#USS Memphis

[carbone14]

Vue depuis la proue du croiseur léger USS Memphis (CL-13) – Atlantique Sud – 1941-1942

©Naval History and Heritage Command - 80-G-10535

[lonestarbattleship]

USS COLORADO (BB-45), USS OKLAHOMA (BB-37), USS NEVADA (BB-36), USS RICHMOND (CL-9), USS MEMPHIS (CL-13), USS IDAHO (BB-42) and the rest of the Pacific Fleet passing under Golden Gate Bridge.

Date: July 12, 1938

Berkeley Library Digital Collections: BANC PIC 2006.029--NEG box 691, sleeve 096494_05

[captain-price-unofficially]

Computer, show me a cartoonishly mid-aughts photograph

Blink-182 sit at the ship’s controls aboard the nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Memphis (SSN 691) 25 August 2003

[judgemark45]

11/14/1977..Aerial bow view of the nuclear-powered attack submarine USS MEMPHIS (SSN 691) underway USN Image

[ellie-24]

USS Randall Ramblers Part 6

This is a birthday present for one of the coolest people I know @whositmcwhatsit . She had a wonderful birthday present for me earlier this month and then cleverly reminded me that her birthday is coming up as well. Wink wink nudge nudge say no more.

I ain't much but it's honest work and I hope you enjoy it.

Also thanks to @thatbanditqueen for beta-ing and helping me transform this into proper English!!

And thanks to the wonderful writing support group @be-my-ally @vintageshanny @from-memphis-with-love @lookingforrainbows @missmaywemeetagain @powerofelvis @shakerattlescroll @peskybedtime

Word count: ~7.4 k

Warnings: smut so 18+. MDNI

Previous Part

Bad Nauheim, December 24th 1958

It all just felt like a dream. A surreal dream.

Mary was only supposed to come over and visit him in Bad Nauheim for his 'Welcome back' party after his maneuvers in Grafenwöhr.

She was supposed to be back in Frankfurt to celebrate Christmas with her family.

She was supposed to sleep in her own bed in her own room at Hotel Grunewald.

Now, after a very long, nerve-racking phone call involving her, her father, her mother, Vernon Presley and of course Elvis himself the previous day, she found herself staying until Boxing Day.

And even though she wanted to obey the rules her parents had laid down before she went, she somehow found herself sneaking into his bed after dark every night.

There was no denying that being the centre of his attention had to be one of the greatest feelings in the world. Who was she to say no to him when he'd give her those puppy eyes, which he knew made her knees weak every time, and ask her to spend Christmas with him? Or to spend the night in his room, in his bed?

But for now, she wouldn't want it any other way. And although it was wrong, something about the way he'd pull her close to him in his sleep just felt right. Consequences didn't matter when she could feel his pillowy lips press against her forehead while she was drifting off to sleep.

She could just live this dream forever.

With an irritated sigh Mary raised her arms to shield her eyes from the horribly bright light suddenly shining right into her face, disrupting her peaceful slumber.

When this didn't have the desired effect she began to blindly wave around, in an attempt to slap away the flashing sensation. Her hand promptly hit something cool and hard with a dull thud and she let out a small gasp at the stinging pain in her wrist.

"Careful, Cherry, you're gonna break it."

"Huh? Elvis, I was asleep." She mumbled with a frown while rubbing her aching wrist.

"You're awake now honey, that's perfect." He held out a flashlight to her. The very one he'd held right into her face before. "Do me the honor, please."

"What?" She muttered, pressing her hand against her forehead, trying to make sense of his words. Her eyes fluttered closed again.

He shuffled closer, making the mattress bounce up and down for a second. "I wanna show you something, come on." He insisted and started tugging at her wrist before handing her the flashlight.

"What?" Mary repeated while squinting her eyes at him, still feeling disoriented.

He snorted. "You're asking an awful lotta questions honey, just trust me."

Mary reached out and grasped his arm, slightly pulling him towards her again, wanting nothing more than to just cuddle up against his chest again.

"It can't wait till morning?" She asked with a hopeful tone and tried to stifle another yawn. Unsuccessfully. The thought of leaving his cozy and most importantly, warm bed already made her shiver.

As if on cue, damn his psychic abilities, he pulled the blanket off of her. "Come on, Cherry, don't be no party pooper." He insisted with a small grin.

"I don't see a party." Mary grumbled, goose bumps all over her body as she got up, the flashlight still in her hand. "Okay, you won." She offered, playfully swatting at his chest.

Swiftly dodging her attack he wrapped his arms around her shoulder and pulled her close to him. "Thanks baby, now come, won't regret it."

It was one of those situations where she was asking herself how she ended up here. Sneaking through the dark corridors of the hotel at four in the morning for who knows what reason.

Well, actually she knew exactly how she ended up here. Being with Elvis always involved some kind of nocturnal activities. He didn't sleep much, that much she'd gathered in the time she's spent with him already. And he didn't like being alone.

He still had his arms around her as he guided her down the first flight of stairs. Suddenly, he let out a snort and stopped at a random guest's door. "Watch this." He raised his hand to knock, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Elvis, don't you dare!" Mary hissed and glared at him, once again remembering the talk she had with with had with Otto, the hotelier, regarding Elvis and his friends’ behaviour. Especially Red and Lamar who, in their free time while Elvis was at the base, had nothing better to do than test his patience with one childish prank after another. More than once Otto had considered kicking out the entire entourage. And to be honest she didn't blame him.

"What exactly did you want to show me?" She asked quickly to keep him from really knocking at that damn door.

He lowered his hand and nudged her forward with a smirk, down the next flight of stairs. "Otto has told me all about the ghosts haunting this place, honey, it's some scary stuff, I'll tell ya. There's the one about that young woman falling off the balcony a hundred years or so ago. Apparently her name was Mary and she also happened to be the prettiest girl in town, just like you, honey."

"Not funny!" She didn't want to sound scared, but those creaky old stairs and the flashlight in her hand, though very bright, being the only source of light made her feel like she was in a Hitchcock movie.

"Not to mention the Christmas spirits." He continued.

Mary stopped and raised an eyebrow, facing him. "You really think I'm gonna believe you? Sorry Elvis, I don't believe in ghost stories."

"Careful honey, starting to sound like ol' Scrooge."

"And you're sounding silly. Why are you ruining the holiday with ghosts? I've always loved Christmas. Look-" She gestured outside the large window next to the stair landing, looking at the snow covered street at the old light pole adorned with milky white Christmas lights. "It's so pretty."

It was peaceful, silent for a while as she simply watched the snow fall, it was hypnotising. Silent Night.

"Boo!" Elvis' hands wrapped around her waist from behind, scaring her.

Mary let out a soft shriek and felt the flashlight slipping from her grasp. Knowing what was about to happen but unable to do anything about it with her bad reflexes, a small curse just left her lips as she squeezed her eyes shut and covered her ears, awaiting the inevitable bang. When the flashlight collided with the carpeted floor, a dull thud echoed through the hallway. It gave out, shrouding them in complete darkness.

For a few seconds neither one dared to move, both frozen and awaiting someone coming down the stairs and scolding them like they were two kids sneaking out of bed to steal some candy. After a few seconds of undisturbed silence they agreed with a mutual sigh of relief that the noise apparently didn't rouse anyone from sleep.

"Great, E!" She finally whispered with a small breathless laugh, a hand over her rapidly rising and falling chest, her eyes only slowly adjusting to the darkness. She stretched out her arms, not wanting to run into the wall on accident as he bent down next to her.

"Cherry, did ya have to throw the damn thing away?" He chuckled, though there was a hint of frustration in his voice while he was looking for the now broken flashlight.

"Did you have to scare me?" She shot back with a snort. "Can you find it?" She asked after a while of him crouching on the floor.

The only answer she got was a low hum.

"What is it?" She inquired when she suddenly felt his feather light touch on her exposed calfs, making her gasp. "Elvis?" She asked, an edge to her voice.

Elvis didn't respond - instead he slowly lifted the soft, white fabric of her knee-length nightdress and threw it over his head in a swift motion.

"Elvis!" She nearly squealed, scandalised, before looking around frantically and pressing herself against the wall behind her, kind of hoping to just melt into it.

"Hmm?" He hummed, his nose brushing almost carefully against her thigh.

"Oh god, what are you-" A quiet moan escaped her when his hands ran over the back of her thighs, inching higher and higher until they rested right beneath her butt.

