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Disclaimer: I do not own Band of Brothers. This is purely of entertainment. It is based on the HBO miniseries and no disrespect is meant towards the real men of Easy Company.

Climbing so high, just don't look down

We can see everything from here

For once in my life, feet off the ground

I don't wanna come back down...

Brian Melo, "All I Ever Wanted"

Chapter Five: The Scent Of Clouds

"Follow me."

I nodded and carefully climbed after Mike. While he was making himself comfortable in the pilot's seat, I glanced inside the cockpit – and hoped that he wouldn't hear my heart thumping. As I bit my lip for a hundredth time, he motioned at the space in front of him.

"So, Jess, here are the controls…"

For the next half an hour, we just talked. Actually, for the biggest part of that time, Mike was the one talking, while I was listening and nodding. Showing me every single control in the cockpit, he explained to me what it was for and how it worked. But, what really took me a back was the way he did that. His boyish grin refused to leave his face during the whole lesson, while his voice sounded almost excited. Flying was obviously a job he enjoyed.

And, to tell you the truth, I was happy for him.

"Are there any more questions?"

"No, everything's crystal clear, boss", I replied with a snigger.

"Good. I'm glad to hear that."

"Really? Why?"

"Because we're going up now."

My eyes suddenly widened to the size of dinner plates. "We… what?"

"We're gonna lift this baby up. Get ready!"

I hardly managed to get in the back seat when the propeller rumbling to life. It spun in front of us, quickly turning into a thin, silver-like mist. Before I figured out what was going on, the entire plane started to vibrate.

My teeth chattered with it. Oh, shit…

I clenched them as hard as I could, along with my fists in my lap. My heart rate accelerated, while fear and excitement engulfed me in the same time. At that second, I had no idea whether I was enthusiastic or in utter horror.

"Okay!", Mike shouted, "Here we go!"

All of a sudden, the engine roared and the Spitfire slid into motion. The plane glided for a few moments down a wide track in the field. And then, without a warning, it picked up speed. I swallowed thickly, watching the trees and wheat running past us faster and faster. I was still gazing at them through the glass when a loud, deep rumble came to my ears.

That was when the plane soared into the sky.

I got literally stuck to my seat as Mike led the bird higher. In the meantime, the fields underneath me suddenly shrunk, turning into golden and green squares. It took me some time to realize that the small reddish shapes among them were actually the farm buildings. Just by seeing them like that, from this far, made my eyes grow wider.

It didn't last long when I felt that we had stopped climbing. Mike carefully levelled the Spitfire and finally allowed me to peel off my seat.

Jesus Christ, where are we now? Searching for an answer, I looked up.

In the next moment, my mouth went half-open.

Mike and I were surrounded by a flock of clouds.

Bright against the sun, they were all around us. I could see them everywhere I looked. Some were small and wispy, while the others were huge, nearly the size of proper boats. However, there was one thing they all had in common – they were as white as snow. They reminded me a bit of the soft cotton swabs that Eugene used for cleaning cuts.

This must be heaven for a bird. I was now certain that they were the luckiest living things on earth. Being able to fly like this every day and feel the scent of clouds, for the rest of their lives, was truly a blessing.

"Well, what do you think?", Mike shouted, struggling to be louder than the propeller.

"Mike, this… this…" I grinned in the end, almost lost for words. "This is amazing!"

"Now that the sightseeing is done, how about a little barrel-roll?"

I couldn't help but frown. "A wha…?"

The answer came before I finished the word. Mike moved the control stick in his hand. The engine roared even louder when the plane tilted and spun in the air.

HOLY SMOKE…! I clutched my seat and bit my tongue as the earth and sky danced around me. But, that last only for some time. The Spitfire soon straightened again, while the ground and heavens returned to their old places. Everything was suddenly calm, as if nothing had happened.

But, I knew that wasn't true.

And it made me completely breathless.

"Are you okay back there?", Mike asked.

"I'm okay!", I shouted back. After a while, I felt a small grin returning to my lips. "Hey, Mike…"

"Yeah?"

"Could you teach me how to do that?"

"Sure. I'll teach you many more tricks."

Despite the rumbling of the engine, I heard his faint chuckle from the front seat. I also noticed that he changed his grip on the control stick again. My smile froze on my face as he added:

"Let's see how you'll like this, Flygirl…"

XXX

And there I was, weaving between the clouds and spinning in the sunlight. Although weeks had passed, and June was now waiting on our doorsteps, I would still pinch myself from time to time, just to make sure that I was awake.

