#ruth hughes

[jbaileyfansite]

Some old/new BTS from Bridgerton s2 [x]

[footprintsinthesxnd]

On A Wing and a Prayer

Summary: It's July 1943, and the Second World War is raging across Europe and the Pacific. Ruth Morgan and Hope Armstrong are flight nurses with the 806th MAETS, stationed at Berkshire in England. When an unexpected reunion introduces some new faces into their lives, things will never be the same for the "Skytrain Girls."

MOTA collab: This is a collab between the very wonderful, talented, amazing Mads @major-mads and myself. We would love to introduce you to Hope and Ruth and the adventures they will share together along with the men from the 100th Bomb Group. Read more of Ruth’s story in ‘A Pair of Solver Wings’.

Flight Nurse Facts

Playlist

Moodboards + Gale and Hope

I have always had a fascination with the nurses of ww2 and flight nurses have so few media’s about them. I’ve always wanted to write for an oc flight nurse so Hope has been in my head for a long time and MOTA gave me a chance to, along with Mads @major-mads. Here you can follow Hope and Ruth’s story, along with the men of the 100th Bomb Group. This story is based on the fictional portrayal of these men from the MOTA to series.

Part 1: Welcome to Thorpe Abbott

Part 2: The Dance

Part 3: Listen to your heart

Part 4: Picnics, Phartzac and Painful goodbyes

Part 5: The Dangerous Skies

Part 6: One Helluva Party

Part 7: Lucky 25

Part 8: Airman Down

Part 9: Anatomy of Courage

Part 10: The Soliloquy

Part 11: The Wire

Part 12: New Normal

Interlude: I Promise

Part 13: Forgive Me

Interlude Two: Memories

Part 14: Never Let Me Go

[didanagy]

BRIDGERTON SEASON 3 (PART 2)

03x06

[yellowarchivee]

Just Siblings things (they still adore each other)

[major-mads]

Chapter 1: Welcome to Thorpe Abbotts

John "Bucky" Egan x Ruth Morgan (OFC)

Series Masterlist

A/N: Ruth has been living in my head for months now, and I'm so so so excited to share her with y'all! This series is Jess (footprintsinthesxnd) and I's brainchild. Our ideas just seamlessly fit tegether, and here we are! We actually wrote this first chapter a week before the 26th, so if anything happens to almost exactly match the show, we came up with it before we saw it on there! (we're just good like that 😎)

Collab: On a Wing and a Prayer by @footprintsinthesxnd

Word Count: 5.3k

The hum of the engine was the only sound in the C-47 as it soared over the English countryside. The patients had finally settled, and the morphine finally took effect and brought them some sense of relief. Hope slumped back into her seat with a sigh, smiling over at Ruth who looked as exhausted as she was. 

“You looked tired,” Hope smiled at her friend who just sighed.

“It’s been a long day. I can’t wait to get back to base,” Ruth pushed her short blonde hair out of her eyes, sighing again. 

“Hey Frank, how much longer have we got,” Hope called to one of the pilots.

“We’ve had to make a detour, doll. We’re heading to Thorpe Abbotts airfield and will evacuate the wounded to Thorpe St. Andrews Hospital. It’s not far now.” 

Hope felt her heart flutter, her throat drying as she slouched back against her seat. 

“Hey Hope, what’s wrong?” Ruth leaned forward, gripping Hope’s hand and squeezing it, her large blue eyes filled with worry. 

“It’s Hugh,” Hope muttered, her eyes a little teary but a smile on her lips nonetheless. “My brother is stationed at Thorpe Abbotts with the 100th Bomb Group. I haven’t seen him in so long.” 

Ruth’s concerned frown turned to a smile, “So I’m finally going to meet this Hugh I’ve heard so much about.” 

Hope laughed, patting her friend on the back gently, “You will, but don’t get any ideas.” 

The aircraft soared towards its destination, and the occasional jolting and shaking on the metal bird brought no fear to the flight nurses anymore. Once, the ratting metal coffin struck the fear of God into them but now this was a peaceful ride.

Hope watched out the window as the lush, green countryside grew closer and closer. 

“Hey, Frank! Stop hugging the hedgerows for crying out loud. Don’t let the girl down before we’ve reached the field,” Hope called, grimacing as the trees seemed to grow ever closer.

“Who’s flying this bird, Armstrong? You or me?” Frank retorted, not looking away from the cockpit.

“Well, maybe you could use some lessons in keeping the old girl airborne then. We’ll beat up the airfield at this rate.” 

Ruth laughed, watching Hope argue with the pilot once more, “You know Hope, maybe you should have gotten your wings. Then you could be flying us instead of Frank.” 

“You’ve got a good point there, Ruth. Ya hear that Frank, Ruth wants me flying instead of you.” 

Frank’s reply was a muffled curse, and both girls found themselves giggling in response. The plane tooled along for a while longer until it finally began to descend, rattling as it lost altitude and shaking its victims vigorously. The wheels touching down on the tarmac filled everyone with great relief. 

“Well that was one ropey landing, Frank. Maybe I could give ya a few lessons?” Hope asked politely, batting her eyelashes at the pilot who just huffed.

“Shove off, Hope. Now get to it, your blood wagons are waiting.” 

Hope cringed at the nickname the ambulances had been given, they were lifesaving vehicles transporting sick men, why make it sound so ominous? 

Hope hopped down from the plane, instructing the stretcher-bearers on which soldiers were in the worst condition. Between them, Hope and Ruth helped carry three wounded men to the ambulances when an obnoxiously loud voice called, “Well, I’ll be damned!” 

Hope spun round, her boots scuffing at the earth. 

“HUGH!” Her brother laughed jovially, jogging over to them. 

“Gosh, I’ve missed you, Little Bird,” Hugh threw his arms around Hope’s shoulders, nestling his head into her neck as he always did. Hope couldn’t comprehend what was happening. She was finally in her brother's arms, finally reunited with him after so long. She gripped tightly onto the back of his uniform, burying her face in his chest. He smelt of smoke and engine oil just like he did back home. 

“I’ve missed you so much,” she murmured, just loud enough for Hugh to hear as he tightened his grip on her further. She could feel Ruth hovering awkwardly behind her and she turned to greet her friend, pulling out of her brother's arms.

“Ruth, this is my brother, Hugh. Hugh, this is my friend, Ruth.” 

Ruth smiled sweetly, sticking out her hand to shake Hugh’s but instead, he pulled her into a bear hug.

“Any friend of Hope’s is a friend of mine,” he assured Ruth and she smiled, her cheeks turning a deep red at the embarrassment of the situation.

“Hugh, put her down. Look, you're making the poor girl blush,” Hope laughed, which only caused Ruth to blush harder. 

“My apologies Ruthie, where are my manners,” he bowed, taking her hand and placing a gentle kiss on her knuckles. 

“Oh, uh- nice to meet you.” Ruth stumbled over her words, quickly using the excuse that she needed her flight jacket as an excuse to return to the plane.

“You’re a real pain in the ass, you know that?” Hope groaned, shoving her brother playfully in the ribs. 

“I don’t know, I’ve always considered myself rather charming,” Hugh protested, puffing out his chest in pride. 

Hope nodded, spinning around to call Ruth to join them. The blonde soon was walking back toward the group, now wearing her fleece aviation jacket, and to her relief, without a rosy dusting on her cheeks. 

“I still can’t believe out of all the airfields in England, you managed to land at this one,” Hugh laughed, throwing an arm around both girls' shoulders. “You two are in for a real treat.” 

As they walked through the base, Hugh pointed out the various hard stands. 

“See, right there,” he pointed at a few heavies. “That’s “Just-a-Snappin’, Our Baby, and the M’lle Zig Zig.”

“Where do you guys get these names, Hugh?” Hope laughed, her eyes trailing over each one’s elaborate nose art, along with some very proud-looking engineers and artists who had clearly put so much love into the bombers.

Shrugging his shoulders, Hugh sighed, shaking his head. “I couldn’t tell ya. What’s your plane named?”

“Just the Angel of Death,” Hope chirped.

Hugh stared at her for a moment before shaking his head. “Always with the dark humor, aren’t you, Hope.”

After hearing so much about the man from Hope, Ruth felt as if she’d known Hugh for years when in reality she’d only known him for a few minutes. She knew the stories of how the siblings played in the woods of Columbia, Missouri, exploring the famous rock bridge that brought hikers and tourists into the town. She knew of his love for the St. Louis Cardinals, and how he wore his battered and dirty Dizzy Dean jersey for a week straight after they won the World Series in ‘31 and ‘34. Maybe he’d heard so much about Ruth from Hope that he felt the same way. 

‘It would make sense based on his initial reaction.’ she thought, absentmindedly reaching up and grabbing the small pendant hanging from her neck, running her fingers over its smooth edges.

Before they knew it, the trio reached their destination: his officer nissen hut. They were long semi-circular metal huts, not known for their warmth or comfortability, but they were a soft place to land at the end of the day…which is a lot more than most young men of the time could say. 

“Welcome to my humble abode, ladies,” he announced as they neared the building, holding out his arms in a ‘ta-da’ motion. “She’s not much, but she’s home.”

He began to open the door for them, but a voice in the distance stopped him.

“Charlie! No girls in the huts,” the voice called. “I told you that a few weeks ago.”

Turning toward the voice, Hope did a double take when she saw who its owner. Approaching them was a tall, tan, brunette, who wore a bomber jacket with his hair messily combed to the side. He walked with a swagger that instantly put a bad taste in Hope’s mouth.

She sighed to herself, thinking, ‘Why do all the cute ones have to be cocky?’ 

Hugh groaned, pointing at Hope. “Buck, come on, this is my-” 

The man finally reached them, and Hope stopped herself from being captivated by his blue-green eyes.

“I don’t care who she is. You know the rules,” he interrupted, turning to the girls. “Sorry girls, but I think it’s time for you to go.”

Ruth cringed and side-eyed Hope, already expecting a snarky response to his comment. 

“Well,” she paused, checking her watch for effect. “Seeing as we have patients in the infirmary, it actually isn’t time for us to go.”

It was then that he looked down at her upper arm, taking in the bright red and white medic band that adorned her uniform. Ruth could see the slightest show of remorse in his expression as his eyes rose back up to Hope’s. 

“My apologies, ma’am. I didn’t know-”

Hope didn’t let him finish, cutting him off. “Maybe you should know all the facts before you make an assumption, Buck.”

“Hope!” Ruth hissed, trying to placate her friend, but the woman ignored her.

“See, other than my brother, this is why I can’t stand airmen. They’re cocky-”

Realizing the flaw in Hope’s argument, Ruth ran a hand down her face, secondhand embarrassment filling her. Just when she was about to interject, Buck beat her to it.

“Now hold on. Maybe you should know all the facts before you make an assumption, sweetheart.”

Hope’s mind ran rampant with frustration, and she stared up at him with contempt as he smiled cheekily at her. His eyes were locked on hers as they had a stare-down, neither wanting to be the first to give in. 

“So,” Hugh cleared his throat in an attempt to break their silent battle. “Let me introduce you guys. Ladies, this is my squadron commander, Major Buck Cleven.”

Buck tilted his head slightly, not breaking eye contact with Hope. “Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” she replied dryly.

Ruth shook her head and sighed, amazed at her fellow nurse’s childlike stubbornness.

“And Buck, this is my sister, Hope, and her friend Ruth. They’re flight nurses with the 806th MAETS.”

Ruth raised a hand and waved with a quiet, “Hello,” and Hope felt a little satisfaction when the man’s eyes widened at the word sister. 

Buck’s eys left Hope for a moment to acknowledge Ruth, who stood beside her, with a nod and a smile. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”

“You, too, Major,” she responded with a small grin. He then turned back to Hope.

“So, you’re the infamous little sister we’ve all heard about?” Buck chuckled, placing his hands on his hips.

The woman glanced over at Hugh, who wore a guilty expression. “All good things, I hope.”

“For the most part,” Buck chimed, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means I know about your little escapade to Kansas City, and how–” 

Hope’s eyes widened in disbelief that her brother had divulged her most embarrassing moment. “Hugh!!” she cried, smacking his chest. “You lying piece of crap! You promised!”

“It’s not like I thought you’d ever meet anyone here, Hope!”

Composing herself, she took a deep breath and sent Buck a tight-lipped smile. “It looks like you know a lot more about me than I do about you, Major.”

“It would seem so, Nurse Armstrong.”

As Ruth amusedly listened to Gale and Hope’s banter, she felt like she was being watched. Glancing around the group, her heart skipped a beat as her eyes met another set of icy blues, ones that were new to the group. 

‘How did I miss him walking up?’ she wondered.

Their gazes locked for a few seconds that seemed to last minutes, and a shudder ran through her. Breaking from his stupor, he quickly looked away with a light pink dusting on his cheeks. Ruth felt her own blush creeping up her neck and wrapped her flight jacket closer to her body, the English chill suddenly getting to her. 

Her eyes seemed to have a mind of their own as they fought to return to the handsome stranger. It took all her willpower to keep them on Hugh, who was talking to the group.

“I can’t imagine going up without weapons on board. We’ve got 12 50-cal brownings and sometimes I feel that’s not enough.”

The battle within herself became too much, and Ruth finally gave in to her temptation. Her eyes flitted over to the man, and she silently sighed in relief when she found his gaze elsewhere. It was then that she discovered her first assumption of the man being ‘handsome’ was an understatement. He had a strong and well-defined jawline, expressive and striking blue-grey eyes, a straight nose, and a slightly curved lip, which held a pencil-thin mustache.

She liked the mustache.

He wore a crooked crusher cap and a white fleece-lined flying jacket that looked somewhat dirty, accompanied by his brown service top poking out at the jacket collar.

Ruth was mesmerized by the man, and she didn’t even know his name. A wide grin broke out on his face as he engaged in the group’s conversation, his upper lip curling up, allowing a few teeth to peek out the top, and Ruth felt her stomach lurch for the second time in a short few minutes. 

Focus, Ruth. Focus.

An elbow to her side broke her stare, and the group’s eyes were suddenly on her as Hope looked at her expectantly. 

“What?” Ruth asked, looking like a deer in headlights.

“I said that we would go insane without each other up there.”

“Oh,” she sighed with a small smile. “You would probably kill Frank if I weren’t there.”

The group broke out in laughter, and Ruth found her eyes absentmindedly moving to the mystery man. As he chuckled, his eyes wrinkled at the edges, and his full smile revealed a dazzlingly straight set of pearly whites. His loud laughter was infectious, and a few giggles escaped her mouth. 

As the group’s chuckles started to die down, Hope looked over at Ruth. She took in her friend’s shy smile and blush, then followed her gaze to the airman across the circle. Realizing what was happening, she nudged Ruth lightly, a teasing eyebrow raised.

“What?” Ruth grumbled under her breath, leaning closer to her friend’s ear as the guys carried on the group’s conversation. 

“You like him.”

The blonde’s smile fell and heat rushed up her neck. “Who?”

Hope tilted her head incredulously, rolling her eyes. “You know who.”

“No, I don’t,” she defended, 

“He’s staring,” Hope grinned, nodding his direction subtly. 

Ruth’s eyes rose to his, and sure enough, his striking eyes were gazing into hers yet again. This time, however, he didn’t look away. The corner of his lips quirked up into a barely noticeable grin, and she felt as if she was shrinking under the intensity of his gaze.

“Uh, I need to go check on the patients,” she sputtered, pointing her fingers in the direction of the infirmary. With a curt nod to Hope, she quickly turned and started toward the infirmary, her blonde curls bouncing with each step. A few seconds later, she spun to face the group and called, “But it was…uh…nice to meet y’all.”