"Someone's wearing no panties. Naughty."

"Well I didn't expect-" Mary let out a little cry when he pressed a small kiss to her inner thigh, her toes curling against the carpeted floor.

"Gotta be quiet, otherwise everyone will hear ya." He mumbled, his hot breath fanning over her bare skin.

"E, that tickles!" She whispered, trying her best to sound stern.

"Just want a little taste of my sweet Cherrypie." There was this pleading tone in his voice that would just transform her into a puddle. Mary actually thought her legs would give out as he lightly nibbled at her soft skin, his big hands now fully sprawled over her butt, pressing her closer to his face.

"But, you can't-" She breathed as her back arched against him. Treacherous body.

"Can't show my favourite girl how much I'm smitten with her? And her legs? And her-" Mary's hand shot up to muffle the shriek escaping her when his lips brushed over her mound.

"Oh god! Not here!" She argued weakly, her voice as shaky as her legs.

Mary's eyes had finally adjusted to the darkness and she saw his head appeared from under her nightgown. He grinned up at her. "I won't tell if you won't, honey." He drawled nonchalantly.

A huff escaped her - frustrated and excited at the same time. She was at such a disadvantage with him and they both knew it. But she couldn't say she didn't enjoy the power he had over her. A word, a touch and she was at his mercy, but she trusted him. So she decided to just let herself fall into his touch.

He sensed her silent agreement and tightly gripped the back of her knee before lifting it over his shoulder, supporting her weight - and giving him easier access. Then he used both hands to slowly, agonisingly slow, push the soft cotton up her legs, only to pause and consider, his full lips pursed. She made her impatience known by pressing her calf against his strong back, urging him closer.

He clicked his tongue with another smile and shook his head before swiftly gathering the fabric and bunching it up at the center of her stomach. He looked up at her, his eyes twinkling. "Mind holding that for me, Cherry?"

She nodded mutely, then shook her head, not sure about the correct way to answer his question. Everything seemed a bit hazy as she closed her fist around the fabric.

He tapped the side of her thigh and winked at her. "Just have to look at ya, honey." His voice was just above a murmur as he took in her body for a moment, illuminated just the tiniest bit by the dim streetlight and the reflecting white snow. That concentrated look was back on his face as he rested his cheek against the side of her thigh. He did that quite often when they were close like this, like he was trying to take a mental picture.

The thought did nothing to diminish her arousal and she couldn't resist running her hand through his soft hair until it rested on the back of his head. With a wanton sigh she tried to push his head towards her, needing to feel his touch, his lips.

He obliged and leaned forward. Eyes closed in anticipation, she shuddered when his nose bumped against the soft flesh right beneath her belly button. He placed a few kisses right where the waistband of her panties would be had she worn any till his eyes found hers again. "I'm real glad you're here, Cherry. Don't know what I'd do without ya."

She nodded, his words only increasing the building pressure in her lower belly, her hips rolling in an effort to get some friction. He chuckled as he got her message. "Gotcha, no more heartfelt talk. I'm a man of action after all.” He started teasingly running his tongue over her slick folds.

"Don't stop, god, please don't stop, E." She chanted, holding onto the wall behind her, fingers dragging over some weathered paint that had begun to peel off.

"You're so wet for me." He groaned, his lips closing over her little nub. His hand roamed over her hips, over her stomach as his searing touch making her body convulse. Nerves and excitement mixed together, each little sensation and fluttery touch intensified by the notion that someone could walk in on them any second. Somewhere deep inside she was still rather scandalised, both by his sudden advances and her own lack of ability to care about it.

But all coherent thoughts were abandoned when he cupped her breast, squeezing lightly. A flick over her nipple with his thumb made her buck against him once more, her mouth hanging open in a silent cry. He suckled on her, increasing his speed, churned on by the way she was letting herself fall more and more; Literally - judging by the pressure on his shoulder where her thigh rested he had to use his hand to hold onto her hips or she'd collapse under his touch. It just took a few more strokes from his hot tongue and his strong hands squeezing her soft flesh until she came undone, stifling a loud moan that would surely give them away.

She finally sank down on the floor next to him, her chest heaving. "Elvis, please I want you." She breathed, not really recognising her own voice.

He caught her by her waist as she attempted to straddle him and carefully set her down again before shaking his head and kissing her forehead. "No, Cherrypie, not like this, not now."

"When?" She urged, her hand on his cheek, making him look at her.

He turned his head and kissed her palm. "Soon. For now I just want you to stay as you are." Upon seeing her frown he grinned and tapped her nose. "Now, don't give me that look."

She shook her head and leaned in to press her lips against his. With a dreamy sigh she opened her mouth when she felt his tongue urgently gliding over her bottom lip. Again, he didn't allow her to take control as he explored her mouth. She could taste herself on him and couldn't help herself but smile into the kiss. Eventually he pulled away from her. "Easy, not trying to win a race here."

Mary wrapped her arms around him. "So, was that what you wanted to show me?" She whispered, still breathless, cradling his head to keep him as close as possible.

"When I was down there, I just couldn't help myself honey."

A bashful laugh escaped her at this admittedly charming way of dodging her question.

"And look what I found." He proudly held up the broken flashlight.

She threw her head back. Silly man. "So much for your supposed 'ghosts'."

He licked his lips with a grin. "Don't know 'bout you, but I sure as hell heard some moaning."

"You're impossible!" She gasped, then let out a small laugh. "But I do love you, E."

"Love you too, Cherrypie. Come on now." He got up and held out his hand. Instead of leading her back to his room he made his way down another flight of stairs until they arrived in the hotel lobby.

The large christmas tree in the corner and it's decorations cast a warm glow over the room. She tapped one of the wooden nutcrackers hanging off the tree, reminding her of her favourite ballet, while Elvis made a beeline towards the connected dining room and peered out of the window. He craned his head as if looking for something specific, his hand perched up against the glass.

It slowly dawned her that whatever he was doing right now was probably the actual reason for their little nightly excursion.

"I knew it. Of course that tramp is still here." He muttered after a while.

Mary came up to him and tried to follow his gaze. "Who?"

"It's her damn car." He gestured outside.

Oh. Dee Dee.

"Daddy's probably gonna make her leave before everyone's getting up, thinking he's real smart about it." He started pacing around while Mary just helplessly stood in the corner watching, not knowing what to do or say to him.

Elvis continued, his face contorted in anger. "First he invites her to my party the other day, now they're doing, hell, I don't wanna know what they're doing." He threw up his hands and plopped himself down on the couch with a sigh. "Next thing you know, he's gonna move her in here and I gotta pretend to be all happy about it. As if I got no other fucking problems to deal with."

"I'm sorry. I wish I could help you somehow."

"Man, I just don't have the time for this kinda bullshit." He ran a hand over his face. "Colonel's been going on and on about damn publicity photos in uniform, that Christmas in Berlin picture he's already planning with Hal Wallis, trying to save what's left of my career-" His breath hitched for a moment in a humorless chuckle. "-Then I gotta worry about us getting kicked outta here-" He slaps the sofa at that. "And I somehow gotta serve my country at the same time."

She sat down next to him and exhaled heavily through her mouth. Again and again she was confronted with problems that seemed way too big for her. She could understand that he felt overwhelmed and alone. But she didn't have the slightest clue what to say to him to make him feel better. Maybe it was time to make peace with the fact that the best she could probably do was just listen to him and be there for him as best as she could.

"I'm here for you, anytime you wanna talk, I'm here to listen." She reassured him and placed a hand on his chest.

"I know honey. I appreciate it." He grabbed her calves and promptly placed her feet in his lap. "Damn, like little icicles." He let out a little laugh and started rubbing them absentmindedly.

She smiled at him and wiggled her toes. "Well, I was rushed out of bed as if the world was ending."

"Sweet Cherrypie, always makin' a big fuss outta nothing." He playfully pulled on her big toe and she had to resist the reflex to kick him.

"You're-" She huffed out a laugh but remained silent with a shake of her head. It was quiet for a while until she decided to open her mouth again, her face apologetic. "Sorry about your flashlight though."

"Honey, don't worry, already made up for it." He winked and ran his hand from her ankle up her leg. "It's nice just being here with you. I wish you could be here with me all the time."

"I know." She agreed.

"You should move here."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"Think about it, I hate you being so far away from me."