Every day was almost the same. There was breakfast, flying lessons with Mike until noon, making lunch for Neve and me, and running to the aid station, where Eugene and Ralph were waiting – and then everything repeated. In time, I managed to put up with my packed schedule. However, in the end of the day, I would sometimes be so exhausted that I would simply…

"Jessica?"

"Mmmh?"

Something nudged me in the back. "Wake up."

"Gimme five minutes", I muttered.

"I can't."

"Four, then."

The nudge came back. "Jessica…"

"Neve, it's Saturday, for chrissake. Go away."

"It ain't Saturday. And it ain't Neve."

"What… Gene?"

Cracking both of my eyes open, I stared at a bewildered Eugene Roe. But, I didn't say anything, because a sharp pain made its way up my back. However, that didn't hurt as much as my neck. I quietly groaned when I tried to move.

Jeez, what happened? While I glanced around, I realised something strange. My head was lying on something hard and my cheek was awkwardly pressed against it. Wondering what it was, I glanced down.

The answers hit me all at once.

"Holy Christ… I fell asleep at the desk?"

"You sure did", Eugene drawled.

I quickly raised my hand and looked at the watch. My shoulders sagged when I saw that it was 9 o' clock in the morning. Shit, I've spent the entire night here!

"Oh, shit…" I sprung up on my chair. But, I did it too fast than I should. I grasped the edge of the desk as my head suddenly spun.

"Hey, take it easy", he said soothingly. Reaching out, he gave me a mug full of something warm. "Here. This'll help ya get back on yo feet."

The faint smell of coffee tickled my nostrils. I closed my eyes for a moment, waiting for everything to stop spinning. And then I grasped the mug and took a sip. But, I cringed when I found out how bitter it was.

"Isn't it a little too much havin' two jobs?" Eugene sat on a chair a step away from mine. "Maybe you could postpone da flyin' business, jus' until we move out."

"Flying a plane is the first job I actually like. I won't quit it." That was when my brow furrowed. "Why do you ask? Do I look that tired?"

"I'd say completely drained." He shortly smiled. "But, you also look happy."

"That's an unordinary choice of words."

"That's because you…"

All of a sudden, he trailed off. He pressed his lips in a tight line and let the silence fill up the room. I quirked an eyebrow, waiting for him to go on. But, nothing happened, except that his cheeks became slightly redder than before.

"Because I… what?", I asked.

His eyes darted from the floor to me as he hesitated. But, in the end, he replied:

"You've never been da ordinary type."

I quietly chuckled. And then I took one more sip from that wretched coffee, hoping to clear my head.

"Is there any work waiting for me?", I asked, frowning from the taste.

He shook his head. "Not yet. "But, dere's someone who'd like ta see ya."

"Oh? And who might that be?"

"You'll find out soon. Come with me."

Scrambling to my feet, I went after him. I only had time to smooth down my messy hair before stepped through the door to the main room. Ralph was already there, examining a bloke I didn't know. But, the patient on the neighbouring bed was the one who stole my attention. After just one look, I realised that he was a sergeant – and a very familiar one, if I may add.

"Bill?" Coming closer, I noticed a dirty handkerchief wrapped around his hand. "Bill, what have you done now?"

He grinned. "Nothin' to worry about, Jessie."

"Yeah, nothin' to worry about", Ralph chimed in sarcastically. While he continued stitching up the other bloke, he added: "It's just another brawl."

"You were in a brawl?", I asked.

"Hey, it ain't my fault!", Bill said, "I ain't done nothin'!"

Ralph's patient glared at Bill in a way that made me almost freeze. "Oh, yeah? What about the time you pulled those extra cards outta your gahdamn shirt?"

"Jesus, I told ya those weren't my cards! And what 'bout you, huh? Ya tripped that guy and made 'im smash all his drinks!"

"It ain't my fault he didn't see my foot."

"Your foot is kinda hard to miss, Joe. I think even Bigfoot would envy ya!"

"You piece of shit…"

The bloke called Joe suddenly sprung up to his feet. Before Ralph could even blink, the patient dashed to Bill and sloshed him in the jaw with a hard right hook. I jerked away when Bill growled, wrestling him to the floor and turning the quiet aid station into a full fist fight scene. Curses filled the air as they rolled over, exchanging one punch after the other.

"Oh, no, not again…", Eugene muttered.