Hugh didn’t miss a beat and hollered back his reply. “You, too, Ruthie!” He then paused until she was out of earshot. “She alright?” 

“She’s fine,” Hope sighed, used to her friend’s more timid personality. She had hoped that over time, her extroversion would rub off on the nurse, but so far, she had no such luck. Ruth was more of a one-on-one person, not one for groups of people unless she knew them pretty well. It seemed the smaller the group got, the more Ruth seemed to come alive. It was like pulling teeth to get Ruth to agree to go out with the other girls of the unit, but when she finally stepped out of her comfort zone, she usually had a good time filled with friends, fellas, and amazing big band music.

Ruth’s admirer joined the conversation, and Hope smirked, watching his eyes follow her friend. “How far away is your base?” 

“We’re in Berkshire, so by car, it’s about three hours, but by plane, probably 45 minutes.”

“So not far,” he chimed, raising his eyebrows and nodding to himself. Before anyone else could comment, he spoke again. 

“See you boys later,” he said absentmindedly as he watched Ruth’s figure go around a corner. Clapping Buck’s shoulder, he set off and followed the nurse’s path around the corner, missing the raised eyebrows and confused expressions sent his way. All eyes followed him as he, too, disappeared around the corner.

Hope pursed her lips at the new development, unsure of the man following Ruth. “Should I be worried?”

“Yep,” Hugh confirmed with a curt nod.

Buck hit him on the chest, chuckling under his breath. “Johnny’s a good man, darlin’.”

Hugh suppressed a snort thinking of the commander’s wild habits and how Buck didn't exactly answer her question.

“Anyways, back wh-”

And just like that, the conversation continued, and Hope had a strange feeling of contentment being on base. Finally being with family again.

As Ruth briskly made her way around the nissen huts to the infirmary, her heart continued to beat rapidly in her chest, and her mind replayed his smile non-stop. 

Get it together, Ruth!

When she finally reached the infirmary, she stopped at the door, taking a deep breath to gain some composure. Within seconds of opening the heavy door, the base’s head surgeon approached her, wiping his hands with a rag.

“Hello,” he greeted. “I’m Captain Emory Kinder, and I’m assuming you’re one of the flight nurses who landed earlier?”

Ruth wore her signature toothy grin and nodded. “Yes, sir. Ruth Morgan. My other half is visiting with her brother as we speak.”

“Brother?”

“Yep, Hugh Armstrong,” she replied, her smile widening as his face lit up.

“Charlie! Oh yeah, I know him. He’s been in here for a few hangovers after a rowdy night in Dickleburgh.”

“Really?” Ruth chuckled, picturing the confident young man drunk as a skunk.

“Oh yeah. We love him though. He’s a good one for sure.”

A patient called out to him, and with a nod, he was off, helping the man. Ruth busied herself however she could, bringing airmen water, re-wrapping their bandages, and pretty much anything that would get her mind off the man from earlier. She was inspecting a man’s arm wound when the creaking of the door opening filled the building. Paying it no mind, she kept working, noting how the tissue was already healing. 

“It looks good, Sergeant. You should be back in the air soon,” she said quietly.

His wide-eyed morphine-induced expression looked pitiful, but he managed to mumble out a, “Thank you, ma’am.”

Ruth gathered her supplies and stood to her feet, throwing away the bloody bandages when Emory's voice rang through the air.

“Speaking of rowdy nights in Dickleburgh...Major, what can I do for ya? Is that shoulder giving you problems again?”

“No, Doc,” the newcomer began, his deep voice breaking the relative quiet. “The shoulder’s fine. I just wanted to, you know, come see the boy-men.”

When she turned toward them and saw the white jacket, the roll of bandages fell from her grasp and hit the floor with a thud, rolling a few feet away to the man’s feet. The heat returned to her cheeks in a rush, and her eyes froze on the bandages for a moment, silently cursing the little white bundle. She watched in horror as the man slowly bent down and picked it up, walking toward her as he threw it up in the air and caught it.

“I think this yours,” he said, one side of his lips quirking up into a smirk as he held it out to her.

Raising her eyes from the bandage to his eyes, she prayed her voice would stay steady. “Thank you, sir.”

She took the bandage and tried to remain calm, her free hand raising to run her fingers over the cool metal of her locket.

“John. Major John Egan,” he introduced himself, extending his hand to her. “But you can call me Bucky.”

Ruth’s brows furrowed in confusion as she took his much larger hand and shook it gently. It was surprisingly soft compared to the men she’d treated from the lines.  “Bucky? It’s there another-”

“Yeah,” John chuckled and slowly released her hand, shoving his in his pockets, rocking back on his heels. “We call Cleven Buck, too. He hates it, but he deals with it.”

Grimacing playfully, she decided to go out on a limb despite her pounding heart. “Well, I, um, don’t know if I’ll be able to remember who’s who.”

“Oh no,” John tutted, his eyebrows raised and a wide-mouthed smile painting his lips. “We can’t have that. You can call me John, Johnny, whatever you want, doll, but I don’t think you’re going to have a hard time remembering my name.”

“And why would that be, Johnny?”

“Because you’ll see it at the bottom of each letter you’ll get from me.”

The blonde froze, dropping her necklace in disbelief as she swallowed thickly.

‘There is no way he just said that,’ her mind repeated. ‘There is no way he just said that.”

Pushing through her reserved personality and the tingling sensation swirling in her stomach, she decided to take a page from Hope’s book.

“What makes you think I’d let you write me, hotshot?”

Her mind went haywire. ‘‘Why did I just say that? I’m never taking Hope’s advice again. This is too stressful.’

For the first time in their interaction, his confident bravado seemed to fade and he didn’t quite know what to say. Perhaps he was always used to women giving in to his advances easily, but Ruth was not just another woman begging to be wooed. Johnny stood before her with furrowed brows, his upper lip sticking out slightly. He pushed back his jacket and placed his hands on his hips, his head ducking to the floor.

“Because I’d like to get to know you,” he replied earnestly, taking off his cap. “You’re gorgeous, and I would like to write you, Ruth.“

That was the last thing she expected.

In that moment, Ruth Morgan had a decision to make. Was she going to reject the airman or give him a chance? She knew she was attracted to him and there was chemistry there, but was she willing to put herself out there? The timid parts of her personality screamed at her to tell him no, but the parts that Hope had influenced were urging her to accept his offer. In the end, Ruth already liked Johnny, and she saw the sincerity in his statement as a deciding factor in the matter.

“Alright, you can write to me,” she answered quietly, pushing her hair behind her ear.

John watched as she walked to the infirmary desk and got a sheet of paper, scribbling down what he expected to be her address. He took in her features, just like he had earlier. Starting at her light blonde hair, his gaze traveled down her face to her familiar blue eyes, down her adorable nose, to her lips, which were pursed slightly as she concentrated on writing down her information. She was stunning, and Johnny knew that he wanted to see her again just from their short conversation.

Approaching him again, she held up a slip of paper, a toothy grin on her lips. “This is sensitive information, Major. It better not end up in enemy hands, and that includes your fellow airmen.”

“Yes ma’am,” he nodded once before fake saluting her, unable to keep his excitement inside. “Mission understood.”

“But just to be safe, I’m going to hold onto it for a little bit.” she leaned a little closer to him, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Just in case I, you know, change my mind.”

John grinned down at her and yet again raised his eyebrows as he nodded. Ruth noticed he did that a lot. “I’ll be on my best behavior, scout’s honor.”

Sliding the slip into her pocket, she started her nursing tasks once again, looking at him over her shoulder. “So, you were in the Boy Scouts?”

“No,” he chuckled, putting back on his cap as he moved next to Ruth to help. “I wasn’t, but Buck was. He ended up being an Eagle Scout before he aged out. One of the best in Wyoming, he says, but I don't buy it.”

He stood a good 5 or so inches above her, so his chin was at her eye level. In the small area at the nursing station, his shoulder was just barely pressed against hers as they both worked to roll bandages, and Ruth could feel the warmth radiating from his touch.

“It seems like you know each other pretty well,” she stated, looking up at him briefly.

His concentration remained on the bandage in his hands as he spoke. “Yeah. He’s my best friend.”

“How long have you known each other?” She asked, reaching up to mess with her necklace.

“We both joined up in ‘40 and were roommates in basic. Been together ever since.”

“That reminds me of Hope and I, although we haven’t known each other for nearly that long.”

John placed the finished bandage in the basket and turned to face her, leaning a hip against the counter as his earnest expression returned. “War makes people closer. Makes ‘em realize who’s important. What’s important.”

The blonde mirrored his stance, taking in his words. He was right. War did have a way of bringing people together. She gazed up at him with a shared understanding of how something as terrible as the war had brought out the best and worst in people, as well as brought people into their lives for the better. The pair’s eyes remained locked for a few moments, both realizing that perhaps there was something deeper than the flirting between them. His warm eyes seemed to search hers, and to her surprise, she didn’t feel nervous in that moment. Johnny’s gaze was like a warm blanket enveloping all of her senses to the point that all she could see was him.

“I feel the same way,” Ruth finally answered, fixing a stray curl that had fallen into her eyes.

Half of his lips curled up in a grin and he took a step toward her. “Ruth, I-”

The loud opening of the door jolted them from the moment, sending both their heads in the direction of the entrance. There stood an out-of-breath Frank, whose face was bright red and shimmering with sweat.

“Ruth! Do you know how long I’ve been looking for ya?” He cried, approaching them quickly.

Unsure of the man’s intentions, Johnny straightened and moved just barely in front of her, holding out a hand towards Frank. “Woah, buddy.”

Although it was an endearing effort, she couldn’t hold in a loud giggle at Frank’s offended expression that followed. “No, Johnny,” she laughed, gently lowering his hand.  “This is our pilot, Frank. Frank, this is Major John Egan. What is it?”

The pilot’s eyes flicked between Ruth and Johnny for a few seconds before he sighed. “I’ve filled the Angel up and it’s time to go. Find Hope and meet me back at the plane.”

Just like that, he was out the door again, probably to get ready for takeoff. Ruth’s heart sank at the realization that she was having to leave. It seemed he also came to the same conclusion as he turned toward her and sighed. 

“Looks like you’ve gotta go,” he said softly, slightly tilting his head to the side as he peered down at her. 

The nurse looked at the door, then lowered her gaze to her feet. “It sure does.”

She almost gasped in surprise when something warm grasped her hand gently. Her eyes shot up to John’s hand that held delicately held hers. The contact sent a tingle up her arm and seemingly straight to her mind, muddying her thoughts. 

“I'd like to see you again,” he murmured where only she could hear.

This quieter, softer version of him was unknown to Ruth, but she knew instantly that she liked the duality of Johnny. 

The blush she’d resisted finally won and dusted her cheeks as she looked up at him. “I’d like that, too.”

John softly tugged her hand closer and bridged the distance between them slowly, his entrancing eyes flicking between her eyes and lips. Ruth could hear her heartbeat in her ears as she stood on her toes to meet him. She felt his warm breath on her face, and her eyes fluttered closed, anticipating the kiss. But before their lips could meet, the door opened again, and Frank called out to her.

“Ruth, come on! You can neck the Major later!”

The door quickly creaked closed.

Heat rushed to Ruth’s face, and she reluctantly pulled back from Johnny, setting her heels back on the ground. Johnny awkwardly stood to his full height, glaring at the door where Frank stood moments before.

“I’ll see you next time, Johnny,” Ruth smiled bashfully, gently squeezing his hand once before dropping it. She walked backward to the door, praying she wouldn’t trip. 

Johnny let out a huff of air as the biggest smile grew on his face. “So there will be a next time?” 

She simply grinned at him, shrugging her shoulders when she turned to open the door. With one last look over her shoulder, she closed the door behind her. 

The infirmary was silent for a few seconds, and then the patients erupted in hollers, cheers, and whistles. 

“Way to go, Bucky!”

“Leave some for the rest of us, Major!”

Amid their uproar, John remembered a crucial detail: She hadn’t given him her address! He took off toward the door, reaching for the handle when it creaked open, revealing a laughing Ruth on the other side. She held out the slip to him.

“I think you behaved well enough, Major.”

“Told you,” he chimed, his eyebrows raising. “Scout’s honor.”

John took the paper from her outstretched hand and watched as she left once again. When the door had slammed shut behind her, he read the note to himself with a wide smile.

Hotshot, 

You can write me at the Grove, Berkshire, Hut 4. I like you, so try not to get shot down before I can return your letter, and I’ll do the same.

Safe Flying,

Ruth Morgan

Johnny shot his hand with the paper into the air, and the men cheered once again. Ruth, on the other hand, was in disbelief of what had just transpired. She had almost kissed him! She wanted to kiss him! Running her hands through her hair, she tried to focus on the task at hand: finding Hope.

Ruth ran around the base like a chicken with her head cut off looking for the woman, and was about to give up when she saw her sitting in a jeep with Buck in the distance.

“HOPE! There you are, I've been looking everywhere. Frank fueled up the plane. We have to go,” Ruth huffed, clearly out of breath from running, but her flushed cheeks, Hope thought, told a different story. 

“Okay, I'll be over in five minutes,” Hope promised, but Ruth didn't look convinced.

“Your five minutes or an actual five minutes?” She asked, and the glare Hope sent her way had Ruth turning around and heading back in the direction she’d come. 

“Okay, but I'll be timing you,” she yelled over her shoulder.

When Ruth looked back to see Hope kissing Buck on the cheek, it occurred to her that maybe there were more trips to Thorpe Abbotts in the cards for both of them.

Tag List: @xxluckystrike @precious-little-scoundrel @bcofl0ve @violetdaze25 @docroesmorphine

message or comment if you want to be added to the tag list!! <3

[msfangirlgonewild]

It’s pure chaos on the entire Bridgerton cast 😂🤣😂🤣

[allhailthemightyquattro]

Bridgerton BTS: 3x01

[bridgertonworld]

📸New/old photos Season 1

Credit to no context Bridgerton on X

[sageandscorpiongrass]

First off I wanna say I love Elsa's song and the amazing devil...

Do you think you could make a web weave of your best friend cutting you off after years? It's been a lot on me :(

What do I do with myself now? On: Friendship and endings.

I hope this is alright. It's been... a few years since someone's called me their best friend? So my implied emotion might be a tad off.

Poem, Langston Hughes | Near Miss, Fanny Howe | Bluets, Maggie Nelson | @/petrichara | Spirit Hold Part 2, Holly Warburton (desaturated) | The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman | Cough It Out, The Front Bottoms | Honeybee: "I Still Forget We’re Not Even Friends", Trista Mateer | To My Oldest Friend, Whose Silence Is Like a Death, Lloyd Schwartz | @/becherdireinen | If You Knew, Ruth Muskrat Bronson | Cocaine Jesus, Rainbow Kitten Surprise | The Beautiful and Damned, F. Scott Fitzgerald | @/inkskinned

[transcriptions and image ID in alt text]

[rain-shoshana]

Papa Poirot and his lil Hastings 💜💜💜

[simpforharryholland]

240615 - Florence on TikTok

flothe2nd: Swifterton

[mr-paxton]

MIDNIGHT COWBOY

[footprintsinthesxnd]

Chapter 2: The Dance

Gale Cleven x Hope Armstrong (ofc)

Series Masterlist

This story is based on on the fictional portrayal of these men from the MOTA to series.

Summary: When their plane is diverted to Thorpe Abbott airfield Hope and Ruth's lives change forever. These two brave nurses must face the trials and tribulations of war, as well as suffering the heartache that war inevitable brings with it.

