sobel. "Captain Sobel."
"Ma'am."
"Never presume to give any of my men orders again. You need them to do something you run it past me first. Understood?"
"Yes ma'am," Sobel replied stiffly.
"The lieutenants know where to go. Now get your Company out of here."
Sobel snapped to and saluted her. She returned the salute half-heartedly and Sobel stalked past her to the waiting men.
She took a step towards him and whispered, "Good luck."
The one corner of his lips twitched into a lopsided smirk. "We'll need it."
Arlene POV
She watched as Easy Company left, her eyes glued to the back of one soldier in particular, the same one she'd been staring at since the altercation with Sobel had started.
The moment Joe had entered the clearing her eyes were inexplicably drawn to him. Their eyes had met and for a second he started to smile, but just as suddenly as it had started the smile had vanished, replaced by a wave of hurt which was followed by a hard anger darkening his eyes. He'd turned away from her so she could only see the side of his face.
Sobel had shouted and shouted, but it was nothing she hadn't heard before. She wasn't even the most senior officer there at that moment, Alex was, but as expected the captain had directed most of his anger at her.
She'd simply stared past him, knowing Jessica would arrive soon, but mostly transfixed on Joe. A part of her had wanted him to turn back to her, but the other part was scared of what she'd see if he did.
"You okay?" Jessica asked to all of them once the paratroopers were out of earshot.
"We are now. That little show of yours was bloody brilliant," Alex replied.
Jessica shrugged. They'd learnt a long time ago that sometimes you needed to put on a show to make a point. "Who was it that almost shot him?"
"Hunt," Alex answered, cocking his head in the direction of the young sergeant.
Hunt was exceptionally tall, with light brown hair and a real baby face. He looked harmless, but in the last three days they'd learned he was anything but.
"Hunt," Jessica called him over.
He walked a few steps closer to her, evidently nervous.
"I know you could have shot him, so well done on missing."
"Thank you ma'am."
"Next time, do us all a favour, get him in the shoulder or leg. Somewhere that won't kill him outright."
The sergeant smiled sheepishly. "Yes, ma'am."
"Next time?" she asked, her brain clutching onto those two words with hope and trepidation.
Jessica looked between their small group. "Clark is busying negotiating the terms of our training schedule with a select few Airborne Companies. Based on their track record Easy Company will be one of them."
"Why?" Alex asked.
"'Coz chances are if you need to work with any other division it'll be the American Airborne, so we want to train with them so we can choose which Company, or Companies, we work with."
"Why can't we work with the Commandos?" she asked, dreading having to face Joe again.
"Because we're Americans, the American generals want us working with their men. Now, once we get back to barracks you'll all have a 24-hour pass so rest up. If you want to go to the local pub that's fine, I will, but make sure you're ready to work."
Jessica looked over to her and she knew they would need some time alone to talk.
"I expect to see you five," Jessica looked to the new recruits, "there tonight. We need to buy you all an official welcome drink."
There was a beat of silence. They all smiled as they watched the wheels turn and click into place for the replacements.
"Shit, so we made it?" Sergeant Parker exclaimed.
"If any of you hadn't, I would have given Sobel your name. But you're part of us now, and no one messes with us."
The five new men smiled and patted each other on the back.
"C'mon, we still need to make it back to barracks. Double time," Jessica said and everyone groaned.
"Oh shush, the quicker we get there the quicker it's over."
With a groan the men fell into a relaxed column and started to jog in the direction of their barracks.
She held back and fell in next to Jessica.
"He hates me," was all she could think of saying.
"I don't think he hates you."
"He should."
Jessica shot her a sidelong look. "His pride's hurt and he maybe he feels used or disappointed. I think hate is a bit strong though."
"He won't even look at me."
"You need to talk to him. We're going to train with them and we can't have you distracted."
She sighed. "I know. It was easier facing a German firing squad."
"I can do it for you?" Jessica offered.
She knew her friend felt guilty, as if the whole debacle was her fault, but it wasn't, not really. She'd run away like she always did, so this was her mess to clean up. "No, I'll do it. I need to. First chance I get. Which is hopefully after a few glasses of something very strong."
They exited the little forest and jumped a fence which marked the Western edge of their training area.
"You joining us tonight?" Jessica asked.
"And miss seeing the men put the new boys through their paces? Never."
They ran in silence for a few moment, the edge of the town coming into focus.
"You know, you could make up with him? It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world," Jessica volunteered.
"You know I can't do that."
"If you say because of the war I'll smack you."
She shot her friend scowl.
"Fine," Jessica held up her hands, "but we both know what it's really about."
She ignored Jessica and kept running, speeding up so she wouldn't have to finish their conversation.
She hated the fact that Jessica was right. Fuck you Michael.
Jessica POV
"Nixon!" she exclaimed as she entered the home they were sharing to find him standing in the hallway.
"Well, shit. I wasn't sure if you lived here anymore. Started to think I'd made the whole thing up," he replied.
"Fair enough, but I'm back now so you'll be seeing a whole lot more of me."
He gave her a mischievous smirk. "How much more?"
She rolled her eyes, but couldn't stop her lips turning up into a lopsided grin. The man did have a way about him.
"So, a little birdy told me you scared the good Captain Sobel into another blood type."
"That happened less than an hour ago. How do you already know?"
"I have my sources."
"And are those sources named Harry Welsh by any chance?"
He grinned. "Maybe, they could be Richard Winters."
"Could be, but Harry seems more the type to enjoy a good story."
"You hit the nail on the head doll."
She started up the stairs, dragging her exhausted muscles after her. Nearly three days without sleep was catching up to her and she wasn't sure if she'd be able to make it out the bed let alone out the door tonight.
"So it's true," Nixon said as he followed her.
"He was screaming at my men so I taught him a lesson in composure."
"Man, I wish I'd been there to see that."
She'd reached her door and turned to face him. "To be honest, I was half tempted to shoot him and put us all out of our misery, but I didn't have the energy for all the paper work."
"I would have done that for you gladly."
"Next time then."
"Got yourself a deal."
She enjoyed Nixon's easy going company. She didn't have to worry too much about playing a proper lady, she could just be herself.
"Listen, I don't know if you'll be able to join us, but we've got a 24-hour pass and we're heading to the local pub tonight. Bit of an initiation for the new boys."
"Well now, isn't it great when things work out. So happens I got myself a pass as well, and so does Richard," Nixon replied.
She ignored the butterflies taking flight in her stomach when he mentioned Richard's name.
"Good, then I'll see you both there. As I recall you still owe me a night out."
"And I'm a man of my word."
She smiled and opened the door to her room. As she stepped inside she saw Nixon bounce down the stairs, heading out for the day's work.
Looking at her bed with its billowing duvet and puffy pillows she considered just falling into it, but she knew if she did it would no longer be white, but a muddy brown.
Okay, you can do this. Bath and sleep. Okay.
XXXXXXX
Sorry for the delayed update. The site was acting up and life's been a bit unpredictable the last few weeks.
If you're confused about when they got to England go check out Chapter 5. As I mentioned, the site acted up and chapter alerts didn't go out etc.
Thanks so much for everyone that added me to their alerts and for my amazing reviewers!
I hope you all have a lovely weekend and a stellar week ahead!