Jumping over a bed to reach them, he grabbed Joe and almost peeled him off Bill. But, Bill didn't agree that the brawl was over. Reaching under one of the beds, he snatched a bedpan and shuffled up, hoping to smack Joe with it. That was when Ralph and I made a run for it. We grabbed Bill in the last second and literally dragged him away.

It took me all my strength to do that. I sighed, relieved that Ralph was there to help me. But, my relief plummeted as I heard shouting from the other side of the room. While Ralph and I were trying to keep Bill away from the fight, Joe was swearing and struggling to get out of Eugene's grasp.

"Christ, Bill, why are ya doing this again?", Ralph sighed.

What? Again? I glanced at both of them. For some reason, I recalled an old gossip I had once heard in the street. A gossip that included a ship from the States and two blokes, known as Joe and Wild Bill. Before I knew it, my lips parted in bewilderment. Holy smoke…

"Ralph, don't tell me that these two had a brawl on that ship!"

Unfortunately, he nodded.

"Oh, yeah, we did a'right!", Joe shouted, still fighting with Eugene.

"And I kicked yer arse real good!", Bill shouted back.

Joe clenched his fists. "You wanna say that to my face?! You fuckin'…"

"Will you two just STOP ALREADY?!"

Bloody hell. My voice echoed louder than I had planned. Maybe as twice as loud. But, it made the blokes suddenly shut up and stand still. I looked at Bill, whose one arm was in my grasp, and then at Joe, who seemed a bit taken aback.

Well, now that I got their attention…

"Just look at you two!", I shouted, "I don't know what you were doing for the last two years, but it obviously didn't make you smarter! And it didn't make you mature, either, because all I see here is a couple of overgrown four-year-olds!"

Joe narrowed his eyes at me. But, that didn't scare me a bit.

"Sit down", I hissed.

"Hey…!", Bill began, but I cut him off.

"Both of you!"

The fast that they were standing in the same place as before was a wonder. However, that was soon followed by disbelief – because they listened to me. They were still sending murderous glares to one another, but the eventually sat on the nearest beds, on opposite sides of the room. Eugene looked at me as if I had just turned a piece of lead into gold. His left eyebrow was slightly higher than his right, while his jaw became slack.

"And give me that."

I grabbed the bedpan from Bill's hands and put it away, in case of another brawl. That was when I saw his busted lip and blood trickling down his chin. It wasn't much, but it was enough for the room to start swaying in front of me. I spread my legs slightly, trying to keep my balance somehow.

Bill looked at me with a bit of worry. "You okay, Jess?"

I didn't get the chance to answer. I heard a loud clatter when the bedpan dropped from my hands to the floor.

Someone shouted something.

And then everything turned dark.

However, that lasted only for a moment. Something wet and cold splashed in my face forcing me to open my eyes. Sputtering loudly, I spotted Ralph standing above me, with an empty glass in his hand.

"Jesus Christ!", I coughed and sat up, glaring daggers at him. Meanwhile, he looked at me in an apologetic way. "Are you insane?"

"I'm sorry, okay?", he replied, placing the glass somewhere beside him, "You had to come round somehow."

The embarrassment came not long after that. I could already feel the heat rising in my cheeks. I was just about to dig my head in my hands, when something caught my eye.

"Ralph?"

"What?"

"Why are we sitting outside?"

"You looked like you could use some fresh air", he replied, sitting on the pavement next to me, "Gene's inside, taking care of Joe and Bill."

I swallowed thickly. I was certain that my whole face became red.

"So… they all saw…"

"Yep."

"Brilliant." I bit my lip hard. "Now I'll be the laughing stock of the entire village!"

"Why do you say that?"

"You seriously want to ask me that?" I turned to face him. "Bloody hell, I heard of patients collapsing in front of nurses, but not the other way around!"

Ralph frowned, letting out an almost inaudible sigh.

"Jess…" He sat a bit closer to me. "Working as a nurse ain't for everyone. But, you shouldn't be so wound up about it! You're just born to be better at something else."

I scoffed. "Like what? Washing dishes?"

"Like making people listen to ya." He nodded towards the aid station door, not so far from us. "Don't tell me you forgot about Guarnere and Liebgott! The last time they got into a fight, the damn MP's had to separate them!"

A corner of my lips curved. However, that didn't last for long.

Ralph shrugged. "Okay, that maybe wasn't so funny."