Collab: A Pair of Silver Wings by @major-mads

Dear Hope,

I hope this letter finds you well and that you have been keeping out of trouble. Hugh finally relented and gave me your address so I apologize for having not written sooner.

I often think of the day that we first met. I have awoken many nights thinking of you and how I wish we could have spoken longer. Forty minutes by air does not seem far and yet you feel as though you are miles from me. I can see why you are named Hope, because since our meeting, and I truly hope there will be other meetings, I feel as though I truly have something worth fighting for. I fear that Johnny also feels the same, I believe your friend Ruth has truly stolen his heart, but rest assured he is a good man and his intentions are pure. He was never the kind of man to write letters or be a one-woman man, but I feel he has changed since going into combat. Your Ruth brings out the best in him, as I feel you bring out the best in me.

I’m sure you have heard of Hugh’s latest antics, if he manages to smuggle any more women onto the base I fear he’ll be court-martialed for disobeying a direct order. Don’t worry I’ll try my best to keep him out of trouble.

I suppose the main reason for my letter is to inform you of the dance being held at the officers club next weekend. I would very much like to take you if you are free. I know Johnny is asking Ruth to go as well, so if you would like I can send a car to pick you up and bring you to the base. Of course, it will be late when the dance ends so I can arrange for you to stay in one of the Red Cross Woman’s Nissan huts, I believe they are well furnished although I have never been inside. I really do look forward to your reply and I hope that you will be able to attend.

You are in my thoughts always Hope.

Yours truly

Gale Cleven

Hope smiled, running her thumb over the crumpled letter as she read Gale’s words again. She had to admit she had thought of him often since their encounter over a week ago, not that she would admit that to Ruth, who somehow managed to bring up Johnny every chance she got.

When their letters came around this morning Hope had pocketed her letter, waiting for a quiet moment in the afternoon to truly appreciate Gale’s words. He had excellent penmanship, she noted, loving how his words seemed to glide across the page. The way he spoke caused her heart rate to quicken and she felt giddy, like a silly school girl with a crush on her classmate. Gale just seemed to have an effect on her that no man had ever had before. He was different from anyone she’d ever met. Hope had never believed in love at first sight, and she couldn’t say that she liked Gale when they first met, he’d been cocky and made assumptions, and yet he’d quickly changed into a charming young man.

Hope sighed, running her eyes over the letter again. It was 17:55 and Ruth was supposed to be meeting her at 18:00, but from the sound of the rain lashing against the windowpane, Hope hoped she’d be a little late. After receiving his letter, Hope wanted time to stand still, wanting to embrace his words and all that they meant. Hope had just finished reading the last line again when Ruth burst through the doorway. Hope didn’t look up but could hear her friend padding barefoot around the room.

"Who's the letter from?" Ruth asked, pulling on a pair of dry pants, a sweater, and some socks. Her footlocker closed with a thud and she plopped down on her creaky mattress, drying the ends of her hair with a towel.

Hope didn't look up from the page but held up an unopened letter. "You got one, too. You should open it."

"Not right now," Ruth sighed. "Right now, I need a nap."

Glancing at her with a raised eyebrow, Hope grinned. "It's from a certain Major."

In an instant, Ruth was on her feet, snatching the letter from Hope’s outstretched hand.

"If you'll excuse me," she said calmly as she excused herself for a moment.

Hope smiled in amusement as she watched Ruth try to contain herself from exploding with happiness. Chuckling at her antics, Hope returned her attention to her own letter.

The next thing Hope knew was the excitable squeal that left Ruth’s lips, “WE’RE GOING TO A DANCE!” She cried, her face lighting up like a Christmas tree, jumping up and down like an excitable child. Hope chuckled at her friend's enthusiasm, taking great delight in her friend's happiness. With everything they had been through together, they deserved to have some fun. Ruth’s jumping slowly came to an end, and the situation dawned on her.

Ruth's voice dropped to a whisper, and her eyes widened. "We're going to a dance."

Hope knew what was coming, and stood off her bed, grabbing onto her friend's upper arms gently.

"You're going to be fine, Ruth."

"I don't know, Hope. You know I don't like huge crowds," she replied.

The dark-haired nurse sighed. "Do you want to see Bucky? Yes or no?"

"Yes!" Ruth replied within a split second.

A satisfied grin worked its way onto Hope's lips as she spoke. "There's your answer."

She pulled Ruth into a tight hug, her own excitement showing through. "What are we going to wear?”

Dear Gale,

How excited I was to receive your letter. I feared my brother would be cantankerous and not share my address with you, but alas he must think you are a good man.

I would very much like to accept your invitation to the dance. I fear I have not danced for a while so my technique may not be perfect but I do very much look forward to seeing you again. I hear that Johnny is the life and soul of the party so I’m hoping he will help bring Ruth out of her shell. It means I will be free to enjoy myself without worrying Ruth is feeling left out.

I feel that in these trying times it is important to have something or someone to fight for, and I am pleased I am able to give you hope. I feel that since meeting you I often find myself wondering if we are sharing the same sky while I am in the air. What a peculiar thought really, but it is true.

I look forward to seeing you again very soon Gale. I will think of you fondly.

Hope

Gale rolled his eyes, looking over at his friend from his bed, which sat across the aisle of the officer’s hut. “I never said she didn’t.” Gale was only half listening to Bucky, too enthralled by his own letter from Hope to truly listen to his friend's conversation.

Sitting up against the wall, Bucky pointed at him. “I’ve got to show her my singing skills at the dance.”

The hut instantly broke out in complaints, each man having already heard the Major’s singing voice. “Please, Bucky,” Curtis called out. “Spare the girl some embarrassment. She’s already going as your date. That’s enough right there.”

Gale found himself trying to withhold a laugh but failed, snorting loudly and himself a glare from John.

“Laugh it up, Buck. You’re just gonna have to watch Ruth and I have fun while you sit in the corner with Hope. Does she know you don’t like to have fun?”

“Wait. My sister Hope?” Hugh piped up from the corner. He’d been reading a magazine and had been oblivious to the conversation until his sister was mentioned. His eyes now bright and his forehead creasing in concern.

“Oh, two can play at that game, Bucky,” Gale scoffed, choosing to ignore Hugh. “I’m gonna be the one sitting your crazy ass down when you start to act up. I can’t let you scare Ruth off before she gets the chance to know you.”

Narrowing his eyes playfully, Egan nodded and put down the letter. “I appreciate the vote of confidence, Buck.”

“Now wait a minute,” Hugh interrupted, his brows furrowed as he pointed to the two majors. “You two are taking Hope and Ruth to the Officer’s Club dance?”

“Yes,” they both responded at the same time.

Hugh ran a hand down his face with a sigh. “Great. You four are not leaving my sight.”

“Come on, Charlie,” Bucky laughed. “We’re not that bad.”

His eyes widened as he turned toward the Major. “Oh really? Tell that to the bar owner in Greenland.”

Groaning, Johnny sunk back down in his bed and tried to keep that rowdy night from his head. Gale just grinned, recalling the look on the bartender's face when he’d delivered the unicorn. He wished he’d been there to see the incident in person but then again the stories of the night were bad enough.

He ran his thumb over Hope’s letter again, folding and unfolding the corner as he read the letter again, imprinting the words on his brain. He could almost hear her talking to him and found himself lost in his thoughts once more.

Saturday, July 31st, 1400 HRS: AAF

Grove, Berkshire

Hope looked at herself in the mirror for what felt like the hundredth time that afternoon. Despite having decided what to wear as soon as she’d read Gale's letter, she had managed to change her dress four times, before returning to her original choice.

She had to admit she looked quite pretty. Her dark hair pinned in neat rolls and the rest of her hair hanging loose in delicate curls, and she was thankful that the rain had finally stopped a few days before otherwise they really would be in trouble. Her makeup was simple yet elegant and her red lips turned up into a smile. Smoothing the creases out of her red dress she moved to the door, taking one last deep breath and putting her confident face on before stepping out.

“Now ladies, I want you to be safe tonight, be smart and don’t do anything stupid, alright?” Frank gave them yet another pep talk, adopting the worried older brother character.

“Frank, we’ll be fine,” Hope reassured him, patting him lightly on the shoulder. “You’ve met the boys, they’re good, honest men.”

Frank snorted, “Your Major Cleven might be, but the other one, well… just keep an eye on Ruth, would ya?”

Hope laughed, nodding in agreement, “I promise I’ll look out for her, Frank. I always do.” Hope turned, moving to get into the car where Ruth was already waiting, her knees bouncing nervously.

“Oh Hope, I got you these. Use them if you have to but try not to need them.” Frank threw a few packets through the window at the girls as the car moved off.

“What did he give you?” Ruth asked, unable to move her eyes away from the road ahead.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Hope replied, quickly shoving the packets of condoms into her bag and out of sight, her cheeks blushing bright red at just the thought.

1715 HRS: Thorpe Abbotts AAF Base, Norwich

Gale and John were sitting on their beds, finally sitting down after pacing up and down for the last hour listing all the reasons why the girls might not show.

“You two are being ridiculous, those girls aren’t like other women. They wouldn’t tell you they're coming and then not show,” Hugh had reassured them, after Curtis had begun grumbling about the state of the floor in the officer's hut.

“There won't be any floor left if you two don’t stop your God damn pacing.” John just glared at Curtis but Gale was inclined to agree with him.

“Curtis’ probably right, you know,” Gale fell backward onto his bed with a loud huff, the back of his dress uniform jacket would probably be creased when he stood up, but for the moment he just wanted to lie down and try to calm his nervous heartbeat. Johnny continued his pacing and eventually, Hugh and Curtis gave up and left the hut, moaning under their breaths about the Major’s ridiculous behavior.

————————————————————————

It felt as though they had been waiting for hours when the car’s dipped headlights finally appeared outside their window, causing both men to jump off the bed and in a frenzied panic straight up each other’s uniforms and check their hair in the mirror before dashing outside.

“Buck, move it,” Johnny tried pushing past his friend but Gale stuck his arm out to stop him.

“Calm down, John. Alright, we don't want to run at them and scare them off.” Both men took a deep breath before casually stepping out of the wooden door as if they were going for an evening stroll and hadn’t been pacing for hours.

“Why hello ladies,” Bucky yelled, trudging through the mud to the car. The windows were down, and they could see the girls’ conversing inside. “Don’t you both look stunning.”

Hope scoffed at John’s compliment but couldn’t help but smile as she was the grin that instantly grew on Ruth’s face when she looked his way. He ran a hand through his hair and leaned his elbows against the car's open window frame, taking in Ruth’s appearance.

Ruth grinned up at him, her dimples making an appearance. “Hello there, Major.”

“Ms. Morgan,” he greeted, before stepping back and opening the door for her. Offering her a hand, John helped Ruth out of the car, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles gently.

Hope stepped out from behind Ruth, and Gale rushed to help, taking her hand and carefully guiding her past the muddy puddle beside the car.

“You look gorgeous,” Gale spoke quietly in his normal soft spoken tone, which Hope felt was almost like a whisper in comparison to his friend's loud, outgoing nature.

“Thank you,” she gave him a small courtesy, blushing under his intense gaze, and instantly regretted her actions but her anxiety was eating away at her. She’d secretly been worrying about this evening since they had been invited, although she would never have let on to Ruth how she truly felt.

Gale pulled her closer to his side, when he noticed Hope shiver. He didn’t know whether he was being too presumptuous but he pressed a delicate kiss to her cheek, and Hope had to do everything in her power to stop her knees from shaking. ‘It was only fair, she kissed him last time’ Gale thought to himself.

“Well Ladies, your chariot awaits,” John motioned to the Willys jeep that was parked beside the Nissen hut.

“We have to go in that?” Hope asked, he eyes shooting from the jeep to Gale and back again, before tailing down to her pale blue dress that was most certainly going to be filthy by the end of the drive.

“It could be worse, I could have made us ride the bikes,” Bucky laughed, throwing his arm over Ruth’s shoulder, as he led her toward the jeep.

“I’ll have to take you on a bike ride. Buck here isn’t as talented of a rider than me, so you’re lucky. See, he hasn’t ridden in the pitch black all the way from Dickleburgh in the pouring rain half-drunk, so… ” He trailed off, realizing he probably shouldn’t have said that.

Hope couldn’t help but laugh at John’s antics, knowing that his light humour would help ease Ruth’s nerves. Gale smiled shyly, linking his arm through Hope’s, “You see what I have to put up with?” Hope nodded, watching as John chatted enthusiastically to Ruth. “The bikes would definitely be worse,” he assured her and Hope laughed in amusement.

“Yes, I can imagine they are.”

“I looked like a wet dog by the time I got back. Could’ve given Meatball a run for his money.” John laughed and Hope looked at Gale confused. She sometimes wished Gale didn’t take up all of her attention so she knew what was being discussed, but then looking up into his deep blue eyes she soon realised why.

“Meatball?” Ruth asked.

“Meatball’s a husky Demarco picked up in Greenland. He’s kinda the 100th’s mascot. The dog’s-”

“That damn dog is pure wolf and is nothing but trouble. The damn thing howls like a banshee in the Fort,” Buck interrupted as he and Hope got into the backseat of the jeep.

Settling into the driver's seat, John threw an arm over Ruth once again. “Come on, Buck,” he groaned, looking back at the Major in the rearview mirror. “He’s adorable.”

“Not when he jumps on your bed soaking wet at 3 am.” Hope gave Gale a sympathetic look and he grimaced back at her. Hope had always been a dog person and she was sure she’d love Meatball but she too wouldn’t have been impressed with that kind of wake-up call.

This Meatball seems like a character,” Ruth beamed, “I’d like to meet him.”

Johnny raised his eyebrows, tilting his head down toward her. “I think that can be arranged.” He then turned over the ignition and brought the jeep to a rumble. “You dodos ready?” he asked the group, a mischievous smile on his lips.

Taking a deep breath, Gale made eye contact with his friend, knowing immediately what was in store for them and instantly regretting not taking Hope on a lovely, romantic bike ride. “Bucky, please don’t kill-”

Before he could finish, the jeep was flying forward, its tires spraying mud behind them as they took off. John laughed loudly and tightened his grip on Ruth’s shoulder, pulling her closer against him. Gale did the same, and Hope was suddenly very grateful for their close proximity as she hung on for dear life. Hope wasn’t normally motion sick, having been used to Frank’s dangerous flying but this was something else. The jeep flew passed other airmen on their much-slower bikes.

”You’re crazy!” Ruth cried, shaking her head at John’s antics to which he just cackled.

The jeep jostled around in the mud as they rode, and after hitting, caused Hope to clutch onto Buck’s dress uniform jacket, tugging at the front. She no longer cared how precarious this situation looked, clutching desperately onto Gale like she was trying to rip his clothes off. Gale chuckled in amusement, pulling her closer to his side.

“It’s okay,” he whispered into Hope’s ear, “I’ve got you.”

Hope shivered as his breath tickled her neck, her heart pounding in her chest. Her eyes were trained on Ruth, who was desperately holding onto Bucky and as soon as she latched onto him, Bucky let off the gas slightly, slowing down to a normal speed. He wore a proud smirk, but didn’t take his eyes off of the road.

Hope relaxed a little, apologising to Gale, as she loosened her grip on him but he didn’t let go of her, continuing to hold her close to his side, seemingly very pleased with the situation.

‘God, this man is going to be the death of me’ Hope cursed, under her breath causing Gale to look down at her confused.

“What was that?” Buck called over the din of the jeeps engine, a crooked smile on his lips and Hope prayed that he hadn’t heard her.

“Oh nothing,” she replied, but Buck just smirked at her and she was almost certain he’d heard her.