"Frankfurt's only an hour away, E."

"Pretty much the other side of the damn planet, honey. You're not here when I need you."

"Elvis. You know I'd love to be with you. All the time. But it's not that easy."

"Of course it is."

"I got a job, my family. My life is... in Frankfurt right now. I can't even afford my own place on a secretary's salary. A learning secretary. And who says I could find a job here?"

"You'll work for my father. He'll take you under his wing, he needs a secretary. And you can move in here, live with us."

She blinked, not entirely sure how she felt about the idea of working for him.

"Elvis, I don't know-"

"You'll move in here. And then we can always be together." He repeated, reinforced his point as if that'll just change her mind. To her own confusion she actually found herself considering it. "It'll work out, honey, you'll see." Upon seeing her hesitation he comfortingly brushed over her hair. "I just want ya close to me. I wanna take care of ya."

Mary leaned into his touch and sighed, overwhelmed at his proposal. It was madness. And working for him might effect their relationship. The one they hadn't even officially defined yet. Her understanding was that they were still dating and now he wants her to move in. Under the premise of working for his father.

Now it was her turn to run a hand over her face - in confusion. She knew she wanted to say yes. At least that's what her heart wanted. It didn't take much to convince her to leave everything behind and stay with him. Still, she tried to be rational about it. "Elvis, I'm really not sure-"

He placed his finger against her lips and shook his head while shushing her. Her eyes drifted down towards his beautifully puckered lips. "Nah, stop it, baby. At least think about it. Don't say no right away, that ain't fair."

She opened her mouth only to close it again, not sure how to put her thoughts into words. It might mess up everything now if she asked questions, but she willed herself to go through with it. "What would this mean for us?"

He leaned in closer and she nearly had trouble holding eye contact with him. "What are you talking about, honey?"

Mary raised her eyebrows and gathered her courage before trying once again. "I mean for our relationship."

He smiled, albeit looking a bit bewildered. Either he really didn't understand or he just straight up refused to. "We'd be together way more often honey, don't know what you're getting at." He shrugged with a frown. As if she started talking Chinese all of the sudden.

Mary inclined her head. "It wouldn't be weird?" A pause. "We haven't been dating for too long." She added, her voice small, almost not wanting him to hear it.

He sat up straight, setting her feet onto the ground. "Honey, I just don't understand where this talk is coming from now."

She guiltily eyed his fingers, how he was fiddling with the ring on his pinky finger. He seemed tense and agitated, his posture reminding her of a soldier standing at attention. That's the last thing she wanted right now. In an attempt to appease him she carefully explained. "I'm only saying we should think and properly talk about it before rushing to a decision that we might regret."

Suddenly he shot up from the couch and turned away from her. So much for defusing the situation. "Damn, I can't talk to you right now. Not making any goddamn sense, woman! No one's making any goddamn sense."

Mary panicked at his sudden outburst, not wanting to upset him. "Elvis, I'm sorry-"

"Nuh-uh!" He pointed his finger at her and she froze. "Need to clear my damn head." He muttered and turned, making his way back upstairs.

She slowly got up as well, successfully blinking away the tears that were burning behind her eyelids. The silence as she followed him was nearly unbearable, but she didn't dare saying another word. As he opened the door to his room, she turned the opposite direction, towards her own room.

"Now where do you think you're going?"

Mary released the door handle as if she had burnt herself and faced him, feeling caught for whatever reason. She thought it was obvious that she wasn't gonna join him now. "Uh, I thought-"

He sighed. "Cherry, just come over here damnit."

"...Okay." She whispered, utterly perplexed and at a loss for words.

However, his behaviour made sense to her when she awkwardly laid down on her back, careful to keep a safe distance and he scooted closer to her - not so close as to fully press his body against hers, but so that he could rest his hand on her stomach. As much as he apparently didn't want to deal with the confusion and worry he felt, there was something else that he undeniably hated more. Being alone with those thoughts.

Mary spent the next morning like every morning; helping Mrs. Presley in the kitchen, who insisted on cooking and cleaning despite the hotel having staff for that. She was a tough one and Mary looked up to her, talking to Minnie Mae was a source of comfort to her, their talks often trivial and relaxed. Maybe that's what she liked most about their time spent together.

This morning however there was a certain edge, a tension in the air. At first she thought she imagined it, still a bit shaken by Elvis' and her last interaction. That was until she realised it was Christmas Eve and everyone was, indeed, rushing around and being busy preparing tonight's dinner party.

The presence of Red and Lamar didn't necessarily help the uneasiness she felt. Most of the time she tried to avoid them as best as she could, trying not to let on that the two men always kind of intimidated her and she'd just rather stay off their radar. They were currently lounging at the kitchen table, the topic of discussion was, unsurprisingly, Elvis, she didn't really hear them talk about anything else. She'd listen but hardly contribute. Right now they were wondering about his dismissive attitude during breakfast this morning.

Mary dried her hands on her apron and paused for a second. She didn't even hear Elvis getting up and leaving for the base that morning. He couldn't have gotten any sleep, after all it was nearly morning when they went back to bed. Why did she feel bad? He was the one that woke her at four in the morning, god knows if he's gotten any sleep before that.

Loud shrieking and laughter on the street outside suddenly caught her attention. Thankful for the distraction from her spiraling thoughts she turned her head towards the noise.

"He's back." Red announced without even looking up, pulling a thread from the tablecloth in front of him.

Indeed, he was. Outfitted in his full army uniform, Elvis got out of his white BMW and raised his hand to greet his devoted fans who were waiting - in the cold- in front of the hotel. Mary watched the scene, taking in the wonder and adoration on everyone's face as they gathered around him. The unbridled love they had for him and the enjoyment he got out of did warm her heart momentarily. It was a beautiful thing to witness.

He was like a magnet, putting everyone under a spell he didn't quite understand himself. It seemed like all the people in his life wanted him, claimed him for themselves. And she saw that he did his best to accommodate everyone, striving to fulfill everyone's needs without really considering his own. There were so many people expecting something from him, wanting something from him and she wasn't sure how he navigated all that pressure.

His outburst earlier made a lot more sense now that she saw him trying to please as many people as possible at the same time. He was taking his time, trying go give everyone his attention, shaking hands, giving hugs, signing whatever they asked him to.

When he linked arms with two pretty girls and walked them up to the front porch she told herself that she wouldn't let it bother her. He must doing something like this all the time. It was just part of who he was. She had to get used to it, whether she liked it or not.

"Oh he never takes the girls inside." Mrs. Presley exclaimed, putting down the silver spoon she was busy polishing.

"Must be feeling that Christmas spirit." Red offered.

"He's a giver ain't he." Lamar added, turning the page of his newspaper that he was pretending to read for nearly an hour now.

Mary felt her face grow hot and pursed her lips. He led the giggling girls inside, settling right in between them on the couch, where they'd sat last night. She refused to get upset about the fact that he hadn't even come over to greet her. He'd definitely seen her as he walked past her.

From the corner of her eye she saw him leaning towards the girl on his right, his fingers buried in her hair, playing with her fancy updo, while she was exitedly saying something to her friend in German.

Mary dried another plate and put it away before fully glancing at him. He shot her a pointed look before leaning in and kissing that brunette's cheek, who was now giggling uncontrollably.

She felt like someone had just dumped a bucket of ice water over her head. And again, her thoughts went back to last night's argument. Or whatever it was. She herself wasn't a hundred percent sure what it was. All she knew now is that suddenly, in that very moment, she felt more far away from him than ever. Did he do that on purpose?

It felt similar to that day where her friend Helga showed her an article in the Bravo magazine about his supposed girlfriend, Anita Wood, he left behind in the States. Her initial reaction was shock before she told herself to get it together. He would've told her something like this, she was sure of it. She wouldn't put the tabloid's drama over his word. On the other hand he didn't tell her that Elisabeth was supposed to be at his 'Welcome back' party. But she was just a friend, right?

Again and again she was reminded that he could never truly only belong to her. He was a superstar after all. When she was alone with him she tended to forget that very important detail. She knew she had to be tolerant in that regard if she didn't want to lose him.

After a deep breath she turned back to Mrs. Presley, asking if she could help her with polishing the cutlery for tonight. It was hours later after the two girls left with signed photographs and him retreating back to his room without even looking her way that she couldn't take it anymore.