"It's not that. It's just…" I bit my lip again, hesitating. But, soon after, I admitted: "I actually thought about quitting."

"Quitting what? This job?"

"Aye. I know that I'm not up for it. I can be a complete disaster sometimes and…" He opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. "Don't even think about it! It's a damn fact! But, I can't leave. Not yet, anyway." I leaned back against the wall of the aid station and let a sigh whoosh between my lips. "I have to use this opportunity while you lads are still here. I need the extra money."

"For your family, right?"

I nodded while he gazed at me in silence. This would probably be the part where he would pat me on the shoulder and say "I understand" or something like that. However, instead of those words, my ears caught something quite different.

"I think I have a solution to that", he said.

My eyes slowly widened. Sniggering at me, he asked:

"You know that Gene and I always have some paperwork to fill in?"

I instantly remembered the stacks of papers, which appeared almost every day on their desks.

"Aye?"

"So, how 'bout a deal? You'll order and check the medical supplies, keep the patient records and write reports and Gene and I'll do the rest."

"What about the actual patients?"

"If they're not bleeding, that will be your turf."

I stared at him for a second. "Ralph Spina… you're bloody brilliant."

"Thanks." He grinned. However, his expression soon became slightly more serious. "Speakin' of jobs, someone came here an hour ago. A Brit guy. He left a message for you."

That made me more than interested. I sat up straight, forgetting that I was wet and that drops of water were sliding down my face.

"Is that so?", I asked.

"Yeah. Here it is."

Ralph shoved his hand in his pocket and took out a folded piece of paper. Wondering who it was from, I grabbed the message from him and opened it. It didn't take me long to recognise Mike's handwriting.

Dear Jess,

I think it's time that you start flying on your own.

Your first solo flight begins tomorrow.

Good luck and sleep well, Flygirl.

Mike

The second I read the last word, my heart doubled its pace. My hands shuddered as that strange mixture of excitement and horror filled me up one more time.

Ralph looked at me in concern. "Is everything okay?"

"Actually…" In the end, I just shrugged. "I don't know."

"Whaddya mean, you don't know?"

I raised my eyes to him, holding the letter tightly in my hands.

"I'm going to try my wings."

XXX

"Are you ready?", Mike asked.

"As fit as a fiddle", I replied.

Mike shortly nodded and began climbing into the back seat. As soon as he had turned his back on me, my smile slid off my face and I swallowed a huge lump in my throat.

Oh, my goodness. I couldn't stop biting my lip, even though it hurt. I knew that a future pilot shouldn't behave like this, but I had a bloody good reason to be nervous. It was now my turn to take this plane and direct the bird towards the sky.

"Jess?", Mike asked, peering out of the plane, "Are you coming?"

"Aye, of course."

Struggling with the urge to bite my lip again, I managed to shuffle inside the cockpit. That was when I leaned back against the seat.

It was time.

Recalling Mike's lessons, I made the first step and turned the engine on. A moment later, it roared to life like an old beast, making me wince. But, its sound didn't remain lonely. It was quickly joined by the loud rumbling of the propeller. While it was picking up speed in front of my eyes, my heart started pounding hard against my ribs.

Saints help me. Exhaling as quietly as I could, I grasped the control stick. I wrapped my fingers tightly around it, before I moved my hand slowly and gently, just like Mike had taught me. The bird soon responded by making its way forward, down the familiar track that led away from the farm.

Everything was happening as it was supposed to. At first, the Spitfire wasn't moving too fast. However, while seconds trickled, it accelerated, rumbling louder with every passing meter. I did my best to hold my nerve until it reached a proper speed. All that was left for me to do then was to cross my fingers – and take off.

As it headed up, I was terrified like hell. But, once it reached the clouds, my every fear faded away, as if they had never existed. I felt so soothed, so peaceful that I was taken aback. Focusing on the air on the other side of the glass, I levelled the plane, making it fly in a nice, straight line.

"Alright, Flygirl", Mike voice came from behind my back, "This is it. Let's see what you can do."

A small, but cheeky grin appeared in my face. "Be careful what you wish for, Mike…"

Changing my grip, I led the plane to the right. And then I decided to spice it up a little. I bit down my lip and made a barrel-roll, while Mike shouted behind me. However, I didn't stop there. Returning the Spitfire to its normal position, I began flying in a wide semi-circle in the air. A smile tug at my lips as I passed a large cloud and kept following my path.