Ruth and Bucky were laughing in the front and Gale chuckled at their antics. “Well, they seem to be getting on well.”

“They do,” Hope agreed, a smug smile on her lips. She knew this would be good for Ruth and it was lovely to see her enjoying herself. Although the squabbling over baseball from the front seat seemed to say otherwise.

Hope leant over to Gale, “Is Bucky a Yankees fan by any chance?” Gale nodded and Hope tutted, “Oh dear, that could be a deal breaker.”

Gale laughed, “ Please don’t tell me your obsessed with baseball too?”

Hope snorted, turning in her seat to face him, “Not a chance. I grew up with Hugh, remember? When you’ve had to listen to him blabbing about the St. Louis Cardinals every day for the last twenty odd years you wouldn’t be a fan either.”

Gale smiled softly at her, reaching forward to brush a stray hand away from her face, “Well then, I have a feeling we are going to get along nicely.”

The jeep rumbled to a stop in front of a large building, the sound of music and laughter already reaching their ears. Placing the car in park, Bucky turned toward her, his signature raised eyebrow grin adoring his lips. “I have my ways,” he winked.

John chuckled and grabbed Ruth’s hand gently, helping her out of the jeep, before Gale followed suit, helping Hope straighten out her dress.

Gale took Hope’s dainty hand in his much larger one, before tucking her into his side once more. Hope had never felt so safe as she did right now and she never wanted that to change. If only I could freeze us in this moment forever’ she thought as Bucky spoke, “Shall we?”

Ruth turned around to spare Hope a look and she grinned at her friend in return before glancing up at Gale who was already beaming back at her.

“Are you ready?” He asked, leaning into her. She grinned, nodding her head enthusiastically.

“Very ready. Although I haven’t danced in so long, you'll have to be patient with me.” Buck swallowed hard, nodding his head slowly. How was he supposed to break the news that he doesn’t dance, to the woman he invited to a dance?

John and Ruth were in front of them, and Hope reached out and squeezed her friend’s hand with a nod. Sometimes she just needed a little extra push in situations like these. Seeing the interaction, Bucky’s heart warmed in his chest at the realization that the girls’ friendship was much like his and Buck’s.

“You hear that, Buck?” John remarked, raising an eyebrow at the man. “She thinks I’m handsome.”

Gale rolled his eyes, reaching for the door when John flung them both open. “Whatever, John.”

The soft music carried through the night and when John threw open the door to the officers club, they were drawn in by the pleasant voice of Ella Fitzgerald blaring from the record player in the corner. The band was on a break and they had gathered around the bar, a few of them still with their instruments in hand. John led the group through the crowd of pilots and their dates to the dance hall, which was not yet full. Most of the couples were at the bar getting a drink to loosen up after a hard week. The 100th flew six missions in the past six days, so needless to say, the men needed a break.

“Come on, I want to introduce you to the Red Cross girls you’ll be staying with tonight. They’re a nice group, I promise,” Gale reassured Hope and Ruth, leading them towards a small group of women who were chatting in the corner.

“Good evening Ladies, this is Hope and Ruth,” Gale introduced them, motioning for Hope and Ruth to step forward. A chorus of ‘good evening Buck’ followed from the smiling women and Hope could help the pang of jealousy blooming in her chest as they smiled widely at her date. She knew Buck was a charming man, as well as very handsome and she suddenly feared that she wasn’t his only girl. Buck’s arm soon found its way to her hip, squeezing it gently and Hope cursed herself for being so insecure before.

“Hello,” Hope thrust her hand forward and several of the women shook it in return. Ruth was a little more reserved, giving the ladies a wave and a smile from her position between John and Hope.

“It’s lovely to meet you two.” One of the women spoke up, her dark curls bouncing on her shoulders and her kind eyes gleaming. “I’m Helen, and this is Tatty,” she gestured to the shorter woman beside her.

Tatty grinned and raised an eyebrow at Ruth. “You keep a close eye on this one, Ruth,” she chuckled. “The Major’s known to start trouble.”

Ruth peered up at him cheekily, her lip quirking into a smirk. “He’s said he’s gonna on his best behavior.”

As John opened his mouth to respond, Buck smacked his chest. “I’m gonna make sure of that, don’t worry.”

The small group broke out into snickers and Johnny smacked Gale on the back as he playfully glared at him, the women continuing their conversation while the men ribbed each other. The Red Cross women were warm and friendly, making Hope and Ruth feel instantly safe and included among them. The duo shared a glance and knew they were going to get along well with these ladies.

“Sorry girls but I’m gonna be stealing Ruthie from you now,” Bucky interrupted, leaning down toward the group with raised brows before clutching her hand and pulling her away from the conversation. She waved goodbye and followed him through the crowd, her dark dress swishing with each step.

Gale stepped up next to Hope, “I’ll also be stealing Hope from you, ladies, but I’m sure we’ll all be seeing each other later on.” He thanked the girls and earned himself a few low whistles as they watched him walk away.

Hope giggled, watching the blush creep up his cheeks. “Come on you must have plenty of women flirting with you,” Hope pried, hoping she wouldn’t step on his toes but also curious. Gale was a mysterious man and Hope did enjoy a challenge, Gale was a mystery she was hoping to crack.

Gale grinned, turning briefly to look at Hope, “I have some but none have caught my attention… not until… you, Hope.” Gale couldn’t meet Hope’s eyes and the flush that spread up from Hope’s chest caused her breath to catch in her throat. Could a man such as Major Gale Cleven truly be interested in a nurse like her? From the look on his face, apparently, he could.

Gale popped over to the bar, while Hope found a table, draping her coat and bag over the back of the chair. She could see Hugh from across the hall and waved at him but he seemed too preoccupied chatting to Curt and several women to notice her. Gale came back with a gin and lemonade and a ginger beer.

“ I see Sparky’s got his entertainment for the evening. I swear if he tries to smuggle any more women into the officers hut it might as well be renamed a brothel,” Gale laughed and then remembered the company he was in. Luckily, Hope laughed too, obviously well aware of her brother's antics.

“That’s a new nickname, Sparky. How’d he manage to get that one?”

Gale took a long sip from his drink, his forehead wrinkling as he mulled over the question, “Well, Bucky had a problem with his jeep last week so our engineer over there said ‘Don’t you worry, Bucky I’ll fix it for you’. So Hugh’s there under the bonnet cursing and moaning, pulling things around before he tells Bucky to turn on the ignition. So Bucky’s there trying and trying to start this thing. Curtis comes along asking what the matter is and your brothers only gone and left the spark plug on the floor. Put it back in and the jeep was working, good as new.”

Hope could no longer contain her embarrassment, running her hand down her face, as she tried to contain her laughter. “Oh no. I swear his not normally that bad. I promise. He’s generally a very good engineer.”

Gale chortled, “I’ll take your word for that.”

Trying to change the subject away from her brother’s embarrassing behaviour, Hope noticed Gale wasn’t drinking alcohol. “You don’t drink?” Hope asked, taking a sip from her drink and enjoying the satisfying burn as it slipped down her throat mixed with the bubbles of the lemonade.

“No, never do,” Gale replied plainly, linking his hand with Hope’s across the table they were seated at. Hope smiled back at him, worried that she’d ruined the mood but too curious to leave it there.

“How come?” Once again Hope found herself prying when she should know better. Gale stayed silent for a moment and Hope wondered if she really had put her foot in it this time.

“My dad drank… a lot when I was a kid, and he liked sports. He liked to bet,” Gale trailed off, his eyes glazing over as he stared straight ahead. Hope nodded, understanding the situation, and squeezed his hand reassuringly, bringing Gale back to the present. He smiled weakly at her.

“So, tell me about yourself. What was young Hope Armstrong up to before the war?”

Hope laughed, “I wouldn’t say young. I’ll be twenty four in September.”

Gale laughed, “Good to know. I’ll add the date to my diary.” The pair broke into a fit of laughter. “But seriously, tell me about yourself.”

Hope pondered for a few seconds, debating what she should reveal to him, “Well, I was born in Missouri. I went to Stephens Junior College for Women in Columbia where I study biology and I worked as an orderly in the local hospital. It’s where I decided to become a nurse,” Hope paused, noticing how Buck was watching her intently, seemingly hanging off every word. He genuinely seemed interested in what she was telling him, which surprised Hope. Most men only asked the question on autopilot and didn’t really care what response they got. “I started my nursing training four months before the war started in Europe. I qualified in ‘42 and I signed straight up for flight nurse training.”

Gale nodded, taking a sip of his ginger beer, “and then you met Ruth?”

Hope shook her head, “No I didn’t meet Ruth until December ‘42 when we were paired together. They wanted someone more senior with the less experienced nurses and because of my previous hospital experience and an extra year training apparently I was senior,” Hope laughed. It had always amused her that she was the younger nurse but also the senior one.

Gale nodded, “And that was the birth of the ‘Skytrain Girls’.” Hope laughed but Gale just nodded, “It’s what Hugh calls you.”

“Of course he does,” Hope sighed. “So now it’s your turn. Tell me about the infamous Gale Cleven.”

Gale chuckled, “Okay… well I was born on 27th December 1918 in Lemmon, South Dakota. I was at the University of Wyoming but I left my studies to become a bomber pilot. That’s where I met Bucky, in flight school. It’s where I became Buck.” He laughed. Hope’s forehead creased as she thought over Gale’s words.

“So he named you after himself?”

“Not quite. Apparently I look like a guy called Buck back in Wisconsin.” The pair found themselves laughing once more and any nerves that Hope had were quickly being diminished. Talking with Buck was easy and she found her heart rate increased as Gale’s eyes met hers once more.

Their eye contact was broken when John fell into the chair beside Hope, an almost-full pint of beer in his hand.

Hope scanned the area, noticing the absence of her friend. “Where’s Ruth?”

“In the restroom,” Bucky replied, his eyes drifting to the stage.

Gale watched him carefully noting the thoughts behind his stare, “How’s it going, John?”

He took another gulp of his pint, wiping the foam off his mustache as he raised his eyebrows and spoke enthusiastically. “You know she’s a teacher?”

Hope nodded, her smile widening as she watched the man get excited about Ruth. “Yep. She loves music, too, and I’ve heard you might have a slight thing for it.”

Without a word, he fell back against the chair, his gaze looking up at the ceiling. “Buck, Buck, Buck. Don’t let me drop the ball on this one.” He looked over at the other major, the corners of his eyes crinckled as he smirked. “That was a sports reference if-”

“I know what it means, John.”

A few moments of silence passed between the trio, and Hope was about to speak when Johnny beat her to it. “Buck, do you think I should sing?” John looked at the pair, deadly serious, and waited for Gale’s response.

“No, you said you’d be on your best behavior. Remember? What happened to five seconds ago with “not dropping the ball?” Gale gave his friend a sideward glare, still looking at Hope. John went to stand up and Gale’s arm flew out, shoving him back down in his seat. “What did I tell you, Bucky? You said you really like Ruth, so don’t screw things up with her.”

“Yeah, but she’ll like my singing, right Hope?” Hope knew John meant well, but she also knew what Ruth was like, she hated being embarrassed unless she wasn’t the only one being embarrassed. It didn’t really make sense, but it was just how it was for the blonde. Things weren’t as bad as long as she wasn’t alone.

“How about I sing with you?” Hope suggested, looking Bucky dead in the eye. A wide grin spread across the pilot's face and he nodded enthusiastically.

“See Buck, ya girl knows how to have fun. Too bad she’s stuck with you,” Johnny quipped before chugging the rest of his pint.

Gale’s face seemed to drop and Hope squeezed his hand again, “Hey, I don’t have to do this…”

But the smile quickly returned.

“No, no, you go for it. Knock ‘em dead, Beautiful.” Hope grinned, quickly downing the rest of her drink and taking John’s hand as he led her across the crowded dance floor to the microphones in front of the orchestra.

An uptempo, big-band version of “It Had to be You” filled the air as they got positioned at the front of the room. As soon as the guys saw Bucky step behind the mic, they collectively groaned, knowing what was coming. Hope swayed to the beat as she waiting for their queue, and a wide grin formed on her lips when she looked over to see Gale shaking his head at her, unable to hide his own smile. Stuck in the moment with Buck, she missed the queue, but Johnny sure didn’t. The second his loud voice filled the dance hall, she instantly realized why Buck had been so adamant against the Major singing. She had to stop herself from bursting out into laughter as he began to sing while animatedly dancing to the music.

“It had to be you,

It had to be you.”

Hope then joined in, her sweet voice making Johnny’s more bearable. From his position in the corner, she could see Gale’s eyes widening at hearing her sing for the first time.

“I wandered around and finally found

The somebody who,

Could make me be true,

Could make me be blue,

Or even be glad, just to be sad,

Thinking of you.”

The nurse’s eyes wandered the crowd for a moment, but Gale’s infectious smile dragged her back back to him. at her as she sang them.

“Some others I’ve seen,

Might never be mean,

Might never be cross,

Or try to be boss,

But they wouldn’t do.”

From the corner of her eye, she saw Bucky reach a hand out to the crowd, and when she looked closer, she realized he was pointing to Ruth, who stood in the back of the crowded hall with a blissful dimpled smile. The look of pure adoration on her friend’s face sent a surge of happiness through Hope. She hadn’t seen the blonde so happy for as long as she could remember.

Somehow, the rowdy and boisterous man beside Hope was able to bring out the person that she’d been trying to since they’d met.

“For nobody else gave me a thrill,

With all of your faults, I love you still,

It had to be you,

Wonderful you,

It had to be you!”

Hope decided to let Johnny have the grand finale and stepped back from the microphone. Based on the performance so far, she knew whatever was coming would be good.

“Baby, It had to be you,

Wonderful you,”

As the last note approached, Johnny extended his arms wide, sweeping them through the air in a grand gesture. The men were used to his antics at that point, so they were prepared, but everyone else’s eyes were on him expectantly.

“IT HAD TO BE YOUUU!” he belted out, his strained voice overpowering the music, causing a mix of groans and laughter to ripple through the crowd.

As the final notes of the song faded away, the room erupted in applause and cheers, most of them just glad Johnny was getting off the stage. He motioned to Hope and she took an elaborate bow, swishing her dress to the side and blowing a kiss to Buck, who caught it and held it against his chest. John then took a theatrical step back from the microphone, raised one arm high in the air, and with a dramatic flare, bowed deeply to the crowd. Hope took this as her sign to escape, scurrying off the stage and into the arms of her awaiting Major.

“You have the most beautiful voice,” Gale spoke softly, although no one around them would hear the news of John on stage.

“Thank you,” she whispered back, enjoying the burning sensation of Gale’s hand on her lower back. “Do you want to go outside where it’s quieter, I can’t hear myself think?” Hope suggested and Gale nodded, leading her through the crowds of people, his hand never once leaving her back.

————————————————————————

The cool evening air bit at her bare arms and she suddenly wished she hadn’t left her coat on the table. Gale noticed and instantly removed his dress uniform jacket, draping it around her shoulders.

“Can’t have a beautiful lady, such as yourself, getting frostbite now can I,” Buck joked, causing Hope to laugh at his chivalry.

“I hardly think I’m gonna get frostbite, Gale. It’s July,” Hope laughed, but seeing the way Gale’s face dropped broke her heart. “I don’t mean that I don’t want your jacket though… because I do. I’m glad you offered me your jacket. I really do appreciate it,” Hope stumbled over her words, cursing her anxiety but Gale just smiled, running his thumb over her cheek and tucking the stray hairs behind her ear.