Making her way upstairs and knocking at his door strangely felt like admitting a mistake, but his silent treatment felt decidedly worse. "Elvis?"

He had changed into a white knitted cardigan and black dress pants and she stood up a bit straighter when he leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed, looking down on her with an unreadable expression on his face.

Mary eyed him carefully before clearing her throat putting on the most nonchalant tone. "How was your day?"

"Spent the day at the base decorating the company Christmas tree and singing Silent Night until eventually the last poor fella in that building got tired of it"

Apparently he had no interest discussing last night's incident, preferring to just act like it never happened.

For now she'd accept it. For now she'd come to the conclusion that she's overwhelmed him as much as he'd overwhelmed her. She figured giving it all some time would be the best course of action.

"I could never get tired of hearing you sing." She answered truthfully, looking at him through her lashes.

He gave her a quick once over before breaking into a smile. "Aw, little one, always knows what to say. Come here, missed you." He opened his arms, inviting her into his room. After giving her a quick peck on the lips he held her close to his chest.

Both relief and confusion flooded her at his unexpected response.

"You missed me?" She asked in a muffled voice, her face still buried in his sweater.

He hummed, the vibrations of his chest against her cheek. "Very much."

"You were in good company from what I saw." She stated, taking a step back.

He followed her and put his hands on her cheeks. "Aw, honey, those girls, they mean nothing. You're my bestest, favourite little girl, you know that."

Mary shrugged with a frown. "They're your fans, I guess I understand."

"You don't have to be jealous, Cherry."

"I know." She quickly answered, her tone firm.

He grinned. "The look on your sweet face says otherwise, you know that?"

"I'm not pulling a face!"

"You are! Right here-" He pecked her forehead. "And here!" Another peck to her lips.

"Okay, okay-" She chuckled, playfully pushing him away. "I got it! Jesus."

He cupped her chin, rubbing his thumb over her bottom lip. "Keep that happy face for tonight, wanna show you off."

"You do?"

"And I want you to look extra pretty tonight." For some reason his tone made the question feel like an assignment.

Mary blinked and looked at herself in the mirror before mindlessly playing with a few strands of hair, twisting it between her fingers before gathering it at the back of her head, feeling reminded of the times she had to present something at school with hardly anything prepared. "Oh, you know, I thought I could try this updo-"

He pressed a quick kiss to her exposed neck, making her giggle. "Honey, I'm sure you got that all figured out. What are you gonna do with your face?" His fingers softly grazed over her cheekbone.

She blinked at his statement before frowning the slightest bit and dropping her hair back down. "What's wrong with my face?"

"Aw, absolutely nothing, honey, it's perfect. My little baby's pretty as a picture, yes she is." He assured her while squeezing her cheeks and making kissing sounds as his face inched closer to hers.

"Silly." She giggled before quickly glancing back at the mirror, a questioning look on her face.

"No need to pout, Cherry. We left that behind us, remember? It's just, uh, your eyes are so expressive, I just want everyone to notice them. And I happen to know how to make em' look real good." He explained with a shrug.

Mary pondered his words for a second, still feeling a bit uneasy from his sudden mood shift.

"Come on, let me do this. Gonna look so pretty."

Upon seeing his pleading face she broke into a small smile and with a nod she leaned in to plant a quick kiss on his full lips. "Alright... but please don't make me look like a clown, okay?" She joked.

He pretended to consider it for a moment, brushing a strand of hair away from her face, before breaking into a grin. "Tempting, gotta admit that, Cherry."

As he gathered all the supplies from a small leather bag he'd retrieved from his drawer, Mary sat down on the chair, fiddling with her hands in her lap.

"Okay just look ahead baby, look at me." He instructed. Before he started he lowered his head and gave her a stern look, raising an eyebrow. "Okay, hold still now, would ya?"

Mary shakily exhaled, feeling nervous all of the sudden and nodded when he cupped her chin, his thumb softly caressing her skin. He leaned in closer, his scent completely surrounding her, making her heartbeat picked up in a second. She had to look down, feeling bashful under his intense gaze.

"Eyes on me, honey, look at me."

"Sorry." She quickly cleared her throat before focusing back on his eyes. However it didn't take very long until her gaze drifted to his full lips and she was utterly cativated by the way they hung open the slightest bit in concentration. It didn't take long for him to let out an impatient sigh. He lowered the brush and tapped her nose to get her attention. "Cherry, I need ya to look ahead for this to work."

"Okay, okay, alright, I'll do my best now." She mumbled, failing miserably at sounding determined. The fact that her face felt like it was on fire didn't really help. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the snow covered park across the hotel, yet she was convinced there were beads of sweat running down her back.

He cooed and lowered the brush. "Aw, I love it when you're all shy like this, honey. But ya got no reason to. It's just me, you know that."

"I know." Just you. Just Elvis Presley, she thought.

"Now close your eyes." He whispered softly.

Her eyes fluttered shut at his words and she nearly jumped when he carefully started applying the eyeliner on her upper lid.

"Cherryyyy, stop moving around." He gently chided her.

"I'm trying." She answered, suppressing a laugh. "It tickles."

Even though she couldn't see it, she could almost feel him smirking at her statement. Those were the same words she'd uttered the night before in a very different context, a shaking mess under his touch.

"You want me to help you keep still again?" He put a hand on her thigh and gave her a squeeze, making her gasp.

"I think I'll manage." She nearly squeaked in response.

After a few minutes that felt like hours he leaned back, finally finished, his eyes roaming over her face. "Oh, look at you, looking all pretty." He cooed and brushed away a strand of hair that had fallen over her eyes.

Mary blushed and inspected herself in the mirror, touching her face and blinking a few times. She raised her eyebrows and saw the finely drawn black wing. Her eyelashes fluttered, the mascara making them look impossibly long. "You're really good at this."

"Lips, honey."

She laughed when he retrieved a red lipstick from the bag. "I understand the mascara and eyeshadow but why on earth do you have this lipstick?"

"Might have sent Lamar to get it, should've seen his face."

"Oh god."

He cupped her chin again, his eyes narrowed, assessing his own work before moving closer again, making his chair creak slightly. She blushed as he reached out to apply the lipstick and had to fight yet another smile.

"Don't ya move now. I mean it, Cherry." He warned as he noticed the corners of her mouth twitching. A muffled sound escaped the back of her throat in a weak attempt to defend herself, but he quickly shushed her. "No talking either, I know that's hard for you, but I'm not done here."

Mary narrowed her eyes at his comment, but took a deep steadying breath, willing herself to do as he said while fighting a grin. It never ceased to amaze her how he could say something like this, yet remain utterly charming. It was almost scary how much he'd wrapped her around his finger.

Her expression became blank however as he actually started working on her bottom lip. It suddenly hit her how intimate the whole situation was and the tension was nearly too much for her to handle.

Mary's sudden compliance pleased him, she could tell by the way his gaze suddenly drifted from her lips towards her eyes with an almost unnoticeable quirk of his brow.

"There, cherry red lips for my sweet Cherrypie." He gently patted her cheek as he finished.

She let out a deep sigh of relief at finally being able to relax her face and breathe normally again and leaned closer to the mirror. With a tilt of her head from one side to the other she examined his work, still in disbelief that the woman in the mirror was actually her. A small smile spread across her face. "Oh wow"

He looked down at her with a satisfied smirk and promptly licked his lips when their eyes met. "Quit looking at me like that honey, or I'll make a mess of your lipstick."

With a blush she looked back at her reflection once again, appreciating how her blue eyes did look more expressive and how the bold red colour on her lips made her feel like a famous singer or actress. Someone with confidence.

"Aw, you look so beautiful. I could just eat you up." Elvis leaned in to playfully nibble at her neck.

"Thank you." She breathed, feeling her cheeks and neck get hot, as she squeezed his arm that was sprawled over her chest. They looked nice together, she thought, before he carefully tapped against her hips, urging her to get up.

"Now, baby, get changed, yeah? Put on your prettiest little dress, okay?"

When she returned to his room, still grateful that she had shamelessly over-packed her suitcase, she saw him sitting in front of the mirror, busy fixing his own hair.

Mary stepped closer and sat down on the edge of the bed, right behind him. For a while she just looked at him, admiring the way his nimble fingers gently held onto the comb in a practised grip. The way he just ran it through his shorter-than-usual hair with ease looked almost graceful and Mary couldn't resist scooting a bit closer to him until she could wrap her arms around his middle. She hoped she didn't bother him too much when she laid her chin on his shoulder. It seemed like their argument never happened.