Truth be told, I had thought that there was nothing more beautiful and graceful than dancing. But, now, while I was tilting the bird slightly to the left, I had to change my mind.

Dancing with a partner was lovely. However, dancing with the heavens was better.

"Jess, look down!", Mike said.

Glancing through the glass beside me, I spotted our village. From this altitude, Aldbourne was smaller than I could ever imagine it. The houses looked like small, colourful blocks that Neve used to play with as a little lass. The church was the first building I recognised – its tower was next to it, pointing towards the heavens like a short grey finger. I guessed that the base and the aid station weren't too far.

"I think I can see my house!", Mike shouted over all the rumbling.

"Yeah?"

"It's right next to that…"

However, I didn't find out the answer, because the engine coughed.

Aye, I know it's a strange word for describing that sort of thing. But, it did make that sound. Before I realised what was going on, thick black smoke crawled out of the engine. That was when my smile faded away one more time.

"What just happened?", Mike asked.

I prepared myself to answer when the engine coughed again.

And then we began to fall.

My heart almost stopped. Aldbourne became as twice as large underneath us. What mattered worse, it didn't stop growing, as if someone was inflating it. The houses were also growing as they mercilessly rushed towards us. Or were we rushing towards them?

"Holy Christ!", Mike bellowed behind me, "Lift the plane!"

"I can't! It doesn't respond!"

I whimpered, struggling with the control stick. In the end, I jerked it in my hand and the plane leaned to the left, barely avoiding the church tower. But, while I moved away from the old building, I saw something, behind the row of nearby houses. My lips parted when I saw a piece of land, covered in grass.

It wasn't too big. However, it was wide and flat.

That was exactly what we needed.

"Hold on, Mike, we're gonna to land!"

"What the…?"

Before he could finish, I had already turned the Spitfire in that direction. We rushed straight over the rooftops, missing the metal weathervanes by a hair. The ground appeared shortly after, letting us descend on it. As we were swiftly getting closer to it, I could hear Mike muttering:

"Oh, fucking hell…"

I sighed a little, waiting for the wheels to finally touch the earth. However, the calm feeling that had engulfed me disappeared in a blink of an eye. Something bulky on four wheels had suddenly run right in the plane's way.

My stomach did a flip backwards. Oh, God.

It was a Jeep… with three men inside.

I closed my eyes shut.

Everything happened too fast. With a muffled thud and a violent tug, I felt that the plane wheels had hit something solid. I forced my eyelids up, but the Jeep was nowhere to be seen. There was only grass, spreading around me like a wide carpet. The Spitfire was now moving over it, becoming slower by the minute. It didn't last long when the greenish bird skidded to a stop and the engine finally died down.

After that, all that remained was silence.

If you didn't count my thumping heart.

Christ, they have to be okay… please, someone tell me that I haven't killed them… I turned around, while my hands trembled like mad. I soon spotted the silhouette of the Jeep, far behind me. For some reason, it was standing completely still, with a faint trail of smoke rising from its front part. Unfortunately, it was too far for me to see how the men inside were. Swallowing hard, I got out of the cockpit and hopped on the ground below.

"Jess, wait!", Mike shouted after me.

But, he was too late. I had already sprinted towards the vehicle. I didn't stop until I finally reached it, gasping for breath, and looked for the three Yanks behind the steering wheel.

Just a second later, I propped against the Jeep's door, letting out a long sigh in relief. The blokes were alright, although they looked horrified. They were in such a shock that they had hugged each other like three little boys.

And did I mention I had recognised them?

"How… how are you feeling?", I asked.

Privates Malarkey, Powers and Tipper gawked at me in the same time. Powers's face became even paler when he found out who I was. Avoiding his bewildered gaze, I moved a bit and glanced at their Jeep.

Bloody hell. Unlike the lads, that thing hadn't got out without a scratch. There was an enormous dent in the hood, as if a giant's fist had landed straight there – or perhaps it was nicked by a plane wheel.

"Lads…" I looked back at them, almost begging for the ground to open under my feet. "I'm very… terribly sorry about this…"

Nobody said a word for a while. But, then Tipper broke the silence.

"Holy shit…", he muttered, in a voice much hoarser than usual.

Scratching his head for a moment, he looked at the crater on the Jeep and the smoke lingering from it. And then he slowly moved his wide eyes to my face. He was still staring at me when he said:

"I'm glad that we're not enemies."

Reviews will be appreciated! :)

P. S. Chapter 6 is on its way... with a sudden twist!