Gale’s eyes suddenly diverted to the sky and he pointed upwards, just in time for Hope to see a shooting star, “Make a wish, Beautiful,” Gale whispered in her ear. Hope found herself wishing that the night would never end, that she could stay in Gale’s arms where they were safe forever. It was just a dream, and no sooner had the star appeared it was gone.

“What did you wish for?” Gale asked, noting the sadness that adorned her features, but Hope shook her head.

“If I tell you it won’t come true.”

“Well, we can’t have that then, can we? Especially if it was a good wish,” he uttered, his voice low and his eyes looking dark in the shade of the moon.

“It was a good wish,” Hope assured him. She reached up, running her thumb over his cheek.“I could just stare at you forever,” she whispered, enjoying how Gale’s eyes closed and he exhaled deeply into her touch.

“I don't ever want this night to end,” he murmured against her lips before leaning in. Hope had imagined kissing his lips before, how they might feel against hers, what he’d taste like. In reality it was so much better, not only did his lips mold perfectly to hers, but his hands came to rest on her hips pulling her flush against his chest as their hearts pounding in sync with each other.

“I hate to move too fast or be presumptuous, but never want to kiss anyone else for as long as I live,” Gale admitted, nuzzling his nose into her collarbone, sighing softly. His breath tickled but Hope pulled him closer, running her fingers through his blond locks and scratching at his scalp.

“Well it's a good thing you won't have to then,” she smiled into the night, enjoying Gale’s content sighs as she continued to stroke his hair, “Because you can kiss me for as long as you want to.”

“Hope? Is that you?” Hugh bellowed, rushing out from the side door of the hall, her bag clutched in his hand, the pair’s best friends on his heels. Ruth grimaced at the sight, and John pursed his lips, his moustache raising slightly.

Gale pulled away quickly but left his hand resting on her hip as he assessed the situation.

“Sparky, what’s got you in such a tizz?” He laughed and instantly regretted it when several condom packets went flying towards his face.

“Don’t you Sparky me, Asshole!” He hissed at Gale before turning towards Hope. “What the hell are you doing with these, Hope? Did he give them to you?” Hugh demanded, fist clenched at his side as Hope gathered up the packets, shoving them deep into her coat pocket. Her face was on fire and she couldn’t bear to turn to see Gale’s expression.

“So that’s what Frank gave you,” Ruth muttered under her breath from beside Johnny, whose expression morphed into one of amusement. Buck was always so straight-laced, and John found it humorous to see his friend in such a situation. Despite this, he was ready to step in at any moment to break up anything before it got out of hand.

“I wasn’t going to use them. They aren’t even really mine! Frank made us take them to be safe, but Hugh, I swear it’s not what it looks like,” Hope pleaded, removing herself from Gale’s side to go to her brother. “Hugh, I swear, I just shoved them in my bag on the way.”

She stopped for a minute, eyeing her brother suspiciously.

“Hang on, why are you going through my bag?” The nurse snapped, grabbing the small leather purse from his hands.

“You always carry first aid stuff with you and I cut my finger on some broken glass,” Hugh admitted sheepishly, holding up his bloodied finger. Sighing, Hope took hold of her brother's hand and assessed the damage.

“I do have some stuff in my bag,” she sighed again. “Go inside and wash your hands. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Watching her brother sheepishly retreat, Hope’s gaze moved to Ruth’s. The blonde sent her a raised brow, but Hope just rolled her eyes and shook her head. Ruth grinned at the realization she wasn’t the one with the rosy hue on her cheeks for once. From above her, John smirked and winked at Gale, who shot a ‘I can’t deal with you right now’ glare back at him. Taking that as their queue to leave, he tugged Ruth over to the door and held it open as she walked through, giving the couple one last glance before shutting the door behind him.

Hope turned to Gale, her eyes full of tears and her cheeks red from embarrassment. Gale just opened his arms up, pulling her into a hug and kissing her forehead.

Hope mumbled into his chest, “I hope you’re not disappointed that I said I didn’t want to… you know… tonight.”

Gale just chuckled, kissing her forehead once more, “not at all. We only met just over a week ago. I’d never expect anything like that from you until you’re ready.” He was unphased by the situation and just held her for a little longer, until Hope decided it was probably time to patch up her brother.

“Come on, I can’t have you going back inside on your own.” Gale linked his arm through hers but Hope didn’t move.

“Could we stay out here a little longer?” She asked, biting her lip and Buck had to stop his sudden intake of air as he looked at her in the moonlight.

Her hair hanging loose in curls around her face, her big brown eyes looking at him nervously.

“Of course,” Buck reassured her, bringing her back into his chest for a hug. The music from the officers club drifted outside through the night and the music of Glenn Miller filled the darkness. Hope found herself swaying in Gale’s arms and he swayed along with her, his hand moving to the small of her back.

As they swayed together Hope couldn’t help but chuckle, “And to think that you said you don’t dance.”

Gale laughed, looking down at the beautiful woman in his arms, “Well, maybe I just needed to find the right partner.”

The night soon came to an end, the music dying down and the airmen and their dates eventually scattering across the base.

After patching up a rather embarrassed Hugh, who couldn’t apologise enough and was eventually escorted away by an amused Curt, Hope spent the rest of the evening cradled in Gale’s arms. They had spent the last half an hour swaying slowly to the music that played softly through the window and chatting quietly until 11 pm came and the music died down.

“I suppose we should start heading back to the Red Cross barracks,” Gale whispered slowly even to Hope’s ear and she reluctantly pulled away, nodding sadly.

“I don’t want this night to end. I’ve never had an evening like this with a man such as yourself,” Hope spoke softly, causing Gale to smile and her sudden shyness.

“I don’t want this evening to end either but I have a feeling your brother will have my guts if I’m late back,” he laughed and Hope giggled too, clutching Gale’s hand.

“Come on then, Major.”

They walked slowly, Gale’s hand resting on her hip and Hope’s body pressed closely to his body. Gale had draped his flying jacket around her shoulders and the fabric smelt strongly over his aftershave that had been intoxicating her all evening. She could happily stay wrapped in his embrace forever but they all too quickly approached the Nissan hut inhabited by the Red Cross ladies.

Hope noticed John Egan strolling away from the hut, a smug smile on his lips as he punched the air, shouting enthusiastically before continuing his retreat into the night.

“Well someone is pleased with himself,” Gale chuckled, and Hope nodded in agreement.

“I’ll have to ask Ruth if she had a good night.”

Before they reached the door of the Nissan hut, Gale stopped Hope, spinning her around to face him. “Hope, I had a really great time tonight. I never thought I’d get to spend such an amazing evening with such a beautiful woman, who has the voice of an angel.”

Hope blushed, averting her eyes to her feet, “Thank you,” she mumbled. Gale reached down, cupping his fingers under her chin and raising her head to face him.

“I really like you, Hope,” he whispered, before his lips captured her, moving gently but firmly and rendering Hope breathless. Without a second thought, Hope grabbed onto the front of his jacket, pulling him behind one of the Nissan huts, their lips never leaving each other. Gale mumbled something under his breath but Hope didn’t hear him, too busy concentrating on the feeling of his lips on her neck and his hands travelling up her sides.

Hope could have very easily given in there and then, absolutely ready to find a quiet room and continue their advances but she knew they shouldn’t.

“Gale? Gale, we can’t,” she whispered, her words coming out in small short gasps.

Gale nodded, stepping away quickly, “I know. I’m sorry if I overstepped the…”

“Not at all,” Hope quickly reassured him, clutching his face in her hands and bringing him down for another gentle kiss. “I want this too, but we can’t, not yet.”

Gale nodded her, kissing her once more, “Good night, Hope Armstrong. Sweet dreams.”

Hope felt lost as she walked away from Gale, but the warm embrace of his flight jacket cradled her as she walked to the front door. Her hands grasping the handle she turned once more to see the figure of the mysterious Gale Cleven disappearing into the night.

Tags: @georgieluz @malarkgirlypop @docroesmorphine @major-mads @violetdaze25 @bcofl0ve @precious-little-scoundrel @b00ks1ut @liebgottsjumpwings

[queenfarmer]

1989 inspired polaroids of Queen Charlotte: a Bridgerton Story cast  (insp.)

[rivalkieran]

unova ancestor ocs (and hilbert) (and palmer)

[major-mads]

Chapter 7: Lucky 25

John "Bucky" Egan x Ruth Morgan (OFC)

Series Masterlist

A/N: please comment or reblog and tell us what you think!! thanks for reading!! <3

Collab: On a Wing and a Prayer by @footprintsinthesxnd

Word Count: 11k

Thursday, September 16th: Thorpe Abbotts AAF Base, Norwich: 1300 HRS: 1 PM

Hope’s back ached as she bent over her old Singer sewing machine, silk fabric sliding effortlessly as the needle punched thread through it. Silk was hard to come by with rationing, and there was no way, even with Hugh’s help, that she could afford a new wedding dress. Luckily for her, Frank had a knack for making things disappear from the storeroom on base and later making them reappear in the girls' hut. 

Ruth hummed Artie Shaw out of tune from behind her as the blonde cut out more fabric from the pattern, laying the pieces of cloth over the tissue paper cutouts. Tatty and Helen hand-sewed small pieces of lace together, just some odd cuts they’d gotten from the local fabric shop.

The girls worked hard all afternoon, measuring, cutting, and sewing. The dress was coming along nicely, and with only three weeks to go until the big day, Hope was anxious to get it finished in time. 

The Singer buzzed along nicely as three familiar heads poked around the nissen hut door.

“Knock, knock,” Hugh called out, stepping inside, his hands on his hips as he assessed the girl's work. Gale and John followed him closely. 

“You guys can’t be in here,” Helen scolded.

“It’s bad luck to see the dress before the wedding, Cleven,” Tatty hissed, marching over to the men. “You better get going before…”

“My dear Tatty, don’t be so defensive, I merely come to offer my services,” Hugh bowed dramatically. 

Hope snickered, all too aware of Hugh’s sewing skills, “I don’t think your skills are required here, Hugh. You’re not really one for a needle and thread.” 

Hugh scrunched his face up at her just like he’d done since they were children, and before he could throw out any more ridiculous ideas, Gale stepped forward.

“I don’t want to cause trouble, I merely want to spend some time with my girl,” Gale smiled charmingly at Tatty who moved aside.

“No wonder Hope can never say no to you, Major. That damn smile.” 

Gale made his way across the room just as Hope finished covering the dress with a sheet. “Hello darling,” he leaned down, pressing his lips to hers, “I’ve missed you.” 

“I’ve missed you too,” Hope stood up, pressing her lips against his again, smiling into his touch. 

“Tatty, come on,” John all but whined, pointing into the hut while Tatty stood firm on the doorstep. “It’s me.”

“And that is exactly why I’m not letting you in. You’d get your grubby mitts all over the dress.”

“I wouldn’t dare! Please,” John clasped his hands together, looking rather sad and pathetic until Tatty sighed. 

“Fine, but one step out of line, Major, and you’re out.” 

John moved past Tatty towards Ruth who was still sitting on the floor, surrounded by a collection of differently shaped pieces of silk. 

“Never knew you were such a seamstress,” he grinned, kissing her gently and enjoying the familiar blush that crept across her pale cheeks.

“Well, I’m a woman of many talents,” Ruth retorted, grinning up at the Major.

“That you are.”

“Hugh, put that fabric down now,” Hope hissed, moving away from Gale’s arms to scold her brother, smacking his arm until he released the precious fabric. “Do you have any idea how hard it was to get a hold of this?” 

“It’s just some silk, I’m sure any white fabric would do,” Hugh replied nonchalantly, pushing the reeling of cotton across Helen’s desk and glancing awkwardly around the room as it fell to the floor.

Hope sighed, “Hugh, for once in your life, please just be serious and stop acting like a child. It’s for my wedding day. Please don’t mess this up for me.” 

Hope loved her brother dearly, but sometimes it felt like she had to do all the work in their relationship.

Hugh nodded apologetically, “I will. I wouldn’t dream of ruining your big day, Little Bird.” Hope smiled at her childhood nickname, it had been a long time since he’d called her that. “But is there anything I can help with?” 

“Yes, there is,” Helen grabbed ahold of Gale and John’s sleeves, marching them towards Hugh, “You can take these two and keep them out of trouble until this evening.”

“Oh, come on, we just got here,” John groaned, glancing at Ruth in the hope of some sympathy, but she just waved at him. Gale glanced around Helen, blowing a kiss in Hope’s direction before the three men descended from the hut.

“You ladies have fun now, we’ll see you later,” Hugh called out, slamming the door dramatically. 

Helen turned back to the group, hurrying back to her spot beside Tatty, “I honestly don’t know how you’ve put up with Hugh for so long.” 

“I didn’t have much choice,” Hope laughed, turning back to the sewing machine, “He’s my brother after all.” 

A few moments passed until another knock sounded at the door, and Helen marched back over with a groan, slinging it open to reveal John leaning on the doorframe. 

“What is it?”

He peered around the woman, his eyes falling on Ruth. “Can I get a kiss?”

“You just got one!” she giggled, rising to her feet and approaching the door. “You’re so needy.”

Helen moved out of the doorway, chuckling as Ruth rose on her tiptoes and quickly kissed John before pushing him out the door with a wink. “See you later, hotshot!”

As the door closed in his face, John couldn’t help but shake his head at Ruth, his heart racing at the mere sight of her. Buck clapped his shoulder and turned him toward the nearby mess hall where Hugh walked a few feet ahead of them. “You gonna tell her tonight?”

“If Dye gets back in one piece, I will,” Johnny nodded, scratching his mustache. 

“He will.”

One Week Earlier: September 10: Thorpe Abbotts AAF Base

The mess hall was unusually quiet as John and Gale sat eating their breakfast, having missed the morning rush by sleeping in an extra hour. They both laid awake the night before, their minds unable to shut off after the events of John’s party. Since they’d arrived, Bucky was silent, only speaking to thank the mess hall worker for his coffee.

Buck stared at him skeptically, taking in his slightly pursed lips and distant gaze that focused on the plate of eggs, bacon, and toast in front of him. “I can hear the gears turning from here, John. What is it?”

A few beats passed until he spoke up, his eyes remaining on his food. “Ruth.”

“Hmm,” Gale nodded, taking a sip of his coffee. “What about her?”

“Everything…I can’t get her off my mind, Buck. I don’t know what’s going on.”

‘I do,’ the younger man thought.

John shook his head with a sigh, his brow creasing as his conflicted gaze lifted from the table. “I can’t explain it.”

Gale put down his coffee cup and smiled softly at his friend. “I can…you love her.”

“I don’t know, Buck.”

“What don’t you know?” he asked as his brows furrowed. Gale saw the deep thought behind the Major’s eyes and realized the confident and boisterous John Egan was nowhere in sight. This Bucky was unsure of himself, facing emotions he’d never felt before. Buck’s voice softened as he continued. “What do you know?”

John raised a questioning brow and Gale leaned his elbows onto the table. “How do you feel around her?”

“I don’t-” Bucky frustratedly groaned, sitting back into his seat. ”I don’t know how to explain it.”

“Just try.”

Every moment he shared with Ruth replayed like a film in John’s mind as he tried to find the words to describe the way he felt.

“When I think about her,” he finally began, a fond smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “It just…It just does somethin’ to me, Buck, and can’t think straight.”

Gale listened intently, nodding along as John continued, his voice growing softer.

“And after last night, how she did all that for me? I’ve never met anyone like her.” His brow creased in thought as he struggled to find his next words. “She’s…she’s-”

“Everything,” Buck finished, Hope’s smiling face forming in his mind.

Gale’s words hung in the air for a few moments as the Majors thought of their beloved nurses. 