"Anything you want, honey?" He asked eventually, a small gleam in his eyes.

"Why are your eyelashes longer than mine? It's not fair." She sighed, her fingers lightly dancing over his arms.

"They come in real handy, I'll tell ya. Making aaaall the pretty girls swoon." He drawled before reaching behind to lightly pinch her waist with a wink.

Mary giggled and leaned forward to press her her burning cheek against his cooler one. "They are swoonworthy." She agreed and continued studying his face in silent awe, once again marvelling at how utterly perfect he was. It was infuriating.

He smirked at her through the mirror when he felt her breasts pressing into his back. She felt him shift slightly. "Trying to start something, little one?"

His sultry voice sent delicious tingles through her entire body and she smiled briefly before shaking her head. "I love you." Her tone was gentle as she rubbed her hands over his dress shirt, slowly caressing his belly.

Her whisper made him coo and he slightly turned his body to face her. "I love you too, sweetheart. So much. See? We're made for each other, Cherry." He softly nuzzled her nose with his. "That's why ya should stay here. With me. It's easy like that."

Her mind involuntarily drifted to Elisabeth. And Anita. "It's not as easy as that." She answered, withdrawing just the tiniest bit, trying not to look remorseful.

He quickly shook his head. "No, no, no, just a second ago ya were being so sweet and now this again. Don't ruin it now."

"I'm just being honest." She shrugged.

"Me too." He insisted, pulling her close to him again.

A mean 'Are you?' nearly escaped her but she quickly swallowed before actually saying it out loud.

"I love you. That ain't enough for you?" He asked and furrowed his brows, his hand softly caressing her.

Mary bit her lip and lowered her head. After clearing her throat she looked up into his eyes again. "Of course... And it means so much to me that you want me here with you. Believe me, there’s nothing I’d rather do than just move here and spend every minute with you.” She smiled carefully and leaned in to hug him tightly. “You just surprised me, and leaving my family is a big deal. I’m sorry.” She mumbled into his shoulder.

“Aw, Cherry, it’s alright, don’t worry.” He held her close to him, gently rocking her back and forth with him. “And I-I know it’s a lot. Just want the best for you, gotta get that in your stubborn little head.”

She opened her mouth but he shushed her. “Just trust me on this. Let’s not talk about now, though, Cherrypie. It’s Christmas Eve.”

Mary nodded in agreement, but she knew they’d have to come to a decision soon. After all, as much as it felt like one; it wasn’t just a dream.

.................................................................................

Taglist: @karel-in-wonderland @kingdomforapony @richardslady121 @18lkpeters @godlypresley @everythingelvispresley

[eptodaytommorowforever]

Nice Rare Candid Photo Of Our Man The Only One And Only One Legendary Elvis Presley Seen Here Wearing A White Tuxedo At The Ellis Auditorium In is Home Town Of Memphis Tennessee were He Played A Benefit Concert For Charity In 1961 a Month After This Show Performance And Concert He Would Play A Benefit Show At The Bloch Arena In Hawaii To Raise Funds And Build The USS Arizona Memorial Photo Taken Here By A Fan Member Of The Audience.

[theblueandgrayhistorian]

On this day on February 6th, 1862, the Battle of Fort Henry begins.

•

In order to gain control of the supply lines and the rivers west of the Applachians. Gen. Henry Halleck sent Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Flag Officer Andrew Foote to lead a joint expedition of Union troops and gunboats against the two forts of Henry and Donelson.

•

Grant had about 15,000 men under his command and Foote had about four ironclads and three timberland ships. Between February 4th and 5th, Grant and the troops were disembarked on the riverbank out of the range of Confederate guns.

•

Fort Henry was built in 1861 on the Tennessee River and named after Senator Gustavus Henry. It was a strategically critical point for the Confederates to defend since it protected Nashville, Tennessee and the railroad that connected Bowling Green, Kentucky and Memphis.

•

The Fort held 2,500 men under the command of Brig Gen. Lloyd Tilghman. Before the Battle began, the Fort was flooded by recent rainstorms and bad weather which made many men ill-prepared to defend it. To complicate matters further, the Confederates’ equipment stockpile was mostly limited to weapons used from the War of 1812.

•

At 12:00 P.M on February 6th, 1862, Foote sent his warships into position about less than 300 yards from the fort so Grant's troops could attempt to come up from the rear as the ironclads bombarded the fort from the river.

•

The ironclads delivered a point-blank range attack on the fort, wreaking havoc on the fort's defensive guns. The Confederates lost four of their defensive heavy guns and suffered 21 casualties, leading Tilghman to sent his remaining soldiers to Fort Donelson to prepare a bolstered defensive against the Union.

•

One of Foote's ships suffered damage after it was knocked out of the boiler, putting the USS Essex out of commission for the rest of the campaign. Although it suffered about 32 Union casualties, this ship was not the only one. The Cincinnati, St. Louis, and the Carondelet also suffered casualties.

•

The Fall of Fort Henry opened up northern Tennessee to the Union and set the stage for the Battle of Fort Donelson. This would pave a path for more of Ulysses S. Grant’s career decisions, as the upcoming battle would gain him a nickname, the "Unconditional Surrender".

[the-firebird69]

Lady Gaga - Bad Romance (Gaga Live Sydney Monster Hall)

If you put it all together it makes sense and we look really dumb and Jim waited and Tom F you're kind of a jackass you scan and you see tunnels and below the thing and he says it's like a mirror image and it is that one is huge it's massive it says huge thing with its own life as incredible and furthermore he said that ghwv used to say why don't you bring the heavy iron over or bring your ships over and your ships are iron and he mentioned hardware as iron and he's saying it all the time and I remember it and his ship the USS constitutional sunk and he took off the thorium and put iron on people are looking at spectacle and they're going to find it and it's going to be awesome this sucks so bad and we think the Mediterranean had one of those asteroids and it might be on that pyramid ship and it might not be because he said we would be without it but it looks like they left in a hurry and they left all her stuff and ships and it changes things we have to watch out for the Mac proper who might already know this and he says I don't think so nobody has access to those tunnels and I can't believe it this is going to be awesome and it is why there's a prayer in Memphis and he says in Memphis there's tunnels and it's similar and it goes to something and it doesn't know what it is or where but he would imagine that it's also a duplicate because JC and Mary would want to way out and don't know where they're going to be and they have to have it so I get that. I don't know about everybody else but I'm excited and I'm going to go do stuff and I got to get out of here this place is rot and it's it's right it's rotting it's radiation it's disgusting. We need to start doing things here and we need to leave him alone and get him stuff and stop treating him bad this stuff is expensive to talk about I'll tell you what this is a story and a half is granddaddy doing that might be a rat but it might be a rat on his great-grandson or his great great grandsons hey this guy is going to be huge and get blamed are you trying to straighten it out he's trying to straighten it out and we have to get going right now I'm I'm going out and going to look at these places

Gaga

Olympus

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 6.4 (before 1940)