Bucky nodded slowly, his gaze drifting to the window where the morning sun filtered through the glass, lighting up the mess hall in a golden glow. He took a deep breath as he finally came to terms with what he was feeling. 

John Egan was in love.

“Yeah,” he murmured, his deep voice rumbling in his chest. “She’s everything.”

A knowing grin painted Gale’s face as he repeated his earlier statement. “You love her.”

“That how you feel about Hope?”

“Yeah, it is.”

As Buck’s words settled over them, John felt a weight lift off his shoulders. It was as if hearing the words out loud made them easier to grasp, and he couldn’t deny it any longer…he was in love with Ruth Morgan.

But even as the realization settled in, Bucky couldn’t shake the uncertainty that lingered in the back of his mind. This was a new territory for him, uncharted skies that both excited and terrified him. He’d always prided himself on his wild heart, but now he found himself willingly surrendering to feelings he’d managed to avoid for so long.

“You know,” Gale began, breaking the silence that had fallen over them. “You should tell her. It’s pretty clear she feels the same way.”

“We said we’d take it slow.”

Cleven pushed his plate aside and leaned further over the table. “So? When have you ever been one to follow the rules?”

Finally, John’s serious expression faded and he shook his head with a chuckle, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “And when have you ever encouraged me to break them?”

“Today,” he shrugged. “But only cause you need an extra shove.”

“Should I get used to this new Buck?”

“Don’t count on it,” Gale smirked as he sat back in his chair, taking a sip of his coffee. 

1900 HRS: 7 PM 

The lively sound of Glenn Miller filled the Officer’s Club as the band brought the hall to life. Couples jitterbugged and lindy-hopped across the dance floor, and happy conversation filled the air, including loud cackles and laughter from a table in the bar section where Hope and Ruth sat with their Majors. They were reminiscing about their time in San Angelo, Texas, with the girls’ under their arms and Hugh to the right of his sister.

Buck took a sip of his ginger beer with a raised brow. “Isn’t that where you picked up that damned jacket?”

“Sure is,” John replied and sucked his teeth. “My pride and joy.”

“So that’s where you got it,” Ruth giggled, shaking her head.

“Well,” he shrugged, holding a hand up defensively. “It was being discontinued, so I had no choice.”

Sitting up in his chair across from them, Hugh let out something between a chuckle and a scoff. “It was a choice, alright.”

Hope’s eyes met Ruth’s at the comment, waiting for a snarky comeback from the Major, but the blonde just patted John’s chest consolingly before he could respond. “It was being discontinued for a reason, John. Have you seen that thing?”

“Thank you. It always looks dirty,” Gale interjected as he smirked at John. “Seems Ruth is on my side for this one, Bucky.”

A giggle escaped Ruth’s lips and she sheepishly looked up at Johnny to see him already staring down at her, a playful frown on his lips a few inches away. “Say it isn’t true, Ruthie.”

“Sorry, hotshot,” she laughed, her eyes unable to resist flicking to his mouth at their close proximity. “Buck’s right, hon, but know you’re still my favorite Major.”

John’s frown faded and his lips curled into a mischievous grin as her laughter filled the air, and to his surprise, she leaned up and kissed him softly. Ruth pulled away after a moment with bright pink cheeks. The taste of her drink lingered on Bucky’s lips as his gaze locked with hers, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. 

His plans to finally tell her how he cared about her, how he loved her, flashed in the forefront of his mind. But even as he stared down at her smiling face and a wave of pure adoration washed over him, his stomach swirled with nervousness. 

What if she thought it was too fast? Too soon? Too much?

Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, John forced himself to look away and took a sip of his pint before turning to Hope and pointing at her across the table. “And whaddya think, Hope? About my jacket? It’s nice, right?”

The woman met Ruth’s lovesick eyes and chuckled, shaking her head slightly. “It’s not the worst thing I’ve seen, but I prefer Gale’s.”

Gale smiled smugly, pressing his lips firmly to her forehead, “That’s my girl. Always knew you had good taste.” 

“Well, of course, I do. I picked you didn’t I?” She grinned at him, leaning up to press her lips to his, smiling into the kiss.

“Well, that’s right. You sure a lady with a good eye,” Gale mused, nuzzling his nose into her neck.

“Gale,” she chuckled, feeling his breath tickling against her collarbone, while her fingers carded through his tousled, blond locks. 

“Gaaaale,” John teased, dramatically drawing out the name with his eyes closed. “What kind of name is Gale, anyway?”

Hope’s eyes widened in amusement as Gale groaned beside her, having heard the joke a million times before. “Well, what kind of a name is Bucky?” she asked, tilting her head with a sarcastic grin. “Now Buck I can get because he’s a dashing young man, but Bucky? I don’t know…”

The group burst into laughter and John tried to send the woman a dirty look, but he couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth from curling into a smirk and joining in with them. Before long, he itched for a dance and stood to his feet, pulling Ruth toward the dance floor.

“I think it’s time for a dance, Ruthie.”

“Alright, I’m coming!” she giggled, sending Hope a wave as she tried to keep up with Bucky’s long strides in her tight skirt.

The couple found themselves at the edge of the dancefloor, swaying hand in hand to the soft trumpet solo ringing through the hall. Ruth rested her head on John’s chest, calmed by the gentle thrum of his heartbeat beneath her ear and his warmth as they danced. 

She could’ve stayed there in that moment forever…just her and her hotshot…just her and the man she loved. 

“You look beautiful, sweetheart,” he murmured against her hair, breaking the silence between them. “I know I told you earlier, but you do.”

Lifting her head from his chest, Ruth smiled sheepishly at him. “Thank you. I don’t normally wear my dress uniform, but-”

“Oh, I’m so glad you did.”

She raised an eyebrow and slid her hands around his neck. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah,” he nodded with a smirk, his eyes drifting down to her breast pocket area that proudly displayed her pair of wings and lieutenant’s bars. “I’m a sucker for a woman in uniform.”

“So I need to worry about the WACs?”

Bucky chuckled, tugging Ruth against him. “Don’t worry. You’ve got nothing to worry about, lieutenant.”

As the music swirled around them, John’s gaze softened as he looked into her deep blues. Leaning down, he brushed his lips against hers in a tender kiss. Ruth’s cheeks flushed pink as she returned it, her fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck, melting into his embrace. She felt him smile against her lips and pulled back to get a good look at him.

“What are you smiling about, Major?” she joked.

Bucky wanted to say, ‘How much I love you,’ but anxiety churned in his stomach and he couldn’t go through with it.

“Just you.”

Rolling her eyes, Ruth pecked the corner of his lips before returning her head to its place on his chest. “I’m so happy for Gale and Hope.”

“Me too,” he replied, his eyes scanning the room for the couple. “Speaking of Buck…where is he?”

Ruth joined him looking for their friends, but she had no luck and wiggled her eyebrows at Bucky. “They’re probably having some alone time.”

He sent her a mischievous smirk, and she knew what he planned to do. “Leave ‘em be, Johnny,” she groaned, sighing as he pulled her along behind him toward the door. “Don’t bother them.”

“But it’s my job to bother Buck.”

Before Ruth could respond, he flung open the side door and stuck his head outside. By the wild grin on his face, she knew he’d found them. “Hey, Lovebirds! Hurry up, you're missing the party!” 

“Five more minutes!” she heard Gale groan, and then John closed the door, a proud smirk hanging from his lips. 

“You’re terrible.”

Bucky shot her a wink and led her back to their table, settling back into their seats as they saw Gale and Hope enter the hall and begin swaying slowly. 

“Would you look at that?” John scoffed, sipping his pint and throwing an arm over the back of Ruth’s chair. “I’ve been trying to get Buck to dance for years and Hope did it in two months.”

The couple couldn’t help but watch their friends dance, both with lovesick smiles as they got lost in the song, spinning around the floor with a practiced grace that neither Ruth nor John expected. 

Buck was good at dancing.

Their concentration on the couple was broken when yells echoed through the air. Following the sound, they saw Harry throw peanuts across the table into Hugh’s mouth, laughing hysterically as Hugh caught another one. 

Ruth opened her mouth to speak but was cut off when Hope beat her to it.

“I leave you two alone for all of five minutes and you wreak havoc,” Hope tutted, patting Harry on the head like a small child. “If you choke on all those nuts Hugh, I swear…”

A giggle escaped the blonde’s lips at the comment and John chuckled beside her.

“Alright mother,” Hugh laughed, throwing one of the nuts at his sister. 

Hope and Gale took their seats beside Harry, settling easily beside each other with Gale’s hand draping lazily around her shoulder. The six of them fell into easy conversation, and soon, the table became more crowded when Veal, Crank, Brady, Blakely, and a few other airmen joined the group. Laughter and wisps of cigarette smoke filled the air as the men and the two nurses unwound, enjoying the company of friends.

Ruth remained tucked under Bucky’s arm, listening to yet another story from training in the States. This one was about a failed exercise where several forts experienced ‘equipment malfunctions’ and ‘discrepancies’ that forced them to land in or near the hometowns of family and girlfriends. 

Crank grinned, shaking his head. “Yeah, the Hundredth almost got canned after that.”

“And I got demoted for the first time,” John chimed as he thought about just how many times he’d changed commands over his time with the 100th.

Eyes widening in surprise, Ruth playfully smacked his chest. “For the first time? I thought you getting demoted back to Squadron CO only happened once?”

“It would’ve been three times if LeMay would have found him or Buck that day he came to base,” Kidd added.

Nudging Buck with her shoulder, Hope smirked. “And what about you, Gale?” 

Gale shrugged as he hid a smirk behind his glass of ginger beer. “I don’t know why LeMay thought both of us were responsible for the ‘raunchy discipline’ on base.”

“So you’re sayin’ it was just me?” John asked with an incredulous grin.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

“I mean,” Benny started, trying to hold in a laugh as he rubbed Meatball’s head affectionately. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Buck tear up a bar with a narwhal tusk.”

Laughter erupted like a sudden burst of fireworks around the table, echoing around the lively room and drowning out the music. 

Narrowing his eyes at them, John pointed around the table.  “Technically, none of you dodos saw any of that!”

“We didn’t have to. We saw the aftermath,” Brady called out through his chuckles.

After a few moments, the laughter died down, and the large group broke into smaller conversations. 

Gale spoke quietly to Benny as Hope whispered with Hugh, and Ruth listened as Jack shared more stories of John’s escapades back in the States. Before long, the two majors went at it as they often did, but Ruth’s attention was drawn away by Hugh and Hope slinking away from the table and disappearing into the crowd.

‘This outta be good,’ she thought.

When the band slowly faded out, Ruth smirked, knowing what was most likely coming. She peered over at Gale, expecting him to be watching Hope, but he was engrossed in a conversation with Benny and didn’t seem to notice his fiancée’s absence from the seat beside him. 

The band thrummed to life, music springing out across the room in a less-than-subtle fashion that had all heads turning toward the siblings. Then Gale’s eyes found Hope’s across the room and he did a double take, glancing back at her empty chair in confusion. 

Ruth pointed at siblings, a wide smile painting her face as she whispered in John’s ear. “This is gonna be interesting. They both can sing.”

“Sparky? No way,” he griped with a grimace. “No way he’s got better pipes than me.”

Giggling, she patted his cheek lightly and turned back to the stage. “Just wait and see, hon.”

Hugh took his place in front of the microphone, encouraging Hope to do the same as he pressed his lips near the cool metal grille. The conductor gave them the queue, and she took a deep breath before singing into the microphone.

“One of our planes was missing, two hours overdue. 

Yes, one of our planes was missing with all its gallant crew,

The radio sets were hummin', they waited for the word,

Then a voice broke through that hummin',

And this is what they heard!”

The song, rather aptly chosen by Hugh for Dye’s 25th mission, began to flow easily. Hugh joined in, belting out,

“Comin' in on a wing and a prayer!”

The second Hugh’s voice rang through the speakers, the skeptical smirk on John’s lips fell, and he raised a brow at Ruth, who just rolled her eyes at his reaction.

“I told you he was good.”

“I never said he was good,” he defended.

The corners of the blonde’s eyes crinkled as she laughed. “You didn’t have to.”

Around them, some of the crowd began to join in, all looking at Dye whose cheeks were growing redder by the minute as he stood beside Lil, trying to shield his face. 

“What a show (What a show),

What a fight (What a fight).”

The instrumental section began to play, and the couple watched as Hugh took Hope’s arm and spun her around in quick concession. A wide grin spread on Ruth’s face that matched her best friend’s on stage. 

With her eyes glued on Hope, Ruth started to sing along. Her voice was slightly off-key, but she didn’t care, continuing to sing quietly where only John could hear. The man couldn’t look away from her smiling face as she sang. His gaze wandered over her face with a gentle intensity, watching how her lips moved, the slight quirk of her smile adding to her already breathtaking look.

“Yes, we really hit our target for tonight,

How we’ll sing as we limp through the air,

Look below, there’s a field over there.”

Ruth’s eyes flickered over to John and caught his gaze. For a brief moment, their eyes locked, and she noticed the same vulnerable glint in his eyes as the night he told her of his past. She offered him a questioning look, silently asking what was on his mind.

Johnny’s mind raced as his lips parted slightly. He wanted to tell her how he felt, but the words caught in his throat. Instead, he sent her a small, reassuring smile and barely shook his head as if to say, ‘nothing.’

There was something in his eyes that Ruth couldn’t quite put it into words, but it made her heart flutter nonetheless. With a soft nod, she turned her attention back to the stage, her hand reaching for John’s beneath the table, intertwining their fingers gently.

The Major’s heart sank as Ruth turned away, his own hand squeezing hers softly in response. He cursed himself silently for his inability to tell her how he felt, and frustration bubbled up within him.

How many more opportunities would he let slip away without telling her the truth?

“With our full crew aboard,

And our trust in the Lord,

Comin’ in on a wing and a prayer.”

As the song came to a close, Hugh wrapped his arms around his sister, squeezing her hard before grasping her hand and pulling her down from the stage. Hope hopped down the best she could, ignoring the small ripping noise from her skirt that would surely be a problem later. Hugh had a little skip in his step as they made their way back to the table.

Hugh threw himself down into his chair, downing the last of his whiskey, while Hope took her seat beside Gale, his face still in awe and his lips turned upwards into the largest smile.

“Have I ever told you how amazing you are?” He mumbled softly, kissing her cheek, letting the rough stubble on his chin graze against Hope’s cheek. 

She squirmed, laughing lightly, “Oh only about every hour that I’m on base and in every letter.”

“Good,” he mused, kissing her cheek once more, “Because you’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met…” Gale was broken off by Bucky’s loud declaration. 

“What the hell was that, Sparky?” John asked with a mischievous grin, his eyebrows raised at Hugh. 

Scoffing as he settled into his chair, the lieutenant rolled his eyes. “I sounded a helluva lot better than you ever have…Isn’t that right, Croz?”

Harry’s expression dropped, his eyes widening nervously as he darted glances between Hugh and his Squadron CO, who sported a smirk and an eyebrow raised expectantly. “Uhhhhh…”

Ruth was in the middle of sipping her when the comment left Hugh’s lips, and she choked on the liquid, her hand flying to cover her mouth as she coughed, trying to regain her composure. Immediately, John’s hand on her chair moved to rub her back as he ducked to check on her, the rest of the table turning their attention to the pair. Before he could speak, she waved him off with a sheepish smile, finally managing to swallow. 

“Sorry about that,” she rasped, wiping at her eyes. “I’m alright…please continue.”

Looking around the group, Ruth met Hope’s concerned gaze and sent her a teary grin, her pale face splotchy as she caught her breath.