1411 – King Charles VI granted a monopoly for the ripening of Roquefort cheese to the people of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon as they had been doing for centuries. 1561 – The steeple of St Paul's, the medieval cathedral of London, is destroyed in a fire caused by lightning and is never rebuilt. 1615 – Siege of Osaka: Forces under Tokugawa Ieyasu take Osaka Castle in Japan. 1745 – Battle of Hohenfriedberg: Frederick the Great's Prussian army decisively defeated an Austrian army under Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine during the War of the Austrian Succession. 1760 – Great Upheaval: New England planters arrive to claim land in Nova Scotia, Canada, taken from the Acadians. 1783 – The Montgolfier brothers publicly demonstrate their montgolfière (hot air balloon). 1784 – Élisabeth Thible becomes the first woman to fly in an untethered hot air balloon. Her flight covers four kilometres (2.5 mi) in 45 minutes, and reached 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) altitude (estimated). 1792 – Captain George Vancouver claims Puget Sound for the Kingdom of Great Britain. 1802 – King Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia abdicates his throne in favor of his brother, Victor Emmanuel. 1812 – Following Louisiana's admittance as a U.S. state, the Louisiana Territory is renamed the Missouri Territory. 1825 – General Lafayette, a French officer in the American Revolutionary War, speaks at what would become Lafayette Square in Buffalo, New York, during his visit to the United States. 1855 – Major Henry C. Wayne departs New York aboard the USS Supply to procure camels to establish the U.S. Camel Corps. 1859 – Italian Independence wars: In the Battle of Magenta, the French army, under Louis-Napoleon, defeat the Austrian army. 1862 – American Civil War: Confederate troops evacuate Fort Pillow on the Mississippi River, leaving the way clear for Union troops to take Memphis, Tennessee. 1876 – An express train called the Transcontinental Express arrives in San Francisco, via the First transcontinental railroad only 83 hours and 39 minutes after leaving New York City. 1878 – Cyprus Convention: The Ottoman Empire cedes Cyprus to the United Kingdom but retains nominal title. 1896 – Henry Ford completes the Ford Quadricycle, his first gasoline-powered automobile, and gives it a successful test run. 1912 – Massachusetts becomes the first state of the United States to set a minimum wage. 1913 – Emily Davison, a suffragette, runs out in front of King George V's horse at The Derby. She is trampled, never regains consciousness, and dies four days later. 1916 – World War I: Russia opens the Brusilov Offensive with an artillery barrage of Austro-Hungarian lines in Galicia. 1917 – The first Pulitzer Prizes are awarded: Laura E. Richards, Maude H. Elliott, and Florence Hall receive the first Pulitzer for biography (for Julia Ward Howe). Jean Jules Jusserand receives the first Pulitzer for history for his work With Americans of Past and Present Days. Herbert B. Swope receives the first Pulitzer for journalism for his work for the New York World. 1919 – Women's rights: The U.S. Congress approves the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guarantees suffrage to women, and sends it to the U.S. states for ratification. 1919 – Leon Trotsky bans the Planned Fourth Regional Congress of Peasants, Workers and Insurgents. 1920 – Hungary loses 71% of its territory and 63% of its population when the Treaty of Trianon is signed in Paris. 1928 – The President of the Republic of China, Zhang Zuolin, is assassinated by Japanese agents. 1932 – Marmaduke Grove and other Chilean military officers lead a coup d'état establishing the short-lived Socialist Republic of Chile. 1939 – The Holocaust: The MS St. Louis, a ship carrying 963 German Jewish refugees, is denied permission to land in Florida, in the United States, after already being turned away from Cuba. Forced to return to Europe, more than 200 of its passengers later die in Nazi concentration camps.

[lboogie1906]

Vice Admiral David L. Brewer III (May 19, 1946) is a 35-year veteran of the Navy and former superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District. The retired three-star admiral worked to develop the Navy College Program helping sailors receive higher education and oversaw the Military Sealift Command’s partnership with shipping companies in the private sector that involved moving over 20 million square feet of equipment to the Persian Gulf in less than four months.

His first assignment as an officer was aboard the USS Little Rock as Electric Warfare Officer. He served as Minority Recruiting Officer at the Naval Recruiting District in Memphis, before returning to the sea as the Combat Information Center Officer aboard the USS California. He attended Surface Warfare Officer’s Department Head School. He was selected by the Chief of Naval Operations to be a Special Assistant for Equal Opportunities, making him the CNO’s representative at equal opportunity forums across the country.

He was born in Farmville, Virginia to educators David L. Brewer Jr. and Mildred S. Brewer. He earned a BS in Biology at Prairie View A&M University. He was a graduate of the first Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps unit at Prairie View A&M University.

He was selected as superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District (2006-08). He heads the David and Mildred Brewer Foundation.

He is married to Richardene “Deanie” Brewer, who works in education. They have a daughter. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[carbone14]

Le croiseur léger USS Memphis (CL-13) en cale sèche – Kiel – Allemagne – 1926-1927

©Naval History and Heritage Command - NH 46206

[candacehughes123]

candace marie hughes dcfrrr marine ccfvttt army ghhbbvvf military bhgggvfttttt wrdf op paid ccfvggftttrr hostels cf paid ccfxxdssszaqqqq paid cfvfgtttrrehomes earth gbbvhhyy bedrooms bed rooms ccdffvg federal governments cfd navy ghy leitenants ccdffrrr police dxsz sheriff cdfrrrr inmates penal farm bhnjhuuu navy uss cfddx farms dfgggftttrr norbital 6 slaves slaveries ds c military professionals dft ghyyy houseings dfr class qd military fghvb beyond perfect dfvvv restaurants dc clouds heaven ef hell hjkllliopppuy military choppers with kiys vvoiceings service df earth fgvcrttt earth asdewwwqqqq earth houses cr tyghbbgnnnjj ranked ccffxddd fed officials ccvvg paid infinity never ends cxdfzsss fgvtttrrr hospitals earth vbghyytttfffcccvvvvv c felony vbbghyyy charges fffcv accepted by candace marie hughes card xcfrrrr tgggvvv bodies fh slaves slaveries dcfffrtt death gbbbvnnnhjjuuy livve ccffdrrr cafes xdcccfvvvvgbbghyyttt correctional facilities ccfvgggfttt fed enmates ghh military navy fgyyyy diaries cvfg vids xc photos dvbbghyyyu photos bbghhhnnuuuyyt slaves slaveries xd hjkl uiooo bnm military cvfffrtttxszadd cqweeee military marined gggvvcf animals cddde creatures dcxxdfffrreeqqqaaazzzz animals monsters dc columbian bhgyyyyy mexican gvvftttbh forts el salvador country earth fghhhvbbtyyyrrrffdddccxx dead mourgue ccdfrr morgue ccfvggt earth fgh paipers ccdffxxszza vaticans ccfvfttttggvbbrrr inmates feds ccfvttrr professional bbhnju on paid home must return to appling rd. memphis tennessee earth. on. paid. vvoiced paid. mail kiy key card dh to candace marie hughes. on. paid. vvoiced paid.

[judgemark45]

(10/21/1992) A port bow view of the nuclear-powered attack submarine USS MEMPHIS (SSN-691) secured in the medium auxiliary floating dry dock Resolute (AFDM-10) Norfolk,Va Camera Operator: Jeff Cordia

[ellie-24]

USS Randall Ramblers

Writing prompt: What are we going to do with [blank]?

Sorry besties, I'm a bit late. @missmaywemeetagain @thatbanditqueen @whositmcwhatsit @be-my-ally @from-memphis-with-love @vintageshanny

Summary: Mary didn't want to leave the US. Elvis didn't want to leave either. Yet, they somehow found themselves on the same ship steaming towards Europe.

Word count: ~4k

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Aboard the USS Randall, somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. September 30th 1958

Mary pulled the blanket tighter around her body when another cool breeze mixed with icy sea water hit her face. She could taste the salt on her lips and rubbed her stinging eyes. After blinking a few times she resumed to watching how the full moon above her relected in the calm waves below her. She leaned foward, her numb hands slipping from below the rough fabric to tightly grip onto the even colder steel of the railing. Hearing the steady splashing of the water against the side of the ship had a calming effect on her troubled mind.

Being the daughter of an army officer meant moving around, never really having a place she could really call home. After eighteen years should reall be used to it by now. But leaving for another country, not knowing the language or the people at all, made her feel slightly nauseous. Mary took a deep breath and tried to focus on the rhythmic splashing of the water again.

"Afraid there ain't enough lifeboats?" A familiar voice suddenly called behind her.

She whirled around and winced when her elbow hit the railing. It took her a moment to realise who the silhouette in the shadows belonged to. It was him. With his hair clean cut like the rest of the army boys, the side burns that used to make every girl go absolute bonkers now shaven off. Disbelief flooded her mind like the cold, salty ocean water below her. This was the second time she ran into him this week. Or well, he ran into her. And the probability of that happening wasn't very high, she tought, recalling a conversation she had a few days ago.

Janet, a bubbly thirteen year old, and her friend Terry had exitedly sat down next to her, while she enjoyed a cup of coffee and read a magazine in the day room. "Mary, we missed him again! They said he was on the sun deck, but when we got there they said he just left!"

Mary raised her coffee cup to her lips, almost burning her tongue in the process and smiled at her. "...You have four more days, Janet. I'm sure there will be another opportunity."

"Don't you want to meet him?"

Mary put her magazine down and leaned back into the plush pillow of her seat. She just couldn't bear to tell the girls that their teen idol seemed to be rather annoyed by the officer's daughters ambushing him everywhere he went. At least that's what her father told her. "Oh, sure I would... But I'd be an awkward mess in front of him." She leaned over with a grin. "You ladies should be the ones meeting him."