“Where was I?”

Bubbles chuckled under his breath before sending Hugh a smirk. “You were complimenting Bucky’s singing abilities.”

“Right! I-”

“Everyone look here!”

A flash of light momentarily blinded the group as Captain John Schwarz, the 100th’s photographer, stepped forward with his camera in hand. 

“Alright, everyone, let’s get a good one!” he called out cheerfully, adjusting the settings on his camera.

The group quickly turned toward him, and Ruth managed to put on a bright smile for the photo despite still trying to clear her throat. They all posed in their seats, and John’s arm draped casually over the blonde’s chair, her hand resting on his knee as she leaned into him.

With the click of the camera, the Captain took the picture, but before he could step back, John called out to him with a grin, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Hey, Schwarz. Mind getting a picture of just the two of us?”

He nodded enthusiastically, adjusting the camera to focus on the couple. Bucky flashed a charming smile as he reached over and gently tugged Ruth from her chair into his lap.

“Hey!” she protested playfully, her cheeks flushing pink as John wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close.

Ruth giggled as Johnny leaned in, his cheek pressing against hers as they posed for the picture. Despite her initial protest, she found herself melting into his embrace. The photographer chuckled at their antics, capturing the moment with a few clicks of his camera. She glanced up at the Major just as Schwarz lowered his camera, and Bucky planted a soft kiss on her lips.

The table erupted into a chorus of whistles and hoots, their friends cheering them on as they kissed. Ruth laughed against John’s lips, feeling a rush of happiness and warmth enveloping her. Pulling back slightly, John gazed into her blue eyes, his own filled with pure adoration as her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink. 

“Alright, lovebirds. That’s enough,” Gale grinned, repeating Bucky’s words from a few minutes before. 

Schwarz moved around the table, snapping a photo of Demarco and Meatball, Hugh with poor Harry in a headlock, until he moved around to Hope and Gale. Buck stood up, leading Hope slightly away from the table, and wrapping his arms around her from behind kissing her temple. Hope grinned widely at the photographer who snapped the picture with his own smile.

Hugh appeared beside the Captain, mumbling something under his breath before moving over to the couple. 

“Could I please borrow my sister, Cleven?”

Gale looked a little forlorn as he released Hope from his embrace, stepping back towards the table. Hugh pulled his sister into his side, a bright smile on his lips as Schwarz took the photo. 

Back at the table, Hope slipped into her seat beside Gale, his arm draping over her shoulder as they got comfortable. Ruth sent her a bright smile from her position on John’s lap, and soon the group’s conversation picked back up, laughter filling the air once more. This continued for a little while longer, but when Dye made his way over with Lil under his arm, there was a shift in the air.

It was almost unnoticeable at first.

Ruth chuckled under her breath, watching John take a drag of his cigarette across the table and point to Dye as he neared the group. “There’s our very own Charlie Robertson!”

She’d moved back to her own chair when he got up to get her another ginger beer. Ruth learned her lesson with alcohol after waking up with a raging migraine the morning following John’s birthday party.

“Charlie? Who’s Charlie?” Lil asked, trailing behind Glen and smiling at John as she passed him on his way back to Ruth.

“Not me,” Hugh snickered, sipping his whiskey with a grimace. The British liquor was nothing compared to the ‘good ole American stuff,’ as he called it. In his footlocker sat an unopened bottle of VAT-69 he was saving for his own 25th mission.

No one else thought anything was wrong with the alcohol, but Hugh just had his particular taste and he stuck to that.

“1922. White Sox at Tigers. No runs, no hits, no errors,” John answered, his hand gesturing in the air with each word before sinking into the chair beside Ruth. He kissed her on the cheek quickly, scooting his seat closer to her until their shoulders touched and she wrapped her arm around his bicep, whispering into his ear.

“He threw the last perfect game, right?”

“Sure did,”  he grinned, shooting her a wink. “Way to go, Slugger.”

Benny nodded from beside Hope and Gale, not having heard the blonde. “Yeah, he’s the last guy to throw a perfect game.”

“Til’ now!”

“You get to go home before Florida?” Jack asked, but the conversation soon Ruth faded as she turned her gaze to John with a fond smile. She traced the outline of his face, her eyes trailing over the dark pink scars from Regensburg, the slope of his nose, his mustache, and the natural pout of his lips…the soft lips she’d kissed dozens of times. The warmth of his touch seeped through her uniform, and a feeling of contentment washed over her. 

Over the last week, the couple exchanged multiple letters corresponding about the party and how each was doing, but John mainly raved about how much he liked his birthday present. 

‘Doll, I think I’m hooked…’ John wrote two days after the party.

She was broken from her inner dialogue when the toothy grin on John’s face suddenly fell, and Ruth’s heart jolted in concern as she became aware of the hush that fell over the group

“We’re all that’s left, aren’t we?” 

At Glen’s question, her eyes quickly scanned those around them and found that all the airmen shared the same pained and exhausted look. Curt’s smiling face flashed in her mind…a reminder of the sacrifices of the heroes from the 100th. 

Hope’s wandering eyes met Ruth’s across the table, and she sent her a weary frown at the way the lively men quieted, each lost in their thoughts. 

Blakely spoke first, breaking the silence that fell over the group “12 crews out of-”

“35 that flew in from Greenland,” Crank finished.

With his lips in a tight line, Bucky nodded solemnly. “That’s right.”

Ruth reached out, her free hand finding John’s atop his chair’s armrest, squeezing it gently. He didn’t meet her gaze, but she felt him deflate slightly beside her just before Gale began to speak.

“We’re just happy for you, Dye.”

“That’s right. We are,” John added, his voice deepening as he raised his glass. “Very happy for you. Very happy.”

Glen held out his drink to the group. “And to all the fellas that aren’t here tonight, who should’ve been.”

The table broke out into quiet mumbles of agreement as they all lifted their glasses in a toast before tipping them back. Ruth’s ginger beer fizzed as it traveled down her throat, and beside her, John downed the rest of the amber liquid in his glass, unfazed. She watched him stare at the tabletop in front of them for a few seconds until Dye’s voice filled the air.

“Gentlemen…and ladies, I’m gonna go check on the boys, make sure they aren’t celebrating too hard without me.”

As he walked away with Lil tugged against his side, John’s eyes followed them and he pointed in their direction, muttering, “Charlie Robertson,” under his breath.

The jovial atmosphere from before shattered as the group remained quiet despite the raging party around them. And to think…John’s day had started off so well, had gone off without a hitch until that very moment.

He got to see Ruth, and Dye made it back from his 25th Mission, but as Bucky leaned back in his chair, he couldn’t help but be bothered by all the new faces and the lack of old ones.

Even Ruth’s presence beside him wasn’t enough to quell the rising anger and frustration that swirled in his stomach when he thought of the numbers. 

Out of 35 crews that flew in from Greenland, only 12 remained. 

120 men out of 350…230 gone in the matter of a few months. 

‘Will we all just be another number? Another crew marked off the list until replacements come and fill the huts like we never existed in the first place?’ 

These questions floated in his mind while his gaze stayed on the empty glass in front of him. “I’m, uh, gonna get another drink. I’ll be back,” he announced quickly, rising from his chair and turning toward the bar. Ruth’s anxious eyes followed him before she glanced back at Hope.

Buck watched him go with a pang of concern and kissed Hope on the temple, promising his return before he got up and followed after his friend. The women shared a knowing look as they watched the men they loved disappear into the crowd. Seemingly following their Majors, the rest of the men got up and trailed after them a few minutes later, leaving Hope and Ruth alone at the table.

“I’m worried,” Ruth muttered, chewing her bottom lip nervously. “What happens if John or Gale don’t make it back one-”

Hope cut her off quickly and moved to sit beside her.  “Hey. They’re going to be fine, Rue. Before long, we’re gonna be celebrating their 25th mission, alright?”

“Alright,” she whispered as her gaze fell to the table.

The dance floor cleared over the next few minutes, and just a few couples remained dancing. In the middle of the floor was Helen, wrapped up in the arms of an airman they’d never seen before. Wide grins grew on their faces as they watched her place a few kisses against the dark-headed stranger’s jawline. Over his shoulder, Helen’s eyes wandered to the two women sitting alone, and Ruth smiled, giving her a thumbs up as Hope winked at her.

Feeling someone’s gaze on her, Hope scanned the room, meeting the familiar but concerned blues of Gale across the room from where he leaned against the bar beside John. They talked to yet another new airman the girls had never met, but even she could see the grimace on Bucky’s face as he leaned closer to the man, gesturing his hands out.

She glanced over at Ruth who thankfully was too busy tidying up the mess the men left before returning her eyes to her fiancée. In the few seconds she’d looked away, the replacement airman disappeared, and the two Majors stood alone.

“Come on, Rue. Let’s rejoin the party, shall we?” Hope asked, rising to her feet and offering Ruth her hand with a forced smile.

She knew something was up with John. She could tell by Gale’s body language alone.

The blonde took her hand, allowing Hope to lead them towards the men. But just as they passed Helen and the dancing soldier, Colonel Harding and Major Bowman stepped through the doors and sauntered over the bar, a fat cigar hanging from Chick’s lips. 

“My boys!”

Not wanting to interrupt, the women stood on the outskirts of the group, moving to stand beside Tatty, even though both Buck and Johnny sent them a questioning look. Ruth scanned Bucky’s face, but her smile fell when she immediately noticed the line between his brows and the muscle twitching in his jaw.

“Listen up! I just had a mood-killing conversation with Doc Stover. He thinks you sissies could be getting flack happy.”

“No, not us, sir,” the airmen chorused.

“I told him war is war. The longer you go at it, the more it screws a man up. And it’s been that way since the first caveman son of a bitch picked up a club and went after the other. Did cavemen go for head-shrinking?”

As the men shook their heads, Ruth and Hope shared a wary glance. 

Where was this going?

“No! Damn sure not! What counts is that you soldiers show up ready and able to fight. What you do between battles…” Harding trailed off with a chuckle, smirking as he took a drag of his cigar.

Hope watched as Buck remained stoic, no reaction on his face, but John looked over at Ruth, sending her a wink. “I like your style, sir!”

For the first time, Bucky’s wink didn’t make her heart skip a beat…it made it drop into her stomach. His grin was so clearly forced that her mind went haywire, and he was the only thing she could focus on. Sensing the blonde finally picked up on John’s demeanor, Hope silently intertwined their hands, squeezing Ruth’s reassuringly.

Red broke his silence, shaking his head slightly as he spoke. “Aerial combat like this hasn’t been around since the caveman, sir.”

“Of course not, Red. Every war has its novelties,” Harding dismissed the Major, turning to look at the dance hall. A few seconds later, his demeanor changed, and his voice grew serious. “Who the hell decorated this fiesta?”

Everyone looked around the group before Jack hesitantly spoke. “I put together a committee, sir.”

Craning their heads to see around the Colonel, the women confusedly searched the hall for what he possibly could be upset about, but had no such luck.

“The damned plane looks like it’s in a nosedive.”

The sound of chuckles filled the air as John grinned over at Ruth. “Fire ‘em. Fire the committee…Ruth can decorate next time.”

She did her best to smile back at him, but it was just as forced as the grin on his lips.

“I won’t bother next time,” Kidd muttered.

Harding seemed to move on and faced the men again, waving them all closer. “Come on, get in. Come here. Got something to tell ‘ya.”

Hope and Ruth stepped forward, watching the Colonel over Tatty’s shoulder, their eyes moving between their Majors and the CO. 

“You know how we could end this whole thing tonight?” Chick asked, his face scrunched into a half-grimace as he leaned into the group. “We fill up one of our forts with as many 500-pounders as she can hold, we bomb the hell out of Hitler’s hidey-hole.”

The grin on Johnny’s face fell, and he tilted his face to the floor with slightly pursed lips for a moment before returning his gaze to Harding. His forced smiles and strained banter only added to the underlying tension in the room. Ruth’s fingers tightened around Hope’s hand, seeking reassurance as Chick continued.

“I’m sure Red and Bubbles could locate that mustachioed little fucker.”

Bubbles grinned proudly. “Yes, sir.”

“Well, now who’s flack happy?”

The second the words left John’s mouth, Ruth’s heart plummeted, and a knot formed in the pit of her stomach. She held her breath waiting for what would happen next.

What happened in the last few minutes to change his attitude completely?

All the officer’s went silent, shooting each other worried looks while Bucky and Harding stared at each other.

“Who?”

“You are,” John nodded, his expression bearing no trace of any amusement.

Harding smirked, “You are.”

“No, you are,” Egan leaned forward, thwacking Harding’s chest with his hand. “Sir.” 

The next few seconds seemed to stretch on for hours as the atmosphere became even more tense, the room seeming to hold its breath. Gale quickly glanced over at Hope, his eyes filled with concern, much like the rest of the officers. The blonde beside her didn’t notice Buck, unable to tear her eyes away from John, who looked like he was teetering on the edge of an outburst.

The Major and the Colonel stared at each other until a smirk broke out on Chick’s face and he chuckled, the rest of the group following suit when the tension eased.

“Mmm, Single fillies. Come on, boys. Let’s get the lead out!” Harding smirked, taking a drag from his cigar, and left the party with Red trailing behind him.

The officers dispersed out onto the dance floor, leaving John, Gale, Hope, Ruth, and Benny at the bar. 

Gale turned to catch Hope’s eye, his face saying ‘hold on while I talk to him’. Hope nodded in agreement, catching Ruth’s arm and leading her away from their men. 

“What about John?” Ruth looked hastily over her shoulder for him, meeting his conflicted eyes momentarily, but Hope pulled her on. 

“Gale’s going to talk to him, it’ll be okay. They’ve been through a lot, remember? It’s bound to catch up with them all at some point, and we just need to be here to help them if they fall.” Hope led her back to the table, sitting her down and placing the glass of ginger beer in front of her. 

Hope hated watching Ruth’s worried eyes keep darting back toward the boys, but she knew that her own eyes kept drifting back to Gale’s. If this evening had taught her anything, it was that life was more precious than they could ever realize, and each moment should be cherished. 

They needed a distraction from their anxieties, and Hope blurted the first story that came to mind.

“Do you remember that day when you were new to the Grove and you walked in on Frank naked?” 

The blonde’s cheeks immediately heated up as she buried her head in her hands, “How could I forget? I’d only known the man for three days.”

Hope laughed too, “Well, it could be worse. On my first day on base, he nearly ran me over with a jeep. That was before he realized I was on his plane. He bought me a beer that same evening to apologize.” 

Ruth laughed, imagining a younger Hope giving Frank hell for trying to run her down. 

“We had a medical technician on our plane with us back then. Joseph was his name. He was a right pretty boy…thought he was the bee's knees but I soon told him otherwise.” 

Ruth chuckled, knowing Hope probably gave the poor boy hell. It was strange thinking back to when they first came to the Grove, the airbase that had quickly become their home and safe haven. 

“It seems like a lifetime ago that I met you, Hope. I thought you hated me at first.”

“Oh, I didn’t hate you…I just thought you weren’t going to make it,” Hope replied honestly, feeling slightly guilty about how she’d misjudged her best friend. “You soon proved me wrong though, Rue. You’re a good nurse.” 

Hope looked up as Gale approached them, smiling brightly at her while John still stood near the bar still looking quite somber. Ruth stood up, quickly excusing herself as she made her way over to the bar, resting her hand against John’s arm.

“Hey,” she whispered, her blue eyes filled with worry. “Let’s go somewhere we can talk.”

He nodded, allowing her to take his hand and tug him to the door.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” she finally asked when they excited the club into the English night, her voice soft with concern.