Janet had giggled and turned over to her friend. "Oh, what are we going to do with him once we meet him?"

"I want to hug him! And I'll ask him for an autograph!" Terry exclaimed, clapping her hands in exitement.

"I want to take a picture with him!" Janet swooned.

"Maybe he'll sing for us!"

"That would be something, wouldn't it?" Mary had added with a fond smile and a good natured shake of her head as she watched the exited teen girls dance around each other, before darting out of the day room towards the deck again.

"You." She now stated, looking him up and down. He approached her, twirling the ring on his pinky.

"Me." he countered, still in his neat uniform, as he leaned against the railing with his back.

She let out a flustered laugh. "I'm not really concerned about the life boats. More about what's gonna happen tomorrow."

A wistful look overtook his beautiful features and he slightly inclined his head, as if nodding along. He hummed and drummed his fingers against the steel. Mary had seen this particular look two nights before.

She never thought that the fact that her father taught himself how to play the guitar during the war would lead to her dancing with Elvis Presley. But it did on that one evening, an evening where everyone on board craved entertainment, a distraction. Ski, the cheerful G.I. with the accordion, apparently organised the whole thing, asking everyone who could to play an instrument. Of course her father had stepped up and exitedly invited her, her mother and her brother to come to see him being part this very exclusive show.

"Elvis will be there as well, right?" Mary had asked a few hours before the mini concert was supposed to start.

Her father stopped rolling his cigarette and looked up to her. "Yes dear, I reckon he will be. Don't think he'll spend the night in his cabin." He answered with a light hearted smile.

She absentmidedly pulled at the sleeves of her dress. "Do you think I could bring some of the other girls? They spend their entire time here trying to accidentally run into Elvis." she chuckled.

"Oh, I don't know, dear. If everyone brought their friends there'd be a thousand people in the day room... I'm afraid it's not possible. You might want to ask Ski about that." he offered with a shrug.

She chewed on her bottom lip in thought. "No, it's alright, I don't want to cause any trouble." she hummed, a bit bummed out. "I guess I'll just have to get them an autograph or something. If I get the opportunity."

Later that evening a man named Charlie Hodge introduced himself and acted as emcee for the evening, her father stood proudly in the background with his guitar. She'd never seen him so exited and child like before, which made her grin widely, yet mildly weirded her out at the same time. But the weirdest thing during the whole show must have been the fact that hip-swinging Elvis the Pelvis, how the magazines called him, sat still at the piano, looking all prim and proper, not uttering a single word. He didn't even get introduced. She kept looking around in confusion, trying to figure out if she was the only one noticing this strange circumstance. Apparently she either was the only one or everyone just skillfully ignored this mystery.

It was then when she observed his gaze, she noticed he was seemingly a thousand miles away. His blue eyes weren't twinkling with mirth like they usually did when she used to watch him on tv. His full lips formed something that resembled both a permanent pout and a scowl. He looked so incredibly sad, it made her heart hurt. Maybe he just wasn't in the mood to sing, she reasoned. The recent death of his mother must still weigh heavy on him, the rare smiles and laughs this Charlie guy managed to get out of him from time to time never really reaching his eyes. It just seemed like he didn't want to be there at all. Mary wondered if she should approach him at all or just leave him alone. For now she chose to do the latter.

She busied herself cheering on her father as he supported the "USS Randall Ramblers", as they introduced themselves. Yet, she found that her eyes kept wandering to the raven haired man at the piano. His mouth kept moving, as if singing along, just for himself. When she looked down she saw his feet tapping on the creaky, wooden floor and his knees jiggling slightly as if he couldn't contain the movement even if he tried to.

She looked up at his face again and noticed that he was looking right back at her, their eyes locking. She stopped in her tracks, the music and laughter around her now sounding muffled and dull. Her breathing picked up under his intense gaze and she tried not to choke on her own spit when one corner of his lip lifted into a small half smile. She managed to smile back, though it probably looked more like a grimace and quickly averted her eyes again in embarrassment, feeling her cheeks grow warm. Out of corner of her eye she saw him shaking his head with a grin.

When the show was over many, including Mary and her family, still lingered, not wanting this light, merry atmosphere to fade into the not so fun reality. The people around her started carelessly dancing, singing and drinking and even her parents dared to join the other dancing couples, leaving Mary to sit alone with her little brother. It was then, thankfully, that Charlie Hodge approached her and held out his hand to her.

"Care to join me for a dance?" he asked with a, what she has to admit, was a rather cute smile. She skillfully ignored her brother snorting loudly next to her and slipped her hand into Charlie's with a smile.

"I'd love to." she agreed and he wasted no time to pull her along with him. Charlie was a rather small fella, her low heels caused her to actually be an inch taller than him, which she found kind of endearing. He was also careful to keep a respectful distance between their bodies, his grip on her waist light and gentle as he slowly twirled her around.

"Did you have a good time?" he asked in a loud voice, the music and laughter around them making it hard for her to understand him.

She nodded enthusiastically. "It was a great performance! Really, uh, I think we all needed that to be honest."

He smiled up at her. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Gotta do something on this ship to keep everyone's spirit up."

"It's horribly draining isn't it?"

"Especially for some of us." he nodded, his eyes briefly, involuntarily, flicking towards something behind her.

She looked up at him quizzically before turning her head with her eyebrows scrunched up, to see what he was looking at.

Elvis stood next to a table on the other side of the room with his hands on his hips, talking to another man. Well, the talking consisted of him dutifully nodding along, his eyes blank, and his expression neutral. Except for the slight raise of one eyebrow. If anything he looked annoyed and exhausted. It was as if he felt her gaze on him, his eyes moving away from the man in front if him and suddenly their eyes locked again. She quickly turned back to Charlie, embarrassed once more that he caught her staring. He didn't seem to notice her discomfort though.

"Uh, you mean Elvis?" She asked, just wanting to say something.

He shook his head defensively. "No, I, um meant young, delicate girls like yourself. Uh, doesn't do you no good being on a warship this long."

She hummed with a sceptical look on her face, more interested about what he apparently had to say about Elvis.

"You know him? Elvis?"

"Why do you ask?"

"You two seem rather familiar." she shrugged.

"We share a bunk. Known him for a few years now, we reconnected in the army." he explained with a fond smile.

"Ah." she nodded in understanding and looked down. Which is why she didn't notice Charlie's eyes widening slightly before she heard a booming voice behind her.

"Man, you're stepping all over her feet, give the poor girl a break."

"EP-"

"Nah man, step away, lemme show ya how to do it." Elvis didn't even wait for her reaction to the whole exchange as he pulled her away from Charlie's gentle grasp and pressed her against his hard body, one hand around her waist, one hand guiding her head towards his chest. Whereas Charlie had carefully ensured there was enough space between their bodies for a theoretical third person to join in, Elvis didn't seem to share this sentiment. With no regards towards her personal space he held her in a tight grip, her cheek now resting against his toned chest, the smell of his cologne immediately causing her brain to short circuit. He was definitely taller than her previous dance partner as well, she thought while he started swaying them lightly back and forth. She saw Charlie quickly shuffling away and realised for the first time that she was now, in fact, dancing with Elvis Presley.

"Sorry about him, sweetheart. He's just really awkward in front of girls. Good thing I came to rescue ya." He mumbled and laid his cheek against her hair like they'd known each other for years.

She looked around, trying to discern if anyone had witnessed the spectacle that just happened. She'd hate to be the center of attention. Luckily everyone was still rather busy with themselves and in high spirits, the small incident thankfully not spoiling with the wonderfully exuberant atmosphere. "Do you always steel away girls from your buddies like that?" Mary asked, her voice a bit muffled, her cheek and lips still smushed against his dapper uniform.

He hummed, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Only the pretty ones. Ol' Charlie wouldn't know how to treat a girl like ya."

"And you do?"

"I know everything about women there is to know, sweetheart."

"Most girls aren't that complicated, you know?"

"Every single one is, sweetheart."

"Well, the one's onboard aren't that hard to please, believe me. I'll tell you as a woman."

He hummed and released his grip on her hair to look at her, eyebrows raised quizzically.

She giggled. "It seems to be almost impossible to find you on this ship, you know that? My, uh friends keep trying to see you. That's all they want. But from what they're telling me you could actually be a ghost."

His face momentarily darkened again and Mary wondered if she said something wrong. She laughed awkwardly before continuing. "You know, they hear rumors that you could be there, or that you're spending your time here and once they go there... you're always gone. Vanished into thin air. Poof."

He needed a moment to register her words before giving her a regretful smile. "Oh, you know, I'd actually love to meet em, honey. See, they keep me busy sweeping the decks and scraping off rust. Ain't really got no time for myself. Or the girls."

She nodded and pursed her lips. "The way I see it you owe me something for the dance now, don't I?"

"Oh, so you're the one girl aboard not as easily pleased as the others? What a lucky guy I am."

"Now, that's something you brought upon yourself. Tearing me away so cruelly from poor Charlie."

"Told ya already, poor Charlie wouldn't know how to handle ya. The more I talk to ya the more I get the feeling that I'm right."

"And I get the feeling that this means you want to listen to the deal I'd like to propose?"

He smirked. "Oh, I'd love to hear a proposal from you, sweetie."

She jokingly rolled her eyes at him and he bit his lip, his own eyes half closed. She snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Focus. In exchange for the dance, I need you to at least sign some autographs for my friends, alright?"

"That much I can do, honey."

"Perfect! Thank you!"

Mary pulled him along to a nearby table and she reached out, gathering some of the white napkins. She laid them down in front of him.

"Pen, pen, pen..." she mumbled to herself over and over again frantically, her eyes scanning the area around her.

"Got one, honey. Don't get all worked up." he said with a smug smile and pulled a pen out of his breast pocket.

She gave him a look before pointing towards the paper in front of him. "For Janet, please. And Terry. Oh and Darby." She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, trying to remember the name of the other girl Janet regularly went Elvis hunting with. "And Sheila!" she exclaimed, snapping her fingers triumphantly.

He leaned down. "Gotta lot of friends, honey." he smiled up at her through his long, black lashes and went on to sign the napkins, as she peered over his shoulders.

"What about you?" he asked as he finished writing and turned around again.

She took a startled step back, not realising how close she actually stood to him before. "Huh?"

He bit his lip again, trying to contain a playful smile. "What's your name, sweetie?"

"Oh, Mary."

"Mary. That's pretty." He smiled as he leaned over the table again and grabbed another napkin to scribble down a personal autograph for her as well. When he finished he held it out to her, but quickly snatched it away again when she wanted to take it from him.

"Nah, sweetheart, this one costs extra." He chuckled, holding it high above his head where she couldn't reach it.

"Another dance?" she asked, wanting to sound serious, maybe even exasperated. Yet, she could barely suppress a smile.

He pointed to his cheek with an innocent expression. She put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him, making him pout. She sighed and leaned up on her tippy toes, trying to calm the butterflies in her stomach and mentally prepared to be so close to him. Again. When she softly pressed her lips against his impossibly soft skin, she couldn't help but close her eyes and smile at the sensation. He leaned into her touch, pressing his cheek further against her mouth, relishing the feeling as well. There was a certain hollowness she felt in the pit of her stomach when she had to force herself to pull away from him before it got weird. She looked up at him expectantly.

He opened his eyes again and gently pressed the napkin into her hand. "Thank you so much, sweetie, you really didn't have to do this. But I'll accept it as your apology for being mean to me."

She stared up at him, open mouthed, at a loss of words. He raised her hand to his lips. "See you around, Mary." With a wink he left her standing there, clutching the signed napkins tightly in both in frustration and desire.

"Can't sleep either, huh? Or are ya seasick, leaning over the railing like that?" His playful voice startled her out of the memory.

She shrugged, and after another breeze of cold salt water against her face she decided to step away from the railing and sat down on a bench nearby. "Tomorrow we'll dock at Bremerhaven. My family is all exited about it."

"And you're not?" he asked and sat down beside her.

She shifted, her feet now resting on the bench as well so she could tuck them into her blanket. "I don't know. I'm a bit scared to be honest. Uh, what about you?"

He huffed. "...Were your little friends happy about the autographs?" he asked, quickly avoiding her question.

She blinked. "...Oh, uh yeah, they went absolutely crazy!" She chuckled at the memory of Janet flinging herself around her neck, eternally grateful. "It meant so much to them. Thank you, again."

He smiled and put his arm around her. "Thank you, sweetie. Always happy to make a deal with you."

She gave him an over the top sweet, fake, smile and he snorted. "But really, I'm glad... Don't know how many of them are left when I return."

She frowned at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

His smile turned solemn and he looked down. "My... fans." he winced a bit at that word. "The folks who support me. They mean e-everything to me... Now that I'll be gone for at least two years..." he trailed off and shook his head.

"I think they know that you're not abandoning them. You're doing your duty." she argued and gestured to his uniform.

He ran a hand over his clean shaven face. "Doesn't matter. They'll forget a-about me."

She leaned over. "Don't be so hard on yourself. That's not gonna happen, I can't imagine dear Janet ever stopping trying to hunt you down. Just to get a small glimpse."

His eyes locked with hers again. "And what about you?"

"Mhm. I'll certainly always remember that handsome G.I. playing the piano. He's a great dancer as well. Oh, and he has a beautiful voice. Unfortunately he didn't sing, but I know he can. I saw him perform on tv. Can you believe that?" She said with big eyes.

He snorted a little and raised one eyebrow at her. "Sounds like an interesting fella."

"Oh you won't believe it. Definitely someone who leaves a lasting impression."

"Aww, you're sweet for saying that, baby. Means a lot to me."

She sighed. "If we wouldn't dock tomorrow I'd personally organise another show. Just you and me and the girls." she chuckled and gently ran her fingers over his forehead.

There was a beat of silence until he released a shuddering breath. "I'd love that. When we were dancing, you, uh made me forget everything for a minute... It was really nice."

"I liked it too." She gently smiled.

"...I-I'm not even allowed to sing anymore, Mary." he whispered after a few minutes of agreeable silence.

"...Uh, you know, I was wondering about that. The other day... you only played the piano."

He took a deep breath. "That I did."

"And you didn't sing." she continued with a pointed look.

He absentmindedly reached up and removed his hat, revealing the trim army hair cut, instead of the perfectly styled pompadour she was used to. "The uh, army a-and my manager thought it would be better if I didn't." He explained and carefully examined the hat he held in his hands, narrowing his eyes at it, as if it was personally responsible for his misery.

"They, uh really forbid you to sing? As in you're really not allowed to?"

He shrugged, his voice failing him and laid his head against her shoulder, both of his arms now around her waist. She swallowed hard. "I-I'd certainly like to have a talk with that manager of yours. Forbidding you to perform. I don't believe it."

His icy nose bumped against her warm neck, and a chill ran down her spine. "It's just not s-supposed to be like that. Nothing. Everything is... going wrong." he whispered and pressed himself even closer to her.

A bit overwhelmed, Mary didn't really know what to do to comfort the man next to her who seemed to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. She now understood what Charlie Hodge meant when they were dancing two nights ago. It wasn't just that he wasn't allowed to sing. He was afraid. Terribly afraid. Of the future, of being alone. He was probably even more afraid than her. She noticed him shivering a bit, his head still angled away from her. When she heard him sniffle quietly she fully turned her body towards him and saw a single tear running down his reddened cheek.

"You're cold." she stated and opted to pretend like she thought his runny nose was a direct result of the icy wind still hitting their faces. "Come here." she whispered as she pulled away her blanket and drew in a sharp breath a the sudden cool air hitting her body. Then she carefully draped the rough fabric around him as well, wrapping them both up in a tight cocoon. He wordlessly snuggled up to her, his cold hands around her waist making her shiver once again.

His voice trembled a bit when he spoke up again. "Mary, will I see you again?"

"I don't know." she answered, honestly.

"You'll have to c-come visit me. In Friedberg. I-I'll a-arrange it." he stuttered, his voice urgent.

She hummed. "Mhm, we'll see. Under one condition though."

"What?" He raised his head, his nose bumping against hers.

She ran a finger over his full bottom lip. "You'll have to sing for me then."

[lonestarbattleship]

USS MEMPHIS (CL-13) in the Anacostia river, bound for the Washington Navy Yard, D.C., with Charles Lindbergh on board. She was returning him from France, following his solo transatlantic flight.

Photographed on June 11, 1927.

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command: NH 93553