John pursed his lips and a flicker of hesitation crossed his features before he shrugged. “Nothing. What do you mean?”

“John,” Ruth urged, her voice hardening as she gave him the look that always made her students squirm in their seats. 

And her tone…it was only used when dealing with problem students, the ones who lied directly to her face when she already knew the truth.

He sighed, his shoulders slumping ever so slightly. “I’m fine.”

“What was that, then?” Ruth pressed, refusing to let it go. She needed to know exactly what was wrong…needed to help him in whatever way she could.

But how could he tell her the truth?

He could go down the next day and it would be like he never was there in the first place. Gone like the 230 men they’d lost.

How was he supposed to tell the woman he loved that she could lose him in the blink of an eye?

That he could lose her just the same?

That he couldn’t write another life-shattering letter to a boy’s family?

His nervousness to confess his feelings was replaced with guilt, anger, and frustration that compounded in his chest, creating a volatile mixture that was bound to explode. 

“Nothing,” he insisted, his tone growing defensive. “Like I said.”

“Please don’t lie to me,” Ruth pleaded as she grasped his hand, her voice barely above a whisper. “I know-”

The flood he’d been trying to hold back finally broke, and his voice raised just a fraction as he pulled his hand from hers. “Damn it, Ruth. I said I’m fine!”

The sharpness of his tone caught the woman off guard, and she recoiled slightly, blinking furiously to hold back the tears threatened to fill her eyes. “I’m just trying to help,” she whispered.

Without another word, she turned and walked back into the dance, leaving Bucky standing there in the chilly night. His hands moved to his hips as his chest heaved, the anger slowly leaving his body and morphing into guilt as his mind replayed her baby blues shining with tears and the tremble in her voice.

He was supposed to be a better man, someone worthy of her, and what did he do at the first chance?

Despite the mix of emotions within him, Johnny knew she was only trying to help, only trying to be there for him, and he’d raised his voice at her. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself before following after her, his heart pounding in his chest.

Pushing open the door and stepping inside, the sounds of the party filled Bucky’s ears, but for once, he couldn’t bring himself to care that the band played ‘Blue Skies’. His eyes scanned the bustling club and caught a glimpse of her blonde hair disappearing into the women’s bathroom.

John hesitated where he stood in the middle of the club, lost and unsure of what to do next. He knew he needed to talk to her, to make things right, but he also didn’t want to intrude on her privacy. Frustratingly running a hand over his mouth, he caught sight of Gale on the dance floor where he swayed slowly with Hope. Buck’s brow furrowed in confusion as he glanced in the direction Ruth had gone over Hope’s shoulder. With a nod of his head, he silently urged Johnny to go after her. 

It was the push that he needed to make a decision.

Swallowing thickly, he approached the bathroom door and knocked, his knuckles rapping against the wood gently. “Ruthie, can I come in?”

His heart sank when he heard sniffles from inside.

“Please,” John murmured softly, his voice barely audible through the door.

A few seconds ticked by and he was about to ask again when the door clicked open, giving him a view of her reddened and splotchy face. Ruth backed up, allowing him to slowly push in the door. She stood before him with her arms wrapped tightly around herself, barely meeting his gaze as her eyes remained on the floor. John silently stepped into the room and closed the door behind him gently, muffling the sounds of the party outside.

They stood there silently for a few moments until Ruth finally looked up at him, quickly wiping a tear from her cheek as she chewed on her bottom lip. 

“Come here,” he mumbled, pulling her softly into his chest, running a hand up and down her back. “I’m sorry, doll. So sorry.”

Ruth stiffened for a moment before relaxing against him, burying her face into his chest.

“I’m not mad at you. I just,” he sighed against her hair. “I hate myself for making you upset. I know you’re just trying to help me.”

She lifted her head from his chest and broke her silence, her voice wavering. “Then talk to me.”

John stared at her for a moment, running his fingers through her hair gently as he thought of a way to explain what he felt…the weight he felt on his shoulders. “There’s nothing you can do about it, Ruth,” he muttered, his face tilting to the ground.

“I don’t care,” the nurse answered quietly, reaching up and gently lifting his face to meet her teary gaze. "Just…just please don’t shut me out.”

For a moment, they stood there in silence as Bucky nodded to himself with his lips pulled into a tight line. When he finally found the words, his voice was barely audible as he fought to keep his composure. 

“You heard Crank earlier. We’ve lost so many boys, and I-,” he cleared his throat, looking over her shoulder at the wall while fighting the burning sensation in his eyes. “I don’t know how much more I can take.”

Ruth’s heart broke at his confession, and she cupped his cheeks and pulled him down to her, their foreheads pressing together.

“John, you are going to get through this. We are going to get through this,” Ruth whispered. “I’m right here, and I don’t plan on going anywhere. You can talk to me, alright?”

He released a shuddering breath against her face, allowing his eyes to flutter shut as he savored the feeling of her warm touch. The three words he’d been meaning to say all night danced on the tip of his tongue but refused to pour from his lips.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you. I-”

“You didn’t have to do anything,” she interrupted, her thumb caressing his cheekbone lightly. “I know I don’t say it enough, but thank you. You make me so happy, Johnny.”

Bucky raised his hand to cover her much smaller one on his cheek as he sent her a soft smile. “I should be the one thanking you. You…you mean everything to me, Ruth. Everything. And I’m so sorry for talking to you like-”

“Just kiss me,” she whispered, her eyes flicking to his lips.

John immediately obeyed, tilting his head to connect their lips softly, their worries fading away as they lost themselves in each other. Ruth’s hands slid from his face to the nape of his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair as she deepened the kiss with an eagerness he’d never seen from her before. He fought against every instinct in him urging him to take things farther, but she deserved more than that…they both did.

As they pulled away from the kiss, they remained wrapped in the other’s arms, their breaths mingling in the air between them. John’s gaze softened as he looked into Ruth’s eyes, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. He noticed the remnants of tears still clinging to her lashes, her eyes red and puffy, and his hand raised to brush her hair behind her ear.

“I’m getting a weekend pass to London,” he said breathlessly, nervously peering down at her. “Come with me.”

Ruth grinned and pecked his lips again softly. “I’d want nothing more.”

In that moment, with Ruth in his arms, John Egan vowed London would be the place…would be the time he’d confess his love for her. 

How he couldn’t imagine life without her.

London…it would be the place that everything changed.

Monday, September 20th: AAF Grove, Berkshire: 0700 HRS: 7 AM

Hope let out a long sigh as the C-47’s wheels left the runway in one swoop, rising above the airstrip and leaving the base far below them as they climbed into the clouds. Frank talked quietly to Bill in the cockpit, and both girls couldn’t help but smile at their pilot's antics. He was a good pilot, but as a mentor, he was a hard task-master, and Bill was being put through his paces. Ruth pulled John’s latest letter from her pocket, rereading his words with a small smile.

September 17th My Ruth, Hey, slugger. I hope you’ve had a good few days. Have your runs been okay? Has Frank been nice to you? You know I won’t hesitate to rough him up if not. I have been unable to keep my mind off of you…as usual. Schwarz developed the pictures from the party yesterday, and I’ve found myself staring at our photo for longer than I’d like to admit. You’re just so beautiful…the most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid eyes on…have I told you that? Schwarz also gave each Buck and Hugh individual pictures of them with Hope. I’m pretty sure Buck is sending copies of the letter he’s writing from his bunk. You’ll find one of us in this envelope, as well. I’m sure you’ll love it just as much as I do. I keep my copy in my breast pocket, next to my heart so you’ll be with me everywhere I go. When I start to spiral, I just look at you and your smiling face, and I remember what all this is for. Every day I ask myself how I got so lucky that you landed on my base out of the hundreds scattered around England, and after months of wondering, I still have no explanation.  All I know is that I kiss the lucky cross around my neck every time I leave and come back from a mission, thanking Mrs. Virginia Morgan that I made it back to the ground…back to you. I still can’t believe you wouldn’t take it back, Ruthie, but I promise to keep it safe until you’re ready to.  I can’t wait to take you to London, doll. Did your CO approve your leave? I can try to pull some strings if she doesn’t. Maybe I could give her a call and use my charm to convince her? What do you think? Stay safe up there for me, alright? Yours Completely, John Egan P.S. The Yankees swept the Athletics in their series, keeping their 9-game win streak alive. We’ve got the American League in the bag! What do I always say? The Yankees always end on top! Remember that, doll. You’ll be hearing it a lot after we win the World Series next month.

Both women received letters from their Majors late the night before and immediately wrote their responses, promising to send them the following morning. But when they were called up for a run before dawn, both dashed to the post room before hurrying back to ‘The Angel.’ 

“So how is the hotshot then?” Hope asked with a grin, amused by Ruth’s embarrassed expression, her pale cheeks blushing deeply. 

“How do you know I call him that?” Ruth asked curiously, but Hope just shook her head with a chuckle. 

“Ruth, you've read his letters out loud enough times when I’m around that I’ve basically read them myself.” The blonde nodded slowly, half listening to Hope and the other half of her too engrossed in John’s words as she reread them again. After a few moments, she looked up from the letter.

“I wrote to my parents about John the other day,” Ruth called out over the engine’s whine, a fond smile on her lips.

“Oh yeah?”

The blonde nodded. “Yeah.”

“What all did you tell them?” Hope asked with a raised brow.

Ruth’s innocent smile turned into a mischievous smirk as she chuckled to herself. “Well, my Mama always reads the letters, so I wrote the basics for her to tell my Dad and Jamie, but gave her all the details.”

“John’s right,” she laughed. “You are a sneaky woman.”

Shrugging, Ruth pulled out the picture he sent from her pocket, her heart fluttering as she studied it, tracing the lines of John’s face on the small photo. She was glad to finally have a piece of Johnny to carry around with her, being able to whip it out whenever she missed him or just wanted to see his handsome face.

The plane rocked from side to side as they gained altitude, and the large metal bird flew ‘through the ‘gate’ as Frank liked to call it as she moved to full throttle, soaring up into the clouds. 

“Stop being a clot,” Frank hissed to Bill, flicking a few switches in the cockpit with a long sigh, “You know what you’re doing kid, but shit, try using your head sometimes okay?” 

“Yes Sir,” Bill nodded shyly, turning his attention back to the plane's control panel. The girls smiled at each other, listening to the two men bickering in the cockpit

“Where do you think the boys are right now?” Ruth asked, looking up nervously at Hope. She always worried when she thought of where their men could be. The thought of them in harm's way made her sick to the stomach. 

Were they flying like girls were? Were they in danger? 

Hope slouched in her seat as the plane leveled out, “I don’t know, Rue. I’d like to think that they’re at Thorpe Abbotts. Hugh’s probably getting into some sort of trouble or terrorizing poor Harry Crosby. John is probably having some coffee with his whiskey about now at breakfast.” This caused Ruth to laugh lightly at the thought of John’s usual morning routine.

“What about Gale?” 

Hope took a little longer to reply this time. “I think Gale would… well I don’t know. He’s probably either eating breakfast with John, walking Meatball, or he’s with his baby.” 

“His baby?” Ruth sputtered, cocking her head and looking at her friend for the answer.

“His Fort, ‘Our Baby’,” Hope laughed, watching as Ruth nodded, understanding the men’s attachment to their Forts. She guessed they all felt the same way about their own plane, although Ruth thought if she never had to fly again it would be a blessing. 

The pair soon fell into silence, both organizing their mussette bags for the hundredth time, as if they hadn’t checked all their supplies pre-flight. Hope moved up to the cockpit to check in with the pilots while Ruth moved along the racks of supplies, laying out fresh blankets on each cot, humming an Artie Shaw song to herself as she went.

“How’s it going up here, boys?” Hope leant over Frank’s shoulder, watching as the cloudy sky unfolded before them. 

“Can’t complain,” Frank replied plainly. “I think Billy Boy here is getting the hang of things at last.” The young pilot grinned at the compliment and Hope couldn’t help the sense of pride that filled her chest. They’d had several copilots training with Frank, but Bill was definitely the girl's favorite. 

Looking back out the window, Hope pointed towards the dark clouds erupting ahead of them. 

“Hey Frank, what’s that up ahead? That’s not what I think it is…right?”

“That, my dear Hope, is flak fire,” he said regretfully. “Looks like we’re heading to the movies. I suggest you girls grab a seat…Ruth may want a blindfold for this next part.” 

Hope swallowed, nodding quickly before rushing back to her seat. Bill talked quickly to Frank in the cockpit but remained calm, it wasn’t anything they hadn’t been through before. 

Ruth’s fearful eyes widened as Hope explained what Frank had told her before swiftly strapping herself into her seat. Her mind raced at all the terrible outcomes that could occur. 

What happens if they go down? 

What would happen if they just blew up over Germany? 

She tried to put on a brave face but she knew Hope would see right through it, she always did. 

The plane swerved as flak erupted around them, swooping and diving as the black clouds and wuffs from the Ack-Acks flew wildly around them. Hope and Ruth were thrown around in their seats as the plane swerved, flack bursts shaking the bird. They were very grateful that they always secured all their supplies and stretchers down pre-flight.

Hope’s fingers dug into the metal seat and her eyes closed as her stomach flipped in circles with each turn. She’d not had any issues with her motion sickness since her training, but the urge to vomit up her breakfast only grew as the bile rose in the back of her throat. 

Ruth opposite from her was as white as a sheet, her already pale face now the color of a corpse with her lips set in a thin worried line. Her teeth clenched tightly together and her eyes squeezed shut as flack pierced through the plane's fuselage above her head. 

“Shit!” Ruth shrieked, covering her head with her hands.

“You okay, Rue?” Hope shouted over the noise of the war around them. A glossy-eyed and panting Ruth only nodded quickly in response.

Bullets ripped through the riveted sheets of the fuselage with a series of metallic pings, piercing through easily and sending metal flying into the cabin like confetti. With the chaos surrounding them, Ruth barely noticed when a piece of shrapnel flew past her face, just grazing her temple. Flak fire continued to blast in the air surrounding the skytrain and the noise was deafening to everyone inside. 

How could anyone think strategically in these conditions? 

“OH FUCK!” Frank’s voice shouted from the cockpit as he leaned over to Bill, “Stay with me, kid.” Bill’s lifeless body lay wide-eyed staring straight ahead, his young face frozen, expressionless. “DAMMIT!” 

“What’s wrong, Frank?” Hope called out as she unbuckled herself and stumbled from her seat, edging her way towards him. 

Ruth’s eyes widened. “Hope! What are you doing?!”

She simply sent her a worried glance, seeing the blood trickling down Ruth’s cheek before disappearing from view, and the blonde stared at her in disbelief. When another burst sent burning hot metal through the plane’s fuselage around her, Ruth’s eyes clenched shut, her head bowing as she mumbled a prayer for them, her hand instinctively reaching up for her usual comfort… her necklace….her lucky necklace that now hung around the neck of John Egan.

“Our Father, who art in heaven…”

In the cockpit, Frank didn’t turn to face Hope when he spoke, his eyes trained on the incoming fire from the Messerschmitts flying in all directions around them. 

“We have been fucked by the fickle finger of fate and today is not our day. We’re down to one engine and she isn’t sounding too healthy. We’re littered with holes and,” he paused, his throat constricting as he motioned to the young boy who lay dead beside him. “And the Krauts…they got Billy.” 

The plane juddered and smoke poured from the remaining engine with a horrendous screech as Frank took a steadying breath. The next words to leave his lips sent a shiver down Hope’s spine. 

They were the ones every airman, flight nurse, and pilot prayed they’d never have to hear…

“There goes the last engine. We’re going down!”

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